iT's FaLL yA'll

hAPPY fAll Ya"LL!!

We have had two birthdays and lots of fun already so I just wanted to post! i am so glad we got over the Swine Flu and all my kids are healthy - for now!! I hope it will last through the winter! For now, we are just enjoying the best fall weather we have had -- it is chilly at night and in the morning and then we have had beautiful bright days!



First - these pictures were taken when i went with Kimball on the field trip to the Butterfly Garden! It was really cool and I got some pretty cool shots!













(I love this one because the flowers are so beautiful and then if you look closely there is a cute little white catapillar on one of the leaves! Kimball spotted it and we snapped the picture!)






(We had to complete a little task of finding all the things at the Garden and one of the tasks was to find an animal using a part of nature for a home or survival --- this squirrel came out of no where, and then posed for us!! We were one of only 3 groups in the whole school that were able to catch an animal for a photograph!! Go us!)



Kimball and his cute pals! Turns out these two boys are my friend Amy's kids -- me and Amy went to school together growing up and now our boys are in the same class at school! Small world!








BiRthDays!!!



Grandpa and Grandma brought over 2 balloons for Tori's birthday!!


Tori and her beautiful party dress!


I love how nuturing and motherly Abby is! I am taking pictures and Daddy and Abby are helping her blow out her candles!!



She got a new baby doll -- WITH a PACIFIER and A HAT!!!! Tori was so excited!


Whitney's birthday is 3 days after Tori's so we sang happy birthday to her too! My brother John is swinging her arms during the Birthday song!!! I just love my little Whitty Sue!!


The 2 B-DAY girls! I know one day they won't want to share birthday parties but for now - it is wonderful!!


another b-day gift! I just love that i can give her a new sweater for her birthday and she likes it all the same! She has no idea that I only got her a baby doll, a new dress and a new sweater for her birthday! She had so much fun just having all the cousins and family singing happy birthday and playing with her! (And here is a shout out to Target -- they have some pretty cute clothes out -- the dress and sweater are from good ole Target!! So CUTE!!)


So far that is the fun we have had this Fall!! November is a great month! It reminds me not only of all that I am thankful for because of Thanksgiving -- but because both my little babies born in the month of November had very scary births and we are just so thankful for their lives!! It was a close call on both of them and we have a lot to celebrate this month!!! I am blessed indeed!

halloween

I know! I know! Way late posting these, but I just had too....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!


Kimball as super cool Batman!



Collin as the ever impressive Buzz Lightyear!


Whitney the little wicked Witch! haha - I don't know why but she really likes dressing up as a witch I think -- this is the second or third year now! She is always so timid and sweet though!!



Abby carving her pumpkin!



Our little Tori - didn't want to dress up! We managed to get her into a Dorothy costume - because it was like a dress and she was use to that - but she wouldn't wear any of the cute fairy or butterfly costumes I had!

Choose This Day

Choose This Day

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Rain and Showers

It is fall! Everyone seems to love fall! I have been hearing lots of people talk about how much they love fall, but so far I am not enjoying it much! Usually I would say that I like it - the weather starts cooling down, the leaves start changing colors and the pumpkins and smells of fall are so warm and inviting, but so far - we have been just fighting off sickness and rain! So, today, I thought - it is time to do a little blogging! But what should I say - should I just whine about how fall has been a bummer so far this year? Or just complain about how I am kinda getting tired of sick kids and getting up in the night to coughing and tummy aches? So, I decided to look over some of the pictures I have taken over the last couple months and think HAPPY THOUGHTS! This picture of my sweet little Tori just cheered me right up! She has such a funny funny little cheesy smile! When the camera comes out --- out comes her silly grin! But I just love it! It has been pouring down rain and one day I finally let the kids just go crazy! They loved it! We had a little river flowing down our street and the kids had a blast.








Next little picture I came across was another cute one of Tori! She isn't a baby anymore - she is making her way into the terrible twos! She loves water and loves taking showers. After her shower, I wrap her up in this little pink hooded towel and just snuggle and kiss her like she is a little baby! I can't believe she is growing up so fast and this is my last little baby! I can't quite let her grow up! She is a really sweet girl and I adore her!





And then I found this picture I took of the kids when Nathan was out of town! We made signs and taped them up all over the house. Then we took about 40 pictures - put the camera card into the Wii and it played a slide show on the TV -- did ya'll know the wii could do that?! Kimball figured that out! So, when Daddy got home he had a big surprise from all the kids! WE love our Daddy! Nathan is a great dad and husband! I am a lucky little girl - to have 5 fantastic kids and a great husband! Life is GOOD! I am blessed!




Ok - now go away swine flu, rain, and fevers! I want to enjoy my fall (afterall it only lasts about a month and then WINTER is here!)

Summer Vacations Come to a Close

I find myself sitting here in my kitchen and it is only 1:24 pm. The day seems to drag on when the kids are at school. I just can't believe summer is over! Yesterday was the first day! All three older kids are in school and love it! They enjoyed seeing their friends and meeting their teachers! All came home with big smiles! Today, I just wanted to quickly put together a post of some of our summer fun! We went to Utah and California to visit family and friends! As usual I wish I had taken more pictures. In Utah we stayed with Nathan's brother Brian and family and with my sister Amy and family. We got to go visit with some of our old friends Heather White Kennedy, Mandy Miner Webb and Liann Walker. Then we headed off to California the week before school started and stayed and hung out with Nathan's family. We mostly stayed with Jon and Kristyn but we had such a blast the whole time and had a huge family celebration for Nathan's mother! She had a 70th birthday bash! We hung out at Corona del Mar Beach and the kids had so much fun! Here are the pictures I did take!

My sister Amy's new baby girl!

Bridal Veil Falls - Whit, Mari and Abby

Bridal Veil Falls - freezing but so fun!

The Berrett grandkids with Gma Berrett

CALIFORNIA:

I forgot to say that Jon and Kristyn have the most amazing orange trees covering their front lawn and we made the best tasting orange juice ever!! Hand picked, fresh squeezed!

We had a great summer!

Summer Fun in Texas

I just wanted to post some family pictures:


I just love this dress - she won't smile for pictures very often because she always wants to hold the camera and look at the display screen!

Funny hat that we got from the Brett Family Live show - it looks like a vase and when you smash it on someone's head - it turns into this funny hat! It's called the magic flip flop hat!

Cute cupcakes a friend of mine made! So fun - I just had to post this idea incase anyone wanted an idea for a party!

This one is just because I never ever take pictures of myself! So, I decided to see if I could hold the camera and take a picture of me and my girl - it worked!

Abby loves playing the piano!

Our new wooden swing set! Nathan and my brother John put it together! The kids love it! It is so fun!!

My adorable kids all outside playing with a frog that Whitney caught!


The frog Whitty caught!

Tori loves Grandpa -- she definately has a special spot in her heart for him -- when she sees him, she smiles so big and shouts Mampa! She does this for no one else! It is precious!

I just thought this was a cute one of Abby! She is such a great girl and does so much to help me! I love 10 year old girls! They are still innocent, loving and fun to be around! She enjoys helping, cooking and cleaning! How long will this last?

Our first slaughtered Black Angus cow! My sister Donna and her husband got us involved with cattle and we own a farm with them up in Oklahoma - they did all the work - and my sister (in blue) drove it down to us - we split it with other families in our ward! It was crazy to think -- all that white stuff was a cow at one time! Yuck!

My sweet peanut!

We are having a very hot, but very good summer! Friends and Family - come visit us!

Tooth Fairy

So, here is another great story from a day in the life of a mother!

My little man Kimball is only 5 and the poor kid has already lost 6 teeth - 4 of which were lost because of a little injury to the mouth while playing a game with cousins! Well, this year in Kindergarten all the children seem to be loosing teeth. And with the loss of teeth comes the tooth fairy RIGHT?! Well, Kimball loves the tooth fairy because in the past he got some serious cash for loosing all those front teeth (I felt sorry for him since it was all trauma to the mouth). So, anyway, he lost his first official tooth a couple months ago - a bottom one. Then, yesterday at school he lost the other bottom tooth. Tonight he started crying because when he got into bed he noticed that his tooth was not there - it was missing and there was no money!! He was crying so hard and was so worried. If it's not there the tooth fairy won't come and then I won't get money and I am saving up to buy a star wars lego thing and ..... oh man he was so upset. I just made a split decision -- I was just going to tell him not to worry because I am the tooth fairy and it will be ok. So, I started by saying, "I am going to tell you something that you have to promise you will not tell Whitney or any other child in the whole world. You must keep this an absolute secret and never ever tell what I am about to tell you. Only dad - you can tell dad but that is it! Pinky Promise!" He said, "Ok I promise and we did the little pinky promise! I said, "I am the toothfairy!" He without hesitation of any kind just smiled and said, "NO you AREN'T!" I said yeah, honey I am. He said, no mom you aren't! Then he just looked at me - stared at me for a long time with the cutest little smile on his face. He just was smiling at me - trying to look through me or make me confess that ok I am not the tooth fairy I just want to help you...... oh but I couldn't hold in my laughter! I was just laughing and said, "honey why don't you think I am the tooth fairy? You don't think I can put money under your pillow?" He said, "Mom, tooth fairies and really tiny and your HUGE!"

Ha! Crack me up! I could not convince him that it was me - so I dropped it. He just smiled and shook his head like you are crazy mom -- you could never be the tooth fairy - good try!

Immediately I thought - I have to write this down! This just made my day! Kimball one day we are going to love reading this story! You are such a cute kid! So awesome! I love ya!

Pictures to follow!

Embarassing Moments

So, I had a pretty funny embarassing moment last week! I was on the phone back in my bedroom and the kids were out jumping on our new trampoline! One of the kids comes to me in my bedroom and says, "mom, someone is here to see you and it's a POLICEMAN!" I couldn't believe it. I didn't know why so I kept my sister - in- law on the phone and said, "Hi!" To the police officer. He said, "Hi. Someone called 911 from this number?" I said goodbye to my sister in law on the phone and was just shocked --- "ummm. No, I have been on this phone talking for a while now. Ummm.... was it this phone or my cell phone?"
Then he looked up and saw Kimball standing in the kitchen with blood dripping out his nose and down his shirt and shorts. The police officer said, "well, what's wrong with him?"
I came around closer to the kitchen and saw Kimball --- oh shoot! I said, "I don't know. Kimball what happened?" Kimball said, "I don't know," shrugged his shoulders and grabbed more tissue off the kitchen counter. The buzzer on my oven was beeping -- because I had been making chocolate chip cookies and I was still thinking who in the world called 911. So, here I am just dumbfounded wondering looking and finally I just said, "ok, let me get the cookies out of the oven." So, I did that. Then umm.... let me account for all of my kids and just make sure they are all here...... yep all accounted for. "Ok, well sir, I am not sure what happened here but would you like a chocolate chip cookie." Then the door opened again and there was another cop. "Hi! How are you!" He says to me, "Wow it smells good in here!" So the first policeman says, "What took you so long?" They exchanged a little conversation. I told them I was sorry for wasting their time and I didn't know what the problem was. I offered cookies again and they just said no thanks - I was like how can you turn down homemade cookies? They said well, we really aren't suppose to. Ha ha ha! I was thinking -- WISE choice guys -- I looked like a wacko I am sure - my kids are scattered all over - one is bleeding and I am back in my room oblivious to what is happening in my kitchen - I arrive to a beeping oven, a policeman and a little boy with a bloody nose, little Tori was just checkin the whole thing out while she sat lazily on the couch drinkin a bottle and Collin was still out laughing and jumping on the trampoline. So, this guy is thinking this woman - beat her kid - he called 911 and now the mom is acting stupid - like "oh I have no idea what happened - why officer would you like a poisioned cookie? It's all just a big plot to get you both here for death by cookies of Betty Homemaker!!! HAHAHA!!

They left and I laughed out loud! Ok guys what happen to Kimball and who the heck called 911!

Funny stuff!

Easter weekend! We had such a great time together! On Saturday we had a super fun Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Then, Sunday morning we searched the house for our Easter Baskets -- that the Easter Bunny hid! We went to church - it was awesome! After church we went to our neighbors house! They are so sweet to invite us over every year! The kids do a hunt and we have an excellent lunch. Then, my family came over for Easter Dinner! It was so wonderful! And to end the night, my mom and I went to the Stake Center for the Messiah Production! It was so beautiful! I just love Easter! What an incredible time of year to celebrate the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior. I know some of you are in Northern States, but here in Texas every thing is growing and blooming and it really just helps me remember how glorious our Lord is and how wonderful it will be when he comes again!

Oh and this is so darling! Baby girl kissing daddy! She is precious!