Picture's Anyone?

Hope you like pictures, because there was a lot to catch up on!  Can you tell who dominates my camera these days?  

Here is Aubrie enjoying her last few minutes with her dance teams trophy, that she got to take home for the weekend!

Above is Aubrie's fellow dancers right before their Sun's game performance.  

Below....Boston cheering his sister on!

The train ride at the awesome park I discovered!

Ethan holding on to dear life.   He can ride Space Mountain, no problem...but a little train ride...WATCH OUT!

Feeding the Ducks!

.....and herself!!

A closer look!

Pure excitement!

Our first Easter Egg's with the kids!

Aubrie and Maya at the Hannah Montana Movie!

Getting ready for the Easter Egg Hunt.  Notice my kids and their heads!

Hate the shadow there....but lOVE the expression!

Trying to roll down the hill!

Michelle and I! 

Aubrie's Field DAy with her friends!

Flowers Sophia picked for me!

Boston's field day!

The "Shoe Kick"!  So funny!

Water Games!

Sophia's birthday!

Blurry, but love it anyway!

Gone too fast!

Wow!  Half a month flies by too fast!  April tends to be quite busy around here, with 3 birthdays (4 if I count my Dad's) and an anniversary.   Then top that with the kids activities, my calling, and just all the Mommy daily duties, and I barely feel like I have time to breath and find time for myself.   That just comes with the territory, and though there are days I want to run for the hills, there is no other place I can imagine myself.  I do want to throw something out there.... just because I'm curious.   For some reason it always seems like I'm having some type of struggle with one kid, and when they finally catch on and behave, another one takes their place and starts to give me grief.  Does this happen to all parents?  It's like they all get together and say, "Ok, so and so, it's your turn to give Mom and Dad problems and run free and wild, while we hold down the fort so Mom and Dad don't completely loose it."  It's a conspiracy I say, A CONSPIRACY!!!   

Besides the kids playing tag team with Ben and I, all is going well.  This month started off with Ben going up to Utah for Amber's (his youngest sister) wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, despite the snow.    I had to stay behind to hold down the fort, and make sure Aubrie got to her dance performance at the Suns game.  It was the same dance performance they did at the Mercury game, but this time is was the pre-game show, instead of the half time performance.  It was a long night, and headed off another week of sickness for me.   A sickness that deprived me of many nights of sleep, but somehow I made it through the week without being very tired.   

Last week, Ben surprised me with tickets to CATS!  It was supposed to be a surprise the day of.   Unfortunately,  I opened the package when they arrived, thinking they were our Depeche Mode tickets.   I felt bad, but "hey" I was still surprised!  I have wanted to see that play since I was a little girl, for obvious reasons (I am a cat lover).  We'll the play was very interesting.  It was a little hard to follow the words of the songs, but the vocals and dancing were AMAZING!   Overall, I'm glad I saw it.  Thanks Ben for a nice surprise.  

Hmmm...what else.   Oh yeah!  Easter!!   Easter was very nice. The day before, the Primary had a nice activity for the kids, that included; a message on Easter, singing songs, and having an Easter egg hunt.   They invited the nursery kids, so Sophia went and had a great time.  

Sunday morning started off with the Easter baskets.  Instead of the bunny bringing baskets every year, I just have the kids put their baskets out (like stockings) for the Easter bunny to fill.  This year I cut back on candy, only giving them a few small things.  Ethan got an Aqua Doodle, Aubrie got Pixo's and Boston got a Pokeman folder.   They all got Pokemon cards.  Boston told us he didn't believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny anymore.  I have tried all the tricks to make him think they are real, but he just isn't buying it.  It's actually getting Aubrie a little upset that he doesn't believe.   Guess his mind is just too logical.   Eventually I will have to tell him the truth and ask him not to spoil it for the others.  

After baskets and breakfast, we got ready for church.  I actually color coordinated the family this year in my new favorite.. kelly green.   Of course, I didn't' take a picture before church because that would make too much sense.   I tried getting some pics after church, but the kids were ready to be out of their church clothes, and of course the girls hair wasn't looking so hot!  Oh well.   

After church, the kids kept having their own Easter egg hunts in our backyard.  The person who found the most eggs got to hide them, and they just kept doing that over and over until it was time to go to dinner.  

For dinner, we went to the Lorenzana's and Marco's brother and his wife joined us also.  We had a nice Ham dinner, and then we took the kids to a green belt by their house for an egg hunt.  Since that took about two minutes, they spent the rest of their time rolling down a hill and having races.  It was a fun, relaxing night!  It reminded me of the nice holiday's we had in North Carolina with friends!  Here's to good friends!

April Fools!...but not really!

So last night, right after dinner, Boston was asking if he could practice his golf swing in the backyard.  I promised he could, since he was disappointed with his golf class.   Apparently they didn't get to swing at the ball as much as he had hoped.  Anyhoo, so after dinner, Ben got Boston's clubs out and let him do some practicing.  Of course, Aubrie can't be left out of anything, so she went out to participate.  As they were enjoying themselves with that, Ben and I were relaxing on the patio furniture enjoying the evening.  The next thing I know, Aubrie screams and hits the ground.  Apparently Boston's club smacked Aubrie right in face, unintentionally of course!  Ben ran over there to take a  look and started walking in the house to get her something.  I figured it couldn't be that bad since he didn't seem panicked.  When I finally  got over to her there was blood dripping everywhere.  I told Aubrie that she would need stitches as I was trying to angle her face so blood wouldn't drip all over her.  Boston came over to see what she looked like.  As soon as he looked, he yelled and ran off screaming that he was never going to play golf again, and that he hated himself.  Then Aubrie started crying harder because she was sad that Boston was so upset.   Through all of this, Ben still hadn't come back out!  I yelled for Ben, who leisurely was walking out with a paper towel, a band aid and bactine.   I told him to hurry it up with the towel, because the cut was bleeding bad, and  that I had to take her to get stitches.  

Aubrie started getting more emotional, and as I was walking out to the car was asking for my Mom to come with us.  She was also upset and worried about how much the Dr. Visit was going to cost us. (first time she ever seemed concerned about how much something costs us!)Luckily this all happened before Urgent Care closed (at 8:00) or we would be making a 1000 dollar trip to the ER!  The wait wasn't long, and we even got to watch some of American Idol while we waited. Ben showed up with the rest of the kids, because Boston wanted to bring Aubrie her Webkinz to help her feel better. (We had a good talk later about not hating himself,  and how accidents happen, etc)  Aubrie was happy to see Boston and that he was doing alright! The nurses we extra ornery and told us we couldn't have people going in and out of the room, so I told Ben to take the rest of the troops home and get them in bed.   Luckily the Dr. said he could glue it, so she didn't have to get stitches.  She was happy about that!  So while that would have been a funny story for April Fools Day, it really did happen!!!

On that note!  April Fools Day is one of my favorite holidays.  My side of the family has always been into coming up with the biggest prank, and not only on April Fools Day!  Playing jokes, scaring people, being sarcastic runs in my blood!  However, my real appreciation for the holiday really came when me and my college buddy, Tamzen, had fun one April Fools!  We would drive by people walking on campus and stop to tell them they dropped something.  As they were looking back we would drive off saying "April Fool's".   There were some other pranks we played, too, but would take too long to go into!  So since then, my love for this holiday has grown.  Just ask those who know me well.  My best prank so far is borrowing my pregnant friends pregnancy test, sealing it back up with a glue gun, and pretending to take the test with Ben right outside the bathroom door.  Boston was only 5 months old, and Aubrie 23 months!  That is the whitest I think I have ever seen Ben!  

So being this is one of my favorite days, what would I want most?  To pass on the love of a good prank on to my kids!   Today, when the woke up, I told them the school left a message on the machine last night.  They said a pipe broke and flooded the school, so class was cancelled today.  Aubrie didn't believe me at first, but once I got them going, they were so excited.  I started asking them what we should do.   If they wanted to go to Chuckee Cheese or the Zoo, etc.  They even started thinking that since the school was flooded, it might take a few more days to clean it up and that they might have off the rest of the week.  I then dropped the Bomb on them!  Aubrie laughed and thought it was funny, but Boston went off saying that was mean. Once I explained the holiday to him, they were both anxious to play a prank.  I told them if they got ready fast enough they could run to the bus stop early enough to glue a quarter to the ground and watch their friends try and pick it up!  I couldn't resist walking them to the bus stop today and see them in action.  It was so great to see them so into the prank.   It was actually pretty funny to watch all these kids try to pick up the quarter!   I guess now that I have instilled this in them, I better watch my back next April Fools!  Hopefully we wont have to go to Urgent Care!:)  Happy Fooling Everyone!

Reverse Catch Up

Past weeks in reverse!  

Today Aubrie had another dance competition.  We both came down with the flu last night, but Aubrie sucked it up and was determined to make it there.  If she didn't show, the dances would be messed up.  I mustered enough strength to do her hair and makeup, but forgot to take a picture.  They will be performing these dances for her dance recital in May, so I'll have pics then.  They did well, and had a great time!  

Thursday and Friday were half days.  The kids had dentist appts, on Thursday, and we got out of the office with ZERO cavities! YIPPIE!  After a house full of kids all day, I was ready for a girls night out.  Michelle and I grabbed dinner, did some shopping, and saw "He's Just Not That Into You."  We both liked the movie, and made us appreciate the fact we no longer had to deal with the dating scene!! YIKES!

So Boston looks a little different than these pictures, as of today!  He wiggled his front top tooth all morning, until it was loose enough to finally come out.  Guess he is saving for a new toy or something.  He looks and sounds so different now!  It was the tooth that he banged on the bath tub about 3 years ago.  It was discolored and he called it his "dirty tooth".  Luckily it never bothered him.   Obviously he is a boy!  These pics were taken this Wednesday.  The first graders took a field trip right behind the school, on Sunrise  Mountain trail.  Perks to living here I guess.   Boston's teacher is Great!  She bought these visors that they decorated for the hike, and they had little booklets tied around their necks, that had a checklist of things in the desert!  It was a short hike, but the kids had a great time!Wednesday evening the Young Women went hiking the same mountain as the field trip.  We then took a trip to my new favorite ice cream place "Juju Berry".  It's a frozen yogurt place where you build your own creation and they charge you by the ounce!  (Ben and I went back on Friday, before the flu really hit me.)  After YW, I did my normal Wed. ritual....ran with Michelle,  and Ben and I watched LOST with the Lorenzana's afterward! 

Here are a few pics from Spring Break!  This is one of Sophia by the pool.  We spent the day out by the pool the day we got back from California.  It was much hotter than we were noticing and we were all  sunburned by the days end!   
Here are the Disney Pics.  

The kids getting ready to soak themselves outside of Bugs Life!  

A cool little acapella group that was singing over by Tower of Terror.  The kids were really getting into it, and by kids I mean my Mom, too!  

 My Mom's first time on the Tower of Terror.  She liked it so much we went on it again, right away. 

Sleepy Time!  

Whole Hand Birthday!

I have to admit that I'm not as diligent at blogging because the Mac is not as friendly with the blog as I would like.  However, some event's must be recorded.  Ethan finally had his "whole hand" birthday (aka  birthday number cinco)!  I can't believe my baby boy is 5 already!  I'm not ready for him to be 5.   The older he gets, the quicker his little boy "cuteness" will fade!  His little high pitched voice, his need for his stuffed animal "Noodles", and his endless artwork that he tapes up all over my walls!  Since this birthday is an extra special one, I made sure to make it a memorable one!  The night before, Ben and I decorated the house with crepe paper  balloons, and a Sponge Bob Happy Birthday sign.  (Sophia was loving that!  Yes, Yes...my two year old loves Sponge Bob.  One of the few words in her vocabulary!)  We also taped streamers to his bedroom doorway, so when he woke up he would immediately feel special.  He woke up to "sugar" cereal and a few birthday gifts, that included 3 packs of gum.  That was his favorite gift of the day.  Does that sound weird?  It would to most, but in our house you are not allowed to chew gum until your are 5.   So turning 5 is a much anticipated milestone birthday....the GUM birthday.  Ethan had finished chewing a pack by the end of the day.  His breath never smelled better!  He was very responsible, carrying around the paper each piece came in, to make sure he properly disposed of it when he was done!  

Ethan's birthday fun continued when I took him to McDonald's for lunch, after a short detour to the Pediatrician.  The stop was for Sophia.   She  got something stuck up her nose, but it was gone by the time the Dr. looked up there!  Go figure.

Ethan had his  birthday party at our house.  It was so easy and fun!  I finally paid a little extra this time and rented a bouncer with a slide, and it kept the kids busy the entire time.  It was even a hit with my Mom! Ha!  She did have some problems getting up once she fell!  Gotta love the "kid" in my Mom!

I'm surprised I was able to take pull the kids  away for cake, a Sponge Bob version of pin the tail on the donkey, and opening presents.  Here is the stellar cake Ethan had this year!  I decided that I am done spending time making cakes!  The kids never want to eat them, and they just waste away in my fridge, or I'm tempted to eat all the left overs.  This year I decided to do this, and then give the kids ice cream sandwiches!  That was a hit!  Should have done that years ago when I saw my friend Trina do it.   Ethan had a blast opening his gifts!  It felt like Christmas part 2!  There are still some toys up in my secret hiding spot waiting to be opened and played with!

The party was over by 5:00, and then we headed out as a family to Texas Rhode House for dinner!  The wait was long, but we got a parking spot right in front of the doors, so we just sat in the car and let the kids watch a Movie until our pager went off.  Ethan had a great time, especially when he got another round of dessert!  He wasn't too found of having to sit on the saddle, so Ben had to sit on there with him while they wished him a Happy Birthday.  Ethan said he had a GREAT birthday!   Apparently he thinks it's not over.  When we went to California that weekend, we went to a Japanese Steak House (per Boston's suggestion) and we celebrated his birthday there with my Brother and his kids.  Tonight Ethan said he should get to pick where we got takeout, because it's his birthday!  I'm thinking his birthday is like the song that never ends, it just goes on and on and on!  Funny kid!

Insanity!

What happens when you have an (almost) two year old with a mind of her own? You get NOTHING done (except at nap time if your not taking a nap yourself!). I thought that Aubrie was independent....Sophia is giving her a run for her money. Lately, she likes to pick out her own clothes, which almost never turns out to be the best thing. She also likes to change her mind, and I will find her in her room with all the clothes out of her drawers (do I even bother folding and putting them away anymore), and her putting on something else. This morning Ben and I were getting ready and we could smell that she needed a diaper change. We played the game of "you it", and I guess Sophia didn't want to wait. I asked Ben where she went, and he peeked around the corner to find her naked (she had her top on). He had already forgotten about the diaper that needed changing (MEN!), and did not react to run and grab the diaper she was bringing to us. When he told me she was naked I remembered the dirty diaper and was able to run fast enough to intercept the diaper that was about to open up and fall on the floor. Then it was a game of chasing her down, before she plopped her little poopy heine on the floor. Luckily I got to her in time, and got her all cleaned up. Once I got that done, I went back to my bathroom to finish up my hair. In between that time, she had taken her clean diaper off and attempted to put on a different pair of pants. I let her keep the mismatched pants, but put a diaper on her backwards so she wouldn't take it off. Then she decided to take off those pants and put on two different pairs of socks she found in her drawer. It took me an hour to get ready, when it should have only taken me 30 minutes! I'm beginning to think that I'm going to have to get ready at the crack of dawn if I want to get anything done around here! I know this time goes by fast....but when your in the middle of it, it seems never ending!

Simplifying!

Scuba Ethan!
Ben bought some wet suites for future boat outings...for now, if you looked in our yard you will see 3 kids and 1 adult (that would be Ben!) swimming in the pool with wet suits! It's pretty comical! At least we are getting year round use of the pool!

Sophia obviously doesn't have a wet suit, but enjoys the hot tub and the extremely mild winter this year. By mild winter, I mean 80's and 90's (and of course it's the winter I went on a sweater buying rampage!)
Isn't she getting big? The pig tails age her a bit, I think! She is growing up and doing a lot of new things, that include; talking, learning the names of her body parts, sounds that animals make and my personal favorite....saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. Her current likes are books, parks, going on walks, and swimming (with floaties of course!). Also ranked at the top is testing Mom's patience at an hourly rate, and getting into every possible thing except the mounds of toys that surround her.

Emmy and Ethan (could this be a more perfect picture?)

While it looks at though he is winking to say..."yeah baby look what I have going on!" He is actually pretending to be a spy (how that applies I don't know but that's what he said before he winked) and Emmy is checking it out! On that note, Ethan draws and creates cards every day that have Emmy's names written all over it! Her name is the only word, besides his name, that he can spell without help!

Our little missionary!

Ben found these awesome suits for a great deal! Ethan was with him when he bought them and he had the jacket on before he got out of the car, and the pants on as soon as he got in the house. A few minutes later I didn't' see him anywhere. I found him outside riding his scooter in his suit! I'm sure the neighbors got a kick out of that one. Probably saying something like, "look at the Mormon kid riding around in his suit!" Doesn't he look like a stud? Boston looks so old in his. I just pictured him passing the sacrament and it made me want cry! How fast they grow, but how fun to see each step. Such a double edge sword!


So there it is! Now I'm sure you have been asking, "Where or where has the Pribyl family been? Why haven't they been posting?" LOL Totally kidding of course. I can't imagine anyone sitting around waiting for our next post! Needless to say, life comes at you fast! We all have busy lives, and honestly, I can't say that I have been the best at reading up on others blogs as well. First, if your private, my google reader doesn't show me your new posts, so unless you make a comment on mine(which conveniently goes straight to my email) I often forget to check. Then sometimes my inbox for my google reader gets so full, and to keep me from being overwhelmed I admit I do quick scans and clear my inbox! I wish life afforded me time to thoroughly read all blogs and emails, keep my house clean, help kids with homework and all their other needs, volunteer at the school, make meals for all who need one, exercise, plan and make meals for our family every night, keep up on facebook, blog, watch my favorite shows, read, go to the temple, do FHE, scripture study, journal, do church callings, spending quality time with kids, spouses, friends and family.....and then get adequate sleep....but that is soon becoming impossible. A friend and I were discussing the other day how we seem to have less time to do what we want as our kids get older. How did that happen? I remember thinking, no fantasizing is more like it, about all the time I would have, to do whatever I wanted, once my kids were in school. I should have enjoyed those years and the free time that I had! I remember painting, doing endless crafty projects for me, my house, and the kids and still having time to watch all my favorite TV shows and read, go above and beyond in my callings, and all the other great things on the list above! Though things haven't gone the way I have expected, I'm learning that some things can take a back seat, while I attend to the best things! That includes this lovely blog. While it is a better thing, it's not ranked amongst the BEST things. It used to stress me out, thinking how I needed to update it, and it seemed to take up big chunks of my evenings! Now I have more time to relax with the hubby and watch our favorite shows, read a good book, talk to old friends, lay with the kids when I put them to bed and just talk about their day (the best child/parent talk time by the way) and journal in our personal journals. The blog can wait...And no one really wants to know my daily comings and goings, right?! People just want the pictures, occasional brief updates, or a "funny" that will make you laugh or make you realize that no one is perfect! Am I right? ......the personal journals stay with me!;) So here's to simplifying....until the kids are gone and then we realize how much they filled our lives! Hope you liked the shortened version! LOL

Picture "catch up"

So I'm still trying to figure out my MAC, so I'm not doing so good with the picture downloads. Eventually I'll get it. One thing I don't like is that Firefox doesn't let you drag the pictures easily, so I have to put them in first. Of course, I always forget to start from the most recent and work my way backwards, because that way they will actually be in chronological order when I'm done. Oh well....here is the past few weeks of our life in reverse!

Aubrie passed out on the way home from Disney! She always slept with her tongue like this when she was an baby. Once in awhile she reverts back to old times! Aubrie and Boston with Jessie!

Sophia not so sure of Tigger an Pooh, but least Ben is enjoying himself!

A little Space Mountain action. Boston liked to pretend he was passed out for the "ride" pictures for some reason. What a comedian!

Aubrie and Sophia on the tram, Saturday night! LOVE this picture and this moment! So sweet!

Sophia at the Muppet 3-D show! Cute picture...awful show! Don't waste your time!

The boys couldn't resist this Kodak moment!

The whole crew by good ole Mater and...oh my heavens...I forgot the red cars name! So losing it. Sure it will come to me when I post this!

The boys goofing off, while waiting for Dad to ride the Maliboomer!

Ben, Alex, and Marco.....Aubrie is DYING to be a few inches taller!

Waterlogged!

Insane from the rain!

More Space Mountain!

And to show how far back in pictures I am....a few from Aubrie's field trip to Lake Pleasant. They looked at the bugs (from the Lake Pleasant water....comforting I know!) under a microscope and then drew them on the whiteboard. They also learned about rocks and went on a hike and learned more about the area! Luckily it turned out to me a nice cool day!

Soggy Disney, the covered burp

Rachel and I have been super busy lately and blogging took a back seat. We have been very busy as a family. Between Aubrie's dance, piano, and school we have been running all over the place. We decided to head off to disney for a surprise for the kids. We pulled the kids out of school on Thursday and headed off to disney. The kids were very excited and we had a great trip out. We went with the Lorenzana Family and followed each other out. We stopped in Palm Springs at the McDonalds and let the kids stretch their legs and play on the play place. We piled back into the cars and made the rest of the trip driving through overcast skies. We got to the hotel and their was a lite drizzle. We were worried that there might be alot of rain. The kids got out of the car and were all very excited to get into the hotel. We had rooms right next to each other and the kids loved going back and forth the whole time that we were there. We all went to bed pretty quick the first night. Sophia had a hard time and discovered that she could get out of her portable crib and rather enjoyed it. She finally went to bed and the other kids started to wind down. We woke up the next morning and had powdered donuts and other food that is not good for you. We made sandwhiches this time and took food into the park. We had not done that before and it actually worked out much better. It was raining a little bit as we got on the shuttle for the park. We got to the park and got onto a few rides before it started to pour. Within minutes we were all soaked and miserable. We decided to head back to the hotel. Sophia was done and the kids didn't seem to care. We brought the psp and the nintendo ds so the boys were happy to go back to the hotel and play video games. The bus ride back was miserable, but it was nice to get back to the hotel and relax and change into dry clothes. I took the kids down to the pool and they had a great time playing in the rain and running around. Sophia got a good nap and Rachel was able to rest a little as well. The Lorenzana's came back a little bit later and we all headed to dinner. We went to Outback and had a great dinner. I told the waiter that it was Ethan's birthday and they sang to him. He really thought that it was awesome. We headed back to the hotel and had another night of the kids running back and forth and having a fun time. The next day at Disney was better. The weather was off and on, but we were able to have a full day and have a great time. The kids got to ride all the rides and Ethan got back on Tower of Terror and had a good time. He told me at the end of the ride that his heart was going BEEP BEEP. He wasn't too sure about it, but ended up going another few times.
We decided to go back Sunday morning and get a few more rides in before heading back. It was fun and we enjoyed the time together. We got onto Space Mountain and Aubrie had a great time, but forgot her purse on the ride. We didn't discover this until 10 minutes after we got off the ride. I ran back to the ride and went right up to the ride operator. They said that they would look for the purse. I waited and they came back and told me that they did not have any purse. I told them that I would check back later. Aubrie was devistated. We decided that we were going to leave so I ran back to Space Mountain. I got there and they looked again. They brought her purse out. The money that she had saved up was all gone, her glasses were broken and her change purse was also gone. Aubrie was very upset and couldn't understand why someone would do that. On the way out of the park we stopped at the store to get some things. One of the workers noticed that Aubrie was sad and asked what had happened. We told her the story and she asked us if we would like her help. I was not sure what she was asking. She asked me again if I would like her help. I told her yes and she started to walk around the store and replace the things that had been stolen or broken in Aubrie's purse. I could not believe what this woman was doing for Aurbie. She told us not to tell anyone what she had done. I was very happy to see that there is still kindness in this world and that people still care. Aubrie was very happy to have her things back and thanked the woman. The boys were watching all of this and were wondering if they could somehow benefit from Aubrie's misfortune. One of the other ladies decided to give them buttons. Boston decided that this was a trophy and proudly held up his button for all to see. We got out of the park and headed back to the hotel. We got in the car and then headed back home. The trip was great and it seems to get easier every time that we make it.
This week went very quickly. I have been working very hard to get caught up on all of my accounts knowing that I will be gone this next week for training for the new company that we will be starting shortly. Marco and I will have a fun time getting the crash course. We are both very excited. We are going to miss our families like crazy, but it will be well worth it. Today we got a lot done around the house. I took Ethan with me to Sams Club and noticed that they had wet s suits on sale. I bought some for the family and we had fun swimming in the pool and not getting totally killed by the cold water. Tonight I had a soccer game and Rachel brought the kids to watch. We had a great game and won 9-3. I was able to play and had a fun time with the kids watching. On the way home Ethan started yelling and told Rachel that he had finally burped and remembered to cover his mouth. We thought that it was pretty funny and we all got a good chuckle. We are doing well as a family and are very grateful for the gospel and the blessings that we enjoy.

Tagged

Ok....Erin tagged me with this "25 things random things about you" ! What she doesn't know is that I already did this on Facebook.....so Erin...you need to join Facebook already!:) But here you go Erin, and for anyone else who hasn't joined the world of Facebook! Have fun reading about me!
1. Surprised I'm doing this because I'm not good at this type of thing! Ben could probably do a better job at thinking of 25 things about myself. However, I hate to disappoint, so here I am!
Wait does that count for two things about me? LOL

2. Always said I would have to know someone at least a year before I married them. I met my husband, and was engaged in 3 weeks, and married in 5 months. We will be married for 13 years in April! Marriage is definitely a roller coaster, full of ups and downs, but I couldn't imagine taking the ride with anyone else, and glad that we are there to hold each others hand throughout the ride! He is an amazing Father, priesthood leader, and friend! He loves me despite my insecurities, idiosyncrasies, and weaknesses!

3. I was married on my birthday and had my first child on my birthday. Obviously the wedding was planned, but I went into labor as the clock struck 12:00 on April 26th! BTW that was my due date!

4. I gave up my dream of being a Doctor, for a better one....being a stay at home Mom of 4 children (sometimes 5 when my husband is behaving like one). Two amazing boys and two beautiful girls! Most times I LOVE my job and other times I want feel like taking a sabbatical! There is definitely no greater accomplishment than that of a parent!

5. I HATE clutter! I wish I could relax a little more when it comes to it, but things just sitting around drive me crazy, and I'm sure I drive my kids Crazy, constantly nagging them to pick up their stuff! I love using containers to organize stuff! If I can use a container to organize it, I'm all over it! If I can't find a good place for something, I usually throw it away or give it away! I'm not a fan of nick knacks!

6. I actually have accomplished something I never thought possible. Not a big deal for any other person, but for me it's huge! I HATED running! People would ask me to run with them, and I would just laugh! I had the worst running asthma and my knees would hurt. I would run a mile and would wimp out! Now I'm up to 4 miles and my goal is a half marathon!

7. When I tell someone I'm going to do something, they can count on me doing it! (Therefore I guess I'll be running that half marathon! L0L) Actually, I meant more along the lines of when I tell them I'll do something for them, I"ll follow through. That also means being there when a friend needs you, even if they don't ask for it!

8. I tend to stress out a little over a busy schedule, but feel a little weird when I don't have anything going on! It's hard for me to just sit there and not stay busy, unless I am sleeping! The other night I had to force myself to just sit and watch a movie with my daughter, though I so badly wanted to get on my computer, sweep my kitchen floor, fold some laundry and look through a magazine!

9. Sometimes I submerse myself in hobbies so much, I get burnt out on things easily! I used to love scrap booking and spent hours and hours doing that. Then it was photography, then cake decorating, then jewelry making! Now it's blogging and facebooking! (blogging is actually fading)

10. I love staying in touch with people! I don't expect to talk or email often, just a few times a year will do me! I like people knowing that I think about them and that they are important to me, and vice versa! I like the quote "friends are the family you choose". So many of our friends are like family. My best friends aren't always the ones I talk to the most, but the ones that I know will be there for me in a second if I ever needed anything and would never judge me!

11. On that note I love spoiling people! I LOVE birthdays...and thinking of birthday and Christmas gifts! If I see something that is perfect for someone I'll buy it and save it for a holiday, and sometimes I can't wait and will give it to them anyway!

12. I am a "textaholic"! I wish that invention came out earlier! I love being able to communicate in a way that doesn't leave you with that awkward, "well....ok....guess I'll talk to you later!" Sometimes phone conversations are great! But for the most part, a quick text can let someone know you are thinking about them, or allows you to get some quick information without making someone feel like they need to talk to you for 15 minutes! It's also at your convenience, which is great when you having a screaming child on your leg!

13. I love my religion! (I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) It is such a great support in my life! It gives me and my family a sense of direction and purpose. The things I believe in have influenced some important decisions in my life, and have kept me out of trouble several times over! It also has been a great strength through the hard times! I love the teachings and strong value system it provides for my children , especially with all that is thrown at them at such a young age! I love that my family is an eternal! The thought of ever believing of no life after death is depressing and hopeless! Especially for those who have lost a loved one! I'm so glad to know we will can be together forever!

14. I'm can be a little nerdy at times! I liked collecting the State quarters, and would get excited when I found a new one! I like Star Wars and wish I could pick Lucas's brain with some unanswered questions! I also like watching medical shows and shows on the Disney channel!

15. I am a HUGE 80's fan! I love the Brat Pack Movie (ie. Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club), Karate Kid, Back to the Future, etc. I also LOVE 80's music! My kids know more 80's songs than they should! Unbelievably, I have started liking the 80's clothes again! Not on me, but on my daughter!

16. I love to travel! I get very antsy if we haven't gone somewhere in over a couple of months! (I think it may have to do with my Dad getting transferred a lot as a young child!) It doesn't matter where we go! As long as it requires us packing a suitcase! I just like to explore new places, and also return to places that I love! Right now our most frequently traveled spot is Disneyland! I'm sure that will change in about 5 years! I love cruises, and would take one every year if I could!

17. Speaking of Disneyland, I am a amusement park junkie! I LOVE roller coasters! I can't wait till my kids are older and I can take a family vacation to Cedar Point! (the best amusement park in the US!) I always scream as I am going down the first hill of a roller coaster, and laugh the rest of the way! (there is the nerdy part of me again!)

18. I love to sing and dance, but would never do either in public! I love blasting the ipod and dancing around the family room and LOVE singing in the car...and now, so do my children! My favorite songs to sing to are show tunes!

19. If I could be anything, besides a full time mother, I would want to be a pediatrician during the day/ and play the lead of Alphaba in the play, Wicked, by night!! (Nerdy! right?)

20. ( I still have 6 to go? really!) Ok...hmmm...I'm an impulse shopper! If I think I could use it, and the price is right, it goes in the cart! You would think I would do better since I HATE returns...but, No!

21. I"m a creature of comfort! I buy cute clothes at the store and like how they look on me, but when I get ready in the morning, I'm always going for those comfy broken in jeans, and comfy cotton shirt! Therefore, you would find several thing in my closet with tags still on them!

22. I love cute aprons! I love feeling uninhibited when I work in the kitchen or clean around the house! I have been known to accidentally leave the house in one, without knowing of course. I also love cute slippers. I hate walking bare foot on the cold hard tile, which is unavoidable in Arizona, but I hate wearing shoes! I have also worn my slippers out on accident! Good thing they are cute!

23. Because I hate wearing shoes, most of my shoes are flip flops! I even wear them to church, which, luckily, is a very common thing here in Arizona! It's painful for me to go shoe shopping, because nothing seems to look right since I'm always wearing flip flops! Finding boots this year was torture!

24. I hate conflict! I avoid it when ever possible, but when it's something that is important to me, I will meet it head on and fight for what I believe. Most people don't know how to deal with me when that happens, because I usually go with the flow and come across as sweet and passive....little do they know! Hee! Hee!

25. I have to check on my kids EVERY night, and kiss each of them before I go to bed! Each time I do that, I get so overwelhmed at how lucky I am to have them, and wish I could just stop them from growing, just for a bit!