La Familia

The Beach

2011-03-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

We all LOVE being at the beach. Well, all of us except Ava. She was mad that the sand was getting her shoes dirty. Oh, please!

We ate dinner on the beach, along with the ducks (seagulls).

The boys loved being chased by the waves.

Ava was not impressed. She sat on a towel the whole time.

Maybe next year.

Sea World

2011-03-30T10:02:00.001-07:00

As crazy as a vacation with 3 little kids is, we still had a great time. Sea World was a hit with all of the kiddos. The weather was nice, the crowds were low and mom and dad were happy. The day brought many firsts:

Ava's first amusement park ride (she loved it!)

The boys first encounter with a polar bear (as Carter would say, "Sarkey")

3 cuties on an Arctic Exploration

Carter picked up a Sea Star (and tried to bring it home)

...and Bennett willingly rode a ride that went up in the air.

Tricky Leprechaun

2011-03-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patricks Day!

On our way to San Diego, we stayed the night in Primm Valley. It was the night before St. Patricks day and our first time building a leprechaun trap away from home. The boys propped the bucket up with some stacking circles and then weighted the bucket down with the sculpture on top. Ava made her brothers mad by continuously knocking it over.

Santa Claus Has Come to Town

2010-12-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

Charlesworth Cousins 2010

???

2010-10-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Which one do you think Ava's going to be for Halloween? I can't wait. I love Halloween!

Fall Soccer

2010-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is probably the one oand only time that Bennett, Beckam, and Carter will be able to play on the same team. I had to lie a little about birthdays to do it. But it was worth it, because they are so cute playing together. Beckam and Bennett are the stars of the team and although the bicker like brothers most of the time, they are great teammates and work together to get the ball in the goal.

Here is the only action picture I have of all three of them. Carter is the littl short guy in between the two blue team players.

Bennett is awesome at stealing the ball and getting it all the way across the field and into the goal. It is his "super fast speed" that makes him such a good soccer player.

Most of the time this is how you will find Carter. Laying on the ground pretending to be sad, waiting for the coach to come and pick him up. All the other parents look at me like I should run to his aid, but little do they know the acting skills this little three year old has. He beams with pride when the coach come, picks him up and encourages him to run fast and get the ball.

Party Time

2010-10-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ava loves her Grandma Christy

Little Princess Aiya taking a dainty swing at the girls pinata.

Ava just wanted to pull the streamers off

And it wouldn't be a Waddell party if someone didn't put the remnants of the pinata on their head

1, 2, 3, Happy Birthday to Me

2010-10-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun year for September birthdays. With in 10 days we had three birthdays. Ava turned 1 on the 7th, Aiya turned 2 on the 15th, and Carter turned 3 on the 16th. So we had a huge 1, 2, 3, party all together. Jana made these great "humungous" (as Carter would say) cup cakes. Ava could not wait to dig into hers. I had to hold her back while everyone sang happy birthday.

I decided this would be a great time to learn to sew and made these cute pillow dresses for Ava and Aiya.

Carter showed great patience while everyone sang happy birthday, but wasted no time digging in to his very own cupcake...

...and Ava wasted no time climbing on top of hers.

Carter's 3rd Birthday

2010-10-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is my big three year old. I can't believe that he is so old. He was my little butterball, with the most kissable cheeks. While his cheeks are still very kissable, he has lost that baby chub and is looking more and more like a big boy everyday. He is the funniest kid with a very quirky personality. His favorite movie right now is Animaniacs, or as Carter says, "Anibabiacs". If you remember the cartoon from the 90's, his favorite character is Wakko. Wakko is Carter all the way. He still has his own little weird vocabulary. He says Cank Cou for thank you, sarcky for scary and car force for star wars. He calls Zurge from Toy Story, Gage. Carter has a very different way of thinking. While he is quite the character, he is just as much a sweet heart. He has the best manners out of all my kids. He is always good for a cuddle. He is very good at pretending to be sad, and will break your heart with his puppy dog eyes. Carter is the definition of fun and is always ready for a party, especially if the party has treats!

Ava's 1st Birthday

2010-09-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Pink pancakes for the birthday girl.

A cute new dress.

Dinner with the family.

And shoes!

Labor Day

2010-09-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

The day before Ava's first birthday we went boating with my parents. It's hard to believe that on this day one year ago, she was still in my tummy.

The boys on grandpa's water couch, which to my surprise, Bennett loved and Carter hated.

The girls

The End

Milk and Cookies

2010-09-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Beckam and Carter were so excited to pick Bennett up from his first day of school. Most of all they really wanted to play on the playground. Look at this big boy walking his friends across the street.

When Bennett got home we had milk and cookies to celebrate the big day. He told me all about his day and that he made 2 friends, Elliot and Cooper. Elliot and Bennett have turned into best friends and can't wait to see each other at school everyday. Elliot is usually waiting for Bennett and recognizes my car when I pull up. I am so glad he has made such a good friend.

Bennett's 1st Day

2010-09-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Highland Park Elementary

Kindergartener

It's official. Bennett is now a kindergartener. I can't believe he is this big and that he is so independant. I was so proud of him on his first day. He didn't know any other kids in his class, but yet he was so excited to meet them and make friends.

He happily said goodbye to Carter, Ava, and me and then walked right into class without looking back. I cried as I left him there. Tears of sadness that my baby is entering into the big phase of school, but also tears of pride at how well adjusted and brave he was. There were many worrisome days over the summer where he was terrified of the idea of going to school. It was good to see a complete turn around.

After he walked in the door, I peaked through the window just as he was hanging up his backpack he looked up and I caught this picture of him. Oh, he is so cute. This is when the tears started and even writing about it brings the tears back. I am just so proud of him. I love you, my little kindergartener!

Carter's 1st Day

2010-09-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

My little boy on his 1st day of school.

He was so excited I had a hard time getting him to stop for a pictures.

AFter he ran into the classroom, he got a little overwhelmed and backed himself into a cubby and sat down. It only lasted a few minutes. One of the cute teachers showed him some trains that he could play with, and that was that. He didn't even notice when I walked out.

3 & 1

2010-09-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

We had an early mock birthday for Carter and Ava, since Scott was supposed to be gone. The next day we found out Scott was not going on the deployment. Yay! We got to keep dad around and celebrate early. Win, win for all.

Carter was so cute with his cake. He kept saying to me, "I love it, thank you mommy." He melts my heart.

Ava was in heaven!

My Cute...

2010-09-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

My cute boys, love The Pie.

My cute Ava, has 2 cute teeth.

My cute kids have taken over all the bar stools.

My cute Carter, loves stickers.

Barkyard Adventures

2010-09-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

I am so glad we focused on the backyard in the spring. It made for some great summer memories. We harvested some of the largest zucchinis and squash I have ever seen. I the tomatoes were to die for. I can't wait to expand our garden next year.

Tin foil dinners were a hit in our little fire pit.

A happy little boy drives around in circles whenever he gets the chance.

Computer Nerds

2010-09-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

My boys could sit for hours on the computer and on the ipad. I took a picture of my little nerds and when Grandma Christy saw it, she wanted a copy to hang in her office. This is what she wanted it to say. So if you are naughty and have to go to the principles office, you can look at my cute little computer nerds. Doesn't sound so bad to me.

Payson Lakes Camp Out

2010-09-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

We went camping with 3 of our favorite families to hang out with. Except for getting POURED on, we had a great time.

Loren and Bennett

Ava

(she loved the lake)

Billy, Cham, Loren and Ava

Friends hangin out in the tent, waiting for the rain to stop.

This is what I saw of Bennett and Carter the whole time.

They were always on the go.

A fun group of kids

Payson Lakes Rocks!

Days of 47 Parade

2010-09-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

I LOVE a good parade and you can't go wrong with this one. I have such good memories of going to the parade with my grandma when I was a little girl. I can still remember her kind of bouncing up and down and clapping her hands as the marching bands went by, wearing her big black sunglasses and always in a patriotic shirt. I love that my grandma taught me to be patriotic and to love and respect the American flag for all that it symbolizes. Now when I go to the parade and the flag goes by with a marching band closely following, I fill so proud that I am an American and the grand daughter of Eva Joy Johnson. Thank you grandma, for starting such a great tradition. I hope I can continue to pass it on.

Cast Off

2010-09-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Carter got his Cast of in the end of July. I still can't believe what a trooper he was about the whole thing. The techs just told him to stand there and he did.

I was more affraid of the saw then Carter was. I was surprised that the blade doesn't actually spin around. It vibrates and then she would kind of wiggle it and it cut right through.

Buzz Lightyears wing is as good as new. If you ask him which arm was broken, he can't remember.

Pictures by Carter

2010-09-08T09:33:00.001-07:00

I guess Carter got a hold of my camera. He does this every so often, and I think it's funny what he takes pictures of.

These are his Kung Zuu Pets.

Church Fork

2010-08-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Breakfast up the canyon. Another one of Grandma Joys traditions.

Days of 47 Float Preview

2010-08-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

I think I take more pictures in the month of July than the whole rest of the year. I LOVE July! I love our traditions for both the 4th and the 24th. It's a month full of memories of my Grandma Joy and the patriotism she taught me to have for this beautiful country we live in.

Every year we love to go to the float preview and see the floats up close, before they hit the streets. We vote for our favorite ones and then watch during the parade to see what awards each of our favorites won. It is interesting to see that each kid picks something different and at the parade they remember whose float is whose. One of the favorites this year was this one with hundreds of glittered crickets. They were mesmerizing.

They love to get their faces painted. The boys usually all pick the same thing, but Bennett branched out this year and to my disgust he picked a snack. Sorry, Ava. Maybe next year you can have a beautiful butterfly.

Ahhh! Don't eat me! This float won the Childrens Choice award. It was from How to Train your Dragon. I think our kids might have helped this one win.

Paul McCartney

2010-08-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I almost didn't go to this concert. Hands down the best show I have ever been to and now I can say I saw one of The Beatles in concert. I went with my mom, dad and sister, Jana. I would have died of embarassment to have been seen with my parents at a concert when I was younger. This time around I think my parents were the ones that were embarassed. Jana and I sang our hearts out and danced and screamed the whole time. My dad kept rolling his eyes and putting his head down. Ha ha dad, we're cool. I promise.

Jana is such a ball baby! When Paul came out on stage, she started crying.

The Party

2010-08-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ava got ready for the party by putting on a little Christmas and a little Halloween. The boys were so excited to wear their Halloween shirts. I felt bad putting them in them because it was so hot, but they didn't care.

When each friend arrived the received a bag. In the bag was either and red and white lei for team Christmas or an

orange and black lei for team Halloween. They then decorated their trick or treat bags.

We played hula hoop ring toss and tried to catch Jack Skellington.

Nightmare Before 5th Birthday

2010-08-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

This year Bennett wanted a nightmare before christmas birthday. He told me that he wanted this because then he could have a little Halloween, a little Christmas and a little Birthday all in one. When your birthday is in June, it's kind of a hard one to pull off. This is what we did.

We started by pulling out a little of our Christmas and Halloween decorations.

A Christmas tradition of our is to play pass the present on Christmas eve. So we got presents and wrapped them in Christmas wrap for a game of Pass the Present.

I found a soccer ball pinata and turned it in to Jack Skellington.

We had a graveyard of Jack Skellington balloons. We used hula hoops and played a ring toss game.

Tea Party

2010-08-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was never one of those girlie girls who was into tea parties and playing dolls. However, as an adult, I now fill like maybe I missed out. We had a tea party for Jerica's bridal shower with hats and everthing, and it was so fun. Jana the genius, found a pattern for making hats out of paper and everyone made their own and then decorated them. I love seeing how the same pattern turned into so many different styles. It was fun getting to spend time with girls and playing pretend.

2008

2010-08-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Bennett (3), Beckam (1) and Carter (10 months)

2009

2010-08-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Bennett (4), Beckam (2), Carter (1)
and Aiya (10 months)

2010

2010-08-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie (6), Beckam (3), Bennett (5), Carter (2),

Aiya (1) and Ava (10 months)

Sugarhouse Fireworks

2010-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am so glade that this part of our 4th of July traditions still happened this year.
I LOVE going to Sugarhouse Park and watching the fireworks. It is crazy busy, but so much fun.

This might surprise some of you, but Carter is a really good cuddler.
He often will say to me, "I cuddle you, mom".

Cute Aiya

Ava woke up half way through the show and even though she wasn't sure about the fireworks, she didn't cry.

4th of July

2010-08-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

We started out the day at Nana's ward breakfast with an all kids bike parade.
The kids were fascinated with the fire engine that came.

This is my newest favorite tradition for this holliday.

Scooter mowed a maze in the lawn that ended in the middle of the star.
He also mowed a maze in the front yard.

We had timed races and tons of fun with this genius idea.
(BTW it was my idea)

An old tradition is to take a picture of the kids on the playland.
The tradition started with just Bennett, Beckam and Carter.
We now have Mackenzie, Beckam, Bennett, Carter, Aiya and Ava.

Jerica's Wedding

2010-08-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

I really think I have the cutest kids in the world.

Okay Beck, your pretty cute too.

2010-08-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

My cute kids at my sisters wedding.

Carter

Ava

Bennett

Cowabunga Baby

2010-07-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Cowabunga Bay is the perfect water park for little kids. We had a great time with Aunt Jackel, Jana and Kents family and Grandpa Jay. Bennett and Beckam were tall enough for all of the slides (but Bennett chose to stay on the little ones) and the lazy river and pool were only 3 feet deep. Beckam the Brave went on the pink colored slide that you can see in the top right corner. Grandpa was a little disappointed in the slowness of the slides, but for the kids they were great. Ava even went down one of the slides on my lap.

Water Proof Casts?

2010-07-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

The greatest invention ever is the water proof cast (at least for this little boy and his mama). FYI: Primary Childrens does not advertise water proof casts because of the extra cost. You have to ask for it. In my opinion, it was well worth the $40 that insurance doesn't cover. He was able to play in the sprinklers, bath, and he even went to Cowabunga Bay water park. It made having a cast a piece of cake!

Hair Do's and Don'ts

2010-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ava has the cutest piggy tails. She was so good while I combed her hair.
Have I mentioned that I am loving having a girl?

...and the day after.
I think she looks like Wolverive.
Scott thinks she looks like a wild animal.

It Finally Happened

2010-06-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

My little Buzz Lightyear broke his wing.

Carter was playing catch in the backyard with his cousins and was landed on by his cousin, Beckam.
His elbow bent the wrong direction and fractured the humurous bone right above the elbow.
He was so sad. He was such a good sport at the hospital. He was laughing and joking. He wanted to push every button he saw. He kept saying, "I push a button, I push a bottn".

He is in a splint now and we go back next Wednesday for a hard cast, which I can't wait for. The first day in the splint he took the bandage off everytime I turned around. He still thinks he is Buzz Lightyear and tries to jump off of everything.

Soccer 2010

2010-06-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's official! Soccer season has begun.

This year Bennett and Beckam are playing in the same league. Their uniforms are almost identical except Bennett's socks are red and Beckams are blue. They were so cute at their first clinic. They were disappointed they were not on the same team and kept wondering over to each other.

Go White Tigers!

Ava's Firsts

2010-06-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ava's first bath with her brothers.

Ava's first ride in a shopping cart.

What a big girl!

Human Building Blocks

2010-06-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

I love when our kids creatively come up with a new activity.
While Jana and I were visiting, the boys were creating a human tower.

We were laughing so hard when we saw what they were doing.

Everyone had to have a turn on the bottom.
They are such fun kids. We love having cousins so close.

Hiking in Utah

2010-06-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

We are reminded how much we love living in Utah when hiking season begins.
Ava got a new hiking backpack and as you can tell, she loves it.

I don't think Carter's feet even touched the ground. The kid doesn't know how to walk. I am always so worried that he is going to crash, but when he does he just gets up and keeps going.

The hike back to the car was a leasurely stroll for the boys. They were beat.

Jack Pot

2010-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

After dinner at Pirate Island we stayed and let Bennett and Carter play a few games. Whenever we go to places like this I never let the boys turn in the tickets. I just hate the junk and the indecision. They have always just thought having tickets was cool. Well, Bennett put his 2 tokens into this game first and kachow! Jack pot! He won 504 tickets. It was so crazy. The machine just kept spewing out tickets. It took what seemed like 10 minutes for all of the tickets to come out.

Bennett and his dad then had to feed all of the tickets into the ticket counter.
They then got a receipt which they cold take to the prize store.

Bennett picked these boomerangs. They were 250 points each and he got one for him and one for his brother.
He is such a thoughtful kid. Even on his birthday he gets something for both of them. I am so proud of the person he is becoming. I still can't believe he will be 5 next week. Even thought I hate that he is getting older, I love seeing the sweet, caring little, I mean big, boy he is turning into.

I think he would agree that this was a perfect start to many days of celebrating.

Surprise!

2010-06-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Bennett's birthday a little early with Scott's family since Christy will be in Turkey helping Jeff and Rachel with their new baby. We went to Pirate Island and "spurprised" Bennett with a little party. What do you think? Does he look surprised?

He loved the new Teva's, Toy Story 3 tag reader book and games from grandma Christy. His mouth dropped open from the 5 one dollar bills from Gr. Grandma. But the backpack from Aunt Stephie and Uncle Jake was the winner. He made me take his picture with it on.

And then he turned around and said, "take a picture of the back and send it to Aunt Jackel."

Bennett has been so nervous about the idea of going to kindergarten. To the point where we don't even talk about it anymore, he gets so upset. This backpack has changed his mind a little. He still is unsure about kindergarten, but is "super excited" to have a cool backpack for school. Thank you Steph and Jake. You guys are the best.

Luke and LInda's Farm

2010-06-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Most of Scott's family was able to meet at Luke and Linda's farm for the afternoon.

Carter loves the chicken coop. I think if we had one he would want to live in it.
Linda helped him gather the eggs and when I saw that she let him carry them to the house I feared for the eggs. But, amazingly he very carefully walked them into the house. They all made it whole and safe. He was so cute with them.

The reason we all met in Paradise was to visit with Scott's Uncle Brien and his daughter-in-law Mary and grandson Carson. We had not met Mary and Carson before and it was so fun getting to know them. Bennett and Carter loved having another kid to play with.

Waddell Park Part II

2010-06-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Carter wanted to help. He is so cute!

My dad came and helped us put a walk way in on the side of our house.

We used sand to level the cement blocks and Carter kept coming over with sand toys and tried to play in it, even though they have a much bigger sandbox. He wanted to be in the middle of things.

This is the result of a years worth of talking and a days worth of working.
My dad is the hardest working person I know. He wouldn't stop until it was done.

Circus Day

2010-06-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Bennett's last day of preschool the had a circus. His class was the gorillas. He was so cute! Of course I cried because he is so big and I am not ready for a kindergartener.

Later that night he sat in the toy drum and got stuck. He was not happy that I waited to save him until after I took a picture. But, I had to. It was too funny.

Waddell Park

2010-06-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

We have been working really hard on the back yard this year. Since we moved into our home, 8 year ago, our focus has been the inside. Well now that that is almost done, we decided it was time to revamp the backyard and give the boys a better place to play.

It is amazing to see the transformation.

The boys love going to "the big store" (Home Depot) and helping dad.

Ouch!

2010-06-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

At breakfast one morning, Ava reached over and grabbed Carter's face. In return, Carter did the same thing to Ava but somehow managed to poke her in the eye. She was so sad all morning. We took her to the InstaCare, fearing that she was going to be blind.

The used a special dye and a black light to see where and how bad the damage was. You can see in the picture the scratch went from the top, all the way to the bottom right across her line of vision.

Diagnosis: Corneal Abrasion
The good thing is that eyes healing quickly. We had to keep an antibiotic ointment in her eye throughout the day and by the next morning it was good as new. Phew!

As the dye was being washed out by her tears it ran out her nose as well.

I hope they Call me on a Mission...

2010-06-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Bennett was called to the Oslo, Norway mission for a primary activity. They call came in the mail with his very official looking passport. At the activity they met together at the MTC and then took a plan ride to 4 different missions. Bennett went with his dad, who helped present the Norway mission since Sweden and Norway are very similar. I cried a little taking the picture above. He is such a sweet boy and growing up so fast. Before I know it, he will be doing this for real. I'm not even going to think about that yet, but I know one day he will be a great missionary.

Geocaching

2010-06-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Scott planned a geocaching day for the family. It was so fun!

The first one we found was a MIA memorial. After finding the rock, the instructions said to salute it.

The second one we found was a little vial hidden in the bark of a tree. Inside was a scroll and pencil to add your name to the list. Bennett thought this was way cool. Carter thought it was fun to just be able to run around.

All in all, it was a great treasure hunt and something we hope to do more of soon.

Boys that Move

2010-06-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

Bennett loves dance. I never thought I would be signing up a boy for dance class, but I am so glad I did. Bennett is in a creative dance class just for boys. It is the perfect setting to let boys be boys and learn a little about movement at the same time.

They had a spring concert at the end of May. This was a great experience for Bennett. He learned that even though he was scared and nervous, that he can over come those feelings and have fun.

He was so proud of himself when it was all over and can't wait to dance on the big stage again.

And who says you can't give boys flowers...

These are from Nana, Nannette, Jen and crew. He loved them!
Thank you everyone who came to support him.
He is so loved.

Train to Ogden

2010-06-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Boys and trains, need I say more.

Preschool Graduation

2010-06-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

This was a day full of mixed emotions. I am excited for Bennett to go to kindergarten, but we are sad to be done with Children's Discovery. Bennett has had the best preschool experience there. He has loved school and has learned so much.

He has so many friends and is a confident leader in his class.

Bennett with Miss Sandy and his friend Jacob

Bennett with Miss Jennifer

Jaquel+Disneyland=LOVE

2010-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy

Birthday

Happy Birthday Jaquel

2010-05-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you for letting us celebrate your birthday with you a little early.

We hope you had a great day!

How To Train Your Dragon

2010-05-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ava saw her first movie while Aunt Jaquel was here. As you can tell she was amazed.

We had the whole theater to ourselves so it was easy to take pictures of how cute the kids were throughout the movie.

Carter loved the action!

Bennett was a little bit scared.

Randomness

2010-04-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Bennett put on his new sunglasses and said, "do you know what cool boys with black sunglasses do?'' Then he slide his glasses down on his nose and looked at me over the top of them. He is so turning into a kindergartener!

Carter is always willing and ready to help with any project where a 'shoble' is needed.

Another swimming day for Ava.

Bennett and Carters Fort

2010-04-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

This was one of the greatest nights for me as a mom. I needed the boys to get out of my hair while I was making dinner. I went in their room and moved Carters bed out from under Bennetts and hung a blanket around his bed and made them a fort. My house was so quiet. After dinner Bennett asked if they could sleep in their fort and promised they would go right to bed. Here are the cutests brothers, asleep at 6:45p.m.

And surprisingly, they slept through the night.

Daddy's Little Nerds

2010-04-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

I don't even think I need to say anything about this, except that Carter knows how to navigate through the ipad, better than me.

Easter

2010-04-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

My boys sleep in the same room, but have different bed times or they would never go to sleep. Carter goes to bed first and Bennett falls asleep on the couch. I later carry Bennett into bed. On Easter Eve, they were so excited about the Easter Bunny they wanted to go to bed fast. I told them that if they Easter Bunny came and saw their eyes were open, he would leave and not hide eggs. I put them in bed and went upstairs. A few minutes later I heard Carter giggling and then Bennett said, "Carter, you are going to ruin Easter for everyone". After that, complete silence. I went down to check on them and they were both sleeping in the same bed with the covers tightly tucked around their heads. Bennett told me the next morning that they hid under the covers so the Easter Bunny couldn't see that their eyes were open.

It is so fun to see girly things in a Easter basket.

Our Easter bunny usually doesn't put candy in our baskets, but this year he gave the boys peeps and a chocolate bunny. The peeps were gone in seconds and I think Scott ate the bunnies.

It was nice to have Scott home this year for Easter. Last year it was just the boys and I, and it was a little lonely. Happy Easter to all!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Another successful Howell Easter Egg Hunt.

Due to threatening weather, it was moved to the church this year. Carter ran in grabbed a few pieces of candy, sat down and started eating. Bennett hung back until the crowds died down (not surprising) and then picked up a few stragglers of candy. He had nice friends who shared what they got with him.

Ava loved the Easter Bunny!

This has been one of Bennetts best friends since they were babies. We don't get to see her as often as we would like. Bennett came up and asked if he could use my camera. He wanted a picture of Ari and then had me take this picture of them. It's hard to believe they will both go to kindergarten this year.

What can I say? You can't go wrong with a bounce house.

Escalante

2010-04-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

We braved the weather and took the boys to Escalante for a little camping trip. It was cold, our air matress had a hole in it, and we woke up to snow. If it weren't for our boys, it would have been the worst camping trip ever. However, the boys thought it was the greatest trip we have ever been on. To see their excitement, made it really fun. As I was trying to sleep on the cold ground with both boys laying on my face, I couldn't help but laugh. They were so excited to sleep in a tent. When it got dark Bennett asked where the light switch was!

We made it through the cold night and cleaned up camp before going for a quick hike.

Bennett is such a leader, and Carter is always happy to follow.

The view of the city from the top of the hike. I love this picture of my three cute boys. It was worth every bit of coldness.

Swim, Wim, Sim

2010-03-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ava went swimming for the first time today. She loved it! She loved splashing with her hands and feet, and loved watching her brother jump around. I have a picture of all three kids in this froggy towel.

She looks so big in this picture. I don't know if she is really this big or if it is the angle, but as a girl I would say it's the angle:) I love the round belly and the rolls on the thighs.

It was fun to be able to do something all together as a family. Bennett is so independant and just swam around on his own. I was surprised to see that he will now walk under all the tipping buckets of water and waterfalls. Carter was scared just enough to stay close to either Scott or I, but still would play and explore. Ava, as usual, was just happy to be there. Carter cried in the dressing room because he wanted to stay. On our way out we saw Grandma Christy working out in the gym and Bennett was so excited to try to get her attention through the window. All three kids fell asleep on the ride home. Once we got in the door, all three kids had to get in the bath and be smothered in Aquaphor. Their skin was burning and bright red from the chlorine. I should have taken a picture before they went to bed. Their cheeks looked like bright red shiny tomatoes!

Lt. Waddell

2010-03-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Scooter is officially an Officer in the United States Air Force. It was so cool to be able to go to his graduation. I am so proud of what he has accomplished. I can't imagine going through the stress and the regime that was recquired for this advancement. He was so relieved to have it over with.

His brother Jeff was able to come all the way from Turkey. Since Jeff is also an Officer in the Air Force, he was able to give the State oath to Scott. Those pictures are on another memory card and will be posted later. It was so fun to see these two brothers together. They are not only accomplished military members, but are also respectable husbands and fathers. They have turned out to be incredible men.

Scott was given the responsibility of being the Guide on Bearer. It was quit an honor to have this responsibility. It also required hours and hours of practice. The parade was really fun to watch and it was nice to have Jeff with me. He explained why they were doing what they were doing and what all the different responsibilities were.

Our Love Day

2010-02-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

The boys were so excited to leave Valentines on our friends door steps and run away. This was the first house we went to. They both went up and put the cards down. Bennett rang the doorbell and then they both came running back. Midway back Carter stopped turned around and went back to the porch, ripped the candy off the card and ran to the car yelling, Got it!
If you look closely in the picture at the door, you can see Carter stealing the candy.

Not many people do Valentines like this anymore. I guess were old school, but it is one of my favorite childhood memories, which makes it even more fun to watch my children enjoy it.

Carter finally figured out how the whole thing worked, left the candy behind, and ran.

After running the neighborhood we took grandma, grandpa and Jerica their Valentines. My boys and the dogs, enjoyed sharing grandpa's popcorn.

My Little Love Joy

2010-02-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Ava is turning into such a baby. No longer a newborn or an infant, a full blown baby. She is playing with her feet, trying to roll over, putting everything in her mouth, and has learned to blow spit bubbles.

Everyone keeps telling me how much she looks like Carter, but this tongue thing is so Bennett.

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

For all the houses we couldn't get to, here's your Valentine from us.

We love you!

Happy Valentines Day

What a Day

2010-02-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy day. First of all, we woke up to snow. I had an appointment at 9:30 a.m. and then I dropped Carter and Ava of at Heather's house while I took Bennett to Speech. We then went back to Heather's for a play date with friends. Once we got there, I was looking forward to relaxing, having the kids play, and socializing with adults. Which did happen, until I noticed the front door open and instantly knew that Carter had gone outside. I ran out looking everywhere and screaming his name. He was no where to be seen. I have never felt such anguish before in my life. My little 2 year old was out of my site and I had no idea where to even start to look for him. Luckily, Heather spotted him running down the field across the street at the school. I don't think I have ever ran so hard in my life, which only encouraged Carter to ran faster away from me. I caught up to him and picked him up and just hugged him. I thought that maybe I would get mad at him, but at that moment I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love, I broke down in tears. Tears of joy, gratitude, and guilt for not protecting my child. Carter just kept saying, "why? mommy, why?". He was gone for less than three minutes, I can't imagine mothers that loose their kids for an hour, a day, a week. My heart still breaks a little everytime I think about him crossing the street by himself. This day could have ended so horribly, but intsead Carter is sleeping peacefully, safe in his bed. What I learned from this is that any day could end horribly, and I need to make the best out of everyday, because in an instant it could change. I also need to get latches put on my doors. Little Carter don't scare me like that again, please!

Squishy Ride

2010-02-10T22:28:00.000-08:00

Since we had a longer than usual ride to our activity today, we decided to all go together. I have never used every seatbelt in my car. Four carseats and a booster make for close quarters. The boys had screaming contests, played batman, stole toys, and hit each other. The girls slept. Whoever says girls are more drama than boys should take a ride with us sometime.

Finally!

2010-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

Finally, Carter stopped and looked at me long enough to get a picture of his face. As you can tell he was not to happy about it and it didn't last long. Oh, but he's cute!

My cute little Bennett slowed down and posed for me in his signature stand.

Legs crossed and leaning.

Ice Castles

2010-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Tunnel through the largest castle

The boys loved "rolling" ice chunks down the sides, into the water.

Ice Castles

2010-02-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Today we journeyed up to Midway to the Zermat Resort to see the ice castles. I am still in shock when I look at the pictures, that we were actually there and walking through this amazing work of art. The kids were so excited to hike in the icicles. Carter and Aiya couldn't keep their mouths of the ice.

This is the first thing we saw as we drove up the rode. At this point the kids were jumping out of their seats with excitement. We could not get their hats and gloves on them fast enough.

Above is the largest castle, right in front of where we parked. There was only one other party there, which was nice not to have to worry about our kids getting away in a crowd and we were able to take our own sweet time.

This is what I saw of Carter the whole time. He would not stop long enough to look at the camera. He was a boy on a mission.

Enchanting Fountain

2010-02-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

Even better than the ice castles, was the enchanted fountain the kids ran to afterward. Who knew dripping water could be so much fun. We had to drag them away after they were soaking wet. Shortly afterward, melt down set in and this was the end of our journey to Midway.

Ava

2010-02-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ava is such an easy going baby. I often blog about the activities we do as a family and where Ava does not often get in the pictures, she is always along for the ride. Whether asleep or silently watching, she enjoys her brothers and cousins and beams from ear to ear when they talk to her. These are pictures of Ava today. She enjoys a good outing as much as the boys.

Squid Dogs

2010-02-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

Another idea I got from Family Fun, is Squid Dogs! Now, I know this sounds disgusting and for the record I did not eat one, but the kids were excited for something different for lunch. We stuck spaghetti into hotdogs and boiled them. Ta Da! Squid Dogs! That's it, nothing fancy.

Bennett was the only one that noticed that the spaghetti inside the hot dog was not cooked. He pulled the hard pieces out and ate the rest. I wasn't sure what dip went best with hot dogs and spaghetti, but the kids thought mustard and ketchup sounded great!

What Am I?

2010-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

After movie night we had leftover pizza, which we ate for lunch the next day. Carter insisted on not breaking character and put his plate on the floor to show us how a dog eats. I don't know if it was the tiredness of being a single parent or because it was kind of cute, but I let him do it. He just beams if you play along with him and it's much easier than having a REAL dog. Good boy, Carter! Good boy!

Footprints

2010-02-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

We have one section in our backyard that doesn't get a lot of sunlight and still has a couple of inches of snow. Bennett was in heaven making tracks like an animal and then having Beck and Carter follow the tracks to find him and catch him. I love 4 year old imagination.

Up Close

2010-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Beckam's

Bennett's

Carter's

Sun Catchers

2010-02-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

We got this idea from the Family Fun magazine (thank you Grandma Zona). We made different colored ice cubes using food coloring. Once they were frozen, the kids picked out which colors they wanted and put them in a round cake pan. We placed a cup of water in the cake pan to leave a hole for the hangning string, and then filled the pan with water and put them in the freezer. This is the end result:

They lasted a little over a day before they melted. The kids were so proud of their creations and they loved watching the colors bleed as they melted. We will definately do this again. Note: The food coloring from the ice cubes does get all over, so be carefull. If your child insists on licking the sun catcher (Carter) the color will come off their face eventually.

Movie Night

2010-02-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had Jana, Beck, and Aiya over for a movie night. We had pizza for dinner and then they each got a bag of popcorn with a prize in the bottom. Beck was so cute when he discovered his prize, he yelled out so loud with excitement. I love that a simple, inexpensive activity brought them so much joy. Bennett asked at the store, "Mom, since this is a special day, can we drink sprite?" You bet, Bennett. Drink up, it's not every day I allow them to drink soda.

Bennett wanted the movie to be like at the movie theatre, so he turned the lights off. As we went downstairs to put the movie on Carter kept saying, movie theatre, movie theatre. They are so cute. Thanks for a fun night friends!

Carter Dictionary

2010-01-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

Carter is such a funny little kid. He has a very unique personality and vocabulary. Here are some of the words and phrases I hear daily and their translations:
Pake-cape (batman or superman)
buckle seat-car seat
bumper skate-skateboard or as Bennett called them skateboard mans
boogers monster-boogey monster, which he thinks comes at night and gives you boogers
poopy gas-fart
darkinthere-it's dark
Aba Joey-Ava Joy
Hunrey-I'm hungry
nakeds-I want a bath
Mote-t.v. remote (when he says this it really means he doesn't like what you are watching)
the end-Amen
Sarkey-Scary

Best Kids Ever!

2010-01-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

I really do have the best kids ever. We definately have our crazy times, but it amazes me every week that I can sit through a whole sacrament meeting by myself with three kids. They are wonderful. Today in sacrament I brought orange slices for a snack. Carter was holding them up to his ear and pretending it was a phone. The row behind us was laughing so hard, which was encouraging him to continue. He is such a funny kid. Bennett is happy with an activity book and Ava loves to sit on my lap and look around. It is probably the most mellow hour of our whole week. I am very blessed.

The Princess and The Pony

2010-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

My boys love superheroes and are constantely battling each other. I get so tired of the rough housing. Today I was trying to get them out of the house and into the car and they were just pushing and shoving each other. I got frustrated and said, "knock it off or you can't be superheroes anymore. Not even for Halloween." Bennett's little tender heart got sad and he said, "then what can we be?" I said the first thing that came to my head, "you can be a pony or a princess, your choice". Long story short, he does not want to be a pony or a princess. So now, all I have to say is, "Bennett you will be such a cute pony", and he stops wrestling with Carter. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

Hocus Pokus

2010-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today Bennett was watching Wizards of Waverly Place while I was trying to get him to help me pick up the toys. He told me, "no mom, I really need to watch this so I can work on my magic". To which I replied, "well then, next time you tell me you're hungry, I'm going to tell you that I can't get you any food because I am working on my magic." Bennett's reply was, "okay mom, I will help you." Then he walked over to where I was cleaning and pointed his magic wand at me and said, "make mom clean up faster!"

I Saw Green

2010-01-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a very small glimpse of what my basement looked like today. It's a good thing he is so cute or I might have thrown him in the garbage. Thank goodness I got most of the marker off everything. The only things still marked are fabric and his face. Any suggestions?

Listen to the Still Small Voice

2010-01-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

Today as we were driving home from school, Bennett was yelling at me about something. I chose to ignore him hoping he would realize that the way he was talking was not appropriate. He stopped yelling and was silent for a minute, then he said, "mom, someone was whispering in my ear. I think it was the Holy Ghost." I asked him what the Holy Ghost was saying and he said that he didn't want to tell me. After a very long time he said, "he told me to stop yelling at my mom."

Permanent Marker

2010-01-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today while I was putting Ava to sleep, Carter tagged a majority of the basement with green magic marker. I was so mad, at first I just screamed. Not at him, but to the universe. It was just so much green, everywhere! Then I might have screamed at him a little. But, carefree little Carter just looked at me and walked away as if nothing was going on. Well, I told him that all the toys that he colored on were ruined and that they were going in the garbage. I thought that would make him feel bad and maybe cry in remorse. No. He didn't care that his brand new Christmas toys were heading to the garbage. Bennett was more concerned about Carters toys saying, "but mom, Carter loves that". Which was sweet of him to show some love towards his brother, until he discovered that Carter colored on his own chair and one of his books. Then, Bennett screamed to the universe, just as I did. He then said to me, "mom, I am so mad at Carter. I don't think we should throw the toys away. We should throw Carter away! No, I didn't mean that, but I am mad." FYI, hand sanitizer wipes permanent marker off of most surfaces with ease.

My Big Girl

2010-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Now that Carter is going to be a big boy and sleep in his bed, Ava decided that she is going to be a big girl and sit up in her Bumbo chair. She loves being able to watch what her brothers are doing. She is a very happy girl.

Aunt Jackel

2010-01-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

Our favorite part about December was that Aunt Jackel and Uncle Jeremy were here. Jaquel hadn't spent Christmas with us for 9 years. We loved having her. Every night when I would ask the boys what their favorite part of the day was, they would say, playing with Aunt Jackel. Now that she is gone, when I ask the same question, Bennett says, I miss Aunt Jackel. I am grateful for the memories she has made for my kids.

Daddy's Little Girl

2010-01-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

Scott is so head over hills for this little girl, and she feels the same way about him. When he talks, she strains her neck to find him in the room. I have to retrain Ava to sleep at night after Scott goes back to work at the beginning of the week because he goes in and picks her up at the slightest of cries and they hang out together. They have a very special bond.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

So, I failed to blog most of what went on in December. I will try to update you with some of what we did. Grandpa Jay was a huge help with the Gingerbread houses. He helped Carter with his house and everytime I looked at Carter he was putting more candy in his mouth and my dad chose to ignore it. I guess that is the fun of being a grandparent. You let your grandkids do everything you wouldn't let your kids do. I was surprised when we woke up the next morning and nobody had vommited.

Bar Graph

2010-01-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures from December. I can't believe they are all sitting still and looking in the same direction long enough for me to snap a picture. They are the cutest kids ever!

My Big Boy

2010-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

My little baby boy is officially a big boy. He is asleep in his own bed tonight for the first time. For the last week he has been climbing out of his crib in the morning when he wakes up. Which I have been okay with because he doesn't get out during the night, just in the morning. Well, the last 2 nights he has been climbing from his crib into Bennett's bed which is the top of a bunk bed, and the two of them play and giggle until I come in and get mad at them. So, tonight I got frustrated and moved Carters crib away from Bennetts bed thinking that would solve the problem. I was wrong. Carter still tried to climbed into Bennetts bed and fell and got hurt. So now the crib is a dangerous playground and will be taken out of the room in the morning. I told Carter he had to be a big boy now and sleep in the toddler bed. It took him a while to fall asleep, but he didn't once get out of bed. I am a little scared for what this new venture could turn into, but it had to happen sometime. As much as I would like to keep Carter locked up at night, I very well couldn't have a 10 year old still sleeping in a crib.

My Super Heroes

2010-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much how we spend our days lately. Carter brings me his Robin costume every morning and says, "Robin mommy, Robin". On Sunday he wanted to wear it to church and I told him he couldn't wear it to church but he could put it on when he got home. Which he immediately did. He wore it 4 days in a row and even slept in it one night. This morning I told him he could not wear it (because it is filthy)and he said, "church?" He has the funniest personality. When he is in character (which is 90% of the day) he is so serious. I think, he really thinks he is Robin or whatever the character of choice is for that momment. It rotates between Robin, Batman, Astroboy (which is who he was when he split his lip open because he really thought he could fly down the stairs) a monkey or a snake. Have I left any out? At any given momment he can change character without any notice and gets irritated that you don't know. He is the most fun kid and makes me laugh all the time.

Blessing Day

2009-12-09T10:12:00.001-08:00

I think those are the cutest kids I have every seen.

Blessing

2009-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we blessed our sweet little Ava. It was wonderful to have so many of our friends and family with us for this special day. What a great occasion to not only officially have her name added to the church records, but more so to celebrate her arrival to our family. I couldn't have imagined how much love Bennett and Carter could have for her from day one. It makes me wonder what goes on in Heaven before these little spirits come to earth. She has definately completed our family and we feel very blessed to have her. And thank you Nana for being able to make the most beautiful dress that is exactly how I imagined it would look.

Say, "Circus!"

2009-12-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Every year we get all the Charlesworth cousins together for a picture with Santa. Many mall shoppers rolled their eyes at us as our boys ran around being various super heros and possibly getting in peoples way. Speaking of rolling eyes, as we walked up to Santa I noticed he was looking up and to the left as if checking on his reindeer. I looked up and saw nothing but a plain white ceiling. I thought maybe he's overwhelmed by the heard of children I'm bringing toward him. As we arranged all the children and were trying to get them all to look at the camera, I again noticed that Santa was not looking at the camera. To my surprise, our sweet, special, Santa was cross eyed. There is nothing like paying $40 for a Santa picture and working hard to get all 7 children under the age of 5 to look at the camera, and have Santa looking elsewhere. However, I am grateful that he has a job and that Santas helpers come in all shapes, sizes, and visual abilities. Thank you Santa for putting up with our circus.

Santa's Visit

2009-12-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

Bennett wanted to show Santa the picture he made of him today at school.

I am still amazed that none of my kids cried or were scared of Santa. They climbed right up on his lap. What a fun night!