Family

Our little niece Kennadee has finally arrived and how sweet it is to finally have her here with us. I think very often how thankful I am for the family that I have been born into as well as the family that I married into. Lately, I have had a lot of stressors come at me and I had a very smart person say to me (it was my wonderful husband of course) "It does not matter what anyone else thinks or says or does, this is our family and all that matters is that." He is so right!! In the end, all that really matters is your family and the relationship that you have with them and our heavenly father. I look up to my parents and I am an amazing woman from their teachings. My sisters are amazing as well and Quintan, ya he is pretty neat too! I have the best husband in the world. He has this great way of making me smile even if he was the one who made me cry. I am blessed with my in laws as well. Spending time with our families is so important! And last but not least Brad and I, have the most AMAZING children EVER!!! We are so lucky to be able to call Tucker, Bryken, and Remington "our children". Even though I hate to think about it, I hope that as they are growing, that Brad and I can teach them the qualities that they will need to be successful in life! I want my kids to know that they can be anything that they want to be!!! All of the hard work that is put into your family, how tired you can become after all the household duties of motherhood and wifehood, and you know I WOULD NOT WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY!!!

Marriage

So I read a blog today that talked about marriage. And I really loved the points..it is about two words..
1-Think Big (look at the big picture of life and marriage it is not all about you) I had to really think about this one LOL. I have to say that sometimes we are really selfish and just want what is important to us at the time. We forget that there is compromise and that we can talk it over and generally come to an agreement. I found this one especially funny because my dear husband who I ADORE can sometimes be selfish. He throws a little tantrum and I leave him alone and then he is fine...well I have to say that I am great at throwing little tantrums too LOL! I love you Brad.
2-Get Over (forgive again and again and again) This one really hit home for me. There have been many times in my life with Brad that we have practiced this. I think that forgiveness is an amazing thing..an even bigger thing is being able to forget. I am for sure not saying that this is an easy task, but it is totally worth it in the end.
3-Choose Battles (not everything is worth the fight) I really struggled with this for a long time because I am a control freak and a spoiled brat when we first got married. I wanted everything my way and I did not care how Brad felt. I have now realized that it does me no good to want everything my way. Why fight over stupid things like Brad putting his underware in the hamper in stead of right next to it in the bathroom (LMAO) or the fact that he turns his socks wrong side out when he takes them off and I have to turn them right side out, or even the fact that he washes all of his clothes together and then dries them (LOL)..I just to remember to thank him for atleast doing his laundry and taking off his dirty clothes in the bathroom. Having him gone all week long is really hard, and actually I miss doing his laundry!!!
4-Just Stop (get help if you need) WOW! This one is hard for me..I really hate asking for help I hate to think that Brad would think that I can not handle things on my own..I guess this is where you let foolish pride go out the door.
5-Shut Up (there is wisdom in knowing when to be quiet) I think that this one pretty much says it all. I need to remind myself that I do not need to have the last word (I totally get this from my mother) and just let it go..let it roll right off my shoulders and remember that I love that man with all my heart and sometimes, he is right and I am wrong, and other times I am right but he is still not wrong LOL!
6-Move On (let go of the past and live in the moment) When you have been with someone for as long as Brad and I have been together, these is going to be some painful memories without a doubt. I think that these moments have been what have made Brad and I into the strong couple that we are now! The have built our character and have really made us realize how much we care about each other. People make mistakes and we are not the ones to judge them, it is just like said above, we have to forgive over and over again. Move on does not just reflect on BIG things, we have to let go of even the littlest hurt.
7-Be Smart (Use Your Brain in Every Situation)
8-Common Sense Brad hates the way that I am a total blonde sometimes and I ask him the stupidest questions that if I really sat there for a moment, I could answer myself..maybe that is why he loves me so much LMAO!
9-Show Up (there is value in being together) This statement is soooo true! We love doing things as a family. We adore our children with all that we have, however, it is SOOOO IMPORTANT to spend one on one time together. Brad and I never use to have date nights, when we started, I was amazed at how much fun we could still have with eachother. It does not matter if we go to a movie, go shooting, or just go walk around a store together..the fact is that we have our total attention on each other and we are not chasing two little boys or comforting a little girl..in fact this just made me realize that Brad and I have not had a night out or even a moment alone in almost 4 months...hmmmmm Dear Mom Date Night??? PLEASE?? LOL!
10-Be Present (Engage your spouse when you are together) This one is HUGE for me. I have to know that Brad is listening to me when I am talking to him. Since we mostly talk on the phone 5 days a week, it is really frustrating to me when I am wanting to talk to him about my day and he has so much other stuff going on at his house in Wyoming to listen to me...and it goes the same on my end..once I get home from work with these three little ones all alone, I am so busy getting dinner and bed time going that by the time Brad and I talk, we are both exhausted and in bed and we do not take the time...

I have to say that I love being married and a mother. Even after almost 7 years, it doesnt get old. The laundry, the dishes, the house cleaning..the kids even with the tears and messes and stressful days and nights---I love it!! I would not have my life any other way. I am so blessed to be a mommy to these three wonderful kids and the wife to my best friend!!

Memorial 2011

Memorial this year was a little different than normal but it was still a GREAT time! We knew that mother nature was not going to cooperate this year for our camping trip so Brad and I decided that we were going to just stay home this year. Brad's sister Brooke and her family came up and stayed with us this year and we had a really great time!! On Saturday, we took the boat out a a bit to see if we could get some craw dads then we took the kids out shooting and riding around. They all played for hours! On Sunday we ventured out shopping and on Monday they headed out. We played the Kinects forever Sunday night and laughed so hard! I have not laughed like that in a long time. Poor Joe got the shaft end of the deal, Brooke kept smacking him and it was so much fun! We really loved having them up to visit. We played cards and like usual I lost LOL! The kids really enjoyed having their cousins up and Brooke was so much help with my little Remi. I can not wait for them to come up and visit again!!

Bry wanted to ride Tucker's wheeler so bad! But the crazy thing is...it ran out of gas before we even rode it lol!!

Brooke and Rem!

Tucker rode his cousins bigger wheeler, he actually did really well. It is larger than his gas powered but I think that in a year or so he would do just fine on one that size. Mason and Tucker are the same age, they are only about a month apart.

My boys and motorized vehicles. Bry couldnt get enough of riding around with his daddy on the pit bike. Brad and Tucker raced up a hill and Bry just held on for dear life. I love how well these boys interact with eachother. I am enjoying watching them grow up and seeing how much they take after their daddy.

The kids had so much fun running around and riding! They wore themselves right out!

Kaden was such a great sport! He took Bryken everywhere!!

Brooke is so much fun! I love having her up! Brad and his faces! I know that he will kill me when he sees that picture LOL!

Brad took the kids out for a spin. They had a blast!!

I have to say how amazing of a family we have! I love every part of it! Thanks Brooke and Joe for coming up to our place and making memories!!!

My Baby Girl

I can not believe how much our little Remington has grown!! She is about 3 1/2 months old and she gets cuter every single day (if that is even possible)!! She is a petit little thing that is for sure. Hey eyes have stayed blue and she still has dark hair, and it is starting to have some curl. She takes after her daddy for sure. She holds her head up really well and if she would just enjoy tummy time (lol) she might be crawling in the next month or two. Remi is very bright eyed and she is a cuddler. I have to say that sometimes, it is hard having such a little lovebug because she is not content for very long when she is laying down by herself. She loves to babble and blow bubbles. Her brothers love her and Tucker just adores her! He is such a great big brother. Bryken is getting into the swing of things and he finds her a bottle or a binkie when she is upset. They both ask to hold her all the time and I think that she is a very lucky little girl to have these two boys to look out for her. Remi has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, he just loves her to death and she smiles and talks to him all the time. She is so comfy in his arms and we frequently catch her resting peacefully in his arms. As for me, well I have to say that I am pretty smitten by her as well. I am enjoying this little girl and loving every single min. that motherhood brings to me wether I am exhausted or not, it is great to be a mom. I think that they best thing that I have ever done is marry my best friend and have these amazing children.