Happy 6th Birthday Aubreyann!!!

Aubrey is now 6! I almost can't even believe it! As I was thinking about this post I decided to write 6 things I love about Aubrey so here goes (in no particular order):



1. Her beautiful Smile
2. Her Dimples
3. Her being so loving
4. Her spunky attitude
5. She is so smart!
6. The way she can brighten up a room when she comes in

I love you Aubreyann I am so happy that I have the privilege of having you as mine!

Here is a comment from Daddy: (she call's Jim Daddy!!! :)

Aubs I love you so much thank you for the smiles, the fun and being who you are!

Hope you enjoy your day, your an amazing girl!!!

What about all of you what are 6 things you love about Aubrey?

Another Addition to the Walker Bunch!

About a month ago I got a phone call from my Gramps Neves, we were able to spend some time just catching up which I find pretty hard to do anymore. Talking to Gramps was such a nice break. Needless to say he had a question for me so here goes the story as I have been told :)

My uncle Dave (my dad's brother) recently got married to a wonderful woman! I am so happy for them! They decided to move into her place which really doesn't have enough room for Ellie his dog to enjoy. So Gramps got the idea to call Nat and see if she would take her. Of course you all know I am a total sucker when it comes to animals. I told Gramps sure I will take her have Dave call me. Well a few weeks past and nothing from Dave. Out of the blue one random day Dave did call me we talked about Ellie had set up some arrangements for her to come to her new home in Monticello.

Patrick and CJ had been up north so we were able to work it out to pick up the boys and Ellie at the 1/2 way point which is Woodside. Right off the bat the boys just loved her. We had stopped in Moab on our way to Woodside and dropped Aubrey off for a play date at my friend Jen's house. So we pick up Aubrey and head the remaining hour home. Well can I just say it is incredible to watch animals bond with children. Aubrey took a real fast and adorable liking to Ellie. She was so cute we stopped at McDonalds for some dinner and Aubrey spent the majority of the time walking Ellie around the parking lot....Cute I tell ya.

Ellie has now offically met all 5 kids, 2 cats and JoJo our dog. She is a really great dog, JoJo was way excited to have someone to play with as I think he get's pretty lonely hanging out with boring ol' me all day. If JoJo isn't with Jim down at the Ambulance Garage then he is usually taking in the sun on the sidewalk. JoJo and Ellie seem to be best buds now which is way awesome. The kids all love her and I am enjoying having her around.

So to my dear Uncle Dave and my cousins Trent, Aly, Heala & Chad thanks for thinking of me and sharing your wonderful pal with us. We sure love her!!!

Football & Soccer and everything else...

This week has been a pretty busy week for us. As I am sure you all saw from my post earlier tonight....Needless to say this week we actually started games for the various sports and activities the kids participate in.

Tuesday was Connor's first football game of the season!!! Wooo HOOO!!! They beat Blanding by 25 POINTS!!!!!! He has so much fun running around and playing. This year is proving to be pretty special to him because he has Dad helping coach. He thinks this is pretty neat that Dad would take time to go to all the practices and games he can unless he gets called out. It was also Aubrey's first Cheerleading performance I guess you would call it. She got to cheer for her big brother's football team which made both of them pretty happy even if they won't admit it out loud, they do love each other!
Today was Patrick and CJ's first soccer game! Both boys started out playing the field then CJ moved to goalie and had a great time! I have to say he is a pretty good goalie, he actually really loves soccer and seems to do very well at it. He is very outgoing and always right where the ball is if he doesn't have control of it he is off trying to get control, that is what you are supposed to do right??? Patrick enjoys it as well for all of my family and friends that know Patrick this is absolutely remarkable for him to be out running so close to other kids and playing on a team, he even got to goalie this evening he didn't let 1 ball past!!!! He was all over it concentrating on every move the ball made so he could catch it!
I was able to go to the boys soccer game tonight which mind you I froze at....winter is coming way to soon for my taste.

Even with all the running around we have done this week and the bump in the gas consumption (good thing gas prices have come down) it has been well worth it. I am enjoying watching the kids do stuff they love and hanging out with friends and loved ones. I had the pleasure of ending a great Thursday evening at a birthday dinner for my friend Marice.

Happy Birthday Marcie!!! I loves ya!

The Madness

The madness has started it is official! The days seems shorter, time is of the essence now more than ever. A few weeks ago I was gloating about school starting and how great it would be to have all of them in school. Can I take that back? Is that possible? Was worth a shot right?

Anyhow...it seems like all I do anymore is drive around town dropping off this kid picking up the next and repeat I feel like I am the star in the Gene Simmons work out video "lunge, step back, repeat..." however all that it really works out is my gas bill. As I try and think long term...all I can pray for is all of the kids to do the same sport next year.....

Here is what a typical week at the Walker House looks like. Monday morning hurry scurry get ready for school! Aubrey yelling NO I don't want my hair done...The boys racing out the door to see who can be the first one at school. Finally they are out the door and I sit down to work...Oh wow it is Monday!!!!! Monday evening you mean the 6pm horn is already going off???? the start of the week of homework at least plan on spending 2 hours at the kitchen table tonight. Cook dinner, clean up, run Connor & Jim to football practice (Jim is helping out this year w/Connor's team) pick them up, come home, give baths, put the kids in bed, read stories, go to sleep, get up and do it all over but...add a few more things..

Tuesday....Soccer practice, football practice, Cheerleading, Scouts for Patrick and Connor and everything you did Monday again....

Wednesday....Dance, soccer game, football practice, Darrien's scouts.....and repeat do you feel those muscles burn??

Thursday....Maybe today is a break...um NOPE! Now it is the crunch to finish homework as it is due to the teacher on Friday so of course all the kids are running around accusing each other of taking the other ones homework, book, pencil you know what I am saying right? Plus throw in football of course...

Friday...for sure it has to be Friday the good ol' TGIF right?????? I gag as I realize that I spent all of my time during the week running from here to there, working, homework you know the drill and now I look around...And I swear it looks like World War 3 has hit the Walker house! Well maybe tomorrow I will get a chance to relax..

Saturday...Laundry, chores, more laundry, more chores, pick the garden, go grocery shopping....

Sunday...Finally the day of rest...again a big fat NOPE! It is the day for preparation for the next big week....

As I sit back and watch this absolute chaos go on around me and I feel as if I may loose it at any moment...All I can do is smile????? Why you ask....??? One day we will look back and say I miss those days!!! To all of you Mom's out there! Keep your head up it doesn't last forever...even if it feels like it does today!

My Mom

As most of you know I lost my Mom a little over 3 years ago. It was much to sudden, quick and of course painfull. As I think about my own children it makes me reflect what my Mom taught me. Here are three most valuable things my Mom taught me....Ingetrity without comprimise, Loyalty & Compassion. I believe I have done a pretty good job at living by these in my 30+ years now. Here is a poem that I put on the program's for my Mother's funeral.

A million times we have needed you, A million times we have cried. If love alone could have saved you, You never would have died. In life we loved you dearly, In death we love you still, Within our hearts you hold a place no one else can ever fill. It broke our hearts to lose you, but you didn't go alone, for part of us went with you the day God took you home.

In memory of my loving Mother LaRonda Lynn Neves. Mom I love you today, tomorrow and forever. Thank you for the memories, love and all of the things you have taught me.

Back to school/starting school

Well it is now official all of my kids are back in school and the baby Aubrey is in Kindergarten. The first day of school was awesome.....at least for the kids. They were so excited to get to know their new teachers and see their friends. Aubrey was especially excited as this marks such an important journey in her young life...Don't I wish I could go back and do things differently? Spend more time with them, run thru the sprinklers, get into water fights...instead I am grumping around telling them to "knock it off"....I am sure you have all been there as well. I guess the realization that there aren't anymore to see off for their landmark days of starting school is what is the hardest for me. However the joy's that I have been able to have because of my children no matter how old or young they may be is still worth more than anything in this world! The best advice I can give all of you mother's is to cherish every minute of your kids while you can. Time goes by so fast that in the blink of an eye you are looking into their eyes as they talk about stuff like a girl they have a crush on, the Chemistry homework they have, the next big dance at school. I often find myself trying to remember what I thought about when I was their age....the problem is I can't seem to remember LOL :) I have started to use a term when I can't remember stuff like where did I put those keys? where did my wallet go to? so on and so forth...they are officially what I like to call "senior moments". If you have not yet hit 30 you don't get the privilege of calling them senior moments quite yet. Needless to say I am excited for this school year to see all of the fun things the kids will do, the sports they will play and of course them grow, learn and continue to improve.

I consider myself privileged every day that I have been blessed with 5 children that in their own way are special, unique and loving. I thought I would leave you with this quote for one because I love it and two because it reminds me of my mother which has resulted in my next post...a tribute to my mother.

A mother's happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories. ~Honoré de Balzac





Aubrey looks a little scared in this one doesn't she??? Also Darrien was a lil camera shy this go round. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Lots of Love!

-Nat

The rest of our summer

On Memorial Day weekend we went on a camping trip to South Cottonwood with some friends of ours Marcie and Benny their 3 girls Shelbie, Kaitlyn and Ashley also Marcie's parents Larry and Diana. Shery and Quinn and her monster's (hey she calls her blog that so I figured I was safe) Brexton, Jensen and Teagan. Laurie was supposed to join us but the weather was kind of iffy so she decided against it. We had such a great time! Jim and Benny made a swing for the kids that kept them very entertained. Other than me being scared of the cow's coming thru our camp and stomping our tent down it was great. Ya I know I am a dork! We also did a few other camping trips thru out the summer; we went up on the mountain by our house which was nice, close etc. At one of the camping trips up at 70's we were with Marcie, Benny & their 3 girls, Chance, Marcie and their 3 kids, Krista & Eric their 2kids and Chet & Tracy and their 2 boys. We were having a great time until it was dinner.....I was munching down on a pretzel and broke a tooth a molar at that, so Marcia scrambled to find the dentist phone number and Jim and I made a 9pm run to the dentist's office, nothing like calling him at home on a Friday night and making him come fix me! Well we got that taken care of which resulted in a few more dentist visits and an extraction boy was that fun NOT!


Aubrey got to play T-Ball this summer with her friends. She was on the same team as Shelbie and Rhianna! They really had a great time smacking the ball around! She also learned how to ride her bike with out training wheels. I am so proud of her she takes off now down the street with not a care in the world..even for the car's coming down the street LOL!


We ended up on deciding to go "home" to Pleasant Grove for Strawberry Day's and we are so glad we did. We went to the Rodeo with Jenny and Mike, got to go to the parade which was really neat as the theme this year was "Everyone comes home for Strawberry Days" kinda kewl considering.....We enjoyed funnel cakes, caramel apples and some fun carnival rides Jim also took Heather up to hike Timp, CJ went with as well as Jenny. We got to take my nephew's Anthony and DreShawn to the carnival. DreShawn was a total doll I loved having him and getting my baby fix! You know it is kind of funny now to think of home as Pleasant Grove....the reason being is that we now own our own home in Monticello and have some great friend's and honestly it is beginning to feel like HOME! It's only been a year so I will give it a little more time to settle in!!! :)

Every year on the 4th of July Dove Creek, CO which is on the border of Utah/CO hold's what is called the Pick N' Hoe! Ya I had to laugh at the name too but boy was it fun. We went out there with Marcia and her family since she is a native to Dove Creek. We got to enjoy the parade, the games, the pig chasing and yes if you catch the pig..The prize is the pig. Needless to say I wasn't encouraging my kids to catch it!!! Anyhow we had a really good time out there, it was nice being in a small town and seeing what has brought the city about. We ended the night off by heading to Blanding to watch the fireworks. All in all a great way to celebrate the 4th of July!


We were able to go to the Walker Family reunion/campout. This year it was up at Mirror Lake. We decided to head up North on Thursday. We headed for Mirror Lake on Friday of course making a stop to see Grandma and Grandpa Walker. The weather ended up on being pretty good except the night I had to cook dinner of course it had to rain. Other than that and the occasional pine beetle it was good. It was so nice to see all the family. Grandma & Grandpa Hansen, Aunt Cindy, Aunt Mary, Laurie, Brandon, Maddie & Braydon, Jenny & Mike, Heather, Austin, Cody, Mistee, Shery & Quinn, Brexton, Jensen & Teagon. We got to do a lot of visiting and catching up on what we have missed over the past while. We also got this amazing opportunity....I was sitting in Mom & Dad's trailer....something catches my eye and I look out the window...What was it to my surprise a MOOSE yes I said a Moose....So of course I am thinking wow I have never seen one before, I want pictures...So I went Moose chasing.....With Brandon and Jenny following suit and Austin & Braydon trying to get as close as Aunt Nat would let them. Just check out this picture I got.....In retrospect I probably shouldn't have chased her but hey it was worth the photo opp!

CJ lost all of his front teeth and is patiently waiting for them to get in and for Soccer to start. There has not been a day yet that he hasn't asked "Mom is today the day for my Soccer" He spent most of the summer up visiting with Mama Kirsty I know he had a lot of fun. He also got to hang out with Grandma Walker which he always thinks is neat.

Patrick is also in the loosing teeth camp. He also has lost all of his front one's and is so excited to loose more so he can try and catch to tooth fairy the next time she comes. He is also "patiently" waiting for Soccer to start. He was able to spend some time with Mama Kirsty but decided he wanted to come home early. He was happy to have a break from CJ...in fact he proceeded to tell Kirsty that he was so glad CJ wasn't here...We all had to laugh at that one...nothing like sibling rivalry!

Connor spent the summer at the swimming pool....hanging out with his friend's, going to Daddy's work, riding his bike all over town. He is patiently waiting for Football to start.

Darrien spent the summer working! Yes I said working! He got a job at the race track down here flagging races. He absolutely loves it and it actually pay's very well too. He also did some work for Marcie’s parents tearing down the barn. He had fun driving Diana's lawnmower...I don't think she will let that happen again!

All in all we had a GREAT summer! We hope that everyone else did as well!

Love you all!!