Memorial Day

29 kids + 16 adults + 2 rousing games of kickball + mass amounts of great food  = 1 Great Memorial Day 



Bella with a few of the Harvey's, Petersens & Fifes

   

Hannah, Taeler, Maycee & Azure --- cutest friends ever! They are so sweet together.



Cuties at the kiddie table.

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to have our backyard filled with friends: playing and lauging, and being beamed in the side with a rubber ball by one Kurt Fife. It was perfect.

Katie, Jenn, Heather, Chelsea, Kim, Kym, Me, Michelle:
Friends I admire, look up to, lean on, learn from, and love.
Heavens, I'm going to miss these girls!

Nate, Hans, Dan, Jon, Peter, Josh.
What a great group of guys!

Just a few little things

Remember how I used to have a family style blog? Me too. Those were good times.

Here are just a few quick snippets from our recent life:

I love listening to my kids play together and talk to eachother. It makes my heart sing when they get along, and it drives me seriously bonkers when the fight. Yesterday was mostly a get along day...this is just one little treasure I heard in the car driving back from church:

Azure: "I thought you didn't like Sour Skittles."

Bella: I'm trying to overcome my fears.

Speaking of fears, (wasn't that an awesome segue?) Calvin is constantly concerned about serving a mission. This is not something we have ever sat down and told him he has to do, nor is it a topic that we ever really bring up. Still, this pensive five year old boy will tell me at least three times a week why he doesn't want to go. His concerns usually lie with having to leave his family, and how much he would miss us while he was gone. But last week, out of the blue (as these conversations usually start up), he asked me, "But mom, how will I know what I am supposed to tell people on my mission? How will I know everything I'm supposed to say?" I think he is unusually concerned for a little guy his age.

The funny thing is, he talks to and about Jesus like they are best friends. Sometimes it's cute, sometimes it's borderline irreverent, and sometimes it's hilarious. He gets mad at Jesus every once in awhile, mostly about the weather, but usually they get along pretty well. One night about a month ago, we were corralling all of the chitlins to brush their teeth, when we found Calvin arms raised, with clenched fists shaking towards the heavens proclaiming, "Please, Jesus! Can I just not brush my teeth for one night!?"

Oh man, I laughed the hardest I had in a long time.

I remember the days when Azure used to say "pooky" instead of spooky, when Bella asking for "fresh air" meant that she wanted you to pick up her blanket and wave it out like they do to sheets in Downy commercials, but over her, right before you tucked her in. I remember Calvin asking for pink cereal, and not being happy until you poured him a bowl of Lucky Charms. And here we are with Emmett, who at least now gives you warning by shouting "sucker punch!" before he slugs you, who every morning drags me into the kitchen saying, "I want seer-e-whal", who asks to wear his football jammies every day, who would "shoot hoops" for an hour at a time if I was willing to watch him that long, whose allegience to Fruit Ninja has recently given way to Temple Run, and whose bloodcurdling scream over having to share still makes my heart stop beating for just a second. He is a super stubborn, super cuddly, super loveable little guy, and I sure am glad he's ours!Happy Monday! xo, Cumorah

My New Blog & a Giveaway

My sweet friends, have you heard about my new blog yet? I am kind of excited about it. Actually, I am giddy. The, jump up and down in the middle of the grocery store when the thought of people reading it & viewing my designs pops into my head,type of giddy.
Pop on over to SimplyCumorah.blogspot.com and check it out. I am doing a GIVEAWAY today, and I hope you love it! All you have to do is become a follower of that blog, and you're entered for a chance to win.
Love you all!
Cumorah

Thanksgiving Part 1: Wedding

Our week of Thanksgiving was action packed this year. We had a wedding, hosted a feast, wonderful houseguests, and a baby shower - and went to a movie, archery shooting, rock climbing and swimming with the cousins. So let's start at the beginning with Todd & Kathryn's wedding, shall we? In a word: LOVELY.

Calvin was even moved to tears...and drool.

My little sweeties.

All the cousins!

My girls thought Kathryn looked just like a princess. Isn't she darling?

At the reception.

A siblings ONLY photo.

Not to be outdone, we held our own In-Laws ONLY photo. We are just too funny.

Dan's Aunties that we got to keep for a couple of days! They are so much fun!

They hired the best ballon artist I have ever seen for the evening.

Ah, so sweet. Mother & Son.

And Father & Daughter.

Finally Florida

You know those projects that beg for your attention, but are just too big for you to have lots of spare time to sit down and tackle, and so they don't get done for five months? I am well aquainted with that type of project. Sorting, editing, cutsie-fying, and posting our pictures from our amazing Florida vacation last May has been one of those things that kept getting pushed aside for another day. I wanted to do it right. I didn't want to miss one photo. I wanted to post each and every enormous smile. This blog will {someday I promise honey} be printed as our family photo/memories album, and I didn't want to leave anything out. That rationalization may also explain why I have an entire year to catch up on!
Without further ado, a photo-journal of our time together in beautiful Florida. Much of our time was spent with our sweet cousins, whom my chitlins adore. You'll see their cute faces mixed in with our family as well. Enjoy!