The Welker's

Eaten Alive

2010-08-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

This summer every night before bed we have a ritual. We go mosquito hunting! We turn on the lights, get magazines, towels, fly swatters, or anything that can be used as a mosquito killing weapon, and start searching for the little blood suckers. Most nights we get 5 or 6 per room, but we know that there is a ton more lurking in the dark. The reason we know this is because we all wake up covered in huge mosquito bites. As I write this I have probably 20 bites all over my body. We have no idea where they are all coming from!!! They keep us up half the night buzzing by our ears and making us itch after they have found a way through covers and clothes to bite whatever part of the body they can find. Pretty soon we are going to have to start wearing mosquito repellant to bed. In a way, we are looking forward to winter so that all the little flying demons will freeze to death and stop eating us for midnight snacks! Hopefully we can make it through the rest of summer without one of us getting West Nile Virus. We hate mosquitos and want them all to DIE!

I Remember

2009-09-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

On this day, 8 years ago, so many people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing. It is a day many of us will never forget, 9/11/01. I remember it almost like it was yesterday. Jeff and I were living at my parents house with our only child at the time, Tanner. We were living their while our new house was being finished, and things were a little cramped! I woke up and got ready for work and I got Tanner ready to go to daycare. I was in the habit of never turning on a T.V. or a radio while getting ready, but as soon as I put Tanner in the car I turned on the radio. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn't sound good. After listening for a couple of minutes I began to realize what was going on. Planes had ran into the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and one had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The scenes were described in such horror. Every detail I heard mad me shiver with fear. As I walked into the babysitters house, I saw the images on the T.V. as she was watching with tears in her eyes. I began to cry as I realized how many people were scared, hurt, and dead. So many people suffering in the world all at the same time. After feeling so reluctant to leave my baby at the sitters while the world was crumbling, or at least that's what it felt like to me, I left and headed to work. I worked at the customer service center for DHL (the shipping company).It was very close to the airport and it made me feel so eerie not hearing or seeing any airplanes in the sky. I remember how quiet it was as I walked into the building. For a call center that is extremely odd. At that time of day many of my fellow employees would have been on the phone with people from the east coast. I realized the world was in shock and every normal daily activity was just simply put on hold. As I walked to the circle of people huddled around the break room T.V., I saw so many expresions of sadness and fear. I began talking to many of my coworkers, and all of a sudden I started sobbing. I felt this deep feeling of being so out of control. Having an infant, and knowing it was my one purpose in the world to keep him safe and happy. How was I supposed to accomplish that when the world just proved to me how anything horrible could happen at any moment! I pulled myself together and got through the rest of the day. When I picked Tanner up from daycare I hugged him a little tighter, and a lot longer. That evening Jeff and I had a long talk about how the world can change at any moment. We came to the conclusion that one way we could help the world was by being understanding, loving parents. We decided to not let that days events scare us into not wanting to bring sweet, innocent children into this world! After coming to that understanding we agreed that it was time to add to our family, and so the first idea of our second child came to be. And so you see Rylin, 9/11/01 was a day I will remember forever because that was the day I realized the world was a crazy place, but I wanted your sweet spirit to join us. The pregnancy that became you started shortly after that one very scary day that so many people will remember forever, especially me.

Future Firefighters of America!

2009-08-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

We have a really great friend who is a firefighter at Williams Gateway Airport. On Saturday he invited all of us to the firehouse to show us the new $1 million Foam Truck the airport just got. Needless to say the kids love big trucks, especially ones that shoot water, so we were there in a flash!

This is the kids with our friend Perry on the "Regular" Fire Truck. Perry has been such a wonderful friend. When Tanner was going through chemo, Perry would have the Gilbert Fire Dept. come to our house and take Tanner for rides in the fire trucks. Tanner would be so excited that it would make him forget about feeling so sick. It was wonderful, and we appreciate Perry so much! He truly is a great friend.

This is the new, super high tech Foam Truck that Williams Gateway airport just purchased for $1 million. It holds 3000 gallons of water that can be emptied in 2 minutes. That is a lot of water! It also has an infa-red sensor that can detect hot spots in a fire and it can also detect people that are trapped in a burning airplane making it easier to rescue them. It can also deflate and inflate its tires at a push of a button for more traction. Oh, and did I forget to mention that it's HUGE! It's so big that it doesn't even fit into the firehouse bays, so they are building a whole new fire house.

Conner was so excited to go for a ride in it!

This is the kids climbing in to go for a ride at the airport. Reagan got a little intimidated so she decided to stay behind. The truck was a little big and too loud for her taste!

Getting buckled up! Fireman like everyone to be super safe.

Driving on the airport Tar Mac (see the planes in the background). This truck goes really fast despite its size.

Getting into position to spray the water. They were right by the runway, see the flight control tower in the background.

The truck has 2 spouts that are controled by joy sticks. They can be moved up and down and all over. They also spray very far. This is the kids emtying all 3000 gallons of water onto the airport. By the time all 3 of them had a turn it was empty, I guess they don't know about the importance of conserving water!

While the other kids were in the foam truck Reagan was busy checking out the other fire trucks. You know, the ones that were quiet because they weren't turned on!

Daddy and Reagan

Mom and Reagan wishing we could jump on a plane and fly off to Hawaii!

After the kids were done emptying the Foam Truck Perry made them fill it back up. This is Rylin hooking the fire hose up to the truck, the other end is hooked up to the fire hydrant.

Turning on the fire hydrant. Conner was taking notes on how to do this, he was thinking he was going to try this with the one on his street!

Perry told them to watch for water to start coming out of the bottom of the truck because that meant it was full.

There it goes. The kids didn't turn off the hydrant fast enough and water was pouring out all over the place.

The tires on the foam truck were way bigger than Conner, so look below to see what he thought would be a good idea to do.

Mom didn't think a Conner pancake would be a good idea though!

After our fun ride Perry and the other firemen had cold drinks, popcicles and fire hats for us to enjoy! What a fun day!!!

It's good to talk about life!

2009-08-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I was at a family friends house, helping her out. We got to talking about everything from the economy, to real estate, family, our anniversary trip to Hawaii, and just life in general. She remembered that our oldest, Tanner, had cancer when he was younger and asked how he was doing. I told her that he had actually had a check up with his oncologist today! The doctor said he looked great! He grew 1 1/4 inches in ten months, all his lymph nodes looked good, his blood test came back normal, and this December he will be 4 years out of treatment. He then told us that he wouldn't need to see him for another year! As I was telling her all that the doctor had said my mind began flooding with so many memories of Tanners young life. The story of how we had overcome one of the biggest hurdles we as a family had ever had to experience. I told her how we knew something was wrong but the doctor just kept on telling us he was fine. How our baby at the time was not growing as she should and that they were concerned and thought that she could possibly have cystic fibrosis. How I was 3 months pregnant and on the day the doctor told me of Tanners diagnosis I miss carried. I told her how hard it was to see my sweet boy being poked like a pin cushion for every kind of test they could perform. And how hard it was to see them hooking him up to a bag of POISON just to keep him alive. I told her about how they made us sign a paper before they would start him on chemo telling us of all the things that could happen to him because of the chemotherapy. How it could make his heart and kidneys fail, how it could make him sterile, how it could cause brain damage, how it could make him develop other types of cancer down the road, just to name a few. As I was telling her about having to teach a 2 year old how to swallow a handful of pills, and the endless amounts of throw up we had to clean up, she said to me, " how did you ever do all that!" My response was "It was our trial that Heavenly Father had given us. Because of everything we had to go through we are stronger because of it. We are more loving toward eachother and so grateful to have each and every person we have in our lives with us. We love life more now, and realize what a wonderful gift it is to be able to see this world and all the beautiful things out there and to be able to meet new people along the way that have made life so much brighter." After I left her house I started to think about how lately life has been very difficult in so many ways, but after telling her our story of what we have already overcome I had a realization. I, no we, can get through anything. No matter what tomorrow brings everthing will be alright, no matter what the outcome is.

ALOHA

2009-06-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

We had a really great anniversary trip to Oahu. It is so beautiful there. We were constantly doing something. We visited the Dole Plantation (more than once, because we would crave the pineapple icecream. IT WAS SOOO GOOD),we went to a macadamia nut farm, we went to the buddist temple, we visited the USS Arizona Memorial, we went snorkeling in Hanama Bay, we went kayaking in the ocean to 2 islands "Moku-lua Islands", we visited Haleiwa the little North Shore town where all the surfers hang out, we did a shark cage dive (that was an experience that we will never forget), we visited Waikiki, we went to Kualoa Ranch where they film Lost, Jurassic Park, and 50 First Dates to name a few, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we did a luau, and a sunset dinner cruise, we went to the swap meet at the Aloha stadium (the best place for souvenirs), we went to Waimea Bay and Valley where the waterfall is, we visited Laie and the LDS temple, and we even squeezed in a little tanning on the beach. We had a really full week!!!

This is our hotel, the Turtle bay Resort.

This is the view from our room. It was sooo pretty.

If we come back we will never stay on Waikiki because the North Shore is more our style!

One of the sea turtles we met on the beach.

This is Jeff diving off the rock in Waimea Bay. Robin wouldn't do it!!! It was really high!

The Byodo-In Buddist Temple. It was made without using any nails!

Fish we saw while snorkeling.

Sea urchins were everywhere. We had to watch were we stepped!!! Ouch!

Jeff in snorkel gear.

Hanama bay was great for snorkeling. There was so many different kinds of fish.
Kualoa Ranch. Do the mountains look familiar? They shoot tons of movies here, and Robin's favorite t.v. show, Lost!!! It rained the whole time there, that was the only bummer on the tour!

This is one of the Godzilla footprints from the US version. It was originally 10 feet deep, but they had to fill them in after filming because the cows on the ranch kept falling in and dying!!! Now they are only 2 feet deep!

These are the Moku-lua Islands. We kayaked to the one I am standing in front of, it was about a 2 mile trip one way. Man our arms were tired, my arms were more tired than Jeffs because he barely paddled the whole way back! This doesn't show how far of a kayak it actually was because we had to start way down at the end of the beach.

This is me getting ready to snorkel on the left "Nui" Island. We almost hiked around the whole thing, but didn't cross the place they call sharks cove. We didn't want to get the camera wet!!! Sharks cove is a great cliff jumping spot on the back of the island.

This is the Kalua Pig from our luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This was the one food Jeff missed most from his mission. It was really good!!!

Samoan fire dancer from the Cultural Center. He was really funny.

These guys are Samoan coconut tree climbers. They could climb a really tall tree fast. They had some mean tatoos almost all over their bodies.

This is a replica of a Hawaiian hut at Waimea Valley. How would you like to sleep in that?

This is our shark cage dive. We were really excited to see the sharks until we got sea sick and threw up in the cage. I guess you could say we provided chum for the sharks. Eeww!!!

They kept looking at us with their beady little eyes. It was really cool to see them up close in the water. Cool as long as they were on the outside of the metal bars!!!!

Us in the shark cage.

The Dole Pineapple Plantation. We went twice just for the pineapple icecream. Man, was it sooo good. We wish they had it in Arizona.

We want to fly back just for the pineapple icecream. See Jeff downing his!!!

They have so many different kinds of pineapples, even bright pink ones!

The LDS Temple in Laie. It was closed for renovations. There were boards on the windows, and it hadn't been painted. It was still pretty though.

This is Laie Point.

This is Jeff swimming in the waterfall at Waimea Valley. The water in the pond was freezing, but the water coming off the fall was hot.

Robin with the waterfall in the back ground.

Walking on Kealia Beach. It was so beautiful, and very deserted. There was only a few people there, and one Hawaiian Monk seal doing laps along the shore where we were walking.

See how beautiful it is, and no people.

This is the Hawaiian Monk seal doing laps right infront of us. They are protected because they are an endangered species, and we were lucky enough to see him.
Our last night in Hawaii we did a Sunset Dinner cruise. This is the boat. It was a lot of fun and had some beautiful views of Diamond Head and Waikiki.

This is the view of Diamond Head from the dinner cruise.

This is the sunset on the cruise. It was gorgeous!!! I was wishing at that moment we didn't have to leave!

We had a really great anniversary. One we will remember forever.

USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor

2009-06-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Hawaii one of the first things we did was visit the USS Arizona Memorial. It was a very somber experience. All 1,177 men who are remembered on that beautiful white wall. I was glad we could see it and pay our respects for their bravery. The movie in the theater before you are boated to the site was also very educational. I learned alot about the bombing on Pearl Harbor, it was a great history lesson. We are glad we could take time out of our fun trip to remember that the price of freedom is not free, it has cost many lives, and we are greatful for those who sacrifice theirs everyday.

School's Out For Summer!!!

2009-05-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, schools out so lets party. My friend Jeni is so brave. She decided to throw a pool party for all the kids in her sons class, which is Tanners class too. She knew she couldn't do it by herself, so she inlisted my help, and I was more than happy to go along with the plan. Imagine a pool full of 25 kids with a lot of super soakers. SO FUN! The kids had a blast, and it was actually pretty easy. Thanks Jeni for all the fun. The kids had a great time.

Pool full of kids.

Jeni supervising the sponge relay.

More kids!!

Tanner

Oh look, Conner found a fishing pole.

Tanner and his friend Gary.

The girls used the super soakers to squirt the boys who were playing football in the yard.

Sponge relay.

Which Team won? No one knows cause the 2 year old dumped out the buckets.

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice!

2009-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Thats what little girls are made of! Little girls are so much fun. Every time I look at my girls I am so thankful they are in my life. They are so beautiful and loving. I am so glad they each have a sister to love and play with, to share clothes and make-up with when they get older, and to talk about boys with each other too. I never had a sister, and sometimes I feel I missed out on a lot of stuff because of that. It makes me feel happy knowing they have each other. Here are some cute tea party pictures of my girls that show how sweet they really are!!!

The Case of the Missing Buns (I'm warning you this is a long one)

2009-03-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I thought I was losing it, seriously, and this is how it began. I asked Jeff what he thought about having hamburgers for dinner. He replied with "that sounds great." A few days before I had done some grocery shopping at Costco. I had got everything we needed for hamburgers, except for lettuce, or so I thought. Since I didn't have lettuce I sent Jeff to the store for lettuce and a few other odds and ends. As soon as he walked in the door I went to gather everything else to start grilling. Hamburger patties, check, sliced cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, Miracle Whip, ketchup, check. I went into the pantry to grab the buns, I looked everywhere, and there were no buns! I swore I bought buns at Costco, I swore I put them in the pantry, I swore I saw them that morning! What the heck happened to the buns? My first thought was, "what did the kids do with the buns." I called them all into the kitchen and asked "Where are the hamburger buns?" They all replied with "I don't know." "Someone has to know," I said. I immediately turned to Conner, most of you probably know why. The kid is a menace, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. I asked him where the buns were. He swore to me he didn't touch them. Jeff and I then began searching his room, closet, and every other place we thought he might want to hide hamburger buns. We couldn't find them anywhere! After looking for quite a long time, I sat on the couch and started to seriously doubt the fact that I bought hamburger buns. I was seriously losing it, then I remembered that earlier the dog had ran into the house while I was in the bathroom. When that happens I have to grab her by the collar and drag her outside, DANG DOG, but not this time. Conner said she went out all by herself. I didn't think anything of it, until the lightbulb went on. I went and looked on the back porch, and sure enough there was the empty hamburger bun bag with a big hole in it. I knew the dog wouldn't go into the pantry and pull a bag of buns off the second shelf from the top, or so I thought, so I accused Conner of throwing the bag of buns out the door to get the dog to go outside. He swore to me he didn't do that, but then again he has been known to lie. I excepted the conclusion I had come to, realized I wasn't losing it, and began making BLT's for dinner because I knew we had some bread in the freezer. BUT IT DOESN'T END THERE!!!

Today the kids were playing outside. When they were done they came in the back door that goes into my bedroom, and left the back door that goes into the family room open (without me knowing). As I was walking into the kitchen I saw Hershey running out the back door with something in her mouth. I ran after her and saw her on the back porch eating a whole loaf of bread that I had took out of the freezer for BLT's the night before! It was sitting on the counter by the toaster. I was so mad! I yelled at her and spanked her! I then realized Conner had nothing to do with yesterday and I felt horrible. I began apologizing to my little boy, who was completely innocent! Why on earth would a dog go into a pantry full of food and take out a bag of hamburger buns, and why would she pass up a half eaten piece of cake sitting on the ground right in front of her to get on the counter and take a loaf of bread? Who knows, but she also loves watermelon! Weird dog I know! I promise we feed her! Needless to say, after all that, we solved the case of the missing hamburger buns. DOES ANYONE WANT A DOG????

The culprit!!!

58 DAYS (AND COUNTING!!!) UNTIL PARADISE!

2009-03-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

This May is our big 10 year anniversary! It is hard to believe it has already been that long. I love Jeff more and more everyday, and I think (no, I KNOW) he feels the same. He went on his mission to Hawaii, and has always wanted to take me there! So this year for our special anniversary we're going to Oahu!!! I am so excited, and I know Jeff is too! It is our goal to get into swimsuit shape, and so the dieting and exercise begins, ugh! I'm counting down the days until I'm laying on the beach in paradise with my sweetheart by my side! YEAH!!!

Who wouldn't want to see this with someone you love!

Now we know why Tropicana costs so much!

2009-03-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to help Nana and Papa pick the oranges, lemons, and grapefruit off their trees.We would never be able to eat them all before they would go bad, they had tons! We didn't want them to go to waste, so we decided to juice them! We love orange juice and lemonade, so we thought it would be great to put the juice in the freezer and use it for our food storage! Great idea right? Well, after picking for about an hour we had one huge ice chest, and one large ice chest full and we barely even made a dent on the trees. They were still covered with fruit. We figured we had better stop picking and start juicing. We washed the oranges and lemons, cut them, and used my awesome Bosch mixer with a juicer attatchment to juice them. (I love my mixer more and more everyday, thanks Mom and Dad!) After juicing for about 6 hours all together we finally got through the huge ice chest, and we still have the large ice chest full of grapefriut to go! Needless to say after all that time and work we have barely made a dent, and we are still working on it. I guess that's why they charge so much for Tropicana orange juice at the store! Fresh Squeezed 100% REAL ORANGE JUICE isn't easy!!!

Facebook Is SERIOUSLY Cutting Into My Chore Time!

2009-02-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

Facebook is tons of fun. I love catching up with old friends, playing scrabble, seeing who's on, and looking for friends that I've lost contact with. Doing all that does take time out of my day that is already pretty full with a house full of things to do and 4 kids plus a husband to take care of. Jeff says my laundry has really gotten away from me. More so than usual anyway, so those of you who know how bad I am at doing laundry, just imagine it now!!! I know I'm not the only one who is possibly addicted to facebook (you all know who you are), but now I realize I have a problem. I think it is something that needs a 5 step program or something. HELP!!!

It's been a while

2009-01-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month since we've posted, so we thought we should update! Christmas was awesome! You know when the kids say it was "The Best Christmas Ever" you did good, but they say that every year! On Christmas morning we woke up, opened presents, played with the loot for a bit, then got in the car and drove up to Heber. It was raining and snowing the whole way there. It was really a "White Christmas". The rim was beautiful with the snowflakes falling. It was the first time the kids had ever seen snow coming down. Conner loved all the snow plows on the ride up. He would get so excited every time they would drive by. Christmas night it snowed, which made for good sledding. My dad hooked up one of the sleds to the quad and pulled the kids all around my grandpa' s place. We also found a big hill that was tons of fun, so much fun everyone forgot to take pictures with the camera. We played in the snow, made snow angels, rode quads, and did some target shooting (the boys got BB Guns for Christmas from Nana and Papa). It was a great, long Christmas weekend!

Happy Birthday Conner!!!

2008-12-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

A few days ago was Conner's 4th birthday. He was so excited for his birthday party at Peter Piper Pizza. As a mom I feel horrible that he has to share his birthday party with his little sister. Its my fault that they were born with birthdays so close together. But he doesn't seem to mind. Conner is my kid who always makes me say "where the heck did you come from." The things he does and says most 4 year olds wouldn't even think of. If he wasn't the spitting image of his father I would swear he wasn't even mine. He loves all things outdoors. Hunting, fishing, and exploring are just a few. He wants to be a farmer when he grows up, and he thinks tractors are cool and dirt is the best thing in the world. You have to work really hard to earn his love. He never gives hugs unless he wants to give you a hug, but when he does they are out of the blue and the best hugs anyone could ever get. You really feel his love with the hug he gives. We always say that Conner is a very old spirit. He is wise beyond his years, and his comments and remarks about all kinds of things show it. I am glad he is my little boy, and I love him so much. Conner I love you more than there are stars in the sky! Happy Birthday!

My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore!!!

2008-12-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Monday Reagan turned 2 years old. I never thought she would grow up so fast. It's sad to know that my youngest isn't considered a baby anymore! Jeff and I knew our family was complete when Reagan made her entrance into the world. We are so blessed to be her parents because she is perfect in every way. She was the best baby, always so easy going. She is always happy and is always willing to give you loves, not to mention she is so cute. She will be my baby forever, even when she's 30 years old. Reagan you are so special to me and I want you to now how wonderful you are. I know you will be my sweet little girl forever. I love you more than there are stars in the sky!!!

Booyah Bash 2008

2008-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Every year our friends the Bosley's, who own Century Marine, put on the Booyah Bash. Its there way of saying thanks to all the customers they have by taking a trip to the lake. This summer we really didn't use our boat a whole lot, so we were glad to have an excuse for a lake trip. We had a really great time. We watched the Century Marine wakeboard team show us some tricks(they get major air), we won the cash run again, (2 years in a row is totally awesome. I think that is the most fun part), and as always tubed, wakeboarded, kneeboarded, and just hung out at the lake on a very beautiful weekend. For winning the cash run we got a wakeskate. Jeff was very proud of the fact that he could use it (no tricks though). Tanner was still unsuccessful at getting up on his wakeboard and staying up. He got up a couple of times, but only stayed up for about 5 seconds and fell. After about 20 tries he said he was done trying for the year. We had to remind him that disappointment is hard, but you have to try and try until you succeed. He said he would just spend all his lake time kneeboarding, because it is something he is good at. Failure is hard for him to handle (he is definitely his fathers son). We had a major blast and can't wait for the next one. Thanks Century Marine for a really great time.

The girls catching some rays.

Tanner loves the kneeboard because he can get up every time. He wishes he could get up on his wakeboard.

Don't make them get out of the tube when they are not done, or there will be a major fit!

Jeff is so proud after getting up on the wakeskate he has to pose for his picture with it!

Tanner and Rylin love to go fast on the tube.

Peace!!!

Tanner kneeboarding.

Check out the major air!!!

Very Cute!!!

2008-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday the new Tinker Bell Movie came out, and it is so cute! My kids absolutely love Tinker Bell. I think it is because she is so cute and sassy. Who doesn't love a fairy with an attitude. The movie teaches a really cute lesson about being who you are and magnifying your talents to help others. What a great lesson for kids and adults to learn. So many times we wish we were someone were not or have something we don't that life gets a little depressing. But we have to remember we are all special in our own way! I hope I have taught my kids how special and talented each of them are. They are so amazing. If you get a chance, sit down and watch the Tinker Bell Movie with your kids, you'll learn a great lesson in a very cute way.

What A Beautiful Day!!!

2008-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Have you ever said to yourself, "This sure is a good day to be outside!" That was definitely the case at the annual Hopekids festival. We had such a good time on a very beautiful day. There was so much for the kids to do. They had a rock wall, petting zoo, pony rides, crafts, food, even Pirate Family Pictures. We had a blast. It is something we never miss. Once we tell the kids the Railroad Park Festival is coming up they count the days in anticipation. What a fun filled day with a lot of great memories!

I love this picture!

They had lots of paints for the kids to get artistic!

Conner thought black was a pretty color, he wouldn't pick a different one.

We love the Merry go Round.

Every year they hold the Hopekids Festival at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. The train ride is one of the best parts.

The boys are in the back riding in the mini cattle car.

Reagan wasn't to sure about the pony rides.

Conner loved his pony. He wanted to know if he could bring him home.

Reagan loves Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!

Rylin and Tanner had a contest to see who could make it to the top of the rock wall first. Needless to say Tanner is afraid of heights, so he lost!

Here is Tanner playing carnival games. All the kids won lots of prizes!!!

The kids got to make spin art frizbees, (or as Conner calls them Rizzzbees.)

All you can eat snow cones and cotton candy, yum. (What a mess!)

All the Star Wars Characters made an appearance. Reagan didn't want anything to do with the Storm Troopers.

Turning 8 Really is Great!

2008-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tanner recently turned 8, and had his birthday party, baptism, and Hopekids Birthday Bash all in the same day. (we have been extremely busy) His baptism turned out really great. His Grandma and Nana gave the talks and they did a really amazing job. He had a great experience. I am so proud of what an amazing boy he has turned into. He is an awesome helper to his parents, sisters, and brother. He has been a very strong and brave boy throughout his life, and I am greatful to be his mother. Happy Birthday Tanner. I love you more than there are stars in the sky!

Summers Almost Over !

2008-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Where did the summer go? It seems like it just flew by. The kids really love all the summer activities that living in the heat bring. Mainly swimming. Grandma got a new house with a swimming pool, and the kids just love swimming in it. The last time we went swimming there it was a little cold though. I guess that's the sign that summers almost over. We have a really neat underwater camera, so we thought we'd share some of our swimming pics!

2008-09-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Do you think this guy had a bad day???

2008-09-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago one of my friends called and asked me if I knew anything about a fire that was happening at Jeff's work. She lives right across the street, and she was hearing lots of little explosions and was seeing a ton of black smoke.I didn't know what was going on, so I called Jeff to see if he had heard anything. After some calls he said that a truck was on fire in the Southwest Gas parking lot, but he didn't know how bad it was. I was out and about around his work at the time and drove by to see what was going on. The truck was completely burnt to the ground. I called my friend and told her what the truck looked like. She couldn't believe it. She new something was going on because of the little explosions. Needless to say this guy had a bad day!!!

This is for you Rylin!!!

2008-09-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Rylin had her 6th birthday the other day. She had a great party at Peter Piper. She loved all the presents she received. Thanks to all the family for making it on a school night. Rylin is such a special girl. I don't think, as a mom, I tell her enough how much I love her. From the day she was born I thought she was the most beautiful little girl I'd ever seen!!! It didn't matter to me how much she cried, and it was a lot, I thought she was so perfect. As she grows and gets older I can see what a special person she is. She is so sensitive and caring. She has such an artistic streak. I tell her she's going to be an artist when she grows up. She loves to draw and paint. Her biggest smiles come when she gives someone a drawing or painting she's made for them especially. She loves her brothers and sister very much. She also loves her alone time too. She is a very private person, I think she gets that from her mom. I love how much she loves school. She doesn't want to miss even when she's sick. She makes me and her dad laugh when she's trying to tell a fib with a big grin. I tell her she needs to work on her poker face. Rylin I want you to know that you are special!!! I am so glad Heavenly Father let me have you for my little girl. You are full of special qualities that shine so bright. Happy Birhtday!!! I love you more than there are stars in the sky.

Traveling Back in Time !!!

2008-09-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Tanner and I got a chance to go see Walking with Dinosaurs. I think it was the coolest thing we've ever gotten to do together. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see a dinosaur in real life this is the closest thing to that experience. The animatronic dinosaurs looked so real!!! They were made the same size the dinosaurs would have been in real life, and they were huge. We got to see baby dinos hatch out of eggs, dinos fighting with each other, dinos eating plants and even other dinosaurs, we even saw one dinosaur poop!!! Tanners favorite dinosaur of all was the T-Rex. They had a mommy and a baby. The mom looked really scary and she roared a very loud roar. My favorite dinosaur was the Brachiosaur (Little Foot's Mom) it was so big it almost reached to the top of the U.S. Airways Center. It was a great show. Both Tanner and I walked to the car saying, "That was totally awesome!" We really appreciate Hopekids for giving us the opportunity to go. It was a great memory maker. Tanner and I before the show started.

Robin's Favorite Dinosaur!!!

Dinos fighting.

Mommy and the baby T-Rex hugging. (These were Tanner's favorite Dinosaurs)

This was the comet falling out of the sky that caused the dinosaurs extinction.

Look at the Size of Those Melons!

2008-08-19T12:26:00.001-07:00

This summer we planted a garden. Its nothing spectacular, but our kids think it's the greatest thing on earth right now. Conner goes out and checks on his watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, carrots, and squash (he used to have corn and green beans, but they died) everyday.
He gets so excited when its time to pick something. The other day I asked him if he liked planting and growing things he likes to eat. He told me he thought it was cool to pick his own cucumbers at home instead of having to go to the grocery store to buy them. I told him I thought he should be a farmer when he grows up. Sometimes I think he should have been born in the 1800's. He likes to camp, fish, hunt, hike, roll in the mud, and now farm. You also have to make him take a bath (and use soap) by force!!! He would have been a great Pioneer. Conner is so excited about all the watermelon he has that are getting big, I think there are 8 or 9 on the plant now. He can't wait until they are ready to pick. He says watermelon is his favorite! I think this experience has taught us that we will definitely be having a garden every year!!!

The watermelon are getting big!!!

We have a lot of cucumbers growing. Here's one!

Conner and Mom found this one hiding in the plant. We didn't see it till today, so it got a little big. Hopefully it's not bitter.

Maybe a "Change of Pace" would be good!!!

2008-08-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to explore here???

Or take a bike ride here???

My parents just got back from a trip to Idaho. Actually, I should say more like a scouting mission. They are considering moving to Idaho, and wanted to scope out the area. My Mom seemed to like the idea, but only if we considered moving with them. She knows she would miss her grandkids too much! Today I began looking at houses on the internet. When she told me how beautiful it was in Coeur d'Alene I had to google pictures of the area, and she was right, it's GORGEOUS!!! Jeff, asked what he would do for a job, so I found out about the local natural gas company, and guess what, they are hiring for a position that is similar to the position he has now with Southwest Gas. I don't know, maybe it's ment to be. Sometimes I think it might be a nice change of pace to live someplace where summer highs aren't 115 degrees. Our kids love visiting the snow here in Arizona, maybe they would love to live in it. We'll keep you all posted on what the outcome may be.

Happy 1st Day of School

2008-08-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Conner is waiting for Tanner and Rylin to get off
the bus to tell them about their "Surprise"!!
He missed them so much while they were at their 1st day of school.

Hurray! The 1st Day of School!!!

2008-08-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Tanner and Rylin waiting for the bus.

Rylin's 1st bus ride!!!

Tanner's too cool to smile.

Tanner and his friend Evan waiting in line.

Rylin is so happy she's in kindergarten!!!

Let me start off by saying that Rylin was so ready to go to school today! She was so excited that she couldn't fall asleep last night (it must have been some time after 10 p.m.). Then she woke us up at 5 a.m. asking if it was time to get ready for school. She never went back to sleep after that, she just layed in her bed counting the hours. Tanner was a little less excited, but he was still very ready to get to school. I wanted to let Rylin get the hang of the bus, but I also wanted to take her to her class on the 1st day of school, so we waited at the bus stop for them to catch a ride to school. Conner, Reagan, and I followed behind and met them at school. Tanner thought he was so cool because he knew the routine, (he is such a big,tuff 2nd grader). He even thought he was to cool to have his Mommy taking pictures of him waiting in line to go to class. After Tanner was done giving the camera goofy looks we took Rylin to her class. She was so happy to be at school with a desk, and her own name tag that she couldn't stop smiling! To bad all the kids were'nt as excited as her. A few of them were crying. I felt really bad for the teacher. We hugged and she told us bye as we went out the door. When we got home it was so quiet! Our house is never quiet. Conner and Reagan went down for a nap and it was EVEN MORE QUIET!!! After Conner woke up at about 11:30 a.m. and ate lunch he asked when it was time to go get Tanner and Rylin. I told him not for a little longer. He must have really missed them because he kept asking and asking when it was time. I had to find something to entertain Conner (because when he's bored he likes to rip the house apart brick by brick literally) so I printed him some Dora coloring pages to scribble on with some crayons. That didn't last very long though, so I asked him if he wanted to make Tanner and Rylin a Happy 1st Day of School Cake and he was all over that idea. When it was time to pick the kids up from the bus we all loaded up in the car (it's way to hot to walk right now!!!). Conner was so excited for them to get off the bus. He told them we had a surprise waiting at home for them. They both told us what a great day they had. Let's see if they feel the same come January!!!

Drivers Start your Engines

2008-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

So I guess we're going to jump on the band wagon and start our 1st blog entry!!! Saturday we went to watch Eric race his mini sprint car at Manzanita Speedway. It was a lot of fun and Eric did really great. The boys really enjoyed it. Thanks Eric for being so adventurous! You are so daring, and you always provide us with great entertainment!!! The kids thought the best part of the night was in the pit. They took turns pretending to be Speed Racer in Eric's car.