MADMAX7

Summer's Dance

2012-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Taken by Taylor

Summer is loving high school.
She has especially been enjoying her dance class.
January was filled with lots of dancing, as her and her classmates prepared for their upcoming show.
She would be dancing on the big stage.
Wearing makeup for the first time.
And spending hours dancing her toes off to get all the moves just right.

Fuzzy girl right in the middle

Finale

Of course I had to see her perform both nights.
And both nights I just smiled and smiled watching her dance.
Both dances were perfect for her personality.
She was beautiful, graceful, and hip-hop-happening.
I was so proud of her for all the work she put into it.
I was just happy to see her so happy.
And being cool, collected, and so sure of herself, as she always is---
"I wasn't even nervous."
She is sad though that it is all over.
She loves the stage and wants to stick with this dancing thing.

It's a New Year!

2012-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Joshua playing "JUST DANCE 2"
"Wall Art to be hung very soon" project in the background.

I can't believe it is another new year!
I know I always get sentimental, but I can't believe how fast time flies by.
We had such a great winter break and I was sad to have my kids go back to school.
I just love spending time with my little family.
My kids make me smile and laugh and I just love being around them.
Our new favorite thing to do together is play "Just Dance."
We all love it- Joshua included.
And Andy loves to be on the computer and watch us get excited about dancing.
Little things like that make me excited about a new year.
My New Year's Resolution is to be more calm and really enjoy life.
Calmness and Trust- are words I say to myself multiple times a day.
I am so blessed and I have such a blessed life!
I'm slowing down to see it all.

I love that my kids like to hang out with each other!

Yesterday was such a great day,

And I really really enjoyed it!

The kids had the day off.

We went bowling as a family, which Joshua loves!

We hung out watching Angelina Ballerina and Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken.

Went to the park.

I made a white cake, which Joshua wanted for FHE treat, but I found out, he really just wanted to watch me make a cake.

(He didn't eat one bite of it. I ate lots of bites of it.)

We did laundry.

Summer and I made homemade pizza.
And man it tasted so good when dinner came around at 7pm.

At Joshua's request, we played musical chairs.

That got everyone laughing.

Kate and I talked in her bed about friend trouble.

I actually plopped on the couch and watched a little Psych before reading in my bed before lights out.

I'm just grasping onto all of these little moments,
like looking into my children's eyes,
because time goes by to fast.

You have to make your own moments.

I plan on making even more of them in 2012.
I'm off to a good start.
Here's to 2012, all the ups, downs, and daily life, included.

New Years in St. George

2012-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Conrad and Kathleen Maxfield

I love this photo!
This is exactly how I picture Con and Kathe and this is how my children picture them.
I told you I was excited at Thanksgiving that they bought a home in St. George.
We took the first opportunity we could to visit them, winter break.
The weather and scenery beautiful!
Their new house is in the perfect location, secluded, but close to everything.
The kids really wanted to play in the snow.
We thought, "We can find both sun and snow close to St. George."
It wasn't looking to good-
Too much sunshine meant melted snow and avalanche at Snow Basin with no entry.
But Kate had prayed that none of our plans would go bad.
Her prayer was answered her way.
We drove up and up and found one little snow patch.
Just enough to sled.
We sled for a few hours and ate lunch in the sunshine. ( my camera battery died)

Hiking in slot canyon

We also enjoyed some hiking.

And where is Summer?

She enjoyed reading, alone, on Gma and Gma's comfy couch.

The Sandbox

The kids were bummed we didn't find sand hills,
But we did find this huge sand box.
Lots of holes were digged.

We had such a fun weekend with Gma and Gpa Maxfield!

We enjoyed eating together, playing games, going to the movies, walmart trips, and enjoying the nature around them.

It was great to see them both again so soon.

And they no we will be knocking on their door again.

And of course the car trip was AWESOME!

I love being on the road with my clan.

Christmas

2011-12-30T09:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning 2011

Christmas was fun and busy!
Of course I got a cold that week, but I was able to enjoy the spirit of Christmas all month long.
All of the Cardon family was able to be together, which made it even more special.
Here are some of the highlights:

Joshua belting out "Frosty the Snowman"

We love all the Christmas music.
It was nonstop for us the day after Thanksgiving.
Joshua especially loves Christmas music.
And I was loving the Michael Buble CD this year.

Kate reading to her new fluffy dog Rover on Christmas morning.

This year the kids wanted to be Secret Santa's to one another.
They were all so thoughtful in their gifts.
Jacob saw this big fluffy dog and knew Kate would love it.
She did.
It was fun to see their excitement in gift giving.

Kate as Mary and baby Braeden as Jesus

We were so excited to have Rachael, Steve, Andrew, Michelle, Drew, and Braeden come to share Christmas with us. The kids were especially excited to meet baby Braeden.
And yes, Joshua fell in love with him.
He was more excited about spending time with baby Deborah and Braeden, then anything else about Christmas.
We had fun with all the cousins making carmel apples, gingerbread houses, playing at the park, christmas lights, and eating lots of yummy meals together.
It was especially special to be able to witness Braeden's blessing on Christmas day.

The Newlyweds- Megan and Scott

I love how our family keeps growing and growing!
The best Christmas present of all was just spending time with all of my family.
They are the best!

Stanely and Juliette Cardon's posterity

As always, Christmas Eve was the best at cousin Nicole's.
The house was packed.
This was the first Christmas without either Mita or Papa
And Emily made the point that they must be smiling at us from heaven,
knowing that we still chose to all spend time with one another
Especially on this most special holiday.

Summer and Deborah

Santa is set at the Maxfields

Kate made all of that for Santa.
And we are grateful for all the Christmas magic that still exists in our home.
This year my goal was not to eat too many Christmas treats.
So I made less.
We made sugar cookies and strawberry tarts.
Christmas breakfast consisted of Lucky Charms and stocking candy.

The Nativity

Christmas Candle

Our family's favorite tradition is the Christmas Candle.
Every night we light it and read scriptures and sing songs about the birth of the Savior.
It keeps us focused on what is really important.

Alexis and Taylor on the Freestone Train

Although we don't have any white Christmases here in Gilbert, AZ -

(We did watch "White Christmas" as it is our tradition on Christmas Eve.)

We have lots of sunshine (which our Utah visitors love).

And no matter the weather,

Christmas is still my favorite time of the year!

Summer's Gingerbread Party

2011-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn, Summer, Nicole, Kate, Sarah

This year Summer decided to have another gingerbread making party.
She has the cutest friends and their was lots of gift exchanging, laughter, chatting, and candy eating.
Summer was kind enough to let her siblings stay and hang out,
But when the boys started "hovering"- (What boy wouldn't?! Look at these beauties!)
She sent them off the Barnes and Noble with dad.
It was a fun Saturday and I am so grateful Summer has such amazing friends!

Kate and Santa

2011-12-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

"This Christmas I would like my own laptop, please."

Kate's Winter Dance Performance

2011-12-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Jazz It Up Girls perform "9 to 5"
(Kate on far left)

Kate LOVES to dance!
She decided to add another day of dance to her schedule.
She has been dancing with these 4 other girls since we moved here, so her teacher decided to put them together as a little performing group.
They performed 3 dances, which I thought was a lot for seven year olds to memorize in 3 months, but they did a great job and Kate loves to be on the stage.
It is fun to see her do something she loves and to have friends who love it too!

Jacob's Orchestra Concert

2011-12-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

Practice...

Makes Perfect!

Jacob started playing the cello this year.

I love to hear him practice. As with everything he is very precise.

His concert was fantastic.

And he was very proud to have taught himself how to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

He is a fabulous cello player!

Summer Sings at the Mesa AZ Temple

2011-12-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Thursday Night, December 1st, Summer had the unique opportunity to sing with the Cornerstone Ward Choir at the Mesa Temple.
Every year thousands of people come to look at the beautiful Christmas lights surrounding the temple and hear the music of so many talented people.
It was cold and it sprinkled a bit before the performance.
We prayed hard that it would stop, and it did.
The choir and orchestra did a beautiful job.
It was a nice start to the holiday season.

Maxfield Thanksgiving Weekend- St. George, UT

2011-12-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Jacob, Kate, Zachary, and Gabe in Zions National Park
What's better than rocks and a stream?

It is kind of an unspoken Maxfield tradition that Thanksgiving dinner is eaten Wednesday night
and then the clan meets someplace
where jeeping or hiking can be enjoyed by all.
This year the destination was St. George, UT.
We decided to meet everyone there this year, since 7 hours it a lot less than 12.
We had a wonderful time being with family and enjoying the beauty around us.
We ate lots of yummy food, including a family dinner at The Cracker Barrel,
Where Maxfields were spotted throughout the whole restaurant.
(The only time I have ever eaten at Cracker Barrel was with a Maxfield male present.)
We swam at the hotel pool.
Played with cousins.
Hiked and picniced in Zions.
Andy of course enjoyed a little golfing with Summer, Gary, and Ben.

He even found a fun and beautiful mini course in the middle of the red desert for the rest of us amateurs to enjoy.
The highlight for me was waking up early Saturday morning and hiking up to Angels Landing with Summer and Maureen in the freezing temps.

Summer and Christin beginning the trek to Angels Landing

Or I should say attempted too.
Summer and I had both read "Undaunted" and had read about this hike.
It sounded pretty scary in pioneer times, but I was sure they had made it safer since then.
Andy and I took Summer on the trail in a stroller in a years past on another
Maxfield Thanksgiving excursion.
We made it to the chains and then came back down.
The hike was exhilerating and the view spectacular.
Let me tell you exercising is so much better in the cold, than in the heat.
For a short moment I had flashbacks of running in the snow.
I knew that at parts we would be holding to the side of the cliff with chains,
and be just a few feet from the edge where we could easily fall a thousand feet if we weren't careful.
I was fine with that as long as I could look at the rock face and not down.

Maureen and Summer
The end of Angels Landing for the 3 of us.
You can see the top in the background.

However, when we got to the little bridge part where you walk across , chains on just one side of you.
No cliffs to stare at.
Just you walking across a four foot wide expanse of rock.
Being able to see down on both sides.
Wasn't going to happen for me.
Summer made it across.
Maureen didn't feel good about it either.
The older I get the more my mind plays with me.
We were so close, but when I saw how vertical the rest of the way was,
and that the only way to make it to the top was to hold on to dear life of a chain.
I knew it wasn't for me.
You really can't see how high up or difficult it is, until you experience it.
Even way down from the road it doesn't look that bad.
And I couldn't really envision it just by reading about it.
But I saw the top of that beautiful cliff.
Someday I know Summer will do it.
She wasn't comfortable going solo and I wasn't keen on it either.
Lots of other people venture up to the top.
And the pros told us on their way back down that we hadn't hit the worst.
For me, this cliff will be a place where I imagine that only Angels can land on.
(or those who have no sense of fear)
I would still hike it again.
And still stop in the same spot and take in the amazing view and be in awe of those who make it to the top.
I definitely want to be there to see Summer up there with the Angels.

All in all- wonderful trip.
Too short though,
There are so many Maxfields, that a weekend trip only allows a short conversation with each one.
The good news-
Con and Kathe bought a winter home in St. George.
We are so excited to make that less than 7 hour trip again and be able to see them soon.
We love the Maxfield Thanksgiving tradition!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:53:00.000-08:00

What the Maxfields are thankful for this year.
Turkey created by Jacob

Kate and the 2nd Grade Music Concert

2011-11-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Sing it Baby!

Yes this cute girl sang her heart out for 35 minutes Thursday night and said her line perfectly.
She loves to perform.
And yes! She even did her own pony tail.
Thanks for helping us get into the Thanksgiving Spirt.
"Kate the Great" is what Mrs Montoya calls her-
And we think she is pretty great too.

1 Year From Groundbreaking

2011-11-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Gilbert Temple Site

It has been one year ago this month since the groundbreaking of the Gilbert Temple.
We decided to go check it out.
Honestly my kids weren't very impressed with it.
They thought more would be completed after a year.
"It looks really small." was Taylor's comment.
But as we went inside the construction trailer, where they could see more about what it would look like, they became a bit more interested.
And they all are very excited to see the completed temple.
This was definitely a temple week.
To prepare for Stake Conference, Summer and Taylor both got to do Baptisms this week and I was able to do an Endowment Session.
Then on Saturday night the 3 of us were able to do Baptisms with the Cardon family.
Thanks to Uncle Kirk, we were able to perform the work for ancestors on Mita's side of the family.
French folks.
The really cool thing was, there were 3 women with the last name "Christin".
My parents had no idea that my name and spelling was actually came from family.
It was a heavenly experience and so fun to be in the temple with family, especially with my 2 sweet children.
And the Nielson's custard made it even more special.
The temple has been on our minds a lot this last week, and I have felt a difference in myself and in our home.
The temple brings so much peace and understanding in my life.
It gives me the "BIG PICTURE" and helps me to focus on what I should be doing and who I want to be.
We are so blessed to have a temple just less that 20 minutes from us and then to have another temple built just less than 15 minutes from us means we are doublely blessed.
It will be exciting to watch the progression of the Gilbert temple in the next year and equally exciting to watch the spiritual growth of my own family as we strive to be worthy to enter the Lord's holy house.

Very Delightful Veteran's Day Weekend

2011-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Jacob snuggly on the most comfy couch ever made, while watching Star Wars

You know how some days you can just be doing every day things and it just seems more delightful than other normal days.
Well we had 3 delightful ordinary days.
It truly was just one of those weekends that made me smile the whole time.
It was so fun to have the kids have a day off of school on Friday.
Summer was able to go to her first youth conference.
She was excited to go where cooler weather awaited her.
The rest of us had a lazy morning-
slept in, french toast for breakfast, did some chores, watched TV while mom went to the gym.
Kate and Taylor played with friends.
I did a little decorating.
Jacob took a nap on the couch with fuzzy blankets.
Joshua and I went on a date to Baskin Robbins (Nutty Coconut + Pumpkin Pie= Pure Yumminess)
Angels watching over Joshua as he decides to ride his scooter to the park by himself.
He doesn't quite check for cars yet.
Thankfully he made it home safely (Thank you white truck who stopped for him!)
Andy played the best golf game of his life.
Joshua, Kate, and I spent a few hours at the park.
Oh how I have missed the park. It was like spending time with and old friend.
I was so nice to be outside.
Taylor and Andy took down flags for scouts, just in time for sunset.
I made my Grandma Gaisford's clam chowder for the first time,
And we all dipped our crusty bread in it.
Taylor and Jacob went off to the park to play night games with their friends.
Kate and I played 5 rounds of UNO, Andy on the computer, and Joshua stimming with rattle in the background.
Another late night.
A day filled with delightfully ordinary things.

Saturday was more sleeping in.
Toast and Egos for breakfast (Anyone want some of my warm quinoa with raisins?).
Jacob and Taylor came out looking even more handsome after their haircut by Amber.
Let's go on an adventure!
We took a hike- more like a desert walk- up at Usery Pass.
We walked and talked and walked and talked some more.
There was NO whining.
Joshua was fascinated by the horse poop.
He called it wild horse poop.
"Look! That wild horse poop looks like chocolate." (I'm gagging as I write this.)
Kate found a treasured cactus bone.
Gas station stop for a treat.
Taylor-"How about if we make that an annual hike."
Christin-"How about if we make that a monthly hike."
Taylor-"How about if for my Christmas gift I don't have to go on a hike."
Christin_"Hiking is not an option. It is part of being a Maxfield."
Errands for me and more creative thoughts flowing through my mind.
Hanging curtains.
Andy making fun of me and making me crack up I almost bust a gut.
Roasting hot dogs and smores for dinner because November is when we can finally bbq out in the cool dark evenings.
Summer coming home with wind burn cheeks-
Telling me about every detail of youth conference and how she was shivering in the cold.
"Even while wearing your coat?"
"What coat?"
(Did I have this same kind of conversation with my own mother?)
Saturday showers and slumbering off to sleep with smiles because we had another
Delightfully ordinary day.

Sunday- slept in.
Make your own breakfast.
Being filled with the Spirit at Church
Summer was called as the Miamaid Secretary. I am so excited for her to be able to serve.
Coco Puffs for lunch. (leftover clam chowder for me)
Being lazy.
Read the Conference Edition of the Ensign.
Taylor catching up on his Book of Mormon reading on the living room couch.
Sunday comics.
Eggs and Bacon for dinner.
A loud and laughing game of Apples to Apples.
Homemade oatmeal cookies.
Brush teeth.
Bedtime.
Schedule for the next insanely busy week.
Read in bed.
Slumber off to sleep.
Again- Delightfully ordinary day.

Halloween

2011-11-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Left to Right
Vampire Hunter, Kitty Cat, Blue, Beggar, Flynn Rider

Trick or Treating is the best in Arizona!

You always know it is going to be good weather.

This year was super fun and pretty easy.

All of the kids came up with their own costumes, even Joshua.

He wanted to be Blue from the movie Rio.

We received our annual Halloween package from Gma Maxfield.

We had a blast at our ward party.

And what can be better than trick or treating with your cousins?!

Unless you are a teenager- Summer and Taylor- who enjoyed spending the evening with their friends.

It was a little strange only having to keep tabs on my youngest 3 as we walked around the neighborhood.

But I had the best time just watching my 2 cute little nieces, Alexis and Julia, going door to door.

They got this trick or treating thing down pat.

I laughed when at one house Julia took the Starburst out of her mouth and dropped it in the neighbor's bowl in exchange for a new candy.

It was a yummy Halloween.

Almond Snickers are my new fav.

I have a few stashed in my night stand.

Here are a few of our favorite pics.

Summer is always so creative.
Blue spray paint + Angel wings= an easy Blue bird costume.

Gma and Gpa Cardon joined us for our trek around the neighborhood.

"Can we do individual shots?"
In case you couldn't tell from the previous pic-
this Kitty loves the camera!

And of course we got more candy than we could ever eat
or let me say-
SHOULD eat.
And what would Halloween be without some gross gummy eyes?!

First Time: Joshua has a Birthday PARTY!

2011-10-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Made by Kate

Last Saturday Joshua had his first birthday party ever!
Usually birthdays are not a big deal to Joshua.
I always ask him what he wants and his reply is usually to ignore me or say "I don't know."
This year he whispered in my ear, "I want to have a birthday party."
"Wow," I thought. "Friends or family?"
"Friends,"was his smiling reply.
We talked about where we could have his party. He chose his comfort zone-HOME.
We talked about what he could do.
Joshua loves Halloween and Andy gave him the idea to watch one of his fav movies
The Nightmare Before Christmas.
"Yes," he said with another smile on his face.
"You can invite ANYONE you want," Andy told him.
So for the next couple of weeks when I asked-
"Who do you want to invite to your party?'
"Mom, anyone I want to."
"Well yes, but I need names."
So I explained what invitations were and that we had to give one to his friends so that they would know about the party.
He was a little anxious, so I gave him a deadline of the Sunday before his party.
Sunday night came.
"Alright Joshua. Summer is ready to make your invitations. Who do you want to invite?"
Look of uncertainty. Heavy breathing.
"I'm nervous Mom."
"My body feels hot."
Trying not to cry, I hugged him and said, "It's okay to be a little nervous. But Dad and I will be here and so will your bros. and sises. It will be okay."
I scrambled my brain to think of someone he would probably want to invite.
"How about Tim?"
No answer.
"Just tell me yes or no."
After about 10 minutes of heavy breathing, he shook his head "yes".
"Joshua, if you don't want to have a party you don't have to. It's okay we want you to be happy."
"I want to have a party."
Okay. So, Logan came to my mind. His yes reply was much sooner.
I could tell he was thinking.
"Who are you thinking about?"
He was smiling.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Girl"
"What is her name?"
"Sopia"
"Do you want to invite Sophia?"
"Yes"
He came up with Aiden and Brayden all on his own.
The whole process took 1 hour. But he left the kitchen with a smile on his face and feeling more at ease about this party thing.
Saturday comes.
We write down the Saturday schedule.
He is excited to see "3:00 Birthday Party".
We got yeses from Logan, Sophia, and Tim. I was a bit grateful for the smaller group.
3:00pm the doorbell rings.
Joshua panics "I'm nervous!"
"It will be okay."
I open the door and the party begins.

Sophia, Logan, Tim, Joshua

I can see why Joshua loves his friends so much. They love to be social and he quietly follows them around and lets them take the lead. They are all on the spectrum and have the sweetest spirits you will ever encounter. Tim made sure all the electronics were in check. Sophia made sure the party stayed on schedule-"Let's set the timer for when we open presents." "Let's set the timer for when we can eat donuts." Logan is as much of a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas as Joshua so he was enthralled by the movie. They were all excited to give him a gift. I love Sophia's hand written card- "Happy Birthday Joshua. I hope Santa brings you lots of presents." I was smiling at everything these four did and said. Joshua didn't say much, but he seemed to enjoy being with his friends. Interacting with his peers is hard for him, but he seemed truly content.

Just look at that face!

Summer, Taylor, Jacob, and Kate were the best hosts.

They were calm and helpful and just on their sweetest behavior.

I think it was a success and one of the most delightful hour and a halves I have ever spent.
I was just so proud of him! To do something that scares him practically into a panic attack is simply
COURAGEOUS.
Having autism is hard, but it's not going to stop this boy from making his wishes come true.

Who knows what he will do next?!
Maybe a park play date.

Joshua's 9th Birthday!

2011-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is the first year Joshua anticipated his birthday!
He was excited for the calendar to change from September to October.
We counted down starting October 1st.
Throughout the days I could hear him whispering to himself-"7 days until my birthday.", etc.
He really wanted to bring Halloween cupcakes to share with his class and he wanted them to sing Happy Birthday to him.
Again another first.
So I ordered white cupcakes with orange frosting, chocolate sprinkles, and halloween rings on top.
The first thing he said when he walked in from school was "I have seven cupcakes left. It was Cal's birthday too and my class sang Happy Birthday to me."
He was so happy, but went off to his normal routine like any other normal day.
Apparently he loved the cupcakes because he took one of the leftovers and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth.
He was super happy when I told him instead of doing homework (he hates homework) he was going to the store with Dad to buy a DVD for his birthday.
"Yes!" he whispered under his breath.
He bought Gnomeo and Juliet and watched it on the lap top until dinner.
We ate pita pizza, ravioli, and strawberries.
We started talking about when everyone was born.
"Why are you talking about being born?"
"Because that is why we celebrate birthdays Josh."
Gma and Gpa Cardon came over.
He opened his presents, which he likes doing, but like a young toddler who cares more about the paper than the gift, he went back to running back and forth and playing with rattle.
We all stayed calm and cool, so that he would feel calm.
He did get a scooter, helmet, and some nice cards from his sisters .
Oh and Kate made him a homemade "rattle" just like Joshua's favorite toy.
Joshua wanted to put the candles on the cake and light them, but first he had to count all of the candles in the box.
While lighting the candles he burned himself (not serious) and needed to take a sad break after blowing out the candles.
He then ate his chocolate cake and mint ice cream and went back to stimming with his red "rattle" (it's a plastic snake)
When I tucked him in bed I showed him a picture of him when he was a newborn.
I thought he would like to see it because he is really into talking about and watching newborn babies ever since his cousin Deborah was born.
When he saw a newborn picture of Kate, he was much more interested in it because-
"Look!" Kate looks like Deborah"
As always he went to bed with a smile on his face.
He still doesn't completely understand birthdays or the whole fuss, but he had a very
Happy Day!
And I am just so happy this little/big guy is in our family!

Fall Break- Tuscon Arizona

2011-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

View from Mount Lemon

This year for Fall Break we chose not to go to Utah since we are going there for Thanksgiving.
When we found a great Groupon for a hotel suite in Tuscon, AZ, we decided to take a short trip and check it out.
We enjoyed our beautiful hotel by swimming, relaxing in the shade, and watching the Disney channel.
We visited the photography and art museum at the Univeristy of Arizona.
We explored Colassal Cave and felt like we were in a spooky movie.
We drove up Mount Lemon to find cooler weather and a few Fall leaves.
It was only a 45 minute trip to the top of the mountain, and it was amazing the difference in temp for such a short drive.
I was enjoying our trip, but I was a little sad we didn't go to Utah.
I was missing my Fall Fix.
However, when I spotted some aspen trees, my saddened heart was filled with joy.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon among the shaded pine trees.
We saw squirrels, birds, and even a ground mouse.
It was a lovely afternoon and a nice break from the heat.
It was definitely my favorite part of the trip.
We drove home, with just enough time for the boys to invite friends over and have a late night of video games and pizza to end their much anticipated Fall Break.
It was a great week!

Colassal Cave

Yes it is super sunny in AZ!

When is that ground mouse going to come out again?

Oh there it (ground mouse) is!

Among the sticks. Nature- Joshua's second home.

Beautiful girl in a Beautiful place.

And yes! We ate lots of sugar on our trip!!!!

So Proud of Taylor

2011-10-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Log Balancing at Mount Lemon

I have been so proud of Taylor since he has started Junior High.
He has really become more responsible for his school work and really has been on top of things.
In the past this has not been one of Taylor's strengths, but he has really been focusing and working hard to make his weakness into a strength.
I would definitely now call him a responsible student.
A month ago Taylor's Social Studies teacher gave them an assignment where they could chose from different Civil War projects to turn in for a total of 60 points and the due date was the beginning of this month.
Taylor was nervous to have such a far off due date.
How was he going to fit this all in along with his regular work?
He chose 3 different projects (none of them included writing).
He managed his time well.
One of his projects was to memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address.
He paced back and forth around the house for many weeks until he got it perfect.
He turned everything in without a word from mom and received an A+ in Social Studies because of it.
I am just so proud of him and I'm excited to see the young man he is becoming.

Summer has ALWAYS been so on top of her school work.
She has set the example and it is so nice to see her brother following it.

I Believe in Being Honest

2011-10-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Kate Maxfield- STUDENT of the WEEK

Every day Kate marks in her binder what she got on her behavior chart that day- green, yellow, or red- and then Andy or I initial it to say that we saw it.
Of course being such a good girl, Kate always has green.
The other day I forgot to check Kate's notebook.
The next day she came up to me before school.
"What Kate?"- she is full of smiles and excitement even this early in the morning.
"You forgot to sign your name on my behavior chart, so I just copied your name and wrote it down for you."
She did not see what was wrong with this act.
Of course we were rushing and running late, so I just said.
"Oh Kate, you can't do that. That's my signature not yours."
Then she jumped out of the car to get to school before the bell rang.
After that, I realized I could of handled it differently.
I didn't act mad, but I should of explained it better.
So I thought about what I should say and then after school I said-
"Kate about writing my name-"
"Mom, I told Ms. Laney that I signed your name and then she circled one of the boxes so she would count that as you not signing your name."
And that was that.
I was so proud of her.
She took care of it all by herself.
What a courageous and brave thing to do all on her own.
I often ask myself how I got such wonderful children.
They are much more courageous and stronger than I, always focusing on choosing the right.
I gave her a proud hug and kiss and we went on with the rest of our crazy afternoon.

Cornerstone Ward Talent Show

2011-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Kate- "Space Cowboys"


Summer- "The Evolution of Dance"

Summer's Snacks

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Our new favorite snack is cinnamon tortilla chips.
Butter tortilla, cinnamon and sugar, cut in strips, cookie sheet, 400 degrees, 10 minutes.
They are addictive and we love them.
Especially with fruit salsa (diced fav fruits with our favorite jam-strawberry).
I love watching my children develop their talents.
Summer makes such tasty treats.
She is also an amazing photographer.
Look at her pretty photo above.
She captured the deliciousness of this treat.
It definitely belongs in a Rachael Ray cookbook or something.
Oh I am craving these crispy sweet treats right now!

The Golden Rule

2011-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Julia, Joshua, Summer, and our newest niece/cousin Deborah Nicole Smith
Joshua is in love with Deborah!

Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
AKA- Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Wouldn't the world be such a great place if we all followed that rule consistently?!
Oh, but how we forget at times, including myself.
I knew it was coming, but yesterday Joshua was teased at school for the first time known to me.
I knew it would come sometime this year.
Third grade seems to be the year I was told.
It must have to do with being 8 and reaching the age of accountability, where now a child can make mistakes, repent, and learn from it.
The sad thing was, Joshua didn't know he was being made fun of.
The good thing was, Joshua didn't know he was being made fun of.
He was so excited yesterday.
Joshua-"Mom, guess what? At lunch, the girls said raise your hand and say silly things....... And they laughed and I laughed."
Me- "Were you having fun?" (Because it didn't sound funny to me.)
Joshua-"Yes mom. It was funny. They were laughing I was playing with the girls."
He was so excited these girls were "playing" with him.
Now nothing these girls told Joshua to say was bad, but they were not playing appropriately.
Telling someone to do something and then laughing at them, is not playing.
I know these girls. They are sweet girls.
They were in Joshua's class last year.
They know him and should be his friend.
But they weren't being very good friends yesterday, and that made me sad.
I called his SPICE teacher.
She was upset and said this was happening lately, where the other kids are telling the autistic kids to do something, and of course they do it. They just want to have friends and fit in. They don't understand what is going on.
Poor Mrs. Jen is always so hopeful that this year will be different, but 3rd grade seems to begin the teasing.
The teacher talked to the girls. And of course being good girls they were horrified.
Because of the multiple occurances, the social worker is being brought into the 3rd grade to remind them how to treat each other nicely. You know-
Follow the Golden Rule.
I know this is only the beginning, but it hurts.
I don't know how to prepare him for the cruelness of the world.
Tomorrow I will chose not to think of it and continue on with life.
I am still full of hope, that the world is mostly filled with good people who just don't understand autism.
I guess my mission is to help at least part of the world understand it.
I sometimes think that the reason why the numbers of people with autism has jumped so high, is so that we can all be reminded of how we should treat one another.
Different is not bad.
Different is just different.
Enjoy the differences and you will find joy.
That is what Joshua brings to our family.
PURE JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Week of September

2011-09-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Kate and Macy playing in the sprinklers.

This is what we were doing the last week of September------trying to stay cool.

We had over 100 degree temps all month long.

We will even take a 99 degree Fall.

California

2011-09-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah! Taylor is the man!

Taylor talked Jacob into boogie boarding-
"If Mom can do it, anyone can."

We decided to take our children to San Diego this Labor Day weekend.
I wanted to get away from this heat and show our children the majestic Pacific.
Summer was the only one of the kidos who had ever seen the ocean.
Did they love it?
Of course!
It was especially exciting to see Taylor enjoy himself so much since vacationing isn't his favorite thing.
And boy did he love the boogie boards.
The weather and water were beautiful.
We spent Saturday at the beach all day and yes we got some funky sunburns.
(I forgot we needed sunscreen even with fog.)
The morning was a little chilly, and yes I looked like a dork wearing my fleece, but I have become whimpy since living in AZ.
The sun came out at 1pm and that is when I grabbed the boogie board and faced the frigid water.
I screamed, but had a blast!

"The big wave tripped me and knocked me over."

"Hip Hip Horray!"

Sweet Sister Summer and little brother Joshua

Kids love seaweed!

It was so fun watching all 3 boys play together.
"I want to make a big hole."-Joshua

We had the best day at the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8 hours of free and fresh entertainment.

On Sunday we went to the San Diego Temple.
Look how beautiful it is?!
Summer said it didn't look real it was so white.
"Is it made out of posterboard?"
And the sky so blue and weather and air so crisp.
Oh it was like I was in heaven.
We had a lovely and peaceful picnic lunch across from the temple grounds.
The we took a nice drive and drove up the coast
We stopped at the beach in San Clemente.
San Clemente is where we had our Gaisford Family Reunions when I was growing up and lots of memories came flooding back to me.
It was a beautiful sunny day.

On Monday we visited some of our favorite cousins, Rob, Claire, and their 4 sweet girls in Yorba Linda.
We had fun playing games at the park with all of their fun friends.
It was so nice playing at an actual park.
It's been a few months.
We then enjoyed some chicken tacos and swimming at the Stowells lovely home.
We had a great time and can't wait to visit them again.

Oh did I mention our air conditioning went out in our car just as we reached San Diego?!
We didn't worry about it during our vacation because who needed air conditioning?
We had the crisp ocean air.
We left in the late afternoon on Monday.
We rolled down the windows and were blessed with overcast skies and even sprinkles all along the way.
It didn't become hot until about 9:15pm when we reached the concrete of phoenix, and then we began to sweat.
How can it be so hot at almost 10 o'clock at night?
Luckily we only had 45 more minutes in the car.
Even with this mishap, I wouldn't change anything about this weekend.
I have decided anything that has to do with water or rocks, my children love.
And I love watching them have so much fun, especially in nature.
We can't wait to go again (minus the expensive car trouble.)!

First Time: Joshua Invites A Friend Over

2011-09-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know if play date is the right wording for 8 year olds, but that is what it was.
All summer long Joshua has been saying-
"I don't want to be friends with Taylor and Jacob's friends."
We have tried, especially this last year, to get him to invite a friend over, but he would get anxious and say-
"NO! NO! NO!"
Finally after the first week of school Joshua says to me very quietly and without looking me in the eye-
"Mom, I want to invite a friend over to my house."
Me totally shocked- "Who?"
No eye contact- "Tim."
I have no idea who Tim is, so I ask-
"Is Tim in Mrs Cohrt's class?"
"Yes."
"Is Tim in SPICE class?"
"Yes."
"Is Tim new?"
"Yes."
Okay then, that is why I don't know who Tim is.
We write a note to Tim and his family and send it to Ms. Jen who then transfers it to Tim's folder.
The next week I get a lovely call from Tim's grandmother Martha.
She is the sweetest lady from Georgia with a southern accent.
Tim was just diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
He is lively, but sweet she tells me.
We make a plan for Tim to come over to our house on Saturday for one hour.
Tim comes to our house and is lively and sweet.
He pulls Joshua by the hand and tells him just what to do.
Tim likes to jump from one activity to another.
He is fascinated with garage doors, cars, and electronics.
Joshua is quiet and shy, but shows Tim how to set up the chess set.
He tries to play the Wii with Tim.
They watch a movie, with Tim doing lots of talking, and Joshua pausing the movie a lot try to talk to him.
The two kept talking to me instead of each other, so I would remind them to ask one another instead of me.
It was an interesting play date.
And it made me so happy.
After 50 minutes, they were done.
"It's time for me to go home," Tim says as he looks out the window.
It was neat to see them interact with each other and to be doing their own thing side by side, to see that autism is so normal.

THE NEXT WEEK-
Joshua went to Tim's house.
"I'm nervous mom."
"Do you still want to go?"
"Yes, but I need to go to the bathroom."
We get in the car and drive the short distance to Tim's house (Yes he lives in our neighborhood!).
We knock on the door.
The whole family welcomes Joshua with open arms.
They know this is a first for him.
Joshua announces-"I'm nervous!"
"That's okay," they reassure him.
After a few minutes of checking things out he feels comfortable and climbs up the stairs.
"Mom you can go."
I'm back in an hour and everyone is happy.

Again I know Tim was put into Joshua's pathway for a reason.
He is the sweetest boy who likes to be social.
He lives in our neighborhood.
Most of the other kids in Joshua's program have lived further away.
He goes to Carol Rae and his siblings go to Highland Park, just like Joshua, so Joshua doesn't feel like the odd one out because someone is in the same situation as him.
(He's really been struggling with the whole different school thing this year.)
And let me tell you that this is the sweetest family.
Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and kids all living under the same roof and loving each other and all the people around them.
Once again the Lord is watching out for Joshua and helping him in this next step-
FRIENDSHIP

Summer's 14th Birthday

2011-08-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today was Summer's 14th birthday!
The Mia Maids decorated our front door with paper M&Ms to welcome her into the group.
It's not too exciting having your birthday on a school day, but her seminary teacher did give her a Snickers bar, and her friend Brooklyn got half of the cafeteria to sing Happy Birthday to her at lunch.
She felt pretty special.
She was excited to have her birthday on a Friday.
She liked our gifts of grey converse and scrapbooking paper.
(I should of kept my pairs of converse from high school and recycled them.)
And tonight she partied with 8 of her closest friends.
The theme was Pajama Party (no sleep over).
The girls hung out in their pjs while eating Belgium Waffles with strawberries and whip cream, playing games and laughing a lot.
There was a lot of talk of boys- none from Summer's lips.
She says she doesn't like boys yet.
We will see how long that lasts.
Summer sure has a special gal.
She is really enjoying High School and is transitioning easily.
She is responsible as ever and a big help to me.
She is super sweet and super calm, and knows how to have fun.
I can see why her friends love her so much!
We love her too!

Diary of A Super Kid- Taylor's 1st Days of Junior High

2011-08-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Taylor wasn't excited about shopping for 4 hours to get his new school duds,
but I think he looks pretty cool.

My boys loved reading the book series "Diary of A Whimpy Kid".
I never personally appreciated the humor, but my boys think it is hilarious.
The books focus on the life of a junior high boy named Greg who tells of his adventures at school and with his crazy family.
Taylor's first few days of junior high cracked me up and he could make into his own book with a few exaggerations.
Night Before School-
Taylor attended the open house with Dad, lead the way with the school map, and met all of his teachers.
He was pretty confident and psyched.
Day 1-
Taylor couldn't orient himself to find class #1 even with a "new" friend's help.
They asked a parent volunteer and she pointed them into the right direction.
They didn't understand her because they crossed her path again and she again pointed and said-
"I told you this way boys."
After making it to 1st period and listening to all the rules and blah blah blah, the bell rings, Taylor searches for his school map, yet it is nowhere to be found.
I hate when my backpack eats my papers.
Where now to find class #2?
With the help of others Taylor made it to class 2, 3, and 4 because luckily he hadn't lost his schedule.
Lunch time came.
Taylor saw a whole bunch of backpacks lined up outside the lunch room.
He added his own to the bunch, thinking that is what he was supposed to do.
He grabbed his lunch and found his friends under a shady tree.
Lunch is over and Taylor strolls over to the wall where he previously placed his backpack.
No backpack.
He heads to the office.
The janitor searches.
Still no backpack.
They tell him to wait a while because someone else probably picked up his backpack- the grey Jansport that 100s of other junior high kids bought at Target.
He waited a while, but no backpack.
He carried his lunch box to 6th hour.
Shortly thereafter the office lady walks in with his backpack-
"You should really put some colored duct tape on it so you can recognize it better," she suggested.
I suggested he just keep it with him during lunch.
With no time for bathroom breaks, because who would do that at lunch, when Taylor's language arts teacher asked if anyone had any questions.
Taylor cleverly raised his hand and asked_
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
The morning seemed like eternity once the afternoon arrived and bus#___, vanished from his brain.
Luckily the office lady helped him out, again.
He made it home safe and sound and we all had a few chuckles while eating our snack.
Day 2 only consisted of losing his brand new water bottle (that is as important as your pencil when you go to school in AZ.)
Day 3 he ended up wearing his t-shirt inside out all day after 2nd hour PE because the bell rang before he was completely dressed.
When he got home I told him his shirt was on inside out.
"Everyone kept telling me that, but how did they know?"
"Because Taylor," I replied," you can see the Recess logo right through it."
Apparently he didn't look down at all.
Needless to say now Taylor knows where all of his classes are.
His water bottle was returned by the school nurse.
He now knows to pay attention when he is getting dressed after PE instead of chit-chatting.
He loves his classes.
He likes his friends even more.
And this is the first year the word "excited" has been expressed in the same sentence as "school".
Its going to be a good year, and I'm sure with Taylor there will continue to be some more humorous moments.

First Day of School

2011-08-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

How can it be the first day of school?
The morning went so smoothly and felt like de je ve that summer feels like a dream.
It was a dreamy summer and each year it becomes more fun and goes by too fast.
The last 2 weeks I could tell the kids were ready to go back and be in a routine.
They started getting on one anothers nerves and my solution seemed to be to let them watch more TV just to keep the peace.
We did enjoy some more fun moments the last 2 weeks, but everyone was ready to begin their new adventures.
I mean Summer in high school, Taylor in junior high-
I was feeling anxiety just taking Summer to her back to school night last night.
Huge school and so many people-older boys.
But she is ready for it
I am excited to watch my children go and see what new adventures they will encounter this year.

Summer's a Freshman at Highland High School

Taylor- 7th grader at Highland Junior High

Jacob 5th and Kate 2nd grade at Highland Park Elementary

Joshua's bus actually came on time so I didn't get a pic,
but he looked just as cute as this on the first day.

Last Day of Summer

2011-08-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Joshua's first time ice skating.
He went around twice-"I'm ready to go home."

We chose to spend our last day of summer at the ice skating rink.
Athough school starts tomorrow, the temps won't be getting any lower.
It felt nice to actually feel a little cold.

Taylor had no fear about skating or falling.

Jacob was cautious, but quickly caught on.

Kate was excited when she was confident to go in the center.
She wants to come again tomorrow.

Taylor's 12th Birthday

2011-08-01T21:58:00.001-07:00

Taylor is 12th birthday was celebrated at home with 3 of his favorite friends playing outside having one huge water fight.
The boys were starving after 30 minutes of playing (It was only 10:30 in the morning).
They each at 3 hot dogs, liters of soda, and bowls of chips.
Yes Taylor is a growing boy and before I know it he will be taller than me.
He has really matured this last year and become more responsible.
He is ready for Junior High and is excited to be a deacon.
He was ordained on Sunday by his dad.
And yes he acts like all the other deacons.
He was very excited to finally get a Nintendo DS and even more excited that he still had 10 more days of summer left to play with it (minus Sundays.)
Taylor makes me laugh, awes me with his logic, drives me crazy at times, touches my heart with his huge spirit, and helps me out whenever I need him.
Happy 12th Birthday Taylor!

Yes! A Nintendo DS.

12 year old boys must be silly at ALL times.

Taylor and cousin Noah were both ordained deacons on the same day.

Monsoons

2011-08-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yes----
Sometimes it does rain here and we enjoyed every minute of it on July 31st.
Let it rain! Let it rain! Let it rain!

The End

2011-07-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Tuckered Out

On July 25th we left Flagstaff and headed back to Gilbert, AZ.
Our vacation of 3 blissful weeks was coming to an end.
The weather was merciful to us and was a low 100 degrees with some humidity.
The heat blasted us as we opened our doors and walked into Wendy's to eat lunch since the fridge was empty at home.
We froze inside from the drastic change of temperature- burning heat/ blowing AC.
We prolonged our vacation by spending the afternoon at our local Barnes and Nobles, reading books while we waited for the A/C to cool off our house.
We had an amazing vacation!
Actually I love all vacations.
Times are simpler.
We each lived out of a suitcase for 3 weeks.
I read inspiring books.
I always come home thinking-
How can I make my life simpler and focus more on what's most important- my family?
I am glad I got to spend every minute of 3 weeks with the 6 people I love the most.
So now we are back to reality and grateful for the new memories we made.
Only 2 1/2 more weeks till school starts.

Cardon Family Reunion

2011-07-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Cardon Family had their first reunion in Flagstaff, AZ in Munds Park where my Gaisford grandparents owned a cabin for many years.
My mom and dad rented this huge cabin for us all to stay in.
We had lots of fun playing, talking, relaxing, and eating yummy food.
The kids especially loved the zipline in the backyard.
There was lots of space to play and roam inside and out.

Steve with Drew on the zipline.

Mustache Mouse written and directed by Summer.
Actors Summer, Peyton, Hailey, and Kate.

UNO and marshmallow guns

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Gaisfords old cabin.
It was right around the corner from where we were staying.

Blast from the past- Singing "Somewhere Out There" our family talent show gig from back in the day.

Eating and Chatting

We had so much fun!
We love our family!

UTAH

2011-07-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jordanelle

We spent a wonderful 10 days in SLC.
I spent as much time outside as possible.
And I loved how it stayed light until 10pm.
I took lots of walks soaking in my mountains.
We saw all of the Maxfields- including Kathryn's family who was visiting from Seattle.
It was a pleasure meeting little Grant who is the cutest bundle of joy.
We played with Blaine, Andrew, and Bronco at Grandma's.
We went swimming at Karen's.
Summer attended Oak Crest with Destiny.
We attended Nathan's lacross game while chatting with Maureen and Steve.
We went to Provo visited BYU, played at Seven Peaks, and ate pizza at Brick Oven while a nice man made all the kids balloon animals.
We ate cheese fries and hickory sauce at Training Table with Rachael, played a round of miniature golf, then stuffed our faces with ice cream cake from Coldstone (Thanks Rachael!).
We went fishing with Grandpa, and actually cooked and ate the fish we caught.
Kate played with Delaney, her neighbor friend from when we lived there.
We visited Grandma at the mission office at temple square.
She took us to lunch at the Lion House (yummy rolls).
We spent the afternoon at Maureen's playing with cousins and in the sprinkles. The goats were adorable, but Maureen's grandkids are cuter.
We ate dinner at Andrew, Michelle, and Drew's beautiful new house (Jacob LOVED the backyard).
We spent a fun filled evening with Pam, Jon, Karen, Ruth, Brien, Nikki, Kent, Tina, Gary, and Suzanne, talking and laughing.
The kids loved the cool park that Ethan, Alex, and Aubryn invited us to.
Mostly we loved spending time with Gma and Gpa.
The kids love staying at their house and always feel sad to say goodbye.
More good times and memories made in Utah.

Fishing with Grandpa.

Picnicing at Jordanelle after picking up Summer from Oak Crest.
These 2 missed each other.

The Family History Exhibit- Joshua on Coney Island.
He was excited to see the Statue of Liberty.

Grandma (Sister) Maxfield showing us her new stomping grounds.

Kate's 7th Birthday

2011-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

My darling little Kate is 7 years old.
And like I say every year about all of my children-
"I can't believe it!"
She was super excited to be able to spend her birthday in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa Maxfield.

The doll they gave her for her birthday is also a music box and plays "You Are My Sunshine".
She plays it every night.
Since Kate had a big birthday party in Gilbert before we left, we kept her birthday low key.
Her requests were simple and joyful.
She wanted to roast marshmellows in the mountains, have chicken noodle soup for dinner, and eat chocoate cake with white frosting (Grandma made that happen).
She even got to attend the Draper City Parade where she got a big stash of candy.
In the evening she got a surprise birthday hello from Aunt Rachael and Steve.
She had a super day and is sweeter than ever at the age of seven.
Happy Birthday Kate!!!!!!!

Gelato Junction, CO

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Okay so there is no Gelato Junction, CO, but we did have some tasty gelato in Grand Junction, CO.
It was my children's first lick of the tastey treat and they have all become fans.
After saying goodbye to the Rozeskis we headed west towards Utah and stopped in the delightful town of Grand Junction, CO.
We enjoyed the weather and the small town feel.
We especially liked the downtown area, where they had an awesome sculpture exhibit down Main Street.
Andy got to play golf, we enjoyed the dinosaur museum, the park, the hotel pool, watching Harry Potter, and of course a scenic Sunday drive.
Although the kids were scenic drived out by then and just wanted to get to Grandma's, Andy and I enjoyed it.
It wasn't the same kind of beauty as Denver, but we had a delightful time in Grand Junction and I would recommend others to spend the day there.

Dino Museum- Robotic Dinosaurs

Hours of entertainment for Taylor and Jacob-Building a Dam

Everyone loved the bike.

The Metal Bison

Isn't she beautiful?

Josh loved climbing on the artwork.

Denver, Colorado

2011-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

The next 2 days of our trip had to be the most scenic.
We decided to take the scenic route from Cortez up to the Denver area, and it was well worth any extra time.
I have never been so high in the mountains before.
So many trees, so much green, and many waterfalls.
It was breathtaking and I couldn't keep my eyes off of my surroundings during the whole 7 hour drive.
I took like a million pictures to add to our Mac screensaver, where Andy has posted all of my mountainous nature pics, to enjoy while still living in the desert.

We were also able to visit some of our favorite friends- The Rozeskis.
We had so much fun with them and enjoyed seeing Arvada and some other close by towns.
And of course we loved where they lived, loved the sleepovers, chitchatting, and yummy food.
And it even rained for us.
Jacob asked,"Why can't Arizona be pretty like Colorado?"
I had to remind him that the desert has its own unique beauty.
Even though it had been 2 1/2 years since we had seen the Rozeskis, it felt just like old times.
As we were driving off to leave, Jacob said-
"We should really visit the Rozeskis more often."
I think so too!

Mesa Verde

2011-07-05T15:02:00.001-07:00

How cool is this?!

Today we went to Mesa Verde where we saw amazing cliff dwellings.
Everyone was a little tired from all of our fun, but we had another great day.
Highlights-----
Cool morning breeze.
Less whining from Taylor.
Seeing a live snake on the side of the road.
Climbing ladders in the cliffs to get to the ruins.

Climbing into a kiva that is hundreds of years old and built and sat inside of by actual Native Americans.

Actually eating a picnic lunch in July.

Cliff Palace and Spruce House.

Buying Native American souviners.

Kids swimming and playing in the hotel courtyard, while I sat and read a book.

The nice lady who put my laundry in the dryer and paid for it.

Walking to Dairy Queen.

It was another fun filled family day.

I love vacationing with my family!

The 4th of July in Canyon de Chelly

2011-07-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today was day one of our 3 week long road trip.

Sunday night we headed to the northeastern part of Arizona to explore Canyon de Chelly.

It is one of the most amazing canyons where Navajo Americans still live and farm.

We hiked the White House Trail in which you descend 500 feet into the canyon floor, cross a wash, and then are able to see some dwellings. It was amazing and the kids were great hikers along the way. Going down was a breeze. Hiking back up was a little less pleasant with the beating sun, but not as hot as Gilbert, and worth the effort for the sights.

Last year when we went hiking, Joshua was talking to the cactus.

This year he screamed, "OH NO! A CACTUS!" There's a lot of cactus here.

We went to many lookouts and saw amazing ruins.

I loved seeing the farmlands on the canyon floor and then the dwellings way up in the canyon.

I don't know how or why people lived in those alcoves so high in the canyon, but it was pretty spectacular.

We especially liked Spider Rock.

Mummy Cave Ruin.

It was truly incredible!

Mostly it was fun spending time together as a family.

Enjoying the nature around us. Eating a picnic lunch on the grass. Seeing who could eat 2 oreos at once. Swinging from big tree branches. Laughing and talking. All of those little moments made the trip even better.

At least some of us were happy after hiking.

Andy sharing his wealth of knowledge. He is the best tour guide!

The extraordinary Spider Rock

Is Taylor actually interested in something?! He was very HAPPY about the rain!

In the late afternoon we headed to Cortez, CO.

We enjoyed swimming and the nice cool weather.

We ate dinner and then walked over to the park to watch an amazing firework show while sitting in green lush grass.

We had a great day as a family and the best 4th of July we've had in a few years.

I would gladly spend every 4th of July in Cortez, CO.

Enjoying the fireworks in Cortez, CO.

Our hotel was especially amazing! We stayed in a floor suite, that was in the back looking out into a grassy courtyard with a water fountain. Joshua was able to run back and forth all he wanted and I got and sit a read my book outside under the stars. Everyone was happy!

Ms. Cheri

2011-07-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

There is always some special lady in Joshua's life who makes his life more enjoyable, easier, and safer.
Mrs. Cheri Montgomery has been that special lady for Joshua this last year.
She is a saint to me.
She loves Joshua like I love him and can be the parts that I am not.
She is silly and goofy with him and is like a big kid at times.
She knows how to have fun with him and also how to help and push him to reach his highest limits.
She has been with Joshua at school, after school, and summer school.
She has taught me so much and has been my listening ear.
She deserve 10 times what she is paid.
She has a heart of gold.
Mrs. Cheri is off to bigger things now.
She decided to go back to school so that she can help more kids and so that more people will listen to her expertise once she has some more letters added next to her name.
We will miss her, but are happy for her.
She has been a great blessing to Joshua and to me this last year.
I don't know what we would have done without her.
I am so grateful for the people the Lord puts in our pathway to make our life more enriched.
We love you Ms. Cheri!

What would I do without these two?

2011-06-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Jacob talking about something that seems like another language to me.

What would I do without Taylor and Jacob.
In my previous post I just talked about Joshua loving me.
Well these 2 have been extra loving to their mom.
Of course they drive me crazy when I am being an uptight adult or they are tuning me out.
They are normal kids.
But the really are extraordinary to me.
They are both so kind and caring in their own ways.
Jacob is always so concerned with others.
I am dealing with this annoying hip problem right now and every night Jacob asks-
"Mom is your hip better?" and gives me a super big hug.
Taylor is Mr. Patient and doesn't let much bother him.
I love how he tells me everything he is thinking.
He stresses about doing what is right, more than I ever thought.
Our best talks are at night before he goes to bed.
I always ask, "Taylor do you want to talk about anything?"
They are both so patient with Joshua.
Just last night during my conversation with Taylor, Joshua interupted and wasn't patiently waiting his turn.
Taylor was so nice to pause our conversation and then we both laughed when I asked Josh what he needed to tell me and he replied-
"Uh, Uh, Uh........I don't know what to say?"
And Jacob is always so calm when Joshua screams in his face and quick to forgive by always accepting Joshua's sorry hug.
Like older brothers, sometimes they tune their younger brother out, but most of the time they love it when Joshua will laugh and play with them.
They are very patient brothers.
And they have been my wing men with Summer gone at girls camp.
They are stepping it up and helping around the house.
The other night Andy and I were gone for about an hour.
We left Taylor in charge, but he was so exhausted from his fun day, he fell asleep on the couch.
Jacob took over and got his bro and sis some ice cream.
They were all 3 happily licking cones while Taylor was snoozing on the couch.
Taylor and Jacob make a great team.
Maybe that 's why they were born next to each other.
My favorite part of the day is always at night when I kiss them good night.
Taylor- a kiss on the head. Jacob- a bear hug with a kiss on the cheek
I tell them I love them and the both say "I love you mom."
And I know they really mean it and it comes from the heart.
I just love these 2 boys!

Mom....I ALWAYS Love You.

2011-06-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

The last few days Joshua has been better about the grunting/growling/screaming.
We've had some good moments and he is quicker to apologize.
Yesterday whenever he growled at me, I just growled back.
He thought it was hilarious.
I made the point that if I just growled at him and didn't use words, how would he know when his lunch was ready?
Last night though, I was tired.
He was having a rough night.
I told him to get in the shower.
He doddled.
I reminded him again.
I knew as soon as I said it, he would screech at me, and I would lose my patience.
I did, but in a nice way.
I grabbed his cheeks and said nicely to him,"please use your words."
He huffed and puffed in the shower for 10 minutes.
"Are you mad Joshua?"
"Yes! You told me to get in the shower."
"Thanks for using your words."
"Don't say thanks."
No more huffing and puffing.
I didn't want to talk anymore.
I turned the shower off without any words.
He was now in his happy after shower mode where he is thinking of silly things and talking and giggling to himself.
He went to his room and I stayed away from him.
Finally when I knew the lights were off and I felt safe to go in the boys room.
I fell into Joshua's bed and gave him tickles and kisses.
As always he loved it.
J-"Mom let me give you kisses."
C-"I love you Joshua." while he kisses my cheek and squeezes my neck.
J-"I love you."
I release our hug because I think he is finished and on my way up, he looks directly into my eyes.
"Mom....I ALWAYS love you."
Instant tears in my eyes.
"I always love you too Joshua."

Joshua is such a good boy and most of the time happy and content. Most people probably don't even notice his behavior. I know I am extra/too sensitive to his "rudeness". It probably wouldn't bother most moms, but I like people to be happy and I certainly like others to be nice to me. And it is hard for me I guess when I am trying to be nice to someone and make someone happy and they are not being nice to me. I'm sure all moms can relate to that feeling. But once again God showed me His tender mercies and reminded me that no matter what Joshua's actions are, he is full of love.

Thoughts of Summer (the season)

2011-06-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

On June 21st summer officially made its entrance and brought with her temps up into the 110s.

I am melting!

Once it reaches this point, I don't want to go anywhere.

And if I go anywhere, I don't want to leave.

Anything to avoid the outside if even for a moment.

Like yesterday I took the girls to Target at 4pm.

We bought items at the register 3 times because I was thinking of every item I would need from Target until October so that I wouldn't have to get back into my car and suffer driving there again.

(Like that would really happen.)

And then we didn't want to leave because even that short walk in the parking lot to our oven like vehicle seemed so long and hot.

I must say with all this heat, we are enjoying our swimming adventures even more.

And the kids love that I actually get into the pool and swim around with them.

The pool really is the most refreshing place to be.

One exciting pool moment.

Joshua jumped into the pool for the first time this week.

He followed the example of his bros. and sis.

He has been trying to get the courage to do it all month long at swim lessons.

He was so psyched to show his teacher Ms. Sumer.

And she was so proud of him.

My Chalkboard Brain

This chalkboard is my new brain.

It helps me to remember what its going on everyday because for some reasons things kept disappearing and then appearing when I looked at my little desk calendar.

I thought it would be more bare now that it is summer.

But it has been full every day.

They kids are relaxing this summer, but I seem to be running around a lot still.

That is why I am so looking forward to this last week of June.

It means it is my last scheduled week.

And then I get to go off on vacation and leave the heat and my schedule for a short while.

I am SO excited!

And I will endure this heat happily for one more week before I can escape it grasps for a while and head off to cooler and more relaxing destinations.

Kate's Birthday Party 20 Days Early

2011-06-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Early 7th Birthday!

Kate's birthday is July 16th.
We are going on one long vacation starting next weekend and will be far from this sizzling state when Kate's birthday comes around.
She kindly requested that she have a party with her friends before we hit the road.
Her request was granted.
She had a craft/game party with 8 of her closest/cute/crazy friends.
Thank you Summer and Mom for all of your help.
It really was a delightful party.
7 year old girls are so fun!
And we all LOVED the homemade chocolate cake!

Painting treasure boxes.

Kate is a treasure lover and has many treasure boxes.

It wouldn't be a Kate party without freeze dancing.

by Summer
Her friends were very generous with their gifts.
She gave each one of her friends a thank you hug.

Couch L-R: Peyton, Hailey,Rebecca, Kate, Gracie, Abbie
Floor L-R: Grace, Hallie

It was a fun girl party.
And the boys enjoyed their time at Old Country Buffet and arrived just in time for cake, ice cream, and balloon/party horn craziness.

Swim Meet

2011-06-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Strike A Pose

Kate had another swim meet Thursday night.
Tuesday was June 21st, the official start of summer.
Temps have now risen to the 110s and Thursday night was HOT!
Kate was cheered on by parents, brothers, sister, and grandparents, all with ice cold Powerades in hand.
In breast stroke Kate was neck and neck for second place until-
Mom and Gma Cardon yelled-"GO KATE!"
Kate turned her googled eyes our way and 3rd place was hers for the taking.
Quiet cheering from now on.
Kate earned 3rd place for her awesome butterfly and received "another white ribbon".
I was warn out from the heat/cheering, so we ended the evening at Wendys filling ourselves with chocolate Frostys.
Another fun summer evening.

Summer's Braces

2011-06-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Before Braces

Braces

On Tuesday Summer got braces thanks to Garn&Mason Orthodontics.

They've been in business for 50 years and they did a great job with Summer.

She looks so CUTE!

Times have changed because I definitely did not look that cute when I had braces.

The first day was rough, and her Tropical Smoothie lasted 3 days.

But she is now back on solid foods, minus some of her favorites for the next 2 years.

FHE

2011-06-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

FHE at Golfland

On Monday night we wanted to go bowling, but all the lanes were taken over by leagues.
So we decided to go play miniature golf.
When we pulled up to Golfland we had 3 reactions.
Joshua-"Look! A Castle!"
Taylor-"Are you sure it's not too late to play golf? It's 8pm."
Jacob-"Are you sure we can afford this place?"
Golfland is one classy mini golf course.
We did remind Taylor it was summer and we could extend bedtime for the night.
And we oohed and awed with Joshua over the castle.
We had the best time.
Everyone actually played the game.
The younger 3 went ahead playing their own game, while the older/mature family members played "competitively".
Joshua didn't event get frustrated. He figured out how to push the ball along with the club to get it closer to the hole.
It was the last "cool" summer evening and we enjoyed it immensely.
It was one of the best family activities that we have had for a while.
Everyone was happy and having fun the whole time.
I loved every minute of our family togetherness.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed yummy treats of homemade Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Cupcakes
along with Marie Calender's Lemon Meringue and Peach Cobbler

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful father and the most amazing husband.
Mostly today I have enjoyed watching how much love my children have for their dad, Grandpa Cardon, and Grandpa Maxfield.
It was fun watching them this weekend make their homemade cards and how excited they were to give them to the men they love so much.
They put a lot of thought and love into each one.
I am so grateful that my children have so many wonderful examples in their lives and feel so much love.

Pictures of the Week

2011-06-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

by Summer

During Family Home Evening, right in the middle of Kate's lesson, Joshua spied the moon out the front window.

"Let's take a picture of the moon!" he exclaims

And so we did.

We think Jacob is part lizard.

Everyday he has to go out and just sits in the rocks.

It's over 100 degrees, but still, it is like this need of his.

Maybe it is his pondering spot.

And I always wonder what is going on inside that magical mind that could possibly distract him

from this blazing heat.

Sometimes I have to tell my kids to do something 10 times before they say -"Oh yeah!" and then do it.

And then there are times when I don't have to say anything at all.

This day the kids got their swimsuits on and started putting on their sunscreen without me saying a WORD.

They had a little assembly line going.

I loved watching Kate rubbing lotion on Joshua's face.

It was one of her "big" sister moments.

I love how these 2 watch out for each other.

It's like with Joshua sometimes she gets to be the little sister and sometimes she gets to be the big sister.

She fulfills both rolls very well.

And he didn't even scream at her.

"Shoes fom Savers, Bought by Mom, Adopted By Me"

Summer is becoming quite the photographer.

During her "bored" moments, she grabs the camera and shoots random, everyday objects.

She is getting very good at it.

Adding another talent to her long list.

by Summer

Somehow at this angle, I can see how Kate's definition of "organized" has its own sort of beauty to it.

by Summer

And every once in a while,

besides sleeping in my bed,

I get to sit down

And enjoy a lazy summer moment.

Awe.

When You're Helping You're Happy

2011-06-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Jacob is a pro at cleaning the house. It really is one of his talents.
Although he dislikes sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor.

At the beginning of each summer I come up with big plans, something I want each of the kids to work on to keep busy besides swimming and watching TV.

Usually it has to do with some kind of educational goals. I always make it way to complicated. And I am terrible at enforcing it and it fizzles after a few weeks.

This year I decided to simplify it.

Besides our scheduled activities, reading, and fun, I wanted 2 things to happen.

1. Taylor to practice his keyboarding skills daily because he will need them in 7th grade.

2. Everyone do more house work.

I am happy to say we have stuck to it.

I am so proud at how well the kids are helping around the house.

I can be gone for a few hours and tell them what to do and it gets done.

They have even been doing it happily, or maybe that is why I leave so I don't have to hear any complaining.

They have all been learning new skills and becoming more independent.

This has been the best summer so far with keeping the house in order and I am so grateful for all of their help and how they have been working together.

The other day I had to take Joshua to some appointments.

To keep the kids busy, I had them make strawberry jam together because we were almost out.

They did it without complaining and even cleaned up the mess.

Summer was a gem to head the activity since she has made it before, and told everyone what needed to get done.

Taylor, Jacob, and Kate were great about following her instructions.

Except for a few moments, they really are having fun together this summer, and I am loving being able to spend more time with my children.

There is nothing better than when at the end of the day during family prayer one of the kids prays and expresses gratitude to their Heavenly Father-

"Thanks that we were able to have fun together today."

And yes Taylor has been working on his keyboarding, M-Th 30 minutes a day.

Kate- Big Sister for a Day

2011-06-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Kate and Julia

Kate was so excited that we were watching her cousins Dean and Julia on Friday.
Kate spent the whole time with Julia and Julia loved Kate.
Any toy Julia played with, Kate would say excitingly-
"Mom I taught Julia how to do that." or "I showed Julia how to do that."
They laughed and giggled the whole time and she even fed Julia her snack.
It was so cute.
Kate usually isn't into younger kids, but I think she loved playing the role of big sister for the morning.

Kate also had another swim meet.
This week was freestyle and backstroke.
I had no idea until practice this week how well Kate can do backstroke.
She is a natural. Maybe it's a dancer thing.
She got first place by quite a bit in the 25 backstroke.
For every event the kids get a ribbon.
In Freestyle she got 5th place- green ribbon.
Backstroke 1st place- blue ribbon.
Kate asked-
"Can the green one be for the backstroke? Because backstroke is my favorite and I like green better than blue."
When you are 6, color is definitely more important than place.
It's going to be a great season. She is just having SO much fun!

Summer's Last Piece of Gum

2011-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the last day Summer will be chewing gum for the next 2 years or so.
She got spacers for her braces.
I forgot you can't chew anything once you get spacers.
We should of had a chewy party for her and loaded up on gum, Laffy Taffy, and carmel corn.
She ate lots of oatmeal and smoothies the first couple of days.
Last night she ate like a whole pizza because she was so excited to be able to eat solid food again and feeling deprived of calories.
Full on braces pics to come the end of the month.

Summer is enjoying her lazy summer days.
She bought a season pass to Sun Splash with her friend Brooke.
I can't believe she's old enough to do that.
She chooses to swim with her friends rather than her bros and sis.
She is reading tons of books.
Her main intake of food is otter pops.
For entertainment and laughs she chooses The Cosby Show on Netflix.
With no homework to hurry to, she enjoys chit chatting and laughing with the fam at the kitchen table.
She gets the oldest child advantage of staying up late and getting a snack from the gas station with dad after they practice their putting in the living room.
(They promise me there is no furniture and ball contact.)
She is being a super big help to me around the house.
She is the manager when I am away and doing her part in training her siblings to become responsible and hard working young men and woman.
Yes, she could probably live on her own already, but luckily we have her for 4 more years.

Play Date

2011-06-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Joshua with his favorite toy- "CKICKER"

So I tricked Joshua into a play date today.
Joshua and I went to Chick-Fil-A, one with a playland.
And we just happen to run into his friend Logan from school.
When he saw Logan he smiled, but then grabbed my arm with a death grip and turned away.
Major anxiety pulsing through his veins.
"Let's go say HI," I encouraged.
He walked over, still with the death grip.
Logan said "HI".
Joshua said "HI".
And then we gravitated to the play area.
Once his sandals were off, he dashed to the slide and the rest is history.
They played for almost 2 hours with Logan's brothers and sister, while Danielle and I chatted away.
There wasn't a lot of talking in the play area, but lots of playing and smiles.
It worked out great and we are definitely getting together again.
I usually don't like to keep things from Joshua because I know he likes to know what is going on.
The only other time I keep quiet is when we are going to the dentist, because no matter how far in advanced he knows, it doesn't make him any more calmer.
But my gut told me to go for it and just spring it on him.
Besides I knew he would have fun if he just didn't think about it.
And now next time I can say, "Hey Josh, we are going to go play with Logan."
And I'm pretty sure I'll get an, "Okay, Mom."
See Joshua, play dates are really more fun than going to the dentist.

And YES! This week has been better than last week.
Summer school started.

Other news: Joshua lost ANOTHER tooth. Still waiting for 6 teeth to grow in now.
He swallowed it and was pretty freaked out because you don't swallow teeth.
I assured him it just went into is stomach. No biggie. People swallow teeth all the time.
"Mom, we should get an x-ray and see the tooth in my throat." Giggle. Giggle.

The Gift of Snuggling

2011-06-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day.
We went to Kate's swim meet.
Did a little housework, but not to much.
The kids watched 10 episodes of Phineas and Ferb on Netflix.
Taylor and Jacob went swimming with Noah.
Summer, Kate, and I ate yummy Bahama Buck shaved ice and enjoyed a lovely matinee of the ballet Thumbelina.
Joshua not so happy today. Lots of time out.
I thought my little girl time would refresh me and help me to be a better mom.
But by dinner time I was tired of his yelling and the time outs and I hadn't even been around for most of it.
I was a bit down while eating my pizza, thinking maybe Joshua would like summer camp and be happier in the wilderness for 3 months.
But then I received another treasured moment.
I was just about to put fresh sheets on my bed, listening to Taylor Swift, and Joshua climbed on the bed.
"Do you want me to wrap you up in the sheet?"
"Yes. Make a bow," he says.
I did. And then I just wrapped my arms around that boy, and he let me.
And we snuggled for a long time and he even let me sing.
And then I was crying because I remembered moments like these from the past and my sweet little boy is letting me hold him again and there is absolutely no yelling occuring and I'm not at my wits end.
And then Kate joins us, wrapping her arms around me and her brother because that is what Kate does.
Always showing her love.
And then comes Summer.
And we are singing and snuggling.
And then we are laughing and dancing.
And Summer wraps Joshua up like a mummy and lifts him up in her arms because that is the kind of sister she is, strong and full of charity.
And it's one of those heaven like moments, where time doesn't exist and you are consumed with the joy of what really matters.
There is no yelling the rest of the night (except when Andy throws Joshua in his bed).
Only a calm voice with some stimming in the background.
And the day ends happily with giggling and an all boy pillow fight after family prayer.
And that one simple moment, makes every other moment of the day seem perfectly worth it.
And I am completely filled with peace and love, grateful for today.
It really was a good day.

Kate's 1st Swim Meet

2011-06-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kate started swim team this week and she loves it!
It gets her up in the morning. She is excited about it EVERYDAY!
She had her first swim meet today.
Freestlye.
She did everything her coach told her to do.
She even let me give her a little advice.(Yes I was shocked.)
Just like dancing, she likes to pay attention to all the details.
She had so much fun today and was way excited about her yellow ribbon.
I am excited to watch her this season and praying I make it through the heat.
Mom how did you do swim team every year in this heat?! Thanks for doing it.
I think being a mom and watching your swimmer is almost as much fun as competing.
Here's to our first swim team season in AZ.

School's Out for Summer!!!!!!

2011-06-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

What?! Taylor Sleeping in!

We are so excited that it is summer!
The last 3 weeks of school we were counting down the days of no homework and no schedule (okay reduced schedule.)
So far the weather has been beautiful only reaching up to 100.
We are swimming, eating lots of fruit and ice cream, and staying up late.

Sunday morning it hit me that Taylor is getting closer and closer to being a teenager.
He'll turn 12 this summer, which is a pretty big age, and pretty much close enough to being a teen.
He graduated from Elementary School.
Next step Junior High.
Saturday night he went to a football game with his friends.
At 10pm I started getting nervous because Taylor is not a night owl, he's an early bird.
I was wondering if he was falling asleep amongst a cheering crowd.
He came home at 10:30pm with a smile on his face saying he had a great time and loved arena football.
"Sports are definitely better in person than on TV."
The next morning he slept until 9:00 am.
Never in his life has he slept in that late.
Taylor has always been the first one up and Sunday morning he was the last.
It was just a reminder to me that he is growing up.
Eating lots, sleeping more, and acting goofier, especially among his friends.
Out of all of our munchkins, Taylor is especially excited for SUMMER!

Joshua Moments

2011-05-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is the picture I got from Joshua for Mother's Day.

I love his face. It looks like he is going on his first date.

Or with his behavior lately, he's telling me- "I love you Mom....I think."

Joshua has been growing again.

And as we have experienced, anytime Joshua decides to be more part of the world, there are great things happening, with a few challenges.

Let's start with the positives.

Last month he started playing with another boy at recess named Brayden.

THIS IS HUGE!

Joshua has never played with a friend at recess, unless made to.

He usually takes recess as a time to regroup and be by himself.

The last 2 years he has headed straight for the swing.

Brayden also has autism, but he is very social.

He chose Joshua as his friend and Joshua decided to play along.

I still remember Joshua first telling me about Brayden.

"I play with Brayden at recess. We played seals down the slide."

I was full of joy.

This has continued on for a few weeks.

Aiden has joined the group now.

Since then Joshua has told us about all of his friends, what their names are, what grade they are in, which bus they ride.

He is so excited to have friends.

I don't know how much he talks to his friends, but he loves talking about his friends.

He was talking more and more about friends, and he was talking more and more to us, using more and more words.

It has been amazing!

Everyone is amazed by how much he is talking.

With all this friend making, I thought Joshua would actually maybe want to invite a friend over to play.

Anxiety hits his face as I ask him and even crying.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

After many minutes he tells me-"Friends stay at school."

He wouldn't even go to Sophia's birthday party. He loves Sophia, but she's a school friend and "Friends stay at school."

Maybe next year we can take the next friend step.

Now all of Joshua's friends have autism.

As time has gone on Joshua decided to tell us more than mere facts about his friends. He decided to share their behavior.

"Sophia cried in APE."

"Logan had to go in time out."

"Should we throw books when we are in the reading are?"

Now I know these are good kids, but for what ever reason he decided to focus on their negative behavior, which I know happens, but not all day long.

Hence the behavior changes with Joshua.

Last month he decided he didn't like adults anymore.

Instead of thinking adults were mad at him all the time (that phase lasted a few months), he was going to be mad at adults.

He started yelling, screaming, pretending he was going to hit, or kick, any time an adult tried to help or correct him, which is a lot in his life.

His wonderful teachers at school, helped him to come up with some more appropriate behaviors when he is frustrated.

Luckily at school this behavior only lasted 2 weeks.

At home it is still going on.

He now knows what the word rude means.

"I'm rude at you mom."

No matter what I say to him. He's mad at me.

This last month is the first time Joshua has had to go in time out.

He has never chosen to make wrong choices.

He has had melt downs where he has gone to his room to calm down, but never a time out.

It's basically like having a 2 year old in a 8 year old body.

We started the time out with one minute, the whole time him yelling-

"It's too long."

Now he's up to 3 minutes.

Is this wearing on my patience?

I must admit, it does at times.

Yet, we are trying to rejoice in the fact that he is being like any other kid, testing the limits and learning new emotions, sometimes even saying-

"Mom I don't like you."

Just why does it have to be so hard sometimes.

I guess I still need to learn about patience.

Sometimes I miss my super happy Joshua, but there are many treasured moments.

Like one second he can be mad at me and then I just say-

"Joshua I love you so much!"

And then he gets a big grin on his face and says-

"I love you so much too Mom."

I figured out that at bed time when its dark and he is laying in his bed, he is done being mad at me for the day.

I snuggle with him and make him giggle.

I sing him a song and scratch his back.

He says his prayer, asking Heavenly Father _"bless I have good sleeps."

And then we give each other lots of kisses on the cheek.

And then I am blessed with more patience to be the loving and giving mom to the son who is always mad at her, hopeful that this too shall pass, and excited to see the next stage of growth.

It's hard having autism. People are always telling you what to do or making a big deal about every little thing you do. One day something is easy and the next time it's hard or doesn't make sense. You can only seem to succeed in a handful of things at once and everyone else keeps getting further and further ahead of you. Sometimes you do something and people think its funny. Other times you do something that you think is funny, but it's not. The confusion goes on and on. So much to learn.

Andy thinks that maybe he figured out it is easier to be mad than confused.

He can be mad at me for the rest of his life, if it means he will keep growing and sharing more of himself with us.

Joshua is an amazing boy, doing amazing things.

Some of Joshua's favorites lately.

He loves learning about different languages and cultures.

"Mom when I see Grandma Cardon, I call her Abuela Cardon."

"Mom say a German word." (I don't know any)

"Mom watch me do kung fu and tia chi."

Joshua loves the movie "Tangled"

His favorite song is "Mother Knows Best."

He likes to record himself singing it on Photo Booth.

And as I mentioned before- He loves talking about his friends.

He loves when I wear a skirt. Everytime-"Nice skirt mom!"

He loves eating strawberries.

He loves mint ice cream.

He loves to be silly and make people laugh.

There are many things in his world that make him happy.

Last night I said," Joshua I hope you make good choices so we can have a fun summer."

With the most excited voice I have ever heard him use_

"Mom it's summer break. I am SO excited for summer break."

And then we talked about all the fun things we will do this summer.

And I went to bed hopeful that it really will be an exciting summer break.

May God bless me with patience.

Or I might just be spending some short/long periods of time in my room, giving myself a time out until I can be nice.

Jacob Earns His Bear

2011-05-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I think Jacob should be the poster child for cub scouts.
He loves it!
Every single one of his leaders has come up to me and told me what a well behaved scout he is.
I'm just glad there is one less boy in the world causing havoc during den meetings.
DO YOUR BEST!

Mother's Day

2011-05-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was awesome!
I love being a mother. I love all the homemade gifts my kids give me. Summer even wrote me a poem.
Kate's 1st grade teacher, Ms. Hyde had a Mother's Day tea for all the mother's in her class.
Kate made me lots of gifts, including a book about all the things she loves about me.
Then her class did a little program.
They sang some cute songs about mothers.
Then they each told us what they loved about their mother.
Most kids were saying, I love my mom because she ...cleans my room...makes me dinner...takes me places...etc.
Kate was the last one.
I was curious to see what she would say.
She stood perfectly still and straight, and in a clear voice she said very seriously-
"I love my mom because she serves my family."
Everyone in the room said,"Awww.." and turned to look at me.
That's Kate.
Everyone loves to hear what she has to say.
Sometimes she makes me want to cry(because she's so sweet) and laugh( because I've never seen her speak so seriously) at the same time.
Mrs. Hyde's daughter was there to help. She was so impressed with what Kate said, she used her little example in the Mother's Day talk she gave that Sunday.
I feel blessed to have 5 of the most amazing kids, who make me feel loved everyday.

Taylor

2011-05-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Taylor teasing Kate with a dirty sock

Out of all the kids this school year, I would have to say Taylor has changed the most. He decided to be a lot more social at school, and even though he was caught talking a lot more in class, his grades actually went up. He has matured in so many ways and has been very responsible with his homework. I feel like he is ready for junior high in the fall, but I can't believe he has finished elementary school. He still loves to tease and loves to hang out with his friends doing 12 year old boy stuff.

This was Taylor's last band concert. He is retiring from the flute. He is so good at it, even without practicing like he should, but he informs me he is ready to move on to other things. Something about computers.

Taylor is a great help to us and we are excited to have another babysitter in our home.
The other night Summer was at a party and Taylor watched the kids while Andy and I went to the movies.
I was so impressed that everyone was in bed with the lights out when we got home.
Taylor isn't always the best at watching the time, especially if the TV is on.
He gets a little distracted.
I knew the kids had just went to bed, so I went in the boys' room to compliment Taylor on getting everyone to bed and being so responsible.
Then Jacob speaks up, "Mom, I'm the one who turned the lights out."
Hey, I'll take tag team babysitting.

Track Season

2011-05-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Summer encouraging everyone on with her huge smile.

Summer with her coach Ms. Cuppage

This spring Summer and Joshua signed up for the Special Olympics track team. Joshua didn't like it so much and wouldn't go after the first practice. Summer on the other hand loved it and decided to volunteer even though Joshua bailed out. She loved going every week and supporting the athletes and making new friends. She really enjoyed spending extra time with her coach Ms. Cuppage who also happens to be her PE teacher at school. Summer is a sweetheart!
In English this year her class voted Summer as the person most likely to donate to a charity and adopt 10 kids.

Getting ready for the 400m

Jacob decided to try track and field.
Jacob is super cordinated, but is not a lover of sports. He doesn't like competition.
After hearing him tell me how he plays tag every recess and watching him run around in the backyard all the time. I talked him into trying track.
He really enjoyed it.
He competed in the Hershey Track meet in the 400M, 100M, and standing long jump.
He was pretty nervous, but after his first event, he was at ease and had a great time.
He's looking forward to running again next year.

April-Grandpa Gaisford's funeral

2011-05-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of Grandpa Gaisfords funeral, I just get a big smile on my face.
The whole event lasted the weekend.
It was a big family reunion which is exactly how Grandpa and Grandma would want it to be.
All of my cousins were there, except Geoff who lives in Denmark.
Some of these lovely people I hadn't seen in years, but are still near and dear to my heart.
(Funeral on Saturday.)

Jennifer, Michelle, Claire, and Christin

These lovely ladies are some of my favorites. We have made many memories together. One of our favorites was when Michelle, Jennifer, and I flew to Baltimore to visit Karen and Claire. I was 13 at the time. My aunt Kay took us to all the historical sites. It was a trip I will always remember. I was able to spend lots of time with Michelle and Jennifer during my growing up years since we all grew up in Phoenix. And Claire and I have always been close, especially since we both ended up at BYU.

(Burial on Monday)

Elizabeth, Gordon, Steve, and Hal

My mom has 3 older brothers. They all spoke at the funeral and share so many memories and life lessons. My grandpa served in the military during WWII and was buried in the veterans cemetery in Phoenix. The ceremony was very touching.

After the burial everyone who was able to went to one of Grandma and Grandpa Gaisfords favorite mexican restaurant, Jordan's. I remember going there as a child many times. Some times we would go there to celebrate the end of the school year or our good grades. The food was delicious! Afterwards we drove by grandma and grandpa's old home in phoenix. It is still yellow and so beautiful. I spent much of my childhood at that beautiful house on Myrtle.

(Swimming on Saturday and Monday)

Of course some kind of party has to be happening when you get together with the Gaisfords. We spent some time at the pool at Val Vista Lakes. The kids had a blast.

Celebrating Grandma and Grandpa Gaisfords life and spending time with one another as a family is exactly the kind of funeral grandpa would have wanted.

Kate's Dance Recital

2011-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was a bit crazy.
We had wedding day and we had to fit in Kate's dance recital.
She has been working so hard in dance and gymnastics class.
We timed wedding pictures just right and requested that Kate's 2 performances be last.
Here's our star!

Kate in the front, left side bending down.

This girl has some moves. This was a difficult dance. Super fast and the girls did great! My kidos and I were in awe of how comfortable Kate is on the stage. She puts her heart into it.

Kate's gymnastic performance.

This year Hailey and Kate did gymnastics together. They had so much fun. And both girls shined on the stage. At 5 and 6 years of age the girls do all of their own stunts and spotting. Mrs. Martinson is an amazing teacher. I don't know how she taught those girls while being pregnant.

Kate danced her heart out!
She was red in the face and sweating with enthusiasm.
We are so grateful to Ms. Michelle and her garage dance studio.
Bravo to our show girl!

Scott and Megan Cardon Wedding- May 21, 2011

2011-05-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Scott and Megan Cardon

My youngest brother Scott was sealed to his lovely bride Megan this weekend in the Mesa, AZ temple. It was such a wonderful experience being in the temple with my parents and all of my siblings. Megan is the most beautiful young woman on the outside and inside. She is a classy lady and I think her and Scott could be in some wedding magazine issue. Seriously every single engagement, bridal, and wedding photo was gorgeous. They are totally in love and I am so happy for them. We are so excited to have Megan be a part of our family.

The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast. Receptions seem to be a lot more fun these days. We partied hard. The kids even had a great time. I never realized how much Taylor loves dancing. It was like he physically couldn't contain himself. He danced for 2 hours straight with minimal beverage and food breaks. He was cracking me up.

Mostly it was just a fun weekend spending time with my family. Here are a few of my favorite pics.

Cardon Fam

Sisters. Yes I ALWAYS wear sunglasses.

Mom and her baby- Scott

Kate was SO excited to be a flower girl!

Most of the grands- Joshua not feeling well

Part of my beautiful clan.

Reception fun. L-R:Summer, Rachael, Becky, Christin, Emily

Party!

Oh yeah! I still have got some moves and I love this pic of Rachael.

Jacob

2011-05-24T21:08:00.000-07:00


Jacob's 4th Grade Arizona Fair

The bolo tie Jacob is wearing was my Papa's. I don't ever remember him wearing it, but I'm sure someone very cool gave it to him since he had many friends all over the world. Just thinking that his actual hands touched it, makes it a special treasure to our family. Of course Summer picked it out as a keepsake and I'm sure one of these days she will actually wear it.

Today I am thinking of Jacob because he thanked me for making breakfast.
He always is thanking me for something.
And then this morning he gave me one of his random big big hugs.
I love when he does that .
I hope he never grows out of giving me hugs.

I was able to talk to Jacob's teacher Mrs. Buchanan today.
She told me that Jacob is such a great writer. Throughout the year she would always share Jacob's and Yasmin's writings as examples for the class.
It's been fun reading his school journal and portfolio.
4th grade has been a great year for Jacob. He has really been able to increase his talents.
I am always grateful for good teachers who help my children discover themselves and help them to be the best they can be.

Summer's Skills

2011-05-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Summer has been getting things done in the kitchen these last few weeks. She made bread for the first time for her friend Gloria's birthday.

She also whipped up this lovely batch of strawberry freezer jam. It is the best ever!

It has been fun watching Summer gain some new skills and it is very helpful to me.

Maybe I can talk her into making homemade bread every morning this summer.

Summer drew this for her science assignment. Isn't it amazing? Her teacher thougtht so. She knows she won't be getting this assignment back.

I know I haven't blogged for a while. A thousand things have been going on and I will have to back track. I have been working on many projects in my home and blogging has been the last rung on the ladder. My garage has been my workshop for the last 7 months and it is time to close shop since 100 degrees is fastly approaching. I love that I can sand and paint outside 7 months out of the year. So today I cleaned out the garage and rolled my mini van back in hoping that my car can at least be a little cooler than the weather outside.

More blogging to come

Grandpa Gaisford

2011-04-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Last night Harold Rawson Gaisford passed on to the other side peacefully in his sleep.

He was the most amazing grandfather!

I was so blessed to be able to live so close to him while I was growing up.

He had such a sense of humor and gave the best hugs.

So many memories.....

All his hard work at the insurance office, the yard, and in the house. The yard always looked beautiful and he was always fixing or painting something. Whenever I am painting furniture, I think of him. He was always so helpful to grandma. He was always working on something, except for when he was watching golf occasionally on Saturdays. I would try so hard to watch it with him, but thought it was way too boring. It's not so bad now. Plus who can forget the plaid knickers he wore.

Grandpa was always dressed handsomely.

Little things like trident gum, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, and peanut m&ms will always remind me of my childhood and grandpa.

I loved eating lunch at grandma and grandpa's house because grandpa would always come home and we would eath lunch while watching The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show. He would always excuse himself and take a nap on his office floor before going back to work. Maybe that is how he stayed so energized.

His corny jokes and goofy faces.

His love of music. He was an amazing singer and lead a congregation beautifully with his silver baton. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and elevator music always remind me of grandpa.

He was always so vibrant, healthy, and positive.

His voice on the phone-"Well, hello Christin." He's always has said it the same way.

He and Grandma always supported me in all that I did, even coming to my college graduation at BYU

I was so grateful to be able to move back AZ and make some more memories with Grandpa. It was a joy to spend so much time again with him like when I was younger. I was grateful to make more memories with him.

Wendy's chicken nuggets and sprite; watching tv land, including the Andy Griffith show, his smile, singing to me, a kiss on the cheek, his gratitude, sense of humor, more peanut m&ms, convincing me to drink ensure, blue oxford shirt, still always making me smile.

He always made the best out of life and continued to teach me through his example even until the end of his life.

I am going to miss him greatly, but I am so grateful to know that he is in his heavenly home reunited with my grandma and free from all that he had to endure in the end.

His smile and all the memories will be with me always until we meet again.

I look forward to that really big hug.

Make Me Smile Shots

2011-04-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Summer, Kate, and Gma Cardon

Word that comes to mind-

BEAUTIES

Common scene at our dinner table-

SUMMER'S SOUNDLESS LAUGH

Jacob's 10th Birthday

2011-04-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago today, Jacob Bentley was brought into the world.

He looked nothing like his sister or brother before him.

He had a full head of dark hair and chubby cheeks.

He grew into the chubbiest and happiest baby.

The bigger he got, the happier he became.

He had the best smile and I love that even 10 years later he still has that same sparkle in his eyes.

He is super smart, creative, and sensitive.

He likes order, following the rules, and has the best handwriting of any 4th grader I've seen.

He doesn't like getting messy and can't stand it when people don't use their table manners.

He makes delicious scrambled eggs and loves to help me make dinner on Sunday nights.

He is always so grateful.

He is crazy about owls, dragons, and any kind of magical creatures.

He is a bookworm after dark and reads at night with his flashlight.

He can be oh so happy and bursting with smiles and laughter, but watch out when he is in a bad mood, which isn't too often.

He likes to make everyone happy.

Jacob telling an animated story.

Jacob was very excited to have a birthday party this year.

Since we have moved here he has been on the shyer side and it has taken him a while to make friends.

He just seemed a little unsure of himself.

But today he was all smiles, playing tag and capture the flag with his buddies at the park in 97 degree weather.

It was so fun watching him feel at ease and confident around his friends, yet at the same time being so considerate and making sure everyone was having a fun time.

He is a great friend and brother,always wanting to include everyone.

It was a blast watching him run all over the field being the Zombie King.

Like all of our children, Jacob has his own amazing talents.One of his talents is his love for words.If any of us need to know how to spell a word, we ask Jacob.He loves learning new words and he loves to use them in his writing.Summer-"Isn't that sentence too descriptive?"Andy and I bought him this handmade leather notebook to write down all of his magical ideas and stories.He was very excited about it and we wouldn't be surprised if one day he publishes his very own book.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB! MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE!

Spring Break

2011-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Summer started her Spring Break early and went off to Utah to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. Summer loves Utah and the people who live there. In a few short years she could be relocating back to the state and snow she adores.

Summer and the Sarahs

A few hours after Summer's plane landed we headed on our family vacation.

This year we let the kids decide what adventure we would take this Spring Break.

We decided it was going to be a road trip.

The kind where you have to drive "forever" in kid time to get to each destination.

We drove north and stayed in the small town of Kayenta.

The cool thing about Kayenta is that they have a very imformative exhibit about the Navajo code talkers of WWII located inside of the local Burger King.

Who knew?

We had a quick fast meal and we able to learn some history.

The next morning we drove to our first destination.

Jacob's top choice- The 4 Corners.

He couldn't wait to do this

because how cool is it to be in 4 states at one time!

Maxfields in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona

Just in case you are curious. There is lots of desert and then this lovely monument located at the four corners region. We stayed for about 20 minutes and enjoyed the best Navajo Fry Bread.

We headed back into the car and drove where no car has been before.

Well at least it felt like that.

There was lots of desolation, but I trusted my husband who had been on many of these adventures before with his own dad, Conrad.

It was a bit erie, yet peaceful at the same time.

I gained a new understanding why Kathe, Andy's mom, always packs way more food than needed.

I'm sure when her and Conrad were going on adventures she wasn't sure when and if there would be any sign of life before there destination or if there would even be something remotely similar to life once they reached their destination.

Then all of a sudden out of this vast desert, we saw a ranger station.

We had arrived at Hovenweep located in Colorado.

It was worth the drive.

We did some hiking and saw these amazing Indian dwellings.

It was hard to believe that there was a little town out in the middle of nowhere a long time ago.

Yet not far from these dwellings was a huge mountain that was in the shape of a sleeping chief.

Andy and I were pretty confident that up in the mountains is where these people spent the summer months because although it was pleasant weather in March, it's got to be scorching in July.

It was like Heavenly Father was watching out for these people and gave them the best of both worlds with the desert in the winter and a mountain in the summer, to ease their burdens.

It was quite an extraordinary place out in the middle of nowhere.

Our day was not complete without hopping back into the car and driving to this spectacular place

Monument Valley on the borders of Utah and Arizona.

Kate and Mittens

We got there just before the sun was setting.

Breathtaking.

YES!

Andy introduced me to red sandstone in Moab, UT and I have been in love with it ever since.

(At least in the Fall, Winter, and Spring)

We headed to Page, AZ, showered off all the red dirt, and snuggled in our Holiday Inn Express plush beds.

We stayed the next 2 days in Page.

After Andy's early morning scenic golf game we headed out to Horseshoe bend to get a view of the Colorado.

The view was amazing and yes I was very nervous to have my children close to the edge. I only could get part of the horseshoe.

Not everyone was excited about all the hiking we did, but I think all of the magnificent things we saw made it worth it. Who wouldn't want to hike and see this ahead of them?!

After Taylor got out of his depressed mood of having to go on a family vacation, he finally got excited when he saw the red sand dunes. He played and played without a complaint.

All of the kidos got plenty of exercise running up and down those dunes,

while Andy and I sat out of the elements watching our kids have the time of their lives and reading and crosswording without interruptions.

After more showers and another comfy nights rest, we headed back into the direction of home.

But first we had to stop at a place called Lees Ferry.

This was a spot off the Colorado River where the Ferry transported people and things before the railroad.

It was a beautiful homestead, with a garden, and orchard, right against the sandstone cliffs. The perfect place for a picnic lunch.

I love this picture of Taylor because it shows that there is still that little boy part inside of him that can't resist picking up a stick, let alone two. Yes he did try to poke everyone with them.

And so our road trip ended, where it started,

Back on the road, DVD player plugged in, Laffy Taffy galore, Summer enthralled with her books while manning the back, and Kate always mixing in a little silliness with her Queen Amidalla impression.

Thanks to all of Andy's planning and driving, we had THE best road trip.

One of the reasons I fell for Andy was because of his love of nature.

He introduced me to the beauties of the earth that were right in my backyard (or in close proximity).

I love the peacefulness of it all and I love getting away from the world.

I love sharing these unique places with our children.

They may not fully appreciate it now, but I'm sure one day they will adventure out with their own families, and share sights and stories of Maxfield road trips past.

First Grade Musical

2011-03-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Kate had her 1st grade musical. This cute little bug sang her heart out and did all of the actions with much enthusiasm. She was so excited for performance day. After performing it 3 times that day you would think she would be sick of it and done. But not our Kate. Before she went to bed she exclaimed, "I wish I could do it all over again tomorrow!" with just as much drama as her show tunes. She is a natural performer and I'm glad she loves it so much.

February-Cancun

2011-03-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Andy and I were able to go to beautiful Cancun for 8 whole days with his parents, and most of his siblings. My wonderful mom took care of our kidos with the help of my sisters and of course Summer.

We stayed at a beautiful resort on the beach for 4 days taking in this beautiful view. I must say that out of all the activities we did, my favorite was just sitting on the beach in the beautiful white sand looking out at the water,snoozing or reading my book. The water was so warm and so beautiful. The resort was just beautiful and so peaceful. We were surrounded by waterfalls, wildlife, and tropical plants. The food was delicious and I couldn't get enough of the guacamole, mangos, and coconut ice cream. It was so relaxing and wonderful.

My favorite part of the trip was hanging out with the Maxfields. It was fun to spend so much time just talking. This is a rare photo of Con actually sitting and relaxing. We are so grateful to Con and Kathe for providing us with this wonderful experience.

Tulum

The reason why Con chose this vacation spot was because he wanted to show us all the amazing ruins he has explored over the years. And of course it wouldn't be a Maxfield family vacation with some kind of road trip in an SUV. We saw ruins in Tulum, Chichenen Itza, Edzna, and Uxmal. It was incredible to imagine the Nephites/Lamanites living in these areas. Con was a great tour guide and has so much knowledge and insight. I loved Tulum because it was right off the water and Edzna and Uxmal because you could climb on the ruins, which made them all the more real.

We felt so blessed to be able to have this experience and it will be a trip we will always remember.
We were so impressed by it all, that we would love to take our own children their someday. I know they would love it! Paradise is calling to me already.

February Randomness

2011-03-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amazon, I finally received my battery charger for my camera.
Here is what we were up to in February.

Summer ended another season of cross country. (She's the one on the left with the cute bun, with running buds Emily and Chandler.)
She had so much fun with the team and was a little more competitive with her running this year.
She always had a running buddy and then spirited her way the last leg of the race to the finish line.
She was excited to make her best time at her last race, knocking off 30 seconds.
And of course she was once again the best cheerleader on the team, always making everyone feel good about their efforts.

Summer has her own sense of style, always looks cute, and can pull off anything when she is dressing up or choosing to be more casual. This jumpsuit from Forever 21 is one of her latest fashion favs. I love that Summer is so confident about herself. She knows and likes who she is. It is one of her greatest qualities. She is a true beauty on the inside and out.

Kate is constantly asking to get her picture taken. I don't know where this girl gets her genes from but, she can do the splits and loves gymnastics. She is always wowing us with her moves. She also loves to draw. She made her friend Macy a friendship coloring book for her birthday. She worked on it all night. I had to talk her into buying something at the store to add to the gift. Of course she chose some crayons and stickers to go with the coloring book. Kate made my day with this mural on the backyard cinderblock fence. You can see it from the family room, kitchen, and even my bedroom window. Outside my window it says, " Git nit mom I love you" It makes the backyard look so much better and makes me smile whenever I look at it. She has a big heart and lots of energy.

This is Joshua's own trick. I think it's a Kung Fu panda move. He LOVES being silly! He loves to do anything that will make you smile or laugh. And as always he is a favorite with all the teachers at school. Joshua also lost his first tooth by natural causes. (It's on the bottom.) Instead of being fearful, he was actually excited. He was constantly wiggling it. One night he started wiggling it when he went to bed at 8:30pm. I didn't think anything of it until at 10:30pm he walked in my room and said, "Mom I'm done wiggling my tooth. I go to bed now." For about a week once it was close to falling out he kept saying, with a huge grin on his face, "My tooth will fall out. Bleed a little. Use a tissure. And the tooth fairy comes!" When the day finally arrived he said, "My tooth is falling out." He ran to the bathroom mirror, pulled it out. There was little blood. He used a tissue. And then put that tooth under his pillow. He was so excited and happy that it worked out as he planned. He was excited that the tooth fairy came and took his tooth, but could care less about the dollar bill she brought. We added it to his over filling money bag. We are really hoping that he grows some more teeth before he loses anymore.

Jacob is wild about owls. He made this one at school. He loves the Gaurdians of Ga'Hoole book series and has mastered the Wii game. He loves all things magical and mystical. And can tell you anything you want to know about magical owls. Jacob is also the best tag player on the play ground and plays it nonstop any recess chance he gets. He is kind to everyone and is so great about playing with his sister Kate.

No pics of Taylor. As you can see he is in the background. He is your typical 6th grade boy. Video games and being social are very important to him. He has tried really hard to overcome his shyness and has a good group of friends. He likes to be goofy at times in class and gross out the girls. He was excited to get a new bike this month and scares me to death at how fast he goes and how out of control he seems sometimes. Yes he has had a few crashes and Andy has had to fix his bike once already. I love my nightly ritual with Taylor where he tells me what's on his mind. He is becoming more and more responsible and when we filled out his JR. HIGH registration sheet, I felt confident that he will be ready for it next school year.

Everyday my children amaze me and make me smile. I love watching them grow. Without a doubt they are the joy of my life and I feel so blessed and privileged to be their mom.

Girls New Room

2011-03-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have been super busy with other projects, that I have failed to blog. Plus our computer kept dying and now after its 9 lives we finally got a new computer. Lots happened in February, but now my camera battery is dead and I can't upload the Feb. pictures on it because I lost the charger on my trip to Cancun.
So Feb is coming soon.
I failed to show all of Summer's hard work (with a little help from me).
She decided to redecorate her room during November and December.
Most of the projects weren't completed until just before Christmas.
(Note to self: Never do a home deco project during the Christmas season or you will be shopping on Christmas Eve.)
I turned out beautifully!
It is Summer's mixture of old fashion with a little bit of modern flair.
The girl still wishes she could have been a pioneer.
I think it is the cheeriest room in the house.
And Kate is excited to have a real bed and have her own pink desk.

We got this daybed off of craigslist. It was brown and I spent a gazillion hours sanding it and then a few hours painting it white. Summer chose the bedding at IKEA. She made a little rag doll in young women's that sits in between the pillows. We painted a gold mirror red.

Kate's bed is magically stored under Summer's. It gives them more space during the day and helps Kate keep her room clean because there is no space for her bed at night if there are toys on the floor.

This is a dresser that was at my mom's house. It use to be her brother's. I sanded the 4 coats of old white paint and then Summer painted it a bright white. The knobs are from Anthropologie, paintings from Great-Grandma Gaisford, tray from Goodwill, vase and flowers from my room.

The knobs are one of our favorite touches in the room. They are so cute and were worth the money and all of that sanding.

I found this brown bookcase from Goodwill for $15. Summer painted it these pretty colors. She loves the quote and we love the red bird on top.

Another Goodwill find for $7. It was a gold framed painting. We spray painted it white and covered the painting with chalkboard paint.

This is Kate's corner. I'm keeping it real. The girl is a hoader. It's usually a little more organized, but many days it looks like this. Everything was bought at goodwill, except the desk was IKEA clearance, and then painted. I made the picture frame into a bulletin board. We are just glad Kate can have a messy corner, instead of a messy room.

We also organized the closet with a cubicle shelf for all of Kate's toys and put sheer curtains up to hide the ugly blinds. Summer also painted a side table a light sage green where she keeps more books and her alarm. I am sad we couldn't paint the walls, but I'm over it, and just focus on all the other beautiful pieces.

Summer did an amazing job and it was fun to work together and use our creativity. She pulled everything together nicely. It is just how she wanted it and I'm so glad she likes her room so much.

Her only rule-"Don't touch the bed."

My Mita

2011-01-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Juliette Veronique Amelie Peney Cardon

My dear sweet Mita passed away in the early morning of January 4th 2011 at almost 97 years old.
She was the most amazing woman, mother, and grandmother and I feel so blessed that she was mine.
She was unique and no one else I knew had a mita besides me and my family.
I loved that she was from Switzerland, I loved her French accent, and I loved her lipstick kisses on my cheeks.
I love that I got to grow up with her and that I have so many memories. I wrote pages about her in my journal the day I found out about her death. Most of my memories were so simple. I just loved her simple house, the simple delicious food she fed us like bread and jam, and mostly the love she abundantly showed me. No one greets or says goodbye to a loved one better than Mita. Even towards the end of her life she was filled with so much gratitude for the simplest act. I feel so grateful to have been able to live close to her over the last year and a half and to visit her often. My last visit with her was so peaceful and full of love, and one I shall always cherish. Although the last year and a half our visits were not filled with much conversation, she continued to teach me much. I will always remember the soft touch of her hand and cheeks, her smile, and the effort she took to say thank you for visiting, even though her body was so tired she could rarely keep her eyes open. She is an inspiration to me of enduring to the end and doing it well. I will miss her, but it brings me great joy to know that she is in her heavenly home experiencing much peace and happiness and I'm sure surrounded by a million loved ones, because she knew and loved more people than I can ever imagine. I feel blessed to be included in that circle.

I must say that I loved her funeral. My kids were nervous. It was the first one they attended. They loved hearing about Mita's life and I loved remembering. It was fun to spend time with uncle, aunts, and cousins. There was a lot of loudness and laughter. You could say the Cardons are a tight family. My Mita helped make that so. It was a fun weekend to rejoice the life my mita and papa lived and to once again be reminded at how blessed I was and am to have such amazing family.

New Year's in Flagstaff

2011-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

The one cool thing about living in Gilbert, AZ is that you can drive just 2 1/2 hours north to Flagstaff and chose when you want to enjoy winter. We decided to spend a few days before New Years and get our snow fix.

Joshua

Joshua and Christin

Kate,Joshua,Summer, Andy

Jacob

Kate and Taylor

Summer and Joshua

We left 70 degree weather and entered 13 degree weather. (Did you know you can't find winter coats in Phoenix?) We had a blast even though our toes and fingers went numb. Taylor, Jacob, and Kate even tried skiing with Andy. They loved it. We had a wonderful few days playing in a winter wonderland and snuggling in our warm and cozy hotel. We planned our trip just right. Many people got stuck in Flagstaff because of snow storms. We were already planning on being "stuck" and enjoying all the fun snow.

We love vacationing as a family. We always have the best times. And seriously this is the best stage to travel as a family. When we got home after over less than a 3 hour drive, Kate announced, "That was a short drive!" Wow! That's never been said before.

Christmas

2011-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

A lot happened over the last few weeks. So I'm blogging about each event.

Here's Christmas!

Gingerbread house tradition minus the sick Ferrells. Lots of yummy sugar and laughs.

The Christmas Story performance at my cousin Nicole's. She is the best hostess and carries on our Mita and Papa's tradition, including Christmas Eve bags, which the kids love.

When we got home from Nicole's house I still had all the presents to wrap. The kids watched a Christmas DVD while I locked myself in my room. Summer informed me that her new Christmas Eve tradition was to watch White Christmas before she went to bed. She got her wish and I listened to the songs while I wrapped on the other side of the room.

Christmas Day!


Traditional Christmas morning photo by the tree

Santa and others were very generous to us this year. Everyone was finally excited to get a Wii, especially the boys. Kate was snapping photos with her new (our very old) camera. Summer received her robin hood boots and finished up her gifts on the sewing machine (She's always thinking of others.). This is the first year Joshua asked for a present. For months I asked him what he wanted Santa to bring him. He either ignored me or said "I don't know." Two days before Christmas I decided to ask him just for kicks, "What do you want Santa to bring you?" He shocked me by replying, "Jessie, Woody, and Buzz.". This is the first time he has ever asked for anything for Christmas. I hit every Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us. I finally found the bunch. It really was a miracle because the toy isle are nearly empty 2 days before Christmas I learned. He was happy the whole day pulling the strings on their backs (Yes they all talk) and showed everyone his new pals.
This is the picture he drew at school just days before Christmas. He loves Toy Story!

We had fun spending lots of time with family, especially on Gpa Cardon's birthday on the 27th.

Rachael and Steve came to visit from Utah. We love hanging out with these 2, especially playing charades.

Christmas was amazing this year and we really felt the Christmas spirit and as always feel truly blessed!

Celebrating the Christmas Season

2010-12-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy and happy holiday season, with lots of activities to help bring the Christmas spirit into our hearts.
Here are just a few of them.

Our ward Christmas party was the best I have ever been to. The theme was "Journey to Bethlehem."
We all dressed up and went back into time, remembering the birth of the Savior. I've never been to a party where there was so much calmness, reverence, yet so fun. Kate was "The Star" for the program. Everyone enjoyed it and it helped us to focus on the true meaning of Christmas right from the start.

Kate had her Christmas dance recital with her "Dance Baby Dance" group. We love Ms. Michelle and her garage studio, just down our street. We love seeing Kate perform in a tumbling and dance routine and only paying $30 for both costumes. Kate was so excited and did marvelous. She loves to practice and being precise is important to her. "Are my legs straight?" comes out of her mouth every time she does a cartwheel. You can't help but smile, watching her excitement on stage. And I'm not just saying this because I am her mom, or maybe I am, but her classes performed the best.

Summer's choir concert certainly put us in the Christmas spirit with all of those beautiful songs. I am amazed at how talented these 7th and 8th graders are. I love especially hearing Summer sing in the shower. It makes me happy that she is loving choir developing another talent. It has also been fun preforming with Summer in our ward choir where we have had multiple opportunities to sing Christmas carols. And I love that Summer loves to listen to the Christmas station with me in the car. We've always got a Christmas tune in our heads.

One of the most exciting things I witnessed this month was Kate riding her bike around the circle all by herself. I had no idea she was practicing and one day I drive home from doing errands and there she is riding her bike, the one she has been deathly afraid to even get on. There were lots of smiles and shouts of joy that day. Love that memory. And of course breakfast with Santa also brought some smiles on this girls face.

Taylor had his Christmas band concert. I forgot my camera and he changed out of his shirt and tie before I could snag a pic. I made him play all the songs for me the day before so I knew how he sounded. He did a great job, especially since practicing slips his mind a lot (and mine).

Joshua sang in the chorus of the 2nd grade Christmas play. I was so proud of him! He sang every single song. He was so excited about it. He liked the practices and performing for the school. Everyday the before the big show he would tell me,"I did the play today." Since Thanksgiving he has been so excited to show us or tell us something that happened at school that day. We love it! On performance night he was a little confused about having his family come to watch him. "Summer, why are you here?", he asked when she came up to share her praises. Only mom has ever come to visit him on his territory. Although he was a bit confused by seeing so many people in the audience who didn't attend Carol Rae Ranch, he did his part and sang his heart out. Joshua loves music! He can belt it out beautifully when he wants to. We were hoping for 2 front teeth this Christmas, but maybe next year.

Good times for the Maxfields. We are excited about the big day tomorrow and are still feeling the Christmas spirit, even in our shorts and sandals.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Thanksgiving.
Andrew, Michelle, and Drew visited Arizona, so we celebrated with family all week long.
We even celebrated some birthdays. (Happy Bday Andrew, Scott, and Emily!)
The weather was beautiful!
We spent lots of time outside, and as always enjoyed delicious food, and incredible company.
The Maxfields have lots to be thankful for this year, especially family.
(We missed you Rachael!)

Michelle, Andrew, and Drew all the way from SLC


Michelle and Summer making the yummiest gourmet caramel apples. Thanks Andrew and Michelle!

Train Ride

Christin, Joshua, Summer


Hailey, Peyton, and Jacob's dramatic playing

Kate and Alexis

Handsome Taylor

Kids feasting in Gma and Gpa Cardon's backyard.