Sophie's been tagged!

From the mind of a 5 year old...(The original post only asked the questions about the mom, but I though it would be amusing to see what her answers would be about her dad, too.)

1. What is something your mom/dad always says to you?

Sophie: I love you and I love you.

2. What makes your mom/dad happy?

Sophie: Giving her hugs and saying I love him.

3. What makes mom/dad sad?

Sophie: Not being nice. Not giving him hugs.

4. How does your mom/dad make you laugh?

Sophie: Knock-knock jokes. Telling jokes.

5. What was your mom/dad like as a child?

Sophie: Cute and cute.

6. How old is your mom/dad?

Sophie: I forgot. 33? 31.

7. How tall is your mom/dad?

Sophie: 2 feet. Ha ha ha... (apparently this question was very amusing to her.) Dad's as big as a baby giraffe.

8. What is your mom/dad's favorite thing to do?

Sophie: Mom- stuff on the computer. Dad-work.

9. What does your mom/dad do when you're not around?

Sophie: Mom-excercise. Dad-take a shower with mom. (I know as my own web-master, I probably should have saved myself some embarrassment and censored this one, but it was just too funny!)

10. If your mom/dad becomes famous, what would it be for?

Sophie: Being pretty and being handsome.

11. What is your mom/dad really good at?

Sophie: Cooking and excercising. Being a police man.

12. What is your mom/dad not so good at?

Sophie: Mom-fixing the t.v. Dad-cooking.

13. What does mom/dad do for a job?

Sophie: Excercise and look after her kids. Take bad guys to jail.

14. What is your mom/dad's favorite food?

Sophie: Lettuce and chicken. Chicken.

15. What makes you proud of your mom/dad?

Sophie: Being nice.

16. If your mom/dad was a cartoon character, who would they be?

Sophie: Minnie mouse. Mickey mouse.

17. What do you and your mom/dad do together?

Sophie: Hug and do puzzles. Go on dates to the theater.

18. How are you and your mom/dad the same?

Sophie: Being girls. By loving each other.

19. How are you and mom/dad different?

Sophie: By jumping on the trampoline, because I do and she doesn't. I'm a kid he's a grown-up.

20. How do you know your mom/dad loves you?

Sophie: Because they say I love you and give me hugs and kisses.

Now we tag: Kylee, Megan (Young) and Anwen.

Remember when...

Memory Lane

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.So let’s have it! Don’t be shy! What do you remember? Anything funny, embarrassing, silly…

I'm it (again)!

20 years ago:
1. I was 13 years old and we had just moved to a new town in Michigan.
2. I made my first (and best, for that year) friend at the new school because she and I both had red hair and freckles. Everyone kept calling me by her name, mistaking me for her.
3. That summer my parents had to come pick me up from Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp because I was so homesick that I literally got physically sick and fainted. It was my first time away from home for so long.
10 years ago:
1. I returned home, well, to Utah (not back to Michigan) from my mission in California.
2. I started a new job at Nordstrom in downtown Salt Lake City, working in the Holiday department.
3. I got an apartment in Provo and prepared for Spring semester at UVSC.
5 years ago:
1. Chris and I were living in Utah. Chris was back in school.
2. I gave birth to our one and only daughter, Sophia Lyn and had surgery on my ankle when she was only an infant. You should have seen me, sometimes crawling to get around to take care of three kids with a cast on my leg! Ugh.
3. We bought our first mini-van. It was a big step towards acknowledging we were a growing family; we had to let go of the idea of ever having a "cool" car! We also gave up drinking regular pop and switched to diet, it was a big year for us! Hee, hee :)
3 years ago:
1. Chris graduated from ISP academy and we were finally living in our first home!
2. We went to Disneyland for the first time.
3. That summer I was pregnant (barely) with Nicolas, and sicker than a dog.
4. Our oldest child, Noah, started Kindergarten. Another life-altering moment because once the kids start going to school, life as you know it is never the same.
1 year ago:
1. I reconnected with my dad after over 10 years of missing him.
2. We bought our camp trailer and spent a lot of the summer breaking it in!
3. Sammy started Kindergarten - two down, two to go (kids in school, that is)!!
Yesterday:
1. We woke up to the quiet and beauty of the mountains and had breakfast by the campfire.
2. I did laundry after coming home from camping.
3. I washed and vacuumed the Durango.
Today:
1. I just finished my daily workout, and doing more laundry.
2. It's Chris' last day off this week, so we'll probably take the kids to the park to ride bikes.
3. Then again, it's going to be 95 degrees, maybe we'll run through the sprinkler!
Tomorrow:
1. It's Friday, so I'll take Noah to Scouts in the morning.
2. It's time to repaint a bedroom and move some furniture around, maybe I'll get started on that project.
One year from now:
1. Anyone want to hedge bets on whether or not Nicolas has started talking by then??
2. Sophie will have finished her first year of school, and that means 3 of 4 kids in school full-time.
3. Who knows? Probably more of the same, or maybe Chris and I can run our first 10K together?? :)
I tag: Elizabeth, Annjilla, Lindsay and Katee. Good luck, ladies! It's actually harder than you'd think to remember back that far, it was for me, at least! I kept having to ask Chris "Now what year was it when..." Does this mean I'm getting old?

Yabba, dabba, doo!

Last night we camped at a campground about 15 miles from our home, but up in the mountains. (I know, we went camping - shocking! We've become that family that camps all summer.) It's a perfect spot for a fun activity on Chris' midweek days off, because there aren't many people that camp during the week, and the paths around the campground are paved, so the kids can ride their bikes. Nicolas had a great time, he never seems to tire of paddling his little feet on his trike (he can't quite reach the pedals), he looks like he belongs on the Flintstones. (Press "Play" to watch him in action!)

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

Yesterday we were able to visit Chris' brother and his family and attend their new daughter's blessing. Welcome to the 4-kid club, you guys! Brooklyn Paige is one of several babies born on the Bake side of the family this year. I thought I'd post a few pictures from the day, so those of you who couldn't be there, or just don't get to see enough of their cute family, could sneak a peek. (Posted on our blog, because they don't have a blog or web page - yet...hint!)
Stacy with Brooklyn.Allie on the back patio.MaKenzie and Sophie.Nicolas, Sam and MaKenzie.Stacy with Nicolas in their backyard.

Happy Birthday, America!

We started the day's celebration with what has become known as "The Candy Parade". I'm not exactly sure what candy has to do with acknowledging and celebrating our nation's freedom, but it's all in the name of fun, I guess. I remember when I was a kid and the 4th of July parade was all about cool and festive floats, and people in uniform - Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Military, Veterans, law enforcement, fire and rescue workers, and other civil servants. Flags abounded and the sound of a marching or military band filled the street. We were lucky to be thrown a Tootsie Roll or two, but my kids fare just a bit better in the candy department...
I'm so grateful to be living in America, a land of complete and total freedom. I'm married to my best friend, we have four beautiful kids, and great extended family and beyond. We live in a home that we own, in a town that we chose, in a great part of the country. I can drive, walk, run or skip down the road and be relatively free from fear, for my safety or that of my children, no roadside bombs or armed militia patrolling our streets. We attend a church of our choosing, we travel where our hard-earned money takes us, we vote for leaders that we choose to represent us. It's hard for me to fathom living anywhere that all these things aren't a free and personal choice. There may be some complaints about the state of our union - the economy, gas prices, corrupt and immoral politicians, lack of adequate health care, poor schools and education, all of which may be legitimate issues important to most Americans. But today I just wanted to send out our family's personal "THANK YOU!", to all those who've sacrificed, and greatly, for this country to exist. My dad, who served in the NAVY, Chris' dad, who served in the AIR National Guard, my cousins who have fought and served in the current war, all our other extended family members who serve diligently to preserve our liberty. God Bless America!

July 1st and it feels like summer!

Isn't summer the best? Chris and I are always searching for new and exciting ways to entertain and amuse our kids. Most of the time it seems like he and I are the ones most entertained, while at least one of the kids inevitably ends up crying or fighting with the others. Still, it usually ends up being worth enduring those momentary lapses to be able to enjoy these little experiences with our children. Not surprisingly, it tends to be the simplest activities that are the most fun. Here's some pictures from a few hours at the park today.