Guest Room Ready

Although there is more I would like to finish in this room, we do have an official guest room now. (This was Josh's old room upstairs.) It has a queen-size mattress bed. Now we have more than air beds or folded out futons as our only offering for sleep. Bless all of you who still stayed with us over the years. Since we moved the bed into the room 2 months ago, my brother-in-law Russell has spent 3 nights, my mother-in-law Judy spent 1 night, and my father-in-law Dee and his wife Connie have spent 2 nights. It is great to have the space. So to all our friends and family consider our bed and breakfast open!

Fun With Friends

The first weekend in May we traveled with our friends, Trent and Daidre and their crew of 6 kids, to Price, Utah where we stayed with another friend, Bobbi and her gang of 6. Add our 4, and that was 16 kids to 5 adults! (Bobbi's husband worked in the mine all weekend on shifts.) It was too fun. Her house was large (each couple had their own guest room) and the kids all had friends to hang out with. We had a great time. We talked and laughed and the kids played billiards, video games, watched movies, and slid down the long fights of stairs in sleeping bags. Josie loved their mellow bulldog, Daisy. Trent, Bobbi and Mike were able to talk about their LDS missions where they served together. What a fun retreat. Then we all enjoyed going to Arches National Park (after we first had a picnic in Green River.) The kids were full of energy and did great on all the hikes. All 21 of us made the 3-mile round trip, uphill hike to Landscape Arch---when you are 7 months pregnant, I consider that a triumph! We took a Flat Stanley from cousin Jeff with us around the park. Click on the pics below to view them larger, then click again to return them to the collage.

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My Brothers are Masters

Certainly I can tell you that my brothers are masters at teasing, keeping us all in stitches from laughing, and in being great fathers and friends. But during the last few weeks they also became Masters in Accountancy from BYU and in Business Administration from USU. I am really quite proud of them and their hard work (especially with wives and children, also.) Way to go, you both have done a great job! Love ya'.





Rah, rah, rah, goooooo Kyle! Another Cougar alumni in the fam. Heather and Ethan have a lot to smile about!! And Kyle is still probably enjoying all those candy leis. Jamie and I drove to and from the ceremony together and that was fun to talk along the way. We all went back to my parents and feasted on Papa John's pizza to celebrate.

















Colby the Aggie (via extension.) Congrats! The fact that he didn't know his way around USU campus and took his pregnant sister on a LONG walk to the reception after was a bit funny. I am sure that Jamie and the kids will be so glad to have Dad home more often. I drove up with Josie and my parents. We all ate at The Maddox Restaurant after. The food was worth the wait, melt-in-your-mouth steak and yummy rolls.

Mother's Day 2010

This is me a month ago. Chelsea is growing and getting stronger. It is so awesome to feel her moving. I am so busy this pregnancy caring for the other four that I feel like I don't get a chance all the time to savor the moments of motherhood. But when I do slow down it is nice to marvel about the wonder of being a mother and having a precious child across my belly. Today I moved the rocking chair into our room. A little here and a little there I am getting ready for her.



On Mothers' Day the kids and Mike made me breakfast (toasted wheat bagel with cream cheese, fresh cut grapefruit and orange juice---perfect.) Then I opened all of their little gifts they made at school. I love those. Mike gave me a molding kit and frame to place Chelsea's handprint/footprint and picture in. It was very nice. Later at church, I was one of four "secret guest" moms that stood hidden behind blankets and answered questions (in disguised voices) until the Primary kids could guess who we were. We did it twice, for Jr. and Sr. Primary. It was really fun. For dinner we went to my parents' and had BBQ chicken, salads, rolls, lemonade and a delicious cheesecake with apple topping that Mike made. I got two flats of petunias to put into my yard from my wonderful parents---now if the rain will stop so I can do that!



While I am talking about moms I wanted to write briefly about mi madre in the Canary Islands, Olga Herminia Caceres Gonzales. On Saturday, May 1st we got the message from her daughter that Olga had left this life after a two year battle with cancer. I think of them daily and we pray for her family. The kids have kept her in their prayers for over a year now. We told the kids and about fifteen minutes later I found Joshua crying. I took a moment to talk to him. (I will mention this all occurred at our friend's home that we were staying at for a weekend get-away.) Our family feels quite the tie to our dear friends in the Canary Islands. It was so nice to be able to meet her and stay in her home last June. She cared for Mike as a missionary and she certainly cared for Mike and I while we were there. She made amazing meals and her food was excellent! She did our laundry and traveled with us when she could. Luckily while we were there she had finished her chemo and she had a break from treatments. She smiled and laughed and hugged us. She bore her testimony to us and told us of her family history work. She flew to Madrid and attended the temple when she could. She was a wonderful example of a mother who cared for her family and others and who was faithful to the very end. Again I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet her and I will miss knowing she is in the background when we chat or web-cam with her daughter, Dacil. Thanks for your example, Olga, we will miss you!

I Like Soccer

I have always liked soccer. It is fun to watch my boy play. This is the same team he played with in the fall---The Green Tanks. He was on defense the day I took these shots. He did great. In both basketball and soccer he seems to enjoy defense more. His cousins play soccer too and I am still hoping to get a shot of all of them in uniform together (we'll have to cut and paste Jeff and Nate in too!)

Kid's Bathroom Downstairs

Again, this is mostly for Tammy: Here is a couple pics of the kid's bathroom downstairs. I went neutral, but colorful, since both the older girls and Josh share this one. I really like the sconces and the blue on the walls. I have dark blue, orange, and green hand towels that I mix up. But each of the kids are assigned one of those colors for their bath towels so that there is less chance of spreading germs. The artwork is melted crayon art that Alyssa and Maddie did years ago. I have another set of three framed pieces over the toilet, too. I'll post more pics of rooms soon.

Easter 2010

Coloring eggs together---we used wax crayons, rubberbands, shrink wraps, dye sticks, and stickers to decorate them.

I made these "Honey Bunnies" for breakfast on Easter morning. They were yummy!

Alyssa watching General Conference front row style. I love listening to our prophet, the apostles and other leaders. It was a treat this Easter.

Easy Bakin'

Jaycie had a sleepover with Alyssa on Easter weekend because of Spring Break. In the morning, they got the Easy Bake oven out and made chocolate cake and white frosting. After watching movies, popping popcorn, painting nails, etc. How fun is that?!

Princess Party

Josie had a princess party. I made the personalized crowns, paper purses, popcorn bags and paper banners with help from a kit from Stampin' Up. Mike bought Josie and her friends the cute butterfly sugar cookies.

She had seven little princesses come to our castle to celebrate.

Four Years Old!

Josie celebrated her birthday recently. Her preschool teacher made her this cake. Josie told me that she is willing to be four forever---yeah, I finally have a child who will stay little for me! I love holding her little hand and listening to her take on the world around her (like how she recently called the magpie she saw outside a "killer whale bird" since they are both black and white.) Josanna is such a wonderful companion. We share our days together while the rest of her siblings are in school. Even though she does go to dance and preschool, and plays very well by herself at home, she is still with me a lot and I love it! She loves to cuddle. Her favorites include soups, CHOCOLATE, Craisins, Dora the Explorer and anything pink, sparkly and PRINCESS. If she loves what she is eating she will give me the thumbs up sign. I love you, Banana!

She gave us the "#4" sign with her hand about a thousand times that day. In fact before she opened each present she would put four fingers up and smile.

On Easter we had family over and we opened gifts. Kyle and Heather gave her this princess coloring book---she started coloring in it that night after the guests left and she didn't stop until an more than an hour later when the entire book was completely filled in! She colored each page neatly too. She loves coloring!

We went to Red Lobster for dinner. Okay, I know it looks like she is having a miserable time, but the truth is she just didn't want any more pictures and was mad that I brought the camera out. She can be soooo cute one minute and soooo fiesty the next! She actually ate ever last popcorn shrimp (well, maybe Aly stole a few). The kids really love seafood and I got to enjoy some lobster for my birthday, too. The waitresses sang "Happy Birthday" to both of us.