{beauties}

Every spring my favorite photographer {check her out here} does Easter Mini Sessions. This is this years batch of my beauties!!!

I love these pictures, and I love these girls...

{it's GREAT to be 5}

My Kess is 5!!! Holy Crap!!! This year have brought her a whole new level of life. She knows she is going to school with Kairi in the fall and she knows that she is big enough to do things by herself. She loves to be independent, but then on the flip side she will dictate every step of independence to you as you are sitting there or directly following her recent independent adventure.

This year she wanted a birthday party with her friends that included a rainbow birthday cake and a unicorn pinata. It is always fun to watch them come into their own. Happy Birthday Kessie!!!!

I like to go overboard on my kids birthdays. Kesslynn had a family birthday party and a friend birthday party. So she also got 2 birthday cakes. This one was for her family birthday party and then she got a rainbow layered birthday cake for her friend party.

We were also pleasantly surprised to have Dave, Sarah, Lucian, Gizmo, and Famous come and visit as well!!! The girls always love to have them visit and this was an added bonus for Kesslynn's partying!

Like I said before.... It's GREAT to be 5!

{The 'Ster}

I am admitting things on the blog today, that I probably won't admit to again. Just be forwarned. This is me and my 'ster. She is the best-est of all time!!! It's funny, but people say we look like twins! I think this is very nice of people to say, but she may not. Anyway, in the years growing up I was NOT a nice sister. I would be the first to sell you out to cover my own hide, I was eager to not have my siblings around, because my own insecurities made it so that I felt embarrassed by them. They never did anything embarrassing, but I didn't want to be the girl whose little brothers and sisters tagged along with her. I was afraid people wouldn't want me around. My own insecurities robbed me of some VERY precious time with my siblings. As I neared flying out on my own, I started to glimpse how much I would miss them. I remember my Senior Year of high school I started hanging out with them more, taking them places and doing things with them. After everything I did to them, they loved me still and wanted to be my friend. They still recall my NOT Nice sister days, but they also remember the Burger King runs and the days at the lake.  I am grateful for their memories. I later moved out, married and relocated separating myself further from them, however unintentional. Then the day came that we all grew up! Some of it was forced based on circumstance and some of it was a result of time. Over the last 10 years or so, I have to say I have gained a greater appreciation for the family my Father in Heaven blessed me with. They are my rock, my humor, my anchor and my best friends. I wouldn't trade them for anything or anyone at this point in my life, and I am no longer embarrassed to have them tag along, because truth be told, they are my friends forever and into the Eternities.

Love you all!!!!

{Octnovember}

Whenever the fall comes, I start to fall in love. I fall in love with Cameron all over again as we first met and later married in the fall. I fall in love with our little family as our first daughter was born in the fall and I fall in love with Vernal all over again as it shows how beautiful the close of summer is. Fall always comes with so much to do! Of course it involves the Corn Maze and our annual trip. This year, we had the added bonus of bringing my sister with us! She has lived in Vernal for 5 almost 6 years now and up until this point she had NEVER been to the corn maze. Seeing her faces was awesome and I am glad she lives close enough to share the fun with!!!

Speaking of traditions, Cameron is buried in the corn house EVERY YEAR! He always comes home and finds corn in interesting places, but he is always this happy to play with the girls

What is the Corn Maze without the awesome food!!! Fair food all the way!!! Nachos, chili, and who can forget the Kettle Corn!! Love it!!

Tenille also decided to try her luck in the Corn House! I'm not sure if the money isn't what they bribed her with to let them bury her in the corn. Though if the girls know their Aunt at all, they would know she is game no matter what!!!

For the first time since having kids, we opted to go THROUGH the Corn Maze. The weather was beautiful, and Tenille had to experience the WHOLE thing. Plus I wasn't having to figure out how to cart a stroller through here....

Who can forget the goats!!! They are always a highlight to feed. I filled my pockets with quarters, and the girls went to town. The goats were very agreeable too!!!

Tenille opted to go for a ride on the Cow train! Her faces and antics always crack me up!!!

As a highlight, we always take the hay ride to the pumpkin patch and choose pumpkins. Some of us like to be creative in our choices, but I'm not naming names {Cameron}

The view of the Corn Maze!

I definitely cannot talk about the fall without mentioning the fact that my husband went over and above this year to become "Billy Bob." Complete with a mullet, torn too-tight jeans, pot belly, plaid shirt, jacked-up teeth and attitude. He kept up with the persona ALL-DAY and managed to win a second place in the annual ARMC costume contest winning a pair of movie tickets. In the end he does maintain that he felt robbed and really should have won. Oh well!!! There is always next year!!!

{Kai-Kai}

Kairi has had a big year this year! She started {and is currently finishing up} 2nd grade, she has lost bunches of teeth, she has had orthodontic work done and is how the proud wearer of a retainer and the biggest bit of news:

 first day of school 2011

She was Baptized a member of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-Day Saints.

Kairi's dad baptized and confirmed her.

This picture about sums up how she felt that day!!!

Kairi shared her day with Lily, a little girl just a little older than Kairi and whose parents are the nicest people. She also shared her day with another little girl who is in Kairi's class at school. She has always loved her friends, and is always willing to have everyone as her friend. How fitting to have friends be apart of her special day!

We were fortunate enough to have my Grandfather Andersen, Kairi's Great-Grandfather, join us for Kairi's baptism. It is very special to me to have four-generations present for this picture. Thank you Grandpa for making the 8-hour trip to Vernal, and Thank you Dad for bringing him!!!

Elika & Grandpa

Elika has mixed emotions about being in this dress, but she worked it out, we just got this little face everytime we talked to her.

I am so proud of the wonderful little girls I have and their willingness and desire to walk the path Jesus set out before us. I know they are busy growing, but they are also watching and learning and are eager to choose the right. They are also eager to keep our family together forever. I am grateful for the gospel that allows us the knowledge to know that it is not only possible, but also achievable.

{Random Elli-ness}

I came across these pictures of Ellie on my phone, and they made me laugh!!

Ellie is always getting into things. If you look at her waist, you will see that she has floss wrapped around her waist. She was pretty upset when she realized that she couldn't get out of it as easily as she got into it...

Ellie really loves her Mrs. Potato Head. She also loves to be the Mrs. Potato Head. We love our Ellie-Belly.

{dino time}

Last year, we started reading the Book of Mormon as a family. Now before anyone goes off about how "good" we are {because heaven-forbid we are "good"} you must know we read one verse per person per night. Sometimes we miss a night, but for the most part we are consistent. Anyhow, for a reward for finishing 1 Nephi, we, as a family chose to do something fun.  In fact with each milestone we meet, there is a reward. This was a big deal to me and Cameron that we decided to do something REALLY fun. We had a family reunion scheduled for the end of July in Duck Creek, so we worked really hard and reached our goal. Our reward- a trip to the Dinosaur Museum in Price. We had a fantastic time! They have great fossils to explore as well as history. The girls enjoyed the whole thing! They are very familiar with Dinosaurs as we live in "Dinosaurland." We frequent the museum here as much as we can, but there is something to be said about seeing what other Dinosaur Museums have to offer. It has been nearly a year now since we went, but it is still engrained in the girls {and my} minds as a really fun time. It has also given us the motivation to keep reading. The girls now remind us about scriptures every night and I will bet money, that we haven't missed a night in a LONG time. 

 Cameron quite enjoys finding the most interesting ways to entertain himself while we do this kind of thing. I am so glad I have him!!!!

It has been a long time tradition for Cameron and I to take a picture of the two of us in a Dinosaur Museum!!! Here is our latest addition to our collection.