Happy Birthday to my Brody!

Here's to the kid who is everything boy!

He loves trucks, trains, dinosaurs and superheroes. He loves his little brother and his big sister and really likes to play with them. He loves to cuddle and give hugs. He loves baseball and watching sports. He is so very smart and loves to read...

I can't believe he started out 5 years ago like this...

Oh, he was so cute. We were so excited to have a boy. We didn't know till the day he was born, and a prouder papa could not be found anywhere than his dad telling me "It's a Boy!"

Now he is starting to get so big. He loves to play road hockey and board games. He loves to play anything as long as you will sit and play with him. He is so soft hearted, one harsh word and it breaks it...I have to remember this as his sister lets everything just slide down her back. He likes to help out, but only if there is someone to help him. And he comes up with some really great phrases:

"Actually..." then he'll tell you like it is...

"My muscles need to get stronger...I better do some push ups!"

And he's famous for "Mom, I'm still hungry..."

So here's to my Big Boy! I love you buddy. Our family would never be the same without you in it. You keep us laughing, and loving, and wondering how we could be so blessed to have you in our lives. You are a very special little boy...I love you!

Take Me Out to the Ball game...

Can you Guess where my boys are headed?

That's right! We're walking to Angels Stadium to catch us a Ball Game! I haven't been for 2 years, and I was excited we got to go. Especially since one of my kids was REALLY excited to go...

Yep, this one. He may not look like he enjoyed it, but he did. And he watched a lot of the game and asked a lot of questions, and when the Angels hit a Grandslam Homerun in the 8th...I almost got him to jump out of his shell and cheer...Almost.

But it was so much fun. Nico came with us, too.

And I bought the kids each a Rally Monkey, because I like to spoil them once in a while...especially when they don't ask me for things and they don't expect it.

And we had some pretty good seats in Left Field...it was a little warm, though...

That's me and my girl. She was pretty excited too, but she did enjoy the coloring mid-game to change it up a bit.

That's my husband's Shiny new glasses...I really like the pic....hmmmm, I do have a slight creative edge...

And there is my little fan. Dustin though it would be fun to sit in Left field because its behind the Bull Pen. He though the kids would like to watch the team warm up, and we might have a chance at getting a ball. He took all the kids down before the game and told them to listen because you can hear the ball whipping through the air and SMACK into the glove. Later, during the game...Brody wanted to go, "See the guys pitching the ball, because I can't hear the SNAP up here." So Dad took him down to hear the SNAP again.

After the game, they let the kids run around the bases...which was SUPER COOL! Have you ever walked the field of a Major League Stadium? Well, neither did we, they wouldn't let you walk on the grass (and it was such pretty grass, I just wanted to pet it!) But they let everyone walk around the warning track to first and then around the bases. Pretty neat.

And the Angels won 10 - 3!

All in all a good day, though you can see, poor little Cooper Man was all tuckered out.

But the other two goofballs had a lot of fun!

And just at the last minute, this goofball decided he needed to wake up to smile and not look at the camera!

GO ANGELS!

Wordful Wednesday...Faith...

Alma 32:21 - "And now as I said concerning faith - Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true."

I'm sure I always had Faith. I always believed what my Parents, my Primary teachers, my Young Women's leaders taught me. I always believed that I was a Child of God. I knew he was there, and He listened to my prayers...but I was happy. I had a nice simple little life that flowed just the way I wanted. I went to Church, read my scriptures, and prayed...but I was also very Passive about it all as well. Like I said, I was pretty happy...

Then we decided to move away from Home, Family, the Comfort of familiarity and into the wide world of New and Strange. It wasn't until then that I really learned to Exercise my FAITH.

I really learned that my Heavenly Father LOVES me, He LISTENS when I pray and does GIVE ME STRENGTH when I need it most. Granted, sometimes when I used to pray we could move home, I wondered why He didn't make it so...then I would meet someone new, through church or a mutual friend, or something else would happen for our family, and I realized that there is a reason for me being here right now. I may not know it, and I may not always like it, but My Heavenly Father does. There is a purpose for all things. And I am finally learning the Faith to Trust in His knowledge of what its best for me and my little family.

One Cute Mistake...

You wanna see a really cute mistake?

Not the girl! Not my one and only daughter! She was definitely not a mistake. Even if she drives me crazy sometimes, she helps even the score when there are three boys running around my house. The girl is definitely not my mistake...

but that hair was...

Doesn't she look adorable?!

She wanted it cut up to her shoulders, and since I'm not a professional (and too cheap to pay $15 to cut my child's hair...) I didn't realize the slight head tilt that resulted in the chin length bob. I was a little worried she would freak out, because I can't put it in a ponytail, not even pigtails! But she loved it!

And so do I....I think we might keep this new 'Do' for a while...

Happy Birthday to Me!

So we had a pretty mellow day for my birthday this year. Poor little Cooper got a Ear and Sinus infection and Bronchitis, so we couldn't even go to church. So we were stuck at home.

What to do?...Mmmmm...

The kids decided that I needed a make over...and I convinced them that I needed a massage and a facial. So they brought out the handy Massager thingy, a wash cloth and the 'makeup'. Of course, I ended up giving both them one too (Cooper was catching some Z's) but all together very relaxing...most of it! Sometimes its hard to relax when the thumper catches the shoulder blade or spine, or when the 'Hair Dresser' thinks the Do needs a little comb through. But it was fun. They just used the pretend makeup at first, then Gracie asked if she could put on her other makeup...which consists of Sparkly Gel for the eyes and hair. I forgot to take pictures...oops. But it was pretty fun. Then we played Doctor and had a broken leg and 2 broken arms. I had to lay there for a long time while I got better...it was pretty rough, you know...I barely pulled through. Good thing there was cake for after!