Dad's 60th Birthday Bash!

We headed to Utah last week to celebrate Dad's 60th birthday. Mom kept it a secret that any of us were coming. We planned to leave on Thursday night and stay in a hotel along the way , but as we drove through Reno at 12:30 a.m. I looked at Joe who had just guzzled more caffeine than he had in all of his years combined and I knew he had no intention of stopping. That's the kind of tenacity he has. The only problem, I have a really hard time sleeping while someone else is driving...I also have a hard time staying awake and I didn't want to drink any caffeine because I knew I would be wired and off my sleep schedule for days to come. So I drifted in and out of sleep, waking up with the occasional..."Joe! Are you awake!" Accompanied by a jolt grab of Joe's arm which nearly resulted in us flying off I-80. At about 5 AM we stopped at some remote rest stop (all of the rest stops are remote across Northern Nevada) and slept for about 45 minutes until Brynn woke up saying, "Time to wake up, it's morning, the sun is coming up, let's get going dad!" We made it to Spanish Fork at about 11:00 am MDT.

Mom called us around 8 a.m. and I told her we were just leaving the hotel (wink, wink) I told her we should get there around 5:00 p.m. We were able to surprise Mom by arriving earlier than expected, but we were excited to surprise Dad because he had no clue we were coming. I was slightly nervous that he may have a heart attack when we walked into his office, but it all worked out. We sent the kids into say, "Happy Birthday!" while we waited outside the door. Luckily his secretary had already left, so they came without any warning. Later Dad told me that at first he thought it was just someone from the office who sent their kids to with birthday wishes. He was shocked when he saw they were his CaLEEfornian grandkids. They all ran to him and he swooped them all in for a big hug. Aaron took his usual spot on dad's shoulder and wouldn't come off. He had practiced saying "papa" the whole way down, but it took him a few minutes to get it out. He wouldn't let Dad go. I ended up driving dad's Pilot home while he drove with the kids in the van, where Aaron shouted, "papa" the whole way home.

Abby sneaking something under the table, I can't remember what?
Grandpa and Aaron doing a little wrestling after family prayer.
We spent the whole day partying on Saturday. Mom and Dad have speakers in their backyard and wired through the house, so we listened to conference (or atleast tried to) while all of the kids played. Mom rented a giant bouncy castle for the kids to play in all day. They LOVED it!

All the guys got ready and headed to priesthood while the girls got all the yummy snacks prepared for the birthday party. Joseph went to priesthood with his dad and brothers and enjoyed ice cream and singing with them after, so we missed him at our post priesthood session party!
Mom had lots of yummy desserts prepared, and we also had a spread of shrimp, sushi, veggies, fruit and lots of other finger foods. She didn't think anyone would care for the sushi, but we have lots of sushi eaters, so it went fast! Delaney throwing the confetti all over Grandpa.

After we enjoyed all of our treats, we watched the DVD about Dad that Mom made. It was so much fun. It was filled with lots of pictures from his entire life and music that has been meaningful to him or fit the occasion well.
We all enjoyed watching it and had many good laughs.


I love getting together with my family. They are such fun people to hang around. It's a full house when we're all there, but it's always sad when Monday rolls around everyone has gone there way and the house is left empty. We enjoy our together times!

Chad asked each of us to email him stories about dad that he could remember. He then read the tribute to Dad and it was fun to reminisce about all of the memories we have made with dad growing up. Dad always made each of us feel like an individual in the family, while many of our experiences were similar, we each had one on one experiences that were unique to us and made us feel special. As Chad read that night, it was interesting to note that many of our best memories came from the time that was hardest for us as a family, when we thought we would be moving to Rexburg (not that Rexburg is a bad place). Hindsight is always 20/20.
It's always fun to see the three boys who are within months of each other. The next few years will be fun to see them grow together. Here are Aaron and Boston, and I'm sure Kaden was close by.
Dad is a avid golfer. Wade and Sara gave him a cute new golf hat and equipment. They bought a had for each of the boys to have their pictures taken together at the golf course. Sara, Dad, Wade

Happy 60th Dad! (Submitted by everyone, compiled by Chad)

Dad, we decided to do a fun article on you for your 60th birthday to recount many fun memories we all have shared with you. The list could go on and on but in this story, we will sum up some of the greatest moments which have entertained us and blessed each of our lives. There are many reasons we love you and hopefully by sharing these experiences, we can all grow closer to Grandpa Billy. Comments from the Vest children will go in order of age.

Scott commented on some great experiences. “Some of my favorite memories of spending time with dad while I was a youth were having him coach us in baseball and him telling Erlin Morrell to “go to hell” for accusing dad of making an illegal substitution. Not too long after dad cooled off enough to show up on her front porch to apologize for losing his cool. However, the good news is that dad has a great track record against Erlin and the Morrell boys having never lost to the White Sox or Elks. Those were fun times. Some other memories that are very fond are dad teaching his family life sports such as tennis and golf. It was such a great time to go with dad to the sports mall to see Dad and Uncle Larry try to beat Mack and the JB’s president. Learning about his love for the game of golf and how to become a good short game player was also awesome. My relationship with dad really grew when we went on the long trips to Vernal, Roosevelt, Price and Rexburg to do work with the machines or restaurant. Even though dad wasn’t a big fan of Robbie Nevil he acted like he was as we listened to the CD all the way from SF to Vernal. Dad has always been a great example of a righteous priesthood holder who values his family and loves the Lord. He has taught us and helped us gain a stronger testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To this day I still sing ‘Hey everybody it’s family night, you better take the phone off the hook.’ When we sing this, Boston comes running to get the stool to set up a pulpit to lead the music and to pray. All of the other kids know what that means too. I appreciate such a great example in dad.

Chad also recalled similar experiences. “Dad taught us to love and enjoy many different sports growing up. The only age group that dad didn’t coach us in was Pony League because he was too busy as JB’s director of product. When we played the Mustang League White Sox (Erlin Morrells team), she claimed that the sun had set during extra innings when our team was about to take last at bats on the JC field. Dad argued that the sun was behind the clouds but Morrell’s feistiness prevailed. She enticed the umpire to postpone the game for a couple of days. As we walked out of the ballpark, the sun came out from under the clouds just as dad had said. But it didn’t matter because we beat the Sox twice at the North Park South field in extra innings followed by another seven inning game. I love it how Dad has used his native tongue to say family prayers when we ask that of him. Our family was without dad for awhile during my senior year of high school while he was working in a different state. I so appreciated when dad would drive 600 plus miles just to see me play SF Dons baseball. In the summer of ’93 dad and I lived together in Rexburg for a couple of months before my mission. We had a bachelors’ blast hanging at the movie house, fishing at Henry’s Lake, taking in Idaho Falls Braves games and enjoying a fun trip to Jackson Hole as dad explained the temple course handbooks that I read. A few years back, I went through a hard time with my shoulder and work. Dad took me to a SL Stingers game and being at ball games with Dad is the greatest. After the game, we went for some food at a place called Catfish Mama’s. Well, Mama ran out of Catfish that night so dad and I ordered some BBQ beef ribs to go. We sat on some grass in front of 7-Eleven to enjoy our dinner when an older man from out of the blue approached us with his guitar. He was a vagabond and played for anyone that would lend an ear. He came to SLC one day with a backpack and the shirt on his back but he lucked out by snagging some special shoes he said. After explaining his story, he began to serenade us both with these words. ‘I got the Salt Lake City Blues in my Salt Lake City shoes’ as the chorus over and over again. I think I busted my own rib from laughing so hard while trying to hold it in as he sang. Dad and I sat down for a quick bite but little did we know that we would have dinner and a show. We laughed at that for an hour straight during our ride home. What a hoot! Sometimes belly laughs are the best medicine around. What I respect most about dad is his work ethic, gentle kindness, testimony of the restored gospel and his love for our family.”

Amy shared some of her experiences. “I always loved changing machines with dad. I loved that I could always count on him to buy me a pink sugar cookie at Don Andrews diner up in Spanish Fork Canyon. Some of my most treasured times with dad were when we lived with them the year before law school and the year after. Both times were really hard for me because they were full of huge transitions. I loved each day when dad would come home from work and we could talk. He is a great listener and a great empathizer. I could tell him exactly what I was feeling and all the frustrations I was having about EVERYTHING and he would listen and only give advice when he could tell I was asking for it. He would also let me rattle off everything I read in my latest book and listen to all my grand plans for our future. I loved finishing off each lunch with a bowl of ice cream and not feeling a single bit guilty because I was sharing a moment with dad.” Dad is the among the kindest human beings I have ever met. He has a quiet steadiness that makes you want to always live your best.

Joe has had some fun experiences with Dad too. “I’ll never forget an early memory of Dad. When Amy and I were 17 years old and dating in high school, I was completely smitten with her! Twitterpateded to the maximum! So much that I never wanted to leave her side… which meant I was at the Vest home nearly every day popping in and out of windows and bushes with a cheery ‘Hi Billy!’ Dad was remarkably patient with me and always extended a hand of fellowship and friendship (even though I’m sure he wanted to ring my neck!) Well, one evening when I showed up unannounced (and invaded Dad’s attempt at a quiet family evening,) dad pulled out two Nerf brand dart guns and challenged me to a dual which turned into a 30 minute chase around the house game of blasting each other with foam darts. I will never forget the sweat dripping off of our faces as we scurried, scampered, dived, crawled and leapt over couches and chairs only to turn again and fire our spring propelled foam bullet blasters at each other. There’s no doubt that it was a little symbolic “ringing of the neck” from Dad. He would never really shoot me, ring my neck or beat me up, but surely there were moments when he would have liked more quiet moments without “Hi Billy” from Mr. Happy face. I will always love Dad for his friendship, support and love. He has been a great example to me of family leadership and priesthood service. He showed Amy the kind of man a true husband should be… and I hope to become like him. Thanks Dad for being a living hero.”

Wade had a story or two as well. “First off, the fishing trips were something I always looked forward to. It was so fun being with my brothers, my Dad and Grandpa. I wouldn’t have cared if we had caught anything or not, it was just so awesome being with all the boys and we almost always brought fish home to fry. I remember the good old times of driving with Dad to Rexburg. The summer before my eighth grade year, we moved up there for a couple of months. I remember painting the restaurant and how Dad got me on an all-star team to play tournaments in Montana and Twin Falls. Our family lived in a little apartment and it was one of the best summers. But the best times with Dad were having him as my coach each year in little league. I’ll tell you one thing. There is no coach in the city that could outsmart Dad. He always came up with the best lineups and strategies to help us win, but more than anything he made it fun for his sons and others to play the game. I’ll never forget when he made the biggest coaching move of his life and called to the bullpen to bring Ryan Jenkins into the game to close it out. We were undefeated at the time and going for the perfect season, but it was Ryan’s dream to pitch in a real live game. He came in and shut out the other team. The best part was when after we won, Ryan’s mom approached Dad and told him that Ryan should start the next game which was game one of the state tournament. With Dad, I never felt too much or too little pressure. I always think that when my boys are old enough to play, I’m going to be just like my Dad was with me. Looking back, I realized something I hadn’t before and that is that Dad always put his family first before anything else. He is the most unselfish person I have ever met. We love you Dad!”

Emily, being the baby of the family has been around Dad as much as anyone in the past ten years. “Dad called Rexburg ‘Rexsceeburg’ of the trips we would take going to and from school and changing machines. He taught me the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the five step hard style every time and I have been able to use them and share those lessons with others. When our house flooded a couple of years ago, Dad would always tell Mom and me to not forget to close the door when we used the bathroom. (There was no door at the time.) When Mom, Dad and I went to Washington DC together, we became really hungry one night after walking the streets all day. We entered a McDonalds at a late hour and they said they’d give us some free fries if we sang to them. Dad began singing ‘Bah Bah Black Sheep, have you any fries?’ Mom and I about died because all of workers were African Americans. Dad quickly grabbed the fries after realizing what he sung and they darted out of Ronald’s house. This past while Dad has given me many father’s blessings that have been much needed. I am so grateful for how Dad honors his priesthood and uses it to bless our family. He is so fun to be around and is loved by everybody. We pretty much have the most awesome Dad ever!”

A few of the Grandchildren even left their thoughts about Grandpa Billy. “I liked it when Grandpa would lay on the trampoline and we got to jump all over him,” said Brynn. Abby shared one of her favorites. “My favorite time with Grandpa was when I was playing hide and go seek with him and he was the counter and me and Brynn bonked heads.” Aaron likes that Grandpa nicknamed him “Bubbies.” Other Grandchildren love Grandpa for coming to their ball games, dance recitals, piano recitals and all other fun events. Sunday dinners are great when the boys get to wrestle with Grandpa after a big feast. The best qualities about Grandpa are his goodness and his kindness. Vacations are the most fun with Grandpa but just being around him anywhere lights up their life. We all love you Grandpa Billy! You are 60 years young to us! Love, “The Vest Family.”

Help Mom!

I asked Abby to put my underclothes in the laundry cart. I guess she was trying to be very delicate with them.

LDS Homographs...is that what you would call them?

FHE tonight was rather interesting. It was late and thrown together, we're still unpacking, taking care of laundry and trying to get back to our normal schedule. One of our children yelled the whole time how much he/she hated Family Home Evening and that the only reason he/she liked it was for the treat at the end. One tried to listen intently and one rammed a cart back and forth across the living room for the majority of the lesson.

We talked about the sacrament, it's origin, meaning, and why we partake of it, and teh reverence we should have for it. We were explaining that anyone who holds the Aaronic Priesthood could prepare it, except for a deacon (generally age 12-13 in the LDS church). We explained that Teachers usually prepare it, but not "teachers" that teach you, we explained that was the name of the group of Aaronic Priesthood boys who were 14-15 year olds. We then decided to clarify that in our church we have different names for different age groups. I explained that the Young Women age 12-13 were Beehives, 14-15 were MiaMaids, 16-18 Laurels. Brynn looked at me very puzzled and said, "Beehives!? Oh great...now every time I think of the Young Women I'm going to think about a bunch of girls sitting around eatin' honey!" Funny Brynn! I guess it all does sound a little strange when you take time to think about it.

"Buddy"

I woke up in the middle of the night with this cute story on my mind and I couldn't figure out why, other than I needed to write it down, so here goes......

After Joseph finished his training in Utah, he took the federal exam in Salt Lake City. After that he moved to California to start working and to study for the California state exam (we moved down about 6 weeks after he did). For the first few months we were here he helped out in a facility in Carmichael before being transferred to Woodland.

While he was working in Carmichael there was a man there about the age of 60 with developmental delay. He LOVED Joseph and would call him "Buddy." When Joseph was transferred to Woodland the man cried everyday because he missed his Buddy. "My Buddy left me....Buddy gone..." he would cry. Arrangements were made by the administrator and the regional administrator to have him transferred to Joseph's building so he could be with his "Buddy" again. One day Joseph had to attend a meeting at that building, arrangements weren't finalized yet, but when this man saw Joe walk through the door, he raced to him in his wheel chair saying, "Buddy, you come to get me...I go with you....today the day?" Joe had to explain that it wasn't time yet, but it would happen soon. Needless to say, the man was very sad, but a few weeks later when everything was finalized he was finally moved to Joseph's facility, and he was so excited. "Hey Buddy! I'm here with you!" Now he sees his Buddy almost everyday. Joe constantly is asked if he loves his job. He often replies, "It's an extremely hard job, but extremely rewarding at the same time!"

And when things don't feel so rewarding, they are definitely interesting and funny. There's a good mix of people who are residents at his facility, there are a few people there who are about the same age as us, some of them have suffered brain injuries that have caused physical disabilities and and some have physical disabilities but their brains function, and some have been in accidents or have had surgery and are there for physical/occuaptional/speech therapy before they are able to go home and some are just old and will stay there until they pass away. One of the women about our age said to Joe one day, "You are so damn handsome. I could sop you up with gravy and eat you."

Another older woman who has lost her mind thinks that Joseph is her lover. She is the cutest little lady. I met her one day while she was doing therapy and she looks perfectly healthy and like a cute refined little grandma, but her mind is gone. Everytime he goes to say hi and to see how she is doing she says something to this effect, "You've got to get all these people out of the room if we're going to make love." Things like this definitely keep his job interesting. And hey, who in their right(or wrong)mind wouldn't have the hots for a nice, handsome guy dressed in a white shirt, suit and tie everyday.

Our Birthday Boy!

Happy 30th Birthday Joseph!

I love Joseph because.....he works really hard for our family, with rare complaint about the nonsense he has to deal with and if he does he always does it with laughter and a smile....he is always happy and has a contagious smile....he is a handsome feller....he is very affectionate and gives the best hugs (and kisses)....he is passionate in his interests in life, the gospel, his family, mountains, cycling, and recreation....he reminds us nearly every day that righteous families are strengthened through wholesome family recreation....he is never stingy with compliments...he has a very warm personality....anything fun we do as a family is usually his idea....he has more energy than anyone I know....he is always positive....he has righteous desires....he isn't afraid to get dirty and work hard....he makes me laugh everyday....he is smart....he is very kind and compassionate to all types of people....he insists that I have time to myself for developing hobbies, interests, friendships, and attending the temple....he doesn't leave or enter the house or let me in or out of the house without a hug and kiss...he likes to talk....he values my opinion....he always kisses me goodnight....he is very even tempered....he has eaten an apple everyday for as long as I can remember...he loves to get down and dance and can really move it....he has a song for everything and is often found singing....he loves Disneyland as much as I do....he enjoys good food....he feels strongly about staying physically active as an adult....he is humble....he has experienced disappointing and sad things in his life, but he has never become bitter or angry....he learns from other's mistakes....he loves movies....he is quirky....he always remembers to say I Love You....he is encouraging to me and others....he does not judge others....he always helps out around the house....he is extrememly grateful and always remembers to show gratitude to me, Heavenly Father, and others....he is diligent in holding FHE, family prayer, couple prayer and personal prayer .... he tries really hard to have scripture study most days, and on the days it doesn't happen he feels and expresses a sense of urgency that we need it everyday....he has a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ which he shares often in our home and isn't afraid to share with others....he is an involved dad and plays with his kids everyday...he has never left my side when I have been in the hospital after having a baby, even when it meant having stinky socks and sleeping in a chair for 3 days....he loves my family as much as I do....he puts up with me, I don't think there is another person out there who could (my parents would both agree)....he loves me....he tries really hard to live a balanced life....he is not perfect and he does not expect perfection out of me or anyone else....he believes that every man should fight like hell for his family and his salvation every day, and he lives by his words....he is my best friend....and last but not least (I could go on forever) he paid me $20.00 a pop for every nice thing I wrote about him ;)

"A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world anxious to bless the whole human race." Joseph Smith

For his birthday date on Friday I asked him what he wanted to do.....I was thinking a manly steak dinner or something...no, he wanted to run for an hour together after work and go get a salad bar at Ruby Tuesday (he loves the rye croutons). I thought it was funny, but I was dreading it (the run) all day after a long day of kids and housework, but I thought it IS his birthday...so that's exactly what we did and it really was fun! Yesterday he went on a grueling bike ride because he wanted to ring in his 30's by doing something really hard physically. He came home very spent, but extremely happy! Today we will feast on homemade cafe rio salads and oatmeal cake and enjoy a walk around the UC Davis duck pond. Happy Birthday Joe!

Happy Birthday Kory!

Happy 30th Birthday to my cousin, friend, old roommate, and fellow blogger Kory!

Things I love about Kory....

she is the cleanest and most organized person I know...she is a wonderful wife and mom...she's a great cook...she is smart...she is always dressed fashionably and cute...she has a great sense of humor...she listens...I can tell her all of my problems, frustrations and she empathizes...she is naturally beautiful and looks great even without make-up (almost makes me have to hate her)...it doesn't matter how long it's been since we've seen each other or talked, we always pick up where we left off...she is a great athlete...she let me play on her summer softball league twice, even though I lacked great skills, all I can do is run hard :)....she has had amazing faith and trust in Heavenly Father during her trials and always uses them to make herself a better person...I love you Kory, I hope you have a great day!

Easter Sunday 2008

With Joe at early meetings on Sundays, I start our Sundays pretty early in order to get every head of hair done, every tummy fed, and every body covered. Abby wasn't too thrilled about her early morning picture. It's pretty much a nightmare getting Aaron ready every Sunday. I pull him out of bed, he has to skip his morning cuddle on my shoulder and go straight for the breakfast, and then into the tub. He exits the tub screaming and kicking, I put my feet on his shoulders to pin him down enough to get a diaper on and get him dressed and I then take full advantage of his open mouth for a quick brush of the teeth and buckle him in the carseat. I am usually coevered with wet spots and lotion smudges all over my clothes. Off we go, always hoping that the 30 second drive to the church will calm him down. This Sunday I got dressed last which helped out a bit. After church everyone was all smiles!

I had a meeting after church, so Joe had someone take a picture, then we traded so he could help with tithing and I could go home and finish the Easter dinner prep. They're so cute, I just want to squeeze them all!
I tried to get a photo with Aaron when we got home. This is as far as we got..."Get your hands off me Mom!"
Little Miss Abby
Aaron, going for the messy hair look. We had a good wrestle with the gel as part of our pre-church brawl. His hair grows so fast! For some reason he refused to stand by the girls for pictures. Oh well!
Lunch at the Ellis' with a few other families and the sister missionaries.
It was a beautiful day for an outside Easter dinner. We feasted on ham, turkey, salads, lion house potatoes, yummy bread, boiled eggs with hummus, chips and 7 layer dip, veggies, mixed berry/cream cheese jello salad, and cake and ice cream. It was divine and we left with our tummies way too full! It was fun visiting and watching the kids play, I love that my girls are best friends.
Aaron really enjoyed the cake and ice cream.
In fact, he loved it so much that he helped himself to the rest of the carton.
What a little animal!
Aaron ran around with the big boys playing football after dinner. He was so cute. Every time they threw the ball he would run after it as fast as he could. It's so funny how preprogrammed they are, with two older sisters and spending time with a girly mom all day you would think he wouldn't know what to do, he acted like this is what he does all day long everyday. Hopefully spending so much time with the girls will help him be sensitive to the womenfolk in his life? P.S. I highly recommend the boys tan pants from Gap with Gapshield, a stain resistant something or other. He had smooshed blueberries, blackberries, marionberries, chocolate and grass ALL OVER his pants and it all came completely out.
Brynn
Abby

2008 Woodland 1st Ward Easter Egg-Stravaganza!

Our ward activities committee always does an amazing job planning fun activities each month. We loved visiting with friends and enjoying the nice weather on Saturday at the park near our house. This was Aaron's first Easter Egg Hunt! Last year he was only about 10 months, and wasn't walking or eating candy, so this was a whole new experience for him. At first he wasn't quite sure what to do...
.....but after a little coaching he started to catch on....

Okay, I've dropped it into my basket....
Hey, it's still there!
This is fun! I think I'll go for some more!
Whoa, this thing is gettin' heavy!
Brynn and Abby were a little harder to capture, they moved a little faster than our novice egg hunter. Luckily, they split the kids into different age groups.

When the whistle blew, there was no stoppin' Abby!
Brynn, stops to pose for a picture, of course!
It was hard getting a picture of the kids after the eggs were gathered. They couldn't think about anything else...except for Brynn, she's always up for a photo op!

The concentration....
I love those chubby little fingers....
Determined!
We thought we put the candy away when we arrived home, but we found Abby's basket dumped in the corner of her room, with remnants of wrappers and opened eggs. Brynn, of course, was afraid of that tummy-ache dad promised her would accompany and overindulgence of candy, so her candy went straight to the counter in a ziploc baggie. Every time we turned around Aaron had a dripping mouthful of chocolate and sticky brown fingers, and every time Joe was stumped, sure that he had put the candy out of reach...hmmm, wonder how that happened. Maybe a little help.

Goodnight Kisses

For the 8 1/2 years we have been married, Joseph has always remembered to give me a goodnight kiss.... He never forgets this ritual which is pretty cool, because sometimes I do. Anyway the purpose of this post is not to get mushy about him, but to write about our cute little Aaron. When we moved to California, Aaron became an all-star at sleeping in his crib. Naps, bedtime...piece of cake. During the holidays he became accustomed to falling asleep under Joseph's arm and we haven't been successful in getting him back into his crib since. He sleeps with Abby most of the time, but prefers to fall asleep with us, and prefers to go to bed with the last person up. Yes, I know, who are the adults here? :) Last night we were in bed and he was lying between us, Joe leaned over to give me a goodnight kiss and then laid his head back down. A few seconds later, Aaron leaned over in like fashion and puckered up, with a "Mmmmm" I gave him a goodnight kiss and then he laid his head on the pillow with a smile. For the next few minutes every 15 seconds or so, he would lean in to plant another on me. I could not stop laughing, so of course he kept doing it. We love this little guy so much, so glad he's part of our little crew.

It's a slippery slope!

The other night Abby pulled out a juice pack. She had already helped herself to a couple that day, so I told her she needed to wait until tomorrow to drink it. She gave me a deflated, "Okay mom." A few minutes later she came to me while I was folding laundry and said, "Mom, I'm just going to put it out so I can see it, so I don't forget about it tomorrow, but I'm not going to drink it." I told her that was fine. About 5 minutes later, she came to me again, this time with the straw punched into the hole. "I just decided to get it ready for tomorrow Mom, but I won't drink it." Again I told her that was fine. I noticed it sitting full on the counter while she brushed her teeth for bed. After they went to bed, I went to close down the kitchen and found the juice, sitting there half-full waiting for tomorrow to come. I had a little laugh and put the juice in the fridge.

Like Father, Like Son

Boy do I love having a little boy! There's no doubt I adore my daughters too, but I am so happy we have been blessed with Aaron. I just love him! I love that he loves me too! In fact I think he has me wrapped around his finger.

He's also super fond of his dad. I love the second Joseph walks through the door after a day of work, not only does my heart start pumping with excitement, but everyone goes running and screaming to the door to greet him. (In fact, I love getting away once in a while, so I can look forward to that treatment upon returning home!) Aaron is no exception, he runs as fast as he can (and he's pretty fast!) with his arms and mouth open wide, his little voice vibrating with each step, until he meets his dad's arms to swing him up for a squeeze! I love it!

Well the other night the bishop called and asked Joe if he wanted to go workout after the kids were in bed. Joe agreed and helped get everyone to bed, except Aaron, we've been having crib problems lately. Anyway, he saw Joe put on his gray shirt and shorts, so he went to his drawer and pulled out his gray short outfit and brought it to Joe to have him help put it on. While Joe was putting on his own shoes, Aaron came running to the room with his shoes. I said to Joe, "You realize he knows you're leaving and wants to come, don't you?" He was going to the park to do lunges and pull-ups, and it was past 9:30 p.m. he said, "I can't take him at this time of night!" I told him he couldn't leave him with me...crying and screaming... so he had no choice. He put him in the baby jogger and ran to the park.

When he got home Joe, started stretching, and Aaron got into a lunge position and started to do the same thing, switching legs as Joe did. Then when Joe got into push-up position, Aaron followed suit and did the same lifting his little bum up while bending his elbows.

I thought he would stay in the stroller at the park and just watch Joe. Joe said that he got out and ran around Karsten and him as they worked out. I can picture it now! I'm so glad they have each other!

Cute, Tender and Funny Things They Say....

I wish I could video tape every little thing they say. The words themselves are funny, but the intonations, the speech impediments, slight accents, and expressions of body and face, all come together to bring a smile to my whole soul.

Joe had lots of busy nights this week with work and church service and on one of the nights after doing ministry visits, the bishop took them to dinner. Joe came home stuffed to the max and started talking about how all of his hard work (in exercising) was going down the drain because he was so full. He told me that he had weighed less all week after he had started running, but he was sure he wasn't "skinny" anymore. Brynn was at the table doing her homework and said in her little country girl accent, "Dad, it needs to be Saturday again so you can go bikin' and get skinny again!" We both laughed. She's so cute! It's amazing how well they listen to what you say! We're "supposed" to be running a half marathon on May 3 together, but we've been slackers in our training. For all those who felt bad for being in a fitness rut after hearing about the fun Trinidad race, know that we get in ruts ourselves and now we're trying to find a way out. Since our trip to the Montage I think I've run twice. Ya know, I don't think that's proper training for a half marathon. We may be doing the 10k if we can't get movin' soon!

On Friday morning at 2:53 a.m. I woke up to the phone ringing, which was a miracle, I don't wake up easily. It was my friend Tiffany telling me that her water had broken. I headed over to her house to watch her other two kids. Her kids woke up at 6:30 so we headed back to my house to get everyone going for the day there. Joe took Brynn to school, but when the time came to pick her up, I was on my own. I'm sure it was a sight to see, I put the two kids I was babysitting in my double stroller and strapped them in tight because they are both FEARLESS and will escape and take off running! With all of the cars around the school, I didn't want to take any chances. I put Aaron in the umbrella and had Abby push him. She was so cute! She kept saying over and over, "Mom, I'm learning how to be a mom!" About every 20 feet she would say, "Hold on mom! I need to fix something!" She then would walk to the front of the stroller and fix the wheels that were turned the wrong way. It was the longest walk to school, but she did an amazing job! My friend had her baby. A whoppin' 11 1/2 pounder (11 pounds 7 ounces to be exact).

On the way to the memorial service on Saturday we tried to prep the kids about what was going on and what had happened to the little baby who had passed away. They both were all very respectful at the viewing and during the service. On Sunday, the day after we attended the memorial service for little Caleb, Abby said to me matter of factly, "Mom, babies come to earth when they are born and when the times comes, they die. That's just part of life."

Abby is our little kitchen mouse and loves to just help herself when it comes to finding a little snack to eat. She knows that I am happy to get her a snack when she wants one, all she needs to do is ask, but that small task seems insurmountable to her. Today I found her eating some blueberry struesel bread at the little table. (Atleast she was at the table, I feel like I say "at the table" a million times a day). Abby loves to reason and is always thinking up explanations about her behavior. Today she said, "Mom, the reason why I was eating the bluberry bread without asking you was because when I am a mom I'll know how to get out the bread and feed myself, that's just why I was doing it." Glad to know you'll be able to take care of yourself Abby, not that I'm worried, you do a pretty great job as a 4 year old. :)

The other day Abby, Aaron and I were walking to school to pick Brynn up. Abby turned to me and said in a reassuring tone, "Mom, it's okay that you have blonde hair.....you can still be part of our family!" She keeps repeating this to both Joe and me, it's obviously occupying much of her thought lately.

Her cutest one liner this week had to be, "Guys, I am SO going to bed!" and like I said, the lisp, original accent, hand swing, head flip, and intonation make smiling absolutely unavoidable.

Day Trip to San Francisco

This past weekend we took a trip to Moss Beach which is south of San Francisco to attend the funeral services for the 4 month old baby of one of the other administrators. The service was very touching, filled with faith and testimony. We left with a renewed testimony of the plan of our Heavenly Father and were reminded of the delicate nature of our lives and our time here on earth. I am grateful for our Savior who overcame all that we might live again. That knowledge gives such hope during trying times, no matter how big or small. I know I've said it before, but the Northern Coast is beautiful! Moss Beach is located south of Ssan Fran near Half Moon Bay. Small coastal cities outside of the city....very pretty. After the funeral we told the kids we were going to San Francisco. We had in mind that we would drive up the coast and visit Golden Gate State Park, maybe Presidio Park and then stop in Sausalito. The kids had other plans. Brynn wanted to eat seafood, preferrably salmon and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Abby wanted to see the "sea lions that kick each other off the dock," and ride on the big red and white boat. Brynn told her we couldn't because dad doesn't have as much money as mom...ha! What a kick! (When we went to SF with Emily, we went on that red and white fleet harbor cruise!) When we told them that we were going to do something different, they both whined, "You said we were going to San Francisco! That's not San Francisco!" That's when we decided to ask them what San Francisco meant to them. :) We ended up eating seafood, walking the Pier, seeing the sea lions, driving over the Golden Gate Bridge and then heading home.



Next time we want to see something else in San Francisco, we'll be sure to say we're going to that specific place... now that we know what going to San Fran means to the kids. We still had a good time....that city amazes me and makes me grateful I live in little old Woodland. It's just much more "us" than the big city life.

I always enjoy driving past Mount Tamalpais where each time I am reminded by my husband, "There's where mountain biking was invented...do you remember by orange Mt. Tam bike?" We've been through about a dozen bikes in our almost 9 years so, it's honestly a blur, but it's always fun to see such a beautiful place and to hear him get so excited. Northern California is really beautiful especially this time of year. Everything is so green! The drive home was on the edge of wine country, Joe wanted to head north a little more for the scenery, but we decided to get home to prepare for Sunday. Another trip and more great ideas for little day adventures. It's nice to take the time to go and see these places. Each time we do we realize just how close we are to so much beauty! We stopped in Davis to get Aaron a much needed church belt, and shared a tub of halfed baked at Ben & Jerry's before stopping into Borders for a quick browse. I love hanging out with these people....big and small.