Funny Faces.....

My kids love my iPhone.  Serious entertainment around here.  One night while trying to get the little two in bed we had a quick photo session.

Presley at the Park.....

Because this winter was unseasonably warm, there were many days spent at the park.  Whenever Shawn has a day off, or some free time, he loves to follow Presley while she plays.  Photos of toddlers exploring are probably his favorite subject.  Disclaimer: you'll notice her unique style of dress.  Yes.  She is obviously my fifth child and I do let her choose her attire sometimes.  Gives her opportunities to use her independence.  Her hair?  Some of these unique hairstyles are due to the fact that I was most likely out of town.  Shawn's hair ability is pretty much left to slick it back just so it's out of the face.  Now I'll allow these pictures to be seen.

Snow day......

We had one snow day this year.  One.  That's it.  But.  I can't say it isn't the perfect way to go.  We skipped school, bundled up, and played outside in the glorious white stuff all day long. 

We hiked through the neighborhood dragging sleds and enjoyed the small hill our subdivision has to offer.  Wore.  Me.  Out.  Then, the next morning, we awoke to glorious sunshine and melted snow.  That was pretty much the extent of our winter this year.  Interesting. 

Visit to St. George.....

Visiting Ben in St. George had been in my plans for awhile.  Shawn had a few days off, so I was able to head west.  Conveniently, my brother Matt also had the same plans.  Matt left his home in Arizona in time to pick me up at the airport in Vegas.  We drove together to St. George.  Rather than crash Ben's in laws house (the Greens), we opted to stay in Charlies apartment.  Only.  Charlie was out of town on business.  Boring.  It would have been nice to see him too!  I learned, however, that nothing is ever really boring with Matt around.  He kept me up talking into the wee hours of the morning when we'd snag a few hours of sleep and then get up for the day.  Crazy.  I'm not a kid anymore.  Every morning we'd head over to the Green's house where they'd graciously let us forage for food and play with Emmerson while Ben got showered.  Then we would take Ben to work (boo) and go hang out with Jena and Emmerson until it was time to go get Ben for lunch.  He cut back his hours at work drastically, and was able to come and go frequently.  He said, "Jayne.  When you have a debilitating disease, you can pretty much do what you want."  Ben.  Love his sense of humor.  If you know him, you can hear him saying that sentence and it makes it even more hilarious.  We picked him up for lunch and headed to a park with Costco pizza.  Perfect day for it.

One of the days we were there Jena had some things she needed to get done, so Matt, Ben, and I took Emmerson on a little hike.  First stop?  Wendy's for lunch.  These pictures are priceless because up to this point Emmy wouldn't sit on Ben's lap for longer than 3 seconds.  He got a full 3 minutes this particular time.

We then headed up to Snow Canyon.  Which is totally misnamed because I seriously doubt it has ever seen snow.  But.  It has a great walking/hiking path that is paved and perfect for Ben's wheelchair and Emmy's toddler feet. 

Emmy had so much fun running down the paved path.  Until it was time to turn around.  Going back was slightly uphill and she was less than enthused.  Ben was allowed more time with her on his lap which he truly savors. 
I had such a great trip.  I love love love my brothers.  They are truly good men.  Ben is such an amazing husband and father.  And Matt will be to whomever the lucky girl is that he chooses.  I'm so grateful to have had this time to spend with them.
Matt conveniently needed to head for home just in time to drop me back off at the airport to catch my flight.  Thanks boys for the entertainment!

Little Readers......

Looks like I passed on my love for good books.  It's nice to finally pass on something I desire my children to have.

Jackson's 8th birthday.....

Jackson turned 8 years old.  Crazy that it's been 8 years since my 10 pound baby was splayed across my belly after leaving the womb.  The doctor couldn't stop touching his chubby thighs.  He looked like an out of place toddler next to the other newborns in the nursery.  The infant t-shirt they put on him made him look like Gus on Cinderella----belly button completely exposed.  He was by far my best baby.  He slept easily.  He rarely cried.  We nicknamed him "smackers" because when he was hungry he'd smack his lips in lieu of crying.  I enjoyed every minute of those early years.  His creative, dominant, independent self emerged when he hit two.  Since then he's kept me on my toes in regards to the role as his Mother.  He's so extremely smart.  He's got boundless amounts of energy.  He definitely has the makings of a leader.  I'm predicting CEO of a company.  Anyone that has met Jack, and spent some time one on one with him, loves him.
Kennedy and Jenna made his cake from scratch, including the fondant.  The snake has to do with Harry Potter, because that is Jackson's current favorite series of books.  They also made cake pops because....well.....who doesn't like a cake pop?!

We celebrated at home as a family.  His gift was just what he dreamed it would be.  A Nintendo 3ds.  Little boys and their electronics.

Instead of having a large friend party, Jack chose to take his very best friend Justin to Xtreme Gymnastics where they were able to jump on trampolines and in foam pits for a few hours.  They both had a great time. 
In our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, age 8 is the age of baptism if one so chooses.  Jackson decided he really wanted to be baptized so it was arranged.  A typical baptism takes place on a Sunday after church.  Shawn, however, is unconventional that way.  He planned it so we would pull all the kids out of school, baptize Jack, then head to the city for a big lunch.  Shawn's parents came into town so it actually worked out fabulously.  It was more meaningful with just our little family celebrating his decision.

We all gathered in the room by the font. 

Grandma Angela gave a short talk. I gave a short talk. The baptism was performed by Shawn. Prayers were said. It was a great experience for all.  (Shawn and his unconventional ways usually benefit us somehow).
We love you Jackson.  We are so glad you came to our family.