Our Davis Family

my Christmas baby

2011-12-31T23:54:00.006-06:00

our family was truly blessed with a beautiful bundle of boy on Christmas day 8 years ago. and that beautiful boy has grown in to my handsome, kind, caring, sensitive, intelligent, intuitive, often wild 8 year old burton.

today was a special day in our family as burton was baptized. we had almost out entire extended family come to cranbrook for the weekend to support burton in his decision to be baptized and to celebrate the new year with us. i felt the spirit of our Heavenly Father touch my heart as i sat with those i love most and watched my burty burt enter the waters of baptism. how i love my family. how blessed i feel to have parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews, both mine and brent's, that i love so much and who love me and my family too. what a blessing it was to be able to join together today and let burton know how much we all love him. and how much more sweet and special it was to have my little brother, andrew, baptize burton.

and as i sat loving my burton, i felt a glimpse of how much our Heavenly Father loves him too. burton is a special little boy. as crazy as he can be at times, maddeningly so even, he is also very sensitive to the things of the spirit. he has a testimony of the gospel. he knows that Jesus Christ is the Savior. he is a brilliant not so little boy with so much potential for good.

when i had burton 8 years ago, i was grateful for the strong and healthy addition to our family. i felt that instant, heart filling love that all mothers feel after they labor so hard to have their babies. little did i know, as with each of my children, how much i would love that little boy as he joined our family. i was reminded today as i watched burton of how blessed i am to have the opportunity to love as a mother loves. to have the all encompassing love that begins as your baby grows inside of you and carries on in to forever.

what a good day this last day of 2011 was.

from the mouths of babes

2011-12-08T21:33:00.003-06:00

our boys had the chance to act out the nativity scene at our ward Christmas party last weekend. jensen was joseph and burton and evan were 2 of the 3 wise men. a few days after the party, we were talking with our boys about the true meaning of Christmas, etc., and asked them to think of how it might have felt to actually have been in bethlehem to see the Savior after He was born; we asked jensen how he thought joseph might have felt to be the earthly father of the Savior of the world. we then asked burton and evan how they thought the wise men might have felt after travelling so far to kneel before Jesus. evan thought for a second or two and then said, in all seriousness, "tired."

well, not quite the answer we were looking for, but still true, i am sure!!

the big 3-0

2011-10-30T17:24:00.011-05:00

so, it has been a long while since i have last posted. not much has happened and i really haven't had much to say. but a few things have come and gone and i thought they were worth mentioning.

i turned 30 at the beginning of the month. the big 3-0. i remember being in high school, thinking that 30 was so old and so far away and now, bam, here i am, living it. never has the old adage "you're only as old as you feel" meant more to me! the fact is that i have been married for 11 years and i have 4 children aged 9 to 2. so one must deduce that one is getting up there in age. although this "one" still feels 19:) i have decided that 30 is the new 20...that's the truth and i am sticking to it.

summer is by far my most favourite season. however, fall is a very close second. i love the fall! i have always found a great amount of joy in and appreciation for the world around me as i watch the trees change their faded summer clothes for more vibrant and varied fall frocks. what beauty surrounds us in the fall!! and what a beautiful fall we have had. the nice weather has allowed for many fall bike rides, walks, trips to the park, and lots of giant leaf piles to make and jump in.

fall is also my favourite time to take pictures. since brent and i started having our kids, we have taken a family picture every fall. anyone who knows me knows i LOVE to take pictures. i jokingly told brent the other day that by the time we are old and gray, we will have thousands of photo albums full of pictures...i think that is more truth than joke! here are some more of my faves from the last month.....

i could go on and on with the pictures, but i will only add a few more. we went to my mom and dad's farm for thanksgiving, as we do every year. it was a beautiful weekend and we had a lot of fun playing and visiting. perhaps the funnest thing we did was something that i have never done before. my dad called it his version of cow tipping. we pushed round bales down a hill in one of the fields by my parents' house. it was awesome. the kids loved it and i am so very glad we have that memory. here are a few pictures of cow tipping, dad/papa/big steve style.

my wish

2011-08-24T23:24:00.004-05:00

raising a daughter in today's world sometimes seems frightening to me. will i be able to safeguard paige from the onslaught of what the world's view of beauty is? will i be able to foster in my daughter a love for herself? a positive self image? will paige love herself because she knows that she is a daughter of God? or will she wonder where her value is and define herself by other's standards?

my wish for paige is that she will always know how beautiful she is. that she will never doubt her self worth. that she will love herself as much as i do. that she will be comfortable in her own skin and know that the beauty of her spirit is what matters most.

being the mother of a daughter has opened my eyes to the importance of loving myself too. of setting an example for paige of what is important. of learning to love my own body and self image. of being aware of what i say in relation to my body so that my daughter doesn't learn to worry about those few extra pounds or whether or not she exercised today or how many calories she has eaten or whether or not she should be dieting.

because in the end does it really matter? does my sense of worth rely on what i look like? and if it does, should it? or should i be more focused on what my Father in Heaven thinks of me? i am certain that when i see Him again, He won't notice if my hair is perfect or if i am a bit flabby or a few pounds heavier than i would like to be. he won't notice if my eyelashes are long enough or if i chew my fingernails. He will love me for me...He does love me for me.

and i want to teach my paigey that simple truth too.

hope

2011-08-14T20:42:00.004-05:00

it has been a long while since i have blogged. can i say that we have been busy!? because summer in our house means lots of busy! traveling, boating, beaching, more traveling, more boating, and more beaching! at least the house has stayed fairly clean as we have not been inside much to mess it up! we have been having a lot of great fun with family and friends. click here if you want to see some pictures.

it has been almost 2 months since my brother and his wife had a stillborn baby boy. they named him stephen james swainson, jr. he was named after my brother. he was to be the 3rd stephen in our family - my dad and brother being the first 2. they were going to call him little steve, my brother would be big steve, and my dad would become old steve. my brother and dad were called little steve and big steve when we were growing up.

my sister in law, andrea, went in to labor a few days before her due date. she had a normal and healthy pregnancy. little steve died during labor because of placental abruption, which means that the placenta detached too soon. how my heart has ached for this little nephew that we never had the chance to meet. how my heart has ached for steve and andrea and for the sadness and grief that they feel over the death of their son. i won't say loss because he is not lost to them, or to us. he is still part of our family and i know that we will have the opportunity to be with him again. as sad as this has been for our family, we have all felt some measure of peace and hope that we will be with little steve again; that he is with our Father in Heaven, waiting for us to come home to him. and when we see him, i feel as if we will know him and it will be almost as if he was here with us all along. i look forward to that day.

that gives me hope.

i also wanted to write about one of my most dearest friends who has been bravely battling breast cancer since march. she is almost done with her chemo and then will be doing some radiation and taking oral medications for awhile. i know that i embarrass her when i tell her how much i admire her in person so i thought i would write about it here. my friend has gone through the difficult chemo process with such grace, dignity, and strength. she has lost all of her hair and almost all of her eyelashes. her eyebrows have thinned. her skin is dry and red. her face is swollen and puffy. and yet i see such beauty in her when i look at her. she is beautiful because she is strong. she is beautiful because she is brave. she is beautiful because of the strength of her spirit. she is beautiful because of her faith.

she is beautiful in all the ways that matter. and i love her.

i love her sense of humor. i love her sarcasm and wit. i love that she understands my struggles and comforts me even when mine pale in comparison to hers. i love that we don't have to talk every day to know that we care about each other and are thinking of one another. i love her smile. i love her laugh. i love the light that she shines. i love her for the hope that she gives me, knowing that we can be strong in trials and that we can do all things in Christ.

i am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and the plan that He has for us, His children. i know that there is always peace in sadness and hope in hard times because He loves us. and He has sent His Son to help us along our way.

and that gives me hope.

life - a metaphor:)

2011-06-13T22:26:00.006-05:00

my 3 boys participated in the wasa lake kids triathalon on saturday. this was jensen and burton's second time and evan's first time and, like last year, we had a great time. i wrote about it to my brother, robert, who is currently serving a mission in the scotland/ireland mission. because i did such a good job rehashing it for him, and even managed to make a "profound" (ha!) comparison to life, i am just going to share what i wrote to him....i don't think i could manage the same brilliance (again...ha!) that i managed a few nights ago, so here it is (it also happens to be rob and andrew's 20th birthday today. hence the birthday wishes):

hey rob -

first off, i hope you had a good week - the last one in your teens!! when you get this, you will be 20!! and a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! to you:) any special plans for your birthday?

the 3 boys participated in ther second (ev's first) wasa lake triathalon yesterday. it was a great day! it was so much fun to watch the boys push themselves and do something hard. it was a decent day, but as the weather has not been stellar so far this spring, the water was still freezing!! evan's age group went first. now, as you know evan, he can some times be a bit of a boob. but did he let the freezing cold water stop him? no!! it was so awesome. when the race started, he was one of the first kids to just dive in the water. they weren't in very deep water but they still weren't supposed to run to complete the swim - they had to either swim or dolphin dive - and evan kept diving in the water the whole time. after 2 or 3 jumps in the water, he came up crying. but again, that didn't stop him. i had a moment of "oh crap!" when i saw him come up crying - again, you know what evan is like. once he gets upset it isn't easy to console him. so, when i saw him start to cry, i thought that that was it - he was done. but no. he powered through it, finished the swim, biked with ease, and did his run. it was so awesome to see my little evanator complete his race and be so proud of himself for doing it! he already can't wait until next year. you would've been so proud of him rob!!

burton and jensen were in the same age group this year. they swam 150 meters, biked 5 km, and then ran 1 km. jensen did it without too much difficulty but it was really quite hard for burton. last year the water level in the lake was quite a bit lower so it was much easier for him to complete the swim. and he was also at the head of the pack when the race started. he kind of got lost in the shuffle this time - he was more at the back and couldn't touch the bottom well enough to really push his way passed anyone. as i watched him try to start the swim, he looked so lost out in the freezing cold water - almost panicked. my heart, as his mother, hurt for him! he even tried doing the back stroke just to get things started. but every time he "came up" for air or turned around to see where he was headed, he still looked panicked. so i muscled my way through some of the parents so i was closer to where burton was on the shoreline and just started cheering as loud as i could - saying, "you can do it burton!!" once he heard my voice and saw me on the shore, he didn't look so lost anyomre - the look of tears and panic disappeared and he was able to dig deep and finish the swim. after the 5 k bike, the run was also tough. when i saw burton rounding the last corner, he looked close to tears - like ke was trying so hard to keep it together. so again, i ran back to where he was and started just cheering for him. i even ran beside him for a bit. again, once he saw me there with him, cheering him on, he was able to regroup and pour on a little bit of speed to finish the race.

it made me feel so much love for my boys to be on the sidelines, cheering them on, encouraging them to do their best and to see them visibly lifted by my cheering. writing this just now, to you, made me think that this is really what life is all about. we are running our own race, trying our best to run it well. it is really hard some times. at times we want to just curl up, cry, throw in the towel and quit - because the water is too cold or the run is too long and hard. but then we hear and see our family and friends, cheering us on from the sidelines and even running beside us some times - encouraging us and reminding us that we can do it. and then there is our Savior - who is our biggest fan, who wants us to finish the race and finish it well. and he is not only cheering us on but he is always there, running beside us. the whole way. he not only ran his own race but is running our race with us too.

so, rob, when you are over in scotland and ireland serving your mission and it gets hard, remember that we, your family, are there for you. look to the shoreline and you will see us there - cheering you on, encouraging you, and reminding you that you can do this. and we will be there, running beside you and helping you finish your race - always.

i love you my brother!! have a great birthday and know that i am thinking of you today and always!

love jen

brotherly love....?

2011-06-09T19:27:00.003-05:00

this is jensen and burton and yes, they are holding hands. but, before you get the wrong idea, maybe i should tell you that..............

they were in trouble.

we were hiking up by fairmont and i was tired of them being snarky and impatient with one another. after jensen pushed burton and burton shoved him back, i made them hold hands for part of the walk. then i made them look at each other, say "i love you," and hug.

funny how making them love each other was a punishment:)

ponderings

2011-04-17T11:19:00.006-05:00

one of my closest friends was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. she will be 31 next month. i admire her strength, her beauty, and her courage in the face of this scary diagnosis. although her prognosis is good, she has a difficult path ahead of her. and i know her faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, will carry her through this trial in her life. i am grateful for her example of faith in the atonement of our Savior. it has led me to reflect on my own faith and testimony. i have always enjoyed general conference. and i especially enjoyed conference just a few weeks ago. i found the talks very inspiring and listening to the speakers made my own testimony burn within me. and i was very thankful for the powerful assurance i received that i do know that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. in sharing my thoughts, i would quote the words of one of my favorite talks from this month's general conference. it is a talk given by elder kent f. richards. he said... "i have pondered about the purpose of pain. none of us is immune from experiencing pain. i have seen people cope with it very differently. some turn away from God in anger, and others allow their suffering to bring them closer to God...elder orson f. whitney wrote, 'no pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. it ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility...it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.'" elder richards also said... "opposition is part of Heavenly Father's plan of happiness. we all encounter enough to bring us to an awareness of our Father's love and of our need for the Savior's help. the Savior is not a silent observer. He Himself knows personally and infinitely the pain we face...president henry b. eyring taught, 'it will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior's promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us...and faith in that power will give us patience to pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience.'...as elder dallin h. oaks taught, 'healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. sometimes a "healing" cures our illness or lifts our burden. but sometimes we are "healed" by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.' all that will come may be 'clasped in the arms of Jesus.' all souls can be healed by His power. all pain can be soothed. in Him we can find 'rest unto our souls.' our mortal circumstances may not immediately change but our pain, worry, suffering, and fear can be swallowed up in His healing balm." this talk by elder richards really struck home with me. i struggle. i worry. i fear. and although these things have not always been taken from me through faith and prayer, i have always, always been given the strength and peace to work through them and learn and grow from them. i have never been left without the comfort of our Savior - comfort that will come to all who call on His name. with easter weekend coming soon, i also wanted to share the poem that president monson shared in his closing remarks of this april's conference. it is a poem written by emily harris: the linen which once held Him is empty. it lies there, fresh and white and clean. the door stands open. the stone is rolled away, and i can almost hear the angels, singing His praises. linen cannot hold Him. stone cannot hold Him. the words echo through the empty limestone chamber, "He is not here." the linen which once held Him is now empty. it lies there, fresh and white and clean and oh, hallelujah, it is empty. just thought i would share.

murmuring

2011-04-01T23:47:00.008-05:00

that's what i have been doing a lot of lately - complaining, griping, and murmuring. as i was sitting here, reading other people's blogs, i started feeling ashamed and embarrassed for my lack of gratitude and thanks for the plethora of things that make my life wonderful. i thought it would be beneficial for me to take a few minutes and think about things in a different light.

i am grateful for an untidy house because it means i have kids to clean up after.

i am grateful for dishes that never seem to get done because it means we have food to eat.

i am grateful for laundry that doesn't get folded or put away because it means we have clothes to wear.

i am grateful for a husband who helps and serves others because it reminds me of our Savior.

i am grateful for giggles and hugs and kisses.

i am grateful for i love you's and thank you's.

i am grateful for unconditional love and the promise of forever.

i am grateful for good friends even when i am not one.

i am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me.

i am grateful for my mom.

i am grateful for my dad.

i am grateful for good books that give me a break for a bit.

i am grateful for my sewing machine.

i am grateful for my camera to capture all those moments in time.

i am grateful for a husband who lifts me up and makes me stronger than i am on my own.

i am grateful for a husband who loves me for who i am (and in spite of it!)

i am grateful for this

and this

and this.

i am grateful for tender mercies.

i am grateful that i can try again.

and i am most grateful for this

good for a laugh

2011-02-20T22:29:00.005-06:00

so, i found this little tid bit online the other day - i think it was on a friend of a friend's blog - and had to share. i must admit that my mothering life is not quite this hectic (yet!!!)...but pretty close! i often say that if our husbands only knew........

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES: 6 married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 2 kids each for 6 weeks. each kid will play 2 sports and take either music or dance classes. there is no fast food. each man must take care of his 2 kids, keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete school projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of "pretend" bills. in addition, each man will have to budget enough groceries for each week and purchase said groceries - looking for deals, sales, and coupons in an effort to be as thrifty as possible. each man must remember the birthdays of all friends and relatives and send cards out or make a phone call on time - no emailing! each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a hair cut appointment. he must make 1 unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the emergency room. he must also make cookies or cupcakes for a school function.
each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside, and keeping it presentable at all times.
the men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all the chores are done.
the men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn themselves with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed during 1 of the 6 weeks.
the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, backaches, headaches, have extreme, unexplained mood swings, but never once complain or slow down from other duties.
they must attend weekly school meetings, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.
they will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 8:30.
a test will be given at the end of the 6 weeks. each father will be required to know each child's:
birthday,
height and weight,
shoe size and clothing size,
doctor's name,
child's weight and length at birth,
time of birth and length of labor,
favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear,
and what they want to be when they grow up.
the kids vote the men off the island based on performance.
the last man wins ONLY IF....
he still has enough energy to be intimate with his wife at a moment's notice.
if the man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18 to 25 years, eventually earning the right to be called "mom."

now that i am done laughing, i must say that i wouldn't trade being a mom for anything in the world. and my wonderful husband really does do a good job of sharing the load that is our's, as parents. but still, if he only knew......

my not so baby girl

2011-02-13T21:52:00.005-06:00

dear paige,

how do words express the amount of joy that you bring to my life? your big smile, with your crooked, thumb sucking teeth, the way you look at me when you say "mama," your hugs and kisses, your beautiful hair, the way you run, your zest for life and love for your family, your laughs and giggles, dancing with you, playing with you, snuggling with you, and loving you fill my heart with such gratitude that Heavenly Father sent you to be my little girl.

i hope that as you grow, you will always know just how very much i love you. and how i treasure you, my one and only daughter.

love,

your mama.

from the mouth of babes

2011-02-07T21:42:00.003-06:00

tonight for fhe, jensen was teaching us a short lesson on the first vision. after he was finished, i asked the boys to think about how they know that joseph smith really saw Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. i asked them to really think about it and give me an answer. burton said he knew it really heppened because he has felt the holy ghost when he has been taught about the first vision. jensen said that Heavenly Father has answered his prayers so he must have answered joseph smith's prayer as well. and then evan piped in with his answer. this is what he said, pretty much word for word:

"remember in that movie where the guy hadded enough faif to see the Lord's finger? then joseph smith hadded enough faif to see Heavenly Father and Jesus."

how humble my kids make me feel! truly i have so much to learn from my kids. their simple and sweet testimonies of the gospel bring such joy and peace to my heart. they remind me that the gospel - and living the gospel - really is simple. i am grateful for such wonderful children who are gaining their own testimonies bit by bit.

i sure love them and love being their mom!

2011 baby

2011-01-06T21:57:00.003-06:00

wow! another year come and gone - how cliche, i know. but really, has it already been 11 years since the whol Y2K deal?? am i really getting that much older!!?? (don't answer that - it was a rhetorical question) the last 6 months have been go, go, go!! and as my lack of blogging shows, it has been busy! so, what has made it so busy, you ask? here, in random order, are the busy but FUN moments of 2010:

-swimming lessons and soccer! with 3 boys all in swimming and soccer, we had lessons 4 days a week and soccer 4 nights a week. with brent coaching both jensen and burton's teams (yep, they were on separate teams) and evan having his own soccer night at a different location, we lived, ate, and breathed soccer this spring. as fun as it was, we were relieved to get a break during summer vacation....only to start it all again in the fall!

-my younger sister, jess, went to the temple for her first time in june. what a special opportunity it was to travel to the edmonton temple to experience that with my family.

-my brother robert was also ordained as an elder that same weekend and brent and i were happy to be in red deer to witness and participate in his ordination.

-brent and i celebrated our 10th anniversary (what!!!???)

-camping with friends in july was fun, even though the weather was LOUSY!! needless to say, i am so happy we purchased a tent trailer this fall so that when the rain pours, we won't be sleeping in our leaky tent anymore.

-staying in a lake house for a week with my family at hayden lake (idaho) was SO MUCH FUN that we have already booked another trip for next summer. evan is already asking when we will be going to the lake house:)

-we adopted an additional family member for the summer and early fall. it seems my brother rob was out to visit us in cranbrook almost every weekend during the summer. i even took to calling it "the summer of rob." we had rob boating with us, camping with us, hanging in cranbrook with us, cliff jumping and hiking with us....i would like to think he was here so much because he loves me, his big sister, so much but i'm pretty sure it had more to do with my kids than anything. he sure loves them!

-boating, boating, and more boating...any time, any where, as much as we could! WE LOVE BOATING. jensen, burton, and evan all learned how to knee board and wake surf (with help), and jensen and burton discovered a new love for water skiing. i think we spent 2 weekends of the entire summer at home!

-young women's camp...my first one as a leader. LOVED IT!!! i love our girls here in cranbrook. what wonderful young women they are. they have truly inspired me to become a better "older" woman:)

-planning and organizing my mom's 50th birthday in september. how fun it was to have her whole family there! i love the coopers!!!! and my mom, a whole lot.

-then it was time for my other brother, andrew, to get ordained as an elder. as brent was already going to edmonton for an orthodontics course, the kids and i tagged along and had him drop us off in red deer for the weekend so we could support andrew and let him know how much we love and appreciate him.

-thanksgiving in red deer came next. always fun to go home for thanksgiving and spend time with the fam. we were also able to go to the temple with rob for his first time - again, a truly marvelous experience!

-followed a few short weeks later by meeting in calgary to send robert off to the preston, england mtc to get ready for his mission in the scotland/ireland mission. tears were shed by all, still are sometimes by me!! but happy tears - we all love him so very much! he is doing awesome and it was so great to be able to talk to him on Christmas day. we love getting emails and letters from him and to hear about his experiences teaching the gospel. what an example he is setting for my kids...and for me too! and to think we will have to do it all again for andy soon....emotionally draining sums it up pretty good:) but i wouldn't want my brothers to be doing anything else with their lives at this time. their missionary service and experiences will be invaluable to them and to those they serve.

-then...change!! being called as the new primary president in our ward threw me for a loop and it took a bit for me to get my feet back under me. but things are going well and i am really enjoying my new calling. it keeps me busy! i am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord.

-and then the hustle and bustle of Christmas. we actually stayed home for Christmas this year - we didn't travel to spokane until the afternoon of Christmas day. it was really very nice to wake up in our own home on Christmas morning. i sense a new tradition in the making:) it was fun to spend a few days in spokane with brent's family as we have not seen them too much in the last 6 months...what with all the major happenings in my family!

-and then back home for a few relaxing and LAZY days over the new year's weekend. my mom and sister, jess, came to spend new year's with us and it was so fun to just do nothing with them. just to have them around to talk to, play games with, watch movies with, and just hang out. i love my family.

phew....reading all that made me tired again. really we did have a fabulous and fun 2010. as busy as it was, i wouldn't change any part of it. i love making memories with my kids and spending time with our extended families. that is what growing up is all about. it is fun to see our kids learning and growing - trying new things as they are getting older. it is rewarding as a parent to start teaching my kids things that i learned and loved as a kid, and seeing them start to enjoy these new things. i only wish that they wouldn't grow quite so fast....it makes me realize just how much more i need to take a step back, focus on the most important things, and treasure every moment i have with my boys and paige. they are so precious and i love them so much.

so, with that being said, here's to 2011! may it be as fun and exciting as the last 10 years!

4 things

2010-12-12T21:09:00.002-06:00

so, one of my bestest friends ever (even though she is now a distant and not often seen but still very much loved friend), sharon, "tagged" me on her blog. so, here it is:

four shows i watch:
1. the mentalist
2. survivor
3. canada's worst driver
4. food network challenge

four things i'm passionate about:
1. my family!!
2. reading
3. fabric
4. strength training

four phrases i say a lot:
1. really?
2. hurry! we're going to be late
3. sleep tight (every night, without fail, to evan)
4. i love you

four things i have learned from the past:
1. being able to laugh at yourself makes life easier
2. i am never alone in my fears or challenges
3. good friends are priceless
4. worrying is a waste of time....still learning this one:)

four places i'd like to go:
1. italy
2. paris
3. disneyland with the fam
4. hawaii

four things i did yesterday:
1. slept in
2. finished Christmas shopping
3. made a delicious chocolate cake for our ward Christmas party
4. visited with friends

four things i am looking forward to:
1. Christmas holidays
2. seeing and spending time with sharon at the vancouver dental conference in march!!
3. camping this spring with our tent trailer
4. an email from my missionary brother robert tomorrow morning!

four things i love about winter:
1. Christmas!!
2. skiing with my boys
3. snowmen and sledding
4. hot chocolate after skiing and sledding

four things on my wish list:
1. books, books, and more books
2. to pay off our school debt asap!!!!
3. a trip somewhere warm with just brent and i
4. motivation to wake up early and exercise before the kids get up instead of trying to fit it in during the day

four people i tag:
1. Erin Cahoon
2. Laura Neilson
3. Andrea Salmon
4. Maja Russell
.....i hope all these people actually read my blog! although they do leave comments once in awhile so i would think so:)

happenings

2010-10-31T20:15:00.004-05:00

since i have last posted, a few major things have happened. things that have tried and tested my emotions, in mostly good ways. things that have been planned for a long time and things that were definitely unexpected! first things first.

one of my youngest brothers, robert, left to serve his mission. he has been called to serve for the next 2 years in the scotland ireland mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. he is currently in the preston enlgand mtc and will be until november 11 or 12. he left from the calgary airport on october 21st. let me first say how excited i am for rob! and (forgive me for saying it!!) how proud i am of him. i know that he will be an amazing missionary as he is an amazing young man. i am so glad that he made the decision to serve the Lord as a missionary. i am so grateful for the example that he is setting for my boys (as they think rob is "the man!") and the growth and strength he will gain from this experience. he is so happy where he is and i couldn't be happier for him. now that i got that off my chest, on to the more selfish side of me. I MISS HIM!!!!! i already miss him so very much!! i have been lucky these past 6 months to be able to spend so much time with rob. we jokingly called this summer our "summer of rob." it seems that he was out here, in cranbrook, boating with us, or camping in the states, or just hanging out with our family almost every other weekend all summer. i had many opportunities to have some real heart to heart conversations with rob and really appreciated the level of trust and love he has for me as his sister...but also as his friend. he is not only one of my younger brothers but one of my bestest friends, as all my siblings are! my kids also have a great love for rob and it was hard for them to say goodbye. my whole family were able to meet for dinner in calgary before going to the airport together to send rob off. it was good to be all together for one last hurrah! to share our love for each other and our great love for rob. there were tears shed as we said goodbye...mostly by us, not so much by rob (which was a good sign:). he was so ready to go!!) not only was i crying for my own heartache but also for the heartache of my boys. i think burton (who really has a special relationship with rob) hugged rob about 10 times and held back his tears until rob walked through security and was really gone. evan didn't really realize what was going on but started his crying once he realized that we really were saying goodbye. and jensen cried hardest of all - my little sweetheart. i think that he was crying for everyone else as much as he was crying for himself. as i already said, it was hard to say goodbye!
needless to say, my emotions have been very close to the surface since he left! we got our first letter from elder swainson last wednesday. it was so GOOD to hear that he is doing so well. he is on top of the world and is so happy that he is serving a mission. it makes missing him not as hard when i know that he is where he wants to be, doing what he wants to be doing, and enjoying it so much. i am again so very grateful for my little brother. and i love him so very much!!
now, on to the unexpected part of my week. i have been serving as a councillor in the young women's organization in our ward for just over 2 years. i got called shortly after we moved to cranbrook. i didn't really know anyone yet and was excited to be able to serve with girls and women (paige wasn't yet born and i was really looking forward to some girl time). as i have served in yw's, i have made life long friends that i love and cherish - with the other leaders as well as the girls. i came to love the women i served with and the young women we served. things were going great. and then the bishop called and wanted to meet with me. any time you accept a calling, you know it won't last forever. but, i must say i was not expecting a change yet - especially not the one he gave me. i have been called to serve as the new primary president in our ward.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

i must admit, with my emotions being so close to the surface as i previously described, i started to cry after the bishop released me from my yw's calling. not because i am sad to be moving on to primary, but because it means leaving my yw's position behind - working with such wonderful women, spending so much time with such amazing young women, and having so much fun as we strengthened and taught eachother. i felt embarassed for crying:) but i think the bishop understood. anyways, the last few days have been filled with LOTS of self doubt mixed with a few moments of thinking, "i can do this." it is a big calling - i have never been the president of anything before!!! but i have been given some great councillors to work with and, after talking to them, i feel much more able to fill the big shoes that are before me. i am grateful that i have a testimony of callings in the church - that i know they come to the bishop through inspiration and prayer. i know that this is the Lord's church, and if he thinks i can be the primary president, i will be.....i just pray i am a good one:)

so, that's it for now...really. atleast i hope that this is it for now. i think i have had enough major changes to last me for a little bit. now that i am finished writing this novel of an entry, i will finish with this.
I LOVE YOU ROB!!! and i will be the best i can be - just as you have asked us to. you are awesome, amazing, fabulous and i know you will be a greater than great missionary.

back to normal

2010-09-21T16:01:00.005-05:00

summer is over - boo! school has started - yay! and things are back to normal - somewhat! we had such a fun and fabulous summer! as busy and hectic and tiring as it was, i wouldn't have changed a thing about it. jensen and burton have been back to school for 2 weeks and are loving their new teachers and being back in touch with their friends. jensen is in 3rd grade and burton is in 2nd...where does the time go!!!??? fall soccer has started and i must say that with soccer 4 nights a week, i am counting the days until it is finished! only 2 more weeks!! we will have to make sure to have the boys' soccer on the same nights in the spring! and maybe brent will only coach 1 team instead of 2??? as fun as it has been to watch the jensen and burton improve their soccer skills and really enjoy playing, it has been crazy! i really have become a soccer mom - washing uniforms, filling water bottles, driving to practices/games, and cheering from the sidelines. it has begun!! and i really do enjoy watching the boys excel and grow in their abilities.

evan started preschool this fall. he goes on tuesday and thursday afternoons and is really liking it. he is such a confident and social boy and already loves his teachers and classmates. and everyone loves evan! with his big brown eyes, cute little grin, and adorable personality, it is hard not to love evan! his preschool teacher has already told me what a special and wonderful little boy evan is and how much she would just love to take him home. and all i can say to her is, "take a number." really, that seems to be the response he elicits from just about everyone he meets. i am just glad that i DO get to take him home every day and keep him forever and ever...because i am his mom.

paigey continues to be a delight in our home. being the only girl makes her that much more special and we all love her so much! she loves to dance, play hide and seek, play with her brothers, and be a part of everything. her hair has lost most of its curl and really bleached out this summer. she loves to explore! and she is my little shadow - she follows me around the house, helping where she can, and gets the biggest kick out of throwing her diaper in the garbage. all i have to do is look at her and she smiles. and as much of a mommy's girl as she is, she is always SO excited to see her daddy when he comes home from work at lunch time and at the end of the day. paige's giggles and smiles bring such joy to each of us. and i love her little, or rather BIG, personality.

things are good. life is great. we are happy!

phew!

2010-08-19T22:10:00.007-05:00

so, i am finally sitting down and updating our blog. we have been busy!!!! of all the weekends we have had since the end of june, we have only been home for 2 of them! although the summer has been a blur with all the traveling and activities, it has been G!R!E!A!T!! first and foremost, we have spent so much time with our kids. waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, wakesurfing, tubing, and dancing it up on our new toy - the one that has been sitting in our garage since last november, waiting to be used, our best purchase to date, totally worth the scrimping and saving, and so much fun!!!!!!

our new boat. we love it! we have put so many fun and fabulous hours on our boat. with friends and family. jensen and burton have both learned how to waterski and kneeboard this summer and get better every time they go. even evan goes out on the kneeboard and has found a new love for tubing. paige loves to "shake it" when we crank the tunes and loves cheering her dad on when he is doing his sweet tricks.

brent continues to amaze and impress me. yes, even after 10 years he still does it for me! i love to watch him wakeboard, pulling flips, spins, twirls, and superman's left right and centre. he really is amazing to watch. and he assures me he loves to watch me ski...

i sometimes wonder if he is just being nice because he is also a brilliant water skiier! regardless of my skill level, i do love to waterski! there is nothing like throwing rooster tails on a lake, skiing across glass like water. seriously one of my most favorite things to do!!!!!

we camped with friends, stayed for a week in a SWEET lake house on hayden lake in idaho with family, welcomed a new niece, gretchen, in to the family (and a nephew, jasper, in may!!), went with my beautiful sister jessica to the temple for her first time, spent a week at the farm with mom/gran and dad/papa, had my brother rob out for a camping trip that turned in to just days at the lake while sleeping at home, went camping again on lake pendorielle
with brent's brother jeff and his family and my brother rob tagging along (again!! i swear it has been the "summer of rob" around here...and i love it!!!!!!!! he is leaving on his mission in october and i LOVE all the time we have been able to spend with him!!! i love him a lot!!!), found a new favorite local spot to cliff jump in to crystal clear water - a truly beautiful little mountain lake!!, not to mention all the day trips to the beach with the kids while brent is at work.

we really have been going and going and going! i must admit that i am starting to feel a bit worn...but i wouldn't have it any other way! we have been able to have so much fun and make some lasting memories this summer with those i love the most - and i wouldn't trade that for anything. it is worth being tired for!! even as i type this blog, my younger bros are coming out for the weekend. i am glad that andrew is able to come this time!! he has been busy working all summer and i have missed hanging out with him! i am grateful for any time that i get to spend with my siblings! so, another weekend of the lake and boating, followed by YWs camp next week, then another week at the farm with my family, my mom's 50th birthday party on labor day weekend and then back home for a while.....just in time for school to start again.

like i said before, PHEW!!!

click here and here for a photo representation of our summer of fun!

rewind

2010-06-14T23:00:00.004-05:00

this is a picture of me roughly 27 years ago. i am standing on the stairs at my gran and papa's house.

here is a picture of paige, taken a few weeks ago, on those same stairs.

i love the feeling that these pictures give me. kind of like things coming full circle. i love my grandparents and cherish the relationship that i have with them!! how it warms my heart to have them so involved in my life and the life of my children - that jensen, burton, evan, and paige have a relationship with them and have been able to feel of their love as i have.

looking at these pictures also makes me realize (yet again) how much i love and adore my little girl. how precious is my paigey! how beautiful is my daughter. how blessed i am to be her mother.

Nuts for Bolts etc now open!

2010-06-07T21:21:00.001-05:00

so, this post is a few weeks late but oh well! our online fabric store is now up and running. check us out at www.nutsforboltsetc.com. also, we have our own blog for our store so add it to your blog lists! it is www.nutsforboltsetc.blogspot.com. we are so excited to FINALLY have our website up and running!! we have some really great stuff and i encourage you all to check it out....and, all subjectivity aside, we really do have some great stuff:)

2 birthdays and a baptism

2010-05-09T19:47:00.005-05:00

we ended our birthday month with paige's first birthday last friday, april 30th. with 3 kids all in april, our house was full of balloons and decorations for weeks! it really was the party house. jensen turned 8 at the beginning of april but we weren't able to get all the family together for jensen's baptism until the last weekend of april. as it was also paige's birthday that weekend, we were also able to have a fun party for her! paige was in good form for her first birthday - charming the crowd, "saying" cheese for pictures, laughing at everyone, and just being her regular happy, delightful, and adorable self.

how we love our paigey cakes!!! what a wonderful addition she has been to our family. i can hardly believe that it has been a whole year since she was born!! i LOVE having a little girl - i love having a daughter. she definitely holds my heart in her hand. one look with those big blue eyes and i am all hers - and i think she is starting to figure this out!! not good. i think this will eventually catch up to me but for now i can't help but spoiling her with all the attention she asks for and more! paige says a few words - hello, hi, daddy, mom. i think it is funny and somewhat telling that her first word was hello and she always says it when the phone rings...indicative of things to come!? this girl will never be getting her own cell phone! unless she smiles really sweetly at me with those baby blues. then i just might change my mind! seriously, we are all so in love with our little paigey!

moving on, jensen was baptized on may 1. i found my self questioning whether i was even old enough to have a son getting baptized!!!?? and, yes, sadly i am! actually, not sadly as it was a wonderful weekend with my oldest son! how touched i was by the spirit as i looked at my oldest boy, all dressed in white, with his dad, waiting to be baptized and then entering the waters of baptism. what a sweet and special boy he is and i am so thankful and feel very blessed to be his mother. it really was a wonderful day, filled with family and the spirit. how i love jensen! and how thankful i am that he is gaining his own testimony of our Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation.

i feel very blessed.

and last but not least, we celebrated brent's 33rd birthday a few days after jensen's baptism. i am so in love with my man and am fully convinced that he really is the world's best husband. after all, he has to put up with me and all the angst that i must cause him!

and poor brent - all i "made" him for his birthday was drumstick ice cream cones! really, i was so birthday caked out that i just couldn't muster the energy to make another one. with 3 birthdays and a baptism in 4 weeks, can you blame me?? the kids and i made up for it by taking him out to dinner on the weekend. the birthday dessert they brought for him was WAY yummier than anything i could have made!! we sure love you brent - even if you are an old fart!

another birthday

2010-04-25T21:57:00.005-05:00

this little baby turned 4 today. my littlest boy, my sweet evan is now a whopping 4 years old. i remember jensen was 4 when evan was born! and now our evan is 4. wow! and he is just as adorable now as he was then - seriously....

this last year with ev has been especially fun for me. with jensen and burton both in school all day, it has just been paige, evan, and i at home. and it has been a great experience for me to spend so much time with evan. we play bakugan's, transformers, animals, pets, finding eggs, and all sorts of other made up games. we color, do stickers, make stuff, play video games, read books, draw, snuggle, watch movies, go to the library, go swimming, and ride bikes. evan is my number one helper, whether we are grocery shopping, running errands, or just hanging out at home. he is always up for a snuggle and loves to give me, his mom - who, for whatever reason, he adores! lucky me!!! - special things (which are hugs and kisses). he thinks i am the best mom because i let him be in charge and make up the rules when we are playing. evan has a handful of imaginary friends that he likes to play with and talk on the phone to - annika and stephen (they are both boys) have been around for about 9 months now. others, like zeebee and coleman, have just recently joined the group. he talks about these friends as if they were real and sometimes brent and i wonder if they just might be? we sure hope not as annika and stephen are both 48 and live in australia. evan constantly makes us laugh with the grown up things he says. and also makes our hearts melt with his big brown eyes and sweet and sincere personality. he really is a blessing in our home and we love him to pieces!!!

happy birthday evan!! or, as evan said today, "happy furball!!" apparently that is how you say "happy birthday" in spanish.

p.s. funny evan story - this last week evan and i picked up decorations and a pinata for his birthday party. he was so excited that he wanted to have his party that day - i think it was on thursday. we weren't having his party until saturday (yesterday) and i kept telling him that we couldn't have his party that day. finally, after asking a million times and getting the same negative response, evan looked at me and said, "mom, if you tell me one more time that i can't have my party today, you're fired."
nice.

nuts for bolts etc. blog in the works

2010-04-24T22:57:00.004-05:00

so, i will be creating our own blog for nuts for bolts etc. in the next week or two - as soon as i find the time to sit down and do it!! but, for now, this will work. we posted some more pictures of some new flannel we just got in on our facebook page and flickr site. click here to view (the last 7 pics are the new ones)! my mom and i are getting together this coming weekend for jensen's baptism (yay jensen!!) and paige's first birthday (that came fast!!!!) and will be sitting down, finalizing our price list, final checking our inventory, taking pictures, and getting ready to open our online store!! we should be good to go by the second week of may!!! YAY!!!!!!! i am nervous and excited! i guess if we don't sell anything, we will just be stuck with some really great fabric that we will have to use - i guess there are worse things:)

TTFN!

more pictures

2010-04-12T19:35:00.002-05:00

so, more nuts for bolts etc. pictures as promised!! i added a bunch more pictures of fabric we have just ordered. click here to view. also click here to see samples of the finished products we will be selling.
please feel free to leave comments so we can see what everyone thinks!!
ttfn

our fabric obsession

2010-04-09T12:32:00.002-05:00

my mom and i have a common obsession with fabric - we LOVE fabric!!! after becoming frustrated with the lack of canadian websites selling high quality, unique, fun, and vibrant fabric we decided to launch our own, legitimate online fabric store.
after much discussion, deliberation, paper signing, and planning, my mom and i (along with the artistic talent, vision, and input of my 2 beautiful sisters) are starting our own online fabric store. we will be selling hard to find, high quality, beautiful flannel, fleece, and minky fabrics. we will also be selling hand made children's wares, such as receiving blankets, taggy lap quilts, ribbon dolls and lizards, and really adorable ponchos for little girls.

click here to see some samples of the fun things we will be selling!! we will be adding more pictures as we receive shipments of ordered fabric to sell and as we make more stuff!

we are planning on launching our online store in may so stay tuned for the website link!!!

my sweet boy

2010-04-08T22:39:00.008-05:00

jensen turned 8 on monday. my first baby is 8...wow! and what a delightful young man jensen is growing in to!

i remember being pregnant with jensen. i always wanted to have a boy first. i loved having an older brother growing up and i wanted all of my subsequent daughters to have an older brother to watch out for them (little did i know at the time that we would only have 1 daughter at this point and she would have 3 big brothers to look out for her - ha!). as the little baby inside of me grew more and more, i knew that he would be a boy and i was so excited to meet my precious son.

how we loved our baby jensen! he was such a sweet and happy baby. and grew in to an adorable little boy...

and now a handsome, young "almost" man.

jensen has fabulous, brown eyes - just like his dad. he continues to approach life and learning with an insatiable curiousity and inquisitiveness. jensen is a lover of all things to do with animals, bugs, and nature and is still determined to be a zookeeper when he grows up. he is always thinking of something (just like his mother!) and has an amazing imagination. jensen is kind and tender hearted. he loves hugs and kisses (still!! i hope he never grows too old or "cool"). he is a good example to his younger brothers and adores his little sister. jensen is SO excited to be starting cubs and is looking forward to earning every badge:)

jensen will be baptized at the end of the month. brent and i are so happy with his desire to be baptized and with his understanding of what this means. jensen is a special boy and i feel very blessed to be his mother - to learn from him as i try to teach him. to love him. to have him as my son.

we all love you so very much jensen.

love

2010-04-03T11:44:00.005-05:00

i love my camera. i love taking pictures. and i love when i look at a picture i took without really thinking about it and i get a result like this

or this

and i love my beautiful daughter. my adorable and precious paige.

you make my days so bright with your endless snuggles, kisses, noises, smiles, giggles, and grins. i love everything about you.

i love you paige.

spring break 2010

2010-03-28T20:52:00.007-05:00

our kids had their spring break from school a few weeks ago. we spent most of that time at my mom and dad's farm and we had so much fun, as always, spending time with them here are a few highlights, in no particular order:

*burton learned how to drive the rhino (a 4 wheeled utility vehicle). i wasn't sure how comfortable i was with that - until i sat in the passenger seat and had him drive me around my dad's field. i must say, he was very cautious - not the wild child he typically is - and did a great job. i had to remember to breath as i flashed forward 10 years - picturing 16 year old burton behind the wheel of a car, as i sit "calmly" in the passenger seat. i also questioned the wisdom of introducing burty-burt to motorized vehicles as he buckled himself in to our van yesterday, while accompanying me on my grocery run, and asked me, in all seriousness, "can i drive?"

*i took the boys to a place called the hot pot studio with my mom, sister, and sister in law. they have unfired and unpainted pottery pieces that you can pick out and paint. they then fire them for you and you pick them up and take them home. it is a great place. anyways, while we were there, evan was talking nonstop, about anything and everything. it was hilarious. at one point, my mom was asking for color advice for the garden gnome that she had chosen to paint. evan gave his color suggestion. my mom thought it was a great one and told evan so. she also told him that she should just save herself time and ask him any time that she had a question because he is so good at answering them. he reminded her that this is because he is a scientist. goading him on, i asked him:

- evan, why is the sky blue?

- ummmm, i don't know that one.

jensen and burton then eagerly supplied their "scientific" answers. then evan said:

- mom, ask me another question.

- evan, why does it get dark at night.

- oh, i know that one. because Jesus turns out the lights.....on His whole body.

!!!!!!!! when he noticed that we were all trying VERY hard (and failing miserably) not to laugh, he said:

- scientists aren't funny guys.

seriously....how could you not adore this kid??

*the boys spent a lot of time upstairs, in rob's room, with rob and andrew. they wrestled, played video games, and did "man" stuff. my mom went up one night to check on them and made a comment about how they were all hanging out in the "man cave." burton looked at her, straight faced, and said:

-so, get out.

nice that the teenage boy attitude is manifesting itself at 6. how excited am i for the teenaged burton?

*it was my big brother's 30th birthday party the day before we left. it was fun to be there with everyone and celebrate steve! how i love my big brother!! and am very glad for the friendship that we have developed as we have grown up and become adults...not that we weren't friends when we were young:) i have just come to value him more and more as the years pass. only bad thing - with a 30 year old brother and me next in line, my turn is coming fast!!!! good bye 20's...almost!

all in all, it was a fun trip. brent was able to join us for part of the time. and i really missed him when he wasn't there. i came away from mom and dad's feeling very grateful that i have such a wonderful family there - brothers, sisters, mom and dad - and very happy that i have such an amazing man to return home to.

life is good. click here for our spring break pictures.

lately

2010-03-07T22:00:00.002-06:00

we have been having so much fun OUTSIDE lately!!! what a wonderfully mild winter we have had - and now we seem to have jumped right in to spring! the kids have been riding bikes and i am loving being able to send them outside to play. i am almost sad that paige isn't walking yet as she wants so badly to join her big brothers outside:

our little paige is growing up so fast!! she will be one in two short months. i kind of thought with her being our last baby (unless lightning strikes or we have some other obvious sign that our family is not complete!) she would stay little forever. it is always a bittersweet thing to see your babies growing! so exciting and fun to see all the changes but somewhat sad to see that baby phase passing. paige's new favorite thing to do is stand up....not by herself but holding on to something and getting in to a standing position. she especially likes to look out the windows and scream excitedly at all she sees (as is evidenced by the above video). she continues to be such a DELIGHT in our home - we all love her to pieces...really. really. really. i often look at my beautiful girl and wonder how i could be deserving of such a wonderful and blessed little spirit housed in such a beautiful little body. i thank the Lord daily for my sweet little girl - and my rambunctious but still wonderful boys too:)

brent and i had the opportunity to go to the temple in spokane a few weeks ago. brent's brother and his wife watched our kids while we attended a session together. it was wonderful! i truly enjoy the feeling of peace and renewal that comes with attending the temple. to be reminded of what life is all about. and to feel the love that our Father in Heaven has for us, as His children. i am so very grateful for the covenants i have made and for the promised blessings that will come as i am true and faithful to those covenants. our Heavenly Father truly does love us and has blessed us in so many wonderful ways.

as we were getting ready leave for spokane, we asked burton if he would say a prayer. we always say a prayer in the car when we are going on a trip - that we will be safe, etc. it was so heartwarming to hear our burty-burt pray for safe travel and give thanks that we were able to go to spokane so that "mom and dad can go to the temple." i am grateful that he is able to see, through our example and the example of others, the importance of temples. it is gratifying (and also somewhat daunting!) to realize just how much our children are watching us and learning from us. they do get it some times!!

i love my family - we have been spending a lot of time together. skiing with the kids, watching the olympics, having movie parties. i love my husband. he is a good father and a good man. i really am so blessed!

for pictures of what we have been doing lately, click here.

brotherly love

2010-02-07T18:59:00.003-06:00

i have 3 brothers - one older and two younger - and i love them!! i am grateful for the relationship that i have with each of them. that being said, this post is about one of my younger brothers, robert.

rob came to visit us in cranbrook last weekend. we were sad that andrew wasn't able to come too as he was working. we had a really fun time with rob - skiing and just hanging out. for whatever reason, burton has a special bond with rob. burton thinks rob is the coolest ever. anything rob does, burton wants to do too. they wrestle and play together. burton likes to talk to rob on the phone just to say hi and ask him how he is doing. burton loves rob.

the night before rob came to our house, i was tucking the boys in and helping them say their bed time prayers. because rob and andrew will be turning 19 soon, we have been talking a lot in our family about them getting ready to serve missions. burton thinks this is very cool and prayed in his prayers that night, thanking Heavenly Father that rob and andrew can be missionaries. after he was finished, i made the comment that we would have to make sure we send rob and andrew lots of letters when they are on their missions. burton looked at me, puzzled, and asked why we would have to send lots. i said because they will be gone for two years and we won't be able to see them when they are gone; we will have to write them letters and send pictures and stuff like that. burton's face fell and his eyes filled with tears as he realized what it was that i was saying - that he won't be able to see rob for the two years he is on his mission. burton looked at me with his sad eyes, soundlessly crying, and said, "i thought it was only two weeks."

poor burton!

needless to say, i changed the subject by saying that we didn't need to worry about it for a while as andrew and rob don't turn 19 for several months. we haven't really talked about the 2 year absence since then but, burton has still been praying for rob and andrew, the future missionaries. what a sweet boy!

as much as we will MISS MISS MISS rob and andrew, i pray that they will choose to serve missions. i LOVE LOVE LOVE them and know that they can be such powerful tools in the hands of the Lord if they dedicate themselves to His service. i will love them always, regardless of what choices they make in life - i just hope they do choose to serve missions. they will learn and grow in ways that they otherwise might not. as a sister who loves them so very much, i want to see them grow and strengthen their testimonies of the gospel as living the gospel and serving the Lord is where true happiness lies.

i love you rob and andrew!!!

9 months

2010-01-31T20:03:00.003-06:00

my precious paigey is 9 months old....i can hardly believe it.
now, as much as i love all of my children, this post is dedicated to my beautiful daughter. how i LOVE her! she is the sunshine in my every day, the smile in mundane things, a never ending source of happiness. paige is so adored by all of us - she is a delightful little girl who knows she is loved and loves us all back. she has an engaging personality that reaches out to all around her -paige makes everyone smile. i have a quote in paige's room, on the wall, that says:

"a daughter is a flower always in bloom."

paige is our little flower. she brightens and refreshes our home with her giggles, squeals, hugs, and kisses. we love our paigey cakes!!!

here are the latest pictures of paige - especially for you, gran!

eh o canada go!

2010-01-30T20:38:00.004-06:00

so the olympic flame came to cranbrook last friday on its way to vancouver. and was it ever awesome!! i love, love, LOVE the olympics and it was so fun to get the kids all excited about seeing the olympic torch. i remember seeing the torch when i was a little kid - it came to red deer on its way to calgary for the 1988 winter olympics. i remember feeling excited and awed by the flame and what it represented. because seeing the olympic torch as a kid was such a memorable experience for me, i really wanted my boys to be excited about seeing the olympic torch and watching the upcoming olympics. so, we made our own torches, wore our canada clothes, and welcomed the torch to cranbrook!! i love what the olympics represents - the whole world coming together to celebrate athleticism and accomplishment. it was awesome to see the looks of amazement on jensen, burton, and evan's faces as the torch ran by - to be more excited by their excitement - as we cheer on our country and celebrate the vancouver olympics. GO CANADA!!!! click here for pictures of our olympic celebration.

2009 in Review

2010-01-04T22:17:00.002-06:00

so, i made this picture slide show of some of my favorite pics and highlighting some of the fun things we did this year. it ended up being a lot longer than i thought! i guess 5 seconds/picture adds up quickly:) so, be warned - it is about 15 minutes long....i'm pretty much only putting this up for those who really love us and would like to watch 15 minutes of davis family fun. also, here is a link to our latest pictures - burton's birthday, Christmas, etc....enjoy!

full heart

2009-12-27T17:36:00.002-06:00

what a wonderful Christmas holiday it has been! how i love spending this wondrous time of the year with my very favoritest people....my family:) i am especially thankful for the opportunity to attend my new niece anne's baby blessing. how touched i was to see my big brother with his first little baby - and to hear the tender love and affection he has for his daughter, anne, as he blessed her. my heart was filled with feelings of appreciation for my wonderful family. little anne is named after our grandmother, anne louise cooper. i too am named after this amazing woman - anne louise is my middle name. i love my gran!! and i appreciate her for the love and kindness she has given me throughout my life. it was so great to be with my gran, papa, mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunt, uncle, and nieces this past week. i love them all so very much and hope i do a good job of letting them know just how much they all mean to me! i will post pictures of our Christmas holiday as soon as i get them all uploaded!

2 for 1

2009-12-26T12:03:00.005-06:00

Christmas gives our family 2 reasons to celebrate. first, we join in the celebration of our Savior's birth - the miracle of Christ's birth, the joy and peace of the season. second, we celebrate the birth of our second son, burton. burton was born on Christmas Day 6 years ago. how we loved our little blonde haired baby! and how burton continues to be a source of joy in our home today. never a dull moment with burton. he is so lively and rambunctious. burton gets so excited about everything and gives 100% to all that he does. he amazes me with his desire to learn and the excitement he has for school. every day he comes home from school full of things to tell me about what he did and what they are learning at school. burton never gives up and approaches life with a contagious attitude of fun. we love our burty-burt....and with that, i will end this post as paigey is demanding my attention:)

oh, one more thing - yesterday at Christmas dinner, my uncle bob asked burton if he felt any older now that he is 6. burton looked at him and said, "no, not really. but my back is sore because i am getting older."

girls girls girls

2009-11-17T22:53:00.003-06:00

my older brother steve and his wife andrea just had their first baby early this morning - a little girl. they named her anne louise after our grandma. i too am named after my grandma - my middle name is anne louise. for this reason i feel like this new baby anne is a kindred spirit:) and i am excited to tell her that we are both named after the same wonderful woman when she is older. baby anne is the third girl born in to our family in just over a year - marion's grace was born last august (so she is almost 15 months old), our paige in april, and now anne today. i can just imagine these little girls - cousins! - in 15 or so years from now. and it makes me smile:) a lot.

with the birth of anne, i have found myself thinking back 6 and 1/2 months ago to the arrival of our little paige jacqueline. oh how happy i was to hold our new baby in my arms - our first little GIRL!!! i am so grateful to have a daughter to love and to nurture. i often find myself picturing the future as i look at her sleeping face lying in my arms - the girls' nights, the chick flicks, manicures and pedicures, talking about her latest crushes (GASP!! i hope she doesn't grow up too fast!!). as a leader in our church's young women's program, i am sometimes overwhelmed when i see and hear the testimonies of the girls i associate with and think of paige being their age, as strong and firm in the gospel as they are, with her light shining as brightly. i know it will because it already does! it is difficult to put in to words the love i have for my little girl.

how special and precious is my paigey. i only hope she loves me as much as i love her!!!

i feel humbled and blessed to be the mother to such a wonderful and adorable little girl - and to 3 compassionate, sensitive, kind, caring, and thoughtful young boys who have such a desire to do what is right and to follow the example of our Savior. my heart is so full of love for my children. i pray that i can deserve them and teach them as much as they teach me!! truly there is nothing that brings me more joy than being the wife of a noble man and the mother of amazing children.

i am so blessed.

dinner conversation

2009-11-12T19:53:00.003-06:00

so, here is a clip of a very interesting conversation we had with evan at dinner tonight. it is actually me trying to get him to repeat what he originally said just a few minutes prior to my filming - it was so darn cute i wanted to try and catch it on video....and it ended up being even funnier for entirely different reasons! pay special attention around the 58-59 second mark.

you may need to turn it up:)

know it all

2009-11-06T23:32:00.003-06:00

a conversation that evan and i have been having a lot lately goes something like this:

evan - did you know mom that.....fill in the blank.

me - well, evan, that isn't quite right.

evan - actually mom, i'm a scientist.

which has led me to believe that being a scientist means that evan knows everything and that he can claim that he knows everything. and he does....claim to, i mean.

for example, the other day our conversation went like this:

evan - mom i heard a stomp in your room and i think it was a monster.

me - monsters aren't real evan. don't worry, they are just pretend.

evan - actually mom, i am a scientist, remember? it was a monster.

(he actually does say the word actually...and i love it!)

maybe evan really does know everything. must be genetic.

halloween

2009-11-02T12:31:00.004-06:00

i really enjoy halloween. i love helping my kids make their costumes. i grew up making costumes with my mom each year. she would ask us what we wanted to be and we would think of something and make it together. she was the master makeup applier and i find myself now taking on that role. and i love it!! especially since my boys have such great imaginations. for this year, jensen was a rainbow rabbit, burton was an iguana, and evan was an orca. jensen pretty much made his costume all by himself - even told me exactly what to do with his makeup. i managed to make pretty awesome costumes for burton and evan with some extra material i had from other projects. here they are:

my mom picked up this costume for paigey:

isn't she the cutest little pink bunny ever??

for a more detailed look at the boys' costumes and other fun halloween pictures, click here.

10 minutes

2009-10-18T21:49:00.002-05:00

as i have just a few minutes to spare before putting the kids to bed, i thought i would sit and share just how blessed i feel to have such a wonderful family. we were able to travel to red deer last weekend for thanksgiving and had a great time at my mom and dad's house with my parents, siblings, and their families. one of my favorite quotes is by thomas jefferson:

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family."

truly, this is so! i always love going home and spending time with my family - visiting, playing games, laughing, watching movies, and just being together. and now that i am wife and mother, i can honestly say that nothing brings me more happiness than my amazing husband and our wonderful children.

how i love them all! so so much.

can't get enough of our pj

2009-09-20T18:52:00.002-05:00

"A child fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty."

author unknown.

is my heart ever full.

click here for more pictures of our beautiful baby girl.

another school year

2009-09-18T18:11:00.010-05:00

so, another summer gone and a new school year has started. what a fun summer we had!!! jensen and burton have been in school for 2 weeks now and so far so good:) jensen, the seasoned veteran, is in grade 2 and burton is in grade one. 2 kids on school, 2 at home. it has been an adjustment having burton join his older brother in all day school. things are much quieter and calmer around the house - and if you know burton at all, you know just how much quieter and calmer i mean! as much as i love having my kids at home, i must say that a return to the daily routine of school has been quite enjoyable. i now know the mixed emotions of excitement and slight sadness of sending the kids off to school:)

i have enjoyed the time that i get to spend with evan during the day when jensen and burton are at school. the place evan occupies on the bottom of the totem pole of boys in our family disappears when his brothers are at school. there is no getting lost in the shuffle, no getting talked over, no being told what to do - as great as jensen and burton are to their little brother, being the littlest boy comes with it's own territory of being peed on, so to speak! i just hope evan enjoys spending all this time together as much as i do!

paige is now 4 and 1/2 months old and is still as beautiful as ever. she melts my heart!! i sure hope she isn't a bratty little girl as she grows up as i think i will have a hard time disciplining her if she is! she definitely has me wrapped around her little finger...and her dad too! i just wish she wasn't growing up so fast!

just thought i would post a picture of me just because it is a good one. not too often i get one of those! and evan took it:)

home and gone

2009-08-24T22:46:00.003-05:00

just thought i would post a quick link to our tofino photos while i am home for a few days! we got home from our west coast trip last sunday. we were home for 2 days then we went down to spokane to visit brent's family. we are home until friday when the kids and i head to red deer for one last hoorah before school starts.

what a whirlwind august it has been. but i'm not complaining! i love summer!!!!

LOVE this picture of paige!

quick update from the west coast

2009-08-13T23:02:00.002-05:00

what a GREAT time we have been having here at the pacific rim park on vancouver island - we are staying at a really awesome beach resort just south of a small town called tofino....one of my absolutely favorite places ON THE WHOLE EARTH!!!!! i love the sand, the smell, the cool ocean breeze, the sunny days, and even the rainy ones here. what a fabulous place. our boys have had so much fun poking sea anemones, touching starfish, finding crabs, collecting shells, jumping waves, climbing rocks, and just running amok on the beach. what a wonderful holiday it has been. after a major bump getting here (see the ps) we have been having a fantastic vacation....can you tell i

love, Love, LOVE it here!!!

pictures to follow when we get home and i can sort through and organize the hundreds of pictures i have taken!!

p.s. THE BUMP - because the drive from nanaimo (the ferry drop off) to tofino on the island is so windy and pretty, brent thought it would be really fun to bring his motorbike on a trailer behind the van and unload and ride it to tofino after we took the ferry from vancouver to the island. SO, we drove off the ferry together in the van and then unloaded brent and his bike later in port alberni, on the way to tofino. after unloading his bike, the kids and i drove off in the van, leaving brent to put on his helmet, etc. and follow shortly behind us. after about half an hour, brent hadn't caught up to us yet and i started to wonder in the back of my mind how far behind he might have been. then my cell phone started to ring. because there was intermittent reception on the drive, i would answer my phone and then lose the signal and the call would be lost. this happened several times. finally, i got a text form an unknown number saying this:

"hello. please turn around. i am with your husband. he was in an accident. please turn around. he's ok."

talk about my heart stopping. immediately i started looking for a place to turn around while thinking, "is brent really ok? what does ok mean? is somebody telling me that just so i don't freak out while i am driving????" and other similar thoughts. my brother, rob, was in the car with me and he kept trying to text the stranger back to ask him where he was and what was going on. but, as before mentioned, bad cell phone service!! anyways, after turning around and driving for about 15 minutes, i finally come around the corner and see backed up traffic and several emergency vehicles with lights flashing, etc. up ahead. immediately i start thinking the worst. i pulled the car over, left the kids with rob, and started running on the shoulder up the road. of course, the faster i ran, the more panicked i got. the more panicked i felt, the faster i ran. i could see my mom and dad, brother and his wife, and my uncle standing on the side of the road. when i was finally within hearing distance, i just yelled to my mom and she assured me the brent was ok.

relief.

as i got closer, brent came into view. he was sitting up on the road with paramedics around him. he saw me and waved. again, relief. one of the paramedics then came over and reassured me that brent was ok - banged and bruised but ok.

so, here is what happened. according to several witnesses and from what brent can recall, he came around the corner on his motorbike and saw a young woman standing on the side of the road. there were also a couple of cars stopped in the turning lane to turn left, off of the highway. the girl looked both ways, apparently looked right at brent (brent says it looked like she looked right at him), and then decided to run across the road, right in to brent's way. he immediately laid down his bike to try and avoid the girl. he doesn't really know what happened next - whether he or the bike hit the girl - he just remembers tumbling along the pavement and then coming to a stop. he got up right away to see if the girl was ok. apparently this young woman had just been dropped off by someone after hitch hiking to this point. the man who dropped her off saw the accident and came to help right away. next on the scene was my uncle, brother, and sister in law and then my mom and dad. brent started seeing stars and had to sit down too. after checking the girl out and talking to the man who dropped her off, turns out the girl

was drunk or high or both.

stupid girl.....i can say that because she is fine. she hurt her leg and banged her head on the road but we were told she would be just fine.

lucky for us, brent is fine too. he gouged a big chunk out of the middle knuckle of his ring finger on his left hand, pretty much right to the bone. i saw it, gross!! he had some pretty good road rash on his ribs, hip, and knee, and was bruised in other places.

how grateful i am that he is ok!! i had a pretty good moment of "what if!!!???" after it happened. how blessed i feel that brent is ok - that he wasn't more seriously hurt as a result of someone else's poor decisions. how blessed i feel that our prayers for safe travel were answered.

how i love my brent!!!

a moment of bragging

2009-07-13T00:43:00.002-05:00

sorry everyone - i can't help myself! look. at. this. baby.

of course i think she is the most beautiful baby i have ever seen. of course i think her blue eyes are fabulous. of course i think she has the cutest little grin. of course i think her hair is fantastic.

of course i think -

she. is. perfect.

and she is mine! i adore her! i can't get enough of her! she is my baby girl! my beautiful, wonderful, adorable, perfect baby girl.

i love my paige. my daughter.

summer so far

2009-07-08T21:06:00.003-05:00

we spent the first week of our summer holidays down in montana, white water rafting for the lee family reunion. the lee's are brent's mom's family. needless to say, we had a great time!! HOT weather, TONS of kids running around, camp fires, games, visiting, and smores - we love camping!!

just a few thoughts - we spent both canada day and independence day in montana, rafting with family. how blessed i feel to live in such a beautiful and wonderful country as canada - to enjoy so many freedoms and have a great quality of life. i feel grateful that my kids can grow up in such a great country, full of boundless opportunity! how grateful i am for two great countries - and for the family i have in both.

hooray for canada and the usa!!

click here for the latest pictures!

ewwwww - be warned

2009-06-23T22:31:00.006-05:00

so this our latest family adventure - or mishap rather.

this is a picture of burton's mashed finger. 10 days ago, we were hiking along a little river and throwing rocks in to it. so of course burton had to pick up the biggest, heaviest rock possible to try and make the biggest splash. but the rock didn't quite make it in to the water. burton dropped it and it fell....right....on....his....finger. blood everywhere. big gash. burton screaming. not fun.

burton basically "degloved" the tip of his finger - meaning that the cut was big enough and deep enough that the skin around the tip of his finger almost came off. gross. in the brief glimpse that i had of burton's finger, i thought the cut was between the bottom of his fingernail and his first knuckle. as you can see from the picture, the cut is actually right through the nail bed - it just looked like it was by his first knuckle because his skin, along with his fingernail, had been pulled that far forward by the weight of the rock.

poor burty! it has been quite traumatic for him! surgery to fix the whole thing, needles, stitches, bandage changing, doctor visits.......not fun as a parent to have to hold burton in my arms as he is screaming for the doctor to stop because he needs a "break."
the stitches came out today. it should heal just fine - maybe be a bit deformed but that's fine with burton. as long as he doesn't have to have anymore stitches or anything that hurts, he is happy.

i love you burton! you are so brave!

picture this

2009-06-12T18:07:00.002-05:00

so, after the boys were done soccer last night, we stopped to get them slurpees on our way to cheer on brent in the last bit of his men's league soccer game. it was a beautiful night and the boys were hot so they took off their shirts. as we were sitting on the blanket, watching brent play soccer, and drinking our slurpees, evan says, "look at me mom." he had 2 of the lids from the slurpees - you know the big, bulbous ones - held up to his chest. he smiled and said,

"now i can feed the baby too."

picture it and tell me you're not laughing!

the passage of time

2009-06-10T15:04:00.008-05:00

lots of things have happened lately that have had me thinking about time passing. here they are, in no particular order:

-i graduated from high school 10 years ago.

-my dad just celebrated his 50th birthday.

-my youngest siblings are graduating from high school and turning 18 this month.

-my youngest sister graduated from college in may.

-my older brother graduated from med school last week.

-brent has been a dentist for a full year. it has been 1 year since we moved to cranbrook.

-brent and i are celebrating our 9th anniversary in a few weeks.

-i gave birth to my 4th child 6 weeks ago.

wow - life happens!

do you ever look at your life and think, "is this really my life?" i have found myself doing that lately - do i really have a 7 year old? am i really old enough to have 4 kids? am i really married to a real dentist and live in my own house, one that we have bought and aren't renting?

are these rugrats really mine?

is this handsome man really my wonderful husband??

how did i luck out so much to have such wonderful blessings in my life?

whatever the reason, and even if it means i am getting older, how glad i am to have the life that i have!

click here for our latest pictures:)

footprints on my heart

2009-05-24T21:21:00.002-05:00

Two little feet, ten little toes,

Leave their impressions today.

Soon they will wear two little shoes,

And be running and jumping at play.

Two little feet, too little time,

Before they are walking to school,

Kicking a rock, or skipping a rope,

Wading a puddle or jumping a pool.

Two little feet, One little child,

Will soon go their own way,

But footprints in my mind recall,

They stood here yesterday.

*ammendment to original post - i did NOT write this! the author is "unknown." if only i were that clever...you all should know better:)

3 week update

2009-05-21T16:46:00.004-05:00

our little paige is 3 weeks old today! seems like she has been here forever already. she is such a little sweetheart and has joined our family effortlessly:) the boys adore her and are proving to be such great helpers - which i knew they would!

paige is an angel baby...truly:)

just look at her!

really - we are so in love with our baby girl!

besides doing the baby thing, we have travelled to red deer for rob and andrew's high school graduation, been visited by marion and her grace for a week (good times even though the weather was crappy!!!) and had the fam come out to cranbrook for may long when we blessed paige in church. we have had a fun but BUSY couple of weeks. it has been great to see most of our family and introduce our sweetie paige to them.

now we have a few weeks of relative quiet and normalcy before the fun and crazy summer holidays begin! for a look at what we have been doing, click on this link.

TTFN!

neglectful mother

2009-05-05T16:40:00.002-05:00

evan celebrated his birthday a week ago - april 25th - and i didn't even put up a post! lest i be accused of favoring my other children over evan, here is his birthday post:)

i say it with all our kids and i will say it again - where does the time go?? i remember like yesterday when evan was born. our biggest baby with all that dark hair! our 3rd little boy. what a sweet and adorable little baby he was - and what a sweet and adorable little boy he is! evan is still so cute and cuddly. he never forgets to tell me how beautiful i am and what a good mom i am - i hope he never outgrows those feelings:) - even when i'm not! he loves his older brothers and wants to be big just like them. we can't tell evan he isn't able to do something - he is too stubborn and independent to listen.

we love our evan!!

hooray for girls!

2009-05-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

after 39 weeks and 5 days, our little girl is here!! born 2 days early (yippee!!), we welcomed paige jacqueline in to our family on april 30th at 2:57........in the afternoon! yes, one of our children arrived at a reasonable hour. i was able to recover from having a baby (which was fast and furious - can't believe i did that again!) before bed time and actually slept the night she was born. poor burton is still the odd one out - paige seems to favor jensen and evan in the looks department (atleast at this stage) - and is our only child that doesn't have an april birthday. funny how that worked out! burton was quick to remind me when i pointed this out that he was the only one born on christmas day which makes him extra special.

we are all enamored with little paige (paigey-face as evan has decided to call her) already and are so very thankful that our little girl made it safe and sound in to our home. we love her to pieces already!!

another evanism

2009-04-21T21:28:00.003-05:00

i was just tucking the boys in, saying goodnight, giving kisses, letting them know how much i love them. after helping evan say his prayers, i gave him a hug and a kiss and told him what a good boy he is.

he smiled, looked at me and said, "thanks mom. and you're a good mommy too."

thanks evan - you just made my day

just so i can show off my handsome and adorable boys, click here.

am i really a bad mom??

2009-04-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

that question has been running through my mind a lot in the last few days. here are my reasons why:
1. evan and jensen both look like they have been beat up. evan started it with a huge fall at a preschool drop in gym time at jensen and burton's school. he fell in to the edge of a bench in the gym and has got a black eye and skinned nose. jensen followed later that day with a head first tumble down the 4 cement stairs in our garage. yes, i said head first...or more accurately face first. he now has a huge goose egg on his forehead and several large scrapes on the side of his face. isn't the standard excuse for physical abuse, "i fell down the stairs?????" i hope jensen's teacher believed him when he told her what happened the next day!
2. yesterday we rode bikes to the park after school to play. well, the kids rode their bikes while i struggled to keep up, waddling as fast as i could. jensen and burton were well ahead of evan and i when burton had a huge wipe out on his bike. jensen, who was right behind him, proceeded to drive over burton's arm with his bike as he could not stop in time. a very kind young man, walking by, stopped to see if burton was ok and stayed with him until i made it down the hill with evan. i'm hoping he noticed my very large pregnant belly (really, how could he not??) and didn't think i wasn't running to my child's aid for some unkind and uncaring reason!!
3. also yesterday, i was taking burton and evan to the library to story time...what good moms do, right? we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for supper on the way. because i only needed 2 or 3 things and i am very hugely pregnant, taking the effort to unload the kids out of the car and in to a cart just for a few items required much too much energy. SO, i "smartly" told burton and evan to stay in their seatbelts and i woul be super quick. after being in the store for maybe 4 or 5 minutes, i was on my way to get the last thing i needed and then pay when i heard over the PA system the following announcement:

"excuse me shoppers. there is a van in the parking lot with 2 small children in it and the alarm is going off. could you please go take care of your children."

as i made my way to the parking lot, i noticed a lady looking in the front window of my van. as i approached, she turned my way. i smiled, trying to be friendly. she looked at me without smiling and said, "your children are getting panicky in there," rolled her eyes and walked away. as the smile disappeared from my face, all i could think of was "well i would be getting panicky too if i saw you looking in at me!!" and i'm sure she was thinking, "and she's having another one??" i opened the door and evan said, "mom, i couldn't find you!" burton just giggled, thinking it was funny.

does anyone else have days or weeks like this?? hurt kids, errors in judgement, simple mistakes that all come crashing down, making me want to say that i really am a good mom...really!

i just hope our little girl doesn't change her mind about joining our family in the next 3 weeks:)

happy happy birthday

2009-04-06T12:38:00.003-05:00

happy birthday jensen! yesterday was jensen's 7th birthday. wow - 7! he is growing up....which means i am getting older too!!!

jensen is such a joy in our family. he is kind and thoughtful and sensitive to others. his imagination has impressed brent and i since he was just little. he is always thinking and planning and coming up with something. jensen is learning so much at school and loves to read! he still really loves butterflies and all animals and still wants to be a zookeeper when he grows up. we had a rainforest themed birthday party this year and jensen helped decorate his rainforest butterfly cake.

jensen is growing up way too fast! it is exciting to see but also a bit sad:) we love our not so little boy so much!!!

smarty pants

2009-03-11T12:58:00.002-05:00

evan and i were at the doctor's office yesterday. i had to go around the corner to get weighed (oh joy!) and evan stayed in the waiting room. when i came back in the room, evan said, "hi mom." i replied, "hi evan." he again said hi and so did i.

back and forth a few more times with evan getting increasingly irritated with my copying him. finally evan said to me, "mom, you're annoying me." clear as a bell. there was no mistaking his choice of words.

i laughed, of course. then i asked him if he even knew what that meant.

he said, "that means you need to stop it."

i barely suppressed my laughter this time as he was quite serious. yes, my almost 3 year old does know exactly what "annoying" means.

smarty pants.

home sweet home

2009-03-08T21:35:00.002-05:00

brent and i just got home today from a 4 day stay in vancouver. brent was attending a dental convention there and i went along for the ride. we had a great time - not too long of a trip but long enough to relax, decompress, rejuvenate, and revive ourselves without our boys. it was fun to see some of the "old gang" from saskatoon - christy, sharon, jacquelyn and heidi - and do some girl stuff. LOTS of walking around and shopping, chatting, and even hitting the spa. did you know you can get a massage in your third trimester of pregnancy!!?? what a revelation!!!!!!! and how heavenly it was:) i really enjoyed all the girl time and being with such great friends. i didn't even miss my boys....too much:) needless to say it was good to see them this morning and give them all big hugs.

a BIG thanks to my brother, steve, who did a fabulous job of holding down the fort and entertaining 3 energetic boys for the days we were gone. burton's new favorite thing to say is, "steve rocks! steve rules! steve rocks! steve rules......" you get the picture. i am grateful my boys love their uncle steve as much as i do:)

evan just came out of his room, saw me, and came running with his arms open and a big smile on his face. he is supposed to be asleep but how can i resist when he is so adorable!!?? i guess he will be hanging out with brent and i for a bit:)

could you resist this?

appreciated

2009-02-12T10:15:00.002-06:00

so, burton has been sick with a cold the last few days and has stayed home from school. this morning jensen and evan started coughing. i told them that we would all probably get burton's cold because we all live together and share germs. then jensen asked what would happen if he got sick. i said that he would have to stay home from school. then burton asked what would happen if dad got sick. i said that he would have to stay home from work. and then jensen said,

"what about you mom? what happens if you get sick?"

burton's reply was quick and to the point, "nothing. cause you don't do anything mom."

nice:)

gratitude

2009-02-01T23:00:00.003-06:00

this picture is of me with my baby jensen. he is about 2 1/2 months old and i am 21. it is one of my most favorite pictures.

i feel so blessed to be a mother - to have the ability to bear and give birth to children. i love feeling this little girl move around inside me. i wonder what she will look like. i wonder what she will be like. i can hardly wait to meet her! to hold her for the first time. to see her look up at me with her newborn eyes, seeing everything for the first time. to have her precious spirit join our family.

i am humbled by the trust my Father in Heaven has placed in me to watch over His special children - to call them my own and love them. jensen, burton, and evan bring me so much joy. at times i feel like my cup is overflowing with love for my little boys.

i am excited to be having a girl. i am thrilled to be having a girl! i hope that i can be the kind of mom to her that my mom was, and is, to me - that she will look to me for guidance and reassurance and comfort - that we will be friends as she grows up.

i am having a girl. i will have a daughter.

i can't wait to meet her.

Christmas Pictures

2009-01-16T21:15:00.003-06:00

here are the links to the before mentioned Christmas pictures - just click here and here. our computer crashed and had to go in for repairs for a few days.

just wanted to shout out (oh, look at hip i am!) a big thank you to our families! we had such a great time seeing everyone (well, almost everyone!) over the holidays. thanks for the beds, the food, and putting up with 5 extra people.

we love you all!!

back in the new year

2009-01-08T21:49:00.003-06:00

so, we are back from our Christmas adventures. we were able to spend quality time with both families this holiday which was very fun and rewarding. after spending Christmas in spokane (and almost getting snowed in! they had crazy snow there and it is still coming!!!), we traveled to the farm in red deer to spend new year's with my family. a few high lights:
-rollerskating in spokane (jensen's new fave thing to do)
-bowling in spokane and red deer
-making a snow cave in spokane
-playing lots of games and building puzzles
-sledding, of course
-sitting by the fire, visiting
-reliving old memories and making new ones
-eating all the good holiday treats
-gaining a few extra pounds, i am sure (but it's all baby, right!?)
i will post some holiday pictures in the next few days. i have been "suffering" with the cold the kids had over the holidays but thought i better sign in for any who may be reading this blog and wanting to know if we are still alive and well:).

happy new year everyone!

baby bump

2008-12-16T11:31:00.002-06:00

so, we're having a girl.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by burton

2008-12-15T15:27:00.003-06:00

CHRISTMAS IS....

Christmas is family.

Christmas is decorations.

Christmas is presents.

Christmas is not about me only.

burton brought this little "poem" that he wrote at kindergarten home last week and it really warmed my heart. what a sweet little boy. i love his perspective on Christmas.

for pictures of what we have been doing to get ready for Christmas, click here.

update

2008-12-04T19:30:00.007-06:00

it's about time i sat down and wrote about a few fun things that have happened. first, we finally got some snow! not a ton but enough to play in. the boys were all so excited to go and play in the snow and we had a lot of fun in the park by our house.

we are all getting excited for Christmas and the chance it brings to visit all of our family!!

funny evan story - i had a doctor's appointment a few days ago and evan came with me. before we went, he was talking about how we were going to hear the baby's heartbeat and he was fairly excited. my doctor let evan hold the sonogram and push the button as he found the heartbeat and we listened to it. pretty fun for evan. after i was all done and getting ready to leave, evan climbed up on the examining table, lifts up his shirt, and says, "my turn." so my doctor brought the sonogram back out and found evan's heartbeat. as soon as he heard his heartbeating, evan's face lit up and he said, "mom, that's my baby's heartbeat!!" it was futile to try and explain to him that what he was hearing was his heartbeat, not a baby in his tummy. but he was convinced otherwise. so, according to evan, both him and i have babies in our tummies.

i took this picture a few weeks ago of jensen and burton. burton has scary dreams often at night and one thing we told him to do was climb up top of their bunk beds and sleep with jensen instead of coming upstairs to sleep with us all the time. i always check on them before going to bed and this is what i found one night:
i hope they always love eachother so much.

just can't get enough

2008-11-05T19:43:00.002-06:00

i just can't get enough of my little niece, grace.

really, can you blame me? look how adorable she is!!!!

i love her to pieces - and her mom, marion, too! i feel really blessed to have such wonderful women in my life. my mom, grandmothers, sisters, and yes, even the in laws....i really love them too:) and now, the next generation of little girls that will grow in to beautiful and admirable women before i know it.

i hope this little bun in my oven can join the girls club.

i would really like that.

that being said, i will be most grateful for a healthy and happy baby, whether boy or girl. although jensen may not be. he was telling my gran this last weekend that if we have a boy, i told brent that we would sell him and that brent was ok with that.

i'll have to watch jensen if we do have a boy - he is getting really good at spelling and writing and would have no problem whipping up some "brother for sale" signs.

where we live

2008-10-30T14:57:00.005-05:00

i have always found that the beauty of nature makes me appreciate our Father in Heaven and the beautiful world He has created for us. i find that being out in the woods, walking on a beach, the smell after rain, sunsets, fall colors, spring colors, and so many other sights and sounds of nature fill me with a deep sense of gratitude that i can enjoy the world around me and a profound feeling of thanks for the beauty of the creation.

Heavenly Father must truly love us to bless us with such beauty in our surroundings.

looking at my family brings me the same feelings of gratitude.

i really am blessed.

no belly pictures from me!

2008-10-28T22:19:00.003-05:00

so, jensen was telling his aunt briett the other day all about the babies in my tummy - yep, babies. jensen is convinced that we are having triplet girls. then we would be even, he says - 4 boys and 4 girls! and, according to his logic, he must be right. jensen was telling briett that we must be having twin girls because, "mommy's tummy is so big already and she's only been pregnant for a few days."

i'm 14 weeks.

wow, i must really be huge!

thanksgiving

2008-10-20T22:19:00.002-05:00

what a wonderful time of year! i love all the changing colors and the chance to give some extra thought to the things i am grateful for. family always tops the list. friends, left behind and newly found. a warm home, food on the table, a husband who works hard to care for me and our boys. the blessing of being a mother to three wonderful boys and growing another (girl hopefully). and most thankful for a loving Savior who knows me and knows what I need to feel peace in my life.

and i am thankful for my camera! i love to take pictures. so, that being said, here are some good ones i took over our thanksgiving trip to good old sylvan lake. feel free to click here and here!

who needs a halloween costume?

2008-10-16T17:59:00.002-05:00

so, funny story. about a week ago, after brent left for work, burton woke up and came in to our room. i was still in bed, savoring the last 20 minutes before the alarm went off, all wrapped up in the blankets. i heard burton come in and sat up to say hi. he screamed - literally screamed. not a high pitched fake scream, but a real, scared yell - and started to cry. i brought him in to bed to snuggle him and asked him why he was so scared. he wouldn't answer me for probably 10 minutes. once he settled down, he looked at me and said, "you scared me when i saw you. your nose looked really long and i was scared of your bed head."

geez - i already knew i looked pretty bad first thing in the morning. but is it really that bad?

friends

2008-09-23T12:23:00.003-05:00

i love this picture.

not only are my boys brothers, but they are best friends too. and although they have their not so nice moments, for the most part they really get along. i love that they play with each other. i love that they are concerned for each other and sensitive to one another. it warms my heart to listen to my boys play and pretend with each other. and even though evan is not in this picture, he is just as much a part of the group.

my 3 amigos - i sure love them.

p.s. it was crazy hair day at school - i don't spray my kids' hair red regularly...especially since it ended up getting everywhere! oh well, the picture was worth it.

i love where we live

2008-09-21T17:47:00.002-05:00

yesterday we went on a small hike with the kids and some friends, just outside of cranbrook. it was a beautiful day - warm, sunny, and so many different colors as the trees are starting to change. i love the fall. i love all the colors and the coolness mixed in with the warmth of the sun. we hiked to this amazing little water fall and had fun climbing the rocks, feeling the water, and exploring in such a wonderful place.

and to think it was just 20 minutes away from our front door. i love this new place we call home!

baby grace

2008-09-11T18:54:00.003-05:00

so, we made our last trip of the summer to good old saskatoon this last weekend. brent went to play golf and the boys and i couldn't pass up the chance to tag along and visit the newest member of our family, grace leelynn allred. my sister marion and her husband, tyson, welcomed their little girl on august 26 and we were so happy and excited to meet her!! and she is adorable!! all i wanted to do was hold her and look at her. she has the most adorable feet i think i have ever seen - and her hair!! grace is fabulous and we all love her so much already. burton was especially enthralled with little grace. the first time he held her, he was so excited to see her every movement...."mom, her eyes are opening!! mom, she's yawning! mom, mom, mom......." burton sat on the couch for almost half an hour, holding her with this little smile on his face. it was precious. some time during our 2 day visit, burton said to marion and i, "i loved her before i even saw her!" he is such a sweetheart and so is little grace.

makes me hope this next one is a little girl.

oh yeah, we are expecting:)

first day of school

2008-09-03T09:58:00.002-05:00

yesterday was the first day of school. jensen is now in grade one and burton started kindergarten. as excited as i am for my boys to go to school and learn, i find myself experiencing a mix of emotions as i drop them off at their classrooms - separation anxiety (on my part, not their's!), sadness that my babies are growing up, anxiety as i entrust their safekeeping to someone else, worry that they might get picked on and will be able to make friends, excitement for their learning opportunities, gratitude for the ability to send them to school to learn, proud of their intelligence, and extreme love for my little boys.

i am so grateful to be a mother to such wonderful little boys. i am glad that i can send them to school and trust that they will be examples to their friends and teachers, help out, be polite, listen and learn, and act appropriately. they are good boys! i feel somewhat humbled to have been entrusted with the care of such sweet little spirits and find so much joy in being with my boys. i am happy that they aren't too grown up to give me a hug and kiss when i drop them off at school - i hope they never outgrow that!!

starting a new school year has filled me with all of these thoughts and feelings. watching my boys walk from my arms in to the walls of the school has reminded me just how much i love jensen and burton and how proud i am of the little boys that they are!

oh, and i love evan too, of course!

beautiful british columbia

2008-08-14T20:37:00.004-05:00

we are loving bc!!

enough said.

things we love: numerous lakes set in beautiful mountain backdrops, warm, sunny weather, hiking in the mountains, driving in the mountains, being in the mountains, living in the mountains.

seriously, we love it.

click here and here for a picture representation of our summer fun.

one thing i love

2008-07-25T12:09:00.002-05:00

i really love the summer. a lot. one of my biggest summer loves is a good, sunset ski - glass like water, end of the day warmth, and the setting sun on the lake.

nice.

not much beats that in the summer time.

we love summer

2008-07-23T17:21:00.004-05:00

who LOVES summer? we do!!! swimming in grammie's pool in spokane, boating at sylvan lake with gran and papa, discovering all that cranbrook has to offer (which is tons, by the way...we LOVE it there!!!), a quick camping trip, enjoying the sprinkler park right out our front door, making new friends, meeting new people, and just having a good time is what we have been doing. oh yeah, and brent has been working too - dr. davis has been busy in his new dental clinic and seems to be enjoying himself. which is good:).

for anyone interested in photo documentation of our summer fun, click here.

and i decided to trade my two oldest boys in for some girls. i was getting tired of being outnumbered.

hope everyone is having as much fun as we are!!

TTFN

through the eyes of a 6 year old

2008-07-23T16:53:00.001-05:00

jensen has always been a curious and observative little boy. he remember everything (much to my chagrin at times!) and is eager to learn. our resident expert on all things living, jensen has decided to become a zookeeper when he grows up. just this morning, jensen and i had a conversation about snakes. said jensen, "boy snakes like to shake for girl snakes. they stop when they are attracked and then they get married." while on my mom and dad's boat at sylvan lake the other night, we drove through some reeds ("weets" according to burton) to find fish because, as jensen informed everyone, they like all the allergy in the lake.

like i said, he is our resident expert.

buzz

2008-07-20T23:50:00.002-05:00

so, we played games with the boys the other night. they wanted to play mario party on our wii - fun game. after playing for about 20 minutes, burton looks at me and says, "watch this mom." he then sticks the tip of his tongue into the "outlet" on the main controller where the nunchuk attachment goes and says, "it gives you a little buzz. pretty cool."

only burton - i'll have to keep a close eye on that one!

my little rockstar

2008-07-15T21:08:00.003-05:00

so, evan has found a new talent. he loves to "rock out" (evan's words) to any kind of music. he gets in to his power stance, curls his lips, and starts playing his stomach/guitar.

hilarious.

check it out. here he is jamming with his uncle tyson (who really could be a rock star if the whole dentist thing doesn't work out - he is that good).

the conquerors

2008-07-14T12:46:00.005-05:00

my boys' new favorite thing to do is hiking. they are all over anything and everything that they can climb up or down. small hills, big rocks, steep inclines, whatever is around. and they love the sense of accomplishment that comes from conquering the hills that they climb.

yes, we did it!!

these pics are from our recent camping trip to spokane - and yes, they are still in their jammies.

family fun

2008-06-30T10:47:00.002-05:00

so after who knows how many years of NOT getting together, we finally had a swainson family reunion at my mom and dad's house this last weekend. talk about FUN!! beautiful weather, great set up, TONS of kids, and good company made for a fabulous time. it was so great visiting with all the cousins, aunts, and uncles - reliving memories, telling goofy stories, and watching all the little ones running around.

as a second "generation-er," it warmed my heart to see my kids playing with all the other little kids - reminding me of all the great times i had roaring around with my cousins growing up. what great memories i have of being on "the farm," making forts, plaing kick the can in the dark, sleepovers at gramps and nana's house, weiner roasts, softball games, tile rummy with nana, gramps playing pool downstairs, and all the food it took to feed all those people!!!!!

what a wonderful weekend it was!! and i, for one, have decided that we HAVE to do it again next year!

for a picture representation of some of the fun we had at the reunion, click here, here, and here.

i think i managed to snap a picture of almost everyone....and that is saying a lot as there are a lot of people is this family!!!

and i really love this family.

validation

2008-06-28T23:15:00.003-05:00

sitting on the back deck at mom and dad's house tonight, a beautiful evening, my dad told burton that burton is his hero....dad has a huge soft spot for burton. then he asked burton who his hero is. burton thought for a moment, then said, "my mom."

wow.

amazing how two little words in answer to a random question made me feel so appreciated, validated, and loved.

does it get much better than this?

favorite subjects

2008-06-25T13:41:00.006-05:00

i love taking pictures of all kinds of things....flowers, trees, and other nature.

but i always find that my favorite pictures always include my favorite subjects....

evan

burton and

jensen.

always my favorites.

we have been enjoying the warmer weather here in the MOUNTAINS and just returned from a week spent in spokane with brent's family. the boys had fun with their cousins and we all enjoyed the visit, of course! i have posted pictures of our spokane trip for your viewing pleasure. just click here.

and for all those who are interested in brent's bike trip, click here.

TTFN!

my one and only

2008-06-16T20:57:00.002-05:00

my brent - i only hope our boys grow up to be the kind of man, husband, and father you are. that would be their greatest achievement, to be like you.

happy father's day my love.

his very own

2008-06-15T00:51:00.002-05:00

burton is his own person. only knows one speed - fast. go. go. go. up, down, right, left, in, out, forwards, backwards. big, blue eyes. scattered freckles. smiling dimples. all make my burty-burt. but there is another side to burton - morning snuggles, whispered "i love you's," self conscious moments, need for a quick hug, a word of encouragement, approval. as rough and tough and pure boy that he is, burton still needs his momma.

what a soft spot i have for that kid.

just like dad

2008-06-15T00:44:00.002-05:00

look at this picture - those eyes! big, brown, and beautiful. like liquid amber. and they both have them. jensen looks so much like his dad....lucky boy!

things i love about my oldest son:

-his laugh when he is really laughing.

-how he shares his ideas and you can almost see the wheels turning in his mind.

-that he always loves me, even when i am rotten.

-his compassion and sensitivity to others.

-he looks out for his little brothers, especially evan.

-he likes to help me and will often help without being asked.

-he is kind and considerate.

-he is inquisitive and curious.

he is jensen - my jensen.

right here

2008-06-15T00:36:00.002-05:00

just one more before i go to bed. evan is still my baby. i often ask him if he is a big boy and he always says, "no big boy. me evan." i ask him if he is my baby and he says, "yes. mommy's baby." he makes me feel good, so good. evan frequently will enter a room that i am in and come running with arms outstretched just for me, saying, "here i am mommy. i'm here." always so happy to see me.

and i am always here, evan, with arms outstretched just for you.

my baby boy.

home sweet home

2008-06-15T00:26:00.004-05:00

brent is now home from his 2 week motorbike adventure - YIPEE!!! we all missed him so much and are very glad to have him back with us. now we can really settle in to our new home, new city, new job. of course he had a wonderful time cruising the US with his good friends. i don't know how many people told me what a great wife i am, letting my husband go for 2 weeks. well, to all you out there, this great wife is saying never again!!! i'm sure the kids were just as sick and bored of me as i was of them!

p.s. i must say that i find brent incredibly attractive on his sweet ride. good thing or it would have to go! i'm liking the biker look.

so you think YOU can dance?

2008-06-11T10:35:00.003-05:00

i've been watching the show "so you think you can dance?" - definitely a fave summer series. there have been some very good dancers. but, really, i don't think they've seen anything yet.

burton knows he can dance.

the darndest things

2008-06-09T22:13:00.002-05:00

kids really do say the "darndest things." for fhe tonight, we talked about eternal families. to start off, i asked jensen and burton what a family is. burton said that it is a group of people. i was impressed. then i asked who/what is in a family. this is how it went from there, pretty much word for word:

burton - ummmm, people from africa....

jensen - i know, babies and mommies and daddies and uncles and nephews.....

burton - and normal people....

jensen - and aunts, and grammas, and grampas.

burton - and some people who don't see....without glasses

jensen - or if they wear contacts.

to get back on track, i showed them some pictures of when brent and i got married and explained to them why we get married in the temple. since we were married almost 8 years ago, brent and i look different, and the boys noticed:

jensen - i don't like how dad looks...i mean he looks different.

burton - his hair looks like an elephant tail.

whereupon evan walks around me, lifts up the back of my shirt, and asks where my elephant tail went. then he lifts up his shirt, points to his tummy and proudly says, "here it is!"

did they get the point?

hi-yah!!

2008-06-08T20:10:00.004-05:00

so, i took my boys to see kung-fu panda yesterday. maybe that was a mistake.

evan

2008-06-07T21:39:00.003-05:00

also known as mr. attitude, "i can do anything you can do better," me too, not afraid of anything. as mentioned before, we caught all these frogs and a salamander. evan couldn't keep his hands off them. i tried telling him to be gentle and put the frog back in the water. i think he understands me - then evan turns around and throws the frog in and says, "okay mommy." poor frog - we let them go later that day.

on a side note....jensen was being a true big brother tonight. after repeated warnings and threats of bed with no snack/dessert if he didn't leave burton alone, i had to follow through. after letting him cry it out for a bit, i went to tuck him in. our conversation went something like this:

jb - why can't i have a snack? i'm really hungry.

me- bad things happen when you get in trouble. you do bad things, you get in trouble.

jb - how come you never get in trouble when you do bad things?

me - silence.......completely stonewalled. all i could think of was, good question!

kids - i love them!

New photos

2008-06-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

i posted our most recent family pics on my facebook page. click here to see them. we have had a lot of fun this spring catching frogs and even salamanders at my mom and dad's farm. also, brent's dental school graduation pics are posted in this album. still can't believe it....DR. Brent Davis - my husband is a dentist. i am the wife of a dentist! how proud i am of brent and his accomplishments. i am also so grateful for all the sacrifices and HARD work and TIME he has put into his education. YOU MADE IT BRENT!!! thank you. thank you. thank you.

2008-06-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

SO, I am finally sitting down to write my first blog entry. Never thought I would be much of a blogger but as we have left so many friends and family behind as life has progressed, I see the value in keeping in touch. That being said, this will be a short entry! Brent graduated (I will post pics later) and we have made the move from Saskatoon, SK to Cranbrook BC. We are in OUR first home and we love it!!! Brent left me for a 2 week "guys" trip - he is currently in California somewhere, motorbiking with his good friends and having a great time. The boys and I have been in Cranbrook since Monday and are glad to be settling in to our new home. I AM TIRED!!!! I hate moving and we have been SO busy - kind of wish Brent were around to lend an extra set of hands before he starts work in July. Jensen and Burton have been so helpful....and Evan just does what he can:) Hence, the short entry. I love my boys! My hands are full and I am off to make supper.

TTFN