A GREAT WAY TO START OFF THE HOLIDAY!!!

Last night I received the best therapy session of all - FRIENDSHIP!!! I think gathering with women and enjoying each others company, good food and laughter is the best therapy on earth:)
Holidays can get a little hectic/insane - with so many things to do and very little time but I learned last night that there should ALWAYS be time for friendship. Friends make life a lot more FUN!!! I also realized last night that I have missed out on a lot of opportunities to be uplifted, strengthened and re energized by amazing women who love unconditionally. Last night was a great way for me to start off the holiday and left me wanting to spread Christmas Cheer!!


"A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys the view"


"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't follow. I'd be at the bottom to catch them when they fall"


I LOVE these quotes and I am so grateful for FRIENDSHIP!!

"MY GRATEFUL SPIRIT SINGS"!!!!

This weekend we had the opportunity to travel to Tucson and spend some time with family. We were able to see my father-in-law who has been pretty sick lately, he is such an amazing man and we are not sure what next Thanksgiving will bring but we are very GRATEFUL for the time we were able to spend with him this weekend. We LOVE you granddad:)


This song from Sally Deford pretty much sums up my feelings the last little while and especially this weekend.


In all thy works I see thy glory
In mighty wonders, in small and simple things
My heart rejoices in the bounty set before me
And my grateful spirit sings

Each rising sun tells of thy goodness
The rain proclaims thee in the life it brings
All creation bears thee sure and silent witness
And my grateful spirit sings

The stars that crown the realms of space
Reflect the image of thy grace
The rolling seas, the earth and sky
Declare thy pow'r, thy majesty and might

I see thy hand in man's compassion
Thou art the font of kindness whence it springs
Thy boundless charity hath wrought my soul's salvation
And my grateful spirit sings

For changeless love and endless mercy
For countless blessings beyond the wealth of kings
For every perfect gift thou sendest, Lord, I praise thee
And my grateful spirit sings


I LOVE this song and my GRATEFUL SPIRIT SINGS!!!!!

THE BEST THING ABOUT ME IS YOU!!!!!!!

Saturday was our 23rd Wedding Anniversary!!!! The majority of our anniversaries have been spent at football games. I must admit that at times I have been a little bitter or resentful of the fact that football takes precedence over our MARRIAGE!!! I have had plenty of PITTY parties trying to work through it and this is what I have discovered...

***Our marriage is better when we play on the same team, I have a tendency to always want to play on the DEFENSE!!

***Our marriage has experienced a few penalties -ROUGHING THE KICKER - OFF SIDES - UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS - UN SPORTSMAN LIKE CONDUCT - HOLDING - ILLEGAL USE OF THE HANDS - FACE MASK - CLIPPING -(I definitely have had a few of these called on me through the years)!!!!

***When Christ is the CENTER of our marriage, it doesn't matter who's the QB!

***Our children have become our biggest FANS!!!

***Walking off the FIELD and quiting is never an option!!!

I love you Tim and I am so grateful that I was your "FIRST DRAFT PICK"!!!!

LAST week of FOOTBALL!!!

"If my mother put on a helmet, shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way and I LOVE my mother"! Bo Jackson

I think this quote is GREAT!!! It has been interesting to watch JT this week as he's prepared for his FINAL football game this Saturday. The other night he came in my room and sat on the edge of my bed and commented how this is the END, the LAST week of practice and his LAST football game:) I just sat there listened and smiled. So, JT here are some words of advice from your mother who has never played the game but has watched PLENTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLAY CLEAN AND PLAY HARD

TEAM CAPTAINS ARE THERE TO LEAD

SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF

HIT THEM HARD AND WRAP THEM UP

MAKE THE LAST ONE THE BEST ONE!!!

We LOVE you Bubba - good luck this Saturday!!!

Happy Birthday Maryjane!!!

Our sweet little Mary celebrated her 6th birthday!!! It was a fun family party with a ton of cousins. Champ helped her blow out her candles, we had to light them twice!!



I love this pic - she is sooo excited!!! She got just what she wanted!!!



This is the sweetest present that her cousin Porter gave to her. He drew a picture at the top and it reads... Dear Mary,
I love you so much that I would do anything for you.
I will love you forever.
Love Porter



She is my play doh girl - she loves this stuff - it makes a pretty good mess but it keeps her, nate and tyton busy for hours - so I think it's way worth it!!!

We love you Mary and we are so happy that you are in our home. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we THANK Heavenly Father for EVERYDAY that we have with you!!!!

FaMiLy FuN!!!

For F.H.E. we split up into teams and carved pumpkins. We had a FUN time and I was grateful that my "big" kids where so kind and patient with the "little" ones.


Dylan - Tyton - Macky - their pumpkin was pretty funky and cool looking!!



Brock was teamed up with JT - notice JT is no where to be found:) JT cleaned out the pumpkin and told Brock that he could work his "carving magic" on the thing - he said he didn't want another stubby finger:) - I think it was just an excuse to watch the football game on T.V.


Nate and I had a great time - SPOOKY !!!! (I'm referring to myself not the pumpkin)

PUMPKIN PATCH!!

October 23rd - I was able to go with Mary on her first official field trip. We went to the Pumpkin Patch in Snowflake. It was a lot of fun and Tyton was even able to go with us. We had a great time in the corn maze and picking pumpkins. It didn't take the kids very long to pick out their pumpkin (30 seconds at the most).

Tyton had a great time and was so glad that he got to go. He loved riding on the school bus there and back.


Mary's Kindergarten class.


I love this photo - I have so many memories of playing "red rover" - at one point in the game Mary went up on the hill behind her and started pouting because she hadn't been picked. I thought it was hilarious!!!

Senior Night!!

On Friday October 23rd - JT had senior night. All the senior football players line up on the field and are recognized/spotlighted. They read a little blurb that each senior has written about themselves and of course JT's was very entertaining:) He mentioned coming home from his mission and ranching with Monti Hancock:)


It was a bitter/sweet night for me. I was a little bitter at my son for wishing his life away, ever since he was in jr high he just couldn't wait to be a senior and be on that football field. He wanted it to hurry and get here and it has. It's sweet in the fact that he is very driven and has accomplished a lot in this sport. It's even sweeter that his Uncle Ron and dad are his coaches and that he gets to play along side his cousin Chace. JT is a lot like his dad, he LOVES this game and spends many hours working hard, watching film and dreaming of big plays:)




Aunt Melz - Uncle Ron - Chace

Little White Chicken and "little white lies"!

The other day Nate comes in from outside all upset saying one of our chickens had died. I started asking him questions and he tells me that he was down checking on the chickens when the "little white chicken" started choking!!! He said it was choking and choking and choking and finally it fell over and died. I then asked him where the chicken was and he proceeded to tell me that he buried it in the creek. When Tim got home from practice I told him about the chicken and he went to check it out. In the mean time Nate was sitting at the dinner table getting ready to eat when JT came in and started asking Nate-dawg how he was doing. Nate starts crying and yells out "I KILLED A CHICKEN"!!!!!
Well to make a long story short he totally came clean with the "little white chicken" story to his big brother. He tells JT that he went down to check on them and he had these marbles in his pocket from a game that he got for his birthday the night before. He told JT that he fed it a marble and it started choking and he didn't know what to do!!!! He said he didn't know how to help it and that it fell over and died!!!! Poor chicken!!! Nate cried and cried and cried, he actually cried most of the night and when I tucked him into bed he still was crying!!!

I am just grateful that he feels like he can tell his big brother anything - even the TRUTH!!!

SILLY BOY!!!

We were walking over to the Martineau's the other night for Amelia's birthday celebration and it was very DARK. I proceeded to cross the road and cut across their lawn like I always do, when all of a sudden I hit the ditch (that the County had dug out that morning) and I fell HARD!!! Large people do not fall light:) I was lying there on the ground with all my children around me. They were very concerned and it took me a while to get up and dust myself off. The next day I was taking Tyton over there to be babysat, I was walking over and he was riding his bike. I started to cross the road when he drops his bike and runs over and grabs my hand. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was helping me cross the road so I wouldn't fall (sweeet huh). He then proceeded to tell me everywhere I should step (step right here mom, now step right here etc.) I made it across and onto their lawn when he lets go of my hand, starts clapping and yells "GOOD JOB- WAY TO GO MOM"!!!!

HOMECOMING WEEK!!!

This past week was Homecoming and there was something going on everyday of the week!!! It was absolutely CRAZY. My BIG boys had some activity every night, by the time the weekend came I was sooo tired. Here are some pictures of the Homecoming assembly on Thursday night. It was a lot of fun, both Macky and JT were up for Homecoming royalty.




I LOVE this picture !!! These boys have been nominated for Homecoming Royalty 4 years in a row and have lost every year:) I can't find their freshman and sophomore pics or I would have posted all 4 years - how HILARIOUS - "I grow-up to be a loser"!!!! They are so stinkin FUN and HANDSOME!!



I am blessed to have these boys in my life, they are not perfect, they don't always do and say the right thing but they're MINE and I'm THANKFUL for that!!!!

We survived another Homecoming week and we even won our football game a bazillion to nothin!!!!

What more could you ask for????

How about a sweet victory this Friday!!!!!

I might just stay home and wait for the fireworks to tell me who won!!!

I CAN'T TAKE THE PRESSURE!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE DAWG!!!

We just wanted to wish this crazy little boy a very Happy Birthday!!! There is not a day that goes by that you don't make us laugh. We waited a long time for you to join our family and you came in a very special way.



I will never forget the first time I met you at Phoenix Children's Hospital, it was LOVE at first sight and when it was time to say goodbye to you that day I just couldn't do it. I got in the car and cried and cried, it was as if I was leaving my baby behind and I knew right then just how special you are. I couldn't wait to get home to tell everyone about you. I told them about your amazing blue eyes and your cute little smile and what a lovable baby you were. A few days later daddy and I got to go pick you up from the hospital. We were so excited and nervous at the same time. Because you had a feeding tube we had to learn a lot of things from the nurses before we could bring you home. We got home really late and Carly was waiting up for you, she said she couldn't sleep. Early the next morning your brothers tiptoed into your room to see you for the first time, they were so excited to have a new little brother. You have been a great blessing to our family and we are so grateful that Heavenly Father allowed us to be a part of your life. We love you!!!

Happy Birthday Hyrum Nathaniel Slade!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS !!!!

We couldn't let the day go by without wishing you a very Happy Birthday!! You have been such a blessing in our lives and we would be lost without you. We can't believe how swiftly time goes by and we want you to know what a pleasure it has been to watch you grow. You are an amazing woman!! We appreciate your example and goodness to us. We hope you know how much we LOVE you!!!

A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart!!

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend!!!!

COOL RUNNING!!

"Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, "I've never seen anyone run like that before". It is more than just a race, it's a style, it's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative!"

I came across this running quote a while back and had to laugh. I know that when I started running over a year ago that I definitely made people stop and say "I've never seen anyone run like that"!! I actually would stop running if someone drove by because I was to embarassed to run in front of them. It was not a pretty sight, I felt awkward and ugly but as I continued to try and my distances got longer I began to not care what others might say or think. This journey that I have embarked on has helped me learn a few things ...

1 - That running is a beautiful thing!
2 - That I can be my own kind of "beautiful" when I run!!!!
3 - That this body that I have neglected and abused is forgiving and amazing!
4 - That running with a friend is so much FUN!
5 - That running won't kill me, because I'll pass out first!
6 - Encouragment is essential to a runners success!!

I went yesterday to Pinetop and participated in my second 10k. There were 9 of us that went - Lori, Marinda, Bruce, Shawna, Carly, Alyssa, Tiff, Tara and myself. Tiff and Tara ran the 2 mile and I have to tell my morning exercise partner just how proud I am of her. She had a personal best and hope she knows how much I love her. I am looking forward to many more races with her:) GO TIFF!!

I appreciate good friends that continue to encourage and uplift me. Carly and Alyssa stayed by myside the whole race, they were so much fun and I know that I would have never been able to "CONQUOR" that stupid hill without them. Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!!!

To my "runner" friends - yes you know who you are - LORI, MARINDA, BRUCE AND SHAWNA - It was a delight to be in your good company:) You make it look so EASY and you are BEAUTIFUL to watch. You have that "runners" look about you and as we arrived at the run to register and get warmed up it was fun to watch the other runners "scope out" their competition!!!! FUN - FUN - FUN!! It was as if I could read their minds....
Oh CRAP - were did she come from??
Dang - he looks fast!!
Why did I sign up for this stupid thing??
I think I'll just drive back to Chandler!! haha


I had a beautiful Saturday run (minus the hill) and I THANK YOU all for that!!!!

I had to add this next pic because after the race when we were all waiting around for them to announce the winners in each age group, we looked over and saw this mans CRACK...he was the oldest runner there, and definitely had his own style:)!!...it CRACKED us up!!!!

WHY??????

Why when my daughter and son-in-law get a new puppy do I have to babysit it EVERYDAY???

Why do my boys pee on the toilet seat???

Why can't I see the pee on the toilet seat before I sit down????

Why can't my big kids be nice to my little kids????

Why are my children nicer to their friends then their siblings???

Why do I hate exercising and why hasn't my mind embrased it as a "HABIT"???

Why do I still crave DIET DR PEPPER after a year of giving it up????

Why can't I even begin to understand the writtings of Isaiah in the Book Of Mormon???

Why do I love chocolate soooo much????

Why couldn't I love carrot sticks????

Why am I having one of those days???

WHY???????????

READY OR NOT - HERE IT COMES!!!

Football Season - Is Here!!!

We eat, sleep, walk, talk this sport. You would think that after 23 years of marriage to a "footballaholic" I would be use to it by now!!! I've always enjoyed watching my husband play football but I must admit that I love watching my boys play it even more:) This past Friday we went to Flagstaff to the NAU Sky Dome to kick off this football season. We played Valley Lutheran and we ended up beating them pretty bad. The score was 72 to 36!!!!

The Sky Dome is a pretty cool place to play a football game!!!!

They had these HUGE screens and instant replay (it was awesome)!!!!

In the 2nd qtr - JT had an 80 yard interception for a touchdown!!!! He had a pretty amazing game, he also had a 60 yard touchdown catch along with a punt return for a touchdown!! All the boys played hard and hit hard, our little Macky guy even got some playing time in the 4th qtr:)

Between Tim coaching- JT on Varsity- Macky on J.V.- Brock on the Jr High team- this Football season should bring lots of miles on the car, black and red attire, hot cocoa, nervous stomachs and CHEERS!!!

Things are lookin UP!

HURRAY!!!
School Started Today!!
I did the "back to school" Happy Dance!!!
Don't get me wrong
I LOVE my kids but...
Summers are CRAZY
Everyone going in different directions
NO ROUTINE!!!
YEA for school starting
Hello to regular family scripture study and prayer
Back on a schedule and somewhat of a routine
OH HAPPY DAYS!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBA!!!

These picture crack me up!!! We had just finished shopping for school clothes and got back to our motel and the kids decided to "model" their new school clothes. I love this "sexy pose"!! I believe this was Jt's 7th grade year. I can't believe how fast the time goes by and I can't believe that he is a senior this year. I sure do love and appreciate this boy.

The Birthday Boy!!!

I just wanted to wish JT a happy 18th birthday. I hope he doesn't think that he is all grown-up and doesn't have to listen to his mom anymore:) What a blessing he is to our family. It is not easy being the oldest son but he's a GREAT one.

*He has a great sense of humor

*He never meets a stranger (he gets that from his dad)

*He is a great big brother

*He is not afraid to share the gospel with his friends

*He always tells me he loves me and hugs me goodbye (even when friends are around)

*He loves spending time with his cousins

*He loves peanut butter M&Ms

*He loves to sing

*He is fun to watch on the field and on the court(he does this funny little clap thing:)

*He fulfills his priesthood responsibilities and never complains

*He gives great F.H.E. lessons

Bubba - Happy Birthday!!! I am so glad that 18 years ago Heavenly Father blessed our family with you!!!