I just love taking pictures.... here are some more.... I'll share the edits later. Or maybe I should call this post "Erika and her brothers" (plus some)

Whenever the kids go outside, I just grab my camera to keep myself busy out there.....

I don't know why I want to remember Noah and Erika fighting, but I thought these were funny.  Noah was so frustrated with Erika for getting on the tube with him.

One of their not so friendly moments :)  Makes me laugh still.

Nate likes to take the kids on walks sometimes, while I'm cooking dinner, it's a lot of fun when he takes the camera with him :) 

because we get cute moments like this.... where th boys just look so in love with their little sister.  She's goofing off wearing Luke's hat, they're laughing at her :)  She's probably loving their attention and feeling like she's all that and a bag of chips....

And I'm pretty sure this is my favorite picture of Erika!!  She's such a nut!

Nate's such an amazing photographer (for the one millionth time)

Our sweet little deer friends.  I wonder if any of our plants will have a chance to grow this spring?? 

Future Memories

- Tough day at the store today.  I thnk it was mainly due to one of my adorable little angels.  I don't want to point any fingers, but if I were to, it would be pointed at Erika.  That little stinker was not in the mood to shop today.  Nothing seemed to make her happy.  We played musical spots in the cart the entire trip, she screamed, she cried, almost fell out of the cart a few times, opened a couple boxes of cereal then ultimately left a trail of chex mix out of the store (but only because I gave in and opened the bag.... not because she can open it herself, though I'm sure we're not far from that).  Ugh.  And actually, the boys were not on their best behavior either.  They're all so good normally that even the slightest disruption from perfection just THROWS me off.  Brad was sprinting up and down the aisles with the smaller cart, crashing into everything including my heels a number of times.  Luke squawked and begged for stuff the whole time, and Noah just cried and whined a lot.  It was annoying.  I really wasn't able to please anyone the entire time, and they were very vocal about their discomforts.  So anyway.  Just thought I should make note of this so that when they do well next time, I can praise them or reward them or whatever it might take to convince them that that is how the want to be.  I sure take their good behavior for granted sometimes.  This sounds weird so I will stop :)
I was slightly annoyed at the girl from my ward who thought laughing at me and pointing out that I had a lot of groceries an a lot of kids would be a good idea.  Oh well.  Laugh away!  We gotta eat!  3-8-11

- I got to go help in Brad's class on Wednesday.  This is the first time I've actually gone to help with something that wasn't a party.  Brad is usually pretty oblivious that I am there, and almost seemed embarrassed in the past, but this time, when he saw me come in the room, he jumped up and ran over to give me a big hug!  It was so sweet!  I loved it.  Then he came and gave me hugs throughout the whole 2 hours I was there.  Probably drove his teacher nuts with all the "Bathroom trips" and "drinks" he was needing to take to come out in the hall.  But I loved it.  He's a sweetie.  And it was kind of nice to realize that Brad isn't doing too bad on his reading and math.  I was testing the kids for 3rd term and Brad really is near the top of his class in the areas they were tested on.  It was cool to get a better grasp on that.  I was worried.  Don't know why, but I do that.  He's a smartie pants, should have given him more credit. 3-9-11

- Sunday was a bummer day.  I really don't know why I let it bother me, but when we got to church, all ready for Nate to teach Elder's Quorum and the kids to go to their classes, we were informed that it was Daylight savings.  We had totally missed it.  We were an hour late for church.  How annoying.  It probably bugged me most because we had had responsibilities to fulfill.  I hate letting people down, I hate not doing what you've said you would do.  It was really lame.  And the kids were all bugged that they had missed their classes.  So anyway.  The rest of the day was just downhill from there..... not my favorite day.  3-13-11

- Spent a lot of time at the Dentist and the school this week.  Everyone was having their cavities filled.  Seems strange to take kids who have little to no complaints about their teeth to the dentist, only to have the teeth start hurting, and then have to wait a month before they can go back to get the many cavities filled and hurting some more.  Just doesn't make much sense.  Am I avoiding reality here?  the reality that my kids have way too many cavities than they should?  yes.  But I've tried to come to grips with it and I can't.  I'm blaming it on their poor genetic make up.  Nate and I both have crappy teeth.  They're just doomed.  Charity had like 4 or 5, Kelly had a couple, Brad had a bunch, and Luke had one.  Noah and Erika were fine for now.  But they don't do x-rays on them, so I'm sure there's things we don't know about.  If I use my negative attitude.  Although, in everyone's defense, the older three are doing the whole no candy thing, and they are doing REALL WELL!!  I can't remember if I already posted about this, but starting back on March 4th ish, Nate made an offer they couldn't refuse.  He told them he would pay them $100 (each) if they can go a whole year without candy.  They can still eat cakes and cookies but no candy!  I'm really impressed wit their self control.  It's just the older three that are doing it, but the younger ones have been eating a lot less as well.  Except that when the kids bring home candy from school.... guess who gets it!  Fun stuff.  And speaking of school, this week has been the school play.  It's been so much fun to watch my girls perform what they've been working on for the past 2 months!  They really have worked so hard! And they do a really good job!  I'm sure I'll do a whole post about it later....

- I got to go on a field trip with Charity on Monday!  We went to the Clark Planetarium.  What a fun field trip!!  I loved it.  The kids are old enough that they don't require a lot of supervision..... minus the dumb kid who can't seem to keep his hands off my daughter even after several reprimands!  UGH!  I wanted to strangle the little stinker!  We saw the star show and loved that, and then saw the IMAZ Hubble 3D movie.  Pretty cool stuff.  It was fun to walk around and look at stuff too.  I did miss the old planetarium.... the big electricity ball.... but it was still fun.  Much nicer too, of course.  AND I ran into one of my old teachers!  She was my Reading Teacher in 2nd Grade.  She looked exactly the same so I hesitated to go up to her, but I just couldn't contain myself, I had to see if it was her.  She seemed okay with having a former student say hi, and she was really sweet.  She said she remembered my name, but I'm guessing she just remembers my brother.  All of my teachers liked him better.  It was a lot of fun though! I love spending that time with Charity now while she still likes me :)  She's such a cute, sweet girl.  I'm glad she got to take her new camera too :)  Made me happy that we got her that.  3-14-11

My big girl just keeps getting bigger!!!! Happy 9th Birthday, Charity!!!

My Charity is 9!  Her birthdays are so crazy for me because it just hits me everytime.  Blows my mind that I have a 9 year old!  She's so beautiful and so full of energy and love for life too.  Makes it that much more special to me.  I really do love this little girl (that's right, Charity, LITTLE!!! HA! jk.).  She's really turning out to be a sweet young lady.  I respect her in SO many ways.  She has so much integrity and so much love for doing what is right.  I know she makes her mistakes, but she is so quick to fix it and do better.  I love that she is so crazy and hyper, but laid back at the same time.  Don't know how she does it, but she does!  I wish I had her energy!  I wish I had her ability to lead as well.  She is SO aware of what is going on around her.  She knows what everyone needs to be doing at any given moment and yet comes across like she's not paying attention.  It really comes in handy when my brain stops working and I need a reminder.  She loves her family.  I think she loves her family more than anyone.  She is always doing nice things for everyone, letters, crafts, pictures, she is just always thinking of her family.  She has a lot of friends who she holds very dear too though.  Charity is a really good friend.  She is always so concerned about what is going on in her friends' lives.  I like that about her.  Charity loves DOGS!  She has been so patient over the years of not being able to have pets, she can't wait till we are in a place where she can get a dog.  She asked if we could stop and get a dog in the moving van next time we move.  She's got a lot of hope and really looks forward to life.  I think sometimes a little too much because she just grows up SO FAST!!  She is really good in school, gets top scores on everything it seems like.... well, most things.  She's mastered typing and reading.  I love that she just figures things out so quickly.  Seems like everything she tries she's a pro at.  We found that out with the Hoop Shoot especially.  And I'm really glad that she tries things.  She is in the school play this year as an Oompa Loompa and she just really knows how to get into it.  I love it.  She loves the outdoors, just playing outside, riding bikes, basketball, tag.... anything.  She likes to read, watch iCarly, and Chopped, and she likes to be in charge.... of just about anything.  She wants to start gymnastics and will do that in the next couple of weeks.  I'm excited to see what she can do there.  I'm sure she'll excel.  I wish I could take some of the credit for how amazing she is, but I don't think I can.  She's amazing on her own.  She makes the rest of us feel amazing.  Her favorites: color-blue, food-orange chicken, animal- duh, I mean Dog, can't think of anymore.... maybe she'll help me with this part later. 

Anyway, She's my favorite Charity!  I don't know what I would do without her in my life. 

Happy Birthday Cherry!!!!  I love you!!!

Looking back (sorry these are all probably the same from past years.... I don't have many of the earlier years scanned in..... but whatever :) )

Baby Charity on her BIRTHday with her new Daddy..... (they BOTH look so young!)

oh, I just love this picture!  She was such a fun little ONE year old!

Such a cute little TWO year old.... look at her little hands!!!

She's always had a love for her Grandpa's!  This is Grandpa Russ pushing her on the swing at her 3rd birthday party she shared with Casey....

HA!  Pretending to be a dog with her new jumprope the day before her 4th birthday.... who woulda thought she's still be doing this FIVE years later!

I love watching her face on her birthday :)  (turning 5!)

Her cheesy ball smile at Applebee's at her 6th birthday party

Turning 7!!!  (she just keeps getting older!)

And of course her 8th birthday last year..... STOP GROWING GIRL!!!!!  I need her to stay young!!

Happy 9th Birthday, Charity!!! I hope it's a fun one!!!

(more pictures to come, of course!)

Future Memories

- Sunday was my first time playing the organ!!!  I was so nervous!  I think it went pretty well though, now that I think about it, I wasn't shaking all that much.  Kinda nice.  The Bishop didn't help things by announcing that it was my first time playing and then giving me my call to be one of the ward organists in front of everyone, but nobody's perfect I guess.  I wish I could have been invisible during that part.  Either way though, it went well!  I had to kinda overplay the 2 slow songs I knew for the prelude.... that was a little tricky.  I played Choose the Right (how ironic, the only song I played my first year of Seminary was the first song I played on the Organ), There Is A Green Hill Far Away, and When Faith Endures (one of the shortest songs in the book :) ).  It really is fun to do something different and new.  I can't wait to learn how to use the pedals, but how nice that we have an organ that you don't have to use them.  Definitely a plus for us beginners.  I forgot to stay up and play the postlude, Gracie reminded me and I went back up there....  won't forget that next time.  So I am officially the 4th Sunday Organist :)  2-27-11

- I got to take Erika to a little gymnastics class on Wednesday.  Stephanie signed her up for a free trial with Sophie at Epic gymnastics in Murray.  I have to admit I was not that excited about it.  I thought it would be too lame for a 1 year old.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  I really really loved watching Erika and spending that time with her.  She really got into it.  I couldn't believe how much fun she was having, even just watching everyone in the beginning.  Course she really is a people watcher.  She was so excited about all the new steps.  She was nervous during the rolling down the wedge part, and the balance beam made her feel really uneasy, but she didn't let that stop her. She apparently is "a natural"!  Who woulda thought.  I kinda think they just tell you those kinds of things to get you to sign up.  Which they did a pretty good job of that because I really almost did.  Normally I would say it's silly and you can totally do all of those things at home, but after participating in it, I realized, there's so much more to it than WHAT you're doing.  The cutest part was when she was "jumping" on the trampoline.  She looked so cute stomping one foot to try to feel like she was getting some air :) ..... such a cutie.  It really was more about the time I got to spend alone with her and just enjoy that with her.  She had such a big smile on the whole time.  She kept running ahead trying to butt in line in front of the other kids.  It was adorable.  She got compliments on how well she listened and followed instructions.  I never notice those things until someone points them out.  She really is good at that.  She looked so grown up standing in line getting her sticker.  I really came so close to signing her up.  I wish I could justify spending the money on something like that.  I know she would love it, I know it would help her in ways that I can't just at home.  But it's just not time for that right now I guess.  She'll just have to keep being my little baby girl :).  3-2-11

- Saturday we spent the day moving furniture.  It was a good thing.  We went to Provo, picked up my Mom's new sectional from a friend.  Sat and ate way too much sushi for way too long.  Struggled for about 2 hours trying to get the sectional into her house and then getting her couch out.  The poor doorway will need some repair, that's for sure.  Then we rushed the couch to our house, and then FLEW up the hill to my Dad's to load up all the things that needed to go to the dump.  We were SO FAST!!!  3 couchs, a rocking chair, 3 mattresses, a box spring, a few headboards, some frames, and a few other odds and ends all loaded up in a matter of 30 minutes!  We were on a time crunch because the dump was closing.  We got to the dump with only three minutes to spare, got yelled at by the lady there because she was "going to close the gate in three minutes whether we're done or not!"  Then unloaded it all in seriously, under 3 minutes!!  That was probably one of the funnest things I have done in a long time.... Nate and I were like a couple of maniacs throwing stuff out into the compost.... Nate rocked the house with his launching the big couch out!!  Impressive.  We laughed, it was fun.  Then Nate dropped me off at the house to relieve my mom while he went up to my Dad's and filled up the truck for yet another trip to the D.I. this time.  We all went to the D. I. and then Nate headed back down to Provo to return the truck (we got discount for returning it to Provo instead of Bountiful.... go figure). Pretty busy, but very productive day and Nate and I both agreed it felt good to be sore and feel those muscles that we haven't felt in a while.  And I'm so happy to have all of our things out of my Dad's house.  3-5-11

- First Sunday in a while I didn't have to do anything.  I savored every minute of it!  3-6-11

My own Lightroom

I finally got my Lightroom Program.  My Dad worked some magic and I got it at a HUGE discount!  And I LOVE it !  So worth the wait and the wondering if it was really going to come :)....  I don't know if I'm any good at it, but I like these, so that's all that matters I guess :)  I apologize for any repeats, it takes me longer to look and see if I've posted something previously than it does to just post it..... so I just posted them.  If you have any advice for me, I'm open to it!

took me a while to make this so you could see Erika's dimples, but I did it!