Me and my Boys!

Birthday once again

2012-02-05T22:02:00.001-08:00

My sweet amazing hard working husband turned 32 last week. It was a pretty great day for him! My dad gave us tickets to go watch him play in the phoenix pro am onthe day of his birthday.. it was soooo beautiful. The weather was perfect and I got to spend some pretty quality time with my birthdqy boy. Thanks dad for the tickets! That night Ben was lucky enough to be able to pick up his parents from the airport who came out to visit us from Georgia. Thenext day we had a Cowart family dinner at Red lobster to celebrate. It was all perfect. My parents also gave him a pretty generous gift card to one of Ben's favorite places. Also, on the sunday before, my family in phoenix celebrated his birthday with some amazing cooking. We are surrounded with amazing people. I am so luck to have my benny. He is pretty perfect for me. I am so glad that he got to have a wonderful birthday this year!

BIg Time Rush

2011-12-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

Brogan turned 5 in November! I cant even beileve its been 5 years since I had him in my life He has recently discovered Big Time Rush on Nick and loves them. He know all the songs and makes me play their CD in the car all the time. When I heard the were coming to the State fair, I HAD to take him. For his I took him to the Fair to ride rides and then see Big Time Rush. He was so excited. He oved every minute of the night. It was just me and Bro so we both got to enjoy eachother one on one. This kid is so cute, I just can't get enough of him. He danced and sang the whoe concert. I don't know who had more fun, me or him?

Lady A

2011-12-27T18:39:00.001-08:00

I also got t see Lady A and they were AMAZING! Jessica won the tickets on the radio so we were on he floor up against the stage. It was pretty Awesome. there was only 4000 people at the concert. soooooo good!

Little Archie!!!

2011-11-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

David Archuleta put on a free concert at the Gilbert Constitution Fair this year. It was so cool. He is so talented! His voice is amazing and he is just so cute. It was really nice because I got to go with a friend and no kids! just me and Jessica!

Babysitter?

2011-11-01T19:55:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it!

2011-09-23T13:35:00.001-07:00

My sweet Bennett Grey! I can't believe he just turned 2! It really seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital waiting his arrival. After 5 very long weeks of bed rest in the Hospital, He finally came! We were all so excited and thankful that this little trooper made it here safely. Even tho he was in the NICU for almost 6 weeks, I knew he would be just fine. He has been my light. I seriously love him more than words can describe. He has come such a long way over the past 2 years. There have been ups and downs just like any child may have, but he is so strong.

this is one of my favorite pictures from when he was born. The soothie looks so big, but it is really just the small baby behind it. He would always have such a strong hold on his soothie.
His first year went by so fast. Before I knew it, he was one!
kept on growing.....

and now he is TWO!

He had so much fun on his 2nd birthday! We decided to keep it small and just do dinner at Peter Piper Pizza. we made sport themed treats and cake. With 2 older brothers, he is not used to being the center of attention, so he was in heaven :) He got so many fun gifts that will keep him busy for a pretty long time!
He really liked his Football cake. He had no idea what to do to the candles so his older cousins had to help him out with that.
My parents got him this lighting McQueen that he calls "Kachow" He rides it all over the house
sweet boy!

Like I said earlier, Grey is so special. He continues to be a huge light in my life. Now that the older boys are in school, he gets to be my little buddy. We both enjoy it. Unless you have been around this kid, you can't understand how good he is. He is so easy going and really never gives us a hard time.

He is into Elmo, Mickey (he calls mickey "hotdog"), ALL cars, and he LOVES horses!

He has been coming along so well with therapy. He has it 4 times a week and all his therapist are great. He gets so excited when he hears on knock on the door because he knows that it is most likely a therapist.

His facial expressions are HILARIOUS. He is so expressive and animated. He is a very good listener, so he is fun to teach.

Grey, We wish you a VERY happy birthday! I am sure before I know it, you will be 3! Thank you for being such an angel in our family! We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Family (by a 4 year old)

2011-09-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

Brogan was asked at school to go through magazines and cut out people that reminded him of his family. When I picked him up, he was so excited to show me "our family". This is his description.
1. Daddy (very good looking man. pretty normal)
2. VANCE! I guess Santa reminds bro of vance. I asked him why and he said "because he looks like him"
3. Brogan. Of course brogan is a very normal very cute little boy that actually does look a little like him.
4. Grey. just the top of a baby's head.
5. So this is a picture of an old lady with a cane. I was a little offended as I said, "brogan, I am not this old, and I don't use a cane."
his reply, "Mom, that is not you. That is my sister." Um.... clearly he doesn't have a sister so obviously I told him there is no
sister. He seriously laughed and said, Mom! not yet, but we WILL have one! and that is her!"
well ok then.
6. toys. He just had to include toys as part of his family.
So that is it? seriously? Where am I?! I pretended to be very sad as I asked him where I was.... he says, "oops I forgot". As I became even more sad, he started frantically searching his back pack and told me he did make me, but he must have left it at school. I found the whole thing pretty funny and told him I loved his family. little brogan is just so sweet and he LOVES school. all the kids and teachers love him. His main teacher told me that he is a delight to have in class. I am so proud of him. Everyday when I pick him up, kids line up to hug him good-bye. It's hilarious. Good job Bro!

Begging

2011-09-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

So we have been trying to talk ben's parents into coming out for thanksgiving. I miss them SOOOO much. We all do. We thought of this clever little idea.

Well and I just had to take some of cute Welton, the miracle baby.

I can't beleive how well he is doing. He is awesome!

Reese's 2nd Birthday

2011-09-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

I took Grey and Brogan to my friends little girl's birthday party! The party was in her Grandparents back yard and it was awesome. They had a huge slip n' slide, pinata and a bunch of really yummy food!

Line for the pinata

Brogan and his muscles. what a stud

Brogan trying to run UP the slide because he doesn't want to touch the grass. he is weird

Superman

Cute Annie kept trying to take Grey down but he wouldn't go. :(

Thanks Jess and Reese for inviting us. We had a blast

just a couple of faves

2011-09-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Dentist

2011-09-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, the dentist was like the scariest place EVER! Now it's a totally fun place that the kids LOVE to go to. Grey and Vance had pefect teeth:) Bro had almost perfect. He had a very small cavity on the front of his tooth that just had to be sanded down. No biggie. No numbing or anything. They all got extra exrays because I my condition, buy luckily teeth are all there. These boys are perfect:) Grey actually was the best out of the 3. Yep, my one year old.

School is back in service!

2011-08-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so after a very long, hard summer of going back and forth on what to do, we finally made the decision to retain Vance in Kindergarten. Last year we came to AZ toward the end of the year and it was very hard for Vance to make the change from Montessori to public school. His teacher last year said she thought it was best for him. It was such a hard choice to make but we did it. He is actually a May Birthday so he won't be too much older than the other kids. He really has know understanding of it, and I am happy that is like that. He just think he is going back to start a new year with a new teacher. Just even within the last 2 weeks I have seen that I made the decision that is best for Vance. Vance is the most important thing.

Can you tell we are BOTH excited that school is starting?

He was not to thrilled about being next to girls

the goodbye hug. I love this.

I put Brogan at Sunrise Preschool. It is not exactly cheap, but after researching most, I decided this would be the best thing for him. When we all went to Vance's open house, Vance's teacher asked if brogan was his older brother. He is just so big that he doesn't really look quite like a pre-schooler. I feel like he should be older... but he is only 4:) His first day was so great! He couldn't stop talking about it. It has been so great for him to get out on his own and discover new things. Sometimes I tend to baby Brogan because he knows just how to get to my heart. I was a little worried that he would have a hard time away from me, but not even once. I don't know whether to be happy or sad about it. He is school is Tues, Wed and Thurs from 8:30 to 2:30 which is actually a long day for a pre-schooler. He has loved every second of it. His teacher already told me that the girls fight over who is going to lay by him at rest time...... not cool.

I am so proud of my 2 boys. They are so smart and such hard little workers. I am so happy for them that they get to be where they love to be. As for me... what can I say? I am loving a little extra breathing room. It is just me and my little buddy Grey at home and he is loving it as much as I am. It is so perfect because by the time school is over, I am missing them both and can't wait to get them. I hope and pray everything keeps going as smoothly as it has been.

good Ol' PPP

2011-08-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

I met up with Jessica to have a fun little lunch out with the kids. Including hers, mine and one that she babysits, we have 5 very small children. It actually went surprisingly well. We burned through 100 tokens with ease. BOTH Brogan and Annie won the jackpot on 2 different games. On top of that, the guy at the ticket counter was awesome and hooked the kids up. I just love nice people!

ok, Grey will jump off a diving board but won't ride one of these! What the heck? I love how Jessica is laughing at him. So nice

I wish I could say Jessica wanted to be in here, but her kid kept going up and getting stuck.

Brogan totally snuck in this picture. Just like his mom:)

just some of the prizes we took home

they are going to HATE us when they are older. Brogan and Aniston have a total love hate relationship... (more hate) Annie is so much mature and she can't understand why he is so "annoying". I just have to laugh at it. The funny thing is that me and Jessica try to force them to like eachother and we do crap like this..... I can't help myself.

Same ol' activity.

2011-08-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

What else are we supposed to do in 115 degree weather? My kids are seriously so good at swimming. I just love it because I get sun while my kids get tired out. I am just trying to catch up my blog with most of our summer pics. You can imagine I have about 5 million:)

Brogan hangin'

my toes....?

Grey the swimmer at age one!

this is his "back dive" my boys are crazy

more Grey

and more

LOVE LOVE LOVE his little feet!

This really does not look like Bro

and the overload:)

What would I have done this summer without a pool?

Lake trip

2011-08-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

My cousin Tanner took us out to the lake on his boat. It was such a blast. My Aunt Jami kept Grey so we could enjoy the big boys a little more. Vance and Brogan wer naturals. Vance even got up on the WAKE SKATE with Ben. The have not stopped asking when we are going back. My kids were born to be in the water!

Weight Checks

2011-08-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

I took all 3 boys in for Weight Checks for our insurance company. I want to make sure I have it all recorded.

Brogan Benjamin

4 years and 8 months

Weight: 47lb

Height: 44.25 inches

97th percentile (he is now on the chart. he has always been over 100%)

Vance Turner

6 years and 2 months

Weight: 49lb

Height: 46 inches

46th percentile

Bennett Grey

1 year and 10 months

weight: 39lb

Height: 33 inches

78th Percentile (not adjusted. age from his actual birth date. he is a big little guy. I cant believe how far he has come!)

Random, fun pics

2011-08-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post these random, fun pictures. I love all their personalities!

Another Honeymoon!

2011-07-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

On my Birthday, Ben took me down to Mexico! It was the best, most relaxing Vacation that I have been on. After the California with the kids, we were totally ready for some alone time. We stayed in such a nice house in Las Conchas. We pretty much had our own private beach that was beautiful! Ben got a girl to come to the house and give me a massage, I LOVED IT! We actually went with our good friends Dray and Dahr. It was so much fun to have another couple there with us.

This was the beach the first day we got there. No one else on it!

Dray getting ready to snorkel... Sorry I took a lot of snorkeling pics.

We loved to just float when it was high tide. It may not sound fun, but it was SOOOO relaxing

Peace

peace again?

close up. Snorkeling is definitely not flattering

Oh my gosh. The banana boat ride was pretty awesome. I will admit, I was screaming my head off the whole time, but once I was off and safe, I could say it was fun:) Notice in the picture that I am the only one telling him to slow down. I was out numbered!

I thought the front would be the easiest and safest.... I was wrong

I switched with Ben, and he tried to show off

Me and Dray. Dray is in Pink

Love birds out in the sea

this looks terrible

Chillaxin' during low tide

the bottom of the ocean? I guess

I did find a lot of really cool shells to add to our Georgia/Florida shell collection

Our house

O.K. So I though it would be ok if I grabbed on to the back of their canoe so they could take me up to the shore after they were done fishing. I was wrong again. I felt so bad when I tipped them. Everything got messed up, including the fishing poles. I am still so sorry:(

Benji in his Bruno Marz Hat

Me on the beach during a beautiful sunset

still trying to fix the mess I made by tipping them

Of course, we had to be sung to while eating dinner. This guy was actually very good

Us again ( chill out, it's just lemonade in the margarita glasses:)

My Birthday Flan... I gave it to everyone else. I think Flan is nasty

this picture makes my mouth water! The best tacos ever I think

How often do I get to do this. Ben snapped a pic while I was taking a nap on the back porch. It was lovely!

I had way too many pictures like this

I was having a blast in the ocean.... acting like a kid again:)

relaxing again during Low tide

typical Posey

Dray made a very yummy dinner. Chicken Quesadillas. I miss her already

Thank you Ben for an awesome Birthday! It was the Best 3 days that I have had in a long time. Every moms need to get away at some point. Our trip was perfect. Any longer I would have missed my kids too much:)

Cowarts invade SoCal

2011-07-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

We had such an awesome Family Vacation this Year. Ben had a couple days off so we decided to get in the car and head to California! We stayed at my Aunt Stacy's house. She could not have been more hospitable. I just love her!! We went to the Beach, The Safari Park, and Lego Land. Let me just say that Lego Land is by far the best park for kids! We all had a blast. They had the Water park, and the regular Lego Land so we just had to do both. The boys were so good and easy the whole time. It was a perfect Vacay!

This was our family pic on one of the awesome roller coasters at Lego Land

My oldest cousin Reegan with Grey

My sweet cousin Grace LOVES grey! She took care of him pretty much the whole time we were at the beach. These 2 are just too cute!

Brogan with his bucket

Vance heading out to catch some wave. Of course he was awesome at it!

He is a stud!

Grace again with Grey

Vance being a tough guy

Grace loved helping the boys make sand castles

Now its Brogan's turn!

Daddy helping Brogan just a bit

"All Gone!"

adorable feet

My crazy one year old who thinks he can swim

the girls hiding Vance

So cold.... the water was way too cold

I don't know why I love this pic, but I do!

Me and V (her eyes are closed in most of her pics)

Again, Grey in the pool

On our way to Lego Land. We took Valentina to help with Grey.

eyes closed.... agian

Grey was not to sure about this guy

Poor Grey. He was so tired

This was such a fun slide. It is a family sized water raft.

Grey Loved the water park

Daddy and Grey

Brogan being a surfer boy

Me and V

Keeping cool in 117 degrees

2011-07-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

I know this is totally picture over load, but I love all these picture. We went swimming at my parents and had fun with the camera.

My crazy one year thinks he can swim. (he kind of can) All my boys are amazing swimmers. the always have been. Grey just jumps off the edge and can hold his breath for such a long time. It freaks my mom out. I think he almost gave her a heart attack. Sorry Mom.

Brogan off the diving board

taking a rest
CHEESE.

Grey in the deep end
Look at the water in his goggles. too funny. Poor kid
Grey monkey walked around the pool multiple times.

Vance can touch the bottom of a 10 foot pool. He is better than I am at swiming
Grey stepping off the step
My mom playing with Grey
Grey like to Pout. He is a pro at it. I think his belly is a little full of water?
My mom kept Grey company
water in the goggles again
brothers jumping off the diving board
Grey. kind of scary
poor kid was so tired and his eyes were bright red. But he kept swimming
Me giving Grey loves.
Kick Grey Kick.
I kept pushing him down to the bottom and he uses my body to climb up. It is too cute

Bigger by the day

2011-07-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Heather, Ben and Welton came back to Visit, only 4 weeks since the last time they were here. Welton is Growing by the minute. He is such a sweet little baby boy. He is such a joy to be around. I still can't believe what a miracle he is.

ALWAYS happy.

Haboob aka HUGE storm

2011-07-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

We had a major storm roll in. I guess it is called a Haboob? It was so crazy. I just had to get to the highest point that I can find, and take pictures. Ben and Vance drove into it, But Bro was totally freaked out by it. I thought it was pretty awesome.

FOURTH of JULY

2011-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

We had such a great 4th this year. We planned on going to see fireworks at Tempe town Lake, But we ended up just having our own private show at my sis n' law's house. The kids had so much fun. my kids LOVE to be with their cousins. They all thought Ben was pretty awesome because he put on the show. The boys are still talking about it.

One of the cutest girls in the world. My niece Veronica
Vance holding a sparkler
Ben and Casjen. Go Dawgs:)
I just had to make fun of Ben wearing this head light. He said he couldn't see in the dark.
Veronica was looking out for Grey, who wasn't too sure about the whole thing
So cool
Brothers. I don't really know what is going on with Vance

THE GRAND FINALLY
All of them were just so amazed. I loved watching their faces.
Brogan and his sparkler

Brogan and his cousin Lleyton. Bro is 4 and Lleyton is 5. Brogan is so big.
I am so happy the kids had so much fun. Anytime they have fun, I have fun. a Big thanks to Ali for letting us bombard her house.

just hangin' in the heat

2011-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

We went to play at the park, but I guess the boys decided it was just too hot. They just sat and hung out. It was too cute. i love how much the older boys love and look out for their baby brother. Grey is such a character. We all adore him.

the second tooth

2011-07-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Vance lost his second tooth. I was waiting and waiting for it to loosen up because the other one was already almost all the way in. It was not even close to being ready this morning, but Vance wiggled ALL day. Tonight he said he wanted it out. Neither me nor Ben wanted to touch it because we can't handle stuff like that, and that is why Vance pulled his first one out. After an our of him crying because he couldn't get it out, I just grabbed a paper towel, closed my eyes and yanked hard. Vance has been laughing ever since, He is so excited for the tooth fairy. We will see what he/she brings him:)

I just can't believe this kid!

2011-07-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

"WELTON" this is a real life miracle baby. I was so lucky to be able to take his 6 month pictures! I can't look at this kid without being completely amazed. He was born at 24 weeks and weighed about one pound! He has gone against all The preemie rules! He has been such a fighter and is growing everyday. I love that he is so smiley and happy with such a sweet little spirit. Lucky for me, Heather has been visiting from Utah quite a bit lately so I get to enjoy him a lot more that I thought I would. THANK YOU HEV!

Grey was very curious with him

oh and not to mention he has gone through heart surgery like it was nothing! He's a rock:)

going back a little

2011-07-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

About a month before Vance's birthday he told me that I had to "Take birthday pictures of him, load them on the computer, and send them to his friends". What have I created? So, here are a few of his shots.

three boys swimming

2011-07-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Just a playdate with their cousin Noah. The 3 have a blast together

Daddy's "speacial" Day

2011-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well I thought father's day was great this year. The boy's were so excited to shop for gifts for Ben. Without any coaching they were adamant about getting him a wallet and a tie. Original, I know. Vance said that "daddy lost his wallet so he needed a new one" I didn't have the heart to tell him that he had found his wallet the week before. So I let him pick out a wallet and Brogan gave him a tie. I actually loved the tie he picked out. I gave him a few random things and he seemed to be pretty happy this year. I felt special this year because I got to cook dinner for Ben AND my dad. Between Ben, ben's dad and my dad, I have some really amazing Fathers in my life. Ben is SUCH a great dad. The boys love him so much and LOVE spending time with him. Ben recently let me go on a girls trip to San Diego with one of my best friends Dray. He always impresses me when he has then boys alone. The boys are always happy to be with him. I am so lucky to have Ben. Even as babies, it was almost always Ben that woke up with them in the night. He is such a help to me. I think together we make a pretty good pair of parent:)
My dad. Seriously, I don't know anyone that wouldn't agree that my dad is not only an amazing father, but he is a great man. I feel privileged to be his one and only daughter. He is so much fun to be around and my kids absolutely adore him. Thank you for everything Dad. Your the best!

I made dinner and walker and Melanie came along. It was pretty yummy. Teriyaki Salmon, Rice Pilaf and a delicious Salad.

The Party for the 6 year old!

2011-06-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun planning Vance's party this year. We had it at my moms house, where we also held his first birthday. I decked the place out with different superhero's and Vance loved it. Vance is lucky to have great family and friends who love him so much. Him and all the other little ones that were there had a lot of fun. They Swam, ate and jumped on the tramp. Who wouldn't have fun? :)

He got WAY too many gifts, but I was happy for him. He is so grateful and appreciative. He was up all night that night playing with his new stuff.

The Cake...... My good friend Stephanie helped me dicide that I was actually going to try to make Vances cake (and make it look good). Well It turned out that Steph pretty much did the whole thing. It was perfect. The kids were amazed just looking at it.

Vance is 6. That is just to weird to think that I have a 6 year old. Vance is fantastic. He is seriously hilarious with his animated little face. I love to just talk to him and ask him questions just to get funny/cute responses. He is learning so much right now. He has recently picked up Golf and he really likes it. We will see how long it lasts, but he is pretty good. Vance lOVES to tell his parents how much he loves them. He is always putting his hand on my face telling me that I am beautiful and sweet. He told me he was sorry that he was having a birthday because he didn't want me to be sad that he is growing big. He melts my heart. I laugh at 90% of the things he says because he is just so darn funny. He is into a lot right now. He loves transformers and any other superhero that has ever exsisted. He loves coloring and watching spongebob. He loves to go to Mima and Pop's (my parents) house. He loves the pool. He would swim all day everyday if I would let him. I love to think about where life will take this little guy. I think the lord has something special planned for him. I love you Vance! Happy Birthday.

toooooo fast!

2011-05-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe my Vance (aka Vanner, Vannie, bananner) is 6 today! He is such a special little spirit. I really feel like it was yesterday when I was changing his tiny diapers. So weird. Today is his actual birthday, but we are having a party on friday so more people could come! Vance, we love you wo much. We are so proud of everything you have accoplished over the past 6 years!
Thank you for being so sweet, kind and loving!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANCE TURNER!

Gatway Pointe Carnival

2011-05-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

The boys had a lot of fun at Vance's school carnival. I just followed these to little BUSY boys all around the school. We had pizza and played games. Vance love showing me and Brogan his school.

He is actually trying to hit a ball, not Bro

gATEWAY gATOR! :)

First tooth

2011-05-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind with my blogging, but I am going to try and catch up. Vance finally lost a tooth! Everyone in his class had already lost at least one so he would ask me every day, "mom, is my tooth loose yet." So you can imagine how happy he was when it finally loosened. I am sure it was not ready to come out but Ben and I both "tried" to pull it out only to frustrate Vance more. He finally said Oh My Gosh, and reached up and jerked it out himself. It was hilarious. He was so excited! He said "now I can be a dentist and I will only use my hands" Tooth fairy found him that night and it was happily ever after....... for now:)

late morning

2011-05-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

The other morning I was being really lazy. I was just catching up on my shows and laying in bed with my boys. They were being so funny and cute, so of course I had to get my camera. These are the memories that I don't ever want to forget. Times that I have no other distractions. Just my boys!

Easter and more Easter

2011-04-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

Well... let's see... In a nutshell, Easter was awesome. The day began with Easter Baskets of coarse. Instead of big baskets, the boys just got a little bit in their basket and a new razor scooter. They loved it.
I had to drag Brogan out of bed. he is such a sleepy head.

Vance with his Scooter
MY ATTEMPT at an Easter pic with my boys before church.
After dinner, we had a big pot luck at my aunt Jami's house. It was great as always. Food was delicious and I just LOVE hanging out with my family. They always put me in a good mood.
the food
My parents got a new puppy. She is adorable.
Vance and my cousin Tanner. They love each other. They are totally cute together. Tanner's hair is out of control
Egg hunt. Grey was into it for about one minute. I guess he didn't understand that they had MONEY in them.

Tanner cheating and helping Vance

and there is Grey's distraction. At that point he was done.
Vance playing with a little toy he got in his basket.
More distractions
So the boys decided that they wanted to go swimming. Well, they didn't have shorts so they went in their underwear. Redneck, I know. Crazy Vance and Crazy Jack were scaring the heck out of me. They both thought that launching Vance in a back flip was funny.

After everything had settled that evening, I was able to really reflect on the meaning behind Easter. We had talked to the boys about it all day, but I think I was not able to focus on it like I should have. Easter is Awesome. What a wonderful celebration. We have a specific time of the year to celebrate the Living Christ. I know he lives. I am so thankful for all my family that really helped me remember what this life is about. I know that I can find true peace and happiness through our Gospel and the things that it teaches. I am so thankful for everyone around me. It was seriously such a great day.

Cousin Pics

2011-04-28T13:20:00.001-07:00

This is mainly for my Mother in Law who lives in Georgia, but I took some pics of my nieces and nephews. They are all so fun to take pictures of. Each on e of them has a huge personality... I just love it! Casjen, Pyper, Lleyton, and Veronica

18 months and growing!

2011-04-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

This little fire cracker has come a long way! At 18 months, he is finally walking... actually running around. We knew that since he is a preemie, he would be delayed, but he is coming along. We love this kid. He is totally different than my other boys. He is a little more demanding;) He is now discovering the things he likes and doesn't like and he is getting the attitude to go along with it. He is trying to talk. He gets a little frustrated when he can't tell us exactly what he wants. He will be starting speech therapy here this week. I am sure it will help him a lot. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that life would be so easy with only 2 kids, but NO WAY. I could never be without this boy. He is my buddy. Ben totally adores him too. I thin we maybe even "baby" him too much. Oh well... he deserves it! LOVE HIM

"Saturday Saints"

2011-04-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

My boys love to go to church. They learn and remember so much about the Gospel. When we got out to AZ, my boys clothes were packed and too hard to get to. (I forgot to leave church clothes out) My mom fixed the problem, by buying Vance and Bro new Sunday out fits. They are so adorable all dressed up. I made them all mad by making them have a photo shoot and be late to church. As always, I'm happy we did. Sometimes I feel SO loved:)

Grey wasn't really havin' it. A for effort

totally akward Brother pose.

By the way, recently we had to teach Brogan that is is "Latter Day Saints" and not "Saturday Saints"

Welcome to AZ

2011-03-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Things have been totally crazy over the past 3 weeks. It is exciting to be back in AZ and start to get settled in to this dry place. They boys are overwhelmed with excitement because of all the fun things to do.

The boys are back together. Noah (my nephew) has 2 sisters so he has been happy to have my boys back. They are all so cute together. I think they could play forever if we would let them.

Vance and Noah are so funny. They are always hanging on each other.
Vance and Uncle Joe (who can't take a normal picture)
Cita and Ralph with the boys
picnic dinner in the back yard
Swimming in March. The boys were sooooooo excited. It's going to be a long summer full of swimming.
Grey trying to figure it out
Vance is CRAZY. He loves to flip off anything. He makes me nervous

Ok course the trampoline has been very welcoming to my boys. I don't know how many hours they have spent on it, But I know it's A LOT
Vance and Ruby. They are buddies
I am excited to move onto the next chapter of my life. I am excited to get settles and into a routine. I have had a blast with my friends and family who I have missed so much. We have been staying with my parents for the past 3 weeks, but we move into our own place in a week. My poor boys have been total troopers through all these moves. My family is great.

So many emotions

2011-03-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

SO, where do I even begin? I Have been wanting to blog for a while, but I have been a little overwhelmed. I have been so busy and so much has been going on in our busy lives. Well after living in Savannah (the most beautiful place in the USA) for a year, Ben got a great opportunity to get us all back out in AZ. You would think that I would be thrilled, and I am, but I am so so sad to leave Georgia. I have grown to love so much about Savannah. This past year has been by far the most interesting and exciting year of my married life. I loved living in Savannah. I really can't say it enough. Of course there were down times when I missed friends and family, but I felt like I really did fit in there. I loved being where Ben was raised and learning first hand about his childhood. I loved living by Ben's parents. I LOVE THEM. Honestly the hardest thing about leaving Georgia was leaving them. I have been in AZ 2 weeks now and we all miss them like crazy. I loved the trees and the beach and all the amazing scenery. AZ is such a weird place. I grew up here and yet I am shocked to see it again. So, it was all pretty quick and spur of the moment, but we got it done. We packed up, called a moving company, sent our stuff on its way and headed out. Here is the story:)
Our Semi truck. Ben was awesome at making it all fit perfectly
My niece Kaylee cleaning the house while we packed the truck
Grandpa getting ready to patch up some whole from hanging things. He is awesome
Brogan was pooped. No more help from him
Boxin' and Baggin' was the theme
Saying our goodbyes. These pictures make me cry. Brogan with Grandpa
Vance with Grandma
Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa
Kaylee with the boys. Eating ice cream after working hard
Pulling out of the grandparents driveway for the last time :(
So involved in the movies. (good for us)

Brogan

Getting closer
Ben thinks it is so funny to take pics of me while I am sleeping. yeah so what if my mouth falls wide open

Ben snapped this while we were ALL asleep. So funny. Something about being in a car for 3 days makes you tired. (oh and he used the front camera so its flipped...I am not sleeping at the wheel lol)

ALMOST home
So we made it safely. We are here at my parents while looking for a place. It is, to say the least, interesting. I love my parents, but I think there is a reason kids don't live at home while they are married. I am very appreciative of all they have done for us, but I am excited to find our own place. SO.... being back home in AZ is just so weird. It really is not what I thought it will be. I feel like I am completely new to AZ. I have forgotten where things are and how to find certain roads. It is crazy. I feel a little like a lost soul. It might be just because I am missing people back in GA, But I really am happy to be back with my friends and family that I have been without for 2 years. My 3 boys are so sweet. I can't imagine what their little brains think about this. They seem to be loving it. The older boys have been able to do so many fun new things. They are excited to be here. Bro has asked me a couple times if we can go back to Georgia and it kind of breaks my heart, but he is happy. They have all been such troopers. I love my boys and my husband with all my heart. I love that even through these crazy times of change, we still have each other. I will try to keep up a little better on whats happening with us. for now...... Peace

Another Scare

2011-03-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Grey Grey got so sick again. I am so over this child being sick. I guess that is just one of the things you deal with with a preemie. He kept spiking a fever and I just couldn't get it to go down. He was so sweet just laying on my chest all day. I finally took him in and he had Pneumonia. Of course he did. This poor little guy has been through the ringer. He recovered perfectly so now we are just keeping him healthy!

Hold on Grey!

2011-02-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

Grey just had to try Grandma and Grandpa's tire swing. He couldn't let his brothers have all the fun. He is so funny holding on for dear life. He LOVES it!

Back to Back

2011-02-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

The boys like to ask me "Mom, who is taller?" They Love to get "back to back" so I can let them know who is taller. Vance is a little bit taller, but Brogan weighs 3 lbs more. I will be curious to see where they will be in a couple years.

Best Temple Trip Ever!

2011-02-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

So It is a new experience for me to have to make a "Temple Trip". I have always lived up the road from a temple so It wasn't really a big deal to decide last minute that I want to go to the temple. Well Everything about the church is different out here. We (as a ward) took a trip on Monday to our Temple (Columbia, SC). It's about a 3 hour drive. I had such an amazing experience. It was very new, because I had never been in a mini-temple before, but it was beautiful. I young girl in our ward kept the boys all day as a service project. It was so nice. After we left the temple, we enjoyed an awesome lunch at Mello Mushroom. It was to die for. Thanks to all who came and made it possible for me to have such a wonderful day.
Me, Bishop Thompson (on the right) and a councilor Brother Brannen. Both awesome!

This is my friend Katrina, who went through for the first time. I was so lucky to get to be there with her. She is awesome. I have grown to love her and her 4 cute kids!

And of course... nothing can be perfect. This is how we ended the day. Good thing I have such a studly husband who got dirty in his nice white shirt and tie, and got it changed quickly. We were back on the road in no time!

Vance say's....

2011-02-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

1. Vance -"Hey mom, I can count to 100" - Brogan "Oh Yeah, I can count to 6!"

2. Vance - (while holding the phone to his head) "Can everyone PLEASE be quiet while I call my girlfriend!"

3.Vance - (while shopping in Walmart) "MOM, MOM, Brogan is buying alcohol!" Me - "No Vance, That is Coke.. It is soda, but your right, Brogan shouldn't drink it" (Has Vance been thinking I have been drinking alcohol everytime I drink Soda? yikes)

4.Vance - (while praying for a missionary in our ward that was hit by a car) "Please bless Elder Fife, That he can get better and that his wife can have a baby" (hmmmm)

5. Vance - (also during a prayer) "Please bless Mom that she can clean all my clothes so that they smell like soap)

Why BOYS?!

2011-02-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME!!! How did I get so lucky! When things get hard, I just look to these little fella's who always brighten my day. I love all they teach me. They DO require a lot of patiencs some times, but that only reminds me how special they are.

A big day for Grey

2011-02-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

Grey had his first day of nursery on sunday. Its been a long 18 months. Of course he was just like my other boys and took it like a champ. It kind of made me realize how far behind being a preemie has made him. Its ok, he is doing so good. I am so proud of how well he did with all the other kids and never cried once. Love you Greybee Baby!

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Lunch date with the oldest

2011-02-11T19:50:00.001-08:00

I went to Vances school today to eat lunch with him. He was so sweet when he saw me come in. he loves showing me off to his friends. It makes me feel pretty good about myself;) He kept kissing me the whole time, my arms, my hands, my cheek. I just love my Vancie. I do realize that his kisses won't last forever, but I just dont want to think about it right now. Im just going to live in the moment and enjoy him while hes small and not embarrassed by his mother. Thanks for the lunch date Vance!

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Missionary Grooming

2011-02-10T17:21:00.001-08:00

I have been doing Missionary hair cuts for a while now. I actually love doing it. It makes me feel like I at least contribute something in our ward:) We have EIGHT Elders in our ward and they are all awesome. Ben loves to go on splits with them. He always comes back with awesome stories. Usually on hair cut day, the all come in together and I try to get them in and out as fast I can. (who could say no to these guys?)

Elder Fletcher, Elder Eller & Elder Enosa
They like to vacuum the hair off. It actually works really well.
Elder Lundgreen and Elder Jenkins

Energy be gone....

2011-02-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

We all went to Monkey Joe's today. It was good for ALL of us! I relaxed in a comfy recliner and the boys got rid of some pent up energy! I'm excited to see how well they sleep tonight:) Great way to spend a Saturday!

Benny's Birthday!

2011-02-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

It was Ben's Birthday on Jan 30th, and we had a perfect day. Ben's mom Made dinner, including ben's favorite dishes. I'm sure Ben was happy to have some great cooking on his Birthday. It was such a relaxing Sunday with PERFECT weather!!! After we ate dinner, we played with the boys outside. We all took turns on the tire swing that hangs from a giant Oak Tree in the yard. This is the same tree that Ben grew up swinging from. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BENJAMIN! I love you.

Excitement from the mailbox

2011-02-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

My Bro Rhett (Anziano Scheurn) has been so on the ball. I have recieved a letter almost every week from him. The boys love to hear from him. Wow, he is doing awesome. Keep it up Rhett.

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Love this quote

2011-02-04T13:07:00.001-08:00

"We are children of God. Each one of us is precious to the point of bringing the Lord God Almighty to a fulness of joy if we are faithful, or to tears if we are not."
-M. Russell Ballard

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Accomplishment

2011-02-02T18:30:00.001-08:00

After some very long work sessions...Vance can write his name all by himself. He is very proud of it, and so am I!

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Amazing Weather

2011-02-02T17:01:00.001-08:00

Me and the younger boys spent a while at the park today. It was a beautiful 70° day so we walked to the park down the road. I can't believe what a big boy Grey is! He was frustrated that he couldn't do everything Brogan was doing. I spent most of the time on the swings. It was so relaxing.

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Poor Bear

2011-01-31T19:26:00.001-08:00

Sweet Brogan almost made it 6 months without an asthma attack. Last week we had a scare when he woke us up in the middle of the night. He was so scared because he couldn't breathe at all. When we realized we couldn't help him, I rushed him to the ER. The nurses were pretty concerned as the frantically got him to the back. After rocemic epi (sp?) and steroids they got him under control. He was so exhausted, but all the meds were making him so hyper. He was totally loopy and it was making me laugh so hard. We have had him on steroids and breathing treatments at home for the past week and he is doing great. The doctors said they think it was triggered by croup. Hopefully he is over it all and I can pack away the breathing machine again:)

keepin' up

2011-01-31T19:01:00.001-08:00

So I am going to try something different.... I am going to blog a lot more from my phone. There are so many awesome, funny, emotional and sweet moments in my life. I want to remember them ALL!

Tonight Vance came in our room and said, "Daddy, if you get lost at the store, just find a police man and tell them that Vance Cowart is your son"

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A day in the life...

2011-01-30T16:27:00.001-08:00

I got to help fill in in Vance's classroom because his head teacher was out sick. This was sooooo much fun for me. It was so amazing to see Vance in his own element and getting to be part of his day. Vance was really excited when he found out I would be there, and of course he gave me a huge welcome when I came into the room. Montessori is so interesting. It is so different than my schooling experience. I think it is perfect for Vance. I got to take the kids in groups of 5 on nature walks to go bird hunting. We saw a hawks, cardinals and Goldfinches. In case you don't know how it works, his class room is made up of 3 ages. They all learn from each other. Every single one impressed me in some way. I felt a little bit of guilt when I saw a classroom of 22 kids have more organization that I do at home with my 3! I hate to say this, but just like every other mother, I obviously think my Vancie is the cutest in the class! :) He is just the funniest little kid and keeps us all laughing. I hope I get asked again to help because it was a blast!

Vance taking out the compost aka "garden food"
Vance at lunch. sitting next to decklan
Ramone, Vance, Gabe and Diego.... Vance doesn't really like his space invaded
Ready, set, GO! Playtime at CEMCO
The group learning about bird. Notice it is "jeans Friday" so no uniforms:)
My first nature walk group. So fun with these kids.

Tamy Scheurn = Awesome

2011-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

Mi Madre came to the Dirty South last week! It was a blast! Well lets sum it up, just a FEW things that were included in her visit:

Arrival at my home at 3:00am after a fabulous meal at Steak n' shake
Excitement from 3 little boys to see Mima
The best curly fries ever, from Shwarma king
damage done at TJ Maxx
Whole days with NO obligations
ER visit (by me of course)
my own personal house keeper (my mom of course)
Best chicken n' rice ever made by a human being (mom again)
Tears in a movie theater shared by ONLY her and me
introduction of Honey chicken to my mom.... mmmmm
More damage in Hilton head at the Coach store
A WHOLE NEW WARDROBE FOR ME! (thank you mom)
The BEACH... amazing weather, dolphins, and my mom letting her hair down:)
Circles in the sand (hilarious) my mom has some real talent, and a better point than me
A huge hawk putting on a show for us, eating a huge squirrel
diaper run, grocery run, treat run
Pralenes that seriously melt in your mouth, brought to you by river street sweets
WHOLE bag of caramel corn eaten by yours truly at 1am
Great memories and many laughs

That really doesn't even sum it up. We were ALL so happy to have my mom stay with us for a week. I know it is not easy for her to fly across the country and spend a day of traveling. She was such a help to us. After my visit to the ER, she watched my kids so that I could get the rest I needed to feel better. Nothing is better than the one on one time I get to spend with my mom. We really now haw to get things done the right way. We went and saw Country Strong and we were the only 2 people in the theater. My Mom said she rented the theater out for us. It was pretty awesome. It is always sad when my mom leaves us. I HATE taking her down to the airport to let her fly back to AZ. My boys also always hate to see her go. On the brighter side, I am so thankful for the memories that we make on her visits. Smiles, Laughs, Tears, hugs, and even a little heated conversation is always what the dr ordered for me. I love her so much. Sometimes I even get a little jealous when I know that other people get to hang out with her knowing that I am 3000 miles away and can't:( I can't wait to see her again!!!!!

Bro Bro with his Mima
Grey with his Mima
Some Beach
My mom's awesome Photog skills
My Mom's always beautiful painted toes
Us:)

"UP ANGLE"

Our friend Mr Hawk

More of the twins

2011-01-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

We had to say goodbye to the Cowart cousins on New Years eve. The boys were so sad to see them go. Vance and Gavin were together all the time, so it took some adjusting when they left. Vance keeps asking if he can go to Gavin's house to play:( I just have to explain to him that sometimes cousins have to live in different states, but we can always keep in touch. He is really excited to write and call Gavin on the Phone. My boys are so lucky to have so many great cousins!

Christmas Day

2011-01-07T07:16:00.001-08:00

We spent Christmas day at Grandma and Grandpa's house. (Ben's parents). It was really nice. I had been REALLY sick during the couple days prior to Christmas, so Grandma cooked EVERYTHING. I didn't cook one thing. It was awesome. It was especially fun because My boys got to be with some of their Cowart cousins. It was only 7 out of the 20, but they were so happy to be with Kaylee, Gabe, Gavin and Mariah. Kaylee brought them all gifts so she was the hit out the party:) I was so happy it was so low key and low stress. It truly let me enjoy Christmas and focus on my family and how sweet they are. I have been so blessed with all of them.

\My boys LOVE "Kay Kay". She is such a great older cousin to them.
Opening kaylee's gifts
Vance was so excited
I captured this sweet moment of Gavin and Grey. Gavin Is just so nice and pleasant. He was a lot of fun to be around.
The seven of them. It was an attempt and organized chaos.

Me and my niece Mariah. So stinkin' cute. She's working the camera
Waiting patiently for gifts
Grey with his main man, Grandpa.... Grey always finds his lap
Silly Grey Bug
Mariah with he kissy face again
The twins. Vance and Gavin. Always together
During Dinner
Waiting...... They "were starving"

Grey likes to help me in the kitchen, but like I said, I didn't cook. He was just happy to be in my arms.
It all couldn't have been any better. I'm so thankful for my husband and all that he did to give us all a wonderful Christmas this year. All the Cowarts have been so great to me. I had so much fun, but I'm not going to lie, I'm glad it's over. My cute boys woke up on the 26th and asked, "Mama, how many more days till Christmas". Oh boy, it might be a long year. They have already started making Christmas list for Santa........

Christmas Morn'

2011-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas could not have been more perfect. The boys were just so cute. I can't believe that I no longer worry about what I am going to get under the tree. It seems like yesterday, when I was a kid, getting so excited for christmas. I am so thankful that we were able to give our boys just what they needed theis year. We woke up early and read scriptures while the boys stared WIDE-eyed at the presents. When we were finished, Brogan sang Happy Birthday to Jesus (because that is what Santa at the mall told him to do). Then, they destroyed the place:) I love how appreciative they are. They loved everyting and thuoght they were the luckiest kids in the world.

Santa's work.....the boys decorated the tree pretty much all bythemselves.

My boys really had fun, but most importantly, I think they understood the true meaning of Christmas. They learned so much about their Savior and really thought about him a lot this holiday season. I really am thankful for everything I have been blessed with this past year. My mom sent me an AMAZING package with so many wonderful things in it for me and my family. I lucked out by getting Ugg boots and the cutest coach bag ever. My parents are seriously the best ever! I love them so much. I also have an amazing husband who is such an awesome dad. I love watching Ben get excited as the boys play with their new T-ball and Soccer net. They had a lot of fun on Christmas day in the backyard making goals and hitting "homeruns". I love my family so much. I love Christmas and the love it brings out in everyone. My boys are already putting things on "next years Christmas list".... ya gotta love em'.

PJ Cheistmas Party

2010-12-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

I went to Vance's Montessori School for his Christmas party. They all wore pj's and watched movies. We made a couple cute little things to take home, like the sock snowman picutered above. Vance is serioulsy so cute at school. All the kids love hima nd he is kind of the life of the party. It makes me so happy to see that is nice to everyone in his class.

Vance with one of his friends Gabe

Vance and his head teacher, Miss Lynn. She is so awesome. Vance adores her

Vance and his little friend Charity. He is alwasy telling us how nice "Charity" is

When we left his school, we were in the car and Vance said "Mom, I am so happy you came to my school today because you are so much prettier than all the other mom." Wow.. Vance, my little ladies man. He alwasy knos how to boost my ego. Vance is growing so fast. Sometimes I wish I could freeze time to enjoy his sweet little compliments and actions toward me.

Elder Scheurn

2010-12-15T07:30:00.001-08:00

my aunt just sent me this on my phone. I really wish I was there, but its ok. im so happy for him.

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Goodbye to Rhett... Hello to Elder Scheurn

2010-12-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

Today is a very bitter sweet day. I am so sad that I am not back home in AZ to see my baby brother off on his mission. I have been up since 5:30 just wishing I was there. Out of all my Brothers, Me and Rhett seem to be the most alike.... along with that, we sometimes clash, but we always get over any little thing that comes between us. Rhett has been a huge blessing to all of us in the Scheurn Family. I honestly vote Rhett the BEST uncle in the world. My kids adore him. although I am feeling homesick, I know that it is Elder Scheurn's time to go serve the Lord. People are WAITING for him in Italy. We are so Proud of him. He has been an example to everyone around him. I love him so much. I feel very blessed that he was able to come out in September and spend time with us. I will cherish all the memories we made. It was a blast. I know Rhett would not be where he is with out my awesome parents. Beside the spoiling.. ;) They have done such a good job raising their boys and getting them on missions. My mom is probably the best missionary mom EVER. I am sure she already had packages lined up ready to send to Rhett. My dad in AMAZING. He has pushed his sons to do whats right. It's hard to to bad things when you have an example like him. I love my family. I wish I could be there today as he starts his journey to the MTC. He will do great there. Everyone loves Rhett. I know that the Lors has sent him to the right place. He will fit right in with all the other handsome Italian boys;) We love you Rhett and we will miss you so much, but it will go by fast, so treasure it. Goodbye for 2 years!

I love you (almost)

2010-12-12T22:18:00.001-08:00

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3 little boys on Santa

2010-12-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Santa, Santa, Santa. This was by far the best Santa I have ever seen. He was so nice to my kids and he made sure to tell them that the most important thing about Christmas is Christ. He told them that when they wake up Christmas Morning, the first thing they should do is sing "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus. It was pretty cool.

My kids have been telling me what they want for Christmas and I will just say I can't think of something they DON'T want. Well it's funny how when Santa asks them, they become shy and can't think of anything. wow.

Santa was still talking even after they got off his lap.

About 3 days after this visit to Santa, we were driving in the car and Brogan said "Mom, I have to tell you something" "when I was sitting on Santa's lap, I was VERY VERY scared" hmmmmm

I could do 5

2010-12-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

I kept my niece and nephew over night and got them all ready for church by 9:30. I felt pretty awesome. :) It helps that they are a great group of kids!

The TWINS

2010-12-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

These boys! Gavin and Vance.... they are a month apart in age and they are so much alike. You would think that they have lived together in the same place thier whole lives. They are so stinkin cute together. If Gavin leaves our house, Vance will just talka bout him until he sees him again. Of course boys will be boys and they are a little crazy when they get together, but it makes it just that much cuter.

Target Practice

2010-12-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Call us rednecks, but we love to shoot! I got a new gun as kind of a Christmas present and i couldn't wait to shoot it. We all went out to Mike's (Ben's Brother) house where he has built a pretty nice shooting range. I LOVE shooting. I can't really even say why but I just do. I also like to know that incase of an emergency (home invasion) or something I might be able to protect my family. Vance has a 22 that he likes to shoot. Of course we are VERY careful with him around and we drill the rules into his head. He is good about being safe.

Ben Helping him load it.

All by himself. Pretty impressive

The Day of Thanks

2010-12-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING WAS A HIT. I can't believe how scared I was to host Thanksgiving ALL by myself. Ben's Brother and his 3 kids, and Ben's father came, So really it was not that many people, but I am NOT a cook. There are a few things that I make that are really good, but for the most part, I am a frozen dinner kind of girl. Like I said, the turkey was awesome and everything else turned out perfectly. The kids were all so good and we really just enjoyed each other. I couldn't have asked for a better day. After we ate, the boys played out side for a long time. Ben was trying his hardest to set up a baseball game, but he was dealing with a bunch of crazy little boys. I was exhausted. I can't believe I did this, but While everyone was playing, I went in my dark room and fell asleep. I woke up to a clean kitchen and the boys playing Wii. PERFECT! I will totally do this again next year:)
My Mac n' cheese... Must say, to die for!
Me and Brogie Bear
I tried this new recipe for these pecan cookie bars. EVERYBODY loved them. Them men were fighting over them at the end of the night

Brogan and sweet Mariah
Baseball?
The only girl, mariah Just played with the water. (I know how she feels being out numbered)
It was SOOOOOO sad watching Brogan try to play with a broken collar bone
He just sat out after a while

My first bird

2010-11-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was so nervous this year! I knew I was hosting Thanksgiving and that I would be the one cookinh EVERYTHING. Nothing scared me as much as the turkey. I had to make a few phone calls for help but I am not going to lie.... I am so proud of myself. It turned out so yummy. It was very moist and I am pretty sure it was a hit! My mom and her sisters always joke that you are not a woman until you have pulled all the "CRAP" out of a raw turkey. So finally, now at age 26, I am a woman!

First Broken Bone

2010-11-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

My kids have done stitches, well lets just say more than once, but we hadn't had a broken bone until my sweet little clumsy Brogan decided he wanted to be the first. He Slipped getting into our car and fell backwards. I knew from his scream that something was really wrong. He kept saynig his shoulder hurt so I figured his shoulder was out of the socket. I took him to his chiropracter to get him looked at. The Dr said he thought everything was ok beacause he wasn't screaming too badly while he was being poked. ( I think that was due to the tylenol and IB profen I had given him right before)Well I felt a lot better knowing there were no major injuries. We drove home and had a long night of tossing and turning and SCREAMING. The next morning I made him rest and just hoped that the pain would subside. Nope. So that evening Ben took the little guy to the ER where they told him he has broken collar bone. Ugh... such bad timing, the day before thanksgiving when he was going to see all his cousins and want to play sports outside. It has been a challenge trying to keep the sling and wrap on him, but he is starting to realize how much more it hurts when he doesn't. I am so sorry this happen to my Bro Bro, but he is one tought kid and I know he will heal Quickly

this was the night he came home from the ER.... so sad

Vance's Feast

2010-11-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

Vance goes to Coastal Empire Montessori school, and It is seriously the best school EVER! Vance loves going to school everyday! For Thanksgiving they had a Feast. They learned about all the different foods that the pilgrims ate and they tried it all at their feast. They had Turkey, Chicken, Duck, Deer, Authentic pudding and they even made their own butter for the bread. Vance was so cute singing songs about giving thanks. Thank you to Mrs Lynn who cares so much about the kids and put on this event for them!

This is Vance's very good friend MatthewOf course he is sitting next to a pretty girl

This is Mrs Lynn trying to get the kids to try EVERYTHING

Vance's butter that he made

Benjamin Welton Tuinei

2010-11-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

We are so thrilled to welcome our sweet nephew Benjamin "Welton" Tuinei into this world. Ben's amazing sister Heather endured and very rough pregnancy getting this sweet angel here. Heather has always battled Juvenile Diabetes and she has always known that pregnancy may be difficult for her. Well, at only 24 weeks along, doctors decided that Heathers fragile body could not take the stress of the pregnancy so the delivered little Welton almost 4 months early. Both mom and baby have been fighters. Welton has already had one heart surgery and he has shown us all how much he wants to be here. I Can't even believe how strong Heather is. She has been a trooper. Her husband Ben has also been PERFECT. He is so positive and so supportive of his wife and new baby. We are so happy for this cute new little family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them ALL day Every day. Hang in there Tuinei's...... We love you.

Cruisin' with my sisters!

2010-11-27T15:04:00.001-08:00

My Mother N Law had never been to a tropical beach.... so us Cowart girls decided to step up and take her on a cruise. It was Me, Joy, Alison and Veronica. Ali and Veronica were first time cruisers so we had to show them how it is done;) Seriously and can't even explain how awesome these women are! I always felt so sorry for myself because I don't have sisters but I am so lucky to have married into this family where these girls have taken me in as one of their own. I would never even say "sister n law" because they are truly my sisters! Anyways, back to the cruise.... it was awesome. Even though we got stuck in the Bahamas due to Hurricane Tomas, we had such a blast. I roomed with Joy, who was so much fun to be around. She is actually quite funny. We might have had a little too much fun together. The Beach and the weather were PERFECT! I really missed my family, but I totally needed the break from reality.
Of course I got picked to be an assistant at the show. He was a juggler/comedian and he actually wasn't that bad. The first night comedian was the best, only because Alison was Laughing her HEAD OFF the whole time at things that seriously were not funny. Everyone around us were laughing at her... not the entertainer.
This was taken right before we left, at Joy's house. We were so excited to get on the boat. I love this picture so much.
Ok, so I just had way too many pictures to post, so I put them all together in hopes to get the point across... we had fun! We went out dancing and we honestly must have been the only sober ones there, but you never would have guessed it. Ali danced on a statue because her precious Bon Jovi was played. (she was asked to get down Ha) Ali, got me to enter the "don't forget the lyrics" game where I placed third and she got first. She won a totally awesome gift pack;) we also had to do Kareoke! I can't believe we got Joy to get up there with us. We sang a Paula Abdul song that I barely knew.

THIS WAS SO MEAN! The girls hung these in my room and when I unlocked the door, the both screamed (Alison has a very loud scream) and I nearly hit the ground. I only saw them for a quick second in the dark and I didn't know what it was. Alison peed her pants from laughing so hard. That's what she gets!

Ok, so sisters, When are we going on another cruise? We are excited to go again with Heather, who couldn't come this time due to a high risk pregnancy. This was honestly a time that I will treasure forever. Everything about it was awesome. I had forgot how much fun life can be. Thanks again to my great family, who I just love to pieces!

FOUR!!! One lucky kid!

2010-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

My little Bro Bro has turned four. In one way, he is so big that it seems like he should be turning 6 but in another way I can't believe he is already FOUR! Many people who know me like to joke and say that Brogan is the golden child and I like to joke back and say "yep... he is." Truth is, All my boys are golden. Brogan has just always been a very easy child for me. I think I just love that fact that he is such a mama's boy. He Would probably glue himself to me if he could and I would have no problem with that.
For his Birthday we had a party with family at the marina in Sarasota FL. The weather could not have been more perfect. All the kids played in the splash pad and on the playground. We even got to watch some dolphins in the water. I don't usually enjoy myself at my kid's b-day parties due to the stress of making everything perfect, but this was really nice. I just sat back and watched Brogan love life.
For lunch my Sis-N-Law Joy made some really good bbq sandwiches but Brogan wants a "Chip Sandwich" Well, What Bro wants on his b-day... Bro gets. He got quite a few awesome gifts, including mainly, "Iron Man" and "How to train a dragon" toys since those are his favorites right now. I fell very blessed that I can enjoy
Brogan's cousin game him an old unused cell phone. He was so excited and told me "mom, now i can text you"
Me any my birthday boy
IRON MAN!
Bro and daddy

Ok, so on his actual birthday, we took the 3 boys to "chuckie cheezits" to use a ton af left over tokens that we have had FOREVER. Brogan felt pretty cool having TWO parties. It was really nice to celebrate with him as just a small little family. We all couldn't have been happier.

Grey is a little to young to hang with his brothers, so he chilled with Bob the whole time.

Brogan's favorite ride. He must have played this 30 times. no joke

And they are off.....

Brogan is such a sweet heart. He has always been a blessing in so many ways. Since Vance has started school this year, i have really been able to get to know my little Brogie Bear. He loves everything boy and he LOVES his older brother Vance. He always tells me that he needs to be with Vance because they are "best Friends". I often find Bro in Vance's Bunk just to be closer to him. Brogan has been big for a while now.he wears a size 6/7 in boys and a 12/13 in shoes. hopefully his size will be useful one day.
Bro hates the answer "maybe". If he asks me a question and I don't have a straight answer, he says "MOM, say YES or NO". He loves to make his baby brother laugh. He loves peanuts, Peanut butter and noodles of ANY sort. He loves to cuddle with his mommy. Even when I am watching "Dancing with the Stars" or any other girly show. When I say cuddle, I mean he has to be totally on top of me. I think he still thinks he's a baby. He answers to "Bro Bro, Bro, Brogie, Brogers, Brodigity, Brogie Bear" and most recently we have been calling him just Bear. It seems to fit him well.
HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY BROGAN!
Your mom and dad love you so much! We cant wait to continue this journey with you and watch you grow!

I HEART FLORIDA

2010-11-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Of course since we were down in Sarasota for Halloween, we had to take a beach day. I have become such a beach lover. My boys think they own every beach they go to. The water here is pretty much crystal clear and the weather couldn't be more perfect. I feel like life is supposed to be like this... at the beach in November:)

Holloween TWO THOUSAND TEN

2010-11-11T13:36:00.001-08:00

Halloween was SO awesome this year! We went a couple hours south to Sarasota, FL to visit Ben's brother and his family. The weather was amazing and it was such an awesome trip. My Sis N Law, Joy is always a great host. Her home is beautiful so beautiful and so relaxing. She made quite the spooky feast and it was all delicious. The boys love being with their cousins, and I love watching them all play together. My boys HAD to be Ninja turtles so I gave in to them. Grey, (the one I can still control) we dressed him as the cutest Georgia Bulldog EVER!
Jilly, the cute Bumble Bee!
Vance
No Hope.... why do I try to get all 3 of them?
Emma and Grey...... Adorable as always

Alexis, Jillian and Emma
organized Choas
Poor Brogan.... trying to keep up
Grey chilled in his stroller and ate an apple
I was a little bored
Emma... so stinkin cute
Some of Joys Cooking
The boys, waiting at an empty house for candy
They all made out well! A little too well

Children of God

2010-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

YES yes... I know... this is not very good of me to be taking pictures in the chapel, but when you have a Mom that lives across the coutry, you gotta do what you gotta do to help her be a part of your life. I am so proud of my boys for thier part in this years primary program. The weirdest part is that I feel like it was yesterday that I was up there trying to steal the show. They both said thier parts perfectly and actually did ok sitting next to eachother. WAY TO GO VANCE AND BRO!

Terrible Scare

2010-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

NOTHING is more painful than watching your child in pain. Our sweet Grey has proven to us that he has many allergies. We have known for a while that he is allergic to Mosquitos and Shell fish, but nothing could have prepared me for this last trip to the ER. We woke up one morning to Grey (who is usally a very happy camper in the morning) Very upset. His whole body was covered in hives.... The worst case I have ever seen. (The picture above is after multiple doses of Benadryl). Honestly, I had no idea what it was because it looked so bad. I thought for sure he had some terrible disease or something. The Dr knew right away that it was hives. He gave us 2 rx's and sent us on our way. We kept him on Benadryl every 4 hours and COVERED him in anti-itch meds. It lasted for 3 days, peaking and subsiding. We have NO IDEA what has caused this break out. We will be at the allergist soon to find out what it is. Hopefully I can keep him protected til we get to the bottom of it. It is so hard watching him suffer. I love my kids so much and whenever they are sick I just wish more than anything I could take it away from them. They hives are gone for now, only to reveal the poor scratch marks he has left from his constant scratching.

Friends at the beach

2010-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

My friend Jodi and I went to the beach the other day with just Brogsn. It was SO fun. I can't even imagine life with one child, but I can guess it is pretty easy:) Jodi got some sun and, Me and Bro walked up and down the beach. I don't know what makes me love the beach so much, because truth be told.... I HATE sand and I Hate loading up children after a day at teh beach. I still would never turn down a beach day. It is one of my most favorite places right now, because it takes my mind off the daily stresses of life.

Brogan was posing by the jetties when a wave came over. It was too funny. After that, he made a game of it.

Silly boys at the park

2010-10-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, It really doesn't get better than this. The weather is amazing and Savannah is beautiful. Sometimes I am a party pooper and I would rather not get everyone out to the park. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by My 3 boys. Sometimes I just want to be lazy, But I always LOVE when I decide to get off my butt and get some fresh air. I love these pictures of me and my baby. He is just so sweet... again props go to Ben for the photography:)
Of course with 3 boys, there has to be football!

Sweet Grey. Ben HATES that I sometimes turn family outings into photo shoots.... Sorry babe, I can't help it. It might be a sickness.

I wish this picture (above) wasn't blurry:( He was laughing so hard in the swing at the park. I just loved watching him. Grey is more of a serious baby, so when I get excited to see him laughing so hard!

why can't I just get ONE good picture of the three of them. i don't think it will ever happen.

haircuts and more haircuts

2010-10-17T20:57:00.001-07:00

This little Grey bug needs a hair cut like EVERY week. Luckily, he is good and likes sitting in the big boy chair to get it cut. He just doesn't like the cape too much. Yeah I pretty much think he is adorable:)

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My Gaurdian Angel

2010-10-17T20:50:00.001-07:00

this is my sweet Angela Simmons. she has been so inspiring and such a great example to me. the first time I ever saw her was when she stood up to bare her testimony on her first sunday at church...EVEN BEFORE SHE HAD BEEN BAPTIZED! She explained that 2 angels in suits found her and saved her life. she also reassured all of us that this is the church she wants to be a part of and she just couldn't describe the happy feeling she got when she walked in our church. I have grown close to her and her sweet spirit. When my mom came out to visit us, she too took a liking to her. My mom exchanged addresses with her and they have been pen pals ever since. Every sunday Sister Simmons makes sure she hunts me down to ask me how I am. She says my mom tells her to check in on me so she does. I love feeling loved. I love that my mom goes a round-a-bout way of making sure im happy and health:). Sister Simmons is just so dang cute. Her strong testimony will always be stuck in my mind. She is a strong reminder that this church is true. Im thankful for all these little divine interventions that I have in my life.

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For my mom

2010-10-16T17:34:00.001-07:00

Ok.... So I hate music on blogs. Mainly because I like to read blogs when my kids are in bed and the house is quiet. I hate when I don't realize that my volume is up on my computer and all of the sudden I am blasted by some random song that I didn't choose to hear. Well, I gave in. But only for my mom because she kept telling me to. She said it really sets the mood for her. So mom, I have finally done it... For you.

Playing on Skidaway Island

2010-10-11T16:25:00.001-07:00

I feel a little vain posting these pics, But I thought they were kind of cool pictures. We went out to Skidaway Island to just get out of the house and let the boys run off their energy at the park. Ben ended up Snapping some pictures of me that I actually thought were ok. It's hard for pictures to be bad with scenery like this. This is why I love the Savannah.

OK.... I LOVE TO SWING. I would honestly swing all day if I could. I had way too much fun on these swings!
Multi-tasking.... taking a phone call
Me and Bugaboo
sassy
Me and Greybie again
Big blue eyed Grey, Stuck in a slide
SO funny. the kids loved the whole in this slide. These pictures crack me up
Come on Grey... He was really trying to climb the slide, but no success
And now the green eyes in the slide. Brogan

My Sister for ETERNITY!

2010-10-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ben's sister Heather got sealed last month in the Columbia SC Temple. It was so awesome to see her and see almost the whole Cowart family be together. Heather's husband (who's name is also Ben) is such a great guy. He is so kind and he handles the Cowart chaos very well. Everything went smoothly and we all just had fun being with each other. Heather looked beautiful. I had a good time photographing her because she is so photogenic. Congratulations Heather and Ben. We all love you guys and wish you the best of luck through out eternity.
Poor Heather.... 4 moths pregnant and Severely diabetic. Sche had to slow down a couple times during her reception, but she was a trooper!
Just some of the gang. We are missing 3 siblings and 2 spouses, but you get the point.
sisters. I LOVE having these sisters. I am often sad I don't have any biological sisters, but these girls step in and fill that place perfectly.
6 of 9 Cowart kids. Alison, Steven, David, Heather, Michael.. and of course the best for last, Ben!

Oatland Island

2010-10-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

A couple mile from our house, we have Oatland Island. It is so fun for the kids and the beauty of it is amazing. It is kind of a mini zoo. They have all sorts of birds, Alligators, Bears, Wolves, Foxes, Bob Cats and more. And the best part is that the kids are free and the adults are only $5. As I was walking around the Island, I just couldn't believe that I live in a place like this. It is so beautiful. I don't know what it will be like for me when we do end up moving back out west.
Bamboo
my monkey
My other monkey
such a cheezer
sweet Grey
Ok seriously.... I think this pig is over fed!

Looking at the Bob Cat
Learning about Alligators

baby Alligator that JUST hatched
me and my boys exploring the big boat on the river bank

Siesta Key

2010-10-03T20:38:00.001-07:00

we got to drive a couple hours south to visit David and joy in Florida. Wow it is seriously the most beautiful place ever! the beach is amazing and the kids always love playing with thier cousins. Joys home is beautiful and she is always so good at taking care of all of my crazy family. we had so much fun at the pool and riding around on the golf cart. thank you to David and Joy for allowing us to intrude all weekend. we had a blast!

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No longer a Baby! Sad

2010-09-27T19:21:00.001-07:00

ONE YEAR ago, my sweet little Bennett Grey came into this world. I can not even express how much I love and admire this little angel. At the beginning we really didn't know what to expect with a 31 weeker, but he was a fighter from day one! He showed everyone in that hospital that he was going to be a warrior and fight for his Mama. His pregnancy was very hard on me. Physically and emotionally. I was in a hospital bed for 5 weeks with a tube coming out of my kidney and a baby laying on that tube.It is kind of weird but I was always at peace with him coming early. I knew he was a strong little guy and I had faith in the NICU that took care of him. I can't believe that a year has gone by. It is also weird to think that when my friest born turned one, I was 4 months pregnant. I can't even imagine that. Grey was so tiny, but he was a lover. He loved to show off his sweet dream smiles. I could have watched him sleep all day.

It was hard at times seeing our little angel struggle, but like i said, I knew he would pull through it all.

One year later! Our little guys is growing and doing GREAT. We have had no problems or delays with him. Wow we love him. Vance loves him so much that he can't even control himself with him. Brogan is the baby helper. Bro will do anything for Grey. if Grey starts to fuss, Brogan is the first one there with a snack or a bottle to calm him down.
For his birthday we celebrated TWICE. We had to celebrate while my parents were here and then we had a small party at Grandma and Grandpa Cowart's house.

Money Money money MONEY!
Grandmas yumylicious cake.
Grey wanted to eat everything
Of course Vance was there to help him lick
I could hardly contain him
And he's off.....
Hurry up already Grandpa
So Excited

Now this is the big Cake Cookie that we made while my parents were here. It was a hit. So delicious.
Bye Bye
What?
Bennett Grey Cowart
Age one
Grey loves to be held. It does'nt really matter who is holding him, he just loves to be up high where the grown-ups are. He love "Bouncing" to music. (he thinks he is dancing).His absolute favorite thing is to "Shake, Shake Shake" where he shakes whatever is in his hands. My mom bought him some moracca's and he shakes them all day. He is very easily entertained. he loves when we sing to him. Especially when we sing, "popcorn" and "Paddy cake"
His vocabulary includes
Mama, Dada, Vroom, Bye Bye, Mine, More and some more jibberish.
He loves to copy us and make animal noises. He loves to growl.
He is just so sweet. He is such an easy baby. I am just sure that he was sent to the right home because I needed him. I need his sweet smiles, and his sweet head on my shoulder. I thank my Heavenly Father for all my wonderful kids. Its interesting how the all fit together. Life just woulndt be complete without any of them. Well Happy Birthday Grey Bug. Your Mama loves you more than you will ever know. Thank you for lighting my life sunshine!

FINALLY! My Family!

2010-09-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

I have been WAITING for my parents to come visit! My mom was planning on coming so she bought her ticket and at the very LAST minute, My dad and little brother Rhett decided to come too! I was so dang excited. My boys had no idea that my brother and "Pops" were coming and they were beside themselves when they saw them! They LOVE LOVE LOVE their Uncle Rhett. I didn't even know where to begin with them. I wanted to take them everywhere and do everything. They stayed for 8 days so we got to do quite a bit. The boys would have been fine going to the beach everyday, but I insisted that we did some site seeing too. I think my dad really enjoyed the beauty of Savannah. I am so thankful that I got to spend time with my Dad. I don't talk to him as much as I do my Mom, so I really enjoyed the time I had with him. I was reminded how great of a guy he is. He is seriously such a good Man, Father and HUSBAND! Both my parents are great. They really spoiled us while they were here. They bought us so many meals and helped so much with the boys. I loved being able to do nightly Scripture study with all of them. It was a nice time to just settle down an remind ourselves to be calm, relaxed and happy. I really do miss my family back home in Arizona. I am so thankful for the chance I have had to move to different parts of the country and be able to focus on my little family, but I still get sad that I don't get to see my parents very often. I have grown so much since I have been away. I LOVE the south. If I had it my way, I would make all my family move down here so I could stay forever. I'm very lucky to have my Mom. I know she wishes I was near her, but she supports me. We talk every day, even if it is just to say "hi" or "I love You". My boys just can't get enough of my parents. I love watching them all play together. Over all, their visit was just awesome!
Pops and Grey downtown on River Street
The boys with Uncle Rhett at Loves on the River
The Majestic Oak... largest Oak tree in the country
Pops in river Street Sweets
We all were waiting for my Mom to come out of the candy shop:)

I did a photo shoot of Rhett and I think they all turned out really good. "cutie"
Me and my parents dealing with the crazy wind behind us
Benjamin James. I love him!
Rhett outside of Wormsloe, a very famous historic site
My seriously cute parents

Me and my baby brother. what has happen to him?!

Rhett protected Vance from all the waves. Poor Rhett, this is all he did at the beach
LOVE THIS PIC!
Playing football with the big boys
My dad with the Tybee light house. He loved this thing

I could look at these pictures of all the boys all day. They are all just so cute and love each other so much. Thank you, THANK YOU, Mom, Dad and Rhett for coming out to see me. So many memories were made that we will always have with. We can't wait to see "y'all" again!

Wide Awake

2010-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Late one night I heard Grey in his room just talking to himself. He is so sweet. He was just rambling on and on. I peeked in on him and it looked like he was trying to eat his way out of the crib. It was so funny. I had to get my camera out and capture the moment. Luckily he went right to sleep after I said goodnight and shut the door for the second time.