CrAzy FuN!

For some reason they thought it would be fun to paint their faces...

and they went to Wal-mart looking like that, Lori took them, I wouldn't

have done that...They had lots of fun being silly!

I love the pictures in the mirror!

They just hung out in the bathroom for hours???

I came home from a date on Saturday and my camera was not right...so I said, "Who has been playing with my camera?" Of course, nobody had touched it...then finally Grace said, "well, me and Brinley told like 3 pictures." Well, you can't lie when there is proof in the pictures, sooo here are the 3+ pictures...Nice try Gracie! And yes my camera is still broken!

Christmas Dance Recital!!

The girls had their first recital of the new season. Grace moved up a team and she is the one of the youngest on there and it has been a challenge for her. She comes home discouraged a lot. She doesn't think she is very good, and it is harder for her. She NEVER complains about going, but I know things are difficult for her. I hope she can see her improvement by the end of the year. She did so GREAT! I was so proud of her. She really is good! Sara did a great job too! She stayed on the same team...but she is on the front row this year too. I love to watch her dance, she makes me laugh. She is really improving each year also! Way to go girls! The recital was short...only 2 hours!!

Christmas PJs

I had hit Sara in the belly, she was so ticked! The girls both only had 1 sock on because they had been practicing pirouette's all night..

Today we got our PJ's....This is something the girls love and look forward to...

Stockton's Big Day!!

I CAN'T believe he is 15!! Where did the time go? Brad and I were in the car and we were talking about it...it doesn't seem that he could possibly be that old! I remember the excitement and anticipation of waiting for Stockton, that first baby, to be born. We were so young and so naive. Yet we were so excited and couldn't wait to be parents. We had been married for just a few months short of 4 years. And we felt like we were ready...little did we know that you can never really be prepared for parenthood :) I mean that in a good way, of course. I went to the doctor to be checked on the 8th of December, Stockton's due date was 12/12, but of course I couldn't wait for him to come on his own, and my doctor was going out of town for the weekend, so I was induced. The labor was LONG. I was started at 1 PM then he came into the world, 14 hours later at 3 AM on Dec 9th. We had no health insurance and had to pay for the delivery and doctor bill ourselves (I don't recommend doing things that way), Brad was self employed and had started his own company just 1 year before, I was working for an insurance office. Wow things changed quickly, our perspectives changed and so many things became unimportant and other things became the most important. We were just starting to build our first home and I needed to keep working so we could qualify for a loan. I hated to work after he was born, all I wanted to do was to be a mom. I stayed home until April, then I went back to work and my best childhood friend, Kristi, babysat until Kelly was out of school and he did it for the summer. I did take him to a babysitter for a few months until we finally got into our home and I quit working. I have been home since, and I have loved it. Stockton is a joy in our family. This year for his birthday, he went to school, then I picked him up and we went and watched Bronson win his basketball game, then he went with them to the Utes game. He had a great day. He got a ski pass for his birthday, some clothes and some video games. I did manage to take a couple pictures of him.

15 Things about Stockton

1. He is a fun kid to be around.

2. He loves NOT having braces.

3. He loves his friends and wants to be around them ALL the time.

4. He has had ALL A's on his report cards this year (some have been A-'s).

5. He is a GREAT son.

6. He is a wonderful brother.

7. He has worked hard in the past year, in Scouts, in school and in sports he plays.

8. He has a testimony of his own and really lives a Christ-like life.

9. He is known as the moral compass of our family (wow, that can be exhausting)

10. He is just starting to eat us out of house and home, we have been warned for years, and now it is true!

11. He will not go to school without a bowl of cold cereal...still.

12. He will challenge anyone to a game of ping pong, and he is pretty good.

13. He can't wait to go snowboarding.

14. He has some BIG decisions to make soon..

15. We are lucky he is in our family!!

The Sounds of Christmas...

Duh???

The kids had a piano recital at McKay Dee Hospital. They have been practicing for about a month. Sara has practiced the very most. She did such a great job, she was nervous and at times she played her song a little too fast but she did GREAT! She has worked hard and she is still playing her song even now that it is over. She LOVES piano. She is working hard and seems to love it. Grace also did GREAT!! She was nervous too but it was her second piano recital. She practiced when I reminded her. And then there was Stockton...he was assigned the First Noel, but of course he didn't practice so a week ago, she switched him to Silent Night. So for only having a week, he did ok :/ In the middle of his song he pulled out his music?? Anyway, he doesn't get to quit until he does 2 recitals without choking....so more piano!!

SURPRISE!!

Bridger was the one on the look out for me! Tanner, Ryker, Cardon and Andrew kept him out of the house so people could get here!
He was surprised and wanted to know who knew? I said, "Everyone but you?" I guess he doesn't get how a surprise party works???

Stockton hasn't had a birthday party since he was 10?!? We always celebrate with family, but every other year with friends. This year I decided to have a surprise party for him, he is turning 15 on December 9th. WOW, the years have gone by fast. There was no formal invitations sent, just sent over text messages to friends from both Legacy Jr and Syracuse Jr. There was 45 when I counted but then more came later so...final count?? UNKNOWN. Lots of kids, I did have to say "no more swear words" a few times, I reminded them they were at my home and not at school, but they were respectful. They ate pizza, lots and lots of pizza, candy - lots and lots of candy, pop- lots and lots of pop, cookies - gone! It was fun and it was a surprise, he had NO clue. He was happy except I screwed up and Brock wasn't told and didn't come :( He was invited but someone let me down, and I should have called myself, but I thought I'd covered it...oh my heart aches. He tried to call him the rest of the night with no luck, dang I hate it when I don't follow through. You just can't take things like that back though!

Last Basketball Game..

Sydnie sang the National Anthem, as a quartet, they did soo good the best one all year!

Stockton's last jr high basketball game was today. The team has not done as well as they had hoped, they have been in every game but 3, (they got K-I-L-L-E-D!) He has had great experiences, he started some new traditions at Legacy Jr High, he was a GREAT leader, on and off the court. The coach LOVED him and so did his team mates. Some players got mad at him, at times, because he got after them when they didn't take things serious. Most of his team mates had never been on a jr high team before, and they had never played together. He had many disappointments but he wouldn't have changed a thing. For the last game, we bought each of the 9th graders a rose and a giant candy bar to give to their parents and they announced all of them. Stockton started every game, he rarely got taken out, unless he fouled out, he was a critical person on the team. He wasn't the top scorer, but he did other things that helped other players, he was always a TEAM player, never selfish. Sometimes he passed too much..

**12/4/09 They won the coin flip and they are in the playoffs!! Wow, what a shocker! Oh well they made it, but by chance and luck, not necessarily because they were good :) They tried hard though..

No More Braces!!

No more braces!! What a nice smile and $$$ well spent..'nuff said!

My BIG new CalLinG!!

Since I was 17, I have been in Primary...Ok, I've served in the Primary since I was 17, no joke, not kidding. When I had 2 babies, 9 years ago, I was on the Relief Society Board for 1 1/2 years. But other than that... I have been in Primary. I have taught EVERY single age group from nursery to 11 year olds, some twice. I had been in Cub Scouts and most recently in Activity Days (which I loved). I am now old 39, so do the math, 22 years in Primary, which I have loved, I've never said NO to a calling, and probably never will (ummm gospel doctrine, I would say NO). I was just called to serve in the Young Womens! Yea!! I am so excited, first of all I am ready for the change, 2nd I get to serve with Angie and Marla!! Can you believe it? So the first activity was candy making, and I have made candy with my grandma for YEARS :( but I didn't have any of the recipes, so I just had to use other one's. We came to my house and it was so fun. I love the girls, I served with them in Activity Days, but it is a different feel. I really am excited and I am nervous to teach, but it should be fine.