Not as young as I used to be...

Back from our Young Women's trip to St. George. It was really great! The girls had a blast, I had a blast! They wore me out. I haven't been able to wake up all day. I decided not to post any pictures of the girls. I didn't know if the parents would be OK with that. Here are some highlights from our trip.


We drove up Thursday morning, and ate lunch at a park before heading straight to Costco. Well, everyone else ate lunch at the park. My Laurels and I never made it to the park...they begged me for In-N-Out Burger, and they said I would be the coolest leader ever if I took them...how can I resist that?

At Costco, Jessica got a picture of some polygamists on her phone THAT SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BRING. We had to confiscate it...sorry Jess.

Got to our sweet condo that happened to be right across the street from a park that High School Musical 2 was filmed at. The Redd's grandma let us use her place. It was so nice!

Went to Tuacahn to see Les Mes. It was awesome! Probably one of the best versions that I've ever seen. That was fun except for the killer bees that kept trying to eat us! Seriously, Jessica killed 5 of them (drowned 3 in her Lemonade).
Went to bed LATE! Again, the girls said I would be the coolest leader ever if I would SLEEP OUTSIDE IN THE BACKYARD with them! For reals! I gave in. We camped under the stars. It was actually pretty amazing. At about 6:30 am, the girls got soaked by the sprinklers. Ha Ha! I was smart and slept on the patio.

Friday, we hiked the Red Cliffs. It was more like rock climbing, though, which the girls liked. I did, too. I didn't realize how adventureous my girls were...it was really cool. Sister Larsen didn't know what she was getting into. She said, after a good share of climbing, "I have no good words for you girls right now!"

After that, we swam at the condo. Later, Bro. and Sis. Cuff bought us all dinner at the Pizza Factory. That was really generous of them. Then, we watched the Joseph Smith movie and had a testimony meeting at the visitor center at the St. George Temple. It was the perfect end to the day. Lisa Evans and Stephanie Brough came up Friday night. I was so glad! It was fun having them there to party with us! They drove all the way up there, just to leave first thing the next morning. They are the best!

We drove home early Saturday morning. I had such a blast growing closer and bonding with those girls. We rocked out in the car the whole time! Our theme song was "It's My Life" Bon Jovi, and we had a blast singing to "Wicked" at the top of our lungs (I loved that they approved of the songs on my Ipod). I kept getting lost! Thank heavens for cell phones. The girls said, "If you ride with Sister Berkabile, hope you like U-Turns!" Even after having my share of "Root Beer", I barely kept up with them. I was so glad I got to go. I loved hanging with my fellow leaders. I work with the coolest ladies! Love you guys!

Best Buds

I found this in Blake's backpack. I thought it was blogworthy. Blake and Ryan have been in the same class since Kindergarten. They just found out they both got Mrs. Fuller for 3rd grade. They are best buds. Jim wants to know why he signed it "Love, Ryan".

ALOT of pictures from this week!

Diddy Bad Girl gets into my lotion, alot. She likes to pump the bottle. I left her alone with it for too long this time. She was crying because she was stuck on that counter for a while. Not sure how long...probably like 20 minutes. Usually, I check on her more often because she's always getting into trouble, but I was slacking I guess.

Friday was swim play group. It was at Sunee's. We had alot of fun. Molly made a little buffet for Dylan. They were really cute together!
Jenna and Brookie did make-up and nails... BMX again! We haven't been going that much because it's been sooo windy here in Vegas. It was really nice out on Thursday, though. Lincoln did the best he could. There are no kids in his class, so he has to race up a class. He's already at a disadvantage because he's small for his age. He was racing 7 year old Intermediates. Those are the fastest 7 year olds out there. He doesn't mind coming in last. I think the challenge is good for him.

Blake and Taylor both lost their teeth on the same day. Actually, Blake begged us to pull hers out. Nana did it, and Taylor pulled out her own. I don't know how they can do that. I never would let anyone touch my loose teeth!

Lincoln dished up his own plate tonight for dinner.

Brookie spent most of the weekend with the Adam's. They share joint custody with us (kidding). They took this picture. We call it "Patriotic Brookie".

Where has this week gone?

This week has flown by. I feel like the freakin' energizer bunny. I just keep going and going... This was a pretty productive week, though.

• Finished my family room curtains. Waiting for Jim to hang them up.
• Got caught up on the laundry.
• The house is clean and vacuumed (for now).
• Violin Lessons
• Piano Lessons
• Two dentist appointments...Brooklyn woke up Tuesday morning and said, "Mom, my front tooth feels funny." Yep. HUGE hole in her front tooth. She lost a filling. My kids have rotten teeth, but that's a whole different post.
• 3 Young Women Presidency Meetings. I know!
• Got all the fabric and stuff to make Taylor's costume for the school play. I can't tell you who she is in the play. Her teacher said the characters are top secret. More of that to come in the next few weeks. Need to start sewing that costume, though. Maybe while Jim's at his ping-pong tournament tomorrow night. That's right, I said ping-pong! Hey, how could he possibly get injured, right?
• By tomorrow, I will have my visiting teaching done for this month, too.
• Went swimming everyday except today.
• Ran on my treadmill 3 days this week.

Not bad for the week, right? Every once in a while I have a really productive week. Next week I'm sure that I will probably do absolutely nothing.

Happy Father's Day to my Love

I can't believe that after 10 years of marriage that these are the only pictures I could find of my husband. Honey, be prepared to have your picture taken way more often!



What can I say about my hubby? He is the most amazing man I know. I don't think there is a better man out there than the one that I'm married to. He makes me want to be the best that I can be. He is a righteous husband and father, and a good example to our little family. I hope Lincoln grows up to be just like him, and my girls find husbands equal to him. I think what I admire most about him is his loyalty to the Gospel, his unwavering integrity, and his devotion to me and the kids. I admire that he is very careful to always make good choices. He is the smartest man I know. He can do anything and everything really well. He is always in a good mood. He is sensitive and loving to all his little girls (especially Brookie, the drama queen). He is thoughtful. He always calls on the way home to see if I need anything. If it's broken, he can fix it (thanks for fixing my retarded washer, honey). He builds me beautiful things in the garage! He helps me print out my handouts for Young Womens, because he can do it 10 times faster than me. Oh, and he makes really yummy salsa! He teaches and inspires me everyday. I have learned so many things from him that have helped me so many times in my life. I am blessed to have him for eternity. I love you, Jimmers!

To my wonderful Dad...

Words can't describe how much I love my dad. I have always been close to him. I feel like so many of the good qualities that I have learned, I learned from him. He has been given the gift of having a loving tender heart. He understands his daughters, and is completely devoted to them. He is constantly in service of others, and will always be there when you call. If there is a job to be done, my dad will be there to do it. I know that I can always count on my dad not only to be here for me, but to drop everything and come running. I love you dad!

Quadruple Stuffed???

Sometimes I just wish I could sit inside her little head to see how she comes up with this stuff. Not sure how many Oreos she had to dissect to make that, but there it is. By the way, she didn't actually eat it. I found it in my pantry wrapped in plastic wrap.
Blake, you are a silly girl!

Lincoln's 6th Birthday

My little dude turned six on Saturday. I told him not to, but he said he couldn't help it! I love this little man. He keeps me on my toes. I alway tease him that he was TROUBLE from the start, because he was my only C-Section. He LOVES being the only boy in the family and, trust me, he is really spoiled. He is such a hero to his 4 sisters. They are always there to cheer him on in whatever he is doing! He is really good at Guitar Hero (seriously, it's crazy)! He has a knack for the video games. He got a Wii from his Uncle David and Aunt Michelle for his birthday. We are so excited about that! We had a small family party for him...

He got ANOTHER bike. That brings the total to 4. He wanted a new 12" bike to do tricks and wheelies. His other one literally fell apart...the tires fell off. So, we got him a new one. One thing I love about Lincoln is he is never embarassed to love his mom. He always gives me a kiss good-bye, and he doesn't care who is watching.

Nana & Papa got him these cool boats. They have water-guns to shoot eachother. I LOVE summertime. We spend everyday by the pool! These will come in handy. Happy birthday, Lincoln! Love you, dude!

Second Wind

Why does this always happen to me? It's late...I should be asleep, but I am soooo not even tired. Something happens to me after everyone goes to bed. I get all excited to have some me time. The peace and quiet of having the house to myself. Doing what I want without interruptions. A second wind. Nevermind that I have to get up at 7:30am to get 3 kids out the door by 8:15 (I know, it's pushing it). Does this happen to anyone else, or am I just crazy and slightly pathetic? Already watched the 2 hour Bachelorette...now I am going to be bored on my treadmill tomorrow because I will have nothing to watch. My favorite guy is Graham. Don't you think he looks like the Maroon 5 guy? Now I'm rambling. Goodnight.

Photo shoot

The girls had their baptism photo shoot. Heather takes amazing pictures! They had a blast. Blake refused to wear the jacket I specifically made for that dress. She is so rebellious. I don't know where she gets it. To see more pictures click here. I will post more when they are ready. Thank you, Heather!!!

Blake's Baptism

I'm finally posting Blake's baptism. I'm a little slow. I have never seen a child more excited to get baptized than Blake. She said,"I've been waiting for this day for my whole life!" She didn't even seem to mind that the water was about 40 degrees. I feel really bad for all the kids that were baptized that day. Jim said it felt like they put ice cubes in the water. Blake didn't mind, though. After she was baptized she said, "Mom, it feels so good to be baptized." I love that girl! She has been waiting for a long time to have her very own scriptures.
Does this look like the face of a trouble-maker?
OK. Lincoln has been soooo BAD lately! After the baptism, the boys begged me to do water balloons. I told them absolutely not! So guess what they did instead! We all kinda said, "Where are the boys?" We looked out in the back yard and this is what we saw...yes, that is the HOSE!

Diddy the Trouble Maker

Hi everyone! It's me Taylor. I have a little something to say about my sister.Let's just get things straight. You know, my baby sister Diddy, right? Well, EVERYONE thinks she's an angel, but she is a devil! Earlier today, she got a hold of a brown marker. You know what that means.Yes all over my room.... marker was on my computer desk, my dresser, my bed, my window, my computer and my door. I am sooo mad at her. I told her to say she was sorry, but all I got from her was NO NO TATE! DIDDY DO IT! I started yelling at her, but then she tried to bite me. All of my brothers and sisters know the story. And she also colored on the banister with crayon. And if you ever come into my house and see circles on the walls or something, you will know who did it. But NO ONE will believe what I'm saying about Diddy, except for my family. They know how big of a mess maker she is. Just wanted to post this because I want people to know how much she ruins all of our stuff. And when I say this I say it for the whole family, Beware of Diddy!