Life of a MOM

It isn't always glamorous, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!!! I love my boys so much and boy, do we have fun together!!!

Soccer Saturdays

Soccer season has been fun for Parker! He is on the team with his cousin Mia, so we have fun hanging out with cousins each week, while we watch them play!

Bath Time

This boy could take a bath 10 times a day if I let him! He is a fish! I can't wait for warmer weather, I think he will love swimming this year!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

My mom spoke at our Stake Education Day last week and I helped her with her display(we used one of the lemonade stands from Christmas) and some other lemon-y stuff to go with her title of "when Life gives you lemons..." She did an amazing job and made me cry, as she talked about losing her best friend and husband and still choosing to have JOY each day, despite that trial. She is such an incredible example to me...I love her so much!!

It's raining, it's HAILING!

It rained, hailed and snowed through the valley last week and the boys were sooo excited to see WHITE STUFF falling on the ground!:) Ryler said, "This is the best day ever!!!"

Harlem Shake

For FHE this week, the Jones' were in charge and decided to do a Family Harlem Shake Video. It's just a silly video where you start off normal(we were playing at the park) and suddenly a dance party breaks out! It was silly but we had a good time and I love making memories with my family!

Bike Ride

We were meeting up with a friend at the park and Parker wanted to ride bikes. It was about 1 mile away but somehow I managed I get a little lost and took much longer. We enjoyed a fun day at the park and you would think I would be able to find my way home much quicker, but it took even longer. By the time we got home, Carden was sound asleep and my boys(though they got a ride) were exhausted and Parker said, "that was a bad idea I had to ride bikes to the park"haha! It was fun and I got my workout in riding 4 miles, pulling these 3 cuties behind me!

Wrestling Match

Life with boys!

Nat's Shower

Our good friends, Natalie and Bryan Hatch have been waiting to become parents for a long time and they recently found out they are adopting a little girl in March and I am sooooo excited for them!! They are going to be the best mom and dad ever and it was fun to celebrate with her at her shower this past weekend!

Happy Birthday Donna!

We got babysitters and met up at Zupas for a night out, without kids for my mother-in-law's birthday! It was so fun to get out and celebrate together! I am so thankful to have such an incredible, loving, talented mom-in-law! I look up to her so much as a mother and wife and now I love watching her as a grandma! She is AMAZING in every way! Happy happy Birthday !!!

Valentine's Day

Happy happy Valentine's Day!!! I had a busy and wonderful day!!! Starting with a preschool party and valentine exchange! It was so fun, I feel so thankful to have such a great group of preschoolers this year!

After school, we headed to my moms to decorate sugar cookies. My boys had a blast and I am grateful for my mom and all she does for us! I am thankful that we were able to spend time with her, even though my dad could not. I know they will be together again someday!

We stopped by the Allen's so the boys could give grandma and grandpa their valentines and how thankful I am to have them in my life! I couldn't ask for better in laws!

Our favorite babysitter came at 6, so we could attend ward temple night. We thought there would be nobody at the temple, but it was packed! What a wonderful thing! We ended up doing initiatories, so we could go out to eat after and get our sitter home at a decent hour.

We went to Serrano's...one of my favorite places I like to go, to celebrate with my man, as it was where we went on our first date...at 16! Oh...and it's delicious!!;)

It was a perfect day, start to finish and I just LOVE this time of year! So thankful for all the wonderful people in my life, who I LOVE so much!!

Park Day

Parker's soccer practices have been taking a toll on me. They are twice a week and at, what I feel, is the worst time ever! 5pm-6:30pm. Matt isn't home yet, which means I get to take all 3 kiddos. We leave at 4:45, before we have eaten dinner and get home and almost 7...with 3 starving, whining children and then I spend the next hour, trying to get them fed, bathed and in bed. Those two nights have not been very fun for me each week. BUT!!! The wearer is finally nice and so at the last practice, instead of chasing the kids around for an hour and a half, trying to keep them from interrupting soccer practice...I took them to the nearby park. It was MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE and I am grateful for great weather and now I can look forward to soccer practices, instead of dreading them:)

Mr. Personality

90% of my phone camera pics are of this cutie, who has suddenly exploded with the funniest/craziest personality and I don't think it's possible for me to love him any more than I do at this very moment! Yet, I know I will be surprised when I love him even more tomorrow...and then the next day...

Dear Daddy,

I MISS YOU!

Love, Me

My good friend Crystal's mom passed away yesterday. She also just had a baby on Friday so I went to the hospital to see her brand new bundle of joy and to hug her and tell her I am sorry. What a mix of emotions she must be dealing with.

Talking to her brought my emotions to the surface and I can't stop thinking about my daddy today. I can't sleep, so I thought I would journal about how much I love him. In so many ways, I still feel like I just talked to my dad days ago and his memories are so clear. More often than not, I feel like he is away on business and will be home soon. Other times I realize how long it has been since I last talked to him and my heart aches for one more conversation with him.

I am grateful for the life that my dad lead. As I think of the last few times I was able to spend with my dad...I am in awe of his goodness.

2 weeks before his passing I held a craft night at my house and called my house one afternoon to see if I could come borrow a couple long tables for my craft night. Before I finished asking, my dad said they were already in the car and on their way over, asking only how many I needed! I told him I could come get them, knowing, since it was 5:30, that he had just walked in from work...but he insisted on bringing them and was at my door 10 minutes later.
The week before his passing, we spent October break at the ranch with my family. My memories of that week will never be forgotten. A specific talk on the porch about managing money wisely with him and my brother Matt. A walk he took with the grandkids. Making him scrambled eggs one morning and delivering them to where he was sitting outside on the porch. Learning of his brand new calling in Young Men's and knowing that he would be an incredible president and humble him thinking he was too old for those boys. Watching his smile as he received great news from work, over the phone...and many more. As we left the ranch, My dad handed me $60 for "gas money" and I tried to refuse and he insisted and said it was for his 60th birthday. I teased him that he is the only person that gives away money on his birthday.
The next day, we went to pick out Pumpkins at the Killian farm, before his birthday celebration in my parent's backyard. I picked out 3 or 4 good sized pumpkins for my front porch and tried to pay Bro. Killian, but my dad told me he had it taken care of. He refused my money.
We headed over to my parents for the BBQ and my dad immediately sat down and took Carden from me, giving me a much needed break from my sweet 3 month old. After the prayer on the food I went to get Carden, so he could eat first and he refused and told me to go eat and that he would eat later. He held Carden the entire time I ate and almost didn't let me have him back, but I finally insisted he needed to eat his birthday dinner:)
I can picture his laugh so clearly that night as we teased him about his age and he seemed so perfectly happy surrounded by his grandchildren playing in the yard.
The next night after family dinner, I remember he had gone to bed(which he often did when we stayed late) and we were getting the kids ready to leave and usually I would just say goodbye and head out the door, but for some reason headed down to his room, knocked and peeked in and said "goodnight dad, love you". Typically he would say goodnight and love you too and we would be on our way, but he got up out of bed and came out and walked to the front door with me, telling me he loved me and giving Carden baby a kiss before we left. I am so grateful my dad did that, I know he was so tired and had to be up for work early the next day. It was late and he didn't need to get up, but he did and I love him for it.
The next night was the Phelps Halloween Carnival(yes we saw a lot of each other tha week!!) haha...for which I am now, SO grateful!! I arrived at the party early to help set up and I was taping down tabelcloths and my dad walked out in the backyard and we worked together on covering the tables with tablecloths, trying to stop them from blowing away in the wind! I know my dad had come straight from work and was probably exhausted, but he immediately went to work helping my mom with preparations!
Before the carnival ever ended, I can picture my dad folding up all the tables and rolling them to the shed, trying to get the clean up done before irrigation arrived, immediately after the party ended!
The last time I saw my dad, we were heading home from the carnival and he came walking out in his shirt and swimsuit and I teased that It might be too cold to swim laps tonight. I knew he had changed to go out to turn on the irrigation water, knowing he would get wet in the process. My last image of my dad was HELPING, just like so many other times in his life.
2 days later, the last time I talked to him(on the phone), I called to say Matt had mutual and I had something and wondered if I would be able to drop the boys off for just a short time, until Matt could come get them after mutual. He stopped me short of my rambling and said "bring them over, we would love it"...like he ALWAYS did. Matt picked up the boys that night, but said when he got there, my dad was sitting in the office, letting Parker and Ryler run on his treadmill(probably made their whole night by letting them!) and my dad was just relaxing in the chair, watching his grandkids play:)
He was my perfect example of serving others, it didn't matter if he had just come home from a long day at work or finished a long day of yard work...he was ready to do whatever you asked of him.

I miss him so much, but I am grateful for the knowledge that I WILL see him again someday! In the meantime, I am going to do everything I can to make that happen, by keeping the commandments and making the choices that my Heavenly Father wants me to make.

Parker - 6 years old

1. What is your favorite color? "blue and red"

2. What is your favorite toy? "legos"

3. What is your favorite fruit? "watermelon"

4. What is your favorite tv show? "Peep"

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?"cheese sandwich"

6. What is your favorite outfit? "The shirt with the shark"

7. What is your favorite game? "My grabber game"

8. What is your favorite snack? "Crackers"

9. What is your favorite animal? "Ribbit...I mean not a frog, a tortoise"

10. What is your favorite song? "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and 

"The Lord Commanded Nephi to go and get the Plates"

11. What is your favorite book?"What's Red? Tomatoes & Bricks"

12. Who is your best friend? "Trinity and Mia"

13. What is your favorite cereal? "Captain Crunch"

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Ride on the jeep"

15. What is your favorite drink? "Bahama Bucks"

16. What is your favorite holiday? "St. Patrick's"

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "My blankets"

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? "Cereal"

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? "Macaroni and Cheese"

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "A Garbage Man"

Ryler Monster

Ryler and I get a lot of one on one time these days and I love it! When Carden naps and Parker is at school, we entertain each other and today he was impressing me with his monster drawings. I love that boy!!

Carden 18 month well check

Carden went to the Doctor this week for a week check and shots and he is a happy, healthy growing boy!

Weight-25lbs 5 oz -60%
Height-33.5 in -75%

Mom's Birthday

My mom turned 59 this weekend and I can't say enough about how incredible she is! She is always helping others and I am so grateful for the example she is to me in my life! We celebrated with a BBQ at her house and had a great time with our family! I love you mom!!