A Lubbock DUST STORM!!

 On October 17, 2011 this is what rolled into Lubbock, Texas!!! The girls were outside playing and came running in saying, "Mom, how come the sky is all orange?" I responded saying, "Oh it's probably just the sun setting." That's what I thought until I came and looked out the window!! I quickly whisked my children back inside and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had never seen anything like this before. Luckily our home went unharmed, just dusty! When you walked in the grass after the storm a big plumb of dust would rise up. When we mowed later that week, our bag was mostly filled with dust--it was a nasty job!

This is looking from our backdoor window.

This is a video our friends took of the storm approaching.

Utah Vacation Day 7 and 8

Blake and I with our future Cougar!

On Saturday Blake took his nephews to go shooting up the canyon and me and the girls went to a boutique. The boutique was fun and I found the most amazing coat and would have bought it had the price been right. We also got a family picture taken of the Clifton Clan and one for ourselves.

The Chuck and Joyce Clifton Family (minus Trent, Emily and their 2 kids)

Clifton Grandkids minus 2

Kelsey (6.5), Lanaea (22 months), Mylee (4)

We had to get a picture in of the kid brigade at meal time!

Later the evening I took Mylee and Lanaea over to my sister Megan's house while Blake, Kelsey and I went to the BYU football game. I had more fun watching Kelsey get so excited and into the game then watching what was going on. She was cheering and yelling and had the best time.  I think Blake was pretty proud to share this experience with his daughter. I had made some hair bows before we left for Utah for this very day and event.

That evening, we picked our kids up at Megan's and went home to get some good R&R for our long trip to Utah the next day. Yes, we traveled the full 15 hours in one day, phew!! We made it though thanks to our DVD player and a lot to talk about after all of our adventures we had had at home. Blake woke up bright and early the next morning for work. Luckily Kelsey didn't have to go to school the next day due to some school holiday--yea!! It was a good day to recuperate.

Utah Vacation Day 5 and 6

 The rest of our time while in Utah was spent at Blake's parents' house in Mapleton. Some neighbors had let us borrow their horses to ride so we took advantage. Unfortunately we missed getting pictures with Kelsey on the horse, but I'll tell you this, she LOVED it!!! Mylee didn't like it so much at first as you can see in the picture above, but with a little prodding from Blake, she warmed up to the idea and in the end enjoyed it!

 Lanaea stayed true to herself and had no fear what so ever. She loved every minute of her horse ride.

Me and Lanaea watching everyone ride the horses in the rain. Like my pink umbrella?!!

 The next morning we woke up to snow!! Crazy!! Good thing Blake and I had gone bike riding at the beginning of the week. We had a couple of more bike rides scheduled, but we ended up canceling them due to the weather. Instead we visited with family around the house and went bowling Friday morning with the whole Clifton crew. My mom and Roland showed up for a short time to say hi and goodbye to their grandkids.

 Blake treated our kids to a few games of speed ball and they all enjoyed a game of bowling. It's always so cute to see kids try to bowl.

Later that evening Blake's Grandma and Grandpa Ray showed up from Arizona to host their annual Homecoming Party. Every year at homecoming they have all their family gather together to visit and Grandpa always gives a devotional and he treats the grandkids and their spouses to BYU homecoming tickets. The whole event was wonderful. It was nice to visit with Blake's family and see some faces we hadn't seen in years. The devotional was wonderful and uplifting. Grandpa and Grandma Ray are two of the most wonderful people I have ever had the privilege of meeting.  They live the Christ-like life and are therefore such good people. Their kids did a tribute to them and their life together. I learned that no one is exempt from trials, we all get them. It's all a matter of whether or not we turn to Christ to help lift us up. The evening was so chaotic and crazy I didn't manage to get any pictures :(.

Utah Vacation Day 4

 On Tuesday we went to Cornbellys to play with the kiddos. Blake's siblings showed up with their kiddos too. The kids had such a wonderful time. There were all sorts of activities for the kids to do. We were there for a couple of hours.

Grammy Joyce with all her grandchildren except 5 (I think?)

Blake with 4 of his cute sisters. Awww, they love him too!!

Grandpa and Grandma Brown with their grandchildren minus 3



My little princesses!

 Later that evening we continued to spend the day with my Dad and Step-mom. My step-sister came over with her family and we had a wonderful visit. The kids had so much fun playing with each other and it was so nice to visit with my family. I miss them so much! Kelsey got some special treatment from Grandma too and did some beading with her. Kelsey was in heaven!!!

Utah Vacation Day 3

 On Monday morning we went bike riding up American Fork Canyon with my Dad and Step-mom and Brother-in-law Aaron. It was SO beautiful with all the fall leaves and it felt so good to get out and enjoy the outdoors. The recreation and family are the main reasons we love Utah so much. The weather was just perfect too.

Me and my cute hubby!!



Color didn't turn out great, but here we are, nearly 8 years married!



Look at that handsome fellow!



Well, I said the bike ride was enjoyable and IT WAS, but we didn't leave without injury. Blake, Aaron and I were pretty far ahead of my parents near the end of the trail. When we reached the bottom we were surprised it was taking my parents so long!!! (We should have brought walk talkies!). Eventually they showed up and above is what my dad looked like. He had fallen down a cliff after losing his balance. Luckily he ran into a tree, stopping his fall. He had a nice hole in his shirt and some battle wounds to show for it too. We were so thankful he didn't get hurt worse!

 That evening all of my family, both on my dad's side and mom's side showed up at a park to celebrate me and Mylee's birthday. The weather turned cold and a little rainy, but we still had a great time. It was nice to see some family I hadn't seen in years.

Utah Vacation Day 2



Mylee coloring in her General Conference Activity Book

  The next day was Sunday and General Conference weekend so we went up to Temple Square to listen to the prophets! We met up with some of Blake's family there. For most of the time we sat on the lawn near the Tabernacle on temple square and listened. When our kids behaved we took them into the tabernacle to listen and watch on a big screen. That afternoon Blake and I had tickets so we left our kiddos with family and enjoyed a wonderful session together. It was especially exciting for me because I had never attended General Conference before in the Conference Center. It was a neat and special experience.

 My favorite talk of the whole conference was probably the talk given by Neil A. Anderson appropriately titled, "Children". It talked about the blessing children are in our lives and that it is a woman's highest honor to bear and rear children. Here are some quotes from this talk that I enjoyed:

Many voices in the world today marginalize the importance of having children or suggest delaying or limiting children in a family. My daughters recently referred me to a blog written by a Christian mother (not of our faith) with five children. She commented: “[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.” She then adds: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”7

This story particularly touched and helped me feel good that Blake and I had made the right choice to not wait to have a family. It definitely has NOT been easy, but is has been SO worth it!!

Elder Mason had another experience just weeks after his marriage that helped him prioritize his family responsibilities. He said:


“Marie and I had rationalized that to get me through medical school it would be necessary for her to remain in the workplace. Although this was not what we [wanted] to do, children would have to come later. [While looking at a Church magazine at my parents’ home,] I saw an article by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, [highlighting] responsibilities associated with marriage. According to Elder Kimball, one sacred responsibility was to multiply and replenish the earth. My parents’ home was [close to] the Church Administration Building. I immediately walked to the offices, and 30 minutes after reading his article, I found myself sitting across the desk from Elder Spencer W. Kimball.” (This wouldn’t be so easy today.)

“I explained that I wanted to become a doctor. There was no alternative but to postpone having our family. Elder Kimball listened patiently and then responded in a soft voice, ‘Brother Mason, would the Lord want you to break one of his important commandments in order for you to become a doctor? With the help of the Lord, you can have your family and still become a doctor. Where is your faith?’”

Elder Mason continued: “Our first child was born less than a year later. Marie and I worked hard, and the Lord opened the windows of heaven.” The Masons were blessed with two more children before he graduated from medical school four years later.9

Daddy and his baby girl Lanaea

They'll go there someday

Daddy with his two oldest girls, SOOO CUTE!!

Later that evening we enjoyed spending time with my mom's family along with my step-dad Roland's family that was there visiting. I wish I had gotten some pictures of our time there. It was a pretty full house and I must have been distracted :(. We were able to get this family picture that evening too. It turned out nice.




Left to Right: Lanaea, Blake, Cami, Kelsey, Mylee, Spencer, Mary, Abby, Roland (Dad), Polly (Mom), Lizzy, Megan, Aaron, and Brighton.

 

Vacation to Utah Day 1

 In the fall time we travelled to Utah for a family vacation. The first day of our travels we stopped in Farmington, New Mexico and stayed with my Grandpa and Grandma McGee. We had a wonderful time visiting and even got to watch a BYU football game with them, which was a real treat!! My Grandpa and Grandma are MEGA fans!! The next morning we set off for Utah and stopped in Moab along the way to take a hike to some dinosaur footprints. Blake and I biked this trail shortly after we were married and we thought it would be fun to take our family. Looking back it was fun, and actually getting to the footprints was fun, but it was MUCH farther away then we remembered!! I guess it goes a lot quicker when you are on a bike! The girls did great though and we managed.

That night we stayed at my mom's house and had a girl party making wreaths out of coffee filters with my sisters, Grandma Astorga and Johnson and, Aunts. We had a great time!

Photo Shoot for Mylee

 We decided to doll Mylee up today and get some shots of her. Let's call these her 4 year old pictures. She's so pretty!!

This one shows how big her blue eyes are and the funny expressions she makes sometimes.

Mopping the Floor

Want your kids to help you clean your floor? Then pull out their swimsuits and let them slip and slide and go to work. It worked like a charm and saved me loads of time having to do it by myself!!

Made in China!

Lately Kelsey has been noticing the phrase "Made in China" on many of her toys and various items we have around the house. This was our conversation the other week:
Kelsey: MOM! Look this is made in China too!!
Cami: Yep.
Kelsey: Mom, does China make everything?
Cami: Just about....
Kelsey: They make BEAUTIFUL things
Cami: Yes they do.
Kelsey: Mom, do they have a pattern to make all these things?
Cami: I'm sure they do.
Kelsey: Oh.

Ironic huh!?

Mylee's 4th Birthday


<><><> Last year the girls and I started a tradition of eating at IHOP during our birthday week because they send us a coupon for a free meal. I took Mylee and Lanaea while Kelsey was at school. Mylee was giddy happy! We hardly eat out, so when we do it's a real treat. I had a coupon for a free meal too because my birthday is only a week after Mylee's. We all had a great time and the food was yummy!

 Mylee Enjoying her FREE Rooty Jr. Meal from IHOP



I experiented with fondant for Mylee's birthday. She and I sat down at the computer for a while trying to pick out a cake she wanted me to make her. I was thrilled when she picked out a simple pink cake with pink fondant and a crown on top. Theirs was much prettier then mine, but I thought I did a pretty good job for my first attempt with fondant. I made marshmellow fondant from here. It was surprisingly easy!! I'm definintely making it again. I learned that I need to form my cake underneath a lot better--as you can see the lumps in the cake (it's okay Mylee didn't notice, phew!) She LOVED it as you can see below.



For her birthday she got a new doll and a dollhouse puzzle. She LOVES her new doll!! Her name is Sydney.



She also picked out some presents for her sisters for her special day. She got playdough for Lanaea and a jump rope for Kelsey. Both were thrilled.

Kelsey and Mylee Playing with our new dollhouse puzzle

Mylee is such a special and sweet little girl. Lately Blake and I have been in awe at how much she has grown up. She is so articulate in her questions and so fun to watch her pretend with her dolls. She's definitely a big tease and will push her sisters' buttons until they cry. Her favorite things to do are to watch movies (her favorite is Tangled), play with playdough, play family with Kelsey, go with Sister Cammack (her adopted grandma here in Texas), go out to eat (She favorites are: IHOP, Sonic, Chick-fila, and McD's), have Mommy School, dress-up (always as a princess), do puzzles, read books, and sing songs. Her hair is auburn brown and has a slight natural curl to it. I should also note that her hair is thicker then mine!! She has large beautiful blue eyes and a contagious smile with adorable dimples. She's a great older sister to Lanaea. Lately she has been helping Lanaea say her prayers at night and it has been a special sweet experience for all of us. She's a special part of our family and we LOVE you Mylee!! Happy 4th Birthday!

UPDATE:

This is how I found Mylee when I checked on her last night. So sweet :).