This month marks the big.....

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

FOR US!!!

The night before our anniversary, I looked through my wedding album, bawled, smiled, laughed and just had the BEST time reliving one of the BEST days.

I was sad because NONE of the pictures are digital, etc. So I made Brooks scan some and here's what we've got so far..........

welcome to memory lane!

Me getting ready in the morning w/ my niece Liberty (this was taken right before I left to take Brooks his wedding present.....a snow cone maker. It was then I was shown his unfortunate run-in with using "Nads" on his chest. ha ha ha ha. That was awesome)

Meet the NEW Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

It was the most BEAUTIFUL day.....here we are in front of where we were married, the LDS Logan Temple.

In most pictures, Brooks and I were laughing.....and laughing.....and laughing.......

This picture made me laugh just because I know the background. This was towards the END of our picture-taking and we were so tired of it all, so I thought of ways to make Brooks laugh/smile (since our cheeks were hurting so bad)...........aaaaaand since we were technically married, I had EVERY right to pinch my OWN husband's boo-tay!....one of the perks of marriage. ;)

My reception was a dream. Absolutely perfect in my backyard. I actually just picked my favorite photo from the reception to show though. Here's my dad, waving to me from our deck where he was playing in a 12 man band (all were over 75 years playin' some good ol' oldies songs for me). It reminds me of him waving good-bye to his youngest princess......and showing quite a bit of courage to hand me over to the silly man I married.

And we were off.............together.........hand in hand.........

and that STILL hasn't changed.

Are you kidding me?

I get together w/ my friend Jess to watch the Biggest Loser finale. We have our not-so-healthy-but-yummy salads and Strawberry smoothies all ready. Then THIS happens......for the NEXT 45 MINUTES!!!! Are you kidding me?

It's bad to say, but I really could CARE LESS about severe thunderstorm warnings when BIGGEST LOSER FINALE IS ON!!!!!

Are you kidding me that Aleeya wore this to Ace Hardware today?!!?? (and no, she's not in dance class, but I made it look like it so she could get away with wearing her new leotard.)

Are you kidding me that I have the CUTEST kids?!? Especially Bronson right here, who I caught "dancing with Iris".

My other "Are you kidding me?" moment happened on a Girl's Temple trip on Wednesday. There were 5 of us in Nikki's van......okay, I'll try to make this long story short.......she was CRUISING because we were late getting off, took a wrong turn and ended up on some country roads. We got stuck behind a car going UNDER the speed limit, so when it was legal Nikki passed the guy. While passing him Nikki looked over and since she's "a pro at reading lips" said that he told us, "I'm a cop". Well, I'm thinkin' he wasn't, because cops PROBABLY wouldn't have kissed our bumper for the next mile. Cops also wouldn't pull up on the side of us at a stop light, ask if we're "freaking *$&#*$" and then proceed to call us perverts. Are. you. kidding. me?!?!

I'm laughing as I'm even typing this out. It was sooooo completely random and considering we were sitting still, in church clothes and being nice, it's even more funny. I found myself smiling all night about it, even when I realized that all my unwrapped mints/Werther's in my pocket in the temple started sticking together.........wow, guess I'll stick with LifeSavors.

You see where I get it?

I had a friend tell me about my Jury Summons blog post that it was EXACTLY how she would EXPECT my jury summons day to go.

I guess she's right. As my day was unfolding I never once thought, "This CAN'T be happening to me!!!!" Because infact, it would be WEIRD if it went normal.

I've learned to cope, laugh and go with the flow when these things happen and I've been reminded today WHERE I GET THAT FROM................ my mother.

She was recently asked to write a blog post for a Book Store that she works at on "Memorial Day". She had me laughing......and really, I can see what my future holds........... GET READY BROOKS!

READ IT HERE!

(oh, and comment too, she probably would LOVE it!......and her boss too!)

What does that mean?

Brooks had a softball tournament all day last Saturday. All throughout the tournament my boys would admire the trophies and ask if they could have them. Well, Brooks' team took 3rd place and the team captain guy gave the trophy to the boys. They were all sooooooooo excited.

Here they are when they came home. Camden said, "It's the 3rd place trophy!" Then I heard Brooks yell from below, "What does that mean, Camden?" Then Camden said, "It means you're the 2nd loser." Perfect.

Iris has taken it upon herself to feed Royce now when I'm not looking. I've caught him being fed PB&J, ham sandwich, oatmeal, cheerios and this particular day......dum-dums. (and no, I haven't started the kid on cereal yet. After all these yummy tastes, he probably won't WANT it!)

And here's a good ol' fashioned sideways picture of Iris holding JJ in her death grip (after her nap on Sunday)

However, I will close this post by making it public for all to read that I BEAT BROOKS AT BOWLING!!!!! (by one point......details, details)

So wouldn't that make him the

1st LOSER?!?!?!?

"Mommy Ears"

Sometimes Heavenly Father speaks to me though my "Mommy Ears".

You know what I'm talking about............the Mom ears that helps us hear a wrapper being opened 3 rooms away or tip-toeing feet out of bed or the unbuckling of seatbelts before you're actually in your driveway? Yea, those ears. The sounds most people don't hear, but a mom can.

I was getting ready for bed tonight, brushed my teeth and was ABOUT to say my prayers when I heard one VERY faint sound I've become VERY good at hearing..........a water sound. It's the sound the pipes make when the washer is running, dishwasher running, toilet flushing or an outside hose turned on. I thought it strange considering none of the above applied. It HAD to be the hose. It was raining and thundering outside so I couldn't just step out to listen for it, I actually had to walk out and find the hose. I went in the front yard, nothing. Then I went in the backyard to find the hose nice and wound up next to the house (my personal contribution in keeping the backyard picked up.............well, it back-fired this time).............WITH THE WATER ON! Considering it was 10:30 the house had to have been on for at least 4 hours, RIGHT in the spot where the water kept coming down and flooding our basement last year. Arg.

I went downstairs and found water in the garage area. Just in that corner and along the wall and only extending out 3 or 4 feet. Without wanting to wake Brooks I just grabbed the shop-vac and started sucking up the puddle of water. I did that for about 45 minutes. I couldn't help but think of the tender mercy Heavenly Father had just given me. I immediately felt so much gratitude and peace.....that still fills my chest as I type this. I could've NOT checked the hoses, or just one and found a REEEEEEEEEEEALLY flooded basement/downstairs/garage in the morning. HEAVEN KNOWS it would've been a REALLY bad morning for me to wake up to THAT, because I am NOT a morning person......at. all. (Just ask my mom).

As little as this event might have been I see it as a little loving sign of mercy from above.........a little evidence that someone is watching out for me and cares enough about my sanity to perk up my "Mom Ears" to what could've been a mess. With all that is going on around the world it's pretty overwhelming sometimes to think I have a Father in Heaven who cares enough about me this evening in my safe and now-dry home.

And now that it's past midnight, I think I'll go finish saying my prayers that got interrupted before.............but this time, with a few more things to be thankful for.

THIS little sweet boy, at 5 and a half months weighs a whoppin'

(drumroll please...........)

14 lbs. 11 oz.

Okay, so he MIGHT be somewhat of a lightweight, but he is soooo darn cute.

Everyone loves him and he's pretty spoiled. See? (Emerson reading to him)

He even got to stay up late one night and watch Biggest Loser with me, Emerson and Sally (Sally is ALWAYS my TV/movie buddy)

Shortly after though he fell asleep.

Even though he's not sitting up yet by himself, he STILL thinks he's almost ready to do something that I'm NOT very happy about........

(Oh and the poor kid, he'll just DIE when he's older and his Mom yells "GO ROYCEY!" in his games!)

TEN FRIGGIN YEARS!!!

Ten years ago Melissa took a terrible chance on a young man named Brooks. TEN YEARS AGO!! Well, other than me, what does she have to show for herself? Not much. I'm kidding. Let's see. Fifty four months of pregnancy.That's four and a half years of having a tumor within your uterus. Wow!! One hour of labor. No, not one hour of working, but one hour of actual pushing. That's a long time...I think. At least it seems so. Sixty plus months of nursing. Now, I know that's a long time. Two years or so (the number is foggy as my slumber was rarely interrupted) of getting up at least once during the middle of the night. Around 10000 meals prepared for her family. Man, think what I could have done with all that money. I digress. Those items are just the ones that I can quantify. But, what about all the other "stuff?"

For starters, 99.67% of the last ten years she has done her darnedest to make me happy. For the most part she has succeeded. The only hiccups along the way were those nights when she made me get up and do what I could to get one of the kids to quit crying. No worries. I forgive and forget.

For ten years she has supported and encouraged me to do well in school, church, and in fatherhood (not quite ten years). Ten years and counting she has not muttered one complaining peep about where I have taken her as I've went here and there for school and work. Never before has a wife been more of a support to her husband than Melissa.

For eight and a half of these ten years she has, with grace, been the best darn mom that she could be. Few things rattle her and even fewer things have caused her to lose her marbles. She has, from the beginning, taken these loaned out spirits and has cared for them as only a true mother can. She has unselfishly dedicated her life to see that these children of hers become good and righteous sons and daughters of God. Though this world will one day be her inheritance, she has, for now, chosen to live, teach and be in a home not much bigger than 1500 square feet. WHy? Because she understands that the farthest reaching influence for good begins within the walls of this small home.

Because of her example, one day her kids will feel to cry aloud, "How I love and cherish true motherhood! Nothing beneath the celestial kingdom can surpass my deathless love for the sweet, true, noble, soul who gave me birth—my own, own, mother! O she was good! She was true! She was pure! She was indeed a Saint! A royal daughter of God!"

Finally, may I say to you Melissa, how much I love you! How grateful I am that you weren't quite as smart ten years ago when you were fooled just enough to sit across the altar from me. That could have been one of the greatest heist of all time. Some would actually really believe that. I happen to be one of them

Happy Anniversary to ME!!!

Do you think there's a chance

(even a SMALL one) for Royce?

With these 2 has his older sisters, Emerson starting kindergarten next year and him being ALONE w/ girls all day, I'm starting to worry...........

Celebrity Day

At the boys' school they have a Theme Week going. Yesterday was “Hat Day”, they'll be a “Pajama Day”, etc. Well, TODAY is “Celebrity Day”. Camden came home yesterday and asked what a “celebrity” was and I told him. Bronson was soooooo excited because he said he would dress up like a basketball player because then he could wear basketball shorts to school (which we don't let him do normally). He was thrilled.

At the dinner table Camden told Daddy how he didn't know WHO to be. Brooks asked the boys what a celebrity was.

Boys: It's someone cool

Brooks: Camden, that means YOU are a celebrity

Boys: No, it's someone that does something neat

Brooks: Yep, Camden, THAT'S YOU!

Boys: (Exasperated they said,) NO! They have a LOT of fans!

Brooks: Camden, look around here, you have a TON of fans at home, at church and at school!

So here's what Camden ended up wearing for Celebrity Day. I can't help but sit here and smile of thinking him confidently wearing that at school!

Oh, and I had to include a picture of Aleeya walking around w/ J.J. on her shoulder. He's actually been a pretty loving pet........and VERY ....(how shall I say this).....DURABLE!

How old are we?

I'm not going to disclose ALL our ages, but here are 11 moms, dressed in tutus (many borrowed from our daughters........not mine obviously, because it didn't fit) getting ready to run the 5K for Breast Cancer.

And not only did we RUN but there had to be a little dancing before

Aaaaaaand, well, a little potty break before too. Here Allison, Nikki and I come back from....well, you know what......in an undisclosed place. Because apparently if I TOLD you where we would have gotten a ticket........according to Nikki.

There was sooooooo many people. To give you an idea, by the time we got to the starting line, it had been 17 minutes since the first people took off. We could barely run once it started.

We spent most of the race zigging and zagging through people......which wasn't too easy because the whole first mile was uphill, but everyone was so nice and friendly during the race that it made it enjoyable (wait, did I just use that word associated with RUNNING?!?!? Yikes.)

Nikki and I finished it in 29:00 flat. And we were thrilled considering we were shooting for around 30. I think it was the drums/music, etc. that kept us running to a fun beat (Pause. Now I used the word "fun"?!?!?)

However, had someone TOLD me there would've been a ton of freebies waiting at the finish line, I probably would've sprinted faster!!!! NOW, they're talkin' my language.

(why I wore a pink shirt when my face goes bright pink/red is beyond me.......)

I don't think I've EVER eaten a better-tasting orange!

Rachel was all about "goosing" the Chick-Fil-A cow....

But you know what they say? What goes around, comes around!

Here we are at the end of the race w/ all the babies (that the iron-men mommies pushed in strollers).

Don't get me wrong though, I still don't LIKE running, but Rachel of course, challenged me and said I at least had to do ONE race in my whole life. And there it is.

However, I WILL say, I enjoyed hangin' w/ some of my peeps......even in tutus.