My wonderful friends

I have felt so blessed lately to have wonderful friends in my life. I love my family, all of them. But sometimes, it is nice to have some girlfriends around to chat with, bounce ideas off of, and just have fun with. :) Many of these amazing women are in the same stage of life as I am, with young children, and having them as a support system is so key for me. Some are friends that I have had for years and years, and know me inside and out. Others are friends that I have just met in the past few months and have already bonded really well with. All of them are blessings in my life!

These are not all of my buddies, I don't have time to picture them all, but some awesome ladies who have blessed my life in more ways then one! So thankful!!!

Jumping on Daddy

I am so thankful my kids have such a fun Daddy. Especially since there are times during the day that we have to do chores, or mundane household stuff. :) Once Daddy comes home, it is all about the FUN!

Honestly, I think there are times when Daddy has more fun then the kids do though. :)

Here is his latest game he thought up the other day....the kids couldn't believe he was actually letting them do this!!! We call it Jump On Daddy.

Lucas is on top, Dylan in the middle, and this hilarious picture of Emery on the bottom. I absolutely love that picture of her, especially with her crazy hair flying all over the place!!!! 

Very Important Cougar

In the past few months both of the boys have been nominated as the "Very Important Cougar" in their kindergarten class. Both of them received a certificate and stuffed bear, and their picture was taken for the school wall. Both Dylan and Lucas were so excited about it, and felt very honored. I loved how enthusiastic they were when they came home to tell me! And I was such a proud mama! Especially when their certificates explained how they were very respectful, considerate, and responsible. I was about to cry when they showed them to me!

I am so proud of these boys. I know I say that all the time, but I really am. I can't believe what an amazing family I have, and how blessed I am to have them in my life. I learn so much from these guys all the time. Just the other day Emery hurt herself and Dylan came right up to her and asked "Can I give you a ma (kiss)???" So adorable!

They also had an amazingly fun performance done by their music teacher, Mrs George. All of the kindergarten classes came together and performed "The Little Red Hen" for the whole school and parents. It was fantastic! There were only about 7-10 speaking parts and both of the boys got one of them! Lucas was a cat and Dylan was a dog. They both had a few lines that they spoke into the microphone, and they did it like champs!! It was amazing!!! No fear or trepidation at all. I was almost crying watching them, they are growing up so fast, just love school and everything that goes along with it, and are so incredibly respectful and loving towards other people. 

Ahhhh Coconuts!

Ever since Teage cracked open that coconut in Hawaii with a common kitchen knife :), I have been craving fresh raw coconut. :) So while at the store the other day, Teage picked one up for me (what an amazing husband I have!) and we looked up online how to crack it open in a cleaner, safer, way. :) I just had to get some pictures of my hubby breaking this thing open...he was so intent! And now I have had yummy coconut meat to snack on every day since. Love it!! 

Noodle Fun

With all of the yucky weather, we have really had to be creative and inventive this year. I think the boys especially are getting to an age where we can't just sit and play board games all day, they want to DO something! :) So, the other day, when we didn't have much going on and it was really rainy and gloomy outside, I decided we were going to make some necklaces. Well, to a few athletic boys, this didn't sound like the greatest of all activities, but they went along with it anyway. Once I got the noodles out, however, they thought this was a fabulous idea! Playing with food? What could be better??? :)

They made so many necklaces and bracelets that I had to take some apart to let them continue. I even put Miss E down for a nap, came back downstairs, and they were still at it, very carefully and purposefully putting on their noodles in different patterns. I loved how into it they were. They wore them around the rest of the day and made me wear mine as well. I did not hesitate! :)

I Can Fly (and I have crazy hair!)!

This is my girl's favorite thing to do right now! She will come up to me with a big smile on her face and say "FLY!!" Which means that I fly her up on my feet and then let her fall down on the coach, which is of course her favorite part! 

This girl is so much fun lately! I just want to take it all in and not miss a single second!!! :)

Family History and Thankfulness

So, this is me, Teage.  Yes, I do write every so often.  Erin does a lot more than I do, and I enjoy her reading.  But every once in a while I squeeze one in on her!

Erin has a new calling; Family History Instructor.  She is helping others learn about family history and how to navigate on the Church's new website.  Part of her calling is to become familiar with the site during the week so that she can teach others about it on Sunday.  I've been amazed at how much she has done on her own family history.  She's been able to trace one line all the way back to William Bradford, the guy on the Mayflower.  We counted the generations back to him; twelve!  It's just amazing to me that this one man's faith, perseverance, and vision of coming to the New World for religious freedom has branched into thousands of people here in the United States.  It's a humbling feeling to think about the journey and hardships that so many of our ancestor faced, coupled with trials, turmoil, persecution, and near-death experiences with a hope of finding something better.  It's just crazy to me because the boys wanted to watch a movie about William Bradford and the Mayflower on Sunday.  But, Erin is absolutely loving her calling, loving how many new ancestors she is finding, and I'm excited to see her so engaged in something so worth-while.

I'm grateful for everything I have, especially my family.  They inspire me to be better, work harder, and do a little more to make them proud of me.

Sickness

Emery is sick.....again. Oh boy. I am definitely going to need some additional strength today. The poor thing had the stomach flu not more then three weeks ago, and now a cough/fever/not eating sickness yet again. This poor girl...not sure how much more she (or I) can take!!! :(

Loved Ones

I was just called to be a family history consultant for our ward, someone who specializes in helping others find and record their ancestors names and stories. I was extremely surprised by this calling, and it took me a while to really embrace what it entailed. However, I am now very excited and can't wait to dive in! But of course while doing family history, it has me thinking a lot lately about all of those wonderful family members and friends whom we have lost. So many amazing memories, but also terribly sad to have them gone. Just wanted to share a few pictures....

 My sweet Grandpa....Harrison Bailey. Always had a huge hug for me.

 My Grandfather's sister, my Auntie Val. She is pictured here with Emery at the beginning of 2012.

 My adorable Grandma and Grandpa Parkinson, my father's parents. I truly miss our yearly trip to their tiny town of Portage Utah, and all of our fun traditions there.

 Teage's handsome brother Jesse. Gone way too soon, at the young age of 29. I miss his calming presence and big hugs. 

Our fun-loving friend Jolene Armstrong, also gone way too soon at the age of 22. I miss her laugh and positive attitude so much!

 Our faithful and honest friend Ty Bailey. Also gone way too young, we miss him all the time.

 And of course my Daddy. Miss him every single day and still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that he isn't physically with us.

And though they have all left too soon, none of them are forgotten. I am so thankful for our loving Savior who watches out for each and every one of us, and who loves all of my family members as much or more then I do. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I will see each and every one of them again!

My Birthday

Februaries are always very fun-filled, but a bit stressful at times as well. Lots going on in a small amount of time. :) So after Teage's birthday, Valentine's Day, Mid-Winter Break, and more, I just felt a little beat. But thankfully, I have a wonderful family and friends who love me, and I was able to have a fun birthday as well. I had a few celebrations actually, which was really great for me!! :) And even though Miss E had the stomach flu over my actual birthday, we still had a great time!

We did a birthday dinner at Grammy's house a few days before my birthday, which was really fun. We ate dinner, played with the kiddos, and she made me a favorite gingerbread cake!! So yummy!

Then my mom made dinner on my birthday night, and the two of us were able to go to a play for a girls night out! I had not been to one in so long, it was really a treat! We have an awesome playhouse in Issaquah that always does the greatest productions, and it did not disappoint yet again. So much fun!!!!

I also got to hang out with my best buddy Lindsay (always fun!) and go to get my nails done with my great friend Kris. All in all, a fabulous few days! I am so thankful for the wonderful friends and family in my life who always brighten my day!!!!

 I think the favorite part for the boys was decorating all of the cupcakes!!! :)

Sunbeam!

 Emery has already decided that there will be some traditions in our home, which she can not live without. This is one....

Every night before the kids go to bed, we all kneel down and say a family prayer (already a tradition :) ). The boys take turns, and then Emery usually says something like "Muhahahauh.....Jesus....amen" Pretty stinkin adorable. Then she jumps up as fast as I have ever seen her, runs over to her particular spot on the floor, and shouts "BEAM!" This is her cue that her brothers need to come over, hold her hands, and do the Sunbeam song with her. And let me tell you, it is one of the cutest things ever. The Sunbeam song is one that all the kids at church know, and at certain points in the song, you jump up whenever it says "beam!" Saying that Emery enjoys this would be an understatement. She is ecstatic! And the boys are so sweet with her. They hold her hands and help her jump at all of the right spots, with her face just glowing the entire time. It has definitely become a new fun tradition in our household!

I love watching my children interact with each other. What a joy it is for a mom to see her children getting along so well, and loving and serving one another. I feel so blessed to have these three beautiful children!!!

Some other adorable kiddo things that have happened the past few days....

-While watching Little Einsteins, the characters introduced a piece of music by Andy Warhol....and Dylan shouts out "Yeah! Warthog!!!"

-Lucas came up to me the other day, just gave me a sweet hug and said "Mommy, you are the best Mommy in the whole wide world!" He certainly knows how to get me crying! :)

-Emery has been trying to get herself dizzy lately. Not sure why this is so fun, but apparently it is. She will spin around really fast, usually asking her brothers to join in as well, and then all of a sudden say "BOP!" (Stop) and freeze. Then a few seconds later..."GO!" and start spinning all over again. She thinks she is stinkin hilarious and I happen to agree! :)

-Our new family joke has to do with the saying "I love you to the moon and back". I have been saying this to the kids for a long long time, especially when they are going to bed. But recently when Teage or I say it to Emery we start it and let her finish. And she has had some funny ways of saying "back" lately. And since she knows she is funny, she will usually over emphasize that last word as well....so it ends up sounding like a really long drawn out "BBAAACCCKKK" in a super deep voice. She will even open her mouth really wide and squint her little eyes. HILARIOUS! We all crack up every time and ask her to do it over and over again. I am going to have to get it on video! :)