A smattering of photos

"here duckie duckies!!"

The kids would have jumped in after the ducks if they could.

The ducks that so obligingly entertained the children.
I think they were hoping to be rewarded with some bread.
Alas, there was none.

I had this great idea for our family photo.
This is how it turned out, not quite how I wanted it.
I needed my friend Denise there to arrange and take the photo.

Traditional family photo.
The great thing about this photo is baby Grace standing all by herself!

Shot of the kids.
I think the thing that bugged me most about these photos...
Were Hannah's stinking W.T. bangs!!!
Gosh who cut those wretched things!!!

Me and my handsome husband!!

Ahhh, I love this photo!!

Miss Hannah Edith

Miss Isabel Charlotte

Miss Annika Patrice

Miss Grace Evora

She is so precious!!!

You know, my kids take much better photos when they are fresh. Fresh from the car, free from boredom, and crisp from not running around. This was not the case for this round of family photos. The one person that had a 3 hour commute was the one who was on time. The photographer was late, my little brother and his wife and child were late, and my other brother and his wife were even later. But such is life. At least we got the photos and that's all that matters. These photos were taken by either my Dad, or by Brent. I hope to see the photos that were taken by Kirk, very soon. It was fun to go somewhere different and new. This go around we went to BYU campus. Luckily, the little pond had a new family of ducklings which kept the kids pretty entertained while we waited, and waited and waited.

Moments of Break Down

So I have been without my husband during the week for the past 5 weeks. Ya, it sucks. But I know that I am not the only wife who suffers through such torture. The whole time he was gone not once did I break down. I proved that I was tough as nails and had the power to be a single mother. Not that I would ever want this for reals. NEVER!!!

Yesterday I broke down twice. The first during a conversation with Brent during a topic which I didn't think was so sensitive but I ended up in tears.

The second time I broke down was during Ward Choir. I hadn't been to Ward Choir in over 5 weeks. I felt like I was a bit inactive and it was strange coming back. Needless to say this was the first time for me singing the new song. It was a Primary Song which I had heard many times before. I had no problems with it until the very last time we sung it. It brought me to tears and I was unable to finish singing. I felt like a boob, but the words were so powerful to me and I realized that I have some changing to do.

The song is titled, If the Savior Stood Beside Me. The verse that struck me the most was,

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there
And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care
So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.

I love Primary songs. They teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with simpleness, straight forwardness, and nothing but the truth. I know that this song is meant for children to help them when they are baptized. But as I sung this song I thought of myself as a mother. How I should be treating my children. Am I the mother that I know my Heavenly Father wants me to be? Would I treat and talk to my children the way I do if the Savior where standing by my side? Regretably, the answer is no. I think that is why I broke down. I have been feeling guilty for letting the stress of my husband being gone come down on my children. It's not their fault. I decided then and there that I would try my hardest to treat my children the way I would if the Savior were in the room.

My children deserve a Mother that is going to treat them with Love, Honor and Respect. I will try and be the Mother that I know my Heavenly Father wants me to be.

Red Butte Gardens

Hannah and myself.

Hannah, me and Jessica

I love lining my children up from youngest to oldest.

Grace was so cute to just stand there.
Just like in the photos taken at T.P.

Grace is easily distracted.
What 15 month old isn't?

All the Grandkids.
Once again, it is quite the chore to get that many kids looking
in the same direction and smiling.

Jamie, Jessica, Soren and Asher.
Jamie was so funny about photo taking.
He wanted to make sure and always have the mountains in the background.

Me and my kids!!
That doesn't look like too many, right?

Enjoying the koi pond.

,Asher is always pointing.
Hannah is always willing to entertain.

This is another example of Heaven on Earth. The kids and I haven't been to Red Butte Gardens since before Grace was born. Our return was long over due. I had forgotten how kid friendly Red Butte's was. Again, the kids enjoyed running, screaming, exploring, and zipping in every direction imaginable. The smells were intoxicating, and the sights at times overwhelming. I always forget how magnificent the beauty of plants can be. I am quick to remember why I love gardening so much. One day, I would love to have a garden like this or Thanksgiving Point. I know that it will take years and years of tediousness and much care and love. I probably wont get that kind of time until my children are all grown and I have grandchildren. A girl can still dream.
After the Red Butte Gardens we took the kids out to eat to Bucca Di Beppo. A wonderful family style restaurant. We were the only ones there. We had such a large group that they put us in the Pope room. A huge round table with a lazy susan in the middle. In the middle of the lazy susan, incased in heavy duty platic, was the head of the Pope. Isabel refused to have the Pope look at her, so the table was constantly being pushed and pulled. In fact, no one wanted the Pope stairing at them.
After lunch we toured the Conference building. We had a sweet old lady that was our guide. I'm sure she skipped most of the tour due to the mirriad of children surrounding her. As we were going up the escalator she commented to me, "boy, you have your hands full." That's the first time I've ever heard that one before. I nodded and said yes, yes I do. Even in Utah, home of the Mormons I still get comments about the amount of children I have. What is a girl to do? I'm just being obedient. I thought my kids were pretty well behaved. I made them all fold their arms while on the tour. Which served several purposes. One, it forced them to walk slower. And second, they were not tempted to touch each other or anything they passed.
It was a great day.

Thanksgiving Point 2009

Thanksgiving Point is a little piece of Heaven on Earth.

Grandma and Grace.
Ready for take-off!!!

Jaren and Grace, my oldest and youngest.

Can you see the excitement in Beckham's eyes?
It speaks volumes!!!

Me and my amazing Sister, Jessica.
She, a little taller, and me, a little wider!!!

The flowers smell so good!!!

One of my many attempts to get a good candid shot.

Soren dipping into the refreshing pool.

Asher following suit.

The girls.
Annika was mad at me for getting upset with her.
You can't tell can you?

Me and my Sis. with our set of twins!!!
I still can't get over that we both have twins!!!

I love this photo of my sister and Soren.
Soren loves his Mom, and she loves him!!!

One of our last outings with my Sister and her family was Thanksgiving Point. We always have a marvelous time there. The kids can run and be free and wild. Okay, maybe not too wild. This time around my parents and brother rented golf carts. The kids were in mobile heaven. They jumped from cart to cart screaming with excitement. There's nothing more fun then hanging out of a moving vehicle. Or standing up as it careens around a corner holding on to the bars for dear life. The wee-ones had fun sitting on Grandma's lap pretending to steer. Although we missed the actual Tulip Fest, it was non the less bursting with color and texture. I reveled in my walks with my children and sister. Realizing that my sisters remaining time with us was short, I walked a little slower hoping to delay her departure.
As I look back on the week that I had with my sister and her family I am disappointed with the amount of pictures I had taken. I didn't get nearly the amount of photos that I should have. I needed to have my camera in hand and continually snapping away candid moments. I hope this will be a lesson learned. No matter the amount of complaints or moans and groans, the photo must be taken.

Ahhh, Mothers

Wow, who would have thought that I would produce
a half dozen children?
Not me, that's for sure!!!
I do have to say, I make them good!!!

Grandma Penny with all her Grandchildren.
It is a STRUGGLE to get that many little kids to sit or stand still
for longer then a nano-second.

Grace had had enough of the picture taking.
I love the moment in time this photo captures.
This is how it is a lot of the time at my home.
Isabel struggling to control Grace.
Grace struggling to escape on of her many mothers.
Cause you know she has 4 of them.

The best shot of the bunch.

Over the years I have learned to not expect much from Mother's Day. It's just another Sunday in which you still have to attend church, which means children still need to get dressed, their hair brushed, the church bag put together, and they still need feeding. These things don't just miraculously accure just because it's Mothers Day. When I finally woke up to reality and realized that this is how it's going to be, my special day is so much more enjoyable. Most Mother's Days Brent will make breakfast for me and allow me to stay in bed a little longer. Which I really appreciate. Aside from that, nothing really special. But the things that do set Mother's Day apart from any other day are the special home made notes and gifts that my children bring home from school. They are sweet in their writing and for a few small moments I feel as if I am actually doing a good job.
This year Brent surprised me with a gorgeous picture of the Salt Lake Temple. Which has special meaning for us since that is where we were married. It is pretty big, he got it for a great deal, sigh. There's always a great deal somewhere isn't there. I haven't bought the Hercules hooks to hang it up yet. We've already re-arranged the pictures in the front room and the empty wall is patiently waiting for it's new accessory. I'm waiting for my handsome husband to come home and actually hang it.
This Mother's Day was particularly special since I was able to spend it with my sister. She and her small family flew out from Virginia for a visit and it just so happened to land on Mother's Day. My own mother requested that we attend her sacrament meeting. I'm sure my mother was beaming, sitting there with all of her children, and grandchildren taking up two whole benches.
We were also able to spend some time with Brent's Mother. It was a special day for her since Sean, her youngest who is on a mission to Mexico, called. We all were able to chat with him and it was great to hear how he was doing.
I am so grateful to all the Mothers in my life. To my own mother, mother-in-law, aunts, sister and sisters-in-law. They all have influenced my life some way or another and I am the mother I am today because of them.
You know, being a Mother is not easy. You never really understand the sacrifice that a woman truly goes through to become a Mother until you become one yourself. We give up a lot of our identity, freedoms, pursuits, and sometimes dreams to become mothers. But I believe there is no greater work for women to do upon this earth then to be Mothers. Along the way we learn what it truly means to nurture, to love, to be compassionate. Among other things.

That is BRILLIANT!!!

The other day I was reading an article in the paper and was blown away by it's brillance. A woman in an Elementary school somewhere in Utah County decided that she was going to use stability balls instead of chairs for her students. At first I thought she was nuts. I had visions of window breaking, teeth being knocked out, tears and boogers everywhere!!! Another thought that went through my mind is, " why is this teacher so concerned with the children's core muscles?" That's me, constantly thinking about exercise. Then I saw a picture of the ball and it had little feet on it so it can't just roll anywhere it wants to. The children went through training to know how to use the ball. They have to keep their feet on the floor at all times. But this ball allows the children to wiggle all day long. To bounce up and down, to roll back and forth, to constantly be getting their wiggles out. Amazing. This teacher made a comment that has seriously stuck with me, " I am trying to change my classroom to fit the children, not change the children to fit the classroom." BRILLIANT. How often do we as parents try to change our childrren? I know I do. But kids are kids. So often when I find that I am having success with my children, it's because I am the one that has done the changing. Wether it be within myself, or something within my home. What a great reminder to me that most of the time I am the one that needs to change, not my children. That I need to work to change my children's surrounding to suite them, rather then change my children to suite the surroundings. Wow.

The Waters of Baptism for the 3rd and 4th time

Isabel, Brent and Annika

Isabel with Brent.
I think Isabel looks just like Brent.

Miss Annika and Dad.

I wanted a photo before the baptism.

Those that stood in the circle:
Cory, Kevin Bardsley, Deric, Grandpa Rick, Papa Woody

Of course I had to get a photo of the girls after the baptism
in their beautiful white dresses.

Grandma Penny.

Grandma Donna

This last Saturday was very eventful for our growing family. Isabel and Annika were finally baptized. They had to wait a few months so they could have all the people they love there. Of course, not EVERYONE they love was there. We still missed out on a lot of people. But we are grateful to the ones that could make it and support our sweet girls.
Isabel and Annika were full of questions and a bit of anxiety before the big day. Especially Isabel. She was so nervous. Brent was in St. George the whole week and so he couldn't "practice" with her before hand. I tried to calm her nerves by assuring her that she wouldn't drown, and that the unkown is always a little scary.
Isabel and Annika were the very last ones to be baptized and confirmed. I always wondered how it would work, having two at the same time. Annika was baptized first, I wrapped the towel around her and we waited and watched Isabel be baptized from the steps. Witnessing a baptism is always so full of emotions and the spirit. It's hard not to cry or feel overwhelmed with the love that our Savior and Heavenly Father has for us.
Brent did a superb job blessing the girls. Each of their blessings were unique to them and very sweet. I am so blessed to have a husband who honors his preisthood and is able to bless our family so abundently.
I am proud of Isabel and Annika's decision to be baptized members of the church. These baptisms are always such a great reminder of what is truly important, and how simple and pure the gospel is.