I Am...Chloe

My sister in law gave a challenge on her blog to highlight each family member. I really like the idea, so I am starting with Chloe because she recently had her birthday. I have her sitting with me to fill in the blanks. I will say the "I am..." and type whatever she says...lets see what wild things she has to say...:)

I am . . . Chloe


I think . . . I hear the Holy Ghost with peace and quiet (we went to church today...she must have primary on her mind)


I know . . . that I have to go to church because I love going to church and seeing all my friends at church.


I want . . . cheeseburgers


I have . . . a computer


I wish . . . I had um, I wish I was a teacher


I hate . . .when mommy and daddy say bad words (uh, oh, what I am I saying in front of her?)


I miss . . . Grandma Polly and Memaw


I fear . . . of getting in trouble when my mom and dad ask me to


I feel . . . like having a good time at the park and having peace and quiet at home with my mom and dad.


I love . . . my mom and dad to whisper and to obey


I hear . . . the Holy Ghost with my ears and I love Ms. Thacker at my school and Mrs. Lucille too. (Her preschool teachers)


I smell . . . good stuff, good stuff in my home...I smell pineapple candle. (we do not have a pineapple candle...interesting)


I search . . . a mountain lion and if it looks for us, I will run really fast before it gets me.


I wonder . . . whats in my mind!?! (said with great enthusiasm!)


I regret . . . what's regret mean? huh? I wish my Heavenly Father could come here cause I miss him.


I care . . .what I'm supposed to do when my mom and dad ask me to clean up...when I am done doing my chores I get a candy, and my brother Carter and Mason and Josie and Mommy and Daddy


I always . . . listen to the hear small voice.


I am not . . . going to do that bad stuff when people drink coffee...or when daddy drinks coke when he's sick I don't want to drink it cause it will make me sick


I believe . . . what Jesus does when he comes back...like when you go to heaven you will see him again someday...just fly down the moons. (LOL! Why didn't I think of that...just fly down the moons!)


I dance . . . cause I'm so fancy!!


I sing . . . for Heavenly Father every day...because I miss him mom...that's why. (oh how tender!)


I don't always . . . listen to the bad guys what they say. (I fear when she does listen to them? Whoever the bad guys are?)


I write . . . down the notes to my memaw and grandma beach...so they can be very happy.


I win . . . when I get a box of candy.


I lose . . . my candy.


I never . . . get to do what my mom and dad ask me. (poor girl...I wonder who stops her!)


I listen . . . and obey (Yes, ALWAYS! Refer to answer above!)


I can usually be found . . . at the woods. When I get lost in the woods, would you guys find me? Would you follow my footprints like this...(she demonstrates)


I read . . . for my books. (Realization...) I can't read cause I'm not in school.


I am happy about . . . um...(big sigh,) when you guys give me something that makes me happy, like when you smile at me...like this...(another demonstration) it makes me happy....do you see my little dimples?

Ok, that was fun. She kept asking me, "mom am I doing good?" She is so cute! What a fun little personality she has. She is so passionate about life and in everything she does. Her energy radiates around her and draws people in to her. I just love this little girl. Oh the fun that is to be had with her in our lives! :)

"I'm a cowboy!"

Carter has been saying some really funny things lately. First off, a few days ago we were sitting down to eat dinner. We were having left-over roast beef with some sort of Cream of Mushroom Gravy over the top. Carter stabbed a piece of roast with his fork, picked it up off the plate and said, "This looks like a little rat!" After we all stopped laughing, Matt admitted that it did look sort of like a drowned rat covered in gravy...Well, now I am feeling hungry! :)

Today, Carter came home from school and he drew this picture that he was so very proud of. I think it is one of the cutest pictures he has ever drawn. (Ok, he has some pretty neat spiderman pictures that he has drawn too.) I had to post it for all to see, because I love the cowboy hat and his cute face. It didn't really scan very well so the effect probably isn't the same. Also, there is an apple tree in the far distance above...with apples hanging on the branches and one little ripe red apple that is falling off the tree. SO CUTE! At the bottom of the page he has written, "Im a cowboy and I can ride a hours. Can you do it. Yes I can do it!" I love the way he spelled horse. :)

Carter is discovering his artistic abilities. His Primary Teacher last Sunday gave a lesson on talents. As part of her lesson, she had written on a little paper each child's name and one of the talents that she saw in them. Carter was tickled pink when he came home and showed me his paper where his teacher had written "art" as his talent. I think he grew 5 inches with pride. It is nice when others see and express our talents.

He also loves to read and write. Tonight I sat and talked to him in his bed and he was telling me all about his friends and classmates at school. When he would tell me about Tyler, he wouldn't call him Tyler, he would call him "T-y-l-e-r" by spelling out each letter of his name. I laughed inside as he continued spelling each of his friends names in the same way. I love school and the many fun things they get to learn. It is great to see their self-esteem really grow by the associations they have at school.

Keep up the great artwork Carter! I love you!

Chloe's First 5 Years

Well, I can't believe 5 years has gone by with our sweet Chloe. So much to remember in the past 5 years. Here are a whole bundle of pictures. They are a lot of my favorites of her over the years. They are in no particular order. They really explain her personality. I will make another post describing her character. The only thing I feel sad about is not being able to post all her cute pictures. She loves to be in front of the camera...and it shows. I love her so much and hope that the next 5 years slow down a little so I can really soak her up. :) I love you Chloe "Booboo" :)

Beautiful Girls

So, this morning at breakfast, I asked Chloe how many beautiful girls were in our home. She counted, "me, Josie, and mommy...because she married daddy and he is a handsome man." Therefore, since Mommy married Daddy...by default, she is beautiful. :) Thanks Matt for being handsome so I can be beautiful! :)

Swimming with friends

One warm Saturday morning we got up early and spent some time weeding our backyard. It really could be called our "Giant Sandpit" because there isn't anything but sand in our yard. Well we had lots of weeds. (A year ago Carter thought they were a beautiful garden because each weed was unique by the seeds and flowers it produced. Some weeds grew bell peppers, while others grew miniature bananas, and others grew watermelons. Carter and Chloe would watch for new flowers to bloom and then they would pick a beautiful floral arrangement for me. How could I not be pleased. :) When we weeded last year Carter was disappointed because he thought we were ruining his garden.) So, this particular Saturday morning, it was time to get out and do some much needed weeding. The kids were great help, and we worked together shoveling and removing every single weed in the yard. We only spent about an hour, but we were very hot when we were finished. Our friends "the Johnsons" invited us to go over to their grandparents home to go swimming. It was just the perfect treat after spending the morning in the hot sun. We all had a great time swimming.

Chloe and Ashley

Ashley

Cute Josie Girl
Mason and his big grin...

Big Mouth Matt. :)

Carter
Carter
This is Connor...he is a cutie.

Gotta love this picture!

First Week of School

School started August 18, and it is hard to believe that Carter is in 1st Grade this year. He just seems to be growing up WAY too fast! I keep telling all the kids that they need to stop growing because I can't stand it that they are getting big. Carter and Chloe just laugh at me and tell me that they can't "help it." Oh well...I try. :) Carter is going to the brand new school that they are currently trying to complete the last phase. It is called Cielo Azul Elementary School. Right now since it isn't 100 % complete, the Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades are going to the old school until October. They will move with their classes and teachers when the new school is complete.

Carter's teacher is Mrs. Hoban and she is really sweet. He is excited to be back in school, even though he enjoyed his summer break. He is also riding the bus to school this year, which he enjoys. I failed to get a picture of him at the bus stop.

Laughing because he is trying to hold back a smile.
Waiting outside his classroom to meet his teacher before school starts. Not sure what he is thinking to be making such a funny face.
As soon as we dropped Carter off at school, we drove to the Rio Rancho Public Schools Preschool. Chloe was very sad because she missed the Kindergarten deadline by 6 hours and 25 minutes. They would not let her slide by. Her birthday is September 1st and the cutoff is August 31st. So, amongst all the "negative" responses about the overcrowding at the preschool and the "long waiting lists" we were desperate to at least get her on the "list". We filled out all the paperwork about 11:00 and got out to the car to head for home. I told Chloe that maybe we should say a prayer so Heavenly Father would help her get into preschool. She offered a sweet and very sincere prayer that she could go to school. We went home and continued our day. Well, at 3:00, the Shining Stars Preschool called and Ms. Thacker said she had an opening in her afternoon class and wanted to see if Chloe was interested in being in her class. We jumped right back in the car and went back to the school to get her registered to start the next day, which was the preschool's 1st day of school. Chloe and I jumped for joy!!! We haven't been that excited for anything. So, she feels so big now that she gets to go to "school" and even ride the bus!!!
Her bus driver is really fun. He sings all kinds of fun songs with the handful of preschoolers that ride the bus. Chloe comes home singing some songs I have never heard of. It is the cutest when she starts chanting "Shave and a haircut...2 bits!" I am grateful there are good people who make a grand effort in creating a fun and safe environment for learning. Somedays, I want to hug the bus driver!

Oh, I must mention that it is quite nice to have a few afternoon hours with a quieter home. Mason doesn't talk much and Josie is quiet too, so I get a few deep breaths to gear me up for when they are all home after school. :)

Returning Back to Our New Mexico Home

Well, we returned home August 12th from a really great road trip. The following blogs will cover our trip in reverse order. I started blogging from the beginning of the trip and didn't consider how it would be to read in reverse order. Oh well, it is still documented. :) Fields of Sunflowers. In Colorado.

Moab
Moab...We need to visit there sometime...it is gorgeous!

Twin Falls Idaho-My Home Sweet Home

Wow, what a wonderful trip this was, to take the kids around my "hometown." We had taken Carter around when he was just a baby...less than 2 years old...so it seemed like the first time for all of them. These pictures are a little backwards since these last few blogs are going along with "Summer Vacationing" and our trip to Utah. We ended our trip in Twin Falls. So, I guess it is ok, to start from the end. Well, we finally have a temple in Twin Falls! It is absolutely amazing and beautiful in every way. I have never been through a temple open house before, so this was just as exciting for me as it was for the kids...especially since it is in my "hometown." I was very close to my emotions that day...so I had to be careful. There is something about going home that feels good, and it felt really warm with the temple there. I think I am still in awe. Anyway, I will talk my way through the pictures.

We grabbed a quick picture as we were leaving the tour. It was really bright and hard for the kids to keep their eyes open for the pictures.

Mason was getting wild and crazy like 2 year olds do when they are supposed to be reverent. :)
These are a few pictures that we took the night before the open house.
It is so beautiful and the interior is decorated very contemporary. I loved it.
We were excited to see murals painted inside because my Bishop Leon Parson from Ricks College painted them. They were beautiful!

These are a couple pictures of the Twin Falls...even though one is not flowing with water anymore and the other seems to barely trickle these days.
Ok, so this is the place where Matt and I first kissed...is that ok to share on a blog that is open to the public eye? Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit that, but after almost 11 years...and 4 babies later, what is there to be embarrassed about anymore? :)I had to grab a quick drive-by snapshot of my first school...Lincoln Elementary School. Those were definately the "good ol days." The kids were excited to see where Mommy went to school. They probably can't believe I went to school...being as "un-educated" as I am. :)
Now we are at the Shoshone Falls. They were really flowing beautifully that day. The kids were suprised at the cool misty breeze that blew up to them.
Looking in awe...it is really beautiful.

I love looking out at the Snake River. I have really missed it.
Isn't that an amazing view?
I want Matt to paint me a few of these pictures.

Then we went to the Perrine Bridge. It really is amazing. I can't believe I took so much for granted living here. Now THAT is a good man right there! I sure love him!I love this picture of our sweet little family. Carter and Chloe were having fun posing for pictures.
What a handsome little guy!
She is a cutie-pie too.

I love the colors. Another landscape painting request...Matt.
Another view of the Snake River.
We went for a little hike on the Snake River Canyon and saw this view of the temple...love it.
I love to see the temple!
I love this view of the Perrine Bridge.

I am grateful to have been raised in Twin Falls. It was a good place to grow up and learn the ways of life. I am grateful for the many memories I have there and for all the hundreds of people I was able to associate with and learn from. Grateful for good parents who raised me in a good home and provided all the opportunities I could have ever desired. They helped me discover and develop my talents. Thanks Mom and Dad. Love you.