Fun in the Arizona sun!

I have yet to go to AZ and take enough pictures! My goal is that next time I take a picture of my friends and all of our kids. Although my kids didn't really get a chance to hang out much with their pseudo cousins, they spent quite a bit of time with the real ones! My dear mother in law decided on the spur of the moment that she could go down with me to AZ... like she called me on Monday and wanted to leave Wednesday. We left Josh to make some money so we could go spend it! So July 13th we packed up and headed to Mesquite and stated at the Virgin River Hotel and Casino. We love the cheap rooms and cheap food! While we were at dinner that night, I loved this little picture Turner drew on the back of the place mat with the Keno crayon! I guess this picture was just phase one though because after we took a picture and texted it to Josh, he added Josh and Max with guns! Although Max's was just a laser gun because he isn't old enough to have a real gun with bullets! I should have taken a picture of the finished masterpiece... boys I tell ya! They are just hard wired! Thursday morning we headed the rest of the way to Prescott! It was my anniversary so I was a little sad to be separated from my sweetheart but we are planning on doing something really fun to celebrate... someday! We had a lot of fun with cousins! Rick and Ashlee came over on Friday and Sat. Brett and his kids also came over! Brett and Nic had to go to girls camp early early Sunday morning so Sat. night we had a bonfire and a sleep over! Brody (Rick's oldest) also came over and it was just too fun! Here Grandpa is reading to my two and Bridger (Brett's youngest)

Taft and Noelle are all sprawled out!

Here is Brett looking for some inspiration for his "talk" with the girls at girls camp. He wanted me to delete this picture because he was sure it would make him look bald- I think he is getting a complex!

At Grandma's for ten days and we only had one high chair (of course, most grandma's only have one high chair) So we brought the bumbos... must haves for twins on the go :) I am sure that my mom was grossed out by the mess on more than one occasion but she was such a help! I had a chance to remember what sanity was like for a few minutes!

I loved this picture because her bib looked like a cape... SUPER MILZY!

Taft and Turner were so good while waiting for everyone else to get ready for church! These boys are just too cute! I was amazed at how well Noelle got everyone bathed the night before and ready for church on Sunday! She is such a terrific girl.

The week seemed to fly by! I got a chance to help out my good friends Lindsay and Raynee put on a shower for Laura (Campbell) Solorzano. She was expecting twins (they were born right after I left) So I enjoyed my girlfriend time! Heaven knows I can always use some time with those who love you most. Later in the week we braved the heat to head down to Mesa, AZ. What did we do there? Swim of course! My Aunt has a pool and so we had a swim party with my cousins, sister, parents and anyone else that would help me with 3 kids that have to be held in the water and one that is more adventurous than his swim skill level! We only had two near drowning experiences so it was GREAT!

It was Cooper and Amelia's first time in a swimming pool so I was anxious to see how they liked it! Ummm.... the loved it! So thankful!

Some people say she looks like me, I think she is WAY more beautiful than me but sometimes when she smiles... I can see it :)

These two love each other... A LOT!

Here is my handsome Moochie!

And my awesome sister, Natasha cut my hair. Josh called while she started cutting and I told him that I was going as short as my hair was in High School and I needed to get off the phone because she was getting out the clippers and it was going to get loud! So this picture was for him to see ;) Just kidding babe!

The highlight of my trip was to see this little guy! My brother Rick and his wife Ashlee adopted Crosby! He was born on their 11th anniversary. That same week they found out that Ashlee is pregnant and expecting TWINS!!! That is going to be one young, busy family! How amazing and awesome is God?

Well, all good things must come to an end and on July 29th I headed back to Zion. I met my mother in law in Flagstaff (she had been in Mesa then went home to Utah then back again to meet me in Flag to go with me home) and we headed back. We found this cool chair on our adventure in Kanab where we stayed.

We made it back home on July 26th. It was fun and I decided I don't care what I have to do to go to AZ more often, I need to make it happen!

A.C.T.

Shakespeare once wrote the line "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Those words spoke by Juliet have been repeated many of times, maybe thousands, no probably millions or more! I have often wondered myself as I have been naming children, "Does it matter? Can I pick any name I like or do I need to 'wait to see him/her? Should I pick something trendy or different?" Well we named Amelia after my great great great grandmother Helen Amelia Whiting. Her middle name is Carolyn after my mother's middle name: (The name she goes by) Carole and my mother in laws middle name: Lynn. What we didn't realize at the time that her initials would spell the word ACT. That seems to fit her best! She for sure makes up for being the only girl and we LOVE IT! Here are some of the many faces of Amelia that I took within a couple of minutes (don't mind the phone quality pictures. I feel like I have to apologize every time, and I am sure you don't care- whoever you is!) It's my party I can cry if I want to... it is always MY party!

Oh what a fun day, some fresh air, hanging out with the family... life is good.

Okay! Enough! NO MORE PICTURES PLEASE! Can't a woman have any privacy around here?

Oh hey Mom! How are you doing?

So what is in a name? I am not sure but I will tell you what is in initials... there lies the truth! So now I just need to figure out what a TAM or a TAMT or a TAT is... Tat- isn't that a kind of needle work?......

Beaver Brooke!

So I have to take a second to document Brooke Harker Watchamacalit! Okay her new last name really is... (hold on, I have to look it up on Facebook... not that you care what research I have to do while writing... you are going to read this all at once) Wutzke- see I was close! Brooke and I were roommates before I left on my mission. She is from Canada and one of the coolest Canadians I know! The last time I saw her was before I got married. She is awesome and I wish she didn't live in Canada but then again someone has to live there right?!?!? So fast forward six years and here we are again! Me with four kids and her with one. It was so great to see her! And I hope she makes a stop to see me on her yearly pilgrimage to the promised land (you know I am kidding Brooke, I am jealous of your year of maternity leave and free babies!)

Brooke and I had some wild and crazy times in college! Our most famous was probably this marker fight... then we decided to go grocery shopping before we cleaned up. The next most famous was probably the no plans, no problem road trip we took with Inga to Colorado... no maybe that was more famous. Anyway that was such an awesome trip!

Just for the record- I WON!

Miss you Beaver Brooke! Can't wait for the next visit! Maybe we will be smart enough to get pictures taken of our kids together :)

Warning: Breast feeding humor

So I was just laying on the floor and Max pointed to my breast and asked "What is that, that you feed the babies with?" I said, "It is my baby feeding parts." Max then stated, "It has milk in it." After I confirmed his hypothesis he then said, "Mine has Orange Juice in them."
"Yours have orange juice in them?"
"Yeah so when I am a daddy I can feed my babies orange juice."
"Oh that would be nice! Mommies can have milk and daddies can have orange juice."
"No I don't want to be a daddy when I grow up, I want to be a mommy."
Oh this kid makes me laugh!!!

Melting like a popcicle on the forf of July

The fourth of July happens to be my favorite holiday! I absolutely love the fourth of July! Now if you read my blog (vs. look at the pictures and fill in the blanks) you know that I say this about every holiday. But really I think that the fourth really really is it! I was planning on being in Prescott for the fourth (you have NEVER experienced the fourth until you have experienced it in Prescott, AZ) but due to sick kids, it just didn't happen. But I did enjoy all of our "Utah" traditions! Our first one is going to the Kaysville pancake breakfast. We love waking up to the Kaysville Cannon shooting off and going down the the DATC to get our grub on! Josh has been going to the DATC for a LOOOONNNNGGGG time! So we love to take the kids down to "Daddy's school!"

Last year at this time I was lumbering along with these two in my belly. It was much nicer to be pushing them around in their new sweet ride. Josh's brother, Justin was in town so after the breakfast we went and took family pictures. Some of those have been posted on the side bar- I will do another post of the family once I play with photoshop a little more. After family pictures, we headed down to the Kaysville City parade. I love me a parade on the fourth of July!

Max with loot in his mouth and loot in his hand. We were at the end of the parade and those who still had candy just dumped it at our feet. It was a great place to be for gathering candy! We happened upon our friends and they grabbed up my babies, it was fabulous!

Here is Amelia enjoying the parade from Sydney's arms. It was a great place to be!

Here Cooper is chilling with Diana. I think they were loving their first fourth of July parade.

Turner looking cool in his sunglasses!

Once Milzy saw me, she only wanted momma. Here are the girls loving the parade together. She may not look like she is enjoying it but deep down inside she really is cheering at every beauty queen and clown that come by! (Is there a difference between the two? Just kidding :)

Here is the crew in their festive fourth of July clothes that their GG bought them!

Milzy is too cool for school.

So is Toop Toop

Handsome patriots!

Josh either sleeping (or playing with his ipod) on the job. We went to the in-laws for a BBQ and some fireworks.

OOOOHHHHHH AAAAHHHHHHH OOOOHHHHHH AHHHHAHHHHH!!! I hope that you all had a fantastic fourth of July!!!

Twin-ey First

*We didn't bring our camera for this twin-ey first... ipod photos it is!*

So for the last few weeks we have been trying so hard to make it to the zoo. We have had zoo passes since Christmas! I have had a few opportunities to go but I really wanted to go as a family for the twins first time. Like they cared... they got pushed around in a deluxe chair while they sat and people watched. But we cared and that is what mattered. Finally on July 2nd we got a chance to all go (while they were opened.) They have a Zoorasic section that the boys loved and HATED! Max was terrified that the dinosaurs were going to eat him. I tried and tried and tried to tell him that they were robots but they just didn't look like robots to him! It probably didn't help that my oldest, aka my husband kept telling him that if he didn't stay close that he was going to feed him to them! The only one he wanted anything to do with was the one he thought looked like a triceratops (even though the rest of us knew it was a styracosaurus duh?!?!) He knows that triceratops are herbivores and wouldn't eat him. He also says that they are his favorite so they are his dinosaur! I love 3 year olds!

How often does Cooper get photos with just him and mom and dad? Never!! So we had fun!

Oh aren't we so cute!

Ridin' "the train"

So a week, or has it been two weeks?, ago my BFF Shannon and I decided to meet in Salt Lake and go to the daily lunch concert. We packed lunches and Shannon rode trax into the city... I drove and parked. Once the concert was over, we decided to head over to the Church History Museum's children's section. Of course we didn't get any photos of either of these events but we did get the boys on the their very first trax ride. The trax is free downtown so we rode it from the Gallivan center to temple square. It was so fun! I can't believe that Shannon will be having her 3rd little girl in a couple of months. But they sure make cute ones so I say keep 'em coming!

Hey hey hey it's my birthday!!

33!! Can you believe it! 33 and 4 months is a 1/3 of a century old! My oh my oh my! I had a terrific day. I had a lot of Face Book love and spent the day cuddling with my sick Cooper and hanging out with my kids. I made my own cake (surprised by that one hu? I know you took one look at it and thought that my kids did it!) The greatest part about making your own cake is that you can play with it and have fun and not care at all about how it turns out! No stress! now no stress meant that I experimented with a type of frosting that wasn't a good decorating frosting and when the cake crumbled in it, I didn't care! I am actually really excited about 33! I don't know why but I have a feeling that it is going to be a GREAT year! *Sorry for the bad ipod photos, that is what you get when it is the "photographer's birthday!*

Girl hair

I don't know why I have been avoiding doing Amelia's hair for so long. Her hair had gotten to the point that it was in her eyes and always looking orphan-ish (if that isn't a word, it is now! the definition? Orphan-ish: adj; meaning a child who has a mother but looks as if he or she doesn't. This child may be characterized by dirty faces, crusty noses, dirty and unkempt clothing and hair gone wild.) Of course my children often look orphan-ish! But then the fateful day arrived that I took myself down to shopko and bought some miniature hair accessories. As we can assume, little wispy hairs do not stay contained in big girls hair ties. Well, I went for the mini rubber bands and some mini clippy things figuring those I could probably figure out. Well, I attempted and failed! The clippies I figured out that they looked adorable but she figured out even faster how to get them out of her hair! Then I had nothing but a head full of choking hazards!!! I sent out an SOS on facebook to my experienced friends that had girls. I got some great advice and tried again. So we went to rubber bands. I was pretty proud of my first single ponytail attempt. Not so bad but then the next day proved to another hair challenge. As we attempted the double ponytail... or is that called a pig tails at that point? Anyway I couldn't get them even or straight. The one thing I learned fast is that do-overs almost always end up being worse than the first attempt. Boy I am glad that I only have one girl! But as time has passed, I am doing better but I still get a little too particular about the pigtails. Time Tiffany, with time you will get this!