Priceless...

Car Ride to this place...$5

Cutest Summer hat ever...$5.99
Blow Up Pool..$29.99
Miscelaneous water toys...$4.99
The kids playing, having fun, and being happy, in turn keeping mom's sanity over the

summer...PRICELESS!!!!!!

Good Times

We had a LOT of fun this weekend...it felt really good to just "get away" for a few days. We went up to Nathan's parents place in Tonto Village on Saturday morning and came back late Sunday night. It was pretty cold and rained off and on up there on Saturday, but that didn't stop us from having FUN!!! We spent a lot of time around the campfire, ate, rode motorcycles, ate, played frisbee, ate, laughed, ate, hiked and ate some more! Needless to say...I have a little work to do this week for all the FOOD I ate!!! It was so beautiful up there..the weather on Sunday was pretty much perfect!

Aunt Rachel and Abby on the car ride up (dumb camera, fuzzy picture!)

Me and my MAN
Amanda roasting marshmellows! A camping trip isn't a trip without the marshmellows and S'MORES!!! Don't worry Amanda, I won't tell anyone how many marshmellows you REALLY ate!!! hahahahaha
Abby enjoying the mounds of sugar in her hands...
Rebekkah...being goofy! Great picture!
Jason having fun with the chillens..
Some of us stayed up on Saturday night to play Sets and Runs...it was actually the first time Nathan and I had ever played it. It was SO fun and we had some very good laughs!!!
Abby and her dandelion..
Father and son...awwwww...so cute!
We took the kids up to Diamond Point Lookout...
it was neat to see the beatiful country around us!!

Crazy AZ Weather

So, it started raining not long after Rebekkah came home from school today...the kids were in and out of the house all afternoon, running out the front door and then back in...back and forth, back and forth....FINALLY after a few hours, they decided it would be better to ride their bikes out there! So out we went!!!

This first picture is for all the "Chatwins" out there,

notice the "chatwin squat" by the Walker-Man!!!

Walker was talking and pointing to the rain...it was so cute...

Kind of a random picture...but I think it's hilarious...especially Walker!
They had a LOT of fun and were freezing by the time they decided to come inside! They stripped their wet clothes and headed for a nice WARM bath...who'd a thought we'd be wearing jackets at the end of MAY???!!!!

Baby Abby Is....

No longer a BaBy!!!! She had that "big" milestone today of graduating preschool. She is headed to kindergarten!!!!

This is her and her teacher, Mrs. Randall. Oh how she loves her teacher!!!! She is very sad to leave her but VERY excited to start kindergarten. Especially since she'll be at the same school as her "BiG" sister!
She did a great job on the program...they went through all the letters, sounds and numbers. She knew EvErY one...They also did a little program about the United States...she did awesome on her part! She was the loudest one and had the longest part I think!!! I was VeRy proud of her.

I did good through out the whole program...until the very end for some reason! When she was all done and came to give me a hug, I got all teary-eyed....she's always been my "Baby Abby"...I guess she'll always be my little baby, just a little more grown up!!!

Slumber Par-Tay

Rebekkah has been BuGgInG me about having a slumber party in the living room. We just haven't had time to do it. Well, last week she had a REALLY ROUGH week at school...too much testing going on. She was very emotional all week and just plain tired of all the school stuff. So, I decided it was time for her to have some fun and forget about all that school stress!!! She got her wish, and we had a slumber par-tay!!! We had pizza for dinner, and they played outside in the water for a bit since it was so warm outside. Abby kept asking me when the "party" was going to start! I said, it already has! She told me, No it hasn't! We aren't watching our movie and eating all the treats!!!

We thought it would be fun to air up the camping mattress and stick it in the middle of the floor!

Me and the girls, playing a few video games!
We watched one movie, ate lots of junk and put in another movie. The kids and Nathan only lasted until about 10:15!!! It was a fun night and the kids really enjoyed themselves!!

My Mom, my Mother, my Friend

This is MY mom...the cutest gal in town. She means the WORLD to me and I love everything about her.

Last year we participated in the 3day Walk for Breast Cancer. It was an amazing experience, and one I will NEVER forget. I was so proud of my mom and what she accomplished in that journey we took together. I hear the commercials for this year's walk on the radio all the time, and I almost tear up every time. I LOVED being able to spend so much time with my mom...training, doing the fundraisers and the many heart to heart talks we were able to have. I cherish the pictures we have from that experience.
My mom has been with me in the delivery room for every child birth that I've had. She is a great supporter and will drop everything to help me (or any of her children!) I remember when I started my contractions with Walker...I called her to tell her I'd be heading to the hospital...I was in tears because I wasn't sure where my husband was working or if he'd even be able to be at the hospital. She closed up her shop, stopped by her house to get her camera and was at the hospital with me in minutes. She loves all her children and especially her grandchildren SO much, she'd do anything for any of them.
I call my mom for almost everything....She is my best friend, always has been, always will be. I love you mom and can't imagine my life without you...You mean the world to me
HaPpY mOtHeR's DaY!!!!

1/2 Marathon Pictures

Here I am!! This is right before the finish line. Some of the pictures REALLY didn't turn out very good because we had to use a disposal camera...which aren't worth the money in buying!! But when someone FoRgEtS their GoOd camera, this is what ya get!!!

Christine and I after the race! Wahoo, we did it!!!
Taking in some MUCH needed water and rest!!!
My cute sister in law Diana...she made the drive up with us

and it was so fun to have her there!!

The best for last...me and my honey!!!

(and a very yummy orange)
Words can't describe how grateful I am for this man! He supports me in EVERYTHING I do and he has been able to be with me at both of my 1/2 marathon races this year. Thanks for believing in me, being proud of me and for just being there...I love ya babe!

2 Down!!!

Well, I did it! I finished my 2nd 1/2 marathon race of the year! woohoo!!! I'm really excited, a little sore, a little tired, and a little amazed at myself at how well I actually did. One word to describe the race? HILLS!!!!! Holy sheesh....hill, after hill, after hill....it was a very HARD race!! The race was in Prescott and I had a really hard time with the elevation this year. When I was on mile 2, I felt like I had run 8 miles...NOT even joking!!! I have never had to breath that hard before when running..I felt like I had really bad asthma!! Even today my chest is not back to normal yet. Unfortunately we forgot our camera:( so my hubby went and bought a cheap disposable one to atleast get some for after the race. I haven't taken them in to get put on a cd, when I do, I will definitely post the pictures! (and hope that atleast a few look ok!) I was able to beat my time from my last race, which i'm totally stoked about! I shaved almost 10 minutes off my time! So even with the hills, I was running at a pretty good pace....

All in all, I'm pretty proud of myself! I finished and finished with a better time! What more can I ask for???!!!! Oh! And my friend Christine also did an AMAZING job! She finished and beat her time from her last race as well!! I am really proud of her!!! Go US!!! :)

I Don't Do Messes

Let's see, Walker is 17 months, and tonight was the first time we REALLY let him eat all his dinner by himself! I'm so bad, I hate messes, especially FOOD ones...so I feed him EVERYTHING!! But he's starting to not want to sit in his high chair...he wants to sit at the REAL table with his sisters!!! So, I'm going to have to give in eventually, I just know it...but I'm just not ready!!!! He makes big enough messes around the house, i'm not ready for more!!!
It was so fun to watch him use the fork and poke the food over and over again until he got it on there!!!!