The Bos Family

Warm Fuzzy Payday!

2012-02-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

Annabelle earned the "Wedding Ariel and Eric"! She has a system in place for earning spending money--Warm Fuzzies! I began this back in November, during a behavior rough spell. I felt I needed to reverse some new behaviors (behaviors that seem to be created, as well as intensified when Dad leaves town for multiple weeks) :) At any rate, the Warm Fuzzies were something that would reinforce the positive, good things she was doing, taking the focus off the negative. It has worked very well! She earns Warm Fuzzies (each one is worth 10 cents) by doing service, random acts of kindness and selflessness to Stockton, completing all morning and evening chores, completeing extra preschool lessons, mastering new skills, giving unsolicited genuine compliments, helping with dinner, etc. There are many ways she can earn them, and sometimes when I see her doing something great, I'll just pop one in her jar. She wanted to save for the "Wedding Ariel and Eric." Ever since we have been talking about getting "married" (sealed) in the temple, she has been fascinated with weddings, brides, wedding gowns, etc. :) She already had Cinderella and Prince Charming in their wedding clothes, and this new pair would add to her collection. It was $9.00--90 warm fuzzies! I tried to convince her to save for something less expensive so she would get the reward sooner, thereby staying motivated. But there was no convincing her; her mind was made up. And after about 6 weeks of work, she got there! She was so excited!

Her next goal is to save up for the "Wedding Snow White and Royal Prince." 90 more warm fuzzies...

Merry Christmas Miss Joni

2012-02-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

Annabelle was so excited to give her snowman to Miss Joni for Christmas! She got super shy when she gave it to her, but then quickly warmed up after she saw how much Miss Joni loved it! Miss Joni said she would hang it in her office, then gave Annabelle a little Christmas treat: Gingerbread cake and a pencil. Annabelle was very excited!

A little shy

We were lucky to have had Miss Joni as Annabelle's teacher for the past year and a half. She is extraordinary with the kids, dances with them, gets right on their level to speak and interact with them, and has been a great source of comfort and ease for Annabelle, always so patient and understanding. At times Annabelle gets nervous right before dance and will stand at the door, too scared to walk in (even though she loves it). Miss Joni always made eye contact with her, said hello to her, and invited her into class to join them. After that, Annabelle would gallop on in and sit with the class :) Annabelle also loved that Miss Joni would always say hi to Stockton after class! We will miss her!

Not all Crafts are Created Equal

2012-02-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

I saw a picture of this wreath in a Woman's Day Magazine. I thought it was cute! It looked easy, pretty, and best of all very inexpensive. I needed a wreath for the interior of my front door, so I was excited to try it out! Well if it wouldn't have been for Annabelle pushing me along, asking if I had spent "any more time working on the wreath," and encouraging me with lots of praise ("It's gorgeous mom"), I probably would've returned the other half of the ribbon and scrapped the little project :) I don't do crafty things too often, but I am almost always happy when I do, loving the result of the time spent. This time...not so much. But if my blog is going to be honest, I've gotta post the ugly ducklings as well as the swans. So here is my ugly duckling Christmas wreath that broke 3 weeks after I finished it--time wasted. :)

I'm not quite sure what the sticker is in the middle. Did I put that there? Don't remember :)

Making the Most of Mopping the Floor

2012-02-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Annabelle had so much fun when I moved the chairs out of the kitchen to mop the floor! She quickly grabbed her dolls (Susan, Missy and Sophie), and they all had a blast going on all kinds of rides together at Disneyland! :) Annabelle was so brave on the rides, putting her arms in the air, laughing, and "Woo-hoo-ing" all the way through--I LOVE her imagination!

Little girls in front, big girls in back :)

Crafting and Cooking Fun

2012-02-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

Annabelle and I had fun throwing together these cute snowmen! I had seen the idea of using mini marshmallows to make a snowman and thought it was cute and easy, something Annabelle could do herself using glue (which she LOVES). Then we decked it out using random things from my super small craft stash :) When we were strapped for ideas, we turned our attention to the Christmas tree and started trimming little things from there too--things you would never know were gone of course. :) I have to say we loved the result. We made one for Grandma, one for her dance teacher, and of course one for her to keep; we displayed it by our front door throughout the Christmas season.

During the day we also made homemade chicken noodle soup--my Grandma's AMAZING recipe--and chocloate chip cookies. I only took pictures because this was the FIRST time I have actually made a chocolate chip cookie that Annabelle loves--it was a HUGE mom milestone for me! :) She ate more than 3 cookies and kept trying to sneak them when I wasn't looking; it was wonderful! :)

Sneaking a cookie! Uh-oh she got caught! :)

Thanksgiving Dinner with the Bos Family

2012-02-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

What a FUN night! In the past, our family has alternated years for Thanksgiving, switching between my family and Josh's family. However this year was a bit different. Uncle Aaron was tied up on Thanksgiving by a little game called football; he helps coach up at the University of Utah. Unable to make Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, he proposed getting together on the Saturday following Thanksgiving to celebrate. We all agreed and had an amazing night. Scott and Jenn were so nice to host this year (in previous years we have spent Thanksgiving weekend at a cabin together), and they did a wonderful job--everything was perfect. The food was delicious, the details were gorgeous and thoughtful. Annabelle and Liv loved playing with the dollhouse and princess toys; Stockton had lots of room to walk around and play as well. And the adults? We all had a great time talking, laughing, playing games, and dancing with the Wii! It was hilarious and one of the most fun game nights we've ever had! Aaron was unstoppable with all his moves--the points couldn't rack-up fast enough (I admit I was humbled) :) Maddie and her friend were pretty good too, but they've had LOTS of practice! Annabelle and Liv just loved lounging and hanging out in the theatre room watching everyone. Josh and I took turns taking care of little Stocky. Neither one of us could get him to sleep, so we switched off spending quiet, song-filled, dark moments with him. On the way home later that night, he started coughing, was in the ER with Croup the following night, and in the Dr.'s office the morning after that with an ear infection :( Poor little guy--He was such a trooper, having a great time during the day, but it was no wonder he didn't want to go to sleep--he didn't feel well.

We were so happy to have spent such a wonderful day and night with the Bos family! We love our time with them, and I love watching my kids create stronger relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I missed going to the cabin this year! Hopefully we'll find a way to get that tradition back on the schedule in the future!

On our way!

Annabelle's place setting. Inside her name tag "tube" was a set of Belle Squinkies and treats!

Kristy and Aaron

Mimi and Papa

We did invite Annabelle into the picture, but she declined :)

One FUN game of Wacky 6--a favorite!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thank you!

Thanksgiving Day with the Nielsen Family

2012-02-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day was a blast! We woke up bright and early to jog/walk the 5K in our area. It was super hard to wake up that early, but it was well worth it! Once you get outside and are gathered together with your family and fellow neighbors to exercise and spend time together, it is more than enjoyable. The weather wasn't too bad either--a cool 40 degrees (which beats the 20's and 30's, but is still chilly)! Annabelle and Stockton were great sports, and were excited to be up early and outside. The city's Firemen were there as well, all participating in the race wearing their full uniforms! It was a great sight to see them, and Stockton actually had his little fire engine toy with him in the stroller :) Josh and I started out the race great, but I was totally holding him back! I told him to go ahead with the kids, and I kept my comfortable pace a little ways behind them :) However, I did jog the entire way (albeit very slowly), and I actually finished only 10 minutes after them! It was fun seeing them waiting for me at the finish line, cheering with their donuts and hot chocolate :) Annabelle loves donuts and couldn't get over the fact that she had a square donut--a nearby bakery's trademark.

I enjoyed my jog immensely! The weather wasn't too cold; the morning was beautiful; it was a holiday and everyone's spirits were sky high; it was calm, peaceful, and quiet. I was grateful for little slice of alone time out in nature :)

When we finished, they shuttled us back to the starting position via school buses--Annabelle was SO excited! She LOVED her ride in the bus, pretending she was old enough to go to school--cute! We arrived back home just in time to catch the Macy's parade on TV--Buzz Lightyear and Santa were BIG hits. Then we put the kiddos to bed while preparing to go to the Simpson home for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner was fantastic. I love spending time with my family, and the food was amazing, as always! Annabelle had so much fun playing with her cousins, but little Stocky had a little bit of a rough night (we would learn later that he was getting sick) :( Nevertheless we still had a great time with everyone and appreciated all the work that went into making it not only a delicious dinner, but a beautiful atmosphere as well. We are abundantly blessed with more than we need to be happy and comfortable. There are numberless individuals who deserve the credit for this, least of all is us. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for my testimony of the gospel and that I know from where all blessings come. I am grateful for a mother and father who instilled in me a love of country, a love of patriotism, a love of truth, and a knowledge of those who have sacrificed for me and my current blessings. Because of them--those selfless individuals of the past and my caring, knowledgeable parents--Thanksgiving is and will forever be one of the most meaningful holidays for me. I love that it brings families together; I love that it brings out happiness in people; I love that it makes all of us remember and think about where our blessings come from, turning us all heavenward. It is wonderful, and this year was no exception! :) I love my family, my husband, my kids, my parents, all of my in-laws and friends--without them I would have nothing and with them I have EVERYTHING.

The kids are happy and ready to go! The firemen are all suited up behind us, and Stocky just happened to bring his fire engine! :)

Left: The beautiful table. Upper Right: The adorable kids' settings. Lower Right: The veggie "Turkey" platter I made :)

Thanks for a fabulous time everyone!

One Little Two Little Indians

2012-02-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

The kids had so much fun showing off their feather headbands!

Josh getting home from work + new fun headbands + Thanksgiving in the morning = SUPER HAPPY children!

When Stockton gets really excited, he screams...really loud! :)

At this point, a tape measure entered the fun. Not sure why, but I'm sure someone had some fun with it :)

Making the Indian sound

Adorable

Love this picture!

What a day and night! As I am sure you can imagine, the kids slept awesome that night!

Thanksgiving Fun and Prep

2012-02-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun planning and prepping for Thanksgiving Day!

We made feather headbands and added some fun embellishments!

We made Turkey Handprint Thanksgiving cards for the grandparents!

Stockton hung out and had his own kind of fun :) I'm not supposed to let Stocky do this, but it cracks me up when I turn around and he's sitting there all proud and happy! I snapped a quick picture then made him get down, for the sake of my dishwasher staying in tact :)

We fingerpainted!

We made a foam scarecrow! Annabelle fell in love with this little guy and carried him around for days!

He is pretty cute :)

Stockton got his very own feather headband too, and LOVED it! It looks like he's taking it off, but he is actually making sure it stays on :)

My very 1st attempt at layered ribbon jell-o! It was soooo pretty and Annabelle loved helping me make it. I didn't take a picture when we cut into it, but it turned out great. Next time I'd love to try thicker layers and not so many colors!

What a fun day of hanging out in the kitchen spending time together!

Cake Pops

2012-02-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

I made these fun cake pops for a Bos family birthday party (I know, they look like Christmas cake pops rather than birthday cake pops, but we were in the middle of November so it's almost acceptable) :) I thought they turned out really cute--and really yummy! Both Mimi and Eric were happy with them, so I call that a success! Later in the season I re-used the display and made cake pops for neighbor gifts. So far my favorite flavor is the Devil's Food cake with cream cheese frosting! Mmmmmmm...so good! I have also made them using yellow and strawberry cake mixes--Both were very good!

...When DADDY comes home...

2012-02-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

"I'm so glad when daddy comes home,

Glad as I can be.

Clap my hands and shout for joy...

...and climb up on his knee...

Put my arms around his neck

Hug him tight like this!

Pat his cheeck and give him what?

A great big kiss!" XOXO

What an AMAZING day for the family! After 3 LONG weeks of separation, the kids and I were so happy to have Josh home again--right before Thanksgiving! Stockton screamed with delight and trampled Josh as much as Josh could take it; Annabelle couldn't get enough kisses and loves to last her even 20 minutes--she has honestly never been so excited to see him! She was very much attached to Josh for a good week or two after he got back, and Josh was relishing in the moment :) Stockton didn't know what to do with himself with all the competition for Josh's attention, but mom was feeling pretty free and breathing a little lighter due to the small break! Haha

We love you Josh and are so much happier when you're HOME!

Crazy Hair Day--Bantu Buns

2012-01-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take her picture when she had the buns all over her head, but this is what it looked like right after we took them out :) She was so excited! I quickly realized we had done too many buns! Haha

A darling afro! As you can see, she LOVED her new 'do'!

The back. Can you imagine trying to get a brush through this? :) Next time we do it, we'll lessen the amount of buns by half!

Awww...still happy even though it's crazy.

This was fun to try! Annabelle has such pretty hair, and I need to start trying some new hairstyles on her. I have found a few cute blogs from Pinterest that have lots and lots of cute, inspiring styles to try. I look forward to more crazy fun hair days in our future! She is such a good sport--when it comes to fashion, hairstyles, and as you can see (her very own princess makeup she plays with on accasion), she's up for almost any and all experimentation and play!

Sweet Princess Dreams Annabelle

2012-01-31T19:15:00.000-08:00

So Sweet

Halloween 2011

2012-01-30T23:40:00.000-08:00

All ready to go and looking gorgeous!

So excited to show off his costume to Season!

The only picture I could get of them together! They were such an adorable duo.

Stopping in at Grandma's to say hello and run around for a little while.

Stockton: "I'll figure this out and get us a drink Rusty!"
Rusty: "I'll take a coke!"

Stockton: "I think if I push this it will work for sure..."
Rusty: "Hurry up! She's coming!"

"Maybe there's a coke in the garage..."

This is how the cheerleaders dance!

At the end of a fun night checking out her candy! Her eyes look so sleeeeepy :)

Halloween was an awesome day! Josh had left the day before for a 3-week business trip, so I had the kids by myself this year. I got the kids ready in the morning, stopped by the Bryson's house to show them their cute costumes, then headed over to Mimi's work for some serious trick-or-treating through Sandy City Hall. We were so sad not to have Olivia and Brody with us this year; Liv was in school :( The kids had a blast and got TONS of candy--double and triple helpings from the Ute fans! Haha. Mimi was so kind to introduce them to everyone, and take time out of her day for us--we LOVED it!

Following Mimi's work, we headed over to Grandma's house to show her the cute costumes and play for a while. I tried to get more pictures of the kids in my mom and dad's photogenic yard; Annabelle posed great, but Stockton had to be photographed on-the-go! Luckily, we scored some pretty darling shots of each of them. Little Rusty the Cowboy was there too, and he and Stockton were so cute together! They walked around and tried to get drinks from the Coke machine. I hope they will be best buds one day!

To cap off a wonderful, fun-filled holiday, we headed over to Nikki and Eric's house for some dinner and trick-or-treating. Dinner was delicious. My sister-in-law, Nikki, makes the BEST cider you'll ever taste! She hands it out to the parents when they come trick-or-treating with the kids--so nice and thoughtful. Eric and his friend were so nice to take the girls out; Annabelle had a blast hanging out with Liv and her friend, Angelina! Stockton was SO TIRED and was done for the day, so I worked on getting him to sleep while the the guys took the girls to get started. Stocky had a rough time and didn't want to sleep in the pak-n-play, so after about 30 minutes of trying to get him to sleep, Mimi, Papa, and Nikki helped to watch him while I went and caught up with Annabelle. THANK YOU!

Ohhhhhhh I am so glad I got to spend a little time with her out there! She was absolutely, completely adorable, and looked so little compared to all the other kids running around. Eric and his friend took the girls all over! It was awesome. Annabelle filled her bucket to the brim...again! :) She was so cute going up to all the doors! There was one boy, about 10 years old, who was dressed up as a big ice cream cone--Annabelle didn't like that at all! She kept on talking about "it" and if "it" were at a house, she wouldn't go up to the door until "it" was gone. It was cracking me up! I really loved being there with her, being able to devote all my attention to her. She is such a unique and precious little girl and I love her. Stockton was still awake when we got back, but happy nonetheless--Stocky is such a happy little guy most of the time. Annabelle and I were happy to see him again and we headed home soon after we got back. It was a peaceful ride home with my two little snoozers in the back. What a GREAT Halloween! Thanks for a wonderful time everyone!

Grandma and Papa's Ward Halloween Party

2012-01-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

Our University of Utah Cheerleader! I've never seen one so adorable!

Getting into the spirit and practicing some moves

Our University of Utah Football Player! He already looks the part!

Walking around and checking things out. He wouldn't stay still so the pictures are a little out of focus, but he still looks soooo cute!

The girls after the trunk-or-treat. They scored big time :)

What an AMAZING night! The kids had so much fun I couldn't believe it. My parents' ward threw an awesome party--they really know how to plan ward parties over there :) They had a costume parade (one of Annabelle's highlights), a story time room, where they had ladies dressed up as witches telling Halloween stories and giving out candy, a cupcake walk (another one of Annabelle's highlights--she kept winning and giving the cupcakes to Stockton), lots and lots of fun treats, more fun games, and the trunk-or-treat at the end of the night. Annabelle hit each trunk about 4 times I think. The people were loving her and letting her come back again and again! She was so darling! She would go to a car, wait in line, say trick-or-treat, beam with happiness when it dropped in her bucket, and then run back over to me and my mom giggling and squealing the whole way to show us her most recent treasure. She had SO MUCH FUN!!! The girls all compared buckets at the end and went back to grandma and Pap's house to check it all out. I took Stockton around to fill up a bucket for me--I mean him--to eat later :)

2011 Witches Festival

2012-01-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

Finishing lunch and excited to go!

Annabelle loved her special hairstyle!

Cousins and besties

Making their witch cackles

I always love going to Gardner Village during Halloween! It's darling and so fun for the kids. I couldn't believe how many cute photo-opps there were; I only wish it weren't so crowded so you could actually use them long enough to get a good picture :) The kids looked so cute and were excited to spend the afternoon together before going to Grandma and Grandpa's ward Halloween party!

Our Sealing Dinner

2012-01-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky to have this AMAZING catered dinner following our temple sealing. My parents have some good friends, Charlotte and Dick Hill, who have lived in their neighborhood for many years. Charlotte has been my mom's visiting teacher for many years as well. They were so sweet and kind to offer their services to our family! The dinner was so good: Salads, rolls, pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggies, and an incredible brownie topped with ice cream and peppermint. It was delicious! Not only was the food spectacular, but the service couldn't be beat: The Hills enlisted the help of their family members to serve us! It was so nice to be able to sit down, talk with our family and friends, and enjoy the night while having everything taken care of--luxury!

It felt so nice and elegant because of the work my mom and dad had put into setting up the room as well. The tables were beautiful, and there were even a few decorations from our wedding reception that were thrown into the decor. It was nice to be able to recall that wonderful night as soon as we walked in the room. At the end of the night, every family was able to take home a flower in a vase from the tables. The thoughtful details make all the difference!

A big thank you goes out to the Hill Family and to mom and dad! Thank you for this beautiful, memorable night--we love you and appreciate you more than you know.

To all our family and friends who were there in the beginning, the middle, and now:

"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are."

Thank you for being those "friends" to us! We love you and wouldn't have made it to this point in our lives without you!

I didn't get pictures of Josh's parents, my parents, Pieter, Brady and Angie, or Kristy, but we were so happy they were there to share the night with us. We also missed the Bryson family, who joined us for our temple sealing but couldn't make it to dinner.

OUR Family is Forever

2012-01-25T22:40:00.000-08:00

"O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the world Thy hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder; Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I can scarce can take it in;

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall feel my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration. And there proclaim,

My God how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

What an amazing day! I feel so blessed! Josh and I, along with Annabelle and Stockton, were sealed together as an eternal family on 28 October 2011 in the Draper, UT temple. When I think of Heavenly Father's love and grace, it is overwhelming. Josh and I were married a little over 5 years ago. If you would have told me then that it would be 5 more years until we were sealed I wouldn't have believed you (and I would have cried myself into a deep depression). :) If you would have told me that I would have a baby--and another baby--before going through the temple, I would have shut you out of my life forever! Not really, but I wouldn't have believed you. I thank my Heavenly Father for knowing and understanding the bigger picture, and at the same time keeping the information from me :) I think we sometimes go through life wondering how it will all turn out: Will I make it? Will my kids turn out to be loving, caring, independent, and righteous individuals? Will I get to see my kids grow? Etc. At times and during moments like these, I am thankful I didn't know what it would take, how long it would seem to take, the emotion that would be spent in dreaming and wondering when forever would be a word I could use to describe the relationships I have with my husband and children. I am simply grateful for the most precious gift of FAITH--FAITH in His plan for me. I am grateful for the gift of being able to wake up each day and hope for promised blessings to come to pass. I am grateful for the gift of His son, which makes my faith possible. I am grateful for the knowledge that through it all--no matter what happens--it will all be okay. I love the quote that states: "Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be okay." :) I believe in this with my whole heart. I'm grateful we get each and every morning to start fresh looking forward to wonderful blessings and growth, not knowing what's in store, but still having the perfect knowledge of a peaceful ending as long as we stay faithful.

I absolutely loved our temple sealing--everything about it. Annabelle looked forward to marrying her daddy for a good month, and asked so many questions along the way about temples, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Heaven, angels, sealings, etc. What an amazing teaching opportunity it was, especially to be able to follow it all up with a visit, a sealing, a look inside, and a memory she will hopefully be able to recall later in life. When I was sealed to Josh, it took on so much more depth and meaning than it would have 5 years ago. We have had amazing times together; we have comforted each other and laughed together; we have created a family; we have weathered a few rough storms. Making an eternal commitment to him now felt extremely meaningful--and emotional to boot! I know who he is; I know what it takes to hold it all together; I know what it feels like when it's right; I know the calibur of husband and father he is, and making the commitment to stand by each other through forever is an incredible feeling! The blessing of being sealed to your children is an indescribable experience, one so sacred that I don't believe I could express it in words. I have felt the sharp pain of not having my children sealed to me; Josh has also experienced this with the addition of being separated from us while he was deployed to Afghanistan. To receive this special, sacred blessing from our Heavenly Father at this time in our lives is nothing short of a PERFECT miracle. I could never wish for anything more than I have today. I have everything I need to be happy in this life and in the next. I have a testimony of this gospel. I know it is true with all my heart and soul. Being sealed to Josh and the kids is the most blessed and happy I have ever felt. Annabelle and Stockton weren't quite sure what was going on, and each of them responded exactly as we knew they would. I wouldn't have had it any other way, and I am the luckiest woman in the world to have them as my own. The blessings and miracles that took place along the way--especially in the final 2 months of this process were amazing. The gospel is true. He knows who we are. He speaks His will through His Prophet--He can even speak His will for us as individuals through His prophet. He doesn't give us the journey we would necessarily choose for ourselves; rather, he helps us through the journey He created FOR us with the goal of fitting us for His Celestial kingdom. Seeking to understand and follow His will throughout my life is the ONLY pathway I trust. It is paved with challenges, opportunities, refinement, and blessings--all combined together for the sole purpose of saving and exalting us here and in the eternities. I have faith that He knows what we need and when we need it. I love Him and His son, Jesus Christ.

Stockton is BLESSED!

2012-01-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

How adorable is this little guy?!

This picture makes me laugh. White little suit combined with a little "Stayin' Alive" pose!

A handful of the people we LOVE

The delicious dessert buffet!

Dear Stockton...
Today was such a special day in your little life! You should know first and foremost how much we LOVE you and how thankful we are to have your lively, energetic, sweet, loving, craaazy, amazing spirit in our lives and in our family. You make us smile and laugh each day, and YOU (with your sister) are the reason we want to be and try to be better! Your dad and I have wanted this blessing for you for a very long time, and have looked forward to it with much anticipation. Yes...we could have done it prior to this time in your life--WOW you are already so big! :) But both of us felt strongly that it needed to wait until the time was right. Just so you know, the timing of your blessing was nothing less than perfect for you, and for all of us! You are such a blessed and lucky little boy! Your dad, me and Annabelle love you unconditionally and couldn't have asked for a more perfect addition to our family. The night of your blessing you were there laughing and screaming-it-up with your favorite people in the world: Your Grandmas, your Grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins! Mom and dad's good friends also came to support you: The Bryson and Stoddard families (they think you are so funny and cute too)! You were blessed by your dad (you seriously cannot get enough of that guy), and he felt so blessed and thankful to Heavenly Father for being able to give you this gift. He was joined by Grandma's Papa, Mimi's Papa, Uncle Brady, Uncle Eric, Uncle Brad, Uncle Aaron, Kyle Stoddard and Kenny Bryson. What great men and examples you will have in your life! Daddy gave you a beautiful blessing and mommy cried her eyes out in the front row :) You were a little scared...and a tad loud (even though we gave you the luxury of sitting in your comfy padded high chair with a big yummy sucker to enjoy), but it's ok, we pretty much predicted that and knew it'd be a challenge for you--sucker and all! You are such a blessing Stockton! I wish I could let you know how much my heart swells when I think about this day and everything that came together for it to happen. I feel so much gratitude for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when I envision the picture of dad placing his hands upon your head (with the people who have supported us through thick and thin), and giving you a blessing through the power of the priesthood. It is more amazing than you could ever know, at least until you are a father blessing your own little rambuctious children. :) I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is real and true. I know miracles happen each day upon the earth, and I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us and our individual needs and cares. He wants us to be happy; He wants us to be blessed, and to have every righteous desire in our heart. He waits for us to allow Him the opportunity to pour on blessings. He is always there and you must trust Him and His timing. He knows you best! Annabelle loved being a part of this special day with you! She couldn't stop talking about blessings for days. She is eager to have a blessing at the clubhouse sometime soon :) I have also caught her giving blessings to her doll, Susan, when she thinks no one is watching! I laughed the other day when she had her My Little Ponies arranged in a circle around one of their pets--the pet had fallen ill and the ponies were administering a priesthood blessing! She is toooooo funny :)
We love you Stocky! Thank you for bringing us to this wonderful day in all of our lives!

Happy Birthday Crazy Daisy!

2011-12-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

We can't believe you're 3!

Daisy and Brittany

Stockton LOVED this Candy Land entry! I couldn't keep him away from the balloons! My mom joked that I should line my hallway with ballooons like this and he'd be occupied for hours! Why haven't I done that yet?!

Daisy's BFF's

A punching balloon is so much fun for a baby!

Next to balloons, slides are Stockton's favorite obsession!

What a great birthday party! It was a cute Candy Land-themed party with a darling candy table, sno cones, hot dogs, fun inflatables, and lots of grass to run FREE! Perfect for the kids--low maintenance for the parents (other than trying to keep Stocky away from the balloon entry of course). :) We are so grateful for all the hard work that went into this great birthday party. Annabelle can't go to Paige's house without dressing up, so we were thankful Brittany let her sneak inside and get a princess dress to play in! We had so much fun watching the kids play and being there to celebrate Daisy's big day.

A few things we love about Daisy:

Her voice is the CUTEST

Her hair is adorable!

Her eyes are huge and gorgeous

She's funny

She's a little daredevil and makes us all nervous at times

She really makes you feel loved and missed

She's not afraid to cuddle with me and Josh

It melts me heart when she says "I'll miss you so much"

She's fun and entertaining

We Love having her as part of the family, and can't wait to watch her grow this year!

Happy Birthday "Dais."

Toddler Time Graduation

2011-12-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Annabelle-y! You worked so hard to complete:
34 Complete Lessons
27 Books
14 Games
71 Art and Music Activities
44 Puzzles (began on level 1 and ended on level 6)!

We are so thrilled with abcmouse.com! Annabelle loves it, has learned a lot, has improved by 16 seconds on her alphabet flash cards, and is a puzzle whiz! :) We took her out to ice cream to celebrate! Congratulations Annabelle!

A Day of PLAY

2011-12-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

I LOVE play days!

"We all need empty hours in our lives or we will have no time to create or dream."

Robert Coles

We love to play at Grandma's house with cousins! Not only is Grandma's house everyone's favorite place to be, but it is also a beautiful place to be!

"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things."
Plato

Wrapping UP on a HIGH note

2011-12-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

We couldn't believe Annabelle went on this ride--it was so high (for a kid)! You'd think by the 5th day we'd be use to her going on the rides, but it was still such a shocker everytime she said she wanted to go! :) She went on this Jellyfish ride twice and had a great time.

We also went on the new Ariel ride a few more times, as well as Toy Story--how FUN is that ride?! I love it!! Annabelle was so cute with her 3D glasses and her map; she carried her map everywhere we went, and made sure we were on the right path. I remember how fun it was to get the free map when I was a kid :) The kids were totally tuckered out by the end, especially because they had spent the morning swimming! Swimming was so fun and Annabelle had met a couple of new, interesting friends to talk about all the Disneyland fun with--they were super cute chatting it up in the hot tub!

Our trip was truly fantastic, made even more so by Grandma and Papa! We are so glad they decided to come with us. Annabelle loved going on most of the rides with Grandma and Papa, and she loved playing in their adjoining hotel rooms. As soon as she was ready for the day, she'd be over in Grandma's room playing with her little princesses. Grandma is her BFF, and she became much more close with Papa too. We are so grateful that we had this quality time with them, that they were so selfless in helping out with the kids, that they love our kids so much and treat them so wonderfully, and that they love Disneyland as much as we do! :) It was truly a memorable vacation, and we loved being there. It's pretty hard on the legs and feet to do 5 days in Disneyland--I wish I would've worn a pedometer :) But you never really notice until you're on the way back to the hotel for the night and every step feels like one step away from a collapse! :) I slept awesome though, and so did the kids! Complete exhaustion will make any bed feel like heaven on earth! I'm grateful for the blessing of being able to go a 2nd time this year--we really needed it and there was so much to celebrate and be grateful for! I wish we had Disneyland here, just so we could go more often and feel that magic and joy that is completely unique. I can't wait until our trip in 2012! Annabelle is already talking about it and Stockton will be 2! Craaaaaaazy, but he's gonna LOVE Cars Land! :) Until then, we'll survive on memories!

Annabelle Meets Rapunzel!!

2011-12-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

Checking out Flynn Rider, making sure he doesn't come any closer :)

Annabelle's meeting with Rapunzel went so well compared to last time! Flynn keeps throwing her off :) I don't really understand why she doesn't want to meet Flynn--she loves Flynn in the movie. Last time we went to Disneyland, they asked Flynn to go feed Maximus while Annabelle met Rapunzel, but this time when we asked if she could just meet Rapunzel, they just had him step to the side. It was enough to give her the courage to meet Rapunzel without shying away or crying (Yipee!), but still not quite enough to make her feel totally at ease, which is ok--she faced a fear and did well! Flynn was great! He asked if Annabelle wanted him to sign her book and Annabelle said "no." But as soon as Rapunzel finished signing it, she handed it over to Flynn and he signed it anyway. :) It was cute; he was such a good sport. I'm proud of Annabelle; she was determined to meet Rapunzel this time and give her a love--Mission Accomplished!

Fantasy Fair Face Paint

2011-12-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

So beautiful! Grandma and Annabelle got their faces painted together, and they were so pretty!

Princess Fantasy Fair

2011-12-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

She finally met Jasmine! She was showing off her dress, and telling Jasmine she borrowed it from her cousin, Liv.

"So...where are you from?" :)

I Love the pictures of Annabelle meeting princesses--they are so cute and she seems right in her element, right where she should be. It makes me so happy. Stockton wasted no time in taking advantage of the boy to girl ratio, and chatted up a few little friends :) I decided that when I retire, I want to work here--not just at Disneyland, but in the Princess Fantasy Fair gift shop. It's the best place ever :)

Special Time with Alice

2011-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

What an experience! Annabelle decided to dress up as Alice on this particular day (her cute cousin Liv lent us this costume last year, and we saw it in the back of the closet just as we were packing dress-ups for the trip). Annabelle was so excited and had to bring it (we'll get it back to you really soon Nikki, I promise)! :) I couldn't believe we still had it, but we threw it in the car and Annabelle was quite obsessed with Alice from then on. She wanted to go on Alice in Wonderland multiple times; she chose an Alice in Wonderland polly pocket doll for her souvenir from Grandma; and she wanted to wear this dress two of the five days we were there. When we got to Disneyland on this particular day, the real Alice in Wonderland saw Annabelle and grabbed her immediately to join in the fun. Annabelle danced around and followed her around for a few seconds, but when they sat down, she looked wayyyy nervous. Josh joined the Dancing Dads to try and make her feel more at ease, but as soon as it was all done, Annabelle started sobbing and was totally overwhelmed :( We did our best to tell her it was ok, that Alice loved her and wanted her to have fun, but it was no use. And from then on she was not to be called Alice or else...! It was kinda sad, Kinda funny, pretty interesting, but still totally Annabelle, and understandable. She simply got overwhelmed, nervous, a little scared, and took a while to snap out of it :) What better way to shift the focus than to head over to the Princess Fantasy Fair?!

PS: Look at Josh's awesome high kicks and stand-out showmanship! ;)

World of Color

2011-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

World of Color is an amazing show! A few hours prior to this, we all went on Star Tours--Annabelle went TWICE and was soooo fun to ride with! She was screaming and shouting "Woo-hoo's" the entire time, and had I not been seriously close to throwing up, I would've joined her :) I had no idea that ride was so crazy! It was crazy fun and exciting for like the 1st 15 seconds, but then I was starting to panic! By the end I was totally nauseated. I was even more worried for my mom, who gets vertigo from time-to-time, but she did better than me! After a while, and after a little bit of that amazing Disneyland popcorn, we headed over to get our World of Color picnic lunches. Hmmmmm...not too impressed--cold chicken? Yuck (especially when you're not feeling too well). Next time we'll probably opt for another option. Luckily, by the time the show began, I was feeling almost better, better enough to really enjoy it and have fun. Stockton and Annabelle had special preferred seating on Josh and Papa's shoulders, and they loved it! Stocky was fascinated and Annabelle loved the music and all the color!

Time in Toon Town

2011-12-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Look at Stocky's little shoes poking out on the right :) Having fun playing with dad!

Annabelle gets a wave from Minnie, and then gets up the courage to meet her!

The 1st time Annabelle met a "character" other than a princess!

We loved our time in Toon Town! Annabelle and Stockton loved playing around in the little houses and playgrounds. Stockton's opposite gene kicked in a little, and each time we'd go into a house, he'd want to come out, and each time we came out, he'd want to stay in :) But the kids loved what they saw, and had a lot of fun playing in Goofy's playground. We also went on "Roger Rabbit" for the 1st time, and Annabelle did awesome! Josh and I were in a constant state of amazement when she kept on saying she wanted to go on the rides! We were so proud and excited for her to see and try new and fun experiences. Stockton was super tired at the end of it all, so we called it a morning and headed back to the hotel for naps--such a saving grace during our trip! :)

Playful Posing

2011-12-08T21:19:00.001-08:00

Stocky was grounded from rides for not cooperating in this picture ;)

Welcome to Disneyland Susan! One of the park photographers stopped us to take pictures of Annabelle and Susan. He guaranteed us that the picture would be included in the "Small World" picture show that night :) Unfortunately we couldn't stay and watch because we had World of Color tickets for that night. We trust that she was a super star that night!

Revved up for another day of excitement

This picture is for Annabelle. She had a little Tinkerbell camera and she wanted to take a picture of me and Josh. This was the pose we gave her :)

This is our "Happy 5 year Anniversary" pose! Notice how gentle Josh is when dipping me; I should've checked for bruises on my tricep after we were done. Haha! I'm sure he's just trying extra hard to make sure he keeps me safe from falling :)

We hadn't taken very many "Posed pictures," if you will. So we decided to stop and snap a few on our 3rd day, when we were ready and eager for another day in happiness. It was fun and goofy, which is fitting because right after this we headed to Toon Town for some playtime with the kids!

Hitting the Streets of California Adventure

2011-12-08T20:30:00.001-08:00

Stockton was drying off from his playtime at the splash pad, and Annabelle had a sudden urge to switch from Snow White to Cinderella--it's a tough call when deciding which princess to be! But one thing is for certain: We were there having a blast and creating special memories together as a family!

One of the awesome memories from this particular day was getting to go on the Tower of Terror for the very 1st time! I LOVED it and was scared to death! My picture on the scream cam was unlike any picture on any scream cam anywhere in the world! Josh seized the opportunity to share my embarrassing moment by snapping a picture of it with his phone and quickly sending it out to everyone back home...awwww what a guy. :) I admit it was actually pretty funny, just wish it wouldn't have been me that looked so crazy. That's what terror will do to ya I guess :) Our entire "elevator" was from Utah and they were really fun. They had some pre-planned scream cam poses that made me laugh too! The whole experience was crazy fun! As Annabelle would say, "Loved it."

Stockton's Splashin Good Time

2011-12-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

Playing at the Splash Pad

Don't make me leave!

Stockton LOVED running through the water! He ran around, had lots to say, laughed with his sister, and screamed Stockton-style to his little heart's content! :)

A Gorgeous Face

2011-12-08T20:14:00.001-08:00

We paid a lot for this face paint, but wow! How gorgeous does she look? The colors are beautiful and we couldn't have been happier with the result. As you can see, Annabelle was pretty excited too--and it only took 4 minutes! Pretty impressive!

Dreams Coming True

2011-12-08T19:57:00.001-08:00

This makes me cry when I look at it. Ariel is Annabelle's favorite.

Dreams do come true!

He doesn't know what's going on, but he sees these girls a lot at home and is catching the joy :)

If Josh's dream would've come true this day, he would've swapped places with Annabelle in this picture. Haha

Snow White was happy to meet her twin, and Susan was grateful to at last join the meet-and-greet! It was pretty darling.

I wonder if Cinderella had ever seen such a sight?!

What a great morning! Ariel's Grotto is such a fun experience for the kids. The food is ok, but the experience can't be beat. It is such a great way to see and meet the princesses without having to wait in a huge line. Plus you can sit and eat while you wait for them to come to your table. Stockton had fun and Annabelle was so cute with all of them, especially when she brought Susan over with her. Susan helped break the ice and gave Annabelle something to talk about :) It was a fun time, and not many things come close to the experience of watching your daughter meet and get a hug from a real princess :)

Welcome to Disneyland!

2011-12-08T19:00:00.001-08:00

We made it! Our first evening at Disneyland was AMAZING! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. We arrived at our hotel, checked in, and walked right over to the park--how could we wait any longer to get there right?! It was close to 4:00 when we arrived, and it was PERFECT! The weather was nice, the lines were all fewer than 10 minutes long, and Annabelle was unlike she'd ever been, in a GOOD way :) She was excited, animated, brave, loving, and pumped full of Disney magic. She and Stockton were able to get on Peter Pan, the Merry-go-round (a few times), Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo (pictured above), and the Tea Cups (a couple of times) before Mickey's Soundsational Parade began. I was excited to see the parade, but honestly nothing could've prepared me for how magical it was...yes, even for me :) The music was great; we sat right where the floats come out at the beginning of the parade; Ariel was the 1st princess Annabelle saw; and each princess either waved or blew a kiss right at Annabelle! I totally started crying when I watched Annabelle--it was so magical! In my defense, I don't think any parent can just stand idly by while their child's dreams come true right before their eyes :) It was a PERFECT & MAGICAL evening. My mom and I agreed on the way out of the park that even if the remaining 4 days were horrible, that first night would've still made the entire trip worth every penny! Luckily we didn't have to test our theory because there was much more fun and laughter to be had!

Quiet Time for a Princess

2011-12-06T21:54:00.001-08:00

How sweet is this? Annabelle went into my room for some "Quiet Time" and fell asleep in a princess wonderland. I can only imagine the sweet dreams she had during this nap :) She is surrounded by her Ariel cup, her princess story CD's, one of her favorite books "Princess Bedtime Stories," and of course her doll, Susan. She had been listening to Ariel when she gave up and got some much needed rest. So adorable.

Monkey Island Family Fun

2011-12-05T21:59:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating Brayden's birthday at Monkey Island! We went on a Saturday morning, which was great because all the dads got to come out and play too! We had never been to Monkey Island as a family, and we loved it! Annabelle played hard with her cute friends, and Stockton climbed, slid, and bounced around to his heart's content--he was in Stocky heaven! I couldn't snap the pictures fast enough to capture just how much fun the kids were having :) We can't wait to go again! Josh and Stocky are all decked out in their game day attire--I guess you all know now who the Bos family roots for, with one excpetion. I like the U, but I still secretly love the Y. Additionally, Annabelle's favorite color just happens to be blue, so it's not a stretch to say we may have a future boys vs. girls college football rivalry in the home. Wouldn't that be fun! :)

Annabelle's Friend Party!

2011-12-03T18:56:00.001-08:00

The kids--and dads--had so much fun playing and jumping! :)

Cute Stockton came along to play

Wow! Cute or what?!

Loves her new sunglasses!

Such a fun little group of friends, and so happy!

So sweet! They just love each other :)

This was the 1st year we have done a "Friend" party for Annabelle on her birthday. We really wanted to do it last year, but the timing just didn't work out. We knew we would never be able to get away with that this year! She was so excited and her little friends are such a joyful, wonderful part of her life right now that the party was a "Must"! She played with her friends at "Jump On It" then came back to our house for cake and ice cream. Her friend, Brayden, even got to ride in our car, and they were both so excited they could hardly contain themselves. Their conversations in the car had me laughing the whole way--what I would give to freeze time and enjoy this age for a few more years! We loved having everyone over; Annabelle chose a Tiana cake this time and it turned out beautiful; her friends chose such thoughtful, perfect gifts for her, and she did so well telling them all thank you and giving loves. I was really proud of her. I love these kids and it's so fun to watch them all grow up together. Thanks for the wonderful party everyone--we are blessed to have you as our friends. Josh and I feel that Annabelle and Stockton have an extra extended family of aunts and uncles who not only care about and love them, but also play with them, chase them, tickle them, hold them, and make them feel special.

Happy Birthday Annabelle!

2011-12-02T15:56:00.001-08:00

My cute sister-in-law, Nikki, brought all of her fun face paints! I'm sure you can imagine how excited the girls were :) My other cute sister-in-law, Kristy, snapped these cute close-ups of the girls; they turned out so cute! This picture of Daisy is so sweet.

How gorgeous are Liv's eyes and bright smile!

Paige looks so beautiful with her huge brown eyes and perfect skin!

Annabelle looks so little and adorable. She loves getting her face painted, and Nikki painted a special butterfly for her--different from all the rest :)

The girls enjoyed paiting with their new paints Annabelle chose for them!

Annabelle LOVED her new Minnie Mouse scooter! It plays songs, lights up, and is so very cute! She was so excited when she 1st saw it!

The Birthday Cake!

Happy Birthday Annabelle! I can't believe it--4?! It seems impossible. I absolutely adore Annabelle; she is a wonderful little girl full of energy, excitement, love and warmth. Here is a little list of things about our little princess:

*She is very tender, loving, and caring.
*She is very active, and almost always perfers playing to watching TV. She loves riding her princess bike, her Minnie Mouse scooter, as well as playing Rapunzel with her friends Brayden and Will @ the playground.
*She's funny! Each and every day she makes me laugh with the funny and clever things she says.
*She is perceptive and is constantly observing others' behaviors and actions, and forming her own opinions about it/them. I'll often hear these opinions during random conversations at home and in the car, and it always takes me by surprise how insightful and perceptive she is!
*She's a little fashionista! She loves clothes, jewelry, shoes and dress-ups. She even loves to accessorize. Whenever she asks for a dress-up from the closet, it's always followed up with the question, "Can you please get out the stuff that goes with this dress? The shoes, the crown, a necklace..." :)
*She loves books and stories about princesses.
*She loves studying about the Book of Mormon and often asks follow-up questions throughout the day about what we read in the morning. She's still waiting for Laban to wake up with True Love's Kiss, for Laman and Lemuel to turn good. She loves talking about the "Jews", because she thinks we're talking about "Jewels". She keeps wanting me to expand on the idea of "Sadan," and asks, "But what about that mist of darkness? Let's talk more about that!" Hmmmmm...we've streered clear of the subject for now :) Haha
*She can't pronounce her L's quite yet, which makes words like "Pool", "School", and "Jewel" sound hilarious!
*She loves getting her nails painted, and always wants to know if the colors are "fashionable."
*She loves rainbows and mermaids.
*She loves to shop! When we stopped at a Kmart in St. George, I said "Annabelle it's time to go." She responded "But wait! Look at this (holding out a glittery shirt). LOVE it!" My mom and I laughed and laughed in disbelief.
*She's cautious and gets scared to try new things.
*She hates getting water in her eyes, yet loves bathing and swimming...as long as she doesn't have to wash her hair, get splashed, or go down any waterslides. She has a ball and is quite content hanging out with Stockton in the toddler area at the swimming pools.
*She hates the farm! She doesn't like the animals, the smells, the dirt...I don't know whay I keep trying to take her to the farm expecting a new result! :)
*She is very smart! She is enrolled in an online preschool curriculum and is doing very well. We timed her doing alphabet flash cards before starting the preschool, and after 1 month of doing her lessons, she had improved her time by 16 seconds! She also started doing her puzzles at a level 3, and is now doing them at a level 7.
*She LOVES Stockton so much and constantly tries to hold his hand, and give him kisses and hugs. She always introduces him to friends. Stocky will rarely stop for a kiss and hug from her, so most of the time she's hugging and kissing while he's on the run :) Who am I kidding? That's pretty much what we all have to do with him! Haha
*She loves her dad. This morning in her prayers, she said, "Bless my family, of course my dad." :)
*She loves her Grandma! Grandma has always been her favorite person in the world. If she had her way, I'd be taking her to grandma's house every day to play. Annabelle constantly asks to call her on the phone too!
*She has daily chores. She goes potty, gets herself dressed, brushes her teeth, combs her hair, and sorts the silverware. She also puts her dirty clothes in the hamper, puts away her toys, clears her place, and pushes in her chair after every meal!
*She loves temples, especially "Our temple."
*She's a social butterfly with her friends, and is a magnet for the boys! In primary, she's always talking, laughing, and sitting with the boys. She never sits with the girls!
*She has gorgeous hair!
*She has my eyes, my nose, Josh's metabolism, and Josh's body type.
*She loves to help with the cooking and laundry.
*Her best friends are: Lily, Mercedes, Brayden, Will, Emma, and of course her cousins.
*She loves to dance, and has improved a lot this year! She loves her teacher Mrs. Joni!
*She loves to sing, and to make up her own songs that usually go something like, "I know what's right; I don't know what's wrong, but my spirit loves...I am a child of God...Look at this stuff...my life is a gift...I love primary and secondary colors..." Haha
*She loves painting and coloring
*She hates shots! When Stocky gets a shot, she has to leave the room every time and a nurse takes her down the hall!
*She loves her dolls ("Daughters"): Susan, Sophie, Rosie and Missy!
*She likes taking baths with bubbles and color tablets.
*She loves to "cuddle and be holded".
*She loves to be tickled, and has an adorable laugh.
*Her favorite bedtime song is "Part of your World".
*Her favorite princess is Ariel.
*She is hilarious in timeout! She has imaginary conversations to console herself and talk about what she's done wrong. For example, last week it went like this: "Now I'm on the naughty list and my presents go to someone else. I don't want black rocks! This is the cooking room (the kitchen), and the dining room! In here, I have NOTHIN'!"
*She is a beautiful little girl, inside and out.
*She cares and thinks of others.
*She loves to be chased, but not caught.
*She wants to marry her dad at the red playground and have cupcakes for a treat.
*She has a sweet, perfect, and innocent spirit.
*She wants to please others and succeed at whatever she tries. She's a bit of a perfectionist and takes it hard when she doesn't get it right the 1st time.
She inspires me to be a better mother for her. When I see her potential, I know I have to do better so she can become who God wants her to be. I am so lucky she came into this life as my 1st child; she will be such a great example to her younger siblings, and will love and care for them beautifully. She is so forgiving and quick to find the good in people. I feel that she and I have an amazing bond and love that will be unlike any other. She's seen me at my worst, and she's seen me at my best, but always loves unconditionally and in the end puts a smile on my face regardless of what's happened. I am proud of her, and I understand her. She has her challenging moments, but I am grateful for the learning opportunities (which they all are because I swear I can never get it right the 1st time, and always need the challenge to repeat itself in order to feel like I did the right thing)! I love her so much and can't wait to spend the next year with her, watching her continue to grow and progress. She is most looking forward to going to Disneyland again when she's 5. Happy Birthday Annabelle!

Here are YOUR favorite things!
Favorite Color: Blue, red, pink and purple
Favorite Toy: Susan
Favorite Fruit: Apples
Favorite Cartoon: My Little Pony and Bubble Guppies. Favorite Pony: Twilight Sparkle (Susan likes Rarity, Sophie likes Princess Celestia, and Rosie likes Rainbow Dash). Favorite Bubble Guppie: Molly.
Favorite Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with ice cream for dessert
Favorite Outfit: All my dresses. Favorite Dress: Play dresses.
Favorite Game: Playing princesses with my castle and "Decoration Mountain." (A Christmas decoration I gave her to play with) Haha
Favorite snack: Bars (Blueberry nutri-grain bars)
Favorite Animals: Zebras and giraffes
Favorite Song: "Part of this World"
Best Friend: "Stocky Bocky"
Favorite Cereal: Cheerios
Favorite thing to do outside: Play at the playground
Favorite Drink: Apple Juice
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
What do you like to take to bed: A book and my dolls
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Princess!

A Seat for Susan

2011-11-29T19:15:00.001-08:00

Annabelle LOVES this little scooter at Grandma and Papa's house. It's just her size! Papa was so thoughtful and made Annabelle's doll, Susan, her very own seat on the back! Annabelle loved it--how cute are Susan's toes peeking through those holes in the back?! :)

Annabelle and I agreed that if Papa lived in Pixie Hollow, he would be a Tinker fairy because he has the AMAZING talent of being able to make or fix ANYTHING! I can almost see that glowing hammer floating toward him now... :) We love you Papa and we LOVE that awesome seat!

Splashin with Cousins

2011-11-23T23:20:00.001-08:00

We were so excited to have cousins come over to play at the splash pad! We live somewhat "out of the way," so it's not very frequent that we get to have cousins come to our neck of the woods. BUT we sure do love it when they do! The kids had a blast together and made lots of fun new friends as well. Melody was a doll, as always. She looked so cute and feminine hanging out in the shade of an umbrella :) Rusty was a trooper; he and Stockton are still trying to find their groove together--sometimes it works and sometimes Stocky is just too much for little Rusty to handle. :) Paige was a little leader of the pack, and it's so hard for me to believe that she's in 1st grade. She has a wonderful relationship with Annabelle and Stocky; Stockton especially loves it whenever she's around because she showers him with attention and totes him around! Annabelle and Daisy are like fire and gasoline. Haha :) It's hysterical. Nevertheless they love each other immensely and talk about each other all the time when they're apart. I am sure they'll work out the kinks as time goes on--we are all crossing our fingers :) This was such a fun day and I took close to a bazillion pictures! It was tough narrowing them down, and therefore this will be a BIG photo post; I just couldn't bring myself to delete any of them!

Walking through Sunshine

2011-11-23T21:27:00.001-08:00

Over the summer the kids and I logged dozens of stroller miles! During the warmer months, we get up, pack a breakfast, and hit the road. I think they loved it as much as I did :) I decided toward the end of the summer that I would start taking my camera with me, to photograph some of the things we loved, some of the trademark sights we'd grown accustomed to, some of the beauty we found along the way, and anything else that stood out as photo-worthy. Unfortunately I had only taken my camera out a handful of times before I fell down the stairs at my mom's house and sprained my ankle! So much for logging more stroller miles! Oh well right? :) At least I have these few photos to look at and appreciate. Yes, the kids always went in their PJ's, and yes they always ate their cheerios, bananas and juice along the way, and yes they look a little messy in some of these, but they were so happy to be out in the fresh morning air and in the sunshine that it didn't matter to me. They are as cute as cute can be and I am so lucky to be able to share every morning with them! We LOVED our walks through the sunshine and we can't wait to get out there again next spring!

Annabelle loved to pick sunflowers along the way.

Susan joined us every morning, but never got a breakfast :)

Good morning buddy!

Pretty things! I LOVE these 2 houses--the porches are amazing and the entire lot feels like peace on earth. At times we climb up to the top of a nearby neighborhood where we reach the golf clubhouse. Annabelle would always get out, throw her hands up in the air, and yell "We did it!"

"I really want those bananas!"

"This method oughtta work!" Stockton LOVES bananas, and Annabelle nicknamed him the "Banana Stealer" because every time she turned her head, he would reach over and try to steal her bowl of bananas. :) She started getting him back by stealing his cheerios and calling herself the "Cereal Stealer." It all worked out...

Our happy boy!

An Outing with the Babies

2011-11-22T22:48:00.001-08:00

During the summer, I LOVE to go on walks in the morning! After one of our walks, Annabelle asked if she could have a turn getting some exercise and taking her babies for a walk. How could I say no right?! We piled all of her "daughters" into her stroller, and took them to the gas station for a treat (well, they all shared Annabelle's treat) :) Sophie and Rosie were naughty on the way home so Annabelle had to stop several times to talk to them (Sophie happens to be a hitter, which always causes problems when she is in close proximity to Rosie or Susan). Nevertheless, apologies were given and forgiveness was granted as we made our way home. When we got back, Annabelle was super excited to see her friend Brayden riding his bike outside. She decided to get her bike and join in the fun! They are so cute! :)

Just an average summer day...thank goodness for dolls and good friends! :)

Hard Work Pays Off

2011-11-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

Annabelle asked me if she could get a new Princess Tiana dress-up. She'd been wanting it for some time, so I told her she could do some work to earn it. We came up with a plan and a job chart that we both felt good about, and off to work she went! I was so impressed by her hard work! She spent about 7 hours in my mom's yard helping with yard work; she helped to plant pots for Mother's Day; she donated 8 lbs of her clothing; she shined windows, and folded the clothes in the laundry. Her goal was 20 hours of work and/or service to others. I allowed her to count 1 hour for each pound of clothing donated as well. She was all smiles with eyes lit up on the day we finally went to the store to make the purchase. And guess what? They didn't have one! :( We were so sad, but we eventually found her one that she loved, and she was so proud of herself for working hard and earning it! I was craaaaazy and didn't snap any photos of her in her new dress, but I did take a few of her working toward her goal. :)

Watering plants

Helping to plant a few flower pots

Sweeping the patio

Congratulations Annabelle! We are proud of all your hard work and dedication!

Annabelle Lets Loose

2011-11-22T21:50:00.001-08:00

Annabelle getting soaked in the sprinklers and LOVING every second!

Runnnnnnn!!!

She found a friend who was happy to join in the fun! Don't you wish you could make friends this quickly with others? :)

Dad can't hold himself back--Annabelle's excitement is contagious!

So happy...and cold! :)

What can I say... I LOVED every second of this! Annabelle completely let loose after Stockton's birthday party: running, laughing, smiling, screaming, and getting soaked by the sprinklers! It is rare that she allows herself to really let go; she is normally very cautious. It was so wonderful to just watch her be a carefree little girl--to abandon all reserve and have some fun, to ignore the temperature and get herself soaked to the bone in the evening, to have a great time with someone she just met, to laugh and laugh and laugh at the water of all things :), and to simply PLAY! Thanks for the great memory Annabelle!

Happy Birthday Stockon!

2011-10-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

12 MONTHS!
Length: 32 in (94%)
Weight: 26 lbs 12 oz (90%)
Head Circ: 48.8 cm (95%)

Eating pizza and opening his presents

The fun guests! Where is Brody and why didn't I get his picture? :(

Olivia, Paige, Daisy, Melody, and Rusty

Not sure about the cake in the beginning, but loving it by the end!

Bathed in the sink and ready for bed in his new PJ's!

We loved watching Stockton at his 1st birthday party! He loved his cake and presents! The girls had a blast running around together and playing "Ring around the Rosie". They were dying to get outside and run around, but the rain never let up enough for them to go out :( Oh well, they still had so much fun together! Stockton tried his very best to have a good time--he was teething at the time and didn't feel very well. But he was still a little trooper and slept ohhhhh so good that night :)

Josh and I are always grateful for our families. It means the world to us to always have them there to support us and our children. Parties and get-togethers with cousins and grandparents are something Annabelle loves more than anything else on earth! The gifts were perfect, and everyone chose something they truly believed Stocky would love to play with. Thank you to everyone who came, and to everyone who loves our "Stocky Bodacious Banana Bobby." Nickname courtesy of Annabelle's wild imagination :)

Some fun facts about our fun little boy:

*He is sooo much fun to talk to! His babbling is more expressive than any baby I've ever heard!

*He's totally handsome like his daddy.

*Stockton LOVES his daddy and screams when he leaves :( He also gets so excited when Josh walks in the door from work that he ends up crying because he can't stand the excitement! Cracks us up!

*He can walk, and is starting to run.

*Ha can say "Mama, Dada, Buzz, All done (Ahh-duhh), and No"

*He LOVES Annabelle, and follows her around all day. He wants to play with whatever she's playing with, even if it means he has to play princesses (as a result of this, Annabelle is experiencing a steep learning curve in sharing)!

*His favorite movies are Toy Story 3 and Tangled.

*He LOVES TV (I know, I know...not good), but really...he sits and doesn't move when there's a good movie on :)

*He loves ALL fruit, especially grapes and bananas!

*He'll eat almost anything, and already eats more than Annabelle!

*He likes to scream all the time (when he cries, laughs, talks, etc.)

*He's REALLY ticklish and fun to play with!

*He's impossible at church. Josh and I lose a collective 5 lbs each Sunday trying to take care of him ;)

*He is so sweet before bedtime! He whispers to me, and when I rub his nose with my nose he giggles.

*His favorite songs are "Inky dinky" and "I Know Heavenly Father Loves me." Those 2 songs will almost always calm him down.

*He has pretty dramatic tantrums where he'll scream, cry, stomp his feet really fast, then sit down and put his head down to his chest, and scream some more. Makes us laugh, and on really rough days makes me cry :)

*He loves his car seat and the stroller.

*He loves playing outside and running FREE!

*He has a funny opposite gene--always wants to walk the opposite way of the way he's supposed to :)

*Has a rough time being held by strangers, and screams if Josh or I go out of sight (unless it's family of course).

*He is so loving and sweet. Oftemtimes if I go sit down next to him, he'll crawl onto my lap and start up a conversation.

*He loves to make noise! Especially the sound of stainless steel mixing bowls banging on the hardwood floor in the kitchen!

Stockton is WONDERFUL! He is a handful and a big ball of energy, but he is such a blessing in our home and livens us all up! We laugh more because of him, we work harder because of him, Annabelle has experienced more love because of him, and of course we cannot imagine life without him! Annabelle and Stockton make Josh and I so excited to have more kids in the future. We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for giving us these 2 perfect spirits to raise, to love, to learn from, to comfort, to live for.

Family Hike to Donut Falls

2011-09-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Josh and the kids after crossing the river--We made it!

Stockton was trying as hard as he could to enjoy himself, but he finally gave up and let us know he was DONE :)

Happy to be there, but a little frustrated that he couldn't get down and run around--can you blame him?

Josh and Annabelle--Annabelle LOVES to hike!

You really have to love and trust a man to let him cross a river with your kids! Annabelle is looking back at me with a look that says "Mom what do you think you're doing?!" Haha

We had a great day with the kids walking up to Donut Falls. Annabelle is a trooper and loves to hike, mostly on the way down :) Stockton loves a good ride on Josh's back, but gets pretty frustrated when he can't get down and run free! That poses a little bit of problem when there's a raging river right next to you. We all ate a quick lunch, snapped a few pictures, and headed back to the car. It was a quick, fun little trip that definitely trumped staying home! Annabelle and Stocky were happy to be back in the comfortable carseats, and snoozed the whole way down the canyon.

A Sandy City 4th

2011-09-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

Annabelle held her hand over her heart for the first 15 minutes of the parade! She would even get up, catch candy, dance around, then sit back down and put her hand back over her heart :) Cute!

Having a Ball!

Taking in all the parade fun!

Gorgeous Olivia!

Annabelle and Liv partying it up! Dancing in the street, laughing together, sharing candy (thanks Liv), getting matching face paint, and hanging out with Kim and Kristy.

Loving the attention from Aaron and Kristy! The Ellisons are constantly spoiling the kids with love and attention!

Play time! Waiting around for the fireworks to start!

Super cute! Who wouldn't love that guy?! :)

Quality time with the Bos fam.

The Sandy City parade was so much fun! We loved hanging out with Josh's family, catching candy, throwing snaps, teaching the kids how to blow their windmills, walking around all the booths, and lounging on the blankets. I was a little worried about how Annabelle would react to the fireworks (bad experience in Disneyland), but she did AMAZING! She loved it. It was such a triumph for her and we were so proud! Stockton on the other hand...not so much. He flipped out and Josh had to carry him far away from all the action (which is quite hard considering that kid is close to 30 very squirmy lbs, especially during tantrum mode)! And if you've ever wondered where Josh gets those nice arm muscles...Haha

I'm so glad we went; this was our 1st time going to the Sandy City parade with the Bos family and we loved it! Thanks for a wonderful day and night everyone--we LOVE you!

The King's Grand Daddy-Daughter Ball

2011-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

A Princess Makeover @ Cookie Cutters! She had so much fun watching her princess DVD, getting pink streaks in her hair, and getting her nails painted purple to match her dress!

Checking herself out in the door's reflection--I think she's happy with the results!

Josh picked out beautiful corsage for her to wear. I loved her expression when she 1st saw it :) Unfortunately she didn't want it on her wrist, so she tried it on, smelled, it, and took it off. Oh well...it's the thought that counts! Thanks Josh :)

All dressed and ready!

Posing with dad--how cute are they?!

Wow! I'm feelin' pretty lucky these days!

Gorgeous!

Josh and Annabelle had a wonderful night at the King's Grand Daddy-Daughter Ball! This was part of the 2011 Princess Festival that we attended the previous day. Annabelle's cousin Paige, and Paige's dad, Brad, joined them and made it a double date--how fun! They dance a little, played outside, met other princesses, watched a puppet show (Annabelle's favorite part), ate some treats, and had a "Ball!" :)

The 2011 Princess Festival

2011-08-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Looking the Part!

Cinderella was our 1st stop! The girls LOVED this one and the actors actually did a really great job!

Some stops along the way. I'm not even certain which princesses the bottom two are, but Annabelle liked them.
I love the idea of having an autograph book for all the princesses to sign!
Whoever came up with that idea in Disneyland should get an early retirement and a nice vacation home on the beach :)

Annabelle loves Ariel, and I just had to get a picture of Annabelle actually approaching Rapunzel--No panic attacks this time! That's a good sign, but so weird because the Rapunzel at Disneyland looked much more legit!
Plus she had Flynn...go figure, I'll never understand :)

We had a lot of fun at this little local Princess Festival. It was a lot different than I expected, but it was still a good time. It was HOT, probably close to 95, so that was tough...and poor Annabelle was bound and determined to leave that dress on! I kept telling her she would feel so much better if she just took it off for a little while, and wore what was on underneath, but nope...it wasn't going to come off until she got to the car :) A princess to the end!

Her favorite performances were definitely Cinderella and Snow White. There was a part in Snow White when Snow White is yelling "Oh No! Where should I go?!" Annabelle kept yelling back at her "Run to your cottage! Run to your cottage!" I don't think Annabelle understood what all the stress was about--it seemed so obvious to her :)

I'm glad we got to go this year; we've never been before, and though some of the acting was less than great, it was still fun to get dressed up and hang out all day together. And what little girl isn't going to get excited and have an awesome time seeing and meeting princesses right?! Well...Daisy wasn't too excited, but we all joked that if it would have been a Villain Festival, she would've had more fun :) Haha

Annabelle's 1st Dance Recital: "12 Dancing Princesses"

2011-08-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Goofing around with dad before leaving

All the angles :) Her hair turned out so pretty!

So excited and looking BEAUTIFUL!

Getting a little nervous before deciding to join the group (top right), then joining in and warming up with Michael ("Derek") and the dancers.

Wow! What a fun experience! This was my last semester teaching dance, and though I will miss my students (especially the girls I have had for the past 3 1/2 years), I have been pretty excited to move on from this chapter of my life. Dance--and teaching dance--will always be a part of me, and has been the source of so many wonderful memories! This last semester I took a step back and choreographed only one soloist piece for the show--a small group of 3-6 yr. old little girls. Annabelle was taking dance classes with Tanner Dance @ the University of Utah, but I thought it would be fun for her to be in this particular dance (since I was going to be teaching and choreographing it). She was SO excited and had a ball coming to the studio with me, meeting a whole new group of dancer friends, packing a lunch box for rehearsals, and performing on the "big stage" for her family and cousins. It was fun to share the experience with her, especially on show day! We woke up and ran errands such as picking up flowers and treats for my dancers, then making extra script and show order copies. Then we came home and assembled treat bags for my dancers, packed our water and snacks, curled our hair, and did our makeup. She was so excited to get there, put on her costume, and see her cousins!

Just prior to the warm up, Annabelle started getting really nervous: she said she didn't know if she could do it, that she was dizzy, and that her tummy hurt. I'm so glad I got to be there with her backstage to talk to her and calm her down. I told her that always happened to me when I was about to go on stage, but that I was just really excited and nervous, that it would go away as soon as I was on stage performing. She believed me, and I motioned for Michael to come get her so I could sneak away and leave her with her group. She was so CUTE! As soon as the curtain opened and Michael began moving their group to the front of the stage for the opener, I heard her yell into the audience: "Paige and Daisy are you out there? I can't see!" They let her know they were there. Mimi, Nikki, Liv, daddy, Stockton, Grandma, and Brittany were also all there to cheer her on!

She did WONDERFUL! Just as I suspected, as soon as the music began, she danced and had a great time! It was so fun to watch her come off stage, and ask if she could go out there and do it again :) The opener was a good warm up for her, and when it was time for her little dance, she ran out there with no fear whatsoever and performed GREAT! It was a wonderful night! The show went great, I was proud of my classes, and I felt that it was the perfect way to end that phase of my life!

Cowabunga Bay: A Season of Splashin'

2011-08-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Cute Stockton

Annabelle-y

Stocky was in LOVE! He couldn't take his eyes off this cute little girl! They played together for quite a while, and let's just say he was smitten :)

The "Shark" is coming for Annabelle!

Stockton loves these little fountains! And he doesn't mind getting splashed one bit!

Thanks for the assist dad; I can almost walk by myself!

Drying off and hanging out

We were so excited to get season passes to Cowabunga Bay this summer! We took advantage of a Groupon deal, and got them at 50% off! It has definitely been worth it, and the kids have loved it. Stockton loves to crawl around on the "beach" and play in the fountains; he also loves to ride with dad through the lazy river.
Annabelle also loves playing on the beach and swimming around in the kiddie pool area. She doesn't venture over to the waterslides too much, other than to play with all the different water features. She went on one slide, one time, and that has been the extent of her waterslide experience thus far :) She loves riding through the lazy river with mom, and always meets a new friend or two each time we go. One afternoon, she found another cute little girl to play with; the little girl was wearing a Hello Kitty swimsuit, so Annabelle followed her around for more than an hour calling her "Hello Kitty!" It was so funny :)
Josh and I like to switch off watching the kids and going on the slides. We also love riding the lazy river all together while we work on our tans. Haha What tans right?! I'm so glad we bought these passes; it's such a great family activity on hot summer afternoons!

A Friend-ly Summer BBQ

2011-08-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT time at the playground with our friends and neighbors! We always spend time with them, but this time we thought it would be fun to actually have dinner together out at the playground and BBQ some hamburgers and hot dogs on the Stoddard's balcony. It was such a fun night! Annabelle and Stockton loved playing with their friends, and when the babies got tired, all we had to do was go plug in our monitors and set them out on our balconies--let the party continue! Haha :) If you look at the picture on the bottom left, there are actually 8 little kids in there! Lily, Briggs, Carly, Will, Annabelle, Addyson, Ashley and Mercedes! And we were actually missing 2 in that picture (Brayden and Emma). The kids were having a ball together in that windowsill!
Annabelle also LOVES playing with her friend Brayden (top and bottom right)! They are so similar it's nuts, and so cute. They miss each other when one of them goes away--"Brayden you were gone forever!"; they yell/talk to each other from each other's balconies during the day; Annabelle always wants to show Brayden when she gets something new; they play Ariel and Rapunzel together (Brayden has been known to defend Annabelle using a sword and shield); Brayden is the ONLY boy who can convince Annabelle to wear Iron Man attire--even the mask-- and play "bad guys"; Brayden likes dressing up just as much as she does; they love riding bikes together; they have dreams about each other; they tell Michelle and I that they are boyfriend/girlfriend, then get mad when we object, and they always sit by each other in primary and constantly make each other laugh and act silly! I love these two little kids...if only they could be betrothed right?! :)

Fun for Stockton!

So excited to watch Stockton, Briggs, Ashley and Addyson (not pictured) run around the playground together next summer!
Annabelle is with one of her best friends, Mercedes, playing on the slide. Lily and Mercedes live right beneath us and we see/talk to them all the time. Each time I get off the phone with Season, Annabelle asks "Is she going to send up the girls?" :)

LOVE this face!

Thanks for the fun night everyone! I'm sure we'll be doing it again very soon.

Pony Express Days CARNIVAL!

2011-08-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

"We're at the CARNIVAL! Yahoo!!!"

Rides, Cousins, and fun aunts and uncles!

Gorgeous Girls! Olivia & Annabelle

Don't you just LOVE baby faces?

We had a ton of fun at this year's Pony Express Days Carnival! Nikki, Eric, Liv, Brody, Brady, Angie, Rusty, Brittany, Paige, Daisy, Melody, my mom, and my dad all joined us at Nolan Park for rides, face painting, sno cones, fun slides, and more. Annabelle didn't quite know what to do with herself having ALL her cousins there with her--she was so excited! The rides are also great for kids like Annabelle--slow and steady, round and round and round...and round they go! Have you ever noticed how LONG the rides go at carnivals compared to amusement parks?! My goodness! Makes it hard to ride with the kids because I'm always afraid of getting sick! Anyway...despite all of that, it's such a fun event in the community and how can you NOT go when it's 5 minutes from your house?! You've just gotta go and have fun! Glad we did, and even more glad we had family to share it with!

The Pony Express Days Parade

2011-08-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

Annabelle and her posse of BFF's! These kids love each other: Brayden, Will, Mercedes, and Lily

Stockton loved the parade, and chowed down on some messy string cheese while he watched.

Annabelle spent about 65% of the parade running back and forth between her friends and these bushes! She was a little scared of the loud noises, animals, people throwing candy, guns and cannons, motorcycles...ummmmm pretty much she was scared of the parade itself :) Luckily about 45 minutes into it she started warming up a bit and began playing with her friends. She still never dared to venture out onto the road to collect candy; she preferred to wait by the curb and let the candy roll to her. As a result, we went home with about 6 pieces of candy total (and that included a few freebies her buddies shared with her)! Haha. She didn't seem to care though; she conquered her fears, eventually joined the group, laughed with her friends, ate a few pieces of candy, and went home a happy girl! Success!

We love our friends and neighbors! Our fun group of friends: The Turner family, The Bryson family, and the Stoddard family. Love them all!

Memorial Day 2011

2011-08-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Rained out!
This year we all rained out! I hate it when this happens! Memorial Day in Smithfield is a day I always look forward to--it's the ONLY family reunion Josh and I attend between both our families, and it holds a very special place in my heart. This isn't your typical huge family reunion with matching t-shirts and masses of random people you don't know, never did know, and never will know. This is a small gathering with my mom's immediate family and their children (aka--my cousins). Not just any cousins either--the cousins I grew up dancing with, cheering with, and dressing up with. Naturally, we all look forward to seeing each other, visiting, watching the dads and husbands play a game of softball, and letting our kids play together in the sand and on the playground. But it wasn't meant to be this year, which makes me sad. We did at least get to see everyone, even if it was for only 30 or 60 minutes! And most importantly, we got to visit "Smith" and remember her. I miss her very much, and I soooo wish she could be here to see and know Annabelle and Stockton :( I miss her house; I miss her smile; I miss hearing her voice; I miss Fridays--the way they used to be; I miss having a grandma here. Memorial Day at Smithfield will always be, and I suppose has always been a tribute to her and to her family. I'll never miss a Memorial Day at Smithfield--rain or shine. I Love you Grandma.
Happy Memorial Day!

Smith and Annabelle

Good Morning Stockton!

2011-08-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite milestones EVER!

Race for the Cure

2011-08-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Did not expect this many people--MILLIONS!

Heading out and ready to have a good time together

The participants

Annabelle was so cute jogging in the race! She was a trooper and walked/jogged about half the time! Baby Stock LOVES his walks, and is always happy to be outside!

Crossed the finish line! Annabelle and I were so excited to get our FREE orange and water bottle :)

Racing buddies!

What a fun time! It was so much different than I had anicipated, but it was great to be up early, outside, and with masses of people supporting a cause. Pretty much anytime I'm up early, outside, walking, and spending time with family, I'm in a REALLY good place! :) Summer is just not summer without morning walks with the kids!

Painting Princess

2011-08-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

We have a little artist on our hands! Lately Annabelle has been spending part of almost every day painting, coloring and cutting! She is so fun to watch, and is so meticulous with her brush strokes. She loves using all different sizes of brushes, all the colors, and both sides of the paper :) We love all the creations she comes up with--if only there were enough room to display them all! Can't wait to finish the toyroom so we can start hanging them up!

Annabelle rides a BIKE!

2011-08-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Annabelle was so excited to ride her bike for the 1st time, but quickly realized it would be a little challenging. She kept wanting to pedal backward (like she does on a trike), and that would cause her to break and stop. It took her a while to get the hang of it, and after getting so frustrated one day on the playground, she abandoned her bike and wouldn't get on it again for over a month! Then one day, she randomly asked if I would get her bike out. I got it out, gave it to her on the playground, and within 30 minutes she was making laps like she was an old pro! I guess she just needed a break from all the pressure and had to do it on her own timing :) Now she rides almost every day, loves riding around with her friends, and most of all loves taking Susan and Sophie with her in the back seat :)

It's definitely the dad's job to teach the kids how to ride a bike! And boy were they cute!

Adorable Cousins

2011-08-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures of the girls. They can be so crazy at times, but they really do love each other so much! They talk about each other when they're apart; they run out and greet each other wherever they might be meeting up; they give each other hugs and kisses; they forgive and forget; most importantly, they LOVE unconditionally. And that's why we all LOVE all of them SO MUCH!

Bliss

2011-08-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Bos Family: Easter 2011

Sweet sweet pictures of the kids. Happy & loving--2 qualities I hope they NEVER lose!

I love my family!

Let the Hunt Begin!

2011-08-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

The girls are ready and EXCITED to see each other and find some eggs!

Paige is giving Annabelle one of the eggs she found. Thanks for sharing Paige!

Annabelle was darling, and found most of her eggs herself :)

Look at my basket!

Thank you Grandma and Papa for such a wonderful egg hunt on Easter! The kids each took home a basket full of eggs, candy, and other fun surprises. But I'm sure the best part of all was getting to run around the yard and play with each other, help each other find eggs, and show each other their treasures :) Can't wait to watch Stockton run around next year--watch out Rusty and Melody! I can only imagine... :) It's going to be so fun!

All Dressed up for Easter!

2011-08-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Are they gorgeous or what?!

Josh isn't too bad either

Sweet Annabelle!

I don't know what it is about holidays, but the kids just seem to look like they're glowing, inside and out! Stocky and Annabelle were super cute in their coordinating Easter outfits. Josh and I attempted to coordinate with them, but who were we kidding? Like anyone actually looks at us! Haha! It was fun for us though :)

The Easter Bunny Came!

2011-08-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

A new bike for Annabelle and a new truck for Stockton!

The happy response!

Definitely satisfied!

Easter morning is so fun as a parent! It's so fun to anticipate the excitment of the kids, and to watch their faces light up. They were both happy and ready to try out their new toys!

Grandma's Easter Egg Party

2011-08-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Annabelle LOVED coloring easter eggs with her cousins at Grandma's house! I couldn't believe how well she did, and how she didn't even need my help very much :( How sad is that?!

Cousins and Friends--Always making each other laugh!

Thanks for the cute bunny treats Grandma!

So silly

Fun in the yard to wrap up a fun day

Play days are the BEST!

A SAD Goodbye

2011-08-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Annabelle was SO excited to meet Rapunzel! She has loved her ever since the movie came to theatres. When we were in line to meet Rapunzel, she was more than excited and waited about an hour to finally get her turn! Just prior to going inside, we also learned that FLYNN RIDER was there with Rapunzel! All of the sudden, Annabelle went into hysterics and wouldn't go in...which is CRAZY because she loves Flynn (who doesn't)! We were beside ourselves, trying to console her and figure out the problem. After a good 5-minute cry, she agreed to go in...only if Flynn would leave to go feed Maximus. So...sadly...Flynn left Rapunzel alone, and Annabelle went in. I guess it was too little too late however. Annabelle wouldn't even look at Rapunzel, let alone talk to her. She did, to her cedit, stop crying while she was in there. Josh was a champ though; he made sure to have Rapunzel sign Annabelle's book, and even posed for a picture so she would have the memory of meeting her. I know it sounds silly, but it was soooooooooo sad for all of us. Annabelle had been waiting so long to meet her, and for whatever reason (probably overtired and overwhelmed and overstimulated), she just couldn't handle the situation. Even as I look at this picture it makes me tear up and want to cry. I know, I know, I'm crazy. It was the one thing Annabelle was MOST excited about, and because we did this the last day, we didn't have the opportunity to give her another chance :( Hopefully we'll be back real soon, while she's still little, to give her that 2nd chance!! Can't wait!

Welcome to Pixie Hollow!

2011-08-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Annabelle was so excited to meet Fawn, but she would only smile at her :) Fawn was cute when she started yelling "Hellooooooooooo! Where's your voice?!" Annabelle warmed right up to her and even told Fawn her name!

I love how Tinkerbell is focused on Annabelle 100%! They sure do make you wait a long time to see them, but when you get a meeting like this, you're left thinking "What wait? They are amazing!" Haha

Paige is filling in Tinkerbell on the fact that she and Daisy are sisters, and Annabelle is their cousin :)

Super cute!

Pixie Hollow was fun! I wish we could've met Rosetta and Silvermist, but alas...it wasn't meant to be. Fawn and Tinkerbell were great; we just wanted more...of course. Maybe next time...

Bug's Land--Fun in the Sun!

2011-08-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! If I could go back to California just to re-live this moment, I would pay all the money and do it in a heartbeat! Pure JOY!

Stockton Meets Buzz!

2011-08-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Stockton was SO cute when he met Buzz and Jessie! He loves Toy Story and loved smacking Buzz in the face while he was talking to him! :) Annabelle also loves Jessie, but she chickened out at the last second and made Stocky and Josh meet them alone. Yeah Stockton!

Ariel's Grotto

2011-08-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is...MAGICAL!

Annabelle's 1st Photo with a Princess!

2011-08-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

This was the very 1st time in Disneyland that Annabelle actually went up and talked to a princess! We stood in line to talk to Aurora after the Princess Fantasy Fair, and it was well worth it. After this darling meeting, Annabelle was ready and willing to pose and approach the disney princesses and fairies! On a side note, isn't Aurora beautiful?! No wonder Annabelle loved her :)

Jungle Fever

2011-08-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun on the Jungle River Cruise!

Paige protected Annabelle, and everyone made it out alive! :)

This elephant was so fun to see! Loved it!

The Princesses at Play

2011-08-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Dancing and playing after lunch!

Water fun in Toontown! Could've stayed there for a few more hours and the kids would have been perfectly happy! :)

What an awesome day full of memories!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo-tique!

2011-08-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Step 3: Put on a beautiful gown, add a crown, and smile!

Step 4: Share the experience with your cousin!

What an incredible experience for them--worth every penny!

Welcome to Disneyland

2011-08-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

We were SO excited to be there! Snow White was our 1st princess sighting...Annabelle was starstruck and would only admire her from afar. Snow White was a true princess and came over to talk to Annabelle, to tell her she was beautiful and not to worry. After all, Bashful is quite shy also :)

Our 1st ride! Always a favorite, even for Josh. Check out that excitement!

Stockton LOVED the merry-go-round!

Staring at Rapunzel's Tower, hoping she'll pop her head out any second...

What an AMAZING 1st day! Disneyland is pure magic, I absolutely LOVE everything about it. Annabelle LOVES princesses so much, especially Rapunzel (watched the movie everyday leading up to the trip)! But when it actually came down to meeting and seeing them on her 1st day, she was just so overwhelmed she didn't quite know what to do :) She headed over to Peter Pan after the merry-go-round, and had a great time! Stockton was adorable on the rides as well; he is such a fun little ball of energy!! Luckily for Annabelle, her mommy booked her a Princess Makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. There is nothing short of becoming a princess yourself that'll get you in the perfect mind-set and mood for Disneyland...

Pit Stop in Vegas

2011-08-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Arriving in the big city of Las Vegas, and so excited to play together!

The Handsome Bos Boys

Gorgeous Annabelle

Ya...this is pretty much really sexy to me :)

We had a GREAT time in one of our favorite places--Las Vegas! Granted, we were just stopping for one night on our way to DISNEYLAND, but we hit the most important, kid-friendly hot spots: The Bellagio atrium, the Coke Store, M&M World, and the fountains at Bellagio (although due to a string of bad luck and bad timing, we didn't get to actually see a water show) Sigh...Thank you "World of Color" for helping us get our water fountain fix. Phew! The kids were grateful to get out of the car and finally see something, and those fruit tarts at the Bellagio bakery are AMAZING! I have to eat one every time I'm there! Loved these pictures of the kids and Josh--does he get sexiest dad alive or what?!

I LOVE my kids!

2011-08-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

So Blessed. Could not possibly love them more. XOXO

Girls Night!

2011-07-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to plan Annabelle's very first Girls Night with her cute cousins! Paige and Olivia came over to our house to play at the playground, walk to the gas station for treats, watch "Tangled," get matching hairstyles, dance, and sleep all together on a big bed in the front room! They had so much fun together--more fun than I even anticipated (I didn't predict they'd keep each other up talking and giggling so late...too cute)! They even started doing the Tinkerbell friendship pledge together--
"Faith, Trust, and Pixiedust!"
Olivia had to leave us in the morning to play soccer, but Paige stayed for a while longer and we all went swimming!
It was a HUGE success, the girls had a blast, and Annabelle talked about it for days and days and days :)
I'm seeing more of these fun nights in our future!

Matching braids!

Dancing to the "Tangled" credits!

"Faith, Trust, and Pixiedust!"

Sitting up in the Tub!

2011-07-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

So sweet

Ok really...stop taking my picture mom :)

It was so fun to see Stockton sitting up in the tub all by himself. This kid is sooooooooooooo cute!

Graduate!

2011-07-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our newest graduate!
Woohoo!!!

Stocky...

2011-07-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

"Stocky Bodacious Banana Bobby"

Yeehaw!

2011-07-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun meeting up with the Simspon girls at Cabelas! I've never seen such cute cowgirls!

Yeehaw!