Juliet Zuzu Jeffords' Mom!

Juliet was snuggling with me today and I thought it would a great time to talk to her and let her know how much I loved her and why I thought she was beautiful.  I asked her to look at me.  We rolled over on our sides and looked each other in the eyes and I said "do you know how beautiful you are?"  She said "Uh, yea." I said, "do you know why I think you are soooo beautiful!?"  She waited for me to tell her.  I said,  "Juliet, you are beautiful because you are soooo funny.  You are kind to brothers and sister.  You love the kitties.  Your nose crinkles up when you laugh or smile.  Your hair is soft and golden. Your eyes twinkle like blue diamonds when you smile. You are beautiful because you are so special and fun!!!"  She took my cheeks in her tiny hands and said "mommy I LOVE YOU!"  

Sigh!!  Lots of times I FAIL as a mom.  I am soooo glad I took the 3 minutes out of my day to tell her why I thought she was beautiful.  Not just for the I LOVE YOU but for what she said next.....

 She then said to me "Mom, do you know why you are beautiful!? .... Because you are Juliet Zuzu Jeffords mom"  Big tears filled my eyes.  I felt like the most beautiful person in the world!  

Then she sniffed my armpit and said "YUCK" and ran off to play!  

It was a great moment for a moment, but I will take what I can get! 

WHY?????

Why is it when I go to Target in my pajamas after a workout to pick up a couple things for my calling do I run into the most random beautiful people?  Not that we are best friends or anything but WHY?  Why didn't I shower?  Put on Jeans? deodorant? SO here I am, strolling through the clearance section in Target, smelling like a petting zoo, and I hear a familiar voice!  Who do I look up and see?  

 Giada from the Cooking Network!  Shopping right next to me in the clearance section.  Looking beautiful and smelling beautiful!  Only in L.A.   Can I say "Oh, Hi Giada, I really liked you on the Next Food Network Star, you were a great coach and really sweet!  You look great!  Sorry I smell like a petting zoo!  My friend would love for you to stop saying things with an Italian accent when you speak totally normal unless it's an Italian word.  Otherwise we love you!"  NOPE!  I can't say any of that because I look like the picture above!  So we just made eye contact (she thought I was crazy I'm sure) and smiled at each other and I walked away thinking she was a little cooler for shopping in the clearance section at Target none the less!

Painting for scout camp and Pioneer days

We had to get ready for scout camp.  This day we were painting a boat.  The kids weren't really excited about it but because I was semi sort of in charge or training to be in charge of scout camp we were there to help!  (Next year is my big year....how do I get myself into these things.....it's because I love my boys!)  At any rate.  The older kids were all set to be Den Chiefs so they HAD to help me.   You littlies  were just there because they wanted to in the middle of everything.  

Brandon was involved/in charge because he is the artist.  SO happy to have him.

Max was in charge of entertaining and watching Juliet.  Sometimes she didn't appreciate that so much.

We finally just gave her some left over cardboard to paint on and "help".

After we were done setting up for scout camp the stake had scheduled the Pioneer Day celebration so we were all ready there and ready to go!  This is the "pie" eating contest.  (It's really just whip cream in a pie tin)  Aaron Camling.

Darby and Max.

Gracie was a great cousin and held back Darby's hair for her.

She also held Darby's plate....not sure if that is aloud or not!?

At one point someone put Aarons pie on his head!

He just continued on!

Brother Jorgenson was in it to win it!

Not sure if Darby won or not but she had a great time!

Max had a great time but decided he would pass on this activity next time.  Not feeling so hot afterwards.

They then had a sack race.  (Nothing like jumping around after you downed a bunch of whip cream!)

Gracie was jumping so hard she jumped out of her sack.  I love how hard she is trying.....even though the race is over.  Darby is all but walking away and Grace is still just a going!

This is the finished boat for scout camp!  We had to caution tape it off so nobody played in it at pioneer days.  We were pretty proud of it and the scouts really loved it when they showed up for camp!  It really made camp look exciting!

This is a "fort" we painted too.  The castle part came from the set that Brandon painted for Max's Wizard Of Oz play.  The fort was something they could actually crawl through.  It was pretty cool.  The sad thing is that on the last day the boys had a water fight on the boat and fort and ruined the sets.  I would have liked to bring the castle set home but I knew it was a chance we would take.  It lasted all week and the boys really did love it!

Dinners and Redrover

Another one of our favorite things to do while our cousins were here was to have dinner outside on the new picnic furniture!  It was never a dull moment with all of them!  Seriously,  I wish we all lived closer so dinners were like this all the time!  These 3 pictures are the ones that made me miss them the most.  Post bath, dinner time.  Just hanging out as a family.  It didn't hurt that it was a favorite meal of everyone either.  I learned fast that this is one that I needed to make doubles of.  (mini-turkey meatloaf, rolls, mashed potatoes and broccoli!)  

After dinner they played "Red rover".  I love that there is only 6 of them and they are making it work.  All different ages and sizes and nobody cares.  They are just playing together and having fun.  I love that they are accommodating for Juliet and the encouragement on Dash's face is priceless!

I love the joy on Juliet's face and Curt's face!  THIS is what Cousin Camp is to me!

Brandon's 40th birthday party

Yes that is 40 candles!  I asked B what he wanted for bis 40th.  He said a book.  (If he does nothing short of flying in all my best friends or a cruise for my 40th he will be a dead man....I am thinking dancers and maybe a rapper or Dolly Parton or a HUGE party with a slide show.....NOT a book!)  BUT that is all he wanted!  Just a little party with his kids and a book.  We were supposed to go on a cruise with good friends of ours who were all hitting milestone birthdays but I think we moved that to January.  So he wanted a book.  sigh. Happy 40th. 

BUT, how do you argue with this guy?  Look how excited and happy he is to blow out his candles?  The kids were all excited to plan for his party and we were able to use our new picnic furniture from my parents!  We had a great time as a family.  I love that he is such a simple man and such simple things make him happy!

His brother and sister in law gave him pajamas!  LOVE IT!  He can ALWAYS use some good snuggy clothes!  (I love some stuff I can steal too....who's birthday is this?)

We cave him some LEGOS!  His birthday would NOT have been complete without some LEGOS and these were "Lord of the Ring" LEGOS!  (I didn't think they could get more geek after the star wars LEGOS but they did....and then he did....and I love him for it!)  Look at his face!  Half happy, half "I can't believe I got these" with a little bit "when is it appropriate to tear into a gift"?!?!?    He also got some new head phones for his desk (which were wrong.....don't ask me to buy technology....ever!)  and his book.  It was a political book.  I will never read it.  He keeps asking me to.  I won't.  snore.  Are their vampires in politics?  Don't answer that!)

These cutie pies had a great time at the party!  The big kids took the ladder and some blankets and made a "club house/death trap" out of the tree!  This is as far as I would let the littlies up! sorry!

Favorite picture of the evening!  Brothers.   We had a great time just laughing and chatting and watching the kids play outside.  We enjoyed our birthday furniture and were so happy that we got to have a relaxing evening with family over.

this was the last shot of the night.....Jamie trying to get some of Brandon's cake....there were some funnier shots that they made me delete because it made them look more like a "couple" and less like brothers!  NEVER a dull moment with these 2 around!

40 reasons I love love love Brandon Keith Jeffords!

1. spiritual!  never failing.  You always know where he stands.
2. FUNNY!  He makes me laugh EVERY day.
3. great dad.
4. great husband.
5. great provider.
6. sexy
7. super kisser.
8. faithful....even when my faith is lacking.
9. he packs the kids lunches.  (The worst job EVER)
10. he plays the guitar
11. he lets me drive most of the time
12. he's a peacemaker.
13. hardworker
14. he sends me sweet texts
15. thoughtful
16. loyal
17. has the BEST hands ever (seriously, look at them next time)
18. lets me steal the covers
19. he's a dreamer.
20. he encourages me to follow my dreams
21. he saves for a rainy day.
22. he's great at surprises.
23. his smile
24. the best story teller EVER
25. makes the BEST sandwich (gets that from his dad)
26. SO forgetful (sometimes not my favorite but it can be cute SOMETIMES)
27. patient
28. patient
29. patient
30. I'm not very patient so I love that he is SO patient with me and our kids!
31. easy going
32. he thinks I look good ALL the time!  bed head, sweaty head, or best dress!
33. he loves my close friends. he knows what they mean to me.
34. he's never afraid to be goofy or look dumb with me (or anyone else usually)
35. makes the best faces and weirdest noises (face making contest anyone?)
36. not afraid to cry at movies.
37. he HATES the t.v.  I LOVE t.v.  I love that he hates it.  It balances us out.
38. I love that he reads the most BORING material known to man.  Seriously. Snore fest. He is one of the funniest people ever and he reads some of the most boring things ever.
39. integrity.
40. honest.  I don't doubt his word for a second!
I love you Brandon Keith Jeffords!  Here's to another 40 or more birthdays together!  MUAH!

Yogurt Land

Yogurt Land is one of our FAVORITE places to go!  Naturally we had to take Curt and Grace while they were here for Cousin Camp!   I told them all not to go CRAZY because it is pay by the weight, but you try to manage 6 kids by yourself at Yogurt Land.  These 4 alone cost me 30$.  Needless to say we didn't go back!  ;) 

These 2 goofballs LOVE Y.L.  They would do just about anything for it and it is one of their favorite mommy or daddy date nights!

Sculpty clay....Cousin Camp 2012

This is the night that Uncle B/Daddy was in charge!  I had a scout meeting for cub scout day camp!   Obviously after a long day of swimming.  I asked him to do something fun, like play a game or something.  He took it to a whole other level!  Creativity is his game!  I love it!  He pulled out the Sculptey clay.  Something I would have NEVER done!  It is clay that you can form then bake.  You sculpt it over a tinfoil scupture of some sort.  It's like Play Dough for big kids but it can be made into something that will stay forever!  The kids LOVED every second of it!  I love that they were building even more memories and they learned something new and they had souvenirs to show for it.  (I love that they got to spend time with Brandon too!) 

Hard at work.  I love that they all look like they are thinking really hard about what they are creating or what they are going to create!

Brandon is creating an octopus out of wire and tin foil so that Dash can cover it with the sculpty!

All the creations.  I was so proud of all their creativity.  I honestly couldn't guess that Brandon only did one of them.  I thought he had made the cats and the little colorful guy for sure!

Darby and Gracie made the cats!

This is the monster Brandon had made to show them what to do.

Curtis had made a series of the colorful guys with eyeballs!  So much fun!

Swimming Fun...more Cousin Camp

It was REALLY hot this summer! (still is actually)  But this summer we were hitting temps like 107 to 111 degrees in the valley.  One day my good friend Taryn invited me and my brood of 6 kids up to her moms pool for some cooling off!  It was a ton of fun!  It doesn't matter the size of the pool or the pool toys that they have (they had some cool ones) or if there is a diving board or a slide or none of the above, if you have a pool and these cousins all together they will create some sort of game and have a great time with each other!  Thank you Taryn for the best day!  Tons of memories were made this day!  

Big dorks!

Taryn's brother's dog LOVED to get in the water and play fetch!  The kids LOVED that!

Dash and his cannon ball!  He can swim with out floaties but I was still being a very nervous mom.  With me having to keep my eyes on 6 kids I made him wear floaties in the deep end.  He was not a happy camper.  Sorry little man.

Curtis and Max!  Max LOVES to hang out with Curtis and Curt is really patient with him (most of the time;)  I think they act a lot like brothers!  I love to see them interact together!

I love Dash's goggles.  He got them when he had swim lessons last year.  They are the one thing he doesn't have to share in the swim bag.  They are REALLY cool and he knows it.  (He did share them with Curt once or twice, all though Curt kind of knew not to ask.) ;)

Bleach pen shirts!

Bleach Pen Shirts was another fun activity during cousin camp!  They just colored on shirts with a bleach pen.  It had to be big and bold designs.  No little intricate details.  I love their creativity.  They wore their shirts all summer.  Either out and about or as pajamas!  I love seeing them work together!  

finished products

of course the goofy picture!  I love that Gracie is eating Dash's brains and Juliet is horrified by it!