Mom School

Well I am blessed to get to have this wild little two year old as my shadow all day while the older kids are at school!

Try to contain your jealousy........ I mean really look at that face.

Honestly I need to take Ella to daycare a couple of days a week so she can learn to play better with kids her own age.  Everyone she plays with at our house is so much older than her and most of them don't even want the same toys as her.  So her sharing skills are a little below par.

She is my coloring girl!

She asks to color at least once a day!

She is only 2 1/2.......by the time she can start kindergarten she'll be beyond ready!

When it's just the two of us Ella usually does great.  She plays well with herself, she loves to watch a couple of cartoons in the morning, her and I enjoy a little pool time several mornings each week and then she typically gets a short nap in the car in the afternoon as we are running kids here and there.

This little girl can push all my buttons all at once, but man I love her!

Oh How We Miss This Guy!!!

We love it anytime we get to Skype with Silvio!!!  Man we miss that kid!

He is doing great and getting ready to take exams to get into med school in Italy.  What a smarty pants!  We can't wait to hear where he's going to college.  So glad he is willing to stay up late and Skype us after we got out of church.

We all loved it!  The kids said we need to do it more often!

Someday we'll travel to Italy to visit him.....someday, mark my word!!!

Seriously Crazy Kids!

These crazy kids can talk me into anything I swear!

So Naveah Grant, Hunter and Brook ask if I would take them to Walmart.  Brody had to go out of town or he would have been with these hoodlums.  They planned to wear all our walking boots so that they could try riding on those electric carts.

I think they were shocked when I said, "SURE!"

I mean really as long as they aren't running people over or messing things up in Walmart I could care less if they "terrorize" Walmart for an hour!  This is small town fun at its core!  These are the kinds of things we use to do.  And honestly, we probably weren't as respectful.......hahaha!

They had a grand 'ole time riding the carts around Walmart for an hour!

I am just grateful they aren't out doing bad things.  I am grateful these are the kinds of things these kids want to go do.  Being a teenager these days is intense, so anytime I can support my kid in doing something thats truly just innocent fun I am all for it!

What a bunch of crazies I have to deal with!!!  Love them all to pieces though!

Gotta Love 12 Year Old Boys

Hunter pulled out one of his molars.  He showed me that he had put it in a bag and told me, "I hope the tooth fairy remembers I lost a tooth!"  I reassured him that she would.

The next morning Hunter came upstairs with the tooth in the bag and said, "Mom I'll just make this easy on you."

He handed me the tooth in the bag and said, "Any time you want to pay me is fine!"

It made me laugh so hard!  That dang tooth fairy must have been really busy last night.  Hunter didn't seem to mind because he got a lot more for his tooth since he added such humor to my morning.  

I sure love this kid!

BEST SHAVED ICE ON EARTH

Kiersten has been raving for a year about the "Mind Blowing Shaved Ice" from Braven Grant's house.  I was super excited to finally get to try some.  And honestly it really is mind blowing!!!

You can put whatever drink you want in the machine and it comes out like snow powder.  So the shaved ice is the actual drink, not flavoring put over ice.  

The top white part is french vanilla creamer!

Seriously I need one of these EVERYDAY!

The texture is amazing!  

I need one of these machines!  I only tried Powerade Zero because I am on a diet right now.  But from Kiersten's words,"the chocolate milk and the strawberry milk ones with cream is the TOTAL BOMB!"

Can't wait to try those when I am off my diet.

Happy Happy Birthday Kiersten Dear

I am not sure who was more excited for Kiersten's birthday presents, Kiersten or Ella.  Hahaha!

Ella pretty much thought they were for her.  Or at least the presents were for her to "Open for Kiersten."

How I have a 15 year old I do not know!  But I am not liking the fact that she only has 3 years of high school left and then she'll leave for college.  Please time SLOW DOWN!!!

Kiersten was thrilled with her birthday presents!  She said, "Wow mom you did a better job getting me stuff when I don't tell you what I want!"  That's where my shopping skills come in handy...lol!

She was also super excited about the iPhone 6 her Grandpa Cluff gave her.  Guess all the other cousins older and younger than her have that nice of a phone so Grandpa thought Kiersten needed one as well.  

Happy Birthday Kiersten

15 Things I Love About Kiersten

1.  Her Smile.

2.  Her fun and silly personality.

3.  How wise she is.  Kiersten is wise beyond her years for sure!

4.  I love how serious she takes living the gospel. Any trip we go in she brings her scriptures. She says she likes reading out of them better than using the scriptures on her phone. 

5.  I love how giving she is.  She makes sure everyone around has what they need before she ever thinks to do for herself. 

6.  I love her tender heart!! 

7.  I love how giggly her and Hunter often get! 

8.  She is the most thoughtful 15 year old out there. She jumps in and helps when ever she sees a need. 

9.  I love that she loves to talk to her grandmas and really enjoys getting to know them. 

10.  I love that her and I have a playful, teasing relationship.

11.  I love that she comes to me for advise with her friends and boys (not happy about the boy part, just the fact that she wants me to know whats going on).

12.  I love how helpful she is.  Kiersten is the kid that jumps in and cleans, picks up without being asked to do so.

13.  I LOVE watching her dance!  This girl steals the show because she always looks like she is loving every minute of performing!

14.  Even though she is super smart, I love how air headed she can be sometimes!  I think she got that trait from me :)

15.  I love her enthusiasm for life!

Hope your birthday was amazing, just like you Kiersten!!

Need More Faith

As I drove home from the reunion I had time to think.  Several of the kids were asleep, Kiersten had earphones in listening to music.  So I was driving in peace.  I thought about the troubles going on in my life right now.  I thought about how my attitude has been regarding those troubles.  I have to be honest, my attitude has been crappy lately.  I guess my SELF is tired.  My SELF feels drained.  I won't say all of this is my fault, but I realize my job is to work on the part that I can change.  My job is to have FAITH.  Faith in myself, faith in my Heavenly Father, faith in my ability to make hard choices, and faith that Justin can and will do his part.

I need more faith!  I need to focus on the things that are good, while at the same time not ignoring the bad, just looking at the bad parts and focus on changing the aspects of those parts that are in my ability to change.  Life is often so challenging and I am so grateful to have the gospel to help me through it.

Here's to having a more positive attitude! And to exercising my faith with stronger dedication and patience!

Cluff Reunion

Time again for the Cluff Family Reunion up in Nutrioso.  

First stop was the Lollipop Shoppe......great tradition!

The kids were pretty happy to get an ice cream!

Ella was voicing her opinion by refusing to get in the group picture.  Gotta love two year olds!

After some fit throwing she decided she does indeed like ice cream and all was well in the world!  Once again gotta love two year olds.

Ella was pretty fussy this trip.  By the time we got home on Sunday she had a fever of 101.  Next day I took her to the doctor and sure enough she had strep throat.  So it makes a lot more sense why she wasn't very happy up at the reunion.  But considering she had strep I think she did pretty good.  Poor thing!!!

Ella might have worn the same outfit of two days (not this outfit, but her "Fabrite" one) up at the reunion.  Good thing Aunt Carol reminded me it was totally fine, cause really I wanted to throw a fit myself and make Ella change...hahaha.

Ranger loaded with a gazillion kids.......reunion tradition!

Hunter, Doyle, Porter and Jacob

So fun to see cousins that you don't get to see often.  The weather was beautiful for sure!  Always nice to get out of the heat!

Erin, Maddie and Bryn

Grandma is such a good sport and fulfilled Logan's request for her to be his partner for this race.  It was fun to watch them both having a good time!

The talent show is always a big part of the kids reunion experience.  This is Ella on stage with the little kids showing off their dance moves!  Hunter was part of a comedy show and Logan of course danced.

Fun part is always Tooty Ta with Grandma Cluff......hilarious!

What a good family!

Jordon, Tyler, Gunner and Logie Bear

Logan is always so good to the younger cousins!

Hanging around visiting is always the best!

There are so many little cousins as you can see.  Pretty special to think that my kids get to know their distant cousins so well.  That is not typical in this day and age.  I know my kids don't know their cousins on my side of the family nearly as well.

The older girls got all fancied up and had a photo shoot while at the reunion.  They are all such beautiful girls on the inside and out!  Kiersten LOVES getting to see them!  She got really close to Kamryn Reed this trip and they are already making plans for how to get together in the near future.

And as you can see, us parents got together and visited about what kinds of guns we are buying when we get home.  LOL........no really we should have!  These girls are too good for any boys I know.

It was fun to see everyone.  Kind of a stressful time with craziness going on at home but we made it through the weekend without any huge hiccups.  I am counting that as a success!!!!

Always good to visit with Aunt Carol, when (and if) I grow up I want to be just like her!  She is full of wisdom and good advice.  She told me to, "Keep doing good work!"  And really that was perfect advice!  Just what I needed to hear, so I took it to heart!

As we were leaving the reunion, Uncle George came up to Justin and I and told us how much he had enjoyed playing cards with Hunter!  They had played Scum into the late hours of the night.  George said how good Hunter was at cards and that "Hunter was teaching him a thing or two!"  Anyone that knows Uncle George they understand what a huge compliment that is!  

Uncle George is King of Cards!

It was wonderful to see everyone!  This year Stacie and Richard didn't come.......I sure missed them and their family!  Good thing we have a beach trip planned with them for Fall Break so I can get my Harmon fix! :)

Poisonous Something or Other....

Hunter is just attracted to poisonous plants I tell ya.

While we were picking raspberries Hunter walked aways off to go pee.  He must have gotten in to some poison ivy or poison oak.  By Friday morning the hives were so bad I took him to the doctor.  The doctor gave him a steroid creme to use and told me to give him benedryl to help with the extreme itching.  So we did that.  

By Saturday night Hunter's whole knee had swollen up and the itching was getting much worse.  It was to the point of being painful, which is a big deal with Hunter because he has such a high tolerance for pain.  I took Hunter to my friend who's a nurse, Angela Paull.  She said for sure he is allergic to the steroid creme.  So Sunday Hunter laid all day on the couch.  

On Monday I took him back to the doctor.  The doctor agreed that Hunter was having an allergic reaction to the creme, so he prescribed a steroid pill.  It took about 2 weeks for the itching to finally stop.  It was so crazy!

So glad this didn't happen to one of my other kids.  Hunter is the toughest for sure!  I felt so bad for Hunter because it was quite painful and extremely itchy for so long!  

Then he tells me, "Well when I was going pee I thought the plants looked like poison ivy!"

Seriously kid, I'd think he would have learned by now that poison ivy is NO FUN!  Guess he hasn't learned that lesson yet.  Maybe this time it will sink in!

Awesome Weekend at the Lake

We were really excited to be invited to join Justin and Heather Mack at the lake this weekend!  We had never been to Apache Lake before.  Gosh it's gorgeous!

This family of mine is pretty darn gorgeous too!  I am always grateful for time with family and friends away from typical life.  It's so refreshing!

Kiersten, Ella, Lexi (a.k.a. Chicken Bone) and Suzi

Ella loved the tube rides....

She loved them so much it was hard to get her off.  Ella was extra fussy this whole weekend at the lake.  I felt bad that we were the ones with the screaming 2 year old.  Thank goodness the Mack's and Earp's are easy going.  Good news is none of us drowned Ella in the process :)

Ella sure loves Chicken Bone!

They were so cute together!

Justin Mack just blends in with all the kids!  Hahaha.......his is pretty much a big kid himself.  Justin Mack is so good with the kids.  He sure took them on some wild tube rides!

Hunter and Grant cruising the jet ski.  That yacht in the back ground is Terry and Shaylynn Earps.  It is huge!  

Apache Lake is such a beautiful lake.  I can't believe we haven't been there before.

This little lady took control of the boat for awhile.......or so she thought!

When she wasn't screaming at us, she was pretty cute!

Hunter was so helpful with the Earp boys.  This is Laythe with Hunter.  Hunter had helped him catch a fish!  At one point, Shaylynn said, "If any of my boys turn out as responsible and good as Hunter I will be so happy!"

It was a sweet comment!

We partied it up at Party Cove!

Cliff jumping was great!  See Kiersten up on the rock?

The Mack's new pontoon boat is amazing!

Complete with a slide and everything!

Grant and Conner

Ella and Recker Earp

This kids and I headed to the lake first thing Friday morning.  Well after we got my Denali tire fixed....woke up to a flat tire.  Just what you want to wake up to when you are trying to get away early.  Of course I would much rather have it happen before we left than while we are on the road!

Justin wasn't able to get away from the office on Friday.  Heather was so sweet and offered for the kids and I to just come and stay with them in their trailer.  I am sure that was a decision she quickly regretted....lol!  Nine kids total, one being a crazy 2 year old makes for some tired adults.  It was a fun weekend on the lake though.  Justin came up Saturday morning with our jet skis. 

Not sure the Mack's will ever invite us again, our luck combined with theirs equals crazy bad luck.  The wake tower on their brand new boat totally broke off while they were pulling the kids on the tube.  CRAZY!!!!  The stereo on the boat quit working.  The new AC in their trailer stopped working Saturday night, so it was really hot.  Oh man we bring bad luck I think!

They joked that they are going to invite us another time just to see if we have bad luck again.....lol!

We had a really fun time regardless of all the craziness!

We love the Mack's and Earp's!

Sophomore Year

I love all these girls!

Kenlynn, Danika, KristiAnna, Raely and Kiersten

(A couple of friends are missing from the picture)

So glad Kiersten has such good, fun friends!  They are all so beautiful and just fun!  I love that they all call me, "Momma Becky"!  High school can be tough and good friends make all the difference!

Here's to a good, fun filled year!