The Burnetts

Christmas Time 2011

2012-01-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

This year we moved right before Christmas. We decided it was time to leave Arkansas and do what was best for our family. We were incredibly sad to leave AR, and our friends, but we know we made the right decision for our family. Thank you to all our friends that were such great friends to me, and my family. You will always be remembered and loved!!
So we made it to Utah just in time for Christmas, and we had a great time with family. In my family (the Holt side) we do most of our celebrating on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is mostly just a relaxing day enjoying our time together. So everyone came over for our big feast while telling the kids that we will "eventually" get around to opening the gifts..."after dinner...after all the dishes are done...after we do a little program...alright!! It is time!!"

It is so nice to be with family again!! I will greatly miss the family and friends we left behind though and hopefully it won't be too long before we get to see them again soon too!

This year, the girls planned a little program. Orginally, Aubrey wrote a play for all the kids to do, but due to some anxiousness to get to the presents, they decided that that would take too long and decided to go with plan B. All the kids took turns performing a song for everyone. It was beautiful! Aubrey and Samantha sang, "Joy To the World"

Ryan and Samantha sang "Stars Were Gleaming"

Every year, my incredibly talented mother hand sews matching pajamas for all of her grandchildren. There are 17, with one on the way. And every year the kids LOVE them and every year they turn out fabulous!!

I made this quilt for Rich this year...it is unfinished with pins in it still....one more great bonus about living with my mom now...she can "help" me finish it. :-)

This year, Rich and I were down in the basement and I didn't want the kids to come down stairs and see things without me knowing so...I blocked off their room (they were all having a sleepover in one room). I thought for sure it would either keep them in or I would hear them having a great time breaking through...

It didn't work. They ALL crawled through the bottom (because that is what they thought they were supposed to do!). Silly kids! :-) But they did all come straight down to the basement to get me before they did anything else!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas this year. We did! I love my family and I Love my Savior. We are all so blessed to be able to celebrate his birth and His life!

Hey Santa!!!

2012-01-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

It is very serious business to tell Santa what you want for Christmas and cannot be taken lightly. Sam knows this! :-)

Spencer on the other hand...didn't quite warm up to Santa. Maybe next year!

Ryan didn't know what he wanted Santa to bring him, and we eventually just decided that Santa knows what he wants and will like whatever he brings him. Nice! Thank you Ryan! :-)

Ryan and his buddy Jack. We will miss Jack and his little family!

Lights of the Ozarks

2012-01-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Every year the square in Fayetteville put on the "lights of the Ozarks". It is beautiful. We had a wonderful evening together as a family looking at the lights and enjoying the holiday season. I love my family with all my heart and are so grateful for them!

Have we ever mentioned we are in Razorback country?!?! ;-)

Thanksgiving of Pies!

2012-01-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

The weather for Thanksgiving was beautiful!! We were able to play outside and really enjoy each other! This year we decided to go to Rich's sisters house for Thanksgiving in Nashville so that we could participate in "Thanksgiving of Pies". This is a tradition that Richs's cousins have started with their family and who were traveling to TN from D.C. We knew we had to be a part of this. You can read and see more about this here: http://astreetsweeper.blogspot.com/2011/12/some-favorite-moments-of-nashville.html and here: http://astreetsweeper.blogspot.com/2011/12/children-and-pies-what-more-do-you-need.html (I mainly do that because I am lazy and Ashley did a wonderful job on her own posts!). We had a great time with family and are so glad we took that chance to be with them one last time before we moved away and who knows where we will go next! Little Leo

Thanks Phillips for a perfect Thanksgiving...you were amazing hosts, as always!!

Just some random ones

2012-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

If Sam keeps loosing her teeth she won't have any left!!!

Baking Soda "volcanoes"...good entertainment for an afternoon!

Just playing around...

We went over by the stadium to watch/listen to the last home game of the year...go razorbacks!

Halloween

2012-01-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Alright, so we are a little behind...

2012-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

We are finally catching up a little on our blog, but no promises to get and stay completely caught up...that may be asking a bit too much from me! :-) Back in October the kids and I finally made our way to the pumpkin patch. Rich wasn't able to join us because he was focusing all his attention to finishing his thesis, but we had a great time together anyways.

It just isn't Fall for me until you go to the pumpkin patch and take cute pictures of my kids! They are cute aren't they?! ;-)

My adorable boys!!

And my wonderful Daughter! I couldn't be more blessed!

Our Return trip Home, part 2

2011-11-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

We decided to make a little detour on our way home because we didn't know how much longer we would be living in the mid-west and there are things to see!! We spent an extra night and day in Independence, MO. We first went out to Adam-ondi-Ahman. It is a beautiful valley and that pretty much it. But it was nice to see it in person and to learn more about what has been prophesied about that spot.

We then made our way to Far West. For a time this was a quaint busy community for the Mormons until they were forced out of Missouri. They were told to build a temple but only got the four cornerstones in place before they were run out. Someday that temple will be built though.

Here at Far West there was a drinking fountain that this frog came out of the drain, while Samantha was taking a drink. Ryan was being brave by touching it and then Samantha really wanted to take a video, while I touch it. So, I was giving her a lecture on not jumping when the frog jumps after I touch it because I didn't want her to drop the camera...I ended up being the one that was not so brave when it jumped and landed on my arm (see video at the bottom of this post).

We then stopped by to see the progression of the temple being built in Indepence. It is beautiful. We are so blessed to have so many temples on the earth today. What a wonderful blessing to be able to go to the temple, make covenants with the Lord and to have your family sealed to you for all eternities!

After this, we went to Liberty Jail. What an amazing place. It has been rebuilt in the exact spot that the original Jail was, and has been recreated as an exact replica as the jail. It shows Joseph Smith and the four other men who were imprisoned there and shows the circumstances that they had to endure. I learned a lot and am so grateful for Joseph Smiths courage and Faith to continue on doing what the Lord asked him to do, so that we can have the gospel today. That is such an incredible blessling.

Our last stop before heading home was at the visitors center in Independence. There we learned more about our church and our history. The kids loved the vidoes about the prophets, what the pioneers went through to, how we got the Book of Mormon, and all about the importance of families. I love my family and am so blessed to have them for all time and eternity. I couldn't ask for more.

Our Return Trip Home...part one (In Utah)

2011-11-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

More birthday celebrations!! This time we got to combine it with my moms birthday which is right in between Sam and Spencers. This time I made an ice cream cake which turned out to be really yummy!!

My kids and my brothers three kids (Miles, Kyle and Layla)

This was an attempt by Sam and Evan to stay up later...it worked of course. They got to watch the stars for a while because cousins who never get to see each other shouldn't have to go to bed TOO early...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my boys!!!

Spencer is ONE!!! I can't believe how fast this year went by! We were still in Utah so we decided to have yet another party! We went swimming at Aunt Angie's pool and the kids (again) had a great time!

My adorable little monster!

These two beautiful girls are two of my favorite people in the world. They are amazing!! I feel so grateful to call them my sisters and best friends. We are not all three together very often but when we are you can count on a good time. I love them and admire them both SO much. I just hope someday I can be as beautiful, smart, loving and wonderful as them!! It would be nice to be as skinny as them someday too! :-)

More cake and ice cream anyone?! Why not?!

I love my family with all my heart. That means my family and my side and my husbands. I feel very blessed to to belong to such amazing families and to call them mine. I love you all!

Grandma Lee is Loved!

2011-11-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken 4 years ago when we were visiting Grandma Lee in Oregon (also for Cameo's wedding). We are so grateful we were able to see her then and many more times after that when we lived in Oregon. Grandma Lee passed away in September and we will all miss her greatly. My children loved her and so do we. She lived a great life and we were blessed to call her Grandma!

We were able to go to Oregon for the funeral to celebrate her life. What a blessing. It was a wonderful trip and we created many family memories.

We were able to stay with our friends in Eugene for a night. We miss them so much! Maybe someday we will get back to Oregon. That would be nice!

Almost all of the family was able to come for the funeral. It was so fun to see all the cousins together and having a blast! This was taken at like 7 or 8 am when all the adults were still trying to sleep, but the kids were awake...so Uncle Rich took them outside and gave them candy...of course!

Hiking Table Rock. Sam and Celeste

5 out of the 6 kids with their dad (+Leo)

We were there for Samantha's birthday which was really fun! We spent the afternoon at the splash park and the kids had a blast! I can't believe my baby girl is 7 years old!! Seriously? How did that happen?!?!

Spencer was a little shocked about getting so wet

Sam requested a butterfly cake this year

Spencer's birthday was a couple days later, but we were leaving the next morning so we just celebrated them together. I can't believe my baby Boy is 1!!!

Both Sam and Spencer are such joys to have in our family. They are both very different but have brought so much happiness into our family. We love you both so much!

Grandpa reading "Hegedy Peg", a book that Grandpa loves and the children always love him to read it to them.

County Fair

2011-10-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

We spent a day at the County Fair and had a great time! Although Spencer didn't really like how "friendly" the goats were...

Big sister to the rescue!

Sam felt so grown up that she got to ride one of the fast rides. We only had enough tickets for her to ride (without one of us) so she was on her own. She was so excited and was smiling from ear to ear...and then the ride started...every time she went around she got lower and lower in the seat. Rich and I got really nervous once we couldn't even see her anymore. Once it stopped I rushed over to where she was, but she was still smiling. She just said that it was faster than she thought it would be, and probably won't rdie it again; but she still had fun! What a brave girl! I love her!!

I LOVED the swings when I was a kid!

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa Burnett

2011-10-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

This year for Rich's parents 40th anniversary each family made a small music video with some of the memorable songs from their childhood. Our song was the theme song from "Rocky", which isn't one that we could really lip sync to, but we had a fun day doing small little videos that we compiled into a video with the song in the background. It turned out pretty cute, and we had a fun day together as a family. The University campus provided a great background for our pictures and videos. We had to get a picture with the "hog"

Happy Anniversary mom and dad. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your example. We will follow after your example and doing our best to be as good as you.

He's ONE!!

2011-10-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

This boy does NOT like to stay put for the camera OR smile for one, but he still is pretty darn cute! I can't believe he is one year old already! He adds so much happiness into our family life. We love him to pieces and can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us.

Back to School

2011-10-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

We still can't believe that school is back in session, but Sam was ready! She was so excited to start 1st grade and so far she loves her teacher! At the end of the first week of school a small group of us took our girls to Rick's bakery to celebrate. Such cute girls! We are so proud of all of you.

More Summer time!

2011-10-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

8 Amazing Years down...

2011-10-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

This year for our anniversary, we decided to spend it together as a family. We went sight seeing around NW Arkansas and it was a lot of fun!

After a long day of walking around in 100 degree heat, we stopped at this small waterfall and said, "Just put your feet in"...that lasted maybe 3 minutes. Thankfully it was our last stop.

We have been married 8 years now and it has been an amazing 8 years! I wouldn't trade our marriage and family for the world.

Visitors

2011-09-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

I LOVE getting visitors!! It doesn't happen very often AT ALL (hint hint to anyone who might be able to come!) My sister-in-law called one day and said they were coming the next day! I couldn't have asked for a better surprise! I Love love love my sister, Lisa and her kids are adorable too!! Our kids get along great and we had a great time together! If only we could do it more often!

We went swimming at the pool a couple times

I have no idea what is happening in this picture, but it makes me laugh...I love all the kids' faces!

Delaney is 3 weeks younger than Spencer and he LOVED her! Anytime I looked away, Spencer was attacking her...and Ryan is ALWAYS attacking Spencer (I wonder where Spencer learned it), so this picture is perfect!! Poor girl!

Dance Party!!

Rich loves to find good bakerys where we live and this is great!! The kids love to go there and pick out a treat!

At the farmers market

I love this boy! (Landon)

I love these girls too!! Best friends forever! Thank you Holts for coming to visit us. We loved having you and miss you guys tons already!!

Summer Time

2011-09-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

As I started this post I realized that I really need to get better at taking pictures of Samantha! These few pictures are just a small representation of part of our summer. Spencer got some more teeth...

Ryan got his tonsils out in July. He was such a trooper! He never really complained of being in pain, took his medicine no problem and was finally able to sleep well!! The only problem was that he wasn't really eating anything for about two weeks. I could visably see a difference in him and when I picked him up you could really tell how much weight he lost. He has always been a skinny kid, but he must have gone down about 5 lbs. I am so glad that he is back to normal!

We moved to a different apartment a couple of miles away. We went from a 600 sq.ft apartment to an almost 900....still not huge and still only 2 bedrooms so all three kids have to share still, but that 300 extra sq. ft really makes a difference. esp now that Spencer is walking. He actually has room to go somewhere. It is nice to be able to breath a little more!

It was SO hot this summer (like record breaking 100+ for over two weeks straight) and the kids really wanted to ride bikes, so we decided the best place to do that was at the parking garage across the street. With the university out for the summer it was most vacant and it was a little bit cooler in there. The kids loved it.

Who wouldn't was free food?! We went to Chik-fil-A dressed up as cows and ate completely free. Awesome!

Before we moved we spent a lot of our time across the street at Sami's school playing baseball. The kids LOVE doing that with their daddy!

4th of July 2011

2011-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th of July we were able to go visit Rich's sisters family in Nashville, TN. It was a lot of fun! The kids had a blast playing together and it was just really nice being together with family!

These two are great friends. Hopefully someday we will be able to live close so that they can be together more often!

Nate with Isaac and Lukas

Aunt Cameo with "baby" Spencer

I love Isaacs face in this one (the ADORABLE cute blonde behind Ryan)

Thank you Dollar Tree for some cheap entertainment...

These two boys are only 3 months apart...Either Leo has growing to do or Spencer needs to STOP growing!! Spencer looks huge compare to Leo, but someday I am sure it will even out and they will be best buds!!

For the Fourth of July we went into Nashville. Nate went early that morning and staked out awesome seats for us (Thank you Nate for sitting in like a 100 degree weather, by yourself for 5 hours so that we could have a place to sit for the show...you are AMAZING!!!) They had a free concert all day with free kids entertainment a street up. It was great!!

Dancing to the music

All day long there were various performers (some local, some trying to make it big, and some somewhat "big") and then to end the night the headliner was Darius Rucker. It was a great concert and the kids really enjoyed it too.

It was BY FAR the best firework show we have ever seen. Our seats were right above the River, and the fireworks were right above us. The Nashville Symphony accompainied the fireworks with made it even more awesome. If you ever have the chance to go to Nashville for the Fourth of July, GO!! You will not be disappointed!

We were able to finish off this trip with a quick rendezvous with my brother and his cute family. They live in Louisville and so we both drove halfway between Nashville and them. We met at Mammoth Caves and took a tour, had a picnic and enjoyed eachother. The problem with moving around so much is that you never know when you might see family again, so we take any opportunity we can!

I love that on both sides of our families there are cousins so close in age to my kids. No matter what family we are getting together with, there is always someone to play with. Love it!!

Prairie Grove Battle Anniversary

2011-09-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Samantha's friend Abigail had a civil war themed birthday party and we went to the Prairie Grove Battlefield where they had a little celebration commemorating the battle.

A soldier riding a horse came to the party and instructed us that President Lincoln needs volunteers for the war...Ryan was the first one to stand up and yell, "I have a sword!!" and then all the boys took off following the horse to the table to sign up for the war.

Here is Ryan signing his life away and recieving his "pay".

Thank you Sam and Ryan for being so willing to serve in the war and bring our country some peace, even though we do live in the South where people are still a little angry that the South lost the ward. ;-)

Kick-off to Summer

2011-09-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

I know this post is a little late, now that school is back in session already, but oh well! We had a great summer here in Arkansas. These pictures are at the end of the school year, when we were so ready for summer to start!

Watermelon! Watermelon! Watermelon!

The three musketeers! There are two of Sams best friends that she has made in Kindergarten. Miranda and Katherine. This picture was taken at Field Day and the face painting was done but yours truly. I did some pretty awesome faces that day!

Samantha loved her Kindergarten teacher. Ms. Simpson was awesome! We will always remember her and love her.

At the end of the year awards assembly Samantha recieved the reading award, citizenship award and the art award. We are so proud of Sam and all her hard work this year. We love you and can't wait to see all the great things you will do in your life!

Louisville

2011-07-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to go very long without making a trip to see family. The 11-12 hour drive is SO worth it to see my brother and sister-in-law and laugh with them, to see the kids play together (they are all best friends, I LOVE it!) and to make it even better, my parents were there too! Even Spener and Delayne are going to be best friends

I'm not exactly sure who thought it would be a good idea to go to a baseball game when it was about 95 degrees outside plus major humidity, sitting in the sun. But we went...I think the kids lasted about 5 min. before they were complaining so much that we ended up just taking them up to the playground and that is pretty much where we stayed until the end of the game. I think the guys got to watch a little bit of the game though...oh well.

Didn't you know? "Burnett's, Always your favorite" (apparently, it a kind of vodka?)

best friends

He knows he's cute!

We love any chance we can get to spend time with Grandma and Papa!

the "Bat"

After the game was over, the kids got to run the bases. They had a great time, but I don't think any of them actually touched the bases

The next day was my dads birthday and we spent the day at the zoo. I forgot my camera that day (Lisa, could I get some of those pics?), but we had a great time. Happy Birthday Dad! Spencer was so tired after that day that he just fell asleep on the couch. Look how big he is!!!!

The rest of May

2011-07-11T11:19:00.001-07:00

May was a fun month. We got to go to Rich's FINAL graduation, Ryan turned 4 years old, we got to visit family (see next post), and we got to go to the Gentry Safari. This picture below if one of my favorite times of the day...BEDTIME!! The kids love to read books and love to read with Daddy at bedtime. Spencer always love to get in on the action too.

Spencer was 8 months old in May, I can't believe how fast he is growing and learning new things. At 8 months, Spencer is saying "momma", he got his first tooth, has been crawling for a while now (started at 6 months) and is always happy. I don't think there has really been a single picture that I have taken that he hasn't had a huge grin on his face (besides the pictures I've taken with Ryan tackling him).

Sam had a field trip to the Gentry Drive through Safari and we were able to go together as a family. It was a lot of fun. They have a lot of exotic animals there, big and small, and a petty zoo too.

This Kangaroo has a joey in it's belly...so cute.

The Kangaroos were so friendly and let all the kids pet them and jump with them.

I CANNOT believe that this is my daughter, but she did it not once, but twice actually! Crazy girl! We spent most of the day there with her class and then headed out to Kentucky to visit my brothers family. We were tired by the end of the field trip and then had a 11 hour drive ahead of us, but it was worth it! I've got to see family every once in a while!

catch up

2011-07-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Back in May we went over to Rich's school to take some fun pictures. I am so blessed to have such wonderful, beautiful kids.

There is no question that these kids LOVE and adore their daddy!

Happy Fathers Day Daddy!

2011-06-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ryan loves wearing church clothes just like Daddy. He only has matching shoes and ties like Daddy, but he loves it. Someday we will get him a suit or something. Spencer looked adorable in his tie too...just like a little man.

In our family we are blessed to have such wonderful Fathers. Rich and I's fathers are amazing men and are such great examples to us all. Things were not always easy for our fathers, and they have both been through some challenges in their lives, but they have always shown us the right way to live and how to treat others. I am very grateful for my dad and his love for me. I know he will always be there for me and I am SO grateful that my children can have him in their lives as well. What a blessing fathers are!

My children are also very blessed. Their father is the most patient, loving man that I know. There is never any doubt that he loves these children and just this past week has proven that, while I went to girls camp and he stayed home with the kids. They had a great time with daddy! I love Rich with all my heart and am so grateful that we have been married for all time and eternity, and that our children have been sealed to us. Rich is always trying to be better and it always his top priority to provide and do what is best for our family. I couldn't ask for anything more. I love you babe!

OH Happy Day!

2011-05-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was graduation at the University of Arkansas. This is Rich's 4th degree and I couldn't be more proud of him for BEING DONE!!!! He still has his thesis to write but that shouldn't be too bad! It has been a long road, we have moved a lot (and probably more moves on the way), and had three kids all while doing all of his degrees, but it has also been a fun, great road. I love Rich so much and am so grateful for all of his hard work for our family. This is how we survived graduation...Ryan watching a show on the IPod and Sam playing her leapster (with headphones). The only problem was that you know how Dora asks questions during the show and wants you to shout the answers back to her? Well, Ryan loves that part (which I forgot) and out of no where during the ceremony he would shout out some spanish word or answer to some question. The people behind us thought it was hilarious!

At one point the man behind me had to chase down Spencer who was crawling down the aisle, about to be run over by the graduates exiting the room, while I was dealing with Ryan who suddenly was develeoping a fever in the middle of graduation and was needing to be held, or laying on the floor...fun times!

While we were walking through the reception party at the end, I was following behind Rich who had all three kids us with him, and I heard someone as we passed say "wow...that guy has three kids and just graduated?!"

One minute awake,

the next, OUT!

This was Susan, the head of the LLM (that is the degree that Rich just graduated with by the way) department.

This is a couple of the other LLM graduates. The woman wearing her cap and gown threw this party at her house. Many of the LLM students were from other countries so this was our first African party; no one needed to ask which kids were ours.

Congrats Rich and Daddy. We love you and are so proud of you!!!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2011-05-21T08:37:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that he is 4 years old...why can't they just stay young and small?!?! He was so excited that it was his birthday that any time he saw someone new (whether he knew them or not) he would yell (almost scream) "It's my BIRTHDAY and I'm turning 4!!!". Ryan is such a joy to have in our family. He has a lot of energy, makes us laugh all the time, and really is a wonderful boy. This year he chose a pirate hat cake, thank goodness too. These birthday cakes were getting a little out of control (last year I made a huge dragon cake for Ryan and a huge mermaid for Sams birthday this year!) Ryan really loves getting in character and always plays his part very seriously.

I love his smile in this picture below. His smile always make me smile. I love my Ryan!

Arrrrrrrrrrr

All for the sake of a picture...

...And now all better

Happy Birthday Ryan! We love you!

The Cow Paddy Run

2011-05-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I decided it would be fun to do a run with the kids. I didn't know how far the could run, so we started small with the mile fun run. My vision for the run was to stay with both Sam and Ryan, and have to walk a lot of the way. This isn't exactly what happened. Here we are at the starting line, RIGHT up front. The kids were so excited. Ryan was so excited to run the race that as soon as we parked the car in the parking lot, he got out and took off, because he had to "win the race". (if you click on it you can see it a little better)

Spencer and Daddy hung out during the race

My plan was just to stay with the kids and let them go as fast as the wanted/could. Well, as soon as the horn blew, Sam TOOK OFF! She was determined to win the race as well. I tried my best to tell her that there will be people in the race faster than us, but she still had it in her head that she was going to win. There was NO way she was going to stay with Ryan and I and go that slow. So I just let her run as fast as she could, and I only saw her walk once, and it was only for a couple steps. She ran the whole mile and was FAST!

Here she is about to cross the finish line...she totally beat that guy!

Her time was 10 min. and 13 seconds! That is PRETTY DARN GOOD for a 6 year old, esp. one who has never run a mile before! She was so proud of herself and excited that she did so well!

Ryan is more of a sprinter. He would run as fast as he could for a little while, then we would walk. Then sprint again, and walk, and so forth. But you could tell he was having a blast! Ryan and I's time was 13 min. and 8 seconds. That isn't too bad either! It was so fun for me to do this with my kids instead of just sitting on the sidelines. We all had a great time and will always remember it.

I am SO proud of my kiddos!! I love them so much and hope we can do many more races together in the future.

Sams field trip and random pics

2011-05-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Sams class went to "farm friends" for a field trip and they had a great time!! I love that I am a stay-at-home mom and can go with her on her field trips. What a great blessing! She had a great time with her friends and Ryan had a great time too!

This is how Spencer spent the entire field trip!

After watching all those kindergarteners grab and hold and squeeze those little chicks (the entire school district was there also) I wonder how many survived the day. Poor things!

Gotta love bed time!

I think this is one of Rich's favorite bonus' about having a baby...Sunday naps!

My gorgeous princess

Our own Athlete of the Year!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family and beautiful kids! This was a great Easter celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I am so grateful for all the He suffered so that I can have the opportunity to live with Him again, with my family. I know that my Redeemer Lives!

First tooth!

2011-04-14T13:28:00.001-07:00

While all of her friends are missing half their mouths (seriously, I don't know how they eat anything!), Sam lost her first tooth this week. She was so excited! She is growing up so fast!

Random pics

2011-04-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

We haven't been up to too much, just hangin' out. Ryan and Spencer are getting along great together I love the smiles we get while walking to the park, with Ryan (sometimes) in full costume. We have picked Sam up from school wearing multiple different arrangements of pirates (you know, with eye patch, without, with pirate hat and without, with full on pirate jacket and shorts, hat, hook, and eye patch...) you get the idea. Or as superman, or whoever he has been for the day. This day, Sam actually joined in and wore her cape also.

Sam is just about to loose her first tooth which she is so excited about. She can't wait! I will post pictures when that happens. She is still loving school and has a lot of friends. Her teacher says she is at about a 4th grade reading level and is way ahead in math too.

Spencer is SO CLOSE to crawling!! He rocks and rocks on his knees, and eventually will either scoot backwards or get up and do some push-ups! He's pretty strong!

Spencer is 6 1/2 months old now. He weighs 18 lbs and 14 oz (wow right?!?) and is 27 inches long! He is still a very calm little guy, loves to smile at anyone who will look at him and when you can make him giggle it makes my entire day! His hair is getting darker red which I love and tonight he just pulled himself up from sitting for the first time and waved to daddy!! I can't believe how big he is and how fast he is learning things. He is so much fun!

Spring Break

2011-04-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

The kids and I took a quick trip to see my brothers family in Louisville, KY for spring break. We all had a great time and LOVED spending some much needed time with family! Spencer and Delayne are a month a part. They are going to be best friends some day!

Samantha and Morgan are a month apart and they ARE best friends. I LOVE IT! They have so much fun together.

Ryan and Tal had a great time playing super heroes and anything boy!

Here is the gang, minus one (Landon). We had a great time! Thanks Jason and Lisa for letting us come tear your house apart! :-) Love you guys!

Happy (late) St. Patricks Day!!

2011-03-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

No one took any chances of being pinched this year!

February is really gone?!

2011-02-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Is February really over? We really didn't do too much this month other than staying at home and trying to stay entertained. It took until about half way through this month to finally have a full week of school since we came back from Christmas! We got quite a bit more of snow than they are used to here I guess and the own town just shuts down. This one storm gave us about 18 inches in one night! Crazy! I have never seen that much snow at one time before!

With so many snow days to make up, Sam had to go to school on Presidents Day, she will be going to school this SATURDAY! and they added a week and a half of school in June!

This is what the kids woke up to on Valentines Day. They loved it!

Now you can see how cramped the kids are in their room...all three in there and hardly any room to play! The room is so cramped it really didn't take that many balloons to fill it up! I am excited to someday give them so more room to play and actually be able to play with their toys (half of them are packed up in the storage unit anyways).

My love bugs!

Ryan showing off his muscles...aren't they huge?!

It is amazing that it has taken us 3 1/2 years to go to the ER with this boy! He some how smashed is finger in his dress, and split open his finger and nail. Luckily he didn't need stitches though, and was such a tough boy!

Spencer turned 5 months old this month! I can't believe how big he is and how fast he is growing! He is such a happy baby and loves to smile and anyone who looks at him. I feel very blessed to have such a good baby; quiet and happy. He still wakes up twice in the night, most nights but for the most part, he is great!

What's been goin' on

2011-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we thought we would take advantage of Rich still not being in school, so we got Sam out of school a little early, and headed out to Oklahoma City for the night. We drove straight to the temple so that Rich could do a session, while the kids and I went and got dinner while we waited. We spent the night in a hotel for fun and then I had the opportunity to go to the temple Saturday morning. We haven't had the opportunity to go to the temple very often, so this trip was much needed. Saturday afternoon we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and we went to the zoo. This Rino was huge! It was so nice to get outside and not freeze!

Spencer is getting so big! He is now 4 months (or will be on the 20th) and weighs 16.6 lbs and is 26 1/2 inches long! He loves to talk and it is so much fun to listen to him laugh!! He is very strong and holds himself up really well. He still loves to see his big sister and have her sing to him. As soon as she walks into view he gives her the biggest smile. Unfortunately, as soon as Spencer sees his big brother most of the time, he braces himself for impact with his arms up and eyes closed! We are still waiting for this stage that Ryan is in to pass. He just loves his brother so much!

I love that drool!

He is getting two little dimples on each cheek when he smiles too...so cute!!

Christmas in Nashville

2011-01-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

This picture isn't from Nashville, it is in our apartment. I knew I would take a Christmas picture in front of a real tree in Nashville, but I still had to document our sorry looking thing....this little fake tree was all we had room for, sandwiched in between our little tv and the baby swing! It was also tied to the swing so it wouldn't tip over, so then we couldn't even use the swing all month! This year we were able to go to Rich's sisters house in Nashville for Christmas. Rich's two other sisters came as well (one from Tucson!) and his parents were there as well. We all had a great time together and I loved having so many other people willing to hold Spencer and take care of him for me! ;-) I love this picture....this shows how much sleep we all got each night!

This is at the nativity at Opryland...it was beautiful and these girls are beautiful too.

Christmas Eve, watching Santa on the Santa radar.

These are the awesome PJs my mom made for all the grandkids! One of my favorite things about Christmas every year! We got the kids to bed probably around 11:30 Christmas Eve after having a wonderful program at the house, with everyone contributing a little part, whether it was playing beautiful piano music, the kids singing primary songs, reading The Night Before Christmas, singing O Holy Night, and of course, the kids acted out the nativity story. This rendition of the Christmas story I don't think we will ever forget, nor has anyone else heard of before, because Baby Jesus was not played by one of the actual babies, but by my three year old Ryan. Who crawled in talking in baby talk, and then stood up on the bench, annouced baby Jesus was a statue and stood there with his arm in the arm like the statue of liberty. Then the statue crashed down to the floor "and broke in pieces, and out came baby Jesus". I was dying by both embarrassment and laughter. Allen who was reading the scriptures couldn't read because he was laughing too much. Luckily, Nate got in ALL on video and I am sure we will use to embarrass Ryan when he is older! ;-) But yes, we will never forget this Christmas Eve.

Then once the children were finally asleep, the adults then got to work on putting the final touches on everything for Christmas Day, and only stayed up until 3 am! We all had a great time though and even though we were all tired the next day, it was great to just spend time together with the excitement of Christmas.

The kids lined up (youngest to oldest) in the back room Christmas morning, before they are allowed out to see their stockings and presents!

These boys are going to be best buddies later...Spencer is going to love me when he is older, looking back at all the pictures I forced him to do! ;-) Leo is the other cute baby, Rich's sisters baby, born in November.

Grandma even made a matching nightgown for the doll Sam got for Christmas!

Here is the picture in front of the real Christmas tree. Church was cancelled due to a little bit of snow and ice, but we still had to take a picture all dressed up. We just did the kids though because I was too lazy to put my own skirt on! :-)

Cute babies!

Proud Grandma and Grandpa

playing Knights was a large part of this Christmas...I love Ryans placement of his sword

This was at the Childrens Science museum...they all had a great time

We were able to go out on a double date with Nate and Julee. We went out to dinner and then down to the Honky Tonk. We only saw one drunken arrest! It was fun though to be out with such great company! And yes, we looked like AWESOME parents walking around bars with an infant strapped to Rich's chest! He got so many looks like "What the heck is in that guys jacket?!?" or "THAT'S A BABY!!".

So much fun! Thank you Nate and Julee for a great evening, and Christmas vacation. You were great hosts and we all had a great time!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

(I had to include this one because of Spencers facial expression. Too bad Ryan moved or it would have been a perfect picture!)

One Fall Day

2010-12-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we went out onto campus and took some pictures of the kids. The autumn leaves were beautiful and the kids loved getting out to see more of daddy's school.

This was also the day of the last Razorback home football game, so we of course had to go check out the craziness and get a picture with the huge hog!

Spencer's Blessing Day

2010-12-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

While we were in Indiana for Thanksgiving we decided to bless Spencer while we were with family. I am so thankful for family and it was a GREAT blessing to be together. I love my family so much! This is Spencer's cousin, Delaney who is 2 weeks younger. They are going to have a lot of fun together when they get older! I can't wait! I just hope we live close enough for them to actually get to know each other!

I am so thankful for these wonderful men in my life who hold the priesthood and bless our family so much!

Random cuteness!

2010-11-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Spencer adores Samantha! Just about everytime she starts singing to him, he stops crying immediately and just watches her with a big smile. She loves it and I love it because it helps me to get some things done every once in a while. They are going to be such good buddies

This picture show what Spencers life is like the majority of the time...he is getting pretty good at sensing when his big brother is coming and braces himself. Ryan isn't trying to be mean at all (most of the time), but just really loves Spencer...maybe a little too much! He kisses him about 100 times a day always accompanied by a large (usually much too rough) hug. He is not always so innocent though...the other day I was in the other room while Spencer was laying on my bed. All of the sudden I hear him start crying loudly, and Ryan running out of the room saying, "I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything!" I responded by saying, "I have a feeling you aren't telling me the truth. Are you?" "No" "What did you do?". Ryans response: "Um..(shoulder shrug), I just head butted him (another shoulder shrug)"....Spencer is going to be pretty tough little guy!

Photo Shoot

2010-11-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

This is our make-shift studio in our apartment...it involves a white bed sheet taped to open cupboards on one side, and hooked onto the open freezer door (secured down with a bag of frozen corn) on the other side. Man I miss living closer to my brother (who is an amazing photographer!). But even though the quality of pictures isn't great, the kids are adorable!

I will try to get some of Sam sometime too!

Sams Fall Party

2010-11-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Sams Kindergarten class had a fall party, which she was VERY excited for. I was happy to be able to go and help out and that Ryan was welcome to come too.

This is Sams table that she sits at everyday. KK is this boy in front and he seems to be quite the funny kid!

Sam is LOVING school and dreads days when she has to stay home (like every weekend!).

I'm glad I don't have to share a bed with this kid...

2010-11-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Ryan is one crazy sleeper. Just about every night when I check on him before I go to bed, I find him in some incredible position. I don't know how he does it. Each of these pictures are different nights even though he may be in the same pjs.

These ones are my favorite. He is holding himself up with he foot in this one (above).

Sometimes he is completely on the floor, almost under Sams bed. Crazy boy!

Halloween!!

2010-11-02T19:38:00.001-07:00

We had a fun Halloween, before Halloween. First our ward had a fun trunk-or-treat at the church and the kids got a ton of loot there. (the pictures are reversed. The trunk-or-treat pictures are at the bottom. sorry) Then on Sat. night we went to some friends "farm" where we had a small trunk-or-treat for the kids. Even though there were only like 10 cars there I think the kids got more candy there than at the church because everyone just kept going around and around. Then we went on a fun hayride through the farm out to a huge bonfire for hot cocoa. The kids loved it!

My little pumpkin

Ryan was a Crusader King, which of course he chose because he had a sword and could fight dragons. Sam was beautiful Ariel.

Honestly I think Ryan kisses Spencer at least a hundred times a day, whether we want him to or not!

Samantha's first Kindergarten Field Trip

2010-11-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sam was so excited about this field trip she could hardly go to sleep multiple nights before. I think shw was mostly excited to have her daddy go with her and spend the day with him. They had a great time!! Pumpkin races

Kindergarten tug-o-war

Sam and her new best friend Miranda

Sams class

She absolutely loved showing off her daddy to all her friends and to have him all to herself!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

I feel a like a slacker mom this month. I didn't do anything cute, fun or creative with my kids for the halloween season. I didn't even decorate. But I did make sure that we went to a pumpkin patch at least. We had a lot of fun there, until it started to downpour on us. We were soaked to the bone. But the kids had fun and Spencer stayed dry so that is all that matters. He is adorable!

The totally overpriced cow train

I love that Ryan has no fear (Sam was hiding behind Rich the whole time).

Sadly, these were pretty much the only pumpkins left at this patch...we went to walmart later and got some better ones!

Two weeks

2010-10-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

These past two weeks have been great. I am so thankful that we have Spencer in our family and that Samantha and Ryan adore him also. So far, three kids really haven't been too bad, but keep in mind I was spoiled to have my mom here for about a week after he was born, and Rich has been able to be home quite a bit too. Spencer is a really good baby so far. He sleeps a lot and eats a lot and that is about it. He is our first child that likes to be swaddled, and he sleeps a lot longer and better in the night when he is. It must have something to do with being overdue, so he is more accustomed to being up in a ball. I just have to thank my mom. I love her so much and am so grateful that she was able to come all the way out to Arkansas and be with us. I know you don't think you did much mom, but we wouldn't have made it without you. We love you and miss tons already. (Sam ran to her room and cried on her bed for 20 min. after you left!)

(and yes, Ryans knight helmet is pretty much a 24-hour a day thing...if you call him Ryan he will usually correct you and say, "I'm not Ryan...I am prince Phillip!")

Rich took the kids down to watch the end of the big game against Alabama...Arkansas lost and the kids were really upset.

This is Spencer at one week old. I think he is pretty adorable!

We have never had a child that had so many facial expressions so early. A lot of the times, we find ourselves just watching him because he is always doing something different with his face.

Gotta love the grandpa pants...

I am still trying to figure out who he looks like. Some days he really looks like Ryan did, and other days I can't put my finger on it....any thoughts?

And isn't it amazing how fast they change? I think Spencer already looks so different from when we were at the hospital.

Ryan absolutely adores his brother. I get nervous to take showers without Rich home because Ryan loves him so much it can get dangerous. But Spencer is going to learn how to be TOUGH!

Sam loves her brother too. Any time he cries she always says, "do you think he wants me to hold him to make him feel better?"

I am so blessed to have such wonderful, beautiful happy kids. And also to have such a loving, supportive and helpful husband. I couldn't ask for anything more.

He's finally Here!!

2010-09-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday we finally welcomed our new son into our family. I was supposed to be induced the Friday before but the hospital ran out of rooms. They also ran out of rooms on this Monday morning, but they called an hour later and said we could come on in. That was an hour of every emotion a very pregnant woman could feel! Here I am very excited to have my baby and not be pregnant anymore! His name is Spencer Holt Burnett. We didn't decide on his name until the next day, but really, if you know us, would you expect anything else?!?

Ryan was/is super excited to have a baby brother. Do you see how is is pretty much just taking Spencer out of Rich's hands? We really have to keep a close on that kid. At least Spencer is VERY loved!

Spencer was 9.9 lbs!!!! I was not expecting to have such a large baby, but I guess that is what happens when you are about a week over due! He was 20 3/4 inches long and couldn't be more perfect. He has red hair and quite a bit of it too!

I am SO grateful to have my mom here with us. She has helped us out more than she will ever know and I was just glad to have my mom close! It is hard to have babies away from family! Thank you mom for your love, support and help! We love you!

Proud daddy!

He's huge isn't he?!

They love their baby brother

The boys

Now, he is quite a bit swollen and even by the next day he wasn't quite as thick, but still pretty big!

Ready to go home!

Welcome to our family Spencer! We love you so much already and can't wait to watch you grow and learn.

Happy Birthday Sam!

2010-09-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby girl is 6 years old now! I can't believe it! Am I old enough to have a 6 year old?!? She was a beautiful baby and she is a beautiful girl now. I am so thankful to have her in our family. Everyday she brings so much joy and laughter into our home. She is a great big sister and I love her very much!!

This year it was a mermaid cake...too bad we don't know anyone here to come over and help us eat this massive thing!

I'm pretty sure Grandma has never had a mermaid for a birthday cake before!! We are very blessed to have my mom here with us for a little while. Her birthday is tomorrow so September will just be our month of birthdays! (I am writing this post today because I should be in labor but am not!!) We love you too grandma and are very blessed to have you with us!

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite girls in the world!!

The County Fair

2010-09-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was little I was always loved the fair. Now growing up in Washington, you can't beat the Puyallup Fair, but it always fun to go and support your county fair, and spend way too much money. You can't go to the fair without milking a fake cow, right?! ;-)

Ryan really wanted a horsie ride and the carousel was perfect for him. Rich had to go on with the kids though because the man wouldn't let me on...hello...it's a carousel?!?! I don't think it's going to put me into labor!

Sam really wanted to go on a roller coaster and so did Ryan. This one let them on without an adult (so we didn't have to waste more tickets obviously) and they were thrilled. Look how excited Ryan is to go on his first roller coaster....

This is after the ride...Ryan is all smiles now because I wish I had gotten a good picture of him on the ride. His huge smile quickly turned into terrified tears. He was really shaken up when the ride stopped and he said he never wanted to do that again. Once again, he surprised me!

Enjoying the country concert at the end (the kids mostly just weren't quite ready to go home, even though it was 10 pm!).

And I love when evenings end as blissfully as this...doesn't he look like an angel?! And yes, he really is asleep!

Devils Den

2010-09-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Before school started we decided to get out and see some nature around us. Rich found this place call "Devils Den" which is a man-made dam that was made to also be a beautiful waterfall. Well, the water was still too low (we will have to try back in the spring) so there was no waterfall; just a "lake" on the top. So we decided to go for a canoe ride. I still cannot tell this story without chuckling to myself...and this just proves how awesome parents we are! :-) Okay, so we put the kids in the canoe first (our first mistake). They were both crying and screaming because it was rocking and they were terrified that they would fall in the water. Then I tried to get in (mind you I am 8 months pregnant at the time). I step in and realize that as the canoe slightly moves away from me that I cannot stretch that far; I am in pain and cannot get back onto the dock (meanwhile, both kids are both still in the canoe screaming) and I also cannot stop laughing! (I know, I am an awesome mom!) So then Rich finally helps me back onto the dock where we decide that I am going to have crawl in...someone really should have been videotaping this. So we all finally get settled into the canoe and things start to calm down, but it took Ryan quite a while to stop crying. This is him sitting me....

Sam was actually the brave one here and she loved it...Ryan was nervous the whole time which was really shocking to us.

But then we went swimming and Ryan was back to his old self. He loves the water!

All-in-all, it was a good day. I love it when I get to spend the whole day with my family.

Our new Home

2010-08-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

So we made it to Fayetteville, Arkansas about a week or so ago and we are finally settled into our new home. It is small and cozy, but it is nice. We at least don't have to walk very far to get to what we want. Sams school is directly across the street and Rich's school is down the street, about a block away. The picture above is taken standing at the front door. So yes, it is small, but I am just happy we can actually fit our kitchen table! You can see directly down the hall is our bedroom and what you can see is pretty much it.

Then it is the kids' room. They are really enjoying sharing a room (which makes bedtime really fun for me!) and have gotten along really well so far.

This might be my favorite feature of our new home. The mascot for the University of Arkansas is the Razorbacks. This is the side of our building during the day...

And this is at night. Nice. Go Hogs!

Samantha's First Day of Kindergarten

2010-08-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Samantha was so excited to start Kindergarten this year. She has been ready for about 2 years now and could hardly go to sleep the night before. She had her outfit picked out and was especially excited to wear her new "twinkle toes" shoes (imatation sketchers) thanks to Grandma! I even made it through the morning without crying...pretty impressive considering I am 8 months pregnant!

This is Samantha coming out of school. She was so happy, a little tired but couldn't wait to tell us all about it.

It was a long day for Ryan. He was ready to pick her up the moment I got back from dropping her off. As soon as she came out of the door he gave her the biggest hug...so cute! I can't believe I have a child in school, but I am excited for all the things that she is going to learn and the experiences she will have. I love you Samantha!

More pictures...

2010-06-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

The whole gang

Grandma and Grandpa with all of their grandkids. 18 and two on the way...

the tide-pools were really cool

Our brother-in-law, Allen is an Ultimate Frisbee player, can you tell?

The Manly Men!

Burnett Family Reunion

2010-06-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to a family reunion near and in Pacific City, OR. The first half of the week was spent at Lodge with all of Rich's uncles, aunts, and cousins. It was a great time and we loved spending time with family we haven't seen for a long time. The second half of the week was spent at a beach house with Rich's siblings and their families. We all loved being right on the beach and we had perfect weather too. Here are some pictures from our week (in completely random order, and more to come in another post).

Sam was like a completely different girl this time at the beach. Last time we went she was so scared of the water and this time, she had a blast! I love this picture because she is actually getting some air. I love my kiddos!

After this little hike is when discovered Ryan's 103 temp. It isn't a vacation without a sick one!

While at the lodge we hiked to a beautiful waterfall. Rich had been there the day before with the kids and went swimming. This is the next day and he decided that Ryan should go in too. Ryan had a great time and loved doing it with his daddy. The trail was so muddy, but Ryan didn't care and didn't care being wet either!

At the beach, there is this huge sand hill (mountain really) that everyone climbs. No one thought I could do it....who says a prego girl can't climb a mountain?!? It wasn't easy though....

Grandpa and Sami on top of the mountain

My Beautiful Samantha

One night at the Lodge, a lot of memories were shared from their childhood and memories of Grandma and Grandpa Burnett. This is a song about "Zingy Zangy Mosquitoes" (or something like that) going to a picnic. Everyone loved it, especially Ryan.

Another Graduation

2010-05-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

What a good lookin' lawyer!!

Thanks for coming to celebrate with us Mom and Dad!

I am so proud of you babe!! Now it's time to kill the Bar!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

2010-05-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Ryan's 3rd birthday! I can't believe that he is three years old already! We are so happy that he is in our family and we love the excitement he brings. Ryan is such a sweet, happy and active boy and we are excited to see what else he has in store for us!! We love you big boy!! (3 months)

(2 Months)

Ryan is really into being a prince, with a sword of course, and he is always looking for bad guys or dragons to slay. He loved his orange dragon cake!

Happy Birthday buddy!! We love you!!

2010-05-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love love love having a photographer for a brother!! I love these four girls so much and am so glad that they are all my sisters!! I am very blessed!

I am trying to get my family pic on the top of my blog...as you can see I am having trouble...if anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong, please let me know! :-)

My cute family

2010-05-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love when my whole family can get together. It is getting harder and harder to make it happen, but it really is a blast when it does. I am truly blessed with an amazing family who are all incredible examples to me and help me to be a better person. Thank you Steve for being our family photographer...the pictures always turn out fabulous!

It's a BOY!

2010-05-05T14:02:00.001-07:00

We found out yesterday that we are expecting a baby boy!! Our due date is Sept. 16 (Samantha's birthday) and we couldn't be happier. Two crazy boys running around my house, and an older sister to keep them in line, should make life interesting, but it is going to be fun!! I feel very blessed that we are able to expand our family and that we are an eternal family. What more could I ask for?

COUSINS!!!!

2010-05-04T17:12:00.001-07:00

This picture is only missing one child, Megan, who is almost two. There may be times when a person could feel a little overwhelmed when they visit my parents home, when we are all visisting. 15 grandkids all 8 and under can get a little loud and crazy at times (actually, all the time). But they sure have a blast together and are all best friends. I couldn't feel more blessed to have such a wonderful family, even if we look a little insane at times! Especially with two more kiddos on the way in September and October!

Everytime we visit Aunt Angie, my kids get so excited about hearing "adventure stories" at bedtime. She is amazing at making up stories that entrance the kids and they can't get enough. However, it does take a lot more energy to do that every night so this night, Aunt Leslie gave Aunt Angie a break and just read a book to them.

What is a visit to grandma's house without making cookies?!?!

Everyone just loved hearing Ryan's horse noise. If you haven't heard it, it is quite the experience!

We love cousins, BBQs and fun times!!

Graduation

2010-05-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Rich actually graduated with his Masters Degree from BYU this past December so we decided to go to April graduation so that he could walk. We are so proud of you babe! And SO glad that it is over! ;-)

Our brother-in-law also graduated with his Bachelors. They are off to Auburn, AL for a Masters Degree. Good luck guys!

Ryan was already so tired from the trip and playing with cousins, that he crashed just before the two hour long commencement started. It was nice to be able to enjoy it and not try to keep him quiet and entertained.

We love you Rich and are so proud of all that you have accomplished. You are a wonderful husband and father. Thank you for all that you do for us!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

I know I am biased, but I really do have beautiful children!!

We love the Coast!

2010-03-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

We love going to the Coast and this time was no exceptions. The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time together as a family. Rich's parents were even able to join us which made the day even more special.

Gotta love this boy!!

Ryan shows NO FEAR when it comes to hiking and rock climbing...it was scary sometimes how fast he would run or jump over rocks. Rich just held tight to the back of his shirt so that we didnt' loose him into the ocean!

Whale watching. Sam apparently saw 2 or 3, no one else did, but hey, she must have really good eye sight!

We had a great time with grandma and grandpa Burnett and can't wait for our next visit!

Just Random Pics

2010-02-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Ryan makes the funniest faces sometimes and I can never catch them in pictures! He is always making me laugh....most of the time I just can't resist kissing his cute little cheeks!

My Beautiful Samantha!!

The other day Rich called Ryan "kid" and Ryan responded "I'm not a kid...I'm a kiddo, or babe". I guess I use those words a lot with him! ;-)

Ryans new favorite thing to do...hey, if it entertains him right now, I am okay with cleaning up a little water (usually more than a little though!).

My big boy!!

2010-02-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of Ryan! He is now officially potty trained and is doing incredibly well!! He is so happy to be a "big boy" now and LOVES his new lightning mcqueen slippers he earned when he filled up his potty sticker chart. The other day he did something (can't remember what he did) but he came up to me in the kitchen and told me and then said "you're proud of me right mommy?". Yes Ryan, I am always proud of my big man!!

He is showing us how fast he can run with lightning on his feet!

Lightning McQueen Rescue!

2010-02-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

It was a group effort to rescue lightning mcqueen, and I enjoyed the show!

Yahoo!! We did it!!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was Valentines Day and as Samantha would say "We had a great day today!". It was a good day. I recieved beautiful pink roses and the kids got their own little treats! But someday Valentines Day is never quite as much fun when you are pregnant and sick! We didn't go out on a special dinner Saturday night because what was the point in going on and spending the money when I couldn't really enjoy it and most likely won't keep it down! But Rich did want to do something for me and felt like I needed some "protein" so he went out and brought some Outback steaks home for us. It was perfect, enjoying good food at home, being able to eat as SLOW as I wanted! :-) And we didn't have to deal with the crowds! Thanks Rich! You are the best!

Rich and I have been married for almost 7 years now and man, the time has really flown! It has been a wonderful 7 years, with quite a few adventures and I wouldn't change a minute of it. I love Rich more now then I have ever loved and just expect the love to keep growing. He is an amazing man, husband and father. I love you babe! Happy Valentines Day!

Just ONE reason why I love my husband!

2010-01-30T14:02:00.001-08:00

2010-01-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

When we moved to PA, my mom bought be a sewing machine. She said, "Here, you may need this" (Thinking to herself, "now you can't bring things up to me every weekend to fix anymore...haha"). I said to myself "what do I need that for!?!". Well, needless to say I have finally found a desire to learn how to do something new and sewing came to mind. I let the kids pick out some fabric, I bought a pattern, thread, elastic and let it sit on the counter for a week or so until I got up the courage to start. All I have to say is, Thanks mom for your patience and for explaining everything to me over the phone so I could understand. Not too bad for my first experience...just don't look to closely! :-) At least the kids like them!

2010-01-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

For one last hurrah before Rich starts school again, we went out the coast and had a blast! Even though it rained (a lot!!!) the kids had a great time and so did we. This has been an awesome vacation with Rich and none of us want it to end! We love you Rich! I guess we will see you in May! :-)

2010-01-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here are few more pictures from our Christmas vacation. We really didn't do too much away from the house, but the kids had a blast just with each other! What would Christmas be without a ginerbread house?!? I am not sure that even half the candy got onto the house however....

My kids don't get to play in snow very often where we live so they really enjoyed it while we were there! Sometimes we even have to put them to work with so much snow!

This is our attempt to perform the nativity story. The kids really enjoyed it. I went around my parents house and found random things to use as costumes....I especially love the pink sequends on the angels! (Did you know that there were two, and one wore a bakers hat?!)

Sammy and Morgan are the best of friends! Here they are making their candy train.

My mom makes matching pajamas for all the grandkids every year. Every year the kids LOVE them. They turned out great again this year mom! Thanks for all of your hard work! We all love you! This year, Papa even got matching pants!

These girls looked adorable in their curlers!! It brought back memories when my two sisters and I used to sleep in curlers!

Sams hair turned out beatiful! You could tell she felt beautiful just by watching her walk past you. She would sway her hips and hair and then ask you..."Don't you love my hair?" She is gorgeous! There is no doubt about that!

All three of these girls are gorgeous!!!

Rich really enjoyed the snow too. He was out there all day long...even after our own kids went in for hot cocoa!

Aunt Cameo is awesome!! We really enjoyed spending New Years with you and Uncle Allen.

Cameo played a couple of songs for Sam to sing with her. It was beautiful to listen to!

We truly are blessed to belong to such an amazing family. This was an awesome vacation and we didn't want it to end!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we were able to be with my family in Utah. We took well over 100 pictures in our stay (and really...they are all cute!) so I will go through them and pick the best ones, and do a couple different posts. This was Rich's first real vacation in over 7 years. He has always either been in school year-round or had his Masters Thesis hanging over his head. Now that that is out of the way, Rich was able to relax and enjoy just being with family. So, he got to sleep in and play with kids as much as he liked. I really enjoyed having him around. Way to go honey on finishing. I am so proud of you!

Three beautiful girls all dressed up and ready to go to church. Too bad after church we were all covered in blue sparkles from their dresses!!

These kids had so much fun together...I just loved sitting back and watching them play for hours!

We love you mom and dad!! You are the best parents in the world and I am so grateful for your examples and love. We have an amazing, fun and growing family all because of you. Love you!

Let the festivities...BEGIN!!!!!!

2009-12-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

There is no better way to start off the holiday season with some hot cocoa and cookies! Merry Christmas everyone!

Halloween!!

2009-11-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this halloween. The kids were really excited to go out trick-or-treating all day and to be honest, they were a little too excited! It was like they were both on a sugar high, without (too much) sugar to begin with. Trick-or-treating had been threatened to be taken away a couple times, but in the end we went out and had a great time!! Ryan was a knight, thanks mom for making the costume perfect!! He loved it!

Samantha was a beautiful "flower" princess. She and her friend Maggie by chance ended up with the same costume and loved being twins. Their little brothers ended up also to be twins, being knights so of course we had to go out together!! Thanks guys for letting us take you out in the cold, and away from the game! :-)

Aren't they adorable?!?!

This was the winner of house decorations! The kids loved going to this house, and apparently they get this decked out every holiday!

The kids made off with a load of candy, and we got home a little too late to even give out any of our bought candy, so....needless to say, we will be making some dentist appointments very soon!! We hope you all had a great and safe Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the pumpkin patch this year, especially because we had my mom with us. She came to help us out with Samantha's tonsillectomy and we loved having her here. We decided to use this time to take a family picture. It's not professional by any means, and I can't figure out how to get my cropped version to upload to blogger, but this works.

I love my mom so much and I am so glad that she came to visit us. It is hard for us to be far away from family, but it always make our visits together wonderful. Thanks for all your help mom. Even though you don't think you helped, you really did and we love you for it. This kids already miss you tons and keep asking when we will go see you at your house!

First Family 5K

2009-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

For the first time, our family did a 5K. I am not a runner by any means, but we have been jogging together as a family and it has been really fun. The 5K at the University was great and the kids had a great time, other than being cold. The got to see the Oregon duck...

And we decided it would be fun for them to start the race running before they had to sit in the stroller the rest of the time. They loved it!! The race started with a lap and a half around the track and then around campus. By the end of the lap and a half, the kids were pretty tired, and we were almost the last people in the race, but it was fun, and we were, of course, not in it it to win.

We had a great time together as a family and I am proud of myself for finishing my first 5K, in not too bad of a time.

Happy Birthday Samantha!!

2009-09-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Samantha's 5th birthday. I am not sure how in the world she can be five already. I know this sounds cliche but....I feels like just yesterday she was a sweet little baby cooing at us, but today she is a tall, beautiful, smart and wonderful young girl. She is such a blessing in our lives and we are so happy that she is here with us. I am extremely grateful to my Father in Heaven who gave her to me, and while at times I am completely overwhelmed with the thought, I am also grateful for the responsibilty I have to teach her and raise her. There are days when she teaches me much more than I could have ever taught her and I love her so much. I went down a little bit of memory lane looking through Sams baby pictures. Here are a few of my favorites. It is amazing how she has changed and turned into such a beautiful girl!

For her birthday we spent the morning at the park...

It wouldn't be a birthday without cupcakes...

and friends...

Then we met up with Daddy on campus and had lunch with him. It was nice to take a walk around campus because we have been here for over a year and still haven't really ever taken the kids on campus. It is beautiful!

This pretty much sums Sam up!!

I have some how started a crazy tradition that I make fun birthday cakes for our kids. I always spend a couple hours on the computer looking for ideas and then ask Sam opinion (giving her options that I THINK I can do). I was really pulling for a cute butterfly cake that I knew would be no problem, but...she at the last min. saw a picture of this castle cake and would settle for nothing less. So, being the FANTASTIC mother that I am (you can chuckle to yourself here if you need to) agreed to make the cake. I did not however realize that to make it "just like the picture" you need TONS of candy. So, needless to say, our treat cupboard is overflowing with excess candy, and my kids don't even really eat cake. They will eat it on the birthday, but after that...they just want the candy. So dentist, here we come.

Happy Birthday Sam!! We love you!

Spencers Butte

2009-09-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

The other day Rich as able to spend the day with us. We decided to go on a little hike up Spencers Butte. It was beautiful scenery, gorgeous views, but most of all it was fun to spend time with family!

Show us your muscles Ryan!! ( I love that sounds effects always come with this pose!)

I had no idea my kids could get so dirty just hiking up a hill. But she still is pretty darn cute!

Sam has a very competitive nature (like her father) and was determined to make it to the top first, and not only to the top, but the highest rock. She was very proud of herself and her daddy that they did it together as a team! Way to go Sam!

With some recent events with some of family friends, I have really come to realize the important things in life...family. My family is my greatest blessing and I am really trying to cherish the time we spend together, whether it be hiking a great hill, or sitting on the couch reading a book. Ryan and Samantha are two incredible kids and I am honored to be their mother. Everyday they teach me something new and make me laugh. I also have a great husband who loves me and honors me. Any time spend together as a family is cherished and I had a great time this day!

Ryan just kept saying this over and over again, so had to get it on video. When he was taking a break from saying this while hiking, he would be making sword fighting sounds and actions along with them...making his own theme music! He really cracks me up!

2009-09-07T19:51:00.001-07:00

We haven't taken to many pictures since we have been home because we have really just keeping it pretty easy. But here are a few of the things we have been up to lately.
Sam is getting to be pretty good at drawing. This is her beautiful garden. Grandma and Grandpa Burnett came up for the weekend, and Sam kept them busy with a ton of puzzles. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for being so good to Sam!

Ryan honestly cracks me up. Lately he seems to always have a song in his head and he is always dancing. It is hilarious to just watch him. He will also turn casual sentences into songs...it's great! "I want some juice please" sounds adorable in a song...you really have to hear it for yourself. But here is a glimpse of his dancing, just imagine it with actual music playing. He really does have some good moves and quite a bit of rythm.

Super Hero Day

2009-09-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

My kids really do make me laugh. They really are very happy kids and we usually have a great time together. Today turned into Super Hero Day, with their capes and cut-out masks.

Even Super Heros need lunch

Another trip to Utah

2009-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to be able to make it out to Utah this summer for the 4th of July. My entire family was there so we had a blast. We haven't all been together for quite some time and it was so good to be together again. We had planned on being there for a week, and Rich would work as much as he could on his thesis, but by the end of the week we decided to stick around as long as it would take for him to finish it up. So, a month later we came home. Our kids had a great time with their cousins, grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles. Here are just a few of the cute pictures I took.

I think Ryan spent at least 1/2 the time in his swim suit. He would wake up in the morning and ask to put it on...and when it was time to take it off he was NOT happy!!

Ready for church

Doesn't this look fun? We have 14 grandkids now...well actually 15 as of yesterday! Welcome to the family Collin Bryant Dupree!! Welcome to the CRAZINESS!!! All 15 are under the age of 7.

starting from top left: Aubrey (7), Taylor (5), Kyle (4), Evan (5), Samantha (4), Morgan (4)

Landon (1), Talmage (3), Sydney (3), Hailey (2), Ryan (2), Miles (1)

Megan (1), Layla (6 months).

Let me tell you, if you ever go to my parents house and we are all there...you probably want a pair of ear plugs!! Thank you Brett, Rich and Jason for watching the kids one day so the moms could have a break!!

These two are the best of friends. They are only a month apart and absolutely adore each other. We just wish we lived closer to them!

What is a trip to Utah without a trip the Hogle Zoo?!!?

Papa gives the best horsie rides!

I made a treasure map for the kids to find with the story that while they were at swimming lessons, my friend "Captain Jack" came by and was being chased my some other pirates. He hid he treasure somewhere and must have dropped his map on the way out. The kids had a lot of fun with it and so did I!

I was able to see some of my friends while there. I wasn't able to see all my friends, and I don't have a picture of my other two great girlfriends that came to visit me. I love you girls! Thanks for being such amazing friends through the years!

I love parades, and the Draper Parade never disappoints! I think we got 2 or 3 bags full of candy (not little bags, grocery bags!). The kids had a blast, even in the heat!

My sister and I found these goggles and the kids loved each having a pair. Ryan and Hailey looked AWESOME in them!

I swear I have a picture of Sams cousin Jenna in a blue hoodie just like this and I am pretty sure she looks just like Sam (in this picture at least). Crazy how kids can look so similar in families!

Thank you to Uncle Mark and Aunt Judi for the use of your firepit. The smores were delicious, even if they don't look that appetizing on Ryans face and hands!

We also went up the canyons for hot dogs and smores. I love the beauty of Utah and that you can drive just 15-20 min. and be up in the mountains enjoying nature. This picture was taken at the beginning of the evening. By the end of the night, the kids were filthy from playing in the dirt. It looked like they hadn't bathed for weeks! I don't even want to know how much dirt Ryan ate just by eating food with such filthy hands! Oh well! They had fun!

Thank you mom and dad for allowing us to move in for a month and putting up with us. We had a great time and made some great memories! We love you all!

He did it!!!

2009-08-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

Rich has been working on his masters degree for 4 years now and this summer he finally knocked it out of the park! He has worked so hard on it and devoted so much time. I am so proud of him and am so grateful for him. Rich is so dedicated to his work and our family and I love him so much!! Way to go Rich!!! We are all proud of you!! Now this last year of Law school should be a breeze!

2009-06-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on a camping trip down to Winchester Bay, OR. It is beautiful down there and we had a great time on the beach.

I am not sure how it happens, but it seems that every time we start a vacation, or get to some place fun, one or both of my kids have to get hurt, right off the bat. Well this trip was no exception. No one was hurt fortunately, but there were tears shed. As soon as we got to the beach we were letting the water come over our feet and the kids were loving it. Then Sam got a little more brave and let go of my hand to get closer to the water with her cousins. That is when she fell in, then I let go of Ryans hand to try and rescue Sam, so then Ryan fell in the water too and here I am (looking like the mother of the year by the way) trying to decide which child to rescue first! Don't worry...it's all on video with my brother-in-law laughing the whole way through!

I am super proud of Sam though...she just stood up, and ran to where the water couldn't reach her...and there they both stayed for the remainder of our trip!

I love to see footprints in the sand!

These girls had so much fun together!

This reminded me of the boat my family used to have when I was a kid...every time we took out on the Pacific, it would die! Good times!

Gotta love smores for breakfast!! yum yum!!

flying a kite with Grandpa Burnett

Ryan loved getting so much attention for his aunt and uncle and cousins! He kind of went through withdrawls when we got home!

"Ah...romantic!" (This is Rich's parents)

That was a fun diaper to change!!

We had a great time with our family and let me tell you...this is the family to camp with because the food was excellent!! We were having such a great time with our family that we got talked into going down to Medford for Sunday instead of going home. We of course were not prepared to go to church so we were borrowing clothes from various people, but I think aside from Rich's hiking boots with Andy's slacks, my flip flops and Ryans shorts, we didn't look too bad. Thanks guys for the wonderful weekend! It was fantastic!!

a baby no longer...

2009-05-21T12:10:00.001-07:00

Ryan is now two years old. I still can't believe it! He is growing up so fast and becoming such a big boy. Ryan is such a fun boy and we love having him in our family. He always has so much energy and loves to make us laugh. We love him so much!

For his birthday we went to a fun park here in town and Ryan got completely covered in sand and mud! What a boy! He loved his race track cake and I was pretty proud of it myself! He also loves the T-Ball set from Grandma and Papa Holt and the Cars race track from mommy and daddy! Happy Birthday buddy! We love you!

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

This Mothers Day we had a fun surprise to have Grandma Burnett drive up to see us. Rich and I like to think that she came to us, but in all reality...it was for Samantha. Samantha performed for the first time today at church and we are so proud of her. She practiced so much and was so excited to sing for everyone. The song is called "Mother Tell Me a Story" and it is a duet with a mother. It was very fun to sing with my little girl and now I am very excited for the years to come to do fun musical things together. We had a lot of fun!

Out in our back yard taking some pictures and then...a squirrel!

Sam also gave her first talk in primary today....it was a big day for her!! She did fantastic on that too! We are so proud of her and I can't believe how grown up she is!!

This is video does not do Samantha's performance justice. She was flawless at church and it was beautiful! She definitely outsang me, which I am grateful for. We don't have a piano at home so we just did this video with the Primary CD...but it gives you an idea of what it was like at church today!

Just a bunch of pictures

2009-05-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Finger painting with an almost 2 year old!

Good times with Grandpa Burnett

Grandpa was happy that Ryan had a clean diaper!!

For family home evening the other night we went on a nature walk. After many puddles were jumped in and every slide at the park was dried off with little bottoms we came home and got right in our warm, dry PJs!

Joke telling at the Burnett house.Ryan most of time is a little mimic and loves to repeat things that people say, so watch out!! If anyone has any good jokes please let us know...Sam is in need of some decent ones since I don't know any...and please ignore the diaster of a living room! ;-)

Pear Blossom Run

2009-04-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Rich and his two brothers decided to run the 10 mile Pear Blossom Run this Easter Weekend together down in Medford. His brother Peter had been training and talking smak so that motivated Rich to actually "train" to beat his brothers. The week before the race Rich and Peter were on the phone three night in a row discussing the race, their strategies, and how it "didn't matter who won". Well, the race started at 8:30 in morning Saturday and the guys were pumped.
Here is Rich at the 2 mile marker.

Here we are waiting the half way point...the kids look thrilled to be there don't they? We really did have fun running around trying to catch a glimpse at the guys though! Great Grandma Lee also did a great job keeping up with us! What a trooper!

And here Rich is, at the half way point

Here are the guys after the race...they are even still standing and smiling!

Rich was able to pull through at the end of the race and cross the finish line before the other two brothers, but they really all three had great times!!! We are so proud of the three of them! I'm pretty sure all three of them had personal bests. Way to go guys!! I'm really proud of you!

Here the kids are watching the Pear Blossom Parade...the parade of tractors, horses and school marching bands. At least there was some candy! We had a great weekend!!

2009-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend Easter with family down in Medford. We had a great time!! The kids loved having two uncles to play with them constantly...I don't think Ryan has ever gotten that much attention and he loved it! I have to say that they both looked pretty darn cute and ready to go to church! Going to church with family is one of my favorite things, especially when my sister-in-law is doing a solo. It was absolutely beatuiful and brought the spirit into the meeting so well.

Easter is such a special holiday and is very close to my heart. I love my Savior so much and am so greatful for the sacrafice that He made for me. Now because he sacraficed himself and rose from the dead, I can now have the opportunity to be with my family together forever, living with our Savior in Heaven. There truly is no other greater blessing than that. Happy Easter everyone! We love you all!

Our Utah trip

2009-04-03T15:02:00.001-07:00

For Spring Break we took a trip to Utah to visit family and so that Rich could work on his Thesis. We had a great time in the sun while it was sunny and in the snow while it was snowy. We decided to leave on Wednesday, as soon as Rich got out of class. This is what happens when I am left to pack everything up...and our kids get a little neglected....

Doesn't he just look so happy and proud of himself?!?

Since we decided to leave in the middle of the day, we planned on stopping somewhere along the way since it is a 13 hour car ride. However, the kids were doing so well and we both felt okay that we just kept on driving. Why is it that when you plan on kids sleeping through the night, they never do? But they were actually happy so it worked out just fine...just a little strange to go into a gas station at 3 am with two kids who were wired and as happy as can be...I'm sure we looked like EXCELLENT parents!! But we pulled into my parents house at 5:30 and had a great stay.

We could not have planned this trip any better because we were able to go to the dedication of the Draper, Utah temple. What a wonderful experience that was. The ceremony was beautiful and we were just around the corner from where the Prophet was. I felt so blessed to be there and that I could be there not only with my wonderful husband, but with my parents as well. It was perfect.

We were able to go the zoo with cousins, I scrapbooked with my sisters for almost 3 days straight (thanks girls! That was awesome!! By the way...do you have any idea what our kids were doing during that?!? I don't!), I got to see my old roommates, we had lunch with a couple of my high school friends, and Rich did get a lot of work done! My favorite quote of the week however was said by my wonderful husband, "What are the odds that we are here during the scrapbooking expo?!?!" Like I said, we could not have planned this trip any more perfectly! Here are just a few pictures of the week.

Sam and Aubrey had a great time together!

My brother Steve and his son Miles

Apparently, Ryan told Papa that he was hungry, and this is what he got...an entire brat! Nice dad! Thanks!

This is actually a waterfall that we stopped at on the drive home...we had to hike over the snow a little bit, but it was beautiful! Rich and I actually visited this same waterfall while we were engaged...it is amazing how things can change in 5 1/2 years! But it has been a fanastic 5 1/2 years!