September 10th..Artapalooza

Artapalooza is always so much fun.  Mark was out of town pretty much from mid September until the beginning of December so I had to try to stay busy.  My good friend and her family joined with me so they could "help" me with my kids.  Honestly in public I need all the help I can get. So Artapalooza is when they shut down part of the downtown area and just have tons of crafts to do, look at and buy.  It is so much fun.

 Jaylee really loved playing this!  Brecken was more into the drums of course.

 The girls made fun necklaces.

 Bryn gets made because she thinks Nanc is her mom. Yep she even calls her mom and whenever we are together she only wants her... I swear sometimes I think this was their child.

 She was persistent until she got what she wanted!

 These two were the happiest when they got a bag of popcorn.. I love when they are 3 and so easy to please.

 OK so this was like food colored water and you paint the sugar cookie...what a great idea so much less messy!

 He just finds the most messy things ever and that is what he is drawn to.

We had a great time and I was so glad to have someone their to help me because by the end I had to take MJ  to the car for a time out because he was screaming over having to wait in line...It was soooo embarrassing.

Labor Day Parade

The kids got sooo much candy, and yet it still wasn't as much as they got the year before!  It was such a bright ,windy day, it was actually kind of chilly.  Which seems weird for Labor Day it's usually super hot and muggy. 

 Poor guy was just waiting for the Parade to start!

Random

Ok so on Labor Day when I lived in Davenport I almost always went to the Labor Day Parade, for awhile my mom organized it my Step Dad is always a part of it, you know I come from a Labor Driven family so it's important to them.  This year Mark and I took the kids and on our walk there we say this train...Ok it is just one of those things that I think are beautiful.  Something about trains is very calming for me.  I love hearing them and watching them.  It's weird I know but I am seriously fascinated by them.

 Then we saw an abandoned train car so I took a few pics of my sister for fun... She didn't do her hair or makeup and yet still beautiful...I hate her for that.

More Camp Pictures

Is this not the funniest thing you have ever seen!  Really I think I peed my pants I was laughing so hard when he rolled up!  It's never boring when everyone gets together I will tell you that!

 We had a little Birthday Party because JJ kept asking when we were going to have a family birthday, so her wish is my demand.

My cousin brought her jeep and when the batteries ran out they both tried to fix it!  That was so funny to listen to their conversation about how they were going to get it to work again.

 Bryn drove the boys around for a bit, she needs some practice.

I love being with family.  I hope that as my kids grow they won't take family for granted like I did when I was younger.  Family is so important and we have been so blessed to have a great family on my side and Marks side, so I just pray that my children will cherish the relationships that they have with them all.

Labor Day at Camp Sept 2011

Seriously I don't think there is anything better than having no technology and a bunch of dirt, it would be better if I could shower at camp.  So we love just going and chilling out at "camp" it's just good old fashion family fun.  I have to be honest my family is pretty fun to be around I lucked out for sure.  Grandma always gets big hugs from everyone the minute we see her.

 Mark and Mark JR.. Really had I known that these two would be sooo much a like in looks and personality I so would have named Brecken Mark.

 We went down to the river bank, it looked so perfect!  The sky was perfect it was just so amazing.

 The kids had a blast getting all muddy.

 Getting dirty is Breckens goal in life so this place is perfect for him.

 I think if Mark didn't have such a tight grip on her she would have been off into the water so fast, she is going to be a fish.

 Cousins...well my sister and my cousin.

 The kids were super excited to ride in the back of the truck back to the cabin.

 The is the best picture ever...Not only is it so fun to watch an adult hula hoop, but add a cigarette and a beer to the equation and it just makes it that much funnier.

 Grandpa and the kiddos.

 Mark was showing me his "skills" that we probably need to work on hahaha.

 Brecken really want to shoot, but lets be real that is so not happening so he hung out on the back of the truck with the empty shells, he thought that was the coolest thing ever.  They love their Uncle Tim, JJ gets all giddy and blushes around him and then runs up and gives him a big love.  I love those moments.

 My other sister and good ol grandpa.

 After awhile Tom gave in and decided to let Brecken shoot the Pigeons out with him a  few times.

Trip to Grandma's

Here is my lil Thug...

 Spank Spank Spank..the kids favorite game.  So items you need to play: a fly swatter..two is better than one and children.  Rules: have an adult hold the fly swatters and chase the kids... FUNNEST thing ever.  My kids have been playing this with Grandpa since we moved back and they think it is so funny.  It helps that my step dad runs around yelling SPANK SPANK SPANK in a cookie monster voice!

 Bryn gives the sweetest little kisses.  So we bribe her to get kisses.  Grandma loves her kisses!

Craft it UP

What can I say it is in their blood.  My children just love to make stuff!

A Trip from my Bestie

At the end of August I got to have my BF from AZ come up!  She refuses to come when its cold so she has very limited times of coming.  She also says once Mark is making the big DR bucks I have to start going back to AZ instead!  Sounds good to me.  She got to bring her youngest daughter out with her and her and MJ are the same age so that was super fun.  My kids love her they even call her Auntie.

 Showing the love

 The one thing we do whenever we are together is craft.  We always make crap, it's so much fun. 

 The first night we made loads of bows.....

 Another night we made this thing I found in a magazine for Christmas.

 Addie usually conked out in the chair!

 She is so much fun, she is full of sass and I love it bc so are all of my kids so she fits right in here!

 We dropped my kids off at my moms and took a weekend trip to Nauvoo!  It was so nice to not have my own kids to worry about and give Sheri my full attention.

 Funniest thing...There was this fly bugging the crap out of this ox he was getting so made at it, and Sheri said "is that fly bugging you?"  and I swear to you it looked at her and mooed!! I tell you I swear he understood everything we were saying.

 If her hubby would have been here this would have been his favorite part!

 So this is a letter to Brigham Young from his wife.  I just seriously can't image being driven and murder because of the beliefs of a religion.  Not to mention that at this time most of the men where gone a lot serving missions in England, so these pioneer women are trying to build their homes and do everything else and worry about their lives.  I am truly surprised by the amount of persecution the early Saints went through.

 Silly girl, she loved to "hide" from us

 We got in late on Friday night and this is what the Temple looked like lite up.

I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life.  So many people don't realize why it is import to do more than just believe in God.  I know that there are so many debates about which church is the true church because every church claims that.  I know that through Joseph Smith god restored his church back on this earth.  I know that our church has all of the keys and the priesthood.  I know that Joseph Smith would not had endured all of this persecution had it not been the true church.  I invite anyone who reads this to request a Book of Mormon, to open it and read the introduction.  To get down on your knees and pray that as you read it you will know of it's truths.  I promise if you read it with an open heart you will know of it's truths. ( We do not replace the Bible with the Book of Mormon, we just believe that it is comparable to the Bible and that it contains dealings of ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the FULLNESS of the EVERLASTING Gospel.)

If you have any questions please feel free to leave me a comment and I will help direct you in any way possible to the right answer.