Clower Family News

TRUE CONFESSIONS

2010-02-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Ten Random Confessions:

1. I convinced Blake tonight to get a manicure. He said that his friends would make fun of him, I told him they wouldn't even notice. I spruced up his fingers and he LOVED it!

2. I yelled too much today and I hated it! I guess I should have left the house to get some fresh air. I was too busy cleaning for someone that only stayed 20 minutes...

3. Cadence really scares me when she "talks" to God. She says that he tells her things all of the time-I can't believe how in touch she is with her spirituality! I wish I had the faith of a child!

4. I worry too much! Yep! ALL.OF.THE.TIME. I worry about dying and leaving my children without a mom, worry about having a fire, worry about having a deadly disease, etc. etc. I guess I should practice what my daughter preaches!

5. I only watch the news and American Idol on tv. I used to watch 2-4 shows a night, but homework, life, and the computer have taken over!

6. Speaking of the computer-yep-I am addicted and need to go to Internet Addicts Anonymous. Is there such a thing?

7. I have a ton of regrets from my past, but one looms over me everyday and I wish I could fix it and change it, but I don't think the other party would be receptive of my apologies. I lost a good friend because of it...

8. I am more outspoken now than I have ever been. Sometimes it's good and sometimes not so much. Like tonight when the Target worker got an attitude because our cart was in his way. Instead of letting him treat me like you know what, I simply said, "Oh sorry, you just had to say, excuse me." Um, yeah, where did that come from. Then the other day during my class I actually sang in front of everyone and had a presentation that I was not the least bit nervous for. Interesting for this very shy girl.

9. I wish I could relive my high school years! I would have been kinder, more forgiving, ditched the boys and found friends that were genuine.

10. I started to write something negative for almost all of these confessions, but deleted each one as I wrote it. I think this is a step in the right direction, I want to be more positive and live my life for HIM!

I LOVE MY CHILDREN!

2010-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Every morning when I wake, I find two bundles of joy cuddled next to me!

Their sweet breath, their peaceful smiles, their beautiful long lashes, and their tiny freckles make the scrunched bed worth it!

Oh, how I love my children!

Blake's Baseball Party

2010-01-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Finally! Here is a recap of Blake's 6th Birthday! We had a blast playing baseball, eating "baseball" food, and spending time with friends!

Are you ready for this??????

2009-12-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Not sure how many readers I have, but I wanted to share this fabulous giveaway going on right now!

Go to www.mycharmingkids.net for a chance to win Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom! Amazing!

Man, I would LOVE to win one of these!!!! I have been really getting into photography lately and took two families pictures for Christmas! I am planning on taking some photography classes in the spring and hopefully learning more about my camera!

This giveaway would be such a blessing, as so far Scott and I don't have money for gifts for ourselves for Christmas. I know it is more blessed to give than receive, but this year is going to be the hardest!

Head on over for your chance to win! With love....

COME BACK SOON-REAL SOON!

2009-10-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Come back soon for some fun-filled posts! I have been wanting to catch up on my blog and this week is the week! I still have to post about our Las Vegas trip, our summer fun with my brother, my new niece and Blake's fabulously(is that a word?) cheap baseball bash!!! So, come back soon for excitement and fun-a giveaway is also in the works:)

Some funny things that Cadence has said...

2009-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

The other day Cadence came home from school and was telling me how the boys at school were chasing her. She expressed that she wasn't sure she liked this.

ME: "Well, maybe they just like you?"

HER: "Oh, they do, they think I'm cute."

ME: "Oh, really?" "How do you know that?"

HER: "Well, when they're chasing me, they're always smiling at me, that's how I know I'm cute."

The next one was this:

ME: "Cadence, I think you should wear your skirt, it is so cute."
HER: "You know mom, I don't have to wear a cute skirt to have people look at me and tell me I'm cute!"

I always dreamed of having a child that was more confident than I was, I guess I got my wish! She gets this confidence from her dad!

Remember 9/11

2009-09-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today started like any other day.

We clambered to get dressed.

We gulped down our cereal.

We rushed the kids out the door.

We arrived safely at school.

Then we went to a 9/11 assembly at Blake's school.

Moving. Beautiful. Tears were flowing.

Boy scouts raised the flag to half mast.

A trumpet played in the background.

Tiny "babies" stood with their hands across their hearts.

Wow, is all I have to say.

This school is simply amazing. Now your assembly may have been better or they may have done something to honor the fallen heroes that was more elaborate, but this, well this, was amazing!

The kids sang patriotic songs. The principal gave a short message and EVERY child sat listening to his words. What a wonderful school and experience to have on this day. I now have a deeper appreciation for all of the heroes in our lives and a deeper respect for our country.

While controversy swirls in politics around us and opposing views argue and bicker, it is often difficult to be proud to be an American. But today I can honestly say that I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. God Bless America and may it continue to be the land of the free!

Another Dream...

2009-08-27T09:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I shared with you my dream about Las Vegas and now I am going to share yet another serious dream, as I can't get it out of my head. Here is my dream:

Scott and I were installing a commercial real estate post. It was taking too long and the kids were with us. So, we decided to call it a day and come back the next day. So, on Sunday, we dropped the kids off at a park with family and friends and left to go put the post up. I was a nervous wreck the whole time, as I knew how crazy our kids could be at the park and when swimming, which they were going to do.

After many hours away from the kids, we made our way back to the park. When we got there everyone was sitting under the ramadas, looking rather solemn. I knew immediately that something was wrong. Blake came running up to us and he jumped into my arms. I looked around and didn't see Cadence anywhere. I asked Blake where she was. BIG, HUGE crocodile tears poured down his cheeks and he answered, "Gone."

"What do you mean gone?"
"She's gone, she, she..." His voice trailed off and he turned to look at the grandparents sitting beneath the ramada. My mother in law came up to us and said, "There has been an accident."

I started screaming, "What, what, what, tell me what happened?"

She shared with us that everyone was swimming and Cadence wanted to look at the fish in the pond. They didn't know that she had wandered away and when they found her it was too late. She was already gone.

I kept screaming and screaming and screaming in my dream. How could this be? Cadence's life moments flashed before my eyes, like a book being thumbed through. I could hear her laughter, I saw her smiling face, I heard her cries, saw her stumbling first steps, her first tooth, her....It was too much for me! I wanted off this road, I didn't want to be on it. I just kept screaming. I yelled that I wanted to see her. They said that I could, that she was in the nearby building. I had to see, but I didn't have the strength. I am not sure what Scott was doing at this point, as all I recall from the dream were my screams. I had to go see her, but I wanted someone to go with me. They all so graciously offered. But it didn't feel right. I didn't want them to go with me. I kept saying over and over, I just want someone to go with me, I need someone to go with me.

Then it was as if all time stood still. My mind cleared and I realized once again that I needed God. I needed HIM to walk beside me and help me face my fears. I needed HIM as my firm foundation to give me the courage to walk this road. I stood at the front of the ramada and addressed the group of people solemnly sitting there.

I began, with a lump in my throat. "God knows the plans He has for our lives. He knew about this day even before it arrived. God showed me the blogs of other believers and knew that I would one day have to draw upon their strength to get through this tragedy. With God all things are possible." With that, I turned toward the building and WOKE UP! Crying. I grabbed Scott and told him about the dream. He held me close and I could sense that he wanted to cry along with me. While we still have our precious daughter here with us, it made me realize how truly special each and everyday is. How our days are numbered here on this earth and that I need God to be my firm foundation.

I am still resisting it for whatever reason. It is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I want to know God, but I am afraid to. I am afraid that I am too much of a sinner for Him to want me back. I am afraid that I am not worthy of His love. I have these dreams quite often. I want God to be an important part of my DAILY life, if I could just make the time to do it, I know that I can become the Godly woman he wants me to be.

A Few Random Things

2009-08-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Blake has started school. I will post pictures and a cute story later, but I wanted to share with you our conversation from yesterday, as it was just too cute.

When I pick Blake up from school he is full of stories and adventures from his day. He LOVE'S to talk while we drive home. Yesterday the conversation turned to what he wants to be when he grows up. This is the first time that I think he truly understands what this means. Here was his list:

Cowboy
Police Officer
Vet
Horse Doctor
Demolition Derby Driver

Pretty great aspirations if I do say so myself. Well, after he told me what he NOW wants to be he decided to tell me what he USED to want to be.

Last time ago (his words for the past) I wanted to be a:

Doctor
Construction Worker
Someone who fixes trains
Daycare Worker (Whoa! Can't believe I had that much of an impression!)
And????

Well, I think he told me about 10 other jobs. When he never mentioned what daddy does, I figured I would ask him.

ME: "So you don't want to be a post hole digger and put in real estate posts?'
HIM: "No way, that is way too hard of work!"

I had to laugh-I am glad that he realizes how hard his dad's job is and that he sees his dad working hard to provide for our family. While I know Scott would like to "check-out" and be done with our business. He can't. He won't. Unless of course, he knows that there is another way to provide for his family. I love Blake's honesty and once again I love that he recognizes that his dad works hard. I hope someday that Blake will have a job and work hard to provide for his family.

Thank you Scott for providing for our family!

NEW POSTS...

2009-08-19T09:20:00.001-07:00

I am starting back in May and adding new posts in order of them happening. Scroll down to earlier dates to see some fun and exciting posts, Cadence's birthday, Vegas, family visits, etc. all will be added!

Eight Years Ago Today...

2009-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today I married the man of my dreams.

Eight years ago today my life forever changed.

Eight years ago today I became a wife.

Eight years ago today I professed my love to my husband.

Eight years ago today I said, "I do."

When I met Scott I was living life on the edge. I was depressed, lonely, and scared. I was scared by the way I was living and knew that something had to change. Meeting Scott saved my life, as he showed me unconditional love, day in and day out. I had never felt that way before. I am being honest when I say that Scott and I didn't fight for the first four years that we were together. The two fights that I can even recall were silly and both ended in a play wrestling match where we laughed until we cried. Everything just felt "right.' He was forgiving, honest, confident and had high moral standards. He still is and does.

The last few years have been rough for our family, but through it all we have prevailed. We have stuck by each other's sides through the worst of times. He has forgiven and I have forgiven. He has shown me mercy and I have shown him love. We compliment each other well and there is no other person that I would rather be with. I thank you Scott for being my stronghold, for being the rock for our family to stand firm upon. I thank you for forgiving and loving unconditionally. I thank God for bringing you into my life and I hope that we have many more years together-good or bad.

Happy 8th Anniversary!

New Haircut!

2009-06-10T22:43:00.001-07:00

Here are some before and after pics of my new haircut! Enjoy!

BEFORE

AFTER

Deep Thoughts...

2009-06-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have had VERY vivid dreams at night. I will awake in the morning not knowing if my dream was real or not. I have even been known to carry on conversations at night and scare the living day lights out of my husband.

But last night, last night was different. While I did have a dream, one in which I will share with you in a moment, it was, shall I say, not as detailed as normal. It was more of an abstract dream, with muted colors and many questions were left unanswered at the end of the dream. However, I think that Someone wanted me to wake up and answer the questions and interpret the dream myself. This dream has changed my life, it has made me think of where I want to go and who I want to be.

This was my dream...

We were in Vegas(in real life we just got back from Vegas) and I was trying to get back to our room. I kept turning down the wrong hallways and getting lost, when finally I found an escalator. The escalator was broken(also a common problem on our recent trip) but I climbed it anyway. As I neared the top, I could see a huge gap between the top of the escalator and the flooring. I continued to climb. When I reached the top I knew that I would have to jump, so I gave it everything I had and jumped. I didn't quite make it and I grabbed a brass rail, as I began to plummet into the gap. An elderly woman was down the hallway on my right and she chuckled and told me that this was not the right way. Duh, like I didn't already know that. Plus, why wasn't she helping me? She pointed me to an old staircase next to the escalator and said, "That is the right way!" I looked toward the old staircase and swung on the brass rail. I swung right onto that old staircase and landed with a loud thud. Within moments, my nephew was by my side, climbing those old stairs. As we stepped on each stair, it creaked and groaned and the nails that were holding it together would pop out. The old lady cackled above us and said, "Yes, yes that is the right way." "But it's hard," I complained. She just kept saying, "Yes, yes that is the right way!" I was so frustrated. I didn't want to go this way. I was scared. I was afraid of falling. What if I failed? However, I kept going. I made it to the top! And guess what? There was no gap. Just solid flooring for me to stand on. Then, I woke up!

This is my interpretation:

I used to be a strong believer in God. I used to attend church regularly and I volunteered my time helping in the church. I prayed daily and read my Bible. Somewhere in the rush of life, I have forgotten HIM. We stopped going to church because we are TOO busy. Okay, I know that is not a good excuse, but we are just worn out and tired by week's end. I felt that I could just take the easy way out (the escalator) but even when that route proved to be hard, I thought I could do it alone. I neglected to remember, HIM, the One who created us. The One who forgives our sins. The One who shows us His grace and love. When I was finally willing to listen, I still endured a difficult road(the old staircase) but in the end I found HIM! HE is all I need! He is my firm foundation! Today has been a different day! I have had energy. I have more joy. I have a skip in my step. Even though today was a tough one, I knew that at the end of the day, HE would be here for me, to love and accept me, no matter what.

My life has new meaning today and I am glad that God has given me the gift of dreaming in detail!

Happy Birthday, Cadence

2009-05-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it has been too long since I last posted. I have to catch you up to speed on our life and there is no better place to start than Cadence's Fourth Birthday! Cadence wanted a Dora the Explorer birthday, however, I am not big on character birthdays. So, since her birthday is on Cinco de Mayo, I decided to have a "Mexican Fiesta" type party.

We decorated with tissue paper flowers and I used the colors hot pink, orange and yellow as the colors. I think that it turned out really cute. We had the party at our neighborhood park and besides it being a little warm, the kids had a great time. I made Dora sand toys by putting wall stickers on the buckets, we had Dora jump ropes and balls, and hula hoops in coordinating colors. The kids had fun just running and chasing each other in the grass. Here are some pictures from her party:

Day 2-Sea World

2009-04-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

We put our car troubles aside and decided to go ahead and enjoy ourselves for the rest of the weekend and deal with fixing the car on Monday. We were even hoping that someone else would tell us that we could drive home in second gear-hoping being the key word.

We spent a wonderful day at Sea World and the weather was perfect. We even were a little overdressed with our jeans and short sleeve t-shirts!

Ummm...these were the rocks that said, "Please don't climb!" Can't keep this girl from climbing!

The best part of the day was seeing the joy and wonderment in the kids eyes. Their eyes would sparkle as each whale, dolphin or sea lion did a trick. They were in heaven!

After our fun-filled day, we hopped in the car to go find a yummy seafood restaurant. We made it less than a mile, when the car started making a wonderful clunking sound and then it would not shift into the next gear. Nice! Scott pulled over as soon as he could and we both just looked at each other.

The lovelies were in the back yelling, "Why aren't we going, we thought we were going to eat dinner?" Over and over and over again.

Scott got the car to at least go a little and we made it back to our hotel going 25mph. We asked the front desk if there was a car rental place nearby, as we were determined to not let this ruin our trip. He said it was less than a mile down the street. We gathered the kids up and we started walking...and walking...and walking. A few miles later we realized that the guy probably didn't know what he was talking about. The kids were in hog heaven! They loved the excitement of walking down the busy street and seeing some of the same stores and restaurants that we have in Arizona. Not sure why that was exciting, but it was. We finally found a nice Me*xican restaurant and had some dinner. We decided to pursue our car rental endeavors the next day...

Day 3-Car Rentals and Wild Animal Park

2009-04-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, our car saga continued into day 3 of our San Diego vacation. We set out once again to rent a car, so as to not ruin our "mini" vacation. We had the front desk of the hotel call us a cab and taxi driver drove us to the airport to rent a car. Once we arrived at the car rental location, we attempted to rent a car. Did you read that? I said, ATTEMPTED! Not everyone knows this, but we no longer have any credit cards. Not ONE credit card. Not good. We do not have the best credit and we don't want to settle for just any ol' credit card. We have neglected to get one for over a year now. We used to have five. Yep. Five. All with over 20% interest rates. Ha! We won't do that again.

Anyway, back to the story. So, they would not rent us a car without a credit card. We could have paid them cash and upon returning the car, got most of our money back, but we needed the money to fix the car, remember? So, they sent us on our merry way. They found us a car rental place that charged us triple the amount for a car, but we rented it without a credit card. How nice?! Four hours after starting our car rental adventure, we were on our way to the Wild Animal Park.

Have I told you how well-behaved the kids were this whole time? Well, they were! Everything was an adventure to them, so they had not a care in the world. We made it to the Wild Animal Park, already exhausted. We took the train around the park and walked around to a few exhibits, but by then we were spent.

We decided to go to the beach in Oceanside, as the kids were begging to swim in the ocean. It was a beautiful day out and we lucked out by having sunshine the entire time we were at the beach.

We had a wonderful time, laughing, swimmming, collecting sea shells, building sand castles and watching the dolphins jump not too far off of the shore. It was the perfect ending to an otherwise stressful day. We left the beach and headed down the coast. It was such a beautiful drive and the kids slept most of the way.

We were craving seafood, as one knows that you can't go to San Diego without eating seafood. We are not big seafood fans, but every once in awhile we give it a try. We had no clue where to eat, so we decided on Joe's Crab Shack. Not bad. Next time, we will do a little more research on seafood eateries in San Diego.

One last day of our trip...

2009-04-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

...then onto new and exciting posts!

Day 4 of our trip brought much more fun and excitement. Scott decided to head home atop a AAA tow truck and I stayed in San Diego with the kids. I didn't want to ride on top of the tow truck!

The kids and I took advantage of the second day free pass from Sea World as we waited for my father-in-law to come pick us up! The kids and I had a great time getting wet in all of the splash zones and playing in the kids area.

We then headed out to Seaport Village to eat ice cream and walk around the shops. We sat in the grass and watched the sea lions swim in the marina. We then walked the shops some more and I decided to treat the kids to $4 animal balloons. Yep, $4, oh well, you only live once, right?

Cadence got a Little Mermaid balloon and Blake got Shamu. We ended up having a wonderful day, but I was exhausted and looking forward to getting home and having our car fixed.

Day 1 Continued

2009-04-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

The kids were acting goofy the whole way to San Diego. Our car was acting goofy too! We knew something wasn't right when the car wouldn't automatically shift into overdrive. However, we continued on our way and made it! We pulled into a mechanics shop outside of San Diego and he told us to drive it in second gear for the rest of the time and we could fix it when we got back home...MISTAKE NUMBER ONE!

Here are some pictures of the kids in the car:

Once we arrived in San Diego, we went and dropped off our bags at the hotel and got checked in. We went over to Mission Beach to spend a relaxing evening together. We played on the beach for awhile, went and ate dinner, took a walk on the beach at sunset and rode rides at Belmont Park. We had a wonderful time!

Blake, once again, became our photographer and took this picture of Scott and I. Pretty good for a five year old, huh? I really think he is going to be very artistic.

Our San Diego Vacation-Day 1

2009-04-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

We left for San Diego today. Before we left, the kids and I took the car to get an oil change and a car wash. The kids were very excited and a little hyper in the car wash and wanted me to take their pictures! It is a good thing that it was early, as they were running around like wild monkey's!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the car wash!

Once outside, Blake decided that he wanted to take some pictures. He captured this beautiful waterfall outside and then had to snap one of yours truly, how can one refuse such a cute request?

Day One to be continued...

We are off to San Diego!

2009-04-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

We are leaving tomorrow for San Diego. The kids do not remember going there, as Blake was 2.5 and Cadence was 9 months old. We are going to Sea World, the Wild Animal Park and to the beach! We can't wait!

Here are some pictures of us when we went in the Spring of 2006:

AND THE WINNER IS...

2009-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

...LORAINE!

You may email me for details on how to get your $10 Starbuck's gift card!

Like I said, it is not much, but it is something!

Thank you Sara and Loraine for commenting on my blog! We have a lot of visitors everyday, I just don't know who they are, so keep on commenting!

2009-03-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hey!

If you visit our family blog, we would love to know who you are!

Leave a comment to just say, "Hi!" and win a prize!

If you leave a comment between now and March 31st at mindnight, you will be entered to win a wonderful prize valued at $10! Not much, but it is always fun to win something!

So, start commenting away!

Have a great week!

Just wanted to share...

2009-03-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to buy summer clothes for the kids lately, because you know, it is already shorts season here in Arizona and they both have grown a ton in the last few months.

So, I started my shopping earlier this week! Imagine my surprise when I found out how much NEW clothes would cost me! I tend to purchase the kids clothes secondhand or at consignment and Blake gets a lot of hand-me-downs from his cousin. I really just wanted a nice pair of shorts for Blake that would double as his Easter outfit and a pair of brown sandals for Cadence that would LAST her through the summer.

Well, I started at Tar*get, as that is where I normally shop for EVERYTHING! Brown sandals for Cadence-cheapest price $15! Cute shorts for Blake $15! I chose to buy Blake the shorts and regretted it later. I took them back tonight!

What are you willing to pay for clothes for your kids?

Here's a secret:

The clothes Cadence is wearing in her pictures below cost ME $15.00 total-if you count the hair bows! The shoes were $5.00 on Cra*igslist, the bows $3.00 at Wal*mart(pack of two) the rhinestone shirt was from Good*will for $2.00, the pink sundress was $4.50 at consignment, the brown flip flops .50 at a garage sale. The pettiskirt was a Christmas gift! Now, you're telling me that I have to spend $15 for ONE pair of shoes-NO WAY!

Blake's outfit cost $6.50 at consignment, minus the shoes, which I splurged on at the beginning of the school year for $20.

Got any brown sandals in size 9 you would like to sell me?

Pizza Pie

2009-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, at the request of Blake, we made "Pizza Pie" for dinner. I made up that name so that the kids would eat it and it has worked ever since.

I have tried a making this many different ways, but the kids really prefer it the way I will share with you. We have added green beans, corn and peas to no avail!

Ingredients:

Ground Turkey or ground beef (we prefer ground turkey)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Instant mashed potatoes (I make enough for four servings)
1 cup of grated cheese
Seasonings for meat-I use garlic powder, onion powder, ground red pepper and black pepper.

Preheat oven to 425

1) Brown ground beef or ground turkey in a pan. I use olive oil spray to coat the pan to prevent sticking. I season the meat and add 1/4 of the jar of spaghetti sauce while browning the meat.

2) While browning the meat, make instant potatoes in the microwave.

3) Once the meat is completely browned, add 3/4 of the remaining spaghetti sauce to the meat.

4) Pour the meat sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased baking pan. Place the prepared mashed potatoes on top of the meat sauce and then pour the remaining sauce on top of the mashed potatoes.

5) Last sprinkle the cheese over the top of the mixture and place in the oven for 10-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted on the top.

This is famously named Shepherd's Pie and I don't even know the original recipe, but my kids think ours is delicious.

Typically I add pureed veggies to our spaghetti sauce, but haven't tried it with this recipe yet. I guess that would just be one more dish to dirty and I hate dishes!

New Spring Pictures of the Kids

2009-03-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

We had a photographer take some pictures of the kids last week and I wanted to share some with you! These are their Easter pics and Cadence's fourth birthday pics. I think that they turned out great! You can visit Amy's Blog at www.amybrinnphotography.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

2009-02-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Scott and I met in the fall of 1999. I had given up finding the man of my dreams and was willing to give up dating all together. I had been regularly attending a single adult Sunday school class, but had decided that maybe I was a little young for this group and so decided to try out the college age group. On Sunday,
October 3, 1999 I attended an innocent game of broom ball at the local ice skating rink. Little did I know that my future husband would be there.

The game began and I was a little bit apprehensive. I hardly knew anyone there, but I was determined to have a good time. For those of you who have never played broomball, you hit a ball across the ice with a broom or hockey stick, all while wearing your regular shoes. It was a hilarious sight to say the least. Anyways, back to my love story. So, there he was. A extremely handsome, talented and athletic player! I was sure he was dating one of the hot girls checking him out every 5 seconds. J/K but some of the girls HAD been talking about him before we started playing. So, this extremely talented and athletic man, exerted himself so much and gave the game his all, that he BROKE his hockey stick. Here was the dialouge that followed:

ME: "Would you like to use MY hockey stick?"
HIM: "Sure, but what will you use?"
ME: "Oh, I could just kick it like a soccer ball."
HIM; "You play soccer?" Said in his macho, athletic voice
ME: "I did, but that was a long time ago."

Game has continued around our flirting. He takes off, flashing me a smile. I thought that was the end of it. But, he came back later for more.

HIM: "So, would you like to play on my coed soccer team?"
ME: "Sure."
HIM: "I'll get your number when we're done playing and I will call you to let you know when our game is this week."
ME: "Great!" Kind of sarcastically. I say this because I was never really good at soccer and it had been over seven years since I had even played! What fun this was going to be!

He called me that night. Not a man of many words. I thought for sure he didn't like me. I figured he just really needed an extra girl to play on the team.

I believe we played soccer on the following Tuesday. He claims that I played well. Yeah right. I had conveniently parked in the wrong parking lot, so he offered to drive me to my car. I obliged. We ended up sitting in his car for the next two hours talking about EVERYTHING! By the end of the night, he asked me on our first date! And no, we didn't kiss.

Our first date was great. We went on a double date with a friend of his and then to a movie. I have no clue what the movie was because I was too busy waiting for him to hold my hand. He didn't.

The next day I had to shop for a dress to attend a wedding. He offered to come with me and help me pick one out. How sweet was that! He came along and we met up with another friend of his for lunch. Again we went to a movie and we held hands. Don't remember what that movie was either!

We kissed that night.

Got engaged a year later.

Got married eight months later. June 23, 2001

Not very many early pictures of us, as that was pre-digital camera, but here are a few of us together!

Happy Valentine's Day Honey! I love you from the bottom of my heart and appreciate all that you do for our family! God could not have blessed me with a better husband and friend. Thank you for being you!

Love always and forever!

A soccer star is born!

2009-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

When Blake was three we put him on a soccer team. From the time he could stand, he could kick a soccer ball. We thought he would love playing. We knew he was a little shy, but nothing prepared us for how he reacted to playing organized sports. He hated it! We had to literally carry him around the field and swing his body to kick the ball. He would cry, scream and throw a fit. We were "THOSE" parents, the ones with the child who would not cooperate. Needless to say, we pulled him off of the team after four weeks of trying to force him to play.

So, this past summer Blake asked to play soccer. We were a little reluctant, but he had just finished a stellar season of baseball, so we thought we would give the much dreaded soccer a try.

Well, I guess he was finally ready! He was the star of the team! I am not just saying that because he is my son-he really was the star. Our team was quite the underdogs and didn't even make a goal until the last game! BUT, guess who made that first goal, at our last game? Yep! You guessed it! Blake! We were and are so proud of him! Here are SOME of the MANY pictures I took this season!

Out of the baby vault!

2009-01-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

I found these pictures on our computer and couldn't help but share. I miss having babies so much and can't wait to have more:) No, there are not any in the works yet! This was Easter 2006!

Our visit with Santa

2008-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our visit with Santa this year. We picked a random weekday and thought it would not be busy. We arrived at 4:30 in the afternoon and STILL waited an hour! Oh well! Cadence was a little shy, but Blake was very outgoing and told Santa EXACTLY what he wanted! Blake asked for a LEGO x-wing fighter and a REAL computer and Cadence asked for a Littlest Pet Shop! Their first Christmas actually asking for what THEY want, not what mommy and daddy want them to get!

Thanksgiving at Rainbow Lake

2008-11-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to relax a bit for Thanksgiving and spend a few days at a rented cabin with Scott's family. His cousin's family, parents, sister and our nephew all joined us for the weekend. We shared a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, played in the snow, the men fished on the lake and we all enjoyed playing games by the fire. We LOVED our time spent together and can't wait to pick a new destination for next year! Enjoy some pictures of our Thanksgiving!

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Blake wanted to be Lego Batman this year, so I made his costume. After hours of work on his costume, Blake decided that perhaps this costume wasn't the best idea. He did not want to wear the mask and he ended up refusing to walk while trick-or-treating. The first picture is what he did everytime he decided to pout and stop walking. Oh well, the costume at least looked good, right?

Cadence could not be left out and so she, too, had to have a homemade costume. I had planned on her being "Dorothy" from the Wizard of Oz, but she has no clue who she is since she refuses to watch the "scary movie." So, she decided she wanted to be the "Little Mermaid" I had grand plans for her costume, but ran out of time, so this is what she ended up with. Not bad, but not my best work either. I especially like the picture of her "grabbing" her shell bra. Nice!

The next Picaso?

2008-10-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of artwork that Blake has created lately. They both were done at school and the 'Circle Guy' was displayed at recent art show at his school! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

We decided to carve pumpkins with Scott's family on the Sunday BEFORE Halloween. My brilliant idea! However, our pumpkins never made it to Halloween. By Halloween night they were moldy and virtually crushed. We never got pictures with the lights off and a candle inside, but they were still great! We let the kids draw their own faces on their own pumpkins and Cadence got in on pulling the seeds and pulp out.

We enjoyed a yummy dinner of lasagne, salad and bread. It was a great start to a new tradition!

Blake's Indiana Jones Adventure Party

2008-09-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

You are invited to join Dr. __________ (aka Blake) on an adventure to the remote corners of Peru. Help Dr. __________ unlock the secrets of the ancient tombs, the forgotten explorers and the city of gold.

Don't be late and be sure to wear your Indy Attire.

We held Blake's party at Papago Park in Phoenix, AZ. Blake picked the spot after we took a morning hike to the pyramid that sits on a hill at the top of the park. He fell in love with the pyramid and it was all that he talked about for weeks!

The location was perfect!

There were old stone canals running around the perimeter of the ramadas, that the kids absolutely loved. We really didn't need any planned activities, as that is all they wanted to do.

However, me being the party planner that I am, had several 'clues' for the kids to find as they completed each obstacle or 'adventure' In an effort to be fair, each child was to complete an obstacle by finding a clue that had their name on it and a golden coin.

The first adventure was crossing the alligator canal and searching for their clue on the other side. Once every child found their name, they had to find a large puzzle piece that would eventually lead them to the treasure hidden in the rocks next to the pyramid.

After the alligator pond, they had a relay to see which team could fill the bucket with the snake's blood the fastest. I purchased plastic skull margarita glasses at the dollar store and they had to fill them up with water colored with red food coloring and run to the plastic buckets set up on a table.

They dug through a bucket filled with wet sand, coffee grounds and slimy bugs. They dove into a 'snake pit' which was an inflatable pool purchased on clearance and they dug through monkey brains (green jello and ramen noodles.)

They found all of their large puzzle pieces and put the puzzle together to reveal that the treasure was in the pyramid. They made the trek up to the top of the hill and found the crystal skull and a treasure box filled with jewels, gold coins and ring pops. The kids all received a satchel that was purchased from the dollar store to keep all of their findings in. Here are some more pics from the party. We really had a great time and now all of his friends want an Indiana Jones Party. It was very inexpensive and the most memorable of all of Blake's parties.

Happy Birthday Blake! We love you so much! From the moment we found out we were having a baby, we were in love. You have brought so much joy into our lives and you are truly special! You are a wonderful big brother, you are so creative, kind and loving. I love all of the wonderful pictures you draw for us and you are doing such a great job at writing your name and learning how to read!

Happy 5th Birthday! We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!

Kung Fu Panda Pandemonium!

2008-07-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today we took the children to the much anticipated movie, "Kung Fu Panda." They couldn't have been more excited. We thought we would get into the theme of the evening by first taking the children to eat at Panda Express.

We dined on noodles, orange chicken and, of course, fortune cookies. The children had fun trying chopsticks for the first time and hardly touched their food as I am sure their bellies were swelling with excitement.

We finished our meal and made our way to the movies. A fun time was had by all and the children even stayed awake and quiet throughout the WHOLE movie! Now that is an accomplishment!

Cadence's Third Birthday Party

2008-05-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

Cadence asked for a 'Princess Dress-up Party' for her birthday this year. Money was a little tight, so I created this party for under $150. My parties are known to be a little extravagant, but I just couldn't do it this year. Here are some pictures from her special day.

Grandma gave Cadence a pedicure.

Her pretty 'piggy toes.'

All dressed up!

I swear that my cake was not as bad as she is making it out to be. She just didn't like the fact that it was purple!

We couldn't leave out the boys!

Cadence's first birthday flowers.

Arizona Renaissance Festival-March 2008

2008-04-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

The kids couldn't wait to get to the Renaissance Festival this year for a taste of the yummy turkey legs. We had a garage sale the day before and they raised the money to go. This made it even more fun for them as they showed appreciation for the souvenirs that they got to pick out! The day was a bit overcast, but it was nice because it kept the sun at bay. We had a wonderful time and, of course, we all enjoyed the turkey legs!

Our Beautiful Cadence

2008-03-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

Cadence was modeling for me today. I captured some wonderful pictures outside on this cool spring day!