So Proud Of Myself

This little girl proved just how brave she truly is yesterday.  After a quick trip to the dentist last week it was confirmed that the tooth that was bothering her had broke.  So, Dr. Johnson proceeded to explain to her how he would give her a shot, file the tooth, fill it and then smooth it down.  We scheduled the appointment for a week out.... and she talked about it for seven straight days.  She told everyone she knew that she was going to get a needle in her mouth. 

As we drove to the office I started to talk to her about what was going to happen again, the mother hen in me just wanted to make sure that she knew exactly what was going to happen.  She quickly started crying and asked me to please stop talking about it, so I did.  My stomach started to turn as I figured it was going to be an ugly experience that would ruin her chances of ever liking going to the dentist. 

Boy was I wrong!  We got the office, got her in the chair and twenty short minutes later we were out the door. No tears, no threats, no bribing, no fits, no nothing... just one brave little girl who laid in the chair and never once complained.  The needle went in, nothing. The drill started, nothing. They put on the band to form the new tooth, nothing. The file started, nothing. The light turned on, nothing. They polished it, nothing. That was it.  She made it easy... I was so proud of her... and as we walked out the door she said " I am so proud of myself." You should be Peyton Jo, for not only being awesome at the dentist but for being the most amazing little girl I know. Love you! 

 

We did have to go to Target afterwards to celebrate with a set a window markers and stencils so she could go home and decorate the windows!

Day 19-22

I missed completing my thankful to Thanksgiving posts... so here goes the last few!

Day 19- Gym
There is nothing like a sweaty, tiring, hard workout to keep your stress levels low.  Not only have am I thankful that I have the ability to workout and teach classes but also for all the people I have met along this journey!

Day 20- Fall Break
Having a week away from work to enjoy family is awesome!  It was a week filled with down time and lots of relaxing and enjoying each others company.


Day 21&22- Family & Friends
I wouold never be where I am today without all of the people surrounding me.  It doesn't matter if you are my husband, sister, mother, cousin, friend, co-worker, workout partner, daughter, son, student, aunt, uncle, in-law, or whoever, I am thankful for the influence you have had on my life.  Past, present and future I am thankful for all of you.

Day 18

Best husband and dad around.
Thankful tonight for a husband who came home earlier than expected to surprise us. The light in the kids eyes when he walked in the door was priceless. We are lucky to have such a great man leading our family.

Day 14-17

My job, music, Starbucks, emotions.

I feel so blessed to have a job that I love to go to everyday. Although there are days that my students drive me crazy I wouldn't change it for the world! I am thankful for all the students I have had a chance to work with and truly enjoy seeing what their future holds for them after they leave me.

Mo5aic is an acapella group that makes all of their band sounds through their voices. They are truly a talented group of young men. I had the opportunity to take Tanner and Kamdan to their concert. The boys were in awe and left with a renewed appreciation for music!

What would I have done today without a cup of coffee to get me through the log afternoon! Nothin quite like it!

I am thankful tonight for emotions running high in Tanner after his game, reminds me how passionate he is about his sports!

Day 13

Furry Friends.
I never really, truly believed that we would ever have a do. Just less than a year ago that changed when Cole and I decided to add a member to our family. Today I am so thankful for Bailey and everything she has brought to or family. Not sure how we went so long without our furry friend!

Day 9-12

Day 9, 10, 11, 12
Basketball, Cousins, Broncos, In Laws
Four days have passed without posting my thankfuls, so here they are.

Thankful for basketball, a sport that Tanner is so passionate about.  I love the fact that Cole and I both share that passion with him.  He has learned so much about winning, losing, being a teammate and pushing yourself to the limit through this sport.

Thankful my kids have cousins.  Although they may not spend a ton of time together there is such a special bond between all of them.

Thankful for the Broncos.  Who knew that one sport, one game, a few hours could always bring together a group of people for fun, food and fellowship.

Thankful for inlaws.  Family created through marriage that I would be lost without. 

Day 8

Big Hearts!
Incredibly blessed to have a little man whose heart is so big. He loves unconditionally and cares so much about people.

Day 7

Mom.
So blessed to have such an amazing mom, who is truly one of my closest friends. Just a short conversation with her can turn my day around. Love my mom... And hope that I am half the mom to my kiddos as she has been to me!

Day 6

Angels.
Our angels above watching over us to make sure we are safe.  Thankful today that my brother-in-law, Nate, survived a terrible car accident. Someone up above was truly watching over him and on his side... today I am thankful for those angels. 

Day 5

Health.
Yesterday Tanner was home sick with the flu.  Although he wasn't feeling great it was a reminder to me of how lucky we are to have our health.  The ability to get out of bed each morning, take a deep breath, and start our day is enough to be thankful for. 

Day 4

Sisters.
Always by your side, through the good and bad. Blessed to have three amazing girls to lean on.

Day 3

Quiet Time.
It's good for the soul to have some time to reflect. A quiet drive to clear my head is all it takes to feel refreshed.

Day 2

Cheer.
Today I am thankful for my daughter who loves to cheer. It is such a joy to watch her express herself. The amount of energy she puts into it is amazing for such a little girl! Tonight she performed at the MCJCA competition and had so much fun. Thank you Peyton for bringing your extra spunk to our family! Your round offing cart wheeling self makes me smile everyday!

Day 1

Today I am thankful for....
Honesty. 

Sometimes it's hard to be honest.  There are times when not being honest would save you troubles.  Being honest, with yourself, can make you question who you really are and what you are doing. Having others be honest with you can knock you down or lift you up.

Spooktacular Halloween

 

 

 

Trick or Treat... smell my feet... give me something good to eat! Love it or hate it, Halloween has come and gone once again.  The kids LOVE it... candy, pumpkins, scary costumes, and staying up late, can't get much better than that!  This year we started our afternoon off by carving pumpkins.  I can't believe I put it off for so long. The kids kept asking if we were going to do it and I kept procrastinating.  But, it got done! It was a beautiful afternoon so we carved it up out on the driveway.  Then it was off to the Smolinski's Spooktacular Haloween Party! Peyton dresseed up as a witch and Tanner was Curly from the Three Stages! Kamdan and Kyle were the other two stooges, couldn't have been a better costume for those three! The kids had such a great time and filled their bags with all sorts of loot!  Then it was off to Vista Valley and Grammy and Becks!  Such a fun night... with so many new memories!  

SuMmEr TiMe 2012

Heaven on Earth

Going back to cover the summer and everything we did.... The first thing that comes to mind is Powell! We were lucky enough to make it several times! There is no place else I would rather spend my free time! Even in the midst of boating, tubing, wake boarding, skiing, and knee boarding you find time to relax. Heck, every trip we made we had some sort of mechanical problem on the trailer and one trip with terrible weather but it doesn't matter... As long as everyone is safe and we make it to the lake... Everything falls into place once your on the water. The pictures attached to this post are from our last trip of summer 2012... Willford's, Reed's and Jamey and Sawyer... September 8th!

Cowboy

"Football is like life.  It requires perseverance, self-denial. hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." - Vince Lombardi

 

 

Tanner has been involved in sports for as long as I can remember.  His passion for basketball and football at such a young age is a true testament to his dedication to be a great athlete. He always gives 100%.  The last four months have been spent participating in 5th grade Cowboy football.  Cole and I were definitely the mouth guard makin, helmet huntin', cleat findin', picture takin', facebook postin', always cheerin' football parents!  It was such a great experience.  His team had a great season, finishing with only two losses and making it to the semi-finals in the playoffs.  They were crushed that they didn't make the superbowl, as it is such a big even here in the valley.  As parents we were so proud of all of their accomplishments throughout the season!  Tanner had a great personal season and ended the year with 18 carries for 61 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 extra point conversions, 41 tackles, and 2 interceptions. Not bad for a little guy!  So proud of you Tuff!

Slacker

Once again I have failed to keep this blog up to date.  I 'm not sure what its gonna take for me to be more consistent in my postings.  I just know that when I do come back and look at my old posts I love the fact that I have documented events, emotions, pictures, and stories.  Someday it won't just be me that enjoys these stories but hopefully my own kid, and someday their kids too.  Maybe that should be enough motivation to get going!

Life has been BUSY as usual!  Summer is long over and we are in the full swing of school.  Football, dance, homework, basketball, arts and crafts, and family and friends are just a few of the things that keep us ticking.  It's been amazing watching out little family grow... I never thought the day would come when my life was fully engulfed in my own children. They have always been the center of our world since we were blessed with them, but I find the older the get they more they are doing and the more EVERYTHING revolves around them and their schedules! Running them from here to there, helping them do homework, entertaining them and their friends and just trying to soak it all in.  I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Cross one off!

Today I completed my first half marathon. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever set out to do, but I'm so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and did it. The race showed me that I can do hard things even when it would be easier to give up. I am glad I could be an example to my kids... Show them that hard work pays off, you can do what you want in life, dream big and go for it. One more adventure off the bucket list... Plenty other things to still accomplish!

Once Again

Once again I have failed to keep up on my blog. Someday I will. Until then, hit or miss will have to work! It's already the middle of May and school will be out in three short weeks.  I am so excited to be home for the summer and get to enjoy my time with the kids.  I know it will be extremely busy and go by fast and I am really hoping that I can soke up every minute of our time together. 

Since I have to recap the last four months in this post, I think the best way to do it is through some pictures!

We spent several days throughout the winter snowboarding and skiing at Powderhorn!

My bestie turned 30! So happy that she will always be older than me ;) It was a great night of friends, drinks, laughing, dancing and spending some quality time together!

Baby Bryn Ashley

Jackson 2012

Our little cheerleader! Peyton absolutely loved her first season of cheer as an Express Chick.  She always had so much enthusiasm and personality when performing.  I am sure this is just the beginning!

We had the opportunity to go to Schweitzer Moutain, ID April 12th to watch Cole's final race.  It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  High atop the mountain we could look down over the reservoir.  Amazing and Cole did great too!  An awesome weekend!

Up, Up and Away

Helicopter, helicopter over my head I spy a color and the color is red.
Ever dreamed of flying in a helicopter, I know Tanner has. He loves airplanes and always thought flying in a helicopter would be cool. We started the new year off making that dream come true. We got the opportunity to fly in the Gateway Canyon Air Tours helicopter over Grand Junction. Tanner, Sam, Jenn, Papa Frank and myself were able to fly from the Grand Junction Aiport out west over canyons of Western Colorado. The helicopter was top notch, you felt as though you were riding in a car. Being able to see this area from above was so great. I see it everday on land but getting a birds eye view allowed you to see how vast the area really is.