Happy Birthday Liam!

Happy Birthday Buddy! Double digits! Hope you have a great day

and that this year is the BEST year of your life ~

Love,

Mom & Dad

Fourth of July

We had a great fourth of July~ Southern Style. We started the morning off with a ward breakfast. My mom and dad were here and able to join us for breakfast before heading home with Jessie. We got home just in time (10 am) to take a long afternoon nap. Then a friend of ours was having a crawfish boil so we headed way out into the country to celebrate. The kids had a blast. I think James and Matt were the only ones that actually ate any crawfish. Thank goodness there was a ton of other food. After that was over we headed over to Brian and Vickie's and had our own personal fireworks display (which I didn't get any pictures of). It was incredible.

Liam and Jordan getting a lesson on boiling the little bad boys.

Turns out Myles is afraid of fireworks.

Hummm... who would have guessed that?

Brian pretending to eat a stick bug. I love Myles' face in this. While all the other kids were egging him on Myles just kept saying "Oh, that's disgusting. That's disgusting."

Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday weekend

Memphis June 2009

Matt had a conference in Memphis and we were able to attend it with him. We had a mini family vacation minus James. We spent some time in the hotel pool, went to a Redbirds game, visited the Memphis Zoo, ate A LOT of really good food, and were able to relax. We will definitely be going back because there were quite a few things on our "to do lists" that we didn't get to.

Saw pandas at the Memphis Zoo

Walking back from dinner

Seeing the ducks at the Peabody Hotel

Enjoying the hotel pool

Riding the trolley

The Redbirds baseball game

Jessie

She wanted a green and pink cake. I delivered. She was sad because we were driving to Memphis on her birthday. So we had a surprise cake and ice cream party at mutual a couple days before. She got her hair done by Miss Rachel. She got a new camera. I hope she had a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jessie!

I hope you have a wonderful 13th birthday!

I can't believe you are a teenager already, it seems like just yesterday you were a tiny little baby. I love you so much and hope that this year brings you everything that your heart desires.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

A picture is worth a thousands words...

Look close folks. That's right.

Myles is going to be a big brother.

December 15, 2009

Our staycation

Matt has taken the week off of work! We have quite a few things planned to do around here before our upcoming weekend of "mandatory fun" {more on that later}

Day #1 we decided to take the kids to Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We had a blast! It was SO damn hot. Okay, that is not even an accurate description. HOT!

I think Liam must have gone on this ride 20 times. I just love Matt's face. It wasn't that scary. {and this is a guy who jumps out of planes. willingly}

Then off to the water park side. At this point we were so stinkin hot it was such a nice relief. Have I mentioned it was hot? Anyways, while on the lazy river Myles got some water splashed in his face, which led to sunscreen in the eyes. They were driving him crazy so I told him to just shut his eyes and it would be all better. He did. For 30 minutes. Then he startled awake and was off again to play.

We ended the day with a few more rides. Then the rain came. We had to make a run for our car (which felt like 2 miles) and by the time we got there we were all soaked. Made for a fun ride home.

Workin 9 to 5

Well, okay. Maybe not 9 to 5 but James started his first job. YEA!!! He is a life guard at our local community center. We are so excited for him and wish him the best of luck. He is super excited to be working and earning money. It was surreal watching him walk into work on his first day. Time has gone by way too fast. This was also the best picture I got of him because apparently it is not cool to stand outside your new place of employment and pose for a picture for your mom. Hum? Who knew?

Sing. Sing a song.

Myles loves to sing. He has a crazy little memory for lyrics. Sort of. He loves to sing songs the way he hears them. Sometimes he really cracks us up with his interpretation.

Today takes the cake.

While I was making lunch he was playing on the floor near me. It went down like this:

Myles: "Jesus wants me for a zombie. A zombie. A zombie. I'll be a zombie for him."
Me: I think it might be sunbeam. Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.
Myles: Laughing... Silly, Mommy. Jesus don't want me to be a sunbeam. I learned it at church. A ZOMBIE! (to clear up any confusion) and singing "A zombie. A zombie. Jesus wants me for a zombie."
Me: Pretty sure it's sunbeam....

He's now been singing it all afternoon. Zombie style.

It's official...

It's summertime.

To the pool we go.

Thank goodness for

season passes...

There were some other kids there with us too but they didn't want to hang around kidzone.

Graduation Day!

It's official.

He made it through elementary school.

It seems as if he was just a baby.
Now he is going to middle school.

We are very proud of him.

He has done so well this year.

His wonderful teachers. Mrs. Curtright and Ms. Hagge.

Pretty sure these women have earned their spot in heaven.

We love you Liam and are very proud of you!

11 years

This year for our anniversary Matt did the sweetest thing. Every day this week he did something special, along with a flower and a card. It was so thoughtful of him and I enjoyed it so much. So here is a recap of our week so that I will always remember...

Day One~

A single red rose, a card and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. I had talked to him on the phone and had told him how I had gone to the store to get dinner and wanted some Doritos to go with it. I told Liam to grab some but he decided that he didn't like them. I didn't realize it until I got home. So Matt brought some home.

Day Two~
Two red roses, a card and a Michael's gift card. So excited to put this to use.

Day Three~

Three red roses, a card and a 4-pack of beer. Not to drink. We have a fruit fly infestation. It is the perfect thing to trap and kill them. It works I swear.

Day Four~
Four red roses, a card, cream cheese brownies and tickets to Riverfest. So excited to go to this!

Day Five~
Five red roses, a card and a date night. We went out to dinner to The Faded Rose. We came to this restaurant a couple years ago when we came out here for Matt to interview for his job. The shrimp tchoupitoulas was just as good as we remembered. Divine. You guys who are local should try this place. It is worth the drive and the money. Yummm....

Day Six~
Matt had to leave early to go on a Youth trip so I woke up to 4 Dozen roses. Not even kidding. 48 roses and some stargazer lillys and a cute little gift bag. So exciting. I opened it up and it was a new lens for my camera. Seriously. Love this guy.

*I have to just add that I realize a lot of the days involved food. What can I say? This boy knows me. He knows the way to my heart. Food, camera, crafts and beer. Just kidding about the beer. Really.

In Loving Memory

Grandma Krenz

August 12, 1919

May 9, 2009

Matt lost his sweet grandmother this last weekend. We made a quick trip back to Wisconsin for the funeral. By quick, I mean really quick. We got there at 5 pm on Thursday and left at 8 am on Saturday. It was too short. It was good to see the family even under these circumstances.

Wisconsin=Cheese Right?
Had to get a picture by the giant mouse and cheese

Myles playing with his cute cousins Justice, Bella and Danielle

We got to go to our nephew Collin's baseball game. This was really fun. His team did awesome even with the rain. The game got called at the bottom of the fourth inning. The kids had a blast watching him play (and climbing all over the seats).

Liam and Cameron. These boys are so much alike. They had a blast together.

Sleepy Caiden...

Myles made a cute little friend Aubree while we were there. She was just too sweet. At one point she was all up in his face saying "Hi. Myles, Hi, Myles" And he in his grumpy boy voice said "I trying to watch the baseball" Oh, boys and their sports.

So glad I could capture his face when he said it. Funny boy.

Say Cheese!