7 years, 3 kids, 2 degrees and still going strong!

7 years of marriage!! WOW! Seriously, I cannot believe that July 25,2002 was 7 years ago! How fast time flies when you're with the ones you love! No, it hasn't been easy, and, no, I'm not expecting it to get easier as time goes on....but I can say that I'm enjoying the journey! I love Matt so much, and I'm so glad we get to be an eternal family! He does so much for me and our kids!  So I was looking back at old pictures and decided it would be fun to post some oldies!  The first is our wedding announcement--there was a vellum layer over the picture, and it was tied with a ribbon at the top! Look how young we both look!  (what a toll a bunch of school and 3 kids will take!) The next 2 are from our wedding album, and the rest are the subsequent years of our married life! Notice how there isn't one from 2003???  I was pregnant with Brian at the time, and for some reason, I don't have hardly any pictures!  Weird....anyway...enjoy our journey!  (and my different hairstyles! he he)

July 2004-with Matt's grandparents  (Brian was 7 months old)

July 2005- Our new family of 4! 

July 2006

July 2007

July 2008

At the temple this year for my cousin's wedding!  How fun it is to go back with the one you love, and remember why you are in this, and how much you love each other!

Sydnee's Birthday Dinner

For birthday traditions- we usually take the kids out to a movie and to a restaurant of their choice.  After the movie this year, we were too stuffed from movie popcorn to go out to dinner after, so we went the next night.  This year Sydnee chose Cheesy Jane's for her dinner spot.  We love going to Cheesy Janes! Yes, I know the name sounds horrific, but it really has some good food!  There is usually a lady there that goes around and makes balloon animals for tips, and we usually have no cash, but tonight we had some! And...she wasn't there!  I felt SO bad--the one time we have some money to tip her and get a special balloon for the kids- she wasn't there! RUDE! ;)  Anyway--in this picture of Sydnee and I, there is a funny story behind our laughing faces!  I said to her "say...." I didn't finish my sentence because I had a hair on my lip, so I said to Matt "wait- I have a hair on my lip"....HOWEVER- it sounded to Sydnee like I said "say, I have a hair on my lip!"  instead of "say cheese!"  So out of her mouth comes..."I have a hair on my lip!"  I was laughing so hard, and Matt snapped the picture.  Nice.  It was probably way funnier in person than in writing, but I had to share why I am looking so silly!  Oh and forgive the no makeup face--we didn't go anywhere earlier, and I wasn't about to put makeup on to eat at Cheesy Jane's.  

The girls

The Boys

My cutie pie chillin in her seat

Lexie having some yummy shake!

Yes, people, I do know that the bow is as big as her head.  I like it that way, thank you very much!  

Sydnee's Birthday PARTIES!

Well, Miss Sydnee has had quite the birthday festivities this year!  Last weekend we had a pool party with some friends on Saturday, and a family birthday party on Sunday for Sydnee and Papa-who's birthdays are just a day apart! We so wanted Syders to be born on July 15th (papa's bday), but she was 3 hours late! Born at 3 in the morning--she sure knows how to make an entrance!  :)  She had lots of fun swimming, opening presents, and eating cake!  Thankfully, her pool party went well--it wasn't too hot, there was lots of shade at the pool, and the cake made it to the party in one piece!  I made her a pool/beach cake this year.  It turned out alright!  The center part was blue jello made to look like water! The "sand" on the side is crushed up graham crackers, and we added swimming polly pockets for fun!  For the family party, I made her a pink butterfly cake! THEN- on her real birthday yesterday, we went to 2 movies....the first one was the free summer movie (BEE MOVIE), the 2nd movie we waited until matt could go with us and we saw Ice Age 3 in 3D!  Quite fun!  Weird to have to wear the glasses the whole time though.  We were supposed to go out to dinner after the movie, but we had all eaten too much popcorn and didn't want to eat! So we went home and had YET ANOTHER cake!  A smily face sun courtesy of Target.  I'm not typically a fan of store bought confections (with COSTCO being the exception!) but this cake was pretty good!!  There's still some in the fridge that's calling my name!! All in all, I think she had a pretty decent birthday, and got lots of great presents from lots of great people.  Thanks for all the calls and well wishes!  Love ya!

Birthday night- getting ready to sing!

MONEY! She's gotten wise to the fact now that cards= money or gift cards! :)

Matt and the kids at Ice Age 3 in 3D

The kids at Bee Movie earlier

Can u tell that we usually get to the movie early and have lots of time to kill--hence all the theater pics?!?

Her pool party cake

Sydnee and her friends--jaylie, brian, and dylan

The Nielsons!

Cutie Kajsa and Breklyn

The Jessops!

Breklyn and Lexie having a chat--so cute!

Family party- Sydnee and Papa!

Mo Money

Lexie and cousin Max having a chat

Matt and Chris with the babies!

Lexie telling papa how much she loves him!

The kids with a partner in crime--Martin (max's dad)

Happy 4th of July-2009

Happy 4th of July!!  We had another fun filled day of swimming with a BBQ thrown in for good measure! We went to the braun station pool with Charles and Sharon...swam for a while, then got out and BBQ'd some burgers and hot dogs....played at the park while our food settled...then got back in the pool for a while longer.  The kids had a ton of fun-even with being at the beach all day yesterday.  Although, Sydnee did throw up her entire lunch along the sidelines of the pool- nice.  I think she has had too much sun, and not enough water and sleep! We've been to the pool every day this week for swim lessons, then the beach yesterday, and the pool again today.  I'm ready to be out of the heat!! We went home shortly after the thrown up incident, but we still had a fun day.

     I think it's super cool that we have a day set aside to celebrate the FREE country that we live in, and I'm always thinking about the soldiers that serve for us and our country.   I think a lot of people don't always remember that the 4th isn't only about BBQs, swimming, and fireworks.  It's about the selfless acts of service by our soldiers- from long ago to this very day.  THANKS TO ALL WHO SERVE FOR US!! You really are appreciated!  

special shout out to Derrick- my brother-in-law- who is an awesome soldier! :) 

 

Funny- I have a red, white, AND a blue now!

Yes, Lexie would NOT look at the camera- my hands were far too interesting!

Playing with grandpa at the park

Matt and Charlie grilling lunch

Waiting to eat--we're hungry!!

Matt and my little fish baby!

The kids swimming--all my kids LOVE the water!

The Beach

On Friday, July 3rd, we took a day trip down to the beach!  We went with some good friends of ours, The Nielsons and The Jessops.  We had SOO much fun!  The weather was PERFECT--hot outside, refreshing cool water, and not crowded at all!  I am so glad we decided to go.  The kids all got along really well, and the babies were so good! Lexie didn't cry the entire day--she LOVED the ocean, even when waves crashed on her.  She just kicked and really wanted to get down!  The kids had fun surfing, playing in the waves, catching seaweed, and making "mud" castles with Dylan and Jaylie.  It was also nice for matt and I to get a day with our friends too!  Matt, Tim and Kip played some horseshoes, and caught some waves on the boogie boards. In between feeding, changing, and loving on the babies, Melissa, Kajsa and I even got out in the waves! We stopped and ate at Snoopy's on the way home.  It was super crowded and super hot, but the food was great and was ready pretty fast.  Even if we all had beads of sweat dripping down our faces, it was still AWESOME!   I hope we get to go down again before the summer is over!  

Lexie waiting for food at Snoopy's

Brian waiting (in the sun) for food!

Lexie and I lounging on the beach

Matt and I--I really don't know where any of our kids were for this pic! HAHAHA!

Syd tumbling off a wave

Sydnee and Jaylie loading the bucket with wet sand

Lexie having a nap on the beach

Kip and Matt playing horseshoes--where's Tim??

The Ladies- Melissa, Kajsa, and I

The Guys-- Kip, Tim, and Matt  (I love how Tim's laughing in this pic--that guy's laugh is so contagious and I love to hear it! It's so fun and makes you want to laugh at the same time!)

Brian and Sydnee

Cutie Easton

Brian catching a wave

Brian taking a water break

Breklyn trying to get me!