Who's Happy?

Rock Stars!

2010-12-23T20:38:00.001-08:00

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!

2010-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

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

Snow Day!

2010-12-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Having fun in the snow!

What a beautiful day.

2010-05-15T16:07:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-31T10:33:00.002-07:00

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!

2010-02-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

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

2010-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-02-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

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!

Cannon's latest

2009-07-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

This week was a big one for Cannon. Although he is only three, he was ready for his training wheels to come off. I was waiting for the scary, tottering moment when Clark let go, but that never happened. Once the training wheels were off, ZIP! Off Cannon went and he never looked back and didn't need any help. I was pretty impressed!

One day later....yep, full on crash. It was pretty bad. Cannon left our circle to find his sisters (without telling me) and didn't slow down on the hill in our subdivision. To be honest, I don't think training wheels would have helped. Thanks to some good friends who saw Cannon fall, we were able to get him to the hospital right away. In spite of multiple gashes in his mouth and A LOT of blood, no teeth were lost or stitches needed. We hope he learns to be a little more careful, and I learned you can't turn your back for minute on these busy guys. Also, a little plug for wearing helmets--Cannon was wearing one. I can't imagine what he would have looked like without it! We are so grateful for our little "Evil Canevil," who is sometimes a little too coordinated for his own good.

Aloha Ashtyn!

2009-07-19T20:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Bright Eyes! It's hard to believe our baby girl is one already, and yet seems like she has always been a part of our family. I'm so grateful for her sweet and calm spirit, her quick smile, and they way she seems to draw everyone to her. We had a blast celebrating her birthday hawaiian style. Her luau was great--complete with leis, mumus, and other tropical attire. We hope all your birthdays will be this fun. We love you!

Midway and the 4th of July!

2009-07-19T20:44:00.001-07:00

Great times with the Bonner family in Midway! How can you not have fun in such a beautiful place with good friends, lots of food, fireworks, a boat, and a several chick-flicks? Stacie and I stayed an extra day and enjoyed an extra long weekend doing fun girly things--like watching the six hour version of Pride and Prejudice. Like I said, great times!

And They're Off to North Carolina

2009-07-19T20:20:00.001-07:00

June was a wonderful month--full of great spiritual highs and emotional goodbyes. Clark's parents were called to serve as mission presidents in the Raleigh, North Carolina mission. We had many wonderful experiences. One of the highlights we meeting Elder Perry when my mother and father-in-law were set apart. He was so kind and gracious, taking time to meet each of us. As an added bonus, we were also able to see (not meet) the entire first presidency and the whole quorum of the twelve apostles (minus Elder Oaks and Elder Hales). It was incredible. Very special!

We were busy with lots of "last" family activities-- boat trips, temple trips, movies, BBQ's and swim parties (minus the swimming due to the weather), farewell addresses, FHE's, testimony meetings, etc. We packed a whole summer into a few weeks. All of those activities helped build memories and keep us distracted from the sad goodbyes. But, the day came and we were so proud of our missionaries. There were tears, but lots of excitement to be part of something so wonderful. We are so proud of you, Grandma and Grandpa! You will do a wonderful job! See you soon!

Kamryn and the big 5!!

2009-07-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Kamerino! We had a great princess birthday party with make up, dress ups, singing, dancing, and everything girly! Kamryn was the star of the show and couldn't be happier. Girls RULE!

Where to start?

2009-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Who's a slacker? I AM! It's been a while, so let's start with some big accomplishments:
1. Kamryn graduated from preschool! She is a great reader! We are so proud of our spunky "Little Bit."

2. Rylee and Kamryn did great in their gymnastics competition--1st and 3rd place! Good job girls!

Hope this makes you smile!

2009-05-03T19:37:00.001-07:00

Are you smiling right now? We are!

More Birthdays

2009-05-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

Our Rylee-Roo is 7 today. Hard to believe! We had a great time celebrating her big day. We took Rylee, Kamryn, and friends (Brynnlee and Savannah) to get GLITTER TOES for Rylee's party. They were a huge hit. Happy birthday big girl!

Birthdays

2009-05-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today is Rylee's birthday, but I forgot to post pictures of Cannon's birthday party in March. He is very into the BYU "Tigers" (hopefully catch onto the Cougar thing soon). We had a "Tiger" party and he loved it! My favorite moment was when Cannon took a big bite out of his candle (you can see it in my hand with a big chunk missing the same size as Cannon's mouth). I guess it looked appetizing. I don't think he'll do that again. We love our big boy!

Easter Pictures

2009-03-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

I just got these pictures back from my friend Jenn (jenniferkamp photography.blog spot.com). She did a great job! Thanks! Happy Easter.

Crazy Leftover Night!

2009-03-20T21:24:00.001-07:00

So I thought I'd share my dinner success from last night. I wasn't in the mood to cook a big meal, and why should I since I had lots of leftovers in the fridge ( I wish I could say I'm this creative, but I got this idea from Shelley Wille's book, Great Kids are Home Grown--it has great fun family ideas). Since I had leftovers from a few different meals, I had the kids draw numbers to see who got to pick their dinner first. Instead of eating with plates, utensils, and glasses, I wrote down different kitchen items that could be substituted for "normal" dinner ware, and had the kids draw them from a jar. They were so excited to be eating on cookie sheets and muffin tins with ice cream scoops and tongs and drinking from measuring cups and dessert bowls. Anyway, the kids loved it, and we will definitely do this again. I love getting great, easy ideas. I was hoping for other creative brains to give me their tips. Please reply!

Big News!

2009-03-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm pregnant!!! Ha! Ha! That was a joke (I should have saved that one for April 1st!) No really, I have great news. Clark's parents met this week with President Uchtdorf and were called as Mission Presidents in the Raleigh, North Carolina Mission. They will report July 1st to the mission home. We will miss them dearly, but are so excited for this new adventure. We are so proud of you!

Our Gymnast

2009-03-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

We just got these pictures back from Rylee's gymnastics class. I thought they were pretty neat. We found out she must have the Michael Jordan gene (tongue out when she gets air). We are so proud of you, Rylee!

The Joys of Potty Training!

2009-02-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

So this is my third time doing this... still not fun! I've decided potty training is a right of passage for parents. All parents do it, no one looks forward to it, yet with the lack of teenagers in diapers, you figure it has to be done. Well, today was the day for Cannon. He actually did really well. I'm a huge advocate of "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" by Azrin and Foxx. It worked with the girls and so far, it has with Cannon too. It was not all smooth sailing. As you can tell from the happy face, Cannon enjoyed sitting on the potty. In fact, he sat for over an hour and a half just drinking his soda, eating chips and candy, reading books, singing songs, etc. Two Sprites later, he still hadn't gone potty (the kids must have a bladder of steal). Anyway, he got up for just a minute, and wouldn't you know--pee all over my floor. It was the first of many accidents, but by 1:00 he had the hang of it. We did lots of celebratory dances, high fives, and hugs for "Pee-pee in the Potty." I'm nervous to see what tomorrow will bring, but for now I'm enjoying the success of the day and hope for dry days and nights to come!

Who loves solids?

2009-02-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Even with child #4, I still get a kick seeing babies eat rice cereal for the first time. Ashtyn acted like we were feeding her lemons. Don't worry, she still ate a ton, she just gave some entertaining faces while she choked it down. One spoonful in, half a spoonful out!

Funny Kids

2009-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

Love these pictures! I asked them for their silliest faces and this is what I got. Crazy kids.

Vacation in Paradise!

2009-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

Clark and I had the opportunity to go on a cruise this month to the Caribbean--just the two of us! WOW! It was just what we needed. The islands were beautiful, the beaches relaxing, and plenty of time for each other. We had lots of fun with the friends we travelled with. We sure missed our kids. Paradise is fun to visit, but we are glad to be back!

Christmas

2009-01-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time of year! This Christmas season we enjoyed all the fun things that make the holidays special--gingerbread houses, Christmas lights, Santa, family, and presents. But more than anything else, I loved celebrating the life of the Savior, feeling his love for us, and resolving to be more like Him.

Disney-mania!

2009-01-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

So this post is a few months late, but I had to share! In November, Clark and I surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland. They bought our "staying at a hotel far away" excuse the whole drive there. We told them right as we pulled up to the the happiest place on earth. The squeals of excitement made they whole trip worth it--inspite troubles with the stomach flu and one little boy falling in the hotel fountain. In all, we had a wonderful time!

Bad, Bad Blogger!

2009-01-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

WOW! Where did the last two months go? It is all such a blur. I absolutely love Christmas, but there doesn't seem to be any time for extra anything! Clark's new calling in church has also added to our craziness. Our ward was split at the end of November and he was called as our new bishop. Along with all our "Christmasing" was tithing settlement, interviews, staffing a brand new ward, etc. It has been an adjustment, but a real blessing to our little family. In spite of everything, I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself for being such a bad blogger!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:52:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd share some fun Halloween Pictures. (Yes, these pictures are all from the same year. I could only convince my kids to be cowboys and Indians for the professional picture. Oh well, it was a compromise I could live with!)

Family Pictures

2008-11-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

You moms know how stressful family pictures can be--finding coordinating outfits for the whole family, making sure your children are clean, hair done, stomachs full, and happy. All this to get capture the perfect moment when everyone is smiling, looking at the camera, and pretending to be enjoying themselves. Needless to say, I'm glad it is over and we have some pretty great pictures to show for it. SUCCESS!

A Blessed Day!

2008-09-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. Clark had the opportunity to bless Ashtyn in Church today. It was a very spiritual. He did an amazing job. We were blessed to have so many family members there, and we missed those who couldn't come. Ashtyn was beautiful in her long white dress and was an angel during the blessing. Unfortunately, she got a little fussy and had to be taken out. At the same time Cannon had a melt down and had to leave too. I'm proud to say two of my four children behaved themselves the whole time. Pretty typical for us. Anyway, it was a lovely day I'll always remember.

Our Soccer Star

2008-09-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Kamryn just started her first season in our community soccer league. She and her other 4 year old friends swarm the ball, all trying to kick at once or just following the crowd, not knowing where the ball is or what direction to kick. It is fabulous to watch! Kamryn's favorite part was the outfit, especially the pink shin guards. She was disappointed she had to cover them up with her blue socks. We are so proud she scored her first goal---for the other team. Who cares! Definitely not her! Go White Spiders!

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

2008-09-21T19:20:00.001-07:00

In my experience being a mom, I've noticed in some things there are no difference between boys and girls. For example, my girls LOVE to catch bugs and keep them in jars. The difference, however, occurs when they name their newly acquired pet. Please meet "Diamond Jewel Hannah Ashley Sharpay Cotterell"--the grasshopper. Just thought I'd share.

A big step for Rylee--EAR PIERCING!

2008-08-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Rylee told us last week she wanted her ears pierced. She has said this before, but when she asked if it hurt, we told her the truth and said yes, but only for a minute. She isn't exactly the toughest when it comes to pain, so she wasn't interested. I'm not sure what changed her mind, but she did GREAT! No tears (unlike her mother's experience at age 4). She is so proud and can't wait to show her friends at school!

Baby Ashtyn

2008-08-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Isn't she precious! Thought I'd share some cute pics and her birth announcement. Her announcement was more work than I originally anticipated, but look at that face, I had to do something cute. Anyway, hope you like it.

Our Funny Kids

2008-08-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Since I'm new to this blogging thing, I thought I would share some funny moments of the past few months. This is Rylee, our six year-old. She loves gymnastics and we find her in this position often. She is probably our most observant child and some of the things she says makes you laugh because there is some truth in what she says. This isn't always a good thing. For example, the other day, out of no where, she asks, "Mom, why are you nicer to all the other kids than you are to me?" "What?!", I gasped. How could she ask that? "Well, at Primary you always talk to the other kids in your nice voice." Hmm, that was probably a little true. I don't always use my "Primary" voice at home. I told her that I love her more than anyone else in Primary because she is my Rylee, and I do more things for her than anyone else. This seemed to answer her question, but it made stop and think. I could probably use my Primary voice more often.

This is our four year-old, Kamryn. I love this picture. Don't you love her sassiness?! She is always at least a few inches shorter than anyone else her age, but what she lacks in height she makes up in personality. Our favorite "Kamrynism" is watching her hold her fists in front of her with her toe pointed, and yelling "Giddy-up Horse!" Then she gallops at full speed wherever she is going. I asked her the other day what she wanted to be when she grew up. She told me she wanted to ride ponies and be a mom. Sounds good to me!

This is Cannon, our two year-old. He is constantly into everything. I had a good laugh when I discovered this during nap time. You can't see the entire room, but he emptied his whole closet of clothes, diapers, wipes and shoes. Apparently he felt his own diaper needed to go as well. Very funny.

Hope you got a good laugh. We sure did!

Our Poor Baby Ashtyn

2008-08-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, things didn't run so smoothly around the second week of Ashtyn's life. When she was nine days old, I noticed she was breathing a little funny. I took her to her pediatrician and after examining her (her temperature was actually below normal), they sent us to Primary Children's Hospital for more testing. Little did I know that would mean blood and urine tests, two spinal taps, IV's, and a six day hospital stay. The first day and half were terrifying! Hearing possibilities like bacterial meningitis are pretty hard on an already emotional mother of a newborn. Luckily the scary tests came back negative and we found out she had a common virus. Unfortunately, she had a difficult time keeping her oxygen levels up, so they ordered more tests. After a sleep study test, they diagnosed her with severe obstructive sleep apnea (even though Clark has this, they say it isn't hereditary). The doctors hope she will outgrow this problem. So, for now she is on oxygen (mainly while she is sleeping, but that is just about all the time) for three to four months until she can be tested again. We are so grateful this trial seems to be more of an annoyance than a major problem. We are hoping Ashtyn doesn't catch any other bug so we don't have to repeat this whole process. Consequently, we have become quarantined germaphobes. We love hand sanitizer!! In spite of our stressful week, things are going really well. Ashtyn is sleeping like a champ (six hours in a row last night--not bad for a three week-old). I will eventually need to figure out how to get myself and my family ready before two in the afternoon, but for now we are having a great time taking it easy!

Ashtyn April Cotterell

2008-08-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

She's finally here! Ashtyn April Cotterell was born on Saturday, July 12th at 8:57 pm. She was a whopping 6 lbs. 1 oz. and 19 in. long (pretty long for a Cotterell). She is our first brunette, has a cute dimple on her right cheek, and has beautifully long fingers and feet. We couldn't wait to meet her, especially since we didn't know if she was a her or a him. The labor was fast and painless. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. My favorite part was hearing Clark tell me she was a girl and then being able to introduce her to our children and parents. It was amazing (just a little plug on being surprised--it was worth the wait!) The kids just love her and constantly want to hold and kiss her--especially Cannon--what a sweetheart. Ashtyn is very sweet, loves to sleep, and makes you smile just looking at her. So far, the transition has been pretty smooth. It may be a different story once all the carpooling, preschool, and school starts. Right now, we are loving being hermits and taking care of this little "Bright Eyes."