Camping 2009

July was a crazy month for us! We are so very blessed with awesome friends and did an annual camping trip with them. This year Matt surprised me with my very own paintball gun for the paintball competitions that we take very seriously...LOL.

July 2009

Bison Ranch Family Trip 2009

We had a blast in July, headed up to a timeshare in Bison Ranch with my parents and my brothers and their families! Memories are Priceless.....

Mallory's First Dance Recital

Easter 2009

Saturday Meemaw had all the grandkids over to decorate Easter eggs. We grilled Carne Asada and even got some family Karaoke in after dinner. Easter morning the kids woke up at 7am, found their baskets and waited for Matt to get home from work @ 8am. When Matt got home we had our family Easter egg hunt and got to rummage thru the candy! We then headed over for lunch at my parents house where all the grandkids get together for the big Easter Egg Hunt. I think the parents have more fun trying to find new hiding places!

The kids seemed to have alot of fun this Easter. Maddox is old enough now that he was able to hunt for his own eggs without alot of direction and Mallory had a blast with her cousins trying to find the plastic eggs with dollars in them.

Tempe Music Festival 4/03/2009

April 4th was The Tempe Music Festival. Matt and I have always loved going to concerts and an outside music festival is even more energizing! Our good friends Rob and Sarah happen to be crazy about "The Refreshments" Now known as

"Roger Cline & The Peacemakers" and when Matt and I heard that "Kid Rock" was there with "Cowboy Mouth" we knew we had to go! The concert was great but I guess that I am definitely getting older and more laid back cuz their seemed to be alot more crazy people in the world that night! I was then thinking about the crowd that probably follows "Kid Rock", cheap $20 tickets and an outside venue with 6 beer gardens probably attracted 50% of the "whiskey Tango's" I witnessed. To say the least it was a blast and memories were made!

Cabin Fever!

We went up to Pine this last weekend. Kendra, Harley and kids went with us to enjoy some much needed R & R. It was great to just head up north with no plans. We stayed at the O'Connor's cabin and are forever grateful for their hospitality. The weekend was full of relaxing on the back porch with a outside fire, smores and beautiful view of the natural forest. We took the kids fishing and found some snow for sledding on the way home. The weather was perfect! Unfortunately, I always seemed to be without my camera, guess I was too busy taking it all in. Getting away for a few days always seems to be the perfect therapy for a stress filled life!

Snow Day!!!

Finally last weekend we got to head up north to the snow! Our family loves the snow and looks forward to our snow trips! The kids are still kind of young for skiing or snowboarding so we just head up and sled! On the way up, we have made a tradition to stop at Rock Springs Cafe and eat breakfast. Maddox and Mallory found the good 'ole quarter horse rides and it took me back to when my parents would let us ride them outside of YellowFront! (Yes, We had to shop @ Yellow Front too). We are blessed in the fact that we have great friends who have a cabin in Pine and we are able to stay there anytime so we made an overnight trip. Unfortunately around 8pm maddox got a touch of the stomache bug and we headed home for comfort! As many of you know, Last Wednesday Matts Dad passed away so we are headed up again this weekend so Matt can relax and escape!

Valentines Dance

On Friday night; Mallory and Matt got to go to their first Father/Daughter dance together. Mallory was really excited, she loved getting all dressed up and getting her hair done. Matt surprised Mallory by borrowing a 1959 Mustang Cobra from a friend and got to drive around in a very fast car. Ginger and I stayed home with the boys and enjoyed Pizza and a movie!

Maddox 's first Motorcycle Ride

Maddox has been infatuated with horses and motorcycles for a while now. He always has to roll down the car window when we stop at a light and a motorcycle is next to us. He loves the sound. On Superbowl Sunday Maddox saw Harley's motorcycle and went crazy. Fisrt he just wanted to sit on it,then
he started making the revving sound,....Harley asked Maddox if he wanted a ride and Maddox was smiling from ear to ear. He was a little aprrehensive to get on at first, now he wont stop talking about it. Last night I was putting him to bed and I always ask him what was his favorite part of the day, of course last night it was ridin the motorcycle. I was walking out of the room and he blurts out " Mom, you get me motorcycle and I be good boy!!" I could'nt help but bust out laughing, he was laughing too and then he said " Okay when I turn 6 you buy me one". Atleast I have 3 more years to put it off! Thanks Harley and Kendra for making Maddox gleam!

Mallory's 6th Birthday

UFC (Bj Penn Vs. St. Pierre) took place during Mallory's birthday party. I love hosting gatherings and making memories with friends and family.

Mallory had a great birthday. She had 5 girls spend the night. They danced, made Valentines mailboxes, and baked cookies. On Sunday morning the girls made homemade Cardinals Superbowl shirts. I had alot of fun watching Mallory act so grown up! All this took place while the adults were watching UFC (Bj Penn Vs. St. Pierre.......poor BJ) It was great to hang out with family and friends all together. We've always been pretty good about keeping it one big circle. Thank You to everyone who made my little girl feel special with all the great gifts.

Sunday was the big game day. SuperBowl was at Harley and Kendra's. Matt was on shift but enjoyed the last part of the game with his crew. I feel like the weekend went by so fast.

My liitle princess is 6 years old.

This weekend has been crazy fun! Friday, Matt took pink roses to Mallory's school and he delivered the cupcakes for her birthday. Matt promised Mallory two years ago that every year for her birthday she would get pink roses. Thursday night Mallory reminded her daddy about the deal! Kendra and I went shopping for all the birthday celebration stuff and had fun finding all the girly stuff that would keep 6 girls entertained. Saturday came fast and Mallory got all dressed up and went to get her hair done at Cheryl's house. Mallory got to go see the "Lion King" play at the Gammage with her Nanna.

Saturday Mallory and I got to go with Kendra and Morgan to see Tatum and Jayden's dance troupe perform at a dance competition. We even got a 'lil shopping in before it was time to head home. ( Okay honestly I spent $22 at the Tilly's.) Matt took Maddox and Hunter to the Paseo Verde Park and did some Urban Fishin' They caught a 14 inch trout and Maddox and Matt threw it on the grill and ate it, I will admit it tasted just like anyother trout ive tasted. Saturday night we headed out to WestWorld and watched a horse show that Matts Brother's girlfriend Terri was riding in. Maddox loved it and I of 'course I forgot the camera in the car so we did get a pic in when we were leaving. Atleast the kids are all smiles!!!

SuperBowl Baby!!!!!

Can you believe the Cardinals are going to the SuperBowl? Matt and I were talking the other night. We figured out that with 40 to 1 odds against the Cardinals going to the SuperBowl we could have made a simple $40,000 profit if we had placed a measley $1000 bet on our home town boys! Instead we play it safe and Matt bets his Captain a foot lickin if the Cardinals dont go to the SuperBowl! (we always seem to be a step behind.) Good News for Matt, I dont think Darren is going to make him pay up!

We had a great weekend! We hosted the Cardinals playoff game on Sunday and had a blast hanging with old friends, Kendra helped Mallory with her Chia pet that she was so eager to do, we may even sprout in the next few days. Mallory had Tatum and Morgan spend the night and they must have been wiped out cuz when I checked on them @ 1030 pm I saw 3 little angels asleep. (I never even told them it was time to settle). I owe it to those girls for helping Mallory complete her "100 things" project. Unfortunately the project was in need of some repairs, on Monday. While Tia was left home alone in the house she managed to eat half of the "100 things". We now know that she prefers fruit loops, animal crackers and fruit snacks over the raisins. It all worked out and Mallory got a "job well done" at school today!

Goodbye 2008...Helllo 2009

I still havent figured out where 2008 went! I will admit I am glad that its a new year and we can put the old to rest! I woke up the other morning thinking about how fast my life is going......Im done having kids....(they amaze me each day how independent they want to be), I have my degree and have no desire to go back to school for anything else, and life seems satus quo!

December went by faster than I had imagined. Christmas was great, we focused on making Christmas traditions and just spending time with friends and family, (the way it should be). I had a birthday on Dec. 27th and am officially well into my thirties at 32 . My cousin Julie came to visit form Nebraska (GO Huskers!!!), The last time I had seen her I was 21. We spent some quality time together, drank alot of wine and I even got a new hair color out of it!

Now life is back to normal........Busy normal. Matt is back to his normal work schedule after his sinus surgery and Mallory was ecstatic to go back to school. Maddox is attending Miss Jamie's for daycare and begs me to go even on my days off.......so I guess he like it! Matts still teaching at SiegeMMA and training has been alot easier after his sinus surgery...the poor boy can finally breathe thru his nose.

The Cardinals are playing Sunday and we are hosting a few friends over to celebrate thier victory against the Eagles! Can you believe its been 50+ years since a playoff game....2009 has got to be a good year!!!