The Freeman Tribe

2011-10-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well I guess that it is about time that I update my blog. We have had an addition to our family. On October 10, 2001 at 1809, our second little boy was born. Channing Owen Freeman weighed 6.9 lbs. and was 19 inches long. He is just a little guy. I thought for sure he was going to be my biggest baby, but he wasn't.

I went into Timpanogos Hospital at 2:00pm for my induction. I was very blessed to have my friend Paige as my nurse. She is a special girl. We work together and it was a blessing to be taken care of someone I know and trust. She started me on Pitocin at 2:30pm. I started contracting every 2 minutes within 15 of the Pitocin starting. I received my Epidural at 4:00pm. After the epidural was working I was checked and progressed from 3cm when I was admitted into the hospital, to a 4cm. I was a little bumbed thinking I was farther along. Then at 5pm Dr. Ollerton came to rupture my membranes. As he was checking me he said my membranes had already ruptured and that I was now 5 cm in dilation. Again I thought for sure I would be farther along. Then about 5:30 Greg told me to call my parents and have them come down with the kids. I told him that they will be bored waiting. He kept insisting so I called them and they came about 5:50pm. When my parents arrived I was experiencing some pain. My friend Paige checked my and I was 10cm. YAY!!!! Greg must have been inspired because if my parents would not have come when they did they would have missed the birth of Channing. Channing was born at 6:09 pm. It was a miracle. He was perfect. I cried tears of joy and gratitude, along with Greg. There is nothing like the spirit that is present when a new little spirit is brought into this world. What a blessing I have had to experience this four times in my life. What a blessing to have had four healthy babies as well. Benjamin, Kaleigh, and Addison were so excited for him to come. Benjamin has been a great big brother. He constantly, and I mean constantly is holding and kissing Channing. Sometimes I have to ask him to stop because his little brother needs SOME sleep. Benjamin was meant to be the oldest. I know this by his tenderness and his ability to love so easily. His younger siblings are very blessed to have him as a big brother. Kaleigh has been caught a few times carrying Channing around. She loves to put him on her chest with his head on her shoulder. She is so cute with him. She will hold him and be content for a long time. The day I got home from the hospital Benjamin and Kaleigh came upstairs with me and laid in my bed with Channing in the middle of them. They cuddled with him for at least a half an hour. It was very special to witness. Addison has also fell in love with her little brother. She looked just like him when she was born. Which means we have two Greg look alikes. She is a big helper. She loves her "Baby Channing." When I was still pregnant she would come up to me and tell me she loved me and she would immediately kiss my tummy and tell me she loved Baby Channing too. She was holding him the other day and fell asleep. It was so precious. Greg and I have been enjoying having this beautiful little boy. Greg takes pride that Channing looks like him. I think it is so cute. Greg loves to smell him and kiss him. I love seeing Greg so happy.

I am very grateful for my parents for coming and spending time with our family. I know that it was a sacrifice for them to miss a week of work and to run around after my little ones. They stayed a whole week and I loved it. My mother did laundry, cooked, and cleaned. Thank you Mom. You are my life saver. My dad, of course, spoiled the children. He made homemade rootbeer and it was yummy. My dad also fixed about a million things in our home as well. I have had a "honey to do list" for a while now, but Greg has been working so hard with work and the yard that he hasn't been able to focus on the house. My dad fixed several things for us and I am very grateful. Mikaela, my niece came with them and it was wonderful to have her here as well. She fits in so well with our family and she is like a big sister to my girls. Benjamin and Mikaela are also best friends. I have enjoyed having her here as well. Well, I have had many blessings this month. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending us Channing. He has a special spirit I can feel already. I get very emotional when I hold him because I have realized, looking at Benjamin, how fast they grow. I don't want this part of my life to ever end. I love having my children in my arms and at my side. I feel so grateful for the opportunity my Heavenly Father has granted to me to help with bringing his children to this earth. I pray with all my heart that I will not disappoint Him. I pray that I will have the strength, courage, and ability to raise my children the way my Heavenly Father would want me too. I want my children to know by the way that Greg and I love them and raise them that they are children of God, and that he loves them and knows them. I know this is true. I know that Jesus Christ knows them as well. I know that he has suffered and endured for me and my family. How blessed I am and my family is to have this knowledge.

2011-02-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well I better catch up my blog. I have been getting a lot of slack from family and friends. So I recommit to staying current......well maybe I shouldn't promise. Well this video was taken of my little girls playing with their Reggedy Ann dolls that my mother made them. It is very cute. I am not biased at all.

Here are my little ones during our own personal Christmas program. Kaleigh insisted in putting a blanket under her shirt so she could be pregnant like Mary. Benjamin is getting a little "old" for dressing up. Then there is my little Addie. She was our little "angel."

Here are my cuties waiting in our bed to go open Christmas presents. We love to read the Christmas Story before we open our presents.

Benjamin and I were so lucky to go to an overnight field trip to Clear Creek. This is a facility owned by Alpine School district. We had so much fun together. I love him.

Here is Greg and I at a BYU game.....Yes, a BYU game. Never thought I could get Greg to convert from an Oklahoma fan....

Kaleigh is in preschool. It is done by three other pretty ladies and myself. We switch off houses every month. It has been so much fun.

I have been so blessed. Greg started working in a different position at work. He loves what he is doing now and loves the people he works with. It is so wonderful to see the blessings of his hard work. He has succeeded in so many ways. I am grateful for him and his sacrifices he makes for our family. He is also a wonderful priesthood holder. I am grateful for that gift in our home. He is an example of righteousness. Thank you honey.......

Well, my little Ben is growing. He is doing well in 5th grade. He will get his "Arrow of Light" next month at Pack meeting. I am so proud of him. He loves scouts and it is fun to see him so excited.

Kaleigh is a special little girl. We had to give her Snow White Sparkles (her little kitten) and Eclipse (Snow White's mother) away for various reasons. She was heart broken. She still is. She wants to be a dancer and a veternarian when she grows up. She loves her family. Everything is always so "cute" to her. She keeps telling me that she wants flowers for her birthday because, "they are soooo beautiful." Greg is planning on getting her one for Valentines Day. So "cute."

Addie is changing so much. She loves to sing and dance. It is so precious. She loves singing, "I Love to See the Temple." She has become a cuddle bug. She is a big helper too. She loves to help me unload the dishwasher. It is wonderful help. I love having her as a part of our family.

I am doing well. Serving in primary and working a little too. I love being with my children. It has been such a blessing. We are ready for Spring to arrive. It gets hard being stuck in the house. We have had some cold days. It has been fun snuggling while watching a movie though.

We received a "Snow Man Kit" for Christmas from a friend. Here is our gorgeous Snow Man. We named him "Stud Man." It snowed the other day and it was so pretty. The sun was shining as it was snowing and the snowflakes sparkled. It was amazing.

Well we couldn't be better. We are having fun and learning a lot about our Heavenly Father. We have been focusing on the stories in the Book of Mormon. Their little memories amaze me. I hope and pray that I will be inspired and directed on how to be the best mom for them. Recently, I have felt the importance of the responsibility given to me to raise these spirit children of my Heavenly Father. I strive daily to be the best I can and to be what my Heavenly Father planned for me to be. I know that with my faith and desire to be who I was designed to be that I will accomplish all that has been stored for me. I am so grateful for the gospel and the strength it gives to me.

My girls singing Taylor Swift

2010-07-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Freeman Fun In The Sun

2010-07-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy summer. Lots of fun full of good times. Kaleigh and Addy have been keeping

me busy. We have been growing a garden and the girls have been having fun helping to keep the weeds down. We started off with a cooler summer, but without fail, it has heated up. We have gone fishing, been to storytime, hiking, been on plenty of picnics, visited museums, water parks, played outside, played inside, and reading. Last week we were able to go up to Brigham City for Grandpa Dean's funeral. It was wonderful to see family. Greg and I discussed how blessed we are to know about the Plan of Salvation. We noticed at the funeral that there were tears shed, but there was also laughter when reminising about Grandpa's life. The gospel allows for us to understand that we will be able to see the ones that pass away again, after this life. What a wonderful blessing to have this knowledge. We were grateful for the opportunity we had to see Greg's cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and especially immediate family.

Benjamin is in Las Vegas for the summer visiting family. We miss him dearly. It has been hard on the girls. When I rock Addy to sleep she tells me she wants me to sing her a song about
Benjamin on the airplane coming home. So I have

to make up a song that talks about Ben-Ben
coming home. She starts to cry, so I stop, then she tells me to keep singing. I dont' understand,

but I know that she misses him and loves him. We are able to talk to him almost every day
which makes it much easier. He isn't much of a
"phone" talker, but neither am I. He says he is having a lot of fun. What more can I ask for?
Kaleigh is learning how to write her name. She is doing very well. She likes to write it backwards, which is pretty funny. She is a smart little girl. She loves to color and loves reading

books. I hope she continues loving to read. She is a wonderful sister to Addy. Kaleigh will run to
her when she gets hurt and will put her arms around Addy. Addy often prefers Kaleigh over
me. To cute!!! I am not jealous at all....well
maybe a little. Kaleigh loves playing with her

many friends. I have to remind her that she
doesn't always need to play with friends. She
doesn't believe me. Wonder why? Kaleigh is a
social butterfly. We enjoy having her in our
family. I love having conversations with her, it is
very enlightening. We are going to start a neighborhood preschool this year with a few other families. I am excited, and so is Kaleigh.

Addy is growing like a beautiful flower. She has had a very interesting year. In March she had to visit the ER for a visit. Kaleigh and Addy were playing with my exercise weights. Unfortunately, one of them fell on her little toe. We had to rush
to the ER and have the MD stitch it back on. My
little Addy was very brave. It was hard I have to
admit. Even though I am a nurse, it is definitely
harder to see your own child hurt. She has had a
little bit of anxiety when left with anyone besides
Mom or Dad. I guess that is expected after all

she went through. We
have started
to potty train. It has been a little difficult. Addy loves to sit
on the toilet, but she doesn't understand that she sits on it
when she goes to the bathroom. I guess I need to give her
some credit. She has gone in the potty a few times, but not
when since we have been more seriously training her. Oh,
well, she will get it......hopefully. Addy loves to count her

numbers. When she is not listening I will count: 1,2, 3... to warn her that consequences are about to occur. So
now when I
giving Kaleigh a warning, Addy will start to count
with me. Which makes hard for me to refrain
from laughing.
Greg is doing well. He is taking some online classes for his resume. He is working hard to provide for our family. I am grateful for him and
the sacrifices he makes for our family. He is still serving in the Teacher's Quorum. He has been

struggling with his asthma recently. He realized that he is getting old.....or older. He still can

dunk a hoop though. Pretty awesome, if you ask me. He has been working hard on our garden
all summer. He has a "green thumb." We have been very blessed with great harvesting. We

have been enjoying lettuce, peas, and strawberries. Soon we will have carrots, pumkin,
tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers, potatoes, and
watermelon. Yummy. Greg provides well for his
family. Thanks, honey!!!
I have been busy, but happy. I started the process of going back to school this summer but after trying to study to test out of a class, I
realized that I don't have much time to study, so
I decided I will have to wait a little longer to be a
nurse instructer. I am doing what I need to be
doing a this time as a mother. Which I love and
I am grateful to do. I am working at the hospital again, in Labor and Delivery. I love it, even
better, I only work a few times a month. Enough for a little extra money, and a get away.
I have been able to read a lot this summer. Which I love!!!!! It is nice to escape into a book
once in a while.

I am grateful for the gospel. I have been reading a book called, First 2000 Years. It is about
the first 2000 years, from Adam. I have learned sooooo much. I love gaining gospel knowledge

for it reminds me of the importantance of being righteous and enduring to the end. I love having

that opportunity. I love when I receive an answer after searching. I love the impressions that I receive from the Holy Ghost. I love my

Savior, and my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the divine gift of being a mother to a
few of his precious spirits. My joy is so great for
this opportunity. I am grateful for my husband and the experiences this life has given to us to
become closer and grow together. I am grateful!

2010-03-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed because it has been so long since I have posted anything on my blog. We had computer problems and now we finally have a new computer!!! Yeah!!! I have been keeping a journal, so I am going to just start from here on out.

This past week we went up to St. George, Utah, for a Freeman family reunion. It was blast. we rented a big home and split the cost between all the siblings. We arrived on Friday, April 2. On our way down to St. George we drove through Kolob. It was beautiful.

When we arrived at the house we unpacked and picked out our room. The kids went swimming and we ate some yummy pizza, that Aunt Heidi made. Saturday we had our Easter Egg Hunt. It was fun.

The kids received a bunch of candy.

We also went swimming and just hung out. It was very relaxing. Sunday was Easter. We had a

very delicious dinner with the famous Ham Balls, that Grandma Freeman makes. The kids received their Easter baskets. Benjamin came up to me and asked me, "Mom are you and Dad the Easter Bunny?" Well, we had that talk. He left our conversation smiling, hopefully that is a

good sign. Monday we took Greg into the Urgent Care because he was having a hard time breathing. He was diagnosed with Asthma and was given a breathing treatment. He also received an inhaler. When we returned home we swam and played games. Tuesday was the trip to Zion National Park. Unfortunately, Greg wasn't feeling good and really didn't want to have to take the two little ones (Kaleigh and Addie) on a hike, so we stayed home as a family. We went to In and Out Burger and played minature golf. It was very fun to be together. Wednesday we packed up and met my parents for lunch. They drove up from Las Vegas to pick up Benjamin. It was so wonderful to see them. We also stopped by the St. George Temple and took some pictures. We went into the Vistor's Center to see all the displays. It was a nice way to end our trip.

I am soooo grateful for family. I have been so blessed with my family and Greg's family. We are surrounded by the gospel and family who are also living righteous lives. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings he has placed in my life. I am grateful for being a mother. I am grateful to have the scriptures to learn and grow closer to my Savior. How blessed we are to live in this dispensation. I heard a quote during General Conference this weekend. I can't remember who stated it but it went like this: "Two men can do anything, when one of them is the Lord." I testify of this and the truthfulness of the companionship that is available to all of us if we seek it and hold on to it. I am grateful for this knowledge.

2009-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well I feel sad that it has been so long since I have updated my blog. We have had many adventures since July.
July 4th was lots of fun. I was blessed to have my brother and his family come stay the evening with us. Also, my cousin, Camille and Jared were with us. We had a BBQ and did some fire works. The funniest part was the softball game we had in the backyard. I have enjoyed getting to know my cousin and her husband. They are so young and cute. Jared gave a beautiful blessing over the food. I was very impressed. I could feel his sweet testimony as he prayed. Also, our kids love them too. They will be great parents. July 17th-20th we went up to Duck Creek, Utah. We met my parents there with Benjamin. It was so fun. It brought lots of memories back for me. My family used to go to Duck Creek very often during the summers, when I was growing up. It was fun spending time with my brother Daniel. I haven't been able to spend much time with him since he has returned home from his mission. He is definitely a stud, and a righteous priesthood holder. I am so proud of him. I am grateful for the example he shows to Benjamin.

We didn't do to much while we were camping. We went fishing, walking, and we ate really good food, thanks to Grandpa. The kids had a blast. We brought our hammock that I bought years ago. the kids loved it the most. It was good weather most of the time. My favorite part was Sunday. We didn't have a church to go to so we had our own service. We told lots of scriptures stories, missionary stories, and sang lots of church songs. It was a pretty special memory. Hopefully the children will remember. I was sad because I had to say goodbye to my little guy, Benjamin, and I had to say goodbye to Mikaela. Mikaela spent a little over a month with us. It was so fun to have her in our home. She was a good "big sister" to my little girls. Kaleigh misses her greatly. She still says, " I miss my Mikaleb."

The best news is that my Benjamin is home. He came home July 31st. He has grown up so much. Sad to say that he is almost as tall as me. CRAZY!!!! We left August 1 to Montana for our family vacation. We enjoyed it so much. The drive was gorgeous. We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Freeman. They were so good to us. I am so grateful for the time my children were able to spend with them. I was also grateful to Tiffany and her family. They have a beautiful home they just finished and they allowed us to come and enjoy it. Thanks!!! When we first got there on Saturday we had a BBQ at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Then we drove up to see Tiffany's home. Sunday we had church. I was impressed with their ward. I felt the spirit very strong. The neatest experience was when a Spanish speaking sister bore her testimony during testimony meeting. I couldn't understand her but I felt the spirit so strong. It overwhelmed me. It was beautiful. It amazes me how the spirit can manifest itself even in a different language. I can only imagine what it would be like to have the "gift of tongues." Monday we went to the water park. Tuesday, the kids went to a movie while Greg and I went to lunch with Mom and Dad. Then we started to get ready for the Beartooths. We left early Wednesday morning to go camping at the Beartooths. It was a beautiful. We were a little less unfortunate with the weather. It was pretty cold and rainy. The girls had a rough time. The fishing wasn't very good because we were unable to hike into some of the "golden lakes," as Greg called them. I felt bad for Greg. Since he was young he would come up to the Beartooths with his Father and brothers to go hiking and fishing. He was so excited to show us how good the fishing was. He was disappointed. But we decided that he would take Benjamin next year with his brothers and Dad. So hopefully that will make it up for him. We had a horrible night sleeping. Pretty funny now that we look back. It was freezing and the girls were miserable. Greg was also sick. But, at least we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and we didn't see a bear!!! We will try it again in a few years when our little ones are a little older. When we got back to Mom and Dad's house on Thursday we just relaxed. We found out that Ben Evans died. He was like a grandpa to Greg and his siblings. The funeral was held on Saturday. It was nice to have all the brothers and Tiffany's family together. Ben was a great example of a pioneer, faith, and love. He will be missed. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to get to know his family better and to get to know Ben through their memories. It is amazing how going to a funeral can get you to reflect on your own life and what really matters in this life. I am so grateful for the gospel principles. For the principle of Hope. I am so grateful for the family I have and every moment I am able to spend with them. I am grateful for my husband and look forward to growing in love with him. Sunday we went to church and had lunch at Tiff's home. We left shortly after that to go home. It was nice to return home. We were able to get a new van, which made traveling awesome. We are so blessed with everything. We have a home, food, each other. I am so truly grateful. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father.

Ben started school yesterday. He is in 4th grade. Can't believe it. He is getting so BIG!!! He is a good brother. He loves his sisters. He has been such a big help to me since his return home. He had a good time in Vegas, but I am so happy he is home. It is a big difference when he is gone. Our family is complete again, now that he has returned. I love him so much.

Kaleigh is going to start taking dance soon. She calls it "princess school." She has a little leotard that she has worn every day since we bought it. She is starting to say her own prayers. She went through a phase where she was to shy to say a prayer. Thank goodness she overcame it. She said a beautiful little prayer yesterday. We had a "princess party" at our house for two of her friends, to celebrate the new school year. We made mini pizzas and had cookies. It was fun. She is a little stubborn girl, but there is definitely a sweet and tender side to her. She is a special little child of God.

Addy is growing so fast. She has 3 teeth. Her hair is getting long. She is climbing all over. She climbed into her high chair today and before I went up and back down the stairs she had crawled back out of it, without injury. She plays a game that we play as a family. If you say, "Raise your hand if you love Mom," she will raise her hand. So we ask her all kinds of funny things like, "If dad smells raise your hand," she raises her hand. Too cute. She folds her arms now for prayer. Then she looks at me so that I will tell her, "Good girl." She is soooo adorable. She has these bright blue eyes that are mesmerizing. She loves to hug too. When she sees anyone sad or crying she goes up to them and hugs them. I am so amazed by her precious spirit.

I am so blessed. There isn't a way to express my gratitude for my blessings. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I hope and pray that I am all that he wants me to be.

Well I have a few random pictures I want to post, so here they are:

Kaleigh at story time.

A beautiful rainbow from our backyard.

2009-06-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

I have been back from Girl's Camp for a little over a week now. It was absolutely amazing. I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with the Young Women and the leaders. I felt the spirit all week and felt rejuvenated on my return home. I will ever be grateful for the frienships that I was able to begin at camp. My mother and sweet husband took care of the children for me. I am very grateful to them. I was able to spend a few more days with my mom before she returned home. I am also grateful for that. She is so wonderful to me. We had fun together. Tuesday before she left we had a special day. First, we went to the Timpanogos Temple to get something for my Grandfather that he had left. While my mom was in the temple I had Mikaela and Kaleigh get out of the car so I could take their pictures at the temple. They were excited. Addy was asleep in the car, so I didn't want to wake her up. When we were done at the temple we went to Jacob's home for lunch. We ate homemade pizza and berry salad. It was yummy! The kids had fun visiting. When we were done at Jacob's we went to Provo Cemetery to see my brother, David's grave. The girl's were curious and asked questions. I love what my father chose to have on the grave. It states, "The Crown Without a Conflict." My brother was 3 months old when he returned to Heavenly Father. So how perfect are those words. I watched my mom and wondered how hard it must have been for my parents to loose a precious little child. I realize that they used it as an experience to grow in faith and love. I am grateful for their example of faith and diligence. My mom left on Wednesday just in time to get home to go on a hot date with my dad for their 30th anniversary. Congrats Mom and Dad!!! We love you!! Thursday was Greg's birthday so we partied. Greg went to play golf in the morning with some friends. While he was gone we decorated for him. Mikaela and Kaleigh helped. We also made a birthday cake for Greg. A tradition we have as a family is to make candy bar charts for the birthday person. So, we made on for Greg. It stated, "Thank you for helping me make cute "Sugar Babies." There are a million "Reeses" why we love you. I chose you and not "Mike and Ike" because I was your "Baby Ruth." When Greg came home we celebrated and ate steak. Yummy! After dinner we went to Liberty Land to play minature golf and ride the bumper boats. It was a blast. The kids had tons of fun as well.
Saturday, Mikaela and Kaleigh went to our neighbors home for a birthday party. The theme was "princesses." So I dressed up Kaleigh and Mikaela. They were so excited. They also had fun. Sunday, was Father's Day. Greg had a great day!!! I think......He slept.....J/k, but not really. I let him for it was his day. He is a great man. I am grateful for him and the father he is to ourbeautiful children. He would do anything for them. I am grateful for his example of righteousness. He is my best friend and I love him.

2009-06-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing weekend. The Jolley's came up for the weekend to drop off my Mother so she can watch the children while I am at Girl's Camp. We were all together as a family. How wonderful. My sister Renae wasn't able to come, though. We miss her. We were also able to enjoy the company of my Grandpa Harris. He is such a handsome fellow. Saturday we went up to Payson. We had dutch oven potatoes and chicken (thanks to my Dad). We also had lots of fruit and fresh coconut. It was delicious. We all sat around and chatted while good old Dad did the cooking. There was a little bit of a hill down to the parking lot from the picnic area, and the little ones kept trying to escape and run down the hill. It was funny. Unfortunately, a couple of them were able to make the escape and would get going to fast. Addison fell and so did my Kaleigh. We kissed their ouchies all better. The funny moment of the day was when my Grandpa Harris went to sit in one of the camping chairs. When he went to sit down he lost his balance and fell back in the chair, hitting the ground. All of us ran to his rescue as he started laughing. Thanks to Jacob's muscles we were able to rescue him and help him back up. It was pretty cute to see Grandpa laugh about it. It was a wonderful time to just sit and visit with everyone. I LOVE MY FAMILY. What a blessing to have one. Especially, an Eternal Family. When we were done eating some of us went fishing. Greg, Kaleigh, Addy, Daniel, Mikaela, and I went to go catch some fish. We caught a couple. Mikaela was so cute. She caught a fish and was soooo excited. I wish I would have been able to get a picture but I didn't bring it when we went fishing. Another funny but scary thing happened while we were fishing. Kaleigh was playing in the trunk of the car. She would call Mikaela's name and then say, "Peek a Boo." Well we were all talking then looked back and noticed that the trunk was closed. We all started to laugh, saying," It would be funny if Kaleigh was in there." Well as soon as we said that she started to scream. We felt so bad. She was a little traumatized, but nothing that a little huggies and kisses couldn't fix. It started getting really cold after that so we headed back home. It was a wonderful day. I had the opportunity to talk with my Grandfather about some experiences that have occurred in our lives. I realized after talking with my Grandpa, that I am so grateful for the gift of Agency. I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who loved me enough to let me make my own mistakes so that I could learn and grow. I am grateful for a Savior who atoned for my sins. I am so grateful for the opportunity to take the sacrament every Sunday to repent of the mistakes that I have made. I am grateful for the opportunity of being able to try harder every day to be more like my Savior and Heavenly Father. I love the gospel. I love the blessings that my life has felt because of the gospel. What joy I have been able to be a part of because of this rich blessing.
Well, on another note. I had a big box at home and decided to make a house for Kaleigh and Addy to play in. We cut out some windows and made a door. On the door we made a door knob. It was to fun. Kaleigh enjoyed painting it. Here are some cute pictures.

Benjamin has been gone for a little over a week. He sounds in good spirits. We miss him and love him so much. One morning this week we were getting breakfast ready and I looked up at Kaleigh. She had tears pouring down her cheeks. I asked her why she was sad and she said, "Where is my Bubber? I miss my Bubber?" My heart broke into a million little pieces. I gave her loves and told her that he was in Las Vegas. She asked me if we were going to go to the airport to pick him up. Oh, it is definitely hard not having him at home. I know that he is in my Heavenly Fathers hands and that he is safe. That is the most important thing.

2009-05-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

This past week we have been buisy. Last Saturday we went fishing for our farewell family outing for Benjamin. He leaves tomorrow morning to go to Las Vegas for 2 months. We will miss him greatly. We went up to Payson, UT for our fishing trip. We left Saturday at 5 a.m. (thanks to Dad). We got up to Payson in about an hour. The sun had just brought light when we arrived. The kids were still snoozing. We saw a few dear on the way up the mountain. It was gorgeous. Greg was so excited to go fishing. When we got there we didn't waste any time. Greg and I got the kids ready and we headed out to the Lake. It was a little overcast, but beautiful. We started off by using Greg's flies that we bought at Cabella's. We didn't catch anything right off the start. We decided that we were going to go back to Payson and buy some powerbait. So we did. The kids were good sports. When we returned to the lake, Greg threw in his fly and caught something right away. It was exciting for the kids. Benjamin was the one that brought in the fish. Kaleigh thought it was neat but didn't get to close to the fish. Addison had a ball, she wanted to run into the water. We had to be right on top of her to make sure we didn't have any blonde little fishes in the water. Daddy bought Kaleigh a little tackle box of her own. It had all of the princesses, so she was so excited about that. About 9 a.m. the kids got a little hungry so we decided to use our little stove to cook some Ramen for the kids. It was fun. We sat right of the bank of the Lake and cooked some warm soup. We forgot silverware so the kids had to use their fingers (after we sanitized, of course) to eat the soup. They didn't mind. They were good sports. Then we returned back to fishing. We did pretty good. We caught close to 15. We released all but one, because we weren't able to get the hook out before it went into shock. The kids were sad. We decided after about 4 to go down to one of the picnic areas and go start a fire to cook some hot dogs. We were able to find a little area that had a lot of worms and bugs. This made it fun for the kids. Especially Addy. When lunch was finished we returned to the fishing. Kaleigh stepped into the lake so we had to take her shoes off. She walked around through the mud without shoes. She didn't mind. That explains a lot about my little Kaleigh. She never complained either. Benjamin had fun reeling in the fish. He played with Addison so that Dad and I could get a little fishing done too. We left around 7 p.m. We were all pretty tired. Next time we will be camping over night. Greg and I discussed how blessed we were and how much fun it is to have a family to be able to spend time with. Every single one of our children bring us moments of joy beyond explanation. Thanks to our Heavenly Father and our Savior I know that we will be an eternal family. What a gift and an amazing blessing.

This weekend we had a little goodbye BBQ for Beeda and his friends. We set up the tent in the backyard for his friends. Unfortunately it rained and was very windy so they didn't get to sleep in the tent. On Monday this week the girls decided to play in the tent. We had been working outside all day and I ran inside to vaccum my bedroom. I wasn't gone more than 5-10 minutes. When I went downstairs Kaleigh was getting a rag. I asked her what she was cleaning up. She told me, "Addison made a mess in the tent." I went to go look and this is what I found:

To be honest, I was a little frustrated. But then I saw my little girls having fun and Kaleigh trying to clean up the mess. So I ran into the house and grabbed the camera. I knew I had to take pictures because there would be a day that I would laugh about the whole situation. Look at those cute girls. Who could get mad at them. Not me, most of the time.

2009-05-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

2009-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Boy had a field trip this week. Thanks to Dyanna, I was able to go with Benjamin. We had a blast. The field trip started off at Benjamin's school. Then we went to a the Yellow Park to play games. Once we were done with games we went to the main attraction. The main attraction was a home where the owner had 1.25 acres of backyard that he had turned into an "Old Town." It was pretty amazing. Benjamin had 4 other boys in his group. Ben, Hunter, Sergio, Jakob, and Kaiden. They were pretty fun to be with. The gentlemen that owned the home built a building in his backyard for every grandchild. He had a Saloon, Barber shop, Bank, Stable, Car Garage, Tiki Bar, Beach, Ship, 2 Play houses, and more. I received a bunch of fun ideas. I was mighty impressed. When we arrived at the house we ate lunch.

When lunch was finished we were able to go and look at the buildings. The kids enjoyed it and were impressed with all of the different ideas.

I am grateful for the alone time I had with Benjamin. He is growing so fast. I see the time that I have with him getting shorter and shorter. My goal is to just absorb it all so that it will last. He is a good example to me of love and compassion.

2009-05-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

Today was a the first "HOT" day we have had so far this year. So, to celebrate we went outside and played in the water. Kaleigh's friend Kyralynn came over to play with us too. Benjamin and his buds played for a while with us as well. I had an old plastic table cover that we cut in half and we used it as a "slip and slide." It was a blast. Kaleigh and Kyralynn would run all the way to the other side of the yard and then run to the water slide. They had to get momentum. It was to funny. Addison played in the puddles and giggled. Kaleigh and Kyralynn sprayed Addy with the hose and she didn't like that very much. Yesterday we went to the park as a family. The kids wanted to go to the "Wood Park." Everything is pretty much made out of wood. Addison liked to swing in the swing. I held her on my lap while I was swinging. She cuddled right up to my chest. It was precious. I love cuddling with my little ones. There were little honey combs that Kaliegh and Addison climbed into. It was too cute. Kaleigh wouldn't let me take her picture. She would run away before I could snap the photo. I was so sad. Oh, well. Benjamin was running around and Kaleigh was trying to keep up. He got on the tire swing with a little boy and when they were spinning it made me sick just watching them. He enjoyed it and that is all that matters. I am realizing that he will be going up to Vegas in less than two weeks. I am glad he gets to see his other family though. It will be good for him. We will definitely miss him. Unfortunately, I feel that his sisters will miss him entirely tooooo much!!!

Today Kaleigh woke up in a grumpy mood (not unsual) and started coming down the stairs crying. Addison crawled up to the stair that Kaleigh was sitting on and knelt down. Addison started talking to her, sounded like she was trying to comfort Kaleigh. Then she put her head on Kaleigh and gave Kaleigh
a hug. Just before dinner time, Kaleigh was sad because I wouldn't let her go back outside to play with friends. Kaleigh started to cry. Here comes Addy talking to Kaleigh again and giving her loves. I must say she takes after her mother. Benjamin said, "She never hugs me like that." So I told him to pretend he was sad. He did and again, here comes adorable little Addy to comfort BIG BUBBER!!! That made him feel much better. Well, Greg and I love these 3 little blessings with all our hearts. We see them grow and learn daily. What a blessing. Benjamin taught Family Home Evening last week for one of his Duty To God, requirements. He taught the lesson about the Good Samaritan. I was proud of him. After the lesson I told him that I was proud of him and he replied, " I didn't like having to 'yell' my lesson, though." You see the girls were being irreverent and Benjamin was having a hard time getting their attention. I thought it was kind of funny.

2009-05-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

We were able to have Eli come and spend the night this week. Kaleigh had lots of fun with her cousin. They had lots of fun painting and making messes. They love eachother and it is fun to
see them bond. They have their little disagreements but they are learning how to work them out.
When the kids woke up this morning we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point to the Farmland. They were excited and we had a blast!!! It was fun to see all of their reactions. I have taken

Kaleigh before but it has been about a year since her last visit. Benjamin was a big helper. He pushed Addy in the stroller while I chased the other two around. I was definitely ready for a ciesta when we got home.

Here they are feeding the sheep. Kaleigh was a little scared at first but then she took charge and feed them. Eli was not affraid at all. She just stuck her fingers in the fence and held out her hand so the sheep would eat them. Addy was not very scared either. She kept running up to the fence. Benjamin was helping his little sisters and neice.

Addy was looking so cute, so I thought I would take her picture.

When the kids were being to silly I had to put them in the jailhouse.

They are TOO CUTE!!!!

What a sweet, big brother!

We took the kids on a horse ride. Addy was to little so she watched from the side lines with Mommy.

When we were all done we were able to milk a cow. Benjamin was trying to spray me with the cow's utter.......Grrrrr!!

Catching Up

2009-05-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous Mother's Day Weekend. It started off with a fun hike on Saturday. We went on a hike in Pleasant Grove. It was beautiful. This is the fourth time we've been. Guess that tells you how much we love it. It is a pretty easy hike for the kids and they love it. There is a waterfall at the stopping point. We walked down to the foot of the waterfall and ate lunch. Benjamin was a little hungry on the way in, so he wasn't to excited. Once we ate he was back to his normal self.

Kaleigh was great. She didn't complain once. She loved picking up the rocks and she kept trying to place them in her backpack. I kept having to remind her that her backpack would get to heavy to carry. Of course, she didn't believe me. She wanted to climb without holding my hand, so she could be like her big brother. It was pretty cute. Addison sat in the hiking backpack while Daddy carried her. When we got to the waterfall for lunch we let her out. She was sitting on the ground and kept rocking back and forth. It scared me because I thought she was trying to get up. I didn't want her to walk into the stream. I am a little paranoid, I must admit. She loved every second. She fell asleep on the way back down the trail. Benjamin found some fresh dog droppings on the way back down, so he got a big rock and placed in on top of the droppings so that no one would step on it. I thought that was kind of thoughtful. Greg had fun. He was able to try out our new water pump. It works wonderfully. It was kind of fun to pump out the nice cold water from the stream and then be able to drink it. It was pretty tasty. I had fun enjoying my family. I look at them and just wonder how I have been so blessed. I truly am so blessed.

On Mother's Day I woke up and Greg had made pancakes. I thought that was thoughful. Benjamin made me a flower pen with a flower pot and he planted me some pretty pink flowers. I was very grateful. It meant a lot to me. I was able to get my violin fixed last month and that was my gift from Greg. We went to church and came home. We went on a walk and enjoyed the beautiful day. When we came back from our walk Greg grilled some chicken and hot dogs. We ate yummy food. Addison got fussy around dinner time,

so Benjamin took her upstairs gave her a pacifer and laid next to her on my bed. She fell right to sleep. It was so precious. I am so proud of him for the loving brother that he is.

Today I took the girls and we went to eat lunch with Benjamin at school. The girls had fun. Benjamin played with them on the school play ground. I stood there and tears came to my eyes because I am so proud of the brother he has become. He has a Christlike love that makes me so grateful. His little sisters love him so much. It is a special love.

Well I know this is probably silly but I feel like I need to catch up with a few things. I have a few pictures I wanted to post of special events the past few months. So......here I go:

Benjamin received his Wolf Badge this February. We were very proud of him.

Kaleigh had her 3rd birthday on March 18th. She was so cute. She is growing like a beautiful flower. She wanted a horse with a crown on it. So Greg went to Toys R Us and found a big horse with a saddle that had a crown printed on the top. It was PERFECT!!! She loved it.

For Easter this year we went up to Mike and Heidi's home. They just finished building their beautiful home. We had a blast. We missed Benjamin for he was in Las Vegas. We played frisby golf, ate lots of yummy food, talked, played, and ate some more. Kaleigh and Addison weren't feeling very well for some of the weekend. It was sad. But we still had a lot of fun. It was exciting to see Grandma and Grandpa Freeman. They are such wonderful Grandparents. We are so excited to go see them this summer. YEAH!!!!

Dyanna and I have been getting together once a week to have fun with the children. We have been able to make bread, necklaces, and some other fun things. I am loving the opportunity to get closer to Eli and Princess Di.

Addison's First Birthday

2009-05-04T21:00:00.001-07:00

Addison had her first birthday on April 30th. I can't believe that she is already 1. This past year has gone by so fast. She is so beautiful and full of love. It is amazing to watch her learn and grow. She still has no teeth yet. She is walking and running pretty well now. We do have our occassional slips and falls. Oh, and the sad little bruises on the forehead. She is starting to learn how to use her vocal cords. She says, "Uth Oh." It is is hilarious. She had a pretty special birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Jolley came up for the weekend. So they were able to partake in the birthday celebration. I realized how blessed we were to have them at Addison's birth and her first birthday. We bought her a basketball hoop. She loves it. When you call her name and start to clap she will look at you, smile, and then start clamping her hands too. She still has no teeth. We love her so much. She has been a blessing to all of the Freeman Tribe.

Benjamin had fun with Mikaela this weekend. They are pretty close. I am grateful for the bond that they have. Benjamin is getting excited that school is almost over. I am a little sad for he will be leaving for 2 months to go up to Las Vegas during the summer. He has done so well in school this year and I am so proud of him. Kaleigh absolutely loved having Papa here this weekend. She doesn't care about anyone else when he is around. She also loves Mikaela very much. When Grandma and Grandpa left after church on Sunday Kaleigh was pretty traumatized. Even at bedtime, several hours later, she had me sing her dinosaur song and we had to sing about them leaving. I am so grateful for the bond she has with all of her Grandparents. She is blessed to be so loved.

Greg is getting the garden ready to seed. He has planted the peas, beets, and lettuce. They are all sprouting and it is exciting. He loves to see the fruits of his labors. This weekend he will be planting the corn, pumpkins, carrots, onions, peppers, jalapenios, and tomatoes. He is a hard worker, and I definitely enjoy all his hard work in September. Yum, Yum!!!!

I was just asked to go to Girls Camp. I am soooooo excited. I have been asked to be Assistant Camp Director. I am very excited. I love working with the youth. I also had my first Symphony Concert last Monday. It was a blast. I love the talents and blessings my Heavenly Father has given to me. I hope and pray that I am using them to the best of my ability.

We were able to see Grandpa Harris this weekend for Camille's wedding. He is 85 years old. Pretty amazing. He is still handsome as ever. I bet my Grandma is smiling down from heaven, excited for when she gets to hold him again. Well enough of the mushy stuff, I was grateful to be able to see him. We took a picture of him with all the grandkids. I hope that they will be able to remember him. He is a special Child of God.

2009-05-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Addison turned 1 this past week on the April 30th. I can't believe that she is already a year old. She is growing so quickly. Grandma and Grandpa Jolley came up for her birthday. We are

New Experiences

2009-03-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well I figured I should start a blog. I am not sure what I am doing, but here we go!!! I have heard that I can print this off at the end of a year, so I figured this would be a great way to keep a journal for my children.

Greg and I have been doing fantastic. Greg is involved with basketball right now. I love "Church Ball." It has been fun to see my husband play. He is pretty talented at basketball. It is pretty fun to sit and see his amazingness (not a word, is it? Oh, well). He is playing tomorrow for the Regional Championships. WOW!!! I am so proud of my man. So I will definitely let you know how that goes. He is serving with the Teachers in church. He enjoys working with the young men. He was recently called to be the assistant Stake Athletic Director. Fun for him. He will be fantastic. He loves his sports!!! He is working for US Bank as a Manager in West Valley, Utah. He loves his job most days. He enjoys the people he works with and what he does at the bank. He is excited to garden. He is a pretty talented gardener. He loves the outcome of his labors. It is fun to see him get so excited about a pumpkin. He does have a "green thumb."

I am doing well. I have 3 beautiful children, and a handsome hubby. I am serving as a cub scout leader. It is pretty wild. I am working at New Haven. I love it. It is great for my family. It is a residential home for young woman. I work only 8 hours a week, just to keep my nursing license. I love the girls and love the staff. I am very blessed. I am excited for the weather to warm up. I love spring and all the beauty that accompanies it. I love being a mother. I am so grateful for the beautiful children my Heavenly Father has sent me.

Benjamin is 9. He is growing so much. He is almost as tall as me. He is growing his hair out right now. It is getting pretty long. He hates to get his hair cut, but he says he is growing it out because it is the "style." Oh, Dear!!! He is a very tender and loving brother to his 2 little sisters. He got straight A's on his report card. We are sooooo proud of him. He has received 100% scores on his spelling tests for 3 months, at least now. He doesn't enjoying reading, but I didn't either at that age. He loves golfing, archery, playing army with friends, and the Play Station. He loves being outside. It is pretty funny though, he hates wearing pants. We have had to come to an agreement that if it is colder than 55 degrees outside he has to wear pants. He is very diligent in checking the daily forecast. He is very good at keeping his room clean. I find him once in a while just cleaning it. He got his Wolf in February for Scouts. He loved it because he was able to get his face painted by Brother Rodriguez. He loves to be around his little sisters. He loves to put Addy on his neck and walk around with her because she laughs, hysterically. He loves to sleep with Kaleigh. They are two peas in a pod. I am grateful for the love they share. We have been working on the Articles of Faith. He is on number 4. I have also had a goal to help him with strengthening his testimony. I pray that he will continue to be a righteous young man and that he will have the Holy Ghost as his constant companion. He is very tender hearted and I love that.

Kaleigh is 3. She just had her birthday. She wanted a horse with a crown. I made her a birthday crown cake. She was picking at the frosting all day long. It was to cute. I had to hide it from her so that she wouldn't lick all the frosting off. She has grown so much this year. She is talking like crazy. She has this amazing vocabulary. I can sit down with her and have conversation after conversation. She is so cute. When she is in another room I will call out for her and ask if she is okay. So now she will be on the toilet and she will yell, "Mom, are you okay in there?" It is toooo funny. She loves to sing I am a Child of God. In fact, today her sister was a little fussy in the car so she said, " Addison hold my hand, " and then she started to sing to her. It was so precious. I sing the theme song from the movie, Land Before Time, to Benjamin. Benjamin calls it the dinosaur song. Well, Kaleigh will say to me, "Mom, sing me my dinosaur song." So I have made up a song for her and she will tell me what to say in the song as I sing it to her. She is constantly on the go. She keeps be moving. I catch myself at times getting frustrated, but then I step back and remind myself that one day I will miss her messes. Today I was getting dressed and could hear her downstairs getting into the pantry. When I came down she had taken the whole bag of lucky charms and dumped it on the counter and some had fallen onto the floor. She had also retrieved the broom out of the pantry and looks up at me and says, "Mom I am helping you clean up." I couldn't get mad to that. She is a beautiful little Blondie. She loves Addy and Ben. She had become a very protective big sister. Whenever another child is around she is very protective of Addy's toys and safety. It is a good thing. Kaleigh loves to be Benjamin's little shadow. The have a bond that is certain.

Addy is almost one. She is walking like crazy. She is a beautiful little angel. She had these bright blue eyes that are mesmerizing. She is hilarious as well. We went to Rubio's for dinner the other night and she was yelling the whole time. Not because she was unhappy but because I couldn't feed her fast enough. Kaleigh was just like that. She will see my drink water and she will start to yell at me. I have been starting to teach her a few signs in Sign Language to help her communicate. I did the same with Kaleigh and she was able to tell me when she was thirsty or needed to eat. Pretty amazing. Addy had just recently started to get concerned for her siblings. When they are sad she will walk over to them and place her head on their chest. It is so cute. She loves to play Peak A Boo.... She will hold a blanket up with her hands to cover her face until you ask, "Where did Addison go?" It is so darn cute. She doesn't have any teeth yet. So we are waiting for them to come. She is a very happy little girl.

I feel so blessed in my life. I have the most precious little family and I have been blessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am truly grateful to my Heavenly Father for the many blessings he has poured out on me. I love life and I love the Plan of Salvation.

So, here I go. My first blog entry and hopefully there will be many more.

With lots of love, hugs, and kisses to all our family and friends.