Phantom, Girls Party, and 1700 pages!

What do these things have in common? They are all directly related to my neglect of this blog. After the whirlwind of Aubrie's baptism, I had to quickly gear up for a Ben and I's trip to Las Vegas. It was my anniversary gift, from him to me. It was a quick trip, up Tuesday morning and back Wednesday morning, with the main intent to see Phantom of the Opera. I have always wanted to see that play, and had a few failed attempts, which included a snowed in pass between Salt Lake and San Fransisco, over 14 years ago (is that how long it's been since I was a Sophomore in college?). Anyway, it finally became a reality, and in an amazing theatre, no less.
Luckily my Mom was able to get Tuesday off from work, and Nicole helped Wednesday morning. Nothing like having peace of mind when it comes to who's watching your kids! Our flight left early, 7:30, on Tuesday. We pushed it a little too much, and them sending my bag back to be checked, due to over sized "liquid" products (dang that Biosilk), didn't help things. Ben was great enough to go check it in, while I grabbed us seats on the plane (gotta love Southwest!). He had enough time, luckily, to grab me some Paradise Bakery, before the plane took off. Tuesday was a hot day in Vegas, which made walking the strip almost unbearable. We started off with getting a Taxi (we were staying at the Stratosphere) to the Bilogio. After sitting in traffic for 5 minutes and watching the meter hit 8 dollars and not going a mile, we asked him to let us off at Circus Circus. When we walked in, this lady at the front was so nice, overly, and asked us where we were from and why we were here. Ben told her we were here for our anniversary, and then she said she wanted to buy us dinner. Things seemed fishy to me, and as she brought her to one of her "helpers" I quickly realized this was for a timeshare. I stopped the girl mid-sentence and asked if this was a time share thing. She looked shocked that I caught on so fast and told me it was. I then told her that I only had one day vacation away from my kids (don't get me wrong I love them, but everyone needs a break) and I wasn't going to waste it listening to a time share presentation. We quickly got our Krispy Kreme doughnuts (our reason for the Circus Circus stop) and left for our journey down the strip.

I quickly was wishing that we had rented a car. The heat reflecting off the pavement, was almost smothering, and the fact that I didn't bring great shoes, left parts of my body aching. I felt like I had aged 20 years. We found reprieve from the heat, as we went in and out of Casino's that we liked. We walked the indoor mall of the Venetian (AMAZING!!). I felt as though I had stepped into a wormhole, and had left the casino. The had water going through the "mall" and gondola rides going back and forth on the waters. It really had a feel of Italy, except newer! We finally made our trek down to the New York Hotel, after avoiding a million people trying to get us to go to the Tahitian Village time share spill. Ben and I finally decided if someone asked us where we were from (their opening line), we would tell them we were from Tahiti to throw them off! Hee! Hee!

So we finally arrived at New York New York to ride the roller coaster, to find out that it was 14 bucks for one ride. We contemplated getting the 25 dollar pass, and riding it like 4 times, but we ended up playing Ms. Pacman in the arcade for about 45 minutes. Ben and I were laughing over how funny that was....flying to Vegas to play a video game. We then headed back, catching lunch at Panda Express (I wasn't in the mood for Casino food the whole trip) and the Roller Coaster at Circus Circus (only 7 dollars). When we first got to Circus Circus my head was spinning. It was so bad I had to sit down before I passed out. I think between the heat, smoke, and a cold that I didn't know was coming, really got me good! I probably shouldn't had gone on the roller coaster, but I am a roller coaster freak! When we got back to the hotel I took a 45 minute nap, and then we went to the pool for a few hours. It was nice to just lay their and relax. At first it was too hot, but once I got wet, the breeze cooled my skin and laying out was much more enjoyable. I could have stayed there another hour, but I had to get ready for the sow.
The show started at 7:00 and we hadn't eaten since lunch, so we got a quick snack at Johnny Rockets, at the Venetian (the same place Phantom was showing). I got a call from my Mom, and she said that there was a mix up at the school and Boston got left. One of the office ladies got him home, and everything was fine, but Ben got several calls from his Dad. I didn't quite understand why, because my Mom had already talked to him and he knew everything was alright. After dissolving that situation, we headed to the theatre. It was so beautiful, just like the one in the movie. The show was amazing! I was most amazed by the sets, and the costumes. Christine's voice was amazing, but the Phantoms was a little weak. He was also a little too dramatic for my taste, but it was still a very enjoyable show! I still am partial to Wicked, but I do admit that Phantom has them beat in all the special effects and the beautiful costumes!
After the show, we walked the strip to see if "O" was playing at the Bilogio. Unfortunately, it only played Wednesday's through Sunday's, a day too early! It was for the best. I was exhausted, and crashed when we got to the hotel. We had a 10:00 flight, which meant we had to be up by 7:30. We made it there in plenty of time, and that's when I started my 5 day (1,700 pages worth) addiction...."Twilight". If you haven't heard of the book series, I suggest you look into it! What a riveting, suspenseful series! Whew! The story of how the book was written is also amazing! The movie is also coming in out in December. You should check the trailer out!!! I started to really get into the book as we were landing, and couldn't wait to read it that night. Well, that didn't happen. When I got home, I got the worst headache and Ben had me lay down, it was so bad. I laid down at 5:30 and didn't wake up until 6:30 the following morning. I hadn't slept that much since college. I thought it must had been from the Casino smoke, and carried on like normal on Thursday. My head was throbbing a little, but I figured it was getting better. I managed going to Kayleen's dance recital, which had a few strobe light numbers, but luckily they warned us before hand, so Erin and I were able to close our eyes. I walked out of there feeling alright, and I dove into my book when I got home. I finished it around Midnight, and then started the next one, "New Moon", and read for about 1/2 an hour. The next day I read during naps, and when Sophia was up, I scramble around running errands to get ready for Aubrie's birthday party.
She invited 7 girls, and that was a perfect amount. The party was from 4 to 8, and the girls were still not wanting to leave when their parents came to pick them up. We started off with an hour of swimming, and then we ate pizza, opened presents and made ice cream cakes. I gave each of the girls their own ice cream sandwich, and then they decorated it with Redi Whip and sprinkles. They loved it! After they were done with their "cake" they played High School Musical Wii Sing Along, while I did the girls nails and toes, one at a time! I bought flower decals, so it looked like they went to the Nail Salon. They had fun picking their colors and their flowers. The Wii was not the best idea. Some girls got the idea, and others......well lets just say that their mouth was too close to the microphone and my head was pleading for mercy! After nails and Wii, I made popcorn and put in Hannah Montanna, while I quickly gave Sophia a bath and put her to bed. The girls then played outside a bit more, and then we handed out the party favors. I got a great deal on Webkinz (averaging about 6 dollars each), and I decided that would be way more cool than a bunch of plastic favors that would end up in the trash. I also HATE figuring out party favors...trying to get things I think they might like that don't cost a fortune in the end. My problem was quickly solved. Anyway, I made them draw numbers and then put them all in a bag. They had to close their eyes and I gave them 3 seconds to pull one out of the bag. That worked well....no complaining, no favorites...etc! After the "draw", we turned out the lights and they played hide and go seek! Most everyone was gone by 8:30, except Kate and Sarah, who I knew would be staying longer. They were all thrilled that they got to stay up "late" together. About 10:00 it happened! My head started to hurt. I figured it was due to the Wii Karoke, and I kept reading. Then around 11:00 I started to feel it, the sore throat, ugh! I finally went to bed at Midnight, leaving me with a quarter of the book left.
Saturday morning was a gift from Heaven! Usually, when Sophia wakes up she is ready to go, whether she gets a bottle or not! Well I got the normal 6:30 wake up call, and desperately tried the bottle trick. Miraculously she fell back asleep, and I woke up at 8:00, and her and Aubrie were still snoozing. I got a half an hour of reading my book before everyone woke up. I started my day feeling fine, the throat still a little sore, but nothing unbearable. I spent the day cleaning, and doing laundry, including the boys camping stuff...I hate that dirty campfire smell! So that meant I was washing blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, etc. That night we picked up some things for Mother's day, and that's when my cold took a serious turn for the worst! I still managed to finish "New Moon, and start "Eclipse", because I wasn't tired, but I still didn't feel so hot!

Instead of spending my Mothers day at Church, and with the kiddo's, I spent it in bed. I slept for the majority of the day, and spent the later part reading, just to try to keep me awake, so I wouldn't mess up my sleep schedule too horribly. Ben made me a wonderful Steak Dinner for Mothers Day, which included mashed potatoes, grilled mushrooms and onions, and Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake. I felt horrible, because I didn't have much of an appetite. After we got the kids in bed, we watched our Thursday recorded shows, and then we went to bed.

Today I wasn't as tired, but my head felt like it was going to explode. Too much movement, and too much noise magnified the pain. All I could do was lay there, so that left me to finishing off my 3rd book. It felt so good to get that series finished! I can't wait till the 4th book! I guess me being sick and not being able to do much more than lay there was great timing for reading those books. I have a problem when it comes to reading....I can't stop! I get so into the books, if they are really good, that it's all I can think about. I'm sure Ben was wishing it would have drawn out over a few games on TV, that way he could watch them in peace. LOL! Tonight I made and easy dinner, used the great new FHE book based on the Strength of the Youth pamphlet, again. This week was on gratitude. The kids LOVE the lessons, and I do, too! I highly recommend it to anyone needing fresh ideas. It's called, "Before they are Twelve".

Aubrie's Baptism!

***Warning!!! This entry will have a lot of detail, since I'm journaling such an important event!

Aubrie's Baptism was beautiful. I can't imagine it being more perfect! It was a beautiful, sunny day. I know that sounds redundant living in Phoenix, but it has been very windy and cloudy, lately. It was also under 90, so that was good! The baptism wasn't until 2:00 pm, so it was kind of difficult waiting around all morning, and timing things just perfect, (showers, hair, picking up the house, etc) but it all turned out wonderfully. My Mom and I took Aubrie to the church an hour early to take some pictures and get things set up. No one arrived at the building until 1:40. Then it was a mad rush to get things ready. We were lucky enough to get the Relief Society room, where the baptismal font is. So I was able to set up stuff there. I had printed out some nice programs, and set out her blessing dress, and a nice picture and poem entitled "Dressed in White", which talks about the three white dresses that Aubrie will wear in her lifetime (blessing, baptism, and wedding). After I got that set up, I took Aubrie to get her baptism jumpsuit on . It finally hit me, as I was zipping up that jumpsuit, that she was about to go into the waters of baptism. I held back the tears, amazingly!

After taking pictures of her, with all family members, we headed to the chapel for the first part of the program. Before it started, Aubrie was going around finding everyone she knew, saying "hi" and thanking them for coming. She was so excited to see everyone, and I realized how much it really meant to her to have people there to support her. When the program was ready to start she said, "Mom there are so many people who came that I wasn't expecting", with a huge smile on her face.

Sister Linda Hill, her old Primary president, gave a great talk on baptism, and then we all headed to the Relief Society Room for the baptism. I had to go behind a door to help Aubrie down the baptism font stairs. As I was helping her down, she had this huge grin of excitement and anticipation, that seemed to go from her head to her toes! It made me wish I could bottle that emotion, and let her see it later!! As I waited at the top of the stairs, I caught my Dad looking at me. He was crying. At that instant I could read his thoughts! I knew he was thinking of the day I was baptized and how things had come full circle. Of course, his crying was contagious and I stared to cry. Luckily, where I was standing, only my Dad and Ben could see me crying. Good thing, too, because it wasn't a pretty cry! ( Between my Dad and my Mom I really don't have any chance of not being a crier!LOL) I couldn't believe how fast eight years had gone! I was so proud of Aubrie and the girl she has become and the choices she has made. She was so excited for this day, and her enthusiasm was noted by all! After I got her dressed and hair dried a little, we went back to the RS room for the rest of the program, which included a talk on the Holy Ghost from my Mom. She did a wonderful job, totally geared it to kids. She gave some stories about when the Holy Ghost confirmed truth, warned her of danger, and comforted her! After my Moms talk, her Voice teacher, Monica Fawson, sang "What Heaven Sees in You". If you have never heard it, I suggest you look it up! It's an amazing song! After the song, a member of the Bishopric (brother Nelson) welcomed her as the newest member of the church and then we sang all 4 verses of "I Am a Child of God" I said the closing prayer, and choked up a little in the beginning. Besides that, I kept it together. I honestly thought I would be a crying wreck from the moment the program started. I think Sophia kept me distracted! The whole program was only an hour, which was perfect, since there were so many little ones that were there. Aubrie had a lot of friends and family that came! Here is the list, for Aubrie's journal! Grandma Beverly, Grandpa Dawson, Grandma and Grandpa Pribyl, Nicole, Carson and Shea, Craig and Jodi, Krista, the Krelyings, the Elcocks, the Frandsens, and Trimbles, Kayleen and Mauriann Brazelton, the Fawson's, her Sunday School teacher (brother Thurber), her Primary President (Sister Thornock), Bryson King( he played the piano).

After the baptism, we all congregated at our house for a BBQ and swimming. It was a great time! Aubrie had fun with all her cousins and I kept busy with getting the food out, taking care of Sophia, and cleaning up. That is the one thing about hosting get together's, there isn't as much time to socialize. After all the food stuff wrapped up, I was able to chat a little with everyone. The last of our guests left a little after 6:00. After everyone was gone, Aubrie opened her gifts. Everyone was so thoughtful to bring something for her. She got a few baptism bracelet's, a journal, some girly things (purses, lip glosses, etc) and some churchy things (book marks, "I Am a Child of God" sign, etc). My Mom got her some scripture markers, scripture stickers, and a pocket hymn book (with her name engraved on it). My Dad got her her own set of leather-bound scriptures, with her name engraved on it. She was so excited to get them! We spent the end of our evening putting about 25 of the stickers in her scriptures....it's not as easy as it sounds. I'm so glad she had such a wonderful day!

The Pribyl Holiday!

April 26 is known as the "Pribyl Day" amongst many of our friends. That's what happens when Aubrie's birthday, my birthday, and our anniversary all fall on that day! Ben always makes jokes like; "If I forget that day, I just keep on diving". I've heard that one so many times, and am positive I will until the day we die! Sophia was due on the 29th of April, but I was at ease, because I knew she was a planned C-section. So how did all these special occasions fall on one day, you ask? Well.....April 26th was the first Friday after BYU finals, and was the only day, that weekend, that Salt Lake Temple had an opening. So I figured, "what the heck! What a great birthday to remember!" Then 3 years and 4 months later, I find out I'm pregnant and my due date is April 26th. I wasn't even thinking that she would come on that day, because who ever has their baby on their due date anyway? Well, at midnight on April 26th 2000 I had my first contraction, and she came 9 and 1/2 hours later. My hospital room had balloons that said, "Congratulations", "Happy Birthday", and "Happy Anniversary". So there is the History of how "Pribyl Day" came about!

This year I celebrated my birthday with some friends on Friday. My friend, Susan, just had her birthday on the 18th. We combined our birthday celebration. It started with a early morning hike, 6:30am (Yikes), at the Sunrise Mountain trail. We then met up with some other friends, who didn't do the hike, at Paradise Bakery. It was a fun way to start the day. Nothing like a couple of hours of girl talk to start your morning! I had to cut out a little early because I had to head over to Aubrie's school to bring in cookies. I brought some Paradise Cookies (rip off!) and we all sang Happy Birthday to her. She was so happy that I came! Sometimes the simple things mean the most! When I got back, I hit a big wall. I was so tired! My Mom took Ethan out for ice cream, and to the dollar store to get Aubrie and I some gifts (he is so thoughtful), while I took a short nap!

Ben and I started our Friday evening helping the Moore's pack and load up their moving truck. They just closed on their new house close by, and I'm so excited about it! Terri, Erin and I served in the Relief Society presidency,when I first moved here, and had such a great time together. After that, we headed off to Scott Godown's birthday party, but not before Erin gave me my birthday present. She made me an apron out of the Fabric that I love (the kind Karlee Fuchs uses). It meant a lot that she spent the time to make it! I was laughing when I opened it because I had recently called a girl, who makes aprons, to see if I could special order one for Erin! We think so much alike sometimes, but lucky for her my birthday is first! LOL Apron's are my new thing! I seem to wear them all the time, when I'm home! Yeah, there have been a few times I have picked up the kids from school in one, but I don't have to get out of my car. They are just so liberating, b/c I feel like I can clean, cook, etc. and not have to be worrying if I'm getting dirty! Anyway, Erin picked up on that some how!

So back to Ben and I's date! We finally met up at PF Chang's to celebrate Scott's birthday, which was on the 23! We had a good time catching up with their friends, and we had a crazy time as usual. I'm sure the server thought we were nuts, listening to some of our topics of conversation. Scott got some funny gifts; one being a speedo, goggles and swim cap. He put the speedo over his pants (we were in the party room), and put the cap and goggles on. I told him he had to wear them out of the building. By the time we all left, it was 10:00! There weren't too many people around by then, but he still wore them all the way to the car! He is a funny guy! He could probably make a lot of money on bets! LOL

Saturday, the "26th", was a relaxing day! Ben woke me up at 8:00 and gave me my gifts! He got me the Twilight book series, a huge collage picture frame that had pictures of the kids in it, and Photoshop Elements! After the gift opening, we went out for breakfast! Aubrie chose McDonalds and I chose Paradise Bakery (yes, I know that is two days in a row!), so we went through the McDonald's drive through and the kids brought their food into Paradise! Sophia broke down fast, because she had been up since 5:20!:( So we finished quickly ate and headed home! The kids swam and I just relaxed around the house (I was sooo tired). Then I took Aubrie to Justice (her favorite clothing store) and gave her some money to spend. She came out of there with 2 cat Webkinz, a Hannah Montana shirt, and skirt/shirt outfit! When we got home we had a lot of visitors. Kayleen and her Mom came over with a card and gift, and then Trina came over with her kids. Kate and Sarah gave Aubrie some greeting cards with cats on them (a perfect gift for her) and then Aubrie showed everyone her new kittens. Trina got me an air freshener from Bath and Body that I have been meaning to get (she was reading my mind, too). Later that afternoon Erin and I went to visit a YW who had a birthday, too! When I got back, Ben took the boys out, while Sophia and I slept and Aubrie signed up all her Webkinz! I got a 2 hour nap and Ben surprised me by getting the car clean!

We ended our night with dinner at Texas Road House! When you have a birthday, they make you sit on this horse saddle while they tell everyone it's your birthday. Aubrie was so excited for that; she is not shy! They had me get on, too! Dinner was alright. Sophia was miserable, so Ben and I took turns walking with her. The kids had a fun time. One of those "balloon maker" guys was walking around, and the kids begged and we caved! Aubrie got this huge hat, and the boys got swords! We came home and put the kids to bed, and Ben and I finalized our night with a few episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond, and then I finished up the last of my Sunday School Lesson. (My goal is to be on track every week!)

So the "Pribyl Day" wasn't as crazy as usual, but it was nice! My friends either called or emailed me, and I felt loved! LOL I was impressed that Aubrie wasn't expecting balloons, streamers and a cake! She seemed content and I was happy about that. She will be having her big celebration next weekend, when she is baptized! Oh ya, Ben and I gave each other our Anniversary gifts, too! Ben planned a trip to Las Vegas to see Phantom of the Opera. We go the week after Aubrie's baptism. I'm very excited about it because I have been wanting to see Phantom since I was in college. Now I just have to get sitters!

Today was very busy! Ben had an early church meeting, but that meant soft seats for Sacrament Meeting! Church was good! The kids were a little restless at first, but things calmed down after the Sacrament, and Sophia made it all the way through! The Moore's spoke, and did a good job! Sophia did well in Sunday School, too, but I spent the third hour of church in the halls! Two out of three isn't bad! She is teething, terribly, and I'm surprised she made it that long. She hardly eats anything lately, and just wants her bottles. One minute she is fine and happy and the next minute she is miserable. She usually does well when she is upstairs playing in the toy room, or the kids rooms! She also likes outside! I can't wait until she feels better.

After church, it was a mad rush! Ben had his home teaching, then I had visiting teaching, then our home teachers came over, and then Ben had a Priesthood meeting! I felt rushed from the moment we got home until the kids were in bed! Thank heaven's kids go to bed earlier than adults! Once they were asleep, I finally felt like I could relax a few minutes before I put another load in the washer and had to come down to do the dishes! When I got downstairs my Mom had cleaned the kitchen and picked up the family room! What a relief!! I actually had a few minutes to sit and relax and talk with my Mom a bit before Ben got home! That was nice!

Here are the kids funnies for the week!!

Boston said in his prayer tonight, "Please let us have the Holy Ghost in this house, because if we have the Holy Ghost our family can stick together like glue!"

Ethan heard me coming back on Friday, from my "girls" breakfast, and thought I was my Mom. He had ran to the front door calling her name. When he realized it was me and not Grandma he started to cry and said he wanted to spend time with Grandma. I said, "Don't you want to spend time with me?". He replied, with a uncomfortable look on his face, "I want to spend a little time with you Mom, but a lot with Grandma!" I let him off the hook and asked, "Probably because I'm always here and Grandma has to work, huh?" He looked happy and jumped all over that with a big, "Yeah, that's right Mom!"

Tonight Ben and Brother Thurber (our home teacher) gave Sophia a blessing. Well Sophia is so picky about her hair. She does NOT like anyone touching it. As soon as Brother Thurber put the consecrated oil on her head, she started to cry like someone pinched her or something. I said, "She is so a girl; she is so picky about her hair." Brother Thurber's son got this huge smirk on his face, like "tell me about it"!

Aubrie is having fun with her cats. This week she put one in a diaper, another one in one of her doll tutu's and last night we found her sleeping on her floor, on top of a bunch of blankets, by her kittens bed! They were all snuggled up to her. We were amazed that she didn't roll over one of them!

New Addition..MEOW

Here are our newest additions...Angel and Tiger!

As you know, Aubrie's cat ran away! Aubrie called Ben up a few weeks ago and said, "Dad, I just want a kitten for my birthday." I really wanted a new kitten for her, that way it could bond to her from the start. I didn't really know how that could happen, because by the time they get to Petsmart they are pretty old. I said a little prayer that we could stumble upon baby kittens somehow. Well sometimes when you pray for something, the Lord "doubles" your blessings!

This past Thursday afternoon, I had just put Sophia down for her nap and noticed that Ben was in our room (home early from work). I could only see half his body behind the door and I asked him what he was doing home so early. He said, "Please don't be made at me". I figured he had bought something big and expensive, so I asked him what he bought. He came out from behind the door with two little kittens. They were all dirty and didn't look very healthy, but they were very cute! He said that he found them with a bunch of other little kittens, under an air conditioner unit at an apartment complex. They couldn't be more than a month old. We washed them up really good and Ben ran to Petsmart to get them food, a bed and a scratching post. They seemed to do much better once they got washed up and got some food.

When I picked Aubrie up from school I told her she left some clothes on the couch and when she went to get them (there were no clothes) there were the two kittens. She was so excited! All the kids love playing with them, including Ben and I! It's amazing how much better they are doing! Give them some shelter, food and attention and it's like you have completely different kittens. Now they are running all around and are so playful! Fun! Fun!

Well, what else has been going on?? Well, Friday we had dinner with some friends from the old Ward and then Ben and I did our normal Walmart stop! I'm ready for the new one to open!!!

Saturday was a nice relaxed day! We just hung around the house. The morning was a little over cast, so we hit the hot tub and by late afternoon things had warmed up, so the kids hit the pool. My Mom and I bought some nice flowers for the courtyard. It's becoming my little garden haven! It's nice that she is here to keep up on the watering! I like sitting out there when it's cooler and enjoying the waterfall and the flowers! One reason I'm dreading the heat! Saturday night Ben went to his "fight night" with his friends, while I prepared my church lesson. It was on cultivating extended family relationships!

Sunday went well. We didn't have to take Sophia out of Sacrament meeting, and the kids were well behaved. The sacrament song was my favorite, "I Stand All Amazed"! Aubrie and Boston know it well, because I sing it to them all of the time. As soon as they heard the intro, they scooted up to me and they sang the whole thing, really loud! It was so awesome to hear their little voices sing such a powerful song! My friend, who was sitting in front of us, said it was like there were angles singing behind her. (Maybe a little out of tune, though!) Ben took Sophia home during Sunday School, so I was able to listen to the whole lesson. It was on the Parable of the Olive Tree. I had read the lesson already, but learned some things I never knew before. My lesson went really well. I used a lot of scriptures in the lesson, as suggested by the leaders, and the spirit was so strong. A lot of us were crying and there were several who were holding back tears. The lesson really made me think about my Mom's side of the family and how I need to get in better touch with them, like the old days! I always seem to get so much out of the lessons I teach!

Yesterday was "just another manic Monday"....wish it were Sunday! LOL I took Aubrie to dance this time, while Ben stayed home and made dinner and prepared the FHE lesson. I got to see Aubrie's ballet dance, which is coming along nicely! I also snuck in a trip to the mall and some grocery shopping in between!

Tuesday my Mom had off of work. When Ethan finished his chores he said, "Can I go downstairs and see Grandma before she goes to work". I told him she wasn't going to work and he said, "Yahoo! Now we can do some puzzles"! My Mom watched the kids while I went Visiting Teaching and also while I had lunch and did some mall shopping with Kayleen. We haven't done anything in awhile, just us two. It was nice to catch up on life and just hang out! When I got home from that, I hit a wall. I woke up the night before, a little before 3:00 am and didn't fall asleep until after 5:00. I put the baby down and took a quick nap, while my Mom took Ethan out for a root beer float and to the car wash! It's a new one where you can sit in the car, and at the end you vacuum the car yourself. Ethan was in Heaven, vacuuming my Mom 's car! I was still exhausted when Ben got home, so he took the the kids out for dinner, while me and the baby slept! It felt great! He can really be a gem when he wants to! He took the kids to one of Aubrie's classmates, parent's restaurant. (Whew! Did tha make any sense?) There were a few Sun's cheerleaders there, and an ex- Sun's player. Aubrie and Boston got their picture taken with the cheerleaders and Ethan was too shy! Way to go Ethan! LOL The boys kept commenting on how tall the ex-player was and how he was like Goliath! They also came home with some signed posters from the cheerleaders. Boston tried to put the picture up on his wall, but I wasn't having any of that! They were half naked!

Thursday, Ben went with Aubrie on her field trip to the Science Center. They are hosting the Titanic exhibit, so they got to see that while they were there. Aubrie had a great time, and Ben was a trooper, sitting on a bus with thirty eight year old's for an hour!

Ok...now to catch up!

Last week....hmmmm....can I remember that far back! LOL Here is the quick run down with photos and funnies!

Thursday I was busy with life and getting things ready for company. I used to be fanantic, making sure the house was perfect when company came. Now I'm realistic! The house is going to get dirty when company come to stay, especially if they have kids, so why clean it? Of course, I tidied up and put clean sheets on the beds, but seriously...why mop floors, etc?! For some reason I didn't have time to go grocery shopping, so I hit Walmart and Sams at 8:00 at night and got the fridge stocked about 30 minutes before the Hellewell's arrived. We stayed up for a few hours and talked before we all went to bed.

Friday the kids still had school. So the Hellewell's went to visit their Grandpa, while Ben worked, and I got some more flowers and planters for out front! I probably should have started this project a few months ago, b/c now it 's getting really hot! When everyone got home, we went swimming until dinner. Mark and Kristin have a 8 year old boy, 6 year old boy and 2 1/2 year old daughter. The ages were great for our kids. Even the 2 year old played with Sophia. Aubrie was obviously the odd girl out, but she didn't seem to mind! The kids all had a blast! We were lucky to get the kids down by 8:00, and then we played cards to see who would drive to Sonic for drinks. Ever since we were in college we always played to see who would go to get "something".

Saturday morning we took the kids on a hike and then we swam. The Hellwells left around 11:00 to go visit a friend in Gilbert, who just had her baby. Ben and I laid around the pool and then Aubrie and Boston and I got ready to go to Sarah and Kate Frandsen's baptism! Aubrie was so exited she was beside herself. Aubrie was beaming the whole time! I'm so glad I took her! I think it really got her excited for her baptism next month. The kids bought the girls little journals and photo albums, and of course Boston was so excited to give them their presents! He was so distracted by the whole "gift giving" thing, I was worried he wasn't in "the moment". After the baptism I asked the kids what their favorite part was. Boston said his favorite part was when they "were putting their hand's on their head" (receiving the Holy Ghost), "and that he cried both times"! We'll I guess I was wrong....he was in the moment! What a sweet boy! The girls are going to LOVE him!

After the baptism we hung around to take some pictures and then we went over to their house. Just as we were heading over there, Ben called to tell me the Hellewells were back. When we got to the Frandsen's, I let the kids play a little and I helped Trina get lunch ready. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay for lunch, but I was happy to help out! They are great friends, and I was just happy to be a part of such a special day! When we got back we swam some more, ordered pizza and then put the kids to bed. We played some more cards, and went to bed!

Sunday went well. Sophia lasted through almost all of Sacrament and Sunday School. She wasn't having anything to do with the third hour, so I was walking the halls! I was glad to get the 2 hours out of her. That seriously is progress!! After church we just relaxed. It was nice!

This week I spent getting things for Sophia's birthday, buying clothes that fit (that's a good thing!:) and getting caught up on the house. Tonight was YW. We had a video scavenger hunt! It was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast! Some of the crazy things we had to get on film included, getting strangers to sing YMCA , getting a cop to Sing "Bad Boyz", and giving a stranger a noogie! We then came back and watched the videos and had treats!

Here are the family funnies for the week!

Ethan brought his Buzz Lightyear phone to church. It's so old, so it doesn't make any sounds. He just loves to pretend it's a real cell phone and talk to imaginary people. Before sacrament started he was "talking" on his phone and then handed it to me. He said, "Mom, it's for you". I asked him who it was and he said "it's John the Baptist!" LOL

We were driving home from picking Aubrie up from dance. I took all the kids in, for once, so we could watch her dance. As we were driving home Boston told Aubrie that he thought her dance teacher was ugly. Ethan piped up and said, "No! She is gorgeous!"

Monday Ethan and I were painting. I was making a lovely scene of the ocean and then I look over at Ethan's to see a huge grey square with all these colors mixed together. I asked him what he made and he said it was a TV! It doesn't stop there. On the way to pick up the kids from school he had to take his "TV" in the car with him. I forgot to ask him what he was watching! Ha~!

Ben got some little colognes for Christmas that he never uses. So I gave them to Boston and told him to keep them in his bathroom, for him and Ethan. The boys usually use cologne on Sunday's. Well, while Aubrie was at dance Boston comes downstairs, after doing his chores, smelling like a whole bottle of cologne. It was so strong I couldn't even sit by him without getting a headache! I can't think of anything funny with Aubrie, but she is really enjoying the piano and really knows her ballet positions. Oh, she was making me laugh when I went to her dance studio. Aubrie Jazz dance it to a Hannah Montana Song. She was singing it the whole time they were performing the dance for the parents!

Looks WHO's 1!!!!

Hard to believe that Sophia turned 1 today! Time has gone by so fast. I can't even remember being pregnant and her delivery seems like another life. Funny how that works! I know God works it that way so you will have more:) Sophia is my first child not walking by her first birthday. Aubrie took her first steps at 9 months, Boston and Ethan 11....and then there is Sophia. She is happy to crawl and when her bare knees hit the ground (when I have her in shorts or dresses), she lifts up her knees and crawls with her feet and hands! I'm alright with her not walking, because once she does I am in trouble! She is just like Aubrie; very active. She won't sit in the grocery carts, wants to explore every cupboard in the house, and won't sit still on any ones lap longer than a few minutes! Because of that, I'm really surprised she isn't walking yet. It probably has to do with the fact that she is so little still. She is my first kid to still be riding in the infant car seat. I just bought her the cutest brown and pink car seat (yes, over indulging...she is my last you know) and when I read the instructions it said it was for kids over 22 lbs! Will she be in it before she is two? LOL Will she ever get to turn around and face the front? The kids are excited for that to happen because then she will get to "watch movies". Yeah right! She isn't the least bit interested in that!

Today, for her birthday, I decorated the house with some cute wall cut outs and banners. I made a simple cake and one of her favorite foods...Pennie Alfredo! The kids were so excited for her birthday "party". They were a little disappointed when they found out it was just our family. They thought the cousins, aunts, uncles, etc...were coming. I told them she didn't know the difference, but I didn't think about how it would have been fun for the kids. It's funny how Aubrie and Boston had these HUGE birthday parties, when in fact we had no older kids to really enjoy them. I guess I should have switched things!! After dinner, we sang Happy Birthday and gave her her cake! Sophia tried using the fork a bit. Then she tried using her hands, and then resorted to licking it! After cake, she opened some gifts. The kids were so cute about gifts. This morning the boys were up early (6:30) making her a gift. Boston took a plastic container, that holds some of his toys, emptied it out and put his baby blanket and Mickey Mouse hat in there. He got an old card and wrote on it. It said something like, "Happy Birthday Sophia. We hope you have a happy day. Love Boston and Ethan". Aubrie gave her one of her stuffed animals. Sophia wasn't very interested in it because Aubrie wanted to give her gift last and by then Sophia was into her toys and not very interested in a stuffed animal. Aubrie's feelings got hurt and she started to cry. I explained that she would love it when she went to bed and that she was distracted by the "noise" toys. She felt better after that! Ben and I got her a See and Say and a little piano. She really liked the piano. After presents, she got to play outside a bit in the sand box. Wow! I still can't believe a year ago she was just an infant in my arms! What a sweet little girl.

She laughs when you sing to her

She likes eating peas from a can, strawberries, avocados, grapes, blueberries, meat, and yogurt

She looks like Aubrie

She likes to the Ball Popper and knows how to work it!

She likes putting things in her mouth, especially paper

Refuses to use a sippy cup! Ugh!

Rocks to music

Hates being in a room by herself

Tries to climb anything and everything

This is what she was up to while I was taking a shower the other day! Look at that devious look!

A week late!

***to save you from confusion, this email was written a week before I posted it!:)
I just emailed a friend, telling her that I felt like I was living in one of those "life comes at you fast" commercials! I think between all the traveling last month, and all the stuff coming at us this month, (3 birthdays, an anniversary a baptism, and more) I'm running faster that I have strength! This week is no exception. Monday morning my Mom watched Sophia while I ran a million errands, which included me hauling 2 huge pots for my front patio into a Sams cart! Luckily they had a nice man there to help me load them in the car. He was a sweet worker with a terribly bad stutter, and it took him about 30 seconds to tell me I had a nice smile. That made my day! Of course. I had to buy flowers and dirt for the pots, and since we live in Phoenix, I had to plant them immediately! Ethan helped me and had a lot of fun doing it! It was a great Mommy/ Son time! Aubrie had dance as usual, and we had a nice steak (from Sunday night) fajita dinner and FHE to follow. Boston read the lesson and the kids behaved themselves! Yeah!


Yesterday included a trip to the Church Book Store. I got Aubrie's scriptures (all the kids will get their own engraved set when they are baptized), some gift cards, and a new parenting book. I'm always a sucker for parenting books. It's called "Have a New Kid by Friday". I like a lot of it's principals, and I have already started implementing them. It seems to be working!:) I really don't believe that one particular program is a cure all, but I feel that you can gather many positive things from many sources to aid the parenting process along! Tuesday night I totally spaced a girls camp meeting, while we all went hiking up on the mountain trails by our house. It was a beautiful evening, nice and breezy! The kids did well, until Ethan fell right on a cactus. The poor kid had it all in his hand, and didn't cry at all while I was pulling them all out. A few minutes later he started to whimper, and by the end of the hike he said, "my hand is all better now"! We are just thankful he didn't land head first! When we got home we watched American Idol (Aubrie was surprised that she couldn't watch it since she didn't finish her chores....credit to the new book). I never saw her get them done so fast! She ended up catching the last 15 minutes. After the kids were in bed, I ran over to Erin's so she could help me with Aubrie's baptism announcement. My computer crashed, and Ben's is giving me some problems! I think I might be ready for a Macbook!


Today started early, and is still going! Here is the quick rundown. I had a nice wake up call from Sophia at 6:15. I then laid in bed for another 10 minutes and then got up and showered. I left the house at 7:40, to go to the temple. It was a girls trip, (Erin, Trina, Karolyn, Amy, Marji, Jen Sharp, and I). It was fun chatting there and back. We stopped at Cafe Rio...very yummy, and a ribbon store (where I amazingly bought NOTHING! ). Landed back in Peoria at 2:15, took Erin home, picked up the kids from school, took them to piano, picked up Ethan from the Walters, came home and laid down for 10 minutes, got up to make dinner, met up with the YW to celebrate another YW's birthday, came home and put the kids to bed, ran a gift to a friend, came home and got some hugs and squeezes from Sophia (totally loving it!), worked on Aubrie's announcement and now I am here...WHEW!!! I need to go to bed! Did I mention Ben was out of town?

Amongst all the running around today, I was totally noticing and appreciating all the kids special personality traits and couldn't help to smile because of them.

When I told Ethan to go brush his teeth, for bedtime, I found him in the bathroom SERIOUSLY combing his hair! That's his newest thing these days...making his hair just so! I was thinking "come on kid your about to go to bed, I told you to brush your teeth", and then I took a moment to just enjoy the comedic moment!

Aubrie came out of her bathroom with Sophia in her arms, and Sophia's hair was all wet and made into a mohawk! It was the funniest thing and I couldn't stop smiling inside! I really think that Aubrie thinks that Sophia is her life size doll!

I tell the boys that if they go right to bed, and don't' get out, they get to put a quarter in the "Disneyland" jar. Tonight, after putting them to bed, I heard some commotion upstairs and walked into their room finding things moved around. I told them they lost their quarters and walked away. Boston called for me and I told him I didn't want to hear it, and after insisting I said "Fine, what?" He said, "Mom, I just want you to know that it was me who got up not Ethan, and I don't' want you to take away his quarter". I felt so bad, but then his honesty made me smile!

Sophia took a long evening nap ( I had to wake her up at 7:15). She was up after the kids went to bed. Having that alone time and being able to focus on JUST HER made me smile!

Busy week..with a Conference finale!!!

This week has been pretty hectic! I was pretty much down for the count on Monday, trying to recoup from the trip. I also haven't been feeling very well. I have been feeling very fatigued, having stomach pains and feeling a little nauseous in the morning. NO! Pregnancy is impossible for me. I'm not sure whats going on, but I'll survive. I always do! The hardest thing was that I couldn't take it easy. The week was very busy and I had to push things in high gear to get stuff done! This week I hosted a baby shower for Leslie. I really didn't do much as far as food, every one pitched in and I just made a cake and got some food for the kids. Another friend got all the decorations, party favors etc. So I don't know why I felt busy. I still had to make her gift (hooded towls) and buy the stuff to make them. In between all of that, I had loads of laundry, a house to pick up, a meeting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night. The shower was Thursday at 11:00 am, and seemed to take up most of the day, setting up, actually having it, and then clean up. My Mom was a gem to help with it all, and it was a great time. I was glad that I could help out and host it! So I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I guess when you sit around relaxing all weekend, throwing yourself back into real life isn't the easiest thing!

This weekend was Conference weekend. It was a great General Conference! It was a little hard for me to accept the fact that I would no longer get to see sweet President Hinckley's face! On the other hand, President Monson is amazing! His humility and gratitude for the support during the solemn assembly was endearing, and the words spoken on his account were all so supportive. The talks given during the second session were my favorite. They focused on very specific and basic principals of the Gospel. Elder Ballard gave a great talk on Motherhood, which really gave me much to think about. His message was to mothers of small children. He said that the time you have with them when their little ( the developmental years) is so short , and to be careful how you spend that time. He cautioned us to not busy ourselves with things that can be done in a different season of our life. It is so true, so this is my last blog entry! Ha! Just Kidding! This is actually my way of preserving those sweet memories. I did realize that there are things that I can cut out of my life, that I can do later or not at all. As I was taking some pictures for Aubrie's baptism announcement, I sat there in astonishment at how fast 8 years have gone by. It seems like yesterday that she was Sophia's age. Then as I was rocking Sophia, tonight, I thought how quickly the next four years will go by, when I'm sending her off to school! When I look back at that time I would rather have put my talents, interests, etc. on hold, instead of regretting the time I lost with my sweet little Sophia, and the last year I have with my cute Ethan, before he goes off to school!

Tonight we had a few couples over for dinner. It was a nice visit. Ben and I keep saying how we should have at least one family over for dinner a month. I'm always so lazy to get things going, but once they come over I always have a great time. It's just a great way to get to know couples better. They were here until 7:30 and then we put the kids to bed!

Here is the 411 on the kids!

Boston...Was sad when his "girlfriend" had to go on yellow this week, is currently on his 5th Junie B. book (he keeps asking me how many Aubrie has read); got his first Webkinz and is anxious to get on the computer to feed him (it's a tan dog and he named him Jack Jack); jumped in the pool with his clothes on today (along with the rest of the crazy family); put a dollar and some candy in Kate and Sarah Frandsen's birthday cards that Aubrie made for their party (always so generous and thoughtful); and told my Mom that he was going to be an actor when he grows up because he is the "best actor in the world".

Aubrie...Was too tired to go to dance on Monday after a long plane ride home on Sunday; was too embarrassed for me to listen in on her voice lesson (is this the Aubrie I know?); went to Sarah and Kates birthday party and had fun painting nails, a pot, and doing girlie things; insisted that I buy her seeds on Saturday so she could grow them in the pot she painted, wrote in her journal that she thinks she is rich (she just got 10 dollars...ha!).

Ethan...told my Mom and I that he likes to "build things, clean things, and play in the kitchen" (what kind of profession fits all three?); did all his chores on his own while I was sleeping in Monday morning; randomly has been coming in the room where I'm at and saying, "Mom, I love you" and then blows me a kiss; had fun going to the outlet malls with Mom and getting pizza and playing in the play area!

Sophia...has been gracing us with 6:00am wake up calls; bottom teeth are growing fast; climbed the ladder on the play set outside; started doing the "crab crawl" since I put her in shorts; stood by herself in the middle of the room; fell in the pool (with me watching her of course). She didn't go near it after that; laughs when we sing to her!

Here are my two girls! Eight years goes by in a flash!!!!

Raliegh Trip

Aubrie and I just came back from our first Mother and Daughter trip, since she was an infant (which really doesn't count since she can't remember it!) Our good friends (more like family) from Raleigh are having their second baby. It's a very exciting time for them, especially since they have been trying for many years to have another baby. Did I mention it was a "he" and they are naming him Dawson (my maiden name if you didn't know!) I decided to surprise Abbie and fly out for her baby shower. Since Aubrie LOVES the McGee's, and gets along with Sydney (their 7 year old) so well, I decided to bring her with me. Aubrie was very excited for the trip!

Since our flight left Thursday, at noon, we had to pull Aubrie out of school most of Thursday and all of Friday. Aubrie was very excited for the plane ride. She used to fly all the time (we counted over 20 times at one point) before we moved to Phoenix. Once we moved here, there weren't any Christmas or Thanksgiving trips on the agenda! So the last time she flew was when we went to Raleigh when she was 4 1/2. So flying is a distant memory for her. Unsurprisingly, she was trying to be very independent the whole time. Wanting to help carry luggage, find her seat on her own, and figure out where our gate was etc. We had about an hour to kill, so we got some lunch at the Starbucks right by our gate, and sat down and played Go Fish. Every time we passed a Starbucks in the other airports she would say, "I love that place"! What did I start? I can just see it now at the next Testimony meeting. "I just loved when my Mom and I hung out at Starbucks together...blah, blah, blah". HA!

Finally it was time to board, and she was a little nervous to take off. The fact that the landing gear was making a popping noise, really didn't help matters! Once we were in the air, she was fine! She spent the time listening to her ipod, reading, and playing card games. I spent my time doing the same. She also liked looking out the window. The guy in our row was nice enough to switch seats with her...I'm sure he liked the aisle better!

We had a layover in Memphis and got some pizza and played some more cards. Our flight from there to Raleigh was on a little commuter plane. It was very small, and Aubrie kept making comments about how small the bathroom was, etc. Luckily the flight was only a little under 2 hours. We arrived in Raleigh at 10:00 PM and Jason was waiting in baggage claim to greet us. It was a nice surprise, much better than curb pick up! It was also nice that I didn't have to carry all the stuff to the curb by myself! Aubrie was excited to see the luggage come down the shoot and she was very anxious to find ours and "try" to get it!

We got to their house about 10:30 and Sydney woke up and shot down the stairs as soon as Abbie whispered to her that Aubrie was there. We didn't see Aubrie and Sydney for a few hours, after that! Jason, Abbie and I stayed up talking till about 1:00. The girls spent the night up in the attic, and Aubrie was in heaven with Abbie's new baby kitten. Who knows how late they were up. I took an Ambein and was "out" by 1:30!

Unfortunately, I had an early morning wake up call. At 8:30 the girls were up singing to the High School Musical Wii game. It resonated through my bedroom making it impossible to sleep. Remember now that 8:30 translates into 5:30 Phoenix time! I still laid in bed and finally was able to get another 30 minutes of sleep. Friday consisted of just hanging around the house, which was GREAT! Sometimes the best vacation is where you do nothing! The Shower was at 7:00 that night. It was at the Henderson's house (friends from the area). They did a lot of things to the inside of their house since we were there last, so It was nice to look around at the improvements. I also got to catch up, on life, with a few friends. It was nice to see a few familiar faces, even though a few is all there was. I also chatted a bit with their neighbors, who lived in Phoenix for 5 years. The commented on how they loved the weather in Raleigh. Who wouldn't, after living in "hell" 6 months out of every year! They asked me how I liked Arizona and they were surprised to hear that I liked it. Of course, so was I! Ha! I told them it wasn't the summers that sold me, but the great winters, our friends, and our church members. The shower wrapped up around 10:30. We headed home and hung out for a few more hours, including Aubrie and Sydney. By 1:30 I gave up on falling asleep and took an Ambien!

Of course, I had to take a picture of the cake!

Saturday started at 11:00am for Aubrie and I! It was very nice to sleep in! AHHHH!! Again, we didn't do too much on Saturday. We went to Target and I helped Abbie with things she might need to prepare for the baby and then we got some lunch at Hibachi Express, one of my favorite food places out there! YUM! Then we just hung out at their house, and played some cards later that night! Aubrie and Sydney were still having a ball. There was a little drama when a neighbor girl decided to join them (3 is never a good number with girls this age!). They got over it quick, and played Webkinz together until the wee hours of the night, while we played Canasta (yes we are starting our retirement years early!!:) We used to play Canasta with the McGee's when Aubrie was a baby and Abbie was pregnant with Sydney. We would play till 2 in the morning sometimes! When I imagine our retirement days it always includes the McGee's and countless hours of cards!
Sunday we slept until 11:00, again. Still remember we didn't' go to bed until 2:00 and that 11:00 is 8:00 our time! Church started at 1:00 and so we only had a few hours to pack and get ready for church. Aubrie loved going to a different primary! She was gleaming when they asked for visitors and she got to stand up front while they sang to her! I guess when you think of it, she really has never done that! I snuck out of 3rd hour (which is their wards first hour) to find some friend from our old ward. When I walked in the Chapel it was so surreal! I didn't recognize anyone! I finally found the friend I was looking for and after that only ran into one other familiar face! Then when we got into the McGee's second hour (which was the first ward we were in when we moved to NC) there were only a handful of familiar face. The whole 3 hour block just felt like I was in an unfamiliar place. It just didn't feel right and then I started getting sad, realizing that the place had changed so much and if we came back it wouldn't be what we once knew. Then towards the end of the testimony meeting, one of my YW when I was a Beehive leader in the ward, stood up and bore her testimony. She thanked every one of her teachers she had every had and wanted them to know how much she appreciated them since it was her last Sunday before she went off to college. (I guess Spring semester?) I then realized how much time had passed since I was in that ward, and how wards do change! Then it was affirmed to me, once again, how North Carolina is no longer the place for us and that we are right where we are meant to be! Though sometimes I feel as though I want to run for the hills, this is the place for us! Of course, I miss the trees, our few good friends that remain, being an airplane ride from family, the sweet southern smiles and the the South Carolina beaches,....oh and the not so hot summers, but for now Peoria is where we need to be! Retirement is a different story! Ha!
After Church, we rushed home, packed up the car and headed to the airport. Jason was a gentleman, parking and carrying in our luggage and walking us to security. I was glad, once again! Aubrie was sad to leave Sydney, and it came out in her behavior. She wasn't listening to anything I told her and was being more defiant than ever. When we got on the plane a girl let her have the window seat and in turn I had a 30 minute conversation with her. She was a young girl, barely engaged to a air force boy leaving for Iraq. She offered up the whole story and then the drinks came! By then, Aubrie softened up until I told her she needed to read. She fell asleep reading. Aubrie slept the second half of the first leg, which landed us in Minnesota. I looked for the Mall of America as we were landing, but I couldn't spot it! Aubrie and I got a quick dinner at Chili's Too! Then we walked half the airport to catch our connection. Aubrie and I played Seven's for about an hour, and then she fell asleep. I talked with the guy next to me, who was a Pilot, so I got some cool info on airplane stuff. Then I tried to sleep, which is impossible for me! We finally landed at 11:15 and got home and in bed around 12:45. Whew! It was a long day and Monday was tiring! It was a nice trip! It was nice to relax and not run around, and having such good friends that we felt comfortable just doing hanging around the house! It was also a great time for just Aubrie and I! Thanks Ben for holding down the fort for our little "get away"!

Lost Kitty?

While we were gone on our trip, my Mom realized that she hadn't seen Aubrie's cat in awhile. Saturday, she looked all over the house and couldn't find her. She called me on Sunday and told me that she hadn't seen her, but I wasn't too worried about it because this has happened before. Well, Aubrie's cat has not returned and Aubrie is, in her own words, "heart broken". Tonight I had to lay down with her and rub her back and head until she fell asleep. She slipped a note in through our bedroom door that said, "Could one of you lay with me? I miss my cat and am heart broken. I don't think I will ever get over it, and it will take at least a week for me to stop crying." After that, I couldn't not go lay down with her.....so pathetic!:( This is the second cat we have lost this year. I'm beginning to think there are coyotes camping outside of our yard. I'm still praying that Maggie will return. She was so good for Aubrie. She slept with her every night, always came when she called her. She loved Aubrie so much. she would wait outside her bedroom every night while I read with Aubrie, and would run in and jump on her bed as I would leave. People say that cats aren't smart and that dogs are a mans best friend, but I beg to differ. She was amazing. For Aubrie's sake, I pray that she comes home!!!

Utah in 4!

We just finished our four day trip to Utah! At first I wasn't sure if two days in Utah was worth two, 10 hour days of driving!! But, because it was the kids Spring Break and we have been wanting to get up there, I decided that we would make it work. I was starting to second guess our decision 2 hours into the trip. Just out of Flagstaff, Sophia started crying and cried for 30 minutes straight (more like whimpering....so pathetic) until she finally fell asleep. I thought, "If it's going to be like this for the next 8 hours I don't know if I can handle it!" Luckily, she was a gem the rest of the way. We made a lot of stops, so I think that helped.

Aubrie orginal!:)

We finally stopped at Moqui Cave, just out of Kanab. We see it ever time we go that way, and I always wonder what's in there. It wasn't what I expected...mainly just some antiques and crafts. The back of the cave was dark and they had fluorescent lights and lots of different rocks. I was expecting it to be like the Timpanogas cave; stalagmites, stalactites, etc... The kids still had fun, and they each got something from the gift shop. Aubrie got some colored rocks. Ethan got a cork gun. Boston got this awesome coons skin hat. He wore it the WHOLE time we were in Utah. Everyone got a big kick out of it! He even tried to wear it to bed. Gotta love that kid!

We also made a stop in Beaver, at the cheese factory. We got the famous "squeaky cheese", also known as curd cheese. We call it that, because it squeaks when you eat it. We also bought a magnet paper doll kit for Aubrie while we were there. She really liked it and she helped so much with Sophia on the ride up, it was kind of our "thank you".

With all the stops, it ended up taking us 11 hours to get to Provo. An hour before we go thIt was a nice trip! I prefer the stops because it made it feel like we didn't waste the day "just traveling". Ben is getting better at enjoying the ride, instead of driving straight through! When we got to Provo, after a quick stop at Krispy Kreme, we headed straight to the hotel and went swimming in their heated pool. The kids had a lot of energy to burn, and Sophia was so happy to be crawling around. We then came back to the room and put Sophia down. Ben headed out with the boys to get some groceries, and Ben surprised Aubrie and I with Ribs from the TGI Fridays, that is part of the hotel. That is one of Aubrie's favorite foods and she kept asking him for them. She was complaining when she didn't think she was getting them, and then when they showed up at the door she started to cry. I asked her why she was crying and she said, "because I feel so bad that I was complaining". Maybe she learned her lesson?!

Friday was a FULL day! We finally got out of the Hotel at 10:00, and our first thing on our agenda was to check out the house Ben and I lived in when we were first married. Last time we went by (last year) there was some fire damage. Now there is a new duplex in its place. After that, we headed up to see Grandma and Grandpa, but they weren't home. Ben then stopped by to see his old boss from the Frontier (a truck stop he worked at in College). We then headed up to Salt Lake. Our first stop was at a restaurant that Ben's college friend, Hans, is a chef at. It's an upper scale restaurant (mainly seafood). We weren't planning on eating there, but after he invited us in to eat , we couldn't refuse. I was a little stressed out at first, with the four kids in a nice place, but luckily after the first 10 minutes the natives settled down, and it was a good experience. The kids actually ate their salads, and most of there meal. Sophia was happy to gnaw on some bread, and we were able to make it out of there without any major breakdowns! Hans was nice enough to take care of the bill...I should have got the Lobster! LOL

After that visit, we headed up to the "This is the Place" monument! We have never been there in all the time we lived in Utah. It was cold and windy, so we quickly walked the grounds and headed back to the car. We then went to Temple Square and visited the North Visitors center, and then walked around the temple. I love that temple!!! Not just because we were married there. The history, hard work and all the service people rendered to build it just amazes me! We are so spoiled in these later days!

Here is one of Aubrie's

"orginals"! All the kids

took their turns on the

camera. I love this picture

that Aubrie took and the fact

she was paying close attention

to the prints on His feet!

After the temple, we headed to a Horse Facility that Han's wife (Priscilla) manages. Boston and Aubrie got to ride a horse in their indoor arena. Aubrie was so excited and wanted to ride longer. She kept saying how she wants to take lessons....yeah right! Boston was a little nervous at first, but ended up having a good time after a few minutes. Towards the end he did one of his "Ye Haw's" as he was swinging his coon skin hat in the air! What a performer. We then got a tour of the stables. It was a very nice facility!! After that adventure, we tried Grandma and Grandpa again, only to find Grandpa there. We visited with him for about and hour, while the kids played in the tree house in the backyard and Sophia happily motored around the house.

After our visit there, we had dinner with Ben's Uncle Jim and his family. They have two younger boys, who are 9 and 5. The kids had a blast playing with them in their backyard. The rest of the trip, they kept asking if we could go back there and play with "Douglas and Jackson". We kept telling them they would have to wait until the family reunion to see them again. They weren't too happy about that. I'm glad they will have something to look forward to when we go!

After our visit with them, we met the twins back at the hotel. Sophia was blitzed and needed to go to bed, so I stayed upstairs while they went swimming. When they got back we all went to bed. It was a long day!

Friday was almost as busy. We were planning on going to a Easter Egg hunt at Pioneer Park at 9:00 am. We slept in (I'm not complaining) and missed it. We scrambled to get over there because the sign said it was from 9 -11. We got there at 10:00 and it was already over. I have to say that I wasn't too disappointed because the park was PACKED! I think between that and the fact that it was so cold outside, it would have been miserable. So to make it up to the kids, we stopped at Walmart and got supplies to have our own Easter Egg Hunt. We took the stuff up to Grandma and Grandpa's, who had a fun time helping us fill the eggs and watching "the Hunt". We visited with them a bit more, and spent sometime listening to Grandpa play the piano, and then the kids played the piano and sang songs. We only stayed about an hour and 1/2 because Grandpa just got done giving a blessing and we knew he was pretty tired!

After their house, we headed up to "the BYU" as Boston puts it. We had lunch at the Cougar Eat and then we walked around the bookstore. Ben ended up buying matching shirts for him and the boys. When we got back to the hotel the boys didn't waste anytime putting them on. Sophia was so tired by the time we got back to the hotel, she went right down for a nap. After about an hour I joined her. When I woke up, the kids and Ben were gone. I texted him to see where they went, and he had taken them to the dollar movie to see National Treasure 2! I wished I wouldn't have gotten up! I was still tired, but woke up because I felt guilty that I had abandoned Ben with the kids, and he had taken them to the movie so I could rest. Isn't that the way it goes! I used the time, I had alone, to get the kids Easter baskets ready, so it all worked out! When they got back we got dinner at Wingers. They moved their location to the South Town Mall, which is a much better store/ atmosphere. The kids were full of popcorn, but amazingly ate their dinner. Aubrie was sold on another serving of Ribs and the boys loved that they had penne Alfredo! After dinner, we searched the mall for a toy store because Boston's money apparently was burining a hole in his pocket!! Both boys brought their wallets, and Bostons wallet was in his back jean pocket the WHOLE trip! They just wanted to buy something. They had a Game Stop in the mall, and he finally decided on a game that had a whole bunch of those 80's games on it (Pacman, Galaga, etc). It was a good pick, and Ben made up the difference in price. I told Ben that Boston has plenty of money and could have paid for it himself. Ben only made him pay a dollar. I hope they don't get a warped sense of how much things cost! LOL

After dinner, we went and got ice cream at the BYU Creamery. Sophia was beyond tired, so we took turns walking around with her. Amber and Amanda met us there, so the kids had fun eating ice cream with them. They were huge helpings and so Ben and I didn't order anything for ourselves, knowing we would have left overs to finish! Of course, Ethan ate all of his being he is the ice cream King, but Boston and Aubrie left us plenty to finish off. After the Creamery, we drove by the MTC and Ben took the boys inside to take some pictures. Then it was back to the Hotel for swimming, while I stayed in the room with Sophia. It was nice to have some peace and quite, so I didn't mind being up there by myself. When they came back, the kids played the new DS video game while Ben and I played cards with Amanda and Amber. Then it was bedtime!

The kids woke up to Easter Baskets full of Candy, bouncy balls (their "new" thing) and eggs filled with some money ($3 total). We then talked to them about Easter and then we packed up and headed for home. The trip home went very well. We only made a few stops for gas and treats, and Sophia did well considering she didn't have as many opportunities to stretch and crawl around. Ben did make a stop by some snow on the side of the rode, and they played in the snow for about 5 minutes. They sledded down on their bottoms... CRAZY!! Instead of taking a lunch break in town, we stopped off at a nice rest stop in the mountains, about 20 minutes out of Kanab. I made some sandwiches for the kids and they had fun playing and climbing the hill. Sophia loved crawling around on the grass and we were busy making sure she didn't eat pine straw. After about a half an hour, Ethan tripped over some type of sprinkler head and scraped up his face. That ended that picnic! We pushed through the rest of the trip, only stopping for occasional bathroom breaks and snacks. Sophia started whimpering the last half hour of the drive, but overall did so well!! When we got home, we played out back with the kids for about and hour, and it ended up in a water fight! That lead straight to bath time and then bedtime!

The trip turned out to be wonderful! Ben said it was one of his most favorite family trips. It was nice to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa and other family members, and just to have memorable times with our kids. There were so many funny things they said and did. Even though they can drive us crazy sometimes, they bring us so much joy and happiness. I just think of Boston's hat, Ethan's laugh, and Aubrie sweet motherly instinct as she took over with Sophia in the back. I'll end with funniest comment made the whole trip. Ben had to pull the car over to the side of the road so Ethan could pee. Boston was in the very back and couldn't hear what was going on. As Ben was pulling over Boston said "Dad, why are you pulling over? Do you have to fart?" (Not my favorite word in the world, but we couldn't control our laughter!)