** 4th Of July **

This year for the 4th, we swam, grilled out & watched fireworks with the Cunningham's! Every time my parents come out to visit we always say that we're gonna get our families together while they're here, and yet, we all end up busy and it never happens, so my parents were totally excited that we all worked it out this year to get together!! Our family has really felt blessed to have them as friends and we had such a great time!!
I didn't get many picts during the day b/c my camera died, but here are two.

Kasidy, Nikole & rissa. Rissa has LOVED having her older cousins here!! I've loved having them here!! Not only have I just loved doing all of the numerous 'girlie' things (crafts, shopping, hair, nails, baking, more crafts:) with them, but they have pretty much taken care of Marissa since they've been here! Nikole has even put her to bed for us several times!! ...man, I'm gonna miss them!! It's been a nice break and so fun for Ms. Riss!

Ed at his best-lol!! Ed challenged us to the 'Moron Test' (game on Kelly's cell). So I seriously spent the entire fireworks show, taking the test over, and over and over again! I saw ONE firework!!!...what a Moron!! lol--I am glad to report, however, that I did finally pass! I completed it in I think 714 secs ( I think) and about 100 tries! I will say it was faster than Kent, from what I hear!!!
I brought tons of glow sticks and the kids, well, all of us actually had fun playing with them! Meema, Nikole & Brant came up with some games and Marty and Joey came up with a few too. Brant came up with a "break the glow stick and look at it splatter all over you" game! That one didn't last too long though:)

Jacob Smiling at the camera!!! Luck was just with me on this one!! This kid is a hard one to get a picture of b/c he is usually dodging the camera!!

Fun Times with our Niece!!

A couple of weeks ago, we got to spend time with our Niece, her husband and their beautiful, super cutsie baby!!! We LOVED having over and enjoyed our time with them so much!!

We hung out and eventually swam in the pool

LOVE love This Baby!!!! I swear I could just kiss on him non-stop for days!!! He is so stinkin cute and is such a happy little baby!!!
Another thing we did was we took them on a Tour of the Football Stadium. This is where the 2008 Super Bowl was held! Driving down the street to our house, you get a perfect view of the Stadium. It was fun and amazing at times to watch them build this Stadium! At one point, a Port-A-Potty sat on the tippie top. I guess if you were on top working and had to go #1 or #2, it would have been a little hard to just "run down" to the bathroom, so yeah, why not hoist one thousands of feet in the air to sit on top. Just glad it didn't fall off, that would not have been good!

Our Family in the Stadium

The 'Guest' Locker Room. It totally smelled like a meadow of beautiful flowers, if you can imagine that! It was a little weird, really. You almost expect the smell of stinky football socks and big, sweaty guys, but no! Flowers it was! Kinda gave you the feeling that they dance around before the game or something.


The football field is kept outside to get water & Sunlight:) All they have to do is push a little button and it retracts into the Stadium! It takes about, I think they said, 50 mins for it to get in.

CERRETA Candy Company!! After the Stadium, we all headed to the candy factory! We all got our candy bowls and picked out the best of the best of their huge candy selection! I still think my fav is the green Mint one! Brant's fav was the mint one as well, and Marty & Jacob's tastebuds gravitated more to the Chocolate/ Peanut Butter candies!!
Rissa LOVED Angeline's Teddy Bear song!!! We have all been singing to her ever since!!! Thanks for coming to visit guys, we love you tons!!!

A Little Taste of the South

So my parents are Finally Here!!! Every time they come to visit, they bring a nice big stash of Boiled (correct Southern pronunciation being, "Bold" Peanuts) and several bottles of true (mustard based) BBQ sauce!! We were hardly in the front door when we all ripped into the Peanuts!!

Before....

...During.....

Oh, and don't get too concerned about Marty's "hair"! It's a Hair Hat-my parents brought one for each of us!! I'm sure it'll come in handy in years to come, as the hair supply thins:)

(It didn't take Rissa long to learn the ways of eating the boiled peanut!!! She, like the rest of us can't stop eating them!!!!)

...and here's the aftermath!!
Thanks Meema & Peepa!!! ...let the parties begin!!!!

Our Father's Day Tradition

After dinner we all had fun participating in our Family Father's Day Tradition; an Ice Cream Tasting Contest!! This year I only grabbed, I think 9 different flavors...why I didn't just grab one more to even it off beats me, but frankly, I was doing good just to run in the store and grab some as it was, that I never even counted until I got home! Aw--another mistake I made was grabbing a COFFEE & Heath bar ice cream (yes, my friends, my dyslexic brain totally jumbled it up and thought it said TOFFEE!!) --so really, after Marty bit into that flavor, we trashed that one and ended up with 8 flavors!
Dots flavors: cotton candy, cookies n cream, triple chocolate, cookie dough & Chocolate chip mint
Ice Cream flavors: cookie dough, Yellow brick road, Oreo Mint

I did mix things up a little this year by getting several "Ice cream DOTS flavors", and that was fun, Rissa esp liked the dots!



This ended up being Mine & Marty's favorite!! Elton John's, Yellow Brick Road ...yum yum!!! Chocolate, Peanut Butter, White chocolate chunks..umm! ...the biggest downfall being that there are almost 300! calories and a whopping 16 fat grams per 1/4 cup! Good stuff!!--just be prepared to work it off the next day!

When it was all said and done, Jacob got the most right and officially won the title, "Ice Cream King For the Year!!". Our old award got bashed up, so I made this temporary one until I have time to make a nicer one for him. He gets to hang it on his bedroom door ALL YEAR! Good job!


~~~Love Notes to DAD~~~
Marty, I want you to know how much I love you!! I appreciate all of your hard work, love and support! I appreciate that you honor the Priesthood and that you love being a dad! Thanks for everything! You are my soulmate and I love you!! Tiff


Happy Fathers Day dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I love you very much. actualy this much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think you get it. BrAnT


Dear Dad, Happy Father's Day! Thanks for taking me Rock Climbing all the time! You are a good dad! love, Jacob Joyner


Dada, Bin-hy! Allly! Bock! Pool! Want Num-nums! peeze! book! Pee-pee! two! blue! "O" mama-dada! packpack! Chuch! I go! MINE! no! Poo-poo! Dora dora! MAP! bwush teefe! NUB YOU! Marissa:)

Just a couple of Girls Camp photos.....

Sunday, June 21, 2009
I really don't have time right now to post all of my Girls Camp Photos because I have to go prepare my YW's LESSON:) , but I thought I'd just give you all a sweet little taste of the memories of our awesome adventures at Girls Camp!!! On the way home from camp, my car load of girls consisted of four beautiful YW. Of the four, three had nausea all the way home and of those three, one..we won't mention any names.....Uhhuummm..Kaceeeee....;) needed to pull over to the side of the road a few times. The second time we pulled over, Sis. Eich decided to climb through a barbed-wire fence to go Pee-pee in the woods. She made it to the "other side" ok, but when she was finished with her 'business', she totally got her crotch hooked on the Bobbed-wire!!! These are two photos I took of Sis. Taylor trying to "UNBOB" her!!... .....


hahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahahahahahahahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

We're glad you're UNHOOKED SIS. EICH!!! We're also thankful that Sis. Taylor is a member of the EBWRS....."Emergency Bobbed Wire Rescue Squad"!! Be sure to give them both a big "high five" when you see them at church!

...More Girls Camp Photos to follow............

Pre-Occupied With Girls' Camp....

...don't worry about Marissa during this crazy, busy time for me...she's finding Plenty to do to keep herself busy!!

...Not a Tadpole anymore...

So the other day I was talking to a friend on the phone, and in the middle of our conversation I glanced in our 'Tadpole Mason Jar' and saw Chubbs STANDING on the bottom!! He had FOUR legs, he had lost most of his TAIL and the next thing I know, he's actually HOPPING!! Hopping on all fours, under water, on the bottom!! I started screaming for the kids and their friends to come look!! Here are Chubbs' first 'Out of water' photos...which I think, are equivalent to 'new born baby' photos:) (...so hummm a sweet little song while you look at them, go ahead! It's ok!...I know you want to!)

Length: Middle Fingernail Length Weight: maybe the weight of a large booger Height: maybe the height of...a large booger --Sorry about the analogy! That really is pretty gross to think that and then look back at the photo..and then think it again! With that being said, He really is one cute little booger!!

His first CLIMB!!

He's soo cute!! I guess he just matured early b/c he seems way ahead of his peers!! I can relate. I was the same way, little Chubbs! The opposite sex will catch up to you soon, I promise!

We're so proud of you Chubbs!! You did it! You made it to FROG HOOD!! RRIIIBBBIITTT!! It's been so fun to watch this process! It's been a family affair, and we are all checking their bowl everytime we walk past to keep tabs on the different stages!! We already have a pet frog that lives in our backyard. We come across him from time to time and he seems to be thriving and doing well, so I guess when these little guys are all ready, we'll set them free in the back. Until then, we'll enjoy watching their growth in the indoors:)

Killer On the Loose!

...There's A First Time For Everything!

One day last week, my good friend, Jeni & I decided to have a day of 'Firsts' together! What started it all was the discovery that she had NEVER been to IKEA! That is a big deal, however, the fact that Sam is moving them clear across the country in two weeks (tear drop..tear drop...moment of silence~~~~~), well, that's a bigger deal ...on top of a big deal! With that being said, IKEA instantly became #1 priority on the "things to do before she leaves" list!! We decided Jeni should go first and so we spent the morning walking around IKEA for a few hours. She OOO'd......she AAAAuuhhhh'd....She loved it! Knew she would! Parker & Rissa loved it too:)

...then it was MY turn. Jeni about died when she found out that I'd never eaten Sushi. She wanted to be the one to talk me through the mental anguish and stress that goes along with eating the stuff (or is torment the word?), so that's what we had for lunch! These are some of my thoughts on the matter: Sushi has a way of mixing up your emotions. You get all stressed about "what it will taste like", then you taste it and it's, surprisingly, "...not too bad. Actually, it's pretty good!!" ...and you eat the whole thing. Then you go to blog about it two weeks later, and you look at the picture, and you think about it....you really think about it....and your stomach starts to get a little sick feeling! You then toss the idea around that you're "never gonna eat that stuff again!". THEN, you remember that you, "really did like it"...and so by this time your taste buds are all confused and your brain really doesn't know whether you want to try it again or not!! All-in-all, I will try it again! One day, I will press forward to the Sushi Man and place my order... but only under the conditions that I will only eat at that same restaurant, ordering the same dish! Eventually, given lots of time, I'm sure I will even venture to a different Sushi Man and try a different Sushi dish. I'm also sure that I can, at some point in my life, use this experience as some type of teaching tool / example in a lesson at church. ...and PERFECT! I've even got a handout to go with it!!!


Rissa & Parker shared some chicken and rice. Rissa & I are going to really, really, really miss spending time with my future son-in-law and his mommy!!! ( ...another tear, tear...moment of silence...............................................I just can't talk about it anymore right now...it's just too much)
sigh

In Honor Of Our Beloved Baby & Grandpa

May 23rd. Four years ago, today, I delivered our Premature, still-born baby. Brant was just barely 7 and Jacob was 5. Jacob was still not very verbal yet, and Brant, being extremely verbal, had already picked out a name for his little baby brother--Timothy James Joyner. He wanted to be able to call him "Timmy", for short,so that's what we named him! I'll never forget all the mixed feelings while holding him there in the hospital! So sad, but even more, we felt amazed! Amazed that such a tiny little baby could be so perfect! I still can't believe that it's been 4 years!!
May 23rd marks another loss in our family. Last year, on this day, we said goodbye to Marty's father. His burial service was on this day, which-a year ago-was Memorial Day. How perfectly fitting that was!! Lilburn (aka "Grandpa Joyner") served in and Retired from the Air Force. His funeral was an experience that was both, amazing and full of ...I really can't even find the words to describe the other side of it! It was an experience that totally brought all of us closer together, that's for sure! Long story short: A horrible, horrible virus wiped out AT LEAST half of us by the day of the funeral!! It was seriously like we were in war!...People dropping like flies left and right!! It landed my mother-in-law in the hospital to the point that she wasn't able to attend the service! There were a lot of hardships, but it was also such a testimony of what FAMILY is all about! He was Honored with the 21 Gun Salute, and that was Amazing! It was something that we all knew he would receive, but never imagined what an awesome thing it would be!! Each of the grand kids were able to keep a casing from the bullets and that was very memorable for them, to be able to go find them in the grass and take it home in memory of their grandpa.
The Lord has a way of Healing us. Time has a way of Healing us. I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life! I'm grateful for the truths and understanding of the Plan of Salvation! I'm grateful that the Lord blessed me with the Courage to "try again"...twice (one was a miscarriage), b/c if I hadn't, we wouldn't have our daughter with us now.
Tonight, In Honor of Our Beloved Baby & Grandpa, we sat as Family and talked about the Plan of Salvation. We wrote down 'Things that we love about Grandpa' and 'Things that we want to do with Timmy' when we see him again, and then we all Kissed two Helium filled balloons and we sent them up to Heaven to our loved ones. We Cried and Prayed together as a Family and then we did a Family Bear Hug and laughed some! We know we'll be with them again.


One last thing that I want to note, for journaling purposes, is that while we were talking about the Plan of Salvation Jacob asked us if we remembered when he was young and almost drowned in a pool. (He was 4 yrs old). He said, "Well, the Angels saved me. They helped me. I'm still here b/c Heavenly Father sent me an Angel". I know that one of those Angels was my grandfather. And I think that talking about Jacob's experience also helped the kids realize as well as Marty and I to reflect upon the fact that we do have loved ones on the other side of the veil that are "helping" us! They are cheering us on to make right choices and to serve one another and to learn the things that we need to learn. I will just close this sermon (lol) by saying that I hope that, when it's all said and done, that I can look back at my life and know whole-heartedly that I have done the best that I could do! That I have done 'my part' here on Earth. I look forward to the day that we can be reunited with all of our loved ones that have passed on. And I know that if I live an Honest, Righteous life, that I will be given those blessings.

These Pockets are NEVER Empty!!

Jacob LOVES Nature!! Ever since he could walk, you could find him head out the front door and straight to the rose bush!! He loves to pick flowers, loves to climb trees and loves the beauty of green foliage! Even though he picks flowers, he never puts them in his pockets...b/c that would smoosh them, obviously. Well, another part of Nature that Jacob loves, is the Trash that can be found in Nature! On the playground, along the sidewalk, @ the greenbelts. Everywhere he goes, his eyes are scanning the ground for ...stuff! Let me show you what kind of "Stuff" I'm talking about.......
..... finger puppets...pine cones.... coins...rubber bands....a little sandpaper....
....metal stuff....pencils....buckles.....never know when you'll need someones lost eye glass lens..... sparkly rhinestones.....
....screws.....nails......hair clips.....plastic men.....wood cubes with numbers on them.....is that a TENT Stake?......
...."beautiful green glass"...BB's.....more plastic stuff......dirt.....
.......More pine cones.......lids........

....broken stuff......wood stuff.......metal stuff......

...I always look forward to LAUNDRY day!! -Never know what I'll find!! I do get a little grossed out with the hair clips and bands, but I do find comfort in knowing that I haven't seen any ABC gum!!! And as crazy and funny as it is to see what all he can find and fit into his bottomless pockets, I love and treasure these funny moments! It's part of his personality and who he is, and I love him!!