she made the cut....

Last night we had girls night. Sabra, Carrie, and I all got together with our little ones. We had dinner and Sabra cut our hair. I just got a trim and sweep bangs, but Marlee got the whole shebang! We went for the bob haircut and Sabra did an amazing job. I love the way it turned out!

Marlee did pretty good, she was entertained with candy, singing, and looking at pictures on my camera. There was some tears welling up in her eyes, but she did great. I was a little nervous how she would react since this was her first big haircut (Laun trimmed her hair once when she was a little baby). She stayed pretty still...for a 2 year old.

Her hair was pretty long, but it was getting too stringy, so a lot was cut off.

Marlee with a cheek full of candy:

When we got home I had Marlee look in the mirror to see how she liked her haircut. She liked it and kept saying, "haircut."

Today I took some photos of her with the new do:

Beech would not leave her alone-maybe he just wanted to be in a picture?

Stacked in the back:

She looks a little older to me now. I love the way it turned out-perfect for the hot weather.

Sabino Canyon

This is only the second time I have been here, the first time was four years ago. Clayton was only four & I was so proud that he hiked two miles. Porter was real little & got a ride in the stroller. Time flies!

The proud hikers at the 1 mile mark:

My fav people in a row & Marlee swinging like a monkey.

A cardinal bird & the shuttle (you can take that if you don’t want to hike or only want to hike 1 way. We just hiked around 3 miles total & stopped half way through for a nice dip in the water.

The water felt great & there was lots of fishes to see.

The boys enjoyed jumping into the water-love Clayton’s foot sticking out:

Our kids are amazing…they walk on water & they fly;)

Whenever the boys would jump in, Marlee would yell,”My turn, My turn!” This girl never wants to be left out of a good time.

Marlee didn’t want to get out of the water, even though she was shivering. Clayton or “T T” as Marlee calls him, took Marlee into the water. If you look closely, Marlee has lots of fish near her-the kids loved the fish.

Me with my makeshift shorts & Marbar:

There are several swimming holes to stop at:

Our water babies:

Laun & Marlee splashing........................ The boys in their “bath”

Clayton & Laun were laughing about something…maybe being cold or trying to balance on the rock?

Marlee kickin’ it…Clayton swam clear out & chilled on a rock…Laun with his mini twin:

I love Oatmeal Creme Pies because they remind me of when Laun & I were dating. We were both attending NAU at the time & we used to buy them when we would go out for drives. Now our kids get to enjoy them occasionally…

The desert hike was beautiful…

Marlee got to walk for a bit, but mainly she rode in her stroller or got a lift.

We definitely want to visit Sabino Canyon again. I love that you can hike-cool off-and hike again.

We love packages!

When we got home from hiking, the boys were excited to see a package in the mailbox from Grandma Lucy. She just went on a trip to Hawaii and sent the kiddos some souvenirs. I couldn't think of the word {souvenirs}, so I asked my 8 year old, "What do you call a gift that someone brings you from a trip?" He knew right away...glad my kids brain still works.

Here they are covering their eyes...waiting for their surprise.

Shark tooth necklaces-Clayton has been asking for one of these!

For Marlee...hair clips. She likes to wear flowers in her hair, smile at herself in the mirror, and say "pretty."
Thank you Grandma Lucy, we love you!!!

I love my friends...

My friend Rachel Starchman wrote this about Cooper and I wanted to share it:

I have a very good friend Catherine, who I love dearly.
Catherine has been a very special friend to me.
She has a amazing husband Laun.
They have 4 beautiful children together
Clayton, Porter, Cooper and Marlee.
Four years ago on March 21st, 2007 Cooper was born.
He needed to come sooner than expected.
Since he arrived much earlier than he should have he stayed in the NICU.
He was so frail and tiny, but SO strong.
When I met Cooper he was not even a week old yet.
His Spirit was SO strong.
He was SO handsome and looked just like his big brothers.
I stayed the night and helped out as much as I could on my short 1 day trip.
(They live in Tucson)
It meant so much to me to be there just that short time, hug Catherine, spend time with her family, and meet her sweet baby Cooper.
I got a call from Catherine on April 5th that Cooper had passed away.
I cried.
Alot.
Cooper's Spirit was SO strong.
Heavenly Father needed him elsewhere.
I remember his funeral so well.
His Mommy and Daddy were so strong.
All of his little cousins and two big brothers sang a song for him.
I met Cooper just one time.
But he made such a impact in my life.
He has made me realize how fragile life is.
And that Our Heavenly Father has a bigger plan for us.
He knows.
Even though we may not understand or may be in pain,
His plans are always greater.
I think about Cooper and his family all the time.
I love them all and I'm grateful that they will all be together again.
Catherine blogs about Cooper often.
She never forgets him.
I'm amazed by how strong she is.
She is someone who I want to be more like.
She posted about Coopers 4th birthday and about the fun things they do every year to celebrate Cooper.
Clayton and Porter love celebrating Cooper's birthday.
I remember them looking at his pictures from the hospital for Family Home Evening when I visited. They couldn't wait to meet their new baby brother.
He was just a tiny, little baby with a weak body,
but Cooper is still with them in Spirit.
I told you he had a strong little Spirit!!
She also posted on April 5th
He would have been 4 years old this year.
As I read her blog post, I cried.
I can't imagine the pain she felt having to say good-bye to her sweet Cooper.
She is an amazing lady.
Her husband is awesome.
I love them both dearly.
Cooper's baby sister Marlee, is so fun and has filled her parents lives with so much joy.
Catherine has mentioned to me a few times that if Cooper would have still been here on earth they wouldn't have their sweet, girl Marlee.
Laun and Catherine are an amazing couple.
They are so strong and faithful.
There's no question where Cooper got that strong Spirit from!
After reading her post I just wanted to share the impact that Cooper has made on my life.
I know Heavenly Father sent Cooper to his family for a reason.
Cooper strengthened my testimony and faith.
He needed them and they needed him.
I'm glad I got to be apart of his short time here on earth.
Your amazing Cooper.
You are SO loved and ALWAYS remembered.

We love you Rachel-thanks for your amazing friendship!

hair twists

Marlee is in desperate need of a haircut, so I am going to take her to a friend to get a bob-so excited! I have to fit in a few more hairstyles before her hair is short. Today we tried this twisty thing-gotta love online videos that teach you how to do fun hairstyles.

Pretty soon there will be no more pig tails for this little lady. I can't wait to see her with short hair!

a school update

I finished my English class with an A! I was doing the happy dance last night. Now I get a WHOLE week off (are you sensing my sarcasm) and then my Math class starts.

Laun is teaching 2 classes at UofA right now and is the best teacher ever. He gives his students breakfast on exam days- I wish I had a teacher like that. He will be graduating with his Masters soon.

Clayton and Porter had great report cards. Laun told them they get $2 for every A or $20 for straight A's. They make a lot more money is they get straight A's.They were close, but not quite, they are really wanting to earn all A's next semester. We are so proud of their hard work.

Marlee is loving books and is talking like crazy. She say's the funniest things and keeps us all laughing. She loves primary songs and singing is her favorite part of Family Home Evening.

Cow cookies...

I was so excited to try out my new cow cookie cutter [that I bought at the Shamrock Farm's gift shop]. Our FHE treat tonight was- Whole Wheat Chocolate Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies, that is a mouthful. I got the recipe off the Joy the Baker blog and thought it would make great cows.


I sprinkled the cows with chunky sugar.
I think they turned out cute. Maybe next time I will make regular sugar cookies and add spots with frosting.