Two Little Kittles

To my Blog

2011-09-23T16:32:00.000-06:00

Poor neglected little blog, let me nourish you today. YES! I am going to post, but whatever should I say? It has been so long that I'm not sure how to update you.
Let my give you a synopsis of the year 2011 so far...

We went to Disneyland... yes, AGAIN! What can I say... It's my family's happy place.

Aram giving Dale knuckles

My dear sweet Papa passed away in June, it was time for him to go but I sure do miss him. He holds a special place in my heart and the kids and I got to spend some treasured time with him just before he left us. He will always be remembered.

1 month before he passed away

Jasper (1 year old) with my grandparents

My Papa and me at my wedding

My darling little guy turned 3. He is so much fun. He keeps me laughing and screaming and frequently wishing for naptime/bedtime. He learns so much all the time. He knows all his alphabet, colors, shapes and proclaims to "love to spell" then proceeds with chanting random letters that don't spell anything in any known language! :) He can spell a few words, though. He is completely potty trained, WOO HOO! He is obsessed with tractors and will argue with you about what type of tractor each one is. He knows them all by sight and is delighted to see them out and about doing their "earth mover action". He frequently plays "Guess what?" games with the answer alternating between "chicken butt" and the sweetest little "I wuv you" from him. He wants so badly to go to preschool but although we've tried, it hasn't happened yet. He tells everyone he meets "I'm going to PWEESCHOOL". He screams at the top of his lungs "HOW MANY TIMES I SAID... YOU'RE DRIVING ME NUTS" to giggles from all of us. I wonder where he learned those phrases? I don't think I've ever used them together. :) All in all, he is one fiery bundle of chaotic energy that I couldn't love more.

My sweet little gir-dle turned 8! Can you believe it? She finished up 2nd grade with a bang and some awesome grades. She didn't want to do any school work this summer though, so we were frequently battling. She read a lot of books through the summer and when her brother would get grumpy at her he would tell her "Go READ, Sissy". We celebrated her birthday with a party for her and her friends at a Big Bounce/Teddy Connection. She was excited to be baptised at the end of August and continually makes us proud with the choices she makes and the understanding she has of the Gospel. The font that she was baptised in had 2 dead spiders floating in it (YUCK) which led Aram to tell everyone that she got baptized with the spiders. :D Third grade has been the best so far, she has flourished in her behavior and loves her teacher. She has always been incredibly smart but had some attention issues and it is nice to see less of those issues this year. She is such a great help at home. I love watching her grow and having these grown up conversations with her. I am so proud to be Mom to this special little girl. She has never paid much attention to the circumstances of her birth until recently and now every once in a while I will hear her refer to the fact that she is amazing because she was born at 1 pound 10 ounces. She definitely is amazing.

Aric and I celebrated 11 years of marriage back at the end of May. Life is never dull with this man. He continues to be my rock, solace, personal comedian, confidante, pain in the..., joy, and love. I didn't know how lucky I was when I married him,.. I do now. He supports me in everything, lifts me up and makes me feel treasured. I am extremely blessed to have him.

Isn't he a hoot?

My dear Mother got sick again this year after less than a year off of Chemo. While my heart frequently aches at her suffering and the prospect that someday she too will join her Daddy and leave us behind, I am blessed to be close to her and spend time helping her. She is one of my best friends and Aram and I can think of no better way to spend several days a week than going to "Grammy's house" where we play and laugh, work and sometimes cry. It is these memories that we take with us and I intend to make as many of them as I can.

The little Kittle household continues on, so don't distress little blog, your neglect will never be permanent.

Gingerbread houses and Jasper's Christmas Concert

2011-02-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

There were no pictures on my camera for the month of November, so I can't even remember what we were up to! ;) December was picture overload though, so...

We attended the Elementary Christmas Concert.

Jasper and her friend Caitlyn after singing their little hearts out!

Then Emily joined in the photo shoot.

My two little darlings. Every once in a while they act like the love each other.

Gingerbread houses are part of our Christmas Traditions, also. We have some awesome friends that we always get together with to do this. It is great fun for the kids.

More photos...

2011-02-06T22:19:00.001-07:00

We took a lot of pictures in October and I have a hard time weeding through them, so....

I love this kid's expressions! He is so full of personality (usually of an onery nature)!

Aram sweet talked some girls into giving him this Plush Mickey that they won out of a claw machine. Seriously, I think all he had to say was "Mickey Mouse" when it dropped out of the machine and they handed it right over! Anyway, for about a week this is what we found when we checked on him after he fell asleep. Too cute!

Jasper got her own little treat when won a cool flower hairclip from one of the blogs I follow. We picked one out in her school colors and she was soooo excited when it arrived in the mail!

October 2010

2011-01-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been bad... AGAIN!! I need to keep getting back on the horse though, so here goes.

In October...

We made homemade, edible playdough! FUN!!

We played with friends in the corn pits at the pumpkin patch

This big guy loved the slides going into the corn pit

We petted the farm animals.

My family is so cute!!

I loved the way the photo editing turned out on this one, so I had to include it!

My two silly guys, with their stylish hats!

We saw some awesome sunsets and sunrises!

Halloween cuties!

2010-11-05T15:02:00.000-06:00

Our Halloween this year was great. The kids had lots of fun, ate way too much junk and LOVED their costumes! Jasper was the cutest Rock Star I've ever seen and Aram had so much fun being Thomas the Tank Engine. He really 'got' the trick or treating thing this year. It was really cute to hear him say "Trick or Treat, I want Candy". He usually remembered to say "Thank You", too.

The time has come...

2010-11-05T11:51:00.001-06:00

Okay, so it's time... I'm going to take the plunge. I'm going to break out of my stubborn, 'I don't want to blog' phase'. Why? Because when I first started this blog it was as a journal of sorts. I am horrible at documenting my childrens' milestones, the going on-s in our life and I promised myself that someday I would make a book out of my blog. That book is going to be very pathetic if I don't get over this lazy blogger streak. So,... here we go! Recently...

We went to Lake Powell,

and had a Family Reunion

We played in the Moab sand and rocks,

rode on Thomas the Tank Engine

and went to Mesa Verde.

Aram turned 2.

Jasper turned 7,

and started 2nd Grade.

We played,

enjoyed the weather,

spent time with Family,

watched the colors change,

and shared Love.

Our life is simple, but it is GOOD!

Spring Fling and Wax Museum

2010-05-26T19:08:00.001-06:00

It has been almost a month since this took place, but I wanted to document Jasper's school 'Spring Fling'. Jasper is part of a program called 'Explorer's Club' and basically it is just the top students in each class get to participate in bi-weekly activities after school. They also got to do a 'Hero project' this year and display it at the Spring Fling as a Wax Museum. Jasper chose to do Amelia Earhart. For a first grader, this was a little challenging, so I ended up doing most of the work! :P

Everyone that stopped by her display board and heard her do her intro remarked that she looked just like Amelia Earhart. This was the picture they pointed out as they said it. What do you think? The smile? The eyes, the nose? Either way, she was pretty darn cute.

Here is her performance for the camera.

"Hi, I'm Amelia Earhart. I was the first lady to fly across the Atlantic"

Then we went to visit her classroom which was all decked out in bugs to display what they had been working on recently.

Having a picnic by the ant hill! Making bugs out of goodies.

They had a tent set up where they could read a bug book to their families... Jasper read one to her cousins and brother.

The school has a greenhouse and an enclosed courtyard that they call their "Secret Garden". We found a tulip that had sprung up outside of it's allotted bed and was sheltering under a tree. It epitomized Spring to me, so I had to include it!

My Interests

2010-05-20T10:19:00.005-06:00

I was realizing the other day that I never post much about me or my interests on here. This post is dedicated to ME! To remind myself that I DO have a life besides Motherhood, that I can do many things, that I am interested in a variety of things and therefore interesting! :) Bear with me, if you will... while a share a few.

#1 would definitely be the one I spend the most time on... READING! I wish I could write fabulous reviews, but I don't even read to discuss or review afterwards. I just read because it is an escape, an adventure I can go on, a journey that begins and ends within a short period of time. I am one of those people who don't mind knowing what is going to happen BEFORE I read the book (I am not big on surprises). In fact, I often read the end or skip ahead in books. Once I find a book I love, it becomes a life long friend and I love to re-read my favorites. What genres are my favorite, you may ask? Again, a thing that ranges as widely as my interests themselves. I love Fantasy, Paranormal, Classics, Historical fiction among many others. This is a love I have obviously passed on to my daughter. I have been amazed (once again) at her this week. She started reading the 2nd 'How to Train Your Dragon' book by Cressida Cowell and after reading for an hour each night, she finished it in less than a week (211 pages). She just can't put it down, even at the expense of lost sleep... just like her Momma! :)

#2 on my list is Cooking. Why don't I start a cooking blog, I often ask myself? Because then it would be work and therefore not FUN! I love to read others' food blogs, but if I truly immersed myself in that world... I just might drown! It seems so consuming! As it is now, I find a recipe that I want to try (or sometimes invent one myself) and I have a blast creating it (and of course eating it)! Taking pictures rarely crosses my mind and then having to type it all out?! Nope,... I think I will just enjoy this love of cooking and being a Foodie Friend rather than a true Foodie (food blogger). I might try to share a recipe on here now and then, though.

#3 is a recent one I found, Cardmaking. It is so fun, relaxing and creative. If I give myself too many options though, I become overwhelmed and it takes the fun out. So, I keep it simple and don't get too involved in this either.

#4 has already been mentioned on here, but I really like Photography (mostly involving kids). Am I talented in this area? Maybe not so much, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. The part I like the most is editing the pictures! I really need that Photoshop program,... still! :D

#5 HAIR!! I love to dye/cut/fix/wax hair. In fact I was all set to go to Beauty School before getting married. Obviously, I decided not to. That didn't diminish my prospects, though. I still cut hair for those brave enough. :) I'm actually pretty good, I get compliments on my creations all the time. A new fun thing I've started doing is following several 'Hairstyle' blogs in order to find new styles for Jasper's growing hair (click on this picture to see the Hairstyle I did for Field Day). I was laughing at myself this morning because I tend to Bookmark the links for recipes or hairstyles that I want to try and one was labeled 'The Fastest Buns Ever'... hmmm, is that in reference to hair or food! :D (It was a hairstyle)

These are just the most important ones to me. I dabble in many things (quilting/crafting/crocheting), but am by no means expert at any of them.

(Hairclips I made for Jasper)

(Scarves I've made)

Someday, I hope to find a hobby that I love passionately but for now the only thing I am passionate about is my family! :)

Guess what? x 2

2010-04-13T19:06:00.000-06:00

The first 'guess what' is this...

My Hubby's first blog. He is creative, has a passion for all things Post Apocolyptic, likes to write and share his ideas. Go check out his first post and the unique way he is writing this blog!

The second 'guess what' is that I got invited to Guest Post on an AWESOME website...

Yes, ME!! I know,.. I was freaked out. I mean, what do I have to contribute?... any ideas would be very much appreciated. It doesn't have to be a tutorial, just something interesting. What would interest you? PLEASE help so I don't have to let this opportunity pass me by! :)

Easter 2010

2010-04-09T12:02:00.003-06:00

"Cann-ee"

Daddy takes pictures at the breatfast table... eating food, not Candy!

In between General Conference sessions we had an Easter Egg Hunt. Aram liked to eat the candy out of the eggs, but wasn't interested in finding too many of them. He decided to play instead. Jasper was GUNG-HO about getting as many eggs as she could.

Goofy little Egg hunters. Aram is certainly due for a haircut!

My beautiful Mom.

We finished off the day with a late afternoon stroll.

I love spending time with my family. They are the whole world to me. Easter is always special but this year it felt extra special. It was a joy to see the kids excitement, a blessing to hear the messages from our General Authorities, a peaceful and relaxing day. I felt especially humbled that all that I have was made possible by my Savior, who was not only the reason for this special day but the reason for all the good things each and every day.

The little things

2010-04-02T23:22:00.003-06:00

I haven't been very good about posting the "little" things in our life, you know the ones that make it special, enjoyable and just give you the feeling that you are incredibly blessed?
Here are some of my "little" things from today...

My hubby (who is currently working the night shift) got up after only 5 hours of sleep because I wanted to take the kids swimming but didn't want to do it alone. Not to mention I didn't want to go to the dreaded Wal-mart and get Easter goodies with the kids in tow. He is special like that. He frequently sacrifices his comfort (or in most cases, sleep) in order to please me! :)

My cute 6 year old picked up all her brothers toys and books so we could go swimming today. She is special like that, too. She helps out around the house A LOT! (I feel guilt when I think about how much!) :P She is awfully fun to take the pool. She just loves it so much, she pleads with me to "Watch me, Mom" as she tries out new tricks in the water. Sometimes I get frustrated that she wants my undivided attention so much, I mean, she IS 6! Then I remember, she was an only child for an awfully long time. When I ask her why she still wants me to baby her she tells me that I'm lucky she still likes to snuggle! :D (She's right) In addition to making up a song all about how fun her brother is (it was cute), she also showed us how brave she is by jumping not only off the diving board, but also off the HIGH DIVE. TWICE. Her Dad about had heart failure watching. She is one amazing little girl. I wish I would have brought the camera.

Our 'Resident Menace' is slowly becoming a little sweetheart himself. He is 20 months now and FU-UH-NNY! We have a hard time keeping a straight face around this kid. He does the craziest things. He has been torturing my Mom's dog all week (we are dog-sitting) and I swear he has spent as much time in the dog's bed as his own. I am constantly having to remove him from 'the situation' because I know either he or the dog are going to get hurt. He started saying "Thank you" to me today. Melts my heart to hear him learning manners. :) Just driving to town is an adventure with him. He looks out the window and gets so excited at the thing he can see. He spent the entire trip exclaiming in his LOUDEST (believe me, that is very loud), ecstatic voice... "TRUCKS" "BUS" "MOO'S" "HORSE" "CARS". Don't you wish you could enjoy those things as much as a little boy? He was also amazing at the Swimming pool today. He didn't want me to hold onto him AT ALL. (Thank goodness for 'Floaties') It was so enjoyable to see the sheer joy in his little face when he would tell me "Mom, wa-wa" (water) and then take off on his own through the water. His enthusiasm is contagious.

This week has been rough, but I think if I can keep reminding myself of those "little" things, I just might survive. I am so thankful for my wonderful family. I have the best siblings (Thanks for all the phone calls). I have the coolest Dad. I have a Mom who is beyond description in specialness (new word, write it down) to me. I have a Heavenly Father who must love me an awful lot to give me all of this. I am incredibly blessed.

I WON, I WON, I WON!

2010-03-21T17:59:00.003-06:00

Do you remember this scene from A Christmas Story?

Mr. Parker: It's a Major Award!
Swede: Shucks, I wouldn't know that. It looks like a lamp.
Mr. Parker: What is a lamp, you nincompoop? It's a Major Award. I won it!

This is how I felt after seeing this blog post of one of my favorite food blogs.

http://cucinafamiglia.blogspot.com/2010/03/whistler-canada-and-random-winner.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OurFamilyTreat+%28Our+Family+Treat%29

How cool is that? I am so excited too, because I have never tried REAL Maple Syrup and have been meaning to buy some. I didn't even enter a contest. They were just nice enough to choose one of their followers for this gift.
I don't know if I have mentioned on here that my newest hobby/obsession is FOOD. I have discovered that I not only love to eat good food, but I love to create it. It is so much fun. I have several food blogs that I follow and am always trying out new recipes. If I ever get a better camera I believe I will become a "Foodie" (food blogger) myself. For now, I am just thrilled about my "MAJOR AWARD"! :D
A BIG thanks to Brooks and Lindsay for their generosity and their yummy blog.

Disneyland Recap

2010-03-09T10:55:00.009-07:00

I would love to say its because I have been busy, but really I have been too much of a slacker to post about our trip to the beloved DISNEYLAND. Our little family loves this place. If we lived closer and were richer we would go several times a year, but as it is... we try to go every few years. This was Aram's first trip there. We had fun, even though the weather was not warm enough and it was busier for this time of year (in my opinion).

Aric and Jasper trying to pull the Sword out of the Stone.

"Horse, Horse", Aram hollered as soon as he saw the carousel.

So much to see, no time for kisses...

I can't remember what he was pointing to... :(

Daddy and his kids in front of the Castle

Definitely the "Happiest place on Earth" for Aric.

Aram with the Mickey hat (that we did not buy, but thought it was too cute not to take a picture) and his '1st Visit' button.

My cute girl with her beautiful smile and her Minnie hat that she got here when she was 4.

Going 'Jungle Cruise' in

No Aric in this picture, but at least Aram is looking.

Having lots of fun...

In 'Bugs Land' (note the giant clover in the background).

Getting ready to go on 'Flik's Flyers'

Jasper got to meet her 2 favorite fairies...
Silvermist

and Tinkerbell!

Aram loved most of the rides because there were CARS involved!

Big smiles for Big fun!

Autopia cars. Jasper was a great driver.

Aram was shocked to come face to face with his favorite thing in the world... LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!! It was so cute, he just stared at him like he was overwhelmed.

Daddy and Aram on the Autopia ride.

Do these faces scream fun, or what?

Jasper (the pirate) and Aram with Mater and McQueen.

I took many more pictures but these are the ones that I want to remember. Happy days with my sweet family!

Toothless

2010-03-08T14:58:00.002-07:00

Lots of posts to catch up on, but for now a picture of my newly toothless little 6 year old! It is a rite of passage when you lose both of your front teeth, right?

Lost, Found and Late

2010-02-24T10:03:00.002-07:00

I haven't been a very good blogger lately for a number of reasons. The worst being that I apparently lost my camera. I was panicked because I knew the last time I had seen it was at Jasper's school Valentine party. After anxiously alerting the teacher and fearing the worst, I found it... underneath the seat of my car! Phew, but I felt like such a dummy! So, here are the belated pictures...

The kids had fun passing out Valentines and then scoping our their own haul (one of the spelling words this week).

Now that Jasper's hair is getting longer, I have been experimenting with different hair-do's. This one was hearts for Valentines Day but I didn't get a picture of it until after she had messed it up putting her hat on for recess.

In other news, I did end up having surgery. I really appreciated all the help, love and support I got from my Husband through the whole ordeal. Emotionally, I am doing well. Not TOO regretful of the fact I can no longer have children. Physically, I am doing good. I still get tired and have some pain if I overdo the physical activities, but I am pretty much back to my normal lifestyle. The worst part has been the new menopausal symptoms. I have been having hot flashes and night sweats, but am hopeful those will go away in time. All in all, I am great because of the wonderful family and friends that I have.

One last bit of news to catch up on... Jasper lost another tooth. :) She was happy after the fact, but still screamed bloody murder while we were wiggling it out. Silly girl!

Up next in news of the Kittle family...

We are headed on a family vacation this weekend. Off to Disneyland we will go for almost a week. TOTALLY looking forward to spending some fun, relaxing time with my little family. It seems like life gets in the way of that sometimes and we forget to enjoy one another. I also can't wait get a little warm weather while we are at it! California, here we come! You can go with us vicariously as I will try to be good about taking pictures and blogging while there.

Fabulous First Grader

2010-02-05T11:00:00.005-07:00

We got to watch Jasper get her "Bobcat Award" yesterday. She is growing up so quickly now. It is amazing to watch her grow and learn. She started reading chapter books, and gets quite carried away, reading more than she is supposed to because she is interested in what will happen next. She has now joined the ranks of us 'Book lovers' and has added the 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series to her list of favorites.

Proud girl!

This is what her Teacher wrote about her:

Quite a special girl...

These two don't always get along great, but they sure love each other.

In other news this week, the resident Menace bit through his lip... AGAIN!

Luckily it healed up pretty quickly, but it sure looked awful in the meantime.

Oh, and look what else he learned how to do...

Gross, huh? He only does it because we make a big deal out of it, so I am trying to ignore it... easier said than done. Especially when he uses his pointer fingers to plug BOTH nostrils at the same time and then comes to show me. HOW do you ignore that?

Mommy was able to successfully give him a haircut this week. Now it showcases his big 'ol ears better. :)

What a cutie!

Monkey moments

2010-01-29T21:27:00.004-07:00

My little redheaded monkey is 18 months old, now! Bring on the trouble, bring on the tantrums (he already has)! I took him to the Dr. yesterday and this is how he measured up...

Weight: 23 lb. 6 oz. 18th %

Height: 32.8 in. 62nd %

Big Head-edness: 47.6 cm. 44th %

Not very evenly proportioned, is he? I am hopeful that he will be tall like his Daddy, though. The Webber genetics's do NOT make for very tall boys, so it would be nice for him to have missed those! The funny thing is that he LOOKS like he has the Webber build... long torso, short legs and stocky. His measurements seem to say otherwise, though.

His hair is in need of a cut... I have been putting it off because I don't want to do it. Is it worth it to take him somewhere to have it done? Would he even let them? Probably not, so I'm sure I will do what must be done. I'm going to leave the top a little longer this time, though.

There are those moments when he is such an angel I just want to cry. Today for instance, he woke up from his nap to find the table covered with yummy Sweet 'n' Salty Chex Mix that Mommy was making for Jasper's class. He tried to tell me several times that he wanted some by saying "Bite" but I didn't understand him. Finally, he came and grabbed my hand to take me to the table and show me he wanted a bite to eat. He could have reached up and just gotten some of it himself, but he asked first. I was amazed.

He certainly knows his own mind, and has just started to realize that he can communicate his desires to us. This involves a lot of babble with 1 or 2 recognizable words and much hand pulling. If he doesn't get what he wants, though... tantrums ensue. Ah, the joys of toddlers. :D

I am so grateful to have him. He brings so much joy and fun into my day. He keeps me busy and I live for those little hugs and kisses he gives.
Now, if these two would get along more... I would be REALLY grateful!
Is this asking for too much?
Yeah, I thought so.

Jasper thought she was very stylish wearing her Dad's hat...
Aram thought she should take it off!

The battles are endless between these two.
They include;
her hiding toys from him out of selfishness, him hitting her just to hear her squeal, some hair pulling, pushing, tattling, more squealing and whining and MUCH crying. Will I miss these days? Probably,.. but some days it doesn't feel like it.

If only this guy was around more... or if he was AWAKE more, really. It is hard having him home during the day, but sleeping. I try to leave him alone, really I do! Unfortunately, his sleep gets interrupted quite often. This is his last week on the night shift for 2 months, so life is going to get better. (That is my mantra!) :)

Okay, only one more set of pictures and a funny story to go with it...

Aram has just recently figured out he can climb on things. Swift has been a climber for months. Grammie has a stand alone High Chair at her house now.

Here's the story...

The first little monkey climbed into the high chair and sat down. The second little monkey thought "that looks fun" and climbed up, too. There wasn't enough room for two monkeys, so the second monkey had to sit on the first monkey. The first monkey wasn't sure he liked this.

Then the big monkey siblings come over to check it out (that is Teryk's hand next to Jasper's). Life was all fun and games, until...

The first monkey got mad, and we had to remove both monkeys. "No more monkeys, climbing on the chair".

Snow Ice Cream

2010-01-23T10:48:00.002-07:00

For those of you who have never made/ate Snow Ice cream...

Get a metal kitchen bowl, nestle it in the snow.

3 cups fresh snow

2 TBS milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla, adjust to taste

Stir and eat!

Try adding Cinnamon, Nestle Chocolate Milk powder or any other flavoring you dream up.

2010-01-22T14:15:00.004-07:00

What do you do when it snows and Snows and SNOWS??

Do you eventually get very tired of the kids fighting and wrestling all over you and each other...

Send them outside to play! Bundling up is a problem when you are only 18 months old. For one thing, Mommy thought she could get away with not buying Snow boots yet... Then there is the fact that Snow THIS deep and heavy is hard to walk in... VERY hard!

Despite being poorly outfitted, it is still a lot of fun!

Mommy watches from the sliding glass door...

But when the makeshift Boots come off for the 2nd time... It is time to come in!

(Playing with the boot instead of wearing it!)

She gets to stay outside. She is bigger and older. This is not a well liked idea by her Brother. So off he goes to take a nap!

While we make and eat yummy Snow Ice cream!

2010-01-20T19:58:00.008-07:00

It seems to be about time for status updates. So,.. whats new? We have been hit with some pretty big storms bringing us an accumulation of 15 inches of snow... too bad it is mostly melting off in the afternoons. Jasper had some fun building a darling little snowman out of what was left, though.

She was so excited for school to start again after Christmas break. The crazy girl doesn't even want a Snow Day to keep her at home... Should I be worried? Does she not like us anymore? Really, I think she just has a lot of fun at school.

She has been great about getting her work done on time, lately. She is usually much too spacey and social during seat work time. Today I was looking at a Storybook she wrote about Bears and was pleased to see that all her spelling, punctuation, and grammar were perfect and was SHOCKED that her handwriting looked great. She has always had a hard time writing neatly. I am not sure if it is laziness or still some difficulty with her fine motor skills. Either way, it looked lovely and I was very happy about it.

She has been on a Veggie-strike lately. This is the child who as a baby would not touch the pureed fruits, but LOVED the pureed vegetables. Even as a toddler she ate broccoli, green beans, and peas without complaint. It is much too difficult to convince her to even TRY any veggie these days. I get really frustrated with her because she thinks SHE is in control of what I make for Dinner each night. Her favorites are Indian/Thai food and Chinese food. If we are having anything else,.. she complains!

On a good note, she is still absolutely sweet and cuddly to her Mom and Dad. The day she doesn't climb on my lap or come and give me a random hug or an 'I love you' will be a sad day, indeed. I hope it never comes. (Like I can just wish away those teenage years, right?)

Aram found a new way to play with the really cool Dump Truck that Grandpa Ed sent him for Christmas... You RIDE it! It is motorized, so when you push the button it makes noises like an engine starting while jumping around and then it zooms forward for a few seconds. NOT while a 23 lb. kid is on it, though... He doesn't understand this.

He loves all things "Trackers" (tractors) and Trucks right now, so I thought he would be overjoyed when Papa started up the big Tractor to plow our driveway. He was very stoic about the whole thing, though. He wouldn't even sit in it for long. Maybe if it had been going at the time...

THIS kids eating problem extends not only to vegetables... He won't eat ANYTHING some days. He only wants to drink juice (which I severely water down) and "Chocs" (chocolate) and "Cooks" (cookies) are frequently his requested food. It is helping me to improve on my patience, right?

He can say almost everything these days, but most people don't know he talks because he won't have anything to do with socializing outside of his family. Stinker!

There is not a day goes by that he doesn't have some new bump or bruise. Wild Thing!! He has gotten to be a lot sweeter lately, though. He FINALLY started calling me Mama more often. Unless you ask him to say it, then it is "Brooke". He gives "tisses" (kisses, for which he makes the cutest smacking noise) and hugs on a regular basis now and pats us on the back or shoulder as he is doing it. I was worried that he would be sad when his Sis had to go back to school, but he seemed to be overjoyed at the prospect of having free reign of the house again. She tends to holler at him for getting into things more than Mommy does! ;)

Well, these are the memories we make each day. Now,.. hopefully I will remember them.

Thoughts of the end...

2010-01-15T20:49:00.008-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about 'Family Expansion' lately, well not so much expansion as the END of the expansion. When do you REALLY know you are done having kids? When is your family unit complete?

I feel that all of my married years have been centered around trying to expand my family. This is normal, right? Well, for me it has felt like such a roller coaster that I seriously am thinking about getting off the ride, putting an end to possibility of expansion. I want a definitive ending, not a 'wait and see'. Is that selfish? Is that unreasonable? I know that there are many women out there who can choose when to be pregnant and when to be done... I am not one of those women.

We tried for 3+ years with each pregnancy. We did adoption paperwork and screening. We went through countless medications and Dr's appointments. We waited and tried and struggled. The whole time it felt unfair and painful when someone commented on my childless state (someone actually told me I couldn't be a Mormon because I didn't have enough kids) or talked about their own pregnancies. I tried to tamp down the ugly feelings of bitterness and resentment. It was very hard to do.

I remember promising the Lord in my prayers that I would endure ANYTHING if I could just get pregnant... and finally I did! I should have been ecstatic, right? Well, I was of course but pregnancy was neither easy nor fun and I complained the WHOLE time! I was incredibly grateful to be pregnant, but I couldn't help but just want to have the baby already. Then my daughter came 2 1/2 months early. She was too early, too small (1 lb. 10 oz.) and it was a LONG road to getting her healthy and out of the hospital. I remember feeling like I had somehow brought this on and I thought 'That is NOT what I meant'. I didn't want to just skip over most of the pregnancy, I just wanted it to go quicker. Classic case of "Be careful what you wish for". :)

I promised myself that I would just enjoy it if I ever got pregnant again and wouldn't complain. More trying, more failing. Jasper started asking us for a sibling. I felt broken. Why could my body not do it's 'Divine purpose'?
When I finally got pregnant with my son I found out I have a clotting disorder. I would need to give myself Heparin injections twice a day to combat this. I did NOT want to endure that. I was scared. It hurt.

I did it though (and I'm sure I complained a lot). I think it is just human nature to complain. I wish I had better control over that tendency. It is somewhat laughable that I eventually got what I asked for but there was still something to complain about.

I think the crux of my problem is my inability to control things. My own body, my feelings, the situations, or other people's tongues.

I always wanted several children. So, do I continue to TRY for more, or do I accept the fact that I was lucky to get 2 beautiful children and move on? I've decided to move on. Then I ask myself "Does moving on mean I have to take the necessary precautions to NOT have anymore children?", "Do I leave it in the Lord's hands and just be happy if I do get pregnant again... even if it's another 5 years down the road?"

I have never gotten pregnant without using fertility drugs. I have never had normal cycles. I have pain associated with my reproductive system that has for some reason gotten worse lately. My Mom having Ovarian Cancer last year makes me think twice about just leaving things as they are. My Grandmother having Breast Cancer also makes me wary of this. All of this factors into my decision to put an end to it and have a Hysterectomy. Yet, I still ask myself, "Am I doing the right thing?". I HAVE prayed about it. I want to know for SURE. I want... to really have a choice, I guess. Not to be acting out of my limitations. I've made the decision. I will have to live with it. But, will I ever be sure of it?

I remind myself each day to be grateful for what I have. The Lord gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. I needed the experiences I had, for some reason. I hope I learned something from them. I feel like what I've learned most is to accept the things that I can not change... and TRY not to complain so much! :)

2010-01-07T20:04:00.009-07:00

2009 The Year in Review

I stole this idea from a friends blog (Thanks, Michelle) and because I am not introspective often enough, I decided to fill it out for my own benefit. Then, after wasting an hour answering questions just to delete it afterwards, I decided to post it! So, feel free to skip over this!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Got really into cooking/baking… and blogging! Finally started blogging!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I never make firm resolutions, my thought processes just never take it that far. I think about it, but don’t settle on anything. Bad, I know!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My Sister and Sister-in-law both had beautiful, healthy Baby Girls this year. It has been fun to have babies to hold as mine is a baby, no longer!

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thankfully. I'm not sure I could handle that!

5. What countries did you visit? Ha, ha… right! Didn’t happen. The furthest away we got was Flagstaff, Az. Sad, I know!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? More freedom. Life is sometimes difficult with a baby/toddler and I want to be more MYSELF this coming year. I would also like to have more time with my Hubby, but that might be asking too much because that would mean also having more money! Needy, aren't I?

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Hmmm, how about June 21st… Aram started walking, Aric turned 33. That is the only date I have purposefully tried to etch into memory. My memory is not what it once was, so I try not to overtax it! :)

8. What was your biggest personal achievement of the year? Wow! I am not much of an achiever, I guess, because... I’ve got nada! I survived. For me, that is an accomplishment. I didn't sink into a depression, I didn't end up in the Loony Bin, I was (for the most part) a good Mother and Wife... and to me, that seems to be a big achievement.

9. What was your biggest failure? Letting myself 'go' to the point of being the heaviest (weight) I’ve ever been! Gotta take care of that one.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The kids got the Swine Flu this year! That wasn't very much fun!

11. What was the best thing you bought? P90X program… now if only I could stick with it! Oh, yeah... and a new Washing Machine!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My Husband's, of course. He works so hard (sometimes 6-10 days straight) (12 hour shifts) and he rarely complains about it. Not only that, but he always helps clean house or do things for the kids when he is home. He is my hero.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Probably my own! I need to get my temper reigned in again, and fix those hormones!

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills, bills, and bills. Well, we spend more money than we should on other things, but they are minor and not worth mentioning.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? COOKING! (Ironic that it is the opposite of the thing I should have been excited about [exercising!] ) It just makes me happy to be able to find a recipe that is difficult or involved and use all these raw ingredients and make something really yummy… and then eat… too much of it!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? 'Single ladies/Put a ring on it' by Beyonce. My children love this song . They sing and dance to it. It is just catchy, I guess.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I would say happier. My Mom finished Chemo and became more herself! Aram got older and stopped spitting up EVERYTHING! Jasper took of like a rocket with her Educational Achievements. Those things make me happy! 
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, OH, so much fatter!
c) richer or poorer? That is so hard to say. Probably richer, but it doesn’t feel like it! I try not to dwell too much on the material, because it only depresses me! I just try to be disciplined and live within my means... it doesn't usually work!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I had exercised more, and ate healthier. (but where's the fun in that?) :D

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sitting around, spending useless hours on the computer and READING. I love it, but it is not conducive to an active lifestyle.

20. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fall in love with my Husband and 2 fabulous children on a daily basis! The kids will be driving me nutso some days, but then I will look at them asleep in their beds and my cup (and eyes) runneth over. I always offer up a Prayer of gratitude, right then and there, for them in my life.

21. What was your favorite TV program? We don’t have cable/satellite TV, but we like to get the DVDs from Netflix if there is something we are interested in seeing. This year we liked ‘Castle’ ‘Blood Ties’ and my favorite ‘Moonlight’ which are all actually from the previous year, once they come out on DVD.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I try not to 'HATE' anyone, but there was someone last year whom I very much despised... However, this year I was amazed that this person (whom we had not been in contact with after a nasty incident) emailed my husband, apologizing for many hurtful things and saying that he was getting his life together. It was then that I re-evaluated my feelings for him, and what once was very close to hate is now nothing but regret over the course of events. I am pleased to say that I feel no ill will at all.

23. What was the best book you read? Probably the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Love it. Very fun.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery? Hmmm, I taught my daughter to play ‘Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater’ on the Piano, and months later she still remembers it! I need to get the girl some lessons.

25. What did you want and get? I wanted a new iPod, once mine died (I listen to audio books with it and music in the car). I got it! My Hubby is the best!

26. What did you want and not get? I always want ‘to get away from it all‘, but luckily I never do (I would miss it)!

27. What was your favorite film of this year? I really liked the 6th Harry Potter, loved Avatar, enjoyed Star Trek and New Moon was much better than Twilight which made it enjoyable.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I will be 28 for 9 more days… and last year I spent the night with my parents (Mom had just had a Chemo treatment, and I was “trying“ to help out). We went to dinner and they got me a new Camera, which is why I am able to post all the darling pictures of my kids on this blog!

29. What’s one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Spending more time with Aric. There is never enough of that. I find myself alone, too often after I have put the kids to bed. The refrigerator is my only companion! :D

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Non-existent. Anything that fits as I have outgrown most of my clothes… (Do you see a trend developing here? Maybe these 'reflections' are trying to point something out to me!)

31. What kept you sane? My husband! He is my anchor and keeps me from going off the deep end, actually I guess it should be my 'buoy', as the point of an anchor IS to go off the deep end. :D At any rate, he keeps me sane when I lose perspective. The Gospel of Jesus Christ also gives me an Eternal perspective and lets me move past the rough spots in life with the Faith that this is only a small moment in time and better things are to come. I am so grateful for that knowledge.

(Not so) Easy Bake

2009-12-30T09:22:00.006-07:00

Jasper got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas from her Grandparents. Do you remember those? I always wanted one when I was younger. They looked so fun, the cakes and cookies looked so tasty and the process seemed so easy.

You just add the mix (yellow cake mix shown) and water and away you stir.

Cute little things, aren't they? I mean the oven,.. although the girl is pretty cute, too. Did you know the heating unit is just a 100 watt light bulb? Weird, huh?

So, this is the part that becomes not so easy... scooping the batter into the tiny, hard to manipulate tin pan.

Believe it or not, this mess is my fault and not the 6 year old's.
I was trying to help her scoop with the dinky little baking utensils they give you, when the batter stuck to the scoop and the pan was about to tip over, I made a grab for it but dropped the mixing bowl in the process.
Right on top of the tin pan.
Which jumped up into the air.
Splattering Jasper before ending upside down on the floor...

where it left the majority of the batter.

Certainly, not enough left to make a cake out of. So much for easy baking! So, we tried again using Sugar Cookie mix this time.

Successfully mixed and formed into cookies before baking.

Too bad they STILL didn't turn out right. They spread into one big cookie blob. Which I cut into pie shapes so she could frost them.

Not a TOTAL disaster, but they didn't taste very good. Especially compared to the Sugar Cookies I made right before Christmas. Now, they were go-oood.

(You can find the recipe here)

This girl was a happy baker anyway.

As for me, I think I will stick to my non-cute, big old oven.

Christmas time for the Kittles

2009-12-28T08:34:00.006-07:00

Christmas Eve is always my favorite of Holiday 'days'. I'm not sure why... the excitement of the day is palpable, I guess. We usually do some last minute things and then catch a movie as a family. The evening is always reserved for dinner and present opening at my Parent's house, which is a lot of fun.

This year...

We were lucky enough to find Santa at our local restaurant. He was very kind and we all thought it was really neat. All except Aram, of course. He just wanted Santa to go away. Even after getting a candy cane from him, Aram was still not going near him. Santa tried for quite a while to persuade him, too. Ah well, I would say maybe next year but I can't imagine this childs personality changing enough for that.

Later, we went to our 1st ever 3D show. Avatar. Loved the movie. Awesome colors and CG. HATED the 3D. Major headache. Just my opinion... :)

Grammie and Papa always go overboard and buy the kids really cool presents. It was a fun evening watching all the kids' excitement

Aric enjoying Angie's homemade Strawberry (virgin) Daiquiris.

Papa with a big smile on his face! Love it!

See, children's' excitement is contagious!

Christmas morning in the Kittle household also, didn't disappoint. Aram got tons of Geotrax, which he may not 'get' yet as he just wants to dismantle the tracks and pick up the cars rather than watch them. He loved his Sissy's present and torments her by his need to play with it...

Jasper got a Polly Pocket Mini wheels Rollercoaster. So much fun! So many battles to fight to keep Aram away from it!

Today the Christmas tree came down in order to make room for all the new presents, so we say 'Goodbye Christmas tree,.. you will not be forgotten... just ignored for another 11 months!'

The finale...

2009-12-28T07:57:00.002-07:00

Day #10

Day #11

Day #12

I didn't get the chance to take a picture of this one with all the hub-bub of Christmas morning, but we will enjoy making and subsequently eating these "COOKS" (as Aram calls them).

I'm sending out a telepathic 'Thank you' to the kind people who thought of us and put so much effort into this fun string of gifts. Thank you for sharing your love, thank you for brightening our days, thank you for passing along the Christ-like love that this Holiday is all about.

12 days of Christmas (cont.)

2009-12-22T16:50:00.006-07:00

Sorry to be so slow with posting these, we have been sick, had company, and Aric has been working so much that we have had to open many of these without him! :( It has still been fun, nonetheless. I give you...

Day #5

Silly Jasper,.. tape and wrapping paper is for presents... not your nose!

More chocolate,... Yum!

Day #6

VERY personalized! (So glad I didn't pass these gifts on to someone more needy than ourselves!) My kids' reactions to the pillowcases were so cute. They LOVED them!

Day #7

Gotta love Bubble Baths!

Day #8

Aram didn't know what this was until his sister told him. After that he carried it around saying "Coco".

Day #9

This has been great 'gift unwrapping' practice for Aram. He is becoming quite the pro, in fact he even attempted unwrapping 2 other presents under the tree today!

Christmas music! We love Christmas music and my kids did indeed dance to it! (Why didn't I think to take pictures of that?)

3 more days to go! Are you all ready for Christmas? I hope your Holidays are just beautiful!

12 days of Christmas = lots of fun! Thank you, whoever you are!

2009-12-18T11:17:00.004-07:00

Last week a box "mysteriously" appeared on our porch. I thought it was junk for Aric, but it turned out to be full of presents...

12, to be exact.

Each one had an envelope taped to it with a number on it, and there was a letter inside explaining that we were to open 1 present each day until Christmas. At first I was a little appalled because there are so many families out there that are more needy than we are.

I thought about passing it on.

Then I realized that this wasn't to meet any 'needs' this was something fun that a 'Mystery family' did just for us.

I am still flabbergasted, and cannot imagine who would have done this. I feel very humbled and am going to pass this awesome act on next year for someone else.

Inside each envelope is a story relating to Christmas. It has been neat for our little family to gather and read the story as well as open the gift each day. I thought I would share that joy with you all, as well.

Our fun pile of presents.
Even more fun with the lights shining on them!

Day #1

Socks! One pair for each member in our family!
(Jasper and I decided to model ours)

Day #2

Angie and the kids were over, so we let Swift and Aram open this one.
There were plenty of "Turtles" to share! Yum! Aric loves these.

Day #3

Oh, the anticipation...

This was Mommy's favorite gift! I love pens and I needed a new magnetic notepad! Seriously,.. I was going to go buy one this week, now I don't have to! :)

Day #4

My little 'Calling birds'. How darling, huh?

We got 4 of these, so I shared the wealth and gave 2 away in order to drive other parents nutters, too! :D They emit this honking squawk when blown through.

More gifts to come. Thank you, Mystery Family. Thank you so very much!

Thus far in the month of December...

2009-12-16T18:25:00.010-07:00

Angie and I went to our Ward's 'Super Saturday' and made some really cute crafts.

We had friends over to decorate Gingerbread houses. This is the 1st year I have been the one to bake and assemble the houses, and let me just tell you... PAIN in the neck. I will be handing that privilege BACK to Michelle for next year! :) (I handed over my camera because I was busy, but no one took pictures of the houses, maybe Michelle has some she will email me)...

I got some later of the 'babies' decorating and eating their gingerbread cookies.

My son is such a wierdy! :) I love it!

Our friends little boy, Kealen is the same age as Teryk. They have been decorating Gingerbread houses together since they were babies!

Taegan and Jasper... best buds for 6 years now!

Aram is a little sneak-thief when it comes to the ornaments on the tree. He knows he is not supposed to have them, but they are too tempting. If he is being quiet, we know he has something he shouldn't. Jasper takes it upon herself to snatch them away from him and hang them back on the tree.

The number of ornament causalities: 2, thus far.

I have been baking like crazy this week... Pecan Pralines, Sugar cookies, Red Velvet Shortbread cookies, Peppermint Bark, Chocolate dipped Macaroons, soft and chewy Gingerbread cookies and White chocolate covered Popcorn. I still have about 4 more items on my baking list. If you live near me... I will be bringing around the goodies!

Aram finally said 'Mama' today! :) (BIG Smile) He has been saying 'Dada' and 'Sis' forEVER now. I felt very left out! He also learned the word 'butt' today, and used it to tell me he needed a new diaper! Smart lil' man.

Watch for our '12 days of Christmas fun' post... coming soon (as soon as I stop baking long enough to do it!) :)

2009-12-11T15:29:00.004-07:00

So, it's been one of those weeks. You know the kind, we all have them... RIGHT? Well, today it came to a culmination, I hit rock bottom... (well actually I hit a column in an underground parking garage, but I will get to that).
The week started out with beautiful snow. I was so excited. I love snow. It is fluffy, sparkly and makes everything seem so majestic. It looks wonderful piling up... until it piles so high it knocks over the power line. Then, it's not so great. Especially when said power is off for 12 hours straight, resulting in no lights, no water, and no heat. Well, we could deal with this situation. Life is OK, until you factor in a sick toddler. I'm not talking a cuddly, let Mommy take care of you toddler. This guy is a whiny, nasty, not happy with anything sick toddler. He won't eat, drink, sleep, and he doesn't like ANYONE! I tried unsuccessfully to bring him to the Pediatrician (which he calls 'Docs',.. it is pretty cute) but they were closed because of the weather and then we were down to one car that can drive on the snow packed roads, so after working around Aric's work schedule I didn't get him in until he was already getting better (albeit still not sleeping) 4 days later.
Even though the roads were a mess and it took an hour to get to town, it was still worth it because I was able to get the kids' H1N1 boosters. Not a completely wasted trip to hear that it must have been a virus!
Well, here we are today... Jasper has now been out of school for 3 days due to weather and a scheduled day off. I am getting a little short tempered, Jasper is getting a little stir-crazy, Aram is,.. well, Aram (those of you who know him, know what that means). I was REALLY hoping to get a good nights sleep for the first time last night since my son SHOULD feel well enough to sleep.
Aric just went back to the 12 hour night shift schedule, so I was flying solo and can't remember clearly but I think the number of times I had to get up for Aram was 6. That is NOT counting the number of times Jasper woke me up, needing to go potty and then crying after she did. It took my tired brain the remainder of the night to figure out that my little girl has a Urinary Tract Infection, hence the many trips to the bathroom and the crying. Poor thing. Once I realized it, things clicked into place... her tummy hurt, she felt full even when she hadn't eaten anything (bloating) and she was really cold (had chills). DUH! I've had enough of these that I should have known when she was telling me all these things.
She is the other kind of sick kid. The sweet one who wants to be hugged and held and lay on the couch watching a movie, she doesn't even complain much. I definitely prefer her to be sick, over him! Sad, I know... but true nonetheless.
Well, when I realized I was going to have a repeat trip to the "Docs" today, I was embarrassed to call. Those ladies in the office must think I am a total hypochondriac about my kids. The only early appointment they had was 50 minutes from the time I called. Knowing how yucky Jasper felt, I took it. Not realizing that, again, it would take almost an hour to get into town on the STILL snow packed roads. URGH! I was going to call and move the appointment, but I had done that so many times in the last week and I didn't want to look like even more of a retard.
So, I hurried to get the kids ready and out the door. Does that EVER work by the way? Hurrying kids? Not mine... Aram picked that time to fall and his teeth went clear through the skin under his lip. On closer inspection, he also broke his upper frenum (again) and his lip was bleeding inside and out. I'm talking LOTS of blood. So much that he choked while crying and spit it all over my face, shirt and his own. YUCK! Well, here I am headed to the Doctor, who better to check out our new little problem?
I arrived 15 minutes late to a chorus of "Hello, AGAIN" from the nurses. Meanwhile, Jasper was out of control, bouncing around and not acting the least bit sick. The nurse even asked me "what is she here for" in a snide voice. It turned out that she did indeed have a UTI and we got our prescription, were told Aram's mouth should heal just fine without stitches and were on our way when...

Disaster strikes again. I hit the aforementioned column and take out my passenger side mirror.

Game over, I'm done.

Really though, I am laughing about it now, and shaking my head,.. and still want to cry. Does this life get any easier? Should Brooke have anymore kids? The answer... a BIG emphatic NO. :) Thanks for reading this. Hope you found some humor, and if not, I hope you had a better week than we did!

Little Posers

2009-11-28T12:36:00.006-07:00

Jasper loves to pose for pictures these days. I left her hair down on Thanksgiving (I rarely do because it gets in her face) and she thought it looked so pretty that she wanted me to take pictures. At least she is a willing subject, unlike Aram.

Here is her "photo shoot"... What a silly girl! Here are some I was able to capture of Aram a few days before...

I know I am biased, but I can never get over how beautiful these two kids are.

2009-11-23T08:29:00.002-07:00

Some fun Aram moments...

Moments to remember...

2009-11-20T09:57:00.004-07:00

I have been such a bad blogger lately. I feel like I have no news, and yet I blog in order to document my children's early years. So, some new things I want to remember...

Jasper is such a good reader (I know I've said it before, but it is so true). She got all 'Advanced Proficient' on her report card for reading (which is the highest grade). I am frequently amazed by all the words she knows by sight and she can sound out almost anything. Her teacher told me a cute story about her that I want to remember...

She had just picked out a new library book and asked the teacher if she could read it to the class. She gets so animated in her reading, she is usually great at following the punctuation so it sounds very fluent and she often does voices, too. Well, she must have pulled out all the stops when she read to her class because her Teacher said it was the cutest thing. She would show the class the pictures after reading the page and say "Look at this, isn't this funny?" and all the kids would laugh on queue.

I wish I had been there to see this, but I can imagine it. She has the funniest personality. I'm so glad she is mine and am so proud to be her Mom.

Aram is at such a fun stage right now. He has started being more cuddly. Aric and I love it, he climbs up in our laps now and will just sit there while we hug him to us. This is very unusual for him. He also learned some new words that he uses to verbalize his favorite things. 'Tickle, tickle, tickle' if he wants to play with you, 'Go, go, go' if he wants to do something not available wherever you are, and 'Bah-bah' if he wants to leave or go outside. It is fun to hear him talking more now. I think he will get less whiny and sweeter as he learns to verbalize more. He still loves anything that has wheels on it, and carries his toys around saying 'Bagoom, bagoom', which sounds just like an engine revving when he says it.

Sometimes I am sad that he is growing up so fast, but it is too fun to be sad for long.

Halloween, Halloween... everybody SCREAM!!

2009-10-29T06:41:00.009-06:00

Am I glad it's over... for this year at least! :) It was just one thing after another and even though I got pictures of some of the things we did... I didn't get time to post them, so here (in backwards order) is a very large compilation of our Halloween activities in 2009.

Aram the Ewok didn't like our friend Nate the Wookie.

He even walks bowlegged like an Ewok!

Jasper had the voice down... "I'm Hermione Granger, and you are..."

Daddy loves Halloween and painted this bat on his girl,.. she loved it!

Trick-or-Treating with Jasper's class on Friday... She is practicing her spell work in the background.

The pumpkin Patch at Sutherland Farms on Wednesday was C-O-L-D! 1st snow of the season came on the wrong day!

Aram loves slides and the corn pit was a new twist on the fun!

Swift thought the corn looked tasty!

Whats more fun that riding in a barrel behind a tractor?

Pumpkin carving was a lazy Monday (Jasper didn't have school) activity.

"It feels YUCKY!"

Aram didn't want anything to do with this mess!

There ya have it... too much fun for one week! :) Can't wait until next year!

2009-10-20T16:02:00.003-06:00

Two of my favorite things about Jasper,... She loves to sleep! When she wakes up she wants to be cuddled! Aram, on the other hand, wants to go, Go, GO as soon as he opens his eyes. I usually get him out of his crib when he wakes up and bring him to my bed in an attempt to cuddle him and let Jasper get a little more Zzz's.

This is the routine...

Let the wrestling and mischief begin.

As soon as I get sick of trying to contain him, I let him go find his 'Sis Sis'

He wakes her up in the sweetest way,.. a good hair yank or smack to the head!

Then it's cuddle time!

This morning we watched the Sunrise from her bedroom window. (you can see it's reflection behind her)

I love our mornings... It's the simple things that make Life so fun, right?

Fun at the Mall

2009-10-17T12:52:00.003-06:00

Columbus Day... what to do? Go to Mall with cousins to ride on the little machines, of course!

I had to include this one because of Aric posing in the back! ;)

New additions to our family

2009-10-17T10:05:00.006-06:00

Thursday night, Aric and I made an excursion to pick up a long awaited and anticipated item...

I can't even remember when our old one broke, it's been that long ago. It has been such a treat getting to do the Wash at my own house!! I don't think I will complain about doing laundry any time soon...

While we were waiting for the incredibly slow people to load the Washer at Best Buy, be went to the Petco next door. Jasper has been asking us if she can get a Hamster for a while now, and my Mom got a Guinea Pig for her classroom recently so the asking has now turned into pleading. We found a cute little Dwarf Hamster for $11 and brought it home as well. It was late when we picked the kids up from Grammie and Papa's, so she didn't see it until the next morning...

She aptly named him Speedy. :)

Our week with the 'Piggies'

2009-10-13T08:42:00.005-06:00

Well, the good news is... my kids don't need the Swine Flu Vaccine now!

It was a looooonnng week, but we made it and Jasper went off to school this morning after being home for over a week. Despite the rain this morning, this week looks MUCH brighter.

My poor little girl was SOOO sick! Luckily she got Tamiflu, so it didn't last as long as it could have. She did have residual Asthma problems that kept us up at night, but it could have been much worse!

We took a short break between kids getting sick (Jasper was no longer contagious and Aram hadn't gotten it yet) and went Bowling... had I known Aram was going to get sick DESPITE being on the Tamiflu, we wouldn't have gone. We were very tired of being cooped up at home, though.

It began again with Aram getting a rash covering his entire body and a HIGH fever (104.5). Back to the Dr. to find out that he now had the Swine Flu and needed to up his dosage frequency of Tamiflu.

About that time, Aric's car broke down again! (Thank you Trenton for all your help, you are so kind!) We missed Jasper's Parent/Teacher conference for the 2nd time and Mommy (I) had a meltdown! Whew, could it get any worse?

Then I found out about a friend whose house had completely burned down, destroying all their possessions. Yes, it could certainly be worse! That brought reality back and I remembered how blessed I am. TRULY!

We even had some fun just being together this last week. Jasper and Aram had a lot of time to play. They are so darling that sometimes I wonder whose they are! :)

(Also,.. Sorry Grammie and Papa, for giving you the Piggie Flu, too!)

To Homeschool, or NOT!

2009-10-13T07:08:00.002-06:00

Last night during Family Home Evening, Aric was giving the lesson on Faith. Jasper was being a little pill and wasn't really trying to pay attention or answer his questions. So, being the more FORCEFUL parent, I started in on how it's our job to teach her and her job to learn... blah, blah, blah.
After I was done with my tirade, she responds "Mom, they teach me at school." I'm sure in her mind, she was not thinking I'm not doing my job as a Mother, but this is how I took it and another tirade began!
I tried to explain to her how Heavenly Father is proud of her when she learns to read and spell, but what she learns at home is much more important, that she needs to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is her parents job to teach her that. I kind of went off really, but it scared me!
I do think public education is important, but I KNOW that children need their Parents' teaching more than anything else. The home is where they learn to be good people, it is where we hone the skills that they are learning in school, it is where we teach them the value's we hold dear in our lives whether that be through Religion or not.
So, it really got me thinking... If she doesn't understand that, maybe I should Homeschool full time! NO, I don't really think that, but I do want my little girl to understand and know that everything I do as a parent is to TEACH her. She is only 6, but I am wanting some validation from her. :)
I'm sure some day she will understand, but it surprised me how much it hurt to hear this from her and I want her to understand TODAY!! Motherhood just keeps getting harder! :)

She loved the way I fixed her hair into a bun on Sunday, so a Photoshoot ensued...
She really gets into this, she does her own poses and faces. Such a girl!

Aric has been telling me for years that I SHOULD homeschool, and while I don't feel it is necessary (and I don't think I would be any good at it), there may come a time when it is. I hope I will be prepared to TEACH her then, and I pray that I can make Heavenly Father proud of my skills,.. as a Mother/Teacher/Nurturer.

Don't we have the RIGHT to know?

2009-10-05T20:27:00.003-06:00

Okay, so this post will be a RANT... just warning you ahead of time!
Here is the gist... My little girl has the Swine Flu. YIKES! Right? You would think so, with all the hype this illness has gotten. But let me start at the beginning...
Jasper started feeling yucky yesterday (just a slight cough and some chills) but we didn't worry too much as there are so many colds and stuff going around right now. I decided to keep her home today because she was coughing a bit more and now had a runny nose. By this afternoon, (24 hours later) she was a sick little girl. High fever, sore throat, burning eyes, ears hurt, runny nose, constant coughing. About the time she is starting to worry me, I get a call from my Mother (who is a 1st grade Teacher at Jasper's school). Apparently, a little boy in Jasper's class (whom she plays with all the time) was not TESTED as positive H1N1, but was told by a Dr. that he had it. So, I quickly call the Dr.'s office (it is now 4pm) and am told to bring her right in.
On the way, I start drilling Aric about the facts he knows about H1N1 (I have shied away from all the media hype attached to this "Pandemic" so I know only the scary stuff). He informs me that we may be bringing her in for NOTHING, as they won't treat anyone over 5 years old. WHAT?? Why do they scare people about it so much, if there is nothing they will do?
So, we arrive at the office just as some children wearing masks are leaving, but are not asked to wear one ourselves. Hmmm,... I don't see the point to the masks since they are not really keeping virus'/bacteria out of the air, but am still a little disturbed that we were not asked to do so. She got the test, the Dr. came in with the positive results and said that she would treat Aram with the prophylactic Tamiflu, but not Jasper. URGG!! Let's not treat this obviously sick little girl, but do treat the one that is NOT sick. This is what I was afraid of, but I forestalled her by explaining Jasper's background of being a Preemie with compromised lungs and continuing Asthma. OH, IN THAT CASE... they did in fact treat her with Tamiflu.
Getting the RX was a NIGHTMARE! No one in town has it, the Compounding Pharmacy that makes it doesn't have anyone to do so right now, and finally they find a Pharmacy with 3 bottles left (exactly how much we need). So, off we go to get it.
In the meantime, Aric has to call his work (the La Plata County Jail) because they freak out if anyone is exposed to it, and is told not to come in for 72 hours, and to go get his Flu vaccination immediately. Holy Cow! Overreact much?

So, here is what I am fuming about the most... There are people out there who don't know they have it and do just fine. There are people who know they have it but are told to just treat it like a normal cold or flu. There are a FEW cases where people do indeed get VERY sick and even die but is that enough to justify scaring the whole nation? Just hearing "Swine Flu" or "H1N1 Virus" makes most people panic. Jeesh!
Then on the other hand, why is the protocol so varied from school to school? My Niece's Elementary school will call the parents if there is even a suspected case. Yet, upon finding out that a student in my Daughter's class was told he had it, the Principal's inclination was to cover it up. Don't tell the parents because it is not a Test-verified case.
It is just a good thing my Mom works there, and we found out through her. If my little girl had gotten much sicker I would've been irate that I was not told. In fact I am still irate because in the meantime we have exposed 2 young cousins and an Immunosuppressed Grammie.
Don't parents have a right to know these things? Don't we also have a right to choose treatment? Not everyone is high risk and they should be informed of the dangers of always treating resulting in an immunity to the treatment, but it should STILL be our choice. I am a HUGE fan of Naturopathic medicine, but I also know that Western Medicine is what saved my Daughter's life to begin with. I want an informed choice, not a Media-scared directive... if you please! :)

2009-09-26T09:06:00.002-06:00

Some days, my kids are so cute together........

busy, busy, busy...

2009-09-23T22:52:00.009-06:00

It's hard to remember exactly WHAT I've been so busy with, so in random order...

Jasper's school: I go in at least once a week to help out in her classroom. It is a great opportunity for me to see her Teacher and watch Jasper in action. She is doing so well. Her reading skills AMAZE me. REALLY! She can read anything and has gotten 110% on all her spelling tests so far, her handwriting is not so great though, and we need to work on that. All in all, she loves school and that is what really matters.

An E.R. visit for Aram: A week ago he got sick with a really high fever (104 degrees) and after 2 days of the fever without being able to get it down much or keep it down for long, we decided to take him to the Emergency Room (It was 11:30pm on a Saturday). After 3 hours of waiting to see the Doctor and a really unpleasant experience with the snotty Nurse (who did not know how to deal with a sick toddler) they told us he had ear infections (again). So we got some antibiotics and were able to go home but 2 days later he still had the fever as well as diarrhea and vomiting. So, we brought him into his Pediatrician who took him OFF the antibiotics and said it was just a virus! GEESH!! Poor little guy though, he was so miserable for so long. I hate to have sick kids, it just gives me this sense of Impending Doom. We got through it though, and my new motto is 'Don't take your kids to the E.R. unless they are DYING', just kidding.. I think!

Fall cleaning/De-spidering: I must admit I am slightly Arachnophobic, but after being hospitalized for a Black Widow bite when I was 8 years old, do you blame me? Not only that, but it bit me while I slept in my bed... so after finding a nasty 8 legged beastie on my bed a few weeks ago, I went a little overboard and insisted on cleaning every nook and cranny in my house. The cold Fall weather brings my fearsome little friends into the house and I would just prefer to have every hiding place exposed. It's not so crazy, RIGHT? Even to break down and bawl when I felt one crawling on me and Aric smashed it in my shirt... not so crazy!

Aric's work,work,work schedule: We found out a month ago that the Casino that Aric has been working a part-time Security position at, is suffering severe cutbacks and he would be getting laid off on October 1st. Subsequently, he has been working as many hours as he can, while he can. Combine that with his normal 12 hour night shifts, 3-4 days/week at the Sheriff's office and it is not only hard on him,.. we have barely seen him. So, starting next week we will be on the lookout for another part time job. It is a bummer to have to say goodbye to this one because they were so good about letting him work whenever he was able and it paid better than most part time jobs and was located so close to home. :( Oh, well... the Lord provides, this we know!

Feeling very Betty Crocker-ish: I do like to cook, I don't enjoy cleaning up the mess though so I rarely go out of my way to be gourmet. Lately though, I have had the urge to do so. It has been fun making my family's favorite dishes that are normally just too time consuming. Their smiles and compliments are worth it. Although, sometimes the easy things get the most attention... Jasper exclaimed to her cousin last week, "My Mom makes the BEST milkshakes, EVER!!" It made me happy!

OK, rambles over,.. but I wanted to document some of Aram's busyness, too...

For some reason, this kid is obsessed with shoes. He is ALWAYS trying to put them on, and once they are on, he wants to take them off. He gets so frustrated and usually ends up throwing a tantrum over it. *sigh* This is the sequence...

"hmm, let's see if I can get this shoe on"

the frustration starting in the face...

getting MAD...

"OK, Mommy put it on for me, now..."

"HOW do I get it OFF?"

whining...

and Yelling!
If he does manage to get it off, he throws it across the room! Needless to say, I try to hide the shoes!

Another fun game is to climb onto things, resulting in many falls and Ow-ies. Why are boys like this? Do they NOT learn their lesson until something is broken, like an arm or skull? He will fall off a chair, just to cry for 10 minutes and then go climb on it again! Sheesh!

This morning, I was trying to hurry and get Jasper to school early to take a test in Library. I decided to wait to get Aram ready until after I dropped her off, so I just put some warm, CLEAN Jammie's on him and a new diaper. I got her out of the tub and was draining the water when he walks in and starts throwing the bath toys back into the tub. I didn't see any harm in this, so I went to the bedroom to help Jasper dress and fix her hair. We heard a clunk, followed by a whine... and went into the bathroom to find this...

A fully dressed Aram, sitting in a few inches of water and NOT looking very pleased about it!

Do you think he will learn his lesson?

Flagstaff favorites!

2009-09-08T12:22:00.003-06:00

We got to go visit our Flagstaff cousins over the Labor Day Weekend. It was a great trip. The kids are at this fun age that there was very little fighting going on. Cousins are like extended siblings and they LOVE each other.

Jasper is bribing Aram to sit still with Goldfish... :) Kass is holding up her favorite toys!

Issak didn't want to be in the pictures, but Brookie got him anyway! This little boy has the cutest personality and little Mickey Mouse voice. Love it!

Audrey is an Angel personified... except for at night when she keeps her Mommy awake! :D

Chocolate cake... yummm!

I think Kassidy's personality is expressed PERFECTLY here! She is hilarious. I love that she wanted to ride everywhere with us because we got to spend more time with her that way!

Funny Schtuff!

2009-09-08T11:39:00.004-06:00

Cousins are the best... even their food is! :D

2009-08-28T13:27:00.003-06:00

Ok, due to popular opinion... my little boy should look like a... boy! I personally already miss his fluffy red hair and think he looks too grown up now,... but it will grow again!

I am the worst at taking pictures 'in the moment' but I thought I ought to document Jasper the school girl (1 1/2 weeks late)!

Her teacher told me a funny story about her yesterday... They spotted a Mountain Lion right outside the fence at the school, so her teacher called all the other teachers to let them know that recess would need to be inside because of a L-I-O-N (she spelled it in order to keep the kids from freaking out) and after a minute Jasper pipes up "A LION??" after which all the kids did indeed freak out. :D
Aric and I learned last year that if you want to keep a secret from her, you don't spell it. That just makes her more curious. We use Pig Latin instead! :)

To cut, or not to cut...

2009-08-27T20:55:00.002-06:00

I have been going back and forth on the issue of cutting Aram's hair...

OPINIONS, please?

Darling Tornado!

2009-08-24T09:24:00.003-06:00

Since school started back for Jasper, Aram has been like a little tornado blowing through the house. I thought he would be really whiny because he is the type of kid that needs to be entertained, but instead he seemed excited to finally get the chance to have everything in the house to himself. No one to take toys from him, or things he is not supposed to have, and only one person to try and keep him out of trouble now. It is hard keeping up with him. I admit some days I have barely tried, thinking I will just have one large mess to clean up later rather than a million small ones all day. It is also very cute to watch his joy at all the little things he finds to play with. He and I have the chance to play games together and cuddle. The best part is when his Sissy comes home, he is so excited to see her he actually gives her loves without us telling him to. It is just darling!

Some fun pictures of bath time...

He gets so excited about the water coming out of the faucet!

Goofy face

He tries to climb out of the tub.

He must think it feels funny to lay down in the water, because he gets very silly about it.

Sweet Six.. (acts like a teen)?

2009-08-21T22:04:00.008-06:00

Birthdays are supposed to be fun, right? I thought Jasper was still reeling from her new baby brother last year during her party and that is why she was so ornery. Well, I have decided it is just this girl... She is just pre-pubescent! She was not just ornery this year, she was snooty and rude and in general not a whole lot of fun. Is she 6? or is she 16?

I have sworn off Birthday parties for her. We had SEVERAL episodes of crying and acting out that I just could have done without. So, no more parties! :) (yeah, right!)

The best part about the day was the morning of her birthday where she actually acted excited by a few things. Grammie and Papa bought her a new bike that she just loves! (I haven't gotten a chance to get pictures or video of that yet.)

Her Daddy bought his little 6(teen) year old some earrings, of course the dangle-y ones were her favorites that I won't let her wear yet! :)

For years now, she has been using pencils as her Harry Potter Wands (the kid is obsessed with Harry Potter) but this year we decided it would be fun for her to have the "real" thing!

I think even she was surprised at her magic skills when she "disarmed" her Dad! :) Her face is so cute in this!

I goofed on the top one, but I thought her Butterfly cakes still turned out well! They were fun to make and she was very excited about these, so it was worth all the hard work!

This is the one that turned out like it was supposed to.

Out of all her options (Bowling alley, Rec center swimming pool) she wanted to have her party at the park next to her school. The kids love the old fashioned Merry go Round there. You don't see many of those at parks nowadays! We didn't have a huge crowd of kids, but there was enough to play games and run around with (when she wasn't pouting)!

The Watermelon eating contest! :) These are her buddies from school, they have been joined at the hips since Kindgergarten first started.

Ready to open presents. She thought this was the most important thing, of course!

The only present she was animated about was the movie, Delgo, that I bought her.

Blowing out the candles and wishing that... next year this is more fun!

Stats

2009-08-01T07:35:00.004-06:00

I brought both of my kids in for their yearly checkup this week... the Stats are as follows:

Aram weighed in @ 20 lbs. 8 oz./17th percentile

29 1/2 in. long/ 38th percentile

and his head was also in the 38th percentile (which had by far grown the most!)

Hopefully that is why this kid is getting so smart these days! :) He talks up a storm now (mostly babbling)! His favorite thing to say,.. "What is that?" Curious little fellow! He is getting friendlier. He gives loves to the whole family and actually likes some strangers now. It is fun (and nerve wracking)to watch him figure things out. He climbs all the stairs at Grammies house like a champ now and then taunts us from the top to try to get us to chase him down! He loves to dance, if he hears music he will get his little boogie going immediately no matter what else he is doing, he will even sing to himself just for an excuse to dance! He still won't sit still to watch a baby show and his naps have almost disintegrated, leaving me with very little time to myself. He loves to read books, and would still rather play with my stuff than his toys. 1 year old is a fun age!

Jasper at almost 6 years old

weighed 43 pounds/42nd percentile

and was almost 45 in. tall/45th percentile

She has grown so much this year, we used to think she would always be on the small end of the growth chart (she wasn't even on it until she was 2), but she has passed up many of our expectations. She will be starting 1st grade the day before her birthday. I think she is excited to go back to school, but she has hated doing any 'homework' this summer. She loves to play learning games on my computer, although she hasn't gotten to much lately. When she got her computer privileges taken away (yet again) for bad behavior, she asked (in her sassiest voice) "Why do you always take away the computer when you KNOW that is what I like the most!!" My point exactly, my dear! :) She refuses to go outside to play by herself for fear of bugs! She likes to play with her brother and to 'mother' him until he screams. She is still our cuddle bug and likes to be the center of her parents attention. She has been very inventive this summer using plastic silverware attached to her drawings to make puppets. I could wish that she would be more obedient, but I suppose this is typical for the age. She is a huge helper around the house, and her brother and I will miss her fun personality during the day once school starts.

Happy Birthday, 1 year old!

2009-07-23T03:53:00.005-06:00

Once upon a time there was a family of 3, a Mom, a Dad and one very special little girl. This little girl wanted a baby sister and asked her Mom one day if she could have one. The Mom (who had been trying for years to do that) told her that she couldn't give her a baby, they have to come from Heavenly Father, so if she wanted one she needed to pray for one. This darling little girl would always ask when praying, "Please bless us with a baby", she NEVER forgot. After about 6 months of her sweet little prayers, the family found out that they were going to get just that. The excitement the little girl felt was slightly diminished when she found out it was going to be a baby brother instead, but that did not stop her from praying "Bless our baby to be born safely". After 37 weeks of growing, a beautiful little boy was born safely into this world. The family of 3 now became 4 and a year of joy, love and laughter has followed.

I feel like both of my kids have been born of Faith and perseverance, but Aram needs to know that he was born of his Sister's Faith and perseverance. We love having him in our home, he is more fun than any sister would have been and we are thankful to a Heavenly Father who listens and answers prayers in such a perfect way.

2 weeks old

He has always been a beautiful little guy.

The silliness never ends.

His Birthday party included...

Lego Building Block Cakes made by Mom

Lots of fun toys, cute clothes and some great books!

Watermelon and Pizza... YUMMY!

A cake with lovely blue icing just for him...

that he was able to make a GIANT mess of...

and then Daddy helped by making Edible Indian war paint! What a fun time!!

Summer Time Fun

2009-07-20T20:01:00.008-06:00

Today I realized... there are only 4 weeks left of the summer time fun!

We better make the most of it.

Unfortunately, our house gets pretty hot this time of year (103 degrees), but my kids still venture out to play. My little explorer, Aram found a spot to get out of the sun today... The playhouse has a tunnel that Jasper never has played in, but I should have known he would love it. It was pretty cute to watch.

Grammie decided to give Aram his Birthday present early. He LOVES it...

..so does Jasper. It's funny to watch him grip with his toes as she pushes him all crazy-like through the house. It makes for lots of laughs.

Mini Maniac Man...

2009-07-16T08:00:00.006-06:00

My baby will not be 1 for another week, but I RARELY think of this guy as a baby. He gets up to such mischief. In addition to getting into everything, he now says "UH-oh" while doing things he KNOWS he is not supposed to. I guess this makes it okay in his mind.

He can now almost RUN from me when I am trying to get something from him. I seriously have to chase him down to take away the plunger or toilet bowl brush, Cd's, and anything I deem too valuable to entrust to him.

Yesterday the little maniac did a "Peter Pan" off the porch. He was playing with his Sister's bike and started to push it, I was watching from inside and saw that it was about 4 feet from the porch steps. I headed out to intercede and before I could get the door open he had pushed it right off the porch sending himself FLYING over top of the bike to land on his head in the dirt. Luckily he was not hurt, just covered in weeds and dirt. It was pretty funny after the fact.

Another silly thing he does is shake his head from side to side while walking. It usually makes him fall down, but he gets up and does it again.

I am continually amazed at his little personality. He is SO different from Jasper (who was still a baby until she was 2 or 3). I wouldn't change him for anything, I just have those moments where I wonder "Where did he come from?" and then I remember...

From my Heavenly Father,... and I am grateful to have him, Craziness and all.

He also learned to wave this week, but I think here, he is just putting mashed potatoes all over himself.

Independence Day in Silverton

2009-07-06T11:40:00.011-06:00

We go to Silverton, Colorado every year for the 4th of July. It is probably my favorite place. The mountains there are so beautiful and they always have a great parade and fireworks display. This year we found something else to do in Silverton... visit the Big Foot Museum!

One of Jasper's best friends (Taegen, not the Yeti)

Trenton couldn't make it, so this guy stood in as Angie's hubby! :)

Animas Forks is a TINY ghost town above Silverton. Lots of neat old buildings and beautiful scenery.

Aram fell on some rocks the first day there... poor baby.

There are old mine shafts all over the mountain sides. Taegan, Kealen and Jasper were looking for "Mine Fairies". Kids have great imaginations!

See what I mean about the Mountains?

I think the old Miner cabins are pretty cool.

Love the wildflowers...

...and the Waterfalls!

There are so many creeks and brooks with ice cold water.

Just gorgeous!

Fun and Funnies...

2009-06-27T19:25:00.004-06:00

This kid amazes me, he has just really got the hang of walking,.. FAST! It's been less than a week now and he can almost run, stand himself back up and maneuver around obstacles. We love watching it... (hopefully you do, too)

This is how Dad washes the kids when Mom is gone. Funny! (notice the mustache, also)

Unfortunately, Aram wasn't having fun with this game. (He was sick with Croup)

You never know how you will find this kid sleeping these days! Looks comfy, huh?

It is time!!

2009-06-22T09:06:00.004-06:00

One more fun happening in our busy day yesterday...

Aram decided it was time and just took off walking on his own yesterday.

Sorry it's so dark. Still, too cute not to post it.

2009-06-22T07:28:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was Father's Day as well as Aric's 33rd Birthday. We didn't do anything REALLY special, but it was fun to semi-spoil him all day. He got breakfast in bed, Jasper and I made him cards and she made him the cutest necklace that said "Dad" on it, out of her bead set. She did it all by herself, I didn't even know she had done it until she gave it to him! He wore it to church... It was so sweet. We also made him his favorite Indian food for dinner (I attempted to make homemade Naan, you are right Jackee, it is just NOT the same without a Tandoori oven). Angie, Trenton and the kids came over for cake and ice cream at the last minute. It was fun, and Aric was somewhat annoyed when I broke out the camera!

The Birthday boy with a goofy face.

My blue eyed cake monster.

My other blue eyed monster.

Trenti and Swift. (Aunt Brookie snuck her some cake and ice cream later)

Silly Teryk and his beautiful Mommy (whose Birthday is today).

Aram and Swift are too cute together. They just love each other, Aram gets so excited when he gets to play with her. He does try to maul her, though!

This little girl has the cutest personality. She is lots of fun.

Anyhow, Happy Birthday/Father's Day Aric. Hope it was fun for you!!

2009-06-20T21:39:00.002-06:00

What do we do in the Summertime?

We take naps with our dolls...

We wear hats to cover our floppy, ugly hair...

We get little boy haircuts, we dump bottles of Olive Oil on the rug, we empty out all the cupboards, dump the movies, we get bloody noses from our crazy antics, and we think it is the coolest thing to be able to stand up on our own in the middle of the floor.

(who do you think has the most fun?)
:)

2009-06-16T22:07:00.004-06:00

This weekend we were able to celebrate my Mom through the Relay for Life Cancer walk. The whole family attended. There was so much going on and I didn't keep my camera on me, so I missed MANY pictures that I wanted to take. They started the walk off with guest speakers, and then they asked all the Cancer Survivors to walk a lap first. It was very obvious that Mom was one of the more recent survivors. Here they are getting ready to start the survivor lap... (She is wearing the pink hat)
The bags you can see on the edge of the track are Luminarias with names on them, in Honor or Memory of loved ones. There were 8 with 'In Honor of Deb Webber' on them. I wish I had gotten a picture...
They asked the "Caretakers" to join their Survivors for the next lap.

The whole family has come together to get through this past year and help out where we were needed. It has been a journey of Faith, Strength, and Determination for us. My Mother is the heart of our family. As they lit the Luminarias at Dusk (another Kodak moment missed) and then had a presentation of names, I was overcome by tears and the fact that so many of those names had "In memory of" next to them. It made me more aware and proud of the "In honor of" next to her name. To beat this disease it takes a LOT of effort. She deserves the Honor, I am so very grateful for her. I am grateful that her time with us was not cut short. Thank you Mom, for being a fighter, and Thank you Father in Heaven, for blessing our lives with the gift of her life!

(When I finally do hand off the camera, this is what I get! Yucky pictures of me) My hair is growing out, and while I am sure Mom's will catch up sometime soon, I wish mine would hurry out of this awful, floppy, between stage. Enjoy the cute shortness while you can, Mommy!

My little boy is almost WALKING!!

2009-06-06T21:56:00.004-06:00

For awhile now we have thought "It won't be long now until Aram starts walking" but that boy is so stubborn that I had begun to wonder if he wouldn't take forever just because he wanted to. I do realize that he still could go that route, but I am hopeful now, and this is why...

I love how the camera takes precedence over me, but I take precedence over everyone else, (he won't walk back to his Dad) so that is okay! :)

My kids speak Whale...

2009-06-06T19:37:00.006-06:00

My kids can be so darn cute sometimes,... a few months back Jasper watched the movie 'Free Willie' and about that time Aram started this noise that when he was whining at me that sounds like an Orca Whale. She heard him and said "Mom, Aram sounds like Willie". Since then, when she wants him to follow her she calls "Come here, Willie" and makes the same noise to him. Now, he does it just for fun and the other night they did this back and forth for about 20 minutes. CUTE! I present you with 'Willie' and 'Willamina' Whale...

As you can see from the end of this video, when Aram decides the game is over, he just shoves her away... What a stinker! They are both so darling together though, don't ya think?

What to do?

2009-05-31T20:31:00.005-06:00

I have a darling little 10 month old boy,... that is what most people tell me... I'm not disagreeing, but not everyone gets to see the side of him that follows me around the house SCREAMING at me for whatever reason. He is not tired, not hungry, has toys, people to play with, shows to watch but none of this seems to interest him. I have a hard time getting anything done and many days I am so frazzled from being screamed at that my patience is quite short with my poor little 5 year old (who also has to listen to this)...

So, my plea to anyone out there who has been through this phase... WHAT DO I DO?

And really, after watching this video I think it is funny how ridiculous he is about it. He can definitely turn those tears right on and off at his own whim.

He is my own little Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.

Here is my cute little Dr. Jekyll, ready for his breakfast.

We learned that the WHOLE family loves Indian Food this weekend, as Aram joined the ranks. Unfortunately, Indian spices do stain skin...

Yes,.. he is just too cute to stay mad at.

Randomness...

2009-05-27T12:09:00.004-06:00

Just some random pics and videos I've taken in the last week...

I swear, this kid goes to sleep with normal hair, but he is such a crazy sleeper that he wakes up with this major bed-head!

Sometimes (not very often) he thinks it's fun when his Sister mauls him.

Even big girls need naps occasionally.

She always sleeps with her eyes slightly open, her Dad thinks it's creepy.

Aram and Grammie in all their cute-ness.

We recently got a piano which both of the kids love to play on. Aram can barely reach but he will stand on his tip-toes to get his shot at creating music.

This little guy just insists on feeding himself these days and it is always a messy affair, but the icing on the cake was when he started putting the food in the sides of his hair. YUCKY!

Trip to Denver...

2009-05-27T10:54:00.007-06:00

We took a quick overnight trip to Denver last week. Aric had a meeting so the kids and I went to the Children's Museum for a few hours, they had lots of fun. The next day we all went to the Denver Zoo. Of course, my camera batteries died right after we got there so there are very few pics of the zoo.

Aram was not overly interested in the animals, so he got a good nap instead.

The Museum had lots of fun play places.

Aric and Jasper went inside the bird enclosure to get up close and personal.

This bird was NOT a fan of Jasper's... He kept pecking and squawking at her through the glass.

Jasper holding Aram down so I could get a picture of the two of them together.

More play at the Museum...

All in all, a fun trip. We also got to visit with one of Aric's brothers and his family... no pics thanks to dead batteries. :(

Goo Goo for Goggles!

2009-05-20T21:03:00.003-06:00

We are ready for swim lessons,.. and even though we look silly and don't REALLY like to wear the goggles, it sure is fun to have them! :)

Aram had to be restrained to keep him from pulling them off right away!

Silly, Silly kids!

Trying the new goggles out in the baby pool!

These two had fun today... jumping on the trampoline with a sprinkler under it and swimming in the baby's pool (it was too cold for Swift and Aram). Luckily, NO major owies this time! (The chunk of skin missing from the bridge of Jasper's nose was from LAST time, when they decided to slide across Grammie's wood floor on pillows!)

These two LOVE mischief, and each other! :)

No more MONKEY falling out of bed!!

2009-05-15T20:56:00.003-06:00

Noise I would rather NOT wake up to:

A loud THUNK followed by earsplitting wailing!

Yes, that would be our son... climbing out of his crib this morning.

Ever since Aram learned to stand up in his crib I have worried about this possibility and asked Aric to lower the crib mattress, but as time went on with no incidents I put it mostly out of my head. Well, better late than never and luckily he wasn't truly hurt. It still amazes me the difference between my two children. He is such a WILD man.

Here he is an hour after I put him to bed tonight... still rambunctious as ever, but definitely contained this time. (or so I hope!!)

This Monkey is good and stuck in his cage this time!

"If I smile and act cute, will you get me out?"
Life is just so fun when you are getting into trouble!

Graduating...

2009-05-13T19:49:00.003-06:00

Life has been full of little Graduations for Jasper. I still remember so many of these triumphs... every ounce gained, to finally (after 1 month of life) get to start taking in actual milk, and then to drink it from a bottle rather than a tube. Getting out of the hospital at 2 months when she finally reached 4 lbs. Getting off the supplemental oxygen at 5 months. Learning to turn her head to both sides with the help of physical therapy, then learning to stand was also a challenge. Crawling, walking, talking... She has always been the type of kid that we REALLY have to work with, things have never come easily so it feels like almost every milestone was a triumph. I was very worried about sending her to Kindergarten so young and whether or not we would need to hold her back after this year.

Today she graduated from Kindergarten.

It was such a cute program (even though I couldn't see her) and I am just so grateful for the opportunity the Lord gave me to raise her. She is amazing. Of course we had to work at it, but this little girl is definitely ready to move onto 1st grade next year. I thought it would be fun to show you where she started from...

I wish I could describe how truly tiny and frail she was, pictures do not do it justice.

This is a small bathroom sink that we bathed her in when we first got her home from the hospital. She fit perfectly.

Holding hands (kind of) with Mommy!

And just look at her now. (I think folding her arms while walking has defintely been ingrained from church... :)

Recieving her diploma from her Teacher, Mrs. Richmond.

She is going to miss her friend Mikalynn this summer!

Hopefully next year I wont worry as much. :)

Field Day!

2009-05-13T15:55:00.005-06:00

Jasper had Field Day last week at school, and let me just say,... her gross motor skills are STILL her weakest area! :) It was very fun and funny though watching her try, she doesn't even care if she is the ABSOLUTE last one (by quite a lot sometimes). The class just cheered her on as they waited for her to finish the obstacle course. Later in life this may be one day that she will want to play hooky, but for now I am just glad she is such an easy going girl and not competative. Her best friend on the other hand, is one of the most athletic kids in the class and finished first in almost everything so she gave Jasper one of her 1st place ribbons!
Anyway, here are some fun pics and videos...

Aram thought Field Day was fun as long as he didn't have to sit in a non-moving stroller.

The end and the beginning of the busyness.

2009-05-05T20:52:00.003-06:00

With Jasper's first year of school drawing to a close, I must admit I am somewhat relieved to have 3 months to slow down. It has been a busy 9 months for her as well as Aram and I. We are always the ones running her back and forth from school, spending time helping out in her classroom and eating school lunch with her about once a week (she loves this, and is always begging me to come for lunch). So, as many of you know, the end of the school year gets even crazier as the field trips start rolling in. We went Bowling last week, then on Monday the entire school was bussed to Farmington to watch the movie Earth, followed by lunch at the park. It was fun, if a little wild. Jasper is usually too busy dancing around to get a good picture, but I tried...

Jasper and her friends, Rylee and Mikalynn

Life may just be getting busier in our house this summer though, due to my VERY active little boy. Now that he crawls everywhere, he is into everything. Jasper loves playing with him, but her games usually involve dress up (note the 'FAIRY' cute wings on Aram) and her dollhouse, which he loves. She will just have the furniture all arranged the way she wants it when her brother comes crawling right into the dollhouse to plop himself down and REarrange it for her!

How can you help but endure the orneriness when it comes with a face like this?

Aram's new favorite game: unload and inspect the contents of the diaper bag. He should get a job with an Airline. :)

Maybe he can even earn some real "wings" in the process. ;)

Teaching the Gospel in our home...

2009-04-24T22:21:00.004-06:00

to our sweet little girl, that is! I just wanted to document this because it was so special to me...

Aric taught our Family Home Evening lesson tonight, we do it Friday night because it is the one night Aric is always home. The lesson was about the very beginning of the Plan of Salvation, it was amazing to see Jasper's response to it. She started out answering the simple questions about where we were before coming to the Earth, and then as Aric went on explaining the two different Plans and what they each entailed, it was amazing how she just wanted to KNOW everything. She started asking really great questions, and Aric not wanting to get ahead and confuse her would say, you have to wait to hear about that later (making it like a story). She was just enthralled, and quickly grasped that everyone here on the earth accepted Jesus' plan (or they wouldn't be here) and that we were all fighting ("Were you fighting, Mom?") for the freedom to make choices. It was so fun to watch and hear from her words this new understanding and testimony she gained.
The best part for me was when she chose 'I am a Child of God' as the closing song. She sang it so beautifully and at the end she broke into tears, I gathered her into my arms and said, "When you feel the Spirit really strongly, sometimes it makes you cry... It's okay, it feels good and that is the Holy Ghost telling you that the things you hear are true." She nodded her head and told me "Do you know why I love Heavenly Father? Because he helps us so much." After we said the closing pray she told me, "Mom, the 'teary' thing is getting me again." My heart was so full after this experience. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and being able to teach it to my children is a joy unlike any other I've felt. I never want to forget this.

Naughty boys need school!

2009-04-22T13:08:00.006-06:00

Last night my children found a game to play together, and let me just say,... CUTE!

Jasper heard Aram whining at me, so she came out of her room and said, "Are you being naughty? Naughty boys have to go to school!" then turning to me she asked "Is it okay if I take brother to my room and play school with him?"

Okay? It was GREAT! The game went on for several hours throughout the house and I kept hearing her calling Aram, "Student", and herself "Teacher".

Then I was presented with a piece of paper by teacher who said that it was my "Note to the parent" of the student. (I think it is hilarious how grown-up this little girl talks) The note had my name, the teachers name (Branda Ban Bat), weird, I know. It said

"He did gud of lirning. We had a sho. Aram!"

So, apparently he learns good, and they had a show. It made me happy to see my children enjoying one another, and I got some Mom time! How great is life?

Anyway, here are some videos of the naughty boy and his newest tricks.

By the way, I took him to the doctor today for his 9 month check-up. Here are his stats:

Height: 27 inches/12th percentile

Weight: 17 lbs. 11 oz./ 10th percentile

Head: 44.3 cm/ 23rd percentile

I guess my little boy is no longer proportionate!

More easter fun...

2009-04-12T19:17:00.003-06:00

I forgot to import these pictures earlier...

We went on a 'mock' easter egg hunt Saturday morning (it was too snowy to do the real thing) This easter bunny is a little creepy, isn't he?

We dyed easter eggs on Friday night, Aram put the egg in his mouth long enough to turn it blue, and then proceded to smash the egg to bits.

Jasper and Aric had a ball coloring the eggs with crayons and then dying them... they were quite creative, making a jack o lantern egg, a watermelon egg, and lots of fun designs.

Easter morning...

2009-04-12T17:41:00.000-06:00

2009-04-06T18:34:00.007-06:00

The latest (sometimes not so) greatest achievments of my 8 month old Wild Thing...

Being a huge Momma's boy... He whines and cries if I walk by him without picking him up, he throws a fit if his dad takes him away from me and he REALLY doesn't like strangers (he scowls at most people who try to talk to him). Its a good thing he's cute!

Born to stand... He will tolerate standing in his jumper or excer-saucer for short amounts of time, but what he loves best is to stand up like a big boy with his hands being held. (This is very time consuming for Mom, but you do what you must for a happy child!) When I go to get him after a nap, I usually find him standing up and bouncing up and down with excitement at getting out of his cage.

Big time Biter... He actually drew blood the other day,.. through my clothes. I think it is his convoluted way of showing affection. He leans in to give me a kiss and bites my lips instead, he nuzzles his face against me and I know I'm gonna get it if I'm not fast enough in escaping. Hopefully someday, he will just be loving in a nice way.

Backwards crawler... He could crawl all over if he was a little more patient (and less whiny). As it is, he goes from sitting to hands and knees and he can turn, scoot and lunge, but ends up going backwards more often than not when really crawling. The minute his tummy touches the floor though,.. he is mad and wants to be "fixed". Jasper is a great big sister, she is constantly picking him up and setting him back down so he will be happy. I love to watch their interaction, even though she is more a mother to him than a playmate.

Aram is the most motivated when a breakable electronic device is involved. (Toys are not fun,.. but phones, computers, cameras, remotes... LOOK OUT!)

He is going after my computer in this one.

Last week was Jasper's spring break and though we were looking forward to being outside and having friends over to jump on her new trampoline... the weather thought otherwise. (It was cold, windy and even snowy ALL week) So, Jasper made her own fun (and mess) while being cooped up in the house. The fun game she found to play with Bruddy (her brother) was climbing in his crib, jumping around and hiding in blankets. I'm not sure he thought it was as much fun,.. he just wanted me to get him OUT!

My kids are an absolute joy and I am so greatful for them. They complete me, challenge me, make me feel special and needed. I love being able to stay at home with them!

Your future is only as bright as your Faith!

2009-04-05T14:24:00.004-06:00

President Monson's talk during the morning session of our Church's general conference was so powerful it brought me to sobs and then gave me so much hope that I want to share his message with those who may not have heard it.
He starts out by talking about all the concerns and struggles that the country's state of affairs is bringing us. He knows that it would be easy for us to become discouraged and cynical about what the future holds. (This for me hits quite close to home as I am one for feeling afraid of the future, afraid of major trials, and depressed by my lack of control over situations.)
President Monson then told several story's about finding joy through severe trials. One was of a woman living in East Prussia during WWII and being forced to travel to Germany alone (her husband having just died) with her 4 children ranging in age from an infant to a 7 year old. Along the way (over 1000 miles on foot), they suffered from the cold, starvation and one by one each one of her children died. She buried each one using a teaspoon (the only thing she had). While listening I started out teary and ended up having to leave the room to attend to my sobs. (Losing a child is one of my biggest fears.) Still listening to the talk from the other room, I heard how this woman wanted to end her life to escape her misery. After turning to the Lord in prayer with nothing left but her faith, she was able to carry on. Once she had arrived in Germany (now childless) she was emaciated but triumphant. She later stated that of all the people in her saddened land she was the happiest, because she knew that God lived and Jesus is the Christ and he died and was resurrected that we may live again, and she would be with her family again someday if she could carry on.
So, even though this story was very devastating to me at first, I will take from it the message I feel like I very much needed...

"There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us"

"The future is as bright as your faith"

Wow! The future can have hope, no matter the state of affairs in our country. No matter the trials we each suffer. WE decide how bright our future is. This left me KNOWING that I could handle whatever I must... my future will be bright, it will get better, maybe not on this earth, but in the future I KNOW will come if I can stay faithful.

Are you a boy or are you a girl?

2009-03-30T19:11:00.003-06:00

I used to scoff when people would tell me how different baby boys are from girls,.. until having Aram. He seems to be ALL boy, not liking to be cuddled, jumping out of your arms, loves to be thrown and rough-housed and he bites, HARD! So, you can understand my fear of what the future will bring with this little boy.

Angie (my sister-in-law) and I are always comparing Aram to what Teryk (my 3 year old nephew) was like at that age, seeing many similarities. Well just today, Teryk took a spill onto a coffee table and knocked out 3 of his teeth. (poor little guy!!)

Shortly thereafter I was reading the blog of a friend (whose 2 year old boy I spent some time with this past week) the post was complete with an x-ray picture of the rock in her little guy's intestines that he had accidentally swallowed.

YIKES! Raising a boy sounds scary.

As I was relating these events to my husband and at least feeling secure in my ability to raise my sweet and cuddly and usually mellow little GIRL, he told me about something she had just done...

He was headed out the door for work when she walked up to him and with a loud "HI-YA" kicked him in the shin. After which she calmly sat down on the couch and answering his irate "What was that for?" responded serenely "That was one of my best moves!"

So, I have now come to the conclusion that boy,.. girl,.. it doesn't matter... They are all their own little wild things, and either way we have our work cut out for us.

Hard to be a Hero...

2009-03-18T09:25:00.003-06:00

So, one of the blogs I follow had a cute post on it about kindergarten crushes today. It reminded me of an event that happened with Jasper that I want to remember, so I'm going to document it.. (hopefully, you will find it just as funny)

Aric and I went to have lunch with Jasper at school yesterday, on our way to the cafeteria Aric noticed that a little boy had his arm around Jasper. I didn't see it, but Aric being protective of his little girl grumbled something about "might have to have a talk.."
When a parent comes for lunch, the kids get to sit at a special table and invite two of their friends to join them. Jasper's best friend is an adorable little girl named Mikalynn, who we call Mickey. When we went to sit down Mickey was on one side of Jasper and on the other side... Joe. (the little boy whose arm Aric had scowled at)
So, as we ate, Jasper asked her dad to open her milk carton (she has a hard time with this). Joe quickly said "I will do it for you!" but was too late, as Aric was already opening it. In order to redeem himself or maybe show off, Joe grabbed his own milk and proceeded to show Jasper how he opens it himself...
Well, he was a little too exuberant and ended up dousing Jasper in milk. She looked a little shocked and just said "It's kind of cold" while Joe looked very much embarrassed. I was laughing my head off. Poor Joe.
At six years old, it is hard to be a hero... :)

2009-03-14T21:35:00.002-06:00

Allow me to share if you will,.. my latest creations

(although, reading has started to take a precident over photoshop,... could it be I'm getting bored?, or are there just too many books out there waiting to share their adventures...)

Anyway, some of my favorites over the past week...

A mother's love
bathtime smiles

Do you want to wrestle, cousin?

2009-03-05T09:52:00.004-07:00

It has been one of those awful weeks at our house... Aram had croup, then a cold, and then an ear infection. We spent 4 sleepless nights, had 2 trips to the pediatrician, and finally my little grumpy bug felt a little better today... only to have passed it on to his sister, who cant stop coughing and needing to wipe her nose. She is miserable, but still manages to be her usual happy, sweet self. This morning she wanted to play with my hand held mirror, and brought it to her brother.. They were so cute, it was definitely a Kodak moment...Aram liked the handheld mirror so much, we decided to let him check out the full size...
And Jasper doesn't always get enough attention with her brother around, so she makes her own Kodak moments...

I love these kids... even during an awful week.

Proud to be..

2009-03-04T09:41:00.003-07:00

So, after dropping my little girl off at school today, waving goodbye, signing 'I love you' back to her... I watched her make her way to the giant sized (to her at least) heavy metal door, and strain to open it. After looking behind her, she noticed that another student was making his way to the door. I don't know if he is handicapped or injured but he was slowly shuffling along. Jasper opened the door as wide as it would go and put all of her weight into holding it open (which I could tell was not an easy task for her) and waiting for him to make his way through the door first. Tears welled in my eyes, and pride shot through me at this wonderful gesture from my sweet little girl.
I began to think, how often do we as adults hurry along to be the first to get through a door, and slide through triumphantly before someone else. How often do we walk past someone and look at our feet, rather than making eye contact and smiling.
There are so many people out there that would benefit from someone else's radiant spirit shining through a smile, or a kind gesture. Do you know who they are? I don't, so I have decided to try and follow my 5 year olds' example... Slow down, Smile, Wave, Do a Kind Deed, Share some of the Love or Knowledge that I have been blessed with.
It sure made me proud to be this little girls mom.

2009-02-28T08:23:00.002-07:00

And now for your viewing pleasure, I present......

Teryk and Swift

Sorry, I know I'm a cheeseball...

swimming, and more..

2009-02-26T21:35:00.002-07:00

Angie and I took the kids swimming (Aram for the 1st time) this afternoon. It was cold and the babies tolerated it well, but their big siblings LOVE to swim, and had a ball. They were rambunctiously cute jumping into the pool over and over again.

(sometimes on top of each other!)

They look thrilled, dont they? :)

I had to include my funny faced little man, he is very expressive, I love some of the faces he makes!

And the lucky winner is...

2009-02-24T13:57:00.004-07:00

Aram has been the lucky recipient of new teeth and a haircut this week, I got a couple of pics to portray the winner at his finest..

there are actually 3 (almost 4) teeth up there, but you can only get a glimpse of 2

(another one of my photoshop creations, by the way)

His hair was getting so long and scraggly, it was driving me nutso.

(my mom will be mad that I cut it, she kept telling me not to.)

Aram: Sorry, grammie... I want to look like a boy.

Yay for Photoshop!!

2009-02-24T13:28:00.004-07:00

Well, my last post did the trick of convincing my husband that I needed a photoshop program,.. he found me a program to try for 30 days to see if it is what I want.

So far, so good...

what do you think of the little playing around I did?

Hope Bry and Beth don't mind me posting Brynn here.

found something I truly enjoy...

2009-02-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

So, I think getting a new camera has created a monster in me... I absolutely love to take pics and then edit them, turning them into my own masterpieces (obviously I like the black and white and sepia best). Now I just need (PLEASE, Aric) to get Photoshop for my computer, and voila...

a new fun hobby.

The best part... no pictures of ME!!

Here are some of my favorites...