Road trip......GO BIG!

When we are in the car driving for days...I try to make anything possible BIG and EXCITING!
Chelsea suggested we have another bubble gum contest!
They were thrilled with the yard stick gum....rather than just hubba bubba!
The yard stick entertained more than the gum! =)

Let's Bake a Cake!

These two kids have been waiting and waiting to make Annika a birthday cake!
Here it is...they did everything themselves...including eggs...which ended up mostly on the counter! =)

They kept giving each other hugs, high fives, pinky shakes...

some new slap hand shake...that must have been taught by an older sibling!

They let Brady jump into the fun of decorating!

I think they ended with 2 cakes, 2 cans of frosting, and 8 full bottles of sprinkles!
They just sprinkled, until their hearts were content!

A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR ANNIKA...THAT SHE WILL NEVER FORGET!

15 years of my own Fairy Tale!

He truly is my prince!
I am so thrilled to say that I LOVE LIFE!

My 15 tips to our successful marriage would be....

1. Weekly date nights! Even if your short on funds, just put the kids to bed and then watch the stars together! We mainly go to dinner...and talk. My kids can't figure out how we can go to dinner for 3 hours! =)

2. Enjoy each others lives! I stay home with my kids....but I have also worked along with him. Regardless, of what life brings...we enjoy hearing about each others week!

3. Be a Peacemaker! This is my favorite! Everyone has a bad day....we have an unspoken understanding, that it's okay! Sometimes I'll be the one to just keep the smile, while he is irritated! Sometime...maybe more often...he does it for me! It eliminates fighting...which is the last thing I want to do with my TRUE LOVE!

4. Treat your spouse the BEST! I made this commitment way before I ever met Mark. In High School, I spent a lot of time at my friend's house. I would watch her parents out in public, smile and be happy to all they met. Yet, when they got home, they were tired, and treated each other horribly! Why put so much effort into other people...when your spouse is an eternal friend???? I am lucky to have met a man who does the exact same thing. It doesn't matter what drama he was faced with at work, he always comes home with a smile!

5. 5 love languages! Love it! Read it...and take the test! It took us a long time to take the test, because we felt like we had a good relationship. Finally, after hearing how much it helped my brother and his wife, we decided to take the test. I was surprised at the answers. It has truly helped me to be a better wife. For us it seems to come in handy when you, (everyone does), have one of those days...when you are just tuckered out! I'm quality time (not quanity time...quality time), and affirmation. One night, we were laying in bed, and Mark rolled over gave me a good night kiss, then he paused...."you looked nice today!" I knew that I really looked like a worn out, tired mom...so I asked him...."What was I wearing?" He replied, "I don't know...but your affirmation...and you always look nice!" It worked for me! I even like forced affirmation!

6. Be Affectionate! Love your spouse! Let him know you love him! Let your kids know that you love each other. I have always appreciated my parents example.....My mom would be washing the dishes...and my dad would come up behind her, humming a tune, wrap his arms around her waist, and nuzzle his face next to hers, while giving her a gentle kiss on the neck! They were always tasteful, but we knew they loved each other. It did not matter where we were, if there was nice classical music, my parents would dance! They are beautiful ball room dancers. It seemed to take them from their busy life, as parents of 12...into a quick fantasy! I know they will be dancing together in heaven!

7. Support each other as parents! Another, example from my parents. If one said "NO", there was no reason asking the other one! We have followed the same rule! The kids try really hard to know their question and then ask the appropriate parent. I will often hear them walk away from a "NO", saying, "I knew I should have asked dad first!" =)

8. Appreciate your Spouse! Our husbands work HARD! We work HARD! Let him worry about tooting your horn....you toot his! Let him know...VERBALLY...that you appreciate all he does! I don't think there is any substitute for verbal affirmation...but you can always change it up too. I will send him an email, or a text, telling him how amazing he is! BECAUSE HE IS AMAZING!

9. DON'T FIGHT! It's that simple! You may not believe me....but I NEVER heard my parents fight...not even raise their voice to one another! I wish I could say that...but early on, we had a couple little fights. One time, we were in Hawaii with Mark's parents, and for some reason we ended up in a fight! Of all places, why would you fight in Hawaii???? He's mom gave us advice, that has changed our life forever. She told us, "Don't fight, just let it go!" How simple is that! She explained, that usually a fight starts off as something small, and then with tension, and time, grows to something large and ugly, in fact, usually you don't even remember the original fight! I am thankful we had our lesson in the first year. Because we just let things go...give each other a break..and we don't fight!

10. Smile! laugh with each other! I think this may be my favorite thing to do together. -Laugh- My kids always ask me why I think dad is so funny! We just have fun with playful banter! We have experienced enough life together, that we can just LAUGH!

11. Put the Lord first! We are different denominations! Which can be a HUGE wedge! Many, in our situation choose to just not pursue religion. We decided that it was very important, and that our kids would follow our example! We decided to focus on the common ground...and Put CHRIST at the head of our home! I am so thankful, that we have pushed through...I still pray that we will someday share the same denomination. But I am thankful that we go to church every week as a family, we read daily scriptures, and have daily prayer, and we both LOVE THE LORD!

12. Have a Hobby...and Appreciate each others! Lucky for us, we both share the same common hobby.....fitness! I enjoy running, and he likes basketball! I love when he gets the chance to unwind on the court! As for my hobby...after years of asking him to run with me...he now runs with me...and more than me! Although he is yet to beat me in a race! =)

13. Enjoy each others families! I love my family! He loves his family! I love his family! and He loves my family! It makes all the difference!

14. Touch each other! I have never heard of a man that does not enjoy being touched! That is my number one weapon. If I want to have quality time...and he is busy...well, he can't resist a head rubbing...it works every time!!! And then there is the simple touch...I absolutely love when he just reaches over and touches my arm!

15. BE YOUR SPOUSES #1 FAN!

After our anniversary date, we came home to this sweet pillow!!!!

Indiana.....Notre Dame!!!

I love college campuses...typically they are beautiful...and the older the better...for having beautiful building!

We took a detour and stopped by Notre Dame!

I figure if I start them young, it has to make an impression!
If we talk about college now...then the chances of them graduating from college increases!
If we walk the campuses and talk about how fun it would be to attend college at these campuses...it's going to implant a visual in their minds, so when we talk about college, they have a picture!
That's my hope!

Oh!
She's growing up!

When I was in kindergarten my dad went back to BYU for his masters program.
We spent two summers living on campus!
I have great memories, but also, I always pictured the BYU campus, when I thought about working hard for a college scholarship!

Brooke loved the perfectly placed clock...that sits right above the main courtyard....no excuse for being late to class!

It was a perfect day to visit a beautiful campus...and we even got to see a few real princesses!
(So Annika believed! =) )

Keeping a close watch!

We have spent so much time in hotels this summer...that one day my girls asked if they could go walk around the foyer...they are still just little girls, and I have a hard time trusting foreign places!
We were in a relatively small town....that seemed to be safe....but still these are my little girls...at what point do you take the chance????
I knew they needed time, they are both huge helpers with the three wee ones, and we usually just have a single room hotel room.
So I agreed to allow them to walk around the foyer together!
They didn't know that I had decided to walk laps around the 3rd floor, where I could keep a close watch on my sweet little girls!

It was such a joy to watch them enjoying each other.
They laughed for at least an hour....I wished I had better spy equipment, and could hear all they were talking about!

I just enjoyed the opportunity to watch them play with one another, and love every minute of it!

I could tell they never planned to return to our small room....
and in the mean time I was getting quite the workout, since I had told my self I would walk at a brisk pace the entire time, until they came back!
I never knew they would take so long!

At last I was caught!

I can't help but wish that there will always be a 3rd floor walking area for me to keep an eye on my kids while they grow up, and spread their wings!

It's truly a gift to a parent, to have kids that enjoy one another!

PB&J....On a Stick!

While at the fair, I was trying to find food that my kids would actually eat, since they don't love all things fried!
I found PB&J ..on a stick!
Only problem was that one of my little tykes doesn't like jelly....only honey...and they did not have honey.

Guess what I made on our picnic yesterday?????

PB & Honey....On a stick!

These are awesome picnic sandwiches...the kids loved them...and they were mess free!
I just brought premade, quartered, crust free, sandwiches....and grapes...some long sticks...and
Whalaaa....stick it all together, and you have the perfect no mess sandwich!

Iowa State Fair!....A Must DO!

I can't claim that I have been to every State Fair....but I have been to a few...and the Iowa State Fair is special and unique....CLEAN....SAFE...AND KID READY!
Everyone can have a great time at this fair!
We started in the Learning Center....

There was all kinds of animals which either had their babies in the last couple of weeks, or were waiting to have their babies!
It's very interesting for the kids!

There was ducks, chickens, turkeys, ostriches, goats, lambs, cows, pigs, ......just to name a few!

These little piglets were born 15 minutes before we got there!

They also let the kids pet the baby piglets!

This was the 100 year celebration of the butter cow!
Wow! It's truly amazing!

The girls were able to make bracelets!

Ride the Sky Glider!

While I took the wee ones on a few wee rides!

Our favorite part was the BUTTERFLY GARDENS!

There is a tent set up with over 500 free roaming butterflies!

If your good, you can get completely covered in butterflies!

It's seems we are rain magnets...and this trip was no different...we survived 2 thunderstorms..and then booked it to the car!

Being an Aunt...or Uncle!

Being a good Aunt and Uncle is worth the effort!
It can take time and money...but it leaves an eternal effect on the Nieces and Nephews!

My Aunt Betty and Uncle Frank always made sure that we knew that we were worth the effort!

We lived in AZ, and they lived in Utah, so we did not see them much...but I knew they cared..and loved me.

They have not only made it to all of our weddings...but they have brought a handmade quilt with them!
My quilt is priceless...because it is a symbol of LOVE!
I am sure that it was not always convenient to fly to our wedding...but the one thing we all knew was that Uncle Frank and Aunt Betty would be there!

I called them the night before I was going to be in Palmyra...I could tell they had a full day of work...I assured them that we just wanted to see them, and that we knew they were busy!
I went there expecting to have a sweet visit, and then we would go on to tour Palmyra....
Instead...they made quick arrangements so that they could spend the entire day with us, including feeding all of us waffles at 8pm!!!!

I will always have a special spot in my heart for my Uncle Frank and Aunt Betty!
I hope that I can let all of my dear Nieces and Nephews know that I love them..and that they are special to me!