Mission: Dang-near impossible

My mission: ONE good picture of each child
The criteria: headshot, eyes open and smiling
Difficulty level: not hard with bribery!


Wasn't that bad with Ryanna, because she stood still and smiled long enough to capture her precious smile.

She's smiling because I'm holding a piece of chocolate in my hand...

Okay that wasn't so bad with Ryanna. Now onto Dawson the wiggle-worm. This is what I was saying to him:
Stop moving!
Stop rubbing your eyes!
Smile for Heaven's sake!

Thank you for smiling, now OPEN THOSE EYES!

Now you're out of focus, go back to where you were!
Get that finger out of your nose, PLEASE!
(this is his response to my last command)


Slightly out of focus, but at least he's smiling!

Ding ding ding! This one wins! Hooray, I did it! Now onto Carter Bo-Barter:



What's with those cross-eyes?


Here he is throwing a fit on the floor, he doesn't want to be cute anymore....better luck next time I suppose!




( now where's my tylenol?)

The BUZZ on Ryanna

*Super Bee! Ryanna got her classroom Super Bee for being polite and kind to her classmates. For one night, she gets to take it home, read to it, love it and show it around the house. We even had to set the table with an extra place just for this Bee. She went to go brush her teeth right before bed and forgot that Super Bee was in close proximity to Carter....and the next thing she knew, Carter had sucked on one of its anntenae and threw Ryanna into giggles. Hooray for Ryanna!


*New haircut! It's so cute and so easy to do. She likes it curled under for a little "bob" or flipped out like this. When we do her hair like this, she says with a giggle, "Huh! I look like a TEN-YEAR-OLD!" Yikes, not yet.

Turning Twenty One Quilt

Look what I did!! It's DONE! I only started it 2 years ago.....and it's done!!! My first quilt top is done, done done!! I was able to finish it because my Janome machine and I reconciled after my wonderful Grandma was able to help me take it apart and clean it. It's done! Hooray for my precious Janome!

Now my conundrum is: why isn't my mother in the country to quilt it?! I've never needed her before now to help me with my quilt and now I do!! Where, oh where is she?!








Of course, I HAD to take pictures of Carter since he was helping me and drool on my quilt top. With the fabric all spread out on the floor made him look so tiny. Cute baby!

No Parking Zone

Dawson loves Lightning McQueen and he's got a couple, he thinks that this is the "Parking Zone" for his cars! Silly boy!

Lotsa cookies and flowers

Ryan and Dawson went to the store and rang the doorbell when they got back. This is what I found, an adorable boy holding a huge bouquet of flowers. Ryan said that Dawson wanted to get them for me, Ryan didn't think of it first.


I was in charge of Ryanna's Valentines Day party this year and I made 24 sugar cookies for the kids to decorate! The kids and I spent 4 hours making them together and Ryanna fell asleep during the baking process, but Dawson stayed awake through it all! It was such a fun night, exhausting, but fun.

Back by popular request

What movies?


1) "Love isn't love without a violin-playing goat."

2) "Poor Mrs. The Lug, now she's selling apples."

3) "Good morning, Gil. I said GOOD MORNING, GIL!"

4) "Good evening commissioner. How are you, how is madame and all the little Commissioners?"

5) "You must not laugh at me, darling, but it has always been a girlish dream of mine to love a man named Earnest."

Carter's first slither

"Hi mom! I'm just sitting here being cute!"



"What is THAT? You call that a toy? Okay well, I'll just sit here a minute to see if you put anything else that would interest me on the floor."




"Seriously, I'm not moving. But I'll humor you with yet another adorable smile. This is really getting old, though."




"Sigh. I'm really bored of this game. I wonder if the other two had to put up with this."




"Hey! That looks like something I really want...here goes nothin'!"


(Then I moved it a little further away from him to see if he'd still go for it)







"See what I just did?"

Why I love Ryan

February 10th was our SEVENTH Anniversary! I can't believe that it's been seven years, what a lucky girl I am. Although I love him more than this, I am going to give seven reasons why I adore:

7) Wonderful father and husband. No matter what time of day or night, he spends every waking minute wresting, comforting, soothing and loving his children and wife.

6) Hard worker. We've been in school for 8 years, and there's no one else I would want to be poor with. (although it will be nice when we have a lawyer's income) Mowing the lawn with our ELECTRIC lawn mover. We actually get people walking by and smiling and/or giggling at the sight of this extension cord connected to our mower. It's a hoot.



5) He's easy to live with and laugh with. Some of my most fond memories are playing Boggle with him. I love cuddling when we watch movies together. We have more inside jokes than a cheesy movie. He makes any situation fun and keeps life from getting boring or redundant. He is witty and makes me laugh. He has such a fun sense of humor.

4) He's a gentle teacher. No matter what the "lessons" are in life, he gently and lovingly instructs his children. He teaches scriptures and conducts family prayer, leading our children in the Gospel. (when we're in the habit!)



3) Amazing and talented. No matter what he puts his mind to, he can achieve it. He is impressive and is charming. Especially in the law-related field. He argues wonderfully. (unless we're at home where MY word is law...) (He competed in the McNichols Moot Court Competition back in November, winning Number ONE place and being named the Best Oral Advocate. We also got to meet, mingle and dine with a group of judges including Justice Linda Copple Trout and other influencial names in the law field. What an honor!) This is completely seperate from his Trial Team, didn't I say he's amazing?!

2) Those goregous sparkling eyes. When he smiles, his goregous eyes sparkle and I know he's happy and content. He's wonderful.





And the Number 1 reason why I adore Ryan:

1) I'm stuck and married for eternity. I can't imagine my life without him, I am honored to be his wife. There's a saying that I live by now, "If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently...it becomes special because you have made it so." (F. Burton Howard said that) I love and respect Ryan and so glad that he picked me.

I love you Rysie!

Learning how to roll Vietnamese Cha Gio, his favorite food!
Graduating from Boise State in 2006
Showing off his bowling skills, he's actually pretty good!
Ryan and his dad hiking.

Desiterata

(I memorized this in 9th grade for English class and it has stuck with me. Origins are mostly unknown; but it's still very inspirational and wonderful. Just wanted to share this!)

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nuture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.