A Brand New Start!!

Well, it is 7:30 am and I am awake and showered and my little girl has left for Kindergarten! Where did the last five years go? She was so excited to go to school, she could barely sleep last night.
I love this girl so much. She has so much personality and spunk and can be the sweetest person in the world. School is going to be so good for her, but I don't know what I am going to do everyday without her.

They get big too fast.

My sweet girl on her first day of school!


At least these two don't look alike right?? Ha ha!

I am already taken

So we sat down to dinner the other day and this is the conversation between Benson and me.

Benson: Mommy, I think I am going to Marry you!

Me: Bens, that is so sweet, but Daddy already married me, so you cant.

Benson: Yep, Mom, I am going to marry you because I love you!

Me: Okay so I couldn't say anything because my heart was just melting!

This makes all those hard moments you want to pull your hair out worth it. This is why we keep going everyday. Because no other job would give you that kind of love, emotion, and innocence. I really do love being a mom.

Sea food and Sea life!

This past weekend we celebrated our 8 year Anniversary! I can't believe that we have been married for 8 years! Time flies by when you are having fun right?

Well, this year we did a whole weekend of celebrating! On Friday night we got to go out to dinner just the two of us to our favorite restaurant Red Lobster! (Thanks mom for the GC). It was so yummy and so fun to just be together.

Then on Saturday we went to the world famous Tennessee Aquarium! Let me just tell you that this place is absolutely AMAZING!! It has two huge buildings, one for Ocean life and One for River and lake life! It was incredible!

The best part was the Butterfly Exhibit on the whole top floor of the Ocean building! It was a room full of hundreds of different butterflies that would come and land on you! The kids LOVED it! The pictures say it all!

Needless to say it was a wonderful Anniversary. The actual date was Sunday, and we just got to have a quiet dinner at home. What more could you ask for? Thanks Doug for 8 wonderful years, and for an eternity for me to love you even more!!!!

Pictures from the Aquarium!


The sting ray pool was just outside the butterfly room, you could pet the stingray!
Catching the Butterflies!!

Benson loved holding the butterflies, when we could catch them!

The butterfly spinach tree! I am not sure why but all the butterflies hung out by this tree.

This is one that came and landed on my hand! It looks black but its wings were the most beautiful blue!

Some butterflies sucking the juice out of oranges

Parker thought everything was so fun and amazing! Isn't he so happy and so cute!

This tank was full of Sharks, stingray and beautiful, huge fish!
The posers! They were loving this!

This is the amazing Penguin exhibit! They swim so fast!

Really does life get any better than to see your kids have so much fun!?

He is so grown up! When did he start to be such a big boy? The drive home! They had such a long day, yet they are still so happy!
My two boys.

My little piece of heaven!

Here are a couple pictures of my wonderful new bed makeover! (Thanks Shar for the find!) Our 8th anniversary is next week and this is our gift to each other. I definitely got the better end of that gift right?

Anyway I absolutely love it. I cant wait to crawl into bed at night! It is comfortable and is now a little piece of heaven for me.

BEAR LAKE!!

While we were visiting Utah, we had the chance to go to Bear Lake with the Rose side of the family!!! We had so fun playing on the beach and in the water all day. The kids loved every minute of it, and of course a sunburn always accompanies a trip to Bear Lake. The photos are really small, I am not sure why, but you get the idea.

My little man enjoying the shade!
Doug and I NEVER have pictures just the two of us! I love this one!
Me and the kids enjoying playing in the sand!

Daddy swinging Parks in the water, he was laughing his head off.

Grandma Lyda just relaxing watching all the fun!

Our amazing trip to Utah!

I am going to have to split up this trip into a few different posts because we did so many fun things with our family and friends that it would be way to much for just one! It was so fun seeing all of you!

Dee Family Reunion 2009
Hidden Lake Montana Camping trip!


The first week we were in Utah all of my immediate family got together for a big camping trip. Everyone except for Doug, my sister in law Julie, and one of my nieces were able to come. It was amazing! We went to a camping place we used to go to every year with my family when I was a kid. We had such a great time fishing, playing, and just being together! My brother in law even made us matching family shirts!! It was freezing cold most of the time, but what is better than time spent with the family you love! I love my brothers and sisters so much and we have so fun when we all get together. The kids loved playing with their cousins too. Miss you guys!
The beautiful view from our camp spot

Brielle enjoying the flowers
Parker Loved riding around with Grandma in the stroller, even if it is pink!

Brielle, Benson and Grandpa on the four-wheeler!

My brother in law brought his metal detector, this was hours of fun!

A crane decided to come and camp right by us, Benson was so excited.
My sister and my niece. This is not her mom, they just look exactly alike!
Of course a little wiffle ball game is always expected.
Brielle's famous art. This is her rock monster.
Brielle with my cute nieces who she couldn't get enough of!
Parker's first taste of a pickle! YUM!
Brielle with my other niece. They were pretty much inseparable!
My cute Benson. He is just so handsome!

Me, my brother B, Dad, Mom, sister L, sister E. In our matching shirts! M left early

so he is not in the picture. It was so fun to be with them!

Our cute little family minus Doug! The kids loved every minute of camping.

There is just something about being totally filthy and having fun! Thanks Mom and Dad!

I remember now

It is amazing that I forget how sick and tired I am when I am pregnant. It is a blessing I guess because it is the furthest thing from fun I can think of. My posts may be a but sporadic now until I can start feeling a little better. Things are well though and I am really grateful for the help I have had and a husband who is willing to get the kids breakfast every morning. This will all be worth it in the end!

What is better than a HALF DOZEN ROSES?????

NOTHING!!!








We are so excited to welcome baby #4 to our little Rose family On February 18th 2010. That officially makes us a half dozen.

Something so right....A father.

So I have been wanting to write this post since Fathers Day, and after reading a few of your posts about your husbands and fathers I decided to sit down and do it.

I really do have such wonderful fathers all around me. First is my own dad. He is always doing something for us. He is a doer. He likes to always be on the move fixing something or working on a project. I have been the benefit of many of those "projects" such as the time when he came out to visit when Parker was born and decided to redo my bathroom. Of course my mom was there to help but my dad instigated the whole thing. He is so giving and is a great example to me of serving others. I love you dad.

I also have the joy of saying that my Father in law is really a father to me. I really could leave of the whole in law thing. This man is amazingly loving. He just loves people, and you feel it when you are around him. One example of this love is when I had knee surgery a few years ago. He decided to fly out by himself to take care of me!!! Isn't that amazing. He spent all his time getting me things and taking care of Brielle. No one asked him. He just knew Doug was so busy with his first year of law school so he decided to help. I just think about that and I cry. He is wonderful.

And of course, my own most amazing, wonderful, smart, talented, loving charitable, husband. He really is the greatest dad in the world. I never knew what true love was until I saw Doug with our kids. His love for them radiates out of him. He makes them feel so important and loved all the time. They race for the door every time he comes home, and when we are away from him, they always cry and say how much they miss there dad. Especially Benson. When Doug is home Bens follows him everywhere. I hope both our boys grow up to be just like him, and that Brielle is lucky enough to find a man as wonderful as he is to marry.

I am so blessed. I am more in love with him today than I was yesterday. Thank you Doug for being the kind of dad and husband I have always dreamed of. This is a picture of us right after Parker was born. I love this picture. I look a little scary, but I love that we are holding hands, I love that the kids look so happy, and I love that Doug looks completely content, as if that is where he always wants to be. Because that IS where he always wants to be.

Spray on!

It is amazing that two .99 cent squirt bottles can equal hours of fun!

Oh I love Summer.