Happy 8th Birthday, Kaden!

I can NOT believe that my baby is 8 today! EIGHT years old!

The days may creep past, but how the years fly by!

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.Once when Kade was about 3, I asked him, "Do you know why I love you so much?"

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He answered without missing a beat, "Because! I made you a MOMMY!"

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Yes, Kade... you made me a Mommy. And I will be grateful forever and ever!

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Daddy and I were so very excited to finally be parents and we could not have asked for a more wonderful boy.

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We love your spirit and your fire for life.

We love your enthusiasm and your passion for all you do.

You are so creative and have a wonderful imagination and an incredible memory.

You are smarter and wiser than your years... You amaze us every day!

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You are such a great, fun friend!

Your name, "Kaden", means "Beloved Friend" , and that is what you are to everyone.

We are so grateful that you are such a good example to your brothers, and to us.

You have such a strong sense of right and wrong.

That will be such a strength to you throughout your life as you learn to let the Spirit guide you.

We are so grateful to see you choosing the right every day and learning to set good habits.

We hope we can continue to help you learn values that will bring you a lifetime of happiness.

Daddy is so excited you have chosen him to baptize you.

What a special bond you two have had, since the very moment you were born...

and probably long, long before...

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I love this photo of you knee-boarding on Friday. You did soooo awesome!

We could not believe how great you did your first time out!

You are learning to be patient and persistent when you are trying new things,

even when they are hard or scary.
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I also love this picture because it reminds me how grown up you are getting.

It looks like you are saying,

"Look, Mom! NO hands!"

And that is just where your life is taking us...

You are learning to be capable and independent and to do so many things by yourself.

This is the age when you become accountable for your own choices

and I am so grateful that you are the young man that you are growing up to be.

I am blessed to be a part of your life...to be your Mommy.

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I am teary as I sit and think about how my life has changed since this very day...

8 years ago, today...

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I can hardly remember life before you came into our home, Sweet Boy.

It seems an eternity ago, and yet I realize how very fleeting a time we will have with you until you are grown.

It is going so fast... You are almost half way there!

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I love you, forever and ever... to infinity and beyond, Kaden!

My heart is bigger and fuller and I have found joy and sorrow that I could never have imagined...

Thank you, Kade, for making me a Mommy... Your Mommy!

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Kaden: All this blogging stuff can get on ones nerves...

but what a better way to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

than this blogging stuff.

Mom always reminds me that we only have 10 more summers with you

then you'll be done with school and ready for a mission and then out on your own.

It seems like yesterday you were born. I still remember the nurses rushing you away

because you were having a hard time breathing. As I looked at you through the glass incubator

I knew you were a very special boy! It wasn't long after we brought you home I knew

I was right. You are an awesome son!

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

~Daddy

Wall-E...

CUTE!

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With the exception of Dayne

(who wanted to roll on the floor during half of the movie),

my boys loved it!

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They are still quoting and laughing at some of the "funny parts"!

(For the record, our family will never litter again OR buy a Hover-chair...)

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And if only the Theatre hadn't been 120 degrees... Alli, Matt and I may have enjoyed it too!

Moving... again...

I KNOW I said I'd NEVER do it again...

(but honestly, coming from the girl who's moved 28 times in my 31 years,

did you actually believe me anyway?)

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So don't try to stop me... my mind is made up...

I am packing my bags and moving

to a country that appreciates the 'Fine Art' of afternoon napping!

(Seriously, like half the rest of the World has figured this out... what's wrong with us?)

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Of course, it could just be the pregnancy talking,

but a good Siesta sounds really nice right about now!

The Day-After "Dad's Day" Tribute...

So, do you ever have that day-after let-down
when you feel like you were so busy that the "Big Day" whizzed by in a whirl
and you missed part of it?
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That's how I am feeling about our Father's Day...
Don't get me wrong...
We had a WONDERFUL day with all of our families,
but I feel like we were so busy getting ready for our big Father's Day Feast,
that we missed out a little on spoiling the most important guy of the day!
(Who, by the way, would NEVER complain, or feel let down...
I just feel like we cut him a little short amidst all the "hoopla"!)

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So here's our attempt to make it up to him with a special
"Post-Dad's-Day Post":

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(Ok, admittedly, I totally swiped this darling photo-idea off of my cute, creative friend Jane's blog... so don't hate me!)

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Hi Dad~

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I wanted to wish you a happy father's day. (I hope you liked our card. lol) I love when you take us on vacation to st.george and other places! I loved what trevan wanted to name the baby- mr. skateboard man. I hope we can go to hawaii some time. I love that you're allwase willing to do stuff with us like go swimming and skiing with me! I love that you alwyse restle with me and pretend you have a pet snake and it attacks us! it's fun to play wii sports with you. (I was wondering if you or mom could help me sighn up to be a member an runescape plz? It only costs 5$ a month and I have 10$, so yeah. ) I love that you tickle my back evry night and you make sweetish pancakes evry sunday! I love how hard you work for uor family and you built a big house for us and earn money to take us to do fun things! I love that you're so funny. I love going dirtbiking with you, shooting the beebee gun and firing the rocket. I've olmost gotten a crossbow from cabelas so when we go in the mountans somethime we can use it. (Idk when I'm getting the crossbow I might get it for my birthday.) I'm exited that you're going to babtise me. I"m really lucky to have a dad that is wirthy! you've alwase ben a great Hero to me and I want to grow-up like you to be a good dad. I hope you had a fun father's day yesterday. Guess what I didnt have any help typing exept I forgot the second a in hawaii. that word is spelt weurd. I have to go now cuz mom says I have to make my bed and I don't want to type any more cuz yeah, it took a long time.
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Love~
Kaden

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"Every Little Boy needs a Super-Hero"

(Kade & Daddy: Summer 2006)

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Dear Daddy~
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I love U. U R the best Daddy in the whole entire world. (Note from Mom: Okay, it took like 5 minutes to get that out because he typed that far all by himself, letter by letter... so I'm taking over from here while he dictates...) I like that you are so funny and throw me up in the water when we are swimming. It's so fun! I like when you be the troll when we are "wrest-uhl-ing" and chase us around and throw us on the bed when you "ketch" us. I am so lucky that I have such a nice dad. You always tickle my face when I am tired at church. And I like when you are my Coach in soccer and play "real-live" baseball games with me. Hmmm... What else should I write? Let me think about it for while while I get some Chocolate Milk... (Insert 20 minute break) Oh yeah... I liked it when you sprayed us with your water bottle when we were biking in the mountains at St. George. It was so funny (insert hysterical giggle) when you "pre-tunded" to toot on us when me and Kade were ridin' in the trailer behind you. (Insert 2 more minutes of memory-induced laughter.) I love to go riding on the blue motorcycle and I am glad that you fixed the broken parts on the green one so we can ride it, too. AND I love to go in the dirt thing where we rided our bikes by Zani's. And thank you for turning on the Waterhorse movie even though it was really, really hard. I liked that show a lot. He was so cute! And can we go surfing out on the Lake boat again sometime 'cuz that was super-fun! I want to grow big and strong like you, so I have to eat all my "vej-tuh-bles", huh? Cuz some day I am gonna be bigger than Kaden, right? Um... that's all I want to say "ug-cept"... uh, I love you, Dad, and Happy Father's Day!

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Love~
Trevan

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"Coach Dad"

(Trev & Daddy: June 2008)

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Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

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Since I'm too little to type you a letter, Mommy is writing all the things I would say, if I could! First of all, it is no wonder that my first word was "Uh-oh" (since I am the most curious and by far the most mischievous of your Little Monkeys so far), and my second word was "Dad". I just adore you! Mommy loves how I light up whenever you walk in the room and how I can't wait to see you each day when you return home from work. I am so lucky to have such a fun, wild house full of boys to grow up in... I can't wait to be big enough to really wrestle with you guys! I always want to be right in the middle of the action! I love when you tickle me and throw me into the air. It is so fun to be with you and play with you, no matter what we are doing. Thanks for always being so patient with me, even when I try to snatch your phone or the remote so I can push all the buttons... I am just like you... I love to figure out how things work! And even though I pull everything out of every cabinet and closet, it's just so I can see it all for myself... just like you! I feel safe whenever I am in your arms and daring and adventurous enough to try scary, new things for the first time. I am such a cheerful, friendly, happy little person and I love spending time together with you. Thanks for loving me like crazy and for being such a fun Dad!
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Love~
Daynen

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"First Dip in the Ocean"

(Dayne & Daddy: Fall 2007)

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Sweets~
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I hope you know, by now, how very blessed I feel to have you in my life. You have truly made dreams I never even thought to dream come true. I am so lucky to be a part of the life we have built together and I often feel so unequal to it's greatness. You are a wonderful man, an incredible husband and a fabulous dad! We are so blessed that you are so capable (aka Matt-gyver) and so able to take care of us and those we love, in every way. I watch you with quiet pride and satisfaction as you gladly help our family members, friends and neighbors, even when I know it's not convenient. And I don't know how I got so lucky... you certainly do more than your fair share of things around the house! (Not many of my friends have husbands who often do dishes, laundry or even, heaven forbid, scrub toilets! Most of them don't even remember to lower the stinkin' seat!). And fitting, since it's Father's Day, that most of all, I love to watch you father our boys... it makes me love you over and over again! You are so good at teaching them the things that really matter, both in your words and deeds, but most importantly, by your example... to work hard, to have respect and gratitude, and to love and serve others... to enjoy life! They have so much confidence and trust in you. I love to see how intently they watch your instruction, hanging on every word. I melt when I watch them following your every move, doing their best to keep up, trying so hard to do things as good as you. And I can't help but smile whenever I hear you laughing and look up to see you playing with them, just a big kid yourself. I feel so very blessed for the happy and full life that we share, grateful for the values you are helping me to instill in these boys, and glad for the joy that no one else could bring to my heart.
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I love you, forever & always~
Toots

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"2008 Annual Father's Day Portrait"

(All My Handsome Men... woot-woo!)

Movie Night SLEEP-over...

So the guys have been so excited all week...

Cousin Kaylob is sleeping over for 4 whole days!

(We picked him up today and get to keep him until Sunday.)

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They've talked ALL day LONG about their fun Movie Night tonight.

Yeah... Here's the view of the Beanbag by the time I got back with the Popcorn...

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Well, for a SLEEP-over, I guess we're off to a good start!

(And thanks again to "Blankets by Jane" for the cute, cozy covers... they're our FAVE!)

Ice Cream Issues...

Okay, I have a complaint...

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Has anyone else noticed the Ice Cream Cartons suddenly getting smaller?

At first, I thought that it was just my perspective...

(As I get bigger, everything else in the world seems smaller by comparison.)

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But NO! It is not just an illusion...

The Dreyers Ice Cream Cartons have recently become like 2/3 the size.

What the..?

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This is a problem for me because of the sheer volume, that I, alone, consume on a daily basis.

(I need you all to refer me to THIS particular craving when I am complaining about the size of my hips & thighs post-pregnancy this Fall...

Ice Cream, alone, will account for at least 10 extra pounds!)

So why the sudden container size decrease?

Is this someone's vain attempt to cut down on my consumption?

Cuz it ain't workin' folks...I'm just buyin' more!

(And the price is the still the same per container... I might add...Blast those dang gas prices!)

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So... where do I write? And who's with me?

Acrobat in Utero...

That's it...

The minute Baby Bronson is born, I am shipping him off to Vegas

to audition for Cirque du Soleil!

His acrobatic routine ought to be perfected by then since he practices, uh... NON-stop!

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I thought Kaden was a little fireball, but this kid is taking it to a whole new level!

He is by far the most active of my children so far!

If his in-utero activity is any indication of personality

(which it has actually been right on with all of my others...),

then we are in trouble with this one!

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This is much what my own bed feels like at night...

(and I'm NOT referring to any hanky-panky between Matt & I...

so no sly comments about that, thank you very much!)

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There's a full-on Circus going on inside of me!

How can one sleep?

Roomie Reunion...

So fun! I have not seen Alison since we were Roomies at Ricks College from 95-96.

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We recently reconnected (see my post: Here)...

and soooo, while she was in town (from Nebraska) this week for a Family Party and Vacation,

we decided to get together.

The two of us (Sigh... No kiddies!) met for Dinner at Chili's and had a great time catching up!

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Thanks for squeezing me in, Girlfriend!

SO great to see you... just like old times!

Buck Flick...

What to do on a cool Summer afternoon..?

Take 9 bored kids...

(All under the age of 8, mind you!)

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Add 2 desperate Moms...

(Both with wild 1 year olds... And notice I left mine HOME with a sitter!)

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What do you get?

How about a good Dollar Movie Day?

(Thanks, Cheryl for braving it with me!)

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Thanks to Austin, for being Kade's pal...

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And to Rock and Danny, who came with Trev!

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Somehow we had all missed Nim's Island when it came out in the regular Theatre...

so it was the perfect adventure!

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My guys had a great time...
(They all want to move there!)

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And, I have to say, if I ever get to raise a daughter...

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I hope she's as spunky as Nim!

Front Porch Pizza Party

With Daddy out of town, we decided Pizza sounded perfect for Dinner.
Kade & Trev each asked if they could invite 'a friend'...

Yep... before long, we'd invited half the neighborhood...

(Well, most of our cul-de-sac, anyway!)

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Oh, well... the MORE the Merrier!
Back Row (Left to Right): Carson, Parker, Kaden, CJ, Seth, Braedan
Front Row (Left to Right): Hudson, Sachi, Daynen, Trevan, Taegan
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Since the boys and I had slaved away cleaning the house all morning
(and admittedly did NOT want to do it again),
they decided we better keep the mess outside..
(Sad... Freaky-clean OCD Mom that I am... I have completely ruined my children!)
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Their solution? Pure BRILLIANCE!

An impromptu

Front Porch Pizza Party!

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Wild & Crazy! .
(With the notable exception of Braedan, back row, right... Who are these people?)
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Little Dayne thought it was soooo great to feed himself...

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He actually climbed INTO the action... literally!

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Since he still needs both hands to balance while walking,

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he figured out a resourceful way to 'toddle' his slice around... Hands-free!

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Sooo funny!
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Honestly, who can resist this sweet little Sugar Lips?

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We topped off Dinner with Donuts, Popsicles and frosted Sugar Cookies!

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Sachi and Taegan...
(The only little Ladies on our block... )

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And with a cul-de-sac full of high-energy boys,
it doesn't take long for any gathering
to turn into a Football Game
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...and inevitably a Backyard Wrestling Match!

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I have a feeling this will be a familiar sight at our house for years to come!

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