MS Walk...for my mamma:)

Wow....what a great day! Couldn't be more perfect for a walk downtown SLC. Good times with my Journey family. Thinking about the most dynamic woman I have ever known...my mamma.

The Crew

Steph

Michelle

Bucks!

Geoff and....what are you doing Jared?

Jared, me, Michelle

Moochies for lunch! #meatballsandwich#phillycheese#jalepenosauce

I'm happy for the opportunity to remember my mom and see all the support that is given for loved ones who have suffered/suffer with disease...

My baby is 8! NOOOooo!

This boy...whoooaaaa, this boy! Cooper is such a joy. I can't love him enough. He is my baby boy! Nine months ago I was so sure I couldn't and didn't want to do it again....but when you have 3 amazing boys and your baby turns eight...It makes you ponder. Crazy life.

I remember my mom would write us letters. Sometimes on our birthday and sometimes just because. I LOVED these, they matched so perfectly to who I was/am. No one can pin us like our moms do. It's what we all want....someone who "gets us" and sees us as our best. I want you to know, Coop, that this mamma knows who you are and all you will become. You are a beast, son! I love that all it takes is a scratch of your back to make your night. I love that we can make anything for dinner and it's "your favorite" and we are "the best cooks ever!" I love that you don't play games and you call it like it is. I love that you can take a beating from your older brothers yet be the first to stand up for them. I love that you love your family. I love that you have the most inappropriate sense of humor. I love that you are game for anything. I love that you have an imagination. I love that you make things happen. I love that you are strong willed. I love that you are real. I love that you say/do the funniest things. Coopster, you are the raddest 8 yr. old I know! I will love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as Im living, my baby you'll be:) Happy Birthday boy!

I am happy for every moment I have with my boys and live to see another birthday...

First BBQ of 2012!

Oh man.....do I love Spring, sun and BBQ's. Moreso, I love being able to enjoy them with my family. We always have so much fun, I laugh so hard! The boys LOVE going to Uncle Kevins because he always has the best food, and lots of it! This morning Blake says, "what time are we going to Uncle Kevin's? Im so excited, Ive been craving it!" Coop adds, "ya, his food is SO yummy!" Chase, "Mom, I love Kevin's house." This makes me so grateful, to have so much love and support for my boys. They will always remember these times and what it feels like to go to Uncle Kevins. Just like I remember when he would take me to get bubble gum ice-cream:) He continues to taken care and love me and my family:)

Aunt Connie's Cookies....

Uncle Kevin's baked beans....

Uncle Kevin's BBQ skillzzz

Dirt hill in back...

Chase is a nut...

Some Sandlot Baseball...

check out the mountains in background....so beautiful!

Sid...love the outfit:) Cute thing:)

Cousins love Uncle Justin...

We saw this snake in the road on way home by our house. EWE!

Im happy for the moments we spend BBQing at Uncle Kevins house...

Real Life Matt Foley....Motivational Speaker.

Man, I wish I believed in something as much as this guy! Flash back to watching SNL's motivational speaker Matt Foley (Chris Farley R.I.P). It's almost too much. Awesome. Our country is in gooooood shape. I had to post the link below.....just to make sure.

SNL Matt Foley.....motivational speaker

Nugent&Brennan fun times!

Seri and Coop show'in their moves!






I'm happy for moments we spend with friends who have been a great part of our lives...My teaching partners, Blakes and Chases teachers, their kids/husbands, and the support they have always given us...

They're Naturals!

Second time out with the boys and Chase is ready! He is so rad! Cooper needed assistance....side note: the boy gets down to the technicalities. Good to know. Hard to teach. Especially when you're more of a "see how it feels and just see what happens when you do "this" and "that." It clearly worked for me....not so much. But Chase just went right up and figured it out! Cooper got it by the end and was going down the whole way....at the pace of his choice!
Sundance Ski Resort...Beautiful











A fun, beautiful day:)

Some fun times....

......with the Vanlaninghams!
Just Dance



Cute Adah.....the "collector of accessories" my girl! If there was a nine month gap that I don't remember....I would think she's my daughter:)




Adah tuckered out! She snuggled up with me and fell asleep. So sweet! Love it!

We Heart Sushi!

Sushi Night has become a regular at our house:) So much so, I've made it a proper noun...or title... if you will. We have enjoyed so many good times with family and friends through Sushi Night! The boys look forward to it and ask for it all the time! I love having a house full of peeps....kids, teenagers, adults...all kinds! Good memories. Plus, you CAN'T eat as much as we do at a restaurant and be able to afford it. If we were to go to a restaurant, it would be hundreds! I always mean to take pictures, but I never have time..too much going on! So, I stole these from Scott and J.

Fantasy Roll-tuna, salmon, spicy crab, cucumber, cream cheese and avacado

Justin and Elayna made homemade potstickers......SO GOOD!

What is a Sushi Night without a nice game of S-P-O-O-N-S

6th grade dance

Just like every year, we have a 6th grade dance around Valentines day. We teach the students about 6 different dances during PE and "perform" at the dance. :) This year was special since I got to do it with Chaser! He is the cutest.

Chase is 12!

It's different when your second child turns 12. The first time you are thinking, "He is so old! One more year and he will be 13...a TEEN!" Now, Chase has arrived and I still think he is younger than he really is because Blake is the "old one." But, I can see the sense of humor get richer, the attitude thicker, and the independence initiated. But, one of the things that pulls on my heartstrings is his moving away from "little brother" and "little boys." He is making that separation, it's subtle, but I notice. He and Blake used to be the buddies....running around in their underwear showing off their muscles. Then Blake got too old (he still shows off his muscles though:) and Coop and Chase have been the buddies...still running around in their underwear. They still do things like WWE fight night, ninja, pillow jumping, and stair sledding. We are always hearing gut laughing, pounding, slapping, bouncing, crying and smashing coming from their general direction. They are brothers and have a love/hate relationship, but I sense Chase pulling away from the "littleness."

Here are my two, cute "little" boys.....We had a date at Wingers, Chases favorite place. I can't wait to take him to Buffalo Wild Wings, it just opened:)

Garbage Sack!

Billy and Blake

I have been thinking about these two a lot lately. Maybe because they will be seniors next year and the very thought makes me ball my eyes out! So happy and proud, but hard to process at times. Its a weird feeling and you will experience it too....mark my words and be prepared! I think to myself "did i soak up, enjoy, and take advantage of every opportunity?" Dont do that! You will kill yourself:)! Im trying to make sure I take those moments and be present for them....regardless of other things i have going on, or have on my mind, or other stressors and doubt I may have.... so I know that he got the best of me..... However crappy that is to start with:) Ha! Not saying i do everytime, because having and communicating with a teenager is like carrying around a garbage sack everywhere you go. We carry their burdens, we worry, we try to keep up, try to listen, offer whatever advice you can (at the right time of course)....You just wanna dump the sack..... Its already full! But you gotta sift through the trash and pull out those valuable items that may have been hidden. Deciding what those are and when to pull them out is difficult. Sometimes it makes a mess! But each time you do, your sack gets a little lighter and now you have that teenager throwing out the trash on their own. Also, If anyone else asks you to help carry something, you can say, "sorry, got this sack..." :):)

Top 11's......?

Top 11 moments of 2011
- Blake playing at the 4A state tourney
-Coop and Chase baptism
-Me, Blake and Curt going to San Francisco
-Chase getting student of the year
-Seattle trip to visit Liz
-Blake Homecoming
-Boys coming to school at Willow Canyon with me
-Trips to St. George and Bear Lake
-Watching Coops first REAL baseball game....cutest catcher ever!
-Snowboarding, for the first time, with my boys....even though I fractured my wrist! But, they loved it!
-Curt and I anniversary.....

Top 11 "things" of 2011
-my iphone...I friggin LOVE it!!!
-pinterest
-instagram
-Sushi Night
-redbox
-movies/tv-bridesmaids, horrible bosses, hangover 2, happy endings
-my itunes playlist
-etsy...just a little something I bought from etsy that is going up on my pictur wall

-almond joy coffee creamer
-chill pipe
-boots