35 years young

This is my wonderful Mom 35 years ago! Yes, I'm turning the big 35 tomorrow. Ughh- it sounds so old...but I don't feel so old!

When I look back on the past 35 years I feel lucky. I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't felt loved

(even during my "save the whales" hippy skippy teenage rebellion phase, as my parents call it!)

My Mom saved this outfit, and others for me & wrapped them up one year with a doll. It was the best gift! I'm saving some of Bella's clothes for her to dress up her dolls someday too. My birthday's have always been very memorable & fun. I am lucky to have had a very sweet, peaceful & happy childhood. There were moments, of course, but overall it was pink flower wallpaper, helping Mom cook, watching Dad fix cars, hours of building block houses for Chad's star wars guys & my Strawberry Shortcake dolls, running outside with Goldie & the hundreds of kids that lived in our neighborhood!

I am still blessed with love (the best!).

Len & I are trying to create a wonderful childhood for our kids, so they'll grow up & have blissful memories & stories to look back on too. I know many people would love to turn back the clock & be 18 forever, but not me. I am super happy where I am. Don't get me wrong, there are days I want to pull my hair out! It's not easy, but I have always wanted to be a wife & Mommy, so growing older isn't a bad thing. Old smold! I like 35!

What a difference a year makes!

Aren't they cute!? This is Bella & her 2nd cousin, Ethan- born 10 days after her! My cousin, Kelcee & her hubby Todd came to Utah last January to tell us the exciting news that they were expecting their 1st baby! We were soooooooo excited for them, but in the back of my mind I was thinking.....you may not be the only prego around here! I joked with them about it & then later that night after celebrating, we went to the grocery store to buy a pregnancy test for me. I was sure I wasn't REALLY pregnant, but the little stick said otherwise! Len & I were in shock, but it was fun because Kelcee & Todd were here to help cushion the blow! Now thinking that I was upset about our little angel just seems selfish & crazy. We LOVE Isabella soooooooo much & she just makes our family feel complete. She was the best surprise ever! It's so fun that she is lucky enough to have two 2nd cousins close to her too. My other cousin, Katie, also has a cute little daughter, Nora, born 10 days before Bella. Babies are everywhere!!! (How lucky we are!)

If I'm ever in a bad mood I just have to look at this adorable face! There's something about babies that make me smile :) I have baby pictures of all my kids in our bathroom so I can look at them first thing every morning. I just want to pinch their cheeks! You can pinch the screen if you want to!

Little sister

The cutest smiles!


Yesterday I was shopping at Babies R' Us when a girl walked up to me & said she worked at Kiddie Kandids (inside the store) and was wondering if she could take Isabel's pictures for free because it is slow & she needs practice. Hmmmm- YES! How lucky was that?! Too bad I didn't dress Isabel in cute clothes before shopping, but hey- free pictures! They turned out cute (other than the lame fur she's sitting on)! I will post a normal sized picture when I can figure out why our new scanner isn't working, but for now you can look at the tiny version I copied from their website! Sam & Mack got new "Big Brother" shirts on my shopping trip & LOVE them!

I can't believe Isabella's 3 months on Saturday! Here are some things I've learned in the past 3 months:

• Isabella is the most patient person I know (a good trait when you have 3 demanding older brothers)
• She lights up when you talk to her
• She absolutely glows when Noah talks to her
• Noah thanks Heavenly Father every night in his prayers for sending him his best friend named Isabella
• We call Isabella several names, including: Bella, Iz, Izzy, Isabel, & occasionally Stinky. We don't know which name will stick!
• Mack kisses Isabel's head at least 100 times a day
• Sam doesn't seem to have noticed yet that there is another human being living in our home
• Girl clothes are really fun to buy!
• Len & I have never had this much sleep with a new baby
• I'm addicted to cuddling my kids

My favorite gifts

We spent Christmas Eve at Len's parents house visiting, eating good food, reading from the scriptures about the birth of Christ, and exchanging cousin gifts. The boys wore their "pajammies" so they could go straight to bed when we got home! They loved their new gifts that night & the next morning. The kids excitment is my best gift- they're a blast! Here are a few of my favorite parts:

Noah's holey grin!

Mack's super juicy kisses!

Sam's puppy dog eyelashes!

(I don't have enough time today to discover why this picture decided to post vertical!)

Isabella's perfect tiny hand, with pink jewelry of course!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too :)

only 8 more days!

We wish you a Merry Christmas....


We wish you a Merry Christmas....


We wish you a Merry Christmas....

and a Happy New Year!

(Sam & Mack are on the right side of the front row- us bad parents forgot the camcorder & had to use the phone, so the quality is pretty bad! Don't you love all the bouncy feet though! So cute!)

I'm as bad as the kids waiting for Christmas to arrive!!!! I love everything about Christmas- reflecting on Christ's birth, Mary & Joseph, traditions, family, friends, shopping (maybe better said as giving) & eating! I'm especially excited this year because our whole family has arrived. Bella won't have a clue what's going on, of course, but the other kids are looking forward to the excitement & will be hilarious on Christmas morning! There's nothing better than seeing their believing eyes as they see what Santa brought them! I can't wait!!! They also went shopping for each other this year & are so excited to give their siblings each their little dollar store gift! We hope your Christmas is wonderful & full of love.

Real men wear pink...

Christmas fun

Tough boys decorating the tree & showing off their muscles!
(notice all the ornaments hanging to the floor & the top empty!)


Noah at "zoo lights" riding on the carousel. He LOVES snow leopards!


Good friends! Jacob, Zane, Jackson, Noah, Sam & Mack at "zoo lights"


We had so much fun going to the zoo after dark to see the lights (no animals because it was freeeezing!) We brought little caesars, got hot chocolate, cookies & deep fried smores (kinda pukey- the real campin' smores are much better!) Then, we tried to walk off all those calories looking at tons of animal shaped & Christmas themed lights all over the zoo. We went with our good friends, Delinah & her boys. Our old neighbor Jackson came also, but in the car on the way home Len asked the kids if they had fun at the zoo & our boys yelled "Yah", but Jackson said "not really"!!!! Sorry buddy! Not his cup of cocoa apparently! Bella stayed warm at home with my wonderful neice Sarah & her hubby Kevin. It was so fun- we needed to be out after dark to experience some nose nippy temperatures & get in the Christmas mood since we probably won't have any snow this December :(