5.05.2010

The Past Few Months...

Sorry everyone this post is soooooo long! I haven't added a new post in a while so I have a lot of catching up to do. Most recently - I graduated!! Woohoo! I am so glad that I am done. I got a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Grand Canyon University...
Poor Brighton is done with pictures :(

Tyson threw me a Graduation Party. He's so wonderful, thanks Babe!
I have to admit it was very hard going to school online. There
were plenty of times, especially recently when I typed papers and
did homework with a baby on my lap. It was tough but I'm so
grateful I finished.

Its finally over - we all survived the long ceremony :)

He was so good for Tyson - he's such a sweet baby
Last month we also went to the Gila Valley Temple Open House. It was a neat experience.
Annie was so good! Jensen was tired from waking up so early plus he got
car sick so I let him sleep on my shoulder the whole time we were inside. He woke up
in the Celestial Room toward the end of the tour and just looked around in amazement.
Annie was great about whispering and being reverent. She thought it was so neat to
finally get to go inside a temple. Her most favorite part was seeing the place where you get
married. For a long time now if you were to ask her where she is getting married she will tell you
"in the temple!" so it was nice to show her exactly the place where you get married.
After the temple we ate lunch in Thatcher at mine and Tyson's "spot" on the Eastern
Arizona Campus. It just a spot of grass that for some reason became our special spot.
It was interesting being there with 3 kids now and remembering what it
was like 5 years ago to fall in love. Time sure goes by fast! Then we went to the
park and Tyson took these shots of the kids playing before driving home.
It was a fun short trip.
They're so funny.

Concentrating on not falling

I LOVE her smile!!!!!

Swinging together

Brighton didn't know what to think :)
On April 22nd our little sweet Annie turned 4! I can't believe she is 4 now. She is so grown up. The night before her Birthday, I held her in my arms like a baby and cried. She loves it when I rock her but she didn't get why I was crying. I told her how sweet she is and that I was crying because she is growing up way to fast. It seems like only a short time ago we were bringing her home from the hospital. She was our everything! We have 2 other kids now and we can't give her all of our attention as we did when she first came to our family. She means the world to us though and we love so much about you Annie!

I love it that you are so beautiful! Everywhere we go people tell me how cute you are with your long eyelashes and your pretty curls. What a doll you are!

I love it that you are the best big sister ever! You are honestly so loving to your little brothers! You can tell that you just love to take care of them and you do so much for them. Thanks for being such a great helper.

I love it how much you love babies. You always want to hug and kiss them and squeeze them tight like you are doing here with your little baby Jensen :) I know that it is so hard for you to understand why mommy and daddy and others tell you to be soft with them because you have so much love you just want to share it! You are such a loving person and I love that.

Again, I love your beautiful smile! And I love how energetic you are. Even though you sometimes have so much energy I don't know what to do, I love it that you are such a passionate person who is so determined. I know you'll do great things in your life.

This was one of your very first smiles. You have loved your Daddy ever since you were a baby, and I love the special bond you have with Daddy and with Mommy. I love it that you look up to us and that you want to do whats right. You teach me more everyday then I teach you!

I love how tough you are! You were not afraid to do things like this then and you are not afraid to do things like this now :) You have always been so tough and I love it that you can pick yourself up and go on when you get hurt.

I love how creative you are. You are always coming up with things to do or creating something special out of your toys. You are never bored with what you have! I love how smart you are. I can't believe that you are only 4 and that you know how to read words and do all of the other things that you do! You are such a bright little girl.

I love how stinkin cute you are! You make me laugh so much all the time. You are so special and I am so thankful that you are in our family! Happy 4th Birthday Annie! I love you tons!!!!!!
I wanted to throw Annie a special party and that is what she got! We threw a Ball for her and had all her friends dress up like little princesses and princes. It was a lot of work but it turned out great and she absolutely loved being a princess...
Make a wish

Opening up presents - we were surrounded by a bunch of little princesses! It was so funny, watching their eyes get big with every present she opened.

Posing for a group picture. They were so funny - we couldn't get them to squeeze together :)

Prince Jensen found himself a Princess :)

How many kids can fit in our boat?

Playing a Cinderella Lost her shoe game. I think they were a little too young for some of the games that we planned, but it was funny watching them try to do it

I love this little girl so much!
The Castle cake. It fell over by the end of the party with all the little Princesses admiring it, but I'm glad we got a picture before that happened! Hope you had a fun day Princess Annie.


Family Easter Pictures


They are so adorable
Our first camping trip of the season:
Pretty View of Lake Roosevelt

Tyson saw this rattlesnake on the way home so he pulled over to take a closer look. I was scared so I waited in the truck. He freaked me out because as he got close to it with the camera he all of a sudden jumped back really fast. I thought for sure it was trying to bite him but he told me that he was just looking at it through the camera lense and saw it move, but he couldn't tell if it was coming toward him or not cause he was only seeing it through the lense. It was kinda funny cause it wasn't coming at him at all, but it gave us both a scare :)

It had actually been hit by a car and it was dying. Since it could hardly move Annie and Jensen got to go see it too. Annie had a disgusted look on her face the whole time.
Jensen just thought it was so cool.

Annie exploring on the river rocks

following Grandpa

Jensen and Brighton bundled up together. It was so freezing cold at night. I told Tyson I don't ever want to go camping in March again. We were miserable. Luckily Brighton slept with Tyson and he was the warmest one. Me and Jensen always get colder than the others and we were miserable. I felt so bad for him. I just kept waiting and hoping that morning would come and the sun would give us some heat! It was the longest night ever.


Eating the yummy food Grandpa Nichols prepared for us. He is such a good Dutch Oven Cook!

Of course whats camping without timeout

Trying to bundle up and stay warm

Brighton loved it - I think he is going to like the outdoors

All bundled taking a nap

Helping Grandpa and Daddy gather wood for the fire

Pretty view of the Lake - I felt bad for them though, they were freezing.
Overall it was a fun trip. It was just a little too cold for us. We got to see some really great scenery though! Thanks Dad for coming with us :)