Happy Birthday Bridget...Happy Mother's Day

It seems hard to believe Bridget is 2!!! Although she brings joy and happiness to our lives...she is a handful. She is very lively and always on the go. She is my shadow and repeats everything I say- guess I better watch my tongue. We are blessed to have her as part of our family and love her spunky personality (most of the time). She is a ray of Sunshine in our lives- Happy Birthday Bridget!! (the kids kept telling her to smile but to open her eyes...she couldn't grasp the concept)

"Cheesy" is the only smile Bridget knows!!
My mom and Bridget share the same birthday...what a lucky girl Bridget is. My mom is the most amazing women you'll ever meet, I wish I was more like her. She is the most loving, kind, and selfless women and my life has been extremely blessed because of her. Her Christ like attitude is an incredible example to me. My children love her dearly especially Bridget so it seems fitting they share this day together. Even though Bridget loves my mom so much right now...someday she will realize how blessed she was to have Pauli Perkinson for a grandma and that she has a lot to live up to sharing a birthday with her. Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day Mom!

The kids and Todd gave me a video ipod for mother's day which will be lots of fun if I can ever learn how to use it!! Todd made dinner for me yesterday and it was great!

IT'S A BOY!!!

I had my OB appointment yesterday along with an ultra sound and we found out that we're expecting a boy and we're all very excited!! We really felt like we couldn't lose either way but needless to say it has been a long time since we've had a baby boy in the house and it will be fun!! As far as they could tell everything looked great and baby is developing great...which is really what matters! I was glad for all the good news!

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.

March 24, 2008 HAPPY BIRTHDAY COURTNEY

Happy Birthday Courtney we love you!! I can't believe my little girl is already 6!! I couldn't decide if I should post now or later because she had quite the day planned. She's on a field trip to the zoo with her kindergarten class (daddy got to go...first field trip for dad- way to go dad)and then has a b-day party planned at Chuck E. Cheese this afternoon. So more pictures will be coming. I want to find some old pictures of her and scan them in so you can see her as a baby!! Don't hold your breath!!
She was so excited to have breakfast in bed but when it came right down to it...I'm not sure she was even awake to know she was having breakfast in bed!!
In case you were wondering...she's holding up three fingers on each hand because she's six today!!

OUCH!!!

Last night we headed to Sonic for a treat (ok it's what we did for family night...I know worst mother in the world award goes to me- but sometimes you just got to do what you got to do) and Nicole got a vanilla milk shake. Well Bridget's window was down and Nicole was sitting next to her in the middle seat so she leaned over to roll up it up. When she did the bottom of her cup hit the car seat jamming the straw into the back of her throat!!! She made and awful shrieking noise and we couldn't figure out what had happened-she wouldn't talk. We were asking her if she had a cold headache and then she said no something popped. So I told her to reach her finger back there and feel around. When she pulled it out it was covered in blood!!! She shoved a napkin in the back of her throat to stop the bleeding and when I looked inside this is what I found... It looked someone had taken a whole punch and punched a whole in her check. When we got home I called a neighbor of ours who is a Dentist to ask "WHAT NOW". He asked me if any of the straw had broken off-which it hadn't and told me the most important thing was to get the bleeding under control and other than that it just had to heal. He said she was lucky it was on the side of her throat so that when she swallows food it wont scrape the scab off....gross I know! She was incredibly brave and really didn't cry she just got real quite and said "I'm going to bed". He told me that her throat was going to be SUPER sore and feel similar to strep throat for a couple days. When I woke up this morning she as already awake and I tried to convince her to stay home but she wanted to go to school more or less to show off her battle wound I like because around 9:00 am I received a call from the nurse and Nicole wanted to come home her throat hurt so bad. She's been resting which I think she needed more than anything after that fun filled spring break and when I asked her what she would like for lunch surprisingly she said...a vanilla milk shake from Sonic!!

Easter March 23, 2008

My pictures didn't turn out that great but I didn't have time to re due them. Church started at 12:30 and I was taking these at 12:35 but I knew if I didn't take them before church they wouldn't happen. So needless to say they're not the best but it they're done!! We had a beautiful day and hope you all did as well.





This is the only picture I could get of Bridget-she wanted the camera so bad there was no reasoning with her so I gave up and settled for this

Saturday March 22 Annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Park

Bridget was so excited she could hardly wait for us to say go and when we did she ran as fast as her little legs would allow!!


Courtney found so many eggs she had to put some back!! To be young again! Gunner was there he was just so busy searching for eggs we couldn't find him for a picture.

Congratulations to the Beck's!!

Our friend's the Beck's who recently moved to Utah welcomed a new baby yesterday making that number 5 for them. He is so beautiful and perfect...it makes me anxious for September!! Welcome Baby Isaac we can't wait to meet you!!

Sun Splash in March???

After visiting the Farnsworth's the kids were lucky enough to be invited to Sun Splash with some friends of ours the Arnett's. Sun Splash is opened during spring break from 12-6 and the pool's are heated of coarse. We have season passes so that worked out great for me. They said it was a blast and the lines weren't long at all. I don't think many people know it's open which made it even more fun. You know what that place is like in the summer...hot and crowded with long lines so yesterday was a treat for them! Thanks to Lanie and Debbie for making that happen.

Farnsworth's Parakeets and Guinea Pig

As you can tell Bridget wasn't too excited about holding the Guinea Pig in the beginning but she did eventually look at it. As for the rest of them they loved it!! I was on the floor taking pictures when the pig got away and I bolted to the coach...I hate those things. Melissa got a good laugh out of it and Gunner tried to bring it to me until I threatened his life!! They loved the birds as well. I had to hold it on my hand so that Bridget would look at it and I was really glad it didn't last very long. I'm sorry to say I am NOT an animal lover. My children will have to have animals when they have there own house. We had a dog for 2 years, a turtle, fish of coarse, and an albino hamster (for 5 days). I'm done with animals...I'll stick to kids!! Thanks Farnsworths for letting us visit your zoo!!

Spring Break

It doesn't get better than this!! Sonic on the front lawn and a polar bear dip into the pool. It's been absolutely gorgeous the past few days. Spring break started out with a bang...spend the nights with the cousins on Sunday night which led to a fun filled Monday with lots of kids jumping on the trap, playing basketball, eating pizza and let's not forget the (brief) jump in the pool. Today Nicole and her friends went to the mall to have lunch and of course to buy matching outfits while Gunner, Courtney, and Bridget went to McDonalds with Grandma Perk where they ran into Aunt Lisa cousin Hannah, Leah, little Kirkie and Blair. Which gave me a much needed chance to lay on the coach and gear up for our next adventure which was a late afternoon trip to Makutu's Isaland in Chandler with Aunt Jenet and her boys. Tomorrow we will visit our friends the Farnsworth's to see there 3 new parakeets (Sister Farnsworth gets coolest mom award for that one) and then the girls and I will head to the mall in search of Easter dresses. We ordered some on line in hopes of saving me this agony but they didn't work. If I'm feeling up to it we plan to see Horton hears a Who tomorrow late afternoon. We'll see...but all in all it has been a great couple days with many more to come!!!

My Angel Nicole

I've been meaning to do this for some time now...I wanted to tell the world how great this kid is!! She has been a life saver to me the past few weeks. She is always helpful to me but has really stepped up to the plate since I've been pregnant. She is so willing to come home from school and take the two little girls down to the park or for a ride on the golf cart so I can stay laying on the couch. She has even changed dirty diapers without being asked!! She's pretty much picking up the pieces for me!! I was most proud of her last night. She has been working on a science project for school and last night was the science fair. She was a little disappointed at the fair because she didn't think hers was good enough. But I told her I thought is was the best one there because she did the whole thing all by her self. She even typed it letter by letter by herself and that is something to be proud of. There were some pretty amazing inventions at the fair yesterday but there is no doubt there was a lot of parent involvement in those ones!!! There's no way there couldn't have been. But not Nicole, I didn't have to ask her once how things were going and if she was getting it down. Everyday I saw her working on it and doing her best and in my mind that's what makes a winner!! I was so proud of the hard work she put in and even though it wasn't the greatest invention, it was to me because she took responsibility and did it her self!! Way to go Nicole, I love you and I am so proud of you!!!

Blob or Baby???

They tell us it's a baby??

I had my first OB appointment on Tuesday March 4th and it was a pretty rough day. In fact it had been a rough couple of days and by the time I saw Dr. Huish, it was time to bring in the IV fluids!! I was dehydrated and having a hard time keeping anything down. At first I felt like the fluid was making it worse but by the next day it seemed to be helping. They tried to draw my blood that same day and because I was so dehydrated my vein popped as soon as the nurse started drawing the blood. Needless to say it left a big bruise and we didn't try to take any more...there's always next time. I went back yesterday, Thursday March 6th, for an ultra sound to make sure the baby's size matched my due and thank goodness it did!!!! Really the only thing we could see on the ultra sound (I know it looks like a big blob of nothing to you) is that the baby does have 2 legs, 2 arms, 1 head, and a heart beat. That was good news. It's so hard to believe that this little tiny 3cm baby is making me so sick!!! It did make it more worth it when I saw that little thing moving all over inside!!