The Lewis Clan

Tate's Baptism

2011-11-28T18:49:00.003-07:00

i never claimed to be a good Blogger... i guess i've proven that!

but our Tate was baptized last weekend by his dad and i'm pretty proud of our little man!

tate is such a good boy!

he's so stinkin funny!

he makes me laugh all the time...

i just love him!

well done tate.

this is the first of many good choices in your life.

i'm thankful i am blessed to be your mommy.

i love you

StoryTime... with Emery and Bridger Beau

2011-05-18T23:44:00.008-07:00

"I wonder what story she will tell tonight"

"Oh! I like this one"

"I think this is the one with the dragon"

"I hope it's not too scary"

"It is! It's the one with the dragon!"

"and then what happened?"

"Stop! Pause for dramatic affect"

"this better have a good ending, toots!"

"What a story! I'm pooped..."

Good night kisses and off to bed!

LOVE you Em!

One Year Ago Today....

2011-05-18T21:53:00.003-07:00

Our family was blessed with this kind soul.
One year ago our family was complete with the arrival of this little boy.
Our fourth and final.
Bridger Beau is our joy baby. He is such a delight.
I must admit, I have a hard time writing about the last year. I don't want to share him.
He is special to me.
My Last.
I have felt like I need to cherish every little moment.
Treasure it.
I love being a mommy.
I love being Bridger's mommy.
Happy Birthday Bridger Beau!!!
You are so loved!

Ball Game

2011-03-15T19:11:00.002-07:00

For Porter's Birthday, Papa Charlie and Grandma Carol got him

tickets to a Diamondbacks game. He took Tate and Dad for

a fun time at the ballfield. They played the Rangers, and beat them in the 9th

inning. Porter got an autograph from Treanor, who is the Ranger's catcher.

At the end of the game they ran over by the Dback's dugout, and were able to

talk to and get a picture with Ryan Robert. Robert had a base hit in the 9th

to drive in the winning run. It was a great time for the boys. Tate couldn't wait

to get him a snow cone. Good thing they were only $5.00. The only

downfall was that Porter did not get the foul ball hit two rows behind them.

Dad sure loved the time he had with his boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Sister!

2011-02-07T13:51:00.002-07:00

This is "our" Paige Ella. I say "our" because i would love to claim her (and her big sister for that matter) but alas she is owned by my wee sister Lauren and her dear husband Morgan. And i am very certain they will not be giving her (or her sister) up anytime soon!

Paige Ella was blessed this weekend. She was given a name and a blessing by her daddy, and what a mighty blessing it was! So often i am reminded of what amazing spirits who are walking among us. This little gal is one of them!

You are loved sweet Paige, by so so many!

But in particular, and most assuredly by ME!

TAg!

2011-01-12T13:01:00.014-07:00

This TaG looked fun from YayA...

4 Shows i watch...
*Glee (same as YayA)

*anything with "Real Housewives" in the beginning of it

*Desperate Housewives (Trever actually watches it, i just keep him company)

*Masterpiece Theater (even if most of them make he cry so hard i wake trev up sleep next to me)

4 Things i am Passionate About...

*my faith

*my family

*my home

*ugly bug quilt co.

4 Phrases i say a lot...

*what the!!??

*don't do it, hannah! ("hannah" is anyone that may be standing in front of you)

*little bits (thanks to morgan)

*dane it! (you have to hear brook's little voice say it that way!)

4 Things i have learned from the past...

*love your babies with every bit of you

*it'll get worse before it gets better

*don't sweat the little things, and sometimes even the big ones

*it's easier to change me than the change anyone else

4 Things i did yesterday...

*changed the sheets

*scouts

*got a coke

*nursed my Bboy ALL day... poor guy's not feeling so hot

4 Places i would love to visit...

*Alaska

*Spain

*Anywhere South of the Border on the coast

*The East Coast in the Fall

4 Things i am looking Forward to...

*5 o'clock! that's when Trev gets home

*To sit in the Temple with ALL my boys around me

*Next weekend when I get to go to my "other home"

*A year from now! When i get my braces off and my teeth are super pretty!

4 Things i love about Winter...

*The fire in the wood stove
*scarfs
*Sweatshirts
*Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on a cold evening

4 Peeps to TaG...
*Skeezie
*Jeni
*Courtney (since you haven't done yours yet)

*My Laura

still kickin

2011-01-12T12:24:00.004-07:00

i'm so behind in blogging.

so i figured i would just post some pics.

that's all anyone really looks at anyway!

here are our family pics this year.

it's killing me that our boys are getting so big!

hope you enjoy them... i'll catch up someday, hopefully

Big Fish Tales

2010-11-26T14:30:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday, Trever and Papa Charlie took

Porter and Tate to Reservation Lake to drowned a few worms.

The wind blew a million miles an hour, but the boys did awesome.

Porter caught the biggest fish, and Tate caught the most.

That kid would cast his worn out, set his rod down, run around

and bug everyone, then go back to his rod and have a fish on.

Talk about driving an older brother nuts, Porter did not like that

Tate was catching more fish than he was. He did have the big fish of

the day, so that made it a little better. Papa and Dad had a blast

with these crazy boys, and even managed to catch a few.

One of Tate's Rainbows.

Porter's fish of the day. Nice Brown.

1966 Field and Stream

2010-10-04T14:00:00.005-07:00

Our new project...

Trev and I were able to find a screaming deal on a camper trailer. We've been looking for one for a while but haven't been able to find one that fit us just right. Until a few Sundays ago we were at Trev's parents house for dinner when he's dad told him about this little beauty down the road. We drove by it and both know we had to have it for our little family. So after a bit o' "problem solving" I managed to scrounge together the cash to buy our "Christmas Present for the Next Ten Years".

We've been working hard to spruce it up a bit and I thought I would share our progress.

So here are some pics...

Before...

During...

After...

Can't really say we're done. I'm not thinking we will ever been totally done. But how about we leave it with....DONE FOR NOW!

OREGON or BUST

2010-09-01T17:28:00.009-07:00

This weekend Bridger and I ran away. The "big boys " had some quality time with daddy at home. As Courtney, Lauren, and I devised a plan to dash up to Bend, Oregon, where Courtney's parents have a home and stay the weekend. The idea was contagious and before we knew it mom and Thos had jumped on the bandwagon!
We had an awesome weekend!

Here are some pics of our adventure...

we explored our road...

then, we went for a "hike"...

I know! Sexy mamma's!!! hee hee

Emery rocked the bridge! Her own personal catwalk!

then we hit Washington...

then we were asked to leave... :)

We stopped and had lunch at the base of Mt. Hood.

So Pretty!

Miss Kenzie was all work and NO fun! I kept telling her the fields can wait!

Mt. Hood... someday we will take this picture from the top!

and after a long day of play, we always had grandma to kiss us good night and send us to bed!

Thanks Wilkes mom and dad for letting us invade your little casa in the mountains! Thanks Thosy for being our chiefer, mom for being an awesome bedhog, matt and court for being our navigators (hee hee) yaya for being always willing to cuddle my ittle baby, morgan for the comic relief, and emery Jane and kenzie Sue for being such good "babysitters"!

If I had the Time

2010-08-08T22:27:00.005-07:00

If I had the time I would eat a better breakfast
If I had the time I would blog weekly
If I had the time I would take more pictures
If I had the time I would take a shower till the water ran cold
If I had the time I would exercise longer
If I had the time I would read a chapter of scriptures to my boys, rather than just a page
If I had the time I would then read on my own
If I had the time I would stop and smell the roses
If I had the time I would plant those roses
If I had the time I would practice the piano
If I had the time I would cuddle with my boys instead of yelling at them to go to bed
If I had the time I would Pray more
If I had the time I would pray until my knees bleed for my boys to be safe and good and healthy
If I had the time I would go back to school
If I had the time I would make awesome dinners every night and put Little Cesare's out of business
If I had the time I would bake more bread
If I had the time I would call old friends and catch up
If I had the time I would lay here and feed this baby without thinking about all the things I "should" be doing...

All for Him

2010-07-05T20:34:00.004-07:00

The Lewis home was rockin this weekend. We not only celebrated the Fourth, but our little boy too!

Bridger was blessed with all his sweet family to support him.

The entire Porter Clan made the trek up the hill. We pitched tents in the backyard and threw most of the hoodlums out there! Let's do the roll call, shall we?

Thos? Here.

Nat, Eda, Corinne, Maddy, Olivia, and Isabella? Here.

Dave, Jess, Daisy, Tatum, Brodee, Peyton, Lily, Daxton? Here.

Trev, Annie, Porter, Tate, Brooks, and the man of the hour, Bridger? Here.

Matt, Courtney and Kenzy? Here.

Morgan, Lauren, Emery, and the still in the oven, Paige? Here.

H.P. and Reda? Wouldn't miss it!

Beau, Joni, Liam, Mia and Kendyl? Here.

Brody, Brek, and Briston? Here.

Charlie and Carol? Here with bells on!

It was a wild and crazy weekend.

But the best part of all, even better than the fireworks, was watching our last little baby in our family get the sweetest blessing from his daddy.

I looked around the room and gave thanks for every single one of those people.

How blessed this little man is to have so many people who LOVE him.

EVERYONE of Bridger's Cousins were there on Sunday! On both side of the family. Everyone! Not very often in our lives do we get to say that...

I wanted to freeze the moment.

Catch it in a bottle.

Wrap it in a blanket.

So when the hard days come, as they always do,

I can

Drink it up,

Take it in,

and Cuddle into it.

Thank you, my fantastic family, for making the effort to be here.

I love you!

Bridger Loves you!

We love you!

Our New Family Picture

Some Rockin Men

My Rockin Man

Getting ready for his big day

The Whole Crew!

Have you ever seen such Lovely

Little People?

The Lewis Lodge...

now includes a camp ground!

PorterHouse 2010

2010-06-12T15:49:00.011-07:00

I think I found the cure for those postpartum blues...

the California Sun.

No joke.

Two weeks postpartum and what do I do?

Load up my itty bitty baby and his three brothers and we take off heading west until we could go west no farther.

The Porter Family Beach week has always been the first week in June, and we were not going to miss it... even if baby brother's "paint was still wet".

This year's destination was Oxnard, Ca.

It was absolutely lovely!

Well, from my seat on the couch looking out. I spent the vast majority of the time there in our beach house looking out at the ocean while feeding a brand new baby.

That was in no way a complaint!

I was surrounded by a multitude of my most favorite people (but not my MOST favorite one, trev stayed at home to hold the fort down) to keep me company and keep a watchful eye on my other boys.

We were taken care of so well!

Lots of helpful hands to hold our baby or take the big boys out to the water.

If Bridger was not in my arms being fed, he was being adored by his aunts and uncles, or cuddled next to Grandpa or Yaya.

We were welcomed by Lauren and Morgan to share their room. Morgan was such a good sport. The poor guy had to sleep in the same room as his nursing sister in law and her four kids! He deserves a medal in my book.

Along with hanging out on the beach, Courtney found a farm not too far from our house that you can pick your own fruit and veggies.

We ventured out to find what we could pick.

The boys LOveD it!

Bridger was left in the caring arms of grandma and grandpa. Mom insisted that I get out a bit.

We had a great time, and picked lots and lots of strawberries, that the boy devoured!

Here are some pics of the trip... thank you my sweet family for taking such good care of us!

I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!

Picking Strawberries...you would think it was Easter and they were hunting for eggs!

All the cousins! Look hard and you'll find Brooks...

Bridger's favorite beach buddie

My Beach Boys

I threatened him to not get wet, we were loading up to head home!
One last moment to take it all in...
I just LovE these little PeOpLE

Thanks mom and dad for making another beach week so awesome and making such an effort to get us there!

And thanks Thossy for getting my little family home safe and sound. You RocK!

Bridger Beau Lewis

2010-05-24T15:54:00.005-07:00

At 6:16 am on May19th, Bridger Beau joined his brothers as a Lewis.

His story is an awesome one.

Not for it's twists and turns or dramatic unfolding, but for it's calm and serenity.

It was truly an honor to have him.

I have rarely felt as close to heaven. He has a different spirit about him.

He has a sense of wisdom.

I know that sounds silly to some, but to me, it fits him.

I can not express the gratitude I feel toward my Heavenly Father for him.

Bridger was welcomed into this world by his father, both his Grandfathers, and both of his Grandmothers... (and almost two of his aunts;)

and as we waited for him to arrive we chatted about the family who were there we could not see but only feel.

How loved he is! How loved we all are. Our families are sealed together in such a tight and everlasting way.

How blessed we are.

Here are some pictures of our little man.

Enjoy them

I have

Waiting... waiting...

Worth every moment

Daddy and his boy

The grandpas first look

Take us home daddy

Tate and Bridger

Porter and Bridger

Brooks and Bridger

Daddy and Bridger

The Brothers Lewis

Thank you, Thank you, for all the help our little family has been given!

Thank you mom and dad Lewis for your love and time.

Eda and Yaya for trying SO hard to be here for him, and loving on our Brooks when he needed it so badly.

Thank you Marci for waking up so very early and sitting with our boys.

Thank you mom and dad for staying with us, loving us, and helping us when we so desperately needed it.

Thank you Porter, Tate, and Brooks for being the awesome big brothers that you are!

Thank you to our sweet family and dear friends for all the prayers, love and FOOD that has been given in our behalf.

Thank you Wendy, for delivering yet another healthy and strong boy into our family, and Sheri, our amazing nurse, who i will forever be grateful for.

Thank you Trever, for giving me another perfect little person, whom I could not love more.

Thank you to my Father in Heaven for Blessing me so greatly, that I stand amazed at His kindness.

I needed a good Laugh!

2010-04-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Oh Baby...

2010-04-13T12:23:00.008-07:00

It's begun, the aches and pains, the swollen feet, the constant lower back throbbing, the inability to find a comfortable sleeping position, the continual hunger and nagging nausea, horrific heartburn and overall lack of desire to be pleasant to ANYoNe.
It's the beginning of the end, this baby is coming, and this last month will be a battle of endurance.

As I sat today at my kitchen table looking out into the field behind our house, I felt an urgency to sit and write about the little guy I'm carrying and tell him about the last nine months we've had together. Before the next few weeks clouds my memory and paints this experience a different color.

This baby has been a joy.

It has been an honor to have him as my constant companion.

Has it been an "easy" road? no.

There has been many scary moments. Many prayers in his behalf, in our behalf. He has been the topic of many heartfelt pleads. Yet through every "bump", we have been blessed.

The first few months were difficult, a test of patients. If the past is the best predictor of the future, my body should not have kept him. With every successful pregnancy, I have paid the price of an unsuccessful one.

He was my gift.

My merciful miracle.

With every movement, every hick up, every kick, I am reminded how blessed I am.

How I was not lost amongst my Father in Heaven's children. How neither was he.

So, yes. The next few weeks will be trying, the thought of delivery daunting. But I will be thankful. I will be happy to bear this burden. I will continually be grateful I have him with me,

that our family will be blessed with another sweet spirit.

Another, would be priesthood holder.

So take your time little guy, know that you are loved and looked forward to. Grow healthy and strong. Know your mommy and daddy love you. That you have brothers, grandmas and papas, aunts and uncles, many many cousins, and dear friends who all love you. Who have prayed for you and worried about you. Who you will be blessed because of, and they will be blessed by you.

We will see you soon, kiss your sweet face, and feel and recognize your spirit and know that you are ours.

Fixed it!

2010-04-08T10:16:00.006-07:00

So, our computer decided it would take an hiatus, so i haven't been able to write about our little family trip.

But after a few choice words with it, and some pondering, I fix it! And i didn't even have to call Thos crying! I'm sure he appreciates that.

So here we go...

The Lewis' (mom and dad lewis) managed to find our family Beach Tickets for Spring Brake. The boys were so stinking exited to go. Trever use to go to the same spot when he was younger, so it had a lot of awesome memories for him. He couldn't wait to show the boys.

I, on the other hand, am GREAT with child and found myself a bit...apprehensive... at the thought of driving eight hours, sleeping in a tent, on the beach, which tends to be a bit sandy, with only eight weeks left in my pregnancy.

But Trever and his parents did their very best to help me be comfortable and enjoy myself. Which I did VERY much.

We were able to take the boys to the San Diego Zoo. They LOVED it! I would highly recommend going there, even Brooks had a blast. He walked (or ran) the entire day, we didn't have anyone complain about having to walk or being bored. Which is a very BIG miracle in and of it's self.

Our campsite was right on the beach. It was BEAUTIFUL! The boys played, rode bikes, boogie boarded, ate junk food, told tall tales, and climbed every tree they could find.

Thanks Grandma and Papa Charlie!

You guys rock!!

Sunny San Elijo, California

2010-03-29T15:46:00.003-07:00

Pinewood Derby

2010-02-02T12:08:00.003-07:00

Porter got to race in his first Pinewood Derby last week! Believe it or not, it was actually a very fun experience. I'm the Bear's Den Mother in our ward so I got the opportunity to help run the races. There were no public uprising, no throwing of the folding chairs, no smack down between fathers, everyone was on their best behavior and the races were a huge success.

Porter and his car got 2nd place! thanks dad! He was very proud of his little car, and we were very proud of him...Now i need to go repent for having such a bad attitude about Scouts...BlaSTeD ;)

I Took His Hand And Followed

2010-01-19T16:05:00.020-07:00

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I,

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky.

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood;

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill,

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

I would love to give credit to the mommy who wrote this, but couldn't find an author.

But I know her life, I live her life, and will be forever thankful.

and yes...

IT'S A BOY!

Trever, the Boys, and I will joyful welcome our FOURTH "brother" into the Lewis Family the end of May!

Porter Family Christmas Party

2009-12-21T15:23:00.006-07:00

Don't you just love pictures of EVERYONE! It's not very often that we get all our family together, every single person. These cutie pies are all of my parent's grandchildren! They a quite the bunch! I adore and love every single one of them!

Maddie was our Mary for the Christmas program this year! (she usually is, since porter is Joseph and the two of them or practically twins)

Brooks was a Shepard!

Here's the entire "Heavenly Host" mom did an amazing job with the costumes this year! Well done Reda!

Tis' the Season!

2009-12-15T11:37:00.005-07:00

It's that time of year again,

Christmas Program Time!

Tate had his very first Christmas program this year, now that he's a big bad kindergartner!

It was so fun to see him up there singing his little heart out. He was blessed with a rockin' teacher this year and he loves going to school ever morning. (when does that end? sometime during the summer between kindergarten and first grade i think;)

This week we also have Porter's program...I know that you all will be holding your breath until then, I'll try to post those pics straight away! :)

Here's our little man being the stud muffin he is!

(he's the one in the red, not the one in the skirt)

and believe it or not, the little fleck on the left is his bit o' noggin!

Man, I know that stuff like this is only cool for the guys mommy, but I'm pretty sure I just gave birth to the fellow, and there's no way that he should be up there with all those little peeps! This whole "time flies" thing is kickin' my trash... it really does just fly by. Well, I'm going to sit here and sulk for a while, you enjoy trying to find Tate in that itty bitty picture and Yaya, can I get a "whoo whoo" for no more dead animal picture!

300 win mag

2009-11-07T10:07:00.002-07:00

Trever couldn't wait for me to post about his deer, I think it had something to do with two fellows named gary lane and sean smith!

He told me all about the thrill of the hunt, the stalking, and the eventual demise of this creature but the story escapes me now...

Needless to say, He got him and we will be smelling dead animal cooking in our oven for days to come :)

Well done trev! my mighty hunter!

Family Pictures

2009-10-27T13:46:00.004-07:00

Family Pictures time again!

This weekend I figured we better get some taken if we want to not freeze to death while we try to look pretty. Things are really cool down up here in the good ol' White Mountains.

Morgan and Lauren were ever so kind to drive up the hill and take them for us. We had such a good weekend with them, and I think the pictures turned out pretty dang good! You can judge for yourself though... here's a few of my favorites

I really think this one should be framed, it's the epitome of our family! Tate and Brooks were scared to death to get on this log! They have completely lost it, and what are Trever and I doing? Laughing

Some sweet boys we are blessed with!

I think this is the one! Brooks is a cheeseball, but that's him;)

Thanks Lauren, Morgan and Emery!

You guys are the best

Gender Confusion?

2009-10-05T14:32:00.002-07:00

And so it begins...

2009-10-05T14:25:00.004-07:00

Porter's football season is well underway, so I thought i should post some pictures of our little athlete before it was over!
Looking tough!

We had some other entertainment while the game was going on! What a LADIES MAN our Brooks is!

More Pictures from the Weekend!

2009-09-08T21:37:00.008-07:00

Trever's favorite hiding place! and we got to go with him!

Don't you just want to kiss her!!!
My little men!

Thanks for the pictures Yaya, love you!

Labor Day!

2009-09-08T18:53:00.003-07:00

I just love these little men!

We had a really eventful Labor Day weekend, Trev took off work on Friday so we could have some "family time" and what a time we had!

We started off with a morning trip with mom and dad Lewis and Liam. We found ourselves some water and rocks towards Globe (in a undisclosed location;) The boys had a blast, and we enjoyed the company. Isn't it amazing how little boys can be totally entertained for hours on end with just some rocks and a little bit of water!!?? I love it! Trever and his mommy

Our brookers!

Trever and his Annie

We got home from our outing to find Nat and Eda and SiX of the cutest little girls in the whole wide world! (the addition of Nat's rockin' nieces) Then followed by Morgan, Yaya and Emery, and then by Thosy and Dave! Most everyone bailed by Saturday, but we enjoyed every smidgen of our time with them! We were also consoled by the Pew fam who got to stay till Sunday. (hopefully we'll have some pics soon of our adventures with them:)

We finished up the weekend with the Lewis family, and a barbecue at our little casa! Man, I'm getting tired again from just writing it all!! We have been blessed with amazing family so close to us, and I LoVe you all so Very Very VerY VERY much!

"Two double A batteries please"

2009-08-29T19:08:00.004-07:00

Back to school!

These sweet little boys went back to school quite some time ago... we were postponed in our blogging of the happy day due to the dying of two double A batteries in the camera. Why didn't I just grab two more and replaced the dead duo, you ask? We had none, zip, zilch, nada in our humble home. After capturing these two precious snap shots it died. I then ran frantic through our house trying to find just two little batteries to revive the useless electronic, but to no avail. Every drawer came up empty, every remote a different type, every Wii control vacant.

So, what would a good mommy do? Better yet... What would Laura do? drive her little self to the closest convenient store (I would be there soon enough to buy a coke) and grab myself some AA's. But no. Not this crazy chick! I completely and totally forgot about the crisis. Until now, two weeks later and still, no back to school memories for two of the cutest and sweetest students in the known world!

So, here they are my dear loved ones! Enjoy and give praise, our Porter and Tate are loving school and Brooks and I are having a BLAST hanging out together!

I hope all your "BAck to Schools" have been smooth sailing, and yes, I purchased TWO packs of double A's ;)

Happy 80th Grandma!

2009-08-04T20:16:00.006-07:00

Can you believe my grandma is 80!!!

(that deserved three exclamation marks)

She's so vibrant and full of life, Not to mention a Newlywed! My grandma has been my bestest friend all my life. I use to beg my mom to let me go over and have a slumber party with her and my GrandBob. After pleading and pleading, she usually gave in and a meeting at "Mother Tucker's" restaurant would be arranged. (somehow that was determined to be the halfway point between our homes)

SO many of my fondest childhood memories are at my Grandma's house.We would make forts, dress up in Great Grandma's fashion jewelry, drink as much soda as we liked, get taken to Chinese food by Aunt Gayle, bug GrandBob in the shop, watch old movies together, bake cookies, ride bikes, (grandma had a three wheeler with a basket on the back two tires) and look for sea shells along the canal.

My grandma always let me sing whenever and whatever I wanted. Her house was the ONLY house I didn't get homesick at. (trust me I tried to stay at other sleepovers and never made it through the night, until I was well over eleven years old) She always made me feel like I was the favorite, even though all my siblings think they are! She use to tell me to, "Kiss her fast before her heart broke!" and then pretend to start fainting. Grandma would ask me when I was little if I would ever "grow out" of spending the night at her house, and I could never even imagine that happening. I guess I kinda did, but not really.

When Porter and Tate were still very little my family went on vacation to the beach. I decided that the boys and I would fly over and meet them in California. The night before our plane took off we stayed at Grandma and GrandBob's house so they could take us to the Airport. I loved being there. I loved sharing stories with the boys all about my childhood at Grandma's house. And early the next morning, I crept across the house to their room and crawled in between them, just like I use to so many years ago. When I was little, it didn't matter how early I got up, Grandma and GrandBob were ALWAYS awake. Grandma had her talk radio on in her earphone and GrandBob was chatting to her in the other ear. GrandBob passed away not too long after, and I hold that sweet memory in my heart. I can still hear Grandma say, "Look Bob, it's our Funny Annie!"

I love you Grandma! I love you, I love you! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Here's all the ladies at grandma's Birthday Lunch

Mom had an awesome idea of putting a scrap book together with all our Family picture's and birthday wishes. We gave the book to her at the lunch! I think she kinda liked it ;)

The "peanut" and her mommy!

The Reda and her mommy!

CHEESE!

Laura comes to Visit!

2009-07-15T21:43:00.014-07:00

I have been blessed in my life with some pretty cool chicks to look up to. One of my most favorite ones is my Laura. I say "my" for a lot of reasons... she's my cousin, my cheerleader, my shoulder, my constant, my teacher, my example, my hero, my "bosom" buddie,(that's for you sean) my twin (move over jake) my validator, my listening ear, my reminder of all things birthday, my motivator, my friend.

Needless to say, when she planned to come and visit our Lewis Lodge I was a wee bit exited about it, and not just because she was going to come "husbandless"!;) I love you mr. Smith! I was just so hungry to sit and chat with her. I wanted to eat up every word and gobble up every minute!

We had a super fun time just hanging out at our house! We had planned to do some "activities" but realized that we had more fun letting the kids play and just following, sometimes running, after them chatting our little heads off!
Trever was such a good sport, and let us just run amok!

The boys couldn't get enough of Owen, they thought he was the coolest thing since peanut butter.

Miss Callie took her place among the ranks, she was not going to be left out of left behind. AnYtIng the boys could do, ShE could do BeTTeR! I Love that girl!

thanks for the visit my sweet Laura! I hope you know how much you are loved! Kiss those babies for me and give Sean a big-O smoochjust from me! I LOVE YOU!

BIG times at BIG Lake

2009-06-22T13:59:00.006-07:00

Trever took some time off last week so we could do some camping. We had a blast up by Big Lake! We through the tent and our quads in a trailer and off we went. Mom and dad Lewis found their way up with Ty in tow, and together we drank too much coke, (oh wait that was me!) ate too much junk, (umm, me again) and laughed until our sides ached! (still me;)

This is the meadow that is just above our campsite, there's a natural spring that flows right out of the rocks!

Brooks was in heaven!

This is looking off towards Big Lake, we found some awesome quad trails

Brooks couldn't get enough of Tate's quad! He would sit on it until Tate would take him for a ride, there was a little track that ran around the campsite. They would ride around in circles for hours!

Here's grandma at her happiest! With her boys all over and around her!

We all played hard!

Thanks for the fun lover!

Dad's Day

2009-06-21T20:44:00.004-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you daddies! I'm fairly certain there's not a whole lot of you out there in "blogger land" but I figured you need a little pat on the back today for all your hard work.

I kinda think that Dad's Day is every day, they get their dinners cooked, their laundry done, their houses cleaned, sounds like a celebration to me! But in all fairness, they need a day too.

So today I called up my dad, and before he had a chance to say, "Hi! Here's your mother." I blurted out, "HAppY FaThEr's Day!"

Man, I hope he knows I love him! He's kinda a cool guy, my dad. He's a man of few words, unless he's teaching you about something. Which I take advantage of as much as I can. He can tell you just about anything you need to know about a vehicle, (except ford's, because you're anti ford ;) he can tell you all about the fall of the Roman Empire, or the family tree of Adam. He can start at the beginning of the Book of Mormon and tell you who begot whom and what they did that was so important. But the best thing about my dad is that he never makes you feel retarded for not knowing it already. He's kind and sweet. He loves my babies, (and any others he can get his hands on) he's supported me in all my life decisions, even when one was to run away and get married to a mountain man! He's a rock, and a soft place to fall. I like him, and I hope he had a wonderful day today, he deserves it!

I've also got a dad-in-law who's pretty rockin' himself. He's been a huge support to our little family, he's funny and loving, he's tender and kind. Charlie and I have had a chance to do some hang out as of late, and I've really enjoyed the old man. He is one of the most creative people I've ever met, and can "charlie rig" just about any project he can get his hands on. He also feeds me, I LOvE that! Charlie can take a radish, cooked ham, and a fig newton and turn it into a culinary masterpiece. He makes me laugh, and I enjoy our time together. But I must admit, Charlie's greatest achievement is my Trever, and for him, I will forever be grateful to Charlie.

So here's to you the dad's in my life! I kinda think you're swell and ThAnk You for all you've done for me.

kisses!

2009-05-31T15:36:00.002-07:00

i think he just might be over me leaving him... maybe

Ten Years...wow!

2009-05-31T12:13:00.003-07:00

This weekend Trever and I celebrated our ten year anniversary. Kinda crazy huh? I seriously thought the guy would've had enough of me a L..O..N..G time ago. But we're over here still kickin' and I'm eternally thankful for it.

We made plans to take a day and go for a ride. This is one of my most favorite things to do. I love the woods around where we live and Trev seems to always have a new dirt road to take me on.

The thought of having Trever to myself trapped in a confined space was just too exiting to me!

My parents made plans to come up the hill and hang out with the boys so I could have my day, but without me knowing, Trever had made some plans of his own!

He wanted to do something special for this crazy chick he is eternally bound to... so what does the guy do? He calls up Greer Lodge, were we spent our Honeymoon and books us a room! Not just any room, but the exact one we stayed in, oh so many years ago! (everything but Skeezie and the crew coming in with icecream and a visit, remember skeez ;)

Holy Hannah!

This lady was impressed! Never in all our days together has such a romantic thought ever even entered in to this man's head, LET ALONE, him act on it!

Well done lover! YOU ROCK!

I guess this is where I go on and tell about what an awesome ten years it's been for us, and it has! But it has also been, at times, tough. A good marriage, I think, isn't made of just peaches and cream. Then it would be too easy, and Nothing in life that's worth ANYTHING is easy. We've had happy times and sad times, great times and bad times, but the important part is that we had them together. And every night when I lay my head down I thank the Lord with ALL my heart that I married Trever Lewis.

We have been blessed with the opportunity to be together for all eternity, and while I'm quite sure some days that scares Trever to death, I am thankful he chose me to join him on that journey.

So, thanks babe for a rockin' tEn YEaRs!

And here's to an infinite amount of more tens!!!

Looking off the RimOur new house, I seriously want to move here! Out in the middle of no where, just two rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom. There's a stream that runs along side of it. I'm packing our stuff

Thanks mom and dad for watching our little hoodlums, it was so nice to get away, but even nicer to come home!

An Heir to the Throne

2009-05-15T19:24:00.008-07:00

On May 14th, at 3:30ish in the morning the Porter family welcomed Daxton Lyle Porter into our eternal family!

The Porter name will live on.

Daxton is Dave and Jessica's first baby together, and SIXTH in their family! Dave has two of the sweetest little girls and jess has three rockin little peeps of her own! He's the "ours" in their "yours, mine and ours."

Here's Daxton's story...

He was actually born on his due date! go figure, jess had been trying to get him here for a solid two weeks but to no avail. Poor chick ;( But finally, her doc give her the thumbs up to be induced on the 13th... the hospital however had other ideas and made her wait all day for a room. Finally, at 4 o'clock pm a room was ready and they were on their way. And so was I. Down the mountain we flow with all my kiddos in tow! By midnight her water broke and things started to really get cookin'. By 2:30am my mom calls to wake up Yaya and me to head on down to the hospital. By the time we hit the freeway, it was too late. Daxton had roared into this life!

There's a song my dad and mom use to sing to dave, it went a little like this...

"slow down, your moving too fast,

you got to make the moment last,"

I think this little diddy will continue on with this little guy!

We love you Daxton!

Know my little buddie you are loved more than all the stars in the sky, you are valued more than the gems of the earth, you are a prince among princes, and you are all ours!

Love you buddie,

aunt annie

dave, jess and their Daxton

look at this boy!!

Sorry dude, your daddies a dork

man, your loved

don't cha just LOVE baby necks!!??

A bit of a disclaimer... it's 3:30 in the morning folks! don't mind the bedheads ;)

Mothers, You got to love em'

2009-05-10T20:21:00.008-07:00

trever and his mom and my mom and me

Today is the day we celebrate our mommies! trever and i have been blessed with AMAZING mothers. They are both sweet, kind, loving, cheerful, wise, supportive and forgiving, just to name a few! carol raised an awesome father to our children and the best husband a girl could ask for. she is a rockin mom in law and a wonderful grandma. i give thanks for her and all she does daily for our little family, i love you mom carol!

My mom's a pretty cool chick too. She has been my biggest fan and my constant cheerleader. she is often my voice of reason, my listening ear, shoulder to cry on, my wise adviser. i am thankful i was able to be HER "joy baby", but understand that i was the recipient of her joy far more than she was of mine. she was and is my teacher of common sense, thoughtful actions and gospel principles. i thank my Father in Heaven for her, and know he blessed me SO greatly when he allowed me to be her daughter.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

What a Day...

2009-05-02T17:57:00.005-07:00

What a day! I feel that I need to write a bit of "business" before I start this post...

for all those who were driving down Central Ave, Show Low, AZ around 2:40 this afternoon, Yes that was Trever and me ON the side of the road, Yes that was Tyson's (trev's little brother) truck upside down and flattened OFF the side of the road. He is doing fine, he had a bit of an accident and is up at the hospital so they can check him out, all seems well but it looks as though he's mode of transportation will only involve the two wheels of his wheel chair! (for those who don't know ty, he's been a paraplegic for almost 7 years) Poor kid. We love him and pray for him always. He was blessed today and we are thankful our Father in Heaven was mindful of him and our family.

So, it's my Birthday... Not that that really means AnYThIng, except to say thank you to my mom for having me and admitting to myself that I am yet another year older. I've always thought that it's the mother's who should be praised on the Birthday's of their children, they are the ones who really deserve the credit. So thanks mom, I think you're a swell gal and my most bestest friend.

On my Birthday, and the day before, I got to do some of my most favorite things.

Hang out with my mom and dad

Plant flowers

Visit with my grandma and her Bob

Cheer for Porter at his ball game

Drink a coke

Relax with Trev

Go see a late show with "the Ladies"

aka my mom, grandma, mom in law, and joni

Drink a coke

Talk to ALL my brothers and sisters

Have breakfast made for me

Talk to ALL my brother and sister-in-laws

Have the kitchen cleaned for me

Go to Lamell's

Drink a coke

Eat icecream in bed

oh! and drink a coke!

Here's mom and Brookers planting!

Here's Brooks after planting...talk about child labor!

and this is my potting shelf I got from charlie and carol for my birthday! It's pretty sweet, and right up my alley! thanks charlie dee, I kinda think your special ; )

2 Years Ago Today...

2009-04-20T10:13:00.005-07:00

It's our Brook's birthday today!He's such a laid back kid.What a cool guy we've been blessed with! Just happy to be apart of the program. He is our joy baby and we are thankful every day to have him!

My mom would wake us up on the morning of our Birthday's with, "Ten years ago today... or 25 years ago today..." how ever old we were and told us yet again the story of our birth. So this morning we woke Brooks up to, "Two years ago today, our family was blessed with yet another baby boy."

So for those of you who don't know Brooks Story here it is...

Brooks is our third son but my six pregnancy. He was a struggle to get here and a struggle to keep. I was put on bed rest when I was only seven weeks along. We had just lived through a particularly difficult miscarriage before him and I was threatening to loose him. Four weeks I sat on the couch and watched sweet friends and dear family come to our home to clean and watch the big boys. We were brought dinners and prayed for by so many. Our prayers were answered and I was able to enjoy a pretty typical rest of my pregnancy. On the 19th of April I went into labor. Marci walked me all around Walmart until finally I'd had enough. We came home and called up Trever. She was sweet enough to watch the big boys for us while we ran up to the hospital. My mom, Eda, Lauren and Morgan all headed up the hill. ( my dad was recovering from surgery and was left to recuperate at home) Trever's parents came on up to the hospital to wait it out with us. I labored all evening and through the night. He wasn't difficult to deliver, and we all just kinda hung out until finally he was ready to make his appearance. By 2:30 a.m. on April 20th we had our baby. He was healthy and happy, kinda small, but just like he is now, happy to be apart of the program. We brought him home the very same day I had him. I don't really recommend doing that, but it worked for us!

We love you Brooks! Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! Know you are SO loved!

Here are some pictures of the day he was born...

The Butterfly Exhibit

2009-04-15T13:44:00.004-07:00

My mom got this crazy idea to take ALL of her grandchildren to see the Butterfly Exhibit this year! All the kids really had a good time. I really miss the desert some times. It can be so ugly and dry, but in Spring, it can be so beautiful!

Thanks mom for thinking of such a fun activity and having the guts to follow through with it!

sure, love you

THE WHOLE CREW!!!

I am not a number, I am annie

2009-04-01T11:27:00.003-07:00

I'm sick of numbers. They are so definite, and absolute. I did our taxes this year. I'm sick of numbers. My identity is defined by eight little numbers. My worth is defined by the numbers in the bank. My beauty is defined by numbers on a scale. My intelligence determined by a number on a test. My location is in numbers. I connect with others through seven digits.
I don't want to be a number. But if I must, I want to be the one who determines them. I am wife to 1. Mother to 3. Daughter to 2. Granddaughter to 6. Sister to 5. Daughter- in- law to 2. Sister- in- law to 8. Aunt to 17. Cousin to a multitude and friend to many.
I love those numbers. Those are the ones that matter. The ones that I want to define myself by.
I am NOT just a number, I am annie.

Congrats Matt&Courtney!!!

2009-03-24T14:42:00.007-07:00

The world became a bit brighter on Friday when Matt and Courtney welcomed their little Makenzie Sue into the world! She was 7lbs 8oz, and looks just like her daddy! Sweet Courtney labored from the wee hours of the morning until finally at six in the evening it was decided that a c-section would be needed. Mommy and baby are doing great and are well on the road to recovery! We are so thankful to have such a sweet addition to our family. Everyone one of her Porter Aunts and Uncles and most of her Wilkes Aunts and Uncles were there to Celebrate her arrival.

We love you baby girl and can't wait to watch you grow! Well done little brother and Courtney, WE LOVE YOU!!

This is one of her very first pictures!

Matt and his Baby

The Uncles

Do you think they're related?

Bows already!!??

Man, I love this chick!

Porter's Big Day!

2009-03-08T18:25:00.005-07:00

This weekend our Porter was baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! It was a wonderful weekend! Both of his grandpa's gave talks and his grandma's said the prayers. His cousins and aunts sang a song and his uncles helped confirm him a member of the church.
I know that all mothers say, "It feels like he was JUST born!"
But I truly feel this way! It couldn't have been eight years ago that all these men gathered around my little boy to give him a name and a blessing, and now these same men gather to confirm him. It was a humbling moment for this mommy. A glimpse of things to come. Will I teach him correctly so he continues this path we have placed his feet on? I pray I will.
Porter is such a choice little spirit. He is such a tender soul. I am so blessed to be his mother.
Well done Porter Boy! WE LOVE YOU!

Trever and Porter all ready to go!

All of us at the church

What Sweet Boys!

Some more pics of the day...

Valentine's Day...Shmalintine's Day

2009-02-12T12:05:00.007-07:00

I need to confess, I need to come clean, I need to speak my mind. I HATE Valentine's Day. There I said it! Wait, I don't just hate it, I loath it. I despise it. It shadows the entire month of February. I have an involuntary physical reaction at the thought of this holiday.
Now, not to be a "Debbie Downer" about the whole idea... a bit too late... but when did we, as a society, have to be TOLD to show love for one another? When did we as loved ones become so neglectful of one another's feelings that a day was designated for us to be reminded of our affections?
I've really never had a bad Valentine's Day, although my feelings profess I must have. I think it probably stems from a lack of "romanticism". To be frank, it kinda freaks me out. If some guy, back when I was dating, showed up at my house with a crap load of flowers, took me out to an expensive dinner then to his house where rose peddles were sprinkled about, I would have had to drop kick the dude and run out screaming! If Trever showed up with some gaudy jewelery and roses that cost TWICE as much on that one day then any other day, I would force him to return the trinket and try frantically to revive our bank account.
What ever happened to being nice, just because you want to, not because you want SOME?
My most favorite Valentine's Day of ALL time was the day Trev showed up with a half gallon of Cookie Dough Ice cream and a big A coke from Circle K, just for me! That rocked! No damage was done to our financial standing, no bill to pay later, and no pressure to reciprocate. Just some good ol' fashioned kindness!
I know that there are a lot of women out there that adore the thought of Valentine's Day, and I admire them. But pity their significant other. It must be tough to be a guy who knows the pressure this day implies. Finding not only something thoughtful but romantic too! Only to have the lady, in which the gift was intended, be disappointed in its inability to live up to her unobtainable expectation?
So I say we boycott! We take back our power to be thoughtful! Forget about February 14th as the "Day of Love" and why not make it March 21st? or June 6th? Why not just be kind and thoughtful because we like the person in which we are bond in this life as well as the next?
How about a sincere expression of gratitude for the hard work that our husbands put forth in our behalf? Why not a genuine pat on the rump and a "lookin' hot babe!"
I would trade this one day of forced romance for 364 days of sweet kindness any time!

With that said... I wish you ALL a very

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

And They'll Live Happily Ever After...

2009-01-18T14:35:00.007-07:00

We had the privilege of giving my grandma away this weekend! No, not to DI or anything like that...to BOB! And can i just take a moment and say, "It's About Time!" These two love birds were out of this world crazy for each other! While it was too cute to watch, I'm giddy about my grandma being so stink'n happy! She deserves every little smidgen of happiness. She has care for and watch over so many of our loved ones, and now she is being cared for and watch over. They had the sweetest of ceremonies on Saturday afternoon, twice as many people showed then we had planned for. We had chairs lining the walls and in the isles. Were there ever two people loved so greatly!!??

My congrats to Grandma and her Bob! We wish you both the greatest happiness!

Aren't they just the cutest!

Just enjoying the party!

What a couple of hoodlums! Where are your parents??!!

The cutest bunch of Kiddoes you'll ever have the pleasure to meet!

All I want for Christmas...

2008-12-27T16:25:00.002-07:00

Christmas!

2008-12-27T16:02:00.002-07:00

We had a Lewis Christmas this year...it was a BLAST! Those of you who have had the opportunity to get acquainted with my sweet father in law know that there is never a dull moment when charlie is around (or lack of food for that matter;) We were blessed with the chance to have trever's mom and dad, his brother(beau) with his wife(joni), their two children (liam and mia) and beau's friend from england (roger), as well as trever's little brother (ty) stay christmas night with us! sounds like a crew but it was a lot of fun! promise! we were also blessed to have the missionaries stop by for dinner, and santy clause himself popped in for a visit!
After the party was ever and the chickadees to bed, i got a moment to sit and take note of the feelings of gratitude that were swarming around in my heart. these sweet little children, a kind eternal companion, in laws who are dear to my heart, and a warm little home to tuck everyone into. i find myself overwhelmed at all the blessings our Father in Heaven has blessed me with. i know that i am not worthy of so much, and pray everyday to live up to all that is expected of me. i give thanks, especially this time of year, for the plenty that i have been given, and make promises in my heart to be a little better, try a little harder, be a little kinder. And take comfort in knowing Our Father in Heaven is mindful of this little family, in this little house, up here in this little town.

Thanksday

2008-12-02T12:38:00.010-07:00

This year we were able to spent our Thanksday with the Porter Clan. i'm sure you all know how exited and happy this trip over the river and through the woods made this chick! i had a pretty good case of homesickness for the last couple of months, and the thought of going home made me want to start out on foot if that would get me there any sooner. please, don't get me wrong, this little town up here in the mountains is my home as well, and i will forever be grateful to that sweet hottie who stole not just my heart, but my way of living and showed me that there was more to life then a shopping mall, or better yet LAST CHANCE. i have been blessed with two homes. yet, your family is were you gain so much of your identity from. they are the ones from once you came and no matter how far you roam, or run, you can't lose the feelings of completeness, of whole, of entirety that you feel when you go home. i hope and pray that my boys feel that when they find themselves "home" from their adventures in life. i found myself basking in the similarities of my siblings and me. good and not so good... how lauren and i tilt our head to the side when we have just got done rearranging pictures on a wall. how matt and i ALWAYS have room for ice cream. eda and i twirl our hair in our fingers when we're thinking (or trying not to). dave and i are eternal optimists. thos and i are far to hard on ourselves.

these people carry with them my same baggage, my same struggles, my same strengths just in different doses. i am eternally thankful for my family. i was blessed with kind and thoughtful parents. who love me unconditionally. i am thankful.

i am so blessed with this home. i have a kind husband who is a wonderful father and a best friend. i have loving and interested in-laws who took me in and love me as their own. (sometimes better;) they are amazing people who raised their children in a home full of love. i sometimes sit and ponder all of trev's similarities. he's mother's kindness, his father's charm. he is blessed. i am thankful.

Happy Birthday Taters!

2008-11-08T07:08:00.002-07:00

Our Tate turned five yesterday! I can't believe how fast five years can go. I know people are Always saying that, but its amazing how the days turn to weeks then months and years. The days get SO busy, sometimes I kinda forget to stop and smell the roses.

So I thought I would write a little bit about him as a four year old...

Tate is my AWESOME helper, he's quick to help with most anything (with the exception of maybe Lego's...I hate picking those up too! so can't blame the kid)

He loves to wrestle, he'll tackle anyone, anywhere!

He's an outdoors man! (wonder where he gets that from;) He loves to be outside on a bike or his quad.

Tate has a tender heart, he wakes up every morning and asks if it's a school day. We hates that Porter goes to school and leave him behind.

When he is tired, he sleeps were he falls. We'll find Tate asleep ALL over the house!

Tate thinks that whatever Porter can do, so can he. He's fearless. (scares me to death!)

He loves to build things, Lego's are his favorite toy. (mine too) regardless of how awful they are to clean up!

Tate gives the BEST kisses! Sorry ladies, we'll have to wait, these kisses are reserved for the Lewis/Porter clans for now!

He's a wildman! And he's ours! We love you Taters, and am thankful everyday and every moment you are in our little family!

Emery Jane Pew

2008-10-12T16:41:00.005-07:00

Morgan and Lauren officially started their lives as parents Friday when they welcomed our sweet little Emery Jane! She was born a bit after 4 o'clock in the afternoon, 8lbs 14 oz!! can you believe that!??? Needless to say, we are all terribly impressed with our little YaYa. they are both doing wonderfully, however, Emery was invited to stay at the hospital for another day due to some jaundice. They are expected to go home today and I'm sure that Lauren can't wait to journal about it, so keep an eye on her blog.
Here are some pictures of our sweet little Emery. We are so thankful she is here and well, and are looking forward to all the joy, sweetness, love, and spice she will add to our family! Well done baby sister, I love you!

Emery Jane Pew 8lbs 14oz

Matt and Courtney (they get their very own in March!)

The boys meeting their cousin

Happy Family

Well done little sister

Quite the Celebrity..

2008-10-07T12:09:00.006-07:00

Our Porter Boy was in the news paper last week! He's been playing football this Fall and has LOVED it.Although, I must confess, having to watch as my little guy gets tackled, shoved, bulldozed, and sacked again and again has been quite the white knuckle experience for his ol' mom. But despite the occasional charging of the field and continual outbursts I've done my best to be a supportive mother and not an overbearing one. Well Done Porter Boy!!!! Know your mommy loves you and thinks you're the best little... oh! I mean... big, very BIG football player in the whole world! GO NUMBER TWO!!!

Emery's Shower

2008-10-01T12:23:00.003-07:00

Fall

2008-09-19T12:39:00.008-07:00

I'm not quiet sure when I actually fell in love with September. But somewhere along the way it has become my most favorite of all the months. Ya, I said it! There's something about it, it's the calm before the storm. It's like when you're about to swim the length of the swimming pool and you get in a few really deep breaths. September is my deep breath. Before the cold sets in and the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Before the flowers and the grass all die and lay dormant. The trees are just barely starting to turn an ever so slight shade of red. It's the perfect time for picnics and camp outs. Unlike the Sping and all its wind, September is calm and inviting. Take a moment and enjoy the month. I'm enjoying every last drop of it!

Proverbs 21:19 Look it up...Its a good one

2008-09-19T12:39:00.003-07:00

Trever got his elk!
He's been hunting for the last week, and on Wednesday morning he got him. He's a 6 by 7...I think it's a monster but Trev's under the impression that it's a decent Bull. Needless to say, the boys think its the coolest think since sliced bread! I have to give credit to the guy, killing anything with a bow and arrow is difficult let alone a "monster" elk.
Well done Babe! We think your pretty dang awesome.

The Garden

2008-09-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

I Have a Cousin...

2008-08-29T20:43:00.009-07:00

She doesn't always look like this... she' s just exited to see you! Well, my sweet cousin has a husband.

This is my favorite picture of him. Yes folks, that's a 50, this was the day I decided this kid wasn't that bad of a guy. Y am I tell you all this, you ask? I like these two people. Sure they leave posts about how awful of a cousin I am and are constantly correcting my spelling errors, but I don't care. I love them with every morsel of my heart.

Laura is without a doubt the kindest, most thoughtful, compassionate, loving, empathetic, genuine, heartfelt, and sincere woman I have ever had the privalge of calling my friend.
She is my cousin, bestest friend, bosom buddie, soul sister. I need to tell her that more often. She is everything that is good in our gene pool rolled up into one small, teeny tiny, itty bitty, package. I want to be just like her when I grow up!

Sean's a cool guy. He's a total Hottie (don't tell him I said that his head's pretty inflated already) He's such a hard worker, he helped in creating one of the cutest little girls that ever roamed the earth, he's so smart (he knew a good thing when he saw one and married her) I kinda like the guy...

So, not the best or the coolest "Birthday Post" on the block...but the most heartfelt one.

HAPPY DANG BIRTHDAY LAURA AND SEAN!!!
(i promise i will forget again next year ;)

More Adventures at the Lewis Lodge

2008-08-25T20:52:00.004-07:00

This weekend we had the pleasure of having three of the coolest cats come and stay at our house, (their parents aren't too shabby either) Dave and Jess's crew came up for a visit. We had such a good time. The kids ran wild, nothing new for my boys, and us bigger kids got a good jump on figuring out all the "mysteries of the universe". Here are some pics! Love you dave and sweet jess!kisses to daisy, brodi, and wee little lily!

Got to love 'em

2008-08-07T21:51:00.007-07:00

Brooks loves the hoes. hee hee, sorry about that...Brooks loves the WATER hose. i finally caught him in the act yesterday. he just makes me smile. (love you laura!)

Things I want to Remember...

2008-07-09T14:49:00.013-07:00

The smell of monsoons.

Grandma's grilled cheese sandwiches.

The day Lauren was born, I prayed for a little sister for a LONG time!

Playing four kids lost in the forest in our backyard until Dave got too old to play with us, then it was called three kids lost in the forest!

My dad making spaghetti for dinner when my mom was @ work. (i think he only cooked it once)

The morning we woke up to hear my grandpa Porter passed away.

My mom telling me about the birds and the bees in our suburban pulling out of circle K while eating taco bell, and totally getting sick to my stomach.

All the LONG drives to Prescott to visit family, even if it was only a couple of hours.

My dad eating all my hospital food when I was there for a kidney infection in 1st grade.

Walking to Poston Pool every day in the summertime, the feeling of too much chlorine in your eyes and the hot sidewalks.

Whispering, "woo hoo" in the middle of Trev and my wedding ceremony not realizing EVERYONE could hear, but just being that exited to get to keep him forever!

Driving to Gisela in Eda's car to go cliff jumping, the AC worked better the faster you drove, it was a really hot ride.

Moving from 2nd street to Evergreen, having to find all new friends.

Rushing home from school to find Lauren waiting for me on the front lawn because she was too afraid to be in the house by herself.

Making Lauren sleep with me even when I finally got my own room because I was too afraid to be alone.

Dave driving me to school in the morning in the nova...

Matt driving me to school in the morning in the nova, that car hated me.

Getting home from dates and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream with Matt on the counter.

Running with Brittany and never getting skinny!

Rosanne's frozen yogurt.

Walking the canal with my mom, figuring out the mysteries of the universe.

Planting the garden.

Escorting Linda through the temple.

All the amazing road trips my parents took us on...the big trip back east, yellow stone, Utah and Monterrey.

The Turkey trot.

The smell of my dad early in the morning when he carryed me into my mom's bed before he left for work when I was little.

Just to name a few...

Rockin' Out in Rocky Point

2008-06-19T18:29:00.003-07:00

A little family time

2008-06-18T15:36:00.004-07:00

Our family was able to take a bit of a break and run away to Mexico. Thanks mom and dad! We had such a fun time just being together. The kiddos ran and played and us "bigger" kiddos just soaked up each other's company and a whole lot of sun. Thos was the only one who couldn't make it and we missed him. Everyone else was just so happy to be together and in such a beautiful place. It's those kinds of days that you find yourself giving thanks all day long for everyone of those people surrounding you. I love my brothers and sisters so much, and I give credit to my parents for that. How many times in our lives growing up did my mom yell at us, in an ever so loving way, " You WILL love each other!" We did then and we still do. Thanks Reda and HP for the fun and thanks Trev for getting us there.

I'm at a loss...

2008-06-16T22:10:00.003-07:00

I've started writing this post right about ten times now, I just can't find the words to make the sentences. I want to talk about how lovely Daxton's services were, how the spirit was so strong. I want to express to Brittany and to Doug how sorry I am for their loss and how I wish I knew how to make this enormous void they feel hurt less. I want to reassure my friend that someday she will be made whole.
I am not a spiritual giant. I am flawed and weak. I truly do have the faith of a mustard seed, and most days that's stretching it. But I can testify with every morsel of that mustard seed that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know that this little family has had a multitude of loved ones praying for them, and we continue to pray for them.
Our little Kunz family, you are not alone in your grief and sorrow, you are loved and thought of continually.

Daxton Douglas Kunz

2008-06-12T12:54:00.007-07:00

My sweet friend Brittany lost her little baby boy this week. He was our Brooks age. My heart is so full for her. As we talk last night, I wanted to reassure her of our Heavenly Father's plan. But the horror of such a loss overwhelmed me. I wish that I was a stronger person, I wish that I could carry her through this time of such catastrophic loss and sadness. But I can't. No one can, no one expect our Father in Heaven. So I prayed, and I continue to pray, as well as a multitude of loved ones, for her and her little family. Brittany, I love you. Our Father in Heaven loves you. I know that he sent His son to die for us so that we can live again. I know that we will live forever as complete families forever. I know that He knows your loss. He knows your sorrows. He will bless you with comfort and peace. You have so many people who love and care for you. Daxton is yours forever and for always. WE are promised that we will have the blessing of raising our children who have passed before us. Joseph Smith taught that the infant child who has been laid away in death will come up in the resurrection as a child; he said that you will have the joy , the pleasure and satisfaction of nurturing your child, after his resurrection, until he reaches the full stature of his spirit. He waits for you my sweet friend. You will not miss a moment of his spiritual progression. He is safe, and whole.

We will miss you sweet Daxton. You are loved and thought of. May our Father in Heaven keep you and your sweet little family in the hollow of His hand.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2008-06-01T09:46:00.006-07:00

Corinne and Maddy spent the weekend with us! (my parents got to come too) We were so exited to see them, the boys could hardly stand themselves. It was quite the joyous reunion when they arrived on Friday. Cousins are Home Grown friends. We had to pack a lot of memories into a VERY short amount of time...
We went and watched Porter's baseball game Friday night and hit Dairy Queen on the way home.(big surprise there) Then mom and I gave the girls pedicures...for our Mexico trip next week.YAY!!! We can hardly wait to get there! Then it was off to bed. Funny story though, Corinne was SO exited to get her own room to sleep in, Maddy and Porter slept upstairs on the couches with grandma and grandpa in the front room. But Corinne would have nothing to do with that, she wanted to sleep down stairs in "Uncle Matt's room" (that's what the boys call the front room downstairs) all by herself. That chick's not afraid of anything! I MADE Lauren sleep with me until I moved away to marry Trev, I hate the dark.
We woke up early Saturday and Trever, Corinne, Brooks and I went to pick up a load of concrete for our backyard.So we ate breakfast while watching Trev and HP work concrete.Thanks dad! The rest of the day was filled with quad rides, jumping on the tramp and playing with the neighbors. But before they could head back down the mountain mom and I had to make a run to Lowe's to pick Eda up a Weeping Willow. Eda's been wanting a willow for a long time but can't find one in Mesa,probably because it's hotter than blazes down there, but never the less, we were off to get her her tree! Not all that interesting of a story until you realize that mom and dad drove their highlander up...So we through that tree inside their car with its branches in HP's face and they drove that little guy ALL the way down to his new home!
Thanks Corinne and Maddy for such a fun time! Thanks mom and dad for bringing them up, and thanks Nat and Eda for letting them come. We love you girls and are so thankful for you! Nat and Eda, you are doing such a wonderful job raising such lovely little ladies! I had such a fun time showing them off! Thanks so much

Corinne, Tate and Brooks. Corinne took quite the beating!

HP and me

Maddy and her newest addition to her rock collection!

we put helmets on...promise

Thanks Brandon for the barrels!

"Feed me Seymour!"

2008-05-22T13:01:00.003-07:00

Don't you ever wish that you could eat like this??!!

Seriously, one of these days when everyone is gone, i'm hittin'

Dairy Queen, for a blizzard the size of my head, Sonic, for a bucket of mozzarella stickes, El Cupido's for a beef burro enchilada style with green sauce, and Circle K for a jug of DIET coke. i'm going to bring it all home, lay a tarp down on the floor up stairs and watch MTV (or anyother filth i can find on) and have an evening of guttony.

hee hee

Anyone else hungry today?

i guess i am! i think that i've been starving for a good two weeks now.Not from lack of food though, i've eaten enough to sustain a village for a solid year, i think that my internal hunger gauge is stuck on empty. You know, like when you're driving on old car and you think you have plenty of gas, but then you tap on the plastic that covers the gauges and you suddenly realize that you're on empty and you've been running REALY hot for a long time now? Not that thats ever happened to me...in High School...in a nova...sorry dad.
Anyway,

i wish i could tap on my noggin and have my hunger gauge read that i'm as full as i should be. but until then i'll just have to have some self control and enjoy watching brooks eat!

What a weekend...

2008-05-07T09:22:00.008-07:00

Things were jump'n in the Lewis house this weekend! We had visitors, my mom and dad, Matt and Courtney, and grandma all piled in HP's vehicle and made the trek up to visit us. I guess it must have been someones birthday or something... (Laura kinda already spilled the beans on that one ;) I thought that was pretty cool of them all to do! Matt, Courtney, Trever and I went to dinner Friday night. While the "old" folks watched the chickadees for us. For all you new mommies out there, I'm telling you... give me a jingle and I'll watch your babies while you go have a moment with some grown ups! You will come back a better mommy. It was so nice to eat S..L..O..W..L..Y.. no one asking for more chocolate milk or interrupting the conversation. There was a really nice lady there that actually got PAID to get us drinks! We had a blast! Thanks mom, dad, and grandma for holding the fort down for us!
When we got home from dinner the Lewis' were there with ice cream cake (my favorite) Charlie decorated it...could you tell? I'm not sure if its kosher to have that picture next to the one of the temple??!! I love that guy.
Saturday morning we all got up and went to the 7 o'clock session. Carol came and watched the boys for us. Thanks SO much mom Carol! How fun was that! Trever and I hadn't gone since Brooks was born, kinda hard to do when I'm "the milk wagon". But now that he's one and eating anything you shovel into his little mouth, we ditched him! ;) By the time the session was over we were missing the little guy pretty bad and didn't even let mom stop for a coke on the way home! Now we know he can make it through and we've GOT to do better at our temple attendance! (oh! our church attendance too...Who knew it was EVERY Sunday?!)
Saturday afternoon we did our "traditional" planting of the flowers. My mom and I started planting flowers on my birthday over five years ago. I look forward to it EVERY year. It means summer is on it's way and the wind will soon be gone! Even though most years it's freezing outside and the wind is blowing the plants away! This year was no exception! We still had a blast!
The weekend rapped up with an evening of Rumicub, too much ice cream and Sunday morning waffles! And yes, Trever got me my very own hoe! Exactly what I wanted. (really!!)

Brooks' Birthday Weekend

2008-04-21T10:32:00.002-07:00

One Year Ago Today...

2008-04-20T09:57:00.004-07:00

Our little Brookers is one today...Isn't that crazy? This year has just flown by. To celebrate we went to Mesa for the weekend. We had so much fun with all the cousins! Trever helped HP pour some concrete for their new Arizona room and mom and I got to play with Tatum and Peyton while Dave and Jess went for a hike. Everyone came over that evening for dinner,except Thos. (hugged on him that morning though!) It was such a nice weekend, I just love being with those people! Sunday night we were home in time for dinner and cake with grandma Carol and papa Charlie.It's always good to get away and always nice to get home.
So for the sake of tradition...
One year ago today, we brought home our third son. Really, we brought him home, I delivered him @ 2:30am and by 5pm I told my nurses I was out of there! Brooks was our only baby that I went into natural labor with. The other boys we picked a date and got induced. With my mom and dad in the valley this was the best way to make sure they would be able to be there for it. With Brooks my dad had just underwent shoulder replacement surgery so he couldn't travel. So he missed it and we missed him! Eda got to come though, she wasn't there for the other boys, Lauren and Morgan, and my mom were all out in the waiting room. Brooks was 6lbs 15oz, the smallest of the brothers, our little runt.
Brooks was a struggle to get here. I had an exceptionally difficult miscarriage before him.Then, when we were 7 weeks along I was put on bed rest. I had such good care during those weeks...Joni came to stay with us, my grandma came up, our ward ladies brought dinner, my mom and trev's mom, Marci and April all came and scrubbed my house, and all the "mental heath" visits from sweet friends! We were all praying for this itty bitty person inside me to make it here. How grateful I am to all of you, for all your thoughts and prayers. We all fought for this little boy and I am forever thankful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with him!

Opening Day

2008-04-13T06:53:00.007-07:00

Yesterday was Opening Day for all you baseball lovers in the White Mountains. And our Porter Boy was one exited little guy.He gets to do pitcher machine this year. Does that frighten ANYONE else??!! The thought of a baseball being chucked at his little noggin makes me cringe...But he's so exited! He came home from his first day of practice giddy because all his "good buddies" were on his team and Jerry his "uncle" (he's actually trev's cousin's husband, but try explaining that to a 7 year old) was his coach.

So yesterday we braved the bitter wind and freezing cold (not joking here folks, it was COLD! Isn't spring suppose to be here?) for Porter's first game. The kid did really well! He was 3 for 3 up to bat and got to score a run! The best part about it was as he's rounding 3rd he decides..."I think I'll just run Home" so he does and as he gets to home plate he thinks, "I think I'll slide." So he does! The thing is, he had already past home plate and his slide was a good 2 feet after it! Funny Kid!

He's fielding however, is something we get to practice ... the whole game he was "chasing butterflies" in right field...he plays 2 base...hee hee hee. All those boys have the attention spans of, well I guess, seven year olds! Jerry has his work cut out for him but HOW FUN! We're exited for the rest of the season and appreciate all the hard work that goes into making these little boys ball players. Go Rattlers!

Porter Party Picnic Pictures

2008-03-27T10:36:00.003-07:00

Thank you all for coming to the Picnic! I hope everyone had a good time and enjoyed being together for an afternoon. We tried to count everyone that was there...we had 53 Porters there!!! That's pretty amazing. I'm truly thankful for a family who loves each other. I know that all of you had "Saturday Stuff" that you put on hold to come, so thank you for finding yourselves with us!
We sat around mom&dad's after everyone left and talked about memories that we had of some of our family gatherings as kids... There were all the FHE with the Porter boys, Micah hitting Donnie in the eye with the baseball, and waking up to the crop duster in the morning (on the rare occasion that I actually made it through the night without getting homesick ;) Then there was the bumpy road on the way to the Lane's where my dad actually caught air in our suburban and when Thos rolled their Quad! The pool parties and the Oberly's and playing in the creek at Grandma and Grandpa's. All the Porter Parties at the church in Prescott and the THOUSANDS of kringles that have been consumed. Thank you my sweet family for making my childhood a good one. I always knew that I was loved, and all of you had a part in that. I'm sure that Grandpa's pretty impressed with his little posterity, and even though my boys won't be able to have him pick them up by their ears, they will know him, because they know you. I love you all! Thanks.

Seven Years Ago Today...

2008-03-03T19:02:00.001-07:00

2008-03-03T13:16:00.001-07:00

I know, I can't believe it ! Our Porter Boy is SEVEN years old today. They aren't kidding when they say time flies when you're having fun. I figured I would tell you all Porter's Story, the one we tell him on his birthday every year, the boy just loves to hear about himself! So here it goes...

Seven years ago today Porter Eb Lewis came screaming into this world. We were so exited to meet him. Grandpa and grandma Porter and Lauren came up the night before I was to be induced, I was so swollen. I had been retaining a lot of fluid and my blood pressure was rising so my midwife, Wendy Hall, told me it was time to have this baby! That was music to my ears, so March 3rd was to be the day.Trever and I woke up at 6 so we could be at the hospital by 7. I remember thinking,"How do you set an alarm clock to go have a baby?" Needless to say we didn't sleep much. We got there and I had NO idea how long it sometimes takes to HAVE a child! By 10 O'clock my parents and Trever's parents were there looking at me like,"Well, is he here yet?" My brothers Thos and Dave were up on the mountain too, but they had the good sense to pass the day at Sunrise instead of the hospital. By noon Wendy had broken my water and my first "labor contractions" started. Lauren, Trever and I got in about three games of Rummy and I had enough of that. I was in pain, I didn't need Trev beating me in my favorite game of cards to add to my misery. By 2 O'clock I was ready to be done with this baby bearing stuff but after being informed that I was only a 3 and the pushing didn't start until I was a 10, and no epidural until after I was a 5, a bullet to the head was looking very tempting. Staydal was all they were offering though, after they gave me a bit of that the bullet looked even more inviting! That stuff was wicked. But by the time it wore off I was finally able to have an Epidural. And stopped pleading to Trever to shoot me ;) By 5:30 I was ready to start pushing, about that time my brothers got back from their day of boarding. After a quick assessment the decision was made that Thos would be seeing himself to the Emergency Room for a seperated shoulder. So the story goes that Annie was in the Delivery Room while Thos was in The Emergency Room. (he's always trying to still my fire;) Porter was born at 6:28pm. He weighed 7lbs 6oz. He had jet black hair and his daddy's toes. I remember looking at him trying to remember life without him, I couldn't. I loved him from the instant a laid eyes on him.The world became a BRIGHTER place! We love you Porter, thank you for choosing me to be your mom.

The Boy's Igloo

2008-02-17T14:19:00.001-07:00

Another Wonderful Weekend

2008-02-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Matt and Courtney came to visit us this weekend, as you can see by the Igloo! The Boys and I love having family come and I'm truly blessed to have a family who loves us enough to make the drive up to hang out and make some memoried with us. My mother in law and I through a bridal shower at the house for Trev's cousin on Saturday, so Courtney and I got to set up and decorate for that while Matt kept Trever and the boys company. They went out target shooting while we played hostesses at the party. The rest of the weekend was filled with a whole lot of R&R. Something that all of us were in need of. Thanks Matt and Court for the visit! We love you both.

Porter Party Picnic Invite

2008-02-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you can remember this guy with DARK hair,

I'm talking to YOU!

If you are, where, or thinking about being, a part of the

Lynn Porter Family
Come join us at a
PORTER PARTY PICNIC

March 22, 2008
11:00am- 1:00pm
at the home of
Harold and LaReda Porter

What to bring…

You and Your family
If your last name is Porter- Bring a salad

If your last name is not Porter- Bring a main dish

We can't wait to see you all!

You know your a Redneck if...

2008-02-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

You use your 4 wheeler to clear the snow from your driveway!

Tagged... I Need to Run Faster

2008-02-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Angela tagged me and while I was contemplating if I was going to ignore her or not...Hee Hee...she did my tag, and it was a hard one, so I'll do hers. But when does this vicious circle end???
Alright Just 7 Wierd or odd things about me...Easy
1.I'm afraid of the Dark...seriously, I won't stand at the edge of my bed if the lights are off. It freaks me out.
2.I've been pregnant 6 times in 7 years.
3.I struggle with Social Axiety. I have a hard time with crowds, good thing I'm a bit of a "homebody"
4.I love to paint baseboards in my pj's.
5.I'm the bomb at driving 5 speeds.
6.I love Brooks stinky breath.
7.I don't mind folding laundry, I just hate putting the clothes from the washer to the drier.

Pics for the Brothers

2008-02-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

I guess they call us the White Mountains for a reason...Brooks and I got to just look at the white stuff, I've been sick. But Porter went out and had a blast in it with some neighborhood kids. Trever brought home a back hoe from work to help dig out the neighborhood and build a fort for the boys to play on. The first picture is down the lane that I walk in the summer time. I thought it looked awsome with all the trees so heavy with snow. Fun stuff!

The River Runs Through It

2008-01-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's been raining all over the state and there has been lots of flooding and our little town was no exception. This is a picture of Show Low Creek. The water, if there is any, is usually about 10 feet below the highway and the bridge! The other pictures are up by Show Low Lake's spill way, it's what feeds the creek, it then runs into Fools Hollow. SO cool! There were people lining the bridge taking pictures of all the water! I love Show Low! It doesn't take much to get us all exited!

Our Latest Project...

2008-01-27T14:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of the stairs in our house. I had sanded and sealed them earlier in the week but then we (meaning I) decided that we wanted something a bit bolder...so we painted them BLACK. I think they came out really cool looking. My mom and HP came up for the weekend to visit so we had some help with the boys while he painted and I taped off. Did you read that? HE painted, the guy who had a cow about painting our walls tan actually painted our stairs black. We've come along way...maybe someday he'll let me paint the kitchen red...a girl's got to dream...
Enjoy the pics!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Stink'n Cousins

2008-01-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Alright, this post is for Laura. She tagged me, and now she will have to suffer through having to read about me!
So I'm to write 7 things I've learned in 2007 and 7 goals for 2008.
Things I've learned
1.I'm addicted... I will drink Coke until the day I die. I don't care if it's going to kill me, or if it's pickling my insides. I like it and I'm going to drink it.
2.If my house is a mess, my mind is a mess. So I try to keep them both tidy. (sometimes I'm better at it then others)
3.I love babies. I've been blessed with three happy and beautiful sons, who I love with every smidgen of my soul.
4.It's OK to cry. We're like a tea pot, and sometimes we just need to steep.
5.I'm happiest when I'm with my family, no matter what we're doing.
6.I'm more like my mother then I think. (good and not so good)
7.I married my perfect match. I think I'll keep him for an eternity or so!

My Goals for 2008
1.Land a backflip on our tramp
2.Run. I'll never be a "runner" but I want to be able to run down the street after my boys and still have breath in me to yell at them.
3.Attend the Temple. (when Brooks is big enough to leave for a few hours)
4.Not yell so much. There's got to be a better way.
5.Sew more. I like it and it makes me happy.
6.Cuddle more. Someday the boys won't want to cuddle with me so I need to get it while I can!
7.Plant a garden. I want veggies!!!

Here you go my sweet cousin. Man I love you, and Lauren, Courtney, Angela, and Leslie...consider yourselves...TAGGED!

New Year's Eve Shin Dig

2008-01-03T14:39:00.001-07:00

Did you know New Year's doesn't happen until midnight!! I'm sure that for some of you staying up till 12 o'clock a.m. is no biggy, but for a chick who hits the hay at 8:30...I'm not joking here folks...our house is DARK by 8:45 tops. Trying to stay up until the wee est hour of the morning was a force to be reckoned with. Luckily, we had some company to help. Trever's sister Cassi and her sons were here from out of town, as well as Trev's brother Beau and his family, Mom and Dad Lewis headed over and so did Ty, which made for one heck of a Lewis Family gathering. We wouldn't have been able to catch some ZZZ's even if we wanted to! Papa Charlie did the cooking so you know we all ate too much, a half dozen rounds of Rummikub, too much coke to count, seven little boys to keep track of, and with Beau as our entertainment we made it till the BALL dropped at midnight. We made beds for all the boys upstairs and by 10:30 they were all crashed. Which meant they were bright eyed and bushy tailed at the bum crack of dawn. So with the help of some more "Mormon coffee"(a diet coke or 2;) I was able to pull it together enough to make waffles for the masses.
It was such a fun party! The Lewis Family doesn't get to be all together very often, these times are what makes for some sweet memories down the road. I have been blessed with a wonderful "in-law" family, one that I am GREATLY thanful for.
Another year is upon us and I can't wait to see what's in store for our little families. I pray that through what ever comes our way we remember that we are sealed together forever, our Father in Heaven loves us, and what ever doesn't kill us will make us stronger.

Brodee, Briston, Tate, Porter, Brek, & Liam

Mom Carol & Cassi

Beau & Joni ( he's sober, i promise)

The Party

Christmas Morning

2008-01-03T10:14:00.001-07:00

December De"lights"

2008-01-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

What a wild and crazy month of December! In addition to the usual holly and jolliness of the season Matt and Courtney got hitched! Our little family has a lot to be thankful for, so lets start at the beginning...

Our neighbors have a reputation in these parts for going a bit over board on the Christmas Decor, let me show you instead of trying to explain...

These are our neighbors to our right and left

These are our neighbors across the street

So this year Trever and I had an idea...

Needless to say we've heard A LOT about our choice of decoration this year!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

2007-12-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Snow came to the White Mountains last night! The boys couldn't wait to go out and play in the stuff. We probably only got a few inches but it was enough to build snow balls and forts. The neighbor kids were over extra early this morning on account the schools were closed for a snow day. So after our half hour ordeal trying to find the boys snow pants, gloves, and shoes, then bundling them all up, they were off! So here is a picture of them playing in front of our neighbor's house.

Pilgrams and Indians

2007-11-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Or maybe...Lewis's and Apache...Lake that is. The Lewis family broke the mold for Thanksgiving this year and took off for the lake! The family met at Apache Thursday morning (everyone except Cassi and her boys, who were missed greatly) and the feasting began. Charlie spared a turkey and cooked us crab legs and steaks for dinner, we had "snickers and cool whip salad" instead of stuffing, but maintained a bit of tradition with pumpkin pie for desert. The food was delicious, the weather ideal, and the company delightful!

We camped right at the edge of the lake so despite it being a bit chilly the boys couldn't stay out of the water, they just ran a muck! We had such a nice little holiday and am so thankful for our little family. We have been truly blessed...now enjoy the pictures while i go get started on all the laundry!

Porter being a monkey

Uncle Ty and his Bit O' Buddie Brooks

At least they kept their undies on!!

The Many Faces of Brooks!!

2007-11-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Tate!!!

2007-11-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our Tater's birthday this week...Twice. This is one of the perks of having half your family live three hours away, unless your one of the Porter Brothers, then its 2 hours 15minutes flat! So on Wednesday we had a wee party, then on Saturday we had a bigger one. Papa HP and Grandma Reda, Papa Charlie and Grandma Carol, Matt and Courtney, Lauren, Corinne and Maddy all made it to the festivities. We had a wonderful weekend eating cake and riding the 50s.(Hee hee...didn't we Corinne...Hee hee;) Lauren's got some more pics on her blog... but here are some i have of the boy on his Birthday. Man, he's growing up too fast...I just want to hug the guy!!!!

Halloween!!!

2007-11-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys all decked out in the costumes...Porter was a hunter,
Tate was a lion, and Brooks was an ear of corn!Porter kept telling everyone that he was hunting one brother and going to eat the other! Man, i truly dislike Halloween...call me a party pooper, but i find no fun in people trying to scare each other or my children begging door to door. But what can you do? The boys do enjoy dressing up, and i do love to see all the sweet little princesses and fairies, no, I'm not talking about Trev's costumes the last few years! Hee, hee, that was funny... anyway, enjoy the pics!

Making Memories...

2007-11-02T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Halloween pictures will have to wait...The boys went hunting...

It was open season for the Lewis Boys this morning. Trever got drawn for a unit 27 Mule Deer tag, and today was the first day of the hunt. He had our boys up at 4 this morning heading up towards Hanagan's Meadow. They found this "beast" around 7 and Trev couldn't pass up the chance of having his boys there when he filled his tag. He's a pretty little buck, a straight 4 point and the boys couldn't be more giddy about having their first big game hunting story!

Now, for all you "non-hunters" out there... just remember the circle of life, you can even hum the song to yourselves if you have to. (Aunt Yaya) And remember, these are memories that our boys are going to tell THEIR boys. And there is nothing sweeter in life than that!

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

I thought I would go the extra mile and add our Pumpkin Pictures to everyone else. (Laura Lane Smith) For those of you who haven't made the trek up to see our little casa,(Laura Lane Smith) we have a Pumpkin Patch behind our house! Our subdivision is surrounded by farm land, so we get to watch the pumpkins, and corn grow every year! Now you can think we're cool...( Laura Lane Smith) So here are the boys, and Hunter (the grandson of the man who owns the farm) picking out their pumpkins .

The Boys Got Their Toys

2007-10-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, alright, we made a few purchases... But before you start thinking we're cool, let me explain that notion right out of your head. These are the boys'(trever included) Christmas and Birthday presents until they are very old men. I'm so not kidding about this... I'm going out in our garage Christmas Eve and putting bows on them, then again for each of their birthdays. I'm going to milk this for all it's worth!
Tate got a little Quad. It needed a bit of TLC, so thanks to Uncle Tyson,it is purring like a kitten, or barking like a dog, either way, it's running. Now they both have their own set of wheels

Porter got a Yamaha 50, I say Porter but I mean me. I love this wee bit o' bike! I'm quite certain the neighbors are laughing their heads off at me, but I'm good with that. Last but not least, Trever got a Honda 250 Recon. It's perfect for taking little boys for rides in the woods and scouting for animals.

We're all about safety first around here!! This is Tate in all his gear. The guy we bought the bikes from through in the helmits, riding pants, shirts and boots. Sure beats pillows and ropes!

Matt's gettin Hitched

2007-10-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know, i know, your thinking she's way too cute for him...

(just kidding Buba)

You all will be getting your announcements soon,

if your family, for the rest of you, enjoy the pic of two cute kids.

We are so exited to be getting another amazing sister-in-law, and wish these two love birds all the best.

The Canyon was Grand...

2007-07-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

So we actually went on a family vacation this year! We didn't venture too far from home, just to the Grand Canyon and Montezuma's Castle. We left the house Friday morning and headed to Flagstaff through Holbrook. We should have just called it good then, between the dinosaur statues and the wigwams the boys were totally impressed with the place! So after some reassurance that we were off to bigger and better things they agreed to continue with us on our little adventure. When we finally got to the canyon they were pretty impressed with the hole in the ground. They stood there in awed silence, overwhelmed with it's beauty...

Hee Hee, ya right! They thought it was cool to through rocks in! needless to say, Trever and I had our hands full trying to keep the two older boys from doing a "Peter Pan" right off the side of the canyon, and keeping Brooks happy and content. We stayed the night in Flagstaff, Porter and Tate's first experience in a Hotel Room, they were thrilled at the idea of taking a shower for as long as they wanted, and leaving their towels on the floor of the bathroom. (There really was a maid, not just me) We rapped up our little holiday with a visit to Grandma Reda and Papa HP's. We were home in time to lay sod in the backyard on Monday before Trev had to go back to work Tuesday. All in all, we had a lovely time, and now Porter has his answer to the impending question when he goes back to school... "Where did you go for your summer vacation?" He can hold his head up high and say,... "Holbrook!"

Brooks Blessing

2007-06-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Brooks Harold Lewis was blessed on June 3rd, he was six weeks old. Trever blessed him at our home in ShowLow. It was a beautiful blessing, and such a wonderful day!We are so blessed to have so much family who love and support us!

Brooks wasn't too exited about getting dressed, but calmed down for the blessing.

Thick as Theives!! Olivia, Isabella,

Tate, and Liam
Best friends and cousins. How
grandma got them to stay still for
a picture, i have no clue, they all
play so well and love
to be together.
After the blessing Papa H.P. holding Brooks,

his favoite place to be!

Our Little Family

2007-06-26T17:11:00.001-07:00