Nicole's Birthday Celebration

Nicole's cute friend Bailey provided the crown- we went to the Tempe Market Place where we ate a huge lunch and then the girls walked around the shops until our movie started-we saw Nim's Island

when we got home we found that the Beehive class had "heart attacked" our door to welcome Nicole into Mutual!!When we went to drop off my two nieces (Amanda & Maddy) my other niece Libby Kerr was being picked up for Prom...so of coarse I had to snap a picture! I reassured her date that I don't normally carry around my camera and that I only had it because we had just had a b-day party- he said "I thought it was odd that you had your camera with you" he's a darling boy!!

Happy Birthday Nicole

Happy Happy Birthday Nicole dear happy days will come to you all year....if I had one wish than it would be a happy happy birthday to you from me!!! It seems hard to believe Nicole is 12 today!! She is a great kid who is full of life. She loves her friends and cousins so much and would spend every waking minute with them if she could. She has had a fun filled weekend- it started with no school yesterday which was replaced with a full day of dance rehearsal and recital...followed by another recital today!! Wow-I'm exhausted- but we're not done yet! We're headed out to lunch with her cousins and her best friend Bailey Arnett and then to the movies! She does a lot for me around the house to help with Bridget and Courtney so today is all about her. I put up her "Wall of Fame" pictures and Happy Birthday banner last night and that was fun to reminisce her life. Nicole has always been a very busy child but so full of love and compassion for others. Although it seems strange that she is getting older...it has been fun to watch our relationship blossom. I enjoy talking with her and listening to what she and her friends think and feel. I hope her day is a special as she is!!


Bridget was so excited to help blow out the candle!!

Pinewood Derby

You win some...you lose some!! Last year Gunner's car came in second at our ward Pinewood Derby but not this year. Although he did well he didn't come in first, second or third which I think he was a little disappointed at. I encouraged him to be a good sport and to be happy for those who won this year. He got over his disappointment pretty fast and truth be known I think the best part for him was working with dad the week before building the car-which is really what it's all about!!

Miss Bridget

It's Sunday evening April 13th and we just got home from our family party. We got the kids ready for bed had family prayer and were tucking the kids in. I was in the girls room getting them settled and Todd was holding Bridget after tucking Gunner in and he said "Goodnight turb" (short for turbo which has been his nick name since he was about 2) and Bridget said "goodnight turd". We laughed so hard which then caused her to say it over and over again!!! She is now in her bed yelling "TODD" -she calls him Todd when she means business! Miss Bridget what are we going to do with this kid-just love her and soak up every funny thing she says!

Fish to flush

Last Sunday in Bridget's nursery class the lesson was on Heavenly Father's creations so the teacher so kindly gave every child their own fish bowl with two fish in it and taught them to say "Heavenly Father gave us fish to flush" and that we did!! She purchased the ones that only live a short time and without the oxygen drops you get at the pet store they only live about 48 hours. The first one died about an hour after we got home from church. It was swimming around frantically and then all of a sudden it flipped on its side and floated to the top. The next morning the other one died. The three older kids were a little bummed they didn't last longer and asked if we could get more since we already had a bowl. I'm sure you can guess the answer...which of coarse was "no not right now...mommy isn't feeling good enough to take care of fish. It was fun while it lasted

I thought maybe she would freak when we flushed the fish but no she just waved and said "dye dye fishy" which translate to bye bye.

Cry Baby

I don't know about any of you-but when I'm pregnant my emotions are very close to the surface!! For example Wednesday night Todd and I were watching American Idol (which I've never been into before until this year) and in the bottom three where 3 girls one being Brooke White whom had never been in the bottom three before and she was very emotional. Todd looked at me and said "are you crying?" not taking my eyes off the TV to avoid eye contact I said "yes I have not idea why other than I'm pregnant!" So with that I get to the reason of my emotions today...Nicole is getting ready to turn 12 on April 26 so we have decided to start the tradition of a General Conference trip with dad at the age of twelve. Although Nicole will not be 12 for 23more days, we decided it was best to go now since we will have a week old baby for October Conference. So this morning I dropped the two of them off at the airport and after saying good bye I got back into the car to find Celion Dion (whom I have to say I love) on the radio...and I could not control the tears!! I cried the whole way home thinking about the fact that my oldest child is turning 12 and growing up to fast. All though there are days when I think she might drive me crazy...she is such a great kid over all. I'm not ready to have a mutual age child or boys calling her (which happens exactly at 3:05 everyday-20 minutes after walking in the door). I don't like thinking that on April 26 she will start wearing make-up...you have to be 12 to officially wear make-up in this house and she is counting the days, and that I had to buy her a training bra!! I'm not old enough to guide a daughter through this or at least not mature enough. So needless to say I cried and cried until I found myself driving through Sonic to get me a diet coke at 6:55 am to comfort my aching heart. I know a lot has to do with the outrageous amount of hormones raging through my body which is causing the constant nausea but the thought of a teenage daughter isn't helping to much. It won't be long and I won't be sending her away for a weekend trip with her dad...but sending her away to college!! The thought of that caused my tears to reappear. So with that I want you all to know how much I love that little girl who is growing way to fast and most importantly I hope she knows I love her more than life itself!!!

Courtney's Birthday

It's taken me awhile to post the events of Courtney's birthday...I think because the day completely exhausted me!! I was so sick the next day I layed in bed all day! But Courtney had the "best day ever" according to her. Remember it started out with a day at the zoo with her kindergarten class followed by a fun filled party at Chuck E. Cheese. She invited 7 friends along with her brother Gunner and little sis Bridget - Nicole was unable to go because she has a gymnastics recital coming up and couldn't miss practice (truth be known I don't think she cared...she's out growing Chuck E. Cheese) It was a very manageable group and darling little girls. They had a blast and the hardest part of the night was rounding them up to go home!! We started something new this year and since Courtney has the first birthday of the year-besides daddy who didn't mind being left out of our new tradition- she got to go first. It's called our "Wall of Fame" and it's down the main hallway of our house. It has a Happy Birthday banner along with Grandma Perk's special poster that each child receives at the age of 2 and a few pictures of the child from birth on up. The kids had such a great time with this. Courtney picked the pictures she wanted to display-with some help from mom...she would have put every picture I have of her if I would have let her!! During the week it was displayed, I found her in there looking at her pictures and talking to herself as she admired what a cute baby she was. It was so precious I wanted to freeze the moment and never let her grow up. Even Todd and I sat and stared at that precious little face and commented on how fast our kids are growing up. Sometimes days and crazy and I feel like I'm losing my mind but I know when these days are gone I will miss them-so I'm trying to saver every moment. Needless to say the other kids are anxiously awaiting their birthdays so they to can be featured on our "Wall of Fame". Nothing fancy but memories none the less!!!

My wall really doesn't have rings on it...it was dark and my camera wasn't cooperating with me.
Remember I said I would try to scan some pictures in of when she was a babe...well it never happened but maybe you can catch a glimpse of how cute she was from her wall of fame pictures.