Field Day

I find it such a privilege to stay at home with my children. I know there are many women, because of financial choices, or financial circumstances, they just can not stay at home with their children. Every moment with a child, is a teaching moment. The things they hear you say. The way they see you treat people. The attitude you have. What they see you make a priority. Even the way you dress. These are the formative years of my children. What a blessing that I can be their most influential teacher.

I have really enjoyed being at all of Brook'es special days at school this year. It is so neat that since Kevin works so close to Brooke's preschool, he too came for almost all of her daytime programs. In example; Pet Day, Holiday Parties, Texas Hoe down etc. The last event before preschool graduation that we had, was Field Day. There were so many kids that wanted their face painted. Short on time, I got to use my artistic skills and help the teachers paint faces. Will doesn't mind being passed around a little. Brooke got soaking wet before I painted her face. Good thing, or she would have cried about her butterfly on her face getting messed up.

Home sweet Home

Brooke was so excited the day her Daddy would come home from Puerto Rico. She kept asking me all day if we could have a party for him. I agreed. Brooke loves playing that we are having our own family party. What is a party without something sweet, right? So Brooke and I made mint chocolate chip cookies. Mint is one of Kevin's favorite flavors. About an hour before Kevin would come home, Brooke totally changed her mind about the party. She said, " Mommy, Daddy didn't get to go to church on Sunday, so lets have our family lesson tonight." I am so proud of Brooke that her testimony is so strong. Brooke loves the gospel of Jesus Christ. Brooke's sweet spirit motivates me to be a better person everyday. I quickly agreed to her new request. We had a short lesson on prayer, and we talked about how we need to make sure we are having personal prayer, besides our family prayer. It is in our personal prayer that we can especially think about how we are living our lives, and repent and say we are sorry. Because just thinking you are sorry, is not enough. We hunted in the backyard for some prayer rocks for each of us to keep in a special place to help us remember to say our personal prayers. Brooke's little whisperings, in her own prayer are so precious. I don't listen all the time, but on occasion I hear her say," Thank you that I have a Mommy and Daddy, and thank you that I am a big sister. Please help that I can dream about unicorns and flowers. " It was a sweet homecoming, that ended with playing records and dancing, like always. Brooke is such a Daddy's girl.

A sneaky crab without a Visa

When Kevin called ecstatic about finding something to bring home for us, I was excited. When I heard he was going to have to sneak it through security at the airport, I was very worried. I tried to convince him not to bring a live animal on the plane, but kevin wasn't worried they would catch him. The little crab he found on the beach fits in a tic tac box. This was Kevin's plan to sneak this crab into the country. He did get through security with it in his pocket, like he had planned. He also brought home some coconuts. The security guard said they wouldn't let those on the plane, but he tried putting them in his bag, and they did get through without a problem. He had to climb the palm tree and swing very hard holding onto them to get them to break off.

If you ask Kevin, the crab's name is Tic-Tac. If you ask me the crab's name is Rico. If you ask Brooke, her little baby, girl, crab is named Brietta. Brooke was so excited about her new pet crab that she begged me to take it to her class to show it to them. Brooke loved showing it to her class. She accidentally kept telling the class before Kevin and I got there, that the crab came from Vegas.

Puerto Rico with Mark

Mark Mahnsing has been a friend of Kevin's for about nineteen years. The exciting things that Kevin has done with Mark are endless. Just a few off the top of my head are, when they went to Sanfransico together for a completely unplanned, random trip. Mark called Kevin and said, " I have got a group together of people and we are all going to Sanfransico in about an hour. " They only went with carry on bags, and they only stayed for one night. They also once worked at extras on a movie set, where they had to stand in freezing cold rain with strange armor like clothing on, because they were filming a war scene. Once they tried out to be Stunt Men for Disney World and Kevin even made it to the final cut! They went on a trip to the Dominican Republic three years ago, fully paid by Marks job at the time. When Mark found out that Kevin was getting married, even though it was a family only wedding and he had two days notice, he insisted on coming to the wedding. It was great to have Mark there. Since Mark had been a Pastor, he even spoke a few words about marriage.
This year when Mark had a fully paid trip to Puerto Rico, he asked Kevin to go with him. They stayed at a five star Golf Resort. Kevin has been known to jump in pools with his phone, and loose almost every expensive item he has because of some impulsive action, so he did not bring any camera, except a disposable one. I wasn't as surprised, as you would think I would be when Kevin showed me the pictures he had taken on his phone. There were two of a stray cat, one of an old building in downtown Puerto Rico, and one of a discusting looking fish meal that Mark was eating for dinner. I heard the resort was beautiful, but we don't have pictures to prove it, which is just fine with me. ;) I liked seeing the pictures of the stray cats.
Mark and Kevin did an excursion everyday. They went kayaking in the ocean to see glowing organisms in the water. Kevin said it was like in Avatar, for real. They went four-wheeling in the jungle, and both Mark and Kevin got warnings that they were going to be kicked off the four-wheelers if they kept being so dangerous. Kevin calmed down after two warnings, and Mark eventually got kicked off. When Kevin told me he was going diving in a cave with a waterfall, I felt envious of Mark that he would have such a romantic experience with Kevin. When Kevin described the experience, I wasn't so envious anymore. Kevin said that they had to repel into a pitch black cave and when they got to the bottom there were spiders, crabs and bats everywhere. They even had to eat their lunch in there. They had to get in gross water and go threw tiny spaces to get to the exit of the cave. The guide explained many rules that came from experience with someone falling off a waterfall in this excursion and dying. The only pictures Kevin took with his disposable camera were of the cave experience. So those are the pictures. Last time in the Dominican Republic Kevin and Mark held a nurse shark in the ocean. They actually lifted it up together out of the water. This time Mark got malled by a wild iguana they saw crawling around.

More to come about what Kevin brought home for us on his trip......

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

My childhood, and very best friend came to visit last week. There are defining moments in your childhood that make you, who you are. Erin was by my side through many of these moments. When I got to Taylorsville High, many people made the comment, that they thought that I had transferred into the school, and they didn't even know I was in their class because I was always hanging around the Juniors and Seniors at school. There is a reason for this, and her name is ERIN LEE. Well not so much the Lee, now that she is married. Erin and I were a duo, Siamese twins, or like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. I met Erin in gymnastics fifteen years ago, and it happened to be very lucky that we would go to the same High school. Erin and I had the most fun of anyone I know, in high school. We even had a class where we were Student Aids of the swim team. The Coach didn't really need us. Our job ended up being " door watchers" of the Girls Locker Room, that was already locked. Not to mention, the weight room was right beside the locker room. We met everyone and anyone who would lift weights during that period.

A true story that I will be telling until I die, comes from one day when Erin and I decided we would go running one afternoon. We had never ran before, so this was pretty unusual. It started pouring rain about ten min. into the run and we decided to just head to some friends houses and wait for it to stop. We jumped a fence in order to do this. Suddenly, we heard a strange noise. Unlike any noise you would expect to hear, when sneaking into someones yard. "Baaa, Baaa, Baaa," it said. Suddenly we were being chased by a big, nappy, grey colored sheep! YES, a sheep was chasing us! Not only was it chasing us, it was trying to head butt us into the canal that was right next to us. This is not an exaggeration. This sheep was ramming its head into Erin, because I had been using self-defense selfishness, by pushing her out of the way, so that I could get further from the sheep. We finally did make our way to another fence of the neighbor's. We jumped it before any further damage could be done. Our damage ended up being, that the friends we were going to visit, just so happened to be outside, watching this whole thing with the screaming, and chasing by a sheep go down. We never heard the end of that story of Erin Lee and Emily in their running shorts, and tennis shoes ( thank goodness I wasn't in my heels. Yes, I did wear them starting at age thirteen) being chased by Willy Dinkle's pet sheep. Yes, I did just say, Willy Dinkle. That was the name of the kid's yard we had jumped into. If you don't believe his name, you can look in my yearbook. From that time forward Erin and I declared sheep to be evil. Kevin has made a few calls in the past six years, and he still can not find someone who will let me come to their farm, and shave their sheep, just because I think it would be funny.

Brooke, Will and I had a great time with Erin, and seven month old baby Bennett in Texas this week. It was so neat to meet baby Bennett and to see how incredible of a Mother, that my childhood friend had become. We enjoyed getting glitter toes done at home while the babies napped. We went to lunch with my Mom one day. Our shopping trips weren't very successful with the kids, but we stayed up shopping online and watching chick-flicks after the kiddos were asleep. It is as if, I never left Utah, when we are together. Best friends never feel the difference of miles they live apart, when they are together.

Come find me

One day, before Kevin and I had Brooke, I came home to find a paper on the counter that said, " Come find me." I looked everywhere, under the bed, in closets, and even went to look outside to see if in fact, Kevin's car was outside. It was. It wasn't until I found all of the food from the fridge, in one of the highest kitchen cabinets, that I found him in the fridge. ( Kids do not try this at home ) I couldn't believe that Kevin actually fit in the fridge! Kevin thinks that he is a professional at hide and seek. Now that we have Brooke, one of her favorite games is Hide and Seek. All the giggling and excitement is so cute as we take turns hiding with her, while the other one counts and carries Will along, to find her. kevin has been working a little extra trying to meet new sales goals. We have only had fifteen min. to half an hour lately, at night, to play. His work is paying off, however. His sales team is hitting their goals.

Hide and Seek has been the choice of play lately. I thought for a min. last week that Kevin had decided to watch the news or water his garden, when he was supposed to be finding Brooke and myself, but I still kept hearing doors open and he actually started saying, " Okay, I really can't find you. " At that point, Brooke and I started calling out animal noises softer and getting louder and louder until he could find us. Kevin still thinks he is better at hide and seek, than I am. I totally have the advantage though.... He can't fit in the spaces with Brooke, that I can! We will be having a re-match later.

Emily's 28th Birthday Bash

Every once in awhile, but not often at all, life suddenly surprises you with a gift of friendship. This friendship could not be replaced by anything, or anyone. It is as if God, himself is watching you, knowing exactly what kind of a friend you need, to help in your journey, of becoming the you, that you always wanted to be.

My cherished friend Holly Duenas is the queen planner of birthdays, baby showers, girls nights, any celebration of any sort. You name it, she is the master mind behind it all. If the word fun was even whispered, Holly was there.
Last year, Holly had a get together for my birthday set up at La Madeline. It was fun. I got lots of advise about my upcoming delivery of Will. It was also great that Holly too was pregnant.

This year Holly, with some help from Amanda Drysdale , hosted a birthday party for me in her home. This may not seem like a hard task, for an almost weekly party planner. But for a mother of four, ( one still a nursing baby ) and having her house on the market to sell, I was well aware, extremely impressed and grateful for the thought and time that went into creating such a fun party for solely, mua.

Holly even encouraged me to invite my friends, that she did not know, when I asked how she felt about it. It was so amazing to have all of my friends in one room. Holly had everyone sing Happy Birthday to me, around the cupcakes that she made. I felt like a kid, it was awesome! She had " The Emily Quiz " that everyone took. Joy Roberts got the most questions right. Seven out of nine. We ate yummy food that everyone brought to share. We had delicious homemade punch. That is right, no alcohol involved. My margarita friends survived just great. I got a few text messages that they had lots of fun ;) I really appreciated it...

Holly has a great sense of humor. Here is the multiple choice " The Emily quiz" :

What was her first job?

A. bear stuffer at build a bear

B. nursing home attendant

C. perfume model

D. Hostess at Chili's

Where is the favorite place she has lived or traveled to?

A. The alley behind Big Lots

B. France

C. Disney World

D. New York

What was the first car she drove?

A. Toyota Camry

B. Barbie Jeep

C. VW Bug

D. Truck

When did she first kiss a boy?

A. Kindergarten B. Age 14
C. Age 8
D. She's never kissed a boy

What color was her prom dress?
A. Pale Yellow
B. Red and white polka dot with pink ribbons and yellow bows
C. She doesn't remember, she was drunk
D. Burgundy

What is her favorite snack food?
A. Fresh fruit
B. Rare steak
C.Chips

D. Anything chocolate

What is her favorite color
A. silver
B. Red
C. Pink
D. She prefers white: the absence of color

What did she want to be when she grew up?
A. Mother
B. Model
C. Author
D. Vet
E. All of the above

What is her most embarrassing moment?
A. When someone caught her picking her nose and eating her boogers last Sunday at church.
B. When she was on the winner stand at a gymnastics meet taking first place and a little girl ran up to her and told her there was a string hanging from her crotch. And there was. A tampon string.
C. When she fell down the escalators at the mall because her high heel slid on one of the steps D. During a model shoot a few years back, a nursing pad fell out of her bra and onto the floor.

It was so much fun!!!!!!!!!!! I am blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life. I left feeling loved, and appreciated. I am already thinking up ideas for Holly's August birthday in my head.....

Here are the answers: B, C, A, B, A, D, C, E, B

Mother's Day 2011

For Mother's Day on Saturday we went to Chucky Cheese. I really wanted to go there, because as a Mother, it is most satisfying to see your children smile. Kevin won 1,500 tickets! He figured out how to win a game and played it the whole time. It was exciting for Brooke to choose any prize she wanted. Will rode some of the little rides for the first time, and he had a huge smile on his face.

Later that night Kevin and I went to Gold Class Cinema and saw the movie "Limitless." It was our first luxury movie experience. I was very impressed with the reclining chairs, and great food. I can't wait to go back in a few days for my birthday. The movie was awesome too. Kevin gets stopped all the time, so people can tell him that he looks like Bradly Cooper. I personally think Kevin is better looking. ;)

On Sunday Brooke had a surprise for Grandma Pack and myself. She gave us matching scarfs and flowers to wear all day. She had some for herself too. We all went to the same church. It is always nice to have help with Will. Brooke also sang, " Mother I love you, " on stage with 200 of the primary kids in my ward. It is so sweet to see her on stage looking all over for your face down below. It made me so happy to see her so excited to sing a song to me.

After church I made dinner for my Mom, and we had a nice meal at our house together. It was a great Mother's Day!

My Mother

May is an incredibly busy month, so I have lots to write about. I must write a tribute to one of the most influential persons in my life.

My Mother

My Mother is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I think that my Mother is so beautiful in fact, that many of her other amazing qualities have been over-looked in her life, by acquaintances. Even some that may know her, more than the average person, may only see the incredibly fit, young looking mother, that seems to be a Wonder Woman, when it comes to looking perfect all the time. But, there is so much more to my Mother. One of the things that my Mom taught me through example, is that if you want something in your life, you just have to go get it. My Mom is one of the hardest working people I know. She has great work ethic. Although, she struggles to get to many places on time. You would rarely catch my Mom late for work.

A most memorable tradition with my Mom comes once a year, with the Nordstroms Half Yearly Sale. My Mother is so giving, with even the things that give her joy. She would use gift cards friends had given her, money that she worked hard for, and of course the normal amount of money that my Dad had set aside for our school clothes. We woke up early every year to be the first at Nordstroms, when The Half Yearly Sale was here. About a month before the new school year would start again.

My Mother has un-wavering faith in prayer. There are countless text messages sent," Please pray for ___________, they need extra prayers." If there was a record kept of all the prayers said, I know for sure, that my Mothers would be one of the longest. A sweet memory is finding her on her knees, by bedside because she received a phone call from a sibling in need.

My Mother has a great sense of humor. This is one of Kevin's favorite qualities, that he mentions frequently about my Mother.

She forgives easily. I can be in an argument with my Mom, and very shortly after, we can be enjoying time together, like nothing happened.

Things I enjoyed doing with my Mom as a a child are going to her cycling classes, and watching how inspiring she is to so many people. She really knows how to help people work their body, to it's limit. On vacations when there wasn't a gym, my Mom and I would run on the road together. We have even had a scary person stop and get out the car, to see if we needed a ride. Don't worry, we can run fast.

My Mom has been there by my side, my whole life. She is a best friend. She listens if I need to talk. She is always fun to be around. She is a wonderful Grandmother. She loves teaching her Grandchildren, by reading them books and helping them discover the world.

My Mother's testimony of the Atonement of Christ, is probably the best thing she could have ever given her children. The traditions of reading the Christmas story, watching the Easter story video Of Christ, every Easter, and the times she encouraged our family to find families during Christmas who were in need, instead of getting as many presents for ourselves; These things have made me the person that I am.

My beautiful Mother, is beautiful on the inside and out. I love her dearly.

Never judge a man, by the car he drives. ITS OUR SIX YEAR WEDDDING ANNIVERSARY

Seven years ago I worked at Sage Telecom as a Sales Quality Analyst. The office that I worked in, was only three blocks away from the townhouse that Kevin was living in at the time. Everyday Kevin and I would drive the down the same road going opposite directions, as he was headed to McKinney, and I into Allen. The first Honda, Element to appear in Allen, Tx was an orange one, and it was always parked in this Target parking lot. The second Honda, Element to appear in Allen, I drove past it, going opposite direction, almost everyday. I remember the very first time I saw the grey Element start showing up, in Allen. I was on my way to lunch with friends, and I actually made a comment, with the biggest bite back, that you could ever imagine. I said, " Whoever bought that car, has to be the dumbest person ever." I thought this new body style of car was very ugly. The joke is on me, because I ended up marrying him, and I ended up making great memories in that car.

I actually had my first phone call with Kevin on Oct.23rd 2004, when I called into his office to get an interview for a job. The interview was exceptionally long. I just couldn't figure out why Kevin could not explain to me what his job was, what he did? Who was his boss? You see one of my favorite things to do when I work for a company, is to decide how quickly I can get a promotion. I love to understand how everything works in a company. It gives me more incite on how I can get to the top. It was the strangest interview that I think that, both of us have ever had. I guess I got my promotion very quickly, when I ended up marrying, the owner about six months later.

There were two very crucial things about my dying to spend every moment that I could with Kevin. First, was that when I went to his apartment for the first time, he had very little, to no, furniture. Kevin had an art table and cartoons posted around the room, a Foosball table, a futon, and bed. You would think normally that would scare a girl. It was at that moment, that I knew that I had found someone golden. It was very easy to see that Kevin did not place a high value on material things. Kevin's passion for having fun, his friends and family became apparent almost immediately. The second crucial item left me feeling comfortable enough to sit on Kevin's counter and hangout all night. Call it dangerous, naive, or whatever you want, but I call it fate. It was the book, A purpose Driven Life. He had it sitting on his table all the time. I found out later, it was a gift from his Mom, and he actually never even read the whole book. Even if he never read the book, I learned quickly that Kevin did know what he wanted his purpose in life to be, and he was a hard enough working person to have it. A friend of Kevin's from college, hung out with Kevin only three days after the interview that Kevin and I had. She told me, that he mentioned more than once, this girl that was going to work at his office, that he was going to marry.

A few months after that Christmas, I was really not enjoying working at Nordstroms. Kevin just asked me, "Emily, what is it that you really want to do with your life?" My answer was, that there was no job that could be more important to me, as raising children at home. It was at that point that, although we both felt like we were already married. ( We spent every moment together). We knew we should get married, and that is just what we did. Kevin used to want to have six children, when he was younger. Three weeks after our Disney World Honey Moon, I became pregnant with Brooke.

Everyday, I cherish the fact that I get to spend my life with my best best friend. I know it is a blessing, and a privlidge to be with someone as dedicated to love, fun, and family as my husband.

I should bet, that I will, not win the bet ......

Something silly that Kevin and I do almost on a weekly basis is make bets with each other. Bets about everything. Who can get to the car the fastest, or if we can beat a certain time in the grocery store, who did the voice in a cartoon, what other movie was this actor in, etc.
I never win any of these bets, except the ones about whether or not I can find a lost item in my diaper bag or car, that Kevin could not find. Occasionally, I will win ones about certain actors and their age, or movie they played in. Other than that , Kevin wins every single bet that we make. So I end up making desserts like pudding, or giving a foot massage, very often. I am not sure why I keep making the bets, because I am usually the instigator. I guess, my competitive side is a little too much for my own good.
We love this restaurant Hoffbraugh House. We have named it one of our top places to eat. They make these fresh potato chips that are to die for. Kevin and I have made it a tradition to go there at least once a year, and pig out on these chips. Kevin has challenged me many times to see if I could make them. When I lost a bet, I ended up making them last night. Well actually Kevin ended up taking over, while I put the kids to bed, but I got everything prepared. I had lost a bet,and this was the request. This is a picture of the chips we made last night, and also some pics of us actually at Hoffbraugh House for the Kevintines year, before I was pregnant with Will. Ask Kevin, he keeps purposely tricking me about what year it is....

Mother knows Best. Wills finally asleep. zzzzzzzz

I strongly believe in a mothers intuition. I also have learned in the past ten months, that every child is different, and each one needs specific treatment, and guidance. A mother who seeks through prayer, can find what the specific needs for her child are. Five months ago, when Will was waking very literally, every half an hour, many people suggested I let him cry himself to sleep. Even though I felt it was wrong I tried it. I let him cry for ten min. without going to him, and when I picked him up after that ten min. had passed, he continued to cry for four hours straight. I then made my final choice, to not let him cry, until I felt very impressed that it was time. I am glad I followed my gut feeling because since that time, Will has had three ear infections, and has gotten six teeth in. I feel so thankful, although I was tired, that I could be there for Will in his time of pain. I believe that experience created extra bonding between Will and me. I am thankful that Kevin is so supportive in my choices I make as a Mother, for his answer, is always that I am the Mother and he supports whatever I decide. Even if that meant countless sleepy days. He only slept on the couch maybe once a week.
This week I felt a strong impression that it was time to let Will cry. It took two nights of forty- five min. and once two hours of on and off crying, until he would finally lay down to sleep. Our third night last-night , he awoke once for five min. I AM SO PROUD OF MY LITTLE WILL.
I also know prayers of family and Friends helped Will, to learn to soothe himself to sleep.