What we've been up to

Marlee likes to play w/ the remote, even though she is not suppose to.



she also likes her new dog Sage



Here she is w/ Mark (one of the boys I babysit)- I think this photo talks for itself.

She likes chilaxin' in her high chair

the roses are in bloom

I'm surronded by cute people :)

We took a family walk & Marlee loved being on her Daddy's shoulders.

We picked up our dog & stopped by the Beeson house

Aunt Nae Nae helped Marlee ride on the scooter.

Marlee loves climbing into the walker by herself. She is also walking every where like crazy & is crawling a lot less. She is still a little unsure on her feet sometimes. I know she didn't really become a walker till 15 months but, it still seems so soon, she is growing up so fast. She learned how to play peek-a-boo, is a big tease, loves to blow kisses & likes to say hi & bye. We are so grateful to love on her everyday.

We have been enjoying the great weather

The boys weren't huge fans of dinner this night but, Marlee was so, she helped them clear their plates.

We planted some flowers & did some yard work.

The babies (Mark & Kevin-twins I babysit, plus Marlee) like to pull out the dishes & make noise.

Marlee loves hanging out w/ her big brothers

Marlee has the sweetest hair do's

The boys enjoyed eating dinner outside. Port kicked it on the freezer & Clay's in one of his fav spots, the olive tree.

Porter is doing great in school & has really improved his hand writing & math skills.

Clayton is an excellent reader & does a good job taking care of our animals.

A good name for these two boys is frenemies- they are either the best of friends or enemies & love to fight about anything. I heard that made up word recently & thought that fit these 2 perfectly. They bring so much happiness into our lives & are such hansdome & bright boys.

We love our kiddos!

look who's arrived...

This is our new dog Sage & she is a weimaraner. She is a year & a half old & a family from

Show Low gave her to us. She is full of energy & very sweet.

Phoenix for the weekend

Saturday-
We went to the temple & out for breakfast w/ Jeff & Lucy early in the morning.

We enjoyed my mom's cooking, relaxed, watched a movie w/ my parents, & played games.
My Dad, Laun, & the boys went to Cerretas for some chocolate & to Pratts to check out the animals.


Sunday-

We went to my cousin Sam's homecoming & got to see some family & friends.
We had dinner at my parents house w/ Ted's family & the Johnstons. It was kind of a crazy week for our family so, it was nice to get away for the weekend.

Hucks passed on

Our dog Huckleberry died today of parvo. I feel sick with grief. This is just a hard time of year for us. He was our dream dog & we only had him for a little over a month. We miss him already. Who knows, maybe Cooper has really been itchin' for a puppy.

Three years ago today around 3 am in the morning , Laun and I were here:

We were saying goodbye to Cooper & holding him as he took his last breath in this earthly life.


This picture was taken the day before Cooper passed & it was the only time that we were together as a family & the first time that Laun got to hold Cooper.

Time is healing. The pain will never go away but, it gets less sharp over time.
When Laun had his back surgery recently at UMC, I couldn't help but think of how ironic it was that we were in the same place 3 years earlier (Cooper would have been 4 days old, 3 years earlier). So while Laun was sleeping in his hospital bed, I went up to the 8th floor to visit the NICU. I was so happy & emotional to see my favorite nurse that took care of my Coop. She remembered me & my Cooper Trooper (that is what she calls him) & it was an emotional reunion for us. We hugged each other & cried. Not very many people met Cooper while he was alive & so I have a special bond with the few that shared his short 2 weeks with me. Even though we miss him & sometimes I just want to time travel to 3 years ago to hold him again, I am grateful that we are where we are now. We miss you & love you Cooper!



This morning Marlee got tubes put in both her ears since she has been having constant ear infections. What a day for this to happen but, everything went great & I am glad that Marlee can start feeling better. She woke up pretty angry & sad but, luckily the boys both had tubes when they were little so I was prepared for that reaction. Here is Marlee before her 4 minute surgery (it has got to be the fastest operation on earth):

I love this girl^

Easter

If our kids look tired it is because Laun wakes them up on every holiday because he gets too excited to wait for them. This year the easter bunny brought candy for all, ties for the boys, & hair clips for Marlee. I decided last years easter consisted of way too much candy so, I sent out a memo for the easter bunny to bring less this year. Apparently Porter noticed because the first thing he said was,"this is it, this is all he brought?"
What I love about this picture is the amount of candy that Clay has shoved in his mouth- he looks like a chickmunk.


Marlee thought the cadbury egg was divine:


Even though she was trying to bite through the peep box, she realized that they just don't compete with chocolate.


We enjoyed watching General Confrence today. For dinner we invited the Allen family over. Laun & Jamie are in grad school together. Jamie & Rachel have 4 kids all around the same ages as our children. The only difference is that they have 3 girls & then 1 boy-opposite order of us.
After dinner the older kids went on an easter egg hunt.

It was a great weekend with General Conference, Easter, & company.

Where's Marlee?

Since Laun had surgery he is not suppose to sit a lot, so we have this mattress in the living room for him to lay on. And in case anyone is looking for Marlee in the next 7 weeks (while Laun is recovering) this is where she can be found:

She cannot get enough of her Daddy.

Before & After:

Marlee with a sucker:

Marlee without a sucker:

First Place

Clayton participated in his 1st science fair & he got 1st place out of all the 2nd graders! His experiment was : Which do mice prefer, cheese or peanut butter? Clayton's hypothesis was that they would like peanut butter more & he was right. Lucky for Clayton his Dad has great ideas & was a huge help. The whole family had a great time helping with this experiment. The mice are adorable & there names are: AS1, BS3, FS9, & CC7. Way to go Clayton, we are so proud of you!

My cute kids...

Marlee loves getting into the kleenex or toilet paper. She also loves the remote control, cell phones, computer, dishwasher (which she can now unlock), small objects she could choke on, you know how it is. Why is it that she has toys all over the living room yet, she just goes for everything she shouldn't have! Although I do have to admit that her busy little personality is cute.



This is how I found my boys today:

I LOVE that they have eachother & I love that they enjoy reading.

But I don't really love the way a grass/weed yard looks in Tucson.