Nic's Six

Laundry room MaKeOvEr

2012-02-19T10:56:00.004-07:00

The laundry room has been the one room in our house that's been nearly impossible to keep clean. Everything I don't know what to do with ends up in there. There are random shelves, cupboards, hanging things and baskets that just collect it all. Well we recently received an in-wall ironing board to replace our big old squeeky one. We had to take down a shelf in order to install it. From there, we just decided to renovate and make this room a bit more attractive and user friendly. Thanks Nic for your handy skills in building me all my new shelves :)
before
(I'm sitting on the washer/dryer to take the picture....to give you some perspective)

after

Final MOTAB concert

2012-02-12T22:01:00.003-07:00

My parents will be retiring from the choir in April. My girls have never seen them perform live since they're too little for concerts. Well the choir had some concerts in Arizona last weekend, so I took my girls to their rehearsal the day before the concert. They loved it, and I think my parents were equally pumped to see us there. I could see them pointing us out to their friends and they would smile and discreetly wave as much as they could. It was a late night, but definitly worth it.

Buddies

2012-02-12T21:59:00.002-07:00

Our HUGE Superbowl party

2012-02-12T21:51:00.003-07:00

I made caramel corn, meatballs, apple streusel and 7 layer dip. And the 5 of us enjoyed it :)
(After we ate, the kids were as hyper as could be, dancing in front of the TV and bouncing off the walls since we had used the word "party" to describe this event. We tried to explain that the party was over once they were finished eating (which was 1 minute into the game). It was awful and I ended up taking them to the playroom while Nic watched the game solo...yes, he likes it this way. He doesn't have to pay attention, he can nap here and there, and he can fast forward most of it).

Kendyl & Grandma

2012-02-12T21:47:00.002-07:00

These 2 are buddies. I go to my mom's house once a week to clean. I usually take Kendyl and Nixon with me while the twinners are at school. Nixon usually naps, and Kendyl is SUPPOSED to play in the playroom. This rarely happens. She and Grandma usually play computer games, make cookies and play together. Cute cute.

Standing.....and Driving

2012-02-12T21:41:00.004-07:00

Nixon has hit a couple landmarks in the last couple weeks. See for yourself.

The only probably with learning how to pull yourself up into a standing position???? How to get back down.

He was ordering at Taco Bell, "Yes, I'll have some hot sauce"

**Before you call Child Protection Services, please note that the car was stationary in these pictures :) He was placed back in his seat before acceleration :)

CIRCUS

2012-02-12T21:37:00.005-07:00

It wasn't Barnum & Bailey's....so there were a few times when I almost had a heart attack (like when Ulyssis fell on the highwire and barely caught himself....sheesh). It was fun though! I think Camryn will probably be in the circus someday. (sorry about the bad pics from my phone)

Sick Sick Nixon

2012-02-12T21:30:00.003-07:00

Nixon got sick a couple weeks ago. I'm talking REALLY sick. I thought he had RSV and I ended up taking him to the doctor (which is typically my last resort). They told me that RSV isn't really going around this year, but there are similar illnesses that are just as bad. They were able to get his oxygen above 90 and told me to bring him back if he got worse. My dad let me borrow is pulse oximeter, so Nic and I stayed busy giving Nixon breathing treatments, checking his oxygen and pumping him full of Tylenol for about a week. I've never seen such a sleepy, lethargic, sad, sick kid. Thank goodness he's better now. I can honestly say that Nic and I were REALLY worried, which is hard to do to 2 parents that have sick kids for most of the year.

Camryn & Brooklyn's Gratitude List

2012-01-30T15:33:00.003-07:00

The twins made this list about a year and a half ago. I just found it in an old notebook. I thought it was cute. It needed to be documented.

Give said the Little Stream

2012-01-29T22:24:00.001-07:00

They did this about 10 times. Cool Daddy.

Big & Chunky

2012-01-29T22:22:00.002-07:00

Camryn & Kendyl have access to my Zumba playlist...it's on my phone. They've seen my routine and they LOVE to perform it. Haha, maybe I should practice somewhere else :)

2 Funny Nixon videos

2012-01-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

Here's the little guy watching Care Bears. I have no idea why he was so pumped about it.

Enjoying a peaceful moment in the Jumperoo.

Sweet Kendyl

2012-01-29T22:03:00.003-07:00

Kendyl definitely went through a stinker phase, but she's been so sweet lately. Nic went snowmobiling last week and Kendyl said to me, "Mommy, I miss Daddy". Then I worked at my dad's office a couple days ago as the receptionist. When I got home, she gave me a giant hug and said, "Mommy I missed you today!". Those things melt my heart.

Babes Playing

2012-01-29T22:01:00.002-07:00

Playing in the playroom. They're so cute :)

Camryn's Note

2012-01-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Nic asked her to put some toys away.

Nixon's Hideout

2012-01-29T21:58:00.003-07:00

Nixon loves crawling to the table and just sitting under it. Perhaps it's because there are usually crumbs under there. He also makes sure he spits up along the way and plays in it for a minute. Crazy boy. It reminds me of Kendyl at that same age; she always hung out under the plant.

Nixon is 8 months old

2012-01-20T22:55:00.004-07:00

Oh...how I love and adore this little boy. Here are a few random things about this kiddo: He says mama all the time now. It's usually when I set him down somewhere and he crawls to me at rocket speed saying, "mama mama" the whole way.
His 3 words are Dada, Nana and Mama. Cute.
He's finally sleeping through the night. Yep, we Ferberized him this week and just let him cry it out. It's a sad method for a few nights...but it works. We let the girls ~~party~~sleep in the basement this week so Nix wouldn't bother them.
(Ya, they party hard)
He has perfect push-up form.

He gets carried around the house by Brooklyn and Camryn all day and he just rolls with it.
He still loves to grab faces and if he can get ahold of your hair, he'll pull you right in and eat your face. Seriously. *side note* I just asked Nic, "what could I write about Nixon for his 8 month post", his reply, "he really likes to eat faces." And yes, I'd already written it.
We went swimming at my parents' house tonight and Nixon was in HEAVEN. So glad he loves the water.

Nix LOVES bread. When I'm tearing off little pieces for him to eat, he's done and waiting for the next piece before I can lob another one on to his tray! (I see Atkins in his future ;) )
His smile melts me heart. Everything about him melts my heart. I never knew I could love a little boy so much.

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-20T22:42:00.002-07:00

Tammy and I took our big girls to Bountiful High School's play, "Beauty and the Beast". The girls liked it alot. They got a little restless, but that's what my bag full of candy was for :)
We toured the highschool during intermission. I hadn't been there since I was a student and it hasn't changed at all. It almost seems like I just dreamed the whole thing. Anyway, Tammy dared me to do one of these...I can't resist a dare. Pardon the horrible form, but at least I got my leg up!

To all my fellow BHS alum, remember Mr. Smith! He was my choir teacher for 6 years and I'm pretty sure I drove him crazy with all my chatting. I apologized to him for being so naughty in his class. He assured me it was water under the bridge :)

The girls were TERRIFIED to have their picture taken with Belle and the Beast. Camryn wouldn't come out from behind me legs. Weirdos.

They were however, THRILLED to have their pictures taken with this gal that played "the rug". She was quite funny.

Nana & Papa

2012-01-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

ZUMBA!!!

2012-01-13T22:42:00.004-07:00

COME ZUMBA WITH ME!!!
Week 1 of classes was AMAZING and I can't wait for next week! Daycare is free so bring the kids with you.
2044 W. 2425 S. Woods Cross (Just off Redwood Rd. West of the Indoor Soccer facility)
M-W-F 9-10am

Jenny's twins!

2012-01-13T22:19:00.003-07:00

One of my best friends, Jenny, had twin girls a few months ago. I've been DYING to see them, but it just hasn't worked out. Today she drove to Utah and stopped by. I was so excited to meet these little cuties, Emmy & Lucy. Here's the photo shoot.

Sick Kendyl

2012-01-13T22:13:00.003-07:00

Kendyl was sick yesterday. She woke up at 5am feeling yucky and stayed up (Camryn joined her). I took K & N to the grocery store with me to get a few things and before long, I noticed that Kendyl was awfully quiet. This is why.

I was sad and shocked all at once. I took off my coat and made her a little bed. I wish I would have taken her picture at the end when she was covered in bananas, meat, potatoes and rice-a-roni.

Nixon loves his bath

2012-01-13T22:11:00.001-07:00

Handstand Snowman!

2012-01-13T22:06:00.002-07:00

It FINALLY snowed! We didn't waste a minute; we got right out there to build a snowman and pull kids on the sled. I wanted our snowman to do a handstand...and it was awesome :) Nic made the girls a fort under a bush and they loved it.

Nixon's wife

2012-01-13T22:02:00.002-07:00

So, Nixon LOVES eating bananas from those gross little mesh bags with the rubber handle. Have you seen those? Anyway, my girls call that little gismo, Nixon's "wife". They crack themselves up every time they say it. "Nixon loves his wife!". "Nixon dropped his wife on the floor!". "Nixon's wife is disgusting!". Funny kids.

Ballet!

2012-01-13T21:50:00.003-07:00

These girls have been BEGGING to take ballet for a while now. They took a couple years ago, then we took a break last year since they were taking gymnastics at their preschool. Kendyl was brand new to the ballet scene and she was as cute as could be. She loved it of course.

Camryn and Brooklyn loved it too. Dani is in their class which makes it even better.

Thanks Dakota!

2012-01-13T21:44:00.002-07:00

Dakota is one of my young women, she also babysits my kids every now and then. She brought the kids over some presents for Christmas. Yep, it's makeup :) They were PUMPED. Kendyl looks a bit suspect.

Camryn and Nixon

2012-01-13T21:42:00.003-07:00

Nixon woke up from his nap crying. It only lasted for a minute, which was weird. I went in his room and found this. Was I surprised? Not in the least.

Sunbeam!

2012-01-13T21:39:00.002-07:00

Kendyl was fairly concerned that she didn't get to go to nursery, but I spied on her primary class and she was happy as a lark. I have 3 kids in primary....weird.

Nixon crawls!

2012-01-13T12:52:00.001-07:00

Christmas!

2012-01-04T23:16:00.055-07:00

Disclaimer *I can't make a decision to save my life, hence, the over abundance of pictures. How can I choose which ones to post when I have hundreds of awesome pictures from EVERYONES cameras?!* This is why I dread my Christmas post ;) This year we were able to go to Eden with Nic's family. It started off with a BANG when all the Clarks came for the annual Clark Christmas party. There was great food, great laughs, white elephant and of course, the pinata! I'm still mad at myself for not forcing Kendyl to steal the GIANT bag of sour patch watermelons, but we ended up with an interesting loot :) It was especially fun to watch Kendyl open her little mittens from Grandma and Grandpa Clark, and keep them on for the next 24 hours. She wore them to bed every night until I finally put them away.... I'm mean. The highlight of the party was when the kids spotted Santa outside, leaving bags of coal for Wade and Lyle. Brooklyn was a bit concerned that Santa was leaving coal, but we explained that Santa can be a bit of a prankster ;)

We woke up the next morning and had a ZUMBA class in the basement with all the ladies. It was so fun to teach some of my FAVORITE ladies! Notice Camryn in the picture. She does Zumba with me EVERY DAY. She has every song memorized and loves to teach with me. She even taught her cousins one day.

Did I forget to mention that we ate at our favorite BBQ restaurant in Huntsville the night we got there? It was fun to have the whole family together.

On Christmas Eve, we took the snowmobiles into the mountains (we had to drive a ways to find stow) and went sledding. We had lots of fun and the kids were pumped.

That evening, Grandma & Grandpa Schenk came over for lobster/steak dinner. Afterwards, the kids acted out the Luke 2 story, opened their new robes and slippers, and sprinkled reindeer food out on the lawn.

The twins aren't the best at displaying their true excitement when opening presents...which is a bit of a bummer. Kendyl was great though. Averi is by far the best present opener and we were sad not to have her there. It was fun opening presents on Christmas morning. The twins have been waiting and waiting to give us their school artwork that they had wrapped so perfectly. It was adorable, and we were PUMPED to finally open it. Our big present from Lyle and Melanie is a FAMILY CRUISE to the Caribbean in April. We're already counting down the days.

I painted my old American Doll wardrobe and gave it to the girls. They've had fun filling it with all their Bitty Twin clothes.

Notice the lamp in this picture (I realize it's bright and hard to see). Camryn asked for a lamp for Christmas to put by her bed. She chose to eat dinner at her own table with her lamp on Christmas night. Now she uses it every night so she can read in bed.

Other highlights were: going to Sherlock Holmes. Watching the 3 cute babies steal eachothers' toys. Eating more treats than any human should consume in a month. Playing "Just Dance 3". Staying up late and talking.

MoTab Christmas Concert

2012-01-04T23:09:00.003-07:00

Nic and I are sad that this will be our last Christmas concert we'll have tickets for, but Nathan Gunn was a great performer and the concert was amazing. My brother, Scott, was in town from Texas for a few days so it was fun to have him with us. We've been to about 10 Christmas conerts and we both agree that our FAVORITE was Sissel. If you haven't heard of her, LOOK HER UP! She's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Sellers Christmas Party

2012-01-04T23:05:00.003-07:00

We had a Christmas party with my family before Christmas vacation. It was alot of fun! We ate Chinese food (Christmas eve tradition), played "Steal Bingo", opened presents, and read the Christmas story. The kids were all excited to open/give presents to eachother. They also LOVED their blanket-pillow pets from Grandma and Grandpa. I also feel like I came out a winner for the night as a proud owner of breast petal pasties and GIANT underpants for Nic!!!

***All my pictures are on my mom's camera...and her chord is lost! Hopefully she'll be able to find it and I'll get the pictures up. In better news, we got a camera the day after this party so we shouldn't have any more picture issues!***
Here are some of the random pictures we took the next day with our new camera! And did I mention that Nixon SITS by himself now?! What a relief.

Grandma & Grandpa Nicolaysen

2012-01-04T23:00:00.005-07:00

We don't get to see my grandparents very often because they live in Salem, Oregon. They were able to fly out just in time to go to my parents' FINAL Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. They retire from the choir in April. We went to Cafe Rio with them the night they got here. They're Mexican food enthusiasts :) We also had a dinner at my parents' house one night and my Grandpa told us stories about his days as a merchant marine. It was great. The girls also made Thank You cards for my grandparents for the presents they gave them. (Brooklyn got a pony, Kendyl got a princess book with little princesses in it, and Camryn got cars). It was cute. It was great to be able to spend time with them.

News Chicken

2012-01-04T22:33:00.004-07:00

Thank you Tammy for being ALMOST as lame as I am! This is her third time being my chaperone for this stupid stunt. First time was clear back in 2006. We probably laugh harder than anyone else watching it. This time we had ANOTHER opportunity of meeting a crazy man. Yep, another dude on the street claims "he knows that chicken". This chicken busted out some sweet Zumba moves too! I hope you were able to tune in to channel 2 and watch this news chicken dance in the background during the entire newscast. PROTECT YOUR STICK!!

Best video EVER

2011-12-28T22:21:00.002-07:00

It's short and funny. You HAVE to watch this!

Nixon's First Haircut

2011-12-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

Because I don't like side wings and a 3" tall mohawk. He's so handsome...his daddy aint too bad either.

Dickins Festival

2011-12-20T23:37:00.002-07:00

We went to the Dickins Festival at the Fair Grounds with my family last week. It was basically a giant boutique (unbeknownced to the men...bless their hearts). I posted the below pictures to give you a glimmer of what I go through to take a normal picture of my kids. It's basically impossible. Once looks up and smiles while the next falls down or picks her nose....and it's a domino effect from there. Oh well, we wouldn't want to take a PERFECT picture all the time...that would just be lying!

And of course we have the comedians.

Kendyl Babe is 3!!

2011-12-09T15:56:00.008-07:00

Kendyl is 3! She's been telling us for the last couple months that her birthday is December 5th and she's getting a Bitty Twin names Sally from Grandma. We had a birthday party for her last Saturday at my parent's house. We sort of combined it with the little Christmas party my mom was having for the kids. Kendyl is so fun to watch open presents. She would get the biggest smile on her face with each present, thank the person that gave it to her, then open it up and start playing with it. She had wanted some boots that we'd seen at the store a couple months ago and I got them for her for her birthday. She was so excited to open them and put them on. She said, "I wanted these!" At the end of her party, Nic asked her if she had a good day, her response was, "it's perfect."

We love our Kendyl Babe. She is quite the little stinker and sometimes I wonder if she's deaf or just has selective hearing. I wouldn't trade her though. She's about as funny as they come and very endearing. She's good at entertaining herself with any toy she stumbles upon. This is quite nice since her playmates are at school for 3 hours each day. We're always amazed at the funny things Kendyl says and does. She likes to use mature words she hears, but she doesn't always use them in the right context. She LOVES treats and would prefer to eat them all day long. I have to keep a close watch on her when she's nearing the treat cupboard. She loves Zumba and wants to watch the DVD every day. She's a whiz at the computer and iphone. She loves to say the prayer for every meal and before bed. Her hair is still feathers. She loves to give hugs. She's the bomb...and we love her tons.

She had more than enough help opening her presents.
Here she is opening her present from Ashley and Ryan. Yes, that's a water bottle. Kendyl told us that she wanted a water bottle and Lightning & McQueen for her b-day.

Kendyl loved this cake. She called it her "Baby Einsteins" cake.

I know this picture is blurry, I had to take the picture FAST. Brookyn had been making Kendyl birthday cards all week. She put some by her bed, some under her door, and the most special one got put in an envelope and was given to Kendyl at her party. Kendyl was very happy to get it and told Brooklyn "thank you so much!".

*Yes, I realize I need a better camera. These pictures are terrible :(

Our Christmas Trees

2011-12-09T15:12:00.004-07:00

Our family room Christmas tree is beautiful. It has a "red, white & green" theme. Our Christmas tree in the basement is the MOST beautiful. It doesn't have a color scheme, but it's full of EVERY ornament I've collected since I was a baby. It also has ornaments for each of our children, and ornaments that Nic and I have collected together. The ornaments you'll find the most of though, are the ornaments from my Grandma and Grandpa Nicolaysen (Mom's parents). Every year since I was 9, they've sent everyone a little wooden ornament, cut and painted so cute, to represent a special time in their lives. My aunt Gerry makes all the ornaments (she has to make hundreds each year). Even my kids get one. They've sent cruise ships, temples, Taco Bells, soldiers, camp fires and tons more. They also send a cardstock paper with a picture of the ornament and its significance. I have a giant stack of them. My girls have loved hearing all the stories about the ornaments. We look forward to getting our ornaments each year and are very greatful to my grandparents for this beautiful gift.

The Babes had a checkup

2011-12-09T15:06:00.005-07:00

Kendyl and Nixon had their checkups last week. Kendyl was so excited to go to the doctor. She and the twins had their flu shots last month, twins had the mist, K had a shot. Kendyl didn't even flinch....Camryn was a nervous wreck. Haha. Also, the Nixter had been sick with a cold when he went in for his appointment. Well he's definitely our child because this poor baby was introduced to the NEBULIZER. He had a rattling chest and a nasty cough. The albuterol treatments seemed to clear it up a little bit...but made his heart rate SOAR. He was a jittery mess. He's much better this week. No RSV....(knock on wood please).
Kendyl @ 3 years
*weight: 29 lbs (25%)
*height: 37 1/3" (60%)

Nixon @ 6 months
*weight: 15 lbs 12 oz (20%)
*length: 26" (25%)
*head: 17 1/2" (70%)

Thankful

2011-11-29T23:42:00.001-07:00

I wrote this at the beginning of November and never posted it. I figured I would add to it each day....but I only got this far. :)

It's easy to forget how blessed we really are when we're worrying about money, kids, jobs, callings, responsibilites, etc. Sometimes, I feel like I can just sit there and think about all the negative in my life and become quite depressed. How stupid of me! I have so much to be thankful for. My problems are nothing compared to most of the world. Here's why:
1. I've been able to bare children. 4 beautiful, healthy children.
2. My husband loves me. He loves me a whole lot. And I love him just as much.
3. I have lots of sisters who I love. Brothers too.
4. My parents and Nic's parents are good people and they love me.
5. I have some great friends and neighbors who make me happy.
6. I've been given gifts and talents that I'm so grateful for.
7. I have a home. It's a pretty perfect one for me.
8. I have a healthy body that allows me to be active and happy.
9. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's my guide in life. It's my security blanket. It's perfect.
10. I get to stay at home with my kids. I'm here when they wake up. When they come home from school, and when they go to bed. I know I'm blessed to have this ability.

Now, I realize those were all pretty serious. Here are some more...not so serious ones :)
1. My CAMELBAK waterbottle.
2. My hairdresser. (Ashley Clark Nelson)(Perhaps this one should be on the serious side).
3. TV. Sick, but true.
4. Zumba.
5. Candy.
6. Yummy smelling laundry.
7. Kid 2 Kid.
8. Internet.
9. My pillows on my bed.
10. The laundry-folding husband.
11. My carpool for C & B's school.
12. The apples I just got from my neighbor's tree.
13. The Bumbo.
14. Coupons.
15. Allrecips.com, Jaimecooksitup & Ourbestbites
16. My phone.
17. A good bra.
18. The heater
19. Taco Bell
20. Holidays
21. The park down the street

Thanksgiving in St. George

2011-11-29T22:27:00.007-07:00

My parents built a fabulous house in St. George. The builder worked like a maniac and managed to have it done in 5 months so we could spend Thanksgiving there. The coolest part of the house is the playroom. Pictures below. Nic is the genius behind this room. He came up with the idea to build these cute shops and he drew out the entire plan for him. The builder followed Nic's plans to a T. Coolest playroom I've ever seen. The kids spent the whole week in there. Here are the highlights of our vacation.
*Swimming the day after Thanksgiving and NOT freezing!
*Hot tubbing
*Watching Kendyl and Owen run around like twin besties.
*Playing at the fun park down the road.
*Going to the "Muppet Movie" and indulging in the best popcorn I've ever had.
*Doing Zumba with my sisters almost every day. I've recently certified as an instructor so I had fun being the teacher and practicing all my routines.
*Hanging out upstairs with the ladies while the boys played pool in the basement.
*After staying up til 1am the first night, we decided the children shouldn't sleep together in the playroom. They were asleep in our room by 8 every night after that!
*Making Thanksgiving dinner! It was so delicious and so fun to cook together.
*Listening to football in the background all week. Strange that this would be a highlight....but it is.
*Watching the kiddos perform their song....and Camryn perform her weirdness. (See video)
*Listening to Nixon cry and cry and cry all week. Poor, sick baby. Not a highlight.
*Sleeping in a King size bed. Oh how I wish I had one!
*The drive down when we had to stop 6 times to let kids go to the bathroom. Usually we pulled over and made them go on the road. Terrible. NOT a highlight.
*The drive home when we had to stop 6 times to let kids go to the bathroom. Yep, I'm totally serious.
*Relaxing, eating, watching movies, being warm and laughing.

Divas

2011-11-21T23:36:00.003-07:00

Nixon is 6 months old!!

2011-11-21T23:13:00.003-07:00

This little boy takes my breath away. It hurts my heart to see him get bigger and older every day. I love having a baby. I know how fun the next phases are though, and I can't wait to see what Nixon will be like. He's pretty on track for 6 months old. You know, rolling and rolling and rolling all day, playing with his toys, eating solids, etc. Here are a few things unique about Nixon. He's been able to stand (not balance, just support his weight) since he was about 3 months old. He LOVES to grab faces. The second you pick him up and look at him, he's grabbing at your face with both hands. He prefers being on his belly. He is LOVED to death by his big sisters. The twins have been taking turns trading beds with Kendyl so they can sleep in Nixon's room and give him his binky when he wakes up in the night. When he wakes up in the morning, they get in his crib and play with him and read him books. We are obsessed with this kid. I melt when I look at him. I told Nic that I don't even mind waking up with him in the night because I get excited to see that cute face and hold him in my arms. I know...it's sick. Love our Nixon Buddy, as Kendyl calls him.

New Header

2011-11-19T15:52:00.002-07:00

This is our most recent family portrait. Thank you Camryn for drawing it for us. Don't see Nixon? He's in my arms. The little bees are the perfect touch. She drew this picture last month when the bees seemed to occupy our entire yard. Beautiful.

Family Cheer

2011-11-16T20:45:00.002-07:00

Nic can take credit for this great tradition. I think it started one night when they were out of control and he was trying to round them up and get them focused on something. I just made that up...but it makes sense to me. Anyway, since a 45 minute bedtime routine wasn't quite cutting it, we're proud to say that we've added one more thing! We used to just say, "Ohhhh, 1 2 3 Clarks!" Now, the girls get to choose what we say. We've had everything from "Veteran's Day!", to "flower" to...well just see for yourself.

And just for the record, I'm NOT on the phone all day. Camryn just wanted to make me look bad ;)

Mowgli

2011-11-16T20:11:00.003-07:00

Sometimes Camryn is Mowgli, the little boy from the Jungle Book, that's what I call her when she gets wild. She usually takes off her shirt (she claims she's hot) and jumps around like a WILD jungle creature. She's currently headbanging and chanting "underwear", wearing nothing but....her underwear. Oh goodness, Kendyl just joined in. She eats like a wild animal too. If there are ever food remains on the counter, Camryn laps them up like a dog. Flour, cinnamon, pancake batter, and the grossest one I've ever seen.....hotdog juice from the package, and she loved it.

The Babes

2011-11-16T20:00:00.003-07:00

Sometimes, I have to pinch myself.

Last walk

2011-11-16T19:53:00.003-07:00

We go on walks just about every day when the weather is good. Sometimes it's just around the block. Sometimes we go to the park and have a picnic. It usually takes at least an hour to get home because we get to talk to all the neighbors outside. We decided we'd get bundled up and go on one more walk yesterday. Nixon just chilled in his cute new OSU hat (Thanks Nana & Ash), Kendyl had her little toys, Brooklyn walked backwards most of the time so she could read the babes a story and show them the pictures, and Camryn rode her bike. It was nice. I SOOOOOO miss these walks in the winter. Being couped up inside for 5 months is TORTURE!!

Applesauce

2011-11-16T19:48:00.003-07:00

My neighbor has a granny smith apple tree. I went over there and picked 3 bags full. We've been having applesauce galore. Thanks Ash for the good idea. Just sliced apples and cinnamon in the crockpot. The smell is probably my favorite part. Nixon might be the happiest about the applesauce. Way better than the crusty rice cereal. I've decided to post this so I'll remember to go back to her house and pick more next year!

Bowling

2011-11-16T19:31:00.003-07:00

The girls were pumped at first....by the end, the majority of their interest was in the candy I brought. Nic and I were a bit rusty but we busted out a few strikes.

Snow Day

2011-11-05T23:36:00.002-06:00

It snowed a lot today. Nic, aka Best Dad Ever, picked the girls up from my parents house during the shower I was hosting. Why were they at my parents' house? My brave, crazy parents invited Tammy's, Holly's and my kids up for a sleepover! Super Awesome Grandparents. Anyway, Nic took them to McDonalds, then brought them home and played with them in the snow. They made a fort and a Nixon snowman.

Kendyl

2011-11-05T23:19:00.004-06:00

This girl says some funny stuff. Here are a few from this week.
To me: "You are so good at that! You are so good at talking!"
To Nic: "Daddy, what are we going to do with you?"
To me: "I'm sorry the train is comin. It won't run over them. I don't want my people to die." That one was strange...
And something she DECLARES all the time is, "Best Mommy Ever!" But it's not always mommy, replace that with dinner, table, lunch, movie or day. So cute.
And last but not least; she is PUMPED about her birthday next month. She will tell you that her birthday is on December 5th and that she's getting a Bitty Twin which she will name Sally.

Sweet Brooklyn

2011-11-05T23:12:00.003-06:00

Brooklyn is my tender daughter. She wouldn't dare do anything wrong and she truly cares about people. She would do anything for her siblings, even if it meant giving up something important to her. Nic, nor I would claim to be "tender hearted", so we don't know how she got this gift, but we're glad she got it. We love our Brooklyn! Here she is reading Nixon a story the other day so I could get my hair done.

Camryn WON!

2011-11-05T23:09:00.002-06:00

At least that's what I told her when I got the form letter, thanking her for entering the coloring contest at Rhodes Bread. She got a coupon for a FREE bag of rolls. You would have thought she won the lottery. It was adorable seeing her get so excited. We got her a bag of Rhodes cinnamon rolls and she can't WAIT to make them. Cute Camryn. (Can't believe she didn't win though- contest was rigged for sure ;) )

The Table & Chairs!

2011-11-05T23:00:00.004-06:00

It's finished! A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this dining set;). Nic caved and helped (a lot) with the chairs so they could be done in time for a baby shower I had at my house today. That's why he got to be the first one to sit at the table and eat a bowl of cereal ;) I NEVER want to sand, paint or stain ANYTHING again! Haha. I actually have 1 chair left...so I guess my "never again" will only last until Monday :) I sold my old 4 chairs for $40 on KSL and bought these 6 at DI for $36. Woohoo! A lot of hours went into this project, but it was super cheap, and I'm pretty excited about it :)

Halloween....again

2011-11-05T17:06:00.008-06:00

My kids had the best Halloween ever! We counted 11 Halloween festivities they attended this year. Family parties, Trunk-or-Treats, Carnivals, etc. Here are some pictures of the kids Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. Nic passed out candy while KelliJo and I took the kids around the block.

Here are a couple Cornbelly's pictures. My mom and I had 1 hour to spend there. I dragged her with me to look at a table in Lehi and we decided we'd stop at Cornbelly's for the kids. She had choir that night so we had limited time. You could seriously spend all day there. There's SO much to do. We felt bad rushing through and leaving so quickly. Oh well.(And just a personal side note...I went to Mom and Dad's storage unit, hooked the trailer on to the Infiniti (almost took my leg off), went clear out to Lehi to pick up a table I found on KSL....and decided I didn't want it. What a waste).

This is my favorite. Kendyl, Nixon and I went to Fresh Market to get some groceries on Halloween while the girls were at school. There was a cool looking Trunk-or-Treat getting started in the parking lot and a giant line of dressed up trick-or-treaters waiting to collect their loot. I decided that Kendyl should take part in this, so I dressed her up with what I could find in my bag and car. She started off with a hat, a cape (Nixon's blanket), and some random lights strung around her neck. A few minutes into it, I realized I had an even better cape in my bag in the form of a hooter hider! WooHoo! She looked fabulous and collected quite a bit of candy.

And the last event I have pictures for was our Halloween dinner party at Matt & Kate's house. It's always fun getting together with family and watching the crazy heads play together. Kate's girls were in the most adorable ghost costumes and Hudson was a SCARY (adorable) monster. Great food, great company. (Thanks for the pictures Ash)

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T23:27:00.003-06:00

My phone is currently dead, so I can't really complete my Halloween post without the pictures I have on it. Someday, I'll get an awesome camera and quit using my phone! This picture will do for now! And Mom, please notice that my foot is NOT turned out. (I made a conscious effort to not stand in 1st position.)

Table Makeover!

2011-10-26T23:42:00.002-06:00

I've had the itch for a while now, and last weekend I finally went for it. Aunt Patty gave us this table about 7 years ago. At the time, it was a natural wood. We painted it antique black about a year later. It hasn't aged well since then. Every time a sticker or piece of tape touches the table top, black paint comes off with it. I've always LOVED white furniture, so I was ready for a refreshing change. I LOVE how it looks now! I never want to look at sand paper again....unfortunately, I have 6 new (D.I. treasures) chairs sitting in my garage waiting for their makeovers too. They may take a while....kids slow me down ;)

Camryn Story

2011-10-19T22:12:00.005-06:00

Before I make Camryn look bad, take a look at her fabulous coloring! (I make her enter all the coloring contests in hope to earn some extra cash ;) )
On to the story

Camryn came home from school last week and told me about a scary song they listened to in class that day. She called it the troll song. She kept saying, "my face was getting so red because I was about to cry because it was so scary!!!". She kind of laughed it off....but then got scared when we put her in bed and Nic had to lay by her until she was out.

I told her the next day that if her teacher played this scary song again, she needed to raise her hand and ask to sit in the hall. When Camryn got home from school, she told me that her teacher played the scary song again, but she told the teacher she was scared and she got to sit in the hall with another teacher while it was on. I was proud of her for having the courage to leave during such a scary song.

I got an email from her teacher that afternoon apologizing that Camryn was so scared of the song. It was an exercise for the kids to listen to a song and draw a picture about what the song sounded like. She then told me what the song was. Here I was, judging the teacher for playing scary Halloween songs for these little kids, when all along, my kid is just a flat out WUSS!!! Haha. Cute little Camryn. Here's the song.

Edvard Grieg, "In the Hall of the Mountain"

Halloween Parties

2011-10-19T22:00:00.007-06:00

Tammy invited the cousins over to decorate gingerbread haunted houses. They had a great time and made quite the mess.

My mom had a Halloween party for the kids a couple days ago. The girls were pumped. We worked on Camryn and Kendyl's car costumes all day on Saturday so they'd be ready for the party (yes, they chose to be cars this year). How long do you think they kept those cars on? Maybe 5 minutes. Saturday = Big waste of my time :) Anyway, they played some games, decorated cookies and ate hotdogs and treats. My mom was dressed as a witch and I think Camryn was truly afraid at first! They had such a fun time, including the babies. Look how cute Daniel and Nixon were in their costumes!

Nixon Rolls Over :)

2011-10-19T21:39:00.003-06:00

He's been rolling from belly to back for a few weeks now...but he's finally mastered back to belly! It's so funny to watch him try SOOO hard, then get so happy when he achieves his goal.

Nixon is 5 months old now!! I seriously can NOT believe it. He's really come alive in the last few weeks. He grabs at everything and always needs toys in his hands. He squeels and babbles all day long. He's sleeping in his crib in Kendyl's room. He SCARFS down his rice cereal each night. He always wants to be entertained (luckily we have 3 little helpers that love to entertain him). He loves to laugh. And I think he's even getting used to being kissed 10,000 times a day :)

Kendyl Jokes

2011-10-13T22:36:00.001-06:00

I just think he's so darn handsome...

2011-10-10T21:49:00.003-06:00

Child Abuse

2011-10-10T21:40:00.006-06:00

Please don't turn me in to the police....it was an accident....I swear.

As usual, I was in a frantic hurry trying to get kids in the car to go to school. I had Nixon's GIANT car seat in my hand and as I grabbed the handle of the car door and opened it for the kids, I felt a thud and Kendyl went flying. Yep, nailed her right in the face. I felt HORRIBLE. Unfortunately, I was about to be late to pick up our carpool buddy...so I grabbed Kendyl a wet rag to hold on her lip, put her in her seat (she calmed down quickly...tough as nails that one)), and sped off to school! We're lucky she still has teeth....and a face for that matter! (The "I just got beat up" face was caused by the flash on the camera- I promise!)

See, she was just fine a couple days later :)

Boating in October

2011-10-10T21:37:00.006-06:00

We took the boat out for one last hurrah last week. We went in the evening and the weather and water were fabulous. It started getting chilly and rainy right as we were leaving....hasn't warmed up since. Glad we took advantage of that boat till the literal bitter end!

And just for drama...here's my mom's house 3 days later! I swear...Utah weather.

Nixon Buddy

2011-10-10T21:36:00.003-06:00

Wild Animals at the Park

2011-10-10T21:11:00.003-06:00

We went to the park a couple weeks ago. Every time I turned my head, I encountered wild animals. I snapped a couple shots.

Nixon's Trick

2011-10-03T22:38:00.002-06:00

Waterski Video!

2011-10-02T21:22:00.003-06:00

I can't watch this video without crying, thanks to the awful song choice by Nic ;). Seriously, if he would have used Nellyville, Oops I Did it Again, or something like that, I'd be just fine! Anyway, the new ski Nic made is amazing, but it's a bit more challenging than the last, hence, the worried faces :). Enjoy!

Camryn & Brooklyn name the prophets

2011-10-02T21:16:00.002-06:00

Just realized I have no footage of the twins naming the apostles/prophets. Wish I would have done this a long time ago!

Kendyl's prophets

2011-10-02T13:31:00.002-06:00

Part of our NEVER ENDING bedtime routine each night is to name the prophets. Camryn & Brooklyn have been doing it for about 2 years now. I figure it's good for their little minds :) Anyway, Kendyl usually runs around the room and plays while the twins do this, but apparantly, she's been paying attention. Here's Kendyl naming the prophets. And sorry about the shouting, she gets SUPER hyper when we ask her to do it....she's pretty proud of herself.

Random Thoughts

2011-09-27T22:37:00.004-06:00

*My kids are the perfect ages right now. A cute little baby. A fun little 2 year old that's always saying the funniest things. 2 beautiful kindergartners that are abnormally polite, sweet, obedient and loving. I love these kids so much and I don't want them to grow up and change. Sometimes it makes me want to cry when I look at Kendyl and notice that she's getting bigger.
*I go to the gym each morning. Why? If I really cared about how I looked, I'd probably get ready every day...you know, shower, wash hair, makeup, normal clothes, etc. Maybe the day will come when I'll have time to get ready each day. And when that day comes, I'll be glad I've been working out for all those years!
*If Nic could just get paid for his clever mind, skills, talents, and smarts....we'd be millionaires. Now if I could just find somebody who wants to pay him for pocessing all those gifts.
*I thought you were supposed to get smarter with age? And wasn't I told that I'd have great skin once I was an adult? Myths.
*Is there really nothing better to do each night than plop my booty on the couch and watch TV? I'm bored of this ritual, but hobbies are expensive, instruments are loud and reading wouldn't allow me to interact with my husband. I figure that a couple that laughs together, stays together. We will continue to watch "Modern Family" and "Up All Night".
*Lately, I've heard HORROR stories about peoples' families. How could family members hate eachother and fight all the time? I feel blessed to have such FABULOUS relationships with my family and Nic's family. I'd be happy to entertain vacation invitations from any of them. I know we'd have fun together ;)
*Along those same lines, Nic does most of his work from home and we're together almost nonstop. A lot of people would go crazy in this situation, but I'm happy to say that 8 years into our marriage, Nic and I are still best friends and there's nobody we'd rather hang out with. (I guess I should get his stamp of approval on that statement before posting).
*Sometimes I feel like there may be people in my life that find joy in my failures and inadequacies. If you're one of those people, PLEASE feel free to delete me from your social network. You'd be doing us both a big favor :)
*I call my mom every morning, and do you know what??? She ALWAYS seems like she's excited to talk to me! I usually have nothing to say, but it's nice to feel loved and truly cared about. I hope I can be that kind of mom for my kids. I try to be, but I think I've got a long way to go.
OK. I'm sorry to anyone that actually read all of that, but it was fun to let my mind wander and do something different than just post pictures of my last adventure. And don't worry all you saboteurs out there, with summer coming to an end, my days of play and adventure are about up. Can't wait for the next 8 months of clouds, cold and snow.....hurray.

Never a dull moment when the Nana and Papa visit!

2011-09-24T23:02:00.013-06:00

Nic's WHOLE family was here a couple weeks ago. Now obviously, since his siblings all live here now, it's just Nana and Papa that we're missing. It was nice to have them here. Nana stayed for almost 2 weeks. We packed alot into that time. Of course we went boating.

A highlight of the week was Ashley, Ryan & Hudson's sealing at the Mount Timpanogas Temple. It was a beautiful ceremony and baby Hudson...oh my goodness, what a little angel. He had everyone in tears with the sweet little things he did. It was an emotional, beautiful day.

The other highlight of the week was Elle's baby blessing. Matt and Kate recently moved to Traverse Mountain and the blessing was at their home. There was alot of family there and Sean was even able to be ordained an Elder that day. Kate made sure we were all fed well afterwards and the kids were all let loose in the basement.

Since Nic and I had so many events to attend down south that weekend, we decided to just camp out at Ryan and Ashley's house! One night we were there, all the ladies went to "The Help". My goal was to finish the book before I saw the movie, but who am I kidding, I'm the slowest, most distracted reader ever. I got half way through the book. That's good enough, right? Maybe I'll finish it someday, but the movie was great! (And I never pass up an opportunity to eat movie popcorn...sick, but true).

We went to Hogle Zoo one day. Brooklyn had it on her Nana list...and Nana is a sucker for those lists ;)

The girls had a couple soccer games that week. They always have quite the cheering section. Dani is on the team too so Grandma and Grandpa love coming to the games. So have they won any games? No. Are the twins getting better? Yes...thank goodness. They are really good at stopping the ball and getting it turned around quickly. So far, Brooklyn has scored 3 goals and Camryn has scored one. Have I seen any of them? No. I've had to leave at half time the last 2 weeks because I've had to be at mutual. Sad.

There was plenty of cooking, crafting, jam making, Zumba'ing, splash padding and more that kept us busy and entertained. We may not see Nana and Papa until Christmas so we're glad we were able to have such a long, fun visit!

Clark Family Pictures

2011-09-22T16:36:00.005-06:00

Nixon at 4 months

2011-09-18T23:28:00.006-06:00

Nixon's stats
Weight: 14 lbs. 2 oz. (50%)
Length: 24 1/2 (40%)
Head: 16 3/4 (60%)
At 4 months, Nixon: Still wakes up in the night, so the doc prescribed rice cereal.
He's sturdy as can be. He stands on his own as long as he's being balanced. (The 2nd picture with Hudson in the chair cracks me up...a little man :) )

Takes lots of naps during the day. Still sleeps in his cradle and usually has a limb or 2 stuck between the rungs, dangling off the side. Fast and furious eater (and perhaps sucks a bit too hard...ouch). He's usually pretty mello and just kicks back in his little chair and kicks his toys around during the day; he lets us know when he's bored though :) Loves his carseat and usually sleeps pretty well in it. He's LOVED, LOVED, LOVED by his 3 sisters. We were warned that he'd probably get dressed up by them...well, it's started. Last week he was a girl and a bunny. *side note about the bunny hats. The girls saw someone on Sprout TV wearing one and wanted to make them. Brooklyn made Nixon's all by herself before I even knew what she was doing. These girls are crafting fools- our kitchen table is ALWAYS covered in construction paper, scissors, glue, tape and crayons.

Nixon has also discovered his voice- here's the proof.

She's REDEEMED herself!

2011-09-16T20:53:00.005-06:00

I guess Camryn wasn't very happy with her "disruptive" status. She came home, happy as a clam, the next day, sporting this on her wrist. Even her homework said, "Camryn was a good listener today!". She was pretty proud of herself and even spent some extra time today cleaning her room AND Kendyl's room. She kept asking me, "Who's been the goodest today?!!".

We're proud parents today...

2011-09-12T21:23:00.003-06:00

We had to bite our cheeks to hold back the laughter when we pulled this out of her backpack. Camryn is hyper, I'm sure we'll be getting more of these...

We went camping!!

2011-09-11T16:48:00.004-06:00

in the backyard :)

Zumbathon!

2011-09-05T22:47:00.003-06:00

We shook our booties for 2 hours on Saturday to raise money for breast cancer research. The turn out was amazing and we had a blast! I can't wait to certify to become a Zumba instructor next month! It's my favorite! (And the answer is yes, that's sweat on my stomach...I'm disgusting!)

Go BEES!!!

2011-08-31T23:35:00.007-06:00

Camryn, Brooklyn & Dani had their first soccer game this evening. Their team got killed, but it was pretty cute watching those little tykes get aggressive. Brooklyn has been pumped about this forever and she actually did pretty dang well for her first game. Camryn wasn't quite as in to it, but her skills at her game today were a major improvement from her grass picking skills at practice. Nic is the coach. His gray hair count will probably quadruple by the end of this season. I'll admit though, I'm pretty impressed with how well he's been doing with these little girls. I guess I'm an official soccer mom now...is there anything else to live for?!

Can you do me a favor?

2011-08-26T16:23:00.002-06:00

Nixon was crying. Kendyl walked over to me and asked, "Can you do me a favor? Can you give Nixon his binkie?" Haha, wonder where she's heard that?! This little girl is strangely unique. She's years ahead of herself in her thought process and speech, but she's still a cute, spunky, naughty little 2 year old. I could just sit and watch her all day. Here's a little video I took of her a few days ago.

Kindergarten!!!

2011-08-24T21:38:00.002-06:00

Camryn & Brooklyn have had alot of cute days in their lives. My favorite will always be their ballet recital when they were 3. But coming in a close second was their first day of school on Monday. They have been SOOOO excited. They've been asking me all summer, "does school start today?". We picked out their outfits the night before (not that they really had an option in clothing). They wore their cute new headbands. They packed their backpacks. It was ADORABLE. Their school is Legacy Preporatory Academy. They wear uniforms and I think they're pretty dang cute. All the little kindergarteners were so excited and my girls were no exception. They walked right into their classroom, found their seats (they don't sit by eachother) and told me "goodbye". I felt a bit of emotion, but no tears. Kendyl, Nixon and I didn't even know what to do with ourselves for those 3 hours. Luckily, Nana had sent a package for Kendyl. Here is a video of her opening it. It's hilarious!!

We picked up the twins at 3pm. They were so pumped to see my car drive up. They told me all about their day. The gingerbread man came and brought them cookies. They made some new friends. They played on the playground at recess (and apparantly didn't play with eachother...but they saw eachother. haha), and did alot of coloring. They love their teacher Miss Merrill and they're PUMPED that they get to go every day! Yippee!

A Clark Boating Festivas!

2011-08-22T22:45:00.011-06:00

First of all...I stole half of these pictures from Ashley's blog. She has an awesome camera and takes lots of pictures. I have my phone and don't take very many. So thanks Ash, this post will look just like yours :) We took Ash, Ryan, Matt, Kate and all 7 kids boating last weekend. It was so much fun! Sean just arrived in Utah today and Tanner will be here soon so I'm sure we'll have plenty more Clark boating extravaganzas before the sun hibernates.

In hopes to become Averi's favorite aunt, I let she and Kendyl drive the boat...

Matt, Kate, Averi and Elle FINALLY get to be our boating buddies. It was great to have so many Clarks on that boat!

2 of my loves.

Matt rode the tube "taco" style. He was quite a challenge to fling off the tube!

Go Averi! Her first time on the ski!

Ash, Me & Kate. We were scared to death but laughed our heads off. Each of us came within centimeters of losing our bottoms!

Twins

Babes with Babes!! ;)

They skied behind the boat!

If you look closely in the pictures above, you can see me in the water holding up the flag. I helped Kendyl and Brooklyn get on the ski when they started from the water behind the boat. Brooklyn was so worried that I was getting left behind. I could hear her yelling, "Mommy, Mommy!" The last picture is her looking back at me. She's a sweet heart.

Papa's Eden Trip

2011-08-22T22:09:00.021-06:00

Fountains...yep, we're THOSE people

2011-08-22T21:57:00.000-06:00

B on the Monkey Bars

2011-08-22T21:41:00.001-06:00

Woohoo! She's pretty proud of her new talent! Cute little Brooklyn.

County Fair

2011-08-22T21:37:00.003-06:00

Yep, we're the victims that wait in line for a half an hour for a free pony ride that lasts 60 seconds. Is it worth it??? I guess they had fun :) They also got to ride some rickety carnival rides and pet some smelly goats! Gotta love the fair!!

Baby Love

2011-08-22T21:31:00.003-06:00

Climbers

2011-08-22T21:23:00.003-06:00

We never leave the Rec Center without a good climb.

Date with my dad

2011-08-19T17:20:00.004-06:00

What happens when Mom takes a last minute trip to Cali? I get to go to Josh Groban with my dad! I'm glad I was free to use the ticket and that Nic was willing to stay home with 4 kiddos. Even though I only recognized 1 song, it was still fun and I'm mucho impressed with the Grobster. And I must say, I was surprised to learn that Josh is way funny! There were a couple times when I couldn't remember if we were at a concert or a stand up comedy club!

Nixon's Blessing

2011-08-14T23:40:00.007-06:00

Nixon was blessed last week. His daddy did a FABULOUS job. We have high hopes for this kiddo! :) We had alot of family in attendance. We love them, and we're lucky they love us too!! Even Papa was able to fly out to Utah for a few days so he could be a part of this special day.

4 Clark Generations

Lake Powell

2011-08-14T23:00:00.004-06:00

We went to Lake Powell with the Sellers fam a few weeks ago. The kids had a BLAST- nothing better than hanging out with cousins, playing in the water for a week! We missed Tammy's family, and Amy, Averi, Corbin, Oliver, Clark and Owen. Our weather was perfect and our generator didn't quit until the day before we left. Yes, there is always a serious problem while we're at Lake Powell, it usually involves the houseboat or the Master Craft quitting.... so the lack of the generator for 24 hours seemed pretty mild. The kids spent alot of time climbing the sandy mountain, building sand villages, swimming/floating in the water, going down the waterslide Nic built, roasting marshmallows and skiing. The adults enjoyed the watersports, jetskiis, learning the air chair, lots of naps (just kidding), meals and most of the same things the kids liked doing. It was so nice to be able to jump in the water at any point in the day and just cool off. Even the 2 baby boys did pretty well. Some things I don't want to forget are: Being reunited with my old Tracer (it's now Scott and Amy's). Daniel doing his crunches. Dad's wilted flowers he brought for mom. My chaffed butt from going down the slide. Scott's soggy birthday cakes that ended up in plops on the back deck. My sad driving skills at Hole in the Rock. My dad's love/hate relationship with the airchair. Camryn's 24/7 smothering of the babies. Nic sleeping on the roof each night. My 3 girls all sleeping together on the top bunk and partying every night. My poor mom enduring another Lake Powell trip! And I should probably write about our miracle from our first night.

The first day we were there was CHAOTIC. It was windy that day and the men were all out trying to anchor the boat and tie stuff down. The generator hadn't been turned on yet and the kids were getting hungry. Once it started to get dark outside and the heat was almost unbearable, we asked my dad to come inside and turn it on. Well guess what, it wouldn't turn on. He tried over and over and it just wasn't working. We were stressing out and decided to say a prayer for the food we'd just prepared for the kids (bread, banana, string cheese). Kendyl said the prayer. I prompted her to pray that the generator would work. 2 seconds after we said amen, the lights flipped on and the generator was firing up. WHAT!!!! Generators don't just turn themselves on! We hadn't had anyone touching the switch for a couple minutes. It was awesome. We made sure to count our blessings for the rest of that trip!!!

The waterslide- Me

The waterslide- Kids

Me on the air chair

Scott on the air chair

Truly Nic's son (Nixon)

2011-08-04T22:47:00.003-06:00

Nic----------------------------------------------------------Nixon

Monsoon!

2011-08-04T22:37:00.003-06:00

This was the beginning of the "monsoon" we received the other night. It got crazier and crazier. There was hail, a bunch of knocked down trees, and the field down by our park completely filled with water to make a pool for the neighborhood kids. My girls were loving it.

Baby Nixon like toys!

2011-07-24T22:49:00.000-06:00

Oh What do You do in the Summer Time?

2011-07-24T22:45:00.002-06:00

Snow Cones

2011-07-17T23:51:00.003-06:00

My girls have a full time job. We borrowed Grandma's snowcone machine. We got lots of business the first day...and the second...and the third. We finally had to raise the price to 75cents when we realized we were barely breaking even. The customers understood inflation and came anyway :) The girls do it all by themselves. Scoop the ice out of the cooler. Put it in the machine. Place the cups. Turn it on. Juice them up. Get paid. :) I'm proud of my cute girls for doing something so productive and actually WANTING to do it each day. I know what I'll be doing all week!

The other man...

2011-07-17T23:50:00.002-06:00

Love him.