The Simmons Six

Schools Out For Summer!

2011-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post some before and afters. Here is a group picture of my boys the last day of school. May 25th 2011.

Cannon first day of school Fall 2010. Going into 8th gradeLast day of school Spring 2011. Next year High School! First day of Middle School Fall 2010. Look how young and innocent he looks:) Last day of school Spring 2011. He did some serious changing this year. Cole is sure he will be taller than me by end of next year. I think he might be right.First day of school Fall 2010. Trav was all ready to be on the big kid side of the playground.

Last day of school Spring 2011. He has loved playing with all the kids at recess. And all the older students have been so nice to him!Adam was in pre-school this year and loved every minute of it! Fall 2010.
Now Adam is really looking forward to going to kindergarten next Fall. He can't wait to be at school with his cousin Ben! Here he is on his last day of school. He got the best thinker award.

Cole's Middle School Experience

2011-05-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cole started his first year of middle school this year at the new Rocky Mountain Middle School High School. It has been an exciting but all to quick year. Cole has had a pretty good year. After having things come pretty easy in elementary he has had to work a little harder in middle school. It is good for him. Cole is very responsible about getting his work done and in all accept for practicing his darn tuba. He has elected not to do band next year and just do choir. I did get a new camera around Christmas this year so the amount of pictures taken increased quite a bit for the second part of this school year. I missed his entire football season and his basketball season. Cole played quarterback and some other positions that I don't know the name of. He did really well in basketball and got to play on the 6th and 7th grade teams. He really enjoyed that. It is fun to watch him play. Cole is a great fundamental player. Sometimes he looks as if he is moving in slow motion but he really does have a good time.
Right before the Christmas band/choir concert. Cole played his last season of little league basketball this year. Track season was cold and fast just like it always is in Wyoming. Cole did the high jump the triple jump, the long jump the 100 yard dash and the 200 hurdles. At the conference track meet (5/6/2011) Cole got his personal best in every event he did. He got three 1st place ribbons and two 2nd place. He did really well. His goal is to break the record Cannon set this year for the triple jump when he is in 8th grade. We will see how that goes. Well Summer is almost here we are winding up the month with concerts and field trips and baseball baseball baseball! Cole is signed up to be in a 3on 3 tournament the first weekend school gets out. The summer already seems to be booked up but it looks to be a fun one:)

RMHS Basketball

2011-01-26T13:15:00.001-08:00

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Just a few pictures I have taken this season. I hope to get many more. I am not so good at the action pictures but it is fun learning.

Fun in the Snow

2011-01-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

We went sledding on New Years day and it was so fun and sooooo cold. I have not been so grateful for gloves and warm clothes in a long time. I don’t know how the pioneers did it. I am pretty sure if I was without those things I would just lay down and wait to die.

On a more possitive note we had a blast and Michael got some great pictures!

Travis was a crazy man on the snow. I don’t know how many times he went up and down that hill but I am pretty sure it was more than anyone else. These pictures are so good of Sarah. She had quite the Superman flight. But as you can see she got up with a smile.

Christmas

2011-01-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year. For the first time in 8+ years I got to be with my family for Christmas. With basketball we just haven't traveled. This year Michael was feeling soft and conceded to travel. We had a great time at my brothers. The kids played and played and played. My brother has two boys and two girls. It was fun to see what is under the tree for a girl at Christmas. There were a lot of dolls and stuff to take care of their dolls. When does changing a diaper go from fun play time to "no it is your turn!" I know when there is something in it. My brothers oldest daughter actually got a doll that will dirty her diaper if you feed her special food. Now who signs up for changing dirty diapers before you need to? Anyway we had a wonderful time. My parents met us at my brothers also and it was really nice to be with them.

The children all dressed up on Christmas Eve and we went through the Christmas story. We haven't really done that before the boys have done the Nativity with the primary and we always read it together the night before Christmas but it was fun for the kids to act it out. Cannon even was the donkey that Mary rode into Bethlehem on.

Christmas morning was a little crazy with that many presents to get passed out. But presents are always fun so who can complain about that. Becky my sister made the whole family slippers this year and it was quite impressive. She really tried to personalize them for all my boys. She made Adam and Travis' look like cowboy boots and Cannon and Cole's had either their basketball number on them or Grizz. It was very thoughtful. I know it must have taken her a really long time and she was worried that no one would like them but we all did and the boys wear them like crazy. It was a great idea to just give gifts that we made instead of store bought stuff. At least the Simmons family benefited. I hope Jenny liked the things we sent.

Santa came to my brothers house for the boys but we decided to just leave the gifts from mom and dad at home and open them when we got back. So of course the boys were eager to get home. We got back late Sunday night so we decided to wake up the next morning and open gifts then. It was fun and it was like having two Christmases. The boys all seemed happy with what they received and we had a nice slow day on Monday.

One more thing. On our way to my brothers house we got to Greybull which is only about 45 minutes away and our car started steaming really bad. We pulled into a gas station and they told Michael where a service station was and we cautiously drove our smoking car there. The mechanic quickly diagnosed it to be a bad water pump and told us he could get a new one and have it put in and it would only take him 2-3 hours. I know that sounds long but just a few minutes earlier I was thinking the engine to our car had just blown up and I was not going to be with my family for Christmas. So replacing a water pump and it getting done fast enough that we could still head to my brothers was fantastic news. The mechanics at the service station were very nice and patient with my kids who after about 20 minutes got bored and started using the tires and what ever else was in the waiting area as something to play on. When Michael and I were on our way again to my brothers we realized how blessed we were that our car broke down when and where it did. There are many stretches of Wyoming that are bare and endless with no one in sight and our car could have broken down in those type of places. But instead the car started showing signs of problems just as we were coming into Greybull. So we thanked our Heavenly Father for watching over us. I am so grateful for the knowledge of my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. I appreciate His hand in all things good or bad because He knows what I can and can't over come. And obviously I couldn't handle being stranded in the middle of nowhere with four boys:)

I'm Baaaaaaaack

2010-12-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

I know I disappeared for quite some time but I am going to try a little harder to be a little better at blogging:) I got a new camera and that is sparking a whole new desire to take pictures and show them to people. We got to travel for Christmas for the first time in a long time and we went to my brothers in Colorado Springs. We went on a tour of the Air Force Academy. Most of the family didn't want to go originally(everyone accept Michael) but once we got there it was awesome and now Cannon wants to go to the academy for school. He saw the private golf course and that clinched it for him. The campus is really large and very clean and I am sure when it isn't winter and brown it is beautiful. We watched a short video about life on campus and it seems hard yet amazing. I know that it takes an incredible effort to get into a college like that but it would be a great goal for Cannon to strive to achieve. It was interesting to watch his interest grow and grow as we went from place to place. The Simmons family has always had a fascination with flight and it looks like it is passing down generation to generation.

Travis my cowboy!

2010-03-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Travis turned 8! Being eight is a big milestone for us it means you are old enough to make the decision to get baptised and join the church. Travis has been looking forward to this day for quite a while and I think it turned out to be all he thought it would be.

With Travis' real birthday being on Sunday we decided to have his birthday party on Saturday. We had family here from all over and so it was a party with family and best of all cousins! Travis felt so good that so much family was here and that he got to share his special day with his cousins. We had some cowboy games, pin the tail on the horse and find the animals in the hay we popped some balloons and then the big surprise showed up.

Travis loves animals but just like me when I was his age he adores horses. I have watched him admire horses just like me for the last few years and every time he gets that silly grin on his face when he gets to ride or simply be near a horse I know exactly how he is feeling because I felt the same way. I don't know if it was partly for selfish reasons but Travis got a horse as his gift from Michael and I. Did it make him the happiest boy in the world? Yes! Did it make me the happiest mom in the world? Yes! I forgot what joy I get from spending time with horses and now it is a great thing Travis and I will get to share together. Cole and Adam are pretty interested also especially when it comes to riding. Anyway, Saturday turned out great it was hard to get Travis to come in and blow out the candles on his cake but it was great and I know Chief, Travis' new strawberry roan, will be a great addition to the family. Yes, it is a boy you would think I would at least start buying female animals to try to even up the numbers around here.

Sunday was crazy and absolutely wonderful! Once everyone got here there was 6 adults and 10 children all crammed into my wonderful but not so big house(at least it is bigger than the old one.) We bathed most of the kids the night before to hope for a smoother morning. Unfortunately it was also day light savings weekend and so we all got to loose and extra hour of sleep. So we all made it to church by 9:00am on time I might add. We then got home at noon from church let the kids change out of their clothes to have lunch and then hop right back in them for Travis' baptism at 2:00. It was crazy and we were running so behind and all I could think about on the way to the baptism was all the things I forgot like an easel and a book for all the guests to sign so Travis could remember who attended his baptism. I was getting so worked up as I do I decided to find a quiet spot and just ask Heavenly Father to help me enjoy the day and really focus on what was important. The baptism was amazing! I know all of my children's have been great but there was a spirit there that I had not felt before. I had been worried as the day was getting closer that Travis was not quite ready to get baptised. I was nervous that he did not understand what it meant. I can tell you now I was wrong. The thoughts and experiences that Travis has shared with me about the feelings he had the day he was baptised are more powerful than I would have ever thought possible coming from an eight year old boy. I know the spirit testified to Travis that what he was doing was right and it has told me the same thing. I hope to never loose the memories from that day and I am grateful for such a wonderful son and the knowledge of the gospel. That evening Roland, Michael's dad, got married and it was wonderful and exciting. The day was crazy but filled with so much joy that it was all worth it!

Hugo

2010-02-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

This is our new pet snake, Hugo. He is a Ball Python. Cole got him for Christmas. Hugo has been shedding and it took him about 3 weeks to finish. During shedding time you aren't supposed to feed your snake so we were very anxious for him to finish so we could feed him. The pet store reassured us that Hugo could go for months without food but being new snake owners we are just so nervous about everything. So Cole helped the shedding process along a little by wiping him down with a warm wash cloth and it helped all the extra skin to come off. We probably should have waited a day to feed Hugo because he had been handled so much that day but like I said we are new at this and we felt like we were starving our snake. So on Sunday night we fed him. Hugo wasn't as quick to eat as usual but he eventually couldn't resist and had a small meal of just two pinky mice(as seen hanging out of his mouth.) The boys love this part of having a snake and can't wait to watch him eat a live mouse. I don't know is that weird or just curious. The crazy thing is that I like watching the whole thing too. I don't know how I will feel when the creatures are alive. All in all owning a snake isn't so bad and Cole has been very responsible so far.

Nap Time

2010-02-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you stay up all night with friends. Cannon said he fell asleep for just a few minutes early in the morning at his friends house and his friend and his friends dad duct taped him to their couch. I thought only girls did things like that to the first girl to fall asleep at a birthday party. Cannon had a great time and thinks that his friends dad is so funny.
When Cannon got home he was quite grouchy so we all thought it would be a good idea for him to go to his room and watch a movie or just simply be away from us. Cannon plus no sleep equals one grumpy boy. I went in just a few minutes later and Cannon was sound asleep and I couldn't resist taking a few photos. I love my son so much and he is extra adorable when he is sleeping!

Let it Snow!

2010-02-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

At the end of January we had a couple days of good snow and the kids played in it like crazy. Michael helped them build a fort and they would stay outside until they were all pink and frozen. Then they would come inside for a little hot chocolate let their clothes dry a little and head right back out to start the process all over again. It has been a great winter for the younger three. They have really become very best friends. Cole is such a great example of how to be a big brother and Travis just follows his lead with Adam. The only problem is I think Adam is getting a bit spoiled in the process because both Travis and Cole baby him a little too much. It is great to see my kids be such good friends.

Catch Up!

2010-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Wow I really thought I would catch up and really get moving with my blog but that obviously didn't happen. We had a great Christmas. Cole finally got his ball python he has been asking for for about 5 years now. To be perfectly honest it is really not as bad as I had imagined it to be. The feedings aren't that bad and there is relatively minimal work with a snake and Cole is in heaven.

Cannon turned 13 on the 30th of January and is now officially a teenager! He had some friends over for his birthday and stayed up all night watching PG-13 movies because we wouldn't let him watch them until he was 13. He had a great night and ate junk all night long. Now it is the constant question of can I watch this movie can I watch that movie? I am thinking there should be a new rating of PG-16 or something like it. There is such a wide range of what the industry calls PG-13. There are so many that I won't even watch so now it is preview everything. There are just some movies I don't want to watch but it is all in the name of love:)

The boys got there report cards right after they got back from Christmas vacation and they all did so well it was a great day in the Simmons house. Travis who has to work a little extra hard in school seems to be really catching on this year and it showed on his report card. I know he has had to work harder but I think it has helped him to develop better work ethic and he seems willing to put in the extra time. Cannon got to be in the regional spelling bee and he took 4th place over all. I wonder how well he could have done if he had studied his words even once?

We are heading for the home stretch of basketball. I looked at the schedule and there are only 2 more home games to be played in the Byron Gym and that just seems odd but wonderful. I can't wait until next year when the school will be just down the street and if my kids want to run home for something they can. It will be wonderful! Well that is us in a nut shell things are good around here. Life seems to be moving faster than I can keep up with but I am sure enjoying the boys and all their new discoveries.

By the way the lady with the boys is Grandma Scooter she is our neighbor and has become a very important person to the whole family! We all love her and we are all very grateful to have found each other and to have another person to have around to love and share experiences with.

Cole

2009-11-23T14:17:00.000-08:00

I am going to try to get caught up on what is going on around here kid by kid. School started and things got busy real fast. Cole played soccer and had a great time finally being able to be on a team with his closest friend Brian. Next came little grizz football! Not just flag football but they got pads this year and played tackle.The funny side note about that was when school started we knew that football was going to be with pads and Cole was so excited. When Michael was going to give Cole his fathers blessing before school started he asked me if dad would mention doing well in football this year. He has never thought of getting a blessing for soccer so maybe I was wrong when I thought Cole was following after me and my passion for soccer. The football season went well and Cole had a great time. Cole and Brian were on opposite teams and Brian became Cole's nemesis. Every time I thought Cole was about to score a touch down Brian would come out of nowhere and tackle him and when you see the picture of the two of them and see how much smaller Brian is than Cole you will be even more impressed by Brian's ability. It was a good thing Cole loves Brian so much or I am sure there would have been a lot of complaints about that boy who kept tackle him. Cole also ran for student body president and won. He is enjoying being part of the student counsel and coming up with new ideas to help improve the school. Cole also got an award at an assembly for speaking with a purpose. That means not using your words to hurt others and saying kind things to those around you. It is a nice recognition I just wish he did the same at home:)

Cole turned 11 on November 6th. The time just seems to be flying by and I can't believe in a year he will be 12 and I will have two sons who can pass the sacrament. Cole requested for his birthday dinner to consist of potato pearls (which are dried potatoes), homemade rolls, and whatever meat I wanted to come up with oh and brown gravy. He likes that better than anything cake with the caramel in the cake and Skor candy bar on top. I love watching my kids grow and mature it just brings with it so much responsibility and I just don't know if I am doing enough.

Cole is a great student and has a lot of success in school. I love watching him get excited about a new subject. I hope his passion for learning always stays with him and he keeps up all the good work.

Cole was a nerd for Halloween. A pretty good one if I do say so myself.

Cole also got his arrow of light award last week. That is the highest award you can get when you are a cub scout. We worked on things this summer so he could accomplish all he had to do. We barely got it done just in the nick of time. At the pack meeting on Thurs. Cole received his award and we had a little ceremony for him. It was nice and instead of being the cub master that night I just got to be the mom. The ceremony went well and most of the family was there for it. It is really nice having family around I know it makes the boys feel good when they come and support them.

Camping

2009-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

It is the great debate in our family Camping or the Lake? I would choose camping every time and Michael would choose the lake. So we try to compromise and do both. I feel like I get the short end of the stick sometimes because it is a lot easier to run to the lake for the afternoon than it is to get all packed up and head up the mountain. This year we got to go three times and it made me happy every time I got to go. Unfortunately the first time we headed up I went a day early and Michael came up with Cannon the following night and by the morning that Michael was there it was snowing. The weather never quit either and we had to cut our camping weekend short. The next weekend we went the weather was perfect. Todd and Emily came up and spent the night and the kids had a great time together. I love being on the mountain because there are no distractions. All the technology and whatever else draws us apart when we are home together isn't on the mountain and my boys are forced to spend time with their good old mom and dad. We played a little game of baseball while on the mountain and it was a blast. We of course roast marshmallows morning noon and night and just get good and dirty! The third time we went up it was for Labor Day weekend always our last trip before the snow comes and school and activities take over. We always go camping with the same families that weekend and we always have the best time together. We all plan our meals together play games and ride horses(which is the highlight of Travis' and my weekend!) I love being up on the mountain there is just something about the beauty of it all that just makes me so happy inside. There is nothing better than a weekend away with the kids and just having some slow mountain days. I don't especially love being dirty but all the other things that I get to experience while on the mountain is worth all the grime. When people say you are closer to God on the mountain I agree. It is no excuse to miss church but I do feel a special spirit when I am camping. I just am grateful we have such a close beautiful place to do our camping at.

Sails Away!

2009-10-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

One night, this summer, Michael decided to take the boys out to the lake and sleep on the sailboat. Yes, we own a sailboat and it was an interesting summer to say the least. I have found out that I have a fear of the boat that doesn't make sense and the fear takes over and I get irrational and beg to just get back on solid ground. Anyway, Michael took the boys one night and I stayed home for a little peace and quiet. The weather here was great and so the fam headed out for a night of food and fun and I believe a movie on the boat. When Michael and the boys got to the lake the wind had picked up and when Michael tried to paddle his way out to the sailboat on our big tube he had a hard time fighting against the wind. Michael was about to give up and head back to the dock when a big gust of wind picked up and it blew him directly toward the sailboat. The boys all got aboard and they went back to the buoy the boat was tied up to and started to watch a movie. Unfortunately the computer was not fully charged so the boys ended up having an earlier bedtime than they had planned. As I had mentioned before the wind was really picking up and it rocked the boys right to sleep.

The next morning the family woke up to find that the big tube that was tied to the sailboat had gotten loose and was nowhere to be found. They had breakfast and decided to raise a small flag they had bought. When they tried to lower the flag it wouldn't come down. So first Michael tried raising Adam up the mast but Adam got too nervous and begged to come down. So up Travis went and retrieved the flag from way up the mast. It was a good thing I was not there because that flag would have stayed up there before I would be okay with any of my kids going up that mast! After breakfast and the excitement with the flag they boys all decided to go for a little sail around the lake to see if they could locate the inner tube. They looked for quite a long time with no luck when someone spotted something down one of the little coves. The sailboat was too big to go all the way into the cove so Michael sent Cole down in to retrieve the tube. He was successful but he had a bit of fear and was sure he heard the rattle of a snake.

They then took the boat out of the water and began the process of putting down the mast when yet another thing went wrong and something very important broke and luckily no one got hurt, accept the sailboat. They all finished what they had to do and got everything squared away and headed home.

After they all got back and showered and told me the tale of their weekend I asked them if it was even worth going and they all exclaimed that it was one of the best nights of their lives and that they would do it all again in a heartbeat. I guess you never know what will become a bonding moment. Family is great and I am thankful for a husband who is willing to sacrifice and spend what was probably not the most comfortable night with his boys and even though nothing seemed to go his way he still said it was one of the best times he has had with his kids! Thanks honey for all you do!

Happy Birthday Adam!!!

2009-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Adam turned 4 on Sept.12th and has been begging to ride the motorcycle ever since he learned to ride a two wheeler so Michael let him on his birthday. I was for sure nervous that he was going to run into our fence or the huge tree in the yard but he didn't and he seemed to have a great time.

Dad also got a new motorcycle so he took Adam for a ride. They all really like riding together. Cannon got a new bike too so now they can all go riding together and we don't have to have as much bickering about who gets to ride what and for how long. I knew motorcycles would be a part of our lives and I don't mind them. Ever since I got in my accident on Michael's bike I have a bit of fear of riding them myself but it is fun watching the boys ride and have fun. I am just happy following behind on the four wheeler or sitting in the truck reading is just fine with me:) It is great being a mom of four wonderful boys and I feel blessed everyday that it is my job to raise them in the ways of the Lord.

Summer Part 1

2009-10-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a fast moving summer we had and now we are already into fall. The summer started with our trip to Texas. We had so much fun and the drive wasn't horrible(I don't think it is something we want to do every year but not to bad.) The boys had already started baseball and when we got back the season was really busy. We ended up taking 2nd place for the season. Cannon had a great season he was very successful both in the field and at bat. Cannon also got to play on the all-star team. Cole had a good year it was his first in little league and by the end of the season he was much more confident. I think next year he will have a great time.

I thought once baseball was over we would have a lot more time to go camping or spend time as a family but I was wrong. Right after baseball was finished Michael, Cannon, and Cole left for basketball camp at BYU. They had a great time. Cannon's team did really well and Cannon won a couple of the competitions. Cannon had a boy on his team whose dad played for the Utah Jazz. Cole on the other hand did not have as fruitful a team but had a good time being there just the same. Every night when the boys would call to check-in Cannon would go on and on about how well his team was doing and Cole would just say we lost every game. He was one of the better players on his team and he did like that. Cole has a great attitude about getting the most out of what he is doing instead of only focusing on whether or not he is winning.

The boys got home in the wee hours or the morning on Friday and on Monday Michael and Cannon left again this time to go to scout camp for the week. Michael is the scout master and it was nice that I knew Cannon couldn't get into too much trouble at camp because his dad would be there. Cannon had a great week he got a lot accomplished and he is now at the rank of first class. Another benefit of Michael being in the scouting program is that he can keep Cannon right on track to earn his eagle and I won't have to do too much prodding. Michael had a good week also but could have slept for a week to make up for the hours missed during camp. Earlier in the summer Michael went to what is called wood badge. It is a week long training for scout leaders. They do some of the activities the scouts do and they do a bunch of team building. Michael was dreading going but when he got home he had many great stories to tell and his dad and brothers were there and I think they had a great week together.

To all you moms out there with more than one child that can walk and talk you will understand what I am about to say. The two weeks that the two older boys were gone first both to basketball camp and then they were separated one home and one to scout camp were two of the best weeks of my summer. There was not any fighting, the two younger boys don't really fight they get along so well(Travis has a lot to do with that he is so kind to Adam.) And there was no one walking by the other one touching him or pinching him just to see what kind of reaction he could get out of the other. It was so peaceful and the only thing that would have made it better was if Michael could have been here to enjoy the tranquility along with me. Well, my post is getting quite long so I will blog more later.

What my kids were doing while I was coupon shopping

2009-08-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

More Summer Fun!

2009-08-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful week. I got to do a little service on Monday and so to help motivate the boys to babysit/get along I promised them once I got back we would go ride horses and so we did. We then went to Five Springs for FHE and had a great time there with family. Thanks Emily A. for planning it. Summer is almost over and it seems we are just starting to do all the things I wanted to do together. We also got together with a few families this week and played kick ball and on Wednesday we went to the lake and Cole found a snake to play with while we were there. That always makes him happy(who needs a boat). Then on Thursday we went up the mountain to camp. Thursday night and Friday were beautiful but we woke up Saturday to rain mixed with hail and decided to come home early. Even though we didn't get to be there as long as I had hoped I still just love to be camping and getting away from everything. My boys all had a great time and we saw a ton of wild life unfortunately my camera did not work but trust me we had fun!

Summer

2009-07-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering we are still alive and we have been having a fun and busy summer and maybe someday I will actually blog about it.

Trip To Texas

2009-06-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is wrong with me but I have really procrastinated blogging our trip to Texas. I hope I have not forgotten anything I intended to write. Well we left for Texas on Friday,May 22nd the last day of school for our kids. They had a half day and we left as soon as they got home. When I really started to pack and prepare for our trip I must admit that as we got closer and closer to the day that we would actually spend two days in the car together I started to rethink the importance of traveling to see my parents. But in the end with the minivan loaded we headed out. We drove the first night to Colorado Springs about 9 hours from Cowley. We seemed to find every rain storm between here and there. We got to Colorado Springs about 10 and went straight to bed knowing we were going to have an early morning. I woke around 4:45 the next morning showered and cleaned the car up a little woke the rest of the family and off we went. We knew the second day was going to be the harder day we googled it and it estimated my parents house to be about 15 hours from Colorado Springs. Well we got there and really it wasn't that bad. I can't even think of any huge meltdowns but really with video games DVDs and MP3 players there really is a lot to distract kids in the car. Oh and I did have a huge bag full of snacks that we don't usually have mostly CANDY! The kids did great and we got to Nana and Papa's in record time total I think it took us 21.5 hours(Google said it would take 24 hours.) It was nice that the first day at my parents was Sunday so we just relaxed went to church and came home and relaxed some more. Monday we went to the San Antonio zoo. It was Memorial day and there was a lot of people there Culture Shock I forgot that there was that many people in the world(or at least in San Antonio.) The kids had a great time sweating their brains out and looking at all the animals. Nana and Papa sprang for ice cream. There were so many people at the zoo we had to park really far away from the exit and it was a hot humid day and Adam was done walking so about 10 feet away from the car Adam gave up and decided he was going to stay on this nice patch of grass and go no farther. We eventually all got back to the car and found our way back to Nana and Papa's. That night we went to an all you can eat pizza place and my boys definitely got there moneys worth. I think Cannon and Cole both ate 12 or 13 pieces of pizza! Monday night my sister and here 4 kids showed up and we got to meet Claudia and Angelica Kristy's foster daughters. They were great and all the kids had a great time together. Tuesday we went swimming and relaxed and rested up knowing that the next day we were heading to Sea World. Wednesday at Sea World we had a blast. I think Cannon thought it was just going to be a glorified zoo and it was so much more than that and Cannon was pleasantly surprised. Sea world has changed a lot from the last time we were there. They have roller coasters and water slides and many other attractions besides the animal shows. I loved the Shammu show Adam was just amazed that the people can swim with the whales. The kids sat in the soak zone and weren't to soaked but they got to see everything up close. At the very end of the day Cannon and Michael convinced me to go on this roller coaster that you strapped in to so your feet were hanging down and then it seemed as if we just spun in circles for about 10 minutes and all I wanted to do was get off and throw up! The ride made me sick for the rest of the night. When we stopped for dinner that night I couldn't even get out of the car. By the time we finally got home I was feeling better but I will never trust Cannon or Michael again when they say that the ride is not so bad(come to find out Michael bet Cannon a buck that he couldn't get me on the ride.Thursday we decided to rent a canoe and a kayak and spend some time at a private lake that belongs to a friend or my parents. We got there and the lake wasn't as full as it had been,the water was pretty scary looking. So we had lunch there and decided to go and find a good swimming spot along the Guadeloupe River. It was so much fun. The cousins loved spending time together and they really enjoyed racing each other in the boats and flipping the canoe and chasing turtles. We were all sad when Kristy left on Friday. She had to get back so the girls could get ready for girls camp. We went to the movies on Friday Cannon played a little tennis with grandpa and we spent another relaxing day with Nana and papa. Saturday my twin sisters came to my mom's with their kids and we had a barbecue and played crochet and the kids played in the kiddie pool. The cousins did great together. It definitely got louder when we were around the younger girl cousins than when it was mostly boys. It was great fun but it made me feel sad that we don't all live a little closer so the cousins could see each other more. I hate that it takes a while for every one to warm up to each other because they just don't know each other very well. But I guess it is better than not seeing each other at all.We lefton Sunday and we got home Monday early evening just in time for the boys to make it to baseball practice. The trip was great and the drive was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Adam the night we got home said the blessing on dinner and in his prayer he said"Heavenly Father thank you so much for letting us go to Texas it was so much fun because we got to eat so much candy in the car the whole time" so if you too want to have a successful trip any where according to Adam all you need is plenty of candy and you know what I think I agree.

Thanks Grandpa!

2009-06-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

I was so busy trying to get things together before we left for Texas that I didn't get some of my end of the school year blogging done. So here is a late entry. Cannon had to package an egg in something to make it survive a two story fall for his science class. Cannon forgot about this assignment until the day before it was due, and Michael happened to be out of town that night. So, in my wisdom I suggested to Cannon that he should call his grandpa. I figured Roland has all sorts of experience with packaging and I was sure he would have plenty of supplies at his shop. I was right but I never thought that he would help Cannon come up with such cool ideas and designs. By the way I do appreciate Roland's willingness to help out he didn't even pause when Cannon asked and he for sure came up with a much better design than I would have ever thought of. Mine would have included a box and some paper towels I am sure(BORING!) They came up with two ideas and even though Cannon only needed one they couldn't decide which to use so Cannon decided to bring both and in the end two of his friends were very grateful. The first was in the shape of a rocket/bullet. The second was in a Wal-Mart bag(I think that the Wal-Mart bag one was going for the lightest award.) Unfortunately the Wal-Mart bag never got to have a chance. Bill, one of Cannon's friends forgot to do the entire project no egg or anything so Cannon took apart the Wal-Mart bag and gave Bill the egg that was wrapped in packaging bubbles or something to that effect. Then Sarah, another friend, brought an egg but nothing to package it in so Cannon gave her the Wal-Mart bag that had some packaging stuff still in it and now they all had completed projects thanks to Grandpa.

Cannon used his bullet and it worked exactly as he had hoped it would. And as far as I know all the other pieced together projects worked also. Cannon got credit for doing the project and his egg not breaking and if you ask me he should have gotten the most creative design award but there wasn't one of those. It was a fun thing to do and I think Cannon had even more fun because it was something he did with his Grandpa. Thanks again Roland you were a great sport about the whole thing and we appreciate all you do in supporting our kids.

Home Runs and Hair Cuts

2009-05-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend when we were discussing hair cuts and the need for the whole family to get one before we left for Texas, Michael came up with this crazy idea. Cannon, for a while now has not gone with the Simmons buzz and has wanted longer hair. It isn't that long but Michael deep down wishes that he would just cut it short like the rest of the boys. So, in the spirit of fun, Michael came up with a bet with Cannon. He told Cannon that if he wasn't able to hit a home run before we left for Texas he would get to cut Cannon's hair however he wanted(everyone knowing that meant shaved bald.) Cannon surprisingly agreed but then asked what do I get if I do hit a home run? Michael then agreed that Cannon could cut his hair however he wanted(also knowing it would be shaved.) Well, we had a game on Friday night and guess what happened? Yep you guessed it Cannon hit his first home run of the year! So that is why my husband now has no hair. Cannon was a little nervous about shaving his dad's head because he didn't think he would look cool. But he finally did it and had fun
Moral of the story don't ever bet against one of your kids!

Popcorn

2009-05-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

I looked out the window and what did I see?

That's not popcorn and it isn't an apricot tree but it is my favorite tree in our yard right now. In a couple months I don't like it as much when it is dropping crab apples all over but for now isn't it beautiful?

Musical

2009-05-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Cannon had two concerts this week. On Monday he had his band concert with the high school kids. Then on Tuesday he had his choir concert and they actually put on a short little musical. It was about the history of Rock. It was cute and it amazes me when I see what our music teachers do and how much extra time they put in so our kids have great experiences and learn the joy of music. We didn't get pics of Cannon's band concert but here are a few of the play. Cannon had a couple lines he had to say and then...... He had to dance with a girl and he was definitely nervous! He did well and now we just need to survive one more week of school. It wouldn't be so bad but it seems like every thing is saved for that last week and my calendar looks crazy! I guess this is one of those things I will miss some day so I should just smile and love that I can help out with the end of the year activities and enjoy my boys. Then it is the lazy days of summer...... RIGHT?!?!

Spring Concert

2009-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Cole and Travis had their Spring concert last week and as always it was great! All the classes sang theme songs from TV shows. Travis' class sang Spider-Man, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and Sesame Street. Cole's class sang Green Acres, The Brady Bunch, and Gilligan's Island. It was fun music and the kids were so amazed that I knew some of the lyrics.
Thanks Adrienne for the great pictures.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

2009-05-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day, MOM! I hope you are having a great day. I just wanted to write a little tribute to my mom. Mom, there have been so many times that I have said thank you for what you have done for me and all the sacrifices you made but I want you to know as my children get older and older I realize more and more how hard it must have been and again I want to say thank you and I am sorry.

I also just wanted to write down some of the memories I have of my childhood in particular memories of my mom. I remember one of the first times I saw my mom feel the spirit at church was when we all stood up to sing a rest song and I believe it was I Stand All Amazed and my mom got weepy during the last verse of that song. I remembering thinking why is my mom crying and asking her later. She then expressed to me that the song just struck her extra strong that day and she was grateful for the sacrifice that Jesus made for her. I don't know why that stands out in my mind but it does and that song has always held a special place in my heart ever since.

One of the other things I remember about my mom is that she would let me take a day off of school once in a while even though there was nothing wrong with me physically. It seemed liked we then would often go visit her mom or her sisters or both and we always had a great day together just the two of us. This was during a time when most of the time we didn't get along and now looking back I think it was what kept our relationship strong enough to get through the tough times. I am sure many times she just wanted to send me off to school to get me out of her hair for a few hours but she always made me feel loved and wanted. Thanks for that mom.

I remember my mom always had play dough or paints or some sort of cool craft thing to play with. As a child I did not realize that this is a very big deal but now as a parent I do. Let me explain. As a child you never understand how hard your mom works to keep the house clean. You may hear your mom say "I work all day long to get this house clean" but you don't really understand what that means. Now as a mom I do understand what that means. It never fails that the minute I get the kitchen floor clean one of my children wants to play play dough or with moon sand (which by the way mom you didn't have to deal with and you were lucky) and they proceed to get it all over the floor I have just spent time cleaning. So thanks for all the hours upon hours you spent cleaning the house so we could mess it up again.

The last thing I will mention is silly but a memory none the less. Halloween! My mom always was so great about putting together great Halloween costumes. When we were young she would make them and as we got older she would work at a Halloween booth that sold great costumes and we would get to buy them at a great price. Now my kids are benefiting from my mom's enthusiasm for Halloween. Whatever they want to be for Halloween they call her up and she whips out a costume for the kids! It is always amazing what she comes up with and the kids always look fantastic. She does this for all the grandkids and it is amazing she is able to get all the costumes done before the frightful night. So thanks for that Mom.

Mom, I just want you to know I appreciate you more and more as my kids grow up. As a child you just don't understand all that a mom does to make the lives of the family run smoothly. It seems that all I ever recognized was when I felt you didn't do a good enough job and I am sorry for that. I love you and I hope you had fun reading a few of the memories I have of you(I have many more but I will save those for future Mothers Days.) Thanks again for your example and the safe and loving home I grew up in. Have a great Mothers Day and remember that You are a wonderful Mother! By the way I have no pictures of you so be prepared to have your picture taken a lot when we come to visit.

Easter Ties Take Two

2009-04-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

My mom made all the boys ties for Easter. I didn't get them from the post office in time to wear them on Easter(thank goodness the Easter bunny brought ties also.) So the boys wore them after Easter. We wanted to get some good pics for Nana. Since I took pictures I thought I would share with everyone. Besides aren't my boys so handsome?!

Earth Day/Pack Meeting

2009-04-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

On Earth Day we had a pack meeting for just the boys and their leaders. We went around town picking up trash to make our little town a little more clean. The boys grouped off in threes and raced around town trying to pick up the most trash. It was funny to see them have their arms full of trash and pass up a closer bag to make sure they put the garbage in THEIR bag. When we told the boys we were heading back for ice cream sundaes they soon forgot their competition and headed straight for the church. They picked up a lot of trash and had fun doing it. I really enjoy being around the scouts they are all so interesting and unique. I love them all. Our bags are full can we have our ice cream NOW?!
The weather actually cooperated with us and it was a perfect outside activity.

Cole and Cannon's Spring Piano Recital

2009-04-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Cannon and Cole had their Spring piano recital Thursday night.The boys did well. The recital got moved up a week and we were a little nervous about having a week less to practice so we crammed in some extra practice time. We practiced morning, afternoon and night. There still were a few rough spots but I think that was due more to nerves than not knowing their stuff. Cole also told me he had to go to the bathroom really bad. That always happened to me when I was playing sports. My mom would always laugh because I would be out on the field doing the potty dance. Cole's legs were shaking like crazy I guess that is how you do the potty dance sitting down. Anyway I got some video of the boys mostly for the family that wasn't able to be here for the occasion. Good Job boys keep up the hard work!

Go Adam Go!

2009-04-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

Just a warning to all thoe people who drive down our road, Adam is on his way to learning how to ride his bike so watch out for the little guy on the black bike.

He has been pretty successful accept he only trusts his dad to help him so there are breaks in between tries. It does feel weird not to have Joel teaching him, He has taught all the rest of our boys. Something to do with having more patience with the child and the child not feeling like he can yell at Joel. It has always been very productive. So Joel if you are wanting a chance to participate in Adam's training you better head home sometime soon!

Cole's Science Project

2009-04-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Elementary science fair was last Friday the 17th. Cole's project was about air pressure. He poured hot and cold water on a bottle and depending on the different temperature the air would either push out the straw or suck water up it. It was a great experiment once we got it working. Michael helped Cole put it all together once he wasn't successful doing it alone. Michael got it all together and Cole some how couldn't get it to school without breaking something. So finally on the morning of the science fair Michael came and set it up in class and Cole then performed the experiment and it worked perfectly! The air came out of the bottle when Cole poured hot water over the outside of it creating bubbles in a cup of water and then when he poured cold water on the outside of the bottle it contracted sucking water up the straw. It was a very scientific:). It might not win any national science fairs but Cole liked it and it worked isn't that all that matters.

The kids that participated in the science fair all brought their projects to the gym to display. The fifth grade class had success this year and had a box full of newly hatched baby chickens. Last year Cannon's class didn't have success:( Adam loves the baby chickens he wanted to plant himself in front of the box and stay there for the afternoon. Too bad chickens aren't that cute when they grow up, Michael might not have as hard of a time convincing me to have chickens.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Easter morning is one of my favorite mornings! The Easter bunny hides the baskets and leaves a trail of carrots from the kids' rooms to the first clue and they race all around the house finding clue after clue until the Easter bunny runs out of rhymes and then the kids find their baskets. This year the older boys weren't quite as enthusiastic as in years past but they still followed the younger ones around to help read clues and decipher where they should go next. It was a little more exercise than in years past since we now have stairs for them to go up and down(the Easter bunny utilized the stairs well.) I actually had to wake all of the kids up this year.

The Easter Baskets this year were hidden in my shower. Not a great place . I was trying to get up early and be all ready for the morning and I was not able to take an early shower.We had Stake conference at 10:00 and I knew if we didn't get things going we would all be late and cranky for church! We then went to conference, second week in a row of not attending regular church, and actually had a fairly pleasant stake conference. Adam realized he could get some reactions out of the row behind us so he poured on the charm here and there during the meeting but besides that it was a relatively smooth conference. We then came home took some pictures outside with the boys and their new Easter ties. You would have thought I was asking them to give me all of their candy by the reaction I got when I said "don't run in and take your Sunday clothes off right away I want to take pictures." My mom also made the boys ties and we will be posting pictures of those soon. Thanks Grandma! The boys then proceeded to inhale most of the candy in their baskets while we waited for the time to come that we were to go over to papa's house for dinner and another Easter egg hunt. We (or should I say the Easter bunny) over did it a little this year and the boys ended up with so much candy that we have put it away and only get it out once in a while. It was a great relaxing weekend , the only thing that would have made it better would to have my family around to celebrate with also!

Just a thought about Easter. I know my Savior died for me and that is the reason for this holiday. He died and then rose again from the bonds of death. I know that many of the drops of blood the Savior spilt was for me and I am so grateful for His sacrifice. I know that I don't understand the atonement completely but when I think about how much I would sacrifice for my children and the sorrow it instills in me when they make a bad choice I in some small way understand the love Jesus has for me, faults and all. I am no where near close to perfection but when a holiday like Easter and Christmas come along I definitely think about doubling or tripling my efforts. It also makes me look more outside myself and realize that there is a lot more I should be doing. I am truly grateful for Easter in many ways. I am so blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel and now it is time to really apply it more in my life!

2009-04-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I forgot until I was looking through the pictures from the Easter weekend that Michael took Cannon and the rest of the younger scouts to Cody to finish up their aviation merit badge. The boys have been doing all sorts of stuff to get this badge and the last thing was to go and fly in an airplane. Todd, Michael's brother, is running a portion of the airport in Cody and so the boys got a tour of the facility and got to get into some of the equipment and have a fun morning. I thought maybe some of the kids would throw up but none did. Michael said the air was calm and it was a perfect morning for a flight. I was hoping for some gruesome stories about puking hahahaha. They had a good morning and one more merit badge done on the road to Eagle.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was great. We had Friday and Monday off I think that is the longest spring break we in school district #1 have had. Anyway we had a nice slow day on Friday got some stuff done around the house. Michael worked on the new sail boat. Got it ready for his first outing. Michael then went sailing on Saturday and I took the kids to the town Easter egg hunt. The kids had a great time got plenty of candy didn't get knocked over by any one and didn't do any knocking over. Cole took third place this year in the coloring contest(we all gave him a hard time because since he was in kindergarten he has taken 1st so we teased him that he might need to practice his coloring skills) We then had a good time enjoying the weather and played at the park for a while. Later we set off for home. We did some egg coloring. I never knew you could color eggs that fast. Adam must have thought it was a contest as to who could color the most eggs the fastest because I think he colored 7 or so in a matter of minutes. They all had fun though and another yearly tradition was not forgotten. Michael and I had fun that night with the Easter bunny and went to bed at the early hour of 12:30am(that Easter bunny really knows how to party!) Waiting for the hunt to begin

Adam loved the hunt

Cannon was too old this year so he was the photographer/helper

The older boys were so thrilled to hang out at the park can't you tell? Eventually most of them walked home.

Fun With Family

2009-04-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

We left to go to Utah right after school got out on Thursday. We left around 4:00 hoping to get ahead of the weather but unfortunately we found and went right through a storm starting about South Pass and followed it on to Utah. Michael is always the driver and the rest of us slept. It was nice to have Friday just to hang out and enjoy the cousins and be lazy. Michael and Cannon went on a little shopping spree but came back only with dinner no clothes. Michael and Cannon were going to go to a Utah Flash game with my brother, Steven on Friday night and right before they were going to leave Cannon went out to do a couple back flips on their tramp.(and you know how lucky we have been with tramps lately) Anyway the next thing I hear is My sister-in-law Denice saying I think Cannon hit his head on the tramp. I went out to find my son grabbing the back of his head and saying I'm fine I'm fine it is no big deal. When we finally got him to let go of his head to examine the damage it was pretty bad. There was just this huge cut and it was really deep. I was the first to see it and after Cole's fiasco I thought we should take him right to the emergency room. Well not Michael he calmly brought Cannon in washed his head real good this time dried it off and glued him right up. The whole time I was a little nervous about doing the fix-it job again ourselves but the cut seems to be healing well. Michael thinks it is all in the glue. We didn't have the right glue last time and Michael is sure that is where we went wrong. So before any of you head on down to the ER you might want to stop by and see if Dr. Michael can do the job!:)
As I mentioned before we got to spend time with my brothers kids and it was fun as always. The kids all got along really well(accept for a few little fights among Adam and Elle.) The first morning I decided to do a little exercising and while I was doing my video my little niece followed along and worked out with me. Once we were on the floor doing some push ups she looked me right in the eyes and said "I Love You!" Talk about immediate connection, she was my pal for the rest of the weekend. Girls are definitely much more dramatic than boys and they are far more persistent and they give you much more information than boys do. I loved every minute with Elle and I can't wait for them to come visit some time soon!(that is a hint Denice) Travis and Isaiah always get along well. Cole and Caleb became fast friends and whenever they were sitting still Caleb was always on him somehow,on his lap, shoulders or back. They all did have a great time together. I am so glad Steven and Denice live in Utah at least one of my siblings live within a days drive. We had a great time and appreciate Steven and Denice's hospitality. We love you and thanks for the weekend.

Priesthood Session

2009-04-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have been a little slow in posting items so here we go. For conference weekend we decided to make a mad dash to Utah. In the past when the boys have turned eight we have taken them to conference to see the prophet and enjoy an afternoon with mom and dad. So since Cannon is now twelve we decided to go and Michael and Cannon went to the priesthood session together. Michael has a friend Brian and his brother Dave is in charge of events at the Conference Center and so the boys got to go and see some different parts of the Conference Center(no President Monson sightings though.) They also got awesome seats. Michael said you could actually see the speakers face. When we have been to the Conference Center before we were waaaaaaaay up in the top rows. Cannon had a good time and actually came back remembering some of what was taught during the priesthood session. Michael and Cannon went to Salt Lake with my brother Steven and Michael's good friend Brian and his son Anthony and Brian's father-in-law Lamont. Lamont is one of the funniest people you will ever meet and Cannon came home with soooooo many stories of this funny man he just met. Fun was had by all and I hope that we will be able to keep this tradition alive for the rest of the boys. There is nothing like the feeling you have when you are sitting anywhere in the Conference Center and the Prophet walks in the place goes immediately quiet and the spirit is so strong you can't deny it.

Spring Festival

2009-03-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Cole went to Worland to participate in the spring festival. Cole and his good friend Brian got to do the percussion. He loved it. Cannon got to do this last year and I think Cole was hoping to be able to participate in the festival also. Cole had to be to the bus at 6:30am and learned all of his songs while in Worland and then at 2:30 that afternoon they performed their songs. They also had a choir and the plastic flute. Cannon was on the flute last year. Maybe next year Cole will get to go back and do something different.

Anyway experiences like this are precious and I am so grateful we have a music teacher willing to sacrifice a Saturday so our kids can have these type of opportunities. Cole got to go to A&W for lunch(ordering all by himself is a big deal) He enjoyed his favorite a chili dog and a rootbeer float. All in all I think Cole had a great day and we as a family had a great time watching him perform!

Pinewood Derby

2009-03-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

We had our pinewood derby on Thursday the 26th. Cole never goes for the traditional car shape. I kept telling him that a more aerodynamic design would have a better chance of winning but he did not care. So we came up with the money car(it looked better for the actual derby but I forgot my camera AGAIN) Adam has not stopped playing with it since we got home. Cole did not win but he sure had a good time watching the cars race. Pinewood derbies are always a blast!

What's In Your Backpack?

2009-03-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

We had a good morning today and when things go smoothly in the morning we end up with a little extra time. This is what Cole did with his free time this morning.Yes, that is Adam all the way inside Cole's backpack. Wait 'til you see the other pictures they are a little creepy. When Adam was on Cole's back he said "now I can go to school without my shoes on." It was a fun morning. At first I was only concerned about the backpack breaking then I realized it was not something to freak out about and everyone enjoyed some pretty good giggles this morning.
This picture looks like it should be in some horror film. I can't believe Adam fit in Cole's backpack. Here he is hung up with the rest of the families backpacks.

Travis Is 7!

2009-03-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Travis! Today is my little cowboys birthday. I just don't know how else to describe him other than that. He is such a bright spot in my life. Travis this year has become my shadow. Whenever we sit to watch a movie or this basketball season he can't get close enough to me. I am lovin' every minute of it. I know some day too soon he will be embarrassed of me and rather have me not even acknowledge him. So I am going to love it while I can.

Travis loves everything cowboy and horses and farming. I think Travis will some day own a small farm of some sort if he can. I at times think that maybe Trav might want to live around here some day so he can be a cowboy.

Travis has worked hard this year in school and I am so proud of the progress he has made. Travis has also made a new friend this year. We have a neighbor named Scooter and Travis loves to spend time with her. She loves to be with Adam and Travis and spoils them like crazy whenever they are together. It is like having a grandma right next door. It is great to have all sorts of friends and we can never have too much love in our lives and she definitely loves Trav.But really how can you not?I know Travis has the ability to be an example to many people around him especially his little brother and I am proud most of the time for the direction he leads him in. I do love watching Travis be the big brother to Adam. They play farm down in the basement for hours, laying out the animals with the tractors and all the farm equipment. They have so much fun together.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be Travis' mom. I learn so much from him. He has a tender heart and so much passion for the things he loves. We are all lucky to have him in our lives. Happy Birthday Trav!

Update

2009-03-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would update everyone on the Cole situation. We thought every thing was going fine with his head and then on Sunday the goose egg on the side of his head seemed to be getting bigger. Monday when Jodi was dropping off Ethan I asked her to take a look at the cut and she encouraged me to take Cole to the doctor. We made an appointment and headed to Lovell. The doctor said that there was definitely an infection and that he would have to get the puss and what-not out of his head. The nurse had to rub off as much of the glue(and there was a lot of glue) as she could and Dr. Caldwell had to push on the very sensitive big lump on the side of Cole's head. He was in sooooo much pain but he really was such a good patient. He did cry a little but never pulled away and never yelled out. I could tell he was hurting pretty bad and I even got a little teary just feeling so helpless. The doctor then prescribed some medicine and off we went (sticker and suckers in hand.) By the way the stuff that came out of Cole's head was sooooo gross it reminded me why I am not in the medical profession.
Dr. Caldwell told us that if the spot on his head got big again we needed to push the blood and puss out at home. I was not looking forward to this just because Cole now knew just how much it was going to hurt and I knew that he was not going to be as calm with us as he was at the clinic. We went to the pharmacy and got the medicine stopped for some ice cream for the good patient and headed home. Unfortunately Cole chose liquid medicine and it tastes terrible. So now not only do we have to torture him with pain but we also get to pour horrible tasting medicine down his throat.
Cole has been a trooper and we have only had to push on his head once. The medicine is horrible but he chokes it down and goes on his way. Maybe next time we will just go to the doc first, probably not. The funniest thing about this whole ordeal is that I think it has made Cole and I closer. I don't know why but I just feel a little extra connection with him that wasn't there before. Go figure. Moral of the story who knows when a bonding moment might come along and in what form.

CRACK!

2009-03-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the talk Cole gave in primary this Sunday. He wrote most of it on his own with a little help from me. It also tells the story of our weekend. The topic for his talk was Family members have special Responsibilities.

Heavenly Father provided us with a family. Sister Brost taught us last week that our earthly fathers are to preside, protect, and provide for the family.
Thursday we got out of school early. My brother, some friends and I were playing basketball on the tramp and having a great time. My brother went up to dunk the ball on the basketball hoop. As he came down I jumped up and tried to tip it out, and his teeth hit my head, which caused a three inch crack on the side of my head. I felt my head it was bleeding so I ran inside to find my mom. She looked at it and realized that the cut was bigger than the other times I had cracked my head open. So she called my dad and asked him to come home from work and look at it. When my dad saw the cut on my head he knew just what to do. He calmly cleaned the cut and with the help of my friends mom, Sister Winland, they closed the cut with super glue.Then they put bandages over it so it wouldn't open back up. My dad helped me rip those off this morning.
My dad always knows what to do and it makes me feel safe and protected. I'm grateful for my family.

Cole seems to be healing okay. He still has a bit of a headache and he has a pretty good bump on the side of his head. I think he will be fine. I too am grateful for Michael and his ability to stay calm and not panic. Life is never dull in a house full of boys.

HE'S BAAAAAAACK!

2009-03-05T14:24:00.001-08:00

As most of you know basketball is over for the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies. And with the end of the season we get our dad back and boy is it nice. A friend asked me today "how is it having Michael home more?" and at first I gave her a short answer but as I thought about it Michael being home this week really was GREAT. The part of our daily routine I don't especially enjoy is the bedtime routine. This week Michael has been around and has taken care of the bedtime stories and the teeth brushing craziness that happens every night. I love basketball season and I love going to games but Michael not being home pretty much every night of the week makes for a grouchy mommy sometimes. So I am sure the boys appreciate Michael being home more, just as much as I do. Being a single mom is not the life for me. A little adult conversation in the evening has been a perk also. I am sad the Grizz didn't get one more weekend of basketball but it is nice having Michael around. Welcome back Sweetheart!

Got The First One

2009-02-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Grizz won their first game against Big Piney and we are now off to the Semi-Finals against Mountain View. Wish us luck. Don't forget to watch on TV or listen on the web at www.tctwest.net GO GRIZZ!!!

Conference Champs

2009-02-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

As I am sure most of you all know the Grizz clinched 1st place on Saturday night. It was a very exciting game full of drama. My heart was pounding so hard I am sure it counted as my exercise for the day!

The boys started off a little slow and I got nervous when we ended the first period down 14-4. The boys came back with a vengeance thanks to Austin Leonhardt and his amazing three point shooting ability. Austin hit 5 three pointers in the game and was the spark that set our team on fire. Not the usual characters played the starring roles in the game on Saturday but it was awesome. It was so good to see the boys who normally shine be willing to see that it wasn't their night to be the star and to see their willingness to take a supporting role. Of course like always Thermopolis' coach looked like his head was going to pop right off the whole game and I loved every minute of it(maybe I shouldn't admit to that.)

The team had such a great weekend and I am just like a proud little mommy. Which I know I am not but these boys sure have stolen a place in my heart and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. It is amazing to me how attached I can get to Michael's team. Since our house has a little more space now we have been able to have the team over more this year than in years past and it has been nice. We fed the boys before the game on Saturday and the team is always so polite and respectful I enjoy having them in our home.

The most unfortunate part of the weekend was that Austin Leonhardt got hurt late in the third quarter. He hurt his knee and could not play for the rest of the game. He hasn't been able to get a MRI yet but we are hoping and doing a lot of praying that he will be okay. Not just for the benefit if the team but he already has had surgery on one knee it would be awful for him to have two bad knees. So keep Austin in your prayers.

We are heading to regionals this weekend. It is the first time in a long time that Rocky Mountain has been able to enter the tournament in first. Even in the late 90's when we won state a couple times in a row we weren't conference champs. So we are excited for the team and can't wait to see what they can do next. Our first game is on Thurs. afternoon at 3:45.

My kids love going to regionals it is like a mini vacation for our family after a full season of basketball. The boys love going to the games and then go swim as much as possible in between. This year will be great because I can have the older boys help with Adam and I can sit and watch. Our family sure is growing up and going with Michael to tournament gets easier and easier(except I still have to pack and then unpack the yucky part of trips.)

GOOD LUCK GRIZZ! I LOVE YOU ALL AND I KNOW YOU WILL DO GREAT!

Way to Go Grizz!

2009-02-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

After having lost to the Lovell Bulldogs in an embarrassing way earlier in the season we met up with them again last night with a much different outcome! The Grizz are doing their season ending peaking and it couldn't have come at a better time. We met back up with the Bulldogs last night and showed them to never underestimate the Grizz. The boys started a little slow and got a couple early fouls but then got their composure back and remembered we were at home and it was senior night and who wants to lose on senior night especially against our rivals? It was a great game and I loved watching the confidence grow in the boys. The most impressive thing about last night was that not only did the boys play great but they were a TEAM last night. Not one boy out shined the other they all had their moments and when you added it up we were great together. I am so excited to see what they can put together for the rest of the season and post season play. Good luck Grizz. I know you can do it and it is great to see that you know it too!

Valentines Day

2009-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

We had a great Valentines Day! It was nice to be able to spend time together. We even had pink icing on our Cinnamon Rolls. Michael did not have games until 4:00 so we had a nice slow day together.

I was so preoccupied with making my Valentines day special that I forgot a big commitment I had made that day and I am now wondering if there is something wrong with me. I did not even remember about the commitment until two days later. I feel like I am starting to forget more than just little things. I don't know what I can do but if you have any suggestions please let me know. I don't want to let one more person down and I really am getting tired of having to apologize every couple of days.

Best Teacher Award!

2009-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Travis has been working hard this year on his reading and has had Mrs. Banks right there cheering him on. So last week Chris and I had a parent/teacher conference and it was amazing to see all he has accomplished since the last time he was tested. The only thing Trav still struggles with is his reading fluency/speed. So with no prompting from me Mrs. Banks offered as an incentive for Travis to set some goals and when they were reached he could come over and ride their horse, Spook. And anyone who knows Travis would know that that would be a very motivating reward. Travis accomplished his goal in less than a week and Saturday morning we went over to the Banks' home and Travis enjoyed a morning of riding.

I don't know about you but this to me seemed like a teacher going way above and beyond the call of duty. Both Chris Banks and Chris Townsend, the first grade teachers, are amazing women who are very committed to their children in their classes. I was just so impressed with Mrs. Banks willingness to help in the reward part of Travis' goal and in such an amazing way. Travis is well motivated now and he still has new goals to achieve and Chris is ready and willing to have Travis over for another morning of riding when he has met his goals.

I know Michael and I have stayed in Cowley for many different reasons but I am telling you that when I see a teacher do something like this it reinforces in my heart that we are exactly where we should be. I know that Chris does not read my blog but I just wanted you all to know about one more amazing staff member we have in our schools. Thanks sooooo much Chris. Keep up the good work Trav!

15 YEARS AND COUNTING!

2009-02-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

15 years baby and still going strong! Michael and I got married February 5th 1994. We were babies but still took the big plunge. It is funny to look back and think of how young and a bit dumb we were. We have had our share of tough times but we have weathered the storms that have come our way and love each other even more than I thought possible. I am sure more hard times are in store but our commitment to each other is eternal and I know that if we stay close to our Heavenly Father we can get through what ever comes our way.

I thought I would share just a few of my favorite things or stories about Michael or the two of us. Michael is the peacemaker in our marriage. He is always the one who tries to initiate conversation to fix whatever argument we are in. He always tells me he loves me and is very affectionate. Michael tries very hard not to rock the boat and always makes me feel like his number 1. We love to kiss and hug in front of our boys just to get a reaction from them and it never fails they always say "Gross stop it." But I think they actually like seeing that their mom and dad still love each other. We love to play games with friends and the kids and lately we have been playing a lot with the older boys. We have decided not to play Monopoly any more with Michael because he ALWAYS dominates and just picks us off one by one.
Michael and I love sports and enjoy watching a good game of just about anything on the TV together. We definitely tested the strength of our marriage this last year while trying to remodel our house. I can say we had some good times and some bad times. We still have a bit to finish but things turned out well.
Some of my favorite memories of Michael are in the hospital after we have had each of our children. It is such a bonding time. I love looking over and watching Michael just stare in amazement at what we have just created. And then trying to come up with the perfect name for our new baby boy.
I am blessed to have so many men in my life . I am especially grateful for Michael and the man he tries to be. We are looking forward to the next 15 years and all the ups and downs that will come along the way. The best part is that we get to do it together. I love you honey. Happy anniversary!

Cannon's Birthday Weekend

2009-01-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

Cannon woke up to me singing happy birthday to him. With a smile he got up hoping the day would turn out the way he hoped(us beating Thermop.) I try to make all their favorite meals on or around their birthday. So we started with Cannon's new favorite breakfast, Chocolate chip pancakes. The rest of the fam elect to omit the chocolate chips but enjoy the meal all the same. We did gifts in the middle of breakfast because we knew the day would get ahead of us and we wouldn't be all together again that day until late that evening. I think Cannon was thrilled with his gifts. He then went to school for a Friday half day. Cannon invited a friend to come home with him after school. Then around 2:30 the basketball team came over and we had a BIG sandwich and cake. It was fun. Cannon loves to include the team in on his birthday. We then cleaned up and headed out to the games. First was the JV boys games and all went well and we killed them hoping this would be an omen for the rest of the night. The girls game was close but we just couldn't finish. Then the boys game. We started a little rough but then pulled ourselves together and looked like we might repeat our victory from the year before. We fell to an eight point deficit after half but fought back and took a five point lead. Honestly at that point I thought the game was all but ours. Thermop took a time out with four minutes left and we fell apart. Unfortunately we never seemed to get back in the game and we lost. So most of Cannon's birthday wishes came true. We came home and played Cannon's new game and tried to forget the hard loss we had just endured. All in all Cannon had a great day. On Saturday just Cannon and I headed to Powell for the basketball games. We first stopped at the Chinese food place,Cannon asked for sweet and sour chicken for his birthday and this was an easy way of appeasing him. We stuffed ourselves at the buffet and headed to the game. We didn't win but Cannon and I had a great night just being together. It is amazing how enjoyable the conversation was. I had a chance to let Cannon know how pleased I am with the choices he is making. We also discussed how sacred the priesthood is and it amazed me what he had to say and the knowledge he had already. I love him so much and am grateful for his influence in my life! It is a great day to be a mom!Cannon received the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday. Joel came from Billings and Cannon got to be ordained by Michael before sacrament meeting. The bishop called him to the stand to be sustained and recognized for getting his faith in God award. He then got to pass the sacrament for the first time. Michael blessed the sacrament and Cannon passed and it was a great day! The priesthood is a blessing that will abound in our home over the years and I am excited to watch it come to pass.

Cannon Is 12!

2009-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Happy 12th Birthday Cannon

I can't believe this day has come! Cannon is 12 and has become such a wonderful young man and I am soooooo proud(but in a good way)of him. Cannon has taken on the role of oldest very seriously. He sees my need for help around the house(usually when my eyes are bulging out of my head and my hair is on fire) and always pitches in and tries hard to change his attitude and he always does more than his share. On the other hand while Michael is gone so much during basketball season he also tries to take on the role of father and you can just guess how the others, especially Cole, respond to this. Cannon really is trying to help but that is not how it ends up most of the time.

Cannon as a baby never had time to sit still long enough to hug me or give loves. The funny thing is as he has gotten older and started school he has become more affectionate(making up for lost time.) Cannon still will sit on my lap in public and every day when he leaves for school(mad or not) he yells out from the front door I LOVE YOU! Some mornings it impresses me soo much because maybe the morning did not go the way he wanted and I am pretty sure he doesn't like me much but he still makes a point of telling me he loves me. That is an attribute I think he got from his dad. And some day when he is a husband it will be a great strength.Cannon has always had a passion for sports. This year Cannon has been able to participate in middle school athletics and he has loved every minute of it. He got to first play football. It was a trying season but Cannon still worked hard and enjoyed time with friends. They didn't have the winningest season but Cannon found out how tough he was every single game. Next was basketball season which is his favorite sport(I wonder why?). Cannon was excited to finally get to play with his friends on a team together. In the past on rec teams they always seemed to get split up to keep the teams even. They did well together. Cannon got to play on the upper grade teams and got a lot of experience. Cannon is a hard worker and wants to win. I wonder where he got that competitive nature from?!

As you can tell I am extremely proud of the young man Cannon is becoming. He is leading the way for his brothers so well I couldn't ask for more(well maybe a little less fighting with siblings.)

With turning 12 Cannon will get to receive the priesthood. Wow that doesn't seem to be real. I remember turning 12 and thinking I was sooo old. I look at Cannon and I realize I was wrong. I hope we have taught him enough that he sees and understands the responsibility of the priesthood. I am sure we will have many family home evenings on the topic.

Happy Birthday bud. Keep up the good work.

So!

2009-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Are you all wondering why I have a picture of Travis with his shirt on backwards? Well this is how Travis looks every day when he comes out of his room after dressing himself(yes he is almost 7). Travis rarely ever puts his shirt on the right way the first time. I know it has nothing to do with his ability to dress himself it has every thing to do with the fact that Travis lacks the ability to stay focused on anything that isn't horses or cows. Almost every day either when he gets dressed in the morning or after his bath at night Travis will come out dressed with some or all of his clothing not assembled the way it is intended to be. Every time I mention to him that his shirt is backwards he always responds the same way "SO!"

This morning Travis was getting ready and was struggling to get his shirt on and when he came out of his room he was extremely frustrated that his clothing was not cooperating. Right away I could see the problem. First he had his undershirt on backwards and he was trying to put on a button up shirt but he was trying to shove his arm through the wrong hole while forcing the sleeve to go in-side-out. I really wanted to take his picture but he was far to flustered to then ask him to be still while I took his picture. I love my Trav he is always doing something funny with no intention of humor.
Now you can have a little laugh too.

First Time For Everything!

2009-01-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

I just thought I would let everyone know I just boiled chicken without it boiling all over the stove! Sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things. Good luck in your cooking endeavors today!

A "Grizzly" Weekend

2009-01-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

Well it was a long weekend of basketball. It started Thursday night with Wind River. We played them in the East/West tournament first game of the season and did not fare so well. We did better against Wind River but still fell to the Cougars(which is hard because I never like to loose but the W.R. coach is such a great guy that it is hard to stay mad for long.) Friday night we played the Burlington Huskies, in my mind one of our rivals. Burlington is in our district but I really hate loosing to them. But even though I wanted to win it didn't seem like some of the boys wanted it as bad as I did. We lost for the second time this season to the Huskies so the good news is we don't have to play them again this year the bad news is we lost twice to the Huskies booooo. Saturday we played our first conference game. We came out on top of this one. I was a little nervous after the night before and how the boys were feeling. We played the Shoshoni Wranglers. The Grizz came out confident and on fire. We couldn't miss in the first quarter and the team really seemed to be playing together as a unit. We went on to dominate the whole game almost to the point that I felt a little sorry for the Wranglers. It was nice to see the team smile and have some fun. I love my Grizz. Good luck in future games boys.

Mom Will You Play With Me?

2009-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we woke up to a beautiful dusting of snow. While I was doing the bathrooms Adam came in and asked if I would go have fun in the snow with him. Usually I would put him off or tell him to go out by himself but due to one of my new years resolutions I finished what I was doing got in some warmer clothes and out we went. The sun was bright and it was pretty warm outside. We decided to make snow angels.

Adam's snow angel .

My snow monster I mean angel.

We then had a very short lived snow ball fight. Adam didn't like it that I could hit him so many more times than he could hit me. You all know me no mercy! Unfortunately the snow was not quite wet enough for a snow man so we played follow the leader. I had to step in Adam's footsteps as I followed him. That is when I realized how many more steps it takes Adam to get somewhere than it takes me. I knew his stride was shorter than mine but wow he really does have to work hard to get from A to B. I think about how he had to climb up the mountain when we went sledding and it was hard for me and it had to be really hard for him! We then tried to take some pics together but that didn't turn out so good but here they are. Adam kept saying the sun was too bright and it was hurting his eyes.

Thank goodness for children that keep me young and having a bit of fun. We had a great afternoon Adam came inside had a little hot chocolate and feel asleep on my bed. I love being a mom! Life is good.

Changes in the Family

2009-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Sunday Adam graduated to primary and that means all of my children are in primary! I can't believe that. It seems like I just brought Cannon up from nursery to primary. When I think about Adam sitting in those Sunbeam seats it just makes me feel sorry for his teacher! Put his cousin that he loves so much(Ben) in the mix and who knows what will be said and done in primary. Cannon will turn 12 this month and I can't wait to see him pass the Sacrament. It also means his dad will be his teacher and Scout master, that could get interesting. I guess it is about time they get a little more father/son time. Scout camp this year will take Michael and Cannon away for a week. Can you say peace and quiet?! I love my boys but when one of them is gone the other three seem to get along much better. Anyway we are growing up in the Simmons family and I am excited and I also would like to slow it down a little. Having a family is the best gift Heavenly Father has given me.

Sledding

2009-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

We went for a little sledding trip on the Big Horns with some of Michael's family. It takes about two hours to get to the spot we like to sled at and it is well worth the drive. All of the boys had such a great time. Even Michael and I took a trip or two down the hill. Michael went down once trying to stand up. I didn't get to see him but he claims he only fell twice. Unfortunately my camera died right after this picture was taken so I am hoping Emily will share some of the pics she took. Michael had the bright idea to get all of us (Michael, Rachel, Cannon, Cole, Travis, and Adam) on one sled and go down together. We all crammed on and down we went. I thought for sure we would wreck but we made it all the way down the hill(I laughed the whole way down.) We had a great Christmas break. The boys did their fare share of fighting but when we did something together as a family we had a wonderful time. I am so grateful for our family and our health and the opportunity we had to spend some quality time together. Michael was so helpful over the vacation and I think I fell deeper in love with him(maybe that is good considering I won't see him again until spring.) We had fun with friends and extended family also and are thankful for those who are willing to have our crazy boys around. By the way my arm is soar from playing the Wii. How sad is that?! Maybe with the boys in school I will get a little more time to "train" on the Wii to get into shape.haha I hope you all had a great holiday and Happy New Year.

Candy Anyone!

2008-12-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

Today we finally did our Christmas Eve activity. We made gingerbread (graham cracker) houses. We were supposed to do this on Christmas Eve when every one was over but we ran out of time. So we decided to do them today. The boys all had their own ideas of how to do it and as you will see some were more successful than others.

Cole and Brian took very different approaches and Brian was a bit more successful than Cole.

The house on the left is Cole's and the one on the right is Brian's.

Cannon's had a brown and gold roof(I wonder where he got that color scheme from?) Cannon's looked much more like a house than the others.

Travis is more a just get it done type. At one point even though he was having fun he kept saying "this is taking hours to get done" When really we had only been working on the houses for about 15 min. But he did finish and was happy to move on to something else.

I declare Adam and I the winners. Adam was very patient and let me suggest patterns and candies and he took the time to put them on.

2008-12-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I took the boys ice skating at Moncurs(aren't we lucky to have such generous neighbors.) Adrienne called and invited us and it couldn't of been better timing(how does she always seem to do that.) I was getting to the point of to much indoor time and we all needed a little fresh air and some space. It was perfect weather and the ice was nice and hard. Luckily never felt by my back side but all the others had their spills. Adam thought it was the most fun to be pulled around on the sled. Travis was brave he actually was quite the skater(no fear.) Cole was a little more cautious but in the end he didn't want to go. Cannon and Bill took right off but Cannon slowed at the end with a good sized blister. All in all though it was a great afternoon of friends fun and falls. What a great place we live in!

Papa's For Presents

2008-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

After we had Christmas morning at our house we then went to Roland's for the traditional breakfast burritos and opening more gifts. The kids love doing this. It is always a surprise what they are going to get and opening presents never gets boring. This year the boys got Settlers of Catan a family favorite(if we could just figure out a way to beat Michael.) Roland finished his thought from the night before with a final gift which read that the best gift ever given was the gift of Eternal Life, it was a wonderful ending to the season and I am looking forward to it being a part of our Christmas for many years to come.

Santa always brings a second stocking to Papa's house.

Michael and his brothers and Emily got Roland tools for Christmas. They made sure they were all in their place. I am sure Roland didn't want to open his own gift right?!

We love spending time with cousins. We just wish more were around to see.

Santa Came!

2008-12-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas morning. The kids were told earlier in the season that we were going to have a different Christmas. We decided to make our Christmas about others and not so much about ourselves. We donated money to people and helped out where we could. We also told the kids that they would not have a big Chrismas under the tree and that most of their gifts would be family presents. We asked each child for some suggestions for what they would like from mom and dad. Some ideas were reasonable and some were not. Even though it wasn't the worlds biggest Christmas we still had a great morning(I wish they all could be 3 on Christmas morning because it is amazing what Adam was happy with getting.) As a family we got a new television(our old one only showed the bottom half of the screen) and some stuff to go with it. The gift we have had the most fun with is the Wii. Between bowling, racing cows, and pretending to be a rock star we have had hours of family fun(Todd is now our number one visitor he loves that guitar.)

We all just had a fun time playing and enjoying the morning.

The Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas Eve. Michael and I had the family that was in Cowley over for dinner and a little program. It was soooo nice to have a home big enough to fit everyone. We had a little fiasco with our freezer, some one unplugged it and so we had to change our menu last minute, but the dinner turned out well. Who knows maybe Mexican will replace the traditional ham. No, I don't think so. After dinner Cannon and Cole shared some of their musical talents with us and Roland shared a story from the New Era. The story was great and I believe it has started a new Simmons Christmas tradition. After a night of family and fun the kids got to open their one gift. Adam hasn't been around for enough Christmas' so when the kids kept asking if they could open their pajamas Adam was so surprised that they knew what was in the wrapped gift( thanks Grandma for the soft and snugly pj's.)

We then put out cookies and milk for Santa and off to bed they went. Michael and I knew we had a long Christmas Eve ahead of us. We had many things to assemble to try to make Christmas morning exactly the way I wanted it to be. Thanks honey for going along with the plan. We finally got to bed around 2am, definitely the latest we have ever stayed up as Santa's helpers. It was worth it the next morning though, the kids were so surprised.

Winter Concert

2008-12-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

The boys were great at their Christmas concert. Travis, who last year didn't really sing at all, chose to sing this year and add a little animation to his performance. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful music program at our elementary school. Ms. Asay is such an asset to our district. I know that there are schools all around the country that are having to cut their music programs and I am so grateful for ours.

In the first song For the 4th grade class Cole was Santa and he was stuck in the chimney you see

him standing next to. He was nervous and excited to have a big part this year.

After the Santa song Cole had to run back stage and get his costume off as fast as he could(which wasn't very fast he couldn't get his boots off) and finish his concert as Cole. The class did a great job. They sang a song about pinatas and it was very entertaining. All in all the concert was a huge success and fun was had by all.

2008-12-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

12 days of Christmas

1 EMBARRASSING MOMENT: It seems lately whenever I open my mouth.

2 BEST FRIENDS: Michael

3 THINGS I BUY REGULARLY: Goldfish Crackers, Milk, and Eggs

4 PLACES I WANT TO GO: Texas, Mormon History Tour(with the boys), Somewhere warm!!!!

5 GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR: Remember B-days better, Love my children, Decorate my house, And of course no more yelling at Basketball games

6 THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME: I always sleep with socks on, I never take baths( I do shower though), I never owned a doll, I love candy(oh everyone knows that)

7 THINGS I WOULD NEVER SAY: Please rub my feet, Can I rub your feet? Don't worry about cleaning up your toys, I am going to go take a long hot bath.

8 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SEASON: Focusing on the Savior, Treats, Christmas vacation, Fire in the fireplace, Spending time with friends and family.

9 THINGS I SAY TO MY KIDS: I love you, Don't touch your brother, Please go pick up your room, You still have clothes on the floor in the bathroom, Nigh night, See you in the morning , I am sorry, I love you.

10 THINGS I DO A LOT: Pick up the house, cook, clean the bathroom, hug my boys, play with Adam, Read books, Think about my friends family, Pray for strength

11 THINGS I WOULD RATHER NOT LIVE WITHOUT: My husband, my boys, the gospel, love, friendship, heater, running water, car, Costco, house, memories

12 PEOPLE I TAG: Anyone who would like to try.

Old Saint Cole

2008-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Last night at Cole and Travis' Christmas concert Cole was Santa for one of the songs so before we left for the concert we had all the kids sit on Santa's lap.Adam just didn't get it he kept asking Cole "Cole are you Santa?" And of course Cole said "yes" and now my son is completely confused about the whole Santa thing.

Cannon even got in some fun on Santa's lap. Isn't Christmas time fun! They look like they might like each other.

Advent Calendars

2008-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

The children every year get those chocolate advent calendars from the grocery store. The boys love them and it is a fun way of keeping track of the month. One year I remember Travis having a little extra fun with the calendars. The boys had eaten their days candy and left for school. Unfortunately Cannon and Cole had forgotten to put their calendars back up and out of Travis'(who was two or three at the time) reach. I did not realize this either and was back in my room doing something and when I came out there was Travis with every ones advent calendars in front of him with all the little doors open and not a chocolate to be found! Needless to say we had to get new chocolate calendars that year so the older boys wouldn't have a fit but it is one of my favorite Christmas memories.

What made me think of that story was this morning when the boys were all getting out their chocolates before school Adam didn't have any in his day 17. Adam was not happy and turned to Cole and said "Cole you ate my candy" and tried to convince me he should get to eat Cole's chocolate. Really what happened is that Adam thinks he should get to eat two or three candies a day and he is running out. Nice try though Adam. Merry Christmas and have a treat!

Santa's Lap

2008-12-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday after the humanitarian project we had our ward party and after dinner Santa came. I think this might be the last year I will be able to get a picture with all of my boys. I was looking back over the years of past Santa pics and I thought I would share them with you. What a difference three years can make. Adam is so little in this picture.

Travis used to think it was great to sit on the lap of Santa but as you can see he is not so excited. If it wasn't for the bag of candy I'm not sure he would have even done it.Cole is always my sport. He is one of those closet believers. I think he wants Santa to be real but no one his age seems to be on the same page. He looks a little too big for Santa's lap though.

Cannon has been the opposite of Cole. I think he doubted Santa ever since kindergarten but I think deep down he has always wanted Santa to be real. Last year Cannon was great about trying to convince the younger children of Santa.

Where did the time go? I am grateful for all the years we have had together as a family and hope and pray for many more to come. Merry Christmas to all.

Humanitarian Project

2008-12-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank all of those people who made the humanitarian project possible yesterday! I know many people spent hours and hours to make it possible and I am so grateful for that. My family and I had a great time doing service together and all the preparation that went into the day ahead of time made it absolutely wonderful! I have been struggling with some things lately and it was just the best feeling to be able to look outside of myself for a couple of hours and do something for someone else. I love being a member of a ward family that thinks of great things like a humanitarian project that benefits others while uplifting the ones doing it also. Service is such a two way street the recipient benefits but the giver is a benefactor also. I know that my children didn't do a ton yesterday but what they did do they were proud of and you can only learn about the blessings of service by serving. So thanks again to all those wonderful people who coordinated such a meaningful day!

Christmas Concert

2008-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

We went to our first middle school concert last night. Cannon plays the alto sax. I feel very lucky that our school stills has a music program. Ms Olson is such a wonderful teacher she has so much passion for music and teaching the kids. I believe her excitement for the arts is contagious and the kids feel the same passion when they are with her.

Cannon also got to sing a solo in the choir part of his concert. Here he is taking a bow with the rest of the kids who got to sing a solo. I enjoy seeing my children develop talents and I know that music is something they will have with them forever. When Cannon first started to learn the sax his background in piano helped him to move quickly through the beginning stages. It was so nice to be able to watch Cannon reap the benefits of the hard work he has put in learning the piano(and my hard work of dealing with all the fits he has thrown over the years) Music is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Merry Christmas to all.

Bye Daisy

2008-12-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

We decided that it was time to let someone have our dog Daisy. The boys never paid attention to her except when they had to feed her. We loved having a dog for the short time we had her but it is nice not to have her anymore.

We put an ad in the paper and a nice family decided to take her. I thought all the boys would be so excited to see her go considering when I asked Cole what we should do with her because it seemed no one wanted to feed or take care of her he said"we should take her out of town and leave her." I was wrong that no one would mind Daisy leaving. When it came time to start loading Daisy up into the car Travis started absolutely balling! He then was asked to go to his room if he couldn't control himself and Adam Cole and I went to go get the rest of Daisy's things. As we were putting Daisy into the family's car Travis was sitting in our large front window crying Daisy's name with such force I was a little embarrassed. It seemed as though I was giving away Travis' bosom pal. Which I wasn't! Just the night before Travis was complaining because it was his turn to feed Daisy. After we got all of Daisy's stuff in the car I asked Adam if he wanted to say goodbye and that was when Adam realized what was going on. Adam then started crying also and out ran Travis from the house SCREAMING for Daisy also. The scene as the nice lady who was taking our dog off our hands drove off was pretty pathetic. It took only moments though for the boys to get over it after they got back in the house. I am sorry the boys had such a hard time but boy is it nice not to have to fight with whoever is supposed to feed Daisy. So bye Daisy thanks for the memories and Good Luck wherever you are.

Family Fun

2008-12-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

We decorated the tree last night and it was so much fun! The boys are getting old enough that I don't constantly have to say "Be Careful." Maybe I have lightened up over the years also. Cannon was in charge of unwrapping the ornaments.The rest of the boys put the ornaments on the tree. Cannon then set up the little village on the piano. We are at an age in our family that we have so much fun together. When the kids went to bed the house was destroyed but all were happy. Adam's excitement is contagious I love hearing him sing Christmas songs. Santa Claus is Coming to Town is his favorite right now. Merry Christmas to all.

Here We Go Grizzlies! Here We Go

2008-12-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here are my new additions to the family(I am missing pictures of the managers.) Don't they look cute in their retro uniforms. They had their brown and gold game the day after Thanksgiving. I think this year is going to be a good one. I think that every year though. I'm not talking
about just wins though, I really like these boys a lot. Good Luck this weekend!

News and Unbelief

2008-12-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today I heard the most disturbing news story and I just had to write down my thoughts. On Fox news they reported about how a Wal-mart employee was not just trampled but killed by a throng of eager shoppers on the day after Thanksgiving. I guess people had been lining up since 4:00pm the day before(I wish I new what town) and there were around 2,000 people by the time the store was about to open. The push and force of people(if that is what you can call them) was so bad that before the Wal-mart employee was able to open the doors the glass shattered which caused this man to fall to the ground and instead of people helping him to his feet they charged over top of him. In the frenzy for material items at a discount price an innocent man was killed. This is absolutely unbelievable to me! Are we as a society so consumed in acquiring the latest new THING that we completely loose our morals and standards?! The second disturbing part of the story was that the Wal-mart had to close its doors for the investigation and many of the patrons were angry. I don't know exactly what to write accept that first I feel horribly for the family of this innocent man. Next, I would like to express my feelings about the holidays. I love Christmas! I loved it for different reasons as a child as I do now but I would really like to be able to teach my children now to love Christmas for the gift of our Savior not just the gifts they receive beneath the tree. I would like to think that if my boys received nothing for Christmas they would be disappointed but know that we celebrate the birth of Christ and that is presents enough. We have our traditions to help our family focus on the Christ child but maybe not enough. If anyone out there has traditions they would like to share I would love some ideas. Merry Christmas and let's all take a little bit more time to be aware of those around us and help bring to life the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Smile Everyone!

2008-11-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

We attempted to do some family photos yesterday but it didn't turn out the way I was hoping. Do family pics ever go well? I just wanted to have something to be able to put on a Christmas card. I guess it is back to the drawing board. Don't you love all the shoes and toys in the back ground. Next time I will put Adam down for a nap so he will be up for the task. Maybe we should just take individual pictures and just paste them all together. Happy Holidays in case we never get around to sending out cards.

Got Eggnog?

2008-11-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

I know this is not my child but isn't he cute! We made homemade eggnog yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was a hit with Stetson(Emily and Michael's little guy) The other boys saw his mustache and decided to join in on the fun.

We had a relaxing and wonderful Thanksgiving not to much family but we had a great time with those who were here. Adam kept asking where Ben was(he is not familiar with being at Papa's without his buddy.) Morgan and Fallon came for pre-thanksgiving fun. We did the traditional Pizza Hut the night before turkey(thanks again Roland.) We then went to McDonald's to get our kids free sundaes with their good grades pay. While we were there Michael made a new BF. There was this little boy about 7 and he decided Michael was part of the play equipment and wanted Michael to join in on the fun. While we were trying to enjoy our gourmet ice cream the little boy just kept on calling for Michael . Hey Michael ,I bet you can't catch me!Michael ,where do you think I am? Hey Michael,come and get me! The boys couldn't stop laughing. It was a fun night enjoyed by all.

It is so fun to have a couple uncles left that don't have kids yet that still like to play games! We love you Uncle Morgan.

Top Ten Gratitude List

2008-11-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

1. My wonderful HUSBAND. I know sometimes he may not feel that I treat him in a way that portrays that he is my no.1 but he really is. I am thankful for the example he is to our children and for his integrity and his commitment to our relationship in hopes someday we will be together for eternity. And what a good sport he was about being a raccoon for Pioneer Day.

2. Of course my beautiful CHILDREN. I am so lucky that my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with such responsibility as to raise four amazing and unique boys. I know they are choice spirits and someday will grow up to be valiant servants of God.

3.My MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH. The gospel and I have had our ups and downs but in the end the Lord has been my one true friend. I am not perfect by any means I do though try to improve every day and hope someday I will be able to stand in my Saviors presence and not be to ashamed of the person I have become.

4. I love my FAMILY. I love the family I was born into and I love the family I married into. I am so grateful for the love and support I have from my family. It is reassuring to know I can rely on each and every person in my fam and that is an amazing blessing. Thank you every one of you for all you do for us we sure are lucky! Thanks again mom for coming and watching the boys. They keep informing me of all the things they got to do with you that they don't get to do with me!

5. FRIENDSHIP I think as a youth I placed friendship in front of some of the things on my list but now I have it more in perspective. There is no doubt though friends definitely help make the world go round. I am just now better at picking ones that help me achieve the goals I have in life.

6. Okay this one may seem trivial but it is real. MY OWN BATHROOM! We went for so many years with one bathroom and I thought it was no big deal but I was wrong! Do you know how many times I sat down on a "wet" toilet back in days of one bathroom? It is so wonderful to have a toilet that stays clean for more than a few minutes and we have discovered that it is definitely the boys with the bad aim and not Michael,another thing to be thankful for.

7. Everyone in my house is POTTY TRAINED! Yet another one of those trivial things but there was a time in my life when I could not foresee this day to come.

8. The YOUTH! I do admire the youth of our area they have it so much harder than I did as a teenager. I especially love our kids in our ward and of course I love those basketball boys.

9. My NEW HOUSE! I really do appreciate my new home. We started remodeling and are not quite finished but when are projects like that ever really done especially when you do the work yourself.
10. TESTIMONY! This one is probably above the others but I wanted to save it for last. My testimony and my belief in the gospel has shaped me into the person I am. I have sought out Heavenly Fathers forgiveness and he has given it to me every time. I am so appreciative of the example of my Savior. Jesus is our ultimate example and there is nothing that he didn't mark the way for us to follow. I am also grateful for the direction the gospel gives me in raising my children. There are circumstances and questions that arise with my children that with out the gospel I would probably be lost. So thank you Heavenly Father for blessing me with the knowledge of your plan. Thank you all for the imprints you have placed on my heart. I Love You All!

We Broke Ground!

2008-11-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT! The ground breaking for the new Jr/Sr high school happened today and it was a beautiful day! My husband has worked excruciatingly hard for this day to come about. After all the doubts and obstacles seeing the rewards of Michael's hard work coming to pass is just so exciting. On top of this being a busy day just because of the ground breaking it was also the first day of basketball. For the first few days the team has two a days and so you could probably guess he is a bit on the tired side. Michael is never so happy though as when he is coaching his boys. I believe Rocky Mountain is lucky to have such a devoted, loving and honorable coach. I love watching Michael do his thing.

HUNTING

2008-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

I know everyone is hunting deer elk and whatever there is out there to kill but as for me I am only hunting flies! I didn't know what a garage did for the fly situation but it must make a difference. We never had flies in our old house when we had a garage. Flies flies everywhere I spend half my day hunting down those pesky bugs. Just when I think they are gone I sit down for a meal or rest on the couch and they buzz buzz me until I am crazy. Hasn't it gotten down to cold enough temps at night? I figure they have just gotten in and the house is warm enough to keep them alive. What is the life span of a fly any way? Shouldn't they be gone soon? I recently cleaned all my windows, I was hoping for the winter, but now between all the smooshed flies and the wonderful marks that flies leave behind I will definitely have to do it again. So if any one has any solutions please let me know. A hunting I will go.

Prayers and Points

2008-11-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

Basketball season started early this year for the Simmons family with Cannon being able to play middle school sports this year. I got an interesting pic last week at Cannon's game. Cannon got fouled on a lay up and so he got to go to the line for two and here is the first pic I got. I would like to think he is saying his prayers.

He then shot his first one and count it. Second shot up and it was good. Prayer is real. Who knows what he really was doing accept having a good time. Cannon has enjoyed competeing with his friends this year. Basketball will be in full force starting next week with Michael starting practice. So plan on there being more and more posts on B-ball. The Simmons family increases by atleast twelve in a few weeks. We are sure excited to see what our high school boys can pull off this year.

Horses And Dreams

2008-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Travis is my cowboy as everyone knows and he said the cutest thing I have ever heard before and I want to post it so I will never forget it. This year for Labor Day weekend we went camping and one of our friends brought their horses with them and the generous people that they are they let us ride them. I got to go first and had such a great time. Horses remind me so much of my childhood and the fond memories of summers full of shoveling out stalls just so I could get to ride here and there every once in a while. I do know where my sons passion for horses comes from. Any way as the weekend went by the children got to ride here and there for small bouts of time and they enjoyed every moment of it. One afternoon Michael and I were going to go for a ride down a trail to Bucking Mule Falls we invited Cole and Travis to come with us. The boys did not fit on the saddles so they sat behind us on the blanket. Off we went for a beautiful ride through the mountains. As we traveled along we went up and down the trail and all of a sudden we appeared to be on top of the world Travis and I could see forever out in front of us. Travis then confided in me that this was a Dream Come True to be riding in the mountains on a horse just like on his favorite movie The Man From Snowy River. Happily we continued down the path as time went on my Travis started to get a tid bit uncomfortable and then more and more.Soon it became hard for Travis to sit where he was and then he said the funniest thing. Travis after stating he could not go any farther he said "Mom who knew dreams could hurt so bad?!" I just about laughed myself right off the horse. We then traded spots and proceeded back to camp. When we got back Travis walked like a cowboy for a while. I don't think Travis will forget that ride any time soon and neither will I!

Try A Little Harder

2008-11-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Last night at the meeting for the adults at the stake center I really enjoyed all the talks given. The most memorable thing I heard was about the ten virgins and of course I had heard and read that parable but for some reason it really hit me hard. Am I going to be the one prepared or am I going to fall short? The other thing is do I really mean it when I say that the gospel is one of the most important things in my life and if I do mean it do my actions show that? Sometimes I think not. I am ready to break out of my comfort zone though. I am willing to sacrifice some things in my life now to prove to my Heavenly Father that the gospel is essential to me. I am hoping that with dedicating myself more fully some of the things I am struggling with right now will help to come into perspective and I will gain a little clarity. I know I tell my children I love the gospel but I am going to make sure they see that I love the Lord. I would like to bare my testimony of the things I do know Satan definitely knows my weaknesses and I seem to fall into the traps he sets for me often but I do try to get back up and try a little harder. I hope someday I will be able to look at some of my stumbling blocks and see them as my strengths. I know my trials are for my "good and learning" so I am going to try hard to do some serious learning.

Cannons First Post (summer vacation and first day of school)

2008-11-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hi this is Cannon and i thought i would post something on my families blog. This is a picture of my brothers and i on our first day of school.

I had a pretty good first day of middle school and my brothers said they had a great day to it was lots of fun.

Adam also had a good time wearing my football pads after i brought them home after a game. And i think my mom was the happiest to have some peace and quiet for a little.

I had a great time at my family vacation this summer too.

this is some of my cousins that i spent time with at the family reunion.

This is my first post so dont make fun of it.

Opening Gifts

2008-11-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

We opened gifts without Dad tonight so here are some photos for him to see.

Cole is getting to the age that he doesn't really want toys anymore,well not kid toys that is.

I am a little nervous that he got a Red Ryder. I know there might not be as many squirrels around our house but just as long as everyone has all there eyes and no broken windows we will all be fine.

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY

2008-11-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday beautiful boy. I will never forget the day you were born. Unlike Cannon who would not come no matter what you were a great surprise by coming two days early. I remember wanting you to be a boy so badly and knowing what your middle name was going to be before I knew what your first name would be.You were such a good baby and you were always so patient with Cannon who was not so sure about sharing his mom and dad with anyone. Cole you are such a wonderful addition to our family.
I had a hard time finding many pictures that you weren't with one of your brothers or cousins. You are always so kind and helpful and the kids around you can always sense that. I love you so much and I am so proud of all of your accomplishment's and I can't wait to watch you grow up to be whatever you want to be just don't do it too fast.

Cole has always been such a great eater. He loves to try new things and is always a good sport about taking at least one polite bite of whatever I make.

Cole also loves anything that wiggles crawls slithers and moves. From the time he was little Cole has always wanted to know all the facts about animals or reptiles. We have a large bucket of animals that mostly Cole has collected over the years. Cole often comes home with the random frog or snake or whatever else he can fit into his pocket. Thank goodness I am not that afraid of those sort of things.

Thank you for being my little Cole boy have a great Birthday and always remember you are a child of God and He will always be there for you just like your mom and dad here on earth.

Thanks Nana

2008-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

My mom went home today(sad face.) The kids had so much fun with her. Just a funny story to tell you about that happened the first full day I was gone. The first night we left my mom locked the doors when she went to bed (I know some of you are thinking she locked the doors in Cowley?) Anyway she locked the doors and the next morning after successfully getting the children off to school she went somewhere with Adam. They had a great outing the only problem was when she returned home all the doors in the house were still locked(in my mom's defense our locks are not normal.) So my mom had a great idea she knew the bathroom window was open so she got the screen out and put Adam through the window so he could open the door. Second problem Adam could not get the door open or get back out the window. My mom then proceeded to try to call me but I had left my phone in the car so the resourceful woman she is she called the school and asked the secretary to send Cole home. So Cole came home and climbed through the window and saved the day. Oh by the way Adam was fine the whole time he just proceeded to get a coloring book and color on the bathroom floor while waiting for Cole. Thank goodness for a smart Nana and an experience the kids will never forget. The week went farely smoothly from there well, as smoooth as a week with four boys can go.

Look At That Loot

2008-11-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

I know this is a funny picture but just hang in there and let me explain. When Michael and I went on our little trip last week I purposely did not pack any shampoo because I figured that I would use the products that are provided by the hotel. Well when I went to open the shampoo the next morning my husband about had a heart attack well maybe not that bad. He then explained how the program went. You are supposed to bring some shampoo from home and then collect all those little bottles every day and bring it home. My loving husband was willing to sacrifice one bottle but that was about all he could possibly part with. My husband has been traveling quite a bit over the years and he has been collecting these wonderfull little prizes. So I took a picture of what we have accumulated over the years.

Yes,that is three large ziplock bags and one wal-mart bag full of all those wonderfull little bottles of toiletry items. So you now can see why I didn't have the same reluctance as my husband . I suppose after 15 years (yes it has almost been 15 years) my husbands need for saving a buck in such peculiar ways should not surprise me. So when we are in need of using our one year supply of food and such we will definately smell good we might not have anything to eat but our hygiene will be taken care of. I love you honey for taking such good care of us.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

Is this the cutest Pirate you have ever seen? I sure think so especially since I didn't have to put him in it.

Here is my old man. Cole always decides what to be long before Halloween and this year he decided to be an old man. I love that atleast one person in our family likes Halloween. I loved it as a kid but it wasn't about the costumes as anyone who knows me would know it was all about the candy for me.

Giddy up cowboy! Travis is in costume sort of. Part of me thinks that Travis decided to be a cowboy so he could get the rest of the things he thought he needed to be a REAL cowboy. So grandma went and got him a belt buckle w/ a horse on it and a cowboy shirt. He realy wanted spurs but we didn't want him to get suspended for bringing a weapon to school. j/k He has not taken his stuff off accept to bathe. Someday I wouldn't be surprised to visit my sweet boy on his farm/ranch.

Yes we are missing someone but he was to old I guess to get all dressed up. We still love you Cannon. He didn't miss out on trick or treating though. I heard he went as a middle schooler I am surprised he got any candy.

Missing Kids

2008-10-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

So has anyone out there watched Dora the Explorer just because you just wanted to do something you would do with your child if you were at home with them? No?(Me neither) Anyway as you can tell I am starting to really miss my children. I got to babysit Stetson (Emily and Michael's sweet little boy) yesterday and the little things he did made me think so much about my kids. I was really greatful to be able to watch him though, I owe Emily about a million hours of babysitting. I have gotten to feel like what it must be like to be a child this week I have minimal concerns this week and when I go out to do something I come back to my room and it is all clean my toilet is scrubbed my bed is made(yes I have not made my bed this week) and I have clean towels hung up. The funny part about it is I miss doing some of those things for my children(well maybe not the things I mentioned) but I do miss doing for my kids. When I get back they are going to hate me following them around but I think I just might do that. Being gone has given me some time to reflect on my parenting abilities or handicaps and I have put together a list of things I do well and things I really could work on and it is good to look inside every once in a while. The thing that I know is that I can't do it by myself my husband is key along with our faith that Heavenly Father is going to guide us through if we only ask for help. I am greatfull for my mom coming to take care of the kids they obviously are not missing me the same as I am they could care less about talking with me. Tonight will be the first time in a long time that I will miss the Halloween carnival so if you see my kids there take a pic for me and give them a hug.Well I guess my big aha moment this week is try hard to enjoy every day I know people have really been effected by Pres. Monsons talk about joy in the journey and I can tell you I am ready to get home and and start enjoying my journey a little more but for now I am going to finish enjoying my husband.

Away from home

2008-10-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

So I decided to go away with Michael this week so we can have some time together before b-ball season starts and thankfully my mom was willing to come and take care of the kids wich makes the whole trip so much more fun and I don't have any worries accept maybe they won't want me to come back. I remember going and staying with my grandma and the first thing we would do is go to the store and get my favorite sugar cereal (which we never had as children) then we would get a new tooth brush I guess to go along with that cereal. Grandma would always get us a new coloring book (everyone knows it is so much more fun to color in a new book) and a new box of crayons. I loved going to my grandmas house and I miss her very much. I am so glad my kids have grandparents that love them and show them in so many ways that they love them and that they love the gospel. Life I am finding does as everyone has tried to tell me go by very quickly and we need to take the time to really enjoy what is right in front of us even though sometimes it is a pile of laundry and a sink full of dishes I gues we should be greatfull we have clothes to wash and food to make those dishes dirty. Have a great day and hug someone you normally don't see what happens.

New Blogger

2008-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

So here is our first blog post. I am here at Emily Asay's house and she is trying to teach me how to do this whole blog thing so we used some pics. that she had of my kids.