{Thanksgiving 2010 }

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving as usual. With lots of things to be thankful for! We spent the weekend in Orem with the Rifes/Parsons this year.

{ the rife/parsons girls }

{seester!} minus one :(

The table was set beautifully and the food was delicious! We are blessed to have some amazing cooks in our family!

I am thankful for the wonderful parents. They are great examples of Christlike living and two of the most generous people I know.

{ Cousins! }

After dinner, we have a tradition of going to a movie as a family.

This were we went to Tangled in 3D!

{Sunny, Ayden, uncle Brian}

{Popcorn faced Sophie! } (yucky)

It was a great day with people I love.

I am especially grateful for my best friend and love of my life. Without him I couldn't survive. I am grateful to know that I can be with him and our children through eternity.

{ FHE! }

We have been trying to do better about having FHE lately. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes with the kids. They love it and look forward to spending time together as a family.

This week we decided to make and decorate Christmas Cookies!

(with the intent to deliver them, but it ended up being too late!)

The kids had a blast and the cookies turned out great!

We are so excited for this Christmas Season and all the opportunities we have to make memories with our children. We are also trying to teach them the true meaning of Christmas and help them to think about the Savior and this special time of year.

{big bro}

I don't think you've ever met a better big brother than Ayden Sean. Boy does he love his baby sister. He even said the other day, "Mom, even when she is poopy or barfs, I still love her"! Now that's unconditional love from a 6 year old.

He loves to "babysit" her when I'm working. He carries her around and gets her snacks, bottles and toys. He can't help but give her hugs and kisses all the time, even if he tends to be too rough at times.

I am lucky to have such a big helper around to help with Myla.

I love and appreciate you Ayden!

On to the...

CARNIVAL! my kids built this Carnival all by themselves! They took flyers around to a few kids in the neighborhood.

The events...



Bulls eye! You get a toy if you hit 100!



Cans down! Self explanatory.



Pumpkin Ball! You this a ball into the pumpkin bowl!


Pretty fun! So far Madi and Ashlee are here and having a blast!

Posted from my iPhone

Fall time

Enjoying some leaf raking...








Posted from my iPhone

{ 8 month photos }

I really just need to pay a professional to take pictures of my kids. For now though, this is the best I can do.

Myla Jae is 8 months old today. She is getting so big and so smart! She has figured out that when cause and effect. She now knows that when she cries . . . someone comes to the rescue! (little stinker) But really can you get over that face . . .

Man she can turn it on too. There is a sign in her room that say "Drama Queen" and that she is! Half the time when she's crying there are no actual tears so I know she's playing it up big time!

Myla is still such a sweetie, though. And she still gets a kick out of Boston! She loves her brother and sister. She loves to be rocked to sleep by her Dad and held by her Mom. I'm always sad when they reach the stage where they only like their parents because then no one else gets to see the sweet side we get to see.

Happy 8 months, baby. I love you.

{ It's PaRTy tiMe! }

My man is 30 years old!

I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday he was the 21 year old missionary I met in Korea. Time goes by incredibly fast these days.

Logan is such a hard worker. He has been hardly sleeping lately, as he's trying to build his freelance design business. So I wanted to make his birthday a special day all about him where he could hopefully forget all his worries and feel the love of the people around him.

In the morning the kids helped me decorate the house and put his presents out. I love the tradition our family has of decorating the house with balloons, signs, and streamers. It really makes you feel special.

We had breakfast together and he opened his presents.

A few weeks ago I was thinking about Logan's birthday and what I wanted to do for him. I tried to put myself in his shoes and figure out how he would like to spend his day. The idea I came up with was a surprise dinner with his parents, siblings and their spouses. These are the people he loves most in the world. He lights up when he's around them. So I made a reservation at a Korean restaurant in Salt Lake and planned the surprise. I am the worst person at surprises. But I kept this one, and it was worth it. When we got to the restaurant everyone was there hiding in the banquet room. He was so confused when, instead of waiting to be seated, I just headed back. The room was decorated but there were no people. He just looked at me so confused and then his family jumped out and yelled SURPRISE! It was perfect! He had no idea!

{This picture was taken right after we walked in! I had the biggest headache from stressing about getting there and keeping the surprise!}

We had a wonderful dinner together.His family is so fun. (and loud) I had asked everyone to come prepared to tell funny stories about Logan growing up. They went around one by one telling their reminiscing and laughing.

When I was preparing what I wanted to say, no funny stories came to mind, not that there aren't plenty. But I was just overwhelmed with feelings of love and admiration for this man I have the pleasure of spending my life with. I don't know how many nights I laid in bed crying, thinking about how much I love him. So when it was my turn I told them that. I wanted his family, especially his parents, to know how wonderful he is and how much he blesses my life.

Logan, I know I tell you this all the time, but you truly are the man of my dreams. You make me happier then I ever thought I could be.

I love you 40 babe, Happy Birthday.

{ aYDeN SeAn }

My baby boy turned 6!

Wow that makes me feel old. I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. Although it's hard to imagine only having one child!

Ayden is a busy kid. He is in Kindergarden at Lincoln Elementary where he is the top of his class. His teacher loves him and he is her helper. He is reading on a first grade level and blowing us away. The other day he saw a sign for IHop and asked, "Mom, what does buttermilk mean?" I couldn't believe he could read that word!

(he is currently reading this whole post without any help!)

He still LOVES to dance! He dances at JDS 3 days a week for a total of 7 hours a week! (and loves every minute of it!) He was also chosen to be on the Mini Jazz kids team meaning he will get to perform at a few Jazz games this season. His first game is on December 1st. He has become excellent at tumbling as well. He has his back walkover, back handspring, round off back handspring, and ariel! Pretty amazing for a little guy.

Ayden LOVES his baby sister. He loves to carry her (much to my dismay) and playing with her. And she loves him too.

He also loves to play with friends. It's not a good day if he doesn't get to play with a friend. We are lacking in boys his age in our neighborhood though, so most of his friends are still girls. He has become really good friends with the girl we carpool with named Delainey.

Ayden likes to do anything and everything with his Dad. He knows that if he's with Dad, he'll have a good time. They watch movies together, build forts, play wii, make crafts, you name it! They are good buddies.

Ayden knows what he wants and he is willing to put up a fight for it. That will pay off as a good quality later in life I'm sure, but for now it makes him a little on the argumentative side. He's our fighter. He is in a constant state of try to wheel and deal into getting his way.

Ayden got to have 3 little parties this year instead of 1 big party. His birthday week started Sunday night in Orem.

He wanted GO UTES cupcakes but he knows that my parents are BYU fans so he asked me to make Y cupcakes for them. But when I asked him what color to make the Y's he thought he was pretty funny when he decided on RED!

On Monday night we went to Logan's parents for the annual Pumpkin carving extravaganza/ Ayden's birthday!

He got to open presents from all of his cousins and have some more Utes cupcakes!

(I made a lot of cupcakes that week)

{Ayden's (Mary's) sweet skull pumpkin!}

The next morning (his actual birthday) he woke up to a decorated house and presents to open!

{The much anticipated Blizzard maker!}

And of course if you get a blizzard maker for your birthday you have to eat ice cream for breakfast!!

Later that day I brought cookies to his kindergarden class and got to see them sing to him!

I think he had a pretty great birthday! I love this little guy and I'm glad I got to spend the first 6 years of his life with him!