The Cam Fam

Zoo trip w/ my preschool

2009-04-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

We went early in the morning when the weather was cooler. It was partly cloudy throughout the day and we were so thankful for the shade.

Looking at the monkeys...

Water play fun...

Cool pics from zoo

2009-04-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll actually post people pics later...

Happy 2nd Birthday Makenna!

2009-04-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

Our baby turned 2 this last week. What a big girl!

She was terrified of the flame!

Poor girl refused to even look up while we sang to her. She was crying so hard because of the fire

She had much more fun eating the cake!

Opening her presents...

Preschool: Jackson Pollack

2009-01-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

We studied letter P this week at school. My assistant used to be an art teacher. Once a month, she presents a lesson on a famous artist. This month was Jackson Pollack. Our classes got to do action painting like he did. I wish I had been videoing because the kids were hilarious!!!

As you can see, caden got into the action! And got some paint in strange places!

I have no idea why this one is turned sideways... it is so cute! These are just some painted piggie toes from the day. have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my job? I am so lucky!

With all the flying paint, I was pleased that my clothes didn't get ANY paint on them, but... I did get splashed right in the face with some orange paint! :)

You Grew up in Phoenix in the 1980's if...

2009-01-17T23:57:00.000-08:00

Got this from a friend and it cracks me up!! Only those of you from AZ would truly get the humor in all of them... I deleted some of them and just put my favs up... Enjoy!
You grew up in the 80s in Phoenix if you...
1) Would have done anything for a Ladmo bag. -- I went on the show as a Brownie but didn't win. :(
Tried to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
Can still remember the words to the hepatitis song. -- I CAN SING IT!!!!
Remember KZZP.
Get irritated when people say "yeah, but it's a dry heat."
Know what it feels like to come out of an icy cold movie theater into 110 degree heat - I still know that feeling and love it!
Know what "tubing" means.
Have a T-shirt that says "I survived the hottest day in Phoenix history" referring to that summer day in 1990 when it got up to 122 degree in the shade. -- We were actually on vacation in Florida so we missed this day!
Consider yourself a "Zonie."
Ever put Christmas lights on a cactus.
Burnt the bottom of your feet running out to get the mail because you were too lazy to put on shoes. -- TOTALLY! We'd run from grass to shade and back...never thought to actually put on shoes though!
Enjoyed making song requests at Organ Stop Pizza.
Got in trouble for leaving crayons in the back seat of the car. --Now my kids get in trouble for this!
Your heroes were Kevin Johnson (KJ), Mark West, and Tom Chambers.
Had to pay full replacement price for the rented VCR tape you left in your car.
Shopped at Goldwaters, Broadway Southwest, Federated or Diamonds. -- AND Millers Outpost!Remember Dave Pratt the Morning Mayor on 98 KUPD.
Cried when Wallace and Ladmo went off the air.
Went to Pistol Pete's pizza and ShowBiz pizza
Remember Gemco -- LOVED IT!
Remember the Madhouse on Macdowell (Purple Palace )
Remember Suns Fever
Recall Thunder Dan
Did the hokey pokey at Skateland
Cruised Central, Metro or Mill Avenue .
Remember only TWO freeways either the I-10 or I-17... and the 60 stopped before Val Vista...
Remember who Rose Mofford or Evan Mecham is.
Know what Price Club is (and when there was only 1). -- I still call it Price Club and people have no clue what I mean!
Went to Legend City or Compton Terrace.
Know what Yellow Front, Lucky's, Smittys, AJ Bayless are.
Went boogie boarding on irrigation day. -- We actually played in it! YUCK! Seems so gross now!
Were ever excited about your appearance on "Pets on Parade." -- Still know the theme song for it!
Thought Big Surf was Rad!
Remember the Dr. Demento show on KZZP every Sunday night.
Locking your car doors as soon as you got south of Bethany Home .
Didn't go to the park until AFTER dark.
Knew not to shoot at a Saguaro because it could fall over on you and kill you. -- LOL! SO TRUE!Thought Flagstaff was REALLY cold.
Always saw at least 10 people you knew on Mission Beach (San Diego) -- yep, at Sea World! Knew who worked on Van Buren.
Remember when Buckeye was BFE -- Isn't it STILL?!
Wore jellies in the summer even though you had really bad feet sweat.
Remember when Ahwatukee was a retirement community half way to Tucson .
Remember the orange trees planted all the way down the middle of Black Canyon Freeway (Now called I-17).
Remember when Sun City wasn't connected to the rest of the valley?
Going to slide rock in Sedona and hoping it wasn't closed due to high levels of bacteria in the water!
Remember when Terminal 2 was the only passenger terminal at Sky Harbor and you had to walk on the tarmac.
Celebrated a birthday at Ed Debevick's
Thought Bobby McGee's was the coolest restaurant ever
Ever got attacked by a jumping cactus
Know what to do when you hear a rattle in the desert.
Witnessed the shock when the "art" on the 51 when installed. (Referring to the lovely toilet and large silver sphere.)
Had the bell rung for their birthday at Farrell's
Remember Dewey Hopper-the weather guy who always wore school t-shirts

A Beautiful January Day!

2009-01-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

The weather here has been amazing! We hear about the cold back east and just can't even imagine. These are the days when we LOVE being in AZ! It has been in the 70's all week.

Today, we took a trip to Goldfield Mining Town. It is a touristy place by the Superstition Mountains. The kids are showing you they are ready for the gunfight.

Ashley was one of the only ones willing and interested in picture taking today...

Then, we went hiking by the Superstitions... We had a great time! Nice weather, minimal amounts of complaining from the kids, very little crying, and no one got hurt!

They all had fun playing in the rocks on the way...

The Phx metro area behind Kody

Kody took this one...

I have no idea what they were doing but it looked funny!

What a great way to spend a winter day!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Xmas morning. The kids let us sleep in until 8:15! We had to wake up Caden and Makenna though.

I wish I had videoed Caden's reaction to Santa's gift! He squealed and danced when he saw the train table.

As you can see, Makenna was excited for her gift from Santa too!

Opening presents...

Kody showing his new gun and new clothes...

More trains for Train Boy...

Makenna got some "fancies."

Trying out the new bike. It rained off and on most of the day so we had to watch and then QUICKLY go out to ride it. I even rode it (no pictures of that, thank goodness!).

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Now comes the worst part: the cleanup! Our house looks like a war zone!

No snow here... heehee....

2008-12-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

It was supposed to rain later today, so we decided to take advantage of the weather. It was almost cold (probably 60-65??), but still a nice winter day in AZ. We took a lunch to the park...

Caden was super excited to see some giant fish in the lake!Kody was cold (and did he bring his jacket like I suggested? NO!)...

My cute boy feeding the ducks...

Makenna wasn't sure if she really wanted to give HER food to the ducks. When they would get closer, she would scream at them "AHHHHH!!!" They would quack and swim away. Then, she would be sad and would pout that they were leaving...

Teeter totter fun... we met one of my MOMS Club friends here. Her 2 boys are on the other side giving Kody and Ashley a good ride!

Makenna and Caden had to have a turn too! By this time, Kody and his buddies were off wrestling like puppies in the soccer fields and running back and forth. Sooooo much energy! I really enjoyed my day (thanks Kelly for coming!!) and just being outside... no work... no cleaning... and no stress... for just a few hours... ahhhhhhhhhh......

"The Best Xmas Ever!" :) LOL!

2008-12-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for a really fun day!! I love how after all these years we still save time for each other to make it a great day! I love how the emphasis has shifted over the years from presents to family fun instead! Here we are playing Xmas pictionary...

Ashley spent lots of time chatting with Grandma. Ashley wanted to sit with the grown ups so she could chat!

Ashley drawing "Polar Express." It was a tricky one but Carrie guessed it from Ashley's drawing! Thank goodness Carrie understands kid drawing!

More pictionary...

I think it was fun for all. The kids even participated. Kody guessed this one!

Makenna wasn't very into guessing but she did have fun hanging out.

Can you tell what Ryan drew? Don't worry! We couldn't either! It is "jolly." :) I made the list of words we would draw and needed one more word to add. Kody came up with "jolly." I knew it would be a hard one to draw but added it anyway.

"egg nog" by kody...

Hunter drawing poinsettia!

Jacob drawing tinsel... he later said "No. I was drawing a tree." I told him to draw a tree and then add little lines on it for the tinsel. He had no idea what "tinsel" was.

"jingle bells" I wish I would've taken a picture of his finished picture. It really was pretty good. Yes, I know he isn't holding the marker correctly. UGH! I need to talk to his preschool teacher about that...

Present time. Look how cute they all are sitting so patiently!

A little historical background info for non-family members reading this: my aunt, who used to be a dental hygienist, used to give us toothbrushes every year. Well, after she retired, we didn't get our toothbrushes. :( We all made jokes about it the last couple of years and teased my aunt about letting us down. This year, my cousins, Eric and Brandon, (above) bought toothbrushes for us all! It was a good laugh and a great idea! They continued the tradition!! YEA! Another thing I loved about tonight: continuing a tradition that has meaning only to our family. Other families might not understand the significance of the toothbrushes, but to us, the grandkid generation, it means a lot! Love you guys for thinking of that and keeping it alive!

Makenna carried around her present saying, "OOHHH!"

She was even more excited when we opened it and it was a new baby stroller! She ran into the toy room and grabbed a doll to put in it!!

Family pic... ok, this was like the 10 picture I took trying to get us all in it. Lighting is not great. Sorry.

This picture is called: "The Best Xmas Ever" Silly Picture. .. the kids asked if we could do a silly one. What a great time!

A Dance Party

2008-12-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

We were invited to a friend's party yesterday. She had it at a dance studio. The girls worked on learning a dance and at the end they showed all the moms. CUTE IDEA! My little tomboy was soooo not interested in dancing at first, but I forced (I mean encouraged) her to put on her cute dance outfit and just give it a try.

She ended up having a great time and smiled the whole time!

What a week!

2008-12-18T21:42:00.001-08:00

Whew... that is me taking a big breath... what a week!! I had my Santa Day, hosted my MOMS Club party, taught preschool, put on the Polar Express "trip" twice in school, had our preschool Holiday Program, did Polar Express again at school... Now, I have a couple more parties (actually 1-2 each day this weekend) then... I get to hurry and try to edit some pictures I took last week, take a trip to the Food Bank to take in the food donations from my preschool kids, and try to do some Xmas shopping for my family... and somehow find time to clean the house, do laundry and actually pay attention to MY kids! What a week! Oh, wait. I think I already said that! "The Holidays" sure are a busy time of year!

I'm dreaming of... the massage I got as gifts from some of my preschool parents... Seriously though, I hate to brag but I really do have the BEST preschool kids and parents! I feel so lucky!!! I had my holiday program this Wednesday night and I felt so proud! I was on a super emotional high afterwards. "My kids" did so awesome!.. Is that correct grammar? "awesome"?? or is it "awesomely"?? Is that even a word?!

On top of all that... I am missing my mother... she will never read this though because her computer crashed many months ago and she has chosen to not fix it. She is not visiting us this year either. :(

Well, I am off to unload the dishwasher... or maybe I will sneak off to read the book we are reading for our book club (The Art of Racing in the Rain)...

Random thoughts

2008-12-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

These pictures just make me smile... We are doing a canned food drive in preschool. Makenna loves having all the "blocks" to stack.

And this one I call "Fashionista". She totally dressed herself and said, "Don't I look beautiful?!" yes, you do, baby...

Decorating our tree...

2008-12-05T23:11:00.000-08:00

We have had our tree up for almost a week but had not decorated it. The kids have been begging and begging to do it. We finally did it tonight. The camera does not do it justice. I love how excited they get to look at each ornament! I love how they have special names for so many of them! I love how they seriously think about where they will put the ornaments! And it cracks me up that the middle of the tree gets completely covered with ornaments (sometimes 3-4 on the same branch!) because that is as tall as they can reach. Just a nice evening... this year has been extremely stressful for so many reasons. I have not been in the Christmas mood really, but seeing them so excited made my heart smile. I needed that....

This is the famous "pixie Santa" ornament. The Family Rules say it must go at the top of the tree just below the angel. It is an old ornament that deserves respect (no matter how funny looking it is!)

BTW: Makenna was not into the tree thing. She played with a couple of ornaments and then was distracted by a toy. Maybe she won't be into destroying the tree (wishful thinking or did I just jinx myself?!)

This was a total mess up, but occasionally the mistakes turn out with an interesting look...

My Little Deer(s)...

2008-12-05T23:02:00.001-08:00

I know... I know... the plural of deer is still deer, but for some reason "deers" makes more sense with this one ("dears" get it?)...

We took pics today at preschool for a project next week. Don't they look cute?!

Photoshop!

2008-12-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I totally should be in bed right now... instead, I am messing around with Photoshop! I took pics Wed of some serious cuties. I am editing their pics right now... anyway, I found a part I had never used. It seems like there are so many fun mysteries waiting to be discovered in Photoshop. I liked this feature a lot! Matt, do you do a lot with Photoshop? ?? I will have more pics of the girls on my Photo blog later this weekend.

Photos by Kody!

2008-11-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

My little photographer... I was taking some pics of the kids (trying to get all 4 to cooperate= NIGHTMARE SESSION)... anyway, Makenna wouldn't sit still so I put her in my lap and asked Kody to take a few pictures. I had the manual settings ready and showed him how to frame and focus before shooting. This was his first picture...

These were his next shots. He said, "Is it ok, if I took it when you weren't looking?" I was so happy he did... like a good photographer, he knew when to keep snapping pics! I love candids and I am almost NEVER in pictures. Thank you Kody for doing such a great job!!!

Pre-Turkey Day

2008-11-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

At preschool this week, we made hand print turkeys and talked about being thankful. Caden said, "I am thankful for corn dogs." :)

Hi... I was taking Caden's picture, and she saw the camera and said, "Cheez." I know her shirt is NICE and Clean! UGH!

Ashley saw what we made at preschool today and decided to make some of her own. She was excited that I had enough for her to make the hat AND the necklace.

Hope you all have a great turkey day!

Now.. I am off to see if ANY channel here will actually play the UT/ BYU game.. GO UTES!

Show

2008-11-10T22:36:00.000-08:00

As I was putting her to bed tonight, she told me, "Tomorrow I will be putting on a singing show in my bedroom and you are invited. My bed will be the stage and we can set up chairs -- I might need some from your class-- and we can give people tickets. If you want, you can play Kody's gintar (aka guitar)." I have no idea where she gets these ideas... but it reminds me of my carefree days making up dances in my neighbor's yard or carefully lining up all my dolls to watch me put on a show...

Ashley is always saying that she thinks grown ups have all the fun (after all, we get to stay up late and go to bed whenever we want). It's times like these that part of me thinks kids have all the fun... no stress, no worries other than what she will wear for her performance and what she should write on the tickets...

Halloween: Neighborhood Style!

2008-11-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we really do have a fun neighborhood! These are just SOME of the kids that live on our street. Halloween was great! We had a neighborhood BBQ with 10 families (I think there were actually 15 but I didn't know all of them -- they were friends/ family of neighbors).

Caden was inside during this family picture. He was crying and refusing to wear his $20 Thomas the Train costume we bought (so glad we spent THAT money!).

Ever see a dinosaur riding a bike?!

The party set up... believe it or not, we do this almost every weekend! FUN!!!!!!!!!

Pumpkin Fun!

2008-10-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Getting our pumpkins...

Where do we start?

"I would like you to meet Ron." (yes, she named her pumpkin, Ron.)

Caden had the most fun. Every time I turned around he was adding more pumpkins to our wagon. I had to explain that we didn't need 20 pumpkins! He just piling them in!

Makenna tried so hard to pull the wagon but it was too heavy so Caden pushed it from the other end.

Trying to get all 4 of them to hold still and look at me... ugh!

I LOVE This Guy!

2008-10-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

When sadness hits, it is always a moment to stop and reflect on our lives. I am so thankful to have this guy as my husband and best friend. After 17 years together, he still makes me laugh and makes me so happy! Happy Birthday, Honey!

The Fun of Fall Break

2008-10-17T22:30:00.001-07:00

We did get to enjoy a short getaway for our Fall Break. We rented a cabin in Greer with some friends. The kids got along really well and the weather was fun! It was cool during the day and cold at night (FUN!) One night, we took a moonlight hike. The moon was almost full and the sky was so clear! Kids were a teeny bit scared (Kody: "This looks like the Forbidden Forest... like we will see Voldemort out here!"). We finally got a chance to wear long sleeves and even jackets! The leaves were so pretty on the trees (did I get pics though? NO! UGH!) The kids are all looking at some ducks on the pond.

A lesson on how to throw a horseshoe...

Morgan wanted to be wherever Kody was! CUTE!

Checking out the car...

Riding the quad... Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for letting us use it!

Making leaf rubbings (Great idea, Marybeth!)

More quad fun. It was a little crazy with Paige steering, but Caden did great on the breaks! ;) Hang on, Makenna!

The group...

Lots of fun collecting pine cones!

Taking a break on the swing out front.

Last quad ride of the trip. Goodbye Greer! Wish we could go more often!!

She did it...

2008-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in all of our kids' lives when they realize they can climb on to anything! As you can see, Makenna discovered that she is now able to climb on the kitchen table. I know, I shouldn't make a big deal out of it, but it was funny! Look how proud she is!

This is just a random pic from about a week ago. We bought a little scarecrow decoration. Makenna LOVES it and says, "Hi" to it and carries it around. I guess I have seen one too many scary movies though because sometimes he gives me the creeps! Makenna moves him around so much that he ends up in different rooms. He has surprised me a few times by being RIGHT behind me or around a corner when I least expect it!

Farm Day here

2008-10-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

So... I am so far behind on blog posts I don't think I have time to go back and add all the fun pics! I have been so busy with preschool and coaching Caden's soccer team! I had to post this one though because I love it!!!!

I am horrible at leaving comments but LOVE reading YOUR blogs!!

First Soccer game...

Trying to get the ball...

The after game tunnel run... their favorite part!

More pics soon....

"I'm beat!" said Caden AND Mommy! It was like 90 degrees at 8:00 in the morning! Ugh!

2008-08-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

So... since Kevin has more free time lately, we have been enjoying spending time with him! We took a day trip up to Woods Canyon Lake (about 2 hours away). The weather was amazing and the views were incredible!
** These pics are in reverse chronological order but it is 12:35 am and I am too tired to move them around! Sorry!)

I have always loved this overlook. Kevin HATES it! He is always worried that a rock will give way and our kids will tumble down the mountain. Now, I am a chronic worrier and I have actually never really worried about THAT!

Isn't that gorgeous?!

Playing in the lake. He wanted to play in the mud but was then upset that his hands got dirty! Hello?! Wash them off in the lake!

Can you see Kevin and Kody fishing in the background behind Makenna?

Makenna has seriously been loving this daddy time. She is soooo in love with him. I tried to hold her hand right before this picture. She shook her head NO and grunted at me! Then, she walked to Kevin and put her hand up to his! Sorry!

Kody found a pterodactyl!

Ok, so nature pics aren't interesting to anyone else probably but I had fun. I thought it was cool how the grasses and pine needles look in the background... fun use of aperture, I think. :)

Crazy kids so NOT wanting to pose!

Eating our picnic lunch...

Ashley heard thunder! It boomed a few times but never rained on us.

I am still here....

2008-08-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth... I am just so busy with preschool that I barely have a few moments to breathe! I am having a great time though. My kids are awesome! I love being in "the classroom" again (but under MY rules and my control!). I have had really positive feedback from a great set of parents. I feel very fortunate! Kevin has been a huge help watching the kids during as many classes as he can.

Makenna just looked cute in this one. She is in the "necklace" phase!

First one shows Kody and Ashley "working on the space ship."

Makenna thought it was pretty cool that Brenda (one of my AWESOME assistants!) let her stick her fingers in the finger paint!

Caden is really thriving now. He sits thru ALL of the classes with a smile (usually). He has such enthusiasm for learning now. I think he "gets it" now and understands that this is school time. I am really proud of HOW much he has matured this summer!

I hope to post some pics alter this weekend. I have been looking at all of your blogs in my spare time I haven;'t been good about posting comments, but I do love seeing your families!

Take care!

2008-06-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Caden is proudly showing off his new Thomas bathing suit. He has been doing such a great job on potty training that this was one of his rewards -- no swim diaper in the pool, just a Big Boy suit! As you can see, he was very proud and happy!

Our little fish! He loves to get diving rings and to swim across the pool. He has a LOT of confidence (thanks, Angelee!!).

Another little fish! Makenna wants to go back and forth between us or to the steps and back to us.

I want to go back in the pool!

Kody is too busy for pictures....

Father's day idea... that didn't quite work.

2008-06-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

So, I had this idea.... I was going to take pictures of the kids making their bodies be letters to spell a word. Then, I was going to frame it and give it as gifts. Well, the kids (mostly Caden and Makenna) were not particularly cooperative. After 2 days and multiple attempts to get the right shapes, I settled for these pictures. But.... I was not happy with how they looked in frames and never gave them as gifts. Can you tell what we were attempting to spell?

ISR Grad pics

2008-06-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

These are actually from a couple of weeks ago. Our instructor has an underwater camera (which would be way fun to get if I could somehow justify it!). Here are some pics she took on Ashley and Makenna's last "fun" day.

The Teacher Dream/ Nightmare

2008-06-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I used to work at a Mexican restaurant. My brother worked there and so did Kevin. We all have MANY fond memories of working there. The problem is occasionally I have a dream that I missed work and they call me and tell me I am on the schedule and better be there soon or else! Now, it has been like 15 years since I worked there, but in my dreams this makes sense. So of course when I get there, I don't remember the menu or how to log onto the computer and my tables are all full etc.... Whew! Then, I wake up realizing it was a dream... and mysteriously craving chips and salsa...

Now for the last 5 years, I have been having a similar dream about teaching....and I bet my teacher friends have had this one once or twice too.... It starts where I am awakened by a phone call from my ex-principal, Jane. She tells me that I am late to school and that I have 30 kids sitting in the classroom waiting for me. I try to explain that I live in AZ, not UT and that I don't even know where the school is. She tells me it doesn't matter and that I better get there! I drive thru this fog in my mind and always end up somewhere in Lehi (UT and BTW: NOT at the schools I have actually worked in!). I can't figure out where to park or how to find the office. I am always horrified by what I am wearing (usually a bathing suit or jammies!). Once I find the office, it is full of familiar faces from years ago and they welcome me, but hurry me because the bell already rang. Of course, I can't find my teacher mailbox or attendance cards or my classroom keys. I wander thru campus blindly until I get to a relocatable which has my name on the door (thank goodness). Now, the kids in the class always change in theses dreams... sometimes it is old students from my past or just random strangers or deaf students (which makes me panic because I don't know sign language) or the scariest... junior high kids (SCARY)!! I have no curriculum and no idea what I am going to teach them that day and I have total anxiety! Then.... I wake up and am SOOOOOO grateful that is was just a dream/ nightmare! Since I started my preschool, I have noticed that I have been having this dream more frequently. I am so happy that I will always know who my boss is (me). I will always know where my classroom is (here!) and I will always know the age of my students and curriculum I will teach. WHEW!! So... happy dreams to you all! I am off to do some preschool planning!

Flashlight Tour at Botanical Gardens

2008-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Our MOMS Club went on a flash light tour of the Desert Botanical Gardens. I have not been there in over 10 years and I had forgotten about its beauty! The tour was great! They had docents throughout with hands on information. The kids got to see a gila monster, pet snakes, hear bull frogs and see lots of critters up close (and in containers), and even got to do a craft. The evening was nice (not cool, but tolerable with a light breeze). The best part was the smell! Our kids kept saying, "I love the smell!" or "what is that smell?" Ahhh... the smell of all the different desert plants! YUM! If you have not been there recently, the flashlight tour was so worth it! A great evening!!

A "Free" Night with Tim

2008-06-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

So... Kevin won free tickets to see Tim McGraw in concert. Since we aren't big concert people, Kevin and I haven't been to a concert in like 15 years! (and that one was also a free one!) We actually were able to have a night out. We sat on the grass in the lawn section. It was around 100 degrees, but we actually weren't uncomfortable -- except for all the smokers around us. Yuck!. We had a nice time and it was a fun concert. Tim was sooo hot w/ sweaty muscles and tight jeans... :)

Random Moments....

2008-06-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

These pics just sum up some of the random moments from our last week. Caden turned 3 today and was so excited to get birthday cards in the mail the last few days. He got a card from Grandpa (my dad) that had some money in it. He opened it up and said, "WOW! I'm rich!" He and Kody ran to put on some "rich guy" clothes. We used these things for dress up at preschool for father's day. Funny how they think a tie and a coat mean "rich."

These pics show Makenna's first taste of lemon meringue pie! She LOVED it!

When I saw Makenna sleeping, I just thought she looked sweet. I snapped a quick picture (then hurried her inside since it was like 110 outside!). Once I downloaded this picture, I realized how big she is getting! Our little baby isn't so little anymore and isn't such a baby either. She has her own opinions and wants and expresses them loudly if she doesn't get her way... she says, "dada, mama, mumum for more, bird, ball, and baba." Would you be able to understand her? Probably not, but I can. :)

This picture was taken at preschool the morning we talked about father's day. We had shaving cream as one of the morning centers. The room smelled a little like menthol, but the kids had fun. Caden LOVED it... and then wanted to wash his hands. Then, he would come back to the table with clean hands to start over again!

The Thomas the Train phase begins!

2008-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so all you moms of boys out there are familiar with the stages our boys go thru. Caden is currently on the Big Machines (aka backhoes, excavators, bobcats...) and Thomas the Train phase. It is actually really cute that he has such an intense interest. Kody sort of glossed over this and went to dinosaurs, but anyway.. back on track... Thomas the Train: Caden's new love.

We bought him this little conductor's outfit. This was his first time wearing it. He was checking out all the tools. I wish I took my camera everywhere, because Caden has worn this outfit EVERYWHERE! Our swimming instructor (who is also the mother of a boy) said, "ahhh, the train phase I see" when we showed up for swimming in this outfit. Kody is at the age where he is getting embarrassed by such outfits on his siblings, but I LOVE it. I love how excited a $10 outfit can make someone! I love how Caden asked me if he could wear the outfit after we had already reached our destination! This is what it means to be a child. There are some days where I wish I could dress up in something fun and wear whatever I want and not worry at all about others' opinions! Anyway... we are enjoying this sweet stage because before we know it, he too will be on to older things and worrying about other's opinions. We love you Caden!

June 1st: The "Twiners"

2008-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I know someday they will HATE wearing matching clothes, but sometimes it is just so cute! This is the first time I pulled up Makenna's hair, so of course Ashley wanted hers up too. Her hair is too long, so the pic below shows the resulting hairstyle. She LOVED it so that is all the matters...

My girls...

My Kody... Caden looked really cute in his new Thomas shirt, but screamed and cried when it came time to sit for ONE picture for me. Hopefully, I can get a picture later.

Pre-K Graduation: Part 2

2008-05-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Ceremony #2: Mrs. K's... We told Ashley that her graduation would be at Mrs. K's church. She was sooooo excited and said, "We are having in at the castle by Grammy?!" She thought her ceremony was going to be at the Salt Lake temple. Imagine her disappointment when we pulled into the parking lot to just a regular LDS church building. "Wait... THIS is it? Is this a hotel?"

The ceremony was awesome (as is everything Kamalani does). It felt very personal and sweet and emotional and we were all so proud of our children!

Ashley is saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a Grandma."

Dancing to "Sarasponda" -- her favorite silly preschool song. It was such a fun part because all of the kids were laughing -- such joy!

Saying her lines (she had to memorize them!)

Seriously... how many more pictures, Mom?!

Caden... dreaming... "Someday.... this will be me....."

Pre-K Graduation: Part 1

2008-05-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Pre-K Graduation Ceremony #1... In case you don't already know... Ashley goes to Pre-K at Mrs. K's MWF and to Kody's school on T/TH. Both preschools are TOTALLY different and have positives to each.
My original plan was to just try the T/TH one for a month and see how I liked it. Well, we liked it enough to keep her there all year....

Getting her graduation cap...
I'm ready... I'm ready... I'm ready... (anyone who watches Spongebob will get that reference)...

She looked so cute walking on stage to shake hands with the Director and get her certificate. The boys had more fun goofing off (and giving each other antlers)...

Kody's Awards Assembly

2008-05-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

First off, I will acknowledge that these are not the best pictures... :) At least I got a few...

These are from Kody's 2nd Grade Awards Assembly. He received an award for being on First Honor Roll all year. That means he kept his grades above 95% all year. We are EXTREMELY proud of him and how hard he worked this year. Way to go, KodeMan!

Last Day of School!!

2008-05-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Last day of school!! Our babies are getting so big...

Caden Graduates... from ISR swimming!

2008-05-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, what a busy week we have had.. Kody's bday party, 2 graduation ceremonies for Ashley, awards assembly for Kody... and Caden's ISR "graduation". To pass he had to swim in summer clothes and be able to roll onto his float and eventually to the steps in the pool. On his last day, he wore socks, shoes, jeans, long sleeves, and a hoody jacket. It was 59 degrees and sprinkling rain (from this weird cold front that moved thru). Some might say that was unnecessarily torturing the poor kid, but that is reality. We wanted him to know how to handle any situation and to have the skills needed to survive in any conditions. Yes, it would have been much more pleasant in the warm weather.... We are so proud of Caden!!! Makenna has another week to go...

ISR Swimming: Makenna

2008-05-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

Look, No Hands! This picture shows a big Milestone for us... This is also Makenna's 4th week of ISR Swimming (see Caden's in the previous post). This is the first time that Angelee has not had to totally hold Makenna during the float. She is floating on her own at this moment for this picture. Guess she was hamming it up for the camera!

Makenna also knows how to grab the bar. She mostly "glides" to the bar, but at least she knows she is supposed to grab it and hold on.

This is something the instructor is working on... Makenna has a tendency to put her head too far back (and then swallows too much water). Makenna has a lot to learn still, but I am happy she is picking up her float better this week.

She does a couple of "kicks" to reach for Angelee.

Caden happily waiting his turn. He always wants Makenna to go first. :)

Now, it is HER turn to watch and cheer for Caden!

ISR Swimming: Caden

2008-05-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have enrolled Caden and Makenna in Infant Resource Swimming. It is a big time commitment but the results are amazing. This is Caden's 4th week. He swims with his head in the water. Then, rolls on his back and floats to take a break and breathe. Eventually, he will learn how to roll OUT of the float and continue swimming to the edge of the pool or the steps. We are proud of the progress he has made! He has learned so much. I wish I would've videoed the first week, because he has progressed so much! The first week, he cried and had no idea how to float AT ALL. He was nervous about swimming without a vest (which BTW our instructor says are not good to use because it teaches kids so many bad swimming habits -- I had no idea, but now I can see exactly what she means, especially when dealing with Ashley who is also so afraid to swim without a vest).

Here he is practicing swimming to the bar. This is his favorite part of the lesson. He thinks it's funny to swim and then touch those toys on the edge there.

Normally, we don't get in the water with them. Friday was a special "Fun Day" where he got to show Daddy all he has learned. It was also a time for us to learn the cues to help him roll over from his swim. It really is an interesting process... too much to type here but I will tell anyone who asks.

Can you see him smiling?! Last week, while floating, he would lay there and hum songs. We asked him what he was doing and he had no idea... but at least we know he was relaxed!

A seriously proud Daddy and Boy! Caden really thrives on the one on one time he gets with the teacher and he LOVED being alone in the water with Kevin.

Caden's confidence has grown hugely since the first week. He no longer cries, but instead asks "More! More!"

Mother's Day Treat from Ashley

2008-05-14T23:44:00.001-07:00

Mrs. K planned a sweet Mother's Day celebration at preschool. When we walked in, we had to pick which drawing OUR child did. Each child drew a picture of their mom. It was so cute. I searched for one with rainbows (almost everything Ashley colors has rainbow colors). Even though there weren't any with rainbow colors, I did pick the right picture!

Here she is singing a song to us about mothers. Her favorite part of the song says, "...and we never let them rest!"

The kids played a game where they had to guess our answers... When asked what I would like most for Mother's Day, she answered, "A new telephone." She is actually pretty close! My cell phone battery keeps popping off because it has been dropped so many times! Good job, Ash!

She thought my favorite restaurant was Serrano's... it is actually HER favorite place! :)

... and my favorite color? rainbow.... :) Actually her favorite, but I DO love rainbows!

I am so PROUD to be Ashley's mom! I am so lucky!!!!!!

My Cousin's Wedding in CA

2008-05-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

So after Disneyland, we headed to my cousin's wedding. These were the only 2 pictures I got! Erin looked absolutely amazing!! Scott is a lucky man! When did our little "Scooter" turn into a man who is old enough to be MARRIED?! But seriously... Congratulations Scott and Erin. Welcome to our crazy family!

The reception was outdoors and it was a perfect location. They had lots of things for the kids to do: a lake with fish, a waterfall and little bridge (AND NO ONE FELL IN EITHER!), a hammock, a trampoline, a skateboard ramp (which Kody went down on his butt in his brand new pants!), and just tons of grass for running and playing. This house was beautiful. We are so thankful that it was such a great spot for all of our kids!

Kody and Caden had a blast playing with my cousin's boys. It was great to have some buddies to chase!

The food was great! They had PB&J for the kids, but Makenna REALLY liked the steak better! They had grapes on the centerpieces, which Caden mostly ate for dinner. I am not sure if they were meant to be eaten, but most of the kids enjoyed them!

Makenna and Grandpa...

Ashley looking sweet... she mostly just followed my aunt around! She was like a little puppy at times, always right on my aunt's heels or in her lap. She LOVES Aunt Susie!!

Disneyland May 2008

2008-05-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

After a yucky drive over to CA, we made it to Disneyland for 1 day.

We were so glad to have jackets! Now, most of you would not think it was cold at 69 degrees, but we Zonies were COLD!
The kids enjoyed watching the Jedi Training show but they were very disappointed because they weren't picked to train during the first show... so... yes, I sent Kevin and the kids away to ride the cars while Makenna and I held a front row spot for the next show. When the next show began, I hoped and hoped and prayed and begged in my head that they would be chosen (they were so sad last time). I was so relieved when they were chosen! The looks on their faces made my day!!!

Kody listening very carefully and taking it very seriously! "DO you think they will tell us more about the Council?" he asked me before the training. I love how he thought is was real even though he had just seen the EXACT same show 30 minutes prior!

Ashley, waving to Mommy! She was so proud of her Jedi clothes.

Is this real?... how does it turn on?

Using her new Jedi skills to fight VADER! When she first saw him, she had the hugest smile -- a teeny bit apprehensive, but still cute!

Kody, being very serious again. This is like every kid's dream!

Using the 'duck' move they just learned.

Waiting for Kody and Daddy at Thunder Mnt... Caden LOVED watching all the trains. he told me today he was sad we didn't ride the big train that goes around Disneyland. Poor guy...

Makenna mostly just went along for the ride. She did like the Pooh ride. Ashley had us go on it 3 times in a row.

Kody picking up Disneyland chicks... "want a ride, Babe?"

Done for the day... daddy went on Splash Mountain and was totally soaked... we were all cold and tired and ready to head home.... after all... we had a wedding to go to the next day...

Kid Art

2008-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am TOTALLY being a parent here... and I think beauty may be in the eye of the parent! Kody had to do a book report this weekend. I really liked his drawings (the bottom pic is an island). Ashley drew this of her favorite TV character at dinner tonight. I just love how she put it all together and it actually looks like him to me... can you guess who he is supposed to be?

2008-05-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

So Kody's birthday is coming up... we are working on his birthday invitations... This year he chose to have a small party. He wants to take a couple of friends to play miniature golf (we call it goofy golf -- a few of my friends looked at me like I was crazy when I called it that though. They informed me it is called "miniature golf." Who knew...? Maybe it is a local thing? What do YOU call it?

Any way... so back to his invitation... he wanted me to take pictures of him playing golf. I could not find a golf ball anywhere in this house! That explains the mini soccer ball. I hope he isn't disappointed when he goes to play miniature golf and finds that the balls are much smaller than this soccer ball!

Makenna refusing to stand still for a picture... please forgive her messy face. I have no memory of what she ate that day to make her so messy!

Kody took these pictures... :)

Look what we did TODAY!

2008-04-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Yep! The kids went swimming! We usually start swimming mid-May, so this is a little bit earlier than normal. The day wasn't particularly hot. We did some yard work and then let the kids run thru the sprinklers. Makenna even wandered into the sprinklers, but was unfortunately at just the right (or wrong) height so the sprinklers nailed her right in the face! I was curious about the pool temp and was surprised that it was 73. The kids wanted to "dip their toes on the first step." As you can see, they went a little farther!

Makenna REALLY loves water and really wanted to come in. She is taking Infant Survival Swimming lessons and LOVES the pool. Our instructor's pool is heated though. I was NOT going to go in our pool just yet, so Makenna watched from the other side of the gate for a little while. We did dip her toes in later and she LAUGHED like it was hilarious.

Can you see Kody's teeth chattering?!

They stayed in the pool for about 30 minutes. Brrrrr.... Caden and Ashley stayed on the steps. Caden is also taking the swim lessons and kept asking me if he could "swim and grab the wall," but we told him he had to wait until a grown up was in the pool with him.

The swim was fun for the kids... but... now they will probably ask to go swim EVERYDAY!

Our Little Explorers

2008-04-15T21:39:00.001-07:00

IN...

ON...

INSIDE...

HELLO...?

ON TOP OF...

THRU....

ON....

AND SHE'S OFF....

2008-04-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Our Final Baby has reached her first birthday.. sniff.. sniff... she is truly such a GIFT in our lives! We didn't do a big party. Just a fantastic day at the zoo... just us.

We love you, Makenna!!!!!!

She is smiling while we sing to her. She loves attention from Kody, Ashley, and Caden! Please forgive the mac and cheese that is all over her eyebrows!

Tasting her cupckae... she didn't really like it!

She did enjoy dropping it on the floor though!

2008-04-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

So... yes, it has been a loooong time since I last posted anything. I have been working like crazy to get my preschool ready. I am starting in June with a short summer camp. We will be studying the ocean and the beach! Fun for us all! The kids have been so patient and have given me time to do what I need to do. My classes are just about full, so today we took a break and played! As you can see, the kids had a great time fishing. Makenna was very interested in the water bins as well. She would stick her hands in and then slurp them clean! UGH!

Spring is here!

2008-02-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Spring is here and the flowers are popping up everywhere. :)

More of my little flower child later.....

Caden's turn to Model!

2008-01-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Caden mostly wanted to just run... I got many of him running away from me!

Fish Sticks! aka "Rainbow Fish"

2008-01-24T10:05:00.001-08:00

The assignment from school:

Ashley was given 100 Popsicle sticks to celebrate the 100th day of school. She had to create something with the sticks. She could only use glue, paint and the sticks. I was adamant that she needed to do it -- it was HER project. Yes, it was hard to let go of the control! :) I knew this would turn into a competition among parents, even though it was supposed to be done by a preschooler!

She told me she wanted to do a fish -- a rainbow fish. So she painted the water on the box. I drew the outline of the fish. She glued and placed the sticks (yes, I sat there the whole time guiding her). She then painted it (she did let Kody help with some of the sticks and she let him paint the tail). We are all very proud of how cute it turned out!

Couple more of Sebastian

2008-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

I have been working on making birth announcements for this baby. I am so thrilled with his pictures and I smile every time I look at them. Here are 2 more favorites from that day... He looks so warm and snuggly. Almost makes me want another baby... I said "almost"...

A Newborn Session

2008-01-19T21:47:00.000-08:00

I had my first "real" newborn photo session yesterday. Special thanks to Farryl for trusting me and allowing me to be there. It felt so intimate and sacred to be there sharing their newborn's first week of life! I was there when his cord fell off! I took so many pictures! My models were all very cooperative. I want to post like 200 pictures to this blog... instead I hope to have my website up soon so I can put some there. Here are some of my favorites though.

Chair in Bloom

2008-01-15T23:54:00.000-08:00

I have been trying out the lighting in different places lately. This spot in our entryway proved to be a great place! Makenna was SOOO not into the picture thing today... So... I sat there and took pictures of the chair while she played around me. Finally, she decided to check it out. I am VERY happy with how some of them turned out. Lighting is so important. I struggle sometimes with getting the light right. This light makes me feel like she was kissed by sunshine... We always say, "Makenna is like a ray of sunshine." because she is always such a happy baby. Enjoy the sweet pics of our ray of sunshine....

New Props

2008-01-14T22:25:00.001-08:00

I have been working on some new props for photos. I still need to do some touch up paint on the cube...

The kids have watched very closely over the last few days as I painted the bench and the ABC cube. Caden was VERY excited to get to sit on it! Ashley has a mouth full of candy in her picture! Can you tell?

I have also been learning some more things about my camera so I spend a lot of time just hanging a backdrop and snapping away. My intention is not to get the most creative shot or even the most technically amazing pictures -- I am just familiarizing myself with more features on my camera. Sometimes, I even LIKE the pictures I get when messing around!

ANOTHER Amazing "Winter" Day in AZ

2008-01-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

Teeter Totter fun!
Don't you LOVE Kody's "winter" outfit?! He insisted on wearing it.

"What if I want to play basketball later, Mom?" As if that shirt is the only thing allowing him to play basketball?

Leaves... yum!

I had no intention of posting every single day, but sometimes I just want to share! The weather was in the mid-60's so it was a perfect day for a picnic at the park.

We finally found some leaves... I have been wanting to take some "Fall" Pictures. The leaves FINALLY are falling off of some of the trees. Of course, the kids weren't really into cooperating today. "Don't drop leaves on my head! It hurts!" Ya right! UGH! I did manage to get three of them to sit still for a picture (Makenna was off to the side of the pic crying... although as you see, she did get to play with/ munch on a leaf or two.

This is one of the things that I do really love about AZ. I love being outside and the winters are great for that. Now, we just need to get some Snowbird visitors to come from UT.....

Kody on the Move

2008-01-12T21:20:00.001-08:00

This was taken by Kevin. I LOVE it how he captured Kody's motion!

Messing Around with the Camera

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

We had some more great weather so we played out front yesterday. Kevin and I were painting a small bench (I send pics in another post. Of course, the camera is always with us, so I took some pics. I just liked the angles and lighting on some of these....Kody cracks me up now when he sees the camera. He rolls his eyes, and hurries and "poses". He knows what I like, so he sits, poses, and 2 pics later I have what I want and he is done! Caden, on the other hand, rarely will even sit/ stand long enough in front of me to let me even click the camera!

2008-01-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this to me... Guess I am feeling sappy lately, but I really enjoyed this.

A POEM ABOUT OUR GIRLFRIENDS
Someone will always be prettier.
Some will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger.
Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the clothes, she might be lonely.
And the word says, "If I have not Love, I am nothing."
So, again, love you.... Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile...
And say,"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed, to be disappointed!
"Winners make things happen, Losers let things happen."

Too often I spend my time being stressed about what I haven't done or what I
don't have... Some news about an old friend has made me pause and just be
THANKFUL for all the blessings in my life. We need to take a moment everyday
and be proud of what we HAVE done already and to be happy with what we are today.

Hugs to you all...

2008-01-09T00:00:00.001-08:00

This was taken at a relative's wedding --

(Shout out to Allie!) This was actually taken with my point and shoot camera. The picture on the right was taken in Cabo San Lucas. I took the pic, Kevin PhotoShopped it to look like a painting! Fun!

Kevin is my PhotoShop guy and he is slowly learning things we can do with the program. I think this one is pretty cool!

Two for Too

2008-01-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

UGH! I hate typos that spell check misses! I really do know the difference between "too" and "two!" Guess that is what I get for posting things late at night! My eyes just skipped over the mistake. Sorry to all you ex (and currant) teachers!

BTW: I am KIDDING on the "currant" and "current"..... :)

Blanket of Roses

2008-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

I am pleased with how the background ended up. It is soooooo heavy though and defintely takes too people to lift it!

The girls were very cooperative (again). Thank goodness! Hope you enjoy...

Kenna's World

2008-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

I am calling this picture: "Kenna's World." It reminded me of my all time favorite painting called Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth. The view is what she sees: her siblings "flying" past her, all around her, and all she can do is watch... she can't quite get to them. Anyway, if you aren't familiar with the original painting, go Google it after this.

99 cents for fun! -- Hula Hoops!

2008-01-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

We bought some hula hoops at the 99 cent store. I had fun watching the kids play with them. They all tried rolling them "like puppies" and jumping in them. Kody made me smile when he created a Venn Diagram (yes, that is what he actually titled it). If you can't read the writing it, the left hoop says, "Kody, boy, 7 years old, medium hair." The right hoop says, "Ashley, girl, 4 years old, long hair." The middle says, "kids, family." I just loved how his mind worked! He saw the hoops overlapping and thought, "Ah, a Venn diagram." I did not suggest it or say anything. I ran to get my camera after I saw what he had made! They always amaze me!

Taking Pics for February Promo

2008-01-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

The kids have been good sports posing for pics the past few days (ok, well almost always...). Here are some pics I took to get ready for my February ad for my biz. I loved the red background! Kevin is doing some cool things with photo shop too changing colors of the letters... more of those pics though later. Enjoy!

Great Day in AZ!

2008-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day in AZ! We took down our Christmas lights -- yea! We ordered pizza and ate on our picnic table outside. The kids kept singing, "It's the best day ever!" Great memory... a sunny, warm day... shirtless kids all laughing and singing (no fighting, well almost no fighting... Caden and Kody did fight over a certain piece of pizza). Anyway, made me feel sappy and grateful for what we have. Makenna liked the grass and even tried to eat it. Ashley and Caden thought she was acting like a puppy trying to eat the grass. Anyway... hope you all are enjoying your day and enjoying the little moments like these!

We did it!

2008-01-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to finally make it into the 21st century! We have taken the advice of our friends... we have a BLOG!! Now we just have to figure out how to post pictures....

Hope you all have a great 2008!!