Our Prayers Have Been Answered

Last weekend our fabulous friends the Knittels came to Boise for a visit. Right after they arrived we all sat down to dinner. Porter was asked to say the prayer and at the end he asked that we would have a great time with our friends, and that we would all get enough sleep to live.

I know it is irreverent to laugh during prayers, but we couldn't help it.

I am happy to report that our prayers were answered and we all got enough sleep to live - but just barely. We always have a great time with the Knittels!

According to Finn

I really think I need to create a blog just for the funny things my little Finny does and says. I don't ever want to forget them, but I am afraid that the other 5 kids will look back and think this is a little (or a lot) lopsided.

Until then....I can't help myself, this boy cracks me up.

The poop incident...

My kids take turns doing what we call jurisdictions. Basically chores. One of the jurisdictions is our back yard. They have to pick up all the toys, balls, and/or trash, and especially the smelly gifts our sweet little flower Daisy leaves us. ( A big golden doodle.)

While I was mowing the lawn Finn finished scooping the poop and then put it in a grocery bag and deposited it in a garbage can where I also put the grass clippings. When he closed the can he waved his hand in front of his face and said "Phew, do not leave that open." I said "It really stinks huh?"

Finn replied, "It WREAKS!" Then he took two more steps and added, "like my FEET!"

Please don't be concerned. He is clean. (mostly) and doesn't stink. (hardly)

Marshmallow History....

We have been visiting my mom and dad this past week, and completely LOVING the beautiful country living. Tonight the kids built a fire in their fire pit. (Yes folks, you heard it. I, Amy, the freakiest, most overprotective mother in the world sat in my chair many feet away and let Porter and his cousin start a fire. A major breakthrough!)

Anyway...Finn cooked a marshmallow but asked my mom not to make his smore without graham crackers. She said, "well Finn that is kind of against the rules."

He responded, "In all of marshmallow history?"

Fireside talk...

After the smores were eaten Finn was burning off one of the roasting sticks. He pushed all of the burning sticks around and then invited everyone to come and stand around the burning embers to talk about his birthday tomorrow.

Potty Humor...

Tonight while she was busy playing with her cousins Livy had a wet pants accident. I was helping her clean up, and asked her if she had just gotten busy playing and didn't want to stop to go to the bathroom until it was to late. She said "yes."

While cleaning her up I continued and said "I understand that. It used to happen to me a lot when I was a little girl."

Finn had come up behind me and yelled out, "IT STILL DOES!!!"

I was laughing so hard that I couldn't remind him that he needs to keep that little piece of info secret.

Funny Finny

Finn has learned to read, and largely it has made things easier for him to understand. He will often read something and comment "Oh, so its The Home Depot. I thought it was just Home Depot." But Finn is still Finn and he sees the world through a Funny Finny filter that is hysterical sometimes. Here are a few recent examples.

While shopping at the grocery store Finn was sitting in the tiny baby seat - hilarious on it's own since he is not a tiny baby - He wanted to get his favorite cheese dip for our game party so I picked it up and handed it to him. He read the label and said, "Oh Good. No Germs - Trains Fat." WHAT? He repeated himself and added, "this stuff has no germs and it trains your fat."


"Trains my fat????" I asked. "Could it train it to act like size 2 fat?"

Sadly the answer was no, but he assured me that I was not fat. Are these boys going to make great husbands someday or what?

Next...Today we bought school supplies for Finn and Porter. When we got home the boys were organizing their stuff (are glue sticks and pencils this exciting for all kids or are mine totally freaks?) into back packs. Finn picked up his glue and read the label. "This stuff is washable, but you can't run with it." WHAT? "No, mom it says right here. No Run. You can't run with this glue."

I think that's right buddy. Definetely don't run with it. I wish I could be in the classroom the day Finn tries to inforce that rule. You know he will!


I hope Finn never loses his Finniness. It makes him so much fun to be around. Also I hope that he will always have friends who appreciate it as much as his mommy and brother Porter do. Also, I love the little look that Porter and I exchange when Finn does this kind of stuff.

Auntie T.

Here is Tracy in a stirring tribute to our men in uniform! How does she find the time to do so much? Do you think they would like this picture of you in Jordan Tracy?

Yesterday was my little sisters birthday. I am so sad that the days have passed when people ask us all the time if we are twins (I would so happily be compared to my beautiful sister now.) And for that wonderful 12 days in July we would say, "no, we're not twins, but we are the same age." HAHAHA our very funny little joke. I always hated that the 24th of July celebration landed during that 12 day period, and I was forced to race in the same category with my very athletic and impossibly long legged sister. She never rubbed in her victories TOO much though.

Tracy is funny, very smart, completely honest, unbelievably compasionate, and generous beyond description. She has always been my very best friend. (Even though Angie and Jill seem to remember us fighting - I don't know what they are talking about!) She is a fabulous aunt, and my boys LOVE their happy memories with Auntie T. When I moved from Georgia Tracy flew out to drive across the country with me and Porter (who hated the car.) I was expecting Finn and vomitted all the way across the country. I couldn't believe how patient and kind Tracy was in that not so ideal situation. She has always supported me. Listened to me.

I LOVE my little sister. I am so excited that she is going to have a baby this year. She will be a very fun mother, with a gorgeous baby, and my boys and I intend to spoil little baby Z completely. I hope I am as good an aunt as she has been. Those are some incredibly big shoes to fill. And I have all this pressure to come up with a really fun name for myself like she did. I am taking suggestions.

Happy Birthday Auntie T. We all LOVE you so much!

1 Year

Kirk and I celebrated our first anniversary this past Friday. I can't believe that it has already been a whole year since our wedding. And yet...a lot has happened this year. I can't imagine my life without Kirk. He is kind and adoring. He is a fabulous father, friend and husband, and I LOVE being married to him.

He made plans for us to drive into the mountains to a little town about an hour from our house and go to a little dinner theater. We got to see the musical Footloose under the stars with a beautiful wooded, mountain backdrop. It was awesome to be outside, under the stars, watching the show and just being together. I had never been up into the mountains beyond Boise, and it felt like such a departure from being in my little Eagle bubble. I LOVED IT.

I have to say I'm glad the first year is behind us, and I hope we have many, many more to come.

I Hope...

I was looking at pictures of a fabulous campout with the Knittles, and thinking, I hope my kids have friends like Jennecca, and that made me think about other things I hope for my children.

I hope... they learn sooner than later that having brothers and sisters is one of the greatest blessings they have been given.



I hope...they never get tired of playing in the mud.

I hope...they get a good education.

I hope...I am teaching, disciplining, and loving them enough.

I hope...they learn to value hard work.

I hope...they respect their elders.

I hope...they will have their own testimonies.


I hope...they will always love to read.


I hope...all the boys will marry girls as wonderful as my sister in laws, and that Livy will marry someone just like her daddy.


I hope...they will get married in the temple.


I hope...they will get to have the incomparable experience of being parents.


I hope...they won't ever forget how much I love them.

Kindergarten Graduate

Finn Graduated from Kindergarten.

He loved every minute of his first year of school. He made good friends. Loved his adorable teacher. Created amazing crafts. Learned to use the computer. Learned to read. Got inspired by his school library, and created his own version at home. Lived for chocolate milk Fridays. Climbed the monkey bars constantly. Formed a recess ninja club, and then disbanded it when it took up to much of his monkey bar time. Hatched and raised some baby chicks. Had pajama day. Ate lunch at school. Created a kindergarten city. Chased girls. Ran from girls. Endured substitutes, who were probably great, but just not as great as Mrs. Skelton. Stood up to a bully, (actually asked me to.) And came home smarter, bigger and more grown up every single day. Next year he will be gone at school all day. He will eat lunch there, and spend more hours of the day with his teacher than his mother.

Finn graduated from Kindergarten.

Obviously I cried.

No one will be shocked to learn that Finn almost wet his pants during the graduation program, and I had to run up and get him and take him to the bathroom. Poor kid with his mothers bladder.

He refused to wear his church pants because he said that the teacher told them they didn't have to wear church clothes, but they could wear a shirt and tie if they wanted. So my stubborn boy just knew that church pants would somehow be against the rules.

I wanted to interupt the program and tell the teacher that Finn stuck his tongue out at me, but I thought it might be childish.

Finn doing "First Grade, First Grade" Sung to the tune of "New York, New York."


I sure do love this little guy.

The last song included instrumental time during which the kids did the robot. Finn was on the front row and was fabulous at the robot. Seriously a lot of people came up to me afterwards and said how great they thought he was. I was proud, and a little shocked, I mean, he is usually pretty shy in front of other people.