Spiritually.Minded.Is.Life.Eternal

2011-10-25T10:41:00.004-04:00

In honor of Red Ribbon Week, the boys dressed up for Wacky Hair and Wacky Clothes Day!!

I decided I'd join in the fun too! :)

2011-10-14T17:23:00.003-04:00

Picture of my nephew, Oliver Radford Butler. What a cutie! Born to Jonathan and Mindy Butler. He was 5 weeks early. 7 lbs 3 oz 19 inches long. He had infections and had to be life-flighted to a different hospital. But he's doing well now. Expected to be in the hospital for at least another week. Both Mom and Dad have been able to hold him and he's just SO cute!!

2011-10-03T13:44:00.002-04:00

We are back in UT, which means we get to attend the BYU football games. For my anniversary present 5 years ago, Elliot bought my family and I season tickets to the football games. While we were in MD, my brothers and Dad kept our tickets and attended keeping our seats for us. :) Now, I have 2 tickets and my brothers and Dad have theirs, so we're back at Lavell Edwards Stadium! Brock has been accompanying me and we have had a great time!! It is fun to actually know what is going on. I like being the Mom who can explain what a touchdown is, holding, off sides, false start, punting, quarterback, 1st - 4th down, etc. :) My brothers taught me a lot. And I can hold my own in their conversations too. Hee-hee! It's been fun being back in the stadium. Especially with my Brock!

2011-09-24T15:47:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted much since returning to UT. It has definitely been a whirlwind. I was going to put pictures of the Radford Reunion on my blog. Elliot bought me a new camera specifically for reunion, and I ended up erasing all my pictures!! So much for the new camera. :( I was sad!! But we did have a good time.

School has begun for both boys and now I'm left attempting to use my time wisely while they're gone. My goal is to be on the computer only when they're at school, so I can focus on them when they get home. Lofty goal, eh? It's not been too hard because once they are home, we have homework, dinner, gymnastics on Tuesdays, showers, and the bedtime routine. There is little leisure time.

I have a new calling in my church. I am now in charge of all children from the ages of 18 months - 11 years old. This will be fun! And busy!! I'm excited though.

I took the boys of the family to see Jimmer Fredette and some other NBA draftees who aren't playing due to the lockout, aka Kwai Leonard, Kemba Walker, Nolan Smith, etc... and we had a great time!! There's a picture of the small boys - Brock, Scott and Zay.

2011-08-09T23:06:00.002-04:00

I am in UT! YEA!! June was a whirlwind. July a tornado. August is just beginning. We'll see what comes. :)

2011-06-10T09:55:00.002-04:00

As part of our monthly activities at church, we had an amazing speaker come and tell her story. Edith Lowry lived in Poland during World War II. She is Jewish and was in a work camp as well as a concentration camp. THE most amazing moment was when she pulled out her outfit that she had to wear. The room was completely silent.

She is an amazing lady. Her brother and mother did not survive. However, she, her father, her uncle, and her aunt survived. I'm not sure I breathed the entire night. What an amazing story! She was asked how strong her faith was. And she said at times it is strong and at times it wavers. She was completely honest. Now, I NEED to go to the Holocaust Museum while we're in D.C. That'll be a trip for my Dad and I. :)

2011-06-08T12:19:00.002-04:00

My friend Tami made me a cake for my birthday! :) 3-layers of pure bliss!! Chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate peanut butter buttercream frosting! YUM!! I ate a piece of cake every day for an entire week and a half. Plus I put 2 pieces in the freezer!! It was so yummy!

For my birthday, we went down to Fredericksburg Virginia, stayed in a hotel and visited some historical sites. The house behind us is the Kenmore house. During the Civil War, the house was turned into a hospital. It was a BEAUTIFUL home! George Washington's sister lived here.

On the grounds of the Kenmore Mansion, they had activities from the colonial time period, one of which was washing the clothes. The boys spent 30 minutes pretending to wash the clothes. Really they just wanted to get wet! :) But it was fun for them.

Every vacation I ever remember had a trip to a fudge shop. This one was no different! On Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, there is the most delightful fudge shop! Delicious fudge!! We bought a pound of fudge - then took the extra to the Memorial Day picnic and let the teenagers from our church eat the rest of it! Oreo cookie, peanut butter, key lime, tiger butter and mint chocolate swirl. YUMMY!!

My birthday week began with Cheesecake Factory and friends! As you can tell, I LOVE food! I LOVE to celebrate with food!! :) Delicious! Ryann, Megan, Heather, Robin, Jill & Tami! It was tons of fun!!

2011-06-05T21:49:00.002-04:00

Scott graduated!! Yes, he's in preschool and he walked on stage and received his diploma for graduating. :) In his bio that was read, it stated, "Scott is a very energetic boy......he entertained his teachers daily with his stories that he told." He is definitely an entertainer!

Ms. Melissa - she was always outside playing with the children! She was fabulous!!

Mrs. Susan Eckrich kept those high school students in check! She has been with the program at Seneca Valley High School for 7 years and she did a great job. I knew Scott was in good hands.

Scott and Luke have been friends for the past 2 years. Scott is going to miss his buddy Luke! The two of them were hilarious together. They could be kept entertained for hours with a couple of toys. They have the best imagination!! The teachers at school had a difficult time keeping track of the two of them. More times than I can count, Scott was called Luke and Luke was called Scott. They were "two peas in a pod". Sometimes Luke told his Mom that he and Scott weren't allowed to sit together because they were "talking too much". I'm so glad they were in class together. Truly, I will miss Luke and his mom, Sherry.

Ms. Marissa. Scott was her project for the year. She followed him all year long. I asked him what he wanted to give her for the last day of the school year and he says, "flowers". I think he had a slight crush on her. :)

2011-05-26T18:38:00.002-04:00

Today is an amazing day!! Scott had a burrito with ham, cheese and egg!! And he ate the entire thing. I know, he's growing up. And tonight for dinner he's having "cheesy sauce". It's really macaroni noodles in spaghetti sauce with cheese on top. He is actually eating it and tasting it. Usually if he eats something it's with a large drink of water, so everything is watered down. :) Not this time. It's about time!! I guess he just realizes he's not going to get away with it anymore. Go Scott!!

2011-05-08T21:14:00.002-04:00

Because of our move and because it's not my time to be Relief Society President anymore, I am going to be released next week. ............................ I was going to try to put down on paper the feelings I was going through, but then I never finished them. It's been two weeks now. And I've been released for a week. Let me tell you this has been THE longest week, ever! With only my children to think about, I've definitely slacked off a lot. I cried after church on Sunday - luckily a friend took the boys and told me to come and get them when I was feeling a bit better. Two and a half hours later, I picked up the boys. I had taken some time to reflect, to write my feelings down, to pray and realize I'm not alone, even if I'm feeling VERY much alone. All was well, right? Not so. Thoughts and feelings flooded my mind and tears rolled freely down my cheeks yet again. Being the Relief Society President gave me something to focus on in a very difficult time in my life. It gave me purpose. It gave me the ability and desire to live for a greater cause. So, being released made me feel empty, numb, and insignificant. I know, in my heart that I still have a purpose and a greater cause in helping my boys. But I couldn't get out of this slump. Needless to say this week has been a LONG week! Scott didn't have school all week; I no longer had exercise group I was in charge of, so there wasn't a reason to get up and get moving. And Brock talked back to me EVERY time I asked him to get ready for school, or to come and eat breakfast or to brush his teeth. I didn't have the energy to fight with him, so Brock was late Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday we finally got him there on time. Then Thursday I had him skip school for our own personal field trip. :) And now it's Friday. I know I was supposed to be in this calling. I know I'm supposed to get ready for our move now and it's time to move on. It's just hard sometimes. Especially when I'm all alone. I was talking with my friend Amy and telling her that all I want is a BIG hug and no one gives them to me out here. I don't know whether I give off the vibe that I don't like to receive hugs or what, but all I want is a big hug! Like "Bones" the other day when she had Booth there to give her a hug. I want my "Booth" to give me a hug. I guess I'll have my boys give me some hugs and do an awful lot of praying. I know I'm not alone. But I sure do feel alone.

2011-03-22T13:38:00.001-04:00

I'm going HOME!! :)

2011-03-14T21:58:00.003-04:00

Look at my two boys! This was the night we stayed at the Gaylord National Resort before we went to ICE! in January. They are such cuties!

Across the street from the National Building Museum. :)

Loves those lions!

Look at his hair!!

With 2nd cousin once-removed or something like that. Max and Scott! We went to Max's 1st birthday party. :) It was fun!

2011-03-05T23:10:00.002-05:00

The boys and I went to Mt. Vernon - George Washington's 8,000 acre estate - on President's Day. It was free admission because it was President's Day! :) Awesome! We were taking a picture of ourselves. Aren't they all grown up?

Brock and Scott in front of the Washington mansion.

Scott and I. Brock's photography skills. And Scott posing for the camera.

Brock and I - Scott's photography skills. :)

Next to Washington's tomb. Brock liked the tomb and the mansion the best. Out of all of it. Hmmmmmm.

2011-03-05T23:04:00.008-05:00

Brock: Mom and Dad sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. No it should be Marvin and Jakyah (Juh-keye-uh) sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Me: Why, does Marvin like Jakyah?

Brock: No. They're both brown.

Ha-ha-ha! I just laughed!!!

2011-03-01T14:30:00.002-05:00

Scott and I were eating lunch today and this is our conversation. Scott: What grade is Brock going to be in when he's 7? Me: 1st grade and then 2nd next year. Scott: Then 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade......12th grade and 13th grade.... Me: After 12th grade, Brock will go to college. Scott: Will Brock stay at college? Me: Probably, unless we live close by. Scott with tears in his eyes: I don't want Brock to stay at college. Me: Why not? Scott with a wavering voice: I won't have someone to sleep with. They currently share a bed and Scott absolutely LOVES his older brother! Poor Scott.

2011-02-20T22:21:00.002-05:00

Miracles never cease! Yesterday, my good friend and chiropractor from my mission called and said he and his wife were sealed in the Manhattan Temple yesterday! I am so incredibly HAPPY for them!! They are such wonderful friends and a testimony to me that the Lord knows each and every one of us individually. There are no coincidences. He orchestrates everything. I hope and pray I am able to be instrumental in His plans. I stand all amazed!

2011-01-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

It was 9 degrees in there. I had on a heavy coat, a thick, black sweater, a black shirt, my hat, gloves, and scarf and their parka. The parka was a necessity!! It was SO cold in there!

Statues of Dr. Seuss characters were all over the Gaylord lobby. The boys were excited to see them all.

The boys and their love of water.

This glass tree was set up in the Atrium of the Gaylord. Beautiful!

We got to take a picture with the Grinch!! Yippee!! Best part is the picture was free! If we visited The Grinch in his booth the next day, the picture would've cost us $25. Hee-hee!!

2011-01-08T17:55:00.002-05:00

Milkshake and french fries after being outside in the cold!! :) We went to a diner for hot chocolate after seeing the Christmas lights at the D.C. Temple. We'd eaten so early, we were all hungry!!

Aunt Andi and Scott!! YUM!

Jeffrey, Elliot and Brock. All 3 love the camera! It's so much past Jeffrey's bedtime he's slap happy! :)

Molly, Elliot, Andi, Brock and Scott at the temple.

Scott, Jeffrey and Brock. What a 3-some they are!! So cute!

2011-01-08T17:45:00.002-05:00

Obviously this is a little old, considering they are both in shorts in the picture and it snowed today. But I was looking through pictures and thought this one was cute. Elder Vakalahi is a missionary in our mission. He came and ate dinner at our house a few times and the boys LOVED him! One time in particular it was Scott's turn to choose what we were having. We had grapes, sandwiches, cookies, and carrot sticks. It was a rainy day that day, so we ate dinner on the floor for an "indoor picnic". It was classic!! Both elders were so willing to eat with us on the floor. :) We had a great time!

2010-12-27T22:25:00.002-05:00

Elliot surprised me with a trip to New York City! Just the two of us. Molly stayed home and watched the boys while we went to see my beautiful city at Christmas time. Here are some of our stops.The American Girl store. Molly is my doll, so we stopped by her window display.

Then we went into Saks Fifth Avenue and I tried on the only dress that is modest and check out that price tag!!

$1,200! Yes, that's what it says, One thousand two hundred dollars!!

Elliot and I went to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes!! It was SPECTACULAR!!

And of course, we had to stop by The Plaza. Look at this gorgeous wreath! I also went to Tiffany's! :) So much fun!!

2010-12-16T20:29:00.003-05:00

Jump 2 It! Tire the active ones out and they slept really well!

The worker at Santa's Village jumped into our picture. :)

A.J., Brock, and Scott spent plenty of time playing video systems!!

My cousin Steph is one of the most amazing mothers I know! I have another cousin that calls her the "Yoda" of mothering! Hee-hee! Isn't Austin such a cutie!

2010-11-08T13:48:00.002-05:00

For anyone who'd like to see what Scott has been up to at Preschool - go to google Seneca Valley High School - Germantown MD and then click the green tab that says "Academics", then click "Event Photos". Anything that says "Child Development" will have at least 1 picture of Scott and he's usually with his friend Luke. :) They've been having lots of fun!!

2010-09-02T10:25:00.001-04:00

Sisters give siblings better mental health, study shows Aren't Jonathan and Jeffrey lucky? Hee-hee!!

2010-08-31T21:54:00.002-04:00

School has officially begun! Two days into the school year and I am extremely tired!! Today I had Scott, 4, Audrey, 3, Jeffrey, 1, and Sharon, 6 months for the entire day. Wow! Talk about non-stop. Naps, feedings, cleanings, and baking cookies were our day. Yes, I baked 2 types of cookies with a 4 year old and a 3 year old helping. It was a lot of fun. Crazy, but a lot of fun!

2010-08-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

In the Bible, Exodus 20 the Lord gives the 10 Commandments. One of the Ten Commandments is in verse 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy". Brock must have been learning about the Ten Commandments in his Sunday class because he mentioned how we shouldn't do any cooking on Sundays. In Exodus 20 verse 10 it says, "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates". So, as a family we're thinking about not doing "heavy" cooking on Sundays. Yes, we'll eat. But we'll either do casseroles that only have to be put in the oven and baked or we'll have special "Sunday cereals". Once again though, I'm learning at the feet of my 6-year old!!

2010-08-18T10:23:00.002-04:00

I'm the mother of 2 boys, but I LOVE little girls! I don't know if I could do their hair, which is why I have 2 boys, but today I had some fun. I had 2 extra children today for a few hours and one was a little girl. She's 2 or almost 2. Anyway, she has long, blonde hair and so I decided to curl it. HA!! I stood her on the toilet while I curled her hair. I don't know how hairstylists do it day in and day out! She did pretty well, considering. I was grateful she didn't have too much hair because if she had, I don't know if we'd have fared well with the hot iron. Needless to say, I had fun! And I am grateful I don't have little girls :)

2010-08-13T23:19:00.002-04:00

Scott doesn't eat meat I don't know why but he doesn't. So tonight as we ate french toast casserole (yummy! Thanks Steph!!!) and bacon for dinner we were shocked when Scott decided to eat a piece of bacon. Now, the reason behind him wanting to eat bacon was precious. Brock loves food - any and all kind of food - and he asked how many pieces of bacon he could have. We told him 3. He ate his 3 and then asked for more. Knowing full well Scott won't eat meat, Elliot says, "You can have another piece of bacon after Scott eats a piece". Imagine what happened when Scott pipes up, "I'll eat a piece of bacon Brock." And he did just that! He ate a piece of bacon so his older brother could have more bacon. What a kid! And he liked it too!! He's asked me to send him 6 pieces of bacon on his first day of preschool, but we'll see if that sticks! :) A love for his older brother. What an amazing bond of love and friendship! May it continue throughout their lives!

2010-08-12T15:00:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged for a few weeks. I don't even know where to begin. There have been some changes in my life the last few weeks that have completely turned my outlook around. I can honestly say this has been the toughest few weeks I've encountered in my life. Because these changes are affecting my life and the lives of those I love dearly. I know I'm being vague, but I'm not ready to share these changes with cyberspace. On a positive note, these changes have been met with a very loving Heavenly Father enveloping me with love from all over! And I'm grateful for that!

2010-07-16T07:40:00.003-04:00

I survived my first earthquake! 3.7. The epicenter was just around the corner from us. Don't worry the scariest part was Elliot waking me from an intense dream and telling me he felt it! :)

2010-07-11T23:52:00.002-04:00

So, I've been given a new responsibility in my church. I now preside over 143 women in my congregation. With this responsibility I have the opportunity to attend councils. I had a meeting with 2 of those councils today. Elliot had drill today. Which meant I had two boys with me at those meetings. I couldn't actually bring them into the meeting, but they were there in another room of the church. Our Sunday began at 8:00 a.m. and didn't end until 2:00 p.m. Those two boys were extremely well-behaved for the hours of 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. and then again from 9:00 - 10:10 a.m. From 10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. they acted a little less well-behaved. But for the most part they were so good!! The Lord helped me that's for sure! 6 hours of meetings for me is tough, but for them? Wow! They were so good!

2010-05-24T10:59:00.002-04:00

My friend Jill was a God-send! She traveled with me and the boys down to Georgia, while Elliot stayed home to go to drill and work. We had a blast with her!! We left MD around 1:00 p.m., so we decided to stop at a hotel for the night. Brock is taking our picture.

Scott is taking our picture here.

Brock LOVED giving Ansley piggy-back rides. :)

It was a HOT day in Georgia. Steph and I sent Elliot outside with the chill'uns to play in the water. :)

A.J., Brock, Aleigh, and Scott!! Best of friends!!

2010-05-24T10:46:00.001-04:00

Anika wearing my cap!

Kaarina wearing my cap.

The cousins after the graduation party. Brock, Anika, Scott, Kaarina and Zay.

Zay and Scott. Nice faces boys!

2010-05-12T13:26:00.003-04:00

Jonathan and I graduated together this past April. It took me 14 years, but I did it!! Thanks for waiting for me Jonathan!We are all BYU graduates. Go BYU Blue!!

The boys and I went on a photo spree. Had to get the cougar!

Scott wearing my cap.

Brock wearing my cap.

2010-04-25T12:31:00.001-04:00

"I'm Mrs. Nesbit!"

"It's my birthday!"

Look at my cute brothers!!

"Can we call you Dadoo?" Hee-hee! My Dad would not be happy if he knew I'd put this on my blog. Hee-hee!!

2010-04-25T12:23:00.002-04:00

I found these photos on my parents computer. Aren't these children cute?

2010-04-18T19:21:00.001-04:00

Baby Jeffrey! He's 9 months old and 20 pounds!! He is my nephew and I watch him every day. He is a really good baby - just bigger than I'm used to! Got to love that smile though! And the boys adore him!!

2010-04-18T19:16:00.003-04:00

Scott turned 4 last month! I made the cake and didn't do too bad, if I do say so myself. Definitely not "Lightning", but it was delicious!

Blowing out all 4 candles.

He got a playdough ice cream set from Aunt Jessica, Uncle Craig and Baby Jeffrey. The boys played with that for hours!!

"The "Birthday Fairy" came and decorated for your birthday Scott!" I told him when he woke up. Brock says, "Mom, that's you!" Ha-ha!! Why yes it was!! But he burst my bubble rather quickly.

More playdough ice cream!

2010-03-07T16:27:00.002-05:00

I teach the 3 & 4 year-olds in church, which is Scott's class. The lesson today was entitled, "I Am Thankful for Water". And there was a suggestion that I let each child take a drink of water during class. So, instead of traipsing 5 or 6, three year-olds to the water fountain, I brought a bottle of water. During our Sacrament meeting, I had given Brock a drink because he was gagging, so Scott leans over to me and asks if I'll give him a drink. Scott didn't need a drink and I needed the water for my lesson. Scott asks why I'd given Brock a drink of his "lesson water" and I told him he was "gagging". Scott is a very smart child, so the next thing out of his mouth is, "Mom, I'm going to giggle!" I about died and did let out an audible giggle! I wanted to laugh so hard! What a boy!!

2010-02-21T18:43:00.002-05:00

Abby and Scott were nearly inseparable at her 4th birthday party. Here they are licking their fingers after fingerpainting with chocolate syrup. Dadra put together a "Candyland" themed party. It was amazing!!

Here they are in Gingerbread Forest playing a game with balloons.

They have just come from Lord Licorice. Scott is eating his "power bracelet"!

The Candy Castle!!

Kate, Abby and Scott waiting for their "rainbow lunch"! Thanks Dadra - it was fun!!

2010-02-21T18:40:00.002-05:00

My little boy just finished his 100th day of Kindergarten! They had a party with every child bringing 100 things from home. They made their necklace with 100 fruit loops on it, and had their 100 glasses. He was so excited!!

2010-02-11T21:33:00.002-05:00

My HUGE Fox & Geese circle. Needless to say we didn't play much, we just made the circle.

Ben, Isabella, Justin, Brock, Jacob, Elliot and Scott!! Fun in the snow!!

All smiles after 3 hours of fun in the snow.

Brock and Jacob.

Best friends, Isabella and Scott.

2010-02-11T21:27:00.002-05:00

Here is a shot to see what the snowplows have done with ALL the snow.

I'm short compared to this!!

A slide right in our front yard!!

More fun times on the slide.

"I'm the King of the Mountain"!!

2010-02-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

Elliot looks like the guy in "Condorman". He attempted to make a snow angel and sunk deep into the snow.

Brock heading down the hill on his snowboard.

Brock trying to get up the hill! We'd been sledding for about an hour, so he was tired.

Scott was hilarious in the snow! The three of us (Brock, Scott and I) got on Scott's sled and at the bottom of the hill, we'd all of a sudden sink about 6 inches. It was funny!

2010-02-07T14:34:00.002-05:00

Scott and Brock getting ready to go outside and play in the 30" of snow that fell!!

Isn't it pretty? I love the snow and how quiet it is after it snows.

I made a BIG circle to play Fox and Geese and Scott could barely get around the circle. Our neighbors dog, Winston, got stuck trying to go through the middle of the circle.

The outside of our house.

Scott and Brock doing what they LOVE to do best - eat the snow. They are sitting on top of my car.

If you hadn't heard, our area had a rather large snowfall this last weekend. It began snowing around 10:15 a.m. Friday and ended 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. By the end of the snowstorm, we had 30 inches of snow on our back deck. Scott is only 39". Needless to say, he almost got stuck a couple of times while we were playing outside. I laughed. He did not. We had fun though. While Elliot shoveled our walkway, we forged our way down the hill with Scott's sled. Two hours later, we decided to come inside and warm up with hot chocolate!!

2009-12-19T22:03:00.002-05:00

This is supposed to be our Christmas picture/postcard, but I haven't gotten around to getting them done anywhere. Look at my two handsome boys! They are such a joy! Full of energy and spunk!! I love them to death though. Elliot has started his MBA and will be done in two years. He swore he was NEVER going to school again. Ha-ha!! Life is good. Brock is in Kindergarten and is doing exceptional. His teacher is fantastic! We have been blessed that's for sure. Scott is learning just as much and as fast as his brother can teach him. Hee-hee!! I have been given the calling as the primary pianist. I am practicing hard. I haven't been given lessons since 1986!! And now I'm playing in front of a bunch of children. Wow!! It's definitely a challenge, yet fun to see my practicing pay off!! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

2009-12-08T00:36:00.001-05:00

It snowed on Saturday and the boys said, "Now it's time for presents!! " Apparently, Christmas is linked to snow. :) I loved those boys!

2009-11-08T10:43:00.002-05:00

We began the Fall season at a place called "Butler's Orchard" where the boys had duck races. You pull the handle up and down and the water propells the duck to the other side of the tin lane. I enjoyed that game too.

What a handsome boy!!

We had a hay ride through the farm.

The boys all went down a slide on potato sack.

Notice our BYU blue t-shirts? It was game day - still have to show our school spirit!! Even as we are being brewed in the witches pot!!

2009-11-08T10:33:00.002-05:00

Our Halloween festivities began with Brock's parade at school. He couldn't take his lightsaver to school, so he wore Scott's Yoda costume. It was fun for us to see all the children!

In Hagerstown, they trick-or-treat the day before Halloween, so we went up to Hagerstown on Friday the 30th, went trick-or-treating, then spent the night with our friends, the Calls. Abby and Scott are the same age and play so well together!! The next morning was the Hagerstown ward Fall Festival, so the boys went dressed in costume and had lots of fun going from station to station doing different activities and receiving prizes. Abby, in her princess costume, sat hammering a nail into a piece of wood. What a picture!!

From that fall festival, we drove to Dickerson, to our current ward's activity - a Fall Festival on the Knudson farm!! The boys started with a donut eating activity! No hands - Scott wasn't happy about the "no hands" policy, but he ate it!!

We ended with pony rides!! YEA!! Brock is on Shadow - a very nice horse.

Scott was so excited!! That boy is definitely a fan of horses! It was a fun-filled day of food, activities, and good friends!!

2009-11-08T10:28:00.002-05:00

We decided to go for the "Star Wars" theme! Here I am as Queen Amidala.

Scott as Yoda. For trick-or-treating we colored his face green. He was so excited for the make-up.

Elliot as C-3PO and Brock as Aniken Skywalker!! Elliot wore his outfit while he handed out candy. Some of the children wouldn't come to the door. Elliot even did the voice of C-3PO. We LOVE Halloween!! I even received candy for my costume. Hee-hee!!

2009-10-21T13:14:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a LONG time! My sister Wendy got married the 15th of October and I was "Matron of Honor", which means I did LOTS of planning/partying/organizing/stressing so Wendy didn't have to!! :) We were in UT from the 10th - 17th and it was a whirlwind trip. Thank goodness Elliot was there to take care of the boys and Rhys (Shane's little guy from Canada). It was quite the trip. Eventually I'll post pictures soon! Until then, off to exhibit Scentsy, coordinate schedules for my schooling, Elliot's schooling and Brock's schooling and do Halloween!! :) Life sure moves fast when you're booked up.

2009-09-03T10:50:00.002-04:00

Brock says to me yesterday, "Mom, can you not send me yogurt in my lunch. It takes too long to eat it. I liked it the first two days, but not anymore." Nice eh? He doesn't want food because it takes too much time away from recess!! He is definitely all boy!

2009-08-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

Zay with his homemade chocolate mint ice cream.

Scott at the 24th of July parade. Mr. Hot cheeks!

Silly wet children!!

Delicious homemade ice cream cones!!

2009-08-31T14:08:00.002-04:00

Midvale Harvest Days! Midvale celebrated 100 years. In the park they had festivities that I remember having in the park. We took the children to the park and let them be firemen!

Kaarina with the firehose.

Brock pretending he's a "Jedi".

Anika with the hose.

2009-08-31T13:59:00.002-04:00

Brock is already for his first full day of Kindergarten - lunchbox and all!! Doesn't he look handsome. :)

2009-07-19T15:52:00.007-04:00

Caden, Scott, Kaarina, Makayla, Anika, Brock and Zay!!

Happy 4th of July!

Aunt Duenna and Makayla enjoying their cake and ice cream.

Zay-meister eating homemade ice cream with chocolate cake inside it! YUM!!

Kaarina, Anika, Caden, Brock and Scott posing on Uncle Jeffrey's lawn!

2009-07-19T15:38:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted for a long time! I guess I got tired of updating our lives when nothing much happened. No, not really. We had a pretty eventful few weeks. Brock had his birthday party. What do you do for a birthday boy who loves water and has his birthday in the summer? Well, this year, we had a magician come. It was a lot of fun! Anthony White, who happens to be married to my Mom's cousin, came as our magician. He brought Puff, the magic bunny, and a whole bunch of tricks. We laughed a lot, which has helped in the recovery process. July 4th we celebrated on July 3rd down at Jeffrey and Anna's with a barbeque and a spectacular fireworks show in their neighborhood. July 4th, my Mom and Dad got a new car. July 11th we had a barbeque at Uncle Gerry and Aunt Cherie's house. July 14th I started physical therapy for the next 5 weeks. July 16th, I saw Dr. Peterson for the last time and he said my scar is "BEAUTIFUL"! Yea! Also on July 16th we went to get Brock's cast off and unfortunately we were a week early in his recovery process. July 17th we went to the Oquirrih Mountain Temple Open House. It was a lot of fun. It's a beautiful and peaceful place. Life is good. I'll update pictures in a few minutes!

2009-06-27T17:12:00.004-04:00

My Mom made this gorgeous wedding cake! Delivered it and then got in this accident.........

2009-06-25T20:44:00.009-04:00

Five years ago, litte Brock Hinckley Person was born. He joined his first cousins, Anika and Kaarina. He was born on his due date, which is President Gordon B. Hinckley's birthday, thus the middle name. He was privileged to be in the Prophet's ward when he was blessed and had the chance to see the prophet at least twice a month. Brock is a tender-hearted boy, with a contagious laugh!! I love him to death!!

He is such a good big brother!!

Brock helping wash the car. I think he got himself more wet than the car. :)

Always up for bouncing and sliding and playing!!

His favorite thing to do with Dadoo - wheelbarrow rides!!

He loves his Dad!

And, he is definitely a foodie!! As a 2-year old he asked for the parmesan cheese. He knows how to order from a menu at a restaurant. And he smelled a dessert that was brought to us and identified them as chocolate-chip pumpkin bars.

2009-06-15T12:16:00.003-04:00

Brock now has a hard cast and will be laid up for 10 days. He'll finally be able to walk on his birthday - the 23rd. What a birthday present!! I ended up having an infection in my back, so my completion time has been postponed another 8 weeks. Oh boy! But things are on the mend and we've been blessed greatly! Thank goodness for the Lord!

2009-06-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

Brock's position for the next 7 days!

Just before I went in for my surgery May 19th.

2009-06-05T16:17:00.003-04:00

The day before Dad went into the hospital we all went to The Desert Star Theatre. Scott ate that entire bowl of popcorn and another one.

Wendy, Jonathan, and Mindy enjoying their popcorn and drinks.

Brock and I. He sang the rest of the songs that they would start. We had a great time!!

Finally Scott couldn't keep his eyes open.

2009-06-04T15:56:00.002-04:00

I don't know where May went - but it flew by!! The boys and I flew in May 1st, and we've sort of been running ever since. May 2nd was Anika's baptism. May 5th Dadoo (Dad) went in for an angiogram and stayed in the hospital until he had quadruple bypass May 9th. Dadoo came out of the hospital May 14th. I went in for a consultation May 15th and had back surgery May 19th. Elliot flew out May 19th and stayed with the boys until May 29th when he flew back to Maryland. Memorial Day we had a barbeque - the boys got to play with their cousins and I stayed in bed. May 28th I had my birthday and then May was gone. I thought that in June we might be able to establish a routine and be set on the road to recovery. Ha-ha! The Lord thought otherwise, so last night Brock was playing with his cousins and fractured his tibia in his right leg. And we start all over again. For the next 7 days, we are to keep an extremely active 4, almost 5-year old little boy from putting any weight on his right leg!! Thank heavens he's a boy - otherwise the bathroom process would be more extent than it is going to be. He's on Lortab and believe you me, we're going to be giving him medication every 4 hours!! He's such a trooper though. Next Thursday he'll be put into a cast that he can walk on and then we'll be on another 6-week recovery road. Wow!! Life is quite amazing! My Mom and Wendy who are with us all the time will be taking a lot since Dad and I can't lift anyone and basically can't do anything. I'm grateful for them. I only wish Elliot were here too - but he's out doing the work, so we can pay for medical bills. :)

2009-06-04T15:53:00.002-04:00

Zay-meister eating a cupcake at our cousin Jena's house. Thanks Jena for the wonderful food and fun time!!

Serenity on top of the chair with Kaarina and Anika on the left side. Scott in the middle and Brock and Ethan on the other side. Who knew that a lawn chair would be so much fun!! :)

The boys eating their cupcakes first - from left to right, Brock, Scott and Ethan.

2009-06-04T15:49:00.002-04:00

The bruise that my Dad was left with after they took an artery from his arm to put into his heart.

The day he came home from the hospital!! :) He hadn't shaved in 10 days. And wow - I've never seen him with that much scruff.

2009-05-12T10:36:00.003-04:00

I came to visit my family May 1st for my niece Anika's baptism and was scheduled to leave May 11th. However, the Lord has a way of planning things in advance. It's amazing how His hand has been in our life. The Tuesday before I arrived, my Dad had a routine physical which ended up being anything but routine. Thursday the 30th he went in for a stress test, which alerted the doctors and they sent him the following Tuesday for an angiogram. Tuesday they did the angiogram and admitted him to the hospital due to blockage. So, Friday the 8th of May a quadruple bypass was performed and now the boys and I will be staying in Utah until further notice. What a whirlwind 10 days!! The recovery is going well. The support from family, friends, and ward members has been phenomenal and greatly appreciated!! The Lord's hand is in my life. I'm so grateful it is too. I would have hated to be 2,000 away at this time and the Lord saw fit to grant me the blessing of being here when this happened. I definitely have been blessed. Ps. 30: 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

2009-05-02T20:39:00.009-04:00

I haven't been tagged in a long time. Thanks!

8 things I'm looking forward to:

No pain in my leg or back
The ability to exercise again
Being able to pick up my boys again and romp around with them
Uninterrupted sleep
The release of "Forever Strong"
Graduating from BYU with my Bachelors Degree in Family Life - finally
My birthday - it's always a celebration. :)
2012 Summer Olympics in London England.

8 things I did yesterday:

Flew to Utah
Took my boys to the park
Made Oreo balls - YUM
Watched "Murder She Wrote" with my parents
Was up for 17 hours straight
Laughed
Began a new book
Put ice on my back yet again

8 things I wish I could do:

Be in two places at one time
Spoil everyone I know
Play the flute instead of play at the flute
Travel the world
Sing with ease and no fear
Be fluent in languages
Be a figure skater
Swim with dolphins

8 Shows I watch:

Chuck
24
The Biggest Loser
Psych
Numb3rs
Ace of Cakes
Life
What Not to Wear

8 people to tag:

Stephanie West
Anneliesa
Heather Heywood
Penny
Kristina Rodriguez
Shantell Kaspar
Jennifer Stark
Shellie Person

2009-04-30T19:37:00.002-04:00

State Capital

White House

Mindy and Mr. Lincoln

Washington Monument.

All seen in 92 degree weather. Hot. Hot. Hot.

2009-04-30T19:23:00.002-04:00

On the grounds of the Washington D. C. Temple. Beautiful scenery.

Brock showing off his photography skills.

Elliot was off parking the car, so it was just me and the boys.

" Coo, what a sight!"

2009-04-30T19:16:00.001-04:00

Brock is short - hee-hee!!

Isn't this an awesome sight?

Hands on fun for the boys!

Pure enjoyment!! :)

2009-04-30T18:52:00.003-04:00

The most handsome pilot ever!

Christmas came early for us - exactly 8 months early! We were so glad the museum stayed open late on Saturday because we had walked and walked and walked and walked. We had fun too!!

A humongous spider. Quite exciting for the boys.

We were thrilled to see the FBI Building. Some of our favorite shows revolve around this building, "Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye", "Numb3rs", and "24", so we just had to get a picture.

Close to the end of our day. Dang we look good. :) Hee-hee!!

2009-04-28T22:46:00.002-04:00

Jonathan and Mindy came to visit. Their flight got in at 5:54 p.m. on Thursday the 23rd and left at 2:00-ish p.m. on Monday. We had 3 days to pack in a TON of touristy things. We went to Baltimore the first day, D.C. on Saturday, and Gettysburg on Sunday. It was quite the weekend! We took lots of pictures and had lots of fun! Thanks for coming to visit Jonathan and Mindy. We'll see you soon!!

2009-04-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

On our way to Baltimore!! Mindy and Scott have the same smile. :)

We ate our lunch at Camden Yards by the Babe Ruth statue - did you know that Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore and then traded to the Yankees back in the day. Bad move Orioles. Elliot doesn't like the Yankees. I LOVE the Yankees!

By the USS Constitution at the Inner Harbor.

The little boy at the top of this picture was so cute when he looked at the fish. He got so excited and made the funniest little noises. :)

2009-04-28T22:24:00.002-04:00

Brock looking at an alligator in the Baltimore National Aquarium.

Our shark friend. Brock tapped on the window and this guy came over and scared Brock spitless!!

2009-04-28T21:43:00.002-04:00

ESPN Zone :) The best place for a chocolate chip cookie sundae.

Branding! :) And Scott with his soda.

Jonathan at his first Major League Baseball game.

And as luck would have it - he got a foul ball!! The guy hit a home run right after he fouled this ball.

2009-04-19T22:06:00.002-04:00

Scott was the only one who ate the popcorn. Just like his Dadoo, Scott ate almost the whole bowl!!

We were over at the Calls a couple of Fridays ago and the boys were watching a movie with Abby while we sat in the kitchen and ate dessert. It was so fun!

2009-04-19T21:59:00.002-04:00

During the break between sessions of General Conference on the first weekend of April, I took the boys to a park. It was chilly, but sunny and the boys absolutely LOVED it! I love seeing them smile and playing with them.

My kung-fu karate boy!!

Here's the thrill seeker of the family. Elliot can't wait until he is 48 inches tall. Then Elliot can take Brock to Six Flags.

Smile big! My two sweet boys!!

2009-04-19T21:49:00.002-04:00

Scott looks absolutely evil in this photo don't you think?

Don't they look happy! :)

"What's Up Doc?"

"I've always wanted one of these!!" He's so proud of his chocolate motorcycle. I was flat on my back that day, but it was a beautiful day!!

2009-04-19T21:10:00.003-04:00

The MRI said that I need a "radiculopathy". :) Hee-hee! Elliot got a kick out of that. Basically, when Dr Paci (Pa-see) read the results he had a couple of thoughts. 1- Get a consult with a neurosurgeon and 2- get chiropractic care and see if the body will be able to heal itself. I am going to Utah for my niece's baptism the beginning of May and that is where my neurosurgeon is, so I'm looking to find out if I can get a consult when I go out there. Until that time I am going to continue seeing Dr. Paci 3 times a week. I'll continue to keep you posted!!

2009-04-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

I went to the chiropractor this morning and will now be getting an MRI later this afternoon.

2009-04-12T13:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning I woke up between Scott and Elliot. Yes, my boys sometimes end up in my bed with me. I hadn't had a restful night - my back was bothering me, so I attempted to get out from between the two of them. I moved the wrong way and wrenched my back and had the most terrible pain shoot down my left leg!! I semi-screamed, still not wanting to awaken Scott, but desperately needing Elliot to move and help me out of bed. Elliot got up and I started to get up and couldn't. All I could do was cry. Seriously cry. It hurt so bad!! I haven't EVER been in that much pain. Not even while I was in labor with my 2 boys. It was horrible. I couldn't sit up, I couldn't stand up. There was absolutely no relief. I asked Elliot to go get me some of his Mom's vicadin. I got a blessing, was promised some relief and then got into the car to head to the E.R. After 3 hours, a test for a urinary tract infection - WHAT?????? -, 2 injections in the rear, 4 pills, one almost upchuck episode and some crackers, I left the hospital with a "Since you can go to the bathroom, this isn't an emergency. It doesn't matter that I have pins and needles going from my thigh to the bottom of my feet, I can still go to the bathroom, so it's not an emergency." Wow!! For the last 2 days, I've been laying down and taking pills. I still have the sensation that the back of my left leg and my left foot is almost asleep, but I'm alright. I'm glad Elliot's been around to bring me flowers, get me food, and make sure I stay off my back. The boys have been excellent too - "I'm sad you're back hurts Mom." Yes, me too!! I'll keep you updated as I go to my chiropractor tomorrow and see about an MRI. Fun? - Not much! Happy Easter to everyone though. I'm sure glad Jesus suffered for my pains and infirmities. I have a greater appreciation for Him at this Easter season.

2009-03-29T20:41:00.002-04:00

Every time we asked Scott what he wanted for his party, he mentioned candy. We obliged and got a pinata. However, I filled it full of other things besides candy such as; bubbles, basketball pencil toppers, little tape dispensers and flower rings (for the one girl that attended the party).

Double layer white cake with chocolate frosting. I didn't use a football mold or anything - just free-handed it. From here it doesn't look too bad. The writing was done with a ziploc bag too. I thought it turned out pretty good with the stuff I had to work with!! I'd say watching my Mom was very helpful indeed.

Pin the tail on the donkey. Who is the closest?

Scott's birthday present from Grams and Dadoo! He immediately went and watched it and now he's been singing, "How do you know?" all over the house!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!

2009-03-19T16:08:00.004-04:00

Do I really live in "Booneyville"? Elliot and I decided to see if the Calls - Jason and Dadra (day-dra) - would like to go on a double date with us. We've become friends with them as we cheered on our BYU Cougars during the college football season. They both went to BYU; Jason was in the same dorms as we were our freshman year; we like football; Elliot and Jason are similar in their likes and dislikes; Jason and Elliot both do spreadsheets for EVERYTHING; and we get along really well. Not to mention that Scott and Abby - their 3 year old - absolutely love playing together!! Well, we had a gift certificate for bowling - up to four games free, so we figured we'd be frugal and enjoy some bowling. In discussing our plans, we found out Dadra and Jason had gone bowling once and found out it was "duck-bowling". Personally I hadn't ever heard of duck-bowling. Duck-bowling uses smaller pins and a smaller ball (without holes in it). It's like bowling with those plastic bowling pins and balls you get as a child. I was game for duck-bowling; however, I was outnumbered. So, I decided to check around with the other bowling alleys in town. To my surprise I found that duck-bowling was the only thing offered from 5:00 -9:00 p.m. at all bowling alleys. Even searching 30 minutes away there weren't any open lanes for 10-pin bowling until after 8:00 p.m. To our luck, Dadra and Jason have the Wii, so we bowled on the Wii! And then stayed up until 3:00 a.m. It was fun! We had a really great time! But now I know I do indeed live in "Booneyville"!!

2009-03-17T19:32:00.004-04:00

About a month ago Elliot got a raise (:) YEA) and more responsibilities (:( Not so yea). So, we started looking for a new place to live that would be closer to his work. Right now he commutes three hours every day. And that is without traffic, so if his new responsibilities were to keep him at work even for 30 minutes longer, he'd end up in traffic for an additional hour. Needless to say, we decided we ought to go closer to his work then we'd see him more often and we'd have our own place and we'd be closer to civilization. :) hee-hee! We're not out in Booneyville - unless you can only duckbowl in Booneyville, then on the other hand we are in Booneyville!! Hee-hee! That is a whole other post. So, back to our "new place". Well, when Elliot proposed the idea, I was mad/sad/mad. I finally found friends that like me for me and not just as "Brock's Mom" and I feel needed/wanted/accepted. And I like it here. I'm comfortable. Brock has friends and has a fantastic school. I thought I was just being selfish. I decided to put my wants and desires on the back-burner and decided support Elliot. It's not like Elliot was taking me FAR away without being able to see any of my new friends. And I like Elliot :) and it'd be nice to be able to spend more time with him. So, we pushed forward. Elliot went searching. He found 6 places he deemed reasonable and we went to check them out. 3 of the 6 I took one sniff at the door and didn't breathe the entire time we were in there. We were in and out so fast!! Do these people not realize how important the smell is????? Apparently not. The last one we saw was fabulous! So, we decided to fill out paperwork and leave a deposit. Now, I've worked in leasing, so I know how it works - to an extent. 8 days later, when it stated in the paperwork that it'd take 5 days, we found out the owner didn't like our "profile". We were denied. Several people in our church knew we were leaving and when they found out we had been denied, their comments were, "Yes, that phone call worked!" or "Yes, yes, yes.....oh, I'm sorry" with big grins. Or "Our prayers were answered!!" Hee-hee! See what I mean when I say I feel wanted here! (I hope you weren't just saying those things and now are secretly annoyed we are staying. :) Hee-hee!!) Anyway, to make a long story short, we are staying in Hagerstown for a little while longer. And we are excited about that!! :)

2009-03-15T18:14:00.002-04:00

We are all about new additions at the moment!! :) Here's our latest purchase; an Acura MDX with 7 seats and black leather interior. We haven't come up with a name for the car yet. In fact, make a suggestion and you'll receive a gift, if we choose the name you pick!Here is our first "picnic" in the car.

Scott is doing "thumbs up" even though it looks like he may be picking his nose. :)

2009-03-15T18:06:00.002-04:00

These are glasses found in a little "doctor" kit. Scott was having fun with them. And I couldn't resist taking a picture. :)

Because I was taking pictures of Scott - Brock had to get in on the action. The red glasses actually look good on him.

Could be Steve Erkyl? Does this remind you of anything or anyone Jonathan?

Brock had a "100 Day" project to do. (Mind you - he's in Pre-K) So, I asked him what he wanted to do and naturally everything I think of is food-related, so we made an airplane out of 100 big marshmallows. Then we decorated them with frosting. Brock did the counting. I colored the frosting and Brock spread most of the frosting over his marshmallows. He also ate the frosting really well too.

2009-03-08T21:38:00.002-04:00

We had a few minutes before church and the boys looked so handsome, so we decided to take some pictures.

Look at my cute boys! :)

Me sporting my new do. :) And Scott talking into his "microphone"!

2009-02-23T22:58:00.001-05:00

Rocky, Elliot, Brock and Scott!!

Here's our "newest addition"!! His name is Rocky and we all beat him up regularly! :)

2009-02-22T22:59:00.001-05:00

So apparently I haven't written on the blog for a very long time! I've been busy doing an Independent Study course. I have one final left and then I'm going to start my next class. I'm excited! I'll add pictures of our newest addition soon! :)

2009-01-17T21:38:00.002-05:00

That has "S" - it has my name on it!!

Brotherly love :) Enjoying their new English hats and their stickers!!

Brock loves opening up presents!

"Rudolph" stickers - what an adorable boy!! Isn't he? :)

2009-01-17T21:35:00.002-05:00

Graham cracker houses at play group! Delicious!!

Bryce Reynolds at play group.

Ryan Merrill putting his graham cracker house together at play group.

2009-01-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

Brock and his cousin Ana Victoria - while touring Elliot's bakery.

YUM - Bread!!

Scott and Elliot - aren't they cute!!

Scott enjoying his cookie! Aunt Jessica trying to give him a kiss!!

2009-01-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

Scott's Christmas gifts. And his jungle room!!

Brock's gifts from Christmas.

Scott's giraffe and chimpanzees.

Brock's elephants and zebras.

2009-01-07T22:38:00.002-05:00

As a family, we read the scriptures - well try to every night, but if we're lucky we read them 4 of the 7 nights. Anyway, we met with our Bishop (clergy presiding over our congregation) in December, a year-end "how are you doing" meeting, and he challenged us to read the Sunday School lesson as a family. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we go to church 3 hours every Sunday. Those 3 hours are split into the following: Sacrament, where we renew our promises with Heavenly Father by partaking of the bread and water (1 hour and 10 minutes); Sunday School, where we study the scriptures (50 minutes); Relief Society/Priesthood/Young Men/Young Women - each group separates and learns a lesson pertinent to their group (50 minutes). Last year in Sunday School we studied The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This year we are studying The Doctrine and Covenants. The Doctrine and Covenants compilation of revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and other prophets in answer to prayer. These books are true. Anyway, as a family we were reading the introduction to The Doctrine and Covenants and we read the phrase "in fulfillment of" and my 4-year old pipes up, "What does fulfillment of mean"? "What?!!" - is what I'm thinking. "How does he pick out this phrase?" Needless to say, I was glad Elliot was there, because at that moment in time, I could not think. I was stunned. I looked over at Elliot and he looked at me and then he explained what fulfillment of meant. I don't recall the words he used to describe it, but Brock understood. Brock, my 4-year old, a child of God, recognized something he'd been taught before in the premortal life. I am so blessed! Blessed to have this not-so-little, energetic, ball of fire in my home. The Lord has entrusted me with one of His sons and I'm honored.

2009-01-02T17:03:00.003-05:00

Aleigh, A.J., and Brock all having a sleepover in Aleigh's room. They were tuckered out after "flying" all over the place earlier that night.

Aunt Jo making Brock fall like Giselle does in "Enchanted" down the wishing well! It was fun to see Aunt Jo play with the kids this way. They absolutely loved it!!

Aunt Jo and Ansley. Aleigh, A.J., and Brock - not the best moment for the 3 of them.

2008-12-31T13:10:00.003-05:00

At "Lights of the South" they had a wonderful Santa! He sure knew how to get Gwen to smile at him.

2008-12-31T12:53:00.003-05:00

Scott fell asleep on the first leg of the trip.

Scott, Joshua Abboud, Jonas - on lap, Garret, Brock.

The boys love the camera. Garret is a month older than Brock and Jonas is 6 months younger than Scott.

I'm going way out of order with the pictures - oh well! Our trip began with an 8 hour drive to Clemson, SC to visit Joshua Abboud and his boys Garret and Jonas. Kristin was enjoying a respite in CA for her parents 40th anniversary. We missed her, but enjoyed our visit with the boys! Yes, I was completely outnumbered 5-1. Anyway, the boys were excellent travelers as always and we made pretty good time.

2008-12-31T12:44:00.004-05:00

Shellie, Gwen, Brock and Elliot all admiring the "Lights of the South", a fabulous Christmas light show!

Brock, Scott and Elliot admiring one of many light scenes. They had pretty the traditional Christmas tree, Mary and Joseph on a donkey traveling to Bethlehem, the star in the East, and the baby Jesus lying in a manger. And then they had random ones, like Noah's ark, Spongebob, Spiderman, Batman, and more.

Scott and I waiting in line to go on the hay ride pulled by tractor. Behind me you can see the "ginormous" soldier made out of lights!

Elliot, Brock and Molly! By the way, doesn't Molly look FABULOUS!! By looking at us, you wouldn't believe we were in Georgia where it was supposed to be nice and warm - that day it was 40 something, I think. But we were. And the next day it was nice and warm, 60 - ish!

2008-12-01T17:38:00.002-05:00

Well, the pictures were supposed to be set up differently - and since I'm in a hurry, I'm not going to fix it - Santa at last!!Scott wants an airplane and Brock wants a snowboard with rockets! Like he needs to go any faster than his lil' 'ol legs can carry him.

The talking tree in the forest. In an attempt to "hide the line" to see Santa, they've put some fantastic decorations around!!

Waiting at the beginning of Santa Land Express.

In front of the bear band!

My Mr. G-Q man! Doesn't he just melt your heart! :)

2008-12-01T17:32:00.002-05:00

Our first look at the subway. After a very long bus ride, we decided to head to the ESPN Zone for Thanksgiving dinner!! :)

Poor Scott looks stoned! :) He was having a fun time though.

Scott's new thing is to stick out his tongue while we're taking pictures! I tried hard not to get tongues out, but sometimes it didn't work!

Elliot and Brock's side of the bus. The two of them were together most of the time. Scott was with me. It ended up being a VERY long bus ride - the traffic on Thanksgiving day was horrendous!

2008-11-25T16:37:00.002-05:00

I am currently sitting at the computer doing nothing really. I have to pack for NY - yes, we're going to New York City for Thanksgiving!! So, yes, I have to pack for NY and get a Scentsy exhibit ready for set-up tomorrow through the weekend - excellent publicity! And I ought to be doing schoolwork. But I'm doing none of it! I guess laziness happens to everyone. I'm off to cook dinner - at least we won't starve. :)