CrAzy bout PumKinS

I saw these cute pumpkins on my friend Krystal's blog and thought I would try to make them. Since then I have been crazy about them. It is so fun to put colors together and patterns and see what you come up with! One day I had 2 of my sister in laws, a couple of their kids, and my mom here helping. It was so much fun and we got a lot done! I think they turned out pretty cute! Today we worked on them again all day with 3 sister in laws and two friends. It was great fun with kids running wild (at least they were happy.. most of the time!) My cute hubby was so nice to deliver lunch to us so we didn't have to stop working!! I know he's the best!










My mom was so nice to help with the hand stiching! I hate that part!

Temple Print Garage Sale

I'm sure most of you have seen this picture of the Mesa Temple. I have been buying and selling from this photographer for about a year. He does amazing work. I just got an email from him saying he is having a garage sale with some of his prints. I'm sad I don't live close enough to go (he lives in Mesa), but thought I would spread the word! If you don't find what you want there, I sell the prints way cheaper than you can buy them at Deseret. I got one last year for Christmas with a thick black frame and I LOVE it! Anyway, here is the email he sent me:

Temple Print Garage Sale
I've become quite an art collector over the past few years. Unfortunately, about 98% of it is my work. It tends to take up a lot of room and it's not doing me any good in storage. I've decided to have a garage sale (in my garage, of all places) on Saturday, Sept. 20, starting at 8am. I'll be selling everything at wholesale (50% off retail). Before long I'll have a separate website that I'll sell from, and at that point I'll be selling at normal retail prices with free shipping. I've got a good selection of different temples, framed & unframed, in photographic prints and paper & canvas giclees. I've also got a decent batch of Arizona landscapes printed on Ilfochrome from my own projects and Arizona Highways magazine work over the past ten years. I'll take cash or checks, but I'm not set up to take credit cards yet. I'm located in north Mesa and can give you directions and more details if you email me.
richard@richardwebbtemples.com

Grandma's Farm

We love to spend time at my mom's house! She has a "zoo"... There are so many fun animals.. Right now there are some baby bunnies that my girl LOVE!!



2 WHEELS!!

We took the girls to the church parking lot the other day to learn to ride a 2 wheel bike. They did so good. Hanna is so funny... she gets distracted so easy.. When a bird flys by or her sisters are doing something interesting she would rather watch them than concentrate on riding.. We might need to work a little longer with her! I love how she loves to discover new things! :)

Haylee is a little older than some kids learning to ride, but we finally took the time and she caught on so fast! When she would fall down, she was ready to give up.. but we worked with her and she did so great! I'm such a proud mom!! I love little milestones being crossed!!

Maci enjoyed the fun too...

Of course we had to get it on video.. I don't know why he is filming me though!?
SLEEP OVER and STAKE TEMPLE DAY!

Saturday was our stake temple day, so all 3 of my brothers and their wives that live here and us all wanted to make a trip to the valley. My awesome parents offered to watch ALL of our kids (11).. Since we were leaving early in the morning, they spent the night on Friday and we left at 6:30 the next morning. The kids were so excited to have a sleepover with their cousins!

I didn't get a picture of the adults.. but it was a good time! Steven and Kami rode down with us. It was great get to talk! I love them. The temple was so wonderful as usual. I love to be in there with Wayne and other family members! Then after the temple, we went to eat at Pei Wei.. We miss the good food in the valley!! We split up after lunch and Wayne and I stayed until that evening to go to our nephews varsity game. It was so fun to talk to my sister in laws and watch my nephew play. Before the game I dropped off Wayne at his moms and went shopping with no kids! Rare occation, but it was fun to just stroll around. It was a great weekend! Can't wait to get a temple closer!

As our lives go on...

I'm sure most of you have read about or heard about Sephanie and Cristian Nielson who were involved in a plane crash last month. Since I came accross their story, I have been consumed by it! It is so amazing how fast life can change. As our lives are going on in a normal routine, I read about this couple who are in critical condition and will be recovering for months, and have 4 kids they won't see for awhile and I realize that I can not take one day for granted! I am so blessed to have an amazing husband and the best kids in the world and I want to cherish every second I have with them! To donate to this family, please click on the link on the right side of my blog! I know if you start reading about them.. you will be hooked! So before I spend anymore time on my computer.. I need to go kiss my sweet kids! Maci is yelling my name from her crib right now! :)

To read more about this family go to: http://blog.cjanerun.com/

Our lives...

SOCCER

I didn't know soccer players could be so cute!! Seriously Haylee is so adorable in her soccer outfit.. She is on the PURPLE BUTTERFLY team (sounds vicious hu?). She loves it and it getting better every game!

Here is her fan club + me!

MUD BOGGING

On Labor day (which was also our anniversary) we had a bbq at my mom's... then since it has been raining alot, there was a lot of mud and we went mud bogging on my brother's 4-wheelers. It was so fun to hang out with family and get all dirty!

Wayne and I both LOVE 4-wheelers, so my brother let us keep them for the rest of the day ... I thought it was a great anniversary present!

I took Maci for a ride (after we got all cleaned up) and she liked it enough to fall asleep! She's so cute!

ANNIVERSARY DATE

That night... Steven and Kami watched our girlies while we went out! It was a Monday night and normally we don't leave, but since it was our anniversary, Steven and Kami took over dinner, lesson, dessert, putting kids to bed.. don't you wish they were in your family!?? :)

Wayne and I went to eat the the Manor house.. It's a "fancy" resturant in Safford. Then we came back and changed and took the 4-wheelers out for a night ride. We went out on the dirt roads close to our house and turned off the lights and layed back on our 4-wheelers to watch the stars and talk. It was so beautiful out there. I have always loved the stars and it was great to spend the day with Layton! He is the greatest and I'm so thankful I have had him for the last 8 years and eternity to come...

Since yesterday was our 8th anniversary... I thought this hubby tag would be a good way to tell about Wayne. He is my very favorite person in the whole world! Here we go...

**What is His Name? Wayne Nash Layton

**What's His Nickname? Layton (I'm the only one who calls him that..... besides that, he doesn't have any nicknames.

**How Long Have You Been Married? 8 years (yesterday)

**How Long did You Date? We met May 2000.... engaged July..... married September 1st... when you know, you know!

**How Old is He? 29

**Who eats more sweets? Anyone who know us, knows the answer to this... I DO!!

**Who Said "I love You," First? Wayne... It was the cutest thing!

**Who Is Taller? Wayne

**Who Can Sing Better? That would be Wayne again

**Who is Smarter? Wayne, by far!!

**Who Does the Laundry? I do

**Who Sleeps on the Right Side of the Bed? Wayne

**Who Mows the Lawn? We don't have one right now.. but when we did, Wayne did it (except during tax season)... He loves yard work and is good at it!

**Who Cooks Dinner? I do

**Who Drives? Wayne ALWAYS drives... for some reason he gets a little nervous when I drive!

**Who Is More Stubborn? I'll admit it... it's me

**Who Kissed Who First? Wayne kissed me (again so cute!)

**Who Asked Out Who First? Wayne asked me (we went to the D-backs game)

**Who Proposed? Wayne (but he loves to tell people that I asked him, just to get a reaction out of me)... This is one of the only times I have seen Wayne be really creative and romantic (he'll admit that too!)

**Who Has More Siblings? Me (10) Wayne (8)

**Who Wears the Pants? I don't know the answer..both of us I guess...we just talk things out together.

**What do you love most about him? let me count the ways....

-the hardest worker I know, and great provider

-knows what he wants in life. Loves the gospel as much as I do.

-respects the priesthood and leads our home

-the cutest and best dad in the whole world. I love the way our girls look at him, and him at our girls!

-he can be goofy and fun. He makes me laugh all the time!

-I feel so safe with him

-we can handle anything together

-if I tell him something that would make me happy, or be helpful, he does it!

-I love when I catch him looking at me and he is just smiling

-I can tell him ANYTHING! He is truly my best friend

-he is so helpful at home and with the girls and lets me go out with friends or family whenever I want!

-he always gives me massages

-he always has a good attitude!

-when I ask him things I could work on, he tells me there is nothing! (even though I know there is a lot I could do better!)

-he laughs at my dumb jokes

-he's a perfectionist and does everything so great. (He cleans so much better than me. Sometimes I get frusterated at how long it takes him to do things, but it always turns out SO good!)

-did I say he makes me laugh! :)

-he doesn't mind me being goofy, or emotional, or weird

-he is way more patient than me, especially with the girls...

-he tells me everyday that I am hot, or beautiful, or cute!

-he hugs and kisses me when he wakes up, or when he gets home from work!

-he is so athletic and good at everything he does... and takes care of all the bugs, scorpions, snakes, etc...

-I've never heard him yell, or get really upset.

-he always thanks me for the little things I do that go un noticed!

-when something is important to me, it's important to him

-even though he doesn't like to spend money, he is so good about letting me spend it!

-he is a HOTTIE!

-he can go from goofy, fun dad.... to a professional CPA! :) (one time his nephews asked if he was crazy at work, like he is at home!)

-he makes me smile when I just think about him!

-he loves his mom and family and my family too

-I know I am the most important person in his life (and our girls next) and he is the most important in mine.

-there is no one i'd rather spend my life with!

-I really have no clue how I got so lucky, but I'm so glad I did!

I LOVE YOU LAYTON!

just 2 more years...

until my brother Levi comes home! This is such a happy and sad time. Levi checked in to the MTC yesterday. He is going to Melbourne Australia. He will do so awesome and there will definately be a huge hole in our family with out him! Here are some of the "last" things that we have been doing with him (starting with the most recent)!!
GOODBYES

The airport... All 10 kids were able to come to Thatcher for the weekend, for the farewell. Then most everyone said their goodbyes as they headed back to their homes. All of the Thatcher family said goodbye at my mom's on Monday. Me, Travis, Mom, Dad, and Maci went to Mesa to send Levi off. My parents too him to Utah to the MTC. Here we are at the airport just before he left. (Maci stayed at Phil's house asleep, this was 5:30 in the morning)

Haylee and Hanna's last time to see Levi before he left. They stayed home with Wayne so they wouldn't miss school. (Thanks Suzanna for helping out!)

This was awesome! After everyone said bye at my parents me, Levi, Travis, and Maci were in my van heading to Mesa. As we drove out of my parents driveway, we looked up on the hill and there was my older brother Dave on his horse waving at Levi. This was really touching because Levi is a HUGE horseman. They called him horse whisperer in high school. This is a hill he road horses up many many times! Levi doesn't really show emotion, but he seemed very touched! (of course i was crying like a baby!)
FAMILY PICTURES

My sweet family

It was quite the chore getting 48 family members to all hold still and smile for a picture.. but I'm sure glad we did!

The 10 siblings

my cute sisters!

THE FAREWELL

Levi did an awesome job on his talk! I am so proud of him.. Australia is so lucky to have him!

My grandma Palmer. She is an amazing Lady. She is almost 90 and is still so on top of things!

so sweet!

ATHLETIC CLUB

Most the siblings and spouses all went to the athletic club in town and had a blast. We had a raquetball tournament and swam. It's always so fun to be together!

THE RANCH

The Layton's and Bethea's were so nice to let my take my family to the ranch. Everyone except 2 families made it! We loved being there! We spend most of our time in the pool. We had a killer game of football!

Hanna and Maci being goofy!

what a good dad!!

I know this is sick!! but i had to show what happened to my toe! When we were playing ft. ball in the pool, someone's foot came accross my toe and ripped it almost off. It was barely hanging on! It hurt SOOO bad! ... from the ranch, I went to Mesa to get my toenail removed. (oh my gosh, the numbing shot in your toe is heck!!) Luckily, sandal season is almost over.

CAMPING

My parents, Steven, Kami, Levi, Travis, and our family all went up to Mt. Graham to camp. We just stayed until late that night, because Wayne had to work the next day. We had smores and cobbler! yum! We had family home evening up there and enjoyed time as a family!

Our family (the smoke was in Maci's eyes!)

I love my dad!!

Mom, Dad, Travis

steven, Kami, Levi

RETURN WITH HONOR
I am so glad that we moved here a year ago, so I could be here for Levi's senior year. I loved going to all of his games, having him here for lunch during school, and having him over on sunday nights for bazookis! I loved all the time we got to spend with him. My girls love him (Maci calls him leli)! He will do an amazing job, but we will sure miss him!!