The Shepherd Saga

Lexy is 16!

2012-01-25T12:46:00.001-07:00

Ok so I am WAAAAY behind on this, but late is better than never!

In 1996 early in the morning a beautiful girl was born to a Mom was young, and honestly TERRIFIED!! That baby was given the name, Elexyah Kayde Lynn and today she is a BEAUTIFUL, STRONG, FUNNY and FABULOUS young woman of 16. Over the years that baby girl grew, as did her mom and she was taught SO much by her daughter.
Through it all Lexy has been strong and wise. She became the big sister to three little brothers, who although she says they annoy her she loves more than anything. She has a smile that lights up the room, and a laugh that make you laugh along with her.

The Princess is Born!

Pride & Joy

Sleeping Beauty

Mommie's Gradutation -May 1996

First Foods

Christmas Past

2011-12-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well Christmas 2011 is over and I have to say it was one of, if not the best ever! We were so blessed to have all four kids at home and a visit from my Grandma, my mom's mom!

We did our best to focus on the reason for the season, Our Savior Jesus Christ. We read about him, and on Christmas morning Jaxsen woke up and said, " Merry Christmas," than looked up and said, "Happy Birthday Jesus!' I am proud do say, job well done us!

Santa Came to Town

The Shepherd Kids Gathered Round to Sing Carols with Santa

Our Kids

Mike & Tarese's Kids

Christmas Eve
Jammies

Priorities NEVER change

The rest will follow in pictures.

Christmas Day

A Happy Farewell

2011-12-11T19:28:00.003-07:00

OK so it was a little sad, but it was for a happy reason!

Today we said good-bye to Sister Wilma Shepherd & Elder Steven Shepherd as they were set apart today. Tomorrow they will report to the Missionary Training Center and in two weeks they will be off to serve as Missionaries in the Wellington, New Zealand Mission! We are so excited for them! So while it was hard to say good-bye today knowing that it will be a year and a half before we see them again are are so happy to see them off on such a wonderful journey.

Today was a perfect example of how life comes full circle. Fifteen years ago my Father-in-Law stood in a circle of men who held the Melchizedek priesthood and set apart his oldest son, Mike, as he prepared to serve as a Missionary in the Houston, Texas mission and fiver years later he stood there once again as his youngest son (and my future husband) was sent apart prior to serving in the Kiev, Ukraine mission. And today there stood Mike and Jeff in that same circle as their father was set apart! I mean really, how AWESOME is that?!?

So as we said our good-byes, I told them I loved them, wished them luck and gave them a hug big enough to last them till we see them again!

Bring on Christmas!

2011-12-06T20:49:00.004-07:00

This is my MOST FAVORITE time of year! I LOVE to decorate, shop, listen to Christmas music, watch Christmas movies & enjoy my family. We have our tree up, the lights are (almost) all hung. I still need to get Jeff on the roof to fix the lights on the house. This year is Stratton's year to be home for Christmas & I am so excited to see him! To top it off my Grammie will be here for Christmas this year! It has been so long since I have spent Christmas with her! The last time was about 11 years ago & in California. It will be so great to spend Christmas with her and for her to be apart of our home & our traditions! I have a feeling this will be the best Christmas ever!

A few quick updates...

Lexy is in JV Dance. She wasn't going to dance this tri, but the dance coach asked her too so she said she "Couldn't say no." We are SO proud of her! She has had an amazing year she is kicking butt in math and taking names in everything else! If I was only going have one girl I am so blessed Lexy is the one I got!

Jax is still loving Kindergarten and is doing very well. He is doing very well in math and is a fabulous artist!

Charlie, well he is just Charlie. Full of energy, funny as can be, and loves to eat!

Jeff has officially taken over the shop and is loving it! He works hard & late, but he is happy. He also bought a rundown Jeep and has spent a lot time working on it and got to take it to St. George over Thanksgiving. He had a great time with his friends.

Me? Well not much has changed, well other than the fact that I have NEW BOOBS!! I am not afraid or ashamed to say that! Anyone who has known, met, or ran into me over that last years would notice it if they saw me so why hide it?! I am so happy! This is something I have been wanting for years & I finally got to do it!

Well that's all for now!

Merry Christmas!

Count Down to Our Cruise

2011-10-18T14:35:00.002-06:00

So in order to better deal with the fact that my only baby girl will turn 16 in January we are taking her on a cruise! No, really it was what she wanted instead of a party. Hey works for us! So now There shall be a count till we leave!

Things are...

2011-10-09T13:53:00.002-06:00

FABULOUS!! We have been doing very well these last few months!
Lexy is doing so well in High School! I am SOO proud of all she has done. She has 100% 100% on her math tests and quizzes! She has started taking private dance lesson and they say she is doing PHENOMENAL! If any one is looking for dance classes private or group you should check out Jennifer Hansen's Premier Dance Academy. She has a boyfriend, Joey. He is a good kid and we like him so we are happy.
Stratton is still living in Texas with his dad. He is doing very well in school, all As and Bs and is getting a new Step-Mom and Step-Sister. His dad is getting married on the 11th of November. I couldn't be happier for my ex-husband and Karla! Congrats to them!
Jaxsen started Kindergarten and is LOVING it! He has an amazing memory. He memorizes their monthly poem in a day after hearing it once or twice!
Charlie...well he is Charlie. Three and trying to rule the world. He knows he is the baby and is loving the role he has to play in this family! He will forever be the baby and he LOVES it!
Jeff has been working hard and getting ready to take over the Shop. His dad is MORE than ready to retire. He last day was set to be Sep 28th but something went wrong with their Mission paperwork and now he is working till November sometime. Jeff is very excited and has great plans for the shop. I know he will do great! If you need a mechanic Sure Fire Auto on 8945 South 1300 West is the only place to go!
As for me... I am still working for the National Guard and not so great hours but it is a good paying job and I am grateful to have it! I am also trying to getting my photography business up and running. Next time you are looking for some one to take your family photos keep me in mind. Click the Lynnie J Pix link on the right side of this page to go to my photography blog.
We had some water damage to the house but as a result we got new tile and carpet, a new dining room table, new computer, and new couch!
So all in all life is good! Hope you all are as blessed as I am!

I'm Baaaaack...

2011-08-27T20:28:00.001-06:00

For now.
Well things have been crazy around here, (as I am sure they are in your home too.)

To me the biggest thing that happened is my Baby Girl started High School! Yep it's true my Lexy is a Brighton Bengal. It is fun to listen to her and Jeff fight over who's better Brighton or Bingham. Jeff is a Bingham grad and the two school are rivals. I really don't care (because neither one is better than being an Orem Golden Tiger) but I enjoy getting Lexy going so I side with Jeff for the fun of it! I am amazed every day at how wonderful my sweet girl is. I am so proud of her and the person she is becoming. I am excited for her future and know she will do great things!

Jaxsen will be starting Kindergarten on the 29th of this month and I am not sure when he grew up, or who said he could. He is SO excited, but I think he is in for a bit of a shock. Not being the center of attention is not some he is use to. He is very smart and a people person, but he can also be a little...how to say this...bossy and demanding. He likes things the way he likes them and doesn't do so well if thing aren't his idea of just right.

Stratton is living with Clint in Texas, and I miss him every day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. I don't call much because I want to give him time with his Dad, but it isn't easy. He came home for summer and wanted to stay but I made him go back. I thought it was the right thing to do, so he could get to know his Dad and have a relationship with him. We split when he was two and Clint has always lived far away so they don't really know each other. I had him for 9 years, so I think I can give Clint a year and a half. Stratton is doing GREAT in Texas. He is doing so much better in school. I must say I am proud of myself. Clint has a girlfriend, Karla who lives with him and I am not even upset that she is raising my son. I always thought I would be, but is good to my son. So I am happy!

Charlie is starting to really show his personality and it is FABULOUS! He is funny, and smart and love to sing and dance. If I had be done having kids he was the perfect ending.

Jeff and I...I would love to say it has been perfect since he came home, but that would be a lie. It is true to say that it has been FAR BETTER than it ever has been. My work schedule doesn't help us at all, but I think there is a lack (on both sides) of making "us" a priority. There are nights I get mad because I think he'd rather watch TV than out front than a movie in our room with me, but I need to be honest with myself, I don't go watch TV out front with him either. But there are times when we haven't had time together in a long time and when we have the chance he goes out with friends. I have to say that hurts, but I also don't want to be "that wife" who tells their husband that he can or can't do something. I guess I just would like him to want to spend the time with me instead. Eh...guess I get what I ask for and don't get what I don't ask for. Don't get me wrong we laugh more, and enjoy each other more.

We thought we were going to have to move, but found out we have one more year in this house. I was ready to move, but along came the water damage and I was so happy we didn't! Sounds crazy right, but it's NOT! The water damage meant new carpet, tile and a new dining room table, couch and computer (which I using to type this post)! It was very hard to function while we waited for the new carpet and tile but it was also WORTH IT!!

Of course when it rains it pours and during the water damage stress Lexy burned her hand and we spent the night in the ER. It was second degree burn on the palm of her left hand, so no lasting damage and it wasn't her dominate hand, but it was horrible! They had to cut off two layers of her skin, and removed the eyebrow wax that was embedded in her skin. They wouldn't put her under at all and there is no pain medicine that could keep her from feeling that pain! She was so brave and strong. She cried, but she held still as they cut her skin. There is nothing worse than seeing your baby in that kind of pain. It was like she was a little girl again. I could see the pain on her face and she kept saying, "Mommie it hurts, it hurts Mommie," as the tears rolled down her face. I couldn't handle it and I called my Mommie, and she was there, at 1230 in the morning she was there! While Lexy's hand still hurts, the skin is growing back, and she should have the wrap off within a week or two.

I started a new job, and I am not sure how I feel about it. I was picked to be second in charge and that is good for my NCOER (Non Commissioned Officer Evaluation Report) but it has not been easy, guess it never is. I will say that the hours are GREAT or should I say should be and will be. I work less than most half time employees, and make twice a much, but is has been crazy these last few months. It is a 24 hours operation so there are different shifts and I have been working all different shifts with only a day off in between. UHG, I am SO tired. But next month will be AWESOME. Basically three on- three off, and from 1300-1900! Oh yeah it will be good!

Well I guess that's us for now. Not much but it's all we've got and I LOVE it!

My how things have changed

2011-01-11T20:36:00.002-07:00

So my life was flipped on its head two months ago, and while I can't say it's back to the way it was, is on its way to better! There have been some good changes and there have been some things that have broken my heart.
The biggest heart break came when my sweet baby boy, Stratton or TB told me he wanted to go live with his dad. While my heart was full of fear and sadness, my mind knew it would be great for TB and his dad to get to know each other. Clint (my first husband) is a good dad and there is no reason why TB shouldn't spend some time with him. So, on December 17th I sent Lexy and TB off to Texas for Christmas and on December 29th I only picked Lexy up from the airport. I knew that when LaLa (Lexy) left and TB was left there with only his dad, that would be when it would really sink in. And...I was right. The very next day I got a call from TB saying he really missed me, and he was crying to the point he could barely speak. All I wanted to do was cry and tell him, "I'll buy a ticket for the first flight out," but I didn't. I told him it is good for him, it is good for his dad and it is good for them. I told him that he would be great. He said OK in a small sweet voice. I told him good night and that I love him. He said the same, we hung up and I broke down.
Some may wonder why I didn't let him come home. Well, because I have always told LaLa and TB that if they ever wanted to live with their dad I would never stop them, but they would have to stick to it. So, when TB made his decision I asked him over and over, as did his dad, if he was sure, and he always was. So, I told him he had to stay till the end of the school year if he went and he stood by his choice. So that is that and my TB is gone and he seems very happy every time we talk!
Now for Jeff and me. We are so much better! We are in counseling, and while I won't share all that is said I will say that it is both heartbreaking and heart healing! We are finding our way back or maybe we are finding our way to a new beginning...Yep that is what we are doing...We are finding our NEW Beginning. We have had moments that have amazed me. I have learned that I can tell him my truth and it's OK. We have laughed, cried, talked and yelled and it has been great. We still don't know for sure what our new beginning will be, but we are having a great time finding our way.
Lexy turned 15 and it is another mix of joy and sadness, not to mention fear! She will be driving, dating, growing up and before I know it moving out. There will be a Lexy dedicated post coming soon. OK maybe not soon, but it WILL happen.
As for me, these changes in my life have made me find me again. I have learned that there was a confidence I once had in myself that I let be taken away and I am finding again. I am losing weight, taking care of myself and walking a little taller because I feel a lot better.
So that is that. There is a lot more to share and pictures galore but that will take time I just don't have tonight.
So farewell Till next time...

Life Can Change In the Blink of an Eye

2010-11-14T16:57:00.002-07:00

So a week ago Saturday Jeff wakes me up at about 5 am and says "Jes, I need to go to the Hospital." When I look at him it is easy for me to see why, a kidney stone. After six years together I can spot it in a second. While we are there I realize our marriage is not what I thought it was. He has made a choice to talk to some one from his past that I have told him is unacceptable. When I tell him I know and remind that I told him if he did this again it would be the end of our marriage he simply replies, "I know." "So you did it anyway?" "Yes," is his reply. "So, you want me to leave?" His next words are so simple and yet so powerful, "Jes, I am not happy." "So, this is it, our marriage is over," I ask. "Yeah, I think it is," he replies. The tears begin to fall as I realize he means it. He is released about 15 minutes later and we head to Wal*Mart for his meds. We get Jaxsen's Birthday presents and his meds and go home. When we get home we sit the kids down and tell them. I make Jeff do it because it's his choice. They cry and are scared, except Lexy, she leaves. Jeff and I go to our room we crawl into bed and hold each other tighter than we have in years. I tell him, "It is crazy that in this moment we are closer than we have been in years." He nods in agreement. We cry, we talk, we cry, we laugh and I ask if he is sure,"Yeah, pretty sure." He packs and he leaves. The next day the boys go to his house (his Parent's). He brings them back that night and lingers for a while. We say we will talk another day. Decisions were made on a bad day. There is hope...
I spend the next few days in a haze, not sure what to think. We talk, he tells me, he isn't excited by me, wants a life that matters, and implies that he isn't attracted to me.
WOW! That's hard to hear.
Than one day he believes that I would do something so mean, so cruel and hateful that I realize he doesn't know me at all. All hope & desire to save our marriage is lost and I feel strong and like a new person.
Saturday is Jaxsen's birthday he comes over. We get along and it is a great day for Jaxsen. The boys go with him and Lexy is at a friend's. I am alone in the house. I get my nails done then go get a movie, gas station nachos and an egg nog shake. And breakdown, I text my friend. She calls and tells me I can do this. We talk for a few minutes and I feel better. I go home and make it through the night.
The next day (today) is the boys Primary Program. He meets me at Church with the boys. His parents come. His mom cries. After Sacrament he come to the house to turn of the water for the swamp cooler and sprinkler system. He stays and watches football and plays with Charlie. At two I go get the boys from Church and he stays. I go get Lexy and he stays. At 245 he leaves to his family dinner, but says he'll be back because he forgot the boys favorite blankets. We hug several times, and he says he is sorry.
And he is gone...

SOME PEOPLE!!!!

2010-10-14T22:48:00.003-06:00

So my daughter was on a bike ride with a friend and while crossing the street and a car hit the back tire of her bike. She was thrown from her bike and hit the ground. What happened next you ask? Well I will tell you the driver DROVE AWAY!!!! Yep that's right she waved at my baby mouthed the word"Sorry," and drove off! A grown woman left a 14 year old child on the the road and drove off!! I want to cry every time I think about it. My daughter was in shock and unable to get any information off the car. That means this horrible woman will get away with it. A friend of mine said to me today,"There is a special place in hell for her." I think that Heavenly Father was looking out for me when he let that lady get away with it, because I would have lost it and it would not have been good. So to keep me from getting in trouble he let her go.
I took Lexy to the ER and the doctor was HORRIBLE. He didn't listen to anything we said, he didn't run any tests and talked to me like I was stupid. He did order X-rays, which came back normal, but other than that NOTHING not even pain meds. Today her back locked on her and she couldn't move, so I came home and took her to Urgent Care. The doctor we saw today was kind and caring and very worried. He also said she is going to be ok, but at least he gave her some pain meds for the pain and a shot to help get her relaxed. She is SO much better.
So today while I was driving I was I was extra careful and paid close attention.
PLEASE DO THE SAME!

2010-09-24T01:42:00.001-06:00

We took our annual trip to Flaming George and it had its annual problems! Last year it was the weather, cold and rainy, but I would have gladly traded wet and freezing for what we had this year...BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!! On the way out we suffered a cracked radiator. My hubby is a FANTASTIC mechanic but there isn't much you can do for a cracked raditor when you are stuck on the side of the road miles from any services. So we unloaded our gear called a tow truck and waited. In time the tow truck came for the Blazer and Jeff, Stratton and Jaxsen went with him. I was left to wait along with Lexy, Charlie, and Monty for Wilma and Steve (my In-Laws) with all our stuff in a pile.
I tell you all I wanted to do was go home, but Jeff convinced me to stay and I am so glad he did. Aside from the break down and setting up the tens in pitch black, it was a great time, that ended all too soon!

Park City, Learning Through Laughter and Full Tummies!

2010-09-24T01:41:00.001-06:00

Jeff and I were lucky enough to attend a marriage seminar with some friends. It was a a very good learning experience and the fact that it was free only made it better. We got to stay in a Park City hotel, breakfast and lunch, along with childcare were provided. My mom took the kids on Saturday and Jeff and I went to dinner with our friends. The fact that it was our 3rd sealing anniversiary made it all the better. I learned a lot about the way my Hubby thinks, and his personality. If any of you ever have the chance to attend "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage," take it!! It was not only very educational, it was hilarious! Now we need to work on remembering and applying what we learn when we go to these things. I wonder if there is a seminar for that...

Happy Birthday Toodles!

2010-09-24T01:38:00.004-06:00

I can't believe my Sweet Charlie Boy is two! The years have flown by and I want them back! While I miss the baby that he was I am loving the toddler he has become. He is funny and emotional, giving and stubborn, a fantastic actor and the best snuggler ever!

He brings a smile to the faces of strangers and melts his Mommie's heart every time he says "Wub woo!" He is a Mommie's boy and LaLa (Lexy) is a close second. While I want him to stay little forever I can't wait to see what his future brings~

As with all birthday's in the Shepherd home, we celebrated Charlie's birthday twice. Once on the night of his birthday and again when Jeff was home. With Jeff being in school I always do two celebrations. They are small with only the kids and us, but it is an important tradition in our family.

First came the Mommie and Kiddo party. With cupcakes and one little gift. It wasn't much but it made Charlie feel special. He wasn't to sure about the candles and all the singing at first, and just took small, clean bites of his cupcake. But he knew he was special and that is what was important.

By the second celebration he had it down and took a bite right out of the cake before we even had a chance to light the candles.

Jaxsen's First Soccer Season

2010-09-24T01:37:00.002-06:00

So I am a horrible mom and forgot about soccer sign-ups this year. Jaxsen was able to get on a team, but Stratton will miss the fall season because I suck! Now that I have that off my chest on to Jax's first game. Jax was NOT looking forward to soccer, but I bribed him into playing by promising him a new dinosaur toy. And in the end he LOVED it! He lost a shoe, got pushed around and pushed right back, and one bad kid came over and kicked the ball when it was Jaxsen's turn but all in all he liked and and can't wait to go back!

2010-09-24T01:36:00.000-06:00

I took some practice shots for my NCO's daughter. I know I have a lot of learning to do, but I am getting there! I love taking pictures! I just know that there is so much more my camera can do and I can do with Photoshop. All in time and with practice. Anymore Guinea Pigs out there? =0)

That's all..

2010-07-20T20:12:00.002-06:00

For now. Other than I am in a weight loss competition at work. So far I am doing well. I have been watching what I eat and doing PT everyday. It ends in September, so I will keep you up dated! Wish me luck, there is 150 bucks to be won!!!!

Softball

2010-07-20T19:25:00.009-06:00

Since I have known Jeff he has played on a co-ed softball team with his brother, sister-in-law and friends.
When we got married I was told I had to play, it was in my vows I just didn't hear it. While I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my Hubby and family, it was horrible! I did not enjoy playing at all. So at the end of last season I told Jeff I will not be playing anymore. It was the greatest thing I have ever done. I enjoy the games so much more now that I am just watching and cheering, even if we lose every game! This team has been together for almost 10 years with very few changes to the line up, but for some reason they just can't win. They have been up by as many as 10 and in the end they lost.
I think it is because they focus so much on batting that they never worry about the fielding. Silly mistakes in the field blow it every time for them. But in the end what matters is they have fun playing and spending time together.

The Kiddos

2010-07-14T21:20:00.004-06:00

Lexy has been busy having a social life and working on her modeling. I can't believe she is going to be in 9th grade this year! She is a "Freshman!" Uh!! I am FAR too young for this! She is going to Lagoon with her friends, texting and spending time on Facebook. She is very excited to have agreed to work with her first modeling agent!! We are so proud of her. I have always known she is beautiful, and now so will everyone else. =0) I am not ready for her to grow up and I am not ready to be old! We are so lucky to have such a great daughter. She is growing up to be be such a beautiful young lady and everyday she amazes us.

Stratton had two soccer camps and scout camp this summer. He tried out for his first soccer comp team and although he didn't make it, it was a great experience for him. While he did not make that team, he was invited to practice with another comp team. They have some openings and would like to see how Stratton does. We will keep our fingers crossed! He is very excited about going to school next year. He got a great teacher and has lots of friend in his class.

Jax is showing just how strong willed he really is. He is testing us at every turn, and it is driving me CRAZY, but he also makes me laugh every single day! And to top it off he is a great big brother to his "Baby Chardels." Charlie, of course, is not a baby any more. He is almost two and I am so sad about that! He is running around, keeping up with his big brothers, talking up a storm (but I can't understand half of it yet) and crying at every turn! Yep he is spoiled and at first I thought it was my fault but now I realize it is all LEXY!! She is his favorite!! Jeff has said over and over again that we are done, and will not budge, but this decision has been very hard on me. If I could I would have 2,3 or 4 more! We agreed to have four and be done but I am having a hard time with that part of my life being over. I know I am so blessed to have the four wonderful children that I have, and it is not that I am ungrateful, just sad.
WOW! I did not mean for that last part to come out, but it feels good to let it out, so I am going to leave it. Yep, that's what I am going to do.

RSL Games

2010-07-14T20:50:00.004-06:00

The kids and I have twice been lucky enough to be apart of the opening ceremonies for the Real Salt Lake Games. We got to walk the flag onto the field. The games are so much fun, and made better by the fact that it was free!
After the second game we got to see David Cook!

It is a great opportunity and we love being a part of it!

Father's Day

2010-07-13T20:45:00.009-06:00

On Father's Day we do all we can to make Jeff's day perfect! He deserves a lot more recognition everyday for all the great things he does for us and how hard he works to take care of us. Jeff is a great father and the kid's are so very lucky to have such a great "Poppo"!For Father's Day this year Jeff got a new tent (really for us) and a new video game, as well as the day of from all chores, honey do's and dirty diapers, all of which came after breakfast in bed!

As we always to we went to Jeff's parent's house for a Father's Day/Birthday BBQ. We had a great day.
We played soccer and T-ball,
ate hot dogs, burgers and
cupcakes,
had plenty of wrestling matches
and

hugs!

We celebrated Father's Day,
Jeff's Dad's birthday,and
my Niece's birthday.

It was a great day!

Not only I am lucky to have a great father for my kids, I have a wonderful Father-in-Law. The kids and I are so blessed to have him in our lives! While my own father is no longer with us in this life I do not dwell on the fact that he is gone, but remember the good times. I take the day to celebrate his life and never mourn his death. It is not that I don't miss him, I do, but I refuse to be sad and choose to live in the joy of the memories!

Thank you to all the wonderful men in my life, both here and there!

Here I go again...

2010-07-13T18:52:00.003-06:00

I am going to try and catch up on all things blog. There has been a lot, so I will do it step by step and see how far I get... First will be Jaxsen's T-ball.

I picked this one first because there is not much to say. We signed him up and he hates it! He is very good at batting, but because the fielding part is so boring he spent most of the time laying on the ground or dancing around. It was fun and a good introduction to the sport. I can't wait till he gets older and can really play.

Jeff enjoys helping with the coaching even if at this point that only means telling them which way to run and to throw the ball to first base. It's always to first base in T-Ball.

Please Remember

2010-06-30T23:20:00.007-06:00

I am so excited for the 4th of July! This year is going to be so much fun! We re heading up to the cabin and going to a parade, carnival and fireworks. I love this holiday and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we will, but...

PLEASE REMEMBER that freedom is not free. People have died for our freedom, and people are dying everyday to protect it. Strong, proud and brave Soldiers pay the highest price to ensure our freedom. Soldiers like SSG Eddie Loredo
who died June 24th in KANDAHAR, Afghanistan.
I never met SSG Loredo, but I have known his wife since 1999 when we were stationed together at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. And I know how much she loved and adored him, and will for the rest of her life!

PLEASE REMEMBER that while we are all laughing and enjoying food, family and fun, my friend like so many before her, will be preparing for a memorial service for her husband.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyday some one's Husband, Father, Brother,Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Son dies for freedom.

PLEASE REMEMBER that while not all of you agree with this "War on Terror" it is real and it has a purpose. I have been there, I have worked with the people, and it HAS A PURPOSE!

PLEASE REMEMBER to ask for a blessing for the troops and their families, and to ask for comfort to be with those who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

PLEASE REMEMBER even if you don't support the war to support our Troops. When you see a Soldier, say thank you, it means a lot to them ,(trust me I know).Have a great 4th and celebrate all that we are so lucky to have, just...

PLEASE REMEMBER!

OH How I Have Missed the Blog...

2010-06-30T23:11:00.002-06:00

There is so much going on life and I am too busy to blog any of it! Of course that means I have forgotten most of it.
Lexy is dancing and modeling. I can't believe she is going into the 9th grade! I am not old enough for this, and more than that I am not ready!
Stratton is playing soccer and is doing great. He is busy with soccer camps, boy scouts and being 100% boy playing in the dirt with friends!
Jax is playing T-ball and thinks it is boring! O-well it's something.
Charlie, well he cries! He is cute, but man can he cry!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T21:06:00.005-06:00

The weekend started on Thursday for the kids and I. That is one of the perks of the Army...30 days of leave (vacation) a year! We spent Thursday at home doing nothing, as I posted earlier. Friday we ran errands, and I must day I was very productive. I finished everything on my to do list and even had time to take picts of the kids. It was great! Saturday we had our family day. We started with going to an Easter Egg hunt, which we do every year. We usually go to Wheeler Farm but this year we heard about one at Hollywood Connections and thought we'd check it out since it was indoors. That was a mistake. It was WAY crowed, started late, was unorganized and between my 3 boys (Lexy is too old to participate), we left with 30 pieces of candy! Stratton got no eggs. Yep that's right, not one! The only candy he got in his basket was the candy his brothers and some sweet girl who heard him say he didn't get any candy gave him. It was the saddest thing. Parents were not allowed to go on the course with the older kids so I went to see if I could catch Jax, I was too late, when I walked back over to meet with Stratton he was standing there all alone with a super sad face and his empty basket. I asked what happened and he said they ran out of eggs before he even had a chance to get on the course. He was so sad, and said next year he wants to go to Wheeler Farm. I agreed and we headed out. Jeff and Jax seemed to have had a good time. Jax didn't many eggs but Jeff says that is his own fault. He was pointing the eggs out to the other kids and being very picky about the eggs he put in his basket. He was walking around saying,"Nope, not that one," "Yep, this one." Jeff said was too funny! After that we headed off to lunch at the Mayan and to see "How to Train Your Dragon." Lunch was fun! Charlie was amazed by the divers and clapped and yelled every time they hit the water.

I wouldn't know about the movie because Charlie wanted nothing to do with it. He lasted all of 5 minuted before he started crying and it was my turn to take him out in the hall. Jeff took him during Avatar so I think I got the better end of the deal. All the kids, and Jeff really liked the movie though so it was worth it. After that we went home and Jeff got ready for Priesthood session. He always goes to his Parent's stake house and watches it with his Dad, Brother (Mike), and Steve (Mike's Father-in-Law). After that we always meet at the Pie for dinner. Usually I am not a fan of the Pie but it was very tasty and we had a great time! When we got home we colored Easter Eggs and finally it was time for bed.

Easter Morning came early this year, 0715! Are you kidding me?!?! We are sure Stratton woke up and took it upon himself to wake the two little ones. So the kids found their eggs and tore apart their baskets. It was so much fun to watch them. Charlie was in love with his suckers! After that it was nap time before it was time to get ready to go to Grandma & Grandpa Shepherd's. We had such a great time and DELICIOUS food! The little kids had their Easter Egg hunt before we ate, and the big kids after. The big kids tried to act like they didn't want to do it but they really got in to it. Typical teenager stuff!

After dinner we watched Conference. There was a lot more laughing and messing around than watching, but we did hear the talks and so it was okay!

We came home and Lexy and Charlie fell asleep at about 630. Jax and Stratton played & fell asleep watching a movie, and Jeff did homework. Now Jeff and I are watching 2012.

All in all it has been one of the best Easters ever!

Kids Pics-

2010-04-02T23:44:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures I took of the kidos today

AHHHHHHH!!!!

2010-04-01T19:38:00.003-06:00

So there are times when I wonder what am doing and how am I suppose to do it all. I took the day off today because the kids are out for Spring Break and I did nothing all day. I am still in my PJs. I had all kinds of big plans and I did NONE of them! My kids are in this phase where all they want to do is argue and it just keeps getting worse and no matter what I do they just keep arguing! Jeff is in school so I never get to see him. I know that it is for the best and in the end it will help our family to be stronger and reach our goals, but in the mean time we don't have time to talk about anything more than the business of the day. I have obviously gone wrong somewhere, but I don't know where or when and it would seem it is too late to fix it . So now I have to figure out where to go from here. I know this kind of stuff is not what you all want to read when you check out my blog, but it the best place to vent. The only place I can let it all out and not be interrupted. Thanks for listening.

Dining Out ...

2010-04-01T13:07:00.002-06:00

That was really in.

The weekend after we got back was my drill weekend and our unit had a Dining Out. It was really a dinner with the unit and it was a lot of fun! We ate good food, some more than others (SSG Stewart) laughed with friends and went home and watched a movie. It was a great night spent with great friends!

Our Cruise

2010-04-01T12:45:00.007-06:00

Jeff and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on March 26th and to celebrate we headed off on a cruise! We had a great time! We went snorkeling, shopping, down a 1600 foot zip line and made new friends! I got my first real sunburn and Jeff was so red I was a little scared! We spent most of our time on the ship sleeping and it was FABULOUS!
Our first stop was Puerto Vallarta were we went snorkeling and whale watching. We took a lot of pictures but it was with our underwater disposable camera and I can't find it anywhere. So there will be more pictures to come. I did take a few pictures with my camera so here they are. It was amazing. If we looked to our right there was ocean with a huge Yacht that had a helicopter on it, and if we looked to our left there was a...
WAL*MART! Oh yeah that's right Mexico has it all, Walmart, McDonalds, Burger King, Dominos and even Hooters (in Cabo).

Next was Mazatlan. There we went on a shopping, beach and lunch tour! The food was great, so were the deals and we got to watch a great show! It was beautiful and we had a great time.

Our last stop was Cabo San Lucas and it was the most beautiful stop! We didn't have much time and didn't get to do any shopping but we did go on an awesome outdoor adventure course. It has zip lines, rocks wall, crazy ladders and bridges, a rope walk and a 98 foot repel. The last zip line was 1600 feet! It was SO much fun!

It was a great cruise and I am so happy we were able to go and can't wait to go on the next one!

Parker's Baptisim

2010-04-01T12:27:00.003-06:00

Before we left our nephew, Parker got baptized. We are so happy for him and glad we were invited to be apart of this very important day! Tarese put together a great program and "after party." I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family that is so strong in their faith in our Heavenly Father.

RS B-Ball

2010-03-31T00:20:00.003-06:00

Well we finished up Regionals and we came in 2nd (and we got a T-shrit)! I am so proud of our team and I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to apart of such a wonderful team! Thank you to the ladies that pushed, helped and taught me. I had not played a basketball in almost 15 years when I started this season, basicaly it was like starting over. So thank you and I can't wait to see you ALL on the courts again.

Goin' Crusin'

2010-02-21T15:13:00.003-07:00

Well I know it has been forever since I have blogged and I miss it. But I am so excited that I just has to blog!

Jeff and I will be celebrating our FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY on March 26th and we are going on a cruise! We always said we would go on a cruise for our 5 year anniversary but I never really thought we would but it is booked and paid for and we are going! I am so excited and I can't wait! We are going on a Mexican Rivera cruise for 8 days and 7 nights. We will be Parasailing Cabo San Lucas, Whale and Dolphin Watching and snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta and hitting the beach in Mazatlan! I can't believe we are going! I have to thank all my family and friends who have agreed to watch our kids. My wonderful Mother and Father-in-Law are keeping Lexy. Our great family friends, the Barlows are keeping Stratton and my Sister and Brother-in-Law are keeping Jaxsen and Charlie. They are so great and we are so blessed to have them as our family and friends. Thank you all so very much!

DONE AND DONE!

2010-01-11T17:37:00.002-07:00

Now I am caught up on my blogs and the thing that have happened and now I am looking at what I want TO happpen. A new year has begun and I have great plans for this year. I want to do better as a wife, mom and person, drop those last few pounds that the Army says I don’t need, pass my PT test, get promoted. Laugh more, love more and enjoy every day. I want to strengthen my testimony and work on being a better example of how to live a gospel centered life. I just want to improve me in every way a little every day.

Sick Day for CJ

2010-01-11T17:30:00.002-07:00

Today was a horrible day. My sweet baby boy started throwing up last night and has been in pain all day. I could only get him to eat three saltines and drink some pedilyte. He has wanted to be held all day and I have gotten NOTHING done. It would have been an eaiser day if I had gone to work. But I am SO greatful that I have a job that allows me to be home with my kids when they need me. Jeff will be home with him tomorrow. He can't go back to daycare till he hasn't thrown up or had the runs for 24 hours. I hate to see my babies in pain nad not be able to do anything about it. He is so sad and I just want him to be happy again.

Old Guy Baskeball

2010-01-11T17:15:00.001-07:00

Ok so they aren’t all old. Jeff has started playing church basketball. I have not seen him play much over the years, but he plays (almost) every Saturday. I went and watched him play on Thursday and I was so proud of my hubby. They had a huge lead early in the game but the other team try to come back and they got close, but in the end we won by two. I am so madly in love with man I am lucky enough to call my husband.

The Princess is 14...

2010-01-11T17:13:00.001-07:00

So my baby girl turned 14 on Wed the 6th. I can’t believe that my sweet girl is 14. She is so wonderful. She has made some mistakes along the way but she is learning and figuring out who she wants to be, and she is amazing me every step along the way. For Lexy’s birthday we had Domino’s, Lexy wanted Hot Wings. We had cake, and broke the rules and ate out front while watching TV in the front room. Lexy has been through a lot in her life. I had her when I was very young and she was stuck with a mom who was still trying to finish raising herself while raising a baby. I know I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but through it all she has been strong and loved me no matter what. I joined the Army when she was just 2 and was sent to Korea. It was not till I was sent to North Carolina that she finally came to live me, she was 4. She made it through her parents being deployed and was so strong for her baby brother. She has been the greatest big sister to all three of her brothers. I look at her and I am so proud, and know that although the timing may not have been the best she was sent to me to make me better, to make me who I was meant to be and without her I would be nowhere. I thank my sweet, emotional, drama, wonderful, not so perfect, but perfect the way she is daughter for choosing me and loving me through all the mistakes I have made and will make. Your family loves you and we stand beside you, every step you take!

2010-01-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

This was on the 3rd of Jan and it was in place of my mom and Jalayne coming over for breakfast on Christmas day because, for reasons unknown to me, my mom went to California for our family Christmas. Jalayne was not able to make it our house as she is in Montana with her family to be with her dad who had a stroke a few days before. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time. My mom came over and brought with her the world’s greatest tacos. My mom and grandma make the best tacos ever! They are not easy either. I love her so much! Thanks mom! We played Wii and my mom and Jeff got pretty serious about Table Tennis. I think Jeff won in the end. I love to see my mom having fun. We were given $25 to PF Changs and 2 tickets to the movies. She knows us so well. I also got a very cool cheese grater and Jeff got a Neti Pot! We are very excited.

Christmas #2 (the real thing)

2010-01-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

For us it starts on Christmas Eve, which is the big day with the big meal and the Nativity most years it also includes and white elephant gift exchange but that was skipped this year. We had ham and funeral potatoes with salad and rolls and fabulous homemade pies. It was SOOO good! Thank you Sheryl and Spencer for all your hard work. The Nativity was “directed” by Brandon, our 17 year old nephew. It was hilarious! He really took his job seriously. It is not something that I can put into words, but we laughed the whole way through. Thanks Brandon for a job well done! When we got home we opened our one Christmas Eve present which is always PJs and the boys were off to bed.
For Christmas I got some very cool shirts and the GREATEST purse EVER! Jeff wrapped the box my purse was in, in DUCT TAPE. It was wrapped solid, but I beat it and got my purse! Jax got a motorcycle! It only goes 2mph but he loves it! He also got a lot of Bakugans, a scooter, a toothbrush, a flashlight and clothes, amoung other things. The family got a Wii and it has been a lot of fun. I also got Rockband for the 360 but now the 360 is broken so that sucks! Jeff got a surround sound so we are set! Jeff also got a seat warmer, a new fancy toothbrush, the Lost Symbol Book, and some thermals for work.
On Christmas day we went to Wilma and Steve’s to open presents. At first it seemed like it was going to be a mess and in the end it was but for reasons other than it seemed at first. Wilma means well but she tries to get one kid to open one present at a time while all the other kids sit and wait with their present in front of them. That is fine for the older kids who understand but the little ones, like Stratton on down just don’t understand and want to rip into their gifts. In the end that is what happened and grandma was ok with it. She just loves to see the look on their faces when the open their gifts. Jeff’s parents gave us season tickets to Desert Star so we have date night set! What ended up being a mess was the cousin gift exchange somehow Brooklyn our 6 year old niece was left out and Gavin the (almost) 2 year old got 2 gifts. I felt so bad. And Gavin thought Jaxsen’s toy was for him. I really felt awful about the whole thing. It was still a fun day

UGH!!!

2010-01-10T23:37:00.001-07:00

So close to being all caught up. Maybe by tomorrow night...?

Christmas #1

2010-01-10T23:04:00.001-07:00

This year was Lexy and Stratton’s year with Clint so we had an early Christmas with the Grandparents at our house on the 13th. It was a fun day filled with great food and lots of love and laughter. I thank my mom and Jalayne and Wilma and Steve for making it such a wonderful day for Lexy and Stratton.

Shepherd Saturdays

2010-01-10T22:45:00.003-07:00

Every year the Shepherd Family gets together on Saturday during the month of December for family activities. This year the Kartchners were in charge and went with every other Saturday starting the last weekend in November and ending yesterday. It was a nice change and we had fun. The first outing was to the movies, we saw Disney’s A Christmas Carol. I loved it and the kids enjoyed it. The boys, Stratton and Jacks were a little scared during some parts but overall it was good and they walked out with smiles and there were no bad dreams. We missed the next one as it was the weekend of our seminar. I felt bad about that one because it was the one for my birthday lunch and I missed out on Sheryl’s homemade chili which I have never had but hear it is delicious! We also missed out on Graham Cracker Christmas Trains. We made our own Gingerbread Houses before the kids left; it’s a tradition Jeff brought to our family. The next one was Christmas weekend. And yesterday was sledding and hot coco. I had a great time. I only went down the GIANT hill once. I am not much for that kind of thing and I got hurt so I was done, but I had a great time watching all the kids and Jeff and Mike. Mikayla and Jax went down once together without an adult and had a major wipeout. Mikayla got snow burn and has a cool scratch on her face to show for it. Jax’s scratch was not near as bad but he got a good scare, but he kept going but only if Poppie was with him. We went back to Sheryl and Spencer’s. After sledding we brought Mikayla with us so Jax could play with someone. He was having a hard time with his sister and brother being gone. THANK YOU Tarese and Mike for letting us borrow Kayla and helping to keep us sane! She was so good and the kids just laughed and played and had a great time!

Almost there

2010-01-09T00:52:00.001-07:00

I am almost all caught up. I hope to be done by the end of the weekend. We shall see...

Stratton’s Chorus Performance

2010-01-08T23:49:00.001-07:00

Stratton took chorus this year because between Soccer, baseball, basketball and scouts he didn’t have enough to do, and the morning was open before school starts. He performed a Christmas show and it was so cute. I was surprise that Lexy went up when they invited students who had been in chorus before to come up and join in a Hot Coco song. Stratton is a performer and did a great job!

2010-01-08T23:18:00.001-07:00

Lexy’s Dance Recital
So this year Lexy took dance and much to our surprise she is good! She is not the most coordinated child, or at least she wasn’t but it seems to have all come together. We went to her recital and I was so proud of her. She had two dances one Jamaican and the other Egyptian. She did a wonderful job and looked beautiful! It is still crazy to me how much taller she is than other kids her age. Her best friend is also in dance and they both did a great job!

One of the Perks!

2010-01-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

So as I mentioned a few months back I have joined the National Guard. I wanted to go back active duty but Jeff will be taking over his Dad’s shop in about 18 months that is no longer an option. I joined and have since gotten orders to do some active duty special work in recruiting. I am so happy to be putting on that uniform every day. So along with my enlistment came some opportunities that would not have otherwise been open to me or my family. One of which was the best thing that Jeff and I have ever done as a couple. We attended a marriage seminar called PREP. I don’t care how long you have been married or if you are just engaged every married/to-be-married couple should attend this seminar. It teaches about communication, love styles and conflict resolution. It was amazing. Our experience was made even more amazing by the fact that we got to stay at the Little America Hotel for free for 3 days and 2 nights. My wonderful husband surprised me by getting his parents to babysit on Friday night and taking me out to dinner. Saturday night we had the kids with us and had a great family night with swimming, pizza and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original). It was a lot of fun and the kids had a great time. We also got free childcare at a great daycare for the boys during the seminar. It was a great experience!

Basketball has begun

2010-01-08T23:07:00.001-07:00

And this year is the hardest year ever. I am stuck with an assistant coach who insists he is in charge and acts like the fact that I am a girl means I don’t know who to play. I can’t wait for this year to be over. In our last game he called 3 or 4 times outs and there was only a need for one. It throws the kids off. UGH! He drives me crazy!! All that aside I am enjoying working the kids and seeing them grow as people and players We are not doing so well in the win loss category, but they are having fun and learning a lot. Stratton had 3 steals and scored off ne in a game. I love Stratton but basketball has not been his strongest sport, but this year he is making great improvement, and I am very proud of him. The team has been together for a long time and it will be sad to see it end. This is most likely our last season as we will be moving sometime this year.

Ok so...

2010-01-03T22:22:00.002-07:00

I made it through one post. I will get the rest done this week I really will!

Thanksgiving…

2010-01-03T22:14:00.002-07:00

Yep that is how long it has been. I am just now getting around to posting our Thanksgiving. It was …interesting. It was our year to be at Jeff’s parents. The food was great and I love Jeff’s family but there were awkward moments and things that made me go HUH? That is really all there is to say about Thanksgiving. Well that was easy. Oh and the next morning we got up and were off at 4:45 am to hit the Black Friday sales. We did great! We got everything we wanted and it wasn’t that crowded. We were in and out of Shopko and on the road to the next stop in 18 minutes!

It’s been too long…

2010-01-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened so I am going to do this in steps. I am hoping to get through it all tonight because who knows when I will get a chance to blog again. I want to make it a regular part of my routine because I really do enjoy it, but it is hard to find the time these days.

Are You Ready For Some...BASKETBALL?

2009-11-24T14:04:00.008-07:00

It is one of my greatest joys as a parent to coach Jr. Jazz. I must admit I felt great sadness when Lexy told me she had no interest in any sport that had a ball, but hey she loves to dance! I thought all hope was lost when I realized that Stratton was never going to be tall. Yes, I know Mugsy was like 5'5" but that doesn't happen very often. Much to my surprise and great delight Stratton loves to play basketball, and we have been coaching his team since Kindergarten. It has made Jeff and me very happy over the years to see the same players come back year after year. This year touched our hearts more than any year before. I didn't get around to registering Stratton till the last day, and when I walked in and Mike saw my name on the paper he said, "Shepherd? Your Coach Shepherd?"
I replied, "Yes."
Mike, "Oh I am so happy you are here!" "We have a team of people who have asked to be on your team and have said they will not play if they can't be on Coach Shepherd's team."
My heart melted and I could hardly believe what he was saying. I know it seems silly and small but when you coach, you can only hope that you are doing a good job. When you find out you are, it is very special.
Thank you so much to the wonderful kids that have made up this team over the last four seasons. To the parents of those wonderful kids, You are the best! Jeff and I could have never done any of this without you and your support!
NOW LET'S PLAY SOME BASKETBALL!!

2009-11-24T12:48:00.002-07:00

Our weekend was so much fun! Friday night was not the greatest night ever, but after that the weekend was good.
On Saturday we were hardly ever at home. Lexy had her interview with People to People at 11am. She has been accepted to be a Student Ambassador and travel to Europe over the summer. We are so proud of her!!! This is not something that you can just sign up for. The student has to be nominated and get three recommends, fill out an application and go through the interview process. Now we just have to raise the money. Be ready there is a fundraiser coming…
At noon Wilma (Jeff’s mom) met us at the mall and we did our Christmas and birthday shopping. Lexy was beginning a little weird at first but in the end she got a GREAT DEAL on an Ed Hardy shirt and was the happiest kid ever. Now she just has to wait till Christmas to get it. I had a lot of fun spending time with my daughter and mother-in-law. After we were done with that we met up with Jeff and the boys who had been at his sister’s getting haircuts, as well as Steve (Jeff’s dad) and had lunch at Winger’s. We left lunch and ran home to clean up the boys and we were off to my FAVORITE part of the weekend…

THE JAZZ GAME AT MEG and KALEB’S

This was something I had been looking forward to for weeks. On the way over Jeff asked me why I was nervous because I couldn't be still. I said I was excited, not nervous. In high school Mega and I were the best of friends. We shared a lot of good times, some bad times and even a scary time or two (like the night I hit the car). There was a time in our life that we should have shared but didn't,

Pregnancy.

We were both teen mom's. Our daughters were born about a year apart, and one of my greatest regrets is that I was not a better friend to her during that time. I think, no I know it was selfish. I was mad. Mad that all my friends had seemed to turn their backs on me and I felt alone. When I found out Meg was pregnant I should have done more to make sure she never felt that way, but I didn't. For that I am forever sorry.

But were are here now and...
It was so great to see Meg and Kaleb (who I have know since Jr. High) again! And even after 13 years it was like it was only yesterday. Meg updated me on what some of the people we used to know are up to these days, and we talked about the old times. I cannot put into words how great it was to see her! Our kids got a long great! We hardly saw Tage and Stratton. They were off playing their DS and watching movies. Jaxsen and Aalyiah were running around laughing and playing all kinds of games. Lexy and Celine watched the game with us, but were able to see eye-to-eye on all thing teen. We ate pizza, laughed and had an overall FABULOUS time! I can’t wait to do it again! Our place next time…

Sunday was a day of rest. We went to Jeff’s parent’s for a few hours in the evening and when were leaving our house to head over it was snowing. Jaxsen’s face lit up and he said, “Now I can make Snow Angles!” I said, “Tomorrow when we get home from Playschool we will get your snow clothes on and you can make snow angels.
We got home from Wilma and Steve’s around 9 and Jaxsen said “YES! Now I can make snow Angels!” I started to tell him that we had said tomorrow after Playschool but when I saw the sadness on his face I realized that there was no harm in letting him make a Snow Angel. So we went inside got him all bundled up and he made his Snow Angel. All his wanted was to make one Snow Angle and leave his footprints in the snow. The joy it brought him was worth the 15 extra minutes.

As a side note, if you ever want to see something cool, go outside at night when it is snowing and take a picture. Look out at the snow falling when you do and you will see glitter falling from the sky, at least that is what it looks like when the flash reflects off the falling snow. There is so much more snow than what you can see.

It is beautiful! Try it sometime!

Jaxsen Turns 4

2009-11-24T12:36:00.002-07:00

Jaxsen turned 4 on Friday the 13th of November. Let me start by saying that for all my kids I have always had a birthday party rule that stated, “You will get parties for your 1st, 5th, 8th, 10th, and 16th party, and we will party on your 18th. For all other birthday you will get a birthday dinner at the restaurant of your choice and starting at 5 you may invite a friend. With 4 kids it was a great way to keep the party costs low. Well thanks to Jeff that is out the window. Jaxsen said he wanted party this year and Jeff said ok, so a party he had. He wanted a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party, he only had 4 friends that he wanted to invite and he wanted to have 5 bananas and 5 Pop-tarts with pizza and chocolate cake. The cake was added at the last minute. I will say it was very cheap to put together. Disney offers all kinds of stuff on line that you can print free of charge for parties. I printed his party hats, cake decorations, coloring pages for goodie bags, a pin the tail on Daisy game, and custom Happy Birthday banner and a center piece. It all came together really well. Lexy, Stratton, and Jaxsen all helped by coloring, cutting, cleaning and decorating. Stratton and Jaxsen had a lot of fun putting together the goodie bags. Thanks kids, I couldn’t have done it without you!
All his friends showed up which is a great thing since there were only 4 of them, and they had a blast. All the kids were so good, and Jaxsen had a party that he will never forget!
Jaxsen has brought our family so much joy. He is a naturally funny kid who can be stubborn, bullheaded and extremely loving. He is his father’s son! Each of our children brings something different to our family and Jaxsen brings laughter. There is not a day that goes by without him making every one laugh at loud. We are so blessed to have him.
As is the case with all my children Jaxsen has two middle names, both of which are after family members. He is the only boy whose first name has no meaning or reasoning other than Jeff liked it. Jaxsen Jeffrey Lockwood (both his Grandpa and Great Grandpa has this middle name) Shepherd was born Sunday, November 13th about 30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. He loves cars and gets made when he feels I am not driving fast enough. He is all boy and loves his family. He is not so found of Stratton right now, but it used to be Lexy so we will all take our turn I am sure. Well not Poppie, he can never do wrong, never fail and is forever Jaxsen’s hero.
Jaxsen came as great surprise and was born when we needed him most. I am not sure where we would be today if not for him.

Check out the new blog for this weeks Good Deals!

2009-11-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

http://good-deals-ofthe-week.blogspot.com/

2009-11-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is just a small sample of my time spent on Active duty in the United States Army. This are mostly of the fun times that we shared. They are from my time in Basic Training, Korea, Kuwait and Iraq. There were some scary time, but there were also some great times! I have a lot more but they are stuck on my old computer. To my ladies who are in these photos I laugh everytime I think back to our days spent in the desert. Thanks for the memories! On this Veteran's day I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all who I have and haven't served with. It wasn't glamorus but it was what we were and who some of us still are. It was hard and it was scary, but it was great!

OH the Joys of Boys!

2009-11-10T10:30:00.005-07:00

Charlie fell at playschool yesterday and hit his face again. The daycare said he was walking with one of the push toys and got going to fast and lost his grip. He tried to grab it and he fell. I tell you that boy has hit his face and head more times in the last few weeks than the other two did at his age combine! Last week he fell and chipped half of his front tooth off. He is always throwing himself back in anger and slamming his head on the ground. I am sure he will have brain damage. He looks so pathetic.

The fall at school did make me realize just how much I have changed as a mother over the years, as has Jeff as a father. If this had happened with Lexy or even Stratton I would have lost it! If it had been Jaxsen, Jeff would have been asking what we should do and he would have ended up at the ER for sure! Today...We kiss it better and watch him to make sure he is ok. I guess after 4 kids and 13 years I have realized what is REALLY serious and what just needs to be kissed better.

Here he is with his latest injuries...

1 is from hitting his head on a chair that he was pushing at playschool last week

2 and 4 are from his fall yesterday with the push toy

3 is almost better and is from a face plant at home

5 is his broken tooth. I tried to get a picture but he is 1 and wouldn't cooperate.

My poor baby. I guess it is all part of growing up and learning how to walk. I will be happy when this phase is over.

2009-11-08T22:59:00.004-07:00

Friday the kids came to my work and went Trick-or-Treating. It was so much fun and they got a ton of candy! Jax was so outgoing. He just walked into one of our specialist’s offices and said, “Hi, I’m Bumblebee, well I’m really Jaxsen but I’m Bumblebee for Halloween! I’m 3 but I will be 4 on my next birthday. My birthday is November 13th! That is my brother he is Snake Eyes, Charlie is a spider, and that is my sister she’s a girl!” I am sure Jim got a few words in but I am not sure what they were. Next we went to Robert. Jax asked “is this Bobert?” “Yes,” I tell him. Bobert was out of candy and had put him lunch pail (one of the old school ones) away. Jax saw it on his desk and took it down and started to open it. I told him to stop and he was being naughty and not very polite at all. Bobert says, “He’s fine.” Jax looks up at me and says, “I’m fine, Bobert says so.” He got the lunch pail open and there was one candy left. I am sure Bobert was saving it for himself but he let Jax have it. Thanks BOBERT! Jax continued this friendly behavior for most of the time spent at my office. When we were done we went to McDonald’s brought it back and the kids hung out and ate till it was time for me to leave.

We got home and Jeff and I got read y for our Ward’s Trunk-or-Treat and Chill & Soup cook off. It was ok, but we have had WAY better. I made the coolest costume for Jeff. I told him to dress in all black and hung Styrofoam head stones over his shoulders so he had one on front and back, wrapped plastic graveyard fencing around him, put some fake cobwebs and spiders on him and he was a cemetery. I am so mad that I didn’t get any pictures! O-well I’ll get some next year because that’s what I’m going to be. It was great!

Saturday we hung out at home. We had candy ready for the kids who came to our house, but only TWO families came by. I saw one kid walk by. We do decorate and have music playing but come on, TWO? Stratton went Trick-or Treating with his friends for the first time this year. He had so much fun. Latter in the evening went to Jeff’s parent’s house. We took the kids Tick-or-Treating down his parent’s street. We went to about 10 houses and the kids were happy. I am sure this is the last year Jax will be happy with only going to 10 houses, so next year we will have to go further than the end of the street. Lexy changed her costume to a baby and Jax changed to Batman. By the time we got home it was time to hit the bed and pass out!

Sunday we went to Jeff’s sister’s to celebrate her twin’s 15th birthday. We had a yummy dinner of Teriyaki Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and rolls. I had Jell-O cake for the first time. It was really good! It was a fun time spent with family.

Overall it was a great weekend.

Want to save a few $

2009-11-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

Check out my new blog:
http://good-deals-ofthe-week.blogspot.com

2009-11-05T10:17:00.002-07:00

To my friends who send their love and prayers, Thank you SO MUCH!

I went in yesterday and to my surprise I did get a Mammogram. The mammogram showed two spots the first time around, so they did it again, and they were still there. Next was the ultrasound. First the tech came in and she did her part. When she was done she told me to hold on and she was going to get the doctor. The doctor came in and she did the ultrasound. In the end there was nothing on the ultrasound so I have to go back in six months for a follow up. They think it is just extra tissue and that I am fine. They will send the results to my doctor and he will have the final say to if I need a biopsy or not. So it looks as if every one was right and I am fine.

Thank you again for your support and prayers!

Not for your tears

2009-11-04T08:50:00.005-07:00

I have been thinking about this post for a couple months now and I am still not sure it is the best idea in the world but I decided that my blog is where I vent, where I let it all out. This is where I write the things that I cannot always say and it helps to feel better, to heal. So, here it goes...

About two months ago I began to have pain in my chest area on my right side. I didn't think too much of it because I had hurt my shoulder so I thought maybe it was a muscle strain as a result. As time went on it started to hurt more and it became more of a pain than an ache and it began to itch and burn. I decided to "investigate" and found there was a lump. So I had a brief freak out moment and then called my Doctor. I went and saw Dr. Coy (the greatest doctor EVER) last Wednesday and he found two lumps. He told me he REALLY thinks it is just breast tissue but he wants me to have it looked at. Before leaving he told me not to lose any sleep over it because he is not too worried and I shouldn't be either. That night when Jeff got home I told him, "I know Doctor Coy told me not to lose any sleep over this and I won't but I am just a little scared and I need you tell me that it's going to be ok."
He looked at me with a very loving smile and said, "It is going to be fine my love."
I also had a moment when I called my Mommie (I know I spelled that wrong, but that's what I call her)to ask her to go with me to my ultrasound (I'm too young for a mammogram)appointment. I was worried about how she would take it. We have lost a lot of family members to cancer, one of them being her brother which was very hard for her and I was afraid this would be more than she could take. I also knew how hurt and upset she would be if she found out her only child was going through this and didn't talk to her about it. In the end she was stronger than I was. She told me I would be fine and that it was probably nothing.
I have managed to not let it effect me outwardly but inside I am so scared. I know everyone keeps telling I will be ok, but how do they know? This is not something I was prepared to deal with. This is not something that is suppose to happen to me. I know most people would say that nothing has happened to me yet but as far as I am concerned it has. I was expecting to go to my doctor's and he would say it's nothing I don't feel anything, and he didn't! He told me he found TWO somethings! That's one more than I had found! I am only 30 years old and I have to go to the Brest Care Center today! And I don't care what any one says I AM SCARED!!!
I am not looking for sympathy. I am not that kind of person. I just needed to let it all out, to talk about how I really feel. I know all the people who have told me I will be fine are trying to help but I just needed one of them to say they are sorry that I am going through this and they are there for me, not just dismiss it.
I'm done freaking out now, and I will put my happy face back on. Thanks for listening.

Hi there!

2009-11-03T15:39:00.002-07:00

So it has been a LONG while since I had my emotional break down and took a break from blogging. Now I am back with not too much to say. It seems that I am always too busy to do the things that need to be done and I feel like I have done nothing.

The weekend of the 9th, 10th, and 11th is where we will begin…
It was a crazy weekend. Friday night we put up Halloween decoration and everyone except Stratton had hot coco. Stratton doesn’t like hot coco! Crazy I know! On Saturday Stratton has a birthday party at Classic, followed by a soccer game, Lexy had a Student Ambassador meeting, our neighbors had an apple picking party and we had to take Lexy and a friend to the movies. During the game Stratton busted his lip (the picture doesn’t do it justice). He was bleeding and it hurt but he came out of the game long enough for me stop the bleeding and went right back in. His team had just enough players and was one down while he was out and he said he had to go back because his team needed him. I was so proud of him. In between all that we cleaned the house I made oatmeal cookies for the new neighbor’s neighbors. Jaxsen spent hours writing his name. He was so proud of himself!

Sunday was Sunday as it always is.

The 16th, 17th and 18th were HORRIBLE
It all started on the 13th when I picked Charlie up from playschool and noticed his eye was pink and gooie. I hoped against hope it was allergies and when I got him up the next morning all hope was lost. His eyes were stuck closed from all the crusted goo. I took him to the Doc’s and he said it was pink eye and that he would contagious for 24 hours from when he starts his drops. So I called in two days at work and the 15th (Thursday) Jax got sick to his stomach and Lexy and Stratton were added to the list of sick kids making it 4 out of and all hope was lost! Friday night one of Jeff’s friends was getting married and we were going to try and go to the reception, but Jeff had a final and didn’t make it home in time. Being the great wife that I am =0) I took the present to them. It was so uncomfortable for me. Jeff is friends with the bride through her brother who Jeff grew up with, I hardly know her and they have never really liked me. Anyway, I ran the present over went back home and continued to clean up throw-up. Saturday came around and Lexy and Stratton were back to better but not the two little ones and on Saturday night I added Jeff to my list of sick kids which meant I missed out my friend’s housewarming party. Sunday was a day spent trying to recover and getting ready for Monday, by which time every one, except Jeff, was better.

On Wednesday the 21st I enlisted in the National Guard! I am super excited about that. My first drill is next weekend. I can’t wait!!
On Friday night (the 23rd) Lexy went to the Brighton High (YUCK) football game. Just as the boys and I were settled on the couch watching Titan AE (a FABULOUS movie) my cell phone rang. Here is the conversation,
Me: “Hello”
Person who called: “Is this Jes?” So it has to be someone who knows me b/c people who don’t call me Jessica.
Me: “Yeah…”
Person who called: “This is Officer Rasmussen with the Cottonwood Heights Police Department calling from the Brighton High game down here.”
Me: “OK…” thinking: OH! WHAT HAS SHE DONE?!?! I swear I’ll leave her in jail!
Officer: “I’m here with Lexy…”
Me thinking: bring it on
Officer: “and she is having a hard time breathing…”
Me thinking: OH! I feel like crap!
Officer: “Can you come and get her? She is with one of our Medical people and is ok. She just wants you.” Me thinking: Now I really feel bad!
Me: “I am on my way I only live 5 minutes away.”
I get there and he takes me to her in a trailer where she is on the floor with a pillow and tears in her eyes still trying to catch her breath. The medical guy helps her to the car and we head home. I got her home put her in bed and her brothers came in and gave her loves. Stratton left to finish his movie but Jaxsen (who no longer wants to be called Jax) stayed and watched Snow White with her.
She had a panic attack when she found out someone she knew had brought drugs to the game. She got all up in his face and told him to get rid of it and that he was an idiot and his sister started yelling at Lexy and a shouting match began. Lexy told him to do the right thing and walked away mad and unable to breath. I was so proud of her for walking away from the situation and for trying to get the boy to do the right thing.
I knew we would be faced with this someday and I had hoped we had taught her right and it appears we did!
Saturday and Sunday were much more relaxing and we had fun just going to soccer, and hanging out. Saturday we picked up our food from the co-op for the first time! It was great and it is super cheap. I highly recommend it. Go to http://www.foodco-op.net/ and check it out. This month you can get 1 pound of ground beef, 2 pounds of chicken drumsticks, 2 pounds of beef chuck roast, 1 pound of diced pork cubes, 3 varieties of fruits and 3 of veggies, a loaf of bread and 16 oz of rice for $23.00. The meat alone would cost more than that. And it is great food! They have smaller orders too! But you have to order by Friday the 6th. We have also been trying to purge our house of all the junk! It has kept us so busy! It drives me crazy though because I feel like I see no difference no matter how hard I work or how much I get rid of. O-well I’ll just keep going till I can see a difference.

Jeff says NO!

2009-10-09T10:19:00.002-06:00

So Jeff says it doesn't matter if no one reads I should keep doing the blog. He really likes that I do this, (even if he never reads it) for some reason. So I guess I will keep blogging for the sake of my hubby, and for my sanity (I really do enjoy it). Oh and Meg. Thank you my friend!

The End of a Blog

2009-10-08T12:25:00.004-06:00

This week has been a week of realizations and some of them have been hard, but they are true none the less. I have learned a lot about the me that I have become and the life I live and the love I have. I have also learned a lot about what was and that the friends that I once had will never be again.

I wish I would have been a better friend, a better person. I wish I would have called or wrote. I wish I wouldn't have canceled so many times. I wish I would have returned to my high school. I wish I was kinder. There are so many things that I wish but it's time to let go of all that and move on. I know now and now I can do just that and I can be better from here forward.

I am some what alone in this crazy thing called life and I have been for a while and that is not a bad thing. I have my kids and Jeff and I am happy.

Thanks to the few who have read, but this is the end. It's been fun and I love it, but it is something I spend time on that no one sees and I could be doing something productive with the time I spend on this.

A few updates...

2009-10-06T16:13:00.005-06:00

Charlie's Birthday Celebration with the Shepherd Family
We went to Copperton Park, my least favorite place to go for family gatherings, but this was not my month to plan so it was what it was. It's not that I don't like the park it's that I don't like how far it is. Jeff's family thinks it great but they all live close. O-well, next time it's our turn we are going to Little Cottonwood Canyon. The day itself was a nice day. We had GREAT food and a lot of laughter and fun. Mike took Lexy's phone and tried to read it, Lexy chased him for 15 minutes before she realized he didn't know the code to unlock it. The kids played and played. Rachelle and Nic even played volleyball on the tennis court with the little ones! Charlie got some great gifts, mostly clothes, exactly what he needed and some toys from Grandma and Grandpa. Tarese made yummy bbq chicken sandwiches we had yummy side too! Thanks to everyone for the great day and the kind gifts for our baby boy!

The Soccer Season Has begun!
Stratton is on a new team this year and I am not so excited about the coaches but I am doing my best to give them a chance. I know how hard that first year can be and how hard it is to coach. In his first game he did GREAT! Of course I forgot my camera on that day so I have no proof. You'll just have to take my word for it. Grandma Posey and Bubba got him some new soccer cleats and they are great! The kids are so lucky to have such wonderful Grandparents! His second game was the day after a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa Shepherd's with his little brother and cousin Parker, and he played like he was up late with his cousin.
He had a good time though. They went to Stratton's game, then Parker's game, went & saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and went to lunch. Thank you Wilma and Steve for being brave and taking on both of our boys! They loved it! This Saturday Stratton has 2 games back to back! We only have 8 players and so far we have only had 6 kids show up for each game. They are going to be so tired.
Stratton also started Chorus, and is gearing up for Jr. Jazz. I am gearing up for Jr. Jazz too. I'll be coaching without Jeff this year, but I have a dad to has volunteered to help and I am so thankful.

Back to school for Poppie
Jeff has gone back to school and has class till 1030 every night, so it's just me and the 4 kids. It is not easy and I am still trying to figure it all out but in the end this will be so good for our family. Jeff has gone to work for his dad as a mechanic and we will be buying the shop in a few years. So if you or anyone you know needs an excellent and honest mechanic call Jeff or Steve at 801-566-2291-SureFire Automotive- or come on by 8945 South 1300 West, West Jordan, UT.

Lexy's booboo
Lexy has been complaining of pain in her shoulder for the last few weeks, but I thought she was just being a baby. Finally after about 3 weeks I realized she must be serious and took her to the Doc's. She had to get an MRI and come to find out she has fluid in her joints. HA-Good mom right! Well now her arm is in a sling and we are waiting to see if it gets better. Not only does she have a booboo to her body but I think she hit her head because she keeps telling us she has a boyfriend (whom she has never seen in person) they talk on the phone and text non stop and she seems to think this constitutes a relationship. Jeff and I rather enjoy having something new to tease her about, but it has brought up a whole new area of teen parenting that is not fun. It has also made me realize that she is only a little more than 2 years away from dating for real! AHHHH!

One and growing
Charlie is growing so fast it is breaking my heart. He is saying more and more words everyday, my fave being "Mommy," and when he tells the dog "spot!" He says, "uh-oh, huh, bottle, more, me, (some strange form of) Lexy, and of course Daddy and Poppies." He also loves to dance! It is so cute. He is so happy and just smiles and plays. He is very smart and curious and bring great joy to our family

It would seem Jax and I are the only people with no real news. We are just hanging out and having fun. Jax is LOVING "playschool" and learning lots. And boy is that kids FUNNY! I almost hit a dog the other day and he said, "Well maybe that dog should have been on the sidewalk with its person and not in the middle of the road! That dog is naughty!" He makes us laugh every day!

My babies are growing up too fast!

2009-09-14T16:14:00.004-06:00

I was just getting use to Lexy going to friend's houses after school and now Stratton just called to asked if he could go to friend's house after school. What is a mother to do. When I get home the house will be empty of voices and laughter, heck I'd even take hearing the kids arguing. I guess i just hold on to the last two for as long as I possibly can. What is a mom to do? Have one more...? Just joking. We're done having babies!

A weekend of fun with no pictures to prove it

2009-09-14T11:15:00.005-06:00

So we had a fun weekend, most of which I don't have picture for because I kept forgetting my Camera.
Stratton had his first soccer game on Saturday and he did great! He is on a different team this year and I am not to excited about it, but I am going to wait and see how the first few practices and games go before I do anything. No pictures. Bad mom moment!
After the game on Saturday Jeff and I went to dinner at Chili's and The Hale Center Theater and see the Scarlet Pimpernel. It was GREAT! I am so grateful to my in-laws for the tickets. They were great seats and we had such a wonderful time! No pictures! I am loser!
After church on Sunday we had Charlie's b-day party. I never do anything big for first birthday's. I know it may seem silly ,but they aren't going to remember it and it is so much work. I'd rather keep the first one small just us, and as he gets older the parties will get bigger. So I made cupcakes and got ice cream, we sang Happy Birthday and watched Charlie chow down.
At first he was not sure what to do
Once he picked it up he just smashed it
Eventually he got some in his mouth ...
and went to town!

We also spent the weekend cleaning out and rearranging the house. It has been a lot of work and there is still a lot left to do but we are getting there! Right now the house is just torn apart and stuff is all over the place. I just keep reminding myself that in the end it will all be worth it.
So all it in it was a fun and productive weekend.

9-11

2009-09-11T08:58:00.002-06:00

So Patriot Day is a holiday I have a hard time with. Not that I think we shouldn’t have the holiday, I do. I have a hard time with it being relived. The images shown over and over, they are so sad, so ugly so horrible. Not only that but I feel it gives our attackers a feeling of pride that we are showing what they did do our country and to our people, again and again. On the other side of things I understand the need to never forget, to celebrate the lives of those lost and show those who would attack us that we will NEVER back down.
Eight years ago today I was Specialist in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I remember standing in the waiting room of Smokebomb Hill Dental Clinic and telling my co-workers that planes had flown into the World Trade Center and them saying “alright Lochabay we hear you.” I could tell they just didn’t understand so I told them to come and look. When they did, I will never forget their faces when the realization of what was happening hit them. Being on an Army base proved us with a sense of safety, but vulnerability as well. We were the home of the 82nd Airborne and Special Forces (SF), among other things, and if they could get the Pentagon they could get us. We all were on alert. Every noise, every plane, everything was something and we wanted to be ready. Security was crazy. It took me SIX HOURS to get to work the next day and I lived 5 miles away. In the end I parked my car in a parking lot got the stroller out of the trunk and the kids and I walked.
Work became less about dental and more about training. All units were working over time, getting ready for whatever came next. Our neighbor was SF and he didn't come home for two weeks and then he was home for one night and was gone again for months. His wife and kids were so scared. He came home safe, and soon it seemed things were settling down. Boy were we wrong.
I reenlisted and we were sent to Germany. In what seemed like no time at all I was off to Kuwait before haeding into Iraq. It was a hard moment to tell me kids that mommy (and daddy) have to go away. I took them home to stay with family and came back to get ready to go. The time I spent in the desert was filled with fear, and good times. Some of my best memories are of my time spent in the sands of Iraq. The people of Iraq were amazing. We worked them and they became our friends and family. They would sing songs about us and play soccer against our soldiers. Some played with only shoe because others did not have any shoes, so those with two would give one up so everyone had at least one, and they would kick the ball with the foot that had the shoe. When the day came that they were done working with us we cried. Don’t only believe what you hear from the media, we did some great things there and the people did love us!
So today I thank all those who are not only serving but those who have supported a soldier in any way. Those who have loved and lost, who have hung yellow ribbons and who have been given a folded flag, thank you all for standing strong and true in the face of fear and the unknown. God bless the USA.

Today my sweet baby boy turns one, and as I type this my eyes are filling with tears.

2009-09-11T08:57:00.004-06:00

I typed this on Charlie’s birthday, but never got around to posting it till today.
When I put him to bed last night the fact that it was the last time I would put a baby to bed was not far from my mind and was heavy on my heart. I know that I am so blessed to have my four beautiful children who are healthy, smart and bring such joy to our lives, but there is still something about this moment that makes me sad. The decision to be done having kids is one that Jeff made and one that we will never be united on. We did agree when we got married that we would have two more kids and be done. I wanted to be done by the time I was 30 and even though Jeff didn’t want to have another one he stayed true to his word and we had Charlie. So now I have to do the same. It is hard for me because I want a girl so badly, but Jeff has made it clear there will be no more… ENOUGH OF THAT! TODAY WE CELEBRATE…
CHARLES JUSTICE BRANDON SHEPHERD!
In October of 2007 we decided it was time for the last baby. In January of 2008 we went on our fabulous cruise and in February we found out a baby was on the way. It took me a while to find the right doctor, but I ended up with a great doctor who took good care of us. There was a scare in the beginning when we could not find a heartbeat, but we went in for an ultrasound and there it was. My friend Amanda was with me that day because Jeff couldn’t be and I am so grateful that she was. I would have lost it if she had not been there to hold my hand and tell me it was going to be ok. When the midwife said she could see the heart beat I wouldn’t believe it, I asked Amanda at least 5 times before I believed it. I had felt that pain and I knew I did not have the strength to go through it a 5th time. I was put on hormones to keep me pregnant the journey began. I had said that for my last one I did not want to find out what I was having but in the end I was not strong enough and gave in when the tech asked if I wanted to know what I was having. When she said it was a boy I cried and I continued to cry for the next three days. It hard to explain why, but the best way I put how I was feeling is it was not that I didn’t want my boy but I was sad that I would never have a girl with Jeff. I knew that this was it, there never be a girl with Jeff’s poinky ears, my eyes and our dimples. All my chances were gone. The following Saturday Lexy came bursting into our room with some high drama thing and after she left and took her tornado of emotions with her Jeff looked at me and said, “See! Aren’t you happy we don’t have to go through that in another 12 years?” It made me laugh and the tears stopped.
Overall it was an uneventful pregnancy until week 28 when Charlie first tried to make an early arrival but with some fluids and rest all was well, for two weeks. In week 30 he tried to bust out again, this time we were in the hospital for about 6 hours and they gave me shots to stop the labor, after the 3rd one they said if it didn’t work they would have to let him come. The third shot worked and all was well till week 35 when there was no stopping Charlie and after 20 hours of labor our sweet boy was born September 9th, 2008 at exactly 1:00pm. Charlie’s labor was my longest by 14 hours. Lexy was 4 hours, Stratton was 6, and Jax was 30 minutes from when we walked into the hospital, (I never even made it to an L&D room and I had no drugs). Anyway, needless to say I did not know what to do and by the 7 hour mark I was asking when I could just have a c-section. I was told I would not need one and that this is what normal deliveries are like. As soon as Charlie was born he was evaluated by a team from the NICU and they said he was good. After a few minutes they were called back in and the next thing I knew my baby was taken to the NICU. His lungs still had some work to do and his breathing was labored. I was moved to my and people were talking to me and explaining things and doing all that nice stuff that they do or you, but I didn’t hear any of it. All I wanted was to go to the NICU and see my baby. In the end he only spent 3 hours in the NICU. Jeff and I never had to see him in the NICU. Just as they we were heading out they brought him to our room. He still had a strange breathing pattern, but they said that was normal for early babies and that his oxygen levels were good. They had taken him so fast that, this was the first time I really got to see what he looked like. He was so skinny; he had tons of hair and looked like his brothers. He weighed 6 lbs 9 oz, I can’t imagine how big he would have been if he had stayed put for another FIVE WEEKS!

Charlie has been the happiest baby I have ever seen. Sure he gets mad and when he does he has this high pitch scream that literally makes your eardrums vibrate and hurt. He loves to be upside down and will fling himself backwards when you are holding him. He eats everything and has very little patience when he is hungry. He loves his siblings and hates to be alone. He has been a good sleeper from day one and gives the best baby kisses ever!

A final note on Charlie; I would like to share how special his name is. He is named after two very special men, my uncle Charles and his cousin Brandon. My uncle was my hero, my constant and my favorite person to eat sunflower seeds with. He was a great man who passed away in 2008 after a 15 year fight with Alzheimer’s. He was judge, which is where Justice comes from. Jeff loved the name Charleigh for a girl and when my uncle died said it would be fitting to use it for our boy. I didn’t like it at first, I wanted Jasper (no not from Twilight), but in the end I knew he was right and Jax was already calling him baby Charlie. Brandon is Jeff’s sister’s oldest son. When I met Brandon he was just a kid and now he is a senior in high school. I have watched him grow into a great kid that I would be honored to see my son grow up and be like. I think he is smart, funny and kind hearted. Thank you Brandon for being such a great example to all my boys! Jeff said it perfectly at his blessing "You are named after two great men."
So that is the story of our “Charlie Boy, Charlie Brown, CJ, Stinks, Chub-Chub, or Squirt.” No matter what we call him, we love him!

Our Camping Trip

2009-08-20T10:49:00.001-06:00

Well it wasn’t what I thought it would be but I we had fun! We got to Flaming Gorge on Wed and set up once Jeff’s parents, Wilma and Steve got there we went to the lodge for dinner. After dinner we gathered around the campfire roasted marshmallows chatted for a while and headed off to bed. Our first night was a long one. Jax woke up three times, he has night terrors and his crying woke up Charlie twice. It was also a little cold, but we made it and when the morning came we were all in good moods.
Thursday was rafting day! I love to go rafting. This was my first time without a guide, so the rapids were a little smaller, but the fun was bigger. We had Jeff, his brother Mike, Mike’s kids; Parker, Brooklyn and Mikayla, Jax, and me. The kids were great! Parker was a little nervous at first but before long he was jumping in the water, helping to row, and sitting on the side. Brook played it safe and sat by her dad most of the time. Jax and Mikayla were the first to get in the water, sat up front and couldn’t wait to go again. I only went once, Wilma went the second time and I stayed back with the two little ones, Tarese (my sister-in-law) and Steve. I can’t wait till Charlie is big enough to go and I don’t have to stay behind anymore! =0)
Friday and Saturday were RAINY but we made the best of it. Went to the visitor center this kids did an activity,Jeff, the boys and I drove into Vernal, and we had delicious dinners cooked on the campfire, roasted marshmallows and played games. Our tent did leak a little but we fixed it. Lexy and Stratton didn’t go and I missed them, but they would have been miserable in the cold and rain, so it was probably for the best.
Of course there were some not so great moments. Like Locking our key in the car. I couldn't believe we did that. Jeff thought I had my keys and thought he had his. Why he thought I had mine, I have no idea. I hadn't used my key the whole weekend. Jeff and I got a little snippy with each other one day and Jeff went for a hike, but hey that's married life. Oh and have I mentioned it rained and was COLD!
We left on a Sunshiny Sunday, but took great and not so great memories with us! I am not sure I'll want to go back to Flaming George again. So far I have liked Payson Lakes best. I am hoping to get one more trip in! It has taken four years, but I love to go camping now! I’ll love it more when we can get a trailer.

A Moive Filled Weekend

2009-08-03T10:20:00.002-06:00

Friday night I took Jeff to the drive-ins and we saw Transformers. It was so much fun! Well, it was for me. Jeff fell asleep but whatever I had a good time. We dropped the boys off at my friend Amanda's and went to Albertson's and bought goodies, and then got chillidogs and fries for dinner and headed to the drive-ins! Jeff says he had a good time, but has a hard time staying awake when he is laying down. Next time he's sitting in a chair!
Saturday night we went to see Harry Potter. While it was a good movie I was VERY MAD at how much they changed the beginning of it! I have no idea where some of it even came from. O-well it was still good and I can't wait for the last two movies to be released. Yes, I know there is only one book left, but they are making it into two parts.
We also watched Fast and Furious at home. Again Jeff fell asleep. It took him three tries to finish it.
My cousin Ross was visiting from California and we had him over on Sunday for dinner. He is so awesome and the kids just love him. Lexy and Stratton were sad that they missed his visit.
It was another great weekend for the the Shepherds!

I am Going to Embarrass Myself to Better Myself

2009-07-31T16:07:00.004-06:00

I looked at the picts of myself and I couldn't believe what I saw. How many chins can one person have? I submit that I have too many! Not so long ago, well may so long ago I was a little cute, and I want to feel that way again. So, I have decided I am too big and I need to lose some weight. I figure if I blog about it I will be embarrassed if I don't make any progress so that will help to motivate me. Of course only 2 people read this so it may not work. =0) So, now I will put my exercise plan together and start watching what I eat and kick this thing off Monday. Wish me luck! (I'm gonna' need it)

Our trip

2009-07-29T16:28:00.012-06:00

We left on Tuesday at around 7pm and headed for Vegas. We stayed the night in a very nice hotel, The Desert Rose, and were off to Cali the next morning.

We arrived at our hotel,(one I would NOT recommend, Holiday Inn La Mirada), at around 3:30pm and after getting settled in it was off to my Grandma/Great Aunt’s house for a dinner of the world’s best tacos!

My cousin Harry was there as well. He is always so great with the kids.

The kids and Jeff swam.

Stratton taught himself how to filp in the air and land in the pool and showed off his skateboarding skills.

We had GREAT food, lots of laughs. It was a night to remember!

Thursday was our first day at Disneyland. It was HOT, but it was fun! My cousin Mary and her kids joined us for a few hours. It was so nice to see them, and my cousin was nice enough to watch Charlie while I went on a few rides with my Hubby. I am not a very adventurous person and I don’t like roller coasters AT ALL, but I went on a few rides. I really enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Jeff’s favorite was Splash Moutain. Lexy liked Splash Moutain/Space Mountain. Stratton’s favorite was Matterhorn. Jax loved the Autopia and Splash Mountain. Jax was not a fan of Pirates or the Alice in Wonderland ride. Lexy could have done without Indiana Jones, it made her feel sick. Stratton liked them all. We all really enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear, (Jax calls him Buzz Year)Ride.Jax got to meet Mickey Mouse which made Jax the happiest kid in the world! I was tired and a little grumpy by the end of the night but all in all it was a GREAT day!

Friday was California Adventure day! I LOVE that park!

There was Bug’s Life which was an area with rides for the kiddies

great shows,

an area that the kids could climb and run and I could sit, and the GREATEST RIDE EVER, Grizzly River Rapids, among other great things!

At this park the faves were:

Jeff-California Screaming/Tower of Terror,

Lexy- California Screaming, Stratton- Grizzly River Rapids, Jax-Toy Story Mania (although we didn’t get to that ride till Friday), and the Playhouse Disney Show

Mom-Grizzly River Rapids.

It was a little cooler Friday and California Adventure is much let crowded. We also saw two parades and got his pictures taken with lots of Disney "Stars"

Saturday was a combo day. We started at Disneyland and then headed over to Ca. Adventure and ended with shopping and the fireworks show at Disneyland! We hit 3 new rides, Nemo, It’s a small world and Toy Story Mania. After that it was try to hit as many of the faves as possible!Lexy broke down and opened her big sucker and shared it with her two youngest brothers

Stratton got to attend Jedi Training and was the first to fight Darth Vader!

They had the best Turkey legs and corn on the cob!

We had a great day.

Every one was tired from a fun filled trip!

We left Sunday morning and dropped Lexy and Stratton with their dad and drove all the way back to Utah. We have only driven the whole way in one day one other time, and now we remember why. I HATE that drive. Jeff did most of the driving. I think I drove for maybe an hour.
All in all we had a great vacation and I am so happy we were able to enjoy that time together as a family. We are already planning another trip in 3 or 4 years when Charlie is older.

Getting ready for our vacation

2009-07-20T11:02:00.004-06:00

This weekend was CRAZY! Not in a bad way, but a busy way. I have to admit that Jeff did the most this weekend. From parades, to packing and playing Harry Potter Scene It, we kept moving all weekend.
First we went to the Days of ’47 Youth Parade downtown, which Stratton and Jax were both in. Jax was happy when it was over and was a little sad while walking in the parade, but over all he did well. Stratton was in his glory and when he found out that he was on TV he said it was his first step toward fame! He is such a cheeseball! After the parade they had a youth fair type thing with slides, bounce houses and such. Stratton was told by Lisa to stay by her, and he just went off with his friends. So... when I went to pick him up from the collection point he was gone! Half an hour latter Travis found him! I was SO mad at him. I guess he just didn’t learn from the last time. Oh, my boy, he just can’t stay put!
After the parade we went to the Gateway to hit up Old Navy, get sunglasses, play in the water and eat some lunch! First we went to Old Navy to get some shorts for Poppie. We ended up with his shorts, three water bottles for the kids, socks for CJ, a shirt for Lexy, and four new shirts for me. My shirts are all the same style in different colors, but they only cost me $2.97! I love when that happens. They are nothing fancy just come simple polo style tops in solid colors, but that can really expand your wardrobe! After that we went to the fountain and Strat and Jax got wet. As always Jax was very cautious, but Strat was fearless! It was so much fun to watch them laugh and play. After that we went to the food court for some yummy mall food and headed home. I thought for sure the boys would fall asleep, but no such luck!
The rest of the weekend was spent at home, getting ready for California. We did have to head to the store once but it was quick run. We had a TON of laundry to get done, hair cuts for Strat and Jax, car cleaning, and of course packing! I had no energy this weekend, all I wanted to do was sit around and watch Jeff work. ;0) I did get up and get working though. I got Strat, Jax, CJ and myself all packed and ready to go. Well, Strat got his clothes together I just put them in his bag. Lexy packed herself and Jeff got his packing done as well. Now I just need to clean up the mess that is my house!
We did take a break from all the hard work to play Harry Potter Scene It! I won, because I am a Harry Potter NERD! Of course with all the madness going on right now I have not been able to see the new movie. Anyway, I digress. After the game it was off to bed for the boys. Lexy started packing EVERYTHING she owns, and Jeff and I packed while watching Knowing! Lexy packed SO much! It is bad enough when a 13 year old is packing herself, but a 13 year old who is into modeling and fashion is 100% worse! Oh well it wasn’t all that long ago that I was doing the same thing. OK maybe it was a long time ago, but hey, it’s my blog!
Now I have to work for two stinkin’ days before we leave! YUCK! At least my job is still new and the days go by fast. I am so excited for our trip! It will be so nice to just get away from everything and spend time with my family.

Things I Can't Live Without

2009-07-17T09:15:00.013-06:00

I was tagged by my long lost, new found friend, Meg to blog on the things I can't live without. These are things aside from the obvious like, My Hubby, My Kids, and such. They are suppose to be things that make my life happier, things that I have chosen to make a part of my life to bring me a little extra joy. So here they are:

Music
Thanks to my Pappie I have a great love of and appreciation for music all. I am not just talking about the music of the day or liking a song just because it is popular. I love to really listen to music. I listen to each word, and the sound each instrument makes on its own and how they all come together to make the song come to life. Music has a way of making me feel better. I can say every emotion that I am feeling without speaking a single word simply by playing a song. I could tell my whole life story through songs. I have no musical talent of my own. I can’t sing, or play an Instrument, those gifts belonged to my Pappie. He was an amazing guitar player, and his voice was not amazing, but he could sing. There was not an instrument that he could not play. He could just pick it up and figure it out! I have so many great memories of sitting on the couch listening to have a jam session with his friends. The music, mostly Classic Rock, would fill the room and my heart. Even as a little girl I knew that I was in the presence of musical greatness that the world would never know. Since I cannot pass on the talent I pass on the love of music. My kids have all been able to sing along with all kinds of music from, Black Eyed Peas to Dobbie Gray, before they could speak in full sentences. I am always telling them to really listen. Hear not only the words but what the words are saying. To listen to the music and all the different sounds. I am sure Jeff is sick of me having him listen to songs over and over until I am satisfied that he has some appreciation of how it applies to some part of our life. I could not live without music. I need it, to help me escape, to motivate me, to help me heal, or to be my release. I thank my Pappie, who is my “Leader of the Band,” for making this an essential part of my life.

My Camera
This is something that was very hard for me to buy for myself, but Jeff insisted that I get it. We bought it from Circuit City during its going out of business sale. I don't know all the ins and outs of it yet, but I am going to take a photography class and learn them all! Along with my camera comes...

Talking Pictures
I LOVE LOVE LOVE, to take pictures. I unfortunately have a family that hates to have their pictures taken. Well Jeff hates it, Lexy hates when I take her picture, and Stratton gets all nervous and does some strange thing with his face that he calls a smile, Jax is the only one who loves it and is always asking me to take his picture, CJ is...undetermined. I will say that my family is very good at letting me take their picts though, with the exception of Jeff. It is a bit of a battle but he will let me get a few, other than that it is a sneak attack! My whole family and I mean all of them, not just the ones who live me get so sick of me taking picts. My father-in-law threatened to break my camera when we were on our cruise. I do take a lot of picts. My favorite thing to photo is nature. The flowers, mountains and water don't fight me. They just are there in their natural state of awe and beauty!

Movies
I love to sit down with a good movie and get lost in the story! It can be out front with the whole family, or in bed with my Hubby, I LOVE movies! My very favorite would be the Harry Potter movies. Movies mean popcorn and a drink, usually Diet DP.

My Sunglasses & Sunblock
For me these two things are a matter of comfort. While my friend Meg loves the sun, I would be the opposite. I can’t stand the sun in my eyes, and it makes my skin itch if I don’t apply SPF 50 sunblock. I have surprisingly become a huge fan of being outside, but only if I have these two life line items.

Wrestling w/My Family I don't think a single day goes by without some one in our house attacking (in a playful way) some one else. 99.9% of the time Jeff is the instigator. No one is safe, except Charlie, and that is just for now. It might be pillow flying at ones head, a foam sword to the knees or some form of a swift attack with a body part ending up in some kind of a lock hold that starts it off, but from there it takes off and goes on for a long time. The art of wrestling is something I had to learn when I started dating Jeff. As an only child it was not something I did growing up. I have some work to do, but I am getting there.
Our mathces are lasting longer and longer. I love the laughter and sounds that fill my house when there is a good wrestling match going on. I can't help but laugh and be in a good mood when I hear it.

Exercise, Board Games, Crocheting and Books
I have grouped these together because they are things I just don’t have time to do as often as I would like, but I would go crazy if the option was taken away. I feel so great after working out. Wither it is Boot Camp or Spin Class I love to get my frustration out in the gym. We need to renew our membership so I can get back in the routine! And board games are my favorite way to spend time with my family or friends. The laughter that fills the room when you are playing a great game is intoxicating! I have so many great memories that involve playing games. From Spoons and Go Fishin’ while deployed, to Phase Ten and Celestial Companions with the In-Laws, I laugh just thinking about the fun times and memories made while playing games! I love to crochet; it is a rewarding way to spend your time. You can sit and create something without really having to think about what you are doing, it is great! I have not been able to crochet in a very long time, but I am determined to start it back up. I love to read, but again it is something I don’t have time for. I have come to LOVE books on my IPod. I listened to all the Harry Potter and Twilight books on my IPod while working, as well as The Book of Mormon, which I am still working on. It has been great! Let’s not get crazy though, I did read all of Harry Potter books as they came out, but I needed a refresher, so I listen to them. Right now I am trying to find time to read Sunday’s at Tiffany’s, by James Patterson. It is good so far, I just have to find time! I will find away to bring these great loves back into my life. I WILL!

Now I tag all of you!

MORE PICTURES TO COME!

An Update

2009-07-14T13:00:00.002-06:00

So it has been a while since I had time to blog, and there is a lot for me to blog about. We had a GREAT 4th of July, I had family visit, I started my new job, And, there are the day to day things that come with kids, family and life.

I will start with our 4th of July weekend, which includes the visit from family and a very fun birthday party. My Aunt and Uncle came for a visit on their way back from a funeral in South Dakota. They stayed with my mom, but we got to spend a lot of time with them and it was a great visit. The weekend started on Friday with a visit to Thanksgiving Point's Dinosaur Museum. Stratton had a great time and was so excited about all the different exhibits and activities. Jax could live the rest of his life and never go back to that museum! He is afraid of dinosaurs. Wish I would have known that before we went. Jax did LOVE the Erosion Table, and spent about an hour playing in the sand and water. Stratton and Jeff loved it too.

I guess we need to invest in a water table for the family.

After the museum we went to the Temple. My Aunt and Uncle were very happy that the weather was nice since last time they came it was winter. We had a great time walking around Temple Square and explaining different things to them. We had planned on being there for only an hour or so, but two and half hours latter we finally left!

On Saturday the 4th we had my Mom,

Jalayne, and

my Aunt and Uncle over for a BBQ and some fireworks. We watched Capitol 4th celebration, Lexy's modeling shoot, and our Cruise DVD, we ate, and went out front and did fireworks. The Nelsens joined us and added their fireworks to the show. It was a great night and a very memorable 4th of July!

On Sunday we went to a birthday party for my friend Brie’s son, Xander. It was a nice party. They had five kiddy swimming pools, a Slip-n-Slide and a water ball set up for the kids to play in. The boys had a GREAT time! Stratton would not stop talking about it for the rest of the night. I personally LOVED the cupcakes! Thank you Brie for including us in the celebration of Xander’s 1st birthday.
Monday the 6th was my first day on the job at the Utah State Office of Education. I loved it there! Everybody is so nice and, from what I have learned, I love the work I do. I have not worked with my boss much, but from the time I have spent with her she seems great!
I spent this past weekend in the Hospital. I am fine, not sure what was wrong, but I am fine now. I mention this not because I want people to feel sorry for me, but to thank all those who have/ and are planning on bringing my family dinner. It is so kind of you all to go out of your way and add to you To-Do-Lists. We are not a small family and I am so grateful to all of you for all you have done for our family. We are so blessed.
Charlie is moving around the like crazy. He has gotten really fast, and he is still scooting on his belly.
The kids are starting to get really excited for Disneyland. Jax says he is going to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He is so excited, but it is hard for us since he is still trying to understand time. I wanted to make him a countdown but I have not had time. NO MORE EXCUSES! I will do it tonight.
Surefire won last night, that makes 3 wins. This year has not been the best for the Surefire softball team. I think it is a lack of teamwork. They have been playing for years and still they don't play as a team. It is hard to watch them play, and even harder to play with them. Maybe next year will be their year.
Well that is all for now!

So...

2009-07-01T11:53:00.005-06:00

Today is just another day on the calender, but for me it is the day before my last day of Church employment. As it starts to come to an end I realized just how lucky I was to have worked for the church. I have met some of the greatest people and have been given the opportunity to see some wonderful things and be a part of opening a new building. I know it may seem silly to everyone who reads this but it has been wonderful! If I could stay there forever I would, but it is time to move on!
Along with the end of my church job comes the arrival of my Great-Aunt Rosemond and Great-Uncle Ernest. They will be arriving on Thursday and staying with my Mom, we will take them to see the SLC Temple on Friday and on Saturday we are having a BBQ at our house. AH AH AH! Oh the work that comes with having family visit your house! It is something that brings with it a mix of feelings. I am excited to see family and for them to see my home, but they are so hard on me that it creates great stress. My Hubby tries so hard to keep me calm, but that is not a state of being that I understand. He is so great though, not to mention patient!
Another big thing that happened this week is Stratton went missing, he came back, but for about two and a half hours we did not know where he was. We called the police and the neighborhood was out looking for him. While the police were talking to Jackie, the mom of the other little boy who was missing, the two boys came walking around the corner. While we were all relieved, we were also very upset. The boys had decided to go over to a friend's house without asking. I was not home, and I was very grateful that I had time to calm down before I got home. Jeff and I were faced with something that we have never been faced with before. How do we make sure that Stratton understands that he is in A LOT of trouble and still make him feel like if he ever makes this choice again he needs to, and can come home. I must say I was very proud of both us. We remained very calm and still made Stratton understand the seriousness of what he had done. He served time in his room and did some big time room cleaning. Time without friends, video games, or TV made it clear to Stratton that this is not something he should do again. This was a very hard thing to go through. Those few hours that I did not know where my son was were terrifying. There is no phone call that I have ever made that has been harder than calling the police and giving them a description of my son. I hope none of you ever have to go through it! There one moment in all of this that I found very funny! Jeff went over to one of our neighbor's houses to see if they had seen the boys and he was in his back yard building a shed in the nude! Can you believe it? My poor hubby. He did not find it very funny.
Tonight Lexy and Stratton are going to dinner with their dad. It was unexpected but it will make the kids very happy. He is in town on business just for tonight and wanted to see them. I know they will have a good time!
I paid for our Disneyland hotel today. We are lucky we got a good deal since we bought tires last year at Big-O. We are staying in a Holiday Inn about 7 miles from Disneyland for 5 days for less than $200.00! We are so excited! Only 21 days left!

Poppie's Day

2009-06-29T01:47:00.006-06:00

So this is very late, but I wanted to get it posted.

Last Sunday we celebrated having the greatest Poppies in ever!
We brought him breakfast, and gave him Tiger Woods 2010. He had the day off! He did not have to change a diaper, make a bottle, wipe a bum, or do anything he didn't want to. After that we went to a BBQ at Jeff's parent's house. It was held outside, after a rain storm. I wore flip flops, so my feet were wet and cold. Jeff's chair almost sunk all the way into the ground. But all in all it was ok.
When we got home Lexy played cars with Jax and showed off her cool socks.
I played Tiger Woods with Jeff and did better than him for the first (and last) time.
We keep it simple, but Jeff loves being able to say, "It's Father's Day I don't have too."

Our Weekend

2009-06-29T00:17:00.011-06:00

This has been a GREAT weekend! We didn't go anywhere or do anything outside of the house, but it was perfect!
For me it started on Friday, since I had the day off. I went and met with my new boss. I am so excited to start my new job. After that I had to got to IMC for an ultrasound. No this not the announcement of baby number 5. Jeff is still not backing down on that one. Anyway that was not fun, but it was only a moment of bad in a weekend of great! Charlie had his first sucker. Friday night was a laid back night. I went to the store, and got stuff for dinner. I made dinner, we ate and sat around catching up on DVR recordings. Jeff and I fell asleep at around 1030. I can't remember the last time went to bed that early! It was fabulous!
Saturday, after sleeping in We spent the day cleaning the house to the songs of The King! We were singing and dancing and cleaning the day away. Even Charlie was into watching MJ on TV.
We ordered pizza for dinner and watched more DVR stuff. We had a teenage moment with Lexy, but ended up being a good talk. I got so much done in my house that I have been neglecting.
Sunday I made breakfast, Lexy, Jax and I spent the afternoon washing cars, and Jeff fixed Stratton's bike. After that Lexy and Jeff played Call of Duty,
and Jeff and I played Tiger Woods. Sister Shelton stopped by to drop something off for Lexy, it is always nice to see her. We got fresh bread from our Home Teachers, and I made Chile con Carne for dinner The boys played video games together.
Lexy and Jax rolled each other around in and large beach bag.

Lexy ate 4 hot peppers, followed by 5 glasses of milk, we watched Army Wives together, I ate Fried Ice Cream, so did the kids. I folded laundry. Charlie started low crawling, and he is cutting 4 teeth. Jeff started reading Angels and Demons (again). Lexy watched a show about ghost hunters, and I scared her,(it was great)!
So all in all it was nothing exciting but it was great!

A New Beginning

2009-06-23T17:36:00.006-06:00

I got a new job! I am so excited about it, and yet a little terrified. I will be working as an Assistant in the Licensing Department of the Utah Board of Education. I am nervous about how much I have to learn, but I can't wait to do the job! According to my Grammie, I have been preparing for this job since I was little. When I was little I loved to play with her old phone and forms she would bring home from work, my favorites were the carbon copy forms. I would play office for hours. So this is my destiny,. :o)
While I am happy to be moving onward, and upward, I will truly miss working for the Church. It has been an amazing experience and I have met some of the most wonderful people. I am blessed to have been given this opportunity, and I am so thankful that they went out on a limb and hired me in spite of my lack of experience in this field. I will forever be grateful to Willis, Mike and Ron for the leaders that they have been to me and for the things they taught me, not only about this job but about myself. To my outstanding crews both at the CHL and COB, I owe a "Thank you." They made me want to be a better lead and person for them. I did better because of them. Remember how great you are and that no matter what some out there believes in you. I also worked with some amazing leads that taught me so much and were so patient as I fumbled through trying to learn this job! I have made friends along the way that I hope will be in my life forever. Brie and Amelia thank you for your outstanding friendship.
So here I go...
Off to start another great adventure!

2009-06-20T16:30:00.003-06:00

Today has been a day I will never forget! The new Church History Library (CHL) was dedicated today, and I was, in a very smell way a part of it. While I was not in the audience there was no doubt that I was in a special place. The Prophet was there and I was blessed to be able to see him. To, (for one small moment in time) stand in his presence. My heart skipped a beat when I saw President Uchtdorf. I felt like a little girl and I could feel the spirit so strongly. While I am sure I went as unnoticed as is possible, I don’t care. To top it off Elder Holland wanted some hand sanitizer and it was my bottle of Cotton Blossom that he used! Oh yeah! That’s right! I also saw President Eyring and Elder Packer.
The Event Cre:Arlen, Willis, and Brie These last two weeks have brought great trials, as often happens when the Adversary knows that the spirit is strong in ones life, but today has been the perfect ending to it, and made the hard times seem laughable! I am so greatful to my crew for all the hard work they have put in over these last two weeks and I know, without a doubt today would not have gone so smoothly if not for all they have done. thank you to Willis and Mike for helping me through my first event and for tetaching me strength and sharing their knowledge with me. To the Carpet Crew and my pal Amelia a great big thank you! We never could have done it without you. I'll miss seeing you all around the building.
My wonderful Hubby and kids have had to deal with Mommy working extra hours and the last two Saturdays, and while I know it had been very hard for them they were so supportive. I am so blessed to have such a great family!
If you can, find the time stop by the CHL and look at what it has to offer.

2009-06-18T17:31:00.001-06:00

So Funny...

President Thomas Monson was returning to Salt Lake City after a speaking engagement and when his Plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home.

As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the
driver. 'You know' he said, 'I am getting pretty old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?'

The driver said, 'No problem. Have at it.'

President Monson gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway. A short distance away sat a rookie Highway Patrolman operating his first speed trap.

The long black limo went by him doing 70 mph in a 55 mph zone.

The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and he got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure. The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was rolled down, he was surprised to see who was driving. He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.
He told the supervisor, 'I know we are supposed to enforce the law.. But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person.'
The supervisor asked, 'Is it the governor?'

The young trooper said, 'No, he's more important than that.'
The supervisor said, 'Oh, so it's the president.....'
The young trooper said, 'No, he's even more important than that.'

The supervisor finally asked, 'Well then, who is it?'

The young trooper said, 'I think it's Jesus, because he's got President Monson for a chauffeur!'

Scout Camp Stratacus

2009-06-16T14:43:00.002-06:00

Stratton went to his first Scout Camp yesterday and today! I can't believe my baby is old enough for this. It was only a day camp and they came home at 2:30pm each day, but hey I'm a mom and it was a big moment for me. He had so much fun he could not slow down enough to talk so I could understand him when he was telling me about his day. I did catch that they had a car race, and they put Strat in as the driver since he is so light, and they were winning but one of the team members suggested a shortcut and they were disqualified for not staying on the path. A good lesson was taught there. I will add a picture of him later.
Other than that not too much to report. Things are boringly chaotic in the Shepherd household, just how we like it!

Our Weekend

2009-06-14T17:30:00.002-06:00

Jax and Stratton spent Friday night with Grandma and Grandpa Shepherd. They saw the movie "Up" on Friday night, Saturday they went to Cabela's and Los Hermonos and the park then came home tired and ready for a nap. I worked Friday night leaving Jeff home alone with Charlie who slept most of the night. He missed us, but it is nice to get a night off to yourself sometimes, and he has earned it. Jeff and I got in a lunch date at Olive garden before before the boys returned. I also worked Saturday night, but that night was not a relaxing for Jeff. Charlie is teething and has an ear infection on top of it. Sunday has been a day of unhappy Charlie crying and complaining. Lexy got home today from a camping trip with Maddi to Bryce Canyon. She left on Thursday and she had a wonderful time. She starts her math class tomorrow, and is very excited about it. Stratton will leave for his first Scout camp tomorrow. He is very excited and we are so proud of him.

The Puzzle

2009-06-13T16:03:00.006-06:00

Jeff came home two weeks ago with "The Puzzle." It is a 2000 piece puzzle of "The Last Supper." It is not at all easy and the boarder alone has taken us a week to finish. Here is what our goal is...

Here is what we had at the end of week one...

Here is what we have after week 2...

And by we I mean Jeff. He has done most of the work. The kids help out every now and again, I helped one night. We will see how long it takes him to finish, if he can...

Stratton's Big Day

2009-06-06T18:59:00.008-06:00

Stratton got baptized Saturday the 6th of June at 10:30 am. I was a wonderful moment that I was so happy to share with our friends and family. I am so very thankful for all those who showed up to help make Stratton's day so special. The Nelsens and the Barlows were there and it meant the world to Stratton the his best friends Micha and Sam there to see him baptized, along with their families. We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. All of the Shepherd family was there, but the Kartchners were not able to be there.

The water was cold and very full and with Stratton being on the short side of things he was already up to his neck in water which made making sure he was fully submerged an easy job. Jeff baptized him and it was easy to see that it was a very proud moment for him.
It is a blessing that Jeff has been able to baptize both Lexy and Stratton and will be able to do the same for Jax, and CJ.
After the Baptism we went to Bywater Park and had a family BBQ for June b-days and to celebrate Stratton's big day. It was a great day in the park just relaxing and having fun!
Again I would like to thank every one who was there for our family and made it such a special day!

The New Church History Library

2009-06-02T14:37:00.002-06:00

Please help us celebrate the new Church History Library by attending the public open house on June 12 and 13. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. No tickets or reservations are necessary.
The open house will include a behind-the-scenes tour of this remarkable new building. Learn how this new archival facility preserves historical materials that tell the story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Walk through the storage vaults, view original artifacts, and learn how the library can help you connect to your past.
This is were I work, so I wanted to pass this information along.

I LOVE THIS!!

2009-06-01T23:45:00.001-06:00

WE WON!!

2009-06-01T21:40:00.004-06:00

So this season's softball season is more than half way over and we have finally won our first game. I am so happy for the Sure Fire team. Jeff was amazing, as always. He had one home run, and two doubles, the last one brought in our winning run! The ladies on our team, myself not included, did a great job in our final inning to get us the win! Tarese, my awesome sister-in-law had a great hit, and has been amazing all season! Way to show the guys girls can play. As this was my last game I am so glad to be a part of a great win tonight!

No Doubt

2009-06-01T08:39:00.006-06:00

On Monday the 23rd Lexy went to the No Doubt concert. She went with Maddi and her parents and they had a great time. they went to dinner first and next it was off the concert. The Sounds were the opening act, after that was Paramour, ending, of course ending with No Doubt. Lexy was most excited about seeing Paramour, one of her favorite bands. It was hard to send my baby girl off to her first concert without me, but I was happy she got the chance to see her favorite band.

The Cabin...

2009-05-31T21:08:00.002-06:00

or "Gabins" as Jax calls it. We went to Jeff's parent's cabin for the Memorial weekend. We had a great time! I was lucky enough to not have to work over the weekend, (thank you Ezra for taking my Monday shift) so I was able to relax and enjoy. It was raining when we first got there so the kids were worried it would rain all weekend and there would be no 4 wheeler rides, but it cleared up and we had a blast on the 4 wheelers. Yes Mom I drove a 4 wheeler over jumps, and stuff on dirt roads! You should be proud. Lexy got to drive one for the first time. It was great that she and Jeff got to share that time together. We went on a trail we had never gone on before and named it "The Flower Trail."
Wilma, Lexy and I also went for a hike, not to the Mountain Top like Mike, but someday I'll get there. We had a great time playing games, I beat Steve most of the time, if not all. ;O) The competition got a little tough during our Spoons tournament, and Lexy (on her Grandpa's orders) kicked my chair out from underneath me, and i hurt my back. I still beat Steve and won! Jax got to go on a short but very enjoyable ride on the tractor, he likes it more than the 4 wheelers I think.
We had to go into town on Monday morning to get Tylenol for Charlie, he got an ear infection, but other than that it was smooth sailing. We really enjoy the time we spend at the cabin as a family. Jax keeps asking when we are going back. I tell him soon I hope!

I'm Back...with an update

2009-05-26T20:58:00.003-06:00

It has been forever since I have posted, but I am not sure how much that matters since I don't know that any one looks at this! :) Things have been busy for the Shepherd Family. We have had a lot going on and it has kept on our toes.
Lexy has begun her modeling career and is really enjoying herself. She has had two photo shoots, and is taking classes on Thursday nights. She is still playing the viola, but doesn't want to play next year. We shall see. While she is very excited that school is almost over she has decided to take a math class over the summer. This class will mean she can be in a higher math when school starts again in the fall. It is not a class that all students can take only those who have done well in math over the school year. We are very proud of her for all she has accomplished. She has moved onto reading books other than Twilight but they all have the same vampire theme. They do a lot of their reafing online.
She has also spent the last few Saturdays boating with her best friend Maddi, and has had a wonderful time. We are grateful she has such a great friend whose parents allow her to be including in this fun activity. We don't see her that much, as she has reached the age that we are not cool, and she would rather be with her friends. There are trips to the mall, the movies, sleep overs and all kinds of things.
The last time I posted we were getting ready for the soccer season to start for Stratton, and now it is over. At the end of the season the coach said he has the
fanciest footwork on the team and is FAST! He did some amazing things over the season, but he also seems to be in lala land sometimes. He was good at baseball, when he tried. He can hit the ball very well, and understands the rules of fielding. His baseball coach also said he is very fast, but only when he wants to be. He had a good soccer and baseball season, but is not too sure if he likes baseball. We are thinking of coaching next season, he says he will play if we coach. We will see what next season brings. He has grown a lot over the last few months. He turned 8 on the 5th of May, and will be getting baptized on June 6th! I am so excited and proud of my oldest boy. He has become a great helper and wants to help me take care of Charlie and hold him whenever he can. He is still all boy and is happiest when he is outside or playing video games with his friends. Stratton did learn a hard lesson over Memorial weekend, "if you leave you bike out it will get stolen." So now he has to ride his little bike. I guess that is part of growing up.
Jax has started going to "playschool" and says he doesn't like it everyday when I drop him off, but Jeff can never get him to leave. He has made some great new friends, Blaze being his best friend and is learning lots of new things. Some not so great, but that is how it goes. Soccer was NOT a success with Jax and we may take a few seasons off before we try again. He is a great big brother to Charlie and hates to hear him cry. When Charlie does cry Jax will say to me , "Mom, Baby Charlie is crying, I think he wants you to hold him," or " He needs me to give him his bottle please make it fast!" A bit bossy, but at least he says please. He is still 100% a Poppie's boy. He has started calling him Pops, not sure where it came from, but that's his name now. He still LOVES cars of all kinds. All stores have been renamed. WalMart is "The Car Store," and Target is "The Red Car Store." We never go anywhere without a car or 10. I am just happy Hotwheels are only 97 cents.
And then there is Baby Charlie. He is just a fat happy baby. He loves people and as long as he is being held, played with or feed he has no care in the world.
He was very sick with a sinus infection that spread behind his eye, and a double ear infection. Although he was so sick he never cried during the night, or seemed to be feeling as sick as he was. He didn't smile or laugh as much as he usually does, but I just though he had allergies, I was so surprised when Dr. Coy told me how sick he was. He is on the mend now and back to smiling and laughing. He loves to play cars with his big brother Jax.
Jeff is still working hard for Xerox. He is a single dad at night and doing a wonderful job. He had to juggle modeling, soccer, baseball, and the demands of a 3 year and a baby.
I am so proud to be his wife and am grateful for all he does for our family. He has also been playing softball, the team has not been doing so great, but Jeff has had some great games, even hit a home run! Way to GO!
I still working for the Church at the new Church History Library. There are some changes coming and I hope to be working an earlier shift soon so I can be at home at night with my family! Other than that I am not to interesting.

2009-03-11T22:04:00.000-06:00

Well it has been a very long time since last I posted, and there are a few new things to tell. I will start with Lexy. She has made her first step towards becoming a model. I am not sure I am ready for this. They said she needs to looks more her age, she looks to old. She is very excited and having fun! I am also very happy to report that she has moved on to a new book outside of the Twilight series, but by the same author, The Host, by Stephanie Meyer.
I am in a new position at work. I will be working in the new Church History Library, and I will start work earlier, and I am very excited about that. I have moved temporarily moved to the Joesph Smith Building and I am loving it.
Stratton will have his first soccer game this weekend. He is very excited and so are we. He will also be starting baseball soon.
So that about sums it up for now.

2009-02-28T22:10:00.001-07:00

Let's see. Not to much to report. Jax started playing soccer, today was his first game. It was so funny. All the kids were 3-4 years old, and new to soccer. They all just chased the ball around, and picked it up when they got to it at first. After a while they got the hang of kicking it around, but had a hard time remembering to go toward the right goal. Jax was having a hard time he wanted to be the only one who ad the ball and got to kick it. The coach kept telling him no hands, so he made his hands into fits and picked up the ball with his forearms. He was put in as goalie, and was SOOO happy! He did a good job too, for his first time. He stopped a lot of goals, but took advantage of being able to pick up the ball and ran all the way to the other end and threw it in the goal. He also got a haircut today. It is the first time he has had short hair in about two years.

2009-02-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderful weekend filled with friends and family.
On Saturday my family and I went to lunch with my friends from high school and her kids. It was so nice to see Andrea again. We talked and caught up on what the years have brought to our lives. After lunch we went home, Jeff helped Stratton with riding his bike and we relaxed for a while.
After that we went over to our friend's (Sarah and Robert) and along with Robert's brother Glen and his wife, Kristina we watched the Jazz game and ate KFC. We had a great time!

On Sunday we went to Temple Square and spent the day as a family walking the grounds. Stratton & Jaxsen were very good & Charlie slept most of the time & never cried. Lexy stayed positive even though she wasn't feeling so great. We had a hard time getting back to the car, but other than that it was great day and the perfect end to a FABULOUS weekend

2009-02-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Friday at last!! Last night was a GREAT night at work, & today has been a good day. Tarese came over, and with the help of the wonderful Nan Davis we made the cutest decorations. It was nice to do something fun during the day. Jax was SO happy to see his cousins. He & Mikayla had a great time. I am looking forward tomorrow I have plans to meet up with a friend or (hopefully) friends that I have not seen since High School and that was a LONG time ago. Today was just overall a good day!

2009-02-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already Thursday. This has been a hard week, but it has gone by fast. Lexy went to her first stake dance last night. She called me when she got home to let me know she had her first real dance with a boy. He was a JUNIOR in high school. I think I am just going to have to lock her down for the rest of her life! I got a camera for Valentine's and I am so excited to start using it. I am going to take pictures of my family this weekend so we will see how it turns out. Charlie is getting so big so fast. He is sitting up and playing with stuff so much now. Today he grabbed by Coke bottle and put it up to his open mouth. He is so cute! Tomorrow is a big day for Lexy, mid-term, and her grade will dictate if she gets a new phone!

2009-02-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Stratton finally went back to school today after being home with croup for 4 days. I am sure he could have gone back Friday, but that just seemed silly to me.
Jax is feeling better too. It is so nice to hear him laugh again. Now he just needs to start sleeping in his own bed again. Jeff seems to think that when Jax is sick and for the week after Jax needs to sleep with us. He got in his own bed last night but at around 3:30 he upstairs and wanted to sleep “in your spot Mommy.”
Charlie is his father’s son; he wants control of the remote. Jeff told me that he started grabbing for it, and today he demonstrated for me. I tried to change the channel and he reached fro it, and when I wouldn’t give it to him, he was pulling at my fingers. We are in trouble!

2009-02-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

This is really for yesterday, the 16th. I got home from work not to long ago and realized I had yet to write and I really wanted to. There is not much to say about today, it was laid back at home. The kids had the day off for President's day, but Jeff and I had to work. Lexy got grounded from Twilight, so today she sat down and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because it has Robert Pattenson in it. She is so silly.
As I was getting ready to head home my co-workers and I were talking and telling stories about our families. As I told mine they were all red faced from laughing, and I realized just how much fun we have as a family and how lucky we are. I don't always focus on the laughter, but now it is a goal of mine. My friend Mandy's New Year's resolution is to laugh more, so I am taking a page out of her book!

2009-02-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

Well Valentine's Day has come and gone, and it was the BEST ever! Jeff managed to keep where we were going for dinner a plan. I didn't figure it out till we were exiting the freeway. He took me to Carvers. I had never been there before and I love red meat so I was VERY happy! We Had a great night and talked and laughed, it was great! My mom came and watched the kids, which made them very happy. They had pizza, played cards games, and piled on the couch and watched TV. I am so glad she was able to spend some time with them.
Today we went to my brother & sister in-law's for a celebration of the Shepherd family February birthdays. It was so fun. The kids, played and wrestled, while we laughed and talked. It was nice to gather at Tarese and Mike's, and the food was FABULOUS!!
Now my three oldest kids are gathered in Lexy's bed sound asleep. She tries to act like such a tough girl, who can't stand her brothers but she didn't tell them no when they asked to sleep in her bed.
Now the weekend comes to a close and I have to prepare to return to work tomorrow night....ugh!

2009-02-10T01:43:00.000-07:00

As Valentine's Day gets closer I can't help but think of how lucky I am to love and be loved be the man that I have. I wish I could say it has been easy, but that would not be true, but I can say that no matter what it has been, it has been worth it!

Tryin' This Out

2009-02-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ok so I started using Facebook, and in the process I found a long lost friend who had a blog and it sounded like a good idea. So it may take me a while but I am going to try.