The Parrish Preview

Graduation Celebration!

2009-07-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Chad invited some of our friends and family over to celebrate my graduation from nursing school. I didn't remember to get my camara out until it was almost over so I missed most of the people that came. This picture is of us with our good friends Jake and Amy Murphy and Merrill and Kristen Barnes. We love these guys so much, what fun it is to have close friends.

Nathan and Laurel and their kids came as well as the Stones, the Smuins, and the Browns.

Thanks to all my family and friends for being such great supporters and helping me get through school! I love you all!

RN Graduation!

2009-07-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

On June 6th I graduated from nursing school! What a dream come true for me. I have wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember and this was a big day of celebration for me. How lucky I am to have the best husband in the world as my biggest supporter. He has been amazing in helping me get through this whole process.
The kids have also been so amazing and supportive of me. I love them so much!
I have made some great friends in the process of going through school. Kathi Spencer and I carpooled most of the time and we had many many conversations about school, kids, work, and many other things. I already miss our car rides together.

What a great experience it has been. I am so glad to be done but I have so many great memories that I am taking with me!

Relay for Life!

2009-07-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

Aunt Sherri and her family were part of a Relay for Life team this year. We participated in the Relay for Life while Shina was still going through chemo and we had a great time. We were so happy to be able to participate again this year.
Shina proudly wore her "Survivor" shirt and participated in the survivor lap.

As Shina gets older she realizes more and more what an accomplishment it is to be a cancer survivor. She doesn't remember much about her experience fighting cancer. We tell her stories about the experience and she is always reminded when she sees the scars that are left behind on her body. Next year we hope to have our own Relay for Life team and help raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Chad and the kids at the Cabin

2009-07-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is kinda old news but I have been a little bit preoccupied and haven't blogged about anything for quite a while. Chad took the kids to the cabin over Memorial day to give me a little bit of quiet study time. It looks as if they had a good time, a lot of guns and a few dead animals. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as they did.
Isaac shot a couple of potguts with his 22 and decided to skin them! Why he did this I don't know. Why Chad took a picture of it I don't know. Why I am blogging it, I have no clue. But enjoy!
Lafer was upset because he wasn't able to hold "his" bb gun. He has claimed Isaac's gun because it is the smallest and so he thinks it should be his.

I was so grateful for the break that Chad gave me so that I could study! I don't think the kids had any complaints about getting away either.

You know you are almost done with nursing school when.....

2009-05-21T20:22:00.001-07:00

I think that laundry is my least favorite chore. I have never been good at keeping up on it. We have this great pool table in the family room that has been so perfect to pile and fold laundry on. But with one week left of nursing school I haven't even tried to fold this mountain of clothes.

It's so funny every morning as the family all gathers around the pool table and throws the clothes all over trying to find something to wear. And then I pull out the spray bottle and try to do a quick spray down to get the wrinkles out.

I know it's embarassing to post my laundry on the internet. But hey at least it's not "dirty laundry".

What Luck!

2009-05-21T20:14:00.001-07:00

Tuesday evening we had a busy evening with two ball games that overlapped. I dropped Isaac off to warm up for his game and then went to get the other kids to bring them back with me. We were driving down the street by Burgess Park and I had slowed down to let some kids cross the street when I heard a loud BANG! I thought that I had hit a kid at first but quickly realized that I had been hit by a foul ball and this was the result....

I guess there wasn't anyone responsible for the flying foul ball so I had to call my insurance and file a claim.
They came to the house two days later to replace the windshield and collect $100 for my deductible. I guess on the bright side I got a brand new windshield that is clean! (for the time being that is)

Lafe's Pledge

2009-05-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

I tried forever to get Lafer to say the Pledge so cute to send to Grandma and Grandpa. I guess I pushed it a little to far!

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart!

2009-04-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

So Chad seems to have had a lot of in-grown toe nails in the past few years. He has gone to the doctor to have them removed before, but he has started to just try and remove them himself the past few times. And now working for a surgeon he has access to all the instruments and lidocaine so this last time he decided to set up his own O.R. in our bedroom and take care of those darn toenails himself. He painfully endured numbing up his own toes but then realized that to really get the toenails out that he couldn't get the right angle and asked me to perform the "surgery" for him.
I really didn't want to do it. I stalled as much as I could thinking that he would get tired of waiting and just do it himself. But the only pair of sterile gloves that he had was a 6 1/2. Much too small for him (and me for that matter). I finally gave in and started what will go down in books as my "first surgery". He wanted to make sure that it was done right this time and so he got some kind of chemical to apply to the toe matrix to kill the root so it wouldn't grow in that area again. It smelled like framaldahyde (I have no idea how to spell that) and the smell alone was making me sick. I started to feel all flushed and my hands were starting to feel numb (probably the too small gloves). Chad gave me step by step instructions and with great hesitation, I started to cut.

I kept telling Chad that I was starting to feel sick. He said how are you going to be a nurse if you can't handle this? I told him that as a nurse I won't have to do the cutting. And that the cutting (and the smell) was what was bothering me.
I did finally finish, both toes on both sides of the toe (with the help of my noble assistant, Lafe). And for the record, I could never be a surgeon!

Oh, and if you got through this post and you are feeling a little bit queezy, don't say I didn't warn you.

First and Last!

2009-04-15T13:25:00.001-07:00

Here it is April and we have planted our seeds for next seasons garden and they have started to sprout and we cut the last of our squash from last years garden! Who would have thought that our veggies would last this long!

Dance competitions!

2009-04-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Shina and her cousin Elle have were lucky enough to make the same dance team at Alpine Peaks dance. They have been working hard for months to get ready for the spring dance competitions. It has been so fun to watch Shina work so hard and practice as much as she does. They had a lot of success at their first two competitions. It is so fun for me to remember when I was competing and I hope that Shina enjoys it as much as I did.

Sagerino turns 5!

2009-04-15T13:11:00.001-07:00

It's crazy to think that my little "Flo" is five already! She is such a special girl and it is so fun to watch her grow up and learn so many new things! She started asking me in October how many days it was until her next birthday. I was very glad for the big day to get closer so I didn't have to count so many numbers!
Chad made Sage's favorite breakfast of German pancakes for her birthday!
How fun it was to take a few of her friends and siblings to build a bear.

That night we all went to dinner at Tepenyaki. Both Lafe and Sager we a little scared when the chef lit the fire!

The long awaited moment of opening her presents! The day after Sage's birthday she asked me how many days until her next birthday! Aaaargh!

The Ten Virgins

2009-03-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

In January I was asked to participate in a Relief Society Enrichment program that the committee was putting together telling the story of the ten virgins. I wasn't given a whole lot of details but I said yes. Until I went to the first meeting I didn't realize the time commitment that would be involved in this program they were putting together. After the first meeting I left thinking maybe I should have told them no. We would be meeting every Tuesday night plus some additional Saturdays until the night of the program. With my school schedule being the worst it has ever been I didn't know how in the world I would be able to do all of that and learn lines and attend practices for this program. But after reading through the script and seeing what a great program this was I became very excited and looked forward to each practice.
I am been in the primary since we moved into the ward and knowing that we weren't staying here permenantly I haven't really gotten to know very many women in the ward. Boy have I been missing out!

I have gotten to know and love each of them. We worked hard to get this program ready and spent many hours both laughing and crying together.
It has been a long time since I was on a stage and performed. I did it a lot in high school both in dance and drama. I loved it then but felt a little rusty. I think if it weren't for me being in school right now and my mind being in good "study shape" I would have had a very difficult time memorizing my lines. They seemed to come very easy for me and I am so grateful for that.
One thing that I have learned about the sisters in my ward is that they don't do anything "half way" If they are going to do something it is all or nothing. We had beautiful props and a gorgeous back drop. They truly did go all out.
We were even miked for the production!
One of the funnest parts for me was being able to work with my good friend Kim Brown. We have known each other since elementary school and have been very good friends for a long time. We actually were in drama and dance company together and actually performed quite a bit together back in the good old days. We had a lot of laughs as we remembered some of our times together doing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and The Grinch among other things.

Kim directed the program and also sang a few songs. She is so talented and did an excellant job.
I played the part of Malka, a foolish virgin, who was a good woman who just got consumed with making things beautiful and didn't prepare. I learned a lot about myself and ways that I can become better by being part in this play. I am so grateful for this opportunity and for being blessed to have so many great women to work with.

Birthday Time

2009-03-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

My two sisters and I all have our birthdays within two weeks of each other. When we were younger my mom would always get a cake for each of us and we would all be terribly sick of cake by the time the birthdays had passed. Now that we are older we enjoy celebrating our birthdays together. Alison lives in North Carolina so she doesn't get to join in as often but Stacey and I share our family party every year. This year though all the Mills girls are officially all over 30. I am the oldest just turning 34, Stacey 32, and Alison just turned 30 (congratulations Alison).

I guess maybe we are just a little bitter about getting older!

I am glad that I get to celebrate getting older with two sisters that are getting older right along with me! I am lucky to have two great sisters!

Isaac's 6th grade dance

2009-03-04T11:38:00.001-08:00

On February 13th Isaac had his first dance! Just in the last few months he has really started to notice that girls actually exist! I over hear he and his friends talking about who they like. It's hard to believe that he is old enough to get into that kind of stuff already.
The school did a great job with the dance and all of the kids dance almost every song. They actually taught them real dances too! Isaac learned the cha-cha, the waltz, and the two-step. I had to catch a picture of all the boys sitting on stage. After every dance the DJ would announce what the next dance was and if it was girls choice or boys choice. If it was a girls choice all of the boys would hurry over to the steps and sit and wait for a girl to come and ask them to dance. The girls would to the same thing. It was hilarious!

I think this is just a glimpse of what we have to look forward to in the next few years.

Whether I like it or not, Isaac is growing up and not my little boy anymore. As hard as it is to see him grow up I am looking forward to what lies ahead. I am proud of him and that he is such a kind, respectful, considerate "young" man.

Bad Bad Mom

2009-02-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I did something that makes me feel like a rotten mom. Our hometeacher stopped us at church and asked us if he could come for a visit right after. We said that would be fine, but Chad had to do a few things for the bishop and would be right behind us. I got the kids loaded in the car and told the kids that when we got home I wanted them to hurry inside and pick up everything they could because we had left the house unhometeacher ready. So everyone raced in and we cleaned up just in the niche of time for the hometeacher to show up. He visited for a little bit and left. I got dinner in the oven and Chad and I started to peel some potatoes when I started thinking about how quiet Lafe had been. I thought he must have gone upstairs and was hanging out with Grandma and Uncle Jeff and Uncle Brady or possibly he had fallen asleep. I went and asked upstairs if they had seen him. They said no. I looked around to see if maybe he had fallen asleep somewhere but new that wasn't likely since he had taken a nap during church. I started to relay to Chad how I was really worried that I couldn't find Lafe. We both raced outside and went right for the car. As we looked in the windows there was Lafe smiling at us buckled in his car seat. He had managed to get his shoes and pants off but was unable to get himself out the his seat. It was apparent that he had been crying earlier but had been in there long enough that the crying phase had stopped and he was just waiting. He had been in there for about an hour. Oh the guilt! I can only imagine how scared he must have been.

This only reminds me of another experience when Isaac was about Lafe's age and Shina was a baby. At the time we were finishing up building our house in Cedar Hills and living in a basement apartment in Highland. If I remember right it was Chad's birthday and we had been moving a few things over to our new house and then had to stop to go to Chad's parents for his birthday. It was about 10:00 at night when we got home. We had left a few things outside and realized because of the cold night that we needed to move them. Both of the kids were asleep in their carseats. I carried Shina inside and put her in bed. I then got in bed and Chad came shortly after. We were sound asleep when we started to hear Isaac crying. We got up to go get him from his room when we realized that the crying was coming from outside. We then realized that we had left Isaac asleep in his carseat outside and was luckily able to climb out and open the door and come to the door. If he would not have been able to get out he would have spent the whole night in the car and froze. I am so grateful that my kids have so far survived having me as a mom. It reminds me that I need to be more careful. But it's times like this that I feel like a bad, bad mom.

Hunting Trip

2009-02-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

Chad and Isaac were invited to hunting in Nebraska by Isaac's buddy Dallin and his dad.

I don't know a lot about hunting but from the looks of things it was quite a success.

It was Isaac's first hunting trip and he had a blast.

New Family Pictures

2009-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

In November we had these taken. It just takes me a while to get things posted.

Mop Kids

2009-01-05T16:47:00.001-08:00

My little brothers always do this with the kids among other crazy stunts. It's always fun for us when Brady and Jeff come. I don't know how fun it is for them. They have kids climbing all over them nonstop.

Shoeless Shina

2008-11-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I got a phone call from Shina at the end school asking me if I could come pick her up (she normally walks). I said, "Sure, but why?" She said, "I lost one of my shoes?" I said, "Shina, how did you do that?" She said unconvincingly, "I don't know". I said, "What were your shoes doing off your feet?" She said she had taken them off for the Thanksgiving feast and couldn't find one of them at the end. So of course I couldn't let her walk home from school with only one shoe on her feet. So I drove to the school and there she was, standing out on the sidewalk with only one shoe on and the other one completely bare. The funny thing is that last school year she called me and asked me to bring her some shoes because one of her shoes had broke. I think I might just need to start sending an extra pair of shoes in her backpack.

Whahoooooooooo!!!!!!!! Happy Day!!!!!

2008-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today I am officially a nurse! I took my test on Tuesday morning and left feeling like I probably failed. I didn't really want to tell many people that I had taken it because then I would have to tell everyone that I failed. Now after waiting two agonizing days for the results I can officially say that I passed and I am an LPN! I really wish I could say that I am done with school and that I am an RN but I have two more semesters until that happens. But this is a milestone and I will take the day to brag a little and celebrate that my dream of becoming a nurse is now a reality.

The Tower!

2008-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

The other day Chad found Lafer in the pantry with all the cereal boxes out. Chad asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm building a towuh!"

He only spilled a little cereal. But then he was kind enough to help with the clean up by crushing all the cereal with his feet.

I don't know how this tower will stand up! Looks like more mess to me.

Family Night Fitness!

2008-11-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

Last Monday night for family night Chad (I have to say that it was his idea) and the kids decided they wanted to exercise. So they put in my Turbo Jam DVD and away we went!

It was so fun to watch every one try to do the moves and keep up with the routine.

I think they are all hooked now! Especially Sage who says every night, "Dad, are we going to Turbo tonight?"

Maybe someday we will make or own work-out video!

Wet, but warm Halloween!

2008-11-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

I have to say I love that they changed day light savings time til after Halloween! We still had plenty of daylight to trick or treat in. This year was a little bit different for us though because for the first time we didn't trick or treat all together as a family. Isaac took off with his friends before I could even get a picture of his costume that he created. He is 12 now though and I just need to get used to the idea that his friends are getting to be more and more important. Shina invited her cousin Hollie to go with us but we were to slow for them and they were way ahead of us most of the night. Avery was invited by her friend Josephine to go trick or treating with her. They got to ride around on their electric car and Avery came home with a ton of candy.

At least I was able to get a few pictures before everyone went their separate ways.

I have to say though it was one of my favorite Halloweens in a long time. (No, not because my kids were all trick or treating somewhere else.) Despite it raining off and on throughout the night it was really quite warm. I didn't have to worry about dressing the kids up super warm. A sweatshirt under their costumes was plenty.

Sage was hilarious! She kept saying, "I love this!" and "This is so much fun" as she skipped from house to house. She wanted to go all night!

Lafer really started to catch on to the idea of what Halloween is about. He resisted putting the darling monkey costume on at first but after he started seeing the candy start filling his bag he realized how cool it was. Although I did have to carry him most of the way.

I imagine my kids are not the only ones, but they always have to come home after trick or treating they have to sort all of their candy out and compare what they got.

We had a fun surprise outside our door when we got home. Somehow Grandma and Grandpa Parrish, who are on their mission in Georgia, left a box of cereal for each of the kids for Halloween! Now that is a real trick and treat!

The kids always sleep really good after that long night of trick or treating. Lafer couldn't even wait til we put him in bed to fall asleep (with his thumb in his mouth of course).

Temple Square

2008-11-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

A couple Saturdays ago Chad and I decided to take the kids up to Temple Square. The older kids have all been there at Christmas time to see the lights but the younger two had never been. It was a beautiful day! We first went to eat at the Lion House (a little bit pricier than what we thought it would be), then we went and walked around and went into the visitors centers and into the Tabernacle, after that we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial and watched the Joseph Smith movie that we hadn't seen yet. It was amazing, although there were a few parts that were a little bit scary for the younger kids.

Lafe couldn't help but splash in the puddles.

It was a perfect day with only minimal fighting. Chad and I said to each other on the way home that we wished every Saturday could be as relaxing.

LPN Graduation

2008-10-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday was my graduation from the LPN program. I was so excited to graduate but it is only the half way mark for me as I am still working for my RN. It was a great celebration none the less. The graduation was held at Thanksgiving Point. I didn't get to sit and enjoy the graduation as much as I would have liked to because I was asked to speak. As much as I know it was an honor to represent my class it still made the day a little bit more stressful. I talked about how nursing school among many other things is only temporary but that we will always be nursing students because our learning won't end at graduation.
I was so glad to have Chad and the kids there to support me (minus Isaac who was doing a service project at an indian reservation in southern utah). They have all had to make so many sacrifices for me to be able to go to school. It was also a privilage to be able to stand and publicly thank them.
I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband not to mention a great tutor. He has helped me so much while I have been in school. Hopefully they can all hang on for just two more semesters.

A little bit of light reading

2008-10-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

I decided it would be fun to stack all of my nursing books up to see how tall of a pile they would make. I wish I could say I have read and remember all the stuff from these books.

The first snow!

2008-10-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning the kids were so excited when they woke up and found that there was snow all over the ground.
The first snow is always the most exciting and they wouldn't even change out of there pajamas before they went outside to play in it.

The snow only lasted half the day but they had fun while it lasted.

Can you believe Shina is 10!

2008-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Shina had a great birthday this year! She was so excited to have a party at Jump on It and got to SubZero for ice cream.
She is so lucky to have such good friends and cousins that live close by.
Instead of a cake Shina chose to have fried ice cream for dessert. I have to admit I would much rather have fried ice cream than cake any day too.

After Isaac got a gun for his birthday Shina wanted one for hers as well. She is kinda a tomboy anyway. She was sure excited when she opened up her BB gun.

The Harvest

2008-10-19T16:30:00.001-07:00

It has been such a fun experience to watch and care for this garden. The kids have all had the chance to work in it by planting, watering, and weeding the garden.
It was amazing to see all of the vegetables that the garden produced. More than we could ever dream of eating.
The other night we went and picked all of the squash and cucumbers and we were amazed at how much we had.

The unfortunate thing is that so far Chad and I are the only ones that like squash. So if you live close and would like some we have plenty to share.

Blogging vs Nursing School

2008-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy the last few weeks that it took a blogging marathon to get caught up on everything (I still don't know if I got everything). I officially finished my PN (practical nursing) semester at school and I am now able to test with the state to become a LPN. I get to enjoy a week off before I start my RN program. I am so glad to be this far in school. I only have 2 more semesters until I will be done with my RN. Yahoo!!!

My son the Deacon

2008-10-02T16:26:00.001-07:00

What a proud moment it was last Sunday to see Isaac pass the Sacrament for the first time. He was all dressed up in the new church clothes that Grandma Mills bought him. He seemed nervous but confident at the same time. It is so awesome that we have another priesthood holder in our home.

Our Visit to Primary Childrens

2008-10-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Back in 2002 Primary Children's felt like a second home. After Shina was diagnosed with cancer we had to make daily trips to get her chemotherapy treatments. We got to know the nurses, doctors, and techs by name. After her chemo we went up every 3 months at first for cat scans and bone scans. Then after she went a couple years without any signs of the cancer returning they pushed us to every 6 months. We have been doing scans every 6 months since then. When we went to Oregon we had her scans done at a hospital there. We missed the familiarity of Primary's and are so glad to be back here to where we feel most at home.
Last week we took Shina up there for her 6 month scans. She has to be fasting and then they give her a large amount of contrast to drink over an hour. Then they start an IV and push another contrast into the IV while they are doing the scan. Shina always hates the IV and stresses about it for weeks before we go up there. She did so good though and said it didn't hurt at all.
We haven't been up there in 3 years and we were so surprised at how different things were, but even more surprised at how many things were exactly the same. There were so many familiars faces!

Back in 2004, Shina got the chance to paint a ceiling tile that was put in the ceiling of the cat scan room. It was such a fun thing for her to do. It was really fun to see that it is still there. If you are ever there look for her tile (hopefully you aren't).
It was really kinda stressful being there in the oncology clinic. While we were sitting in the waiting room waiting to go back there were two little bald girls about the same age Shina was when she was diagnosed. They were both waiting with their parents to go back into a room. You could see the worry and fatigue in the parent's faces and it brought back so many memories and feelings of when we were in there shoes. I pray they are as lucky as we are.

We were able to leave the hospital with great news. Not only were Shina's scans completely clear but they Doctor told us that we could start coming once a years instead of every 6 months. Yeah!!!!

2008 Deer Hunt

2008-10-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

Chad grew up a deer hunter. It is all foreign to me but it is another Parrish tradition. He hasn't been in 3 years because we were in Oregon and he wasn't able to take the time off of school. Isaac and Shina weren't old enough to go before that and so this was their first hunt.

Isaac brought his new 22 that he got for his birthday and got to shoot it for the first time.
Shina also got a chance to shoot. Chad says that she is a really good shot.

It is so nice that they can hunt so close to the cabin. Tyler and Camille came along too!

Isaac is ready to take his hunter safety classes so that he can start hunting with Chad.

Cousin Day in Fillmore

2008-10-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

In September the Bartholomew family (Chad's mom's family) had a cousin day in Fillmore where they are from. It was so fun to not only see Chad's aunts and uncles and his cousins but we were also able to see all of their kids who had grown up so much.

It's always fun to catch up with everyone and I hope that we do it more often.

Could he really be twelve?

2008-10-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am a little late posting that Isaac had a birthday and turn twelve. I really can't believe that he is twelve already. It seems like just last week that he was a toddler. It seems so unfair that kids grow up so fast.
Isaac is such a great kid and he makes me so proud. He is very self motivated and a hard worker. He is thoughtful and kind to others. He is smart and does so well in school.
I started thinking about the fact that he only has 7 years until he will be going on a mission. I feel like I am falling short a lot of times in preparing him for this. I definitly need to start being more proactive in helping him to prepare. The first 12 years flew by, I know the next 7 will go even faster.
A Parrish family tradition is to get your first 22 when you turn 12. Chad wasn't about to change that. I was a little nervous about him having a gun, but he is a very responsible kid.
Isaac invited a bunch of his friends to Grandpa and Grandma Parrish's to have play games and roast hot dogs and marshmellows. They all had a great time.

My boy is growing up. Nothing I can do about it. I sure do love seeing him turn into a young man.

My little thumb sucker!

2008-10-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

So Lafe is a thumb sucker. He just can't seem to keep that thing out of his mouth. It is so weird because he didn't start sucking it until he was about 18 months old. I guess because he is my last I am not so worried about it and I am not freaking out about it yet. I just want him to stay a baby for a little bit longer. He is so dang cute!

Fruit Snacks, a great way to kill bugs

2008-09-13T18:57:00.001-07:00

I hate having to use youtube to load my videos but I can't get them to load on my computer any other way. I am embarrassed about the mess in the background but this was hilarious though and I had to post it.

Lone Peaks Knights 6th Grade Football

2008-09-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Isaac started his football season a couple of weeks ago and it has been a blast for him. He is playing with some great kids and has some really good coaches.
He plays tail back and defensive end.
The very first play of the very first game Isaac ran the ball 60 yards for a touchdown. That was such a great experience for him and we look forward to some more touchdowns and great plays this season. (Grandma and Grandpa you would be proud!)
It is still hard to believe that he is old enough to play football, but he works so hard and enjoys the challenge and competition. His coach caught me after one of the games and told me what a good kid he thought Isaac was and what a hard worker he is. He said that it is really easy to be his coach. Those are the type of moments that really make a parent proud.

Lafe Turns 2!

2008-09-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am a little late in posting about it but a couple weeks ago Lafe turned 2. He is growing up so fast and it is hard to believe that our baby is 2 already. We had a pinata that the kids broke. Lafe was in heaven as he was encouraged to hit something with a bat besides a ball.
He had a lot of help from his sisters opening his presents because he didn't quite get what he was supposed to do.

As far as blowing out his candles we had to relight them several times because as soon as we got one lit he would blow it out.
One of the gifts that Lafer got was this t-shirt. And oh how true it is.
Sage was trying to whisper to Lafe what his present was.
This was Lafer's favorite gift of the night. The soccer ball and goal.
He new exactly what the goal was for.

I couldn't help but think back to when Lafer was born. He had a rough start as he had to spend the first two weeks of his life in the NICU at a hospital in Portland. He had a hard time getting his lungs working at first. Looking at him you wouldn't have thought he had anything wrong. He was 7 lb 14 oz and one of the biggest babies in the NICU.
He had to have a chest tube put in because he had a pneumothorax (hole in his lung) so we couldn't hold him for a few days after he was born.
It was hard to see him hooked up to all the tubes and wires and not to be able to hold him.
What a special boy Lafer is.
As much as we miss him being a little baby, we are sure enjoying watching him grow and learn.

First Day of School

2008-08-21T19:58:00.001-07:00

So Monday was the first day of school. My kids were all so excited! This year was kind of sad for me because I wasn't there for their first day. I had to be to school myself at 5:45 am. So I missed the whole thing. Luckily Chad has his clinic start at 10:00 so he could get walk with the kids and of course get some pictures.
The kids love Alpine Elementary. They know that us moving is coming up sometime and they are wishing that we could move some where close enough that they could stay at this school.
Avery is in 2nd grade this year and her teacher is Mrs Sampson. (I went to school with her son Scott)

I was pretty impressed that Chad even got a picture of her with her teacher. Shina is in 4th grade this year.

Her teacher is Mrs Black. (She says she is really lucky because Mrs Black is the best teacher in the 4th grade)
Isaac is in the 6th grade this year! (Is that possible?) Of course he is too cool to get his picture taken with his teacher. He is in Mr. Cowley class. Here is Isaac doing the cool thing and hangin with the guys. He denies any interest in girls yet.

Lafer the Terror!

2008-08-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

He looks innocent enough. Those eyes are so sweet and his smile warms your heart but my little Lafer is a terror! He can find trouble where there is no trouble to be found. I can't turn my back on him for long without finding a trail of disaster behind him.
Today he was especially naughty.

First, I found Lafer, who I thought was watching Sesame Street, with this mess of batting. We have had these couches since Isaac was Lafe's age and none of the kids have ever discovered that there is a zipper on the underside of the cushions and if you unzip it there is a whole bunch of batting that you can pull out and throw everywhere. Not to mention the pile of laundry in the background that was folded until Lafer found it. Next we move on to his latest masterpiece. This one is only one of probably a dozen that are in various places around the house including the coffee table, my bedspread, the headboard, a picture above the bed, the fridge, his body, my text books, etc. Most exciting is that he seems to love the sharpie markers and chooses to do most of his artwork with them.

He was very proud of this one. Then last but not least he pulled a bar stool over to the microwave, opened it, saw my cell phone sitting on top, and decided to put the phone in. I don't know quite how he new how to start it but he did. Then he opened the door and said, "DONE!" It wasn't in there very long, no explosions or anything, but my phone is no longer functioning, and I am pretty sure the insides are melted because of the smell. I really wish I would have bought the insurance now.
As much trouble as that kid is, I just look at him and I can't be mad at him. And after five kids I can relax a little bit more and not stress so much over his acts of terror.

Dancing vs Swimming Lessons

2008-08-19T10:23:00.001-07:00

Pause the music below so that you can hear this video. I am have been trying to get this on here for a while and I finally figured out how to do it. It is so funny!

Brian Regan Live!

2008-08-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

Last night was the long awaited Brian Regan show. It was an awesome night at Thanksgiving Point. Dr. Sanderson was kind enough to get the tickets for us. We absolutely loved the show. Chad and Marc are getting psyched for the show! We went with our good friends Marc and Jessica Sanderson (Dr. Sanderson's nephew). They are always fun to hang out with.

I was surprised when we told people that we were going to see Brian Regan how many of them hadn't heard of him. But he did three shows this last weekend and every one of them was sold out. With a crowd of over 4000 people a night. So those who don't know who he is are really missing out.
He has a new DVD coming out Sept 9. We have already preordered it and can't wait for it to come!

Brothers

2008-08-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

I don't think there are many things more special then the relationshiop between brothers. Isaac waited a long time for a brother that he could play ball with and wrestle with (and mow the lawn with). Lafer is lucky to have such a great big brother. Isaac loves to play with Lafer. He follows Isaac around and loves being right next to him. They love to snuggle together watching TV. Isaac is such a good example to Lafer too. It reminds me of a poem that Chad and I both really like called Little Eyes Upon You. It goes like this:

Little Eyes Upon You
There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little boy who's dreaming
of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little guy's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.
In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;
He will say and do, in your way
when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little boy
who believes you're always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example
every day in all you do;
For the little boy who's waiting
to grow up to be like you.

This is how our Garden Grows.

2008-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Chad and I picked this all TODAY from our garden. We are being bombarded with lots and lots of veggies. More than we could possibly eat.
It is so fun to see so much growing!

Here are a few things that have grown that are kinda strange. Not really sure what some of them are.

Ride Dad?

2008-08-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Lafer has recently discovered how fun it is to ride on Chad's motercycle. He will go find the helmet and drag his dad to the bike and say, "Ride, Dad?" With eyes like his looking up at you it is hard to say no.

I think we have what Chad calls an "Adrenaline Junkie" on our hands.

Alpine Days

2008-08-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

We love Alpine Days. We have gone since Isaac was a baby. We always get up early and go to the Fireman's Breakfast, and then a couple of the kids will do the Toddler Trot, and then watch the Parade. Chad used to always have to help with the breakfast so he was never able to participate in the 5k race. This year he and Isaac did it together. Chad has had quite an active summer since he has done 4 triathalons, but this was Isaac's first race. He did awesome! He finished in under 30 minutes. I think we will have another running addict. The night before the race we realized that Isaac's didn't have any running shoes that fit him. It was 9:45 at night and we knew we couldn't make it anywhere to get any before the stores closed. We thought that maybe my mom would have some tennis shoes that would fit him. We had him try some of hers on. They were too small! I thought that mine would be way too big, but no, they fit him perfectly. Aghhh! I can't believe I have a child who has feet as big as mine already! He is growing too fast! The shoes worked perfectly for him. I don't think I will get them back now though.
This was Sage and Lafe's first time doing the Toddler Trot since we were in Oregon and missed the last few Alpine Days. They were so cute with their numbers on their chest all ready to race around the block.

Lafer did so good about the first half of the block and then he starte to wonder if it would ever end. Chad ended up carrying him for a good portion of the race.
You can see from the look on Sage's face how she felt about it. She actually did run the whole thing though. It was all worth when she got to the finish line and received her blue ribbon and her sucker.
Next year we will have Shina run the 5k too. She felt bad that she didn't do it this year.
Good old Alpine Days Parade! (We got this picture for you Shawn and Raquel)
We invited to the Murphey family to join us at the parade. We had so much fun! The kids got all kinds of candy and prizes! You never know what's going to be thrown at the Alpine Days Parade. The kids usually do need a big grocery bag to hold it all. We are glad to be back in Utah to enjoy Alpine Days again.

A Strange Family Tradition

2008-08-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Usually when I tell people about our odd family tradition I get a few laughs and a few "No ways!" But to our family it doesn't seem that strange in fact we can't imagine it any other way. Chad paints all of our nails. It actually kinda started way back when Chad and I first started dating in high school. He came over to my house to visit and I pulled out my nail polish. He thought it would be funny to paint all of my toes a different color. I went to school the next day with 10 different colors of nail polish on my toes. Then with my first pregnancy when I couldn't reach my toes anymore Chad started doing it for me. He has done it for me ever since and started doing the girls as well. He would start when they were just babies. They always had pretty pink toes. They don't ever ask me to paint their nails, only Chad. He enjoys the one on one time with the girls. Here Shina is on the phone with Grandma and Grandpa Parrish while Dad is painting her nails. I can picture this as a common scene as she becomes a teenager talking with her friends on the phone while her dad does her nails.
The great thing is is that Chad does a really good job too! The other day I had to paint my own toe nails because they were chipping and I was wearing sandals and Chad wasn't home. He came home later and saw my toes and asked who painted them. I told him I did. He said you need to let me do them. The don't look very good.
We have a huge collection of nail polish with lots of colors to choose from. Whenever Chad goes out of town he usually brings the girls back some nail polish. It's fun to see the different colors he chooses.
When Lafe sees all the girls getting their nails painted he wants his done too. Chad doesn't like the idea of it at all. But Lafer just wants to be part of the action. And their is no reasoning with an almost 2 year old. So Chad insists on using a more manly color like green or blue if he is going to paint his nails. Hopefully he will grow out of this soon.
As strange as the tradition sounds it is a treasured one that would definately be missed if we stopped doing it.

Float to Stroke Swim School

2008-08-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

Avery, Sage, and Lafe have been going to the Float to Stroke Swim School for the past 3 weeks. It has been quite interesting. They start kids as soon as they can crawl. The goal of the program is to teach kids to be able to survive if they were to fall into the water. They spent a lot of the time going from a swordfish on their stomach to flipping over to their back and floating to the side of the pool where they flip back over and climb out. Avery was already quite comfortable in the water as long as she could touch. She never dared to go into the deep end or jump off the diving board. She is now a lot more comfortable in water of any depth. Sage's experience was a little bitter-sweet. She cried for pretty much every lesson, the whole lesson. She didn't like to float on her back and even more didn't want to go onto her stomach. Even though she cried the whole time by the end she could go from swimming on her stomach to flipping over to her back and kick her feet til she got to the side of the pool . In this picture the teacher is there behind her but she is floating all by herself.
This was one of the hardest parts of the lesson. The teacher would ask us to take Lafer to the diving board and drop him in. When she first asked me to do it I thought, "Are you crazy?" I felt terrible just dropping him off the diving board. But as soon as I did it he came right up to the surface and floated on his back with no help.
Like Sage, Lafe would cry the whole time. The teacher would put him in the water on his stomach and just let him go. He didn't like that much. But he was amazing at flipping immediately over to his back and just floating.
I actually video taped some of the lessons and was going to put them on the blog but Chad said that it would break his mom's heart when she saw her grandbabies crying. But seriously it was an amazing experience to see how much they learned and how capable they are of being great swimmers.

Our little ball boy!

2008-08-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

The other night Chad and I walked out of our room to find Lafer and his collection of balls all lined up in a row. They were all lined up neatly along the line where the carpet changes.
He worked so hard to get them all evenly spaced. He didn't want to throw them or hit them he just wanted them all lined up so he could sit and admire them.
Then he had a good old time running back and forth and jumping over them.
He was so proud of his ball collection. He is in love with balls!

Cousin Weekend!

2008-08-03T17:08:00.001-07:00

Last week a bunch of the cousins came to town to stay at Grandma and Grandpa Parrishs. It ended up a huge cousin weekend. The kids had so much fun spending time with each other and playing.
Everybody's favorite uncle. Uncle Scottie is hands down the kids favorite uncle. The kids don't get to see him that often but you would think it's Christmas every time he comes. The kids run to him cheering that, "Uncle Scottie is here!" Even the shy kids that won't go to hardly anyone will go to Uncle Scott. We are so glad that he made it to the Cousin Weekend.
There is always a game of football everytime the boys get together. This has been going on since Isaac was probably 2 and as the years go by the game gets a little better and a bit more rough too.
The kids love getting together with their cousins! It's always a party and there are always a few tears when it is time to go.

It's always fun attempting the group picture. We take 50 pictures trying to get just one where their is no one crying and where everyone is at least looking at the camera. I think we were short at least 10 cousins in this picture too. Thanks goodness it was warm and the kids spent most of the time outside.

The Spoon

2008-07-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sage has a favorite spoon. She won't eat her cereal until she has it. If it's dirty she'll wash it herself to make sure she gets to use it. I don't know what is so special about the spoon. Maybe the fact that we only have one of them. It's a cheap semi-disposable plastic spoon. And in a way I guess it's stolen. It belongs to Harvey Clarke Elementary School in Forest Grove, Oregon. One of the older kids accidently left it in their lunch box after using it for their cold lunch. We forgot to send it back. If I would have known it was going to be such a favorite I would have had the kids leave them in their lunch box more often! Maybe I should see what kind of spoons Alpine Elementary has! Look at me I am turning into the thief!

Family Night at the Rodeo

2008-07-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we have been to a rodeo. Isaac and Shina are the only kids that have gone to one. So that means about 7 years. We headed down to Spanish Fork last night and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells (not so much). The kids loved it. At the beginning they had two guys jump out of a plane and land in the arena. The kids thought that was amazing. The rodeo clown was a whole bunch of fun. Sage couldn't figure out how he could climb in and out of his big barrel.

Lafer loved seeing all the big horses and bulls.

Da Bulls!
Da Broncos!

After the night was over I asked Chad if he had fun. He said, "Shina asked me to teach her how to ride, that made the whole night worth it." So we may have a cowgirl on our hands soon. Maybe more than one.

Catch!

2008-07-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

My littler Lafer LOVES balls! He doesn't care about trucks or super heroes or dinosaurs, just BALLS. He can spot a ball a mile away. It doesn't really matter what kind. Anything round will actually do. Lately he likes to play catch. He will grab two gloves and a ball and bring them to who ever is around and say, "Catch!".

How does your garden grow?

2008-07-13T16:41:00.001-07:00

Well since Grandma and Grandpa Parrish are on their mission in Atlanta they let us use a portion of their garden to grow our own garden. We planted tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, zuchini, walla walla onions, and a variety of different squash. We have spent a few family nights there planting, weeding, and watering. Shina was very proud to pick the first zucchini! It was a little bit overgrown but she didn't care.

There was a beautiful sunset last night and we got a nice shot of the temple from the backyard.
Grandpa planted some garlic before they left and it is almost ready to pick. Lafe and Sage thought they would just have a taste.

What a pleasant surprise to see that everything is growing so well!

Lafer is usually a muddy mess by the time we get done but he loves to help too! What a learning experience this has been for the whole family. We really look forward to being able to harvest the fruit of our labors!

What's more American than Baseball!

2008-07-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

For this last Forth of July we went and spent a few days in Price, Utah watching Baseball! Isaac got invited to be on the Alpine All Star team. What an experience that was for him. He had three great coaches, Coach Boyd, Coach Smith, and Coach Goeckeritz. They really worked well with the boys and made it such a great experience. They took third in the State Tournament. We had fun watching and cheering for them. Before the tournament Coach Smith had each boy tell of 3 things that they needed to improve on. He wrote them on the board.
He then had each boy break the board with their hand. Showing that they are breaking their bad habits.
Most of the boys were really nervous about doing this and some of them it took a couple tries. But they each broke their board. It was pretty impressive.

It was a great Fourth of July!

Mills Family Retreat!

2008-07-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

We took my family up to Chad's family cabin a couple weeks ago. They had never been there and we had a ton of fun. We rode four wheelers, shot skeet (it was Jeffs first time shooting a gun), rode the zip line at Uncle Max's, played games, slept, Chad and Stacey swam in the lake to prepare for the Scofield triathalon they are doing in a couple of weeks. The trip was all in all a success other than the fact that Brady and Neil and Alison and their kids weren't there. We missed you guys! Typical Mills Family Picture
The more serious side.

Not very often that you get everyone smiling.
My tough sister Stacey and her little guy Aiden.
One of the funnest couples ever. My brother Jeff and his wife Andrea.
My brother Nathan and his wife Laurel are the best! These are their kids Holly, Jackson, and Quincy.

Goin to town with the root beer float.

Grandma reading bedtime stories to the kids.
Looks like a serious story.
DOG PILE!!!!!!!
Chad, always has to be doing something.
Quincy likes root beer floats too!

Watch and Learn

2008-06-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the stuff that our kids learn from watching! I couldn't miss this shot of Lafer reading on the toilet. He isn't even potty trained but he wanted to sit and read on the toilet.

What makes us laugh!

2008-06-19T15:59:00.001-07:00

Brian Regan! I can't wait til August when Chad and I get to go see his show!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2008-06-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Chad and I celebrated our 13 year anniversary yesterday! I shouldn't really say celebrate because the day was full of a mother daughter activity day hike and Isaac had a double header. But after all that was over (around 9:30 last night) Chad and I went and tried to find someplace quick to grab something to eat. I came home to find a big vase of 13 roses waiting for me and tickets for our favorite comedian, Brian Regan, who is coming to Thanksgiving point in a few weeks.
It's hard to beleive that 13 years have gone by! I am so in love with the same guy I met 17 years ago when I was only 16. Chad has been such an amazing partner and I am so proud to be his wife. He has always worked so hard to provide for me and the kids and has sacraficed many things that he loves in order to do so. I treasure so many memories of our 13 years of marriage, but more than that I look forward to many, many more.

Isaac's first Scout Campout

2008-06-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Isaac had his first Boy Scout camp this last weekend. They went up to a campground just in the foothills up Alpine. Chad got to go along to help out. It was a lot of work to get ready for an overnighter. Isaac had a lot of fun and looks forward to going on more campouts.

From the looks of the pictures if looks like the boys spent most of the time playing with the fire.

June B Turned 7!

2008-06-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that our little June B is 7 already! She is growing so quickly and keeps us laughing and thinking. She is a dreamer and her mind is always going. She is always asking us deep questions that we sometimes are quite sure how to answer. She is so smart and we are so proud of her.

Avery was so excited about receiving a card and $20 from her Grandma and Grandpa Parrish who are on a mission in Atlanta. She has been carrying the money around looking for something to spend it on. Grandma Mills gave her a scooter. She is so excited to be able to ride that to school this fall. When we asked her what she wanted for her birthday she told Chad and I that she wanted her very own DVD that was just hers and if anyone wants to watch it they have to ask her first. So we gave her the movie, The Game Plan. She was thrilled with that.

It is so fun to celebrate each year as Avery gets older. She is such a special girl!

They call it Puppy Love!

2008-06-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tyler and Aunt Camille's dog Sugar had puppies a few weeks ago. The kids have been obsessed about wanting to go and see them. They keep asking if we can keep one. We told them when we get into our own house then maybe we can get one.

Lafer couldn't keep his hands off of them. He would pick one up and snuggle with it until another one came along and then he would push the one on his lap away and pick up another.

I know if looks like he is strangling this one but the pup was actually just snuggling and fell asleep.

The Birthday Bash!

2008-06-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Avery got to invite a bunch of her friends and cousins to home over for a birthday party. We rented a bounce house and had pizza and snow cones. It was so fun to have all the kids over and celebrate Avery's birthday!

Memorial Day (Month)

2008-05-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

We were so glad to be back in Utah this year so that we could visit some of the graves of our loved ones.

This is where Great Grandma and Grandpa Bartholomew are buried in Fillmore, Utah. They are Chad's grandma and grandpa on his mom's side. They were such giving and generous people.

Great Grandma Shumway is also buried in the Fillmore, Utah cemetary. We got to stop here on our way back from Chad's race in St George. Grandma Shumway was an amazingly strong woman and died while we were living in Oregon.

This is Grandpa Mills grave. He is my dad and he is buried close by in the Alpine Cemetary. We were able to take a walk from my mom's house to the cemetary on Memorial Day. Isaac was a baby when he died and so none of the kids have any memories of my dad. He was a great man and I miss him so much.

I had to throw this picture in from Christmas Eve of this last year. I just thought it was too funny! My mom dragged us all out to the cemetary in the middle of a blizzard so that we could put luminares on my dad's grave. (It's a tradition she has been doing forever.) I don't think the candles stay lit for more than 5 seconds but we did it and we have the picture to prove it. You can't really tell who anyone is. My younger brothers and sis in law Andrea are standing behind me and mom is the bundled up one in the red coat in back. The kids even toughed it out. Aren't we glad that memorial day isn't in December?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!

2008-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! I always look forward to the weather getting warmer (or not) and the spring sports beginning. We have had three kids in sports this spring. It has been fun to watch the kids and see how they have improved. Avery has been playing her second year of soccer. She has improved quite a bit since last year. She does get distracted by the grass, the sky, the boys, and everything else around her. But once the ball rolls past her she takes off after it and often goes all the way to the goal.
Shina is playing her 5th year of soccer. She rocks! She is so determined and works really hard. She enjoys playing forward and goalie. She has enjoyed playing on an all girl team for the first time.
Isaac was one of the few boys in his grade to be drafted to the majors in baseball this year. It is his 8th year playing ball. It has been a growing experience as they take baseball in Utah a lot more seriously than they did in Oregon. Isaac didn't know much about stealing bases and sliding. He is learning so much and improves every game.
As much as I do love the spring sports, with three kids playing it gets pretty busy and I will look forward to the end of the season when we can have a break from it all.

Dance like there's no tomorrow!

2008-05-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. When all the girls are practicing for the spring dance recital. My girls were so excited! Neither Avery or Sage has ever been in a dance recital and Shina hadn't danced in one for two years while we were living in Oregon. They were so cute! Shina is getting to be such a good dancer and Avery did so good as well. Sage was just fun to watch. Not only was she dancing the best that she could be she was also singing her heart out as well. They can't wait until fall when they can start dance again.

Tuesday (or Wednesday) Tell All

2008-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Amy Murphy told me about this and I thought it sounded like fun. I'll give it a try.
The website is http://tuesdaytellall.blogspot.com/

TTA- Answer the following with only one word!
1. Where is your cell phone? charging...................
2. Your significant other? Amazing.......................
3. Your hair? easy....................................
4. Your mother? dedicated.................................
5. Your father? memories..................................
6. Your favorite thing? Family..........................
7. Your dream last night? School........................
8. Your favorite drink? Root Beer...........................
9. Your dream/goal? Nurse
10. The room you're in? Office..........................
11. Your children?Enjoyable..............................
12. Your fear? spiders.........................
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? debt free...........
14. Where were you last night? Amy Murphy's.............
15. What you're not? Organized....................
16. Muffins? Banana..........................
17. One of your wish list items? a house.........
18. Where you grew up? Alpine.................
20. What are you wearing? T-shirt........................
21. Your TV? addicting..................
22. Your pets? a pain....................
23. Your computer? useful......................
24. Your life? busy.........................
25. Your mood? mellow...................
26. Missing someone? my dad.................
27. Your car? dirty....................
28. Something you're not wearing? Shoes................
29. Favorite Store? Bath and Body Works...................
30. Your summer? School........................
31. Like someone? Chad.....................
32. Your favorite color? Red......................
33. Last time you laughed? This morning..................
34. Last time you cried? This morning.........................

2/3's of a Triathalon!

2008-05-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

So, Chad and Robert have been training since probably October for the St. George Triathalon. They have been going swimming at 5:00 in the morning 3 days a week and on the other 3 days they run. I have been pretty impressed with their determination and their consistancy in training. The night before the race we all went over to the lake so that they could practice getting their wet suits on and off and take a little swim to see how the water temperature was. They said is was "FREEZING!" They decided that on race day they would get into the water early enough that they could get used to the water and not struggle so much with the cold. Saturday morning morning it was very cold and windy, they got in the water and very coldly waited for their turn to start the race. The other heats started and they watched from the freezing water as multiple swimmers got pulled out of the water because the wind was so bad and they were struggling. By the time it was time for their race to start the race officials decided that it was not safe enough for the swimmers and decided to cancel the swim part of the race. Chad and Rob were both very disappointed! But at least they were able to run 2/3's of a triathalon.

The kids were so proud of their dad! It was very fun to watch him cross the finish line and cheer him along!

The Brown Fans!

These guys have signed up for 3 more triathalons this summer. They will be doing the Olympic length for those ones which is twice as long as the sprint that they did in St George!

A night on the town!

2008-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we found babysitters for the kids and drove to Las Vegas. It was Kim's birthday and Rob made reservations at a very nice resturant and got 2nd row tickets to see Phantom of the Opera! It was AMAZING!!!! I couldn't believe how close we were! It was neat to see the actors so close. It was so fun to share Kim's birthday with her.

Snug as a bug in a big huge bed!

2008-05-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

The kids all climbed in Kim and Rob's bed and watched a movie while we had a chance to play NERTZ. It's a way fun card game we learned while we were there. I don't remeber what the kids were watching but I think that was the quietest they were the whole trip.

2008-05-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this last weekend down in St George with our good friends Rob and Kim Brown. The kids had a blast swimming in their beautiful pool. It was a nice break for us all. The weather was perfect and we all got to relax a little bit.

My baby girl turned 4!

2008-04-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sage turned four at the end of March. I can't believe how quickly she is growing up! I always say to her, "Sage, Promise me you won't grow up and you will always be my baby girl?" She says, "I promise!" She just keeps getting bigger though. She is so excited to be four! I love Sage's hugs and kisses and how she always like to be touching our snuggling.

What a fun day! Her birthday was on Easter Sunday. That was the only birthday that she will ever have on Easter. Won't be on that day for another couple hundred years.

Sage Leora Parrish, aka Sagerino Bambino Leora Flo Flo Muffin Bum Big Sister Parrish

Grandpa's Helper

2008-04-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Lafer has loved his Grandpa right from the start. He practically jumps out of my arms and lunges for Grandpa whenever he is around. How perfect that he was named after Grandpa Lafe. He misses his grandpa and grandma since they went on their mission to Atlanta.

2008-03-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Disneyland!

Dancing with High School Musical!

Our two little princesses!

Just Taking a little rest on Dad's head!

2008-03-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

2008-03-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

We surprised the kids and took a vacation to Disneyland, Universal Studios and Sea World at the end of February. The weather was perfect, maybe even a little bit hot at times. Sage and Lafe had never been and the older kids were quite a bit younger when we took them. We all had a blast and can't wait to go back again.

Yogurt! Great styling gel too!

2008-03-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Lafer loves yogurt! Today he decided it might be fun to wear it on his head!

Girls and their curls!

2008-03-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a hair stylist! My girls are lucky to get their hair combed let alone curled. I decided we would get some sponge rollers and give it a try. We put them in Saturday night in hopes of easing my load on Sunday morning. They looked so cute and it was definitely easier to get them ready. I haven't done it since then though. I just never think of it early enough on Saturday night to get them in.

2008-03-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

Isaac had his first science fair on February 12th. He did an experiment to see if the shape of ice will change the rate that it will melt. He found out that shape does determine melting rate. His flat ice melt much faster than the other shapes.

Here is his display the day of the fair. He worked very hard on the project and was glad for it to be over.

Isaac fell asleep like this on his bedroom floor. This was in the middle of the day after a sleepover with his cousin Braxton. They must have stayed up pretty late.

What happened to my two front teeth!

2008-02-17T16:10:00.000-08:00

Avery was so excited to lose a couple more teeth. She talks with a little bit of a lisp now and really enjoys being able to drink her milk at school through a straw with her mouth closed.

Grandpa Parrishs Surprise Party!

2008-02-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

On January 11th we had a big surprise party for Grandpa Lafe Parrish's 70th birthday. There was probably about 75 people all hiding downstairs at their friends the Aults. Grandma slyly persuaded Grandpa to go by their house so he could look at something in their basement. The kids all thought they were being quiet but with 30+ grandkids all saying "SSHHH!" there was a lot of noise. Grandpa was still surprised though and was in tears at the sight of all his children and grandchildren and all of his dear friends.

Our Merry Little Christmas

2008-01-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

The kids were very excited to spend Christmas in Utah again. We got a white Christmas full of lots of family and of course lots of food.

Shina and Isaac were excited to get Ripsticks (they haven't learned to ride them yet). Avery got the Eyeclopse she asked Santa for. Sage got a Baby Alive that she was so excited about. I asked her why she wanted a Baby Alive and she said, "Because it eats and pees and poops!" I said, "we already have a baby that does that". The excited of a doll that pees and poops lasted about 1/2 an hour and then she realized how gross it was. Lafe was so fun to watch this year. He was most excited about his little tool set. The kids also got a Wii. Chad and I are still hoping to squeeze in a try on it.

2007-09-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

We're having a ball!

Our new start!

2007-09-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be done with school and joining the world of employed people. Chad started his job with Dr. Mark Sanderson a week ago and is trying to train with him. So far he really enjoys it. I am anxiously awaiting that first paycheck. I think I have plans for the whole check already. (how sad is that?)
We are staying here in Alpine with my mom and it has been a lot better than I thought it would be. We have pretty much taken over the basement. Chad has been working to finish the unfinished apartment area. That will give us one more bedroom another bathroom and a kitchen. We have tons of room and my kids love that.
The kids started school about a month ago and are really loving their new school. They love how good the school lunch is and that they can sit wherever they want in the lunch room. They are starting to make new friends but it is alot more challenging for them to get together with them because everyone lives on larger pieces of land and there is a bit more of a walk to get to their houses. We feel like we are in a different world here.
Our ward is starting to grow on us. It is nothing like our ward in Forest Grove (we will always love that ward). There are a lot of youth and a little bit smaller of a primary. I got my calling yesterday. (You better sit down for this one) PRIMARY CHORISTER!!!!! When the counselor asked me I started laughing! I know NOTHING about music or leading. I said yes of course but I have a lot to learn. My mom is the primary pianist so I think that just assumed because she is musical that I am too. It should be pretty interesting. Ok, you can stop laughing now!