Driving without a license

How I wish this story was fabricated.. I wish it was made up and written only to entertain my blog readers. But, to my disgrace... it is an actual account of what happened. It is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the shameful truth. And I dedicate it to all those LESS-than-perfect-parents out there.. I'm sure there's one or two of you....

My visit to Utah was (as usual) CRAZY. I really do love going to see my family, but I don't know why I think it will be fun when my husband doesn't join me. I guess I am just not as young as I used to be!! Zack really struggled.. not only because he was sleep deprived and sick (yes, we deal with all kinds of throw up when we travel) but he completely lost all his his potty-trained skillz. He had to wear a diaper and he hated it... especially after he got a bad rash! But so is the life when traveling with a toddler. To top things off, I thought I would complicate the trip by trying to squeeze in couple of visits with an alternative doctor (electronic acupuncture that doesn't hurt.. more details on that later) AND... (yes, I said AND) work on a project for my in-laws 35th wedding anniversary. When I finished it (much later than expected) I rushed to the post office.. even though it was already late. I loaded up all three kids, stopped off at Article Circle for ice cream cones and called my husband for the mailing address. And because my kids were exhausted, on the short 6 mile drive to the post office, Luke fell asleep. Zack was following suit with his ice cream in hand, eyes closed and tongue out. I was still on the phone with Aaron when I asked him if he would hate me if I left the kids in the car and quickly ran in to mail the present. Aaron said he didn't think it was a big deal.. and to be honest... he was 400 miles away and although I appreciated his support in breaking the law, I was going to do it anyway. Because WHO in their RIGHT MIND wants to lug three sleepy, sticky boys into a post office to mail a little tiny envelope? Oh, no---not me.

I parked the car right in front of the post office, cranked the air conditioner, locked the doors with the car running (with an extra set of keys) and told Ben to give Zack his ice cream if he woke up. I ran into the post office and felt lucky to be the only person in line. I paid the postage, and ran back out to my parking space.. only to find that my van was NOT PARKED where I left it. My car and my kids were gone! There were several cars in the parking lot, both parked and driving around a gold mini van awkwardly in everyone's way. I couldn't understand WHY the driver of the van was parked in the MIDDLE of the parking lot. And then I recognized the driver.. His albino-white head was barely poking over the steering wheel. He was probably 30 pounds, baby-blue eyes, about age TWO. Yes... that was MY 2 year old driving MY van. In a matter of five minutes (tops) he had woken up, unbuckled himself from his car seat, crawled up to the drivers seat, reversed the car and let it coast down the parking lot until it hit a CURB. For your convience, I whipped up a quick diagram of the parking lot and what actually happened. (Don't worry.. it didn't take long-- just long enough to allow Zack to pour his second bowl of cereal.. no biggie.)

I ran over to the van while apologizing to all the cars around me. I unlocked the door, grabbed Zack and threw him in the back seat. He was laughing and Ben was yelling, "Mom, Zack drove the car! Zack drove the car!" I was shaking and quickly called Aaron to tell him the exciting news. He was thrilled.. But hey-- he TOLD me to do it!

As I was pulling out of the post office, a police officer was pulling in. I have no idea if someone called the COPS or if he randomly needed to mail something the same time I was breaking the law... but I barely escaped! All I could feel was complete gratitude that #1) my kids weren't hurt #2) I didn't go to jail #3) There WASN'T a line inside the post office that day #4) Zack didn't hit another car- or a person... can you imagine the guilt HE would feel, knowing that he hurt someone else at such a young age?? Such shame! In all seriousness-- I know that we were all VERY blessed. As crazy as it was, it could have been SO much worse and I am truly grateful for a freebie.. My kids are the most important things to me and it IS worth taking every precaution to keep them safe.

Please don't turn me into Child Protective Services. I promise, I learned my lesson.. just pray that I never forget it! The streets are NOT safe with Moms like me!

Pictures GALORE!

We just returned from a 10 day "vacation" that seemed more like 10 weeks. Ben walked in the door and yelled, "Home Sweet Home!" which made us all laugh. Luke made sure to point out that we traveled through Nevada, Arizona, ALL of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and back.. it was quite the trip and we don't want to do it again! We are all so exhausted and for some reason, blogging my pictures seems more important than unloading suitcases or feeding my kids dinner... hmm.. I know where my priorities are. But I don't feel guilty about being on the computer because Aaron has been watching Wimbledon highlights since we got home. We are ALL wiped out!! But that doesn't mean we didn't have a GOOOOOD time! Here are just a FEW pictures of our trip.

We were lucky enough to plan our trip around Tyson Buck's baby shower/BBQ. We love Ty and Crystal for many reasons.. most recently because they took care of Aaron while he finished his last class in Portland. They just had a beautiful baby girl and we were so happy to meet her! And we finally got to see Mike and Angie Cox and their four girls! Their twins are so adorable.. Mike and Ty were throwing them across the yard and they were LOVING it! Annie Mc and her husband Mike cruised over on his motorcycle.. and it was SO great to see them (as always) even if she didn't bring her kids! I love this crowd and always look forward to getting together with them! Hopefully it won't be another 2 years before we see each other again!


Can't make a trip to WJ without seeing my GIRLS! I love them and I HATE that they ALL live so close to each other and always get together without me! I am so looking forward to our weekend Park City vaca and our HS reunion.. it's already been TEN years! (and we still look as good as ever! Dang!)


Our last night we spent with Aaron's sisters in Provo. We only took pictures of the boys playing in the water out front.. they practically lived in their swimsuits and just couldn't get enough!

It was so much fun to spend some time in Provo.. our old stompin' ground. We took the kids to our tiny Wyview apartment, (which they found rather UN-fascinating) and to the Bean Museum (stuffed, taxidermy animals)-- which was MUCH more exciting. The only way we could persuade them to leave the museum was with a yummy ice cream cone! It was fun/random to run into my CUZ Missy who just happened to recognize us through the window! Sorry we couldn't stop by your place, Missy! So much to do, so little time!

There are more pictures, but this is what made the cut. I need a few days to recover before Ben's Birthday Bash and the 4th of July. Summer is HOT and busy!! Just the way I like it! June just FLEW by, didn't it??

ps. The photo collages are done through a FREE, very user-friendly program called PHOTOSCAPE. You can add text, borders, you name it. I typically use the PAGE tab... resize the collage to make it bigger (numbers next to the walnut pic) and then hit the edit tab to add text. Super easy... you can't go wrong..

it's business time...

It's one in the morning and we're wrapping up a girls night with my sisters (sisters in law included.) We just laughed our GUTS OUT over a few Flight of the Conchords videos. And I am dedicating this one to my husband... luv ya huunnny.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

The family reunion/Birthday Party was a hit! My Grandma June turned 85 (I didn't give her five years of credit last week.. but that's understandable because she barely looks 80)

My parents kids (and grandkids) were in yellow--and BOY! We were a sight to see!
[And not all of us could make it!]

It was SO much fun to see my cousins.. and I know my boys had fun with theirs!

Fun with Cindy-Lou-Who

We had SUCH a great time with my little sis! We partied like we had just graduated from high school... oh, wait. She did!

Anyway, we have WAY too many pictures-- so you have been warned: This is a L-O-N-G post.

Thanks for coming to see us CINNY! We love you!

We were on the strip watching the water show just minutes after she got off the airplane. The boys were so excited to see her, but Zack was SUPER shy. I have never seen him like this. Ever time she looked at him, he pretended to be asleep. It was hilarious! He's NOT sleeping here, he's a total faker!

At the Bellagio Conservatory and Fountains.. our fav place in Vegas!

Walking around at the Springs Reserve. It was hot, hot, hot!

Cindy captured an action shot of Aaron pouring water in my mouth.
If you click on it, you can see that he actually got some inside..
and the rest was all over my face and down my shirt, but it was great to be cooled off!

Aaron, Cindy and I had WAY too much fun in the kiddie area in the pool!

Sonic at MIDNIGHT... and then we went to Walmart at 1 am (with kids!)
We seriously PARTIED!!

Had to take her on the top of The Stratosphere. We rode the rides until we BOTH threw up.
Does that sound like fun or WHAT?

We couldn't get ENOUGH sun!

I didn't transfer our temple trip pictures before we headed to UT, so that will have to be later.
I will be out of the blogging world for a while..
we're celebrating my Grandma June's 80th Birthday! Woo-freaking-hoo!!

Anniversary PRICE LIST

Our hotel room= $78.00

A new blouse= $12.99

Our dinner bill= $ we're trying to forget.

Thrill Rides= $33.00

Picture of us on the Big Shot= $12.50

A homemade card from our boys= PRICELESS

Working hard and sacrificing for the people we LOVE=

totally worth it.

Happiness comes only from things that are HOME-made.

Top of the World

We celebrated our Anni at the Stratosphere downtown and it was A Night to Remember!!

We checked into our hotel room, went swimming and then got fancied up for dinner. We ate at the Top of the World Restaurant on the 106th floor of the tallest building in Vegas. The restaurant rotates while you eat so you get a panoramic view of the city. Aaron made reservations at the perfect time so we were able to see the sunset and all the lights on the city turn on. There was a full moon and it was mighty romantic! Dinner conversation was excellent as usual {"If you had to get a tattoo what would it say?"} We really enjoyed ourselves and tried to forget the fact that our dinner bill could pay for a year supply of diapers (or feed several starving children in Africa!)

After dinner we changed clothes, let our food settle and [at midnight] headed back up to the top of the Stratosphere for a few thrills. We rode the big shot until we wanted to throw up. It was SO windy on the top of the building! But that made the rides all the more life-threatening and exciting! The view was just beautiful and we were just happy to be together without any chilluns!

I did not take this picture myself (obviously) but this was our view all night. Can you say spectacular?

I wanna give a shout out to my sister Cindy for watching our boys.. And to Aaron (who has informed me I have already said too much) I just want to say THANKS for planning such a romantic (and fun) getaway. I could NOT have asked for anything (or anyone) better.

Happy Anniversary, Ace

That's right. We are celebrating 8 years today.

I was a bride at age 20-- I don't think anyone should make THAT kind of decision at such a young age. I was carefree, independent and didn't want to get married. But I knew it was right, and I couldn't pass up such a great guy! It's crazy to think that I made such a HUGE decision without really knowing what I was getting into. I thought I knew Aaron well before we got married, but I had NO idea how much he would affect my life. I was strong-headed, self-sufficient and didn't want to settle down. But something about Aaron made me change. I quickly became helpless, 'hopelessly devoted' and completely dependent on him. I love it and HATE it at the same time! After a few short years of being married to Aaron, it seems impossible to try to live without him. There are a million reasons why I love my husband, but today I am making a list of EIGHT-- because I am cheesy like that.

1. He has a forgiving heart. About ten minutes before we were married, we were sitting on the couch in the celestial room of the Salt Lake Temple having a sweet conversation. I looked him in eyes and said, "I think I am going to throw up." He put his arm around me and untied my dress at the waist so I could breathe. He told me he would forget what I said and marry me anyway. And last week when I said, "I can't believe it's already been 7 years." He kindly corrected me- "No, it's actually 8 years" without taking it personal (something I would have done.) What a mighty good man!

2. He's righteous. We were married on a Friday, spent one night at Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake and on Saturday, drove to Vail, Colorado. On the drive to Vail, we happened to get stuck in traffic because of a terrible wreck in the canyon. Of course, it wasn't a big deal because we were happy being together and were not on any type of schedule, but when we arrived at our condo in Vail, it was much later than we expected. We brought in our luggage and I was about to go and put on something a little more comfortable, when Aaron said to me, "We better run to the store and get some food for tomorrow." I was totally shocked because the last thing I was thinking about was groceries. We were newlyweds and we had JUST arrived at our place and he was thinking about keeping the Sabbath Day holy? That is Aaron for you. As we were grocery shopping I realized that THIS what was our marriage would be like.. I married a man who puts God first and I love and respect him for that. He ALWAYS does the right, honest, good thing. I am truly privileged to learn from his example on a daily basis.

3. He knows me better than anyone. The other day I was in the worst mood. I was tired and hot and hungry and we were stuck in the car doing something I didn't want to do. I was complaining about one thing or another and Aaron started laughing.. which made me mad. When I asked him WHAT was so funny, he said, "I love you because I could pull over at any gas station and get you a cold drink and you're personality would do a 180." And then I laughed because I knew he was right. He got me a drink and I was a changed woman.

4. His side of the room is ALWAYS tidier than mine. Aaron is a clean freak and I love it. The toilet seat is always down, he puts everything in it's place, and he always clears his plate from the table AND washes it. Not once have I ever folded a batch of laundry and had a single sock of Aaron's without it's match--because that just not his style. I didn't know I won the jack pot until after we got married and I am so glad he is patient with my messiness.

5. He can make me laugh like no one else. It's not exactly WHAT Aaron says that makes him funny but the way he delivers it. I love that he does crazy things just to get a smile out of me. He will moon me when I am on an important telephone call or tell me something totally out of line during church. Last week when we went to his grandpa's funeral, he kept saying things to me as though he was a psycho-abusive husband who was about to harm me. I know that doesn't actually sound funny to any of you, but trust me, it was laugh-out-loud HILARIOUS. He came up from behind me at the grave site, and whispered in my ear, "If you ever leave me, I'll kill you. If I can't have you, NO ONE can. You better watch yourself because you'll end up in a casket." Anyone who saw us together was probably thinking, "What a sweet guy... he just gave an awesome dedicatory prayer and is now saying something meaningful to his wife." Little did they know...

6. He's constant. Aaron is who he is and no one is going to change that. He is level-headed and always calm. His advice is incredible and he often puts me in my place. I need to be married to someone in control because I am seriously a roller coaster. I am either up or down, hot or cold.. and he keeps me grounded. I honestly cannot imagine where I would be without him. He is my rock.

7. He is an incredible athlete. Aaron not only loves to watch sports, but he LOVES to play. He makes it a priority to exercise and it's inspiring. Most weeks he plays tennis, basketball AND volleyball.. that's not easy to do when you don't have a lot of extra time, but Aaron does it. I love watching him play because he gets competitive but never looses his cool. He is a natural. He still holds the reigning ping-pong title at Gonzaga law school because no one could beat him. (I know I sound like Pam from the office bragging about Jim's ping-pong playing...) But seriously, my man gotz skillz.

8. He's the most humble person I know. In my eyes, Aaron is practically perfect. But he never lets it go to his head and that's exactly what makes him so incredible. Aaron never seeks for attention. He is such a great example to me because I have always had a desire to be in the spotlight. But he doesn't NEED people to notice him because he's comfortable just being himself. And that's why I am crazy about him!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aaron and I have a lot of pictures together, but these are two of my favorites. They were both taken by Aaron's mom and were both captured in the moment.. I'm sure that's why I love them so.

This is us in Hawaii, just waking up from a comfortable night's sleep on an air mattress.. I'm sure neither of us realized this picture was being taken, but I love it because it's so US. Most nights I end up discarding my pillow to lay on Aaron-- and at least once a week he's complaining that I've cut off the circulation in his arm.


This is us squished on a little couch, eating ice cream and looking at Aaron's mission pictures. We are often sitting on the same chair or laying in an area that is only big enough for ONE of us.. I just love being around Aaron and I am so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with him!

Here's to a wonderful (but not exactly easy) 7 years 8 years...
and another FOREVER more to go.

Dad's Day

We love Les/Grandpa because:

Ben: He is always nice to me. He has a big garden. He makes good food.

Luke: He always laughs at my jokes. He likes it when I call him Grandma. He gives good hugs.

Zack: He never makes me wear my seatbelt when I drive with him.

Janet: He has a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh. He puts his family first, no matter what. He is such a good father-- he has always been there for me.

Aaron: He is a great support to everyone in his family. He doesn't give advice unless someone asks for it. He never judges and he is comfortable being himself.

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We love Stan/Grandfather because:

Ben: He watched the movie Zathura and played the game with us. He throws pillows at us and takes the blankets out from under our feet. He tells good jokes.

Luke: He played in the mud with us and made a rope swing. He plays games with us like Fruit Basket and Hide and Seek. He brought a sand pile for us to play with in Arizona.

Zack: Grandfather is BATMAN! (with his arms out in front of him.. saying "dun-unt, dun-unt")

Janet: He puts 110% into everything he does. He is friendly and easy to talk to. He makes delicious grilled veggies and yummy homemade salsa.

Aaron: He has always been an excellent example. His enthusiasm and drive separate him from the crowd. He'll give you an interesting opinion on any subject you want to talk about.

________________________________________________________________


We love Aaron/Daddy because:

Ben: He always makes me laugh. He taught me how to ride a bike. He always does stuff with us when he gets home from work.

Luke: He plays videos games with me. He's crazy. He jumps on the tramp with me and bounces me really high.

Zack: He crawls on the ground and acts like a monster. He sneaks chocolate milk in my cup when mom isn't looking. He squeezes me tight.

Janet: He is a child magnet. He sets a great example for our kids. He treats me respectfully and actually contributed to this post-- SHOCKER!

We are truly blessed to have these great men in our lives!

Happy Father's Day!

Arizona Fun

So little time and so much to post! I feel behind because I haven't really documented our trip to AZ... and I want to git-R-done before Father's Day, our Anniversary and a L.O.N.G trip to Utah. Summer has officially begun! Yeah, baby!

This is a HUGE cement Dinosaur off the main road in Holbrook and we just HAD to stop and see it. The little town of Holbrook is an interesting one.. with funky tepee hotels and crazy dinosaurs 2 feet from the street. Whoever said there's nothing exciting happening in small towns?

We also stopped at MAKE-OUT POINT at the Hoover Dam.
(Too bad we had kids in the car with us and couldn't really enjoy it.)

Our boys LOVE this place because it's where Megatron was buried in the Transformer movie.. [I cannot even tell you how much I am looking forward to this TF obsession coming to an end!] On the road trip we played 20 questions and Ben and Luke kept thinking of Transformers.. it was really hard for me to guess because I DON'T KNOW all their names, colors, orientation, capabilities, etc. Eventually we told them they had to play their own game and it was interesting to hear them fighting in the back seat saying things like, "When I asked you if he was a Autobot, you said YES, but ShockWave is a Decepticon-- DUH!" I just kept thinking how grateful I was to have two of them so I don't have to be a part of that conversation. This unhealthy preoccupation with Transformers WILL end eventually, won't it? Please say yes.

We were also able to visit with my cousin Lindy and her four adorable kids-- who happen to live just a few minutes away from Aaron's parents. We had a great time and talked a million miles an hour while we were together! This is a crazy action shot of Luke being Luke. We took two pictures and this is the better one.. but that happens when trying to pose with 7 wacky kids!
Lindy's 9 year old, Whitney, has her own blog and I love that. Our kids are growing up in such a different world than we did! Email wasn't even available until I was in college.. and it wasn't THAT long ago!


I also have lots of pictures of our visit with our best friends from BYU who now live in Scottsdale.. but that will just have to wait. My kids are all napping and I can wait to start a new book! God be with you til we meet again.

Happy Birthday Mom

On Mother's Day, I wrote a tribute to my mom, so I am going to make this quick. I just wanted to let Beverly know that I am thinking of her today on her 58th birthday. Wow, that's OLD! I can hear her replying back to that- "I still feel like I'm 19!" She has always been young at heart and still looks fabulous (when she decides to wash her hair.. jk.) She always made birthdays special for me growing up. I know that wasn't easy with ten kids to buy presents for.. but that's exactly why it means so much to me now. We opened our presents on the morning of our birthday.. as soon we woke up. I believe one reason for this because we got a special box of COLD CEREAL... and we got to pick it out ourselves.. exciting even in our teen years! Of course, the box would only last one morning with all the other kids in the house, so we really looked forward to it!

We didn't wrap any present either... the special birthday person sat in the living room while we all took turns going into the kitchen and put random presents in a brown paper bag. We seriously fought over who got to take what present in the other room. And the "presents" were always things that we needed.. like face wash, hair products, or a new pair of shoes. I can STILL count on my mom to give the most practical presents. For baby showers, she loads us up with diapers, wipes and burp cloths. I think Aaron thought I was pretty weird our first year of marriage when I wrapped up deodorant, mouthwash, and socks for his birthday. He opened them and kind of laughed (and I didn't get why it was so funny!) I love my mom for being so practical and proud to stick to the basics.

Birthday dinners were always special too, but not because we took the family out to a fancy restaurant. My mom would make whatever we wanted... and most of us chose a home-cooked meal instead of pizza. [The day Ben was born, my mom came to our little Provo apartment and asked if she could pick up something for dinner. Aaron and I looked at each other and sheepishly asked her if she would make a roast and mashed potatoes instead. It tasted delicious!]

During birthday dinners growing up, we would sit around the table talking about why we loved the special birthday boy/girl and then my mom would read excerpts from her journal the day they were born.. Then we'd hear the SAME stories every year from their childhood. I could recite some of those stories still.. (Scott saying "it's not Mu-getti, it's GA-SpETTI!" or Debbie leaving off the first letter of her words and following bugs around the yard calling them "Ass-hoppers" And Kristy telling my mom that she couldn't be her mom anymore or that she was going to cancel her 4th birthday.) This was the way we celebrated and I hope to continue the traditions with my children. On my first birthday away from home, my mom photocopied stories from my childhood and sent them to me in the mail. I remember crying in my bedroom that night as I read those pages from her journal.. I was homesick and it was the best present I received.

My mom is such a sweetheart, but she isn't naive. She choses to do good because it makes her feel happy... and she sets such a great example for her kids. Sometimes we joke about not wanting her to come to the movies with us (or sit down and watch an episode of the Bachelor) because her purity will be offended and we don't want to feel uncomfortable around her. But she just doesn't have time to watch something that isn't uplifting. Hanging next to my parents big screen TV is a portrait of my mom. I believe it's strategically placed because whenever we sit down to watch something, she's looking right at us.. and usually we say out loud, "What would BEV watch?" as if she is always monitoring us and encouraging us to CTR.

Well, how's that for taking a quick minute to say Happy Birthday?! I love you, Mom and I am grateful for your loving friendship and your hard-working, steadfast example. And thanks for raising SUCH an AMAZING DAUGHTER!! Hope you have a good day!

Grandpa's Funeral

This was our boys' first experience with a death in the family. The kids have met Grandpa Chester once or twice, but they didn't have a close relationship with him. The day before we left, I sat down with Ben and Luke and we talked about what would happen when we arrived in Phoenix (we would be spending a Friday afternoon in our church clothes, attend the funeral, burial services, etc.) Zack was asleep for our discussion (which made it better for everyone.) But apparently Luke felt it necessary to explain things to him as we were getting ready to leave. I was putting the last few bags in the trunk, when I overheard my 5 year old tell his little 2 year old brother where we were going and why. This is what I heard Luke say in a really sweet, [and rather excited] voice...

"Zack, do you want to go to Arizona to see a DEAD guy?" When Zack nodded his head, I smiled.. but then Luke followed it by saying, "And it will be cool because when we touch him, he will be really, really cold!" and as morbid as that sounds, I just couldn't help but laugh. That was definitely NOT the discussion I thought we had earlier, but apparently that's what Luke got out of it. He did find the open casket fascinating and had ALL kinds of questions for us during the viewing.

Ben, on the other hand, did not like the open casket at ALL. He barely looked at Grandpa and he just kept saying over and over, "It just makes me creeped out." I was able to sit down and talk with him for a while before the services started and I was amazed by his little 7 year old brain. He asked deep questions like, "why can't everyone just remember how he used to look when he was alive rather than seeing him like this?" I thought he was very sweet and sincere and I will never forget that moment.. holding my big, little boy on my lap and explaining that life can be very fragile, so we must try hard to let those around us know how much we love them.

The funeral services were very nice. Our kids were relatively well behaved and Aaron and I were able to listen to Chester's children share memories of their father. Aaron's dad gave a great life sketch of him (and he was well prepared, especially after having written a 120 page book on his life.) I learned during the funeral that Chester was a 12.7 POUND baby! How grateful I am that large babies don't run in the family!


Aaron had the opportunity to dedicate the grave site and that was a neat experience. During his prayer, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for being married to a worthy Priesthood holder who loves and honors his family so much. I am truly blessed and hope that I can show Heavenly Father how grateful I am for my family.


Ben wanted to know EXACTLY what was happening with the casket and how deep it was going to go. I just happened to snap this picture of Aaron giving a little tutorial. He is such a great, attentive Daddy and I love how affectionate he is with our boys.

Luke and Zack fell asleep in the car during the burial and we just left them in the van with the windows rolled down. I am glad they were able to catch a little shut-eye because the rest of the day was crazy.. (and will be documented another day!)


Even though Ben was serious during the service, he was able to loosen up and crack a couple of good jokes. My favorite joke of the day is-- Question: Where do mashed potatoes go when they die? Answer: The Gravy-yard. He is getting pretty clever with his words and I think he might be ready to publish a joke book (or at least get a few on laughy-taffy wrappers ☺)

Ben LOVES his Grandmother. They have always had a special relationship.. since day one.
Also pictured is Uncle Jerry's wife, Carol.

Three Generations of GREAT Men.

It was a warm day in Phoenix but it wasn't unbearable. We enjoyed visiting with cousins and family members at the gravesite. Aaron isn't really close with his cousins (which is completely FOREIGN to me!) He moved around so much as a child and didn't really have the opportunity to get to know most of them..

Above is a picture of Chester's six children.. They were ALL able to make it, even Uncle Steven who had to get permission from his parole officer to leave the state!

Steven Lloyd and Stanley Floyd are TWINS. Yes, Aaron's dad has a twin brother and it's a strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I have heard so much about Steve over the years and this was the first time I was able to meet him (and I believe it was Aaron's first time too.)

Steve and Stan are TOTAL OPPOSITES and have been since the beginning. Stan (Aaron's dad) is the most upbeat, happy, righteous man you will ever come across. Steven is a very skilled man who has lived his life on the wild side. I believe the reason why Aaron hasn't ever met him is because he's spent much of the last 30 years in and out of prison... I was seriously excited to finally meet him-- and I just HAD to get a picture of the twins!

I am truly feel blessed to have such wonderful in-laws. Aaron's parents are so loving and such great examples to me. We had a lovely weekend with them. After the funeral, we drove 3 hours north to their home in Snowflake. It was great to be able to stay in the new addition to their house and sleep in every morning while they played with my kids! I always have such a good time with them and love them like my own parents. (Sorry for the picture overload, but these are for Aaron's siblings who weren't able to attend.)