The Boring Family

All the others have a birthday

2011-12-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

We also celebrated Sissy, Bubba and Little Bro. birthdays. For Sissy and Little Bro. we stayed at home and ate cake and ice cream. Bubba was lucky enough to talk us into going to
Chuck E. Cheeses with some of his cousins.

Bubba excited about his Batman set

Enjoying Costco cupcakes

Bubba is my funny boy. He likes to make people laugh. He is easy to get along with and makes friends very easily. I love listening to him tell me about school everyday.

Right now Little Bro is really into Trains

He wanted a Halloween cake

Little Bro. is so much fun. He is a talker and loves to play outside. I love spending time with him.

Hubby decorated her cake this year with Oreo cookies

I love Sissy she is a huge help. I am always asking her to do things and she hardly ever complains.

The Baby turns 1

2011-12-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Baby finally turned 1. He loved his birthday or at least enjoyed it. We went to my parents house and celebrated with them and my brothers family.

Not at all a good picture of me. Look how happy he is with his present.

He is a true boy loves balls and cars.

This year I let the older kids decorate the cake. They picked the colors

and the firetruck with sprinkles.

I am so blessed to have this little fellow in my life. He is so happy and such a joy to have around.

Big Bro. Turns 7

2011-12-04T13:21:00.001-07:00

In our family we only do big birthday parties for the kids every 3 years starting when they turn 7. This year that meant that Big Bro. finally got his big party. It started out with him wanting to do a Halloween Carnival but then at the last minute he decided to do a Lego theme party. It was a lot of fun coming up with Lego games and treats.

Big Bro. Putting the head on the mini-fig.

The group working on building

I made the Pinata myself this year. I think I will be buying from now on.
I am just not crafty enough to make it.

His Lego cake. Not what I pictured it would be, but the 7 year old boys liked it.

I love having Big Bro. our family. He is a very good example to his younger brothers and is very good with taking care of Little Bro. when I need help.

A year really !!

2011-11-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've looked at my blog from time to time thinking that I should update it, but just kept putting it off. I came and looked today and the last time was a year ago. Where has the time gone. I guess for the next few post it will be catching up on the last year (and what a year it has been).

Bisbee

2010-12-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went on a family field trip. Okay we didn't really call it that but I think that's what it should be called because that's what it felt like. It was a day a way from the house and having to cook and clean and do the same old stuff. So to me it was a field trip. Anyways, We took a trip down to Bisbee to see the mines. Before going on the tour of the mine Hubby had mentioned that there was a hot dog place that sold the best hot dogs ever. After searching and searching we finally found it. It really did have the best hot dogs and chili cheese fries also. After lunch we headed back to the mine to go on a tour. With this tour you ~~have~~ get to wear a lovely yellow coat, a miners hat, and a big flashlight. Even with all that stuff it was still a lot of fun. When we arrived we got the usual comments of "wow you have a lot of kids". And the looks from people who were probably thinking "great we have to go with this loud group". However by the end we had people come up and tell us how well behaved our children are. I was very proud of my kids for being so good during the whole tour. The kids loved being able to have flashlights hooked up to them. Lil' Bro. didn't have a flashlight but he still loved just looking around. The Baby slept almost the entire time which was really nice although he was getting really heavy or at least that's what Hubby said because he was holding him almost the whole time. After Bisbee we headed to Douglas to find the family cemetery of my great grandparents. It was a crazy to try and find the cemetery because the only directions we had were written in 1973 and a lot of the names of ranches had been changed since them. But with a little luck we were able to find it. Finding the cemetery was amazing it has been the families since 1906 and although I don't personally know anybody buried there it was nice to think of them all as family.

Me and the kids

John and the 2 oldest boys

The family after the tour

My great-grandmothers headstone

my great-grandfathers headstone

my great-great-grandparents headstone. She was born on the same day as me.

The best hot dog place ever.

2 months old

2010-12-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

In November The Baby turned 2 months old. He is such a cute little guy. He loves to smile and "talk" to everyone. At his well child check he weighed 15lbs. and was 23 inches long. He loves his Sissy, she is able to calm him down by just holding him which is such a help to me. On Sissys' birthday he was blessed at church by his dad. It was a great day.

Sissys' Baptism

2010-12-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

In November Sissy turned 8. She was so excited that she was finally old enough to be baptized. She had lots of cousins and grandparents come down and spend the special day with her. I am so proud of her and the choice that she made to be baptized.

Halloween

2010-12-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween Sissy got to chose the theme of what we would all be for it. She of course chose the theme of princesses. She wanted the boys to also dress up as princesses but I thought that it might be just too cruel for the boys so they went as knights instead. Lil' Bro. went as a dragon and The Baby went as a baby.

This was the first year that we have ever gone to the Tucson Zoo for some trick-or-treating. It was a lot of fun and the kids got a lot of candy and other stuff. My sister and brother were there with their families as well as my mom and dad. I really believe that my family are the only ones who celebrate Halloween as a family.

Unfortunately Halloween was on a Sunday so the kids were not able to go trick-or-treating around town, however, the school had a carnival that Saturday and we were able to take the kids to that. This year they had lots of games that the kids could play and they had a haunted horse carriage ride. We had a lot of fun this year and like always the kids are already planning out what to wear next year.

All the grandkids at the zoo

The boys favorite picture

The family ready for Halloween

We've got spirit how 'bout you

2010-10-26T11:24:00.001-07:00

This last week was Spirit week at Sissy and Big Bro. school. The kids had a lot of fun(on most days) dressing up for school. Monday was tie day. I forgot to take pictures that day, but they both went to school wearing their dads ties. Tuesday was Wacky hair day. Big bro loved his hair spiky and red. Wednesday they dressed up as nerds. Big bro. was excited about it until he saw what he looked like. He cried and cried over his hair so I fixed it to how he wanted it after I took the picture. Sissy was up for anything including wearing Lil' bro. vest to school. She is such a good sport. Thursday was retro day. I could think of a million ideas for Sissy but none for Big bro. Luckily we had found a picture on the Internet of a kid dressed for retro day and he loved it. I think he looks like the blond kid off of the original Karate Kid movie. Friday was school spirit day. I love how their school colors are red and black. It makes it very easy to find clothes to wear. It was a great week I can't wait to do it again next year (yes I am living vicariously through my children).

Wacky Hair day

Nerd Day

School Spirit Day

Retro Day

Number 5

2010-10-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't really tell a whole lot of people that we were going to have baby #5. It wasn't a hard pregnancy I was just tired all of the time. Because of that I got behind in my blogging. At 20 weeks we went in and found out that is was going to be another boy. Sissy and I were a little dissappointed but we have got over it and realized that it will be fun to have another boy. I was induced Sept. 11th and had him @9:30pm. He weighed 7lbs 8oz. and was 21 inches long. He is a good sleeper and can sleep through almost all of the noises at home and the constant kisses from Lil' bro. The kids all love having him. Although we still can't get Sissy to change his diaper. We are so happy to have him in our home and love him so much.

Bubba and Lil' bro

2010-10-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Bubba at the doctors

Lil' bro with sissy

Bubba and Lil' bro are doing great. Bubba has grown in inches but not in weight so we are still having to see a doctor every 6 months. He is now 4 and ready to go to school next year. He is at the age where he doesn't want to play with the lil' bro very much because he is into his own thing.
Lil' bro is now the monster of the house. He loves to climb and wrestle. He also has his sissy wrapped around his little finger. She will do anything for him. He is almost 2 and is so independent.

New School Year

2010-10-04T11:56:00.001-07:00

Sissy on the first day

Big bro on the first day

Sissy started 2nd grade this year. I was so nervous for her. I can't believe she is already in the 2nd grade. This year she has more homework and the teacher actually holds her responsible for getting her work turned in. She is doing really good and still loves to go to school.
Big bro is in the 1st grade. He has a new teacher this year and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to keep him in the same school because of how they split the 1st graders. He loves it though and has made some new friends.

My Oh My

2010-10-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Okay its been a while since I've added anything here. So I'll just do a quick catch up.

My camera broke (therefore we missed out on a lot of picture taking)
Sissy and Big bro. finished the school year
Big bro. played t-ball
Bubba and lil' bro started going to the pre-school library time
Sissy and Big bro participated in activities from the city

This summer we decided not to go anywhere and just stayed home. It was nice not to have to pack or worry about going anywhere. The kids are now back in school and I'm back to just having the little ones at school.

Bubba turns 4

2010-04-05T09:01:00.007-07:00

March was Bubbas 4th birthday. I can't believe he is already 4 years old. This year we just had a small party at home with his brothers and sister. He was still excited about it though. Bubba is my funny little boy. He loves super heros and and swords, basically anything that has to do with fighting. This year he is also in Primary. He loves going to sunbeams and being part of the "big kid" group. At home he is a very big helper with Little Bro. and cleaning up. Some days I don't know what to do with him because he is so active but truthfully I can't picture my life without him.

Blessings Week 4

2010-03-07T18:18:00.004-07:00

Okay so I said that I would think of a blessing every week and really only did 3 weeks but hey it's my blog and I'm really not going to feel too bad about it. For the past few weeks I've realized how blessed I am to live where everyone is so caring. When Sissy was 18 months old we found out that she is allergic to peanuts. Since then we are always having to ask what is in foods and what kinds of food will be at parties. This is something that I hate doing. I have fear of offending someone and would rather just eat what they give me than make a big deal of it.

Anyways. Sissy has had the same teacher for the past 2 years in school. The other day her teacher and I were talking about the different kinds of chocolate that we like. I told her that I love anything with peanut butter. She said that she also likes peanut butter but doesn't want to risk it at school with Sissy being around. Right then I realized that I am pretty blessed that they go to such a small school. The school doesn't make such a big deal of it that she feels like a "wierdo" but they are protective enough that they take extra steps to keep her away from the peanut butter. When they have any peanut butter in the school lunches she "gets to" eat with the teachers she thinks that it is the best.

It's not just the school either. Many of her friends are careful when she visits their houses and everyone at church looks out for her. I am very blessed that everyone doesn't make it such a big deal and is willing to sacrifice a little when she is around.

Blessings week Three

2010-01-27T13:19:00.002-07:00

Okay I forgot to do this on Sunday. This week our family has been blessed with having 3 vehicles. I've wanted to sell the truck for a long time but Hubby is always saying that it would make a good back up car if we needed it. This week it finally came into use. Hubbys' car that he takes to work was having issues. Major issues because we thought that the transmission was going out. So for the last week he has driven my car and I have had the truck. We were also blessed by the fact that Hubby took in his car and they replaced a filter and now it seems to be working alot better. It might even last until this summer which would be wonderful. Sorry no pictures this time my camera needs new batteries and truthfully I don't think anyone wants to see a picture of Hubbys' car anyways.

Blessings week TWO

2010-01-17T17:47:00.003-07:00

This week when I was trying to think of something that I have been blessed with I would look out my window and just kind of stare of into space. I have always loved where we live because there aren't alot of houses around us. We are lucky enough to be able to see wildlife outside almost everyday. Usually just quail or roadrunners, but on occassion we have seen deer and javelinas. Today at church most of the lessons were on the creation and how the earth was made for us. I came to realize that I am lucky enough to wake up to Gods creations every morning rather than mans.

Blessings week ONE

2010-01-10T18:07:00.005-07:00

I have a friend who is taking a picture for everyday of the year. I thought that this was an awesome idea but I didn't hear about it until the 4th or 5th day of the New Year and well me being me, I figured I couldn't do it for every day of the year if I already was missing a few days so I tried to think of something else to do. I thought about the song "Count Your Blessings" and realized that I am usually one to complain more than to appreciate what I have. With that being said, I am going to make it a goal to "Count My Blessings". Every Sunday this year I am going to blog about what I am thankful for. Hopefully by doing this I will grow a greater appreciation for the things in my life.

This week I realized how thankful I am to live in Southern Arizona. My kids are able to go outside and play almost year round. I don't like the snow at all. It's too cold and wet and just makes me miserable. This week the highs were in the high 60's to low 70's and the kids were able to go outside with just light jackets or long sleeved shirts. I've been very blessed that John was able to get a job down here where the weather is great.

Plays

2009-12-02T13:39:00.003-07:00

November was filled with lots of plays. By lots I really only mean two and a movie. Hubby took me to go and see Phantom of the Opera. It was so good. I have always loved the music from it and I love the movie. To see it in "real life" was awesome. I can't wait to go and see it again. Okay so I don't know when that will happen but I'm still excited. I also loved getting to dress up and leave the kids behind at my parents house. The second play I went to was pretty funny or at least it was to a mother. The kids did a Thanksgiving play about the first Thanksgiving. I really couldn't hear any of the kids but they had fun dressing up in the paper hats. After the play their class served soup and pumpkin pie that they had made. Then over Thanksgiving break I got to go to the theater and watch New Moon. Wow oh wow. Loved it. SO much better than the first and I'm not just saying that because Jacob doesn't wear a shirt for almost the entire movie. I could have stayed there and watched it again but Hubby was nice enough to watch the kids so I had to go back.

Sissys' Birthday

2009-12-02T13:16:00.003-07:00

In November Sissy turned 7. Wow I can't believe that she is that old already. Time has gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday Hubby was taking care of her and rocking her to sleep. Yes, Hubby did a lot of the work with Sissy. She has always been daddys' little girl. This year she wanted to have a big birthday party with all of her friends. I decided that since I talked her out of it last year that this year I would go ahead and let her have a big party. After looking at different blogs(Okay mostly one) I thought that having a Fancy Nancy birthday party would be so much fun. I brought this idea up to Sissy and she said no that she wanted to have a pirate birthday party. I then said okay maybe a girl pirate with the pink and black, again she said no because she wanted to also invite the boys in her class. After thinking about it for a while and Hubby telling me it was a good idea I decided that she could have one with boys and girls. I'm glad I came to my senses because it turned out to be a lot of fun. With the help of my parent, brother, sisters family, and some friends we were able to make it into a carnival with a bunch of games. At each game the kids would win another part of a pirate costume. However, in order to play the games they had to search for buried coins and each game would then cost one coin. If they played each game then at the end they would have a bandana, eye patch, hook and necklaces. They could also win tattoos and stickers. The last game was with everyone all together, it was a big treasure hunt and at the end was a pinata treasure chest. The kids had a lot of fun. There ended up being about 17 kids at the party. Our boys loved it just as much as the school kids and played pirates for days.

Sissy and her pirate friends

The cake I made for her

Superheros ahead

2009-12-01T15:45:00.003-07:00

I know that Halloween was well over a month ago but I am just now getting to it. This Halloween it was one of the boys again who got to pick what the theme for the family costumes. This year the family went as superheros. Hubby was Mr. Fantastic, I was Wasp (don't ask who she is because I still don't know), Sissy was Captain Americas daughter, Big Bro. was Ironman, Bubba was Wolverine and Little Bro. was The Hulk. Like last year we went to my parents house and had dinner and then went trick-or-treating around their neighborhood. The kids had a blast. I think going to my parents house is becoming a tradition, which is great with me because my dad really decks the house out.

Sissy flying off

Bubba as Wolverine

Big Bro. being so strong

Little Bro. confused at everyone dressed up

Apple Annies

2009-11-10T09:00:00.004-07:00

Since moving here I have always wanted to go to the Pumpkin Patch. Every year something comes up and we are unable to go. This year I decided that we were going to go no matter what. I'm glad I made that decision because we had a lot of fun. At Apple Annies they make this huge corn maze to go through. Hubby and I took the kids through the hard one. The kids each took turns being in charge of leading the way. It was alot of fun and we only got lost a couple of times. The kids also liked playing in the corn and taking the hay ride to the pumpkins. It was a fun day and was enjoyed by the whole family.

My boys looking so serious

Bubba being silly in the maze

Sissy posing on some hay

Little Bro. loving the corn and not being in the stroller

Big Bro. swimming in the corn

1st Birthday

2009-11-10T08:30:00.004-07:00

I have no idea where time has gone. Every year October, November and December seem to go by so quickly. I love the fall season but hate how busy it gets.
In October Little Bro. turned 1. I can't believe that he is already a year old. He is my little monster. I thought that Bubba was none stop but Little Bro. is busier than Bubba. He LOVES to climb. He is constantly pulling out the kitchen chairs and climbing onto the table. Although he gets into trouble and is loud he is also the sweetest boy in the world. He loves to cuddle and gives the biggest hugs. I don't know what I would do without him.

For his birthday we just had a small get together with my parents. When Sissy turned a year old it was a huge deal. We had a theme, invited everybody, bought a cake, and bought every present that we could. With Little Bro. being the 4th child I have realized that they don't really care about the birthday party at all. This time it was a stress free party.

Happy to get sippy cups

Playing with the frosting

I made the cake which didn't turn out to be very creative but he still loved it just the same.

First Haircut

2009-09-18T15:43:00.006-07:00

Little bro. had his first haircut last Saturday. It was kind of sad to cut off the baby hair, but Hubby said people will think that he is a little girl. Big bro. and Bubba always get Star Wars haircuts. Big bro. gets a Yoda haircut and Bubba gets a Luke haircut. They look exactly the same but just different names. While cutting Little bros' hair, Bubba told me that Little bro. was getting an Obi Wan haircut. What else could I do except agree with him. To me it just makes him look a little older.

My Baby Boy before his haircut

My Boy Looking more like a toddler.

Bubba is growing

2009-08-27T20:48:00.007-07:00

When Bubba was a year old the doctor was concerned because he had basically stopped growing. On the growth charts he was dropping percentiles and this made the doctor a little worried. At his 18 month check up the doctor was telling me that Bubba was now considered in the catagory of "Thriving to Survive" . That made me feel like the worse mother ever. I thought that I was doing everything that I could for my child and yet it just wasn't good enough. The doctor suggested that I take Bubba in too see an endocrinologist. I took him in and it was basically useless. The doctor there complained that too many kids were coming in when it could be a problem with allergies or intestines. She did some blood test and sent me to see a nutrionist. The nutrionist looked at what Bubba was eating and said that everything seemed to be just fine. She asked me to add more fat to his diet and come back in 6 weeks. We did as she asked and went back. She weighed and measured him again and said that he was gaining the right amount of weight for how old he was. That was the end of those appointments.
At his 2 year old well child check-up the doctor said that he was moving up in the chart and that he could be considered "small stature" instead of "thriving to survive". I was so happy. I felt that I had done something right and Bubba was on his way to being "big".
This last March I took Bubba in for his 3 year old well child check-up and once again he had dropped on the charts. The doctor again got after me saying that I need to have him looked at and that there must be something wrong with him. He also was trying to tell me that it looks like I am starving my son because his head circumference was different from his weight and height. I again left the office feeling like a horrible mother. I knew I wasn't starving Bubba but what if I was doing something wrong. Once again I made the phone call and got him an appointment. This time we were blessed to find out that the doctor he saw the first time didn't work there anymore and that he would be seen by someone else.
The new doctor we saw was great he explained a lot more than the last doctor had. They also had a better way to measure and weigh him. It turns out that Bubba was still really low on the charts but not nearly as low as the hometown doctor was saying. They also looked at how much he had weighed at 18 months and said that he was gaining in the 50th percentile for his age. This was good news. They had me take him in and do all the blood test again. They also had Bubba get his hand x-rayed.
With the x-ray of his hand they can see how old his bones are. Sometimes the bone age can be different than his birth age. If his bone age is still younger than he will still catch up to other kids it will just take a little bit longer.
About 2 months went by when the doctor called and told me that all the blood test came back normal. That was great news except now we weren't sure why he was still small. This last week I took Bubba back in and we met with the best doctor ever. He measured Bubba 3 time just to make sure he was getting the right measurements. Then he looked at the hand x-ray and said that his bones are measuring at the age of a 2 year old. He also said that in the last 6 months Bubba has gained 2 and half pounds and grown 2 inches. This to me is such a miracle. I have prayed and fasted for so long to know why Bubba was so small and why he just wasn't growing. I now have an answer. He is now growing in the 95th percentile and he should catch up to the other kids his age. The doctor said they don't know why some kids stop growing but sometimes they just do. It feels so great to know that it wasn't anything I did or didn't do but it is just something that happens. We will still have to see this doctor in another 6 months just to make sure all is going good, but for now I am just going to enjoy my growing boy.

Schools In

2009-08-19T19:02:00.009-07:00

Last week Sissy and Big bro. started school. It has been wonderful. Sissy is in first grade and Big bro is in Kindergarten. They were both excited to go school shopping and get the things that they needed. Big bro bought a Star Wars backpack and Sissy bought a Supergirl one.
I love the school because it is a small school. Last year Sissy only had 11 in her kindergarten class. This year they decided to combine Kindergarten and 1st grade because there was only 11 in each grade. So they are in the same class. It has been pretty good so far. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Big bro loves being in school. Just like Sissyhe loves to ride the bus and eat in the lunch room. For him going to school is an adventure he loves.
Sissy was upset that she would have the same teacher and the same classmates. I guess she was really looking forward to a change.

Dr. Seuss

2009-08-19T18:47:00.004-07:00

When I was little I had an imaginary friend. His name was Johnny. Johnny was my best friend. We went everywhere and did everything together. My parents have told me that he would eat dinner with me and his parents would sometimes drive the car. To my siblings this was just weird. I was starting to agree with them because really who has an imaginary friend. And then the school year began. When Big bro. and Sissy started coming home with stories of what they did at school all of the sudden Bubba would bring up what he and Da Sus(aka. Dr. Seuss) did. He would explain that Dr. Seuss is spending the night,what toys they played with together and what stores I took them to. Yes, it looks like Bubba has an imaginary friend.
This is a picture of him and Dr. Seuss together. Don't worry I didn't see Dr. Seuss sitting with him.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2009-08-12T15:45:00.008-07:00

Last week we went to Disneyland with my parents. It was so much fun. I love Disney. Everything about it is just so magical. Well all except the lines. But truthfully we really didn't have to wait that long any lines. I think the longest wait was about 20 minutes and for disney that isn't too bad.
Sissy and Big bro. were tall enough to go on just about every ride. We took them on Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Big bro loved Splash Mountain. Sissy said she will never go on that ride again. I have to completely agree with her. That ride is just not fun. Sissy loved Space Mountain. Big bro. said that he didn't like it at all, but when he heard how much the rest of us liked it he said that he liked it also. Little bros favorite ride was "It's a small world". Bubba loved the Jungle ride although he was kind of upset that it didn't have any pigs. After all these years I still love Pirates of the Carribean and now that it has Jack Sparrow (or in other words Johnny Depp) it is just that much better.
Big bros favorite activity at Disney had nothing to do with normal Disney rides. He loved the Jedi Training. Yes my hubby is a Star Wars Nerd and he has turned my kids into being Star War nerds. We were so lucky that Big bro. and Sissy were picked to do the Jedi Training and fight Darthe Vader. We thought that Bubba would be sad because he was to young but as it turns out he is afraid of Darth Vader and didn't want to fight him.
On our off day we stayed at our hotel and went swimming and then went to my parents hotel to go swimming. Ours was just the basic hotel swimming pool. At my parents they had a huge water slide and a kiddie pool. Hubby took the kids down the slide only to find out at the top that they don't allow people to go down together. So Bubba went down by himself. He loved it.
It was such a fun vacation. We were so lucky to have my parents there to help out with the little kids and hang out with. Thanks mom and dad.

Brown Family Campout

2009-07-19T20:20:00.003-07:00

This posting should have been done a month ago but I just never got around to it. In June The Brown side of the family had a camping trip in Williams. Our first outing was to the Grand Canyon. I was so nervous about taking the kids. Especially Bubba. He has a habit of climbing and not listening to rules. I bought him a little leash backpack to wear he actually loved it and it helped my nerves. I was so excited to take pictures there but unfortunatly I waited (so that I would have perfect ones) and it started raining like crazy. Which means I have no real pictures of the Grand Canyon.
On the other days we went to Sunset Crater, Oak Creek Canyon, and the Deer Farm. Out of all of them we had the most fun at Oak Creek Canyon. We stopped on the side of the road and hiked down a little ways to the creek to play in the water. Some of us decided to go ahead and swim. It was really deep in some spots. We guessed over 6ft. The kids loved playing in the water and hiking around. It was nice because there was nobody else around.
When Sissy was a year old we took her to the Deer Farm near Flagstaff. She screamed the entire time because the deer were chasing us. This time was much better. Nobody cried. All the cousins had fun feeding the deer and letting them follow us around. Although Bubba didn't like to feed the deer but he liked them following him.
All in all this was a great family reunion. The weather was nice and the cousins loved being with each other. We can't wait until the next one.

For my sister and sister-in-law

2009-07-03T20:47:00.004-07:00

With having 4 kids I should know by now never to say "my kid will never do that", when other kids are making a mess or wearing cowboy boots with shorts or screaming at the store. So this is my apology to my sister and sister-in-law for laughing and saying that my kids will never climb in the dishwasher while I am trying to do them. I now get why you waited to do the dishes when the kids were sleeping. Guess thats what I will have to do from now on.

This was only 20 min. after he pulled my scentsy of the coffee table and broke it. Yes now i have to be scentsyless all weekend and we have people coming over. How am I suppose to make my house smell good? Light a candle or bake? I don't think that will work for me. Once you go scentsy you can never go back.

A happy Birthday to Logan

2009-06-02T07:22:00.010-07:00

Just a warning there are a whole lot of pictures. I just couldn't decide on one so I put a whole bunch on.

Last week Big bro.turned 5. He now seems so old. It could be the fact that he will be in kindergarten this year or that he doesn't want to snuggle all the time or that he is skinny instead of my chubby baby or that he doesn't want to play with baby toys or that he tells me he is old enough to do lots of things. When they say time goes by so fast it's true. I can't believe he is already 5. He was the one who was always a mommys' boy and I loved every minute of it. I can't wait for him to go to school but I know that I will miss having him at home.

Big bro.on the day he was born. So small only 6lbs.

Big bro. at his birthday party. It wasn't anything big just a small get together at my parents house.

Big bro. at the Mesa Temple. He wanted a picture by the water.

Big bro with my sister. I think he was about 8 months old.

I'm not sure how old again it was around 8 or 9 months old.

Big bro being silly I'm going to say 8 months old.

Big bros' first birthday. He hardly wanted to touch the cake.

Good news and Bad News

2009-05-24T16:20:00.004-07:00

The month of May has gone by so quickly that I thought I would just do a quick update on what we have been doing this last month.

The good news is Little bro. turned 7 months old this month and is finally getting his teeth. The bad news is that I am now dealing with him teething. He cries a lot and just wants held. That wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so tired from staying up with him in the middle of the nights.

The good news Sissy graduated from Kindergarten. On the 22nd we went to the graduation it was so cute. Only 11 kids and they sang a couple of songs and received certificates. She is so happy that school is out and she can stay home with the boys. The bad news she gets bored real fast and so now I have a whole summer of finding activities for her to do. Also bad news I will now have a 1st grader I'm getting so old!!!

The good news Bubba learned to paint. The bad news it was his toenails and bathroom floor. Of course it was a bright pink color.

The good news Big bro.went on the Father-Son Campout. He loved it. Lately Big bro. has really enjoyed spending time with Hubby. I think he is in the stage where is brothers are just to young to play with so he tries to do things with Hubby. They had a really good time camping. The bad news it was only 1 night and they forgot the marshmallows.

The good news on Mothers Day Hubby and the kids made me breakfast in bed it was so sweet. The bad news Big bro. spilt the hot apple cider on me and Sissy dropped the breakfast on the floor. But really there was more good news than bad on Mohters Day. The kids and Hubby bought flowers and some gifts. In primary the kids made me gifts and cards. I love seeing the pictures they make for me I feel so loved when they make it themselves. Bubba came to me after nursery and gave me a flower he made. It was so sweet because the nursery leaders taught them to say Happy Mothers Day. The bad news as soon as we got to the car he took it back and has never given it back to me.

For Sale by Owner

2009-04-23T10:14:00.004-07:00

For sale:
One blonde hair, blue eyed, very energetic 3 year old. Does well with older children and most babies. Very playful and cuddly. Eats very little so food cost is not much. Loves to be held and read to. Good in the bath if you like to have your bathroom cleaned with splashing. Almost potty trained. Has been that way for a while. Speaks well even when asked to stop talking. Comes with the same clothes he has worn for the last year and a dirty face. If your interested in him just let me know. We can even let you take him for a test run if you just want to try for a weekend or week or month or until he is 8. I'm also selling a 4 year old almost identical to the 3 year old just a little older. (Sorry baby in picture is not included)

2009-04-17T13:21:00.003-07:00

Saturday morning the kids woke up and found their baskets from the Easter Bunny they were excited to get some new toys and such. We then traveled to Hubbys parents house and had Easter with Hubbys' family. The weather there was perfect. The kids got to look for Easter eggs and play with their cousins. For the past couple of years we have done an egg hunt where the kids hide the eggs and the adults look for them. I have to admit that I am not very good at this but it sure is a lot of fun. For lunch we had prime rib. I truely believe that I could live off of My father-n-laws prime rib it is the best. It was a nice day and we all had a lot of fun.

Grandma's Ducks

2009-04-17T13:00:00.003-07:00

Grandma Boring loves ducks and the kids love grandmas ducks. For Easter she got all the kids chocolate ducks. And the kids really loved those. Bubba was the one in our family who ate the most on the first day that they got them and yet he doesn't gain the weight. I ate just a few nibbles of each and gained way more than I should have:) Oh to be a kid. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Boring for the ducks.

1st Easter Party

2009-04-17T12:34:00.004-07:00

The Monday before Easter we had some friends come over to decorate and hide eggs. Their kids and ours are almost the exact same age so it always works out just right when we hang out with them. We talked the husbands into hiding some plastic eggs in the front yard and then the kids all went out and looked for them. After they found all the eggs (okay really they only lost one so thats pretty good) they came back in the house and decorated more eggs. It was so fun and a perfect way to start the week of Easter.

Trains

2009-04-02T13:44:00.004-07:00

3 months after buying a train set for Christmas. The boys and I decided to get it out today and play trains. Big bro. and I worked together and made a big track while Bubba did his own thing. His own thing at first was to destroy whatever Big bro. had built but after a while he let us be and played with the trains and no track. Big bro. is so proud with what he made. He set up the forest on the side and put the little people where he thought they should go. I think he did a great job.

Playtime or Naptime?!!

2009-03-25T18:27:00.004-07:00

Little bro. was busy playing with his toys and then all of the sudden he fell asleep. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just fall asleep where ever we wanted?

Bubbas' birthday and Spring Break

2009-03-21T17:23:00.005-07:00

Bubbas birthday was this last week. On Sunday his nursery leaders gave him a birthday crown. It was a great start to the day of his party. After church my parents and my brothers family came over for dinner and cake. He loved having all the attention on him.
On Monday the kids and I went up to my sisters house to spend a couple of days. We had a lot of fun with them. We spent one day going to Kingman and then the others just at her house. The kids love playing with each other. It is so nice that my kids have so many cousins to play with.
Wednesday was Bubbas' real birthday. We were at The Johnsons' house (some of my sisters friends). They found out that it was Bubbas birthday and made him a birthday cake. He was so happy that they made it for him. Or at least I was. While we were eating the cake Bubba said mom you know what my favorite part is. I asked him what and he said when everyone sang Happy Birthday Bubba.
The rest of Spring Break was fun. It is always nice to hang out with my sister and the kids loved playing around with their cousins. The kids asked the next day if we could go to their cousins' again. They can't wait for this summer when we will camp with everyone for a week.

Is it really March?

2009-03-12T11:32:00.003-07:00

Last Monday I had a fever and was feeling extremely tired so Hubby took part of the day off and came home to watch the kids for me while I slept. The kids were complaining about how warm it was and John decided to get out the slip-n-slide for them. However he couldn't find it and so they had to go the old fashioned way and just play with the hose. Most of the kids had fun. Big bro. said it was a little cold and Sissy hated walking on the dry grass with her bare feet. Bubba lately has been our little devil and had fun getting everyone wet. I didn't get a picture of Little bro. but he was sitting in the doorway laughing at the kids as they were screaming with delight. Fortunately the weather has cooled off a little and so I still have time to get the kids some shorts and sandals before it stays warm.

It was hard getting a picture of Sissy because she kept going in the house to look for shoes.

Big bro. looks like he is freezing but it really wasn't that cold. And I do feed my kids but here it looks like Big bro. doesn't have any meat on his body.

Our little Devil child. He loved getting Daddy all wet and he even has a little laugh when he is doing it.

Silly Boys

2009-03-08T13:21:00.004-07:00

Sometimes the boys say the cuteset things. This week Bubba came to me and asked me to sing the "Rock man" song. I had no idea what he was taking about and then he did the hand actions to it. It turned out to be the Wise man built his house upon the rock. I then asked him what other songs he sings in nursery. He said they sing Jesus wants me for a Sunbean, Head and Knees Toes, Bookmans stories, and Ring a Rosie.
Big bros' story of the week happened with Hubby. Hubby took him into the restroom at a gas station. As Big bro. was wiping he told John that wiping his bum is choosing the right. John agreed what else could he say. It is the right thing to do.

Little bro. is 4 months

2009-02-27T09:54:00.006-07:00

Little bro. had his four month appointment this last week. He is actually in the 79th percentile for his height and 75 for his weight. After having Bubba being so small for his age it is so nice to have a bigger baby. Now if he'll just stay this chubby everything will be great. Although him eating every 2 hours can sometimes be inconvenient. The doctors looked at his "Browns' " thighs and all she said was wow those are some healthy looking thighs. Funny how healthy looking really means big and yet everyone wants to be healthy.
Last night he finally rolled over. He had been trying all day and last night during dinner he did it. I'm so happy that he is getting big. Except now I just can't leave him on the couch or edge of the bed.

Snow Day

2009-02-11T10:12:00.003-07:00

Tuesday morning we woke up to snow. It was so wonderful. The school called and let us know that school was cancelled for the day. The kids were so excited. They started asking if they could go outside at 6:30 and I finally let them go out around 8:30. It was so cold but the kids had fun throwing the snow at each other. By noon it was all melted but for a couple of hours it seemed like winter. Bubba stayed out the longest and now has a little bit of a cold. This morning he came and told me that his "noe is nuffy". Someday he will be able to pronounce his S's . Oh and on an even happier note my dishwasher was fixed this morning.

Package Day

2009-02-09T15:36:00.004-07:00

I've had a couple of not really bad weeks but defintely not good weeks. Our dishwasher went out 2 weeks ago and is still not fixed. The repair man said that is would cost around $400 to fix it so John is trying to find a better deal. Until then I have to do dishes by hand. Okay it doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but when I have to wash dishes 2-3 times a day it gets pretty boring. I'm also now babysitting. Most days aren't too bad, but lately there has been a lot more fighting between the kids. And then just other issues. WOW, I didn't mean to complain so much in this but I had to tell you a little background on us so you could see the good of the day. Here is the good news, as the boys would say, I was checking the mail and wondering how many bills we would have this time and to my surprise there was a package instead. The kids were super excited asking who it was from. I told them from Grandma and Grandpa Boring. Their reply oh the ones' with Angel. As soon as we got home we opened it up and took out all the goodies. Seeing the kids so excited put me in such a better mood. As did the card that they sent me. The kids love getting packages from Grandma and Grandpa Boring. I'm so grateful that they spend the time to send gifts to the kids each holiday.

Happy New Year

2009-01-26T09:43:00.002-07:00

Today is Chinese New Years. Here is a little information just so you know. The first day of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. On the Chinese calendar, 2009 is Lunar Year 4706-4707. This is the year of the Ox. They are patient and thoughtful. They are also leaders and are still working hard when others have given up. They are stubborn and when oppossed they have fierce tempers.
On the news the other day they said that 1/3 of people who set goals at the start of the new year have already given up by the end of January. So Chinese New Year is a reason to try again at the goals that you have set.
Although if your goal is to lose weight. I'ld eat some Chinese food tonight and start the diet tomorrow. It's not everyday there is a reason to go out to eat.

Bubbas' McDonalds

2009-01-21T18:43:00.003-07:00

For Christmas Bubba recieved a Mcdonalds register and pretend food. He loves to play McDonalds. Big bro. and him put all of their Happy Meal toys in a box and pretend to give out Happy Meals. On this day Big bro. was busy doing something else so Bubba decided to play with Little bro.

When asked if Little bro. was having fun Bubba said "Little bro. likes pickles". Little bro. just loves the attention he gets from Bubba. Although in the picture it doesn't look like it.

Hubbys family

2009-01-06T09:58:00.006-07:00

We had a great time visting Hubbys' parents. The Kids love seeing the far away Grandma and Grandpa or in other words Grandma and Grandpa Boring. They played with the ducks from the bathroom and dressed up.We also took them to the river one afternoon. Sissy and Bubba said the water was to cold but Big Bro.loved going in it. Hubby tried to teach Sissy how to skip rocks. Big bro. showed us that it still makes ripples if you throw a big rock in. Poor Little bro. just sat in his car seat. Its a good thing that he is such a great baby.

Christmas

2009-01-06T08:22:00.005-07:00

A lot has happened since I last posted. For Christmas we joined my brothers family at my parents house. On the 23rd we decorated ginger bread houses and the kids watched some Christmas movies on T.V. Then on Christmas Eve we ate a wonderful Mexican dinner. After dinner we all piled into the back of my dads truck and drove around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. When we got back we read about the birth of Jesus out of the scriptures while the kids acted it out. Our family had never done that before and it was a nice new tradition. A huge thanks to my sister-n-law for the idea and the costumes and did I mention that there were tons of treats like fudge thanks. Christmas morning the kids woke up around 6am and we opened presents. Like every year I forgot to take pictures of them opening their presents. Maybe I'll remember next year. That evening we had a traditional dinner of ham and potatoes. It was a great Christmas.

Making the Ginger Bread House

Sissy is Mary, Big Bro. is Joseph, Bubba is the 3 wise men, and Little bro. is baby Jesus

The group after Grandpa read the scriptures

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T11:35:00.004-07:00

We had a fun Thanksgiving. On Thursday my parents and Hubbys parents came to our house to have the turkey and such. It was nice and small with lots of leftovers. I have to say that the turkey actually turned out. Although it did take an hour longer than I thought it would. On Saturday we went to Hubbys' sisters house. It was so nice to see all of his brothers and sisters. The kids like always had a lot of fun even though they are still trying to remeber everybodies names. There was so much good food. I think we all a little to much. Sunday afternoon we had a small get together blessed Little bro. It was so nice to have those that were able to make it come for the blessing.

Twilight

2008-12-03T11:24:00.005-07:00

It's been awhile but I was able to go and watch Twilight. WOW what a good movie. I loved it. I can't wait until the next one comes out. Jacob Black was great ( I know he didn't talk much) and in the next one it will have more of him. All of the cast was great though. I can't wait to see it again.

Sissy Turns 6 !!!

2008-11-16T09:46:00.001-07:00

Sissy's birthday was last Friday she turned 6. Instead of having a birthday party I was able to talk her into going to Build a Bear. So on Saturday my mom, my sister-n-law, and I took her. She really wanted a horse but they didn't have any. She picked out this puppy instead. It is definitely an experience to go to a Build a Bear Workshop. They have so many options for clothing. And that is where they get you. I didn't think it would cost that much. But I didn't add any of their little extras. And the people that work there are very sneaky. See they don't talk to the parents they ask the children what they want. Because of this Sissy's dog almost got a pair of panties. Even though I'm complaining about the price and happy workers it was worth it. Sissy loves her dog Sally and loves to get her dressed. She has two outfits one from Hubby and I and a church outfit from my parents. She says that it was the best birthday ever. And that's what makes me happy.

Big Brother

2008-11-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

One night I was trying to get the kids to bed and Little bro. started to cry. Actually that happens just about every night. (He still isn't on the perfect schedule.) But on this night I went into the bedroom to get Little bro.and Bubba had already taken care of it for me. Bubba had turned on the music and was holding Little bro's pacifier for him. Sometimes Bubba can be such a sweet big brother.

A bunch of star wars geeks

2008-11-04T15:32:00.001-07:00

For Halloween we dressed up as Star Wars charcters. Yes the boys had a lot of say on what the family was going to be this year. It was great though and nice to do something as a family. The kids and Hubby went to a carnival at Sissy's school on Thursday night. They had a lot of fun. The highlight of the night was when they had a lightsaber fight with Darth Vader. On Friday we went trick-or-treating around my parents neighborhood while my parents watched Little bro. My brother dressed up as Frankenstein which at first scared Bubba but after that first scare nothing we saw that night scared him. At one point he walked by a guy dressed up as a monster and all Bubba said was "hi monster". It was so funny. The kids had a lot of fun and got compliments on thier costumes. After trick-or-treating we hung out at my parents house. The kids stood at the door and handed out the candy to all the kids trick-or-treaters. The funniest part was when Big bro. and Sissy went to do something else and left Cousin(my 2 year old niece) and Bubba incharge of handing out the candy. They did a really good job but it had a lot of people confused. It was a really fun Halloween. Luckly I have Big bro. and Bubbawho have already started to talk about what we will be next year so I don't have to wait to think about Halloween.

So excited

2008-10-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago I was watching t.v. and the best preview for a movie came on. Thats right the preview for Twilight. I am so excited to go and watch it. Those who are reading this probably figure that I'm just another married woman who is in love with a vampire. But thats not true at all. Edward is ok and all but you see I'm on team Jacob. Thats right I'm in love with the other one. Don't get me wrong Edward is a great guy. It's just that he is a little to perfect for me. And is way to mature. Jacob to me is perfect. He is the fun loving guy with just the right amount of immaturity(if there is such a thing). So while most will go to the movie to see Edward I will be there to see Jacob. ( okay and maybe a little bit of Edward too.)

Pumpkin carving contest

2008-10-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

Saturday was our wards Chili Cook Off. They also had a pumpkin carving contest. Hubby and the kids carved a pumpkin to take with them. ( I stayed home with Little bro.) Hubby did a great job making the face of the pumpkin. Like every year he cut the pumpkin and then it was time for me to help. I am the only one who will take the seeds out. Hubby thinks that it is gross because it is slimy. Slowly the kids are coming along to my side. Sissy actually took some of the seeds out. Big bro. put his hand in(although he didn't touch anything). Bubba got on a chair up next to the pumpkin before he started to freak out. Anyways with the awesome design and the clean out ablities our pumpkin won 2nd place.

6 Quirks

2008-10-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

Okay so here is the tag from Tawna. It took me forever to figure out my quirks mostly because I know I'm perfect :) So I had to ask Hubby what they were and he came up with some pretty fast.

1.) I am not a morning person but I'm not really a night person either. I love to go to bed early and hate the fact that I have to wake up to take Sissy to school.
2.) If I don't finish a book within 3 days it's not worth reading. I love to read but I just hate waiting to see what the ending is.
3.) I have to have a nap everyday. I tell people that the kids need a nap but it's actually me that needs the nap.
4.) The dishwasher has to be loaded a certain way. I know I'm lucky to have a dishwasher or even someone help me but for some reason the dishes have to be in there a certain way. If they are not I usually will go back and fix it myself.
5.) I make a list for everything that I do. Even if I do the same thing everyday I have to have a list or else I wont do anything. If I need to make a phone call to the Doctors or whoever it wont get done until I put it on my list. And I just love the feeling of being able to cross things out when they are done.
6.) I hate walking around barefeet. I don't know what it is but I have to have socks on all the time when I am home. I love flip-flops but when I take them off I automatically put on my socks.

Okay so there are the 6 I'll tag Destiny because she is all I know.

And Drake makes 4

2008-10-16T09:03:00.001-07:00

The kids seeing Little bro. for the first time. Little bro. a couple days after being home.

October 13th we finally had baby #4. Little bro. was born 6 days before his due date but that was ok with us. He weighs 7 lbs. 9 oz and is 19 inches long. The kids are so excited to have him around they are constantly trying to play with him, talk to him, or hold him. He doesn't seem to mind too much but then again I don't think he realizes what is going on.

Hand-me-downs

2008-10-03T14:53:00.001-07:00

One of Bubbas favorite days is the day we get the hand me downs from his cousin. All of his cousins clothes are the best according to Bubba and Big Bro. Bubba really loves the hats. As soon as he sees the hats he knows that the stuff is from his cousin.

Daddy/Daughter campout

2008-10-03T10:21:00.001-07:00

This last weekend was the daddy/daughter campout for our ward. Sissy was so excited to go. They got to sleep outside in a tent and hang out together. I don't get a whole lot of information on what they do because they are so wiped out. All I know is that Sissy looks forward to it every year. Because Sissy went camping the boys wanted to do something fun also. So we went and had a sleepover at my parents house. The boys loved it.
This week has been busy with Sissy at school and I had a Dr. appointment. I am now in the 37th week. The dr. said she gives me a 50% chance of having the baby this week. I just laughed and said that none of my kids have come on their own and I don't think this one will either.

Yard Sale!!!

2008-09-11T13:45:00.001-07:00

Today the boys decided to pretend that they had a yard sale. Big Bro. and Bubba both went into the playroom and pulled out some toys and put them on a blanket. Big Bro. was the guy selling the stuff and Bubba was buying the toys. They had alot of fun buying and selling. Although it's hard to make money when you are using the same penny over and over. Either we have taken them to too many yard sales or they are true Borings and it runs in them.

Peach Picking

2008-08-12T14:11:00.001-07:00

Bubba ate more than was put in the Bucket.

He calls them Peachys.

Big Bro. and Cousin are being Monsters.Sissy is just not interested.

We went peach picking with my parents and my brothers' family. The kids love going and looking for peaches on the trees. Sissy wasn't into it this year because the week before she fell off of the 4 wheeler and got a small break in her arm. She was in a little bit of pain. The Boys and thier cousin however loved picking and eating.

Sissys' first day of school

2008-08-12T14:05:00.002-07:00

Sissy was so excited to start school this year. This year she gets to ride the bus and has the option of buying lunch. I didn't even cry when dropping her off on her first day of school.