The Hillmans

4 months and 80 pictures later....

2011-11-04T14:35:00.003-06:00

Well July started out with a bang but blogging sure ended with a thud! I feel like I haven't had two minutes to sit down and catch up. So I actually had an afternoon when I had nothing to do and my two youngest girls are upstairs sleeping. So here I am catching you all up on what has been going on in our lives for the last four months.

First of all my youngest sister, Whitney, got married in August! It is weird to think that she is married being that she is the baby and all, but we are so happy for her. So here are a few fun ones from that blessed event.

I love this picture of McKenna and my Grandma.

Then that same weekend some of our dearest friends from Idaho, the Youngs, came up to visit us. We went to the zoo......

...then we went up to Bremerton to meet Travis at the Naval Base and then ride the ferry boat across the water to Seattle. It is so fun seeing all these beautiful and interesting places. I LOVE Washington and all it has to offer!

Then once we met up with Travis we hopped on the ferry boat for what was my little family's first ferry boat ride! It is so fun taking them to do things that I did as a kid.

This picture makes me laugh so hard. I was trying to get a picture of all of them together and poor McKenna looks like she is getting choked. haha

The kids thought it was so fun to see all the water and trees and the city in the distance. They weren't however to sure about the wind.

On the ride over we saw a bunch of seals playing in the water and lounging on this buoy. It was so fun seeing them out in the wild!

Oh man I am in TROUBLE!!!! Already kissing boys!

Then when we got to Seattle we went to my FAVORITE retaraunt, The Crab Pot! Our friends wanted some real seafood. In the hallway where you wait there are a whole bunch of these guys carved out of wood. My girls thought they needed a picture by every single one of them. Here are just a few!

Then we walked down to Pike Place Market and that is always fun to see all the shops and people.

Then we just walked around and went through different shops along the piers. It was so fun having them up here. Travis and Troy have been friends since they were kids so they go way back. They have 3 boys and we have 3 girls. Kind of funny.

Then after they left it was time to get back in the swing of things. McKenna started the first grade! It was a crazy first couple of weeks for her because we were in the middle of moving to Buckley so we had to get ready early so we could make the 45 minute commute to drop her off to school in the mornings. But she loves her new school and her teacher and is doing very well. Her first month in school she got two awards. One called a REACH award and one a PE award.

Then on Sept 15th we moved to our new house in Buckley. We LOVE it! We love the ward, the school, the area and the house. It has been so great living here and everyone is happy to be out of the ghetto where we were haha.

Then it was Madison's birthday party. She wanted to do a drive in movie party but it had to have a zebra cake. haha. That girl cracks me up. So we had a concessions stand and all the kids decorated their car and they lined up to watch Gnomeo and Juliet.

Then the next day we went to the pumpkin patch with some of our really good friends the Tubbs.

Megan is always so serious.

Then on that Sunday we had a family party for Madison and can I tell you how happy this made me?!?!?! It was somewhat nostalgic for me with everyone because it reminded me of when I was a kid and having birthday parties with all the Aunts and Uncles, cousins, Grandmas and Grandpas. It was a lot of fun.

Then last Fridaythe Tubbs' over to decorate cookies and carve pumpkins.

This is the funniest picture ever. Look at their faces! Think they have had enough sugar? haahahaha.

Then it was time to get down and dirty.

My friend Sadie and I have been teaching a little preschool out of my home. This is pretty fun because Sadie and I have been friends since I was two years old. And now 2 of our daughters are only 2 weeks apart. So it's fun to watch them play. We took all the kids (-3 that day) to the pumpkin patch.

This is Madison with Sadie's daughter Bella. I seriously love being around old friends and having our kids be friends. It is one of my favorite things about being back in Washington.

Then last Saturday night we went to a Halloween party at our neighbors house who also happens to be a childhood friend. Travis and I were a cowboy and indian.

We played minute to win it games. This one is called junk in the trunk and you have to shake ping pong balls out of a kleenex box and Travis won!

Then on Halloween we had a little party at preschool that day. It was fun seeing all the kids in their costumes.

Then the long anticipated Halloween night arrived! McKenna was tinkerbell, Madison was a fairy, and Megan was a frog.

Some of our good friends the Diddy's came trick or treating with us because they live out in the country and our neighborhood is a perfect spot to trick or treat. (Their mom is also a childhood friends LOVE IT!)

Well there ya have it folks. The last four months in 80 pictures. Hopefully it will be sooner than later when I post again!

July is off with a bang!

2011-07-09T01:46:00.002-06:00

Yes, I know, you have fallen off your chair in disbelief because I am already doing a new post!!! Not only is it a new post, it has a plethera of pictures! So hold on to your sparklers, here we go! July started off with a trip to the zoo with all the cousins. It is so fun right now because Stacey and her boys are here so all of the cousins are in town. So Angie and her boys, Stacey and her boys and me and my girls packed up and went to the zoo! The kids loved it!

One of the funnest parts about the zoo is where you can go in and feed these cute little birds. It was so fun watching Megan and McKenna love these birds coming to sit on their sticks of food. Madison however was not a fan!

But like always, the play area is always a hit with the kids. Megan just loved these shells. It was so fun watching her pop her head in and out thinking she was hilarious. Man alive I love that cute face of hers!

A couple days later it was off to Angie's house for a BBQ in the backyard. It's always great just sitting around visiting, reminiscing, playing the ugly face game (they would shoot me if I posted pictures of that, but man we love to play that game), and watching the kids all play together. It is so fun to see the cousins together and watching all my sibling's families grow.

Maddie decided that her clothes were too boring and had to go upstairs and become a firefighter. And boy isn't she a cute one!

This picture makes me laugh so hard. We wanted to get a picture of all of the kids together and this was the best we got. Oh man it's a good one! HA! But I wanted to take a picture of all the grandkids for my parents to see their little bunch all together. And it is quite the bunch.

Thankfully Angie has some amazing neighbors and they provided some evening entertainment for us with fireworks. Their dad had to work on the 4th so they did fireworks Saturday night and man the kids thought it was great!

Then the real 4th roled around. We got the girls hair all done up and dressed red, white and blue and we were ready to have some fun!

We went out to our friends, the Diddy's, had a BBQ, the kids got in their suits and played in the water which is a miracle in itself because if you are a real Washintonian you know that it ALWAYS rains on the 4th, but it was in the 80's so it was perfect weather!

Wasn't their hair cute?!?!

Then the fun began with the fireworks. It is so fun to watch my kids when they don't have a care in the world. They are just having fun and enjoying the good parts of life. I hope they have that feeling as long as possible. I just love them so much that I always want their lives to be fireworks and sunshine!

This is how McKenna felt about the fireworks though. Poor girl, she is just such a worrier. But by the end of the night she said she would maybe try and hold a sparkler next year.

It was this sweet little thing's first 4th of July. She is Erica's new little girl, Brielle. She was born on June 24th. I just love snugging with a brand new baby, it made me want another one really bad! But so far Travis is a no go on that one!

And you can't beat a view like that. I absolutely love that mountain. It just makes me feel like I am "home". Love it.

Then we headed off to the fairgrounds to see some real fireworks. It was pretty good for lil' ol' Enumclaw. We went back to Diddy's and roasted marshmallows then finally headed home with our tired babies. It was such a great day. I love America and am so glad we get to have a day just to celebrate this great country we live in. God bless the USA!

June in a nutshell!

2011-06-29T18:14:00.002-06:00

Man alive do I have some serious updating to do! And since so much has happened since my last post on May 9th you just get a few highlights :). Life has been pretty busy around here. McKenna lost her first tooth! That was pretty exciting. She doesn't look extatic at all! Now she has 3 more loose teeth so that will really be a funny picture!

Then she was the star of the week at school. On the last day of the week we got to come and go to lunch with her at school. Madison had so much fun and can't wait until she gets to go to school! Megan was quite the attraction out on the playground. She wasn't quite sure what to do with all the kids all around her. It was pretty funny.

Then to really get some excitement around our house McKenna decided to fall off of a trampoline and break her arm! She actually broke her elbow. She wasn't exactly too thrilled about that little adventure. Especially once she figured out that she wouldn't be able to do a lot of the fun things she loves. Especially riding her bike. But some great auntie's sent her some fun stuff to keep her busy!

And even though Father's Day is long gone I wanted to make sure that I got them in this little June wrap up being that I did a Mother's Day post. First up is my dad. I have the best dad that ever was! He has such a strong testimony of the gospel, worked so hard our whole lives to provide for us, came to all our sports stuff, and always took the time to take us places and have fun with us. My dad also taught us how to work. I love my dad and miss him so much, but am so proud of him serving a mission right now with my mom. One year down and one to go! He also loves my kids and they love him so much! He is a wonderful Grandpa!

I also have an amazing Father in law! He always welcomed me with open arms from the very first time I met him. He taught my husband so many valuable lessons and skills that he has used to provide for our little family and for that I will forever be grateful. He and I always love to share a good joke and a green can. He is also a geat Grandpa to my kids and they love him very much!

Then there is the father of my children. I couldn't have asked for a better man to be their dad. He is one of the hardest workers that I have ever met in my life. He works so hard for our little family and I love him for that. He is also the most honest person I know. If he tells you something you know it is the truth because he wants to be upright and honest more than anything. He always takes the time to play with the girls when he gets home even when he is dead tired from working all day. You should see the way their faces light up when he walks in the door. They think that he hung the moon, and I love that. He also loves his daughters mom and that is one of the best things that he can do for them. Thanks for all you do Travis, we love you.

Then finally McKenna had her last day of school on the 20th. Her teacher was Mrs. Shelton and I couldn't have asked for a better teacher for her. It was so hard when we moved because she loved her teacher in Idaho so much, but Mrs. Shelton made the adjustment much easier for her. She was so great and we will miss her very much!

This sweet little girl with McKenna is her friend Helen. Helen lived on our street and was her good friend in class, but she moved to Hawaii last week so that was a bummer. But she has a few other great friends in the neighborhood.

Hopefully now you are all caught up on our lives. And hopefully it won't be so long between posts next time, but with me you just never know :)

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T11:25:00.004-06:00

I really wanted to make a post for Mother's Day. I have an amazing mom! She always sacrificed for us and growing up she rarely got new clothes or things like that because all of us kids always needed something. She is one of the most crafty people that I have ever met. Everything she does looks cute. And she always has served faithfully in the church. She is now serving a full time mission with my dad in New York! She has always been such a great example to me and I will be forever grateful for that. I was pretty bummed when we found out that we were moving back to Washington and she was going to be gone. I love her and miss her and can't wait for them to get back, but I am so proud of them.

Then there is my mother in law, Sheila. I couldn't have asked for a better mother in law than her. She has taught me so much over the last 7 years. I have missed living by her over the last 7 months. She was always so willing to help me with anything that I needed. She is such a great example to me in making lemonade out of lemons :) Life has not always been easy for her, but she has never wavered in the things that she knew to be true and what life was all about. I love her dearly and miss her. I'm so thankful for the way that she raised her son so he could be my husband.

Then there are my own sweet children and the fact that I am a mom. Sometimes it's hard to believe that Heavenly Father has entrusted them to me. They are what make my gloomy days happy and how and why I get through the hard stuff of life. They truly are my reason for everything that I do.

McKenna is my saving grace. She is such an amazing helper for me. She is always doing things for me that she knows will help me out even before I ask her. And she is always the first to run and give me a hug and a kiss and make sure I'm ok when she thinks I look even a little bit sad.

Madison is the life of the party in our house. She is so funny and has a great personality. She is such a teaser just like her dad. If she thinks she can play a joke on you she will so watch out! She is my buddy during the day while McKenna is at school. We have so much fun together just hanging out.

Then there is my Megan. She is truly and angel walking on earth just for me. She is always giving me kisses and I love them no matter how much slobber comes with them! She is a ray of sunshine on the cloudiest of days. She has the best little spirit about her and you can't help but be happy when she is near.

I love my girls so much and am so grateful to have the privelage of being their mom. I hope that they feel the same way about having me for a mom. I know I am not a perfect mom or the best mom, but I try my best and I love being a mom.

Photos of my girls done by Angie Penrose

Comings and Goings

2011-05-05T18:25:00.004-06:00

It has been quite a while since my presence graced this poor neglected blog. I always want to sit down and write, but life tends to get in my way, alot. Oh well. McKenna finished up soccer and she found a new love. Soccer I mean. She absolutely loved it. Unfortunately for us that means many years of sitting in the rain watching her play. But I'm glad she found something that she loves to do.

Then we got to go down to Idaho for Easter and a new nephew's baby blessing. It was great to go see family that we have missed since moving to Washington. The girls absolutely loved being around their grandparents and cousins. They got to dye easter eggs and then have the big hunt!

And now for the random picture of the post. One night I had put McKenna and Madison in the bath and Megan had already been bathed not too long ago so I didn't think that she needed to get in but appearently she had a different idea. I heard a few squeals and ran into the bathroom to see what had happened and Megan had crawled in clothes and all. So we know now that if she doesn't want to be left out of anything. Silly girl.

Dancing in the Rain...

2011-04-01T19:29:00.002-06:00

"Those who think only sunshine brings happiness have never danced in the rain."

The other day (well alot of days) it was raining pretty good outside. I'm not sure the phrase raining cats and dogs really quite does it justice. More like raining boats and houses. McKenna had a homework assignment to tally the colors of cars on the street. So they all got on their rain coats and headed outside. Once they finished the project they decided that they needed to stay out and play a while.

When it's not raining one of our favorite things to do is put the girls in the stroller and head out for walks. They both love being outside.

When I get orders of Scentsy that come to my house they pack them with big rolls of paper. So from the last order we got we put the paper to good use. We traced around the girls and then they colored the rest :) They thought that was pretty fun.

Then the other day I was trying to find them and here is where I found them all...sitting under the piano just hanging out together. I thought it was pretty stinkin cute. They crack me up. I love when they are just getting along and having fun together. I'm glad they have each other that's for sure!

Random Happenings

2011-03-23T14:23:00.003-06:00

There has been quite a bit going on around here lately. Well at least it always seems that way and then I try to remember what it is that makes me so busy and I can't think of what I even did that day. I guess that is just life. Well a couple of weeks ago it was McKenna's birthday. Since we had a big ol' shin dig in Idaho for her birthday we kept it short and sweet up here. She got to invite two people over and to go roller skating. So she invited her to fun cousins that are her age up here. Riley and Sammy. They came over for some ice cream cake and then opened presents. Then it was off to roller skate. I can't believe I didn't get a single picture at the roller skating rink, but I was too busy trying to keep everyone on their feet. haha. It was fun though.

McKenna had her first soccer game that weekend also. And in true Washington fashion it was POURING down rain. But the kids still had fun.

My Maddie just loves her Littlest Pet Shops and so when I went into her bedroom this morning and found her LPS snail sleeping on a bed next to her I couldn't help but take a picture.

Last week we switched the two bedrooms around and put all three girls in one room so that we could make the other bedroom a play room. It has worked out soooo much better. So now the girls have somewhere that they can go to play and then their room stays nice and clean. And they have more room to play. And they can stay out of my hair sometimes because they have the space to do so. They love to just go in there and play away.

Megan loves to put this binky in her mouth upside down. It is so funny and she doesn't let you switch it to the right way either.

Of course once Madison saw me get the camera out she started posing.

Megan loves to push cars around. It doesn't matter what kind of car it is she just likes to push them around the floor.

Madison wouldn't let me get away without throwing a silly face in there!

And my little Megan is not so little anymore....(sniff). She is such a big girl these days standing up and taking steps here and there. She can walk across a room but then she just plops on her bum and starts crawling. I guess she thinks that is easier. But I am so sad that she is not a little baby anymore. But she has such a fun personality that I guess it's ok. So that's what's going on in our neck of the woods!

A serious update :)

2011-03-08T12:12:00.002-07:00

Once again it has been way too long since I have taken the time to update my blog. Between McKenna's school, Maddie's playdates, Megan's needs and everything else that running a house entails, the time that I get to sit at the computer and blog is few and far between. But I am determined to keep this poor blog going. I always say "someday" my blog is going to be one that people will want to read like so many other amazing blogging moms. But who know when someday will be so you will have to settle for the posts I get in inbetween life's other moments.

Let me go all the way back to Valentine's Day. The night before McKenna and I made these super cute Valentines for her class party the next day. It was fun having her go through her class list and tell me about each classmate.

Then the next day we went and helped with her class party. That is always and adventure let me tell ya. But it is always great to be able to go into the class and see all the kids she is always talking about.

Megan thought she was pretty special to be able to go and play with all the fun things in McKenna's classroom.

Then that evening I made a candlelight dinner for the whole family instead of just Travis and I going out and doing something. I would like to say that this was intentional and not due to a lack of babysitter. So we will just say that. :) But it was pretty fun and the girls sure liked it. Madison couldn't figure out who's birthday it was and if it was no one's then why did we have candles.

Of course McKenna had to put name tags where everyone was supposed to sit. That girl can't do anything without having name tags. haha

Then the next week me and the girls hit the open road and drove to Idaho. I had to go back to meet with our accountant from all of our company stuff from this last year.

I love Megan's chocolate face in this picture! haha I wonder what they were eating?

While we were there I planned a surprise birthday party for McKenna with all her little friends from Idaho. It was so much fun for her to be able to get to play with all these girls who she loves and misses.

Then the night before we left we had a fun little hot dog roast out at Grandma & Grandpa Hillman's. The girls had to put name tags on everyone's chair again. Madison the whole time kept talking about roasting hot dogs at grandmas so we couldn't leave Idaho without doing that.

I love this little girl who always has to be wearing a hood.

And since we have returned McKenna has gotten to start soccer. She was a little nervouse to start but she did great right out of the gate.

It made it even easier when she found out that her little buddies from her class, Jake and David, were on her team as well. So that's what we have been up to for the last few weeks! Hopefully you will get another update sooner than later.

Things I love....Day 3 & 4

2011-02-05T01:11:00.002-07:00

Day 3
I love that my McKenna is so incredibly smart. She is always surprising me by how smart she really is. Every day she goes to a 5th grade reading group and did I mention she is only in Kindergarten? Yeah she is in Kindergarten! She is also in an advanced math program at school. It has been so fun to watch her learn in leaps and bounds over the last year and I LOVE THAT!

Day 4
I love that my girls are old enough to help with the chores! They really were cleaning up in this picture. They were putting toys away and other random stuff. It is so nice when they help me. McKenna even unloads the dishwaher these days! It makes my job so much easier as a mom and I LOVE THAT!

Things I love....day 1 & 2

2011-02-03T00:28:00.002-07:00

In honor of Valentines Day, I wanted to tell you a random thing that I love each day leading up to Valentine's Day. Obviously, I am already behind a day. Big surprise right? So here is days 1 & 2.

Day 1
I love the fact that if Madison has a hood on whatever she is wearing it HAS to be on her head no matter what. No matter if she is inside, outside, if it's nice or yucky out, the hood is on the head. I LOVE IT!

Day 2
I love that I know how to play the piano. Music is an amazing escape for me. When I sit down to play the piano I don't have to think about anything else than what I am doing right in that moment. It's nice. I hate the stress that comes along with being an adult and this is one way that I can pretend it's not there, even if just for a moment. I LOVE IT!

Long time, no see

2011-02-03T00:19:00.002-07:00

So I know that I have been a horrible blogger as of late. I feel like I am running around with my head cute off and then when I try to recall what I did throught the day I have a hard time filling in the hours. One of these days I will be completely organized, be on a rigid schedule, and have it all figured out. But until then, you will have to put up with my craziness that I call everyday life. So sorry about that.

We have got to do a few fun things lately though. My dear friend from Idaho came to visit me a couple weeks ago. Tina has been such a great friend to me over the last 4 1/2 years. It is pretty funny because my great grandma and her grandma were best friends. What a small world! So while she was here we had a beautiful day so we packed up a picninc and headed to the park to have lunch and feed the ducks.

It was great fun and lunch was yummy. Then we decided to walk around the pond and we came across this nice little sign! HAHA Oh well the ducks lucked out for that day!

Then we went to a "live" museum at Fort Nisqually. It is an old fort and people are dressed up in period costumes and it was pretty fun. The building behind us is the oldest still standing building in Washington State. So that was a fun little part of Washington State History that I had no idea was there.

I had so much fun with Tina in town. We didn't take a whole lot of other pictures because mostly we just hung out. Thanks for coming friend!

Biggest Loser!

2011-01-17T18:07:00.005-07:00

Hey everyone! So I am doing a Biggest Loser competition and want all of you to join if you need to get moving and get in shape! It is going to be great and we already have quite a few people entered. So go to http://www.chubbie-buddies.blogspot.com/ for all the details and let's get moving!!!!

Happy Birthday Megan!

2011-01-02T00:42:00.002-07:00

Megan had a birthday a couple of days ago and I needed to make sure I did a post about her before it was too late and her birthday was long gone. I took down all the Christmas decorations including the tree the day before her birthday so that on her birthday it would be just that. Not Christmas, just her birthday. I think I will do that every year so that she has a day that is just for her.

My Megan is such a sweetie pie and brings so much happiness into our home. Even though she still doesn't sleep through the night, we love her so much. She was my biggest baby so far and has stayed bigger than the other two so far. Poor McKenna is going to be the shortest sister I'm afraid. It's the Brownell curse for the first born. :)
I love her chubbiness, her smile, the way she wants to snug up on me when she is sad, the way that she can brighten my day with just one look, and most of all the way she loves me unconditionally no matter what my faults may be. I wonder what the world would be like if everyone could love like that.

And now she is a beautiful one year old little girl, no longer a baby. Somedays I wish she would just stay my squishy baby forever, but I know that defeats the purpose of why we are here. But for now I will take the snuggles that she gives me and enjoy them as long as I can. I love you Megan and hope you had a Happy Birthday!

Changing of the gaurd...

2010-12-07T10:40:00.002-07:00

No matter what I do time keeps marching on even when I want or need it to slow down for me. The shift from Thanksgiving to Christmas has been made and the all out dash to Christmas begins. Each year I always say that I am going to have my shopping done before Thanksgiving and my house all in order and down to the scent you smell when you walk in the door. I have this idea of no kids fighting, no parents yelling, or having any other things to worry about so that we can just sit back and enjoy the magic of Christmas. Obviously this is not realistic. Especially with three little ones under the age of 5. Ornaments get broken, rooms get messy, tantrums get thrown, and feelings get hurt. But inbetween these moments are the ones that matter most.
The other night the girls helped me put up and decorate the tree, hang the stockings and put up other decorations. Christmas music was playing, we were having fun, and watching the awe in my baby's eyes at the lights was the best. I found it extrememly appropriate that the tree ended up right next to this picture of Christ that was already hanging on the wall there. It is a great reminder for us of what Christmas is all about.

Once the tree was up and we tried to get a decent picture of the girls with it, the frustration tried to eek it's way back into the room (you know why if you have seen past posts about trying to get a picture with all three of my girls) but luckily it was evaded.

If you look closely you will see that all the ornaments are at least a foot and a half off the ground so that they don't end up in the grasp of chubby fingers.

McKenna was really worried that we wouldn't be able to tell who's stocking was whos so she had to write everyones name on some paper and tape it to their stocking. She is so funny and such a worrier. She gets that from her dad :)

Now I just have to get everything done in the next couple of weeks that should have been done a month ago. So here's to next year and enjoying this year for what it is. Merry Christmas everyone!

It snowed....

2010-11-30T12:24:00.003-07:00

It is always a sad day when you realize that it is time to retire the flip flops and BBQ. I think that it becomes official when it finally snows for the first time each year. Since we moved to Washington, I really wasn't expecting snow and was quite happy about that fact. But needless to say I did not escape it even after moving 500 miles. Even though I complain about it, it is hard not to acknowledge the fact that it is beautiful. It changes the way you look at things in an instant. And I like that. I like the new perception when looking at everything covered in pretty, white, fluffy snow. It just looks clean and pure. The way things should appear I think.

Not to mention that the girls LOVED it!!! They went outside to make a snowman and did it all on their own.

And here is the finished product that they were very proud of.

It's true, snow brings something magical. But I am glad now that it is gone :)

Rain...

2010-10-26T11:48:00.003-06:00

I love rain. And since I have recently relocated in the Seattle area I suppose that is a good thing. I don't know why I love it so much. I love the sounds, the smell, the feel of it on my face when I walk outside, and for some reason I love the nostalgic feeling that it brings along with it. I love how it washes the world around me creating a fresh and clean feeling. I have missed it tremendously after living in the desert for the last 6 years. The desert has it's own beauty, but I am definitely one that was built to enjoy the rain. My mother-in-law gave me the perfect wall hanging for my birthday this year and on it, it reads "Those who think only sunshine brings happiness, have never danced in the rain." It is the perfect quote for how I feel about the rain. It makes me happy. And I love things that make me happy. I love the rain. And it's been raining quite a bit.

Please help....

2010-10-11T10:09:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Holly and her husband Shane went for a run in a Ragnar race in Washington DC and her husband passed away due to heart complications. Shane was 28 years old and a very neat person. I was only around him a few times, but he was always so kind to me and everyone that he was around. He served in the Military and was attending law school. Now Holly, 26, is now faced with the challenge of raising their 18 month old boy, Preston. So I want to do all I can to help. Many of you know I sell Scentsy so for the next 2 weeks 100% of the profit from ALL orders made will go directly to Holly. So if you are in need of anything Scentsy or just want to help please send all your orders to stephaniehillman@gmail.com To see the online catalog go here. All of your help is greatly appreciated!

Over the river and through the woods....

2010-10-06T00:45:00.002-06:00

So for those of who don't know, we aer moving to Washington in a couple of weeks! It has all happened so fast and has been pretty crazy that I have pretty much been a little MIA from blogging and everything else on the itnernet. (Not that that's always a bad thing). Anywho...I will probably continue to be somewhat MIA as it is now crunch time in getting ready to head these wagons west. Travis and I are really excited about this.

The reason for this move is, we quit our company a few months ago and Travis got a job working for a GREAT company called Performance Systems Inc. They are a very large construction company so Travis still gets to do what he loves just on a much larger scale. This was and continues to be a tremendous blessing for our family. It's amazing how it all just fell into place at the right time. It's funny how Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it. So a couple weeks ago, Travis got a promotion which entailed moving to Washington. So here we go! I am so proud of Travis for his hard work and his willingness to go wherever he needs to go. Especially being that he is a home grown Idaho boy. We have so many dear friends and family here that we will miss, but are excited to get to live by some other dear friends a family. Life never ceases to amaze me. :)

Happy Birthday Madison!!!

2010-10-02T17:05:00.002-06:00

Today is Madison's 3rd birthday! It is hard to believe all that time has gone by since the drama of her coming to earth. It definitely took a little more for her to get here, but were are sure glad she made it!
I am really glad I am not still packing around that minitor of hers that was bigger than she was!

And now she is just growing up to be so beautiful and fun! She is for a sure a little firecracker and keeps us on our toes. She loves Dora and likes to yell at me in Spanish. It is hilarious and I can never get mad when she does. She loves animals and is having a farm animal party. Oh the difference between her and McKenna- Hannah Montana - Farm Animals....hmmmm. Happy Birthday Madison! We love you.

Labor Day!

2010-09-15T08:04:00.002-06:00

For Labor Day weekend we finally got to go camping. We had been wanting to all summer and it just never seemed to work out that we were able to. But Labor Day gave us the perfect opportunity. Even Travis' brother Shane got to come up and go with us. So we packed everything up and off we went. The kids all got to go fishing and they all caught a fish. The poor little guy. I am pretty sure it was the same tiny fish coming back each time. But man were those kids happy about it!
We went and picked huckleberrys and the next morning had huckleberry pancakes. Madison was having more fun sliding down the dirt hill getting as dirty as possible than picking berrys. We also rode the four wheelers all over. Madison would stay on them for hours if we would let her. She is our little daredevil that is for sure.

I have to say that I love all the dirty camping faces. I think it is hilarious that no matter how hard you try you just can't keep their faces clean. Megan however had a pretty clean face in this picture, but it is still super cute!

Megan had lots of fun time with Grandma Hillman. She was so great to hold her for me a lot of the time so that I could have fun doing whatever we were doing or just relax. Thanks Sheila!!!!
I also learned about another Hillman tradition and that is playing hockey with sticks and either a pop can or tin foil. That was for sure a highlight for all involved.

And I just really liked this picture. I love how McKenna smiles when she isn't trying to smile for a camera.

It was a super fun weekend and I am so glad we got to go. It was a great way to round out the summer. However, the worst part about it is the fact that this is the fun I got when we got back. Oh camping laundry......you are the worst!

Lulu & Chacha!

2010-09-08T21:50:00.003-06:00

My friend Cara makes these amazingly cute accessories for girls and you can go to my photography blog here to enter a giveaway to win some for yourself!

pretty place with pretty girls...

2010-09-01T02:43:00.003-06:00

This last weekend Travis had a training in Portland for work that he had to go to. So we all decided to pack up and go with him and spend the weekend there on a little mini vacation. So on Friday during Travis' training I took the girls to go see the temple. The prophet has said to take your children to the temple while they are young so that they grow to love it as they get older. He said to even have them touch it. And that's exactly what the girls did. It was fun to watch them and to see them touch the temple with a reverence that usually isn't there (in a two year old especially!). They loved how it sparkled. McKenna said, " I never knew how beautiful the temple was until now mom! I can't wait to grow up to go inside". That was pretty neat for me to hear.

Then we took advantage of the BEAUTIFUL grounds there at the Portland Temple to take some pictures. I still can't believe that I was blessed with such beautiful daughters. I look at them and am so grateful that Heavenly Father let me be their mom! Man I am LUCKY!!!

For the last 8 months since Megan was born, I have been trying to get a decent picture of all three of my girls together and every time it seems it is a DISASTER! Just take a look and see exactly what I mean. And these are just a few samples :)

These are the two best pictures of the three of them together and they still aren't my favorite but will have to do for now.

And I just love Madison's "I am so done smiling and taking pictures with you mom!" face. It makes me laugh really hard. Oh man does that girl have a personality and isn't afraid to show it. At least I got a few keepers out of her. Thanks for the temple adventure girls...it made a few great memories for your mom. Love you...

My how time flies....

2010-08-26T10:14:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that my McKenna is old enough to go to school. Today was her first day of Kindergarten! She was so excited and just a bit nervous. Her prayers the last few days have been, "Please bless that I won't be so nervous and that my teacher will let me sit by my friends." I just love kids' prayers. They are always so perfect. Anywho...we got up early which for us is a struggle sometimes but I am glad that she is in the morning so that we get up and get going. She looked so cute in her little uniform!

Then we were off to school! The Kindergarten classes all met in the cafeteria to get everyone together. Luckily McKenna is in the same class with her two little friends Carine on the left and Shelbie on the right. That made it much easier on her.

I only saw a bit of concern on her face as she was sitting there waiting to go.

Then they all had to get in line to follow their teacher to class....

...one last little wave.....

and just like that she was all grown up and gone.

She will do so great and I am so proud of her, but I will for sure miss her while she is gone.

Home for Sale

2010-08-21T13:06:00.002-06:00

We are selling our home and I made a blog so that if you or anyone you know may be interested they can go there and see pictures and find out contact info. Please help me spread the word. The blog address is http://hillhome4sale.blogspot.com/ Thanks!

Today I Love....

2010-08-10T15:01:00.003-06:00

...squishy babies. Most people that know me know that I am not a morning person to say the least. But there are times that I am really glad that I got up and got out of bed and today was one of those days. I woke up with Travis and got him off to work and I REALLY wanted to just crawl back in bed, but as I was walking back to my room I could hear the faint cooing of my sweet baby girl. So instead of crawling back in my comfy bed that was SCREAMING my name, I walked into her room to find the happiest smiling face one could see. Megan has such a sweet spirit about her and I swear she has a direct line to heaven. At least that is the way she makes me feel. So I got her out of bed and gave her a bath. It was really nice because I don't get very much one on one time with her with the demands of my older two girls. So these moments are few and far between. As I got her out of the bath I couldn't help but kiss all her sweet rolls and squishiness and I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't forget how yummy she is right now. So today, I love my squishy baby....

Makes me smile :)

2010-08-04T18:20:00.003-06:00

Wow! I just came across this little gem and I think it's about the funniest picture I have seen in a very long time. Bahahahahahaha!! He makes me smile.

Wednesday's Word

2010-08-04T17:27:00.002-06:00

I know I have been seriously lacking in the blogging department for about a month now. It seems like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and can't seem to find two minutes to really do anything that I would like to. I ireally don't know how all these amazing women find time to do their blogs almost every day. Anywho....todays word of advice is Take Time to Stop and Play! Today I really needed to be getting some things done, like laundry, practicing the guitar for a couple of gigs we have next week, filing office stuff, and about a million other things. But my girls wanted to do something fun. And I know that I need to take advantage of these moments because one day they will all be to busy to hang out with their mom and just be silly. As hard as it is some days, I will miss them being so young and fun, with no inhibitions and have unconditional love for their far from perfect mom. So we got out the fingernail polish and did their nails and then they were models for me! McKenna saw an episode of America's Next Top Model and loved how they were taking pictures. We don't watch that show anymore for obvious reasons, but for some reason she loved it and loves to pose. I love he silly shots we got and am so glad I knew what was the most important thing on my to do list today.

Fun Friends!

2010-08-04T17:00:00.003-06:00

Some of our most favorite friends came into town last week. Erica Diddy has been my friend since we were born. Friends like that are pretty rare being that we are now 29 and have lived in different places, had different experiences and through it all we have stayed amazing friends. It is also so great that our husbands are pretty much the same person just in different bodies. So they get along great! I didn't really get any pictures the first day, but Thursday night we roasted hot dogs for dinner after swimming that day.

I LOVE the ketchup faces!

Then that night we were having tons of fan just having a little dance party in the living room, rocking out to Hannah Montana, and thanks to one of my great moves with Colson his poor little elbow came out of socket. So we spent the next 5 hours in the Ontario ER! Needless to say it was a long night. And the next morning we had to go to the doctor to check it. And Matt, being the good dad that he is, hopped on an airplane and came to be with his son. (Glad I could get you here Matt :) )

So after the doctor we all hopped in the car to go pick up Matt and take a little stop at Build-a-Bear Workshop. The kids LOVED it and it's kind of a tradition with us when Hailey and Colson come to visit.

Saturday we spent all day swimming (thanks to some great friends of ours) and BBQ'd for lunch and went swimming some more. Sooo much fun.

Then we rounded out the weekend with the Drive In Theatre in Parma. We say Dispicable Me (which is HILARIOUS by the way if you haven't seen it) and A Team.

The boys had the futon up on the tool box of the truck for a great view and a comfy seat!

The girls were loving the bed in the back of Erica's car with their blankets and snacks. Colson slept through both entire movies. We wore the poor little guy out.

Thanks for coming Diddy's! It was sooooo much fun. Can't wait for you to come again!

My McKenna

2010-08-04T08:49:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that my baby is going to be registering for Kindergarten here in the next couple of weeks. The last 5 years have pretty much flown by. And when I snapped these pictures the other day she showed just how old she really is. I think she just looks so grown up. She is such a great help to me with her younger sisters that I really don't know what I would do without her. So I just wanted to do a little post for this special girl of mine. Love you McKenna!

Wednesday's Word

2010-06-23T21:16:00.002-06:00

Today's word of advice is to SMILE! You really never know the impact that you can have on someone just by smiling. We don't know what each person we come across in a day is going through and your smile might be just the thing to lift their spirit. Then that person may smile at the next and so on and so on. And it all started with you and a simple smile :)

What's New Cupcake?

2010-06-22T22:35:00.002-06:00

My birthday was yesterday and my mom gave me a book called "What's New Cupcake?" and it has all kinds of different ways to do cupcakes. McKenna has been DYING to do some. My life has been a little crazy busy as of late and we finally had a day where we could so I packed up the girls and we headed to the store to get our ingredients. McKenna had our list and checked them off as we collected our items. It was pretty funny. Then we got home and got to work.

Once there was nothing left for Madison to eat, she ditched McKenna and I and the two of us finished them up. And here was our finished product. I was pretty impressed myself. They turned out really cute and McKenna and I had a really fun time making them. So we will see which ones we try next!

Memories.....

2010-06-22T09:52:00.002-06:00

My parents are leaving soon to go on a mission to New York, New York and they spoke in church on the 12th in Washington. So me and the girls packed up and drove up to hear them speak and to go hang out at the beach for a couple of days with them and the siblings. It's somewhat strange to think that they will be gone for two years, but we are so proud of them for making that sacrifice to help others gain a testimony of the gospel. So they rented a beautiful house on the beach at Seabrook, WA to go and make a few memories before they leave.

My girls had never been to the ocean, which seems odd being that I grew up going to the ocean all the time. We would go clam digging and have all kinds of fun. I also used to go with my friend Sadie every summer. While I was there it was fun to kind of relive all of the fun memories I have from when I was a kid. But it was really great to watch my own girls experience the beach and ocean for the first time. Even if it is the cold Washington beach.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days of being a kid and having no worries and just being carefree.....what would that be like?

I'm Back!

2010-06-22T09:47:00.002-06:00

I have been out of town for a while and life has been a bit crazy lately, but I am back now and hope to get back on track with my posting. So don't worry (anonymous) there will be more posting and a new Word of Advice Wednesday tomorrow. :)

McKenna has been able to play t-ball again this year. It is always so fun to watch her and to see how happy she is when she gets to play. She does pretty good for being the smallest on her team. So way to go McKenna and the Tigers!

Tender Mercies

2010-06-02T15:15:00.003-06:00

Life can sometimes get stressful. That is just the way it is. Stress is no respector of persons, it just visits whoever it wants no matter where you live, what color you are, or any other thing that might make us different. But I also know that the Lord is the same and during the times of stress he gives us His sweet "Tender Mercies". I was having a particularly stressful day and to combat it I went outside to start to work. I mowed the lawn and watered some flowers and in the process the rest of the family came out and helped and played. When we were all done we were just sitting outside and as I took a moment to look around I saw the beautiful sunset and watched my husband playing with the kids and I couldn't believe just how lucky I was at that very moment. I felt the love of my family and the love of my Heavenly Father for my family and I was so grateful for that sweet tender mercy that the Lord had given me at that moment. It is moments like those that give us the boost we need to keep going and battle the stresses of this world. It ended up being a great day.

Word of Advice Wednesday

2010-06-02T15:10:00.002-06:00

Today's word of advice is one that I personally think is great! It is Take a Nap! Every once in a while you just get so tuckered out and overwhelmed or stressed out that you just need to stop where you are and what you are doing and take a little nap. It doesn't have to be very long, but it's amazing to me just how much a nap can resatrt my engines when it seems I can't possibly keep going. It just gives you that fresh start that we all sometimes need. So if you are running low just stop, take a little snooze, and you will be surprised what it can do.

Yummy :)

2010-05-26T23:39:00.001-06:00

Just because..........

Word of Advice Wednesdays

2010-05-26T21:20:00.002-06:00

I am not one to sit back and give advice on all subjects, I don't have a fancy degree or anything like that. But I do believe that we can all learn from each other and from experiences that others have. So every Wednesday I will give a tiny piece of advice from something that I have learned from my life.

This weeks word of advice is to Write Things Down. This was destined to be this weeks as on two seperate occasions this came up in conversation with a couple of my friends. We were talking about writing down the things that our kids say because so soon they are forgotten and we can't remember the whole story. So write it down so they can share it with their kids.

I'm going to share a story that I needed written somewhere so it will be here. I've said before how thoughtful my McKenna is, well here is a story to prove it. I go around doing firesides all over and McKenna always sings a song in them. Well one Sunday we had one scheduled and we had to leave church 15 minutes early to make it there on time. Well McKenna was DEVISTATED that she had to leave her class early. She cried and cried and said she never wanted to do another fireside again. So I told her she didn't have to and that this would be our last one. (I really don't ever want to force my kids to do something like singing or sports that they don't want to) We got to the stake center and we were walking down the hall and McKenna says to me, "Mom, I'll still sing in your firesides. You have to keep doing them, everyone loves your firesides. So I will keep singing in them because I love you." I'm pretty sure that is one of the sweetest things that I have ever heard in my entire life.

So make sure you take the time to write the things that you don't want to forget......

Things I want to remember.....

2010-05-24T22:29:00.003-06:00

I was on a friends blog and saw the blog address for Shawni Erye Pothier and was looking at some of her old posts and one post that I came across I just really loved. She was just listing some things that she wanted to remember. I have been wanting to do a little more with my blog to make it a little more meaningful and her post inspired me. So here are a few things that I want to remember ~

- I want to remember just how much I love my husband and how he makes me feel so special when he knows I am self concious about myself. I truly couldn't find someone who loves me more

- I want to remember how much I love my babies chubby cheeks and how they make me smile

- I want to remember how much McKenna loves her cousin Grace and how happy they are when they are together

- I want to remember how sweet Madison can be (especially when there are so many times she can test my patience a little) She is so beautiful and her smile makes me happy

- I want to remember how tenderhearted and thoughtful my McKenna is. She is always thinking of others before herself and it warms my heart.

- I want to remember how much Madison LOVES fruit. I hope that it stays that way

- I want to remember how when Madison puts on her cowboy hat she thinks she is a musketeer! She uses a plastic golf club for a sword and announces with her finger pointed in the air, "I am a Musketeer!"

- And I especially want to remember how much my girls love each other (even when they fight) and how much I love them.....sisters are a special gift and I love mine.

Those are just a few things that I want to remember....

Megan's 4 months

2010-05-11T14:48:00.002-06:00

Megan had her 4 month checkup last week and she is still growing like a weed. She weighed 15lbs 13oz and was 25" long. She is still in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. She will for sure be my tall one. I'm so glad someone overcame the Brownell curse! Love you Megan!

Softball

2010-05-11T14:46:00.002-06:00

Travis has been playing on a city league softball team this year. It has been really fun to watch him and he has done a great job. (I think I just like his outfit the best ) Way to go babe!

Down on the Farm

2010-05-11T14:38:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago McKenna got to go to the farm of one of her preschool classmates for a fieldtrip. They had so much fun. Maddie even got to come with us. They got to feed pigs,

go on a carriage ride,

feed a horse (who's name was Maddie tee hee),

feed a baby sheep,

and find an egg in the chicken coop. They absolutely loved it.

Happy Birthday McKenna!

2010-03-14T00:13:00.005-07:00

I cannot believe that my baby is 5 years old! That is crazy. Those 5 years have flown by that's for sure! She had her yearly well child check on Friday and she weighed 37 lbs and is 41" tall. That puts her in the 25th percentile for height and 30th percentile for weight. I think the heigt is what she got from me. Check the below post to see the difference in Megan. So Thursday was McKenna's birthday. This is her anxiosuly awaiting for her guests to arrive to the "family" party that night. She was a little excited!

McKenna really likes Hannah Montana so that was the theme this year. And I really didn't want to go buy a $20 Hannah cake so this was my attempt and she loved it just the same.

Then her friend party was this morning. Here is her with her cute friends!
They were dancing to Hannah Montana. I love McKenna in this picture. Hilarious!
One of her presents was a hula hoop so of course Travis had to test it out. Pretty good at shakin' those hips hahaha!

2 months

2010-03-14T00:02:00.003-07:00

So this cute little thing is 2 1/2 months old already! I can't believe it. She had her 2 month appt. yesterday and she weighed 12lbs 1oz and is 24" long! That puts her in the 97th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight! Where did that come from?!?!? She has the cutest smile ever and is such a good baby. Nights are still a little long but getting better. She just makes me so happy. Love you bunches Megan!

Makes me Smile

2010-01-30T17:23:00.003-07:00

So today Maddie was making me laugh really hard. She stole my hat and was totally posing. These are a couple of shots we got. She makes me smile :)

My Little Cheerleader!

2010-01-27T14:19:00.005-07:00

McKenna got to go to a little cheerleading clinic on Monday night and then last night they got to cheer at the boys varsity high school basketball game. It was seriously so cute. McKenna was the youngest and the smallest out there. She loved it! It was so fun to watch her. I'm excited for her to get older and to be doing all this stuff for me to cheer her on. This is her little friend Ashlyn that she went and did it with.

They even got to take a picture with the Fruitland Grizzlie mascot!

Watch the video below for their performance! McKenna did great. We were so proud of her. I love the giant smile on her face. She loved it!

2010-01-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

4 Weeks

2010-01-27T13:01:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe that it has been 4 weeks already since Megan was born, but it has! A couple weeks ago at her 2 week appointment she weighed 8 Lbs 8 oz and 22" long. She is in the 90th percentile for height! That is crazy! I might get a tall child after all. Especially since the last time McKenna went to the doctor she was in the 30th percentile for height. Megan is doing good though. Nights are still a little rough but we love her.

Camping in the Winter

2010-01-23T10:27:00.003-07:00

So my parents got the girls some sleeping bags for Christmas and so the girls have been wanting to go camping so they could use them. So for family night we built a tent in the front room and got out their sleeping bags. We left the front open so they could watch a movie and they even ate marshmallows. It was pretty stinkin cute. Travis even slept out there with them all night.

They were out cold. Oh the days when we could sleep anywhere and it would be comfortable!

Megan Raye Hillman

2010-01-10T13:20:00.006-07:00

Megan Raye Hillman was born on December 29th, 2009 at 2:04 PM and weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21 1/2" long. She was born by C-Section which was no fun at all but everything turned out OK so that was good.

Dad and his new sweet girl. Boy does he have his hands full or what with a house full of girls!Dad and all his girls. We couldn't get them to all look at the same time so this was the best we got.All the girls together. Boy Maddie doesn't look excited at all does she?All ready to go home. We stayed in the hospital until Friday morning because of the C-Section.My parents came down for a few days too. This is all of their grandaughters being that everyone else in the family just has boys. We don't know how to mix it up at all. Oh well. We love them anyways!My little sister Whitney also came and the rest of the pictures on the post she took. Thanks Whitney!

My Little Singer

2009-12-22T20:36:00.002-07:00

McKenna sang at our Ward Christmas party a couple of weeks ago and did soooo good. I love when she sings. The video isn't the best quality but hey you get the idea. Oh and please ignore the GIANT pregnant lady in it. She wasn't supposed to be captured in the video. Oh well I guess, I really wanted you to see McKenna sing though. You might have to turn your computer up to hear it very good. Anywho, I was so proud of her, she has no fear at all! You will want to go to the bottom of the page and turn off the music player first before you try to listen. Enjoy!

2009-12-22T20:35:00.001-07:00

Fun FHE!

2009-12-22T18:23:00.004-07:00

Last night for FHE we had a really fun treat! A friend of our invited us out to his house to ride a train that he has spent the last 4 years building! It was great. He has this super cute little depot you go through to get on the train. It's kind of dark but you get the idea. It was adorable!

Then once we were all on the train, he was playing the Polar Express while we were riding in a toasty warm train car. You can see the little fireplace in the corner that keeps it warm.

And of course McKenna found a little friend right off the bat. This little boy was a son of our friend who owns it.

Here is the girls with our conductor Shane! Thanks again soooo much for the fun night!

I'm the worst blogger ever!!!

2009-12-21T17:28:00.003-07:00

So I have been the absolute worst blogger as of late so here is a post of our Thanksgiving weekend. Travis brother Shane came up from Utah and he and McKenna were fast friends.

We had tons of yummy food over at Travis' parents house. We ate a ton and just hang out. It was great.

And of course we had to do a little clay pigeon shooting. It's not Thanksgiving without it!

Then on Saturday we went up to the hills to get our tree! We found the perfect one and had fun doing a little snowmobiling at the same time.

Madison is 2!

2009-10-20T16:36:00.002-06:00

Madison had a bithday on October 2nd and so I needed to put some pictures of her up from over the last couple of years. She had a rough go of it the first few days of her life but has been going a million miles an hour ever since.

Pretty Snow White

Happy 1st Birthday!

Then this picture was taken today for her 2 yr pictures. We love you Maddie and are so happy you are in our family!

Cute little Pumpkins!

2009-10-19T20:06:00.003-06:00

Last Monday night for FHE we all went over to Travis' parents house for our annual pick out your pumpkin. Sheila always grows huge pumkins and the kids love it.

McKenna found hers!

It's always fun because we doi it with all the cousins to so the kids have a ton of fun.

Madison liked the little pumpkins.

Then they decided they wanted to play in the old corn stalks.

Drum roll please.......

2009-08-04T14:28:00.003-06:00

The results are in! We are having a ...............................

wait for it.................................................

That's right. It is girl #3! We are excited. She will probably be born on the 28th or 29th of December being that I have scheduled C-Sections they are easy to plan for.

And then there were 5...

2009-08-03T12:40:00.003-06:00

So I guess we are officially announcing to the world that baby #3 is on the way and will be here in December! We are super excited. I get to find out tomorrow what it will be, but for now I would love to hear your guesses. McKenna is very excited and has officially named it Scribbles! HAHA I love it.

4th of July

2009-07-13T15:16:00.003-06:00

So on the 4th we just had a fun just the four of us day. We took the girls to the zoo in the morning and then went to lunch and went and bought some fireworks. We just got on the ground ones and sparklers so that we didn't start a field on fire or something. It was a fun day.

Then we just sat on our front yard and watched the fireworls that were all over. It was perfect up on our hill because you could see everywhere.

McKenna's new favorite

2009-06-15T16:07:00.004-06:00

McKenna has been playing T-ball this year and has loved it! I have a video to post later but couldn't get it to work just yet. So I will keep working on that. Anywho...she has had a ton of fun with it and we are down to our last week of it. She will be sad when it's over.

Her little team.

Concentrating really hard!

Made it to first!

McKenna's fans!

Almost home!

Scentsy!

2009-06-15T15:37:00.002-06:00

So I am now officially selling Scentsy! They have these super cute warmers and then you put the scented wax in the top and it makes your home smell wonderful! They have tons of scents and different warmers. You can go to my website at www.scentsy.com/shillman to look at all the products. Check it out, I know you will love it! Or if you want to have a party let me know!

Easter

2009-05-12T15:17:00.002-06:00

So for Easter on Saturday we went to Hillman's for an Easter egg hunt and decorated cupcakes with the cousins. It was tons of fun.

Then these are the girls on Easter Sunday. I couldn't pay them to look at me. I wanted to a picture but we had to hurry so we weren't late for church. Maddie especially wouldn't look at me. So in the two minutes I had this is what I got.

Trip to Ohio

2009-05-12T15:07:00.002-06:00

So a few weeks ago I got to go to Ohio to see my sister and do a fireside for their Stake out there. It was SOOOOO much fun. I actually even went with no children so it was a real vacation. Travis (well his mom) was so great to watch the girls for me while I was gone. When I first got there the next morning we drove to Palmyra. This is us on the Hill Cumorah. There were so many amazing places to see and I took five million pictures that there is no way to put them all on here, but you get the idea.

This is me and Stacey at the Sacred Grove. The trees were not quite blooming yet but it was still so amazing to be there. The spirit was so strong and we almost had the whole place to ourselves being that it was a little chilly.

This is in the School of the Prophets upstairs in the Newel K Whitney store.

Reason #219 why I love Stacey: She is just as crazy as I am :)

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE all the barns out there. They are so cool. This is just a random one along the freeway.

This is at the John Johnson Farm where Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered and these are the same steps that he preached from the next morning. I have such a great love for Joseph Smith and all that he did. It was so neat to be able to be at all these places where so many significant things happened in our church history. Thanks Justin and Stacey for an amazing trip and for putting so much work into the fireside. It was great! I want to come back!

McKenna's 4 year Pictures

2009-05-12T15:01:00.002-06:00

I took these pictures of McKenna back around her birthday and I thought you all might like to see them. I have been a TERRIBLE blogger lately so hopefully I will do better.

Happy Birthday McKenna

2009-03-12T23:55:00.002-06:00

McKenna's birthday was on the 11th and I have wanted a to do a little post about her and I am finally getting it done. (Notice the time of this post.) It's hard to believe that she is 4 years old already. My little girl is growing up way too fast. She is such a joy to have in our family and I just can't imagine life without her. We love you so much McKenna and hope you had a happy birthday. Here are a few pics to look back on. They make me smile. :)

This is just a few hours after she was born. She was perfect.

One years old

2nd Halloween

Her bed head is the best! It's so funny. She always wakes up looking like a lion. She gets it from my sister Whitney. tee hee

So sweet.

Chain of Love!

2009-02-22T11:42:00.002-07:00

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make for you.

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year.

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a song. It may be a self portrait or maybe even some creation I haven't yet dreamt up. I may draw. I may bake you something and mail it to you. It may not be big or impressive. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! But lets be honest here. This is me and I will likely do something amazing. So come on sign up.

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to post this same blog on their blog and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me. Let's keep the chain of love going around!! (I don't mind mailing out of state)

So excited!

2009-02-06T00:09:00.002-07:00

So a bank in Ontario (the town a few miles away) had me take some pictures of main street and they used my picture for their billboard! I was pretty excited the first time I drove by it and new that it was my picture. Too bad it doesn't have a credit on it. Oh well. It was still exciting.

Miss McKenna

2009-02-03T13:52:00.003-07:00

The other day Madison was taking a nap and McKenna looked super cute so we went outside to take and few pictures. These are what I got. I think she is so cute.

McKenna wanted to for sure get her pretty nails in a picture. :)

If you are interested......

2009-01-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

I took this picture this last fall and I have to say that it is one of my most favorites. I am selling this print to try and help with travel expenses in my music adventures. (If you want more information on that leave a comment and I will send you an e-mail all about it.) Anyways, the cost of trying to get to places to share the music I have written is getting too expensive to try and pay for all on my own. So I am doing this to help. The size is a 10x20. You can get just the print or with a custom made frame (as seen in the 2nd picture). Your frame can be black, white, chocolate brown, or natural wood. Also you can get the print with or without the scripture. Just the print is $65 or print with frame is $125. If you would like to purchase one leave a comment with your e-mail or send and e-mail to stephaniehillman@gmail.com and we can work out the details. Thanks so much for all your support!

The light on this is different because it's hanging on my wall and there is a light shining on it and it was at night. So just know that the color is exactly like the print above.

One Proud Mommy!

2009-01-22T16:13:00.001-07:00

2009-01-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

In one of the firesides that I do, the primary song, Baptism is in it. I had a hard time finding a young person to come and sing it for me and so I decided to try and teach it to McKenna. She learned all three verses in just a few days and was so excited to sing it in front of people. I had my cousin get a video of this on my camera. It's kind of dark, but you can still see her and get the idea. Watch for the thumbs up she gives my other cousin. It's hilarious. I was so proud of her. She did such a good job for being only three years old. I loved every minute of it. Good job McKenna!

Utah

2009-01-21T23:33:00.002-07:00

I just got back from being in Utah for a few days. I was down there doing a couple of firesides and it was a great time. This first picture is me and Tracy Collings. Our grandmothers are sisters and it was the first time that we met. I got to go to her ward and help with their YW New Beginnings. It was really neat. Thanks again for having me!

While we were there we got to stay with my cousin Kasey. I hadn't seen her in years so it was really fun to get to hang out with her again. I got to do a fireside for her ward down there as well. I had so much fun meeting new people and getting to share my programs with them.

The girls loved Kasey and had so much fun with her. McKenna was so sad that we had to leave her there all alone. And I'm sure that Kasey was very happy to have her house all to herself again. Thanks so much Kasey for everything! I couldn't have gotten everything done I needed to without you.

Another little perk was that I just happened to be there while a whole bunch of my cousins were together for a birthday party. So I crashed the party so I could get to see them all. It was so fun seeing everyone that I haven't seen in a really long time. I really enjoyed being around them all. It's too bad we can't all get together more often. But I am for sure grateful I happened to be there. Love you guys!

Maddie had fun with her 2nd cousin Kendra. They were fast friends and fun to watch. Hopefully we will get to be around all of them again soon!

Adventures in the snow....

2009-01-21T23:20:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we got to go to a cabin and go snowmobiling with some of our friends. The kids had lots of fun playing in the snow and just being around other kids. The boys had fun on the sleds (while the girls had SO much fun watching the kids tee hee) It was fun to just relax by the fire, eat treats, and play cards. Thanks for inviting us Youngs. It was way fun.

This is Troy Young and he and Travis have been friends since they were just little kids. They are pretty funny when they get together. Travis wants to make sure that you all know that he is not that short, but that he is standing down hill in the snow.

What have I done?!?!?

2009-01-12T09:49:00.002-07:00

So here is how a conversation with McKenna went last night.

Mom: McKenna what do you want for your birthday?
McKenna: I want the REAL Snow White to come and have lunch with me.
Mom: Why?
McKenna: Well Cinderella already came so now I need a different princess to come and visit me.
Mom: Huh, we will just have to see.

I think in trying to give McKenna her Christmas wish I have gotten myself in a real pickle!

Family Pics

2009-01-06T17:32:00.002-07:00

So we went to Boise the other day and snapped a few pictures because I wanted a couple new family ones. So our friend Tori came with us and took a few and and I edited them. Let me know which ones are your favorites. I really like the first one, but I couldn't decide if I liked color or B&W. I would love to have opinions.

Cinderella!!!!

2009-01-02T19:57:00.002-07:00

For Christmas this year McKenna had been asking for the real Cinderella to come and have lunch with her. Well Santa Clause pulled some strings and talked Cinderella into coming to have lunch with McKenna and a couple of her friends. McKenna thought she was in heaven! It was really fun to watch all of the girls just stare at her in disbelief.

They got to have lunch with her and it was so funny to see the girls all sitting up tall and being prim and proper because Cinderella was.

They all had so much fun. After lunch they even talked Cinderella into going upstairs and playing with them for a while. It was definitely a neat day for those lucky girls! Thanks again Cinderella for coming!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T00:38:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a great one. Ours was a bit different than originally planned, but that's ok. We were supposed to be in Washington for Christmas this year, but because of a job Travis is doing we weren't able to get there. So Christmas eve I made a nice dinner and decorated the tables all fancy. It was fun. We invited the Hillman's over and had a very nice dinner.

The kids got to play ( Peyton was pretending it was raining. It was cute.)

Then they got pj's on and I read them a Christmas story. Then we went upstairs and watched Shrek the Halls. All in all it was a really good night.

Christmas morning the kids got up and opened presents and I mad German pancakes. Travis got McKenna her own tools and tool belt and she thought that was the coolest thing ever. She can't wait to go to work with dad. Travis was a very proud daddy to see her in this.

Maddie got a little stroller that had a toy that attatched to it that played music. She just liked the toy so she could dance to it. I thought it was pretty stinkin' cute. I just spent forver trying to upload a video and it's not working. I will try again tomorrow.

I love Washington!

2008-12-26T23:41:00.003-07:00

I got to go to Washington for a week and had a ton of fun. I got to hang out with the fam and friends. One fun thing all of us siblings did was we finally got all the babies in bed (that in itself was quite a feat) and we all went bowling. It was way fun just being silly and snapping a million pictures. I think there was more picture taking than bowling going on. tee hee

We also went to the town's performance of the Nutcracker. It was fun to take McKenna to it. She liked all the girls and their costumes. She talked really loud and made some hilarious comments. I'm not sure how much everyone around us appreciated it. One of the ballerinas had a really long dance and McKenna kept trying to get her to go off the stage. It was funny.

It was a really fun trip. It was fun to have all the siblings together again. It was great. Thanks again!

Root beer taste testing!

2008-12-16T00:57:00.006-07:00

So I have been in Washington and one of things that we did tonight was hilarious! It was really fun. We had 15 different kinds of root beer and did a taste test. To see the results go to http://www.abunchofbrownells.blogspot.com/

Updates!

2008-12-16T00:43:00.002-07:00

There are sooooooo many things that I have needed to post and update on and haven't had a minute to do so. So here I go on just a few of them. The day after Thanksgiving we loaded up the 4-wheelers and headed to the hills with the Hillman's to find each of us a tree. It was cold, but not too bad. There wasn't any snow, but we all bundled up in our snow clothes to stay warm anyways. That was especially nice while riding the quads.

It was fun having Travis' brother Shane here for the weekend. The kids always like to see him.

Instead of snow balls this year McKenna was finding leaves.

She at least found a frozen mud puddle she could ice skate on. She thought that was pretty fun.

Then these next two pictures I just thought were pretty cute and hilarious. She just wanted me to take her picture.

Now the girls and I are in Washington once again. I had a program I was singing in (which is the reason there haven't been any posts lately. I had to write a few songs and get everything ready for that) and while we were there Travis got a job that has to be done during Christmas break so we extended our stay a little since we won't be able to come back for Christmas. The girls did so good on the way there. They had fun. Well there are still plenty more updates, but those are just a couple!

So cute!

2008-11-16T02:11:00.002-07:00

So I know I say my girls are the cutest ever, but I think I just have to say it one more time! I could just take pictures of them all day long. (They wouldn't cooperate that long, but it would be fun.) I love my girls that's for sure!

I love my girls!

2008-11-06T13:39:00.002-07:00

I was looking through some old pictures and came across these and I just can't help but smile when I look at these two. I have the most beautiful girls in the world! (I might be biased) If I am having the worst day all I have to do is look at them and they instantly make me feel better. I'm so glad that I get to be their mom.

God, PLEASE, bless America!

2008-11-05T03:12:00.003-07:00

" Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. . . . . " Ronald Reagan

So I am so very dissappointed in the election result. I just have a sick feeling in my stomach about the whole thing. Obviously, there is not a whole lot that I can do about it now, but vent. Sorry you all have to be the ones to recieve the venting. I just have such strong feelings about this amazing country that GOD set up for us to be free to have a democracy and not a socialist nation and having the government force so many policies upon it's people. Which brings me back to how grateful I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love so much having a prophet and apostles on the earth today so that we actually have one place that we can look to for absolute truth. It's just so great to listen to them and know that what they say is true. They aren't worried about pleasing specific interest groups, lobbyists, or political parties. The only person they are worried about pleasing is God. I love America and hope that we will be able to continue to enjoy the freedoms we have always had.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T22:30:00.003-07:00

Here are my cute girls in their costumes. I thought they both looked pretty adorable. McKenna wanted to be a good witch and look cute instead of wearing a green face or something like that. She's pretty funny that way. I loved Maddie's little costume. It didn't help in making her look any less round. Tee hee. It was pretty cute.

We went over to a trunk or treat and got plenty of candy. They didn't need to go anywhere else to get anymore that's for sure.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T20:57:00.002-06:00

There is a pumpkin patch that we usually go to around here and this year we (the Hillman clan) decided to do our own. Sheila grew an amazing pumpkin patch of her own and Darwin got some straw to put on the trailer so we could have a hay ride and everything just like at the other pumpkin patch. But this one was even better because it was FREE!

The pumpkins were HUGE!

Then afterwards we built a fire and roasted hot dogs! What a great night. Thanks everyone!

Tis the Season?

2008-10-18T12:08:00.005-06:00

So yesterday I just couldn't help myself and I filled my stereo with Christmas music! I know what you're thinking, it's not even Halloween yet. But honestly I am surprised it has taken me this long to get them out. Happy Holidays! HAHAHAH

The bright spot!

2008-10-16T01:13:00.005-06:00

So about a week and a half ago was one of the best weekends. Not only did my family get to come to town, but we got to listen to a Prophet of God and the Lord's Apostles on the earth today. It was truly a BRIGHT SPOT for me and continues to be. I wanted to write about it sooner, but I wanted to have a few specific quotes about some of my favorite things. So I had to wait until I could listen/read the talks again.

From Saturday morning one of my favorites was from Elder Anderson. His talk was entitled "You know Enough". One of my favorite things that he said was: "We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” I really liked that. Sometimes I think I don't know enough, but I do know enough to do what's right and that is all that matters.

I also liked Sister Allred's talk about Missionary work. That was another reason for doing this post. In a small way trying to do a little missionary work. Maybe someone might read this and feel the spirit of the truthfulness of the gospel and will want to learn more.

One of my most favorites though was President Uchtdorf's talk titles " The Infinite Power of Hope". I think one of the reasons this appealed to me so much is because of the instability of the world today. There are so many things being thrown at us and our families and it can get scary. I think every person (LDS or not) is crying out for hope and yearning for that peace of mind that comes along with it. Here is one of my favorite quotes from that talk: "Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; it is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls."

I could go on forever about all the amazing things which were said by the amazing men and women who spoke, but I will end this post with a little bit from one of our dear Prophet's talks "Finding Joy In the Journey". He talked a lot about enjoying the here and now and making sure we are taking time for what matters most. And about how we need to be grateful for all the Lord has given us. Here is a quote from that talk.
"I pray that all of us will reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to serve. He taught us how to live. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. The time came when He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Earlier, perhaps perceiving the culmination of His earthly mission, He spoke the lament, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” “No room in the inn” was not a singular expression of rejection—just the first. Yet He invites you and me to receive Him. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Who was this Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief? Who is the King of glory, this Lord of hosts? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of our Salvation. He beckons, “Follow me.” He instructs, “Go, and do thou likewise.” He pleads, “Keep my commandments.” Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude. Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey."

I loved so much hearing all of this. If any of you would like to read or watch more you can go to www.lds.org and all of the talks are on there. I know that these leaders are called of God and that Christ has chosen Thomas S Monson as his prophet on the earth today. I am truly blessed to be able to have this knowledge and will be forever grateful for all the sacrifices that it took for us to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

McKenna!

2008-10-08T14:04:00.002-06:00

Today McKenna wanted a mini makeover so we did her hair and painted her nails so of course then we had to take a few pictures! I needed some new ones of McKenna anyways. So we just went out in the yard and this is what we got.

I love how hard she is trying to jump. It cracks me up.

I love this picture. I couldn't decide what I liked better though, color or black and white. Let me know what you think. I do always like color with her because of her gorgeous blue eyes, but the black and white looks really good too. Decisions decisions.

VOTE!

2008-10-07T23:58:00.007-06:00

So I feel like I have to say something about this upcoming election. I realize that most of you who read my blog probably have the same veiw as I do about who to vote for. But there are a few of you out there that I think are still fence sitters or who want to vote for Obama. Let me just plead with those of you.....VOTE FOR MCCAIN! Please do not vote for Senator Obama! I personally am pretty dissappointed in the options that we have to vote for. I don't necessarily think that either one of them is who I really want for the President of this great nation, but one thing I do know is that I for sure do not want Obama to be the next President of the United States. I realize that who to vote for is everyone's personal decision and I am extremely grateful for that right, but I also can't sit and do nothing when I feel that something is wrong. I really think that Obama would be nothing but bad for this country and to vote him in would be a sore mistake made by the American people. So please everyone vote and vote for McCain!

If you are having a hard time deciding abc news made this test where you can read different quotes from each candidate, decide which one you agree with and at the end it will tell you who you agreed with the most.

To do this click on this link: http://abcnews.go.com/politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139

If nothing else it could be amusing. Let me know how it turns out. By the way, all of mine were McCain except 2.

Rockin' Out

2008-10-06T22:53:00.003-06:00

I love this video of McKenna. Watch how she holds the guitar and everything. It's hilarious. She just loves rockin' out and singing and pretty much anything to do with music. It makes me happy. :)

Great weekend!

2008-10-06T22:38:00.003-06:00

This last weekend was pretty great! It was Madison's 1st birthday! I can't believe that she is one already. That year flew by. She is getting so big and learning something new every day. She has a super fun personality and is such a good baby. We love you so much Madison. Hope it was a great day. Happy Birthday!

Maddie loves this little airplane she got from her Grandma and Grandpa Hillman. Thanks guys!

One of the great perks was that my parents and sister Whitney got to come for the festivities as well! I am not sure what they are laughing at but it must have been pretty funny.

While my parents were here they got the girls a swingset. My dad spent a couple of days putting it together. It was quite the project--6 to 12 hours right dad? Tee hee. The girls were in seventh heaven and just loved it. McKenna is out there every second possible.

Maddie loves it too!

It was such a fun weekend! My mom and I got to go shopping (Graples is the best) and just hang out. I love being able to hang out with my mom. I wish so bad we were closer. Oh well it could be worse. The girls loved having them here so much also. When they were getting ready to leave my dad gave Madison back to me and she just wanted my dad to hold her. Then he got in the truck and she wanted to go back to him so she got to "drive" for a second. After they left they girls just kept looking for them. And then this morning McKenna got up and said, "I miss my Grandma named Grandma Brownell, and my Grandpa." Thanks so much for coming you guys and all that you did for us while you were here. We love you tons! Miss you already. Thanks again!

Oh man she's cute!

2008-09-10T03:41:00.002-06:00

I had a little newborn photo shoot today and while my friend was feeding her baby inbetween shots I put Maddie up on this little chair and these are what I got. I thought they were the cutest pictures ever! I can't believe she is going to turn one in less than a month. That year flew by! Love you Maddie!

She has this thing with always sticking her tounge out these days. It's kind of funny.

What an imagintation!

2008-09-05T17:58:00.004-06:00

So I came home from volleyball practice today and Travis was outside, Maddie was asleep, and McKenna was supposed to have been watching a movie. Well when I came inside I found McKenna had been using her creative side. She found this box on the cupboard and decided she
was going to turn it into her dad. So that's just what she did. It's hilarious. She even was good she put sunglasses on the top of the box it looked just like dad. I love it. I labeled the box picture so you could see exactly what was what. She was a little bummed though because she couldn't find a hat. Tee hee.

Tons of randomness!!!

2008-08-19T19:36:00.005-06:00

So I havn't posted in forever I know so here is a ton of random pics from adventures we have had from this summer. Hopefully this updates you a little on what we have been doing. Hope everyone is doing well!

McKenna got a haircut! Her hair was a million different layers and the end was all scraggely so I cut it off a couple weeks ago and it looks so much better and thicker. It was fun.

Travis got to go to Alaska this summer with my dad and my brother to go King Salmon fishing! He loved it and had tons of fun. Here are just a few pics from that. Thanks for taking him dad he loved it! (And I love the fish!)

So for my birthday this year Travis got me a 4 wheeler so now we have two so we can go with the whole family. It's tons of fun and the girls love it! I think McKenna looks like a motorcycle cop in her helmet and glasses. I love it. We just strap Maddie in the backpack with her little helmet and go all over. Every once in a while Maddie lets out a little "woo hoo" it's hilarious. We can go for miles and they both just think it's the funnest thing ever. So we have gone a quite a few times this summer. Here are just a few pics. McKenna loves riding with her cousin Grace on Grace's little 50.

My dad has been wanting me to put some pictures on here of how my lawn is doing and I finally am! So here you go dad. It's doing pretty good. Hopefully it just keeps getting better! It seems like all I ever do when I am home is work on my yard. Moving water, weeding, picking beans, not to mention I have 52 trees that I have to water by hand every day. Oh well, it is sure paying off!

My garden! I love the corn it's so yummy!

Hope everyone enjoyed the little update. I will try to do better!

Girls!

2008-08-19T19:19:00.004-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago my friend Erica and her kids got to come and visit. It was tons of fun. It's really fun because Erica and I have pictures of us at the same age that our girls are. It's really fun that we have girls that can play and have fun together. They got to go to Build a Bear and shopping and played in McKenna's pool and play with toys and all kinds of stuff. McKenna loved having a friend (most of the time). We miss them tons!

Hopefully Hailey and McKenna will still be friends when they are as old as me and Erica! Thanks for coming guys!

Little Miss Maddie.....

2008-07-23T21:57:00.007-06:00

So my sister Stacey said that I always post about McKenna and not very many things about Madison. So here is a post just for Maddie. She will be 10 months old on the 2nd and is growing like a weed! She weighs over 20 pounds (you can't tell by the cheeks can ya), has two teeth on the bottom and is getting two more on top. Her hair is super curly and I love it! I hope it stays tha way. So far it just keeps getting curlier and curlier.

She sits up really well and is trying really hard to crawl. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth and can scoot backwards, but she has yet to perfect the forward motion.

Madison is saying a few words these days. She says Dad and Mom and thank you and stop and baba and she calls McKenna Nnna. It's pretty cute.

She loves playing with her toes. They are the best toy that we have. And if you put socks on her you can bet in two seconds she will have them off so she can play with her toes.

This face cracks me up. When she thinks something is funny she crinkles up her nose and laughs. She is hilarious. She has a really fun personality. She is very easy going and just likes to hang out. McKenna always had a real high pitched girly voice and Madison has kind of a smoker voice. It's a little lower and raspy. I love it!
But she definitely loves her sister. They have so much fun together. I'm glad they both like each other. McKenna can make Maddie laugh like no one else. They are way fun to watch together.

My big opportunity!

2008-07-07T21:06:00.003-06:00

So last weekend while we were in Utah, I had an amazing opportunity. I went to a LDS music workshop. Most of you know that I had written country songs and had the opportunity to sing back in the day and passed it up to go on a mission. Well since I have been home I have written quite a few church songs and now want to really get into that. So I went to this workshop that was put on by Jenny Phillips and Tyler Castleton (both very prominent in LDS music industry) and tons of other prominent people such as Hilary Weeks, Peter Breinholt, Mercy River, Staci Peters, and more. Anywho, while I was there I got to talk to Bob Ahlander who is the head of Deseret Book Music. He is the head of there label and manager for some artists. I was able to give him a demo CD and in the process he gave me a way to get a hold of him directly and said to follow up with him in a month. Also at this workshop they talked about having an e-mail fan club and that labels look to see how many people you have when they are looking to sign you. So I guess I need everyone's help to sign up for my new little fan club. Hopefully I will have a website realatively soon, but for now please just send a response to stephaniehillman@gmail.com. Once you join I will send you a free song and you will get monthly updates on what is going on. Also if you are interested in booking a fireside with me also just send a request to that address. Thanks for everyone's help and tell all your friends!

Long time no post!

2008-07-03T21:53:00.005-06:00

WARNING! This is a long post!

So it's been forever since I have posted anything so for that I apologize! Between being a mom, taking McKenna here and there for all her activities, doing the books for our company, coaching volleyball, trying to get my music going, keeping the house up to par, and occasionally finding a minute to myself to blog, my life gets a little busy. But I will try to do better.

This last weekend the girls and I and my sister-in-law Krista got to go to Utah. The main reason we went was for a music thing I went to (which I will post about in the future) but after that was over we got to see the sights.

We went to Hogle Zoo just for McKenna. She had tons of fun. I had bought her and Maddie these cute matching outfits and McKenna called them her "jungle pants' so we had to find the jungle at the zoo. They saw lots of animals and even got to ride the merry go round.

McKenna had so much fun having Aunt Krista along! Thanks for coming Kisy!

We found the jungle!

Then we went to the Joseph Smith movie. I have to tell you about a little moment McKenna had during that movie. At one point people are getting sick and dying and Joseph's friend brings his son to get healed. I looked over at McKenna and she was wiping tears away from her little cheeks. So after I asked her, "Did you like the movie?" She replies, "It was a little scary, but it made me feel really good." That was about the cutest thing I have ever heard! So when we walked out of the movie she saw the temple and all she wanted to do was go and touch it. So we did. It was a pretty neat experience.

Trying to get these two to look at the camera and smile at the same time is IMPOSSIBLE!

I love those cheeks!

McKenna just loved being able to be by the temple. It was sure great to see her there.

All in all it was a GREAT weekend!

McKenna's Special Day

2008-06-01T23:11:00.004-06:00

Friday McKenna and I got to have a "special day". I think she was in desperate need of some one on one attention with her mom being that alot of mom's time is now devoted to Maddie. So Friday morning we hopped into the car and started off at Target where McKenna got to pick out any toy she wanted. Of course she chooses Play Doh. I hate play doh. It's such a mess. Oh, well at least it's cheap. As we are walking out of the store she says "Mom, we are having a great time!" She makes me laugh. Then it was off to a little salon in Boise called Monkey Dooz. It is just for kids and is adorable. McKenna got to have a little makeover where they did her hair....

...they did her nails......
.....and her makeup. She was in seventh heaven! If anyone has a little girl you have to go do this at least once. I am sure McKenna will talk me into taking her there again.
Finished product!
Then we went to the Discovery Center in Boise where there were a lot of fun things. She really liked blowing giant bubbles with this fun contraption.

There was a little pretend grocery store which she absolutely loved. She could have shopped all day.

Then we went over to the park where she went on the slides and chased geese and ducks. It was such a fun day and I was so glad to get to spend it with McKenna. I just love her so much. She is the funniest little girl and brightens my day. Thanks for the great day McKenna!

It's Raining It's Pouring!

2008-06-01T22:54:00.003-06:00

So last Thursday there was the biggest most random huge rain storm. It only lasted about an hour but it did some serious damage. McKenna wanted to go out and stand in it. That lasted about two seconds.
This is what was left of our driveway after an hour.

These were huge rivenes dug by the water coming off the hill. Those are about a foot deep.
This is what happened in our backyard that we just barely planted and we hadn't got a chance to get our rock wall up yet and this is what happened. Some of those cuts in the dirt are like three feet in.
It was a sad day. Friday Travis and his dad ended up rebuilding a whole new road. Not fun!

Princess McKenna!

2008-05-29T20:26:00.003-06:00

So last week McKenna got invited to a Princess tea party at one of her friends' houses. It was so cute. Andrea had it all set up upstairs for everyone and there were quite a few little princesses there. All the little girls were dressed up and the there were a bunch of dress up clothes for them to all change outfits if they wanted. It was super cute and McKenna had tons of fun. She loves being a princess! Just a sidenote- every night McKenna makes me make up a new story about Princess McKenna. She has all kinds of adventures. It's pretty cute.

Even Maddie found a new friend!