The Conrads

Blessings!

2009-10-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was full of blessings. All I can say is that I am so thankful for my family. I have the most amazing family. I know they all sacrificed to come to Holston's blessing and I loved having them all here. I wish we could all live close. Girls we need to work on that. We could have our own little compound, wouldn't that be fun? We had a blast getting together for dinner at Ryan's parents house, I don't know what we would do without them, they are always there for us! We are so blessed! Ryan gave Holston the sweetest blessing. I am so thankful for him, he has been amazing. I always overwhelm myself and he is always there to calm me down and help me, we are a great team, huh babe?
Another amazing blessing is having such great friends to watch over and help us with our kids. Jackson fell at Thatcher's Homecoming football game and split his head open (for the second year in a row). Thanks to all that were there to care for him when he fell, and to Jace for rushing him and Ryan to urgent care, and to Erin and Joan for taking
care of my other kids. They just glued it that night and it held well until Jackson started a fight with his cousin and got hit with a plastic bat and split it
open again. So thank you again to Aaron for stitching him up again, I hope this is not a yearly thing. Jackson I think was scarred physically and emotionally - when they got back (Ryan took him so I could spend time with my family - I thought they would just re-glue it) Jackson says, "They were trying to kill me!" Needless to say this has not slowed him down.
So after all of this I am feeling really blessed with all of these blessings!

We are here, we are here, we are here!

2009-09-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

I promise we are still here. We have been very busy, but we are alive, well and happy. It amazes me how quickly time goes by. It seems like just yesterday that we moved to Thatcher, but we have been here for 7 months. We welcomed our new little guy, Holston Scot Conrad, into the world. He is so precious, even with the collic. I can't believe he is almost 2 months old. It is going by way to fast. Just to give a quick update, Brock turned 7, has started 1st grade and is playing flag football. He is doing so well, and loves his teacher. He has already learned so much. Jackson is really missing Brock now that he is in school. I really wish I could get him in preschool, if only it was free, right? Anyhow, he loves hanging out with me and helping me cook and take care of the baby. Jackson is my pal when it comes to cooking, he loves to watch food network with me. He says he is going to be Bobby Flay when he grows up. Porter is getting so big, he has so much personality. He says the funniest things. He has a fiesty side now that I don't always love, but he makes things interesting. And little Holston is doing very well. If only I could get him to sleep at night, so we stay up and channel surf most nights. I do love having that time with him though. It makes me sad to think he may be our last. Ryan has been a huge help with the other boys, he gets up with them almost every morning so I can get some sleep. He has been so patient with me in my crazy hormonal state. I really love that guy, he puts up with a lot. He is loving his job and has been able to help his dad with football too and is loving it. I know he really misses coaching so I am glad that he can help. Well I am just going to post a bunch of pictures to catch up on all you missed. They are in no real order either.

Here are all my parents grandkids except for Wyatt and Holston, they have 20 now, 6 girls and 14 boys, can you believe it.
Pinata time!

Jackson loves his Papa!

Roasting mashmellows and starbursts at Nana's & Papa's on the 4th, yes starbursts!

I went to check on Porter the other night and found him asleep in Jackson's drawer.

Jackson loves to hold Holston.

Brock waiting to go to his first day of school.

Brock ready for his 1st day of 1st grage.

Our sweet little Holston.

Porter loves to give kisses.

A Conrad Sandwich!

I love this picture, see Porter in the background?

I will try to catch up on some more later.

Way too long. . .

2009-06-20T11:20:00.001-07:00

K, I know it has been way to long since my last update, but we have been very busy. We have been going out of town almost every weekend for the last two months and we are worn out. The boys have been playing T-ball and Coach-Pitch and loving it. We have been enjoying cooler weather, but we are bracing ourselves for the heat. I don't know what I will do with myself. I am already too hot. They have scheduled my induction for July 14th, yeah! We are very excited to see this new little guy. Ryan is loving his job, he is teaching summer school in Ft. Thomas and Clifton and we are enjoying having our Dad around more. We have been swimming a lot at the local pool. We really miss all of our friends and family that we moved away from. I will upload pictures when and if I can get my camera fixed.

We also want to wish all the fathers in our family a Happy Father's Day. We love you all.

What we have been up to!

2009-04-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

This post is probably more for me than anything. I said when I started this blog that it would be my journal/scrapbook and I have been doing a terrible job. With that in mind I have a lot to catch up on.

I will start with Spring Break. We had a lot of fun. Ryan had the entire week off and we got to spend a lot of time with family and friends. We took the boys to the Pima Air Museum and they loved it. Jackson was a little upset because he could not get on all of the airplanes.

Here is Ryan and the boys on Pres. Kennedy's Air Force One.

This one is for you Papa, he loves the Blue Angels.

Later that week we went to the valley for Brendon's baptism and Gavin's baby blessing. We dropped in on the Welker's and the boys had a good swim. Can you believe it, swimming in March. They had a blast - Thanks Welkers! We also had a blast hanging with the Finch's who were so kind to let us stay with them. It is so weird not having anywhere to stay when we come down. Thank goodness for amazing friends who can put up with our clan. I didn't get any pictures, but we had a blast with all our cousins too at the baptism and blessing. Love you guys!

Then a few weeks later we had the unfortunate experience of having Porter air-evaced to Tucson. Here are some pictures from our stay there. The first day he was not a happy camper. I think he was sick of being poked and prodded. He just laid there and watched cartoons.

He was much happier after having a bath and something to eat.

It has been a crazy couple of months, but we are all now healthy and happy. We are loving Thatcher. The boys just got signed up for T-ball and coach pitch. Jackson cannot wait to get started. He asks everyday. He has carried his new mit with him everywhere. We are looking forward to a fun Easter weekend. Hope you all have a good one too!

Blessings!

2009-03-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

The last 24 hours have been really stressful and crazy, but full of blessings. Sunday evening Porter fell and hit his head. I didn't think anything of it and put him to bed. He woke up crying and when I got him up he was white as a ghost, even his lips were white and he started vomiting. I had a really bad feeling so we decided to take him to the ER. By the time we got to the ER, his color was back and he was acting pretty normal. They did two CT's on his head and we were just waiting for those to come back. I was holding him and realized his heart was racing, so I mentioned it to the nurse. She could not read the pulse because it was so fast, so she hooked him up and when they finally got a read his heart rate was at 282. They immediately started an IV and drew blood and transferred him to a trama room. They decided to give him medication to restart his heart, it was pretty scary, but it worked. Within 30 seconds it came down to the 160's. We thought they would just admit us, but when Ryan asked they informed us that they would be flying Porter to Tucson because they do not have a cardiologist in Safford. I was able to ride in the air evac with Porter and I don't think I stopped praying the whole time. I don't care if I ever ride in a helicopter again. I actually got sick from the bumpy ride and got to use my barf bag. Anyhow, they admitted him to the ICU and monitored him the rest of the night. The cardiologist came and did and echo on him and diagnosed him with Supraventricular Tachycardia. It is an abnormality with the "electrical" function of his heart that will make his heart race. He will have to take medication three times a day until he can get it fixed, which won't happen until he is 7 or 8. We feel so blessed that we were able to catch this. He is such a sweet little spirit and we are so blessed to have him in our family. We are so thankful to have such great support from our families and friends. Ryan's parents have taken the older boys for us and it has been such a blessing not to have to worry about them. We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

Was there any question?

2009-02-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is true. We are having another boy! I don't know if we will try for the starting 5. We are very excited though, he is healthy and that is all that we could ask for. I think Brock was the most disappointed. I feel really bad because he has been praying for a sister. He actually cried when I told him it was a boy, but after seeing the pictures of the ultrasound, he perked up and was very excited. We are so blessed.

We are here!

2009-02-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

So we are finally moved. I cannot believe it. Our house can leave a lot to be desired, but we are just happy to be together again. We can live anywhere as long as we are together. Thanks to all of you who helped us get moved and helped with our kids. We owe a huge thank you to Ryan's parents who kept the kids this last weekend so Ryan and I could get the house painted and ready to rent. So if anyone needs a house to rent - we have one available. I will post pictures of our new home and the snow we got last night a little later.

Catching up . . .

2009-01-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Where do I start? It has been a while. Life has been crazy insane. We found out right before Christmas that Ryan got a job with Eastern Arizona College, which meant we would be moving to Thatcher, which is what we have wanted for so long. But who knew it would be so stressful. Ryan had to start on January 5th, so he has been living with his parents and I have been single mom to three boys. It has been very challenging trying to pack up our house and take care of the boys, but I know it will be so worth it. We still have not found a place to live in Thatcher, so we are just waiting. The boys are so eager to move to Thatcher, which is great, but they really miss their dad. So that has been our life for the last month or so. Oh, and we are expecting another member to our family in July, we are very excited (when I am not sick:( ). I am just going to post some random pictures from Christmas and the last couple weeks.

Opening presents at Grandma's and Grandpa's

Porter fell asleep before we could open any presents.

Porter snuggling with Grandma and Grandpa.

We had a white Christmas at Nana's & Papa's.

They had a ball.

Christmas Eve in their new PJ's.
The 30 stockings that line Nana & Papa's banister.
The boys on Christmas Eve.
Our little Power Ranger!
Brock scored with the Bakugan.
All Porter cared about was the candy.

Sledding down the driveway.

Did I mention that it was freezing and the wind was blowing? They did not care.
Papa found a tube and pulled all the cousins around with the 4 wheeler . . .
. . . until the tube popped, but that didn't stop Jackson. Papa pulled him around just holding onto the rope.
One day I found Porter hiding in the boys room with a tub of cookie dough, it was pretty funny.

The mischief the boys have been getting into while I was packing - they emptied and entire #10 can full of sugar onto the back porch, they said it was snow.

But they have been helpful too, the boys love to do the dishes and help me cook.
So there is a look at what we have been up to. We will try to keep you posted on the move.

Sleeping and Eating!

2008-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Porter fell asleep in the highchair while he was eating, before I could get the camera he was still chewing while he was asleep. It was so funny!

Then the other night I woke up to two kids in my bed and I couldn't believe what I saw when I rolled over. Jackson is practically laying on top of Porter.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2008-12-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

Jackson is now 4 years old. I cannot believe it. It really has flown by. Jackson and I were watching videos from when he was born and when he was a baby and I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. He has been such a joy to have in our home. He is a character. He always keeps things interesting and is a good entertainer. The kid says the darnedest things, sometimes not very flattering things, but under all that feistiness is a really tender hearted kid. I can't imagine my life without him. He comes and crawls in bed with me almost every morning and snuggles right up and says, "I love you Mom!" So sweet! We love you Jackson!

Ward Christmas Party!

2008-12-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

We had our ward Party this weekend and it was such a blast. I think it was the best one yet! They did a play called "The Brother of Grinch", and it was so cute. The costume was right on. All of the kids were chasing him after the play yelling "Get the Grinch!" We even got a visit from Santa - although I don't know if Santa will be visiting the little monsters in our house, ha, ha! I love this time of year when you can bribe them with Santa and Christmas presents. I love this time of year period! Did you catch the First Presidency Christmas message? It was perfect! I love those men. Pres. Monson encouraged us all to make room for Christ in our homes and in our life, I hope I can make my home a place were he could reside. I really want my kids to understand the real meaning of Christmas and what we are celebrating.

Thanksgiving a little late. . .

2008-12-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

I have been horrible about updating, it has been a little busy around here. Anyhow, we do have a lot to be thankful for and we had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday. We went to Thatcher to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa. The weekend was full of golf, outdoor play, shopping (Ryan and I were at Walmart at 4:30 a.m. INSANE!), art projects, roasting marshmellows and lots and lots of eating. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for a great weekend, we are so thankful for family!

Twilight!

2008-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Who would be crazy enough to stay up half the night to be the first to see said movie? Well me and the girls above. We went to the midnight showing of Twilight last night and it was a blast. I cannot believe how many teenage girls were there! Where are these kids parents???? There were people waiting in line at 8 a.m. that morning. No thank you! We did have to sit in the fourth row, but it was not too bad. Another highlight of the night was that I ran into my childhood friend and neighbor Michelle (Slade) Connolly. It has been years! We reminisced and caught up, it was so good to see you Michelle - keep in touch. Oh, and the movie, I thought, was great! I am not much a critic though, I am easily entertained!

Amazing little spirits!

2008-11-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned recently how much I love this boy? He is so amazing and so sweet (most of the time). He was outside after church today watching the storm roll in and he comes inside and says to me, "Mom, come look."
I say, "What Brock?" (I was reading my new book that Ryan got me The Peacegiver and didn't want to come look.)
"Mom, come here, the Eternal Father is coming!"
At first I laughed a little, but then realized that it may not be that far off. I am so thankful for these amazing little spirits that he sent me that are so excited to see their Savior again!

Halloween!

2008-11-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

It was a good one. Lots of food, fun and CANDY! We had a neighborhood block party that was a lot of fun. Brock came up to me at one point with his head down and when I asked him what was wrong, he said "I put alcohol in my bucket". What! I guess he went over to a neighbor's cooler and thought he would get himself a soda - they quickly informed him that he did not want alcohol. He was really embarrassed about the whole thing. When we got inside, he says, "Mom, what is alcohol?" It was a great time for a teaching moment. He is always so concerned about doing the right thing, he thought he was in trouble. I am so thankful for him.

I am looking forward now to my most favorite part of the year!

Cherished Friends!

2008-11-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

We have been so happy and blessed to have our close friends The Macks back in Arizona. I guess it will be short lived, they will be moving Colorado in December :( We will miss them greatly, but we are really enjoying the time that we have right now. Brock and Brynley have been the best of friends since they were babies. They were only 10 days apart. They get along so well. He endulges her when she wants to do "Dancing with the Stars" (I wish I had video, it was so cute), and she is right there with him when they are building clubs, wrestling or exploring for bugs. I hope they will always stay close. We love you guys!

Clean boys!

2008-11-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

I had just got Porter dressed and went to get Jackson some clothes when I came back to this. He was so proud of himself!

Catching up. . .

2008-10-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to load these pictures for weeks, but am just now getting around to it, so bear with me, this may be long.

This is the happy fam before Jackson split is head open at the football game.

Annual trip to Apple Annie's. This has become a family tradition to go get our pumpkins each year. I hope we always get to do this. This year it was really windy, so we didn't get to stay long, but we did manage to get some fresh kettle corn, yum!

Porter is such a cutie!

Finding the perfect pumpkin!

These are pictures from Porter's 2nd Birthday at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Thank you guys for everything, we had a great time!
Porter opening presents!

Porter's new ride. His brother's were very eager to give him some help.

He did not enjoy the help for very long!

Catching frogs in Grandma's back yard! It was great entertainment for the kids. Brock wanted to keep them as pets.

Brock lost his first tooth. He was so excited! The tooth fairy even let him keep his tooth and then he lost it, imagine that!

Staples?!!!

2008-10-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

As Ryan says, "We have been living on borrowed time." With three boys now we have finally had our first head split open, and for Jackson it was staples, not stitches. We were in Thatcher at the football game and they were letting off fireworks after the game. Jackson was looking up at the fireworks and must have lost his balance and fell back and hit his head on the bleacher behind him. Blood was going everywhere and Brock was freaking out, I think he thought Jackson was going to die. The paramedics looked him over and offered to take him to the hospital (yeah right, I am not paying for an ambulance ride), but Ryan spotted Aaron Allen in the stands and had him take a look and see if he could stitch him up. Aaron went for supplies and met us back at Ryan's parents house. He showed up with STAPLES! I did not like that idea, but he said by the time he numbed him to do stitches he would be just as upset. Well by that time Jackson was asleep, so he slept through the first two staples, but the stapler jammed and he woke up and was very upset when they put the third one in. It was quite an ordeal, he cried himself back to sleep and slept all night. Now I just have to worry about getting those staples out, that should be fun!

Family Movie Night!

2008-09-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a week off on having a lesson and have a fun movie night for FHE. It was a lot of fun, the kids helped me make tickets and refreshments, we had a lot of fun. We watched "Nim's Island". It was a really cute show. My kids loved it because she had all these amazing pets. My boys would love a pet!

Brock has taken to bug collecting - so far this week we have found our first lady bug and preying mantis (I don't know if I spelled that right.)

Anyhow, it was a great night! (my baby looks so big in these pictures!)

Happy Birthday Poe!

2008-09-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

My baby is 2! I cannot believe it. He is so amazing to me. He is smiling from the moment he wakes up. He calls from his crib, "Mom, I want out!" And the minute I put my head in the door he is grinning. He loves to give kisses and is usually very polite. He loves to talk to strangers, he says hello to everyone. Who wouldn't smile for this kid. He loves his big brothers and always wants to do everything that they do, but there are always those things that I really wish he would not pick up on - like hitting. He thinks it is a game, but if he thinks he has hurt you - he is instantly very sorry. He has such a sweet spirit. He loves to call me Misty and his dad is Rynan. At his little age of two he already says his ABC's and can count to 10. He picks up things very quickly, he has a super brain like his dad (hopefully he will have my love for school). We are so proud of our little Porter and are so grateful to have him in our family. Happy Birthday Porter!

We are going to wait and celebrate officially when we go to Grandma & Grandpa's this weekend, but me and the boys did decorate cupcakes and sang "Happy Birthday". It was a good day.

Happy Birthday to Cooper too - on the 30th!

Incomplete!

2008-09-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here after another exhausting day of being a single parent. I have to say that I am a little proud of myself, I even made it to church with all three boys and didn't even cry once! (My boys take advantage when they know I can't catch them.) Jackson was the one I was worried about and he did so good. I have had my attention brought to the family proclamation several times in the last little while, so I have really started thinking about my role as mother and wife. With Ryan being gone a lot I have to say that I am a little more grouchy and impatient (with him and the kids). So I have really tried lately to take my role more seriously and really find joy in the now, to take the time to teach my kids and help their spirits grow. We were reading last night about Alma's analogy of faith being like a seed and Brock asked how he could plant his seed so he could have faith and I realized that I really need to try harder to bear testimony to my kids and share my faith with them to help them grow. I am so thankful for the gospel in my life and for my family. And I am so grateful to have a loving husband to share this journey with because even when he is not here, he is there to support me and listen to me go on, and on. He is so patient with me. I just want him to know how important he is to this family and we are not complete without him. We love you Dad and miss you tons!

Creating Memories!

2008-09-10T21:07:00.001-07:00

I have been planning to go up and see my parents and get out of the heat all summer and it finally happened this last weekend. Ryan has been traveling a bunch for work, so he was not to thrilled to be in a car for 5 hours both ways, so he stayed home and my long lost buttsister (that is Ryan's name for Casey Ann) volunteered to come with me. So off we went, the two of us, with six kids packed in my van. Lets just say the drive up there was eventful. We were doing pretty good until we got to the canyon and I think Diesel got a little car sick and threw up. So we stopped at the bottom of the canyon to clean that up, then we got through Show Low and were on the home stretch, or so we thought. They were paving the road! So we had to wait for a while. After all that time in the car, we all wanted OUT! We stopped at Ramsey Park to let the kids play. All was well until Jackson comes running over saying he pooped his pants. "I'm sorry Mom, it was an accident!" he says. While I was trying to figure out what to do with him, he steps over to a tree and pulls his pants to his knees and goes pee. Don't you love boys! So by now there is poo everywhere, so it was a lot of fun to clean up. We finally made it to Nana's and Papa's, just in time to get some good grub. Papa even took the kids out spotlighting for elk.

Of course being at Nana's and Papa's, my kids were up at the crack of dawn (I'm not kidding). Nana eventually got up and made us all sourdough waffles with buttermilk syrup, to die for! Then Papa took all the older kids to get a load of wood, he was so brave. I don't know how much help they were, but they had a blast. They were driving us nuts in the house that afternoon so we sent them all outside on a scavenger hunt, it didn't last very long, but it was fun. We ended the day with a chicken fry at the church in Luna. My kids loved being able to run free. If only it didn't take so long to get there I would go more often. The ride home was about as much fun as the ride there, we had rain, lots of bathroom breaks and poor Diesel got sick again. Thank you Nana and Papa for everything, we had a blast and thank you to Casey Ann for coming along - love you girl! You are the best! It was exhausting, but I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. These are all the kinds of things I did as a kid that I want me kids to experience too. I do have to say also that I came home to a clean house (even bathrooms) and a happy husband. Thanks babe, I did miss you! (Bear with me, there are a lot of pictures, but I couldn't leave any of them out.)

Here are some pictures from the park.

Hauling wood with Papa!

Every single one of them crashed on the way home. I have no idea where Brock is in this picture.

Here are the kids on their scavenger hunt.

Brock was intent on finding something living - he really wants a pet!

Jackson thought he could spot a pet better from up here.

On the way home!

Doesn't this just say it all!

The Divine Institution of Marriage

2008-09-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

This Sunday a member of our stake presidency came in to talk to us about Proposition 102 that will be on the ballot in November. He just asked that we make ourselves aware and do what we could to make others aware. He drew a lot of what he said from this article from the Newsroom on the church website called "The Divine Institution of Marriage". If you haven't already read it, it is a very good read. It is so important for us to be aware and to vote. There are so many ways that Satan is attacking the family and this is definitely one of them.

Reflections

2008-08-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post, it has been pretty crazy around here. My life has been in limbo and utter chaos for the last month. Some of you may know that we had applied for a job at the college in Thatcher and were really hoping that we would get it. That is really where we want to raise our family. I was called to interview and I don't think I have been that nervous for a very long time. We prayed and fasted about it a lot, but I never got a definite answer that this was what we were suppose to do. So we left it up to the Lord, if we were meant to go it would happen. So, we didn't get the job, and I am okay with it. We are here for a reason, I just need to find out what that reason is. All of this has been such a growing experience for me. I am so thankful for the trials that the Lord has given me to strengthen me. I know He is there for me no matter what it is that I am going through. We have really been struggling with what to do with Brock & school. He has really struggled since school started back. I think he and I both cried every day. After a lot of prayer and discussion we have decided to put him back in Kindergarten. I cannot believe the charge in him and his attitude. Before he would come home and say things like "I suck Mom" or "I'm stupid", it broke my heart. On Friday when I went to pick him up he was beaming and ran up to me and said, "Mom, I had the bestest day ever!" That was all I needed to hear, I know we are doing the right thing. I want him to have the confidence and knowledge he will need to succeed in life. I am so thankful for my kids and all that they teach me, I am so glad that they chose me! Jackson also started pre-school and is loving it! He has grown up so much in the last month, I am so proud of him. Porter is so smart too, he takes everything in. He repeats everything we say and he is so sweet. I am so thankful for my family. So those are my reflections on the last month of life in the Conrad house.

Furry Cheeks!

2008-07-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I went outside to see what the boys were up to and found them "taking a bath" in the cooler. I ran to get my camera and when I got back I could tell that Brock was upset. The video is of Brock telling me why he is upset and also of Jack just being cute.

So we found a solution!

10 Years!

2008-07-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

On July 23rd, Ryan and I had our 10 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been 10 years. We have had our ups and downs, but I would not give anything for the time I have shared with my best friend. Ryan is not a very patient person, but he is patient with me and my nagging, which seems to get worse with age. I guess that is what marriage is about though, overlooking (or at least trying) each others faults and loving each other in spite of them. I love you babe and can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring us!
I know many would think that after 10 years you would do something grand for your anniversary, and I had planned to, but with our life in limbo and being a little chaotic, we decided to make it simple. Ryan has planned some amazing anniversaries, so I had my work cut out for me. I had planned to take him to hit balls and the driving range (he is obsessed with golf) and go to dinner. He mentioned that he had heard about a virtual golf course that just opened up, so I looked into it and made a tee time. We had a blast! I haven't played golf since I was at ASU, so eight years ago. But it slowly came back to me. We then went to dinner at BJ's. It was a great day.

Ryan gave me these beautiful flowers. It was so sweet. I could tell he hadn't bought the vase, but I couldn't figure out where he had gotten it from, until I realized that my dried flowers were missing from my bathroom. He decided since they were "dead" he could throw them out. Men!

24th of July in Thatcher!

2008-07-27T18:51:00.001-07:00

We always try to go to the 24th of July celebration when it in Thatcher (it rotates between Thatcher, Safford and Pima). It is always the best in Thatcher! I was so excited for my kids to go, the fireworks are always amazing! They let them off right over the EAC football field, it is the coolest thing - the closest I have ever been to fireworks going off. Anyhow, the weather was not looking to good before the parade started but let up for the parade and then pretty much drizzled for the rest of the night. We went and ate at El Charro to get out of the rain and then went back for the fireworks. Well we sat there in the rain for about half and hour and I was soaked and I was sure they were not going to do the fireworks with the rain, so we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We weren't home for more than two minutes we we heard them start going off, so we watched from Grandma's office window. It was still fun and we stayed dry.

Happy Birthday Brock!

2008-07-18T16:44:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe he is six. It has gone by so quickly, but he has been an absolute job to have in our home. We tried for so long to get pregnant, so we see him as such a blessing. Brock is so caring and is (almost) always trying to do what is right. He really keeps us in line. He is such a peacemaker (he gets that from me you know), he rarely starts fights and is very good about trying to end them after Jackson has started them. Ryan is always telling Jackson that one day Brock is going to get sick of his antics and knock him out, but that does not stop Jackson. Anyhow, Brock, we love you and we are so glad that you are part of our family. We hope you had a wonderful birthday.

I am pretty sure he did. We had some of his friends over for a little water party, games, hot dogs and cake and ice cream. Thank you to all that joined us to celebrate Brock's birthday, it meant a lot. Brock has really good friends. Here are a few photos from the big day.

Here are the boys with their rubber band airplanes.

The boys really wanted to have a water balloon fight, but I figured that was just an accident waiting to happen so we opted for throwing them at a target on the wall.

The party crowd!

I had initially planned to make a WALL-E cake myself, but soon realized that I do not have the skills to decorate a cake that elaborate, so we opted for the one from Wal-Mart! Brock loved it!

What a cheese!I recorded this video the morning of his birthday, we were taking Ryan to get his rental car for his work trip (which he left on right after the party). Anyhow, I thought it was pretty cute, but then again I am bias.

Cute Moments!

2008-06-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have made it a goal to go to the temple at least every other week and our sweet babysitter, Dana, has agreed to watch out little ones. My boys absolutely love her, I think because she actually plays with them and makes it fun. Anyhow, we had a great time at the temple Thursday (although there was one very grouchy temple worker, you don't run across those very often, it was a little shocking) and we came home to this.

I couldn't find my other camera, so I had to use the one that got thrown in the bathtub, but I thought Jackson looked so cute. Thank you, Dana, for watching the boys.

Then the other night I was talking to Jackson, he had just come out of timeout and I was talking to him about what he did, I think he was being mean to one of his brothers. So I asked him, "Why were you being mean to ..." and he says to me, "Mom, I don't know what you are talking about!" If you are not laughing, I guess you had to be there because it was so funny. I think one of the reasons Jackson was sent to me was for comic relief, kind of like his Aunt Brandy, she could always get us going and it was usually right before family prayers and then Dad would get mad because no one would settle down for prayer, it was a crack-up.

I think remembering all these cute moments keeps me from killing him when he does stuff like run around the back of the chapel laughing (with me chasing him) while they are passing the sacrament, or when he cracks me on the head so hard with a toy that I cry and he starts laughing. He did feel really bad when he realized I was really crying and not just playing around. He keeps thing interesting and I can't imagine my life without him. I love you Jackson!

Funny Moment!

2008-06-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting at my computer the other morning finishing up some work and I could hear Jackson in my bathroom. I should have gone and checked on him then, but I decided to finish what I was doing. After a few minutes he came to me and informed me that he cut his hair. When I turned around I couldn't help but crack up. Ryan calls it the reverse Mohawk.

He was so proud of his work.

I thought this look was hilarious. He looks like a balding old man. He was none to happy about loosing all his hair.

The finished product.

He looks so different to me. We had to put sunscreen on his head for swimming lessons. He is so pale he looks like a cancer patient.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! Dad you are the best! I am so thankful for all you have taught me and the example you are to me. I am thankful for all the memories of my childhood and the time that you took with us girls. I am sorry you never got your boy, but grandson's are good too right? My kids are so excited to come to Nana's and Papa's for the 4th of July. Jackson wants to build another snow man (lol). Can't wait to see you guys and all your pictures from your trip. I hope you have a great Father's Day. Love you!

Fun in the Sun!

2008-06-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

The only way to stay cool in this hot weather is to be in the water so we have spent a lot of time in the pool this summer, well kind of. I can't get Porter to actually get in. He usually just runs around the pool (so I am chasing him the whole time). I occasionally dunk him and then soak is hat and put it back on his head. Jackson was swimming last summer, but was terrified of the water this summer. He kept saying "I don't want to drown!" So we got them all in swimming lessons and they are adapting. Here are some picks from a recent trip to the pool.

Poor guy, he was roasting.

This is Jackson and London having a little picnic.

Brock & Kaden.

Here is Porter running from me.

African Safari!

2008-06-01T21:24:00.001-07:00

It has been my dad's lifelong dream to go hunting in Africa. He finally did it. I haven't seen him smile this big in a while. I am so glad that he was able to go. I think my Mom was ready for some sight seeing and some shopping. Way to go Dad, is Mom going to let you mount them in the house?

New Babies!

2008-06-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ryan's cousin Matt blessed their baby today. He is so sweet. I was shocked when all Jackson wanted to do was hold the baby. He was being a total baby hog. I had to bribe him to get him to give me the baby. Brock and Jackson have been asking for a sister for a while. I guess we will see. Ryan thinks we should be done, but I don't feel like I am done, but I am also not ready to be pregnant again. Like I said, we will see. Thanks Matt & Jackie for having us over.

School's Out For Summer!

2008-06-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the year is already over, but very glad at the same time. Brock had a pretty good first year. It was a little traumatic at times, but we made it through. He was so ready for it to be over, he was ready when we came back from Spring Break. He has been such a good helper since he has been home, always asking, "What can I do for you Mom?" "Can I help you Mom?" He is such a sweetheart.

They had a cute little program on the last day of school. Brock is in the blue stripped shirt.

This is Brock and his friend Kaden, so cute!

This is Brock and his teacher Ms. D.

The Camera Takes a Plunge!

2008-06-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

My kids were being so cute in the bathtub so I ran and got my camera to take a picture. Well I got a few shots, but they had stopped being cute when I got back with the camera. So I proceed to get Porter out and dress him and go get the older boys their clothes and I walk back into the bathroom just as Porter throws my camera (in its case) into the bathtub. I had hope that it could be saved, but I don't think it is going to happen. I can still view all the pictures I had taken before and I am able to take pictures but as you can see they turned out a little funky. We went back to the old camera for now, we will have to save our money.

Here are the boys painting their "derby cars". I had bought them for a scout activity for $1 at Michaels. The boys had a blast! Brock was so cute he wanted it to be perfect and asked me to help. Jackson on the other hand wanted no help, his ended up being a greenish-brown color from mixing all his paints.

Lip Piercing!

2008-05-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I found out yesterday that I do not do well in crisis situations. Not that this was a crisis, but I can't imagine what I would be like if it was. I probably would have just passed out! Anyhow, Brock was laying with me on my bed and he was trying to open the box of shirts that Ryan had just bought and of course I had asked him to stop and the next thing I knew I looked over and the metal hook that they use to hang them was through his lip. I flipped out. I screamed for Ryan because there was no way that I could pull that thing out. I was thinking now that I wish I had a picture, but that was not going through my mind at the moment. And what do you say to your child, "Hold on with that hook in your face for just one minute while mom gets the camera."? Anyhow, it doesn't look so bad now that the hook is out, but I still get sick to my stomach every time I think about it.

This is for all you Moms!

2008-05-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably seen this, but for those of you who haven't, it is worth the watch. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Catching up!

2008-05-05T18:28:00.001-07:00

It seems that lately I am playing catch up with everything, my house work, my calling, my blog, and all those other things that we have to do. Maybe I am taking on too much lately. I do know that I need to take more time for those things that are most important, like attending the temple. I am so excited about our new temples! To have one so close and also to have one the the Gila Valley will be so awesome. We would really like to end up there. In our stake conference a few weeks ago, our Stake President spoke about how much harder Satan will be working on all of us since the new temples were announces and how it is so important that we make time for the temple, no matter how inconvenient. I have such a testimony of the temple! Pres. Riggs promised us that if we would attend our families would be blessed. It amazes me how we can know this and yet Satan works on us so hard and makes us think that we don't have time, or we can't find or afford a babysitter, or we have too much else to do. I have got to stop making excuses, so this is a warning to all of you close by, I may be asking you to babysit my hoodlums so we can go to the temple, we would love to return the favor!

Anyhow, changing the subject. One of the things that has keep me so busy is my new project of updating my bedroom furniture. It is quality furniture, just needed a little update. I forgot to take a picture of the dresser before I started, but here is a picture of the headboard, which I still have to do.

I wasn't sure I was happy with the color, I thought it should be darker, but once I got it in the bedroom, I loved it! I will have to take more when I finish everything.

Refrigerator Bandit!

2008-05-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

I had been in my room folding laundry and came out to check on Jackson and I saw that the refrigerator door was open and just when I was getting ready to yell his name and scold him for leaving it open, I came around the corner and found this ...

If you can't tell he is eating frosting. This was not the first time. The first time him and Brock got into it while I was meeting with my boss in the front room and they got it all over my coach. Thank goodness I can wash my cushion covers!

So sneaky! We got locks for the fridge!

Random...

2008-05-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

The boys latest art masterpiece. We did sand art. Beautiful guys!

Porter has really started to like hats and I wish I could get a picture of him every time because he always looks so cute!

Scary, I know. Just think how I felt when I had to kiss him in front of everyone at our ward party. Those teeth freak me out!

Happy Birthday Jenny!

2008-04-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a shout out to my good friend Jennifer. One year closer to 30! I hope you have a great day! Let's go to lunch one of these days and celebrate our birthday's (without our children, not that you don't want them there, but we need some girl time). It was great seeing you the other day. Happy Birthday!

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

2008-04-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

It was haircut time in the Conrad house. Until now, I had never let Ryan cut Porter's hair. I had tried at one time, but I did not go this short. Ryan likes the buzz on the boys. I love having boys and not having to worry too much about hair. I would probably loose it if I had girls. I am good if the boys get their hair combed before church, usually I am just trying to smooth down the stragglers on the way into church. Anyhow, here are some pics of the new cuts.

Saying Goodbye :(

2008-04-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Eveyone is leaving me! So many of my close friends and family have moved in the last year or so and now there is one more. Nicole and Billy have been some of our best friends since we have been married. Nicole is like a sister, I love her, she is such a good friend. Well I guess you could say they moved last year, but they had just moved to Safford, so we saw them quite a bit, but this time they will be moving to Oregon. I wish them the best, but we will really miss them.

It was hard getting them all to look at the camera. This is Porter, Jackson, Brock, Madison and Coy (I don't know if I spelled that right.)

Don't they look so excited!

Crew did not want anything to do with pictures. We had to get his attention on something else before we could get a smile.

We love you guys!

Conference

2008-04-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

I think this was one of my very favorite conferences ever! To be part of sustaining a new prophet was so awesome. I got the chills when they asked everyone to stand at the conference center and sustain Pres. Monson, it was amazing. And to think that millions of people were watching and sustaining him as well. I am so thankful to have a prophet to lead and guide us and I know that Pres. Monson was chosen by God, I love that man!

All the talks were great. My kids would sit still every once in a while and listen. I think that even when you think they are not listening, something gets in. I just hope I can do all I can to teach them everything they need to know.

TAG

2008-04-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to responding to Melissa's TAG - sorry!

If money, time and babysitting were no object, where would you go and who would you go with?

I would have to say a beach somewhere, anywhere, preferably tropical. Of course I would love to spend it with Ryan. Time alone with him is getting more difficult with his work schedule and having to find a babysitter. Our new get away together is to go put the kids in the kids club at the gym and play racquetball, he even lets me win some. Love you babe!

When was the last time you cried?

I know I have recently, but I can't remember why!

5 things you were doing 10 years ago 1998

1. Dating Ryan.
2. Going to school at ASU.
3. Living with Brandy Jo - when she was there!
4. Working for a collection agency & then for a market research firm.
5. Getting married!

5 things you were doing 5 years ago 2003

1. Enjoying my first little boy Brock!
2. Working part-time as an office manager at a retirement community.
3. Working on our backyard that was dirt for 2 years.
4. Missing Ryan being gone a lot with work, school and coaching!
5. Either my life is really boring or I have a horrible memory, cause nothing else is coming to mind.

5 things you were doing a year ago 2007

1. Being mom to 3 crazy amazing boys!
2. Den leader for the wolf pack in our ward.
3. Brock started kindergarten!
4. Jackson potty trained himself (pretty much anyway - he was so easy compared to Brock who took 6 months!)
5. Enjoying Porter's first year and waiting for him to walk, finally happened at 17 months!

7 favorite hobbies

1. Reading (Ryan hates it!)
2. Working out
3. Bunco
4. Date night (is that a hobby)
5. Blogging, when I have time.
6. I just realized my hobby should be finding a new hobby!
7. ...

5 favorite foods

1. Sweet Pork
2. Steak w/ onions & mushrooms
3. Chocolate
4. Anything Italian
5. Anything Mexican

5 Places you've been

Mackinac Island, MI
Philadelphia, PA
San Diego, CA
Durango, CO
Las Vegas, NV

5 favorite memories

1. My wedding day! It was the end of July in Mesa, but that morning it was overcast and we were able to get our pictures done before it started to rain. Our ceremony was perfect and the sun was shining when we came out!
2. Definitely the birth of my kids. Brock's delivery I would love to forget, but seeing him for the first time was amazing! The other two deliveries were cake and I am so blessed to have these three spirits in my home.
3. Vacationing with my family as a kid. We didn't have a lot, but we still had the greatest adventures. We would just camp along the way. My favorite memories are camping and being in the outdoors. Colorado was one of our favorite places.
4. Hanging out with my Granny, eating spam sandwiches, hicama and dilly bars from Dairy Queen. I really miss her.
5. Girls vacation to San Diego with my girls Casey Ann, Nicole, Cyndi & Randa. We had so much fun just laying on the beach and relaxing. We were all pregnant at the time. Miss you girls!

I tag Casey Ann, Leslie & Tenneal!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-03-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

We are sorry this is so late, but we wanted to wish Grandma a very happy birthday, 30th right? We love you so much! We will celebrate very soon.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny was very skimpy on the candy this year, but brought some really cool toys. The boys were up at 6:30 wanting to go out and try their new golf clubs. They were so excited! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for everything, we love having you here.

All the loot!

Porter was searching the baskets for candy.

I was trying to get them to do the peace sign, Jack kind of got it. The first think Brock did was stick up his middle finger, I about died. They love their new Transformer sunglasses.

Any bets on how long it will take them to trash these clubs? The day is not even over and we already have two casualties.

Happy Easter!

Easter Pageant

2008-03-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

We had been planning all week to go to the Easter Pageant on Saturday with my sisters. While I was not that excited about taking my three rowdy boys, I really did want to go. It has been years since the last time. Ryan's parents came for the weekend and we started Saturday with breakfast at our house, then we took the kids to see Horton Hears a Who, then we did a little window shopping (the boys and I rode the escalator, so exciting), did lunch, then Joan & I took all three boys to the store and the car wash while the men went to the golf store (great trade don't you think?). By the time Ryan got home, it was 6pm and his allergies were driving him nuts and he did not want to go and wrestle with the kids. Brandy called to tell me she was not going to make it (such a flake j/k). I felt bad because Amy was there saving us all seats, such a trooper, thanks Am. Thanks to my great in-laws, they offered to watch the kids so Ryan and I could go (I think that was the only way that I was going to get Ryan to go). I was about to fall asleep on the way there, but I am so glad that we went, it was a great experience. We always need a reminder of all that Christ has done for us. It was great to see Amy and her family too. Her kids are getting so big, especially Valon, she is beautiful! On the way out I told Ryan that I wanted to get a picture of one of the soldiers, so Ryan walks up to one of them and says, "Hey, can my wife get a picture with you, she is too big of a chicken to ask?" The guys says, "Sure!", then grabs me and puts his knife to my neck. He did let me hold his whip, maybe I should have used it on Ryan...

2008-03-14T11:50:00.001-07:00

Make a postcard - it's easy!

2008-03-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ryan's mom just sent me these pictures and I thought they were so cute, I had to post them. Jackson wanted so badly to play football with Brock. There were several times I had to drag him off the field. Jackson wants to do everything that Brock does, he thinks he is so big. I just love this picture.

Ryan's parents are so good to us and our kids. They are always there to be supportive no matter what the kids are doing. The kids love having them around. I love this picture of Brock with Grandpa.
Hut, hut, hut!

Chocolate Milk?

2008-03-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am sure that I made plenty of mud pies in my day and I am sure that my mom was none to happy to see us walking in the house muddy. For those of you who do not know my mom, she is a clean freak - Love you MOM! Anyhow, yesterday my boys were outside playing in the dirt, "We're making chocolate milk", they said. Well I was in a hurry because I had scouts and I needed a shower so bad, so I asked Brock to keep an eye on the kids and keep them outside because I knew they were filthy and we just got our carpets cleaned. So I am getting out of the shower and Porter comes walking into my bathroom and he is covered in mud. I tried not to freak, thank goodness it was mostly on his top half and not on his feet. He was so proud of his muddy face, but did not want me to take a picture.

Egg Hunt!

2008-03-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week our ward had a Primary Easter Egg Hunt, the kids had a blast. Each child was to get 13 eggs, so they let the kids loose and in no time at all Brock and Jackson had their baskets full. I asked Brock, you only got 13 right? (He can definitely count to 13) He says, "Yep!" I count them just to make sure, glad I did, he probably had over 30 eggs in his basket. Brock was none too happy when we started taking eggs out of his basket, as you can see in the picture. Jackson didn't care how many eggs he got, he just wanted to candy that was inside. The boys actually got their candy taken away because they were misbehaving in church on Sunday, so we put it all on the fridge (that is where everything that is confiscated goes). So yesterday I was sitting at the computer doing some work and I can hear the sound of wrappers being ripped open, so I go to see what Jackson was into. Sure enough, he had crawled on the fridge to get his candy, and by the time I found him, he had eaten most of it, there were wrappers and eggs everywhere. This kid is fast, and determined when it comes to candy.

1 2 3 Kawabonga!

2008-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, does anyone remember playing that game on the trampoline? I am reminiscing because we just got a trampoline yesterday. I was so excited for my kids, because we have been promising them for a while that we would get them something for the back yard. So we got home and Ryan's brother came over to help and we thought it would take an hour or so to put it together. Boy were we wrong. It took 4 1/2 hours! I let the boys stay up because they wanted to jump so bad. I think Jackson crashed at about 9:30, but Brock hung in there until it was finished. Even though it takes up most of our yard I can't wait to share with my kids some of the best memories I have as a kid, sleeping on the tramp, putting the sprinkler under the tramp on a hot day. At least it is a little safer now with the nets.

After 4 1/2 hours, the final strap!

This is Brock's 100th time asking if it is finished!

The ball of fire that is Jackson finally burned out Brock was on cloud 9!Jackson got his turn today and he does a pretty sweet front flip. Remember when the guys used to go head first into the trampoline and tuck and do a flip at the last second? That is what Jackson does.

What? No Tackling?

2008-02-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

We have put Brock in Flag Football and while it was a slow start, he is finally showing interest and doing pretty well. I think Ryan gets the intensity out of him better than I can. Ryan was out of town so I had to try to motivate him. This game was pretty funny because several of the boys were actually tackling the guy with the ball. It was an interesting game.

Things of Value

2008-02-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

I am not sure why I am posting this, but I have been thinking a lot lately about the things that matter the most to me and the things I value. I think it is so easy to get caught up in the every day grind and not realize how very blessed we are. I complain constantly about messes and kids, and I have to stop and remember the big picture. What would my life be without those messes, usually made by those kids. They have brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined. I am so blessed to have them in my life, and a loving husband to complete our family. I can't imagine life without them. And I am so thankful for the gospel and my loving Savior, who gives purpose to all of this. Ryan's mom gave me a Gratitude Journal for Christmas and you are to write 5 things that you are grateful for that day. I think that has helped me realize all the many things that I have to be grateful for and maybe I should spend a little more time thinking about that. Well I must end this post to go rescue Jackson from another painful accident. He has all my couch cushions in his room jumping off his bunk bed, and we don't have insurance. You gotta love em'!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

I don't usually like this holiday. Who needs a holiday to tell someone that you love them right? Well this year was an exception, it was a great day. First, my bestest butt sister Casey Ann sent me the sweetest Valentine from Utah (Butt Sisters is Ryan's nickname for me and Casey Ann). I have really been missing her (she moved to Utah last year) and this totally made my day. The boys got bubbles and candy from Brynley (Casey Ann's daughter) and the sweetest cards from Grandma and Grandpa, along with gift certificates to McDonald's, they loved it! Jackson and I spent the day making heart cupcakes, I think he ate half the batter. Ryan surprised us with flowers and balloons and we had a great dinner together as a family. I think it was our best Valentine's Day yet!

Bubbles from Brynley!

Cards from Grandma & Grandpa!

My beautiful flowers from Ryan!

He Walks!

2008-02-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Porter finally decided to walk at almost 17 months. He is doing better and better every day. He is so cute and so fun to watch. He wants to do everything the older boys are doing. Like play football and wrestle.

The boys were running around with their footballs and helmets and Port came out with this one and put it on. It was so cute.

Whenever the boys are laying on the floor Porter takes that opportunity to get them while they are down. He was trying to eat Brock's nose in this picture.

Jackson decided to top the dog pile. Brock is under there somewhere.

I wonder where they learned this from (ha, ha). Thank you Ryan! This is usually a Sunday afternoon ritual, great way to bring the spirit into our home right?

Random Finds

2008-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

I have to start by saying that I am so thankful for our neighbors, The Elliott's. They make living on our street totally worth it! (Life on our street has changed since most of the homes are either rentals or foreclosures). Brock and Jackson love playing with Blake and Nick. Blake is 11 and is so good to my kids, he is always watching out for them and teaching them fun stuff on their bikes and scooters. The other day they were down at the park and came upon this shopping cart. Jackson instantly jumped in and was ready to go off roading. I had to run home and get my camera. Guess you had to be there.

First Haircut

2008-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

I finally gave in and cut Porter's hair. I got sick of him having bedhead all of the time. It is funny because I thought he was getting his own look, but now that I cut his hair he totally looks like Brock did at his age. What do you think?
K. Now that I have the pictures up they don't look identical, but their baby pictures definitely do.

Kid's Say the Darndest Things

2008-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

The other night I was putting the boys to bed and Brock said his prayers, then I turned to Jackson and asked, "Are you ready to say your prayers?" He says, "No, thank you." I say, "You don't want to say prayers?" He says, "No, thank you." "Jackson, you don't want to talk to Heavenly Father?" Jack says, "Oh, I would love to!" and then proceeds to say his prayers. It is funny how they change their minds when you change how you say something!

Bad Mom Day!

2008-01-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, today was a really bad Mom day. I have a very challenging middle child. He wants what he wants and he won't take no for an answer. He gets me to the point where I just want to wring his neck. His nickname is Stinker. He even laughs if I spank him. I love being a Mom. Most days are pretty good, but there are those days, like today, when I think I am a complete failure as a mother. I just want to lock myself in my room and cry. It probably doesn't help that Ryan has been gone a lot with his new job. He is working so hard. I am so proud of him. At least we have cell phones right? So I can call and complain. Okay, so I am going to end my pity party and go put my kids to bed!

The Fiery Darts!

2008-01-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I have struggled getting my boys to pay attention during family home evening. Their attention span is not so good. We have been reading about Captain Moroni and putting on our spiritual armor. So we talked about what each part of the armor meant, then they each got to dress up in their armor to fight off the fiery darts (marshmallows). It was the best FHE we have ever had. It was a blast and I think they actually learned something.

After they broke my spatula, all utensils were fair game. Ryan had a lot of fun throwing the fiery darts and the kids enjoyed eating them.

Best Buds!

2008-01-14T14:35:00.001-08:00

I hope that my boys are always great friends. All though at times they fight and wrestle, they are best friends. Brock did not want to go to school the other day and when asked why, he replied, "I want to stay home and play with Jackson". Jackson probably asks me ten times a day if it is time to go get Brock from school. I love it!

Brock was upset about something and Jack just went over and put his arm around him. It was so cute.

Christmas Time!

2008-01-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas, the smell, the feeling, the look, the sound - everything! I think it started with our Christmas' at Granny's house. Every year we would get up early and open our presents and then go to Granny's for breakfast with all the of the cousins, and there were a lot of us. I always loved getting together with everyone, so our Christmas' have always been big. So, when I married into a family with two children and no close (by proximity) extended family it was a big change. I still enjoyed it, but always felt like something was missing. That all changed this Christmas. Ryan's Aunt Carla and six of her nine children and their families joined us in Thatcher for Christmas. It was so much fun. Aunt Carla had the cuttest scrapbook projects for us to do, the boys golfed, played basketball, and ultimate ping-pong, we did a huge gift exchange and we ate a lot. I have to give huge thanks to Dawn and Joan for hosting and preparing all the meals. It was great! We even got a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. We are so thankful for our family! We love you guys. I am sorry to say I don't have many pictures. I am a slacker when it comes to taking pictures at big gatherings, it is always an afterthought.

We also attempted a family picture, which did not go well. No one wanted to cooperate, especially Jackson. So you get to see the back of his head. I did get a cute one of Brock and Jackson and one of Ryan and Poe.

My little red nosed reindeer!

2008-01-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

Jackson is usually so shy in public, so I was completely shocked when he got on the stage at our Ward Christmas Party and sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. He did such a good job and was very proud. I couldn't find Brock during the performance, but was able to snatch a shot of him and his buddy Kaden afterward, so cute!

Pin em'!

2008-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

Brock has been doing wrestling for the last month. They had a little tournament at the end. He did pretty good. He won his first match. Then in his second match he just layed down and let the kid pin him. Ryan was none to happy, but he was really good with Brock. He pulled him aside and gave him a pep talk. The next match Brock had to wrestle the best kid in his class. He did so awesome! He was trying so hard. He lost by one, but we were so proud!

Look Mom, no training wheels!

2008-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Brock was so proud. This is his first ride out with no training wheels. I have to say I was very hesitant to take them off because he leans really bad. He wrecked a few times, but he finally got it and just kept going. Now I wish I had taken them off sooner.

Jack's 3rd Birthday

2007-12-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I feel like he should be so much older than 3. Maybe it is the attitude that he gives me. I can just imagine what he will be like as a teenager, just kidding. He is a pill, but so much fun. We celebrated a day late, but still had a ball. We had family and friend over for a weenie roast and cupcakes.

What a cheese!

His first real bike!

Everyone was so eager to help him open his gifts.

He is definitely a bat & ball kid!

Visit to Philly

2007-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our trip to Philadelphia. What a trip, it was great. Ryan rented GPS for our car so that we wouldn't get lost, but when you make two wrong turns, the GPS doesn't always take you the shortest (or safest) route to your destination. We ended up driving through West Philly, the worst part of town and people are so rude! We got honked at a lot. While it was a little scary, it was cool to see everything. I love the architecture out there. Ryan & I went into the city the first day and I was able to see all of historic Philadelphia. We toured Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It was so cool to hear all the stories about how our country was formed. I am so thankful for all the sacrifices that those men and women made to give us the freedoms that we have today.

Us next to the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall. The statue in the front is of George Washington.

This is the Franklin building.

This is the court room inside Independence Hall.

This is the assembly room where the Declaration of Independence was finalized.

And here we are, freezing our buns off! It wasn't bad until the wind kicked up.

The next day we spent with the Cullens. This is really the reason we went. Ryan got really close to this family. He always said that he felt like they were the reason he was sent to Philadelphia. The oldest son, David Jr., just got home from a mission to England. It was so great to meet them. They are a such a great family. I felt like I already new them and we had a great time. We went with them to a Christmas tree farm to get their Christmas tree. Then they introduced me to my first Philly Cheesesteak. I have to admit, I was skeptical, but it was sooooo good. The next day we were able to go the David's homecoming, and Ryan got to see a lot of people from his mission. It was a great experience and I am so glad that we were able to go. I think the only bad part was the flight home. It took us almost 10 hours to get home because of delays, but well worth it. A great memory.

I think the boys had a blast with Nana & Papa. I am not so sure it was such a blast for them. Nana survived two days by herself with them, then Papa took over on Saturday and helped them build a snowman. Thank you Mom & Dad!

Conrad Update

2007-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you who I haven't seen or talked to in a while, I thought I would give you the rundown on what we have been up to.
Ryan is still with Pearson Education. He really enjoys his job. We were hoping the he would get an outside sales position this next year, but it doesn't look like that will happen. Who knows, maybe it is for the best.
Myself, I am just running around crazy these days. Who knew being a stay-at-home mom would be so hectic? I love it though. Being with my kids is the best.
Brock is in Kindergarten. We had some troubles with his teacher, I don't think they were meshing very well. But they opened a new class and Brock got in, so he is now going to all-day kindergarten. He loves it! And he loves his teacher, Ms. D. He gave me a scare when I went to pick him up from school, he was nowhere to be found. After about 5 minutes (which seemed like an eternity) I spotted him walking toward me from the other end of campus. When I asked him what he was doing, he simply said "I was walking home!" He thinks he is so big.
Jackson is missing Brock a ton, but he is a good helper at home. I try to break up his day by taking him to the gym, but he doesn't like that very much and has gotten us kicked out a couple times. He is getting big though, he will be 3 on the 12th. He thinks he gets to go to school now.
Porter is in no hurry to do anything. He is 14 months now and still not walking. He is fast on his knees though. He just sits and waits for someone to leave the door open and he is gone. The boys aren't always the best at shutting the door when they go in and out. Needless to say, Porter has had a ball when he has gotten out to play in the water or mud! He is so much fun. He will repeat or I should say try to repeat everything you say. He is getting good at throwing a good tantrum too. He loves being the baby.
Ryan and I are headed to Philadelphia next week. It will be the first time Ryan has been back since his mission. One of the kids that he baptized is coming home from his mission, so we will get to be at his home coming. It should be a lot of fun. My mom is watching the boys, I don't think she knows what she is getting herself into. I think they will have a lot of fun, they love being up at my parents, they can run free.
Oh, almost forgot, Brock & Jackson are both in wrestling. They love it! I don't know how much wrestling Jackson does, he just runs around the room. Brock does really well though. It is the first activity that we have put him in that he really showed some interest in.
Well we are all doing well and hope you are doing the same. We love you all!

Pictures

2007-12-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

We had picutres taken of the boys recently and boy was it an ordeal. For one, the boys never, ever sit still for more than 3 seconds and secondly, there was way to much going on around them to pay attention to taking pictures. We tried to get some group shots first, but when that wasn't working we did individuals, which turned out great. We were just finishing Jack's individuals when Brock comes walking up, dripping wet. He had fallen in the lake at the clubhouse where we were taking the pictures. Needless to say, we did not get those group photos. Taffy was gracious enough to come back the next day to try again. Thank you so much Taffy! I think she really captured the boys perfectly!

Taffy just followed Porter around while he crawled in the grass.

Brock, prior to falling in the lake.

Brock, after falling in the lake.

Jackson was being a stinker!

Brotherly love!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

2007-12-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Most everyone I knew had a blog, except me, until now. I finally bit the bullet. I figure it will be an easy way to keep everyone up to date on what is going on with the Conrads. Thanks to everyone that has shared theirs with us, we have really enjoyed looking at them. Happy Posting!