Crazy Beautiful Life

'twas the day before thanksgiving...

2010-11-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

wednesday morning started out like most wednesday mornings...kids up just after 6, asking for breakfast, fighting over crayons, crying about who turned on the light...you know, the happy sounds of another day beginning...

the kids didn't have school (neither did dave, actually), which really translates to an entire day of fighting, crying, whining...gee, i couldn't wait!

a little background: ellie burned her hand the night before on the fireplace glass...you know, the glass that covers the flame for protection...yes, that glass. we gave her some tylenol and covered her hand with a sock when she went to bed and decided to check it in the morning.

back to wednesday morning...ellie's hand is blistering and oozing. bad news. gotta call the doctor.

tears from joe...really? he's 10 and the usual bully around here. his soft spot: rascal, his pet rat. it would seem the rat was bleeding from his ears and an eye, and had some awful blister things on his hind feet. gross. gotta call the vet.

as it turns out, ellie has a second-degree burn on her hand...so sad. she's been a really good sport about it, actually. i feel so bad...and we turned off the pilot light for the fireplace, guess it's just for looks now.

about an hour before the vet appointment we found rascal dead in his cage. a very sad moment at our house, that little rodent was dearly loved. i even sorta kinda thought he was okay...for a rat. actually, he was cute...he was this golden color, like a hamster. as long as i didn't look at his long tail, i liked him.

lots of hugs. lots of tears. joseph didn't understand how rascal could die when he said a prayer that he wouldn't...tough questions with some tough answers, but i think he's getting it. joe decorated a box with his name on it and some messages of love...we wrapped the poor thing in a washcloth and buried him in the backyard. the kids wanted to do like they saw in "marley & me" and each say something to him at the "funeral". aubrey couldn't hold back her tears, she was a sobbing mess, poor girl. she read a letter that she wrote to rascal: "dear rascal, i love you. i will miss you, you were like a brother to me." should i be worried? spencer gave a long speech, it was adorable. my favorite thing he said was "we buyed you at the pet store, but i know that jesus made you to come to our family."--aww! rip, rascal...we will miss you!

we ate cold cereal and krispy kreme for dinner...seems fitting since tomorrow we will stuff ourselves silly with thanksgiving!!!!

i am thankful that the day before thanksgiving is over...

so fun i can't even stand it

2010-11-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

socks on his head...because that is the silliest thing he could do

i am the worst blogger! i keep thinking that i need to post about cool stuff we do, places we go, awesome achievements of the kids...but really i just need to post about us. we rarely do "cool stuff" or "go places" or have "awesome achievements" (ok, not that my kids don't do great stuff, but you know what i mean...)...so i'm just gonna bore you to death and talk about our terribly ordinary life...

ellie and spence are cuter than anything ever. i love love love these two little monkeys!! maybe i'm just better at appreciating the preschool years now that i know i'm at the end of it? i don't know...but i really have so much fun with them. they love to quote movies and talk in silly voices...where in the world did that come from?! dave is proud...:) they are both very snuggly and affectionate, too, which is my absolute most favorite thing. ellie tells me i'm her best friend...i hope that lasts! and spencer wants my help to do most everything because, as he says, "you are just magical, mom!" :)

i feel really blessed with spence and ellie...they are a little closer in age than joe and aubrey (17 months vs. 20 months) but really remind me so much of the older two. i know that i was a little more uptight earlier in my mom years :) and i dealt with some really awful depression junk the first year of aubrey's life--making it so that i have very little memory at all of that period of time. i just feel like, in some ways, i'm getting a chance to do it again...to have my little boy and little girl and be a little more chilled out and enjoy the things i hurried through before.

what a lucky mom i am...the most funnest (yes, mari, i know it's not a real word) kids are MINE!!!!! :)

fall at home

2010-10-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

this is one of my very favorite things about missouri...the huge trees, stunning fall colors...i love to look out over the rolling hills, covered in oranges and yellows and reds. i love to drive down a tree-lined road in the fall...it feels like i'm driving through a rainbow.

i love the fall! pumpkin-flavored everything, thanksgiving, jackets, apples, bonfires, snuggling and big blankets...ah, so cozy!

i hope you are enjoying fall, wherever you are...

just a plug

2010-10-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

so i want to keep this blog personal and just about our little family...so this is probably the only plug i'm going to give for my new blog (although there is a link to it in my "friends and family" list)...

www.realitiesofasahm.blogspot.com

there are 5 stay-at-home moms that make this blog. we each have a day of the week assigned to us to post...my day is wednesdays. saturdays are fun and extra features and sundays are recipes. it has been a really fun thing to be a part of, i love love love love my job as a s@hm and feel so blessed to be able to live that dream. but it's not all roses, and this blog community has become a very therapeutic way to connect with other moms...we share experiences that we can all relate to, the good and the hard. i love being able to lift and be lifted, to laugh and to inspire.

so, if you haven't read us yet...check it out! if you become a regular reader or follower there are benefits...we have giveaways every couple of weeks and we are starting a "featured follower" thing...and other, bigger stuff is coming...

hope you enjoy it as much as i do!!

what have we been up to?!

2010-09-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

good question...school started for 5 members of our family in the month of august! that's a lot of pencils and notebooks and glue sticks, by the way. but my favorite is seeing those 5 lunchbags all lined up on the counter. or the backpacks all hung in a row. it's just...i don't know. happy.

joseph is in middle school?! yep, 5th grade. it's been a big adjustment, mostly about being the new kid. there are 2 middle schools in nixa and we moved across the boundary line...so everyone he has known for 5 years is at the other school. it actually has made time at home and scouts that much for fun for him, yay! :)

aubrey is in 3rd grade and growing up! she loves walking to school, being on the 'green team'--the recycling club--and making new friends. she has the coolest teacher ever, mr. brockmeyer. he's all about rock 'n roll, so they have lots of fun in class.

gracie likes meeting boys. and older girls. she also likes walking to school, and 1st grade is proving to be a fun time for her. awesome aunt ashley has been tutoring her and her reading is really improving. her favorite thing is having a home lunch. she even packs her own sometimes!

spencer has hit the big world of pre-school...i love to listen to him talk about his classmates, it's the cutest thing ever. he takes his snack in a lunchbag like the big kids, pretty much makes his day to drink a capri sun. he refuses to wear any of his old play clothes to school...only the new clothes will do!

and dave...ta da! full-time this semester in the ota program. it's really happening!!! he's doing great, everyone loves him (duh) and he loves what he is learning. he already has to put in requests for internship places next year, so he's busy figuring out what he wants to check out. this is sooooo his thing!

ellie and i are the loners at home :) she's so much fun to hang out with, i will miss her in 2 years when she goes to preschool...and i'm not wishing the time away, i just know it's going to be here before i know it! lots of hugging and snuggling and dancing and giggling, that's what we do all day!

so there you have it!

Easter

2010-08-29T19:09:00.001-07:00

The End

2010-08-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Joseph was fascinated with Grandma Cluff's house and all her family history...his favorite was the actual wooden leg of Marshall Hunt, the father of Jefferson Hunt (captain in the Mormon Battalion)...very cool :)

Me, Grandma Cluff, Coco, Joseph, Luke, Spencer

Ellie, Me, Grandma Cluff, Coco, Aubrey, and Gracie

We also had SO MUCH FUN with Kaydence, my cousin's little girl that is exactly Ellie's age. Joseph and Luke buddied up quickly and had a blast. We loved every minute of our trip, going home was hard to do!

Attack of the Cactus...

2010-08-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

We spent the last few days of our trip up in Paulden with my Aunt Colleen & Uncle Rick...and GRANDMA!! :) We did so much lounging and visiting that the camera didn't hardly come out at all...which I am so sad about because Grandma was the real reason for the trip! I do have a few pics we snapped with her before we headed out...next post!

Dave took the kids one afternoon up to a lake (I don't remember what it was called!) for a little hike...they had fun...until Gracie fell into a cactus! Poor thing, we had to just pitch her jeans and her jacket, there were so many spines in them it wasn't even worth trying to get them all out! Her leg was pretty prickly for a few days but she really did well and didn't complain much :)

I know Aubrey will hate me one day for posting this picture with her belly hanging out...but it's the only shot we have of her on this hike!

Just about 2 minutes after this shot she met the cactus...

Phoenix Zoo

2010-08-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of pictures...mostly self-explanatory! We had a great time at the Phoenix Zoo, so much to see and do...

Spencer-dundee

Little Mermaid?

Our family...plus Tammy's finger :)

Aubrey had a blast milking the cow...it was harder than she thought!

Gracie's even a poser on a wooden horse!

Joe's only disappointment was that this wasn't a real kimodo dragon!

Goofy Gang

He was actually a little scared to touch this gorilla hand at first :)

Wow!!

I wish you could tell from this picture how HUGE this guy was...the biggest thing I've ever seen!

Tammy & Graham...we love them!

The monkey house was really cool...these little guys were just running around free and we got to walk around in the place with them. Cute!

The 9-and-under crowd

Me, Meg, and Ellie

Posing again...see the rhino's?

Spencer wanted to ride this thing so bad!

Can you tell the difference between the giraffe's and the palm trees?

Pageant

2010-08-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

After a great day of hiking we spent the evening at the Easter Pageant on the temple grounds in Mesa...wonderful! A nice Roman soldier posed with the kids...Spencer's got the whip :)

Long-awaited Part 3...for reals :)

2010-08-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

These pics are from our fun hike up Usery Pass...great views, great hike, great company :) My cousin Meg hiked with us and Tammy and Graham staked out a picnic spot. Aubrey ran just about the whole way up! And Spencer did a lot of walking...in fact, he didn't have to be carried until about halfway back down. Fun time!

Aubrey, Joe, and Dave went all the way to the top...hung out a bit in these wind caves

This is one of my most favorites...Spencer got up on this big rock and turned around to look out...and said "Take a picture of me, I'm thinking!" :) so here he is, pondering the view

Sisters

The kids and Meg...best cousin ever! Spencer is still nursing a little crush on her :)

Gotta have a shot by the big saguaro! Classic Arizona :)

pinky promise

2010-07-14T12:18:00.001-07:00

this is a promise post...

a promise to blog again soon...

starting with the rest of our magnificent spring break trip!!

and in case you were wondering, our summer is awesome...lots of swimming and grilling and sleepovers...just what summer should be! :)

Part 2

2010-04-20T18:50:00.001-07:00

Uncle Dave (the fire chief!) treated all the kids to hats and fun with his fire truck! And look at little cutie Graham! We had fun with that little boy...

Fire-fightin' Brown kids

Fun at the park!

One of my most favorite pictures of Aubrey ever!!

Joe catching some serious air!

Gracie goose

Ellie on the swings

Spencer digging...he loves him some dirt/sand and a pail and shovel! Can anyone say "boy"?! :)

Tammy had a fun park just up the road from her house...Dave and the kids had a lot of fun there more than once! The kids also spent a good amount of time in the pool, eventhough the water was cold! Also...picking vegetables from the garden and watching the cousins try to get a blow dart out of the rear end of a mother dove! :) There's a story there, but I won't rat on Colin. :) Speaking of Colin, we got no pictures! :( He's an awesome guy and I do believe he was the first of a few crushes Gracie developed on this trip...

Arizona Spring Break...Part 1

2010-04-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been almost a month and I'm finally coming out of my post-spring-break depression enough to finally talk about it! :) We had a WONDERFUL time on our trip out west, full of "firsts" and many happy, happy memories!

I have no idea how many posts it will take to document this trip, so we'll just start at the beginning and see where it takes us! :)

We started our Spring Break by celebrating Gracie's 6th birthday! We had her little celebration at home before jetting off to the airport! She is the happy owner of jewelry, a new bag, cowboy boots, and riding lessons! :)

Just a picture of my elementary school...when I was a student here (kindergarten through 3rd grade) we were the Hartford Hurricanes. Now they are the Hartford Huskies--and the sign is in Spanish.

I almost hesitated posting this picture because it's so sad to me...this is my childhood home at 883 W. Del Rio in Chandler...it looks so run-down...bars on the windows?! Our neighborhood is a little ghetto now, very strange feeling.

My kids enjoying some ELMER'S!!!! This place makes the YUMMIEST green chile burros you will ever feast on...for reals, we dig it!

Ellie is her daddy's baby, chugging horchata at Elmer's!

So this pretty much takes you through day 1...things we don't have pictures of are all 7 of us on the airplane--we carried on all our luggage and 2 car seats. :) The kids did awesome on the ride out and when we landed in Mesa we had the BEST surprise waiting for us...Aunt Tammy and Uncle Dave and Chelsea!!! :) They were waiting at the gate with a big sign and balloons...it was awesome and I'm really sad we don't have a picture of that! We got to Tammy and Dave's about 11:30pm and Tammy filled everyone's tummy with yummy cinnamon toast and it was off to bed!

Sigh

2010-04-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's getting close to Mother's Day...I know this because at Wal-Mart last night they had a huge display of Mother's Day cards. Cute ones. Pretty ones. Sweet and sentimental ones. Funny ones.

I wanted to read them.

I wanted to BUY them.

I really want to buy a Mother's Day card this year.

Aubrey

2010-03-11T06:43:00.001-08:00

She did it!! Aubrey got baptized Sunday, March 7, 2010. It was an awesome night...she shared her baptism with Amber Lorenc! Amber's mom, Jamie, and I have been best friends since we were 12...and we had our first baby girls a day apart! It was really fun and really special for these girls to share their special day, they are great friends and I am so proud of them both!!

Aubrey and her daddy...Dave got a great birthday present in being able to baptize Aubrey on his birthday! I think she's one lucky little girl to have such a great dad!

Aubrey and her proud mom and dad...

Aubrey Vernene...isn't she gorgeous?!

Okay, this picture is just so classic Aubrey! She's a free spirit...just gotta get that cake in, who cares about the mess?! :)

It was a great birthday weekend for all of us...Grandma and Grandpa Brown came out from Utah to be here for the special occasion and we just partied non-stop! Saturday (mine and Aubrey's birthday) we had a big pizza and cupcake party with family and friends...the house was full but what a fun time we had with our dance off!! Even Grandma Brown did it!!! Sunday (Dave's birthday) was more food and the baptism and a fun time with family!

We are so glad to have Aubrey in our family. She is the best birthday present I ever received, we have so much fun together! Aubrey is very kind and tender-hearted, but she can be silly and giggle with the best of them! There's not a mean bone in her body and she believes that everyone is good...she is very often the one that befriends the "bullies" or "outcasts" at school and has a sweet and gentle manner with them. She has no shortage of friends and never had anything bad to say about anyone...she gets that from her namesake. :) She is an excellent reader and speller and has the neatest handwriting, it's so pretty! Although she is not an attention hog at all, she does love to perform and sing...she's Broadway material!

WE LOVE AUBREY!!

8

2010-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Veggies. Fruit. I feel really lucky that I like most all of them. But I'm facing a new, although self-imposed, challenge...eating 8 a day!

I cannot diet. Nor do I really want to...I want to make better choices that I can live with my whole life. I want to lose weight in a healthy way and never be where I am now again. So, I have chosen to focus more on what I CAN eat than what I CAN'T eat...it's a mental thing. Instead of telling myself I can't have Dr. Pepper, I tell myself I can have 8 glasses of water a day...and I naturally have very little room for the nectar of the gods. :) I don't tell myself I can't have dessert or chips, but after I have eaten the fresh stuff I need to, I am too full to even think about a chocolate cupcake! I know, it's very weird...

So this is the second week of trying to get in 8 servings every day, and although I have done pretty well, each day seems to be more of a challenge. I think I am bored...so I need suggestions!! Already I add multiple fruits to my smoothies, drink V8, add more veggies to my eggs or casseroles, always eat 2-3 with dinner...but I'm sort of stuck in a rut.

What are some easy and delicious ways you vamp up the fruits and veggies in your diet?

Potty Chair

2010-02-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

I just found the most awesome thing!!! As you all know, I'm a die-hard BYU Cougar fan...go Cougars!!! Check this out...eventhough I only have 1 child left to potty-train, I'm really thinking about it...

A potty chair that plays the Cougar fight song!! I need this!!

Heaven in a Cup

2010-02-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Have you ever had it? No joke, it's the yummiest...I don't even have a favorite thing, it's all pure divinity!!!
And I've been eating much too much of it lately. Can't decide which I want more...a size 8 or a cup of delectable frozen custard?! A real toss-up...

Just a House

2010-02-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

I have no good explanation for why I am on the computer--blogging--at 10:26pm on the eve of my big move. It certainly is NOT because I don't have 4 million and 9 things to do...the refrigerator has not been cleaned, the toys have not been packed (or even picked up), the pantry is still full of food, pictures are still on the wall, clothes are still in dressers and closets. Okay, so if you can count you realize that I didn't just name 4 million and 9 things...but you get my point, right?

I think I am trying to avoid the FINAL de-robing of my home. It still feels like my home with the pictures on the wall and my fun vinyl quotes. It still feels like my closet when I go get a shirt off the hanger. It still feels like my kitchen when I prepare a snack from a full fridge and well-stocked pantry instead of boxes. It most definitely still feels like my home when I trip over trains on the stairs and barbies on the family room floor.

I'm not ready to let go yet.

But it's just a house, right? A home is my family...and, thankfully, each of those precious faces will be joining me in our new abode. And we get to see more of each other since we're giving up 1,000 square feet!

It's just a house.
It's just a house.
It's just a house.

But it's MY house. My home.

I will really miss the gorgeous trees out the back in the fall, all lit-up in red and gold and orange.
I will really miss the gigantic bedrooms for my kids.
I will really miss our wonderful next-door neighbors, the Stowes.
I will sort-of miss the neighbor boy walking into my house (and my bedroom) unannounced.
I will sort-of miss 3 bathrooms and 2 living areas.
I will not miss the sloping backyard.
I will not miss the stairs.

I will miss my home.

But it's just a house.

House Pictures

2010-01-27T07:18:00.000-08:00

So this post is just kind of "FYI" for the people who have requested pictures of my house. These photos are from last spring when we had it on the market--I don't dare take current pictures because we are in chaos! :) Packing and tossing stuff out, we are moving next week. The house will go back up for sale, but not until we are out...I can't even stomach the thought of living here and keeping it "show clean" with all my kids and daycare...nightmare! I learned a long time ago that "clean enough to live in" and "clean enough to show" are different things. :)

Family Room (basement)

Downstairs Bathroom
Girls' Bedroom

Boys' Bedroom

Kitchen/Dining

Upstairs Bathroom

Master Bathroom--redecorated since this pic

Master Bedroom--redecorated since this pic

Nursery--now it's the office

Living Room

Front of House

Ellie's Morning Attire

2010-01-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

This morning Ellie came up the stairs wearing this! She was also demanding breakfast and her Uncle Jarom. This girl loves her some strawberry oatmeal and Uncle Jarom!! It is now 9:30...and she's still wearing most of this. The sunglasses proved too annoying to eat in so they had to go. Spencer snatched one of her necklaces and there was a small scuffle regarding Spencer's crocs...but in the end, Ellie Almighty won and now she's sitting on the couch in her morning garb, watching "Max & Ruby", her tummy full of strawberry oatmeal...but still no Uncle Jarom.

He's at school. You know, that wretched place that snags all her older playmates for hours and days and years on end. Not sure how this little thing will make it through when Jarom goes on a mission in a year and a half...and then to college...and then gets married and lives far, far away. I'm not gonna tell her about all that stuff yet.

Background

2010-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know my background has been the same since I started my blog. Yes, I know there are ways to change it. Yes, I know there are kazillions of ADORALBE blog backgrounds available...but I am just computer-challenged enough that I don't have the energy to figure it out again. :) One of these days (soon, I hope) I will get around to changing it up for your viewing enjoyment! Until then...pink it is.

Spicey Spencer

2009-12-17T12:30:00.001-08:00

Spencer was taking a nap. In his bedroom. In the basement. Totally asleep, zonked!! I know this for sure because I was sitting on the edge of his bed scratching his back and singing until he started to snore. Then I scratched the back a tad bit longer, just for good measure. He was wasted.

I'm not really sure how long that lasted, but about 45 minutes later I entered the basement to this waste...
1 bottle of parsley flakes
2 bottles of beef bouillon
1 bottle of chicken bouillon
2 bottles of cinnamon
1 bottle of garlic powder
2 bottles of black pepper
1 bottle of chopped onion

Sweet. Spicey. Just the way I love my basement to smell. And when I'm killing myself on the treadmill tonight, I have a feeling I'm going to crave some chicken noodle soup...

The Nativity...a la Spencer

2009-12-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

We LOVE our Fisher-Price Nativity set...thanks, Lorene!! Here is what it is supposed to look like:
The next 3 pictures are Spencer's interpretation...basically, he isn't very fond of the "butterfly" being on top of the stable. He much prefers to have the blessed event heralded by the sheep, wiseman, or cow!

Hieroglyphics

2009-11-08T19:30:00.001-08:00

(the girls' room)
interpretation: "if you jump on the bed mom will whack you!"

(by the basement door)
interpretation: "there's lots of trees outside"

(Gracie's dresser)
interpretation: "too many clothes"

(the kitchen table)
interpretation: "dinner tonight was about 2 stars"

(the bathroom door)
interpretation: "I love the way mom decorated the bathroom"

(the arm of the couch)
interpretation: "this way to the toys"

(hallway)
interpretation: "i was starting to draw a star but then mom walked up"

Missing Baby

2009-11-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION!!

Someone has taken my sweet, mellow, cuddly baby girl and replaced her with a bigger, sassy, independent version...No Fair!!

Mother

2009-10-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom,

Happy Birthday to you! Do they have birthday parties in heaven? I like to think they do...after all, it's a place of happiness and parties are SO happy!

If you were here we'd probably be gorging ourselves on hot & spicy chicken from Chinese Chef, followed by some Grasshoppers and milk...yummy! I'll have some for you!

If you were here we'd laugh at the kids being silly on the floor, then we'd take a quiet walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Remember the gorgeous trees at the church across the street? They're still gorgeous...

If you were here we'd come back inside for some Postum and funny talk around the table and laugh until we wet our pants. Wonder how our old friend "Hose B" is doing?! Then you'd play the piano with your beautiful fingers and we'd all sing along...but mostly we'd listen to your angelic voice.

If you were here you'd snuggle up with the girls on the couch and read "Little House on the Prairie" and put their hair in pink rollers--and you'd be careful to never brush too hard.

If you were here you'd sit on the porch steps with the boys and tell them stories about "when you were a little boy"...and let them bring snakes and lizards and bugs inside. :)

If you were here you would cuddle the babies and sing them "Wee Baby Moon" while you kissed them in that super-soft spot just in front of their ears. You would tell them they were the sweetest babies ever, and you'd mean it.

Did you ever know that Dad gave me your jacket? I wear it every fall, just a time or two...and in the left pocket are treasures...a cough drop, a toothpick, and a kleenex. :) Thanks for leaving them for me!!

Sometimes I feel cheated that I only got to call you "Mom" for 23 years...but then I remind myself to feel blessed that I get to call you "Mother" for eternity!

I love you, Mama. Happy Birthday!
Love, Amy

Overrated

2009-10-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

If you have enough conversations with me, you'll hear this phrase more than once..."It's overrated!". What might I be referring to, you ask? Things like this:

1. A clean house
2. A college education
3. Home-cooked meals
4. Being popular
5. Being thin
6. Kids in matching clothes
7. Folded laundry
8. Dusting
9. Vacations
10. Bedtimes
11. Drinking water
12. Knowing how to play the piano
13. The beach
14. Working out
15. Whole grains
16. Cleaning behind your ears
17. Being on time to church
18. Savings accounts
19. Making the bed
20. Dancing in the rain

...Just to name a few!

My Kind of Pet

2009-10-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

Joe's class did a "class store" last week...Joe and his partner decided to make and sell Pet Rocks! Awesome! Joe worked hard and had a lot of fun making his rocks, he would have made 100 more if he had time. I told him he could make them for Christmas presents this year and that seemed to satisfy him. :) I like that rat rock better than the real thing...think he'd be happy with a dog rock?

Happiness

2009-10-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't she just a doll?! Don't you just wanna eat her? I do...all the time!! Here are a few of my favorite Ellie sayings as of the last week or two:

1. Yep
2. Nope
3. Taylor Swift
4. Potty
5. I'm Pretty

Of course her vocabulary extends beyond this, but these are her latest (and cutest)...she's quite a jabbery girl and sometimes she will have very lengthy and animated conversations with me. I love it!!

Wouldn't you just love your life if you could wake up to her adorableness every day? :) Ah, my Ellie!!

Today

2009-09-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

I am totally ADD...

I sit down to pay some bills, I get up to get some stamps, and suddenly I'm sorting through the grocery ads next to the stamps. Next thing you know, I'm making a shopping list, when I check to see if I'm out of vegetable oil. Oo-la-la! I see brownie mix--now I'm making brownies! I get tired of watching the oven so I go watch PBS cartoons while I fold some laundry. The glare from the bathroom light is bugging me so I get up to turn it off. Towels and dirty clothes on the bathroom floor get on my nerves so I clean them up. Under the pile I find Joe's football cleats, so I take them to his room, where I find the phone I left there earlier while I was putting clothes away. I see I missed some calls so I return them.

Sometimes I can go a whole day and not complete a single task. Beat that!!

My Cavity-Free Home

2009-09-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have always taken a slight amount of pride in how much toothpaste we go through at our house. I mean, really, my kids brush so often and so well that their breath is always fresh and their cute, tiny teeth sparkle from a mile away. At least, that's what I have led myself to believe as about every 3rd morning I am summoned to the hall bathroom because "somebody used all the toothpaste!". Naturally, I could hardly assume anything contrary to a dentist's dream being lived out in my very own bathroom.

The last several days, however, I have been forced to accept that the slime on their biters might be for real. As I was coming to grips with this gross truth, I found an unlikely ally: my home. It told on those kids!! Want a list of all the places I have found toothpaste goo? Here ya go...

1. Carpet on the stairs

2. Underneath kitchen chairs

3. Walls (in nearly every room)

4. Door of the pantry (?)

5. Backpacks

6. Doorknobs

7. Computer keyboard

8. Ellie's pillow (another ?)

So I'm psyching myself up for the dentist visit in 2 weeks that will confirm my worst fears: my children have cavity-ridden mouths.

My one consolation? No decay found in the carpet, chairs, walls, doors, backpacks, keyboard, or pillows! Whew...that was close!

BACON

2009-09-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Turkey Bacon,

You are NOT real bacon! Real bacon is, by definition, delicious and fatty and from a PIG. You are not delicious, not fatty, and you are from a TURKEY! You are not welcome in my kitchen anymore...please pack your fake self and go find some health-concious, no-regard-for-taste family to live with. Thank you.

Best Regards,
The Mom of a family that places high value on DELICIOUSNESS

Reading Log H*@#@&%# !!

2009-09-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here's one drawback to school being back in session: READING LOGS...I don't like them one single bit! They make my head hurt and I'm in a constant state of guilt over not filling them out regularly. The truth? I usually end up writing down a whole month's worth of stories (that we have read, I just don't remember on which days and for how long) the morning the log is due. Or, I forget about it entirely and give my child extra dessert when they come home sad that they were the only kid in their class to miss lunch bunch. I'm a lame mom!

This might be the part where I ask for advice...you know, some put-it-out-there question like "How do you keep track of your child's reading?". But I don't want advice (unless you really do have something cool) because I can tell you right now it won't work. :) I'm just waiting out the years of reading log HECK!

Wa-la!

2009-09-10T07:21:00.001-07:00

So here is the promised post with pictures...I know it's this morning instead of last night, but are you really gonna freak about it? Really?

The first picture is, of course, the first day of school. All 3 of the kids are at the same school this year and that makes me all kinds of happy! :) First of all, they can look out for each other on the bus...I will spare you my bus issues--nothing has ever happened but I still have some personal hang-ups. The really great thing about one school, though, is ONE schedule! Everyone is out of the door and back in the door at the same time. There is only one Open House, one Fall Festival, one Book Fair...it simplifies a mom's life in countless, blessed ways!!

The bottom picture was taken just a few weeks ago to send to Grandma Cluff and Grandma Dee...I am officially the world's worst picture-sender and was losing sleep over my guilt, so one day I just plopped the kids down together and snapped this shot to send off to the grandmas we love SO MUCH!!

So there you have my post!

For Reals...

2009-09-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, this may sound familiar...but I am ready to get back to consistent blogging! I just spent the last hour reading blogs of people I love and decided I have no more excuses. It's true that Dave has my camera (again) but I'm not going to let that stop me anymore! :)

So here's a really quick update...school is back in session! Dave is taking 2 classes and working part-time at St. John's Hospital in the therapy area. Joseph is playing football again, Aubrey is doing soccer. Gracie loves kindergarten, Spencer is a wild-thang and Ellie is balls of fun! I am babysitting 4 other kids...it has it's challenges but it's been a blessing for us and is the only way Dave can go back to school so I'm grateful for it!

Whew...this time I am SERIOUS about getting on here more often!! I'll post with pics TONIGHT, pinky promise!

Late-Night Confession

2009-07-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's almost 11:00pm...all of my children are asleep. Sound blissful? Yep, except that I have a confession: Joseph is sleeping on the family room floor, Aubrey is sleeping on the loveseat, Gracie is sleeping on the sofa, Spencer is sleeping in my bed, and Ellie is (surprisingly) in her crib. Why are 4 of my 5 kiddies not in their own beds, you ask?! Well, there is a perfectly good explanation...I HATE putting sheets on beds!!! Seriously, I love the feeling of slipping into fresh sheets, it is so relaxing and peaceful. But putting them on is a task that I loathe. So I strategically plan "wash bedding day" when I know I will be gone at night...Enrichmet, Young Women's, grocery shopping--tonight happened to be a visit to the cemetery to see Amanda. This way, Dave gets the task. :) Brilliant, no? Except tonight he didn't do it, and now he's out at a movie and I am resolved not to break my oathe of putting on sheets. So...there my babies lie...they do each have a pillow and blanket, though.

The Making of a Superhero

2009-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Mom: "SPENCER!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Spencer: "Sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm sorry."

Mom: "Why did you do that, Spence? You know we only write on PAPER!"

Spencer: "I was making a Superhero, Mom. I'm making me a Superhero!"

I only laugh to keep from crying...oh yeah, that's a Sharpie.

THE INEVITABLE HAS HAPPENED

2009-05-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Sad day for me!! Actually, yesterday was the sad day...I was released from my beloved calling as Young Women's President. I have served there for 2 1/2 years, and eventhough I know there is no calling that lasts forever (I mean, not in a ward)...it is hard to let go! I love those girls SO much! I know I fell short in so many areas and constantly felt like I was letting them down, but they were so forgiving and patient and I really believe they know how deeply I love them. I know none of the Young Women read my blog, but I'm still gonna say it...I LOVE YOU, GIRLS!! I will miss the laughing, the crying, the sleepless nights and crazy Sundays. I will miss (sorta) smelly camp and total exhaustion after Youth Conference! But mostly, I will miss your sweet smiling faces and your wisdom and your touching testimonies...you have made my life special and the last 29 months will always hold a special place in my heart!

And also, I had the best counselors and secretary I could have ever asked for...thanks, Angelita and Crissi and Sunny! You were rock solid support in a calling I never really believed I could do, I love you mucho!

I was a crying mess yesterday and I will probably shed a tear or two over the next couple of days and weeks...but who would actually expect anything different from me? :)

Anyone else realize that I have posted without photos AGAIN?! Yikes, I've got to get my hands on that camera...

The Story of My Life

2009-05-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Amy and I am the creator/owner of this blog...just in case any of you forgot who I was! ha ha I really have been meaning to get back at this blogging thing for about 2 weeks now, but I never have my camera when I think about it. This morning I am in a blogging mood and have decided that it's okay to post without pictures! So my next post will be "pictures only" to make up for it, but I decided it was high time I just put something up here!

This is a BUSY time of year! Next week is the last week of school...not sure how I feel about that right now! I love my children dearly, but a WHOLE SUMMER?! I just need to think of more things to do with them to keep the fighting and death-threats to a minimum. For now we are all wrapped up in the end-0f-year stuff like talent shows and field trips and graduation programs. Lots of fun but crazy too! Aubrey and Gracie both wanted to do summer school, that will take up a month! Joe opted to just have a lazy summer...which he thinks means lots of video games and exploring in the woods. I think it means lots of help with chores and younger siblings. :) I'll let ya know how that power struggle goes...probably some compromising will be in order!

I haven't posted about this but I have taken on a couple of daycare kids. Two girls, 4 and 3, they are sisters. Cute girls, we love them to pieces and they have fit right in with our family. Their mom's work schedule is crazy, they spend about 60 hours a week with us! It just sort of happened, but it has been a blessing to us and will be even more helpful when Dave starts school full-time!

We had our house for sale for about a month, but I made Dave take it off the market...it was too hard to keep picture-perfect all the time!! I have so much respect for anyone that has their house for sale, it is not an easy thing! And in my defense...the first week we were up was Spring Break so I had 9 kids all day long. I felt like I was going crazy, it was just too much for me at the time. It was hard to admit that, but once we took the sign out of the yard I was nice again. :) I like a clean house, don't get me wrong...but clean enough to live in and clean enough to show are two VERY different things!

We had all my family in town for Mother's Day weekend--except Ben and Ashley. We missed you guys!! Marlise finally brought her sweet baby Gordon home for us to see, he is so yummy! Lissa and Marianne are staying all this week to play and it's been a blast...and we are waiting on pins and needles for Karman to have her baby!

So there's lots going on...I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg, but hey...I did put up a new post!! Hopefully that has pacified my loyal follower(s)...if I even have any left after all this time! :) Watch for pictures of my cute and growing kids soon!!

Checking In

2009-03-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

This isn't really a real post...I'm just checking in to make sure all my faithful followers (you know who you are, but I don't!) know that we ARE still alive and very much kicking!! I do realize that if my blog were a pet, it would have died and gone to heaven by now, leaving me to face some pretty nasty charges...but alas, my neglect hasn't done any real harm, hallelujah!!

So we have just been very busy and beyond stressed and running like crazies around here...hence my title, "Crazy Beautiful Life". I just don't have any documentation of the BEAUTIFUL part because in the midst of the CRAZY I haven't scooped up the camera! But LIFE is going on and we are happy and blessed and some day--hopefully sooner than later--I will post again with some photos and real news about our birthdays and springtime and moving and children. :) For now, this small assurance will have to do...we are here!

Hubby Tag

2009-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

So this is a fun little "tag" all about my super terrific husband! I LOVE getting to talk about him!

1. Where did you meet your husband?

At my house for a movie night, senior year of high school--Spring Break!

2. How long did you date before you got married?

Well, we knew each other 3 1/2 years, "dated" for about a year.

3. How long have you been married?

We'll hit 10 years in September!! WOW!!

4. What does he do that surprises you?

Sends me cute emails or text messages.

5. What is your favorite feature of his?

All of them! I think he is one handsome dude!

6. What is his best quality?

Too many to have a "best"...but I would say one of the huge ones is that he is very kind and compassionate. He can't stand to see someone who needs help and not help them...most of them time I love that about him.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?

My Amy--I know that's not a real nickname, but it's the best I've got!

8. What is his favorite food?

Just about anything homemade! And anything he can put cayenne pepper on. :)

9. What is his favorite sport?

Track. More specifically, marathons!!

10. When and where did you first kiss?

Behind Aaron and Shannon's house, February 15, 1999.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

Window shopping for furniture and home decor. Looking at houses!! Taking walks...with no kids. :)

12. Do you have any children?

A few...5, to be exact. Joseph, Aubrey, Gracie, Spencer, and Ellie

13. Does he have any hidden talents?

LOTS!! But if I told you what they were, they wouldn't be hidden anymore, would they?

14. How old is he?

Almost 32...and in denial!

15. Who said I love you first?

I don't really remember...probably me.

16. What is his favorite music?

Paul Simon, STING, Coldplay, Enya (yuck), MoTab

17. What do you admire most about him?

His honesty...he will ALWAYS do the right thing!

18. What is his favorite color?

Blue

19. Will he read this?

No, probably not. But he is in the room as I'm tying so I'm telling him about some if it. :)

20. I tag...

All ya'll!!

What a Hoot!

2009-01-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last week I made some carrott sticks for a snack. I told Spencer to eat some and pretend he was a bunny..."No, Mom! I'm not a bunny, I'm Buzz Lightyear!". The next thing I know, he's feeding carrotts to the stuffed bunny...

Spencer LOVES to try on shoes...especially boots! These are Lilly's, he wore them around all day! I especially love that he has no pants on. That's my boy!

I know all these posts dedicated to Spencer's little antics might make it appear that he is the favorite. I don't know what I could say to prove otherwise...you'll probably just have to take my word for it. He is such a funny kid!! We get hours upon hours of laughs and giggles from him, we are so glad to have him in our family! Truly, every family needs a Spencer! Here's some of the funny things he has said/done in the last 24 hours...

Yesterday Gracie had gotten into some gum in my room that she wasn't supposed to have. Dave caught her and made her spit it out in the toilet. A little while later, Dave notices that Spence is chewing some gum...and his shirt sleeve is soaking wet! Nice...

This morning he was jumping around on our bed and being really silly. I asked him, "Spence, where did such a silly kid come from?". His reply? "From your bed!"...uh, that's sort of true, I guess! Little punk!

HILARIOUS!!

2009-01-09T13:52:00.001-08:00

Okay, when I was at BYU one of my favorite columns in the Daily Universe was "Snide Remarks" by funnyman Eric Snider. I had totally forgotten about him and all the chuckles I got out of his material until I stumbled on his website!! He is still around and as funny as ever! And as I am a "Twilight" fan, I found this particular post of his SO FUNNY! It's a must-read, so check out the link! http://www.ericdsnider.com/snide/my-rejected-twilight-screenplay/

Did you laugh your socks off? :)

2009 Does Exist

2009-01-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

So I do believe this is my first post sans photos! Here's how it goes...we had a New Year's party with some friends, loads of fun and laughter and much good food was consumed! Now, over a week later, I find that I am the only party-attendee that did not take a single picture that evening! I guess when I host a party I only have my mind on one thing...food! :) ha ha So eventhough I don't have pictures to prove it, we did ring in the new year with much fun! If you need hard evidence, check out Janessa's blog or Sunny's blog. And probably even Karman's blog! Happy 2009!!

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

2008-12-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

So most of you probably know about my dear, fun, beautiful best friend Amanda...she passed away in a car accident on July 20, 2007. Today is her birthday and since she has been in my heart and on my mind so much lately I couldn't pass the chance to just give a little tribute to her. I miss her so much, it is hard for me to explain to people what a huge part of my life she was. We were more like sisters! So today on your birthday, Amanda Reece, I want to tell you I love you and miss you. I can still hear your voice in my head, I don't think that will ever fade! Too many feelings are too close to my heart, I don't know what else to write...Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Loads of Turkey, Loads of FUN!

2008-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Aubrey the Indian in the Thanksgiving play
Pretty Pilgrim Gracie!

My Fam (minus Ben, add Kate)

Sisters...Sisters...There were never such devoted sisters!

Marianne, Alissa, Marlise, ME

So Thanksgiving weekend was a total blast, we had the whole family (except Ben and Ashley, missed you guys!) here...it's been a long time! We ate some good food, watched some funny movies, played games, did some Black Friday shopping, played LOTS of wii, and had Lissa's wedding reception...whew! I can't wait until the next time we are together again...?

I'm Counting to 10...

2008-11-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

So this picture is totally fresh, totally new...as in, while I was publishing my last post just moments ago, this was happening (via Spencer) in my front room. I'm glad I own a Bissell!! I have been talking about documenting Spence's "creativity" for some time now, so here is Post #1! We have high hopes for that boy, there's got to be some way to channel all that creative energy...our house has been his canvas, we just like to say it has "character" and "charm". My kitchen cupboards, dishwasher, fridge, oven, Ellie's Bumbo chair, the computer keyboard, and my banister are all daily reminders of his skills with a Sharpie. My vacuum bags the last 6 or 8 months have been more full of baby formula than dust. And let's just say that that really fabulous deal on Victoria's Secret body sprays and lotions didn't go so far at my house...3 weeks later, only 1 half-full bottle remains in my bathroom...but our carpet will smell good for ages! I won't try to make up for lost time and list all the surprises we've had over the last year, but I will try to document them from now on, it's really quite ingenious sometimes. And who knows? Maybe some Hollywood producer will stumble across our blog and pay us big moola for Spencer's destruction ideas?! Here's hoping...

FHE Life Saver!!

2008-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

So I just have to give a little plug for my new favorite FHE tool...this book is FANTASTIC!! In case your imagination fails you, Family Night at our house can be a little bit, uh, INSANE. :) 5 children under age 8 make for VERY small windows of opportunity in which to get anything into their little heads. So...this book is so great! There are 52 lessons, all very interesting to kids and taught in a way they understand. They are SHORT, come with a scripture reference and a song suggestion...MY DREAM COME TRUE! We have been having great lessons lately, even Joseph and Aubrey can read these and then usually elaborate a little bit. Deseret Book for less than $8.00, baby! So I highly recommend it!

Halloween

2008-11-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note on my last post...I got gas for $1.73!! So wonderful...And I know it's been a while since my last entry (duh, Halloween was so long ago!) but I can blame it on Dave, ha ha! He has been using my camera for work since his battery is dead and he always has either my camera or my cable. So bear with me over the next few days as I try to "catch-up"!

So we tried to go "homemade" as much as possible this year for Halloween. I was so tired of spending so much money on costumes! I told my kids that if I had to buy their costume that was one less Christmas present. :) Just kidding, of course, but it worked! Joseph was a baby, Aubrey was a present, Gracie was a black cat, Spencer was Dennis the Menace, and Gracie was a frog (she wasn't dressed up for the picture!)...it was a fun night! The kids really cleaned-up at trick-or-treating, check out the pile of goods! That was all traded for some fun new toys, and I can truthfully say we chucked all that candy...I am so happy to not have candy wrappers all over the house.

You Should Be Jealous...

2008-10-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

So I don't know what gasoline costs all of you (that are out of the Springfield area)...but this is where we are sitting today! :) Making me do some more Suburban dreaming...ha ha!

Totally Tuckered Out!

2008-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

So I have to admit that this is only the second (maybe third?) time one of my kids has fallen asleep in their high chair. I feel like such a bad mom! We had a late night on Friday, Ellie was chilling nicely in her high chair Saturday morning while I did some chores...and the next thing I know, she's totally out! The funny thing about my kids when they sleep is that they almost always look like they are faking it. :) But she stayed out for a few hours--don't worry, I did move her to her bed after the photo opportunity!

Carrott Fries!!

2008-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, dinner tonight was a total hit...worthy of a blog post! Anyone else ever get those fliers from school that are SO ANNOYING?! You know the ones, where they tell you how to feed and raise your kids? :) Well, the other day I happened to be reading one--don't really know why--and I saw a fun recipe for carrott fries. It sounded yummy...I like carrotts, and so do most members of my household--except Gracie. She is my pickiest eater BY FAR! Everything I make is totally disgusting and makes her want to throw up. I figured I would try a new spin on the carrotts and see if they might find their way down her digestive tract...and sure enough, she loved them! The picture is PROOF!

In case you want to make carrott fries of your own...toss carrott sticks with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for about 10-15 minutes. Wa-la! Yummy carrott fries! I even kept mine under the broiler for just a few minutes--because I like to put everything under the broiler for extra-toastiness.

The other picture is one of my very favorite cookbooks. "Deceptively Delicious"--GREAT!! I don't really have a problem getting my family to eat fruits and vegetables, they actually inhale fruit like it's straight sugar, and they all have several vegetables they like. But I really love the idea of adding even more nutrients to my meals (and flavor!), it makes a mom feel good. Some of our favorites are pumpkin pancakes (or sometimes sweet potato), chicken kabobs with pineapple and sweet potato, macaroni and cheese with cauliflower, and pita pizzas with spinach. I do have a few pointers of my own to add, though...

*instead of storing your purees in a large quantity, freeze them in ice cube trays first...each cube is a few tablespoons and it's easier to defrost just what you need for each recipe than to chisel out the amount from a large mass...

*if you aren't into making the purees, jars of baby food are perfect!!!!! it's not as "economical" as the other ways, but much easier to add a #3 jar of sweet potatoes to my pancake mix than steam and puree the real thing all weekend long. it is really the same thing, anyways!

So that's about all I have to add for tonight...now go and make delicious and healthy meals for your families!!

Tag Again...Sorta!

2008-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this time I kinda "tagged" myself...I read this cute tag on Brittany's blog and thought I would do it too. Sorry if that's lame! I am really in the mood to add something to my blog and Dave has my camera, so...I'll do this picture-less post! Enjoy!

I am...tired! Oh, my name? Amy Petersen Brown
I think...cheese is the most perfect food
I want...to take a REAL vacation with my family!
I have...so many blessings
I miss...my mom, of course! Can anyone else believe she's been gone for over 7 years?!
I fear...cancer and spiders
I feel...like the luckiest girl ever!
I hear...the phone ringing, my kids throwing stuff downstairs, and the dryer buzzing...
I smell...chili in the crock-pot! yum!
I crave...lately it's been salty stuff
I cry...when i get overwhelmed
I search...for shoes, always for shoes!
I wonder...if i'll ever sleep through the night?!
I regret...not having more direction during my college planning. And also, that I didn't get that last pair of jeans in my size, now they're gone!
I wish...to see my mom and Amanda again
I love...my husband and my children, and brownies
I care...what my kids look like when we go out in public
I always...feel grateful
I worry...about too many things, and probably not enough about some things!
I am not...crafty. Not even close!
I remember...phone numbers and license plates
I believe...that the Church is true!!
I sing...to the radio in the car
I don't always...make my bed. It seem silly to make it when I'm just going to get back in it!
I argue...when I think I'm right. :)
I write...oops, not as often as I should. Which is funny because I actually love to write!
I lose...my patience all the time
I listen...to my kids' talk about their day
I can usually be found...at the computer! Or at Walmart!
I need...a good massage and a pedicure
I forget...to write down my kids' reading minutes on their reading logs!
I am happy...most of the time!

So I'm just gonna tag anyone who reads this, because I have no idea who actually does and I would feel really stupid tagging someone who isn't even remotely interested in my life. :) I'll hopefully be posting some pictures of my beautiful bride sister soon!

Spencer

2008-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Spence cheesin' it up while I am trying to keep him entertained at the doctor's office...just moments after this shot he tore the place up--but it's grins for now!
He loves to have his picture taken, but it's hard for him to wait far enough away, he always wants to see it! I barely caught him on this one before he came to see what it looked like.
The other night Spence was coloring at the table, I was folding laundry and Dave was doing some homework...we looked up and found this! Crashed! So adorable, he's so sweet when he's asleep!

Just a few more musings on Spencer Dew...he has really taken to his name lately. When we try to call him anything other than Spencer he says "No, I Spencer!"...Anytime I say "I love you" he always says "I love you, too" and usually gives me a little kiss...If I ask him who his best friend is he says "You!"...This kid is a hugger! I love that he will just randomly, in the middle of some serious play, come and give me a hug and kiss and then go back to his very important business. Spencer is probably the greatest source of laughter in our home, he is all boy and all joy and I just love his little face! This little kid rocks my world! I love you, Dew!

Ellie's on the GO!!

2008-10-04T19:42:00.001-07:00

Ellie the jellybean is a crawler! I can't believe it came so quickly! We are back to gating the stairs and being better at sweeping the kitchen floor. :) Her favorite thing is to find paper items on the floor and eat them up! For example...business cards, magazines, homework--that's a new one, huh? My baby sister ate my homework! She also is great at finding the dirtiest shoes and chewing on them, gross! The other day at soccer practice she totally chowed down on a grass salad...what can i say? She's a health freak! She is also a very loud growler, I usually cannot take her into Sunday School with me, she is so loud that no one can hear the teacher! I know I say it every time I post about her, but she is really so much fun! I am so glad she decided to come to our family, what would we do without her?

FUNKY

2008-10-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Joe's class reached their "compliment goal" and decided that to celebrate they would have CRAZY FUNKY DAY!!! This meant they could wear funny clothes and silly hair...so Joe wore his clothes inside out, mismatched socks and shoes, and wanted little ponytails in his hair! He was way overdue for a haircut, so it wasn't as hard as you might think to get those little elastics in his hair. He didn't like having it done, though! You should have heard the moans and seen the tears, he is so grateful to not be a girl! ha ha But the pain paid off...Dr. Kopp (the principal) was the judge and Joe won "FUNKIEST BOY", mostly due to the fine work of his mom!

Ellie Bean

2008-09-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ellie is such a fun and happy baby, we can't help taking pictures of her! Here she is cheering at the soccer game--go, girls! And we tried to get a good shot of her Frankenstein hair after her bath, but she was reaching and not cooperating much so it's not as good as "in person". :) She is SO MUCH FUN!!

Fall Athletes

2008-09-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

So as promised, here are some pics of the kids before each of their first games...Joseph's football team is the Fightin' Raccoons...:) They won their first game and Joe did a GREAT tackle, he loves taking kids down! Don't be fooled by his little size, he's fast and strong! Aubrey is on her 4th soccer team, this year she is in all all-girls' league! She was the first pick of her coach, she has had him before and he is WONDERFUL, it's going to be a really fun season! Gracie is the only girl on her team...just the way she would want it!! She is the princess with 9 little boys, they are a hoot to watch. We are busy but loving it!

Mom in Time Out!

2008-09-20T18:38:00.001-07:00

September 12-13 I got to go to St. Louis with my BFF Sunny Martin!! And our good friend DeAnna (love ya!)...we went to "Time Out for Women" and it was AWESOME! Our hotel was great, we did lots of chilling out and hot tubbing, and hit some good shopping and EATING!!!!! Here is Sunny and DeAnna at P. F. Chang's...we also filled our bellies at Cheesecake Factory, but it was so late and we were not quite to our second wind (ha!) so we didn't do pictures. Thanks a million bajillion to our FANTASTIC husbands who held down the fort and were super-dads all weekend, we love ya!

ABC Tag

2008-09-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

So I got tagged by Lissa...thanks, sis! We'll see what kinda stuff you find out about me that you either didn't know before or don't really care about. :) This will be fun!

A...Age: 30
B...Birthday: March 6
C...Candy or Cake: oh, candy for sure!
D...Dessert you love: ice cream
E...Easiest person to talk to: Sunny and Lissa
F...Favorite Song: gee, there's so many!
G...Gold or Silver: silver
H...Habit: interrupting (so bad!)
I...Instruments you play: viola and piano (sort of)
J...Job title: oh, good one! I'm totally the boss...
K...Kids: 5 Amazing ones! Joseph, Aubrey, Gracie, Spencer, Ellie
L...Love or Lust: well, love...but sometimes lust is fun...can I say that? :)
M...Married?: yep, to my Dave!
N...Named after: I don't think I'm named after anyone, my parents just liked the name
O...One wish: to have my mom and Amanda back...but realistically, I just want to sleep in! I know, not so realistic, ha ha!
P...Person you called last: Marianne
Q...Quote: again, lots of these! But we've been doing the "duties" quote a lot from "Nacho Libre", adding our own twists.
R...Reasons to smile: about a million and 39!
S...Something Unknown: well, how badly do I want it to stay unknown?! :) I memorize license plates. Weird.
T...Turns you on: Dave rocking a baby or doing the dishes!
U...Unique Talent: gosh, I'm not sure that I do anything "unique"...sorta like the license plate thing, I can remember phone numbers from years ago.
V...Vegetable: Broccoli
W...Woke up at what time: 5:45am...darnit! :)
X...X-rays you've had: just dental ones
Y...Your Favorite Color: I've really been into red and brown lately, but I'm always a lover of deep purple.
Z...Zodiac Sign: Pisces Power!!

Okay, I guess I'm supposed to "tag" 3 people...Karman, Coco, and anyone else who reads my blog!! :) I'll be checking up on ya...

Another School Year Begins...

2008-09-08T19:28:00.001-07:00

This is all the camera time the kiddos would allow on the first day of school! I guess they are "too big" now...no pics in their classrooms, I barely got a hug and a "bye, mom!"! Sniff, sniff...but I have to say that I love that they love school and their teachers, it makes it so much easier to send them away all day!

So Joseph is in 3rd grade with Miss Plumley--she has the reputation as the FUNNEST teacher at Century Elementary! Wow, is she ever! Aubrey has Miss Tinsley for the 1st grade and absolutely loves her...she tells me that every day is the best day of her life because she gets to spend all day with Miss Tinsley and eat breakfast and dinner with me because I'm the best cook...aw, thanks, Aubrey! And Gracie is in pre-school with Mrs. Newberry...she was Joseph's kindergarten teacher and we just adore her. Kindergarten out here is an all-day event, so pre-school is a great adjustment time. She goes half-day, Monday thru Friday...and loves every minute of it! So far we are off to a great start...and so busy! I'll have to post pics of the kids in their sport uniforms soon, they are SO CUTE!

St. Louis Mini-Vacation!

2008-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

We took a 2 day trip to St. Louis before school started...yippee for Family Fun Time! We had a blast at Grant's Farm (sans the complimentary Budweiser beverages)...the Clydesdales were amazing and all the other exotic animals were so fun! We could definitely have spent another day or two there, it was the kids' favorite thing--it even beat out the hotel swimming pool!!!! The next day we did a couple of hours at the St. Louis Science Center...more fun times! It was a good little breather for us before the insanity (and schedule!) of the school year began.

Remember Me?

2008-08-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

So I am going to be a copycat--because I think it sounds like so much fun! If you feel so inclined...post a memory you have of me (or any of the Brown Posse) and then if you want to play the game, I'll "Memorize" you, too!!
I hope it's fun...and also, don't embarass us too much. ha ha :)

This is TRULY AMAZING!!

2008-07-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, we actually got this on film! And the best part is...it was Joseph who noticed what a big deal it was and wanted to take the shot! :) Ha ha, just kidding with ya, Dave! We are proud of our multi-tasking daddy...and just to clarify, the multi-tasking is what was a big deal, not the helping out part, he does that all the time! He is feeding Ellie her bottle, holding an ice pack on Aubrey's head for some horrific injury, and keeping Spencer "contained"! I think while all this was going on I was talking on the phone and eating ice cream or something...

Grinny Girl

2008-07-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

So I just had to post this picture of Ellie that I took this afternoon because it is just so her! She always looks like this, happy and grinning and completely content...she is just the bright spot in everyone's day and I love her so much!

2008-07-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

So I think we are the last family ON EARTH to create a blog! ha ha Actually, Dave just said to me "I didn't think our life was interesting enough for a blog"...so we'll see what kinds of things we can think up every so often!

Should I start with introductions? I am sure that anyone who reads our blog already knows us, but just in case you don't know enough...

DAVE--DAD
Dave is the man of the hour in our family! Everyone adores him and he doesn't seem to mind being around us too much. :) Dave has worked at Assist 2 Sell for 6 1/2 years now, wow! Real estate has been a good profession for us, but Dave has always wanted to go to school so this fall he will be doing some classes at OTC. He is all about fun and playing and laughing...just ask anyone who has ever watched a funny movie with him!

AMY--MOM--WONDER WOMAN
It probably doesn't count that I gave myself the nickname of Wonder Woman, ha ha! I have more interests than I could probably name, but the only ones outside of my family that I usually make time for are shopping, eating out, and movies. I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom, I am learning to love the housekeeping part of it, and I have an obsession with throwing things away. I don't scrapbook or run marathons or create incredible meals (although my family does like my cooking), but I love my husband and my family and I try to show it every day.

JOSEPH
Joe just got baptized!! Wow, he is an awesome kid...Joe is interested in anything and everything! He is a great student, he loves to read, and he's been trying out new sports each season. He just got finished with his first round of baseball and loved it, football this fall! He's got a pet frog named Sarge and he takes very good care of him--so good, in fact, that he is trying to convince Mom he's ready for a snake or turtle...nope!

AUBREY
Aubrey is our drama queen, but I mean that in a very loving way! She loves to sing and dance and act...and she is very good at it! Aubrey has a really fun giggle and she is a very good helper with all the younger kids. She really loves soccer, too, and her favorite position is goalie...she spends as much time blocking that ball as her coach will let her! We love having her around, she gives good hugs!

GRACIE
Have you heard of shortie disease? Well, it sorta runs in Amy's family and Gracie got the big dose in ours...she is tiny and SUPER spunky!! She loves her curly hair and her hazel eyes and can't wait to get married...to any one of her 43 boyfriends! Gracie is the gymnast in our family and really loves the balance beam and the bars. She's a little fish, too, and has gotten a tan to be jealous of this summer!

SPENCER
Uh, I don't even know where to start with Spence...just kidding! He is 2, need I say more?! Spencer is a very good talker, when you can get him to take the binkie out of his mouth. He is always on the go, for real!! I guess the best word would be "creative"...he can make catastrophes that couldn't be scripted. A few of his nicknames are "Dennis the Menace", "Taz", and "Ninja"...nuff said? :) We love our Spencer, he keeps us all on our toes and is always passing out kisses and hugs!

ELIZABETH
Well, we call her Ellie. She is our chubby, grinny, drooly, snuggly baby girl! Everyone adores Ellie! She doesn't have many interests yet, but she does really like to be where all the action is and she loves to be held. She can roll and sit and laughs up a storm at her older brothers and sisters! Ellie is such a fun girl to have around!

So sorry if that was a longer introduction than you wanted...but that's us! We'll see how the rest of this blogging thing goes!