THIS & THAT

 Daxon received the priesthood a few weeks ago.  It was such a great day.  His Grandpa Phippen came out man, that made us all happy:)
 




Jers made hot wings,  it was Fathers day. Daxon's MOM messed up BIG time.  YOU know those days when your brain just does not think properly?  I have them often.  Jers leaves to church early as he always does.  I for some odd reason  look at the clock and think "WOW" I still have such a long time before church.  I get Ashlynn & I ready, I read a few books to her since I do not want to be too  early with her.  She can be crazy at church.  Well 9 rolls around I decide to run off a few number things for her to do more or less just wasting time. I get to church 15 minutes early to find the chapel doors shut!!!!  I ask the Bishop from the other ward who walked in behind me whats going on?  He replies well it's probably the sacrament, church started at 9.  I have been going at 9 since January!!!!  Church NEVER starts on the half hour I am not sure where my brain was but it was messed up!!!!!  They had already called Daxon up,  I wanted to cry my eyes out.  It was a failure moment as a mom for sure.   Good thing he is such a forgiving kid. 

  This Athletic thing has been sitting in our garage for over 2 years.  We lost the instructions for it and when I ask Daxon to put it together after we returned from Idaho 2 1/2 years ago he tried but could not figure it out.  Due to the fact that this boy becomes more brilliant daily figuring out how to put things together I decided to try and let him try again.  His MOM does not have ANY skills in this department:)  His father is Brilliant at it however this was NOT on the priority list:) I was so HAPPY that he was able to accomplish this task.  I now have somewhere to put all the balls, bats, racquets.  I should go take a picture of the finished project just to show how wonderful it is.  MAN I LOVE THIS KID,  HE IS BRILLIANT!!!!

 PINKALICIOUS

 A little theater in town was playing  PINKALICIOUS.   Alyssa, Ashlynn & I dressed up in PINK and went to the musical.  Before the play we ate at panera YUMOOO.  We ate outside,  Ashlynn was adorable as she watched the little birds and talked to them:)

 My sister Trisha made this adorable little skirt for Ashlynn.  I love it.

She is so talented.

WATER FUN
This picture just makes me laugh.  I remember being young and drinking out of the hose.

Daxon with his daily kum n go drink

The other day as we were making lunch Ashlynn decides she wants to make her own sandwich.

Alyssa thought this was adorable.  I thought it was a waste of food and a huge mess:)  Still it kept her entertained for awhile.

For  Fathers day I found the funnest website website. 
J.D.S Dad was visiting so I decided to use some of her cute ideas.  First one... BACON CUPCAKES.  YUCK!!!!!!

Jers is always going on & on about the fair & chocolate covered bacon & other disgusting bacon items so I thought what the heck, I'll try them.  NOT A HIT!!!!   Britton & Ashlynn loved the frosting:)  I can't say 1 way or the other.  I could not bring myself to even try them.

I did however LOVE her cutouts and other ideas.  MORE I LOVED having his dad visit as we all did.  We miss him.

PRE SCHOOL GRADUATION

 This is kind of late. I absolutely loved pre school graduation.  Ashlynn was all smiles & waves.

 The program was the most adorable little thing ever.

 I Loved walking through the store this year having Ashlynn burst out into song that she had learned from pre school.  She would get so excited to go.  I was asked numerous times daily is it pre school today?

   LOVE the little hand wave.    I remember on her first day of pre school I cried the entire day.  I can't believe she has now finished a full year of it.  WOW how the time flies.  I can't believe my baby is getting so big.  Towards the end of the year we drove by Eason elementary where they were having field day outside.  Ashlynn says "OH I want to do that."  I replied honey you have to be in school.  She says when can I be in school?  I reply when you are 5, not next year but the next.  Since that day she gets so excited as we drive by the school.  I get to go do fun stuff when I am 5 at that school she says:)  I say Ashlynn SLOW down and just stay my little girl a little bit longer K.

DIRTY DASH & SUMMER FUN

   The dirty dash was such a BLAST!!!!!  The first weekend in June my sister bought me an airline ticket to come out and do the dash with her and a group of people.  My brother & his wife put it together and it was lots of fun. So thankful I got to be a part of it.

 One of my brothers sons, Houston ran it with us.  I must say the more I get to know this kid, the more I just LOVE the pieces out of him!!!!  He is such a cute kid.  Full of energy, life & stories:)

 She was NOT in the dash:)  She is just really dirty.

 This is pretty much what she looks like at the end of every day.

She LOVES IT!!!!

 It was so much fun to see all my sisters and spend time with them.  They are all so amazing.  I loved seeing all their cute babies that I have never seen before.  They are ADORABLE!!!

It was great to see my baby sister who has the cutest prego belly.  She will be such an amazing MOMMY.  I Loved LOVED spending time with my Dad who always makes me smile.  I was also able to fit in time to visit my wonderful in-laws.  I LOVED visiting with them.

 I was going to miss Daxons birthday this year because I was in Idaho.  I didn't think about this when I arranged the trip,  as it got closer it made me really sad.  The day of his birthday I missed him like crazy.  MAN I LOVE MY KIDS:) They might drive me crazy but I don't know what I would do without them or the craziness they cause:)   I have always been ANTI celebrate birthday early.  People want to celebrate on the real day.  I do anyway & I am a people:)  I think if you celebrate early you get to celebrate twice.  That is what we did.  I decorated the day before I left.  Bought doughnuts for breakfast, gave him a few presents,

 we went to Omaha to stay the night.  Went to the zoo that we all LOVE!!!!

 I think these 2 pictures are really cute:)

 The last few times we have been to the zoo the aquarium has been closed so the kids were super excited to see it open.  I love that with a zoo pass you get to go to the I Max movies for  free.  We love going to them.

 I LOVE how intently they are looking at everything.  I love how everything is so magical to children.

 As I went to take this picture (the one below)  I said to the kids "Gather together."  All the sudden this older man kindly takes my camera and says "I think you should all be in this one."  I thought that was so thoughtful.  Moms are so often not in any of the pictures when kids get older because they were taking them all.

 I always love these weird cut outs they have at zoos.  They make for a fun picture.

 FAMOUS DAVES

 Daxon really wanted to go to famous Daves for his birthday dinner.  It did not disappoint.  The food was delicious.

 Daxon even received a HUGE birthday ice cream with a firework looking thing on it before we left.

 Anyone who knows our family knows we are NOT the quietest people ever.  Ashlynn was so excited to go swimming at the hotel.  Just as we went to go down to the pool we here a knock on the door.   IT'S 7:30 p.m.  The front desk lady says I am so sorry to bother you but the people below you are trying to sleep & need you to be quiet.  Ashlynn is grinning from ear to ear repeating over & over I'm going swimming.  The lady smiles & kindly says YOU ARE SO sweet!!!  We didn't get anymore complaints and the kids had a wonderful time swimming:)

 I put this in just because it makes me laugh.  Kids are so random & funny.  The things they think of to keep from being bored just make you shake your head, laugh & think okay whatever.   I am not sure what they are doing but it made me laugh non the less.

MY house is a mess, I feel completely unorganized,  I usually have every day planned out perfectly in the summer.  This one is kinda kicking my butt.  5 kids, all different ages, all wanting to do different things,  Mom wanting them to just be little and go on a walk to the park for a picnic.  Kids thinking "SO LAME."  In spite of all that I LOVE Summer.  I LOVE my kids being around me and being home.  I thought this was a great thought to remember during the long Summer days when our kiddos are home doing NOTHING?

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again.  ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

 

KANSAS CITY

The family has been so excited for the Kansas City Temple Open House.  On the way down we decided to make a few extra stops at some church-history sites along the way.  This was our first stop.  Although not much was there, we loved getting to enjoy the atmosphere of this place.

This grove of trees is the type I would envision Joseph Smith praying in.

I really loved all the different rocks that were in this area.

The scenery was beautiful.

The Temple was so neat.  Ashlynn was so excited to go inside the Temple.  She has ALWAYS had a thing with Temples.  Her excitement as we walked through the front doors was so adorable. My emotions almost got the better of me.  The lady giving our tour bore her testimony of her gratitude for Temples and eternal families (at the end of the tour) .  She mentioned how she had recently lost a little girl and was so thankful to know she will live again with her someday.  It was really a neat experience.

We stopped inIndependence also.  I was surprised how long we stayed here.  In the basement  was a fun little activity area.  The part we enjoyed the most was the family video.  IT WAS SO INSPIRING!!!  I knew as we were watching it that all my children could feel the spirit.  It definitely made me think about some things I need to work on as a mother also. 

Then it was headed home.  I am sooooo cheap when it comes to buying food.  I had made food for the ride down and we forgot it ,so we already had to stop one time more than I wanted.  We stopped at Wendy's.  As we were ordering I am sure the people inside thought are these people for real????  A kid would yell from the background I would yell back "NO YOU CAN'T have pop."  Another kid would yell "I WANT."  I would yell "That's not from the 99 cent menu."  YA I'm that cheap.  Then Jers asks what do you want?  I reply I will wait to eat till later.  They hand us our food and the bag is LOADED with FRIES.  Plus the kids fries are larger than the ones we ordered.  To top it off they also added an EXTRA sandwich.  LAME!!!!  But LUCKY.  I gobbled that thing down so fast because I was starving. But here is the thing.  10 minutes later we stop at Baskin Robbins for ice cream.   I have Alyssa order this IN-SANELY huge thing for her and I to eat.  It had 3 different flavors in the one we shared.  I thought nothing of us spending more money on ice cream than dinner.  ISSUES.  I have ISSUES.  A girl knows her priorities and when I decide to eat bad, ice cream is a delicious part of those issues:)  It was a wonderful day.

EASTER 2012

TOTAL picture overload!!!!!!

My boys are not in the Easter dressed-up pictures due to the fact that they had  play clothes on the second we walked in from church.

On Saturday we had fun at a friend's house.  The kids ran around crazy, had an Easter egg hunt and a fun meal.   We were so EXCITED to get together with others.  We really miss family on holidays.

Being part of such a GREAT ward family makes it so much easier.

Trampolines are the BEST!!!!  I guess if I were a doctor and was privileged:( to see all the crazy things that happened to kids on them I may not be such a fan.  As it is, I grew up with one, tons of kids on it, we are all fine and I love them.  Kids love them!  They are great for a good time.

 Ashlynn and I had a great time making these fun little treats.

Easter Egg hunts are something these 2 are a huge fan of.

I LOVE EASTER.  I Love how the Savior's Resurrection symbolizes a rebirth. I am so thankful that the Savior would make it possible for us to be forgiven when we are human.  Repent and in a way have a re-birth.   I am so thankful for the reminder it gives us;  a sure knowledge that we will live again.  It makes me feel so thankful that someday I will be blessed to live with my loved ones again.  I know and appreciate DEEPLY  this part of Easter.  I find joy in spending the week before Easter having evening activities & devotionals on the week leading up to the Saviors crucifixion

 from this wonderful book.

 WITH THAT said... I LOVE THE TRADITION OF THE BUNNY also!!!!!

I LOVE LOVE  Easter baskets.  I LOVE shopping,  I mean helping the bunny put them out the night before.  I LOVE the treats that go inside the basket.  I love the little toys that are so simple that kids get so excited about.  The bunny left a basketball this year due to the fact that Brittons parents drove over his NEW one a few days before:)  I also LOVE the little books about Jesus and other gospel stuff.  I remember some of my MOST FAVORITE memories of Easter was Egg hunts out at Stuart and Cindy's-and real baby chicks.  I LOVED the year the bunny left the book "I wonder when he comes again", a few other church books and homemade coconut nests.  Man, the Bunny who came to my house was so AMAZING!!!!

I LOVE all the little kiddos at church being all dressed up.

I LOVE that this year Ashlynn got to wear the dress her Grandma Jo made for Alyssa when she was little.  It made me smile all day.  I have to admit it made me a little teary eyed at times as well.

I LOVE that this year was nice enough to have a picnic outside.

I LOVE how I still have ONE little enough to still enjoy dumping out ALL her little treasures to see what they are for the thousandth time:)

EGG HUNT

I LOVE that no matter what age my kids are they LOVE egg hunts.

I LOVE how Alyssa has her scriptures next to her in this picture.  She is such a good girl. We are not sure how we got so blessed.  She ALWAYS wants to do the right thing- usually to the point that she gets after her parents if she thinks they are not:)

She recently earned her Young Women Medallion.  This was really a neat thing for her to receive at 15 years old.  I feel so blessed by the decisions she makes every day.

 BACK to the EGG HUNTING... I notice that the older the boys get, they enjoy the Easter egg hunt  MORE or LESS depending on the amount of money I put in the eggs:)

But I figure that's a good thing.  It's never to early to be money conscience:)

RIGHT!!!