monster maker

Feeding the duckies

Love to feed the ducks. Gaven is definitely a bird person, and the kids got that trait from him. Not to say that I don't like feeding the ducks, but they REALLY like feeding the ducks, trying to get them to eat out of their hands, and trying to pet them.

Gaven can get a little to zealous, and forget to share with the kids. But all in all, we have a good time, and share food that other wise would just end up in the trash.

Clinton City got a new pond just a few years ago. It lacks the natural nature feel of Beus pond in Ogden, with the shade and older trees, but it will be nicer when the kids get older.

Look at those ducks. I guess I can see why they want to pet them.

Faith always posing for the picture. But can you blame her? She knows she's beautiful.

The Bar-B-Q Cook-Off in Salt Lake

We Love BAR-B-Q!!! We like to sit down as a family some
nights and watch food network, and drool over the screen
seeing what we can possibly make.

When I happened to hear of the opportunity to attend a Bar-b-Q
Cook-off on the news, we were all over it. We got some good tips
for our own Bar-B-Qing. (which Gaven does quite well now)

We got to try some awesome ribs. They also had things for the kids to
do like bounce, face paint, and Tatoo. They had blues' bands playing
southern music, like you'd find in Louisiana.

And different companies were giving out free stuff like water guns,
beach balls, pens, notepads, etc. They also had water fountain features
which the public were having a blast with, including the kids (and Gaven)

My Baby turns 5

Going from 5 to 15. I swear she's growing faster then we can keep up.

Before we know it, Gaven's going to be waiting at the front door with a shot gun to meet her first date.

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Playing at the Park

It's one of the things I'm trying to do to keep bonded to my kids. I notice that when we're at home I'm usually too busy to do things with them like laudry, dishes, homework, lawn care, and on the computer. So I thought that if I could get away from these distractions that we could spend quality time together, make some memories, and get some exercise.
This actually works really well in many different ways. I can use this as a positive reinforcement for being nice to each other, and like I said we get some quality time together, some good exercise in, and if we do it not too long before bed, well it helps them get to bed earlier and sleep better.
After all I need to make these memories. I need to cherish these moments, and make moments while I have time to make them. Soon they will be older and not wish to be hanging out with their mommy so much. I don't want to regret not taking the time to have been able to enjoy them while their still small enough to think that I'm their hero, that I'm strong and wise, and they want to be like me. These don't last forever.
To think that my oldest is now 5 years old, that I am struggling to remember what life was like with just her to remember her first ways of thinking and doing things. But then to remember that I have 3 others that I am struggling to remember there first smiles, crawls, talking, laughing, and little quirks that started them to other ones.
But to know that those days I helped make stand out in those memories, and to have the pictures to reminisque on.
I do have regrets. I try not to think of them often, but I also keep them close as a reminder to try to not make anymore regrets and to not take anything else for granted, and do those things that are worth while in doing and not let time go by just living a defaulted life, but one that I know I could make the most from. One that not only I could remember, enjoy, and keep close, but ones that my family could keep close to them as well.

Her Blessing Day

We had Amelia blessed on August 10th 2008. Yeah it was a little later, but we were trying to get the family together when everyone was taking vacation time.
This is the girls together
Great-Grandma Aeschlimann enjoying her little one.
Amelia posing. She looks like such a Princess, she kept eating the dress. It was yummy, she kept making yummy sounds like she does when she eats bananas.
This is the "Mommy, it's been 3 hours, I've been patient, feed me now before I die." look

Hangin' at McDonalds

We took my brother and sister for the weekend to give my mom and step dad some time together. We had a blast at Mikey D's. Here daddy is enjoying his little Tink as she's trying to figure out what she can get her hands on. She's figured how to hold the cup and put the straw in her mouth from watching mom and dad (mind you she's only 4 months old) but she hasn't figured out how to suck from it, she just chews on it.
Enjoying the slide. One of the funest things to try and figure out what else you can do on it, like test your skills to climb up it. Look at those blue eyes.
Bet you can't tell where they get their blue eyes from. Well this is Gaven taking a picture of me while I'm feeding little Tink. She's always hungry if we're eating, even if I make it a point to feed her right before. She's getting to the point that she's too busy to just eat, I was trying to keep the blanket over us, and she was trying to take it off.
My boys are soft drink fans. They hardly eat anything, but always keep the straw in their mouths, but I don't think they're always drinking that much.

This is a classic Zander look when something isn't going right. Some boy on the play set wasn't playing nice with him, and he seeks dad's help, but dad is a little too big then to climb up the playset and help him, so we tell him to just ignore and stay away from him.

Independence Day 2008

On Independence Day we took the kids to the Clearfield Parade, because they give lots of Candy!!! Tink was warn out just waiting for the parade to start.
The Kids were ready with their "baskets" (grocery bags) to fill with candy. They would scream, "Hey over here," and "Thankyou" as the floats went by.
Afterward they had Clearfield days events going on with booths full of goodies, giant blow up toys for the kids and petting farm stuff. Little man was particularly infactuated with the chicken.
Carter just kept coming back to the bouncer, so the guy let him go a couple of times without tickets, but the rest of the kids loved the giant bouncy slide
After we played, we played some more at the new park play area. We then got Ice cream, reloaded the cooler, and came back for fireworks.

My Babies

These are my four babies. They are best friends (though they do like to irritate each other). They love to jump on the trampoline, Swim in the pool, teeder todder, play at the park, eat popcicles, play with friends, go to primary and nursery, and what's best that I love about them is that they bring joy into our lives, and watch after each other. I wish I had a camera but one day I watched them sitting on the top stair of the deck with a cold bottle of water and make sure that they took turns sharing, saying please and thankyou, and just being angels to one another. Though we did have them very fast, and it can be a little tough getting around or taking care of them, I'd do it again. I couldn't imagine my life without them. I hope that as they grow, we will continue to grow as a family, that we will always learn something from one another, and be able to lean on each others shoulders.