Rock Stars!

Here's a look at Ashtyn and Cannon's mad vocal skills. I think they may have a bright future in the music business. They definitely take after their dad!



By the way, can you tell we are having a lot of fun with our new Flip camera!

Poops, she did it again!

This is the second time...let's just say, EEWWWWW!

Snow Day!

Having fun in the snow!

What a beautiful day.

Do you ever have one of those days where you think, "Wow...today makes all the crazy days worth it." Today was one of those days. Rylee was baptized a member of the church this morning. What a wonderful experience. Her dad did a great job. Rylee was SO excited. When she was baptized, she wore a dress my Grandma made for my mom and aunt for their baptism day over 50 years ago. My sister and I also wore it when we were baptized. It was a very special day in many ways. We missed Grandma and Grandpa, but know they are working hard to help others learn the gospel and be baptized, just like Rylee. I am so proud of you, sweetness. We love you.

Our latest and greatest

Kamryn has had a lot of fun in her singing group this year. Her favorite song to sing is "Cruela Devil." Thanks to Kamryn, our whole family knows all the words to many Disney classics. She is lots of fun to watch.

















Our Rylee-Roo is 8! Where has time gone? We can't wait for her baptism next week!













Cannon is getting ready for his career as a professional body builder. Cannon and Kamryn thought it would be fun to trade swimming suits. Yikes! Poor guy sure gives us a lot of ammunition to blackmail him as a teenager.














Ole! We sure love our little amigo.

In April I accomplished a big goal I set for myself...I ran a marathon. It was so wonderful to have my family at the finish line. Lots of hard work, very supportive family, and sore legs! Very worthwhile. I might even consider doing it again sometime (in the distant future).

March Madness Baby!

Talk about a great father and son's outing...Cannon had so much fun with his dad going to the NCAA tournament in Salt Lake. They attended the elite eight game with Butler and Kansas State. Cannon stayed interested until about 15 minutes left of the game. Pretty good for a four year-old. The "Post Game Party" (the car ride back) was a little too much for Cannon to handle. I'm sure it was the junk food crash after eating hot dogs, Sprite, and Red Vines. I'm not sure who had a better time, Clark or Cannon!

Cabo was FANTASTICO!

Clark and I just got back from a great trip to Cabo San Lucas with friends and family from work. It was a very relaxing vacation. We ate some great Mexican food and visited "Lover's Beach," but most of the time we just relaxed on the beach. It was absolutely wonderful. We missed the kids and it was great to come home, but I must admit, while I was swimming my way out of our ocean of laundry, I did miss the maids to clean the room and the waiters to bring me a strawberry daiquiri. My favorite part was getting Clark all to myself for six whole days! So much fun!

It's a bird, it's a plane...No it's CANNON'S BIRTHDAY!

Our little Superman had a great 4th birthday this month. He was so excited to wear his Superman costume. Thanks to all our fellow superheros who made his big day so special!

Eight Stitches!

What an eventful Sunday! Cannon hadn't been feeling well last night, so we decided to stay home from church. We were all in the basement when I heard Cannon crying in the playroom. I came in and saw blood streaming from his forehead. He had been playing on an exercise ball and crashed into the metal bed frame. He had a one-inch gash on his forehead. After a quick text to Clark, a clothing change (he didn't want to leave in his bloody clothes), and a band-aid (something Cannon insisted on having), Cannon was on his way to the ER with his dad. I was able to join them a little later. I have to say, Cannon was very tough! He didn't cry, whimper, or flinch when the nurse gave him numbing shots. He was very still when the doctor came in to do stitches. They went on and on how rare it was for someone that young to have such a high pain tolerance. At the rate he is going, he will need it! We are so proud of you brave boy. No more ER visits, though, okay?

New York!

Sorry for the crazy order of my posts. Apparently I'm going in reverse order. Sorry! A week before Christmas, Clark and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. Clark was so wonderful and wanted to make this a memorable event, so he took me to New York for a few days. Needless to say, it was a trip I will never forget. We had a wonderful time! In spite of the frigid temperatures, we saw many of the sights--Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza (with its beautiful Christmas tree), the Top of the Rock, the Twin Tower sight, the Met, Broadway (along with a couple shows), and more. We ate great food and just enjoyed being together. It was wonderful. We were planning on coming home on a Sunday night. Unfortunately, we got caught in a huge snowstorm and our flight was canceled. Nothing going out from NY until five days later--Christmas Day. I had a panic attack, but Clark was calm and collected. The silver lining of the ordeal was the fact that we were able to rent a car and drive to Raleigh, NC and spend a night with Clark's parents before flying out the next morning. It was so good to see them! What a treat. The perfect ending to a fun and crazy trip. So happy anniversary, honey. It was a memorable one!

Midway Fun!

Look at me, posting just one day later. I'm on a roll! I thought I would post some pictures of our adventures in Midway. During the week between Christmas and New Years we took my parents, brother, sister and her family, and our good friends from Arizona (the Duty's) to Midway to stay at Clark's parents' place. We had a ball. Lots of food, sledding, hot chocolate, late nights, and best of all--time with friends and family. Thanks everyone!

A Big Day at the Cotterell Home

Rylee lost her first tooth! Yeah!!! She is in the 2nd grade and the absolute last one in her class to lose a tooth. We are all very excited.

Things to laugh at...

If nothing else, children provide lots of comic relief. Here are some moments that have kept smiles on our faces:
(yes, Ashtyn is wearing my bra as an apron--a dual function I never thought of, and yes, she is in the bath tub fully clothed and really excited about it)

On the Blogging Wagon Again.

Sorry folks--it's been five months. Holidays have come and gone and I've just got to start somewhere. No use it sharing it all, so here are the things I want to blog about...enjoy!