Friends!

Katie, Julie and I were able to spend an afternoon together. We took the kids to Carl's Jr. playland and then back to Katie's to catch up for a while. It's always so great to spend time with family-like friends. Here are our 7 kids (with one on the way for Katie!).

(Ava 4, Cooper 5, Savannah almost 7, Jordyn 7, Luka 20 mo, Lexi 5 and Peyton 2 1/2)

Grandpa and Grandma Sealy

Last week, we were able to pay a visit to Tucker's Grandparents (Judy's parents). They've recently moved from their home to a assisted living facility, so we were able to see them in their new place. As you can tell, they have decorated their new place with lots of color and modern-style, which totally fits their taste! We have such a great love and respect for them, and love any time we are able to spend with them. It's also fun for our kids to know their great-grandparents!

(the girls performed their dance routine for Grandma and Grandpa!)

Family Pics!

Last night, we had our family pics taken by Gail at Piccadilly Photography (a.k.a. Tiffany's Mom). Here's a sneak peek! I love the coloring and the background!!

Still Small Voice

Ever since I was little, I've been taught to pay attention to that small voice inside that can speak to all of us. Sometimes I listen to it, sometimes I don't. But it's sort of like a muscle....the more I pay attention and the more I try to listen, the more I hear it. It can help me with huge, life-changing choices....but more often, it helps guide me in the small, simple, every-day type of choices. I've become particularly sensitive to wanting and needing this direction in my life since I've become a mother. I also want to be better at writing them down for my kids to learn from someday.

Last weekend, as we were packing to go to my Grandma's, I felt very tired. I was grumpy and not really in the mood to deal with everyone else's little whines and complaints when all I needed to do was pack the car in the horrible heat. As we went to leave, Peyton was crying for her blankie. Not the one she already had, but the other one (aka the "black" one). I was already in the car with the door locked and had no idea where it was in the house, so I did NOT feel in the mood to go look for it. But I felt like I should and luckily didn't try to fight the feeling. I walked in the house and somehow knew immediately to look in the office, in a corner where I never, ever look. Low & behold, the blankie was there. But more importantly was what was laying on top of the blakie. It was a little lamp that had been turned on and was laying on it's side with the bulb pushing on the shade. Since we were planning to be gone for 4 days, there is no doubt in my mind that this would have started a house fire!

I was immediately humbled and snapped a little bit out of my grumpiness to express thanks for the little voice. I shared the experience with my kids....first to teach them not to leave little lamps on....but most importantly, to teach them what they can hear if they are willing to listen.

Flashback Friday - Three Baby Blessings

In our church, it is a customary ordinance for babies to receive a special priesthood blessing, and Tucker has been able to give each of our children this blessing when they were infants. I thought it would be fun to recall each of the girls blessing days for this flashback....

#1 JORDYN - SEPTEMBER 2002 - 6 MONTHS OLD

Jordyn was born in Salt Lake City, UT and we were still living up there when she was blessed. Tucker's family all lived around, and so my family was kind enough to travel up there for the occasion. We were living in a tiny apartment and so after blessing Jordyn in church, we all gathered at Tucker's parent's old Lynwood house for a gathering. If I recall, we had some Costco muffins, fruit, and donuts...I think? It was a brunch type snack and a low-key gathering. This literally seems like a lifetime ago! (Carly is missing from the picture).

#2 LEXI - JANUARY 2003 - 2 MONTHS OLD

I felt so overwhelmed after the birth of my second child, that it sounded too hard to try to have a big gathering for her blessing. We had already moved to California, so my family was nearby. And we were living in a small apartment, and I remember how stressed it made me feel for Tucker's family (who was willing to come!) stay in hotels and make the trip out here! I think I was projecting my own stress. Anyway, we invited Gam & Pa to come out and had a small, intimate gathering at our apartment. Tucker made us all carne asada tacos for lunch. I learned a great lesson that morning....I had decided that Lexi would just wear the same blessing dress that Jordyn did, but I didn't pull it out until THAT morning to even look at it. Well, somehow there was a flourescent GREEN stain all down the front of the dress! I'm talking REALLY obvious! I wanted to cry! I just had to wrap a blanket around her the entire day to hide it!

#3 PEYTON - MARCH 2007 - 5 MONTHS OLD

Peyton was my biggest baby by far. By 5 months old, she was like 20 lbs so she could not fit into the same blessing dress as the other two (Jordyn was still tiny at 6 months old because she was a preemie). So she had her own new dress that I bought off eBay. By this time, we had a house and enough room to house (squeeze together) some family, so we invited any family that was able to travel out here to be with us! Tucker's parents, Maren and her kids, and Lyndsy & her family came out. We had lots of close friends come too, so it was a big gathering! The unique part about Peyton's blessing is that we did it at home instead of at church, like the other two. It was so relaxing and perfect for our size group. Tucker made his famous carne asada tacos again and we had a fun and beautiful spring-time gathering.

Extended Family Weekend - Paternal Side

My mom and dad met while attending Anaheim High School. My dad graduated in 1970 and my mom graduated in 1972. Still to this day, their parents and siblings almost all still live right in or around Anaheim, so we only had to go about 2 miles down the road to see my Dad's side of the family. We only get to see them once a year or less, so we always cherish our time together!


Lindy and I with our cute grandma...whom we have never called Grandma! When we were little, she didn't want to be called Grandma, so somehow it ended up being Mom Shirl and I can't imagine it any other way! She is one of the sweetest, most faithful people I've ever known.

Mom Shirl and Lexi

Mom Shirl and Peyton Jean!

Cuz Kelly had these cool little turtles she was showing the kids...

2nd Cousins! Peyton, Lexi, Lyric, Jenna, Victoria, Jared and Paxton!
Cousins: my bro Ryan and Kelly

My Tio Ray put up a bounce house for the kids. They loved it, and it brought the chaos outside instead of inside!

My bro Ryan, my cousin Ray Ray, my Dad and my Tio Ray

My grandma or better known as "Mom Shirl", my Tia Toni, my Dad and my Tia Deane

Extended Family Weekend - Maternal Side

(My cute Grandma - age 80 with me and Lindy)

Last weekend, we were able to see lots extended family in Southern Cal. So many of my cousins, aunts, uncles and my Grandmas...all of whom my children don't know very well. My Grandma is still recovering from her fall, so me, Lindy & our kids along with my mom, dad and Ryan took a rare trip together to stay in my Grandma's empty house. The kids had a blast making memories on my Grandma's huge front lawn just the way we did when we were all kids! (Tucker and Jordyn weren't there because they flew to Utah for his Grandma's funeral)

Grandma's candy drawers! Imagine how much all the kids loved this!

Playing out front in Grandma's yard (my dad, Peyton, Lexi and Lyric)

Peyton and her 2nd cousin (or however that works, she's actually my first cousin) Sarah...my Aunt Kelly's daughter

My bro Ryan (18), my little Mom, Lindy (26) and me (32)

My bro Ryan with our (current) only nephew Paxton

Lexi (5) and Lyric (4) had a blast with their 2nd cousins (my Aunt Kelly's twin boys) Nicholas and Andrew (age 8)!

Sarah, Peyton and Paxton rode and fought over these trikes :-)

All this girl needs is a hose. Seriously, it is an obsession.

My mom and her only sister, Kelly

Cousins! Lyric and Lexi

Lexi with her Spongebob sidewalk art!

Great Grandma and Lexi

Great Grandma and Peyton with her cousin Kaylin
My Uncle Jimmy's little girl, Kaylin and Peyton - both 2 yrs old

Another cousin! This is my cousin Matthew's little boy Scott. You can tell these two are related!

Flashback Friday - Grandma Maxfield

Tucker's paternal Grandma Maxfield passed away on July 6th, only 9 months after the death of her husband. They were married in 1941, so for 67 years!

They had ten (yes TEN!) children all with "N" names: Nelden, Neal (Tucker's Dad), Nadine, Nita, Norman, Nila, Nanette, Natalie, Ned, Nalin.

Grandma and Grandpa Maxfield are remarkable people. They are the epitome of dedication to their family, the church and being stalwart children of God. They have somewhere around 60 grandchildren and I believe more than that of great-grandchildren. It is a phenomenal posterity!


Grandma and Grandpa Maxfield's lives revolved around their family, music and candy (their business). I don't there has ever been a single family gathering they have missed (weddings, mission farewells/homecomings, baby blessings, etc for ALL the 60+grandchildren!). My children have been able to spend some time with them on our trips to UT and I'm so grateful my children have their examples to look to for faith and strength (although they probably won't have 10 children!). We will miss you, Grandma Maxfield, and look forward to the day we meet again!

Paxton is 2!

My cute little nephew Paxton turned two on July 5th! Doesn't seem possible! He is such a spunky, passionate, ball-throwing, curly-headed BOY....and has NO trouble keeping his manhood in the midst of so many girl cousins/sister. I made him a baseball cake and we had a intimate little gathering in celebration!





Then we hung out in Lindy's backyard for a bit afterward and Peyton was able to feed Paxton a hose full of water over and over again. Luckily, he did it right back to her (which she loves).

See? This kid is never happier than with a hose in her hand!

Practicing a little baseball

And more hose action!

Happy Birthday Packy-Wacky!!!