Happy Birthday Aunt Jen

Jen and Jess in Mammoth


We just want to wish "Crazy Aunt Jen" a Happy Birthday today! Thank you for all the joy and laughter you bring to our family.... we pray that this is your best year ever. I wish I would have started this last night so I could have reminisced about all the scenarios and sayings that crack us up! Can't wait to see you...hopefully it will be before our next camping trip. We love you :)

P.S. All I want to know is...who is getting the water on your birthday? Sounds like it might be you tonight :(

Until next time...

And the X-Games continue...

I love how resourceful kids are. Not warm enough for swimming...not cold enough for sledding. How about Xgames in the back yard? All you need is a Little Tikes police car and a pool toy! This went on for quite awhile. Paris was just as brave as the boys but her picture was blurry. Don't worry Josh and Ash...there was a medic on scene. They don't call me "Dr. Lenarth" for nothin'. Okay...so no doc, but at least they were on the grass :) Big Air Brennen
Boss Man Bryce
Pipe Line Peyson
Panther Paws Preston
And of course Princess Paris who helped make lunch for the crew! Hey guys...thanks for hangin'!

Until next time...

IdyllWILD Adventures...

Despite Brennen's bout with pneumonia and Bryce's with tonsilitis, we made it to Idyllwild this past weekend. Thankfully everyone was feeling good...and we had a great time with the Robertson's and my parents (missed you Weaver family). We even found out that my mom has been friends with Ashely's great aunt for 30 years. What are the odds? We ate wonderful meals that we had fun preparing and after we got the kiddo's to bed...we played some serious games of sequence and mexican train. Ashley and my mom have a pretty mean game face!

There was quite a bit of snow still on the ground from "California's storm watch 2008". You'll notice everyone's pieced together cold weather outfits...as the desert didn't offer too many options when it came to snow gear. We managed to get the boys some snow boots at the General Store and round up a few items from our 'more prepared' friends. If it weren't for our Colorado days...Rich and I would have froze! Brennen and Bryce had so much fun together and with their friends. It was a little rough going at first. Getting all bundled up was a bit uncomfortable and Bryce said, "wearing two pairs of pants looks fat!" A little whining and some snot noses later...we couldn't get our desert rats inside the cabin! Once they were all in, we were pleased with the choice of limiting the kids to bringing only two Webkins a piece. We were pretty out numbered as it was. (see slide show)
Rich had no fun at all....ya sure! He and Josh had a blast with the kids. Ashley and I got pretty brave on the sleds too. Check out the slide show on the post below to see all the crazy pictures from our weekend. I still have bruises on my butt from my long ride down the hill on a super small plastic saucer. I guess they are reminders that I am older than I feel (right before I pull stunts like that). If you look closely at Brennen's little nose, you can see that he had a run in with some dirt. Apparently he was going pretty fast...and the snow ran out. Mom wasn't there for that run (which is probably why he got hurt right?) Brennen would have gone sledding all day long if we let him. He's ready to move to the snow he says.
Thanks Mom, Dad and the Robertson's for a great weekend...and lots of laughs. You will be able to see some different shots on Ashley's blog (meet the Robertson's) very soon..right Ash?

Until next time...

Check out my Slide Show!

you can click on "view all images" for larger pictures or to view at your own speed. Enjoy...

My Funny Valentine

This post is for my super cute husband this Valentine's Day! His mom gave me this picture a couple weeks ago...and I plan on having it restored. Until then, I just had to share it. The picture alone answers many questions I have about my own kids :) I'm sure the word "angel" comes to mind when you glance at that sweet little face?!? Anyway...This little boy turned out to be quite an amazing man. I'm so thankful for the gift God has granted me in him. He's my everything...my Valentine.
Thank you babe...for being a wonderful husband, friend, father, provider and so much more. I love you bunches!
xo
me

Rich chose this song for our wedding...I love it. Until next time...

"People get ready"...

This is my pal Ashley...She's the children's pastor at our church, and has actually roped me into painting some sort of room twice in less than a week. I really think that there should be a height requirement...in which I would not qualify for these types of activities. I left out the photo of me trying to tape off without a chair or ladder. It was pretty funny...not to mention...some pretty wasted effort:) At least I was there for "grins and giggles", as Ashley would say! Love her. Ashley has an amazing vision for our childrens department and what she wants our kids to experience while learning about our Lord and Savior. She loves what she does, and each week shows me a new plan she has for the kids. I think the best part is...seeing her enthusiam and joy to serve our church body. It's not often that someone is truly passionate about their job. This is just some of the art work she has created to hang in the 'Kosmic Kids' room. I know that Brennen can't wait to see what the finished product will look like. And he's dying to see how the new puppet stage turns out. I'll make sure to update you when it's complete. Here we are hard at work. I'm sure Bethany and Ashley will be thrilled that I have posted these photo's! Hey... they knew the job was dangerous when they took it!
Until next time....

He means business...

I had to post this picture of Brennen in my bed with his computer. It made me laugh because my friend Brenda referred to him as a 35 year old business man just yesterday. Brennen has been pretty sick the past couple days...and it came out of no where . Super high fever (104.7 at it's highest last night) He was trying to talk to me and wasn't making any sense at all. That's when I ripped him out of bed and got him in the bath tub. For all of you who are wondering...yes I took him to see the Doctor! A mild case of bronchial pneumonia, ear infection and sore throat. His fever has been up and down today...but when he requested his computer in bed, I had to laugh. I'm praying we are on the mend. Bryce seems to be his normal self today. When I told him to be quiet this morning he said, "okay ya stinky old lady." And he has told his brother, "I will spin you like a ballarina son." So in the midst of a pretty crummy day...I got a couple good laughs. There is never a dull moment around this place. Oh, and I took a shower today...so apparently now I'm just old!

Will keep you posted. Until next time...

Finally...

It's hard to keep up with everything happening over here! Two of my friends have done posts on their kids losing their 1st tooth...and I commented on the fact that Brennen really didin't have any loose one's to speak of at this point. I was kind of surprised because of his age and the fact that most of the kids in his class have lost at least 1 or 2 by now. Anyway, he was eating a corn dog superbowl Sunday and bit into the stick. I had a feeling by the time he got home from school, it would be ready to yank! By the way...he dropped it in the street while showing some of the neighbor kids. Rich spent quite a while looking for it. Gotta have the tooth for the tooth fairy right?

The Weavers had given this little tooth fairy treasure box to Brennen for his 5th birthday. I figured that we would paint it when one of his teeth became loose. Needless to say...it was a mad dash to get this done by the time he/she came. Have we established if the tooth fairy is male or female? Santa Clause II really has me confused! Here's a tip...make sure you have some change handy, otherwise one of those pearly whites could cost ya a $20. Well, she came...or is it he? TWO BUCKS! I told my mom that the tooth fairy is having to keep up with inflation. I think we got a quarter (maybe).
So while Brennen went to school feeling like a big shot...Bryce went to school pretty upset because he wants to keep his baby teeth forever! I think there is too much blood invloved for him :) Besides...I have the sneaking suspicion that when Bryce wants two bucks, he'll check my wallet before he wiggles a tooth!!

Here's to another milestone. Until next time...

"Buggy And The Bee" part two...and the winner is?

Some of you may remember that Brennen was in his school spelling bee back in November. As the winner of the 1st grade class, he qualified for the ACSI spelling bee in Riverside. Needless to say, we have been spelling EVERYTHING for the past few months! Rich and I wanted him to have fun with it and do his best....we definitely didn't want him to feel pressure from us to do well. Such a hard thing sometimes as a parent...a very fine line to walk. Here he is pounding a juice box before the bee began. Have any of you ever been to a spelling bee? (I know the suspense is killing you :) I had only seen one on t.v., and even that got my nerves going. I have to say that this was one of the most nerve racking experiences of my life. It's all so serious too. The parents were warned about talking, cell phones and exiting the room. No writing tablets, cameras, video equipment or dictionaries of course. They said if there are any parents that are unable to keep quiet, they will be asked to leave. Wow...I was ready to throw up before it even started. So while I couldn't take any pictures of him in the bee, I can tell you that he was such a little man...so focused, loud and clear with his spelling. I held my breath every time he was up...and I have no idea why. With each child that misspelled a word my heart would sink. There were the kids that walked off with a smile, glad it was over. And there were the kids that were devastated. Witnessing the parents hold themselves together for their kids was almost unbarable. Did I mention this was nerve racking? Okay...so the winner was not Brennen, but my little dude finished in second place out of 31 kids! Yeah Buggy! They went to an unpublished list of words (so they were words that the kids had not practiced) and the word that finally stumped him was 'violet'. He went out on a tough one I thought.

(Emma for 4th place for 2nd grade and her sister Savanah got 4th place for 5th grade)

Here is Brennen with his teacher Mrs. Martinez. She is such a blessing to us! She practiced with Brennen everyday and even kept him after school one day a week...she was also a nervous reck. Funny thing...Brennen was fine. He was looking at his red ribbon and said, "hey mom, does this mean that I did good?" I said..."Uh, yah!"
Thanks for all the well wishes and phone calls this morning and for all the cheers this afternoon. Even 7 year olds need 'Balcony People'.

Until next time...