Our Annual Gingerbread House!

So here it is folks. Our Annual Gingerbread House. Every year, a family friend gives a prepackaged Gingerbread house to decorate. The kids love doing this!!! I think this is about the 3rd or 4th year it has been given to us as a gift. This year I, we were going to do the decorating/assembly on Sunday Night, but we ended up not being able to do so, and the kids got to do it Tonight(Monday). I missed out on it this year and I just love that they got to still decorate it!!!

The end to Fall Basketball

Jace and Zak have been playing in the Jr. Jazz basketball league, and the Fall Session just ended. I am so proud of these two boys!!! They didn't have a winning season, but they sure had fun and learned all about TEAMWORK!! They had two very great coaches and had enough boys on their team to make up two teams. They only won about 4 games, but they had fun whether they won or lost. That is something Chris and I have been trying to teach them. It is fun to WIN, but more important to have FUN!!!(and believe me, it is so hard to teach that being so very competetive!!)





Their coaches put on a little awards party for the team last night. Jace decided that he wanted to go to scouts instead, but then when scouts got cancelled, he wanted to go to the party. When we arrived, we got there just in time to hear what award both he and Zak won.

Zak won "Most Steals". He is a very good defensive player and is surely tall enough to put the F-E-A-R into anyone that approaches him. I dont know how he managed it, but he sure did get alot of steals. Congratulations ZAK!!!!



Jace won the "Offensive MVP". As the coaches put it, between the two little point guards, they didnt know what to name their awards. They decided on the Offensive, and the Defensive MVP because there could only be "ONE John Stockton". Congratulations Jace!!!



I have really enjoyed watching these two boys grow up together and play sports together. It is so much fun to see the progress that they make and the lessons that they learn. Both of them work very hard when they play and we are so very proud of them both!!

Im sure we will have more to post as the Winter Session begins after the 1st of the year!!!

Here it is...............the catch up!!

Well, alot has happened since October! We had Halloween, then Haylees birthday, then Thanksgiving(No pics for that), and Christmas Tree decorating. Im not going into it, just enjoy the photos!!! Happy Holidays!!!

Halloween!!!

Haylee's Birthday!!

Christmas Tree Decorating

And to top off the Holiday Spirit, we got about 6 inches or more today!!! YUCK!!!!!

Snow Snow Snow!!!

I love the snow here, it is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! However, I do not like the cold. I cant hack the 19 degree mornings, 30 degree highs!!! Ouch!!! We had our first "Real" snow. Well, it is just the beginning of the first snow. It started on Saturday, stopped for a bit, continued this nice Sunday Morning, and we will be getting more on Monday and Tuesday!! It is going to be a nice white christmas here I believe and I cant wait for that, however, I still want the HEAT!!! I miss the sun already and its nice warmth!!

Catch up??? Catch up???

So, I have some catching up to do and I promise I will get to that as soon as I get the chance.............Sorry everyone!

Birthday, Birthday, who had a BIRTHDAY!!!!

My little Miss Haylee turned 7 years old on the 4th. All she wanted for her birthday was a Password Journal, and gift cards(who in the world at the age of 7 wants gift cards????) So, needless to say, she got both!!! She also got other items as well, and I will post her pictures when I get them loaded. On thing that I absolutely love about this little girl is her love and passion for music. She knows of so many bands that even I havent ever heard of. She will sit on You Tube for hours searching for music videos of Taylor Swift, Miley Cirus, Owl City, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and many many more, then just sit(Or Dance I should say) to all of her favorite music/videos. Here she is with her 3rd missing tooth, not a birthday photo, but still the cutest little girl in the whole wide world.........I mean 7 year old(She is not "Little" anymore)!

Slug Bug.................oh I mean Cool Car!!!!!!

Do you ever play Slug Bug???? Well, our family does! And apparently, when Brittany ad Jace go to their dads house they play all kinds of things to go along with it. Such as, Limo-Bimo, Hurtable-Convertable, Jeep-Beep, and so on and so on. Well, when we picked them up in AZ back in August for our family vacation to Cali, they got Kam hooked on this game. He plays it very intently, and does not miss a beat. We play it every day on our way to school at 12:30, and he always wins. However, we have come up with a new game, it is called "Cool Car" and you name the color of the cool car. So, one day it was so fitting that we pull up into the Dollar Store parking lot, and from a mile away, Kam spots this car.... "Cool Car Yellow" he yells! Yes, it is BUMBLEBEE!!!! He was exstatic and he just had to have a picture. So, here he is with his favorite car in the whole world!!!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Day at school!

Last Thursday was Kamryn's Pumpkin Day at School. They get to pick out pumpkins and carve them in class. His teacher has a little worksheet that they have to complete that asks questions about the way his pumpkin feels, and looks, and they have to measure it and so forth. He had such a blast and so did I. Here he is, the proud owner of his carved pumpkin! I will post our family carvings later along with our Corn Maize adventure!! FUN TIMES!!! I just LOVE Halloween!

More catching up!

Who doesnt love Facebook, right??? After knowing for a while that many of my highschool friends live out here in the same general area(some further than others), we finally got together and had a great time. I didnt get to stay longer and visit but we had a good time anyway. Rachel (Beste) Ford, Erika (Holmes) Walker, Deanna (Harper) Skinner, and myself all got together at a park, let the kids run, and just sat and visited. After playing for a bit(well, til the kids got bored), everyone headed to Rachel's house for pizza and games. That was the part I missed out on. We hope to do it again and more often. It was so much fun to see them all and just sit and visit!

This photo was taken by Brittany on Deanna's camera. I didnt bring mine. Maybe Erika has a good one too!

Ahhh, Wednesdays!

So, can i just say how much I love Wednesdays!!!! I get up in the mornings, get kids off to school, enjoy the morning with Kam(this just consists of breakfast, morning cartoons, cleaning and laughing), then head off to take him to school. I call Wednesdays my play days. I have the whole afternoon(12:30-3:30) to myself. Sometimes I just sit at home, listen to music and just plain out do NOTHING!(nice, but not good.......well sorta. I deserve it)or I go out and treat myself to a Jamba Juice or something else. Then its off to pick up the kids again. Ive been trying to find a new hobby to do to keep me occupied, but no such luck yet. I cant seem to find anything that catches my eye. I do however go every Wednesday Night to play on a Rec. Volleyball team and I love it. We have so much fun playing and its great! I haven't done it in years, and I forgot how much fun it is to play "Competitively". One thing that's great about it is that the gym is so HOT, I sweat like no other and it feels great!!!(HA!)

I look forward to every Wednesday, and I cant wait til this next one comes around!

I have a thought.........

I love when its time for the kids to come home from school. I love hearing the stories and just talking to them to see how their days have been. Here are a few things that Haylee and Kamryn shared with me on a couple of the days last week. They are just so cute!

Mom says: "Kam, what does our last day of being home all alone bring for us today?"

Kam replies: "I just hatched a marvelous idea mom! Lets play Legos Indianna!!"

Mom: "Haylee, how was school today?"

Haylee: "Boring, I need harder things to learn."

Mom: "Well, Im so sorry you are so smart, you get bored."

Haylee: "Its okay, but what are you going to do with me when I get older cause Im So Smart?"

Now, I wanted to say "Slap you", because she is a smartalic, but I didnt. I just told her, Im not sure. Ill just have to go talk to your teacher.

Mom: "Kam how was school today?"

Kam: "Good, we had P.E. We run and run, and I like Mrs. Sheryl. She says, Kam's my boy, and I told her "Yep, I am".

I wish I could capture pictures in these moments so you could see just how cute and honest they are. I love my kids so much! And even though the older ones dont really say the cute quotes anymore or as often, they bring joy in other ways.

See, here is the proof Im getting old!!!

My baby is now in Kindergarten!!!! Proof #1

Proof #2 - Haylee is in 1st grade, but goes to a 1st/2nd Split and its still too easy for here(well, so she says it is so far)

Zak was only 8 months old when I met him and now he is in the 4th grade!!!Proof #3!!!

What can I say, but man, 5th grade!!! What, just yesterday it seems he was starting Kindergarten! Proof #4

And last but not least.............I HAVE A TEENAGER, and she is in 8th grade!!!!


Someone please help me...........they are all growing up way to fast!!!! But, thats what life is about I guess. And Im so glad that I get to raise each and everyone of them!!!

Our Family Vacation

Every Year for Summer Vacation, we try to make it out to California. This year we made it solely a beach vacation with the exception of attending a Padres Game and the small Scripts Aquarium since it is just up the street from our Hotel. We started out trip on a Tuesday. Zak, Hay, Kam and Chris and I packed up the car and headed to Vegas. We spent the night there and played in the pool at the Excalibur. Its a fun, cheap place to stay and has great pools for lounging and for the kids. When we got there, I was pleasantly surprised with the weather. It was about 105 degrees, overcast, and was not too darn HOT! The worst part though was that the water in the pools were COLD!!! Too Cold for me. But the kids enjoyed it anyway.

The Next Morning, we packed it up and headed to Arizona. We met up with two of my sisters, Ann Marie and Chanell(with baby Chandlar) at my grandmothers house, they had Brittany and Jace with them so we were our complete family again(HA!). She will be 92 this November, and I just cant believe it! She still has spunk. Im glad that all my kids got to visit with her for a while and hopefully we will get to see her again soon. After visiting with Grammer, we headed to our hotel where my other Sister Jessie, and her kids(Addie, Jenna, Kinley, and Nolan) joined us for a dip in the pool. Once again, pleasantly surprised at the weather for August. I thought we were all going to die of heat, but it was great. I wish I had my camera at the pool this day, but I didnt. If I did, I would have gotten a picture of Addie beating the crap out of Jace everytime he said, lets race across the pool. It was hilarious. She is a great little swimmer and I wish I could see her and Jenna in a Syncro Show. Maybe soon. After swimming we stopped at the mall in Chandlar to eat some grub, and because you cant find a Cinnabon in Utah anymore, we had to get some of those for dessert. YUMMY!! We said our goodbyes and our hopes to see eachother soon and then got some good rest for the next day.

Thursday Morning we got up, headed out, and began our journey to our final destination! CALIFORNIA!!! We love it there! I could definately never live there, but I enjoying the beach, the water, the atmosphere for a short while. We even talked about getting a time share to beable to go every year and not have to worry about booking and finding hotels. Our first night there, we checked into the hotel, and headed to Old Towne San Diego for Dinner. We love the restaurants here, especially the Cafe Coyote! The kids get their menu, color it, and then turn it into their candy store for two free pieces of candy from their candy barrels. All I can say is YUMMY!!!! They had the Sunkist Gems there that My Grandfather Webb absolutely loved and always had everytime we went to his house. I had to buy a pack of those that night. Friday, we got up, went to the beach and lounged until about 4 when we had to head back and get ready for the Padres Game. This was a blast. The boys love it, it was 5 for 5 night so everyone got a hot dog, drink, peanuts, popcorn, and cookies for 5 bucks. Later, we splurged and got some cotton candy too. Whats a baseball game without all those goodies!!! It was a great game too, They played the Mets, and ended up winning with a Grand Slam Walkoff Homerun. A perfect night to go to the game, with them winning, then FIRE WORKS after a win like that.

Saturday, we decided that we would go to the Aquarium, it is small, but the kids enjoyed it the same. Unfortunately, its so small it doesnt take up much time so we attempted to find something else to do. That didnt happen so we ended up back at the beach. After that, we decided that the beach was where we just needed to stay. And so we did, all the way to Monday. Monday was our last day at the beach, so we ventured to the Pier at Oceanside to grab an ice cream, and see what we could see from the pier. All we got to see was a Pelican, nothing else. It was a great 5 days in San Diego this year and we cant wait to go back again.

Tuesday morning, we packed it up and headed to Vegas. We once again hit the pools and then ate and went to bed. The kids were pooped, we were pooped, and we had an early rising awaiting us cause Chris had a show that Wednesday. So we got up, and headed home Wednesday, then headed to his show. That was a fun time as well. I will put pictures for that later.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Today is a very special day. Two very special people in my life are celebrating their birthdays today and I want them to know that I love them so very much!

First, Brittany is now 13 years old!!!!YIKES!!!!! I cant believe that my oldest is now a teenager. Wasnt she just born yesterday??? She is growing up to be such a beautiful young lady and is so very helpful around the house, and with the younger kiddos. I dont think that I express to her enough how much she means to me and how much I appreciate her. Her siblings love her and adore her, but at the same time think she is so "Mean". I guess thats what the oldest brings. Thank you Brittany for being who you are! I sure do love you and I hope that your Birthday is a good one.

Next, Chris. Wow, what can I say? You are an Old Fart! Oh wait, Im the old fart! Anyway, Chris is 29 today. He is such a great dad and a great example to our kids. He is soft and cuddly and rough and tough. He works so hard for us as a family and I know that we will always be taken care of by him. I want him to know that he is such an important part of my life and I would not be the same without him. Happy Birthday Baby! I love you!

Yes, there area other's who have birthdays too this month, but Im not on the right computer to remember who they are in the Family. I have such a bad memory and have to keep a list to be reminded me of whose bdays are when. However, Happy Birthday to all of you who share a birthday this month!

Schools is now in SESSION!!!

I have to admit, that I agree with my sister Jessie. I sorta did the happy dance last monday, but my true rejoice will come on this upcoming Monday. All of my kids are now officially in school.......everyday of the week! I do have one more year until they all go all day long, but I did, and I will do the Happy Dance as well! It is very sad, but also a joyful time in my life. I enjoy being a mom to such great kids and couldnt ask for any that are better than mine. All 5 of them just bring such joy in the same, and many different ways to our lives. It is sad to send the first one off, but it is even more sad whent it is your baby. This is what makes you feel old. But it is a good old, and I will cherish it forever!!!

Now, onto the things I have been putting off................who knows what the quiet days will bring!!

We are OFF!!!!..................

Well, we are off again on a fun family adventure. We will begin our journey to San Diego Tuesday morning. Our first stop will be Las Vegas. We will be staying at the Excalibur to swim, eat, and see the Bellagio Fountain, Mirage Volcano, MGM Lions, and whatever else the kids want to see. Then we pack up on Wednesday and head to Phoenix. We get to see Aunts and Cousins we dont see very often, and visit Great Grandmother Lemons (91 years old). We will pick up Brittany and Jace who have been with their dad for the summer, then head off to San Diego for 5 days on Thursday. We are all excited and cant wait!

I'll post about our fun when I get the chance to after we get home. Who knows when that will be because when we get home, we are all going to see Chris play with his band that Wednesday night. He has a big show that night and its for families so the kids are excited to go to a concert! Then, that Friday, the 14th Chris has a CD Release show for his second CD that they have put together. That will be a fun night!

Hope you all have a grand remaining week, weekend, and next week.

Ahhhhh!!!! Swimming!!!!

There truely is no better way to beat the heat other than going to the pool!!! We have a Rec. Center Membership and can go swimming whenever we want............well, when the Rec. Center is opened(HA!!) Anyway, we love the POOL! We cant get enough of it and we try to go 3 days a week or more. Im surprised that my Haylee isnt a red raspberry cause she has such fair skin, but props to mom(and dad) because the sunscreen application is working well. As for Kam, he just tans like no other! Zak rarely gets to go when I go, but it was a real treat to have him beable to go with us on Friday. I will have to get pictures of Haylee going down the huge slide they have, but its just too hard when you have 5 kids to watch and take pictures at the same time.

Haylee, Syley, and Zak

Zak, Haylee, Kamryn, Syley and Dominic

Kamryn loves the pool.........

Who needs lessons when you can teach yourself.........Haylee. She is such a water dog, she truely has taught herself to swim just by watching her older siblings, Dad, and others.

Dominic, Syley underwater, and Haylee just resurfacing. These are the days!


I really dont know what I would do without this pool/rec. center. It makes our days go by just wonderfully and the kids sleep like angels on the nights we get to go. Sometimes they even have to be awakened from a quick nap to eat dinner and then just go straigt back to sleep for the rest of the night(after brushing teeth of course). But it is a great time there and we have lots of fun! I just love being a mom and aunt!

Update!!!Please Please Please........Vote if you can!

There has been a change in the text number.................


My husbands band is in a competition to open on the 2nd Stage for the Cruefest in August. They need as many votes as they can get and would appreciate anykind of support that comes their way. Heres how you can help...........

Text "Monarch" to 67664, as many times as you can/want. Normal text messaging fees are applied(Yes that SUCKS!!!) But if you can vote for them, We would greatly appreciate it!

This is what I am counting down for!!!!!

4 more days and We will be on our way to what we try to do every year! Vegas!!! We cant wait to get 4 full days alone and with peace and quietness of no kids.............well, we will miss them, we always do. BUT this is a well needed TIME ALONE TRIP!!!

July Birthdays

With a large Family like ours, you would think that we would have birthdays every month of the year. However, this month, only 3 people in our family celebrate their birthdays and we want to Wish them a very HAPPY ONE!!!

RaeLynn Sargent (my oldest sister, and let me just say that RaeLynn, You ARE getting OLD!!!!HAHAHAH Just joking!)
Raechel Sargent(This poor girl still looks exactly like me, Love you Raechel!)
and last but not least.............
Dominic Garrido! He is going to be 5 and he is the youngest grand kid on Chris' side of the family! For now atleast! I dont know if anyone else can make any more different faces than this kid can, and he is a crack up!

We hope you all have a Happy Bday when it arrives.............well, for RaeLynn, hope yours was GREAT!!!

Father's Day

I am a few days late, yes two, but what matters is that I got it up here, right! This is a small tribute to My dad, and my husband! Happy Fathers Day to two very important men in my life!

Dad, I dont know how you survived raising 6 girls, but I sure am glad that we had you as a father. You taught us so much as we were growing up, and as you can see and tell, we have accepted those lessons and use them in our daily lives! I know that as much as me, all of us girls are so thankful that we had you in our lives everyday! You not only are an example to us, but to our children as well. Thank you for everything Dad! Hope your Father's Day was a Great One!! We love you!











Chris, My husband, Father, StepDad, and so much more. You are so amazing. You have stepped up to a challenge to be a Dad to Zak, Haylee, and Kamryn, and have accepted Brittany and Jace into your heart and life as your own. I cannot thank you enough for all that you do for these 5 kids! They all love you and appreciate everything you do for them. I am so excited to continue growing as a family with you as the leader and protecter. I just hope your ready for the teenage years for the girls!! We love you so much!