One Day Left

One day and 2007 is gone!

As I look over the calendar these are some of the events of 2007
Jan 8th--Brandon's brother arrives home from his mission
Jan 29th--Boston celebrates his 1st Birthday
Feb 8th --Niece Saige is born
March 1st--Nephew Deagan is born
March 6th--Our years supply of food is finally complete!
March 16th -- Spent weekend with friends is Flagstaff at a cabin and had lots of fun
March 31st --Spent the best money ever and paid someone to paint our house! No mess for us, worth every penny...not to mention it was done all in one day!
April 8th-- Celebrated Easter
April 13th-- Ward Camp out in Flag, fun but freezing
April 23rd-- Boys are back in swim lessons
May 21st -- Carson graduates from joyschool
June 4th -- Brandon and JL celebrate 8th anniversary
June 5th --B&JL Leave for Nauvoo for 5 days with no children, best vacation, would highly recommend it
June 11th--Backyard Splash pad is finally finished! Yea...now the kids can cool off
June 18th-- Brandon turns 30! Celebrates with a surprise party
June 19th -- Carson turns 4 and learns how to ride a 2-wheeler
June 28th-- Goodman Family reunion in Prescott...lots of fun
July 8th--JL turns 27
September 4th-- Carson starts gymnastics and cries when he realizes his teacher is his old swim teacher! That brings many more days of tears each time gymnastics rolls around
September 5th -- JL takes up piano lessons again...for the first time in many years
September 9th--Carson starts preschool at Laveen Elem
September 17th--JL enjoys an overnighter with girls in the area...that was fun!
October 19th -- Family goes camping with friends in Sedona with RV...highly recommend the RV camping, much more comfortable
October 31st -- Boys enjoy Halloween
November 4th--Bishop challenges everyone in the ward to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year!
November 13th-- JL's brother leaves on his mission!
November 22nd -- Thanksgiving spent with family
December---Activities, ward party, family togetherness, Family pictures, school parties, baking, making, wrapping and of course Christmas!

Not to mention the daily babysitting, making meals for families, extended family activities, service projects, primary preperation, bishopric stuff, cooking, cleaning, laundry, zoo trips, swimming, crying children, park trips, bike rides, self-employment stress, piano practicing, meal planning and everything else that comes with having a family!

Two big goals that were accomplished this year...obtaining of our years supply and the finishing of the Book of Mormon from start to finish in Eight weeks! I'm thankful our Bishop issued that challenge it was a big one but I got so much more out of the book than ever before! I just finished yesterday.

2008 goals are yet to come!

The wait is finally OVER!

We had a very nice Christmas! We all enjoyed the many activities and get-togethers that accompany the season! We are very thankful for wonderful family and friends to enjoy throughout the entire year!


Carson left out cookie and milk for Santa!

Santa's come but no kids are awake yet! They didn't get up until 7:45...I didn't think that was to early.

The boys are enjoying opening their gifts!

Carson and Boston couldn't wait to get outside and ride their new bikes! This is Carson all ready to go in his new protective gear! His bike is a little big for him but Santa figured he'd grow into it! He loves being able to ride without training wheels!

Boston on his new ride from Santa!

This is the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas Eve...one night to go!

Ever since we've been married we've spent Christmas Eve with Brandon family hosted at his Grandma's house. This year it was different... we had the opportunity to host the family party.
We wrapped presents for a family, acted out the nativity scene enjoyed a puppet show from 3&4 year old boys, opened presents, played many games of speed scrabble and of course ate lots and lots of good food!

We started off the night by wrapping presents and delivering as a surprise for a great family!
Thanks to everyone who donated gifts!

This is the little nephews putting on a puppet show for all the family! They thought of it themselves and enjoyed the attention while preforming.

This is Brandon's entire family on Christmas Eve.

What a fun night!

Ward Christmas Party

Our ward Christmas Party was on December 1st. The boys had lots of fun. Here are few pictures of that night.

Carson enjoyed sitting on Santa's lap!

Boston didn't cry or smile with Santa...he just stared at him the entire time.

Boston is always willing to help clean up.

Thank you to the activities committee for making it a fun event!

Snow in Phoenix?

Well not really snow but when it rained for 3 days straight I figured it was the closet we'd get to snow so the kids had fun playing in it like it was snow! Carsons friend Sam came over one day to play and when her Mom came to pick her up Carson escaped out front and before I could stop him he was totally wet from playing in the nasty street water! Sam soon followed and to make it even better she had her swim suit on under her clothes she wore that day so she was ready to go! To the neighbors I might look like a neglectful parent, but your only a kid once, right? Mine as well make it fun!

Boston was able to get in on the action also!

Thanks Sam for coming over, Carson had so much fun!

All dressed up with no where to go

So today is the big Goodman Traditional Family Christmas get together located in Prescott, AZ. This has been planed for well...about a year now:) At 2:30am Carson calls for Mom so I go to see what he needs and just as I walk into the bedroom Boston starts vomiting in his crib. Needless to say Boston and I were up till 5am when his body finally calmed down enough to go back to sleep. I went back to bed also. I later woke up and we decided we would still go even though Boston had vomited a few more times. At noon we just finished family prayer and were headed out the door when Carson threw up all over the wood coffee table! No problem...after that he said he felt better so we waited around for about a half hour and were literally walking out the door again when Carson said "hold on I have to go to the potty" there it came again, more puke! Needless to say we're all dressed up with no where to go! I thought this would be a good time to add more stuff to the blog! I can't really complain about having sick kids though because this is the first time I can think of that my children have ever vomited in the night. Really the first time in 41/2 years I have ever lost major sleep due to a sick child. Actually recounting 2007 I realized I went to the doctor twice, once when Carson had a growth on his leg...everything was fine and we went again in Nov for each boy to have a check up! Brandon nor I ever visited the doctor this year! With having "lovely self-employment" insurance I really do count my blessings that I have a very healthy family. I really miss not attending the get together but I hope everyone has fun...I really love being with family.

It is truely the most wonderful time of the year

After breakfast the boys and I made sugar cookies and decorated them. That was really fun.
After lunch Carson and I headed off to the store to buy a few gifts for a family that we recently found out wasn't having Christmas due to finances. It was very humbling to watch Carson pick out gifts for another 4 year old boy and siblings. I saw his excitement in wanting to give every toy to an unknown child. He began to grasp the spirit of giving. Then Brandon took the boys to the park while I fixed dinner. Brandon left for church meetings and I had made plates of stuff for people in our ward...yet they never got delivered, instead I felt it was more important to take them to the neighbors and wish those we rarely see a Merry Christmas. Our neighbors who never come out were most grateful for the act. The boys enjoyed that as did I, we want to have a missionary experience in our family so we need to start somewhere. Sorry to the ward members who won't be getting goodies from us this year :) To top off the day our doorbell rang four times between 6:30pm and 8pm. Three of the four visitors were carolers. I was so grateful to have visitors and grateful that Carson and Boston could listen to the beautiful music. As I sat down tonight I thought to myself, could this day get any better? Spending time with my children, providing Christmas for another family, visiting with neighbors that rarely have visitors and listening to the sound of Holiday music from faithful youth in the ward. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I am convinced no purchased present can bring true joy as a family can

Our Final Farwell

Its official...Uncle Casey has left on his mission. All the kids will sure miss their favorite uncle and the mothers will miss their favorite babysitter! We will see Elder Baird when he returns from Indiana in November of 2009. Thanks for setting such a good example Uncle Casey. We love you!

His sisters will miss him.

Almost all of Casey nieces and nephews! How many more will there be when he returns home?

Boston was the most sad to see his uncle Casey leave!

Casey we will miss you! Remember like Brandon always says "The church is true and the book is blue."

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

It's Sunday night and I bake some cookies for the neighbor down the street who just had a baby. I pull the cookies out of the oven then walk into the other room for about 15 mins. When I come back there are three cookies left on the pan and three boys (2 small ones and one big one) with chocolate on their mouths! I think I found who stole the cookies!

November in Arizona

Only in Arizona can you kids be outside in November playing when the sprinklers turn on. .. Yes, it was so warm that day they took off their clothes and ran through the sprinklers! Oh and yes, that is Carson wearing cowboy boots with shorts...that was the one part of his Halloween costume he couldn't part without.

Family Photo Shoot!

Last week we decided we were past due for a family photo... Thanks to our good friend Brittany in our ward this problem was taken care of. We ventured out one evening prior to sunset , taking this photo shoot on location at the local community park! Boy was this fun! A few things I learned...always get your hair done the day of pictures, it makes getting ready much quicker! Make sure you plan naps and snacks around the picture time so everyone is happy & never wear white to the park when taking pictures! Thanks Brittany for pulling us through this adventure, you were awesome! Enjoy the photos (there were about 200+ pictures in all!)

Haunted Halloween 2007!

A match made in heaven or Kentucky? Either way it was love at first sight!

Sweet Bosty! The only problem was no one knew if he was a chicken or a duck and some even thought he was a she! Well, take a look at who bred him!
Here's our cute little cowboy! He loves the boots so much he'll wear them with his shorts! Stylish :)
Which bishopric member would you like to have an interview with?
How did we do with our creative skills? These were the Meryhew family pumpkins for 2007!
Carson & Boston sitting out side after the pumpkin carving family home evening activity!

It's 2am on the dot and I am still awake?

It's the Dr. Pepper.... so i had a incredibly dirty house (i.e. laundry, nasty bathrooms, cluttered counters, dirty floors) It's 9pm at night and I need to get my house in order before my sister and clean freak brother-in-law come to stay tomorrow (actually now its today). If my brother-in-law sees my house in the shape its in I'm afraid he'll never come back! (Is that a bad thing?) Just kidding Dustin we love you!
Anyhow I put the kids to bed and decide to drink an entire can of Dr. Pepper to have a few hours of energy to get the house in order. Needless to say umpteen loads of laundry are folded and put away, kitchen is spotless and I think I will eat breakfast off the tile floor tomorrow for it is that clean! Brandon gets home from basketball and is ready for bed so at midnight I lay down hoping to go to sleep...I'M NOT TIRED AT ALL! After trying to strike up a conversation with a zomby I realize he is really asleep, not just ignoring me and I'm just talking to myself. Counting sheep didn't work so I got out of bed practiced the piano for about an hour (thank goodness for the digital piano where I can turn down the volume) updated the blog, watched a little Oprah and now I'm about to read my scriptures...that will usually do it, sadly.
I think for the first time in my married life I'm grateful Brandon had a Dr. Pepper around the house...I've gotton so much done I might do this more often!
Please don't call tomorrow...grouchy could be an understatement! (My poor kids & husband!)

Oak Creek Camping Trip!

9 males + 3 females = 3 families...us girls (moms) felt a little out numbered! 6 boys and the oldest was Carson at 4yrs old! Needless to says the days were very busy yet lots of fun!
Check out the mountain men!
Sweet Bosty!
This is Carson posing for his camping photo shoot!

Boston and I enjoyed the bike ride also...nothing like going up and down the same 40 feet stretch of road over and over for 3 days!

Carson did enjoy riding his bike all day...after the 20th time yelling at him he finally caught on he couldn't ride on the highway...so he is now very good at dirt-biking!
The scenery was very pretty not to mention the 70 degree weather what more could you ask for? -- Well when your going camping you could ask for a camp ground that is not on the shoulder of a major highway! Yes that is right... we were basically camping on the road. At $20 bucks a night you would think the wonderful state of Arizona could afford to put up a little fence to keep kids from playing on the highway during a camping trip...heaven for bid...it might take away the precious beauty Sedona has to offer. Beauty or the life of a camper....you decide. Good day trip but I wouldn't suggest camping in Oak Creek with kids!