Johnson Family

Happy 7th Birthday!

2010-10-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my sweet twins turned 7 on October 1st!

Here are 7 of my favorite things about them at age 7:

Ashton.....

1. Has such a tender heart. He loves his siblings, his friends, babies and especially animals.

2. Amazes me with his intelligence.

3. Very athletic. He scored 2 touch downs in his football game last week.

4. Is obsessed with everything birds. He reads lots of bird books and is constantly asking questions about birds. (He asks lots of deep questions about everything that I rarely have the answers to.)

5. Works very hard at playing the piano, which come naturally to him.

6. He has lost 7 teeth which makes his smile look more like a jack-o-lantern than a little boy.

7. Loves to relax in a hot bath and would several times a day if I would let him.

Ava.....

1. Such a sweet heart. She is so kind and loving. She has so many friends and always has a play date lined up.

2. She is working so hard in school, especially in reading.

3. She works hard on piano which doesn't come easy to her. She's like me when it comes to reading music. I'm so proud of how hard she works to play her songs.

4. She loves fashion and carefully plans out her clothes each day.

5. Does cartwheels and round offs non stop. She loves her new tumbling class and is working hard to do the splits.

6. Loves her grandmas, and is always wanting to visit them. She loves to sleep over at grandma Janet's every Friday.

7. She is so fun to hang out with. She's always up for a shopping trip or a day of errands.

These twins have always been such a blessing in our home. Twins can be a lot of work and are sometimes high maintenance but their laughter, huge hearts and adventurous spirits have always out weighed the exhaustion. I just wish they would stop growing up so fast.

Back to School

2010-08-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

Summer Highlights

2010-08-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

School was finally out for Summer!!
Hiking Stewart Falls with Uncle Kevin, Aunt Demri, and Brinli

Taking a snack/drink break on the trail!

Posing in the Lake

Lots of fun fishing trips with Dad!

Visiting Temple Square.

Taking Marli to the State Capital.

Checking out the Great Salt Lake, which we realized isn't so GREAT!!

Kennecott Copper Mine with G.G.

Learning to ride a bike without training wheels.

Nate getting the Aaronic Priesthood on the Susquehanna River.

New York City

Piano Recital and summer piano camp.

Last Clayton performance. Yay!!

Playing with friends at the ballpark.

Ashton playing baseball

Peyton playing baseball!

We had such a fun summer. I had all the kids write down the top 5 things they wanted to do this summer and I think we did them all except a Bee's game which is coming up. Some other fun activities that we didn't document with photos include:

Swimming, swimming and more swimming

Swimming lessons

Raging Waters

Lagoon (twice)

Track and field

Soccer

Golf lessons with friends and cousins

flag football camp

Cheer camp

Lots of sleepovers with cousins

Camping

Boating

Peyton learning to wake board & ride a dirt bike

Yummy BBQ's
Going to the Pancake House with Grandma Janet

Family bike rides

Murray Pool with friends

Sleeping in

Being Lazy

NO HOMEWORK!!

Beach Pictures

2010-06-10T09:58:00.001-07:00

Legoland

2010-06-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Disneyland

2010-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

We had the most wonderful family vacation to California.

Some thoughts and highlights from our trip:

*The kids were so good in the car on the long drive.

*Swimming in St. George.

*Wishing I had a second home in St. George.

*Going to the beach.

*Watching Mitch discover the beach for the first time.

*The hotel was perfect for our family.

*Watching the crazy people at the hotels free breakfast!
*The kids being so excited to finally get to Disneyland.

*Mitch being tall enough to go on most the ride.

*He loved Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Star Tours,

Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion.

*Ash, Ava, and Peyton loving California Screamin' and always trying to get the front.
*Running on the rides over and over, there were NO lines!

*Mitch trying to talk to Captain Jack on Pirates.

*Peyton, Ash and Ava being fearless!

*Ben and I having just as much fun as the kids.

*Wonderful weather.

*Leaving the snow and cold home!

My memories of this trip go on and on. The best part for me was leaving our stress and busy schedules and spending uninterrupted time with my family. I LOVE going on vacation with my kids, they're so much fun and such little troupers. This was our best family vacation so far.

Back to School

2009-08-31T10:02:00.001-07:00

3rd Grade

Kindergarten

A Summer of Fun

2009-08-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Summer Highlights:

* Lots of June rain, which made everything so green and beautiful.

* Swimming lessons with all our neighborhood friends.

* Melting while watching 2 hours of swimming lessons.

* Lots of swimming at Aunt Annie's pool and Park Place with the Beckstroms.

* Hanging out with Grandma Janet every Friday.

* Late night walks and bike rides.

* 4th of July "Stay"cation at the Cannon's with the whole family.

* Yummy BBQs.

* Park City with the Beckstrom Family.

*Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house.

* Lagoon- twice! Once with Aunt Pat, Gigi, Kendall, Grandma Janet, Annie, Lydia and once with our fun little family.

* Peyton, Ash and Ava going on ALL the big rides.

* Steamboat, CO dinner and Alpine Slide.

* Watching Grandma Janet on the Alpine slide and the lift going up!

* Visiting the Johnson Family in Colorado.

* Mitchell getting his hair cut.

* Summer baseball and t-ball.

* Lots of Dance performances.

* Raging Waters with the Witzel Family.

* Playing with friends.

* Summer piano group lessons.

* RELAXING!!

Spring Recap

2009-06-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday

My first big race - Salt Lake City Half Marathon

I had the world's best fans!

Ashton and Ava loved playing soccer with their friends Luke and Cooper.

We found out that Ava is a very good little soccer player

and of course stopped to pose for a quick picture.

Ash ready to stop the ball!

Peyton joined the cub scouts.

I spent 10 day in Mexico with my Grandma, two aunts, and three cousins.
Best girls trip ever!! The only thing that would have made it better is if my Mom, Annie and Jesi could have come with us.

I have the best husband! He took care of the house and kids so I could do this for 10 days. It was the most relaxing trip and so much fun to be with some of my favorite ladies.

Spending time with my amazing grandma was priceless.

We've been watching these two cuties sing and dance.

Last days of 2nd Grade

Best friends

Miss Bryant and Peyton

We've had a very busy spring but it's been really fun watching the kids grow and excel doing the activities they love. I feel so bad we didn't take any pictures of Peyton playing baseball. He did so well, especially the second half of the season. His hitting was awesome. We're so excited that summer is finally here. We just wish it would stop raining so we could hit the pool!

Our visit to Colorado-April 2009

2009-06-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

We went to meet these little guys!

Sweet twin boys born 13 weeks early weighing just over 2lbs each. They are now 4 months old and well over 8lbs. These little guys are such a blessing to their family.

Amazing little miracles!

Handsome Ash lovin' the Castle Rock pool

Pizza and cousins- It doesn't get any better than that!Long distance BFF's!!

Crazy Mitch doing the kiddie pool Mitchie style.

March Madness

2009-04-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

March is always a busy month around the Johnson house. We have 2 birthdays and an anniversary to celebrate, this year we added Yog for 10 days(Ben's good friend from high school), an alumni basketball tournament, baseball practice, a sick little Mitchell for most of the month, the Zoo, and a Baptism!! Here's a quick recap in photos:

This is the only thing Mitch wanted for his Birthday- a John Deere tractor and trailer.

The homemade cake turned out great!

I love this picture of Ben and Mitch.

We got in a zoo visit before it snowed again.

Peyton's first piano recital.

Peyton's big day!

I can't believe I have an 8 year old. He was so excited and cute the whole day.

Mitchell Turns 3!!

2009-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Into Everything

Spoiled by his siblings

Such a handsome Little Boy

Brothers and Best Friends

We are so excited to have a BIG 3 year old at our house. Mitch is a handful but we can't imagine our family without him, He's such a fun little guy to have around. He loves tractors and trucks, helping mom cook (he told us he wants to be a Bonsai cooker when he grows up), being outside digging in the dirt and working with his tools on anything -especially the walls which have lots of kicks to prove it. Calling him active would be an understatement, he doesn't stop moving until his head hits the pillow at night.

We love you Mitch!!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Mitch

2009-03-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Thinkin' he's the coach!

It's GREAT to be 8!!

2009-03-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

Here are 8 of my favorite things about Peyton:

1 He's a very good friend. Whenever I volunteer in his class I see first hand how much he's loved by his peers. I can tell they look up to him and admire him. He treats everyone with kindness and is very loyal. He's a leader and he doesn't even realize it!

2 He has worked so hard on his piano this past year and is doing very well because of all the practicing he does. I love that he wants to learn the piano, it's something I regret not doing myself and I admire his dedication.

3 He loved his first season of basketball and gave it his all. He was awarded defender of the week twice and his team was undefeated.

4 He lives in the moment. He really gets into what he's doing, he puts his whole heart into it and soaks it up.

5 Peyton in an excellent student. He's super smart and loves to learn new things.

6 He's an amazing big brother to Ashton, they've become best friends. I love the way they make each other laugh.

7 Peyton knows right from wrong and is usually very good about doing what's right. He sets a quite example for those around him.

8 He has a huge heart and an explosive temper. Luckily we don't see the temper very often.

(I think he secretly switched to a Utah fan after sharing a suite with these guys at a Jazz game! Don't tell his Dad)

New Bike from Mom and Dad

After his final basketball game of the season

Happy Birthday "P"!! You're a great kid and Mom and Dad love you very much. Thanks for being such a fun, bright and passionate member of our family. I know being the oldest is sometimes hard, thanks for being patient with me. You contribute so much and we love being your parents. I hope your 8Th year is one of your best. You have so much to look forward to.

Love Mom

Time for an update

2009-02-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't been in the blogging mood lately but I thought I should jot down a few of my thoughts and some things that have been happening in my life before I forget.

- Everyone kept saying that 2009 was going to be such a great year. Not so much for my family. Losing my sweet Grandma Mae has been such a hard thing to go through. Maybe because the loss of my Dad is still so fresh or maybe it just happened too fast or maybe someone dying just stinks. The hardest part of the the whole thing has been watching my Mom say good bye to her mom and her and her brothers having to sort through 83 years of memories.

- Another thing that really stinks about 2009 is that it's the first year of my life without my Dad. I miss him so much! I miss talking to him everyday, I miss his smell, his no nonsense advice, watching him watch my kids and most of all his love and tender heart.

- My sister in law gave birth to identical twin boys today. 13 week early!! I've been praying my heart out for this darling family. The babes seem to be holding their own so far, I'll keep praying and sending good thoughts their way. I wish they didn't live so far away. That's 3 sets of twins in Ben's family, crazy isn't it! I can't believe how blessed we were during my pregnancy and birth of our twins. 39 weeks I kept those babies in me, 6lb 4oz and 6lbs 8 oz, what a miracle. Ash and Ava have been such a blessing in our family. They teach me so much about life, patience, unconditional love, and sacrifice.

-The inauguration of President Obama was a spectacular thing to witness. I loved his speech and was impressed with the entire days events. It was nice to have the country united for one day at least. Now it seems like Washington is back to business as usual. 830 billion dollars, is this really the only solution to our economic troubles? President Obama says the bill isn't perfect, shouldn't it be? I feel like we're being scared into this thing just like we were with the bank bail out and look how that's turning out.

On a much brighter note:

-Peyton has been playing basketball and is loving it! He's on a really good team, they've one every game so far and he was named defensive player of the week last week. He's also preparing for his baptism next month, he can hardly wait!

- Ash and Ava are getting a little board and wish they were in school like they're big brother. I've loved having them home with me and have enjoyed teaching them math and reading. I can't believe how they've taken off. Such smarty pants!

- Mitch is still Mitch! He challenges me everyday. It's a good thing he's so dang cute. He can't wait to turn 3 and has quite a wish list for this birthday!

- Ben's been super busy at work and comes home late most every night. During this challenging economic time I try not to complain about the long hours. I'm grateful he has such a good job and loves what he does. We cherish the time we get to spend together as an family.

Well, there's a little update mostly for my own record and to let my blogging friends know that I'm still here. We have a lot of fun things coming up in the next few months that I'm looking forward.

Grandma Mae. . . We'll Miss You!

2009-01-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

(For some reason the obituary picture wouldn't copy)

View/Sign Guest Book
Mae O'Rourke Markham 1926 ~ 2009 Mae O. Markham died at her home on January 11, 2009, surrounded by loved ones, after a short battle with cancer. Mae was born April 7, 1926 in Tooele, UT to John and Edith Shields O'Rourke. She was raised in Eureka, Utah where she attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and graduated from Tintic High School. She maintained a bond with Eureka throughout her life. She planned and faithfully attended many class reunions. Mae married Robert Markham on February 15, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They resided in Salt Lake. He preceded her in death on September 24, 1995. She was employed for 25 years as an administrative assistant for the South Salt Lake Police Department, where she attained the rank of sergeant, retiring in 1987. She enjoyed an active retirement, spending many hours with her children, grandchildren, great-grand-children and many good friends. Mae loved life and remained vibrant until the very end. She kept busy bowling, going on outings with the 49ers club, serving as a delegate for the Democratic Party and as an election judge for many years. Mae was a member of St. Ann's Catholic Church and St. Ann's Ladies Guild. She is survived by two sons, John (Carol), Ogden, UT; Robert, Salt Lake City; two daughters, Janet Susan Taylor, Murray, UT; Patricia (Jim) Hatchett, Boise, ID; 10 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and sister Marie Jerman, Scottsdale, AZ. Preceded in death by parents, husband and son-in-law Colin Taylor. A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Ann Catholic Church, 450 East 2100 South. A vigil service will be held Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Neil O'Donnell and Sons Mortuary, 372 East 100 South, where friends may call from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Committal, Spanish Fork City Cemetery, 420 South 400 East, Spanish Fork, Utah.

A Few December Photos

2008-12-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

Ava's final singing/dance performance.

I'm so glad we found Clayton, Ava loves it so much. They had so many Christmas performances which kept us very busy but Ava loved every minute of it. She even shed a few tears getting ready for the final show, I however did not!

Thanks Grandma and Annie for the flowers and support.

Cutest twins EVER!!

Mitch and Santa

Excited boys!

Ava and Santa

Peyton and Santa

Ash and Santa

Abbey and Ava

Snow Day

2008-12-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

The kids love going out in the cold but as for me. . . . .

I'm ready for summer! I know I sound like a big grump, but I hate putting snow clothes on my kids(they cry and wine until everything feels just right...(can you say OCD) and then stay outside for 10 mins.), my clean floors are dirty and wet, there are snow clothes strung all over the house, my kids are board, my house is a mess, Mitchell's nose won't stop running, and I have tons of shopping to do but refuse to take my kids out on the roads in the blizzard. So...if you don't get a gift, a card or a plate of candy from me this year just know that I do love you, I'm just throwing in the towel! I think I'll watch a movie with my cute little kiddies and let everything else go!!

Festival of Trees

2008-12-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ben's two sisters and mom decorated a tree with Dale's Santa collection for the Festival of Trees this year. When I walked up to the tree I was overwhelmed with memories of Dale and his love for the Christmas season, I know he would have been so pleased to see his collection of on display for so many to enjoy. We went early in the day because of Ava's performance so it wasn't crowded, Peyton must have stared at the tree for 20 mins. The hostess asked him to tell her all about his Grandpa so she could tell his story to the people who came to view the tree. He couldn't believe that we were giving grandpa's collection away, I think he would have packed it up and took it home right then if he could have. The tree turned out great, Dale would have loved it!

November Review

2008-12-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

We've had a fun and busy November and beginning of December. My goal was to have my shopping done by December 1st and here it is the 4th and I haven't started, and I'm not even stressed!(Yet)

I just wanted to document a few highlights of what we've been doing this past month:

*Ben and I went to Chicago/Milwaukee for Adnan's wedding. We had a great little get away without the kids and got to visit some places we'd never been before. The wedding was so beautiful, we couldn't be happier for Adnan and his hew wife, Kristen.

*Ben went to Denver to visit his brother and go to the BYU vs Air force game for his birthday.

*The kids and I had fun going to movies, hanging out with grandma, and ordering in for dinner while he was gone.

*Mitchell decided he didn't want to wear diapers anymore and potty trained himself. I can't believe how easy it was. YEAH Mitch! No more diapers at our house. . .EVER!

*Ashton got his cast off.

*Mark and Colette came to stay at our house for a few days for Thanksgiving. We love it when they come, we pretend like we're on vacation too. Ava had so much fun having Jessi around, she was so sad when she left.

*We celebrated Thanksgiving twice, once at our house with the Johnson family and then at my Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's.

*Ava started her singing and dancing performances. Which is a big part of why I haven't started my Christmas shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

After going through one of the toughest years of my life I'm so grateful for all that the Lord has blessed me with and I hope I don't ever forget it or take it for granted. I'm especially thankful for:

*A husband who loves me unconditionally, who makes me feel safe and who makes me want to be a better person. He's the BEST!

*For the joy my children bring into my life.

*For the most amazing Mother in the entire World. I love her so much and appreciate the example she's set for me, I have a lot to live up to. I just wish I could take her heartache and loneliness away.

*The most amazing friends. After losing my Dad so many of my friends knew exactly what I needed, when I need it. I hope someday I can repay them for their love and support. It feels so good to be loved my such amazing women. Thank you, Thank you!

*For a Dad that made me feel special and loved always. I miss you!!

*For my Faith

*And finally for the peace I feel in my heart.

Happy 32nd Birthday!

2008-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

World's Greatest Husband, Dad and all round Good Guy.

We Love You!!

7 Things about me you may not know

2008-11-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

1. I love to take baths, I rarely shower unless I'm in a huge hurry. And I like the water burning hot.
2. I can't stand listening to people eat, it's like nails on a chalk board for me. My poor husband is unfortunately a very loud chewer and gets many dirty looks when we're eating together.
3. I may look like a happy, cheery mom on the outside but by 5pm I'm on the brink of calling my Dr. for a Prozac prescription.
4. I love to bake, hence the 30 lbs of baby weight I've been trying to get off since Peyton was born.
5. I miss my Dad every hour of everyday. He's always on my mind. We became best friends over the last few years and I relied on him for pep talks and conversation more than I realized.
6. I love picking my kids up from school, it's my favorite time of the day. They're so excited and willing to tell you all about the day they had in the short ride home. I've realized once we get home and they get distracted they forget a lot of the little details.
7. I want to go back to school and become a nurse.

*I tag 7 people who are out of blogging material like I am.

God Bless America

2008-11-05T08:39:00.001-08:00

God bless America! What an exciting day and night. It felt so good to step into the voting both and express MY opinion!! Althought I wasn't a big supporter for Obama It was so moving to see the first African-American President elected. You couldn't help but be moved and touched by this historic moment. His speech was amazing! My eyes welled with tears as I thought about this amazing moment and the fact that now that this process is over we can unite as Americans.

I've been so into this election and I'm very passionate about my views. I listened to way to many talk radio shows, read too many online articles, and watched to much CNN. Because of this my children have taken notice in the election and asked many questions. Last night as Obama was speaking, Peyton was a little concerned about our next President (maybe I expressed my opinion in front of him too much) but, this was a great opportunity for me to teach him that now that we have a new President we'll support him and respect him. I explained to Peyton that it's very important for Obama to have our support so that he can lead the country in the right direction. However, that doesn't mean we have to agree with everything he does, it's our right to disagree without being disrespectful. I've seen so many parents teaching their children that George Bush is evil and a bad man, I think it's awful. I makes me sad that children are being taught disrespect and hate towards our President. Bush made some bad decisions and has been a poor leader in many many cases but, I truly believe he is not a bad man. I hope my children will grow up to be free thinkers, to feel like they can express themselves and not be mocked, I want them to question others when they feel they're wrong. I'm grateful they were able to witness this amazing time in our history.

Obama still has a lot to prove to me. I like a lot of his ideas, I'll be watching very closely to see if he can keep all the promises he made on the campaign trail. Like, NOT raising my taxes, better education, heath care for the uninsured, ending the war and getting Osama, while balancing the budget and paying down debt. Then, I'll be impressed and he'll have won me over. He has ignited our country, the American people are so full of hope and excitement. I hope he doesn't let us down, I think the effect could be devastating at such a critical time. Good thing he has at least 4 years to make the CHANGES this great country needs.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-03T14:36:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating Halloween this year. The Saturday before Annie, my Mom, and I made a spooky Halloween dinner complete with spaghetti with eyeballs(meatballs), witch fingers(bread sticks), witches brew(root beer with dry ice) and spider cupcakes. The kids thought it was so fun.

On Halloween we went to Ben's work for a little visit, to our neighborhood truck or treat, to my parents house for the annual Halloween party-where we had lots of fun trick or treating around Walden Hill although we missed Pa Colin terribly, and then over to Julies where we channeled Grandpa Johnson and ate his famous Stewart's hot dogs. I thought Aunt Julie did a great job recreating Dales secret recipe.

We love Halloween at the Johnson Home and hate to see it go, however, we're looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love spending time with family and friends, remembering how blessed we are, and that we have so much to be thankful for.

That's My Girl

2008-11-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ben had to work this morning so I decided to take the kids hiking. Peyton's been dying to hike Mt. Olympus. While we were on our way up the trail Ava exclaimed, "I'm a shopper not a hiker." I just had to record that little one liner, it describes her to a T!

**Before you get overly impressed we only hiked about 200 yards up the mountain. Mitchell was giving me a heart attack, he had to do it by himself. You gotta love 2 year olds!

Loving This Fall Weather

2008-10-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

We just can't get enough of this beautiful fall weather. We've had so much fun visiting Gardner Village, playing at the park, watching Peyton play flag football, and my new favorite place Wheeler Farm. I think we go once a week. The kids love seeing the farm animals, Mitch loves the tractors, running in the open space, and getting a little treat at the store. The best thing about it is that it's never crowded and it FREE! I know this weather can't last much longer but I'm going to savor it while I can.

S.A.C. Triathlon

2008-10-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

SWIM

BIKE

RUN

This past weekend I completed my first beginners triathlon. I ended up beating the time I set for myself, which I was so pleased about. We went down to St. George for the weekend and two of my good friends, April and Liz did it with me. It was so fun having my friends there and cheering each other on. I had a blast and can't wait to do it again.

My little Mitchie

2008-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

(just testing out my new camera)

Ashton's new cast

2008-10-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ash went to the hospital today to get his hard cast. He chose dark blue, but we should have picked a lighter one so the signatures will show up better. He has to wear this for three weeks then we go back for a follow up and he gets another one for another 3 weeks. I didn't realize this was going to be such a long ordeal. At this rate he might be sporting the cast until Christmas. At least it's not summer!

Party Pictures

2008-10-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

This year we took the twins to Bonsai Grill for their birthday dinner. The kids loved it, the food was so yummy and the entertainment even kept Mitchell's attention. Friday night we had a little family party. Ava wanted me to make her a Barbie cake and Ash wanted a dinosaur, they turned out so cute. I love to try to make the kids a fun cake every year. Thanks to everyone who came and spoiled the twins with great gifts.

Who Breaks their Arm on their Birthday?

2008-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ashton of course!! This is becoming quite the trend for him. Every October we seem to end up in the E.R. He was so brave, I can't imagine the pain he must have been in, is arm was so deformed. He broke both bones in his arm right in half. Next week we go back in for the hard cast. I'm so glad summer is over or he and I would both be miserable. He did get a new Bike for his birthday and obviously won't be riding it for a while.

Happy 5th Birthday Ash and Ava!!

2008-10-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

My cute little twin are 5 years old today. It's so fun to see them growing up. I must admit I would keep them 4 forever if I could. I love 4 year olds, they're finally little people, they can do so much on their own, they love to learn, and still get so excited by the littlest things. I'm sad to see 4 go but I know they are going to love being 5 and, at least I still get to keep them home with me for one more year.

5 of my favorite things about Ash:

*He has such a tender little heart.

*He loves his friends, especially his big brother Peyton (I love that they've become best friends),Dylan, Luke, and Cooper.

*He makes up the funniest dance moves that crack Ben and I up daily.

*He's naturally good at everything he does. Right now he's learning to read and is a math whiz.

*Ashton has the best hair in the family and he hates to have it combed. He loves his hats!

5 of my Favorite things about Ava:

*She is so sweet to all of her friends and she has so many I can't name them all.
*She is the most amazing little artist.
*She has the best laugh! You can't help but laugh with her.
*She loves to dance and sing, she's quite the performer.
*She loves, loves, loves to shop! Yeah for me, I'm so happy to have a little friend come shopping with me all the time.

The twins have been such a blessing in our home. They have taught me so much about love, sacrifice, and patients. I can't imagine not having experienced the joy and stress of two little babies at the same time. When I look back on the last 5 years the first 2 are really fuzzy. I think that's why I have loved 4 so much. Life has slowed down and I feel like I can really enjoy these two children now. I couldn't ask for better kids and I look forward to the year to come, I know they will grow and experience so many new and exciting things.

Bad Hair Day

2008-09-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ava's hair issues are about to set me over the edge. I love to do hair, I always have and I'm actually quite good at it. I was so excited to have a little girl so I could do her hair...curly, straight, braided, pig tails, bows, flowers...I love it all. Turns out my little girl has a mind of her own. I say braids she says curls, I says curls she says pony tail. Well, today I snapped! I felt like getting out Ben's clippers and shaving her bald (I probably would have if it hadn't taken me so darn long to grown it out), instead I sent her to church without her hair done, I just couldn't take her telling me with her 4 year old attitude that I didn't know what I was doing and that she looked hideous, so as painful as it was for me she went to church with straggly hair and I think it actually hurt her more than me. Hopefully it was a lesson learned.

Friends

2008-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

This past week I've spent a lot of time thinking about all the wonderful friends I have in my life. I draw so much strength and inspiration from all the amazing women around me. I've recently witnessed two of my closest friends go through some trials that I don't know if I could handle in my own life, and both of these girls have been so strong and so faithful. They both tell their stories on their blogs much better than I could repeat, some may already read them but if you haven't you should take a moment to learn from these amazing women and their families. Mindi and Jamie have very different stories with something very powerful in common, they have both relied on their faith and testimonies to get them through some difficult times.

When Mindi told me about her little guys heart condition, long before he was born, she said, "why not me, why wouldn't my family have to go through this trial?" And now that her beautiful boy has arrived and is doing well despite his sick little heart they now see him as a blessing not a trial.

I've watched Jamie and her husband try for so long to have a child of their own (something so many of us take for granted) and despite all the let downs of fertility treatments she has stayed so positive and so willing to accept what the Lord had in store for her, and now, they have a beautiful baby girl. So I write this to say Thank You to two of my dearest friends for being the wonderful people they are and for letting me share their experiences. I truly admire both of you and count you as two of my dearest friends.

Happy Birthday Annie!

2008-09-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have the most amazing sister in the entire World. I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes about sisters as tribute to her on her special day.

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves- a special kind of double. -Toni Morrison

Sisters function as a safety net in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other. -Carol Saline

When sister stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us? -Pam Brown

Sisters are probably the most competitive relationship with in the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship. -Margaret Mead

Proud to be an American

2008-09-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

I have a real passion for politics and have loved this political season. I think I've even become a little obsessed with the race for president. And as I've been researching the candidates the thing that has hit me the hardest is that I feel so proud and so blessed to be an American. I'm so grateful for free speech and for democracy and for my right to vote. I truly believe that both candidates have our best interest in mind, they both see a great need for change. We have so much potential as citizens of the greatest country in the World, and no one man can change anything alone, it begins with the average America. I think one of the reasons I love Sarah Palin is because I see myself in her. I'm not a Harvard grad, but I feel like I'm smart and in touch with many issues and challenges that average Americans are faced with and hopefully one day I'll be able to run for office and make a difference in my community. Although some of my friends have different political views (this is what makes it interesting) and we'll never change each others opinions, I'm so grateful that we sit around the park and share our thoughts and discuss how we plan to change the World.

First day of 2nd Grade

2008-08-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Although it's sad to see summer come to an end Peyton was so excited to get back to school and see all his good friends. I hope 2nd grade is a really good year for him. He only has about 16 kids in his class and his teacher is his kindergarten teacher, Miss Bryant. He loved her in kindergarten and was so excited to have her again. I was excited too, she's excellent! This should be a great school year.

More Summer Fun

2008-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Fire Station Field Trip With Friends

Family Home Evening Yard Work

Utah State Capital with Grandma

Raging Waters

The Horizon

2008-08-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads his white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
He is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch him until at length he hangs like a speck of white cloud on the horizon,
just where the sea and the sky come to mingle with one another.
Then someone at my side says, "There, he is gone."
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
He is just as large in mast and hull and span as he was when he left my side, and he is just as able
to bear his load of living freight to his destined port.
His diminished size is in me, not in him.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There, he is gone."
There are other eyes watching him coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
"Here he comes!"

And that is dying.

-Anonymous

One month ago today my Dad passed away. I'm still trying to figure out if it was just a bad dream. Somedays I feel like he's still just a phone call away. Others days I struggle to remember his voice, his smell, his laugh and it feels like he's been gone forever. A friend just gave me this poem, it brings me some comfort during this sad and difficult time.

Mitchell's First Dentist Appointment

2008-08-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mitchell was so excited for his first dentist appointment. Ben took the day off to take the kids because I was doing funeral stuff with my Mom. Mitch could hardly wait, when they walked in the receptionist told Ben they were a day early. I had too many others things on my mind I guess. Mitch was a little disappointed! The next day we went to the real appointment, Mitch went straight to the chair, hopped up and let them clean his teeth. Just chillin' watching the movie.
Too Cute!!
Clean teeth, a new toothbrush and a prize!!

Summer Fun

2008-07-30T20:31:00.001-07:00

Despite having a really crumby month of July we did manage to squeeze in some summer fun. We've been taking advantage of Annie's pool and swimming a lot, we saw some parades, went to our ward summer party where we decorated our scooters and bikes with a cowboy theme, and cooked in the sun watching Ash play his first year of baseball. This summer has been so busy, I can't believe we only have one more month left!!

Final Farewell

2008-07-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a really tough one, but thanks to so many wonderful friends, going through the pain of loosing my Dad seems almost bearable. It was great to see so many friends, I really appreciated so many of you making the effort to come to the viewing and funeral. Everything went well, I don't think we could have done anything better. I was really proud of my sister and brother, their talks were so good. I know my Dad would have been pleased to hear from his children. We were so blessed to have President Monson come to the viewing(he's a friend of my grandpa's) He also gave my Dad a blessing in the hospital a couple days before he died. I was really excited the kids got meet him, what a special memory for them. Now comes the hard part, figuring out how to live our lives without our Dad and Grandpa. I hope these sweet little ones will always have their memories and the knowledge that they were so loved by "Pa" Colin.

My HERO

2008-07-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

I always knew my Dad wouldn't live to be 100 but somehow I never thought this day would come. He beat the odds so many times, and although this last trip to the hospital felt different I kept hoping my gut feeling was wrong and he'd beat the odds one more time. I haven't just lost a Father but a best friend as well. I visited my Dad almost everyday. I spoke to him on the phone at least two or three times a day, he was so easy to talk to. He inspired me to be a better person and he kept me grounded. He never let me forget that your family and friends are the most important things in the World. I love that my children had such strong relationships with him, each one unique and special. I hope I can pass on his courage, strength, compassion, work ethic and unconditional love to them. His grandchildren and my mom kept him going for so long.

A special thanks to his amazing doctors and nurses. I'm humbled by the care he received this past week in the hospital, how impressive that total strangers would love and care for someone they didn't even know. And thanks to the doctors that have taken care of him for more than 30 years.

Finally, thank you, thank you, thank you to my Mom. What an AMAZING women! She is definitely a little piece of Heaven on Earth. I never once heard her complain about taking care of my Dad, she loved him unconditionally and was happy to do it. I appreciate the example she has set for me, I love her for so many things but especially for the way she loved my Dad.

Rest in PEACE and pain free, I love you Dad. You're my HERO!

Akumal, Mexico. . . Land of the Turtles

2008-06-14T21:12:00.001-07:00

Vacation Highlights:

-Leaving Mitchell with Aunt Colette. I was so sad to leave him home but once I got there I realized that I had made a great decision. Thanks Aunt Colette, sorry about all the bite marks on Gavin.

-Flying there on two different Mexican airlines. They were a thousand times better than the US airlines. What's up with that?

-The Mexico City airport. Wow what an experience.

-Thinking we were late for our connecting flight to Cancun. Ben running through the airport. We were an hour off on the time change.

-The kids on the airplane, they were so good throughout the entire travel process(and it was a major process)

-Watching Ash on the plane. He's getting so grown up, I never heard him complain.

-Throwing a fit about getting the wrong room when we arrived at 2 am then deciding we liked it so Ben told them we'd stay in that room but needed to be credited one night for the inconvenience.

-The most stunning beach I've ever seen!!

-Ava staying in the ocean all day.

-Ava's major sunburn. I felt like the worst Mom(I cried it was so bad), I put sunscreen on her three times but I guess I should have know better. My kids did inherit their Dad's powder white skin.
-Spending time with the Witzel family.

-Uncle Wayne's awesome Pirate map and treasure hunt. The twins still think it was real. Thanks Wayne!

-Ben and I laughing at our cranky kids in Tulum. I think this really ticked the kids off, sorry guys but sometimes Mom and Dad have to laugh or we'll cry too.

-Paying 5 dollars, yes dollars not pesos to take a picture with my own camera of my kids holding a stinky lizard.

-Cam, Makell, and Ashlyn playing with my kids. You guys are so great!!

-Cam dancing with Ava at the wedding reception. So Cute...I hope you become part of the fam too.

-Getting a thousand mosquito bite at Auk Tun Chen.

-Ashton getting bit by the green bird as Ben went to set it on his shoulder.

-Snorkeling with Ben

-Snorkeling with Peyton. I'm so proud of you, you were amazing.

-Watching a huge turtle swim up right next to Peyton.

-Seeing amazing sea life-turtles, sting rays, sea urchins, coral reefs, and so many beautiful fish.

-Watching a major tropical storm roll in then dump rain on us for five hours.

-Spending precious time with my grandparents.

-Reading two books in 4 days.

-Watching my children play and discover a new place

-Relaxing

-Eating lots of yummy food.

-Looking for "she" shells with the twins.

-Watching Peyton play volleyball with all the big guys.

-Spending time with Scott and Shelley and their kids.

-Ben's acting skills during the treasure hunt. Sorry babe but I don't think you'll get the Oscar this year.

-I really missed Ryan and Annie and their families, wish you guys could have been there.

-Melina, such a beautiful bride.

-Ava as the flower girl. She was so excited and looked like an angel.

-Ash, not sure about his ring bearer responsibilities.

-Melina and Bart, so in LOVE! and happy.

-Watching Ava dance. She was in her own little world.

-Watching the entire party watch Ava dance. She was the center of attention, sorry Melina.

-Ash falling asleep in the middle of dinner three times.

-Ash falling asleep at the wedding and everyone talking pictures of him.

-Most of all spending quality time on a much needed and deserved vacation with the ones I love and cherish the most(except Mitch, we really did miss you).

-Being back home in the good old USA!

-My own bed!

The Wedding

2008-06-14T20:32:00.001-07:00

Our main reason for going to Mexico was to celebrate Melina and Barton's marriage. Ava was the flower girl and Ash was the ring bearer. They chose to be married in Akumal, Mexico because My Aunt Kris and Uncle Wayne have taken their family vacations to Akumal for the past 10 years and have fallen in love with the land, water and Mayan people. They had a traditional Mayan ceremony, which was very interesting. The wedding and reception were both amazing.

Melina was a stunning bride Sisters...Marissa, Melina, and AmelyaKris and her girls

Handsome Boys

The Ring Bearer and Flower Girl
The Ceremony
The Wedding Party

Ava stole the show...she danced all nightTHE END

Peyton's Big Awards

2008-06-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

Peyton has been such a great student this year. He earned straight E's(excellents) on his report card, and was such a big help in the class room. He was awarded the Clove Award for outstanding all around 1st grader in his class and the Sportsmanship Award from the P.E. department. Way to go Peyton!!

Last Day of School

2008-06-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Friends
Peyton loved Miss Angie, She made school so fun.
More Friends

Drive In Movie Car

2008-06-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Peyton had a drive in movie day at school and had to design and create his own car. He had fun with his Dad coming up with this cool truck. When I asked him who had the best car of course he thought it was his. Thanks to the best Dad ever for helping him finish the project at midnight.

PreSchool Graduation

2008-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my twins have finished their second year of preschool. I'm so amazed at how they've matured and how much they've learned this year. They have loved Miss Lorie and Avery who've been their teachers for the past two years. The class did the cutest little program. They sang songs and memorized a poem that they recited with their friends. Although they're more than ready for kindergarten they have to wait one more year because of their October birthday. I've decided to keep them home with me next year (which I hope doesn't back fire) and let them do some fun extra curricular activities and do reading, writing and math at home. I love these two little 4 year olds (my favorite age) I wish they could be 4 forever.

The Wheels Came Off

2008-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ashton is growing up way to fast. Saturday he learned to ride his bike without training wheels. It was so fun to watch him as he was so nervous one minute and totally getting the hang of it the next minute. Now we can't keep him off it!

High School Musical 3

2008-05-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Friday night my cousin called and said "how fast can you get to East High School....they opened the set and I can bring three guests to watch the filming." She is working on props for High School Musical 3 and promised Ava she'd bring her to the set whenever she can. We flew to East High and the girls were in heaven, they were so excited and didn't want to leave. We got to watch them sing and dance. We saw all the cast members perform except Sharpey and Ryan. When we dropped Roni off at her props trailer we did she Ashley Tisdel coming out of her trailer. They don't allow cameras inside, the girls really wanted a picture of Troy:)!Marli and Makell were visiting from Cache Valley and were so excited to come with us. Thanks Uncle Scott for waiting until 11pm to drive them home.

Posing with the Wildcats State Basketball trophy.

Baseball

2008-04-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

One of the things keeping us very busy this month has been Peyton's baseball. He's finally playing real, kid pitch baseball and it's been so much fun to watch the games. Ben's been working with him a lot and he's been doing really well, I'm so proud of his progress. His team is the Rivercats and his coach is so great, having a good coach at this age makes all the difference. He isn't a huge fan of playing outfield, last game he took his entire bag of seeds out there and just chilled and ate seeds! It was driving me crazy that he wasn't paying attention, having a picnic out there but I didn't want to be the crazy mom yelling at her child so I just bit my tongue until he came into the dug out. I love spring and watching baseball, I guess that's a good thing considering I have three boys.

Easter Sunday

2008-04-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ava's Special Daddy Daughter Day

2008-04-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ben surprised Ava with tickets to Disney Princesses on ice. She was so excited and as you can see wanted to dress up as Ariel. We try to spend one on one time with each of the kids every other month or so- they absolutely love their time alone with us. Ava especially loves to go with Ben, and what a champ for braving princesses on ice. He's such a great Dad and a good role model as to what a husband should be. I hope Ava marry's a great man just like her Dad someday. I just can't believe he gave in to the $12 snow cone. Those of you who know Ben know he's so frugal and financially conservative, I guess he just can't say no to his little girl.

Birthday Pictures

2008-03-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

We had fun celebrating all the February and March Birthdays this year. I think Peyton's celebration lasted an entire week. He had a sleepover at Carter's(thanks Aunt Jess for a fun time), lunch with Dad, Nickalcade, lots of cake and presents. He got some new clothes, shoes, PlayStation games, and best of all snorkel gear for Mexico which he has been practicing with already.

Mitchell had fun turning 2. He got lots of new shoes, clothes and toys. He loved blowing out the candles on his ice cream cone cupcakes, he wanted to keep doing it over and over again. He has been so much fun lately, we just can't get enough of him.

Thanks to my amazing husband and children, my birthday was also a lot of fun. The parties went on for three days. Ben surprised me with a night out, we played games with friend and my Mom made a great family dinner.

More Priceless Avie Moments

2008-03-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

So Tuesday morning she came down the stairs and said, "Jesus told me to wear this." I guess she thought if Jesus told her what to wear I wouldn't make her change this scary out fit.

*Purple tank top in March

*Cute pink skirt

*Black leggings size 2T

*White patten leather Easter shoes

I think this outfit tops them all - can anyone say Brittany Spears? This is a Build-A-Bear outfit she has on. I had to take a picture before I made her put something a little more modest on.

Happy 2nd Birthday Mitchell

2008-03-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Our little Mitchie has officially entered the terrible 2's. However, I have a feeling he is going to be a lot easier this year. He is getting so grown up and finally starting to talk. He tries to keep up with is older brothers, who he thinks are so neat. Our family is having so much fun watching Mitch grow.

Happy 7th Birthday P!!

2008-03-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my boy is turning 7. Peyton is the best kid in the whole World. I love this boy so much and I'm sad and excited at the same time that he's growing up. It's so hard to see your first born getting so mature but I love to watch him discover the World. He has so much passion for life, everything he does, he does 110%. He cares deeply for his friends(he's got a huge heart) and his friends look up to him, he's a great example to his little brothers and sister and takes special care of little Mitchie, and he's so smart. I was in labor with Peyton for 36 hours and it was so worth it. Ben and I couldn't get over this beautiful little person, we never imagined we'd love him so much. What an amazing person he's turning out to be, I can't wait to see where life's journey takes him.

"What will I wear in Heaven?"

2008-02-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

My little fashionista, Ava asked me this morning, "What will I wear in heaven?" I told her it would probably be a beautiful white dress. Not trusting my answer she told me, "I'm going to plan ahead and pick it out now. When I died it's up to you Mom to make sure I have it on." Only Ava at 4 years old would be concerned about how she's going to look in heaven. We'll have to work on the vanity thing!:) Ava on her 4th Birthday
One of my favorite pictures of Ava at age 3
Disneyland age 2 1/2

Ava as Jasmine age 3

Update

2008-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

A little birdy(thanks Annie) told me I needed to update my blog. The problem is, I can't figure out my new camera and posts without picture aren't as fun to read. The truth is I've been too lazy, besides Ben can do it for me, only he's too busy/tired when I think about it. He's out of town this week so I guess I'll work on it while he's gone.

Happy Birthday Jesi!

2008-02-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish my sister-in-law a very Happy Birthday. I'm so glad my brother married a girl that is so amazing. Jes, you're a great example to me and I love you to death. Thanks for all you do for me and my family, my Dad, and most of of all for putting up with Ryan(it takes a special person). You two are perfect for each other. You both deal with lifes challenges better than most people ever could. I hope you have a great day:)!!

Great Night

2008-02-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad I went to dinner last night with Mindi and Jaci so I didn't have to stay home and watch my candidate go down in flames. How depressing! I know Mitt's still optamistic . . . I wish I could be. Did you hear what happened in W.V.? That's the kind of stuff that turns people off to politics. I hope eveyone voted yesterday, I love to vote. Thanks again to Mindi and Jaci for great conversation and yummy food.

Mitt for President

2008-01-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

So, I'm obsessed with the whole Presidential race going on right now. I can't get enough of talk radio and CNN(even though they're so bias to the dems. and McCain). I'm just so ticked that Mitt didn't win last night in Florida. I DO NOT like John McCain. I don't think he's a true conservative, he's been in Washington for too long, and when he smiles I don't trust him. I'm excited to see what they have to say in the debate tonight. I hate to say I like Mitt because everyone just assumes I like him because he's Mormon. That may be true for many Utahan's but not me. I've done my research and I feel like he represents what I want for our Nation. I feel like I can trust him and we share similar values, which are important to me because I'm sure the next President will have to choose a few supreme court justices. If McCain gets the nomination I don't know if I can vote for him, I might have to take a chance on Obama. Although I don't agree with a lot of his ideas, I feel like I could trust him more than McCain. So, what if it comes down to Hillary and McCain? I don't know who I'd vote for. I think this process is so exciting and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I love the United States of America, I feel blessed to live here and I have faith in the system. No matter who wins, it's time for a change and I look forward to that. How are you all feeling about the race for the White House? Who do you like and why, I'm open to hear your opinions, especially if you can enlighten me on McCain or Obama.

Beloved Prophet

2008-01-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a simple tribute to an amazing man, President Gordon B. Hinckley. He'll be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was a great example of love, hard work, and service. I'm going to miss listening to President Hinckley's conference talks. I loved his distinct voice and his sense of humor, but most of all I loved the way he spoke so simply. He inspired me to be a little better and do a little more to help those less fortunate. I'm grateful that my children knew him. Peyton said "I'm sad he died, he was a good man and a great Prophet". I'm sure I'll refer to his words of wisdom as I raise my little family. We love you President Hinckley and we'll miss you!

Great Friends!

2008-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ben and I had a few friend over during the holidays and because I got a new camera that I'm still learning how to use I'm just now posting the pictures. We've known some our friends for a long time. I met Mindi in 3rd grade (She's married to Matt also a high school friend that Ben has known since preschool) and Jaci, who I met my sophomore year in high school (She's marreid to Kraig a High school friends as well). We all became really close in high school and have stayed close ever since. Mindi and Jaci are the sweetest, funniest, and coolest friends a girl could hope for.

Ben met Adnan in 4th grade when his family moved here from Pakistan and Mark in Jr. High. Adnan and Mark both live out of state so we don't get to see them as much as we'd like. Adnan just graduated from Stanford's MBA school and will be staying in the Bay area and getting married late fall. Mark is a Professor at the University of Denver, that's right we like to call him Dr. Yog. Our kids can't get enough of these two, they're always sad when they have to go. We love our friends and feel blessed to have such great people in our lives.

Moment of Truth

2008-01-23T15:08:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you parents out there but when I have to take my kids to the dentist it's more stressful for me than it is them. I feel like it's such a refection of me as a parent (after all little kids can't be responsible for their own brushing). Peyton had his first cavity last year and I felt like it was all my fault. I feel like the dentist is thinking . . .Let's see if she's doing her job. When the dentist comes in for the final inspection I sit there sweating and anxious. . . Well I'm happy to report the twins are cavity free!!:)

And in all actuality we can brush our kids teeth 10 times a day, but I think it all comes down to genetics anyway, some kids are just blessed with good teeth and others aren't. Lucky for our kids Ben and I have healthy teeth, don't tell them they can get away with minimal brushing.

TaGGeD!

2008-01-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged twice now, so since I have nothing interesting to post so far this New Year I'll take time to talk about myself.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago

* Excited Ben was home from his mission and waiting for him to propose. (It only took a year)
* Working at ZCMI
* Staying up way to late and not studying enough
* Having fun with friends
* Changing my major again!

5 Things on my to do list

* Make dinner
* Make a dentist appointment
* Exercise more and Eat less
* Go on a date with my husband
* Go to the Temple

5 Snacks I enjoy (My favorite foods) I love to cook/bake and eat so it's going to be hard to pick just 5

* BROWNIES!!!
* Raspberries
* My bread pudding
* Chicken Fajitas
* April's homemade french bread

5 Things I would do if I were a Billionaire

* Have my brother build me the most amazing house customized to my family and everything we love. I would want a gourmet kitchen and a huge, cozy family room to have lots of friends over all the time.
* Travel with my family
* Take care of my parents and Ben's Mom and other family
* Donate money to things that are important or intersting to me
* Suprise random middle Americas who look like they could use a little boost

3 Habits

* Picking at my face (This drives Ben crazy)
* Giving in to my kids
* Procrastination

5 Places I've lived

* Taylorsville, UT
* Murray, UT
* Provo, UT (scary place:))
* Seattle, WA
* Holladay, UT

5 Jobs I've Had

* Schmidt's Pastry Cottage (I think this is where my addiction to baked goods & chocolate began)
* Franklin Covey
* Sportsman's Warehouse
* ZCMI/Meier&Frank
* My best job ever-Being a Mom!

I'm going to tag Jaci, Jamie Dickson, Kristy, Jesi, and Carlye Webb. I can't remember if any of you have been tagged before!

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cake

2008-01-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

This cake will break all your New Years resolutions! However, I've had a few requests for the recipe so here it is. I wish I could take credit for this sinful treat but, I have to give credit to my friend Mindi who made it for a party. ENJOY!!

1 German Chocolate cake mix
1 16oz container of sour cream (low fat doesn't taste the same)
3 Eggs

Mix all ingredients together. The batter will be very think. Put half the batter in a well greased bunt pan then layer with Reese's Peanut butter cups. I just buy a regular size bag which has about 17-20 cups in it. Then top with the remaining cake batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins.

Topping

1 King size Hershey's Bar
1/2 c Peanut Butter

Melt one extra large Hershey's bar and 1/2 c of peanut butter, separately. When the cake is cool drizzle with melted chocolate and then peanut butter.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T22:25:00.001-08:00

Santa stopped by our house the Saturday before Christmas just to make sure he knew what everyone wanted and to remind the children to be good. Mitchell loved him, I thought for sure he'd freak out.

All dressed up for church the Sunday before Christmas. The primary kids sang two songs in the program. Ava usually stills the show with her animation but, this year it was all Ashton when he picked his nose, looked at it for half the song, then ate it. Ben and I were so proud!:)
On Christmas Eve the kids got to open their new pj's and a Christmas book. We had a great time remembering the true meaning of Christmas.
The boys were so excited on Christmas when Santa came through. They finally got the Playstation and Guitar Hero they've been begging for.
Christmas was so much fun this year. The kids are at the best ages to capture the magic of the season. I loved being with family and friends and eating good food and sharing memories. (Although I don't want to see a ham or funeral potatoes until Easter).

Holiday Festivities!

2007-12-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

December has flown by, I can't believe I've gotten so behind on my blog. I've been sick since the day after Thanksgiving and finally went to the Dr. on the 22nd and got an antibiotic. Despite the sickness I managed to pull of a great Christmas ( just patting myself on the back a little). We've had lots of fun enjoying all the wonders of the season. Here are a few pictures of our month.

McMillan Elementary does a production of the Nutcracker every Christmas. Peyton was a Pennywhistle along with his best friend Jake. He had such a great time practicing and performing. The first grade also went to the Capital theater to see Ballet West's Nutcracker.

Ava and her dance class after their Christmas recital. She also had a performance at the Festival of Trees,

We had the best time making gingerbread houses. Mitchell couldn't wait to get his hands on the candy the next morning.

Peyton, Ashton, Cole and Carter showing off their new hats that Grandma and Pa Taylor gave them for Christmas.

Snow Day

2007-12-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

The first major snow of the year is always so much fun. Ben and the kids stayed out there for hours. I think this was the first time Mitchell had played in snow, he didn't last long, he wouldn't wear his gloves so his little hands turned into Popsicles.

Mitchell had a blast playing in the snow.

Peyton posing for the camera.

I love this picture of Ashton just feeling the snow hit his little face.

Ben on Peyton's snowboard trying out the little hill they made.

Giving Thanks

2007-11-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

This year our little family is so blessed. We realize that we have so many things to be thankful for. We're thankful for each other, for our parents, grandparents, our home, our health, and so much more.

We had two Thanksgiving dinners this year. Ben's family came over to our house and I cooked my first turkey. Everything tuned out great. We enjoyed lots of yummy food and good company.

On Thursday my Mom did her first Thanksgiving dinner. She did a great job. The tables were beautiful and the food turned out so good. Better than the food I made the night before. My Dad was so impressed with the way it all turned out. I loved spending time with my parents and siblings and the kids had fun with all their cousins.

Bread Pudding

2007-11-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

Once a month I get together with a group of friends from my neighborhood for a dinner club. We enjoy amazing food and great conversation. We take turns hosting the dinner and we usually have a theme. Last month our theme was Soup, Breads, and Spreads. I like to try recipes that I've never made before. If any of you have been to Porcupine Grill at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon you know their bread pudding is amazing. Well, I found a recipes that's so yummy and easy and rivals Porcupine.

1 Loaf french bread
2T Butter
4 Eggs, beaten
2c Milk
3/4c White Sugar
1t Vanilla

Optional (I don't use)
Raisins
Nuts
Cinnamon

Cut the crust off the bread, break into pieces. Place in a 8x8 baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter. Mix all other ingredients and pour over bread. Bake 45mins @ 350 degrees.

Carmel Sauce

1/2c Brown Sugar
1/2c White Sugar
1/2c Whipping Cream
1/2c Butter

Melt in a sauce pan, bring to a boil for 3mins. STIR CONSTANTLY
Spoon over Bread Pudding and top with fresh whipped cream. This recipe can be doubled. You won't need to double the sauce, it makes plenty. ENJOY!

No More San Francisco!!!

2007-11-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

All day the kids have been chanting "No more San Francisco, No more San Francisco" .... We picked Ben up at the airport this afternoon for the last time. Ben has been working in San Francisco about 50% of the past 14 months. Wells Fargo put him through their management training program which has been like getting a second MBA. I don't know how he did it, I'm very proud of his hard work and dedication. The kids are so excited to have a full time Dad again. Although this year has been challenging it has reminded me how blessed I am.

One weekend when I went to visit Ben we rented a tandem bike and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. We had such a great time, covered a lot of ground and saw some great sights. We had no idea it would be so hard. The bridge itself was easy, it was getting there that nearly killed us. I couldn't walk for about a week afterwards.

This is a picture of Alcatraz taken from a beach across the Bay.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

I get just as excited for Halloween as my children do. I love helping them decide what they want to be and planning the costumes. Of course, I procrastinate and end up working on the costumes into the we hours the night before. I always love Ashton's costumes, he lets me help him choose what to be and I usually make his. I think the homeade costumes are the best. I was so glad Ava wanted to be a butterfly, she's been a different Disney priness for the past three years. Peyton loves to go to the Halloween stores and pick a costume, he always wants to be something grose and scary. The skeleton was as scary as I'd let him be for 1st grade. As for Mitchell, I was just impressed he kept the costume on all day. The skunk costume was warm and fit his personality perfect, he's such a little stinker!

We has a crazy day. Three different Halloween parades, a dance class party, school parties and our tradtional Halloween party at Grandma and Pa's house. The kids had so much fun running house to house with their cousins collecting candy. Looking back the day is a little blurry. I do remember my children having tons of fun and I guess that's what it's all about. So now all fun is over, my house is over flowing with candy wrappers, and I have a major halloween hangover. Can't wait to do it all again next year.

HELP!!

2007-10-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Mitchell(18 months) is now climbing out of his crib. Of course Ben's out of town whenever I have these type of problems and I have to deal with them on my own so, I thought I would look to my fellow bloggers for advice. I found this crib enclosure online that you put on top of your crib, it looks like a little tent. I can't decide if it seems mean to trap him in there like that. So what would you do........? I just don't think he's ready for a bed and I'm concerned for his safety and my sanity!!

Caught in the act!! I grabbed my camera after nap time and told him to show me his new trick. He's such a hand full but so irresistible. I think it's funny that he takes the bottle with him. (I know, I know it's time to kick the bottle habit.)

Little Cheerleader

2007-10-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ava and her good friend Meg Soffe got to be cheerleaders for a night at the Murray High Football game. She had the best time, I don't think she stopped jumping around and waving her pom poms all night.

A Trip to the E.R.

2007-10-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Ashton had a bad wreck on his scooter and spent the night in the Emergency Room on October 12. Luckily he only had a minor concussion and some bad road rash. I have a feeling we'll spend many more nights in the emergency room with our three very active little boys, especially Ashton. That boy has no fear.

He was so brave at the hospital, all the doctors and nurses fell in love with him. This picture was taken a few days later when all the swelling had gone down. He had a big fat lip for three days. He's had to stay off his scooter, bike, skateboard and trampoline for a week, which has been so hard for him.

No More Tears

2007-10-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

About a month ago my friend April posted on her blog that if you put a match between your teeth while cutting onion you won't cry. Well, it really worked! My eyes did sting a little but they stopped watering the second I put the match between my teeth. So enjoy this bit of info, try it and pass it on so we can end the onion tears.

Summer 2007

2007-10-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

As Summer '07 comes to an end I thought I would post some of our favorite memories. With Ben in San Francisco most of the Summer we were unable to take a family vacation so we kept busy watching the boys play soccer and baseball, swimming, visiting family, and playing with our cousins and friends. Peyton spent a lot of time at the skate park, Ashton mastered the Razor scooter, and Ava learned to ride her princess bike. Summer Ended with Peyton starting 1st Grade and the twins going to preschool. And best of all Annie and Gary gave us our new cousin Lydia Anne Cannon.

Denver

2007-10-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday I packed up the kids and drove to Denver to visit Colette and her kids. Ben and Mark are in West Virginia with their other Jen, Julie, Kevin and their Mom. My Grandma Taylor drove with us and enjoyed a weekend away. She did great in the car with the kids. They were pretty good considering they were stuck in car seats for 9 hours.

We had a great time shopping, eating good food and playing with the kids. Peyton, Ashton and Nate played Guitar Hero nonstop and Jesi and Ava shut themselves in Jesi's room so Mitch and Gavin wouldn't wreck their stuff. Mitch and Gav had a few fights and for now Mitch seems to be winning. But, it won't be long until Gavin realizes He's twice Mitchells size.

The kids begged to stay a few more days, they're sad Uncle Markie wasn't home to play with them. I wish I had some pictures but Ben and Mark took our cameras on their vacation. I'm glad I made the effort to come, The kids had the best time with their cousins. And, Colette and I had fun too.

Mitchell

2007-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Mitchell is the cutest 1 year old I've ever seen. He's also the wildest! I honestly don't know if I'm going to survive Mitchell through his toddler years. He never stops moving, wining, climbing, jumping, and begging. And if he's does take a break from his activity he's hanging on me wanting to be held. Of course this occurs while I'm trying to make dinner, do homework with Peyton, and get ready for Ben to come home.

Even though he can frustrating at times, he makes me laugh. He's so funny and so cute that even when he's making me crazy I can't help but hug and kiss all over him. That face of his is so precious and angelic especially when he's up to no good. I can't imagine our family without Mitchie!!

Happy 4th Birthday Ash & Ava

2007-10-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

On October 1st Ashton and Ava turned 4. We kicked off the party weekend on Saturday with a friend party. Ava invited 8 friends over for a hula party. We dressed up in hula skirts and flower necklaces and made seashell picture frames. Her friends gave he lots a wonderful, girly presents.

Ashton wanted to go miniature golfing but because it snowed he opted for bowling at Fat Cats with Dylan Larson, Peyton, Cole, Carter and of course Dad. They came back to the house and opened presents and ate cupcakes.

That night we had grandpas, grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins over for pizza and cake and ice cream. It was a fun and exciting day. Ben and I are still recovering three days later. I love to throw birthday party's for my children. I hope it makes them feel extra special for a day.

Four years ago I was more exhausted than I am today. I couldn't believe I had two little angles to take care of. It seemed so overwhelming at the time. I think we survived the hardest part of twins, until they're teenagers anyway. I love four year olds and am so excited to have two of them in our home. They're such amazing little people. Happy Birthday Ash & Ava. You're both Loved very much!!

Toothless Peyton

2007-10-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

On September 25 Peyton lost his first tooth. He's been waiting for this day for a long time. Most of his friends have lost several teeth by now. He was eating peanuts with Ben when he felt something hard in his mouth. He spit it out and was so surprised to find his tooth. Lucky he didn't swallow it. The tooth fairy came and left him a whole dollar. I can't believe how my little boy is growing up.