I am Thankful

"Gratitude is of the very essence of worship. … When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives”. Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."

~ Gordan B. Hinckley, "With a Grateful Heart"



Cameron really enjoyed his dinner. He is such a good eater. Cameron will acctually eat more than I do sometimes.


Well Berkie sure looks cheery huh? Brooklynn and her cousin Caleb had fun eating together at the kids table.


We started this last year although Ryan claims he has no recollection. Anyways... The week of Thanksgiving at our meals we write down what we are thankful for. Of course we are thankful for our home, family, friends, food to eat, the gospel and a living prophet. We had so many, but some of my favorites are...
Ryan- I am thankful for my energy & strength to run. Video games. My wife and kids.
Dani- I am thankful for my camera to make memories. Good friends who know, love and accept me. My amazing husband who really makes me feel like Cinderella. Two perfect little blessings that drive me crazy, but I love them.
Berkie- I am thankful for pumpkins, leaves and camels.(she really said that)My mommy's camera too. My kitty Boo, I love her berry much. (so cute.) My Tigger Brother Cameron.
Cam- I am thankful for everyone's food that I take, Sissy's toys, my mad climbing skills. (sister helped with his.)


When it was my week to teach Preschool we made Trees out of hand prints. We were going to put what we are thankful for on them, but I decided to leave it blank. I am going to get a frame and put it up every Fall. I think it turned out cute, and Brooklynn was very proud.

For Thanksgiving it was with my side of the family. This year the Budd's decided to all get together to have one last big Feast. It has been a long time since we have had Thanksgiving as a whole. There was about 75 people there. It was so much fun. Also this year is my mom's year for the family reunion and she did the Budd Amazing Race. So far it has been a blast and we have had a few events already. We have matched up big news events with the year and done some cemetary searching and on Thanksgiving we did several things; dig up a clue, put together a puzzle with a clue, blow a bubble with 10 peices of gum, find a gnome on the beach with our color hat on it. It is so fun. So far my family has gone from 2nd place to 3rd to 4th. OOPS! Well it ends New Years Eve so we still have a few more events to catch back up. We can do it! It was a great holiday and I am so blessed. I do have my "woe is me" moments. (I am not too bad, but could always be better.) I am really working on being more positive and grateful. I know that no matter what happens or life brings I have a choice to be happy. I really will try to choose that more often.

Our little Monkey

A few weeks ago we heard something moving around and saw that Cam was pushing his highchair around. It was so cute, so when he wanted to eat he would push it out to the table and when he was done he would put it back. Well a few days later we heard him moving it around and then it got quiet. I went in the kitchen to find he pushed it over to the cupboards and was almost on top of the counter. Once he realized he could do that, he started getting in his highchair when ever he is ready to eat. I got him on video halfway through. I love his proud expression, crazy little boy. We sure love him.

Family Pictures

We did family pictures on Saturday and considering that Brooklynn cried for about the first 15 minutes. I think they turned out pretty good. I love Cam's big smile. Brooklynn is kinda making the "don't smile" face. She is still gorgeous no matter what.


This picture turned out cute, even though Brooklynn was still sad. This is Cameron's new face. He reminds me of Zoolander. "I am ridiculously good looking."

MTM- Thanksgiving/Thankful

This was last weeks Muffin Tin Monday. The theme was food you are thankful for. Brooklynn loves pizza, bagels with pink stuff. A big carrot with ranch, any kind of cookies. Grapes and crackers are a favorite snack. And Brooklynn would eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'll bet she would eat cereal in her sleep.



Although I am not always able to do Muffin Tin Monday, Brooklynn loves it when I do. She eats so good too.



Yum, she loves big carrots. What a silly girl. She walks around like Bugs Bunny eating them.

Little Zack

My sister always says that our nephew Zack Dennis looks like Zack Efron. I never saw it until recently. It's not super close, of course my nephew has darker skin. But I think it may be the beautiful blue eyes and the wispy hair. Either way I sure have a cute nephew.

My baby doesn't need me anymore...

Cameron is no longer nursing. He has always been such a mamma's boy and would not go to bed with out nursing. I got him down to only once a day, just before bed. My plan was the end of the year to stop nursing but I had to stop a little early. I thought it would be really hard and he would cry all night or at least wake up for me. Um... no!



The first night he didn't cry or even make a peep. He slept 9 1/2 hours. The second night he cried for about 15 or so minutes, but this time he slept 11 hours. Now a week later, he had no memory of our time together. He's all grown up.

64 years!

Last Saturday was my grandparents 64th Anniversary and this week is my grandpa's 90th birthday. On Halloween we went there and my grandpa was on the roof, cleaning out the rain gutters. He can be stubborn and takes joy in doing his own yard work. He told us that he can still do it, because he isn't 90 yet. But only a few days away now. So the Budd family had a big party to celebrate both. We were in St. George for part of it, we got home around 6:30 and the party was at 7pm. Cameron was exhausted and I knew he would not get back in the carseat. Ryan stayed home with him and Brooklynn and I went. (sidenote: Cam really needed his sleep. He slept 11 1/2 hours)


Whoo woo! My grandma is a babe and gramps is quite handsome. I am not going to say the whole story, but they met very young and fell in love. (g-ma 13 g-pa 18) Unfortunately Grandpa got drafted into WWII and their engagement was put on hold for one year. While he was in training Pearl Harbor was bombed and things changed.


Four years later my grandpa returned home and they were married 7 days later. They are truly in love and so cute to watch. What great examples to me of how to be and just love each other no matter what.


My grandma had asked me that she needed a nice picture of her and Grandpa. So last fall we went to the park and took some pictures. Aren't those two just so sweet? I love when they talk about the war years or their wedding. They just love each other so much. I love you guys.


What I wrote last year.

Half Marathon

After we dropped Ryan off at the Marathon, I found a front row parking spot. So we ended up staying the whole time. Since we already had our car packed up. The kids watched half of the Dinosaur Ice Age movie in the car. Then we decided to get out and go cheer on the runners. They had two heats going, the women started an hour before the men and there was a 5K. So we got to see a lot of runners finish and the first place finish. The kids loved playing on the bleachers.


Ryan's parents were down in St. George also. They came to the race to watch him finish. Cameron had fun with Grandpa and really liked playing with his glasses and ears.


The race started 15 minutes earlier than we thought and when Ryan's parents got there Ryan finished about 2 minutes later. We are lucky that Ron saw him so I could get a picture. Wahoo! Go RY!


There is my cheeser! Brooklynn found a friend that she was playing with for awhile. It was cute, everytime people clapped and cheered she would turn around and clap. Then get back to her ponies.


Because it started earlier and the 5K and women runners, I really didn't know where Ryan finished and what time. Of course he did great! He finished one minute longer than his goal time at 1 hour 22 minutes. And he was 2nd place in his age and 8th place overall. I am very proud of Ryan and his accomplishments.

Even though it was a very short trip we had a lot of fun. Thanks to my cousin Sara and her hubby Eric who let us stay with them.

I ♥ Faces - Balloons

Just an old picture I took of Brooklynn last about a year and a half ago. To see more I ♥ Faces go HERE.

Halloween Happenings

Sorry the pictures are so grainy. The real pictures aren't I don't know what the heck happened once I loaded them to the post. Enjoy anyways.


"Lions, Tigers, Bears. Oh my." My cute little munchkins.


Dennis cousins, some of the Oldroyd Cousins and our family. I couldn't decide whether to be a good witch or a bad witch. I am really pink.


Brooklynn went to a fun Halloween party with her friends. They were so cute. I love her friends Thing 1.


When the hubbies were gone hunting my sis-in-law and I took the kids to Gardener Village to go on a witch hunt. They had fun and we found all the witchy poos.


My neices and nephews Katie, Abbie, Tyler and Chase. Or as Brooklynn says it "AbbieTylerChase" (one word)


Another cute picture of the kids at Gardener Village.


After Gardener Village we went to my mother-in-laws house and the kids decorated trick or treat bags. We let them color one side and then my talented neice Katie drew a picture on the other. Berkie's has a cat making her sassy face and Cam's is Superman.


A few weeks ago we went to the Thanksgiving Point Cornmaze. It was so much fun. It started out cold and I was worried about the two babies, but we all had fun. Cameron loved playing the the cornbox.