On the way to the old Dinosaur Quarry, there is a gift shop with this big dinosaur in the parking lot. The last time we stopped to get a picture with this dinosaur was - 4 years ago! I can't believe it, it seems like yesterday. I was pregnant with Hayden, so this was the first time he got to "ride" the dinosaur.
I love this picture, especially the little piece of grass on his nose. The kids had been splashing in the mud, but Dusty cleaned up before I could get him in the picture..jpg)
So here is a picture of my new niece, Joye Raquelle, born May 17th. Rindi was determined wait until delivery to find out whether she was having a boy or girl, and to their surprise, Braden and Rindi now have a little girl. Jaxon and Alek now have the job of being big protective brothers. I can't wait to get up north to see this new little one. By the time I make it up there, I'll have two new nieces to see - another one coming any day!
Me * Dusty * Hayden
Best Buds
Hayden helping his dad roast hot dogs
Dusty was our little stick collector for the fire
Hayden's smiling eyesI had a really good Mother's Day this year. This morning I was treated to some flowers, a card and a dozen mini cupcakes from my 3 boys. Hayden had to be sure to tell me not to eat all of the "muffins". He, of course, wanted to make sure that I saved plenty for him. This morning the boys had been playing outside and Hayden came in and told me that he had a surprise, but I couldn't see it yet. So after he had a shower with his dad, he took me outside for the surprise. And I was so surprised to see that he had selected several items from one shed, and made a big pile out of it inside the doorway of another shed. That was my surprise? Yea, more work for me! He, however was proud of his attempt and said "Ta Da!" After church we headed to the mountains for a picnic. We stopped somewhere near Red Cloud Loop and set up our spot. The boys collected sticks to make a fire to roast our hot dogs. We also had beans and a fruit salad. Dusty found a trail he wanted to hike up to, so we agreed to go and we could hardly keep up with him. He was in such a hurry to see where it lead to. Hayden was pretty sure that it lead us to a bear, who wouldn't eat us, but wanted to meet us. I however wasn't too excited to meet him, and was thankful that we couldn't find him. I am thankful for the mother that I have, and also for ALL of the grandmothers. I am greatful that I get to be a mother to some of the greatest kids in the world. I am thankful for my 3 boys for making this a fun and special day. This has been the best Mother's Day yet.
Chris and Staci
Chris and Hayden
Staci and Hayden 
Staci, Hayden and Dusty
GO JAZZ! Last night we had the opportunity to go to a Utah Jazz Game. We got the tickets from some friends. A guy who works with Chris was having a hard time finding a place to live (that is pretty common here), and we offered him and his wife our basement. So they stayed here for awhile while they looked for housing. They have become good friends of ours and we are fortunate to now have them in our neighborhood. They heard Chris say that he would love to go to a Jazz game, and they got us some tickets as a thank you. They came over Sunday night and appoligized about the tickets. They had just got the tickets for Mondays game, so it's short notice, and they are not the seats they were hoping to end up with. They said that they would try again next year and get us better seats. But Chris didn't care and wanted to go anyway! They offered to watch the boys for us, so Chris got off work early and we headed to Salt Lake. The game was fun!! Our seats were in the 4th row from the very top, but we could still see the game pretty well and were glad we went. After the game we headed home and the 175 miles home seemed a lot longer than the 175 miles there - funny how that works. We got home about 1:00 a.m. to find our boys peacefully sleeping in their beds. Although it was hard to know that there was a big distance between me and my children, I knew they were in good hands. Chris says, "You think that's hard, try being thousands of miles away". Being three hours away is enough for me. So thank-you to Ian and Heather! We had lots of fun and are so greatful to have you as friends.
So it looks like Leslie has tagged me, along with two of my other sisters, Thanks Leslie!
A - Attached or Single? Attached to Chris
B - Best Friend? My 3 boys
C - Cake or Pie? Pie
D - Day of Choice? Monday, it's a fresh start for a new week
E - Essential Items? Lotion and Chapstick
F - Favorite Color? Why just one? I like black, red, green, orange, brown, and white
G - Gummy Bears or Worms? Gummy worms
H - Hometown? Garland
I - Indulgences? Chips
J - January or July? July! We can spend a lot of time playing outside, and the kids play hard. By the time we come in the house, it's time for a bath and then the kids crash!
K - Kids? I have 2 wonderful boys, Dusty is 5, and Hayden is 3
L - Life is incomplete without? My family, unfortunately we have had to experience life without one. Although some how life has to go on, it will NEVER be the same for me!
M - Marriage Date? June 23, 2000, we have almost been married for 8 years!
N - Number of Siblings? 4 original siblings, 1 brother and 3 sisters. I am the middle child. Although it doesn't make a difference now, it wasn't fun being the middle child growing up. I didn't get to do the things the older kids got to do, but I also didn't get the benefits that my younger siblings did either.
O - Oranges or Apples? Apples, oranges are too sticky.
P - Phobias or Fears? Spiders for sure! I have a funny story about this! For at least a year my little sister, Tina, would faithfully come down to my bedroom every morning to check my shoes for spiders (I once saw a spider crawl out of a friends shoe). I got Tina to do this by telling her there might be a surprise. She knew she was checking for spiders, but she always had the hope that I might surprise her with a piece of candy or something (she never got her surprise). I owe her big time
Q - Quotes? "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning how to dance in the rain" I am trying to learn how to do this!
R - Reasons to Smile? Having fun with my little family
S - Season? I love the fall. It is just starting to cool off, but it's not too cold to still enjoy the outdoors.
T - Tag 5 People? Sherin and Joni, we're waiting on you!
U - Unknown Fact? I'll have to think about this one!
V - Very Favorite Store? JC Penney
W - Worst Habbit? It's hard to say, but yelling at my kids
X - X-ray, or Ultrasound? Ultrasound, for women, ultrasounds most often involve seeing an unborn child, which I think is amazing to see those little babies!
Y - Your Favorite Food? Chicken curry, chow mein, taco casserole, and Tilapia (from a restaurant in Denver, Co)
Z - Zodiac? Scorpio
I am now a true "soccer mom"!! Dusty has been so excited to play soccer. Although he's not quite sure what it is all about. We had to keep telling him to watch the ball, because he was always watching everything and everyone else. He has a good coach, but it looks as if we might need to give him a little more instruction and practice here at home. Today was his first game, and he thought it was pretty fun. I'm sure that he will know more what to do next game. I don't know what the score was, but his team, The Golden Knights won. We are so proud of him and love to watch all of the kids play. Chris and I are thinking about maybe being team coaches next year. We'll see. At this age it's all about the fun!
Getting some instruction from Coach Bryan.
