OK! I hear the complaints and so now I am acting!! Here are some pictures of this summer and the events we have been doing. There is never a dull moment in our home, and I love every moment. You can see the kids are getting big and they are so much fun when they are getting along. The youngest of the bunch is the family bully, it is kinda funny.


saying goodbye to Elder Naylor






The day we left VA it was Seth's 2nd birthday, happy birthday seth nothing like driving 500 miles as a gift. We had the missionaries come over because one of them was transferring. They are like family, we feed them once a week.





We went to Buesch Gardens with the Thomas family and had a great time.






The kids and I went to VA to meet up with Sheldon, we stayed in a very nice Residence Inn in Richmond.





This is the last meet of the summer season. Champs went well they both came home with a bag of ribbons and medals. We were very proud parents. In one picture you will see Spencer getting ready for a relay and I am the worried one in the background with my cool shirt on. It would look better if my friends were with me, we all have this shirt and we wear them for winter swim.


Nanny packing out!


Nanny leaving our home after she came and stayed with us for a week while Sheldon was TDY.


Spencer's choir was chosen to sing at the Dayton Dragons baseball game, it was a very hot day


Spencer's final soccer game


Seth deep in thought


The kids Easter morning 2010


We had a large Easter egg hunt and bbq at our home, this is my friend Anna Dorsten - she is in charge of hidding eggs for younger kids.

Swim season, sleep test, softball....

Ok, first there is always a great excuse why I haven't posted in months. When one forgets their passwords to the many blogs they do, that proves to be a problem. Not to mention how frustrated I get with myself.
The months seem to fly when you are having fun with your kids, that is a proven fact. We are consumed by swimming and softball, they take up at least 3-4 nights a week and then of course you have church day (Sunday) and then choir and grocery shopping day (Saturday), so really that only leaves one evening open. Doesn't bother me though, I actually prefer this kind of a schedule. I hate to sit around and have nothing to do...
We had our last home meet last night for swimming, didn't get one single photo for you to see, what kind of parent am I? I will take my camera to the Miamisburg meet next Tuesday, Seth won't be coming with us and therefore I will be able to take pictures and not watch out for him. He loves the meets, all the kids and their friends love to come and play with him, feed him candy, and hold him. So makes him all happy and hyper. Spencer and Mercedez are doing very well in all areas of swimming, Spencer has really improved, especially since he has had a 2 year break from swimming competitily. I love it, reminds me of swim team.
We have a softball team this year, Sheldon was requested by 10 players! Tonight we play against one of my bestfriends teams, so excited, we have a no mercy law...HAH! The fam takes it very seriously and we won't appologize for it either...
Seth has to have a sleep ap test, he went in on Monday with Sheldon and there are pics of this, but Sheldon will have to load them up. We will get the results in a week or two.
And on a last note, we are all great, enjoying our summer and enjoying our family time. The threat of Sheldon deploying is very real, but we try to forget that for now, and we will face it when the papers are signed and when reality has to be faced.

SETH GETTING READY TO EGG HUNT

WE WERE INVITED BY OUR NEIGHBORS TO AN EGG HUNT AND SINCE IT IS THE ONLY ONE WE KNOW OF WE DECIDED TO GO. SETH HAD FUN FINDING CLOTHES, DUCKS AND HIS EASTER BASKET, EVEN BEFORE WE WENT TO THE PARK. MY MOM IS ALWAYS SAYING WE DON'T TAKE ENOUGH PIC'S AND POST THEM SO HERE GOES. BIG BROTHER WAS AT A PARTY, SO YOU WILL NOT SEE HIM.
SETH LOVES TO FOLLOW SISTER EVERYWHERE...HE CALLS HER SPENC...WHY NO ONE KNOWS. WE TRY TO CORRECT HIM, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT TO BELIEVE ME. HE IS TOOO CUTE AND WAY TOO FUNNY FOR HIS AGE. THIS DAY HIS HAIR IS EVERYWHERE AND I DIDN'T REALLY CARE, HE HAD FUN.

GRADUATION NIGHT FOR SHELDON

THIS PAST THURSDAY NIGHT AT 7 PM ANNA DORSTEN (FAMILY FRIEND) AND WATCHED SHELDON WALK ACROSS THE STAGE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN OUR MARRIED LIVES. IT WAS GREAT TO KNOW HE ACCOMPLISHED ANOTHER ONE OF HIS GOALS. THE CEREMONY ONLY TOOK A TOTAL OF AN HOUR AND HALF, WHICH COMPARED TO THE LAST ONE, THAT IS SHORT. THE WEATHER, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER! ON THE WAY THERE I MADE THE COMMENT THAT IT WAS RAINING THE DAY HE GOT HIS BACHELOR DEGREE, AND GUESS WHAT? IT WAS RAINING THE NIGHT HE GOT HIS MASTERS..HUMMMMM! FIVE YEARS LATER..HUMMMMMM!!!THE WIND WAS SO BAD, THAT ANNA AND I WERE LAUGHING TO HARD. MY UMBRELLA WAS TURNING INSIDE OUT, AND I FELT LIKE MARY POPPINS. THE RAIN WAS PELTING OUR FACES, OUR HIGH HEELED FEET. IT WAS JUST WRONG, HERE WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK LIKE LADIES AND THE WEATHER IS TREATING US LIKE MONKEYS. IT WAS QUITE FUNNY, COLD, BUT FUNNY.

Swimming excitment!

As most of you know Mercedez has been doing winter swim team, it is the first time we have tried this, and we are very pleased with her progress. She has been swimming with three of her good friends since last fall, the mom's all come and so it end's up being a great mom/daughter time. It has been nice to sit and chat, and it has also been fun timing at the heats. I have made great new friends and have been able to spend time with my daughter. I really had thought that her last meet was this past Sunday (7th), she had a great meet, but didn't make the AA time requirements by 1/100th. Very sad, but ok! Next thing I know she along with one friend made AA time for the 100 free relay. She was very excited, I think all the girls were. So today we went and she competed in her relay. Their team came in 19th place, they aren't happy, but I am very proud of her, she doesn't understand that in the time you blink your eyes, her team could have taken 18th (the cut off for a metal). I videoed her heat, which they came in 4th. When you watch the video, her team is in lane 2, 2nd from the top of your screen. Mercedez is the anchor, the last swimmer for her team. Enjoy! The first video is of her warm up! The second is of her heat!

OK, SO I HAVE TRIED TO UPLOAD THE VIDEOS, BUT IT WON'T WORK, SO NOW I WILL JUST PUT THE TWO PICTURES I HAVE OF HER AND HER FRIEND ZOE, THE GUY IN THE BLACK IS HER COACH (NICK) IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE VIDEO'S TRY MY FACEBOOK PAGE, I WILL TRY TO UPLOAD THERE.

Seth's 1st snow day!

Ok, so my baby has been begging to go and play in the snow with sister and big brother, so we went everywhere to find him boots, hats and gloves. I had kept the snow suit sister had worn, so we just used that for him. I thought for sure he would go out and want to come in as soon as he felt the snow. WRONG!!!he didn't care that his face was covered is frozen snow, or that his mittens were soaked, he loved every moment I allowed him to stay out. At about 20-25 minutes, I decided that was enough for an 18 month old in single didget weather.
Here are some picutes for you to enjoy.

Spencer's 10th birthday party!

I look at these photos and I can't belive that my baby is now 10 years old. When the bad attitude comes out, it seems longer, but when he is being a nice child, time tends to go quickly. I think he is getting ready for teenage years, his behavior has changed the past couple of months, and when I look at his friends they are the same way. Tell you what - I can't wait, no, on a serious note, I can wait a very long time. The other day I called him out on something he did, I guess he didn't like me standing that close because the next thing I knew he was pushing me out of his way. I think at that moment I realized that he and I are only about 20 pound apart, and it made me feel fragile. Sad huh! My baby could probably take me down!!!!



All of his good friends, spent the night, had pizza and played video games until bed time. They seemed to enjoy themselves.

Think enough time has past?

Sorry about that! I tend to get going and then forget all about our blog. I will try and remember it more often. I downloaded pictures from Christmas time in Utah, and I believe there is a picture that Sheldon took of the collage I had our photographer put on wood. The picture doesn't do it justice, but you get the point. We spent 5 days with my sister Kali and her husband Cody, Seth was able to play with his cousin Ally. In 2008, Kali, Alex (my brother) and I all had babies. It was great seeing them together all about in the same phases of their little lives. It really made me wish we all lived closer, I think that all the cousins would be great friends! We spent a couple of days with our friends the Murdocks (no pics) and then we spent some time with Sheldons mom - Mary and then saw different family members everyday. Spencer got his first set of stitches, but I didn't take any photo's, he was pretty upset that his ear was ripped in half. I can say NOW it looks great, he can do plastic surgery if he wants or he can wait. In a photo you will see my dad - Wayne- he flew in from Oregon to be with us. I believe we all had a great time, even though some of them may not remember all we did...HAHAHAHA! If I drank we would have been in heaven! Kali was an awesome hostess, she made so much food, it would make a restaurant look bad. Thanks for all the HAPPY memories!Lot of love to:
Alex (brother),Dannica,Tyler,Sierra,and Liam - LA, California
Wayne (dad) - Portland, Oregon
Cody,Kali(sister),Ally,Kramer,Newman - SLC, Utah
I really enjoy the time we had, and I am very happy the cousins we together! Hugs and kisses always.