.

Give 10

2010-01-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

More info coming soon.

2010-01-10T17:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=a1c9ec4f1153e1d34f1917&skin_id=1803&large&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=embed

A WEEK IN WICHITA...

2009-08-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

THE WEDDING MARCH...

2009-07-22T14:32:00.001-07:00

If you don't laugh out loud with this one something is wrong with you.

THEY WERE GOOD TO ME...

2009-07-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

i made them go out in the sweltering heat to take their picture and for the most part they cooperated.

MINE...

2009-07-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

three beautiful little children...
two with big brown eyes.
one with eyes of blue.
and they're mine.
three distinct personalities.
one sweet and compassionate.
one reckless and fun loving.
one in his own little world.
three young lives.
she reminds me so much of myself.
easton reminds me so much of his father.
and josey is his own person with his own agenda.
three reasons to wake up every morning with a smile on my face
and wish for today time would stand still so I could enjoy each
and every moment with them.

DEAR EASTON,

2009-06-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

You just turned nine and there are a few things I wanted to tell you. I love you. I am so proud of you and a lot of times I am in awe of you. You have a lot of great things going for you...more than I could have ever imagined at your age. Happy birthday buddy. I am so glad I had you!

FINALLY...

2009-06-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

..summertime is here!
We have been doing a lot of fishing. The kids love it. Funny story....we went to the golf course to fish on #16. (Keep in mind I am not really a fisher person.) It was sweltering and the bugs were swarming. I took some hot dogs to fish with because piercing live bait is just not in my blood. We got all set up. I was the baiter and the kids were the fishers. Easton was complaining that his rod was not working right. Josey was whining just to whine. We started catching lots of fish with our little cheep rods and hot dogs and a good time was starting to be had by all. UNTIL...Dummy me asked easton to step around the rod as I was holding the hook. His foot caught the line and jerked the hook deep into my finger. All of my golf course etiquette went out the window as I screamed at the top of my lungs and tried to pry the hook from my finger. Finally I was able to pry the hook loose and tried my best to put on a happy face and continue. THEN... Riley hooked THE. BIG. ONE. A twenty pound...TURTLE. Luckily it was not a snapping turtle. But me, being the bleeding heart that I am just couldn't cut the line. I knew he would swallow the hook and die. So there we sat on the banks on of #16 pond trying to pry the hook out. Finally after many minutes I did it and the turtle ran back into the pond. Some people think turtles are slow but trust me they are anything but slow. We caught some twenty fish that day between the four of us and it is a day I am sure they will long remember.

Thanks riley for snapping this one.

INTRODUCING COHEN...

2009-05-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

WHAT UP DAWG....

2009-05-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

Our future vanilla ice:)

HAVING TEA WITH JOSEY...

2009-05-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Mother's day tea with josey. He was so proud of my hat and I was so proud to wear it.

THAT'S WHAT BROTHERS ARE FOR...

2009-05-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

They can argue, fuss, and fight....but deep down they love each other.

AT A CERTAIN POINT IN YOUR LIFE...

2009-05-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

...probably when too much of it has gone by, you will open your eyes and see yourself for who you are...especially everything that made you so different from all the awful normals.

Thursday I went to Josey's school for the annual mothers day tea. All of the children make a hat for their mom's to wear and as I was sitting in the auditorium waiting for him to make his appearance this was my first glimpse at him thru the lens....and in that moment I was so proud of him. He didn't walk in just like everyone else. He didn't try to be like his brother or his sister. He didn't try to be normal.(the thing I have longed, wished, hoped, and prayed he would become.) He was simply who he is...Josey. HE. IS. DIFFERENT....and different is good. He is my PERFECT little boy...perfect just the way he is.

...this photo is one of my favorite of all time.

WET AND WILD...

2009-05-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Perfect superman form from Josey out in the rain on the slip and slide.

GOOD TIMES...

2009-05-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Wow...i didn't realize just how much easton and pops look alike. Same grin and everything.

Pops looks so proud to see them sticking their finger up their nose.

This game is continuing to be a favorite with the kids. Josey and Jeffery from Massachusetts played this one for a while yesterday.

POPS...

2009-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

...just know you are missed greatly by one little boy.

...AND I THOUGHT I LOVED YOU THEN.

2009-05-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

It takes some people a lifetime to find their soulmate. I am so thankful I got it right the very first try.

JOJO TURNED FOUR...AND HE DRIVES ME NUTS.

2009-04-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

little jojo turned four on Monday. I finally got around to taking his four year pictures today. as you can tell he didn't want to have anything to do with me and my camera. well i showed him who's the boss. i finally coaxed some smiles out of him towards the end....

4 things about josey at 4...

1. he is in a bad mood when he first wakes up...just like his big sister....and it drives me nuts.
2. he eats more than any human being besides his dad...and it drives me nuts. almost every morning he asks for a sandwich...and I quote " mom i want a sanwich...not a wittle sanwich but a big sanwich.(said as he uses his hands to show me how big)
3. he is so weird about his clothes...just like his big brother...and it drives me nuts. He can't stand shirts that are on the roomy side. nope. they have to be tight...and his shoes and pants have to be just right. gone are the days when i could pick out his clothes. he has his own opions and to him everything need to be comfy. tight but comfy.
4. he is a whiner. he has taken on whinese as his second language...and it drives me nuts. everything he says is whined.

good thing he has those dimples because they still melt me everytime he smiles. but i will take all the bad because that means i get all of his good too.

I. LOVE. YOU. JOJO BUBBA JUNIOR...MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW!
mom(the one who makes you the big sandwiches every morning.)

THIS IS WHY THE EXPERTS SAY...

2009-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

...you shouldn't let children watch too much television. Josey in his tv trance. I was inches away from his face and still he wasn't going to take his eyes off of the screen.

ONE MORE...

2009-04-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

SWEET BABY JULIA...

2009-04-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

...on day 7. What a sweetie...

JOY IS FOUND IN SIMPLE THINGS...

2009-03-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

just another lesson learned from my children. It doesn't matter what something costs as long as it makes you happy. Josey has always loved hats and when we found this one he had to have it. Three dollars made him one happy boy.

WALK ON...

2009-03-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

If you have 12 minutes this is a must see...what a great message. I hope to instill this kind of attitude in my children.

BEAUTY-FULL...

2009-03-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

sometimes i am amazed i made someone so beautiful. i make no apologies for believing her to be the most beautiful child ever...she is...if only in my eyes. And when I look at my boys I think they are beautiful as well. I believe my children are beautiful just like everyone else believes there child to be the most beautiful. After all- isn't this is how god intended for us to look at our children.

THE ACHE OF MISSING...

2009-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Missing can make you ache. Not just your heart but your entire being. The other night as i was lying awake in bed thoughts of my mom came to my mind. Aching, missing thoughts. The kind that makes your heart burn and your eyes well up. It was like many nights before and i am sure just like many nights to come. As i was lying there the same question came to my mind. Why? I just want to know why. I know I will never know but when I get to heaven, rest assured, I will ask.

So after lying there for a while, my question remained unanswered and I finally fell asleep with a heavy heart and little jojo by my side.

The next morning i moved my thoughts of my mom to another part of my brain...the part that holds all those memories and went on about my day.

Fast forward to that afternoon. I was out and about running errands, flipping mindlessly thru the radio stations when i came to this song. A song I much needed to hear. A song that doesn't answer my question but it does make me feel better if only for a moment. I do know that EVERYTHING happens for a reason and God has a plan for me. I just wish, so very badly, that plan would have included my mom.

"but I won't cry because I know she flew up to heaven on the wings of angels
by the clouds and stars and past where no one sees and she walks with jesus and I know she's smiling saying don't worry about me"

Mom, I. MISS. YOU. EVERYDAY.

If I could have written a song about my mom this would have been it...

MY GIRL...

2009-03-20T12:46:00.001-07:00

GOING BACK...

2009-03-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Going back thru some old ones. This one makes me smile.

FROM LITTLE BOY TO LITTLE MAN...

2009-03-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

i love organization. and with organization comes the cleaning out, getting rid of, and regrouping. with springtime it's time for a fresh start. so what better time to get the boys a buzz cut. we always buzz easton's hair for baseball and let it grow a little longer when hockey comes around. josey has never had a buzz cut but it was time. he is one month away from being four....did i just say that right? FOUR! oh boy...i feel a depression coming on. when easton turned four i was so sad i ended up with josey. that's impossible now for tyler and i so i M.U.S.T. find another hobby. hmmmm...what shall it be?

below is the progression of josey's haircut complete with before and after shots. i have never thought easton and josey look alike but i don't know...something about the after picture...it reminds me so much of easton. must be the smirk.

before and after...

she cut his hair with him turned away from the mirror. this was the first moment he saw himself. check me out. the mamarazzi!

he made the cutest faces.

and the trimmers gave him the willies...

THE END OF A SEASON...

2009-03-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

with a record of 13-0 we finished our hockey season. another great year to store away as a memory...

SATURDAY AFTERNOON HOCKEY IN THE DRIVEWAY...

2009-03-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

after taking the girls to the movies saturday this is the site i came home to. all the boys including tyler all dressed out as goalie complete with a baseball glove to catch the pucks.

3 GIGGLING GIRLS...

2009-03-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

saturday riley had a fun little slumber party with two of her best friends in the whole wide world. we went to see the jonas brothers movie and then spent saturday night eating pizza and watching more movies. sunday morning we woke up to 2 inches of SNOW! they bundled up in anything they could find to go out and play. it was a slumber party that will be remembered for a long time to come.

DEAR HOCKEY...

2009-02-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

dear hockey,
when i first met you i fell madly and hopelessly in love with you. you
make me so happy. i love everything about you. whenever i put on my skates
and helmet you make me feel like i am the only one out on the ice. i love
my helmet and wear it all the time. i love to wear it when i watch TV
and just the other day i fell asleep in it. thank you for being apart
of my life. you will always have my heart.
forever yours,
josey

SWEET SOLES...

2009-02-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

I just love this picture of JoJo and his little black converse. He has worn these things for a while now...almost too long. but they still fit and i can't stand to part with them yet.

RANDOMNESS OF JOSEY...

2009-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

random pictures of jojo...in the first picture riley made a mom tatoo on his chest...the second he was watching tv with his favorite blue blanket which is a commom site with josey...and the third is jojo in his karate gear...gotta love the pink glove.

WELL THAT'S OBVIOUS...

2009-02-20T11:55:00.001-08:00

as i was looking thru easton's valentine's cards i came across one from a little girl...i read it aloud...
Me: Valentine your the pick of the litter.
Easton without hesitation replied..."well that's obvious"
Me: Bwahaaaahaaaa.

NOTE TO SELF...
MUST get a handle on his self confidence...

VALENTINES DAY...

2009-02-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

riley was sick on friday so she stayed home from school. she was a little sad she had to miss her valentine party. josey had his party on Thursday. I thought this picture was so funny. he's becoming quite a clown for the camera. The bottom picture(you can click on it to make it larger) was easton's valentine box. he won for most creative. i give myself a pat on the back since it was my idea after all...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...

2009-02-13T05:34:00.000-08:00

i know its a day early but i am going to be a little busy this weekend so I don't know if i will get to post any pictures...Riley now deserves the honor of sickest child award. will this maddness ever stop? valentines is not my most favorite holiday of the year although i do enjoy helping the kids with their valentines. since tyler will not be here this valentines day i decided to post a picture of the two of us...i miss you

ANOTHER NEWBIE...

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Sweet little baby jack...12 days...this one was a mover. He did not want to sleep or curl up but I did manage to get a few.

THE RESPONSIBLE ONE...

2009-02-09T05:44:00.000-08:00

she is my responsible one...the one i expect way more out of than i should.

EASTON AND JOJO IN MY BED...

2009-02-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

S-I-C-K-O. With a cough, cough here, and a fever, fever there...here a cough, there a cough, everywhere a cough, cough...

I told you it was coming....

THIS IS WHAT I FEEL LIKE ALL DAY LONG...

2009-02-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

Most days I feel like all I do is order them around.

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN...

2009-02-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

This is just not funny anymore. Tyler left to go out of town on Monday. He will be gone for three weeks and what do you know...Easton came home with two projects due. Am I being tested? I pray for patience. Maybe when we pray for patience God will give us something to be patient about. Maybe I should pray to not have my patience tested....anyway...

Here are the pictures from Easton's play....I must say he nailed the MC hammer dance. I am going to try to upload the video at some point this week in between my taxi service and projects due...

YOGA WITH JOSEY...

2009-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Little man likes to do yoga with me and he's pretty good at it too. It's certainly entertaining to look over at him trying his best to hold the poses.

DEEP THOUGHTS BY EASTON WILLIAMSON...

2009-01-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

"mom, what do you think i should do once i retire from the NHL?"
"mom, do spiders die when they have their babies?"
"has a car been around longer than a cell phone?"
"do birds die if they get wet?"
"my favorite subeject is candy...no, i take that back. my favorite subject is girls, and hockey, and baseball."
"mom when a dogs wags it's tail does that mean it pooted and it's blowing it away?"

MY ADVICE TO HIM...

2009-01-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

be a simple kind of man...

I love this picture of him...

he was done with me...

MORE OF PERFECTION...

2009-01-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

A few more from the other day.

this is the last one I took...as you can tell she was so over getting her picture made.

SHE IS A PERFECTIONIST...

2009-01-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

in the worst way. we have had a rough week. riley has been overly upset about taking tests and making good grades. worrying. studying. worrying. and studying some more. today when she brought home four 100's on four different tests i am reminded of something my mom used to say to me all the time..."things aren't always as bad as they seem"...if she is this much of a perfectionist now when it comes to grades i don't think i am going to make it thru middle school.

YESTERDAY WE....

2009-01-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

...had a group hug...

...tickeled and giggled...

...had a penut butter sandwich for breakfast...

...for the love of hockey, kept the skates on...check out the golf tee behind the ear

...had dinner together.

IF ONLY IT WOULD SNOW...

2009-01-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

If only it would snow....and I mean a good snow. Not the kind that dusts the ground and is gone by noon. I want the kind of snow that means I will need to run to the store along with everyone else in this town in order to stock up on things like milk and bread. If only it would snow, the kids could stay home with us. Josey would get to see his first snow. I would make chili. We would go outside to build a snowman and have snowball fights. We would come inside from the cold and warm up by the fire and sip on hot chocolate...if only it would snow.

I love this song...

GOOD GAME VS. BAD GAME...

2009-01-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Easton had a great first game this morning and scored his third goal(shown below)with eight seconds left in the game. Tonight as he was taking it all in we had the following conversation...
easton: mom. do you know what it feels like to score a hat trick?
me: well...no, actually I don't.
easton: it's the best feeling. it just makes me so happy.

as you can tell by his face below he was so happy...then...in our second game he didn't have such a great game. at one point he just hung his head...

JOSEY'S PORTRAITS...

2009-01-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

Josey's portraits of Tyler and I...

I KNOW ITS AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE...

2009-01-15T05:54:00.001-08:00

Let me find it. I know it's around here somewhere... I am looking for the magic little button Tyler always pushes whenever he is out of town. This button ensures someone in the house will get sick while he is gone.(this time it was me with strep throat)This button also requires the kids to have at least one school project each and some sort of play that requires an elaborate costume.(Easton got the lead role in his class play as tacky the penquin) The magic little button also requires a hockey tournament to be played with at least 3 out of 4 games at 7:00 a.m. which makes me have to wakeup at 5:00 a.m. and be on the road by 5:45 at the latest.

Easton measuring his hockey stick for his measuring project...

I LOVE YOU...

2009-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

tyler I just wanted to tell you that...

TYLER, THIS ONES FOR YOU...

2009-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

You would have been proud of your boy today...

A CONVERSATION I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T POST...

2009-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

after giving josey a bath tonight i went to out of the bathroom to get his pajamas....josey made a discovery...

CONVERSATION...
josey "mom! come look...i have two balls...yeah, two ub um...yeah...and they hang down...look!(GIGGLES)"
me "wow...i see that. two built in toys."

GOOD REPORT CARDS AND A CHRISTMAS TREE..

2009-01-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

yesterday was report card day. great report cards for both riley and easton...so as I lined them up to take their picture josey must have felt left out. he ran inside came out and brought his handmade christmas tree and said "i had a good port card to mommy...see."

NOW ONE IN COLOR...

2009-01-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

IF I CLOSE MY EYES...

2009-01-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

and slowly breathe in I can still smell him. That newborn baby scent is something you never forget. This is another photo shoot for a friend. Well actually my friends niece...6lbs of sweet baby boy.

THIS....

2009-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

..is what happens when mommy is busy watching the season premeire of the bachelor and josey gets bored. Toilet paper up the nose. He also made me a toilet paper ring in which he declared "put it on your finger mommy and you can neber, neber, neber take it off...neber. okay mommy?"

THIS IS JOSEY'S FASHION STATEMENT...

2009-01-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

A FUN DAY OF PLAY...

2008-12-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

It was beautiful, 72 degrees and sunny.We couldn't ask for a better day in December...and it's supposed to stay this way the entire week! Easton had a little hockey friend over and Josey and I spent the better half of the afternoon on the driveway painting. I think it's time someone got a haircut.

REMEMBER...HOCKEY ABOVE ALL ELSE...

2008-12-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

One of the Christmas cards we received this year had this quote on it...Remember Hockey Above All Else...
These two definitely have that frame of mind. They live it, eat it, and breathe it.

Last night Easton came down with whatever Josey had over Christmas. As I was taking down his Christmas tree this morning he said "mom, is it okay if I sit out a little at hockey in the morning?" I told him unfortunately he wouldn't be making it to hockey because he was sick he declared "WHAT! No hockey..come on mom you can't do that to me." Sorry buddy, no hockey for you. Your health is way more important than hockey..."mom nothing is more important than hockey." Now, tonight as he is walking around determined to talk me into letting him go in the morning even though he has a fever of 102 I am reminded of the quote on the card...Remember...Hockey above all else!

I WAS A GOOD GIRL THIS YEAR...

2008-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

because Santa brought me a new camera. It makes me so happy....and this was one of the very first photos I took with it. I love this photo. Tyler was helping Riley write the letter to Santa on Christmas Eve.

Poor little Josey was sick for Christmas. He woke up on the 22nd with a fever. I thought for sure he would be over it by Christmas morning but he wasn't. This was taken on the day we laid in bed all day and snuggled. At one point he woke up and declared "I hurt." and then laid back down and went to sleep. You know something is wrong with Josey when he stops moving for more than five minutes during the day.

HOCKEY PICS...

2008-12-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

a few hockey pics from the other night...

IF ONLY...

2008-12-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

If only I could spend all day today doing this...but I have a ton of things to get done so I better get going.

SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED...

2008-12-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Overheard today...

tyler: Daisy would your lazy butt like to go outside?
tyler: Daisy get your fat butt out of my chair...you can have the couch but my chair is off limits.
tyler: Oh Daisy your such a good dog...
me: I love you Daisy...YES.I.DO!
tyler: Daisy your so ugly, your pretty.
Easton: Daisy get your fat butt out of my bed!

She may not be pretty but she sure is a good dog. We always refer to her as fat butt. She loves the couch and usually lays on it all day and night...but tonight she was in Easton's bed. She and Josey watched T.V. for a while until we made her get out of his bed.

STORING FAT FOR THE WINTER...

2008-11-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

Easton:Dad, are you like a bear...you're stretching your fat for the winter?

YOGA DOG...

2008-11-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

Gretzky praticing yoga...this is his prayer pose.

HOCKEY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING...

2008-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Our hockey season is in full swing...may in never end.

Easton on the left...

WISH SHE WERE MINE...

2008-11-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took some newborn pictures for a friend of mine. She was so sweet and slept the entire time. Oh, I wish she were mine.

SO CLOSE...

2008-11-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

These two go together like peanut butter and jelly...and if I find anymore holes in my garage wall from shooting pucks into it someone is going to be in big trouble, and Easton I don't mean you.

HOW THE BACHELOR CAME TO BE...

2008-11-04T03:52:00.000-08:00

This costume came about because I was desperate. With three kids I have gone thru some 22 different costumes for them. So this year when October rolled around and I didn't have a clue what the kids were going to be I started to panic. And you can just imagine my panic when Easton came home with a costume party invitation that would take place a week before Halloween. He has grown out of dressing up like a superhero(a.k.a spider man, superman...) and since I refuse to let them dress up as anything scary I was left with few options. We have already gone thru all of the sports genres...Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Jones. As I was sitting at the computer pouring over coustume choices I had a thought come to mind. What about a bachelor...the bachelor.

Me:"Easton, would you want to be the bachelor?"
Easton:"What's the bachelor?"
Me:"Well it's a good looking guy in a suit that carries roses around and gives them to the girls."
Easton:"Oh yeah that's what I'll be. Yeah I'll be hot."

THE COWBOY, THE CHEERLEADER, AND THE BACHELOR...

2008-11-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I. LOVE. YOU. RILEY.

2008-10-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

CONVERSTATION...

2008-10-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

Riley: Mom...did you have to take a class to become a mom...I mean in college did you get to take a class that said you were okay to be a mom.
Me: No unfortunately there are no classes you can take on how to be a mom...Why? Do you think I need to take a class?
Riley: (Giggles) No, I was just wondering...

THIS ONE IS GOING BIG...

2008-10-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

I am going to get this blown up big and put it somewhere in our house...hmmmm now where am I going to put it.

99 BALLOONS...

2008-10-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Grab a tissue..

HE LOVES ME...

2008-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things in life that I am unsure of but the one thing I know without a doubt is he loves me. Everyday he not only tells me but shows me. I am so, so lucky to have him.

SHE MADE IT TO DOUBLE DIGETS...

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

I remember finding out I was pregnant with her. Tyler and I were just starting out. We could barely take care of ourselves much less a little baby. It's funny how you can't imagine having a baby and once they are here you can't imagine your life without them in it. She started us on this incredible journey of parenthood. She made us a family.

She didn't look like this when she went to bed last night. She didn't look 18. She looked like the same little girl I have looked at everyday for 10 years. Why now on her 10th birthday does she look like she has changed overnight. I can only imagine how fast the next 10 years will fly by...

Look what I made...

CAT SITTING...

2008-10-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Josey with one of our new friends. We cat sat for some friends of ours while they were out of town. Poor little kittens were carried around by Josey for the entire weekend. I am sure they couldn't wait to get home.

A SWEET MOMENT...

2008-10-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

ALL THOSE BOYS ARE MUCH TOO MUCH...

2008-10-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

i love this video. it reminds me of something tyler would do.

FUTURE ROCK STAR...

2008-10-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Josey's best impression of gene simmons...

FOCUS ALL ATTENTION HERE...

2008-09-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

he makes it pretty tough to focus on anything else...

QUAINT LITTLE TOWN...

2008-09-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

While on our way to eugene, oregon we stopped in sisters, oregon. it was a beautiful little town full of unique shops and good food. riley and i enjoyed a little time together just walking around and browsing in all of the little shops. we picked up this cute little dress for her and she was more than happy to let me take her picture.

3 YEARS, 4 MONTHS, 15 DAYS....

2008-09-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

i really wanted to hang on to him for as long as i could. he is my last. i wanted to keep him a baby just a little while longer.(3 is still a baby in my book) for selfish reasons of course. but nothing can slow him down. he has his own agenda. and that agenda wants to move along at lightning speed and be as independent as possible. this week we are in boise, idaho. tyler thought he could ride his bike without training wheels. i thought no way he is just not ready. tyler was right. he helped him a few times and then josey just took off. just like that. and when he stopped he said.."no way! i did it all by myselves"... His super freakish coordination continues. Maybe it is because he is so close to the ground. i don't know. he has been riding his bike for two days now taking off by himself and i am amazed. now he is trying to do little tricks just like his big brother. i am now just waiting for the big first crash. maybe then i can baby him one more time.

THIS IS A TEST...

2008-09-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

trying something new with posting photos...

DINOSAUR MUSEUM...

2008-09-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Living in the south dinosaur museums is just something you don't see every day...

SPLIT PERSONALITY...

2008-09-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

josey suffers from split personality or has mood swings...whatever you want to call it. he can go from angry to angelic in a matter of moments as demonstrated in these pictures. both taken wihtin a minute from each other.

YOUNG CHEF'S ACADEMY...

2008-09-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

This was a hit. Riley loves to cook so when I saw this I knew we had to do it. It was a cooking class for kids. This week was copy cat week so they got to make recipe's from different restaurants here in salt lake city. When Tyler and I got there to pick them up we got to sample their work. Yummy.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

2008-09-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

...we just can't wait to get on the road again. Well we are back out on the road for the second fall in a row. right now we are in salt lake city. the kids and i went to a dinosaur museum yesterday and then in the afternoon they went to young chefs cooking camp. cooking camp was definitely a hit.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT...

2008-08-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

thursday was the first day of school for riley and easton. it was a day of sadness for me. after spending all day every day with them i really miss them when they go back to school. i took the kids shopping a few days before school started and they got to pick out a few back to school outfits. they really took it serious and looked and looked before picking out just the right outfit. i think they looked pretty cute myself...and by the way those are fashion glasses on riley.

WANNA GO JUMP ON TRAMPOLINE DADA...

2008-08-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

when riley and easton are away josey will play.. with daddy that is. sorry tyler...i know this will make you sad.

J IS FOR JOJO...

2008-07-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

a fun little photo shoot with josey.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND...

2008-07-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

jojo found his Halloween costume from last year...too bad its made out of patent leather...not conducive for the south in the summertime.

A POSSE OF BIKE RIDERS...

2008-07-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

this is the view in our neighborhood everyday...what i wouldn't give to be a kid again.

WHAT IS REAL?

2008-07-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

Love this...it is from the Velveteen Rabbit. It reminds me so much of my mom who was REAL. She wasn't concerned with things that didn't matter. She just wanted to be loved. Loved by her children and grandchildren. And believe me...she was. I miss you mom...everyday.

...."What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?" "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." .....
- The Velveteen Rabbit

3+3=6

2008-07-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

wow... it's hard to believe my brother and i both have 3 kids each. it seems like just yesterday he was putting the cereal box in front of my face at the breakfast table so he didn't have to look at me. and now we are all grown up. both of us put our families as our first and highest priority. i think my mom would be proud...

SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE...

2008-07-15T17:42:00.001-07:00

lesson learned...sometimes less is more. the kids and i went to a birthday party in tennessee on sunday. it was my friend misty's little girl abi(fourth from left in group picture). they recently moved to a farm in loretto, tennessee. the kids played in a creek by their house catching crawdads, tadpoles, fish, and frogs. there were no inflatables or clowns rented. the kids just simply played. as we were leaving easton said " that was the best birthday party that i have ever been to"... yes less is definitely more.

CATCHING SOME MEMORIES...

2008-07-10T06:36:00.000-07:00