Cindy and Sean Rickert & Family

Puppet Show

2011-11-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

We have a house!

2011-10-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

We moved here in May of 2010 and decided to rent for a while until our house in Round Valley sold. We found a small place and figured it'd be temporary. Our house in Round Valley sold quickly, we were so blessed! I knew I had to go back to work, but after a 5 year break I wasn't sure I could find a teaching job in July. I applied to a couple of places, but nothing. Sean found a job in Pima and found an online position. I thought I would at least get on the sub list. I went to Thatcher and the secretary pointed out that a Science position was open still. It was 2 weeks before school started. Crazy! I had already applied for the position. I'm not usually pushy...but I knew I needed a job. So I went to track down the principal. I finally left my resume and my application on the counter at the middle school with a big pink post it that said, I'm really interested in this job. Left my number and hoped for the best. I heard that afternoon, they wanted an interview. So I went in the next day to meet with the principal and the superintendent. I got hired that afternoon. What a wonderful place to work. I'm starting my second year and it's been a great place to be. The blessings just keep coming. Since I was emplyeed and we were a little more stable...the house shopping began. It was more stressful than I thought. We weren't even should we could qualify for a loan. We found this house on the internet. I knew the house from high school...they had a bunch of teen age boys. It's a 3 level home, 5 bedrooms 4 bathrooms, family room, dining room, front room and a huge playroom. We walked in and it was home...not good when you aren't even sure you can afford it or qualify for a loan... The home had had some flood damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. We ended up putting an offer on the house in Sept. and after a horrible long process we closed in May. It was so awful!!!! but I love my house! It needs work and love still. But the basement is fixed and it is amazing to have so much space. We've had lots of sleepovers and had our first big party where there were probably 60 people over for pie. I love having a place for my neices and nephews to come hang out. We are so grateful! I work 5 blocks away and I can see the temple from my front porch. I have beautiful mountains that surround my house and am feeling like the luckiest woman alive. We are healthy and so very happy!

The last few months!

2010-04-14T12:29:00.001-07:00

The last few months have been crazy! We celebrated Josh's birthday without him for hopefully the last time. It was a tough day for me, not sure why it seems to get harder the longer he's out...but it does. Thankfully 4 1/2 months and counting! Lia finally lost her front teeth and we are still waiting for the new ones to come in. Poor thing doesn't have a whole lot of room in her mouth. We have been doing some remodeling which has taken up most of our time. The bathroom is just about finished as well as the kitchen...both were long overdue. Still have details to finish up but hopefully that happens soon so we can officially put our house on the market. Have had quite a few calls but nothing definate yet, so hopefully that's a good sign. We finally have a definate job in Pima!!!! Sean is going to be teaching middle school Social Studies which will be fun for him, and something he's done for awhile. We have been blessed to be able to work for Jay and Dustin on the weekends and through the summer. Sean is really enjoying doing something more physical and different. Working with family has been fun and we have enjoyed every bit. Not looking forward to working in the heat, but we'll survive....The kids have no idea how hot it will get, they were complaining of the heat in April down there! Poor things! So now we are just winding things down here which is bittersweet. Such an amazing place! and so many wonderful people! it's going to be hard to say goodbye. What a blessing it has been to raise our family and grow together as a family in this amazing community. We love you all!

8 year Anniversary!

2010-02-15T13:59:00.001-08:00

This month we celebrated our 8th Anniversary! I am so blessed to have found Sean, I can't imagine my life without him. I am lucky to have met and married my best friend. My only regret that it took so long for us to finally meet and I look forward to eternity with him.

January Storms

2010-02-15T09:48:00.001-08:00

We have had more snow and more storms come through this area than I think I ever remember! It should make for a beautiful spring and summer! We have been lucky we haven't had the power outages and problems with all the snow other than the kids have been couped up a little more than they'd like.

Sledding with the Holiday family!

2010-02-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

We have been promising the kids we would take them sledding over the Christmas break. When we were finally all feeling better we headed to our friends in Alpine to go sledding. Wasn't the best sledding, too much fresh powder, which is not an issue for grownups but when the powder is thigh high, it makes walking a little difficult. Lia and Dani tried to make a new run, I tried to tell her she should just stick with us, but they were bound and determined they could make a better run....hmmmm wonder whose kid she is? These poor girls hiked and dragged their sled over to another hill where they quickly flipped their sled and buried themselves in powder. They decided sledding was dumb after that and wadded to the truck. lol We had a lot of fun and after a great afternoon of sledding (which Tobe the youngest survived the most runs and had the most fun!) we headed back to their house for waffles and cider and a movie. By the time it we were ready to go home, everyone was dry and ready for a nap! Best day sledding!

More Christmas pics

2010-02-15T09:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas in Round Valley

2010-02-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry they'll be sideways till I can figure it out....but figured that way was better than no pics at all!

Christmas on the mountain always starts with the light parade. We make a batch of hot chocolate and bundle up and head down to main street. The kids have a blast listening to Christmas music and waiting for the parade to start. We were grateful this year it wasn't too cold! We had our ward party were the adults got to act out the Nativity play, the kids favorite part was King Herod. Bro. Stroud really got into his part and the kids had lots of questions about that part of the Christmas story when we got home. They got to see Santa! That was their favorite part! Poor Lia wanted to ask Santa if he would bring Josh home for just a couple of days and then he could take him back to Mexico. I'll have to admit, I've been in a funk myself missing the boy. We decided to stay home for Christmas. I'm glad and sad at the same time. The kids had fun! We however spent most of the holiday break sick. It started in Safford and just worked it's way through the family. We didn't get as sick as some of the family, but it was no fun. We were able to feed the missionaries for Christmas eve breakfast and then got to talk to Josh. Big stinker gave me the wrong phone number! The poor lady I kept calling had no idea what I was asking and I had no idea what she was trying to tell me. 45 min later Josh called and was like are you going to call? Not a clue! We talked for a couple of hours. I am so impressed with him! He is growing and changing so much. His accent was so cute! We forgot to get the stuff to record the call...bummer! He is missing family and is stressing over what to do with his life when he gets home. The kids were so excited to be able to visit with him. He sends his love to everyone, he asked about all of the family and wanted updates on how everyone is doing. We started reading the Book of Mormon together, that will be fun. It was awesome to hear how his testimony has grown. What a blessing he is for our family!
Christmas morning was mellow, the kids don't have their big brother's internal clock and slept in. We finally broke down and got them a wii... they had been asking for one, but said..."it's no use, we'll never get one!" When Lia realized what they got she held the box over her head and just yelled, "we got a wii!" I'll have to admit, it's been a blast! Our family is so blessed, we had an amazing Christmas. I am constantly reminded how lucky I am. We love each of you!

Holiday season

2010-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

We were able to go back down to have a special Nativity program with family. Those really are one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. I got so involved I didn't get pictures. We went to Dad's and had awesome cider, hot chocolate and lots of goodies. The kids acted out the Nativity. It's amazing to see how much bigger our group gets each year. I think this year we had 3 different sets of innkeepers, a host of angels and lots of animals in the barn so all the kids could have a part. I was bummed about not having Josh there, but I am so grateful for the choices he's making to serve a mission. We got some shopping done, thanks to Kally's awesome store! and had a great time. Lia came home minus one front tooth and the other one left at a 45 degreee angle, thanks to a collision with Ashley's head! (who never even cried) It was even funnier because Jacob had been working on getting a tooth out and finally did, and not 2 min. later she comes up, blood all over, minus a tooth. Never did find the tooth, we figured she must have swallowed it. The next day when she used the restroom and I suggested she look around for the tooth, she made the best face! She was terrified I was serious! We shared some of Sean's families traditional Christmas cookies and made crepes for the family. We started a fun tradition of the sisters going shopping at night, we each had little things to finish before Christmas. We started at Kally's store and ended up at Wal Mart getting home after 1:00 am. It was fun to let loose and just be sisters, we definately have to do this again.

Thanksgiving

2010-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

We were able to go and spend time with family for Thanksgiving! It was nice to leave the cold, we were even able to swim!!!! Being able to spend time with all the family was such a blessing. It was nice to have Papa and Patty home from their mission to spend the holiday with them was so wonderful, we have missed them. It really gets me excited to move and spend more time with all the neices and nephews! We were able to see the new store that Mark and Kally opened, the kids even got their picture taken and put in the local paper (thanks to Angela). We also got to show the kids the temple that is being built there. They loved the fact that the Angel Moroni was already on top. I can't believe how fast it's going up. That will be so great to have a temple so close to home! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sam's birthday

2009-11-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

We finally had Sam's party! It was fun! We had a training course, did blindman's punting, watched some of Josh's old football highlight film and had tons of cake, ice cream and rootbeer! Sam had a blast with all of his friends over!

Arizona's gift to the capital

2009-11-16T08:36:00.001-08:00

Some friends of ours were able to cut down the 85 foot tall Christmas tree for the capital this year. It was cool! We didn't make it out for the cutting, but were able to go see it before they took it on it's "tour".

Halloween

2009-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Since I lost my camera I've just been in a funk and haven't taken many pics. I hate when I lose things!!! Anyway Halloween this year was fun, it's funny we have tons of ideas and things we aspire to do....but life has a way of keeping me in check. The kids had a hard time choosing what to be, Sam wanted to be a cowboy that way he could wear his regular stuff, then it was a jaguar, then a cop...so many choices. He finally decided on a football player but wanted to be black and gold. He loves it! Lia is usually a princess and this year wanted to be Tinkerbell, which is hard to make winter friendly. She then thought about a cheerleader, found a great deal on ebay and we were set. I really don't think she'd care as long as makeup was involved. Anyway nice additions to the dress up trunk. We decided to bag on going to the trunk or treat, it's just getting creepy. Too many people passing out homemade candy that I don't know. We went around the neighborhood and had a great time visiting. Ended up at Sonic for 50 cent corndogs and free ice cream. The kids got plenty of candy, and had more fun passing out candy to everyone that came by. I wanted to make home made rootbeer, but the stuff to make it is getting harder to find. bummer! Nothing like a rootbeer icee!!! Another time! We missed seeing family for Halloween but can't wait to see pics of all the costumes! Love you guys!

Canning, canning, canning

2009-09-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

So it's the end of the growing season and I've started trying to can some things. I wish was better at it, but at least I'm trying. I got asked to teach a class on how to make Salsa for Relief Society, still not sure why. I tell them pretty up front, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Things thankfully turned out alright and I was able to bottle 12-15 bottles of Salsa, and deliver a bunch to neighbors and friends when I was too tired to can anymore. Sean and I made pepper jelly which is wonderful on grilled cheese or a cheese crisp...but it's best with some little cherry peppers we got out of Jay and Tami's garden and there weren't very many of them. I was amazed out how well it turned out. Then I tried to can a mint syrup from my mint that takes over everything. Sean loves an iced mint tea and I thought it would be fun to have some through the winter. That one still needs work, it didn't turn out as well as I hoped, but it's decent. Now the apples are ripe and I'm trying to keep up. I made homemade applesauce which I thought was amazing! (and so easy) but Lia informed me the store's is better....can't please them all. So I've got tons of empty jars waiting for applesauce, and apple pie filling...hopefully soon. And of course we never come home from Safford empty handed (thanks again Curtis') Sean brought home a huge grocery bag of habenero peppers. I'M NOT TOUCHING THEM!!!!! He loves drying the peppers and ginds them into this amazingly fresh powder. I can handle cayennes or some of the others, but not habenero's. I'll keep you posted on how they turn out! For now I'll stick to the apples.

Apache County Fair

2009-09-29T11:01:00.001-07:00

We always end up going to two fairs, the one here in Apache County and the one in Safford. The one here is pretty small and not a lot to see, but the kids love going and seeing the animals, and know most of the kids that take care of them. The Hannah's always have a few animals and the boys show their goats. So it's fun for the kids. It never fails they want to ride the rides, which I think is a big fat waste of money. Especially when we will do it all again a few weeks later. So this year I came up with a plan. There was a guy selling pvc marshmellow shooters and cap guns. The kids of course wanted one. So I told them I would buy each of them a cork gun, if we didn't ride the rides....surprisingly they went for it! They have even behaved themselves with the cork guns. I'll have to admit they are pretty cool, I'll have to try to figure out how to make more as of course there is never enough to share on some days.

Things you find in the woods!

2009-09-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

I couldn't help posting pictures from our drive. The mountains were so pretty. We didn't have to drive but 20-30 min. to be in the middle of it! Sam of course loves the pictures of the cows. He wanted them for his room...what a nut. I love seeing the clouds come in. Of course seeing a bunch of Elk is always exciting. Funny how I never have my camera ready when it's a herd of bull elk.

2009-09-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Winter is coming so fast! We've already had hail and some snow in the mountains. I have to close the windows at night, and Lia fusses that she's so cold in the morning that she wants a fire. Looks like it will be a long winter. So we headed to the woods to look for wood. It ended up being more like a picnic. It was fun. I love enjoying the beautiful mountains that we are blessed to live in. Sam loves just being in the woods where he can swordfight with big sticks, rolling and throwing rocks down hills and imagining about all the animals and what they are doing. On the way home there were big drifts of what looked like snow, we pulled over to scoop some into our ice chest for Lia (who says she misses all the fun stuff, because she has to go to school) and it turned out to be drifts of hail, which was even cooler (literally). She loved it! The next day Sean was able to get up and go get a load of wood. His truck only sustained minor damage from some tree, funny how that happens, and he was able to make it in the driveway before the battery on the truck got fried. Things that keep life interesting. A couple of more loads of wood and we should be set for winter!

Dustin and his little friend?

2009-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have so many pictures from the funeral where so many family was gathered. It was truly and amazing oppotunity for our kids to have a blast with so many cousins and family around. I'll have to post a slide show to show all the fun! We ended the trip with a special treat from Dustin. That morning we were visiting with him. He simply asked "want to see what I have in my plastic tub?" with him that can never be good, because usually that means he's caught a rattlesnake. Of course he had a pretty nice sized snake in the tub which my kids were so eagar to look in. Did I mention I HATE snakes, I hate the way they move, the look of the them just causes too many flashbacks of time in a cotton field hoeing weeds and demolishing rows of cotton hoping to kill the snake in the row. Or time when they'd be in the yard, and especially when Kally got bit by one. I try however not to let my phobias (however valid) affect my kids. So I let them see the critter. It helps that I trust my brother completly. If he says it's okay, it's okay by me. That night after most of the family had left he got out his tub again on the grass and called all the kids over, who had heard about his "friend". He got the snake out and let it crawl around letting them get a good look. We all cautioned them about the danger of messing with any snake, especially this kind. I didn't get to stay to see if he finished his "job" with the snake. He was going to try to de fang it so that his brother in law could use it to train his hunting dogs about rattlesnakes. What a guy! The weekend definatly ended with a bang...or a fang? ha ha
Sorry the pictures are not the best, wrong time of day and I wasn't getting that close, if someone got better picts let me know and we'll swap them out!

Grandma Laurel's funeral

2009-09-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

So much has happened and it's hard to go back over everything. I'll give it a try. This month our wonderful Grandmother passed away. I didn't think I would struggle with it like I did, she was and is an amazing example to our family and too all that new her. Poor Josh had hoped that she would still be around when he got off his mission. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to go see her before his mission. I loved that she watched the news and if something happened in Mexico City I would get the sweetest phone call making sure he was safe and doing well. What a woman! I am deeply grateful for the time we shared with her. We were definately spoiled growing up near her and it was such a blessing. I loved hearing her sweet testimony so many times throughout my life. I also loved that no matter what stage of life I was in, or what circumstance she supported me. I hope and pray I can live my life in such a way that I can make her proud of me.

Soccer Season!

2009-08-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Soccer has finally started! Sam is so excited! He has been waiting for months to be able to be on a "team". 1 minute into his first quarter he comes running off the field crying, "they are shoving on me!" Had to explain that that's kinda how soccer works. They are both on the same team the Wildcats. Lia pushed for the name because their colors are almost the same as on High School Musical. She kills me! My cousin is their coach, so it's fun to be able to go and watch them all. Lia was a little bummed that she is on the "little" team, she missed the cut off by one week. Oh well. So far they are having a blast and after 2 games and 2 practices I am amazed how much better they are getting. Josh is excited, because he is loving playing soccer in Mexico!

1st day of 1st grade

2009-08-17T18:33:00.001-07:00

We survived the first day of school! Lia has Mrs. Hoppe and is having a blast! She is even managing to get up in the morning to make the bus at 7:25. Can we say she is not generally a morning person...we'll see how long it last :) Other than that we are all adjusting to the schedule. Babysitting has started for me and that has helped Sam adjust to Dad and Lia being gone.

The Party!!!

2009-08-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Lia's birthday

2009-08-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to Safford for Lia's birthday party this year. She wanted to hang out with cousins at the pool. It was so much fun! She is really into littlest pet shop so we did that for the cake, not the best picture but I forgot to take one earlier. We had a dog water dish relay, we had animal races and a scavenger hunt where the treasure was puppy kibble (aka chex muddy buddies). It was so much fun! We had a home evening lesson and home made ice cream thanks to Dusin and Amy. The kids swam and played and had a blast! It was the perfect end to the summer!

Eagar Daze

2009-08-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

Eagar Daze 2009 was a big success. The kids entered in the running events - Stick Horse Race, Goat Ribbon Pull, and Balloon Burst. Lia took third in the Goat Ribbon Pull. She had to run about thirty feet, grab a ribbon off the tail of a goat and then run back. She won her heat and then a semifinal heat and took third in the finals. Great Job Lia! Sam decided that he wanted to ride a sheep this year. It's funny how something like that sounds like a great idea but when you are actually faced with the actual doing looks fairly terrifying. Sam got down in the chute and sat on the sheep, but before they got around to opening the gate he decided he'd had enough. Dad overrode his objections and they opened the chute. Sam found himself safely held up in the air as the sheep quickly ran out from between his legs. So just call him Wooly Rider (and we'll try again next time). All together it was a fun day and we enjoyed the rodeo greatly.

updates

2009-07-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Okay I finally got my blog updated. It had been way too long. There are lots of pictures, so far the summer has been lots of fun. Although Lia still asks for homework. Mom has been staying with us for a week and we are getting ready to head to Utah for the family reunion. The kids are excited and can't wait to spend time with the cousins.

Branding night part 1

2009-07-03T09:55:00.001-07:00

Branding and Castrating!

2009-07-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors across the street invited us over for Family Home Evening, they also said they needed a little help taking care of their steers....they wanted Sean to help brand and castrate these not so little steers. Of course he said yes, not knowing what was in store for him. Mom and I laughed and said we would have our cameras ready, poor guy had no idea the fun that awaited him. We had dinner and of course as soon as the fun was about to begin it started raining. Still the job had to be done so we plugged on. Lucky the rain didn't last. Sean was up first to get his steer down, he did awesome. They had a hard time keeping them down, they were big (it's bad when they outweigh you). Sean had acquired a branding set up that we got at an auction so we used those. You never forget that smell of branding....I didn't think Sam and Lia would stay out there, but they were fascinated by the whole process, even when it came too castrating one of the steers. They cut off one of the steers horns, but I wasn't paying attention so I missed getting the picture when the blood squirted and got Sean in the ear...it was messy it always is. After that we left the horns on the other 3. The Brewers nearly died when they realized this was Sean's first time. Didn't realize the ranch he worked at was a horse ranch and he drove the carriages. They just laughed at being able to break him in. It was lots of fun and brought back lots of memories.

Pony Wash

2009-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours needed to borrow our pony so we decided to give her a much needed bath. The kids were unsure of exactly how this was going to happen. Sam even asked if we were bringing her into the bathtub like we do the dog. They had a blast soaping her up and rinsing her off. Sam's favorite part was being able to run her around while we waited for her to dry off. I should have done a finished picture, when she was brushed and beautiful. Next time we'll add that!

Krista and Jonathon's Visit

2009-07-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have Krista and Jonathon come and spend 5 days with us while Kristi and Kevin were at girls camp. Oh my gosh we packed a lot into those 5 days! We milked cows (which they were amazed by), played in the woods waiting for Dustin to finish, we went to a Bull's night out and they got to get real up close and personal with some bulls, rode horses and just played until we were to tired to play anymore. Sean and I were exhausted but had so much fun with the kids. They are so gullable, it was hard not to take advantage. What a blessing they are to the family! Since playing on the ropes with Uncle Dustin Sam is always trying to rope a tree, so he can climb down it like he does. I finally had to remind him after watching him fall down a tree he had actually managed to rope up, that he didn't have a harness so he couldn't do that yet. He was so cute, just said "Dang it, I forgot about the harness!" Hopefully that saves him from killing himself in the tree for a while, at least until he figures out to rig himself a harness. My favorite part about the rodeo was watching Sam and Jonathon's faces as they watched the bull toss a cowboy after they just had sat on him. I forgot to tell them the bulls are fine until you put a bucking strap on them. They thought they had just narrowly escaped death!

Krista and Jonathon's Visit

2009-07-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Kaylani's blessing

2009-07-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Things worked out so that I was able to take Mom to Kim and Adam's for Kaylani's blessing. What a neat experience both to be able to have time with Mom and to be there for the blessing. Watching this family grow and change over time has been so special, it reminded me of the changes to my own family and the blessings that have followed. So much joy! It was great to be able to visit with Adam's family for the afternoon. I definately have to bring Sean back down so he and Adam could play rock band! It was a great trip and kind of fun to be able to do it without kids!

Mother's Day phone call

2009-07-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day was pretty special! We got to talk to Josh for quite a bit. To be honest I felt a little guilty, of course it didn't stop us from visiting with him. It was amazing to hear his voice. We went to Safford and the whole family was able to talk to him for a bit. It was so cute to see the kids lined up waiting for their turn. We even mangaged to have family prayer over the phone, he finally has been able to pray in Spanish and he said he couldn't remember how to pray in English. Of course Lia offered to help him. We had him pray in Spanish and by the time he was done Sean and I were both so moved. I may not have understood much of what he said but the spirit was so strong. It was definately hard to hang up the phone. He still cracks me up, and I loved hearing how much he loves the people he serves. It is comforting to me to know he is loved and being taken care of in spite of earthquakes, swine flu and all the violence and drugs. We miss him terribly but are grateful for this experience and what we are all learning. It was the best Mother's Day ever!

School is over!

2009-07-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Poor Lia wasn't ready for school to be over :(. She has loved every minute of kindergarten and was stressed out as to who would give her homework over the summer. We loved having Mrs. Larsen as her teacher and she sent her kids home with the cutest video of all the highlights of the year and some of their favorite songs from class. The last week of school the kids had their music program and Lia kept telling me there was a very embarrassing song they had to sing...the chicken dance! It was so cute! Now we just have to survive the summer, especially with her asking everyday if today is the day when she gets to go to first grade. Either that or "I'm bored!" I guess we'll have to get better at a set routine, she seems to do better with that.

T-ball

2009-07-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

This year Lia was able to play t-ball! I wasn't sure if she would stick with it but we wanted to give it a try. I was afraid Sam would be too upset about not being able to play. They both did great! We had a lot of fun cheering her on! It was tough for Dad to realize that there are no outs in t-ball...everyone gets a turn to bat and make it around the bases and everyone wins! She loved it. Now they are both looking forward to soccer where they can both play and hopefully be on the same team.

Cousins!

2009-05-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

Bradshaw kids visit!

2009-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to have Shona and her family come visit for the weekend! We don't get to see them very often so it was so much fun. We got to milk a cow (after we explained to Hannah that they weren't boy parts). Sam even squirted milk into his own mouth, I was afraid he might have some mouth to teat contact, he's a freak! Got to ride in a horse drawn wagon, ride horses and just play. You would think with all that activity they would go to bed early and sleep in....no way! They would be up late and be up before 6:00 or 6:30. As soon as they left Lia came in and took a 2 1/2 hour nap, she was soooo tired. Sam just cried, he doesn't do goodbyes well. He and the boys had a blast! We have definately had lots of fun lately! What a wonderful family we have!

Grand Canyon 09

2009-04-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon

2009-04-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were finally well enough to go to the Grand Canyon. Sean's sister and family were flying to Vegas and then making their way there (they'll continue on to Bryce and Zion) We had planned to spend a couple of days with them, but needed to cut it short to go check on Mom. It was great to see them even if it was just a short visit. We even got to camp there....uhmmm thats a whole different issue. Let's just say we are too old to sleep on the ground anymore. It was a rough night, but something that we will definately have to do again with our camping stuff. The kids hiked and played and had a blast. We however forgot to apply sunscreen and most of us left the day a little burnt. If you ask the kids their favorite part they will tell you it was the squirrel on the side of the trail or Sam will tell you it was being able to hunt for the elk (that were very tame on the side of the road that he managed to chase into the intersection). It was so much fun to see them! We miss them already!

Easter

2009-04-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

We have all (well except Sean who has had his own problems) had the flu. I don't think I've been that sick in a long time, it was rough! Not too mention that during this same week my Mother was flown to Tucson Medical Center with complications. She is home and recovering. The family down in Safford is taking wonderful care of her. In the middle of all this I forgot it was Easter. So instead of the wonderful spiritual holiday, my kids think it's about eggs and candy and a bunny. I tried in my feverish state to have a one on one with Lia about the true meaning of Easter and when I mentioned Christ and his resurrection, she calmly stated that he already had a holiday. What to do with her. Anyway I tried to explain but clearly will have to plan ahead from now on if I want to compete with the TV and school explanation of holidays. I couldn't bring myself to buy white eggs when my fridge is full of eggs even though they were brown. We still had fun and the kids even colored one that was red whitish and green for Josh in Mexico!

Sean's "little" accident!

2009-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Okay most of you have heard about the "little" accident. I guess some people will do anything to avoid turning 40.....ever. We had a branch break in the big tree in our front yard, but it was hung up in the tree. There was a chance it could blow down into power lines so Sean decided to handle it...alone. I've had the flu all week so I'm watching from the house as he is up the ladder, chain saw attached to a rope, then pounding and making wedges. So he's using the chain saw and the branch (which is the large one in the picture) breaks free and pounds him on the base of his neck and drops him several feet bending the ladder. Luckily he dropped the chainsaw which when I got to him was still running. He is soooooo very lucky. Poor Lia wanted to call 911 and Sam thought he was real bad hurt. Scary! We got him in the house and so far no long lasting effects. He's a little sore, some cuts and scrapes but safe. We are so grateful that someone was looking out for him. So if you talk to him and he tells you it was no big deal....NOT TRUE! Love you hon and I am so grateful you are still around...especially today!

The Zoo!

2009-04-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

We got to go to Phoenix this past weekend and made it to the Zoo! It was a beautiful day and we had a blast. Poor Lia has been a little sick so I'm sure she didn't have as much fun as we did. We took Cami with us and had a lot of fun! What a blessing she is in our family. We had promised the kids they could swim (got to quit doing that) but the weather turned windy and cold that night...so we'll have to make it up to them. We also got to see our new neice, Kaylani Rae! What a cutie!

Safford

2009-04-07T14:30:00.001-07:00

Trip to Safford!

2009-04-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to be able to go to Safford to see Jonathon and Krista get baptized. Unfortunately we didn't get many pictures with them! We are so excited to have them in our family! It was amazing to see Jace honor his priesthood and baptize them. I just cried thinking that's what Josh is doing! What a blessing these boys are and I'm grateful for their example! We were able to spend time together at the Duck Ponds, having a picnic and playing together. Wish we could have done more to help at Jay and Tami's re-opening, but figured helping to entertain the kids was the best solution. We had a blast! Even though we all got a bit burnt. Was wierd to come home to snow and cold!

Pony in training

2009-04-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to get a carriage for the pony for awhile now, Sam is so excited to learn to drive like Dad! We borrowed a cart from the Hannah's to see how she would do (she hasn't been driven for awhile). She did great! She seemed so little pulling the cart, the kids were so excited to finally get a ride!

More time at the Rodeo

2009-03-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday there is a Bull riding event in town. Sean and Sam love going and haven't missed many. They get to help out a little and get pretty close to the bulls, which Sam loves and Lia just thought they were dirty. Lia decided she was missing something fun and wanted to go...but didn't like the dirt and the cold (definately all girl). Have to find something she and I can do while they are rodeoing. Any ideas? They still had a blast playing and being totally entertained by the rodeo clown who is a good friend of ours and happens to go to church with us. Sundays are definately more interesting when he's there as Sam treats him like a super hero and gets so excited when he sees him. It's been fun for Sam and Sean to "talk" rodeo. They even watch differnt rodeo on TV and have a blast! It's so cute! We may have to round up some tickets to a PBR event or something. Not sure who would be more excited Dad or Sam.

Elder Curtis turned 20!!!!

2009-03-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Where did the time go? It's hard to believe Josh is now 20! He had a great birthday in Mexico with lots of families taking care of him. It is so comforting to know he is loved and well cared for there. He is so happy, which makes it easier for Mom to not miss him as bad. It was different to celebrate without him, but it was neat to go through baby pictures and remeber all the changes in his life. What a blessing he has been in our family. As his mom, I have truly been blessed and I know without a doubt he was meant for me. I have learned so much for him! Trust me when I tell you that those difficult, busy days with your kids, that make you crazy, go by so fast, and then before you know it they are off an on their own. Enjoy every minute!

Tractors and good neighbors!

2009-03-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Sean has been working at our neighbors house a lot lately. They are an elderly couple who just need a visit and want to feel useful, like most of us! They have a huge spot where they used to have a large garden and Sean, bless his heart is going to put in a corn patch. We irrigate for them anyway, so it's not like it will be difficult, we'll just be watering corn, instead of the weed patch. He's so excited! One more thing for his "free" time. The kids love going over to visit and help out, so it really is a blessing. Sean even recruited one of the Hamblin boys to use the tractor to till it up and of course where tractors are involved there are plenty of kids that want to help. Lia and Sam had a blast, I'm afraid they'd follow those Hamblin cousins anywhere.

Date Night!

2009-03-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Date night continues! We learned to make California Rolls! They were so yummy, and weren't that hard to make at all. We did make way too much, oh man were they good though. You definitely need to try them. Find some sushi rice, you can't use regular rice and follow the directions on the package. We looked up a couple of recipes off the Internet which also had video, and step by step instructions (which I need). Get some Nori sheets, dried seaweed, Walmart even carries them. Then decide what you want to put in them. We used imitation crab, avocado and cucumber for our fillings. I almost forgot, you need this really cool bamboo mat to help roll them. One of the websites said you can use a towel, but we were lucky some friends had one that we could borrow. If you find one, be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap, so nothing sticks to it. We found a great soy sauce called Ponzu, it's kind of citrusy and even some pickled ginger and wasabi. We will be making these again! We watched "The secret life of Bees" which was good, a little intense for a romantic date night but it was good. Sean and I are really enjoying opportunities to make time for each other. Life gets pretty busy at times.

Bucking Bulls

2009-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

What can I say Sam is OBSESSED with being a cowboy! He wears his boots and hat and gloves every day. Never misses an opportunity to go to the feed store, or to the Hannah's ranch. He is always helping Sean take care of our ponies and the chickens. Saturday there was bull riding in town...so you can guess where Dad and Sam were. Right in the middle of things! Sam got to pet a bull in the chute and was told he could get on it if he wanted!!! Lucky the answer was no! They spent the afternoon having a blast helping and watching. He can't wait for the next time! I might have to go to keep them away from the chutes!
P.S. If you mute the music when you play the video below, you can hear Sam and Sean (they are on the fence right next to the chutes! Oh the kid was okay no broken bones)

quiet dinner

2009-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Sean and I have been trying to find time to spend together. Sometimes date night isn't a possibility because of minor setbacks, no sitter, no money, no time etc. You know the drill. We are trying to change that. So we put the kids to bed and had ourselves a romantic evening for two in our living room. We did fondue, which was wonderful and watched a movie. It was great! Was very nice to feel like a couple again and not just parents! Definately have to make this a habit!

7th Anniversary!

2009-02-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been 7 years! It has been the hardest, most enjoyable, heartbreaking, joyful and truly the most blessed time of my life. I never knew my heart could hold this much love. Sean and I truly are best friends. It's not always easy...I don't think it's supposed to be, but I wouldn't trade a minute of our life. We struggle and grow more every day. I truly never thought I deserved anyone like him. He is so patient with me and those of you who know me know how much patience I require. We are blessed with beautiful, amazing children who keep us on our toes. I can't begin to list the blessings in my life. Today after a wonderful anniversary, he is top on my list! Eternity won't be long enough....

Traditions!

2009-01-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

One of the things we made sure we did this year before the holidays got even more hectic was to honor some of the traditions that I grew up with. After going to Utah for Thanksgiving and watching the video that Kelly and Danielle did it made me really think and be grateful for how I was raised. I grew up in an amazing family that did things together all the time. We had our challenges like most do, but I have wonderful memories of camping, picnics, parties and being able to hang out with cousins and lots of family around. One of my favorite traditions that I have let slide (unless I'm with all the family) is the one of acting out the nativity. If we didn't go to Safford we didn't do it, the same with the birthday cake for Jesus that Grandma Laurel would do for us every year. I loved the part of the video with Josh and Daniel in front of the birthday cake with a lighter and a fork! This year we weren't able to go to Safford but I wanted these traditions for my children. We invited the Boones and a neighbor over for Home Evening and we acted out the Nativity and had birthday cake. My cake will never be as beautiful as Grandma's but it was special none the less. I'm so grateful that my children have such great examples and traditions to follow!

Christmas with the family!

2009-01-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Well we are finally home after being able to spend the holidays with Sean's family in Mass. Luckily we made it after the ice storm and after they got their power and water back on. What a blessing to have such a wonderful family. The kids had a blast and when it was over there were more than enough tears. We had a blast sledding, going the the aquarium in Boston, learning how to butcher deer, playing wii, and just having fun with Grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles. Christmas was fun and we were very blessed. We got to talk to our missionary! I can't believe how much he's changing. I think it's been harder for me since talking to him. What a blessing he is to our family! The kids handled 2 days flying too and from Boston, they really do a great job! The hardest thing for Lia was being away from school for so long. She was sure her teacher was at school and she was missing something. We left Boston and it was minus 2 and arrived in Phx. and it was 68 and there were flowers and plants blooming all around. It was hard for Sam to realize he didn't have to have a jacket on to go outside. Anyway this time of year makes me always realize how blessed we are to have such amazing families and friends. We love you! Happy new year! I'll post a few pics and figure out how to post more later!

Christmas Party

2008-12-16T18:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas Party

2008-12-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's around the corner. Where did November go? I truly love this time of year! The kids have had such fun getting things ready for our big trip, we are going back east to spend the holidays with Sean's family. We don't get to see them much, so it's great to have 2 weeks with them. It'll be tough to spend it without Josh but he's doing great! It was hard to get Josh's stuff ready and mailed, but he got it. It was great to start the holidays with our ward Christmas party. We had a hawaiin party! We have a couple in our ward who taught the kids to hula and do some dances. We had traditional food that was great. We even acted out the Nativity play and had a visit from Santa. This was the first year no one cried on Santa's lap! It was so much fun!

Great Memories!

2008-11-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

Recovering

2008-11-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have been down the last few weeks with a Kidney infection. I am grateful to be healthy and grateful for my sweet husband who took a bunch of time of work to take care of me. It started when I fell down my back steps taking Lia to school, I was hustling and carrying one of the babysitting kids and somehow rolled my ankle and fell down the steps and took the brunt of the fall on my tailbone. It was a pretty hard fall, when I came too Lia was sitting by me just crying and worrying about how she was going to get to school. Nice eh? Anyway I called my friend who is an emt and told her what happened. She said I would be sore for a few weeks but not to worry. Oh my it hurt! I gimped around and managed to have a birthday party for Sam, then the pain got worse and moved up my back. I finally got into the doctor and turns out I had an infection and had to have a cat scan. They told me I had internal damage that might require surgury but couldn't get in till the next week. That was pretty scary! That weekend was pretty tough..for those of you who haven't had a kidney infection- I would do labor again before I'd want another one. I have never been in so much pain. Poor Sean did his best and it got so bad he convinced my doctor to get me in somewhere sooner. Well after another round of tests turns out there was no internal damage just a serious infection. Whew! So I'm on antibiotics for a month and then I'll be as good as new, well good as I was. People were so good to me, I had meals brought in and people calling or coming by checking on me and taking care of my kids. What a great place to live, and what a great family to be a part of! Now we are just getting ready to go to Utah for my Grandma's birthday and Thanksgiving. We just got to get everyone else healthy for the trip. Lia and Sam are so excited to see Shona and her kids! especially to meet Boston! I've had a change in babysitting, what a interesting job to have. Sometimes it's kind of scary what our kids have to deal with. You think they are safe, especially in your own home. I am even amazed at some of the stuff Lia comes home from kindergarten with. She's already had a boyfriend and been dumped. When I told her we don't have boyfriends she had a fit and argued with me (not a good sign for the future) but when I told her the prophet said we don't have boyfriends she said ok....hmmmm what am I? Anyway that's our update for the last few weeks. Hope everyone else is happy and healthy and going to enjoy a great Thanksgiving!
Cindy

Halloween 2008!

2008-11-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

We had fun for Halloween. Lia was Cinderella and Sam was a fireman! We had to find him and axe, and the only one I could find was this nasty skull and bone one. He had to have something to chop down doors and save the people. Plus I hoped that having something might help him feel braver. Last year some scary looking guy grabbed him and scared him. Lia loved getting to wear make-up and I can't believe how different she looks when she has it on. They are growing up fast!

Picture day!

2008-10-20T21:18:00.001-07:00

Lia had her 1st school pictures taken last week. It was so funny, she kept asking how she should pose, I was amazed she had so many! She got mad because I kept giggling. I love the fact that she is so confident. Had to post a few of her pictures. She loves the shirt she got from Mor Mor and her favorite part is the sparkly belt.

October update!

2008-10-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Lia is loving kindergarten...well by Friday she is pretty done and wants to stay home. It has been so fun to watch her learn. She has about 6 sight words she knows and gets pretty excited to see them outside school. We have our first parent conference this Weds. and I was grateful she let us go at night, so Dad gets to go to his first parent conference. The hardest thing Lia struggles with is the friend thing, one minute they are friends and the next they are not. It kills her. The other thing is she struggles to be the one in control and likes telling people what to do...hmmm could that be the reason her friends don't play with her. She'll have to learn. She has some posters up by the table and loves to play school. It's funny to hear how her teacher sounds. I know that to get called on in Lia's class you have to cover your mouth and raise your hand. She will get out her ruler and point to the chart, "okay class what is this letter? I'll raise my hand the "right" way and she goes, good job Cindy I like the way you raised your hand. In the mean time Dad will blurt out the answer and this sends her over the edge. "Sean (as she is shaking her ruler at him, with her hand on her hip) is that how we answer? You need to think about your choices...do you want to lose part of your recess?" Of course he can't help himself and continues to provoke her. She cracks me up. Sam is getting excited for his birthday. We are working on a huge sandbox for him. Railroad ties and a big hole. We'll see how it goes. If he's outside he has either a shovel in his hand or a rope or heaven forbid both. He's obsessed with tractors, especially since Uncle Dustin let him drive his Bobcat alone. Yesturday I made him mad by telling him he had to eat his vegtables at dinner...he said "Mom when we get done we are gonna have to have a talk, because I am angry and mad". Hmm at least he's learning to communicate. Can you tell Mom has been working on not yelling? I have started babysitting again. 3 full time kids and 2 part time. It hasn't been too bad, they are getting used to the rules and me. They aren't used to playing outside and definately not as rough as Sam is used to. He's happy to have kids to play with and I'm happy to not have to spend every minute entertaining him. Plus it forces me to get more orgainized with my time. Not a bad thing.

Sean got his Masters Degree!!!!

2008-09-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!! After a very long, rough, and exhausting year and a half; Sean got his Masters in Politics from Brandeis University!!!!!!! He started it when he lived in NY and life changed and he never finished it. After coming to Arizona he was able to petition the universtity and was able to finish. What a blessing! I am so proud of how hard he worked to finish this while working and taking other classes to get his supervisory certificate.

Our little farm!

2008-09-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

One of our kids favorite things to do is ride the pony (Trixie). Lucky for us the pony is a real sweetheart. She had a foal this spring and they are lots of fun. Dad and Sam are working on getting a cart for her to pull. Add to the ponies the 2 goats and I don't even know how many chickens we a have a nice petting zoo. Too bad we can't charge admission!

My Sam!

2008-09-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sam is my little man and has been struggling with so many changes in our family. We have to remember to take time to play and do fun things. He has lots of energy and loves to wrestle with his Dad.

Kindergarten

2008-09-21T16:54:00.001-07:00

Lia started school this year. She is so excited! The first few weeks were a little tough on all of us. Sean was home all summer and then went back to work, Josh went on a mission, Mom didn't start babysitting for awhile and Lia went off to school. It was a tough adjustment. Sam took it the hardest. Lia was tired the first week, so I was glad they went on a short schedule for the first few weeks. She struggled for a bit, she is a perfectionist and got real frustrated when she couldn't do things right. I visited with her teacher and things seem to be going great! We miss her at home though.

Lia got a haircut!

2008-09-21T16:37:00.001-07:00

Lia got tired of her hair being in her face and she hates pony tails, clips or anything in her hair and wanted it cut like a girl from cheer camp. She wanted her bangs cut completely off but I talked her out of that. She loves it and likes how easy it is to take care of (mom likes that especially since getting her ready for school takes awhile).

Picnic at Weinema 2008

2008-09-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

It seems that every spare minute of the past summer was spent either getting Josh ready or working on the house. The kids had had enough!!! They begged for a picnic and Sam was desperate to learn how to shoot Dad's gun. So we went for a picnic. Of course Dad manged to squeeze in a trip to the cinder pit to fill in a hole in the driveway. Poor guy can't help himself. The picnic area was beautiful, the hills are green and the wildflowers are blooming. We had a great time. Towards the end of the trail it connects with a river, which the kids and the dog love playing in. They splashed and threw rocks forever it seemed. Lia filled her pockets with beautiful rocks, she must have weighed 5 pounds more. When we were done we went to the cinder pit to shoot. The kids were so excited to be "big" enough. Was weird to go shooting without Josh. It was a great day and everyone had lots of fun!

First Football Game

2008-09-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well football season is here, it's still not the same when you don't have anyone playing. But...we did have a cheerleader!!! Lia went to mini cheer camp this summer and got to cheer at our first game. She was so disappointed when she realized that she couldn't cheer at all the games. She was so excited and did great!

We survived sending off our missionary!

2008-08-28T21:20:00.001-07:00

August brought many changes for our family. We got to take Josh to the MTC on the 6th of August. It was such a special day, but was hard on all of us. It's tough to say goodbye for two years. Sam took it the hardest and just cried, "please no, stay with us!" Poor Josh had to be strong but I know it tore his heart out. It was so sweet to see the tenderness he had with the kids before he left, not that he didn't tease them still but he wanted them to remember him. What a neat place the MTC is! They made it easier to leave him there. We have heard from him once and he sounds like he is doing great! One of his roomates had trouble and had to be hospitalized, hopefully he recovers soon. With Josh gone we decided the kids were ready for their own rooms! So we painted one pink and moved Lia into that one and are busy getting it all girlie. Sam's is still in the works and he definately struggled with being alone. He begged for a fish that way someone could still sleep with him. Lia also started kindergarten! She was so excited! Her teacher is Mrs. Larsen and she is having a blast. It's so cute to get her out the door and before she leaves the driveway she'll turn and tell Sam, "now you be good, I'll be home soon and we'll play, I just have to go learn to read!" She's doing better about not stressing if we do something fun without her. She's adjusting to her long days, but still gets off the bus looking worn out. Sam and I are trying to finish lots of summer projects. So far we are not babysitting yet so we are taking advantage of one on one time. It's great to see how different they are becoming. Sean is back at the alternative school and is doing great! He had so many students the first week that he had to order more computers. We miss spending time with him. Between work and the Bishopric and teaching the adult institute class we won't see a lot of him at night.