The GOOD Times

My heart is FULL !

2009-11-29T15:26:00.011-07:00

The way I start off my Thanksgiving, going on 9 years now, is by running the TURKEY TROT! I roped my cute cousin into running with me, so together we made up TEAM GUNNER!

Last year I ran WITH Gunner.......

This year I got to run FOR Gunner!

What a special privilege that was! I thought of my baby every single step, of all 6 1/2 miles! I just kept telling myself, this if for him, run fast for him, keep going for him, you can do something hard for him! It was so motivating to hear people yell "Im a runner for Gunner too" as we would run by them! He truly put the pep in my step, it was by far the best run I have ever had!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Goodman's this year! We truly have much to be thankful for! Here is the most updated pic, including the family's newest addition, little Rusty! A lot of people think the traditional Thanksgiving meal is overrated.. I have to beg to differ! I love and look forward to having a belly full of turkey, green bean casserole, and mashed potaotes with gravy!

The arrival of Thanksgiving brought much anxiety for me. The day after brought even more. I knew EXACTLY what I was doing at what time on that day last year...the more I thought about it, the more it consumed me, the memories came flooding in, and unfortunately so did the sadness! I just couldn't get over at how HUMBLED I was by how much ones' life could change in just a short year... truly, everything I once knew, really was no longer. I had no idea that I could be so HAPPY one minute, and so SAD the next. So, ironically, at about the same time I gave BIRTH to my special boy last year, I was crying my eyes out about the LOSS of him this year. My REALLY bad days, truly are getting fewer and farther between (which I am most grateful for) but, its on days like those that I find I am most grateful. I relish the moments I get to sit back and ponder about my baby and let my thoughts be FULLY consumed by him. I go through all my pictures of him and smell his clothes. A good cry is so cleansing! After, I felt empowered! I was determined to make the next day, his birthday, a good day! And it was.... it really was!

We couldn't wait to go pay our sweet baby a visit! It still seems so surreal that we own a little plot of land at the Mesa Cemetery...every time I drive there I still have to pinch myself. When we pulled up to the cemetery, my parents and sister with her hubby were already there visiting, so they got to join in on the fun!

When I went to go buy Gunns some flowers I couldn't decide which kind, so I decided to buy him mommy's favorite, ROSES! Nothing but the best for my baby! :)

We did a little balloon release for Gunner... we watched those balloons till we couldn't see them anymore.

To celebrate Gunns' birthday, we wanted to give him a present. We went shopping as a family and bought a shopping cart full of baby items. The girls had fun each picking out different things that they thought were a baby "must have".....

We put everything together in a cute basket......

Then delivered it to Banner Gateway, the hospital where Gunner was born. We told the OB nurses to give our "gift" to a special baby that was born on that day.

What an amazing feeling that was, even the girls felt it! Gunner is our little gift, that just keeps on giving! We decided we would do this every year in honor of Gunner's special day! As his memory continues to touch our lives, it will continue to touch the lives of others as well!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MY GUNNER GENE! Your family misses you SO much! I can't help but wonder what you would look like or if you would be walking yet??..... I think about you every second of every day son! You are my drive that makes me want to be a better person! You make me focus on the things that are TRULY important in this life. You make me love and appreciate your big sisters more than ever! You make me love your daddy more because you looked so much like him, when I look at him, I see YOU and your big, blue eyes! You are missed my love, I hope we are down here making you proud! I LOVE YOU BUDDY!!

Dance Addiction!

2009-11-19T13:04:00.005-07:00

This is the name of the cute little dance group the girls are apart of! The gals all got a chance to show off their skills last week by performing in the Veteran's Day and Gilbert Days parades!

Travis was the only guy amongst all the girls! He was the lucky one that got to pull his truck and trailer with all the girlies on it. To represent, I made him even wear pink and black! The little girls loved it...deep down, I know he did too! :)

For the Gilbert Days parade we got to sit on the sidelines and just kick back and enjoy the show! When I saw our girls float coming down the street I got so excited! I was such a proud little mommy watching my cute girls march down the street, shaking their little pompoms while smiling and waving to the crowd!

I think the Gilbert Days parade will be a fun new tradition for our family! A fun, free family activtity where you get all sorts of candy thrown at you, what could be better?

October at a glance!

2009-11-01T15:27:00.044-07:00

I really didn't mean for October to come and go and never do a post... Life has been busy. And for me busy is good! So, better late than never, here is our October!

55 & Still Alive!
Happy birthday pappa bear! My mom threw him a little birthday fiesta, which, as usual the grandkids got to enjoy it more than him! Happy birthday daddy-O! I love you!

Mr. Pinata hanger/landscaper!

Seriously, how fun are pinatas? We had a little premature pinata burst, so we had to tie a big white bag around it, to give the rest of the kids a chance to hit it!

I always associate my dad's birthday with the arrival of fall! To me, this brings many mixed feelings... I'm so excited about the upcoming cool weather, and the fun holidays but I'm very anxious about the arrival of many hard "anniversary" days (for lack of a better word.) This time last year I looked like this

I was so excited for November to come, that meant I was that much closer to welcoming a new, long awaited member to my family. I was so happy and so excited. It's so humbling to look back. It's crazy to think how much my life has changed in just a short year. Life has forever taken on a new meaning. I can still say I am excited for the arrival of November, not sure if I'm ready to tackle the hard days that lie ahead but I know I have definitely endured worse! So bring on November! I know I'm not in this alone! :)

October {BREAK}

We welcomed this year's October break with open arms! This past month has been a trying one for many many reasons....for not only me, but for many people that I love and care about so much! I don't know what's harder, going through an exceptionally hard trial myself, or watching someone I love and care about go through one?? Needless to say, we were in much need of a break and we took full advantage of the time off! Thank you Grammy & Pappa G for making it all possible! Here is what this October break had in store for us.............

Disneyland!
We spent the first half of the week at the "Happiest Place on Earth"! I really believe there is a lot of truth to that! You guys already know what a big Disney nerd I am, so you can imagine how much I was looking forward to this part of the trip! I wasn't let down! We had a blast riding every ride, seeing every show and just taking in all the "magical" surroundings that Disneyland has to offer! Disneyland during Halloween time, was en exceptionally WICKED good time! These pictures don't need a lot of explanation, they really do speak for themselves and

I am SO sorry about the picture overload! I obviously had a hard time leaving any of them out!

Day*1*

Almost there! They could barely contain their excitement!

The looks on the kids faces riding Space Mountain is PRICELESS! (We were too cheap to buy the actual photo, so we just took a picture of it instead!)

Day*2*

The token picture inside the Toon Town jail!

Grizzly Bear rapids! You hate it...but you love it!

DAY *3*

The tower of Terror! (Once again, we were too cheap to buy the picture!) :)

Oceanside!
As if a few days at Disneyland wasn't fun enough, we got to spend the last half of the week at a condo in Oceanside! I was having some serious De javu cause it felt like we were just there! We loved it and were so excited to be back, only this time with an all new set of familiar faces!

Nothing brings me more joy than spending time together as a family. We certainly accomplished that and enjoyed every minute we got to spend together with all the Goodman family!
I especially enjoyed my time I got to spend with these three crazy characters!

Here are some HIGHLIGHTS from our trip!

Congratulations to the newly engaged couple Melinda & Stephen! We had so much fun getting to know Stephen a little more on this trip! We love you guys both so much and are so excited to welcome a new addition to the family!

No trip to Oceanside is complete unless you get to spend a Day at the Beach!

Monkey see...monkey do.... Tatum gets buried in the sand,

Peyton gets buried in the sand! The joy of having two girls so close together! I wouldn't' trade it for the world!

IF there could be a soundtrack for this trip, it would be LEMONADE clap clap clap CRUNCHY ICE clap clap clap!

If there could be a theme for this trip, it would definitely be LOTS OF YUMMY FOOD!
Every night was spent walking to a new yummy food destination, whether it was......

enjoying a DQ treat.....

eating out at a yummy restaurant....

Or an in-hotel homemade breakfast!
It was ALL good!
What's the weight limit in this elevator?

Every night was a slumber party!

We did a little sight seeing and took a walk out on the pier!

The kids were most excited to Swim in the hotel pool!
Check out this amazing view!....Oh, the ocean view isn't so bad either! ;)

Our last night together was spent playing "Werewolf"! We had some serious laughs in the process! First time Werewolf players are the best to play with!

All packed up and not so ready to go home! This picture is deceiving... I kept trying to do a sad face, but always ended up laughing. So NO, I was not happy to be heading home!
Awwww, nothing like the ride home after a long, fun-filled week!

Thank you Grammy & Pappa G and to everyone else who helped make our October break a most memorable one! We love you all so much! MMMMMMUAH!

Boo Bash #1!
This is one of the highlights of all the grandkids year.. My mom's annual, over the top SPOOKtacular party!

No party is complete without monster hands and witches brew!

The kids had fun decorating their pumpkins to look like themselves!

Gotta love the classic donut eating contest...powdered donuts are a staple at our house, so it's no surprise that Peyton came in at 1st place! We really know how to pound our donuts! :)

All the grandkids! (except one of course) My sweet Gunner Gene!

All the kids got to experience the "haunted room" where "Mr. Running man " lives! I told you it was over the top!

Sugar cookies anyone? Nothing like a little frosting in the hair, I lost count on how many times they licked the knife then put it back in the community bowl of frosting! Yummy!

Our cute little pumpkin family, Tatum, Peyton & Gunner!

BOO BOO's! {no punn intended!}

What are the odds of both my parents, both getting surgery on the exact same day? Probably pretty slim, and yet here they are! My dad went under the knife for knee surgery, and my mom went under for carpal tunnel surgery on her hand. They say it was a total coincidence, but I still say it was a conspiracy, so they both could be laid up at the same time and have to be waited on hand and foot (literally) by us! :)

Don't they look cute in their matching hospital booties!

Boo Bash #2!
You think we'd be Halloween partied out.... sadly, not the case! We couldn't miss my Grandma Rush's annual Halloween bash, complete with a spook alley, games, and lots of yummy food!

This is my mom and her sister Joan, or Helga and Inga as they called themselves! These two are two peas in a pod, and there's never a dull moment when these two are around!

Look at these two new additions, that got to join our family! Since Trav wont let the girls get a dog, these will have to do for now!

All the kids got to bob for apples...or as my uncle said, "Bob for swine flu!" Ha ha, we are family, we all have the same cooties right? :)

The kids...ok, maybe the adults too, had a little fun in the mummy wrap contest...
Maybe a little too much fun..
Why is it that this activity always ends up in huge T.P. fight?

There is something very wrong about this picture!

Schnepf Farm!

When I was in school I LOVED it when one of my parents would go on a field trip with my class, so any time my girls get to go I jump at the chance to join in on the fun! It was so fun spending the day with my Peyton Sue, her cute little class mates and some of my other nieces and nephews!

Of course Peyton's highlight of the trip was the petting zoo! You know how much us parents LOVE the petting zoo (hence the sarcasm) :)

BOOtiful Day!
To start Halloween off, my lil sister Polly and her hubby Brandon were sealed in the Mesa temple! I love the temple so much, it was so awesome to have almost my whole family in the temple together...Im so happy for P&B! I love you guys so much!

Thanks to our Wild West reunion, we were able to cross Halloween costumes off the "never ending list of things to do" in September... what a relief that was due to the crazy month we ended up having!

Every Cowgirl needs a TRUE Cowboy!

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Spencer ROUNDUP 2009

2009-09-27T16:29:00.038-07:00

This past month our little family was able to spend some quality time kickin' back in the
WILD WEST!

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but deep down, (way down) I really am a HICK at heart! I would dress WESTERN everyday if I could, I love COUNTRY music, I love old WESTERN MOVIES, I love to go HORSEBACK RIDING, and I LOVE to SQUARE DANCE! I don't think there is anything cuter than a true COWBOY!

Especially THIS cowboy! :)

One of our WILD WEST adventures was making the short trek to SNOWFLAKE to watch Trav play in a softball tourney... As much as we love watching Trav play ball, and as excited as we were about their team getting 2nd place, the highlight of the trip was going to the RODEO and watching Trav's uncle and grandpa compete in a ROPING competition!

Tatum & Peyton were in heaven being surrounded by all the HORSES! They got to take a little RIDE on "Willy" and got to help give Pappa G a little ROPING practice!

Here are some TRUE COWBOYS! Look a Great Grandpa Goodman getting it done!

Trav was trying to give us some ROPING lessons... Tate got the hang of it pretty quick! I had a hard time even untangling the ROPE! We sure had fun trying though!

Our latest adventure was heading up to HAIGLER CREEK for our annual Spencer family reunion! It was my parents turn to be in charge this year so I convinced them to go with a WILD WEST theme! They ROCKED that idea and went all out!

They got everyone to get all COWBOY'D UP! We ROPED, SHOT BB GUNS, played HORSESHOES! They even gave us each an original WESTERN name.. Mine was Sunni GOLD DIGGER Goodman, my dad's was appropriately Brent STINK 'EM UP Spencer! We loved looking at each other's name tags and laughing about our names!

We drank some good ole' fashion warm ROOT BEER and had a burping contest! My family truly knew how to represent... my sister Polly won for the girls, my bro-in-law Scott won for the guys, and my dad won for the OLD TIMERS! If you want some GOOD laughs and have some HILARIOUS pics, a burping contest is where it's at! We also had a bubble gum blowing contest for the kiddos, we gave them each two gumballs but quickly found out that it was more gum than their little mouths could handle! We also had a BUCKAROO blastoff, the kids each made rockets then took turns letting them launch! They had more fun, running and trying to catch their rockets as they came back down.. sadly, most of the rockets met their fate in the PINE TREES!

The highlight of our reunion was our HOMETOWN SHOWDOWN! We sang karaoke to classic COUNTRY tunes, we SQUARE DANCED and even slowed it down a bit for the LOVERS in the house!

Amongst all the fun we still found time to RELAX, take in the BEAUTIFUL surroundings and roam the PRAIRE! We had an awesome testimony meeting before we all headed out on Sunday, being there together as a family in the beautiful WOODS, and listening to each other bear true testimony was truly AMAZING! Our Spencer family is no stranger to trials and tragedy, it is through all their continued examples of faith and strength that helps give me the desire to keep a smile on my face and keep going! I know Gunns was there with us, along with all our other beloved Spencer family members that we have lost!

I told you COWBOYS were CUTE! ;)

My birthday girl!

2009-08-26T16:49:00.005-07:00

Yesterday, my wild & crazy Peyton turned 5 years old!! They grow up all too fast it's crazy! It seems like just yesterday when I had my sweet baby Peyton, my 8lbs and 14oz baby with a head FULL of dark hair! She came home from the hospital smiling! She was such a happy baby, she walked at 9 months and has had me on the go ever since! She climbs in my bed every morning and wakes me up with a kiss! As wild as she is, she is my most cuddly girl and loves to give hugs and kisses! She has such a soft heart, I've caught her more than once in Gunner's room talking to his pictures!! SO sweet! I LOVE YOU PEYS!! I hope you had the best birthday ever!

SUMMER: Part II

2009-08-19T16:33:00.082-07:00

School is officially in session, so for us, that means our summer has sadly come to a close!:( To sum up our summer fun, here's a rundown of things we did to try and beat the heat!

Thanks to Bre, we started off with some family pics!

10 days in Oceanside = a LOT of FUN and a TON of pictures! This trip was definitely the highlight of our summer! If you cram all us Spencer's in one house, with lots of food it's bound to be a good time! Thank you Mom & Dad for one of the funnest trips ever, can't wait till next year!

Even Barbie joined in on the hot tubbin' fun!
Only my mom could get away with this get-up for breakfast! :)

We spent so much time searching for those tricky little sand crabs!

The WHOLE crew rode bikes to the park and played a pretty intense game of whiffle ball!

Sorry Dad, apparently Blackberries aren't waterproof! :(

Nothing like ending your night with a S'more....
and starting your day with a little Rock Band!

Everywhere we go Gunns, there you go too bud! We love you baby boy!

GO MOM!

We hit up Knott's Berry Farm for a fun-filled day of non-stop rides! Our gals were fearless and went on every high flyin', fast roller coaster that they were tall enough to ride!

I got to celbrate my birthday this year CA style! I got to spend all day at the beach with my fam, then after got treated to a HOT date by this handsome guy!

We all bought surfboards and tried our luck at surfing...sometimes we got up and a lot of times we didn't! :)
Nothing like caking on the sunscreen and squeezing in your wetsuit only to discover you put it on backwards!

When not on a fun VACA, we filled the void with lots of fun water actives with family and friends!

For FHE my parents treated us all to a fun night at EXTREME PLAY! It definitely was EXTREMEly fun!

Of course after, we had to hit up L.J.'s Pizza, our family's all time fave for dinner! As usual, we weren't let down! Where else can you get the best thin crust pizza, $1 salad bar, and a free ice cream cone after your meal?!

What an emotional day this was for me, Tatum started 1st grade and my little Peyton Sue started all day kindergarten! I still can't believe it! Luckily, I survived the day and so did they! The trick has been trying to keep myself busy each and every day till they come home! Evey one kept telling me how lucky I was to have my day all to myself... I'm like are you kidding? I've been quite sad about it, I love hanging out with my gals all day long! With all this spare time I have, now I don't have an excuse to keep my house clean and my laundry done! :)

What a cute bunch of kids! Tatum & Peyton love going to the same school as their cousins!

Here's the gals with their cute new teachers!

That's officially all that this summer had to offer us this year! Time flies so fast and things can change so quickly, I've definitely learned to try and cherish every minute and NEVER take anything for granted, especially the time I get to spend with my family! Life truly is a gift, you can never tell your family you love them enough, especially your kids! I hope I spend every day showing my family how much I love them! They are truly my fuel that keeps me going each and every day!

SUMMER: Part I

2009-06-26T18:29:00.040-07:00

Now that summer is officially more than half over I thought it would be a good time to catch up on what we've been up to thus far....

Some good friends of ours were nice enough to invite us to a day at good 'ole Saguaro Lake! I grew up with a boat so it was fun freshening up on my wake boarding skills...(Which made me feel really old). The little gals had a blast on the tube, so did the big boys. They each took a turn trying to throw each other off of the tube! It was HILARIOUS!
Still got it..well, sort of! :)

Even Taters got out there and attempted to wakeboard!

Here's the boys hanging on for dear life! :)

My first big adventure was attending girls camp with my ward! Our theme was "Believe in Me" where the girls learned to believe in themselves, believe in the Savior and believe in all that they can be! As always I had a blast with the girls but missed my sweet fam at home terribly! There was no better sight than having our bus pull into our church parking lot coming home and seeing my sweet hubby in his big truck waiting to pick me up!

I came home and unpacked from girls camp and had to hurry and pack my whole family's bags for a surprise trip to California! We spent 5 fun filled days going to Disneyland, California Adventures, eating out, swimming, going to the movies, and bowling.. We totally surprised the girls, they had no idea where we were going until we pulled into Disneyland's parking lot! It was priceless being able to have my family all to myself! Nothing brings me more joy than spending time together as a family! With what we have all experienced these last four months a little time at the "happiest place on earth" was just what we needed! We made so many fun new memories, I was brought to the realization that Gunner would be so happy seeing his family being able to still go have fun and find joy in the things we once did!

Peyton was quite the crazy driver!

I asked Trav to wake the girls up while I got in the shower... This is what I found when I got out! So much for waking them up! :)
We did a character breakfast at Disneyland. While you sit and eat a bunch of different characters come up and visit with you at your table! So much fun, this was one of the girls' favorite parts of our trip!
I'm such a nerd and LOVE Disney movies.. UP is probably one of my all-time favorites!

DENIED!

Good thing we brought the stroller! We had to put these HUGE bears Trav won for the girls somewhere! :)

On June 16th Laynie Larue Willis made her grand appearance! She is Misti and Jared's 5th baby!! She is such a doll!

Thanks to Pappa G and some good old fashion dental floss, Tatum officially lost her first tooth! I asked Tate what the tooth fairy was going to bring her, and she said 5 dollars! I gasped and said 5 dollars huh? And she said ya, your first tooth is 5 dollars! (Smart girl!) Sure enough Mr. Toothfairy was nice enough to leave a 5 dollar bill under her pillow!

Our latest adventure was having the privilege to attend the world famous "Ringling brothers & Barnum and Bailey circus" (Thank you mom and dad!) It truly was the best show on earth! Travis and I were totally entertained and got a kick out of it more than the kids I think!

Hopefully the last half of summer will bring us more fun and excitement and we will be able to survive the heat! :)

Dads you ROCK!

2009-06-25T21:02:00.010-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best and not too mention the most handsome daddy there is!
Thanks for always putting up with us ladies and always making us feel we are all your most favorite!You are definitely our #1! I know Gunns was with you on your special day, so happy and so proud of his daddy! We all love you so much! MMMMMMUAH!

Both these good lookin' guys come in at a very close second! Happy Father's Day you two! How blessed we are to have such amazing dads! We love and appreciate you both so much!

Class of 2009!

2009-05-30T14:53:00.012-07:00

Now that school's out, bring on summer and all the heat that comes along with it! I couldn't be more excited to have my girlies all to myself again!!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-18T21:52:00.049-07:00

I never knew that in just 3 short years I could experience so much....

So much JOY...

So many VACATIONS....

So many GOOD TIMES...

So many moments to make us wish time could stand STILL.....

So many TEARS and so much HEARTBREAK.....

Through all I am blessed to and forced to experience...I am so grateful I get to experience it with you! Happy Anniversary Trav! I love you more and most!

MOM

2009-05-11T16:16:00.013-07:00

I LOVE MY ALL MY PRECIOUS KIDS! THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ME TO BE YOUR MOMMY!! Yesterday, my heart was truly full! I had the best day ever, my sweet little fam made me feel so special! I spent the whole day just sitting back and thinking how lucky I am for the sweet kids that I have! I'm so blessed to have 2 beautiful little girls who seriously are my best little friends, I'm so blessed to have a sweet angel baby who's watching over our family, who everyday makes me want to be a better person! Thank you Travs for being the glue that seriously holds us all together, I love you!

This is seriously why I love my mom! Who else would walk out ready for surgery looking like this? Mom, thank you for being the beautiful person that you are.. thank you for inventing jello jerky, for being a mean ping pong partner (and yes, let it be remembered we did beat dad and Trav!), for making my kids like you better than me, for being the best workout companion, and for just being you! I LOVE YOU!

Mamma G! How many times did we have to attempt this photo? :) Thank you for the best homemade cinnamon rolls, for always keeping peanut M&M's well stocked, for your example of selfless service and for raising such an amazing son! I Love You!

Only GIRLS!

2009-04-25T20:04:00.021-07:00

Only girls can look good wearing sunglasses while eating breakfast!

Only girls can get away with dancing during a movie!

Only girls enjoy a day at the mall with friends!

Only girls truly appreciate an outing out to lunch!

Here's to my sweet girls and all the others girls in my life that make my life so much more fun and interesting! I would probably never leave my house if it wasn't for all of you!

Bittersweet!

2009-04-16T22:23:00.016-07:00

We survived our first big holiday without our precious baby boy..Easter has always been my favorite holiday, this year it was bittersweet. Sad, having a celebration without our Gunn Gunns, but so happy to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.. I know Gunns would still want us to find joy in the journey, in all the fun activites we did and in all the pictures we took, I found my thoughts always wandering to him. On Easter Sunday I was asked to give my testimony to all the primary kids about the resurrection.. What a special experience that was holding up the picture of my sweet baby boy and sharing how much I love and miss him, then holding up a picture of the Savior and expressing my gratitude for Him for making it possible for me to someday be with my son again. The spirit was so strong as I shared this and looked in the faces of all these sweet primary kids, I know Gunner was there with me.. what a special Easter it was!

My mom loves holidays and always made them extra fun for us when we were kids, well she carried the tradition on for her grand kids. Only my mom would be okay with 10 little kids dying Easter eggs at the same time at her house. They made these cute bags to hold all their loot from the big Easter egg hunt she had for them in their backyard consisting of a ridiculous amount of eggs.. she wanted to make sure each grand kid came out with a bag full.. and they did!

Lets talk about the Benjamins baby! :) One of the highlights of the year at the Goodman household is the annual adult Easter egg hunt! Yes, I said adult Easter egg hunt! We are all hunting for one of five hidden golden eggs and also collecting as many colored eggs along the way that we find as well.. Each golden egg has cash varying from $25 bucks to $100! And whoever collects the most colored eggs gets dinner out with Grammy and Pappa! Trav's parents are known for being pretty hard core and they will hide eggs in super thorny bushes (hence.. the gloves) they will half bury eggs in dirt, put them in popsicle boxes in the outside freezer..it gets crazy! So we all braved the rain and went at it!(with each couples' legs tied together I might add!) Oh what fun it was!
I felt an urgency to get some family pictures taken, it's so hard to look at these photos and not help but think there is somebody missing!

March Madness!

2009-04-06T11:29:00.022-07:00

With the craziness of our crazy lives I have neglected to post about two very important birthdays that occurred in March..The first being this handsome guy! I am so lucky to be the wife of such a hottie!
Here are 10 interesting facts about Trav....

It's no coincidence he is holding a bowl of ice cream in this pic..he is well known for being able to pound desserts like nobody's business!

He likes to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" in the shower!

According to him, he has dance moves that are too great to be shared. He says if we saw him dance once, we'd want him to dance all the time!

You may think this guy is quiet... But if you've ever seen him play any sport, you know this is not the case, once he gets in a game, there is no getting him to be quiet!

He loves to wrestle me, according to him, he thinks he's pretty good at it..I always tell him he'd make a terrible attacker so to not quit his day job. This just gets him even more riled up and he tries even harder to take me down! Hilarious!

Every night, right when we get the girls quieted down and ready for bed.. without fail he starts teasing them and chasing them all over the house!

He is a great daddy, he has been known to let the girls do his hair and paint his toes and fingers on more than one occasion!

He is very sweet and is always slipping cash in my wallet! He never gives me grief if I go shopping!

He is a very honest and hard working man! He is always doing favors for people around him and would give his own shirt off his back if someone needed it!

He loves to laugh and have fun! One of his favorite places to go have fun at is the dunes! I can only think of one thing he likes better than the sand dunes ;)

Shelley and I are mean little wifeys, we planned a little surprise birthday party for our twin hubbies.. YES they were surprised and NO, they did not know they would be dressed alike! (I told you we were mean!)We had family and a few close friends over to play rock band, ping pong, and a couple fun games.. One of which was the newlywed game! Talk about a good excuse to get a couple good laughs and learn way more than you wanted to about each other! If you look closely, we even made our men their very own sand dune cake! It was so fun planning a special night for our hubbies, they deserved it! Happy belated birthday Trav! I love you bud!

The other special birthday that occurred in March is this sweet girl! Our little Taters turned 6 years old! She is the sweetest girl, I am so lucky I get to be her mom! Here are 10 interesting facts about Tate...

She is definitely a lover and not a fighter! She is truly a friend to EVERYBODY! A quality I love and admire about her so much!

She LOVES horses, and has quite a large collection of them at home!

She is my good eater, she loves most foods and never complains at what I make for dinner!

Tatum has an amazing voice and loves to sing! When she was a baby, I used to wake up to her singing giberish in her crib!

She has a head full of thick hair! When we go out, we almost always get stopped by people admiring her thick pretty hair!

Taters can sleep like a bear! She sometimes even snores like a bear! She loves to go to bed at night, she always has. She often asks to go to sleep!

She is the best big sister! She loves Peyton, they are truly best friends! Tatum is always kind and patient with her sister and always happily shares whatever she has with her!

Tate is a good student and loves to go to school! She is so excited to be a big 1st grader next year! Her teacher always tells me how kind and sweet Tatum is!

Taters loves to go to the beach! She loves the water, no matter how cold it is! She could sit and play in the sand all day!

One of her favorite things to do with her family is have pajama parties in the family room! We have to all get in our P.J.'s, make popcorn and watch a movie till we all fall asleep!

Tatum's birthday happened to fall on "Field Day" at school! Some of the events consisted of shoe throw, hula hoop, flag pull and tug-o-war! Trav and I we able to spend that whole day with her at school and watch her compete! She did such a great job and was such a great sport! We love our Tater Bugs! Happy birthday pretty girl!

FOR YOU GUNNS

2009-03-16T13:25:00.018-07:00

I have avoided my blog for so many reasons... something doesn't seem right about just posting about the birth of of my sweet baby boy..then 11 short weeks later having to post about his memorial services..I hate the word funeral, so I don't say it very often... surreal, probably is the best word that can describe my feelings. It has been one month since our sweet baby boy returned home to his Father in Heaven. I don't want my blog to turn into my sad life, cause I actually feel quite on the contrary. I have never felt so loved in all my life. I won't blog about Gunns very often, I'm not good with words and I don't feel like anything I can write will ever sufficiently say how I'm feeling...but I felt strongly impressed to write about him today.

GUNNER

To my handsome boy,

Gunner when I married your daddy, I knew right away that he and I had something extra special…. We love and admire each other more than the average couple…because of what I have already experienced in my life, I am able to love and appreciate your daddy and the things that he does in a way that nobody else could I think.. I have learned to never take anything for granted..
We wanted a baby so badly especially after our first year of marriage.. as more time went by we REALLY wanted a baby. When that didn’t happen for us right away I started to get sad and worried thinking that maybe we weren’t going to be able to have kids together.. so Gunns when we finally got pregnant when I took that pregnancy test, I sat there and held that test in my hand and cried with joy for 10 straight minutes! The first thing I did, before I even told your daddy was say a prayer. I prayed to Heavenly Father and I thanked him over and over again! I promised Him that I would be the best mommy I could to you! I know it took us extra long to get pregnant with you because Heavenly Father wanted us to be extra excited and ready for you to come! He knew we would not be taking you for granted! You know what, before we even found out for sure from the doctor, Daddy and I both knew that you would be a boy.. we just knew it! Everyone told daddy and I that we were going to have all girls.. but we knew they were wrong! Your sisters asked me everyday if it was almost time for you to arrive, they were so excited! They wanted a baby brother from day one!
I had a great pregnancy with you Gunns! I NEVER got sick.. You were so active, you kicked all the time! We found out from the doctors that I had extra amniotic fluid so we had to get a lot of extra tests and ultrasounds done. Everything that could cause the extra fluid they couldn’t find.. we were grateful even though it made my belly EXTRA large, so large that I always measured more than a month bigger than I should have been.. we were grateful though cause we got to get a lot of pictures of you, we got to get to know you a little bit before you were even born! I had already fallen head over heels in love with you. We knew you were going to be such a handsome boy. I remember looking at my ultrasound pictures and thinking I could not wait to meet that sweet face.
There was so much to do before you arrived.. We spent 9 months fixing up our house..I made sure daddy fixed your room up just right! And he did, it was perfect, I was so proud to show people your room! There was so much to buy, a crib, carseat and stroller! It took us 2 days to even decide which car seat and stroller to get you. I wanted to make sure we got you the perfect one! I had bought you so many clothes Gunns! So much, I was embarrassed to let people look in your closet! I LOVED buying you clothes!
With all the worry with the extra fluid, they kept telling me you could come early.. I knew you wouldn’t and Heavenly Father confirmed to me that you would be fine! And you were Gunns, you were perfect! My delivery was almost too easy! I pushed 3 times and out you came! I didn’t have to get an episiotomy or anything! Before I even realized I was done, the doctor placed you in my lap! I got to see my sweet, handsome boy’s face for the first time! The first thing I did was look at your chin, I had been praying you would get your daddy’s dimple chin, and you did! I was so proud of that chin, cutest thing I had ever seen..You were so small and perfect, 7 lbs 11oz and 19 ¾ inches long! Your daddy was so happy, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you , I remember just watching him and thinking how sweet that was, he looked so happy. You were born into an entourage of people.. there was daddy of course, Grammy, Pappa, Wendi, Joan, Jillian, Grammy G and we even convinced Pappa G to stay for the big event! So many people so excited to meet you! That night in the hospital, you were awake and just wanted to be held, daddy was fast asleep so I was the lucky one. I just held you in bed with me and stared at you all night long! I just remember thinking you had the cutest face ever! You had this perfect round, bald head!
You have a special name buddy.. I fell in love with the name Gunner from the moment I first heard it. It was special and unique just like you! You’re middle name Gene comes from a pretty special guy too, your daddy! When you came out with your daddy’s big eyes, dimple chin, and big feet with your 2nd toe longer than your big toe, just like his, I just knew we had to name you after him!
Babies only stay newborn for such a short while so I remember distinctly telling myself I was going to enjoy every minute of you being small.. Even when you would cry, or want to eat constantly, or keep me awake at night, I would just look at your sweet little face and those big eyes staring at me I couldn’t help but smile. No matter how many times I had to wake up with you during the night, I was always so excited to see your sweet face in the morning.. even if I had just seen it 2 hours before. You brought us more joy than you can even imagine Gunns, you truly connected our little family!
It was very rare to see you not being held, either by me or daddy or Tatum and Peyton! Your big sisters loved holding you bud, they loved playing with you, or giving you your binky, they loved to throw away your dirty diapers and they loved to help give you your baths.. They were 2 very proud big sisters! Grammy would come over and notice that you always wanted to be held, she said we were spoiling you.. You were Gunns, you were so spoiled! And I am so glad you were! Peyton was determined from day one that your nickname would be Gunny buns..She still says every day, I miss my Gunny buns! We were pretty selfish with you, we didn’t take you out much, we kept you cooped up here at home with us! We made sure everyone washed their hands before they got to touch you, we were so careful with you bud.
Daddy helped me so much with you too, the moment he would walk in the door from work, he would grab you and hold you, he was always so excited to see you…and I think you were pretty excited to see him too.. Daddy and I used to always jokingly argue about who you loved more..I of course said you loved me and Daddy always insisted that you loved him…I still say it was me :) but deep down I knew it probably was him! You were such a happy boy Gunns, you smiled at such an early age! Oh, and that smile, one that is forever engrained in my memory! I’ll never forget the way you would smile and the way your big blue eyes would light up when you knew someone was coming to pick you up!
Our house is forever filled with memories of you… the sink where you took your baths..the couch where you layed on our many pillows and where I spent many hours sitting and feeding you..the floor where I changed a countless number of your diapers….my bed where I sometimes got to snuggle up with you at night…our computer where daddy used to sit and hold you with one arm and do his work with the other…the girls room where we said family prayer every night and the girls would fight to be the first one to kiss you goodnight….of course, your bedroom that is still filled with your scent, where you took your last breath and went home to a loving Heavenly Father…
Gunner thank you for waiting for us on Valentine’s night, thank you for still being awake! Thank you for giving us those last precious moments with you, our special boy! I will cherish that last time I held you and kissed you forever and I know so will Daddy! We know you didn’t struggle, your blanket was just as Daddy put it when he put you to bed, we know you went to sleep and Heavenly Father peacefully took you home! We know you knew something that we didn’t.. you knew you would be going home, you knew you had special work to do. Please forgive us for crying and being so sad, we know you are ok, and are working hard.. Just know Gunns we are working hard too, so that we can someday be worthy to be with you again. Don’t worry about us bud, we will be there.. that I am sure of... there is nothing that we want more! I am honored you chose me to be your mommy! Thank you for filling our lives with love and with hope of a better tomorrow! Just know that there won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t be thinking of you..everything I do and everywhere I go, there you will be too! Mommy loves you handsome boy!
Hugs & Kisses forever,
Mommy
I MISS YOU BUDDY
One month ago, it was Sunday February 15th, I asked Trav to wake the baby up and to start getting him ready for our 9:00 church. By the tone of Trav's voice I immediately knew something was wrong. He brought the baby out, I took one look at him and ran for the phone. I made a mother's worst nightmare phone call.."My baby's not breathing my address is...." As I'm on the phone with the 911 operator, our home phone died! I frantically picked up Trav's cell and made the call again. Then I hear "Mam, your breaking up, I can't hear you!". .I remember that Trav had been having problems with his cell! I felt a total loss of all control! We started CPR, luckily shortly after the firemen were at our door. Help was finally here! Although, I felt little relief because Trav and I both knew our baby boy was gone. I knew it the moment I saw him and so did Trav. Of course we still had hope. Before I knew it our house was filled with people...firemen, paramedics, and cops. Trav, me and the girls were whisked away into another room. All I wanted to do was be with my baby. So many questions, the same questions over and over. They took Gunns away in the ambulance.. Not letting Trav and I go with him. Nobody would tell us what was going on. Finally, we were given a ride to the hospital in a fire chief battalion truck, sirens and all..right when we arrived at the hospital we were whisked away into yet another room, the quiet room as I like to call it, and I was asked to sit. It was a rocking chair and I knew that wasn't a good sign. We were so scared and confused. I just wanted to be with him and be there for him. Finally, a nurse came in and led us to Gunns. We walked into a room that looked like a scene straight out of a movie.. Doctors and nurses everywhere, so many machines and loud noises, my sweet baby with tubes everywhere..The head doctor came over, looked us straight in the eye and told us as of right now there were no signs of life, but they were doing all that they can. He told us to walk over to Gunns and say all that we needed to say. I ran to him and held his hand and told him to breathe for mommy and that I loved him, that I loved him so much. They moved Gunns onto a warmer in a last attempt. The doctor once again looked us right in the eye and said they had been working on him for over 30 minutes, there were no vital signs and he wanted our permission for them to go ahead and stop. Trav and I already had our confirmation that he was gone. He was gone, and we knew it without a doubt. We were quickly rushed out of the emergency room. As I was being walked out I glanced behind my back at my baby, he was laying there all alone, wearing only one tiny sock. Then I fainted. I woke up to a cold hospital floor and the sickest feeling I have ever had.. We were walked back to the "quiet room" where we just sat.. back in my dreaded rocking chair... What had just happened?? Before we could take it all in we were surrounded with people we loved. We said a family prayer and I was given an amazing blessing by our bishop. From that moment on all I wanted to do was hold Gunner. It seemed like so much time had passed, when the nurse walked in and finally led us to our baby.. What a sight that was.. our sweet baby, lifeless, laying on a hospital bed wrapped up in a blue blanket, with a little brown teddy bear laying next to him... He looked perfect just like a little angel.. What a spiritual experience that was.. holding my precious baby for the last time in this life...

THANK YOU
After that moment, it has been nothing but an outpouring of love. I never knew such a little baby would have an effect on so many people...I want to thank each and every one of you for surrounding us with your love and support! I am truly in awe by the selfless love and service that has been shown to us! We thank you for the continued thoughts and prayers made in our family's behalf.. There aren't enough words to truly say how grateful we are! I'm so grateful for our Savior who has wrapped His loving arms around my little family and has carried our family through this terrible time..We are so grateful for the many tender mercies that have taken place and that are still taking place... I'm so grateful for our two beautiful girls, who give me a reason to wake up and smile everyday! I'm so thankful for my husband Travis, he is my best friend..together we will make it through this. At times when I don't think I can deal, he is always there to lift me up..I know our relationship will be forever strengthened because of what we have endured together. Each day is a battle..but knowing that I WILL see my baby boy again helps bring me peace and gives me a firmer resolve to live my life even more righteously! I can't wait for that day.. when I can hold my sweet Gunner again and live forever with my family!

Gunner Gene Goodman

2009-02-18T10:45:00.005-07:00

Services for Gunner
Viewing Thurs. Feb 19th
6-8 PM at LDS church bldg. 2700 E. Guadalupe in Gilbert 85234
Memorial Fri. Feb 20th
10:00 AM at the same location. There will be a short viewing before

I'm nowhere near the place where I can express my thoughts and feelings, I just wanted to share my sweet handsome boy with you...

What NOT to do the day before you have a baby....

2008-12-03T10:08:00.018-07:00

RUN IN THE 2 MILE TURKEY TROT...
In hopes of trying to induce labor, I made my mom come and run the Turkey Trot with me...Sadly, no luck, all I got was some serious labor aches and pains the rest of the day...

EAT A LARGE & DELICIOUS THANKSGIVING MEAL...The food was delish, and it was so fun spending time with my family, but all I felt was extra large and full after...

STAY UP TILL 2:00 AM THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU GET INDUCED, WHEN YOU HAVE TO CALL THE HOSPITAL AT 5:00 AM TO SEE IF THERE IS ROOM FOR YOU TO COME IN......
This is me at my prego fullest on my way to the hospital. While you guys were all out shopping taking advantage of the Black Friday sales, I was working on..
THIS SWEET LITTLE GUY!

Taking on his daddy's middle name, GUNNER GENE GOODMAN is FINALLY here!! Weighing in at 7lbs 11OZ, 19 inches long! He is my healthy, bald little man with a chin just like his daddy's! My labor and delivery went great, both me and Gunns are feeling great, just a little tired and it seems like we are both constantly hungry! He has two very proud big sisters, they have both been the biggest help to me! I have got to give props to my sweet hubby! He has been the biggest help to me during my pregnancy and after, he has taken a lot of time off work to be home with me and the babe.. he has definitely made the adjustment from 2 kids to 3 so much easier! I love you Travs!

I am so grateful for all the love and support from everybody! It has been a long and busy 9 months! To be able to wake up to this sweet face every morning sure makes it all worth it!

Dunes Baby!

2008-11-17T17:48:00.008-07:00

No, not literally, I did not have my baby at the dunes thank goodness! In fact my doc would die if he knew I even went :) We just had to squeeze in a quick trip before the baby came! Don't worry, I wasn't out riding around.. I was pretty much just the motor home mama! I still had a blast though just chillin' and hangin' out with my fam enjoyin' the little break!

Independence Day!

2008-11-12T16:28:00.008-07:00

This was Peyton before....

This is Peyton now!

We are so excited to say that the clunker cast is OFF, we made sure we tagged it up real good before! I'm so happy to have my little Susie back to normal!!

Happy November!

2008-11-01T14:32:00.018-07:00

We have been "Halloweening" all week long! Monday for FHE, my parents had a fun Halloween party for the grandkids! The party was never ending with pumpkin shaped pizza, bubbling witches brew...

A cute craft for the kiddos to make..

A donut eating contest..

A scary spook alley where I think all the kids took turns crying at one point or another, and a mummy wrap contest which somehow ended in a....Toilet paper fight, and somehow the toilet paper all ended up on...

PAPPA!!

They got to decorate sugar cookies...

Then they were sent home with a goodie bag full of interesting treats! Thanks mom & dad for the fun partay! Tatum claims it was the funnest party she's ever been to!

Tuesday, me, Trav and the girls made a huge mess decorating and carving our own pumpkins!

Wednesday we had our big ward Trunk or Treat party..I spent all day finalizing the girls costumes for it, I made cupcakes to bring..Well, Peyton ended up coming home from school that day and getting sick so I ended up staying home with her. She was so BUMMED she couldn't get dressed up with Taters! Trav and Tatum flew solo to the party, but they brought home Peys a bag full of treats and a goldfish, which surprisingly is still alive! This made her forget all about missing the party!

Thursday, me, my mom and Misti spent most of the night making caramel apples which we dipped in white chocolate and rolled in Heath bars! I can't say they were the prettiest apples I've ever seen but they sure were DELISH!

Friday, the big spooky day finally arrived! Here are my cute little ballerina witches! (I tried to find something that would flow with Peyton's cast!)The girls had so much fun visiting with cousins and trick-or-treating! It was sure fun while it lasted but I can't say I'm sad it's all over and that October had to come to an end! Disregard the silly face I am making at Trav when he took this picture of me, I just thought it would make a good belly update pic. I have less than 4 weeks to go so bring on November! Happy Halloween everyone!

Mr. & Mrs. Circle!

2008-11-01T14:21:00.004-07:00

My sister Polly tied the knot on the 25th! She looked so beautiful! I didn't get that many great pics with my camera, these are just a few random shots that I did have.. What a fun party it was! Great mexican food, all you can drink IBC root beer, soft serve ice cream with all the fixins', and a candy station with an endless amount of treats!! We are so happy for them!! Congrats you two, we love you guys!!

The finished product!

2008-10-17T22:08:00.003-07:00

All right..so I gave a little sneak preview of Taters on her big school picture day earlier, but this is the final product!! My big Kindergartner, I think her pic turned out pretty darn cute..not that I'm partial or anything! :)

Happy Birthday Pappa Bear!

2008-10-15T08:48:00.005-07:00

I have to give a belated shout out to my dad who celebrated his birthday on the 8th!
We had a little party for him, it ends up being more of a party for the grandkids! They had fun trying to surprise attack pappa with some silly string, and they had fun opening all his presents for him! Happy Birthday pops we love you!

Good Grub!

2008-10-07T20:53:00.005-07:00

Why is it when you're pregnant your life seems to evolve around good food? Remember this name... PB LOCO! It's at Scottsdale mall, you gotta try it! If you're a peanut butter fan that is. This place lets you taste all different kinds of peanut butter..once you decide, you can get a specialty peanut butter sandwich grilled up with bananas and marshmallow creme, or nutella..served with a side of animal crackers! That's a pregnant girl's dream! :)

Thank you Kristen for introducing us to this straight up sinfully delish place.. I'm sure I will be visiting again very soon! Breanna is getting hitched in about 4 weeks to a guy who is allergic to peanuts! So she definitely had fun giving in to her peanutty desires one last time! :)

Friday for date night, Travis treated his little ladies to an all expense paid evening at Chuckee Cheese's! :) The girls had more fun trying to spend more tokens than they knew what to do with! I think Trav and I managed to have a little fun ourselves! Plus, I have to admit, the pizza is pretty good and you can't beat their salad bar!

This was our first attempt at trying to get their picture done.. Tate looks like she's passed out! We laughed so hard!
Luckily, the 2nd one turned out much cuter.. after all it was our last token! :)

WHIRLWIND!

2008-10-02T14:13:00.006-07:00

All right..all right I need to apologize to all you out there for me being such a blog slacker! But, if I could sum up the last 6 weeks or so in one word, it would have to be whirlwind! I have been so busy "nesting" I guess some people call it, trying to get things ready before our little guy arrives but also juggling a million things in between! I'm not due till Dec. 4th, but I am carrying a lot of extra fluid which is causing me to measure one month larger than I should be, which pretty much means I am walking around 9 months prego, and also means there's a huge chance this little guy will be coming a little earlier than expected! So I have felt the sudden need to get my big prego rear in gear and start getting things ready! So, here's a few things that have been occupying my time in between!

I'm embarrassed to say, my food storage supply is pretty slim, so I decided with all the yummy fruit in season that I could get a good jump start! So my friend ChristiB. stayed up with me one night and showed me the do's and dont's of canning! We managed to can a full box of pears, if you notice the time on the clock in the pics that it was almost midnight by the time she left, and I hadn't even started my peaches! So, after one long night I now have a pantry full of freshly bottled peaches and pears! I also have a freezer full of yummy peach freezer jam that my sweet hubby and I stayed up and bottled last week! You guys know you love the apron!

Look at my poor baby! On Sunday night my little Peyton broke her left arm, she claims she just flipped off the trampoline! For anyone who knows this girl, knows that she's pretty crazy and this is sadly probably just a first of many for her! When my dad came carrying her in from the backyard right after it happened, the first thing she said in between sobs to my mom was that it was her fault cause she shouldn't of had a trampoline! Oh we love our sweet Peyton! Needless to say, Trav and I spent the rest of the evening at the Banner Gateway hospital ER..There was a waiting room full of people but somehow a cute crying little girl made her way right to the back without having to wait! What a blessing that was! Peyton melted the heart of all the staff and had them all waiting on her hand and knee! They all commented on how tough she is, she didn't even shed a tear when they put in her I.V.!
One of the male nurses was so impressed he went and got her a cute stuffed lion! We told them not to make this whole experience too fun for her or she might want to come back! Yesterday we saw a pediatric bone specialist, he had to set her bone back into place.. which pretty much meant pain! Once again though our little Sue amazed us with how tough she could be, she was more than pleased with the cute pink cast she ended up with! I'm just so grateful that it wasn't a worse break, and she will only have her cast for 6 weeks! We already caught Peyton in the garage yesterday attempting to ride her 2 wheeler bike! Needless to say, it hasn't slowed her down all that much! Thanks so much to all those people who have dropped off fun treats for her and who have called or text just checking in on her!

Here's me and my sisters and my mom hanging out at Polly's bridal shower the other night! We had so much fun seeing everybody and eating way too many yummy treats! We are so excited for her and her upcoming wedding!

Taters had school pictures today! I have to admit she looked pretty dang cute! Since I made her get her picture taken she wanted to take mine...As you can see my belly has grown quite a bit since my last bellylicious picture! This is the cute little guy brewing inside me! With all the extra fluid going on I've had to get quite a few ultrasounds, which some of them had to be 3D.. I've never had the desire to get one of those done, but since I didn't have a choice in the matter, I have to admit it was seriously one of the coolest things ever! I'm already down to my last 8 weeks, but with the upcoming of 2 weddings in the family, Halloween, and Thanksgiving right around the corner.. not to mention the constant threat that this guy is probably going to make his appearance early, I hope I will be able to squeeze everything in and that I will be ready!