Merry Christmas!

Christmas Calico Giveaway

You'll love these giveaways and her blog. Go link.

A Thanksgiving of Wonders

As a surprise I gave Doug tickets to fly to Utah over Thanksgiving. Every year as a tradition his dad and others go on a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon the day after Thanksgiving. Since we have lived in Tennessee Doug has missed out on the tradition. I decided that Doug is so busy and works so hard always doing things for other people that he never has time to do fun things for himself. This was the perfect opportunity for him to get away. These are a few pictures from his trip. They pretty much hike and make up their own trail down so it is a dangerous. This time they actually found a new route to the bottom of the canyon that is much shorter than the other hikes they have done. He had a great time enjoying one of the greatest wonders of the world!
This is a panoramic picture of Doug standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon

Here is a picture of the ring tail cats down there that come out at night!

This is a fresh spring coming out the side of the rock

A night on the town!

So a couple of weekends ago Doug and I were able to go on a real date. The law firm he works for paid for us to go to a dinner that celebrated those attorneys that have been practicing law for over 50 years. The founding partner of his firm was honored that night so we were invited! It was so fun, we got all dressed up and went to the art emporium for a buffet dinner and a live band. It was a real black tie affair! We had a great time together, and I think the last time I got to where a fancy dress was on our cruise 7 and 1/2 years ago! It was so fun!

We are still here!

Well, long story short my camera busted so I cant post pictures, all three kids have been way sick. Parker has had two ear infections in which we have tried two different antibiotics which didn't work and so he has had to have two rounds of heavy duty antibiotic shots! Poor kid! Brielle and Bens have had a bacterial infection called Microplasm that settled in their lungs. So between nightime wakings, antibiotics, breathing treatments, cough medicine and being quarantined to our house for a week I have not had time to blog. But we are all alive which I am grateful for. Here are a few updates:

Parker: We took him to the doctor and he weighs 20.6 lbs! What in the world! He is my biggest kid by far, but I absolutely love all his rolls. He is almost crawling and is only seven months old. The other two didn't even attempt til they were at least 9 mo. He does the army crawl to get everywhere! I need to baby proof my house again for sure! He is still the best baby ever and never cries, even with 2 ear infections he has been a happy camper.

Benson: Well Benson is still Benson. He was standing on the dresser the other day and fell and busted his lip open. It was bleeding everywhere! Does that surprise anyone? I wish I had a camera so I could post picts. He is all boy . His new favorite thing to do is to help me clean up. To do this he cleans things up and then throws them in the garbage. It doesnt matter what it is, it all ends up inthe trash. So funny.

Brielle: She is still my great little helper. I really don't know what I would do without her. She is always keeping an eye on her brothers for me, or feeding parker his bottle. She plays the motherly role great. I am going to be really sad when she goes to Kindergarten. We went the other day to get our haircut and she kept saying, "Mom I really love being a girl so I can do girl dates!" I am so happy to have her as my little girl!

Well, that is the update for us. I will post again soon, but until we get our new camera for Christmas I will be posting only picts taken by others!

My life is never dull

This is what Brielle did with her lunch instead of eating it. She made a ham face (notice the eyes, nose, and mouth, they are hard to see but they are proportionate with the face), a grape and string cheese body, cheese cracker legs, and carrot arms. Pure Creativity! And I know after all my posts you are wishing you had a 4 1/2 year old with a fantastic imagination and love for life huh?

Is it too late??

I know Halloween was a long time ago, but I had to blog it so I would remember. Arent they super cute!


Brielle as a mermaid fairy? We don't know where she came up with it either, but it really was just a mermaid costume with wings!


Benson the fireman who absolutely loved his helmet and would not take it off!
Parker dressed up as Benson's Fire dog dalmatian! Don't you just want to squeeze him?

You want to wear what?

I told Brielle to get dressed so we could go to the store. She came out in this. Did it stop us? NO way. Wierd looks at the grocery store are no match for my Brielle's independence! It makes me love her even more.

P.S. Doesnt the Ballet move look great?!

Can he grow up? YES HE CAN!

Last Monday was my little Benson's second birthday. I cant believe that my little man just turned TWO! We had such a good time on his birthday and thanks to everyone who called, sent stuff, and came to his party, he had a great day.

We woke up in the morning and he chose what he wanted for breakfast: Trix cereal and gogurt. Okay, not to hard. Then we planned on going to lunch with Doug because Benson's only thing he wanted to do that day was to see Dad. So of course we picked up some good old Chick-Fil-A and went to Doug's work to eat with him. It was so fun, we sat in the little lunch room and got to meet a lot of people Doug works with. They were all so sweet and they loved meeting all the kids. Then it was home for nap time so I could finish last minute party stuff and make Benson's Bob the Builder cake! I love decorating cakes so this was fun. Benson is wild about Bob the Builder and the days leading up to his birthday he would walk around the house saying, "Bob cake!" over and over again. So this cake was a must.

At about 6:00 some of our dearest "Tennessee Family" came to celebrate with us. Of course everything at the party revolved around Bob the builder so I have included some pictures to show even the food was labeled to go along with the names of the trucks on Bob. (for example, Roley's Roll-ups go along with the little roller truck named Roley! Scoop's Scoops, etc. :) We had a great time. We roasted Hot dogs and marshmallows on the fire, (we love having a fire pit in our backyard) and ate and ate and ate. Then the kids took turns hitting the pinata, and of course presents and cake and ice cream. Benson got all kinds of trucks and balls, and trains! He was stoked about having some of his own boy things to play with. Overall it was a success, but I have to say I am a little grateful we do friend parties every other year cause they are a lot of work!

Leelou Blogs

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Fall days and a Pumpkin patch!

What can mean fall more than visiting a pumpkin patch? The other night for FHE some friends invited us to a local pumpkin patch. It was so cute, they had horses and goats and ponies you could pet, and of course pumpkins for the picking! The kids LOVED the animals, especially the horses, neigh! After pumpkin hunting we went to Brusters, a local ice cream shop where I had the tastiest Carmel Apple Pie ice cream ever! You know how I feel about ice cream and this was heavenly! It was so funny, when we were at the window ordering our ice cream, the kids were playing around and then next thing I knew Benson was climbing up on this bench with this older couple. He sat right in between them and I think he was trying to get their ice cream! A kid after my own heart!

Calling all Twilight Fans!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!
You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Thanks for the quiz Alice. Click here to find out who you are!

SO BIG!

My little baby is so big! On Tuesday night he had his first taste of something other than Nutramigen! We decided now that he is a little over 5 months old that he could use a good taste of rice cereal. We sat him up in the high chair, and he thought it was great! I don't know how much he really swallowed, but every time I would bring the spoon up to his mouth he would laugh. We love our little Parker. He is the best baby in the world. He NEVER cries! He is always laughing and happy, he can sleep anywhere even through super decibel noise, and he sleeps about 9-10 hours through the night!. He is strong and healthy and he is very laid back, and he is soo snuggly! I really think the Lord knew what he was doing blessing me with such an easy going baby admist a lot of crazy days! We love you Parker!

P.S. I think the last picture actually looks like me!

My Prima Ballerina!

This is Brielle practicing first position!

I really don't think I could have hand picked a more girly daughter in the world! Anything that has to do with dancing, princesses, or pink, she loves it! Earlier this year we had signed her up for wee-ball. Needless to say, she hated it. She cried every game about being too hot and sweaty, and she just wanted to go home. So we thought we would try her in dance class and see what happened. It is amazing that you can have such an opposite reaction from one kid! She LOVES ballet class! She has a grin on her face the whole time and practices all her dance moves when we get home. She has a great teacher, Ms. Amy, and wants to be just like her. It is so fun to have found something she really enjoys, and she is just so cute in a tutu!

I finally gave into a tag

5 years ago I....

1. Was going to school full time.
2. Was pregnant with Brielle.
3. Working at the admissions office at Weber Sate University
4. Was living on 14th street and paying 25.00 in rent!! ( I know, CRAZY)
5. Saw my husband a lot more than I do now!

5 things on today's 'to do' list
1. Wash the dishes
2. mop the floors
3. Read our new library books
4. Take Brielle to dance class
5. find joy in the journey

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Ice cream
2. Doritos
3. licorice
4. Reeses (any kind cups, pieces etc.)
5. apples

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. pay off all Dougs student loans!
2. Go on a trip to Puerto Rico
3. Build a cabin the Uintahs
4. Doug would quit his job and become a professional Fly Fisherman
5. Pay off our house, parents houses

5 places I have lived
1. Washington terrace UT
2. Ogden, UT
3. Knoxville TN.

5 jobs I have had
1. I cleaned Gas Sation pumps for 3 gas stations! GROSS!
2. Tasty's donuts! Thanks SHAR!
3. Cookies By design
4. The learning Center as a tutor
5. WSU Admissions office

I tag whoever really does all these tags!

Brothers in name and heart

Recently Benson and Parker have really come to love each other. Benson takes it as his personal responsibility to watch out for Parker, and in turn Parker smiles and laughs every time Benson talks to him. When I got pregnant with Parker I was worried about these two boys being so close in age, but I already am seeing the benefits. I hope they will always be best buddies and rely and count on one another especially through the hard teenage years. We always ask Benson who his bother is and he says, "it's my Parker."

Super Super Cute!!

Okay my fellow bloggers, you have got to link to my friend Cally's page for a chance to win one of the cutest bag-o-monsters EVER! She is soo talented you will not be sorry for looking!

My Best Friend

I have the BEST husband in the world. Hopefully most of you feel the same about your own spouse, but really I think Doug is the best. He is my best friend in the world and he is always concerned about me and our little family. He seems to always know what I need when I need it, and he works so hard to give me a comfortable life. A couple weeks ago I was having a particularly hard week. I was feeling a little down about life and I think my attitude was a little bad. It was a Wednesday, and Wednesdays are always really hard days because Doug leaves for work early and goes straight to the church from work and usually gets home around 10:30 or 11:00. So it is a long day. Anyway, it was about 6:00 and the doorbell rang. I went to answer the door and sitting on the porch were these flowers and treats! Isn't that sweet!! He did it for no reason expect that I was having a hard day. Doug is a practical man, so when he does something really romantic, I appreciate it even more. I love you honey, thanks for being the best husband in the world!

A Good Article

My mother in law sent me this link to a newspaper article from Belfast Ireland on the subject of Baptisms for the dead. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we believe in and practice baptisms for the dead. "Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf." (lds.org)

This article on the subject was great. It was fair and objective. Click on this link to read it.

Pajama TIME!

A couple of weeks ago I let Brielle invite all her little girl friends over for a pajama party. She has been begging me to do this for months and I finally decided that it was time for her to have some fun. My good friend said I must have been on something to invite six little 4 and 5 year olds over for a party, but it was a blast! They came over about 6:30 and I started out by giving all of them their own party supply bag. (They are the cute green Hello Kitty bags shown in the picture.) Inside they had paper, crayons, a ball, and lots of snacks. Our first activity was to color princess pictures, what little girl doesn't love that. Then we played a game of hot potato with our balls. Then we moved on to the movie portion of the night, where we watched the new Ariel movie and ate our snacks, and popcorn, and by Brielle's request everyone got a Capri-Sun to drink. After the movie was over we ended the night with a good round of painting toe-nails. that was a little interesting to make all the girls sit still until they dried. :) The girls parents then came and picked them back up around 9:30. I am not crazy enough to have them all spend the night! They are still a little young for that. To say that brielle loved the night is an understatement. She still talks about it like it happened yesterday. I love that little things like that can make such great memories for kids, and I think she will remember that night for a long time!

Finally our trip is exposed!

Well, here I am finally getting caught up on my blog. We have only been back from Utah for about 3 weeks now, I know I am doing really good. But I wanted to capture the highlights of the trip more for me than for anyone so I will remember the great time we had. The first Saturday that we were there we got to be in the South Weber Days parade for my dad who is a state legislator. It was a great time and the kids loved waving and cheering for their grandpa! Then that night we were able to celebrate our 7th anniversary by going to the Bountiful temple! It is the temple we were sealed in seven years ago and it was so neat to be there again. Below our the highlights of the trip that I actually captured on camera, happy reading!

Temple Square

One of the best days of the trip was spent at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Just the five of us drove to Salt Lake and showed the kids the Temple, the visitors centers, the Conference center, and the Tabernacle. Growing up in Utah made me really take these beautiful sites for granted, but it was so neat to see them again "for the first time" through our children's eyes. They loved it. Benson just kept pointing and saying "hello temple!" We even got to see a new little family of baby quails running along the sidewalk! It was a perfect day! The steps of the temple


The baby quails
Doug and the kids in front of the reflection pond

Parkers blessing Day!

The first Sunday we were there we were able to bless Parker. My dad is the Bishop of a singles ward and Doug's dad is one of his counselors, so we decided to bless him on their ward. Needless to say the singles were a little shocked at how loud sacrament meeting was with all the kids, but they said they loved hearing all those little voices again. My sister in law Missy blessed her little baby Taylor that same day, and it was a great experience to share that with them. After the blessing we had a little get together with family and friends at my in-laws house! You know us Mormons, we can never have a function without having food!!
Our little Family
Parker with Grandma Lyda and Grandpa Larry
Parker with Grandma and Grandpa Dee
The three new babies!
My favorite Great Grandma Burton (for those of you who know the story she is the one who had the dream about me!)

The Dee Family Cabin!

Half of the time we were in Utah we stayed in my parents cabin in Star Valley Wyoming for our first "Dee family Reunion". It was the first time in about 3 years that my whole family was together. It was so fun to be with my brothers and sisters and all their kids. We were a big crowd with 25 of us their, but we had soo much fun together. we worked on the cabin, spent the day at the lake, had great food, watched the little cousins have ablast staying up late and playing together, and of course the nightly treats and olympic watching! We had a wonderful time. I love my family so much and I am so blessed to have a great relationship with all of them.
The Pirate treasure Hunt
The Kids with their homeade shirts
Painting Rocks


The Pinata
At the Lake