Too smart already...

Jenna: Mom, I know what's on the back of a penny.

Me: What? (Not sure myself)

Jenna: The Lincoln Memorial.

Me: (Now I remember) Do you know who Lincoln was? (Expecting to maybe get "a president" as an answer.)

Jenna: (Thinking for a second) The sixteenth president of the United States.

Did she start first grade or seventh?

Girls Do's

After reading Britta's blog about hair do's I remembered a blog I stalked onto a while ago. I'm not sure if it is the same one she found, but there are tons of cute hair styles to try. I haven't been very adventurous so far, but thought you might like to see. She does great work!
She is also having a few giveaways, so click here to see those. If you enter, tell her I sent you.

Try this one, too.

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

I just posted a yummy recipe on Hill's recipe blog. It is a very easy crock pot lasagna- no boiling noodles or anything. It is also a Weight Watchers recipe, but your family will never know!

Check it out!

Care to join me?

On Saturday, October 11th is a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Liberty Park.

It is a 5 mile course, which is three times around the park. I am working up to that now by walking Jenna home from school three times a week, which is 2 miles roundtrip. I would love to have you join me, either training or walking or both!

camping trips

This is way over-due, but I need to document our fun camping adventures from this summer. The first was on the 24th of July. We camped up Ephraim Canyon at Lake Hill. We had a nice little camp site right down from a little pond/lake where we all had fun fishing.

Ok, all of us except Lydia. The grade was a bit steep and she kept falling. Plus, we wouldn't let her play in the fire pit. We are so mean!

Day two we got to watch a man from the fish hatchery in Fountain Green stock the lake. It was cool to watch, but ruin fishing for the rest of the morning because the fish were all agitated. The water was so clear that we could see the big schools of fish swimming around, so all was not lost.

After we packed up the van we went on a drive further up the canyon to Skyline drive. It was so beautiful! You could see so far in every direction! We could see Mt Nebo, Castle Country,

mountains that had to be in Nevada, it was amazing! Tim, Jenna, and Aubrey picked wild flowers for Grandma Lou while I stayed with the (finally) sleeping Lydia.

It was a really nice trip. The girls were so good and didn't fight at all the whole time we were up the canyon. As soon as we hit the mouth of the canyon on our way out, they started at each other, but it was good while it lasted!

Our other camping was at the Donaldson family Reunion. Tim's aunt and uncle have beautiful property in Nephi Canyon where we always have the reunion. I don't have many pictures from this one, but it was really fun. There are so many little kids that they all just run around together the whole time playing all sorts of fun imaginary games!

We also had a little bday party for Aubrey since all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents we there, but I will put that in its own post.

After our first camping we decided we needed a bigger tent, so I hurried to get one before the reunion. Our new tent is MUCH bigger and has three different doors. The first night of the reunion Lydia had a hard time getting comfortable and rolled all over until she finally gave up. I walked up to the tent from the side and saw WHERE she fell asleep. Too Funny!

We have had a wonderful summer with so many adventures! We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place and to be able to see our families and friends so frequently!

16

Sixteen pounds!!!

Happy Birthday, Aubs

I can't believe she'd four! Today is the big day Aubrey has been waiting for and talking about for months! The Big 4! Like all little girls, she wants to be so big and I want her to stay sweet and innocent. She didn't get Tim's tall genes, so she might stay little for me, but she is growing up so fast. She is smart and sweet and funny. She has a special sense of people's feelings and likes to make everyone happy. She also loves animals and they love her! Even ornery animals that won't let others pet them seem to know she just wants to be a friend and they let her touch them.

I thought I'd share some pictures of her through the years so you can share her fun personality! She is such a joy to our family and we can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Six months old. She was born with so much hair and it never fell out! I don't know if you can tell but she has two pig tails in this picture!

With Papa Gary around 9 months old. Why did we teach her to walk?

This was with Papa Jess right before she turned one. Without seeing her hair, she looks a lot like Lydia!

Also right before she turned one, with Grandma Lou. Aubrey is very attached to her grandparents and Great Grandparents. She has even invented an extra one- Grandma Aubrey. She always tells us about things Grandma Aubrey taught her and adventures they have had together, as well as how things were when Gma Aubrey was a little girl. She is very creative!

When Aubrey was one she figured out how to move the step stool in the bathroom and climb up on an empty shelf. All of the sudden we heard "Stuck. Stuck" coming from that direction and this is what we found. She's still a climber!
Here Aubrey had just turned one and was so busy exploring everything! This is at the Water Conservancy District Demonstration Gardens.This was her first time in a big kid playground around 18 month. She LOVES adventure and goes right for the big slides at the park!

Two years old

Three years old

She always going for the laugh!

So here we are now, four adventurous years later and she hasn't slowed a bit. In fact, she told me today that when she's a parent and Heston's a parent, she's going to marry him. Don't be in such a rush, Little One! Aubrey has such a love of life that you can't help but get caught up in her excitement. She goes until she can't possibly take another step. Many nights she falls asleep mid-sentence because she has so much to tell that can't wait until morning. She often cat-naps in the car between activities and gets up and goes some more.

We love you, Aubrey. Happy Birthday and many happy days to come!

Insatiable Craving

Do you ever get cravings to hear certain music? I am almost itching to hear Peter Breinholt, but I can't find the CD I want to lisiten to. I have two copies of Heartland within reach, but I can't find Songs About the Great Divide!!! AHHH!!

I guess it might be time to get the greatest hits!

How cute is she!

Courtney took this cute picture of Aubrey, so I had to share.

Thank you for being a friend! BTF

I had such a great time yesterday getting together with Alyssa and her kids yesterday. It made me reflect on how blessed I have always been to have wonderful friends! Alyssa and I have been friends since about 2nd grade I believe. We really became close in middle school and beyond. In high school we added Allison to our inner-most circle and there began the Brain Trust. I think Matt and Jake (all last names withheld to protect the innocent) started calling us that after studying FDR's Brain Trust in AP American History. It was more because we shared a brain between the three of us than because of our superior intellectual abilities. We would say the same things at the same time, finish each others sentences, show up in similar outfits, etc. You know, best friend things.

We were so fortunate to have other great friends in our circle like Ang, Tom, and many others. (I shouldn't name names because I will leave someone out.

I remember Allison telling us that she wanted to be our friend for a long time, but she was worried that a threesome wouldn't work and that someone would get hurt. Adding her to our friendship only made it that much better. These are the friends that we can go a year (sometimes two or three) without seeing each other and pick up right where we left off. I am so blessed! It helped keep the group together because Matt married Alyssa and Jake married Allison, so there are fewer groups to keep track of, but I'm so glad we keep in touch.

My sister, Hillary has lived in Alyssa & Matt's ward, Angela's ward, and now lives in Allison & Jake's ward in Connecticut, so I have a built-in spy if they try to lose me! Ü

Seriously, though, I feel like having the friends I did and do has helped determine the path my life has taken. I was never ever tempted to try smoking, drinking, or any other questionable activities. (Minor vandalism excluded WSGP) True friends know your standards, won't ask you to compromise them, and in my case, they share my same standards. How lucky am I!

These same friends compelled me to do my best in school as we competed (amicably of course) for good grades, participated in great things like MUN and A Capella choir, gently mocked FHA, worked on the school news paper, attended seminary, did baptisms for the dead, schmallowed, frog-ed, & got ready for college. Now we share parenting stories and worry about each other from across the country.

Some people collect baseball cards, knickknacks, post cards. I collect people. I LOVE seeing a friend I haven't seen for years and being able to re-connect. I have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends throughout my life and I continue to add to my circle of friends where ever I am. I wouldn't be the same with out my friends. There are too many to list and thank, so if you are reading this, thanks for being my friend and making me who I am. High school, college, mission, neighborhoods, I am who I am because of you!

Sorry to be so sappy!