It's a girl.....

We had our ultra-sound today. After months of speculation, and all our family and friends guessing whether the baby was a boy or a girl. She is a girl!

Ryan and I are excited! The kids are split, half happy, half bummed. But the only way to have made all the kids happy was to have twins, one boy and one girl, then Mom wouldn't have been happy. So, it is what it is and we are excited. We just wanted a healthy baby, and so far everything looks great!

Okay... I'm trying to lose the 'tude

My last post was a little negative... I 'm sorry, I am trying to feel better about things.

On a VERY positive note, we heard the baby's heart beat Thursday. It was thrilling and a big reality check all at the same time. First, I was so happy to hear it, I can't explain the feeling and then, my next reaction was, " Oh my gosh, we are really having a baby!" But, it is a very good sign that all is well.

Well, this is a first! (Well, ... practically)

I am out of work for the 2nd time in 21 years of working as an adult.
Today was my second day officially out of work, and I must say, staying home will take some getting used to. I spent over an hour filling out applications for financial assistance (with the baby on the way and all.) After a 20+ page application, I spent 33 minutes on hold, then another 40 minutes talking to a guy with marbles in his mouth, about why we make too much money to get assistance. (Are you kidding me?) 8 people in our house, plus one on the way (that they count) and two adults on unemployment make too much money? SERIOUSLY?
The only other time I was ever laid off, Sadie was not quite 3 months old, and I would have made more money on unemployment, because I wouldn't have the expense of daycare. At that time, I felt it was unfortunate that I got a job in a couple of weeks.
This time, I really don't know how I feel. If getting a job would make my income too high to qualify for financial aid, that would almost be a detriment, but if I got a job that had insurance to cover pre-existing conditions, it would be a blessing. Who knows?
I guess I'll have to trust that the only one who knows, will take care of things!

Expecting

Just wanted to see who checks our blog. We are going to have a Baby in April. We are excited and old!

Back to School... and REALITY

Here are our First Day of School, walking out the door pictures...












School started over a week ago, the craziness of life with 6 kids has resumed.

Only 5 of the 6 are in school currently. But, we are still plenty busy!

Chloe graduated from high school this year and is workling and saving up to get back into college next semester.

Grant is in 9th Grade and Hayley is in 8th Grade at the middle school. Darby is in 7th Grade at the intermediate school. Zack is in 5th Grade and Sadie is in 4th Grade at the elementary school.

Besides school, we have Dance, Musicals, Scouts, Young Women's, Activity Days, etc. etc. etc.

It begins again...

Today I got my first call of the 2011-2012 school year.
The kids aren't in school yet, but I missed something on Darby's registration, and sure enough the ID on my phone pops up, "Fossil Ridge." It seems that almost daily, well at least weekly, one of the kids' schools' pops up on caller ID for forgotten assignments, forgotten lunches, sick little ones, injured little ones, the list goes on and on.
I'm not sure I'm ready for the new school year, busy schedules, dance, scouts, etc. but it's coming anyway.
August 15th, 6:00 a.m. here we go again!

Weekend...

This past weekend was GREAT! We did not go anywhere, we did not do anything spectacular, but it was nonetheless fabulous! I think Ryan and I spent almost every hour together sans the Relief Society/Priesthood block of church meetings.
The few weeks we get every summer to be 'newlyweds' are so much fun, and so needed.
Most couples starting out have time alone together, to get to know each other, adjust to each others idiosyncrasies, and get to know their children one-by-one, etc. But, as a newly married couple with 6 kids, there wasn't time for any of that. Subsequently, I enjoy any time to have Ryan all to myself. As much as I love the kiddos, I treasure time with Ryan alone.
Weekends like this past one help me remember why we signed up for all the craziness.

And you thought I had died...

I had been toying with the idea of bagging the blog thing altogether, but I was kindly reminded that people really liked to keep up with out little 'Brady Bunch' family and see pictures, etc.

So, here are a couple of pictures and a little narrative of the past weekend.
We had the first ever Silas & Nellie Party this past weekend, it was a HUGE SUCCESS!

It was great to see Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and all the little ones and not-so little ones.

These are the Grand children and spouses,











and, these are the Great-Grand-kids and Great-Great-Grand-Kids That were there Saturday after dinner.














It was SUCH a good time! The kids all had fun together.
Overall it really couldn't have been much better!

Summer Re-cap

I had been thinking that with the coming of summer, I should have been able to write several blog posts, update everyone’s pictures and activities, but some how the time just got away from me…

End of May & June

The week school got out Chloe, Darby and Sadie went to their Dad’s for Memorial Day weekend. They got back on Tuesday, and Wednesday after work, all 8 of us piled in for the annual Allred family fishing trip. We got back late Sunday night. Tuesday Grant, Hayley and Zack flew out to spend 2 months with their Mom. Wednesday, I took Chloe to get her Drivers license, and went to girls’ camp. (In the mean time Chloe, Darby and Sadie had Stadium of Fire practice every day. ~ Thank heavens Chloe could drive.) The week after girls’ camp, was scout camp, and Ryan was gone for a couple of nights. The following week was Youth Conference AND Father’s Day. (All the while the 3 girls have Stadium of Fire practice Mon – Fri.) The following weekend we did not have any plans, so we went fishing at Navajo Lake and hiked up to Cascade Falls.

July

The first weekend was STADIUM OF FIRE. The reason it is capitalized is that while the girls were preparing/practicing, it is truly all encompassing; time, gas, energy, etc. They did a great job and had good time. Carrie Underwood was the headliner and put on a great show. Grandma Nene came to see the girls perform and to spend some time with Grandma Pickett and us. We then had one weekend without any plans. Then the weekend of July 24^th. Ryan and I were on our Ward Committee. We were Pioneers in the parade, and then in charge of Balloon both for the remainder of the day. And, because we hadn’t done anything that day, we took off with the boat and the 4-wheeler and went up to Kolob to fish, play and spend the night with Kent and Shelley (Ryan’s uncle & aunt) at their cabin. Monday Chloe left to go up North to spend a few days with Bonnie’s family, then go to visit her Dad.

August

The first weekend of August/end of July, Ryan and I took off with Rollo (our dog) Friday night and drove to Bullion Creek. (A favorite place of Ryan’s from his childhood.) We spent Saturday morning fishing in the stream. Around noon it started to rain, then after threatening for a while it really started coming down. We tried to wait it out, but after being completely soaked, I was done! We wandered back to the Tahoe, drenched and muddy. We drove up to Bonnie and Jeff’s house. Sunday we picked up the girls from their Dad’s and headed home. The following Saturday we picked grant, Hayley and Zack up at the airport in Vegas. We went to Stake conference Sunday, then Ryan and I took off for Mesquite because our 2^nd Anniversary was Monday. We couldn’t swim because of a MASSIVE lightning and thunder storm. Monday we relaxed, drove back to St. George, took in the historical sites, went for a nice long drive, then ended the evening with TARZAN at Tuacahn. Wednesday school started and life hasn’t slowed since…

September

Last weekend we, (minus Chloe) went to the Safford/Thatcher area for Grandma Ellen’s (Allred) funeral. It is always nice to get together with family. We got to meet the newest addition to the family, Deija.

Well, there is my summer re-cap… pics to come… sometime!

No point

There is no point in trying to catch up, in doing so, I fall further behind... So here are a few (very few) pics of what we've been up to lately.

Darby & Sadie were both in the school talent show

Zack was a bell ringer in the 3rd GradeProgram

Chloe's end-of-year Choir concert

Kenny & Rachel's Wedding

Draper Temple - WOW!

Ryan & I after the ceremony!

I went with Darby on the 5th Grade field trip to Zion National park

That early days of our garden

Dance Pictures

Elementary Choirs at Tuacahn.

Month Over?!?! Ahhh!

I could not believe March had come, and now,it's GONE...
The past month has been a whirlwind of activity and no slow-down is in sight for April.
From now until Mid-May (and the past couple of weeks) we have 4 scheduled soccer games. Hayley, Darby, Zack & Sadie all play on different teams, on different fields, and at different times. (There are a couple of games at the same times, but for the most part, they are spread out over the course of the day on Saturday.) Subsequently, our Saturdays are booked.
In addition to the Soccer games, we have a few weekends like the last one, where we also have dance competitions, dance pictures, scouting events, choir concerts, etc.

For example; last Saturday, I got up before 7 a.m. to get myself ready, before waking up the girls to get ready for dance competition. Chloe and I curled and teased Darby and Sadie's hair until almost 9. When I took Chloe over to the high school to work at the track meet. I took Darby & Sadie to their dance competition a little after 9. In the mean time Ryan was taking Hayley to her soccer game, buying oranges and cutting them up for her half-time treat, watching her game, buying after-game treats for and taking Zack to play his soccer game. A little after 1p.m. Sadie was done with her part of the dance competition, so on my way to take her home, I picked up Chloe from the high school, took Darby to change into her next costume and She and I went back to the dance competition. Then while Darby and I were gone, Ryan had the kids that were home work on chores, went to help one of his home teaching families with some things and took Hayley to a birthday party... As soon as Darby's dance was over, she and I raced home to change her clothes for her soccer game at 5. Following her game, we raced home again to change her clothes to go baby-sitting. Then Ryan and I took Sadie to buy an Easter dress, because she was the only girl that didn't have one for Sunday.

So, I'm a blog slacker, but, it's really only because when something has to give, it usually is a little time to myself.

I had better think of something!

Well, I am seriously going to try to write something regularly, even if it is the same old stuff. Because I don't want to have to wait for BIG things to happen to compel me to write.

Yesterday, Darby and Sadie were headed home from a visit with their Dad for Spring Break, and ended up right in the middle of a 15+ car pile-up on I-15 only about 20 miles from home.
Jason had sent me a message about 8:30a.m. that he was just leaving with the girls to bring them home. I asked him to let me know when they were close so I could take my lunch about the time the girls got home. Around 12:20 p.m. I saw that Jason was calling, and my initial thought was, "Wow, they made good time." Then Jason proceeded to tell me they had been in an accident and they were all ok, but they were pinned in the car.
The next little while was tense, and frightening. My friend, Carol drove me as close to the accident site as she could, then we waited for the Highway Patrol dispatch to call me to come get the girls.
It was horrible sitting, waiting, knowing the girls wanted me to get them, and I desperately wanted to see them and know for myself, they were ok, but I couldn't.
Ryan left work early and came to all of our rescues. He drove me North past the incident, then we turned around and drove as close as we could in the emergency lane. After that I got out of the car and ran up to where the girls were sitting in a fire truck staying warm.

This was the VERY welcome sight I saw when I got there.







These are pictures of the scene as it was being cleaned up, and of the car they were riding in.

Blogger's Block

I have had a hard time finding anything note-worthy to blog about.
It seems that most of my posts consist of much the same-ness. We are crazy busy with 6 kids going all different directions...
I got to about the middle of January and realized that I had 10 days of vacation that I was going to lose, if I didn't use it. So, I have been taking every Monday off. It has been nice I have had a few days to myself and a couple of days of with the kids, that I would have otherwise been working. I have gone to the temple, eaten lunch with Ryan, had lunch with Brenda and my parents. Honestly, I have felt a little self-indulgent. (And, I still have 5 more Mondays off!) It will be a big-time downer when I have to work 5 days a week again.
Valentine's Day was yesterday, and we had a great weekend! We missed Darby & Sadie they went to their Dad's for the long weekend. But, Chloe spent 3 straight days singing for the choir fundraiser, Singing Valentines. So she hung out with the rest of us here.
Saturday Ryan and I went to the movie "Valentine's Day" and out for dinner. Sunday we had dinner here and Grandpa & Grandma Bracken came over. It was nice, small in comparison to our usual Sunday dinner crowd, but very nice.
Today is President's Day and it is a beautiful day! All of the kids are outside even Chloe. It is just one of those days when I am glad I live here.

New Year... New Do

Both Darby & Sadie got new looks for 2010.
Darby cut off almost 24" and Sadie nearly 10"

Christmas is almost here!

Well, Ryan and I are ALMOST child-less. Grant, Hayley & Zack flew out of Vegas and Darby & Sadie went to their Dad's all on Sunday. Chloe will be here until the 23rd or 24th, then she will be up north for Christmas also.

To start our child-less Christmas, Ryan and I went to his company Christmas party. We were asked to wear 'Cocktail' attire. It was kind of fun to get dressed up and go out together.
(The kids weren't officially gone, but we had a good time practicing.)








If you wanted to see our Christmas card before they actually go out, here is is!

(Just in case you were wondering, yes, we were inspired by a lovey lady, who one day met this fellow....)

Another week....

The past week has had almost an event a day. (Like that is anything unusual!)
Thursday and Friday Chloe had the Christmas dance concert. Almost every day this month she will have Trilogy performances. (Trilogy is the elite, performing choir at the High School.)
Friday, December 4th was my Birthday! It was a great day! Sadie received a 'Dean's List' award at school and got to walk through the 'W.'

In the evening Ryan and I went to "Christmas in the Canyon" at the Tuacahn Amphitheater. It was fun, but VERY cold.
Saturday, we got our Christmas Tree and celebrated my birthday with the family.

These are the roses Ryan gave me for my birthday!

Monday night we decorated our Christmas tree for family night. (I guess I should take a picture of our tree)
Wednesday night was the Christmas Concert for the elementary school choir.

And then Novemeber was over....

It always amazes me when I look at the calendar and another week (or3) has gone by.

This last month has been busy and we are just gearing up to get busier! 3 Weeks from tomorrow is Christmas! (Yes, Just 21 SHORT days.)

Nov. 19^th was Darby’s 11^th birthday…

Thanksgiving Day, we were here in Washington with the family here. Then we left Friday to head to Thatcher, AZ to party and hang with our Arizona family. It was a very long drive, but overall a really great weekend! I forgot my camera when we went to Arizona, so I will have to rely on other people sending me pictures of the weekend.

I do indeed have plenty to be thankful for!

More Pics

Last night was Brigadoon's closing night. Before the cast and crew went to tearing the set apart, I made Chloe pose for a couple of pics. She did a great job! I am very proud of her.

Brigadoon

Wow!
Last night was opening night of 'Brigadoon' at Pine View High School.
Chloe has a pretty big role as 'Meg.' She did a great job delivering her songs and entertaining the audience. the show was great and Chloe was fabulous!I'll work on getting some better pictures. (They ask for no flash photography during the performance, so it may be difficult, but I'll see what I can do.)
Brigadoon has always been one of my personal favorite musicals. My sister Cindy had the role of 'Fiona' when I was 4, and there is a song, "Heather on the hill" and "Go home with Bonnie Jean" so as a little kid, I thought it was family's musical.

Halloween Pics

We were in Payson, AZ for Halloween because Kyla (Ryan's Niece) was baptized that morning.

So, we all went out dressed up....
It was a lot of fun. At Dave & Amy's Stake Center there was a chili cook-off, costume contest and a Trunk-or-Treat.

Eating some tasty Chili!

Awaiting the costume judging results....

Catherine & Rich passing out Candy.