LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, INTRODUCING THE NEXT MICHAEL PHELPS.....

A couple of weeks ago we were watching the swimming competitions on tv, and Jackson decided he needed to have his own competition. So he went and got his beanie (swimming cap), his swimming goggles, and his stool to use as his diving block. And then proceeded to break all swimming records....

Happy Canada Day!!!!

In celebration of Canada Day,(tomorrow, July 1st) and for lack of a better post, here are a few tidbits for your reading enjoyment:
-Canada is the second largest country in the world, with 9,971,000 square kilometres of land.
-The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
-With only three people per square kilometer, Canada has the fourth lowest population density in the world.
-Vancouver, Canada is tied with Zurich Switzerland for the highest quality of life of any city in the world.
-The world's smallest jail is believed to be in Rodney, Ontario, Canada. It is only 24.3 square meters (about 270 square feet).
-Canada has the ninth biggest economy of the world
-According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada has the highest quality of life in the world.
-Contrary to popular opinion, Canada does not own the North Pole. In fact, the North Pole is not owned by any country. It is believed, however, that Santa Claus is from Canada.
-Canada is the world's eighth biggest trader.
-Of all of the world's producers of natural gas, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and gold, Canada is in the top five.
-Canada is the home of many great inventions, including: basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, standard time, the television, the telephone, and the zipper.
-Canada is the fifth largest energy producer.
and here's one of my own:
-Not everyone from Canada says "eh"!!!

sHanNa's 8's

My friend megan tagged me a while ago to do this and it has taken me FOREVER to come up with the answers!!!! it's good though, it has enabled me to get to know myself better!!!

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. Brent
2. my babies
3. my testimony
4. being happy
5. being real
6. BYU football/Bronco Mendenhall
7. purses
8. shoes

8 songs I can listen to without getting sick of 'em
1. I don't feel like dancing-Scissor Sisters
2. Under Attack-Abba
3. Pour some sugar on me-Def Leppard, baby!!!!
4. Save the last dance for me-Michael Buble, but i prefer it when Jackson sings it
5. That's the truth-Paul Brandt
6. Won't go home without you-Maroon 5
7. Unwritten-Natasha Bedingfield
8. any Celine Dion

8 books I've read recently:
1. Remember Me-Sophie Kinsella
2. the Host-Stephenie Meyer
3. The Giver-Lois Lowry
4. Angry Housewives eating BonBons (i can't remember who the author is, but isn't that the best title ever?)
5. The Peacegiver
6. the Other Boleyn Girl
7. From the end of heaven-Chris Stewart
8. Eat, Pray, Love

8 things I say often:
1. No, No, Tater
2. that's so random
3. JACKSON!!!!!
4. I love you________.
5. What do you want for dinner?
6. What are you doing?
7. Are you kidding?
8. No lie.

8 things that attract me to a friend:
1. they can make me laugh, which isn't hard so really I should be friends with pretty much everyone.
2. they're positive.
3. they're a good listener
4. we can talk for hours about anything.
5. we can be silly together, but also have deep conversations when required
6. they're loyal and trustworthy
7. they have confidence in themselves
8. they don't get offended easily.

8 random things about me:
1. i'm pretty sure i'm borderline celiac but i'm too lazy and have no self control to give up wheat.
2. i get bored really easily
3. i love, love, love a good chick flick
4. i l.o.v.e to dance
5. i'm very opinionated (ok, these might not be so random!!!!)
6. i live for date nights and girls night outs!!!!
7. i never pass on chocolate!!!
8. if i'm alone in my car, the music is up LOUD!!!!! and if you're with me, no talking please!!!!

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. travel, travel, travel!
2. actually accomplish some of my goals
3. take my kids (& Brent since he's never been) to Disneyland
4. go on a cruise
5. finish school & get a degree
6. figure out what I want to be when I grow up (see #5)
7. see a play on Broadway
8. run a half-marathon (i don't have lofty goals!!!!)

8 things I've learned this past year:
1. that you can't force a 4 yr old to do ANYTHING
2. that being a stay at home mom is 100x harder than going to work full time
3. that you won't get the things you think you need when the Lord is trying to teach you patience!!! aaaaarrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!
4. that 5 years fly by way too fast
5. that love really does multiply and not divide
6. that I've got some pretty good friends
7. that even though they drive me crazy, i absolutely adore my family
8. that I miss them when we're not all together.

Family Pictures & Homecoming

For the first time in 5 years, my whole family was together so for sure we had to get some family pics done!!! These are the only ones that I got with my camera....


My sisters, Sharlyn & Ashleigh, brother-in-law Nick, and my brothers, Matt and Bradley

Tate had fallen down the week prior to Bradley's homecoming and had gotten the biggest goose egg on his forehead; it had started to go away and then while we were at my mom's for Brad's homecoming, he fell down again and got another goose egg in the same place!! I'm seriously going to have to get a helmet for this one!!!

Welcome Home!!!

My baby brother (seriously, he's the youngest of 7) came home from his mission on May 1. It is so good to have him home!!! This was the only picture I got of that day... sorry! He finally got to meet Tate!!!

and so it begins....

Jackson started his first extracurricular activity this year: t-ball!!! It was pretty funny to watch him, he is so enthusiastic!! He always wanted to be the first up to bat and he had to be the first one to get the ball, wherever it was hit to. The funny thing was, he usually was first to it, but sometimes when he wasn't he tended to tackle. Guess he got his sports mixed up. While we were walking to his first game, Brent turned to me and asked "are you ready for this?" and I said "ready for what?" and he said "your life as a soccer mom has now started" AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

I'm trying to update my blog... but I can't find my camera cord to upload the pictures :( so keep enjoying my two handsome boys!