How cute is this?

Brady performing for the festival of trees.

Tis' The Reason For The Season

This ones for you Susan.......





I had this Christmas party with my favorite people and I thought that it would help to capture the holiday spirit.....Didn't happen. But the party was pretty darn fun.
So today as I was running around doing the shopping that I have thus far put off, it came to my attention that this is so silly......I've asked all my kids what it is they really want for Christmas and it has pretty much been like pulling teeth to get an answer out of them. So I run around looking for just the right gift or the gift that is on the list and I'm thinking.....How fun is this really going to be this year? We are going to wake up and open a pile of things that no one really needs or desperately wants. If it weren't for tradition I would say lets take the money we are going to spend and just go some where and do something....
My friend is doing just that. She is taking her family up to a cabin and spending some much needed family time with all her kids. She is like me and this will probably be the last Christmas where it is just her kids and no in-laws or Grandchildren. Where all her kids will be home and the family is still intact. I've wondered if it has hit her like it has me, that this is an end to one era and the beginning of something new and unknown?
It's not necessarily a bad thing, just different. I love Christmas....usually. I just can't seem to get my head in the game this year. Maybe its my age, maybe its their age. We need a few little people around to truly make this a magical Christmas again. It's so fun to watch those little ones with their big wide eyes. So excited and full of wonder.
My house is decorated, most of the shopping is done and the baking will commence in a day or two....I have about 8 days to get in the mood.....Come on Christmas spirit.....Come on....I know you are out there somewhere.
I think next year I will do what my friend Susan did and really find the reason for the season. We will do a count down to Christmas and find Christ in Christmas.....Our family hasn't really had any spiritual traditions. I wasn't raised in a religious home and therefore Christ was never the center of the Christmas holidays.
I will be searching this coming year for some traditions that will help us to remember what it's all about. So I think 2010 will be a good year and look forward to growing closer to my Father in Heaven.

My Girls

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Take a good look at these pictures. These woman are the very reason I am here today. They are the most hard working, dedicated, stalwart, loving, kind, forgiving (some may not agree) and humorous woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I met the majority of them about 7 years ago. These woman have dedicated so much of their lives to the things in life that mean so very much. They are passionate about all that they do. The things they believe in, they do with so much of their heart and soul that others may take it as an obsession.
There have been a lot of bumps in the road over the last few years, but the only constant is that I know that they are there for me, and each other, all the time. We have each made mistakes, we are human. We have learned from them and hope that we do better next time.
Some were at one time part of a board of directors and could not enjoy the pleasure of our company. They since have stepped down. I am so glad, because life just wasn't the same without being able to have them be a part of so many wonderful experiences.....
I think everyone needs friends like these. Those of you who don't, I am sorry. I don't think life would be complete without them. I love my family but these woman complete me. They are like sisters. I feel a strong bond with them. I love their kids like my nieces and nephews, and we plan which kids will marry each other. Tee-hee :-)
A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world- Leo Buscaglia
Lucky for me I have 7 amazing people in my world. What a beautiful garden they make.

The Birthday Party

I can't begin to tell you how much I was dreading the"big birthday party". Back in the day, I loved doing parties but the older I have become, and the more children I accumulate, the less I have enjoyed it. So, I just wasn't at all looking forward to the stress of a birthday party.
To my surprise, it was a lot of fun. Brady invited all 30 kids in his class, and out of 30, 16 showed up. They were happy and excited and very well behaved. Lucky for me, a few parents stuck around to keep an eye on all those little ones, since we were having it at our neighborhood pool house. Brady had a fantastic time and felt very special since so many of his friends came. Also, he must be quite the ladies man......there were more girls than boys that night.
I would also like to give a shout out to my good friend Viki for making a special football cake just for Brady.

Great, Great Brady's Eight

Brady Matthew Porter turned eight on November 2nd. Here are eight reasons to Love him.

1. He will try anything and go anywhere. He is very adventurous. That would explain why he could ride a scooter at eighteen months and run circles around a ten year old with it. He could jump on a tramp at 14 months and he also decided to go on an adventure when he was about 20 months down Ammon Road, with the dog.
2. His smile will light up a room. You can’t help but smile when he smiles.
3. He has the most beautiful blue eyes just like my Mom. When I look at them, I see her.
4. He love people. When he meets someone they are him instant best friend He and Tyler's room-mates family wrapped around his finger in a matter of minutes.
5. He LOVES sports. Not watching....playing
6. He’s really cute and he know it whenever I tell him he’s cute, he says, “I know”. In a very matter of fact way.
7. He loves to snuggle with me. Even on our ride coming home from Florida, he would reach up from the back seat and just want to hold my hand. He’s a very loving and caring boy.
8. He was soooo excited to be baptized. We had the Missionaries over to teach him the discussions before we went on vacation. He was so attentive. He remembered the lessons he was taught and when we went to interview with the Bishop he attempted to tell him all the different things he learned. I think he thought it was a pass or fail test.
   

We are so proud of the decision Brady made to be baptized, and we love him very much. Our family would not be complete without him.

My Daughter is an Adult

Well I guess it was inevitable.....No matter what I do they just seem to keep getting older and older. Sydney Ashlee Porter came into the world on October 25th. She was born at 7:40 am. She was one of the easiest births but I came the closest to dying while giving birth to her. She was such a skinny little thing. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 11oz., but she was 22 inches long. Syd was a busy baby. She loved to just go around like a cyclone. Her mission was to seek and destroy. In some ways she was an easy going child but boy in some ways I was convinced she just wanted to prove what an awful mother I truly was. No matter how hard I tried she just never seemed very happy. Funny thing is, as an infant she smiled non stop. Everyone commented on what a beautiful baby with a beautiful smile. "She smiled at air". Syd spent much of her childhood in La-La land. She preferred it there. She once commented that she liked La-La land, because she could dance and sing and there were flowers everywhere. I'm really glad she had somewhere to go in those moments when being where she was, was just to much for her to handle. LOL
Here are the Eighteen reasons I Love Syd!

1. Syd has some seriously wicked sarcasm.
2. She has always been so grown up. Logic was never wasted on her.
3. She is sooooo patient with McKenzie. Most big sisters would have choked her in her sleep by now.
4. She is a beautiful girl with a beautiful spirit.
5. She is a really good friend, but doesn't need to be surrounded by her friends constantly.
6. Syd has a mind of her own. She is kind of like her mom in that way. If you piss her off you will definitely know about it.
7. She is a great leader. The kids at school really look to her a role model.
8. She's really the only one that follows this blog, so at least she will see this post.
9. She's a good shopping buddy. She doesn't linger too long and we don't have to try on everything in the store. She doesn't beg me for things either.
10. Syd's a great organizer. When I need something organized, I leave it to her.
11. She is a good dancer.
12. She has a really nice voice. I like to hear her sing.
13. She has made a really good chauffeur.
14. I never have to remind her to do her homework.
15. She barrows all my clothes (that's not the good thing) the good thing is when she gets a job and buys her own clothes I'm going to get pay back.
16. She is NOT boy crazy. I have non of the typical teenage worries with Syd.
17. She lived through her childhood, despite the fact I almost killed her. (Ask her about the gum story)
18. She's been an awesome kid and I think she is going to be an even more amazing adult.

FLORIDA

So I am leaving for Florida this weekend, to go and see my boy graduate from college. I am so NOT looking forward to the drive, but I am looking forward to having some time with Ty. Tyler is flying into Denver and I am meeting him there, so that he can help me drive the remainder of the trip to Orlando. I am so proud of him for accomplishing his dream. He will be the very first child in my family to get their Bachelors degree. He has worked hard and made a lot of sacrifice to do this.
Wish me luck and pray that we make it safely.

We also will be going through Ohio and plan to go to Nauvoo, and also go to see Andrew's Aunt that he hasn't seen since he was a little boy. He is really looking forward to that.
As soon as we get back we will be having Brady baptized. Tyler will be performing the baptism and Brady is so excited to have Ty do that for him.
So if you don't hear from me for a while it is because I am on the road. TTFN

My Baby Is Growing Up

Every time I turn around I feel like my kids are getting older and older. Lately it seems as though time is moving at an alarming rate. Brady is my baby and it seems like just yesterday that he was born. I remember so clearly the day he came into the world and everyone gathered around my bed wanting to see the baby. He was so big and perfect. Sydney wanted to name him Brad not Brady. I wasn't going for it.
He is going to be eight next month and will be getting baptized. I can't imagine where the time went.....Wow all of my children baptized. No more baptisms to plan, that just seems so surreal.
I feel as though I missed out on him being two and three because I was so involved in getting the charter school up and going. I think we were in meetings at least two nights a week. I am sad that I didn't have the time to read to him like I did the other kids.
I'm going to miss Brady wanting to come in and snuggle in my bed (fortunately he still enjoys his Mommy time). He is such a love, he is always ready with a hug and kiss when he sees me. I didn't think I would ever say this but....... I really miss having little kids around. I miss their soft little feet and there squishy little hands, and their belly laughs. I miss hearing them squeal when you tickle them, and them coming to you for a kiss when they get a boo-boo. I miss going to preschool activities and watching them sing all the cute songs that Ms. Jeanne taught them.
So here is the day I thought would never come. The day I say how sad I am that my babies are growing up.

Here's to Camy....Happy 40th!

Since I do this for my kids, I thought I would do this for my good friend Camy Hertz. Some of these are repeated because they are things I had her other friends list about her. I had everyone do 10 things.

Susan said:
1. She is very wisdomy
2. She just introduced me to some GREAT facial scrub. It is like a massage on the face!
3. She is SUPER kind hearted
4. Extremely Practical
5. Open to new ideas
6. Not judgemental of people
7. Lots of fun to be around
8. Kind mother, you know she loves her children.
9. She has a lot of brains!
10. Funny

Linda said:

Camy is:
is a loyal friend
good listener
GREAT board member!! They are so missing out!!
level-headed
open-minded
devoted mom
has a great memory and
sharp mind
easy to be around
fun to be around!!

Terri said:

Camy is....
Funny
clever
wise beyond her years
sneeky (never get on Camy's bad side....it would be scary)
loyal
classy
loving
a "little F'r"
smart
centered in her beliefs

Viki writes:
"Camy is.. a Caring person, Always trustworthy, Motherly, and Youthful.

Christina says:

Camy is gentle, has a very warm smile, a very kind heart, beautiful toes, a fast finger for texting, and I love her sense of humor, which more than makes up for the last 5!

18 Reasons the Porter Family Loves Dominika

1. Domi has an amazing smile.
2. She has the most amazing green eyes.
3. She has a smile for everybody.
4. She wants to do and see and experience everything. She has a very adventurous spirit.
5. Domi is such a goofy girl.
6. She takes more pictures of herself than anyone I know.
7. Domi has a pure heart.
8. She has an innocence about her.
9. Domi loves to make people happy.
10. She is very forgiving.
11. She loves animals (especially puppies).
12. She understood our sarcasm and gives it back.
13. She was an amazing friend to Sydney and McKenzie.
14. She is a great pouter when she wants something....
15. She is a very intelligent person.
16. She fit into our family like a hand in a glove.
17. Domi loves her family very much and she is a special person because of them.
18. She loves us........ :)

Happy 18th Birthday Domi....Now go get that license!

20 Reasons I Love Tyler

1. Wow, he's 6' 5"!
2. He's so handsome.
3. He's wise beyond his years. I sometimes wonder who should be the parent.
4. He let me work out the kinks on him.
5. He has a beautiful smile.
6. Tyler is a great older brother.
7. He has an eye for beauty.
8. He is not influenced by others. He holds firm to the truth.
9. He is a great and loyal friend.
10. Tyler has always had the ability to see the reality of who a person truly is. If they are unkind or an unsavory person, or not of high character than they are not the type of person he wants to be around.
11. He calls people on their crap. Even me sometimes.
12. He's forgiving.
13. He is full of life and energy. He was never a hyper kid but never one to sit around and waste a good day on a video game.
14. He stands his ground when he needs to, but will bend and adapt when necessary.
15. His tolerance for ignorance is limited. (I had to put this because he's like me in this way)
16. He honors his parents.
17. He has the spirit of a giant, but with much humility.
18. He is soooo compassionate. I remember when he was about in 4th grade, the boy next door kept getting bullied. the neighbor boy out-weighed Ty by about 50 pounds, but was very timid. This bully kept coming behind the neighbor boy and ramming into him with his bike. So Tyler stood in front of him and told him to knock it off. The bully said, "what are you going to do?" So Ty leaned over and knocked him down and said, "you need to stop being a jerk.....got it?" The kid stopped picking on the neighbor after that.
He also wants to do many things to help the people of the world who are suffering. He wants to make documentaries, about the plight of the people in Uganda, serve in the Peace Corp or do some kind of volunteer work to help others. I'm sure he has many other ideas of how to help people.
19. He loves me, even though I was pretty hard on him as a kid.
20. Tyler is an amazing human being. If he weren't my kid, (oh yeah, he's not a kid anymore) I would still want to be his friend. He makes our family complete and we all love him so very much.
HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TY!

Ten Reasons I Love Landon

1. Landon is very humorous and sarcastic. He makes me laugh.
2. He is a leader. Friends look to Landon to know what to do and how to do it.
3. Landon is cautious and careful.
4. Landon is quick to liven things up when they get dull.
5. He can pout better than anyone I know.
6. He knows what he wants and he stops at nothing to get it.
7. He respects girls (not his sisters).
8. His teachers (both at church and at school) love his insight.
9. Landon is a hard worker, when he wants to be.
10. His little brother loves him so much and Landon loves his little brother (he just doesn't know it yet).
Happy 10th birthday Landon!!!!!

Brittain is Thirteen....The 13 Reasons I Love Him

1. Thanks to Brittain I now have 4 teenagers.
2. Brittain is witty like his Dad.
3. He stands for what is right and won't back down.
4. He is ancient beyond his years. He will make an extraordinary adult.
5. Being fair is the most important thing to Brittain.
6. This kid is so funny....I have to tell you something he did when he was about 7.....We were in the car and a discussion on getting Syd a bra came up. He said, "why does Syd need a bra?", I said...."boobs, you heard of them?" He looked at me and thought for a minute, he said, "BOOBS....coming....to a theater near you."
7. He is a genius....he is so analytical he often out thinks his teachers. It's so fun to watch his brain at work.
8. He has a contagious smile, and beautiful blue eyes.
9. He knows when he is right and there is no changing his mind.
10. He is a great actor...drama is in the soul of Brittain.
11. He has a strong testimony.
12. He loves scouts and camping (more power to you Brittain).
13. Brittain memorizes things really well.....When we were at my sisters this summer, I was talking about my great nephew Lucas and saying he had a very expressive face. Britt, pipes in and says, "the face of a child says a lot of things, especially the mouth part of the face." by Jack Handy......

Long Overdue Update

Since I just got caught up on everyones blog, I thought I should sit down and catchup on my own....Where to start....
Well, at the beginning of the summer we went to Oregon and visited with family. Although it is usually an exhausting experience the kids enjoyed it thoroughly because they get to visit with their cousins and their Aunties and Uncles.
On the way there we stopped at Multnomah Falls and walked up to the look out point.















My sister took the boys fishing. They had a great time with their Aunt and I got to watch my great nephew Lucas.
























We also went to the coast, but it was cold and wet.















Then we went downtown and checked out the Rose Festival events. It was a lot of fun.






















We had a few good days of warm weather and went to my niece Delisa's and the kids swam in her pool and worked on their tans.




After a week we needed to head home, but on the way home, just outside of Hood River we got a flat tire. Luckily, Tyler was with us and he was able to change it. He wasn't happy that his shoes got dirty in the process.


The day we got home my sister Susi called and said she had a layover in Jackson Hole and we should come up and see her.....So back in the van we went and spent a few hours up in JH.We have done many other things this summer, and will fill you in on those when I have some more time to kill.