15 Kids 6 Adults and 2 dogs

To end the summer...

Life doesn't get any better than this. 

Family, Friends and the wide open outdoors!

What would life be like without these amazing people in our life?!

21 of us and 2 dogs makes for a crazy camp.  Definitely something that we must do each year.

Fishing, thunderstorms, playing in the creek, and chanting made up songs and cheers to pass our time during the rainstorms....it was such a BLAST.

Us girls went for a ride and we were gone for way to long, for that I am sorry, but while we were away we laughed hard and acted like we were children.  Our poor kids are gonna grow up thinking their moms are CRAZY!!!  Seems way too often Michelle and I find humor in humiliating ourselves and then we blog it for the world to see :) 

It wouldn't be a Elli and Michelle adventure without a little war paint and yellow hail fight (thank you Brad)

This was by far the highlight of our trip.

I LOVE YOU MICHELLE

Nationals in Vegas Baby

This was the sweet face I got to look at while Michelle and I road tripped it to Vegas for Dance Nationals.

This is London's second year going to nationals and I love every min I get to watch her dance.

She is only six, and I tear up every time I see my shy sweet little girl get on that stage and DANCE.

Just had to share....touch it if you dare!

This magic store was a constant crack up

 Break for lunch

and then back at it!

 Just a few pic's to bring back the memories and the fun

 These girls are CRAZY and fun.  They dance all day and play all night

then tomorrow they start all over.

The confidence and courage that London has gained from dance is, to me, priceless.

The constant growth excites me and I am loving having a girl and look forward to these trips that we will be able to experience together.

Kaden TURNS 8

Kaden is one sweet boy.  I was so excited for him to turn 8 and be BAPTISED.  It surely snuck up on us....where does time go.  My kids are growing up so fast!  I find a bitter sweet  emotion in this whole growing up thing.  I love watching Kaden learn and grow.  And it hasn't been easy for him.  He is my second child and fights like heck to win my attention.  He has the will power and mind set to do anything this life hands him.  He has such a strong personality, I feel he will go far in life, and be very successful at whatever he puts his mind to.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               It was such a sweet day.  Always an emotional moment for mom.  Kaden had so many family and friends come and support him.  We love you Kaden and Remember The Commitments and Covenents that you made on this special day.  I am a better person because I have Kaden in my life.  He has taught me so many lessons about Love and Life!  Kaden has a smile that lights up any room.  And freckles that just make me melt.  I hope this was a day you will always remember.  Happy Birthday Kaden!

Like 5 Kids isnt enough.....

 TIQUE

 So Meet the newest Member of our family.  Like 5 kids isn't enough to keep us busy around here, we decided to add one more. 

So sad, and we knew it was coming soon, but Brad went in the back yard and found MALIBU...our 13+ year old lab!  Didn't think I would be as sad as I was, but he became a member of our family.  He, as slow and as sick as he always was, he added joy and stories to our life. 

We buried him and had the kids write Malibu notes.  Dylan always looked after him and called him his.  Dylan took it the hardest and wrote the SWEETEST note.  We put it in the blanket with Malibu and I wish I would have kept it!    It said.....

All of the tears on this paper don't come close to telling you how much I loved you and how much I will miss you.  I wish I had been a better owner.  (He wasn't home when he died and felt like he should have been)  Sweet Sweet Boy Dylan is.  He has always been tender and close to the spirit since he was born.  I love that KID.  Kadens and Londons were sweet also, Kaden hid under a blanket for a day.  Dad told them that we could get a puppy (soon)  Well we (me and the kids) found Tique the next day and brought her home a week later......

And life will never be the same!!!!

SKIDS.....

A couple of weekends ago we had a small sleepover for Dylan's Birthday....and I have to share this for those of you who don't see Monica's Blog. But on our way home the boys wanted to go play capture the flag at the Mt View Park, so we stopped at the dollar store and bought a ton of glow sticks. As we were driving by the park I could hear the boys whispering are you sure, it looks really dark out there....is it gonna be scary....LITTLE did they know how scary it was really gonna be. As we were headed out the door, I said to Brad "are you sure we should go, with there being Kidnappers on the Loose???" All the boys ears perked up, "WHAT" I said to them oh, its not a big deal, but Brad just heard that 2 kidnappers escaped from the police right here on Power and Queen Creek and they haven't found them yet! "We have Brad, We'll be fine"

So we head down the street and round the corner to the PITCH black park. I sit the boys down to explain the game, I can totally tell some are more aware of our surroundings than others, and as I begin, Michelle rolls up lights out, BLASTing Thriller from her car....which was good cuz the boys didn't even see these two men sneaking up behind us.......................

If we would have looked for skids we surely would have found some. I couldn't have laughed harder....Dylan and Eric fell to the ground in the fetus position while others scattered and ran in all directions. Owen and Kaden ran straight for Michelle's car where she locks her doors and starts driving away with scared little kittens pounding "LET US IN"

We are soo mean! But it was well worth the belly laughs. I'm sure these boys may have felt different. Some may never look at the dark the same again. Hopefully there were no bad dreams that night. What doesn't kill um only makes um stronger.

What will I do with my tomorrow?

I recently got called, in my eyes to one of the hardest callings (sorry Monica) aside of Gospel Doctrine. This has been really hard for me, because I don't know what I'm talking about, I've studied what I'm teaching, but each time I get up to teach Relief Society, I get completely overwhelmed by the spirit and it doesn't come out the way I want it to. I am so grateful to have such amazing Woman in my ward that understand me and support me. I pray that the spirit whispers to them and they get something out of my lessons. (Listen to me babble for 45 min??) Please help them.

I know that this calling is important to my growth in the church and in life. To prepare me and help me not only grow in the gospel, but to teach me to not be afraid. I have huge fear of speaking in front of people and this is definitely a test in my life.

I have to admit that there have been some big trials in my life lately, I am such a private person, I stay away when this happens. I have gotten so far behind in so many areas of my life that I don't know if I will ever get caught up....but I am going to try. Keeping a record of our life, so that I don't forget the little things is so important to me.....So,

Today is a new day, I can't change the past, but I definitely have control over what I do tomorrow!!!

To fall in love again....

My heart has been taken over by another man.....

Sooo sorry Brad. I do still love you

The last 5 months have been the sweetest of days!! Don't get me wrong, very overwhelming at times, but WELL worth the sleepless nights. 5 kids has definitely thrown me for a loop, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I consider myself lucky to have such beautiful children.

I don't know if I will ever get caught up on the blogging, laundry, house cleaning.....but my precious sweet baby will only be little once. It means letting a lot go and learning to enjoy the moments while they last. I am grateful for sooo much, I can't even begin.

TriCK or TReaT

Smell my feet, give me something good to eat

Happy Birthday LONDON.....

What a fitting name for such a wonderful PRINCESS.....

This little ball of fire is such a joy to have around the house....most of the time she loves helping with the new one in the house that seems to be steeling all of moms time. She's gonna be a great mom someday. She has been working so hard at dance, and is becoming quite the little "shaker" I couldn't be happier that she loves dance.

I have to say, I was sad when we were only gonna have one girl in the house...then I quickly realized the benefits we will someday have. I am excited to develop a one on one relationship with London, even though we may fight for the queen of the castle sometimes.....wink wink....the thoughts of girl time just took on a whole new meaning. Its not always fun, London says to me quite often, "Its no fair that there is always soooo many boys around" I quickly told her, someday you will be grateful....these boys are one day gonna be your boyfriends and all the girls will want to come here.

I LOVE YOU LONDON. Hope you had a fun day

Choose This Day

Amazing, a must see. He gives us two promises...one being,

"As hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next if we choose to serve the Lord today" Do not delay his blessings. We choose to feel the joy in his service.

Let today be your "SomeDay"

Choose This Day
(click here)

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I am LOVin on this.....

Grayer Eero 4Days old

Amy you are amazing. This is just a taste of what is to come. Grayer was only 4 days old and my sweet, dear friend came and captured his yummy sweet little bum....

FOr the LOve of the GAME

We are proud to be apart of the SPECIAL FORCES

and all that they "Represent"

They are such amazing young boys and it is a treat to watch them grow and develop more than just the sport.

Sweet PLAY for Dylan

Our Champ running the BALL

Football has been so fun for our family. I've said it before but we love the sport and we love the great company and support from family and friends. Michelle was so sweet and she got up nice and early to come capture some pictures of Dylan and his team.

Meet GREAT Grandpa Welker

I live for moments like these! Great Grandpa Welker got to meet his newest great grand baby and he was soo cute and sweet. He had the hugest smile on his face. It may have been because he was overwhelmed by all of the hyper children, but lets just say it was because he was soo happy to see all of us.

We don't get to see him very often, so when we do it's a treat.

Time flies way to fast

It seems like just yesterday that we brought this sweet baby home. How time sure does fly. It makes me sad to see the tiny diapers already gone, yet excited when he does something new. Knowing he's our last makes me want to stop and enjoy every single second of his life. Ha, being number 5!!!! We have never been SO busy, and poor Grayer just get drug along for the ride.

Everyone does their share of helping and holding. They have actually gotten really good at it to.

I can't quite figure out who he looks like, they all pretty much resemble each other.

We have the BEST Dad EVeR

Happy Birthday Sweetie....

I have to take a quick second and thank the Greatest Man in my life for all that he does for me. Brad never sits Idol, he is always busy doing something. He's doing laundry, washing dishes, wiping butts: the guy can't and doesn't sit still for a second! He's a great dad and husband.

I have to say you "are" older and wiser, and babe you still got it.

I LOVE YOU Hope you enjoyed your day

My little DareDevil

I need say no more......


Matix is our first child to test all of his boundaries! Maybe the other boys did also and we just don't remember them so clearly. But this kid is BUSY busy all of the time. He will take chairs and push them up to doors just to see if he can get out. He loves to climb and he loves to be outside. At football practice we have about 5 sets of eyes on him or he is in the road.....scary. Little BOOGER that I love sooo much. Despite, he is truly a joy.

Quicksand.....

Yesterday was a long busy fun day and we came home exhausted, all the kids crashed fast! It was about 12 midnight and I layed down in bed excited to sleep for a few (hopefully hours) before Grayer woke up to eat for the rest of the night: and we hear a dog barking.....not a loud someones here bark, a disturbed kinda soft bark. Who's dog is that Brad, he isn't stopping. So Brad goes to investigate and a few short minutes later he calls to me to come help. WHAT? Help? So I run down stairs kinda in a panic to find Malibu stuck.......

We always have some interesting story to tell, so why not add one more.

I guess Brad had let the water run in the backyard and it all collected under the swing set, in a hole that he and Dylan had dug earlier this week, a deep one to find clay like mud for a school project. Of course he didn't fill it in......and it must have seemed like a good way to keep cool to a 13 yr old dog. Problem was that he got stuck, literally sunk, his hind legs past his hips and couldn't move. Now how long he had been there, Who Knows!!! We left at 4! Every time Brad would pull he would bite him....that's the only part I laughed at! It was like a suction cup around his hind half, so Brad had to use a shovel to dig him out.....soooo sad. Those of you that know him he doesn't get around so well anyways. Brad pulls him into the grass and we are spraying him off and he wont get up. I feel heartless most days, but last night was almost in tears thinking how sad it would be for the kids to see him. And the fact that the poor thing couldn't get up. Eventually he got up but wasn't moving good at all, so I stayed up with him for about an hour to make sure he didn't die, still today he falls down when he's walking! Soo sad, he's really old, not healthy at all, but how do you know when it's time?

Oh, and today, while we're talking about dogs, London was riding a scooter home from a friends house and got bit by a dog! Yeah, an ankle biter! Literally! She flipped out and sooo sad for her I'm sure it hurt and it broke the skin! When Brad went and confronted the owners all they had to say was "she doesn't bite" There are some stupid people in this world, and we live right by them.

Football....

Dylan has a huge love for the game, and last year played flag, and I was totally ok with it. Then all of these boys got in their heads that they wanted to play the big mans game of TACKLE. So...I gave in and we all signed up. We have such a GOOD group of boys and we were all very lucky to all get on the SPeCIal ForCEs team. SOOOOO much fUn!!!! But I have to admit, the first time I heard the helmets hit at our first scrimage game....the mom in me thought "what have I done?"

There has been several weeks of practice in the HOT HOT.......lots of sweat, and ........

Well, tonight my eyes welled up with tears as my sweet Dylan came off the field after practice drenched in sweat and "oh crap" in his eyes. This little boy is working so dang hard and is loving the sport soooo much, and as a mom I have to wonder at the end of the day are we doing the right thing.....is tackle too much for a 53 pound 8 yr old?! With tears rolling down his face, My HeaRT broke....and all I could say was, these are the days that you grow the most!!!!

Danget, it's hard as a mom to see them work so hard that they cry....by the way, Dylan would kill me it he knew I was blogging about this.

There has been soo many little life lessons along the way, we have amazing coaches that are not only teaching our boys football, but teaching them how to be amazing MEN. Dylan came home from his first game and tells me, "Mom, do you know there are men that are fighting for our country? We are the special forces, and we have to go out on that field and fight for our team just like those men that are fighting so hard for us" Then he sits there for a few min and then says "mom its kinda like in life, we have to fight hard for what is right!"

I love this Kid. Sometimes, I admit, I expect too much out of him. Gosh darn it....sometimes I am hard on him.....but it's because I know what he is Made OF, he is destined for something big....he has such a tender spirit, and by far more in tune to the spirit than most 8 year olds. The only thing hard about Tackle he would say is hitting your friends. He has such a timid personality, anyone that knows him would tell you that this is a far stretch for him. (outside his comfort zone that is) He is so shy, and I love that this is helping him break out of that and make new friends. I never thought I would say this, but seeing him goof off with these boys makes me soooo happy inside.

I love our new little Football Family and everything this sport is giving to Dylan.