Addison's First Day of Kindergarten

All I can say is....."What took this day SO long?!"

I know I should be sad to see her go, but if any of you know Addison then you know she's been ready for this day to come for over a year now. She is a smarty pants and I probably should have gotten her tested to start school last year since she'll be one of the oldest in her class, but I figured she needed that extra time to mature. She made us a count down calendar 2 weeks before school started and made sure she marked it off every morning when she got out of bed. Needless to say there were no tears from anyone that morning when she walked through the gate all by herself. Cole was lucky enough to get the day off work so he could be there with us. He couldn't believe that she didn't even look back once to make sure we were still there watching her. She is so independent. Sometimes it's a little much, but in this case it was perfect!

She loves going to school everyday and hates the weekends since she doesn't get to see her friends from school. She is attending Jack Barnes Elementary which is in another neighborhood than ours, so none of the kids from school even go to church with us. This has been an adjustment for her, but she loves seeing the Hall kids and Mrs. Butler a friend of ours from church.

She was so disappointed the first 2 weeks that there was no homework! What?! What kind of kid looks forward to homework? Addison....that's who! She is so excited everyday to come home and do her homework before starting anything else. I'm sure this will wear off shortly, but I'm definitely going to try and encourage it for as long as it will last.

Happy 3rd Birthday Lincoln!

Ok, so I know that these pictures are 2 months late now, but I figure it better late than never. I've been having problems with my computer not letting me upload my pictures. I finally got it fixed so that means it's time for a massive update to the blog.

Lincoln turned 3 years old the weekend of 4th of July. Due to almost everyone being out of town for the holiday we decided to have his party the following weekend. Nothing big just a few friends and cousins. Of course the battery on my camera died in the middle of the party so I only got a few pictures of the festivities.

All his lout!

I know I'm a cheater by just doing cupcakes, but it makes it SO much easier with all the kids. Plus I always seems to have less cake leftover, that we all know just gets thrown out anyways! :)

A boy and his truck

Lincoln goes no where without his trucks! This was one of the only pictures taken at father and sons this year. Cole said every time he couldn't find Lincoln he would just go down to the creek and there he was with his trusty dump truck. Needless to say he fell into that creek and got soaking wet 3 times in one day, but that never stopped him from wanting to go back to throwing rocks in the water. Cole was in charge of cooking dinner for the ward, so Lincoln had lots of exploring time on his own. He is definitely a wanderer making his own trail where ever his little feet take him!

Final Count Down

It's official I quit my job!! And the count down has begun.....6 days left! YEAH

I actually quit back in May, but agreed to stay on and help train the new hire until the end of July. My hours have been cut way back for the last 2 months and it has been awesome! I only work from 2 - 6 Mon thru Thurs. The kids love having me home and I love being there with them. It has taken some getting used to since we were all so used to getting up and have to rush out the door to day care and work, so now our morning our much nicer. We have all had our ups and downs with the change, but I think this is all for the better.

Also, my last week of work is Addison's first week of Kindergarten so the timing couldn't have been better. I'm so glad that I'm the one that gets to take her to school everyday and pick her up to ask how her day was and help her with her homework. (No offense Amy I know you would have been WONDERFUL at doing this for me, but I just felt like I should be doing it since I'm her mom.) Being home more with the kids has really made me see how much I have missed by having to work outside of the home for the past 6 years. I am so grateful that my friend Amy and my husband gave me the final push to stop working. I couldn't have done it without all their support.

To tell the truth....I've been looking forward to these last weeks since I gave my notice in May. Time has just not gone by fast enough. I will miss my job and of course my boss. He has to be the BEST person to work for. It's hard to leave a place that you've been at for so long, but I know that this decision is the best for me and my family. I look forward to all the time and adventures that I get to spend with them every minute of everyday.

So here's to the future and all the fun and excitement that it might bring!

The Little Things........

Do you ever feel like you just can't keep up? Life is so crazy! Everyone is SO busy. The days are just to short for the long list that's left to finish.....breakfast, laundry, snacks, lunch, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, going to the store, going to work, naps, snacks, coming home from work, dinner, picking up toys, baths, books, finally bed! WAIT...STOP!!!! Just slow down and take a look at the wonderful things going on around you. The gentle good morning given by a 20 month old. The snuggle under the covers of a 3 year old who manage to sneak into your bed in the middle of the night un-noticed. The quite, but sincere 'Thank You's' spoken as you make every meal. The soft touch of a tiny hand trying to memorize every inch of your face. The smiles and laughter shared with those close to your heart. Dancing in the middle of the kitchen. Tender hugs given just because. I love you's spoken without words from across the room. A sister patiently helping her little brother learn to write his name. Every giggle, smile, loving word, warm embrace, tender moment shared between you and those you love.

DON'T ever let the most important things in life just pass you by. The dishes over flowing the sink can wait. Toys can be picked up later. Never ending laundry will still be there when you have time. Life is far too often spent making sure everything gets done, instead of making sure that one precious little moment won't be forgotten. I know that I'm just as guilty as everyone else. I'm no where close to perfect, but I'd like to think that I'm getting better every day. Trying my hardest to soak up every minute that I have with my precious gifts and wonderful husband. I've had a lot more time to spend with them lately and it has opened my eyes to how much I must have missed over the last 6 years. I have no regrets of the past, only lessons learned for the future. I will cherish this time and hold it close to my heart, remembering all the joy and happiness that truly enlightens and fills my soul.

Do you still Believe?

We had a very exciting night a few nights ago.....It had begun like any other night after I came home from work, Dinner, Relaxing, Baths, and not soon enough Bed Time. The kids had been in there rooms for maybe 10 minutes when I heard the start of Addison and Lynden's door open. Thinking that Addison was coming out to tell me she had to go potty, which is a nightly ritual of hers, I told her to go to the bathroom without even hesitating for her to give me her excuse for being up. She immediately started laughing and ran straight for the couch and I could tell she was holding something in her fingers. She was giggling so much she could barely spit out the words....."Mom I finally LOST my TOOTH!"


She has been working on this thing for over 2 weeks now, ever since she had an appointment at my office and they informed her that 1 of her front teeth were lose and that she'd be losing it soon. Every time I'd turn around she'd have her fingers in her mouth wiggling her tooth and now here it was in the palm of her hand! Needless to say due to all the excitement ALL the kids were now awake and curious what all the noise was about. We had told her that once it finally came out that she could put it in a plastic bag and that we would tape it to her head board with a note so that the Tooth Fairy could find it, since I didn't feel like searching for it every where on her bed in the middle of the night. So she instructed Cole to get her a bag and me to start the note so that she could tell me what to write and then have her sign it. I have never seen this girl smile SO BIG. It kinda made me feel like a kid all over again. Filled with anticipation and excitement even though I knew exactly what would happen over night.


With every thing in place she proceeded to tell me that she was going to try and stay up to see the Tooth Fairy and ask her some extremely important questions...."Why do you take my teeth? What do you do with them? Why do you only come at night when kids are sleeping? Where do you get your money? Do you have friends?" This were only a few of the hundred that I was forced to answer for the Tooth Fairy without completely letting the secret out of who she really is. Needless to say Addison woke up the next morning bright and early and pulled me out of bed to show me that the Tooth Fairy had come and left her 2 money's as she calls them. (Thank goodness this girl is not in school yet and has not yet learned the value of money. I think she might then be a little upset on how much she actually had received!)

It was so much fun for both Cole and I to see her smiling face, with 1 tooth missing of course, and the overwhelming joy in her eyes at this wonderful milestone in her life. It truly makes you light up to see your children experiencing the same things that you did when you were their age and have all the wonderful memories come flooding back to your mind. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face!

Hard Worker

This last weekend was spent not only enjoying all the Easter festivities, but also re-doing the landscaping in our back yard. It's quiet small so it really doesn't take much to move things around. We have a garden, but it's running out of room, so we decided that we would extend it to run along the entire back fence using some fence blocks that we got for FREE. Cole and I being the mean parents that we are told the kids that they had to help and be outside with us the whole time. HA HA! Needles to say Lincoln was the only one that went to work willingly and stayed outside the entire 3 hours. He was so happy following his dad around and using the shovel. He truly is our little helper. Whenever I need anything done Lincoln is the first to run to my aide. This little guy steals my heart!

Fun in the Desert!

Seeing that this is most likely the last nice weekend before summer we thought that we'd take advantage and have some family FUN!

Cole's parents and nephews met us out by Florence so that Cole could play with his new toy and actually see what it could do. He's had it for about a month now and keeps telling me that just driving it around the neighborhood is NO fun. So even though it was quite windy out yesterday I decided that it was time to let the boy out to play and I think both him and the kids loved every second of it. We really enjoy being able to get out of the house and let the kids run wild for some time. The shreeks of excitment are enough reward for the efforts put into making it happen!

Lincoln and Mason cruising in the jeep!

Cole even let Lynden drive for awhile. She was laughing and squealing the entire time. You could hear her over the engine.

Of course all the kids had to take a ride with Grandpa! Thanks for making it SO fun!

Addison our little monkey.

Hayden has to be the COOLEST kid I know!

Protect Your "Johnson"

Today's traumatic event was is too good not to share! And I know that if I don't write this down somewhere I'm sure to forget, even though I know a certain someone will probably never forget this day........

As some you may know we are slowly trying to potty train Lincoln, not by our choice, but by his. On his own he started pulling off his diaper and using the toilet just after turning 2. I thought it might be a little early for him since I've heard that boys are the hardest to potty train, but hey I'm not going to stop him! Needless to say he has been wearing pull ups for the past 4 months. He has his good weeks and his bad. We've tried to put him in BIG BOY pants, but I think it freaks him out because he actually does worse in them than a pull up.

Anyways, today started as any normal Friday with us all at home taking our time getting ready to go to the store since both Cole and I are off of work we make it a family event. Cole's relaxing and searching Craigslist, I'm in the bathroom getting ready and the kids are trying to pick out their clothes for the day. Every one's busily doing there own thing when all of a sudden you hear a loud slam of the toilet seat in the bathroom and Lincoln immediately begins screaming hysterically. What on earth could have happened?



The worst possible thing.....Lincoln was trying to go pee by himself in the toilet like he always does and the toilet seat slammed down and pinched his "little man" between the seat and the lid. You see he feels the need to stand like his dad when going to the bathroom, but he's just not quite tall enough yet so, unless he uses the stool his "little man" just barely makes it over the toilet seat. He came running into our room butt naked tears rushing down his face and both hands holding himself. I instantly scooped him up and hugged him before surveying the damage. Meanwhile, Cole was dying laughing! After calming him down a little I inspected the area to see how bad the damage was. Everything was noticeably swollen and his poor "little man" had 2 blood blisters right on the tip. I can only imagine how bad that must have felt. I truly hope that he learned his lesson on just how dangerous a toilet can be for a little guy like him and that it really does help to use a stool!

Bumps & Bruises

So it only took 6 months of walking for Lynden to finally get her first taste of ASPHALT! She has decided that just playing outside in the front yard isn't as much fun as it should be. This caused for a grand adventure a little further down the street where her siblings were, but to her dismay she was running too fast in excitement and bit the dust just upon arrival. Needless to say there was hysterical screaming and lots of tears involved. To make it even worse she was wearing shorts! (You see it has been quite warm here lately.) She also managed to bang her forehead on the sidewalk on the way down.

After some much needed love from mom, Addison, and of course our lover Lincoln. She decided that she just might live to walk again. Addison was awesome at helping care her back to health. She even put the bandaide on all by herself. Only to have Lynden rip it off about 30 seconds later laughing the entire time. Then she was right back outside running down the driveway back out into the street.

She truely is our fearlous one and that is now starting to scare me. If she's like this at only 18 months how much more is yet to come? My girls have proven that they definiately have a stronger back bone then their cowardly brother. They will be my daredevils willing to try everything. Constantly pushing the envelope to it's limits and if you listen close enough you'd probably be able to hear them squealing with excitement the entire time.

Awww the SIMPLE things

Chocolate Cake!

How is it that something so simple can be so rewarding and frustrating at the same time?

Watching the transformation that these few simple ingredients combine together to make something so rich and magical all in one bite.

Seeing your husbands frustration as the he tries to make sense of an incomplete recipe.

Making his own changes to try and make things better only to find that his efforts to make something so sweet just might not turn out the way he'd hope for at all.

Giving up in anger as nothing is coming together as it should.

Questioning why he even tried in the first place.

Walking away in disgust not wanting to see what his final master piece has become.

Wondering what went so wrong.

Knowing that everything will be fine.

Smelling the goodness through out the house.

Catching little fingers trying to sneak a taste.

Eyes sparkling with delight even though dad refuses to even try to fix it any more.

Anxiously awaiting permission to sink their teeth into the delicate dessert.

Watching your children's eyes light up as the quickly RUN to their seats in hopes that they might get more than their sibling.

Listening to them squeal and squeak with joy and laughter as they gobble up every last crumb.

Asking for more while they finish licking their plates of heaven.

Thanking the magic maker for trying even though it may not be the beautiful master piece he envisioned.

Rewarding his efforts.

There's always next time!

Can't leave well enough alone?

Ok, so here's the WARNING......... DO NOT continue reading this if you don't want to listen to me vent a little.

I can't come to understand why people can't just be happy with what they have and leave well enough alone. Why do people continually think they are missing out on something? And once they have what they're looking for decide that it's not enough and go on searching for something else. Life CAN be simple.....beautiful......peaceful......enjoyable.....and pretty close to PERFECT if people could just be accepting of how things were.

Why run the risk of ruining something that we've worked so hard on by one simple act, thought or quick impulse just to see what it's like or to fill that void that you might be missing something? Why can't people just take a minute and think about what they might be doing before acting upon it? There's no need to do something that you might regret before really thinking about what you might be giving up.

Now.....I understand that life is a test and that we're all here to learn from our mistakes and have the freedom to choose. And I'm in no way trying to imply that I might be perfect and without fault. I've had my moments of weakness and bad judgement.

I guess it's just hard to sit back and watch someone you love make mistakes over and over again just to get that rush of acceptance. I have a hard time knowing why others need that sort of attention or belonging. Especially when it's been discussed and agreed on by all parties that it's just not the best avenue to take. It can lead one off course and possibly to the destruction of something so vulnerable and pure. Stop thinking of yourself and starting think of those you might hurt or lose along the way. Why build something up just to crush it and have to start over again at the beginning when the road the you've just traveled has not been quick or easy by any means? Why run the risk of throwing it all away? All that hard work, sweat and tears. Why put yourself right back into that dark place you've just climbed of? Why can't people just see the good in what they have and what they've work so hard on accomplishing? Look at the path behind you that has lead you were you are today and be PROUD of the person you've become.

I know I will have to come to accept these questions as one of life's mysteries and rely on our Lord and Savior to help those in need through these troubled times. I will need to be more open and understanding of why people do the things they do and the choices they make. Only our blessed Heavenly Father can make it right and is always ready and waiting to help. All we have to do is turn to him for all the answers. Whether it's what we want to hear or not. He will guide us on our journey to that glorious end that we all seek. Put your trust in the Lord and someday we will all be there for that joyous reunion we are all waiting for.

IN NEED OF A BREAK

Do you ever feel like there's never enough hours in the day? Do you ever wish you could just forget it all and take a break from the world?

Well I think I've found the most relaxing place. If only I knew where it was and how to get there it would be PERFECT! Life has seemed to pick me up in it's whirl wind and set me back down in the middle of the confusion. I'm trying my best to make sense of it all and not fall behind. I guess all I can do is give it my best and dream of a place and time like the one above to get me through.

Back in Business

That's right everyone we have the internet again! YEAH!!!(I think?) I think Cole thought he was going to die without it, but hey look babe you made it a full year and survived:) Too much has happened to try and play catch up all in one post, so we'll just take it one day at a time and see how it goes.

I'm still working part time, not by choice, but because I have too. EWE! Can't wait for the day that I can actually stay home with the little rugrats. Cole changed jobs and is now working for The Department of Homeland Security Prison in Florence. He is one of the lead cooks there and is hoping for the possibility of management to help further his cooking career. The job is ok, but he does miss cooking to order since the prison menu is set by corporate on a 5 week rotating schedule. Don't worry he's not in any danger since he works with all the illegals that are picked up and waiting to be shipped back to their country of origin, whatever that maybe.

The kids are growing like crazy and we try our hardest to keep up with them. It's a struggle sometimes , but we manage somehow. Addison keeps us dancing and is truly our out spoken child. Lincoln just loves being a boy and everything that comes with it. Lynden has turned out to be our precious little one that loves to start all the trouble and run away as fast as she can. And if you ask her daddy she can do nothing wrong.

We were able to finally have some updated family pictures taken with the Perkins family in December. It was then that I realized the last time we had ANY family pictures taken Addison was only 1 month old. Guess its time to add that to my yearly TO DO LIST. (Just wonder when I'll be able to fit that one in. Doesn't hurt to try!) So here's a preview of how they turned out.