The Williams Family

Student Council Induction

2010-10-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from Joc's student council induction ceremony. I tried to get a cute picture of her and her co-representative (and bff) David. He is darling and was happy to pose. She is darling and was happy to make faces every time I took a picture. The look on his face cracks me up.

Love Letters From Joc

2010-10-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Joc wrote our family this sweet note during sacrament meeting on Sunday. She's the sweetest daughter in the whole world - I mean, universe!!

Southwestern Invitational 2010

2010-10-18T21:03:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from the Southwestern Invitational Joc's team danced at last month. These girls aren't one bit shy once you get them into their costumes and makeup!

Funny things happen when I stare at Aiden...

2010-10-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

These Girls...

2010-09-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

...are on their way to Dallas today to dance at the Southwestern Invitational ballroom and latin dance competition. Wish them luck!

These two...

...are staying home. Wish Michelle and Damian luck! JK. (Aiden is on a scout campout, so no pictures of him today)

The Pen is Mighty

2010-09-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is how we often find Jocelyn - with her nose in a book, or a pencil in her hand, furiously scribbling away. Her stories always have interesting (and funny) characters and plots. Here is this morning's school journal entry. Enjoy!

Steve and I Save the Day Again

(with a new friend)
By Jocelyn Williams
The winds whipped around the corner moaning and warning me that two big creatures were coming! I ran home and told my dragon Steve. He told me to calm down. He got some snacks and followed me to my room. Before I turned on the T.V., he asked me, "When?" I said, "Tomorrow," then I turned on the T.V. My mom called me downstairs for dinner. We had steak. I gave the extras to the dogs. I did my homework and went to sleep. I woke up and remembered that tomorrow was pet day and that today was Sunday, so I got ready for church. When church was over and we got home we ate dinner. Then we went upstairs to play Halo: Reach. Steve played too, and of course he won. I said, "You're too good with the energy sword." Then we went for a walk. We went on the school playground and played on everything. Then we went to Mr. Donut. We got eight dozen glazed doughnuts. When we went outside, the ground shook. I looked and saw something. IT WAS GODZILLA!!! Then I saw a living skeleton dragon bigger than Godzilla. It had blue eyes and orange wings. The fight had started. Steve told me that the dragon is his friend and his name was Dwight.
Dwight was almost knocked out. Me and Steve realized if we punched Godzilla one more time, he was gone! So we climbed up Dwight's back and punched Godzilla. Then out of nowhere, he turned into a witch on top of the tallest, nearest building. He said, "I'm melting! I'm melting! Aaaaahhhh!" I said, "Poor guy," but Dwight said, "That just went from creepy to weird!" Dwight asked if he could be my pet. I said yes. We got to the front door and Dwight shrunk himself. I said, "Well, tomorrow should be interesting." THE END

Coming Soon...

2010-08-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

I'm baaaack! :) My sisters have inspired me to get going on my blog again. For one thing, it's basically my journal (so now you know how pathetic my journal keeping really is) and I LOVE being able to see my sisters' families on their blogs. It makes me feel closer to them. I'm sure they would like to see what the Texas branch of the family is up to from time to time. So, stay tuned for more posts. I promise. In the meantime, here are some pictures of our new house. We moved in June so we have been here for a couple of months. I can hardly wait to decorate for Fall! One of the first thoughts I had when I saw this house was that it would be a fabulous "Halloween house". I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Who Dat?!

2010-02-05T05:59:00.001-08:00

Today is Football Friday at Joc's school and of course she waited to tell us until last night, and of course she had to have a Saints jersey, and of course we went out and found one. I tried to get her to put black smudges under her eyes like the football players have, but she wouldn't do it. We also made sure she knew who Shockey is and what position he plays (tight end) so she isn't embarrassed when her P.E. teacher asks. The things we do for our kids. :)

More Christmas

2010-01-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

Here are more pictures from Christmas Day. This was just the first table of Legos Brandon, his mom and Suz organized. Suz and Grandma helped sort Legos for a couple of hours. I had no idea they liked playing with Legos!

Christmas

2010-01-08T11:48:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning. We have carried on one of my childhood traditions with our kids. They all get to sleep in our room with us on Christmas Eve (even Fiona and Cosmo. Dutch is way too big). We love having everybody in the same room. It's fun to hear the excited laughter and hear the kids wonder what they'll get in the morning.
Santa was good to us this year. The kids got the Lego Millenium Falcon, which is very cool (and still taking up my whole dining room while they put it together). It has over 5000 pieces and the instruction book is 315 pages long. Big B and the boys are pretty hardcore Lego fanatics. Joc got her much wanted Nintendo DSi and a video recorder. I can't wait to watch some of those videos! Fiona got a Snuggie, which she is proudly wearing in some of the pictures. Most of us got watches. Big B got a shaving set with a badger hair shaving brush (sick!). We also got the Beatles Rock Band game. Oh my gosh. It's so much fun!
Christmas Day was a lot of fun, but the most meaningful time for me this year was Christmas Eve. I had just put everything away and walked into my room to go to bed, when I caught a glimpse of my sleeping husband and children as I came in the door. For some reason, seeing them all together took my breath away for a minute and I had the most overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my blessings. "Here," I thought, "are my gifts." I am grateful for the miracle of having an eternal family.

Joc's Obsession

2009-10-04T13:05:00.001-07:00

I'm snickering to myself about how clever I am. It's true that Joc is obsessed with her horseback riding lessons AND the name of the horse she was on this week is...tee hee...Obsession. :) I've told you before...I'm a dork.
This week Joc got to trot and take her horse on a miniature obstacle course. They were practicing posting (standing up in the stirrups and sitting down in rhythm with the horse while it's trotting), maintaining their spacing ( 5 ft. between you and the other horses) , and using the reins to lead the horse by its nose (where the nose goes, the horse goes). Learning to ride horses is no joke. It's physically demanding. Joc was sweaty and tired when she got off her horse that day and her muscles were sore for a couple days after that. Her instructor says, "Of course it's hard! If it was easy, everybody would do it and then it wouldn't be cool anymore!" Joc liked that.

Whoa, girl!

2009-09-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn's first horseback riding lesson was today. Big B and I got her new boots and Wranglers on his lunch hour. They were so cute on her! They started her out on Olajuwon (as in Hakeem Olajuwon) but he was a little feisty today due to the wind so they gave her Bullet instead. He's older and more experienced. She was so excited to start lessons! It is all we have heard about for the past two weeks. Once she got there and got up close to the horses, she realized how big they are and was pretty terrified. Her eyes were huge when they lifted her up onto that horse!! After about twenty minutes on Bullet, though, she relaxed and loved it. Brandon and I could see her kick a little to make him go faster every now and then. During her lesson, the owner of the facility came into the arena for something and happened to glance up at Joc. She stopped and watched for a minute. Then she turned to Joc's instructor and said, "Would you look at how beautiful she is in that saddle!! She's a natural!" I have to admit B and I were pretty proud of her when we heard that.
After lessons were over she asked us if we could move there. We're excited to see how she does as time goes by!

Morning Walks

2009-09-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Everybody's sick of reading my mystery plant post, so I have decided to take pity on you and post something new. Things are definitely different here in Texas. It has taken me awhile to get into a new groove, but I'm getting there! I try to go walking every morning. I usually end up going about five times a week. Not too bad. I love walking in my new neighborhood! There are these really pretty walking trails everywhere that end up winding around the two lakes. A lot of the trees are covered in tiny red and orange berries right now. So pretty! I love to be out in the cool morning air taking in the pretty scenery. Another thing I love is the ethnic diversity in my neighborhood. There's a cute Indian (from India) couple who sit on one of the park benches and meditate together every morning. I smile and nod as I go by. I don't say anything because I don't want to disturb them. There's an Asian dad who walks his baby in the stroller every day. We always say hi. There is a Middle Eastern woman who walks every day wearing long sleeves and pants with her head completely covered no matter how hot it is. Sometimes I can hear her ipod as we pass each other. I'm not sure where she is from, but I love her music! Another of my favorite people is the little Korean lady who walks in her dress and slip on shoes every day. She reminds me of Grandma Dever. There are lots of moms like me and most of them have dogs. Sometimes I feel bad that Dutch can't go for walks anymore because he would have loved making new friends. Maybe in a few months his leg will be healed enough to go. I can't wait for my mom and sisters to come visit in a couple of weeks. I'm going to make them go walking with me so they can see the pretty scenery too!

Conversation With a Mystery Plant

2009-04-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, while thinning my carrots, I came across the guy on the left. What follows is an account of our first meeting.
ME: Hey you!
M.P.: Who, me?
ME: Yes, you! Who are you and what are you doing hiding amongst my carrots?
M.P.: Uuuuh...surprise?
ME: Nice try. Listen. In case you haven't noticed, this is a square foot garden. Each vegetable has a square foot of its own. Not only are you in somebody else's section, I don't even know what you are. I certainly didn't plant you. Hit the road.

M.P.: But I'm covered in fruit.
ME: What kind of fruit?
M.P.: Something yummy.
ME: That's what they all say.
M.P.: Listen. I don't know what I am or how I got here, but I promise I won't make any trouble. (starts crying) Please don't pick me! I want to live!
ME: There, there, little guy. Don't worry. You can stay. Nobody's going to pick you. Is that cool with you, carrots?
CARROTS: "Sure!" "No problem!" "Off with his head!" "Shut up, Maurice."
M.P.: Thanks, guys!
ME: Ok. Glad that's settled. Who wants water?

**I still don't know what kind of plant this is. Anybody recognize it?

In The Garden

2009-03-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

We planted a square foot garden a few weeks ago. It was a lot of work! I was sore for days. I have to say, though, that there is something very basic and rewarding about watching something you have planted with your own hands thrive. It has been fun to watch our little seeds and seedlings turn into plants. Here are some up-close pictures of the action Big B took with my new camera today. Pretty cool. The little green worm, along with his buddies have been munching on our cauliflower leaves. I'm trying to find a way to keep them off my plants. The kids are rooting for them to win. Stay tuned for more pics of the garden tomorrow!

Sorry

2009-02-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated in quite awhile. Blame it on Facebook. :) I finally made my own page and it's hard to make myself sit down to write blog posts now. I promise to get back on track, though. All of my readers have probably given up. Sorry! I'll be better, I promise!

My Pinky Tow

2008-11-18T20:55:00.001-08:00

My dumb car decided to stop working the week before we're supposed to go to New Mexico (of course). Brandon couldn't pull it with his truck, so we had to call the warranty people to make arrangements to have it towed to the shop. So this guy in a hot pink tow truck with "Pinky Tow" painted on the side shows up. I was dying! I asked him if he had a sign for my windshield that says, "This car is not being repossessed...it's going to the shop!" I was only half kidding. Don't laugh. I didn't want my neighbors to think my car was being taken away from me, that's all. He said, "Oh yeah, like I'm going to be doing a lot of repossessions in my hot pink tow truck." It was pretty embarrassing to have my car towed away by that thing, but at least it's being fixed. The best part of the whole thing is that the guy who owns the company (and drives the truck) is named Dave Williams. That's Brandon's dad's name! I can think of about fifty things that my father-in-law would never be caught dead doing, and driving an embarrassing hot pink tow truck with "Pinky Tow" written on the side around town would have to be in the top five. I love it!
P.S. I took these pictures through the window of my house. I didn't have the guts to go outside and take them where he could see me.

Hail, Ceasar!

2008-10-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

This is our new puppy, Caesar. We got him last week from some friends who breed boxers. He is so stinkin' cute! He is almost eight weeks old. Dutch has been missing having a buddy, and we have been talking about getting another dog for a couple of months so when the opportunity came up, we went for it. Plus, we're total suckers for animals. We have two of everything: cats, snakes, birds and hermit crabs. Dutch being by himself just didn't seem right. :) We have been working on his first commands. He knows "come" and sometimes sits when we give the command. Pretty good for a baby. We're still working on housebreaking him. We didn't have any trouble with Dutch or Mike, so we thought we'd be done by now, but we'll get it. For now we're just having fun with our new spaz...........I mean friend. :)
P.S. Even though Caesar is literally the size of Dutch's head, they bonded right away and are totally friends. We tried to kennel Caesar his first night here but he cried to go outside with Dutch so much we just gave up and let him out. I'll have to try to post a pic of them taking a nap together. It's so cute!

The Spector

2008-10-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had all three of the kids in the car and we were just hanging out, talking about life. It was fun. The boys had lots of questions. I felt all mom-ish because they were actually talking to me about important stuff. Somehow the conversation turned to growing up. We were kind of talking about some changes that can happen when you turn 12 and 13 like the boys are this year, but the second I said the word puberty, the boys got all squeamish and were like, "Ok. Let's talk about something else." I started to change the subject when, from the very back seat, where we all thought she was sleeping, Jocelyn slowly rose up with her arms in the air like a zombie saying, "Puuuuuberty! Puuuuuuuuberty," all scary like a ghost. The boys FREAKED! They went crazy, "Mom! Make her stop! Be quiet, Jocelyn! Make her stop!" I died laughing! She has a talent for zeroing in on whatever will irritate them the most and then milking it for all it's worth. I finally got her to stop scaring her brothers with the spector of puberty, but every once in awhile she'll come up behind one of them and start in, "Puuuuuuberty. Puuuuuuuuberty!" It gets 'em every time. :)

He's 13

2008-10-03T17:52:00.001-07:00

Little Brandon turned thirteen today. I think I have cried harder today than I did the day he was born. I guess it's because I know it's time I faced a few things.
He is not a baby, toddler, little boy, or kid anymore. I look at him and can see hints of what he'll look like as a man starting to show. His muscles are more defined. His facial features are sharpening. He carries himself differently. He's as tall as I am.
He doesn't believe me anymore when I tell him his freckles came from all of the angels kissing him goodbye when he left Heaven to be born.
He likes girls.
He's just going to keep on getting older and older until, one day, he'll leave home. What am I going to do then? I can't even think about it.
Happy birthday, B! I hope all of your birthday wishes come true!

I Love October!

2008-10-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you how much I looooove October? It's my favorite month of the year! I love it because it's the beginning of the holiday season. I love it because the weather here FINALLY starts to cool off. I love it because I get to put out my Fall decorations and switch my candles from summer fragrances to Pumpkin Pie and Mulled Cider. I love it because of Halloween! I love it because basketball season officially starts...WOO HOO! Most of all, though, I love it because October 4th is when our oldest, Little Brandon, was born. I can't think of a more perfect month for a little boy with pumpkin-orange hair (who loves to trick more than treat) to come into this world. Can you?

Hurricane Dave

2008-09-11T20:55:00.001-07:00

With Hurricane Ike bearing down on our Texas relatives, I thought I might lighten the mood a little by relating the story of Hurricane Dave. It was 2005. Hurricane Katrina had just devastated New Orleans. People in the Gulf states were on edge, waiting for the next "big" storm. Happy to oblige, Hurricane Rita made her way toward Houston, Texas. With their shelters still full of Katrina's victims, Texans were evacuating in droves. Smart people! Brandon's dad put Brandon's mom, Suz, and Michelle into a car and sent them to Austin to wait out the storm in safety. He decided to "hunker down" (that's what Texans call it when they decide to ride out the storm) at their house in Katy for the duration. Brandon's parents have lived in Texas for a long time, so Dad knew exactly what needed to be done in order to prepare for the worst. Clean water is number one on the list of things you need during a hurricane in case the city's water plants go down. So, Dad went into his bathroom and started filling the bathtub with water. With that underway he stood there for a minute, trying to remember the second most important thing in a hurricane - and then it came to him. Cake! You need cake in a hurricane! So, he headed to the kitchen and started the batter. Worn out from the strenuous preparations he was making, he sat down for a few minutes while the cake was in the oven to catch some TV. After a while, the cake was done so he got up and pulled it out of the oven. He got a piece and settled in to ride out the storm. After a couple of hours, he headed back toward his room for something and, SPLAT! He stepped in a wet spot on the carpet. "What the heck is that?" he thought. Then he remembered. The bathtub! He had totally forgotten to turn off the water and it had flooded his entire bedroom and part of the living room! He spent the rest of the weekend pulling out carpet and carpet pads, moving furniture, and sucking up water with an industrial grade wet-vac. Hurricane Rita passed over the Houston area with barely a glance. The residents all breathed a sigh of relief and got on with their lives. The Williams family in Katy, Texas, however, spent several days mucking their way through the aftermath of Hurricane Dave.
This time, the rest of the family is hunkering down with him. A word to the wise, put somebody else in charge of the food and water - give Dad TV duty. :) Really, though, be safe. We will keep you in our prayers during this scary hurricane. We love you!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-09-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but this is the only picture I have that's "blog ready". Today is my mom's birthday. I have been waiting to write this blog entry all year! I was trying to think of some funny memories to share, but the things that crack me up about my mom are things that don't just happen once. They're more like habits or quirks of hers that are funny. Like the fact that any time my mom invites you to go on vacation with her for a few days, what she really means is, "Would you like to be my slave for a few days?" Don't get me wrong. It's fun to go. Just know you'll be doing freaking manual labor while you're there. :) Or here's one. Christmas nighties. Anybody who has been there, knows what I'm talking about. I do have this one memory of my mom that seriously cracks me up every time I think of it. The carport in the house I grew up in was painted, so it could be very slippery. I was sitting in the car once waiting for my mom to take me somewhere, watching her lock up the house and start to walk to the car, when suddenly I saw this blur of totally vertical blonde hair and then nothing. I sat there for a second, totally confused, and then heard this laughter coming from under the car. I got out to look and it was my mom. She had totally slipped in something on her way to the car and wiped out hard! She was laying there laughing her guts out! It was one of the few totally undignified things I had seen my mom do up to that point so I wasn't sure if it was ok to laugh. I did ok at the time, but every once in a while I'll have a flashback of her blonde hair going straight up and just die! Those are just a couple of my funny memories. What I really want to get to are the things I love about you, mom, and here they are:
1. You are nice to people. It sounds like a totally generic thing to say, but not the way I mean it. You have always told me I should take the high road when it comes to solving problems with people. I'm grateful that you taught me to always, always do the kind thing. You always do. People feel comfortable around you because you are very accepting of everybody and that draws people to you. You're the first one there when somebody has a problem and you're the last one to leave. You know how people always want their mom when they have a problem? In our family, everybody wants my mom when they have a problem.

2. You are fun. This is one of those areas where we are entirely different from each other, but I wish I was more like you! You are so fun! I think it's great that you have your Divas and that you and Mort have done so many things together. You have been all over the world, all over the country, and keep on adding new experiences to the list. I admire your sense of adventure. I won't even eat the food in Mexico, yet you'll practically live there. Brandon and I always talk about how we plan to follow in your footsteps someday.

3. You can fix anything. You can walk into the middle of a disaster and have it straightened out in no time. You just dig in and get it done. Every time one of us moves, you're there doing the work of two men! You walk into a room and walk out five minutes later having totally organized it. You have always been the one I called when I was in really big trouble, and you have always helped me figure out what to do.

4. You love your grandkids. You are a great grandma. The grandkids don't understand how much you have done for them, but someday they will and will love you even more for it! You are sad when they're sad, you are happy when they're happy, and you make them all feel special. It's cute that you always have some kind of treat for them when they see you. Even if it's a box of a hundred school pencils, you always have something for them. By the way, why do you keep buying pencils when you already have over a hundred of them? :)

5. Nuh Uh! I don't even know if there's a correct spelling for that, but it's what you say when somebody tells you something totally outrageous. You know you should disapprove, but your curiosity about the situation totally wins out and you bust out with, "Nuh uh!" That's how we know when we have your attention! It's so funny!

6. Speaking of attention...you read when we're talking to you. It drives us bats. We'll call you on the phone and be in the middle of a totally important (to us) conversation when we start to get the whole, "Mmmm hmmm. Well, what can you do?" Then, when you have finally crossed the line and said something completely irrelevant to what we're talking about, you go, "I'm sorry Honey, I'm listening. I'm just trying to read this article in the paper." What? You're listening AND trying to read some article?! Sometimes, and this one's even better, we'll call you for something and when you finally drop all pretense of listening you'll say, "Well, I was just calling to check on you. I guess I'll let you get back to what you were doing and go read the paper." Whatever! You didn't call us! We called you! The best part is that when we get all indignant about it you giggle because you know it's so bad! That's why we can't get mad at you about it. It's just one of your quirks.

I wish I had a lot more room because I love a lot of things about you, Mom. Thanks for everything. You will never know how much we love you and how much we appreciate every act of service you have performed on our behalf - big and small. Just know that we appreciate you more and more every day. We love you and hope you have a great birthday!

Get In Mah Belllly!

2008-08-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

High five if you know what movie this post title is from. :) I am trying to lose weight and I just have to complain for a minute about how freaking hard it is! Why is it that I won't feel hungry at all for months, but the second I start a diet, my stomach becomes a bottomless pit? It's so not fair! Why is it that some things never sound good to me...until I cut them out of my diet? It's not even anything I like, either. I'm not a sugar or bread person, but as soon as I say, "I'm not eating sugar or white flour," I can literally smell the bread isle before I get to it in the grocery store! It's ridiculous! I am so over having to wear my fat clothes and being out of shape. Sometimes, when I'm at church or somewhere with Brandon, I imagine people looking at us and thinking of that nursery rhyme...Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so betwixt the both of them, they licked the platter clean! Waaaah! I don't want to be the wife who eats no lean! So this week I decided I'm in charge of my body, it's not in charge of me. I started Weight Watchers, and Big B and I have been working out. I'll post how many pounds I've lost every once in a while. It'll keep me honest. :) Thanks for listening to me whine about my self-inflicted misery. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat my mini cheddar rice cakes while I watch Big B eat his nightly half-gallon of ice-cream, the skinny brat. Don't even get me started on how unfair that is...

She's The Big Sister

2008-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures I took while I was watching Holly two weeks ago when Travis was born. I took the first two right after she woke up. I hope that's how she always looks when she wakes up, and it wasn't just because I was there. :) The next couple of pictures are from lunch. I thought it was funny that she crawled under the chair with her high chair in it to have her snacks. I have to apologize to Katie for the major no-no's I let her get away with. Bottles whenever she wanted them, TWO pacifiers and food out of her high chair. Hey, rules are for sissies! Holly and I are rebels. We make our own rules. :) The last picture is of Holly just before we left to meet her new little brother at the hospital. I flipped out her hair, put a bow in it, and dressed her in her new big sister t-shirt. She was so cute! I'm glad I got to stay with Holly. We had a blast!

Happy Birthday, Kurt!

2008-08-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today is my brother-in-law Kurt's birthday. I didn't get to meet Kurt until about six months after I married Brandon because he was still on his mission in Switzerland. Just so we're clear, I did ask Brandon if he wanted to wait until Kurt got back. He said, "Heck no! He wouldn't wait for me! We're getting married!" Luckily, Kurt was ok with it. I remember going to the airport with the rest of Brandon's family to meet him and being so nervous my stomach hurt. Kurt was Brandon's best friend and his opinion meant a lot to him. I wasn't sure what would happen if Kurt didn't like me. Would we have to move far away? Would I still be allowed to have Sunday dinner at my in-laws' house? I just didn't know. Anyway, when Kurt got off the plane, Brandon literally pushed me into the middle of the circle of family and friends to meet him. Kurt turned to look at me, broke into this huge grin and boomed out, "Sis!" Then he grabbed me in a huge bear hug and spun me around. I was a little freaked out at first, but that's Kurt and it was so sweet. Here are some of the things I love about you, Kurt:

1. Your laugh. It's my favorite. You have a huge, booming laugh and it's great.

2. Your energy. You always have to be doing something, and some of your choices are hilarious (trapeze school?). I had to laugh when the boys told me you announced that the first person who said they were bored had to go pull weeds when they visited Texas over the summer. You are the king of, "I'm bored! Let's stop sitting around and go do something!"

3. You're a great uncle. Our boys idolize you. You're so much fun for them! They always have a great time doing fun stuff with you and I like that you teach them good things too. It's one thing for your parents to tell you how to act, but when your uncle says it, it has more weight. You're a good example to them.

4. You seize the moment. If you're interested in something, you get up and go do it. All the way. One minute you're thinking about guitar lessons. The next, you're in a band. One minute you're interested in martial arts, the next you're a Kung Fu expert. You want nachos? You get up and make 'em. It's refreshing to be around somebody who goes after the things they want. Most of us just talk.

5. Brandon loves you. He has so many memories of the things you guys did when you were little. You were his best friend and he loves you so much! His whole face lights up when he hangs out with you. It always kind of chokes me up because I know how much he misses you. To see you together is really fun.

We hope you have a great day today! Tell Naomi to give you 35 spankings for us! :)

Facelift

2008-08-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

I changed my blog background the other day and thought it was pretty cute until I saw Carrie's new background. So, thanks Carrie for finding a place with way cute backgrounds! The girl who does them is in my ward. I had never checked her website out before. It's so cute! There are like 200 free ones, so I'm sure I'll be changing mine often. :)

The Tooth Fairy Can Wait

2008-08-13T13:01:00.001-07:00

See that space next to Joc's bottom teeth? Just above her finger? She lost that tooth one night while I was at Katie's watching Holly. She was all excited because with me out of the picture, she got to claim my side of the bed and sleep with Big B that night so the tooth was going to go under my pillow for the Tooth Fairy. It was all set in it's little ziploc bag but when I called that night to ask Big B if he was ready for the Tooth Fairy to come (wink wink), he said that Joc had decided to wait. Apparently when he reminded her to put it under the pillow, she said, "Nah. I'm gonna keep it for one more day. It was my favorite tooth and I'm just not ready to let it go yet." Pardon me for asking, but that was her favorite tooth? The little tiny one next to her front bottom teeth? It's an unusual choice, but Jocelyn is an unusual girl. :)
P.S. She decided the next night that the Tooth Fairy could give it a better home in Tooth Fairy Land so she put it under her pillow and sent it on to a better place...in exchange for $1.50.

Jocelyn's in the F.B.I.

2008-08-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn and her friend Jason have formed a new club. They're official members of the F.B.I. They even have their own secret hand signals so they'll recognize other members when they're undercover. Are you ready for this?

Freaky

Bunny

Intruders

So if your front door is unlocked, and your refrigerator is full of vegetables, watch out for.....Freaky Bunny Intruders!! Just hand over the carrots and nobody gets hurt. :)

My Husband Is Funny

2008-08-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

So last night I was in the office working on some stuff while Big B watched the Olympics in the family room. After a little while I realized that every couple of minutes I would hear him chuckling. After about half an hour I had to go in and see what was so funny about the Olympics. What the heck was making him laugh? Ugly outfits? A new event - stand up comedy? Bad hair? I went in and stood behind him for a minute and here is what I saw: Big B was watching the men's gymnastics competition. They were doing the high bar and pummel horse. He would watch a guy do his routine, then rewind it and watch it in fast motion. They were flipping all over the place like crazy fish! Every time he did it, he cracked himself up. I just shook my head and backed out of the room. From then on, every time I heard him chuckle from the next room, I had to chuckle too.

Welcome to The World, Little Guy

2008-08-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Being the oldest sister in my family has been the most wonderful blessing. There is a feeling you get when you see your little sister become a mom that is so hard to describe. I imagine it is close to the feeling you have when you watch your own children become parents. It's a mixture of gratitude, love, humility and pride. Babies are miracles. They come into this world with unlimited potential, unconditional love for their families, and brand new little feet that haven't even been used yet (as Carrie puts it). Moms are miracles. Each child completely fills your heart, but you somehow have enough room to completely love the next one, and the next... Families are miracles. They are the Lord's way of protecting you from the world while preparing you for it. When you have loving parents, it isn't so hard to imagine a Father in Heaven who loves you as well. There is nothing more important in the world. I'm so happy for Katie and Jon. They have a beautiful little family. Holly is the sweetest little girl, and Travis is beautiful. I am so happy for them! Click on the link to Carrie's blog for more pictures of Travis. He's a handsome little guy!

WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!

2008-08-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

If you're puking your guts out right now, don't blame me. You were warned. I was laying on the couch the other day after school and had just dozed off when Little B called to me, "Mom, I need your help, " in a totally normal tone of voice. With my eyes still shut, I said, " With what? Your homework?" He said, "No, I hurt myself." I think it was his total calmness that did it for me. I sat bolt upright, wide awake, and ran into the kitchen. He was holding his hand up in front of his face with the other one wrapped around it. Blood was running down his arm and dripping everywhere. His face was totally expressionless and very pale. When he saw me he said, "I think I might have cut my finger while I was peeling my apple." (Ya think?!) I grabbed his hand and tried to get a look at it, but there was too much blood so I turned on the faucet and told him we were going to have to rinse it off first. The only problem was that every time I stuck it under the water and pulled it back out, the blood welled up and ran everywhere so fast I couldn't see what was going on. I looked over at the counter and realized he had been peeling the apple not with a knife, but with the vegetable peeler and...this is so sick...a piece of his finger (with nail still attached) was stuck in it!!! I grabbed his hand, brought it up so it was vertical to make the blood run down instead of pooling up ( smart, huh?) and saw that he had totally shaved a piece of his finger off. Completely off. I wrapped his hand up, wrapped the peeler (with finger) in a wet paper towel, and took him to the E.R. Unfortunately, since the piece that was cut off included a part of his nail bed, they couldn't sew it back on. The doc said they never heal right. So , they put a huge dressing on it and told us it would just have to heal. Little B was really quiet through the whole ordeal. He only made one comment in the E.R. The doctor had just finished telling him they couldn't fix it and that his finger would heal, but may not look the same ever again. Little B just sat there, listening. When the doctor asked him is he had any questions he said, in all seriousness, "I'm just glad it was my shooting hand during basketball season." And that was that. It's healing and looks much better. There will be a little bit of a scar there, but nothing noticable. Watch out for those vegetable peelers! They'll get ya!

First Day of School

2008-08-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school last week. Here are some pictures I took their first day. Notice how excited Jocelyn was, and how not excited the boys were. Joc is in second grade this year and both of my boys are middle schoolers!! AAAAHHH! I'm so old! Brandon is in 7th grade and Aiden is in 6th. Brandon chose Family and Consumer Sciences as his elective this year. It's basically Home Economics with a cooler name. He and a bunch of his friends took it because they thought they would be cooking and get to eat. So far they have been discussing kitchen safety and correct portion sizes. All of those boys are ready to kill themselves. I chuckle to myself every time I think of that table full of boys who have no idea what they're in for. Not to worry. I'm sure knowing how to sew a pillow will come in handy for them someday. :) Aiden chose percussion. So far so good, except he won't ride the bus with his bell kit and practice pad because Brandon and his friend Dallin told him the kids will tease him mercilessly if he does. So, every Monday morning and Friday afternoon he gets a ride. I figure if it makes Middle School even a little bit easier, I'm all for it. Jocelyn is doing well so far. She says she keeps talking too much in class (there's a shocker), but she's working on it . Her grades are great, she has lots of friends and has a crush on a boy with a mohawk and an earring. I'm not saying a word. I'm hoping that if I ignore it, it will just go away.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2008-08-06T11:10:00.001-07:00

The 2008/2009 Suns schedule was released today! We open on the road against the Spurs on October 29th. Oh, don't even worry. I'm already planning my Opening Night Suns Party! I can't even tell you how much I love basketball season. I get so depressed when our season ends and can't shake my funk until it begins again. I love watching the Suns play, I love watching MY SONS play! And this year I might even get to watch my daughter play! I'm gonna have to get in shape to do my good luck dance before every game. (it's awesome!) I can't wait! Can I get a WOOP WOOP? :)

Wear Your Sunscreen!

2008-07-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

About six months ago, Big B had a little ingrown hair looking thing on his cheek. So, that's what we thought it was. Or maybe a pimple, but he's too old for those, so we went with the ingrown hair explanation. :) Anyway, it seemed to pop one morning while he was shaving so he didn't think anything of it other than to put a little piece of toilet paper on it to stop the bleeding. The weird thing was that every time he shaved, it would start bleeding again. Over the course of a few months it went from looking like a popped zit to looking like a slightly sunken in, pinkish scar a little bigger than a pea. For no reason. There was no wound, so we kept wondering why he was getting this scar. And every time he shaved, it would start bleeding again. After several months of this, he started saying, "Could it be cancer? Jen, wouldn't it be weird if this thing turned out to be some kind of cancer?" I would go, "Don't be silly. Cancer doesn't look like that. It doesn't look gross. I'm sure it's fine." Anyway, I got kind of weirded out by it after a while and looked skin cancer up online. Ummm, there were only about fifty pictures of cancerous lesions that looked just like the one on Brandon's face! Freaked me out! I called Aunt Nancy for a referral to a good dermatologist and called the one she suggested.
Big B went in for his appointment today and the doctor told him it definitely looks like a Basal Cell Carcinoma. He dug a big piece out of it for a biopsy to confirm his diagnosis so we'll know for sure next week. Here's the thing: Brandon's only 36 years old!! He hasn't had much sun exposure in the last decade because he works inside now. The sun damage that is most likely responsible for him getting this skin cancer now happened over ten years ago. The good news is that Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common and least dangerous type of skin cancer. The bad news is that there is a very good chance he will find another one within the next three years and he also has a higher risk of developing other types of skin cancer, including Melanoma which is the very dangerous one.
My point is that everybody needs to take good care of their skin. Wear sunscreen every single day. My moisturizer has one in it. Make sure your kids wear it every single time they go out! Wear hats. Don't be in the sun between 10:00 and 3:00. Just be careful. Having a great tan is definitely not worth the risk of getting cancer! How cute do you think you'll look with scars everywhere from having lesions removed? Even the most common and treatable form of cancer is still cancer. It's scary, and we don't want it to happen to anybody we love so be smart!

I'm Being a Blog Hermit

2008-07-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Just in case anybody has been wondering where I've been and why I haven't written, it's because I have been kind of sick of blogging. I think I'm over it now. I'll get my camera out tomorrow and we'll just see what happens. :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-06-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Man! You would think I would have a picture of my mother-in-law to put on her birthday post, but I can't find one! I know. I'm lame. Today is my mother-in-law's birthday and I didn't want to let it go by without telling her some of the things I love about her.

1. You're a good mom. I have never seen one of your kids (and there are eight of them!) need you for something and you not be there. You have driven and flown all over the country to be there for your kids when they needed you and are always on their side. Everybody needs a friend who is always in their corner, and that's what you are for your kids.

2. You're patient. You AMAZE me with your patience! You have been thrown-up on, yelled at, bumped, bruised, called at all hours, asked, "Mom, will you make me...", had your stuff spilled on, messed up, lost, you name it! I have never seen you lose your patience with any of it though. There have been lots of times that one of my kids has dropped something or done exactly what I told them not to and I stopped myself before I exploded and tried to laugh over it like you do. It kind of works....or all that laughing all the time makes you crazy and then it just doesn't matter anymore. I can't decide which.

3. You can't say Fuddruckers. I'm just gonna leave it there. :)

4. You have a quiet but deadly sense of humor. You have great one-liners. The best thing about them is that unless they're standing right next to you when you say them under your breath, people don't even hear them. I love how you'll make some smart-aleck comment and then chuckle at yourself.

5. You're the best with babies! This is my favorite thing Big B inherited from you. You can take any baby and know exactly how to calm them. You never get hysterical when one of them gets sick or hurt (like all of us moms do), you just seem to know what to do to help. All of the grandkids want to be with you all they can. You always have your little gang following you around at family stuff. It's a lot of work for you, but so special for them.

4. You have a deep testimony of the gospel and unwavering faith. No matter what you may be going through, you always put your trust in the Lord. More than anything else, that has been your biggest gift to your family.

We love you and hope you have a great birthday, Mom. The boys are excited to see you next week!

We're Movin' On Up...

2008-06-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

...the street. :) We just completed the most horrendous summer activity ever - moving! We moved from the house we bought when we moved here five years ago to a bigger one right up the street. We love it so far, just not the unpacking part. I think boxes must weigh ten pounds more for each degree over 100 it is when you're carrying them. I don't have any pictures of my new house because I haven't found my camera yet, but when I do I'll post them. I hope the rest of you are enjoying your nice, relaxing, move-free summer... brats! jk

Happy Birthday, Dad

2008-06-02T07:30:00.001-07:00

He's gonna kill me for this picture, but he's never going to read this blog anyway, so oh well. I sent him an email questionnaire once. I got all excited when I saw that he replied until I opened the email. It said, "Get a life." He hates this stuff. :) Today's my dad's birthday, and even though there would never be enough room to tell you everything I love about him, I can share a few of my favorites:

1. His sense of humor. I write this about a lot of people, but my dad is the funniest. He tells the funniest jokes (none of which I can share here), and has the best one liners, (most of which I can't share here either). When I was about ten I made the mistake of asking him what mothballs were. A couple of years after that I made the mistake of asking him what a condominium was. The best, though, is when he's accidentally funny like the time I went to Home Depot with him to have some wood cut for a school project I was working on. As the man at the saw counter was getting ready to write down our order, Dad asked him how long he had been working there. I can't remember how many years he told us, but it was a lot. So Dad goes, "See Jennifer, __ years and he still has all of his fingers!" The guy brought his other hand out from under the counter, holds it up and goes, "Actually..." He was missing two freaking fingers! Dad turned purple and sputtered some kind of apology. Once we got outside we laughed so hard we couldn't breathe. Another time, I was watching him through our window while he did some yard work in the front yard. He had his sweats on. He bent down to pick up this huge trash bag full of grass. It was so big it covered his face. When he stood up, his pants fell down. He stopped for a second, clearly trying to decide what to do, then just kept on walking, pants around his ankles, underwear to the world. He heaved the bag into the trash can, pulled his pants back up, and went back to work. I was dying!

2. He went on my paper route with me. I wanted to make some money when I was about twelve, so I called the Mesa Tribune (without asking my parents first) and asked if I could be a paper girl. They said they didn't have any routes open at that time so I left my name and number and forgot about it...until they called me back and hired me a few weeks later! I was so excited! When I told my parents about it and asked if it was ok they said yes, but one of them had to go with me every day. It was usually Dad. That poor man had to get up at like 4:30 every single morning to go with me on "The Damn Paper Route" as he and Mom affectionately called it. :) We had to fold, rubber band and deliver almost two hundred newspapers every day! I only weighed like 50 pounds and the papers weighed my bike down so much I had to push on the handle bars to keep from doing a wheelie down the first couple of streets. I'm not even kidding. My basket sat on my bike frame with a basket on either side, and you had to alternate which side you took each paper out of so one wouldn't be heavier than the other. Sometimes my dad would grab a paper out of the wrong side and it would send me wobbling all crazily down the street, yelling at him the whole time. Dad made me put every single paper on the front porch of the house instead of just throwing it on the driveway like most kids did. We got really good at throwing them so they'd land right on the doormat. Except at Crazy Man's house. I had to walk that one up. I was terrified of that guy. I'll get into that another time. He always taught me that if I was going to do a job, I should do it right.

3. He's smart. Dad is one of those rare people who are both book smart and "street smart". He could always simplify any homework problem so we could understand how to solve it and always made a big deal about how proud he was of us when we figured it out.

4. He's handsome. I agree with Katie that Dad looks great in a suit and in a baseball cap. I was always proud (and a little scared) to introduce him to my friends. The scared part wasn't because of how he looked, it was because of what he might say. You never knew with him.

5. He has great sayings. Dad has a way with words. Here are a few of the sayings we grew up hearing. The ones that are fit to print, anyway. "Walk with a purpose!" He said that one if he thought you were moving too slow. "Use your head!" This was usually said in exasperation when one of us wasn't seeing something that was totally obvious. "Where's Double Ugly?" This is what he usually says to one of us if we show up somewhere without our husband. It's a term of endearment, we're sure. ;)

6. He's a big kid. He used to tell us the SCARIEST ghost stories when we were little. The setting would always be exactly like where we were, and the kids would always be our age. He would tell them a lot when we were driving to or from our grandma's house in St. David. Once, he told us a totally freaky story and then pulled the car over to the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and pretended like he needed something from the trunk. We were freaking out and screaming at him to get back in the car before a monster got him. He took his sweet time. I'm sure he was standing back there laughing his guts out at us. I asked him while were driving to the mountains what jumping cactus were one time. He made up this whole story about how they were saguaros that waited for just the right moment to jump on your car as you were driving, crushing everybody inside. Then he drove really slow through all the areas with lots of cactus. He used to catch the most ginormous grasshoppers - as long as your hand - and chase us around the house with them. He acted out cartoons for us in high school when we didn't have a TV in our house yet. He poured water on us if we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. He told checkout guys at the store we had a crush on them. It was embarrassing when they were dorky. It was even worse when they were cute. He would grab us and make us dance with him every time we passed the piano and organ store at the mall. He made us homemade valentines every year. He gets even more excited about holidays than the kids!

There are lots of other things I love about my dad. He's everybody's favorite uncle, coach, client, friend, etc. He has been a great example to me and the rest of our family.

I hope you have a great birthday, Dad! Love you!

Congratulations, Marie and Landon!

2008-05-18T18:56:00.001-07:00

Here's our new mommy, looking beautiful as always. Wish I looked that good after I had my babies. (sigh)

Here's a picture of our newest proud daddy! Looks like he's got this new baby thing down!

Here is a picture of our brand new nephew, Mason. Isn't he the cutest?

...And here's Landon, Amy and Suz doing the traditional Williams Family Fertility Dance. They do it every time somebody in the family has a baby. Just kidding. I have no idea what they're doing or why they're doing it but anytime I find a picture of Landon dancing - it's going on my blog!!!

Congratulations on your perfect little family! We love you!

*I don't know why my pictures are all different sizes. I stole them from Landon's website so I'm blaming him. You'll just have to click on them to see them in all their glory. Definitely click on the dance picture! You won't be sorry.

Happy Birthday, Marie!

2008-05-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

I promise I didn't forget you, Marie! Big B was supposed to help me post a video clip of you and it didn't work out so I'm just a little late. Sorry! I hope you weren't sad.

Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Marie! Give her an extra big cheer because she is being induced on Monday. She's going to be the cutest mom ever. Marie has been an endless source of amusement and entertainment for the whole family. We tease her a lot, but it's all out of love. :) My favorite Marie stories are ones I wasn't even there for. Like the time she went up on stage at a singles dance and sang "Holiday" in front of everybody and then tripped and fell down the stairs when she was done. Or the time Becky made her poop her pants at Matta's. Although, there was the time she stood up to demonstrate the 'Mormon Thrust' dance move for me and didn't realize her skirt had ridden up around her waist while she was sitting down. Hilarious! There are so many things I love about you, Marie. Here are some of them:

1. You never get embarrassed. You have no idea how much I wish I was the same way. EVERYTHING embarrasses me. You can do something totally goofy and then just laugh it off like it was no big thing. This quality will make you a totally fun mom because you'll just get in there and have a blast with the kids no matter who's watching.

2. You are the "est"! You are the one who laughs the loudest, cries the hardest, is the most funnest (I know that's not a real word, but I needed to make it fit), and is the sweetest in the family. You wear your heart on your sleeve and stick to your convictions. I'm not making fun of you one bit for it. Having a backbone is a good thing. Plus, Jocelyn is just like you in this way and I'm crossing my fingers it'll work out for her. :)

3. You wear heels. Ever since I met you, you have worn heels with EVERYTHING! Dresses, skirts, pants, shorts, jeans, probably even your swimming suit. Admit it. You love to hear that clicking sound they make when you walk!

4. You are a good friend. You have always been friends with all kinds of different people. I have never seen you act like you're better than somebody else and that's because in your heart, that's what you believe.

5. You are a good wife. You love Landon. You balance each other out so well! You try so hard to do all the things you think a good wife does. I hope you know that you already are a great wife! Landon's lucky to have you!

I love you so much, Marie. I can't wait to hear all about your brand new baby boy on Monday! I hope you had a great day today. This next year will be full of new experiences and you're going to love them all!

Save the Bees!

2008-05-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ok. You know that Haagen Dazs commercial where the flower opens and the bee flies to it and then the wind blows the bee away and the flower dies? That commercial always bums me out so I went to their website at www.helpthehoneybees.com, and read all about the honeybee crisis. You need to go there and read about it too! Over the past two years about 31% of the honeybees have been wiped out. So, in two more years it's likely that over 60% will be gone. I don't know why it made me so sad. I guess because I can remember always having hummingbirds, butterflies and bees in our yard growing up and I have noticed that we don't get them anymore. I remember seeing lots of Monarch and Tiger Swallowtail (my favorite) butterflies when I was little. I also remember our honeysuckle being so full of fat little bees you could hear them buzzing at the back door. My kids have never seen either kind of butterfly in their yard and just a few bees. Sad. :( We're moving in a few weeks and I'm really excited because I have decided to put a bee garden (I didn't make that up - they're really called that) in our new yard. It should attract butterflies too. By the way, did you know bees aren't attracted to red flowers? They can't see red. They love yellow and orange. Guess who loves red. Butterflies! I copied the guidelines for anybody else who wants to try it with me! It'll be so fun! Plus, I feel kind of guilty about eating fruits and vegetables (and all that yummy ice-cream) without helping out. I'll let you know how it goes.

6 Tips for Attracting Native Bees

1. Select eight to 10 species native to your area (see the plant sidebar on page 30 and find additional resources at www.audubonmagazine.org to help you create a native bee habitat of your own). Exotic plants attract exotic bees, pushing out native species.
2. Don’t plant “pollen-less” or double-flowered horticultural varieties.
3. Pick plants that will flower at different times through the season.
4. Integrate patches of bee-friendly plants throughout your garden, especially in your vegetable patch, where they attract pollinators and increase yields.
5. Provide nest habitat in the form of “bee blocks,” as well as dead branches for boring bees and bare ground for ground-nesting species. (See the Xerces Society website for details.)
6. Avoid or eliminate pesticides.

Save the bees! Save the bees! Save the bees! Save the bees! Save the bees!

Goodbye, Mike. We love you.

2008-05-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Our 10 month old puppy Mike had to be put to sleep last night. I noticed that he was sleeping a lot yesterday afternoon but didn't think much of it. At about eight o'clock I noticed that he was still laying down so I went outside to check on him and he wouldn't get up. I went to get Big B and we called a friend who works for a vet. She told us we should take him in, so Big B carried him to the car and I took him. They seemed to know right away what was wrong with him so they ran a test to confirm it and warned me that if it was positive for parvovirus the prognosis wasn't good. It did come back positive and he was already so sick with it that they said the humane thing to do was to put him down. It happened so fast! He walked into the clinic on his own and by the time they came to put him to sleep he couldn't even lift his head anymore. We tried everything to get him to respond. If there was even a hint of something there I would have tried to save him, but he was suffering. I stayed with him when they put him down. (he was the third dog they had to put to sleep that day because of parvovirus) It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. We have all cried buckets. Dutch keeps walking around the yard like he's looking for him. We're going to miss our Mikey. Our back yard's just not the same without him.

Happy Birthday, Ricky!

2008-04-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

So, anybody care to guess what these two pictures have in common besides the fact that they're both of Eric? He took them himself! Everybody knows that if you leave your camera unattended at a family gathering, you will find one of Eric's self-portraits on it! I probably have at least three more somewhere, but I'm too lazy to hunt them down. Eric is married to Brandon's sister Becky and has known Brandon's family even longer than I have. We like our seniority. :) He's one of those people you either get or you don't, and I totally get him! I'd say more, but that would start to overlap the things I love about him, so I'll just get started. Here are a few of the things I love about you, Eric:

1. You are a spaz! Eric doesn't have a mild reaction to anything. It's a source of great amusement to the rest of us! For example, he can't just change the kids' diapers, he has to go through a whole process. First he discovers the poopy diaper. "Jessie, did you CRAP?" (opens the diaper) "Aaah! You did! What the heck?!" Then, he has to look at the finger he used to open the diaper to make sure it's not contaminated. He does it every time. Then he has to walk really fast all around the room to find his keys so he can go to the car for a diaper going, "What's wrong with you, kid? Why do you have to poop so much? My kids are just crap factories...Becky, where did you put the keys?" Don't forget the running of both hands through his hair in distress. Then, he comes back in, sighs heavily a few times while he's positioning Jessie for the change, and opens the diaper. This sets off a whole new round of horrified expressions. "What the heck, Jessie? You smell like the circus! You been eating rotten, dead, animals?" This goes on until he finally gets the new diaper on. Then there's the whole disposal of the diaper. He holds it out like it's radioactive and asks where the garbage is. Don't even try to take it. He snatches it out of your reach for your protection and insists on taking it out himself, muttering curses the whole time. Only after he has sterilized his hands does he calm down and return to idle. It's classic.

2. You love your family. Eric has done so many cute things for Becky, I can't even begin to name them all. He has always been so sweet to her and the kids. He plays with his kids all the time and loves to hold and cuddle them. Jessie is going through a daddy phase right now and he is loving every second of it!

3. You have a colorful vocabulary. This is what Brandon and Aiden live for when Eric comes to town. Aiden has been talking about being called some kind of something, something fartknocker for the last two days, and the boys can't even get through whatever it was you said when you got water on your shoe without dying laughing. I haven't heard that one all the way through yet, but I'm sure it's lovely. Just so everybody doesn't freak out. These are not your run of the mill four letter word curses. These are words and phrases that haven't even been invented yet. Becky just shakes her head when he goes off, but we die laughing. He has a new one every time we see him.

4. You're a nice guy. Sorry to let your secret out of the bag, but people deserve the truth! You have the biggest heart. You truly feel bad for people when you hear their troubles and would do anything for anybody.

5. You do funny stuff. There are some people I would never want to talk about anything controversial with, but you're the opposite. I do it just for the entertainment. I love to hear all of your theories and what cooking show you're boycotting and what weird drink from Circle K is the best (sugar free Bawls?!) . You always have some kind of concoction of medicine you swear by, and some product you are swearing off. You're fun to be around because you're so entertaining! I can't help but laugh!

I'm sorry this is a day late, but we love you and had a great time with you last weekend! We miss living by you. We hope you got to do something fun for your birthday besides drive home. :) Have a great day!

PHOENIX! Aaaarrrrree Yyyooouuuu Rrrrreeaaddyyyyy?!

2008-04-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, are you? Brandon and I went to last night's playoff game vs. the Spurs. It was the first home game of the series. The arena was packed. We all had our orange on. We raised the rafters with our cheers. We booed the Spurs on every possession. We chanted, "Manu sucks!" We counted to ten every time Tim Duncan went to the line to psych him out. We were there! Our team never showed up. I don't know who those imposters were that took the floor last night, but they were not our Suns. That game was painful to watch. People left in droves halfway through the 4th quarter. About 70% of the arena got up and walked out. Don't worry. I am Superfan. I stayed with our guys all the way through to the bitter end, but it wasn't easy. All I can say is that if any team can come back from being down 3 and 0, it's the Suns. I know they're gonna win Sunday! But even if they lose, I'll still love 'em!

P.S. Thanks, Mom, for the tickets! We were so excited to go to the game! Thanks, Katie and Jon for watching the kids. You're the best!

Happy Birthday, Suz!

2008-04-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

I love Suz! I didn't even know she was one of Brandon's sisters for a couple of weeks after I met Brandon. I don't know what I was thinking, she looks just like Brandon...in girl form. :) My favorite Suzy story is from when I was dating Brandon. We were totally making out on the couch late one night. Very late. Everybody else was in bed. At least they were supposed to be. All of a sudden I looked up and Suz was watching us over the back of the couch with her chin on her little fists with a total smirk on her face. She was like nine. I was so embarrassed! I thought Brandon's parents were going to kill us for corrupting their little girl, but they never mentioned it. She probably didn't even rat us out because she's cool like that. :) Becky came for a visit so she's helping me with your birthday post, Suz. Here are some of the things WE love most about you:

1. You're really funny. You have stealth humor like Big B. You'll sit there listening to everybody else talk and then bust out with the funniest comment ever! It's awesome!

2. You're beautiful. Oh my gosh, you are so pretty! You dress really cute too. And you're good with hair and makeup. And you can eat anything you want and never gain a pound. Wait. Maybe we hate this about you. Just kidding! We're proud you're so cute!

3. You're just like Big Brandon. It cracks me up to see how alike you are...remember the "scratching your belly" incident the last time you were here? Enough said.

4. You're an awesome aunt. You have always been so good with the boys and Joc. They love it when you come because you spend a lot of time with them. They are going to have so many fun memories with you! You and Little B have an especially close relationship. He loves you so much.

5. You're totally laid back. This is a really fun one to watch because it drives Michelle bats, but it's a good quality. And another thing you share in common with Brandon. :) You just kind of go with the flow and are happy to take things as they come. This will be very useful when you have kids someday.

We love you very much, Suz. We wish we could be there to eat your yummy cake (that Michelle probably made) with you! Have a great day!

Happy Birthday, Hot Stuff!

2008-04-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

Not only is today my awesome sister Carrie's birthday, but it's Brandon's too! I'm so lucky to get to celebrate two of my most loved people on the same day! It's fitting that their birthdays are on the same day because Carrie is the reason I have Brandon. She and his sister, Becky, were best friends in high school and Carrie kept telling me I should meet Becky's brother. She said he reminded her of me - we were both dorks who never went out. (yes, she really said that) I didn't take the bait so she and Becky tricked Brandon and I into going out for our first date. (I'll have to tell that story later) Six weeks later we were engaged and five months later we were married. The truth is that to me, we were a family from our first date. Here are some of the things I love most about you, Brandon:

1. You complete me. And not in a cheesy Jerry McGuire way. If I'm tired, you have enough energy to take care of the kids or make dinner. If I'm grouchy, you're calm. If I'm sad, you make me laugh. If I'm on a rampage, you send me to our room for a nap. We may not have the same taste in things, but we like to do the same things if that makes any sense. We both like to read, but different kinds of books. We both like to cook, but different kinds of food. We both like to be home, but doing different things. We balance each other out.

2. You are a gentleman and by that I mean you are a gentle man. You would never hurt somebody on purpose, physically or otherwise. You are patient with everybody. You don't yell. You are big and tall, but babies love you. I joke with my family that when I'm grouchy at you it feels like I've just shot Bambi. I guess either I need to learn to be nicer when I'm tired or you need to learn to fight better. :)

3. You're a good friend. You're a good friend to your parents and brothers and sisters. You're a good friend to my family, and you're the best friend the kids and I have. You are the type of person who sticks by somebody through the good times and the bad without ever even hinting that you'd rather be somewhere else. Everybody you meet loves you. You're easy to get along with, and fun to hang out with...if they can get you talking. ;)

4. You're the best dad. This is the biggest one for me. I loved you before we had kids, but I loved you even more after. You are so patient with them. You have a gift for being able to teach them things at their level and pace. You never lose your temper when you're explaining something to them. You always did half the nighttime feedings and changed almost as many diapers as I did. You aren't afraid to be affectionate with the boys, even if you are afraid to have the birds and the bees talk with them. :) I'm serious though. That's probably the only thing you can't do. That's ok. I'm not embarrassed to have "the talk" with them. You keep teaching them how to do their chores, and let me handle the bodily functions. Deal?

5. You cook better than me. When people come for dinner, they always ask what we're having for dessert and it's not because of me! You're famous in our ward for your chocolate chip cookies and don't even get me started on your chocolate cakes. The first thing Jon wants to know when we invite them over for dinner is if there will be grilling and chocolate cake involved. You're the best. You take your food very seriously. You always have to get the perfect blend of the different foods from your plate on your fork before you can take a bite. It both amuses and annoys me. It's amusing because the only reason I eat is because I have to. I don't care that much what we have or even if it's great. You truly enjoy your food. You smell everything before you eat it. You make sure all servings are in proportion to each other so your plate is yummy to the last bite. It's fun to watch you construct every element of your meal for optimum pleasure. It's annoying because it takes you forever to eat and I want to talk! Just kidding. It's not really annoying. It's kind of cute. You must really be suffering with your braces. I'm sure they really cramp your style.

6. Your laugh. The funnier something is, the quieter your laugh becomes until you're doubled over, face red, hissing and wheezing like that one hound on the Hanna Barbara cartoons when we were little. It cracks me up!

7. You're my rock. This is the most comforting and scary thing about our relationship. The only reason I have the courage to take on whatever my challenges are is that I have you. What would I do without you? Who else has seen me do a cannonball, or cry my brains out over a song, or get caught halfway through the top and bottom when the bunk bed collapsed with me on it? Speaking of which, you could have helped me but you ran and got the camera instead. Meanie! Carrie and Katie tease me that in every relationship there is a plant and a gardener and that you're the gardener. It would be funny if it weren't so true. Thanks for taking such good care of me. I hope I return the favor.

This post feels a little inadequate because so much of what I feel for you can't be put into words, but I did my best. Thank you for being my husband and friend. Thank you for my babies. Thank you for your chocolate cakes. :) I love you!

Happy Birthday, Cardie!

2008-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ugh! Blogspot is having issues so I can't post a picture right now. I'll have to do it later. Happy birthday to my younger sister and one of my best friends, Carrie. By the way, I didn't misspell her name. Cardie is one of her nicknames! I don't have very many childhood memories that don't have Carrie in them. She has been around since I was two and I'm so glad! One of my earliest memories of her is of her stomping a chick to death. We were in a friend's chicken coop (obviously in St. David) and this cute, fuzzy little chick hopped up to her feet and looked right up at her. I was so jealous because I loved animals and would have loved to have one just come right up to me like that. She looked down at the peeping chick and said, "Don't look at me!" Then she stomped on it. It died. I was horrified. I still don't know why it freaked her out so much, but she was only two or three when it happened so I'll give her a break. Carrie has always been freaked out by the weirdest things. I once saw her run to the sink and puke her guts out after finding out that the Alfredo sauce she had just eaten on her pasta had milk in it. Becky and I laughed until we cried. Some of my best times have been with her. She has always, always taken care of me and Katie. Somebody had to. We're such sissies. Anyway, here are some of the things I love most about you, Carrie:

1. You are brave. It's a well-known fact that I'm a huge chicken. I don't like confrontation and I don't like to make waves. Carrie has stuck up for me so many times, I can't even count them all! She even made a guy in high school cry his eyes out because he made up a rumor about me. But here's the other side of her. She offered him a ride home after they were done with their little talk and they ended up being friends. I always call Carrie and tell her my problems and she gives me the courage to stick up for myself when I need to.

2. You are good with people. Carrie has a way of handling people. I totally admire this quality in her. She can talk to anybody and knows how to handle difficult situations. That's why she could be a gazillionaire doing hair and I would be homeless with a PhD. It's a gift. I wish I had it.

3. You are funny. It's not the kind of funny that's even on purpose. It's how she reacts to things that happen to her that's hilarious. Oh my gosh. I can't even tell you! We can be in a room full of people just visiting and someone will say something kind of "different" and she'll get this look on her face. I have to look away, or I'd laugh my drink out of my nose or something. She has a low tolerance for weirdness and it cracks me up.

4. You are a great mom. Motherhood has been the biggest surprise to Carrie. She and Ryan are such creatures of habit, they were married seven years before she got pregnant with Janie. I think the powerful love she feels for Janie and Kelan has been the biggest shock to her. She knew she'd love her kids, but she didn't know it would be this much, and it shows. She is the most concerned mother. Her kids are her whole world. She makes their lives, not just happy, but magical.

5. You make things happen. Here's one that has always totally stumped me. Carrie can say anything she wants, and it comes true. Boyfriend with a truck and letterman jacket - hers. Any job she has ever wanted - hers. She says she's going to get pregnant in a certain month so she can have a baby in a certain month - that's what happens. I think it's great. I just wish I knew how to do it. :)

Carrie, I love you very much! Thanks for everything you have done for me and for being one of my best friends in the whole world! I love you!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-04-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my father-in-law!! I have been looking forward to writing this post for a looooong time! :) I remember the first time I ever met Brandon's dad. He was in his pajamas. You just can't be intimidated by a guy wearing pajamas! One of our favorite memories of Dad is of the time he was setting off fireworks with Brandon and the boys. He squatted down to light the fuse on one, but it didn't go off as expected so he leaned in to get a look at the problem when all of a sudden there was a HUGE flash of white light illuminating a moving image of Dad diving sideways and rolling for cover in the grass. Picture the effect you get when you're next to a strobe light and you'll get the idea. One of my favorite memories was when I drove his brand new, very expensive dually into a ditch during a horrible tropical storm one morning. The whole cabin was flooded! I was on my way to school, Brandon was home watching the boys with no car, and we were in Texas so calling my family for help was out of the question. I had to call Dad for help. I was sure I was about to get in so much trouble for ruining his brand new work truck, but he was so nice about it. He drove over to get me in his other new truck, took off his dry coat and gave it to me because everything I had on was soaking wet, found a piece of cardboard to sit on and drove the truck I drowned home and let me drive the dry one. That truck was ruined! It never ran right after that, but Dad never, ever said one unkind word to me about it. He is surprisingly cool about stuff like that! Maybe having eight kids of his own to break him in taught him how not to sweat the small stuff...or maybe they just broke his spirit and he was too tired to be mad at me! Either way, I'm grateful. :) So, without further adieu, here are the reasons I love you, Dad!

1. You're a good sport. This had to be at the top of my list. You get teased mercilessly by all of us kids (and the grandkids too), but you take it well. We're sorry - you just give us so much material! It'd be a crime if we didn't use it. ;) It's pretty cool that you let each of the girls take turns shaving what was left of your hair off a couple of years ago. I'm sure they gave you a hard time, but you were smiling in all of the pictures!

2. You're generous. You are one of those dads whose kids know will always do whatever he can to help no matter what. I have seen you get in your car (or plane) at a moment's notice to be with one of your kids when they needed you. You never even sit down to figure out if you can afford the trip or not. You just go. I have also seen you open your checkbook many times to help your kids, Brandon and me included. We are all grateful for your willingness to give whatever you have to your family.

3. You're a hard worker. Naomi and I always say that you are, hands down, the hardest working guy we have ever met! You have made great sacrifices to provide for your family and they love you so much for it! We may all tease about your homemade moving vans and unorthodox equipment that you , Brandon and Kurt probably invented forever ago, but we admire you for being the first one on the scene when something needs to be done. You will work all day for days on end and never complain about the reasons or nature of the work you're doing. It's an admirable quality!

4. You're a fun grandpa. The grandkids all love to play with you because you're so fun! You are always totally willing to play their made-up games and follow their silly rules. You listen to them like they matter and talk to them on their level. You are a great teacher too. You patiently explain how all kinds of cool things work so that they can understand. Most of all, they know you love them. We have lived in Arizona for five years now and you have never missed a Grandparents' Day at their school! I'm sure the fact that you happened to already be in town made it easier, but I know that if one of them had called to ask, you would have come just for that. I hope you know that they will remember and be very grateful that you have been at every important event in their lives!

5. You're fun. This is another of those traits everybody in your family shares. You are always up for doing something fun. We have lots of great memories of going to dinner, seeing movies, taking vacations, shooting off fireworks, having loud family dinners at your house, and much more! One thing Big B really misses now that we live so far away is the tradition you guys had of going to the air show together every year. He loves doing those kinds of things with you.

Here's the part where I get all mushy. It's kind of a universal law that the things you work the hardest for are the things you appreciate the most. I was your first daughter-in-law and you were my first father-in-law. We were kind of each other's guinea pigs. We both made some silly mistakes along the way, but I wouldn't change any of them because I treasure the relationship we have now. When I think of how I feel about you after being in your family for fifteen years, I feel respect, gratitude and love. I respect you for trying so hard to be a good provider, father and person. I am grateful for the times you have really been there for me and Brandon. I love you for all of the experiences we have had as a family and for the completely unconditional love you have for your kids and grandkids. Don't get too puffed up - you're still a stinker. But, you're our stinker and we love you!

Happy Birthday, Cameron!

2008-04-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Happy belated birthday to my little sister, Cameron! I know I'm late with this post. I didn't forget, I've just been in bed sick. Sorry! Anyway, I wasn't present at Cameron's birth like Carrie and Katie were. I was in Texas. I guess Dad tried to call me from the hospital to tell me she was here but for some reason I wasn't home or something and didn't get it. I got a voice mail of a baby crying and I knew exactly what it was! I didn't even have to ask if she was a girl. What else would she have been? That's all we had in our family at that time! :) Cameron is one loved little girl. Dad and Cathy were the ultimate "helicopter" parents! They hovered over her all the time! It was a high honor to be allowed to hold her when she was a baby. I think they let me do it like twice...and I already had my own kids and lots of experience! Maybe it was my lack of college degree that was holding me back. I'm teasing, of course, which brings me to the first of some things I love about Cameron!

1. You like to tease, and can take being teased. We like to tease a lot in our family, and Cameron is great at it! I think it's especially funny that you tease Dad mercilessly and relentlessly! It's gratifying to know that although the first three of us are grown and out of the house he still has at least twenty more years of it coming to him! Serves him right! Keep it up! We're counting on you!

2. You can hang with the boys. It's a good thing you know how to get along with boys so well, since that's all you have in your age group in the family! You blend so well with them, they treat you just like one of the guys which, in a weird way, is a big compliment!

3. You make things fun. You are always excited when we come over and have something fun going on. It's cute that you think of fun things for all of the kids to do ahead of time. You're always laughing and easygoing. It's a great quality to have with a bunch of boys around! You never know what they're going to come up with next and you always handle it like a pro!

4. You are close to your mom. She's a good mom and loves you more than you know. I'm going to get all "big sister" on you and tell you to remember that in a couple of years when you're a teenager. Go easy on her. She loves having you for a daughter and will always be there for you - for any reason! You'll cherish your relationship with her even more after you grow up!

5. You're smart. I'm sure this is what people are referring to when they say you remind them of me! Just kidding! You're really smart and I like to hear all of your "facts" when we come over. It's fun to listen to you because you're interested in all kinds of things. I'm sure it bums Joey out that you are more interested than scared of his creatures!

These are just a few of the things I love about you, Cameron! I hope your birthday was great and this year will be the best ever for you!

Go Ryan, It's Your Birfday!

2008-04-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my brother-in-law Ryan's birthday. He's finally as old as I am. Hee! I have known Ryan since he was sixteen and I was eighteen. Let's just note here that Carrie was fifteen when they met, in seminary, where they probably learned not to date until sixteen...but Carrie and Ryan do things how and when they want to. :) (don't we all?) I don't blame him for liking her. She was the cutest girl! I feel like Ryan has been a member of our family forever. It didn't matter how many times he and Carrie broke up through the years, I don't think I ever really thought she'd marry anybody else, and thank goodness she didn't! They make beautiful babies together! Before I get to "the list", I just have to get all mushy for a second and tell you, Ryan, that I love you so much. I am really proud of you and Carrie. It's kind of a family joke how much the two of you hate change, and that makes me even more proud of who you have become. I am grateful for you and so glad you are part of our family! Here are some more of the things I love about you:

1. You are hilarious...at least I think so. I don't care what my sisters say. Your jokes are funny. Maybe they're just not smart enough to get them. :) Just kidding! I also love to tease you. All I have to do is threaten to mess up something in your house or on your car and you freak out. So easy! The best thing ever is to watch funny movies with you. Remember that time you and I stayed up watching Dumb and Dumber? We were literally rolling on the ground, laughing! You were laughing at the movie - I was laughing at how hard you were laughing.

2. You're the only person on earth (besides Carrie) who knows how funky is my chicken AND how loose is my goose! :) That was a total inside joke for those of you who are wondering.

3. You call my mom Janice and juggle her good China just to freak her out. My mom tells her friends all the time about how much of a punk you are to her, but it's seriously one of her favorite things about you. She's equal parts amazed and totally entertained by the fact that you have the nerve to disobey and tease her. Plus, she knows you'll always be there if she needs you. You have been good to her. I can tell she loves you as much as if you were her own son. She made you breakfast and brown bag lunches when you stayed with her while you were working on that side of town. Probably spoiled you rotten for Carrie, but she wanted to take care of you. Your relationship is cute.

4. You're a totally authentic person. You are not one to hide your true feelings. Thanks for always being the one person who will tell me when my hair's ugly and my makeup looks horrible. Quick story: Ryan and I carpooled to college back in the day. One day I had a hair and makeup appointment right after school so I invited him to hang out. The girl who did my hair cut little layers all over my head, colored my hair bright, flaming red, and curled it all over grandma style. Not at all what I asked for, by the way. Then, we went to my makeover. The lady there put this bright pink blush on my cheeks and bright red lipstick on my lips. My lips are really big, so it wasn't a subtle look at all! I came out of that store, Ryan took one look and doubled over in laughter. LOUD laughter. He finally got himself under control enough to go, "Are you trying to get into the circus?! First you go get clown hair, and then you go and get a clown face!" If it wasn't so stinkin' true I would have killed him. We both died laughing all the way to the car. Too bad I had to live with that clown hair for like three months.

5. You're a great dad and husband. You and Carrie are one of those couples who were meant to be together. I love that picture you took of yourselves crying your eyes out the day before you left on your mission. You guys never could stand to be apart. You need each other. I think it surprised you how much you loved Janie when she was born. I don't think you put her down for weeks. I remember the first time Janie fell off the bed. You and Carrie both cried your eyes out. It was very sweet. You are always there for your kids. They know you love them and they love you so much! I think you have as much fun as they do when you play together. I'm excited to see you as they get older. I already know you'll be the one who coaches everything and is always involved somehow. You even go to dance classes once a week to practice the big daddy daughter number for Janie's dance recital! It's the cutest!

6. You're such a girl! You pay attention to your clothes and hair more than anybody I have ever met! I remember that in your apartment you even had a place you had to stand to spray on your cologne so it wouldn't get all over your bedroom furniture. I don't know another guy who would even think of that! I suppose all of your fussing over your appearance pays off. You always look good!

There are so many reasons we love you , Ryan. We hope you have a great day today and year to come!

Happy Birthday, Dre!

2008-03-25T10:04:00.002-07:00

Today is my sister-in-law, Andrea's birthday! I have no idea how old she is, so let's just say 21 and call it good. :) I'm sad that I don't have a ton of funny Andrea stories to tell. I don't even have a picture. (anybody want to email me one?) She and Shane live in Texas and I haven't been able to spend tons of time with them, but I still love you Andrea, and here's why:
1. You aren't easily offended. That's such a great quality to have - especially in a big family! Especially in a big family that loves to tease! :) It can be hard to get used to being in a new family when you get married, but you are so sweet about cutting all us so much slack!

2. You are fun. I really like that you are always ready to have a good time. You aren't picky about where we're going or what we're doing, and you always make things fun. The boys think it's so cool that you are the only aunt who likes to play WOW with them!

3. You're animated. I have the best time watching you tell stories and talk to people! You always seem to be laughing and happy. Nothing kills your spirit! I'm always entertained when you're around!

4. You're a good wife to my brother Shane. He's very special to me and I'm glad he has a wife who loves him so much and has been totally willing to give up so much to support and love him. I like your positive attitude about the changes we all have to make as wives and mothers. We have so much to learn and so much to do. It can be really hard, but you jumped into it with both feet and a big smile on your face. I hope Shane knows how lucky he is to have you and I hope he tells you that often!

5. You're sweet. How many times have we all said or done something that hurt somebody else's feelings? One of the best things about you is that if you ever have hurt somebody's feelings, I know it was not intentional. You have a good heart and would never hurt anybody on purpose. It's probably my favorite thing about you.

I hope you have a great day today, Andrea! We love you and hope you have the best birthday ever!

Happy Birthday, Katie!!

2008-03-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my little sister Katie's birthday! Katie is six years younger than me...and six times funnier and braver than I ever was! She has always been the funny one in our family. We would literally be rolling on the ground laughing at her death scene reenactments when we were little! My most vivid memories of our childhood together are of her singing, dancing, doing gymnastics routines, etc. for us to watch just about every night, and I mean EVERY night! :) She was always coming up with new performances for our entertainment. When we were little, she just cried and cried if she accidentally hurt somebody's feelings, but she'd beat the crap out of you if she felt she had a reason. She would lift up her fists, one at a time, and say, "This is thunder, this is lightening, and there's gonna be a STORM!" I think I only thought it was funny the first time I heard it. Every time after that, I just ran. She meant business! She watches totally crappy movies, but makes them sound hilarious. She always has great stories about things that happen to her. She does awesome impressions (which doesn't embarrass her in the least). I could go on forever, but I won't. I'll just get to some of the reasons I love you so much, Katie.

1. You are hilarious! I think Carrie put this as her number one too. It's true though. You always have the funniest one liners and stories! I love how you'll tell us an entire story, complete with dead-on impressions of the people involved, and not be one bit embarrassed! You have tricked me into watching so many dumb movies because you quote them and make them sound like the funniest thing ever. I'm gonna catch on one of these days and stop. I love how you always find the humor in every day life. I love to hear about your funny experiences!

2. You are a great mom. You are so good with Holly and it's clear she's crazy about you! Every time I talk to you it seems like you are laughing at something she's doing. You don't get frustrated when she does the baby alligator death roll while you change her diaper. You just laugh it off. She's very lucky to have a mom like you...even though you don't deserve such a sweet baby. ;)

3. You are always singing, especially in the car. I actually think we all do that. I wonder if it's annoying to other people. Hmmm. Anyway, I love that you're always singing into your hairbrush, or pen, or thumb. I'm sure the other people on the road are loving the show!

4. You are a good listener. You are always so great about listening to our troubles without judgement. You always have good advice too. That part actually annoys me sometimes because I'm supposed to be the older, wiser sister. What the heck?! Oh well. I'm glad one of us listens to reason.

5. I love how you get your words all mixed up. You've come up with some classics! Here are a couple of my personal favorites:
"Wait. You're confusing me with all this boiling water!" (said to Jon when he was trying to teach you how to blanch tomatoes before dicing them)
" Aha! Not so chicken McDonald's, is it?" ( this one's too hard to even explain so I'll just leave it at that)
There are plenty more, but they're not fit for a family blog so we'll just keep them between us. :)

6. You're an awesome aunt. You are so much fun for the kids to hang out with! They love it when you guys come over for dinner! You always listen to them and take an interest in their lives. They especially love you for forgiving them when they do rotten things to you. Like hide their soccer cleats. Right before a game. When you're watching them for us. They know you love them and they love you back!

7. You're one of my best friends. I'm grateful every day for the special relationships I have with my sisters. I'm not the best at talking about "mushy stuff", but I hope you know how much I love you. See? I'm getting all choked up. Thanks for all of the sweet things you have done for me and my family.

I hope you had a great day in spite of the fact that you spent most of it in the car! We love you so much!

P.S. Brandon says to tell you he would HATE to be you! :)

Poor Big B

2008-03-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

Somebody just made a mortal enemy and they don't even know it. Brandon went out to leave for school and found that somebody had broken into both of our cars last night. Well, I guess we're the dummies who left our cars unlocked, but it's still breaking in if it isn't YOUR car!! The only thing they took was Brandon's stereo. He was so sad. He loved that stereo. Shane took his car and had that stereo put in as a surprise while we lived in Houston. Now it's gone. Poor Brandon. He is the nicest guy ever. If he had been mad things would be different. I can stand for him to be mad, but not sad. I hope whoever did this never gets caught because if I find out who they are, they're DEAD! OK. Probably not dead. I'll probably just give them a really mean look from a distance because if they can steal a car stereo, who knows what they're capable of. :)

* Brandon had to leave for school so I'll post pictures of the damage when he gets home tonight.

** Jocelyn ran outside after I told the kids what happened and found that her Nintendo DS had been stolen out of my car too. She's ticked. Those punks better hope she doesn't find them before the police do. ;)

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

2008-03-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my baby-est sister, Michelle! Well, she's really Brandon's youngest sister, but I have known her for so long I feel like she's mine, too. Michelle was only seven when Brandon and I met. Hey! I just realized that's how old Jocelyn is now...weird. Anyway, she was the cutest, spunkiest little thing ever! She and Suz were so excited when Brandon and I got engaged. It made me feel so good that his little sisters liked me. We lived with Brandon's parents for a few weeks after we were married and Michelle and Suz used to wait right outside our bedroom door for me to come out so we could play. They thought they were being so sneaky, but I could totally hear them whispering, "I think she's awake! I saw her feet!" It cracked me up. Michelle has always been a girl who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. You could say she has a big fat stubborn streak, but I prefer to say she's gifted in the art of persuasion. I saw her talk her mom into giving her a perm when she was about eight years old. Then she talked her into straightening it with a chemical relaxer a couple of weeks later. We won't talk about how that turned out. :) Some of my favorite memories have been with Michelle. Like the time she spent the night at our apartment and we made a great big chocolate cake. We woke up the next morning thinking we were going to be bad and eat it for breakfast, but when we took the cover off, it had ants all over it. Those darn sugar ants were always ruining everything. We looked at each other, scraped the ants off and ate it anyway. Sick! I still can't believe we did that! But hey - chocolate cake. Then there was the time we took the boys and some girls I babysat to the park for lunch. We thought we were so cool when we drove up and saw that nobody else was there. We unloaded all the kids and were halfway from the parking lot to the playground when we learned the reason for our good fortune. We were attacked by the hugest swarm of mosquitos ever! EVER!! The kids were screaming as Michelle and I booked it back to the truck with a kid tucked under each of our arms. I still don't know how we ran that fast each carrying two kids plus all the food. We were swatting the dozens of mosquitos that got into the truck with us all the way home! We even had to pick them off the kids' heads. We were all traumatized. I could seriously go on forever. There are so many stories to choose from, but I'll just get to the part about why I love you Michelle.

1. You say the funniest things. Here are a few of my favorite Michelle quotes:
" I think I just grew a booger!"
" I was just homesick." (said on the way home from puking her guts out at a sleepover)
" Wait. Am I gay? " This was the best! She was telling me and Brandon how much she loves to give her cousin, Alyssa, hugs. All of a sudden she got a really funny look on her face and busted out with the big question. Brandon, being the obnoxious oldest brother he is, got all offended and gave her some kind lecture about saying that and hurt her poor feelings. (you know how he is) She spent the next twenty minutes on my lap, sobbing. Then I found Big B and explained that hello, she's eight! He came downstairs and apologized and they were friends again.

2. You love food. Everybody knows not to get between Michelle and her food. It's an obsession she shares with Big B. What we all need to understand is that they take their food very seriously. They can't just have a sandwich. It has to be a masterpiece. They spend a lot of time artfully arranging it on their plates so it looks as good as it tastes. Each morsel of food has a purpose. Each forkful is planned in advance for optimum enjoyment and then one of us will come along and grab a piece of it thereby throwing the whole meal off balance. It's a sickness.

3. You read your scriptures and write in your journal every single night. I'm so impressed by this. I have never, ever, seen you skip a night. Not even when you're sick. In fact, you always try to do the right thing. I hope you know that you're an example to me and your nieces and nephews.

4. You're stinkin' cute! You always have super cute hair, clothes, makeup, shoes, everything! You're so fun to be around! You're just cute. Even when you're grouchy. :)

5. You can laugh at yourself. I think this is a trait your whole family shares, and it's so great. I love that when things don't turn out exactly how you want them to, or you fall flat on your face in a dress you get up laughing. It makes other people feel so comfortable around you. It's one of my favorite things about you.

There are so many more things I could list, but it would take me forever. I am so proud of you! You are beautiful and smart and kind. I hope you have a great day today and year ahead! We love you, Michelle!!

P.S. Michelle took the first two pictures of herself. She's not one to shrink from the lens of a camera for sure!

Tagged

2008-03-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

My sister Katie tagged me and since I feel bad for not posting lately, I'll answer. Plus it'll get rid of the picture of our toilet that everybody has had to look at for the last week! :)

5 things I am going to do tomorrow:
1. Clean my house!
2. Watch the Suns play the Warriors!!!!!!!
3. Take my dogs for a walk.
4. Make a cheese ball.
5. Go to Enrichment.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Dried mango. It's seriously the yummiest thing ever and I have Michelle to blame for my addiction!
2. Chips and salsa.
3. Fresh fruit.
That's all I can think of. I'm not really a big snacker.

5 places I've lived:
1. Alabama...in half a trailer. I'm not kidding.
2. Arizona...in a few different cities and towns.
3. Texas...which is my favorite so far but don't tell my father-in-law because he'll try to make us move there if he finds out. :)
That's it. Just three so far but I have always wanted to move to either the deep south or a little town on the eastern seaboard.

5 places I've been:
1. San Francisco
2. Washington D.C.
3. Rocky Point
4. Albequerque (can anybody even spell that word?)
5. Disneyland - my personal favorite.

5 jobs I've had:
1. Newspaper delivery girl.
2. Working in the castle at Golfland.
3. Tanning salon receptionist.
4. Bank teller.
5. Survey interviewer for a colorectal cancer study.

What would I do if I were a billionaire?
Buy more animals. Just kidding! I don't know.

Everybody I know has already been tagged, so I guess you're all off the hook this time.

Are You Kidding Me?!?

2008-03-01T19:19:00.001-08:00

We have had ONE working toilet this week. Of course it had to be ours. Well, I guess I'd rather the kids use ours than us have to use theirs. :) Anyway, all week long we have been asking if any of them know what got flushed down the darn thing. I guess we didn't ask the right ones because one of them cheerfully volunteered that he saw his brother flush an ENTIRE Hershey's candy bar IN THE WRAPPER down the toilet last week. Um, what? That's not even right! I mentioned our situation to my friend and she told me to call another family in our ward because they have a plumber's snake. So I called them. It turns out they don't have one, somebody else in our ward does. So while I was on the phone with the wife, her husband called the other guy and told him what happened and they were all totally laughing at us! I am dying! I know that by tomorrow our whole ward is going to know that one of our kids flushed a big old candy bar down the toilet and clogged it. Oh well. I'm sure more comments will be made to him than us. :) Big B is in there right now snaking it out. The boys are in the hallway screaming about how much it stinks. Did I mention we didn't find out it was clogged until after someone used it? Ya. Nice. You just never know what's going to happen next around here.

Not the culprit.

Not the culprit

Say Cheese!

2008-02-27T08:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a big day for Big B! He finally had one of his biggest wishes granted. He got braces! Yay! I went with him for moral support. It has been four years from the time Dr. Davis first saw him to finally getting them on, so he was ready. It was funny to see him in the chair! He's so tall his feet hung over the bottom. He was so cute! I am so excited for him because having braces totally changed how I felt about myself. I teased Dr. Davis that he should name one of his offices after us. By the time Joc grows up, he will have put braces on all five members of our family!

Here's a picture of him during the procedure. Sorry for cutting his head off in this picture. I'm a little out of practice. He wouldn't let me take any more until he was all done. :(
Here are some pics of Brandon with his new grill! I think he looks cute with them on! These were taken when he was still happy. He's not very happy today. I keep telling him it will get better in a few days but I don't think he believes me. He'll see! :) I'll post new pictures every once in a while so you can see his progress. He's going to be so glad he did it!!

Happy Birthday, J'Michael!

2008-02-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry Joe, I had to! I lived in Texas when my little brother, Joey was born and when my dad called to tell me he was here they hadn't picked a name yet. So I waited, letting the news that I finally had a brother sink in, for them to call me back with a name. When dad told me his name was Joseph Michael and that they were going to call him Joe I had to tease him that it sounded like J'Michael. He must not have cared too much because the name stuck. It's ok. It's a cute name!
As I said, I lived in Texas when Cameron and Joey were born so I didn't get to see much of him until we moved here when he was about four. I already had two kids of my own so Joey just joined in with them and they have been a funny bunch of boys to hang out with! It has been a lot of fun watching Dad raising a son after all these years and what a fun little boy he has! Here are some of the things I love about you Joey:

1. You are such a boy. Carrie and Katie are so right about that! You always have some sick creature you're nursing back to health or some weird pet a family had to leave behind when they moved away and of course they called you to take care of it! You have a way with animals. I can totally see you being the town vet someday taking chickens as payment for delivering somebody's kittens!

2. You have the Dever sense of humor. I have to laugh when I hear Dad get after you for something and ask you what you were thinking and you have some snarky little answer for him. I'm sure he doesn't want you to know it, but he cracks up after he sends you back outside with a stern warning to behave yourself. You know you're a master when you can stump Dad!

3. You're an army freak! I have never seen you dressed as anything but an army guy for Halloween and you get at least one new army toy for every birthday and Christmas. I like a guy who knows what he wants.

4. You're a fun uncle. How many kids can honestly say they have had a "slobber mallow" war with their uncle, or had sleepovers with him, or that they're taller, or older than he is? You handle all the responsibilities of being an awesome uncle with no problem! :)

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Joe. I'm glad that when I finally got my brother he was you! I just hope you know one thing. I may be busy raising your niece and nephews and not have a ton of time to hang out, and be really old...but I'll always be your big sister and I'll always love you!

*What I apparently don't have is a picture of you. I know there are some here somewhere. I'll keep looking.

Shaq!!

2008-02-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

As you can see I have added a new widget to my blog. I tried to put it on the side, but it was too big so you'll just have to put up with it being at the top of the page. Don't worry. It'll only be there until the end of basketball season! :) Anyway, the whole Shaq trade has been unreal. It's all you hear about out here! When I first heard about it I thought it was a joke. Then when I realized it was true, I was way upset. Marion was my favorite Sun!! By the end of the day, I figured I could give it a chance. It was starting to grow on me. My mom gave us tickets to the game that night for my birthday, so we went and the whole first quarter was so weird. Marion had already been taken out of the intro. video. His pictures were all down in the arena. Weird. The players were totally pumped. They were grinning when they game out and jumping around during the intro., but the fans were totally missing Shawn Marion. Hardly anybody cheered once the game started. In fact, all you could hear was talking coming from everywhere! At the beginning of the second quarter they did this video intro. of Shaq. Then, this big spotlight shined on one of the boxes and he was there! He stood up and waved and we all clapped but it was no big deal. He sat back down and we all kept clapping. All of a sudden, the whole place went crazy! People started standing up and screaming and pretty soon the whole place was standing and going nuts! It was like we all suddenly realized SHAQUILLE O'NEAL was in the house! It sounded like thunder in there. He stood again, waved, and pointed to his ring finger. It was crazy! The whole atmosphere in the arena changed after that. Everybody was totally into the game. It ended up being an awesome game, too. We lost by two pts. in double overtime. They made the winning shot so close to the buzzer that they had to review the play! Crazy. I don't care who you are or what you think about the trade. If you're a Suns fan...you have to be freaking out right now that Shaq's gonna be in a Suns uniform! So cool! I'm excited to see what happens when he starts playing! It was a blast to be at that game with Brandon and the boys!! I wish I had pictures, but my camera is broken. Bummer. Thanks for the tickets, Mom! It was an awesome birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jocelyn!

2008-02-01T16:17:00.001-08:00

Today is our daughter, Jocelyn's birthday. It seems so weird that she's only seven because we can't even remember our lives without her! Jocelyn is the youngest of our three children and our only daughter. She describes herself as SPUNKTIOUS and she's right! There isn't room to tell how very much we love her and how grateful we are to have her in our family, so I'll just have to list a few of the many reasons we love her. Here are some of the things we love most about you, Jocie Posse:

1. You are full of life. Your name means happy and joyful and that's what you are. You don't just make an entrance into a room, you fill it with your laughter and energy! We always tease that our whole family knows what kind of day we'll be having by what your mood is when you wake up in the morning. :)

2. You are beautiful. You have been blessed with a beautiful face, but you're beautiful on the inside too and that's what really matters. You cry when your friends are sad. You cheer for people when they're doing a good job. You stick up for what's right. Keep letting your heart guide you and you will always be beautiful.

3. You are smart. We always tease about your "Tasmanian Devil" fits when you were little, but I know it was because you had all kinds of things you wanted to tell us and it just wasn't coming out right. You are one of the smartest people I know. Your teachers have been amazed at how well you can read! I'm proud of you because you always do your best in school. You are one smart little cookie!

4. You're a girl. Can I just tell you how much I love having a daughter? When Brandon and Aiden were born, I couldn't imagine ever loving anything but little boys. I used to say I didn't care if I never had any girls! I was so wrong. Your delicate features and special spirit have changed my life. I have had so much fun having my very own little girl! I can't wait to see what the future holds for our relationship. I have a feeling we're going to end up being very good friends.

There's a saying that goes, "Hitch your wagon to a star." What it means is that we shouldn't have little dreams in life. We should aim high. I'm not worried about you falling short and missing out on your dreams, Joc. You are the star.

Hannah Montana!

2008-01-26T12:46:00.001-08:00

My mom surprised Jocelyn and me with tickets to the Hannah Montana concert a few days ago. It was a lot of fun! We went with Mom, Carrie, Ryan and Janie. The girls were so excited and very cute! They had matching Hannah Montana outfits on. Joc was a little nervous at first because it was SO loud, but she totally got into it after a couple of songs. Click the link on the right of my page to Carrie and Ryan's blog to see pictures. My camera wasn't working that night. :( Thanks, Mom. We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Happy Birthday, Aiden!

2008-01-14T21:12:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to my sweet boy, Aiden!! Eleven years old! It's such a cliche, but I can remember you being born like it was yesterday. I just knew all along that you were a boy and that you had brown hair. When I saw you for the first time, I thought you looked just like Grandpa Dever. How right was I? :) What I didn't know all along was how much "fun" we were going to have getting to know each other in those first few months. You cried all - the - time. Your doctor called it the worst case of colic he had ever seen! It's ok though, because I got to spend A LOT of time holding you as a baby and you were worth every single minute of it! I'm glad we're close to each other and I'm glad you talk to me about your life. I hope you always will. Here are some of the things I love best about you, Aiden:
1. You're soft. I know you're going to be mad at me for writing that, but you are. I love that you still cuddle with me all the time. You have the softest skin! I'm so glad you're not embarrassed to let me hug you in front of your friends because I can't help it.
2. You're good. You try so hard to do what's right. I know it isn't easy, but you don't complain (much) :). You just quietly do what you have to do. I appreciate that so much! It's nice that I don't have to wonder if your homework is done or if you are doing something you're not supposed to be doing.
3. You're so darn cute! You were a darling baby, a cute little boy and are shaping up to be a very handsome young man! Don't believe me? Ask one of your girlfriends. Just kidding! I have so much dirt on you about this. It's killing me, but I won't spill my guts. I'll get my chance someday. I can't wait!
4. You love school. I absolutely love that you love to learn! I think Mr. D. said it best on your report card when he wrote, "Aiden is a very special young man whose love for learning spills over to other classmates." I am so proud of you for being a great student and wonderful example to those around you.
5. You're silly. You have such a silly sense of humor. I love how you're the funniest when you're not trying to be.
6. You're stubborn. I'll admit that this isn't my very favorite thing about you sometimes, like the time you hid your soccer cleats from Aunt Katie and Uncle Jon and wouldn't crack no matter how much we all pressured you to confess. Or how about the time Jean came to pick you up for basketball practice and you disappeared and Drew and I scoured the house looking for you? We looked in every nook and cranny (we thought) and couldn't find you. They finally had to leave without you and as soon as you heard that door close, you popped up from behind Joc's bed. I could have killed you! Just a couple of examples that came to mind, but I digress. I love it when you make up your mind to do something good because I know you will. That's just how you are. I hope you always make up your mind to do good and put that stubborn streak to good use!
7. You do your own thing. You like what you like and you don't care what people think. Awesome. Don't ever start caring what people think. If you do what makes you happy, your true friends will still like you and everybody else can take a flying leap!
8. You love holidays. There is a line in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that describes you perfectly. "And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that truly be said of us, and all of us!" There is something special in the air at Christmastime. People's hearts are softened and we are more generous of spirit. What makes you special is that you carry that feeling in your heart all the time. I love that it bubbles over during the holidays - all of them - and you help bring that feeling into our home for us all to enjoy. Your kids are going to love having you for a dad during the holidays!
I love you so much, Aiden. So does the rest of our family. You are so special to us. I just cannot imagine life without you. It wouldn't be the same. I hope you have a great day and awesome year to come!

Wii Would Like to Play

2008-01-10T21:41:00.001-08:00

Here are some more pictures of us having fun with Suz. We made Mii's of Suz, Michelle, Mom, Dad and Eric on the Wii tonight. Hilarious! It's too bad I can't post them. We were dying!

Cute Couple

2008-01-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

These pictures are not for the faint of heart...or Michelle's dad. (sorry) Suz and I could hardly stand to take the pictures but if we have to watch these two be all cute together, the rest of you do too. Congratulations to Michelle for finally having her first kiss (and boyfriend). He's a cutie for sure and they are very cute together. We hope to see a lot more of Eric and Michelle having fun in the future. Mostly because it means she would be out here more and we love it when that happens! Thanks for being such good sports you guys.

Good Times....Goooood Times!

2008-01-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

Brandon's mom, Suz and Michellle came out for a visit this week. It has been over a year since we saw them last! How they've grown. Just kidding. As you can see, we are having a great time together. Suzanne almost killed herself trying to ride Aiden's ripstick. I wish we had pictures of her spectacular wipeout. It was awesome. Michelle took a turn on Jocelyn's bike. Cute. We're just sad they have to leave this weekend! We wish they could stay forever!

Happy birthday, Amy!

2008-01-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today is my sister-in-law Amy's birthday. She got the best birthday present, ever too. She and her husband, Andy, just spent 10 days in Japan! Brat! Just kidding. She's sweet and she deserves it. I hope you had a wonderful time on your trip, Amy. Here are some of the things I love about you:
1. Your hair. You have the best hair! It's such a pretty shade of red and naturally curly and long. Every girl wishes she had hair like that!
2. You are sweet. I have never heard you talk bad about somebody. You get along with everybody and don't seem to notice their faults.
3. You are a good wife and mom. You love Andy so much! It's hard to be a military wife. I'm sure the support you give Andy makes it a little easier to be away when he has to be.
4. You are brave. This one goes along with being a military wife. It's scary to have to keep moving to new places but I have never heard you complain. You take advantage of the opportunity to learn about a new place and make it a great adventure. That's awesome!
5. You dress so cute. You have great taste in clothes. I always secretly want your outfits. You know how to pick just the right earrings or necklace to go with your outfits too. You're a cute mom!
I hope this year brings you and your little family lots of good things! We love you!

What the...?

2008-01-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

Ok. I messed up my blog. I was trying to get rid of the Christmas theme I had going on, tried to change the template, and messed it all up. Sorry! I'll try to figure it out tomorrow after I have had some sleep. Just an FYI for those of you who may actually be looking. :)

December 27, 2007. Happy Birthday, Naomi!

2007-12-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still waiting for Michelle to email me a current picture of Naomi but let's get started anyway, shall we? Happy birthday to one of my best friends in the world! My sister-in-law Naomi is married to Brandon's younger brother Kurt. They live in Austin, Texas which is too bad because they're really fun to hang out with. I knew very early on that I liked her a lot and hoped Kurt would marry her. Lucky for me (and him), it worked out and she has been one of my best friends ever since! Here are some of the reasons I love you, Naomi:
1. You are fun. You are one of those people who is always ready for a good time. You can make anything fun! I love that all somebody has to do is throw an idea out there and you can get everybody totally excited to go do it. It's especially fun for me because I am the total opposite. It takes me a long time to get used to the idea of going and doing something but you drag me out of my shell and I'm always glad you did. It's never quite the same without you at a family get-together.
2. You have a great sense of humor. I know I say this about all of the Williams family, but it's true. You have the best one liners. You can also appreciate a good joke and I love it when something cracks you up. You have the best laugh. I love hearing your stories because you make everything sound so funny! You and I could have the same experience and it would be blah coming from me, but coming from you it would sound like the best time ever. I love that.
3. You are smart. You are one of those people who can do anything they want to. You are great with people, take chances in life, and are successful just about every time! I'm so jealous! Dream big, Naomi, because it'll come true for you!
4. You are fabulous, which is why I picked this fabulous song for your birthday post! It's totally you! You always look so cute! Your hair always looks good, you have beautiful eyes and lips and you always dress so cute! One of my favorite things I ever saw you in was the dress you wore to Marie's wedding reception. I remember trying on that dress and it looked horrible on me, but when you tried it on, it looked on you how I wished it had looked on me! So pretty! You always have the cutest shoes too. Not fair! You are beautiful.
5. You are a good friend. You really are. You are a great listener and always know just what to say. I so appreciate all of the times you have listened to me cry, yell, and laugh! You have saved my sanity many times. I'm so grateful to have you in my life. Our family wouldn't be nearly as much fun without you!

Happy birthday! I hope you have a great day and year to come! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Cathy!

2007-12-26T16:11:00.001-08:00

I know this is late, but I wanted to say happy birthday to my step-mom Cathy. Here are some of the many things I love about you:
1. You are easy to talk to. We have spent lots of time on the phone talking (and laughing) about all kinds of things. I hope you know how much I appreciate those times.
2. You love my dad. I'm glad you found each other. I was very touched by the love that you shared during your wedding ceremony. There was such a warm feeling in the room that night. I knew then that this marriage was a wonderful thing for him and us too. It was a special day for all of us.
3. Cameron and Joey. I had to copy Katie on this one! It's fun to watch you and dad with Cameron and Joey. They are so cute and so much fun. You're a great mother and they are lucky to have you. I hope they know that. It's especially fun when I get to pull rank on them! :)
4. You are great with our kids. Not everybody can pull off being a great step-mom, mother and grandmother all at the same time but you do! Blending families can be really tough, but we have all come together and love each other so much and you deserve most of the credit. You are so good about remembering everybody and making sure they know you're thinking of them on important days. That's a lot of work but you make it look easy.
5. Family dinners. I had to copy that one from Katie too! We have so much fun getting together with you, dad and the kids for dinner. I know it's not easy to host that many people for dinner that often, but you always make us feel welcome. We have fun hanging out with you and dad while the kids all play together. It's especially fun for my kids because they don't have cousins close to their ages so I'm really glad they have Cameron and Joe. Thanks for making the effort to help us all stay close.

We hope you had a great day today! We are so glad to have you in our family. We love you !

The Day After

2007-12-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

Remember how I told you Joc has already spent her Christmas money from Grandma and Grandpa Williams? Meet Jack Frost. We call him Jack. I took her to the Pet store with me to buy cat food and of course she wanted to look at the parakeets. She always does. I have always said that we would never have another bird but she looked at me with so much hope in those big blue eyes and was so excited to have enough money to pay for it herself that I didn't have the heart to say no. All the way home she was so excited and just kept going on and on, "I can't believe after all these years of saying 'No birds!' you finally said yes. I just can't believe it! I mean, I always looked and them and looked at them and you would never let me have one, but now I had my own money from Grandma and Grandpa, I saw this really cute blue guy, and I just can't believe you really said yes. So......IN YOUR FACE!" Um...excuse me? I thought she was building up to a sweet "Thank you," or something but that's Jocelyn for you. Not a sentimental bone in her body. It's ok. I know she loves me! The other pics were taken during one of the many ping pong games we have been playing on our new table. We are excited to have it for the next time everybody comes for a visit.

2007-12-26T15:49:00.001-08:00

We went to Dad and Cathy's house later in the day and exchanged gifts with them, Carrie and Katie. It was fun for the kids to get to see each other and they totally loved their gifts! Jocelyn loves her "My Size" throne. It plays royal music every time she sits down. The boys got Wii Play which they have been playing all day, and art sets.

2007-12-26T15:43:00.001-08:00

Don't you love the look on Big B's face? That's the look he gets when he gets the most ultimately cool thing ever. He makes that face every time I kiss him! :) The kids loved the ipods and Christmas money from their grandparents. Joc has already spent hers, but I'll get to that in a minute.

2007-12-26T15:39:00.001-08:00

More Christmas

2007-12-26T15:34:00.001-08:00

Little B was totally excited about his new game, Battleground. They also got Blokus Trigon, Pentago, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, Curses and Pit. Watch out, Amy and Andy! We're coming after you next!

2007-12-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

The kids had a great time checking out their loot. Joc looks a little weirded out to have gotten remote controlled bugs, but I overheard her playing with them later. So funny. Her barbie tried to take them to the movies in her pink corvette but they were turned away at the door by the theater manager. They were so bummed.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everybody! Here are some pictures from our fun filled Christmas morning! I don't know who had a harder time getting to sleep Christmas Eve...us or the kids! We were all so excited!

Happy Birthday, Landon!

2007-12-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not officially his birthday until December 17th which is tomorrow, but that's only about thirty minutes from now so it's ok. Landon is Brandon's sister Marie's husband and one of my very favorite people. We definitely do not get to see him often enough! He and Marie live in the Dallas area and are expecting their first baby. Landon and I went to the same high school in Mesa, Arizona at the same time but didn't meet until he started dating Marie in Houston, Texas. Small World! I totally remember Marie coming over and asking me to get out my yearbook so she could look him up so she could show me what this "really hot guy" she was dating looked like but when we found his picture, she didn't believe it was him. He totally went from high school nerd to singles ward hottie! Her expression was hilarious! We're so glad to have Landon in our family and know he is going to be a great dad! Here are some of the things I love about you, Landon:
1. You are super cool. You always dress cool, have cool hair, wear cool glasses...you even make being a totally smart geek cool! You always seem to have a new "look" every time we see you. There was the totally metro sexual look, the Steve Jobs look, and the laid-back cardigan wearing guy look to name just a few. No matter what it is, you always look great! One thing though. What's up with those high water pajama pants? You really have your mom hem them that high because you don't like stepping on them? Maybe you could try wearing heels with them instead. Just a thought. :)

2. You are a gentleman. Really. There isn't a guy who is kinder or more well mannered than you are. You are always so polite and helpful. It's no wonder you're Mom's favorite. :) People love to be around you because you make everybody feel comfortable and welcome.

3. You are loyal. You have the same best friend you had in high school, you are loyal to your parents, you are loyal to your values and goals, and you are loyal to your wife. It's a great quality to have and you definitely do!

4. You are hilarious! I love your sense of humor. You have such a subtle way of telling a joke that people don't realize you're kidding until the very last word. Sometimes not even then. Your only tell is the twinkle you have in your eye when you know you really have somebody going (Remember what you told Naomi happens when you eat wheat? Awesome. ).

5. You love my little sister Marie. I know she's not really my sister, but it feels that way to me! I love how you two balance each other out so well. You just bring out the best in each other. As a big sister, it is the best feeling knowing that you love her and are concerned for her needs and feelings. You are a great husband and I know you will be a great dad!

I hope you have the very best day today and a great year to come! We love you so much!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1174673317

12/04/2007 Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

2007-12-03T21:31:00.001-08:00

Today is my Grandpa Crocker's 80th birthday! That means I have known him since he was only 47 seven years old. Can you believe it? Here are some things I love about my grandpa:

1. Ice-cream! One of my very favorite things about him is that he loves ice-cream. I remember staying with him and grandma for a week each summer. It was always so fun for us that he made sure we had ice-cream every night before bed like it was a rule in their house. A very cool one!

2. He can dance. I've never seen anybody else's grandpa cut a rug like he can. He's still got it!

3. His optimism. Grandpa grew up during a hard time in our country and didn't have many material comforts as a child. He joined the army when he was just 16 years old. He fought in several wars and has seen many atrocities. Sometimes these kinds of things harden a person, but not my grandpa. He still has faith that people are basically good and maintains a positive outlook on life. These are the reasons "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong is playing right now. This song always makes me think of Grandpa.

4. His hair. My grandpa has the coolest black hair ever! I remember looking under his sink for boxes of hair color when I was little thinking his hair couldn't possibly be real but it is! I swear he just barely got his first gray hair.

5. He can fix anything. I think I only ever saw grandpa wear Dickies coveralls for the first fifteen years of my life. He was always fixing something. And just for the record, his garage was the cleanest I have ever seen and he had the most organized tools of anybody I know!

6. His support. Grandpa has always been supportive and kind to me. I had kidney surgery when I was one year old. My mom told me that he came and spent his lunch hour with me every day and put a fresh flower in the vase by my bed. I can only remember him getting after me a couple of times, but he wasn't harsh. He asked me a few questions about what I had done and then expressed his disappointment in my choice. It was much more effective than a major scolding would ever have been. He has always told me he loves me and encouraged me to do my best and believe I can do anything.

7. He loves kids. Grandpa gets a kick out of kids. He has a way of understanding them. I remember being at the zoo with some of our cousins once and we were watching Keith look at this huge, gnarled tree with branches twisting in every direction. Grandpa said, "Look at how Keith's looking at that tree. I'll bet he's thinking, "I wonder how I can get one of these to grow in MY yard." Then he kind of laughed like it was fun for him to watch. It was probably true, too. Keith was always interested in how things worked. Grandpa would let you sit and watch him work forever and explain everything he was doing. I'm sure he liked the company, but he also knew that kids are curious and enjoyed being treated like they were old enough to understand grownup things.

These are just a few of the things I love about you, Grandpa. I hope this year is your best ever. Happy birthday!

P.S. Still looking for a picture. I'll post it as soon as I can. Then you can all see the famous hair for yourselves!

No Hollaback Girl!

2007-11-28T10:01:00.001-08:00

I helped with reading groups today in Joc's class and we had what you might call an incident. It was her group's turn to come to my table and one of her friends, Jason, sat in the chair next to me. When Jocelyn got to the table, she started having a fit that he was next to me. She wanted to sit next to me. So she started trying to push him out of his chair. The more I tried to calm her down and explain that he was there first and that she could still sit close, the more unreasonable she became. Anybody who knows Jocelyn knows what I'm talking about. So she was still pushing him, pulling on his shirt, telling him to move, etc. when I decided that we had been ridiculous enough and reached for her so I could make her stop beating this poor kid up. Just when I got a hand close enough to touch her, she stabbed me with her pencil! Right under my thumb! I was so shocked, I pulled my hand back and said, "Joc! I can't believe you just stabbed me with your pencil in class!" Three hands shot up and the kids all started going, "Jocelyn stabbed me once." "Yeah. She poked me with her pencil too!" This one little boy kept glancing over at her like he was afraid he was gonna get his butt kicked for ratting her out. I was horrified. I turned to her and asked, "Have you been stabbing people at school with your pencil?" She shot all of the kids a dirty look and mumbled, "I didn't do it that much." I died. I told the kids that they need to tell their teacher if she ever does that again. After we finished, I told her teacher what had happened and that if any of them tell her Joc stabbed them she might have to believe them. She just kind of laughed and said, "It's always something interesting with her, isn't it?" Yeah. I have two boys who have never been in trouble in school for any kind of fighting...and my six year old daughter has stabbed half her class. Her father and I are so proud.

Random Stuff

2007-11-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

These are pictures from Brandon's first orchestra concert. I forgot I had them until I ran across them tonight. He started playing the double bass this year and found that he loves it! His orchestra teacher is awesome. She always tells him he has a gift for music, which obviously comes from me! Just kidding. The Williams family are all wonderful singers. What I really believe, and always tell my kids, is that everybody has music in them. The fun part is figuring out how to let it out. Some people sing, some play instruments, some compose, some dance, and some have a gift for understanding and appreciating good music. I am proud of him for trying something new. I am laughing at myself because it feels like I have been posting about Brandon a lot lately. He has just been very busy these past few months. Both boys are starting basketball next month and I am going to be reading in Jocelyn's class tomorrow. It's pajama day. I'll try to get some pictures. Anyway, I probably don't say this often enough and I should, but thank you so much to our family for being so supportive of our kids. They all have good reasons to be too busy to come to things, but they make it anyway. It somehow works out that we almost always have at least one grandparent at each of the kids' games, concerts, events, etc. Same goes for aunts and uncles. You have all been awesome! It doesn't matter which state we live in, we always have several aunts and uncles who find a way to come to the kids' things. Thank you all so much! It means more to us than you can know. We love you all! I think I have to go now...the kids have been snapping each other with a big string of giant rubber bands(these suckers are the size of vacuum cleaner belts) tied together and I just heard one of the boys tell the other one to pull his pants up tight and stand still. It's either something totally innocent, or someone's gonna need an ice pack. OK. Wait. I just heard a giant snap and now Aiden's yelling, "I didn't die! I didn't die!" (sigh) Why is Aiden always the guinea pig?

More Fun with the Family Pets

2007-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

Here are more pictures of my fellow Suns fans!

My Animals Love Me

2007-11-07T10:56:00.001-08:00

Yay! Another Suns game day! I was so frustrated this morning because the kids wouldn't wear their jerseys to school today. Pretty soon I caught myself muttering something about the animals minding me better than they do and decided to see if I was right. I was. Mike, Dutch and Cosmo totally let me put Suns jerseys on them and even posed for a few pictures. Cosmo liked it the least, but his was way too big for him so it felt weird. I think they look cute! Guess who gets to sit in the family room to watch the game with me tonight? I'll give you a hint...it's not my kids! :)

The House of the Rising SUNS!!

2007-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Good morning everybody and welcome to BASKETBALL SEASON!! Woo Hoo! The Suns play their first game of the season tonight against Seattle. We can't wait! When basketball season starts, our house rules change. Here are just a few of them for your info.:
1. When the Suns are playing, don't invite us out, call (unless you call during a commercial break), or come over (unless we invite you to watch the game). We're busy!
2. If there's a Suns game, the television WILL be on for more than an hour a day. Hey - it's educational.
3. Jocelyn wears one of her Suns jerseys to school on game days.
4. The dishes, dusting, laundry and all other chores can wait.
5. If we absolutely have to be somewhere, we will TIVO the game and watch it as soon as we get home, even if it takes all night. At least we can fast forward the commercials.
6. We have a strict don't ask don't tell policy for fans of other teams in this house. Keep it to yourselves...and nobody gets hurt! :)
As you can see, we have our priorities straight around here. The other thing we love about basketball season is that our boys play. I'll have plenty of pictures once they start having games. GO PHOENIX!!

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of the kids in their costumes. Jocelyn was a cheerleader and Aiden was some kind of scary zombie guy. Jocelyn was the only one who actually wanted her picture taken in her costume. Aiden would only let me take one picture and Brandon didn't dress up this year. He and his friends think they're too cool for trick-or-treating. They'll change their minds in another couple of years. I am always amazed at the number of sixteen and seventeen year old boys who come to my door! I had three wrapped in tinfoil show up tonight. They said they were burritos. I gave them an extra piece of candy for their creativity. :)

More pics from Jocelyn's party

2007-10-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

More pictures of the fun. Big B helping out at the Jack-O-Lantern decoration center, the girls eating yummy stuff at Jocelyn's desk, and Janie holding the beautiful Rapunzel.

Jocelyn's class party

2007-10-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Joc's class party today. We invited Janie to the party with us. It was so much fun! They decorated sugar cookies, made a Jack-O-Lantern decoration, made pipe cleaner and Tootsie Pop spiders, decorated pumpkins (they names theirs Rapunzel), made Q-Tip skeletons and ate lots and lots of junk! Jocelyn was especially happy to see Big B. We didn't tell her he was coming so it was a fun surprise. Our next door neighbor, Jonathan, is in Jocelyn's class. I just had to take a picture of his awesome hair today. His mom, Dawn, came and helped with the party as well. You can't really see it in the picture, but she was all dressed up too. They are a fun family!

Homework!!

2007-10-30T20:44:00.001-07:00

Since I shared some of Aiden's classwork with you the other day, I thought it only fair to share some of Brandon's. He had to write sentences using his spelling words tonight. Here are some highlights from his assignment. (The spelling words are in italics):

1. I never tell the truth.
2. I will sue a person if they steal my grandma.
3. I punched a dewdrop.
4. I have death abc soup.
5. I start a lot of sentences with I. It's true.
6. I'll show you proof.
7. I just proved it.
8. Oatmeal is for old people.
9. I have a rainbow with a pot of bombs at the end. (my personal favorite)
10. I shot a gnome with a tank.
11. Never handle rats with a blindfold.
12. I'm in the zone tonight.
13. I am a close friend to my friend.
14. I want to roast a beef.

His father and I are so proud. (I hope you read that last sentence with a good dose of sarcasm) Don't be alarmed by the violent undertones in his sentences. He was just kidding. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Dewdrops and gnomes perhaps, but not flies. :) In reality, Brandon is bright, creative and very sweet. He is in honors math and science, and his orchestra teacher told me last week that he has a gift for music. He's just in a VERY interesting and creative mood tonight. You never know what he'll come up with next.

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting On A Gate...

2007-10-28T20:40:00.001-07:00

Okay, they're really sitting on a wall, but that's not how the poem starts. :) Here are our finished Jack-O-Lanterns. We had a lot of fun making them. We just hope they don't rot before Halloween!

The Carnage!

2007-10-28T20:26:00.001-07:00

As you can see, we carved our pumpkins tonight. The best thing about these pictures is that they're not posed. Those are really the faces the kids were making as they scooped them out! I love it! We couldn't find any pumpkin carving kits at the store, so we had to use spoons and knives to carve them. Jocelyn kept saying, "I can't believe we have to do this the old fashioned way!" She has no idea. Big B decided it was going too slowly for him so he went out to the garage and got his jigsaw. It was all over about ten minutes later! That's my man! If there's a faster and easier way to do something, he will be the one to figure it out! It's just one of the many reasons I love him. Look for pictures of the finished product in my next post.

So Long Football

2007-10-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Brandon's team played their final football game of the season last night. We were definitely in a "win or go home" situation. Winning would have sent us to the playoffs. Losing would send us home. Our boys played their hearts out, but lost the game. No more football. No more dust. No more mosquito bites. No more six inch killers in practice. No more being run over by guys fifty pounds heavier. No more taking laps. No more parents screaming instructions from the stands during games. Kind of pointless anyway since they couldn't even hear us. :) No more rush of adrenaline when you make an awesome hit. No more getting smacked in the helmet or clapped on the back by a proud coach. No more touchdowns. No more team spirit. No more instant brotherhood between you and twenty three other guys. Yep, no more football...until next year!

Aiden Can Haiku...Can You?

2007-10-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

I helped Aiden's 5th grade class with an art project today. It was so much fun! They learned how to write Haiku this week and today we combined writing Haiku with an Autumn art project. I was really impressed with some of the artwork and writing the kids did! Just to refresh your memories, Haiku are poems with only three lines and do not have to rhyme. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five syllables again. You usually don't capitalize the first word in each line or use punctuation. It can be quite a challenge to convey your message with such strict rules, but they did a great job! Here are a few of their poems:

autumn colors fly
they look good on me and trees
they always look cool
-Jessica P.

as I go outside
a cool breeze blows on my face
fall time is now here
-Aiden W.

soon the leaves will fall
the air will be cool and bright
the grass will turn brown
-Tyler B.

And my favorite...

fall is cold and bad
fall is a bad season peeps
i do not like Fall
-Osmil V.

I'm keeping an eye on that kid. :) Just kidding. He's sweet. I'm going back Friday to help them finish their projects. I'll try to remember my camera.

So That's Where Mom and Dad Keep Their Food Storage!

2007-10-22T19:20:00.001-07:00

I'm just teasing! We just wanted to send our get well soon wishes to Brandon's dad! He had oral surgery today. Mom said the doctor told her Dad wins the award for the most difficult extractions he's ever done. I don't believe it. Dad hasn't been difficult a day in his life! :) Brandon saw him afterward and said he has never seen somebody's face so swollen! Dad sent this picture of himself to Brandon today. Those must be some gooooood pain pills for him to be cool with sending pictures like these! Poor guy! Get well soon, Dad. We hope your recovery goes quickly!

Don't Drink and Drive!

2007-10-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

OK. I was out running errands today, minding my own business, when I got thirsty. So, I went to Chick-Fil-A for a Diet Coke. As I drove away I put my straw in the cup. When I did that, a whole bunch of Diet Coke came rushing up through the straw hole and onto the lid. I was afraid it was going to overflow, which I HATE, so I picked it up and tried to sip it off the lid. There was a lot of Diet Coke so I sipped really hard. The sound started coming out before my lips even reached the edge of the lid - that's how hard I sipped. Don't laugh! I wanted to get it all before it was too late! I don't know what happened, but I somehow got some of my drink down the wrong pipe. I started coughing so fast I didn't even have time to take a breath first! I finally had a second between coughs to take a breath so I totally went for it and sucked in this huge breath...and the gum I was chewing got sucked into the back of my throat really hard so I started choking on that!! I was driving, choking, and trying to put my dang drink back into it's cup holder so I didn't die. I briefly considered trying to give myself the Heimlich Maneuver, but the seats in my car are too soft. Banging myself against them really hard wouldn't have helped. It just would have made me look dumber than I already did. I finally wharfed my gum off my windpipe and swallowed it. I know it's gross, but I didn't have the time to figure out how to get it all the way out of my mouth. I was busy trying not to drive into the side of a building. Anyway, I got it all worked out. Let my story serve as a warning to you all: Never drink and drive! Or maybe just don't Hoover the top of your cup like I did. I don't know. Just be careful.

Happy Birthday, J Dizzle!

2007-10-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law, Jon! Our family first met him at Little B's baptism. Katie had been friends with him for quite awhile before she let us meet him. Not because she was afraid of what we would think of him - but because of what he would think of us, I'm sure! I thought his name was Mark Medina until they got engaged three years later. That was when Katie informed us we would all need to start calling him Jon. Jon Brown. Mark was just his "radio" name. What the heck? You can't just change someone's name after three years! It took our family a loooong time to get it right. I think my dad called him Mark Jon Mark for a few weeks and then gave up and switched to Double Ugly. Don't feel bad - that's what he calls all of his sons-in-law. It's a term of endearment...we think. :) We're just glad he made it to Double Ugly status! We couldn't have asked for a better husband for our sister. Here are five things I love about you, Jon:
1. Your laugh! You have the best laugh. I love it! You have this whole cool radio guy thing goin' on and then when you laugh really hard at something, this cute giggle comes bubbling out. It gets us all going.
2. Your impressions. All you have to do is say something in Cartman's voice and I have to laugh. You're so good!
3. Your movie quotes. You and Katie are that couple. The one who watches all the really bad movies and then quote them all the time. The lines sound so funny when you're saying them, I end up watching these horrible movies all the time. Like Anchorman. Dumbest movie ever. I am learning, though, to just enjoy the lines when you say them and leave it at that. My kids especially love to quote Napoleon Dynamite with you - hence the White Stripes song you're listening to right now.
4. You're fun to hang out with. You are great at making people feel comfortable and can find common ground with anybody. I always have a good time when you're around. You're easy to talk to and have great one liners. It doesn't hurt that you are a great cook. Who doesn't love a guy who makes great food?
5. You love my sister. This is the biggest one for me. You aren't just a great husband, you're a great friend to Katie. Throughout the four years you and Katie dated, Carrie and I were crossing our fingers that you would end up together. You were the only guy we ever saw her truly be herself with. We knew she would have a good life with you because you care that she's happy. I mean, you built a house in Queen Creek just because you knew she would want to be near her sisters. Before you were even engaged. That's love. Thanks for taking such good care of our little sis!
6. Holly. (I had to add one more.) Thanks for such a cute niece! She's such a good baby. How did you get off so easy? :) I love to see you with her. You're a great dad. She's a lucky little girl!
I hope you have a great day today! You deserve the best birthday ever. We love you!

P.S. The website is having technical difficulties. I'll post a picture as soon as they get it fixed. It's a good one too!

The Aftermath

2007-10-14T18:50:00.001-07:00

Here is what we looked like after the party! Jesse loved his ride on the "flying saucer" courtesy of Uncle Brandon.

More pics from Sunday

2007-10-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Newest Deacon in the Family

2007-10-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

Little Brandon received the priesthood and was ordained to the office of a deacon at church today. It was a special day for him and the rest of us as well. We are so grateful for our families! I didn't get pictures of everybody who came. Sorry. I told you I was bad at this! I had a few minutes alone with B this morning. He asked me to listen to him tell me about the Aaronic Priesthood and the duties of a deacon. I told him he didn't need to worry - he's ready. He said, "I know Mom, but I want to make sure I sound confident when I have my interview with Bishop." I am so glad he still comes to me with his concerns. I hope he always will. I got to tell him how proud we are of him because we know he is ready for this new responsibility. We talked about having courage. The courage to honor his priesthood even when some people may not, and the courage to use it when he feels prompted to do so. Of course, the most important thing is that he knows how much we all love him. I just want everybody to know how much their being here means to us. It was a great day and we wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way!

Family Fun

2007-10-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from today. Little B had a game this morning (we won). Kurt and Brandon were in charge of chains, which means they are the guys holding those big, tall, orange exclamation point looking things. I don't know what they're for. They looked like they were having fun though. I could only get one shot of them coming off the field because the bleachers were on the opposite side of the field.

Ethan has big news this weekend of his own! He has decided he's not afraid of cats anymore! I told him I had to get pictures because nobody would believe me. For those of you who don't know, Ethan and Sophie have a severe phobia of every kind of animal you can imagine. The last time they came for a visit, they spent the whole entire time running around my house to get away from Cosmo. So, this is a huge deal! I told him that now that he isn't afraid of cats anymore maybe he can talk his parents into getting him one of his own when he gets home. He said, "I'm thinking I'm going to start small, Aunt Jenny, like with a guinea pig or hamster." He's a pretty funny guy. Sophie decided she isn't scared either. I'll put up pictures of her with Cosmo as soon as I get them.