Six Canyon Leaves

A Rustle of Leaves

2011-03-25T16:00:00.007-06:00

Just a few more moments to share, before they passed by my memory... Not sure if this was BEFORE or AFTER Qboy passed out on a roller coaster at Six Flags. True Story. And he went on more rides AFTER said incident! Remember this day, guys? We went to the Provo Farmers Market with my family, bought honey, and went to the Pioneer Day Festival. Baby is so little and happy! O me O my! Look whose dream just came true! A day out with the family. Wedding Day! Cutie Pies! Meet Ringo, Qboy's tortoise. That is all he wanted for his birthday present a year ago, but after seeing how much they cost, he was determined to get used to the idea of not ever having one. But Sam's coworker was offering her tortoise for free. Of course Sam volunteered. We told the great news to Qboy. On the day that the tortoise was to come home with Sam, he called me and told me, "She gave it away!" We were devasted. His coworker gave away our tortoise even though she said we could have it. Qboy came home from school, so excited, and I had to break the news to him. He was SO sad, put his head in my shoulder and cried. Two weeks later, the tortoise was up for grabs again! This time, we didn't tell Qboy about it. We left it a surprise in case it didn't work out again. Early one Saturday Morning in April, Sam woke Qboy up and asked him to go for a drive out to the Salt Flats with him. Qboy sleepily followed Sam and made the 2 hour drive. They met a man at a gas station. Sam asked Qboy to follow him to meet the man. He opened his van and there was Qboy's tortoise!!! He was surprised beyond words and he cried once more. He came home with the biggest and proudest smile on his face. This is the story of our newest pet. Whenever I see her, I think of the smile on my son's face. My Besh Besh throwing a fit. He is growing up so much, and his fits are getting less and less, I have to remember this sad little face to remind me how young and new he still is. He is a very sensitive person and I love it!

Indian Summer...

2010-11-06T23:04:00.004-06:00

So my little one snuck out of the house when the door was open, instead of carrying her back inside, I grabbed my camera and followed her outside. It was such a beautiful Fall day! I also grabbed the teddy bears and had a little photo shoot. The other kids were away at a movie so Baby and I had some girly time!

Halloween

2010-11-06T22:51:00.004-06:00

To be continued...I have to get other pics, but here's what I have so far...
I'm not so much into Halloween so I tried SOOO hard to dress the kids up. Besh is the REAL Avatar, Aang. Aynsley was a french artist...so cute! I even painted her a little 3x5 canvas. In the end, I had lots of fun getting the kids ready. Athen was Katara but I still have to get pictures of her. So, it was another Halloween without Sam..Boo! Haha..a little joke. Anyway, I'm so grateful my older brother, H, showed up and took the kids trick or treating! {When I mean, showed up, I mean, traveled from out of town and literally saved the day} My other brother, A, is so awesome too and they are always willing to help me! How great is that? I am SO blessed. They even carved pumpkins with the kids as I went to a Witch's Night Out! A million thanks will haunt them for the rest of their lives!

"Hi Dada!"

2010-10-25T17:55:00.003-06:00

Her latest skill....Folding her arms during prayer.

Our Baby is growing up so quickly! She misses her Dada everyday, she even says, "My Dada." She's the sweetest! We love her so much. Anything she does is just so sweet and adorable. Uh-oh...she can do no wrong!

Our Fall Trip to the Ocean...

2010-10-18T17:40:00.006-06:00

My Favorite Moments of the Year...

2010-10-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

Quois won first place for his Radiation Science Fair project.

Asher with Yellow Bear.

Asher showing us his birthday present. We had a quiet celebration because he was sick. Happy 3rd Besh!

Athen made her own Valentine's cards so we took pictures!

Besh is putting his sister to sleep....cute.

Athen loves to dress up in her Navajo Outfit, courtesy of Grandma Sarah.

Aynsley getting ready to crawl.

Kisses...

....Baby Meadow....

Besh so sad...and a visit to Grandma Lynn's.

There's always room for Haggis, right?

Over the Holidays

2010-02-11T16:10:00.008-07:00

We make sure to kiss Aynsley at least 50 times a day...

I got a new camera for Christmas and it even makes scrubbing the bathtub look good!!
I'm a firm believer in putting your kids to work...especially when they're more than happy to help. On this particular day, Athen asked how to scrub the bathtub, so I told her. She proceeded to do so and then she asked, "Now can I clean the stove?" Go right ahead! She cleaned the stove. Asher is her tail, always wanting in on the action.One tradition I was hoping to avoid with this baby was shaving the hair. I had my head shaved when I was a little girl. All our children have been shaved too. Well, I was hoping to get away with NOT doing it, only because her hair was so cute, black, and a little curly, but it started falling out and I don't think Aynsley would have appreciated 4 months of weak hair and a little nest of hair just above her forehead, so we shaved her. With Athen I cried. This time around, I didn't mind. She seemed to not mind either.

Temple Square

Baby Ezra...a big boy already!

Two baby girls....so sweet!
Asher was so cute playing with his cousin. He shared his toys and was very gentle with her.
The day after Christmas, I visited with the old folks in Canyon de Chelley and here's Grandma Ella meeting Aynsley for the first time.
Grandpa Carl meeting baby for his first time. It was a sweet moment, he gave her kisses and a little spank, told her, "Be nice to your Mama." One thing I love about our culture, always respect your Mother.
Sitting on Great Grandma's couch. I love this picture!
My Grandmother is so camera shy. She was so happy we went home with her and spent time with her. We love Grandma!!

My Grandma's Cha'ha'o' in the winter sun where many a good butcherings and cook-outs are held.
We ran into my Grandpa Ben whilst eating lunch. I had to grab a picture so my Mom would believe me. He's a great person!
Christmas Kisses

A Year Full of Thanks

2009-12-07T17:44:00.004-07:00

Over and over again, my Heavenly Father lets me know how much He loves me. He gives me subtle hints like answering my prayers for a cool summer. Every time the sun heated up my pregnant life, rain fell and cooled me down. I had many worries this pregnancy. I worried about the health of me and baby. I worried being the only parent with 3 kids for 4 days of the week. I had many strange symptoms this time around, like allergies for the first time, the worst morning sickness so far, and a very itchy pregnancy rash. Blessedly, those things didn't last too long.

All summer, I went swimming with the kids and spent so much time with them, knowing my time and strength would be swallowed up by summer's end. My kids were amazing through it all. If only they could understand how grateful I am to them. They were so helpful during my naptimes. They ate anything and everything I heated up (ravioli and canned corn for supper anyone?), cooked (spaghetti again?), or opened (crackers and cheese for lunch!). They let me get away with long showers, extra long naps, cranky days and nights, long trips to New Mexico, and lazy days spent on the couch. I must say that my summer had more cloudy days than sunny ones...metaphorically, that is awesome for a pregnant Mom.

I am also grateful to my family in Crystal and Navajo who supported me throughout my crazy idea of having a baby there. The one wish of my Grandmother Louise was to see my baby's birth. So with that, I endured 9 hour drives with 3 kids in tow the last half of my pregnancy. It was a blessing in disguise because I got to see my family more than usual and spend precious time with them. My nieces and nephews got to see me pregnant and experience the countdown of a new baby. Furthermore, I had a plethora of babysitters. My brother opened up his home to my family. They fed my kids, watched them while I napped, and made sure we were taken care of. The excitement of everyone made me feel so special and loved.

As I contemplate this last year, I am so amazed by how many people have blessed my family. I realize that Heavenly Father answers our prayers and loves us. Through this past year's experiences, my testimony in our Savior has strengthened. I know this gospel is true, because it teaches about service and love.
Now we are so blessed with a new soul, a precious baby. Let me tell you just how sweet she is. Every morning, my heart skips a beat when she wakes up and looks up at me and gives me the biggest smile, as she kicks her legs in excitement and happiness. She loves to sleep in her bed. She loves to sit up and look around to see what her brothers and sister are doing. She loves the noisy house and wakes up when it gets too quiet. She is getting so big! She is just 3 months and such a joy. We love her and can't stand to hear her cry. Whenever we hear her make noises, I have to race Quois, Athen, or Asher to her and pick her up. They love their sister so much! They are very protective of her and love to show her to their friends. Besh checks on his sister all the time and gives her drooly kisses but she doesn't mind.
On the night of November 20th, I made her laugh for the first time with Sam by my side. Sam has never been there for the first laugh of our children and it made me cry that he got to hear her laugh for the first time. It was such a sweet moment. As to Navajo Tradition, the first laugh is very important. The first person to make a baby laugh hosts a party for the entire family. Here, the baby gives out little rock salt to her guests which represents the "Salt of Life," which I thinks means that happiness and laughter give life its flavor. As she handed out the salt, family members thanked baby and my uncle said a little prayer for her. Baby also hands out treats to all her guests and thanks them for coming, and this represents her generosity throughout her life. So the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we invited our family and friends over to celebrate our baby's laugh. With about 51 people crammed into my brother's tiny house, we enjoyed a good meal and cheered on BYU vs. Utah. We also hosted a little laughing breakfast for dinner party for our Utah family in Salt Lake City.
With Christmas approaching, I want to remember this past year and all the blessings we have received. They are more than we could repay and dream of. We are blessed with a loving family with giving hearts. So, with that,
I'd like to say Merry Christmas to my family and friends. Thanks for your help and love. I think Aynsley says it best:

2009-12-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

2009-12-07T15:54:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Baby

2009-10-07T20:53:00.005-06:00

I love sleeping babies...

2009-10-07T20:33:00.006-06:00

Life at Home

I know it's blurry, but these are the little eyes that look at me when I feed her....

My life with baby, wipes, milk, sleepy girl, and crossword puzzles...
I thought these were cute. (Note to Grandmas, she cried for 15 seconds and then we put her right to sleep...we promise.)
Sleep

Almost Asleep

Lost Pictures

We went to 7 peaks & Asher is so interesting. He never leaves my side and he's mostly afraid of the water. So here he is, while I'm still pregnant, watching everyone else swim. He decided he wanted to wear his goggles over his towel.
We do love baseball! At an Orem Owlz game.
Goofy boy!

More Aynsley

Athen loves Aynsley.
Quois took this picture. I love it. She's so quiet, hardly cries, but she has so many expressions!
We celebrated my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you! In the pic: Mo, Hondo, Aynsley, Granite, Shane, Asher, Rain, Kumen, Koqua, Mom, Aanor, Jordan, Hawke, Quois, Tasha, and Athen.

Welcome

2009-10-07T14:58:00.010-06:00

Aynsley Louise
August 31st 7 pounds 11 ounces 20 inches
3:48 am

Welcome our baby girl! She's so precious! We did not find out what we were having, but we all wanted a girl. What a wonderful surprise, especially for Athen. When people would ask her what she thought the baby would be, she'd say with a sigh, "I want a girl, but I know it's a boy."
At the hospital, lots of family stopped by and got a chance to hold her.

We've had Aynsley's name picked out since Asher was born. It's a Scottish name that means "meadow." Her middle name is my Grandmother's name. Our hope is that she remembers forever where she comes from and who she is. My Grandmother is so sweet and strong. She is full of love, humor, and silent strength, and beauty. I love her so much and I hope Aynsley will carry on those characteristics throughout her life.

Welcome Home

When we first got home, Asher was so cute with her. He tried to feed her and read her a story. Then he tried to sleep in her car seat but he was too big.

One word: Tired.

Happy!

Summertures

2009-10-04T19:23:00.008-06:00

I like to make up new words, hence, here are some of our summer adventures. First of all, they are from most recent. Secondly, I'm not writing many words because a picture says it all, right? I'm so behind on my blog because I was too tired to write and pregnant to think about blogging or downloading. That just sounds tiring. Anywho, no apologies, here are some glimpes of our 2009 Summertures! Enjoy....

My brother and sister-in-law, ran a half marathon!! Had to get that on film! Haha. Sorry Bro and congratulations...on the black toe nails, sore knees, and blisters! :)

Elder Canyon returned home with honor. He came back from Canada. (Yes, it is possible to return with honor, even from Canada.)

We went to Grandma's House for some treats: greasy treats! Butchered and had mutton, bread, liver and achii'!! I'm still licking my lips!

We went swimming all summer long. Here are some photos. *Spoiler Alert*Spoiler Alert*Spoiler Alert* Pregnant woman in bathing suit!!

In my defense, I never take pictures while I'm pregnant and this is the only and perhaps last time. 8 months pregnant, July 2009, for the record book.

Fourth of July! Celebrating our Independence on fake grass, by BYU!

Expelliarmus!!

So cute...Athen with her friends at her summer school powwow, eating some frybread! Yum.

Shake your bootie!!
Athen teaching herself to skate. She was afraid to fall, so she stuffed her behind with a pillow. There are certainly more photos of this moment, even a video. Perhaps another blog...to be continued...

Time at Thanksgiving Point's Farmland.

Besh loved the dinosaur museum.

Grandpa playing with Gideon. Cute moment.

Family reunion. Grandpa and his brother. It was a sweet reunion.

Our time at Utah's Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point. Sadly, this is our only picture from that day because it started raining cats and dogs. I wish I took a picture of the haggis and wonderful shepard's pie we ate in like 2 minutes! As you can tell, our summer was filled with food and fun, a good combination for good naps and good memories.

Idaho Explorers

2009-10-04T18:40:00.005-06:00

Craters of the Moon

We took a trip to Idaho to spend Sam's birthday with him. On our way home, we went to Craters of the Moon, or remnants of several volcanoes. It really looked and felt like we were on the moon, not to mention it was kinda cold. But darn, we were still in Idaho....

Exploring the lava caves...

Idaho Falls Temple

...On the right hand of Christ...

I wish this turned out better, if I only wasn't too lazy to edit. The temple is in the background and Athen is looking at the bride and groom, just married! Can you imagine it?? Good.

Duck feeding...

...Sam's birthday... Happy Birthday (Sugar:) Daddy! (hehe)

Idaho Falls Zoo

We were quite impressed with this zoo. It was small but full of exotic animals, like these lions. The lion roared so loud, I was shaking in my boots. I couldn't believe it was so real! By the way, a lion's head is huge!! Bigger than my toilet!! Sorry, that's all Quois and I could come up with, but it is bigger than that!

One of our favorite photos. Hilarious! Quois calls it The Mental Goat.

I think it wanted more food.

Aw...pink birds....

Memorial Day

2009-05-28T11:24:00.006-06:00

My baby is growing up! I can't believe he's 2 years old.

The other day he was chasing a bird around in a park. The bird would just fly ahead of him and finally flew up onto a soccer pole. He came up to me, very sullenly, and stated, "Mom, I want to fly like a bird."
His new sandals rubbed his toes and hurt him. Yesterday, he came to me and said, "Mom, Superman hurt."

My Besh Besh! He loved the water. He's my little big baby! He still loves to be cuddled and yet he's just so big! He makes our life wonderful! The Rest of the Story: There was a train close by and Besh got scared. Here he is, wrapped in my arms. Flasback: Athen didn't catch a fish this day and she was so sad. But on Memorial Day, she caught her very own. Poor thing, didn't have a chance. She treated it like her pet out of water. She said, "Don't put it in the water, it'll drown!"

She wouldn't put it down, and yet she couldn't wait to eat it. Before bedtime, she asked, "Mom! Did you freeze my fish?!" "Yes, Honey. Now go to bed." "Oh, ok."

For the Family

2009-05-20T11:38:00.004-06:00

She loves to take baths, what can I say?
We hauled wood at Grandma's house. Here's JoJo and Athen kicking back in the truck, mostly because they were afraid of Kue's dog. She would chase them around.
Qboy and Besh taking a walk toward the canyon. We were looking for rocks.

Qboy finding a little treasure.

At the church, before we head home. Rain and Qboy.

Always wrestling...

We enjoy baseball. Here we are at the BYU baseball game.

She had a Princess Day at the library with her friends. Here's our little Princess before she heads to the ball.

Love this one!

He's a Detroit Tiger, his first game.

She got skates for her birthday. Dad helped her up and down the sidewalk.

Quois sang with the District Choir for Hope of America. He's right in the middle, wearing a red shirt. He did pretty well! Thanks to Aanor for babysitting Besh so we could enjoy ourselves!!

Sunday Photos

2009-05-18T16:33:00.004-06:00

We stole a moment to take pictures after church on Sunday. They are growing up so quickly, we just wanted to share.
Qboy, Besh, and Athen.

The boys...

The girls...

I love Besh's smile. Such rosy cheeks!

2009-03-07T21:17:00.003-07:00

We went to the zoo, we went to the zoo!! But it was freezing. We went a little too early but it eventually warmed up after an hour or so. I enjoyed spending time with our family. Honestly, the animals were more alert and active, maybe because it's almost spring. Almost everytime I've gone in the past, the animals were usually asleep. But the tiger was pacing back and forth, looking for a way out. The cheetah was pacing because he heard a baby crying. The gorillas and monkeys were swinging around. It was a good zoo day. Here, there are two zebras messing around, biting, kicking, and chasing each other...and listen closely, they're also making stinky noises!

Snippets

2009-03-07T20:53:00.003-07:00

These pictures are chronologically backward because I don't have time to switch them around. This February, Asher and I celebrated another year gone. I'm so glad I have someone to share my birthday with. We took a trip to New Mexico where, by request, Sam made us a nice coconut strawberry cake. It was so delicious! Thanks, Honey!!

During our trip home to New Mexico, we crossed the border to Arizona and visited my Grandmother's land. Now that sentence was weird writing because the whole time I've grown up on the Navajo Nation, I never realized there were state borders. It was all the same to me. We hauled wood for Grandma on this perfect sunny late winter day.

This is Asher rocking out on the Ipod while I'm folding laundry. It was nice having him there.

A potential Christmas card picture, only I don't send out Christmas cards. I like to send out spring cards when life is anew and lovely. I thought I might try this year but I was not in the mood. Haha.. We visited Temple Square and I hate to say it again, but it was a perfect winter night, a few night before Christmas. It started snowing and it warmed up our spirits. The lights were so beautiful. Below was also a Christmas card candidate, but I was carrying this big bag around and blah...so on. I like this picture because almost everyone is smiling. We love Christmas!! We missed our family. I don't think you can say Merry Christmas too much, so Merry Christmas in March from the Canyons!!

Our Christmas Wishes..

2008-12-23T15:13:00.004-07:00

So, it's Christmas season once again. This year, we are just so happy to be together, cozy in our home, surrounded by some family and friends. We are not making the trek to Crystal this year because we would like to enjoy this wonderful White Christmas. It's a nice time to make family traditions and ponder on things that we are grateful for. Here are a few things we are grateful for:

The birth of our Savior
Our family
Snow!!
Food: like cookies, smoked ham, roasted beet salad, fresh bread
Friends
Candy Canes and Hot Chocolate
The Gospel
The story of Jesus
Music

Whenever we're in the car, Athen asks us, "Mom, tell me the story of Jesus again and why we have Christmas trees." So we talk about all the symbols of Christmas. In all the hustle and bustle, I love that we can remember our Savior and put Him first, in our hearts and minds. Then the giving and the true Spirit of Christmas can follow.

The next three videos are our way of saying Merry Christmas. I can't think of a better way to say it to my loved ones than in a video. So here are the little ones! They love to be on camera and sing. There's Athen and Asher singing Jingle Bells, at least trying. And Asher loves to sing the song, "My Girl" but instead, Sam made words up to say, "And I guess you wish, that you also had a Besh, My Besh...talking about...My Besh."

Merry Christmas everyone! We love you!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

My Besh

2008-12-23T15:12:00.001-07:00

Jingle Bells

2008-12-23T15:10:00.001-07:00

A Haunting we will go....

2008-11-04T11:03:00.006-07:00

We had four days of Halloween fun. We went to Cornbelly's and had a great time. Is it bad that I'm still in denial about Fall? I usually love it but this year, I'm still thinking summer should not end. Weird, I know. So here's my attempt to enjoy Harvest season. They had lots of cool things for the kids to do. Here's Asher pumping some ducks down a water canal.

Pimped out tire swings!

They even had pig races and goat races. The goats just started eating the hay and the guy had to chase them around the track.

Princess Athen lost both her shoes for her carriage ride.

They had a cute cow train for the kids to ride in. Asher refused to get out of Jenny.

And instead of a sandbox, they had a kernel box!! Oh the things you can do with your own corn field!

What a grouchy lion!! He wanted to chase after the goats or get back to Jenny, I'm not sure.

We went into the corn maze.

The Pumpkin Tree. The carved pumpkins were done by the same person. They were really intricate and awesome.

On Halloween, Quois and friends went out early. They trick or treated until their legs couldn't stand it anymore. Ten year olds couldn't stand still for a picture, so here's the best I could do. Quois is the ghost, Kevin a monkey, and Giani a banana. I'm not sure who the ninja is.

Quois paused only for a second so I could get a picture of him and Athen's kitty head. We had fun. He went trick or treating and had a sleepover. I loved that Halloween was on a Friday night! We partied at our family's house and trick or treated around 9th East. I had such a great time walking around with 5 kids. Asher and I just strolled along after Athen and my nieces and nephew. It was a perfect night out. We had a great weekend with the ward Halloween party, Friday night's party, and then on Saturday, Cosmo's Halloween party. We even got free tickets for the BYU women's volleyball game. I think this Halloween thing is growing on me. Maybe I can enjoy the Fall weather now with some candy and hot cocoa.

Kitty Cat...meow!!He kept wiping his face paint off. He was supposed to be a lion.

What I've Been Up To...

2008-10-09T15:40:00.006-06:00

- So I thought I'd let you know, really, what I've been doing recently, for the records and just for fun. I can't believe it's October already. I want to remember as much as I can.

- My three kiddies got sick, almost at the same time. Asher first, then Athen. Quois followed, then Asher again. Although they're feeling better now, I can't help but realize how complacent I get and take things for granted, like our health. I'm so blessed to have healthy children. What a difference it makes! It also makes me truly grateful for my husband, not only for his presence in times like these, but his place over our family. I will try not to take these 'everyday' blessings for granted and be truly thankful. (The picture of Asher was him throwing a fit when he couldn't play the guitar by himself, but I posted it for dramatic purposes. He was quite cranky when he was sick.)

- I've been cheering for the Red Sox. It's so stressful, especially without Sam, but my brother is here to stress out with me. Go Sox! I'm following BYU football. I'm getting ready for the Homecoming game this weekend.

- I've also been bargain shopping, catching great deals. I thought these earrings were whimsical and cute ($3.80). I got other cool things at Forever XXI, (ie. four awesome blouses and sweater jacket for a total of 20 bucks!) Plus, I started 'couponing.' I'm just a beginner, but already, I've saved about 40 percent off of the grocery bill. Cool, huh?

- I'm trying to finish reading the fifth book in the Artemis Fowl series. I need to finish it, the library keeps calling.

- I play volleyball in a city league. It's been so fun. Everytime I've been asked to play in the past, I've been pregnant. So I'm so excited to finally play again. I also play basketball every Thursday with my ward. I like it. I makes me think I'm staying fit.

- I write letters in the mornings, to whomever I'm inspired to write to.

- I'm thinking about how our yard needs work. Still thinking....someday I'll do something about it.

**tell me what you've been up to...**

Baby, Come Back...You can blame it all on me...

2008-10-05T16:32:00.007-06:00

HELP! I'm not sure if you remember a post a while back that said I would burn things when I was thinking of Sam?? Well, I've got it again! I'm so sad. I should have known when I burned the Chicken Parmesan last night. It wasn't too bad because I made more than one batch. Then this morning, the Blueberry Pancakes fell victim. And now, my Conference dinner of Blackberry Roast Pork! Ugh. Argh!! I have rolls in the oven and I'd better not burn that or else it'll be processed foods for the rest of the week. Just kidding! Food lovers, that was a bad joke. Sorry. All I have to say is Sam, hurry home!!! (By the way, he's on travel to Glen Rose, Texas. He bought himself an African drum yesterday and jammed in a hippie drum group at a Renaissance Festival while his sister belly danced. I do not make these things up! I wish I had pictures!!)

ps. I rescued the roast, but my Blackberry Sauce is toast...as they say.

pss. That's not the primary reason Sam went to Texas. He is working at Comanche Creek Power Plant, but he was just spending time with his big Sis, Rachel. Drumming with hippies is only a sidejob...

Arches

2008-09-30T17:00:00.000-06:00

This September we took a little trip to Arches on our way to New Mexico. It was a beautiful day with clouds and a little sprinkle. Three things I was sad about: When I took my camera out, the battery light was flashing red. Argh! (My lovely kids took a dozen videos and didn't recharge it.) So, these pictures are from my phone. I tried my best. I was super sad that I didn't capture anything from the Sand Dune Arch. We spent an hour playing in the sand. We only went to two places and it took us 3 hours; only because Asher insisted on walking the whole way. There are so many other Arches to see! Oh, and by the way, we were terribly sad we didn't see any Bighorn Sheep. Next time.

Things I was happy about: 1.Sam watched Asher the entire time. 2.The kids played and took naps afterward 3.The cloudy day 4.My phone had a camera 5.After passing this place a hundred times, I finally stopped and enjoyed. 6.We spent time together 7.We didn't see a kangaroo rat or any snakes.

Our own bighorn sheep.

Launch Off, From the Archives

2008-09-30T13:24:00.001-06:00

For You

2008-09-14T10:04:00.002-06:00

I was perusing around the archives and found some pictures that reminded me of My Hubby.

He sent me roses...
He got me some red shoes!! I love them.
He took me out shooting his AK47...
It was sooo fun! We saw STP! It was a great chance to remember the 90's.

Late Summer Mountain Photoshoot

2008-09-08T22:00:00.001-06:00

We went on a Sunday picnic yesterday. It was the perfect late summer outing. The weather was fine: clean, crisp air and warm sunlight. The kids had so much fun running around. I thought I'd take advantage and do a photoshoot with the kids and a quilt I got for our wedding.

I had one goal here: To get a profile of Athen while the sunlight was still so bright and warm. It made for good contrasts between light and shadow. I like that she's not looking at the camera, but still smiling.

Quois is so fun to capture on camera. His emotions change so quickly. Above he was feeling a little sad so I switched to Black and White. Then the next shot, I asked him, "Do you love me?" He came out of the blanket and looked at me.

I tried to get a shot of Asher playing around but I was always too late. Each time I came after him with the camera, he'd run away. Here's the best I could do with sunlight, power lines, and fingers.

The sunlight was perfect on this shot. Athen was a whirl of emotions this day. At this moment, she was feeling a little sad. Perfect for a profile. She wouldn't look at the camera. My digital camera was set to vivid and it captured the shadows nicely. I like that the shadow is on her face. It matches her mood.

Just the next moment. She started playing with Asher in the blanket. They were playing Peek-A-Boo. I love to capture the kids in their states of emotion. They were laughing so much.

Not the best capture of her happiness, BUT I do like the sunlight shining from the West. On this day the park was full of people and I tried not to put them in any pictures.

The photoshoot turned to running away from me with the blanket. I was literally running after them in the park. You can't tell but the park had so many visitors. It was a fun time. I love the excitement. This was Quois after I caught them. (see next post)

Blanket Fun

2008-09-08T21:31:00.001-06:00

Our Summer Photojournal

2008-09-04T18:42:00.009-06:00

We made it home to Crystal in the perfect July weather.

At the park. Her favorite: swinging.
We watched my brother race in the ULCER, Utah's 110 mile bike race. Hondo came in the top 10!

We saw Kayla off to her Georgia/Macon Mission.
Pinewood Derby
Beginning of Summer was filled with baseball and picnics.

Tree hugger, just like his Daddy.
Discovery Park. It was good to be here again. We used to live just down the road from here in Pleasant Grove.

Bowling. It was so much fun. But I had to keep my competitive edge in check.
Asher loved the zoo! He's laughing, not crying...

We love to swim. I love this picture.

And, of course, Quois and Hawke being...boys.

It took two trips to the pool in order for him to smile and have a good time. He's so timid.
Ok, I feel guilty that he's all muddy but it was the first rain of the summer and we HAD to play outside! Again, he's not crying, he's growling at me.
Happy Father's Day Honey! A walk at the Duck Pond at BYU.
We love to fish!! It's our family's way of relaxing and enjoying Mother Nature. (above: American Fork Canyon River, below: Tibble Fork Reservoir)
And here's something interesting. They have a white alligator at the Hogle Zoo.

Athen

2008-07-30T18:00:00.010-06:00

one week old3 months old 7 months old1 year old 2 years old3 years old4 years old

I knew Athen was a special girl from the moment I first saw her. She was beautiful, sweet, and happy. Over the past few years she has only grown in all these traits. She is smart, caring for her brothers, outgoing, and silly. Her personality is so wonderful. Whether outgoing or shy, she seems to steal the attention of all around her. I am blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. Love, Dad

I cannot believe our little girl is four years old! At times, she seems so grown up and other times, she's still my sweet little baby. My favorite times with her is when she's content. She loves to sing. She'll sing primary songs or just make up her own words. The other day on the way to church she was singing so loud. She sang, "A-T-H-E-N is a sparkling sound!" I think that sums it all up. She is sparkly: full of sunshine and attitude, all rolled into one. And those sparks can be beautiful and silly, or 'tantrumy' and scary! But no matter what the mood, she manages to make you smile after and let you know how much she loves you. She is a great caretaker of us all. She's been doing things on her own since she was one. She knows her alphabet, numbers, words, and she can even spell her most important words: MOM, DAD, ATHEN, QUOIS, and PUPPY. She loves to help me do everything. But there are times when she lets me know that she's still a little girl when she's cuddly, crying, or when she tries to say 'PLUM' and it comes out, "KLUM." When I was growing up, I always wanted a sister, but Athen is the perfect compliment to my life. So I hope she keeps that sparkle going for about, oh, another 100 years! Love you Baby, Mom
My favorite is when she's laughing and cheerful. It makes me laugh too. I remember when she used to chase me around the house. We used to play all day. I'm so happy to have Athen.

Love, Quois

Her Birthday Party

Our Princess Athen. Her name means Wisdom. Her favorite colors: Pink and blue The Royal Court
Decorating their own princess cakes.

Make a wish, make two

And I wish they come true!

Athen, what is your favorite food? Cake, candy, crab legs
What is your favorite book? I love library ones.
What is your favorite animal? Butterflies
What is your favorite cartoon? Pink Panther and the Jetsons
What is your favorite song? Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
What do you like to do? Play Duck Duck Goose. I like to sing.I like to cook with Mom and Dad
How come you love Quois? He's so nice sometimes.
What do you like to do with Asher? Play with him and dress him up.
What's your favorite thing to do with Dad? Play Hungry Hungry Hippos

and go on dates with him.
What's your favorite thing to do with Mom? Play outside at the park.
I like to fix her hair and go shopping.

...life...

2008-06-18T12:52:00.003-06:00

Hello there all you loyal readers! Whew! What a month!! So I was looking through my blog history and I noticed there was another time I took a huge hiatus from my blog. No, I wasn't on vacation in Bermuda or anywhere....:( boo hoo) I wish! The last time I was away from my blog for so long was when my husband was in the hospital last August. He had some mystery illness that made him dehydrated. I mean, raisin-like dehydration. He couldn't keep anything in or down, if you know what I mean. He was in the hospital for a week and the first day, they put 7 bags of fluids back into him!! Now that I look back, I can see that it was a very close call. Ah! So this time, Sam got back from upstate NY at the beginning of May. Yay! So we anxiously started our yard project and were trimming trees. Just five days after his return, he fell 12 feet out of the darn tree and landed on his lower two vertebrae. Ouch! I rushed him to the hospital for safety measures and turns out after a long wait at the Veterans Hospital and a transfer to the University Hospital, we find out he had a broken back. So after 5 days of extreme pain, he came home..again. So perhaps next time I'm on a blog hiatus I may be on a vacation *fingers crossed*... Or you might have to email or call me to see if my husband is still intact. :)
Blogs to come: Athen's Birthday, Little League, Summer Fun, Haircuts.....See you in cyberspace!

Little League Try-outs

2008-04-11T11:22:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, Athen and I braved the cold to watch Quois try-out for Little League. He was so nervous because besides practicing, he's never played organized baseball. He's pretty good to my own knowledge, but I think sometimes he forgets. He and Sam have been practicing his pitching, batting, and catching for at least 3 years seriously. But I can remember them starting baseball about 6 years ago when Quois was 4. So after warming up with his friend yesterday, they lined up alphabetically and each batted 4 pitches. Quois did pretty well and hit 3 out of 4. Later, they caught grounders and fly-balls. He did really well. Then they proceeded with pitching. This is Quois's specialty. They each had to pitch 3 times. Quois's first two were a little off. Not too bad though. They made it to the catcher but he had to move his glove a little to catch them. They were also tracking the speed of each pitch. The average, I'd say was 25. On his last pitch, Quois remembered Sam telling him that the power comes from your legs. He lifted his leg high and let it rip. It went straight to the catcher's mitt. The guy recording the speed stopped and walked over to Quois and said, "Look at this kid." It read 64 mph. They were stunned. I still can't believe it. He was so happy that he did well and was excited about try-outs and the season to come. We didn't have much time to celebrate because we were off and running to his choir program. Later that evening Sam called and we were just so happy about all the hard work we put into practice.

"What?? A female?!"

2008-04-11T11:12:00.004-06:00

I love April Fool's. So after Sam got off work Wednesday morning, I pulled out an old-time standard and told him..
"Honey, I took a pregnancy test."
"What? Why?!"
"I don't know, because I was curious..."
"About what?!....I thought..."
"Well, I know...but they were just false alarms..."
"What? What did it say?"
"What, are you worried? Are you scared?" I ask trying not to laugh and savor the moment.
I ask him some more questions about his feelings and all the while, he's probably thinking, "What am I going to do? Money...Job...etc.."
So then I ask him, "Do you want to know what it said?"
"Yeah!"
I seriously state, "It said, A.F."
"What? What does that mean?"
Note: The next day Sam told his co-workers and they all couldn't figure out what A.F. meant either. Sam later told me that when I said this, his first thought was, "What?? A female?!"
Again, I told him, "It said A.F."
"What does that mean?" he asked again.
"It means April Fool's!" I state laughing.
"What?? What did you say??"
"April Fool's!"
"Ahh, Honey you scared me!! But that was funny." A big sigh of relief.
Note: I laughed at the "What?? A female?!" Yeah, Honey, you can now get the gender with the pregnancy test.

From the Diary of a Happy Housewife...

2008-04-01T15:14:00.003-06:00

I'm in a contemplative mood today, maybe because it's cloudy outside and there's no place for my thoughts to go. Sam is a Nuclear Engineer, Radiation Techinician, etc. and his work takes him to many places twice a year. Well, he is on the east coast right now since February. I walk around places with just the kids and people start asking questions. "Where is your husband?" There was one particular conversation I had with one lady in February:

"Where is your husband?"

"Oh, he's working in MD."

"Oh dear. For how long?"

"He'll be gone about 10 weeks."

"That must be hard on you."

And I reply somewhat confidently, "Um, no...I'm fine."

"No, that is just terrible!"

"No, really, I'm ok. It won't last forever."

Ignoring my last comment, she states, shaking her head, "That's just awful. I don't know how you do it. I could never do it."

"Well, I have family and friends around..."

"But still, that's not the same. You need your husband."

"Yeah, but I'm o...."

"You call me whenever you need to. No matter what it is...that's just awful. I'm going to keep bugging you and asking you!"

"Ok...bye."

She walked away and I haven't talked to her since.

I know good intentions when I see them. I really do. And I appreciate everyone who asks about my husband and how he's doing. But for the most part, I really am fine. And to answer the many times I've been asked, "How do you do it? I could never do it!" Well, here's my simple answer.

First, you have to trust in our Heavenly Father and absolutely understand and believe that he is watching over you, your family, and your marriage. This is the 4th time Sam has been away and usually we see each other every 2-4 weeks. This is the longest he's been gone at one time, going on 8 weeks now... There is one thing I know. That Heavenly Father is watching over me. I feel it whenever I have doubts. I picture a loving figure overhead literally watching me, with arms around my family and home.

Second, I trust in my husband. I know he's doing what's right for our family. He's gone because he loves us. It may not look like it from the outside..(all the "How could he do that?!" questions) but I know that what he's doing is right. I can't tell you how. Maybe it's when he calls me and tells me he got to tell someone about the gospel, or when he stands up for someone else.

Third, I take strength from my family and friends. When he went to North Carolina, I was with my Mom and Grandma when I said good-bye to him. At the time, one month seemed so long. But when I look back, I gathered strength from these two women. Strong women, may I add. I couldn't cry for more than 2 minutes when I was with them! Amazing. We all knew it wouldn't last forever and there are worse things. Also, I realized that Emma Smith and all those pioneer women said good-bye to their husbands for years! Can you even imagine?? Now, I can't even imagine that. But if these outages bring one person into the gospel then it is so worth all the loneliness, tears, phone calls, and stress. That is what I know. That is what I believe everyday. My job right now is to keep my children happy and let them know that Dad loves them. It won't last forever and I hope you can take strength in knowing that trials are meant to strengthen and "wisen." And with that said, "I can't wait for my husband to get home!!!"

Athen Hiding

2008-03-27T01:01:00.001-06:00

How to Hunt Spaghetti by Asher

2008-03-26T19:39:00.007-06:00

"First, you zone in on the target noodle. Then you try to
pick up with your fingers, preferrably your pointer and thumb."

"Concentrate."

"After your tummy rumbles..."

"Go in the for the kill. Head first, shoulders back,

hands in supportive position..."

"Attack. Savor. Again."

"Yum."

"Deee-licious!"

(ps: Make sure you smile and be cute so

Mommy won't mind the mess.)

Asher Turning in Circles

2008-03-26T13:50:00.001-06:00

Our Easter Weekend

2008-03-23T13:51:00.006-06:00

So our Easter started out with our Quoisboy having a birthday.

Then our little Besh Besh and Athen had some moments just for Dad.

We took pictures outside on Easter Sunday after church.

A kiss for Grandma.
Easter egg hunting by the Red Rocks of Navajo.

Exclusive Interview with the Birthday Boy

2008-03-18T20:30:00.005-06:00

Quois,

How does it feel to be ten years old? It feels awesome because I've gotten taller and I feel older.

What is your favorite color? Green, because one time I saw this dragon in a book and it was green. Since I like dragons, I decided to like green.

What is your favorite day? Saturday because there's no school and I could do whatever I want.

What is your favorite food? Pizza. My mom's pizza because she makes the best kind. My favorite toppings is the tomato sauce. It gives it a good taste.

What's your favorite book? Right now, Codetalker and Operation Red Jericho, because they're awesome!

What's your favorite time of day? That would be the morning because I get up, have a nice morning and I want to do something fun.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be in a band, playing the guitar...no, the drums.

What do you like to do? Read, play the piano, watch tv, eat, draw, play legos, play

Why do you love Asher? Because he's the cutest boy on Earth. He's the funniest boy on Earth.

Why do you love Athen? Because she's so silly, and always just cute.

Why do you love Mommy? Because she does everything for me and she cares about me. I need her. She loves me very much.

Why you love Daddy? Because he always helps me with the stuff I can't do. He also cares about me. I remember when we first went fishing together.

Why do you love your entire family? Because my family is cool. We do a lot of things together. My uncles do things with me. My grandparents spoil me. My aunts take care of me. My cousins are fun and playful. My great grandma loves me and hugs me whenever I see her. My glasses remind me of her. I get lots of hugs and I have so much fun with my family.

Top Five Bands: Beatles, Led zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Jimi Hendrix, and Smashing Pumpkins

Top Five Cartoons: Naruto, Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes (the old versions), Pink Panther, Pokemon

Top Five Movies: Bee Movie, Horton Hears a Hoo, Groundhog Day, Home Alone, Singing in the Rain

Favorite Memories: Me and my cousin going to the sand dunes, My family going to the Red Sox game, Niagara Falls, Going down the canyon in the water, Playing at Grandpa's house, Riding horses, shooting, fishing, When Asher was born, Visiting the Sacred Grove, playing at the beach.

Excited About Spring

2008-03-11T00:41:00.001-06:00

There's No Place Like Home

2008-03-10T23:00:00.004-06:00

Crystal

Wintertime

Our Vacation spot

Quois's favorite place.

I was raised here.

He was raised here.

Apparently So

2008-03-07T20:57:00.002-07:00

The other night at dinner, after she was finished eating, Athen let out a sigh and said, "That was apparently...yum!"

After every meal, Quois says, "That's the best meal I ever had!"

Apparently, my children love me. It makes my heart sing.

Silent Roses, written for his dad

2008-03-07T11:48:00.001-07:00

Grandpa's Memory

2008-03-04T13:15:00.002-07:00

Here's a little memory from my Dad. Quois loves to spend time with him. My Dad would come to the house to pick Quois up and spend the entire day with him. I have no idea what those two would be up to all day, but here's a little glimpse of something they did together.

Do you remember when he used to go to the ditch with me? He would come up to the house and say let's go to the ditch. I used to golf around and he would sit by the stream soaking his feet. One day he was singing, I walked by real close and he was singing "Heavenly Father, watch over me." He kept singing that all the time he was sitting there. I think he was 2 at the time. Also remember how he used to cry and wanted to go to Grandpa's house. We were at my niece's funeral below at the Baptist church and he walked up to the house by himself. I thnk he was one at the time.

Quoisisms

2008-03-01T21:31:00.003-07:00

For the month of March, I've decided to publish as many posts about my soon-to-be ten year old baby. He's funny, silly, sensitive, smart, lazy, fun, friendly, mellow, creative, and cute.

Instead of asking someone what something is called, my son makes up his own names for things.
He's been doing this since I can remember. Now we just use these words instead. I think it's adorable and quite appropriate at times. Here are a few of our favorites:

One fine day when Quois was around age 2, he came up to me and said, "Mom, I hurt my little mountains." "Hm??" was my first thought. I asked him what he meant by that, and he pointed to his knuckles, "I hurt these. They're my little mountains."

I took Quois to the beach when he was 3 years old. We spent the entire summer with my best friend and her husband. It was wonderful. When Q got tired of playing in the ocean, he'd chase the seagulls around. When we moved to Utah, he saw the same kind of birds and said, "Look Mom, a Beach Crow!!"

Sound dots: speaker

Duck beaver: platypus

Cheetah horse: giraffe

*when I think of more, I will add them...

Go Warriors!

2008-02-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Since I'm such a huge sports fan, I thought I'd post something about my high school boys basketball team. First of all, let me say this: I love my high school. It's very small, with less than 300 people, and located in a secluded area in the middle of the Navajo Nation. I love it because people there have been through so much and they put their hopes and dreams into their children. With that said, I'd like to congratulate the Warriors for winning District Championship. Plus, I taught some of these guys in 5th grade and now they're seniors. (Not to mention, my brother is one of the coaches.)

Couples Quiz

2008-02-22T14:24:00.009-07:00

I thought I'd fill this out since my husband is in Maryland and I'm constantly thinking of him. Plus, with it being Love Month, well, this is pretty appropriate seeing how I do love my husband.

How long have you and your significant other been together? In our dreams, I'd say since Thanksgiving of 1994, but officially, well since July 14th of 2002. Sad, yes, we know. It was love at first sight but it took us eight years to finally get together.

Who eats more? That depends on the food and if I'm pregnant or not. But under normal circumstances, I'd say Sam eats more. I eat less on my plate and more servings. Wait, maybe I do eat more.

Who said "I love you" first? Sam told me first and then I quickly followed.

Who is taller? Sam

Who sings better? Definitely Sam, although he would disagree. He has a wonderful voice. If you asked my kids, they would probably say me, because I am constantly trying to sing them to sleep.

Who is smarter? In all fairness, I think Sam is smarter in everything (He is basically knowledgeable in just about anything from politics, guns, WWII, history, diving, nuclear physics, culinary arts, and trench digging), whereas, I am smarter in practical things, like doing laundry, washing dishes, common sense. As for wit, well, that would have to be me. As for getting my jokes, that would be Sam. As for marrying me, Sam again. I was pretty darn smart to say yes too.

Who does the laundry? I do. I actually love to do laundry. It's one of my favorite chores because I love to fold clothes. Hm.

Who does the dishes? I wash the dishes, but if I were smart, I'd use the dishwasher more.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Well, looking at the bed, I do. Although, sometimes we switch places because someone takes the blankets away...

Who pays the bills? Me.

Who mows the lawn? When we had the lawn, Sam. But now that our new house sat on the market so long, sad to say, we don't have a lawn yet.

Who cooks dinner? When it's time for a quick delicious meal, then I make dinner. But for all dinners of the adventurous and time-consuming manner, Sam cooks. He is also an excellent BBQ-er.

Who drives when you are together? I do not like to drive. I sit and relax and occasionally passenger drive...and stare at my husband, read, or watch the 3 crazy kids in the backseat.

Who is more stubborn? Uh, well, that depends on what we're talking about, but for the most part, me, hands down...

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? Both of us.

Whose parents do you see the most? Well, that is tricky because our parents live in New Mexico and they're both divorced. So, really, we have four places to go. Luckily, two live practically across the street from each other, one is within 15 miles, and the other is an hour away. So I'd say, our moms, we see equally.

Who kissed who first? Sam kissed me first.

Who proposed? Sam proposed on a wonderful night in December. He was so sweet. He came back from college and couldn't wait to ask me to marry him. But technically, we were talking marriage on our third day.

Who is more sensitive? That would be me.

Who has more friends? We have about the same amount of friends.

Who has more siblings? Sam = 5, Me = 4

Who wears the pants? I think we both share the pants. He has his responsibilities and I have mine. But we always try to make decisions together.

(*ps: I just read this to Sam and he agreed with everything I wrote. And my first response was, "Wait, you do think you're smarter than me?!" Haha!)

One Happy Year

2008-02-20T14:40:00.001-07:00

Rockin' Around the Holidays

2008-01-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our trip home. We had so much fun spending time with "the Fam!" We jammed out almost every night. We ate seafood and watched movies until the wee hours of the morning. We watched football and played in the snow. Quois and Sam went horsebackriding. We saw some puppies. But the funniest thing of all, we got to see Navajo Elvis! That was hilarious. I had fun dancing around and listening to my brothers, Aaron included, and Sam jam out! It was a great Christmas and New Year's. I hope your new year will be full of family, fun, seafood, movies, horses, Elvis, and good music playing in the background!

My snow angels

Asher's first Christmas

Sam getting serenaded. I must say Sam made a better Elvis!

I'll Be Home for Christmas

2007-12-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

My hubby comes home today and I'm so excited. Although we missed him much, I learned a lot of things about myself. I think I can relate it to a statement by Athen. She was chewing on her toy one day and I told her, "Athen, don't do that, you're going to ruin your toy." She then stated, "I'm not ruining it, I'm making it perfect."

Sometimes my life seems to be getting 'ruined' through trials and hard times, but I only know that our Heavenly Father is trying to make me perfect through these times. I have learned so much about patience and trust. I am a firm believer of Divine Intervention, in my life and history. And I think Thanksgiving coming before Christmas is one of those things. I love thinking of all the things I'm thankful for before this Christmas Season. I'm thankful for our Savior's birth. So with that said, I hope you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas, full of love and hope.

Our Past in Pictures

2007-12-12T12:58:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving

2007-12-08T23:49:00.001-07:00

Koqua was baptized.

Sheep crossing the road.

Rain dancing around.

I took my Grandma home.

Grandkids

Some unknown things about me...

2007-11-06T13:10:00.001-07:00

Ok, I was tagged once again, this time for telling things about myself...that are mostly unknown...I thought stories would be more interesting than facts/habits. This will take a while, so keep checking back for some Awesome stories... (look in the comments section to see who I tagged)

1.The Case of the Clock & Batter Incident One late dark fall evening, my oldest brother and I were home alone when I was age 12 or so. I wanted to make a cake from scratch. Shane was playing with a ball inside the house (against home policy), always trying to perfect his basketball skills. I on the other hand, had a more practical purpose, in trying to perfect something more useful...catching a husband! And making food. I read the recipe quite studiously, not wanting to mess up. I finished mixing the wet ingredients in a large bowl. As I proceeded to add the dry ingredients, I wondered if I was adding a little too much baking powder, looked at the cookbook once more, and dumped it in. I left the bowl to rest my future homemaker hands. Just then, Shane threw the ball toward the wall and hit an unwanted target, the clock. It fell and broke. In the background, we heard this fizzing sound coming from the kitchen. We ran to the kitchen to find the cake batter that did not look like the picture. It was bubbly and overflowing out of the bowl! I quickly grabbed the cookbook, and scrolled down to find that instead of adding 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder I added 2 1/2 cups! My first thought was of my Mom. What would she say? I'd be in such trouble for wasting food. My brother too thought of our Mom when he broke the clock. Quickly, we dumped the batter into plastic bags and criminally cleaned any traces of batter and clock. We then made a pact, Shane wouldn't tell on me and I wouldn't tell on him. Whew, I felt better. As soon as my Mom and brothers returned home, I went into the back room, and overheard Shane yell out, "Mom, guess what Tasha did?!" I never told my mom about the clock.

2. Band Trip There was this guy, S., we were best friends when we were little (about age 5-13)! We were supposed to get married and live on a ranch, (because you know so much at that age). I knew we would date in high school. Well, we went to band camp in Silver City, NM the summer after seventh grade, age 13. He went for the drums and I, not wanting to play my alto saxophone, but more like, mess around, went as a flag girl. Hey, I didn't have to carry my heavy instrument case and I could wear cool skirts. One night, in the dorms, as I was talking with my friends, I turned and saw a girl running down the hall toward my direction. And who was chasing her? None but S. They got closer. She passed by. I, one of the only few times in my life where I actually did what I was thinking, put my foot out, and in slow motion saw S. fall down in the hallway. No one knew it was me. Everyone turned around and laughed. He slowly got up and was so embarrassed. I was sorry instantly. We returned to school, still close friends. He finished out the eighth grade and transferred to WRHS. I haven't seen him since.

3. How to Burn Boiled Eggs When Sam and I started dating, I was on cloud nine all the time. One morning, in an attempt to make a nice easy breakfast, I put some eggs on to boil. But instead of watching the clock, I was daydreaming...for about an hour! An unfamiliar smell snapped me back to earth. My eggs! I ran to the kitchen, looked in the pot, and there was absolutely no more water. The bottom of the poor eggs were black. What could I do but smile? That same week, I put an empty ice tray on a skillet and turned the burner on. Now that I'm happily married, I still burn things...

4. Clueless Don't ask me why but I like this movie. My guess would be because it makes me laugh. The incredibly shallow girls and guys, the clothes, the thrill of liking someone...high school. When I was in high school, I couldn't wait to leave, but as I look back, I had so many fun times. The flirting, track season, away games....

Travis: I joined this program and there's steps. There's... uh... Cher: Twelve? Travis: Yeah, how'd you know? Cher: Wild guess.

5. Samuel I knew my husband's name when I was growing up. I know, I know, this contradicts story number 2, but what is a twelve year old supposed to do? Ok, I'm not sure how old I actually was when I knew, but I've known for quite some time. There were a few memory lapses but eventually, I gave up on the dating scene and decided to wait for Mr. Right. One May morning in 2002, after my youngest brother's graduation breakfast, I was on my way home. First, I called my brother to see if I could bring anything back with me. He said, "Yeah, could you pick your future husband?" No, actually, he said, "Can you pick up my friend? We're going to ride horses together." The rest, they say, is history.

6. So the other two were lame, here are two others: Smelly Me I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't wear deodorant. Not because I prefer to smell and it's my way of telling others to "Back Off!" but, because I don't need it. I do prefer to smell good. But I don't particularly like wearing perfume, I just like wearing lotion. I think it's my mom's fault. But as far the deodorant is concerned, I never knew people wore the stuff because no one in my family wears it. It took a sleepover in high school, at a friend's house to figure out that I wasn't sure what she was doing! I asked her what that was. It was deodorant for underarms. She asked, "Do you want some?" I said, "No." I went home and asked my mom if I needed to buy some. She said, "Of course not." Well, later, I found that most Navajos don't need it and don't wear it. But believe me, some Navajos need it and don't wear it!

7. Snake, Skunk, Spider, Oh My! When I was younger, I've always wanted some pets but when I tell you which ones I wanted, you'll understand why my wishes were never fulfilled. I went through this phase when I wanted a snake. Of course, being Navajo, it was a taboo and my grandmother would never allow it. It all started in elementary when someone brought a boa constrictor to school and we got to touch it. I wanted my own. I got over it when I found out what snakes eat. I hate rodents. Then later, I thought a pet skunk would be cool. I know they smell, but I could get used to that, so I thought. The closest to getting a real skunk was when my Dad found a dead one and we buried it. One birthday in college, I was so thrilled when I got a Pepe Le Pew t-shirt and stuffed animal. I'll settle for Pepe Le Pew. I wanted a tarantula but by this time, I knew I shouldn't even ask. (*Note, this cannot be considered my wishlist for Christmas*)

8. Ambidextrous I can write with both my left and right hands. In fourth grade, there was this guy who wrote with his left hand. I thought it was cool he could be different, so I learned. I think playing the piano helps too.

9. Super Cars Many people ask me what my dream car is. They have visions of a 1964 Ford Mustang or Ferrari, but I've always like the red car Lois Lane was driving in the first Superman movie before she gets swallowed by the earthquake. Why do I like this car? I always envisioned myself driving it and getting rescued by the man of my dreams, wearing tights and a cape, if I happen to be swallowed by the earth, that is. Many things, I'm realizing go back when I was a little girl. I still want a car like that. But lately, I'll settle for a Subaru WRX. Forget the Ferrari or Viper, just give me a Subaru so I can rally race with my husband! I drove a turbo charged Impreza and that was the end of it for me. It helped that my husband worked for Subaru too.

Remembering Myself

2007-11-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

So I was tagged today with questions about myself. You can't believe how hard this list was to make. So, here goes...

8 things I'm passionate about
* my husband
* music: I LOVE music! I love the Beatles. Listening to them in monotone and stereo...ooh, gets me excited! I love their arrangements. They blow my mind. Singers/songwriters impress me GREATLY. I couldn't write a song and someone who writes the song I could have written, if I could, really gets to me. Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes...they should do a special.
* old movies: Who couldn't be passionate about Cary Grant, James Stewart, and Gregory Peck? I love Philadelphia Story, To Kill a Mockingbird, Roman Holiday, the Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer...see my profile...
* art: Anything that is beautiful, simple, colorful, lovely, real, raw...I love photography, painting, drawing, writing, reading, decorating, just anything wonderful and beautiful to me.
* service: Of all the things on my list, I think this may be my favorite. I love to do things for people. I love Christmas, birthdays, and even dinnertime when I get to make food for my loves and make them happy.
* food: I was going to say cooking, but that only gives half the story. The other part is eating. I love to make new dishes, watch the Barefoot Contessa, make new sauces with my husband, think up new salads and sidedishes. So, I'd say everything about food. I love to bake bread and pumpkin cookies. And lastly, I love to taste it, pass or fail, I love to see how flavors mix and match.

* the gospel: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is my center, my foundation, and the purpose to my existence, marriage, and motherhood. It gives me strength and guidance.
* quois, athen, asher: They are my sun, stars, and flashlight in the dark....

8 things I want to do before I die
* go on a mission (preferrably to another Indian reservation)
* live to be pass 90 with my husband
* read the Bible (reading it for class at BYU doesn't count!)
* visit France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Scotland, Yucatan Peninsula, Alaska...
* see the Red Sox play at Fenway
* see my children's children's children
* I want to see my grandmother go through the temple
* I want to see all my brothers happily married

8 things I say often
* my kids are crazy
* you're silly
* babe
* love you
* you dork
* oh well
* perhaps
* so there

8 books I've recently read
* The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
* Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
* True Grit by Charles Portis
* Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
* Barefoot Contessa's Family Style Cookbook by Ina Garten
* The Book of Mormon
* From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil El. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
* Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

* just finished The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

8 songs/albums I could listen to over and over and over
* Al Green's Let's Stay Together
* The Beatles' Abbey Road
* Rolling Stones' Beast of Burden
* The Black Crowes' Descending
* Allison Moorer's Fairweather
* Lucinda Williams' albums

* Mormon Tabernacle Choir's For the Beauty of the Earth
* Quois's songs on the piano with Athen singing her own words
* any of these songs, Sam singing them to me

8 things that attract me to my best friends
* honesty
* laughter
* connection
* they must adore my kids
* innate ability to do nothing whatsoever
* love life
* trustworthiness
* teach me something new

8 things I learned in the past year
* I have learned to trust more
* I've learned a little more patience goes a long way
* I've learned to smile more when people aren't looking
* I want to learn more through reading, schooling, & experience
* I've learned that all people aren't on the same path as you are. Some are really lost and they don't know it, and although they are looking for the answer to happiness, some aren't ready to hear it or live it
* Forgiveness is crucial to happiness
* I love to laugh, now more than ever
* I've realized how much my husband is willing to do for me and our little ones

8 things I can't live without

* lotion

* eye drops

* cooking scissors

* my own pillow

* camera

* turquoise jewelry

* a good book

* my kitchenaid

Way to Go Red Sox!

2007-11-02T14:10:00.000-06:00

starting them early...

Go Red Sox!
We love the Red Sox! Last week, I was so nervous when they were 2 down against the Indians. I watched the games and cheered like crazy. Then over the weekend, being 2 up vs. the Rockies, I was quite certain we'd win. With the fourth game on Sunday, I was afraid I'd miss the final game because I was coming home from NM. I rushed home as fast as I could, seeing it was only the kids and I. But we made it in time to see the 8th and celebrate after our 4-3 victory. I like baseball. So, here's my congrats to our team whom we've taken lots of slack for through the rough times and now we can enjoy the good times. Bonus, there's a Navajo guy on the team named Jacobe Ellsbury! We love him too. Go Sox!

Our Halloween

2007-11-01T22:05:00.000-06:00

So for the night where you go to strangers' houses and get candy, we went to our family's neighborhood. The weather was perfect and so were the children. I dropped Quois off with James and they trick-or-treated on their own. I'm not sure about peoples' expressions as they opened the door to see a mountain man and an old lady (James), but as for us, we had fun. Athen wanted to be Cinderella and Asher was a lady bug. I have to say that I'm not the Halloween-type. Candy and costumes just don't excite me. I remember when I was younger, my dad would make a spook house in our garage and scare the locals with his costume, freaky music, and a black cat. We would wait in the living room, with mom running in and out of the bedroom, anticipating his costume. He'd come out and scare us. That was the part I liked. Trick-or-treating was just a bonus. But I tried this year, especially for Quois and Athen. Perhaps I did rub off a little on Quois. After our evening, I asked him where his candy was. He said, "I gave it away. I don't need it." So, I have this to say. Perhaps the hunting, whether it be fur or candy, is the funnest part of all. I'm not so sure Mr. Bridger would agree, but I sure do. Now, onto Thanksgiving for more food and fun. p.s. I hope Asher doesn't have issues when he's older...He was cute and warm, nonetheless.

Fur Hunters

2007-10-31T15:31:00.000-06:00

The weekend before Halloween, we took a quick trip to New Mexico to meet up with family and Sam. Quois had an assembly in school the week before and came home so excited. "Mom, I know what I want to be for Halloween!" I thought we had already decided, but he said cooly, "A mountain man like Jim Bridger." What?! How do you go from a Ring Wraith to a Jim Bridger? Here's how. You order one mountain man wearing a racoon hat with 247 furs, take them to your son's school, add a bowie knife, some bows and arrows, maybe a canteen and one leather pouch and...Voile! Your son is dreaming of hunting raccoons. This was an actual assembly. I could just picture Quois watching with huge eyes, maybe drooling. So, where in Utah do we get fur? I checked all the local thrift stores. Quois wanted his costume perfect. So when we went to New Mexico, we hit all the local shops and sure enough, there was fur. Good thing my Dad had some leftover props from his play productions. It was fun putting this together for him. Mr. Bridger would be proud.

For Daddy

2007-10-17T23:40:00.000-06:00

Sam is in Phoenix working for the nuclear generating plant for 12 weeks. It's been quite an adventure. Here are a few moments that we wish Dad was here for. Love and miss...

Okay, this may look strange, but it makes perfect sense to me. I love to clean and organize, maybe a little too much. So, Athen picked up a few things from her mother, what's the harm, right? Well, she notices everything! I mean everything, like what she wore to a baseball game last Easter, from the BYU volleyball game 9 months ago. She notices the weather, a new skirt I bought, if someone has a new haircut, etc. On top of that, she loves to rearrange, fix things, well, you get the picture. On this particular day, I bought her some new pink clothes hangers. She was so delighted, that when she got home, she immediately went into her closet and changed out her hangers, which left some blue and white ones behind. Well, Athen, being who she is, decided not to let them go to waste, but to hang something on them. She went into her brother's clothes and pulled out his box full of socks, a couple shirts, and boxers. I was in the living room when this happened, but I only noticed after she had put 5 of her brother's boxers on hangers. My first thought was this, "Why didn't I think of that?" We all had a good laugh.

We miss you Dad!

Athen is so happy when Quois comes home from school. Today, she tackled him and wouldn't let him go. He was too weak from laughing that it took him several minutes to break free.

The kids played outside today. I had Quois whirl Asher around outside and enjoy the weather. This is his face afterward, wanting to go back out again. I love this face!

Athen Fashion

2007-10-17T23:07:00.000-06:00

Our little princess loves to play dress up. Everyday, she changes her outfit more times than I can count. Every evening, I play intern and put her clothes away for her, just because it's so overwhelming. She has more clothes than I do, which isn't saying much, but still, it's more than me. She has a style all her own. I just wish she would brush her hair. One trait she probably gets from me, because I still struggle to remember to fix my hair everyday. Nevertheless, here are a few gems of fashion from Athen, future____________ (you decide).

She was wearing the pink dress all day, so when it was time to go out, she threw on some jeans and a sweater, and her favorite hat.

To my surprise, she came into my room this morning, ready to go out for the day.
She loves Cinderella and makes Quois dance with her.
Who can say no to this smile? Daddy can't.

After Rain

2007-10-09T12:56:00.001-06:00

This a picture of my hometown, Crystal. My Dad took this picture of the male and female rainbows. I miss home very much, especially taking a walk after it rains and taking pictures. I will soon post pictures of my newly remodeled home, as soon as I can pick up after the kidstorm that hit my house this weekend. Hopefully I will be seeing rainbows and all will be clean...

Down and Out

2007-09-27T14:21:00.000-06:00

I can't believe September is here already and I haven't posted since August second?! Wow. Well, this is why: My brother, Hondo, was in the centennial bike ride the first week of August. That's over a hundred miles! So, I followed him and yelled at him from the coolness of my car. Boy, was I tired after that race. Hahaha. Anyway, the following week, we went home for my grandfather's funeral. The week after that, Samuel got sick and was in the hospital. The week after, we tried to finish renovating our newly bought house. We put in our wood floors, new tile, painted our walls, installed our appliances, new kitchen cabinets, installed the plumbing and electricity, etc. We then had to pack and move. But the fun didn't stop there, we continued renovating our home, because Sam had to head out for Phoenix for 12 weeks on the 14th! I didn't have much time to be sad because I had to unpack and keep fixing up the house. Thank goodness I had help from Sam's family and my brother. We are almost done fixing the inside, now I have to focus the on the outside. So, hopefully in the near future, I will be posting some pictures. Thanks for stopping by...

A Chapter in My Life

2007-08-02T15:53:00.000-06:00

We finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Tuesday night. We stayed up until 2:30 a.m. because we couldn't put it down. Quite frankly, I could have put it down and waited another 18 hours before continuing, but Sam wanted me to finish reading to him. To be honest again, I didn't want to finish. I took my sweet time, a whole 8 days to finish, of course with only a few minutes here and there, we got to the end. This has to be one of my favorite Harry Potter books, another favorite, being the first one. As the story goes, when I was teaching fourth grade upper reading class, we read Harry Potter and my students and I loved it. I had a little Harry of my own named Kyle. He had the bushy black hair and glasses. We made our classroom our own little Hogwarts and had four groups, each named after the four houses. We made banners and had so much fun. We even got to see the first movie together. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, these books remind me of my students and their love for learning. They made my teaching days so much fun! And now, it's over and I hope they all finished the series as well. Now I'll just have to wait for the movies and cry when that's over too. In short, the book series was wonderful and fills a little chapter from my life to remember some important people who changed it.

It's a Wonderful Still Life

2007-07-26T14:20:00.000-06:00

we are renovating our house and here we have daddy's little helper

through our good times bad times we still have our dancing days and when he learns to crawl, he'll be singing out on the tiles hopefully he won't be too dazed and confused....

james and asher are related, james being 4 months older

aw....., home

i hope all his wishes come true (almost identical smiles)

happy asher and sunny rain

quois wrote a song for sam's birthday

A Family Affair

2007-07-25T11:44:00.001-06:00

This past week has been wonderful! We had my mom, Grandma, and niece, Rain, in town. It was fun to have family around. Here is Grandma helping Athen with her puzzle. My grandma didn't get a chance to go school, even though she wanted to go when she was a little girl. Since she was the oldest, she had to stay home, with the eldest brother, and watch after the sheep. I admire my grandmother so much because despite her missed opportunities, she is so intelligent and loves her life. I liked watching her figure this puzzle out with Athen. She got all the pieces in except one, and left it for Athen to put in. How sweet. It made me and Athen smile. I love my Grandma!

Two masked superheroes.

Our family came into town to send Jacob off to the Toronto West Canadian Mission. We had a bbq the night before. We have so many babies in our family, from left to right: Asher w/Sam, James w/mommy Rachel, Michael w/mommy Tatiana, and Rebekah w/daddy Joe. How lovely it was to see the resemblances and differences from our growing clan. Looks like Rebekah will have plenty of bodyguards!

Good-bye Jakes! We'll miss you but we know you'll miss out more if you stayed. We are so happy for you and the blessings you'll bring to those Canadians and our family! (Notice our red and white colors?)

Sigh

2007-07-12T12:51:00.000-06:00

There are some traditions that I love in our family: singing on Christmas Eve, camping in late June, guessing Kumen charades, and playing football in the snow. There are others that I loved when I was little, but as I grew older, it became a chore. Making bread is one of those traditions. My grandmother taught my mom to make Nane'skaadi' when she was 3 years old. I remember making my first bread when I was three. Now Athen is 3 and she absolutely loves it. Here she is helping me make some bread, a treat for our family. I hope she grows up and enjoys it still. You know what I'm talking about mom! The end result is delicious, nonetheless, and I can't help feel satisfied when I look around and my family is happy and well-fed. When you see someone make Nane'skaadi' for their family, you know they must really love them.

When did my children get so big? Sometimes I feel like I must have missed a few years of growth somewhere along the way. One day, they're just grown up, and I can't believe it happens right before your very eyes. *Sigh* Aren't there any signs on the growing up road that say "Yield?"

See what I mean? He's already sitting up! *Deep sigh*...trying not to cry...

July 4th

2007-07-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

What did I do on July Fourth? Nothing. It was great. I woke up, made breakfast, and watched a war movie with Sam. It was Patton, about the controversial three star army sergeant during World War II. (If you didn't know, I love old war movies! Why? You can blame my mom.) But it was nice to just relax and enjoy a good movie. Later on, we ate, of course, with some family. We watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks from Rock Canyon Park. It was a good day to celebrate our independence and freedom.

Quois Boy Photography

2007-07-03T22:27:00.000-06:00

to me, quois has always had an artistic flare. when he was six, he put it well.
he wrote a little book, called, an artistic journal. in the beginning, he wrote,
"artistic is an artist and sometimes we are not one." at the bottom of the page
was, "like this" with an illustration of a simple car. he went on and illustrated
different drawings; a plane flew throughout the book, there were drawings of
a clock, an angel, a tree, a parallelogram, a trash can, a tiger, and other simple
figures. in the end, he ended with a simple heart with the words, "one kiss."
when we see the world, we have the choice to see it as beautiful or dreadful.
quois chooses to see it with beauty and wonderment. he astounds me, not only
for his still life moments, but for his humor and the joy he finds in his world. yes,
we are all artists, and sometimes we are not. i hope that i can be more of an
artist than not.

For the Grandmas & Grandpas

2007-07-03T21:59:00.000-06:00

What can I say about Asher? He's so sweet and cuddly. He loves to smile, laugh, and be held. He also like to eat and sleep, of course! He is almost sitting up by himself now. Baby just loves to play and be played with. He searches for anything to put into his mouth. When he turned four months, we gave him baby food. He loved it! He even likes squash. What a good boy to eat his veggies. Everyday I try to read to him. He likes looking at the pictures, but I bet he's really thinking, "Hmmm...that book looks yummy."

He's so curious about the world around him. Here, he is fascinated by the guitar and the sound it makes. He's trying to be like his Daddy. He definitely keeps me on my toes with his curiosity. Or else, he could be thinking, "Gosh, those shiny knobs look so delicious."

Age: almost five months, and already a Red Sox fan. He looks so serious in this picture. It seems like everytime we take a picture, it's a second too soon or too late. But, look at those cheeks. I love putting baby lotion on them and kissing them. I could do that for hours!

Here's one where Daddy is playing with him. He loves to be tickled. Finally, a smile!

Besh Besh wakes up so happy every morning. I'm taking lessons from him. Here was a typical morning of laying around in bed, talking to me, telling me about his dreams, all the while, sucking his toes and fingers. My days possibly can't go wrong when I start them out with Asher smiling. Then enter Athen and Quois. They're so happy as well. I'm a happy mother...until nap time...when I'm even happier. Hahaha.

A Day at BYU

2007-07-03T12:56:00.000-06:00

Love the hair nets guys!

Atop the Kimball Tower.

Which one is the baboon?

Smile!

A mama bear and papa bear proud of their 4 cubs.

There are just so many pictures to post! Well, this is when Hawke, Rain, Quois, Athen, and Sam took a tour of BYU campus. First, they went to the Creamery and learned how to make the famous BYU ice cream. Then off to the Kimball Tower to see the view from the top. They stopped by the planetarium, and finally a stop at the Bean Museum. Quois and the baboon is my favorite. We always enjoy our family visits.

Asher and Rebekah

2007-06-29T11:41:00.000-06:00

Two little flowers

Always wanting water

One is Mommy's son,

The other, Daddy's daughter

They grow in the day

They grow in the night

Always very curious

Always very bright

Two little flowers

Blowing in the breeze

Always pretending

They're as tall as the trees

They laugh and play

To their world's little beat

Trying to keep up

With their new tiny feet

But two little flowers

Never wanting to rest

Afraid of missing a baby bird

Leaving its mother's nest

And now it's time for sleep

We hear their little cries

Don't cry little flowers

Wipe your sleepy eyes

Rest, rest for only a while

With dreams as good company

And bless your little roots

To be as strong as the oak tree's.

The Park on 500

2007-06-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we had so much fun at the park. Here are a few moments on pause.

Smiles and Stares

2007-06-27T00:04:00.000-06:00

A picture worth a thousand words?
If this can be proven true,
That picture may not have had a pretty smile
Or two baby eyes staring at you
A thousand words?
I cannot begin to tell
Nor can I see its end...
Pictures of smiling babies and baby stares,
There are no words to compare.

A Midsummer Evening's Dream

2007-06-21T13:24:00.001-06:00

Athen's first day of school

When I was a kid, our summers consisted of running around outside and helping Dad work on the house. Our vacations were trips to Grandma's sheep camp, herding her sheep. We drove around on the dusty dirt roads in the back of our pick-up truck and had cook-outs almost every night. I hardly saw any friends until school started. We went swimming down the canyon, camping in the mountains, and hiking in our backyard. That's what I miss about living in Crystal: the outdoors. I love being outside. So, here in Provo, I have to be more creative. I just can't tell my kids to play outside, because unlike our all-day-playing-outside, here, it only lasts for 15 minutes at the most. So with that said I think our summer has been great so far. We have started the Summer Reading Program, at the Provo City Library. Quois and Athen are in a morning summer program called Camp Eagle. Quois is learning to hoop dance. Athen paints and plays all morning, and sings and dances. Last week, our field trip was to the Young Living Family Herb Farm. Today, some of the kids butchered a sheep and they're serving mutton stew and frybread tomorrow. Yum! Why couldn't we do that at our school? We saw a musical at BYU, we went swimming, and Athen and Quois have guitar and piano lessons. Our summer has been fun, but I still dream of Grandma's sheep camp and riding in the back of Dad's truck on a cool Crystal evening, looking for horses or on our way to the springs.

Lazy Sunday

2007-06-21T13:05:00.001-06:00

I love Sundays. They're so relaxing for me. After church,

we have dinner, take naps, and read. Sometimes, we go

to the park and play, enjoy our beautiful mountain air and

the trees' breeze. This was one of those cool Sunday evenings.

April Showers Bring Athen Flowers

2007-06-19T22:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we have to start out talking about Athen for May because her birthday is on its first day. She turned 3! I can't believe it, and honestly, I could have done without the terrible two's. Or could I? I actually learned a whole lot last year. Mostly about myself, patience, and lots of prayer. But enough about me, let's talk about one of my favorite subjects, Little Nanabah. We named her after her great-great-grandmother, Nanabah Begay.

It's a Navajo Warrior name. I love my great-grandmother, mostly because she is purely honest and the most beautiful woman. I remember going to her home and it smelled like wet dirt and peaches. She always had a basket of fresh fruit by her side. She had a wonderful smile and she was always happy to see us. I loved sitting in her shadehouse in the spring as she took a nap on her outside bed. She lived down the dirt road from my grandmother, and so I can't help but think of one without the other. My grandmother's name is Louise.

She's my hero. I love her so much. Before I go on and on about them, let's just say that I hope Athen reflects her grandmothers' beauty and love. My little girl is so full of energy. She reminds me of a balloon you blow up, and instead of tying it, you let it go and fly around the room. That's our little Athen. Except, when she hits the ground, she fills up with energy again and flies around. She loves to help me cook, clean, and watch Asher. She tries so hard to be independent. Sometimes, it gets her into trouble, other times, it makes me smile at her efforts. She is the second child, but acts like the only one. She and Quois are 6 years apart. It's a nice gap because Quois watches her and they keep each other in line. Her new phrase when she's pleased or excited is, "Bam Bam!" I don't know where she got that one from, but it's cute. She loves anything 'Princess' and her favorite color is pink.

She loves to wear high heels, collect purses, pick flowers, laugh, and take care of her little Puppy. She loves her little stuffed dalamatian. She's had Puppy since she was a year old. She doesn't go anywhere without him. In fact, we had a family picture taken and there was Puppy, looking at us with his little black glass eyes. What a pair. Come to think of it, I love Puppy too; (he doesn't make a mess, he hardly eats anything, and for some reason, I can't hear him 'talk' as well as Athen can).

A perfect daY

2007-06-19T14:11:00.000-06:00

We started out our June 9th with a temple sealing. Besides our wedding day, and the birth of our children, this was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever witnessed. It reminded me of our Heavenly Father's love he has for every single person in the world. I am so grateful for the gospel and its blessings. I love my family and this experience only strengthened my conviction to continue our Family History/ Temple work. After the sealing, we had breakfast and celebrated our four additions to the family: Alyssa, Jerrica, Thomas, and Daniel!

We celebrated Sam's birthday with family ala baseball. For our first hit, we played baseball. This first base activity was so much fun! There were about 15 of us and we played in the hot sun. Now we know how the real MLB players feel, out in the sun for 9 innings! I can't imagine. Well, give me a few million, and I guess I could manage a nice tan too. Our second base fun was ultimate frisbee. Boy, does that take some lungs and coordination! I made everyone earn their cake, that's for sure. So, onto third base, at Dion's and Rhonda's place for some baseball food: hot dogs and chili, maybe some pickled cabbage. Yum? We talked, visited, sang Happy Birthday toYou, opened presents, and finally slowly headed for home plate, with our bellies full and our exercise for the rest of the month. Happy Birthday Honey! I hope you had fun. Here's a list of my Favorite Samuel Things:

one: He always makes me laugh

two: He is very passionate and loyal

three: He loves the Red Sox, passionately and loyally

four: He loves the Gospel

five: He loves to travel

six: He knows my secrets and keeps them, or forgets them...hahaha

seven: He loves the outdoors and shares his hobbies with us

eight: He loves to learn and read

nine: He loves me

ten: He loves his family

Imperfection's Beauty

2007-06-12T16:24:00.000-06:00

"...Someday, perhaps, women will realize that perfection of beauty is as insufferable as any other sort of perfection, that what men really love in women is their imperfections, their common needs and compassion."

Jonathan Briggs, Champion Road, by Frank Tilsley

April and Boiled Eggs

2007-06-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

April was a wonderful month. We had a wonderful Easter. Quois and Athen got their faces painted and "hunted" for eggs on Saturday. We went to a local park and they set out hundreds of eggs on the grass. There was a sign that read, "Parents, please do not help your child gather eggs. Only 5 eggs per child." While Sam was with Quois in his designated area, I had the privilege of escorting Athen to her spot, the 2 years and younger category. There were two couples beside us and one asked the other, "Are we supposed to just watch?" The other dad responded, "I'm not going to let my boy get trampled. I'm going out there with him!" So, with that, I figured, I'd better go with Athen. She wanted the pink ones, so I found a few close together and when the signal went off, parents charged the eggs, pulling their kids' arms practically off, putting 6 to 10 eggs in their kids' baskets. We just strolled over to our little spot, picked our 5 eggs and then we bolted out of there. It was dangerous! Later that Saturday, Sam took Quois and Athen to a BYU baseball game. Athen was so excited. She ran to her room and found her little baseball cap and umbrella and headed out the door. She yelled "Strike!" along with the fans, ate ice cream, popcorn, and hot dogs. It was Quois who was tired around the 7th inning. Athen lasted the whole game and fell right to sleep when she got home. On Sunday, we had a nice church service. Sam's brother sang the closing hymn solo, I Know That My Redeemer Lives, at an hour's notice. Sorry, but that's my only memory of our Easter service. Then we skipped over to Uncle Dion's for a nice Easter feast. Sam's fashionista cousin, Laura had a beautiful presentation with Easter eggs and scriptures. Then we hunted eggs, stayed up late visiting, and finally headed home, (only after Quois and his cousin James cleaned up the street, from throwing their boiled eggs onto the road. Sorry, another Easter memory that I won't forget too soon.) All in all, our Easter was fun and relaxing. During the rest of our April, baby turned 2 months, we had spring break, and another college semester ended.

March Belongs to Quois

2007-06-03T19:59:00.000-06:00

Quois at the Red Sox game in Detroit ('05)

Quois turned nine in March. He wanted only a few things for his birthday, and one of them was an old Book of Mormon in Japanese. So, we went on over to D.I. and paid a dollar for one. He loves it. Every now and then, he'll take it out and just look at the writings. He likes to collect old books just like his mama. He has a tiny collection of these books in other languages, 3 to be precise. The other thing he found was an old pirate-looking wooden gun. He brought it home and his Dad made it into a rubberband shooter. Of course, being 9, he got his Pokemon fix with this and that, but overall, I think he's a quirky kid. It's hard to describe him in a few sentences, but he loves guns, playing outside, old books, the beach, cartoons, Naruto, and Pokemon. Sounds pretty normal, huh? Well, his favorite movies were Singing in the Rain, Mr. Blanding Builds His Dreamhouse, School of Rock, and Home Alone. He draws stick figure comics. He's good at giving names. He named his first fish Jimi Findrix. The second one was Spud because we bought him in Idaho. He names everything, from his toys to his rocks, and siblings. He calls his sister, H.A., or Hurricane Athen.

He likes to take pictures and I love to see the world through his eyes. I find all sorts of pictures on my camera. His favorite subject is moving light and self-portraits. Quois is such a good person. He loves to spend time with his family and friends. He has a great memory. He remembers stories his Grandpa Razor told him when he was 3. He loves stories....but that's another story.

Asher February Canyon

2007-06-02T13:07:00.000-06:00

We named him Asher because I always wanted a name from the scriptures. Asher's name fits him so well. It means "happy," and he is the happiest baby I know. He was born in February and we are so pleased with our newborn. Although he didn't quite seem "newborn," because he weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz! I think there's a scary pattern here, seeing how Quois was 6 lbs. 4 oz., Athen weighed 7 lbs. 4oz. If that's the case, I'm in for an even bigger baby. My family has the tradition of giving the boys the middle name of my paternal grandfather. So, each uncle, each male cousin (well, most of them), and my nephews all have the same middle name. Since I wanted to keep part of that tradition, we thought we would give all our boys Sam's middle name. So that's where Asher M. comes from. I love it. It's Sam M., Quois M., and Asher M. He's such a sweet baby. He loves to be cuddled and talked to. Quois and Asher are the only morning people in our home. They wake up sooo happy and refreshed....and hungry. Have I mentioned he eats A LOT?

When Asher was born, I thought he looked so much like Athen, but when I looked at her pictures, she looked so different. I guess she looks more like me and Asher looks like Dad. I have no complaints about that. When Quois was born so many people told me, "Enjoy your baby." I didn't quite understand until just a few weeks after he was born, I was putting all his newborn clothes away and getting out the bigger-sized ones. I think I cried. So, when Athen and Asher were born, I found that no matter how long I held them or played with them, they still grew unbelievably fast. Boo hoo. I can't help but look at them now, ages 9, 3, and 4 months without getting a lump in my throat.

Baby Blessing

2007-06-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

Our family with Grandpa Sam

Bonnie and Mom with baby.

Jacob, Dad, and Sam, with baby Asher

Time Flies

2007-05-31T19:37:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun when we went home for Aanor's homecoming and Asher's blessing. It was a treat to have Grandpa Wall there with us! Especially because he brought the beloved jelly beans and tangerines. The family got to hike to Canyon de Chelly (pronounced canyon dee shay), the place my mom grew up and where my grandmother still lives. So, I can't believe two years and a pregnancy have passed already and Aanor is home and Asher is here. Time sure does bring beautiful results. Enjoy the photos!

Canyon de Chelly

Grandma's sheep

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!

2007-05-30T17:01:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick review in six sentences:
When little Nanabah was three months we took her to the beach in sunny California...she cried when the waves touched her toes.

When we lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, we enjoyed the oldest U.S. zoo, Jungle Jim's (the world's largest and diverse supermarket), and watched the Rex Sox play in Detroit.

Our friend, Jolene, flew in from California and we drove up north from Ohio to New York, visited Kirtland, rode the boat into Niagara Falls, ate wings in Buffalo, saw the Sacred Grove, hiked Hill Cumorah, and ate at an Amish restaurant. Delicious!

We visited Yellowstone and three huge buffaloes walked right pass our car before we moved from Idaho.

Sam worked in North Carolina and Phoenix in the summer of '06 while we 'vacationed' in Crystal, NM.

Baby Asher was born and is the perfect addition to our family. He's so mello and happy, you can't help but join him.