ouR GReaT aMeRiCaN NoVeL

TiLe iN THe BaTHRooM!!

2011-12-06T14:06:00.002-07:00

We had carpet in the bathroom downstairs when we moved in (I know, carpet in a bathroom?), so we decided to bag that and put down some tile. We ripped up the carpet a while ago and it was just grody floor until a week ago, when Spence decided to it was tile time! Spence did an awesome job and now we can enjoy the luxury of 2 bathrooms again!

Before

After!! (the grout isn't completely cleaned up, but I couldn't wait anymore ;)

THaNKSGiViNG WeeKeND

2011-12-05T13:03:00.003-07:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! We went out to visit Mom and Dad Frew. We went to Aunt Carol's house for the feast! Yum!

Spence helping Sam groove in Just Dance 2

We took a trip to Temple Square to check out the lights - Friday, not Thursday! It was fun & COLD!! We watched the 'new' Joseph Smith' movie, too - it's a little different than the other one, though they are also very similar. I like them both!

We toured the Conference Center.

In front of the Nativity

At the temple doors

Frozen Frew Family

I love the reflecting pool! It is so pretty!!

We thawed out for a second in the Family History Center and they took this pic for us. Then it was off to Red Robin for dinner! Mom, Dad and Wendi let me drag them all over temple square - thanks for being good sports guys!

We visited my brother, Jeremy and his wife, Kayce while we were there too. He snapped some quick family pics with us all dressed up for church.

Erma was not very cooperative!

We also had fun seeing Aunt Wendi's house and visiting grandmas and Smith & Edward's store! We had a fun trip!

ZeRo FiNDS HiS PLaCe

2011-11-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

Garret got the 'lead' in their class play about numbers. It was about "0" and how he found his place. Garret got to be "0" and he did such a great job! He memorized a bunch of lines and just did awesome - I was so proud of him!

It was really dark on stage, so the pics are pretty poor quality, but at least you can tell what you're looking at.

There's my awesome boy!! He was so confident and even though he said he was nervous at first, I couldn't even tell!

Good job, Bud!!

HoW To HoST a MuRDeR

2011-11-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

One of our friends had a birthday this weekend and his wife surprised him by setting up a murder mystery dinner party. We dressed up in '20's garb and had a great time (even though we didn't get to finish the game - we relocated in the middle and misplaced some vital info - oops - to be continued!)

The 'golfer' and the 'reporter'

Home-made argyle socks!!

The 'club owner' and the 'baseball player'

The 'D.A' a.k.a. birthday boy and the 'singer' a.k.a. our hostess

The 'millionare' and his 'flapper' mistress

The whole gang (we gathered in the nursery of a local church)

FaLL FaMiLY FuN

2011-11-22T15:26:00.001-07:00

We have 4-5 HUGE trees in our yard and being the 'FALL' season, of coarse the leaves fell (thank goodness they all fell together :)! There were SO MANY!! We had a good time cleaning them up together.

Snow shovels work great on leaves! Who knew?

No LoNGeR a BaBY

2011-11-04T22:38:00.001-06:00

I can't believe a year has passed already and at the same time feel like she has always been part of our family! What a joy Erma is to me! She seems to always be smiling and sweet. She is even 'helping out' already - she puts clothes down the laundry chute - some dirty, some clean. I'm just hoping she doesn't put herself down the laundry chute!!

A look back (last Christmas)

See, she even smiled through her RSV.

This was Erma's sign language for 'hold me'.

We had no candles - still (see last post) - so we improvised. She looks super impressed :)

It wasn't me, Mom!

Oh how I love this sweet angel from heaven. She is a messer, but one look at her sweet face makes my heart melt! She is precious! She is 'SO glad when Daddy comes home' (she giggles every time she sees Spencer), she yells when she is hungry, and laughs when she is tired. We sure love her. Even her brothers and sisters think she is something special!! Happy birthday sweet girl!

MY BeST FRieND

2011-11-03T16:28:00.000-06:00

This post is VERY overdue, but hopefully better late than never...

I found some pics the other day from Spencer's b-day, which was last month and realized that I neglected to do a post about it, so here it is:

I made Spence pose for some pics the other day - I just think he is a super stud! I love this one because I got him to laugh and smile a real smile - my favorite!!

Here he is in super model mode!! Mmm hmm!! That's MY man, baby!! I could get lost in those eyes all day!

These are his actual b-day photos. He is really 32, so we put 3 candles on one side and 2 on the other - we were running low - especially when you need 32 ;)!

Teasing the kids about something, I'm sure.

I'm just grateful to be Spencer's wife - I feel blessed every day that I get to be the one to spend eternity with this wonderful, caring man who helps me out in so many ways and reminds me to believe in myself when times get tough! He has been my rock and my soft place to fall through difficult times - and when I hear him laugh and he turns and hugs me, the rest of the world melts away and for a moment, all is as it should be! Thanks for being my hero in so many ways, Love! Your testimony strengthens me and I'm grateful that you are the man you are today!! You are and ever will be my best friend and my true love!!

HaLLoWeeN

2011-11-01T12:09:00.004-06:00

We had a great Halloween and scored tons of 'booty'! We had our Trunk-or-treat on Friday, so we decided to go visit a few friends on Monday night and they all LOADED us up! My kids are very excited!

Snow Angel Tay

(okay, I'm starting to see the resemblance to myself when I was that age - I kid you not - it could be me standing there!! ~Crazy~)

Batman Garret

Erma the Bee

Fairy Princess Mili

Sam the Pirate-man
(who won 'Best Homemade Costume' in our ward costume contest :)

ReFLeCTioNS iN aNGeL eYeS

2011-10-03T15:49:00.002-06:00

So, I entered a photo contest! Fun, huh? I figured, 'What have I got to lose' (dignity, right?)? Anyway, I did it and with a subject like this, how could I not share her sweetness with the few patrons of the event? Her eyes are so clear that you can see the reflection of her brother as he walks by - I thought it was pretty cool - she is so clean and pure and sweet - crystal clear - like her eyes!

Here's a black and white version

I considered entering this version, but my mom thought it was a little 'freaky' looking. I tried coloring other things to balance it out, but in the end I just went with the colored version. That's actually the original color of her eyes, I just put the b/w version over the top of the colored version and erased the eyes.

UPDATE: I won! I took 1st place in my division/category! It was so fun!

PHoTo SHooT - eRMa

2011-10-03T15:38:00.001-06:00

Just can't get tired of that SWEET face!! She was super smiley, too!

PHoTo SHooT - SaM

2011-10-03T15:04:00.000-06:00

PHoTo SHooT - MiLi

2011-10-03T14:56:00.002-06:00

HeRe'S My SiLLy MiLLy!

PHoTo SHooT - GaRReT

2011-10-03T14:26:00.002-06:00

Garret got a little silly in his 'shoot' :)!

PHoTo SHooT - TaYLoR

2011-10-03T10:40:00.001-06:00

I borrowed my friends camera last week and had a little 'photo shoot' with each of my kids. I decided that I didn't want to pay $150 for school pictures of all of them, so I am going to try to take my own - if that doesn't work, I have another friend who said she would take them, so anyway, here are the results:

CONFERENCE

2011-10-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

I love conference! It is always so great! It seems like whoever is speaking is my favorite, but I really like President Uchtdorf's talks. I made this for my visiting teaching ladies, so I thought I would share. It is from President Uchtdorf's talk in the RS meeting:

His talk felt like it was just for me! I love this wisdom for women - it is just what I need to remember!

SAM IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!

2011-10-01T07:43:00.003-06:00

FINALLY!! Sam is now out of diapers for good!! Yay!!

This is his super cool sword that he earned on his potty chart - he is excited to fight Boston, his cousin, with it .

Notice Mili's flips on his feet - silly kid! He just grabs the nearest flip flops in his hurry to get outside. I have to give the credit to Amilia for potty training him. He would have nothing to do with it until she started taking him to the potty. Even then Sam would decide he didn't want to. Finally he pooped in the potty and Amilia put 'big boy underwear' on him and I just never gave him the option to go back, so now he is doing great!! Mostly he likes to go in the back yard and pee in the bushes, but that's better than a diaper to me, so hooray! That means we just got a raise because we don't have to buy so many diapers!!

Woo Hoo!!! Go Sammer!

Plus - BONUS!! - We found out Sam is not allergic to peanuts!! YAY!! He may still be allergic to almonds, but not peanuts - can you say PB&J (and Peanut M&Ms and Peanut Butter M&Ms...) Yum!!

YOUTH CONFERENCE

2011-09-26T16:58:00.001-06:00

Youth Conference was a blast!

I got to design the t-shirts, so here is what I came up with -

I had a blast doing it!

Front

Back

We had a bunch of fun activities in the mountains and went canoeing (some people swam voluntarily, others involuntarily ;) and had a real 'fireside' and testimony meeting! I got to be in charge of pictures, too, with an awesome camera - I might have had a little too much fun, but oh well! It was great, but the youth are just great to be around, so maybe that was part of it!

READY OR NOT!

2011-09-02T21:40:00.001-06:00

August 31 was Mili's first day of school!! She LOVES it!

These pics are after she got home, but it is still on her first day, right?

I can't believe she is so BIG!

Spencer went with me to drop her off at school and it was so sad!! Even Spence teared up - he's cute like that! Anyway, I guess life moves on whether you're ready or not - like in Hide n' Seek :) .

GRANDMA FREW

2011-09-02T14:51:00.000-06:00

We visited Grandma Frew this weekend and snaps some pics, so here is the fam with Grandma:

Grandma was feeling so good that she even gave Mili and Sam a ride on her walker!

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

2011-08-24T17:38:00.006-06:00

Kiddos, up and ready to head to the school to drop Tay and Ret off. (That's how I feel about school starting again, too, Sam!! ;)

I hate for school to start! I missed Taylor and Garret all day. They are my big helpers and it just felt so different without them here. Plus Sam and Amilia were more bored, so they messed more than usual!! Hopefully we will all adjust! Tay and Garret said they each like their classes and their teachers and are excited about starting school, so I am excited for them! There is just something about walking into a school, something special about all the learning that goes on there makes it sort of...sacred I guess. I get excited for the good things they will learn and experience in that building.

Taylor

Garret

We tried to take pics in the front, but it was too bright and shadowy!

Mili gets to start in a week, so she is excited for that. Today she was explaining how long it will be and she said she would start in 7 weeks (I had explained that a week was 7 days) and then a little later she said she would start in 7 years...I thought it was so cute! I guess it probably feels that long for her ;)!

CAMP MARJORIE PAY HINCKLEY

2011-08-24T15:56:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was our Lloyd family reunion (Spencer's mom's family). We went up to the Heber Valley campground. It was beautiful!

Our family picture.

We got there just in time to do the Challenge Course. It was awesome! It was a cargo net ladder which climbed up 35 feet to some planks suspended from wire cables. You crossed the planks to the opposite side and then you got to ride a zip-line down! Taylor was the first one to do it and she zipped right up, across, and back down it like a pro! Garret did it too and neither one of them even hesitated! I was so proud of them! Sam wanted to do it too, but the squares on the cargo net were too wide for his short legs. Of coarse, once again, no pics. Hopefully we can bum some off the rest of the fam (please).

The next day we went canoeing. It was a beautiful area. We saw ducks, deer, and even an alligator (well, that's what the log looked like).

Uncle Mike braved the lake with Taylor and Hannah. Then we realized that he was letting the girls do all the work :)! They even towed Tyler and Cameron for awhile ;).

Sam and Mili wanted to row.

Abby, Sam, and Mili rode in the paddle boat with Aunt Amy and Aunt Wendi for awhile.

Okay, Uncle Mike had to help out sometime ;).

Look at that beautiful trail through the trees - this place was gorgeous!

We had fun seeing family, playing games, eating ice cream and strawberries for breakfast and just enjoying the mountains!

We stayed in the Marjorie Pay Hinckley camp so they had a quote hung up on the message board in the cabins. I love it, "Who knows but that something wonderful may happen today? Have faith that it will. After all, every morning is a chance at a new day!"

WATCH ME GROW

2011-08-24T15:12:00.004-06:00

Here's a few of Erma's pictures from the last 4+ months. It seems like she grows everyday. The other day Spencer came in holding her and she is starting to look like a little girl instead of a baby :( ! She has even started pulling herself to a stand on things and then hoisting herself up on top of them! She is already a messer!

She is SO stinkin' cute, though!!!

(not sure why some of them are downloading sideways again! AAGGHHH!)

WE TOOK A TRIP TO TEXAS

2011-08-24T14:25:00.006-06:00

My family reunion this year was the first week in August at the Texoma Fishak in Pottsboro, TX. We drove! 20 hours each way! With 5 kids (including a 9 month old)!! It was a lot better than I thought it would be. We had many things prepared to entertain the kids, but Erma HATES sleeping in the car, so it got interesting when she was tired. I know there was also a higher power who intervened because we are all still alive :)!

Stopping at Burger King in Montrose, CO on the way there. The sun was bright!

Almost exactly half way is Albuquerque, NM and Spencer's sister, Mel lives in a suburb of that city with with her family. It made a great visit/pit stop for us. We drove after Spencer got off work on Friday so that we could have Saturday and Sunday to play with them. Saturday we went to the Albuquerque Zoo!

A little lunch

Mili, Sam, and Boston packing back into the wagon

Sam, Taylor, Maddie, Garret, and Jackson waiting & waiting & waiting to see them feed the seals

We watched them feed the polar bears - AWESOME! They dive into the water to get a fish and climb back up to dive again. We had to wait awhile so we didn't lose our place up front and we got HOT, so we drenched ourselves with water from the fountains. Then we waited to see what feeding the seals & walruses was like and it took forever and they were late getting out and then this guy talked forever while they got the fish ready...it was HOT!!

"I'm HOT Mom!"

All the kiddos by the lions

All the kiddos on the 'Wild Tile Chair'

Mili 'sacked out' in the car

We made it to Texas and had a great time. Uncle Matt and Aunt Jodie brought their boat and the kids were on it almost non-stop for a week!! They loved riding the duel tubes and jumping off the boat into the water. Garret especially loved 'diving' into the lake. It was 93 degrees in the water and 112 degrees out of it!! I have no record of all this though, because I kept forgetting my camera. Some others in my fam got some great pictures, though, so maybe they will be so kind as to share (nudge, nudge, wink, wink...).

Here's our fam the day we left, sporting our reunion shirts

(courtesy of Aunt Jodie, Uncle Jeremy, and Aunt Kayce)

Erma is happy to finally be FREE!!!

10 GOING ON 18

2011-08-24T11:36:00.002-06:00

10 years old!!! I just can't get over it...she keeps growing! Here's my happy Taylor - a great babysitter and just an all-around great girl! Taylor is very smart and loves to teach others in FHE or giving talks at church. She also enjoys reading and her new iPOD. Happy Tay-Day!

GARRET = 7

2011-08-24T11:31:00.003-06:00

Here's our big 7-year-old!

(notice the table in the living room while we put the new floor in the kitchen)

Garret is such a sweet and lovey boy. He is also a great teaser...hmmm, I wonder if teasing is hereditary or just learned - either way, he gets it from his dad. I love this special kiddo who is always asking if he can help out and giving me a hug whenever he happens by! Happy Garret Day, bud!

RANDOM SUMMER PICS

2011-08-24T11:04:00.005-06:00

Silly Mili

Just chillin'

I had to grab this shot, she was just sitting there in the flowers.

My girls, playing some tunes

He gets the 'redneck' from his dad ;)

Popsicles - the ultimate summer sustenance!

I think they should put this on the ad for the 'Rec Center'!

She's so goofy sometimes!

Jumpin' in the sprinkler

Aunt Amy and Uncle Roy brought their 4-wheelers up on the mountain and let us borrow them for some fun exploring!

For some reason this one downloaded sideways...

We had carpet in our kitchen, so we replaced it with vinyl flooring - the kids loved to help!

MILI TURNED 5!!

2011-08-23T17:50:00.003-06:00

5 years old and still growing. Amilia is so excited because being 5 means KINDERGARTEN!! She is very excited to go to school! She is my lefty and is very independent. She definitely makes me think and has taught me many things! She may be small, but she has a HUGE personality! I love you Mili Mae!

Mili chose to go bowling for her birthday, but the camera battery died after this one picture :( .

PAINTED AND PUCKERED

2011-08-23T17:35:00.004-06:00

Taylor got her face painted at field day.

Beautiful girl!

Erma and I chillin' on Grandma Frew's lawn.

Memorial Day Weekend we went out to the Wasatch Front to visit Spencer's sister, Mel, and her family who were up visiting from New Mexico, but we often forget to use our camera, so we only have a couple pics.

This was what she would do if she wanted you to hold her. :) We caught it on camera!

THE DAM TOUR

2011-08-23T16:43:00.007-06:00

We had tons of rain this year and we decided to go up to Flaming Gorge Dam to see the raging Green River and the water being pumped out of the spillway.

The Fam

Amilia

Erma

Sammer

Tay (not feeling so well :( )

Ret

It was POORING down rain on us!!

Though you can't tell from the picture, we are all drenched from walking back across the dam after our tour!

PLAY BALL

2011-08-23T16:31:00.004-06:00

Garret played t-ball this year and loved it! He did great!

Sam and Amilia played 'Itty Bitty Ball'. They went 2 days a week for 4 weeks and learned a new sport each week (basketball, soccer, tennis, and t-ball). They loved it!!

Sam practicing his dribble.

Mili dribbling.

Stretching out.

EASTER

2011-08-23T16:24:00.001-06:00

Eggcited to go basket 'hunting'.

Dying eggs.

FIVE MONTHS = FOOD

2011-08-23T16:19:00.003-06:00

"I refuse to smile for the camera!!"

"What is this?!"

"Hi, Mom!"

THE BIG THREE ZERO

2011-08-23T16:02:00.002-06:00

Yes, I turned 30 this year. It wasn't so bad.

I got salmon for dinner and brownies for a cake - doesn't sound so bad to me!

Mili and Sam liked the brownies, too!

RSV IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD!

2011-08-23T15:26:00.004-06:00

Erma loves her daddy!

March 20th Erma was sick and started to wheeze, so I took her to the ER. She had RSV and a double ear infection, so she spent 2 days in the hospital. She is just a happy little girl though and was quite the trooper through all the nose sucking and oxygen tubes and fevers and antibiotic (which she would spit out)...oh, I am glad that is over with!! Anyway, she is healthy and happy now and she didn't get pneumonia when most of the rest of our family did, so I'm grateful for that!!

Some rare rest from being poked and prodded.

PERKS

2011-08-23T14:36:00.003-06:00

Spencer was able to earn some fun things from work, so here is the fam, enjoying a few of them...

The kids are glued to the DVD player in our car on the way to visit Grandma Jean. Spence 'earned' two of the headphones.

Taylor playing Wii Fit Plus (which she is actually playing as I Blog this :).

Spencer modeling our GPS.

We even got a vacuum when we moved which we needed since we had a central vac in our 'old' house.

LEGOS!

This is Mili 'smiling'.

Garret loves to play Mario Kart Wii!

BIG 3

2011-08-23T14:33:00.002-06:00

Sam is 3!! Happy birthday to the 'Jam' Man!! He is one funny kid who loves guns and swords and balls and has no desire to use the 'potty' (much to his mother's dismay)! Love you Jam, you keep life silly and help me remember to laugh.

Looking sharp in his new digs from Grandma Frew!

Green icing is his favorite color. Though food coloring doesn't change the taste of the icing, I had a hard time thinking this didn't taste 'minty' :).

He got them all!!

TRANSITION

2011-08-23T13:56:00.007-06:00

In January we FINALLY sold our house and moved out. We had been trying to sell it for almost a year and it was a HORRIBLE market, so we were EXTREMELY grateful, though it was very crazy for us! Erma was just over 2 months old and the temperatures were sub-zero. One of our friends loaned us a semi trailer to store our stuff in (we couldn't close on our new house until 2 weeks after we moved out of our old one) which could then be towed directly to our new house. Another of our friends talked with their parents, who let us stay in their house for the two weeks in between selling and buying. There were MANY, MANY BLESSINGS and MANY GREAT PEOPLE who helped us SO much during this time. I could not ask for greater friends!

This is us on the last night in our 'old' house - chompin' on some BK.

We had an interesting 2 weeks between moving out and moving in. The first night in the Flake's (where we stayed between times) Spencer was sick, Taylor threw up and our little ranger had difficulty with the snow/ice covered hill to the house and almost slid back into our van. We transferred the kids to their new school which we drove them to on the opposite side of town, there were all kinds of delays with the houses, both new and old. Erma got sick, we ran out of firewood which was the only efficient heat source in the house. We bought a suburban and sold our van, our dog kennel was iced into the ground and we bent it up trying to get it out and ended up leaving one section there, one of our chickens died. Heavenly Father kept us busy so that we didn't have time to dwell on the drama - besides, with so many blessings, I feel bad to even mention all the 'drama'.

Mili and Erma playing on our bed at the Flake's.

We had our 10th anniversary while at the Flake's house. Taylor made this chain as a surprise for us and woke up at 2 in the morning to tape it across the stairs! She also wrote us a little note about how she looked up to us and wanted to be like us - what a sweetheart to make the day special for us. She is so creative and always making special gifts for people on their birthdays or special days. I just had to get a picture to remember it!

SMILES ARE A BLESSING!

2011-08-23T13:50:00.003-06:00

I caught one of her first smiles!! These were my favorite PJ's!

Erma on her blessing day (January 2, 2011) in Grandma Jean's arms. We had a great 'last hurrah' in our house with Spencer's family coming to stay with us. The kids had a blast together.

CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-08-23T13:18:00.003-06:00

Playing a little catch-up on my blog...here is Christmas.

Kiddos, waiting to go downstairs and see what Santa brought.

Erma, sporting her new hat & flower ensemble from Aunt Jodie.

Spencer's new saw (which we have since used on our floor and plan to use on our baseboard!)

Amilia was very excited to get a plush rocking horse!!

Happy Garret (who didn't get his front teeth for Christmas) with his Batman Castle.

Taylor loves her Chia Pet (Zhu Zhu pet). I can never remember what they are called, so they are usually Chia Pets to me ;).

Sam with his new rocking horse (his bat & pen were his guns, but he has since given them up for 'real' toy guns that he got at Christmas)

Erma slept through it all...

MAKESHIFT CHRISTMAS CARD

2010-12-22T21:38:00.003-07:00

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!!

Erma Mary Frew

2010-11-03T19:39:00.007-06:00

Erma Mary Frew

Born 11/3/10

7:28 AM

8lbs. 8oz.

21 1/4" long

Erma was born this morning via c-section. I just have to rant a little bit about Audra for a minute. She is so amazing to me!! She showed such great faith this morning to remain calm and be able to be alert and know what was going on. She knew from the beginning that she would have to have a c-section to prevent ruining a surgery that repaired her blatter. She has been so afraid all along. I am so grateful for the gift that she has to be a mom! She has sacrificed so much to bring our children into this world and I will be forever grateful to her for that! What a blessing to have such a wonderful woman in my life.

I love you Audra. You amaze me each and every day.

SF + AF

Erma

Taylor and Erma

Garret and Erma

Amilia and Erma

Samuel and Erma

Grandma Frew's arm and Erma

Could there be any greater blessing? Miracles do happen in our day! Mom and baby are doing great on the long road to recovery.

31 YEARS OF AMAZING!

2010-09-10T11:51:00.003-06:00

It's my hot husband's birthday today, so I just wanted to rant a little about his greatness! He is my best friend and the one I love to be with most! We have so much fun together, even if what we're doing is not very entertaining, we try to make the most of it. He is my perfect match and I appreciate all the craziness he puts up with being married to me! What a blessing he is in my life - one of my greatest gifts by far! It's so great to be married to him and feel so loved and know that we get to be together for the rest of forever! Words can't express how grateful I am for this knight who has rescued me in so many ways, who is the man of my dreams and the prince who continues to make my life a fairy tale. I love you, Spence! You are wonderful! Happy Birthday!

SILLY STUPENDOUS SAM

2010-09-10T11:40:00.002-06:00

Sweet Sam with a chocolate icing mustache.
What a cute kid!! I sure love this little boy! I figured he hasn't been in the last few posts, so he gets one all to himself. He is such a silly kid and he loves to smile and ham it up! He also loves cars and balls and hitting - very boy - though he is watching Strawberry Shortcake while his sister is watching Cars... Anyway, we all love our Sammer!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! (a little late)

2010-09-10T11:28:00.002-06:00

Here are the kiddos. Mili isn't going to school yet, but we put her in this picture anyway. Sam was still asleep, so we'll put pics of him in a different post. Grandma Jean provided the new clothes for their first day, so thanks Grandma!
Garret and Taylor both love their classes. Garret rants and raves about what good cooks the lunch ladies are (I don't know what that says about my cooking :/). He also was told that on TV they said that his teacher was the nicest one at his elementary school, so he tells everyone that fact. Meanwhile, Mili was LOST for the first week or so that the Tay and Ret were in school. She was very moody and I think she just felt left behind. She is doing better now, though, so hopefully we've got that under control!

BIRTHDAYS

2010-09-09T20:51:00.005-06:00

Here are a few semi-recent pics from birthdays:Pass the 'cheese' please!
Gotta love Christmas wrapping paper for birthday gifts!

Taylor got her ears pierced for her birthday, but not until the next day.

This isn't a birthday picture, but it was the day after a birthday...our ward had a float in the July 24th parade and Taylor and Garret rode on it (Mili decided against it right after she got her picture taken:)

RANDOM UPDATES

2010-06-21T11:42:00.006-06:00

Just a random, brief update with few details, but at least I'm doing it, right? More to come...hopefully;)

Taylor has become a Harry Potter fan and is now on book five. (and also got bangs)

We now own a piano - YEAH! (but also not YEAH because then they split our ward and called me as the organist :()

Here's the kiddos 'wrapped up like hot dogs' and getting big!

Sam's 2nd birthday.

Easter

Mili's 4th birthday.

Garret lost his first tooth.

Plus we're having another baby and just found out she's a girl! So, that's our nutshell for now...

BIG "T"

2009-03-31T10:18:00.003-06:00

We got to go to the Jazz game last Saturday night. We had a fun time and it was a good game to be at - very close in the end and then they won, woohoo! Anyway, we were walking around the arena trying to find where we sat and we passed the pre-game show with Thurl Bailey and thought how much fun it would be to tell our kids that we had met Goliath. So we ended up getting our picture taken with him at half-time.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

2009-03-31T10:13:00.001-06:00

St. Patrick's Day 2008
St. Patrick's Day 2009

ALL STITCHED UP

2009-03-02T11:21:00.003-07:00

My kids love to bounce on my exercise ball. Well, on Thursday one of Spencer's friends from work gave us a bed. As we were bringing the mattress downstairs, we heard hysterics coming from Garret's mouth upstairs. Spencer went up to investigate, thinking it was no big deal. As soon as he got to Garret he said, "Honey, it's bad, it's bad." So I ran up to find blood covering Garret's head, shirt, and dripping on the floor. Well, long story short - Garret was bouncing on the exercise ball in our downstairs living room and he fell into the coffee table, which smashed his head open (our coffee table doesn't have sharp edges - they're all rounded). So Garret acted very brave through his first experience with stitches - 6 of them. He was such a big boy!!

PAGES PACKED WITH PROMISE

2009-01-09T15:30:00.006-07:00

Spencer just found this quote and shared it with our family. We decided to take the Lord up on his promises and so far (2 weeks) it is wonderful!! We did alright reading before, but now we make sure to read every day together and on our own...anyway, here is the quote:

'I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity - the pure love of Christ - will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.'

-President Marion G. Romney

I also wanted to share this new 'favorite' scripture I have - it applies in so many situations and I love the message of it:

'Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.'

Mosiah 4:9

FIRST HAIRCUT

2009-01-05T14:54:00.002-07:00

We gave Sam a haircut 2 nights ago. I am so sad. I've never really cared about their first haircut before, but this one was hard on me - I miss his long hair - he looked so much more like a baby and less like a little boy before. Oh well, I guess I can't stop him from growing, even if I don't cut his hair. He is crawling all over now and pulling himself up on everything. Today he ate the dirt out of our ficus tree. He is such a happy kid!!
:)

Before

After

MY BED!

2009-01-05T14:51:00.002-07:00

This is my Christmas present from Spencer! I love it. We just got it here and set up today (thanks to Mom Frew for storing it and Justin & Lori for bringing it home)! Anyway, I love it!!!

HOLIDAYS

2009-01-05T11:27:00.009-07:00

Here's a quick recap of our holidays:

For Thanksgiving we had a family reunion with my family. We went to my mom's for 4 days and then to my brother's for 4 more. It was lots of family (22 people under one roof), fun, food, craziness, drama, games, late nights, discussions, T-shirts, & mostly memories.

Taylor reading stories with her cousins before bed

Uncle Mat borrowed a Rhino from his brother - the kids loved it!

Aunt Jodie made special aprons for the kids to help with Thanksgiving

Taylor and Mili helping with dinner

Dad and Sammy

Audra, Sam, and Nathan (my nephew) at dinner in Heber City - good stuff!

The girls

Eating on the deck

What in the world is sticking out of my mouth???

Christmas was spent at Spencer's parents' house. It was lots of fun to have a Christmas away from home. Santa found us thanks to some 'Magic Reindeer Dust' from Mel and we had a good time enjoying festivities with family that we don't get to see often enough. It was also fun to see our kids enjoy their aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

Santa Sam

Taylor was Mary in the Christmas Eve Play at Grandma Lloyd'sGarret was a shepherd
Mili was an angel
Spence opening his present from the kids
This is heavy for a little package!
Christmas morning
Mili in her new Dora chair
Sam wants to go back to bed

Our New Year was a little different this year - we spent it in the bathroom, throwing up. Mili got sick a few days before and threw up in her bed. She continued to have liquid poop until just a couple days ago. Well, Spencer and I both woke up horribly sick on New Years Day. Spencer later threw up and then that night Taylor and Garret took their turns heaving all over their beds. We've all mostly recovered now and I am just SO grateful that Sam never got his 'turn'.

Today we have just been trying to get over our withdrawals from having Taylor and Spencer back at school and work. We miss them, but are settling back into the routine of life. I can't believe it is a new year and that the holidays are already over. I'm grateful to look back and realize all that I've learned this past year and the many blessings that are mine!!

ROAD RASH

2008-11-21T20:09:00.002-07:00

There was a pedestrian/bicycle accident in our driveway yesterday and Garret was the 'victim' that slid across the cement. Poor kiddo - he seems to be a magnet for drama in his life.

LEGAL

2008-11-19T21:52:00.003-07:00

This picture was taken this summer - before I got my awesome helmet, but it will have to do...

I passed my motorcycle test (the driving part) yesterday - now I'm legal for more than 6 months. Yay!! Mostly I'm just excited to have one less thing on my 'To Do Before The Weather Gets Bad' list...

YOU CHOOSE

2008-11-06T22:23:00.004-07:00

No matter what has happened, no matter what IS happening, no matter how you see yourself or what others tell you, no matter if you've succeeded marvelously or failed miserably, no matter the box you've built around yourself or the corner you've painted yourself into, no matter the dependencies you face everyday, no matter the people who depend on you, no matter that you are free or imprisoned, no matter whether you even believe me or not...

...what happens from here on is completely your call. You can choose how you engage this life.
Engage. Live. Create.

~Rebekah Cushing

~~~

This is a quote from an extraordinary woman that I have recently been 'introduced' to. I liked it so much, I just had to share!

HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES

2008-11-05T11:14:00.009-07:00

~All dressed up on Halloween.~

We went to our ward's 'trunk-or-treat' and then to one of our neighbors' house. I liked 'trunk-or-treats' from the past, but for some reason this year I didn't like it anymore. It just seemed like there was no interaction, no "trick or treat", but just hold your bucket out and expect it to be filled with candy. No "Thank you" afterward and a big line behind you pushing you to move faster and make it even less personal. Then everyone was gone as soon as their kids were through with the circle. Anyway, I just missed the 'getting to know you' side of it. We did have a Halloween Carnival a few days before that, put on by the Young Women in our ward. The kids had a blast there and it was fun to get to know a few members of the ward a little better. This is at the library. They trick-or-treat to the city offices every year, so a few of my friends and I brought our kids for it. Poor Tay was having too much fun at school, so she didn't get to come ;(
~Tow Mater, Pretty Pioneer, Pooh Bear, and Tigger~

Taylor wanted to be a pioneer, Garret was happy to be anything related to 'Cars', Mili was such a cute Pooh Bear (who else would she be - she only ADORES him), and Sam got the hand-me-down Tigger costume (I think all my kids have worn that one). We borrowed the pioneer dress and Pooh Bear costume from Spencer's sister (thanks Mel) and she also sent a smaller Pooh Bear costume - just in case. Well, the first time we tried it on Mili, she was wearing this big, bulky costume carrying the other costume, her stuffed Pooh, and Taylor's stuffed 'Clifford' all up our stairs while saying, 'There's a rumbly in my tumbly' - it was very cute!

(I tried to get a picture of our finished pumpkins, but our camera is having issues and refused! Tay's was a jack-o-lantern cat, Garret's was painted blue and orange, Mili's was multi-colored, Spencer's said SF + AF, and mine was a cheesy 'jack' with BOO down the sides and "I heart SF" scraped into the back)

CARVED & COLORED

2008-10-29T21:23:00.005-06:00

This was Taylor's first experience actually carving pumpkins. After she was finished carving her pupkin, she decided to paint it pink, too. She got a pumpkin from school and that's the one she wanted to carve. We grew the rest of them on "Garret's" pumpkin plant, so that was fun for the kids.
Mili and Garret stuck with painting pumpkins this year. We'll save carving for sometime in the future ;)
Taylor's first pumpkin gutting!
Apparently, Mili decided the paint would make good lipstick. I'll have to take a picture of all the finished pumpkins and post it, but I don't have one right now - whoops...later.

My Aunt Teri also sent me this cool website (my kids love it) where you can go and carve a pumpkin and see what it looks like when it lights up.

PARK DAY

2008-10-29T21:10:00.003-06:00

We went to the park on Monday with my friend Lani and her kids - kind of a last hurrah before it's too cold. Of coarse they loved it, but the camera didn't really make an appearance until we were getting ready to go...at least it was used :)
Garret applying socks and shoes after running barefoot in the sand with his friends Porter and Spencer (who came to play, too).

It was nap time and the sun was out, so this is Sam's makeshift cover.

Mili is so funny when we go to the park - maybe because it's usually around her nap time, but she will just lay on the blanket next to me and wrap herself up, or whatever she feels inclined to do at the moment. She rarely goes out and plays on the toys and once she even fell asleep on the blanket and got sunburned.

CALLED

2008-10-24T10:08:00.006-06:00

Here's my super-studly, good looking, amazing nephew Nathan! Before you all start thinking of awesome girls to set him up with, he's taken - for 2 years anyway. He just got called to the Toronto, Canada mission and leaves on December 3! I'm so excited for him and thrilled for the people of Canada, because he will be an amazing missionary! I'm really happy for him and wanted to say that I love him - I don't think he even reads this blog, but I wanted to say it anyway. Congrats, Nathan!

'PRETTY, PRETTY PRINCESS'

2008-10-20T14:06:00.002-06:00

Spencer decided to start a new tradition in our family - Frew Family Game Night every Sunday night. Taylor officially kicked off our fun by choosing 'Pretty, Pretty Princess' as our first game.Garret, modeling his earring for the camera as the rest of the family looks on...
Here is Sam in his whole royal get-up.
Spencer was the 'Pretty, pretty princess' and everyone else has all their jewelry on - Pretty, Pretty! (I think the beard accents the jewelry just beautifully, don't you?)

DISH DUTY

2008-09-26T17:40:00.004-06:00

I was going to post yesterday that I am grateful for a dishwasher, since mine is broken. Well, today I am still grateful for a dishwasher, but I'm also grateful that mine is on vacation for now so that my kids could have a little fun learning about washing dishes by hand. They made a mess, but we had fun!

Just getting started - we lost the 'overshirts' pretty quick since the sleeves were just getting soaked and propelling extra water onto the floor/counter/children.

Proud of a job well done! I love the soaking spots on their shirts!

OUCH!

2008-09-26T17:24:00.003-06:00

So I found a new goal for myself on a friend's blog. It is a website that helps you work up to doing 100 straight push-ups in 6 weeks. I thought it sounded like a good workout for my body - apparantly I had no idea - I ache from neck to waist (and I'm only 5 days into the workout)!!!! It hurts in places I want to tone though, so I guess that is a good thing. Anyway, if you feel inclined to challenge yourself, here is the website: http://www.hundredpushups.com/

A HOBBY

2008-09-22T10:35:00.004-06:00

I love to garden! There's just something fascinating to me about putting something in dirt, giving it water, and watching it flourish. I also love the feeling of pulling weeds - I know, call me crazy - I blame my father for making me love yard/hard work - okay, I know, I'm just a little wacko, but what can I say...? These are a few pics of one of my favorite hobbies. Above is a Tropical Hibiscus I bought at Lowes. I'm hoping it will live through the winter since I didn't check the hardiness zone and it is only supposed to be okay down to 30 deg (why do you sell plants in a -20 deg climate that are only hardy to 30 deg???? Grrr!) Hopefully I learned my lesson to check the tags when I buy stuff...
This is my garden at the edge of our driveway. It was so nice to have a flower bed this year because our yard isn't really a yard yet, so this gave me a place to vent some of my obsession through flower gardening.
This is a wisteria my dad gave me. I was so excited when the leaves finally came back. I wasn't sure it was going to recover from the transplant, but maybe there's still hope!!!
Here's our vegetable garden. We grew beans, carrots, peas, potatoes, cantaloupe, onions, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, and grass hoppers! Oh the grass hoppers....:[ I even put some strawberry plants in that will hopefully come back next year. Anyway, it has been awesome to be able to go out to the garden for pizza toppings or omelet ingredients. We've had fun with this garden and I will miss it after the freeze comes!

There's a little glimpse into one of my hobbies/obsessions.

NEED ANSWERS?

2008-09-16T22:10:00.003-06:00

Quote of the day:
“I believe that the busy person on the farm, in the shop, in the office, or in the household…can solve his problems better and more quickly in the house of the Lord than anywhere else…he will confer a mighty blessing upon those who have gone before, and…at the most unexpected moments,…[there] will come to him, the solutions of the problems that vex his life.”

- John A. Widtsoe

I've tried it - it works! :):):):) Enjoy.

"JUST" A MOM

2008-09-15T10:09:00.003-06:00

Just had to post this article that my friend sent me - for all you moms who stay home or anyone who doesn't understand what they do all day, click here to be enlightened!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...MY LOVE!

2008-09-10T21:04:00.007-06:00

(CAUTION: the following entry contains 'lovey-dovey' information that may seem extremely sappy to the reader - proceed at your own risk - you have been warned)

Can ya tell the candles are in the shape of 29? We didn't want to start a fire or anything ;) Spencer doesn't really love cake, but he does love ice-cream, so we put his candles in the frozen stuff.
--
I have been looking forward to this post for a long time now. I always want to rant and rave about my husband, but I was waiting for a special occasion. I probably should just rant and rave any old time I please - lesson learned (hopefully). This is my love, my life, the completion of myself. When there is chaos anywhere in my life, he is my soft place to fall. He is so unselfish and is always serving me, even when he is the one who is overwhelmed. I could not ask for or even imagine a better match for me. When I feel alone in the world, my love is the one who makes me feel like I'm still okay. He is the best Dad I could ask for my kids. He plays with them every night when he comes home from work. He is a jungle-gym, a hide-and-seek player extraordinaire, a 'tickle torturer', a 'snuggle-me-in'er, his daughters' first love, and his sons' hero. I am so grateful for the way he leads our family. I love how he supports me in my dream of staying home with our children. I know he goes without many luxuries to give me more time with our kids and I am grateful for his willingness to do anything to make a hard day easier for me. I love that most of our hopes and dreams are the same and that we are trying to work toward our goals together. One of the best decisions of my life was to marry Spencer. How awed I feel to realize that this amazing man with brains, talent, looks (wooo-wooo), humor, and an incredible spirit (and so much more) actually picked me to stand at his side forever. It's almost funny to look back to the day I married him and think that I loved him - our love is so much stronger and different now - I'm excited to see how sweet eternity is in his arms! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!
--
This is a poem I wrote for Spencer a few years ago, but I thought it fit well here (don't laugh):
--
One Knight My Dreams Came True
--
I stood alone on the humble horizon
Abandoned by heroes and friends.
Staring out across the stormy sea,
I realized the stranger inside me,
--
Who could help me cross this abyss,
Who would stand by my side through the battle?
Who'd be clever and kind and believe
And lift me when that's what I need?
--
He'd be someone who would support me
And the family we'd bring to this world,
So he would be strong, true, and wise
And put the Lord first in his life.
--
Through eternity love we would share,
A love stronger than any grave,
Soul mates joined by the vows we would make
So in glory and joy we'd partake.
--
But some say that dreams are just dreams
So I hadn't much hope for my goal.
A wild fantasy should be forgot.
"How could it be realized," I thought.
--
Then in front of me rose a great knight
Clad with armor made through his good works
And he looked down at me through the wind,
Then his gaze passed on by me again.
--
Well, somehow in that moment I knew
That someday he would be my king
And that dreams do come true as I've seen
For today that knight calls me his queen!
--
The battle and storm still rage on
But together we fight through the fray
And though opposition won't cease
When I'm with him he helps me feel peace.

A VISIT TO THE WASATCH FRONT

2008-09-08T11:17:00.007-06:00

We went out to visit my sister-in-law while she was home for a visit from Kuwait. She is a Black-hawk pilot and is on active duty right now, but got to come home for a few weeks. Mom, Charlie, and my oldest nephew Nathan were all there, too. It was fun to see everyone - even for just a short visit. We don't have pics of Sarge, my brothers black lab, but she was a major hit with our kids (poor dog).Our kids helped 'shuck' the corn for Saturday's cookout.Grandma Jean and Grandpa Charlie took the kids to the new 3D movie - 'Fly Me to the Moon'. Here's Tay sporting her glasses. Garret styling in his 3D 'shades'.We went to the cemetery to visit my uncle's & grandparents' graves. (Nathan - nephew, Garret, Jeremy - bro, Kayce - bro's wife, Mili, Pooh Bear, Taylor, Spencer, Sam, Grandma Jean & Grandpa Charlie)Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Jean with the kiddos - Sam looks just as big as Mili in this pic :)Amy, Grandma Frew, Taylor, Spencer, and my shadow. We had Sunday dinner with Spencer's family and got to see his grandmas and Mel's new baby, Boston. Then we went to visit his Grandpa Frew's grave and see his headstone. Spencer; Grandpa Frew, Jr.; Aunt Amy; Taylor; and Grandma Frew

BEAUTY

2008-08-27T17:03:00.002-06:00

One of my friends had a post called Who Is Beautiful? It was a good post (you should go read it) and it got me thinking about beauty. Why do we care so much about someone being beautiful. I know I like to look at beautiful things, but I seem to get so wrapped up in being beautiful....all for what? One day I was having a hard day and my husband came home for lunch and said I looked beautiful that day - of coarse I was in a pessimistic mood, but I thought, "What good does that do me? It doesn't help me have more patience with the kids, or clean the house, or give me more energy, or fix anything!" It doesn't mean you can run faster or are better in any way than someone else. So I guess my question for y'all, if you feel inclined, is why do we obsess over being beautiful so much? The really important stuff has nothing to do with looks but it seems so important to everyone (me included). Seriously - who cares?!? Why are the 'beautiful' stars thought of as experts on the issues of the day. It just bothers me, all of a sudden, that people think beautiful people are so amazing, just based on looks. Anyway...that's the end of my little rant...any comment would be appreciated. :)

A QUIRKY TAG

2008-08-26T13:59:00.003-06:00

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know that they have been tagged.

1. I am very scatterbrained! If I start to do something, I will get side-tracked by something else that needs to be done and move on to it until I have started lots of projects, but not finished any of them. This is one of the reasons I hate to be interrupted when I am concentrating on something, because I have to finish it right then or I know I won't finish it at all (and just try not getting interrupted with kids running around!).

2. When I make a sandwich, I have to spread everything all the way to the edges and evenly distribute it. The mayo, meat, cheese or whatever is on the sandwich must be evenly spread. I believe this stems from one time when my step-mom made us PB&J's and just gobbed all the peanut butter and jelly in the middle - YUCK - I vowed I would never do that.

3. Even if I leave 30 min early to arrive somewhere, somehow I will be late. The fates combine against me ;) and it becomes a serious impossibility for me to be on time to anything - mostly it's my fault, but there have been times that I wonder if I am just destined for tardiness.

4. I can't stand it when kids have snotty noses. It drives me crazy to have a little kids with liquid boogers hanging from their nose.

5. I abstain from video games because I'm an addict!

6. Sometimes I get angry/ornery/sad and I can't figure out why. This might just be a womanly hormonal thing, but it drives me crazy that I don't know what's wrong with myself so I can fix it...grrrrr!

I'm supposed to tag people, but I just think you should consider yourself tagged if you would like to be and not tagged if you would not like to be...

PLASMA CARS

2008-08-22T09:45:00.003-06:00

The whole gang

My previous step-dad, Lance sent these awesome toys called Plasma Cars to my kids - they love them! I had not heard of them before, but my kids have so much fun on them. It gives them a fun new reason to be outside, which helps them enjoy what's left of the summer and makes me happy :) Thanks Lance, that was so sweet of you!

Cruisin' Garret
Taylor takes Mili for rides so she can join the fun, too.

GAME ON

2008-08-20T20:10:00.003-06:00

The kids are in bed and Spence is doing Elder's Quorum visits, so I thought this looked like fun. You should try it too.

Type only ONE word. It's harder than you think!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Non-existent
2. Your significant other? Soul-mate
3. Your hair? Growing
4. Your mother? Healing
5. Your Father? Teacher
6. Your favorite thing? Joy
7. Your dream last night? Unsettling
8. The room you are in? Messy
9 Your favorite drink? Chocolate Milk
10. Your dream/goal? Charity
11. Your fear? Unknown
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? College
13. Where were you last night? Olympics
14. What you're not? Punctual
15. Muffins? Large
16. One of your wish list items? Arbor
17. Where you grew up? Layton
18. The last thing you did? Bedtime
19. What are you wearing? PJ's :)
20. Your tv? Sleeping
21. Your pet? Houdini
22.Your computer? Infected
23. Your life? Chaotic
24. Your mood? :)
25. Missing someone? Nope (he's home now)
26. Your car? Child-friendly
27. Something you're NOT wearing? Make-up
28. Favorite Store? Nursery
29. Your summer? Ending...:(
30. Your favorite color? Vermilion
31. When was the last time you laughed? Book
32. Last time you cried? Sunday
33. Who will re-post this? Anyone

COLORADO LUMBERJACKS

2008-08-19T17:15:00.014-06:00

Taylor, Spencer, Audra, Burke (my youngest brother), Dad, Garret, and Jeremy (my middle brother) - Mili & Sam were asleep in the truck

We went to my dad's house this weekend for a visit and to help him get wood to last him through the winter (wood-burning stove). Our family had so much fun!Grandpa 'babysat' so I could have some fun with the chainsaw :) He literally gave me the shirt off his back because I was cold and didn't have a jacket - love ya Dad! Having fun with the chainsaws - I guess you could call it work...
Burke and Jeremy (with Mili). We rode the motorcycle and four-wheeler up on the mountain - good times!Mili in the pretty wildflowers (this shot reminds me of the pictures my mom used to take of me on the mountain - beautiful scenery)
Spencer's chainsaw artwork. He loves me - what can I say...Grandpa treated us to ice-cream at Aspen Trails - YUMMY!Taylor climbing on the big rocks in my dad's back yard.

We stopped in Grand Junction on our way (yeah, a mall) and enjoyed a few sales. We also went out to dinner (happy 31 b-day Jeremy) and played games with my sister Amanda and her family. We even got to see Cody and hear all about his escapades as an engineer in Alaska. We ate king crab (& my brother's awesome 7-layer bean dip) and caught frogs and transplanted some of Dad's flowers to our yard. It was so much fun! Thanks Dad and Burke (and Jeremy, too) - for everything, we love you!

:) (:

***P.S. Happy birthday to Boston Nielsen Lindell (6 lbs. 15 oz. and 21" long) - congrats Mel & Jac***

A NIGHT AT THE FAIR

2008-08-14T11:33:00.005-06:00

We went to the fair last night. It was family night - $1 for each ride. The kids had been so excited and they had a blast. We forgot our camera and were really bummed, but then Spence realized he had his cell phone, so that's what we used.

Sam sacked out during the 'fun'

Mili loved riding on the 'horses'. Garret wanted to go on the 'steering' (Ferris) wheel, but the line was so long and we were tired, so we said we'd try it next year. Then on the way out we saw the playhouse with a big slide that somehow we missed on the way in - hopefully they'll have that next year, too. Garret has also committed to riding the mystical 'dragon ride' (like a more jerky version of PUFF), so we'll see how it all works out next year. The kids had a blast, though, so I guess you could call the night a success. :)

DATE NIGHT

2008-08-13T10:12:00.004-06:00

When I had Sam, the hospital gave us a gift basket with free movie passes and dinner passes and some other things. We used the dinner passes already, but last night Spencer's mom provided the babysitting so we could go to a movie. We took the motorcycle together, so that was a new experience and we stopped at Subway for the $5 foot-longs. It was a fun time and then we went and saw 'Swing Vote'. It was pretty good. I liked the message, but it was slow through the middle and had plenty 'redneck expressions' - if you will. I was impressed with Kevin Costner in the role, though - I thought he pulled it off well. I love to go out with my husband and come home to our family - when I realize how much I miss the kids when I'm away from them, it helps me appreciate them more.

TAY'S 'TRIM'

2008-08-11T17:10:00.003-06:00

I cut Taylor's hair this weekend. I was planning on just trimming it to help it stay healthy, but I'm still semi-rookie when it comes to scissors (I have more practice in the barber area), so here's the result - I love it despite the accidental length we removed :) You can also see Taylor's impeded ability to eat corn-on-the-cob - 4 teeth at once! ;)

Before

After

WARD CAMPOUT

2008-08-11T16:44:00.003-06:00

Our ward campout was this weekend. It was such a blast, but we didn't get any pictures because our memory card said it was full (I went back and deleted some pics and we have/had plenty room....GRRRR). Just so I have a record of the fun weekend, here's the low-down:

Friday night they had a dutch oven cook-off (MMMMmmmmm). It was quite tasty. It had rained most of the week, so we were grateful that it was dry for our dinner. We slept in our trailer and then woke up the next morning to breakfast courtesy of our bishopric. The kids just ran around through the trees , made new friends, got muddy and had a blast (somewhat literally).

After breakfast they shot 2-liter bottles filled with water into the air. They were awesome rockets and reached amazing heights! The kids loved it. Then we packed up and went on a hike to a nearby cave. It was seriously a hike. We were semi-repelling toward the end (okay, not quite that extreme, but close). Our kids were great troopers and Taylor and Garret walked the whole downhill 1/2 mile in and uphill 1/2 mile out. I was so proud of them for doing it by themselves. Spencer and I (w/ help from our awesome ward members) packed Mili and Sam in and out. It was slippery and muddy and wet and hot and hard and there was some crazy part of me that loved every minute of it! That feeling of conquering something and pushing yourself beyond your previous expectations - even in a small way...well, apparently I love to hike...it must have slipped my mind. The cave was neat and they had glow sticks for the kids - an instant hit, of coarse. We had planned on fishing afterward, but were worn out from our hike, so we packed up and went home - it was good times for the whole fam!

DINONITE!

2008-07-29T10:46:00.005-06:00

For our 'Home Family Meeting' (as my kids call it) activity we went to the local Dinosaur Museum. We have a pass that gets us in as much as we want, so we were only there for about 30 min., but we had promised the kids we would go, so there was no turning back. Here's some pics of our 'exploring' family digging for dino-bones: Taylor

Sam, Spence, & Garret. It was Spencer's first time at the Museum

Mili

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...TAYLOR!

2008-07-25T09:50:00.002-06:00

Wednesday was Tay's 7th b-day (and her new favorite number ;). She played with her cousins and opened presents and we went out to eat at Winger's where we indulged in Asphalt pie as a birthday treat. Opening her Strawberry Shortcake Scooter from her bros and sis. (You can also see her backpack from Grandma Frew)
We bought her a bike since the blue bike she rides now is a D.I. purchase that she bought with her own money and is starting to show serious signs of wear!
This is at a barbecue with our friends on the 24th. Notice the cake, icing, candles, her shirt, and bike are all pink...can't guess her favorite color can you?

The 24th was fun! Spence had to work until 3, so the kids and I went to the parade by ourselves. They got candy and had fun waving to the people streaming by (no pics though - whoops). After Spence got home, we went to the 'beach' with the Christensens and Gehrings. We all had a great time soaking in the water and sun. I got to see a blue-gill (fish) for the first time and Taylor even caught a few! Then it was off to the Christensen's house to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. The kids loved the cool tree house and fire pit! After the day's events, it was as if our beds had a magnetic force on our bodies...if only Sam would sleep peacefully again (I think the poor guy is already getting teeth :[ Uh-oh)

MY DUTIFUL LIFELINE

2008-07-25T09:37:00.003-06:00

Just thinking again...about prayer this time. If I forget to say my prayers in the morning and remember later, I feel guilty for not doing 'my duty' so to speak - I feel bad that I didn't do what I was supposed to. Well, yesterday I was thinking about that and I realized how silly I am for feeling that way. Prayer isn't a duty, it's a lifeline! I should feel excited to get the strength and help from Heavenly Father that He is so willing to give me. I should feel bad to miss a prayer, not because it is hurtful to Heavenly Father, but because I NEED it - it is hurtful to me to miss a prayer (and my family and everyone else who needs me to be strong and patient). It's not a check off my list of to-do's for the day, but a necessary safety measure/infusion of spiritual help to get me through each moment of life. It's like choosing to be lifted by angels and feeling strong and hopeful or trudging forward weakly on my own, with all my weaknesses strongly in tact and functioning. How silly I am to think of it as burdensome to kneel for strength!

RANDOM PONDERING

2008-07-22T18:41:00.003-06:00

I've been doing some 'self-discovery' lately and was just reflecting on a few things. I was thinking about joy. What brings you true joy - not entertainment or excitement or humor or fun, but true joy? Really stop and think about that. (Although I've heard it before) It just hit me that I don't get true joy from the latest box office hit or the most recent best seller or from jumping off cliffs or riding motorcycles or any of that fun and entertaining stuff. I sure spend lots of my life pursuing those things, but they don't bring joy into my existence. The closest thing I can think of to true joy was a couple weeks ago, when we went fishing with our family - to watch my children become who they are and to enjoy the beauty God created for us...to feel the veil so thin that I could almost see the angels. To know that miracles still occur and that I am loved beyond measure by multiple glorious Beings. To walk hand in hand with an incredible man who adores me and know that we can be one throughout eternity - that is what makes life joyful, worthwhile, an experience to remember! That is the plan of HAPPINESS. Oh how I love this life! I love the glimpses of eternity we get between our tough learning experiences. I love to know that there is meaning in the simplest acts we perform and that everything testifies of Christ, if we will just look and find Him. He loves us so much!

IF YOUR FRIENDS TOLD YOU TO JUMP OFF A CLIFF, WOULD YOU DO IT?

2008-07-21T11:10:00.007-06:00

Friday night we went camping with Mom & Dad Frew and Maddie & Jackson. Saturday Dad took us out on his boat again. We went fishing and Garret and Dad caught the only fish. Then we let the kids swim a little and rode around Flaming Gorge on the boat.

Maddie & Jackson swimming to shore

Mili & Spence taking a dip

'Chickens' who wouldn't get in the water

While we were fishing, we watched some people jump off a cliff. I said I wanted to do it, too, so Dad found us a place to jump...I made Spencer come with me and do the test jump. Then I stood there forever, anticipating the flight, feeling the fear stuck in my throat, and listening to the taunts from the kids in the boat (two of which wouldn't even get in the water). As I finally flung myself forward I realized there was nothing I could grab that would stop me and hold me 'securely' on the cliff - no changing my mind as I hurled first through the air and then into the water (ripping a scream from my mouth and my hand from my nose). Then we repeated the experience... Lots of coursing adrenaline and WOW, a good rush.

Yeah, I know, it's tiny, but this doesn't do justice to the view from the top of the rock!

The only 'evidence' of my experience...

Me, trying to slalom ski - I got up for a wobbly second or two before my body decided it had had enough of the cold water

Mili finally gave in to her exhaustion while remaining vertical

The kids were DONE!

Our 'Captain'

We had a fun weekend except that I kept putting off the sunscreen until I mostly forgot about it. We all (except Mili) got fried. Garret and I got the worst of it and the tops of my sickly white legs are now a bright shade of burned skin...

CAKE & ICE CREAM

2008-07-21T11:03:00.004-06:00

We had Spencer's parents, Garret's cousins - Maddie & Jackson, and the Gehrings over for cake and ice cream on July 16. These are the only pics, though...

'Happy birthday to you...' Jackson, Garret, & Tay licking icing off the candles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...GARRET!

2008-07-16T16:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Garret's 4th b-day! Time does have wings that get stronger and faster with every passing minute. Anyway, here are some pics of the festivities (keep in mind this is the day that all things will finally come to pass - everything he has put off to "do when I'm four" - so it must be a momentous occasion).

Here's Garret with his 'Spiderman Four-wheeler' from his sisters and brother.

This is obviously the helicopter he has been asking for for months. Can you decipher the elation from his body language?

This child, on the other hand, is not so elated! This is Sam telling me that he does not like rice cereal and is obviously not ready to start eating it! So much for my doctor's advice to help him sleep better at night again...

We went to a reservoir that is just up the road with our friends, but the camera died after the first few memories it recorded. Here we see Garret and Mili enjoying a quick treat.

Taylor, getting brave in her new floaty from Miss Lani. They had a blast and I just wish we had more pictures to show for it.

We went to Golden Corral (that name always kills me - the expensive cow barn, first Spencer's sister tells me I have udders and now I'm eating in a corral & I like it...next thing you know I'll break out in black spots and say 'Moo') with our friends. It was fun and tasty and the kids had fun eating as much ice-cream as they could. In fact, Taylor ate so much that she threw up when we got home - hopefully a lesson she will remember - poor Tay. Tonight we're having cake & ice-cream, so hopefully not more throwing up...

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2008-07-07T12:00:00.003-06:00

We stayed in West Point for the Fourth of July. It was fun to be with family and to watch our kids enjoy the time with their cousins, aunts, uncle, grandmas and grandpa. Waiting for the parade to start. (We got tons of candy! West Point has fun festivities for the Fourth.)Taylor and Maddie got butterflies painted on their face and Jackson was a Transformer.
'Butterfly Princess'The cousins and Aunt Wendi & Aunt Amy waiting for the fireworks.
Enjoying the Clearfield fireworks - they are the best! I've heard Idaho Falls has some good ones too, but I've never seen them, so I vote for Clearfield. (notice Garret is plugging his ears :) Garret is laying next to Spencer's Uncle Mike - I guess he talked his ear off through the whole fireworks show.Grandma Frew and SpencerOur self-portrait.

GRANDPA LLOYD'S FUNERAL

2008-07-07T11:45:00.004-06:00

The funeral - as always - was bittersweet. It was hard to say goodbye to a great man, but neat to see the 'tender mercies' that remind us that Heavenly Father is still always there, always watchful, and waiting to bless us. So many people brought Grandma Lloyd food and served our family - it's amazing to me to see the goodness in people: there are so many good, kind people who are so willing to help. I'm so grateful for them, for our family, and for the gospel. I don't know how people can close a casket without the knowledge that someday their loved ones will rise again and be with them forever. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to be a part of the Lloyds and the Frews - it is a great privilege to me!

GOODBYE GRANDPA LLOYD

2008-06-30T10:12:00.004-06:00

Spencer's Grandpa Lloyd passed away yesterday. He was an amazing man! He had Parkinson's Disease, but was still able to communicate and do a lot of things. He was a great patriarch to the Lloyd family and will be sorely missed, but I am glad that he can be in a better place and be without the limitations that Parkinson's put on his body. We'll miss you Grandpa! Love ya!

FAMILY CAMPOUT

2008-06-30T09:06:00.007-06:00

This weekend we went on our first campout of the year. We got to go out on Grandpa Frew's new boat and fish in Carter Creek. The fish practically jumped in the boat and I had an incredible day packed with wake rainbows, beautiful scenery, fun family, good fishing, The Beatles, and lots of good memories for the kids.After Garret caught a fish (a woppin' 20.5"), we posed him for a picture, but he had a hard time taking his eyes off the fish. In fact, when Spencer held the fish up for the picture Garret threw down his fishing pole and yelled “Help me! Help!” as he desperately tried to put as much distance between him and the fish as he could. I tried to get him to touch the fish so he wouldn’t be so afraid, but to no avail. When he cast his line out again, I even said that the next fish he caught he would have to touch. Well, a few minutes later he decided he didn’t want to fish anymore – whoops – I should have just left him alone. (he touched the fish last night before we cooked it)
One of the rare times I actually had to wait for the fish to bite... Taylor got to go in Uncle Justin & Aunt Lori's boat with 'the girls'. She had a blast and caught 3 fish. This is one of them.
Garret, holding on for dear life as we cruise across the Gorge.

Mili liked to hang out on Grandma Frew's lap!

Blocking the wind for Sam.

Taylor, Abby, and Garret on the water trampoline Grandpa Frew brought for them to play on.

Taylor & Garret on the trampoline.

BUBBLES!!

FAMILY PICTURE

2008-06-23T11:40:00.002-06:00

We finally have a current family picture! We took it after church yesterday so here it is...

DRASTIC TIMES CALL FOR DRASTIC MEASURES

2008-06-20T15:57:00.003-06:00

We got a new toy - mostly as a money saver, but I'll admit we thought about the toy part too. We decided that since we were going to be spending so much on gas, which just disappears, we would get a motorcycle. This way we figured that we would have something to show for all that gas money - the motorcycle will almost pay for itself in the first year. We had debated this decision for awhile, but when gas prices hit $4/gallon and are expected to keep rising - maybe even be $5/gallon by the end of the year, we felt like it almost forced our hand. Now my husband drives a motorcycle to work. We both went and got our motorcycle endorsement for our licenses, so we are legal drivers...anyway, that's our most recent adventure.

SLIPPIN' & SPLASHIN' IN THE SPRINKLER

2008-06-18T17:08:00.003-06:00

Since my kids got their trampoline for Christmas, they have been excited to jump on it with the sprinkler underneath. It finally got warm enough that we decided it would be a fun time to do it. That was an understatement in my kids' mind - they had the time of their lives!Garret got a bloody lip and Mili fell down hard many times, but they didn't seem to care because they were having so much fun. Spencer brought Garret in (I was engrossed in 'New Moon' - Twilight series) and he was crying, but only because he didn't think he'd get to go back out and jump! They are some crazy kids & oh how I love them!

TAG...I'M IT

2008-06-12T09:20:00.006-06:00

I finally got around to passing on this tag from Mel, so here goes...

What your suppose to do.....delete my answers and type in your own. Don't for get to tag four people.

A)Four places I go over and over:
1. This week?...the doctor (once for Mili's sickness, once for a bug bite on Garret's arm, and tomorrow for Mili's 2-year check-up)
2. Library - There's just something about all those books...I don't know, call me crazy
3. Walmart/Smiths
4. Bathroom - just one more thing to add to my list....

B)Four people who email me the most:
1. Melanie
2. Wendi
3. Mom Frew
4. Dad

C)Four of my favorite foods:
1. Castle Gandolfo (Gandolfo's)
2. Seafood Pasta (Red Robin)
3. Monterey Chicken (Chili's)
4. Flauta Bajio (Bajio) I thought I'd go with an eating out theme

D)Four Places in which I would rather be right now:
1. With my husband
2. In my garden (when it's warm)
3. On vacation (camping or by the ocean or sight-seeing or warm...)
4. In bed - this sickness just takes it out of you!

E)Four people I'm tagging:
1. Annie
2. Jenny
3. Amber
4. Jessica

F)Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Anne of Green Gables/Anne of Avonlea
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Hitch
4. You've Got Mail

MEMORY FILLED WEEKEND

2008-06-10T10:45:00.004-06:00

We went out to Grandpa Frew's funeral this weekend. It was hard, but fun too. We sat around most of the time and just remembered fun times we'd had with him and our family. I didn't get any pics of the funeral or viewing - I was usually holding Sam, but it was good and bad - like funerals/viewings always are. There were so many simple and kind acts of service to us that I just have to be grateful for those who think of such things. Grandma Lloyd (Mom Frew's mom) watched our girls and Mel's mother-in-law watched our boys during the viewing which was such an immense help that I can't even begin to say thank you to them! Sam was fussy during the funeral and one of Spencer's aunts from his mom's side came and took him so I could sit through the talks. My mom unexpectedly sent a planter basket which is so cute and thoughtful of her. I just think there are lots of amazing people around who fly under the radar sometimes, so thanks to all for the help you rendered (there are others as well)!

I got sick on Saturday, but took some medicine that helped me feel good enough to still meet my friends for lunch. We went to Rooster's and had a fun talk. It's always fun to see them and catch up on life. I love to know that I am not alone in the fight against temper tantrums (from the kids and me), sleep deprivation, and the price of gasoline (not to mention everything else that costs money)! To my friends: I love you guys! On the way home we went to my mom's house and dropped Taylor off for her annual week-long visit. She was so excited about it for weeks now that we couldn't find the heart to change our plans despite the death sickness Mili and I had. We stopped there for lunch and dinner and then headed home. We rolled our van on the way and are still trying to recover from the shock of it...we rolled to 100,000 miles that is ;) Spencer just had to get pictures, so here they are:

VENTING SESSION!!

2008-06-03T15:20:00.003-06:00

So just to get this 'off my chest' I need to vent about the appointment I went to today. Maybe that way I won't take it out on someone else.
I went to a new dentist today for a cleaning (or so I thought). I had made this appointment 1 month ago because it takes so long to get in. I sat in the waiting room for almost 1 hour. Finally they took me back and x-rayed 1 tooth that was bothering me. Then the dentist came in and we talked about how they aren't really sure what is wrong with the tooth, but we decided to drill out the old filling and replace it with a new one. (the whole time I'm thinking - why didn't they clean my teeth?) Then the dentist asks the assistant if he has time to do it right then, but she says they scheduled me for the time, but they don't have it anymore. I asked about my cleaning and she says I was only scheduled for the dentist to look at 1 tooth. So in other words, I came to the dentist to get a cleaning and waisted the time they had allotted me waiting for them and because they waisted my time, I now have to schedule another time to wait for my dentist to remove the filling that didn't work from my previous dentist and replace it (which might, just might, fix the problem). Keep in mind here that I have 4 children that I have to schedule someone else's time to take care of while I am waisting my own time at the dentist, one of the children I have only a 3 hour window of opportunity to leave or the universe ceases to exist (okay that's a little over the top, but I needed some humor). Now I go to schedule a new appointment and of coarse they don't have one for another month. Well, Taylor and Spencer have appointments in the next week that I scheduled 1 month ago so we look at them and they are to see the dentist (not for a cleaning, but to have him check a problem). They don't have any problems with their teeth right now!!!! So one month ago I scheduled what I thought were 3 cleaning appointments and now I waisted 1.5 hours of my time to find out that I waited 1 month to reschedule another appointment that cannot be scheduled for 1.5 more months!!!!! GRRRRR! Who knows if this appointment that they made for me that I didn't even want will be covered by my insurance because it's not a cleaning... So on top of the fact that I already hate to schedule dental appoinments, now I have to do it all over again. Needless to say, I think I might just bag that dentist and start all over again. I guess it could be worse, but I just didn't love the experience! Sorry about the negativity, but maybe now that I got it out, it won't manifest itself in other ways...thanks for your help! Gotta go - the universe has just ceased to exist (Sam's hungry)!

QUICK QUIZ

2008-06-03T14:28:00.004-06:00

I saw this on a friend's website and couldn't resist (one of my favorite shows is the A & E version of Pride and Prejudice) so here I am:

Take the Quiz here!

By the way, I love Elizabeth Bennet!

GRANDPA FREW - WE'LL MISS YOU!

2008-06-02T17:20:00.003-06:00

This morning we found out that Spencer's grandpa died. He had heart surgery a couple weeks ago and had a rough time. He got pnemonia and had to have a breathing tube, etc. We went down to visit him that weekend and after we came home, the news was all good. He got the tube out and progressed enough that he was in a physical therapy center. Then they told us that it looked like he would be going home in 5-7 days because he was doing so good, but apparantly it was not to be. That is one less person on the earth that I knew truly loved me! I will miss him dearly...I already do!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...MILI

2008-06-02T17:03:00.005-06:00

Opening her phone

Yesterday was Mili's b-day. She is 2 years old now! Wow, what a messer. She got a Winnie the Pooh Phone and we had cake and ice cream with some friends, but that is about it...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL - WE LOVE YOU!!
Mili a few days ago with her first full pigtails!Enjoying her cake (that Daddy made)

Taylor digging in

The "party"

CONCERNING SAM

2008-05-21T15:01:00.005-06:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've updated as the whole family has been sick and busy, but here's the skinny on Sam: I took him to the doctor on May 6 for his 2 month appointment. He weighed 11 lbs. 15 oz. (50th percentile), was 22 inches long (50th percentile), and I don't know what the exact measurement was, but his head was in the 90th percentile (he must be a Frew!). He got sick shortly after his doctor's appointment and still has somewhat of a cough and runny nose, but is doing much better! He has graduated to wearing 3-6 month sized clothes and is very interactive when he is awake (which is not too often since he is sick). In short, his 'babyhood' is flying by and he is definitely no longer a newborn. His mother has mixed emotions about that fact...

SURGERY & SCENERY

2008-05-21T14:18:00.005-06:00

Spencer's Grandpa Frew had a stint and a balloon put in his body to help his heart. He had the surgery last week and didn't react very well to it. At one point the doctors said to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best so we decided to take a quick trip to the Wasatch Front to visit him. We had a fun time despite the circumstances (since they kept improving) and were able to go to dinner with my brother, Jeremy even though we were only there one night. On our way home, we stopped to visit Grandpa at the University Hospital and then were planning on heading home through Parley's Canyon. Well, as we started to drive the canyon, it closed. We turned around and headed for Provo canyon, but at the mouth of it were police officers who closed the road. We ended up going all the way over to Indian Canyon and then taking the 'scenic route' home. It added 2-3 hours onto an already long drive, but we were happy to finally be home. Tay fell asleep in the car on the way.
Mili wouldn't hold still -she wanted to see the picture.
Taylor playing while I fed Sam.Garret at a stop on the way home.

I am happy to say that Grandpa has now been moved out of the ICU and is doing much better!

(Taylor has also lost yet another tooth!)

TWO 'TOOTHLESS TOTS'

2008-04-28T16:13:00.005-06:00

Taylor lost her other front tooth on Saturday morning and was visited by the Tooth Fairy again that night! I guess it's a good thing that kids run out of baby teeth or the Tooth Fairy might go broke.This is our other 'toothless tot' who has started smiling and cooing. His mommy's heart melts every time he 'talks' to her and I love to see him smile!
We caught him in a full grin - oh, he's cute if I do say so myself. I must admit though, I now understand what moms mean when they say they are growing up too fast...is he really old enough to interact with everybody already???