Wardell Family

Happy Halloween Decorating!

2011-10-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

So this sweet little site called Pinterest has sparked my interest;) and here are some things I've been inspired to do...Starting with my entryway...

The letters are prints I purchased from http://www.andersruff.com/. They have CUTE stuff on there-some of it is even free!! Speaking of FREE...the branches were! They were lonely, laying on the grounds of the neighborhood park across the street so I spray painted them (along with my hands;) and added them to some black stones and small vases I had purchased from Dollar Tree.

Here is a cute little witch we found in our tree!

Happy Halloween from our "Pumpkin Patch" to yours!

Baby Shower

2011-09-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Ginger, and I had a blast decorating for a "all things PINK" baby girl shower!!!!

The ornaments were glitterfied with sparkly pink and tied with pink bows.

For the food, we had pink and brownie bites, chicken salad sandwiches, pink cream cheese pizza cookies, pink cupcakes, pink treats, etc.

I made a paper bunting banner that said "It's A Girl!"

This table bouquet was made with cupcake liners, pins, a styrofoam ball, a candle stick, and ribbon! EASY!

And since I kinda have a thing for birds, we incorporated that into our decor;)

Ginger made some cool milk bottles with vinyl "P" monogrammed on it for the baby girl's name-to-be.

She filled them with strawberry lemonade and cute pink and white striped paper straws.
It was a fun night!!!

THINK PINK!

My Next Project...

2011-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

This wreath is made of book paper, styrofoam, and hot glue. It sounds pretty easy, but I will let you know! Anything I can do from the comfort of my couch and is THIS cute, I will greet with open arms...
Will keep ya posted;)

Dollar Tree Craft

2010-09-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

These cute little tiers are a new project I can see in my future (to be done on Wednesday when kids are allll in school;). The BEST thing about these is you can find all of the materials (minus the Spray Paint) at The Dollar Tree!!! So it costs about $6!
You can find more at http://www.joyshope.com/2010/06/carnival-of-tiered-trays.html

But keep in mind - these are NOT FOOD FRIENDLY...so if you decide to display food on them, be sure to put down cupcake liners for cupcakes and doilies for other goodies. I was also thinking...jewelery storage? A cute place for keys and spare change to spruce up your kitchen...
Love my kids, but, I can't wait for Wednesday:)

Heavenly Cupcakes

2010-09-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

I think I found a new favorite! We had a YW recipe activity. We were to bring 3 favorite FHE recipes and this was one of mine...(and I didn't know this was a fave until I made it).

With chocolate and peanut butter, how can you go wrong? Notice the reese's peanut butter cup in the middle!

Here's the recipe:

Feel free to print this out....and here is the frosting (really yum!):

Mmmmm

disclaimer: the photo is not mine...unfortunately they are gone and there is no proof I ever made these, except for my evergrowing stomach. I blame it on my pregnancy, but I am sure it's a little of the cupcakes too;)

Sports...

2010-09-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

We are learning quickly how much fun it is to watch the boys play in sports. Brock is in Football and had his first game last Saturday. I was taken back when we walked to the bleachers to see my lil boy is playing on a high school football field...that's a lot of area to run!

Ty got to help coach and is watching Brock from the sideline...

They won 16-9 - GO LIONS!

Go #10!

Cutest little cheerleaders!

Then Trey had a soccer game right after (and can I just say that a 95 degree day in the south feels like 115 with all that humidity?!). Trey's team won too (6-zip) Go Hammerheads!!!

And go cutest #4 there ever was!!

Seriously is there anything cuter than 4 year olds playing soccer?

Kade turns 2!!!

2010-09-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 2 years already! Kade had his second birthday in Destin (just like last year)!

(1 yr. old)

We had such a good time playing at the beach and walking around the BayWharf area.

2 yrs. old

A little something about Trey...

2010-08-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

I want to start doing more individual posts about my kids (well more posting in general on here:).
This post is about my sweet boy, Trey!

Trey has a smile that lights up any room, and his heart is huge! He is a very easy-going and intelligent little boy. I just love his willingness to support his big brother in all he does, without jealousy or envy. His younger brother, Kade, tends to beat up on him a little bit and Trey has learned to turn the other cheek. He is so proud of his baby bro. Trey is very fast, and is playing soccer this fall.

I hope to be more like him someday.

His 4th birthday party!

We love you Trey!

When in Rome...

2010-08-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Actually when in Alabama...do as the Alabamians do. PLAY FOOTBALL! Ok, so I am a little hesitant to watch my son hit and be hit by other football players (some bigger than him). But this is something he has wanted to do for 3 years now and we are trying it out! Will keep you posted...

Hawaii 2010

2010-07-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Pictures of us biking down the volcano in Maui...23 miles! (good thing it was mostly downhill:)

We went on a kinda last minute got a good deal vacation to Hawaii this summer and it was just what the doctor ordered! Ty and I (no kids:) spent 6 days in Maui. Here are just a few pics from the trip.

School's out for summer...

2010-07-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Brock had "Family Fun Day" at school where they played field games, sang songs, and received "Kindergarten Graduation" certificates. Mrs. Miller was such a sweet teacher and Brock misses her already! He made many friends (as you can see he favors the ladies;) and looks forward to 1st grade next year!

Fishing in Colorado

2010-07-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

My Dad has spent so much time and energy building a beautiful cabin in the mountains of Colorado. We found out there the extent of what he has done single-handedly and we couldn't believe our eyes! Not that he hasn't had help, but it was amazing to me what he has done with his own 2 crafty hands. That being said, we took no pics of the place :( but here are some great ones of the boys fishing with their Grandpa Eastman:
All in all, I think we counted 25 fish. We had to let about half of those go. We had such a great time fishing and getting dirty!

Baseball time

2010-07-09T07:20:00.001-07:00

Brock and his biggest fan:)
so excited about the drinks!

Last game of the season

The silly stuff we do on the way to practices

up to bat...

The team walking to their first game

Brock and the coach

on deck...

Baseball season has always been one of our favorite times of year. Brock was so excited when we found out there was a program here in Prattville.

Spring Time

2010-04-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

It was 85 degrees here today! Alabama has been good to us so far...but the summer is a beating, so we are making the most of the weather while we can. Spring is BEAUTIFUL! More pics to come...Spring Break, Easter, etc...

But it's late and I must say g'nite for now!

Random thoughts...

2010-04-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else feel like they could be better?
Like a better friend, better Mom, wife, daughter, etc? Gosh, I feel like that all the time and wish there was more time to do what I would like to do. For instance, call my friends I miss so much in Tx, Ct, Ut, etc., post a comment on your blog, actually sit down and play for a long time with my kids without thinking about the millions of things I have to get done, etc. Anyway, I am going to take the time and post some pics on here and then I will take the TIME to blog surf. If you have actually come back and read my blog at all, PLEASE forgive me for being a slacker friend/sister/daughter (although I doubt my family reads this except my awesome Mom and my awesome sister, Lori and they have to accept my flaws;). I love you all!!!

HAPPY EASTER TOO!

Snow in Alabama!

2010-02-12T09:29:00.001-08:00

As I post this it is snowing in Prattville, Alabama! It is so pretty and the boys are enjoying every bit of it. They got a snow day and no school...YAY!

We love days like these:)

Catchin' up! $

2010-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the boys playing in the snow in Layton, Utah...

They also helped shovel the driveway...

Thanksgiving:
First of all, I can't believe i am this far behind in my blogging!
Last Thanksgiving, Lori and her family came out to visit us. They flew into Atlanta, and we headed to the Georgia Aquarium first thing that next morning. We then let the boys run around. It was so much fun having them here! Love ya sis!

My beautiful sister and her beautiful daughter, Katelyn LaRae

Brock and Benson...they are good buddies:)

Boys running around...doing what they do best

Allen's pro photography at its best...thanks bro!

Lil Kate and Aunti Am. She is so precious!

Christmas: (didn't bring our camera:( Anxiously opening presents on Christmas morn at Papa and Grma Janet's house..

It was a crazy holiday season, but we feel so blessed to have been able to see our wonderful family and some friends. Mom had a heart attack 2 days before I was scheduled to fly out, so needless to say I left early with Kade and found her laying in bed at the hospital...completely broke my heart!

She recovered well, and we had some great times together while she was taking it easy at home. I really appreciate ya Mom and am so happy you are with Grandpa in AZ, keeping him company!

The boys loved playing in the snow, and seeing their grandparents and cousins!

Happy New Year!:
Wow...it's already 2010! Time has really flown. Ty and I have decided to make some resolutions, but nothing on paper. I think this year, I want to simplify and see what's really important in my life. I of course want to be healthy and be a better mom and wife. I think that will come with my first resolution though.
When Lori was out here we had a good talk about the word "Simplify". It is something the prophet of our church has said we must all do. I think he meant financially, and also in how we manage our time and priorities. As a society, we tend to overwork and stress over temporary gains in life. After seeing some family members who are struggling in Utah, I decided that those temporary things don't matter. I am humbled by the strength of my family as they continue to go through their trials in life. I love you all!

Disney Cruise 2009

2009-11-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

Every other year we try to go on a Disney Cruise. This was our third and it gets better every time. There were too many pics to post but here are a few...

Semi formal night at the Animator's pallette (all the pictures on the wall turn from b&w to color). St. Croix

Castaway Cay (Disney Island)

The Flying Dutchman from "Pirate's of the Caribbean"

Dale (Ty just informed me the one with the black nose is Chip...wow impressive!) was Kade's least favorite!

Kade at the splashpark

Night out without kids ;) We both crush on the Mouse's

St. Croix again

Kids' favorite night on the ship!

A Star Wars Halloween

2009-11-03T07:11:00.001-08:00

We decided to go with a theme this Halloween...Star Wars! This was Brock's idea and he was very pleased with everyone's costumes. Ty (Darth) and Kade's (baby yoda)pics are coming up!

The Boys had a great time at their Halloween Parties at school.

Fun, Sun, and tons of Sand!

2009-10-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

A few fun pics of our Labor Day Weekend in Destin. As you can see Ty was the king of the sandcastles again and Kade loved getting it everywhere! We couldn't get enough of that gorgeous emerald water either...awww!

Fleur Designs Greeting Cards

2009-08-28T11:01:00.001-07:00

Join me as I welcome "Fleur Designs" greeting cards (formerly known as "Announceit!"). This new site is filled with goodies. New templates are done and ready to go! The holidays are on their way (they will come faster than you know) so it is time to schedule your pictures so we can get your cards ordered! Visit Fleur Designs to see the fresh new choices you have for the 2009 Holiday Season! And remember, I am happy to custom design your card too. I just want you to be happy with the card you send out to your family and friends!

Feel free to leave me a comment or email me: fleurfun@gmail.com with any questions.

Brock's First Day of Kindergarten...

2009-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

(you can't see it, but in the right pic, Brock is mumbling under his breath, "Mom...please stop")

First Days

It wasn't long ago, you gave us quite a scare

you came as an early baby, was almost more than I could bear,

But now I know you came just right when we needed you,

not long after, you turned one, then the terrible 2's!

Your first day of preschool, you gave us a grin,

No crying or fussing when we walked you in,

And you would tell me you loved me this much,

arms stretched out wide, no scowls at my touch,

Then came the day I had to let you be,

excitement, fear, and anxiety,

It was the first day of Kindergarten,

I wanted to hold your hand,

But you were determined to be a little man,

"Just go, Mom. I'm fine. Don't cry, ok?"

So I held back the tears and watched you walk away,

Brock, you're my baby and always will be,

so when you come home each day to me,

I'll secretly hold you, no one will know, you

just give me that moment of time with Mommy.

I love you Beamer!!!

-Mommy

11 months...already!

2009-07-31T21:42:00.001-07:00

Can't believe he will be 11 months old in a few days...that much closer to ONE!

Love you baby doll!

Lil' Trips

2009-07-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

This summer has been filled with small trips to various places...
A couple weekends ago we made our way to Atlanta and saw a Braves game. The boys had the a great time! On our way back to Prattville, we stopped by Callaway Gardens, a beautiful place in the mountains (for Georgia, they are mountains:) with recreational activities, a circus, lakes, paddle boats, slides, biking trails, flower gardens, and a butterfly house. We hope to be able to spend more time there the next time we go, since there is so much to do.

Happy Birthday Trey Braden!

2009-07-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Our little man is turning 3 in the morning. I am up tonight thinking about how blessed I am to have him in our family. There is something so special about Trey. Since before he was born, he was independent and had his own way of doing things. He wanted to come when I was only 32 weeks along...bed rest for 5 weeks fixed that:) When he arrived, his big brother was the happiest little guy I had ever seen! They have been best friends ever since. He is the best big and little brother you could ask for. Anyone who knows Trey describes him as "sweet". A good friend of mine described him to me the other day as "content". Everyday I say, "Trey, guess what I need?!" He then jumps into my arms and gives me the biggest hug. Trey is most likely going to be the smallest of his brothers :) but he is gonna be quick and his heart will always be big!

We are so blessed as a family to have his spirit in our home and I have no doubt he will continue to grow and be someone very special! Happy Birthday Trey Bray! I LOVE YOU funny kid!

Fourth of July

2009-07-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Barbie, Chad, Collin, and Connor drove over 10 hours to see us over the weekend. We had a really good time with them! We went swimming with the kids, ate lots of yummy food, celebrated Ty and Barbie's birthday (7/3), and went to our little town's cute Independence Day celebration. Here are some pics:

(I won't mention their age, but Ty is a few years older;). We ate chocolate cake with blue AND pink sprinkles.We played lots and lots of Rockband, too! (We let them win)

Kade's First Independence Day!

Don't worry...I'm NOT trying to make him a girl, but he would be so pretty. j/k They threw tons of these necklaces along with candy at the parade. I wish I had more pics of the cute little town parade, but Barbie has it on her camera (since I forgot mine). The fireworks show was one of the biggest I have seen, with 3 grand finales...that was a nice surprise!

Moved in

2009-07-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Happy to be settled!

We are moved in! There are a few more things to do but we are pretty much settled. Here are some things we have been up to since my last post (forever ago).

-Brock and Trey are in a summer program twice a week to get them ready for school again

-Kade is "Military" crawling

-Ty made it back safely from Mexico

-I am just having fun decorating the house and getting ready for company this evening! Oh-and I can't wait to see my sis and her new baby girl when she arrives at the end of this month!!!

Here are some pics of the house:

Play room

Breakfast Nook (before)

(After)

(chairs are now painted black...Candi, do you like this better? I said I would post it for ya:)

Entryway

Stairs

Whoo hoo! Stairs!

Father's Day

Father's Day was nice. We made Ty his favorite cake (chocolate with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting!) He is such a good daddy and our sons love him sooooo much!

Sweet Reunion

I think the happiest thing since Christmas was when we found Trey's bear! The movers packed it since I left it out on his bed by accident. He was very pleased to see his lil' sleep buddy again!

My funny one

2009-05-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

This picture kills me! I'm thinkin'...blue slurpee?

It seems that every family has that one funny kid. Well, Trey is ours! He is pretty dry about it but when he says or does anything funny it is all his idea. He is almost 3 and already we can see his sense of humor. Here are some photos he took of himself...or maybe Brock took them.

I didn't even know they were on my camera until I uploaded them onto my computer today. Love you sweetie!

Dance Party

2009-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

So today was kind of a restful one since we have been go- go -go for the past 2 days. Plus I was too lazy to get out of my pj's until...well I won't even tell ya that part. Anyway, the boys wanted to have a dancing party and show off their mad skills. I wanted you to see that Kade is sitting up! YAY!

Bad news and...good news!

2009-05-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

+
=

2 things that don't belong together!

So, Trey is a pretty quiet, independent kid. When he goes into the other room, it is usually to play...sometimes by himself. Well, today I wasn't sure where he was so I thought I would look for him and he was in my room...nail polish in hand. Nail polish on the carpet, on the wall, in the bathroom, on the toilet, on his clothes, his hands...you get the picture! I told him to go to his room. I knew that if I didn't tell him right away I might start to cry right then and there. I may even raise my voice a little...who am I kidding?! I would have raised my voice a LOT. But when I asked him why he did it he said, "I was painting". It is true-the nail polish is paint. I "paint" my nails, he paints the wall. Makes sense...for a kid I guess. Everything came out except most of it in the carpet...any suggestions?! I am calling a carpet cleaner tomorrow.

Good news! We have a contract on a house in Prattville! We are sad it is in a different ward but I have already made my friends PROMISE they will still be our friends even if we move there. :) I bribed them and black-mailed them into that promise because that is the kind of friend I am! Really, though...we are ready and getting excited! I found this pic online (why is it still online Mr. Seller of the house?! Hmm?).

Since Brock starts school in the fall, our options in the "good" school district were limited in Montgomery, so we had to buy in Prattville. We have come to peace with our decision and hope Prattville is ready for 3 crazy boys. Ready or not, here we come!

Fleur Designs

2009-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Since 2006, I have been creating greeting cards/announcements. Well, I love doing blog design, as well as digital scrapbooking so I made my Announceit! blog into a 3-in-1 site to accomodate different products. "FLEUR DESIGNS" is a strictly digital design site where you will find:

-Blog backgrounds/headers (custom also available)

-Scrapbook design

-Greeting cards and announcements

Feel free to check it all out and don't forget to mention Fleur Designs on your blog for a...drum roll please...

FREE blog background! Just click on the above logo to enter into the site and leave me a comment there with the template # you like. After you receive your free template, check the instructions on the blog to help you upload the template. I will be posting more backgrounds so be sure to check in often! Have fun!

Montgomery Updates

2009-04-28T19:26:00.001-07:00

Our 3 lil' stinkers are doing well here...

Here is the apartment Ty's company is allowing us to live in until we move into our new home
(What's with the crazy smiles? Why are they in kahoots against me?!)
Here is what we have been up to since we moved to Alabama. We have made some great friends here! We have been to the zoo, which was surprisingly impressive. It is really big with a train that takes you through the exhibits, as well as an awesome playground for the kids.

Big Trey, Brock, Scott, Toby, and lil' Trey

In Prattville, there is an "Outdoor World", which the boys LoVe!

So far, so good here. We really really miss Texas but we are keeping ourselves busy and feeling truly blessed by our experiences and friends we have made here already.

Destin Beach, Florida

2009-04-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

The baby's shady retreat:)

This daddy makes the BeSt sand castles!

Here are Brock and Trey running from the waves...it was pretty cold!

Kade's first day at the beach-March 2009

This is our new favorite place to go! Destin, Florida is only about 3 hrs away, so it is the perfect weekend getaway. We plan on spending lots of time there! The beaches are white sand and they make the perfect sand castles:)

A little piece of Texas

2009-04-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Since we have moved from Texas, I wanted pics with bluebonnets to have as a memory of our years there. Texas has the most beautiful bluebonnets...they are, in fact, the state flower! Don't you think this place is beautiful?! My sister-in-law, Becky found this amazing location in Ennis, Tx-just south of Dallas. It is called, "Bluebonnet Trail". The day we moved (even though we were all sick) I threw the kids into the car and headed over just in time for sunset. As I drove up the bend to this field, my mouth fell wide open. As you can see, Becky has a knack for this-she brought the props that were perfect for 3 little boys. I wanted to build a house right in the middle of this field...it seriously takes your breath away!

Check out Becky's photography blog: http://pebblebrookportraits.blogspot.com/ or http://www.pebblebrookportraits.com/

She customizes her work with props perfect for you, and her prices are VERY reasonable! Check out Pebblebrook Portraits.

Well, we are home now. I feel bad there were about a dozen people I wanted to see while I was out there, but you wouldn't have wanted to be near us! As we got everything together, we were sick as dogs! We miss Texas but are also happy to be home again in Alabama.

I know...pictures are better!

2009-04-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am still trying to get the hang of this "3 kids" thing! I totally ache at the thought of taking all of them out to the store. Then when it is Saturday, do I want to spend all day shopping for usb cords for my camera or for bread?! NO! I wanna party and that is what we do on Saturday (oh, and we clean). So sorry there are NO pics here! (I really need school to start)
UPDATE:
I got home a day early from Arizona, after going to my Grandma's funeral, and poor Brock was in soooo much pain! He had his tonsils out the week prior to that and it was nearing the end (which is the hardest time) by the time I flew back. We are happy to say he is lots better now!
Friday last week was a blast! We took Brock to Chuck E Cheese for his birthday and some great new friends came along. (pics to come later:)
Saturday was Brock's 5th birthday!!! We went to the ward Easter Egg Hunt put on by the primary. There were 700 eggs so every child came home with TONS!
That night, we opened more gifts for Brock's birthday and he got to stay up playing Star Wars "Light Saber Duels" for the Wii. And here's a pic:(ignore the for ages 12+-it doesn't matter when it comes to Brock-if you know him, you know what I mean)

Can I just say I love our ward! We have already made great friends and really feel blessed to know them. Moving is never easy, but they have sure made this transition easier for us.

Grandma and Me

2009-04-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

I dreamed a dream of Grandma and me,
We were on the other side,
She showed me why so fervently,
God's commandments we shall abide,

She took my hands, and we danced around,
Tears rolling down her face,
"Oh, can you believe it? I just had to show you!",
"There is no where else like this place!"

"Oh, dear Grandma, look how you've changed!"
I said so curiously,
She no longer shook, she spoke and she laughed,
Grandma Jet could finally be free,

I looked around to see the perfect
Touch of God's great hand,
Unbelieving, my eyes were confused,
Grandma said one day I'd understand,

The place we call heaven, our eyes are too blind,
'tis not what you can imagine!
The colors, the joy, eternal peace of mind,
His spirit, your constant companion,

When it was my sad time to go,
I hugged my Grandma real tight,
She whispered sweetly in my ear,
"Thank you for coming here tonight",

We said, "I love you" numberless times,
Enough to last me everyday,
And when I awoke, I realized,
I wish I could have stayed.

When I return with so much honor,
I hope to see Him too,
The one who gave His life so selflessly,
For me and for you.

My Grandma Geraldine Nations Watkins

2009-03-30T20:38:00.001-07:00

This may be the last night of my Grandmother's life, or maybe the last week. Either way, her time is soon and I wanted to pay a special tribute to this wonderful lady. Because I am not there with her tonight I feel a need to at least share the feelings I have inside for this most cherished woman in my life...for I feel such a connection to her.

Grandma has always been the life of the party! When I think of her, I can not help but giggle a little. If you go to her house, she is in the spotlight, telling you a story, or a funny joke. Grandma loved drama, and could act quite well. She could write poetry and stories that painted the perfect picture. When I was a little girl, she would tell me the story of "Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears". She would change her voice for each character, and twist the words around a little bit. My favorite part was when the Mama bear said "MY pourage is too cold" and Papa bear would say, "By George, I think you're right!". She is so funny!

Grandma has always been my biggest fan...no matter WHAT I did. She was so in tune with me, and always cheered me on in my life. When I was engaged to marry the wrong man, who made me feel really bad about myself, she called me one night and said very plainly, "Amber, you know you can't marry him!" I told her that I knew but I didn't know what to do and she said, "You get in your car and you come and visit me". That is eventually what I did. I remember always getting up on stage to perform and knowing that if Grandma could be there, she would think I was amazing! She always asked me to get up and sing and when I was a little girl that is just what I did. I wish I could sing to her now...

I can't think of a more gentle heart.

Her heart belongs to her highschool sweetheart, Lorum. Grandpa and Grandma share a deep, undconditional love. When Grandma would go out of town, Grandpa would miss her so much that he would go to the nearest Target and wait in the food court, pretending she was shopping (since that is what he would do when she was in town:). I know Grandpa will miss her dearly.

As her life grew a little harder, and her breath became a little shorter, she couldn't tell the stories as boldly as she used to. But that didn't stop her from trying! Grandma kept smiling, even when the Parkinson's slowed her down and made her shake a little. I know she is going to a better place very, very soon; whether it be tonight or some time in the next few days. She is going to see her sister, her mother, her father, and many other friends and family that can't WAIT to hear her stories and smile with her again on the other side. "She will be in the other room", as my Mom likes to say. I bet the first thing she does is dance around and laugh, clasping her hands together like she used to do.

Grandma, I know I am not there with you now, but I am coming on Wednesday. If I miss you before you pass, please know that you are one of the biggest reasons I believe in myself. I can't WAIT to throw my arms around you again. Thank you for never ever giving up on me! I love you completely!

I will miss you, but God be with you until we meet again Grandma.

Create!

2009-03-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on my friend, Cindy's blog (who happened to make me some yummy cupcakes for my birthday yesterday:) and it made me cry. I feel so strongly that this is true. We are children of a creative Heavenly Father who created US. We should use this desire to create in a positive way.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty."

Our recent happenings...pictureless and all!

2009-03-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach this last weekend and sadly we left the usb cord to upload pics to our computer in Texas so I will post some as soon as we buy a new one!

We are only 2 1/2 - 3 hrs to Destin Beach...beautiful white sandy beach! The boys had a blast running from the waves since the water was cold, making sand castles and driving their trucks around on the beach. This was Kade's first time to see the ocean and he had so much fun, he fell asleep in the middle of it:)

Yesterday we went to the zoo with some good friends we have met in the ward and again when the pics can be uploaded, I will post them. Luckily, there are many little boys in our ward so our kids have fun with them!

We miss Texas, but are really having a great time here in Alabama.

HANDMADE FUN

2009-02-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend, Ashley's blog and thought it was a fun idea. So...The first FIVE people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)
4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It could be anything-I am in no means a seamstress so don't expect it to be fancy! I may bake you something and mail it to you. It may be a poem, a gift designed JUST for you...Who knows?
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. Believe me... it may blow your mind!

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! Sounds like fun, right?So let's play! WHO'S IN?!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

After our long week of getting our house ready to be placed on the market, we were ready for a fun weekend. We started out with Brock's Valentine's day party. We were sad to think it would be the last time we might see some great Moms and teachers there at Little Saints. Brock with his goody bag:)

Here they are at the party with Brock's hat he made to celebrate this day of love.
Ty and I went to Cheesecake Factory (my fave) on Friday and Ty's favorite Thai food restaurant, Jasmine on Valentine's night. It was really good and even though we had the baby was with us, it was a nice break.

Hope you all had a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Sweet Home...Alabama?!

2009-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official! We are moving our family to Alabama for a great job opportunity. We are so sad to leave the wonderful friends we have made since we moved here to McKinney. We will miss you ALL but we know that with this blog, facebook, email, etc we can keep in touch! I thank the Lord for guiding us here and look forward to what He has in store for us in Montgomery.

On top of that, my Mom fell and hit her head last week on the ice. After receiving a blessing from our friends down the street, we were on our way to the ER. From there, she learned her head bled from the blow and had to go to ICU. After 2 MRI's and 2 CT scans, as well as a week in the hospital, Mom is doing much better! She is home today and we are happy to have these next few weeks to spend with her before we move. I have a testimony of priesthood blessings! She was able to be diagnosed with other problems as a result of her injury through the MRI's and CT scans. Now Dr's have been able to help her other issues and hopefully prevent upcoming strokes/heart attacks with future surgery. It has been a crazy week but we are looking at the blessings along the way and thank our Heavenly Father for keeping us safe in his hands.

WE WILL MISS YOU TEXAS!

This is to Ty from us!

2009-01-28T16:23:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Hope you can swim...this is PRETTY deep!

2009-01-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted, so thought I would just type a post to say how GRATEFUL I am for all the BLESSINGS I have in my LIFE! Yeah, I know it's not Thanksgiving or anything but recently I have had time to reflect on all I have going in life and I am THANKFUL for:

My faithful pioneer relatives who walked over 1500 miles to find a place they could live and be accepted, as well as practice the true religion of Jesus Christ. I am THANKFUL I am a part of that religion. I often wonder how faithful I would have been had I been there.

FRIENDSHIPS that I have developed every place I have lived. I am GRATEFUL for the wonderful people I have met in my life and now our life as a family not only here, but overseas as well. I am blessed to be able to stay connected with those people and continue being their friend! I know that certain paths have been crossed for a REASON and I will never be the same.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is UNSEEN. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is ETERNAL. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

I am thankful for being taught to look at things in the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE...to try and see beyond this world. Am I doing what I need to do to get to where I need to be? Am I allowing God to mold me to be the person he sees me to be? It is so easy to let the material things, everyday annoyances, and issues get in the way of what REALLY MATTERS. I am GRATEFUL to know that the grass isn't greener anywhere except where my Heavenly Father is. Hollywood would like us to think that what we wear, say or how much money we have is important. Really....it doesn't matter eternally what the world thinks! Are you doing what is right for your forever family?
The pioneers had an eternal perspective when they walked across the plains...especially those who died doing it.

I save the best for last...my FAMILY! I am grateful for such patient, strong, fun, and loving kids and a husband who does EVERYTHING for us...never himself. It is good to know that on this JOURNEY, I have such great guys to help me along:)

Did I drowned you in "deep thoughts by Amber"? It has been a cold day indoors and it has allowed me to "reflect". I would like to know...what are you THANKFUL for?

Fun Pics with Brock

2009-01-13T18:41:00.001-08:00

Guess I'm in the lovey dovey mood lately with my kids....

We had a fun day today. Yes, I have a ton of laundry to fold but this was way more fun! These are my favorite kind of times.

Giving kisses in the mornin'

2009-01-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Just couldn't resist posting these pics of us giving kisses to eachother this morning. I have really enjoyed this little exchange lately. I love this little squooshy baby! (Please forgive the dark circles-it had been a loooong night!)

Our Christmas

2009-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

The tree that cost me a ticket and almost broke my back putting it up!

So...we decided last minute to pack up and go ahead to Utah. It was a really good decision and the kids had a blast!

Here the fam is making a gingerbread house at Tori's.

We started out in Layton, where Ty's parents live and played in the snow. We built a snowman and had snow fights the first day we were there. We then stayed over at Tori's (Ty's sister's) house in Mantua (city between Brigham and Logan) - that place had so much snow! Mountains surround the houses in Mantua and there is so much to do. The kids played out in it everyday, sledding and Brock even got the chance to go snowmobiling down the street. I would love to live out there one day! On Christmas eve, poor Sidnee broke 2 bones in her lower leg, taking our Brock down the hill on a sled. She stopped with her legs as they were going fast toward some trees. We feel really bad for her and hope she gets better soon! What a sad vacation for her. (though Trey loved his time with her snuggling in bed since she had no place to go:) Christmas was fun, and the boys got all they asked for Christmas (we used quality control on what Santa can really afford).

(poor Sid...on the couch...with a broken leg:(

The Sunday after Christmas, Kade was blessed in Layton. He was a little big for the blessing outfit his older brothers wore, so we went out and bought him this one:)

One of us was happy!

We got to meet my sweet nephew Benson and spend some time with Lori and Allen in Provo. It has become a little tradition to eat with them at Los Hermanos! Yum:) We then got to see my brother, Jeff, in Draper and hang at their house for a while. Those kids are growing too fast!

On the way home, we actually stayed in a hotel instead of driving straight through:0). There was a storm on our way out and it followed us so we had to hurry. The hotel was in Albuquerque, and it had a waterslide! We all took turns sliding down it.

There was a scary incident when Brock saved Trey from drowning in the hot tub...nice one Mom. I was in the middle of switching with Ty and taking the baby when we heard Brock scream "Trey!" He jumped in and hung on with one hand on Trey, the other on the step. By the time I got to them, they were both looking up at me with big eyes. I wanted to cry, but jumped on top of Brock (as he later puts it) to pull them both out. I am so proud of Brock for not letting go, when he could have easily just saved himself.

All in all, we had a blast-but we are happy to be back to the reality of a messy home and all the responsibilities of life...sigh.

Disco Christmas

2008-12-18T12:29:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Mi Madre

2008-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post on my Mom. She has been so fun to have around and we are excited to have her here for the holidays! The boys love her, she works very hard, is extrememely talented and I love her to pieces. Just wanted you to know how much I admire you and the strong person you are. You want to find a place of your own and I don't blame you, but know we have enjoyed having you here with us. XOXO

For the Grandparents!

2008-12-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of years, I have sung this song to Trey every night before bed. It amazed me when all of the sudden, he started singing along a couple of months ago and he knew all the words! You have to turn it up to hear him, and I apologize you can hear me loud and clear, since I am holding the camera. If you have the patience, wait it out a minute and then he gets into it more. He has a sweet little voice:)

More Pictures

2008-11-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures for those we won't get to visit this year! We thought we could go to Utah over the holidays but it is not looking so good now. It will be a "blue Christmas without you!" Trey again refuses to look at the camera, but you can see how big our almost 3 month old is here. Have a Happy Thanksgiving...we love and miss you all!

Picture time

2008-11-15T09:31:00.001-08:00

Thursday we were taking pics of the boys outside, and Kade's squooshy lil' body doesn't look all too comfy there.

Trey demanded he have his taken on "the wall"

Yesterday, on the way home from picking Brock up from school, the sun was in Trey's eyes. He said "The sun is in my eyes! Turn it off! Turn on the moon!" It made me laugh and wanna hug his little body all at the same time!

Early Beard

2008-11-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

I think he was trying to look like daddy :)
Trey is perhaps the easiest child I have ever met. He is submissive and so sweet...BUT...he makes the biggest messes and it drives me up the wall. When we had the Frederick's over last Saturday, we let the kids run rampid upstairs and Trey came down looking like this. It wasn't until the next day that I saw what he did to the wall in his room! It looked kinda like his face did.

A foot or two...

2008-11-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

(shirt says "Jr. Missionary- Soldier for the army of Helaman")
Lori bought this and since we swap clothes for our babies, Kade got this cute Missionary shirt. It is the cutest thing. I am wishing he was this for Halloween instead:). Hope this brings a smile to your face...so sweet!

An Eventful Halloween Weekend

2008-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

(Decorating our trunk)

This year we got to trick or treat 2 nights in a row! On Thursday night, our ward held the annual Trunk or Treat at the church. We had a great time decorating our trunk and seeing everyone else's scary costumes and trunks! Brock and Trey are into Star Wars lately. We found this cool electronic Darth Vader helmet that talks for $5 at a garage sale and Trey got Brock's "Storm Trooper" costume. I was a disco afro dancing queen (ha, no pics!) and the baby wore Brock's old Pumpkin costume (size 6 mos. and it fit my 2 month old- what, do I produce whole milk or something?!). Ty had to work late but the 4 of us survived the eventful night without any tears.

(Cute Punkin)
Trey's first costume (so cute)

The next night was Halloween and Ty was able to make it out with us trick or treating to the neighbors'. We got plenty of candy (which I am looking to donate or throw away IMMEDIATELY!). Trey wore 2 costumes, since he changed his mind right before we headed out. He didn't want to be my cute lil Mickey Mouse (also Brock's old costume). Brock also wore a power rangers costume for his school party that morning...and of course Trey HAD to be Spider man (and the only sibling to dress up there...he thought he was one of the big kids and Brock was proud to have him there)!

Whew! That was a lot of costumes, candy and partying for one Halloween!

Hope y'all had a happy Halloween too!

The Chin Meister

2008-10-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

I just love this lil guy! His personality is just starting to show so I will have to post some more of him laughing. I do this thing with my tongue that makes a noise (I know, real attractive) and it gets him goin every time. He is so fun and sweet!

7 weeks later...and the chins multiply! I went ahead and posted updated pics of how big he is getting. My other 2 were lil skin and bones. I swear he can eat and eat...I can't believe how big he is getting already!

SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE

2008-10-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

My sister, Lori tagged me with this cool "soundtrack of my life" idea...like if you were to make a movie of your life, what would the soundtrack be?

Here's how it works:
Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
Put it on shuffle
Press play
For every question (in bold) type the song that's playing
When you go to a new question, press the "next" button
Here's what I got... iPod, do your magic!! :)

Opening Credits:
"Underneath it all" - No Doubt
Waking up:
"Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie
First Day At School:
"I Don't Need to Be" - Lenny Kravitz
Falling In Love:
"The Longest Time" - Billy Joel
Fight Song:
"I Want You to Want Me" - Cheap Trick
Breaking Up:
"Mama Mia" - Abba
Prom:
"My Best Friend" - Tim McGraw
Life's OK:
"Anyway" - Martina McBride
Mental Breakdown:
"Mary Jane's Last Dance"- Tom Petty
Driving:
"Temperature" - Sean Paul
Flashback:
"Tear Drops on My Guitar" - Miranda Lambert
Getting Back Together:
"Love Story" - Taylor Swift
Wedding:
"That's How Love Moves" - Faith Hill
Birth of Child:
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - Israel Kamakawiwo
Final Battle:
"Apologize" - One Republic
Death Scene:
"100 Years" - Five For Fighting
Funeral Song:
"7" - Prince
End Credits:
"Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat

It's fun to try if you wanna do it!! Lori-mine kinda matched up like yours did...that's freaky! I tag anyone who wants to try this...

Few Things About Brock...

2008-10-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

(Pic of Brock 2006)

He is really growing up, and being that he is my first, I did not expect it to happen so quickly! I don't know how many times I've teared up this week at that knowledge.

One interesting discussion:
"Mom, when I marry a pretty 'grill', can I bring her to your house and will you be nice to her and can you make her dinner?"... "And when we make cookies with her, I won't have to use a chair!"

"But, don't worry, I don't wanna get married for a long time cuz I wanna be your little boy."...

"Oh, and when I'm a Daddy, that means I can eat a taco!"

(where did that conversation come from?)

A discussion that made the ride home kinda hard because I was crying:
"Hey, Mom?" "I don't wanna give you a kiss when you drop me off at school."

why?

"Because I don't want my teacher to see"

he gets out of the car... "Bye, Brock. I love you!"

He looks around and says "Bye Mom"

I say again..."I LOVE you!"

The teacher says "Brock, your Mom loves you"

"Bye, Mom"
******************************************************************************
Isn't he too young to be too cool to kiss mommy...or to be thinking about marriage?! Please tell me, because I wasn't prepared for this. Tell me I have a few more years and this is just a phase he is going through...:)

Alliance Air Show

2008-10-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Every year, Ft.Worth Alliance Airport hosts an air show. We weren't able to go last year, since we were out of town, but we went when Trey was a baby. It was just as fun this year, with true life airforce Thurnderbirds, US Army Golden Knights, etc. performing stunts with F-16's, the F-15 Eagle (super cool to watch, but way too loud!), and wing planes (don't know much about those). The boys had a GREAT time of course, being boys, and they even got to sit inside an old World War II plane and the Blackhawk! (They humored me by getting their cute lil faces painted too)
Here are some pictures...

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Brock's Preschool Class Brock's preschool took a field trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina, Tx. We go here every year so I thought it would be fun to take all 3 boys and meet them there...and it went surprisingly well. Trey was so tired, refused to look at the camera, and wanted to wander but other than that we had a great time!

They got to feed the animals...(yes, they are matching!)

We also got to pick out a pumpkin... enjoy a hayride...and even have a snack to wrap up the day!

Thanks, Brock for actually wanting us to come along-we had a great time!

(Sorry no pics of the baby-he was in the Bjorn the whole time)

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

Last night we decided to carve pumpkins as a family. We only got one done and figured we have a while until Halloween so we saved the other one...Brock chose to do a scary face jack-o-lantern and Trey wanted to do a silly one. So, Ty pretty much carved the whole thing by himself. He cleaned it while I fed the baby (something I seem to always be doing:) and Trey wanted NOTHING to do with getting his hands in the "yuck", as he called it. (See video below)

Brock was a good helper, but you know how high 4 yr olds' attention span is. It was a fun activity and I have to say the pumpkin turned out really scary sitting on our front porch!

...and someone PLEASE teach me how to load videos so they aren't sideways. I think I shot it w/the camera sideways-oops!

Mom's Eventful Day

2008-10-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was quite eventful and I wanted to share with family members that view my blog (and friends) in case you didn't hear all the details.

My Mom lives with us and has been for about 6 months. She has been working in the Garden center at Wal-Mart for about the same amount of time and really works so hard! Honestly, 105 degree weather, working outside on your feet is not easy.

She was on a step ladder yesterday and as she tried to get down, she fell back and hit her head on a metal shelf behind her, leaving a huge knot on the back of her head. Right away, she felt whoozy and the employees had to keep her awake. She was taken over to an Urgent Care Facility and had a stroke while in care. She has had about a dozen strokes in her life so she knew she was having one. The moment I got there, an ambulance had arrived to take her into the ER at the hospital. So I walk in to where she is laying behind this curtain on a bed and her neck is in a brace (she hadn't received a CT scan yet for spinal injury-so I have the phone in hand ready to call Ty's Spinal Surgeon on speed dial) and the fire fighters that arrived in the ambulance lifted her onto their stretcher on a spinal board. I call and freak both Greg and Chad out by telling them all this (sorry guys-just didn't know what was going on)...

In the ER, she gets a CT scan that rules out any head or neck injuries. Poor Mom is in so much pain from this knot in the back of her head and she can't lift it to relieve any pressure-all I can do is bug the staff and make sure they charge EVERYTHING to Wal-Mart. So, to make a long story short, Mom is fine now and taking it easy for a few days. She is in a lot of pain, but we are so grateful she doesn't have any long-term effects from this. Unfortunately, the strokes continue to come every now and again-there is nothing medical staff can do about those but tell her to keep taking medicine to keep the blood flowing.

Mom, if you are reading this...hope you don't mind my sharing your story on my blog. I just want you to know I am so happy you are ok. When they carried you out on the stretcher, I couldn't help but cry seeing you that way. You, though, were just embarrassed and I could tell you wanted to laugh about the whole thing! It was a freak accident and it was a perfect ending to an already tough week! Thanks for being so strong all the time. You are truly an inspiration to me.

Kade's "Photo Shoot"

2008-09-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here are just some of the photos taken by Becky, my sis-in-law. She took so many good ones, it is hard to decide which to make into baby announcements! We had a good time with you Becky-thanks again!

Sugar Cookies

2008-09-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

These have always been the sugar cookies I make, ever since I was little. They are SO soft and yummy! With Halloween coming soon, I think we will make some pumpkin and leaf shapes...enjoy!

Ultimate Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 stick Butter Flavor CRISCO Stick, (or 1 cup Butter Flavor CRISCO all-vegetable shortening)
2 eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla. Beat until well blended and fluffy.
Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended.

Divide dough into 4 quarters. Wrap each quarter of dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Roll out and cut the dough into desired shapes. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375ºF for 5 to 9 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies (bake smaller, thinner cookies closer to 5 minutes; larger cookies closer to 9 minutes). DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely, then frost and decorate if desired.

My Amazing Sister-In-Law

2008-09-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

So, I have to say I have the most amazing sister-in-law who drove for an hour to take pics of my lil' baby Kade. She does such a good job and is the most creative person I have ever met! She not only has ideas, but brings them to life. This is just one example...she placed my baby on the moon! I can't wait to post some more pictures she took for us! She is working on them for me...Thanks Bec-I love ya!

Brock's Tball Game

2008-09-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Brock is playing Tball now and it is such a blast watching him! He is on the "Indians" with a few kids from his soccer team, and he even gets to play with Scotty again!. They won their game yesterday-4 year olds are very entertaining in Tball!. The best part is when they are in the outfield and the ball is hit...all the kids run for the ball and show their parents that THEY got it before anyone else. It's tricky trying to teach a 4 year old about teamwork in Tball. (There is no "I" in Tball=). We are proud of you Brock!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-09-18T13:33:00.001-07:00

So what do you like to do when it starts to get a little chilly and overcast outside? (ok, for Texas it is chilly at 80 degrees)... BAKE! I'm gonna start posting my favorite recipes for this time of year. Today, the boys and I made these and I have to say...they are so good. It makes the house smell so yummy! Had to share the recipe with all of you:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ½ C Sugar
2 eggs
1 C melted butter
3 C Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 C semi-sweet choc chips
1 C milk choc chips

Mash Bananas; add sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Add all dry ingredients, don’t over-mix. Stir in choc chips. Spray muffin tins and add muffin mixture, then sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top of each muffin. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 min. Makes 24 muffins.

(You can half the recipe and it turns out just as good!)
ENJOY!

Kade Wilson Wardell

2008-09-11T14:28:00.001-07:00

Our baby is here! He is such a sweet boy and he looks a LOT like Brock when he was first born. So after a couple days of trying to decide what to name the lil guy, we came up with Kade. I really like that name, and in reality, it was the only name we could agree on! Wilson is named after Ty's grandfather, and his mother's maiden name. He has been such a blessing to have in our lives and we thought what a better way to show him our appreciation than to name our baby after him.

Kade reached out and grasped Ty's hand right away. He still loves to hold onto fingers...so cute! Our new lil baby arrived on Sept 4 at 8:32 am.

Kade Wilson Wardell

7 lbs. 4 oz.

20 inches

The boys are handling the change really well & they love their lil' brother! Enjoy the pictures!

9 hours of labor...and...nothing!

2008-08-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, seriously?! Bare with me now as I vent please...I'll have to admit, I was excited when the contractions came so consistently at 10:30 last night. They came to 3-5 min apart and the intensity increased. I called and the on call nurse said to go to L&D at the hospital in Allen. We had the packed bag, any extra DVD's I wanted to watch, my Ipod (all charged up), and Ty brought his laptop. I mosey my pregnant self in there, go to triage and get all geared up for the eventful night. Well, after 2 hours in there, what do they do? They send me home because nothing is going on but contraction after contraction...

I drink a gallon of water in case that would slow them down. Nope! Contractions growing stronger and still, they sent me home. The nurse said"When they hurt so bad you can't SPEAK, come on back in and we will check if there are any changes". Oh no you di-in't! I said, "Um, seriously, I am pretty sure these hurt bad. I have been through this a couple of times so the pain doesn't bug me as much. Are you SURE you want to send me home?" This poor young nurse looked so confused but did what the Dr ordered and next thing you know, we have our bags back in the car and drive home.

I decided to go to sleep (if possible) and sure enough at 4:30am I woke up with a HUGE contraction. It was seriously the mother...no...the GRANDMOTHER of all contractions! Ty begs me to call, but being the stubborn person I am I decide to wait it out and see what happens. 7 am comes along and bam! They are gone. If I were even 5 days further along, they would have helped me out and pumped some pitocin to keep those pains comin' but since I am only 36 and 6 days along, they sent me home. I have to go through this AGAIN next week! So here's to September 4th and another week of being great with my child.

Seriously though, I did pray in the middle of all this that the right thing happen and I know the baby will come when he is ready. We should nickname him "lil fighter"...or..."lil stinker"!

My lil Cowboy says it like it is

2008-08-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

(I am posting a pic of him as a cowboy b/c I swear he is developing a cute lil Texas accent:)

Brock - "Mom, you know what?"

Me - "What's that, Brock?"

Brock - "You should have 5 babies. Cause you know why?"

Me - "Why's that?"

Brock - "I WUV babies"

K,before you say "awwww", wait until you hear what he said just a few days later.

Brock - "Mom, you know what?"

Me - "What's that Brock?"

Brock - "You don't have to have anymow babies. Cause you know why?"

Me - "Why's that?"

Brock - "Cause having a baby in yow tummy makes you angwy."

So most of you that really know me can tell I am a pretty mild tempered women, but yes, the mood swings are running rampid this pregnancy. He heard me act "angwy" on the phone when a not-so-polite woman from Ty's spine surgeon's office rubbed me the WRONG way (Seriously it was ridiculous-you would have had my back, so I almost posted about that but decided to finally let it go), and I am sure he has been a witness to other cases of a short fuse lately.

Sorry about that Brock! Oops...guess he really listens...

Night at the Circus!

2008-08-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

(pictures will enlarge if you click on them)

Last Saturday night, we took the kids to Ringling Bros. We had such a good time...I enjoyed seeing the looks on the kids' faces the most. Those tigers were AMAZING-I had nightmares about them, but the kids enjoyed them the most!

Thanks Mom and Denny for joining us-

DIAPER BABY SHOWER

2008-08-10T18:39:00.002-07:00

712 diapers and 1433 wipes later...I am set!

It was such a fun night at Carrabba's where we celebrated #3 coming in a few weeks. I was "showered" with a yummy dinner, diapers, wipes, cutest onesies, binky holders, handmade nursing cover, and rattles. Oh, and I got some chocolate too!

I have some of the greatest friends in the world. I have to mention a HUGE appreciation to Jenny for putting this together and Barbie who came on her 10 year ANNIVERSARY! Thanks to my Mom, Angela, Barbie, Cindy, Emily, Jenn, Amy, Heather, Nikki, Jenny, Kelli, Shelley, Michele, Adrian, Becki, Rebecca, Misti, Julie, and Collette for all your gifts (Thank you cards are on their way)! Thank you Jenny for the extra pictures!

Thoughts on Brock and Trey

2008-08-07T11:30:00.001-07:00

So...tonight is the baby shower and I am SO excited (believe me, I will post more on that) but just wanted to say how much I love my boys! They are going to be the best big brothers to this baby and I HOPE they won't feel replaced by him. I know when Trey was born I had the same anxiety about it but they are best buds now. I have no doubt they will be the 3 amigos with such a bond.
YES-one day I want a baby girl but if that doesn't ever happen I will do my best to teach my boys to find a good girl (one I would love to be a mother-in-law to :) ha ha) that will treat them SO well. The right thing will happen. Well, that was pretty random, but here are a few pics to remember the days of just us - and onto the next addition. (wow-I really can spit out babies, can't I?!)

Rock Star

2008-08-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday while Ty and I are cleaning the house, the boys dance to the music we have playing. Brock said, "Mom, I'm like a rockstar!" Trey was dancing then bowed out...so I only got footage of Brock. He LOVES the camera on him! What do ya think SYTYCD? Is he a good candidate? Hope you enjoy!

Another thing I wanted to post about was when Trey fell asleep sitting up last week. He was SO tired! We had the Erickson's over and the boys dressed up as super heroes. Trey refused to take a nap since we had company, so this is what I found when I came downstairs to check on him...

Trey's 2nd Birthday

2008-07-31T14:44:00.001-07:00

We had such a blast getting ready for our little family party for Trey last Sunday that the party started before the cake was done! We had cake batter galore all over the kitchen, my boys' faces, and then later in all our tummies. Our lil Trey Braden is 2 and it is really starting to show! I love this kid- He has to have been one of the easiest children I have ever known (and this is coming from his Mom). He plays by himself, cuddles, and has listened really well...I feel that is all coming to a quick end and I SWEAR it happened on the day he turned 2. He is such a sweetie though and I feel so blessed to have him in our lives. Happy Birthday honey, we love you!

Oh...if only I were an octopus!

2008-07-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

( This is me pretty soon if we keep making babies like this... )

Brock and Trey were both being a bit demanding last week. It was lunchtime, I was hungry and THEY were hungry, the phone was ringing, the kitchen needed a major cleanup, and I just couldn't do everything all at once. I am sure you parents out there can relate. So, I said to Brock, "I only have 2 arms! I'm not an octopus, ya know." It was intended to lighten the mood I was in but I think Brock took it pretty serious.

8 days later: Just got back from swimming and we are all thirsty, hungry AND tired...

Brock-Mom?
Me- Yeah, Brock.
Brock-I want a drink.
Me- (Cutting the chicken nuggets in half for Trey) I'm workin' on it
Brock-Mom?
Me-Yeah, Brock. (sounding irritated at this point-blood sugar pretty low by now)
Brock-I'm so sorry you only have 2 arms. I wish you had 7 arms. Then you would get everything done that you want.

I just laughed and shook my head in amazement of the great memory he has. But, Brock-Octopus have 8 "arms", or are they legs?

Ty's Birthday Party Mini Luau EXTRAVAGANZA!

2008-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

(Trey helping Ty blow out the candles)

It's about time I post about Ty's birthday Luau. It was a small, but oh so fun party. The Frederick's were so nice to join as we celebrated... We ate shishkabobs, Fruit Salad, CAKE and ice cream. The kids played while the adults talked and played games. It was a lot of fun! Fruit salad...yummy yummy! This was my first attempt at this, but my mom and I carved the watermelon out and then placed all the cut up fruit inside...so good!

We also attempted to make virgin Pina Coladas but our blender BROKE! So we had to do with sodas and water. We went out and bought a magic bullet this week:) LOVE IT!

Well, Happy Birthday again Ty. Hope you had a good time. We love you!

*I realized after posting this how many pics I took of the food! Leave it to the prego woman to have a one track mind.*

Big boy bed

2008-07-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

(We still need to hang up the shelves, etc on the walls...)

So the boys are home and am I happy! They are really just bright spots in my life. I don't remember what life was like without them, and I can't imagine what life will be like with a 3rd. I am sure it will only bring more joy! Time for a big boy bed...

I did get some stuff done while they were gone, though. I was able to put Trey's room together (with the help of my mom and her boyfriend, Denny-thanks guys!). They painted his back wall blue and with thanks to Craigs list, I got a whole array of bedroom decor of just what I was looking for. Trey loves the water so much and his fave movie right now is "Surf's up" so I couldn't help but make his room a surfer room. The pieces aren't all put up on the walls yet but you can see how cute the quilt looks with the painted bed frame. NOTICE: Trey is in a big boy bed and he turns 2 in like a week. HE amazes me-seriously, we don't even have a rail on there to keep him from falling off. He goes straight to sleep most of the time (Ok, maybe I found him on the floor at midnight last night lying next to a toy-we will pretend he was playing with that toy and didn't just happen to fall next to it-lil stinker!). He really is such a sweet kid. I am so blessed with both of my boys and the sweet way they play together...most of the time :o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY!

2008-07-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband is 31 today and sadly I can't spend it with him...Here is how his schedule went the last couple of weeks:

June 20-leave for Utah to drop off boys
June 21- leave for China
June 28-leave for Australia from Wuxi
July 2- Fly home to Tejas
July 3 (Happy Birthday) @ 4am - get up and go to the airport for Utah to get the boys just in time to take a test that somewhere in there he studied for!
July 5-Fly back home to me:)

Whew! That man seriously is made of steel and nothing can get to him. He works so hard for our family everyday. I knew he was going to be a hard worker from when we were dating. He would hang out with me til the wee hours of the night, then get up and go to work at 5:45am. Where was I at this time? Uh, sleeping for like 4 more hours.

A STORY ABOUT MY MAN...
He got the opportunity to go to Connecticut on a Co-op and when he accepted, I cried and cried. We weren't yet engaged and I knew I didn't want to do the long distance thang so we said we could date other people...until...Christmas Eve 2000. He had never said those 3 words and neither had I (stubbornly waiting:). He was to leave for CT the day after Christmas. We had dinner with his family and in the middle of dinner (nice timing-I think he was a little nervous) he asked me if I would like to go for a drive. What was I thinking? Ummm...he is breaking up with me on Christmas Eve in the middle of dinner! So we stopped to look at the lights in a park in Layton. We walked out and as soon as we entered the park, he fell on his knee...you can probably figure out the rest from here. He was so sweet but he was not the best at communicating his feelings, he never mentioned marriage, never said I love you, and now here he was proposing and making me the happiest woman in the world. But, yes, he still left for CT and I was stuck having to explain to 3 guys why I had to cancel dates with them that very week.."uh...I'm engaged"! HA HA! I had to do something to make the time go by, right?

Well, Ty- I love ya and appreciate all you have done for me in your life...communicating your love even if it was last minute, working your tail off for us all, and being the best Dad I could ask for my kids. Thank you for being who you are
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
(will scan photos from the good ole days as soon as I figure out how)

Chelsea and Mark - Bleeding Love

2008-06-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

I wasn't in love with any of the performances on SYTYCD last night, except this one! I really felt the emotion and could definately relate to the story they were portraying about hubbys having to work long hours for the family. I just loved it!

Absence makes the heart grow...sad

2008-06-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

I am posting about my boys because I miss them oodles. They are the world to me and really it has been so hard and quiet without them. Admittedly, it was nice the first few days just to get things done, or watch my shows without interruption, but I really don't care anymore...I miss my boys!

So it has been almost a week since my boys left for their grandparent's. They are having such a nice time- swimming everyday, playing with their cousins, and going on fun adventures! My in-laws are so great to take them in with open arms. Trey is sweet as can be and I was SHOCKED to hear how polite and courteous Brock is being as a guest. He is listening and even encouraging the other kiddos to listen. He is such a good kid and I am glad to know that when he is a guest he will listen and mind his manners. One more week to go...I love those boys so much!

"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne

2008-06-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting"

Rhonda defines 'The Secret' as the law of attraction, which is the principle that "like attracts like." Rhonda calls it "the most powerful law in the universe," and says it is working all the time. "What we do is we attract into our lives the things we want, and that is based on what we're thinking and feeling," Rhonda says. The principle explains that we create our own circumstances by the choices we make in life. And the choices we make are fueled by our thoughts—which means our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth.

SO TRUE! I couldn't help but think how this has a connection with my personal religious beliefs of faith and the spirit within us. We have been taught this aspect in our lives to have faith and to believe in ourselves so I was happy to see Oprah touching on this subject, though it is being described a little differently. They described "turning it all over to the Universe", which I translate personally to turning it over to our Heavenly Father and the plan he has for us. He wants us to be happy and to reach our goals in life. In the show one of the ladies said that if you place a yellow post it note on your mirror with 3 things you want out of life, look at it everyday and tell yourself "I love you" it will happen. Focus on these wants, visualize getting them/reaching them, and believe it will happen. I want to try to focus more on this general aspect of believing (faith) and thinking optomistically. Also, the secret focuses on gratitude and being thankful for what we have in life. Focus on that and more of it will come:) My goals on a post-it note in my bathroom:

1)Love myself completely

2)Live by the beach (long-term of course)

3)Finish my book

I know, still haven't finished! Why? Because I have been focusing on why I can't be good enough to come up with the greatest ending. Well, this thought has changed sistah! I can do it!

Just wondered...what is it that you do to reach your goals in life? Tell me...what are 3 of your wants in life?

Our Trip to San Antonio

2008-06-12T11:29:00.001-07:00

2008-06-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

BROCK'S END OF YEAR PERFORMANCE!

Be sure to pause my music on the left...Here is a short video of Brock's end of year preschool performance. He is on the second row from the top about 3 kids over. He did such a good job, but I found it funny how concerned he was that I was watching...and clapping. He kept looking over (even during choreography) and waving, then turning around and telling his friends that his mom is out there. I couldn't help but think "One day he won't be so proud to point out his Mom in a crowd to his friends." He did yell out to me as I was taking a picture and my hands were full with the camera and a tupperware of goldfish for Trey, "Mom, clap!" There is so much of me in him, and I think that is why we butt heads so much. Notice how he starts clapping for himself at the end of the song...I just love this kid!

Sorry for the messy video work-I took this while trying to keep my little one happy.:)

Getting the diploma-go grad!

How did I find my way before?

2008-05-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

I feel like I am always behind in technology. If you know me, that probably doesn't come as a surprise since I just got a cell only a year ago! I am old school and don't want to spend that kind of money. Well, I think Ty was sick of me trying to navigate myself around Dallas (even though I have an EXCELLENT sense of direction-ha ha) so he bought me this GPS from Garmin. It is absolutely a lifesaver! I LOVE it! I know many of you have these in your cars but this is just such a miracle that I am semi "with it" when it comes to digital technology. In Utah, I could find anything with the way streets were mapped out (very smart thinking).

I also like it (here comes the cheapskate side of me again) because you can look up restaurants by name and it will usually give you their phone number- GOODBYE 411!

So, there you have it. Ask me where in the world ANYPLACE is and I can find it for you. See, I can be useful at times:)

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the day Brock ate his last cupcake at school. Yes, it was that time of the year-school is out! He was sad to say goodbye to Ms. Karen but I have agreed to play "preschool" with him once a week and he can even call me Ms. Karen. Brock did such a good job in his end of the year patriotic performance!

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend! We went to the mall like 3 times, got the boys pictures taken, went to Lake Texoma and drove 4 wheelers, got to ride in a boat and go swimming. We also ate at Cheesecake Factory, which I love, and played for a couple hours with the boys at Dave and Busters. We are racking up quite the amount of tickets there! Monday I was able to recouperate a little from the excitement while Ty worked his tail off on the yard and cleaning the house. I really have a good man!

Brock's 4 year picture!

Serious business getting the burgs ready at the cabin!

BASEBALL TIME

2008-05-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Notice the power ranger in one hand and ball in the other...that takes concentration.
Our designated pitcher!

I have to say that Ty is a great baseball playeh...he is good at every sport actually. We played on a coed team (softball) before moving here and in one night he hit 3 homeruns, twice calling where it was going to go. I usually wouldn't brag about this sort of thing but watching him the other night brought back so many memories and I felt so bad that he really can't play sports anymore. He injured his back a couple of years ago and has to put all those things he loves on hold. The other night, the boys got out and played a little.

Now that Brock is out of the soccer season, he has taken up a love for yet another sport-BASEBALL! We love going to watch the Roughriders play on Friday nights because there is a huge fireworks show at the end. But watching my boys play in the backyard is even better.

It's outta there!

Lil' Ty and GQ enjoy having their pictures taken! All in all it was a fun night. I love playing outside with da boys!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love my Mom and appreciate all she has taught me. She is an amazing example of patience, forgiveness, and love. My hope is to pass along what I have learned to my children. I am so blessed with a great mother and mother-in-law, a wonderful sister and sisters-in law who are all AWESOME mothers, and great friends who are wonderful examples of the sacrifices mothers make for their children. I am humbled right now:)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

TIME OUT FOR WOMEN

2008-04-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I would add the happy portion of my weekend in OKC (scroll down for the sad part). We had such a fun time at TOFW. We stayed in a great location down the street from the convention center. We ate and ate to our heart's content-which is every woman's favorite thing about a GWO (girl's weekend out). The first night we ate at "Zio's", this really yummy Italian restaurant and then after the night's talks were over, we of course had to go to "The Melting Pot". I had never been there before but it was SO yummy! I really hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Amber Shelton was hilarious!

We took a walk back to our place that night and Jenny found this sign....

We couldn't resist...It was really so much fun.
Thanks Jenny for the pics!

My favorite part of the conference was when Hilary Weeks would speak and sing to us. She performed so professionally and had such a great way about her. She is just REAL! I look up to the person that she is. She brought the spirit into the room as soon as her voice hit the speakers, whether it be just talking or singing. She sang this song about a day as a mother. I have felt this way so many times...I don't believe it is released yet so I don't know the lyrics. I think it was called "If today was the last day of the world". It said "I would hold you tight, memorize every feature of your face...I wish that I could sing to you a lullaby tonight." NIAGRA FALLS! I was bawling so hard, thinking that I have felt that way so many times. Did I do my best with the time I had with my children today? Did I make the most of my time? Most of the time, no. So I went away feeling motivated to treat every day like it was the last day I had with them.

There were other great speakers there as well. Dean Hughes and Jason Wright (awesome authors) spoke. They had some great things to say as well. I really enjoyed Dean Hughes' remarks on being patient. He has a case of the road rage, as many of us (me) do. He was talking about taking time to really enjoy the moments.

Over all, the weekend made me feel a jumpstart as a mother and wife. Not only did I miss my children-the talks that were given were very special and helped us see how special our calling in life as mothers really is.

I can't even begin to imagine...

2008-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

These passed few days have been kind of a rude awakening for me, I think. It actually started a few months ago when I heard a dear friend of mine had a son, about 18 months old, who was hit by a friend's car right there in front of his home. It was the saddest thing I had heard in a really long time and my heart just broke. My thoughts always automatically turn to my own children and how grateful I am for their little faces. I am definately human, though, and as my life goes on I forget to be thankful for my little blessings until I run into another rude awakening (this weekend). I had the opportunity to go to Time Out For Women in Oklahoma City with a great group of girls. We had a WONDERFUL TIME by the way-and I have yet to post some photos and talk about the great part of the weekend. But I wanted to focus on the serious part right now (I know...I am known to get a little too serious and sentimental about stuff but I think this is a necessary time for it).

Saturday, April 19 was the 13th year anniversary of the OKC bombing. It happened at 9:02 that morning. When it happened I was living in Dallas but I was only 15 years old. I didn't have the focus on it I may have had when 911 occurred but I wish my maturity had grown enough by that point for it to have effected me the way it did 13 years later. Anyway, it was a beautiful memorial the city of Oklahoma City had put together. There were "empty chairs" scattered among the grassy field to your left as you walk in and the "survivor tree" on the right. In the center was where the main bldg stood, and it is now a rectangular area covered in a peaceful water. The feeling you get in the pit of your stomach the minute you walk into that area is unforgettable and undeniable. The saddness was unmistakably raw for many still. I can not even imagine what the families of the victims must feel. The empty chairs is where the rude awakening started to strike within me. Walking along I couldn't help but notice the 2 chairs, sitting side by side. They were covered in "boy things"-spider man balloon, little cars, trucks...all the stuff my little boys would play with. That is when I realized there were children in the bldg. I had no idea when it happened that a whole floor of children played in the daycare everyday before that awful disaster. We always take these disasterous moments and compare them with "what if that were me", especially when it comes to children. I called Ty and the boys immediately and told them I love them. I could try to imagine those 2 empty chairs belonging to my 2 boys. These boys were in fact the same age as my 2. Poor Ty thought I was insane and kept repeating that they are doing fine and to enjoy myself. I promised that I had been (as I stand bawling into the phone). Rude awakening... Then, we go INTO the museum and words really can't explain. This memorial was so carefully put in place, personalizing every detail that had been left behind. They had cases filled with belongings that survived their victims. I will never forget the case with a pile of children's shoes, one in particular labeled with the little girl's name and that she had died when the bomb struck the bldg. Tears keep falling, but I keep walking through the different corridors that lead to more and more food for my rude awakening. There is so much more-we walked into a makeshift board room with the actual sound effects of the bomb in the background that was recorded during an actual board meeting that morning across the street. Then you walk out of the room and "live" footage from that day is shown on a television. The last thing I will mention is the emotional interviews survivors were stating from the disaster. Footage of parents from the scene who had either lost or were hopeful in finding their children that were on that 2nd floor brought on the tears! I was awakened to my life and the fragility of every moment of it. THIS sort of thing could happen to anyone...anywhere...at any time. I want to enjoy every moment I have my little children with me, every moment I am with my husband and just pray he is safe at work or driving...wherever he goes. I don't think we should live in fear...but I KNOW we shouldn't live in ignorance to what can be taken from us.

Then, yesterday I receive an email from my brother about another dear friend whose little boy was diagnosed with ALL leukemia. One moment, they thought he had the flu-the next, they are fighting to keep a terrible disease from taking their little boy away. I look up to their strength and pray that little Jake will come through. I pray that I will continue to enjoy life's greatest blessings and truly remember WHAT REALLY MATTERS! I am so done with worrying about the dumb little things that take away from the important things.

Sorry for the long post-I just needed to get out what I have been feeling. It feels good to slap yourself in the face (not literally) and really wake up to the clear things the Lord wants us to see.

Glimpse of what is to come...

2008-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had 2 of Brock's friends over. They were really good and had a great time playing together. After playing Power Rangers, they colored pictures from the movie "Cars". Then, they decided it would be a good idea to watch the movie with POPCORN! Every kid loves popcorn and a movie...as a Mom I don't mind letting them do that either! So I took a quick pic of 4 boys sitting on a couch, all with their own blanket and bowl of popcorn. I couldn't help but get a flashforward of my future as a soccer mom. We will soon have 3, and since I have convinced my husband to try for a 4th in a couple years...this is how I see my most likely outcome. I couldn't help but smile at that. Hey, I do have a good time listening to those lil giggles and I am constantly learning the correct way to make sound effects when playing with cars or trains. Boys are so sweet to their moms too!

These boys have been raised really well and we are happy to have them as friends of our boys. It is so important to have great examples for your children's friends. I was thinking yesterday that I hope we live here for at least 15 years so Brock's circle of friends will help him stay on track and ultimately help support him in a decision to serve a mission.

Brock's Birthday!

2008-04-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Beamer turned 4 last Friday!!!

I can't believe my little hero is 4! Time flies...

Last Friday was Brock's "Peter Piper Pizza Power Rangers Party"! We had so much fun. All the kids wore masks, ate pizza, and played games. At the end, we got to eat yummy cake and open the generous gifts our guests brought. Thanks to everyone that attended, it was the best birthday Brock has ever had (those are his words:).

It was really fun to have so many of Brock's friends there to celebrate. Brock made sure he got a gift from everyone (stinker). He went over to Scotty and said "Hey, Scotty! Did you bring me a present?" Scotty: "Yes." Brock:"Well, that was very nice of you." Jenny was telling me about that later...kids are so funny!

We ate so much pizza...you could see it on everyone's face. Brock was all smiles the whole time:)

Here is Brock and his little buddy, Connor. HE LOVES CONNOR! They hit it off right from the first time they met last year. Connor's Mom, Barbie and I have been friends for over 15 years. We are so blessed to live close to their family again. (well, kinda close:)

After the party, Brock and Trey were pooped so they each took a nap. So when naps were over, our family went to see the Frisco Roughriders, the minor league baseball team of the Texas Rangers. They beat the Springfield Cardinals again! The guy sitting in front of us wasn't happy with our cheering so he left (he had a friend on the other team...) oh well. Then, we watched an amazing fireworks display. Needless to say, they were pooped again since it was after 10:30 when we got home.

My Little Power Ranger
It was a fun day! I appreciate Brock and the little man he is turning out to be. What a joy he is in my life! The older he gets, the more I can relate and bond with him-what a blessing! I love you Brockly!

Lots of posts in one

2008-04-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

What is going on with the Wardell's?

First of all, what is up with my house? Seriously-if you could see my upstairs especially you would think I never clean! Brock is done napping (for the most part) and has quiet time while Trey is asleep and he HAS to stay upstairs. So, what does he do? He destroys it-my little tornado! You would think that tornado last night was inside our house instead of 5 miles away!
Anyway, that's another story! My kitchen-wow! Can I keep the floors clean for more than 2 seconds please?! What's up with food all over and smeared into my textured tiles that never wanna come out? Any suggestions on how to get that all the way out? I'm talkin' brocolli, ice cream, BANANAS, you name it. I can get the surface ok but I know it is still there. UGH-this whole "nesting" thing is outta hand. I can never spring clean enough and when it is looking decent something else needs to be cleaned. Why did I want a 2 story again?

Oh my goodness...The boys are keeping me ON MY FEET - Brock turns 4 this Friday and Trey is now starting to communicate what he wants. The whining rings my ears from the both of them. Right now, what are they doing? They are in the bathtub playing "cold raisin fingers" and flooding the bathroom while I type a boring post. I just asked "Brock, is Trey's face in the water?" He said "No, he is ok." Good to know...better go check to be sure. K-I'm back!

Brock is in soccer now (late posting it since the season is almost over) and he loves it! Last practice he did really well. The last game that I saw, though, he was pulling kids down while trying to get the ball away from them. The coach had to pull him aside on that one. Trey just kicks and screams as I hold him back from playing on the team...so fun!

Book Update: Some have asked about this and I am starting to regret telling all of you about my book just in case the publisher I want doesn't take it. I have to admit I got a little excited when a publishing company wanted to publish it but when I decided to turn them down and try for another one that is affiliated with the LDS church, I was told to finish the WHOLE thing first. Usually you send the first few chapters but now I am stuck with a deadline to finish the whole thing. Well, good news! I finally came up with a great ending while on my relaxing cruise sitting by the pool...ahhhh (since I was suffering from writer's block for a month before that) and will now have it sent out this month! I will keep ya posted on the results-let's pray they take the book. I really think it contains good morals for youth and adults. It is a tear jerker though...
I am afraid it isn't as good as I think it is, but I guess they will tell me soon enough.

FAQ's:What's it about? Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, one sister goes to visit another after a major tragedy (can't say what-unless it just collects dust on my shelf and no one else's...then I will tell you:). It is about life, love, and faith. I LOVE the characters in it. Anyway, that's the only FAQ and it's not really frequently asked-you peeps are just being nice to ask at all. LOL

Last but not least, my Mom lives here with us and can I say just what a joy she has been! The boys absolutely LOVE having her here with us. They wake her up each morning (sorry Mom) and she never complains (to me:). My Mom has a way with kids-she had 7 of them herself but you would think that after all that raising up of children, she would be like "I'm done! Your turn. I am just here to give presents occasionally." But, nope! Instead she plays with them every chance she gets because she really wants to. She loves ALL her grandkids so much!She works so hard! She has been such a beacon of strength in my life. She somehow seems to work on her feet until 10 or 11 every night with a few health problems. I don't know how she does it but she keeps on smiling. Her goal is to serve a single sister mission and is saving up for that. That is so admirable!

Ok, so that was kind of boring...Thanks for reading. I would love to hear about all your life's endeavors and how you and your fams are doing. You have been great to hear me out. :) Loves!

TAGGED

2008-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister, Lori, tagged me about...
MY FAVORITE THINGS around the house

My favorite thing in the kitchen is... My crockpot. I call it lazy woman's cooking (or rather busy mommy's cooking) and it works great for me!

My favorite thing in the bathroom is... My sink-it is gynormous and I have all this counterspace just for me! I could seriously lay across there to do my makeup...what a joy!

My favorite thing in the bedroom is... My bedspread. It is the only colorful thing in my house that's not neutral or red(and sad to say it is only blue) but I love the colors and it makes me feel peaceful when I hide...I mean rest from a long day.

My favorite thing in the bedroom closet is... My new hanging shoe shelf purchased from IKEA for all my "dressy shoes".

My favorite thing in the living room is... Our Television. I don't know what I would do without that babysitter...I mean entertainment.

My favorite thing in the pantry is... It is looking pretty sad at the moment with a ton of health food (since my husband is a junkfood Nazi) so I would have to say the "Sun Chips Garden Salsa" are my current crave in the pantry.

My favorite thing in the "office" is...This computer! I am on it constantly. Some might say I am a little addicted.

My favorite thing in the baby's room is...A frame of both our boys. It is a collage with pics of Brock and Trey. Trey loves it in his room and points at it everyday just laughing and saying "Dot, that's Dot" (Brock, that's Brock)

I tag: Amy B., Jenny F., Julie S., and Stephanie R.

Who looks like who?

2008-04-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

K-This surprised me a little bit...I am always told both boys look just like their Dad. I even tried other pictures of Brock and they said he looked more like me...weird!

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Roots - Family history

Our Cruise to Mexico

2008-04-06T15:00:00.001-07:00

The right things always happen...

2008-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's crazy what you can talk your mind into believing. I was SO sure this time we were having a girl. I feel different, my hormones are CRAZY with my skin and emotions. I had been getting my hopes up, but just yesterday I found out we are HAVING A BABY BOY! This will be # 3...

I cried. What kind of selfish reaction is that?! I cried b/c I can't have my baby girl this time-but more that I may NEVER have a baby girl. I dunno-maybe I will...maybe next time (If I can talk Ty into a next time:). All I do know is that on the way to the hospital to get my sonogram, I prayed that the right thing would happen. I felt warm peace, then I said to myself, "self, you know the right thing will happen...so no matter what it will be ok." Better said than done! I asked the radiologist to check 3 times and she said "I am 1000 percent positive" after checking different angles. Who knows-maybe it'll fall off!! Ha Ha!

A couple of weeks ago, I remember talking myself and my husband into believing this truly is a GIRL. I was all giddy and then I calmly said "ya know, Ty,I KNOW there is a boy up there. I can not imagine life without another baby boy." Little did I know, he was already here lounging in my womb, resting up to be 100% boy like my other 2. Brock was so happy when I told him the news but on the car ride to our "date" later that afternoon, he said "Mommy, I'm sorry it isn't a girl." He is so sweet. I assured him I am so happy for another little hoodlum like him.

I was talking to a friend this morning and we were saying that the Lord needs boys in the last days. I am honored to help raise 3 and I know they are strong spirits. Can I please have a baby girl too? Either way, I am so grateful the baby is looking so far so good and healthy. This is what matters!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EASTER BIRTHDAY

2008-03-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

(pictures to come later)
Hey there blogging buddies! Just had to take a sec and list all the wonderful things I love about my husband since it IS our 7th anniversary today! Oh, and it's Easter and it's my brother's birthday and Brock was born on Easter day (April 11) 4 years ago...so we had a LOT to celebrate today.

First humor me and let me write about how it all started...
Ty and my bro were on a mission together and became best friends and roommates after. Ty and I met while on a group date with different people. I was currently on break from my boyfriend and out with one of my brother's friends. I think it was kind of a charity date that my bro set up, but anywayzzzz Ty was there at the same hockey game. He was sitting behind us burning a huge HOLE in my back but that's a different story :0). He still remembers what I was wearing! HA! (He will never admit this by the way)
So, anyhoo, I got back together with the boyfriend (ugh!) and we ended up getting engaged. Ty kept calling and asking me on dates knowing all along I was engaged but I kept turning him down thinking it was a joke anyway. Well, the guy ended up being a HUGE egotistic jerk who didn't want the same things I wanted in life (like children) so we went our seperate ways and on the next day...Ty and I go to the same fireworks show in Salt Lake (seperately but ending up together). EVER since he has been the man I have been waiting for. He believes in me, he has patience with my very few flaws (yeah right) and loves me unconditionally. I LOVE THIS GUY! He really makes me feel great about myself. He helps me reach for the sky in all I do. His support has brought me so much confidence and I now know I can do more than I thought! He lifts me up (I know, cliche but it is true).

K-so Ty only has 2 letters in his name so I am making these pretty long...

T-Totally the funnest person I have ever met with so much love and determination. Ty has an awesome work ethic. He works until 7 or later most nights and goes in around 7:30 every morning...crazy! He is my "rough tough cream puff" who would never admit his soft side. I love how much he adores his children and ME! He treats us so well and would go to the ends of the earth for us. He has this way about him that drew me to him from day one. What ya see is what ya get!
I love that!

Y-YES! There I said it. I never said yes when he asked me to marry him. I was too shocked and excited to say anything so I just cried instead and hung on every word he had just said. It was the first time he told me he loved me so when I finally could speak all I said was "I LOVE YOU TOO!"

Well, thanks again for reading (if you still are reading). I would LOVE to hear how all of you met yours truly. Feel free to post or treat this as a tag to post on your blog...either way. Happy Easter too!

Rick, brother if you are reading this, Happy Birthday! I love you and appreciate the kind and generous brother you have always been to me. You are the best!

A Poem For You

2008-03-20T20:15:00.001-07:00

I wrote the following poem after reading the beautiful post on Melissa Miles' blog for the 3rd time. It made me reflect on the blessings I have that are just sleeping in the other room. Our kids are so precious...though so difficult! I love that you all know what I am talking about. But, I am making this public announcement that I am changing my attitude and spending more quality time with my children.
Who knows how much time we have...

Life of a Mother

I wake up and look like a mess,
I stare in the mirror and wish I could fix it,
Just then my youngest one tugs at my leg,
Holding a big box of bisquick,

My 3-year-old yells for me down the hall,
More like crying than anything,
"Mommy I pooped, please wipe me!" he yearns,
Times like these I don't feel like a queen,

Morning is over and time moves on slowly,
"Why can't the older one see?
I have so much work to do today,
I can't take them pulling on me",

Just then I remember I haven't changed,
My pj's are on, my hair still a mess,
"What in the world have I done today?
I can't even get myself dressed!"

I try to get ready for a long hot shower,
I trip on a pile of toys,
One of the water heaters is broken,
No heat left after bathing the boys,

I shake and tremble while drying off,
Another glance in the mirror I take,
I shake again, only this time it's my head,
"Shouldn't have eaten that cake!"

Daddy is home after naptime,
He gets to play hero again,
I get a few minutes to do what I want,
So I eat frosting straight from the can,

Nightime ritual has finally come,
The boys are ready to sleep,
I turn out their lights and stare into the dark,
The love I feel is so deep,

A voice whispers inside my heart,
"For this purpose, you are here"
Just then I feel guilt for not enjoying them more,
This guilt is followed by a tear.

So to each of you mothers reading this,
Enjoy your kids everyday,
Don't make the mistake I sometimes make,
By wishing the day away.

~Amber

Brock's Sweet Pwayew

2008-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Brock has been really into prayer and church lately. He is so intrigued with the knowledge that Heavenly Father gave him a little brother and another baby in mommy's tummy. When he goes to bed, he prays like most kids do and we have told him if he ever needs ANYTHING he can pray and talk to Heavenly Father. One thing really sweet about him is that yesterday he lost some bulletts to his nerf gun and it was like the end of the world. I pretended to be very concerned but really kept doing the dishes and as I was I heard this cute little voice coming from the TV room. "Heavenwy Fathew, pwease bwess me to find my buwetts fow my gun...Amen." I about dropped the plate I was holding to run to him and give him the biggest bear hug a mother could give. I was so proud of him...it was cute and funny at the same time that he would pray for his bullets. So, lo and behold, he found a bullet and so did I only minutes later. He said "It's because Heavenwy Fathew wubs me so much! He helped me find my buwett!" I could just eat that little guy up sometimes.

Ok, now that I wrote that, I must share a not so proud experience. Jenny was taking the boys to school on a day after there was a lot of snow (us Texans remember that week) and when they got there, Jenny said "Oh, it looks like school was cancelled & you won't be going to school today." So what did my sweet spiritual giant of an almost 4-yr-old say? "Da_ _ it! We don't get to go to school today." Yeah, you can fill in the blanks. No, I am not proud of that! You know why? He got that from me because I slipped with that word when I really was having a hard day and I will regret that ever since.

Love you Brocky-thanks for being the better example to me!

Wardell Family

Happy Halloween Decorating!

Baby Shower

My Next Project...

Dollar Tree Craft

Heavenly Cupcakes

Sports...

Kade turns 2!!!

A little something about Trey...

When in Rome...

Hawaii 2010

School's out for summer...

Fishing in Colorado

Baseball time

Spring Time

Random thoughts...

Snow in Alabama!

Catchin' up! $

Disney Cruise 2009

A Star Wars Halloween

Fun, Sun, and tons of Sand!

Fleur Designs Greeting Cards

Brock's First Day of Kindergarten...

11 months...already!

Lil' Trips

Happy Birthday Trey Braden!

Fourth of July

Moved in

My funny one

Dance Party

Bad news and...good news!

*Fleur Designs*

Montgomery Updates

Destin Beach, Florida

A little piece of Texas

I know...pictures are better!

Grandma and Me

My Grandma Geraldine Nations Watkins

Create!

Our recent happenings...pictureless and all!

HANDMADE FUN

Valentine's Day

Sweet Home...Alabama?!

This is to Ty from us!

Hope you can swim...this is PRETTY deep!

Fun Pics with Brock

Giving kisses in the mornin'

Our Christmas

Disco Christmas

Mi Madre

For the Grandparents!

More Pictures

Picture time

Early Beard

A foot or two...

An Eventful Halloween Weekend

The Chin Meister

SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE

Few Things About Brock...

Alliance Air Show

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

Pumpkin Carving

Mom's Eventful Day

Kade's "Photo Shoot"

Sugar Cookies

My Amazing Sister-In-Law

Brock's Tball Game

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Kade Wilson Wardell

9 hours of labor...and...nothing!

My lil Cowboy says it like it is

Night at the Circus!

DIAPER BABY SHOWER

Thoughts on Brock and Trey

Rock Star

Trey's 2nd Birthday

Oh...if only I were an octopus!

Ty's Birthday Party Mini Luau EXTRAVAGANZA!

Big boy bed

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY!

Fleur Designs