fame

Our friends are pretty famous.  They are always doing awesome things and fame is nothing special to them.  They invited us to join them in their suite for the Jazz Game one night and our cell phones were lighting up with texts.  My brother took the picture below of us on his tv screen.  Yes, we had our one minute of fame (thanks to Kim K. over there on the right).  It was fun while it lasted.  Thanks Belchers!

christmas with siebenbergs

We always look forward to our annual traditions with the Siebenbergs. This year it was much the same. Yummy dinner, cute craft for the kids, gift exchange and lots of crazy kids and fun. We love our Siebenberg family and don't know what we'd do without them!

girls weekend in st. george

Camille (and Trey), Heidi, Dani and I (left Michelle behind...boo) and headed to sunny St. George for a girls weekend trip.  It was exactly what I needed.  I've been cooped up in my house, and more specifically, my bed for the past 7 weeks.  I needed to get away.  I needed to re-energize my soul and remind myself how to live again.

The week leading up to the trip I could hardly wait.  From the second we left Salt Lake my heart was so happy.  The sunshine was exactly what my soul needed.  I couldn't get over how perfect the weather was the entire time and, more importantly, how lucky I was to be with three A-MAZE-ING ladies and one adorable baby!

We had the best time.  Although, I still was not 100% myself (hence the lack of pictures) and had moments where I felt really sick, it was fabulous.  We ate, shopped, got pedicures, watched movies, talked, played on our iphones, ate some more and talked some more.  We were so lucky to be able to stay at Camille's parents condo.

I loved sharing ideas with each other about parenting and life.  Each one of us is so different in our own way.  I learned so much from these girls this weekend.  I came home refreshed and ready to be the best wife and mother I could possibly be.  Obviously, I've got a long ways to go, but it's great to have the inspiration I received this weekend to just keep going and do my best.

I couldn't get enough of the sunshine.  I sat outside every morning and read.  It was heavenly!

Cam and Trey.  He was an angel the whole time!

It's tradition!

What would you expect the trunk to look like after a girls trip?

Thank goodness I got an iphone the day before the trip.  I would have been seriously left out!

Trey, Heidi, Me, Dani & Camille

who wouldn't enjoy this life?

I just downloaded a few weeks worth of pictures onto my computer and the following pictures are just a sampling of what most of the pictures looked like.  My heart swelled up with so much gratitude for my life.  This is what I get to do every single day.  I get to hang out with these kids.  I get to love them, mother them and care for them.  I'm not thinking about the huge messes I had to clean up later or the chaos that ensued.  I am only thinking about how much I cherished and loved these moments.  Obviously I'm enjoying this because I reached for the camera in order to capture a small glimpse of our daily lives.

Seriously, who wouldn't enjoy eating lunch like this?

Or cruise around in style like this?

Or hang out in your pajamas & costumes like this?

Or enjoy a snack outdoors like this?

Or like this?

Or watch a show on the couch like this?

Or play with this many friends at one time like this?

Who wouldn't enjoy this life? 

Please don't answer that question {because some days I have too many answers to that question}, but these pictures make all the messes, fights, tears and long hours in the day seem completely worth it!

girlfriends

{Me, Camille, Michelle, Dani & Heidi}

{Doing what we do best...talking & eating!}

“Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.”

This quote perfectly sums up how I feel about my friendship with these girls.  I'm so happy that we've made a real effort (believe me, it's seriously an effort) to get together often.  This year we did some extra special things for each other and although this crazy world takes us in all different directions our friendship continues to get stronger.  These girls are my forever friends and I'm so grateful for them in my life!

friends

I was talking to someone recently {you know who you are} about friends. This person was telling me that she doesn't really have any friends that she hangs out with. She has friends, but doesn't see them often and doesn't really care. She's happy just being with her and her little family. I've thought about this a lot and concluded that I could NEVER live without my friends. Not only these girls above, but the many different friends and associations I have. Yes, I'm admitting this. I am codependent. I need friends. My friends are my lifeline. My sanity. My friends teach me and inspire me and have helped me become the person I am. I just couldn't live without all the amazing friends in my life. Each one of them offers me something that I'm lacking in my life. Each one of them helps make me a better person.

Thanks friends!

johnnie connie

Last weekend, I was with three of my best friends driving down Walker Lane at 10:30 pm on a Friday night. The circumstances were familiar. This was something we had done together many, many, too many times before. However, this time it was different.

Instead of driving in my green Dodge Neon with my CD player (with a detachable face) blasting while we sang along to tunes like; Glycerine or Ride that Choo Choo or Kiss Me with Your Mouth; we were driving in a Suburban filled with car seats, sippy cups and an ipod that was turned off.

Instead of screaming to the lyrics of a song, we were enjoying talking and laughing with each other. We had so much to talk about that we didn't have time to sing along to the music.

Last weekend, as I sat in the car with Michelle, Camille & Heidi I realized that it had been over 12 years since we made this drive together. So many feelings came rushing back to me.

For a moment, I felt young. For a moment, I felt the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. For a moment, I was not a mother. For a moment, I was a carefree girl out for the night with her friends. For just one tiny moment in time, I was the old me. The old me that used to be so carefree.

In this moment, I thought about the difference that 12 years has made. The last time we did this drive together we were young and so, so, so carefree. In fact, we were so carefree that this was the only thing we had to do on a Friday night. Cruise Walker Lane and visit our good friend; Johnnie Connie.

We were so carefree that we befriended this statue and gave him an entire family (Bonnie, Lonnie, Ronnie, Connie and, my personal favorite, the exchange student; Franschwany.) We spent much time talking about our great friends the Connies. Everyone that knew us, knew them. We visited Johnnie often and left him many presents (like the one in the picture above).

We built this fictitious family because it was fun. We had nothing better to do. We all had jobs, school, boyfriends and responsibilities, but for the most part, our lives were carefree. It was a fun way to escape our daily realities.

Now, 12 years later, we are raising our own families. We're not spending our time visiting little jockey statues and making up entire families. We're telling silly stories to our own little people in our own homes. We still have jobs, but they are much different. We still have school, but it's for our children not ourselves. Our boyfriends are now our husbands. Our responsibilities are no longer small, but much greater than they used to be.

We still find ways to escape reality. Last weekend, this was the perfect reality check for me. After a long week with a sick baby, a husband out of town, a friend moving away, adjusting to new routines, and feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was able to escape reality for just a moment. I was able to join the land of the Connies. I was able to remember the feeling of being so carefree.

As I drove up the hill to my home at 11:30 pm on a Friday night, I realized that I love the new me just as much as the old me. I've been blessed with the most amazing life. This past weekend was a great reminder of why It's so good to revisit the old in order to appreciate the new.

As much as I loved the Connies, I wouldn't trade my Tim, Payton, Parker or Cooper for a Johnnie, Connie, Ronnie or even Franschwany ever!

first sleepover

Parker had his first sleepover (and probably last). His friend Ryker slept over at our house. We were technically babysitting him. His parents both had to be somewhere early in the morning so we offered to have him sleepover. I figured I might as well let them do it now when they are still innocent and can only stay up until 9 o'clock. As soon as they get older I'm pretty sure that sleepovers will be out of the question. Payton and Parker both loved having him over. They thought it was the coolest thing. Ryker did have a little bit of a rough night and wanted his Mom and Dad a few times, but we made it through and he was happy as ever the next morning.

st. george

I am always anxious with anticipation for a family vacation. Normally, my anticipation is filled with excitement, but this time the anticipation for our vacation was bitter sweet. I was excited to be getting away for a long weekend with my family. I was even more excited because our friends, the Siebenbergs, were joining us. However, there was this one little reason we were going to St. George that I was not necessarily excited about...the marathon!


The first couple days in St. George I tried to hide my nervousness. I was having a great time with my family. I loved eating at In & Out, watching my kids play at the playground, shopping, swimming, and staying up late to play card games with Brett & Camille. But, I was definitely nervous about, what I considered to be, my pending doom.

Much to my surprise, as soon as we went to the expo to pick up my race packet, the less nervous I became. I was actually getting really excited! Excited to see these darling signs my cute kids and friends made for me. Excited to see all the other runners picking up their race packets. Excited for the energy that a marathon brings. Excited to get this race (that had been ruling my life for the past 4 months) over with!

Finally, on Saturday morning the excitement and nervousness collided together and I set off on my 26.2 mile journey. Here is the only picture Tim was able to snap of me at mile 21 and the only emotion I had was pure excitement. I was having the time of my life!

I did it and I had so much fun!

I was so happy to have all my handsome boys cheering me on. I felt like they needed the popsicles (that they hand out to runners after you cross the finish line) more than I did! They've been so patient with me the last 4 months and they had to be patient for 4 hours waiting for me to finish the race. They are such a great support and motivation for me.

I felt so lucky to not only have my family there, but great friends cheering me on!

These girls are some of my best friends; Camille & Heidi. Heidi's husband, Cory, also ran the marathon. It was so fun to see her there.

(Funny sidenote: I didn't even notice my ridiculous husband until Camille pointed it out.)

Look at all this chaos...the energy was amazing!

The rest of the weekend was pure enjoyment. We had so much fun soaking up the last of the summer sun. The kids (BIG & small) loved the pool.



Cooper loved the water and thought that he could swim. He definitely can't, but he tried over and over and over and over again!


We had so much fun with the Siebs. Our kids got along so well with each other. The candy bar game was a highlight for the kids (except for one of the kids coughpaytoncough who didn't get the candy they wanted)!

Payton loved having a bedroom with his very own tv. He loved laying in bed and watching movies. I didn't get many pictures of Parker. I didn't see him much. He was busy the whole time being Makenna's shadow. He loved following her around and doing everything she wanted to do, eat, play, say, watch, etc. They were a perfect match for each other!

Cooper and Sam also loved watching movies in the bedroom. This was the first time Cooper had ever sat still this long to watch tv.

Aren't they just the cutest little kids?

After we put the kids to bed every night we stayed up playing card games. It brought us back to the days before we had kids and we used to stay up late every single weekend with the Siebenbergs!

It was also conference weekend so we attempted to watch conference and have the kids do some fun conference activities. I probably don't have to tell you that this only lasted for about 15 minutes before the kids were out of control. Tim & I have already promised each other that we will never go out of town for conference weekend again. We're still trying to catch up on 16 hours of conference talks!

Here is the whole gang posing in the condo. The condo we rented was awesome! It was plenty of room for all nine of us. We loved every minute of our little getaway and were sad it had to come to an end. As our lives get busier and more chaotic with the many things we have going on, it's these moments, these friends, these simple things we do to enjoy ourselves that makes life so much fun!

*Check out Camille's amazing scrapbook pages of our St. George adventure here*