ned&ernie

Temple Lights

2010-01-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

I just love the Christmas season and one of the reasons why is all the lights. I love to drive around at night and look at all the houses decorated in Christmas lights. I also love the light at the temple. We took the kids to see the lights along with Mema and Papa. It was fun to see Stella and Jude get so excited.

Briley, Mema, Stella, and Papa in the back with Jude.
I got this cute picture of all the kids looking at the star in the nativity.
I was trying to get a picture of all the kids together, but they would never look at me at the same time. I love how Jude is totally the one looking when usually he is the only one not looking.
The final result. How cute is that bunch. Stella(4), Izzy(10), Jude(2), and Briley(8).

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

This holiday season we started out with the annual building of the gingerbread houses. Everyone created their own designs. They were pretty creative, but looked great in the end.

Izzy doing some building (actually hot gluing).
Jude just looking cute while mom built his house. Mema, Stella, and Ned are in the picture too.
Ned helping Stella make her house.
The final product. Briley, Stella, Jude and Izzy.

Sugar Plum Fairy

2010-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Izzy's school grade did a performance for all of the school and parents. the performed the Nutcracker. They sang songs and different groups did dances. Izzy was part of the Sugar Plum Fairies. She did great in her dance. It actually was very entertaining.

Izzy singing her heart out.
Izzy and some of her friends

Kiley's Baptism

2010-01-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Kiley got baptized over the Thanksgiving break. Even though they live in California, Kiley got baptized in Arizona. Everyone was able to make it. She sure is one sweet girl. She looked gorgeous in her white dress. She sure is loved by a lot of people.

Kiley and Briley.

Collins Family Thanksgiving 09

2010-01-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

All of the Collins family was together for Thanksgiving this year. Since my parents were away in Russia for three years, this was the first time we were together for the holidays. We started out the day doing our own turkey trot. We ended at the park to play and eat doughnuts and muffins. Then we headed back to my parents house for lunch. My dad made my ultimate meal ever (homemade noodles). It has been a while since I have had those. Then the boys watched some football and the moms hung out with the kids and relaxed a little. It sure was fun to be with all of the family.

Annie and Stella. Stella gets so excited to see her cousin. They use to hang out a lot together before Amy moved.

The family getting ready for the Turkey Trot.
Kiley and Izzy on the swings.
Porter, Stella, Paige, annie, Jane, and Lily all having a good time.
Uncle Chad and Stella. Stella tried to get into the water, but did not make it very far. This is why she has her swimsuit on.

Collins Family Hike

2010-01-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

All of my siblings were in Arizona for Thanksgiving, so we decided to go on a hike. We started out with eating hot dogs and roasting marshmellows. Then everyone got geared up to hike. Lets just say that the two little ones did not make it to the top. Izzy and Bri made it along with most of the others. It sure was fun to be with everyone.

Briley and Paige roasting marshmellows.
Dad and Jude getting ready for the hike.
Bryce, Izzy and Maicy. These are the three cousins the same age.
Jane, Carter, Stella, and Annie excited to get going on the hike.

Erin's Birthday

2010-01-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

I celebrated my birthday this year in California. We started it out by going to Disneyland and on the next day with dinner and cake. Matt made a little fire pit in the ground of his back yard. Then him and Shawn cooked up some meat for everyone. Jono and his family came and Ashly and her family and they brought along Jack with them (Amy went to Az). Brookes was nice enough to let us crash her house. And then of course the Maxwells. It was great to be hanging out with everyone and the kids loved it too. Ned ended the night with a ice cream cake (total surprise).

Me and my cake. Ned could only find the candles in a 1 and 9. So I was turning 19. I'll take that.
Me and Ashly.
Briley and Lily cooking smores or hot dogs i can't tell.
Jack , Matt in the back, Andrew, Brooke, and Shelly. Making up some dinner.
Carter, Porter, Izzy and Jack eating some dinner.

Disneyland/Birthday Part #1

2010-01-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well for my birthday this year we took a trip to Disneyland. Where else to spend it then the happiest place on earth. For me it really was. I was more excited about going than anyone. The Maxwell family celebrated with us too. It was a perfect day. We never waited in a line more than a few minutes and everyone was so nice to let me pick all the rides that I wanted to go on. Amy and her girls met up with us first thing in the morning. It was fun to be with them. Then Ashly and Andrew with their kids came a little later. Then we ended the night with Brooke and her kids. Oh and I can't forget Jack who came that night (he likes Disneyland about as much as I do). Lets just say I loved the whole day.

Dad, Jude and Stella with Lightning McQueen.
Briley got to be the driver on Indiana Jones.
Me, Briley, Izzy and Porter waiting in line for Indiana Jones.
The three kids.
I look scary i know. I was just so excited. We were waiting to go on California Screaming. Jack watched the kids so Ned, Shawn Terri and me could go.

Disneyland part #2

2010-01-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

All the kids on the Toy Story ride.
The family getting ready to go on the Toy Story ride.
I just loved this picture with Jude and Pluto. Do you see him staring at his wiskers.
Me, Terri, Ashly, Izzy and Briley waiting in line.

This is my favorite picture. It is Bennett, Stella and Tate. They were so excited to be there.

Disneyland part #3

2010-01-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

Bennett and Jude waiting while some of the adults went on Tower of Terror
The goofy girls posing with Pocahontas. This was really for Annie and Stella.
Jude on Its a Small World. He just loved it if you can't tell.
Mom and Stella. I have on my birthday hat Amy gave me. Good times

Trick or Treat

2009-11-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

My kids sure had a good time trick or treating this year. The older two girls joined up with some friends and I took the younger kids. Our neighborhood had a couple of haunted houses and plenty of spooky houses to visit. Jude and Stella loved everything about Halloween.

The crew in their costumes.
Jude=Superman (showing his muscles)
Stella=Minnie Mouse
Briley=Vampire
Izzy=80's Punk Rocker (for the second year in a row)

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

The kids carved their pumpkins this year. We tried to use the faces from the book, but the pumpkins were so thick that the saw would not go through. So we scrapped that and used our imagination. They all turned very cute.

Stella and Izzy.
Briley and Jude.

Good 'Ol State Fair

2009-11-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

My parents took the kids to the Arizona State Fair. I took the kids out of school early on Friday and headed out to the fair. We had a good time and loved being in that atmosphere. The girls and Jude were so excited when we walked in. All the rides, food and games were so exciting to see. Papa treated them to corn dogs, cotton candy and unlimited rides and games.

Walking up to the fair.

I thought this looked so good.
Jude didn't know what to do with it. He kept tearing it off and throwing it on the ground. Once we put a piece in his mouth, he realized that he really did like it.
Stella, Jude and me in the background.
Waiting in line to ride the bumper cars.
Izzy and Stella
Briley and Jude. Briley was so sweet to let him drive.
Stella in the rocket ship. The other girls are on a ride that Stella was too small to ride.
The girls wanted a picture with a llama. This one looked pretty nice.

Battle of the Books

2009-11-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Izzy was in a group competition at her school this past week called "Battle of the Books". She had to read four books and then compete against 13 other groups. They were asked questions about the books they had to read. They did a really good job. They have two more battles throughout the year and then they take the team with the highest scores to state.

Her team. Izzy, Kateri, and Autumn.

Stella is 4

2009-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

We are so glad that Stella has turned 4. She is already asking when her next party is going to be. I had to break the news to her that is a year away. Stella is such a fun girl to have in the family. She has a very cute and fun personality. We are always laughing at her. She loves to dance and comes up with some crazy moves. I sure do love this girl to pieces.

Fancy Nancy Dress Up was all she wanted for her birthday. It made it really easy to shop for her.
Her Grandma Jeanie gave her the Fancy Nancy doll which she loved.
The final product of all the presents put together.

Stella Girl Turned 4

2009-10-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Stella has turned the big four. She chose to have a Halloween party again this year. It makes it really easy for me. The kids came dressed in their costumes and we started the party with decorating pumpkins. Then we played a game of "pin the nose on the pumpkin", followed by "bat, bat, ghost". (the girls made it up). We opened up presents and ended the party with pumpkin cupcakes. It was fun to see Stella get so excited about every little thing.

Stella is helping me make the cupcakes.
Their was one little boy who actually got the nose right on.
Painting the pumpkins.
One of the many gifts she got.
The group of kids singing to Miss Stella.

Visiting Nammie and the Farm

2009-10-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

We had fall break this past week so we decided to go to Safford for a visit. We drove up early in the morning and came back that night. It was a quick trip and the girls were not happy to leave. They had a blast walking around through the cotton fields, playing on the giant slide, feeding the horses, and just exploring. We went to lunch with Nammie to celebrate her birthday and sat around visiting. We ended the day with baths to get all the dirt off before the drive home. We love to visit Nammie and her farm and cant wait to go back again.

We take a picture in front of this gas pump every time we go. I love it.

Jude had no fear of the horses. I was helping Stella and he jumped over the edge into the area with horses. Chad had to jump in and grab him.
Chad pulling them in the wagon. Coming back from feeding the horses. Chad is such a great uncle. He always shows the kids a good time.
Pictures of the kids out in the shop. As you can see, I love all this old stuff.
Jude on an old motorcycle. He loved it.
Everyone was getting a little sick of taking pictures. Can you tell.

Me and the sweetest lady around. I remember Nammie coming to my swim meets and other things that were going on. Even with 70 something grand kids she always made a point to let you know she was thinking of you. Happy Birthday Nammie!!! I love you and I am so grateful of all my memories of you. I love that I get to keep adding more.

It's All Gone

2009-10-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

I took Jude to get his hair trimmed because I was so sick of seeing it in his eyes. Well I tried just a cheap place thinking a trim wont be to hard. It was cut not so great. When we got home I had to shave it all off. Even though he still looks cute i just was not ready to see it all gone yet.

Jude in his long do
Jude with the do gone. I think he likes it better.

In Heaven

2009-09-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

El Charro opened back up a few days ago. We all met there for dinner. I didn't realize how much I missed that place until my food came and I was in heaven. It was so good that not one drop of food was left on the plates. Even all the kids ate everything. It sure was fun to eat there again.

The gang all stuffed to the max. Me, Scarlett, Izzy, Briley, Mema, Jude, Stella, Bennett, and Ashly. My dad took the picture.
Papa and Scarlett.

Cousin Love

2009-09-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

These four kids love to play with each other. They don't get to see each other that often, but I am going to make sure they get together more because they sure do have a good time playing together.

Payden, Stella, Jude (he got into hair jel), and Kotter.

Lunch At Joe's BBQ

2009-09-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

We met my aunt Becky and cousins Kandace and Mandy at Joes BBQ. It is a perfect place to let the kids just run around and eat good food at the same time. Ashly was in town along with my mom and dad. We had a good time visiting and catching up on things.

Bennett and Jude (aka Dude)
Lizzy, Nolan and Stella.
Aunt Becky, Kandace, Mandy, Ashly (w/Scarlett), Mema, and Me.

The Cousins (Kandace, Mandy, Ashly and Me).

Camping Trip Part 1

2009-09-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

We took our family on camping trip for Labor Day weekend. We went with about five other families. They all had campers and we were the only ones in a tent. We got rained on, but stayed dry all night. The kids loved it and love being able to eat treats and pop freely. It was fun to just let them wonder around and explore. The girls and thier friends had a club house in the trees and Stella found a buddy and never left her side. Jude just walked around looking for pop that someone had left. We are looking forward to doing it again next year.

Me and Jude. We did not expect to be that cold so Walmart came to the rescue for Jude.
Ned and Ruby taking a nap
Stella and a group of girls that were there. Oh and Jude.
Stella eating her lunch.

Camping Trip Part 2

2009-09-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ned and Jude

Izzy and her buddy Lucky

Briley and Jude enjoying the camp fire.

Stella and her buddy Abby by the camp fire.

Jude and his favorite person Baylee. Just got done eating dinner and saying good byes.

Little Golfer Boy

2009-09-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Jude got a set of plastic golf clubs for his birthday and they have never left his side since. He carries those things with him everywhere. He even tries to take them with him when he is napping. They are all taped up, but that does not bother him. They are still his pride and joy.

How cute is he.
Hole in one.
He also got a tee and bat and he loves that too. I think he loves anything that has a ball involved.

My Baby Turned 2

2009-09-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Jude had some family and friends over to help celebrate turning 2. We love this cute little guy. It is so much fun to have a boy in the house. Jude is full of personality and loves his sisters. He is really into golfing so we got him a golfing cake. He enjoyed being in the spotlight. We did have to light the candles a few times until he figured out what to do with them.

Happy Birthday Jude!!!!!!

First Day of School

2009-08-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

I cant believe it is already the first day of school. Summer went by so fast. The girls were very excited to begin school again and to be a year older. Stella is still with her same preschool teacher which she just loves.

Stella ( she calls her shirt the Stella shirt because it has an "s" on it)

Izzy in her first day of school duds. Loves being in the 5th grade. I cant believe my oldest is that old.
Standing in line before school starts.
Briley in her new outfit. She has been one who has always liked school. She can make new friends easily.
Briley has her good friend in her class, so she was very excited about that.

High School Musical

2009-08-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Briley won some free tickets to a "High School Musical" play, from radio Disney. The three girls and I went. It came with dinner and then the musical. Stella was the biggest fan, but we all enjoyed it.

The girls with one of the cheerleaders.
Stella and the cheerleader.
Me and Stella.
Briley and Izzy eating dinner.
Troy, Gabrielle and some fans. (Briley, Izzy and Stella)

Collins Family Reunion

2009-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had a family reunion at Newport Beach. It was fun to get together with everyone. The kids all do so good together and love seeing each other. There was a lot of playing on the beach, bike rides to the pier, and a whole lot of eating.

Stella playing in the sand.
Maicy covered Carter, Stella and Lily with sand. They thought it was pretty cool.
Izzy is trying to surf with Andrews help.
Jude loved the beach. At first he was scared of the water (which was great). Then his dad kept taking him out. By the end of the week we couldn't keep him out.
Riding a wave on the air mattress.

Collins Family Reunion Part #2

2009-08-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

The girls loved catching the waves in the air mattress.
Briley and her creatures she found. She hangs out at the rocks all day looking for anything that moves.
Papa and a huge crab.
He put it on his head. By the way the crab did end up pinching him.
Izzy and Maicy covered their feet with sand, so when the water came up they couldn't move. (not sure why the picture didn't turn)

Collins Family Reunion Part #3

2009-08-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a picture of all the grandkids. As you can see it is very difficult to get a child happy.
Dad and Jude out on the beach
Hailey and Izzy in yellow.
A family picture on the life guard stand.
Hailey, Izzy, Maicy, Kiley and Briley striking a pose.

4th of July

2009-08-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

We were in Cali for the 4th of July. My parents had just arrived the day before we were all together as a family. We went to the beach and ended the day at a firework show that was great.

The family sporting red, white, and blue. Proud to be an American.
This is the Collins family. Brooke, Mom, Ashly, Amy, Dad, Dustin, Erin and Jono.
The kids patiently waiting for the fireworks to start.
Watching fireworks. Jude was not to sure this year if he liked them or not.
Two tired kids with their blankets and paci's. Ready for bed.

Mema and Papa Return

2009-08-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Mema and Papa return home from Moscow Russia. It was a long three years to have them gone. We are so glad to have them home with us again.

Jude waiting with his balloon. He had never met Papa yet and was very excited.
The grandkids all waiting for Mema and Papa.
Izzy making a really cute face.
Mema and Papa just walked off the plane. Don't they look happy.
All the grandkids with their signs they made.

Crawdad Hunting

2009-08-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

The John Family invited us on another fishing outing. This time we went to the river (a secret spot) to go crawdad hunting. You have to do it at the perfect time of day. Which is when it gets dark. The kids had a fun time playing in the water and eating.

Rainbow that was visible on our drive to the river. I thought it was a pretty one.
Uncle Ben and Jude.
Aunt Ginger with the three crazy ones. Stella, Mylie, and Kotter
The older bunch. Izzy, Carson, Briley and Paden

Cooking and Sewing

2009-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

A neighbor freind and me did a sewing class with the girls. We tried to teach them how to sew an apron. I of course could not take it and ended up doing most of it myself. Next time we need to start with something easy like a bag or pillow. Next the girls wore thier aprons and we had a cooking class. We started simple with cookies. It was a fun activity to do during the summer and they really enjoyed it.

The Opfel girls and the Brooks girls.
Briley, Izzy and Stella modeling thier aprons. I did let them pick the fabric.
Stella eating the flour. For some reason she thinks it tastes good. She must not have efficient taste buds.
Briley just added the sugar.
Izzy is trying it out to make sure it tastes good.

Summer Swimteam

2009-08-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

I signed the girls up for swimteam this summer. It started with a few days of crying and wanting to quit, but in the end they really liked it. They did a great job.

Izzy just finishing a race.
Izzy with her ribbons.
Briley with her ribbons.
Briley just finishing her race.
Briley swimming the back stroke.

Doing Some Family Fishing

2009-06-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we met Preston John(brother-in-law) and his kids at this park to do some fishing. I sat in the lawn chair watching the sun go down and of course watching my kids to make sure they didn't fall in, get hooked, or touch the stinky water. Stella for sure got her feet in.

The beautiful sunset
Briley sitting very patiently waiting for a bite
Jude again was not allowed out of the stroller. Poor kid is use to it though.
Stella just doing her dance. Not to interested in fishing.
Izzy was a little frustrated that she was not catching anything. I think my kids were not loving it. It was something they had to wait for, which never came.
Ned and the pro fisherman Preston.

Wild Animals

2009-06-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

We had dinner at my sister-on-law Gingers house a couple of weeks ago. While we were there we found a wild baby rabbit. All the kids had to take turns holding it. My kids are in heaven when ever we go over to the John's house because they always have some crazy pets. That animal with Jude is their pet rat. It's pretty gross if you ask me. They have dogs, goats, horse, and a tank filled with fish, frogs and crawdads. Now can you see why my kids are in heaven.

Getting Pampered

2009-06-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

For Easter, the bunny left the girls gift certificates to get their toes and nails decorated. The loved every minute of it. Briley chose a red color with white flowers. She looked gorgeous.

Izzy asked if they could get this done all the time. Just like only once a month. Wouldn't that be nice. She chose a hot pink color with black flowers, believe it or not. She was so excited how they turned out.

Beautiful Peaches

2009-06-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

One afternoon we were driving by a farmers market not to far from our house and saw a sign that said "pick your own peaches". So we stopped and let the kids each pick a bag full. They loved picking them and trying to find the biggest one. They were just how I like them. Very hard and crunchy.

Jude just got to mostly watch, but stilled enjoyed it.
Stella was grabbing every peach she could reach wether it had bugs in it or not.
Briley did a good job finding the perfect peach.
Izzy found some good ones too.
Trying to get a group shot. It was hard to keep everyone still when chickens were running around us.

Stella's Preschool Graduation

2009-06-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Stella graduated from her first year of preschool. She loved going and learned so much. I still get asked everyday if she has school today. Sorry Stella not until summer is over.

She made a cute little graduate.
Stella and her best bud Sophie
Her cute book of stuff the did in school. She wants to be a ballerina when she grows up.
Stella and Mrs. Rosie her favorite teacher in the world.

Women's conference

2009-06-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to attend Women's Conference this year. I have never been before and I had a good time. I made lots of new friends. Stayed up late visiting and going to movies and also attended some classes. Thanks to the Worthen girls for inviting me.

Temple Square before we were catching our flight to go home.
This is most of the ladies that all went. (we are missing two)
Me and Courtney attending one of the classes.

Izzy's Day

2009-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Izzy turned 10 and had a party with her family. She enjoyed everything she got. We sure are glad that Isabelle joined our family. We love her very much and love her crazy personality. She brings a lot of fun to the family. Happy birthday Izzy.

Her new bike. Thanks to Amy and Jack who were getting rid of it. I told Izzy if she didn't want it than I would take it for my bike.
She gets to teach herself to play guitar

Some Projects Done

2009-05-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is our half bath downstairs. I have been having a hard time trying to figure out what to do with it. So this is what I finally came up with. It is hard to decorate a bathroom, so empty frames on both walls is what I ended up doing.

Well I finally finished Isabelle's room. After living in the house for a year now I can check off another room. She wanted a rock and roll room with pink and black. I made the pillows on the bed and hung up records going all around her room. She loves having it done.

Thanks to my sister Ashly for making this poster for her. It fits her perfectly (because this is what she calls herself)
Izzy just chillin' on her bed.

Izzy's Birthday Bash

2009-05-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Isabelle had a late night birthday party with about 18 girls. Lets just say there was a lot of noise. They played games, ate pizza and rootbeer floats, watched a movie, and ended the night with roasting marshmellows. Everyone had a good time.

you would think they were worn out, but they only stayed in this position for about 30 mins.

School Carnival

2009-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Izzy and Briley's school had a carnival. The Skousen girls were in town so they joined us. They spent most of their time in the petting zoo, especially Briley.

Briley is holding a rabbit and Kiley a chicken
Maicy with a rabbit
Izzy with the Lama

Briley's School Program

2009-05-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Briley had a speaking part in her school program this year. It was the stars and stripes singing concert. She had to introduce the song "Fifty Nifty United States". Yes they are stilling singing that song. I remember singing it in 2nd grade. She did a great job.

Easter Morning

2009-05-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Easter morning in their new church clothes. I could not get a picture with all of them together. I only have three of the kids too. I will add Isabelle when I get one of her. With Ned at work and 8:00 church I was lucky to get some pictures at all.

Easter Bunny Morning

2009-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well the Easter Bunny came to our house this year and made everyone happy. There was an egg hunt with tons of candy.

Jude has his mouth full of candy and loved his ball he got.
Stella with the usual smile. Yo Gabba Gabba with Jack Black was a hit with her.
Izzy got a swim suit in her favorite colors (pink and balck)
Briley got a gift certificate to get her nails and toes painted. The girls beg everyday to go get them done. I am not so good at painting since I have bit my nails the day I was born.

Pat's Run

2009-05-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

It's official now. I have pictures and my number to prove that I actually ran, well jogged Pat's Run. A big 4.2 miles to be exact. I never thought I would be able to run more than a mile in my life time, but now I am ready for a half marathon (yeah right). It was hard and I am glad I did it.

That is me with a beanie and jacket tied around my waist. It was so cold when we got there. I just could not leave them in the car.
Me and Kathy (my friend who did the race with me)
After we crossed the finish line (49 mins and 30 secs). My face is so red.
Enjoying the cool down and the fruit and water. I am so glad that is over.

Izzy's Soccer Season

2009-05-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Isabelle played soccer these past few months. She did really good and improved alot. She was on a great team, with a great coach. We loved going to her games and watching her run.

Hannah Montana

2009-05-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

I took the girls and Jude to the new Hannah Montana movie. The girls were very excited, especially Stella. She kept asking when we were going to the movie heater. Everyone did good until the very end when I had to take Stella to the bathroom and miss how it ended. Can you tell I was enjoying it too.

Dyeing Easter Eggs

2009-05-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

We dyed Easter eggs and had a fun time. Jude thought he was suppose to eat them right out of the cup. When we were done everyone was covered on dye. Good thing it was still cool enough to do them outside. We ended up with some very beautiful eggs (tiedye)

Our New Family Pets

2009-04-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well we add six new turtles to the Opfel family. Each person in the family has thier own turtle. I know some of the names are Zelda, Makenna, Bosta, and more, but I can't remember them all. They are easy and pretty much mess free.

Spring Break in Cali

2009-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

This year we headed up to California for our Spring Break. We had a good time hanging out with cousins and siblings. We had a fire pit at the beach where we roasted hot dogs and marshmellows for the kids and fish tacos for the adults (thanks to Matt and Brooke). Than we ended the night with dutch oven cobbler that Jack and Amy made. It was fun to hang out. I can't wait for the beach in July.

Stella found some shells in the tide pools.
Jude and Dad out on some rock that was pretty cool.
Here they are again going for a walk.

I Love This Boy

2009-03-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is my little guy hanging out in Mema and Papas tree. We went over to their house to check on it and Jude could not get enough of climbing. He was in the pool, in the tree, and everywhere else that is impossible for him to go. He figures out a way.

Jog-A-Thon

2009-03-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

The girls school had a jog-a-thon, which i was a cheerleader for. They loved participating in this event. You should of saw them sprinting around the field. Stella and Jude loved seeing them run by and people they recognize.

Briley's Baptism

2009-02-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

Briley turned eight a few weeks and was able to get baptized. She was able to have most of her aunts, uncles and cousins there. Her cousin Hailey gave a talk and her sister Isabelle gave the other talk. They both did such a good job. The baptism ended with Briley bearing her testimony, Which was very good. She was so excited for this special day to be on Valentines day. She will always remember all the love she was showed on that day.

Briley (love bug) with her scriptures in her baptism dress.
The family
Mom is so proud of her
Dad and his sweet girl in thier white clothes
All the cousins at the baptism. This was the best we could get of them.

Good Times

2009-02-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago all my siblings had a chance to get together for my uncle Sandy's funeral. It was fun to be with all my brothers and sisters. We all drove in Brooke's van along with Jane and Scarlett. We stayed at my Nammies house and enjoyed the brownies from Chad and pancakes from Nammie. Sure does bring back some fun memories. We also enjoyed seeing some of our cousins that we never get to see. Oh and us girls had to sing a song at the funeral (lets just say that we are not singers). Then we ended the trip with a stop at El Rey. The best mexican food place ever. I bet my parents are missing that too.

Dustin, Amy, Erin. Brooke , Jono and Ashly (with Jane running by)
The four girls in front of my Nammies house.
Me and Chad at the cemetary.
Another picture of the four girls with the cotton fields behind us.

Just Sweetness

2009-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

These are just a few of the pictures I took of Briley in her baptism dress. My very nice friend Terri lent me her fancy camera so they would be nice. I am not as talented at taking pictures, but I really enjoyed it.

The Big "8"

2009-02-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

This is my little artist. For her birthday she asked for anything that had to do with art. When she groes up she wants to be a fashion designer. She got a fancy pencil sharpener, which means no more sharpening pencils with a knife in the kitchen sink. We also gave her a art book and art set. So she is headed in the right direction to becoming that designer.

Stella gave her a backpack and I really dont remember why she looks so sad.
Izzy gave her a jewelry box. She is into jewelry so she love it.
Mom and dad with their special girl. Briley is such a sweet daughter and we love having her in our family. Stella is happy in this picture.

Briley Turned Eight

2009-02-10T13:16:00.001-08:00

Briley turned eight and had a birthday party at the park. She just played games and ran around. It was one of those easy and cheap parties. She loved every minute of it.

Cupcakes instead of cake.

The party clan

One of the games was eating dounuts that were hanging from a string. It was great watching them trying to eat.

Saying Goodbye to the Skousen Family

2009-02-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

My sister Amy and her family has now moved to California. Before they left, each girl had a party with their friends. I had Maicy, Izzy, Clair, Marissa, and Sophie at my house. The girls slept outside in a tent and stayed up late. We sure were sad to see them move. They will be missed.

Clair, Maicy, Izzy, Marissa and Sophie
Izzy, Maicy and Marissa
Briley, Kiley and Greyson
The cousin girls. Annie and Stella are missing. They are strapped in their carseats.

Disney Girls

2009-02-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Stella and her cousin Mylie had a fun day dressing up. Mylie came over for a play day and the two of them had a good time. They both dressed up in Minnie Mouse dress ups. I thought it was so cute how Mylie laid her head on Stella's shoulder.

Potty Training

2009-02-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Does anyone ever find there kids somewhere they are not suppose to be? Well I do just about every day. When I couldn't find Jude today this is where I found him. Yeah I know its pretty gross. What can I say he wants to learn to go in the toilet instead of the diaper.

Good Friends

2009-02-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

My good friend Rachel came to visit me. It has been about four years since I have seen her last. She has moved away and was down to Az for a visit. We talked and caught up on everything that has been happening in each others lives. It sure was fun to see her again.

Lunch With Nammie

2009-02-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Some of the cousins and Nammie met at Joe's BBQ for lunch. It was a nice place to go because the kids could just run around. Plus we got to visit with some of my cousins and aunts that I don't get to see very much. This is Nammie with the great grand kids.

Nammie and the grandkids. Isn't Nammie such a cute lady. We just love her and spending time with her any chance we get.

Tagged

2009-02-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

I usually don't do taggs, but since this one doesn't require me to think about it I guess I can do this one. This is how you do it.

1. go to your my documents/my pictures

2. go to your sixth file.

3. go to your sixth picture.

4. blog about it.

5. tag 6 people

This is a pictures of Stella that my friend Terri took. She was taking her three year old pictures for me and this was one of them to choose from. I love how her eyes look. Stella and Jude both have some kind of eyelashes (which they did not get from me).

Now I tagg:

1. my mom

2. Amy

3. Ashly

4. Brooke

5. Shelly

A Night of Golfing

2009-01-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

We always drive by this driving range that is right by our house and the girls always beg to stop. So one night we did. We were hitting golf balls all over the place. It was a lot of fun and now when there isn't much to do the girls beg to hit golf balls. It is cheap and easy entertainment.

Jude was not allowed out of the stroller (poor guy). He just loved being there.
Stella being taught how to hit a golf ball by her dad.
That is me showing my girls how to be a pro golfer.
Briley attempting to hit the ball. As you can see she missed it the first time. She got it good the second time.
Isabelle and her dad. Ned was everyones teacher that night. I think he comes and does this often.

My Little Guy

2009-01-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

The motorcycle was Jude favorite thing to do. When we are telling the girls goodbye for school, the first place Jude heads for is the motorcycle for his daily ride around the block. My sister Amy has moved to California and took it back so now Jude is really sad when he goes outside and finds it gone.

Jude loved the swing at the park. I think he would of stayed in all day if he could. Isn't he such a happy guy.

Rock Climbing

2009-01-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

The day after New Years we went to this rec center that had a rock climbing wall. We met the Skousen family there and had a good time. Ned and I even joined in the climbing.

Maicy and Izzy
This is me attempting to rock climb.
Ned was a pro at it.
Briley and Izzy raceing to see who reached the top first. They actually tied.
Agroup shot of all the girls in their harnesses. Aren't they a cute bunch.

Dentist Time

2009-01-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

Isabelle went to her first Dental appointment since we have moved back. We were so excited because my cousin Tyler Carter is a pediatric dentist. She loved him and was so excited to actually go to the dentist.

New Years Eve

2009-01-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the New Year at the Carters house (my cousin Travis). We had a good time. The kids played games, the adults played games, ate some food, put younger kids to bed and ended the night with some real fireworks.

Some of the women at the party
Izzy and Aubree. Aubree joined us for the big party.
Izzy with the sparklers
Briley with her sparklers.

11 Years

2009-01-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our 11th Anniversary at the end of December. Ned had some flowers sent to me. I loved them and was very surprised. We have never really done very much because it is right after Christmas and very busy. Well this year was different. We ended the day with going out to dinner to one of my favorite restraunts called Riazzi. It has been 11 great years.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning is always an exciting place to be in the Opfel house. Izzy and Bri woke up early, but we would not let them wake up the other kids until about 7:30. When we finally gave in, all I could hear were screams.

Waiting to run down the stairs to see if Santa stopped by.
The big present for the family was the wii.
Stella in her dress-ups that Santa left for her
Izzy and her ipod ( not sure why the picture turned)
Bri got a camera and camera stuff to go with it.
Jude on his Retro Rocket. He loved just pushing all the buttons.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Just so you know these pictures are out of order. First the night started out with eating some ham and patatoes, homemade rolls and slush drink with the Skousen's. Then we headed to the piano for some singing and the Skousen girls played some songs. Next we opened our pajamas and watched a dvd. Then we ended the night with some yummy cheesecake.

Jude climbed up to the island and took over somebodies cheesecake. I thought hey its almost Christmas and let him dig in.
Stella with her pajamas (she calls them her candy jamies)
The kids in their pajamas. Stella would not coroporate. I think it was past her bed time.
Singing at the piano, with Amy playing
Kiley, Briley, and Hailey with our famous slush drink.
Erin, Amy and Jack during dinner. (Ned was at work)
Izzy and Maicy during dinner. The girls were very excited to be together.

Sugar Cookie Time

2009-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Its a tradition along with the gingerbread houses to make and decorate sugur cookiesat Christmas time. So when Jude was taking his napIi decided to get all the stuff out and make some. The girls picked their favorite cookie cutters and decorated them. Of course they were all gorgeous and looked very yummy.

Opfel Christmas Party

2009-01-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

We had our Opfel Christmas Eve party this year at Gingers house. The kids had a good time. It started out with a Mexican dinner and tamales. Then on to the kid nativity. Izzy was a wiseman, Bri the angel and Stella the star. We thought Stella might not like her costume, but she loved being a star. Then the night ended with the gift exchange.

Grandma Jeanie made the kids blankets this year for her present. They all loved them.
The Nativity
Jude during the gift exchange. He just loved all the wrapping paper.
Stella and her toy shoe with fairies, which she liked alot
Briley got scrapbook stuff and decorated the box it all came in.
For some reason her picture did not turn. Izzy got scrapbook stuff too. She loved everything in it. Thank goodness they have an aunt who likes scrapbooking too.

Flaggstaff and Snow

2008-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law Laura got batized. We were glad to be invited and loved being a part of it. We also enjoyed the snow in Flaggstaff. The whole family threw a few snowballs and tried to build a snowman, which did not work out due to the fact that the snow was too hard. But it was fun trying.

Stella

Me and Ned

Briley

dad and his girls

Jude and Ned

Laura, Izzy and Bri

Isabelle

The family with Laura at her baptism.

Real Cute Stella

2008-12-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

Real cute Stella is what my dad would say if he saw her. Stella disapearred for a little while and when she showed up, she looked like this. She has on my garter belt from my wedding used as a headband and lipstick all over her lips (which means her face).

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

It was time for the Gingerbread Houses. Every kid did their own except of course for Jude. His sweet sister Briley decorated his for him. They all turned out so cute. The next morning I caught Stella eating candy off of everyones house. They were not very happy with her.

He has chocolate on his mouth. He picked up any candy he could find on the ground.

"O Christmas Tree"

2008-12-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

Me and the kids went and picked out a tree and brought it home by ourselves. I would have to say it was a little stressful, but they loved every minute of it. Every year I say I am going to get a fake tree, but I just cant do it. I love the smell and the kids love picking their tree out.

Stella has to pose every time the camera is out. Jude is learning real fast from his sister.
The four in front of the masterpiece

Pictures With Santa

2008-12-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

We got our yearly picture with Santa. It was a good time. Stella was excited to see him. He asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said a book(news to me). Santa says well your in luck because a book is the gift we are giving to everyone who sits on my lap. So she is all done already. Oh and Jude would not stay on his lap. He kept looking at him and then reaching for me.

We Got Hearted

2008-12-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

Amy's girls and their cousins the Kennedys really like David Archaleta and Izzy likes the Jonas Bros. So they thought it would be funny to put signs up about how they dislike Jonas Bros and how Izzy needs to turn into a Archaletta fan. It was pretty cute.

Black Eye

2008-12-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Jude is not so steady on his feet. So whn he falls, he falls hard. he hit his cheek on the ottoman and the next day he woke up with this. He has a black eye just about every week, but I thought this one looked pretty bad.

I Wear My Sunglasses At Night

2008-11-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

We had a get-together with some friends this weekend. We decided we were going to put a 80's theme to it. We played a little Rock Band and just hung out snacking and talking. I think the best part of the night was just seeing everyone in their outfits.

Ned thought he would bring back Rico from the dead. If anyone actually knows who I am talking about. Looks pretty good though.
Adrianne and Brian
Sam and Madonna(Lani)
Tubbs (Shawn) and Teri
Jared and Farra Faucett(Jenny)
Sunny Crocket (Don Johnson/Jack) and his Lady (Amy) even showed up. (notice the gun)
The boys plus Jeremy Bwo
The Ladies
The Group Photo (does'nt it look like a high school dance group picture)

Got Glasses?

2008-11-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

I am not the only one in the family now with glasses. Isabelle has joined me now. She was very excited to get them and looks very cute and grown up in them.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Pirate Jude- He would not stand still so i could get a picture.
Tinker Bell Stella - she loved trick or treating. Running with all the older kids.
Elizabeth Swan Briley- She lasted pretty long until her boots started to hurt her feet.
80's Punk Izzy - Her and the older girls did not ever want to stop. We gave them until 9:00
The crazy bunch
The Skousen girls and Glover girls came over and we had a good time trick or treating together. We had a big bunch of girls thats for sure. (with a little whinning). We were sad to see the night end and everyone have to leave.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

We carved pumpins with the Skousen's. Stella wanted a pumpkin with flower eyes. I did the best I could do. I am not so good at it. She liked it though.
Izzy carved hers all by herself. She did a good job to.
Briley had a hard time putting her hand in. It took her a while to get it cleaned out. At one time she even had bags on her hands. Her pumpkin turned out cute too.
Can you guess which pumkin is what girl. They thought this would be fun to do.
Were you right. Or did you just look at their clothes?

Wedding Day

2008-10-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ned's brother Daniel got married a few weeks ago. I wanted to post some pictures of their special day. The girls were flower girls and loved being able to walk down the aisle throwing rose petals. They had a great time dancing too.

Laura surrounded by all the girls

Jude enjoying his sucker.

Some handsome boys

Flower girls (missing Mylie)

Stella is Three

2008-10-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Stella had a costume party. She loved all the attention and everyone there just for her.
She was so excited to open her presents. She would scream every time she opened up one. It was so fun to watch her.
We painted pumpkins at the party.
We love you Tinkerbell and love that you are part of our family. You bring some craziness and laughter with your personallity. Happy Birthday Stella.

Baby Scarlett

2008-10-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

My sister Ashly had her baby this past weekend. All my sisters and mom were able to be there. I drove down to California Friday evening and made it just in time. It was totally worth it. It was a neat experience. She is the cutest thing and her mom looks great. Scarlett is a cute addition to an already adorable family.

Fun on the Farm

2008-10-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I took the kids and headed for Nammies for some fun time on the farm. My girls love being out here and will stay outside all day. It brings back memmories of when I was young and hung out there. We would explore things all day.

Stella loved Chads puppies. She tried to take them for a ride but they kept jumping out.
Early the next morning collecting anything they find on the ground (mostly broken glass)
This is my favorite spot for a picture. I love this gas pump.
Aren't they so cute with Nammie
Chad was so nice to take them on a horse ride.
Nammie and Jude.
Feeding time for the horses. Chad was so nice to take the kids every few hours to feed the horses.
First time being so close.
Haystack for climbing
Jude loved this trampoline. He was on it all the time. I'm sure all of my siblings remember this trampoline. Lets just say its been around since I was little, and we all liked to jump on it too. We had a great time and cant wait to go visit again.

Handfull of Cute

2008-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

This guy is a handful, but we sure do love him. So I took pictures of him getting into some trouble. He is all over the place and can find a way to anywhere he wants to go. So he fell off of a bar stool the other day and fractured his colar bone. This does not stop him. He just uses one hand instead of both. So far he can do whatever he wants with a gimp.

If his dad saw this picture he would not be to happy. He likes to bang on the tv.
He is always happy, except when you pick him up. (because it hurts his arm)

Sunday Dinner

2008-09-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

The girls have been dying to eat outside, but of course it is just way to hot. Well today actually felt a little breezy and bearable so we gave in and ate outside.
Bubba and some noodles.
Izzy and Mom enjoying spaghetti and homemade bread. Yes I actually made the bread. I know it is a shocker but true.
Stella sticking her tongue out, but this was the best picture I had of her. The others consisted of picking her nose, putting her hand in front of her face, or something not so cute. She is turning into her Dad thats for sure. Briley just enjoyed being outside.

Believe it or Not

2008-09-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

We went on a date this past weekend. Believe or not, but we left all kids at home. Jude had a hard time, but eventually fell asleep. Our friend Adrianne was nice enough to watch them. So I was glad that he was with her and not an actual babysitter. It made it a lot easier to enjoy ourselves.
Dinner at Chronic Tacos (which was very good). Then off to the Diamondbacks game.
Jack and Amy invited us along with them.
We had a good time. Topped off the night with some Golden Spoon. Yum

Some Crazy Kids

2008-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Stella has on doll (build-a-bear) clothes. We could not stop laughing at her.

These girls set up a club house in the garage. Keep in mind it is still about 105 degrees plus very humid. They stayed out there for a long time. When we came out to check on them they also had the garage shut, but they said they were good becasue they had a dinky fan running. Lets just say they are nuts.....

It's About Time

2008-08-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

We finally got a video of Jude showing off. He's not real happy about it as you can hear. All of my girls walked at 9 and 10 months, so he is my slow poke. I don't mind because that makes it feel like he is a baby longer.

Jude is 1

2008-08-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

He was excited to be turning one.
Partying with the cousins
Loved his cake. It took a little bit to actually eat it. He kept trying to flick the frosting off his hands.
Stella was in charge of his presents.
Happy boy!

Its Complete

2008-08-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

My family room is finally done. I have been waiting for these pictures to arrive. Thanks to Ashly for doing them for me. I love looking at them because I think they turned out so cute.

This is just a picture of Jude I had to throw in. He crawled into Millie's kennel and could not get out. Now he thinks its funny and keeps climbing in there.

Half Way There

2008-08-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

These are the pillows I made for our family room. Its my attempt to bring in some color. My mom has been waiting to see these. So there you go mom.