Happy 10th birthday MADDISON!!!

Happy birthday to our sweet Maddison!!!

10 years ago, I didn't know about the love a mom can have for her child. I went in (past my due date) to be induced. This is on the way to the hospital at 1 am!!!! A picture we have taken with all 3 kids!!!

My cervix wouldn't (and still doesn't) cooperate, so after 18 1/2 hours of hard labor, me getting a fever, her heart rate going crazy and another priesthood blessing, we realized we would be going through a c-section. When all was said and done, our doctor expressed how bad things were going, her or I could have died if it lasted longer. It was scary and painful, but one of my favorite things is and always will be when we're in the OR and Randy and my mom saw her for the first time. Both of them would come over and look down on me to tell me how precious she was, with tears dripping on me from both Randy and my mom's beautiful BLUE eyes!!!! I love looking up seeing all of those blue eyes filled with love for me and my new child!!!


Daddy getting used to holding a newborn!!!
It was fun playing dress up in the hospital for 3 days. We never find out the sex of our kids, so as soon as Maddison was born, there was a run on anything pink in southern Utah!!!
8 pounds 6 oz. 19" long.... our chubby little baby that would only get fatter and fatter!!!!
She is the first grandchild on Randy's side, so needless to say, Grandma and Grandpa were a PINCH excited!!!!
My parents were old pros at this point, but still the BEST part of their lives, getting new grand kids!!!
FINALLY!!!! They let us go!!!
This is one of my favorite pictures of Maddison as a baby. She's 3 days old here!!!
Awwww......
We have such a great support system, of course Anna was one of the first to the hospital to visit!!!
Here's Jennie and Megan meeting Maddison for the first time.
One of the first of MANY kissed from "Aunt" Gina!!!
It's great to have those around that are still supporting us to this day......
And some that we feel support from Heaven!!! This is Gina's mom that passed away a few years ago, she loved me and Maddison like we were her own!!!

It's amazing to me that this little baby is now 10. She loves good music, she memorizes as much as she can, just like her mom and it drives her dad NUTS, just like her mom. She is tender, sweet, smart and kind. We are so blessed to have her as our daughter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDISON!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

What are you doing?

"Be where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there, doing what you're supposed to be doing it and everything will be ok.".

That is one of my dad's favorite quotes. Isn't it the truth? I always "got" what my dad was saying when he told me that. Well, today was one of those days. I wasn't feeling good, I spent the whole morning in bed. Randy was cutting some trees down with Mike and I hadn't seen him all day. It was time for me to decide if I was going to the General Relief Society meeting in preparation for General Conference next weekend. I didn't want to go if I was going to be sick while I was there and I REALLY wanted to spend time with my husband, BUT my dad's words echoed in my ears. I knew where I needed to be, when I was supposed to be there, doing what I was supposed to be doing. So, I went. I am so glad I went. No matter what I would have been doing instead of going to that meeting, is not as important as going to that meeting. I would not have got the spiritual uplift that I did, I wouldn't have got to sit next to my beloved ward members and I would have been the one that missed out. I am so glad that I belong to a church that looks at women with such respect and love. I am so glad that I went tonight, going to these meetings is something you learn that you never will regret. Anyhow, I'm almost 33 years old and I love that I heard my dad's words in my mind when making a decision.

What a blessed DAUGHTER I am!!!

Sleep tight!!!

This morning at 5am Tyler woke me up (yes, that's his normal wake up time... not mine!!!) to tell me his shoulder was hurting. I could tell it was causing him quite a bit of pain. I assumed it was because he slept on it weird, quite a normal thing for him. I got him an ice pack and went back to bed. 2 hours later when I woke up (he never went back to sleep), his shoulder was fine. Take a look at how my kids sleep!?!

Yes, this is Maddison laying on a sleeping Cambelle and Tyler's head in Maddison's behind!!!


How about after Randy's crash this summer and the kids thought our bed was "lonely"?



See the position of his arm? This is completely normal for him to sleep in funky ways!!!

Who needs a pillow? Or sleeping IN the covers?

When his usual wake up is at 5 am, he takes regular naps. We even gave him prescription sleep medication at one point in life that didn't effect him AT ALL. I have just come to the conclusion that he can't sleep a lot of hours at one time!!! Even if he doesn't fall asleep during the day, he's up at 5!!!
Maddison LOVES her blankies!!! She sleeps with one ON her pillow!!!
I couldn't resist taking this picture of Maddison's feet!!!!
Who falls asleep like this?
Or like THIS? She didn't want to miss out on any of the New Year's Eve party!!!
Or watching TV in Tyler's room, dressed in one of his super hero costumes, snuggling with ONE of her babies!!!! I love this picture!!!
HUH?

Then you have sleepovers!!!!
2 girls in a twin bed... remember THOSE days?
And then the BEST!!!! Daddy snuggling with the 2 oldest!!!

I love seeing the funny ways my family sleep!!!!

Good ride!!!

So this weekend is a classic... it's the Dixie Round-up rodeo. Since I was little, the Dixie Lion's Round-up has been a weekend that I have looked forward to. Am I a cowgirl? NO. Do I pretend to be? NO. I just love seeing how hard these people work and the skills that they have. Some people think that rodeos are cruel, but it is founded on the workings of a ranch. They have worked for years to perfect these skills to better their lives and the lives of their families.

(my dad and I)

(Tyler and Randy)


When I was little, my sisters would pile all of my nieces and nephews in the station wagon and head to the rodeo. We would lay out sleeping bags (probably for more padding then a blanket) 2 hours before the rodeo is to start and munch on our buckets of KFC!!!! I tried to count how many of us there were at times, it's hard to say, but, with my parents, me and at least 3 other sisters, and then their kids (9-13ish kids)... it was a party!!! We would go on family night because the kids got in for free.

(my mom and Cambelle)

Then I got into my teenage years. It's a right of passage for teenagers of Washington County to attend the rodeo and do laps around the Sunbowl. We would walk and walk around in circles, you always knew exactly where "that cute guy" was in the rotation and occasionally would do a u-turn to see "that other cute guy". The rodeo was always right after school would start, so it was fun especially if you had a friend from a different school so you could check out the goods from her school. Anyone that grew up here knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about!!!!

(Tyler and Maddison)


Now, here I am, a mom with 3 kids and a husband that LOVE to go to the rodeo!!! We go in and sit on those same cement seats just like when I was a kid. Except I don't remember the music that they played during the rodeo being as cool as it is now!!!

Every year, the Round-up provides me with memories that I hope to remember forever. One of them this year was when the 222 did the flag presentation at the beginning of the rodeo. With the tank, the extra large flag, lots of kids carrying flags and then the triple deuce members out in the arena, there is a certain reverence that is felt. My nephew just transferred out of the 222 after he had served 2 tours of duty. There was a tiny, little girl that so bravely sang our National Anthem and then I felt Tyler crying. I thought maybe he had got stepped on or something, when I asked why he was crying, he told me that he was happy. "Why are you so happy that you're crying?" He said, "I am just so happy to live in America". Aren't we all? I hope I never forget that moment.

At the end of the night, we had a blast at the rodeo. With 2 kids asleep and smiles on everyone's faces, I would consider this year's Round-up another success!!!
This is how Tyler fell asleep.... in between Randy's legs!!!!

Then when we tried waking him up for the bulls, this is how he ended up sleeping like this!!!!
What a great time!!! Can't wait till next year!!!

One year ago.

Today is the one year mark from when Randy was put in as first counselor in our Bishopric. I can't believe it's been that long. It has been an eventful year for him. I have to admit it's not that bad for me. He was ward mission leader for a few years and I think that prepared our whole family for this transition. We have had some really hard times in the last year with some family problems and his crash, but the good things that have come from all of it out weigh the bad.

Some of the stuff I have learned in the last year:

*when the Bishopric members say they love us and are concerned about us, that is the truth. I have seen a level of stress from him out of concern for ward members that is amazing.

*when they say that things are confidential, they really are. I always thought that the wives knew a little of what was going on. I couldn't have been more wrong. I never know what is going on with him or ward members AT ALL. And thank goodness.

*I have learned that there are equal lows that come with the highs of spirituality. Once I realized that, life got a little easier. You just always have to hold your head up, because there will be those who will try to bring you down.

*life is not the same as before when you have a Bishopric member for a husband, but depending on your level of support and your attitude, it can be BETTER.

*I never knew how competitive people were about church callings. It has surprised me that there are certain people that feel that they should have been in a Bishopric before Randy and got mad that he "beat them to the punch". It's not like that. That was something that really SHOCKED me.

*overall, I have learned that Randy is dedicated to the Lord's work more than I ever knew. He doesn't complain ONE BIT when he's at the church from 9-5 every Sunday or when he has meetings 3 nights during the week. I know Heavenly Father is blessing him in that way, because it's just not natural.


Here is Randy going to a Stake Bishopric meeting right after his crash, still using a walker and barely able to drive himself and what tie is he wearing? A motorcycle tie!!!! He loves to make people happy, maybe that's why he's been wearing snowmen ties the last couple of weeks!!!
I am so happy to have a man that honors his priesthood. He takes is very seriously and I am thankful for that. Our family would not be the same without that in our lives. So, here's to the one year mark, honey.... good job!!!

Tyler, our CHERUB

Please take the time to watch this video I made of our son's CDH journey.

What the H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS?

See these 2 little cuties? What harm can they do? Huh? The blondie is Anna's little girl, Kelsey, and the other trouble maker of the day is Cambelle!!!




THIS is what you get when you have 2 VERY CUTE little 4 year olds playing at your house and they're being soooo good that you just ignore them the whole afternoon!!!!

This first picture is what they took into Tyler's room......
And this is how the girl's room looked when they were done!!!!

Do you think I will ignore them again like a fool???? Yea, probably. They're such good little girls, how can I complain?

Last Saturday I went to the mountain with Randy, his brother, dad, our kids and 2 of the neighbor boys. I love how happy Randy is on the mountain with his family. He is happy the whole time!!! He has to control himself for the first time in his life because of his crash. He can't go as hard as he usually does.Here are the kids out looking for horny toads!!!! Uncle Cory found one as soon as we got out of the trucks, so the kids made it their mission to find as many as they could!!!!
They were just little tiny things!!!
Maddison really isn't as scared as she looks in this picture.
Yea!!!! Something to dominate!!! She's a happy girl!!!
My excuse for not bringing them home was that they would miss their family, so what do my kids do? They ended up with 6, enough for a "family"!!! And like a good mom would do, I dumped out the rest of my coke so they could put them in my cup. Once we got to G'ma and G'pas house, we called the pet store and found out how much it was going to cost to feed those dumb things!!!! Too much, so the kids let them go in grandpa's garden. They will check on them every time we go over!!!

Who's kids are those? Can you see the wood in the trailer?



This is how Cambelle enjoyed the ride home!!!! Another great day as a family!!!!