More Old Posts...

I have got to change the way I am keeping my blog!! I'm having major issues...

1. I am still trying to catch up from all of the stuff I didn't post for the last year.
2. I am trying to post things in chronological order.
3. I am waiting to post current events until all the old stuff is done.

NONSENSE!!! I am wasting time... I am just going to post things in random order. I want to document all of our life's major/fun happenings and I don't care what order they're in anymore!! So, happy reading... I hope to be caught up soon and then stay that way... wish me luck!!!

Easter 2010

We had a wonderful Easter this year!!

It was awesome because we were able to spend a lot of time together as a family.

Easter this year was also special because it was on General Conference weekend. It made for a really special spiritual experience to go along with the festivities. I have fond memories of Easter being on the same Sunday as General Conference a few times when I was a kid and it was so cool!

We had an Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma Mac's after Conference on Sunday.

We also had another Easter celebration the next day with the Breinholts,

but I forgot the camera that day :/

Here we are coloring eggs to leave for the Easter Bunny to hide at our house!

And this is a picture of the kids (- Spencer?) at the Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Golfland. We have gone there for the last couple years. I highly recommend it to anyone with little kids... For $1 the kids get to see the Easter Bunny and run around and play and find as many eggs as they want. They love it!!

Take a Hike!!

Todd has taken Chansey and Eathan hiking a few times in the past. I have never been able to go because of being pregnant or sick (LAME!)

So, even though it was a long time ago, I wanted to post about the time that we took our whole family to hike South Mountain. We went during Thanksgiving break of '09... like I said, it was a long time ago, but I just found the pictures!

This was a fun cave that we found that the kids loved climbing in... poor things with the sun in their eyes while I am trying to snap a picture!

We had so much fun!! We laughed and played, walked and ran, sat awhile and ate snacks, and just enjoyed each other's company. The weather was beautiful so that made it extra nice! Sophie was even there... what a trooper in her "Baby Bjorn" (Best invention ever!) No complaints out of any of the kids (or adults :)

The weather is starting to break from miserable now, so I hope we have many more outings like this in the near future. (And I hope I can write about them before 10 months later :)

Phoenix Zoo

When the weather is nice, our family LOVES going to the zoo.

We have even bought annual passes many years in a row.

My kids never get tired of seeing the animals. Me, on the other hand, I like seeing them, but

if I get very close, I get a weird chill up my spine complete with full-body goose bumps...

I don't love big animals.

Maybe my kids love seeing the animals because they are deprived since we refuse to have pets...?!

No matter the reason, they love getting up close and personal with the animals...

I found these pictures of the last time we went...

no fear here....

Up-close and personal

Four monkeys... (HAHA!)

My kids love the weird metal animal that looks real, they always want a picture on it...

so we obliged.
(p.s. I think it is call an oryx?)

Over the river and through the woods...

... to Grandmother's house we go!!

Ok, so we just drive on the freeway, no river, no woods.

But it is still so fun to go to Grandma's house.

I am so glad that my kids have fun memories of times they spend with their grandparents.

I only knew one of my grandmas... my other grandma and both grandpas passed away before I was born. And most of my memories with my grandma were when I was really little so they aren't too vivid. She was sick for a lot of my life. So, I rely on other peoples' stories and pictures to remember my grandparents.

My kids though... they have a different story. We usually see one or both of the grandparents every week. And they have a blast every time they go to see them...

here's the proof...

Some cousins and aunt Dee just chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all-cool at gma Mac's.

When it's just us a grandma Marilyn's, the kids get to do whatever they want... horses, trampoline, games, root beer floats,... you name it!!

So FUN!!!

UNFORGETTABLE!!!

Going Back in Time!

I just started going through my camera the other day and I realized how much has really happened in our family since Sophie was born. So, my goal is to slowly organize my pictures and then journal about them on my blog. So, I hope you don't mind reading our really old news... bear with me, it's for posterity! :)

Made for the Stage

About this time last year, I wrote about how Chansey and I went to The Queen Creek Performing Arts Center (QCPAC) to see their community theater production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". It was really good and Chansey was truly inspired!! She saw her uncle on stage and realized... " I want to do that!" So... she has been in two musicals since... both at QCPAC ...

She was an Oompa-Loompa in Willy Wonka Jr. last November. This musical was done all by children ages 7-17... no adults. And it was REALLY good!! Chansey was only in a few scenes, but it gave her some wonderful experience. She did a great job and loved every minute of it.

This year, at the beginning of summer, she performed in The Wizard of Oz. She had a couple of backround parts in this production... that of an Ozian and also a Poppy Flower in the Poppy scene. This is her Ozian costume... they all wore green, different shades and styles,... so cool to see! She was in a few critical scenes in this musical and even though she didn't have a big part, she had to attend a lot more practices and it was a lot of hard work. She is a natural on stage and we are proud of her. I am looking forward to many more performances in the future!

Fast Forward

Don't have a heart attack... Yes, I am finally updating my blog! It has been too long ... The title of this post explains it all... Life has really been in "FAST FORWARD" mode. You know when you fast forward a video while you are watching it?!... and you can see what's going on, but it goes by so fast that you don't get to absorb it all? Well, that is how it has been around here for the last year. It is a good thing I have pictures to help me remember it all. I just looked through my camera pics today and it motivated me to begin journaling (blogging) again. Hopefully I can record some details soon about things that we have been doing since Sophie was born (better late than never, right?!)

But first of all... a few cute, random pictures from this last week... just to show how everyone has grown...

Chansey was in the "Wizard of Oz" at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center (hence, the make-up and shiny clothes). One of the parts she played was that of an 'Ozian' (citizen of OZ). Her performances were last week and here she is with Eathan, Bella, and Spencer on the stage after the last show wearing her Ozian costume. She did a great job in the play, we were really proud of her. It was a lot of hard work this time!

Just playing around...

Sophie is so big!!! (She looks like a mini-Bella)

She is crawling like a pro and standing and walking around furniture. We are in no hurry for her to walk on her own. :) I wish they would just stay little. She loves to eat everything and she sleeps through the night now.... YEA!! She is always happy and we have so much fun with her.

People always ask me questions like... "How is life with five kids?" and "How do you do it?" Well, the answers are... Life with five kids is wonderful and fun and HECTIC and I do it by running around like a chicken with my head cut off!! Seriously though... I have always been a busy person... I am high-strung and I have always found things to keep me busy. But, now, it's a different busy. My home and children are what keep me busy... pretty much all of the time. We still manage to find time for fun and, as always, church callings and extended family are part of the usual craziness. But, managing my household takes up more time than it ever used to... in a good way. I guess it took five kids to teach me how to keep my priorities straight... I must be a slow learner. :) But, I am still learning and enjoying the ride in the mean time.

I will post more pictures soon and write about some of the things we have been doing lately...

STAY TUNED!!