The Chronicles of my Life

A night at the Drive Ins!

2011-07-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to find out that we had a Drive In nearby. I guess we didn't realize there was one and we've lived here for 7 years now! We watched Cars 2 and our entire car load with 7 of us only cost $10!!

March 2009

2011-07-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! I just started digi scrapping this week so I thought I would share all my pages over here so you can kind of see what my family has been up too. I am over 2 years behind so the kids are a little bit older!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!! Here we are, full of Halloween Spirit and just plain craziness!!

Brayden as Superman!

Andrew as a Ninja!

Katelyn as Dorothy

Thomas as Captain America!

Madelyn and her best friend, Ashley, both got matching cat outfits. Very cute!

I was like a total 80's girl!! I loved it and lived it up!!!! Only 1 day a year, right?? I vote for an 80's day!!

Not that I made him dress up or anything but I know Bryan enjoyed playing an 80's rocker and my like total rad boyfriend!!

Aren't we like a totally tubular couple?? He rocks!

Orr Family Farm

2009-10-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

Every year we have a tradition of going to the Orr Family Farm. We love it!! Here are some of this year's pics....

Aren't we cute??

Even though Katelyn is growing up, she still enjoys the carousel.

Madie is such a doll!

Words cannot describe what a sweetie pie our Brayden is.

SMILE KIDS!

Our boys!

My Favorite Time of Year

2009-10-13T14:55:00.001-07:00

Since most of you know that I lost some very important pictures this weekend, I am going to try harder to make sure I back them up, & also blog more of them.

On Monday nights our family has what we call Family Home Evening. It is a program designed by our church to help families designate one night a week to just family time. We usually have a lesson, sing songs, play games, and have a special treat. Now most of you know that trying to make this work with 5 little children cannot be that much fun. Well, most of the time you are right. There is a lot of noise and chaos BUT we are happy that we are able to do this. Last night was an exception and there was much peace, love and joy at our Family Home Evening.

We started out with a family prayer & by singing a favorite song (which was chosen by one of the children). We sang "I Like Bananas, Coconuts, & Grapes". Following the song our 9 year old gave the lesson. She spent 2 1/2 hours on my Cricut Sunday night preparing for this. I was amazed at how AWESOME she was with my bug! She could show us all a few tricks! Her lesson was on getting along together in the house. She talked about how we should say kind words, not fight (which they all are working on), serve each other, and just be nice. Here are some pics of her teaching her lesson.....

Do you like how she used Hannah Montana in it??!!

After the lesson we read scriptures, said the closing prayer, and then got ready for the treats! Don't they look yummy???

Did I already mention that this is my favorite time of year???

2 year olds eating caramel covered apples are just scrumptious!!

After we ate the yummy treat (okay, I had 2!), we carved a pumpkin! This is so early for us. Usually we are doing it as an afterthought ON Halloween! I even toasted the pumpkin seeds after. Yes, it was a great night!

Here are my happy children! They love to make a mess and not get in trouble!!

I hope you all are having a great week and making fun traditions for your families! I know that it is something that they will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives.

My Marathon!

2009-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!!!

It seems like it has been forever since I've updated this blog! Life has been sooo crazy! I wanted to post some pics from the Top of Utah Marathon that me and my DH ran on September 19th. It was an experience of a lifetime. I ran it in 4 hours and 31 minutes! Not bad for a first timer!!

Here I am with my new Gypsy on the plane. I just got this the day before and was so excited to take it with me on my trip. For those of you who don't know, the G is the new Iphone of the scrapbooking market!!

Here I am ready to go in my cute new pink outfit! I found this the day before at Target. The pants were so super comfy for the run. Great choice of clothing! I did have to take off the long sleeve shirt before the run even though it was freezing!

I had this shirt specially made for this marathon so that when my blog viewers saw me they would yell out "Go Pink Stamper!" Unfortunately I didn't hear that my entire run but I knew they were all there in spirit!

I had to take a pic by the bus, right? After all, I am a scrapbooker first! We rode on this bus for around 45 minutes to drop us off at the starting place up in the canyon. I couldn't believe I was going to have to run down that long stretch!

Here I am with my cute running partner..... my husband! It was so fun to train with him for the past 3 months. We have a great new hobby that we can do together since I can't seem to drag him into my scrapbooking room and I'm not really interested in football!

I did it!!! I am an official Marathon Runner!! I cannot even believe it. It still feels like a dream. 26.2 miles is a loooooooooong distance and I ran most of it with a smile on my face. It was the coolest experience ever! We had such a blast that we are already talking about doing it again next year. We must be nuts!!

I was so very blessed to have been able to get a massage after in the massage tent. The lady that was giving it to me couldn't believe that I would fly all the way from Oklahoma just to run a marathon! The massage was very relaxing but kind of painful, too, since every muscle in my body was on fire!

So....... would I recommend doing a marathon???? You betcha, I would!! It was the best experience I have had in my life next to childbirth and joining my church. What an incredible thing to accomplish in my lifetime. If any of you would like to do it, I will support you 100%. Just shoot me an e-mail anytime you have any questions!

Blessings to you all and thanks for your support!!

Sherie & Quincy

2009-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hiking the Y

2009-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hiking the "Y" was so much fun and such a challenge!! I was 1 mile up and 1 mile back down but it seemed like it was much more than that. The steep incline was nothing compared to coming down. Wow! What an experience!!!

Here is a pic of Thomas and his cousin Nicholas. Aren't they cuties??

Here we are at the base of the mountain getting ready to go!

Some of the Cardon brothers. (Bryan, Jeff, Jason, George, & David)

Natalie, Madie, and Claire are great cousin buds!

Daddy and Brayden.

Madie and Katelyn show us what they got!!

Beautiful Katelyn.

Andrew and Thomas are such cool dudes!

Sunny hiked the entire mountain even though she was due with her baby only 4 days later!! She even beat most of us down the mountain!!

Andrew overlooking the valley.

Me!

Sweet Madelyn!

Family Picture

2009-07-03T07:06:00.001-07:00

I love this picture we took at Bryan's parent's house before we went hiking. Look at little Brayden and how he is sticking out his tongue! What a cutie!!

Piano Time

2009-07-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Outside at Grandma Cardons

2009-07-02T03:35:00.000-07:00

The children loved being able to pick cherries from one of grandma's many fruit trees.

Brayden and Thomas had a blast playing outdoors, too.

Watch out for those cherries, Katelyn. They are sour!!

Raspberry picking with Grandma Cardon

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

2009-07-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to the open house for the newest temple! Katelyn said she could feel the spirit inside. It was beautiful!!

BBQ at the Cardons

2009-06-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

Katelyn and Andrew had so much fun helping Uncle David BBQ the dinner. You could see it in their happy faces!

Ogden Temple

2009-06-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Toy Museum

2009-06-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Chillin at the Cardons!

2009-06-30T14:58:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we drove up to Ogden to visit Linnea and David. We had a great time hanging out and catching up.

Wow! Scrapbooks!!

2009-06-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

You all think I have a lot of completed scrapbooks!!!??? Check out my SIL, Linnea! She is the one who got me started 13 years ago!!

My favorite place!!!

2009-06-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Every time we visit Utah I have to stop by my favorite place for a Yogi! Mmmmmm! I love chocolate with Snickers!

Our Trip to Utah

2009-06-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to fly out early with the kids to spend time with my side of the family. We really missed having Bryan with us!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2009-06-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were so blessed to be able to go see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir while they visited Oklahoma. It has been 40 years since their last Oklahoma performance. It was WONDERFUL!!! It was not boring at all and very entertaining! If you live in Utah and have the chance to go see them perform, I highly recommend it.

We were able to go with some of our good friends. We had a great night!

Pool Fun!!

2009-06-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

We feel very blessed this year to have our very own pool in our backyard. It has been kind of hot this week so it has been so nice to just jump in the pool for a bit and go on with our day. We are trying to be very careful with Thomas and Brayden around the pool. We are so happy that we added a gate around our pool before we moved in. We just feel a bit safer with the little ones around.

Hope you all are having a great summer!!

Adorable Boys!

2009-06-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sarah!!!

2009-06-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

For my friend Sarah's birthday we decided to go to Sumo for dinner. It was AWESOME!! I have been there now 2 times and it is one of my favorites. Tonight I was the only one who could catch the piece of egg in my mouth. Yes, I am bragging because I ROCK!!! Here are the pics.

Karlee, you will be missed!!

2009-06-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

This morning Karlee came by to say one last goodbye before her and her family were on the road for their move to New Mexico. It was a very hard goodbye. We cried a lot. I haven't had to say goodbye to anyone in years and it was very sad.

Brayden and Brekken have just recently started to play together. They decided to play a final duet on the piano to say goodbye.

Thomas and Kiya are such sweet friends. He is going to miss her so much and doesn't understand that she is really moving.

Here she is........... Miss America!

Here I am.......... SAD EYES!!

Don't we just look so sad???

Here we are trying to smile through our tears.

Kiya had to deliver one final punch to Thomas to let him know who is boss. We are still trying to plan the wedding of Kiya and Thomas. We have to find some way to be officially related some day!

One shot of Karlee taking a pic from her car.

Thomas had to give Karlee a big hug!

Brayden also wanted to give Karlee one last snuggle. So sweet!

Bye bye my bestest friend, Karlee! I will miss you soooo much!!! Please visit me often!!

Tennis Camp

2009-06-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics on the first day of this year's Summer Tennis Camp.

Karlee & Ryan's Dinner

2009-06-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Bryan and I were so happy to be invited to Ryan's Dental School graduation dinner. It was so fun to hang out with them for one last time before they moved away. :( Here are some of the highlights.

Bye Bye Lunch for Karlee

2009-06-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Julie & I took Karlee out to my favorite place, Mimi's Cafe, for lunch. We had a great time just chatting and talking about our future plans. We sure are going to miss Karlee. The tears start every time we think about it.

Girls' Day Out!

2009-06-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Since our great friend, Karlee, is moving this week we thought we should celebrate with a Girls' Day Out! We started the day with pedicures and had sooo much fun!!!

A Snake!!!!!

2009-06-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight my friends, Julie & Karlee, came over late so we could chit chat in the hot tub. Well, we couldn't get it to work so we decided to try the breaker in the garage. While we were in there (barefoot!) I looked down at my feet and there was a snake within inches!! It was a little Copperhead (fully poisonous!!). Julie was brave enough to take care of it for us and put it in the grass. It was already injured but just as dangerous. Here are our funny pics! What a night!!!

Sweet Friends

2009-06-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

This was the cutest thing EVER!! Little Brekken was very upset so while his sister, Kiya, was comforting him, Brayden shared his little blue blanket with him to try to make him happy. It was soooo sweet!!

Last Day of School

2009-05-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of our most favorite days of the year! We all just can't wait for summer! This is the first summer in our new house with a pool so we are ready to have a swimming fun summer!!

5th Grade Graduation

2009-05-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little girl is graduating from 5th grade and going into Middle School!!! Wow, time sure flies!!!

We love Sumo!

2009-05-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

Our new favorite restaurant is Sumo. Our kids had a BLAST!!

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Memorial Day and remembered the true reason we celebrate it.

We had a little BBQ with some friends over to eat, swim, and just visit. It was a good day. Here is a pic I took of me with my baby sleeping in my arms. Our little Brayden is all energy and rarely lets us hold him till he falls asleep. It was a good day for me. :)

I ran another 5K today!!!

2009-05-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

Can you believe I ran another 5K race???? A friend of mine talked me into signing up for another 5K race that was scheduled for today and I am so glad she did!! Karlee & ,I along with our husbands, all had a blast running today's 5K. Us girls ran it in 30:43, which beat my old time!!! We both also placed 3rd in our age group!!!! I GOT A MEDAL FOR RUNNING!!!!! I feel like a running STAR!!! Of course I know, it's only a 5K, but to me it was SOOOO super BIG!!!

Here are the pics of the day.....

It's so neat that my husband and I now both share a running hobby. We have many goals for the future that we want to accomplish TOGETHER!

Here is me and Karlee after the race. We sent our husbands out to the car to get our cameras so we could capture it all on film. We must be scrapbookers, huh??

Funny story.... Just about 2 k's into the race we noticed that there were some runners now running our direction. We totally thought they were the marathon runners who had started 1 1/2 hours before we did. We were cheering for them, screaming, telling them they are AWESOME!! Then we realize that they are the 5K runners!!! At the halfway point you have to turn around and come back!! We were only a little bit behind the people we were cheering on!!! Honestly, when we thought they were the marathon runners our speed picked up, our energy level got higher, and we just were pumped. After we realized that we were in the same race then it was pretty funny. :)

After we were done running we thought it would be fun to go back out on the course and cheer the marathon runners on. Karlee and I were doing cartwheels, "WHOOOOING", and doing kicks for them! Some of the marathon runners loved it and we felt that it also annoyed some. :) It was soooo super fun, though!! I really want to attend marathons just so I can be a cheerleader for them and keep their spirits up. What an amazing accomplishment for them!! We are setting a goal to run a marathon in October 2010. Just 1 year and 5 months away!!!

Here is a pic of Karlee and me with our 3rd place medals. We both placed 3rd place in our age group. Of course they were 10 years apart!!! What a fun day. I am going to miss Karlee sooooo much when she moves in 2 weeks!!!

Surprise Party!

2009-05-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

My BFF, Karlee, is moving away from me in 3 short weeks!!! I decided to throw her a surprise going away party with just the girls. We had a blast!!!! We had lots of yummy goodies, girl talk (which I won't be sharing!), fun in the Jacuzzi, eating very HIGH CALORIE popcorn, singing American Idol WII, taking lots of pictures, and watching a chick flick. Did I mention I had a BLAST??? Here are the highlights.

Yes, of course my Cricut was involved!!!

Karlee is showing off my cute banner I made for her using Hello Kitty Font Cartridge.

Love my Karlee!!!

Look at all the yummy food!!! I made lots of chocolate covered fruit which was DELICIOUS!! I took the night off from counting my WW points. Bad Robyn!!

I made this tiny little purses as party favors using Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge and they were cut out at 3 inches. They were super SMALL and soooo cute!!!

Me!

2009-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I have been trying to get in shape. I started my journey on January 5th and I am still trying to get to the end result. Lots of hard work has gone into this and a lot more hard work is to come. I am feeling much healthier and I want to live an active life style with my children.

Family Camping

2009-05-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is our first official camping trip as a family. Of course we started out small by staying in a cabin with a bathroom but it felt like we were roughing it!!

Our sweet little boys all snuggled up on the futon bed that would be their resting place for the night.

Scripture time!

This is Thomas's first time wearing a life vest. He was very happy!

What a funny boy!!

Yep! Andrew finally gets to use his fishing pole that he got for his birthday back in March!

Madie & Brayden. Too cute for words!

I am "Robyn the fish catcher"!! I got 2 of the 3 fishes we caught that day! Ya me!!

Bryan LOVED to drive the boat. Although, we both decided it would be better for us to rent once in a while than having to take care of one full time. We hear they are a lot of work.

Thomas caught a fish all by himself!

We have decided that this is going to be a yearly family tradition. We had the best time ever!!

Sweet Andrew

2009-05-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Andrew was so excited to perform in the 1st Grade Spring Sing. After the program we got to come back to the children's rooms where they presented us with gifts.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Girls' Birthday Dinner Party

2009-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

As women, we like to get together and we love to eat!! So, we have most of our birthday gatherings at restaurants. Works for me!!! This night we are celebrating my friends Karen & Julie's birthdays. Fun times!!

Brayden likes the tubby!

2009-04-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Brayden just decided one day (one of those days) that he was just going to get in the tubby fully dressed. This is the outcome!!

Windy WOW!!

2009-04-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

The day after we bought our new patio furniture there was a wind storm. I woke up to having 2 of our HEAVY chairs blown in the pool. They were really fun to fish out. NOT!! That is just one example of how the wind is here.

Oklahoma Land Run

2009-04-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

When you are in 3rd Grade here in Oklahoma, you get to participate in the annual Land Run at your school. At Northern Hills it was a day of square dancing, butter making, dressing up, having a picnic once you stake your claim, etc. It is a BIG day for everyone involved.

Madelyn was insistent upon bringing our toy wagon to the Land Run. I didn't realize it was going to be her groups main wagon. I asked her if we needed to dress it up but she told me that she would take care of it. Well, she did.......... with cardstock, tape, and a marker. She told me when I got there that she felt silly because her wagon was so small and messy compared to everyone else's wagons and that people were teasing her. I told her to lift her head, smile, and laugh with them. It really WAS funny and that's okay to laugh at yourself a little. I told her how she shouldn't get hurt feelings about it at all. It worked. We had such a fun time with her little wagon!

Whew, we won't have to do this for another 2 years! Maybe then I will remember to really "make" a covered wagon. Sounds like a good Cub Scout project for Bryan and Andrew!

The little boys were so excited to have a picnic of their own next to Madelyn's picnic. :)

I ran a 5K today!!!!!

2009-04-18T12:58:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share this on all of my blogs today because I'm just so excited!!! I've been training to run this 5k for 3 1/2 months now and today was the day.

On the way to the run I was so nervous and didn't even think I would be able to accomplish it. My stomach hurt a touch and my leg was acting up. It was a long morning. When the race was about to begin all of the sudden I started getting really excited. Excited enough to embarrass my husband, too. :) I was majorly stretching, singing songs, and just acting so silly!!

The Race. This was super hard!!! I never really knew what to expect. There were A LOT of hills that I had to climb but, you know what? I DID!!! When I finished 1K I was amazed at how fast the time went by. By the 2K I was getting a little tired. When I got to 3K I knew that I was over halfway there. When I got to 4K I was hanging in there. I actually started crying during the last K because I couldn't believe I was really doing it. I kept thinking about my father who has passed on and how proud he would have been with me for doing this. It was so neat. My husband had finished a few minutes before me and came back to run the last 50 feet or so with me. I saw the finish line and then the clock next to it ticking the time. Something in me snapped and I ran with all my might the last bit! I finished the 5K at 30 minutes and 58 seconds!!! I ran the entire race!!!! I even passed people and for awhile there nobody was right behind me!!!

What am I going to do next, you ask?? Prepare to run a 5K in October for Susan G. Koman. This time I am going to raise funds and make it mean something incredible. My daughter, who is 11, is going to train with me this summer and run it with us. What a fun thing to do together.

Thanks for letting me share this. I knew some of you would be interested. :)

Before and After

2009-04-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Some of you already know that I have been on a journey these past 3 months but some of you might not be aware. I started on January 5th and have continued since then. Here is a before and after pic. I still have 15 more pounds to go but I already feel like a completely different person. I am stronger, have more energy, and have a totally new outlook on life. I also love to run now. I am running my first 5K with Bryan this upcoming Saturday. I can't believe I am really going to do it. I have never thought that this would even be possible for me. Wish me luck!!! I have lost 23 pounds since January 5th and 31 pounds since December.

This is the COOLEST thing EVER!!!

2009-04-13T06:52:00.001-07:00

Sound of Music Train Station @ Yahoo! Video

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I remembered to snap a quick picture before we all jumped in the car for church. I hope you all have had a wonderful Easter.

My Baby Girl is 11

2009-04-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

I still remember the day she was born. I actually went into labor on General Conference and had to walk around the park with Bryan while we listened to it on headphones. What great memories!! I remember how she used to cry all the time but would stop if we just held her. She was held a lot!!! Here she is...

Our ear piercing rule had always been at the age of 12 but we changed the rules this year when we decided that 11 was good enough. We want to make a big deal about going into Young Women and babysitting when she is 12.

Katelyn was SOOO nervous to get her ears pierced but was so brave when she got them done!

So sick!!

2009-04-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have strep but I am definitely very sick! I knew I was getting a cold yesterday and took some meds before bed but they kept me up until 4am!!! I will not be doing that again. This morning I am very stuffed up, headache, and I actually felt like I was going to throw up right after I ate breakfast. I just don't have time to get sick this week. It is very busy for me!! Katelyn's birthday is today and we are getting her ears pierced after school. Thursday is the boys Easter Party at Mother's Day Out. Friday night the girls have their "un"slumber party. AND.... I haven't even started getting my new song ready for Primary on Sunday. Oh ya, it's Easter, too.

I had thought about asking someone to come and pick up my boys but I will be okay. I am going to put Brayden down for a nap in a bit and put Thomas on the computer. Then I should be able to get some rest. Wish me luck!

Nothin' But Trouble!!

2009-04-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thomas was not allowed to have a piece of chocolate cake for dessert tonight because he didn't eat his dinner. Looks like he found a way to taste it anyway!! Before I got mad I ran and got the camera. Thanks for the idea Linnea!

Scarlet Fever and Strep Throat

2009-04-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

So Brayden was finally feeling better from his fall the other day when we felt him getting a fever. I decided to take him in to the dr on Friday afternoon just because he had hit his head, too, during his fall and I didn't want to take any chances. Well, right when we got to the dr's office he developed a rash over his entire body. The dr took one look at him and said although he is very young it looks like Scarlet Fever. She then took the test and it was positive!!! That would mean that Madelyn had strep since she had stayed home from school for 2 days with a high fever and a stomach ache. The dr sent me home with 5 prescriptions for all of my kids just in case I needed to fill them. That pretty much sums up the beginning of our weekend.

Hope you are all doing well!!! Did I mention that my throat started hurting yesterday during the 1st session of conference? I think mine is just a cold, though. Hopefully!!

Brayden got a boo boo

2009-03-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

I guess it is bound to happen to every active boy but we sure were not expecting it at 2 years old!!! Brayden fell off one of our kitchen stools tonight and cut under his chin with his fork. He had to have 9 stitches!!!! I will not go into my emotions over it but let's just say, it was very tough on a mama. I am so glad that it wasn't worse. We are lucky that he is okay. :)

Pics of the week!

2009-03-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Since we were stuck inside most of Saturday morning due to cold/wet/snow, this is how Thomas kept himself busy. He made a fun fort!!

Madelyn and her friend Ashley decided they were going to make a snowman even though it seemed impossible at the time. 2 hours later they succeeded!

Confession

2009-03-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have a confession..... I'm not very organized. I know some of you think that I am but it is all an illusion. For example I'm sitting here finishing up my lesson for Singing Time and I am thinking about how much easier my life would be if I had all my stuff in order!!! I think that will be one of my goals this year. I just want to be the type of person that pulls out my file box and says VOILA, here it is!!! But, I'm not!

No pictures today.

Sick Boys!

2009-03-21T03:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning Bryaden started throwing up and has continued doing it for 24 hours now. This morning we were awakened by Thomas getting in our bed and waking us up by throwing up all over us at 4am. It is now 5:22 am and we are going to start our 5 hour trip home early. We are expecting the other 3 children to get it, too, and would prefer that they do that at our house instead of at a condo in Branson.

I'll blog about our trip later.

Fantastic Caverns - Day 2

2009-03-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today we got up early to start on our way to Branson. We stopped along the way at Fantastic Caverns and had an awesome time. Here are some pics. I'm too tired to say anything else. I have a lot to blog about for today so I'll keep it to 3 simple posts.

Branson Trip Day 1

2009-03-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today we left at 5:30 pm for our Spring Break trip to Branson, Missouri. We stopped at the Holiday Express Inn 2 1/2 hours into the trip. Had fun swimming and hanging out in the room. We all slept very well even though Brayden had a fever of 101. Here are some pics of us beginning our journey. My mom was able to fly to Oklahoma to go to Branson with us. What fun!

Another Day at the Zoo

2009-03-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today was so beautiful that I couldn't resist rounding up some friends to go to the Zoo.

POTD- Bootie Boy

2009-03-01T19:11:00.001-08:00

Yep, this is our cute little boy Brayden. I found him like this a few seconds after he got out of the tubby, dripping wet, with my high heels on. I had to run to get my camera!

POTD- Clues

2009-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is what I saw when I arrived home from the grocery store on Saturday morning. The clues were right there in front of me on who did it. I saw Bryan's shoes but knew that he was too big to fit in that car. :) I imagined my sweet little 2 year old wearing his daddy's shoes all the way out to the garage, seeing his little car, getting in a driving around with the big shoes before finally taking them off when he got out. I solved the mystery!!

Here is the happy boy showing me how much he loves this little car.

Daddy Day

2009-02-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

The kids got a big surprise today when they arrived for their dental screening only to find out that their dad was the dentist doing it!!! I came by to visit and was able to see him giving Katelyn a screening. She was a celebrity in her class for the rest of the day. :)

A Day at the Zoo

2009-02-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today was supposed to be such a beautiful day that a friend of mine and I decided to take our kids to the zoo. When we arrived it was a bit chilly and breezy. It turned out to warm up a little and we had a great time. I was going to add a bunch of pictures but this is all my computer would allow today since my Hard Drive is full on my Mac. I am (im)patiently waiting for my new external HD to arrive.

Uh Oh!!!

2009-02-24T06:22:00.001-08:00

This is what you get when you leave a 4 year old alone with a bowl of brownie mix. I was only gone for a minute!!!

The Recorder

2009-02-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Do you all remember using the Recorder in 5th grade?? Well, I do!! It's so fun that now my 5th grader herself gets this fun opportunity. She brought it home this weekend to practice. It was actually pretty funny. Those memories popped right up!

The Story Teller

2009-02-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Our Madelyn just loves to write her own stories and tell them to all her friends. We had our home teachers over last Sunday and one of them brought a couple of his kids. Madie just couldn't wait to sit there and read her latest masterpiece to them. I'll attach the story on the bottom.

"Seven Steps"
by Madelyn Cardon

Once when there was a nice family of seven, they were watching the news. They heard there was oing to be a twister. Amy was really worried. She was eleven. She was worried because the last time there was a twister her little brother died because he thought it was a game. So he went outside and ran away from the twister saying "You can't catch me". Then the twister caught up and he died. OH NO! Said Amy. What are we going to do? I don't know said her mom. Then we have Seven Steps. Wat are those? Asked Jhonny her little brother. Those are, said Amy, Lock all the doors and windows. CHECK! Get in the closet. CHECK! Make sure everybody is in the closet. CHECK! Ah wait a minute, we don't have Sally!! OH NO! I said! I looked out the window. She was out there screaming, "You can't catch me!" I could not believe my eyes! She turned into an angel! I tried to go out there but she came up to the door and walked right into the closet! She really was an angel. But how did this happen? I figured out that it was all just a prank, Joey, My big brother set up a prank T.V. Also he got into my clothes and made the twister out of it. And he dressed up Sally. I fell for it!! He probably had help with my big sister Donna. I liked her name but not her. She ruined EVERYTHING! I wish she wasn't my sister. But I have to Love my family. And I do love them even if they get in my way. I love everybody.

THE END!

Naked Popcorn Brayden

2009-02-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, Brayden is in his birthday suit behind that popcorn bowl. Bryan had been chasing him around the house so he could get him dressed after his tubby. This is where he ended up........ sitting on the stool in the buff eating some popcorn!

Aren't sad babies cute?

2009-02-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the reason but Brayden was a sad little boy today. It was so cute how he puckered up his face that I just had to capture it on film.

Andrew Blue Eyes

2009-02-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

Isn't she a doll??

2009-02-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

This is my friend's baby, Emma. I am just messing with some of the pictures from our photo shoot and I came up with this. :)

Did I do that??

2009-02-17T08:12:00.001-08:00

It was very quiet around our house this evening, which is not normal, and we didn't know where Brayden was. Usually this means he is up to something. We were right! We found him in the dining room throwing our leftover corn all over the kitchen floor. This is just how our days go lately. He is a big mess maker but we still love him bunches!

Don't try this at home!!

2009-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

My Close Friend

2009-02-15T17:16:00.001-08:00

Okay, this is going to be a super mushy post so you'd better skip it if you don't like those.

This is my friend Karlee. Over the past year we have really clicked and become really awesome BFF's! I just love this girl. I am just sitting here today suddenly so sad because she is moving in June. Very sad for me indeed. I have a handful of other close friends but I would not want any of them to move either. I haven't felt like this since Bryan was in Dental school and we watched all our friends move away to start their new lives. I remember when my BFF Jennie & her family moved back to Utah and it felt like I was losing a sister. That is how I feel now, too. :(

I'll miss you Karlee!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Ward Valentine Dance

2009-02-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight our ward had a family dance. It was a lot of fun and my kids had a blast!!

No pictures please!!

2009-02-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

Ya right!! That is not my personality at all!! A friend of mine and I decided to have a fun photo shoot one day. I just got my hair cut and highlighted and I wanted some pictures of it. I hardly ever take pictures of me!! Really, that is not my thing. Anyway, we thought it would be fun and it really was.

My, what cute hair you have!!

2009-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I am being very vain but it is just so stinkin' cute!! I have never been one to have a trendy "mom" haircut but I think I finally am at that point. I am just wondering why I didn't do this sooner. It is so super easy to do and just FUN!!! Okay, I promise, no more vain posts, at least not until.......... tomorrow!!

Tornado, OH NO!!!

2009-02-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today was a very scary day in Edmond, Oklahoma. Here is my story.....

It was around 2:20pm and I was just heading over to pick up my boys from Mother's Day Out. I decided to stop and get some gas first because I was almost on empty. While I was pumping the gas I noticed that the skies to the Southwest of me looked kind of dark and gloomy. I got in my car and turned on the regular radio when an emergency announcement comes on that there is a TORNADO warning and one is on the ground!! We were supposed to take shelter immediately!! I headed over to get my boys and when I got there the head of the program told me to come on in as were going to all go to the safe place. I told her that I only lived 1 mile away and that I had a storm shelter. My friend Karlee was there, too, so we both picked up our kids and headed over to my house. We actually had a good time even though it was kind of scary and stressful being in a shelter with 4 little kids who didn't understand what they were doing. We ended up going down to my shelter 2 times. We could hear the sirens outside my house and were lucky to have a safe place to go to. A neighborhood about 4 miles from our house was hit pretty hard as the tornado actually went through it. We were very blessed to be safe and have a fun story to tell.

Want some??

2009-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

These cookies are my favorite to make and they are so super easy AND yummy!!

Robyn's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (not margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well. Add...

2 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix, then add....

2 cups chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for exactly 11-12 minutes.

Scrapbooking

2009-02-08T19:13:00.001-08:00

Yes, you all know that I love to scrapbook. (Thanks Linnea for getting me started 12 years ago!) Yesterday a friend and I were in charge of a crop at a scrapbook store for those who own Cricuts. It was a lot of fun! The best part of the day was when I won the Cricut backpack. I'm such a dork about things like that but I LOVE to win!!!

A girl and her dog

2009-02-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

Even though sometimes Muffin is a little pill, we all love him. Especially Madelyn. I truly believe that that little puppy has become a part of her. She just loves him.

I'm such a weirdo!!

2009-02-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Yep, that pretty much about wraps it up. I love to be crazy & absolutely WEIRD!! Of course, in a tasteful way. I'm the loud one at get togethers, the camera hog, and the one who always has to make everyone else do crazy things. Like this picture for example. My friend, Karlee, was over for a few minutes and I MADE her take some pictures of me since I was sick of taking them of myself by myself. We ended up having a blast and I took some fun ones of her, too.

Sweet Feet

2009-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Brayden is at such a cute phase of life. He loves to sing us songs EVERYDAY but his newest things is that he loves to try on our shoes and wear them around the house. It is so funny & cute!!

New haircut and SICK!!

2009-02-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of my new haircut. I am going to try to style it on my own in a bit.

This morning I ran on my treadmill and then went to the gym to workout. While I was lifting weights I suddenly felt nauseous so I just packed it up and headed home. I thought that maybe I needed to eat and drink something. I have been fine this morning until about 1/2 an hour ago. I was doing stomach crunches when I suddenly felt very sick. I barely made it to the bathroom in time! I don't understand how I can have a stomach bug out of nowhere. I guess that is what working out and eating healthy has done. I didn't even feel this one coming!!! Now I am laying on my bed and totally vegging out!! Uggggghhhh! I had so much to do today, too!!

Ouchie!!!

2009-02-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, Katelyn did the funniest, scariest thing in the world!! She decided to see if her tongue would really stick to a frozen pole in our front yard in the middle of an ice storm. Well, now she knows!

Baby, it's cold out!

2009-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

For about 5 days it was sooo freezing outside. Today was one of those days. We all just bundled up and hung out in the living room, when the kids weren't outside loving it! To be a kid again!

Muffin in undies!!

2009-02-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

This is what we found when we went to get Muffin today. He had apparently got into the clean laundry and somehow got himself in the girls underwear!!

Why are you so sad??

2009-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

I know some might find it cruel to take a picture of your child while they are crying but I just want them to be able to enjoy them once they have their own children. I just think this is adorable!!! Brayden is so stinkin' cute when he cries. Although, I do not like to ever make him cry.

Deep Thoughts

2009-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine brought me these flowers for my birthday. Aren't they just beautiful? I put them right in a glass with water and this is how they grew! I sometimes feel like the flower standing up. It seems that a lot of my choices are different from those around me. It sometimes feel like I am alone but wanting to go with the crowd. I still stand my ground and just watch from a safe view.

What a mess but so cute!!

2009-01-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

Brayden sure loves spaghetti and you can tell!!

Look at those curls!!!

2009-01-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

These are the sweet curls that Brayden had just last March! Bryan thought we needed to cut them off. I cried when he lost them. There is nothing like baby curls.

It's My Birthday and Feet!

2009-01-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, today is my birthday. Thanks to everyone who made me feel special all week. I just love you all!! I just wanted to post this pic of our feet. Can you tell which ones are mine??? Nope, not the pink ones. :)

For my birthday our children stayed overnight at a friend's house and Bryan took me to dinner & a movie. We ate at Texas Longhorns & watched Inkheart (which was very boring). We had a nice night spending time together. It gets kind of crazy around here!

That's Thomas

2009-01-23T15:52:00.000-08:00

This picture totally captures Thomas's personality. This is just............... Thomas.

Girls' Night Out!

2009-01-22T20:01:00.001-08:00

Tonight a group of my friends from church got together at Mimi's Cafe to celebrate the birthdays of my friends Tiffany, Karlee, and me. We had such a blast, as you can tell by these pictures. :)

(Me, Tiffany, Karlee)

(Tiffany's cute shoes)

(Robyn & Karlee *SQUISH*)

(Laura's Cute Shoes)

(Karlee, Julie, Me)

(Deanna, Melanie, Tiffany, Julie, Shawna, Melinda, Laura, Me, Karlee, Sarah)

Push Ups

2009-01-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is what the boys had to show me after I was so excited that I successfully did 1 girl push up. They had to show me how a real man does a push up.

Makeovers

2009-01-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

My girls usually do not play together but when they do they have a blast!! They both came down the stairs laughing their heads off, with a ton of make-up, and crazy hair. This is Madie and she actually has an "L" for "loser" on her forehead. Aren't they so sweet to each other?

Sweet Muffin

2009-01-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Muffin is such a sweet dog. It is really a big decision to go from no dog to a dog. He is a lot of work but he is a precious member of our family. The children just adore him.

Laaaaa, laaaaa, laaaaa

2009-01-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

This is the sound we hear from Thomas every night as soon as we all sit down to read scriptures. He sings through the entire thing and will not stop even for prayers. It really is cute, even if it is disruptive!

Winter Leaves

2009-01-17T06:22:00.000-08:00

We have put off cleaning up our leaves until just today. It was quite the ordeal and we filled up about 8 of the blue city bags. Here are some pics I took of the kids having fun with the leave piles.

Growing Up...

2009-01-16T08:42:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little baby boy is growing up. We still call him "the baby" around here and I know we won't be able to do that much longer. Where did the time go? This morning he didn't even want to sit in his highchair for breakfast. Pretty soon that will be given away or put up in storage. Life is very hard with small children but sometimes I wish I could go back and savor every minute of the hardest times.