The Cool Collins Clan

Cousins at Copperwood

2011-08-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

One of the most fun things about school is that all the cousins go to school together! Here they all are on the first day: Tanner (8th), Hunter(2nd), Spencer(5th), Caitlyn(5th), Tyler(Kindergarten), Reeslyn(2nd), Mallory(kindergarten), Carter(kindergarten), Cameron(8th).

Traditions

2011-08-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

The first day of school means traditions! I'm not sure how it started, but we've stuck with it. After the first day of school, we have homemade chocolate chip cookies with the kids' favorite ice cream. This year, Carter joined us since he is in Kindergarten. We had a great time eating our cookies and ice cream. Caitlyn, Carter and Charlotte swam for a while. Then we met Dad and the other cousins (Keith and Stephanie and Family, and Russ and Katie and family) at Golden Corral for dinner! We missed Sean and Jessica, who went to Pei Wei this year instead at Carter's request, and Nana and Granddad who couldn't make it this year. Here's to another great school year!

First Day of School

2011-08-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind in the blogging world so I figured I'd start with this week and work my way back! Hard to believe Summer has come to an end and another school year is upon us. Carley is a sophomore and made it through volleyball tryouts landing a spot on the J.V. team. I cant wait till her games start and we can go cheer her on! She is a social butterfly, excellent athlete and continues to wow me with the amazing young woman she is becoming! And how's this for a scary thought....she can get her driving permit next month!!!Cameron is the big man on campus now! Hard to believe this kid is in 8th grade....wasn't it just last month that we brought him home from the hospital as a newborn for his big sister to hold? This kid has determination and a work ethic like none other! A trait he learned from his sister and father! He broke his foot at the start of summer and never missed a practice for his all star team and managed a starting position in their tournament in Hawaii after being out for six weeks (yes, I said Hawaii! more on that to come!). He is a great young man and I can't wait to see what 8th grade holds for him!My baby is in 5th grade and I can hardly wrap my brain around it! She is so grown up! She is a little mommy to all the cousins and LOVES holding the babies! She loves playing piano, running track and doing gymnastics. She very much takes after her aunt Jessica and loves to organize! She has decided she wants to play soccer this season so we will see where we can squeeze that in!I love my kids and, while I hate that they are growing up because I miss some of the chaos that having little ones brings, I can't wait to see what they do with the future! I'm so excited to see what they make of themselves! This sneak preview is amazing! I'm so blessed to be their mother and so grateful they are mine!

The Polar Express

2010-12-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Here are all 27 of us in our matching pjs after riding the Polar Express!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-24T00:14:00.001-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving the whole Forsberg gang (including Spencer, Marlee and Madison from Sierra Vista) came to the cabin. Wednesday night, all donning matching pajamas, we traveled to Williams in the snow for the famous Polar Express Train Ride. The men were not super excited about walking around in matching pj's, but they were all good sports! A good time was had by all on the train ride and we even got a visit from Santa! Thursday morning we all got up and most of us participated in the first annual Forsberg Family Turkey Trot. Some walked, some ran, some rode in the ranger! Thanks to Aunt Katie for presenting some entertaining prizes at the end! Finally, the big feast. It was delicious! After a rousing round of "what are you thankful for...", the Collins crew headed back down the mountain to see the other side of the family! We had a great time with Scott, John and their families and Grandma and Grandpa. To finish off a great weekend, Cameron played in a baseball tournament with his team, the Tigers! What a great weekend and how blessed we feel to be surrounded by good family and friends!

My heroes!

2010-12-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, so i'm a little behind! But I can't post about Thanksgiving and upcoming Christmas festivities until I blog about Halloween. We had a great time this year dressing up! Amazingly we all decided and agreed it would be fun to be superheroes. We didn't start out planning to be a theme, but it just kind of worked itself into that. The kids and I went to Glen Lakes Ward Halloween Party Friday night while Steve, Keith, Russ and Spencer were on a fishing trip. Saturday night was our own ward Halloween party....Nana and Granddad joined us for the festivities and had a great time handing out candy for the trunk r treat! Steve started out the night as Clark Kent (mostly because his superman costume was a little uncomfortable to say the least so we came up with this idea as a way for him to get out of wearing superman the whole night.) So Clark Kent he was through dinner and some of the games. Then right before our eyes, (actually, in the Bishop's office at the church) he transformed into Superman in time to finish games and go outside for Trunk r Treat....I was SuperMom, Carley was supergirl, Cameron...Batman and Caitlyn...Wonderwoman. Sunday was the actual Halloween day. That evening Sean, Jessica, Carter and Charlotte came over. The kids enjoyed seeing a few of the neighbors and handing out candy. It was fun to have a nice quiet Halloween Sunday. And even though the costumes are long gone, these guys will always be my super heroes!!

Volleyball and Football and Track, Oh My!

2010-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a hectic but fun few months! The kids have been busy with plenty of extracurricular activities that keep us constantly on the go. Steve and I love this stage of life we are at and often wonder what we'll do for fun when our kids are grown!
Carley is enjoying highschool life and made the freshman volleyball team. She had a lot of good playing time as one of their setters and was valuable across the front as a hitter as well. She was even named MVP at the awards banquet! She's developing into quite a good athlete and we enjoy watching her play. There will be no stopping her once she realizes how much talent she has. We have been so impressed with her this year as she has found ways to manage her time...she wakes up at 5 every morning so she can be out the door and to Seminary by 5:40 and then stays after school for practice until 5 every day. On game days she's gone until around 8 which leaves little time for anything else yet she has never once complained about getting up so early. She hasn't even been tardy once! And she maintains excellent grades. Now that volleyball is over she is helping coach softball at her old elementary school! Keep up the good work, Carley!
Cameron has thrived the past few months with his hectic schedule...this kid loves sports! He has been playing on a club baseball team which is basically year round, he made the flag football team at school, and then asked if he could try out for a club basketball team with his cousin Tanner. I hesitated at first not wanting to overschedule him (sounds funny I know!), but he was insistent that he would keep his grades up and be happy at home! So basketball it was! Football was every day after school, Mondays and Thursdays are basketball night, Tuesdays and Fridays are baseball night and Wednesdays is mutual! He's having a blast! Football just ended and his team won the championship game! Basketball is coming to an end in the next couple of weeks and he has been named player of the week twice, and baseball is still baseball. Since there is no more football practice after school, Cameron decided to attend the basketball open gym today to gear up for school basketball tryouts! I'm exhausted just thinking about his schedule! Cameron loves it and loves to work hard and we have so much fun watching him on the court, in the field and at the plate! Caitlyn is still taking gymnastics from her Aunt Katie and loving it! She is constantly showing us her back bend or cartwheels and is trying to nail a back hand spring consistently. This year she decided to run on the cross country team at school, which means practices 3 days a week at 7:10 am and Saturday meets. Her first meet she placed 53rd out of 120 people. Second meet 18th, then 12th where she stayed for a couple weeks. She has one more meet left and is hoping to make it into the top 10. She's had lots of family support but has especially enjoyed Aunt Katie coming to watch and her "tips" to help her improve. Thanks, Katie!
We are so proud of our kids and all that they do and what they've already accomplished. We are especially grateful for the close association with family on both sides who are so supportive and such an influence for good in their lives. We wouldn't be able to lead such hectic lives without them and all their help!! Thank you!

17 years and counting

2010-09-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

If my last post didn't make me feel old, this one sure does!!! That's how long I've been married. It doesn't seem possible. It seems like just a few months ago we were at Northern Arizona University together. He lived in Sechrist and I lived not too far away in Cowden dorm. He tutored me in Accounting (it's the only way I passed that class!) We had a psychology class together. And we'd often meet for lunch or dinner in the Student Union. One of our favorite dates was geting a subway sandwich and driving to oak creek canyon about 30 minutes away. We'd have a picnic on the rocks by the creek and study for school. It seemed so simple then! Steve played on the NAU basketball team and some of my best memories are of meeting Steve's parents and heading to the Sky Dome for the basketball games. They came to every home game! My roommates would often come with us and many times my parents and younger siblings would join us. Good times for sure! There's nothing better than watching Steve run up and down the court with the basketball. I could go on and on! What great memories of those times together. Now here we are 17 years later, three kids later, a few (ok a lot for me!) gray hairs later, and my heart still pitter patters when I see him sitting on the stand at church or throwing a ball with one of the kids or walking in the door from work. I can't imagine life without him. As I write this I realize how much I take him for granted - how life gets so busy and I forget to share with him that he is my hero. That I am so grateful for his hard work. That I am glad he is willing to work early mornings and into the late night so I don't have to. That I appreciate when he comes home from work and grabs a granola bar without complaining dinner isn't ready yet then heads off to a practice with one of the kids. That I love how he happily takes care of church business and unfailingly attends to all his church responsibilities (usually the moment he walks in the door the phone starts ringing!). That I envy how he gives so much of himself and rarely has a moment of his very own all to himself but he NEVER complains. I love that he teaches us through his example that life can be busy and overwhelming at times but we can be happy and accomplish all that we need to if we put Heavenly Father first. Wow....what a good guy. When he gets home today from his Saturday filled with church meetings I'm going to greet him at the door and remind him how great I think he is!

Fall Already???

2010-09-15T12:56:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we are almost to October. It seems Summer was just beginning a few days ago!! I wish I could somehow put our lives into slow motion. My kids are growing up right before my eyes. Just this morning I was thinking about the sandbox we used to have out back and how much I enjoyed this time of year when my little ones could enjoy the cooler weather and their beloved sandbox that provided hours and hours of entertainment. I miss those days of little ones running around and wonder if I really appreciated that chapter in my life enough. Or did I complain too much of those seemingly hectic days? I would love to go back and stop time and really truly savor every moment. I'd be more patient. I'd hug more. I'd let the little things slide more! In the blink of an eye Carley is in Higschool loving seminary and playing on the volleyball team, Cameron is in 7th grade playing on the school's flag football team and a club baseball team, and Caitlyn is in 4th grade running cross country and taking gymnastics. Back then, when they were playing in the sandbox, I could never have imagined them this grown up! It seemed too far away to be real. Now here we are. While I miss those times when they were younger, I love love love the stage I'm in with my kids right now...but I don't want it to end! It's going too fast! I love that we are rushing from volleyball, to basketball, to football, to gymnastics and mutual! I love that they can all get themselves dressed, grab a snack and a water bottle and get into the car! I love that they take turns reading scriptures and discussing what we are learning. I love that Carley and Cameron race to see who can get to the front seat first! I love that they switch from radio station to station and try to blare the music (I love that I know all the hit songs now!) I love that Carley is making plans for the school football games and Saturday night dances. I love that Cameron is mowing the yard now. I love that Caitlyn wants to shop for new clothes but still wants to cuddle with mom. And I love that amidst all the hustle and bustle and, yes, many times hectic days, that there is nothing else i'd rather be doing than being a mom! I sure love my kiddos and my hubby! All the great things I love about Steve will have to be another post!

Bowling fun

2010-05-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn earned a bowling trip with her cousin Carter and we were finally able to go now that school's out. Steve took Cameron to the Fathers and Sons campout so it was a perfect time for the girls to go bowling with Jessica and Carter. A good time was had by all (mostly!). Caitlyn even has her dad's knack for bowling....she got two strikes!

Time flies.....

2010-04-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Time seems to be moving more quickly than I can keep up with! I haven't posted Christmas pictures and we are already past Easter! With each new day I wake up with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about what I can accomplish...then as each day passes by I take note of all that is left undone! So I was taking a break from my to do list and reading blogs (could that be why I don't accomplish all I want to? Nah.) when I came across this quote from a friend's blog. Thanks Katy! I think it's a great reminder of what is truly important in this life. So i've made a new committment to stop worrying about all the unfinished tasks like holidays I haven't posted about and start focusing on my family and my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I need to be better about appreciating the here and now. Because it won't be too long before I wake up one day and my kids are grown and gone...(now that's a sad thought to end on!) So I'll end with the quote:
Quote of the Week
“Now is the time for each of us to work toward our personal conversion, toward becoming what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. As we do so, we should remember that our family relationships—even more than our Church callings—are the setting in which the most important part of that development can occur. The conversion we must achieve requires us to be a good husband and father or a good wife and mother. Being a successful Church leader is not enough. Exaltation is an eternal family experience, and it is our mortal family experiences that are best suited to prepare us for it.”-Dallin H. Oaks

Has it been 14 years?

2010-03-04T05:13:00.001-08:00

It doesn't seem possible that 14 years ago (yesterday) I was at the hospital in Flagstaff enjoying the arrival of my sweet baby girl! Where has the time gone? There is never a dull moment with Carley around. Here are 14 reasons we love Carley....she is:

kind

loving

FUNNY!

athletic (good at everything she tries!!)

smart

has a great smile

helpful

Fun to be around

good example

keeps her room clean (not really...but we love her anyway!!!)

a good friend

stylish

texting queen (as I type this she is texting me from upstairs!!!)

a beautiful young woman!

We love you, Carley. Thanks for being you! Life wouldn't be the same without you!

Thought for the week....

2010-01-24T15:15:00.001-08:00

"As you create a home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family. Don't dwell on your failures, but think about your successes. Have joy in your home. Have joy in your children. Have joy in your husband. Be grateful for the journey." - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I think these are wise words that i'm going to try harder to live by!

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-30T06:53:00.001-08:00

What a busy time of year...i love it! It leaves little time for new posts though!!! Every year the Forsberg cousins get together at Aunt Amy's house to decorate cookies. I love this tradition because it's one we've carried over from when I was young and my siblings would all go to grandma Forsberg's for Christmas baking. Thanks to Jess and Amy for making sure this tradition keeps on going! Thanks to Nana for supplying so many great treats for decorating!! This year was extra special because we had a surprise visit from Santa - (usually he finds his way to Nana and Grandad's on Christmas Eve). Thanks everyone for the great time!!!

Baseball, family and Parade of Lights

2009-12-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

What more can you ask for?! We went to Lake Havasu last weekend with Steve's family for some baseball games (Cameron, Rylan and Jacob played) and to watch the Parade of Lights on the lake. It was a fun weekend with lots of hot chocolate and blankets. It was windy and cold but a lot of fun. We got to see the London Bridge and the kids had a great time playing football and kickball when they weren't playing baseball! We escaped with only one injury....Carley tried to stop the kickball from going under a car and hit her hand on the tail pipe of a car. We cleaned it with lots of peroxide and stuck a band-aid on it until we could get home. Uncle Russ looked at it and sewed it up with four stitches. Carley put on a brave face for all her cousins who were watching!

Winter Concert

2009-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Cameron and Tanner had their Winter Choir Concert Dec. 2 and boy were they excited!!! LoL. They sacrificed a soccer practice and a baseball practice for the occasion. (when I say sacrificed, I mean it was a huge sacrifice.....amazing what you'll do for a good grade!!) but they were good sports about it and did a great job! Way to go boys!!

Winter Piano Recital

2009-12-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

The kids had their winter recital on Nov. 30. Cameron had a conflict with baseball so only Carley and Caitlyn could perform. The recital was at the Cathcarts home this year. Thanks to Nana, Granddad, Reeslyn, Mallory, Aunt Stephanie, Spencer, Hunter, Tyler and Conner for coming to support the piano players!!! They both did a great job. Caitlyn played "My Bonnie" and "Up on the Housetop" and Carley played "Never Kiss a Crocodile" and "Away in a Manger." (I didn't have very much video!)

Tis the Season! (Warning: long post to follow!)

2009-12-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year and especially all the traditions! Thanksgiving comes bright and early with Steve and the kids usually heading out by 7 to Turkey Bowl! After the football festivities Steve gets busy making cheesecakes then digs into the Christmas lights! Hard to believe we're packing away the Thanksgiving decorations before we even eat our turkey dinner! This year we spent the afternoon at Steve's brother John's house. We are very grateful for the homecoming of baby Xavier (John and Darlene's grandson) who spent the first 6 weeks of his life in the hospital. Thankfully he was able to come home just in time for Thanksgiving. After a fun-filled afternoon with the Collins clan, we headed up to Pinewood to enjoy the Forsberg family and the cold weather at the cabin! We stayed up late looking at ads and making a plan for early morning shopping with Keith and Stephanie. We got to bed by 1 am and were up by 4 to head into "town". The four of us divided and conquered and got all that we wanted despite the crowds and the cold! After breakfast, Sean and Jessica and two of Sean's siblings met us at the cabin and we headed off to the forest in Flagstaff in search of a Christmas tree. Cousin Reeslyn was able to join us this year and she and Caitlyn had a great time exploring and playing with Carter and the other boys. After scoping out many trees, we finally found The One. It literally took us all afternoon to find the perfect tree. It felt like we hiked many miles in the forest that day!!! Steve and Cameron cut it down and everyone was relieved and excited! We made it back to the cabin for a nice dinner. And although everyone was tired....we were able to play a rousing game of 9 to 1 with Nana and Granddad, Aunt Amy and the rest of the family. Saturday we made it back into town to recover some "lost" purchases then headed back to Pinewood for a promised trip to the park with the kids. While we were at the park it snowed so the kids were all pretty excited to play in the snow! We had a great Thanksgiving weekeend and are excited about the holiday season that is now at hand! (pictures of tree to come!)

Halloween

2009-11-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Halloween in Sierra Vista with Spencer and Marlee. They blessed baby Madison on Sunday so it worked out perfectly to just spend the whole weekend with them. We had a great time! Friday night we had a spooky dinner at Marlee's parents house complete with tamale coffins, eyeball eggs, dinner in a pumpkin and more! Saturday we had pizza and went trunk or treating at the church then walked around the neighborhood with the kids. Thanks for a great time Spencer and Marlee! (1. caitlyn and cameron 2. reeslyn and caitlyn 3. caitlyn, madison, reeslyn, mason, mallory and carley)

U2 Concert

2009-10-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

We had a blast going to the U2 concert with my sister and brother-in-law, Jessica and Sean. We went to this great little pizza place in downtown Glendale before hand and then had seats in the suite for the concert. Black Eyed Peas opened for U2 -- it was definitely a good night!

Yes...another quote!

2009-10-29T13:11:00.001-07:00

I was watching a talk today by President Monson. I love his wise counsel....his words just stuck with me: "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." President Monson

"We Are Who We Thought We Were"

2009-10-23T05:56:00.001-07:00

I was cleaning out a cupboard the other night and found Cameron's school notebook from last year. On the cover of the notebook was this quote and I thought it was very profound! So I'm printing it out in big type and displaying it on the wall next to our family motto: "We can do hard things!" (I don't know what my deal with quotes is lateley....but this one is a keeper!)

A light bulb moment....

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

We have a great Beehive advisor who teaches wonderful lessons to the young women in our ward. I always gain a better understanding of whatever principle she is teaching during her lesson and look forward to each time she teaches. (Actually, we are blessed to have two great advisors...but my post pertains to the Beehive Advisor!) Here is a quote from a recent lesson that she printed out for all of us to take home. When she read the quote, I had a light bulb moment - it just all made sense. I have mine posted in my kitchen where I can read it often. Little did she know it was exactly the words I needed to hear (and read over and over!) Thanks, Evelyn.
"He is a loving Father who wants us to have the happiness that results not from mere innocence but from proven righteousness. Therefore, he will, at times, not deflect the harsh learning experiences that may come to each of us - even though he will help us in coping with them." Neal A Maxwell.

Eight is Great!

2009-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Sept. 5th Caitlyn was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What a special day with family and friends. Caitlyn was pretty in pink in her special dress made by Nana. After the baptism, we came back to our house and enjoyed good food, fun and swimming. It was a great day. Congratulations, Caitlyn....we love you! (Thanks to Carley for making this collage...click on it to enlarge.)

Good Job Carley

2009-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Carley for making the volleyball team at her new school. We are so proud of her for getting out there and working hard! Since she's new to the school we thought it may be a bit of a challenge for her, but she went out there and proved she's got it! She got a real boost of confidence the first day when one of the coaches said, "hey new girl with all the skills!" Great job Carley. We are proud of you.

Bedroom Makeover

2009-08-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

At long last, a picture of my "new" bedroom. Steve and my sister Jessica surprised me while I was away at girls camp this summer by painting, rearranging furniture, adding new bedding, and hanging pictures etc. in my bedroom. It was a great surprise....and I love what they did! Thanks guys!

Evaluation of the first day of school:

2009-08-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Cameron: Awesome!
Caitlyn: Cool!
Carley: Blah!
All in all I think the first day went well....

First Day of School

2009-08-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe Summer is over and school is starting! Time flies by. Carley is starting 8th grade, Cameron 6th and Caitlyn 3rd. My babies are growing up too fast!!! This year the first day of school was met with mixed emotions....excitement, nervousness and some butterflies in stomachs because we switched schools after eight years at the same school (Abraham Lincoln Traditional School) It will be a good thing, but change is always hard no matter what age you are!!!! At least we have cousins going through the same change! Tanner, Spencer, and Hunter are all starting at Copperwood along with Reeslyn. Nice to have family so close by.

I guess Reeslyn was having too much fun at the Kindergarten playground...we didn't see her for a picture!!!!

Water fun!

2009-08-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

This trip to Lake Powell was a big success because Carley Cameron and Tanner mastered water skiing on the adult skis! It was so much fun to watch them work hard to get the hang of it and then relish in their accomplishment. Caitlyn was able to ride the tube despite her broken arm and Steve proved he's still got it on the wake board....way to go guys!!!

Lake Powell with the Forsbergs

2009-08-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

We spent the last week of July on a houseboat at Lake Powell with the whole Forsberg gang (except Spencer, Marlee and Sean...each of whom we missed terribly!) What fun we had building sandcastles, swimming, boating, riding the tube, skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, playing games, flashing glow sticks at night and even running in the mountains for exercise...er i mean fun! (there are some in the family who think we should not take a vacation from working out!)ha.ha.ha. With 25 of us on the houseboat it was a bit crowded at times but everyone (especially the kids) enjoyed the week long sleepover! A great time was had by all despite the air conditioning and electricity not working the first night! Even Caitlyn with her broken arm was able to play in the water and go for a tube ride thanks to Nana and Aunt Amy wrapping her arm in plastic and duct taping it together! Uncle Russ brought his new boat so between he and Granddad....we all got lots of good rides in! These are just a sampling of the pictures....so many more i'd like to post! Thanks to Carley who was my on-call photographer! And thanks to Nana and Granddad for making this fabulous trip possible! (click on the picture to view it larger).

MARLEES BABY SHOWER!! =D

2009-07-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

i took pictures of marlees baby shower and i think it was really fun! :) jessica showed me how to make a collage on the computer so i used the pictures to make one of the baby shower. :] i miss u guys!! =]
<3 CARL3Y <3

Before and After: Part 1

2009-07-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

It all started Spring Break when my sister Jessica promised Carley she would help her re-do her room as payback for Carley babysitting Carter. That snowballed into one project after another. Thanks to Jessica I have practically a whole new house! Here are some before and after pictures of Caitlyn's room (I have to find the ones of Carley's room then i can post those!!!)(Thanks, Jess for all your hard work. I've learned a lot from you about staying motivated and getting the job done!)

Quilt courtesy of Aunt Jessica made specially for Caitlyn's birthday!

Happy Birthday Caitlyn

2009-07-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

As an early birthday present Caitlyn got a green cast on her broken arm on Tuesday! (Green to match her fairy party!) Now that she has a cast her arm is feeling much better! She'll be in it for 3-4 weeks. Here are some pictures from her Fairy Birthday Party today. The fairies kept busy during the party holding a fashion show, giving makeovers, getting sprinkled with pixie dust, decorating their wands, having a fairy cake walk, and decorating photo albums. Happy Birthday Caitlyn!!

*click on the collage to enlarge it*

4th of July

2009-07-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

For 4th of July we went to Sierra Vista and stayed with Spencer and Marlee. We had a lot of fun with the whole family there (Steve and Cameron couldn't go because Cameron had a baseball tournament on the 4th!). Thanks to Spence and Marlee for being great hosts! There was never a dull moment with all the fun activities planned including: swimming at The Cove, decorating cookies, whiffle ball at the park, excellent food and of course a great fireworks display! Catlyn was sure a trooper throughout the whole weekend. She fell Thursday just hours before we were leaving town and broke her arm. Thank goodness for a sling and pain medication! At least without the cast yet she was able to enjoy swimming at the cove!

*click on collage to enlarge it*

The Biggest Loser

2009-06-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Steve decided he needed to lose 25 pounds (WHATEVER!) so when they started "The Biggest Loser" at work, he decided to participate. When Steve says he's going to do something there is no holding him back. He has spent the last two weeks jogging every day, counting calories, writing everything down that he eats, eating healthy, and ditching regular soda for water bottles and an occasional diet soda. His transformation in eating habits has been truly amazing. He went from eating ice cream or cookies and milk every night before bed to having an orange or sugar-free pudding! He's even eating whole wheat bread which is unbelievable in and of itself! The first weigh-in was this week and Steve came in second losing a whopping 15 pounds!!! The girl who beat him with 17 pounds came to their initial weigh in wearing layers of clothes, heavy shoes and said she loaded up on water and food (smart girl!!!). So I'm anticipating that Steve won't need to finish the contest, because by next weigh in he should be at his goal! Great job honey! So not fair!!! I'm hoping some of his discipline and will power will rub off on me!

"While You Were Out"

2009-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

My fabulous husband (with the help of my amazing sister!) decided to makeover my bedroom while I was at Girls Camp (which is another post!) It was a great way to end a great week at camp! I love it! Pictures to come soon!

Summer Fun

2009-06-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

The last day of school was May 27! Yea! We love Summer! The kids had their "last day of school" swim party with some of their school friends. It was a great way to end a great year and head into summer. What more could you want besides, food, friends and swimming!

Weekend in the Pines!

2009-05-26T11:23:00.001-07:00

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend in the cool pines with Nana, Grandad, Aunt Amy, Aunt Jessica and Carter. Steve and I went up Friday night in celebration of our anniversary (16 years! Where has the time gone?) Nana and Grandad and Amy met us up at the cabin on Saturday and Jessica and Carter surprised us on Sunday. We had a great time enjoying the cabin, the cool weather and of course rides on the Ranger. Monday we spent doing a little yard work around the cabin. The kids then set up their own little game of frisbee golf. Then we went to the park and played whiffle ball and volleyball. Cameron joined in on a game of baseball with a bunch of boys and was in heaven. His first hit he cranked it for a homerun so each time after that when he was up to bat, everyone would yell, "back up!" It was funny! The only bummer is I don't have any pictures!!! What a great weekend!

16 years of wedded bliss!

2009-05-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

Okay, so maybe not every moment has been bliss....but pretty close! May 22nd Steve and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary and I feel so old when I say that!! It's hard to believe that it has been 16 years. Of course life has had it's ups and downs, but when I look back over the past 16 years I'm in awe at the wonderful life it's been and look forward to what the next 16 years has to offer! Here are 16 reasons why I love Steve and our life together:
1. Steve has a great sense of humor. If you know Steve, you know he's a pretty funny guy. Or at least he's always making me laugh!!!
2. He has a great sense of perspective. Whether with a challenge in our life, some major decision we need to make or just something minor, Steve is always able to step back and put things in perspective.
3. He loves the gospel. I am continually impressed and amazed at his testimony and love for the gospel. His faith and strength have sustained me through many challenges in life. (I can hardly remember the time he wasn't a member of the church. It just seems like he's always been a member.)
4. He has aged gracefully!
5. He still brings me flowers!
6. He is a hard worker. In every area of his life, Steve never tries to take the easy way out. He gives 110% in all he does: work, church, sports.....it's one of the greatest qualities I think a person can have.
7. Steve never complains! Even more important than being a hard worker is Steve's ability to take everything in stride. With a stressful job, a busy church calling and lots and lots of kids' activities, Steve is always happy. He never complains about being too busy, he just keeps on going!
8. He's a great dad. Often times Steve will go to work at 4 or 5 in the morning, leave work at 5 pm so he can coach one of the kids' teams, then go back to work for several more hours. I'm amazed that he would do this. Anything for the kids!
9. He's a great athlete...even in his old age!
10. He's good at math which has come in handy many times when the kids have homework. Who knew 5th grade math was so hard!
11. He smiles often!
12. If the laundry starts overflowing, he'll do a load or two.
13. He always does the dishes when his parents come for dinner!
14. He makes a great cheesecake at Christmas time.
15. He loves my family!
16. Last but not least, he has put up with me for 16 years with patience and love.....that in and of itself could be considered a monumental task!

Extreme Makeover!

2009-05-05T15:30:00.001-07:00

It's so nice to have sisters who motivate you to get things done that have been on your to do list for literally years! Jessica came over Monday and we painted and redid the kids' bathroom. The bummer is I don't have before pictures, but just picture in your mind gray walls. Not from paint (this bathroom has never been painted!) Gray from 9 years of children's hands! The shower curtain and bath rugs etc. that were in there were mine from my bridal shower 16 years ago! Jessica was really excited to help me throw those things away! Jessica can vouch for how bad it looked! Now I may tell company to use the upstairs bathroom! Thanks, Jess for all your work. I love it!!!

It's been a while!

2009-03-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

This is my weak attempt to make it look like i'm keeping up with blogging! So here goes....it's 6 am, i've just gotten back from my morning walk and I really need to go start getting ready for the day. Just a few random thoughts.....my kids schedules are crazy right now as we end one sport and move on to the next. Every night of the week is spent in the car from one sporting event to the next. Tonight we will take a hiatus and miss basketball and baseball and go to the Pinewood Derby....Wednesday Carley has softball at 5 and volleyball at 6 plus mutual at 7. Thursday is Caitlyn's turn for softball and Cameron baseball. Friday is softball and basketball....this doesn't include piano and scouts and gymnastics! I get tired just thinking about it! But I love this time in our life. I love that we're busy and that we can be if we choose. I love watching my kids excel in the different activities they participate in. I wouldn't have it any other way! Except maybe a different work schedule for Steve. He's such a great dad.....he heads to work at dark these days so he can leave work early to come home and coach baseball or help drive to basketball or volleyball or whatever event is going on. At the end of the evening when we're all ready for bed, Steve pulls out his work that he brought home for the night and ends up putting in a few more hours of work. Add in church meetings and I really don't know when he sleeps. What I admire about Steve is that he loves being involved with his family. I don't ever hear him complain about how hectic life is.....he just keeps on going.
We sure miss Uncle Sean, but it's been fun having Jessica with us more....she and Carter have spent the night a few times. Jessica was instrumental in painting and organizing Carley's room - Carley's reward for babysitting during Spring Break. (I'll post pictures eventually!)
I could go on and on about life the past few months....but i've already made this post too long....and the sun is out now...time to get ready for another day!

That's a wrap...

2009-01-16T09:07:00.001-08:00

So, it's been WAY too long since I've made a post (does the chaos of life ever end?!!!). The holidays are all but forgotten by now. Nevertheless, here is a recap of our happy holiday season!...

Christmas would not be Christmas without cookie making with the cousins. This year we all went to Aunt Amy's. A good time was had by all and I think we found our new baking spot!thanks Amy!

Of course, we had to make gingerbread houses. This time at Aunt Stephanie's. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Christmas Eve was at Nana and Graddad's house. A few of the grandkids played Christmas carols on the piano, we opened our exchange gifts and the grankids performed the Nativity with Granddad narrating. Last but not least was our special surprise visit from Santa! What a fun night with family! Then it was home for our traditional unveiling of the pajamas and Christmas Eve doughnut making! Afterwards, Carley read Twas the Night Before Christmas. Then it was off to bed!!! I guess our kids are growing up because Steve and I woke up before them and it was 8 am!!! (we were kind of excited!!!!) Nana, Granddad and Aunt Amy stopped by in the morning to check out the presents and of course we ate pull apart and doughnuts!....we had a few minutes to relax before clean up began. The Collins clan came over in the afternoon for lunch/dinner and more presents! We had such a great time with all the Collins' cousins. Even though it was drizzling outside, the boys still managed to get a great game of wiffle ball going!

We rang in the new year at Russ and Katie's house...we played a little Rock Band, Wii sports (my arm was sore for a few days after that mean game of tennis!) and Seinfeld Scene It. Spencer and Marlee were here to celebrate so it was great to see them!

Whew! Now here we are. A new year! Hopefully i'll get in another post before it's time to start the holidays again!!!!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

In keeping with tradition, we headed to Flagstaff in search of the perfect Christmas tree. We went up Tuesday night before Thanksgiving and stayed at the cabin. Bright and early Wednesday morning we headed out to Kaibab National Forest. We were on a bit of a time crunch as weather reports called for rain after 12 noon. After some searching and plenty of walking, we came away with quite a tree! Cameron had fun helping Steve cut it down. After we got the last bungee cord secured around the tree in the truck, it started raining! We headed back to the cabin where we met up with Nana and Granddad and Spencer and Marlee. Everyone decided that this year we'd spend Thanksgiving at the cabin. Keith and Stephanie joined us later and Jessica and Sean came Thursday. It was a fun Thanksgiving spent at the cabin....who knows, maybe a new tradition has been born. The only thing we missed was Russ and Katie....they weren't able to come up until Friday. (Carley has become quite the little photographer so she was taking pictures for us. Unfortunately, I forgot to get her in any pictures!)

We've got apples!

2008-11-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Jessica and I ordered apples. We spent the afternoon making applesauce and apple pie filling to can. (Jessica was giving me a training lesson on my new steam canner!) We had a great time....even the kids wanted to get in on the action. Now my pantry is stocked with applesauce (which is delicious!) and apple pie filling. Thanks to Marlee for the great recipes! Now I'm trying to use the rest of the apples in any recipe I can find....apple jack cookies, cheese and apple melts, apple chicken, apple pork chops...etc. etc. Thank goodness we love apples!!!

Scorpion Surprise!

2008-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

This is what we woke up to Sunday morning in our kitchen!! I actually walked into the kitchen, got something and went outside to feed the dog. When I came back in I noticed what appeared to be a clump of fuzz or something on the floor. As I bent down to pick it up, I realized this was no furball!!!! The kids were just eating breakfast at the counter and hadn't noticed a thing! I guess that's good! In the eight years we've lived here, we've only seen two very small scorpions out front (and one was after a bunch of rock had been delivered!) So this is an unusual sighting for us....one i'm not too happy about!!!!

Taking a break...

2008-11-07T14:22:00.001-08:00

Carley came home early from school today because she wasn't feeling well....I think that was the best news Carter heard all day! He wouldn't let her out of his sight and even had to lay right next to her. (Sorry Jess....I hope he doesn't get sick too!!!)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

At long last Halloween arrived! We had fun going to the

"Trunk or Treat" with Keith/Stephanie, Russ/Katie, Mom/Dad and Amy/Dave. I think everyone had a great time eating chili and hot dogs, playing games and getting lots of candy! Afterwards we went to Mom and Dad's for pie!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-04T11:28:00.001-08:00

We always look forward to carving the pumpkin! The kids called them Count Pumpkula and his Princess Bride!

October in a nutshell!

2008-10-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

Carley finished up volleyball with an 8-2 record! She's so fun to watch play....

Cameron finished up football season on Saturday with a win in Florence. He had a good season, learned a lot and sure worked hard! I'm not sure what Steve will do with his free time now that he won't be helping with football!!! I'm sure he'll find something!

Caitlyn bonked her tooth into her friends' nose at recess. Her friend had to get 5 stiches...Caitlyn's permanent tooth was knocked loose. The dentist pushed it back in, but it didn't stay up all the way. He said it should be okay, just lower for now! He said time will tell if the roots will take hold and it will heal!

The kids and I went with Jessica and Carter to Sierra Vista during Fall Break. It was fun to see Spencer and Marlee. We played spoons...Carter was faster at picking up the spoons than most of us! We watched Marlee coach her volleyball team, we saw the piglets and of course went to The Cove, the indoor swimming park. The kids had a great time with Jordon, Marlee's brother. The biggest treat was watching Spencer play softball on his city league team. The team got new uniforms....Spencer looked great and was so excited to wear those pants!!!

The Biggest Loser

2008-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

(I had to copy this before and after picture from my sister's blog!) Last week I went with my sister and two sister-in-laws and my cousin to Poppy's in Mesa to listen to Bette Sue from the Biggest Losers. She was on last season's show and her daughter won! She was so entertaining! And she was motivating. She spoke about her experience on the show, plus her experience on Oprah. And she mostly focused on how to be the best you! We had a great night....Thanks Mendy for getting the tickets...how fun to hang out even if it was too short!!!! Thanks Katie for driving (no thanks to your back seat drivers!!!) and thanks to Jessica and Stephanie for going also! We missed Amy and Mom...maybe next girls night out!!! (Maybe next girls night out I'll have a great before and after photo!!!! Ugh, I hate pictures!!!)

Brace Face!

2008-10-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

At long last....Carley has braces. She got them put on yesterday. We get to tease her a lot now...Cameron has come up with some good names! But she really looks pretty good in them.....hopefully in about a year she'll get to have them taken off! Happy smiling Carley!

Plenty of Peach Jam

2008-10-02T13:03:00.001-07:00

I learned how to make Peach Jam yesterday! It was actually pretty fun! It put me in the mood to start canning things!!! A friend of mine came over and together we made 3 batches.....we filled 12 of the 1 pint size mason jars with peach jam!! It's good stuff! We made the freezer jam so it will store up to a year in the freezer.

Random Thoughts...

2008-09-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

...Steve had to give an impromptu talk yesterday at church at the end of sacrament meeting. As I listened to his sweet words I felt very blessed that he is my husband. It's amazing to me that he is a convert to the church -- hard to believe that 15 years ago (July 31) he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel grateful that my brother Keith held close to standards he was taught so that Steve would want to learn more about the church. I feel grateful to my dad for having the courage to ask Steve if he was interested in taking the missionary discussions. I am grateful to my mom for raising a close knit family that would cause Steve to observe and say, "I want what they have." And grateful for siblings who welcomed Steve into our circle with open arms...as if he were one of the "originals"!!! If all these things hadn't been just so, who knows how my life would have turned out! I have a great husband and great family. Thanks guys!

...Steve and I went to Stake Standards Night last night and as we walked into the chapel it suddenly hit me that this year we are attending not only as leaders, but as PARENTS too! Carley turned 12 in March so she can now attend all these neat programs. It was a great night!!!! As I was listening to Elder Pickard speak to the youth I wondered what would keep anyone from attending something like this with their kids if they had the opportunity! The youth sat in the middle while the adults were in the side pews. I kept looking over at Carley thinking she wasn't paying attention to all the great things being said. But on the way home we had a nice conversation about all the things she learned and felt during the evening.....Okay, I'll take my mom's advice and RELAX!!!

...Cameron is playing tackle football and loving it! He's all heart on the field. It's fun to watch him play because he works so hard (I just can't follow the game...I have never understood football!) I still need to post pictures!

...Carley made the A team at school for volleyball. She's a great little player. It's fun to watch her pass, set and dink the ball. (At least I can follow volleyball!) Pictures still to come, I hope!

...Caitlyn joined Carley and Cameron on piano this year and loves it so far. She is also doing gymnastics with Aunt Katie and loves it!! I love that she loves it all! Now she wants to do tap and ballet...maybe when football and volleyball aren't occupying my saturdays!! Maybe soon I'll take some pictures!!!!

...I'm getting crafty in my old age! Friday my Mother-In-Law came over and we started making christmas cards. I didn't say I finished any...but I started! Sunday Carley and I made a memory board. The most impressive thing was that Carley wanted to use different material than what we had so we went to mom's and much to my surprise in two minutes we found a piece of material Carley liked (if you know my mom you know why that may have surprised me!!!! I love ya mom!) No really, thanks mom! Carley did a great job on the board and I have to say it turned out really cute! Pictures definitely forthcoming!!!

Let's hear it for Carter!

2008-08-26T09:07:00.001-07:00

My kids love all their cousins so much! It's pretty cool. I think because Carter is the only child in his family and because my kids want a baby brother so bad, they keep asking if we can adopt Carter! I keep telling them Sean and Jessica might miss him but my kids assure me they could visit him any time!!! So this week Sean starts school and Carter gets to come play! As soon as I picked up Caitlyn yesterday from school she says, "Where's Carter?" She wasn't happy to hear he was at Nana's. She said "I thought we were watching him?!" So guess what we did? We picked up Carley from Volleyball practice and headed straight to Nana's to play with Carter because nobody could wait until today when he would be here! I love the bond they all have. It doesn't matter that Carley is 12 and Carter is 2. I think she would be devastated if she wasn't invited to his birthday party!!! That's what family is all about....if you only could be friends with cousins your age than we'd be out of luck because we don't have a two year old....and we sure would miss out on a lot of fun things with Carter...he's such a hoot! Thanks Sean and Jessica for including us in so many things with Carter!!!

I feel old!!!

2008-08-24T18:13:00.001-07:00

I'm finally getting to my camp pictures! Carley went to girls camp this year...hard to believe she's old enough! We had a great time together. She is so fun to be around and a great help to me. I'm always asking her for ideas...I love her creativity (she must have gotten that from her Nana!)

This year camp was again a family affair. Aunt Amy was there all week as the nurse. Nana and Granddad came for the weekend along with Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Keith. It was Keith and Stephanie's first time there in official capacity as Bishop and spouse!!!! It was fun to all be there together!

First Day of School

2008-08-22T06:02:00.001-07:00

I guess i've been in denial about summer being over and school starting. So it's taken me awhile to post these pictures! The kids are back in school and we're all wishing Summer was still here! Carley is in 7th grade, Cameron is in 5th grade and Caitlyn is in 2nd grade. Hard to believe how fast they're all growing up!

Summer is flying by!

2008-07-10T07:25:00.001-07:00

Summertime seems to go faster every year. I love having the kids home from school and enjoying longer days, friends, sleepovers, swimming, vacation, baseball and whatever else we can pack into the day! We've been busy but we're having fun. Here's our summer in a nutshell:

Cameron turned 10 in June. Hard to believe he's double digits now. What more can you ask for than to have a bunch of boys over for hotdogs, swimming, slip n slide and wiffle ball in 110-degree weather! He loves baseball and basketball and will be trying his hand at tackle football this season.

We spent a few days in California with Steve's mom and two of his brothers and their families. We went to the beach, Disneyland and Universal Studios. We had a blast! Carley, Cameron and Caitlyn were all fearless! They loved catching the waves at the beach. It was hard to keep them off Space Mountain at Disneyland. Carley and Cameron even braved California Screamin and loved it!!! Tower of Terror and the Free Fall became Carley's new favorites. I'm happy to have new riding partners since Steve is a good sport but doesn't really have the stomach for all that fun! We loved the Fear Factor show at Universal Studios but our favorite part was the Jurasic Park water ride and the straight down 80-foot drop at the end!

Next it was off to Dallas with Carley for the Junior Olympics National Volleyball Tournament. Her Club Volleyball team qualified and it was quite an exciting event. It was amazing to see all the talent that is out there. We had a great time watching teams compete. Carley played well and it was a great experience just to be there. Thanks to everyone who helped with Caitlyn and Cameron so Steve and I could go with her!

Then we spent 4th of July in Sierra Vista with Marlee and Spencer. Nana and Granddad went and Amy, Sean, Jessica and Carter came too. We went to Bisbee for the Box Car races, went swimming at "The Cove" (a fun indoor water park) and watched what had to have been one of the best fireworks shows i've seen (and we thought the show at DisneyLand was great!)Thanks guys for the good food and great fun! You are awesome hosts! We had so much fun that Carley decided to stay this week too! I think all the kids would have stayed if there was room on the ride back for them!!!!

July 8 my baby turned 7! Wow! Hard to believe she is so grown up. (I'm not getting older too am I????) She had some friends over for cake and ice cream and we went to a nearby water park!!! Caitlyn loves softball, gymnastics and everything girlie!!!!

Whew! What a summer it's been....and we still have Girls Camp to go! This will be Carley's first year and we can't wait!

Kids do the darndest things!!!

2008-07-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

So lastnight Caitlyn had a tournament softball game. Carley and I decided we would go to mutual late and watch Caitlyn's game since Steve was coaching Cameron's game. At the game my huge mug of water spilled. So i'm dying of thirst. After the game (she beat the number one team by the way!!!) we rushed to the church for the last of mutual. Once we got there I asked Caitlyn if she would go fill my mug up at the drinking fountain. She gladly agreed. She brought in the mug and I just about downed the cold fresh water! It was very refreshing as I was practically dehydrated. I took a break from slurping down the water and Caitlyn comes over and says in her very sweet voice, "Mom, I'm sorry. The mug was too tall for the drinking fountain so the only way I could get water in your mug was to put the water in my mouth and spit it in your mug." I about fell off the chair laughing so hard! Thanks, Caitlyn. I guess I didn't specify HOW to get water in the mug!!!! I love ya Caitlyn!!!

Oh What Do You Do In The Summer Time....

2008-06-05T22:58:00.001-07:00

Swim and dye your hair of course. Then invite your friends over and dye their hair!!! The kids thought they were pretty cool! But they were quick to wash it out before they went to their baseball games because Dad said he wasn't going in public with anyone who had purple and red hair.......party pooper!!!!

And then there were four.......

2008-05-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

We welcomed a "new addition" to our family last week....We were able to watch Carter while Sean and Jessica went on their fabulous 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera! Carley renamed Carter while his parents were away to Carter Paul Collins. We had a great week.....the only bummer was that it went by too fast! We all definitely got even more attached to Carter. He is such a funny kid. And soooo good!!! Carley, Cameron and Caitlyn loved having a "little brother" and although they were excited to see Sean and Jessica, no one wanted to say goodbye to Carter (except when he threw his juice cup and started screaming at Sam's Club!!! just kidding!) It was fun having a little one around again. But I must say I'm not complaining that I'm all alone this moring free to write this blog and clean my house with no interruptions! We love ya Carter (Klippel-Collins)!!

Who are these cute kids?!!!

2008-05-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

All the cousins got pictures taken together for Nana.....what a cute bunch!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

2008-01-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

Carley is selling Girl Scout cookies once again this year. If you would like to buy some or know someone who does, just let us know! She has to turn in her orders no later than Jan. 26.....here's what is available: (price is still $4 a box)

Lemon Chalet Cremes (lemon sandwich cookies)
Trefoils (old fashioned short bread)
Do-Si-Dos (Peanut butter cremes)
Samoas (cookies covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, striped with choclaty coating)All Abouts (vanilla and fudge)
Sugar free chocolate chip cookies
Tagalongs (cookies topped with peanut butter and covered with chocolate)
Thin Mints (enough said!)

We're Back!!!!!

2007-12-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a while....but we're back in the blogging world. At least for now!!! We've had a hectic couple of months but life is great and we're enjoying all that we're involved in....

Our family went with Aunt Jessica and Uncle Sean and Carter (and Sean's brother Brandon and his family) to cut down Christmas trees. We may not bring back the most beautiful tree money can buy, but we sure have a great time looking for one!!!!!!

RADIO CITY HALL presents the Rockettes!!!!

The girls and I went to see this Christmas Spectacular together! It was definitely a great show....we had a great time together and it's a great way to head into the Christmas season!!!!

Carley loves volleyball!

2007-10-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Carley has found a new love....volleyball! She's playing on the school team right now and loves it. She is one of the setters. Her last game is Oct. 9. Go Carley!

Look at me Dad!

2007-10-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Carter would not take off Reeslyn's swimsuit!!!! Doesn't he look so cute!

We love Carter

2007-09-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

We love being able to watch Carter. He is so much fun and just like a little brother to the kids.

Homerun Hitter!

2007-06-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Cameron hit an in park homerun monday at his game. Way to go, Cameron!

Aw, the good ole' days!

2007-05-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Any guesses as to who these cutie pies are???? Love the outfits!!

What a trooper

2007-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Cameron came through surgery well. The doctor said hopefully all his hearing will be restored within a couple of months.

Carley Marley

2007-05-20T22:20:00.001-07:00

Carley was feeling left out since we didn't have a picture of just her! So here she is!!!! We love ya Carley!

Has anyone seen Shrek 3?

2007-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Steve pitching at Manzanita.

2007-05-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cameron pitched in his baseball game tonight. Steve's been trying to give him a few pointers from his pitching days!

Our Family

2007-05-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Steve, Cameron, Carley, Wendy and Caitlyn

Our "graduate"!!

2007-05-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

It looks like Caitlyn has made it through Kindergarten. She and Spencer will officially be "promoted" to the first grade in a ceremony at school on Wednesday, May 30 at 8:30 am.

Cameron...

2007-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Cameron set this blog up for his family all on his own!!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Carley, Steve, Caitlyn, and Cameron on Easter.