Rhett and his Legos

Rhett building his legos. I have never met a child who could focus so well on huge intricate projects. He also makes up his own creations which are very impressive. This is definitely one of his great talents!! Maybe he will be an engineer like his Mother:).

I forgot I had already posted that picture, See how much I love it!!!

The Boys

I love this picture taken on our wedding day. Of course being boys, they couldn't stand nicely on the ground but had to climb a tree in thier nice clothes. Yes, boys and Girls are so very different and I love it. I love the energy and spice the boys bring to my life and I love all the ways that my husband is such a typical male. He is steady and strong and the love of my life. I do so adore them all.

Science is Messy!!

This was the final picture on Bobby's science fair board. His experiment was really cool. They got different things and put in 2 liter cola bottles to see how much liquid would explode out of them. The winner was Baking Soda, but Mento's candy came in a close second. Some of the geysers grew as high as 4 feet.

Halloween w/ the Sheffields

The Sheffields came to Utah to go trick-or-treating with us. We love the Sheffields!! We have trick-or-treated for the past few years together and it was truly a treat to have them with us this year as well. Plus, Madi and Tori could happily (since they had each other) give out candy while the rest of us went out.



Madi was a green, sparkly, imp and Scott was a pilot. Aaron Sheffield was a power ranger but stripped as soon as he got home to scarf as much candy as possible without being hindered by extra clothing.













Eric was a beat up hockey player (Tori Sheffield in the background)






















Aleah was Hedwig the Owl and Kimi was Hermione.

Rhett (refused to dress up even though there were a plethora of costumes to wear-the way he has been lately, this should not surprise anyone.) Adam Sheffield - a football player, and Bobby - a Death Eater. (Aleah's owl head in the background.)

Rhett Ran Away!?!? Really???!?!?!?

Yes, dear sweet little Rhett is still his unique, "I will do what ever I please. Just try to stop me." self. I adore Rhett and the energy and spice he brings to the family. As many of you know he has huge eating issues. Since we moved here, I have been trying to get him to eat a tiny bit of what we are eating every night. It has been difficult but working and he has not even thrown any of it up...Yea!! The other night, a few days after arriving home from the weekend with his Dad where, wherever they ate, they had an abundance of french fries and fried chicken, Rhett decided that if he held out, I would not make him eat our food. He proceeded to tell me he would not eat it and there was nothing I could do about it. I told him he could write 50 lines stating that he would eat his dinner then and he responded with, " I will not eat green eggs... "oh wait he said, " I will not eat this and I will not write lines and you can't make me." In realizing he was right and feeling helpless, I asked him what he would do about it and he replied, " I will run away." I decided to call his bluff and said, " Well let me help you out the door.." and picked him up barefooted and put him outside the front door and locked it. ( His side of the story is that I threw him out. Maybe, I did.) I thought he would pound on the door and apologize, but he ran away instead. We gave him a little over an hour to return and he didn't. Travis went to friends houses looking for him but I ended up finding him loitering around the Wendy's drive through (bare footed mind you) seemingly looking as pathetic as he could so someone would give him some french fries. He saw me and bolted. We finally caught up to him and had a long talk about how I would be a bad mother if I did not make him eat normal food and how dangerous it is for him to be alone in the world.

The thing is that I was really upset that I did not know how to handle the situation to start with. My dear friend Jennifer said that her mom used to tell her and she tells her kids, " You are right, you can do whatever you want, but you can not choose the consequences." Simple and so very true. Now my question is how do you create consequences to fit the crime with a child who cares about so very little to begin with? I am working on it.

Kids to Colorado and...

Phil flew the kids to Colorado for a weekend so he, Amanda (his girlfriend), and "Z" (Amanda's daughter) and his and her family could all hang out. It was odd only because I was so happy that they could all spend some time together. Yes, I was genuinely happy for them all. It was nice to get a sort of break (We had Bobby, Aleah and Kimi). I loved spending time with Travis and his kids. I thought being divorced would have had more of a sadness with it. I really don't feel it at all. I just feel a constant gratitude that I am in the life I am currently in. I feel so blessed and a constant awe at my good fortune at finding the family I am now a part of. I still love and care for Phil's family, but I am content to let them enjoy Phil and the kids without me. I feel a great deal of peace with this and again am just grateful to not feel distressed, heartbroken or jealous. God is good and has blessed me beyond what I could have ever hoped.

Bobby bought some tennis rackets and balls with his birthday money and we all played tennis this weekend. It was a ton of fun and I must say that I am so very glad to find a sport that Bobby is interested in. It is always nice to see him happy.

Madi started fencing last week and loves it. She even made an effort to talk to and laugh with Kimi this week. Amazing. Perhaps swinging a sword and thrusting it at people is just the medicine to help her in coming out of her depression - you know the one that teenagers who are ripped from their comfortable home and friends (especially Tori) and transplanted to a far away place with a new family and Step-Dad go into. She is slowly but surely making new friends as well. Yea!!!!!

Martha Washington and Me

This week has been pretty uneventful so far. Perhaps I will get some things done!!!

I am reading a book Called "Washington's Lady" about Martha Washington, and am amazed at her strength, ability and goodness. Running a plantation; having children and a husband die; choosing who to remarrying while being the richest widow in Virginia; being unable to have more children when she and George both so desperately wanted them; taking care of her previous husband's plantation as well as Mount Vernon while George is fighting a war. I never thought of all the people to manage as the wife of a plantation owner and the stress of selling your goods to those who would most likely cheat you because they are across the ocean and they can get away with it. I am grateful for my trials in comparison. - An easy comment now that I have so few trials (or at least much less harsh) relative to recent years in my life. We are so blessed to have modern medicine and that our children have a better chance of living than dying. We also have so many luxuries with much less effort and responsibility on our part. We surely become much more complacent with the ease and abundance in our lives. Like Martha in the book however accurate or inaccurate it may be, I love and adore my new husband and look forward to the rest of my life and eternity with him. I also cherish my children. But unlike her, I am able to have more children as well as the blessing of being a step mother.

I really do enjoy all the children in our home. I never thought I would want a big family, but I have more moments of enjoyment than of frustration. For this I am truly grateful. Our Father in Heaven has blessed us all beyond what I could have ever hoped for and has answered every one of my prayers in excess. How grateful I am to Him and for all He has given me and my family. There has never been a time in my life where I felt so content.

Boys and Girls

How I love this family!!!!!

Aleah, along with Scotty - Cute, Fun and together, can make the most remarkable messes. I am so glad that I didn't have twins until they were 5.

Yes, Rhett is darn cute too!

I will add the other kids when it will let me, for some reason, the picture download stpped working.

Bobby is darn cute!

Eric, a total ham!!

Kimi, a natural at having her pictures taken, Brittany barely had to tell her how to pose.

Madison in all her teenageness, toe ring, green and black braces and all

This picture epitomizes our experience taking pictures as a family. Need I say more :)!!

Have I ever told you how much I hate having pictures taken? This was by far the best experience I have ever had, only because Brittany, Travis’ brother Tydon’s wife, took them in her studio for free. Yes, can you believe that, She is an amazing artist and an awesome photographer and just all around wonderful person. I love my new family so much – every one of them. The siblings are all fun, kind and interesting yet down to earth, and their kids are all great. Once again, I am in awe that I have been so blessed, not only with the sexiest, most marvelously compatible husband for me, but a plethora of other blessings as well. – Yes still a newlywed and still madly in love!!!!!

Yes, I am really doing this!!!

So, whether or not I really post this is another question - as I write, Eric asks, "Mom, Mom, Maummm!!!......Scott's not picking up, when are we going to go.....," New child (Scott) -"My room is too messy, I can't pick it up, Mom, Mom, can we just go right now and when we get home, can I do my chores, Pleeasse!!, What are you typing?, Mom, Mom, can I just play, look at my necklace it says diamond, S, diamond, C, diamond, O, diamond, T, diamond, T, Diamond.... Mom, Mom can you hear me, (I laugh, then continue to type) What?What? , Mommy , MOm, Maummm, Mommy..... " I am such a good Mom, I know.

"Off Track" I never knew the term until now, Three boys running around the house pounding each other while Madi, Kimi, Bobby, and Aleah have "traditional" (what most people have). Two more weeks of "off Track" -yea!! It gets really fun when we get Kimi, Bobby, and Aleah during the week. I get to go 25 min. away and pick Aleah up from Kindergarten @ 11:30 and them Kimi @ 2:55 and then Bobby@ 3:25. I really don't mind, or I would not have offered, but they seem to like it and I really like them. They are great kids and I am glad to be their step Mom.