Stout Stop

Christmas Traditions

2011-05-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

I know what you're all thinking, CHRISTMAS! REALLY? Well, yeah. I have been thinking about Christmas a lot lately. I don't know why but I just have. I'm thinking that perhaps it's a desire to be better prepared. Perhaps it's an unconscious fear... of things. Who knows what it is but I've been thinking about it a lot. I've only got a few gifts set aside for Christmas 2011 so far and I haven't even begun thinking about some things! lol

Christmas has been my absolute favorite time of year for such a long time. I love the spirit that surrounds Christmas and the feeling it gives you. I love trying to come up with creative gifts that are perfect for the person that I give it to. I adore everything that comes with, around and about Christmas but this last year was a little harder for me. I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit and we all know why. I know that it was even expected that it would be more difficult last year but it doesn't change how much I missed feeling the way I usually do at Christmas time. You all know how much I love Christmas, how I start listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies in like September or October and DEFINITELY by November 1st at the LATEST! I start my planning in June. Heck, I've already got a handful of gifts purchased and in the Christmas Closet already! Oh yeah, and then I guess there's the fact that I have a Christmas Closet. Our Christmas Closet is a stand alone closet, the type you would have in your garage, that has double doors on it that lock. We actually have 4 or 5 of these closets in our garage and one of them is dedicated to hiding gifts for Easter, birthdays and Christmas. It's the only one that has keys so that it can be locked. I wonder if someday the kids will discover it? LOL Well, for now, I think this secret is safe.

So this brings me to the reason for this post. I know it seems out of place to be writing about Christmas in May but it's been a long time since I've posted so I figured I have to jump in somewhere and this is what I've been thinking about lately. For the purpose of not forgetting, I started making a list of all the Christmas traditions that we have started with our family over the years. It was fun really thinking about all the little things we do. I decided to make the list because it seemed like every year I am always worried that I'm forgetting something and every year I almost always do! The other reason I wanted to make this list is because there were a few traditions that I still wanted to make. The biggest one for me was our Christmas Eve dinner. For years I've been wanting to set a traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Every year I'm so busy on Christmas Eve getting neighbor gifts delivered, upholding other Christmas Eve traditions and making sure everything is ready for the next day that I am always scrambling to come up with something for dinner that night and I don't want it to be lame. When I was growing up we always had pizza for dinner on Christmas Eve, it was fun and unorthodox and we loved it! We had pizza because it was easy and fast and we were so busy with tons of other stuff that day. So I wanted to come up with a traditional Christmas Eve dinner and during the course of the few days that I was working on the list of our family traditions I thought of something perfect! So, this is also a list of traditions I would like to start!

I would also like to say that I would LOOOOOOVE to hear about everyone's Christmas traditions. I am always curious to know what kind of things other families do. I also would love to know how other families plan their gift giving. Most people I know adhere to strict family budgets and I'm sure that has to extend to Christmas for most. So I wonder what solutions other families have put in place to accomplish this and what kind of traditions have been set.

So, with no further ado, here it is. Our Family Christmas Traditions List (in no particular order)!

- One night of driving around to look at Christmas lights as a family
- Group photo of kids in front of Christmas tree and other decorations
- A night at the dollar store so the kids can pick out and buy gifts for each other
- Calendar gifts for Grandparents
- 5 individual gift limit (3 from Santa, 2 from parents, we're thinking of changing this to 4 total, just 1 from parents)
- Rhodes Dough orange rolls for Christmas Morning Breakfast
- 1st Christmas Story and Pajamas on Christmas Eve
- Funeral potatoes and ham for Christmas Eve dinner (*NEW!)
- Dinner for 2 families the week before Christmas
- Make and deliver neighbor gifts with the kids
- Christmas cards, in envelope, marked with the year, stored with the decorations
- Christmas photo albums (*NEW!)
- Christmas letters to grandparents (*NEW!)

I'm sure I will add more to these few as time goes on and I remember more but these are the results so far.

Sawyer's Birthday, Kaiden's Birthday & Christmas

2010-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am playing catch up with the blog again! I'm not sure but I've had a hard time settling down to work on it. So here is a quick catch up of things. I know we're practically half-way into March but I'm going to try!

Here are some cute pictures from Sawyers 3rd Birthday! It's just so unfair that my baby is 3 now! Sometimes I wish we could make them stay little for a little bit longer!!

Richard is the cake decorator at our house. He made Sawyer a Kipper cake. Sawyer loves the Kipper cartoons & he loved his cake!

Sawyer LOVES hats so Rafi got him a cool captain's hat and a package that had fake, adhesive mustaches! Everyone loved them and tried them on! How awesome is that!

Kaiden's birthday this year was, once again, 10 days before Christmas. Funny how that works out every year ;) lol Anyway, we had a pretty fun day and capped it off by having his favorite dinner and cake and presents.

He got this jean jacket that he had been wanting. Looks pretty sweet!

Rich showed his decorating talents once again when he made Kaiden this awesome Bulbasaur cake. (for those of you that don't have Pokemon obsessed children, Bulbasaur is one of the original 150 pokemon)

We really did have a pretty great Christmas this year even with the tragedy of loss one week before. The kids had a good time and we did manage to get a few pictures on Christmas morning. Somehow, we usually seem to forget to take pictures of Christmas morning but we remembered this time and I'm glad!

I love to get a picture of the tree after Santa has come but before the kids get up in the morning.

All of the kids got these cool Pirate Patches & earrings in their stockings.

Katalin

2009-12-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Christmas Day and I am glad to be home to celebrate it with my wonderful husband, children and brother. I got in yesterday afternoon after several blessed events that got me into Salt Lake much earlier than I should have originally arrived. We've had a great Christmas morning and a relaxing day. It has been so nice.

As many of you know I lost my sister very unexpectedly exactly one week ago today. Katalin passed away after giving birth to her first child. Even though, technically, Katalin is my stepsister she and her sisters have been a part of my life since she was a baby and I never refer to them with "step" in front of "sister" because I just don't think that way.

Right now I am still very numb. Sometimes, over the last few days, when there has been a lull in things to occupy my hands and mind despite my efforts to keep myself constantly busy; I find myself wondering how it is that life outside of this tragedy has continued to go on? When I think about it I don't understand how it is that the world around me has not completely ceased to function. I know, of course, the answer to this question. I have people in my life that still need me, that need life to continue as normal. Just as everyone does. We all need that and now there is someone else in my life that needs that too. Katalin and Oscar's son Benjamin is doing well and needs his world to continue even if it can't include his beautiful, caring and vivacious mother.

I know these thoughts are so random and may not make any sense but I feel I need to say something, I need to get it out.

While I was in North Carolina trying to be of some help to my family during this difficult time I was privileged to be able to create the video slide-show that was displayed at Katalin's viewing. It was not easy to look at all those pictures and remember her and then realize that I would not see her again for a long time, that she would never get to see her son grow up and I almost couldn't finish it. But I knew everyone was counting on this so I had to find some way to make it through it. I decided I had to see those pictures and remember the wonderful things about her and think about how her son needed to see this someday and know as much as possible about his mother and know without a shadow of doubt that his mother loved him dearly.

Here are a few pictures of Benjamin. He is still in the NICU but is doing well and the night that I left Wilmington I got to hold him! I didn't have my camera with me at that visit but Oscar and Christy took some pictures for me so as soon as I get those I will post them. Here are some pictures that I got of him a few days before.

I thought I would share the video with you. It's just a very simple slide-show but it shows how beautiful my sister is and there are a few pictures of Benjamin at the end but for some reason I can't get it to upload so I will keep working on it and post it as soon as I can.

In the meantime, isn't Benjamin beautiful?!

Playing Catch Up!

2009-11-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been just horribly neglectful of the blog for the last several months but it really is time to make it up. So I'm going to play catch up in a little bit of a different way.

CAMPING TRIP
Back in August we took the family camping to this great camp ground in Idaho! I was SO excited! It has been FOREVER since the last time we went camping! This camp ground that we went to is very close to where Rich's grandparents used to live and when Rich was young and they would go visit his grandparents they would sometimes camp there. It closed several years ago but has just reopened again. It was a very lovely campground. We had a nice large campsite big enough for the kids to have lots of room to play. And the biggest highlight is their pool! They have a pool that is fed by the natural hot springs in the area and it is awesome! So even early in the morning when it's still pretty cold you can go swimming and it's pretty awesome because the water is SO nice and warm! I thought it was very nicely priced and we really did have a lot of fun!

While we were there we visited with one of Rich's Dads cousins and his wife. They live on a farm and it was such a treat for us! They pretty much live in the middle of nowhere in this hundred year old farm house. They were so nice to us and gave all of us a hayride! We had such a great little family vacation! It was a great way to spend our 12th Anniversary!

Here are some of the Pictures we got from our Camping Trip, enjoy!

Brenna's Birthday, Halloween & Rich's Birthday

My baby girl turned 4 back in September! I just can't believe it! Shortly after that we have Halloween and we had a blast this Halloween going trick or treating with cousins! It was awesome! A few days after Halloween is Rich's birthday. Here are some pictures from all of those events, hope you enjoy them!

We are Family!

2009-07-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love my new job? Well, I do! It is so much fun to look at pictures of all of the Weddings and families and Brides and kids. Of course, my job is not ALL just sitting around looking at pictures but it is one of the nice perks! Well it's been well over 2 years since we've had a family picture done so I thought... what a perfect opportunity! We have a lot of great photographers at work so I asked Sarah to do our pictures. She is so fantastic and I thought the pictures turned out great! Hope you like them as much as I did!

Sawyers Pictures!

2009-07-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

So here is the final installment of my kids portraits for 2009. I can't believe how big he's getting! It's so unfair! Hope you like them. Family pictures coming soon!

My Pretty Little Girl!

2009-07-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can tell by the last few posts it's picture time again at my house! I got some pretty good pictures of Brenna over the weekend. I know which one is my favorite! What's yours?

Kaiden Portraits '09

2009-07-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorites from Kaidens pictures this year. I think they turned out pretty good! Hope you like them!

Jocelynn is turning 11!

2009-06-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is Jocelynn's 11th birthday! I can hardly believe how grown up she is now and how beautiful! Here are some of her new portraits, I thought it was appropriate to have them done right around her birthday! I hope you enjoy them. It was so hard to narrow it down to just a few! I have 50 of my favorites posted on Facebook! lol

Sisters & Vegas Baby!

2009-05-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

So this past week I had the opportunity to take another little overnight trip to Las Vegas! My friends Wendy & Diane were going down with Diane's daughter Jill for the Memorial Day weekend. Wendy really wanted me to come down too so I flew down Sunday morning and then drove back to Utah with them on Monday afternoon. I had so much fun the last time and was really looking forward to enjoying such a fun city again! The morning I got in we went to an awesome breakfast buffet and then headed back to the hotel for Wendy, Diane and Jill to get some rest before heading out on the town for the evening! I wasn't that tired so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to go and visit my sister Stephanie and her family. They are in Las Vegas for the summer while Britton (Stephanie's husband) is interning at a law firm there. They are staying pretty close to the hotel where we were so I just borrowed Wendy's car and headed over to see them for a few hours. I had a great time and Jack was so adorable showing me all of his toys and we played and he asked me where Brenna was about a hundred times! He is just the cutest thing! So while I was there I decided it was a good time to get some pictures of me and Stephanie together. We haven't done that in such a long time! I also got some cute pictures of Stephanie just being pregnant! Here are some of my favorites!

Here is an adorable picture of Jack

Here is a pic of Steph... I know her eyes are closed but she's still cute!

She so cute while she's being pregnant.

Here is a picture of mom... I MEAN STEPHANIE!!! LOL Just kidding but doesn't she look like mom in this picture!

Here are some sister pictures!

So back at the hotel after visiting Stephanie I took some pictures of us getting ready for the night!

Here is a video that I took of the fountain show at the Bellagio, it was fabulous!

Bellagio Fountain Show

I also had to post proof that we actually do get out in the daytime in Las Vegas!
Wendy and I went and got some hena tatoo's for her. We both got them last time but this time I didn't really want to but we went to a different place this time and they turned out SO much nicer than last time!! So I kind of wish I had gotten one this time! LOL! Oh well, maybe next time! After we killed some time letting her hena's dry a bit we headed to this Indian buffet that was close by on the strip there and had lunch before leaving town. We were the ONLY white people in the whole HUGE restaurant but it was so awesome to be such a minority! The food was really good but we kind of figured it would be considering the astonishing concentration of Indian people that were there! The last picture here is a picture of this great mural that was painted on the wall in the restaurant.

Rich and I got AWAY!

2009-03-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Rich and I got to do something I've been dreaming of for years and years! We took a long weekend and went on a little trip ALONE, without any kids! I was excited to go on our trip but I was SO worried about leaving the kids and both of us being away from them at the same time for so long! We've never both been away from them for more than 1 night and even then, we weren't usually allowed to take more than 12 hours at the MOST(that's a whole other story, though) accept for when my sister watched the kids for us last year! We went several years (like 5) without taking even a night to ourselves (part of the other story) and even very rarely get to go out on dates. I know that most couples go on dates once a week or at least every few weeks or so but getting Rich to take me out on a date, just the two of us, more than once every two or three months is like an act of congress!
So I had a work thing that I took time off for that ended up being postponed and Rich had taken the time that I was going to be gone off to be home with the kids. Since I no longer had to go we decided to take a little trip together! Even though I was aprehensive to leave the kids at first, we had such a great time! We had a few things planned that were completely ruined by the fact that the entire time we were there it was rainy and cold and then it snowed the day we left! But we got to visit some old haunts and eat fantastic food (as always)! We're hoping to go back to NC with the kids this summer on vacation and do all the normal stuff and hopefully it won't be 40 degrees and rainy/snowy! Here are a few pictures we got while we were out there.

While we were there I got to see my cousin Jimmy and his boys! Here is a picture of him with his youngest boy Evan. He is 18 months old!

This is a picture of Jimmy's oldest son Austin who just turned 3 last month!

Here we are on Sunday of our trip! (imagine me singing) "Ju-ust the two of us!"

Here is another one that we got someone to take of us in front of the Cape Fear River. We had a lovely walk down town even though it was a little chilly and rainy. It was nice to be home and really have the time to take things in at our own pace!

Jocelynn & Kaiden Dance!

2009-03-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ok so Jocelynn and Kaiden had a little dance program at school. They learned different dances. Kaiden learned the Fox Trot and Jocelynn learned Lindy Hop. It was soooooo adorable! Kaiden danced with a girl and I couldn't stand it it was so CUTE! Anyway, here are some videos of them dancing! Jocelynn really seems to have it down but the poor boy she's dancing with... well... poor kid! Hope you enjoy the videos as much as I did!!! Oh and I couldn't get them to upload here to blogger so I had to up load them to YouTube and post a link. Sorry about that!

Here is Jocelynn! (Dancing with a BOY!!)

Here is Kaiden! (Dancing with a GIRL!! Could this be cuter!???!!)

25 Random things about Becky

2009-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose people to be tagged. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you!

1)I'm thinking very seriously about having my name legally changed.

2)I am an absolute freak about the TV show Friends. I have all 10 seasons on DVD and can NOT watch the episodes out of order. I also play Friends trivia almost everyday on facebook while I work. I rank pretty high too!

3)Music can change my mood in seconds! I don't listen to much country music because I don't like to be depressed.

4)If I couldn't read I think I would be completely devistated.

5)Speaking of reading, I've read the Harry Potter series between 10 & 12 times all the way through. With the exception of book 5 which I've only read 6 times, book 6, I've read 5 times & book 7 which I've only read 4 times.

6)I read books over and over and over if I like them. I mark the inside cover of all of the books I own each time I read it because one day when I'm gone and my children or grandchildren inherit my most treasured books I want them to be able to open the inside cover and see how many times I read that book. (Yes, I know how much of a freak that makes me!)

7)A long, hot bath and a locked bathroom door are two of my best friends!

8)I have been married to my husband for almost 12 years and I'm still just as in love with him (if not more so)as I was when we first got married.

9)I really miss the whole being pregnant/giving birth/new baby experience.

10)My husband and I joke that I am the guy and he is the girl.

11)I have the most beautiful children in the world...SERIOUSLY! They ARE! Well, I think they are. There are 4 wonderful kids, 2 girls and 2 boys. Jocelynn 10, Kaiden 9, Brenna 3, Sawyer 2

12)I have noticed lately that most of the celebreties that I find attractive bare a striking resemblance to my husband! LOL

13)I enjoy working and do it because I want to, not because I have to. Though, I do believe it is time for a change of departments. I like having a job that challenges me and gives me variety.

14)I have two sisters that are younger than my own two oldest children. One sister is 6 months younger than Jocelynn and one sister is 4 months younger than Kaiden. (Each are from different parents & their respective spouses)

15)There are only 2 scents that drive me crazy in a sexual way one is kind of ordinary... Cool Water cologne. The other one is a little odd... it's Rich's deoderant!lol I also love the natural smell of his breath (not his morning breath lol)

16)I often start singing or humming songs, that are playing in my head, mid-conversation with out realizing it.

17)No one is more important in my life that Richard and my kids.

18)My friend Wendy tells me that I should include the fact that I have a good eye for makeup. I can usually just look at someone and tell what "season" they are, what colors would look good on them, that kind of thing.

19)I used to work on film crews when I was young and have even dated a few celebreties (before they were really, really famous)

20) I wonder where propriety went in our society? I am quite certain it is mostly lost. A very sad thing indeed.

21) I drink out of a straw in a weird way... I didn't realize it was odd until I was a teenager and one of my boyfriends teased me mercilessly about it.

22) I am very, very excited for my first ever weekend getaway with my husband! (we've never been away from our kids alone together for more than one night) I leave tomorrow! YAY!

23) My music tastes are shocking to most people that know me. (I don't know why!??!! lol)

24) My first kiss with Richard wasn't until AFTER we decided to get married! (a little odd for me)

25) Well, this one I'm going to have to keep to myself. It's a secret.

Richard's wonderful talent!

2008-12-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

Every year we exchange gifts within our respective families. This year on the Stout side of the family we had Keri in the exchange. Several years ago Rich started to make Keri a quilt rack because he knew she wanted one. He never actually got around to finishing it, what with his busy schedule and all... This is the first year we've had Keri in many years of gift exchanges and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to finish the quilt rack to give her. It turned out soooooo beautiful that I am a little jealous!!! ;) Anyway, here are some pictures of it and a chance, once again, for me to brag about how very talented and wonderful my husband is! Isn't it fantastic!!??

Our 2 Thanksgivings!

2008-11-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

This year we got to have two fabulous Thanksgivings. On Thursday we went to Rich's parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great dinner with lots of really good food and a nice peaceful time spent with family. On Saturday we got together with my brother and sisters and thier families. Now, we usually do our get together on Saturday but we usually skip the traditional Thanksgiving and have soups instead. This year we decided to go for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and it was all fantastic! We got a chance to have some real southern Thanksgiving specialties like my Grandmama's stuffing, pecan pie & collards! All the food was delicious and we had tons left over! I think Rich and I probably gained about 20 pounds this week! Here are some pictures we got of our Thanksgiving celebrations!

Thanksgiving with the Stout's

-Jocelynn spent the night with Aunt Keri on Wednesday night and she taught Jocelynn how to crochet! So this is where we found Jocelynn and Keri most of the time that we weren't eating on Thursday! It was so cute!

-You would think we never feed this kid! Whenever he his hungry and there is anyone in the kitchen at our house he'll go and sit at the table! As if to say "oh good! You're here! I'm starving! You're going to feed me, right?" So as soon as we walked into the house at Rich's parents he saw the nicely set table and went immediately over to it and sat down and waited! So, I just had to have a picture of it!

-Grandpa carving the turkey!

-Aunt Diana, Rafi and Brenna playing with those funky blocks that are so cool!

-Or maybe it's just Rafi...

-Looks like he might have persuaded Brenna to try it too!

-Some fun people pictures... Rich fell asleep in the chair after all that turkey!

-Keri

-A great picture of Grammy & Grandpa!

A Berg/Juarez Thanksgiving

-Jack after dinner

-Sawyer just being cute

-Maria & Jeremy trying to recover after our devistatingly delicious dinner!

-Jocelynn & Jack making their placemats!

-Kaiden waiting for me to get to him...

-The cutest kids on earth making their placemats!

-Britton enjoying dessert...

-Fun and Games...

Just for fun pics!

Wooden Cars & Trucks!

2008-11-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of the wooden car and truck that Rich made for Sawyer for his birthday this year. He makes them every two or three years and they are always a big hit! We've had a few requests for them again and Rich just loves woodworking and they take hardly anytime at all so he will be making a few sets. If anyone wants some let me know!

Sawyer's birthday and Twilight!

2008-11-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

It was Sawyers birthday yesterday! I am having a little bit of a hard time with the fact that my baby turned 2!!! I just can't get over it! Here are some pictures we got last night of his little celebration!

Sawyer eating his birthday dinner...

Brenna excited for cake...

How much does Sawyer look like Rich in this picture!?!

Sawyer opens his presents...

Look at this cool wooden car Rich made for him for his birthday! He also made him a truck, they are so cool! Rich is so talented!

*On a side note I don't think I really realized how long my hair has gotten again until I saw those last few pictures. Wow! I still think it's pretty, though...

Last night was also the Twilight Premier. A small group of us went Me, Rafi, Steph, Maria and Jeremy. We had a blast and it was soooo crazy! There were tons of people, every theater was sold out and it felt like we were at the fair or something! I had every intention of taking my camera with us to document our fun outing!!! Unfortunately, that didn't happen, I completely forgot to stick in my purse on the way out the door so I only got this one picture of myself :( It actually turned out to be pretty good so I thought I would show it to everyone!

Halloween and Rich's Birthday!

2008-11-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, you wanna hear something really, really weird about Utah? Every year for Halloween the elementary school kids wear their Halloween costumes to school and in the morning all the parents and grandparents and just about everyone comes to the school and the kids put on a parade. All the the kids, every class, parade all through the school in their costumes so everyone can see how they're dressed up (I guess, I guess that's what it's for?) So anyway, I just thought I would explain this to all of you that aren't from Utah or Idaho since those are the only states that have these really odd habits. These first Halloween pictures are of Jocelynn and Kaiden walking in their school parade in their costumes.

Jocelynn came first she dressed like a baby this year and man, that idea seemed to have caught on like wild fire because I must have seen at least 20 other girls dressed up as babies. (I hate that!)She looked adorable and those footie pajamas were the only thing I had to purchase for Halloween this year!

Kaiden was dressed as Paul Bunyan this year. He had an ax, of course, that Rich made him but anything that could be used as or resembles a weapon can't be brought to school so for the Parade Rich took a big peice of cardboard and drew (freehand) a picture of "Babe - the blue ox" from the disney animated version of Paul Bunyan. It turned out great and Kaid looked so awesome!

I'm a little sad that we kind of a hard Halloween night. It was raining, but not very cold, thank goodness, and I didn't have dinner done as early as I would have liked. Sawyer had been grumpy all day and fell asleep right before dinner. So we decided to give him time to sleep but then he didn't want to go trick or treating or put on his costume or anything! It was kind of sad and needless to say I didn't get any pictures of him wearing his costume. Brenna also refused to put on the hood of her horse costume because she didn't want to mess up her "pretties" (which is the hair thing holding up her ponytail) so no one could really tell what she was! On top of that we were in such a hurry to get the trick or treating before it started raining again that I only got a few pictures. Next year I will just have to be better prepared. Here are the pictures I did get and the kids were not happy that I was making them put off trick or treating to take these!

Ok, now Rich's birthday is just 2 days after Halloween and I tried really hard to make sure he had a really good birthday this year. Rafi was very sweet and babysat the night before his birthday and we had one of the best dates we've ever had. We went to dinner and then he wanted to walk around his favorite store, you guessed it - Home Depot. I got lot's of great ideas for Christmas so that was really nice for me, he is really hard to shop for. After that we thought we'd try to go see a movie so we headed over to Jordan Commons but we just couldn't find a movie that we really wanted to see. So we decided to check out the dollar theater. We got there 15 minutes before Get Smart was starting and decided to see that. It was soooo AWESOME!!! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, it is definately a must have! The next day on his actual birthday I made him a really nice dinner but he cooked his own steaks on the grill (because you all know how he is about that grill!) I made roast potatoes and we had rolls and salad and lots of good food. It was great. Here are some pictures we got from that night!

Two New Posts

2008-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like I always make posts in two's but I guess that's the way it is! There are two new posts, just so you know!

Brenna got a haircut!

2008-10-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Brenna's hair has been completely out of control. When she wakes up in the morning it is just a rats nest and is just torturous to brush it. She starts to cry the minute she sees the brush. When it was wet it was only an inch or two from her waist. So I thought that maybe if it were a little shorter it might be more managable and maybe not get so tangled all the time. So I cut it. It is her very first haircut so I was a little traumatized by it. But it turned out really cute, here are some pictures I took today.

I also got some cute pictures of the rest of the kids as well. Here are the babies, so cute!

Jocelynn and Brenna in their matching nightgowns that Aunt Keri made them for Christmas last year.

Kaiden and Sawyer are so cute!

Well, I hope you enjoyed all the fun pictures!

Family Dinner

2008-10-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

I think for the first time I actually decided to take some pictures at our family dinner and we really should do it more often. We ate some Blackbean casserole and had a good time visiting and catching up with each other. Here are some of the shots I was able to get that night!
Here are some happy couples!

Most everyone sitting around chatting after dinner!

Rafi: dark & brooding

Rafi: seemingly after having gone insane...

Steph- doesn't she look fantastic in that color!?!

Maria all preg-e-nant!

More chatting, later.

Brenna and Jack- too cute to handle.

It was a great family dinner, the next one will be right after Thanksgiving! I can't wait!

The MOM Post (and TAG)

2008-10-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Answer these things about your mom from A-Z

A- Activity you like to do with your mom? ~my mom is an excellent roller skater, we share that interest but haven't gone together in years.

B- Brings on every trip? ~her bathroom stuff in a clear plastic bag, way before it was common practice!

C- Call her for the most? ~to ask her cooking questions

D- Depend on her for the most? ~to tell me that I'm not the only one! (you know what I mean)

E- Embarassing moment (hers)? ~ definately the time she put out a fire in the kitchen naked in front of one of my friends

F- Forgets the most? ~just about everything but probably where she put her keys

G- Gift she gave you? ~she gave me a beautiful porcelain angel that I keep on my mantle, I really love it!

H- Hid from her? ~that I had a 2 peice swim suit that I layed out in when she wasn't home. I got it at a yard sale when I was 15, she didn't find it til I was packing my things to move out of the house when I was getting married.

I- Is obsessive about? ~right now coupons but I can understand why...

J- Jealous of? ~people that have more coupons than she does? ok, ok...probably people that live in places where it snows in the winter, she really loves snow

K- Kill you if she knew? ~oooh, maybe that I was really dating a guy that she thought I was "just friends" with.

L- Lives near or far? ~way too far- I live in Utah, she lives in North Carolina

M- Memory that makes you smile? ~the really awesome birthday parties and slumber parties she used to throw for us!

N- Never leaves the house with out? ~her coupon book?

O- On her bedside table? ~a glass of water

P- Perfect at? ~she makes the worlds best cinamon rolls and sticky buns, she is a perfect cook!

Q- Quality you love the most? ~her undying ethusiasm for everything! She's always up for doing something and gets very excited about whatever she's doing.

R- Really hates? ~when we sit on the couch next to her and stick our feet under her butt and wiggle our toes!

S- Secret celebrity crush? ~I'm going to go with Eric Stoltz (she loves red heads)

T- Tells everyone? ~about coupons! I'm kidding, (but only a little) that she feels like she lives in an I Love Lucy re-run

U- Under her bed? ~christmas presents probably!

V- Van, car or SUV? ~we both drive the same type of minivan

W- Wacky thing she does? ~what wacky thing doesn't she do, should be the question!
No, seriously probably her commercial cleanups (but it's a great idea and good motivator)!

X- always has eXtra of? ~lately, it seems like she always has extra pants in Jocelynn's size!

Y- Yuletide tradition (favorite)? ~I think her favorite tradition used to be when Papa reads the Christmas story out of the Bible and played carols on his guitar on Christmas eve but I haven't been able to spend Christmas with my family for 12 years so I wouldn't know what they do anymore.

Z- favorite animal at the Zoo? ~Panda Bear, I can't remember why...that's funny, it's mine too, but I really love black and white.

Ok, now I tag Maria, Steph, Wendy, Rob, Patrea and Ashley! Can't wait to see your answers!

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, in true Mom-like tradition (my mom) I am posting a very cool coupon idea for the trick or treating season! My friend Wendy sent me a link to a blog that has a fantastic idea for Halloween this year that I had never heard of! Here is a link to the blog check it out for yourself!

Jocelynn's Solo

2008-10-01T13:48:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was our Primary Program at church. Jocelynn sang a solo in the program. She did such a beautiful job and created such a wonderful spirit. I, of course, was in tears and Rich was tearing up too(which is saying a lot)! After the meeting so many people came up to tell us (and her) what a great job she did and how moved they were. I think she was really pleased. When they first asked her to sing she didn't really think she wanted to but changed her mind after giving it a little thought. Anyway, here is a little photo slide show that I put together with a recording of her singing the second verse of "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" the entire primary sang the chorus. I hope you all enjoy it! (I don't know why the first picture is fuzzy, sorry about that!)

New Posts!

2008-09-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

There are 2 new posts, be sure to check them both out!

Brenna's 3rd Birthday!!!!

2008-09-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Brenna turned 3 years old on Sunday! Since Rich had to work that day we celebrated her birthday on Saturday with a few family members. Here are some pictures we got to mark the occasion!

Now Here are some pictures of the WAR!! It was pretty funny! I knew that Brenna and Sawyer would fight over the car so I bought one for each of them for their birthdays. I wouldn't have been able to do this with out Nana & Poppy contributing to the purchase of the cars as part of their gift. Now Sawyers birthday isn't until November and I thought we'd all be able to endure the fighting until then but I think I underestimated just how ticked off Sawyer would be that he didn't get a car too! Anyway, I have never seen them behave so badly! It was unreal! I really wish we had it on video because the screaming was unbelievable! I was trying so hard not to laugh. So in the end Rafi says to me "You know Beck, he'll never remember that he didn't get his car on his birthday." I decided he was right I told him to go get the other one and put it together and things got a lot better after that! Well, here are some pictures of the War! This is me trying to restrain Sawyer... This is Sawyers protest(it was pretty loud)!

So here he is happy with his own car!

Here is a little video of Brenna blowing out her candles...well, sort of...

Kaiden Our Soccer Dude!!!

2008-09-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Kaiden starting playing soccer this year and I thought I'd show everyone all the fun! Here are some pictures from Kaiden's first game!

HEROES!!!

2008-09-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I picked up my laptop and started watching a show called Heroes that I've heard is very good. I didn't know anything about it at all. I couldn't stop watching it! It was unreal! I stayed up every night until at least 1:00, sometimes two or three, trying to watch as many episodes as I could. I love a lot of shows, I have sung the praises of Friends and Roswell for years watching all the episodes of every seasons from my DVD collection over and over and over again. While I still love the wonderful entertainment Friends and Roswell provides Heroes has got to be the best show I have ever seen IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!! It is a very odd coincidence that I should finish watching season two just a few minutes ago and decided to visit the show's official site only to discover that the first episode of season three aires tonight!!!! I can not get over how incredible that is and how I am now going to be the biggest fan ever. This is a show that I MUST own on DVD one day. I just have to say... anyone that hasn't seen the show, watch it! If you have be sure to tune in the the 3 hour season premier tonight! I'll be sitting in front of my tv tonight!!!

Twilight Trailer

2008-09-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is a link to a Twilight Trailer spoof that I could not stop laughing at!!! You all know that I love Twilight but this really was funny you should check it out!

Hope you like it too! Twilight Trailer Spoof

These wonderful women I love!

2008-08-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know I just spent an amazing weekend in Washington DC with my Mom, Aunt Candy, Sisters (Maria & Steph), and Jessica (who is, dare I say, a cousin-in-law of sorts) my cousin Aaron's girlfriend. We had a blast seeing the sites, familiarizing ourselves with the subway, eating fabulous food, staying in a nice hotel and enjoying all the girl time we could squeeze into one weekend! I really had such a great time being with my family and getting to know Jessica who is now just as much a member of our family now as Aaron is (maybe more so!) So, to start our trip off Stephanie, Wendy (my friend), and I got on a plane headed for San Diego on Thursday afternoon. My friend Wendy was tagging along on our plane ride also headed to the DC area to visit a friend of hers and meet a friend of mine. From San Diego we took a red eye flight to DC and arrived Friday morning very early. Friday also just happened to be my 11th Wedding anniversary. After being pretty sleep deprived I was a little emotional about that. That morning I spent a few hours with Wendy and my friend Rob, who I haven't seen in years. We headed down town and saw a few things... Dupont Circle, Embassy Way and the portion of the Berlin Wall that is located at Johns Hopkins University where Rob works. We got some breakfast and then headed to the Temple. Wendy had never been to the east coast before and really wanted to see the temple. We first went to the bookstore because I really wanted to see if they had a porcelain Washington DC temple since Rich and I don't have one. Unfortunately, they didn't have one so I didn't buy anything there. When we arrived at the temple and walked around the grounds I just happened to look down at my phone and realized that I was standing in front of the Temple at the exact moment that Rich and I had walked out of the front doors 11 years before as a newly married couple. That's about when I got a little emotional. I took a picture of the temple with my phone and sent it to Rich. Here are a few other pictures I was able to take at the temple that day.
Around lunch time we met up with my sisters and my mom. I said good bye to Wendy and Rob and us girls went to pick up Aunt Candy and Jessica from the airport. After that we headed to the hotel to check in and then headed out into the city for lunch and to explore. We took a test ride on the subway and walked around and saw a few sights down town. It was pretty awesome. Then we headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep so we would be well rested for our big day Saturday. Here are some really great pictures I got on Saturday. Here's Mom and Aunt Candy riding the subway. I coined a new nick-name for them while we were out. I guess I never realized how similar they look, so now I affectionately refer to them as the Double Mint Twins. Here's Steph on the subway, she sure does love to ride that rail! So, I'm really sorry to say that I am not totally sure that this is what I think it is but here goes... I think this is a replica of the Liberty Bell Here are some pictures from the Capitol building Ok, old ladies first, oops I mean Ladies first... no "old"! So, we all know what this is!!!! (drum roll please...) Here's the Washington Monument Here are some pictures of Aunt Candy and Jessica holding it in their hands! Wow, they're pretty strong! Here are some pictures from the Jefferson Memorial.

This is a video I took of what is etched into the marble at the top of the wall in the Jefferson Memorial. I really loved what it said and you will have to excuse my shaky video work. This is a round room and I was trying to keep the words in my sights while I spun in a circle trying not to run into anyone else!

Here are the Double Mint Twins again!

Here are a couple more pictures of the Washington Monument. I love how beautiful the sky is behind it the second one.

This is a painting of The Beatles that is hanging in The Hard Rock Cafe there in DC.

Here we all are at The Hard Rock Cafe about to have lunch. It was the best burger I've ever eaten in my life, seriously!

Move Over, George! It's my house now! (Come on, we all know I'd do a better job than Obama!)
We made it to the front gates of the White House, it was pretty awesome!

We went to the Smithsonian National Art Museum. Here's a slightly funny story, this first picture was actually a piece of art placed somewhat centrally in this very large, long room. Maria and I were sitting on the couches you can see in background about fifty yards away or so from this particular piece of "art". Mom and Aunt Candy and were up near it and Mom starts talking and I'm thinking "Why is mom talking to that woman? She obviously isn't responding to her and wants to be left alone!" Mom eventually walked away and I got up and headed their way only to discover that the woman was not real, she was a piece of art! I was a little bit embarassed!

I just loved this beautiful Pianoforte

My Beautiful New Book!

2008-07-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, Rich thinks I am such a dork for taking pictures of my new book (not to mention posting them on the blog!). But I am so excited that I finally got this book that I have been wanting for so long! I also think it is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen! So much so, that I almost didn't want to read it but I just couldn't resist! It is a one volume version of Jane Austen's collected works. Or maybe I should say a collection of her completed novels because of course she had at least one or two other novels that she was not able to complete before she died and then there are the short stories she wrote in her youth. (which I hope to own as well one day since I do believe they have been published)
Anyway, I hope you like my pretty book!

ps- there are two new posts, so be sure to check them both out!
Is anyone else as excited as I am for Friday night!?!

Just some cute pictures of Brenna!

2008-07-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures that we have taken over the last few weeks I thought everyon might enjoy!

We've found Brenna asleep in some random places here are some pictures we caught of that!
These first ones are where she had fallen asleep watching The Wiggles on the computer.

This next one she did fall asleep in the bed, it was just the position she was in that was pretty funny. She fell asleep watching Meet the Robinsons (one of her favorite movies).

When we go check on the kids at night we find this a LOT!

Memory Lane...

2008-07-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Memory Lane... This seems fun I hope you will play along. Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together (It can be a memory with either Becky, Rich or both). It doesn't matter if you knew me/us a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

New Posts!!

2008-07-06T13:18:00.001-07:00

Hello Blog Viewers!!! I just wanted to let you know that I have done three posts today alone so be sure that you check them all out if you are looking at our blog! Thanks for looking!

Sight Seeing!

2008-07-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

We did a little sight seeing while our family was in town here are a few documentations of our fun! Stephanie found this fantastic thing for us called "The Connect Pass" which got us into tons of really cool stuff for one price. It was soooo worth it and the pass included luch at the Lion House! Well, hope you enjoy!

The Zoo

The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point

Berg Family Portraits

2008-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows Dad, Christy and McKenzie just came out for a week to visit me and my sister Stephanie and our families (but probably the grandkids, mostly!). Steph and I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a picture with them. We would really love to have one with our stepsisters and thier families as well, but I guess you take what you can get when you can get it! A very big thanks to Rich's dad for taking the pictures for us! Well, here are a few of the pictures of our beautiful family!

McKenzie's Portraits

2008-07-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

After seeing the pictures I had taken of my kids during thier visit my Dad asked me to take some of McKenzie. I thought they turned out really great, here are a few of my favorites! Hope you like them!

Kids Portraits 2008

2008-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

I started what has become a new tradition last year when, sick of paying outrageous prices for proffesional portrait studio pictures, I picked up our new digital camera and decided to try my hand at doing the pictures myself. I was so pleased with the results that I decided right then and there that I would take the kids pictures myself each year from now on. I have completed the pictures over the course of the last week of the kids and thought I would share some of the best with you all! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Jocelynn Ashley Stout

Kaiden Richard Stout

Brenna Jacqueline Stout

Sawyer James Stout

Sawyer was not very happy about having his picture taken and I wasn't able to get as many shots of him as I would have liked, but I got some pretty cute ones. I think you can all tell which one I will be hanging on the wall! I may try to catch him another day when he's happier, we'll see. It's funny how I never noticed how much Sawyer looks like Richard until I looked at these photos! I always thought he looked a lot like Kaiden did at his age and then I saw these and with the exception of Sawyer having lighter hair it's pretty amazing how similar they look!

Which Disney Princess are you?

2008-06-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

You Are Belle!

Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your apperance. Also, you make judgements of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

ABC Tag

2008-06-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

A} ATTACHED OR SINGLE: Attached, 11 years in August! Can you believe it??!!
B} BEST FRIEND: Rich (if you don't count spouses then Stephanie, if you don't count siblings then screw you!)
C} CAKE OR PIE: Always and forever and ever CAKE!!!!
D} DAY OF CHOICE: I really don't know. Probably Saturday or Sunday because, other than work, I get to spend all my time with the kids. And of course, any day I get to spend with Rich is my favorite too!
E} ESSENTIAL ITEMS: tweezers, I have several pairs and I use them for all kinds of things people would never think of. Also, ice!
F} FAVORITE COLOR: Red
G} GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS:Neither, I don't like gummy candy at all!
H} HOMETOWN: Wilmington, North Carolina
I} INDULGENCE: Tiramisu or Italian Creme Cake, Hershey Symphony bars, Truffles
J} JANUARY OR JULY: July
K} KIDS?: 4! (now that is mind blowing!) Jocelynn 9-almost 10, Kaiden 8, Brenna 2-3 in September and Sawyer 18 months
L} LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT: Rich or my babies!
M} MARRIAGE DATE: August 15, 1997
N} NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS:12-- 1 whole sister, Stephanie. 3 half sisters, Maria, Carly, McKenzie. 3 half brothers, Rafi, Boe and Marcus. 4 Step-sisters, Krysten, Kara, Kylie and Katalin
O} ORANGES OR APPLES: both (if they're the right kind)
P} PHOBIAS OR FEARS: Bad things happening to the people I love, falling from a drastic height (you should see how I lean across the car when we drive up into the mountains!)
Q} QUOTE: "You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the US of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are names Bush, Dick and Colon." --Chris Rock
"Everyone should have kids. They are the greatest joy in the world. But they are also terrorists. You'll realize this as soon as they are born and they start using sleep deprivation to break you." --Ray Romano
"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man." --Rabindranath Tagore
R} REASON TO SMILE: So very, very many!
S} SUPERMAN OR WONDERWOMAN? Most definately Superman
T} TAG 5 PEOPLE: Wendy, Steph, Maria... oh well!
U} UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT ME: I love John Goodman, totally think he's hot!
V} VEGETABLES: Love them lately!
W} WORST HABIT: talking too much
X} X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND: Ultrasound
Y} YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: Southern
Z} ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

Wedding Post

2008-06-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

1. What date is your anniversary?
August 15th

2.Where did you get married?
We were married in the Washington DC Temple

3. Who proposed and how?
This is a very interesting story...
Rich and I weren't really dating when he "unofficially" proposed to me. We were on our way back to Rexburg from Pocatello and having a very serious conversation about some decisions I had to make about a guy that I had been seeing. I really did like Richard but I didn't know whether or not he liked me in that way. I finally went way out on a limb during our conversation and straight out asked him how he felt about. His reply (after an eternally long pause) was "Well, I was seriously considering asking you to marry me." I was so shocked that, looking back, it was a good thing I was sitting down! I probably would have passed out! I didn't even know he liked me! I have no idea what was said the rest of the trip home. I don't even remember speaking! I remember calling him very early the next morning and yelling at him because I knew I was supposed to marry him, but I didn't know what I was going to do about that other guy I had been seeing. After I took my last final that day I walked up to his apartment in the rain and we had a long discussion. I basically asked him if he was serious about what he had said and asked him when he was planning on this happening. We talked a lot of things over. I told him how I felt and we had our first kiss late that night. Our "official" engagement was about a month later. We had already started making wedding plans from opposite ends of the country. I was in North Carolina for the summer and he was in Utah. He came out to visit me right before my birthday in May and we went hiking along the nature trails in the woods near the University. We got to a very romantic spot where there was a beautiful lake. I stopped on the bridge to watch the snapping turtles swim around the lake and he pulled me over to the bench there and we sat down. He handed me a wrapped box (it was large) and said "Happy Birthday". I told him it wasn't my birthday yet but opened the package. The card read "Becky, will you be my one and only? I love you with all my heart and soul." Inside was a little porcelain figurine of a little girl and boy, the boy was on one knee holing a long stemmed rose up to the girl and tied to the rose was my engagement ring. He asked me to marry him, I said yes and he put the ring on my finger.

4. How long were you engaged? Unofficially...almost 4 months. Officially...almost 3 months.

5. What was the favorite part of your wedding day? (besides who you were marrying, hopefully) It was definately how happy I was that day and how nothing could have possibly spoiled that feeling. I'm sure something could have and probably did go wrong, but I didn't notice or care. I'll never forget how I felt that day!

6. What would you change if you could? I might have wished for it to have been a little cooler (it was like 104 degrees) but other than that, the only other thing I would have changed was that I would have made sure I took a picture of everyone that came to our wedding together on the steps of the temple. We forgot to do that and I wish we had.

7.Wedding colors? I had very antique, kind of 1940's colors. Pale pink and pale peach, cream, white and dark green. It was very traditional and pretty, I think. Kind of classic colors that never go out of style. You can see them in my bouquet in the picture below.

8.Do you remember anything special from your ceremony? Any good advice? A comical moment? I remember something kind of significant that really meant a lot to me but it was almost 10 years later. My sister Maria was married in the DC temple last summer and Brother Redd, who sealed Richard and me also performed their sealing. It really made me tear up a lot at the her wedding.

9.Were you clean or messy when you cut your wedding cake? We were pretty clean, but Rich smeared some of the icing on my cheek while he was feeding it to me.

10.Where did you go on your honeymoon? We went to the Poconos, we were already close by. The day after we were married we went to Hershey Park it was really fun, but so hot!

11.How long have you been married now? This August 15th will be 11 years. I can hardly believe it's been so long! I love you Rich!

Our Wall!!!

2008-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Look at how beautiful our new wall is! I am very excited to see this finally coming around! Rich is very talented with these castle block walls. He put in an absolutely beautiful one at his grandparents house when we were first married that was multi-tiered (that I was very proud of). We have intended to put this up for at least three years to replace the ugly railroad ties that were in its place. I just had to gloat a little and say..."Look at what a beautiful wall my husband built!"

Mothers Day!

2008-05-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

We hope you all have a great Mothers Day! We love you! Please excuse my videography work, I am just starting out! I hope you all like the video and please excuse the sound, I think it was a little harsh. I think our camera's microphone is just very sensitive!

Sawyer's Computer Wars!

2008-04-14T15:28:00.001-07:00

Sawyer has this little move we call "The Computer Wars" It takes place when someone is on the computer and he decides he wants their attention. He climbs into the chair the person is sitting in from behind in between the top of the chair and seat and wedges himself between the person and the chair. He begins flailing his arms in an attempt to beat the person to death resulting in his ultimate deafeat; therefore winning the war and posession of the chair and computer! So far his many attempts have been unsuccessful but the young warrior does not give up so easily!

This is his unshaken will after another bitter defeat!

Jocelynn's new Haircut!

2008-04-14T15:18:00.001-07:00

Jocelynn got a new haircut on Saturday and I thought you should all see how cute it is! Hope you like it!

I also got this really cute picture at the same time I was taking pictures of her hair. Isn't it adorable?

Mommy Tag!

2008-04-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

1. Typically, what time do you wake up?
Around 7:30 when my older kids get up for school.

2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed?
Around 9:00. If I'm lucky the babies will go down that early too!

3. How long have you been a mommy?
Almost 10 years now. (Wow, scary!)

4. How old were you when you became a mommy?
20

5. What is your favorite kids tv show?
I love that a lot of the old TV shows are coming back or that you can get them on DVD now! I love Fraggle Rock, Gummi Bears, Smurfs and Care Bears. Of todays shows I get to pick a variety because my kids are on two different levels of tv interests! Of my older kids shows I really like American Dragon Jake Long, Hannah Montana, Drake and Josh and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. For my little kids I really like Word World, Seseame Street, Barney (though I do agree that it's cheesy), Backyardagains and Wiggles (the older shows)

6. What is your least favorite kids tv show?
For older kids I HATE Sponge Bob Square Pants (why do shows now days have to be so disgusting?) I am told that I am the only person in America that doesn't like that show but I know that is not true. I've talked to other people that don't like it either. I don't like a lot of shows so this list could go on forever so I'll stop here.

7. What is your favorite chore?
Probably washing walls. I'm kind of weird about it. I even do it at other peoples houses! I know quite a few people that I swear never wash their walls! (by the way, thank you so much, Mother, for this weird eccentricity!)

8. What is your favorite meal to cook?
I'm kind of a perfectionist about cooking. I'm not a hugely talented person in the kitchen but I am a stickler about the way things are cooked. There is one recipe that I make, Heavenly Hamburger Casserole, that I really like to make because I make it better than anyone. I'm really not being egotistical. I just have a very specific method for making it which is perfect and I am very strict about making sure it is perfect!

9. What meal do you cook most often?
I really can't think of anything that I make more than something else. I hate eating the same thing over and over again so I try really hard to have a wide variety and not repeat the same meals a lot over a short period of time. Usually no more than once a week.

10. What is your kids favorite meal?
They, of course, love spaghetti and love most of the casseroles I make especially my Heavenly Hamburger Casserole.

11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids?
I love it when Rich helps the older kids with their homework or takes them somewhere with him individually. It really pulls at my heart strings! With the little kids, I love it when he reads them a book or just plays with them on the floor! But my all-time favorite thing that my husband does with the kids is when my big, mountain man, bear of a husband paints my girls fingernails with those tiny little bon-bon nail polishes!!!

12. What are 5 things that make you smile when you're being a mom?
#1) When I hear Jocelynn and/or Kaiden playing and/or talking with Brenna and/or Sawyer very sweetly and they don't know I can hear them...
#2) Any time any of them come up and hug or kiss me!
#3) When Jocelynn and Kaiden are nice to each other.
#4) When Brenna holds Sawyers hand and sings the Barney "I love you" song
#5) When I catch my older kids saying a prayer.

13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be?
So many places... but I think I want to take them all to Disney World one day and when they are old enough to really appreciate everything about it!

14. When was the last time you went out without your kids?
Stephanie and Britton watched them for us last Tuesday for about an hour while Rich and I went to buy him a new suit. I very rarely get the opportunity to go out with my husband without kids, and even more rarely by myself with out kids or husband.

15. What is your favorite past time/activity to do with your kids?
With my older kids my favorite is going to any new place with them. Like a museum or something. With my younger kids my favorite is playing on the floor or bed with them.

16. Name one thing you said you would never do as a mom?
So many things! But one of my biggest things was leave my kids in the car while I went inside somewhere for a long period of time. Now, I will leave them in the car if I'm running inside to pay for gas or to buy one gallon of milk or something like that but if it is going to take longer than 5 minutes I always take my kids in with me.

17. Name one thing you do, that your own mom did?
I make my kids stand in the corner or hold up a wall when they are misbehaving.

18. What is your favorite quality your mom has?
Her undying enthusiasm about everything!

19. What is your favorite kids book?
Of course, Harry Potter! But for little kids I love Dr Seus's ABC book.

20. What is your advice for new moms?
Don't let people tell you how to raise your kids!! (I can NOT stress this enough) Don't allow people to constantly give you unsolicited advice, suggestions or to tell you what they did with their kids; unless you want to be mentally unstable after a few years! As my pediatrician always tells me "go with your own insticts" you are usually right! Don't let anyone talk you out of doing something with, about or for your child that you feel is right or necessary, no matter how many kids they've had or how much experience they think they have. THEY ARE NOT YOUR CHILDS MOTHER and sometimes they need reminding of that fact! And ask for tips, advise, and personal experiences from others as you need or want it.

21. What is the most heartbreaking/scariest moment as a mom?
I have unfortunately had some of these. The night Kaiden started hemmoraging after his tonsilectomy and had to have emergency surgery. It took Richard and 2 male nurses and one male tech to hold him down to get his IV in. It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. Also when Brenna was a new born and was very sick we had to take her to Primary Childrens hospital. We had to leave the room while they worked on her and just listen to her scream her little lungs out. Those kinds of things you never forget when you're a mother!

22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom?
There are so many things that my kids do that make my heart burst with joy. ~Jocelynn always makes friends with the kid at school that no one wants to play with and this is something she has done from the time she was 2 or 3 years old. I remember the nursery leaders at church telling me that she did that. She also quietly teaches her little sister so many things that you have to be really paying attention to catch.
~Kaiden is so sweet and sensitive. He can be so gentle and always so concerned about Brenna and Sawyer and worries about them being safe all the time. All of his teachers have told me how sweet he is to everyone. He is so enthusiastic about things and he holds on to things very passionately.
~Brenna asks me to kiss her "owies" now and she says "I love you too" when you say "I love you" to her. And I love how she tries so hard to be a big kid and do everything that Jocelynn does.
~Sawyer just learned how to say "thankyou" and I just love to watch him. I can see him learning something new almost every minute of the day as he tries to do things that Brenna can do or observes what is going on around him.

23. When was the last time you were told "I love you" by one of your kids? Just before I came downstairs to work Brenna said "I lub (love) you!"

24. When was the last time you told one of your kids "I love you"? My poor kids... just about 30 minutes ago before I walked back down the stairs to my office again. I tell them probably about 100 times a day! At least the older ones get a break from it while they are at school!

Just fun! -All about my Man!

2008-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Who is your sweetheart? Richard James Stout
How long did you date? Actual dating? About two weeks... Then we were just friends for about 4 weeks, then we got engaged. We were engaged for about 4 months after that.
How old is he? 32
Who eats more sweets? Probably me, it's kind of a toss up!
Who said I love you first? He did.
Who is taller? He is 8 inches taller.
Who can sing better? Probably me but I'm really not sure.
Who is smarter? It depends on what we are talking about. I'm smarter about some things than he is and he is smarter than me about other things!
Who does the laundry? Both of us but mostly me. We kind of have a deal. He does dishes and I do laundry (most of the time! There are always exceptions to every rule!)
Who pays the bills? He does. I usually let him work his magic.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me
Who mows the lawn? He does.
Who cooks dinner? Usually him if he is home because I am working, but otherwise me.
Who drives? He can't stop "passenger seat driving", so him if we are together!
Who is more stubborn? Definately him. I will concede just to keep the peace.
Who kissed who first? It was the day AFTER we decided to get married and I finally just asked "So? Are you going to kiss me EVER?" So I'm not exactly sure how you would judge that one...
Who asked who out first? He asked me. He offered me a ride home from skating the night we met and wouldn't take no for an answer. Then he called me about three days later to see if I would go run an errand with him. (We went to Walmart and bought him new shoe strings)
Who proposed? He did. I didn't even know he liked me in a romantic way! So you can imagine how shocked I was...
Who has more siblings? full blooded siblings...him. He has 7. I only have one full sister. But I beat his pants off in that category (if you're not being too picky) with 1 whole sister, 3 half sisters, 3 half brothers and 4 step-sisters! For a grand total of 11 siblings!!!
Who wears the pants? I think it really depends on the issue at hand. I am really a stickler about some things and he is about other things and it all really balances out.
Who says I love you more? I say me but I wonder what he would say!

Ok now I tag Maria and Stephanie. Can't wait to see the results

A little Political...

2008-03-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

This was a bulletin a friend posted on Myspace. I'm not very political so I'm not really sure about everything this statement contains but I really loved some of the points it made. It really is kind of kick-ass!

I forgot to include that the title of the bulletin was "What a REAL President should say"

“My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.

Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. THEN EVERY YEAR THERE AFTER IT WILL GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WILL NOT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hellholes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Buenos Notches, mez amies.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world.

I love New York

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2, its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra thousand tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put 'em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska - which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "Darn tootin!"

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America It is time to eliminate homelessness in America To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America Thank you and good night.“

If you can read this, thank a teacher.

If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.

A couple of pics

2008-03-22T09:03:00.001-07:00

Jocelynn did a report on Joan of Arc and had to dress up like her.

Brenna fell asleep in our bed the other night with her arms folded and I thought it was just so cute I had to take a picture.

Construction Complete!

2008-03-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Much to everyone's relief I am pleased to announce the completion of work on our blog. I hope you all enjoy our new look! I'm sure it will not last long. Change will come again eventually, as it always does! But let us enjoy this moment of interlude! Thank you for your patience in this trying time in our lives!

Pardon Our Mess

2008-03-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our blog is under construction! Please stand by while we attempt to make improvements and other catastrophic changes!

Becky is Sponge Bob Square Pants (whom I can't stand, by the way) Rich is Charlie Brown

2008-03-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

Change the subject of this message to what character
is you.

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pt s.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts )
e) Pop (3 pts.)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)

4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only
could
choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt)

5 What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
d) Dark Blue (2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)

7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts.)

8. What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween (1 pt.)
b) Christmas (3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day (4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving (5 pts.)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pts)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time
with?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been
waiting
for!

Put your character in the subject line and forward to your friends
and back to the person that sent this to you.
Very interesting to see 'who' your friends are!

(10-16 points) You are Garfield :
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how
to Have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may not see
things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what
is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or
others.

(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:
You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's in and
you are never are out of style You are good at knowing how to satisfy
everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days more than
once but you always come home with the family values that you learned
Being married and having children are important to you, but only after
you have had your share of fun times

(24-28 points) You are Elmo:
You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to give
advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and you
always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to be too
much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in
your life.

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best Friend
that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm
to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a
journey, it' s funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors
and jealous people, and you will be stress free.

(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious
about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom every
Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few
Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

(44-50 points ) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted with
a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family
principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad
situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once in
a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

Have some Fun!! Change the title to who you are and tag your friends to see who they are!!! I tag Steph and Britton, Maria and Jeremy (I will get Rich to do it too when he gets home!)
to what you are and send.

4 Things!

2008-03-07T08:55:00.001-08:00

Four Things

A) Four places I go over and over

1. Elementary School
2. Walmart
3. Elementary Scool
4. Walmart

B) Four people who email me most often

1. Jenny (lately)
2. Amy
3. Wendy
4. Mark

C) Four of my favorite foods

1. chocolate
2. hushpuppies
3. barbeque
4. casserole

D) Four places I would rather be right now

1. in bed
2. North Carolina
3. upstairs
4. anywhere alone with my husband for a few days

E) Four people I think will respond

1. It doesn't matter. It's just for fun.
2.
3.
4.

F) Four movies I would watch over and over

1. Sense and Sensablility
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Newsies
4. Kiss Me Kate

Life Explained...FINALLY!!

2008-03-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said:

'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'

But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as a public service.

Richard's Tag

2008-02-25T15:12:00.001-08:00

1--Answer the questions below.
2--Take each answer and type it into Photobucket. (www.photobucket.com)
3--Take any picture from the first page of results and post. (click on the picture and copy the HTML code) Dont explain, it's funnier that way!

1. What is your first name?

2. What month were you born in?

3. What's your favorite hobby?

4. What's your favorite TV show?

It's a toss up

5. What's your favorite color?

6. Who's your crush?

7. What's your favorite movie?

8. Who's your favorite Disney character?

9. The name of your pet?

10. What's your favorite vacation spot?

11. What's your favorite dessert?

12. What's your favorite letter?

13. What are you most afraid of?

14. Your last name?

15. What's your favorite time of day?

16. What's your favorite accessory?

17. What's your favorite beverage?

18. One word to describe yourself?

Tagging Fun!

2008-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

1--Answer the questions below.
2--Take each answer and type it into Photobucket. (www.photobucket.com)
3--Take any picture from the first page of results and post. (click on the picture and copy the HTML code) Dont explain, it's funnier that way!

1. What is your first name?

2. What month were you born in?

3. What's your favorite hobby?

4. What's your favorite TV show?

It's a toss up

5. What's your favorite color?

6. Who's your crush?

This is the only movie star I would really say I have a "crush" on!

and yes, this one is totally serious!

7. What's your favorite movie?

8. Who's your favorite Disney character?

9. The name of your pet?

10. What's your favorite vacation spot?

So don't know who that girl is, but it's an excellent picture of Wilmington
11. What's your favorite dessert?

12. What's your favorite letter?

13. What are you most afraid of?

14. Your last name?

15. What's your favorite time of day?

16. What's your favorite accessory?

17. What's your favorite beverage?

18. One word to describe yourself?

Ok, now I tag Stephanie and Maria! Have fun, can't wait to see your pictures!

Kaiden's Baptism!!

2008-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day for us! Kaiden was baptized by his dad! We had a lot of family and some friends there to help Kaiden celebrate his big day! I wish a little bit that we could have taken a picture of him right as he came up out of the water! He had a huge grin on his face, it was very sweet! I can't believe that Kaiden is such a big boy now! Going to scouts and being baptized! I must be getting really old!
One of the members of our Primary Presidency is so cute and sweet she made this kind of memory book for the baptism and it had a sheet in it for everyone that attended the baptism to sign. What a great idea, to be able to look back and remember everyone that was there with you. The little book has a place for his picture, a page for him to write down what he remembered and how he felt that day, a page for Richard and I each to write him a letter, a page for a picture of his primary class, a page that has the Articles of Faith printed on them, a page that has a place for the program from his batism, and a page for his Baptism and Confirmation Certificate! It really is neat. I am including a lot of pictures below, mostly for the benefit of those members of my family that could not attend but I hope everyone enjoys them all the same!

First I'm starting with this picture of Kaiden in his scout uniform.

Kaiden and his dad before the baptism. (Rich wasn't thinking when he put on one of his oldest garment tops after his shower)

Kaiden was so excited about being baptized!

This is the program I printed up for his baptism, I included how the person was related to Kaiden in parenthesis, I thought it was fun especially for people from the ward that didn't know all of Kaiden's relatives!

These are some of the pages from the memory book, I thought my mom might enjoy seeing them...maybe some other people too!

Thank you to everyone that came and helped out afterwards especially with food! It was so nice to get together with all of you! We should do it more often!

About Me (stolen from my MySpace)

2008-02-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy this I filled it out (Becky) I will try to get Rich to do it too!
1. What are you most afraid of? (a lot of things) heights is one, I won't go into the ocean past my shoulders, mostly I'm afraid of anything that could be in there that is bigger than me! (is another one)
2. What is the most recent movie that you have *seen in a Theater*? I think it was Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix, or maybe Becoming Jane with my sister on (or near) her birthday (I don't remember which)
3. Place of birth? Wilmington, North Carolina
4. Favorite food? Barbeque (the real stuff, barbeque is NOT when you cook outdoors like all you freak shows here in Utah think it is!), fish, seafood, hushpuppies lots of stuff!
5. What's your natural hair color? Light brown (kinda mousy)
6. Ever been to Alaska? No
7. Ever been toilet papering? Yes
8. Love someone so much it made you cry? of course
9. Been in a car accident? quite a few
10. Croutons or bacon bits? always both!
11. Favorite day of the week? Any day with Rich and the kids relaxing or spending quality time together
12. Favorite restaurant? The one in the old barn near my moms house in NC (I can't wait to go back there!)
13. Favorite Flower? The dogwood flower (I know I'm weird)
14. Favorite sport to watch? I don't mind watching football live, but I detest watching any sport on TV
15. Favorite drink? ice water or Pepsi or Sundrop
16. Favorite ice cream? plain chocolate or chocolate chip
17. Disney or Warner Brothers? Both, always both!
18. Ever been on a ship? Yes, but they were all anchored and we were touring them!
19. What color is your bedroom carpet? beige
20. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None
21. What do you do when you are bored? Read mostly, or play on the computer
22. Bedtime? Terrible! between 1200 am and 2:00 am lately
23. Favorite TV shows? Of all time Friends!, I also love News Radio, Roswell, SeaQuest, Fraiser, Still Standing (I know it seems like I must not have watched television in about 10 years!), House
24. Last person you went to dinner with? Rich
25. What happened at 30? I'll have to let you know in a few months (but I'm guessing...complete mental collapse)
26. What are your favorite colors? Red, Pink, Green, Navy blue
27. How many tattoos do you have? None...yet!
28. How many pets do you have? currently none
29. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, when God created the garden for Adam he filled it with all manner of CREATURES...not eggs!
30. What do you want to do before you die? I really don't know. There a lot of things I would LIKE to do...
31. Have you ever been to Hawaii? unfortunately...no
32. Have you been to countries outside U.S.A.? No
33.People you send this to. Stephanie and Maria

Top 10 Favorite Pic's

2008-02-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

Steph tagged me and I don't think I've ever had a more difficult time chosing pictures! I also know that there are 13 pictures here not just 10, but let's just be grateful that I stopped under 20!

I may have been murdered by the time anyone sees this for posting this picture but there is just something about a wet, shirtless, man holding two babies that is completely irresistable!

This picture of Sawyer didn't make it onto my wall, but I think it is so cute!

I just adore this picture of Dad and Sawyer, isn't it the cutest? (thank goodness dad will probably never see this!)

This is probably one of my all time favorite pictures of Jocelynn. She's so gorgeous!

Ok, I really love this picture of Jocelynn and Brenna. They look so cute together!

This is, so far, my favorite picture of all of the kids together!

Most women don't like pictures of themselves at all, let alone pregnant, but this is a picture of me just 3 days before I had Brenna. I am SO huge! But I like it anyway, it is one of the few pictures I have of myself pregnant.

I love this picture of Jocelynn and Kaiden on the first day of school (Kaiden's first day of Kindergarten)it really is great!

Kaiden has a fabulous smile in this picture and it is one of my favorites of him! I can't believe Brenna used to be that little!

This a great picture of Mama and Papa, one I will love forever!

Brenna has the cutest smile in this picture, it is one of my all time favorites!

This one is one of my favorite of Brenna's it's her second birthday! Check out the look on her face!

This one of Papa and Rafi is from his graduation, but I just love it! Papa looks like a wise old professor and Rafi is getting so handsome it's disturbing!

I tagged Maria and Jeremy!

I'm trying!

2008-02-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I've been trying to update this (*bleep*) blog for the last two or three days but I swear I really don't have anything interesting to say!

I am a little nervous about the fact that Kaidens baptism is in 1 week and I had really hoped to have all of the cleaning, redecorating, reorganizing and rearranging that I wanted done completed by then. I am a little worried that this is not going to happen. I guess my biggest worry is that I will not even get close to completing this goal! I still have an unbelievable amount of work left to do. At least it feels like a lot of work to me! I still have all of our clothes to go through and throw aways stuff we don't want, box up stuff we're keeping, and give away stuff that other people want. I need to do thorough cleanings and rearrangings of both of the kids rooms and the guest bedroom/office/sewing/craft room. I have to completely overhaul the rest of the house as far as deep cleaning (walls, floors, bathrooms etc.) and Rich has to finish the wall. You can see why I'm nervous I hope.

So why the heck am I spending so much time typing all this into the blog? Very good question... I better get off here and go start doing something!

Aren't they cute?

2008-02-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know that Christmas is long gone but we just down loaded the pictures from our camera and here is one of my favorites! I made all of us matching pajamas for Christmas this year and I think they turned out really adorable!

What...?!

2008-01-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

A. The rules are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people by posting their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.

10 years ago: I was just 5 short months away from giving birth to my first child (4 kids later). Rich and I were living in Rexburg, Idaho in a little apartment off campus and my sister, Stephanie had just moved out and started school there as well. I think we had just purchased our first car together a Geo Prism (that we wish we still had!) - Boy am I really old!

Snacks I enjoy: I have been on a diet lately so my snacking consists of chewing gum (only 10 calories) or a granola bar usually. But when I want a special treat my favorite things are those Lindor dark chocolate truffles or celery (I know I'm weird. I really like celery) I will snack on mostly anything and on a normal basis really enjoy things that are "cakey" (my husbands hates that word after hearing it so much over the course of 4 pregnancies!)

Five things on my to-do list today:
1) give Kaiden and Sawyer haircuts
2) clean diningroom
3) read with the kids
4) make time to be alone
5) do e-learning module

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:~ So very many things. First, pay my tithing through the end of time. Next pay off all of the debt that Rich and I have acquired and pay off our Mortage, hire out all the improvements that we want to make on the house including Rich's detatched garage full of all of the woodworking (and other) tools he could ever want. I would pay off the debts of his and my parents and purchase their homes outright or buy them houses wherever they wanted to live. I would invest in a few rental homes and then put money away for retirement, college for the kids and for Rich and I to travel as much as we want. I would buy a vacation home in Wilmington and a cabin at Bear Lake (which I would allow family and friends to use whenever we weren't using them)

Three of my bad habits:
1) I bite the skin off the inside of my cheeks mostly when I am stressed
2) I gripe to my sister about everything that irritates me
3) I take advantage of my husbands generous nature too much

Five places I have lived:
1) Wilmington, North Carolina
2) Rexburg Idaho
3) Orem, Utah
4) Taylorsville, Utah
5) Cottonwood Heights, Utah

Jobs I have had:
~Sales Associate, Sears Dept Store
~Movie Extra
~Catering/Craft Service/Medic Assistant
~Travel Agency Courier
~ Babysitting
~Cashier at a grocery store
~Nanny
~Manager, Abbotts Ben Franklin Store
~Lunch Cashier, Brighton High School
~Bank of New York Stocks and Bonds Dept Specialists
~Sales Associate, Fine China Dept. Meier and Frank
~Reservations Service Specialist, Ritz Carleton Hotel
~Waitress
~Assistant Manager of a Grocery Store Delicatessen
~Reservations Service Specialist, Holiday Inn
~Front Desk Manager, Candlewood Suites Hotel
~Office/Projects Manager, Richco Ornamental Iron
~Store Manager/District Manager, PayDay Loan Company
~Operator/Call Center Manager, Answering Service
~Free Lance Writer
~Child Care Specialist, Rec. Center
~Customer Service Specialist, jetBlue Airways
~Wife/Mom (includes:housekeeper, childcare specialist, taxi service, secretary, financial specialist, public relations specialist, catering/chef services, light medical and nursing duties and hundreds of other things I'm too busy to think of the name for!)

Things people don't know about me:
~I've dated some people that are now famous
~I didn't take a job as a waitress because I HAD to, I always wanted to be a waitress (I know I'm weird)
~I would like to try my hand at managing a Movie Theater (still weird, I know!)
~I think John Goodman is totally HOT!(sure you want me to answer these?)
~People find my taste in some music surprising (like alternative and rap)
~I learned to drive a car when I was 11 years old
~Out of all of Richard's married siblings I am the only wife that is YOUNGER than her husband.
~One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people make grammatical and spelling errors in their writing (I mean, come on! Pick up a book, crack a dictionary!)
~I think it is so rude to call someone at a home where they do not live or on someone else's cell phone, my face litterally BURNS with shame and embarrassment.
~I think think all this computer/cell phone lingo (like typing "ttyl" instead of "talk to ya later" or "ppl" instead of "people" is tacky and embarrassing
~It is such complete and utterly disgusting etiquette to put a "We are registered at..." card in your wedding announcement that I refuse to purchace a gift from the registry if one is enclosed in an invitation or announcement that I recieve. (Not to mention I am so embarrassed for them I can barely look at them.) I won't even give a gift if it is printed directly on the invitation! (Have a little propriety people!) The only place it is acceptable to enclose that type of card is in a shower invitation.
~I am embarrassed when anyone sings a solo in public, unless their voice is exceptionally good. (but I find this weird quirk in myself to be ridiculous, there is nothing wrong with people singing if they have the guts to. I'm just weird!)

2008-01-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, Steph is really bugging me to be more on top of my blog... As you can see I have neglected it so much that I forgot my username, pasword AND URL! So, I have squeezed in a few moments to pst a few meandering thoughts to our excessively underused blog space. I can't imagine why I couldn't find time to keep up with such a thing as a very important blog... You know, what with the 4 kids, 2 jobs, homework, baths, dinner, house cleaning, and trying to finally finish up a most unprecedented project that has been in the works for some 12 odd years now. (Possibly there will be more to come about that in the somewhat near future...) I have a feeling that it will be something that Steph will be most excited to find completed.
Now onto much more exciting events... Kaiden is being baptized on Feb 9th. As of right now I am at a complete loss as to what in the heck to do for our family dinner gettogether after the baptism. Meaning, I have no idea what to serve. I did have the thought that it would be easy to serve soup and stuff like we do at our "Saturday after Thanksgiving" gettogether, but I then realized that with the ungodly amount of small children that are likely to be present we would have to make 2 different meals. One for the adults and one for the kids. Now that I think about it, I actually think it wouldn't be so bad. Stephanie suggested a hotdog buffet and maybe that would be an extra simple alternative for the younger kids. I'm beginning to think I may do both, the hotdog buffet and a couple of different soups. Anyway, if any of you (all both of you) have an idea, please let me know. I will welcome it with open arms!

2007-10-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is a picture that I love. It is over 3 years old, but I still had to post it. This is from Stephanie's wedding over three years ago. Look how young Jocelynn is!

2007-10-26T13:59:00.001-07:00

Well, this is us! All of us. Just to give you a run down...

The handsome, sexy one is Rich, he will be 32 a week from today! He is a Landside Officer for the city at the airport. Rich has some really great hobbies, that are actually beneficial to a lot of people. He loves woodworking, working on cars and is pretty handy at home repairs. I'm not sure there is anything he can't do!

Next, I guess, is me, Becky, I'm the one holding the cutest baby in the world. I turned 29 this past year, much to my own surprise! (How did I get that old?!!) I have a little job at the rec center near our house in the child care center. I get to take the kids with me and we get 1/2 off all of our lessons and classes and that kind of stuff. I work short little shifts two or three times a week. I really enjoy it. I just got another job with Jet Blue that I couldn't pass up. I will just work part time from home, and it will help us see my family more and hopefully travel more efficiently. And, I am praying that it will give my family more opportunity to come and visit US! We have four beautiful, talented, sweet little monsters.

Our oldest, Jocelynn turned 9 this summer, she is in 4th grade and just beginning to take ice skating lessons. It is her life's ambition (this week) to be a figure skater! Seriously, I hope she enjoys it. I think she would make a beautiful and talented ice skater if that's what she really wants to do. She is starting to really get into music and joins the rest of the preteen world in her obsession with High School Musical and Hannah Montana. Jocelynn is a great help and a wonderful big sister!

Kaiden comes next, he is our sweetheart. He will be 8 this December and is in the 2nd grade this year. He is looking forward to soccer when it starts up and really enjoys taking Fit Kids with his sister Jocelynn. He is very much into pokemon and loves dinosaurs and animals too. He is just as sweet as he can be and a good helper and a great big brother.

Brenna is our little ball of energy and just celebrated her 2nd birthday. She is learning something new every day and it is so amazing to watch her little personality develope. She has a head full of tight curls that is just so beautiful! She keeps Rich right where she wants him (wrapped around her little finger!) . It's very sweet, but Rich has always been a little bit of a sucker for kids!

Our youngest addition, Sawyer, will be 1 next month. It brings tears to my eyes just writing about it right now. He started walking over a month ago now, almost two! His older sister, Brenna, has taught him a few things like how to say "go!" and how to get anything you want by looking really cute. He is such a good baby, and very mellow. He has these adorable dimples like Richard and I can't wait to see what color his eyes will be for sure.

We bought our first house about three years ago now and our two youngest children have come home from the hospital here. I really love our house, it is in a great neighborhood. We are making improvements as we go. It is slow but we are getting there. I can't wait to remodel the basement the way we want it. It will be nice to finally have a family room.