Back to the Basics

Circle the Wagons!

He's obviously gotten too much desert sun.

The Robert's headed out to collect treasure.

No it's not a mustache, it's Dirt!

Soto Fam knows how to camp.

Just another camp weekend! We have such a fun time together out in the dirt. Let's do it again soon!

Book Worm Breven

Way to go Brevy! We are so proud of you. Always remember that books can take you on any adventure you want! Keep up the good work!

What a Catch!

Fish gumbo, fish Anyway, like I was sayin', fish is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, fish-kabobs, fish creole, fish gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple fish, lemon fish, coconut fish, pepper fish, fish soup, fish stew, fish salad, fish and potatoes, fish burger, fish sandwich. That- that's about it.

Okay, maybe that's shrimp, but with a fish this size we better figure what we can cook with it!

Happy V-Day!

My Paw-Paw, Jack L. Richardson, USAF, 5001st Air Police Squadron

To all of those brave men and women who have sacrificed their time, talents, and even their lives in the service of our Country we thank you. We pray for those brave men and women daily who have made the choice to protect the freedoms that our family enjoys. We appreciate the families of those who sacrifice as well, and pray for them to be protected in the absence of their loved ones. On this Veteran's Day may we remember those who serve now, have served in the past, and those who have only just begun their service to this great cause. We appreciate all that you do!

Family Fun Time!

It's a new species.....the Cooperphant!

Riley's not too excited to touch the slimy fish.

Pirate Cooper is ready for his loot!

But first, we must read the map to find the treasure.

Aaaaaargh! It's Pirate Riley.

We had such a great time with our family this weekend. Riley and Cooper came out to trick-or-treat with the boys and it was a blast. We celebrated Coop's birthday too with a little bit of pirate loot of course. The boys had a blast playing together. I loved reading to the boys and tucking them in, and Uncle Cracker (Bryce's nickname) loved taking the boys fishing of course. Thanks for making the trek out to see us. Let's do it again soon!

Trick-or-Treat

Count Bracula!

Brevenstein!

What a fun time we had this year trick-or-treating! Good company, good costumes, and good candy. Does it get any better?

What Fun!

Clara turns 1!

Isn't she a cutie? We sure have enjoyed watching Clara grow this year. It's hard to beleive it's already been a year. Thank you VanHorne Posse for the great Birthday Bash to celebrate Clara, but most importantly, thank you for sharing Clara with us. We love you guys.

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater

While carving the pumpkin is fun, eating the pumpkin is better! After these awesome pumpkins were carved, we ate the seeds! YUM-O.

Graffiti Busters

Good job B boys! This is what we do for fun on an occasional Saturday morning. Way to go boys. Saving the community one sign at a time!

One Fish, Two Fish

Red Fish, Blue Fish. Okay maybe they're green. Yes, more fishing for the boys but this time at a private pond. They're elite fishermen now.

Welcome to the Gun Show

The moment I saw him, my heart skipped a beat!

I've been tagged!
1. Where did we meet? Good ol' Beaumont High. He was my pole vault coach. I know what you're thinking.
2. How long did we date? Almost 2 years.
3. How long have you been married? 11 years on November 29th, and still counting.
4. What does he do that surprises you? I love when he surprises me with a little note or funny text just in the middle of the day for no reason at all.
5. What is your favorite feature of his? His hands. Hard working, loving, caring, building, holding hands.
6. What is your favorite quality of his? He is a man of integrity. He's honest. (sometimes too honest) He's a man of God. What more can a gal want?
7. Does he have a nickname for you? Nothing I can blog about! He's always trying something out. Mostly "Hey good-lookin'"
8. What is his favorite color? Red, White, and Blue.
9. What is his favorite food? Enchiladas
10. What is his favorite sport? He's not a sports fan now, but he used to be a really good pole vaulter in high school. Trust me, I know. Now his favorite sport is any thing the boys are playing.
11. When and where was your first kiss? A "look out spot" in Yucaipa.
12. Favorite thing to do as a couple? Laugh together. Whatever that may be.
14. Does he have a hidden talent? He can widdle wood. How cute is he going to be as an old man?
15. How old is he? 31. He's like a good steak, he's better aged.
16. Who said "I love you" first. He did.
17. What is his favorite type of music? Pearl Jam, The Beatles,and Johnny Cash.
18. What do you admire most about him? So many things. The love for his family. The ability to provide. His intelligence. His character. I admire him for WHO he is.
19. Do you think he will read this? Yes, and he'll give me a hard time for doing it too!
I tag Erica J. Have fun!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Time 2 Ride

The boys love this time of year! As soon as it starts to cool off enough to put on a full face helmet, without passing out from heat stroke, it's time to go riding again! We took the quads out for a couple of hours this weekend and "tore it up!" It's not always my favorite thing to do, I prefer a steering wheel to handle bars, but I even got on and did a few laps too. We had a blast! So for our out of town friends and fam: The coast is clear. It's no longer 125 degrees, so load up your campers and quads and come on out! We'll have the light on for ya!

What a fun weekend!

Life is a Highway....

What a weekend! Vast open highway, ancient Joshua trees, giant rocks, and hundreds of die hard bicycle riders. My brother aka "the Wild Buck" entered a race called the Furnace Creek 508. The 508 stands for the amount of miles ridden within a 48 hour period. Yes, die-hards, right? Amazingly enough he came in just over 36 hours with only a 30 minute nap and pedaling the rest of the way. We were all there to cheer him on. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful role model for my sons. Both of my bros have always held my boys on such a pedestal and my boys think the world of them. As the Wild Uncle Buck pedaled up to the finish line it must have been overwhelming. My family was soooooo proud of his accomplishment. The boys must have thought he was Superman. After we hollered and hugged and even cried, he showed us the picture that was taped to his bike frame the whole way. It was a picture of my boys that said, "Pedal Uncle." How's that for inspiration?

We made an entire weekend out of it by camping with family in Joshua Tree. It was a blast to hike and we got some awesome pictures. And then of course the finish line crew with lots of laughs, lots of food, and lots of love.

Forty? Fugheddaboudit!

Mr. & Mrs. Mafia Kickin' up my heels!
Smoochin' my "Mormon Mobster"

"The Wiseguy" had a birthday party this weekend for all his mafia friends. What a blast. We dressed up, left our lil' babinos with gram, and partied the night away. The whole house and yard were decorated like a great Italian restaurant, red checkered table cloths and all. The food was yum-o too! Thanks for the great time Mr. & Mrs. Mafia.

Birthday Fun

they're sooooo cute
we love it here

Friday night was my friend Erica's birthday. We got dressed up and decided to try a little British restaurant for dinner. The food looked good online so we thought we'd be brave and try it out. WRONG! We walked up to the door and got blasted by cigarette smoke then went in and were blasted again with a very strange and unappetizing smell. Oh well, it was worth a try. We did go out to dinner though and even had a yummy birthday brownie sundae. The sundae was good, but the Temple trip was even better. What a great place to be on your birthday right? Thanks so much Erica for sharing this special day with us. We had a wonderful time.

Jeep Rides

There's something so freeing about driving around topless! (the jeep that is) We went home this weekend to be with family and borrowed Bryce's dad's Jeep. What fun! No car seats to deal with, the kids just climb in and hang on. We took a beautiful drive through San Timeteo Canyon to visit my grandparents. It was a beautiful day!

A Fish Story...

One sunny Saturday afternoon, a little boy wanted nothing more than to go fishing with his dad. Dad was reading a book in his favorite chair as comfortable as could be. The boy was persistent. He would ask, "Dad, can we go fishing?" His Dad would reply, "Sure, give me a few more minutes." Fifteen minutes would pass and the boy would ask, this time with a little more enthusiasm, "Dad, is it time to go now?" Dad replied, "You're not dressed yet. Go get dressed and then we'll go." Two minutes later the boy returned dressed and ready to go. "Dad, I'm dressed, can we go now?" Again the reply, "Almost bud. Oh wait, you don't have a hat. Better go get a hat on." In a flash the boy got his hat on and returned, only to find out that the poles and tackle box had to be prepared. Another fifteen minutes would go by and then dad said without skipping a beat, "C'mon Brev, I've been waitin' on you this whole time. Can we please go fishing now?"

All that waiting paid off! They returned in under one hour having caught one large mouth bass, one channel catfish, and one flathead catfish weighing in at just under 3 pounds making one heck of a Saturday lunch! Great job Breven! All your patience paid off!

Things to do in a small town...

Really.....is there anything to say? Someone please come out to visit!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Just kidding, really I love having my kids home for the Summer. I always have mixed feelings of sending them back. It's nice for them to have some structure back in their day and it's great to have some back in mine. All and all, it's always great to have them home, but it is nice to start school in the fall. It's always a nice tradition of new clothes and backpacks, freshly sharpened pencils and lots of pictures. Here are a few. Breven was most excited about having a desk and books now that he's in first grade. Brad is officially 2 cool 4 school, and hated having all this fuss made about it. I always wondered when this day would come. Now I know, it's fifth grade! I did sneak one picture in without him knowing. His name tag was spelled wrong and his face tells the story. A picture is worth a thousand words right?