Top 10 Random Pictures of November & December!

Just some highlights of my crazy life!...

#10... A wonderful and FREEZING Thanksgiving with Curtis & Aimee!

#9- A grand week with Grandpa Rob here! Jack just loved him! And the kids loved stealing his walker!#8 - Brent's SLADE Christmas Concert when Oakley loved the "snow" machine...or bubbles basically! (To see more pics from that visit the SLADE blog linked up top)

#7 - At the same Christmas Queen Creek event...Jack was a little leary of Santa! Why do we torture our small children like this!?

#6 - I sure LOVED when Jackson would untie or tear off every bow on the presents under the tree! That was definitely the best part of the month! :)

#5 - Jack at a petting zoo at Desert Mountain Park...it was the sweetest thing I've seen! A little pig comforting a rabbit who was scared and shaking! (And of course Jackson just scaring the poor rabbit even more!)

#4- Livi is a natural ham! At the ward talent show (after) when she was sad that she didn't get to perform...so I found her after she grabbed the mic and started singing!

#3- Again....my LOVELY daughter at the talent show....she would only make that face right when I would try to take a picture of her!

#2- The greatest act of all times....Mormon Synchronized Swimming....Brent was hilarious! (They dive on matresses on the stage!)

#1 - and my number 1 picture.....my random kids! And Livi actually put Jack there by herself and drove him around!

Tagging....a new world to me!

Okay....so Megan Hastings tagged me....so I MUST follow through! But it was kind of fun! She has an amazing blog!

Here are the guidlines for this tag:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

All righty then! Here are six random things about Yours Truly...

1. I have extrememly bad proprioception....(that means that always cut my fingers or I run in to the corner of my piano bench (or a wall) all the time!)

2. I absolutely HATE cleaning bathrooms- always the last chore to be done....dishes are right before that!

3. I formed a "Babysitting Club" based on my favorite series when I was 10. We held weekly meetings even, after passing out flier, and didn't get one call! (Go Cindy & Callie!!!!)

4. Then when that club failed, we formed "The Beastie Girls" club and met on top of my slide.....but I don't remember what we ever did!? Who was in that? Annie, Cindy, Callie!? Thank you dear brother Zach for the inspiration!

5. My favorite food of all time......fresh squeezed orange juice...and it's not even a food! (That is due to Brother Phelps on Christmas mornings!)

6. My favorite smell.......fires! (Like campfires....mmmm! love it!)

Doing some "blog-hopping" I found and tag the following people:
1. Annie L.
2. Cindy W.
3. Stephanie K.
4. Krystall L.
5. Jami B.
6. Annie J.

Happy blogging!

I need your blog address!

Hi friends!
I know it's been a LONG time since I've blogged- so I'm sorry. I have a lot of catching up to do, so bear with me! But when I did a makeover on my blog a while back, I lot all my friends blog addresses on accident.

SO..........if you are reading this, please leave a comment with your blog address so I don't have to search you down!
Thank you!

He is in a better place....

Hi everyone,

Wow.....I didn't realize that my very last post was to ask for help for my dear friend Lorin, and now I am here to ask for more help, in a different way. His family needs prayers.

My dear friend Lorin passed away last night, after a few very difficult months of fighting cancer. They literally told him just one day before that there probably wasn't any more hope, and that they were going to be sending him home with hospice. And then, as soon as Heavenly Father could, he relieved him of his pain and brought him home to him.

I was so sad yesterday, thinking of his poor family, his poor parents who have this trial to endure, but I am so happy he is in a better place. On Sunday he got to be set apart as an Elder, and I know Elder Merkley will be preaching the gospel in heaven.

On our trek, and just in his life in general, his nickname was Lorin "The Magnificent" Merkley- and he truly was. For him to be taken back to his Heavenly Father so early in his life, he must have truly been a magnificent young man. He was ready.

I think of our Stake Youth Trek motto and know it will apply to Lorin's life....

"The Legacy Continues"

I love you Lorin and I will miss you!

My friend needs HELP...

Hi everyone....

You may have heard, and you may know him, but one of my dearest friends, who is like a son to me....Lorin Merkley....is enduring through cancer right now, and all the trials that come with that. He was my "son" on our stake youth trek back in March of this year, where we came to love him and care so much for him. He was all ready to go on his mission when he found out about his cancer.

He has been fighting cancer for a couple months now and his family is in need of help.


They are selling Gold Canyon candles (which I know we all LOVE) to raise money for his medical bills. If they raise $2500 by November 22nd, they will give half of it to the Merkley's, who desperately need it.


So PLEASE....this is a good cause, and it's a wonderful time of year to buy one of these wonderful candles- for yourself or for a Christmas present.


You can see more at Lorin's blog ....... http://www.lorinmerkley.blogspot.com/


Or you can order directly through Josie Penrod at penrodfam@yahoo.com or 987-3210.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Brent with Lorin on the far right

October 31st!!!

What a wonderful time of the year! I LOVE Halloween...it's my 2nd favorite holiday, next to Christmas of course! We had such a fun time going to our ward Halloween party at the Bowman's and then going to Newell and Jessica's house for the Slade Halloween get together after.....and of course, we mostly go so we can do the annual Slade Ugly Face contest. So if you are wondering what those pictures are in the slide- yes- those are not how they normally look. I'm so proud to have married into a family that is so good at making fun of themselves! :) Enjoy the slideshow! (put mouse on each picture for a little caption)

Silly Livi!

A couple weeks ago I freaked out and couldn't find Livi anywhere when we came home to a babysitter. But don't worry- I finally found her behind our couch in the family just sound asleep!The kids love our wigs we've used for past Halloweens, but this is especially great! This is Livi with her next-door neighbor friend, Zach Ballard. This kind of reminds me of my mom and dad- say......in 1972? Was that the year you had a mullet dad!? :)

A self portrait! Just a cute picture of her today during Stake Conference (while she was in the nursery playing at the end!)