Bring's back old memories!

OK so the other day I bribed my kids

Me..Hey if you guys get all your chores done tonight we can get up and play make believe in the morning.

Kids..Wow that will be so much fun. Can we play Barbies and Polly-Pockets?

Me.. Sure if you get everything done.

Turns out I'm not so good and playing imaginary anymore. Truth be told I didn't really ever play with barbies to much, but I sat down to play with them and was fine with it all until McKenzie started making rules. She told me I couldn't be silly and I had a prom I had to get my girls ready for, and I couldn't come in her house I had to find my own. Anyhow I'm a terrible parent because I couldn't stand it! It took all I had to play even for a few minutes so instead I talked them into doing something I use to do when I was their age. They had a blast and it let me off the hook. Poor Mason was relieved even though his GI Joes are always part of the make believe he gets sooo sick of it!

I think we will try being little people next and exercising!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAYEL!

So I have spent the last hour and a half trying to post pictures of Ray and I when we were growing up on Facebook. Oviously I am not the smartest thing in the world! I just wanted to wish one of my best friends HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I couldn't find all my pictures, there are so many good ones I wish I had some from Junior High with our high bangs and blue eye shadow or even some from my wedding. But honestly I know it sounds so cheezy but my favorites I can't share,I guess they are more memories than pictures. Memories of all the sleepover's, us trying to pee like boys, playing barbies with Billy Watson, jumping off the shed with garbage bags in the wind, catching you kiss Jeremy Lewis in Rosanne's basement,the Freddie Kruger movies, looking for your stash. Seriously I could go on forever. Ray you have been there for me through thick and thin. I don't think you know how much your friendship means to me. I look up to you in so many ways. You are such a awesome person and example to all.

Me, Becky, and Rayel

I love the Chicken legs! I wish I knew how to do live feed I have this whole dance on video somewhere!

My favorite grade school Teacher and class..Guess I'll go eat worms!

That's a Hall Christmas party in our tiny living room, and that cute boy in the red shirt is Rayel!

O' the sailor hat!

JV Basketball, learned to stay away from sewing machine cleaner!

I thought this was a cool picture, look at all those cute Hall kids! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ray. Love Ya

What's my problem?

OK so obviously I have gone way beyond procrastination! I have really had a hard time with staying motivated in just about every area in my life lately and I feel bad because I should be showing my kids off and just enjoying every moment. So here is to a new commitment of trying harder.

A few things that have gone on since my last blog. I think they are in order except my babies 1st Birthday should have come after our trip to the park. The 1st ones are Hailee, she wanted me to show everyone she had lost her 2 front teeth. Believe it or not it happened just before Christmas so she had fun telling everyone that was all she wanted. Her and Mason are such nerds!


Next was Tessa's Birthday. She turned 1 on my birthday, best birthday present ever. This year my Birthday was a hard, my first one with out my mom. I guess there will be a lot of firsts. Tessa loved all the attention and if you look close she did have a fork!

Next was a fun trip to the park in Queen Creek. I miss going all the time it was such a great secret. I loved meeting my friends and talking and just letting the kids run crazy!

A couple of pictures of Rebecca and Tessa sitting on a ladder not letting Ryan and I get anything done. And finally Easter Baskets and Easter Dress's except for little Mason, shirt and tie!

Sorry it is a long one. I promise to do better I'm kind of excited to start this again.

WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR

Where do I start. I am thankful for my parents, that sacrificed so much for there kids. That taught us right from wrong. They weren't afraid to share there mistakes with us. They showed us how to love our spouses, and how to truly love and Cherish our children. I am thankful for having 32 perfect years with my mom. I am thankful for the help that I still receive from her, and mostly all the sweet memories. I am thankful for my dad's willingness to continue to honor my mom. For his emotion that shows us all how much he loves her. I am thankful for them being the greatest grandparents, making each one of there grandkids feel special. I am thankful to both of them for the greatest childhood.

I am thankful for my brother and his family. I love the way he try's to take care of us all. He is such a amazing husband and father. I am thankful for my sister and her sweet tender heart. Her willingness to do without being asked. Becky is also an wonderful wife and mother. I am thankful for the sibling bond we will always have.

I am thankful for my extended family. For the love that they share with my family. I am thankful for the man that they raised. I am thankful that he loves me and all my imperfections.
I am thankful for his willingness to get down on the ground and love and play with his kids. I am thankful that he serves with all his heart in his church callings. I am thankful for laughter in my house.

I am thankful for friendship. New and old, near or far. I have been blessed with the best of friends. Know matter where I am in my life, I have always had the love and support of great friends.

I am thankful for the gospel. For a heavenly father that loved me enough to send his own son to live and die for me. For a Savior that made it possible to live again, so that I can and will see my mother again.

Most of all right now I am thankful for my children, I have been blessed with the six most amazing kids. They have all been healthy and happy. I am thankful for the way that they see life, the way they remind me to live and laugh. I am thankful for the way when my heart aches so much I can just pick one of them up hold them and it makes me feel so comforted. Mostly I am am thankful for the constant distraction they bring. I am so Thankful!

Ryan's Hunting Trip!

Masons first hunting Trip with his dad.

The Fighting Begins!!!

Watch out Mason!


They Caught Him...

Dad and Mason

Grandpa and the Boys!

This is Scarey.....

Mason feeding Calves with Garrett

The good old boy's! Mason has always been fascinated with cowboys. When he was little I think he was a cowboy for at least 3 Halloweens! A couple of weekends ago my friend Becky invited Mason to come help feed the baby calves. Mason said it was heaven. He loved it all, he's always surrounded by all his girly sisters so I think anything besides Barbies and Polly Pockets is probably heaven to him! He said mom guess what, Garrett said I was a pro.

Becky said they played air hockey and watched Kung-fu Panda. Thank you Becky for letting my little guy hang out , be a little cowboy and have so much fun.

Blow Mason Blow!

He ended up with Best of Show and thought that was great.

So this was something new for me. I had never heard of Raingutter Rattas. We had been in Snowflake and we were not planning on being here for this. We got the kit the day before and it had no instructions in it. So with a little instruction from Tommy Norris, a few hours of sanding, a red and blue sharpie(this was our paint) we had ourselves a boat. Mason wanted a cross bone on the front so it would look like a Pirate ship, so about 5 minutes before we left to go compete this is the best I could do. Not to shabby!

Ryan and I had gone over with Mason that this was just for fun if he lost, no big deal just have fun. Me being as competitive as I am told him to make quick short blows on the sail as fast as he could. He won his first race. The second race he just lost, I could tell he was going to cry. I was standing in the back. He came back crying and I was so mad. I told him he could go sit in the car, that we had already talked about this that it is just for fun. He said I'm not crying because I lost I'm crying cause I feel like I'm going to die! He doesn't have the best of lungs. He has pretty bad asthma. The poor fela, because of my instructions I had the poor kid hyperventilating. There was another kid who's head felt like it was going to pop!

He really didn't want to race again. I told him we don't quit just to take it easy just finish. They never called him up to race again, it was suppose to be double elimination. I was just fine with that. On the way home Mason said

MASON: Mom don't you think that's weird they didn't call me up to race again.

ME: I'm glad they didn't your lungs were hurting so bad already.

MASON: I think grandma did it, she didn't want me to pass out in front of everyone.
I do think she was watching him. She probably got such a laugh out of all of it!