Miscellaneous pics

The little pool is the coolest thing their Grandma Smith got for them. It fill ups just a couple of inches of water and then sprays water out all over the pool. It also has a mini slide. It's their absolute favorite.

I forgot to put up the actual fourth of July pictures. The kids loved it. I tried to explain to them what the 4th of July is for, but I don't think they quite get it.

Brian misses the garter...or does he?

Taylor Busts A Move

Don't miss the magic moves of Mike Bradshaw in the upper right corner of the screen.

Wedding Date: 7/8/9. How can you forget that?

Jake (Lane) and Amber (Coates) tied the knot. They are now officially husband and wife. It was a fun wedding--I think only my 2nd or maybe 3rd civil wedding ceremony I have ever attended. The backdrop at the American Fork Amphitheatre was perfect. It was a beautiful place with cool weather--in the shade. There was a slight breeze, which also added to the climate temperature.

Madison and Porter has so much fun. They were so excited to be the ring bearer and flower girl. We practiced with them at home. They didn't cry, get nervous, or throw a fit. Yeah! I was a little worried. Orange is Porter's favorite color, so he was delighted with his tie. Madison was excited to get a new dress. I had several people come up and tell me how cute they were. I think the novelty of the boy/girl twins and their age had a lot to do with their cute factor. They are also quite the little couple--as they love to be together and are very close. I've got more pictures. I'll have to keep adding as I get time.

Lane was a little pill. We arrived right at his nap time. He screamed and whined and cried for nearly four hours. I even buckled him into his car seat in hopes that he would doze off. Nothing. He wanted his bed or nothing. Ughh! I think that wore me out more than Madison's two dozen trips to the bathroom. Just to let you know how much I ran around with kids at that wedding--I lost 2.6 pounds. That never happens to me. I was up and down that amphitheatre steps at least 8 times. I guess the exercise was good for me.

Yes, Moms, you do work harder than your husband

I have always said that I believed it was easier to work a long day than it is to stay home with kids. I have always believed that I was not as tired when I worked. Nor, was I as spent physically, emotionally, or mentally. Sometimes I second-guessed my theory. I thought maybe I was just getting older and didn't have the energy I had when I was working.
Now that I am working four days a week out-of-town and spending three days a week at home with kids, I have discovered the real truth. It is so much easier to work. I can work a 12 hour day in the office, still have energy to go to the gym, visit, shop, watch TV, write, etc. and I find myself awake at 10, 11, or even midnight. I'm not tired. I am full of energy. I still wake up at 5:30 or 6. Can't seem to break that habit.
I usually work a long day on Thursday and drive back home. It is on Friday, around 7 pm that I feel exceptionally tired. It is after chasing 3 children around all day--worrying that they are getting the right food, the right exercise, the right academia, the right spirituality, and of course, the right parenting. It is a full day of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and tending to the less fortunate. It is from carrying kids up and down stairs, and bending over to pick up toys, food, or books. It is cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the bedroom, cleaning the kitchen, and doing the laundry. It makes me tired to think about it.
So to all of the Mom's out there, if you feel tired, old, and worn out--you are. You ARE working harder than your husband. I have proof. I think the consolation of knowing that your job is really hard, is enough to make you feel better. It's really not you, it's them.

Fourth of July Parade

We took the kids to the parade. It was really nice that we could walk to a spot from our house. The kids enjoyed it--at least getting candy. Madison would get upset if a float went by without throwing her candy. It was extremely hot. Everyone was melting. We decided that's the last parade we go to in Las Vegas. Way too hot. I really don't know how the people in the parade did it.

Flag Raising Ceremony

We took the kids to a flag raising ceremony at the church. It was cool. They talked about how the national anthem was written and sang "God Bless America." The kids loved it. There was also a canon that they shot off. Scared the crud out of all us and some guy yelled at the group we were with about how we shouldn't be shooting cannons. We went inside where breakfast was served. We walked up to the place where the parade was going to be.

3rd of July

Our Fourth of July started early. Dad could not wait to break out the fireworks. Lane was already in bed and twins were ready for bed. He

gave them a sneak peek of the fireworks to come!

Little Lane

He is such a cutie! I love him so much. He is so serious, yet so funny. He is very loveable and loves to hug and kiss. He is just barely 13 months old. Hard to believe how fast the time has gone by already.

The Trucks Stopped Here

Brant took the twins to the truck show that was in town this week. They had a great time. I think they liked the goodies in their backpack the most. Brant really enjoyed it as well. I got a whole afternoon with just Lane. It was fun.

What do we do in the summertime?

It's so hot in Vegas. It doesn't cool down at night either. We have to keep the temperature at 78 degrees just to keep the bill down. I always feel sweaty. I hate it. The kids are playing in the water and eating ice cream to stay cool.

R.I.P. Madi's blankie

We finally retired Madison's favorite blanket. It has been old and dirty looking for at least a year and it is almost three years old. Grandma Mimi bought it for her before she was born. I decided to help her give it a proper burial place. We got her box of special things from when she was a baby. It includes her crib card, birth announcements, cards, blessings dress, baby shoes, first outfit, etc. She helped me put the blanket in the wash and carefully put it in the dryer. I folded it for her and she put it in her box. Yes, I know it sounds a little dramatic, but you don't know how attached she is to this blanket. I just don't want her taking it to school with her. She has asked me about it twice today, but she knows where it is, so I think she is okay. We'll see how she does tonight.

Weekly pics

I haven't had a lot of pictures to post since I have been working. It's kind of sad not to be able to see them every day. I hope this will get us to our goals and it will all be worth it. Here's some pictures of the Lane this past week.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, Brant. I want to thank you for being such a good father. There is nothing better than knowing how much their children love their father. It is a joy to see your children light up and run to the door when their Father comes home. He is so good at building relationships with them, even at this early age. He changes diapers, babysits all three so I can take a break, reads, plays, and feeds them. He has them convinced that he loves them more than anyone else in the world and that he is their best friend. I am so thankful that they have such a good dad. Today is a day to thank him for every day that he gives us the gift of having him in our lives.

Long distance relationship

It is getting to be hard to be away from the kids. I am gone four days in St. George and home 3 days in Vegas. I know it's only going to be a short time and I get to see them tomorrow. I wish that it was not so far away.