Bath Time!!!!

OK, so this morning while I was giving my girls a bath I just had to take a picture! Sometimes they are soooooo darn cute that I just can't believe their mine!!! Come on, don't you all just want to pinch those cheeks!!!!!!!???? This pic is definitely one I am going to save and embarrass them with when they are older! What fun!!!!

Girls Night Out!!!!!

Last night I got to go out with my mom and my sisters Jessica and Melissa. We had such a great time and I really think we need to do it more often! We went to a movie, "The Blind Side" and then out to dinner. The movie was awesome and I recommend it to anyone. It was real heart warming and entertaining, plus I love Sandra Bullock.

You know, its funny, when I was younger I always wanted to hang out with my older sisters but I think I was too young and annoying for them. As we all got older our lives got really busy with marriages, kids, and school we all saw eachother less and less. I really think we all lost out on a lot of years that we could have gotten to know eachother better and be closer. Now that we are all more on the same page I think all of our relationships have gotten a lot stronger and I am really enjoying it. I think it is important to stay connected to your sisters and our moms of course! So my little message today is, call your sisters and tell them you love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Mom, Jessica, Jen and Cade, Melissa, and Me!

Thanksgiving has always been a greatly anticipated holiday for me. I love how much my mom has always gotten into decorating and all the wonderful beautiful food we get to enjoy together.
This year we were happy to be home amongst our family and just enjoy being together!


My moms beautiful mantle piece setting.................



The table decorations, I just love fall colors!





So welcoming........









The best homemade rolls ever, thanks for making them Jess!...............





My Dad, carving the turkey.........








All of us adults enjoying our turkey dinner (My Dad, Mom is taking the picture, BJ, me, my brother Brandon and his wife Jen, my sister Jessica and her husband Abe, and my sister Melissa............







My wonderful husband who I am so very thankful for..........






All our kids.......................












BJ and me enjoying the dinner............................




My sister Melissa, being crazy, she is soooo beautiful, thanks for posing for me Mel!



Melissa's daughter Lydia trying to pose like her..............






Penny had so much fun, I think she is really thankful for her cousins....................





I am so thankful for my darling little Hailey, she is too cute and always such a good little baby, she even started crawling last week!





All the kids ended the night with a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Indians...........







Even Hailey got in on the fun!

I really enjoyed the time we were able to spend with everyone and especially enjoyed all the wonderful food prepared! Thanks mom for making the turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, you know stuffing is my favorite! Thank you Jessica for the yummy homemade rolls! Thank you Melissa for the super awesome black forest cake and cheesecake. Thank you Brandon for the great salad. I hope you all enjoyed BJ's and mine swedish meatballs and peanut butter/ chocolate pie! Ahhhhh food, you always know how to bring family together!!!

To everyone else who enjoys my blog, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Chaffin Family Catch up!!!!

There has been so much going on in our little family since BJ graduated and I decided I better start catching you all up on everything we have been doing over these past few months. Two of the biggest things on our list is starting up a new business and moving into our brand new place, but I'm sorry that will come with the my next blog post, for now I am going to brag about the simpler things in life!

First of all, My dearest little Penelope decided to start growing some hair, YAHOOO! She is nearly three and it is about time!

My little Hailey has been growing like a weed too! she even cut her two bottom teeth yesterday!




Penny has been enjoying some fun time with Papa at a brand new indoor water park here in town!





We were even able to get away for the day to make a family trip up to Red Lodge. I also need to mention that my dearest Penny has certainly developed a mind on her own and has been testing BJ's and mine patience for a while now...........

BJ is trying to keep his cool with our little girl while she is trying to tell him off! Ha ha!



I am still learning how to be a good mom to two very energetic girls!





Here's BJ picking out some candy at my favorite candy emporium! Isn't my hubby HOT?!!!

Penny loved her first rock candy!
Hailey sure likes to be out and about!

At dinner at the Red Lodge Pizza Company..........


Penny has really grown up since Hailey has come along. She is the best big sister and is always willing to help! She loves her little sis and I hope it always stays that way!

I have even lost all the baby weight, back into size 2 jeans, and chopped my hair again! I just wish I could find some way to take away all the stretch marks and make my stomach not look like a deflated balloon! Any suggestions?

Penny and Hailey love to play with each other, check out the toys penny put in Hailey's pockets!Look at those big baby blue eyes! My girls are going to be heart breakers, BJ is already planning on purchasing a nice big gun to show all their future boyfriends!
Penny has really gotten to be very close with her cousins, especially her girl cousins!

Her best friend is her cousin Ray Ray (Rachel) they are the same age, only two months apart

Hailey isn't so sure how she feels about her cousins yet......

All in all, we have had some great times her in our hometown of Billings! I hope there are many more wonderful times to come!!! Be sure to check out the blog soon to read about our business adventures and to see pics of our place!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Halloween was a blast this year! Unfortunately my husband was in charge of the camera and didn't get all the pictures of everything I wanted, but he did get some dang cute ones though!
Here are some of my favs!

My daughter Penny with her best friend and cousin Rachel! Rachel is dressed as a fairy witch and Penny is a kitty Cat!

Penny, Rachel, and my sister Melissa's sister in law's daughter Sarah......

My nephew Adam as a vampire.......

My nephew Issac as a cow.......Me putting on my niece's makeup, Lydia was Mulan.......

My sisters, Melissa, Jessica, and I getting dessert ready for everyone.......

After a great dinner, made by my sister Jessica, of beef and veggie stew with homemade rolls and an hour or so of trick or treating, we enjoyed some yummy chocolate spiderweb cheesecake, made by me!

I also made these yummy Peanut butter cup cookies........BJ said they look like some little animal took a poo on top of the cookies, but then he said it was the best poo he ever tasted!!!!!

All in all I think we had a great time! It's so much more fun to celebrate holidays with your family and friends! I wish I had a picture of our little Hailey in her chicken costume, but as I said earlier, BJ was in charge of the camera and neglected to take one of her, I think he actually forgot she was there because she pretty much slept through all the fun! Oh well, I'll have to dress her up and take a picture when I get some time this week! Hope you all had a great holiday!!!

In Loving Memory of Scott Shimamoto........

So I know it has been a really long time since I have posted anything, but I can explain, my life has been totally crazy busy with moving, helping my husband start a new business, and taking care of my kids. I was all set to start blogging about all of these crazy great changes in my life, but then something very unexpected happen to our family. Last week my sister Melissa's husband did not come home from work. You see, my brother in law Scott works for a home builder here in Billings, MT and he had been helping work on a home that was located in Wyoming. On October 13, last Tuesday morning Scott and a plumber who had a small plane decided to fly to the home in Wyoming in which they were working on. They got to thier destination safely and finished what they had gone to do, but on the way home the small plane got caught in some nasty fog and the plane crashed............. Both Scott and the pilot plumber were killed on impact........

This was very sad day, my beautiful sister and her six beautiful children had, in a sense, lost their husband, father, and best friend. Scott was a wonderful man who worked so very hard for his family. He was dedicated to church, work, and most importantly to his wife and children. He loved his family with every fiber of his being and you could see that by how hard he worked to provide for them and just to spend time with them in general. It was not often that you would see Scott without at least one if not all his children by his side. He enjoyed them and loved to take them along on all his hunting and fishing adventures or even just to help him at work.

Scott was dedicated to service in every aspect of his life. He was always helping someone move, taking on an extra job to cover his family's expenses, and even helping me with my Chemistry homework when I just couldn't seem to get it. Scott was full of life and loved to joke around.....always looking at you with his crazy eyes knowing that he was driving you nuts wondering whether or not he was being serious.

My husband and I are very close to Melissa and Scott. BJ worked side by side with Scott for six months while he did an internship with the company Scott worked for, they got to be very close downing countless bags of sunflower seeds together. BJ has made sure that I know that he extremely enjoyed being with Scott, he always made work a little more entertaining.

Our heart aches for the Shimamoto family. We love them so very much and we feel honored to help Melissa and the kids with whatever they need. We could never replace Scott, but we sure hope to help lighten the load for Melissa and bring smiles to their children. We love those kids so much and we are looking forward to being a bigger part in their lives. My whole family and Scott's family as well as those from church and neighbors have all been giving their support and sharing their love for the Shimamotos in any way they know how. I hope that we can all always be a comfort and support.

I wrote this blog to let everyone know how much we all love and will miss Scott, but most importantly, I wanted my wonderful, beautiful sister to know how much I love her. Melissa, I love you sooo much and I have always looked up to you. I love to go to you for advice and guidance, I always have and I always will. You are such a rock of strength. I could never accomplish the things you do and have done. You are an awesome mother and you were such a great wife to Scott (BJ even wishes I could be a little more like you sometimes). Never stop believing in what you know is right. I know Scott will always be there right beside you and the kids whenever you need him, not physically of course, but he will be their watching over you guys with love. I can't tell you enough, I love you and I am always here for you, whatever you or your kids need!

Scotts Life Sketch, as presented at the funural.......

Scott Allen Shimamoto, 34, of Billings, Montana, passed away Tuesday, October 13, 2009, in a plane crash. He was born July 9, 1975, in Billings, Montana. He was the son of Sam Shimamoto and Susan K. Powell.

Scott grew up in Billings attending Beartooth Elementary, Castle Rock Middle School and Skyview High School. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served a mission for his church in Hong Kong from December 1995 to December 1997. On February 20, 1998, he married for time and all eternity, his sweetheart, Melissa Smith (daughter of State Representative Cary Smith and his wife Susan of Billings, Montana) in the Idaho Falls Temple.

Scott worked for Graybar Electric for a few years before moving to Provo, Utah, where he earned his degree in Construction Management from Brigham Young University, graduating with honors. Scott and his family briefly resided in Arizona after graduation, where he worked as a superintendent for Trend Homes. Then Scott and his family returned to live in Billings in 2006 where he worked for Wells Built Homes as a project manager.

Scott was easy to get along with, amusing people with his quick wit and humor. Scott was always willing to help anyone in need. He formed great relationships with the people that he worked with, work greatly respected his work ethic. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and working in his garden, but he especially enjoyed and spent most of his time with his wife and children. He was a wonderful daddy and devoted husband.

He is survived by his wife Melissa and their six children: Audrey, Jared, Lydia, Andrew, Rachel, and Ryan; his parents Susan (Bill) Powell and Sam (Joann) Shimamoto, siblings, Guy (Joy) Powell, Sheri Shimamoto, Reed (Jennifer) Shimamoto, Shellye (Steve) Burrows, Sheryn (Dereme) Budge, Stacy Wild, Steve (Megan) Shimamoto, Ben (Tasha) Powell, and Tim (Wynn) Powell; and several nieces and nephews.

Ballet Sisters

I got bored the other night while BJ was working late so i decided to dress the girls up and try my hand a photography.......enjoy!