Monday, May 19, 2008

Spendlove Family Dinner


We had the Spendlove family over for dinner Sunday evening. We celebrated Katarina's, Rebekah's, Enoch's, Derek's, and Josh's birthdays! It was fun to see everyone again! We missed Larry,Venise, and Will.





All of the cousins

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Another Softball Update

Some of us are spending a lot of time at the ball park. It's been fun to watch Cami play. On Monday the Indians won their game against the Blue Jays 13 to 12! On Wednesday it seemed they were going to win again against the Gators. They were ahead the whole game until the last inning and then nothing went right for the Indians. The final score was 10 to 17. Oh, well we can't win them all.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Happy Birthday to Enoch!


Enoch the day he was born

May 11, 2006



Happy Birthday to you!


Happy Birthday to you!


Happy Birthday dear Enoch!


Happy Birthday to you!

Sweet little Enoch turned 2 on May 11, Mother's Day! What a blessing he has been to our family! We are so grateful Heavenly Father sent him to us!

Enoch blowing out the candles on his cake!

Our Weekend

We had quite the weekend!

Vaughn lined his sister, Debbie, up with Steve, a friend from work. So on Friday night Vaughn and I went on a double date with them to The Gateway. We ate dinner at Biaggi's Italian Restaurant, and watched Ironman. It was an enjoyable evening for me, except I slept through some of the movie!


That night Ashley went to a school dance with her friends. When she got dropped off at home she found the door locked. She borrowed a cell phone and called the house and she and her friends pounded on the door but nothing woke Josh, Rachel, Rebekah, or Enoch. (Cami and Noelle were tending Preston and Katarina at Debbie's house.) So she got to have a sleepover! When Vaughn and I got home we found a note from her on the door and heard her message on the phone: "Hello, wake up! Come let me in!...."

On Saturday morning, Vaughn went to work. I went to pick up Ashley. And Noelle fell into our deep window well head first! Miraculously she wasn't seriously hurt. She got a bloody nose, and a small cut on the bridge of her nose. Cami and her friend Meeghan were the ones who handled the crisis. When Ashley and I got home they had her all cleaned up and feeling better. Now Noelle's nose is slightly swollen and a light purple in color.



Shaylee, Aubrey, and Chance came to play on Saturday! Everyone was excited except for Chance. He wanted his mom!

Our awesome new neighbors invited us to come over Saturday afternoon for a barbeque. They didn't even care that we had 4 extra kids (Meeghan, Shaylee, Aubrey, and Chance) . They still wanted us to come! We had a great time getting to know them a little better and the food was great!

Saturday evening we went to the park with the Kearl family. Everyone came except Uncle Rich. Grandma Kearl prepared a picnic dinner. Thanks Mom! We celebrated Mother's Day and Enoch's and Aubrey's birthday.

Enoch hanging out in the swing


Rachel (above) and Rebekah eating cake
Enoch enjoying his birthday cake
Josh did 25 push-ups! I can't even do one.
I think I will take on the challenge and learn from Josh's example to do 25 push-ups!
Here's my goal: 25 push-ups by August 1, 2008!
Noelle being pretty even with a sore nose!
Naaman, Ella, Dad and Tyler
Jodi in the background and Mom
Marci and Amy cleaning up!
Kasen wrapped up in his blanket

Mother's Day was great! The High Priests and the Elders ran Primary so I got to go to Sunday School and to Young Womens with Ashley and Cami. The YW leaders prepared a special lesson and light lunch for the girls and their moms. Thanks to all the High Priests, Elders, and YW leaders!! It was a real treat!

After church Vaughn and the children showered me with cards and gifts and I got to relax the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!!

I Have Been Blessed With a Wonderful Mother!



  • She taught me to pray.



  • She took me to church even when it was as struggle with 3 small children.



  • She taught me the gospel.



  • She read to me and instilled in me a love of reading and learning.



  • She always prepared well balanced meals.



  • She let me sit on the counter when I was little and "help" her make cookies even though now I realize it would have been so much easier to do it without me.



  • She taught me to work by example, working with me, and expecting a lot. I remember cleaning, and being called back to redo what I had missed, shelling peas for what seemed like hours, weeding long rows of vegetables, picking raspberries, husking corn, washing dishes, folding clothes.... I just didn't get why she liked to work so much?? Now I am grateful she did! (Mom, I now know it is because you worked so hard that you always fell asleep during movies.)



  • She made my lunches.



  • She wrote me little notes thanking me for my help and left them for me to find.



  • She took me shopping and sacrificed her own wants so I could have mine.



  • She listened to me.



  • She put up with A Lot of whining! (Sorry about that!)



  • She was, oh, so patient! How did you do it, Mom?



  • She taught me to drive even though that scared her.



  • She wrote me faithfully on my mission.



  • She has tended, played endless games, and done arts and crafts with my children.



  • She has always set a good example and magnified her callings.



  • She continues to be patient and hardworking.



  • She doesn't speak ill of others.



  • She is thoughtful and generous, always giving, always serving. She even gives gifts to her daughters for Mother's Day!



  • She truly is my wonderful mom!



  • She is a wonderful grandma!

Thank you, Mom! I love you! Happy Mother's Day!




I Have Also Been Blessed With A Wonderful Mother-in-law!





  • She raised a great son!



  • She taught him the gospel.



  • She welcomed me into her family and loved me as daughter.



  • She is generous, always giving.



  • She spent her birthday in 1998, in Nevada, away from the comforts of her own tending 3 little children while I was in the hospital delivering Noelle.



  • She went back to Nevada in 2000 to help me out again when I had Rachel.



  • She is always so optimistic.



  • She is a hard worker!



  • She (along with Larry) has taken each grandchild old enough on a special trip. Oh, how our children have looked forward to, enjoyed, and remembered with fondness this special vacation!



  • She loves the Lord and shares her testimony of the gospel and love for Him frequently.



  • She is setting a great example for her family by serving as a missionary.



  • She is a wonderful mother!



  • She is a wonderful grandmother!

Thank you Venise! I love you! Happy Mother's Day!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Ashley's Prom Pictures!

A cute picture of Ashley and her friends, Stephanie (far left), Angela, and Stephanie (far right), posing after getting ready for Prom at Angela's house.
Silly Ashley!

Beautiful Ashley!

Happy Birthday Marilyn!

Today is one of my best friend's birthday! Happy Birthday, Marilyn! The crazy thing is we met online of all places nearly 10 years ago! I was living in Nevada. She lived (and still lives) in Alabama. Although we both came from very different backgrounds, Marilyn, a Baptist in the Bible-belt and me, a Utah Mormon, we found common ground in our love for Jesus Christ and the ups and downs of motherhood. I got the chance to visit her and her family in the summer of 2000! It was one of the greatest weeks of my life! We've maintained our friendship ever since through letters, phone calls, and e-mails. This summer the plan is that she will come visit me and my family!! Marilyn, We can hardly wait!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Softball Update

Yeah! The Indians won tonight! 18 to 1 against the Red Sox! Way to go Indians!