Byron

I can't write about all of the amazing people in my life and not write about my husband.  I am so lucky he was willing to put aside all of my quirks and marry me.  I feel blessed daily to have him in my life.

Byron is such a hard worker.  I have never had to wonder or worry about any money coming into our home.  I know that he will have 3 or 4 jobs before asking me to go outside of the home to look for one.  With these duplexes, it has been great to see our kids learning some valuable lessons on work ethic.  It is awesome to see them all working together to mow lawns or shovel walks.  Thanks to their dad for helping them learn these great and beneficial traits.  Byron also is such an amazing handyman.  He can fix things that I never dreamed he could fix.  He is a "go getter" and will just do it.

One of the first things that stood out to me when I met Byron is his ability to be a great leader.  He has this ability to lead a group of people or to be somebody that you would ask his opinion.  Byron has no problem getting up in front of a group of people and talking - and he never seems nervous or says the wrong thing.  He is a natural when it comes to that.

Byron loves to have fun. He looks forward to any trip we can take either as a family or couple.  He is an impressive traveler and does amazing when it comes to riding subways/taxis, figuring out different currencies, and communicating with people from other cultures.  I love to listen to his conversations in Spanish while in a taxi or at a restaurant.  He seems so confident and amazes people with his speaking abilities.

He constantly amazes me as he takes time for each kid when they need that time.  He will be coming through the door after a hard and long day at work and immediately get blown over with 6 children wanting to show him or tell him something.  He is so patient with them and takes the time to listen.  It isn't uncommon to see Byron outside throwing a ball with his sons, helping Bradley unscrew something around the house, or watching Byron help Camille with homework. 

Byron is very knowledgeable about the world and everything going on in it.  He loves to watch CNN news, read any business book, watch everything and anything political, and just keep up with the daily news. 

Byron is a great son that is so willing to help out his parents at a moments notice.  When we first got married, he finished part of their basement.  He always is looking for different projects to do for them. 

He is an amazing deep cleaner and very cleaver with his organizational skills.  I love when he will help me declutter an area - he just jumps on it and gets it done making it look effortless. 

I feel so privileged and honored to be his wife.  I love you Byron so much and have loved the past 15 years we have been married!

Bradley

Where do I begin with this guy - he is such a huge joy in my life. Our family truly wasn't complete without him.  He is my little sidekick through out the day that definitely keeps me young:).  He has endless energy. 

 Bradley has always been so amazing when it comes to remembering things.  He has been talking since he was around 15 months and hasn't quit talking since then.  He will remember a person's name even if he hasn't seen them in a few weeks.  I remember when Bradley was just 2, I was talking to a lady in my driveway when he heard me call out her name.  Maybe 5 minutes later he came up to this lady and called her by her first name.  Both me and this lady were amazed.  Ever since then he hasn't forgotten anybody's names.  When he was first in nursery, he would rattle off all of his friend's names.  Some that he said I wasn't even familiar with until I looked into it further to find out that they really were in class with him. 

Bradley is a definite people person.  He has always LOVED being where the action was.  He loves being around his aunts, uncles and cousins.  Bradley has a very close bond with his cousin Cadan.  Both of them play so well together and rarely get into any arguments.  It is actually a huge blessing for me when Cadan is over because I finally can get some free time for myself.

He is my only child that hasn't loved TV.  Bradley never showed any interested at all in any show until he was around 2 1/2 when he started watching Leapfrog letter factory and also Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  He still won't sit still for very long and will only tolerate a 30 minute show of Dora or Mickey Mouse.  On the good note, he has had a lot of creative and educational time.  He will be playing with his toys while all of the other kids are watching TV. 

Bradley does love to play the laptop.  He is really good with maneuvering around on the computer between his favorite websites: "Starfall," "Disney" or "Pbskids." 

Bradley is a very happy guy that has a contagious smile and laugh.  He is happy and content 90% of the time. 

This year has been a little trying in the Bradley realm.  He has decided that he doesn't want to leave his mom's side to attend joy school, nursery or even go to somebody else's house.  If I end up leaving him, he will only be distraught for maybe 5 minutes then gets over it quickly.  He is doing a lot better the past month.  I was so worried about him a few months ago thinking that he might be my first child that wouldn't go to kindergarten without me going with him.  I am so happy to see a possible light at the end of this tunnel.

Bradley is so fun to be around.  He loves to play with legos, Geo trax, ride his bike, play with friends, play with his brothers when they are home, help in the kitchen, sing songs, take apart anything that he can find with a screw driver, play with play dough, and being outside.  He is so easy going and such a joy to have as a child.  I love you Bradley so much and feel so blessed to have you as my boy - how lucky I truly am!

Parker

How lucky I am to be the mother of Parker Beck.  He is such a great kid that lives life to its fullest.  He is constantly teaching me new things.  Parker was born with a very calm personality.  He was the most giving and sweet little guy. 

Parker has a great memory and can memorize songs really quickly.  When we are driving in the car, I love hearing him sing along with David Archuleta or Carrie Underwood.  He has almost every word memorized.  He also can memorize scriptures or other things really easily.  He also has an awesome voice!

He is an amazing runner.  Back a few years ago, Parker's Uncle Michael organized a "Beck Run."  All of the kids ran around the track field one time.  Parker kept on running and ended up doing one mile and still wanted to go more.  He has so much energy and didn't get tired.  One day I can see him in track or cross country.  Parker is also awesome in soccer.  He is not intimidated by the ball and will keep after it until a goal is made or the ball goes out of bounds.  The first year he was in soccer when he was in kindergarten, he would disappear after the games and I would end up finding him fast asleep in his bed.   He has worn himself out on the field enough to fall asleep - which was definitely not typical of him.

Parker has a funny sense of humor.  He can get me laughing with the stories he tells or the way he makes faces when he says something.  He also is a comedian in our home.  He is my "Spaghetti Boy" and can't eat enough of it.  Parker can stand on his head for the longest time and has really good balance. 

Parker loves school and is really good with math.  He can add numbers that I can't in my head.  He also is a great swimmer and will do dives off the diving board along with Carter.  He is literally a fish out of the water and would go every day if he had a chance.  Last summer we had swimming lessons and he learned so quickly to the point where he can swim without me being worried.

In June, Parker was so excited to start being a cub scout.  I have been in scouts the past 3 years, so he would see me going every week and looked forward to the day when he turned 8.  He loves going every week and enjoys the interaction with the cub scouts. 

He is a great helper.  I will walk into a room and find him secretly sweeping the kitchen floor for me or mopping.  Parker loves to help and is really good at cleaning when he wants to.  There was about a 5 month period when Carter & Parker kept their bedrooms so clean I couldn't believe it was their bedroom.  He also has always been a great big brother to help with anything I have needed when Bradley was younger.  He would entertain him and play with him so I could get other things done. 

Parker loves to play the computer, Wii, watch movies, play card games, and play with his brothers outside.  He also enjoys riding his bike and just having fun laughing.  He has the best laugh that makes me smile.

Parker is daring.  Last time we went out on a boat, he was doing quite the tricks while on the tube.  He turned backwards and ended up practically doing the splits.  He enjoys life and has fun in the process.

I love you so much Parker and feel so lucky to be your mom.  You are such an awesome kid that has amazing potential.  You will go far in life from your hard work and determination.  

Carter

Being born as a twin has its definite advantages and disadvantages. Carter is very blessed to have a best friend every step along the way during this journey of life. The definite disadvantage is that they are constantly being asked - "Which one are you?"  He doesn't let that stop him, though. 

Carter is very quick on his feet and loves playing soccer.  He is not afraid to get close to the ball and is aggressive on the playing field.  He has played for the past 3 years and has loved it.  What could be more awesome than also having your own brother on the same team.  I love watching the two of them on the field together.

Carter loves to read.  Carter is also quite the little artist.  He can create the coolest animated characters.  He has also had me type up some of his stories that he has written. 

He loves to spend a lot of times outside.  His scooter & bike are one of his favorite things to do.  Carter also loves crossing the bars at any playground.  He won't let the blisters and calloused hands stop him.  He can even skip the bars and doesn't skip a beat.

Carter is also quite the swimmer.  From a very young age he was so daring in the water.  I almost had a few heart attacks watching him.  He definitely doesn't have any fear of the water.  He took off quickly and learned to swim at a very young age.  Now he has advanced to diving or flipping off the diving board.  I almost can't watch him each time he does it as I feel like he will hit his head on the diving board or hurt himself.

Carter is a math whiz and can add and subtract really well in his head.  His favorite subject is math and he also loves recess.

He also loves to sing and has a great voice.  Now that he can read better, I love to hear him and Parker sing in Sacrament Meeting.  They both sound so awesome together.  He loves playing guitar hero on the Wii, riding in his dad's truck, playing with friends, playing on the laptop, eating enchiladas and pizza, and watching "Narnia" or "The Best Two Years."  Carter also loves scouting and has loved den meetings and the fun activities that are involved with scouting.  He loves playing any type of card or electronic game.  He has always been a people person and loves to be around others.  Carter loves playing with his friends both from our neighborhood and from school. 
 

Carter & Parker can be the best of friends one minute and worst of enemies the next.  I love seeing them when they are having a good moment and what they will do for each other.  They truly do have a special love there, that unfortunately sometimes is hidden.  On Friday, they both lost the same upper right tooth and yesterday the same upper left tooth.  If this doesn't say they are twins, then I don't know what does!  

I am constantly amazed at how much Carter & Parker are alike yet how different they are.  Carter is always concerned about others and will asks a lot of questions.  He has a lot of fun in life and loves to be adventurous.

Carter, I love you so much and feel so honored to have you as my son.  You are such a great example to me and I can't wait to see what amazing things await you.  You will make one young lady very happy one day! 

Johnathan

Johnathan is such a fun kid to be around. He is smart, a great helper, easy going, and extremely motivated in all he does.  He was the perfect child for my third.  I was very nervous to see how being a mom to 3 would turn out, but it was such a great transition thanks to such a wonderful and good natured boy.  He was my best pregnancy and was a very happy little guy.  Johnathan loved to hang out with his older two siblings.  He has this really great relationship with Tanner that I hope stays for their whole life.

Johnathan is my sweet tooth.  Of all my children, I can get the most benefits out of him if something sweet is involved.  I can always get those jobs I don't want to tackle done if the reward is candy.  He is almost my most picky eater.  I really hope this changes as he gets older because I just don't know how he will survive a mission and being married.  His favorite foods are mashed potatoes & gravy, pepperoni pizza, any sugary cereal, apples and rolls.

He is the peacemaker in our home.  Rarely does Johnathan start conflict with somebody else.  He is also a great reader.  Since Johnathan was around 1st grade he has been reading every night along with Tanner.  I can't get the two of them to turn off the lights most nights.  Right now he is reading "The 39 Clues" series and absolutely loving them.  Johnathan has enjoyed collecting money from all over the world lately.  Luckily he has a dad that has some travel behind his belt, so he is always bringing home loose change from these trips. 

Johnathan is a great student.  He loves to learn.  I have never had to really get after Johnathan to do any homework.  He will come home from school and jump on it. 

He is also huge into computers, his DS, and video games.  I, unfortunately, have to sometimes kick Johnathan out of the house so he will get some exercise:).  He is really good at figuring things out on the computer.  Recently Johnathan asked Byron to help him create his own web page.  Every night for a few days he would have Byron teach him a few more things so he could create tables, add links, use colors, etc.  I was impressed how Byron was so patient and would teach him these things that I have no clue how to do.  Johnathan was a quick learner and took off. 

When he turned 8, he was so excited to be in the scouting program.  He would read the Wolf book whenever he got a chance to see what new things he could pass off.  Because of this, he received his Wolf pretty soon after turning 8.  He loves anything "scouts" and is currently in Webelos.

Johnathan loves soccer and has played for about 4 seasons.  This past year he was on the same team as Tanner.  I loved seeing the two of them playing forward together.  They were starting to be really good together as the season ended.  

Johnathan is such a wonderful helper.  I can always count on him to help set the table, run downstairs to grab something for dinner, take out the garbage, stay and help until everything is cleaned after eating dinner, or to watch Bradley.  He is very competent and a great kid.  I love you so much Johnathan and feel blessed to be your mom.  You have a fun sense of humor and are such a bright light in my life.  Love you tons!!!

Tanner

How fun and exciting it was to add a boy to our family after having 2 girls!  Byron especially loved having a boy to play catch with.  Little did we know at this time that our trend with boys was just beginning:).  Tanner is the 5th "Byron" in our ancestry - named after 4 amazing men!

Tanner is a very easy going kid.  He would prefer to not be inside, but outside all day long.  The first thing he does everyday after arriving home from school is to go into the backyard with one of his siblings and play a ball game.

Tanner will come up behind me and give me the best hug.  One time when Byron was overseas, Tanner came up behind and did this - I almost freaked out thinking it was Byron behind me since he would do this same thing often.  How I love those hugs!

He is a great reader and almost can't put a book down each evening.  Him and Johnathan will read every night together in their bedrooms.  I love seeing them reading together.  Tanner has read all of the "Lightening Thief" series along with Johnathan.  I was surprised how quickly they both got through them.  He tries frequently to have me read some of the books he has recently read.

Every since Tanner was very young, he has had awesome coordination.  Byron could play ball with him when he was really small.  I remember watching Tanner bounce a ball when he was around 3 and it just looked so funny to have such a young child dribbling so well.  Tanner is really good at every sport he tries including soccer & flag football.  He also love watching BYU football with Byron.  If I ever have a question about a football rule or who a player is, I can ask Tanner and he will almost always know the answer.  He knows what number each player is and really loves to watch the games, especially next to Byron or at the BYU stadium.

He has a great voice and used to sing quite a bit when he was younger without prodding.  Now it must not be a "cool" thing to do as it is a little harder to get him to sing.  He will, however, sing in the car with us if he hears some of his favorite songs like, "Life Is A Highway," "Replay," or "Eenie Meenie."  I love to hear him and hope he continues to want to share his talent with others.  Tanner also is taking piano right now and doing really well.  He can play the piano by ear.

Tanner is such a great and tender brother.  He was always such a great helper with each baby I had and was so cute as he would play with them to help in any way. He is a hard worker and is really great at mowing lawns.  He also loves to play card and board games.  Tanner has never had a problem making friends and having many.  There used to be a time where we would have quite a few boys each day calling or knocking on the door to play with Tanner. 

I love you Tanner.  I feel so fortunate to be able to raise you and be your mother.  Your smile and laugh melt my heart!

Camille

Since this month is Thanksgiving, I wanted to write how lucky and thankful I am for each of my children.

Camille is such a delight to have as a daughter.  I love her and feel so blessed that she joined our family first.  Being the only daughter to a bunch of boys definitely wouldn't be my idea of wonderful, but she does a great job at dealing with it.  How wonderful it is to have a daughter first - so great to get those little breaks from the time she was 9 or 10 where I could leave for about 15 minutes and know the kids were in good hands.

She has such a creativity knack and is really good at it.  She can learn new things so easily - usually teaching herself by watching somebody doing it or reading about it.  She can knit, make jewelry, cook, play the piano, sing, loves playing with children, and the list could go on. 



Camille has an AMAZING memory - From the time she was just 3 or 4, she could tell us which direction to turn while driving to go home or to head to Grandpa & Grandma's home.  She would also get upset with me if she thought we were heading home and she could tell we weren't going that direction.  As soon as I would turn somewhere different she would say, "Where are we going?"  I didn't know that such a young child would notice these things. 



She has never had a hard time making friends.  We would go to the park when she was young and she would always know the kid's names at the park and become their instant friend.



Camille loves food - to eat it and to cook it.  She is really a great cook also.  She will look at cookbooks and find something quite tasty to cook and make it to perfection. Camille is good at adding her own twists to recipes and they most always turn out wonderful.  Just a week ago she wanted to make alfredo sauce.  We didn't have any cream cheese so she wanted me to go and buy some.  Since I didn't want to head to the store for one item, she improvised.  She ended up using "Laughing Cow Cheese" and it turned out amazing!  I had her immediately write down the recipe so I can try to duplicate in the future.  I also love to eat her "Lion House" rolls, lasagna, taco soup, chicken pot pie, meatballs and bread sticks.  She also loves to eat food that is elaborate or very time consuming - not mac and cheese or ramon noodles. 

Camille has been singing since she started talking.  There were times when she was younger that I started getting annoyed with the constant singing that was going on.  That annoying singing soon paid off as I realized that she truly has a singing talent.  She was in the play  "Sound of Music" back in Aug. 2007 and her love for drama and singing has just tripled since then.  Camille  has since been in quite a few plays and can't get enough of it.  She started taking singing lessons last year and her singing abilities have really improved.

She has had to overcome some pretty hard obstacles in her life and is such a great example to me of how to do that. She loves to play card games, watch movies, read a book, hang out with family, ride roller blades, or watch a play.  I love you so much Camille and am so grateful you are my daughter!  You are such a beautiful girl both inside and out!

Below is a video of Camille singing "Gimme Gimme."