Hiking our favorite Past time~

Sometimes in our lives when the Lord take things he loves from us, he replaces pain with blessings...this....my sis.... the biggest blessing I could ever ask for....We grew up fighting and competeing like any other set of sibbling trying to drive parents nuts, but through the tremendous storms of adversity something incredible happened.....we managed to grow together...we fell in love....

We are raising chicks, quail and ducks in the library....

someone asked today

"Do you think they struggle without a momma?"

That question got me thinking about my sister and I...growing up without a momma...

My answer surprised even me....

"oh, they will do fine, they have each other.."

We have a lot in common with the creatures that Heavenly Father created....

We survive difficult things...and we grow together as a result....

I love each day

each new challenge...

every new discovery..

Especially along side my sister

who loves to explore....

This is a beautiful hike out in Cave Creek with lots of critters to discover....Being spring we saw a lot of Crazy  things!!

 Drew will go to the Olympics someday, he is 13 years old and runs college times~

 Audrey loves nature~

 Brenna is the funniest sweetest thing in the world...I love the age of ten~

 Trent thinks the water is just a little to cold~

 Nick and Audrey ~

Maddy has always been Jake's second Momma!

I'm Lovin' Life~

At the ripe ol' age of eight a lot of exciting things happen...

Great to be eight celebration~

Baptism....

And PrEpArAtIon.....

For a mission Begins~

Jake is now old enough to take on the responsibility for his own laundry...

Woot Woot....

"Mom I don't have any clean underwear...

"Well Jake ~why not, didn't you do your laundry."

It only happened once!!!!!!

Grandpa teaches Jake about tire pressure and man stuff.....

These things will all come in handy, in a few short years...

Life is Sweet~

Love every minute of it~

Horton hears a Who~

Sooo it was read across America Week because of the all to Famous Dr. Suess. He had a birthday so the library shouted hooray!! We celebrated~

Wednesday, March 2, was Theodor Geisel’s birthday.

Giesel, better know as Dr. Seuss, is the author and artist of many beloved children’s books. Each year on his birthday, students across America wear their pajamas to school and adults don tall red and white “Cat in the Hat” hats and — if only for a few minutes — turn into kids again. Dr. Seuss has a way of doing that to perfectly mature grown-ups.

Read Across America is a year-round reading motivation program sponsored by the National Education Association and Dr. Seuss’ birthday is the big day to celebrate reading~

We had a blast......

I had a blast.....

and ReMeMbEr...

A person's a person

No matter how small~

The Most Incredible Person I know~

My sister is the most amazing person you will ever meet, I am so grateful have her just ten minutes away. Well she is getting quite old....she turned forty... lol...which in our family is a miracle if you are a female! Don't get me wrong this is not an insult its the gol darn truth. The amazing part and the old part......We love age its is a blessing on our side of the fence. With age something amazing happens....beauty...inner that is....being content with who you are.....outer...grey hair...I love it....We wait for it...Every day another hair gets grey, we enjoy another day here...on earth....with family~

 Tracy is IMPOSSIBLE to Sneak anything by, so on her 40th we decided to have it three weeks before her birthday so she would have no idea....We pulled it off....She wondered why all these strange people were staring at her at that birthday party...it goes in the top highlights of my life....right up there with having babies...We gote her!!  And you thought you were going to a ball game!

 I hope like crazy my girls grow up having the love for each other like we do...there's nothing like it in the entire world!  Sisters are the best~

 Brenna loves her Auntie~

SaTiSfAcTiOn~

Ensemble~

Eight year old hands~

Jake's first ensemble.

 Maddy on her forth year~  She received a trophy.

Audrey's forth year with her trophy~

 Love my babies,  amazing accomplishments for them. 

Nancy is an amazing part of our lives, she supports and loves us like we are her own. 

She uplifts me, she is a gift in my life....

a gift~

Our Papa also enjoyed the evening...thank heaven for men like Papa....

he gave me life...

he saved my life.....

he is my life...

Love you Dad~

Brenna on year number three~

Jake and Eddie celebrate their first year of performance~

Maddy and Nickole have played together for all four years~

The Best thing about being twelve~

Grandma has been working on genealogy so we were able to take Taylor names and Grandpa

 with is, it was an amazing morning~

Audrey has looked forward to turning twelve for quite a while~ Not only was she the last one in her primary class with Brother Hunt....but she wanted to go on temple dates with Mike, Maddy and I.  It is a tradition the forst Saturaday of the month to go early in the morning to do baptisms and go to breakfast afterwards.  For two years We have enjoyed our early morning dates with Maddy.. We are so thrilled to have Audrey join us. 

Maddy was excited to be able to show Audrey the temple by herself while I went and changed.  It is an awesome experience as a mother knowing that Audrey was in good hands as Maddy showed her what to do.  She was a proud big sister~

Grandpa treated us to yummy roast beef in the cafeteria of heaven, we had some good conversation about the meaning of life~ What better place to teach our children than the temple~  Thanks Grandpa~

Happy Birthday Audrey!!  We are so proud of the young lady you have become.  You are an awesome example to our family.  It is our hope that as you grow up and face the difficult trials that life will sometimes bring, you will turn to the temple for peace.  Stregnth comes from those quite moments when you can shut out all of life's distractions..  Know that the temple is our solace.  With the Lords help all things are possible, as you put your faith in Him, He will in trust you with sacred things.  We are eternally thankful you were given to us as a gift in this life.  We love you, you teach us many wonderful things.  I am grateful to be your Mom. 

 I Love you~

Daddy's Girl~

Mrs. Clause~

Merry Christmas!!

We had an amazing week at Dreaming Summit~  Mrs. Clause came to visit the kids. 

Sam's Club donated 1040 cookies~

Shamrock donated 900 half pints of milk!

 

What a gift the kids bring into my life, it is an amazing blessing to work with so many wonderful children, they give so much to my life.

We went Christmas caroling through the school, it was a week filled with joy~

This is our Dream board~  The kids wrote what their dreams are.  It is quite a humbling experience to read what these young kiddo's have inside their hearts. 

Some things that touched me:

My dream is that my family could be together.

My dream is to be the best chicken nugget eater in the world.

My dream is that my mom and dad would be happy.

I wish for world peace.

My dream is that my Mom would not have cancer.

I want to see Jesus.

My dream is to live a happy life.

My dream is help people believe miracles still happen.

I want to grow up and have a family of my own.

I want to eat a cheeseburger the size of my Dad's head.

I want to help the homeless.

My dream is that no one will ever be poor.

My dream is that everybody would love each other.

Through the week I would read the dream board amazed by our children.  The lives they live are all so different.  Some face amazing challenges at such a young age.

I am eternally grateful for my job, for the things I am taught each day.

And for the joy that this Christmas season brings.  So for now goodbye Mrs. Clause.....

Until next year~

I Love Thanksgiving~

Congrats Amanda!! We Love You!

Arizona Teacher of the Year is Glendale woman


The Arizona Republic

Amanda McAdams, a 10th-grade English teacher at Apollo High School in Glendale, was named the 2011 Teacher of the Year by the Arizona Educational Foundation on Thursday.

"I'm thrilled and I'm very excited," she said. "I hope to let all Arizonans know that teachers hold our future there, and we need to get legislators who support education."
McAdams becomes spokeswoman for the foundation and receives $20,000 cash, $17,000 worth of classroom technology and other prizes.

Finalists were Pam Barrier, Boulder Creek High, Anthem; Brandi Dignum, Richardson Elementary, Tucson; Josh Tabor, Canyon Del Oro High, Oro Valley; and Andy Townsend, Elvira Elementary, Tucson.

 

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/11/19/20101119arizona-teacher-of-the-year-2011-glendale-woman.html#ixzz15ln5bnvA