EWW FACE!!!

So I had the kids give me their best eww face. Tuck is definitely the winner! Kennedy looks like shes in pain and Chase looks constipated! ha ha Gotta love it!

Catching up...

So I know I'm going a little crazy! But, I got a new CAMERA for Christmas! This is the first picture I took. I Love it. Thanks Honey!

So this year I decided not to stress out and worry about my Christmas decorations and tree coming down. But, to just try and enjoy Christmas break with my kids. So, Noel took the older kids skiing up North and Kennedy, Tuck and I just played at home with friends! It was great!

We had a great time with Sadie and Macy. It doesn't get better than Friends, Swimming and Crafts! The next day we had Ryder over and it finally looks like Fall in Arizona. But, wait were in January!!!

I had a great time with those great kids...Kennedy and I woke up early one morning and watched a meteor shower. It was amazing and she had a million questions. Having teenagers are a ton of fun and I can't wait until all of my kids reach that point. Let's face it...it is more complicated. So I really appreciated my alone time with these sweet easy to please wonderful kids. I love being their MOM!

The Happiest Place on Earth...

We had a great time at Disneyland this year for Christmas! It was wet and it was cold but, we didn't let that stop us!

Buzz Lightyear was Tucker's favorite ride.....
I had to take this picture ...it's rare to see these two holding hands. It was really great for us to spend time together as a family with no distractions.
Hmm...can you tell what she's doing...if you have a teenager you will know.

Totally Tuckered Out!

Happy New Years!

We had a great time at the Fife's house last night. We rang in the New Year with these really great kids!

Noel and Jim snuggling on the couch...

It was fun to hang out with some of Lauren's friends! Really cute kids!

My Grandparents..

I'm feeling the need to ramble a a little bit. I have been laying in bed wide awake trying to go back to sleep and I keep seeing this picture and my mind is spinning full of thoughts. I know it sounds crazy! So here it goes.. I took this picture on our drive home from the cabin a couple of weeks ago. Looking at an Arizona sunset always fills my heart with so many things. First being how grateful I 'am to live here! Second, my grandparents... My sister and I spent many summers visiting them and I remember sitting on the back porch watching the sunset with them. I'd like to think they are one of the reasons we moved here(other than finding a job). I've always felt a little slided that I didn't get more time with my grandmother. When we moved here she was extremely sick with cancer and died soon after. I'm very grateful for the tender moments we had while she was sick and I could take care of her. My grandparents have always been a constant in my life. They were our Christmas, there for every holiday and every event no matter where we were living (I moved 14 times before I graduated High School). My grandmother could sew or make anything and was always humming or singing a tune while she worked. She had experiences in her life that were extremely heart wrenching that shaped her and made her the woman that I loved. My grandfather (Que) is the kind of man that I wanted to find and marry someday(I did). I'm so grateful for the example they have set for me. My grandmother taught me so much and looking back she still does. My grandfather, I don't get to see as often as I'd like but, he's remarried to a wonderful woman Flora who loves him and takes good care of him. I'm very thankful for that..
Okay.. I'm losing it I know! But, I just re-read this and it reminds me of the quote I have in my kitchen. " The tender mercies of the Lord are real. They do not occur randomly or by coincidence." David A. Bednar

Favorite Christmas EVER!!!

OK! So MOM! Get Ready.. HERE it comes......

mmm.. i wish these moments lasted longer! These kids have grown up way too fast so.. I'm trying to appreciate it ALL with Tucker!
We had A great Christmas in Newport this year!

The kids had more fun exploring the beach than Disneyland!

It's a rare moment to see Lauren SMILING!

Tuck drove this truck up and down the beach..endless energy!

They explored EVERYTHING! Tuck's favorite word EWWWW...Cool MOM!

Dad took some really great pictures.

(I think he's catching my bug!)

TOTAL frustration!

I was amazed to see how much my kids bonded on this trip. Sometimes it's really good not to take friends!

Chase is CoCo's favorite....

My little man with pink cheeks... it was really cold. But, we had a really fun and memorable Christmas!

Christmas Tradition

I love the tradition we have to visit the temple lights. It always gives me a chance to slow down and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. It's so easy to get caught up in all of the "fluff" of the season. The list of things to do and parties to come seem to never end. It was so nice just to slow down and visit the temple with my sweet family.