OuR BunDLe of JOY...

Captured by Lorri

I want so say a big THANK YOU to Lorri for taking such beautiful pictures of Miss H and for putting up with her fussy moments. But even those moments made for some of my favorite pictures!

Daddy's Girl

After dinner last night Little E hopped down from the table went to the window and said:
(refering to the baby coyotes we have in the orchard behind our house)

"Daddy I wanna see the coyotes"

A girl after his own heart, what more could a daddy ask for?

3 Months...

Another month in Little Miss Had's life has past us by...

-she's sleeping 12 hours at night

-starting to be supplemented with formula, only the last feeding of the day (mama doesn't have enough milk)

-loves to watch her brothers and sisters

-smiles all the time (we can even get her to smile when she's crying)

-starting to roll to her side

-holding toys

-grabs at toys

-holds her hands together

-laughs at mama

-learning to like her car seat (there was a time when she would scream every time we put her in it)

-lost a lot of her hair

-has a bald spot in the back of her head that wraps around the sides

-was blessed at church, not on a Fast Sunday (a first for us)

-only cries when she is tired, hungry or poopy

If it sounds like I'm bragging, it's probably cause I am,

she's an Angel Baby!

ThE DeNTisT

Little E has never been but when I took the kids in two weeks ago she sat in the chair and let the hygienist (who is a good family friend of ours) look at her teeth. He told me that since she did so well it would be a good idea to bring her in for a real exam and cleaning. I had a cleaning scheduled for this week so I made her an appointment at the same time. I didn't take my other kiddos until they were about three, but since she had no problem sitting in the chair and the hygienist was a friend and someone she knew I thought she would do great.

No such luck! She cried and wanted to get out of the chair, wanted nothing to do with Tom and gave him dirty looks.

She didn't get her teeth cleaned that day.

Yesterday I opened the friend to read her some stories and right there on the front page was a story about a little boy who was afraid to go to the dentist. He talked about how he sang "I am a Child of God" in his mind while he was in the chair and it made him feel better. I explained to Little E that maybe she could do that the next time she went to the dentist (I scheduled her again in 6 months when the other kids go back), then she wouldn't be scared and Tom could clean her teeth.

This was her reply:

"no thanks mom, I'm not going"

This one's a feisty one!

Blessing Day for Miss H

Our sweet little girl was blessed today. She looked perfect in her white dress. She was a perfect angel and listened to everything her daddy said. I feel so blessed to have a husband that is worthy to hold the priesthood and give our children their blessings. It's such a comfort to me to know that I have a husband that can guide and direct our family through this crazy world with the guidance of the priesthood. Little Haddie is a lucky girl to have such a great daddy.

Little E loved her princess dress and BD said it was her wedding dress. They knew it was a special day.

We have so much support from our family and I was grateful that they all could come.

(left to right: Uncle TJ, Uncle Kurtis, Grandpa Larson, Great Grandpa Johnson, Grandpa Johnson, Uncle Corry, Dustin (daddy), Miss H, Uncle Eric, Uncle Clayton, Uncle Jordan)

Four Generations

fiRsT SChoOl DaY 2009

Four years ago August 8, 2005

Today August 10, 2009

I can't believe how the time flies! I remember four years ago BD begging to go to school with the big kids and today he finally got to. He was so excited to start his first day at the big school. He turned, looked at me and said "bye Mom"

I feel so lucky, Mr. B still wants me to walk with him to find his class on the first day! He even gave me a kiss goodbye in front of all his friends! He must love his Mama.

With this new hair cut Miss Benley looks like she's going into High school not 3rd grade. Good thing she's got two brothers to protect her in school now!

And now it's just Mama and the two little girls at home. What a change from this summer!

Happy Birthday KiKi

In our family a birthday tradition is your favorite breakfast and gifts. This year Kiki picked pancakes. This is a big one, #8 and a party year. She had a full fun day planned.

First presents from the family


Then off to get her hair cut. My next scheduled hair appointment fell on her birthday. She's been begging me for months to let her cut her hair. I love her long hair and really didn't want to see it go, but I thought it would be fun to get our hair done together. So I scheduled her too.


This is Lisa, she does a great job, I Love Her!

Next on the agenda: TOES. We love to get our toes done, it doesn't happen very often so when there's a special day we go for it!

Now it's time to party!

She couldn't wait to show off her new shinny locks

The girls got to make their own bracelets to take home

It was a ton of fun to celebrate with our 8 year old! They grow up so fast, here are some fun KiKi facts

loves to draw/color/paint/anything artsy and is really great at it

enjoys helping in the kitchen

doesn't like to clean her room

a great helper with her younger siblings

excellent in school

a great dancer

loves bags/purses

likes Hanna Montana and the Jonas Brothers

does what she's asked to do 90% of the time

wore a retainer this year to straighten her top front teeth

loves getting school supplies (just like her mama)

and the list could go on and on...

We love you Keeks, Happy Birthday

Clearing out the crack-ups

4.27.09
I was vacuuming while E & BD were watching a cartoon and I hear E yelling something so I turn off the vacuum.
Mom: What did you say E?
E: I said could you keep it down?

4.17.09
Grandpa Larson (to little E): You're too cute
Mom: Who made you so cute?
Em: Ummmm you made me so cute
Mom: Am I cute?
Em: Yep
Mom: Who made me so cute?
Em: Ummmm Granpa!

4.8.09
Brock: "Mom where are you going?"
Mom: "Book Club"
Brock: "So that's why you are all perfumed up"

2.11.09
Mom: "Brody what are you going to take for show-n-tell today?"
Brody: "We get to take something that we LOVE"
Mom: "Ooo, that's fun what are you going to take?"
Brody: "I want to take you!"

Embry is supposed to be taking a nap but I can hear her in her room playing, then I hear a big crash and she starts crying. So I run in to see what happened:
Mom: What happened?
Embry: I bumped my chicken (with tears in her eyes as she points to her cheek)

Brody at the dinner table being asked to say the prayer
Dustin: "Brody will you please say the prayer?"
Brody: (Grumpy face) "I just said it."
Dustin: "Well will you say it again?"
Brody: "But Dad, I just said it last year!"

Our little miss E

In our family we don't pierce the girls ears until they can ask for them. That's the rule my dad had for me and Dustin liked it so it stuck. When Kenley was about 2 1/2 she ask for earrings, of course I went right out and got them.

About two weeks ago Little E was looking at my earrings and playing with them. She looked at me and said, "Mama I want earrings like you". To that I replied, "go ask your daddy". She jumped right up and ran to ask him, he looked at me like I put her up to it. I promise I didn't! She's 2 1/2 it must be the age.

So, Little E has been begging her Daddy for weeks to get her ears pierced and he kept telling her no. He's not good seeing his girls in pain (which is why when in labor he's the one ordering the epidural for me, not me ordering it for me). I know she didn't fully understand that it was going to hurt as you can see in these pictures:

Picking her earrings Excited that it's her turn
Not sure what's going to happen

After they marked her ears she asked, "Do I have my earrings?"

Look at this SWEET face, I'm sure she's wondering what they're doing

Now she knows
A sucker and ride on the cars at the mall make everything better

Cute earrings little girl, you were very brave!

A few fun things Little E says at age 2:

My princess = skirt or dress

"I'n (instead of I'm) a pretty princess right mom?"

My dressed = her clothes if it's shorts or pants and a T-shirt

Root beer juice = soda (all of our kiddos have called any soda root beer)

Slub it = rub it/love it (we think) she said to me once "mama slub my blankie" I asked her how do I do that and she rubbed in on her face, so now we always tell her "I Slub You!"

"It's all my fault" (not sure where that came from)

"Mom and Kenley you stay right there I'm going potty" (she loves that she can go by herself)

Things she loves

puzzles, corn dogs with the bread taken off (basically a hot dog on a stick), books, playing kitchen, babies, did I say puzzles?, cheese, necklaces, her pink and green blankies, Care Bears, did I mention puzzles?, Curious George, swimming, her daddy, running and oh, puzzles.