Family Reunion Day 4 and return!

Saturday we had horseback riding scheduled for 9:00 am, and had to be there by 8:45! Because I took the sleep medicine, I was afraid I was going to sleep through it. So that added to my restless night of continually checking the clock. I finally pulled myself out of bed at 8:00 and got Boston and Aubrie up and ready. Ethan was too young to ride on his own, and frankly he would have been miserable getting up so early. (He is our little teenager when it comes to sleeping it). Aubrie was so excited for the horseback ride! She LOVES horses! She was wanting to make sure things were all professional. :) When we got there she asked for a riding hat! I was surprised that they had them. They fitted them for their hats, and I declined mine! (I don't look good in them)

After they got their hats, they picked our horses. Aubrie's horse's name was Whisky and my horse's name was Copenhagen. I was beginning to wonder if the owners were Mormon! LOL Once they picked our horses they gave us a short tutorial on the reins. Aubrie had fun trying to control her horse with the reins. Luckily, since they were old trail horses, I knew they wouldn't do anything crazy.
For the first half of the ride, the guide held a rope that was attached to Boston's horse. After we got to the canyon rim, Boston felt comfortable enough to ride his horse on his own. On our horse ride we got to see deer, antelope, cows and the rim of Bryce Canyon that you could only see from Horseback or Helicopter. We also got to cross over some water that led to the canyon's waterfall. The kids had a great time! I defiantly am a city girl, though! My legs were killing me half way through the ride, and I was wobbly once I got off the horse! I still had fun!

After horseback riding, we rushed back to the hotel and Ben drove us over to the Bryce Canyon airport (if you can call it that!), so we could catch our helicopter ride! I scared the kids, telling them that the blade could chop their head off, so they would behave themselves walking to the helicopter. They were so sure to duck their heads, even when they were far from the helicopter. hee hee! Aubrie got the front seat, and I sat in the back with the boys. Ben stayed behind with Sophia. It was an amazing ride, and the kids were mesmerized. Ethan was like a statue, taking in everything. Boston took some pictures, and Aubrie just enjoyed the front seat view. The pilot kept talking about this amazing waterfall. This is what it looks like! LOL Guess I got a little spoiled with Havasupai! There were still some amazing sites! About 5 minutes before the ride was over I started to get a little airsick. I was anxious for the landing:) When we landed, and the kids got out, they ran away ducking for about 100 meters! I was laughing at how serious they took my warning about the blades.

After the helicopter ride, we drove over to another look out point, called Inspiration point! Here is what our view looked like. It's also the first picture of my first post! We hiked a hill for about 10 minutes to get to the top lookout! It was worth it!

We then jetted back to the hotel, because Sophia was starting to fall asleep in the backpack, and she needed to get a good nap. I stayed back with Sophia, in the hotel, to get a nap, too! I was sooo tired from the night before. Ben took the kids over to the grassy area for some kid crafts! I woke up before they got back and realized that they had shut the door between the room I was sleeping in and the other room, that had all the stuff. I was starving, and the only thing in my room was a gogurt! I ate that, and sat in the dark (because Sophia was still sleeping) waiting for them to come back. After a half an hour, Ben came back to check on us, and left the kids doing more crafts. Within a few minutes it started pouring outside, so he rushed back to get the kids. When they got back, we took the kids down the hall, to the indoor pool, for some swimming. A bunch of their cousins were there, and they had a great time playing with them. Luckily the rain subsided and after a dinner of awesome chicken pasta, fruit kabobs and rolls, we all headed to the Rodeo. Sophia only lasted about 30 minutes of the Rodeo, so I walked her back to the hotel and put her down for the night. I packed up our stuff for the next day, and watched a little TV. The kids had a fun time at the rodeo. There was one point where they let them try to catch bunnies. Aubrie was crying because she wanted one so bad and she couldn't' catch one. Ben was praying that she wouldn't catch one, because he didn't want a new pet! LOL

Aubrie anxiously waiting her turn to catch a rabbit!

At 10:00 they had a firework show, so Ben took Aubrie and Ethan out to the front of the hotel to see it. Boston was in trouble and was denied his firework privilege. So he sadly sat on the bed, just listening to them go off. Ben said it was a pretty good show. It sure sounded like it from the room. It sounded like they were being shot off right outside our hotel window! I was a little sad to miss them. While they were out watching the fireworks, I decided to play a game of Sorry with Boston. He was happy to do something, just the two of us. After our game of Sorry, we all went to bed!

We left the next morning around 10:00. The trip was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing. I tried giving Sophia some Benadryl, but that just made her more miserably tired. We got home around 3:30, and unpacked and started some laundry. I knew I couldn't relax, because I had to start prepping for girls camp. So I had to get everything back in order fast! I kinda felt bad, since it seemed like it wasn't even a Sunday, so I took out a Primary manual and gave a mini lesson to the kids. It was on gratitude. It was the first lesson I opened to, and I really think they needed it after everything they got to do on this trip! After the lesson, we had breakfast for dinner, and went to bed early! Whew, what a trip! It sure was a lot of fun. Sophia was hard at night, but the backpack saved us during the hiking! The horseback riding was a great memory for the kids. When I asked them what their favorite thing was, they said it was "riding the horse". So much for the helicopter ride! LOL That and the hike was my favorite!:)

Family Reunion Day 3!

Friday, breakfast was being served between 7:30 and 8:30...we missed that! We didn't wake up until 8:45 and we were supposed to meet everyone for hiking at 9:00. Luckily everyone was a little behind, too, and planning on meeting around 9:30! We quickly got ready, ate some cereal in the hotel room, and Ben ran down to the General Store of the hotel to buy one of those kid hiking backpacks. We forgot the Baby Bjorn, so Ben planned on carrying Sophia during the hike. I noticed that backpack there the night before, and though it had a hefty price tag, talked Ben into getting it! Since we have hiking trails all around our neighborhood, he knew we would get good use out of it! At the end of the hike he said it was the best investment of the trip! LOL Anyway, we met everyone at 9:30 at one of the hiking points, sprayed ourselves down with sunscreen, got our camel packs and headed down the trail. Aubrie had Ben's camel pack, and thought she was so grown up. She loved her easy access to water. The hike down was so cool. It looked like this! I couldn't get enough pictures, and was sad that I didn't bring my nicer camera for some better close ups! When we got to the bottom of the trail we had an option to finish the hike on a .6 mile trail, or a 1.8 mile trail. We opted for the longer one, since the kids seem to be doing well, and Sophia fell asleep in her backpack!! Yes, amazing, huh?! I think we are going to be using that thing in Church! J/K Anyway, about 5 minutes into that hike, Aubrie complained that she thought she might have a blister, so I stopped to look for some Mole Skin in my backpack (it should have been there from Havasupia ) but couldn't' find any. That put us behind everyone else, and we never caught up! I was very proud of Aubrie. It was a tough hike and she did it all on her own with shoes that were a little too small for her. The boys weren't as tough. Ben carried Ethan for half of it (with Sophia still on his back) and Boston got some piggy back rides from his Aunts! I'm still glad we did that hike. It was very beautiful.

When the hike was done, Sophia was up and in a happy mood. She loved being carried around in the backpack! We then went to the visitor center to check out a movie they have on Bryce Canyon. The first 5 minutes or so told you about how the canyon was formed. That was cool. The rest was pretty boring. We went back to the hotel, and swam some more, ate lunch, and then the kids went over to hang out with the cousins by the RV park! They set up some slip and slides, and had fun doing that. I stayed behind at the hotel while Sophia slept, and finished my book!

Dinner was BBQ Pulled Pork and was so YUMMY! It started raining a little before dinner, so all the picnic benches were strategically placed under trees! We were planning on going to the Rodeo that night but, because of the weather, we changed things a little. We ended up doing our Awards Night/ Testimony meeting instead. Every kid got a fun kind of award for their talent. Then Nicole presented a slide show that she had put together, with tonz of family pictures. Seeing the old pictures of Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins was my favorite. Sophia really started fussing during the slide show, so it was a challenge to keep her entertained and watch at the same time. After the slide show, I put her down and came back for testimony meeting. It was great as always, and don't pass out people, but I bore my testimony, too! I used to bear it all the time as a kid, youth, and young adult. Once I married Ben, he kind of stole the show in that area! LOL Afterwards, Aubrie and I stayed for some Catch Phrase (left that there dang it!) and some Nertz! (sp?) I was getting tired fast and knew we had a big day planned, so we went back to the room at 11:00. Aubrie was Chatty Cathy and kept me up for another hour. By then I was wide awake, and Sophia was coughing like crazy. The last time I looked at the clock was 1:30 AM (after I took some NyQuil Ben had in his bag!). It still was another great day! Hiking, finishing my book, and ending with a spiritual high!

The Jenkins (Lorraine, Gail, Lisa, Amy, Bonnie, Julie, David, Grandma and Grandpa, and Jim)

They always had snacks in the Conference Room. Ethan took a bite of this Oatmeal Raisin and kept trying to give it to everyone. How nice of him! LOL

Day 1 & 2 of Jenkins Reunion!

Every two years, Ben's Mom's side of the family (The Jenkins) have a family reunion. So far, Ben and I have been to 3! The first was at Zions and Aubrie was 3 and Boston 7 months. That was hard! I felt as though I spent most of my time chasing after kids! The second one was at Disneyland and Aubrie was 5, Boston almost 3 and Ethan was a newborn. That wasn't as hard! The two oldest were self sufficient, and Ethan would sleep anywhere! This year it was at Bryce Canyon and you'll soon find out how hard or easy it was!Wednesday we decided to head out earlier than our planned 4:00 pm departure. We originally were going to stay in Page for the night and then drive through to Panguitch. Instead, we skipped piano lessons, and left at 1:30 and drove straight through. The drive was like any normal drive, these days, which included the kids watching movies and playing video games, while Sophia fights going to sleep! She is getting better at her crying spells and I am looking forward to the day that she watches TV and sleeps just like the other kids!

Ethan Fell asleep within the first few hours! Aubrie Fake Sleeping:) Sophia fighting sleep! Ugh! Finally asleep! The temperature in Flagstaff! What would that be like?Overall, the trip up was pretty good. We did take a detour around Page, due to some construction. We had never gone that way before, and it was a really pretty drive. Unfortunately, the cops must like that area as well because Ben got pulled over. Luckily he was let off with a warning. I think he softened the cop up a little as he was walking with Sophia as the cop was pulling up his information. I'm so glad he got off with a warning!

If only all cops were like this!:) This cop car was set up in Kanab. Guess they don't have enough money for Highway Patrol!:)We finally rolled into Bryce about 10:00 PM Utah time; we forgot about the time change! Luckily we decided to drive straight through, because I don't think we could have made the Parade the next morning if we hadn't! The Hotel, Ruby's Inn, was much bigger than we expected. We figured it was a small place so it would be a little cozy hotel. We were so wrong. I guess people come from all over the world to check out Bryce Canyon.

Thursday morning we were able to sleep in a little, which means 8:30! Ok, I know it really was 7:30 our time, but its all psychological, OK! We got ready in our Red, White and Blue to go celebrate Pioneer Day in Panguitch Utah! The 20 minute drive to Panguitch, took us through the Red Canyon, which I couldn't see in the dark the night before. It was so beautiful! I couldn't get the pictures I wanted from the car, and we never had the chance to stop and take pictures or hike there!:( Maybe on our next Utah trip!Panguitch is a small little town, that we always drive through on our way to Provo. To give you perspective of how small the town is, we were able to arrive at the Parade when it started and get great seats! It's probably since half of the town needed to be in the Parade. LOL Anyway, the parade consisted of people driving by in cars and throwing candy and even Otter Pops at the kids. Darth Vader and Boba Fett also made an appearance, and the Fire Truck also shot their hose off, which felt great after sitting in the sun for an hour. In order for the parade to last that long, the parade had to come back the way it came. So there was no fear of missing anything. Ha! The kids had fun, except for Aubrie, who was not feeling well. She had a bad headache. I think she had altitude sickness.After the parade, we all gathered at a nearby park while the kids played and the adults socialized and played cards. At the park, the Firemen put on a BBQ fundraiser, so Ben waited in the FOREVER long line (I think the whole town was there) for the food, while I stayed at the playground with the kids. After lunch, Sophia was on the verge of a breakdown, so we rushed back to the hotel to put her down for a nap. While she napped and I read my book, Ben took the kids to swim. They didn't stay long, since the chlorine levels were off the charts. The kids came back with burning red eyes! I should have brought their goggles! We had dinner at 6:00 in a grassy area in the RV park (two families brought RV's and the park was right by them!) The kids had a blast playing in the grassy area, and the kids actually ate some of the meal (Taco Salad). I was actually impressed how they never complained about the meals people made. They just just went with the flow. I guess Boston did say once, "Mom, when can I have some chicken. You know like nuggets." I think he was confused why he wasn't getting his normal vacation menu! LOL After dinner we met in the hotel's conference room (which was just down the hall from our room...sooo NICE) for the talent show! Aubrie and Boston put on a comedy routine, Boston sang, "I Stand All Amazed",and caused several to cry including me (it's my favorite hymn...OK!), and Aubrie played a few of her piano pieces. Ethan ran up and gave them hugs each time they finished! Matt and Nicole put on a skit and introduced the coming of their new baby. It was cute, and everyone was surprised! After the talent show we all went to bed. Well.... I read a little first!:) It was a great day!

Parties and Movies

This past week hasn't seemed too busy, but I also felt as though I've accomplished nothing! The trade offs! We spent a lot of time around the pool, including Sophia. Since she started walking, she seems to be doing much better in the pool. She likes to play on the big step. Luckily, in the day, she doesn't "take off" on me, because the pavers are too hot for her feet. She tried escaping only a few times before she learned her boundaries! It's like an invisible fence! ha!

Wednesday I ran some errands with the kids which included getting fabric for my Mom's shower curtain (her surprise birthday present) and then I took the kids to Chick-fillet! They had a good time, especially Sophia, now that she could walk around the play center. Wednesday night, the Young Women came over for a swim party. The girls seemed to have a fun time, and it was fun getting to know some of the new girls, and leaders, better.

Thursday and Friday are a complete blank for me. I do remember spending one of the days around the pool for most of the day, our red skin attested to the fact. Even the neighbor kids came and joined us for awhile. They haven't been able to come over much this summer, so the kids were so excited to have them over. Friday Aubrie had her first Activity Day, which was a swim party. She took advantage of the fact that I wasn't around, and started back diving, again. She said she didn't remember Ben telling her not to do that! LOL That girl is an adrenaline junkie! After Activity Days I took her straight to Layken's birthday party. It was a late nighter, like Aubrie's . They swam, had pizza, watched a movie and did their nails. She was looking forward to that party all week. She had a great night! While she was at her Activity Day's Ben took the boys to see Batman- The Dark Knight! They really liked it! When they got back we went to Carumba's for dinner, and then stopped by Home Depot for some more bead board. Yes, we can't stop!!! So far we have done the girls rooms and their bathroom, the laundry room and now the boys bathroom. What can I say? I lived back east for way too long! I would have wood paneling throughout my whole house if I had a money tree! Anyway, we went with a natural wood panel this time, because their bathroom is a beach theme. It looks really cute! Ben has been a great sport the past couple of rooms! I think he might actually enjoy it now!:)

Saturday we got a lot of chores done around the house, and then my Mom, Aubrie and I went and grabbed lunch at In & Out, and then saw the Batman movie!! It was really good, much better than the first! Heath Ledger did an AWESOME job as the Joker! It was really long, and there were a few times I thought it was over, and then it just kept going! I felt like I was really getting my money's worth! Ha! Saturday night Ben and I went to Tom Allen's 40th birthday party. It was a surprise party held at Speed Street indoor race track! Ben and I have always talked about going there on a date night, but never got around to it! We showed up about an hour too early, so we spent our time in the arcade, (me whipping Ben at air hockey and me not even attempting to beat him at Ms. PacMan) and then I went over to help set up the party room. Susan had Olive Garden catered in for dinner, and then we had fun socializing and racing! The boys were too funny, analyzing every little reason they weren't faster than the other guy! Male egos! LOL It was a fun night! Ben and I will have to go there for a date night, and race each other! I'm sure he wants another shot at air hockey, too!

Sunday Boston came down with a fever so Ben and I played tag team, him coming home after his lesson second hour, so I could give my YW lesson. Turned out they had to set apart the Laurel presidency, so I was only left with 14 minutes to teach. Of course, I had a huge lesson planned, and panicked as I tried to cram as much as possible into that time. Not my best lesson! Oh, well! I hope they got the point! After church Ben and I took turns taking naps. While Ben was napping the kids all played "house", including Sophia. Sophia was like their real live doll, and they had fun dressing her up, etc. I think she liked being included! So while they did that, I got to catch up on my book (Work and Glory 5). Then it was time for my nap, and it was Heaven!!! When I woke up I scrambled to make a salad for dinner. Ben's Aunt Gail is in town, so we all went to Ben's parents for dinner. The kids did well, including Sophia. They kept themselves entertained to the point where I didn't have to watch them! It was a nice time catching up with Gail and a great time for the cousins to play. I wished we lived closer to Matt and Nicole It because the kids get along so well!

Today was a worthless day!! Boston woke me up early because he had a bad cough. He crawled in bed with me, which means restless sleep. Sophia went down for her morning nap earlier than normal, probably due to her late night, and so I climbed back in bed for 45 minutes while the kids quietly played video games (yeah, I know...Mother of the Year Award!LOL). Anyway, I got up to start another load of laundry, and then the phone rings. I look at the caller ID to see that it's the paediatric dentist! Instantly I remembered the appointment all three had, that they were already 30 minutes late for! Ugh! I made my apologies and told them I would reschedule when school starts! It's so hard to get a good day, and I blew it! Oh well! Life is way to good to get worked up over missed dentist appts, right? I just feel bad when I inconvenience someone else! Sophia took a huge afternoon nap (3 1/2 hours) and I went swimming while the kids watched Hercules. I kept begging them to come swim, and they weren't interested! What is wrong with these kids! Sick of swimming? How is that possible.? When Sophia finally did wake up, I took her out with me and we had a great time! The kids and Ben joined us right before dinner. Dinner was Hawaiian Haystacks, FHE was on Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and dessert was Jumba Juice (buy one get one free coupons on line right now!) Now it's time to start packing for the family reunion! I'm really excited for this one, because I think our kids will have a really good time! It's all about the kids!!!

Aubrie's Favorite Things!

Aubrie June 2001Aubrie April 2008

Aubrie and I had a Mother/Daughter day today! We went to Justice (of course) and hit many other stores in the out door mall. We had lunch at Chili's (her choice) and she got the ribs! She was very polite when she needed something from the server, and she acted so grown up. I realized how mature she is without the chaos of the other kids! I'm thankful for our time today! It really helped me appreciate her more, and the great girl she is! She really has been trying hard to be more respectful, dependable and helpful. I'm grateful for her!
Here are her favorite things!



KITTENS! -we just went to Petsmart today and she didn't want to leave. She knew she couldn't get another one, so she told me to call Krista so she could get one!

Food- Ribs, Steak, Life Cereal, and Pop Tarts

Zachary Montez

Webkinz- she can't enough. Especially since I don't' let her buy anymore! She has made her wishlist online, and has memorized them all! LOL

Dolls

Sophia (Sophia LOVEs her too!)

Spending time with Grandma Beverly

Reading to Grandma Beverly

Playing Lego Indiana Jones Video Game

Hannah Montana

High School Musical

Swimming

Diving

Her new SMALL hoop earrings

Staying up late and watching movies

Sleeping In!:)

Being needed!

Fun piano songs

Hanging out with friends

Text messaging Amber and Ben

Taking pictures

MY favorite things!

I figured since this is a journal I should record some of my favorite things! So here it goes...
-raindrops on roses
-whiskers on kittens
-door bells and sleighbells....ok...just kidding! I do love that song though and it drives Ben CRAZY when I sing it! Here it goes for real!

-Journaling:)
-Taking pictures of my kids, and of landscapes!
-my small camera
-Chapstick (original only)
-Reading (Anything Stephenie Meyers is my favorite these days; and also loving The HOLY Secret and any good parenting book)
-Traveling-wish it were Hawaii this year, but Sophia is too young!
-Newborn babies-could hold them for hours if I had the time (that's when being a Grandma will be so GREAT!)
-Serving in Young Women's (they make me feel young)
-Text messaging!
-80's music and the Wicked CD
-Watching Everybody Loves Raymond episodes with Ben before we go to bed (good, cheap therapy sessions!)
-Driving really fast with the right song, when I'm all alone in the car! Hee Hee
-Big Post It's for "to do" lists!
-Outdoor stuff (swimming, camping, hiking)
-Organizing (when I have the time! I love plastic containers!!)
-my hair straightener!
-hearing my kids laugh!!!!!
-a clean house!
-new decorations for my house
-air fresheners! ( creamy nutmeg wallflower is my absolute fav!)
-a good pedicure
-mint chip (has to be the green kind) or butter pecan ice cream
-summer salad and 1/2 chicken walnut sandwich from Paradise Bakery
-spoiling people that I LOVE!
My top 3 dream jobs would be, besides being a MOM (the best job, but most thankless)
1. Broadway Star (preferably for Wicked)
2. Motivational or Inspirational Youth Speaker
3. Pediatrician
Things I feel most thankful for these days, (Besides the Gospel...because that's a given)
1. MY Family
2. The last 3 Wards that have connected me with AMAZING friends!!!
3. Living in this Great Country
Things I hate the most these days
1. Getting up (still not a morning person)
2 Filling my Gas Tank
3. Getting my kids to read (summer has made them Lazy!)
4. Working out (why can't my body be firm without working out? It worked before I had babies!)

11:30!

11:30 is what time Ethan woke up Friday morning! That boy needs a good 12 hours of sleep, sometimes more. With our crazy summer nights schedule, of watching movies, swimming, etc., he sleeps in like a teenager! Friday we spent most of the day swimming and hanging around the house. I also got rearranged some things around the house. I was getting a little sick of my decorations, so I mixed them up a bit! It's amazing how changing a few things around can make a difference! Ben went golfing in the afternoon, which put him home close to 7:00, so our date night started late. Our date night consisted of Panda Express, a trip to the mall, and The H0me Depot! I wanted to paint our mudroom before we put cabinets in, and I wanted a "fun" color. I let Ben pick. You'll never believe the color he picked out! We got home around 9:30 and we put the boys to bed, and Aubrie and I fell asleep on my bed while Ben finished Twilight. I love that he is reading those books, and that he likes them. Now we have another thing in common!

Saturday, Boston had an early birthday party. The kids brought their bikes and went on a bike ride, had races, and "cleaned" their bikes. In Arizona you have to start something like that pretty early, in the summer anyway! While he was at the party, I got some shopping done and Ben started painting the Mudroom and sealing the tile! When Boston got home, my Mom was about to leave with Aubrie and Ethan for their Saturday "outing"! My Mom was glad that Boston made it back in time to go, but Aubrie wasn't! She started complaining and my Mom told her if she was going to complain she couldn't go. She cried and threw a fit, and said she didn't want to go because it wasn't fair that Boston got to do two things. We told her that now she got to do zero things and she was only punishing herself. When she realized that, she ran out the door trying to catch my Mom before she left. A few minutes later, Aubrie walks through the door huffing and puffing and crying, saying she couldn't' catch my Mom. I tried hard not to laugh! I could just picture her running down the street yelling, "Stop! Stop!" Aubrie then called her and I could overhear her talking to my Mom pleading her to come back. She convinced my Mom to come back for her and before she left she wanted me to hug her. I asked her what she learned from this and she said, "not to think of myself". Hope she remembers! They had a good time, going to the dollar store and having a nice lunch at Sonic, dessert and all!

While they were out, we took Sophia and ran some errands that included a car wash (which Sophia LOVED to watch), Sams (It was a great sample's day. We didn't have to get lunch afterwards!), and a stop at Walmart. We came home and Ben finished painting the room. Here's what it looks like! Again, he picked the color! I actually like it, and so does he. Cabinets will cover most of these walls, (floor to ceiling) so only a few spots will show! It's fun to have a small space no one really sees and you can have fun with it!

Last minute, we decided to have the Headrick's over for a BBQ and swimming. Kari made a yummy fruit salad and dessert, and we cooked up steaks and hamburgers! I was a little worried that swimming would be out, because a storm started to roll in right before they got here. Luckily the clouds passed quickly, and we had great swimming weather! It was a fun night for all of us!

Today was a perfect Sunday!! We only had to take Sophia out of Sacrament once, when she got her head stuck between the pew and the wall, trying to squeeze through to the next row! She started one of those "silent" screams, that comes out extra loud a few seconds after the fact. Ben got her in the halls before the scream actually came out! Besides that, she did pretty good. I look forward, however, when I don't have to constantly entertain her for an hour and 10 minutes! Ugh! My Mom stayed home today, so Ben came and put her down for a nap, while we finished the last two hours of Church.Ethan had the scripture today and was so shy and quiet, that no one could hear anything that came out of his mouth. It was still cute! Aubrie had the talk. She was very nervous about doing it. There is a boy in our ward that she has a HUGE crush on, and she didn't wan't to get up in front of him. I thought she would be alright, but as soon as she got up there, she froze and then melted behind the podium and started to cry! Ben gave her talk, while I took her out in the hall to calm her down. I hope she gets over this crush soon! It's making her CRAZY in church!

When we got home, Sophia was still napping and my Mom had cleaned up! AHH! One less thing I had to do! We had some lunch and watched The Best Two Years. Sophia woke up 1/2 way through, and she just hung out in the family room for the rest of it. After the movie, we enjoyed a nice family swim. Ethan is getting more brave, and started doing back dives off the diving board. The older two couldn't' let their younger brother show them up, so they started doing them, too! Today we put Sophia down the slide, and Ben jumped off the waterfall with her in his arms! She didn't seem to love it, but she didn't cry either! After about an hour, a storm rolled in and we finally went in when things were getting blown around. By then, Sophia was ready for another nap, and while she napped we all read. My Mom read a book to the kids and Ethan fell asleep. Guess 8:30 church is too early for him! LOL I got a few chapters of my Work and Glory book in. I am rereading the fourth book, because I don't' remember the details, and then I'm going to finish the series. Of course, I'm taking a break when Breaking Dawn comes out! Dinner was left overs, nice and easy! What a nice laid back Sunday!

LIving up to my Expectations?

When Aubrie was a baby, I told Ben she would start walking at 9 months, and she did. I said the boys would walk at 11 months and they did. When Sophia was 8 month old I predicted that she would walk at 15 months. Well, she turns 15 months in 3 days and here she is! I'm beginning to wonder if they were only living up to my expectations! LOL Sophia started walking "short stints" over the past two weeks, but today she started getting up from the ground every time she fell! Now she doesn't want to be held! Ugh!