*Ryler=5 Months*

I can't believe my baby is already so old. What happened?!

He is scooting/crawling all across the floor...and quickly I might add. I can't keep up...literally. Look closely below: I had placed Ry on that colorful playmat in the left corner, I left the room for just minutes and BOOM he was underneath the piano on the other side of the room.

Oh and every morning he has a little computer time..checking to see what his peeps are up to.

In this pic I think you can tell really how big he is getting as he is up against Jax. These two are loving being brothers. They both have smiles that just melt my heart. 

{Check out those chunka thighs...love it!}

A few days ago he tried his first taste at real food (Rice Cereal) & just acted like it was no big deal.

~I love this kid so much. He makes my heart so incredibly happy. ~I laugh when I look at him because I just can't believe I never "planned" on him coming...Oh but Heavenly Father did & I am so so glad that He is in charge and not me.~

It's Official....

Tim's little sister Lacey & her longtime beau Jordan got engaged last night.

After 5 and a half years these two are finally tying the knot. 

First dating as High School Sweethearts, then Lacey waiting patiently for Jordan as he served a full time mission in the Philippines

...and then Last Night happened.

~Dreams Are Coming True...~

*12*27*2011*

I just found this old little doo-dad pic below and had to smile.

CONGRATS to them!
~We love you!~

~Missionary Moments~

First off I have to say how much I love the people in our Stake! They put so much effort into this last activity for all the 8-11 year old girls in our stake & it did not go unnoticed. 

When the girls all arrived they were put on a pretend Airplane (in the gym). Kay said they even ate peanuts and everything. Then they traveled around the World to different countries learning from someone who had served a mission there about the country it's food, language & culture.

I showed up a little before it was over & was able to watch as they did their Balloon Release. The girls had written their testimonies out & placed them inside their balloons. Then they released them all at once to create this wonderful, colorful collage. This symbolized that they would share their testimonies throughout the world to all those who they could find & who would listen.

{Kaylea woke up earlier that morning not being able to walk but insisted on going anyways. Somehow she had hurt her hip playing soccer at school perhaps. She limped around the church to the stations with help from her bestie Sienna. Then my cousin Alena spotted her & Kay was lucky enough to get piggy-backed.}

With this activity and then the Primary topic of Missionary Work lately, Kaylea was inspired & continues to talk about the Mission she wants to go on when she's older. 

~The neatest experience happened to her soon after this. A girl from her ELP class was talking to her about how she wanted a tattoo & Kaylea told her that she never wanted to get one. The girl asked her if she was a "Mormon" & Kay said "Yes I am." Then Kaylea quickly went up to her friend Hailey (pictured above in the blue) & told her "Hailey we have to go talk to Ivanna; she is asking me about the church & I think we should be missionaries to her."...and so they did. The 3 of them ate their lunch inside the classroom & talked about the Gospel the whole recess. They answered questions & wrote their testimonies down for her.

~I am proud of my little missionary.~

Cousin Campout

It all began when we were having the discussion with Kaylea. She said that towards the end of the school year last year her Music teacher had asked who in the class had gone camping. Kaylea said she was the ONLY one to not raise here hand. How sad is that? Can you say DEPRIVED of a necessary childhood experience!!

Tim (the non camper) instigated a "COUSIN CAMPOUT" for us all to do this summer {in June}. You see Kaylea's cousins the Lundells are the official campers with every camping luxury possible, making it more appealing. And so that is just what they did.

the one time the kids could get away with such dirty faces!

The Clan included Tim, Spence, Kaylea, Daylan, (I stayed home with the 2 littlest) Grandpa Ron, The Lundell Family, Flagstaff Campbell Family, The Check's + Sophie.
(Thanks to Heidi for most of these pics.)

The kids say that some of the Highlights included:

*Beanbag Toss (adults had the most fun)
*Movie Time (watching on sheet from projector)
*Jumping in the freezing cold water (my crazy kids only)
*Being told by the Park Ranger that Bears were seen the day before in the area...(they set up traps in their actual campsite amidst all their tents!)
*Fishing in the Creek (Grandpa caught one with his bare hands!)
(spence & kaylea said they caught some with their bare hands too!... oh fish stories!)

I'm glad the kids could have this experience with their cousins...Kaylea is officially a "real kid" now.

Meanwhile Jax, Ryler & I camped out too...on my bed! We stayed home snuggling on our comfy bed & enjoyed not camping but Ry wore his tent shirt too celebrate. :) {~Ryler was only 5 weeks old at the time & I still couldn't sit up comfortably on my own. There's always next time...ha.}

Cousin Swim Time!

The kids "California Cousins" Ethan & Carson, stopped by for a summertime visit. They were getting watched by "Grandpa Tom & Grandma Kathy" for a few days & made a trip over to swim.

~We sure miss them.~

forgot one or two...

How could I forget?..

Tattooing himself

Playing with the hose

Gotta go he just jumped off the table & got hurt.

Is it any wonder why I'm behind on blogging!?!

The Terrible & Wonderful 2's

Today Jax ran up & down the aisles of the Movie Theatre squealing as he ran from me. Of course I couldn't catch him.. I was so angry but found myself laughing & cursing (quietly) at the same time. 

These are a few of his latest favorite things to do:

Helping Out..

Building  Towers

Sleeping smack in the middle of the bed...

Pretending HE is the baby...

Playing with his baby brother Ryler...


& Making Mom Laugh...

"Oh Mom....                        You can't see me!"                    "Here I am!"

I LOVE THIS CRAZY 2 YEAR OLD KID!!

9 years ago today...

...Kaylea came to this World & changed our World. What would we do without a girl in the house? Here's the video I made her last year for her baptism. I cry every time I watch it as I reminisce the ups & downs of these past nine years & wonder how different life would be without her...

Happy Birthday to our 9 year old Princess Kaylea!! 

We Remember...

"I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today.

'Cuz this FLAG still stands for Freedom. 

And they CAN'T take that away..."

'Till We Meet...

Ryler woke me early one morning.
I was exhausted from a long night but I got to see this:

This was what the Sunrise looked like on August 12th, a year to the day that Emmie returned home to Heaven. It was so bright, it even hurts my eyes looking at the picture of it.

Later that evening we honored Emmie with a Balloon Release on the Temple grounds. It was a special time as Debbie (Emmie's maternal Grandma) had just gone through the Temple for the first time to receive her Endowments. She had promised Emmie that she would do this a year ago as Em lay there preparing to leave this Earth. Debbie followed through and did it on this special day a year later. She radiated that evening as she walked out the Temple doors & I know Emmie was there to experience it with her.

Not too many days after this day we got awful news:

Tim's step cousin Amanda passed away in a terrible car accident. She was driving very early in the morning & had to have fallen asleep at the wheel. She went off the road, off the side of the mountain plummeting hundreds of feet killing her instantly. She wasn't found till days later after she hadn't been heard from. A helicopter discovered the crash site & her car. She was planning to get married in the coming months leaving behind a fiancee, her parents, 2 sisters, brother & nieces and nephews that adored her. 

Although we didn't see her often, Tim and the 5 kids happened to run into her at the Mall not too long ago. She introduced her fiancee to them & then asked each one of my kids their ages, what grade they were in among other things. She took specific interest in each one making them feel special. Something so small yet so meaningful in recollection. As my kids recalled the moment, I thought to myself how important it is that when I speak to someone, I make THEM feel important; a definite Christlike quality.

And then the Lesson we are all reminded of when anyone passes away...that This Life is Temporary & we never know when it will be our turn to leave. It reminds me to live in the moment..not too much in the past or the future. I try & treasure the now- as imperfect as it may be. I hold my kids a little longer, forgive a little easier & cherish life a moment at a time.

Tim's Knee Surgery...{July 22nd}

BEFORE:

"Hey it's just knee surgery. What's the big deal?"

AFTER:

(doped on morphine)

"Wow...this is Awful!.. Oh and where are my sunglasses?"

It was so horrible to see Tim in so much pain immediately after surgery. He was not conscious but was moaning in pain. I had the nurses give him a few more injections of morphine in his I.V. & he felt MUCH better.  ....BUT then the funnies began!

He insisted on wearing his sunglasses inside the Recovery Room which gave me & the nurse quite the chuckle. He looked like Stevie Wonder as he bobbed his head back and forth and said such funny things.   He told the nurse numerous times how important it was for him to wear his sunglasses since "his eyes were so sensitive from his 3 eye surgeries." 

(..you had to be there.)

Tim also kept saying : "There has to be something the Doctor's not telling me." The nurse finally said "Ok Tim why don't you just relax and stop talking because you keep saying the same thing!" I busted up. Then doped up he started saying in his drunken slurred speech sweet things like: "Wow Audra, you stayed here my whole surgery....You're amazing." 

--Oh good times, good times...--

Wish I had video-taped his silly moments.

Because they didn't last long! Getting him in the car was horrendous & so was the 30 minute drive home from the hospital. He was miserable, pale & on the verge of passing out and vomiting.

Let's just say it's been a long couple of weeks!!

                              **Tim's Surgery was actually really complex. It was 2 hours long & it involved first taking 4 tendons from his hamstring, braiding them together & creating him a new ACL. To get it placed correctly the Dr. had to drill into his tibia & femur bones. Ouch!**

This was taken at his first Physical Therapy appointment @ East Valley Physical Therapy. I HATE when people post gross bodily harmed pictures on their blog like THIS:

(Sorry had to document it for history's sake.)

He did get his leg shaved.. which was a first.

The 1st week was absolutely brutal!... Tears were shed by both of us. We were up all hours of night in pain, giving/taking meds & with the 2 little boys. He was in a lot of pain, needing lots of care & attention. Meanwhile kids start school. Was in survival mode.

The 2nd week he was limited to work about an hour a day, I chauffered him everywhere, His bruising was scary & he was still on percocet, aspirin & crutches.

The 3rd week Tim began driving (which was so helpful!), had a job interview, got the job & celebrated his 37th Birthday. Tim was down to one crutch. Spence began school this week...the same day that Tim spent his full first day back at work. I felt like I was sending another child off.

The 4th week he is now progressing well. He is walking free of crutches& seeing my Dad 3 times a week for Physical Therapy. Other than a funny little limp he has, he is pretty much back to normal. He still tries to walk at his normal fast pace which provides us all a chuckle. 

Tim is now just literally Dreaming about the time when he can run up & down the BASKETBALL court again....but that won't be for AT LEAST another 6 months or so. I really am proud of how hard he has worked to get healed up to this point. He still has a long road ahead but it'll be worth it!

~We are just glad that his Surgery went so great 

as is his Physical Therapy. 

...He has a new knee & All is well. 

One Last Hurrah!

Before Summer Break was officially over, the 8 year old neighborhood girls & their Moms had one last hurrah! We had a fun Girls Nite Out @ the Mall. First we went to Johnny Rockets for some Dinner & FUN. The girls giggled (as you can see) & shot straws & wrappers at each other the whole time. They had a blast drinking their sodas, gabbed & giggled, giggled, giggled. After an hour or so of that ...our food still hadn't come so we hurried & got our movie tickets, crammed our food in the bottom of my stroller & these animal loving girlies were off to see the movie "Zoo Keeper." (And we made the theatre smell like onions!)

{There were 2 other girls there but one came after dinner & one left before she even got there cuz she got sick on the way there. I love that there is a big group of girls for Kaylea to hang out with and grow up with in our neighborhood. These are just the ones who are 8 with many more who are 7 & 9.}

1st Day(s) of School

Here we are doing the traditional front door 1st Day of School picture.

Daylan & Kaylea began school July 27th so here they are (while the rest of the fam lay in bed still) It was so great to hear them as they got in the car when I picked them up that day!

They both talked a mile-a-minute about how it was the greatest day ever!! They both said it flew by...even Daylan who had just experienced his 1st FULL day of school ever! Our conversation was about: how great their snacks were & who they sat by at lunch, what they did on the playground and who they sit by in class. 

Kaylea is in a 3rd/4th Grade combo class this year & LOVES it! I'm so glad that she is so that she can be pushed to learn even more! She is also still in ELP where she will ride a bus to a different school every Monday. She is loving that too. I'm so glad that my kids love to learn!

(Hopefully the driving doesn't become overwhelming as we are still in our rental house & driving back to our old neighborhood for school.)

Daylan had a BLAST...can you tell? His 1st FULL day of school ever & ALL SMILES!

Then almost 3 weeks later, it was Spencer's turn to leave me for his 1st Day of School. {It was such a blessing to have him NOT in school during this time so he could help me as I was a single mom for a few weeks helping nurse Tim back to everyday life stuff after his knee surgery. Meds, Learning to Walk, Chauferring etc. Spence was a huge help!}

We just decided to keep up with the tradition of having him go to a NEW SCHOOL EVERY YEAR since Kindergarten!! No really though we felt he would be pushed so much more at this new Charter School.

Although he was the only new kid in his class, he ended up knowing like 6 people...plus more on the playground from other classes. That is the advantage of having LIVED everywhere!!...knowing so many people. He is enjoying this more structured way of schooling & is catching on quickly to their phonograms & ways of doing things.

*It is going to be a wonderful year and I feel so blessed to be in this spectacular community!*

Ryler Potter

He's got the lightning scar and all...

So they asked if Ryler wanted to star in the movie but I told them he's too busy right now.... eating, pooping, sleeping, looking at his mobile, kicking his legs, knawing on his fists, growing chubby cheeks, cooing, & smiling at all who will speak to him. 

~Emmie's 1 year in Heaven mark~

Mama,

I went home to see Jesus, back to that Heavenly place.

He said it was time for me to go, although I knew I'd miss your face.

Don't cry for me now, it's so beautiful here.

I want you to always feel that I am near.

I'm surrounded by angels, family & friends,

God the Father, the Savior, the list never ends.

If you only could see me now. I can run, I can sing,

Oh the sweet joy that only Heaven could bring.

I miss you so much, but I visit you often.

Just close your eyes & I'll whisper, the pain I will soften.

Thank you for giving me my earthly body while there,

& always brushing my long brunette hair.

You were the best Mom I could ever have had

Now take of yourself, Ava, Elsie, Ivan & Dad.

I'll see you sooner than you probably think

The Savior comes quickly, so don't you dare blink.

I love you so much & I want you to know

That I still see Strawberry Shortcake up here too...on the front row. ;)

~Emmie

Skypin'

What would we do without Skype?

We wouldn't see Tomzie= Tommy/Jozie in Hawaii

...Or the Goodwin cousins in Cali

Carson has aged so much that he now has a goat-tee.

Look who I see!!

Oh silly Aunt Stephie...

Arrow of Light

Look at all the pins. arrow points, belt loops & patches he earned. Yay!

My little boy is not so little. He has reached the end of Cub Scouts and now enters the realm of Boy Scouts. I am so proud of him for having the desire to learn & do all that he can. He inspires me to be better & do more! Way to go Spud!

Haboob={Crazy} Dust Storm

A new word to add to your Vocabulary.

Not your typical monsoon storms...

On July 5th, an End of the World looking dust storm came rolling in & hit most of the Valley.  I SO wish I would've gotten a pic of how we saw it coming towards us out our back window... but I was so wrapped up in the moment that I didn't think to grab my camera. (Yes I do have those moments from time to time.) Here is a picture from someone's cell phone of downtown Phoenix as it started to brew there.

In the home we're in right now it is close to the San Tan Mountains. Tim called for me to come quick & look out the window. It looked exactly like this photo but CLOSER so we had to look straight up to see the top. I heard that it was 2 miles high!

I didn't do any crazy damage as far as I know, but most everyone I talked to had a thick layer of dirt on the front/back patios. It even blew so hard that it came through windows & left a thin layer of dust INSIDE the house. My kids played "Wizard of Oz" as it happened & ran to the basement as it shook the house a bit & blew loud noises through the windows.


I LOVE MONSOON season cuz it means my Birthday is closeby..