The Butlers

Brett and Kids

2011-06-17T13:23:00.015-06:00

My mom called me today and asked if i would 'please' update my blog so here is the latest! Below are pictures of my Aunt Lisa's wedding (mothers half sister) and also of grandpa. They aren't my favorite but we just got a new MAC computer and so this is all i have on it.

Shane is doing really well and becoming more settled in his job. He's proven himself over the last few years and built up his Agency at the level he wanted so he has been able to relax a lot more and has flexibility with his time and schedule. For instance this week he's been home during the day playing t-ball with the boys in our backyard and all sorts of things. Shane was just released a couple weeks ago as ward clerk and was called to be elders quorum President. He has lost about 20 lbs of weight by eating less and staying away from juice and carbonated drinks. He also plays basketball a couple times a week early in the morning. We have had some neat missionary experiences lately. We met a girl about our age at the gas station- her car broke down so we helped her and invited her to come to church. She is coming this Sunday with her kids and niece! We've given out a couple book of mormons and had missionary discussions at our house. We love our life in Las Cruces and feel blessed to be here.

Just as Shane is losing weight, i have gained about 5 to 10 lbs. :) I'm just keeping up with everyone schedules. Brett is still nursing and that takes up a lot of time. I enjoy going to Braden and Kyle's t-ball games, and having swim parties over at our house. Now that i am not pregnant, I have been spending more time with friends, cooking, reading and keeping up with what is going on with our country and abroad.I finished getting a 2 year food storage supply, water supply and emergency packs for all of us. I started in 2008 so it has been slow going. It takes time to build up. Last year I planted 12 fruit trees and they are blooming very well this year. One of my pear trees already has baby pears on it. By next summer/fall if all goes well and drought doesn't disrupt, we should have a mini fruit orchard. And then this spring i planted a vegetable garden and 26 different herbs in pots, which i've been cutting and drying. Shane built a fence around the garden so that the kids and rabbits can't get in.

Brett is 5 months old now. He has the sweetest, cutest most playful little personality. He is always smiling and just makes everyones heart melt. He is getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth now. And last night he crawled one step forward! All the kids love him. He likes watching Addie play and wants to do the things she does, yesterday he started copying her scream. yikes.

Addy is talking a lot now and loves reading books. She gets excited about everything. I love holding her, she's easy to carry. She has a naturally sweet personality but she can be fiesty to! She loves wearing hats and carrying her purse.

Aleah is going through a little rebellious phase. She has cut Addy's hair twice now so I finally had to take all scissors away! Other than that, she just loves swimming in our kitty pools and the slip n' slide. She also loves to draw, color and read books. She's one smart little cookie!

Kyle is no longer wearing spiderman costumes, his magician get-up or anything. He likes wearing regular pants in 100 degree weather. I just laugh as i type this thinking about him. He's a big help with Brett when i need him and a good help around the house. He can fold my laundry for me now. Lately he has been bossing Addie and Aleah around. He is getting the hang of t-ball, loves swimming in the pool and playing on the slip n' slide. He's been doing a lot of coloring, drawing skeletons and as usual loves to laugh. He just lost his first tooth this week! Braden and Kyle love having their buddies over to play quite often.

Braden has lost five teeth. His last tooth hung around for awhile so finally Shane sat him down and said, "that gnarly old tooth has to go. What do ya say we pull it?" Braden fought it at first but got brave and let Shane pull it. And for doing that he got to go to the market by himself and pick out a treat. The toothfairy gave him extra cash as well. He is doing well in coach pitch t-ball. He also enjoys playing in the pool and slip n' slide.

P.S. I just wanted to add that in school last year he got "Best Artist" award for his drawing abilities. And this year he got "Most Organized." The teacher used him as her right hand man so he did the roll, helped her organize things and would always keep his own table organized (usually 4 or 5 kids to a table).

BABY BRETT

Aunt Lisa and Grandpa...touching moment before the ceremony

Lisa is so beautiful inside and out

We put Brett in his blessing outfit. It came with a cute hat but you can't tell in the picture

Danny, Grandpa and Lisa

Me and the girls swimming at the hotel

Braden boy

Addie

Aleah and Addie

His name is...

2011-01-12T12:08:00.003-07:00

Brett Shane Butler

Birth Story

2011-01-08T00:00:00.005-07:00

I started having contractions around 10pm on Tuesday Jan 4th (1 week from my due date). Shane booked the earliest flight he could find for Melody, my midwife in Utah. We went to bed around 1:00 am. At 2:50am my water broke. Contractions immediately picked up and by 4am I told Shane that Melody wasn't going to make it in time and that we needed to head to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital the nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 5. The midwife on duty at the hospital called the doctor and he eventually came in and while I was experiencing one of those oh so fun contractions told us that since my first birth was cesarean, and that they had no documentation of the scar on my uterus, and that they didn't know us at all that he couldn't support a vaginal delivery. The fact that I had already had 3 vaginal deliveries since my c-section didn't matter to him because he couldn't review my medical records from that c-section. Also, he mentioned this placed me at a risk of between 2 and 4% for uterine rupture and every other horrible possible ending. We were a little freaked out but also knew exactly where I was at and how close I was to a normal delivery. We were very apprehensive about just agreeing to the c-section with this understanding and knowledge. Also, Shane picked up right away on the fact that the Dr. was really allowing us to stall him out to see if I would go ahead and deliver the baby soon. As soon as the doctor left the room the first time Shane whispered to me, "I think they know you're going to have this baby soon and are stalling for us. But that it wouldn't go on for very long especially if I didn't progress quickly. He told me that he would do all the talking with the Dr. and drag this out as long as possible. All I was to do was focus on getting this baby here! I agreed that I wouldn't say a word.

Since this is our 5th birth, we felt confident that everything was going along as it should thanks to everything we have learned from our experienced and amazing midwife, Melody. Over the next hour and half or so Shane handled the doctor like a champ! The doctor would say something like, "i don't know where she was cut so she could end up having a uterine rupture. Can't take the chance." And Shane would say, "Yes sir, I understand. I appreciate your expertise. We don't want to take any chances either. Let me call my sister in law and see if she can locate the medical records in our files so you can review them and make that determination. We can have the records here for you soon". He then got right on the phone with Lisa. They had exchanges like this back and forth. Each time the Dr.'s patience was wearing more thin. However, he appreciated Shane's respect and my smiling cooperative responses. Though I was actually reeling in pain and wanted to punch his lights out because he refused to give me any pain medication to take the edge off. :)

At about 6:30am the nurse checked me and said I was dilated to an 8, the doctor double checked and said 7. I knew I was at an 8 going on 9 just based on the contractions and pain level. Then the doctor checked me again and said I was still at a 7 and due to not progressing he would prep for the c-section, ...I felt as though I was at a 10 and ready to push. Shane politely told the Dr. that "at this time we would not agree to the c-section. The Dr. said, "Well then you don't have a provider". Shane said, " I understand, we will make other arrangements for this delivery". Dr. said, "I don't think you understand what I'm saying to you", Shane cut him off and said, "No, I DO understand what you're saying, but I feel YOU don't understand what I'm saying. If you're telling me you're no longer our provider then I'm telling you that that's fine with us. But why are you still here?" He looked at Shane with complete stupor of thought and had literally no words. But he did not leave the room. I closed my eyes and envisioned Melody smiling and encouraging me to start pushing. I pushed once which threw me immediately into a long, hard excruciatingly painful contraction. I announced, the baby is coming!!! His head crowned. And on the very next contraction I barred down again and pushed. Suddenly the whole baby slipped out in one shot. Shane was to my left watching me with one hand in the middle of my back applying pressure and his other hand on my knee applying pressure. To his complete awe, surprise, and relief he saw the baby coming out and yelled, "BABY!!!" The doctor was standing at the foot of the bed and not paying real close attention to the right area if you know what I mean. The bed table was between him and the end of the bed and me. He was barely able to get it out of the way in time to swoop in there and catch the baby as he slid out! He had the most surprised look on his face that I have ever seen from anyone ever! He did not even have his surgical gloves on yet and had no time to do so. He really did not believe I was ready to deliver the baby so soon!

Shane said that suddenly about 8 people appeared out of nowhere and went immediately to work. The Dr. clamped the cord and handed Shane the scissors without one word. Shane took the scissors and did the deed and said, "Thank you Dr. Ortiz, I appreciate your patience with us". He responded quietly and slowly, "uh.... huh....."

A beautiful baby boy was born at 6:48am, weighing 6 lbs 5.5 ounces and was 19 3/4 in. long! Shane and I both feel so blessed and know that we were guided by the Lord in this delivery. We express our thankfulness to Him and know that me and the baby were watched over by angels at this time to ensure our safety and protection. Of that we have a sure knowledge.

We also express gratitude to our longtime midwife and friend, Melody. Without her passing onto us a sliver of her knowledge we don't know where we would be at this time. Thank you so much! You are a true earthly angel Melody!

P.S. The head midwife at the hospital visited me this morning and told me that at their morning meeting my birth was brought up. I told her I thought the doctor was a jerk but asked if he was stalling the c-section? She said, "YES, he WAS! Everyone could see the baby was coming and wanted you to have a VBAC. She came over and gave me a high-five and congratulated me.

I wasn't expecting that and so I am just grateful to Dr. Ortiz and the nurses for allowing me to VBAC even though they didn't know us or have any records of my first c-section. For that we are thankful.

Baby is doing great, nursing well and I don't FEEL like I just had a baby. It just feels like I did the long jump and landed on my bottom. Maybe not even that. I give all the credit to the Lord for a short and sweet labor and delivery. He must have a little compassion for me with 5 toddlers! :)

We were a real team! I focused on breathing properly and staying sane through the pain. Through every contraction Shane applied counter-pressure to my back and knees and coached me through breathing.

Going home...

Pregnancy Picture

2011-01-07T18:52:00.001-07:00

Here's what I looked like about a week before delivery!

Happy New Year's!

2011-01-07T18:44:00.002-07:00

Lisa got to come down and celebrate Christmas and New Year's with us and stay until I had my baby! Hallelujah!! I couldn't ask for a better sister. She's wonderful.

Kyle put on a magic show for us, he was all prepared!

Aleah put on a Dance show!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-07T18:31:00.002-07:00

Christmas was special this year!

We bought a real tree and put it in the parlor room. It was nice having a "Christmas room" to decorate. The kids received many neat presents from Santa this year!

Addie is 18 months old!

2011-01-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

Addison has a cute playful personality!

A little bit of everything

2010-07-26T17:14:00.025-06:00

I'm getting emails from people saying their leaving comments but that it won't go through. I don't know why that is happening but will try to figure it out sometime later this week.
What's new around here?
Things are going good with Shane at work and he continues to grow his Agency. Friday night I was invited to have dinner with him and a new re-cruit and his wife. I'm always impressed with how he handles those interviews. He makes it look so easy!
Today is a great day for us. We finally hit two provident living goals we've been working towards for quite some time now. It's exciting and a relief to finally realize those dreams.
I've been slowly acquiring extra survival and camping supplies, planning food storage menus and going to the cannery every month to stock up on food storage. When I'm not able to go, my ward friends pick up and drop off my orders for me. We have wonderful support and unity in our ward.
Little Addie has been running around with the 'big kids' a lot more recently. They all have loads of fun together. She is so well-behaved. She never talks back or gives me dirty looks. She is always happy to see me and give me hugs. She doesn't fight with any of her siblings & even has an ability to diffuse a tense situation just by cooing. It's so nice to have such a sweet baby around!
Kyle is drawing and coloring very well and loves to build creative buildings and towers using plastic cups. Both he and Braden love to go with dad shooting in the desert. Kyle loves learning the gospel, particularly the stories in the Book of Mormon. He wants to be just like Nephi. I couldn't be happier with that goal! Kyle and I love to watch the Book of Mormon stories together on video. His favorite is "Journey to the Promised Land." The other day he was amazed at Nephi's "superpowers," and asked if he could have power like that. It was a perfect teaching opportunity about the power of the Priesthood and guidance of the Holy Ghost.
Braden has been growning quite a bit over the summer. He's already lost one tooth and there are three others that are starting to get loose. He still loves helping around the house, writing notes and drawing/coloring pictures. He does an amazing job at it. After church yesterday he surprised us (again) and set the dinner table. He keeps a close eye on everyone and helps me take care of things.
Little Miss Aleah is still attached to that baba. I shouldn't have waited so long to help her kick the habit but I'm promising myself that by her birthday that process will begin immediately! She loves to play with her brothers and just be silly. She is a greater little helper around the house when she wants to be. She is a 'daddys girl' all the way. When he comes home she beams with excitement and follows him wherever he goes.
Well, we've got a few birthdays coming up pretty soon but other than that, I guess we've just been doing a little bit of everything!

The Tooth Fairy came!

2010-07-12T11:35:00.001-06:00

Braden finally lost his first tooth yesterday while eating lunch and the Tooth Fairy came for it last night!

New Blog

2010-06-30T16:52:00.007-06:00

click here: http://1whospeaksupforfreedom.blogspot.com/

Family Vacation on Coronado Island & San Diego

2010-06-23T18:03:00.019-06:00

double click on the slideshow for better viewing)

This is one of the best vacations we have ever had. We can't stop talking about it!We went to Legoland, Seaworld, the beach, shopping, parks and stayed in the Marriot resort on Coronada Island. We felt like this trip really brought us closer together as a family. Other major highlights of our trip was visiting grandma bobby, Lisa & Danny and Grandpa Fred! There was a 5.9 earthquake in San Diego during our stay there. Unfortunately the kids and I didn't feel a thing while we were in our room but Shane was at the laundromat at the time and said he felt it. He saw the van sway from side to side and we also heard later that it shook the kitchen in the hotel.

Addies 1st birthday!

2010-06-04T15:09:00.024-06:00

It's hard to believe Addie is already 1! She's advanced so quickly in many respects. She's walking, and saying the words "hi, baba, don't, hot and want." She has already learned the art of sneaking things behind our backs(no doubt she learned this from her siblings). She likes to put her doll in the baby stroller and take her for rides. She also enjoys watching her brothers and sisters play. We can't get enough of her cute little personality!

Aleah was all smiles on our way to addie's birthday lunch!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T21:36:00.008-06:00

We went to a Memorial Park close to home and Shane explained to the kids the importance of this holiday. At the park there were pictures of those who served in Iraq and explanations of how they died. It was touching to see their faces and think of what they gave up so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today.

After the park we went over to the Adam's family for a great time swimming & barbeque!

Addie got sick

2010-05-21T05:52:00.012-06:00

Got to spend Mothers Day in Washington with my mom and we think Addie might have picked up something on the airplane because by Monday she had a mid grade fever for 1-2 days until finally my dad gave her a blessing. In the blessing he said that her fever would brake that night and sure enough at 10:15 her fever rose to about 104 and by 11:15pm her fever broke. I was relieved but the next day she broke out into an unfamiliar rash and had tiny sores all over her body. I took her immediately in to see a doctor that morning and she diagnosed her with staff infection & put her on 2 different antibiotics. She wasn't eating and drinking very well and by thursday morning she hadn't had a wet diaper for 3-4 days even though I had spent all day and stayed up all through the night administering fluids every hour using a straw. I took her to the hospital to check her hydration and make sure she was okay. The nurse told me she looked well enough to go to her scheduled doctors appointment. The doctor told me he thought she was probably ill from all the antibiotics and to cut the dose in half. I figured that was the problem but wanted to be sure it was okay to let up on the meds. After i cut her dose down she started feeling so much better. She is now back to full health and strength again. We are so thankful that she is well. I have to admit that for a minute there I panicked and thought I was going to lose her.

She is an intelligent little thing and very aware of her surroundings. She has been walking now for over a month. She is our little monkey face!

Mother's Day!

2010-05-20T09:59:00.082-06:00

1995
My sister found this picture of my mother in an old photo album and sent it to me. She looks so young and pretty! I moved the Mother's Day tribute over to my live journal account(http://palmdessa.livejournal.com/). Happy Mothers Day to the best mom in the world!

Frederick J. Fishman

2010-05-20T08:32:00.011-06:00

...Oherwise known as Grandpa Beard. My dear grandpa passed away at 2am Wednesday morning on Cinco de Mayo at the rest home where he's been living for the past 4-5 years. My mother was down to see him a couple weeks before he passed and made her peace with him. We however, could not get over to see him in time but were able to be on the telephone three-way and talk with him over the course of several hours while he struggled to take in his last breaths. We assured him it was okay to let it go and sang several hymns to him. Grandpa was agnostic and fought hard to stay alive. We think he may have been afraid to die because he was so unsure of what would become of him next. My mom says she can see in her minds eye grandpa's passing--she can picture that a family member or angel greeted him and sweetly explained where he was and what had just taken place, then took him into the Spirit world where he will hopefully have a chance to hear the gospel. Grandpa was a wonderful person and of course I will mourn his loss but I am excited that he is with other loved ones and finally in a whole state of rest and beauty. Grandpa was an exceptional person and accomplished a lot in his life. He fought in World War II and was honored with medals. He loved grandma with all of his heart and always treated her with great respect. Whenever we visited he was always doing little acts of service for her. He really spoiled us grandchildren! He will truly be missed by all of us!

First t-ball game

2010-05-04T20:40:00.005-06:00

The boys had their very first t-ball game yesterday. The boys seem to really enjoy it. In one of the innings Kyle played 2nd base and in the middle of the round got down on his knees and started digging a hole in the ground to look for bugs :)

These are all boys in their primary class:
Braden, Kyle, Cemlyn, Daxton and Andrew

Kyle on 3rd base

Shane had a birthday!

2010-04-23T17:32:00.009-06:00

Hawaii Vacation

2010-04-23T11:55:00.023-06:00

Here are some pictures of our trip! (Double click anywhere in the box to start to start slideshow)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T08:26:00.024-06:00

Between General Conference sessions the whole family colored easter eggs and after Conference was over we enjoyed a savory easter celebration dinner(Ham & Funeral potatoes, etc). Afterwards we had an easter egg hunt. Pictured below, Dad is preparing the kids for the hunt, explaining to them that since they have been good that the Easter bunny had probably come and to keep their eyes peeled for something special...

Aleah on the hunt...

The Easter bunny's special eggs are above, top right. Each of the kids received an egg addressed to them, from the Easter Bunny with a hand-drawn portrait of the bunny himself!

Addie's first piece of chocolate. She loves it!

Happy Birthday Kyle

2010-03-02T16:06:00.008-07:00

Kyle turned 5!

We went to Chuckie Cheese and Kyle finally got a brand new Spiderman costume!

Celebrating 2009!

2010-02-21T13:25:00.019-07:00

Last weekend we attended the Farm Bureau Banquet in Albuquerque at Embassy Suites. Shane's Agency broke New Mexico records and Shane received seven awards! Congratulations on an outstanding year!
And a side note, nothing takes the place of family, so thank you Daddy for your wonderful ability to balance work & family so well!
We love you! Keep up the great work in 2010!

Shane was in charge of running a contest during the banquet. 7 or 8 agents came up to a computer and typed in a 6 digit number. If they guess the number they get $25,000. Unfortunately, nobody won, but Shane was cracking jokes and gave us all a good laugh. I thought it was the funnest part of the whole thing.

"I'm a big girl now!"

2010-02-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Aleah is no longer wearing diapers!
And she calls her throne a "potty train."

100 days!

2010-02-05T16:19:00.003-07:00

Braden has been in school for 100 days! His teacher asked that each child bring a quart size bag of one hundred items to share. Bradens items were 15 bottle caps, 15 pieces assorted candy, 20 pennies, 10 legos, 10 paperclips, 10 puzzle pieces and his most favorite item of all - 20 tiny pieces of waded color paper.

Addison is standing up!

2010-01-19T20:15:00.001-07:00

Addy has been crawling since she was 6 months old and is now standing up. She's already cutting teeth as well. I am so enamored with this little baby girl!

We've decided to go private

2009-12-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I have most of your emails but if you don't think I have it, let me know by next friday so we can keep in touch. Hope you all have a happy new year!

Shane's Agency Christmas Luncheon

2009-12-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

I must say, Shane did a terrific job organizing a Christmas luncheon for his Agency without any help from me. All I had to do was show up! He had a caterer provide the lunch which was delicious and then we did a White Elephant gift exchange. A few of his agents were not able to make the luncheon but here's a picture of his incredibly talented organization:

Bradens School Christmas Program

2009-12-29T13:57:00.011-07:00

Braden is in the middle wearing a brown sweater vest. He knew all the words and gestures to the songs!

This cracks me up. The girl in the middle wearing a red dress is Bradens girlfriend, Leah. Well she has a few boyfriends and Braden is one of them. She's extremely bubbly, friendly and outgoing.

Should I be concerned?

A Very Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T17:34:00.019-07:00

Braden made us a sweet card with a picture and a note that says "ho ho ho, merry christmas and a happy new year!" He did such a nice job!

Our gifts to each other this year: painting of the SLC temple/one of Savior & 2 boys, a few pieces of furniture, statue of the Christus and a clock with the words "Families can be together forever" written on it.

We are really glad my parents were able to come for Christmas! Just them being here has been super fun and comforting! We are going to miss them. They bring a wonderful spirit to our home and the kids love being with them. Braden doesn't leave grandpa's side. :)

Christmas Eve

2009-12-27T14:17:00.028-07:00

On Christmas Eve we sat by the lit tree and thought of the dear Saviors birth and of His sacrifice and example to us. He lived a flawless life! He is the perfect example of kindness, charity, sacrifice, bravery and love. It was a special moment as we expressed gratitude for our blessings and for the little things that made Christmas special this year. Grandma K. read us a story called, "A Christmas Dress For Ellen" by President Thomas S. Monson.

The message of the story reflected many of the thoughts and inspiration we've received this holiday season. We took a moment to think about those families and people everywhere whose Christmases might be 'far from merry'...a blind and wounded homeless man we met on the street, a single mother of three with scarcely enough to feed her children and many many others.

Then we received a surprise knock on the door. There was a beautifully decorated basket full of oranges and a bottle of sparkling apple cider! It came from the family who was doing the twelve days of Christmas for us. They truly made our Christmas season bright! It was neat of them to deliver another gift on that cold and windy Christmas Eve!

We listened to Christmas music and the kids picked one gift to open...

Snow!

2009-12-04T12:04:00.007-07:00

School closed so Braden worked on his own project

it says "I lvoe braden(over the top of moms shirt), Muchelle, Braden, Shane"

giving thanks for family

2009-12-01T17:06:00.024-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Butlers in Monticello this year. We played basketball, Laura & I shopped, Shane, Randy & the boys rode the four-wheelers, celebrated Laura's birthday, the whole family played gestures... we watched Quinn, Nate, Andy & Chad wrestle at the Alumuni wrestling matches, caught up with old friends, ate lots of food and thoroughly enjoyed everyones company.

papa spent a lot of quality time with the kids :)

Laura (and Addy) on her birthday! Shannon hosted a birthday party providing nine homemade pies!

Alumni Wrestling matches

found this on my camera and what can I say... a picture is worth a thousand words!

Thanks to Laura, Grandma Butler and Shannon for a delicious Thanksgiving meal!

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T22:52:00.009-06:00

If you look closely you can see Braden's eyes. Both Aleah & Braden were frightened of a scary monster!

Aleah would say with candor, "trick or treat... thanks for my candy!"
We came to a house with a little dog and Aleah gasped and said, "don't eat my candy dog!!"

halloween couples party

2009-10-27T15:50:00.022-06:00

We had a great time at Lisa & Tammy's Halloween party last weekend. There were plates of halloween finger food, great decor and fun games! Shane dressed up as Hercules and I was Cleopatra.

I'm convinced...

2009-10-23T15:53:00.003-06:00

that it's hard to get everything done in one day because TIME is moving faster!

Addy is 4 months old already!

2009-10-13T08:28:00.005-06:00

My how time flies when you're having fun. Addy is doing great. Of all my children she has been the easiest newborn to care for. She adjusted to earth life very quickly. She slept through the night after about a month. She is always smiling at everyone. She loves to laugh and kick her feet. The first time I put her on her tummy she rolled over on her back. She especially loves to watch her brothers and sister play. She is a joy to all of us. And now that she is 4 months old momma is starting to feel like herself again...most of the time.

We were running a little behind but finally were able to bless her a couple Sunday's ago. She is a sweet little girl with a promising future ahead of her!

Conference Weekend!

2009-10-09T12:41:00.031-06:00

Last Saturday Shane flew to Kansas city for a highly intense 5 day, 'GAMA Essentials of Leadership' course. Since Shane was going to be gone, my mother joined me for mother-daughter week together. We loved listening to the General Conference talks...as always, weren't they so inspiring? We did a lot of window shopping at Hobby Lobby, the Mall and Sams Club. We put up home decor and love to gabb together, mostly about politics and what we think the future will bring.

We kept it simple for ourselves. We didn't cook, bake, clean (except basic keep up) or stress out about much. Instead we ate junk foods like pizza, hotdots, popcorn & chocolatey treats. The kids loved it!

Mom learned how to text message on her cell phone for the first time. Maybe she'll surprise me and send a text one of these days.
Thanks for a super fun week mom!

2009-10-02T11:59:00.016-06:00

A couple things that may be beneficial for you. There is a baby sling made by TM 'Lite On Shoulder'. It's a great to have because it holds the baby in well. Unlike the store bought ones, it doesn't sag when you place the baby inside. It feels very light on your shoulder so you can carry the baby around for long periods of time, at church or wherever you go. http://www.slingcarrier.com/ . It takes a little while to receive because they only make it upon ordering. I also wanted to recommend a few good books that I've recently read: "The Undaunted" by Gerald Lund, it's not in a series so you can start and finish the one book. ..and "Daughters of God" by M. Russell Ballard. Fast and easy, he gives a classic message to and about women. And the last book "My Dear Sisters Inspiration for Women" from Gordon B. Hinckley.

Evan & Sarah Stout

2009-09-21T09:29:00.007-06:00

My cousin Sarah got married in the Seattle temple to an awesome guy, Evan Stout! I don't have any pictures to post because I wasn't able to attend the wedding due to bad timing with the baby being born, but I am very happy for the two of them. They are both incredible individuals & lucky in love!!

Braden & Aleah's birthday!

2009-09-15T13:25:00.026-06:00

The theme for the party was "Fun in the Sun" swim party

Braden 6 yrs old! Aleah 2 years old!

they got the coolest homemade cards...

Braden & Aleah make the first hit on the pinata ...

Plenty of candy in each of their bags!

Hailey & Aleah

Aleah got butterfly & flower cupcakes and Braden got a fun in the sun cookie cake

Aleah kept repeating "look fire!....it's hot" as she stared at the candle on her cupcake. Aiden couldn't wait to blow out Braden's candles! Good thing mom bought the candles that relight... it was quite the laugh watching them blow out their candles over and over!

Preschool & Kindergarten

2009-08-28T15:47:00.032-06:00

Braden and Kyle were so excited to start school! Kyle was especially anxious to go to the Red Barn preschool(same school Braden attended). He's has been counting down the days since April! It is finally here and Kyle was all smiles. He was pleased that his big brother could show him around his first day. My tiny litte ky-ky is growing up!

Cindy Martin, a good friend from my ward started doing preschool a few years ago. Braden loved it and learned a lot in her class. We are so glad she is teaching again this year!
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BRADEN'S FIRST DAY AT KINDERGARTEN!

Braden is a brand new Kindergartener! He couldn't wait to be in his classroom and was especially excited to wear his lightning mcqueen backpack. The boys had so many good things to tell me when they got home. I am sure Braden & Kyle will have a great experience this year!

Mrs. Brinkerhoff

The day before school -- Aug. 20

2009-08-28T15:43:00.008-06:00

We went to Peter Piper Pizza to celebrate the close of long summer days...after this evening full of pizza, icecream, games and rides, the boys were ready for school to begin the following morning!

Daddy & Braden earned enough tickets to buy whatever three nicknacks they wanted behind the toy counter!

Saturday

2009-08-20T16:06:00.000-06:00

Our family joined the rest of our ward friends in a park at White Sands. The kids played on the covered playgrounds and water ground. It was great amusement and kept the kids busy for a long time! We enjoyed a potluck(slow cooked homemade barbequed roast, rolls, salads, chips)...yum!

Andrew, Braden and Kyle...buds

Aaron's Farewell- Aug 16

2009-08-16T14:00:00.006-06:00

Aaron was called to serve in Ghana, Africa! Last week he flew straight to the MTC in Ghana! We are a little nervous for him but at the same time confident that he will be safe and protected there.

During his farewell speech, Aaron expressed that he had a desire to go on a mission to serve the Lord & his fellowmen, and because he was guided by the example of his older brothers who all went on missions. He used his experience at basic training as the theme for his talk. He made several comparisons between one who serves his country at war vs. a missionary serving the Lord in spiritual war. I liked one example he gave of how people in the world are being wounded in the spiritual conflict of life and that he looked forward to helping and serving the people in Ghana. Aaron will be an incredible missionary!!

Also, I finally got to meet Tori, my sweet new sister-in-law for the first time, and the new little additions to the family: Bracken, Izzy, Nicole & Gavin!

Happy Birthday to me! Aug 7

2009-08-14T13:47:00.010-06:00

My dad couldn't wait any longer to see his grandkids, especially Addy! He and mom drove all the way down from Washington State to stay with us for 2 weeks!
Lisa was able to make it down to celebrate our 32nd birthday together!

On the day of, Shane took us to eat at one of my favorite places to go on date night: Farley's. It's not that their food is so incredible, but they do have a variety of games to play which makes for a fun experience. After eating dinner, we played pool & shot baskets until midnight. Once we get going, we tend to get a little competitive! So here are the results: Lisa won us all in the basketball tourny(of course), and Shane and my dad were a tie in pool...and to remember the night, Shane retrieved stuffed animals for everyone!

We had a great time while grandma & grandpa and Aunt Lisa were here. Grandpa & Grandma worked dozens of puzzles w/ Braden, we went shopping, ate out, had lots of backyard fun, etc etc. Dad even cleaned and detailed the cars inside and out! The kids liked using the humungous soapy sponge to scrub down the cars!

Dad's timing was perfect. They were here to celebrate my birthday on the 7th and my Dad's on the 14th. They were also here the Sunday Shane and I spoke in Sacrament meeting! We are so glad they could come and we look forward to Christmas!

new bikes!

2009-08-04T10:56:00.025-06:00

Well, the kids got them awhile ago but here's some recent pictures of them riding them. Aleah can't reach the pedals yet but likes to sit on it for fun.

So I hired a new cleaning crew

2009-07-29T16:05:00.044-06:00

The boys are a great help! They know how to clean the whole kitchen by themselves now!
They pick up trash, scrub dishes, load dishwasher properly, and wipe counters clean...

The top drawer of our old beat-up desk collapsed. Braden took it upon himself to fix it without us knowing it. Shane thought I fixed it, and I thought he fixed it. Finally after a week one of us brought it up that it had been fixed. We were surprised to learn that Braden did it. It took some thinking to clean up the terrible mess inside, put the drawer back on it's (half broken) track and neatly organize everything! None of us even wanted to attempt it since we plan to buy a new one. I asked Braden how he did it...he said he thought "it may be really hard but did it anyway."

I took some pictures of their little "tv room" set-up made from boxes and lids.

Daddy & Addy
Addy is growing and changing every day. She's smiling and starting to hold her head up.

Addy is 6 weeks old!

2009-07-19T19:57:00.004-06:00

Slip N' Slide

2009-07-19T19:27:00.005-06:00

Aleah on the slip n' slide

4th of July

2009-07-08T16:16:00.011-06:00

Shane's parents and brother(Aaron) came for a quick visit to see the baby! On the 4th we had a cookout at Aguirre Springs and watched fireworks from the balcony of the Farm Bureau state office. They brought gifts for the kids too!

Farewell Sis...

2009-07-02T02:42:00.025-06:00

...and we are going to miss you terribly Aunt Lisa! You are too far away in Utah...just stay here with me forever...okay?

Won't you miss......changing diapers, unpacking boxes, doing dishes, breaking up fights, cooking, mopping, hydrogen peroxide & bandaids, having two little boys frequently ransacking your room, laundry, being wedged between two car seats in the backseat of the van, being spit-up on, bathing dirty kids, and a certain little girl yelling your name early in the morning, frequently handing me bottles of water/boppy pillow, folding LOADS of laundry, cleaning up broken glass, scrubbing four toilets every other day?

Just remember..... how you love my homemade shakes and asian veggie stir fry's, Mom's visit from WA, Seinfeld & Golf, sneezing at the same time, Scrabble marathon, eating tons of double stuffed oreo's, Aleah's smile, making of an LDSsingles profile, bubble baths, the 4-day planner search, relaxing with the kids on the trampoline, dryers chocolate brownie fudge icecream, Shane's kickball & other spats, when Addy was brand new, teaching Braden how to read, flashcards, the shuttle, laughing over anything & everything in the early morning hours (out of sheer exhaustion), the Farmers Market, dressing Aleah up, smooching on Addy's cheeks.'busy bees' $800 dollar charge, Kyle's singing...

Lisa, we will miss you. You have been so good to us the last two months! I was able to fully enjoy Addy's newborn weeks having you by my side. Your organization, patience, letting me sleep and positive attitude kept me sane and my children happy. Your presence in our home has been a great blessing and you are welcome back ANYTIME! We love you! Good luck in utah!!

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Manager's motto: "I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD"

It is official! Yesterday one of Shane's agents (Mike Garcia) took first place in the company's 'Blue Vase Contest' for new agents! Shane had four agents in the contest and all four achieved 'Elite' status with Mike winning the whole thing and setting a new New Mexico state record with 870 points! The previous record was 514 so he killed it! There were over 30 new agents in the contest company wide. Only seven total got Elite and four of the seven were from Shane's agency! You astound me babe!! It is simply amazing what you have done with this Agency! I don't know how you do it but you know how to get it done!!!

Thursday

2009-06-25T20:26:00.016-06:00

I don't have much time but I thought I'd post a couple pictures of Addy, etc. She is about three weeks old now. Having number four has kept me extremely busy. Thank goodness Lisa is still here...It seems like I spend most of my time with Addy while she takes care of the other three. Addy sure eats a lot! Also, we finally got all but 10 boxes unpacked, so we are getting settled in. My mother has been gone for a little over a week now. (There is picture of us below at the Sunset Grill Sonoma Ranch golf club restaurant). We are missing you Mom! Scrabble just isn't the same without you. ;-)

Lisa & Aleah

Grandma is in town!

2009-06-06T21:46:00.014-06:00

she brought gifts for everyone!

We are excited she is here with us. We love you Grandma!!

Her name is

2009-06-04T19:56:00.005-06:00

Addison Kate! (Kate named after my mother and grandmother)

little Addy kate patty cake ;)

Our baby is here!

2009-06-03T22:40:00.048-06:00

We haven't quite decided on her name yet, (surprise surprise!)but we thought we'd post pictures.

Born June 2, 2009 5:32pm
Weighing 5 lbs 15 oz. 19 inches long

Birth story:
After FHE on Monday night we all went for an evening walk around our block which helped start my labor. Around 10pm I started contracting. At 1am contractions were 20 minutes apart. I called Melody, my midwife in Utah, and she booked a flight and would arrive at 11:43am. By 5am contractions were 5 minutes apart. By 8am they were 3-5 minutes apart. I told my body to slow down and laid down. Contractions stopped and I fell asleep at 8:30am. I woke up at 10am but contractions didn’t start up again until 1pm, just as soon as Shane and Melody walked in the door. It’s amazing how much control your mind has over your body in many respects. Melody checked the baby’s heart tones and position. She was slightly posterior so she had me get in the “stink bug” position for 20-30 min. We were so happy to see one another. We talked about everything from gardens to birth stories and food storage.
She checked me and I was dilated to a 6, completely effaced. Shane pressed my knees in to relieve pressure on my back and pelvis during contractions. Melody was in back of me pressing down on my hips and back, relieving pressure upward and all over, taking away 50 % of the pain. Shane then made homemade warm packs using chucks pads and towels and Melody got a warm bath going. I got into the tub and felt immediate relief. Melody played soft music and put a fan on to cool the upper part of my body off. I silently prayed, asking for nothing, because I knew the Lord knows what I need much better than I do. I was then prompted to pray for “strength.”
Melody called for Shane and told him to get into the tub with me. He sat behind me and we all chatted, then Shane asked if I wanted a blessing. To my surprise, in the blessing, he said the Lord would give me added "strength.” He reiterated that the Lord would give me STRENGTH three more times. We both couldn’t hold back the tears. It was neat and special how that worked out! I didn't tell Shane about my prayer until after the birth. I am thankful that Shane could be so in tune with the Spirit!
Melody checked me and I was dilated to an 8. I told her she couldn’t be serious because I was hardly in pain. She said I was progressing very quickly and had me change positions, so that I sat long ways in the tub with Shane in front of me and Lisa in back of me. I had 3 really hard painful contractions and then they subsided. We all chatted for a little bit, then she checked me again and said I was at a 9 ½ and ready to push. I asked her how that could be because I wasn't in anymore pain then I was before and didn't feel the urge to push? She said, “you will, just give it a push. She’s ready when you are.” So, I breathed in and pushed hard, and suddenly I was thrown in to a long (5 to 10 min straight) laborious painful push and I couldn’t stop it. Melody encouraged me to slow down and do little pushes so I wouldn’t tear. I did that for a couple minutes and then her head and half of her body slipped out into Shane's hands. Melody instructed him to leave her face down and keep her that way as he pulled her up out of the water so she wouldn't get water in her nose. Everyone encouraged me to push again but I was still caught in too much pain and felt I couldn't go on. They gave me additional encouragement to finish. I knew I had to, to get the baby out once and for all so the pain would go away. I breathed in and pushed until the rest of her body slipped out into Shane's hands. She had a little bit of a hard time breathing at first so Melody siphoned her nose and patted her back gently and she made a little cry. I was relieved! It was a beautiful birth. I was more tired to begin with then I was with Aleah's birth because I was up for so long. I'm really grateful for that blessing of added strength. I know without it, I would have been in MUCH more pain.
We are so excited to have her here! She’s tiny...We have her in premie diapers. She is a real sweetie. She is eating and sleeping well!

Aleah loves the new baby so much. She throws a tantrum when her brothers hold her!

Aleah's obsession

2009-05-27T08:58:00.032-06:00

Aleah has a habit of smearing food and other things on her hair. We have to watch her closely at the dinner table or something like this(pictured above) will happen! Three days ago Lisa found her in the bathroom with a big glob of Vaseline in her hand. She told Aleah "no no" and turned to get a towel. Aleah threw her hand up as fast as she could and smeared the vaseline all over her head. We tried washing her hair with three different shampoo's and it still won't come out! I even tried using dish soap...

Does anyone know what get's vaseline out of hair?

Dad blow drying her hair to get the volume and curl back:

Aleah is 20 months old now and talking in full sentences (three to five words at a time). She counts 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10. She sings "twinkle twinkle little star" all the time. She loves to play with her brothers as well as push, hit, scream and throw things at them. Anytime she's upset it's Kyle's fault. One night I walked in around 10pm, she had been asleep for a couple hours. She rolled over and muttered, "Kywle NO!", then fell back to sleep. Poor guy!! He's so sweet to her all the time! She loves to eat. She eats more off her plate then the boys plates combined. She also loves to get dressed up. When I get her clothes on, she'll say, "peretty or "cuuuuute!"
She enjoys reading books, taking baths, running (esp. away from parents), jumping on the trampoline and running through sprinklers. She has a little rasp in her voice and fun fiesty personality. She is the sweetest, cuddliest little girl! She loves to climb into bed with me play picaboo, get tickled and be silly. She gives us the best hugs and kisses. We can't get enough of her!

Braden's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-21T15:32:00.063-06:00

Braden had a great school year and made a lot of great friends~most of them from our ward. His teacher said he was good example, very athletic, good listener, quick learner and never does anything half way. She informed me that he was the reason she did not quit doing "Prize Box" halfway through the school year! I was very happy to hear this! To get prizes the students must do something good like be quiet, put supplies away, raise your hand before speaking, answer a question correctly, etc.

A few of my favorite preschool yearbook pictures...

First day of school

Last day of school

Braden grew one inch this school year. He is 3 feet 9 inches tall at the end of school.

I enrolled him into Kindergarten, Shane and I met with the teachers and took a tour of the school. It's new and has a big library where we can check-out children's school books. I am hoping he get's into the dual English/Spanish class so he can learn to speak Spanish!

final thoughts before I deliver

2009-05-16T05:57:00.064-06:00

Shane summed this pregnancy up for me last week when he said, "It still hasn't hit me yet that we are pregnant. It is so unreal." It's gone by so fast. One minute we learn i'm pregnant and the next it's d-day?? Where did the time go!

Where I live the hospitals will not allow me to VBAC(vaginal birth after cesarean), even though I've already had two. Sad huh? But it is legal to birth at home with a midwife. That's okay because birth is a normal life event. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but in the comfort and privacy of my own home with those I love around me.

I know that I am not the most suitable candidate for homebirth. I am physically what my grandma calls "a delicate flower," and she is right! However, the Lord knows my strengths and weaknesses and will help me in all ways if I pray and exercise faith.

Today it is all hitting me that soon I will walk through that painful valley...but I am still at peace and know that whatever happens is the Lord's will and he will get me through it. It is through my weakness and infirmities that I have learned of Him and seen his mighty arm work miracles in my behalf. My birth experiences has helped me come to understand and know personally, that the power to do anything comes only by His grace.

It's so easy to forget that this life is a test. It is human nature to constantly seek for comfort & stability. But we can lose out on so many blessings when we do this.
I pray that the Lord will comfort and sustain me through the birth.

Mother's Day Surprises!

2009-05-10T12:00:00.058-06:00

I had a very memorable Mother's Day this year! Braden woke up at 6am and decorated the living room with pictures he had colored and drawn for me at school and home. He waited for me to wake up (which was 7am) and promptly and sweetly wished me a happy mothers day and gave me a hug. Then he told me to close my eyes, took me by the hand and walked me over to the table and couches. I opened my eyes and saw all the beautiful things he has made at school all lined out and organized! After we looked over all of his beautiful drawings he told me to sit down. He brought me a beautiful vase he made at school with a purple flower pen. He truly wanted me to know how much he loved me and wanted this to be my special day! He has been talking and planning Mother's Day for a week. My heart is so full.
As soon as Kyle woke up, he presented a purple heart shaped pillow and wished me a happy mothers day! He hoped to sing a mothers day song but we could not come up with one. He thanked me for being his mother and gave me a hug. He's such a thoughtful boy. Aleah told me she loved me all day long! Shane treated me like royalty and presented my Mother's Day gift right after church~a sweet card and a beautiful new mirror! It is the perfect gift. I love my family!! They bring so much joy and happiness to me!

We finally moved into our house this week. Our ward family has been so helpful. We appreciate them! My sister Lisa has been here for a couple weeks helping us move and taking care of the kids while I tried to keep my puffy feet up. I am so thankful to her for all she did for us. I could not have survived this move without her! She got this whole place 80% unpacked and semi-organized for me, ALL the while helping me tend the kids. She is coming back soon to stay for awhile and be with me at my birth and beyond. She told me she "hasn't missed any of my births and is not going to miss this one either!"
My mom provided us with meals that included dinners and dessert, and gave Shane and I a very generous gift. Mom, how do you always know what we need no matter how big or small, then provide it? You are amazing!!

I've noticed toward the end of all of my pregnancies a trend. I suddenly become an ornery perfectionist. Does anyone else go through this phase? How do my loved ones put up with me when this happens?

Pictures of our new home...

We are enjoying our house. We have a big back yard that is all grass, roses & flowers! (It is hard to find a home for sale here with a yard like this). Inside the house, the finish work is gorgeous. The house is all one one level, something I learned that I prefer after building the other home. It also has a 15-20 ft. storage room!!

Shane had a birthday!

2009-04-24T11:49:00.007-06:00

I've been so busy lately, I can't seem to keep up in the blogging department! Shane turned 30 years old last week(April 18). I can't believe you're only 30 Luv! You've accomplished so much the first 30 years of your life!

Hope you enjoyed your day golfing with your buddies and the barbeque at the park.

Saturday, Mar 7~A Windy Day

2009-04-14T12:50:00.030-06:00

I usually dread the wind, but it was exciting for us to get to fly Kyle's birthday kite at the park. The boys said it was the "best day of their lives." To top it all off, we heard the popsickle man and sang along to his tunes until he was finally in view, and we could wave him over. Aleah didn't want any help eating her blue popsickle and ended up a real mess. She kept hollering, "soap! soap!" We couldn't stop laughing...

For Easter we decorated lots of hard-boiled eggs and joined our ward for a picnic & easter egg hunt. I didn't bring my camera, but the kids had a great time filling their easter baskets with eggs & candy!!

What's for dinner?

2009-03-29T16:34:00.038-06:00

This question is bad enough in the present day when we have all the resources we could possibly need to make a great meal for our families. Imagine how you would dread this same question if there came a time when you are relying solely on your own food storage and preparedness items! scary thought, but it doesn't have to be!
Last month my ward had a prepardness enrichment class and our prepardness leader showed us all kinds of ways to use powdered milk in your meals. I got lots of great new ideas and a recipe packet and she even made a delicious chocolate decadent dessert.
I shared ideas about sealing in jars items (such as dried fruit, dry pasta, chocolate chips, granola bars...endless possibilities!) that don't require a pressure canner, just a Food Saver jar saver attachment. It's so great to have these foods on a shelf, ready to use for years-- no refrigeration required. I also brought my manual washing machine, which uses the same technique a washing machine does only manually.
My favorite emergency item is my sun oven. If the sun is shining, which it is 99% of the time here, then you can cook almost anything! I've made a chicken and rice casserole and other dishes and plan to experiment with a lot more. the sun oven is like having an outdoor crockpot. the temperature can only reach about 325 degrees, so everything takes about twice as long to cook. that's okay, because you're not wasting a ton of electricity, precious fuel, propane, wood, or charcoal, just to get a pot of water boiling! it's so easy to use and there are so many great reasons to have one.
Pictured below is a dinner that I made in January -65 degrees, with the round roaster that came with my sun oven using just the sunshine as a heat source! You can add whatever vegetables(freeze dried too) to make it a well rounded meal. You can see that the chicken is fully cooked. I removed the chicken and arranged it on top of a bed of rice & veggies. Next time I will have to snap a picture of homemade bread in there!
what are your favorite food storage/emergency preparedness items or tips?

Monticello House SOLD

2009-03-23T21:52:00.005-06:00

We celebrated by spending the afternoon looking at homes for sale and eating out...

Thanks Quinn for all of your help in getting it sold. You are an excellent realtor!

4 years old...finally!

2009-03-06T14:41:00.034-07:00

Kyle has been waiting for his birthday to come since Thanksgiving! We went out to eat with our friends and then to his favorite place in the whole world-HOME. He was dying to open and play with his birthday presents! Kyle is our happy-go-lucky, laughing wiggly boy. He loves to joke and wrestle around with his dad. He enjoys singing and has a talent for it. He really can carry a perfect tune! He's always asking me to sing songs to him so he can learn the words and sing them himself. He is very athletic, coordinated & agile. I believe he can already run faster than Braden. The boy cannot sit still either. He is so pumped with energy, he's constantly jumpy. His voice is naturally high like a chipmunk so he likes to put his church tie on & speak in a low voice so he feels like a big boy. He is our ray of light. He brings so much joy in our home and lives!

Kyle's first years...

I love his cute face and goofy/sweet personality! Happy birthday Ky-bug!

Did you thank Quinn?

2009-02-27T07:46:00.045-07:00

That was Shane's question to me after Quinn (Shane's brother, a realtor in Utah) gave the qualifying broker of the most reputable real-estate company in our city an ultimatum. One that would not be in their favor if things didn't go exactly the way Quinn wanted them. Turns out that all the changes I had made on the house amounted to nothing when the kitchen cabinets came last week and did not fit because the space was too small. They had mis-measured....AGAIN. Around the same time the cabinets came in, the builder was trying to get us involved with an illegal scheme that would only benefit them and be to our detriment in the long run. That was the straw that broke the camels back. Red flags everywhere!! We told the builder on Monday that we wanted to terminate the contract immediately. His reply was, you will have to pay us for all the changes "you" made, which would amount to $15,000-22,000. We had initially planned a meeting with the builders for yesterday but we knew they were going to play dirty and we were very worried. However, a couple days before the meeting, Shane said he was going to call Quinn and see what he thought about all of this. That's when all of our troubles seemed to disappear in an instant.

Shane told Quinn everything that had happened from start to finish. Quinn knew all too well about this illegal scheme they were trying to pull on us. Recently a couple of builders in Utah were imprisoned 20 years for doing the same thing! He called up the qualifying broker(owner)over the builders agent and told him in no uncertain terms that if the builder did not let us out of the contract immediately, that he was going to the National Realtors Association and have that agent fired on the spot and possibly imprisoned and the whole company's reputation on the line. Shane and I got a call that night from the owner of the real-estate company telling us we can rest that all of our troubles would be over by the morning! Last night we signed two termination contracts and they apologized to us up and down and we are free!! I was in such turmoil there for a day thinking I was going to have to live with this house the way it is! They were off by 3 feet in the kitchen! In the builders haste to get going on this project poured the concrete without even measuring! They just put the figures down on paper.
We want to thank the Lord for taking care of this so quickly for us. This couldn't have turned out any better. No legal action taken, no money lost...only sweat and tears and I learned a lot. This gives us a chance to start over and do things a little differently or buy a home.
So, to answer your question Shane, I did say thank you to Quinn. But together we want to thank you again Quinn!! You saved us from what could have been a very traumatic situation! We couldn't have done this without you. I even called several attorneys here in town and they couldn't promise anything. We can't thank you enough!!!

Off the subject, my sister came down to visit and watch the kids for us while we attended a Farm Bureau awards banquet at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque last week. Bless her heart, all the kids got sick with the stomach flu while we were away. I felt so bad for her but was secretly relieved I wasn't there!! It was nice to be able to hang up the phone and enjoy the suite and go shopping. Terrible of me to say, I know. But there will be plenty of this for me later, right?! Thanks for all you do Lis. Love you.

When Shane saw this picture for the first time he said, "look how fat we are." Baby, only one of us is getting fat...ME! You are looking great! Congratulations on your Silver award and all your other recognitions last week!

Our Annivesary

2009-02-16T21:16:00.024-07:00

Today marks 7 years since our marriage & sealing in the Seattle, Washington temple. The ‘seven year itch’ hasn't touched us. As a matter of fact it's been the other way around for us. We are more devoted and in love than ever. I am eternally grateful to be married to this wonderful man. He is the rock of our family. He keeps me grounded, laughing, protected, striving, content, HAPPY! He is everything I asked for and more. He is a man of honesty, faith, integrity. He works so hard for our family while making all the time in the world to be with us. He shows us each day and in every way that he loves us and that we are his top priority.

I was tagged to answer these questions about us. What a perfect day to reminisce about how it all began...

What is your hubby's name? Shane, but I never call him that…it’s mostly Baby, Babe, Luv, Sweetie, or Daddy
How long have you been together? Married 7 years
How long did you date? 8 months
Who said I love you first? Shane
Who is taller? Shane by half a foot!
Who is smarter? Shane is smarter, but I’m pretty good with the stuff we need to know for raising babies. We balance each other well!
Who does the laundry? 100% me
Who does the dishes? 100% me
Who cleans the house? 100% me and Dees Cleaning Service
Who sleeps on the right? Shane. I always sleep on the left side closest to the door so I can check on the baby.
Who pays the bills? 100% Shane.
Who mows the lawn? 90% Shane 10% me
Who cooks dinner? 100% me
Who drives when you are together? 90% Shane 10% Me
Who is more stubborn? Me
Who kissed who first? Shane kissed me first. I remember he wanted to hurry and get over that “first kiss” akwardness!
Who asked who out first? We met at FHE at the Bishops house. Shane introduced himself and offered me a cookie. Later that evening as we were playing games, I remember watching him closely for a minute & suddenly the thought came to my mind, “I need to find me a guy just like HIM!" The next week at break-the-fast, he asked for my phone number & invited me to go with him to a fireside~right in front of a couple guys that were also showing interest. Shane marked his territory and they all backed down. The rest was history!
Who proposed? Shane. His proposal speech was out of this world!!
Who has more siblings? He does—6 brothers and 1 sister. I have 1 sister.
Who wears the pants? I’d like to say Shane does, but I'm sure he let’s me have my way more than I realize.

I love you Baby! 7 years down and Eternity to go! I am the luckiest wife ever!!!

I tag Tangi, Teresa, Lindsay, Kendra, Lisa L. Melanni, Dana, Natalie & all of my sis-in-laws!

The baking bug~

2009-02-11T21:35:00.025-07:00

I love to bake goodies, eat and share with others...especially during the holidays when I can get the kids involved. And what better time to make frosted heart-shaped sugar cookies then now! My boys and their friends got together yesterday for a fun day playing in the dough. (Check out Kyle's new favorite attire--pajamas and a necktie... what a funny kid!)
The girlkins............. Since the girls are too young, I had the boys make valentine hearts. Poor guys!! They loved it!!
Duck-duck goose was a great way for the kids to release all of their energy after the sugar fest. Colby liked to 'whack' instead of 'pat' our heads, OUCH!!

and six is bliss!

2009-01-19T18:53:00.018-07:00

How can I resist this guy??

Baby stats:
5 months(21 weeks) gestation
Due date: June 2, 2009
Gender: it's a GIRL!!

A look at the bump

Home Update

2009-01-08T21:35:00.063-07:00

interior picture of our future living room!

Here are some updated photos of our house. I don't think we will put the plush white carpet in the living room now, but other then that it is the same. You can't see much in the picture but the dining room is to the left and the kitchen & family room to the right. This whole process has been enlightening. I think you learn a lot about yourself when you build a home. I've always thought I was a fairly laid back person but have come to realize how particular and finicky I can be--Shane says 'hard to please.' I think I am extra cautious about getting it done right the first time so that there are no regrets in the end. Shane finally let me take over this baby, and has been very pleased with the outcome so far. He is certainly not laid back when it comes to his job, so he understands me well!

The builders have been great to work with, you just have to stay on top of them to get things exacty the way you want. They added 3 ft. to the dining room, beefed up the circular entrance a bit, moved a hall a few ft. over so we could add 2 full sets of cabinets to the kitchen, added on to our masterbedroom closet, took out the arches in the patio outside, added a full deck upstairs, and 2 windows. They are going to use ironrod staircase(pictured above). They have made these changes at no extra cost. We are really happy with their quality (2x6 construction, quality insulation, and build good resale homes) and would recommend them to anyone.

A brand new year

2009-01-02T09:26:00.052-07:00

2008 was filled with many highs and lows--from politics to the ecomomy, and from a historic year for the Church to the Presidential elections, I believe it was definately a year for the record books. As we reflect on the last year, there have been a lot of changes in our lives... a move to a state we never thought in our wildest dreams we'd live in, Shane's new job that he loves doing every day, having a third child turning one, building our 'dream' home, and more. Words cannot express are gratitude for all of these blessings.
So far...we have tried to stay on track with everything by doing the simple yet important things like daily family prayer & scripture study. This is the glue that holds us together. Yet we feel that there is more to be done in 2009. So we each made resolutions for the year ahead. To help us not forget our new commitements, we did some fun activities New Year's Eve. Shane wrote his goals down in his planner(and a few times on paper), I beaded a bracelet with a charm, and the boys each made a fun and simple scrapbook page to remember.

The kids outside enjoying our (nearly) 70 degree weather!
Finding joy in the journey
Though we have been blessed inmeasurably this year, I know that life is a series of ups and downs and there are difficult times ahead. I don't know what they are or when they will come. I don't look forward to them. But I do know that they eventually come when we least expect it. How we respond can have a huge impact on our lives. I know that through our trials we can gain wisdom and faith if we turn to the Lord. So this year one of our goals as a family is to become better prepared both spiritually and temporaly.

Braden and Kyle's goals for the year
Our neighbors across the street have nine children! They invited us over for more goodies and fireworks to end the night. The kids had a ball. They could not keep their eyes open past 11pm, so we put them to bed and brought in the new year alone together. xoxoxo! I love you honey, go get em' this year!

Fake or Real?

2008-12-29T09:14:00.027-07:00

Last night, on our way home from the church after delivering dinner to Shane(he's now the ward clerk and had to stay with the Bishop for Tithing settlement appointments), Braden surprised me and insisted that "I tricked him" and that Santa wasn't real afterall.

Braden: "Mom, I need to tell you something. I found something under your bed. You tricked me"(shaking his head with a half smile on his face).

Mom:(OHhh dear!!!!!!!)
"Oh really. What did you find under my bed honey."

Braden: "Just let me show you as soon as we get home. I don't want to talk about this right now.......Mom, I can't believe this. You tricked me."

Mom: "Tricked you? I don't know what you are talking about. You can tell me now if you'd like... I really want to know what it is you found under my bed" (shooting off a text message to Shane-- "Oh no, Braden found the special wrapping paper from santa and he keeps saying "U tricked me." help! what do i tell him"

Braden: "Mom, just let me show you when we get home."

Shane's text back: Tell him, "Santa left it behind because we were the last house and rudolf was too tired to carry all the extra paper home. Santa said he will be back next year and will pick it up then"

Mom:(hmmm, not sure he's going to fall for that line)
"Hey Braden, when we get home, let's make popcorn and watch one of the Book of Mormon story movies! What do you say?"

Braden: "Oh YES! I love Popcorn. I know exactly where it is too. I will get it for you when we get home. And, I know which Book of Mormon story I want to watch. When the Savior comes to America!!"

Mom: "Sound good to you Kyle?

Kyle: "YEAH!!!!!!!"

Mom: "Ok, but we have to clean up your toys in the front room first. Will you do that for me?"

Boys: Yes!

Mom: "Thanks" (whew, that was a close call).

Later that night before bed Braden comes in my room...

Braden: "Mom, let me show you what I found under your bed"

Mom: (DANG! He remembered).
"Sure honey. What is it?"

Braden: See, this wrapping paper, is from Santa but it's under your bed. (hand on hip)

Mom: Oh, I didn't know that was there? Wow, that was so nice of Santa to leave some of his wrapping paper behind for me to use next year. We must have been his last stop for the night. Afterall, remember how late you guys were up on Christmas Eve?"

Braden: (surprised and happy) "Ohhhhhhhhh! Ok that makes a lot of sense. This is great news."

Mom: "Yeah, (stooping down to see if there was anymore paper), infact, I remember a few times growing up when Santa left behind extra paper for Grandma K because we were his last stop. She was so grateful. Look at all this paper! He left a few rolls behind for us! How nice of him. Thanks for pointing this out to me!

Braden: "YES! I'm so glad we figured this out. It's all making sense now. Let's go show daddy!!"

I can't believe that he would even question if Santa is real?!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:00:00.022-07:00

Here are a few traditional late night pictures that mark the moment when we can breathe a sigh of relief and start getting excited for what's to come! Lisa baked Mom's mouthwatering homemade chocolate chip cookies. Santa drank all his milk and ate all but half a cookie!

We had such a nice, quiet, slow Christmas morning. We loved staying in our pajamas and playing with new toys all day! It was the perfect way to spend Christmas together as a family. We finished off the night with a big turkey dinner that included turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes & gravy, rolls, green bean casserole, yummy yams, sweet corn, cranberry sauce, great grandma Butler's raspberry jello salad, pie and icecream.

A special red dress, sweaters and Santa

2008-12-24T21:16:00.035-07:00

We love Christmas and everything it entails. We get to spend a whole month as family, friends and community celebrating our Lord and Saviors birth. We know that He is God's greatest gift to us, and that all of our greatest gifts come through Christ our Lord and Redeemer. He suffered every affliction so that we may live with him again and be a forever family. This time of year simply, but powerfully brings us closer together and allows us to reflect again upon the Savior's perfect example. We love the peaceful heartwarming feelings we feel. It is the time we become less selfish and more generous, giving warm smiles, hugs and well wishes to all. We think and attend to others in small but special ways. We are a little more kind, loving, and giving. There is laughter, music, well prepared homemade meals, baked goodies and gift exchanges. We count our blessings and witness miracles. It is a time to carry on our old family traditions and begin new ones for our own family. We are filled to the brim with gratitude and take as many opportunities as possible to gather together with family and friends. The decor and beautiful lights remind us of the one true Light of The World, Jesus Christ.

I love the color red, especially this time of year.
My sister Lisa, was able to spend the Christmas holiday with us and it was a real treat having her here. She and I baked, cooked, gift wrapped, talked, laughed, cried, shopped till we dropped, played with the kids, and gabbed on the phone together with family and friends. I hope that she will come back soon because we had so much fun. It is our hope to never be away from each other for the holidays. Words cannot express my appreciation for all of her help with everything. Christmas would not have been the same or possible without her. The boys keep saying, "We have two moms!" Everytime we read scriptures and say family prayers instead of wanting to cuddle up next to me, they want to snuggle with Lisa!

Shane and I enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch together.
Mom and Dad sent a few special presents early on... We were able to enjoy these gifts before Christmas: a darling little red Christmas dress for Aleah which we LOVE, a Christmas carosaul we all treasure, and a new wolfgang puck breadmaker & recipes which we have savored!

O Christmas Tree and Chocolates

2008-12-10T11:16:00.025-07:00

On Saturday mornings, Lowes building supply store does something special for kids--so a few weeks ago, Dad decided he wanted to take the boys on a special Father & Sons there. The boys put on their aprons and got to work building... goal posts! At home, Shane captured a picture of their final product:

The goal posts were finally put to use for our Family Home Evening this week. The lesson was on becoming a Forever Family. I printed out a football field and used the homemade goal posts the boys made to complete the football field. One side of the field says "Forever Family Team" and the other side says "Sad Team." We put a football in the middle and had an official kick-off. At each yardline we had to decide together as a team, what our "game plan" was...for example, whether to be kind or fight with each other. We discussed each principle right or wrong, and how it effects our family. Then I did a special recognition by reading a sentence about each member of the family. Everyone had to guess who the person was. It was a great way for us to get to know and appreciate eachother's gifts and talents. Then we signed our name on a special paper that says we promise to do the things discussed on our family game plan. We finished off the night with another special activity...

After our family tree went up last week, I asked the boys what they wanted for Christmas. Braden wanted to make a Gingerbread house and Kyle wanted his very own little Christmas tree. So this year I got a 4 foot tree for Braden and Kyle's room. They were thrilled to be able to decorate it with little ornaments we bought especially for their tree. They think they're so cool to have a Christmas tree in their room! Their first present was a box of chocolates...

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T22:39:00.017-07:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving feast thanks to Chef Bouy R' Laura! The kids loved every minute of our visit. We enjoyed playing a game late one night. You get all of the family together late at night to play a game and it gets pretty hilarious. Laura kept falling asleep and just as she was dozing off, Randy would shout in her ear to keep her awake. Needless to say, she was a trooper and hung in there until the end of the game. Thanksgiving dinner, game night and going to see Twilight were some highlights of Thanksgiving!
Here are a few pictures of our wonderful Thanksgiving with Shane's family...

The girls saw the movie "TWILIGHT"...

Pictures of our house

2008-11-13T21:54:00.060-07:00

It's getting close and every day is more and more exciting! I've been busy picking out colors, cabinets, countertops and every other little detail you can imagine. This part has been so fun for me and not too stressful. It nice if you already kind of know beforehand what you like. I have had to go back a few times and add something here or there. Today I decided I like the look of staggered kitchen cabinets. Surprise Debra! Good thing we haven't ordered them just yet. We set it up so that most of the square footage is on the bottom floor of the house. The bottom floor has everything including the master bedroom and an extra guest room w/private bath on the opposite end of the house. The upstairs consists of 3 bedrooms. One with it's own private bath and the other two with jack and jill, and each has walk in closets. There is also a laundry room upstairs and one downstairs in the master bedroom closet. Sound odd? Well it is different, but I think it's going to be nice to have. The one in our master will be just for our clothes and the one upstairs will be for the kids clothes. Then I won't have to drag clothes up and down the stairs each way... Plus, when we go to sell, we open the market up to older folks who can't or don't want to climb stairs to do their laundry.

We tried to build the home with the future in mind...so that when the kids marry there would be plenty of room for their families when they come home for the holidays. Three families will have the upstairs to themselves, and one family will have the huge room downstairs. Details that will be interesting to us later: We had them kick out the living room wall 3 feet; we added a 6 foot hall from the rotundra to the library, put a door instead of archway from dining room to the hall, and had them tear down and redesign an archway from the living to the family room. Really everything has gone smoothly and as planned. We go to the site just about every day and take pictures. It's getting more exciting as the house comes together. Here are a couple pictures we took along the way. The last five we took this morning.

what the lot looked like before foundation was laid

looking out at the gorgeous mountains that expand across the valley on the east side of the house

Foundation

Michelle's 1 yr supply storage room (back) and 3 month supply storage room (front)

courtyard and circular entrance

Shane's garage

circular staircase

circular driveway will go here
front of house

Election Thoughts

2008-11-04T22:48:00.002-07:00

We certainly live in unpresedented times. With the Presidential election now decided it is time to look to the future and prepare for what lies ahead. I believe that now more than ever it is important to strengthen our testimonies. The world is changing in so many ways and seemingly so quickly! I want to share a quote I came across on my cousin Sarah's blog. I think it is very enlightening and will help us be prepared for the future.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency.

Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions.In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . .Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

*Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive..

*Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened....

Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I try to be content with my lot, knowing that God is my friend. In him I shall find comfort. I have given my life into his hands. I am prepared to go at his call. I desire to be with Christ. I count not my life dear to me [except] to do his will.
---Joseph Smith

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T21:57:00.010-07:00

Fun plex with Joe-Veronica & family, trick or treating and ward halloween party made for a spook-tacular halloween this year! Braden-vampire, Kyle-spiderman, Aleah-chick-a-dee, Michelle-Hannah Montana, Shane...a missionary without a tag?

scary!

1st Year Pictures(late)

2008-11-03T21:45:00.006-07:00

I'm behind on getting Aleah's first year picture out to the grandparents. Life is so busy, but it's coming! She had her pictures done awhile ago and here is a shot of us together on picture day~

Not even a day old...

Other favorites of her first year...

one of my favorites of Shane and Aleah.
she keeps a pretty good pace, doesn't she daddy!

Everything's a phone

2008-10-30T21:04:00.006-06:00

even Kyle's little red (tire-less) motorcycle!

Way too much fun with a wig...

2008-10-30T20:57:00.002-06:00

Did you pass or fail?

2008-10-27T13:26:00.017-06:00

I really don't think I am the only one feeling this way lately with our economic recession, but something has been weighing heavily on my mind.
We are so blessed to have all the things we have: a roof over our heads, comfortable beds to sleep in, plenty of food to eat, shoes to wear. I think I have been taking this for granted for too long and there needs to be a change. At Stake Conferene this Sunday, the Temple President, a retired doctor, told a story of a lady who shattered her patella on her last step down stairs. He saw the accident and ran over to help and dialed 911. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, he waved down several people to help them, but noone would stop. They were all very busy...doing something good...and important...they were headed to the Temple for a session that was about to begin. The temple was 2 blocks from them. They were on the right track but failed the test.

I have to admit that I'm guilty of this. My parents set an example but I haven't lived up to it the way I know I should. I know this because suddenly in the last month as I've paid more attention, I'm finding plenty of opportunities to serve. Bonnie Parkin said, "I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better."

Because i'm sort of restricted with the kids when I'm out, instead of racing here and there and everywhere trying to get my things done as fast as possible, I've decided to take it easy and keep me eyes peeled. Keep a prayer in my heart. If I notice someone needs a hand, though I'm careful and protective, I still stop.

what are your thoughts and maybe you have some ideas to share?

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there,
And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care.
So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.”*

Tagged :)

2008-10-24T19:26:00.016-06:00

Tagged by Kelly
The "8 things list" Tag

8 movies I like to watch...
1. Family Man
2. First Knight
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Airforce One
5. Titanic
6. Sweet Home Alabama
7. Meet the Parents
8. Saturday's Warrior (c'mon, you know you love it)

8 Things that happened Yesterday
1. did 3 loads of dishes by hand because dishwasher broke
2. dressed up kids in their halloween costumes, for fun
3. Had pizza for dinner
4. took the boys to Fiesta Foods to get a treat after dinner
6. talked to my mom and dad on the phone
7. took a 2 hour nap!
8. Watched Superman w/boys

8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. Chinese/Japanese buffet
2. Ho-ho's
3. Aversanos (Italian)
4. Lamplight
5. Ruby River
6. Chili's
7. Seafood
8. Mexican

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to
1. House to sell
2. Year Food Supply completed
3. Moving
4. The Holidays
5. SIL's babies to arrive
6. Shane's Agents to hit their goals
7. Getting to know the members of my new ward
8. Aleah going to Nursery

8 Things on my Wish List
1. For all the sister in laws to have healthy babies
2. The Economy to turn around
3. John McCain to win
4. Nothing bad to happen to any family members
5. Nice landscaping at our new house
6. Lisa to get rid of Dave once and for all
7. Boys to do well in School
8. Me to be able to accomplish all of my goals

I tag...anyone who wants to do it!

Wedding

2008-10-19T14:05:00.038-06:00

One of Shane's new Agents got married and we were invited to attend a Catholic wedding and Mass for the first time. The church is one of the oldest in the state. it was beautiful and even touching at times to see the bride break down and cry out of joy. A little bit different ceremony then we are use to. ;) They had an exceptional spread of food at the reception. Cary's dress was beautiful. I didn't take any pictures, dog-gone-it! I wasn't sure if I could take pictures inside the church. I should have known better, remembering all the camera's going off in the Vatican!

Shane got a lot done while we were up there. He took his Life and Health test which is mandatory for new managers and passed with flying colors. He got 6 100%'s and the rest were in the 90's and 80's.

At the motel

Braden: Mom, I love you--50 bucks!

Me: WOW, I love you thousand bucks. No, I love you infinity bucks!

Braden:(startled) that's a lot!!!

In the van...

Braden and Kyle: Mom, we love you as big as the red van next to us!!

Mom: WOW! I love you as big as that semi-truck!

Braden and Kyle: WHOA! That's a BIGGG truck!!

Tuesday
Aleah sat in this position for 5 minutes straight, smiling the whole time. She didn't move or make a sound--plenty of time for me to snap some pictures!

Forever Family

2008-10-12T21:53:00.021-06:00

Sarah and Grandma

I love this picture of my cousin and Grandma. Truly priceless...it makes for such an enduring picture of the two of them. Both are amazing women.

All American 2008 in Florida

2008-10-07T15:00:00.031-06:00

I am trying to get all the important pictures of the year on here. I've decided to have a company print and bind the whole blog at the end of the year. I hear it costs $80.00 and they do a thorough job printing each picture and every journal entry. Then they bind it into a nice hard bound scrapbook album. I figure this will be a great way to keep track of the years ahead, unless something better comes along. Anyone ever heard of the company that does this?

In April, we went on vacation to the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort in Miami, Florida. We enjoyed the room and spent quality time together at the beach.

As always we had a great time with our FB couple friends (Coby-Tangi, Shawn-Teresa, Rich-Naloni, Richard-Joanie, Jared-Haylie and many others). Shane played a lot of golf. I relaxed a lot at the pool with Tangi and Teresa and enjoyed a full one hour relaxation massage at the Willow Stream Spa. A great big bus drove us all around...

Shane made me leave out all the pictures of the guys at the pool with their (non-alcoholic) beer bellies hangin out! We ladies, on the other hand, look amazing, after just having had babies, lol just kidding. The three of us had them only weeks apart from each other, unplanned. Lindsay was not able to come because she had just had her 4th baby and we missed her!

We all went on a boat ride, were fed a steak dinner, then sat on the bow and talked until dark, watching all the expensive homes and yachts float by us. We eventually landed at a Mansion where FB handed out awards. We didn't get into our room until after midnight.

Then there was motorcycle night...they handed out bandanas to everyone. We ate another outstanding buffet outside, got professional pictures taken of us all behind a motorcycle, and mingled until dark...

Then it was time to jam! We got down and rocked out to all the best songs of the 80's. All the GREAT bands like Journey came to the resort. The crowd went crazy when Lynyrd Skynyrd sang "Sweet Home Alabama!"
We could hardly believe these famous bands came just to play for us
above: not Naloni's beverage! I got the 24 hour flu and at one point, thought I was going to die. I almost called the ambulance to come rescue me, lol. It was the worst 24 flu I ever had.

We are so grateful for Coby Reese for getting Shane to leave his job and get on board with FB. It was no easy task either; it took him nearly a year before Shane agreed to look into it. Thanks Coby for never giving up! Where would we be right now if it hadn't been for you!

You got us there honey, love you!

General Conference

2008-10-05T22:03:00.022-06:00

I always say this, but I really feel this General Conference was the best! There were a few times I hurled my fist up and shouted, "YES!" because I felt the Spirit so strong. Shane and I really loved all of the speakers. Joseph B. Wirthlin happens to be my favorite apostle, and I just loved his talk on Saturday! All of the speakers, however, were terrific and inspired from heaven.

Afterwards, Shane headed off to the Priesthood session, and the kids and I were invited to join a group of nice ladies from my new ward, for an hour or two of fun at McDonalds!

You hear all sorts of gory stories about kids getting terribly sick after playing on the toys at McDonalds..so I felt it was necessary that they get a nice warmmm soapy bath!!

Before General Conference, $40 dollars a week
Early on Saturday mornings, Kyle and I get to spend some quality time together at the Farmers market in town. Sometimes Braden comes too, if I can wake his sleepy head up! I ran into Joann, a member of my ward. It was nice to see a familiar face! She sews and sells all sorts of neat stuff...

at home-roasted mild chili peppers

de-skin, de-seed, chopped, bag and freeze or bottle. Add to any meat, pork or chicken dish. I love to stuff them in my sandwiches!

Another trip home

2008-10-05T20:40:00.029-06:00

I met up with Teresa and her cute kids at their beautiful home for a day of fun. She bought us a sack lunch from a really scrumptious bakery in town. Boy, they make the best sugar cookies, I've ever tasted-- nice chewy and doughy. It was a sunny day so we let the kids run around the yard while we played with the babies and got caught up on our lives! The next day, we flew home.

I love going home to see mom and dad. They always let me sleep in, mom usually feeds the kids breakfast and plays with them all morning while dad gets a scrumptious breakfast going for the adults. We did so many things, went so many places. Aleah was such a good sport about Grandma 'smacking' her cheeks non-stop! Here are a few pictures

Mom started a weekend tradition with us in high school called, midnight grocery shopping. And the tradition is, somewhere around 10 o'clock to midnight we make a quick run to the grocery store. The rule is, no seriousness allowed and each of us get to pick and eat our favorite flavor of icecream. This late night trip to the grocery store would always initiate one of us to start laughing, and then all of us would start to laugh and giggle...uncontrollably. We would laugh so hard that pretty soon we'd all be crying(you know the happy cry??). Anything and everything was funny. It was cheap fun entertainment after a long week school, homework and after school activities!

After putting Aleah to bed, we went midnight grocery shopping, but instead of buying junk food, we found a huge 75% off sale on kids books!! We felt like kids in a candy store. I think we were there at least an hour, rumaging through all the books, deciding on which ones we felt the kids would love. I captured a picture back at grandma's house:

Bronson's Baptism

2008-09-29T11:35:00.013-06:00

Congratulations to Bronson and happy birthday! We were so happy to attend Bronson's baptism last Saturday. Brad and family ran the show from conducting, to pianist, a talk and Brad performed the baptism and confirmation. We even got to hear Bronson sing a song...it was great! Both grandparents were involved as well. Randy gave a talk on baptism and Laura was the chorister and gave the closing prayer. Brad's Father gave the opening prayer and his mother gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. This is Brad and Shannon's first child to be baptized.
It's hard to believe that Bronson is already 8 years old!

You are a great example to all of your cousins Bronson!

It's birthday time for Braden and Aleah!

2008-09-15T16:12:00.028-06:00

Braden is five years old!
Braden had a fun-filled birthday! the first order of business on saturday, was to put on the famous "birthday boy" crown which must be worn all day, so that random strangers can wish you 'happy birthday!' We met up with braden's preschool teacher, Cindy and kids for a birthday breakfast at IHOP. Obviously at a restaurant there had to be a couple spills and loudly announced bathroom breaks--throw some syrup into the mix, and you got yourself a sticky situation! We asked the waitress to take a picture of our group

Then, it was off to play some golf at the University golf course. Braden enjoyed pulling the pin for dad, running around the course and playing comando on the cart driver-me! we rode the cart as fast as we could down the cart paths!

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A look back at little braden boy...

~6 months old~
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Aleah's FIRST birthday!

yay! 1 years old! we didn't really do much for Aleah since we celebrated her birthday on sunday, but she did get to devour her very own cupcake! I guess that's as exciting as it gets when you're only 1.
Happy birthday Aleah!

A look back at baby Aleah...

Last Night of Summer/First week of Preschool

2008-09-05T20:03:00.012-06:00

Braden's birthday falls just after the cut off date, so he waits another year before he goes into Kindergarten. I'm really happy because he's mine for another whole year! I did enroll him in preschool and he was very excited. His teacher is an LDS lady that just so happens to be in my ward. She almost didn't do it but a couple of moms in our ward pleaded with her to teach again because she does such a good job. Braden had so many good things to tell me on our way home the first day. I can tell already that he is going to have a lot of fun and learn a lot socially and scholastically. The one down side is that she is not accepting anyone under 4 so poor Kyle doesn't get to go. He had a hard time the first day but by the end of the week, he was okay with it. Another interesting thing is that all of these boys birthdays are in September. What a coincidence!

Braden, Mrs. Martin, Kaleb and Andrew

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Because Friday was officially the last day before the start of the school year, we had to make it memorable! We went to a water park for half the day. Then, we finished off the night with bubble baths, corndogs and icecream!

Home is where the heart is

2008-09-05T19:56:00.006-06:00

We have moved 3 times in the last 4 months and we are sure glad to finally be settled in! Unpacking is drudgery! ughhh! The great thing is that I’ve been able to eliminate a lot of stuff we don’t need, so the next time around, packing should go a lot smoother. Shane got lucky and found some nice office furniture at a highly discounted price. His office looks great and he has received a very warm welcome from his Agents. He has a lot more flexibility with his time then I thought he would. We still get to see a lot of him. And if your wondering, yes, Braden got a black eye! He and Kyle were jumping on our bed and he landed right on Kyle's knee!

Cousins Temple Wedding

2008-08-27T13:59:00.027-06:00

My little cousin Alexandra got married to a great guy. His name is Shane Dayton(his name tells you how cool he really is!:)) Here are only a few of the many many pictures I took of the wedding. Grandma Z made all the bridesmaid dresses. She is so talented!

Grandma Kay & Aleah

(Left)Grandma beautiful at 88! The three pose for a picture during a touching moment remembering Uncle Mike and Aunt Maria

Pictures in lockets of Uncle Mike and Aunt Maria-tied in the boquet of flowers

Happily ever after couple :)

11 months old

2008-08-19T08:00:00.045-06:00

Shane had meetings up in Salt Lake this week so we are here at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City. The boys stayed back in Monticello with the grandparents!! They are having a TOTAL BLAST there playing in the sand box, watching movies, running around, eating popcorn and going for rides on the motorcycle with Papa, playing with Adam again and getting special treatment from Nana. They miss Monticello, especially Kyle. He often says, "I want to go to Monticello so I can run and jump". It's been a little bit of a transition for them going from a home, to an apartment complex with people under them and a hotel. They couldn't do ANYTHING. Not even run down the long hall-which was torture for Kyle. This trip in Monticello will probably be the highlight of their year!!

I am thoroughly enjoying my stay here with Aleah. It's just me and her and let's just say, we are not missing the boys!! We get to do everything together without any distractions!! Plenty of time to laugh, play chase, walk the halls, cuddle, tickle and throw her on the bed (she loves this), play pattycake, clap each others hands, the list goes on. I forgot how much I enjoyed having just one baby around. I get to spend another whole week with just her AND grandma K!

Aleah...loves her big brothers. She thinks they are really big!

She...loves to be held and cries when I put her down. After being held for awhile she decides she's ready to go again and will try to JUMP out of my arms without warning. She's never made it out of my arms completely, thank heavens!! She definately keeps me on my toes!!

She...loves to climb stairs but hasn't quite figured out how to get back down the stairs. But wherever there are stairs, she is climbing

She... plays hard. When she takes a fall, even if she's not hurt, she tends to hold her breath in for a long time, to the point of passing out. She has done this twice and it scared me to death! (this is a BUTLER TRAIT)

She... loves brown rice cereal and sweet potatoes. She loves her baba more than anything

She...loves to use a straw to sip ice cold water. She'll sip, suck, wiggle her head and do it all over again, getting her shirt completely soaked.

She...is a road warrior (as are all of my kids). She loves it when Braden makes faces at her and we love to hear her giggle.

She...takes two naps a day and sleeps for long periods of time if it's quiet. She is good about going to bed when I lay her down after 10 minutes of coos and caas. She sleeps in late like her brothers.

She...loves to play with toys that make sound. She likes to pat and yell back at them.

She...loves it when daddy comes home. She'll start laughing and clapping her hands together. She spends most of her night trying to get his attention.

She...loves walking and walks as fast as she possibly can. Braden and I love to take her on walks and swing her, him on one side, me on the other.

When I go to tickle her she get's all excited, slams her back up against a pillow and starts wiggling her whole body while laughing.

She...loves sitting on my hip especially while I'm trying to do the dishes.

She...doesnt like getting kissed but will usually give them to get what she wants!! If she wants down when dad is holding her she will quickly give him a big kiss and swiftly make her break. He get's a kick out of her game and usually won't let her go until she gives him multiple kisses!

She... is one heavy baby!

I've been tagged

2008-08-14T22:19:00.019-06:00

20 years ago: 11 years old, living on Tapps Island, probably out riding my new pink lady bike or swimming at the pool.

10 years ago: 21 years old, single and living in Mesa Arizona with my very good friend, Shari Tate. Also had just broken off an engagement to Bryce Neff. Was heart-broken and preparing to fly home to Washington to start school in the fall. A FRIEND wanted me to CLARIFY SOMETHING: Who broke up with who? I BROKE UP WITH HIM!

5 years ago: living in Orem, UT, pregnant with my first child, Braden.

3 years ago: living in Monticello-our second had come along, he was 6 months old!

1 year ago: pregnant with Aleah, making preparations for my homebirth or out on the Monticello golf course with Shane and the boys

1 month ago: living in a 2 bedroom apartment in Albuquerque- taking the kids to the park, the library, or Sunflower Farmers Market.

1 Week ago: my sister came to town and we celebrated our birthday

1 day ago: at the Staybridge Suites
now: blogging and watching the Olympics!

I tag Sarah, Tonya, Anna, Jamie and Libby

Not a vegetable in sight

2008-08-14T08:57:00.027-06:00

Living out of a hotel room is nice in some ways but stinks in others! We have a kitchen in the room but I've been so busy the last week finishing up the design of our house(we decided to build a home out in the country) that all I eat is hotel breakfast-eggs, sausage, cottage cheese, waffles. Arby's for lunch, now addicted to their cream cheese Jalepeno bites and Chicken pecan wraps, and restaurant for dinner. Not to mention the snacking in between...you know the kind you do when your stressed and excited? I've gained a couple lbs since Lisa left adding to the weight gained before she came. I've gotten off track on a lot of things that I was keeping up with pretty well, including going to bed early, though I still get up early. If I am not careful, I'll just keep packing the weight on! I know I am the kind of person that needs to stay on a schedule to keep fit. My friend Teresa and I started this thing where we report to each other every night on our eating and sleeping schedule a few months back. I was doing so good right before the 4th of July camping trip, and then we moved to Cruces and blah blah blah...you get the picture.
So it's going to take some work to get back to where I was after we finally get into a rental house. I like bein thin and super fit. I feel comfortable this way.
It's so easy to gain weight but hard to lose it! For me I have to cook fresh food-going heavy on the veggies and grains-light on the meat, if any at all. Well, I can finally start doing these things when we get into a real house. I'm blogging about it so I'm accountable to someone...YOU!

Another Birthday!

2008-08-12T07:59:00.035-06:00

I can't believe we had another birthday already, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I kind of like being in my 30's! Lisa flew in to celebrate the big day. We had a great time shopping and looking at homes for sale. These are pretty much all the pictures I took of us. We spent most of our time doing what we love most: eating and talking. We can both reallyyyyy pack it in when we want to!! Also, we got a surprise knock on our door--a special delivery of neopolitan icecream and an impressively large decorative cake with a very special message written on it! It came from the most generous person I know, my mother. I should have taken a picture of it before diving in. Rats! Well, it was d-e-licious! Thank you so much mom! You are the best!

Aleah saying "wow!"

Lisa did my hair and makeup. She did a much better job than I could have done. Thanks Sis!

Celebrating our 31st birthday at Red Lobster. Daddy and Braden have a staring contest. After losing several times, Dad finally gave up!

I probably shouldn't have done this, but I had to snap a picture of Kyle folding his arms--trying so hard not to cry, after we got after him for 'horsing around' in the hotel lobby.

I'm not really sure what I'm wearing(and neither was Lisa), but I love the blouse!

our sleeping baby--love it!

2008-08-01T12:00:00.021-06:00

For the 24th, we went to a resort in Ruidoso, NM. There was swimming, golf, fishing, boating, shopping and good eating. We had a lot of fun! We came home and immediately got busy. I packed up the whole apartment and Shane finished is work and said his goodbyes to his Agents in Albuquerque. I have to brag a little about how my hunny is doing in his new job. He is doing excellent! With his guidance and training, one of his new hirees made nearly $13,000 her first month. She is on her way to being a successful Agent. Good job babe!

We are now in Las Cruces. It is such a beautiful city. Aleah is walking all over the place. She is keeping me very busy. It is fun to watch her walk--she sort of waddles because her legs are so chubby! Braden and Kyle have learned their ABC's and can count to 20. They also learned the "Book of Mormon Stories" primary song. I have recorded them singing it and will download it soon. It's so cute! Also, Braden has learned how to fold pants and shirts so now he does all my folding for me! (Aren't I horrible?) At least he is learning how to work. LOL Anyway, I started working out again and I am loving it. It feels so good to run, ride bikes and lift weights. I'm finally getting some muscles! Shane is working so hard but enjoying his new job. Well, that's the low-down on us. I thought I'd download some of my favorite pictures I've taken in the last couple weeks.

Braden and Aleah

Three reasons to smile :)

Kyle wakes up in the mornings and puts his tie, pants, and belt on. He made this tie out of his own creation. It's aleah's headband and his clip on tie!!! He then gets a bowl out of the cupboard, pulls himself up on the sink, and fills the bowl with water. Then he gets a straw for a shaver and pretends to shave his beard. I wonder who he got this from?

Braden and Aleah in Ruidoso The 3 of them

Peter and Laurie Webb are members of our ward. They invited us over for barbeque to say goodbye. We will miss them. They are a neat family! What is really cool is that Peter was one of Randy's old mission companions. We got to hear a couple funny stories!

Want a good laugh?

2008-07-21T18:02:00.020-06:00

A friend shared this website and it is pretty funny! Especially some of the older posts I think. Check it out:

seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

Which Princess are you?

2008-07-21T10:44:00.011-06:00

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?