Time with My Dad

My Dad called last week and wanted to know if he could come on down to polish Cody's headlights :) We were so excited for him to come!!!

He came down on Thursday, and we played, had taco salad, and watched movies (they ate ice cream, I had granola)

Friday we dropped Hailey off at school, I did a quick tour of the Prescott/Prescott Valley Area, my dad polished Cody's headlights (they look NEW!), he also took the two oldest swimming and in the hot tub that we have here at the apartments. we had Rib Eye Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and veggies for dinner, and then my dad took me to go see "The Three Stooges". We expected more, but there were some funny parts.

Saturday we went to Sedona and my Dad and Cody went trying to find some rattlesnakes... no such luck. Then we drove up the canyon a little, came home, took naps, and had Papa Murphy's BBQ Chicken Pizza for dinner.

Sunday my Dad had to leave :(

I will just be quick to mention that my dad, Brielle, Xander, and I came down with 24 hr. stomach virus... not fun... on Sunday. The kids and I were after church, and my dad was early in the morning... other than that, we had LOTS of fun!

Lost Tooth

Tonight Hailey was telling us how wiggly one of her top teeth were... she kept working at it in her room and then went to the bathroom to work on it some more (this was after bedtime). Then she came out and exclaimed that she had lost her tooth! She was SO excited, and so excited that her Grandpa Whitehead was there to see it. She put it in a ziplock bag and wrote a note to the tooth fairy, and then went right to sleep, awaiting the surprise that the tooth fairy would leave under her pillow.

Spirit Week

Hailey's school had spirit week this week... two days I didn't get pictures, but the other three I did. She always looked adorable :)

Today, her Grandpa Whitehead was here to help with "Crazy Hair Day" (we put a wire in it)... it was lots of fun!

Grades Posted

Today my grades were posted for the two classes I took Spring B Term at ASU

WST 313 - 94.01

COM 312 - 93.5

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a wonderful husband who was so supportive during these past 7 weeks, and for my children who understood when mommy had homework to do, or exams to study for. I know that I couldn't have received the A's without help and guidance from Heavenly Father, and I know that He will continue to help me achieve good grades (of course I have to put forth effort in the process) and I know that I will be able to accomplish my goal of obtaining my bachelors degree... if I continue on the track I am (2 classes for seven weeks/4 per semester), I will be graduating in May of 2013!

Growing up...

Today I took Xander in for his Kindergarten screening at Liberty Traditional (K-8). I was so proud of him and how well he did. Of course I wasn't allowed in during the process, but she came out and said he is ready. She just wants him to work on cutting with scissors, and spelling his name with lower case letters (he loves mixing them up). While I was waiting, I just kept thinking of how fast time has flown by, and I even got an extra year with him, since he missed the cut off by 10 days. He is such a good boy. He is full of personality, and is very curious,...we love him so much! I can't believe he is going to be going to kindergarten soon!

And a BIG thank you to my friend Jenny Doyle for watching my two littlest so I could go with Xander.

12:30am

I am quite jumpy right now... early this morning Weston started crying, so Cody got him a new bottle, and we decided we were going to go lay on the couches till he went back asleep. I went walking around the playpen he was sleeping in (in the dark) and felt something weird crawl on my foot that was not normal... why would anything be normal on my foot besides a sock or shoe or Cody's hand? I kicked my foot but it stayed on (kinda like a suction cup)! So I rubbed my foot quickly on the carpet and kicked it towards the hallway... that's when I saw a 5-6 inch creature scurry away... EWWW!!! I did an "AH!" sound, Cody came running and asked what was wrong... I pointed and said, "that!" he thought I said "bat" as he ran to get something, and confused until I reaffirmed pointing to the creature that I said, "that!" he squished the creature, which looked like a giant centipede... even though it refused to die for quite a few squishings... yeah, I was freaked out, and now am jumping at every little thing. One of my hairs on the bed that was attached to the blanket and swiped against my leg, and my mighty imagination. This morning I looked it up on google. It's called a banded desert centipede... since I didn't have the audacity to take a picture at 12:30 in the morning, here is one I found online.

EWWW!

I was still pretty freaked afterwards, so Cody just talked and talked about other things trying to get me not to think about it... but at the end, I still did.... "What if it is poisonous?" "It could have gotten into Weston's play pen!" "How did it get in here?!?"

EWWW!!!

Cody assured me he'll get the bug guy to come and spray... guess warmer weather brings out the crawly creatures! I have just never seen a centipede so big before, let alone had one crawling on my foot!

Potty Trained!

So few accidents, only one super mess (thank goodness Cody was here and discovered/cleaned it), still waking up dry, goes to the bathroom on her own, needs little help, wants NO help, and picked out "My Little Pony" panties today at the store... YAY BRIELLE!

*funny fyi*

this is the first child I've potty trained :)

my mom trained both Hailey and Xander

Thank You Mom!

9 months

6 days ago our littlest one turned 9 months old! (the picture was taken last night) He is so special to our family, we love him SO much! As you can see, he is pulling himself to standing, and getting into everything! We have to make sure there is nothing small enough for him to put in his mouth when he is crawling around because he will. That requires me vaccumming every day. The kids are so good to him. Yesterday when we went for a drive to get some fresh mountain air, Weston was crying for a bit, so Xander sang him a song about brothers - Weston stopped crying and smiled... it was priceless. Brielle always asks to hold him, and will, with my help, until he is too "Heavy" and she gives him back. Hailey is the biggest helper. She will get him out of his playpen, make him bottles, feed him babyfood, and even change his diaper! Weston is hilarious when he sees Cody. He goes NUTS! Like a puppy who sees a treat. He jumps and crawls and stands on the couch trying to get to him. Weston is such a good baby... we are SO blessed!

New Ancestry Discovery

We were going through Cody's line, because he was curious where the Johnson side came from... we found out he is Scottish... the first born in America was Col. Robert Johnston... we found a story posted about him and his life... pretty cool, he was at the Constitutional Convention as a Representative of Newbury.

Here's a picture of his grave

Here's the story...

 Colonel Robert Johnston "built the first two story house in town in which he kept tavern. This building, which is now a barn at the south end of Newbury village, stood a little above Mr. Laing's house, and was surrounded by a stockade during the Revolutionary War. He is mentioned as keeping tavern in 1769. Later, (a family tradition says in 1775), he built the house, now very much altered, where Robert J. Hibbard now lives. The first spirits sold at his bar were brought up from Concord in square kegs on horseback, says Rev. Clark Perry. Besides his service with his brother (Colonel Charles Johnston) in the Old French war, he served twenty days in Capt. Thomas Johnson's Co. of minute men in 1775. He also served as minute man in Peter Olcot's Regiment in 1776; Capt. Thomas Johnson's Co., guarding and scouting, 57 days. In Oct. 1778, he was commissioned Lieut.-Col. of the 4th Regiment, and is later spoken of as Colonel. He was also recruiting officer, and his house was the rendezvous several times for troops. Col. Frye Bayley's diary for 1776 states that the training field was behind Col. Johnston's house and from that place the company under Col. Bayley started for Saratoga. He was chosen constable in 1769, and was one of the representatives from Newbury to the Constitutional Convention at Windsor, June 4, 1777. He seems to have declined to serve as Assistant Judge for Orange County in 1781, being elected Sheriff of the County. In 1787, he was chosen one of a committee of five to build the meeting house. In 1788, he was one of a committee to build a parsonage. Some years before his death he relinquished his fine farm to his sons, Charles and Robert, and removed to the farm long owned by the late John E. Chamberlain. Col. Robert Johnston was one of those who opposed the course taken by Rev. Peter Powers in the last year of his ministry, and when the Rev. Grant Powers prepared his historical sketches he avenged his uncle by entirely neglecting him, with others. Col. Robert Johnston was four times married; 1st to Abigail Hadlock (Hadley), who died May 25, 1771; 2d, Abigail Way, who died July 25, 1772; 3d, Jane (Jean) Bell, died in 1780; 4th, Hepzibah (Tyler), widow of James Bell; born Dec. 5, 1754 at Pembroke, N.H.; died July 8, 1846. He had sixteen children, six by the first, one by the second, two by the thrid, and seven by the fourth."

Cody's ancestry line goes through the second wife, Abigail Way, who only had his ancestor - Col. Cyrus Johnston.

Katniss Everdeen

I get told A LOT that I look like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games... played by Jennifer Lawrence. I've been called by friends in Florida, told by plenty of my ward members (I was even stopped in the parking lot on Sunday), different babysitters, people at the store, people in Mesa, people in Utah,... just everywhere... I guess I can see some resemblances... we could definitely be sisters :) It was a great movie, and a great book series... now I'll just have to become awesome at a bow and arrow ;) too bad she didn't use a gun; anyone who really knows me knows I'm a great shot. Just ask my husband... and he was a sharpshooter in the Marines!

Old People are so Funny

So I'm getting gas at Costco today and the old man behind me puts his gas nozzle in his car and then gets back in with his wife. I'm still outside... a little windy, but nice outside. He quickly gets back out, points to my license plate, gives thumbs up and says, "Forever Family!" and then gets back in his minivan...

Then I go into Costco... gotta love buying bulk... I need it with my family :) Especially laundry detergent, dish soap, food... the list is endless!

I check out, and have Xander hand the receipt to the lady at the exit... as she's checking everything off, a group of old people come up next to me and say, "Wow, you've got a lot of kids"... my response, "Yeah, I have another one in first grade!"... then an old lady started joking, "So, whens the next one due?" and an old man says, "We all know what you do". Haha! We all started laughing, said goodbye, and I took the three kiddos I had with me and headed towards the Suburban - which I LOVE the room by the way, I don't have to worry if it will all fit!

No More Diapers!

Brielle decided she was done with diapers, and refused to put one on... "Panties!" she'll exclaim... so here we go on our potty training adventure... which we've started several times, but obviously it didn't turn out well... but it has been a good start, she woke up dry, and only had one incident today, all the rest of the times she'll go in the potty! YAY for my big girl, or as she says, "Princess"... so, yay for my princess!

Easter

Today's Easter was fun and interesting...

Xander woke up on his own, and found the Easter baskets... I woke up the girls so they could enjoy a piece of candy and their stuffed animals before we had to get ready for church.

Getting the kids ready for 8am church is CRAZY! Since Cody and I were out on a date last night, I wasn't able to do the girls hair in curlers like I normally like to do; oh well!

We walked in during the opening hymn and I realized that the deaf couple in our ward was interpreter-less... So I put a chair up in front of them, and interpreted it myself... I am not that good, but I did my best. It was so hard when people were talking super fast, but I definitely had help from Heavenly Father. Then I headed to nursery where I tended to 10 children plus Weston (since Cody was teaching), and since I don't have another worker in there with me, Felicia Lau was gracious to take the first hour, and Cody came in during the second hour. After nursery was over, I told Cody to go ahead and put the kiddos in the car so that way I could finish tidying up the nursery. I emptied the water pitcher and on my way back I noticed an old woman standing and clutching to the wall crying. Other people were in the hallway, but no one seemed to notice. I went up and asked her if she was alright... she said, "No, my legs are shaking..." and before she could say another word, I threw down the pitcher and put her arm around my shoulders. She told me she just needed to make it to the kitchen and I immediately kicked the pitcher out of the way... (it was just 2 doors down). On the way over she said, "I just don't want to fall and get hurt again." I responded, "Put more weight on me, I promise you I will not let you fall." A woman opened the door for me, and the stake president got her basket out of the way so I could put her in her chair. After fixing her caught skirt and putting her feet on her mobile chair, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "It's okay to think of yourself first. Stop worrying about everyone else." She thanked me, and then I went back to finish up the nursery. All alone in the room, I heard a distinct voice in my head... "You will be blessed" is what I heard, repeated three times. The spirit was so strong in that moment, I started tearing up. I felt good.

A few hours later we went over to a friend's house for some yummy Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt. It was lots of fun watching the kids hunt for the eggs. I just wish Brielle would have taken a nap. She and Logan (same age) kept getting at it over his toy car. We knew the kids were tired afterwards, so we went on a little exploration trip around the south side of Granite Mountain only to discover a new lake we didn't know existed! (Brielle and Weston were out cold after 5 minutes of driving).

It was a Great Easter. We're so grateful for the knowledge we have of our Savior, and we are so indebted to Him for His Atoning Sacrifice, and we are so thankful for the Resurrection, we know He Lives, and we look forward to His Second Coming.

Cody is 33!

Today my love turned 33 years old!!! This morning the kids had him open up the gifts they bought themselves... Cody already received his gift from me... his truck and new tires :)

Cody decided he wanted to go on a hike today for his birthday up in Sedona. So we went and let the kids go to the 2 story Burger King for lunch, picked up some ice cream cupcakes from Coldstone (which we got half off because they weren't on display!) - (Belgian Chocolate cup with devils food cake and chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles), and headed out a few miles past Slide Rock to go for our hike... it was beautiful!

Gotta Love the family pic taken with a timer :)

This picture was just HILARIOUS!!!

The scenery was FANTASTIC! We will definitely be going there again to explore more!

Then we headed home real quick so Cody and I could go on a date...

I picked up the Wimber Girls (they are AWESOME!) and Cody and I headed to Chili's for dinner, and then walked over to the movie theatre to watch "Wrath of the Titans". Then we headed over to Walgreens to do some shopping for tomorrow, and then headed home. Oh, Weston never fell asleep, he just wanted to party!