writing to taste life twice

Happy 2012

2012-01-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Life as a Photographer can get hectic...espeically with everyone and their horse (literally) wanting family pictures! I tell myself that 'this year we will get our family pictures done early', but never happens.

Enjoy the new year.

Photos taken by my great friend and mentor Jake Johnson.

Williams Family Reunion Talent

2011-11-30T13:54:00.000-08:00

We had a Williams Family Reunion during Thanksgiving.

The kids got a medley of songs to dance to. They finally came together and danced it the best they have yet...phew. :)

Incarnacioooo oh oh oh oh oh oh!

2011-10-31T13:42:00.001-07:00

happy halloween!!!!

Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun.

sunday night

2011-10-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

clowning around.

been so busy with shoots lately that I've neglected shooting my own kids.

cade got these mardi gras beads from school. he loves them. me, not so much.

as kaylee would say: 'akward'

one man band.

two man band...

this summer

2011-08-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Kaylee at Manhattan Beach, California.

first time in the ocean. she loved it.

chores wonderful chores!

2011-08-19T19:34:00.001-07:00

introducing job charts, allowance.....and consequences for not doing our jobs.

beautiful.

happy.

$1 a week. any chore refused or undone, results in -5 moneys (aka 5 cents) (IMO: much better to give them a certain amount, and take it away slowly, than to 'build' the amount up...due to constant questions "how much do I have?" or "how much more do I need to get __________?" or "How much more work until I've earned $$$$?" it's simple and clean cut.

they are to help with trash duty, dishes (emptying the dishwasher), folding and putting away their own laundry, making their own beds, cleaning their rooms, homework, etc...and Saturday...oh Saturday!...opens up a whole list of possibilities of what mommy needs help on!!!!! :)

they have been happily completing their own work.

Kaylee is working on earning for a doll...which she reminds me of at least once a day. but I need to remind her not to talk about it. so she talks about not talking about the doll she wants. you know, but I shouldn't be talking about it either.

cade helps to fold my famous stash of white washcloths.

first day of school!!!!

2011-08-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

two down! one to go!!!!!!

so, this is 2 weeks late. school started August 8th over here in the land of the permanent heat wave....thus started the exciting bike trip each morning and afternoon ending with sweat drenched clothes and drippy drop beaded mustaches. ewwww.

Kaylee has Mrs. Guggisberg...a sweet wonderful teacher (had her last year...I'll explain below). Mrs. Guggisberg (with a touch of an eastern accent) reminds me of my wonderful Aunt Louise (who taught for about 30 years in 1st grade and has a 'chi-town' accent). Very calm understanding teacher that helped put my and David's worries at ease. So excited to have her again!

Cade has Ms. Miles. I have a friend whose son had her in Kindergarten and loved her. She is a more seasoned teacher and I know Cade will really enjoy Kindergarten. He's been coming home (two weeks now), after a long day at school, and biking all the way home (or scooting) with sweat dripping off him, with a SMILE!

he even loves doing his homework....for the most part. :)

Kaylee and Cade: the school goers. (look close and you can see the beaded sweat mustaches) that was one hot muggy day for school to start! AND I carried conner to school on my shoulders. nothing like cuddling up on a nice steamy morning!!!

ok, see Kaylee's shirt? It's her THIRD year wearing it! Yup. That is the nice thing about having a kid who grows SLOW. She still has Cade by about an inch, but that will soon be a losing race. They both wear the same size clothes AND shoes.

saying goodbye to the last one home:

while at the store getting school supplies, a lady behind us asked Kaylee in an upbeat happy voice, "You getting ready for school!? What grade are you going to be in!?"

Kaylee very enthusiastically replied: "I'm going to be in first grade again!"

the sweet innocence and joy she has makes me jealous.

She's excited to be her teachers 'helper'. She even got to choose where she was going to sit!

absolutely love conners little snuggle smile!

2 weeks down.

2011-08-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

two weeks since school started. the kids are loving school, teachers,and lunch.

i'm loving it too! just need Conner to hurry and get to kindergarten...but 2 years until that point.

conner had his first day of school today too....articulation class (right now the class size is 2....most they will take in the class is 4). they meet once a week for 45 minutes. BARELY got my grocery shopping done before it was too late. this is gonna be rough! missing my free time during the regular preschool from the past.

kaylee has a new loose tooth too!

best friends

2011-08-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kaylee had such a wonderful summer! She made a first best friend that kept her busy all day long...they were inseparable!

Hadley and Kaylee both lost their two front teeth...and I was lucky enough to be asked by Hadley herself, to pull one for her! (I've pulled a majority of Kaylee's teeth so far....)

we got to spend a whole week in Utah visiting our family after an action packed reunion in Colorado. the kids enjoyed every minute. I have so much to blog about...mostly in pictures....cuz that's how I roll.

what is so funny about this shot...it reminds me of how small Kaylee is. She is actually older than her cousin Hadley. (Of course, Hadley also has the 'tall' genes in her family)...but Kaylee is pretty small for her age.

why?

2011-08-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

i'd really like to hear your answer.

conner is 3

2011-08-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

(back on July 25th) for Conner's birthday, we had a road trip to Manhattan Beach, CA...and on the end of that long day....we celebrated 3 wonderful years with a sweet cake, made by Brian and Veronica. It was fun!

conner has the best photo-worthy blowing face.

that is one SWEET cake!!! thanks B and V!

already to dig in...wait...we need some photos first!!!

we had just a fun party with our 'cousins'....Lance, Spencer, Ivy and Jordan.

lullabye

2011-06-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure how this Pet Shop mommy does it.

Three kids is a lot of work, let a lone a few dozen!!

super mommy.

Saturday will not come soon enough.

5 more sleeps

2011-06-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

until we leave to see 'My Highness' (aka: Aunt Corin)

Colorado Reunion or Bust!!!

In other news:

David has had Bell's Palsy the past couple weeks. Slowly is getting control back. It's been an interesting ride for him. Hoping to get back to normal for the upcoming Vacation.

(this is just the most interesting ailment of the past month...David had also thrown out his back as well as yours truly and I also was fortunate enough to enjoy a bit of vertigo for a couple days while David was laid up with his back.) I tell ya, it was awesome.

still here

2011-05-21T18:24:00.001-07:00

6:20 and i'm still here.

no rapture to report on.

guess we'll start getting ready for bed.

dang....and I forgot all of laundry needed to be done/saved for post 'rapture' Monday.

ok V. this is for you!

2011-05-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

been so busy, haven't gotten a chance to look at the photos Veronica took during our 'photography class/week' together! It was a blast and we both came away with more than we expected!

love this shot she got of Kaylee and Cade....they're posers for sure! love how they're holding each others hands. they can be darling, can't they!

kaylee is always sweet to pose for me!

so, while taking photos, Conner gets too curious and gets STUCK in the mud. I go and pull out his tiny feet from the mud. his nice new shoes are now muddy covered gooey messes. that was quite a gross mess.

some pics of your's truly, taken by budding, manual mode using Veronica!!!!

me and the giant.

i'm usually not a fan of 'camera action shots' but these have a nice flare.....

love the green reflection going on in the lens.

i like the 'wind in my hair' although I don't have much to blow around, it's cool.....a little wisp.

changing

2011-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

A few things have changed in the house.....just wanted to show a couple things that I recently finished.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE huge photos with no frames. I thought this would be a great way to try a new 'faux canvas' wall arrangement.

I like how it turned out, and how cheap it was! Can't wait to easily and cheaply update and change the photos when I want, without dreading the price!

the photo down the hall, next to our front door is their 'three head' tub shot....shown on the top of this blog (minus Conner's hand).

a couple for ya.

2011-04-05T12:28:00.001-07:00

from last night.

we was havin' fun.

tos

2011-03-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

this is kinda a re-occurring theme, but Conner loves toast, aka 'tos'

he eats it many different ways.

reminds me of those commercials asking 'How do you eat a Reeces?"

and what goes best with a bunch of yummy 'tos'?

can you guess what he is signing?

starts with an m....and ends with ilk.

His speech is coming along really well. I was trying to help him find a toy a few days ago, and out of nowhere, I hear a little voice say 'I found it!' Conner!? yup, he spoke three words together and coherently. His speech therapist has also noticed a big change in him when she visited us today.

not sure WHY we've been blessed with children who don't speak well...or normally, but it's nice to know that one day, they will put three words together and make sense.

dad

2011-03-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love my dad.

I love my mom.

sweetness

2011-03-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

after a rough Friday, it was nice to SLEEP IN today. thanks honey.

I had a wedding to shoot last night. Really excited about the photos. Can't wait to share some on my photography blog.

We played at a couple parks today to give the kids some fresh air, and give daddy a break...at least that is what we planned.

conner pooed his pants after 1/2 an hour at the park, so he and Daddy spent the rest of the time in the van while I took care of some baseball photography and Kaylee and Cade watched alongside me.

After the game, we went to play in the park until it was time to go. Daddy and Conner were 'enjoying' a movie in the van...

got this sweet shot of kaylee. love her eyes without those dang glasses. such pretty eyes. pretty princess eyes.

scruff

2011-03-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

while I was getting ready this morning, Conner decided to make himself some toast. He helped himself to more than his share of the cinnamon and sugar. He had a bit of a sugar high.

are all kids like this, or just mine? little mischief makers...to the max.

conner saw me blow off my lens after a few of his 'whiskers' fell onto my camera. he decided to help me keep them off and blew them off as I shot.

looking like a man with real scruff. how does it feel?

it reminds me of when my dad would have a scratchy face and would take me and rub his whiskers all over my face. good times.

duck.....duck........

2011-03-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

GOOSE!

oh! Mom! Look! A goose! It's so cute!!! It's eating our bread! Look!

here....want some more!?

WWWWWOOONNNNNNKKKKK!

aaaahhhh!

What's wrong Kaylee? 'Chikin?'

Conner wasn't too concerned .

he made a few good pals.

for mom

2011-02-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

one of my mom's favorite photos of me when I was little.

My brother Reed was, I think, teaching me how to flex? Maybe he can enlighten me on the circumstances of this shot.

love you mom. you help me stay happy.

1 down....19 to go.

2011-02-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

Kaylee lost her first tooth today.

the adult tooth is pretty crooked...it's been poking it's way up for a month or two now....it's crooked by about 45%. braces are in her future I'm thinking.

She showed me how much more lose it was after school. I asked her if I could try pulling it....she didn't want to at first....but then wanted to try.

After about 30 seconds....and some screaming and crying some alligator tears...the tooth came out. She's very happy now.

Losing the first tooth is somewhat traumatic....especially if your mom wants to pull it! Now she'll be a bit more relaxed when her next tooth is ready to be pulled, but not very relaxed.

I remember when my dad would pull my teeth. I'd always get really nervous. He would take my tooth, bend it forward, then twist it like a screw. It was always quick, and pretty painless...but still...crazy stressful for a little kid.

here's a picture of when my dad pulled one of my teeth. he got one of his dandy tools to take the photo with me...but he really didn't use it to pull the little sucker.

when I got married my dad gave me all my baby teeth in a bag. they kept them all. taped them up in tape with a date of when I lost that particular tooth. crazy.

dry

2011-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

conner woke up dry this morning...a great sign! let's see if he keeps it up.

not a single accident yet either...another good sign....

it's starting to click!

biz bucket

2011-02-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

two weeks of potty training, and still more hurdles to jump over.

i'm so scatter brained i forget to ask conner if he needs to go. i've used a timer, but i'm too scatter brained to remember to use it...especially today.

either he'll be potty trained eventually, or his wife can do it.

everyone over here at our house is running around in their natures. we had haircuts and somehow no one seemed to care to get dressed after their bath.

oh well.

a couple cute stories from yesterday:

Kaylee said she had to go to the bathroom during dinner. She's in there and yells out to
us..."I think I have diarrhea!" A few moments pass and we're still eating dinner. "Yup, I
have diarrhea!" David says some type of remark...like 'thanks for the update'.

She then asks for me to come and wipe her. I'm still eating dinner, so I told her she had to
wait a few minutes until I finish. David finishes first and goes to help her. A bit later David
comes out and said she didn't have diarrhea. Kaylee then bursts out the hallway and
says...."I tricked you!" "I don't have diarrhea."

....now that's a potty mouth....

Kaylee is practicing her spelling with David. She has to spell the word "seven". She spells it
with an 'f' instead of 'v'. David enunciates the 'v' sound by saying 'vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv' to
her. She looks a bit confused. Cade interrupts and tells Kaylee.... "V! It goes like this..."
and he fingers the letter 'v' in the air"

five

2011-01-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

cade had a happy birthday today. he's been really into 'photography'....wonder where he got that interest....you can see our ancient first 'digital' camera on the right side of the frame. his birthday present (a new bigger bike) will be 'revealed' tomorrow.

I yuv you buddy.

just another monday night

2011-01-20T11:03:00.001-08:00

ps: there's a SWEET video I took of David, but I probably shouldn't post it without permission! ;) Need approval from the choreographer.

park 2 day

2011-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

at the park today. having some fun with my 1.4

(either conner was tired of my camera in his face...or he was singing opera. can't remember)

sweet 1.4 i lub u.

I watched Abby for the afternoon. fun she and we had.

look close, she's making a heart with her hands.

(wanna see it up close?)

tickle tickle tickle

abby is a silly girl. real silly.

she refers to herself in the 3rd person.

she comes up to me after dinner and says, "Abby fart." way funny!

Saturday is a special day....

2011-01-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

...it's the day we get ready for Sunday.

:) new year.

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

make it a good one!

he's called 'ticklebug grandpa'

2010-12-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

FOR A REASON!

grandpa has cade's foot!

moment before contact.

attacking from behind isn't a good idea. you'll make the tickle bugs upset!

conner came over to see what all the commotion was about...guess he was thinking he should have left his curiosity alone!

I asked Cade who his best buddy was. He said, "Grandpa."

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

nothing creates sibling harmony faster.

in today's sad news...

mom and dad left to go home today.

sniff. sniff.

oh my goodnessssss!

2010-12-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Santa comes tonight!!!!!

testing the waters with a little studio magic tonight. think i'm starting to see the light? on my way.

crazy hair day

2010-12-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

kaylee gave me a nice opportunity to be creative at 6:30 this morning.

it's spirit week at school...and today is 'crazy hair day'. i thought since it was christmas time, it would be fun to do a 'Who' inspired hairstyle. Cindy Lou Who...who was no more than two (plus four).

her eyes kept getting larger and larger as the creation kept evolving.

i give you:

Kaylee Lou Who...who is no more than two (plus four).

we call these twinkle berries.

she was so proud of her hair. she even was careful when brushing her teeth...needed me to help her get a drink from the faucet.

too fun. I guess this is one great reason to have a girl! but, I do have one idea for Cade next year for crazy hair day...but not sure if Daddy will fly with it.

have a happy grinchy inspired christmas

our own village

2010-12-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

ohyeah.

we waz baking up a storm today. Grandma and Grandpa Price are here for a Christmas visit!

Grandma helped me cook, and Grandpa helped keep the little ones occupied as we made a mess of the kitchen.

While Kaylee was at school, we made a wide variety of goodies (and still more to make!).

After school, we got to decorate some fun 'graham cracker gingerbread houses' (did you know they make gingerbread graham crackers!?)

have all sorts of funny little things lurking around our little 'village'

reindeer droppings....

Santa stuck in a chimney...

we've got an Amish snowman...wasn't quite aiming for that look...but it happened.

a nice spread of houses...7 to be exact....and 2 'floaters' just docked on the outskirts of town which will be towed over to teachers tomorrow....hopefully in one piece (and not taken a bite out of). ;)

"Throw Papa down the stairs his hat." -just a bit o' Amish Pennsylvania wordin' I overheard to mama snowman say to her son as he fetched his Papa's hat.

where is santa?

our village, with the two island dwellers on the outskirts of town soon to be hauled away to unsuspecting teachers!

all this gingerbread house making was had during Conner's nap time.

thus, his excitement that evening when we brought the houses out for everyone to see.

yup. way too much fun.

houses made of food! GENIUS!

three of a kind

2010-12-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

back in 1985 Kelly and I cut our hair. this was right before a big family vacation. quite a surprise to our mom.

I remember quite vividly when we were finished with the cut, that we hid the hair in our doll house while mom came up the driveway after getting the mail.

during our vacation, a lady came up to my mom and asked if our cut was a new style. ;)

25 years later, yup....we still cut our own hair. but much more responsibly.

last week, a true 'Price' shown through in our niece Brooklyn.

she cut 6-8 inches off....EVERYWHERE! She actually did quite a good job in back...it was very even and looks almost like a true haircut...gone somewhat wrong. (the bangs though...just like the infamous 1985 style..must be coming back again).

oh yeah. I only hope Kaylee doesn't get this idea. ever. ;)

my sister wrote what happened at church:

At church today:

Many People: Who cut your hair Brooklynn?
Brooklynn: My mom.

You should have heard the laughs when she would say that. :)

(it was kinda true, because my sister DID cut a bit of hair....just to clean up the edges that she could!)

hugs and kisses Brooklyn! Auntie Shannon and Auntie Kelly are proud of you!

tee hee hee.

us!

2010-12-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE taking pictures, but really really love it when WE are being shot! I never get to be in many photographs, let alone, nice looking ones that are somewhat planned. Once a year I get this treat, and it went along very smoothly....with only minor whines. A new buddy photographer and new friend Dawniele took our group photos! I'm in love!

...and hoping to get some christmas cards not only ordered like last year, but SENT OUT, unlike last year!

if you want to see more, take a look over at my photography blog...there's a slew of em over there!

this is us! 2010

Cade: almost 5, Shannon newly 30, Kaylee 6 1/2, David...a thirty-something ;), and Conner 2 1/2

new spice

2010-10-26T07:20:00.001-07:00

for all you BYU alumni out there....this story was told in the new alumni magazine that is sent out.

real good!

(a take on the old spice commercial)

fall in az

2010-10-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

remember this from a few years ago in a past Arizona Fall? that was November. We still have a month of 'splash pad' weather.

well, we had a fun time going to another splash pad with cousins. they enjoyed running around and getting all wet. It still doesn't seem to fit in my mind.

Halloween and a visit to a splash pad in a bathing suit in the same month?

I remember freezing my keester off when I was younger and going trick or treating. Freezing rain and all that fun stuff.

cousin lynnea and kaisa

kaisa.

cade didn't get too excited about getting wet...he was pretty interested in the other play areas that didn't have water.

conner: the last air bender...controller of the elements.

conner was a mooch and got goldfish from this family sitting across from us. he didn't want to let them go, even when they got soggy.

cousin luke.

beautiful lynnea.

confused, but ready!

2010-10-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

conner brought over all the soccer getup and pleaded with me to dress him.

i tried to get him to hold a ball or something, but somehow he thinks that a bat is fitting for this outfit.

sweet!

love his sweetly confused sense!

a gem

2010-10-07T01:01:00.000-07:00

it's so nice when i'm going through old photos and i find a gem to post. totally forgot about these...during an etsy shoot and conner joined in on the silly fun. once was lost and forgotten is found again.

these shots make me not feel so bummed about having kids with poo colored eyes.

still jealous of his lashes.....real jealous.

a sunday view

2010-10-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

this is first and foremost for 'my highness'

then for Kelly, aka "I'm your mommy!"

then for Grandma

and for all you other luckies out there!

the kids were making a ton of noise sunday night, and I decided to take some video of the action.

can you tell who is who? think fast!

new name

2010-09-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've renamed my photo blog:

shannonbowphoto.blogspot.com

fall........

2010-09-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

3 days until October.....and 105 for today?

seriously????????

hazards in photography

2010-09-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

it's dangerous working for Jake.

every morning after a long (but fun) work day assisting Jake I can hardly walk straight and my muscles are aching from all that lifting, or bending...or whatever Jake makes me do! I need to make sure to read up on labor laws to make sure I'm not being short handed! ;) (and Jake, not sure if Tami told you this, but my ringtone for you when you call....Ants Go Marching by Dave Mathews...so fitting)

here is just one of the many hazards when you're forced into hard labor, in the 109 degree heat in no shade....but some of the perks: a box fan to blow warm (but not hot) air at you, air pressure continuous spray bottles to keep me soaking wet and cool (Ben did a great job of that....and also pouring ice water on my bandanna....unexpected to say the least)....good times.

but it's totally worth it! every back pain (maybe), achy muscle, sprained ankle, black eye, dislocated shoulder, electric shock.....ok not ALL those, but most of those are true!

It's wonderful working with amazing friends, and learning some great things about photography along the way.

friends to goof around with.....if only Kelly were here too. We'd be too much for you though, Jake. better keep it one at a time.

It's been officially ONE YEAR since I've started photography seriously (took Jakes Audios Auto course) and learned the manual modes for photography...I took the leap and Auto is a distant memory. I've never looked back. I still have so much to learn, but I am so pleased with my progress and the willingness that the Johnson's have to teach me and trust my assistance and work for them.

sorrowful days

2010-09-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

two dear friends

two birthdays

two ugly scenes of whaling and gnashing of teeth

mourning the loss

First: Monica, my dear Monica. Moving away from us was bad enough...now you need to have a birthday so far away from us so we can't tease you!? not fair.....one. bit.

Monica's personal favorite: thought I would include a large edition for y'all.

Here's how our little sneaky plan went though: Although you're miles and miles away....you're only 2 miles from my Sneaky Parents!

I read on Monica's blog that no one has shown up at her place wearing all black, with eye makeup running, a sympathy card, and funeral flowers.

I get this GENIUS idea!

I call my mom, and ask her to do this HUGE favor. Dress up in black...both mom and dad....run some makeup on her face, bring over a sympathy card, and ugly bunch of flowers...and serenade her.

My dad's song: happy birthday. happy birthday. death and sickness in the air. people dying everywhere. happy birthday. happy birthday. sung monotone and quite sadly. My mom was supposed to be there 'crying'. they brought a bunch of old dead twigs that my dad sprayed black....and a touching 'somewhat' sympathy card.

UNFORTUNATELY

the woman of honor had skipped town on us and some husband of hers treated her to a birthday dinner of some sort.....the nerve!

My parents left the 'bouquet' and card for her to find.

I called and 'sang' the song....with a cry in my voice....but couldn't keep it long. I started busting up the last couple words.

I also sent her these beautiful photos of yours truly, so she knew she was being mourned.

we really do miss you Mon. 'gravely!'

now for the second victim...the very next day!

Miss ROBYN!!!!!! Turning the big THREE OOOOH!

the cake of misery:

the whole gang together.....

MINUTE TO WIN IT!!!!!!

jenna, seriously....love this expression! getting that penny from the bottom of the tights....classic.

catch those pencils....and Chelsey, never takes a bad photo...even when she's concentrating! such beauty! such grace!

jen....proof that there were some sweet fails! love the pencils flying everywhere!

Robyn:

wingardian levosia...it must be a trick only 30+ can do!

get 6 noodles on a spaghetti noodle....

Cade wanted to be in on the action....with the help of mommy....

at my personal best, and Robyn pulling a disgusted face. just love it!

(and to be honest, this is the most flattering 'unflattering' photo of myself EVER!)

cuz

2010-08-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

cade isn't the kid that enjoys a photo op. i rarely get a good shot of him. he'll make a silly face or simply run away.

just a nice little moment i had with him the other day.

and it wasn't even a forced smile.

my buddy.

school days...

2010-08-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Kaylee on her first day of 1st grade.

She has Mrs. Arteaga.

Cade right before his first day of his second year of preschool.

This year he has Ms. Anderson.

It's gonna be a fun year.

he wasn't interested in posing for a photo at the school...so somehow i got this one.

spit

2010-07-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

the monsoon season has been bleak down here in the copa.

not much to speak of in terms of rain and winds and great lightning and thunderings.

more like a spitty rain.

Kaylee and Cade and Conner enjoy a somewhat wet sprinkling.

and by the way....Monday....you're not coming fast enough!

he knows it.

2010-07-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

he's two...and although he can't talk yet....he lets me know he understands what it means to be a twosie.

love you still conner.

conner is 2

2010-07-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

we had to re-do the candle blowing out because I kept missing it. Conner blew the candles out every single time without any help. this last time you can tell he knew the drill and got them blown out before David was even able to completely place it in front of him.

aaah

2010-07-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

if only the whole day was this perfect and sweet.

a day when there's nothing but LOVE going around.

that's not always the case, but at least I can remember these moments forever.

my kids love each other.

and of course, can't go a week without a conner'ism....boots.

he's been sporting his ever famous croc on one foot, and his new found love, lightning mcqueen boot he found...who knows where....but poor thing got a blister from wearing it all day....on the wrong foot of course.

dinner was a hit

2010-07-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

or at least the fruit was.

it's been one of those.....

2010-07-09T17:28:00.001-07:00

days.

can you hear him?

swim lessons

2010-07-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Kaylee's third year of swim lessons.

she took off. she's swimming really well.

cade is progressing very well too....

conner got too excited to join in on the lessons and jumped in to swim with the kids....miss sonny was there, don't worry. so the last lesson I dressed him up accordingly. a swim diaper, so his diaper wasn't as heavy as he was.

he's going to love swim lessons next year when he is finally old enough.

celebrating independence

2010-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

we got together with family yesterday and had a yummy BBQ after going swimming.

down here in Arizona, it's hard to party 'old school' when basically every fun firework is illegal.

we got to play with some poppers, popping bottles and 'glow worms'...aka....street poo...really, that stuff is just nasty to watch 'grow/glow'.

out there for almost 10 minutes....lighting fires in 110+ degree heat...hot.

miss those days when we would light off roman candles into the wheat field and put out a fire on our fence post when one of the fireworks set it on fire. good ole' midwestern days of firecrackers. we even had a friend make his own, and it turned out pretty cool.

maybe next year we can go out of state and get our hands on some fun stuff. the kids would love it, and I'd like them to do what I did as a kid.

(conner dressed the part....pink, white and blue, with a camo croc for military support)

cupcakes with rings

2010-07-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Kaylee requested her own style of cake this year. I normally will do an ice cream cake for the kids...but this year, since she knows she now has a say, she requested cupcakes with rings on them.

she was delighted with her yummy cakes.

next year she'll be dictating the flavoring and colors.

every year I get less and less choice and she gets more and more.

I've never been much of a 'birthday party' planner. maybe because it sneaks up on me so fast, or that i'm just too lazy or afraid to plan something like that.

we've always kept it low key with just our little family and a few gifts.

cade eyed the blue ring. just had to have it.

we watched our good friends Audrey and Christian during the day so held a last minute 'mini party'. they got to taste test the cupcakes before the little-big bash that night when Daddy got home....that's when the gifts were brought out. two pet shop gifts and a horsey for her dolls. what a perfect birthday. she was a happy girl.

we celebrated a day late. Uncle Alan got married on Kaylee's birthday, so I took her with me to the Temple and she enjoyed cousin Bailey and family while I took photos. She was so happy to be there and around a beautiful happy couple on her birthday. She didn't mind sharing her birthday excitement one bit with Uncle Alan and Aunt Patti. it was a fun day.

six

2010-07-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

six years ago little miss Kaylee was born....exactly at this moment in time.

six years ago my world TOTALLY changed.

you were our miracle...a blessing we never thought would come.

and you did.

what makes you wonderful?

you sing like a princess

you dance like a princess

you're a little actress

you are so helpful with your baby brother

you're up for a good wrestle with Cade...and now he can put up a good fight.

you love your brown and white cereal

you love to have a pok-isle after your 'mommy sandwich'

you love to be tickled....and I love tickling you

you have beautiful brown eyes....like mommy (daddy says)

you love to learn and ask me to teach you things

my little girl isn't so little anymore.

kayleekins
kayleebug

sweetly odd

2010-06-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Conner had his first appointment with his real speech therapist, Erin, yesterday. She was Cade's therapist, so it was nice welcoming an old friend back for visits. We've been visited by Robin the past couple months until Erin had room in her schedule for Conner.

Conner did very well for his first 'lesson' Erin said. Signing a lot, and seemed to be a good problem solver and his attention span is also pretty impressive.

she asked what he could say and sign....and I told her. His first word was 'shoe'.

Conner has a 'thing' for shoes. Shoes shoes shoes. he wears them when he's awake, and even sometimes tries to get them in bed with him too. They matched in the beginning, but once he figured out he could wear not only his shoes, but his brothers and sisters etc....we've been graced with differing combinations....some quite odd.

ballet slipper with a soccer shoe.

pink soccer shoe with a green soccer shoe.

mommy's mismatched sunday shoes.

big brothers crocs.

little shoes inside big shoes.

soccer shoe with a croc....a personal favorite of his currently.

right or left....left or right. doesn't matter...as long as he gets them on.

can a speech therapist help us with this fetish?

a summer evening swing....(a right soccer shoe paired with a right croc)

doubtful.

conner: shoe lover.

arizona husky

2010-06-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

every once in a while I'll get chilly in the house and need to escape to the heat outside....the kids enjoy coming with me....basically everywhere....so we explore the back yard together and have a bit of fun.

i took the chance to shoot some action swinging shots.....did well....share some later. this is more of a still, but once I edited it, I noticed that I have created my own native arizona husky puppy. those are some cute doggies.

we're having the 'misternaries' over for dinner tonight.

making homemade rolls. yes, a special occasion.

fruit

2010-06-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

our grapefruit tree is yielding a bounty this year....a small bounty at that, but still....can't wait until March.

nine

2010-06-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

today David and I have been married for 9 years. one more year and we will be in the double digits.

I've done a lot of fun things with David.

I've learned quite a bit...some willingly, but others not as willingly.

Looking back, I thought I was mature and had experienced so much....but that was just the beginning. At least I have someone to experience this all with...someone to fall back on to strengthen me...

6 moves in 2 states

3 college graduations

5 MRI's

1 back surgery

2 knee surgeries

4 pregnancies resulting in 3 beautiful babes

4 cars

2 presidential elections

4 sets of ear tubes

6 computers

way too many shoes/shirts/pants......clothes for me...thanks to kelly

enough guns for him...but not enough time to have fun

amazing loving families

wonderful friends

many sleep-in-Saturdays for me...thanks honey

the chance to enjoy our own hobbies and supporting each other in them

enjoying our evenings together when the kids go to bed.....early.

here's my latest fun moment this morning.....the kids love to get into our bed and mess it up. it bugs me, but not to the point where I ruin their fun. bed are made for messing....right?

i'm not sure why he loves making this face for the camera...but i love it.

that's the buddy face i love to see.

conner giving a kiss and a silly face. notice my green necklace. he loves wearing that thing.....and shoes......don't get me started. silly boy.

here's to the next year. and a kiss from conner.

love you honeybuns

kids are hungry. better jet.

welcoming summer

2010-06-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

our first jaunt outside in the water.

slide: 5 bucks

kick boards from last year: who knows how much they were

a quiet time inside the house: priceless

i better go lock the door!

durango

2010-06-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

enjoying the high life this week up in durango. Love being with family and enjoying each other this week. just a few shots of the fun.

cousin Dakota

what's this mom?

oh, i'll smile for you!

cade is feeling left behind after the quads leave without him.

gettin ready to fish in the backyard pond.

....WAIT!......WAIT!........Conner wants a ride!

up in the mountain meadows riding quads and eating lunch.

Lynnea...aka 'Neah. Kaylee's bosom buddy

wahoo!

2010-05-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

3 day weekend!

have a nice memorial day too.

remember those who have fought for what we are able to live...and enjoy...and continue to fight for it.

...and because ever post deserves a pic...a little friend we met at the park...

teacher gifts

2010-05-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

my amazingly creative sister Corin has done this for her kids teachers when they are young...in the earlier grades. I thought it would be a fun tradition to start as well.

I got some pretty flowers from the store and created a name and information about the plant...specific to each kiddo.

Cade had his last day of school on Tuesday...and his teacher Ms. Becky got this cute flower from Cade.

(if you can't tell by those puffy eyes...I just woke him up for the bus!...now, why don't you sleep in on the weekend?)

what Cade's card said:

Cade Williams
Chunky Cheek-ina snugglemolia

This handsome flower has been known to smile at any and every fun thing with a twinkle in his eye. His sweet hugs will make you to never want to let go.

Description: Hazel almond shaped eyes, bottom toofless grin, and short brown hair.

How he grew: Showered with lots of love from his wonderful Preschool Teacher. Loved coloring and playing and making little friends. He can't wait until next year!

Related Species: Kaylee and Conner

Kaylee had the wonderful Mrs. Pierson. She is going to have her first baby and it's a girl...hence the little bear gift along with the flowers.

Kaylee LOVED LOVED LOVED kindergarten and especially her wonderful teacher.

I remember when I was younger that I loved my teachers too. Glad to see that carry on with her.

(mom, the sun is hurting my eyes!)

what Kaylee's card said:

Kaylee Williams
singing and giggle-ina dancermolia

This precious flower has been known suddenly please the ears with sweet tunes and demonstrate graceful dances. Her sweet smile is only sweetened by her coloful hugs.

Description: Dark brown eyes framed by pinkish glasses...to only accentuate her eyes. Cute brown hair cut in a bouncy bob. Almost always is adorned in pink...a favorite color.

How she grew: Showered with lots of love from her wonderful Kindergarten Teacher. Loved SINGING and playing and making sweet little friends. She's excited for 1st Grade!

Related Species: Cade and Conner

graduate

2010-05-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Kaylee has her Kindergarten Graduation on Tuesday.

She LOVES LOVES everything to do with school...her friends, teacher, show n tell, popcorn fridays, computer lab, P.E., getting to school early to play and swing.

Now on to First Grade. I hear it's a lot more challenging for the kids in the beginning...due to amount of work. She'll still love it.

sorry about all the headshots lately...I've been practicing on my new equipment and lenses.

these were f1.4!

hi, my name is chunk

2010-05-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

my momma's chunky

my daddy's chunky

and i'm chunky.

(just a funny little thing we use to do when we were growing up...)

chunky hunk

2010-05-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

haven't posted a photo of Cade lately.

He's been battling some type of allergic reaction to something...probably outside. He has tiny little bumps all over his arms and face. poor little kiddo.

don't forget

2010-05-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

kisses

2010-05-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

if you need one, take one.

soccer pros

2010-05-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

Kaylee and Cade have been enjoying soccer through the city of Maricopa. Their team is BRIGHT NEON GREEN, and we're called the Tornadoes.

We've had fun going to practices and cheering them on in their games.

Here is Bella, a friend on their team, and a fast runner...and great player. She's my friend Tami and Jakes girl. As sweet as she looks. Jake has taught me all I know about photography, and I'm his photography ~~slave~~ assistant. Tami and Jake are are great friends.

Tami and Jakes little girl, Scarlett. She likes to come and sit on my lap. I guess I look friendly! :)

She's a sweet little one.

Kaylee...sometimes the daisy picker, but she really enjoys the action. Their first game she scored a goal...although in the wrong net, but hey...she's new at this, folks.

She tends to kick the ball when it comes to her, and is usually unaware of which way we're going.

left to right...Isaiah, Cade, Kaylee and Austin...not sure why we have so many Tornadoes in one place... I'd call this an F4 Tornader.

Cade the sport. I loved watching him run after the ball. He would look at me and smile while running towards the ball. He's a great dribbler and runs the ball to the goal pretty well.

nothing gets Cade running faster than a Ball.....or yummy treats.

Cade the sport. What fun we had.

sunday

2010-05-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

after dinner, and tubbies. wet hair....we were going for a wet dog look.

still cute.

i've been trying to get use to my new equipment...and Kaylee was a perfect model tonight.

in a typical day

2010-05-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

just a few of the emotions the kids, and I feel during our week together.

and imagine many many more.

new glass

2010-05-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

wahoo!

as promised

2010-05-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

some pics of the recent trip to chicago

the view outside our room...17th floor (actually, technically the 16th since there is no '13th' floor)

garden right outside the Chicago Art Museum

I loved how beautiful it was. The branches all met at the top, connecting the trees. B E A utiful and peaceful.

buckingham fountain

at the cloud gate....aka....the bean.

on a walk at night, on the way back to our room.

beautiful night after a beautiful day.

proof, truth.

2010-05-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

now, I don't post much on politics since I'm not much of a debater, but what I feel, I feel deeply. It's hard for me to express what I feel in words. I'm a silent. But very loyal. Patriot. I owe a lot of my patriotism to my Dad having flown with the Air Force in the KC-135 during Vietnam, and deployed out to serve away from us (wife and 7 kids) during the first Gulf War. His dad, my grandpa served in the Air Force as well, got shot down in WWII and received the purple heart. While he was in the hospital getting treated for his wounds (shrapnel still inside his body today), his unit was once again sent out on a mission. They never came back. He's experienced some difficult emotions and depression knowing that his buddies were gone, and he wasn't there to help. It's only been recently that he's begun talking about it.) I have a brother-in-law, brother and sister who were/are in the army/air force and have served overseas multiple times and thankfully have returned safely each time. I feel a bit of their service has rubbed into my feeling more of what I'm needed to be: a more dedicated voter, proud NRA member and holder of a CCW for Arizona, supporter of what I feel and know is the right decision and will matter-of-fact let you know I don't agree with something that I feel goes against my standards and beliefs, and know with these changing times (and my frustrations grow), my uber-conservative nature won't deviate much at all.

Now, I get tons of emails from my dad ranging from all different sectors of society today: the economic crisis here, food shortages, gas prices, housing markets...he knew of and predicted before we were even aware of any 'bubble', political updates and happenings as well as economic climates far away...by the way, do you know the country who has the most Millionaires...actually, now Billionaires?....it sure caught me by surprise! (They have one of the highest, if not the highest, inflation rates in the world. Their economy is suffering from hyperinflation...or should I say 'zimflation'...hint hint. When you trade their currency to, say for example US Dollar, the currency trading is: 1 US$ ~ 1 Billion Dollars of their currency...and this info is over a year old). I was visited by a friend who was from this country, and she gave me a 'million dollar bill' from that country. I proudly gave it to my dad, who had informed me of this craziness over a year before, and now he displays it in his office...proudly, and sadly. Not a good thing.

Now, I'm not what most people would call a 'birther', if you know what that means at all, but I'm still down with following the law and giving the public the answer and proof they're looking for. And come on...it's pathetic! All I want is the truth. And you must follow the law if I'm expected to do the same. David says it's not something he'd be passionate about, but I feel myself getting into my dad's old man demands...give me proof. Don't make me wait. I have a right to know and see for myself.

My dad just sent me this cartoon, which isn't even funny, more demented than anything. But explains a lot of what I feel needs to be brought forth. No wonder why "Pres O" isn't touching this subject.

Keith Olberman on MSNBC compared the new Arizona Law to "death panels" Hu? It sounds so much like when the Republican's called the New Health Care Plan the save exact 'noun'...and I wouldn't say it's a proper noun. Not a proper thing at all.

Yes. This was deep for me. And I'm not sorry. Sometimes I just need to say what I've been thinking. for a LONG while.

now I wouldn't feel so embarrassed if you did my laundry and folded my underwear! I feel we know each other on a more intimate level!

phew

2010-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

What a fun trip! I took more photos than I thought I would. Working slowly on them.

I'll post as I edit.

For those of you from the area or who have lived there, you'll love the revisiting.

For those of you who've never been. Go!

(this my reflection off the very bottom of the Cloud Gate...aka the Chicago 'bean')

Nice to have the kids back and to be home, in MY own bed.

nothing better than home....and Lou Malnatis!

having fun.

2010-04-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

if anyone knows Cade, they know he loves motorcycles....aka....mikadoo's.... When I saw this sign, I thought of my sweet Cade. Love you buddy. I hope you're behavin' yourself!

here is what my current schedule is like:

i get to sleep in. work on edits all day (2 jobs done, 1 big monster to go). go out with David after he gets back from work...to explore and enjoy! I have yet to venture out on my own...just been working hard on these jobs!

tomorrow, off to Millennium Park.

it's been fun walking...a few miles a day. eating some yum grub. and BURRRRR, it's windy ccc ccccc ccold! warm 'zona will make you forget your mid-western roots!

whenever I stop to take a pic, David blurts out "squirrel!". He's gotten used to it...at least the fact that we'll be taking a little longer to get where we're goin! We'll be walking and talking, and suddenly I'm no longer next to him...I'm like 10 yards behind with a little something in my viewfinder. sorry babe. :)

more to come.

taken a few hundred pics already...and having mucho fun!

on our palate in the past few days:

Giordanos

Portillos

Lou Malnatis

yes. be jealous.

even 'bean' here?

2010-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

going to chi town for the week with my squeeze...and no chids in tow.

it's supposed to be rainy, but hopefully i can get some fun shots and some work done with no ankle biters biting at my ankles!

it'll be fun to visit again

hasta

listen and obey

2010-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

who didn't listen to aunt kelly and eat all their dinner to get a yummy ice cream cone?

i ♥ tutorials

2010-04-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

i ♥ faces had a wonderful tutorial on how to make an image vintage....in love with it...and learning new channel mixers.

i love the look of a warm sun...makes me feel as if i acutally went outside today. i need to get some vitamin D. i'm so pasty white.

when aunt kelly comes to visit

2010-04-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

we get to visit dairy queen.

eat your heart out grandpa!

oh, what? you wanted some?!

just try and get it from me.

(and this looks like a black eye...but it's not!)

continental...just for grandpa!

we miss you kellykins.

happy easters

2010-04-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

to quote a favorite part in a favorite movie...Nacho Libre:

"Your only job is to cook. Do you not realize I have had

diarrhea since Easters?"

that right there will always keep me laughing. it's great to have friends and family laugh and quote the movie with me. fun times.

So, Saturday the kids got to color their own easter eggs, for the first time. There weren't any major messes...just cracked shells from 'mr muscle' below rough handling the fragile babies.

they were so proud of their creations.

and excited to find them on Easter morning.

kaylee was sad and trying to get over the fact that she dropped and broke one of her pink eggs.

such a sad moment in her life.

she perked up after I told her the easter bunny was coming that night to leave her a basket of goodies and toys and that he would hide the eggs we made for them to find in our yard.

gosh, I miss the days when I saw her REAL eyes. Darn you glasses. I took her glasses off on purpose to get some sweet shots. She couldn't take it for very long. She was asking for her glasses after a few minutes...."I can't see mom."

dang glasses.

we're making music....in our school....

2010-04-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

since Maricopa School District took their spring break a week earlier than all the other school districts around the area, we were unable to help break an all time record of participating in 'the LARGEST concert in the United States' by having all elementary age children sing the same songs at the same time during school. We miss out greatly, and will not be able to say, I was part of that!

Instead, they just held their own 'record breaking' music concert that Maricopa has ever...or WILL EVER have. :) this will go down in the greatest of greats in maricopa history.

here is kaylee in her cheesy happy grin

this music stuff is for whimps. cade goes off on his own...wanting to play basketball with his football.

work it Buddy. work. it.

Thomas.

I asked Kaylee one day..."Who is the cutest boy in your class?"

she replied...."Thomas."

I'd have to agree on that one! (those barker boys are as sweet as they are cute!)

Thomas looking for his momma....she's just hiding. (;

Christian...Kaylee's other great friend...he's in the blue shirt on the top left corner of the photo. He's a cute kid...with amazing eyes. (remember this post ? this is when I found out that my kids brown eyes weren't all that fun to take photos of...I wanna have some color!)

Jacob. Kaylee's first kiss...no, actually Jacob's first kiss. Apparently Kaylee grabbed him on both sides of his face, and pulled his face to hers and planted one on him. Her teacher reminded her....Kaylee, let's not kiss our friends. sheesh!

It's all my fault though...I grab my kids faces and kiss them...she's just 'monkey does' what her 'momma monkey does'

you know what though...my first kiss was in Kindergarten. I didn't want to wash my cheek...ever.

I better let Kaylee know that kissing is for only family...not just anyone you want to come and give a smack.

I might have a serial kisser on my hands!

boys, ye be warned!

my friend Jenna...has cute sweet chids. Rafe, in the orange is another friend of Kaylee's, but unfortunately, he's the only one from the ward that isn't in Kaylee's class. Poor kid. Doesn't know what he's missing....a lot of kisses from aforementioned offender.

just stay where you are Rafe...no need to get set in Kaylee's sites.

dr seuss...birthday parade

2010-04-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

early in March we celebrated the birthday of dr seuss by having a school parade.

kayee was so excited...and asked every day..."when is....what's his name?" I'd reminder her, "Dr. Seuss". "yeah, when is his birthday?"

Tuesday NEVER seemed to come quick enough!

Here is kaylee in her party gear. She made her own hat...beautifully painted it of course.

she makes a cute seuss kitty.

Cade was at school too, during the parade. He had fun watching all the kids march by and all their floats and especially the yummy candy they threw.

us at flag

2010-04-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

I posted a while ago about our trip to Flagstaff to see our friends, but never posted any photos of the kiddos.

Kaylee was enjoying making her own 'snow castle'.

we also had a snowball maker...which is on the list to get family this christmas! that thing was A MAZ ING and so fun! I could make 5 PERFECT snowballs in 5 seconds, no lie!

Cade really loved riding the kiddie quad. He also loved being with his friends and asks about Mia quite often. "can we go to Mia's house?"

there was snow piled EVERYWHERE! One house down the road had drifts and snow on it's roof, so ridiculous and amazing. Haven't seen snow that deep...in...who knows how long.

Apparently Flagstaff has received the most snow this year than any other US city. wow.

I took the kids on a sled and pulled them through the evergreens in the back yard out to a big field...carrying all 100 pounds of kid weight and every once in a while breaking through the snow to above my knee was enough to tire me out in about 10 minutes. that was, unfortunately, the shortest sledding trip i've made. poor kids, you have a whimpy mom.

better luck next time. :)

holy cow, that's a lotta lettuce!

O U T

2010-04-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Cade fresh from the operating room.

ear tubes in place and adenoids no longer in place.

took us over an hour to get him up. the tables had turned. i think it takes him an hour to wake ME up in the morning! :)

in dream land...where I wish I was at that same moment too. lucky.

now, honestly. who couldn't resist to kiss those cute smooshy lips!?

the wild one

2010-04-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

gave conner a cut a month ago...needs another one again.

I decided to have a little fun with it, since it had gotten so long.

conner 'armstrong' tootin his horn

if you look close, you can see his beard...needs to shave!

big bad 1 year old.

cade is 4

2010-04-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

alright, now that you're four, act your age.

he wasn't too excited for his cake this year.

the usual cade cake: chocolate cake, cookies n cream, whipped topping and crushed oreos.

it might come in different forms or have different themes, but it always tastes the same.

a couple months late in posting this, but better than never.

look right?

2010-03-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

does this look like bi-partisan support?

what about interstate commerce?

oh. i think i'm gonna be sick.

then again, maybe i shouldn't.

trip to flag

2010-03-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Boy, it's been a while since I've posted. I've not been in the mood for a while...just existing mostly. Have had so much to do, and at the end of the day, editing or posting pics aren't on the top of the list lately.

I got to go and enjoy a weekend in Flagstaff to see my wonderful friend and her beautiful family!

For those of you who know Christina, you'll love the updated pics of the kids.

They have a sweet home in a nice wooded area just off the highway. It's quite an empty area, not many people living in the homes, some of which aren't finished, or they are summer homes. The snow was so high...a few feet in some areas, and much higher in other places. I took Kaylee, Cade and Conner sledding and pulled them for what seemed like miles. Every once in a while I would break through the snow and it would go past my knee. That sledding experience didn't last too long. I can't pull 100 pounds of kids uphill for very long!

Kaylee and Mia were best of friends this weekend. It was fun to see them play together. I absolutely love hearing Mia's voice. It's still high and sweet. She's such a sweet little lady!

and a silly little lady too! :)

John has grown up so much. He's a string bean-compared to Conner. I thought Conner was small, but now I can rest assured that he's growing quite well! John was a sweet little kiddo. He loves to be with Mom, just like Conner likes to be with me.

Christina brought out this cool snowball maker...I made snowballs for the kids and they threw them at the trees. It was so much fun to use it. I've decided that we'll have to get these for our christmas families for the next few years! If only we could use it down here!

daddy still flies planes! and a good pilot he is!

our sweet baby john!

love these kids and love the mcdonalds! miss you guys!

g'nite

2010-01-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

the one time the house is completely quiet.

beautiful.

cade and his buddy....the dump truck.

sweet dreams.

becoming self-reliant

2010-01-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

the visiting teaching message this month is on self-reliance. i thought it would be fitting to show how 'self-reliant' the kids have been lately. a nice yummy after school snack....some homemade toast by the two munchkins. (cade is making his way to kaylee after climbing onto the counter getting some plates for their toast)

when we're helping we're happy, and we sing as we go!

would you like some bread with that butter?

looks like grandpa price is visiting!

I really loved the quote by Robert D. Hales..."Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance." (the whole quote is great).

thanks Kelly for the candids!

all the single ladies....

2010-01-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Kaylee has been singing the song by Beyonce....

"All the single ladies! all the single ladies. All the single ladies! all the single ladies. Put your hands up... put your hands down!" (adding her own interpretation alongside as well)

She's definately our little performer.

It's funny to hear her in the other room singing the song. She'll even dance some of the moves.
(cade has even gotten in on the action too)

I've asked her where she's learned the song and she said her friend did. We have some cute neighbors she plays with that I thought was who she was talking about. Turns out I was almost right. It wasn't the older girl, but actually her little sister, about Kaylee's age! Amazing what kids can teach each other!

Whatever is playing, be it primary songs, or 'single ladies' you can hear Kaylee singing and dancing along.

if you liked it then you should've put a ring on it.....