Kobe's....

Pinewood Derby was on the 19th and he was all excited!! He had done the Pinewood Derby in the 12th ward so he wanted to use his same car. He & James got some graphite for the wheels and Kobe was thinking he was pretty "sick". He took 3rd over all and loved every minute of it!!

Good Job Kobe Man!!

January B-days

On Sunday the 15th we celebrated all the January birthdays w/ the Kent family.

My Mom: 5th, Sunni: 8th, Connor & Maddi Jane: 12th, Tawnie: 16th, Kati: 30th Grandpa & Ann were able to come so we took a few pictures w/ Grandpa. I was the picture taker and I got a new camera last year & still don't know how to work it very good, so sorry for the dark, blurry photos...

Grandpa, Zackary, Caleb

Jace, Jason, Grandpa, Brittani

Aunt B, Grandpa & the big boys

Kati, Kamryn, MarKell, Bailey, HadLee & Grandpa

Branson, Grandpa, Becki & Carson

Cade, Grandpa, Jacki & Emry

My Baby Girl....

On Sunday January 15th my Maddi Jane got to go to Young Woman's. She was so EXCITED!! The leaders have been amazing in welcoming her. She got to go to her 1st activity on the 10th a few days before her b-day. James & I were out of town so I called her to see how it went. She said it was so fun and that the ladies & girls were so funny, she laughed almost the hole time.

I can't believe she is old enough, time has went by way too fast! James and I dropped her off at the bowling alley to meet up w/ her friends last night and as we drove off James says I can't believe she is old enough to be doing this. :) LOL Lately we have had a few nights where it's just James & I home in the evenings or on the weekends and I keep telling James I think this is a sign we are getting old... LoL


After church on Sunday the 15th her Y.W. leaders came over to welcome her & gave her a camp manual, personal progress book & her necklace. She said after they left she was so excited for the necklace cause she has been wanting one...

Here's a picture of my lil Beehive :)

My Sweet lil Grandpa....

On Friday January 13th my grandpa was diagnosed w/ cancer. He has been having a lot of pain in his lower back and his right shoulder. All along we thought it was probably a kidney stone & that his shoulder was hurting due to a previous injury he had years ago. He just kept taking over the counter meds for pain and kept pluggin along.... After a few weeks the pain just kept getting worse so he finally went to the ER and then was sent to do a full body scan & they found cancer in his right arm & shoulder, liver & lungs (stage 4).

He has always been such a trooper and loves to be on the go. He loves to "tinker" w/ things and is a perfectionist. I think I take after him in a lot of ways, we are both full of anxiety & both have O.C.D so I guess I just come by it naturally and that I am truly grateful for. :)

My grandpa has lived an excellent life and has had wonderful health til now. It's very hard to watch/see him suffer and be in so much pain. I am grateful for the relationship I have w/ him, he is a wonderful example.

Mandi Moo, Grandpa, Lil Moo and Kobe Man

I LOVE YOU GRANDPA!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAY.....

Sister Sue!!

Maddi & Kobe @ Gp. & Gm. Hales'

Maddi turned 12 this year.... WOOO HOOO!!

It doesn't seem like 12 years ago I was having my 1st baby. Time has flown by and I have loved having this lil angle in our home/family. She is an amazing lil girl & I love the example she is to me. She is so loving and always willing to help. She loves hanging w/ her friends, she loves dancing (Hip Hop is her fav), & most of all I think she loves her brother. They get a long pretty good for the most part & she is an excellent big sister!! She has a lil attitude like her mama, but we still love her more than EVER!!

This year we had Maddi's friend party on Friday the 13th, YIKES!! We went hot tubing/swimming @ Camper World for her b-day then we stopped in @ Gm Lynn's for pizza, cake & ice cream.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDI JANE!

We're gonna... PaRtY LiKe It'S 2012 :)

So I'd like to think that we are gonna party like it's the end of the world!! :)

Mostly cause I wanna start this year off way better than the last few have been. And so far I must say things are looking up! :) This is the 1st year that I haven't set or made any New Year's Resolutions... I don't know why but I wasn't even excited or worried about doing it this year. I usually set so many that I can't even keep track. I think over all I have just developed an attitude that everything happens for a reason & it'll all work out! So I figure why set a million goals/resolutions and let myself down. Just live life & enjoy! :)

Kinda sounds a lil crazy if you ask me & totally not my style....I am a HUGE planner, list writer & checker. So here's to something new!!

I am hoping for lots of good things in 2012. We have a few fun lil adventures planned so I hope we can enjoy what life brings and make the best of it!!

And I plan to stay on track w/ my picture taking/blogging skills....

2011

Well I have been a huge slacker in the blogging department... 2011 was a lil bit of a rough year for us or maybe I should say me. I just couldn't seem to find my place or have peace of mind, everything seemed so up & down. We moved in w/ James parents in March to pay off a few bills & to save a lil money... So I'm thinking that could be part of my problem, I don't know? I am very grateful for a place to lay my head & for his parents letting stay there until we decided what we wanna do when we grow up, but it just isn't home... or our own place. I had a hell of a time liking working @ M.O.M and finally in July I got my new job and things seem to be a little better for us.... Cause you know if Mama ain't happy NO body's happy! :)

I usually like to do a lil slide show of all the highlights from the year, but do to my laziness I don't think that is going to happen.

I hope that I will be able to stay on track a lil better in 2012. I love blogging mostly for me cause it's my form of a journal and I love looking & taking pictures. But as you can see I am blogging this post in January 2012, I'm already SLACKING!! I promise to do better....

December 2011

Christmas Eve

We went to my parents for Christmas Eve so all the cousin friends could do grandma Lynn's nativity. I think my kids are getting a lil too big but they both still look forward to it every year. I appreciate my mom always making sure we remember the true meaning of Christmas.

After my parents we went to the Belew's for a lil more food & games. We love the Belew's just like our family... They are our BESTEST pals :) Then we headed home for the kids to open their pj's and then off to bed for the BIG morning...

I think Santa did well this year, both the kids were VERY pleased w/ the gifts they received.



On Christmas day we just stayed home and enjoyed relaxing and playing Mario Bros :) Then we went to my parents for dinner.

Gingerbread Houses

We had another GREAT year of making or maybe I should say putting together our gingerbread houses. I don't know why but gingerbread house just aren't our thing.... They bring out the worst in us or maybe I should say me! :) LOL

We had a rough time this year, but made the best of it. Kobe's fell apart by morning but Mads stayed together way past the new year....

a lil dinner date....

I totally LOVE my new job! But I sure do miss my friends from Autoliv, I made a lot of great friendships there & miss these gals like crazy!! A few years ago we started going to dinner @ the Copper Mill in December. We usually add a few new gals every year and drop a few. But it's always fun!! I was super excited to go this year so I could see these girls...

Dani & I

I have worked w/ Dani sense she was 16, she started working in the kitchen @ the nursing home way back when. Then after she got married she came to work @ Autoliv and I was so excited!! I love her more than ever. She was my bestest work out partner and I MISS her like crazy!! She is like my lil shadow, we still text & talk lots.... But I miss seeing her every day. I love you lil Dani :)

Dani, Stephanie, Sandra, Nara & Me

Happy Birthday To...... 11/22/11

My Babe :)

Halloween.... 2011

As I have mentioned before, James' mom is always so good to do fun things w/ our kids.

The week before Halloween she had them help make "eye balls" they turned out pretty scary!! and tasted great! :)

After dinner we carved the kids pumpkins, Gp. & Gm. had fun watching the kids...

McKinley always has a pumpkin walk & this years Kobe's classes them was movie stars, so he wanted to do a Stars Wars character. The picture below doesn't do justice, James & Kobe did an awesome job! I was super impressed... Mads did a great job on hers as well :)

On Friday the 28th we meet our cousin friends up town to go Trick -or-Treating.... I always love to see all the great ideas people come up with for costumes.

Clancy Man, Mags, Addie Mae, Baby Zack, and Em

On Saturday the 29th my bros did the 2nd annual Spokes & Spurs Rodeo. I think we had a lil better turn out this year than last & it's kinda fun to see all the cowboys dressed up.

Dustin, Shay, Maddi, Hannah, Lance, Kobe

Caleb & Zack dressed but as the Zac Brown Band, so cute! :) Aunt B made Zack's beanie...

Bubba & Branson

Then on Halloween before we got started we went to the nursing home to see Great Grandma Hales. I always love going to the nursing home, I loved working there back in the day, it's a very hard but rewarding job. Grandma Hales seems to be happy & still remembers who we all are. :)

Then after the nursing home we headed to the Belew's & then to the Garland Park for Trunk-or-Treating!! :) The kids got LOTS of candy....

Mads & Shay

This was the VERY 1st year James & I have ever dressed up. I felt like we should dress up for Spokes & Spurs cause I had to take tickets & money & I wanted to be supportive of my bros/family. So we ran to Alco LAST minute & threw our costumes together. It was kinda fun, I think we will try it again....

Jenni & Brett threw their costumes together as well and we had fun hanging out w/ our lil families all dressed up!