Beth n Rob Blog

Coronation

2012-01-30T12:50:00.003-06:00

Lauren went to Coronation Saturday. I found out it is something unique to Mineral Wells high school. At first I thought it was a Texas thing. She and a group of her girl friends started the day by going out to lunch at Chili's. Then they got ready and met at five to take pictures around town. Lauren said this was her favorite part of the whole day. I can't wait to get copies of those pictures! I helped her get ready by doing her nails, and her makeup. Grammy Su was able to alter her dress just a bit so Lauren felt more comfortable and put snaps on her little black jacket so it would stay in place. Lauren had a brilliant DIY project for her black heels. She took Modge Podge and painted the heels and under part of her shoes and then glittered them with silver glitter. Wow, they turned out so pretty! At eight they went to the high school where they introduced the court and held a talent show. The dance didn't actually start until 10pm. Lauren was surprised by a boy who her gave her a very pretty hot pink corsage that matched her dress perfectly. He must have done some investigating to find out what color her dress would be. The girls only stayed a little while for the dance and then went to the Olive Garden for dinner. Lauren made it home around 1am. She said next year instead of putting so much money into a dress the girls want to go ice skating or something fun like that. Sounds good to me. I thought Lauren looked absolutely beautiful that night!

A little of this n' that

2011-12-18T15:43:00.004-06:00

Today after church we made some very yummy White Chocolate Christmas popcorn to give to neighbors and Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching families. We had a lot of fun making it together and eating it!

Also, if you didn't know this already an empty wrapping paper tube is awesome for playing limbo, and swatting booties!

Christmas Hairstyle by:Lauren Ivy Bell

2011-12-16T15:13:00.004-06:00

Lauren did Emma's hair for our church Christmas party tonight. I think she did a fantastic job!

Stay'in Alive

2011-12-05T20:18:00.008-06:00

Lauren, Landon, Beth at the Dallas Temple over Thanksgiving break. It was Landon's first time to go!

Eden works on riding a bike with the twins. Wears the dad's out pretty good too!
Emma loves her Turkey leg!!!

Lot's of fun with the cousins.

Playing around at Love park in Weatherford. A fun tradition for the kids and adults.

This is a shout out to everyone to say we are alive and I apologize for for being so pathetic on my blogging as of late. Our family is doing well and we have been staying busy and enjoying life in general. We had a fun Thanksgiving with most of Rob's family and are rolling happily right on towards Christmas! Here are a few shots of some goings on around our neck of the woods:

Veterans Day celebration at the high school stadium. Eden and Lauren were able to perform.

Lauren's Biology project of an Animal cell. Emma's poetry day at school. Fall leaves in our back yard. Eden and the cousins digging holes for entertainment during Thanksgiving break!

Fall Pictures

2011-10-11T17:01:00.004-05:00

Here are a few of the fall pictures I took the other day in our backyard. The girls are so cooperative and love the camera now that they are older. These make me smile. I hope they make you smile too!

No, this isn't Halloween yet!

2011-10-07T17:09:00.002-05:00

This post may look like Halloween, but it's really just a bit of an update. Wednesday night Lauren and the other young women in our Branch carved pumpkins. I think Lauren did a great job carving this hand with a gravestone in the background.

Landon's face is slowly getting better, thank goodness; although he may wish it stays this way so it can be part of his Halloween costume! Emma's class read Pippi Longstocking and had a "Pippi" day to celebrate. She was so cute and it was fun to see all of the little "Pippi's" all around the school.

Landon's Lesson in Pain and stupidity

2011-09-28T19:02:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we walked in the door from school and not five minutes later I heard Lauren yelling, "Mom come quick, Landon's hurt!" As soon as I entered Landon's room I could smell the oddest odor and then it clicked- burnt hair (smells awful)! Landon was holding his face in agony. He was a little in shock as I tried to ask him what happened and could I please see his face. I was pretty scared. He wailed over and over about how stupid he had been and how sorry he was. I saw the homemade gun he had been working on over the last few days lying by his bed. I tried to collect my thoughts and composure as I examined his face. The right side of his hair was singed, half of his eyebrow was burned off and the rest was left singed, as well as some of his eyelashes. He also burned part of his cheek. (Yes, that is a Koolaid mustache in this picture)I immediately said a prayer of thanks in my heart as I realized just how bad it could have been. Without thinking of his pain, Landon continued to berate himself and instructed me to get rid of that gun! It went straight to the trash along with the lighter that had caused the explosion. Later, Landon said how he wished he could go back in time and change his decision to try to ignite the "thing' in his bedroom. (he had been instructed by Rob previously that they would try shooting it together, outside, probably at Grammy and Grandpa's because it would be safer) I told him that we all wish that we could go back in time and change poor decisions that we have made. My heart ached for him as he suffered both in body and spirit. All yesterday afternoon and evening he kept an ice pack on his cheek and waited for the pain to go away.

I know in a short time we can all laugh about this little disaster, but for now I am thankful that this disaster wasn't too serious and that my boy learned a good lesson from his mistake. At the dinner table Lauren shared her idea that he ought to try penciling in the missing half of his eyebrow. We all had a good laugh at the idea, including Landon!

Homecoming Parade other good stuff

2011-09-21T14:21:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday was our Homecoming parade. The high school band marched and it was really fun to see Lauren and the other kids. I think it was hard for her not to laugh when she came by us, as we were all shouting, "Lauren, Lauren" and Rob tried to get some pictures. Lauren is learning a lot and doing a great job! The poster that says, "It's our time to shine" was designed by Rob. I think he did a great job and I am so happy to see his creative side!Friday was the game and dance. Just after I picked the kids up from school it started to pour down rain. There was thunder and lightening. We were so happy. Eden had us immediately kneel down together and offer a prayer to thank Heavenly Father for the rain. Rob and Landon packed up as soon as there was a lull in the storm to go camping with the scouts in our Branch. When I took Lauren to the game it was still pouring; however just before the game started the sky cleared. Mineral Wells won! Lauren was invited to go to the dance, but we told her no dating, and no pairing off. She told the guy this and just went with her friends. The guy that invited her didn't even end up going to the dance because he had a cross country meet early the next morning. Lauren said the dance was pretty lame because they played a lot of rap music.

Sunday after noon Rob and the little girls made cinnamon rolls and boy were they delicious. I am so happy to be married to a baker. Rob's mom taught her boys well. It was a great weekend. Landon caught some fish on the camp out and we all had the chance to relax a bit. I am subbing two to three times a week lately and I really am enjoying it for the most part. I do welcome the times when I can just be at home and rest a while with the family. Those are truly the good times.

cowboys and cowgirls

2011-08-30T14:01:00.006-05:00

Last night, for Family Home Evening, we went over to our friends house. Rob is their home teacher and Ron is our home teacher, so it works out quite nice. Ron Crouch, the dad, is a real cowboy! He works on a large ranch with beautiful horses every day. They have two little cowboys. Cache, who is 6 yrs. old and Adam who is 4 yrs. old. They were awesome to help our kids out with the horses and it was so fun to see Cache with his horse. He is amazing! The kids started out by feeding a few of the foals. Eden laughed a lot because it tickled. Landon warmed up to his horse very quickly and had him galloping in no time. His horse was only 4 yrs. old and was extremely intelligent and obedient. Ron said that he had been born prematurely and the owner had been given a choice whether or not to put him down. He decided to give him a chance. The horse spent months hooked up to IVs in the equine hospital. He really is a miracle! Emma wanted to be like Landon and soon figured out how to get her horse to trot and gallop. She had a hard time at first getting "Beau" to go, but after Ron put Cache's spurs on her boots, she was having a blast! Eden also rode Beau. He was an older horse who had belonged to a famous cowgirl. He was very safe and very sweet! I don't know how many times we heard from the kids what a great time they were having. We could tell how true that was by their huge smiles. They got to ride in a very nice arena and Landon even got to chase an electronic calf. He learned a lot and we were amazed at how smart the horses are. Lauren missed out because she had band practice, but I know she would have loved it just as much as the other kids. I am so thankful for the Crouch family and their kindness and friendship to us. They are an awesome example to our family and provided a fabulous opportunity for our kids!

1st, 4th, 6th, 9th

2011-08-25T17:04:00.003-05:00

A new chapter of our lives began early Monday morning as our kids headed back to school for another year of learning, growth, fun, and adventure! For the most part, the younger three headed back with enthusiasm and excitement. They had already met their teachers a few days before and were really happy about who they got. Our freshman on the other hand (yes, we are old enough to have a freshman in high school- not sure how time has escaped us like this)

was nervous and dreading the whole experience a bit. We told her everything would be fine and to remember the beautiful back to school blessing she had received. When I picked them up that afternoon, they all had smiles on their faces and were ready to return back the next morning. This is always a good sign! I am so excited for each one of them and I know they will have another great year. I am going back to school in a sense as well. I have put in my application to be a substitute teacher at the schools this year. Wish me luck and pray for me as I take on this new adventure. I am excited and a bit nervous, but I'm sure I'll have a few funny stories to share along the way!!!

Celebrating the RAIN and other stuff

2011-08-13T14:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, as we were driving to the city pool, it started to sprinkle. We were so excited because we haven't had rain, as most of you know, in well- I can't remember when it rained last. It stopped sprinkling, so we went and had fun at the pool, all the while watching the clouds for any sign of moisture. It was cloudy for the rest of the day and we kept praying that it would in fact rain. Then it happened, our prayers were answered and it thundered and poured for most of the night! When I woke up this morning the kids were so excited about the rain and so was I. Emma and Landon got their old clothes on and went outside to celebrate and play in the puddles, mud, and sprinkler. I shot a few pictures and then quickly went inside because Landon was getting pretty wild with the water. I am happy to see their joy and enthusiasm for prayers answered!
In other news, Lauren will be going to her fist Stake dance. In our church they have dances for youth 14 yrs. to 18yrs., a couple times a month. I was telling Lauren how I can remember my first Stake dance. My sister convinced me to go with her and I ended up having so much fun. It was special to have her there with me. It really doesn't seem all that long ago. I am excited for Lauren and this next phase in her life!
Finally- have you ever played the game Blokus? It's a strategic game and our family has really enjoyed it. It's been a fun pass time in this extra hot weather where we have had to spend time indoors. We love to play games in our family and you might just enjoy this game too!

Eavesdropping

2011-08-08T17:37:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it's actually fun to have our play room next door to our master bedroom. For instance, today I was folding and putting away laundry in my room, while Landon and Emma were getting ready to play a Wii game in the play room. The game was Madden NFL 11 (a football game) Now Landon, being the only boy in the family, with three sisters doesn't get the opportunity to play this game too often. Unless Rob is available to play, he has a friend over, or he somehow sweet talks one of his sisters into playing with him, he is kind of out of luck. I had the benefit of "eavesdropping" and enjoying a little conversation between the siblings. It went something like this:

Landon: "Now Emma, we have to decide which team we want to be and which team we want to play against."

Emma: "o.k., fine."

Landon: "We have the Cowboys, they have won the most Super Bowls next to the Saints, so I think we should choose them and then an easy team to play against."

Emma: disinterested, "Fine, whatever."

Landon: "Well which do you want to choose?" (he goes on telling Emma all of these impressive football facts that are totally lost on the mind of his 9 yr. old little sister).

Finally Emma answers....."Well Landon, let me see what their outfits look like."

Landon: in a horrified, disbelieving voice, "Emma, are you serious? Does it really matter?"

Emma: "Of course it matters, now let me see the outfits!"

Landon: defeated, "O.k., but they are not outfits, they are uniforms!!!"

Landon is currently, patiently, training Emma in the game of football. Emma is patiently, learning from her older brother the more masculine side of life. Bless them both for trying!!!

Beautiful

2011-07-25T14:22:00.002-05:00

Crazy Days of Summer: with the Bell's

2011-07-21T15:33:00.004-05:00

The other day we found ourselves home bound, so once again the clever ingenuity of Landon came to the rescue! The kids creativity and imagination never ceases to amaze me and I love it! Landon took Popsicle sticks (which I always keep in stock, because who knows the vast possibilities of these amazing little pieces of wood ) and hot glue (another key staple in our home) and he made customized swords for each of the girls and himself. Then they proceeded to make sheaths for the swords out of computer paper and decorated them. Landon held a class on how to use a sword properly and the basics of sword fighting. I'm surprised he didn't incorporate charging a nominal fee for his expert services. These homemade swords have provided much entertainment and excitement for the kids. I love how they can manage to make something that provides hours of enjoyment out of just about anything. Sometimes I wish I was more like them!

Summer Camping

2011-07-18T18:47:00.008-05:00

Somehow I got the brilliant idea to take the kids camping in Texas, in the summer, in the 100 plus degree weather. What was I thinking? I thought this will be perfect. It's only an hour or so away, it's a nice place to camp, they have dinosaur footprints, Dinosaur World, and we can cool off and play in the river near by. So away we went on our little adventure. We found a great camp site, got everything set up just the way we wanted it, and decided to head straight to the river to cool off. As we hiked down to the river, I thought to myself, how lucky we are that it doesn't seem very crowded. As we went around the bend to our dismay all we saw was a very dry river bottom with only a tiny, stagnant, pool of water! No wonder we were the only ones. Oh shoot-no water and Rob had already booked us for two nights .

There was no way we were going home in defeat. My mind raced as I tried to figure out just how we were going to survive this summer camp out with just me and the kids in the blistering heat without water to cool off in. We drove down to the office relishing in the air conditioning and I asked them if there was a local lake or pool. We were in luck, there was a local pool that was open until 8pm. I was so overjoyed. We all hopped in the car and followed the map to the pool. That pool was to be our salvation for the next two days. We had a lot of fun, just the five of us, playing in the water for hours on end. Maybe it was better than the river!

We made S'mores over our little camp stove (we couldn't build a fire because of the burn ban) and told stories. We had fun just being silly and trying to get to sleep in the insane heat. We did bring a fan which did help a little bit. After a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes and bacon we headed to Dinosaur World. It was pretty much a rip off, but hey it gave the kids something to do and I think the younger really one's enjoyed it. They got to dig in the sand and keep three things that they found. This made Eden very happy.

We were hot and very sweaty when we weren't in the pool, but we made the best of it. Sometimes I would ask, "Why are we doing this?" One of the kids would answer," because we are die hard campers and we can do anything." They were right, we can. It ended up being quite the adventure-we played games, sang songs, set up a tent, cooked over a camp stove, told stories, made fun of Lauren's cot falling down over and over again, and just had a good time. I am thankful for kids who are willing to go camping in Texas, in the summer, with their mom. They amazed me with their helpfulness and how much they really can do all on their own. Maybe we will try it again, in the fall. We sure were glad to be back home, in our own comfy beds, with air conditioning.

Independence Day

2011-07-10T21:31:00.004-05:00

Since I was a little girl I have had an ongoing love affair with the 4th of July. Maybe because my sister's birthday is two days after and I always assumed the celebrations were in her honor. Maybe it's because of the glittering, colorful, bang of the magical fireworks lighting up the summer the sky, or the oodles of watermelon, Popsicles, ice cream and soda waiting to cool and sooth my craving palate. Maybe it's the glorious songs and anthems dedicated to just this one special day. Everyone is dressed in their red white and blue, there are parades, family gatherings, and just a general feeling of something special that electrifies the air we breathe. As an adult, I appreciate all that our forefathers sacrificed in our behalf for freedom and all those serving today to protect those freedoms. This 4th was just as special and memorable. We took the time to get a quick picture or two and then headed to Weatherford to enjoy the air conditioned movie theater. All of us girls went to see Monte Carlo (a chick flick for sure) while the guys saw The Green Lantern which was much more appropriate to satisfy their testosterone levels! We went out for a late lunch and then headed back home. Around 6pm. Rob's dad came out to spend some time with us. This was really nice. Rob grilled some burgers and we had fruit salad and played some games. Later we went to the high school stadium to watch fireworks with some friends. Eden's play by play review was so amusing to listen to. She thoroughly enjoyed the show and everyone around us knew it! I think as I look back over the various 4th of July's I have enjoyed I am most grateful for family and friends to enjoy them with. Happy Independence Day America!!!

Girl's Camp

2011-07-03T17:48:00.007-05:00

Last Monday Lauren I packed up the Suburban and left bright and early for Girl's Camp. We spent four very hotttttt full days at a YMCA camp about 40 min away from home. Every summer our church does a camp for just girls ages 12 to 18 and their leaders. I have been blessed to go last year and this year with Lauren and can't wait to go with Emma and Eden when their time comes! The theme was "Survivor" and most of their activities were related to that. We had the opportunity to do things like go on a 5 mile hike, canoeing, swimming in the lake, water baseball/kickball, had spiritual devotionals and other great activities. How can you not have fun with 200 other girls around? We had 8 girls and 3 leaders come from our church Branch in Mineral Wells. One of the girls was baptized along with her mom and brother this Saturday and it was awesome! We were also fortunate to have my father-in-law Bob come out for a day and night. Lauren really thought this was neat and enjoyed spending time with her grandpa at camp. I was assigned the task along with another lady to certify the 2nd year girls in things like predicting the weather by learning about clouds, learning to build different types of fires, and water purification. I learned a lot from teaching and tried to make it fun along the way. We built edible fires and played pictionary drawing different types of clouds with whipped cream. Rob came up one evening and brought the girls some much needed Popsicles. I don't know if I have ever sweat so much. We only had a roof over our heads, no walls or anything, so we had a lot of unwelcome friends! I discovered a tick had burrowed on my back one night while showering- Yikes! I think our hottest day was around 112 degrees so water was definitely our best friend. The food was actually pretty good and it was nice to not have to cook!

Camp was a great experience and I am so thankful to go with one of my very best friends, my daughter!

this very moment...

2011-06-23T15:50:00.003-05:00

It seems like summer is flying by and I have just as little time now as I did during the school year. Busy as ever taking care of kids, running people here and there, preparing for Girl's Camp next week, ect. I'm just like everyone else I am sure. One thing I have taken time for is reading a wonderful book that I wanted to share with you:
"Peace Like A River," by Leif Enger
I love this author and think his writing is brilliant and so true to life. He is amazing and I can't wait to read some of his other books. If you like reading, be sure to check this one out!

My darling model

2011-06-17T13:30:00.003-05:00

The other day Emma wanted to do an impromptu photo shoot for Father's Day and then give her favorite picture to Rob. I love this girl, she actually enjoys taking pictures!!! It was all her idea. I love her not only for this awesome quality (because she is my willing little guinea pig), but also because she is funny, so loving, clever, mischievous, and beautiful. I know Rob will love these pictures for years to come.

play date

2011-06-15T16:00:00.006-05:00

Today Emma and Eden had a play date with two of their very best friends Paige and Kristen, who are also sisters. It's nice when that happens! They painted picture frames and I took pictures of each girl to put in them for gifts for Father's day. They had a lot of fun! They played games, danced, ate, and the older girls played Guitar Hero. We are so thankful for good friends and summertime!

Already missing you...

2011-06-12T20:45:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow Landon leaves bright and early for scout camp and I am already missing him. I know, I'm pretty pathetic, but he has never really been away from home without me and it will be for a whole week. Rob's dad will be there for a few days and then Rob will take his turn hanging out, but I can't. I offered to go, but Rob said I wouldn't really be welcome! My only consolation is that Thursday night is "Family Night" and believe me I will be there, probably early, with a bursting hug for my guys, and definitely with camera in tow. What will it be like when Landon goes on his mission for two years? Has a mother ever hid herself in her son's bag so she could secretly go and take care of her missionary? I am already planning this escapade and I will probably try it when Lauren goes to college. No one will notice a mother hanging around right? I could cook, clean, do the laundry, and be a pretty good matchmaker. Sorry. It's just I love my kids, and in reality I probably need them much more than they need me. These new experiences are awesome and they are fully ready for them. I just need to sit back, trust in God, in my children, and enjoy how excited they are when they come home and tell me all about their new experiences and all the new friends they make! Being a mom is the BEST!!!

Crazy Days of Summer: with the Bell's

2011-06-09T12:06:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of summer and all of it's crazy, inventive, funny, imaginative, boredom inspired moments I thought I would start a series of posts devoted just to all of that. As I was completing tasks that I needed to get done this morning I found my children doing some the following: Landon was hard at work dissecting a small stuffed kitty cat, "he claims" so it would be "safe" for our dog. He managed to reapply the bulging eyes and it is now known as "Frankencat."

Emma was proud to show off her "new arm" without her cast!!! Rob removed it yesterday and it is celebration time for Emma. She is now officially ready for summer activities.

I found Eden performing dental exams on Emma and Landon. I have to admit she is the cutest little dentist I have ever seen. I am sure this was all prompted by the fact that Lauren got two fillings yesterday!

Last but not least, I looked outside to find Landon in this getup. I wasn't sure what he was up to or where he even found it, but I took pictures anyway. He said he didn't want to get wet while moving the sprinklers around for Rob. Nice!

This all occurred in a matter of about 15 minutes! Summer is already rolling by and I am sure we will have many more crazy little tidbits to share from our family to yours.
HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Jessica's Graduation

2011-06-07T21:45:00.008-05:00

On Saturday our niece Jessica graduated from high school. This is proof that time is a fly'in way too fast. SLOW DOWN ALREADY. When Rob and I got married our sweet little niece was only 3 yrs. old. I remember she wore a darling white, yellow, and blue dress with a huge bow in her hair and was as cute as can be. I secretly hoped that Rob and I would be blessed with little girls as adorable as Jessica (and we were) Jessica is still our sweet niece, she has just grown up, a lot! She has great talents, enthusiasm, and the spirit of youth. She is a whole lot taller, more mature, more beautiful, and rocks cool feathers in her hair (my girls all want feathers now like Jessica). She is the oldest daughter of my sister Amy and she is the oldest cousin on my side of the family. In the fall she will be attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. We are so excited for her, but we will really miss her.Jessica graduated from Keller high school with a little over 600 other students. Amy's family, our aunt Colleen (from Portland, Oregon) my parents, our brother in law Joe's parents, and our family were able to attend. We brought the kids DSi's, my sister's girl's brought ipads, and we had plenty of snacks for everybody. It was long, but hey are kids are primed for this sort of thing with 3 hrs. of church each Sunday. It went by pretty quickly. Afterwards my sister and Joe treated everyone to a dinner celebration at Pappasito's in Fort Worth. It was a lot of fun and so good to be together. Monday, Jessica, Amy, and Joe headed out to New York City for a week of time together with just the three of them. I think that is so cool. We are so proud of you Jessica and we know you will accomplish great things!

Alive and kick'in

2011-05-27T13:54:00.005-05:00

Yes, the Bell family is alive and well and maybe a little bit kick'in. It seems like ages since my last post. So much has happened. Emma turned 9 yrs. old (I can hardly admit this without shedding a tear or two, or twenty)Rob and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary (whoot, whoot), Landon got hit just under the eye with a baseball (and loved every minute of scaring little children with his pro boxer look, he did break a bone it turns out), we are finally going to get that scary bathroom finished (hallelujah and praise the Lord), Soccer is done, Tee ball is done, Baseball is done (hooray) school is almost done and finally I must admit to the world my baby girl, Lauren, is moving to the 9th grade. High school. Seminary. In a few short days I will be the mother of a high schooler. I am not old enough, mature enough, settled enough, ready enough to be the mother of a high schooler. Can't I just tell everyone Lauren is my sister or something? After all, we share clothes, listen to the same music, like the same movies, books, and shoes (although Lauren's shoe size is bigger than mine and has been for about two years) Seems like yesterday Rob and I were registering Lauren for kindergarten. The years go by so fast. The old saying is true, you blink and your babies are all grown up. Life is good, life is crazy. I'm not sure where this post is going, but thanks for listening anyways~
Can you believe this picture taken at Eden's field day. My first baby girl and my last, growing way too fast! (hey that rhymed)

at this very moment...

2011-04-30T15:11:00.005-05:00

at this very moment... Rob and his youngest brother Charles are tearing up Lauren's very old, very ugly, very nasty bathroom and they are armed with weapons of mass destruction. Landon dreams of getting in on the action. They were sweet and let him take out the soap and toothbrush holders. I know how remodeling works. First you have to rip out the old stuff and make it uglier than heck to get to the beautiful, sparkling, clean part, but that will be a while. Right now, the air around here is as thick as snot. The noise level is louder than a train wreck and it looks like a bomb went off. It's very scary! In some ways I feel like it's child abuse making my kids breathe this air, but I'm way too tired to get off by backside and go to the store to get allergy masks or whatever those things are called. I think this dust might be killing off my brain cells, so please excuse my miss spelling and grammatical errors. (I know what you are thinking, "so what's her excuse for all of her other posts?")Perhaps it's because Lauren and I have been up since 5am. so we could help with garage sale so the young women at our church could earn money for Girl's Camp. I don't know, but I am running on mere fumes here, literally. I wish sometimes someone would just nominate us for "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" on the basis that the wife and mother of this family is going crazy. Anyway, that's what's going on in our neck of the woods on this very fine Saturday. One of these days we will have a beautiful, brand spank'in new bathroom and I will probably take some pictures and do a post here on the blog. Oh how I can't wait for that day, but today is all about messes, getting dirty, and going insane. (I don't much like messes) We just want to say, when it's all done, you are more than welcome to drop by to give it a try!

Projects

2011-04-27T09:30:00.006-05:00

Here are a few projects I completed over the last two days that I thought I would share. First up is this delectable Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberry and Cream Pie. I needed to make something special for a dear friend of mine, so I went to the link on my sister-in-law Stephenie's blog and found this gem. Thanks Stephenie for sharing this valuable resource. The web address is http://www.ourbestbites.com/ I made an extra for our family as well and I have to say it was DELICIOUS. Rob used to always give me a hard time when I would make something for someone else and not make any for the family. So there you go Rob, I have learned. Now we are just going to have to exercise more!

My second project was sanding down an early 90's looking wood stand that holds a world globe. I got it several months back at a thrift store for $15 bucks. It had some scratches and other injuries and I thought it always needed a little tweaking to make it look, a little more "original." So I took the trusty electric sander (one of my very best friends) and made the piece my own. After my right hand went completely numb (I still don't think it is functioning the way it should be after all that sanding)I stepped back and said, "enough." I think it gives it a more rustic look and I am pretty happy with it.
Next up was a fun little job. I took some of the flowers Rob had given me for Easter and made an arrangement out of them in a glass vase that I also found at the thrift store. I absolutely love fresh flowers in my home, I just wish I could get them to last a bit longer. It is a dream of mine to have a field full of flowers so that I could practice making arrangements whenever I so desired. Maybe I should just plough up the back yard and plant some.

The last project I finished was fixing a side table that our adorable yet sometimes exasperating dog ruined. (by the way, this is not the only piece of furniture she decided to use as a teething toy) Evangeline had chewed up one of the sides of the table and I just couldn't stand to look at it anymore. It used to be painted all black. I was indecisive on whether to paint it again, all black, or use another color. Then I remembered my trusty old pal. I took that electric sander and went to town in my very own glorious "project palace," a.k.a. the back yard! I am sure the neighbors were beginning to wonder when I was gonna be finished already. The table now reflects a more antiqued, rustic look. The hubby likes it and more importantly, so does the the wifey. Now stay away from my furniture Evangeline!

Easter Weekend at the Bell's House

2011-04-24T19:19:00.013-05:00

Saturday morning something very exciting happened in our home. Rob replaced our pathetic old worn out garbage disposal with a beautiful, shiny, brand spank'in new Kenmore! It was my Easter gift (along with a gorgeous bouquet of multicolored roses that Emma helped Rob pick out for me) and I am now a happy homemaker once again. I know garbage disposals are somewhat of a luxury by some people's definition, but for me it really is a necessity. I found this out after a long week of not having one. They do make life a whole lot nicer!
With a new garbage disposal in place, our Easter preparations began. We cooked, cleaned, cooked some more, and let the kids dye their eggs. I think they turned out "very purty" this year. It seemed our celebrations revolved around food and the food was delicious! Isn't it interesting the way all of our holidays seem to revolve around food? Anyway, our menu for Easter dinner consisted of: Smoked Brisket (Rob has really figured out this smok'in thing), Greek salad, Bacon Cheddar Biscuits, Deviled Eggs. I realized my kids are crazy about eggs, I lost count how many Eden ate today. I hope she's not sick tomorrow. For dessert we had cinnamon buns and vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. We had fun trading a few goodies with our neighbors. I am thrilled to say I won't be cooking on Monday.
Our church meetings were very uplifting. Lauren gave a beautiful talk on the birth of our Savior in our Sacrament meeting. We had two special musical numbers. They were absolutely beautiful. After church Eden told me they had "Pee Pees" in primary. She got kind of a funny look on her face, and I said, trying not to laugh, "I think they are called "Peeps." She said, "Well they were gross!" I have never met anyone who likes the things, but I have heard, they are good for making S'mores. While Rob and I put the last preparations together for dinner, the kids watched, "The Lamb of God." I love that video. It really makes you understand what really happened during the Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I am so thankful for the knowledge and testimony that I have of Jesus Christ. I know He lives and cares for each one of us. He knows our struggles and our joys. I know He wants the very best for each one of us. When life gets hard we just have to reach out to him and He will be there waiting. We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter as well. Love, Beth and family.

Conversations with Emma and other news

2011-04-23T11:40:00.005-05:00

Recently Rob had an interesting conversation with Emma over the phone. It went something like this:

Emma: "Dad, guess what?"

Rob: "What"

Emma: (boasting)"I haven't taken a shower since last Tuesday!!!"

Rob: "Really, W-O-W that's like five whole days. You must really stink!"

Emma: "Yeah, isn't that sooooo cool!!!"

Well, what Rob didn't know was that Emma was talking on the phone in her Primary class at church where "others" could overhear her. Wednesday night Sister Crouch came up to Rob asking him if Emma had showered yet. She said she had burst out laughing when she heard Emma boast about her lack of hygiene and had to leave the room. Emma is an interesting child to say the least.

In other news, Emma was not able to get her lime green cast that she so desired; however, Rob was able to rig up a beautiful hot pink and black "zebra" style design. Emma was thrilled and can't wait to show it off to her friends at school and church. I think Rob may have other orders coming his way soon. He seems to be quite the designer, he never ceases to amaze.

Here is a picture of Emma's x-ray. Just thought it might give you a better of understanding of her fracture since we weren't there to get pictures of the lovely thing. Kinda makes you sick to the stomach doesn't it?

A Week in Paradise!

2011-04-20T14:03:00.035-05:00

The floors were scrubbed, the beds made, groceries put away, toilets cleaned, laundry done, furniture dusted, schedules outlined, and bags packed! We said our goodbyes to the kids, and wished my parents good luck. Whew, I was exhausted and wondered if all of this was worth just a week away. About five minutes down the road I said a little prayer and told myself to just RELAX. It worked and I was ready for vacation with my hubby to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. It was so nice just to sit next to my husband and talk, laugh, listen to music, and even enjoy the silence. Then I remembered it would be getting even better-no cooking, no dishes, no dirty laundry, no running around like a chicken with my head cut off-for a whole week!
We decided to stop and shop at the Outlet mall near Houston to pick up a few needed things for the cruise. Those shops are great. We don't have much more than a Walmart in Mineral Wells and I sometimes forget what real shopping is all about and i am a girl who likes to shop. What's even greater though was that Rob was the one who suggested it. Now that is a miracle in and of itself because Rob does not like to shop!
Later that afternoon we had a great time visiting with Rob's sister Stephenie, her family, and his sister Bonnie, and her husband. Stephenie made a a great dinner and we really enjoyed our time with them. We just don't get together often enough.
The next morning after going to Barnes and Noble to get some good read'in we headed out for Galveston. We thought the wait to get on the ship would be excruciating, but it wasn't bad at all. Before we knew it we were on the ship enjoying a very nice lunch. You know half of the reason for cruising is the food of course. And believe me, we ate! Shhh don't tell, but we skipped out on the whole safety demonstration and hid out on our balcony. We felt like kids who were going to get caught. It was fun. The first two days we just read, ate, enjoyed the sunshine, and spent much needed time together, just the two of us. It was awesome and very romantic!!! I was reminded why I fell in love with Rob in the first place. Sometimes we get so busy in our daily, crazy, hectic lives we forget what it was like in the very beginning.

Jamaica was our first stop and it was gorgeous! After being in Texas for so long where it is flat and very dry Jamaica truly was a paradise. We decided to go to the beach to catch a few rays and swim in the ocean. The water was a little cool, but after a while we got used to it. At least it was a warm, beautiful day. The beach was crowded! Rob and I made sure to pile on the sun screen just because we didn't want our extremely white bodies to get burned to a crisp in the hot Jamaican sun. being a lobster is not fun. When we went last year in February with the kids we didn't even go to the beach because it was cold and rainy. We kept our shopping to a minimum because the Jamaicans can be a little mean when you don't buy their merchandise. Sorry, but it's true, just say'in. Landon wanted a shirt, Rob and I purchased a couple as well, and we got a nice beach bag. They have beautiful resorts there and I wouldn't mind staying in one for a week or so, but it is kind of a scary place if your not really careful. I guess it's a great place for those who want to get drugs easily. Ya mon, don't worry be happy!

To wish us a fond farewell from Jamaica a band made up of kids about 12 to 15 years old played music and people would throw money down to them from the ship. I emptied out my change purse. The kids would pick up the money and put it in white linen bags . Not one coin was missed, as most families there are very poor. Some cruisers were very clever and taped money to little air planes that they flew down to the kids. It made it fun and also kept the money from going into the water. The Jamaican kids were so cute. I wish I could just smuggle one, or ten home with me. Rob wouldn't go for it. The final two songs they played for us were the American National Anthem and the Jamaican National Anthem. They knew how to work the crowd. They even managed to wake Rob up from his nap where I am sure he was dreaming about Warm Chocolate Melting cake mmmmmmmm.

We were able to buy most of the kids gifts in Grand Cayman. We had very specific orders from them on what they wanted. They have a lot of nice shops to choose from. Emma wanted jewelry and we got Lauren an awesome shirt at the Hard Rock Cafe. We went to a local beach and just took in the warm sun, gorgeous beaches, and RELAXED! Can I just tell you how blue that water is. I wish I could just transport it back home. There is something healing about just looking at the stuff. It instantly says vacation here we come!

next up was Cozumel, Mexico. As you can see it was a gorgeous day. We went to Passion Island ("our island" since we went their on our first cruise and fell in love with it. We were pretty much the only ones their the first time) The water was as clear as a swimming pool. We could see fish swimming around trying to avoid the humans. Rob enjoyed taking an outdoor shower to rinse all of the salt water off. We had lunch there and it was some of the most delicious authentic Mexican cuisine I have ever had, there was just one exception. I spied some delicious looking Salsa Verde that I spooned quite liberally onto my fish and rice. It did have a sign that stated, "spicy", but I thought , no problem, I'm from Texas, I can handle it. I shoveled in the first bite of rice, then a second bite of fish,Whoa. I felt like fire was coming out of my mouth, nose, and ears all at once. I could swear blisters were forming in my mouth instantly. Just call me fire engine number nine. Rob just sat there and chuckled to himself reminding me it did say, "spicy." Yikes, I needed liquid, fast and any form of it would do. Rob was kind enough to get me some Pepsi's and after what seemed like an eternity the heat subsided. I told myself no matter what I wouldn't let this spoil my time there and I am happy to report it didn't! I don't know if Rob will ever let me live it down.
On our way back to the main island we had quite the variety show, thanks to about 30 men and women who all had matching red tee-shirts that identified them as the "Cruising Cajuns." I can only describe the group as people around our parents age who wish they were still in high school. You might know the type. The were rambuncious, loud, and very drunk! Imagine a 60 something beer bellied man with the self proclaimed name of "Tic Tac" tattooed onto this big belly pole dancing to the blaring music of the Black Eyed Peas followed by several women who thought they were still high school cheer leaders. I didn't know whether to unashamedly stare with my mouth wide open, laugh hysterically, or vomit over the side of the catamaran. I think I did a little of each. Rob was probably thinking where is a rifle when you need one? Luckily the two kids on the boat had fallen asleep from their big day at the beach because I think they would have been scarred for life needing costly sessions of therapy over several years.
The last full day at sea was a little windy and chilly. I think Rob definitely got his money's worth with the balcony off our room. He spent a lot of time reading, taking pictures, making friends with our neighbors, and just chill'in. I love this picture of him in his cozy bath robe.

It was the perfect getaway for Rob and I just to relax and recharge our batteries. I look forward to another 15 years of marriage with my best friend and true love. We all need romantic getaways once in a while, at least I know I do. It helps remind me how blessed I am to have this amazing man in my life and gives us a chance to feel like newlyweds again; although we don't quite look like newlyweds anymore. It was quite exciting coming home to a houseful of rug rats that had much to tell us about the adventures they had while we were gone. I love my children dearly, they are my life, but little do they know I am already starting to plan our next getaway!!!

Book Love

2011-04-19T08:32:00.003-05:00

I read this fun book on our cruise and just wanted to share it with y'all. It's about a city girl who meets and falls in love with a real cowboy. I enjoyed it because it was very true to life, humorous, and I could relate to many of the things she went through (dating ,marriage, having a child,embarrassing moments, all that good stuff). Being more of a city girl myself from the Northwest meeting a rural Texan from a large family brought it's fair share of interesting, fun experiences in my own life. While reading this book I found myself laughing out loud more than once, Rob can attest to this. He would look over at me strangely and then I would have to explain what was happening in the book. It was a refreshing, quick read and just what I needed to relax. She also shares some of her tried and true recipes that I can't wait to make for my own family. If you want to see her web site it is www.ThePioneerWoman.com She has beautiful photography and more delicious recipes.

Surprises!

2011-04-18T08:52:00.002-05:00

First off-Rob and I are home again and so glad to be! We had a wonderful, relaxing, romantic seven days at sea stopping in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. I will be posting about all of that good stuff later. As we were driving home from Galveston yesterday morning Rob was dutifully checking his messages when one came through from Lauren saying, "call me as soon as you can!!!" I was peacefully snoozing in the passenger seat when Rob interrupted my sweet dreams say'in something about, "when did it happen, what type of break was it, and when did she have surgery", and other alarming questions. I immediately perked up asking over and over again, "Who, who is it?" I finally got an answer, "Emma." My heart sank. All that I could think was, my poor little baby girl! As soon as Rob got off the phone I began probing him with relentless questions. How? When? Honey, could you possibly drive a little faster? As far as we knew Emma had fractured her arm Wednesday night at the church and had surgery Thursday morning. My baby had broken her arm, had surgery, and we had been somewhere in the Caribbean having a fabulous time, Surprise! We made it home in record time, thanks to Rob's lead foot and we were finally able to get "the rest of the story." It was fun listening to all four kids try and tell us what happened all at once. As far as I can tell Emma and Eden were playing on the monkey bars at the church Wednesday night while waiting for Lauren and Landon to get done with Young Women's and Scouts. My mom was watching them play from the car when one of the boys at church told Emma, "I bet you can't hang from the bar with just one leg." Well of course Emma took on the challenge. Trying to position her leg just right suddenly she felt her leg slipping from the bar (of course she was wearing her slippery jeans, which she now calls her,"unhappy jeans"). She fell landing on her right arm and heard a loud snap. My mom saw her fall and ran over to her. Emma says she didn't cry, but for some reason tears just kept running down her cheeks. She said she was about ready to pass out. Luckily, the Young Men were doing their activity near by, so my mom ran yelling, "hey you, my granddaughter just fell and broke her arm." Brother Gay quickly swept, a very pale Emma, up into his arms and ran her over to the bed of a nearby truck. A swarm of boys gathered around Emma. Luckily these scouts know a thing or two about first aid. One of the young men held up Emma's arm for her as she waited in the back of the truck. A boy ran up to Landon telling him he had better come quick, one of his sisters now had an arm that looked like a, "gummy worm." President Darden hurriedly grabbed Lauren out of Young Women's. Lauren said when she saw Emma she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt like she might throw up. Emma's arm looked like Harry Potter's when he broke it and they had to give him medicine to regrow his bones. It did indeed look like a gummy worm! President Darden phoned Dr. Rose and he told them to bring her to Weatherford so he could look at it. I know there was no question in their minds, it was indeed broken. Everyone loaded into my mom's car ready to head on in to Weatherford, but for some reason her car just wouldn't start. I'll have to ask the kids later if a a few "choice" words escaped her mouth. What perfect timing! So they piled out and loaded into Pres, Darden's truck and he took them to see Dr. Rose. By this time emotions were running high. Kids wanting mom and dad, grandma wanting to run away and Pres. Darden telling Emma that she was going to have to milk this for all it was worth. Ice cream, candy, and maybe even a cell phone to make things better. I'm sure it was an eventful ride! Dr. Rose took x-rays, confirmed it was indeed a both bone fracture, gave her a good dose of pain killer, and scheduled Emma for surgery the next day at 6:30 am. My mom was so sweet and slept in Eden's bed next to Emma that night just in case she needed anything. Emma thought this was sooo cool. Early the next morning Emma had her surgery. She was given anesthesia to make her sleep as her arm was nicely put back the way God intended. No more gummy worm. Dr. Rose is now Emma's new hero! My mom took a very tired Emma home and she slept the rest of the day. Emma is doing better. She is still very tired and her arm still hurts pretty good off and on. I let her stay home today so I can let her rest and hopefully make up for not being here when this whole ordeal took place. She is now resting peacefully along with Evangeline, probably dreaming of the lime green cast she wants her daddy to put on her soon. I am so proud of my little trooper. My mom said she hardly cried at all and I am so grateful for everyone who helped her and our family while we were gone. Thank you so much.

Eden turns 6 years old!

2011-04-06T20:39:00.006-05:00

When Eden was born she did not cry for the first day and a half. I was a little scared that something was wrong with her, but the doctors told me not to worry. I guess she was already showing us her peaceful, content, very happy personality. She had clasped her two little soft pink hands with her tiny fingers intertwined as if she was praying. She continued to do this off and on for the first couple of weeks. She was our little angel from heaven. Our doctor gave Rob the opportunity to deliver Eden which was something very special for us, but there was a critical moment where she had to intervene because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. She quickly pulled the cord from around her neck and let Rob finish delivering his precious daughter. She told us later that because of the unusual length of the cord Eden was lucky it had not severed one of her limbs or even caused her death. She was my quickest and easiest delivery.

We feel so blessed every day to have Eden in our family. We did not know when she was born she would be our last, but she is the perfect caboose to our four children. These past 6 years have been filled with great happiness and joy because of her special spirit in our home.

Eden is sometimes known as "The Sweetness" because always smiling. Even strangers come up to us and tell us what an extraordinarily happy child she is. Eden's Kindergarten teacher tells me what a loving and friendly student she is. Eden likes to give her fellow classmates hugs and is always looking out for other kids who may not have a friend to play with at recess. When I go to her school everyone tells Eden "hi", gives her hugs or high fives. When I drop her off at school in the morning it takes her an extra long time to say goodbye because she has to tell me she loves me at least 4 times, blow me kisses, and wish me a very happy day! I love this and don't mind making the other parents in the car pool line wait because next year it might be different.

Eden has been asking me lately if she is a big kid now. I tell her yes, she is getting bigger and older, but she will always be my baby and I think she likes this. So yes, my baby is now six. She is learning and experiencing new things and that is the way it should be. She is becoming what her Heavenly Father wants her to be. We love her. We are so proud of her. There is no one else like her. We celebrated a wonderful 6th birthday with her today and we can't wait to celebrate another 6yrs, and another, and another, and another....Happy 6th Birthday Eden. We love you.

My little Cinderella

2011-04-02T19:44:00.004-05:00

The other evening Eden was helping set the table while Rob and I worked on making dinner. I commented to Eden what a nice job she was doing and how helpful she was being. She said, "It is a lot of hard work!" I responded saying, "Wow I know, you must feel just like Cinderella." Then Rob chimed in, "If you are Cinderella then who is mommy?" Eden quick as a wink answered, " Mommy is the wicked stepmother of course." My response was, "Thank you so much Eden, oh and by the way if I am your wicked stepmother then daddy must be my naughty cat named Lucifer!!!"

Eden's 1st Tee Ball Game

2011-03-31T12:50:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday was the spring season kickoff game for tee ball in Mineral Wells, Tx. Eden Bell , #4, for the River Bandits, played first base and catcher in Saturday's game and boy was it exciting! Eden a rookie to the game, seems to have picked up the concept of tee ball with great speed. She is one of about 15 boys and girls on her team, ages ranging from 3 yrs. to 5 yrs. old. Eden is the tallest on the team. You can tell she is excited about the game and ready to do her best as she always has a huge smile on her face. The game brought plenty of excitement as

some fellow teammates forgot where to run after hitting the ball. Some of the dad's were ready in the field to assist any players who needed direction during the game. All were eager to get their hands on the ball making for few pile ups during the game. If you have never had the oppotunity to watch a tee ball game, you should. It can provide much amusement for the soul. We look forward to following Bell's career as the tee ball season continues. Signing off for now, sports reporter and proud mom, I'm Beth Bell.

Spring Break Camping

2011-03-23T18:22:00.004-05:00

It was hot!!! I think Texas has forgotten all about spring and moved right on to summer. We did our best to stay cool under what shade we could find. The kids had a blast playing at the lake, digging in the sand, and exploring. The water was still pretty cool, but of course that didn't stop them. We were going to go canoing, but it was so hot that we couldn't muster the energy and we didn't want to fry in the sun. I knew my kids just wanted to jump out of the canoe anyways. The camping crew consisted of: our family of six, Rob's brother Charles, his wife Amber, her daughter Sadie, Rob's brother Michael, his wife Karen, and their baby girl Megean, Rob's sister Dorias, her twins Robert, Richard, and her daughter Rebecca. Rob's mom Su came out for the afternoon/evening to visit and hang out. There was no way she was going to spend the night! We cooked (there were no fires because of a burn ban), we hiked, and we sat around while we visited trying to stay cool. We had to leave early because of a soccer game early the next day. Rob said he doesn't think our tent will make it again on another campout. I guess we will be in the market for a new one. It was fun going camping with some of Rob's siblings and their families. Rob's family can be a hoot! (No pictures again of Rob because he was cameraman) I really wouldn't mind doing it again especially if it was a tad cooler or maybe we should just look at getting an R.V.Hmmmmm........

Eden looses 2 teeth

2011-03-07T08:28:00.002-06:00

Yesterday after church Landon and Emma came running in to tell me that Eden had lost not one, but two teeth! I knew Eden had a pretty loose tooth (her first one) on the bottom, but I was surprised to hear she had lost two! Then I later found out Rob had pulled them! I guess Eden was showing him how loose her tooth was, as she had been wiggling all during church. Rob decided to pull it. While doing so he discovered how loose another bottom tooth was and decided to pull two for the price of one. Eden was so proud, she was showing everyone at church her missing teeth. The tooth fairy came last night and she couldn't wait to go to school to show the kids and her teacher her missing teeth. I will have to post a picture later of Eden with her missing two teeth!

Daddy Daughter Date Night

2011-03-03T12:27:00.004-06:00

Last night at Young Women's our Branch presidency hosted a date night for the girls and their dads . Since some of the girl's don't have a dad that is present in their lives they had fun with the YW leaders and the counselors in the Branch pres. It was a 50's theme. They had hamburgers and french fries for dinner and root beer floats for desert. I had forgotten that they were going to feed them dinner, so we had two dinners last night. The girls had a bubble gum blowing competition as well as a hula hoop competition. Lauren is awesome at hula hooping, I think she could do it forever.

They played a game game where they had to guess the prices of things in the 1950's such as a new car or a dozen eggs. It was kind of hard. I took pictures of the girls and their dads and they turned out really cute. Lauren and Rob had a lot of fun together. They get along great and Lauren enjoys Rob's constant teasing. In this picture Rob thought it would be fun to try to tape Laren's eyes open. He's so wierd!!! My children are so blessed to have such a fun, awesome dad.

Attitudes can change

2011-03-02T14:38:00.006-06:00

O.k. so pretty much I have never hid my lack of enthusiasm about scouting. Since I am a girl, I always thought that let me off the hook of being involved and excited about scouting. I briefly remember my mom being a den leader when I was about eight yrs. old and the best part about that was selling the candy bars for a fund raiser because we ended up buying most of them. My second experience with scouting was when Landon turned 8. I knew scouting was something my son would participate in, but I thought I would have little or nothing to do with it as it was Rob's job and his leader's responsibility. Then I was called to be primary president. I did learn some things about scouting and did what I had to, but I must confess I never got all fired up about it. I have enjoyed getting the mother's pins and seeing Landon and the other boys earn their rewards for their hard work, but again I really haven't liked scouting. This last Friday night Landon was invited to a meeting for boys who are 11 yrs. turning 12 this year. Parents were invited as well and it was put on by the Weatherford Stake presidency. They taught us not only about the importance of scouting, but also went over the Duty to God program and receiving the priesthood. The light bulb went on for me and I have to say I finally felt the spirit concerning scouting. I can now see that it is an inspired program. It allows our boys to play, explore, and learn in a safe environment. I really did feel the spirit and I understand my important role in helping Landon with his scouting in the years to come. It was an evening just for these boys and they did an excellent job in making it special and helping them to know how important it will be when they receive the priesthood. I can't believe my son will have the priesthood this year. What a blessing that will be for him and for our family. So attitudes can change. I was wrong and I admit that. I don't know if I will ever don a scouting uniform though.

New Beginnings

2011-02-25T10:33:00.003-06:00

I have a new calling in the church. I am now first counselor in the Young Women's organization and I am so excited!!! At first I was a little bummed just because I loved my calling as the 12-13 yr. old Sunday school teacher. I had a lot of fun with the youth and I really enjoyed teaching the essentials of the gospel, but this is great because I still get to work with the youth, be with my gorgeous daughter Lauren, act silly with the girls, and they have awesome inspiring lessons in Young Womens. We have about nine active YW. I know it's pretty tiny, but for a Branch I think we are doing great. We may be small, but we are mighty!
Our second activity since I was called was New Beginnings. We decided to do a Super Bowl theme. The YW were the team of football players. They wore white tee-shirts that we taped numbers on the back to be like football jerseys and wore black stickers under there eyes. Each girl was introduced like a pro. football player coming out onto the field for the game. They did a skit on team work and the importance of practice that incorporated the eight YW values. The branch presidency all wore referee shirts (they were so cute) and all of us YW leaders were the cheerleaders. Luckily our YW pres. is a teacher at a high school so she was able to get the ref. shirts and pom poms for us. I was in charge of the decorations and I think they turned out really fun. Our secretary, a newly reactivated sister who is also in charge of personal Progress spoke to the girls. It is so cool to see the growth of new converts and reactivated members in our branch. They are becoming awesome leaders! Pres. Darden gave a great talk. He spoke to the girls and their parents like a coach and it made a great impact. For refreshments we had a concession stand serving banana splits. The evening was a lot of fun and I can't wait to share more ideas and experiences that I am blessed to be involved with in the YW.

"that" kind of morning...

2011-02-24T08:22:00.003-06:00

Yes, my morning has been "that" kind of morning. We were rushing. This is usually the case around here at the Bell home, no matter how hard we try, and it was raining. The drop off line at Emma's school was exceptionally long, so I decided to be clever and drop off Emma and Kennedy (Kennedy is Emma's friend who we take to school every day) at the crosswalk to avoid the long, tedious line and thus save time so hopefully Lauren and Eden would not be late for school! Then I realized how pitiful the situation was when I pulled from the curb and saw my poor little daughter crossing the street on crutches, with her knee immobilizer, friends carrying her bag, in the rain, just to save time. Bad mom. Then before I knew it , lights started flashing in my rearview mirror. I thought to myself, "that poor person being pulled over, I'm glad it's not me!" Lauren looked over at me saying, "mom I think it's us." How could it possibly be us, I had done nothing wrong, but it had to be us because he was right on my tail! So I reluctantly pulled over, rolled down my window and let the rain fall into the car, onto me. The police officer explained to me that I had pulled into the crosswalk and let my kids out, that was bad. He said it was a safety violation! I think I just looked at him with a blank stare because I know deep down that it is a safety violation, but I guess because of Emma's new disability I thought these rules don't apply to me, right? I told him I have a daughter on crutches and that is why I did it, all the while thinking my girls are going to be late for school and that is the reason I decided to break the safety violation in the first place so they wouldn't be late, don't you understand, you idiot with chewing tobacco in your left cheek! Shouldn't you be setting an example for these kids, isn't that a safety violation? He gave me a warning and told me not to get bent out of shape about it, nice! I drove off thinking all sorts of nice, colorful words in my head, I hope I didn't let any escape out of my mouth. Eden was flustered because today is picture day and she didn't want to miss her picture being taken. Lauren hates being late. The girls were late to school and I am a bad mom who breaks the law.
How did your morning go so far?

Emma update

2011-02-22T19:54:00.004-06:00

The results are in and it looks like Emma dislocated her knee cap. She is now in an immobilizer for a few weeks and then will follow up with therapy. It could be as much as 5 to 6 weeks before she can play soccer again. Bummer.
Emma survived the MRI, in fact she liked it! She made a new friend Dillon (the MRI tech) and said she wanted to do it again soon. I don't know if you can tell, but she has a smile on her face in the picture. It took about 25 min. where she had to stay still the whole time. Rob and I didn't know she was capable of staying still for so long and on top of that she couldn't talk! Now that is a miracle, for Emma. Rob was able to sit outside of the MRI machine and watch her. He said after about 15 min. her eyes started to close. I'm so glad she was able to relax. I think I would have been claustrophobic. Meanwhile, I had the job of staying in the waiting room where I was able to watch "I Love Lucy" and eat the complimentary candies. It was a lot fun but, they will need to refill the candy bowls. Mmmmmm

Emma on crutches

2011-02-21T17:15:00.002-06:00

Thursday night was the first soccer practice of the season and guess who got injured? Emma was chasing Rob towards the end of practice and somehow twisted her knee back and to the side falling to the ground. She experienced immediate pain and hasn't been able to extend her leg fully since. Luckily daddy is in the right business so Rob took and x-ray the next day which showed no fracture; however she is still experiencing a lot of pain and can't straighten it at all. Tonight we will be going to Weatherford for an MRI and hopefully will get some answers as to what is going on. Poor little girl, at least she enjoys the attention the crutches have been getting her! That's sooo Emma. We will keep you updated.

Father/Daughter Valentine's Dance

2011-02-15T08:32:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday our community of Mineral Wells had a Father/Daughter Valentine's

dance for all girls ages 4 to 10 yrs. and their dads. It was held at Clark Gardens. Last year we were on our cruise so Rob and the girls didn't get to go, but they were sure glad they went this year. It was set in a beautiful tent with chandeliers, decorated tables with refreshments, a D. J., and pictures were taken. Rob got the girls corsages to match their dresses and Lauren and I helped get the girls ready. They had such a good time! A lot of their friends were there so they had plenty of fun dancing and just being silly. Rob was a bit challenged when it came to dancing the slow dances because he had to pick both girls up at the same time to dance. Rob had a great time as well with his two little princesses!

Super Bowl

2011-02-13T19:29:00.003-06:00

This year I knew we needed to have a Super Bowl party even if it was just our little family doing the celebrating. I wasn't organized enough to actually invite other people over. Landon has really been getting "his football on" this past year and loves to watch any football games he can find. It was pretty much Landon, Rob, and I doing the watch'in and the girls helping us do the eat'in. I was so proud of myself becuase I actually got into the game and really enjoyed it and I guess it helped that my team won! The hit of the night was our special frozen drinks with extra whipped topping. Since we don't drink the "real stuff' we have to splurge somewhere right? Maybe next year we will really get into it and actually invite people over, who knows!!! It was still a lot of good clean fun, well maybe not so clean with all the whipped cream.

Snow Day

2011-02-01T14:40:00.003-06:00

The kids prayers were answered this morning. We woke up to about 3-4 inches of snow. Being that we live in Texas we don't have the correct apparel to play in the snow.
It all comes down to layers and once the snow melts and soak through it is time to come in. It seems like the dryer has been going all morning.
Evangeline loves playing in the snow. She will go out for a few minutes and run around everywhere. After warming back up inside she whines by the back door ready to go out again.
I think this is the coldest I have seen the snow in years. Typically the temp is right around freezing so it is a wet snow but since it is 17 outside right now it is a very fine powder. I doubt the kids will have school again tomorrow because this won't melt for a few more days.

just for me.....

2011-01-22T10:36:00.003-06:00

just for me. because i think he likes me; just a little bit.

as time goes by

2011-01-20T11:05:00.006-06:00

Since last Monday was a holiday Rob took off early from work and we went to the park to play. We were lucky because the weather was pretty nice that day. We tossed around the football, (Rob even managed to kick it into the pond, Emma saved the day by finding a long branch to pull it out) and the kids had fun on the play equipment. Lauren practiced throwing the football and actually did pretty good. It was so nice just to play with the kids and relax a bit.
Afterwards Rob decided to take the family to Cici's pizza. We haven't been there in about two and a half years because usually after we eat there we don't feel too well.

It wasn't any different this time! Guess it will be at least another two and a half before we do that again. It was still a fun day with the family. Time is going by very quickly these days, sometimes we just have to take the time to pause and really enjoy the one's we love!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-07T12:47:00.006-06:00

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from Christmas day.

H
We really enjoyed watching the kids open their gifts and seeing the expressions on their faces. We had a relaxing day and later went over to my parents for Christmas dinner and visiting.

I love Christmas for the beautiful time it is and all of the wonderful memories that are made!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-05T15:41:00.008-06:00

Christmas Eve was a whole lot of fun! First off we went over to my parents and had a delicious dinner with my brother Clint, Aunt Colleen, and my sister Amy and her three girls. Amy's oldest Jessica was accepted to the University of Utah a couple of months ago. I can't believe she's going to be headed to college already. We played some fun games and had a ball with Amy's two dogs Linus and Lucy(Lucy looks like a tiny teddy bear), my parent's dog Bud, and our little girl Evangeline. It was a zoo to say the least, but every one of them is a precious member of the family with his or her own personality! We did a White Elephant gift exchange and had a blast because the gifts were all gag gifts. Eden's favorite was definitely the whoopee cushion!!! Some of them may go back into the pot for next year! It was nice to catch up with Clint and Colleen as we usually only get together about twice a year since they are so far away in Portland, Oregon. I need to keep working on them so they will move to the great state of Texas. It is always so nice to spend time with my siblings, aunt, parents, and nieces. Our kids always have a blast and make awesome memories. We had fun just hanging out, laughing, and remebering the "old days" when we were kids. I am so thankful for family and good friends.

Ice at the Gaylord Texan

2011-01-01T19:00:00.006-06:00

On the 23rd of Dec. we went to the Gaylord Texan which is a beautiful hotel to see their famous ice sculpture exhibit. This year the theme was a Charlie Brown Christmas. It was awesome and sooooo cold that they gave us huge blue parkas to wear. Even then we were absolutely frozen by the end. Lauren wasn't feeling good so she stayed home to rest. Rob, the kids, my parents, aunt Colleen, my brother Clint, and I were together and had a lot of fun . It was extremely crowded though. At the end of the exhibit they had the most gorgeous life size nativity all made of clear ice. Our camera had stopped working because of the cold so we didn't get a picture. It was definitely the highlight

of the whole thing. The other ice sculptures were made of colored ice that they had colored using food coloring. They looked like big Popsicles and we kept saying how we wanted to taste them.
The Gaylord Texan looks like it would be a fun place for Rob and to get away to sometime. It has shopping and a lot of restaurants. My parents couldn't find their car in the parking garage. It was really funn. It took them forever to get out of there. Landon was feeling sick to his stomach afterwards so we went on home. It was a great Christmas memory that we may just have to make into a tradition. Next year we just need to stay healthy!

A very Merry Christmas to you!

2010-12-23T11:09:00.004-06:00

A good friend of ours had a Birthday party for Jesus. At the end of the party Santa came and spent time with everyone. For Eden it was magical. Emma was less than thrilled to sit on Santa's lap, as she thinks she's too mature for that sort of thing. Landon and Lauren teased eachother about sitting on Santa's lap so we had both of them do it at the same time.
We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas filled with the joy and peace of the season!

it's begining to look like Christmas!

2010-12-13T10:50:00.006-06:00

We have been having fun decorating for the holidays and doing activities to celebrate Christmas. Things have been a little crazy around here at our house and I just got a text from Rob that Landon's foot is broken. He went to a birthday party Saturday and jumped off a set of stairs onto a landing and hurt his foot. He stayed at the party for a few hours and then we picked him up. We had him stay off of it and ice it. Yesterday Rob x-rayed his foot and thought it wasn't broken. Today it is definitely broken and Landon went to school on crutches. (he doesn't know it's broken yet)I guess I will be going to pick him up so Rob can cast him. Fun times! We hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying this special season. With much love, the Bell's (p.s. I am losing my mind)

Saturday morning

2010-11-21T17:24:00.006-06:00

While I was inside baking over 100 cupcakes for the Soccer party Eden, Emma, and Landon were attempting to get control over our abundance of leaves. I don't know how Lauren got out of this one, but the kids were told by Rob they had to fill at least five bags of leaves. That doesn't sound like much, but let me tell you these bags were the size of Landon! They did a great job and had just a little fun doing it. Luckily Rob was able to get a few pictures along the way.

Being a "Domestic Goddess" rocks!!!

2010-11-19T13:53:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it's already the end of the second six weeks of school! This year is already flying by so fast. I was able to go to Emma and Eden's awards assemblies this week which I love doing.

Sometimes I think about all of the things I would miss if I wasn't a stay at home mom, A.K.A. "Domestic Goddess" and it makes me realize how blessed I am to do so. I forgot the camera unfortunately for Emma's so I didn't get any pictures, but here are a few from Eden's. She had the permanent grin the whole time and her class performed some really cute Thanksgiving songs. I could hear her singing above all of the other kids. I love that about Eden, she loves to sing and she isn't afraid to really belt it out! I miss having my kids at home, but I am so thankful they like school for the most part (they can't like it 100% of the time or they wouldn't be kids, right?)

Emma's question

2010-11-16T14:09:00.003-06:00

Yesterday evening Emma said to me, "Mom I have a question for you." I paused and wondered what question would follow, as she seemed pretty serious. She asked, "Mom what would you do if I had cancer?"
Wow, my heart just stopped for a moment and I instantly got teary eyed. I took a deep breath and replied with what came to my mind first. I told Emma that we would try to get her the best doctors and help that we could so she could get better. She looked at me kind of funny and said, " no, I mean, would you want me to wear a wig to school or just go to school bald?" That took me back a little and then I thought about how Emma understands the disease and how something like that would affect my 8 yr. old little girl. We talked about it for a while and then she climbed into my cozy bed with me and we snuggled while watching Martha Stewart cook delicious Thanksgiving pies.
I am so thankful for the good health that our family is blessed with. Sometimes I take that for granted. Thanks to Emma for reminding me.

Halloween and stuff

2010-11-03T13:59:00.003-05:00

This last weekend we had a bit of everything going on with Landon's 11th Birthday, soccer games, baseball games, Birthday party, Branch Halloween party, Missionaries over to celebrate Landon's B-day on Sunday, and a Halloween/Birthday party on Sunday evening. It was a loaded weekend, but the highlight was definitely Landon's B-day and also seeing the kids dress up and have so much fun with their friends. Eden was a witch, Emma was a princess, Landon said he was a "Wacko from Waco," and Lauren was her darling self with beautiful hot pink eyelashes! By late Sunday night Rob and I were so exhausted! It felt so good to climb into our nice cozy bed and just just relax a bit before Monday morning rolled around. We hope everyone had a great weekend and we love seeing everyone elses Halloween pics.

Blazer Scouts here we come......

2010-10-29T13:14:00.005-05:00

I have to admit Landon's Cub Scout career has had very little to do with mom and all to do with Father and son, in fact to be honest I haven't exactly caught the "Scouting Fever" as many people do! I know, I need to repent, quickly. I have loved getting the mother's pins and a hug and even a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone with each of Landon's advancements. I hope this doesn't change as he gets older.We are so proud Landon as he received his Arrow of Light Wednesday evening and is now ready to move on to Blazer Scouts. (Is that how you spell Blazer?)He has done an excellent job in scouting and is really excited to move on. (Lauren wasn't in the family pic. because she was doing the YW thing that night)

Way to go Landon! I can't believe he will be 11 yrs. on Sunday.

A man of many talents!!!

2010-10-15T12:46:00.004-05:00

When I met Rob Bell I knew I was getting to know someone very amazing. Rob can do just about anything, from handy man projects, to computers, laundry, medicine, making people laugh, teaching, changing diapers, public speaking, sewing, mechanics, coming up with romantic dates, baseball, and so much more. (Yes, he will turn red when he reads this)Well recently another opportunity came up for him to share his talents when he was asked to be Emma's soccer coach. I knew he would do a great job and he has done just that! The 13 girls on Emma's team just adore him and he has done a great job along with the assistant coach Sheila making soccer fun for these girls. They have involved the parents in the practices by getting them out there with the girls teaching them soccer skills. For some of these girls it is there very first time playing soccer and I can already see the great progress they have made in a very short time.

I guess I just want to say that I am blessed to have such a great, talented guy as my best friend, that I am proud of him for doing this, and to let him and everyone else know he is doing a great job with these girls. It is nice to know there are people out there who care and want to make a positive difference in people's lives. Coaching a team of 13 giggling girls, traveling distances to play games, and wearing a florescent green jersey and still looking good is not easy, but Emma, the team, the parents, and I thank you. Go "Green Dragons!"

fall fashion

2010-10-09T16:29:00.003-05:00

I have been having fun with my creative side lately. One of the little projects I did one night was make Eden a girly fall outfit. I started by adding frills to her old jeans, made over an old stained white tee, and then finished it off with a coordinating hair bow. Lauren and I love making hair bows and other accessories together. Eden proudly showed her old/new outfit off at school the next day and I have to say I loved all of the compliments she got. It was a whole lot of fun and now I need to find the time to create more outfits for my little girls!

Lunch anyone?

2010-09-17T11:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday as I was getting ready to dump the crumbs out of Eden's lunch bag it felt a little heavier than normal to me. I was shocked to find a sandwich still in the bag , untouched, and a bag of chips unopened. Now the chips are no biggie, but this is the second or third day they were sent in her lunch and with the sandwich untouched this meant she had only eaten her dessert and her Caprisun. Yikes I felt horrible! I had even let her have a brownie for an after school snack and she had eaten a frosted sugar cookie at our friend's house. Talk about "foods of minimal nutritional value."
At the beginning of the year we were very creative with our lunches. We tried to make more of a variety and make them healthier. The catch is the kids rotate making lunches and I think they have already gotten lazy in what they choose to pack and this is only the fourth week of school! So I know what this means, I need to be more involved and help them out-Yeah me, but if it helps Eden's lack of eating, it's worth it, right???

Success

2010-09-14T13:45:00.003-05:00

I love my husband, but every year around his Birthday I ask him what he would like and he never gives me any ideas. This is a problem because as wives we want to please our hubbies, and be the best wives we can. So this year I was thankful when I remebered a time a while back when Rob and I were at at Lowe's and he was practically drooling over an electric smoker! I knew this was the gift I had to get him! I know birthdays aren't all about the gifts, but in the last couple of years I feel like I have have kind of missed the mark. This year was a success!!! Rob LOVED his gift and was like a kid in a candy store. He lovingly unwrapped the smoker, put it together, and proceeded to make plans about the first thing he was going to cook in it. That night we went to one of his favorite restaurants, Texas de Brazil with our family, my parents, and Rob's parents. It was a really fun treat for the family, (Eden fell asleep at the table)but I think Rob was just as excited to get home to his new "baby." Saturday night he started the process of smoking a brisket. He went out about every five minutes to check on it. But it was worth it because Sunday we ate a delicious meal of smoked brisket and I have to say, I think we will all bebefit from the success of Rob's Birthday gift. Now the question is, "what to smoke next and what do I get him for his next B-day?"

Finally...

2010-09-07T12:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, being a holiday, was the perfect opportunity for our family to do something we have been waiting forever to do. We finally, after many years of having little ones, got to go on a family bike ride!!!
Rob and I have dreamed of this for quite some time. It has been a challenge for us as we have always had a baby, or toddler to throw into the mix, making it pretty much impossible to do. Everyone rode expect Eden. We put her on the back of Rob's bike because we knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. We went for a 12 mile bike ride with the whole family and had a blast! We rode from our house, down past the Vietnam Memorial heading towards Weatherford. It was hot, but beautiful, and so much fun! We made one stop on the way to get drinks and a bite to eat @ Chicken Express. On the way home, we stopped and got more drinks @ McDonald's. Yes we were hot, yes people thought we were crazy to take out 4 kids in the heat on a bike ride in Texas, but we had so much fun and made great memories. Unfortunately, we did forget the camera, bummer.
We are already having visions of riding more often and really going the distance as the "Bell family Bikers." Happy trails.....

schoole daze.....

2010-08-27T17:14:00.002-05:00

So truthfully, no one in the family was too excited about school starting again except for Eden and Rob.

Eden is the typical kindergarden kid with visions of pure bliss and fun filled moments dancing through her head. Her eyes sparkled so bright early Monday morning in anticipation of going to school. Her expectations are high as they should be as she starts on her path of the school journey. She got the teacher we wanted her to have and we are thrilled. Eden actually got to know her teacher Mrs. Gregory a little this summer when she went to vacation bible school, she is like a second mom! Eden was sad when I told her she had to take two days off for the weekend.

Rob just wanted the kids to go back to school because he's jealous of us staying up late, getting up when we want to, and doing pretty much whatever we want to. We still love him though!

The kids have settled in great, they like their teachers, and I just know this will be another fun filled year with new experiences, new friends, and the time flying by way too fast. I really need to know where to get a "slow down" button for our life, but in the meantime we will love going to bed earlier and waking up earlier as well. HAPPY SCHOOL DAZE to everyone!!!

Random Pictures

2010-08-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

Here are just a few random shots taken over the last couple of weeks. We finally got some "waffle blocks" like the ones Rob's parents have. They are really fun to play with.
The kids enjoyed tye dying tee shirts and as you can see we are still enjoying our puppy.
Gotta go, but I'll be posting back to school pics. very soon.
Bye

(What's wrong Landon? Don't want to take another picture?)

Lauren's 13th Birthday Party

2010-07-28T20:23:00.007-05:00

Lauren celebrated the big "13" one week early by having some friends and cousins to

Grandma Joan's and Granpa Dale's house for a pool party. She even let the (oldies)parents and the (minions) siblings come. I can't believe we are old enough to have a real teenager. I guess in some ways it's cool because most people think we are pretty young to have a 13 yr. old. I definately agree! Bring on the teens years!!!

Welcome: Baby Evangeline

2010-07-27T13:00:00.003-05:00

We have a new arrival: our six week old Yorkie that we got on Saturday. She is a birthday gift for Lauren's 13th birthday and is named Evangeline. She is adorable and so sweet too! The kids have been planning this for quite some time. The knew they wanted a girl, a Yorkie, to name her Evangeline (they got the name from "Nannie Mcphee"), something they could spoil and dress up.

She has been a delight for our family so far and slept through the night last night. She likes to follow me wherever I go and loves to play as well as cuddle. We love how she sleeps on her back with her little paws sticking up. We look forward to having her be a part of our family and the memories we will make with her for years to come! She is excited to meet everyone and I will probably include her in my blogs quite often.

Happy Fourth of July

2010-07-05T08:51:00.003-05:00

We celebrated a wonderful 4th! Since I was little the 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. I loved going to church yesterday, spending time with my family, my parents, and Rob's parents. We went swimming, had wonderful food, and set off the rest of Charles's fireworks.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate our nations birthday!

Summer's Rolling by

2010-06-24T12:33:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to say "hi" and let everyone know we are alive and kicking. Summer is really rolling by, a little too fast! Some of the things we have enjoyed are working in the yard, swimming, vacation Bible school, friends, Rangers game, and getting ready for Lauren and I to go to Girl's camp next week. Oh yeah we also got robbed (lawn mower, tools, brand new pressure washer, laptop, just to name a few) last Friday night! We are getting a security system put in today. Hopefully we will be taking a much needed vacation out of state next month. Hope everyone is loving summer and enjoying a few carefree days!

Love , the Bells

Eden's Graduation

2010-05-23T18:09:00.005-05:00

Eden graduated from pre-k on Tuesday the 18th. It was so sweet to see her and her classmates as they sang and talked about what they want to be when they grow up. Eden wants to be "a doctor like daddy" and her favorite thing to do is swim in a pool on a ship! She had a wonderful teacher this year and learned a whole lot. I

was a bit teary eyed as I realized she is going to Kindergarten next year. My baby is growing up way too fast for me, but she is thrilled to be going to Kindergarten! My parents, Grammy Su, Cookie, Rob, and myself were there. The kids really wished they could have missed school to be there as well. I am so thankful for wonderful experiences like these that I get to enjoy because of my beautiful children. Kindergarten here we come!!!

tidbits of our life, lately

2010-05-17T13:44:00.013-05:00

Eden's soccer team the "Rascals"

Landon pitching
Landon getting a hit!

Landon being handsome!

Emma playing soccer
Lauren at her Spring band concert where she

received an award for best 7th grade band student!

Landon at the Gifted Talented banquet

Lauren being inducted into the National Honor's Society

Emma wearing her Birthday tee-shirt Lauren and Rob
made for her

Emma at her 2nd grade Spring Musical

Eden riding with her cousin Sierra at our Branch Open House

Helium

2010-05-02T17:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we had our Branch Open House. For some decorations we used helium balloons. The sister who rented it asked if Rob or I could return the helium tank Monday morning so that she would not have to make an extra trip to Mineral Wells. I thought I saw a little sparkle in Rob's eye when he said he would gladly take it back for her.
After changing out of my Sunday clothes right after church, I came back into the family room only to hear Rob, Lauren, Landon, Emma, and Eden all singing a different song in high pitched chipmunk voices. They were having a blast and I laughed so hard! It really is fun to have a fifth child around the house!!!

Our baby turns five!!!

2010-04-14T10:59:00.003-05:00

Last Tuesday Eden turned five! I have been looking forward to this day and I must admit also dreading it. Every year my baby turns a year older it means she is less my little baby. I never felt this way with my other children, it was always fun and exciting to see them grow older and become more independent; however with Eden I have always treasured and held onto her little baby ways. I guess deep inside I know she is my last baby. She is growing to be a beautiful, funny, clever little girl. She has so much to offer this world and I am so excited to see her fulfill her great potential.
We had a sweet little birthday party with just our family and two surprise guests. Eden had called Grammy Su to wish her a "Happy Birthday" earlier that evening as they share the same birthday! I guess Eden invited her to come have cake with her so Grammy Su and uncle Michael showed up just as Eden was about to blow out the candles on her cake. I was a great surprise and very cool that they could share birthday cake together on their special day!

A little look at our Easter

2010-04-11T18:28:00.009-05:00

Easter came upon us very quick this year. It seems as the kids get older time goes by even faster. I had to quickly prepare for our Easter festivities. While Rob was at The Priesthood session of General Conference for church, the kids decorated their Easter eggs while I tried to supervise and take pictures. They turned out really pretty, but I think they had more fun making the paper towels look like tye dye than anything else! maybe this should become our new tradition, designing paper towels for Easter.

The next morning Rob sat the kids down before hunting the eggs and talked to them about the true meaning of Easter. Eden was so cute with her quick answers about why we celebrate Easter. She said it was because the bunny came and gave everyone gifts and treats, but she listened carefully as Rob told about Jesus and his suffering in the Garden, His crusifixtion, and His
glorious resurrection.

The kids hunted their eggs, we had a beyond delicious breakfast, and then got ready to watch General Conference.

Later that day we went to my parents for Easter dinner. It was great to be with my parents and my sister's family. I just can't get over how fast our kids are growing up. We are so blessed to live by one another and enjoy special times like these.

I hope you all had a wonderul Easter as well!

A Beautiful Surprise: just for me

2010-03-31T20:59:00.007-05:00

WARNING could be a little cheesy, but then again,I don't care!
A couple of weeks ago I walked through the door after bringing the kids home from school. On our mantle that goes from our family room to the kitchen I saw the most beautiful flower arrangement. I was in awe! My first thought was Rob must have brought it home from the office. We get various goodies now and then from things Dr. Rose has been given or the office has received, it's a great little perk of Rob's job. Anyways I saw there was a card and it was addressed to "Beth". I was overjoyed. I was so excited and belive me (or just ask the kids) I did not hide it! They were from Rob, the love of my life, the one who makes me laugh when I am sad, picks me up when I am down, and makes life worth living. He is my best friend. I just have to say I know he was meant just for me. He made this beautiful gesture out of the blue because he loves me .
Sometimes I still can't get over the fact that he chose me! In May we will have been married 14 wonderful years. I know that's not all that long, but I know I am blessed to be with him for eternity!
Rob, I love you more!

Cruise Vacation part four: Cayman Islands

2010-03-25T13:00:00.008-05:00

The pictures on this post are in opposite order of our day in Grand Cayman, so that is the way we will roll. We were absolutely exhausted by the end of our excursion. We took a boat out in the beautiful ocean and went snorkeling. The water was freezing at first, but once we got in it wasn't so bad. The snorkeling was exquisite! There were so many vibrant fish to see, gorgeous

plants, and coral. Emma, Eden, and mom stayed on the boat and tried to get warm while the rest of us snorkeled. It was Landon and Laurens' first time and they absolutely loved it!

We also went swimming with the stingray. We tried to get Eden and Emma into the water with them, but they didn't like the temperature. They were also afraid of the stingray. I got Eden to touch one briefly, but we headed back to the boat soon after. Landon and Eden kept telling us they that the stingray felt like a mushroom. I agree!Everyone else really had fun and enjoyed them. My dad found a beautiful huge shell that had something living in it, so he put it back!

Eden got surprised when the boat driver let her take a turn at the wheel. She loved this! We got a lot of cute pictures of her enjoying her new found power!
It was a fun experience to go on a boat in the beautiful ocean. I think this made a great impression on the kids.

I just wish the water could have been warmer and the wind not so piercing cold! We just couldn't dry off and get warm.

It was really warm and nice as we walked around to the different shops and took pictures. My mom and I really enjoyed all of the shopping opportunities, especially the store where all of the jewelry was $20 or under. We found some great tee shirts that change color in the sun. The kids thought that was awesome.

I love this picture of my parents with the blue water and ship behind them. That day felt so good and was a blast! We were so tired by the end. I just wanted a warm shower to relax in and a wonderful supper to feast upon. My dream came true and we all slept great that night!

Cruise Vacation part:3

2010-03-24T18:23:00.004-05:00

Our first port was Montego Bay, Jamaica. This was Rob and my second time to go there. This time it was very different because the weather was overcast and we had the kids along for the ride. We wanted to go to the #1 tour which was to a pineapple plantation; however we waited too long to book it! They told us the "Spirit of Montego Bay" tour was good and we wanted to see what the city was like so that is what we did. We got on a bus (Emma had a hard time with driving on the opposite side of the road)and went around the city looking at different homes, buildings, schools, restaurants, and a haunted house. We also dropped by Jimmy Buffet's Margarita Ville. My mom and I bought some jewelry there. It was a lot of fun!

Our favorite place to visit was a very old church where they were celebrating their religious holiday of Lent. The members of the congregation were very gracious in letting us tourists come into their church to look around, take pictures, and listen to their steel drum music. We were told the whole city pretty much had the day off for this religious holiday and that they would be worshipping all day only taking breaks to eat. I asked our tour guide if she knew of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and she said it was one of the more recent religions to come to the island. I wish we could have attended church there. We had planned on going to the beach to swim and snorkel, but the weather wasn't great and it was too cold. The kids were really tired, so we took them back to the ship to party at camp carnival! Rob, Landon, and I went back to the city where we walked down the main street until we could do some shopping. We found a restaurant that served "jerk" that the locals said they liked. Rob and Landon had their hearts set on getting some good Jamaican jerk. It was good and while we were there a local artist (who also designs his own clothes)drew a portrait of Rob and I. He was very interesting to talk to and his outlook on life was very unusual. Before we knew it we had to head back to the ship. I am so glad Rob and I had some one on one time with Landon. He is growing up so fast as they all are and I will always remember our afternoon in Jamaica together. What great memories!

Soccer

2010-02-26T18:25:00.004-06:00

Our break from sports is over! Emma and Eden are playing soccer for the first time and Landon is playing baseball again. We felt it was important to let Eden and Emma have a go at soccer. Luckily their practices will be on the same night. I hope it stays that way. Games will be Saturdays for the girls, but I'm not sure for Landon. It was freezing at practice, but Emma insisted she was hot! Eden and Emma had a lot of fun while mom planned Sharing Time for Primary and dad took pictures.

Both girls had a lot of fun at their first practice. It will be interesting to see how the season goes. We are hoping to get grandparents out for a few games as well. As for Rob and I we are ready for warmer weather and another vacation.

Vacation part:1

2010-02-26T17:30:00.006-06:00

We are back from our wonderful cruise vacation! It went by way too fast and it has been hard for all of us to get back into the swing of things. We made so many great memories with our children and my parents. We sailed away Valentines Day and I can't think of a better way to celebrate! The night before we stayed in Texas City which is only about 20 min. from the cruise terminal. We did have a little bad luck as the motel we stayed at had no hot water! So much for showering. We were not going to let that bring us down as we were ready for vacation and fun! My parents surprised the kids with adorable Valentine bears. This was a blessing because we left Eden's favorite blanket and "Gigi" the giraffe at home. The girls took there bears to various shows and events on the ship throughout the cruise. Since Galveston was celebrating Mardi Gras that week many people had on the traditional necklaces. We happened to find several packages of necklaces by one of the hotels while walking around downtown Galveston. It was a lot of fun for the kids.

Of course one of the first things we did was hit the buffet! A cruise is not a cruise without all of the great food whenever you want it. We had fun exploring the ship and the kids were amazing at finding their way around after just a few minutes. Even Eden and Emma knew exactly which way to go and helped Grandma and Mom find their way more than once!
The kids went to Camp Carnival on and off throughout the cruise. They made friends right away and had a lot of fun with the staff, but mostly we did try to spend as much time together as we could. The service on a cruise is the best and I loved it!The kids loved the hot tub, pool, and especially the water slide. We played mini golf, bean bag toss, water balloons, and Landon, Emma and Eden had a ball dancing for a crowd.

There is so much to share I will have to do it in segments. It has been crazy getting back to work, school, chores, sports, and church. Emma is sick now which is a bummer and we are hoping she will get better very soon!

Love y'all,

The Bells.

Vacation part: 2

2010-02-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

I am having a hard time blogging about our cruise just because there are a lot of great pictures, but anyway here's a few more. The second day at sea was still pretty chilly; however that was not going to stop the kids from getting their money's worth out of the ship's pool, hot tub, and other water games. They convinced us they could handle the cold and so we let them enjoy the water while we lounged around trying to keep warm. Landon, Emma, and Eden loved the water slide and went down it over and over again! Oh to be kids again and have endless energy and be immune to the cold!

When we went to our cabins, Eden immediately crawled into bed and was ready to go to sleep. I think this had to do with the fact that she and Emma were in the top bunks and she has never experienced being in a bunk before. We had to convince her to leave the bed and go to dinner. She was so cute!
It didn't take long for the kids to find the ice cream machine. They loved being able to get ice cream whenever they wanted to. They also took advantage of getting soft drinks whenever they desired. They would just walk up to the bar, show their card and order whatever they wanted. Their favorite was "Shirley Temple." They also discovered "Roy Rogers." It was so fun to see Emma and Eden have such independence to make their own decisions and do their own thing!

We had fun dressing up on the formal nights and getting our pictures taken. I think my mom and dad look great! All of the staff on the cruise referred to Eden and Emma as the "princesses." They really liked that. I overheard one teenage boy ask if he could be called a "princess" too. Too funny.

Lot's of Surprises!!!

2010-02-11T14:38:00.002-06:00

We woke up to snow early this morning and it is still falling twelve hours later. The kids went to school for about two hours and then we were told we could go pick them up! I guess the schools wanted it to count as a full day since they let out at ten. The kids have had a lot of fun playing in the snow and it is perfect for building snowmen. This one that is about ready to fall over was built by Lauren and Landon. It's taller than Lauren. Rob said he has really never seen snow like this in Texas!

Earlier this week Eden was feeling very poorly. She has had a stomach bug and guess who caught it? That's right Rob! He is feeling pretty bad and I am praying the rest of us don't catch it. Poor guy!

We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day early with our vacation coming in just three days. Eden and I made homemade valentines for everyone. We will have a special dinner tonight of Shrimp Scampi, salad, bread, Sparkling Apple Cider, and if I am ambitious enough valentine sugar cookies.

A couple of weeks ago Lauren and Landon got out the sewing machine and made a batman apron for Landon. Here he is modeling it.
We also had a fun evening at home having crab legs for dinner. It was sooo good and very messy!

Speaking of messy my home is just that with everyone having a snow day today and Rob being sick! I am slightly overwhelmed with getting everyone ready to leave Saturday morning and having sickly family members. However, we will make the best of it and I am about ready to get all the little Bell's to get their working groove on! Isn't it nice to be the boss once in a while?

Back to the 1980's

2010-01-23T16:12:00.002-06:00

Lauren was invited to a birthday party where everyone dressed up "way back from the 1980's." Rob and I had to laugh because we remember the 80's pretty clearly and it wasn't really that long ago for us! We told Lauren to ask Aunt Dorias, Aunt Amy, or several of her Young Women leaders at church what they wore "back then." We had some fun at their expense!!!
It ended up we did not have a lot of time to put in to this, but we pulled what we could out of her closet, accessorized 80's style, and ratted some hair. She looked pretty darn good.
It was a lot of fun and all of the girls at the party enjoyed going way back to the glory days of some of their parents! It also helps that 80's clothing and style seem to be making a comeback into today's teens closets whether they realize it or not. Just last week Lauren and I saw shiny gold tight pants at Dillard's on one of their main juniors clothing displays! We had a good laugh!

"The doggie dilema"

2010-01-20T12:53:00.004-06:00

Here's the deal...Rob and I keep getting sucked into telling the kids we are going to a get a dog(preferably a mini Yorkie)however after talking with people about how much they bark, pee, poo, chew,etc. our commitment to doing the dog thing definitely wavers. My parents just got this adorable little puppy named "Buddy.' (meet little Buddy)He is so sweet, cute, and playful. It is almost therapeutic to snuggle him, but he does all of the before mentioned things. I don't know if I can handle all of those things! I know having a dog would be great for the kids as well as Rob and I, but.....it's a big commitment for me. Will I ever be ready?

Party Time!!!

2010-01-14T17:39:00.002-06:00

It is very different living in a neighborhood with close neighbors versus living in the country where the closest neighbor is a few miles away. It has given the kids the opportunity to play a whole lot more! Our house is the main hang out. We think this is because we actually pay attention to the kids and do activities with them. This is good and bad! Good in that we know where the kids are and what they are doing, bad in that we get to occupy, feed, and clean up after them. As we speak we are having a movie night with 13 kids from the neighborhood and I thought Rob and I were going on a date tonight! Oh well...They really are good kids and we are lucky to have them in our home!

A little bit of everything

2010-01-14T17:15:00.002-06:00

It's been too long since my last post to talk about everything that's been going on here in the Bell household, but here are just a few things:
The kids put together a little skit about the Nativity. They did it all themselves! On Christmas Eve we had the missionaries over and they performed it for them. It was really sweet!
One of the days over Christmas break the kids made sugar cookies and decorated them. We left a plate full for Santa and he nearly gobbled everything, just leaving behind a few crumbs.
We spent some time at my parents during the break and also on Christmas day. Landon decided to make his own Santa beard out of Grandma's bath soap! My parents also surprised us by adopting a new puppy. He is so adorable! We had so much fun snuggling "Buddy" and playing with him. It looks like we are finally going to have to hold true to our promise to the kids and get a dog as well!

One of our Christmas traditions is to have a picnic for dinner by the Christmas tree. We are supposed to eat foods they would have eaten during Christ's lifetime, but some of us are a little picky. I made chicken cacciatore which is one of Rob's favorites and we had sparkling apple cider. We have had a lot of fun this winter playing games, going on hot chocolate runs, parties, movies, decorating the house, gift giving, and most of all spending time with family. Thanks everyone for making this season a special one!!!

Branch Christmas Party

2009-12-19T20:22:00.003-06:00

Sometimes being in a Branch instead of a ward is a really wonderful thing. For instance: the line is shorter when waiting for the food, you know when someone new shows up, and you don't have to worry so much about making a fool out of yourself because we really are just like "one big family." (trust me on this, I've had plenty of practice this year)
This year's Christmas party was a lot of fun and the entertainment, if I do say so myself, was top notch! Myself and some other ladies were asked to present a skit about an old lady who dreamed of spending three days with a real family for Christmas since she didn't have one of her own. It was really fun to do!
Rob was behind the camera all night, thus no pictures of him! He got a lot of great pictures especially of the children who were filled with the spirit and magic of Christmas. Of course there was a special visitor at the end of the night who let just about everyone sit on his lap including the missionaries who gave him a Book of Mormon.
We really do love our little branch and have made some pretty great memories over the last two and a half years. It has a very special spirit. The building we're in is tiny and we are literally bursting at the seams, but I wouldn't trade these times we've had for anything.

Whatsup???

2009-12-16T12:00:00.003-06:00

Over the last month or so it has been so much more calm around our house, we're still crazy though!

Rob and I decided to do the bare minimum as far as kids sports and other activities around the holidays so that we could spend more quality time with family and friends. It has been worth it, every minute!

At the end of November we celebrated my Grandma Clinton's 95th birthday with my parents and sister's family! It was so wonderful to be with her and enjoy her sweet spirit and sense of humor. I truly love this lady. She is such a wonderful example to me.

Lauren, Rob, and I spent last Saturday at the Dallas temple. It was Lauren's first time to do temple work with the other youth from our Branch and the Hudson Oaks ward. It was so special to witness this and to have Rob baptize her. She absolutely loved this experience and can't wait to go again. We took a few quick pictures outside the temple afterwards. It was sooooo cold and poor Lauren's hair was still wet! It was a fantastic day I know we will always remember.
The younger kids spent the day with Grammy Su, Papa Bob, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Michael. They went to their ward Christmas party that evening where a special guest came! Landon insisted he was only going to sit on Santa's lap because he wanted the treat! Looks like he had fun!!!

Lauren has participated in several Christmas band concerts this month. These kids are so amazing! The 7th and 8th grade band was almost as good as the High school. I love seeing the amazing talent that can come from young people.
I had been telling Rob how nice it would be to have a real Christmas tree this year. I miss the smell of them because they remind me of Christmas's growing up back home in Oregon! I didn't think we would get one because we already put up our tree in the living room. We went looking one night with the kids for a real tree, but to our disappointment they were all picked over. I just wrote it off that we could do it another year. Then one afternoon Rob came home for lunch with a surprise. He had found a beautiful real tree in Weatherford at the farmers market! I was so tickled and we had fun decorating it together as a family over the next few days. I love that man! He is so good to me, always doing what he can to make me happy!

We are really enjoying the season of our Savior's birth. He is real. He loves each one of us and knows our every need. He is the reason to keep trying to do better. I am thankful for the few quiet moments in which I can really feel His love for me. I am in awe of His birth into the world and His perfect life He devoted to each one of us. As a family we hope your Christmas is filled with that wonder and peace at the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T15:12:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. The kids had the whole week off from school! We did a lot of crafts, playing outside with the neighbor children, and decorated a thanksgiving tree. On Friday the whole family went to Fort Worth to see "The Christmas Carol" in 3-D. It was a lot of fun! The rest of the holiday was spent with Rob's family. Everyone was there except for Michael's wife Karen and Eric's family. What a crew we had!!!
The weather was great so the cousins had a lot of fun playing outside. We had a delicious meal and later went to play dodge ball and kick ball at the new church. It was a blast!
The next day the guys all went shooting while some of us girls went shopping. I thought this was a very fair trade off indeed! We all enjoyed visiting, playing games, lounging around, and eating. A lot of great memories were made. Thanks Bell Clan!!!

Building a Tent

2009-11-23T15:20:00.003-06:00

The kids worked very intently on building a tent for all of them to sleep under last night. They used hangers, rubber bands, bungee cords, and all sorts of other gadgets to make the blankets stay together.
Eden wanted to go to bed ridiculously early because she was so excited! They added even more as the evening went on. I was quite impressed.
Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a kid again. They had so much fun sleeping under their tent together!

Camping

2009-11-19T18:43:00.002-06:00

We had been wanting to go camping forever and it seemed something always came up or the weather was bad. Finally a week ago everything clicked and we were able to pull the kids out of school for a day. Of course this got Rob and I extra bonus points with the kids!We had a great time with my dad being there as well. The night was a little rough with raccoons, hogs, and deer going through our campground. The raccoons got into some of the food and fought over it. Finally Rob and dad just put the coolers into the cars. I don't think dad and Landon got much sleep at all. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed canoeing, hiking, visiting, eating, and of course playing in the fire(the kids are just like Rob, little pyros)

While hiking Landon almost stepped on a Water Moccasin. It really freaked him out and I don't blame him a bit! Rob had fun taking pictures of it and playing with it a bit. He really is my fifth child! All in all, it was a great time had by all and we can't wait to go again!

Clouds

2009-11-05T14:13:00.003-06:00

Clouds are one of my favorite things! I love all of the varieties and that is great because we really do get a a lot of interesting clouds here in Texas. The other day while driving to Weatherford I pointed out to Eden the clouds in the sky. The whole way (1/2 hour) she talked to me about what she saw in the clouds, a whale, an airplane, etc. It was fun to listen to her and enjoy her astonishing imagination. I am grateful for simple moments such as this that make my my life so blessed.
Have a GREAT day!

Happy Birthday Halloween

2009-11-03T16:47:00.006-06:00

This year we decided to actually celebrate Landon's birthday on Halloween. We had a family party with our little family and my parents. It was intimate and very fun! We let Landon decide what he wanted to eat. He chose to have grilled steaks, baked potatoes, salad, Italian bread, and for desert a Black Forest cake. I made little name tags for the seating arrangements at the table, they were fun!We ate an early dinner around 4pm. and then I had the privilege of getting the kids ready in their costumes while my parents and Rob did the dishes. I really enjoyed this!
Eden was a a great cheetah! Lauren chose to be the same thing as last year, a rock'in 50's Poodle skirt girl. Emma had fun being a "bad" witch with funky fake spider web eyelashes! Landon was a hippie Jamaican. I pulled out Landon's Darth Vador mask for my dad and he found a black cape to go with it. He was really spooky for the little kids.

Lauren, Landon, and my dad all decided to stay home and pass out candy. We had orange lights in the front window with a fog machine, a strobe light, luminaries up the walkway, and about five skillfully carved pumpkins that the kids and Rob carved the night before. They did a really good job! We even got the karaoke machine out and had Landon singing to "The Monster Mash" and other Halloween songs for a while.
Emma, Eden, my mom, Rob, and I all went trick-or-treating together. We didn't go to a lot of places, but the girls were very satisfied with what they got.
We could not believe the amount of people who came trick-or-treating on our street. Their was a traffic jam for about three and a half hours straight. We ran out of candy pretty fast and had to put all of our decorations away to keep people from coming up to our door. Next year we will be better prepared.
All in all we had a blast and Landon will celebrate his birthday with some of his friends next week at Main Event.

The "RAWR"

2009-10-29T09:55:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine from church brought over a cheetah costume that her daughter had outgrown. She thought it would be fun for Eden to play dress-up with it. When I showed it to Eden she was so thrilled!

A few days later she told me she wanted to wear it for Halloween. My first thought was....don't you want to be a princess, or a fairy or, something very feminine? Oh no, she had her heart set on being the "RAWR" as she likes to call it. Well I wasn't going to let it go. A took her out a couple of times to show her the many beautiful feminine costumes, but she would have nothing to do with them. She was going to be a "RAWR."

And so today she went to school for her Halloween party/parade as a "RAWR" and was sooo pleased with herself. Yesterday she kept asking me, "Is today over yet?" Rob told me last night when he checked on the girls after he tucked them into bed that Eden was just laying there awake, no doubt dreaming of wearing her costume!
I often need to be reminded that my children have their own way of doing things, their own likes and dislikes. I guess sometimes I get caught up in what I want them to be. In the end it's really more fun to see them just be who they want to be!

Ugly Tasks

2009-10-28T14:56:00.003-05:00

Today it was really difficult to get my cleaning groove on, but then again it's never easy. As I was doing things like cleaning the toilet, (one of my least favorites) cleaning my fridge, scrubbing the bathroom floor, etc, etc....I couldn't help but daydream about all of the other women and men out there who were enjoying (ha ha) the same tasks as me. Somehow these lovely tasks just don't get themselves done! I thought to myself what do other people do to reward themselves after they complete these dreaded tasks that make them feel refreshed and ready to go again?

I wanted to do "other" things today like: go to a resale shop to find a hidden treasure for my home, or have lunch at a delicious restaurant with "my guy", or just relax with a good book! Today was a much needed day of "ugly tasks" and I must say I do feel good about getting them done; however I love the things that rejuvenate me. Simple things like cutting leaves and branches from my yard and making them into arrangements.

What things make your life a little sweeter after the "ugly tasks" are done?

Little Miss Blue Eyes

2009-10-27T20:54:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, as soon as we got home from church, I pulled the camera out. It had been a while since I really had a chance to enjoy it and I was lucky enough to get a few shots of Eden. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Dimples

2009-10-26T14:43:00.002-05:00

Ever since my Emma was a baby she had had the most deep, beautiful, (I want to stick my finger in your dimple and see how far it goes), DIMPLES! I wondered, will they stay with her throughout her life? Well I am happy to say, so far, so good.
Emma is such a joy and delight to have in our family. She is one who likes to joke around, laugh, be mischievous, cuddle, makes friends easily, and has one volume at home and in the car LOUD!!!
She is otherwise known around our home as, "little toot", "Mad Madam Mems", "Mems Emms", and "our little kitty cat." My very tiny girl is growing up. I can hardly keep her in a pair of jeans that fit and this year she only let my Roberto and I hold her hand until we made it to the front door of her school. She immediately let go and said, "I am older now and in the second grade." Boohoo for us!
I can't wait to see the young lady she becomes. She has promised us she will take care of us when we get old and can't feed ourselves, and can't remember our names anymore. We get to go live with Emma at her house. I can't wait!