Update!

Ok, so obviously it has been a while since I updated!  A lot has happened.

Ashlee is now 20 and has graduated from high school and officially moved out :)  She is working and enjoying being on her own.  Kelsey is 18 and graduating from high school in May.  She is planning on attending NPC in the fall, but is also moving out to live on her own.  We will be left with only 6 at home.  Ethan is now officially taller than me, even when I wear heels!  He will be starting high school in the fall.  Anson is starting Junior High and will be turning 12 this summer.  Aubry and Kendra are 10 and 9 and are doing great in school, but are either best friends or worst enemies - depending on their mood :)  Aidan is 6 and finishing Kindergarten and will be moving on to First Grade and Nolan will be 5 this summer and starting Kindergarten in the fall.  All the kids in school - I will be having a party!

This last summer we all went on a cruise, almost a year ago now!  We went with my family, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. and had great fun. It was great to have everybody together and spend time just relaxing.  We got to explore a little with the kids and just enjoy each other.  We all still talk about it!

Brad is now working for NPC as the Recruitment Advisor and travels a lot!  But usually he is home every night so it all works out.  I started working again at a local inpatient psychiatric facility and am still working on my Master's Degree, I am a little over halfway and have just over a year left of classes. (Not that I am counting down or anything!)

Below are a few pictures from the cruise!

This is the kid's favorite FHE in the summer. Yes it's great living in the country!!! We can have a bonfire in our own backyard and roast hot dogs and have s'mores any time we want, I LOVE IT!! So do the kids, especially dancing around the campfire, they get pretty crazy, but it is all fun!

I know this is late (try almost 3 months!!) but I had to put Ashlee and Kelsey's prom pictures up. Aren't they gorgeous?!? I wish I could take credit but oh well. Kelsey's date (in the pink dress, Kelsey not her date) was a true gentleman and we were very impressed. Unfortunately Ashlee's date turned out to be kind of a dork but she has no more contact with him anymore so it's OK!

Ashlee is Home!

We are so excited to have Ashlee home! She called her Dad one day out of the blue about 2-3 weeks ago and said "Come pick me UP!" She is 18 now but is finishing her last three weeks of high school and if everything goes well, will graduate in May.

It has been a little bit of an adjustment having ANOTHER teenager suddenly in the house, but all is well. She has been very cooperative and even made pizza for dinner last night! I loved that, cuz I didn't have to do it.

This is the most recent picture we have of Ashlee ( I need to take more ) this is when she went to homecoming in Eagar a couple months ago. Ashlee and Kelsey have both recently been asked to Prom, (not a suprise at all) and both have their drivers' licenses (insurance, AARG) and we are currently encouraging, ok pressuring, them to get jobs, PLEASE! All joking aside, they are both awesome girls and are big helps around the house and we love them!

Aubry is 8!

Aubry just recently turned 8 years old, and she got baptized, and we are so proud of our little Aubry!

My Boys

How cute is this? My little boys! I don't remember when exactly this picture was taken but I had to share. Can you blame me?!?

Our Family

Our family is Brad, the Dad, who is a works in Show Low managing a retail store and also teaches part-time at the local community college. He loves spending time with his family either playing around, wrestling with them (which is whenever he dares to get on the floor) and also getting them to help with chores around the house, and as we all know the chores are neverending.

Mom is Suzanne and I work at the local library around my second love (second only to my family) of BOOKS, BOOKS and more BOOKS! I somehow keep the house clean and get dishes, laundry and all those other pesky things done and out of the way so I can spend time with my kids and squeeze in 5 minutes of reading here and there.

Ashlee is the oldest, she is currently living with her mom in Eagar, AZ in Round Valley. We miss her and hope to see her soon.

Kelsey is next, she is 15, a month away from getting her driving permit, 5 months away from getting her license and DATING (scary!) and she never lets us forget it. She is very smart and gets pretty much straight A's except for maybe math every now and then she might get a B, she is a Cheerleader and all around very good, wonderful daughter.

Ethan is next, he is 11 and in 6th grade and has mounds of homework every night, I think they are starting Junior High early even though he isn't officially in Junior High until next year. He reads when I make him (sometimes I wonder how he came from me :) and loves video games and playing with his brothers and cousins and friends.

Anson is 9 and in 4th grade, in the "big kids school" and is doing well. He loves reading (YEAH) and is currently on the fourth Harry Potter ( for fun mind you) as well as reading his smaller books for his AR points at school. He is taking piano lessons and loves learning. He has always been the inquisitive boy, he is the one that asks all the questions we really have to think to answer.

Aubry is 7, almost 8 (November19) and is in 2nd grade. She loves playing with her cousins and friends and is mostly sweet and helpful around the house, except when told it is time to clean her room. Oh well, we are working on that. She is a reader also and is currently working on several books at a time ( there are just too many good books out there, hmmm that sounds familiar) and is loving being a big sister and helper to Kendra.

Kendra is 6 and in 1st grade this year, she gets to stay all day at school and eat lunch there like the big kids. She is learning reading fast and is our little mom, she tries to mother everyone especially her little brothers, unfortunately it doesn't always go over so well.

Aidan is 3 and recently potty trained (BIG YEAH!) and is in preschool. He is thrilled to be going to school like the big kids and knows some of his letters and numbers and can "read" his favorite books to himself. So cute!

Nolan is the baby and just turned 2 and loves being a big boy sometimes but still lets everyone baby him (when he wants) cuz then he gets taken care of. He's not stupid. He is a little monkey see monkey do, everything the big kids do (especially Aidan) he has to do so he is a little big kid. Luckily we live close to family and we have space for him to go outside and play with everyone else.

That's our family, we love them all!