The Westbrook Family

So hard to say goodbye!

2011-10-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

We were so thrilled to find out that our local mortuary, hospital and cemetery have all teamed up to offer the families that have lost babies, a special place to mourn. It is called the Garden of the Gods.

It was really hard on the whole family, but especially for Rhett and McKenna who don't fully understand things yet. They remind me daily that they miss Kyler and are sad. :( It is extremely helpful to be able to take them here and for them to know that he is in this beautiful garden, but that he is also with Heavenly Father.

It was a hard day, but on the one month anniversary, we went as a family to say another goodbye. Issac said a beautiful prayer and we each released a baby blue balloon into the air and watched as they each drifted higher and higher until they were out of sight. The kids swear that they made it all the way to heaven and that Kyler collected them all. I love the innocence of my children.

Goodbye Sweet Kyler!

Trouseeau Dreams 2011

2011-10-02T18:49:00.001-07:00

Trousseau Dreams was even more emotional this year for me. It was a big

reminder of how important our Eternal Families are.

This year for Trousseau Dreams, I chose to go with the theme of Eternity.

I decorated with the color scheme of yellow, white and lime green.

I put an "E" monogram on a bar of soap and then wrapped

it up with this tag for each of the girls as their

YW Leaders gift to them this year.

I really wish that I could have had more white material draped out from the

center of the room to make it feel more heavenly, but it just wasn't in the budget.

Each person had their own cookie with name on it to mark their place setting.

I alternated the colors between the girls and their mom's.

The centerpieces were glass vases filled with lemons and limes.

I have wanted to do a candy bar for quite some time, so this gave me the perfect

opportunity to try it out. So much harder than I thought it would be to find

green and yellow candy though.

I found these cute yellow boxes for everyone to fill with their candy.

I made chocolate temple molds to put on top of each of the cupcakes.

This year I opted for just desserts!

Yellow and green chocolate dipped home made truffles.

Lemon and key lime cupcakes, with lemon and key lime bars as well.

We didn't get all the girls there this year, but it was still an amazing night and felt

the spirit really strongly. I wasn't sure that I was even up to going. I was so

thankful that I had most of my planing well ahead of time and only had all the

baking left to do the few days before. It was a great night and I was so

grateful for all the other leaders and their help to pull it off.

Our Precious Baby Boy!

2011-09-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Kyler Brock Westbrook ~ Sept. 8, 2011 8 oz. 8 in.

I'm just a precious little one who didn't make it there.

I went straight to be with Jesus, but I'm waiting for you here.

Many dwelling where I live, waited years to enter in.

Struggled through a world of sorrow, a world marred with pain and sin.

Thank you for the life you gave me,

It was brief but don't complain.

I have all Heaven's Glory,

Suffered none of Earth's great pain.

Thank you for the name you gave me.

I'd have loved to bring it fame.

But if I'd lingered in Earth's shadows,

I would have suffered just the same.

So sweet family - don't you sorrow.

Wipe those tears and chase the gloom.

I went straight to Jesus' arms,

From my loving Mother's womb.

~ Author Unknown ~

It was so hard to say goodbye and to let you go.

The only comfort is that we know that one day you will be back in our arms again.

We love you so much our precious baby boy!!!

Backyard Boutique

2011-07-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

So my friend decided to have a little backyard boutique this summer and asked if I could come up with something to have a booth with. I didn't have anything made, but quickly made a few things to try and sell. Unfortunately, the whether was horrible and we have very little traffic so I didn't sell much, but it was fun to make these cute baby items.

This is a whole set. It is a car seat cover, diaper case, wipe case and a binkie clip.

I made six full sets that could go together or be switched out if wanted.

I tried to find really cute material that could go for boys and girls.

Then I also made these cute ballerina bow holders.

Catch up time!

2011-07-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

So, it has been forever since I last posted anything, and as I was going through my camera, decided that I needed to just sit down and force myself to do it. This is just a mix of things that have happened over the past few months.

Issac has morphed into Mr. Mom again, just as he did the last time I was pregnant. He got into a canning mood and canned home made pickles ( sooooo good! ), peaches, strawberry, blackberry and peach jam. YUMMY!!!!!

We were so excited to be able to spend a few days and then be able to drop off Issac's youngest brother, Kenyon at the MTC. So proud of him.

My little princess and my favorite hair style on her right now. It is so cute and keeps all the little hairs out of her face and back. Love it!!!!

Of course I have to finish it off with a cute bow or flower though.

This is Wesley's position of choice for sleeping. He has his own room and a queen sized bed, but he still chooses to sleep cramped up on a love seat? Teenagers!!!!!

Rhett has had a horrible time with his teeth. I don't know why my boys have no enamel on their teeth! He has had multiple oral surgeries and at the current moment, has 7 missing teeth in his mouth right now! Including all 4 of his front teeth. I have no idea how he is eating. Poor guy! He made out like a bandit though from the tooth fairy so he's not complaining.

Easter 2011. Such handsome men all in their suits and Sunday best. I even spent the time and curled McKenna's hair for church.

The Big News!

2011-06-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I last posted anything on the blog, but life has been so crazy.
The best and biggest news for now though, is that after trying and trying for 2 1/2 years and going through 4 miscarriages, we are expecting again! :) :) :)

We ended up being sent to a fertility Dr. and after doing a double dose of chlomid and doing a round of IUI, we were thrilled to be able to see just ONE baby with a really strong heart beat at our ultrasound today.

Our due date is Feb. 9th, 2012. We will see just how close I get to this one though. I am thinking more end of Jan is more likely. We are so happy and excited to finally have the last piece of our family on their way. I am even tolerating morning sickness with a smile at this point. :)

Drill SGT. Westbrook

2011-03-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

There will never be the right words to express the pride that I feel for our Country, for our Soldiers, but mostly for my husband. I was so fortunate to be able to go to Ft. Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina this past weekend to watch my amazing husband graduate from Drill Sergeant School. It is quite the site to see the absolute respect that these men show, but mostly demand when you see them standing at attention in formation.

For those like me, there is nothing sexier than a true hero in his uniform! :)

All our friends from Utah that haven't ever really seen Issac even in his uniform, let a lone doing any soldier like duties, can't picture him as a drill sgt. They keep saying that Issac is too nice and has such a sweet face, how could he be mean and yell at anyone. It is almost scary the change that he goes through when he puts his uniform on though. He transforms! He turns into the drill sgt. and is all business! I LOVE IT!

I was so proud of him as I watched him march across the stage and get his hat. Each of the Majors and Generals were also very proud of him and had good things to say. They especially loved his immitation of one of the DSL's that everyone said was just spot on.

This is THE MOST amazing thing to witness. I got chills and teary eyed. This is the Drill Sergeant Creed. The sound just resenated through the whole room. So impressive!

I am so proud of you Issac. Your hard work and dedication pays off once again. Being apart for so long was totally worth it when I saw you put your hat on and take the title of Drill SGT. Those Privates had better all watch out. DS Westbrook is coming to tear you up! I love you babe!

( DS Westbrook, fixing stupid since 2011 ~ Only DS Westbrook can prevent stupid)

Best Husband in the World!!!!

2011-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

So.... as you can imagine, I have been missing my sweetie something awful lately. I swear that every light bulb in the house waited to burn out until he left, and all the appliances decided to either die or throw a fit when he left as well. All of this on top of being sick for the past two months ( I cannot get rid of this sinus, congestion issue), being mom and dad to 4 active, busy kids and my church callings has just taken a toll on me. I was whining a little one night to him on the phone about really disliking being separated again, and especially over a "romantic holiday"! Wouldn't you know it? The next day at about 2:00 in the afternoon there is a knock at my door and I am greeted with the sight of these beautiful roses and a sweet letter from my honey! :)

Even from across the country, he can still brighten my day and make my whole heart and soul smile! I still miss him like crazy, but this definitely made my day a lot easier to handle.

* Almost halfway done! YEAH!!!!!! I am so excited though because my mom is going to come out and spend two weeks with us. Then we have managed to pull off being able to get me a ticket to fly out for his graduation in March. I CAN"T WAIT!!! Can you tell I'm just a little excited?

My Mom's B-Day!

2011-01-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

So, my sweet mother had her birthday this month. I am always trying to find something fun to get her that she doesn't have. This year, I decided to go with a homemade kind of gift, and this is what I ended up with. The phrase on the bottom block says, "These are a few of my favorite things." Then on the top blocks, I put a picture of each of her grand kids so far (there is room for a few more! ) The whole thing is wrapped with ribbon and flowers. It was fun to make for her and glad that she loved it. Just sorry that I couldn't be there when she opened it and to help her celebrate.
* A little side note! I am exactly half my parents age for the next 4 months! I am 33 and they are both 66! Fun! :)

Missing Daddy!

2011-01-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

The kids are really missing daddy! It is so hard, especially for Rhett and Mckenna to understand the time line that we are looking at because they don't understand how long weeks and months are. By the second day, I was tired of trying to explain it AGAIN! So, I decided to make a chain so that they could see how many days were left until daddy comes back home.

Each night, the kids take turns cutting off one of the links in our chains. We broke it down by the month, hoping that it would make it look like something that we can handle.

Only one week down! :( I really thought that we would be able to handle this, after all, we've done 2 years! But one big lesson learned, it doesn't matter how long you're apart. Being apart is being apart, and it all SUCKS!!!! I love my honey so much and my life just isn't right when he is not with me. We are so proud of him though and know that he is where he needs to be and wish him all the luck. Just hurry and come home to us! :) We love you baby!

Health Scare!

2011-01-03T14:06:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to let those of you that knew about what was going on with me, that we got a call from the Dr. and the tests came back neg. It is such a relief to finally know and now to be able to move on with everything. December was such a stressful month! But now we can start the new year off with good news and a positive look on things. Nothing like a health scare to put things into perspective. Thank you so much for all the prayers and support. We felt all of of the love and blessings from them.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T20:27:00.001-08:00

We were not sure if this year was going to be much for Christmas, but thanks to some amazing friends and "Secret Santa", we had a wonderful day! I didn't do much for decorating, but I did have a color scheme (of course)! Blue, white and silver!

Wesley and Damon got to help us play "Santa" this year. I think that it helped to make this year even more special for them to try and make it so special for Rhett and McKenna.

Rhett asked Santa for a Pocket Racer, which took some doing to figure out what that was and then where to find one, but of course Santa came through!

McKenna asked for a kitty. At first we assumed that she meant a real one, but she quickly assured us that she meant the stuffed kind. THANK GOODNESS!!!! That we were more than happy to fulfill. We found three cute little new friends for her to take care of.

Issac and I spent a few days and made some building blocks for both Rhett and McKenna. We put letters and numbers on a bunch and then cute scrapbooking paper on the others to make them look cute. I think that they will both have a lot of fun playing with these and hopefully learn a little with the letters and numbers too!

McKenna was pretty excited to get a pretty pink piggy bank from Grandma Gagon for Christmas!

It was so much fun to watch McKenna with your little kitties. She promptly named them Toby(grey), Falcon (the caramel striped) and Fat (black). Don't know where the last one came from.

It was a wonderful Christmas this year for the kids. Too bad I spent the whole time sick! :(

Family Fun Center!

2010-12-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to the Family Fun Center for Family Night! The kids all had a blast. They got to jump and climb on all the blow up toys, roller skate, lazer tag and pizza for dinner. We spent over 4 hours there and came home exhausted. Of course all 4 kids wanted to stay longer. :)

This place is amazing and is set up so that even parents can play! Lucky us!!! :)

Christmas Aprons!

2010-12-26T20:14:00.001-08:00

For Christmas this year, we decided to make our Young Women all an apron and recipe box. Each apron matched a box and we tried to match the colors and design to the overall personality of each girl. They all seemed to be very happy with their gift, and I was very happy to have another project done. We also had a cookie exchange and shared the recipes, and read a wonderful story called, "The Christmas Apron". It was a great night and wonderful start to Christmas.

Gingerbread Houses!

2010-12-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

So we have decided that making gingerbread houses will have to become one of our traditions. This year we had a "kids" house and a "grown ups" house! Can you tell which is which?

The kids had a blast and I think ate more candy than they actually got on their house. I'm not sure how they managed that though. You can barely see the gingerbread any longer.

Rhett's Christmas Program!

2010-12-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Rhett had his Kindergarten Christmas Program this past week. Since the school that we go to is a Spanish immersion Charter School, it was only fitting that half the program was in Spanish. His teacher, Ms. Suzana is from Spain and danced a beautiful Latin dance for us as well.
The boys were all dressed in black slacks and shoes, white button up shirt, red sash and their black hats. The girls were dressed in white shirts, long ruffled skirts and pretty flowers and crowns to wear in their hair. They all looked really cute!

We were so impressed with Rhett and proud that he was able to remember all his dance moves. He looked so grown up dancing with his little partner and bowing to her.

After their dance, they did of course sing the traditional Christmas songs and then a few in Spanish. The kids were all so cute. We just kept thinking about how fast time is going by. Our little boy is getting so big! :(

Anniversary!

2010-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, another year gone by! Eight years ago I was lucky enough to make the man who had quickly (and all be it, very unconventionally) become my best friend, also become my partner and lover! I knew that there was such a love out there. I grew up watching my parents express it, but I was afraid that I may never feel it. That is until Issac came into my life. He not only saved me, but also my kids. I don't know how my love for him can continue to grow so much, but it does, every day! I am thrilled to have such an amazing man by my side for time and all eternity!

We didn't have a lot of money to spend this year, so all of our plans got cancelled. I know that Issac was bummed that he couldn't do something big, but I wanted him to know that all I really need is his love. I made this cute candy card and left it at his office during his lunch break. He called when he got back and said that it made him cry! Not an easy task my friends. I was pretty happy to hear that he appreciated it.

Thanks so my mom and sister, we were able to go run a few errands, start some Christmas planning and see the new Harry Potter. Then when we got home, the kids had baked us a chocolate cake and had candles and jumped out and surprised us. It was a wonderful night!

You are and always will be my HERO! Happy Anniversary baby! I love you with all that I am and more!

Halloween 2010!

2010-10-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

Miss McKenna was a fairy this year for Halloween. Well over a month ago while in the store, McKenna saw this costume and just fell in love with it. I'm such such a sucker for cute girly things, so I gave in and bought it without much thought. Issac was a little scared that I had bought anything for her so early. (from experience we know how many times the kids change their minds). She didn't once waver though, and she didn't even once, ask me to open it and wear it until Halloween night. I have been blessed with such a sweet little spirit.

I think that we may be a few years away from face paint still. Although I love how they turned out, it took us forever to do because neither of the kids would hold still while we did it. Everyone loved McKenna's though, and I think that it really made her outfit. Such a pretty fairy!

Rhett made a very scary vampire! Issac may have gotten a little carried away with his makeup, but I was pretty impressed with his first attempt. I couldn't even recognize Rhett when he was done with him. The only thing that we couldn't get to work were his fangs. He kept gagging before they could set on his teeth. Probably just as well, I seriously doubt that he could have eaten with them in.

We participated in the trunk or treat again this year. I decided to tone it down just a little and make it more kid and family friendly. :) Not so scary this year. We lucked out and managed to get rid of all our candy before it started raining. The kids were not so lucky for the actual trick or treating though. Cold and wet! We went out early and came home quickly. It just isn't much fun when you can't feel your fingers. I think it was a successful year though. Happy Halloween!!!

Family Photos!

2010-10-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! In the past I have let weeks and sometimes months go by with out posting a thing, and then all of a sudden I post like 4 in one week! It is just because we actually had some fun things happen in our lives, and because I am determined to remember to take and use my camera! :) The pictures from this post though, are thanks to an old childhood friend of mine that has turned professional! Capture Photography in California and my friend Shellie made all these amazing family photos possible. I LOVE THEM ALL! Wesley: Age 12

Damon: Age 11

Rhett: Age 5

McKenna: Age 3

My beautiful children! I am so blessed!

SPIDERS!

2010-10-06T20:48:00.001-07:00

Well, we found ourselves making some more creepy crawly creatures for FHE. Tonight it was of the eight legged variety. Quite possibly the only kind of tarantula, or any kind of spider for that matter that I can stand to be anywhere near.

I think that they turned out really well. They were harder than I had expected, but we all had fun doing them anyway. They tasted pretty good too! We color coded them so that everyone would know which spider was theirs!

My Running Man!

2010-10-06T20:36:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of Wesley. When he came to us last month and announced that he wanted to run cross country, I didn't quite know what to make of it. He's never done anything like that before and I really didn't know if he could do it. He's the youngest on the team and almost the smallest.

At his first meet, he ran the two miles in 18 minutes and 40 seconds. I was so proud of him and impressed just for finishing and thought that the time was amazing, especially since he had only been running for about two weeks. Then a few days later at his next meet, he ran it in 17 minutes and 10 seconds. I couldn't believe that he had done it a minute and a half faster. Then again, his next meet he crosses the finish line in 16 minutes 10 seconds. Crazy! I told him that he had better slow it down a little. He can't possibly keep up that kind of progression. :)

I am sure a proud momma on the side lines yelling and cheering for him. I just know that I am totally going to be one of those mom's that embarrasses their kids because they are always crying. I can't help it though. My kids fill me with so much pride and I am constantly amazed at their talents and abilities. Good thing I can wear sunglasses to help hide all the evidence! :)

I love you so much Wesley and so proud of you! GO NDPA LIONS!

Park City / Provo Trip!

2010-10-02T21:31:00.001-07:00

With the kids having Friday off of school, we decided that we needed to have a little getaway! Last year we discovered that a few of the hotels in Park City offer an incredible deal to Veterans. Issac and I have used it, but this time decided to take the whole family and try one of the nicer places to stay. We were lucky and there was an opening for us to stay at the Silver King. We got a two bedroom suite, and boy was it SWEET!!!!

It had a full kitchen and everything. We ran across the street to the market and picked up some groceries to make dinner and have for breakfast the next morning.

I absolutely loved the dining area and the table.

The family room had a real wood burning fireplace, which would have been fun to use, if we hadn't needed the air on full blast the whole time. I can't believe the heat wave we are having in OCTOBER!!!

We rented a few movies to watch with popcorn, root beer floats, candy and whatever else the kids wanted. We went all out! :

The best part of the suite, besides of course that the kids had their own room, was that in the corner of the family room, we had our own private hot tub! We all enjoyed that! A LOT! :)

The rooms were very comfortable and decorated very nicely. The kids had a blast and can't wait to go back again.

The kids also had to try out the indoor/outdoor pool as well!

The next morning, we got up and headed out around Park City to see all the pretty colors. If we had been just another week or so, I think that it would have been even more amazing. We found this cute little park and we had an impromptu photo shoot.

I just love these gorgeous big blue eyes! They melt my heart every time I look in them.

After the pictures, everyone obliged mom, and we walked around Tanger Outlets for a little bit. I found some great deals and left very happy. We then headed to Provo, picked up a pizza and went to another park to eat. Then we headed to the Haunted River Boat Ride.

We got there a little early so we let all of the kids do the climbing wall. The three boys all got to climb at the same time. It was really fun to watch them all.

My little McKenna even took a turn, with Daddy's help, but I couldn't believe how good she was. She was pulling herself up and just getting higher and higher. She didn't quite make it to the top but just about. Once she looked down and realized just how high she was, she decided that she had had enough.

Then it was time for the boat ride. We were steered by a couple of pirates who told us stories, showed us all the carved pumpkins and lights, and protected us from the other pirate who tried to board us and gave us his loot! It was fun, though I'm not quite sure it was worth the $$$.

It was a wonderful weekend spent with the family though. I wish that we had the time and the means to take off and do things like this more often. The kids are growing up so fast and I know that before long, the boys especially wont even want to spend time out with the family like this. I truly loved the time that we had on this trip though, and grateful to have some fun pictures to help remember it all. :) Today, I am one happy momma!

Green Goblins!

2010-09-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

For FHE tonight, I couldn't help but get into the spirit of Halloween. We had a few days last week that were really starting to feel like fall, and I was really starting to get excited for it. I started anticipating the color changes that will happen in the trees, the smell of pumpkin and spice and cinnamon and vanilla, the warm soups and stews, hot chocolate, wrapping up in a cozy blanket by the fireplace, and of course all the yummy goodies that we bake. Well, what a tease mother nature has been. We have been back up into the 90's this week! I am determined not to let it dampen my enthusiasm to begin the festivities though! :) I went out today and bought all the ghoulish decorations for our front yard, but we got such a late start tonight that we will have to do the actual decorating another night, much to the kids dismay. We did however have enough time to make these little green goblins. I think that they turned out pretty cute and we all had a great time coming up with characters to create.

Can you guess who made which one????

AMAZING!!!!

2010-09-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

I was walking around in WinCo the other day and just happened to come accross what may just be the most amazing invention ever! These are so big! They were almost as big as McKenna's hand and practically filled up my whole palm.

These suckers took two pokers in them in order to roast them!

Rhett gave them a very sticky thumbs up!

Issac's Bday Weekend!

2010-09-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Issac's birthday this year fell on a Sunday, so I was able to plan things and make his birthday celebration last all weekend long.

I didn't like any of the cards that I found at the store, so I opted to make him one of the home made variety. Since it was his 32nd birthday, I wrote out my top 32 reasons why I love him and how he melts my heart!

Starting on Friday evening, I sent Issac on "secret missions". He had numbered envelopes that he got to open as each mission was completed. For his first mission, we went to Kohls and he had to pick out something new for himself. Then we went to Blockbuster where he got to pick out which movie we rented. We then went to Quilted Bear where he picked out a new tie. Then we went to a restaurant up the Ogden Canyon overlooking the river, and ended up at the Wiseguys Comedy Club in Ogden. It was a fun evening and I loved seeing the excitement on his face as he was handed another envelope and had to figure out where we were going next.

Saturday we spent in celebration with the kids. We spent most of the day at Lagoon. The whether was perfect and we had a wonderful time. We grabbed a pizza on the way home and then set up for a movie night. We opened up a blanket and I put out a candy buffet and popcorn. The kids were so excited and loved it. We watched an old childhood favorite of both mine and Issac's, Back to the Future. I don't recall there being so much language when I was a kid. OOOOPS!!!!

Then on Sunday, Issac had to teach the lesson for Sunday School and did an amazing job. After church we made one of Issac's favorite dinners, Hawaiian haystacks. Then, because we have some amazing friends, we were able to drop the kids off for the night. I had wanted to go back to the Anniversary Inn to make up for the unfortunate happenings of last year, but our room was already booked. It was almost as good though, having an empty house! :)

Thanks to the amazing creativity of Issac's cousin, Nicki, we were able to borrow this idea. She created this fun "couples" game that I recreated for our evening.

It is basically like battleship but when you miss, you pick a card that your spouse has written something for you to do on. We had so much fun and were surprised by how many things we had written down the same.

My original plan was to be in the front room with all the candle and fireplace, but our wonderful air mattress had a hole and we kept ending up in flat spots. It was more fun than either of us have had in a long time. Lots of laughing, talking, and a whole lot of LOVE!

Happy Birthday Issac! You are such an amazing husband and I am so happy that we get to share our lives and these special memories together. Yours for eternity!

California Dreamin'

2010-09-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

We got to spend almost 2 weeks back at home in good old Lake of the Pines, California. We usually only get to go home for Christmas, so it was such a treat to be able to do all the fun summer things this time with the kids.

If Rhett looks a little puffy eyed, it's because unfortunately on our first night there, he got bit by something in the middle of the night on his upper right eye lid, and it swelled up beautifully. I cringed with every picture we took of him and that it was for Sunday morning! :(

McKenna has turned into such a beautiful little girl now. So much personality.

DIVA!

We were able to go visit a few local museums that were open for everyone to walk through. This one had some fun, old fashioned games on the front lawn for the kids to enjoy. Even my "big kid" got in on the action.

Rhett and his cousin Timmy really got a kick out of the tug of war game.

"Look at how big my muscles are now!"

The boys also got to have a feel for fetching water and hand washing clothes. I hope that it gave them a slight appreciation for the chores that they have to do today. The lady of the house told them that at their age, they would have had to clean out the bed pans! :)

One of all of our favorites was the gold mining. We learned a lot about how it was discovered and the conditions that the miners had to live in.

Each of the kids were able to try their hand at panning, and each walked away with a few gold flakes to call their own.

Seeing as it was a hot summer in California, we spent a lot of time swimming in various friends pools, the river and of course the lake.

This wonderful pool is at the home of some good friends. We were able to relax and cool off for an afternoon with them.

What's a little fun in the sun without some goodies to eat too? Rhett, McKenna, Timmy and friends, Emily and Kyle enjoying some cupcakes.

Damon even got luck and was invited to participate in a Scout Merit Badge Certification for canoeing. Issac went along to help and out they had a great time!

We went on a day hike to some hidden falls and came across this man and his horse which of course was a big hit with all the kids. We hiked to the river front just below the falls and enjoyed a packed lunch while the kids took a dip.

For another outing, we decided to go bowling. We all had a blast, from my dad all the way down to McKenna. It was a pretty high tech bowling alley that could put down and pick up the bumpers when it was one of the little kids turns. Alicia proved to be the big winner, ending the game with a "TURKEY"!

The best of cousins!

Wesley, Rhett and Timmy showing off their out of this world, super human strength!

I love this picture of these three. We have many just like it at various different ages and stages of their lives. I really hope that they will always stay close to each other.

One of the big highlights to the trip, was getting to go up to our friends million dollar home and play in their gorgeous pool. The hot tub, which is in the middle of the kiddie pool, has an infinity edge.

Do they look like California babes or what?

Then the main pool which is connected to the kiddie pool, also has an infinity edge. It was the most amazing view and we all agreed that we would have been plenty happy to stay right where we were.

Just over the edge there, down below, is a lap pool. This is definitely going on my dream list! :)

The pool, as you can see was amazing, but then we got to have a tour of this amazing house! I honestly thought that I was walking through my dreams! I am so happy for the owners though and glad that they have their dream! Thanks to Angelique and family for sharing it with us, if only for a brief moment in time.

We spent just about every night staying up late and playing games, but we only got to go out, just the adults once. It was a fun evening and good to build relationships up.

We started with dinner, then because Alicia wasn't feeling top notch, ended up playing miniature golf, which I think was pretty perfect. The whether was great and we all had a blast.

Brandon and Alicia! Brandon actually plays golf, and took his game seriously!

Then of course Grandma couldn't resist taking some more pictures of sweet little McKenna. She is so photogenic!

Rhett had to get in on the action too!

I just love how close these two are. Rhett is such a good brother and McKenna does her best to take care of her big brother. I love my kids!

We had a wonderful trip and got to visit with so many old friends. It will be really hard when the rest of the family moves out here and we won't be going "home" for visits any longer. I LOVE where I was fortunate enough to grow up and love that my kids have been able to experience and see so much of it. I love spending time with my family though, so I can't wait for them all to move out here! I miss them all so much!

My little Man!

2010-08-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe that Rhett is old enough to start school. I now have all my boys hitting the books.

Rhett was a willing participant in my first day of school photo shoot, but the older two boys were not quite so excited about the idea. Funny how they change as they get older, especially boys!

He was so excited to start school and be just like the big boys, but he was also sad to have to leave his little sister behind.

While taking pictures to correctly document this momentous event, McKenna was not going to be left out. I can't believe how big she is getting as well. Where does the time go?

As per Rhett's request, I had to post a picture of his "super cool" new back pack.

Divine Design!

2010-08-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

So, we decided to update Wesley's bedroom and make it a little more age appropriate, since he is 12 years old now and starting junior high (UGGG)! Any ways, we started out just wanting to paint the walls a light blue and thought that it would lighten up the basement room and then we could accent with other colors in the bedding and such. Since the room is in the basement, and the house is older than dirt, one of the walls was still covered in that awful wood paneling. We would have loved to tear it down and put up sheet rock, but $ and time is not with us at the moment. Issac wanted to just paint over it, but that was not going to cut it for me. This idea just popped into my head.

We cut down some thin pieces of wood in different sized squares and rectangles, and then covered them in alternating and coordinating colors of blues with some accents of white and green. I LOVE how it turned out, though the pictures didn't. It ended up taking us about 15 hours of working together to finish the project, but feel like it was well worth it. I plan on making curtains from the darker blue fabric that we used on the squares to hang in front of the closet. I just can't seem to do anything simple and easy. :)

Such a pretty 3!

2010-07-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little princess is turning 3 years old already. It truly feels like just yesterday that we brought home this tiny, beautiful little angel. It has been the funnest, most rewarding experience to be McKenna's mom. I have absolutely loved having a little girl after all these boys. Pink, lace, baby dolls, princess things, bows, ribbons ... the list goes on and on and I love it!

My little princess loves to get all dolled up when we go out. She loves to look pretty just like a princess.

I love that I finally got a girl and that her hair is finally long enough to really start playing with. We had so many people stop us and comment on how cute she was, especially her hair!

Our first stop was McKenna's first trip to the nail salon. She LOVED it, and they all loved her. They couldn't believe how well behaved she was and for so young. She got to pick one of her favorite colors to paint her nails. I think that I have found a salon buddy for sure! :)

After a long, hot day of shopping for new shoes and clothes for the little miss, we decided to cool off with some ice cream. Always a favorite activity for all of us! McKenna picked the birthday cake flavored ice cream which I thought was very appropriate!

Then, McKenna got to go out to dinner with just Mommy and Daddy. We went to Bajio Mexican Grill, and she ate more of the Pork salad than I did. We had to talk her out of going to McDonalds. We've been letting the kids pick which restaurant they want to go to, but Issac and I just weren't feeling McD's.

After dinner, we let McKenna loose in Toys R Us and she ended up picking out her very first bike. She was so thrilled and took to it right away. At first she kept pushing backwards which would cause her to brake, but then after about 10 minutes of Issac working with her, she was off and, "going reaby fast mom!"

So, to top it all off and in true princess fashion, we had to have a princess castle cake. I was a little unsure if I wanted to attempt this, especially so soon after making the wedding cake, but how could I let my little princess down. I am not thrilled with how it turned out, but it was my first try. I'm sure I will have plenty more opportunities to practice as she grows.

Pink and Purple Princess Castle of course!

When it was all said and done, my little princess was a very, VERY happy 3 year old princess! I can't believe that she is so big, but I am so proud to be her mom and to have been there for all of her 3 years, with many, many more to go. Happy Birthday Kenna Bear! I love you!! XOXO!!

4th of July Weekend!

2010-07-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, one good thing about the 4th of July falling on a Sunday, is that you end up celebrating the whole weekend and then some! :) On Saturday morning, we woke up early and went to a pancake breakfast in the park and then joined some good friends for a parade.

The whether was perfect, so we decided to take the kids to Lagoon for the afternoon. We were afraid that the lines might be outrageous, but it was actually really slow and empty. We were able to walk right into Lagoona Beach, and then didn't have to wait in any lines either. Rhett was finally tall enough to ride on the big rides, so he chose to try out all the big roller coasters for the first time and absolutely loved them, especially the one's that went upside down.

We loved having some good family time to spend together. I just love my kids!

A full day of activities can really take it out of you though. Issac needed a little rest to get him through the rest of the day's activities.

We ended the night with some fireworks from the next town over. The kids love being able to sit on top of the car and snuggle under blankets.

Sunday, we went to church, then took naps, bbq some steaks, then we let the kids do some sparklers and pop its in the driveway, then watched all the other neighbors that had the big stuff. We ended the night with some root beer floats and some very happy kids.

Monday morning, we woke up and started everything all over again. We went to another, much bigger and better parade, played in the park, and then watched what I think is the best fireworks show I have ever seen. It was such a great weekend of celebrating. Happy 4th of July!

Trousseau Dreams!

2010-06-23T18:17:00.001-07:00

As soon as I was called to Young Women's, I knew that I had to introduce Trousseau Dreams to our girls. For anyone who had the misfortune of growing up without this experience, I am truly sorry! It was a lot of work and a big undertaking since I basically had to do it all on my own, but I am so glad that I put the effort into it. There were days when I thought that we may have to cancel or postpone, but I think that it turned out great! As promised, here are some pictures of the big night.

This was my first attempt at making a wedding cake or anything close to it. I learned a lot and am pretty happy with how it turned out. It tasted great too, which is a big plus because I ended up bringing a ton of it home. The kids are thrilled because Issac told them that they can eat as much cake as they want! :) Top layer was coconut cake with a key lime filling, second layer was lemon cake with a raspberry filling, and the bottom layer was chocolate cake with a hazelnut filling. I covered the layers with a marshmallow fondant, so the whole thing tasted yummy!

We had tables set with name cards and everything. Besides the cake, we had a chocolate fondue station with strawberries, apples, bananas, marshmallows and pretzel rods.

We asked the mothers and leaders to allow us to display their wedding dresses and pictures. We ended up with 9 different dresses to show that spanned quite a few years and eras. It was really fun for the girls to see how styles have changed. There were some beautiful, modest dresses!

Our colors for the night were purple and white. As I said, the evening was a huge success. Our key note speakers were a newlywed couple that did a fabulous job, and the parents put a lot of thought into the gifts for the girls and really touched all of us. I am so happy that there is such a special activity that we can bring back year after year to help our girls stay focused on their goal of temple marriage. It was an amazing night!

* Special thanks to my amazing husband who helped me not only with the physical time and hours put in helping with the prep work and set up and take down, but all the emotional support and help that he gave to get me through it all. I love you baby! You are still my HERO and my Prince Charming!

Summertime.... finally!

2010-06-20T20:50:00.001-07:00

It seemed like summer was never going to make it to Utah this year, but no worries, it has finally found its way. To kick off our 2010 summer fun, we had our first of many trips to Lagoon.

It was a perfect day to play outside and spend some quality family time together. Happy kids = happy parents! :)

My little princess?

2010-06-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

McKenna is such a sweet little girl. She "wubs pink and poopal!" She "wubs mommy and daddy"! She is deathly afraid of dogs, ants, cats and spiders. One of her favorite past times though, is digging up "baby wormies"! She loves to have a bow in her pretty hair, and daily askes for her "hands and toes to be painted pretty"!

McKenna, although not quite 3 years old yet, suprises us on a daily basis with just how much she seems to understand, remember and accomplish. I really don't recall any of the boys doing things that she can do at such a young age. We have to be very careful with what we agree or promise her, because you can bet that she will call you on it and make sure that you hold true to your word.

But the best part of our sweet little princess, is that she loves to be goofy and make us all laugh. "Kenna is fummy mom"! How can you not wub this cute little face? You are our little princess!

We love you McKenna!

No Rest for the Weary!

2010-05-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the thought of having some down time was a nice thought. I was out of Primary and Scouts for a whole month before I got called to Young Women's. I have to admit though, I was thrilled. Of all the callings, this is one of my favorite places to be. We only have 10 girls total, but only about 4 or 5 that come on any kind of regular basis. Today we had 6 leaders and 2 girls for my lesson. It has been really fun though getting to know the girls and making plans with the leaders. What I am most excited for though, is that I am going to introduce Trousseau Dreams to the ward. I have just over a month to plan everything out. I'm a little overwhelmed, but totally looking forward to it. I just hope that it all comes out right and that the girls will feel the spirit and have the desire to marry in the Temple some day. I'll post pictures of everything when it happens. I am going to attempt to make the wedding cake! Wish me luck.

Just the girls!

2010-05-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it took me way too long to post this, but it is crazy how many different project I have going on right now.

Women's Conference was amazing! We stayed in the dorms and were lucky enough to get two rooms connected with a bathroom, so we all got to stay together. We were fortunate to hear some wonderful speakers, attend the fun concert with some really big names, and had a blast talking, catching up and laughing together. We all loved it so much that we may just make it a yearly tradition from now on. It was the perfect mini vaca that I needed with my mom and my sisters! Love them all!

I'm so excited!

2010-03-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have never had the time or the money to go to any of the EFY, Education Week or Women's Conference. Pretty sad since I've actually lived in Utah for almost 4 years now, but I've always had little one's to take care of. This year though, my sweet, amazing husband has offered to take off work for the two days and play Mr. Mom to allow me to go! I am feeling the overwhelming need for a little vacation and know that this is just what I need for a spiritual pick me up.
The most exciting part though, is that my mom and both of my sisters are coming this year as well. I am always so jealous to hear of friends that take these amazing sister trips every year and I don't believe I have ever had the chance to do that with mine. It will be so much fun to be together and with our mom to top it all off. I am just so excited and can't wait. I feel kind of bad though for the other two women that will be rooming with us. Any one that knows the Gagon laugh and has ever heard when my sisters and I are together knows exactly what I mean. :) Should be one fun, crazy weekend for sure!

We're back online!

2010-03-24T13:35:00.001-07:00

YEAH! We have gone electronic again. It feels like it has been forever, yet I don't know if there is anything big to even report. How crazy is that? In my little economic funk, I have even slacked on taking pictures so I don't even have any cute photos to post. But no worries! The whether is changing and soon we will be busy with soccer, camps and various other activities to keep the blog running again.
For now, I will just say that we are all pretty much healthy, happy, and doing our best at whatever we have going on. I promise to get back in the swing of things and keep my blog updated from now on. I have loved being able to catch up with all my friends and see what creative adventures you have been up to for the past few months.

Sorry!!!!!

2010-02-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

OK, I know that since so many of you have been wondering what is going on with me and asking why my blog is so far behind, I guess that I will let you all out of your misery! 2009 was a hard year on us as I'm sure it was for many of you and the rest of the country. We had to take a good hard look at what was really important and necessary in our lives and cut out everything else. I tried to convince Issac that my blog was high on the importance list, but it was a no go. We had to get rid of the Internet. We haven't gotten in back yet, but we have high hopes that we will within the next few months, so I promise to get back with things once that happens.

Happy Halloween 09!

2009-11-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, our ward participated in a trunk or treat. I was thrilled to have this safe place for the little one's to have fun, and all before it even got dark. For the first time in quite a few years too, the whether was amazing. I actually got hot sitting in the sun in the back of my car. :)

This was our dead zombie that helped me hand out the candy. Most of the kids were thrilled by him. Some, not so much!

Rhett was so excited to be Tigger, but unfortunately the costume was just a little too small for him and he had the never ending wedgie all night long. Didn't stiffen his excitement for the night though, little trooper. McKenna was a cute little bumble bee that had no sting in her, and Wesley and Damon were both soldiers again. It is so nice to have that costume and the ready year after year.

We couldn't find any costumes that didn't cost an arm and a leg, so I was forced to make her costume this year. I was mostly pleased with how it turned out, but I fear that making costumes for her my not work much longer. Her poor wings wilted into nothing. She sure was cute though.

After the trunk or treating, we came back home to eat some dinner and to wait for it to get dark. I don't think Wesley and Damon made it to dark before they headed out with friends, but poor Rhett and McKenna crashed. Rhett actually fell asleep with his sandwich in his hand. McKenna didn't even make it the short drive from the church to our house.

We gave them a little rest and then we took them out in our neighborhood for a little while. They both absolutely loved it, of course, and between the 4 kids, we now have enough candy at our house to stock a store. I'm so glad that they all had fun though and enjoyed their Halloween experience this year.

Murder Mystery Party!

2009-11-04T09:37:00.001-08:00

Issac and I were both really stressed out and felt like we needed to have a party and try and let loose a little this year. We'd done a murder mystery party a few years ago and thought that Halloween was the perfect time to try again. (People are more willing to dress up this time of year). It was supposed to be all these famous people, invited to this mansion for dinner. It was really hard trying to disguise our house as a creepy old mansion, but we did our best.

We took care of most of the food, but asked a few to bring either an appetizer or dessert to share. We played the rounds between eating the appetizers, salad, steak and potatoes with green beans, and then dessert. I was so afraid that we wouldn't have enough food, but as always, had plenty and even some left overs.

There were 16 of us, do I decided to try and write names on these fun Halloween cups so that we could keep track of them and not share all the fun germs that going around right now. I used their character names though instead of their real names. :)

We had an appearance by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Judy Garland...

Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Groucho Marx....

Bruce Lee, Patsy Cline, Lucille Ball, Selina (the black cat)...

Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, John Wayne, Janis Joplin .....

Rita Hayworth, and Pete Persimmons (our police detective). Everyone had a great time and we were so happy that we decided pretty last minute to do this. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. We're even considering trying another one for New Year's Eve.

Leaves are falling all around!

2009-10-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to get out and take some pictures of the kids with all the amazing colors of fall around here, but things just kept getting in the way. Since we are expecting our first snow fall tonight, I figured that we had better get it done. Too bad we waited so long though. It was cold, windy and most of the color was already gone. Good thing the kids are still cute! :)

I can't believe how big they are all getting. Some days are really hard, but when I have a picture like this to look at, I can't help but be thankful for all that I have. I really am a lucky mom!

More sticky, freaky treats!

2009-10-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe while looking for something to make for our cub scout Halloween party and just couldn't resist. They were such a big hit that I'm seriously considering making them for our Adult Murder Mystery party. The boys were totally grossed out! :)

We decided to tackle the caramel apples again this year. We went a little more fancy than normal though. They tasted really good and looked pretty good, but they never really hardened and so it made it really hard to eat them. We all did our best and soldiered through it though. :)

It's Fall!!!!!!

2009-10-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when the weather changed and we officially hit Fall! The boys were not thrilled that instead of our usual scary decor, I opted to do something a little nicer and that I could keep up all the way through Thanksgiving. I am happy with how it turned out and feel like it makes the inside of the house feel warmer and more cozy! :)

I attempted the glitter pumpkins this year. Way excited with how they turned out and how easy they were to do.

The kids were all very happy to decorate some cute pumpkin and leaf cookies for a family activity. Even more happy to eat them though! :)

I absolutely love this time of year. The weather turns and everything changes. The colors outside and inside. The food gets warmer and all you want to do is wrap up in a blanket and snuggle with the one's you love. It is the perfect preseason to the next one.

Not over yet!

2009-09-14T11:26:00.001-07:00

OK, so I've always wanted to go to the Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake City to spend a romantic night with my baby! After spending several hours on the Internet, I finally discover that we can use our Military status, and get this incredible discount if we stay during a Sunday to Thursday. Since Issac's birthday weekend also happened to fall on Labor Day weekend and the kids didn't have school on Monday, I thought it was perfect!I booked the room and then had weeks to make all my plans and keep my little secret from him. I enlisted a friend from the ward to come to the house Sunday night and stay with the kids. ( I couldn't risk telling the kids or they would have totally blown my surprise ). Any way, I had all these great plans for a romantic night, ( none of which I'm sure any one wants to hear about ) :). Sat. night as we are watching a movie with the kids, I start to feel really nauseous! I then spent the hole rest of the night in the bathroom with the flu! I couldn't believe that I was going to get sick right now! The rest of the family had had the flu, a week earlier! UGGGGGG!
Issac took the kids to church Sunday morning and left me feeling miserable and clutching a bowl. I knew that we were beyond our time frame for being able to cancel and not have to pay for the room anyway, so I forced myself up while they were gone and packed our little bags. When Issac got home he could tell that I wasn't doing any better and made some comment about being glad that his birthday was yesterday so that we didn't miss any of my plans! OOOOPPPPSSSS! I tried to smile and let him know that that wasn't completely true. I told him that his birthday weekend wasn't entirely over yet. ( The biggest part was still to come ).
He had no idea where we were going. I just plugged in the address to the GPS and told him to follow the directions as I held my big blue bowl on my lap and concentrated on my breathing. He was totally surprised and felt so bad for me that I was sick. I figured at least I could lay in a big bed and not have to have the constant questions from my kids all night. It was a beautiful room and we will definitely have to go back some time when we are both feeling well!

We got to stay in one of their most expensive rooms, Romeo & Juliet! It was incredible with this huge stairway going up to the bed.

The decorations they had out were so cute. The room came with sparkling cider and two pieces of cheese cake as well.

We took full advantage of this huge jacuzzi tub since it was one activity that actually made me feel a little bit better. It was really cool, the water sprinkled down from above and was almost like being in a waterfall.

I'm not sure you can really see it in this picture, but I also ordered some rose petals that they sprinkled all over the room and some chocolate dipped strawberries.

It was a fun night, just not quite as fun as I had planned. Issac ended up going out at about 8 at night to try and find us something that I could eat. He brought back some soup and crackers and 7 up. He is such an amazing husband and I am so lucky to be able to spend every day with him, not just the special one's. I love you baby! Happy Birthday.

Issac's Birthday Weekend Celebration!

2009-09-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

I had a huge, all weekend long, surprise birthday celebration planned for Issac's birthday this year. We got to thinking, and Ireally think that this may be the first year that we have actually been together on his birthday, so I wanted to go big.

We started on Friday night and went to see GI Joe. It had been forever since we'd gone out to the movies. Then we went to a local restraunt that we hadn't tried before and were pleasantly surprised with how good it was.

Saturday morning, I got up early and made his favorite breakfast. Then the two of us took off to Park City, Utah where we went and saw the Flying Ace's. They are professional ski jumpers that are training for the Winter Olympics. They put on a fabulous show of their skills and tricks, and then we also got to just watch them practice. I have no idea how they do what they do. AMAZING!

After that we walked around down town and Issac was finally able to show me some jewelry stores that he's been talking about. Very unique pieces and when we have a couple thousand dollars just burning a hole in our pockest, I'm sure we'll come back. It was such a beautiful day and the whether was perfect. It was so nice to just walk around together. Then we grabbed some chinese food and headed home to play some games and watch a movie with the kids.

Rhett update!

2009-09-04T14:50:00.001-07:00

OK, I've been putting it off a little because I was hoping to have some definite news before I blogged about it, but.... We took him to the specialist and he was not convinced that what he has is Hershprungs disease, so he wants to exhaust all other options first since the test is not exactly pleasant to confirm. At any rate, he put him on a VERY POWERFUL cleansing routine. We were needless to say very worried about leaving the house with him for the whole weekend. It took way longer that we think it should have ( he is only 4 years old and we were giving him four times as much as any adult would take ) but we finally had some success. I guess that we are going to just keep up this routine for a few weeks and then see if he can somehow start going normal again? I really don't understand this process, but we will try what the Dr. is asking. I just wish that it all wasn't so traumatic for Rhett. He is a trooper though. Thanks for all your prayers and concerns. We really appreciated it. I'll let you know when something more definite is finally decided on.

First day of school.

2009-08-27T15:54:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. There is a hilarious commercial on TV right now that made me stop and do a double take. I wasn't paying much attention, but the TV was on in the background so I could hear it. They were playing a Christmas song. Now, I've seen the Christmas stuff up in the stores already, but I couldn't believe that they were showing the commercials already. I looked up as they sang, "It's the most wonderful time, of the year!" To my surprise, they were showing a dad, dancing around the back to school isle, filling his shopping cart with pencils and paper, while the two children in front of him stood with arms crossed, and faces drawn. It was pretty funny!

I can't believe with each passing year, just how old and big my kids keep getting. Wesley has started 6Th grade.

Damon is now in the 5Th grade. They are both still going to North Davis Preparatory Academy and we love it! The school has an emphasis on Spanish, so they each have an English speaking teacher, and one from Spain that teaches their subjects mostly in Spanish. It is such an amazing program and we are very grateful to be a part of it.

Summer fun Gagon style!

2009-08-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

In July of 09, we held our Gagon Family Reunion. An earlier post explained some of our downfalls, but we had a great time inspite of everything. We rented a house in Escondido, California. It was basically large enough for all 21 of us ( wish that there was one more bedroom and a few more bathrooms ). It had a beautiful back yard and pool that we took full advantage of. We had a luau to celebrate birthday's and mom and dad's anniversary. We went to the beach, museusm, and saw all of our extended family that lives in the area. I love my family and enjoy all the times when we are able to get together. Can't wait for the next reunion!
* Little side note! They caugh the guys that robbed us. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom and Dad with all 12 of their grandchildren.

The original 6!

I couldn't help myself. I had to have these shirts made for everyone. They had fireworks exploding on the front with the year. Mom and Dad had red shirts, the adult children and spouses had white, and all the grand kids had blue. I was really happy with how they finally turned out and was really glad that I did it.

It was such a special experience to all be together for Dalin as he prepares to go on his mission. This was the first time for all of us, I think, to go to the San Diego Temple. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!

Cousins are the best! These three have a special connection because they have spent the most time together. I really hope that it stays close and lasts forever. We love our Timmy!

What's wrong with Rhett?

2009-08-06T16:55:00.001-07:00

OK, since so many people don't know what is going on with my little Rhett, and I am not going to go into all the details on face book, I decided that I would put it all down on my blog.
We started potty training Rhett almost a year ago. He is 4 1/2 now. He got peeing down immediately and has never had a problem day or night. Poop on the other hand has been a whole different story. We'd gotten pretty upset, feeling like he was just being too lazy to go sit on the toilet and was instead opting to go in his pants. We had started giving him cold showers to clean him, making him clean out his underwear, and of course trying all different kinds of bribes and incentives, but all to no avail.
At his Dr. apt two weeks ago for his school physical, I mentioned our little problem to see if she had any great words of wisdom for us. Upon feeling his abdomen, she discovered what she called the, "largest, hardest mass she has ever felt on someone so small"! We got sent over to X-ray where they confirmed that he had a huge blockage in his intestines. Going back a little farther into his history, we are concerned that he has what is called Hirshprung's disease. We were able to get an appointment with a Pediatric GI specialist for the 28th of this month. If they confirm that that is what he has, the poor guy is looking at some very serious surgery. I won't go into everything about it. If you are curious you can look it up online. That is what I had to do that night to fully understand what we were up against.
I spent so much time being sick as a child, I was really hoping that my kids could be spared from that agony and discomfort. It kills you as a parent to see your kids hurting or having to go through such things, especially when they can't understand why. We feel so bad for punishing him every time he had an accident. The Dr. said that he really has no idea that it is coming and can't feel it at all. The guilt has been killing me. I wish that I had asked the Dr. about it sooner, but you just keep thinking that he'll eventually get it.
Right now it is just a waiting game until we can get into the specialist, but I promise to keep everyone up to date when we learn anything new. Thanks for all your concern!

How to Post?

2009-07-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm afraid that it may be a little while before I can update my blog with more of our fun summer activities. While on our family vacation in Escondido, California, our vacation home that we were renting for our family reunion was broken into and robbed. Unfortunately we lost our laptop computer. Luckily no one was hurt and nothing too major was taken that we can't at least replace except for our personal stuff on the computer like pictures and letters. We had a wonderful time with family though and as soon as we get a new computer I'll post the pictures and more info.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

We didn't do a whole lot for the 4th this year. We spent most of the day working in Damon's room, remodeling and painting. We did take the kids to the big fireworks show in Layton. They put on an amazing display of fireworks. I just love how cute the kids are with all their glow sticks and red, white and blue outfits. It is such a great day though and reminds us all how amazing it is to live here. I've always gotten a little choked up with Patriotic music, but after being a military wife, I can pretty much say that I sob now. It just brings up so much emotion and pride for our men and women in uniform and for their families. I know the great sacrafices that they make and continue to make for our freedoms. I am so proud to be an American. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

LAGOON!

2009-07-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

We got season passports to Lagoon again this year. The boys have been thrilled. Wesley and Damon are big enough to go off together and ride the big rides. Unfortunately they lost my cell phone during one of the upside down rides! :( Rhett has absolutely loved being able to go on the rides. He makes sure we measure him on every single one to make sure he is tall enough. That boy has no fear and would be doing all of them if he was just tall enough. McKenna however, does not like them at all. We got her on a few that we could go with her on, and she hated it the whole time, so now she is happy to just sit and watch big brother do all the rides.

Play Ball!

2009-07-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to a Bee's game for family night. We didn't get to see too much of the actual ball game because the kids were too excited about the train rides and bouncy gyms. We ate hot dogs, popcorn, had a great time, and even walked away with a home run ball. (Rhett didn't quite understand how that works, and tried to throw the ball back to the players. Thank goodness he doesn't quite have a good arm yet.) :)

Hill Air Force Base Air Show!

2009-07-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

We've wanted to go to the big air show for the past few years, but something has always come up. I made the decision to go this year no matter what. Unfortunately Issac had Reserves this weekend so we had to go without him. It was really neat to see so many of the planes doing their tricks and stunts. McKenna didn't care much for the loud noise that they made, but the rest of us had a great time and will try really hard to make it back again next year.

More crafts!

2009-06-25T21:48:00.001-07:00

Baby Boutique

2009-06-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to find cute crafts that I can make and sell to earn a little extra money. I've tried a few things, but I'm hoping that the latest ideas will actuall turn into some money this time. A friend got me really excited and is working with me so I'm having more fun this time too. My mom is going to have a booth for us at the LOP 4th of July craft fair for all those friends that still live in the area. Please go check it out!These are just a few of crafts that we have.

Damon's 10th B-Day!

2009-06-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been out of it lately, but we have been very busy. In the last few weeks though, we were able to celebrate Damon's 10th birthday. He had a party with some of his friends and we made these cute gum ball machine candy holders. The kids all seemed to love them. I was really happy with how they turned out.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun to have my mom here for Easter this year! Issac and I flew home from Hawaii through the night on Friday, and arrived at home at 10:30 Sat. morning after not getting much sleep as you can imagine. We had already planned to have our family Easter party with my brother and his family that afternoon. Luckily I was thinking and pretty much had everything done before I left (230 plastic eggs filled with candy, eggs bought and ready to be boiled and decorated, party bags filled, and the ham ready to cook)

We were really tired, but I was so glad that we did it. It has become a tradition since we moved here and I love it! It also was the first time that I was able to see my new niece, Mauriana. Such a cutie!

We hunted eggs, decorated eggs, ate tons of yummy food and just sat and visited. It was really nice. Then of course the kids got their baskets Sunday morning before we headed off to church. It was a really nice Easter, just missed the nap (hard to do when we have church at 1:00). :)

ALOHA !!!!!

2009-04-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

So my amazing husband was a top salesman during the 4th quarter last year and earned the company trip to Kauai, Hawaii. We were so excited to get out of the snow and get away together for a few days. My wonderful mom agreed to come out and stay with the kids so that we could go. Hopefully it didn't hurt too much! :)

We had a great time despite only getting one day of sunshine. It was cloudy and windy and on the cooler side! Totally worth the trip though. It was nice to just be alone and spend some time one on one. We can't wait to go back though, and hope that we can even take the kids with us sometime!

One of our favorite things that we did was a Zip Line Adventure. We got to do 9 different zip lines and go over a suspension bridge. It was so much fun! We also really enjoyed the Luau. Unfortuantly the water was so rough that the beaches kept getting closed so we didn't get to try our hand at surfing or even snorkeling on this trip. I gesss we'll just have to go back and try it another time!

Ribbons and Bows!

2009-03-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

I got very proactive and decided to try to make my own hair bows for McKenna. They are so cute, but so dang expensive in the stores. I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy it was. Now I really think that they are over priced!

Thanks to Nicki for the link and directions!

Wesley's Science Fair

2009-03-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Wesley for participating in the science fai this year. He didn't place but got some good ideas for next year and I think learned quite a bit from the experinece this year.

Go Rhett Go!

2009-03-02T22:03:00.001-08:00

I still can't believe that I decided to take on a Diego party with 12 four year olds, but it was a success. Rhett had a blast and is so proud to be a big boy now!

Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-26T16:36:00.001-08:00

Sorry that it took so long to get this blog posted. We had a minor problem with our computer. Better late than never though, right?

We had a fun little celebration at our house. My brother and three of his kids came as did my mom who was here visiting because my sister-in-law had just had a baby. Unfortunately they were not up for the festivities, but the rest of us had a good time.

It was snowing pretty good for most of the day, but we kept warm with pizza and then chocolate fondue with all sorts of goodies for dipping. I also made a peanut butter chocolate pie to celebrate a little early for my brothers birthday.

We ended the celebration with exchanging little goodie bags that we'd made. I gave each of the kids some bought candy, and I made chocolate bark for the adults. I hope that it was all good. I was still on my diet and was not allowed to partake in any of the wonderful treats this year! :(
It was a nice day though and very glad to have been able to spend it with family.

Potty Training!

2009-02-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am at a complete loss now. Rhett, who will be 4 years old on the 24th of Feb. still has no desire to master the whole potty training thing. He got peeing down no problem. He hasn't even had an accident at night. But getting him to do his business in the toilet instead of his underwear is just not happening. McKenna, who is almost 19 months old, wants to potty train more than anything. She throws a complete fit when she is forced to put a diaper on. That doesn't last long though, because she has figured out how to get out of everything and wants to be naked all day. She will go in and sit on her little potty and has even peed in it a coupld of times. Is it crazy that she might actually be fully trained before Rhett is? I know that everyone says that boys are harder than girls, but this just seems silly. McKenna has not yet grown out of her little stage of taking her diaper off, so we have resorted to taping it on her. I feel silly doing it, until I remember just how many times I have found poop on my carpet or other fun places. :0) Oh the joys of motherhood!

His Royal Magesty!

2009-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the Utah State 2009 kick off party for Aflac. They hold this every year at the end of Jan. to recognize those agents that have achieved certain levels of productivity and to get everyone pumped for the new year and activities that are planned. It is a very nice evening at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City. They have music, an amazing dinner, decorations to go with the current year's theme, awards and prizes. It was fun to meet and visit with other agents that Issac works with and to finally put a face to names that I hear now and then. Besides getting to dress up, eating great food for free, and getting out without the kids, the night was extra special. As soon as we walked into the room, two of the girls that Issac knew came right up to us and congratulated him. We don't always know which awards or achievements he's earned until that night. I was so proud to be on his arm, even more than usual.

Issac earned a spot in the $150,000 Club and the 2008 Key Club - Rookie Bronze. He was the only agent to earn his Gold Star. He won one of the most prestigious awards, which was the Opened Most New Groups Award and qualified for this years State Convention Trip to Kuaui, Hawaii in April. For each award he was named and asked to come up on stage where they presented him with various plaques and awards and had his picture taken with the Territory Director and Regional Sales Director. Issac was called up on stage more than anyone else.

I remember last year, after only one year, we pretty much just sat there and clapped for everyone else. Issac said, "Next year that will be me!" He was right. He did it, and I am so proud of him. He works so hard and often has days or even weeks where it feels like he's working nonstop but nothing is coming from it. For all those days and nights that you feel frustrated baby, I want you to know how proud of you I am for never giving up and for keeping our family going. I am with you till the end. Good times and bad, now and forever. I love you Issac!

Old School!

2009-01-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

Issac and I were able to go out on an actual date this past weekend! It is so nice that the older boys are finallyold enough to watch the younger two. Finding a babysitter has always been way more work than it's worth. Any way, it has been quite a while since just the two of us have been able to get out and spend a litte time together. We had a nice dinner at Applebee's and then we went bowling and played some pool and got ice cream. Just like the good old days! It was so much fun and way better than just watching a movie in a dark movie theatre. We were able to talk and laugh and really have a good time. Not to mention that there is no way I could have beat Issac 1-1 in bowling and 4-0 in pool! Oh yeah baby! We had such a nice time and Issac was a good sport. :) I love my man so much and love that I get to spend time with him and rediscover all the fun little things about him. I thank Heavenly Father every day for the blessing of sending him to me. How can you love any one thing so much? I love you baby! For Eternity!

Happy Birthday Wesley!

2009-01-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe how fast time has gone by. My little baby just turned 11 years old. How in the world did that happen? I am so proud of the amazing young man that he is becoming though. He is such a great big brother to both his younger brothers and his little sister. I just love watching him play with them and take care of them. He continually impresses us with his athletic skills and his academic abilities. He has such a sweet spirit and loving personality. My biggest fear is just how much the little girls have all noticed this as well. I'm afraid that his teenage years are going to be very active and full. :)

I love you so much Wesley and both Daddy and I are so proud of you and all that you have done and are still working towards. Keep up the amazing work buddy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Christmas!

2009-01-05T21:11:00.001-08:00

We finally made it home from our Christmas in California. It was great to see so many old friends and to be with family and had a wonderful holiday season. We all took turns getting sick and hit every storm on the way home, but it was totally worth it. I love my family!

The cousins all got matching pj's for Christmas eve!

Check out all that loot!

McKenna was thrilled with the new pink princess riding toy that Santa left for her!

Wesley and Damon couldn't believe that they actually got Nintendo DS!

We have dragged our feet as long as we can with not having any kind of gaming system for the boys, so we broke down and got them these. I hope we don't regret it!

Let Your Light So Shine!

2008-12-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas lights. Our little house just lights up this time of year! I want to be able to add something new each year so that it is just amazing. I'm pretty happy with how it is now though!

2008-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

We wanted to take the kids to see Santa this year. Rhett always seemed a little unsure before now, but he had no problem cutting in line and jumping right on Santa's knee. He very proudly announced that he would like Gator Golf for Christmas. It was so cute. McKenna on the other hand, wouldn't even let go of our legs and wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, but was thrilled with all the loot that Rhett brought back and shared. It was really fun to see as their parents how much they are changing and growing.

It Must Be a Girl Thing!

2008-11-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

I made it through three boys without having his problem. In fact, my boys all are very modest and don't even like to go swimming without a swim shirt on. Now that I have my sweet little princess, we can't seem to keep anything on her. She can figure her way out of almost any article of clothing we put on her and then immediately removes the diaper. She is an all natural beauty! I know that my little sister went through a nudy stage, but I am asking for some help. Even when we are out in public she prefers the natural look. Any suggestions???????

(Sorry for X rated picture. Just wanted to share the joy of our household right now!)

Family Photos!

2008-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

We finally made it in to have family pictures taken. It was quite the challenge to get all 4 kids to look in the same direction and smile all at the same time. I think that we got a few really cute ones though!

Time of year!

2008-11-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this time of year. Everyone just seems to be in a slightly better mood. I love going into all the stores and hearing wonderful Christmas music (although I will admit that it starts a little early, they should wait for Thanksgiving to be over). The smells that go with it are just as amazing. I just feel better!

We are trying really hard to make it back home (California) for Christmas again this year. Issac is doing so great with work that he really deserves a nice vacation. I can't wait to see my family and friends.

I have about half of my Christmas shopping done already. I am so proud of myself. I am hoping to finish up after we get to California. That many less presents to try and hide in the car for the trip! :)

I know that I am kind of skipping over Thanksgiving, but it is so hard to get too excited about it this year when I can't really eat much yet, and the older boys won't be with us this year either. It's ok though, we are still very thankful for all of the many wonderful blessings that we have!

HCG

2008-11-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, here is my latest update on my HCG progress. I am currently done with my injections and have just over two weeks left of the detox diet and then I can eat however I want! YEAH!!!!!
So, in the 4 weeks that I did the shots, I lost 25 lbs, 3 inches from each thigh, 3 inches from my hips, and 5 inches from my waist! I am so excited. I dropped 4 pants sizes! I am planning to do another half round after the first of the year and that should put me at my goal! More than half way there!

Poor Baby!

2008-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

I felt so bad for McKenna today. She took a pretty nasty spill in the store and hit her face on a metal shelf. She took the top layer of skin off her poor little nose. It has just barely healed from her last fall. She also has a big bruise on her right cheek as a reminder of just how much her big brother loves her and loves it when she turns off the tv on him. I swear we don't abuse our children, but we're getting some really neat looks right now!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

The kids all had a blast this year! All my "boys" went as the Star Wars evil empire, and my sweet little McKenna, a pink poodle! :) The whether was perfect, so with Halloween being on a Friday night this year, we were out longer than usual. Rhett really got into it this year, walking right up to everyone's door and saying loud and clear, "trick or treat" and then held his bag wide open for the loot! McKenna was happy to sit in her stroller and just watch all the crazy creatures that we passed by and drink her milk. Wesley and Damon have hit the age where it is not cool to go out with your parents, so they both took off for the evening with their friends. Everyone ended up back at home by 9:00 and with way too much candy as always. Good thing I can't eat any of this year with my diet. Or is it?????? :(

Too Much????

2008-10-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

So.... here is a sample of the cupcakes I got talked into doing for our Relief Society Enrichment Activity last night. Instead of just making one kind of cupcake and throwing a blob of frosting on it like Issac suggested I do, I had to get creative. It took me 3 days to make the 80 cupcakes for the evening. I made four different types so that they would have a choice, and then made the chocolate flowers to go on top. No, I did not make the pumpkins, but only because I could not find a mold that I liked! The worst part was trying to get the frosting to look like grass! It kept getting too warm and just running together. They were a big hit though and everyone was impressed, but I think that I may have taken it a little too far. I'm a little worried that I've gotten myself on a list to do this again. Too Much???

HCG Update!

2008-10-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

OK, just a quick little update to my diet progress. So far, I have lost 20 lbs and more than 4 inches from my stomach, 2 inches from my hips, and at least an inch from each thigh and arm. This past week has been really hard, but I'm fighting my way through. I only have two more weeks of the shots and then three weeks of the detox diet. I can't wait to eat normal again! But I can't wait to be smaller and lighter either! :)

Let them eat cake!

2008-10-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to make a cake for our scout Halloween party this year. I've been wanting to take a cake decorating class so that I can learn how to use fondant and make really cool looking cakes, but that just takes way too much time and planning. So, I decided to just try it out on my own. This was what we ended up with. Not quite as cool as I was hoping for, but at least they tasted good and the boys all loved that they could each take home a spider.

First Snow Fall!

2008-10-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

I know that today is only the 12th of Oct. but it is also the first snow of the year! We didn't know if we could trust the whether man when he said that we would get 2-4 inches of snow. After all when we went to bed, nothing was happening outside. But when we woke up this morning, way more than 2-4 inches. It was more like 6 inches. It wont last long, but the kids loved it. Especially McKenna. This was the first time that she has seen snow and been aware of it!

It is going to be a very fun winter.

My HERO!

2008-10-10T07:49:00.001-07:00

I have always know how lucky I was to have found such an amazing man to call my husband. From the beginning Issac has far surpassed all expectations and hopes and desires. It is the most amazing feeling in the world to know that you will be with your best friend and soul mate for eternity. I am so blessed to have this wonderful man as my partner in all our adventures and challenges that life has to bring us. Raising 4 kids can be a bit much at times and I am so grateful to have him to talk with and turn to when I am feeling a little stressed. Issac has always been my hero from day one. Willing to step up and be an instant father, then serving two years in Iraq of course was the ultimate. But even now, he is such a hard worker, trying to make sure that our family has everything that we want and need. I have to take some time and brag a little about how amazing he is. Right now, he is ranked # 13 in the whole state for his company. That is such an amazing task, especially since he is less than two years in. I am so proud of all your hard work and dedication babe. But I'm more proud to call you my friend, my husband, my love! Forever and Eternity!!!!!!

Halloween Time!

2008-10-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

For Family night, we surprised the kids with this chocolate Halloween version of a ginger bread house. They had a great time and were really creative with it.

The best part of course, is getting to eat it when we're all done!

YUMMMY!

Just for me!

2008-10-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

OK, to kind of keep everyone up to date with what we are doing, I'll let you all know what I am doing. I am on the HCG diet. If you don't know what that is, look it up. It is a little too involved to type out an explanation. At any rate, I have been on it for a week and a half now and have lost a total of 13 lbs, and more than 2 inches from my waist! My goal is to loose 60 lbs. Sorry, no pictures until I have reached my goal. The company trip this next year for Issac is to Hawaii, so keep your fingers crossed that I can make my goal and actually get into a bathing suit and feel the slightest bit comfortable again!

Nap Time!

2008-10-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

It is such hard work playing all day long. Just ask Rhett. He loves to be outside and has such an amazing imagination. He plays for hours with two match box cars, a few rocks, and of course a pile of dirt. I guess today was just too much fun to handle and wore him out.

Dinner Time!

2008-10-03T19:43:00.001-07:00

This is what I walked into as I got home from my visiting teaching. Daddy decided that McKenna could some how feed herself tonight, so he just handed it to her! Daddy also got the fun job of cleaning up afterwards. :)

Play Time!

2008-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

I love watching the kids when they are playing. They grow up so fast, but on the playground, they still get to act like little kids. This playground is so cool. It is set up like a castle. The kids had a great time and would have stayed all day if we hadn't gotten so hungry!

Up, Up and Away!

2008-09-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

We had a full day planned this Sat. We got up really early and headed out to Antelope Island for the Balloon Fest. The whether was really nice at our house, but out on the island, it was so windy and even had a few sprinkles at times. Not ideal whether for a hot air balloon fest! Only two balloons were able to inflate and take off. Needless to say, the kids were not overly impressed with our choice of activities. They did have fun flying their new kites though!

The Girls

2008-09-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mom myself. She is always so willing to come out and help with the kids when she is needed. Lucky for us, Alicia and her son Timmy, even got to come out for a little visit this summer too. It was so much fun to have some time with them before Issac and I got to take off for a business trip to Georgia. I can't wait until they move out here. I miss them all so much and look forward to the time when we can go shopping together and just hang out whenever we feel like it.

My Angel

2008-09-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

I couldn't even have dreamed just how wonderful it would be to have a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my boys and have a ton of fun with each of them, but the relationship between a mother and daughter is truly amazing. McKenna is a constant source of happiness. Her big bright eyes and beautiful smile, melt my heart. This little girl is going to get everything she wants. She is such a girly girl too. She already loves to play with my makeup and jewelry. Anything circular goes on her wrist like a bracelet and she has to show it off to everyone. I love how much fun it is to dress her every morning too. Girl clothes are so much more fun and cute than boys. For her birthday, we gave McKenna her first doll and she just loves it. She carries her around and huggs her all day. I am so grateful for the blessings of being a mother, and especially of being the mother to my little angel.

I suck!

2008-09-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

I really don't know how everyone does this. I can't find the time to keep up with everything. The summer was totally uneventful. The only trip we took was for a weekend to Georgia for business. Not exactly a vacation, but it was time away from the kids.
The boys are back in school now, Wesley is in 5th grade and Damon is in 4th. Rhett is 3 and McKenna is 1. I can' t believe how fast this past year has gone.
Issac is still with Aflac and starting to really find some good accounts. FYI, if any of you out there do not have Aflac insurance, you are only hurting yourself. Call your local agent and find out what they offer, especially if you are thinking about having a baby. Ok, there is my little sales pitch.
Besides a busy schedule again, we are all doing great.

I'm still trying!

2008-04-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not doing too great at keeping this blog up to date, but I'm trying. The thing is that I just don't think that anything very exciting has happened lately. The boys are still in school, playing soccer and going to scouts. Issac is still working and going to school, and I am still taking care of a very energetic 3 year old and 9 month old.
Issac did go to Iowa for a week last month for some Reserve training, so my mom agreed to come out and help me. I have no idea how I would have survived the week without her. I still can't believe how I did it for two years without him.
This past weekend, Issac's parents and all but one of his brothers and sisters were here for his niece's baptism. It was fun to see everyone and celebrate with his family. Some of them we hadn't seen for over five years.
Besides that, not much is going on. Very ready for summer though. I can't believe that we only have one month left of school. CRAZY!

2008

2008-03-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am still trying to figure out how this all works. The quick run down on everyone is.....Issac has been with AFLAC, the crazy duck insurance company, for over a year now. He is doing really well and enjoys it. He is also still in school and working with the scouts and primary.Wesley is 10 and just finished his basketball season and is moving right into soccer. He is at the end of his 4th grade in school and will be starting at a new junior high next year. ( Is is just me or does that seem way too young to be at a junior high????)Damon is 8 1/2 and just as eager to start soccer again. He enjoys reading and spending time with our new puppy, shadow. He is finishing up his 3rd grade in school.Rhett, my little man, is 3 years old now and is on a constant fast paced gear. He is like that energizer bunny that just keeps going and going and going and.......McKenna, my princess is now almost 9 months old and is the light of our lives. Her smile makes you melt. I just love having a little girl and can't wait until she is older and can enjoy our shopping days and trips to the salon.I am still just the run around mom that does everything. I'm in the Primary Presidency so that keeps me even more busy. I love my jobs though and wouldn't change much.

Our Family

2007-08-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well, our family is growing and getting so busy that I guess it is really time to start keeping a blog so that everyone can feel like they are being kept up to date!

Just to give a real quick run down of everyone, Issac is working as an Insurance Agent for Aflac and is about to start school again. He finished his time with the Army, but has agreed to be put on the Reserves so he still has some connection with the Military. No more tours to Iraq though!

Wesley (9 1/2) just started the 4th grade. He is so excited for a new year and new opportunities. He loved being a cub scout and playing on his soccer team.

Damon ( 8 ) was just baptized at our Gagon family reunion in St. George this summer. He is also excited about starting a new year as a 3rd grader and loved the scouting program and playing soccer with his brother.

Rhett (2 1/2) has absolutely loved being a big brother. He is extremely inquisitive and asks questions continuously. He hates being left out or being treated like a baby. He is a joy and a handful all in one!

McKenna ( 6 weeks ) is my precious little angel. It was a very long and painful road to get her here, but we feel so blessed to have her in our family. She is beautiful and very happy in nature. We were able to have her blessed at our family reunion as well.

Paige is still recovering from the birth, but absolutely loving having her family all here and together. Having a little girl to dress up and play with is a dream come true. If she ever gets time to herself, she still loves to scrapbook and do home improvement projects around the house.

Everyone is doing well though and just anxious to get the school year started and get back into a normal routine.