Memorial Day

For as long as I can remember my family has gone to the cemetery for Memorial Day where my Grandma and Grandpa Udall along with my Uncle King are buried. We all meet around 9:30 and reacquaint ourselves with cousins we don't see that often and then we have a little program about the importance of this great country we live in and the lives that have been lost in our behalf. We talk about the men and women who have served and those who continue to serve for our freedom. It is a pretty neat tradition that is now caring on down to the next generation. My mom was the youngest of 11 children and I am the youngest grandchild of 64 for my Grandma and Grandpa Udall. 5 of my grandparents sons and 6 of their sons-in-laws have served in the armed forces. It used to be just go to the cemetery take part in the program and head home...but now with our own children we make a day out of it. After we are finished at the cemetery we all head to In -n- Out Burger...poor people...you should see their faces as 64 plus people come walking in at once, then to the movies where we try to divide and conquer the different age groups and then to one of our houses for swimming and pizza. The day begins around 9 and finally comes to an end sometime around 7 or 8. The kids think it should never end...they never seem to get tired of each other. I am so blessed to have such a great family and love living so close to them all.
This is most of my immediate family-minus the nine who were unable to make it. It is something we try to attend every year not only out of respect to my grandparents and Uncle but also for my mom.
Uncle King was my mom's 2nd oldest brother who was killed on May 19, 1944 64 years ago during WW11 when he was struck my lightning. My mom was 9 years old at the time of his death and recalls the day the knock came at the door to inform the family of his death. My grandmother Udall had been sick and when she got the news she fainted at the door. My mom also recalls the white flag that hung in their window which represented that the family had loved ones serving in the war. After the death of my Uncle a gold flag was also hung in the window represented the death of a solider. It was a very sad time for my grandma...I can only imagine!!

Behind us is the flag that was draped over my Uncle King's casket when he returned from World War 11. It's kind of hard to see but it only has 48 stars on it- he died before the two others states where added to make it 50 states...pretty cool!This is a picture of my parents with a few of my aunts and uncles.
On to the next stop... In -n- Out Burger- Yummy Yummy!!


Final destination- Uncle Greg and Aunt Jenet's house for swimming and pizza.




Bridget with her favorite cousin Blair Bowden

Arizona Rain Storm

In Arizona it rains just enough to make a mess of our cars and run all the dirt from the rooftops to our driveways and patios making them nice and dusty!! But the other day as the kids were getting home from school it started to rain and Courtney looked up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and said..."can I run in it" as you can see the answer was yes and they all had a blast getting just wet enough to have a load of wet dirty clothes to wash! But their happy smiling faces made it all worth it!

Catching Up...

Life got really crazy around the middle of April and I fell way behind on my blog not to mention life! But I wanted to share with you what made it so busy and how much fun we had while losing our minds in the chaos!!! The girls both got to perform in a Gymnastics recital as well as a Dance recital on back to back weekends...with a little 6th grade science camp in between. My in-laws flew in to watch the girls gym recital and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law so kindly stayed the following week so I could attend science camp with Nicole. Which was 3 days and 2 nights just outside of Payson. I was a cabin mom with Lanie Arnett and Tiffany Arnett and we had 9 girls to attend to, hikes to go on, capers to do, classes to attend and nights to SURVIVE!! But it was tons of fun and I'm so grateful my family made it possible for me to go. Needless to say by the time those two weeks were over I was physically exhausted but great memories had been made!!

Nicole and Courtney with some of their Perkinson cousins.

Nicole and I on the hike to the fish hatchery...the hike was definitely the best part!!!
Nicole and her best friend Bailey Arnett
Last day of science camp...picture time!!

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