Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year with lots of fun! We did a trunk or treat at church and then did trick or treating with family. I just love this holiday!

six years and still going strong

THEN...

NOW...I have never really been able to express my feelings eloquently with any topic so when it comes around to our anniversary I search forever trying to find that perfect card that says what is on my mind. The biggest part of it is gratitude. How do you thank someone who supports you no matter what, lets you cry on their shoulder until late at night, who has the kids in bed already when I get home from work so I can just relax, who always comes home happy no matter how the day went, who puts up with my worst side (and it's pretty bad) and shrugs off my bad attitude? I just try and say I love you as much as possible. Thank you for completing me and loving me more than I thought possible. I love you babe!

Okay so obviously it has been FOR.EV.ER since I posted last. It has been a crazy summer. So I am just going to try and highlight a little for ya'll. :)

1) Swimming (with Uncle Brent and Aunt Sarah)

2) Camping

3) Shumway Family Reunion

4) Gibbons Family Reunion

5) Fleming Family Reunion (Labor Day)

And of course lots of playing in between. Sorry we have been in the dark for awhile. I am going to be better...I pinky promise

Brendon Walking

Brendon is really getting good at walking.

You can tell by the huge bruise on his forehead!

Heidi

go check out Heidi's blog. she is so creative! she has dresses for little girls and lot of fun things. right now she is doing a giveaway for a photography session from paxman photography. woo hoo!

Kids say the darndest things

...on the grounds of the Salt Lake City Temple...

passing a waterfall Kaden says "me and Jesus are going to go swimming."

Kaden was running up the steps to the great big doors of the temple and he tries the door knob and says "mom, it's locked. I need the keys, mom." He looks in the diaper bag and gets my cell phone out and says "I need to call Joseph Smith to get the keys. Joseph Smith has the keys to the door."

Just an update.

It all started around the end of March. My Tahoe was broken into and Aaron's ipod was stolen. At the time we just thought that Kaden had misplaced it and that it would show up eventually. About a week later I got into the car and there were papers from the glove compartment strewn on the seat and my garage door opener was missing. Aaron came home immediately from work and reprogrammed it so the theif wouldn't be able to use it while we were out and about. We knew then that his ipod had been stolen probably fromt the same person that got the opener. This is when we first thought maybe it was the right time for us to move on out of the area. Then came the drop house. Just down the street from us the sheriff's office located a house full of 30 illegal immigrants. Aaron was on the news and he got to meet Joe Arpaio. Pretty exciting stuff. After that we really started looking. I was obsessed. I was on the internet all the time looking at houses. We found a realtor and I went out with her to see homes. We had a big bump in the road and we starting to think maybe we shouldn't try to buy at this time and have two mortgages. Was this really what we were supposed to be doing? We prayed to be led in the right direction. Two days later Aaron's truck was broken into. They smashed in his window and took a briefcase out of the back seat. They had also unscrewed the light bulbs over our garage to make the area darker. We decided that was enough of a prompting that we needed to be moving. We put in offers on two houses that day. The offer on the home that we really loved was accepted in less that 24 hours. We were so ecstatic. This is around the end of April. We would most likely sign the middle of June so we weren't really in a rush to get out of our house. We thought we would probably be out by the end of May so we could get renters in the house before too long. I started packing a little bit. Then on May 5th while I was at a choir concert for Aaron's sisters I got a call from Aaron saying someone had tried to break into our house. The alarm company had called him and they were sending the cops over. I raced home to find the officer there along with a broken window and an arcadia door off its tract. We were really tired of feeling vulnerable and violated. Aaron and I decided that night that our little family was no longer safe in our home. Aaron was afraid that next they would try to get in with me and the kids home. So we packed up our entire house in three days and moved everything out that Saturday. We are so grateful to all the friends and family who chipped in at the last minute to help that day. We love you! The kids and I moved in with my parents. They have the most room. They live a little too far for Aaron to drive to work everyday so he is living with Curtis and Leigh Ann. We see each other on the weekends. It is really hard. The first night we left Aaron to come back to my parents Kaden says "mom where's dad going?" I told him he was staying and we were going. Kaden says "well, that's not very nice." It is very difficult. I know that we needed to be out of our home quickly and I hope that I can understand the overall plan of it someday. We still don't have renters in the house. We hope to sign papers the beginning of next week and be in the new house in the next couple weeks. There is a purpose for everything and we are praying to always be led in the direction that is right for our little family.

Easter

Kaden collected his eggs he colored with dad that the Easter Bunny hid. He was so excited to wake up and see them everywhere outside. My attempt at taking the boys pics on Sunday. Kaden did not want to cooperate. Here are the good ones!

Who needs toys?

This is what I found when Brendon woke up from his nap. He had pulled the bumper off from 3/4 of the crib. He was just happily playing in there. I just had to laugh (and share it with others)

Like father, like son (once again)

This is what I came across in the bathroom today. Could he be anymore like Aaron?!

Just a side note that I remembered today. Sometimes when Aaron is on the toilet too long (he is going to kill me for sharing this...) he will get up and his legs will have fallen asleep. The other day Kaden had finished and called me in to wipe him and he gets off and just falls over. He says "mom, my legs are hurting, my legs are hurting all over! " He was grabbing at them and rolling around. I was dying laughing!!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Kaden has been wanting a kite for awhile and finally this weekend it was actually windy enough to use it. The boys went across the street to the park to fly it. Kaden absolutely loved it.

Funny Face

This is Brendon's new face he does all.the.time. I think he is sucking on his bottom lip. I just love it and it always makes me laugh.

Jell-o Poke Cake

For St. Patrick's Day we made a jell-o poke cake. So simple. So easy. So yummy. And you can make it any color/flavor you want. Kaden helped with all the steps which is also a plus.

Making the cake. I used a white cake mix. Make and bake the cake as directed on the box. I let mine cool for an hour or so.

Use something long and round to poke the holes all over the cake. I use the end of my big wooden spoon. Poke as many holes as you desire.

Make the jell0 (the smaller box is enough). While it is in liquid form pour it onto the cake making sure it gets in the holes. I used lime jello so it made my cake have the green. After you have poured the jello on the cake, place the cake in the fridge for 3 hours.

After 3 hours spread cool whip on top of the cake. I use the whole tub. You could also color the cool whip with food coloring. We decorated the cake since it was St. Patty's Day. Kaden did the sprinkles.

And it will look something like this. This is such a fun cake. Plus, it is really moist and light.

The little seed

Kaden planted a seed in Primary 2 Sundays ago. I gave it a little water, but didn't expect much from it. You see, I have what I call a black thumb. Any plant that is brought under my care lives a very, very short life. When we first moved into our house my mom gave me this big. potted plant to grow. After about a week it didn't look so good. I called my mom and got some pointers. It continued to deteriorate. My mom took the plant back and nourished it back to life. It was alive and well. My mom gave it back to me in hopes that the second go around it would survive. Nope. I don't know what I was doing wrong. I gave it back to my mom and I believe it is still alive and well today. So anyway...where was I...Oh so I gave this seed a little water, put it in the sun. Kaden had forgot about it until a couple days ago when he found it on the ledge and took it down and dropped the dirt all over the floor. Well, for sure it was a goner by then...but NO, this plant wants to live. After a couple of days it had grown a ton and Kaden was so excited. We had a chat about plants needing water and sun to grow healthy and strong. The picture is of him checking its progress yesterday.

It's an obsession...

Of mine more than Kaden's. I love Hot Wheels cars. What is worse is they are only 97 cents at Fry's. Every time we go grocery shopping Kaden wants one...and I get one...(they're less than a dollar people!) Kaden loves Mustangs so he has tried to get all the different models of those. What more can I say?

I just love them.(this is Kaden's collection of his "sick" cars)

Happy 28!!

Today is Aaron's 28th birthday. I love my hubby! I do not deserve all the things that he does for me. He works so hard to provide for our family. He can always make me laugh. He is a great father and has so much more patience than I do. I am so grateful he is mine forever!

First Cereal

Brendon had his first rice cereal last week. He didn't do as great with it as Kaden did, but most of it went in. They grow up so fast! (oh and I love the BUMBO seat I just got for him)

Brandon

Brandon's home!! Aaron's younger brother just got home (well, okay...it was like 2 weeks ago) from his mission in Argentina. We are way stoked to have him back. He is the same old Brandon that we love!

New baby!

Congrats to the Turley family on the addition of their third littly boy. Packer was born early Sunday morning. We are so happy and excited for them.

4 months old

Today we had Brendon's 4 month appointment. He is 14 1bs 10 oz and 26 inches long. When I told Kaden this morning that we had to take Brendon to his appointment he says "can't let him get shots mom, make him have owies." He was so concerned that Brendon would get hurt with his shots. We were talking to the PA at the appointment and she mentioned the shots and Kaden again says "no shots, no shots, it will hurt him." After the fact, Brendon was sad and Kaden comes over and holds his hand and rubs his head saying "it's alright buddy, it will be okay, it's okay buddy." So stinkin sweet. It made me a little teary-eyed. They are just going to be the best buds when they get older. I love seeing that relationship forming already.

My mom

Jessica gave me the idea to honor my mother (and taught me how to do links, thanks Jess!!) My mom's birthday was last week and I really should have posted this then, but you all know how good I am at keeping up with this thing...:) My mother is the one that I always call first for advice. I am so grateful to her for all that she does for me. She is constantly sacrificing herself for everyone else. I hope to be more like her someday.

This month

Here is a catch up of the last month. The first picture is Gold Rush Days in Wickenburg. Kaden loved going on the rides! Kaden decorating sugar cookies for Valentine's Day for all his favorite people.
Kaden has done a couple of gymnastics classes and loved it!

I am loving my new chocolate brown sheet set

I told you my child is destined to be in health care. He found this first aid kit and had to come work on me. He always remembers to wear gloves! :)

Kaden

Today I was in the office and Kaden came in and was playing with my scrapbook tools kit. He starts using the tools like he was a doctor giving me an examination. He comes over and asks to look in my mouth and in my ears and at my belly button. When he was done he said "Great job mom!" Boys are so silly and fun.

Any Resemblence?

This is Brendon (1st pic) at 3 months old and Kaden (2nd pic) at about 5 months old. They definitely look like brothers.