Happy Birthday Lil' Sis & Bro

HaPPY BiG FaT 3-0!!!!

or in other words...

HaPPY 1st aNNiVeRSaRy oF YouR 29th YeaR

It has been a day that Karyn has dread for years (literally... I am two yrs older and she was stressing about turning 30 before I was even 30.) But the workers at work made it a day she will remember for years to come, decorating the whole bank in black and all the employees dressed in head to toe black. It really was fun for her. And since Karyn and Wyatt have birthdays just days apart so we wish them both the best.

Corey's Work is Changing

We have some changes coming to our home... we just don't know right now how much change and for how long. Corey's company no longer qualifies for the government contract that he works under at the federal courthouse here in Fresno. Which means in short as of July 31st Corey's job at the building is finished. A new company is coming in to take over the building, and while we originally thought that the new company would just keep all the employees we were wrong. They did decide to keep the labors, but have decided to bring in their own management. This effects us in the way that Corey is now looking for a new job. Until we do find something closer Corey will be working in San Bruno (across the freeway from SF airport). This is a building that was already under his umbrella of duties which he traveled to each month for a day, but now he will be there all week. Lets pray that we can find something where he will be home at the end of each day.

Primary Days

Our ward primary activity was so cute I thought that I would put some of the pictures on here. They (the primary pres) did a fun water day. (what else can you do when it is 100degrees outside) The kids all swam and played in the pool and then did some water stations that were connected to the scriptures. The kids got to shoot down Samual the Laminite (bro. Neilson) with water guns, they had a war between the nephites and lamenites with water balloons, they travel across the ocean (pool) in boats to the promise land, they were in the belly of a whale during the storm, and they had to fill there Lamps with oil (or buckets w/ water). It really was a lot of fun and I am so thankful for the Sister (and Brothers) that work with the children teaching them the foundations of the gospel. The girls loved the day and had lots of fun with all the kids and teachers.

Zoo with Lots of Kids

Gavin, Shelby, Caytlin, Ella, MaCayela, Trevor, Max Kaytlynn, & Dallin

We have been to the Zoo alot this year sence we bought a Zoo membership, but I had never weathered it with 9 kids. They were all great though and the big ones really helped out with the little ones.

Just some backyard fun

I caught Dallin and Ella living up the epitome of childhood summers...

I thought this would be a good spot to put in some of our summer "ways"...

This summer has been great as far as the kids. Dallin is walking now and loves the outdoors, and the girls always want to be outside. So our summer days, which start at 6:30am, ( ...don't they know they are on summer break!! - a break from what I don't know but really can't ya sleep in!) usually start with the kids crawling out the doggy door before I am even dressed. They play for a while until breakfast is ready and if I can get them in to eat it is a surprise. Usually the just want to eat it outside. They then play outside until I call then in for errand or lunch or naps... The funny part of all this is when my girlfriend LaShay and I get together for the day we will sit and gab and munch all day and then are quite pleased with ourselves that the kids played outside for 5 hours and we got to have a bonbon day!! yeah for us!! (and big entertaining backyards!!)

Kendall Jean

So I have been helping out a friend of mine with her kids lately, she has a 4yr old, Mason, that is Ella's best friend and then a 5mo old, Kendall. Kendall was really fussy the first couple days and I thought great this is going to be a long day, but then found out that she was teething. The next week she was fantastic and tons of fun. Dallin loved the fact that there was someone smaller then him and jumped right into the fun of being bigger than someone finally. Those two made me laugh so I thought that I would take some pictures and post them. They are of Kendall and Dallin...

I Think the poor girl just got tuckered out with all the attention that Dallin gave her...

BoWL BaBY BoWL

The kids have been wanting to go Bowling for real for some time now. They bowl on the Wii and do really well so they thought that we should go to the bowling ally and try. So for Coreys birthday the kids decided to take him bowling. We invited Karyn and her kids and my parent along to enjoy the fun. (As you can see below... Mom couldn't even win against a 3yr old. and we were using bump gaurds.)

Happy Birthday Boyfriend!

So today is Corey's BIG day! He is entering into the last year of his third decade here on earth. (He's turning 39! hehe ;-) ) I love to tease him about being older than I am and that he is well on his way to being an old man!! But I say the older he is the more reasons I found that I love him.
So here goes...

1. He is my BEST Friend!

2. He is a great dad!

3. He makes me laugh.

4. He lets me talk and talk and talk.

5. He appeases my crazy late night food cravings, like Ice Cream every night.

6. He is supports me in my calling (& all my YW.)

7. He knows all the Disney princesses and who is who.



8. He is laid back and calm.

9. He lets me yell and get it out of my system and then just gives me a hug.

10. He works hard and provides for our family.

11. He has a wild side that exist from his single days that peeks out when you get him on a snow mobile or four wheeler.

12. He is always willing to see "my" movies.

13. He always picks the most comfy outfit for me when I ask him to chose between two different ones.

14. He lets me control the TV remote at night.

15. He always sits with me in the living room at night while I am watching TV. (he might be on his laptop, but he is always in the same room with me.)

16. He lets me sleep in on Sat or Sun mornings if its possible.



17. He is a FANTASTIC bbq griller!!!!! (Just ask anyone that has ever had him grill for them.)

18. He cleans bathrooms. (my least favorite of everything.)

19. He gets up with the older kids at night when we have one that is still small and feeding during the night.

20. He is a faithful Priesthood holder.

21. He knows when I have hit my limit and sends me out with the girls while he watches all the kids. (he use to watch no just ours but also Nathalie's kids at night all the time so we could get out.)

22. He always feeds the kid in the highchair dinner. He has always sat in the chair closest to the highchair at dinner time and helped with feeding that kid.


23. He would leave me emails every morning when we were dating saying good morning and I love you.

24. He loves to have "daddy" time with the kids.

25. He tells me I'm beautiful. (even when I am in a hat he will tell me nobody looks that good just pulling on a hat)

26. He has a strong testimony of the gospel.

27. He can fix ANYTHING!!! and I mean anything.

28. He does the grocery shopping. Since Dallin has been born he will usually take the food list and do shopping as I get the kids in bed and relax.

29. He has a great sense of humor, though most think he is quiet, he is really funny.


30. He comes from a great family that is always there to support.

31. He (might kill me for this one... but) likes to go get pedicures with me for date night.

32. He loves to serve and help others.

33. He always takes at least one kid with him when he has errands to run.

34. He is always planning and making sure we have date nights.

35. He loves to rock the kids to sleep.

36. He is a great role model for the kids.

37. He always makes sure we have family prayer together, even if it is over the phone when he is traveling.

38. He is my ROCK and yet he is my SOFT SPOT.

39. HE IS MINE ALL MINE!!!

I'm a princess

You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Independence Day

As you might have seen from the pictures, we had a great 4th of July. We enjoyed a good 'ol traditional BBQ and swim party with the Lenzingers. Followed up with fireworks of course.

Changes

This past month or so has been hard on our Young Women program.


Right after Stake Conference (were we lost our ward Primary pres. to the stake Primary program.) I lost my Mia Maid advisor, Katie. Katie and I got called to Young Womens together 3 years ago. She is the only one from our old YW board that was called to stay in YW's when I was called as President. Which was great considering that six days after I called a new presidency and board I left on a two week vacation. Poor Katie was the only one that had any idea what was going on in YW and had to help the new ladies navigate through there callings. Katie is someone I have known for a while, but have gotten to be good friends over the last few years. We have kids just a couple of weeks apart (twice), she was my buddy in Relief Society when we felt like we were the only young moms in there. Katie has also been my Visiting Teacher for the last 3 1/2 yrs. I love her dearly and am always amazed at how willingly she would take things on and help out, not just in YW but with me and my little ones. I know that the girls will miss her lots but we wish her the very best as Primary Pres. (and lucky me still has her as a VT :-) )


The other change that we had in YW was that our Laurel Advisor, Ashley, moved to the Mtn view ward. When I first called her to YW's I really didn't know who she was, or how old she was, (she was just a youngn' barely out of YW herself) but we became fast friends and had lots of fun with the girls. She brought lots of youthfulness and excitement with her. She always covered me in the Laurel class when I had more on my plate with the rest of the YW then I could cover. She was also pregnant with her son Madox at the same time as I was with Dallin, which made our calling really interesting when we had our sons just about 6 wks. apart. She is so creative and lively. We are going to miss her lots in our YW and in our ward.

The up side of any change is the new sisters that we have in our program. And when I say sisters I mean it in the literal sense. We have a set of the Farley sisters now serving in YW. They are AMAZING!! and what an experience it was spiritually as they were called. I do believe that there is a time for each of us to serve in different callings. As I struggled to get these callings filled the name of who I thought was a good fit kept getting turned down. There were names that were on my mind but I never thought that it would be the "right" person for who I wanted in there, but as I counseled with my bishop and I mentioned the name at the bottom of my list and the back of my mind we both instantly knew that it was right. I am so thankful for these wonderful sisters and all that they bring to our Young Women.

All they want to do is dance...

When I came home from girls camp this year I came home with a CD that one of the girls had made that said "AMAZING DANCE MUSIC". This is MaC and Ella's new favorite CD. It has some old time fun and funky dance music that the kids have been having a blast with. So when I had my sisters kids for the day not only did they want to dance, but they wanted it video taped so that they could watch them selves afterwards.

(Hey Sis... hope you enjoy this one.)

NO MORE I SAID!!!

OOOOOHHHH MY GOSH!!! Not again!!!

Seriously, Dallin threw up all over again. What the heck, did I not have it bad enough last time? I think that it was a combination of something he ate or the fact that he puts his hands down his throat to gag himself, but still!! The kiddo puked outside while playing and the girls came to tell me, so I hosed him down and brought him in to change him and he threw up 3 more times in less then five mins. (At least I have a new washer to clean up all the towels and clothes that he messed up.) After that he was fine and dandy, wanting to get down and go play. He never seemed to act sick nor did he let it slow him down a bit, but boy was I depressed the rest of the day with the thought that we might have it hit our house again.

Baptism of Trevor

WOW what a day. I am tired and it wasn't even my kid that got baptized. My nephew was baptized on Sat. and along with the baptism we celebrated his birthday.

The kids have been asking all week about his baptism and why we get baptized, so it gave me lots to pull from and rely on for the talk that I had to give on baptism. All the little (and Big) cousins sang "Childern all around the world" (Which is on of Mac's favorite primary songs, so she was so excitied that she got to sing.) and did a great job at it. Even Ella did well on the first verse, and smiled so nicely for the rest of it. Trevor had a great experince and I'm sure felt well loved and supported in his decision to become a member of the church. (and if he didn't fell it, all he needed to do is look around, there was almost 100 people there.)

We then enjoyed a HOT! but great evening at karyns for a BBQ and birthday party. The kids had a blast with the bounce house and all the fun with cousins and friends.

Sacrament Program

This year our Bishop asked me for the Young Women to do a sacrament program. It was really a challenge in the since that we had Girls camp the week before and we were now into family vacation times for the summer. But as usual, our girls were AWESOME!! They pulled together and each of them gave a talk and sang (that is the side (up or down) of having a small YW group, they all have to participate in everything!!)

Well, these girls really know how to bring the spirit into a meeting. I am so very proud of them and the testimonies that they have. I am so very blessed to get to work with them and the other leaders in our ward.

Nap time for Bentley

Ella is just in love with Bentley. (You should have seen her, crying and caring on, the day that Bentley stayed at the clinic when he was fixed. She was so worried that they weren't going to take good care of him and that he didn't have a bed there. She was insisting that we go get him right away so that she could hold him.) And like everything else in our house she has decided to mother him. She will carry him around like a baby and then try to put him in her baby bed for naps. If he doesn't stay and take a nap she will rock him in the chair and sing lullaby's that she makes up to him. (I wish that I had gotten a video of it, but I never think fast enough.)

I'm So Gald When Daddy Comes Home...

Glad as I can be!!! --- Sometimes I wonder who is more excited to see dad, the kids so they can play, or me so they can play (w/o me). The kids really do excited when dad comes home and they love their rough and tumble time. I finally got the camera out and caught pictures of what our house is like in the moments after dad gets home.

Girls Camp Fun

Where do I start... This year was a fantastic year at camp. I was happy to be able to spend the whole week up there this year. (Last yr. Dallin was only 3 1/2 months old and still nursing, so I only got to go for a day.) Like usual there were some ups and downs during the week, but I can't think of a better way to spend a week. This year is the first time in all my years at girls camp to go as adult staff instead of as a Cabin Mom. It was hard at the beginning to know that I wouldn't be in with a group of girls that would be all my own (with the other leader), but in with the staff.

Some of the downers for this year was the fact that I was not feeling well on Tues. Monday was okay, but on Tues. I started out the day a little tired and it just got worse as the day wore on. By Tues. night I decided to stay in the Nurses cabin to get some good sleep, (well as good as it gets sleeping in a strange bed when all you want is your own bed.) By Wed. morning I was feeling better and by that night I was ready for my own wild cabin.


Top Ten Reasons Girls Camp 2008 Rocked



10 ~ 9 Cabins of fun loving enthusiastic girls!! We had just over 200 Girls at camp this year. They were all amazing with some great spunk and excitement. They really got into the spirit of camp and had great attitudes. (above: Jessica Farley, Sara Barlocker,& Janet Reynders. below: All Camp Picture)




9 ~ An amazing 4th year group!! My heart is usually with the 4th yr campers as this is the group I have been with in the past as they climb the rock. But this year they truly surpassed all expectations as not only did they climb the rock, but they also did a service project that was done above and beyond all of our expectations. The project that they were asked to start was to clear all the growth and pine needles on a 1/4 mile hike to the waterfall lookout and then line the path with rocks, that they had to collect. Instead of just starting the project they asked to spend some of their next day finishing the project. Wow they did a great job and took pride in the whole thing. (below: Chelsea Comstock leaving for the 4th yr hike)

8 ~ Fantastic Cooks!!! which in turn means great food. We had an awesome cook staff and they made food that was not just usual camp food with fun ethnic food themed days, and as always lots of Popsicles.

7 ~ Great Campfire Skits. For the last few years the 4th yr hike was during the middle of camp and we were always gone for skit night, so it was a real treat to be there for the skit night. The girls were a crack up and sure made the night a fun one. The leaders even got into the spirit of the fun. Our skit was a spoof on what the girls do at meal times pounding on the tables. It really was a lot of fun and everyone was such a good sport about it.


6 ~ Exciting Activities. This year there were some new activities that they offered, we had a zip line, 2 repelling lines, archery and on Friday a flour war. The zip line and repelling were lots of fun for the girls and some of them really concurred their fears to accomplish the activity. The archery was awesome as the girls tried something new for most of them. The flour war on fri. was hilarious!!! and the 1st yrs came out victorious against all the other years. Yeah for the Greenies!! Then Pres. Clason spoke to all of us on how the flour war paralled our trials, knowledge, and testimony in this life. He really did a fantastic job bringing it all in to perspective. (below: Sis. Godfree trying out the zip line & video of Sis. Lewis)

5 ~ A skit for Sis. Lewis nobody should have ever missed. Just think of a Billy Joel t-shirt (and how we ever came across that... *wink wink*) lots of walkie talkies, a blue side bag and lots of laughs. Bugs and mountain lions... loving the girls... and OH REEEEEED!!! We love our fearless leader and her helpful husband.



4 ~ Late nights with the Ladies our cabin. I met some new ladies this year and rekindled some old friendships. The staff this year was outrages. We had a wide variety of talents and personalities that really brought things together. They were amazing in all that everyone did to make it a great year and I enjoyed getting to know the ladies. (below: Staff cabin picture and Sis. Malan, Sis. Lewis, & Sis. Ashcraft)

3 ~ Seeing "MY GIRLS" everyday. I say my girls, because they are the girls from my ward and I care for these girls like they are my own. From the 1st years that waved wildly every time I saw them to my seniors that I have watched grow up over the last 4 yrs, I wouldn't trade a min. of my time with any of them here at camp. The daily hugs, smiles, and chit chats were the best. They are always teaching me something new, whether it be at camp or at home they are always "My Girls". (below: Kaylee Christensen & Angley Leon)

2 ~ The Night Walk and Star Gazing. Tues. night we had the night walk that consites of the cabins walking from station to station as the seniors put on a spiritual monologue, story, song or skit that went along with the cabin names and theme for this year. On Wed. night we had our star gazing activity out on the archery field. I was a great opportunity for the girls to lay down and admire the beauties that our Heavenly Father created for us. As we were reminded of the church theme of the yr. to "be steadfast and immovable" like the stars are. (below: Sara Barlocker & Angely Leon. Janet Reynders & Brooke Shepard)

1a ~ Bishop and Testimony night. It really is an experience like no other... After a week full of fun, craziness, and spiritual growth our Stake Presidency and Bishops show up for the night. It was really great this year because not only did I get to share this experience with our ward bishop and girls, but I got to have my own dad up there for the night. (this is also when the homesickness starts in for most, myself included this yr) We had a campfire devotional with Pres. Parker and then split up with our Bishops for ward testimony meetings. This is again a time that I am touched by how much I love the girls in our ward and all that they do. They grew so much this year and it was amazing to see the light in their eyes as they absolutely beamed.

1b ~ Getting to know some of the girls more. As you might know (or figured out) my heart lies with the Young Women of the church. They truly are amazing young spirits. I love the chance to get to know some of my own girls and others from our stake on a whole new level. These girls can do anything!! They are at an age that they are learning who they are and how to love themselves for the person that they are, and it is a great transformation that takes place in these girls during these formative years. I am blessed to have the time to spend with them to see them grow and become beautiful young adults with the world ahead of them. If what I saw at camp is a glimpse into the future of whose that will lead and guide us and the generations to come, we are in great hands... and we will have lots of fun along the road. (below: Nicolette Paul, Christina Perez, Kim Braun, and Melissa Kirkman. Nicolette Paul and Janet Reynders)

As you can see Camp was great fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. I have to give credit where credit is due though because I would never been able to go without a great husband that had all three kids on his own for 6 days. He did a great job getting them to the sitters each day and taking care of all that needed to be so that I could go. I thank you Corey... and Love you Lots.