Adventures of a Suburban Housewife

Recovery

2012-02-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

On the 16th Link had tubes put back into his ears and his adenoids removed. The ENT said that it usually took kids a few days to bounce back from an appendectomy but this wasn't the case for our little guy. He had a rough time coming out of the anesthesia. The first few days went like this: Day 1. Crying from 10 am until midnight (even while being held) Day 2. Crying when he wasn't held and rocked Day 3. Crying but laid on the couch and watched a movie by himself. Day 4 Lethargic but he had an hour or so where he was back to his old self. After the first four days it was all down hill:)

Link had fun playing with the toys in pre-op.

Here's Link in Post-Op

He's not a happy camper.

Notice the chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate milk and the iPad.

Classic!

Choo - Choo

2012-02-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Link loves trains. Russ and I took him to Southtown Expo to see the Train Show. Link was in heaven. He couldn't believe all the trains he could watch. It was really fun to see the train expo through his eyes.

Christmas Gifts

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

A few months ago, my Aunt asked when I would get around to make her a quilt. I replied that she needed to have a major life event that would inspire me to quilt. Shortly after this conversation, she announced that she was getting baptized. I was so happy that I started sewing right away. Here is Nana Char opening her quilt on Christmas day. I love you Nana!!

Nana's baptism was such a neat night. Dad baptized her, Mom and Russ spoke, I lead the music and my Brother and Sister-in-law said the prayers. It was a special night that I will always remember. One of my favorite memories from that night is the cousins playing around after the baptism was over.

A Cultural Christmas

2012-01-28T20:52:00.002-07:00

We celebrated the Christmas season by attending and participating in a lot of cultural activities. Bella performed in her Christmas Dance Concert. We were able to take Hannah and Bella to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. We ate dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, saw the lights at Temple Square and listened to a wonderful concert! We also were able to listen to Hannah and Bella perform in their Winter Piano Recital. Bella also performed in her school play Babes in Toyland as Little Bo Peep. She missed her orchestra recital so she performed a song for us at home. It was fun to see the girls use their talents they are developing. Who knows maybe one day we will see them performing at Temple Square. A mother can dream!

My IPOD!

2012-01-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Lincoln is becoming quite the expert with my iPod and his Daddy's iPad. Yesterday, Link was eating lunch and I took my iPhone off the counter to place in my purse. Link said "My IPOD!" At first it took me a minute to understand what he was saying, but when I realized he was asking for my iPhone, I had to chuckle at how much technology has changed. Here's a sample of the fun Link has been having with my IPHONE.This is only a small part of the pictures he took:)

Class Pet

2012-01-27T22:03:00.002-07:00

We are in bunny heaven!! Bella is so lucky to have a teacher that gets two baby bunnies in the fall to be the class pets. The class names the bunnies, take turns being a bunny helper and if your parents are willing, you get to bring the bunnies home to sleepover for the night. Bella was so excited to show her cousin Cocoa and Oreo. It was so fun to hear squeals of laughter as the bunnies hopped around our house!

Snow Adventures

2012-01-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

We love our cousins!

2012-01-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare Festival

2011-08-14T16:44:00.001-06:00

Henderson Family Photo Fun!

2011-08-14T16:30:00.001-06:00

May Days

2011-06-10T21:30:00.001-06:00

The month of May flew by for our family.

Here's what kept us busy in the merry month of May.

Spring Soccer

Dance Recital

Bella's dance recital was on the same day as her birthday. Lucky girl.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

Harry Potter Party

Band Concert

Playin' in the Rain

Hannah's Soccer

(This game was in out my Miller Motorsports park. It was in the boonies.)

Ending the season with a win and pizza!

Saying goodbye to Coach Debbie and Hello to a new team.

Bella's First Piano Recital

Hannah's recital playing Pachobel her Dad's favorite song.

Then she made a quick change into her soccer uniform for her last game.

May was full of good times.

April Happenings

2011-05-22T23:04:00.000-06:00

Spring flew by this year!

Here are a few of our April Adventures.

Most days Russ and I are like trains passing each other on the railroad tracks. We are both speeding by and going in opposite directions. We did have the opportunity to go down to temple square together to practice taking pictures of the temple. It was an adventure to spend time without the children. It reminded us of how much we like each other.

Adventures of Poppy.

Poor Poppy had a cluster of seizures in April. We had to admit her to the animal hospital. We were really worried about her. Luckily we upped her medication and she has been doing much better.

Doesn't Bella look cute in her Easter Dress? She is getting so big.

Here's the kids with Dad on Easter morning. It was nice to have him home on Sunday morning. It reminds me of the good old days B.B. (Before Bishop).

We also had a blast decorating cookies, coloring eggs and going on an Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's house. Don't you just love the cousins picture? It's classic.

Of course April wouldn't be April without a shower or two but SNOW showers. Come one. This was such a surprise to wake up to on April 30th. No soccer games for us. Yippee! We can work on the kitchen before Russ leaves on his business trip.

The snowy weather gave us the opportunity to work on our biggest project in April. The KITCHEN. Who knew ordering linoleum for our kitchen would create so much work for me. I ended up painting the walls, the cabinets and the counter. We got a new dishwasher because we found water damage caused by our old dishwasher. Ugh. I'm glad now because our kitchen is finally put back together and it looks really nice.

Turning 12

2011-03-18T21:43:00.000-06:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 12! It is so exciting. She entered Young Womens, got her temple recommend from her Dad, and had a blast hanging out with her friends on her birthday. She went ice skating with some friends. She had a blast. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

January Thaw = Outside Fun!

2011-03-18T19:16:00.001-06:00

I've neglected my blog for months. Life has been full for our family and I haven't had time to blog about all of our activities. There was a February thaw where the snow melted and it was nice enough to let the kids out to play. Lincoln LOVES to play outside. He digs, plays in the mud, goes down the slide, colors with chalk and chases Poppy. It is fun to watch him explore his world.

The Gifts of the Season

2011-01-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Christmas season is full of activities and events that are unforgettable.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Christmas decorations.

Our Greek Goddess

Creative Pursuits Champions

Lincoln learning to say "Ho, Ho, Ho"

Reading Christmas Books with Dad.

Christmas Jammies.

An Ipod Touch!

Reading the Christmas Story at Grammie's House.

Time together as a family....Priceless

There are many things we are thankful for....

2010-12-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hannah's thankful her piano recital is over!

Russ is thankful to carve his turkey while watching football.

Link is thankful to be in warm jammies.

Link is thankful for his cowboy boots.

Hannah's thankful for a yummy turkey dinner. Yum!

We are thankful for our dog, Poppy.

Bella is thankful for her friends.

What we are thankful for....

2010-11-19T11:39:00.013-07:00

Peaceful Piano Practicing

Going to Harry Potter 3 with Grams and Gramps
Meeting Baby Jackson

Baby Jackson's Cuddles

Xaylor peacefully sleeping after his blessing. Young Women's in Excellence

The theme was let your light so shine so I went all out making value jars!

Dad for working all weekend on grant writing while we swam, played and ate delicious food at Deer Valley. Throwing snow into Silver Lake.

Playing

Spending time with Dad at Silver Lake

Stinkin' Lincoln:)

Tubes for Link

2010-11-10T22:30:00.010-07:00

Daddy taking Link into Primary Children's.

Cool Jammies. Now what?

Link is in TOY HEAVEN!!! They have tons of cars.

Riding in a wagon after post op. Link is still not sure about things.

Playing up a storm with Hannah the day after surgery.

Link feels much better.

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-28T21:19:00.015-06:00

Here are some tricks and treats from our family.

Pirate Fever

Bella's Halloween Party
Medusa

Pumpkin Jack

Pumpkin Carving

Link

Fall Foliage

Dare Devil at Lagoona Beach

Link meet Tink

Mickey's Halloween Party!

Shopping with Grams at American Girl

Summer Fun: Part 1 June & July

2010-09-10T21:07:00.013-06:00

We've had a blast over the summer months. I've been so busy trying to keep up with my kids and summer activities that I've neglected my blog. Here's a look at what we did this summer.

:)Swimming.

Summer Playgroup Painting wood boats and floating them at Wheeler Farm.

Trek! (Can't believe I survived trek and liked it:)

Watching fireworks with the kids at Murray Park.

Participating in the Murray Fun Days 5K with Hannah:) (She came in 2nd place in her age group. She's a runner like her Dad.)

Diggin' in the dirt with Poppy. Link is attracted to dirt and the dog. He was pretty much in heaven on this day.

Bishop in Braces??? Russ finally got braces to fix his teeth. Right after the braces were on they called him to be Bishop. (Can you be Bishop with braces on your teeth? Obviously you can:)

Boot Camp with the Young Women. I had more fun camping with the young women than I havein my entire life of camping. (No offense Russ.)

Whew! If you made it through this set of pictures be prepared for the next installment. We still have our East coast trip to blog about. It was the trip of a lifetime and I can't wait to share it in my blog!!!

Murray Spartans Track and Field

2010-06-27T18:44:00.003-06:00

Bella has been lacing up her running shoes and competing in track meets. She has fun competing in the long jump and running the 100 meter. She gets to go with her friends Addie and Beth and that makes it extra fun. Her coach is so cute. There are about 100 kids that are on the team ranging in age from 8 yrs to 16 yrs old. When he has the kids warm up they follow him around the track like a pack of ducklings. So cute!

BYU Soccer Camp

2010-06-27T18:42:00.001-06:00

Hannah had a great time down at BYU. She made so many new friends, had a blast playing soccer from morning to night and loved being at BYU. We had fun picking her up at the training facility. Lincoln was in heaven.

Lincoln

2010-05-30T21:19:00.005-06:00

Once again I'm posting about my son. He seems to get into things that my girls never did. The attached video is my case and point. After Bella's baptism and lunch we were relaxing and Lincoln was playing outside. This is what we found.

Butterfield Birthday Party

2010-05-26T18:16:00.002-06:00

Bella's birthday fell on Mother's Day this year. We went over to Grandma's house and had a yummy steak dinner. My friend, The Iron Homemaker, helped me decorate Bella's birthday cake. It turned out so cute. I love birthdays and celebrations!

Pioneer Birthday Party

2010-05-26T18:08:00.002-06:00

Bella turned 8 this year! She got to have her birthday party at the Lion House. It was great. I had to make pioneer skirts for the girls that attended. The girls got a tour of the Lion House, pulled taffy and played hide the thimble. My favorite part was at the end of the party when we were walking back to our cars the girls ran around and played in front of the temple. It was freezing but they didn't mind at all. They had so much fun running around and playing together. It was a nice birthday party. Thanks Nana Char.

2010-05-14T18:30:00.000-06:00

Bella's Baptism Photo Shoot

2010-05-03T22:07:00.002-06:00

Spring Break: Bryce Canyon

2010-04-20T21:47:00.013-06:00

Day One

Did you know that Bryce Canyon is not a canyon rather it is giant amphitheater of hoodoos?

We met up with some friends at Cove Fort. The plan was to have a picnic and let the kids play outside. However, it was so cold and windy, the missionaries let us eat our picnic lunch in one of the movie rooms. Burr!

When we arrived at the park we were amazed at the snow pack. We stopped at the visitor's center where I encouraged the kids to become Jr. Rangers. Then we went and saw the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. It was impressive. It was fun to explore the park with our friends.

We had a yummy dinner at Ruby's and then the kids went swimming. Russ was so in love with the park that he would have been happy hiking around and exploring the park for a week.

Day Two

Did you know there are 17 scenic overlooks in Bryce Canyon? ....and we went to every single one of them:)

Our first stop was at the Bryce Canyon National Park Sign. Then we went on the scenic drive. Little did I know that there is a south side to the park. We stopped at every one of the seven overlooks to see the park from different viewpoints. My favorite stop was at Natural Bridge. It was a majestic arch and all we had to do to see it was to drive up, park and take ten steps to see the beautiful bridge. Lincoln was able to roam, I mean scoot.

Hiking.

Russ wanted to hike below the rim, so I dropped him off at the trail head and took the girls to be sworn in as Jr. Rangers. (So cool!) Russ saw Thor's Hammer. He got some really cool pictures. It was easy going down the trail but it took the wind out of him to get back up!

By this time I was bushed! Russ took me back to the hotel for a little R&R. I worked out and took a nap. Heaven! While I was having a nice lazy day, my hubby took the girls and Lincoln snowshoeing. It was a great way to end our visit to Bryce Canyon. But little did I know the day wasn't over yet!

While snowshoeing the guide mentioned a hike to Russ. He had to see it! So after the snowshoeing he picked me up and took us on a Forced Family Fun Hike. We went on the Mossy Cave hike. In the 1800's the pioneers dug a ten mile long irrigation ditch from the East Fork of the Sevier River to Water Canyon. The water has eroded away the hoodoos and created a cool canyon. At the end of the hike you come to an overlook with a waterfall and a little cave filled with ice formations. I've never seen anything like it. I love forced family fun hikes.

March Madness

2010-04-05T14:25:00.009-06:00

Saying Goodbye to GPaA Visit from the Easter Bunny
Leprechaun Surprises
and
Skiing with Georgia Cousins

Having a One Year Old

Playing with TP, Swinging with Sisters, Playing with Pets

Watching Sports with Dad and Exploring EVERYTHING

Playing with Cousins at Grandma's House

Making GPa a Get Well Pillow

Celebrating Nana's 60th Birthday

A fun Elmo Birthday Party for Link.

Happy Birthday Lincoln

2010-03-02T22:56:00.004-07:00

We had a fun birthday party for Lincoln last night. I can't believe he's One! He was so fun to watch digging into his Elmo cupcake. Russ gave Link a cupcake tonight while I was at a church meeting. Here's what happened. I couldn't imagine life without my little man.

Here is Link taking a bath after his nap.

11 months old already?

2010-02-02T21:37:00.006-07:00

Eleven Reasons we love Lincoln!

He is inquisitive.

Finding anything and everything in the house. Link loves to pull out the wipes and, as you can see in the picture, he eats them.

He is persistent.

Anytime the door to the bathroom is open he makes a run for it to play with the toilet paper, splash in the toilet and throw stuff into the tub.

He eats everything.

There isn't a food that Link doesn't like. He loved having some of Hannah's birthday cake. If only his food would stay in his stomach. He still has really bad reflux even with the zantac and prilosec. Will it ever go away?

He is an explorer.

He will crawl through every nook and cranny in our house. He crawls under the table, under our chairs and gets stuck quite frequently.

He is a good sleeper.

He is finally sleeping through the night. Hallelujah! I attribute it to the zantac and Russ has no idea but he thinks it's because Link is now down to one nap a day.

He is a good snuggler.

He loves to put his head down on my shoulder, give me a pat and a nice big wet kiss.

He loves to read books.

I love reading him stories. When I turn the page, he looks at the picture. then pats it with his hand and smiles.

He is happy.

He has the biggest smile. Usually when he smiles a big string of drool drips out. But it's worth it so see him smile.

He loves to play.

He chases after balls, crawls around driving a car, pulls Poppy's hair, and snuggles with Elmo.

He is troublisious.

A term coined by Hannah. He gets into so many things but when you go to get him out of trouble your heart just melts when you see his smile, hear his laugh and see the sparkle in his eyes. Definitely troublisious.

He loves to climb mountains.

His currant mountain that he climbs is the stairs. He loves to go up a couple of steps and look at me to make sure I see him. Then he laughs and climbs up another stair. I shake my head and he mimics me. It's so cute!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2010-02-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Hannah is now 11 years old! She is such a sweetheart. She is always there to help me with Link and even Bella. She is turning into quite the soccer player and loves playing defense. She is currently reading The Sisters Grimm series and loves it almost as much as Harry Potter. She is now addicted to her Nintendo DSI that she got for Christmas and is finding new ways to defeat her Dad at Wii sports resort. She is a good student and a great friend. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

For Hannah's birthday party we went to classic roller skating center. The girls had a blast roller skating, eating pizza, playing in the blast zone, and eating the best cake ever. The Iron Homemaker made Hannah her roller skate birthday cake and it was amazing! I kept hearing so many positive comments from people as they walked by our table. It was a great centerpiece. It was so yummy! After skating, eating and opening presents life has returned to it's normal insanity. Although we do have Russell's birthday to look forward to in February.

Christmas Program and Dare Graduation

2009-12-27T16:15:00.005-07:00

The 2nd Grade had a Christmas Program. I got to help teach the kids a few songs to play with hand bells. It turned out really cute. I loved the poem Bella's class recited. Grams came and Link was there even though he was feeling a bit queasy. It was fun program. We were also able to go to Hannah's dare graduation. I'm so proud that she is committed to be drug free.

Hand Dipped Chocoates

2009-12-27T16:09:00.003-07:00

Dipping chocolates is a Henderson tradition. This year we were able to dip chocolates with my Aunt and her grandkids. It was fun to work all together. Russ watched Link and it was just the girls. We had a good time and the chocolates tasted yummy!

RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS JOY

2009-12-20T19:09:00.002-07:00

1/2 cup of Hugs
4 teaspoons Kisses
3/4 cup of Smiles
4 cups of Love
1 cup of Special Holiday Cheer
1/2 cup of Peace on Earth
3 teaspoons of Christmas Spirits
2 cups of Goodwill Towards Men
1 Sprig of Mistletoe
1 medium size bag of Christmas Snowflakes

Mix Hugs, Kisses, Smiles, and Love until consistent. Blend in Holiday Cheer, Peace on Earth, Christmas Spirit and Goodwill Toward Men. Use the mixture to fill a large, warm heart where it can be stored for a lifetime, for it never goes bad! Serve as desired under Mistletoe, sprinkle liberally with Christmas Snowflakes. It is especially good when accompanied by Christmas carols and family get-togethers. Serve to one and all!

La Caille

2009-11-19T23:14:00.010-07:00

Russ and I went to La Caille for the first time tonight. It was fun to get all dressed up and leave the kids at home with a babysitter and go out on a date. La Caille is not just a fancy restaurant, it's a destination. As we drove up on the cobble stone drive there were

colorful lights wound around the trees. When I saw the 17th century chateau I felt like we were in another world. I snapped a picture with my cell phone because it was so pretty.

I had Pate for the first time. (Not Bad!) We bid on a few of the items that were being auctioned off. We stepped outside and walked around the grounds and saw a swan on the pond. We even had our picture taken in a photo booth. We sat by a really nice couple and had nice conversation. It was a really nice evening.

Little Sailor

2009-11-18T17:06:00.003-07:00

I couldn't resist buying this sailor outfit! Lincoln wore this to the Veteran's day program at Longview and he looked adorable. I had to get pictures of him in this timeless outfit.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-15T21:04:00.002-07:00

The 5th and 6th grade put together an amazing program to thank our veterans. Hannah invited GPa to the assembly and it was so special to see her sing for her great grandpa. Link wore his sailor suit and looked adorable. It was a really neat program. My favorite part was when I the kids sang Sing a Song of Peace and This is My Country. I loved it!

Halloween Eve

2009-11-14T22:44:00.005-07:00

Before Halloween begins my kids participated in a number of Halloween festivities. There is the dance Halloween party and exchange of treats, the soccer Halloween game and treats, the school party and parade, trick or treating at Nana Char's work, and the Butterfield family party. I barely survived all the fun. (Bella had swine flu the week leading up to Halloween and I had a double ear infection.)

Dance party - Hannah dressed up as a soccer player and then had to leave for her game before the treats were passed out. (Luckily her friend collected all of her loot and brought it to her.) Bella missed her party because she was sick with a fever.
Soccer Game and party - Halloween day was beautiful the sun was shining and the girls were happy to be there however they were killed in their last game. (Darn)
School Parade - Hannah had a blast receiving an "owl" at school. She took Lincoln around during the parade. Everyone got a kick out of his costume. I was surprised to find a friend who had also dressed her daughter as an owl. It was so cute we had to take a picture.
School Party - I helped with Bella's class party and I made a witch's brew with the kids. I had each of them bring a can of soda to add to the brew. I also had root beer, orange soda and a blue cream soda that they could add to the brew. As they added the soda it would hit the dry ice and then they would watch the fog form and flow over the cauldron. It was also fun to see if they liked the potion they concocted.
Trick or Treating with Nana Char- Every year Nana's work has trick or treating through the office. We love to go see Nana and show off our costumes. We went to lunch afterwards and had a nice visit with Nana.
Family Party - It was so fun to have cousin Avery arrive from TN to visit the family. She had been traveling all day and was still able to make an appearance. What a cute little lady bug. Lincoln loved playing with her wings and grabbing her antenna. We had the yummiest soup and rolls (thank you Jodie), decorated yummy sugar cookies (thank you Jenn) and played in the basement and hit a pinata. We made a spider hand print tee shirt and Lincoln got paint everywhere including his forehead. It was so fun to see all the cousins together in their costumes.

Black Friday?

2009-10-24T16:40:00.002-06:00

Here's a picture I snapped of the girls as we waited in line. I know it looks to you if we are waiting to go shopping on Black Friday but alas we are waiting in line for the H1N1 flu shot. We waited in line for about an hour and a half and the we were told that they were out of the vaccine. Grr! I wouldn't have been so frustrated if they were able to tell me that prior to the 2 hour wait in line with my kids and baby. Oh well at least I tried.

Bathing Lincoln

2009-10-23T11:34:00.002-06:00

Link has so much fun taking a bath.

He splashes, laughs and swims around.

He is part fish.

We love you Lincoln!

Murray Cheer

2009-10-19T12:38:00.002-06:00

Murray Max

2009-10-19T12:36:00.002-06:00

Our Team

New Blog

2009-10-19T12:29:00.004-06:00

I've always loved the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. The fall weather and upcoming Thanksgiving holiday makes me want to pull out my gratitude journal. Year after year I plan on recording my daily gratitude lists but it always seems to fizzle. I have created a new blog as a record of my journey to find simplicity and joy in my life. My Adventurous Housewife blog will continue to highlight our family's adventures while my new blog (http://simplicitykiss.blogspot.com/) will be a more personal record of the things in life that bring me joy.

Headline: More parents use TV as an electronic babysitter

2009-10-17T21:34:00.005-06:00

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for children under 2.

-USA Today

"most pediatritians realize that that's unrealistic."

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

2009-10-11T22:31:00.003-06:00

Every year our family takes a trip up to Jackson Hole over UEA weekend. I've been going with my family since 1984! It's been 25 years of family fun and togetherness. Here's some of our memories from this trip.

Taking Lincoln on his first hike in the baby backpack.

Renting a condo that had room to spare.

Girls shopping in Jackson while Boys and Hannah go hiking.

Hiking to Phelps Lake .

Watching the sun set on Signal Mountain.

Taking pictures.

Eating a picnic lunch out in the freezing cold.

Giving Lincoln kisses and hugs.

Building a Snowman.

Going on a bike ride with the Tetons in view.

Visiting the candy store and eating yummy fudge.

Spending time together.

Knitting Harry Potter Scarves.

Tole Painting (girls) and watching the BYU football game (guys)

We can't wait for another fun family trip.

Soccer Dinamo

2009-09-28T12:00:00.003-06:00

Hannah is really working hard on soccer. We've had about four games and no wins but every game the team gets better and better. I'm amazed at Hannah's ability to persist and play the game. She is becoming quite the good defender and love spending time with her coach/dad.

GERD

2009-09-28T11:55:00.003-06:00

Lincoln had his 6 month check with his Doctor. I told the doctor how frustrating it was to have Link spitting up after every feeding (including cereal). Our MD diagnosed him with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and prescribed prilosec. He's been on it for a few days and I am amazed at how his spitting up has improved. Thank you Dr. Metcalf!!!

Happy Fall!

2009-09-28T11:47:00.005-06:00

We took a drive up the canyon last night and walked around Silver Lake. It was nice to spend time with the kids and see the beautiful fall colors. I'm can't wait for our trip to the Teatons.

Bear Lake

2009-09-02T18:50:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Fourteen Years

2009-08-31T10:26:00.001-06:00

and still a hunk!

6 Months Old

2009-08-31T10:01:00.012-06:00

Sleeps through the night

Storytime with Bella

Rolling Over (finally)

Playing with Hannah

Smart like his Daddy

We love you Lincoln!!!

Goodbye Summer

2009-08-26T23:15:00.006-06:00

Goodbye Lazy Summer Days

Goodbye Atlanta Cousins

Goodbye Summer Crafts
Goodbye Camping

Goodbye Playgroup

What do you do in the summertime?

2009-07-25T21:49:00.013-06:00

Do you swim in a pool?

Do you go to Hoover Damn?

Do you play with the dog?

Or camp with the cousins?

Do you make a cool hat?

Or take a long nap?Do you eat cookies with Grams?
Watch fireworks with Dad?Surf at the beach?

I that what you do? So do I.

3 Months Old

2009-06-09T11:32:00.002-06:00

Lincoln is now three months old. We've had so much fun with this little guy. We have yet to find a pet name that we can call him. Here are a few that we've been playing around with: Link -a-dink, Linkinator, Dude, and my favorite (and Russell's least favorite) Buddy. We welcome any suggestions.

Let the Games Begin!

2009-06-09T11:26:00.004-06:00

Summer vacation has officially begun! To celebrate the first day of Summer break the girls and I met some friends at Gateway and played in the fountains. It was a little chilly but the kids had fun running through the fountains, eating lunch and shopping at Justice. I can't wait to see what our next adventure will be....

Rulon's Blessing

2009-06-09T11:15:00.006-06:00

It was so nice to go to Rulon's blessing. I loved that he is wearing the outif that his daddy was blessed in over thirty years ago. I couldn't resist having Lincoln wear an outfit that his daddy wore whe he a baby. The boys looked so cute together. Fun!

Airplanes

2009-06-09T10:59:00.004-06:00

Russ LOVES airplanes! He can't wait until Link is old enough to take to the air show but until then he will take the girls along. They were able to have "VIP" seating at the airshow but missed the Famous Dave's lunch. (Bummer) The kids were able to explore airplanes and watch the Thunderbird Air Show which was AWESOME according to Russ.

Thank You Teachers!

2009-06-09T10:47:00.005-06:00

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2009-05-29T22:01:00.007-06:00

That's what little GIRLS are made of:) Here are some snapshots of the kids. Bella is posing with Beth after her 1st Grade program. She recited a poem, sang the cutest songs and made me happy to be her mother.

The next picture is something I see a lot of now that the weather is warm. Bella loves to dig in the dirt and Poppy LOVES to assist in the digging. It cracks me up as soon as Bella goes outside and picks up a shovel Poppy starts frantically digging trying to find what treasures lurk below.

Here's a snapshot of Hannah with Poppy. She loves to spend time with Pops and play with her. It's so fun to see how much the girls love our silly dog.
Here's Link in his favorite pastime. Swinging. He loves to sit and swing. I love the fact that all my babies have used the same swing:) When I see Lincoln in the swing it takes me back to days when Bella and Hannah used the swing. Memories!

Happy Birthday Isabella Faith

2009-05-27T09:22:00.005-06:00

Bella turned 7 this year. She adds so much life to our family. I couldn't imagine life without her creativity, humor, and spunk. She wanted to have a garden birthday party with her friends. We face painted, decorated pots, planted flowers and had a race to see who could fill up the bucket with watering cans. It was fun to have her friends over and to see them playing. We also had a family party and her favorite part of the party was playing with Kate her cousin. Happy Birthday Bella. We love you.

The Camera

2009-05-07T13:07:00.005-06:00

Dad brought home a cool camera from work. He brought it to the blessing and I've had a chance to play around and take some fun pictures of Lincoln. During the time my girls were babies I didn't take that many naked baby shots. Lincoln is definitely bearing the brunt. I can't resist taking pictures of him in the buff. He is so cute!

Lincoln's Blessing

2009-05-07T12:53:00.006-06:00

Lincoln's blessing was on Sunday, May 3rd. It was so nice to be with our family on this special day. Russ gave Lincoln a sweet blessing. One of the things that touched me was that Lincoln will be a peacemaker in our home. He is the heart of our home. We all adore him! I had a hard time finding a blessing outfit that I liked at the stores around town. I found a few online and they were in the $100 price range. I wanted an sailor outfit that was made of Duponi Silk. I'm so grateful that my Mother-In-Law is such a talented seamstress. She combined two patterns to make Lincoln's outfit. I love it. The best part of his outfit is his hat. The kids were joking that he will be a chef when he grows up. All I know is he looks pricless in his blessing had an sailor suit.

American Bandstand

2009-05-06T22:37:00.004-06:00

We had fun watching Bella dance in her spring concert. She did a great job dancing and had a blast. It was so nice to have Bella in dance with her friend Sierra. Her mom and I carpooled and when I had Link I didn't have to worry about getting her to and from dance. Between shows Bella ate a quick dinner and was playing around. She is such a tease.

Hannah's Appendicitis

2009-04-27T10:05:00.007-06:00

Thursday night Hannah played a killer game of soccer. As she was getting ready for bed she complained of a stomach ache. We put her to bed and she woke up a few times during the night complaining of pain. She still was complaining of pain in the morning. Russ evaluated Hannah's pain and when he pressed on her lower right side she cried out in pain. He suggested I take her to the Emergency Department at PCMC. He went to go round on his patients and I took Bella to school and Lincoln to Grandma's house. When we got up to the hospital Hannah was evaluated by the resident, the attending, the surgery nurse practitioner and the surgeon. Russell had diagnosed her correctly it was appendicitis.

Hannah says the hardest part, aside from the pain, was getting her IV. The hardest part for me, aside from seeing her in pain, was to kiss her goodbye before she left for the operating room. The surgery went well and was over in an hour and a half. Hannah was in a lot of pain as she recovered from her surgery.

The best part for Hannah being in the hospital was she got to order any food she wanted from the menu at any time. The worst part is that she felt so yucky that she had no appetite and so she only ate little bites of her food and then she was full. Hannah was released on Saturday and she continues to improve. We are so grateful for all of the visits from friends and family. It really helped cheer her up.

Hannah's Life Quilt - Finnished!

2009-04-27T09:52:00.005-06:00

The inception of this quilt occurred three years ago at Hannah cousin's baptism. Kennedy's Mom sewed a quilt for Kennedy and related life's journey to sewing a quilt. You need to follow a pattern and at times you will make mistakes and need to unpick the stitch you have made. So it is with life as we make mistakes we need to repent and our Savior provided the way for us to "unpick" our mistakes. Auntie Mel did a much better job with her talk but I was so impressed with this idea that as Hannah approached her baptism I wanted to make her a Life quilt. I wanted her quilt to represent parts of her life so I sketched different events of her life and embroidered them. The colors of the quilt are pretty bright but when Hannah was eight her favorite colors were pink and lime green and we've ended up with a super bright fun quilt.

Avery's Blessing

2009-04-27T09:46:00.005-06:00

Lincoln was not to happy to pose with his beautiful cousin on her blessing day. I still love to see the two of them together. Avery is a sleeping beauty!

Meeting Avery

2009-04-27T09:43:00.002-06:00

It was so much fun to take the kids over to meet their new cousin Avery. She is so beautiful! We love spending time with her and her Mommy and Daddy.

Six Weeks Old

2009-04-15T11:43:00.003-06:00

It feels as if we just brought Lincoln home. He is the hub right now. The girls are so sweet with him. We love this little guy. He is having more awake times. Here's one picture I snapped of him after he ate. I love the dimples on his brow. My handsome little man.

Happy Easter

2009-04-15T11:24:00.010-06:00

Easter Happy List

Easter Sunday (My first since having Lincoln.)
Easter Party - Lunch, taffy pull, egg hunt, family and fun.
Easter Lillies Russ surprised me with:)
Lincoln as the Easter Bunny
Dying Easter Eggs with Hannah and Bella
Sweet Sleeper (Bella's first Christmas Doll)
Easter Dinner at Grandma's (Pinwheel playing with cousins)
Easter Brunch at Grammies (seeing Emma and Heather)

Spring Break Staycation

2009-04-09T21:30:00.014-06:00

Russ had a few days off during spring break and we were very tempted to drive south for some sunshine but we decided to stick around home and have a staycation in Salt Lake. It snowed every day of spring break and that was a big bummer but we managed to have some fun together. Here's what we did for our spring break: tubing at Gorgoza Park in Park City, seeing the Toadally Frogs Exhibit at the Utah Museum of Natural History, swimming at the Park Center, going to see Inkheart and Bedtime stories, and eating at The Old Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square. I'm glad school has started back up again so I can rest:)

Another Year Older

2009-04-09T21:06:00.009-06:00

I can't believe another year has passed me by. I am "halfway there" as my dear husband told me last night at dinner. Well I don't feel as if I'm halfway there. I was spoiled this year by my family. Russ and the girls gave me Wii fit. It was fun as we played the games and I'm excited to work on yoga and balance. It's been fun to ski jump, play balance games and try the strength training.

My Mom and Dad surprised me with a Kindle. It's the coolest electronic book. I've already started reading one of the books in my digital library. You would think that it would be hard to read a digital book but it is almost like reading a book. I love to use it while I'm nursing Lincoln because I only need one hand to hold the book and to turn the pages. It's so cool!

Last but not least I got the nicest sheet set we've ever owned. As a mom of a new baby nothing is as nice as slipping into a soft comfy bed at night. I feel so blessed.

Archie Fan

2009-04-01T20:28:00.004-06:00

I know I have a baby that is only a few weeks old but as soon as I heard they were releasing tickets for the sold out David Archuleta concert I flipped out. I rushed to the internet and purchase two tickets. I paged Russ and invited him to join me. He let me know that he was ON CALL!!! I was seriously bummed. I was going to go to this concert with or without my sweetie pie. Well after much begging from me to see if he could switch call schedules or come up with something he talked to his attending and asked if he would cover for him during the concert. Well he said yes and so the rest is history. Russ and I had fairly good seats. If you look in the above picture you can see the big screen in back of David and that's where we were sitting. It was so much fun. I screamed and Russ was amazed at all the screeming teenagers and their mothers. I'm so glad I got to go and it took me back to the Idols tour that I went to with my friend who is the ultimate David fan. I love adventures!

P.S. I had to redesign my blog to match the colors from the concert:)

Sickies

2009-03-27T11:45:00.003-06:00

Over the past school year our kids have avoided catching any colds. But on the day we brought Link home from the hospital his big sissy had the flu and it turned into a bad cough. She was so good to keep away from the baby and cough in a different room and refrain from kissing him. I thought once Hannah had recovered from her cold we were in the clear but one week later Bella got the flu and it has turned into a cough as well. I hear Bella coughing at night and it gives me nightmares of RSV. Hopefully Link will be able to remain healthy and avoid the sickies that his sisters have brought home.

Lincoln

2009-03-27T11:42:00.003-06:00

I can't tell you how much fun I've had spending time with Lincoln. I've been dreaming about this little man for years and at times I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift that God has given our family. He is the man o f my dreams.

Billy the Kid Ballet

2009-03-27T11:34:00.004-06:00

Last weekend Hannah performed in the Murray Community Ballet. She was a pioneer and is on the right in the above picture. It is so much fun to see Hannah dance. She works hard at dance and does a great job. I can't wait to see her in the American Bandstand Show on May 2nd.

Doo Wop Wed Widing Hood

2009-03-26T17:28:00.005-06:00

Happy Leprechaun Day

2009-03-26T16:52:00.002-06:00

My husband tells me I've created a monster. How's that you say? Bella was so excited that the leprechauns were visiting our house she wrote them a list requesting fun things that they should do in our house. Some of the items included tipping over chairs, green milk and four leaf clovers for the family. Of course the leprechauns visited our house and they made such a mess. Bella was so excited! It was a blast.

2009-03-02T14:42:00.014-07:00

AWESOME

Update on Lincoln (after Heather read the 700 pg. biography, how could we name him anything else): All is well with baby. All is well with mom, except for being tired and cooped up in a small room in the hospital. Can't wait to come home.

Here is a few pics just for fun.

~RB

2009-03-01T10:18:00.003-07:00

Well, baby Awesome is finally here, a bit early in fact. I am pretty sure that Heather is happy to not be waiting another 3 weeks as previously planned. Now we just have to figure out what to do with my call. RB--more to come soon

Happy Birthday Kate!!!

2009-02-28T21:01:00.003-07:00

We had a fun day playing at the park and eating a yummy cupcake to celebrate Kate's birthday. She is such a cutie and we had fun hanging out watching the kids play at the park.

2009-02-28T20:51:00.002-07:00

Here's the BYU quilt that I made for my Brother-in-law who graduated last year with his MBA from BYU. He's a big fan and always goes to BYU football games to cheer on the cougars. I think this will be a great football quilt. I loved this quilt so much I made a smaller version for Awesome.

Pictures of Awesome

2009-02-19T22:26:00.002-07:00

We haven't decided on a name so we still call our baby Awesome after Captain Awesome on Chuck. I had a sono on Monday and we got the cutest picture of our baby boy. It seems so real when you can see your baby moving during a sonogram. My favorite part was when his toe was up by his face. What a flexible little guy! Enjoy one of the best pictures we've gotten of Awesome.

UMEA Conference

2009-02-14T20:21:00.016-07:00

I went to the UMEA Conference in St. George. I got a lot of great ideas to use in my music classes. Russ and the girls drove down with me. While I was in meetings all day they took advantage of being in Southern Utah and went hiking. Russ took the girls hiking in Snow Canyon, visiting the Natural History Museum, and hiking in Zions National Park. Maybe I would have done one of those things with the girls but my hubby is so turbo that they packed the two days full of hiking fun!

Naming our Baby

2009-02-04T22:52:00.004-07:00

Russ and I are having a hard time picking out a name for our baby. Well actually I have a name picked out but Russ thinks it is way to soon to decide on a name. A few months ago I heard the name Lincoln and I liked it. Russ didn't veto the name but he did not indicate that he liked it either. At Christmas as I was looking at the loot that Santa brought me there was a thick biography on Lincoln. At first I was very confused because I'm more of a Nicholas Sparks/novel reader and Russ is the biography/textbook reader. Russ told me if I wanted to name my baby after Abraham Lincoln I needed to learn more about his life. (Ha, Ha.) Well I finished the 600 page book this week and now Russ and I will have a serious conversation about naming our baby Lincoln. I loved the book so much that I bought a companion book called Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Hopefully I'll finish this book before Lincoln is born.

Nesting

2009-02-04T22:11:00.010-07:00

It's interesting what happens to women when they are in their last trimester of pregnancy. Some women have an uncontrollable urge to clean their house. When I had my last two children I wanted to scrub and clean. This pregnancy I would love to have a spotless house but I don't want to actually do the work. However my nesting instinct has revealed itself in the form of projects and decorating my house. (Odd) Here's what we've been up to....

1. Painting and updating Hannah and Bella's room. We turned it from a pink princess room to a fun and fabulous teal and purple room. (Our girls choice of colors.)

2. Finishing Amber and Mike's wedding quilt. (I finished it in under a year!)

3. Organizing our photos and scrapbooking. (Something I've ignored for years.) When Bella was the star student in her class I suggested that she take her baby book. When I looked through it with her I realized I had only scrapbooked the first few months of her life. She said "Mommy you need to put more pictures in my book." Well I've now completed Bella's first year of life and I am now working on her second year.

4. Sewing a BYU quilt for our baby and a few other BYU graduates. (I'll post pictures after I've quilted them.)

5. Setting up the baby's room. This project has been tricky because I need my DH to help me in the assembling of the crib and the moving out of furniture. This past weekend we finally were able to put the room together. I think it turned out nice. I do wish we had time to put a fresh coat of pain on the walls but after painting the girls room we are done with painting for awhile.

It feels great to finish a project but I do wish that my nesting instinct will manifest itself in the form of cleaning and not crafting.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas my family gave to me...

2008-12-26T10:59:00.003-07:00

Longview Larks Christmas Concert.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas my family gave to me...

2008-12-26T10:57:00.002-07:00

Making Chocolates with Grammy.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my family gave to me..

2008-12-26T10:55:00.002-07:00

Reading Christmas Books.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas my Family Gave to Me...

2008-12-17T16:58:00.003-07:00

an Angel and Mary!

On the Third Day of Christmas my Family Gave to Me...

2008-12-17T16:54:00.003-07:00

Decorating Gingerbread Houses with some Friends!

On the Second Day of Christmas My Family Gave to Me...

2008-12-17T16:53:00.002-07:00

Our Ward Christmas Party

On the First Day of Christmas My Family Gave to Me....

2008-12-17T16:49:00.002-07:00

Reindeer cupcakes oh so yummy!

Festival of Trees

2008-12-03T10:11:00.004-07:00

This year for the Festival of Trees I was able to do two doors. The door on the left is for Partners in Medicine and I had fun shopping to decorate this door! I think it looks elegant and I love the three trees. (On day, when Russ is a rich Dr., I'll buy some for me.) The door on the left is from the Stake Primary Activity Day girls. This summer for our Activity Day girls camp the girls decorated all the ornaments that are on the wreath and the door. I wish I took a close up shot of some of the ornaments because they were so cute! I have so much fun doing a door every year for the Festival. It is one of the first things I do to kick off the Christmas season. Then when we go the Festival as a family Russ is able to see some of the patients that he's treated up at PCMC. It helps remind us of our blessings.

Daddy Daughter Date

2008-12-01T19:52:00.002-07:00

Here's the picture from Hannah's Daddy Daughter date. It was a western theme and she and her Dad had a blast. One of my favorite memories is going to a fifties theme Daddy daughter date with my Dad. I had so much fun dressing up and dancing with my Dad. I'm so grateful for Hannah's activity day leaders who spent so much time and effort to make the night so special.

Top Ten Reasons I Love Halloween

2008-11-14T16:55:00.009-07:00

1. Trick or Treating with Nanna Char.

2. Visiting Grams and Gramps.

3.The Pediatric Neurologist after a long night of trick or treating.

4. The Fluffernutter Witch

5. Dressing up Poppy for Halloween. Isn't the tutu awesome? Hannah really wanted to take Poppy along to trick or treat so I made Poppy a tutu. She looked so cute walking around with the girls.

6. Witches Brew!

7. Seeing the cousins in their cute costumes. Isn't the Jalapeno Pepper the cuttest! (Hannah found one of our real Jalapeno Peppers and showed Jake that he had a twin.)

8. Playing with cousins at the Butterfield halloween party. (My little scary witch had fun playing with Snow White.)

9. Bella managing to Trick or Treat with one hand in a splint.

10. Meeting up with our friends from the neighborhood to trick or treat and going to the best spook alley ever!

Bella's Broken Arm

2008-11-03T17:41:00.003-07:00

On the night before Halloween Bella broke her arm. She was racing Hannah to the van and she tripped over her Sissy's leg and fell. Dad says the girls were running like crazy monkey's! Well one little monkey did fall and break her arm. It's a buckle fracture and she should have a cast on for about a month. Yippee!

It's a ???????

2008-11-03T16:58:00.004-07:00

Look at the ultrasound and guess what we are having!!!!

Ultrasound on Monday!

2008-10-30T20:25:00.002-06:00

Do you think it's a boy or a girl? We'll find out on Monday. Hannah and I can't wait because we will start shop, shop, shopping!

Jackson Hole

2008-10-20T18:33:00.006-06:00

We took our annual trip to Jackson Hole. It was so fun. The girls loved throwing rocks into Jenny Lake. While we were at the lake we took our traditional picture on our family tree. We hiked around and the girls found a ton of cool rocks. We went shopping and found some fun souvenirs. My favorite part of the trip was going to Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. It's a collection of old farm buildings that have withstood the elements for more than the century. It was so peaceful. The girls explored, Russ took pictures and I enjoyed the view. Isn't it majestic?