One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fishy, Four Fishy…

Beautifully Eyed Fish. Perfect Fish. Energetic Fish. Flexible Fish. Friendly Fish. Shy Fish. Happy Fish. Silly Fish. Nervous Fish. Swimming Fish. Drowning Fish. Even a Naughty Fish…Meet the HepCat Fish.

Lucas: our oldest Fish (6 years old)…a.k.a Lu-Lu, Lukie Dukie, Lucas Pucas Poo-Poo Face.

Luke Skywalker, as his swim instructors call him, is quite the handsomely hazel-eyed Fish. In his “school,” there are two instructors and one other female fish. They often remind Luke to “use the FORCE”. Galaxy Fish. He is quite the stud and is very aware of his sole competition…he refuses to be defeated by the Lady Fish…even if it requires a couple of seconds of interrupted swimming to jog through the H2O to insure victory. Stud Fish. According to him, his least favorite thing about swim lessons is the frog kick and the butterfly kick. His favorite thing is doing the backstroke, BUT, it is “really hard.” Challenged Fish. He also enjoys treading water (except when his BIG little sister’s class passed by him…he politely says, “Hi, Lex”. She says “Hi, Luke” and puckers her lips at him). “She messed me up, Mom!” Thus, resulting in the Lady Fish treading longer. Embarrassed Fish.

Alexis: our second-oldest Fish (5 years old)…a.k.a. Lexi-Loo, Lexi-Pexi.

Lexi is quite the beautifully brown-eyed Fish. In her “school,” there are three instructors and five fish. She absolutely loves water…always has and pretty sure she always will. Fearless Fish. Lex is developing into a real swimmer…still needing minimal assistance. She loves to ignore the cue to ice cream scoop and kick…she simply plugs her nose, swimming under water with a variance of the frog kick and regular kick. Unique Fish. According to her, her least favorite thing is when they have to get in and out and sit on the edge of the pool. Cold Fish. She really enjoys playing games and when she gets to be a lifeguard and save her teacher with “the red thing”. Baywatch Fish.

Lyndsey: our second-youngest Fishy (3 years old)…a.k.a. Lynds, Lyn-Lyn.

Lynds is quite the uniquely greenish eyed Fishy. In her “school,“ there are three instructors and three fish. Prior to her lessons, Lynds was VERY timid around the H2O, merely tabbing in it here and there….digging her nails into whoever was holding her or stopping their circulation from her grip. Scared Fishy. She most definitely get the most improved award. Bribery (popsicles) weren’t necessary after Day Two…instead, “I love my teacher, Mommy….I had so much fun in swim lessons today.” Accomplished Fishy. According to her, her least favorite part was “Rowan….he throwed (sic) up” :/ (Swim lessons came to an abrupt stop that day). Smart Fishy. Lynds really enjoys sticking her head all the way in the water to get the rings, bobbing, “burping lots”, and kicking big. Content Fishy.

Tucker: our baby Fishy (10 months)…a.k.a. Tuck Tuck, T-Man, The Tank.

Tucker is quite the perfectly blue-eyed Fishy. In his “school,” there are two instructors, three baby fish, and three Mama Fish. He is the only one out of all the sibling fish mentioned to get Mama Fish in a swimsuit for a class. Spoiled-Rotten Fishy. He is on cloud nine when he is in the water. He loves to impress one of the Lady Fishy by multi-tasking with babble, splashing, and smiles. Flirty Fishy. According to Tuck and Mama Fish, he least likes wearing his hat…he says he wants the aforementioned Lady Fishy to see his baby blues. He has her hook line and sinker. He is about half her age, but double her size. Da’ Man Fishy. His favorite part of class has already been mentioned, but also to include: bubbles, splashing, floating, and motorboat. Glowing Fishy.

Two to Zero in 23 days...Until we meet again

Total of 2300 miles driven + Mom, Dad, 4 kids & dogs + 17 days in a hotel= heaven to the children, and possibly Dad…absolute nightmare for Mom. All of this in just 23 days. To some this scenario might seem like an enticing adventure for others, not so much. Let me tell the story…it is almost unbelievable.

Looking back at the last couple of months, it is all kind of a big blur. On March 22, 2011, I lost the best stepdad a girl could only dream of. David lost the perfect father-in-law/friend…and our dear children lost the coolest Papa in the entire world. Stephen Ray Shields lost his fight with an evil disease. Papa was a fighter…he fought to the VERY end for ALL of us. He loved us, and we loved him. In my opinion, there was nothing better in life to him than to be a Papa. He was overly protective for their safety, i.e. foam swords were dangerous. They uttered the faintest of whimpers and he instantly coddled. He loved to tease and taunt with his zombie walk…or a mere blow on their tummy followed with a contagious giggle made his day…and theirs too. We couldn’t even get the car turned off and Papa was out the door to greet us. He loved us, and we loved him. Papa was scared of our dogs…shhhhh! That’s our little secret. Papa loved to tell us stories…the same stories…over and over…every time we would see him…and they were always about his children. We loved to hear them. Until the bitter end, Papa loved to hold his grandchildren…without saying a single word, they knew he loved them. It was that sparkle in his eye and that gentle smile…both, he had until the day he “closed” his eyes. He loved us and we loved him.


On April 14, 2011 (only 23 days later), I lost a father-in law that always made me feel like a million dollar princess…he was a flirt. Honestly, I liked to flirt back. David lost a father that always wanted him to be the best he could be. Our children lost their grandfather they had always prayed would get better. No matter his role, Sherman Randolph Hepworth was a top-notch, cream of the crop kind of guy. He always wanted to know about you. Unlike Papa Steve, he was sick the majority of daddy's life…so we didn’t know Grandpa when he was “healthy,” but he loved us and we loved him. Grandpa was very creative, we are pretty sure he could have been a famous poet or artist, especially with watercolors…who knows, maybe he will be some day. Grandpa couldn’t get a round, but boy did he love to hold his grandchildren. Whenever he looked at them, you knew that he knew they were start from heaven. He loved us and we loved him. Grandpa loved to talk and was always excited about when our next visit would be…so were we. We wish we lived closer to Grandpa…but, we loved him and he loved us.


Grandpa had that same nasty disease as Papa. That evil thing treated their bodies different…but, it was MEAN to both of them. You see, Papa was mobile to the bitter end, and Grandpa never was…but, Papa couldn’t talk toward the end, and Grandpa could. But, that didn’t matter because they loved us and we loved them...that evil disease couldn't change this...or the fact that...Papa loved Nana. Grandpa loved Grandma. Grandpa and Papa loved their country. Grandpa and Papa both loved their Heavenly Father and their Savior, Jesus Christ, and knew that the gospel was true…they lived it. This was their legacy….for this we are blessed and for this, we will be together forever someday….until we meet again.

Bye, Bye, Baby!

It doesn't feel right to be taking down a crib. For the past 5 years, we have had a baby in the house. Lyndsey absolutely loves her new bed! Lyndsey loves animals and picked out her bed herself. She was really excited about her sheep! She is such a BIG GIRL now. She has by far been the easiest to transition to a bed. Way to go, Lyndsey!



This is a perfect example of why she is in a bed now...she loves to climb!



Luke and Lex were so excited for Lyndsey!



Lynds' first nap



Lynds' first bedtime

Keep up the good work Lynds!

Nikki's Motto...for this week atleast!

Worry about the present, and don't stress about the past...it will make for a better future, right? For the last year, I have wanted to blog; however, I have been overwhelmed with trying to make up all the missed milestone posts! So here goes it for 2010. I am committing myself to make a weekly post...even if it is just a picture! Unfortunately, I am not going to go back and worry about 2009, i.e. Lucas' starting Kindergarten a year early, birthdays, completion of my first year of teaching, Lyndsey turning the big O-N-E, Lexi starting preschool, David and all his flight accomplishments...seriously, the list goes on! Rather, I am going to start now!
We were able to spend a lot of time together as a family for Christmas and the New Year! We spent much of the time at my parent's home in Yuma. Thanks to Nana, we were also able to make a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth! J.C., Lauren, and baby to be were able to be with us too! Shel and Ry were also there! While at Disneyland, we celebrated Aunt Lauren's 30th Birthday! J.C. surprised her with these matching shirts saying "Lauren's 30th Birthday (front)....at Disneyland 1-28-09(back)! Boy, did she feel special with 8 of us wearing these shirts:) Alexis hated wearing her shirt because it was "boy colors, not girl colors." The saddest part, we didn't get a picture with us all wearing these stylish T-shirts! Luke and Lexi went on all the rides with us....Lucas' favorite was "every ride"! Lexi's favorite was Space Mountain and Soaring over California! Lyndsey's favorite ride was It's a Small World and Dumbo! Thanks Nana for such a fun trip!

Priceless....it's a good thing because the wait was 2+ hours!


Princess in training....not if you ask her though!


Trouble...plain and simple...GUARANTEED!


We are in trouble...no, seriously, we are!



Posting this pictures, so they can see how uncooperative they were for pictures when they are older...and to see Aunt Lauren's shirts!

We couldn't have asked for a more memorable New Year's celebration. It was just our little family up here in Prescott. All of us, including the kiddos, managed to ring in the New Year with all our bells and whistles....the best $6.00 I have ever spent! The kids absolutely loved it! For some reason, we didn't get pictures of the poppers, blowers, fireworks, etc. But, we sure got some of the frowns:)

The countdown begins.....don't they looked thrilled?

The after-party.....once again, children looked thrilled!

Well, here's to a Happy New Year to All...May we all find peace and accomplishments in our New Year's Resolutions! Here at the Hepworth house, we are anxious for this New Year and what it will offer! Love to you all!

Especially for Nana......

I don't think I need to say anything more! ENJOY!!! Thanks for everything! WE LOVE YOU, NANA!

Free Pizza...The Catch.....

Okay....so, you can call me tacky! But, I am EXTREMELY competitive! I am neck and neck with another first grade teacher at Liberty in our school Box Top Competition! I am calling out for HELP right now! A lot of you do not have children in school yet...so, I don't feel guilty asking you to collect these for me. For those of you that don't know about box tops, they come on a lot of food items you buy, i.e. cereal, fruit snacks, baked goods, etc. By collecting them, you are putting money back into my classroom:) I will do quarterly contests with all of you...the family that contributes the most will get pizza on me:) So I will have a winner in December, March, and May! PLEASE HELP! I realize many of you do not live here in Prescott...that's okay! I will reimburse your shipping if you would like. Please email me and I will send you our home address! Porter's, Winterton's, Aston's (if you don't give them to Dan's school), Holmes, Bjorn's, Walker's, Serr's, Click's, Thompson's, Brigette, Melo's, De Souza'a, Sandberg's....anyone, I so want to win this competition...the teacher I am tied with has won for the past four years! I WANT TO WIN.....more importantly, I want to put money back into my classroom.
P.S. You can even ask your siblings, parents, cousins, neighbors...HECK, total strangers:)
Double P.S. There are currently double points, so every box top ($0.10) is doubled ($0.20) until October 22nd....but, you have to get them to me ASAP because I have to send them off by the 20th!

Happy Birthday, Lucas....

Holy moly....man, I cannot believe our little man is already four years old...then, again I can't believe we have two children younger than him either:) It seems like yesterday it was just David and I! Lucas is such an incredible big brother. He is always looking out for Lexi and Lynds! Lucas is truly an amazing little man who is always trying to please his Heavenly Father! He absolutely loves going to church...he gets so excited every Sunday when he sees the steeple! He loves to say his prayers. It amazes me how much he truly understands about the gospel:) He is such an example to me! He loves to sing songs. Some of his favorites are Book of Mormon stories, I am a Child of God...and a little more intense..Pump It (Turn up the Radio)! It has been so much fun to see him grow up. He loves to learn. Often times, while driving in the car, he will ask me if we can talk about numbers and letters! Lucas loves to go to his preschool cooking class and to play soccer. He loves to help David and I out. Some of his favorite things to do are cook, fold clothes, and do dishes! He loves to help his dad with anything...changing the oil, building things, and playing the flight simulator!

Hepworth Oasis...okay, a little WHITETRASH, too!

This was a blast...so who cares if it was a smidge white trash. It's called making the best of what you have...and it worked AWESOME! The "whole fam damily" had a BLAST with this! Unfortunately, you will not see visual proof of me. I'm not about to air my big booty all over the internet in a swim suit 2 sizes too small:) As you can see in the video, David continuously brought out boiling water to keep us warm:) AWWWWWWWWWW!!!! Our Little Fish
It's this adorable princess that got Daddy to boil water...our own little spa! border=0>
I was in control of the camera...hence, the sideways video! SORRY!!!!

Diamonds, anyone? Uncle J...PLEASE!!!!

David and I have been very blessed throughout our marriage to see eye to eye; however, one thing that we haven't agreed upon is ear piercing. Believe it or not, this was a little surprising to me. I say..heck yeah! He says...heck no! David is a firm believer that our children, hopefully just the girls, should be able to consent to have this "permament scarring" done. There was so many times when Alexis was little that I would beg and plead. I even tried to play the traditional hispanic ancestry card...it didn't work! In all honesty, it was soooo tempting everytime the kids and I would go out of town during his final's week...mind you, he was never there.
Well, almost two weeks ago, Alexis started really noticing my earrings...and no, I didn't bring them to her attention, or coach her on the issue. She would say things like, "Mommy's earrings beety (pretty)...Alexis no earrings." After many of these conversations, I realized the "torturing" procedure was right aroung the corner. "Alexis, too...mommy earrings." Yes....
David and I asked Alexis if she wanted to get her ears pierced and she said, "Yes". So, the scarring is done. Alexis did very well. I was afraid that after they did one ear, she wouldn't let them do the other. Needleess to say, with few tears, both ears are pierced. As we walked throughout the rest of the mall, she would make sure that everyone noticed them. She would say, "ooo..beety...ear...hurt...ouch."
So to make an already long story, shorter...Uncle J told Alexis that if and when she got her ears pierced, he would buy her a pair of diamond earrings! So, this post is for you, Uncle J. Here's the proof!

Just for the record, David looked like he was in more pain than she was!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...Baby Lyndsey's Rollin'

She did it....Lyndsey Loo rolled over this morning. Man, she is growing up way too fast! Luke and Lexi absolutely adore her...and actually, they are starting to grow on her! For a while there, they were a little overbearing, between getting her toes ripped off during "this little piggy" and them grabbing her nose to steal it, and all the lip impressions (dried food) on her head from all of their kisses...YEAH...she truly is the love of their lives! Things aren't as crazy as expected with three children!

Little Miss Blue Eyes


Lynds at work with Daddy...future woman pilot!


Lynds self-soothing...if she's not eating, she is sucking on her fingers!


She VERY much loves her mommy...Lynds is the biggest mommy's girl EVER!!!

Good Times, Mate!

This summer has been rather busy for Lucas...a key to my sanity! We kicked it off with a session of swim lessons and finished it off with "the best soccer camp ever". Surprisingly, Lucas was a little timid the first week of swim lessons. He has always LOVED the water; however, he was a little apprehensive when it came to getting in the water with complete strangers. His teachers with very patient with Lucas. By the second week, he had adjusted quite nicely and was willing to participate with his class, i.e. blowing bubbles, floating, ice cream scoops, kicking, etc. I am very pleased with Luke's accomplishments during swim lessons! Way to go, Lucas! Alexis also had a total blast watching Lucas and playing in the water! She is a little fish! She loves to wear her "pim-puit" (swim suit). She also loved the slide Soccer camp has been the highlight of Lucas' summer! He absolutely loved ever minute of it! The night before camp started, we got Luke in his soccer shoes, shin-guards...the whole bit...and he went crazy kicking the ball around the house! Luke has taken a real liking to soccer. The soccer camp was put on by members of the British team. The first thing Lucas' coach, Steve, said to him was, "Hi, Mate!" Luke totally dug this. He ran over to me and said, "Mom, he called me his mate." For the most part, Luke was totally engaged throughout the whole camp. Some of his highlights were the animal game, looking for treasures, and chasing the tails. I was very impressed with the Challenger camp, and felt like it was worth every penny. The last day of camp, Luke received a poster with a letter personally to him from his coach, a camp shirt, and a nice soccer ball! Alexis is anxiously awaiting next summer to do the camp with her big brother. It was so hard to keep her off the field. She really wanted to be out there playing too! Good times, Mate!

The Battle Between Alexis and the Watercolors

Need I say more....this is what happens when Lexi is left unattended for maybe a minute. Actually, she wasn't totally unattended. Luke was laughing his head off,I should have known something exciting was happening! He's old enough to supervise his two year old sister while watercoloring, right? At least, I remembered to remove her shirt before:) I am learning...SLOWLY, but surely!

Lucas says and does the darndest things.......

*Beware....parts of this post may be a little offensive to some...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
1. The kids and I were finishing up our father's day shopping. As we were walking through the store, we were talking about what to get David...Luke thought maybe flowers to plant, since this is what they did for me on Mother's Day (by the way, awesome gift). As we were finishing up, Lucas asked, "Can we get something for me, too?" I explained to him that we were shopping for Daddy for Father's day. He replies, "When's it going to be kid's day?" My thought...isn't every day kid's day!

2. The other day, Luke and Lexi were playing in the backyard, and Lyndsey was sleeping. I was taking the opportunity to pump because Lyndsey had already eaten with her Daddy (I had spent the morning away from her). I am simply pumping away, when all of a sudden I hear, "Wooooooooooow...that's awesome." I look up and there is Lucas. He had somehow made his way back into the house and I didn't even hear him. His expressions were hilarious! He was truly amazed! I was actually quite embarrassed...I am a very modest nurser:) Do memories stay in a 3 year old's long term memory? I hope not!

3. The other night we had our VERY dear friends over (who are trying to conceive their first child), and the husband was kind of rough housing with Luke...and of course, Luke punches his "goods". David tries to tactfully explain to Luke why we are careful in that department...something along the lines of childbearing. Lucas replies with, "But Daddy's don't have babies in their tummies...only mommies". Perfect way to end the conversation...Oh, the innocence of a child!

Luke with his best buddy, Madison! Her expression is priceless..."I don't know him!" In Luke's defense, this picture is old...hence, the Huggies!

All in 2 days......

Now, imagine what the last two months have been like! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...our camera was stolen on Alexis' 2nd Birthday, and we just got it back a couple of days ago...and already, I have these exciting pictures to share!

WHERE'S LUCAS?????



While playing tennis with our good friends...we obviously weren't paying attention to Luke. Please note, the nice clubhouse in the picture behind the trees...the person walking by pretending like they don't know Luke...that's our friend:) Can you blame her?



Leave it to Luke to add a touch of masculinity to dressing up...



What's wrong with this picture (besides that it is sideways)?



Wait...is this better?



When our camera was stolen, they threw away our memory card, so all the pictures that we hadn't backed up yet are gone, i.e. Lyndsey's birth and first two months, the Red Bull Air Races in San Diego, David's 30th B-day, Alexis
2nd B-day...the list goes on:(
These last couple of months have sure been a RIDE...full of so much fun and adventure! I really think I could write a best-selling novel!