The results

Last October I took on a Challenge..... Myself and two other friends decided we would get our Personal Progress done (as adults....we've all done it as teenagers before).

The prize? An overnight babysitting while the winning WINNER gets to go to the temple w/ her husband.

What's interesting is that along the way it obviously became more then winning (seriously, did I just say that?!?!), and it truly was a fantastic journey full of goals, spiritual feasting, examining myself/my faults and how I could become better. It meant more doing it as an adult. It's like I NEEDED the spiritual strength more now then before. I needed it to carry over in my mothering, wife-ing, church service and showing compassion and service to others. Not to mention all the journal writing that came along w/ it. Most of the goals include writing your feelings about that goal or your progress. I'm glad I have record of that journey.

However, you can BET that when I finished on March 2nd that I sent an email out to those two ladies to declare my status as victor. Yep, I sure did.....I believe it was 10:30 at night too when I finished the last page of the Book of Mormon (which I HIGHLY suggest you all read it) ;) AND you can actually request a FREE COPY!

Fast forward 5 months and I'm FINALLY cashing in on my overnight temple trip.....and the sucker Rachel actually had ALL 6 KIDS spending the night with her 3 and one other baby she was babysitting. Yep, 10 kids. Oh, and our turtle....Spiro wanted to go play w/ her turtle.

The kids played a lot of video games (look at these 6 boys)

Bronson read them all stories

Aleeya got her awesome fake nails done

and Iris was just entertained to be w/ her close buddy Mallory.....who happens to be 10 months younger but they share clothes/diapers/shoes....yep, they're that close. Come to think about it, I don't think I even have a friend that close.....

They had a great time and now I hear about how much better HER popcorn is, and HER breakfasts are awesome, yadda yadda. Yea, I know, real self-esteemer booster huh.

(By-the-way, my date w/ Brooks was AWESOME. I even went to the spa the next morning and got a massage. Lovin' the winning thing....)

Rachel is one person that doesn't like losing though (can't imagine why we're friends!)....and well, today she got me good. Got me REAL good. Infact, I thought I got her enough w/ the overnighter, etc. but well, she got me better.

Let me explain. One of my 10 hour projects (there are 7) I worked on was to practice/re-learn/study Portuguese.....which I USED to be fluent in as a teenager and frankly, just have lost it. I get REALLY nervous speaking it and my belly gets REALLY really tight....and I get embarrassed (yes, it can be done). Rachel knew my goal and so when I earned the medallion (that's what you get when you finish) she wrote the bishop to tell him that goal and how it would be a GREAT idea to present me w/ the medallion in front of everyone. So there I was sitting in church when the bishop called me up in front of EVERYONE to present me w/ the necklace.

See? Isn't it pretty? I love it....and yes, that's Rachel. Why the smile you ask?

Well, after the bishop gave me the medallion he asked me to bear my testimony in PORTUGUESE!!!!!! Oh my word. Public speaking has NEVER bothered me, but I was physically shaking, my stomach tight and I couldn't think of a THING.

I THINK I bore a testimony....I know I felt it inside. I know I felt what I was saying was true, because it is. But I really couldn't tell you exactly what I said.

Then I sat down and thought of EVERYTHING I could've said and how I could've conjugated that verb and used that word, etc. Lame, I know.

But the smile on her face when I finally saw her was priceless. It was almost like her loss was all worth it at that moment.

Why I even start competitions w/ her is beyond me.....I should stop. Really.....Oh wait, we're RIGHT in the middle of another one right now. She has decided to pick a different battle w/ me this time ( one that I'm NOT good at).....water drinking. (w/ our friend Erin)

Losers clean the winner's bathrooms.....that just MIGHT be worth sucking it up and drinking my water gallons.

First day of Escuela

This year I decided to do something fun that my sis-in-law does w/ her girls, I put out their new backpacks (heaven knows they needed them!) w/ their school supplies out to surprise them the day before.....I didn't dare do it the morning of with how early our mornings are. They were excited, but even MORE excited over their new pencil bags I had made w/ a killer deal. See how cute they turned out? That's Camden's turned around just to show you that each of them had a cool/customized back too. They all wanted pictures w/ Spiro.

Few things get my kids more excited then new markers/crayons and mechanical pencils! ;)

Here they are 6:15 in the morning.....

BRONSON the Intelligent

(yes I'm going to give them "knightly" names for this post) is going into 3rd grade!!!!

Camden the Excited, is going into 1st grade!

Emerson the More-then-Ready will start kindergarten this year!

And here are the 3 boys ready to head out to IHOP w/ Daddy on this dark morning. (Brooks takes them there every year on the first day of school). As you can see, some kids are just a TAD more thrilled then others for school to start.......(talk about a DRAMA morning w/ "someone")

The unsuspecting teachers awaiting them at school. It will be interesting to hear them come home w/ new accents because each of their teachers are from different countries (Columbia, Chile and Equador). Bronson for example will have a different accent from year to year depending on who is teacher had been that year. I LOVE the Spanish Immersion Program.

Wow, and LUCKY me......look who I get to stay home with.....

Aleeya the Bossy Morning Person & Iris the Put-Every-Travel-Sized-Shampoo-in-My-Hair-Before-Bed-Without-Mom-Knowing-So-I-Can-Wake-Up-With-the-Best-Ever-Hair! (what a mouthfull THAT was, her parents should really think about shortening her name!)

Hey, at least I have Royce, right?

My thoughts....

Here I go....getting on my soapbox

I've witnessed a few experiences 3 weeks back and I can't seem to get them out of my mind. One of them was on the road. I was turning out of a parking lot and an elderly lady was turning left into it. Another younger girl was coming the other way going straight so the elderly lady yielded to her. The elderly lady was in the left turn lane, signal on and doing all that she should've been doing (but that's beside the point). It's kind of a tricky intersection to figure out who as the right-of-way anyway. Then I heard this loud, obnoxious honk and I looked up and younger girl was just waving her hands and yelling at the elderly lady to "GO!" and calling her names. I felt so bad for that lady. Not just because she wasn't doing anything wrong but because we just don't treat other people like that....especially our elders. That situation did NOT merit freaking out and DEFINITELY hurting someone's feelings.

I witnessed something similar at church shortly after and it only makes me feel SORRY for the person being attacked. Plus, it really only makes the person freaking out look bad, to be honest.

I get REALLY tired of people not giving others the benefit of the doubt. I get even MORE tired of people wanting others to act perfectly when we as humans aren't perfect!!! For someone to think that THEIR way is the ONLY right way to do something is pretty narrow-minded. And even if it DOES produce "better" results, it doesn't mean you have to demand everyone else to do it.

There's something I've learned in the past few years and it is, Everyone is doing the best that they can. Really. They are. Because who really sits down in their situation and thinks, "I'm going to not do this well at all...and on PURPOSE!" Everyone goes through things and find themselves in situations and they really react, cope and deal with things in the best way that they can. Let's say, for example you HAVE been in that EXACT situation, we STILL have NO right to tell THEM how to handle it. That would be like me seeing a mom of one child and think, "Oh, I've been there before and they're not doing a good job at all and they should do it like this....and I'll make SURE to tell them too" Who's to say what is in their past, how much help they have, mental capabilites, discipline, etc. You NEVER know until you are walking in their shoes and have been through what they've been through. Now if I went up to a mom of 8 and asked for her advice on how she did things that would be different, but let's say I walked up to this imaginary mom of 1 and told her to suck-it-up and how it's not that hard and how she should NOT feed the baby this and that.....um.....a little out of line. Said mother of 1 would probably have her feelings hurt because in her world she WAS trying her best! I just don't think putting someone else down is worth having my two cents said.

It's like that in church assignments/callings as well. There are FEW things I do NOT tolerant more then someone bad-mouthing someone else in their calling. As if our way is the ONLY way things need to be done. If there was one way to do things, then we all would've been made in ONE mold.

Why is it so hard for people to realize this? I really believe that if we sit back, take a second to think before we speak, and think of the effects of our words/actions (is it REALLY worth hurting someone's feelings to say such-n-such....and did it make you feel THAT much better to get it off your chest and the expense of someone else's peace that day). Aren't we all in this together? Aren't we ALL just trying to do our best w/ what we've been given?

I used to get mad at people on the road a lot before I got married and shortly after. I remember someone giving me the advice to make up a good story about them (we also had a talk in church mention this same thought recently). So let's say someone sped past me and cut me off pretty good, I used to look at Brooks and say something like, "Wow, that girl in there must be rushing to the hospital because her baby is about to come out!" and we would laugh about it or "Can't have the birthday cake late for the surprise birthday party, now can we?" In that church talk our High Councilman said that we always tell stories in our minds in situations. Let's say you're standing in line at the DMV and the worker is rude, instead of freaking out, you could think about how tiring of a day that might be for them and maybe they have something else going on in their lives that is sad and would make them react like that. Or like the kid freaks out at home and in my mind I could think, "Wow, this child is SURE tired because he didn't get a long nap earlier". Or I could think, "Wow, this is the WORST kid ever and I think I'm going to freak out at it and show him who's REALLY tired!" If we tell ourselves a GOOD story about people in our minds with a little extra understanding, and sometimes it helps to give a possible "Why" they acted like that, then we don't react in a rude and un-Christlike manner.

It has helped in relationships that are a little tricky for me. When someone says something that I think was a jab or I TAKE it as a jab (whether it was or not) I try to think what might provoke them to say that, WHY they said it, what background they may have had to WANT to say it, and then I tell myself a good story about that person and try to answer in the complete opposite way. Yes, I think some people say things to actually BE mean and make a point, but there's a reason they do it.....and something else bothering them as to WHY they said it. If they needed to say it to be built up, understood or get attention, then maybe address THAT and help them feel of worth then give in to reacting at their not-so-good side. (And we all have them)

There is MORE then a golden rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you)......there's a better and higher rule......Do unto others have Jesus Christ (the ONLY perfect being) would do unto them. I always need a constant reminder of that myself in my life that's for sure.

Enough rambling......and I think it's about time to get off my soap box....because well, it's smooshed anyway. (Clearly from going on too long, I'm sure)

They're HERE!!!!

The kids and I weren't able to go see Tio Bug's wedding so when we got a text from him saying he was going to swing by for a few days we were THRILLED. When I put the boys down for naps they laid there and then called me in and told me, "Instead of taking a nap we've divided all the rooms for us to clean and we'll do those rather then sleep." hmmmm, Tempting? Yes. Probable? No. But I must've been feeling loca that day or something and let them do it. I caught a few of their Cinderella Moments on camera.....

Bronson said the walls were dirty in the living room, so here was his solution.... :)

There is Camden making EVERYONE'S bed before he obviously had to clean up the room.

Camden already did the shower, but Emerson put himself in charge of the rest of the bathroom. (Notice his "cleaning water" he made in the sink....that's not. so. clean) You would THINK it would've looked AWESOME after going through 2 bottles of cleaner, huh!

This is it after he said he was "Done".

I was grateful for their help but mostly for their sweet attitudes in really wanting to help out. I even got bookshelves organized by Bronson because of it........however, the bathroom, I did need to go back and fix a few things. Love my boys........well, until 2 hours later and Emerson found himself here:

Why was he in time out? Oh, because he decided to show 3 neighbor girls that came over his "boo-tay, to to to to to make them laugh" (Emerson still stutters when excited). Wow, kindergarten is going to be a little SHOCKER to him them when he has to find OTHER ways to make the kids laugh.....that, or he'll get to know the principal REAL well.

FINALLY Tio Bug came. I love this picture because Camden doesn't usually warm up to everyone like this. (It helped Tio Bug let him drive the golf cart when he took him golfing though)

Bug spoiled Aleeya by scratching her back A LOT!

And well, Royce wasn't sure what he thought of Tio Bug.

No offense to Tio Bug but the REAL reason we were excited he was coming because he brought my new SISTER-IN-LAW that we have NEVER MET......Meet Tia Linsey. (isn't she cute?)

I hate it that my camera lens had finger marks on it and all the rest of my pictures turned out blurry, but just picture a lot of other pictures with Iris all over Tia Linsey and you would get it about right.

Here she is w/ the girls at the museum. Ok, so I guess she was with them EVERYWHERE we went whether it be the park, museum or wherever.....she had a few shadows. They loved her.

And I did too! ENOUGH, that I made her (she's such a good sport) go to my Crossfit Bootcamp with me. Now THAT is a bonding experience. If you EVER want to feel close to someone, go take them through a near-death experience and you'll be BFFs for life. ;) But we came out champions, that's for sure.......sore ones, but champions nonetheless.

I think Brooks was glad that someone else got to hear my constant talking too. It was kind of a win-win experience for all. Thank GOODNESS they've moved out within driving distance so we can have Tia Linsey and Tio Bug come more (Iris called Bug "R.A." because he looks like R.A. and teases her like R.A.....ha ha ha ha)

The morning after they left Iris woke up and asked where " R.A." was. But she was fine when I gave her some leftover cookies from the craft night Linsey and I went to the night before. At naptime I found her like this.

I KNOW what you're thinking that is, because I thought the SAME THING and was grossed out! However, upon inspection and some taste testing (KIDDING!) I found out it was one of those cookies I had given her earlier. I have NEVER been so grateful to see FOOD in my child's bed before!!!

While the cat's away.....

Brooks was gone for a week to go to his brother's wedding. I wish I would've pulled my camera out more on random outings/movie "parties/etc. but here's a few things we were up to.....

You know, things like taking a nap in a box. (That's Bronson, and he ended up sleeping for 2 and a half hours in that box!)

We sang to turtles. And if you've EVER heard Aleeya sing you would know that if Spiro DID have ears that hear (I have no clue if they do...) they would now be deaf.

Bronson caught this butterfly and wanted a picture with it.

I stained our deck. (Side note: you can REALLY get a lot done when you're not cooking and cleaning all the time and rushing here and there. It's beautiful.) This was my secret project I wanted to surprise Brooks with.....that's obviously DURING the staining. ;)

There are 2 areas that Brooks loves the most: The yard (which I DID do the mowing, edging, trimming hedges, etc.) and the food storage.

Since I finished the deck/yard, I decided to organize the food storage more, and to stock it up on things I have depleted from it. Here's part of it....

And another part....... (the other part didn't need to be organized because they're just in boxes)

Let's just say, Brooks was THRILLED! Funny the things that he loves!

Royce started standing up on his own from the ground up. He's pretty proud of himself.....until Iris comes to test his balance.

And I had the boys weed out these 4 tiers of my old strawberry plants so I could plant some landscaping-looking things to help sell the house better in the spring. They were easier to pull out if I made the dirt all wet with the hose. Aaaaaaand, they did a REALLY good job. See? No more weeds.

I looked across the street to see my 2 neighbors sitting on their bench on the front porch just watching the boys have this mud war. The giggles were contagious so I just let them have at it.

Then I WENT to Lowe's to get the plants and while walking back to the Yeti I saw these.....

I couldn't help but smile. Sweet hands. Sweet kids. I'm pretty lucky.

Okay, so THIS made me laugh. I'm hoping you can hear it, but Aleeya went to Bible School and they learned songs there. They're REALLY upbeat and have actions to them. This one that she's singing says, "Jesus, makes a difference everyday" and then at the end they say, "Jesus, YAY" repeated over and over. Well, when Aleeya came home I had asked her if she learned songs about Jesus (I knew she had from the boys telling me) and she said no. But later she started singing, "Cheeze-its makes a difference, everyday.......Cheeze-its YAY, Cheeze-its YAY!"

And yes, we like Cheeze-its here.

I laughed so hard. Here she is singing while in the shower (not knowing I was taping).....sorry you can't see the actions though, they're classic.

Crawling Buddies

I think we've reached the point that Spiro should be mentioned.....because afterall, if a pet lasts more then a week around here, it is DEFINITELY worth an honorable mention.

Meet Spiro......Royce's new crawling buddy (they're about the same pace, w/ Spiro a little faster, so it entertains Royce for a while)

Ah-HA! Caught-cha!

Mmmmmmm.

(Look at that angel face!!! I just love that face. I think it's the sweetest and purest little thing)

Oh, and WHERE did we catch Spiro? Aleeya found him in the backyard, which means she got to name him. Seriously, Spiro? WHERE did THAT come from?

It's Official.....He's 7

My " little man" is 7!!!! (that's what mom said he looked like when he was born....a "little man".....actually I think she said he looked like a leprechaun too...which I don't know if that's a compliment or not.)

My friend Rachel Gee gave me this trick of making brownies and turning it into the best cake. You make some brownies.....soften some icecream (I used Snickers kind) and then spread it on top and throw it back in the freezer to harden. It totally tastes sooooo good and it's one less thing to dish up. The kids also liked the crushed cookies for the road.

The serving of the cake w/ all these sweet boys. They were all so good the whole time.

Then we had a Batman pinata (one he wanted and got from a yard sale for free). Although looking at this picture, it makes me wonder why I had a room full of boys and a hard bat in the same room as my computer! At least you know where I sit as I type these things now, huh.

Then they all went down in the basement w/ their pinata stash to watch Camden's new Hotwheels movie. (this is our ghetto room, but if you're lucky enough to come visit us, this could possibly be your bedroom!!!)

The best part of the picture though is Emerson sitting so close to Joshua in the maroon chair. That makes me laugh.

While Royce got to play w/ all the REAL Hotwheels upstairs.

I would say it was a pretty successful b-day for Camden. Man, I love that kid.

Brooks....the loser.

I just HATE titling something like that, but really it felt good.

I'm sure I've mentioned how I can NEVER beat Brooks at ANYTHING before....but let me just say it again..... I HATE THAT HE ALWAYS WINS!

(and what stinks is even if I introduce him to something.....like Scrabble.....he can still beat me!.....of course it doesn't help that his vocab is increasing from work and my is---well----decreasing)

So I'm THRILLED to say, Brooks lost. At what, you ask?

At our friends' TOTALLY awesome Dance Par-tay (on the Kinect, which I've never played before)

We were asked to dress up, and if we didn't, we weren't allowed in. Here are the other challengers.....w/ our ROOT BEER, mind you.

We started off w/ the sports, and yes, Brooks beat me at those...surprise, surprise, I know.

THEEEEEEEEEEEEN came the dancing, and Brooks lost right away.....and let me say, he went STRAIGHT down to the Lo-who-sah-ers bracket.

My new garage sale dress I picked up for the dance party was AWESOME, however.....the heat sensor thingies wouldn't pick up my legs, since they were covered. So I had to do this....

Not terribly attractive, but whatever. While Brooks played around in the Loser bracket, I was loaned a new outfit and continued on and made it to the finals. Here was my ferocious opponent (a girl who can break. it. down.)

(I believe I'm doing the move that I like to call the "Spankin' " as I spank the kids and send 'em to bed)

And well................. I guess you can see what happened. (Yes, we were die hard and had brackets)

And THESE are what I won. Pretty ROCKIN' huh!

And in CASE you were wondering how ol' Brooks fared in the loser bracket, I'm pleased to announce that this WINNER is married the the LOSER of AAAAAAALL the losers.

And I couldn't be MORE pleased.