*Basketball's Rising Star "Campbell #20"

So Spencer just started Basketball this last week. (After a 3 month break from karate...he decided he was done.:( -so I told him he HAD to do something active & NO.. 'playing with friends didn't count!) We decided on basketball or shall I say Dad STRONGLY encouraged basketball. Spencer agreed & Tim has been shooting baskets with him consistently a couple times a week the last 3 weeks before the season started.

Saturday was their 1st game & we were a little nervous having had NO practice as a team yet, BUT good news!...After a long game, some really tough players (-that I swear are lying and saying they're 7 & 8-but could be 10 & 11-), & Spencer hardly touching the ball the whole game...something AMAZING happened the last few minutes of the game...

His team was by their basket & Spence was just a little ahead of the 3 point line when he was passed the ball. He just kinda looked down at it as if he was in shock, then dribbled up a bit, shot it & SWOOSHED IT! It was ALL net and the whole auditorium I think was in shock that this kid who didn't touch the ball the whole game could make that kind of shot! There were loud cheers & chuckles at the same time. Spencer looked over at Tim and I and gave us the cutest "thumbs up"! I thought I was gonna wet my pants, I was laughing so hard! I was so proud, so in shock & so amazed all at the same time. It was like the movie Rudy or something!

Ok..and maybe there was a little motivation..Tim said spencer could pick out a toy at the store if he made a basket at his game. Hey a little bribing never hurt anyone? Right?:) hehe...

*Pedicures & House Cleaners

Aw.....Pedicures & House Cleaners..

This month I INDULGED in 2 things I needed (I mean wanted) badly- both that I hadn't had in a while. So I gave in!

*I had my house cleaner Myra come over. It had been almost 3 months & I couldn't take it anymore. SO worth the money! She helps me keep my sanity. I LOVE, love, love our Home, but it is hard to keep clean.

*I also got tired of looking at my 4 month old faded nail polish on my toes & went by MYSELF and got 'em done!

*Cute toes & a clean house,

...what more could a girl want?!

*Easter Sunday

How come my 2 year old is always the one cooperating in pictures?

~When we got home from church & out of the car we saw the saddest thing. A nest had fallen off our roof, and there were feathers and sticks all over the ground. At first I was mad that our
courtyard was a mess but then I saw the broken egg that had splattered. The mother bird was down there accessing the "accident." She flew back up to where the nest had been. These are pictures of us upstairs looking out at the mother bird & her "used-to-be" nest. The kids were really upset that the baby bird would not be born and felt sad for the mommy. We talked about death and reiterated what we had learned that day about Jesus & how he overcame death so we can all live again. 

*For Easter Dinner we went to my parents house & celebrated their 30th Anniversary!  (-post below) I made them a fun little DVD filled with pictures & special songs from over the years.

*Earlier that morning we found that the Easter Bunny Came!

The kids woke up excited to see their baskets full of candy & surprises. My favorite thing we received was the Christ & the children picture.

*At the Zoo

~Grandma Kathy, Grandpa Tom & Aunt Sara took a day off during Spring Break and wanted to take the kids to the Zoo! The kids always love spending time with 3 of their favorite people.

The Kids and the Tortoise-
(kinda covered by spence's hat)

...So Mom said that Kaylea walked up to this exhibit and said:

"Why is that big rock moving?"

.

Aunt Sara is the Best!

Cheers to the Giraffes!

Lots of walking in the Spring Desert Sun!

... Doesn't my baby look like a big boy in this picture?

"Ok I'm tiward (tired)

now Bamma!"

*Egg Hunt & BBQ

*We had our annual Curtis family BBQ & Egg Hunt. We had it last Tuesday before the fam headed out of town for Spring Break instead of our normal-day-before-easter tradition. "Aunt Sara" & "Uncle Phylip" set up the fun egg hunt for the kids. Is it me or did Easter come extremely early this year...

*Well here you have it:

 My 3 cheesy-grinners. 

-I think Spence is doing bunny-teeth:} He's getting used to his Big 2 front teeth & trying to figure out where they belong in that mouth of his-

....More Spring Break/Easter to post still..I'm so behind.

*Easter Happenings

~Coloring Eggs with fun & silly Uncle Phyl~



Kay's close up smile with peanut butter on her cheek.







Spencer & The Kids Colorful display of
decorated eggs.

Kinda proud of my little artsy fartsy photo. Isn't it cool?

~Kaylea & her friend Katie had fun at the park dying Easter eggs. I LOVED that Katie had died herself with bluish-green smurf hands & that Kaylea swung her basket in the air and all her eggs cracked open. Those Funny Girls!

~My Mom, Kaylea & I made strawberry jam
this last week. Kaylea loved mashing

the strawberries after they were cut and pouring in all the sugar!

*30 YEARS of Marriage!

*HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD*

~All Because Two People Fell In Love~....

AUDRA & Tim,

Spencer, Kaylea, Daylan

STEPHANIE & Marcus,

Ethan, Carson

TOMMY, DANNY,

BRITTANY, SARA & PHYLIP

We LoVe YoU!

~Happy Easter~

Enjoy this video. Beautiful Song to Wonderful Pictures of Our Savior.

(*pause side music*)

*I Know That My Redeemer Lives

*May we all remember our Savior this Easter weekend;

His Life, His Example, His Atonement & Love for each of us!

HE DOES LIVE...
And THAT I know for Sure!

*Smarty Pants Spence*

*Spencer is celebrating his 1st Book Report that he did so great on! Spencer is such a great reader but is always in such a hurry when he writes so we've been really working on his handwriting lately. He had a lot of pride in his book report as he spent a lot of time on it & he had awesome handwriting. We found out just recently that after some testing at school, Spencer tested into a 5th Grade reading level!!! He can even read many levels higher than that, but averages 5th grade. YEAH Spence! We are so proud of you.

Happy Birthday Dad!

*I just love this picture of my Dad as a kid. Doesn't it just make you smile?

I can see my brothers, my Curtis cousins and my own boys all in this same picture of him. Well It's my Dad's 52nd Birthday & I wanted to wish him a happy birthday (although I don't think he's ever seen my blog.) Many people know him as "Bishop Curtis" & they might view him as perfect although he'll be the first to tell you he's not. We love him anyhow & I'll tell you why...

*As a little girl we loved when Dad would come home from all his church meetings & lay on our bed and tell stories & sing us songs. Here's one of my favorite pictures as a kid with him, steph & I having all fallen asleep. We also loved having tickle time, going to Sea World, laughing at his dancing fingers on the steering wheel, watching old movies & jumping waves with him in the Ocean.

*I'll never forget the 1st time I got in trouble by him. (So maybe it wasn't the first but it's the first memory I have of it.) I was 10 and he sat me down & said that he "didn't know his daughter would ever act like that." I think it was just the 1st time my Mom ever "told on me." He then preceded to tell me why he thought he thought knew why I was bad. He asked me how to spell 10. "T E N." "Yeah".. he said "Now add another E in there." He said I was on the verge of being a teenager. "TEEN!" I felt so mature & never wanted to be bad again. In that same speech I remember crying and having to keep wiping my nose. I remember him saying, "Don't you know when you cry you make boogers?" Oh the things you learn from your Dad! (P.S...Despite the influential speech there were many "in trouble" days that followed.)

**So here's just a few things I love about my Dad:

~The fact that he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He tears up at anything tender. A trait I inherited. As a kid I'd get embarassed, now it's endearing to me.

~He is accepting of all different kinds of people & has taught us to be so. I have had numerous people come up to me & tell me of either a time he has helped them or how he had been so understanding/accepting when others around him were not.

~Dad has a great sense of humor.

~He is a wonderful Grandpa to my kids & they love him! He likes to show them off to people & sneak them treats when I'm not looking. In fact him & my mom are taking them to the Zoo this week.

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD...

WE LOVE YOU!!*

*Baby Elsie*

~Precious & dainty Elsie Rose Check was born at 3:14 on 3/14!! She was a well deserved miracle to her parents Tiffany & Jason. I had the chance to hold her and she was as sweet as can be. Her sisters Emmie & Ava are SO excited for her to finally be here after she tricked us all a couple times prior with false labor. Glad everything went well with Mom and baby!

~7 lbs 1 oz. & 20 1/2 inches long~

*Welcome little cousin Elsie!*

Look Mom!..No Training Wheels!

On her 1st attempt Kaylea was a PRO at riding her bike without training wheels. Props to Pop for taking them off even though I was apprehensive about it. This girl has no fear at trying something new! YAY FOR KAY!:)

*Haircuts

Hey Mom look at that Handsome Guy!

~So Daylan wasn't so sure about the haircut (although he's always done fine) until he looked in the mirror and realized he liked the new do! He loves to go to Lollilocks with Sister and sit on the fun characters as he gets the cut. This time Dude sat on

what he calls the "Peent (pink) Dumbo." Kaylea's trying to grow her hair out so she just got to play while Spencer also got a cut as he sat in the car. (He was just embarrassed by his picture-taking Mom.)

*Don't Tell Mama!

.

.

Right about now in these 2 different scenarios, Daylan is thinking this to himself...

No Eye Contact= No Trouble!

*Gum in the Hair &

Pen/Marker on the Window Sill*

*The Sucker

"But Mom....It's a Healthy Treat!!
See the fruit on it?!"

This was the plea I heard from my daughter as she begged for what seemed like her millionth treat of the day.

*Look closely and you might see a strawberry on this-there sucker.

Sounds like I either need to do a better job of teaching her the meaning of "healthy" or she just needs to stop being so darn connivingly cute when she asks for them. Probably a little of both! Maybe she just knows sometimes her Mom is a sucker.