The Burke Crew

Slacker!

2010-03-29T22:53:00.000-06:00

I know I have been a terrible blogger for the past 6 months. I keep waiting for life to slow down a little, but I have come to the realization that is not going to happen any time soon, if it ever happens at all . So here is a recap of some of the main events from the Burke home since October ( Starting with the most recent photos/events).

Family Easter Pictures/Easter Outfits

2010-03-29T22:52:00.000-06:00

Kudos to my mom for the kids Easter outfits! Since Easter Sunday is General Conference, we wore our Easter clothes to church yesterday. Everyone looked darling! Jackson has wanted a suit for a while now and was so excited to wear a tie and suit to church. Now he said he wants a tuxedo! Go figure. Avery and Sage looked beautiful. I can’t get over Avery’s eyes in these pictures. Sage loves dressing up and wants to wear a skirt and tights everyday. She is such a doll. Josh and I threw a splash of green on in attempt to coordinate with the kids. For an amateur picture, these pictures turned out pretty good! Good job Josh!

We rushed home from church to take pictures of everyone in their Easter outfits and realized our camera battery was dead so we had to tell the kids to stay in their church clothes for a little longer. It got a little tense in our house for about an hour. “Don’t eat that”, “Don’t lay down”, “Keep your shoes on”, “Stop running around”, and finally, “SMILE”. Right after we took the second family photo, the battery died again. Phew! Thank goodness they turned out ok because there was no way we were going to be able to keep those kids in their church clothes for 1 more minute, let alone another hour.

Disney on Ice

2010-03-29T22:48:00.001-06:00

Josh happened to be out of town while Disney on Ice was in Salt Lake, so my Mom and Ty took the kids & I to Disney on ice. They ate pretzels, kettle corn, cotton candy, and even got a prize from Grandma Di & Grandpa Ty. It was such a great production and they loved it! Thanks Mom & Ty!

Jackson Principal’s Pride award

2010-03-29T22:43:00.000-06:00

Jackson received a special reward from the principal at school. It is called “Principal’s Pride”. Each month teachers nominate students to receive an award during a special lunch hour with their parents. Jackson has made huge improvements in school this year and he was so proud of himself and this accomplishment. Good job Jackie!

Jr. Jazz

2010-03-29T22:32:00.001-06:00

Josh and our Brother-in-law Kevin, coached Jackson and his cousin BJ and their Jr. Jazz team. It’s a good thing there is not traveling or double dribbling called in these games or we may still be there. It is hilarious to watch. Jackson & BJ both did very good, but they forgot they had other team members besides each other. They are best of friends and play on every sports team together which makes it so fun.

Andre's Baptism

2010-03-29T22:29:00.000-06:00

The day after Christmas was a very special day. Josh’s 16 year old nephew Andre was baptized. Andre started taking the missionary discussions and decided to be baptized. Josh was able to baptize and confirm Andre. It was a very spiritual experience for Josh and Andre and the whole family. We are so proud of Andre and the decision he made.

Christmas Morning Before the Chaos…

2010-03-29T22:28:00.000-06:00

The TRUE Meaning of Christmas

2010-03-29T22:27:00.000-06:00

This year we decided to start a little tradition for Christmas. We want our kids to remember that Christmas is not only about presents, so during the month of December we had a nice nativity with Mary, Joseph, and an empty manger as part of our Christmas Décor. On Christmas morning before we opened presents or even looked to see what Santa brought, the kids placed the baby Jesus in the empty manger to set the day off with the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

Avery & Jackson Surprise from Santa…I-Touch

2010-03-29T22:25:00.000-06:00

Avery and Jackson were shocked as they opened their last gift from Santa. I-Touch’s! Neither had asked for them, and they were pretty giddy about Santa’s surprise.

I Love Christmas

2010-03-29T22:24:00.000-06:00

There is nothing quite like Christmas. I get so excited to see our kids open their gifts on Christmas that I find it hard to sleep Christmas Eve. What a special time of year with so many memories.

Avery's Mini Locker

2010-03-29T22:20:00.001-06:00

This was the only thing Avery asked from Santa. A mini locker. Supposedly Santa had a really hard time finding one of these :)

Barbie Make-Up

2010-03-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

Sage did not ask for anything BUT Barbie make-up. Needless to say, Santa did not disappoint. She was very happy to finally have her ONLY wish.

Sage & Her Vanity

2010-03-29T22:15:00.000-06:00

Sage also got a cute vanity for her room for all of her make-up. Sage is as girlie as they come and loves to play in her room and look at herself and talk to the other person in the mirror.

Avery's Family Birthday Party

2010-03-29T22:13:00.000-06:00

Avery had a friend birthday party last year, so this year she had a family birthday party. Getting all our family together makes for a very large group. Avery is loved by everyone. Avery you are so grown up! Really, how did time sneak by so fast? It seems like yesterday that you were a little girl escaping her crib and knocking on our front door at 10:00 pm with a huge smile and wild hair! You have been such a joy in our family. You are so happy all the time and have been so mature for your age since you were little. I catch myself looking at you sometimes in awe. You are so beautiful inside and out. Thank you for choosing our family. We feel so blessed to have such an intelligent, spiritual, beautiful, talented daughter. We love you sweetheart!

Avery's New Rollerblades & Cute Hat

2010-03-29T22:11:00.000-06:00

Jackson's Birthday Party -7years old!

2010-03-29T22:07:00.002-06:00

Jackson had a birthday party with his friends this year at “Jumping Jacks”. It is like a big warehouse with blow up jumping thing. We wore all those boys out! It was so fun to watch Jackson with all his friends. He got about 6 Nerf guns from his friends so that seemed to be the popular gift this year. Jackson I cannot believe you are 7. You are such a sensitive, loveable, giving, unselfish person. You care about your sisters and your family so much. You always think about others before yourself. You have grown up to be such a handsome young man. You crack us up every day. We are so grateful that you chose to be in our family. I can’t imagine what our family would be like if we had not been led to you 7 years ago! We love you Buddy Boy!

Jackson's Birthday Cake

2010-03-29T22:04:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know Jackson well, know he does not like cake or ice cream. His food of choice would be glazed donuts and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. I had no idea what to do for a birthday cake for him since he doesn’t like cake, so we stuck candles in a glazed donut. He loved it!

Grandma & Mac

2010-03-29T21:50:00.001-06:00

My Grandpa is a war veteran and was given a full military ceremony with Taps. My cousin Mac who lives in San Francisco area is a Marine and was able to participate in the ceremony and handed the folded USA flag to my Grandma. Needless to say there was not a dry eye in the place. Mac is kind of treated like a novelty in our family because we don’t get to see him much since he lives further away than most of the family and has been unable to be at any family events since he has been in Afghanistan etc. He definitely made the cemetery service very special.

Flowers

2010-03-29T21:48:00.001-06:00

I wish I would have taken more pictures of the flowers at the funeral because they were beautiful! My mom did all the floral arrangements. This is one on his casket that was so gorgeous.

Grandpa's Funeral

2010-03-29T21:45:00.002-06:00

I posted a while back that my Grandpa (My mom’s dad) had prostate cancer and was on hospice and was not doing well. He passed away in November with all of his 7 children under the same roof, which by the way has never happened since the oldest child and the youngest child are 18 years apart. It was expected, but was such a long road of pain and suffering. It was so awful to watch him go through the pain and agony that he went through. Although it is so hard to not have him here, it was a blessing for him to not have to suffer anymore. It was a beautiful funeral and family reunion. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him.

Halloween....What a "Drag"

2010-03-29T21:43:00.001-06:00

At some point in every man’s life they dress up like a girl. Like I said before, my Uncles Halloween party is an annual event that we never miss. We laugh until our stomach aches. We played a game where we broke off in groups in different rooms. Each group received a box that had various dress up/costume items & make-up. Each group chose a person and used their creativity to dress them up. Then they were each judged. Funny thing is, each group dressed up their “model” as a girl. They are each very outgoing and were not afraid to strut their stuff.

It was a Kodak moment for sure.

Halloween 2009 - Josh & I

2010-03-29T21:40:00.001-06:00

I am not real fond of dressing up for Halloween but my Uncle Tracy has an annual Halloween party every year where if you don’t get decked out, you should just not go. It is always fun to see the creative ideas every year by all the families. I tell myself every year that we are going to be prepared and have great costumes, and EVERY year we are scrambling the night before and the day of the party. This year Josh and I ended up being Hulk Hogan & Mr. “T”. We could not stop laughing as we were painting Josh’s face.
P.S. This was all done for character so please no one take offense.

Halloween 2009 - Jackson & Sage

2010-03-29T21:38:00.002-06:00

Jackson & Sage fortunately still let us help them decide their Halloween costumes. Jackson would be happy as any super hero. Sage actually surprised me that she agreed to be Batgirl. I thought for sure she would go with one of the princesses. They are cute little Super Heros!

Halloween 2009 - Avery

2010-03-29T21:32:00.001-06:00

Avery is growing up way too fast and now has a mind of her own. We did not have much of a say in her choice of Halloween costume this year. She did not like any of the ideas we had, nor did she want to be part of a group/family costume idea. Regardless, she chose to be a baby, a big baby! Ha ha. Avery is such a doll. I really can’t believe how fast time goes by.

Pinocchio BANNED from our house

2009-09-16T07:52:00.003-06:00

Well, the title of this post is a little extreme, but let me explain. Last week Avery called me at work when she got home from school and said that Jackson said a "bad word" at the bus stop. I proceeded to ask what he said, assuring her she would not get in trouble for saying it. She refused to say it, so I asked her to spell the word. She wouldn't spell it, but said, "It's another word for butt". I then asked her to put Jackson on the phone. This was my phone conversation with Jackson.

Me: "Jackson, did you say a bad word at the bus stop?"

Jackson: "yes"

Me: "What did you say?"

Jackson:(without hesitation) "A#@"

Me:"Did you know that is a bad word and that we don't say that?"

Jackson:"Yes"

Me:"Who did you say it to?"

Jackson:"I don't know who he was."

Me:"What did you say to him?"

Jackson:"I don't know"

Me:"Did you say, you're an A@#?"

Jackson:"No, I said,What you looking at A@#."

Me:(Barely able to hold in my laughter)"Where did you hear that word?"

Jackson: "Pinocchio"

So, there you go. Pinocchio is banned! Ha Ha. Not really, but it was pretty hilarious. Come to find out it was a 4th grader at the bus stop. What am I going to do with the kid?

Grandma & Grandpa GREAT

2009-09-16T07:38:00.003-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to Boise over Labor Day weekend. My Grandparents and most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins live in Boise. We had such a good time spending some very memorable and precious time with my Grandparents. My nephew Braiden, who is the oldest Great Grandchild, called my grandparents "Grandma & Grandpa Great", when he was little. The name has since stuck with all the great grandchildren. My Grandpa has cancer and has recently been put on Hospice care. We went to Boise knowing that this could well be the last time that we see Grandpa. Needless to say, it was a very emotional weekend. My grandparents are the most generous selfless people I know. They have a great relationship with all of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I am so glad that my kids have been able to have a relationship with them. While we were there, we had our kids and my sisters kids write down a bunch of questions for Grandma & Grandpa. We sat outside on their patio and video taped Grandma & Grandpa answering each of the kids questions. It was 45 minutes of crying and laughing. Here are a few pictures we took over the weekend.

Back to School

2009-08-25T17:14:00.003-06:00

I know I am a month late posting this due to my camera problems, but Avery & Jackson went back to school on July 27th. Avery started 3rd grade and Jackson started 1st grade. Jackson was so excited to ride the bus and start first grade. When we got to the bus stop on the first day he excitedly said to all the kids at the bus stop, "I'm in first grade today!". It was cute. He is doing very well and reading so good. I cannot believe our little boy is in 1st grade. I never believed people when they said that your kids grow up so fast, but I do now. Where has the time gone? Avery is such a cute big sister to Jackson and has really taken him under her wing at school. The first week of school I was tucking her into bed and she was crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I miss Jackson during the day". I asked her if she missed him last year (he went to a different school than Avery last year), she said, "no" and kind of chuckled. She told me she just wants to make sure he is ok during the day and not being bullied. It was so cute to hear how much she cares. Sage is not in school yet, but really really wants to be. When we ask the kids how their day at school was each night, Sage has her own story about her day of school. She is now at daycare by herself, which she really has never experienced before. She misses her brother and sister during the day, and is so excited to see them each afternoon when she comes home.

Trampoline Fun ( Motley Crew)

2009-08-25T16:56:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the kids trying out their tricks and dog piles on the trampoline. Do not mind the outfits they are wearing. This was a Sunday afternoon and the first thing they do is take off their church clothes and dress themselves in whatever they want. They obviously must be color blind or have some very odd taste in clothing. Thank goodness they have a personal shopper and dresser on any other day or else this is what they would dress themselves in every day. Ha Ha

Our Backyard is done! WAHOO

2009-08-25T16:14:00.003-06:00

It has been a work in progress, but I am happy to say that we actually finally have grass and an in ground trampoline in our backyard. It is still far from completely landscaped, but at least there is grasss now and a place for the kids to play. The trampoline has become a big hit and hang out for the neighborhood kids. It is fun to look out and see a crowd gather in our backyard every day. It has also been fun and nerve wrecking to watch Jackson, Avery, and Sage do flips and tricks. So far no major injuries...(I knocked on wood after that statement)

Camera Problems

2009-08-19T07:56:00.003-06:00

I have been a blog slacker lately! Of course the day I decide to upload pictures and update my blog, my computer cannot read my memory card! Yes I am a little freaked out, but I am sure it is just the operator, not the actual memory card. Maybe it's because when I go to view the pictures on my actual camera, there are about 400 pictures from a night when we had a babysitter and came home to find our camera and video camera on the kitchen floor! Yes 400 pictures of every door frame in our house, bathroom sinks, the TV, the babysitter, babysitters hand, a piece of popcorn on the carpet, etc. Yes I know you are asking yourself the same question as I was, "Where was the babysitter whike the kids were playing with the camera?". Needless to say, I will update my blog this week, as soon as I figure out what the heck is wrong with my camera!! ARRGHHGHHGH.

Sage's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-06-29T09:51:00.002-06:00

Here are more pictures of Sage at her 3rd Birthday Party

Pretty in Pink & Sweet as can be, Little Miss Sage just turned 3!

2009-06-29T09:42:00.003-06:00

Sage turned 3 on June 22. I cannot believe how fast the past 3 years have flown by. She is such a sweetheart. She makes us laugh every day. Everyone who knows Sage, is aware she is obsessed with Pink. She wanted to have a "Pink" birthday party this year, but since some of her little friends and cousins are boys, we decided that she could have a "Pink & Sweet" party. She invited her cousins and a couple neighborhood little friends. We decorated kind of like a candy land with a candy buffet. Of course we tried to have as much "Pink" as possible. IT was very cute to see her interact with her friends and cousins. Happy Birthday Sagey!

Cheer Recital

2009-06-29T09:32:00.002-06:00

June has been absolutely crazy with birthdays, school programs, soccer games, and dance recitals. It's a bitter sweet that everything comes to an end at the same time. Avery has been taking Cheerleading for a couple years and really enjoys it. She has made huge improvements and is a very good cheerleader. My camera was not taking the best of pictures, but she looked gorgeous and did perfect. Both grandma's were there to support her as well. Good job Avery!

Soccer Season is over

2009-06-29T08:27:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned before in a previous post, Josh coached Jackson's soccer team this year along with my brother-in-law. My nephew, BJ was also on the team. BJ and Jackson are best of buds, but on the soccer field they dominate. It has been so fun to watch them as they gain a good concept of the game. They both have played for 3 years and most of their team members just started this year so they had a bit of an advantage. It was fun for us to watch them each week and it is always a little comical as well. Way to go Blue Sharks!

Soaring Eagle Award

2009-06-29T08:19:00.002-06:00

Avery has a few days left of Second grade, but during the school year she has worked very hard to earn an award that very receive at school. She has had to complete different projects and maintain good attendance etc. to receive the award. The school had a big awards night to present the award to the students. We are so proud of Avery! She excels in school and definitely deserves the "Soaring Eagle Award". Way to go Aves! We love you!

Our Kindergarten GRAD

2009-05-21T11:45:00.002-06:00

Jackson is just finishing up his Kidergarten school year and has made some very big improvements this year. We could not be more proud of him. His teacher said that he is a very good reader and that he is definitely ready for 1st grade! Jackson's teacher gave us his Kindergarten Graduation pictures today, and I just could not help but smile and shed a tear at what a cute picture this is. Jackson has been such a blessing in our family and we are so proud of you buddy! Way to go Kindergarten GRAD!!! We love you Jackie!

RACE FOR THE CURE - MAY 9, 2009

2009-05-14T14:54:00.004-06:00

Last year my mom and my sisters and I walked the Race for the Cure, just 10 days after my mom had her breast surgery. We raced with hope,faith and uncertainty with the recent news Breast Cancer and chemotherapy. This year we raced to celebrate! There was quite a few of us that walked. My grandparents came from Boise, as well as a few of my mom's siblings as well. My sisters and I and our families aalso walked as well as a few of my mom's friends. In total I think there was 30 of us. It was so neat to celebrate this with my mom this year, and it ironically was also her BIRTHDAY! What a difference one year makes. It was emotional to see all the Survivors walking with their pink hats and pink shirts. Everyone walked the race including our kids. It was a very special day to dedicate solely to my mom and her birthday and her battle the past year with breast cancer.

Race for the Cure cont...

2009-05-14T14:46:00.002-06:00

Here are more pictures of the race. Sage sat in the stroller most of the time but she decided at one point she wanted to "Win the race". Her shirt was down to her ankles, but she was determined to run. Jackson and Avery walked the whole way with their cousins. It was hard to keep track of them in the crowd of 20,000. My uncle Tracy pushed my grandma the whole way in a wheelchair. Needless to say, we all finished the race and It was so fun to walk with the whole family and for my kids to experience this. We are going to make this an annual tradition.

More Race for the Cure...

2009-05-14T14:38:00.002-06:00

I can't believe how many people show up every year for The Race for the Cure. It is astonishing to see how many people are affected by breast cancer. All the "Survivors" are wearing pink hats and a pink shirt, which makes them stand out amongst the rest of the crowd. It is a very emotional and neat experience.

Soccer 2009- THE BLUE SHARKS

2009-05-14T14:25:00.002-06:00

It is SPRING! Jackson and his cousin/best friend BJ have been on the same soccer team for a couple years. Josh and my brother-in-law Kevin are the coaches of their team. They named themselves, "BLUE SHARKS". It's the only name we could think of, and thankfully the whole team approved. It is fun to watch their games each Saturday. We joke with Jackson that they get their butt's kicked by girls. (He doesn't like that comment). Their team has a lot of first year soccer players, so needless to say, they aren't very good, but they still have a blast and it is fun watching them hustle. I think the only reason they play is for the drinks and treats at the end of the game :)

Why is it....

2009-04-15T09:29:00.006-06:00

Why is it that whenever you have pictures scheduled to be taken or a special event to go to where you want your kids to look their best, that something silly happens? Whether they lose a tooth or get a scratch or bump, it's perfectly visible in a picture. Saturday night, Jackson was chasing Sage around the house and they were running around our kitchen table ( which has a large rug underneath it) when Sage fell on her face and got a beautiful rug burn mark on her chin. Needless to say, every picture you will see on Easter has her signature mark on her chin. Silly Sage.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-15T09:05:00.004-06:00

We had a full day on Easter this year! The Easter bunny made it to our house and even hid some eggs. I made these cute little "chick" Easter baskets for the kids this year. They actually turned out pretty cute! Their baskets were filled with candy, playdough, coloring stuff, cars (Jackson), lipstck ( Sage & Avery), and other little toys. The Easter bunny brought Avery and Jackson "Guitar Hero" for their DS, and Sage a little battery powered Barbie 4-wheeler. They were ecstatic with the Easter Bunny this year. They also each had cute Easter outfits, courtesy of Grandma Di for the girls and Josh and I for Jackson. They all looked darling. The reason there is a lack of pictures of Easter morning is because Josh went to get the camera and needless to say we forgot to charge it the night before. Arrrghhhh. I hate when that happens. Anyway, it was a fun day complete with the Easter Bunny leaving goodies and an egg hunt at our house, church, dinner and an Easter Egg hunt at Grandma Di & Ty's, and an the Annual hunt and Grandma and Grandpa Theurer's.

On a Side note...

2009-04-15T09:00:00.003-06:00

I took this picture of my Mom on Easter and I think she looks so cute! As many of you know, my mom recently completed all her Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments for Breast Cancer, and her hair has started to grow back! Don't you think her hair looks so cute? I love it! Yeah Mom!

Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma Di & Grandpa Ty's

2009-04-15T08:47:00.005-06:00

This year was full of Easter Egg Hunt's. My Mom and Ty had Easter dinner at their house and decided to do an Easter Egg hunt for the grandkids as well as give them little easter baskets. At least the weather was OK and we were able to do the hunt outside. It is always so much fun to be with our family. Our kids and their cousins are best of friends and there is never a dull moment. Thanks Grandma Di & Grandpa Ty!

Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Grandpa & Grandma Theurer's

2009-04-15T08:31:00.002-06:00

There is a long standing Easter tradition in the Theurer family. Easter Sunday the whole Theurer clan and offspring meet at Grandpa Hank and Grandma Ruth's house for an Easter Egg hunt. Grandpa Hank hides one small egg for every grandchild and great grandchild ( Any friends invited are also included in the hunt). Each egg is individually labeled with a name. Grandpa Hanks yard is huge! Every year it is a challenge to find your egg. Grandpa Hank even makes a map of the yard and has it labeled where every egg is hidden! I don't think the same hiding space has been used twice. One year my sister Kimber's egg was actually hidden in an actual birds nest! It is so much fun each year to see what new spots Grandpa has come up with. Once you find your egg you take it to Grandpa and he exchanges it for $5. It is a tradition we have never missed and we look forward to every year!

BACK TO LIFE...BACK TO REALITY

2009-03-30T13:18:00.002-06:00

HERE WE ARE ON THE FLIGHT HOME. WE LEFT THE 80 DEGREE WEATHER AND CAME HOME TO FREEZING COLD WEATHER AND SNOW. BOO HOO! WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR EACHOTHER AND THE MEMORIES THAT WERE MADE.

Sage's Beach Work of Art

2009-03-30T13:10:00.003-06:00

Sage loved the beach and could have stayed there all day. We were very intrigued when she started making scratch marks in the sand. She continued to do this for quite some time, and it looked so cool! Here are some pictures of her work of art.

Day at the Beach

2009-03-30T13:03:00.003-06:00

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach

2009-03-30T12:54:00.004-06:00

On Saturday we spent most of the day at Huntington Beach. Jackson was still feeling under the weather, but was doing much better. There was the "Van's" surfing competition that day and the weather couldn't be more perfect.

MORE Sage Photos

2009-03-30T12:47:00.006-06:00

I realize there are a lot of pictures of Sage. I tried to capture everything since it was her first time at Disneyland.

Stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean

2009-03-30T12:40:00.004-06:00

Did I mention we got stuck for 30 minutes inside Pirates of the Caribbean? Um, yeah it was our last ride at Disneyland, and per Sage's request we went on Pirates. We got stuck on the edge of the drop off. Flash photography is normally not allowed, but I took advantage of the moment and took a picture of Avery and Josh in the front row. When we finally got out of the ride sage said, "Mom we made it!".

More Disneyland Pictures

2009-03-30T12:33:00.004-06:00

There are way too many pictures to post, but here are a few of our favorites.

We made a lot of memories and had a lot of fun.

Avery in Disneyland

2009-03-30T12:17:00.006-06:00

Avery was a HUGE help in Disneyland. She is such a good big sister. She took Sage and Jackson under her wing. Avery sat scross the aisle from me on the flight on the way home. After the flight, the woman she sat next to said what a sweet girl she was and paid her some very nice compliments. We are very proud of Avery. On Saturday we took her to the huge American Girl store in Hollywood and she was on cloud 9! She had a great time and was able to go on every ride. She acted very grown up :(.

Jackson in Disneyland

2009-03-30T12:03:00.005-06:00

Jackson loved Disneyland and was able to go on a lot of rides that he wasn't able to go on the last time we were there in 2006. His favorite part of Disneyland was watching the street performance of High School Musical 3 ( as you all know he is obsessed). We had to go to the show 2 times. Jackson got pretty sick on Friday on our trip, but was a trooper and we dragged him everywhere we went. On a side note, you can be sure to cast your vote for "Mother of the Year" when you hear the following:There is a ride in California Adventure called "California Screamin". It is a roller coaster like no other. The height requirement was 48". Jackson was just under the height requirement and was devistated he could not go on the ride. I told him we would come back the next day and that he needed to wear his other shoes that had higher soles. We went back the next day with his other shoes and he still was barely under the requirement. As you can imaging he was even more devistated, so I did the unthinkable. I took him into the bathroom and stuffed toilet paper into the soles of his shoes, and guess what? He passed! Ha ha. I was nervous after that and told Josh to hold onto him since it is a relentless coaster. He went and loved it. It made his trip.

Sage in Disneyland

2009-03-30T11:13:00.006-06:00

After the rough start at Disneyland, Sage was a riot. She has a blast and wanted to go on every ride. She had little fear. She even rode on the Matterhorn, Pirates of the Carribean twice as well as all the other rides. She loved Pirates and seeing Tinkerbell and the other Fairies. She was exhausted every night and even slept through the fireworks. Funny girl!

Disneyland - Day 1

2009-03-30T11:02:00.005-06:00

DAY 1 at Disneyland. The weather was beautiful (85 degrees), the kids were in great spirits and Disneyland was magical. We made a terrible mistake of going through the castle first. The last time we were here it was under construction so we did not know what to expect. It was the whole Sleeping Beauty theme and it scared Sage to death! Needless to say, she was scared of Disneyland including Minnie, Mickey and Goofy until later that night. Notice the Sunglasses Sage wears in EVERY picture! She would not take them off. She was a DIVA to say the least and we named her "HOLLYWOOD" on the trip because of her DIVA Demeanor.

DISNEYLAND MARCH 24-29, 2009

2009-03-30T10:30:00.004-06:00

The day finally came and we made it to DISNEYLAND! We picked up the kids early on Tuesday afternoon ( March 23rd) and told them we were going to do something fun as a family. They still had no idea that we were leaving town. We got in the car to drive to the airport and we gave each of them a box. The box had a swimsuit ,flip flops, sunglasses and a picture of Mickey & Minnie saying "We're going to DISNEYLAND!". They all opened their boxes at the same time and were excited about what was inside but still did not get it. Finally I said, "We are going to Disneyland TODAY! We are going to the airport right now!". At that point they were so excited. It was priceless to see their excitement. We got into Orange County and went to Downtown Disney for dinner and back to the hotel to swim and get some sleep for DISNEYLAND!

Karaoke Time - Jackson does "Scream" from High School Musical 3

2009-03-18T15:05:00.003-06:00

VOTE FOR JACKSON! Here is the full video of Jackson's karaoke performance. The contest only allows you to submit 30 seconds. Make sure you vote starting FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2009 @ www.971zht.com

Good Luck Jackie!

VOTE FOR JACKSON!!!

2009-03-18T08:37:00.003-06:00

As many of you know Jackson is our little singer/dancer and is obsessed with High School Musical 3 and "Troy Bolton" especially. We found out that 97.1 ZHT was doing a Kiddieokee contest and the winner of the contest gets a Playground from Backyards of America. We asked Jackson if he wanted to do it, and of course he wanted to sing "Scream" from High School Musical 3. The video will be posted today by Noon on 97.1 ZHT Website, and voting starts Friday, March 20th. If you get a chance, please go to the website and VOTE FOR JACKSON!!!
www.971zht.com

DISNEYLAND!!

2009-03-18T08:11:00.002-06:00

It's countdown baby!! We are surprising the kids next week and taking them to Disneyland( Tuesday March 24-March 29). Josh and I are so excited to see the kids faces when we tell them. We haven't decided if we are going to tell them the night before or just tell them on the way to the airport. I will definitely post pictures when we get back from our trip. YEEHAW!! I can't wait for a vacation!

Where Were You....

2009-01-21T08:49:00.002-07:00

January 20, 2009 is a day that is one that we will all remember where we were when the 1st black president of the United States was inaugurated into office. I cannot imagine the pride and historic relevance this has on the African American population in the United States. I felt very happy for our little Jackson today. What a momentous day in history that he will be able to look back on one day with such pride. Our country has come such a long way and for the most part has been able to look past the color of ones skin to the content of their character as Martin Luther King Jr. once said. I have a lot of hope for our country and I hope that President Obama is the answer we are looking for. I felt very proud looking at Jackson yesterday and explaining to him what a neat day it was. Even though he did not fully grasp what I was saying, I know it will have an impact on his life.

I am officially old!!!

2009-01-14T23:13:00.004-07:00

Avery turned 8 on December 13th and was baptized by her Dad, Josh, on December 27th. It was such a special day, but I couldn't help but look at the day and wonder where the time has gone. I have an 8 year old? It is a crazy thought for me. I know the day was very special for Avery, even though the water was very cold. It was a very spiritual experience for me, one that I will remember just as I do my own baptism. Josh put together a video of photos of Avery from birth until present. It was quite a project and turned out AMAZING! Thanks Josh! Avery looked so pure. We had a lot of friends and family there to support her. We are so thankful to have such a wonderful family and support group. Avery we are very proud of you and the beautiful woman you are becoming! Always remember that special day! I attached a picture of Avery as a baby as well because I cannot believe this little lady was once so small.

Attempt #1 - Building a Snowman

2009-01-14T23:03:00.004-07:00

Since we have had a run of snow this winter, the kids could not wait to get their hands in the snow and build a snowman. So... After bundling them all up, we sent them outside to build. They tried, but just didn't quite get it. We will try again. I just have to laugh when I look at this picture because all I can think of is Randy and Ralphie from the Christmas Story. In fact, I tried calling Sage "Ralphie" and she wanted nothing to do with that name. "I'm not Ralphie, I'm Sagey".

Christmas 2009

2009-01-14T22:55:00.003-07:00

Christmas is always such an exciting time of year. We had a great Christmas this year and always enjoy the look on the kids face on Christmas morning as they open their gifts to see what Santa brought. This year Avery and Sage got iPods and docking stations and sleeping bags. They have not slept a night out of their sleeping bags since Christmas. Sage got dress-up clothes (of course) and she also got a sleeping bag and a little mp3 player so that she can listen to music like her big brother and sister. We love Christmas time at our house.

"Yib- Bips"

2009-01-14T22:48:00.003-07:00

If you have followed my blog at all you know that our little Sagey is as Girly as they come. The first thing Sage does every morning is find her 3 items she cannot function without. What are these items you say? A purse, high heels and "Yib-Bips". I know, I know, "What is Yib-Bips?" you say? This is the name that Sage gave lipstick. She has MAAASTERED the art of putting on lipstick and staying on the lips, don't you think? We can't get enough of her and her "Yib-Bips".

Happy Birthday Dear Avery!

2009-01-14T22:36:00.003-07:00

Avery celebrated her 8 year Birthday at The Lion House courtesy of my mom. My mom booked this party a year in advance sine the parties here book up quickly. Needless to say, Avery has been anticipating this day for a year. It was so fun to be with her and her close friends and cousins. They got to pull taffy the way the pioneers did, play pioneer games, dress up like pioneers, have lunch and eat her Lion Cake. There is a story that goes along with each birthday cake baked at The Lion House. The chef throws a gumball in the batter and bakes it with the cake. If you get the piece of cake with the gumball in it, you will have good luck for a year! No one got the gumball at the party, but Avery found it the next day while having left over cake! At the end of the party, the birthday girl gets to choose a porcelain doll from the mantle. Avery chose a darling doll and all the girls were jealous and sad they want to have their birthdays there too. It was a lot of fun. Happy Birthday Aves!

GO FIGHT WIN!!!

2009-01-14T22:23:00.004-07:00

Avery has been taking Cheerleading for the past 6 months and loves it! Since she started, our household vocabulary has included words such as: Pike, Toe Touch, Cartwheel etc. She wishes she had practice every day (I on the other hand can barely keep up with once a week). Avery had her first recital on December 12th. She did awesome! I found myself choked up during her performance because she really surprised me. She was the best one up there, and even did a stunt at the end of the performance. We were very proud of her. She looked like an official cheerleader! Way to go Avery!

Jackson's Birthday Party

2009-01-14T22:14:00.003-07:00

We celebrated Jackson's 6th birthday at my sister's house with his cousin Izzy, who turned 2 one day before Jackson. The kids had fun hitting the Nemo piniata with a bat. Jackson was really enthusiastic about his clothes ( ha ha - as you can see from the pictures). We try to get those necessities out of the way first.

Jackson Ryan Turns 6!

2009-01-14T22:02:00.004-07:00

Jackson turned 6 on November 23! We can't believe how time has flown. I know it sounds so cliche, but we feel so blessed to have Jackie in our family. Jackson has been asking if it is his birthday for approximately 364 days. For once, it was nice to say YES! It's your Birthday!

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a gift. That's why they call it "The Present" - You did it MOM!!

2009-01-14T21:44:00.007-07:00

I haven't posted forever, but life has been hectic with Holidays etc. Now that the holidays are over I am excited to post everything that has been going on in our family in the last 2 months.
My mom completed her chemotherapy treatments and radiation treatments for Breast Cancer in the middle of November. Little did she know that her family and very closest friends had been planning a surprise party for months to celebrate this huge accomplishment. We had it on Friday, November 21st at my sister's ward house. We decked it out in pink. I have to say, for a ward house, it looked pretty good. We had a band, a clown (my uncle), a toast by my Grandpa, Nile, and my Step Dad Ty. Needless to say it was an extremely emotional evening. My mom was 100% surprised. I have never seen a reaction to a surprise party than the look on my mom's face. She looked like she was either mad or going to pass out. It was a lot for her to take in and to grasp. There were 100 people in attendance that evening. All of my mom's family from Boise, ID drove in town for the event, including my grandparents, which was the most meaningful of all to my mom. Also, my mom's dearest friend in thew whole world flew in from Seattle to be there. It was a very special night. One I will never forget. Here are a few pictures from that night - everyone wore pink in celebration.

Do we look scary or what?

2008-11-03T22:40:00.002-07:00

Josh - you play the pirate roll so well! Ha ha. He looks very serious and mean. Me however, I can't decide whether I look like a pirate or Daniel son from Karate Kid!

Annual Family Halloween Party

2008-11-03T22:24:00.003-07:00

Every year my uncle Tracy throws a Halloween party. His family goes all out every year. No one ever comes close to comparing to the preparation and thought that they put into their costumes each year. It is all a secret until that night. We had a great time with Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head ( mom and Ty ), Scooby Doo and Friend's ( My sister Alisa and her family ), The Joker ( My nephew Braiden), Minnie Mouse ( my step sister Kimber), Gorilla ( My step brother Rob), The Incredibles ( My step sister Heidi and her husband Riley and theur kids), Tarzan and monekey and bunny ( My sister Erin & her kids Sam and Izzy), Peter Pan and Family ( My uncle Tracy and his family) and of course out pirate clan. We had a great time and this is a tradition we look forward to every year.

Ahoy thar Matey!

2008-11-03T22:08:00.003-07:00

Check out these scary pirates! This is the first year everyone actually agreed on a "theme" for Halloween. Avery looked like a very sassy pirate! Jackson called himself "Captain Jack Sparrow" and Miss Priss Sage, referred to herself as the "pirate princess". They looked great and had a great time trick or treating. Avery went with us in our neighborhood and then went with one of her friends and her 16 year old sister. She got home at 10:00pm with a ton of candy. It was a very memorable Halloween and it was so fun to see the kids so into trick-or-treating this year. In going through their candy, I was a little disappointed in some of the candy choices people handed out. I am sorry but Valentines Day taffy? Come on! It was hard as a rock, how rude! Mary Jane's? Also hard as a rock and where do you find nostalgic candy these days in bulk? There is a reason those are not in high demand anymore. I know the economy is bad, but sheesh! Remind me to save my marshmallow peeps from Easter this year to hand out to kids for Halloween next year!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-03T21:57:00.003-07:00

We carved our pumpkins on Halloween eve. Avery and Jackson liked the feeling of the pumpkin guts on their hands. We were only able to carve 2 pumpkins since we lost 3 since going to the pumpkin patch. One rotted in our garage, one was rotten when we cut the top off, and the other lost it's stem. Money well spent.

Sage misses her Daddy

2008-10-20T22:15:00.003-06:00

Josh has gone back to JP Morgan Chase and is again, back on an airplane every week. It has been hard for everyone to get used to. The first trip he took when he went back to Chase, we were all a mess including Josh. We have gotten used to him being home every night for the past 6 months, and now he is traveling a ton. I had to capture this picture of Sage that I took with my cell phone last week when Josh left out of town. We wnt to dinner before his flight and I got in the car with the kids and he said goodbye. Again, there was many tears and wailing ( Avery ). Josh and I looked back at Sage and her lip was curled, and she had tears streaming down her little cheeks and was sniffling. We both starting crying. It was so tender. This picture definitely doesn't capture the whole emotion, but you get the picture. Broke our hearts.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-13T21:50:00.003-06:00

For those of you that aren't aware, my mom has been battling Breast Cancer since last Spring. She has completed 8 Chemotherapy sessions within a 16 week time frame, and began her 30 daily radiation treatments a couple weeks ago. She has 20 more Radiation treatments to go until she is finished. I added an approximate countdown on the sidebar of my blog in her honor. My mom is amazing. She has been such a trooper and is such an example to me. Way to go mom!!!! You are almost done! Keep the Faith! I love you mom! You are my hero.

Pumpkin's for the "little Punkin's"

2008-10-12T21:36:00.003-06:00

And in the end..........Each of us found a pumpkin, shared a night of laughter, and a lifetime of memories.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-12T21:25:00.003-06:00

I am sure every fellow blogger is going to have this exact same posting, but what else is October for but a good Pumpkin Patch. 24 cents a pound is very deceiving when you are dealing with pumpkins. We piled pumpkins in our cart, until everyone made their final decision on their perfect pumpkin. 100 lbs and 5 pumpkins later - we completed the Halloween tradition. It was a little cold, but everyone had fun taking turns pushing their cart, looking for pumpkins, and laughing at Sage's ridiculous hat.

What was I thinking showing her this hat?

2008-10-12T21:15:00.002-06:00

We decided to go to the traditional "Pumpkin Patch" outing for family night which happened to be the first chilly night of the season. I was getting the kids socks out of their drawers and when I was in Sage's drawer I found a hat from last winter. I pulled it out and showed it to her ( thinking she would have no interest), and she would NOT take it off all night. She insisted putting it on by herself, so instead of looking "cute" , she looks like she has a cone head.

Halloween Craft

2008-10-05T22:30:00.002-06:00

Ok well my sisters, and my mom and I got together last night during the Priesthood session of General Conference and decided we would do a simple craft. We completely under estimated the "simplicity" of this craft. What we thought would take an hour, took over 4 hours! So, I had to show it off since it actually turned out cute! Martha Stewart would be proud!

Last days of Summer

2008-10-05T21:49:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned, the park's have been very good to us and our kids this summer. We have found a lot of fun parks in the valley and have made a lot of good memories this summer. If I had to give a theme to how we spent our summer, it would have to be Parks, parks, and more parks. Our kids LOVE the park. Avery and Jackson have mastered the Monkey Bars, and Sage has mastered the social aspect of meeting, befriending, and mothering every other child at the park. She is a social butterfly, and a busy body. She is not afraid of much at the park - which scares Josh and I to death. We have had so much fun watching our kids play together this summer at the park. We will definitely miss these nights during the cold Winter months.

Park Discovery

2008-10-05T21:37:00.002-06:00

The summer long nights are coming to a close too quickly. Our summer nights consisted of frequent park outings including take-out and new park discoveries. Josh found this great park in West Jordan. It is HUGE ( as you can see from the picture). Everything in it is little replicas of businesses in the area. Police station, hardware stores etc. There is one way in the park and one way out - which is nice for parents since it is a huge maze inside.

The "Big Yellow Slide"

2008-09-17T22:13:00.001-06:00

THe most excitement we had at the fair was "The Big Yellow Slide". I have to admit, I was a little nervous going down, but this was heaven for Sage. She loved it! Not a bit of fear. I think her facial expressions capture the fun she was having. Avery and Jackson went 2 times, and so did Sage. Since I was so scared the first time, Josh took her the second time. It is always so good to see the huge smiles on your kids faces.
Fair Admission: $6
Yellow Slide Ticket: $2
Capturing the joy on your child's face: PRICELESS

State FAIR rides

2008-09-17T22:08:00.000-06:00

Jackson and Avery and Sage loved the rides.

State Fair 2008

2008-09-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

The last time Josh and I went to the state fair, we were dating. So, it's been about 11 years. It was..........INTERESTING, to say the least. We really thought the kids would think it was fun to see the animals, but I enjoyed the people watching and realized why we have not been back to the fair in 11 years. Wow!

The first sign of the end of Summer

2008-09-17T21:58:00.000-06:00

We Look forward to Memorial Day every year because our favorite Snow Cone joint opens - SNOASIS. BUT....We always know that summer has come to an end when SNOASIS officially closes. We went to get our final "fix" on Sept. 13th. See you next year SNOASIS.

Kindergarten!

2008-09-17T21:53:00.000-06:00

Jackson started all day Kindergarten on Sept. 8th. He is enjoying school, especially recess. When we ask what he did at school or what he learned, he always says that he climbed the monkey bars. We can't believe that Jackson is already in Kindergarten. We are very happy he is in our family. Love you Jackie!

Sage Lauryn

2008-08-18T23:55:00.000-06:00

Sage Lauryn

Sage celebrated her 2nd birthday on June 22nd. She is a singer and a chatterbox. Sage is obsessed with shoes, purses and "pretty's"( any type of hair bow she calls "pretty"). Sage is talking so well and amazes us everyday with new words and humor.

2008-08-18T23:49:00.001-06:00

Jackson Ryan

Jackson's summer has consisted of: Nintendo Wii, Graduating from Pre-School, Surprising us with headstands, no handed cartwheels and breakdancing, as well as keeping us in stitches with his sense of humor.

Tim McGraw - Thanks Dentons!

2008-08-18T23:35:00.000-06:00

2008-08-18T23:29:00.000-06:00

Avery Jayne

One of the highlights of Avery's summer ( and mine), was going to see Tim McGraw in concert at Usana. We had AMAZING seats and went with our good friends Dann, and Jayci and their son Chris. Avery had a blast and for her first concert, was a little spoiled because of the seats we were given. Josh and I had a great time with Avery. It was amazing!

Summer 2008

2008-08-18T23:25:00.001-06:00

We thought we would bring everyone up to speed with us, our kids, and our "action Packed" summer of 2008 ( yeah right ).

We did it!

2008-08-18T23:11:00.000-06:00

We are finally "bloggers" now. After much persuasion from friends, we decided that we would
start a blog. If anything, this will give us a good excuse to be better about taking pictures. It is fun to keep up with family and friends and their highlights through blogs, so here is a chance for others to see what we are up to.

Coming soon...

2008-08-10T21:34:00.000-06:00