A joyous day...

17 years ago a little princess joined our family. She is an amazing young lady today. She drives, works at her new job, tries her best to do her best, is usually pretty successful at it, has an entrepreneurial mind, and starts her junior year of high school.

Today as she turns 17 I get reminded of how lucky I am to be her mom. She is a child who thinks, feels, and honestly looks out for others. 

Happy Birthday Sassy! We LOVE you!

Finally Legal.........LOL

21 years ago a little baby boy came into the world. He was so loved. He loved his food, woke up when his car seat was locked in the truck, kicked his feet to music very early on, and knew how to warm his momma's heart.

New baby..(didn't like his butt changed)

When is was a bad day, his smile would make me forget my woes.

2 weeks in his blessing outfit

Loving his bath!

His grandma's favorite outfit. Turns out he is a Ute fan now...

He loved becoming a big brother and he was very protective of his baby sisters.

With Sassy on her birthday.

With Tree Monkey when she was about 2 weeks.

Some random pictures that show his fun little personality that has grown into a playful big kid who just hit the biggest milestone of his life.

Playing with momma

First family vacation

Family camping in Kolob 1997

Always a handsome man

Showing that his moves have only gotten better as he has grown.

Football! His love.

Graduation/ Senior Picture.

With his brother, my brothers, and his dad. The cool gang.

His "I'm cool" stance.

With his football mentor who suffered a serious head injury and later died. My son honored this young man and never forgets who taught him to play football and love others in a way only Sese could. He was an amazing young man.

Wedding day

The day his whole world shifted and he learned a new level of love.

 Happy 21st Birthday Monkey Wrench. Here's to more time and enjoying you for a long, long time.

Whew! A busy December

We had a baby shower for my cousin who was pregnant with her first girl. She has since had the little angel.

We had a bridal shower for my new sister-in-law.

My lovely sis-in-law, McKell

We had a wedding and that great shebang stuff that comes with it.

Coming out of the temple right after the sealing.

The things to sign on at the reception...Those are real vinyls.

Coming into the reception hall.

My oldest, sassy, Tree Monkey, and L'il Lady Bug with their new aunt and beloved uncle.

Deco and my bro and his friend having some chow.

We had a great Christmas

L'il Lady Bug and her momma

Great Grammie and L'il Lady Bug

The traditional Christmas Eve Jammies

Opening gifts

We had a party for New Year's Eve with the girls and their friends. Lots of food and lots of fun. Now we are back to schedules and routine.

Oh, oh oh....one more thing. We got a car for Sassy to drive as we need her to drive her sister and herself to dance due to the fact we are at work. It's a pretty exciting thing. Cute little car that got 29.44 mpg on its last tank of gas. Maybe I should trade her cars?

Happy New Years Peeps!!!!

And Baby Grows Up

On the 24th we celebrated our Tree Monkey's birthday. She turned 14 years old.
She is part kid and mostly young lady.
She loves to play with Barbies, dolls houses, and Polly Pockets.
She can answer the phone and speak like a professional secretary.
She can pout and whine when she doesn't get her way and when she gets in trouble for trying to do things that 14 year old girls don't get to choose in my home (like running down the road for cookies at 9:13 PM with out asking).
She works hard at school and is making some amazing grades.
She is dependable. I can always count on her help when I'm in a pinch.
She tries to not do her chores some days and frowns at doing dishes or cleaning litter boxes.
She loves her niece, the animals, and her family.
She is a great friend.
She is a beautiful dancer.
She makes packing a baby on her hip and cleaning up or preparing a bottle or a jar of baby food look easy, peasy.

She is my baby.

Tree Monkey you make your momma proud! Stay beautiful.

July 2011 Part 2

 **WARNING: Picture overload**

Camping: July 22 to 24, 2011
I love camping. I wished I could stay for longer, but I had to be at work Tuesday morning.
We got a new tent. They called it a 3 room Vacation Lodge. Uhm, folks, if it doesn't have flushing toilets and running water it isn't a lodge by any stretch of the word.  It was VERY big though.
 

The "Vacation Lodge"

Mine and the hubs air bed in the "master bedroom" of our 3 room vacation lodge

The girl's room

Both tents

The Monkey Wrenches' set up

Mrs Monkey Wrench suggested we bring games. Best suggestion ever. seriously we laughed so hard and had so much fun in the dark around lantern light.

1st night we play Guess Who I am?

 Saturday morning nap of L'il LadyBug

We went shooting at the range up the road from our campsite on Saturday. At first the girls (Sassy and Tree Monkey) were complaining. They they got there and we "made" them shoot. Sassy likes the .22 pump action rifle that used to be my dad's and Tree Monkey loved the .45 pistol that is her dad's new toy. I prefer the .22 pistol, I can control it better.

Protecting precious ears. We think she looks like Shrek here.

Mrs Monkey Wrench and me being all bad like.

Sassy liking the pump action .22

Tree Monkey trying out the .22 semi auto. "It's all right. Can I shoot the .45 again?"

Those ear plugs are good! She is sleeping as we shoot.

Shooting the .22 pistol. I liked it.

Mrs Monkey Wrench really likes the .22 semi auto

Setting up targets

Still setting up targets

My baby waiting to go out and play

That night we played the Name Game, Jr. Hubs wasn't going to play, but it was so fun he got sucked in by helping others and then just playing.

L'il Miss Lady Bug Sunday morning as we were packing up to come home.

Well there would be more pictures, but after 3 days of fighting blogger issues I'm just done fighting it.

Camping was great fun! We really didn't want to leave, but we have to work for a living and get stuff cleaned up and put away.