To my children

I was going through old emails and deleting them when I found this. It brings me to tears every time I read it. Life really is so short and it reminds me that we need to slow down and focus our time and energy on things that are REALLY important. It is labeled "To my daughter" but I changed it to my children:


*Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
*Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together..
*Justfor this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off,
and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
*Just for this afternoon on, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by. *Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow
up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
*Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
*Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
*Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how
you were born and how much I love you.
*Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
*Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
*Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite
TV shows.
*Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.
*I will think about the mothers And fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
*And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day............. *

Finally!!

Valentines Day!
This is actually Kamryn. A few pictures down I have Alexis in the same dress and they are the same age in these photos. Look at her pimpin that helmet!
Can you tell that Alexis is teething in this pic?!

That would be Bo's chops above Alexis's head
Of course Dax has to sport a Yankees T!
Daddy's shadow

This is Dax with his BFF Miles
First ride in the new stroller!

My mom and I on our Birthday's! Of course her eyes are shut in all her pictures
Dax is our little drool monster. He wakes up to a pile of slobber every morning!


Kamryn came up to me and said "look at my ice cream cone!" It is the thingy to suck out the boogies!

So it's been like 3 months since I have updated my blog. It has been a crazy three months that's for sure! So in a nutshell this is what we have been up to:

Had a fantastic humbling Christmas. My neighbors did the 12 days of Christmas for us and they are truly AMAZING people. We also got a lot of help from my parents, Trav's parents and siblings. We have been going through tough times and our families have really been there to help us out.

Celebrated Travis's birthday. He turned 31!

Celebrated my birthday...the big 30 and also my mom's birthday on the same day!

Travis decided to go back to school. He got accepted into Gonzaga's graduate program for Organizational Leadership. (No we are not moving, he will do it remotely thank goodness!)

I went back to work part time. I work at America First Credit Union in the collections dept. at night three days a week.

Travis lost his job in February.

It has been crazy and hard but I know that things will get better and that this is just a short trial that we have to push through and have faith!!

I can't complain because we really have been so blessed. We have amazing kids that are happy and healthy, great family and friends who are always there to help us out, a gracious heavenly father who knows what we are going though and continues to give us strengh to endure through the hard times!

The kids are getting so big. Kamryn is almost three. Sometimes I feel like she is 15. The words that come out of that girls mouth! I took her to the dentist a few weeks ago and when the nurse asked her to get up on the chair so they could look at her teeth she looked up at her and said " In a few minutes, you need to be patient". Seriously?! She loves Disney shows right now and is obsessed with the villans on the shows, it is hilarious. She is so smart and loves to learn. She really has been so good with the babies. She will get down on the floor and play with them and of course shows them who is the boss when it comes to the toys. Dax and Alexis are nine months old! I can't believe it!
A few things about Dax:
-VERY VERY busy!
-army crawling around the house
-loves to laugh and smile
-Loves to be the center of attention and cries when you leave the room
-Loves to put large objects over his head. (Kamryns baby stroller, the toy box,ect)
-Gets into EVERYTHING. His new thing is dumping the dogs water over his head
-Loves to eat and tries to take control of the spoon. Literally Travis has to hold down his arms in a straight jacket hold while I shovel food in his mouth
-Is very loud and has started babbling ALOT!
-21 lb BEEFER

A few things about ALexis:
-Very easy going
-Patient
-Loves to play on her tummy but has no motivation to roll or crawl yet
-Loves to scratch our faces off (seriously, don't let her get hold of your face!)
-Loves to pet the dogs and is fascinated with them
-Babbles alot and squels
-LOVES food. She actually can eat Dax under the table!
-Very happy and smiles alot
-Very aware of her surroundings and observes everything
-Protective over Dax. When he got his foot pricked the other day at the Dr. and he started crying she started crying
-Tough. She is a tough cookie
-Still small and petite
-Can sit for an hour and just play with toys. Very good at entertaining herself

life is good and we can't complain. Even though we are going through these really hard times we continue to be blessed and have so much to be thankful for. We truly have been humbled through this experience. I have realized how little we can live on and how much we can live without. I never considered myself a "worldly" person but I like nice things and never had a hard time spending money to have them. Now I could care less and realize they are just "things" and at the end of the day they don't matter. I have realized how important it is to SAVE and be prepared for hard times. I am so grateful for the programs that the government has in place and never thought I would be on the receiving end of some of those but so grateful that we can. Like I said, Humbling. I will try to be better at updating. I feel like I don't have any free time anymore and when I do I try to make every minute count and spend quality time with the kiddos. Sorry about all the pictures. I need to figure out how to do the slide show. Hope all of you are well. Lots of Love