The Crazy Weather

My kids have been LOVING all of the snow that we have received lately. Payton even got a snow day. We helped the kids build two big snowmen (Carie and I ended up making one into a girl) and even grandpa came over to participate. Despite it being super cold that morning, the kids had fun playing and going for wheeler rides with their dad. Next time I am going to have to find some decent gloves for my children though. Their poor little hands were freezing by the time they got done.

Happy Birthday Payton

Today my oldest little guy turned seven! It is hard to believe that he is already that old. Tonight we are celebrating at home with all of our family. And I hope he has a good birthday. We love him to pieces.

Live Nativity

This is the third year we have gone to Staheli Farm to watch their live nativity that they put on. If you have never been to one of these (I know of a couple places that put this on), I highly recommend going. That night it was snowing and inside the "stable" was FREEZING, but it was well worth sitting through. Scott and Mel's family participated in it so it was fun to watch them.

Lovin' the Snow

This is what our yard looked like this morning as I was taking Payton to the bus stop. Having the snow all day yesterday got me totally excited for Christmas. It finally feels like winter around here.

My Favorite Picture

Here is my favorite pic with all my boys.

Halloween

All of the cousins - we all did trunk or treat together in our neighborhood.

Weston - skeleton

Colton - rodeo clown

Payton - Mario

I know I am a little late in getting the Halloween pics out, but better late than never, right? That morning Payton wore his costume to school for their parade and party. Since we were running late I just settled on taking pictures after school with all of the kids together in costume. Boy, that was a mistake. While I was at school Payton kept messing with his moustache and gloves and I just knew he was going to lose them. Sure enough - he did. And I failed to get ONE picture of the "real" Mario. So that night we settled for no gloves and a drawn on moustache with makeup before heading out for the night.

Family Pictures

The baby is napping. My washer is full of wet clothes that need to be transferred to the dry. Payton and Colton are out on the tramp practicing their wrestling moves. The dishwasher needs to be started. The kids' toys are still out all over the family room floor. And I still don't have a dinner plan for tonight, but I thought I would upload these instead. I had these pictures taken back in July. Colton was such a little ham that day; I wish I could say that for the rest of the kids, but that happens.

Parx8

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Also, if you want to see some of them bigger, just let me know and I will put them on here bigger (I kind of made them small this time).

A Wild Ride

For those who don't really know Colton, he is my little "cowboy". He loves anything that has to do with a farm. His favorite place to visit is Scott and Melanie's house (because of the farm and baby Tripp). He tells me he is going to ride a big buckin' bull in the rodeo when he grows up and for Christmas this year he wants a baby cow. Recently he was asked if he was going to be a cowboy when he grew up. His response? 'I already am'.

So Saturday night when we went down to Scott and Mel's he said he was going to ride a calf. So an agreement was made between him and the guys; if the calf is roped you HAVE to get on. A few minutes later the calf was roped and away he went (with much hesitation). Terror was written all over his face while on the calf but as soon as he was off and on the opposite side of the fence he says, "I'm gonna do that again tomorrow, okay Scott"? And we all just laughed.

Friday Night Wrestling

Right now Payton is participating in wrestling with Pine View High School. He has done the clinic before but this is the first year Kyle and I have agreed to let him be in the weekly tournaments. And Friday was the first one. I do not think it was anything he was expecting but he did a great job. Regardless of win or loss, each child has the opportunity to wrestle three times during the tournament. During his second match the little guy he wrestled was quite rough and so it took a little convincing to get him to actually do the third match. Even though he did not win any of his matches he improved so much between the first and last and we couldn't be prouder. Hopefully he will have better luck this next weekend and actually get to win a medal. Good luck Payt!

Still a Boy

If there are any of you that are still holding on to that littlest piece of hope that we could possibly be having a girl, you can stop wishing. It is a boy, 100%. We had another ultrasound yesterday and we were able to get some really good shots of him. Everything appears to be going fine, and we are just about half way there . . . thank goodness.

I was Tagged

This is the picture I find when I open up my fourth folder and go to the fourth picture. It is of Ms. Keri and Colton at preschool last year. Out of all my boys he is probably the one that loves the outdoors most and everything that has to do with the outdoors. This day he decided to take a cougar skull that we acquired from one of Kyle's hunts for show-and-tell. I think Ms. Keri was a little apprehensive about the idea of touching it, but she did a great job. And I was there to capture it all on film.

RuLeS: Open your pictures file and select the fourth folder. From there, select your fourth picture and tell a little about it. After you are done, tag seven people to do the same. :)

Now I tag: Melinda, Bradi, Carie, Jessica, Jodi, Kati, and Lainee.

First Major Accident

While playing with cousins and friends over at Aunt Bradi's house yesterday Weston either went to step on or jump to the coffee table from the couch and completely missed. Instantly we heard a horrific cry come from him and I knew something terrible had happened; his face was covered in blood. To say the least, I was panicked. As soon as we got home I had my dad come give him a once-over; to see if a trip to the ER was neccessary. After checking him out my dad said we would be fine to stay home and just monitor his eyes, but he did suffer a chipped front tooth, torn gums, a super fat lip, swollen face, and possibly a broken nose. Weston and I spent the remainder of the evening cuddling in the rocking chair.

so gRowN up

Not sure what is up with my scanner, but you will just have to look past that this time.

I opened up Payton's backpack just the same as I do every afternoon once he gets off the bus to see what's in store for us that evening and I was pleasantly surprised when I caught a glimpse of that familiar "Lifetouch" envelope crinkled and tucked away with the other various papers he brings home daily. I reached for them and anxiously opened it. As I got the pictures out I was immediately taken back. He looked so much older to me and so grown up. It brought tears to my eyes (it's gotta be the hormones) to see just how much he has changed over the last year. I can still close my eyes and go back to the time when he had the so-called rubber band wrists and walked around the house with a binky in his mouth. And that really wasn't all that long ago.

So for me, this was a reminder that I need to slow down and cherish this time with my kids more. They really aren't going to be small forever.

It's a(nother) boy!

Yesterday I had an ultrasound done and we were able to find out the gender of our baby. Yes, it is another boy. There is no denying it. Kyle and I were really hoping for a girl, but in the end all we really are wanting is a strong, healthy, happy baby. We were not disappointed. Boys are what we know and we love 'em. So, there you have it. There will be no girls coming from us.

The person I felt really bad for was my poor mother. She was anxiously waiting for the happy news back at home with our two of our kids. This whole time she has been thinking we were going to have a girl this time around. Well, this baby will make 11 grandsons for her, no granddaughters. I told her it was a boy and handed over the pictures. Her eyes scanned the pictures over and over as if looking for any evidence to dispute what I had just told her and all she kept asking was, "Are they 100% sure?"

HaPpy oCtObEr

I have been waiting for October to come around for a while now. I love this month; the cooler weather, caramel apples, the deer hunt, leaves changing colors, decorating for Halloween, making spooky treats, dressing up my kids, trick-or-treating, the candy, etc. So for the next few days I will be busy taking down my summer decorations and breaking out the witches and ghosts. The pumpkins pictured above are my latest find. They are completely made of wax, they come with a little battery-powered tea light so I don't have to worry about a fire, I can use them year after year, and I can't wait to set them up on the mantle and turn them on every night.

One of our Favorite Things

Yep, pine nuts!! When Kyle got home from the muzzleloader hunt last night I was pleasantly surprised when he handed me a gallon jug full of them. I couldn't wait to crack them open and devour them. One of my favorite memories as a child was going pine nut pickin' with my family. It seemed like we would drive forever before we able to get out and run around. And the smell of the sap. To this day, I still love that smell.

Dixie Roundup Rodeo

As we were driving down the Boulevard the other night Colton caught a glimpse of the sign that is on the corner of the gas station as you come into town announcing the Dixie Roundup Rodeo. He says from the back, "What did that sign say . . . . did that sign say it is time for MY rodeo? I saw the buckin' horses on that sign and I think it means my rodeo is coming. Is it TONIGHT?"

He truly believes that they put this show on JUST for him and he is extremely excited to go and is very much looking forward to tonight. He is my little cowboy and LOVES everything about animals, especially horses. Ever since he was just over two he started learning all of the different horses and loves telling you all about them.

So you guessed it, this weekend we will probably spend much of our time down towards the Sunbowl and watching the parades so he can study all of the horses and try to figure out what type of horse each and every one is.

Who knows, maybe tonight we will see you there!!

We're having a Baby!!

We are happy and excited to announce that we are expecting our fourth . . . . and FINAL baby sometime towards the end of March. The boys debate on whether it is a girl or boy this time, but as for me and Kyle, we are hoping for a girl. Who knows, maybe fourth time is the charm. Either way it is our last. As soon as we do find out what we are having I will be sure to post it.

parx photo shoot

Boys will be Boys

Yesterday my mom and I spent a good portion of the day making applesauce at her house while Colton and Weston were peacefully playing in the basement . . . . or so we thought. Here are some of the mischief things we discovered when we decided to take a break around noon to grab some lunch.

* they dumped out pot after pot of potting soil all over the back porch

* scooped all of the fish they could get their dirty little hands on out of the pond in the backyard and flung the helpless little things to the grass

* turned the hose on the dog and drenched him . . . . and themselves

*buried the poor dog under all the blankets, rugs, pillows they could find

* typing on my mom's adding machine and ended up wasting a whole roll of paper - the roll was strung out all over the floor

*got into watercolors and painted themselves, the table, the floor . . . . pretty much anything they saw

And those are just the things we noticed. Who knows what else they were able to destroy throughout the remainder of the day.

never forget

September 11, 2001. That fateful day will always be engraved in my mind, as I am sure a lot of you. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing as I watched on t.v. in horror the second plane fly directly into the World Trade Tower. Being six months pregnant with my first child, it was an emotional day for me and the thought of bringing an innocent little baby into such an evil world terrified me. I could not believe what I had just witnessed and my heart sank knowing that there were thousands of people in those buildings. I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one that way (or any way) . . . and I pray I never will have to. So take a moment today to remember all those innocent, ordinary people who were just going about their business as usual seven years ago today when they so tragically lost their lives. And tell someone today that you love them.

some pics

Here are some pics I have taken recently. The little guy was a crack up. He was happy one minute and then crabby the next. I love this pic of him . . . I think it is one of my favorites.

Seriously!!!

I know. It has seriously been so long since I've posted anything. We have been out of town for quite a while so that is part of my problem. I also did a one-year-old session so I have to get those pictures done this week too. I will be updating soon. Promise. :)

Horrible Tragedy

I just want to quickly say that our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the loved ones that were taken away so suddenly in the airplane crash outside of Moab Friday night. May you have peace and comfort during this time. While I was attending SUU for my medical transcription training a few years ago Dr. Ellsworth was one of the many that helped us out with our studies and training. He was a great guy.

You Big Chicken

The reason we got chickens in the first place is because of Colton. Kyle grew tired of taking him to Scott's just about every day to see the farm animals and walking down the street to watch the neighbor's chickens. When we purchased them we were told all 10 were hens; we ended up with five of each. Just last weekend we were able to give away all but one of our roosters; we kept big boy.

Long time, No Post

I realize it has been a while since I last posted but what can I say, we have been busy. For the past couple of weeks I have been doing little miscellaneous things here and there to help my sister get ready for school (she teaches 5th grade), making jam with my mom, and getting the boys ready to head back to school. Payton started 1st grade this year and is loving it which is a HUGE blessing to me. Last year he had a rotten start to kindergarten and we spent many mornings crying together (that is a whole other post and I won't get into that now). The day before school started I threw Payton a birthday party. Since his birthday is in December he never gets to do anything with water, so we had a water party with some of his friends. Colton will start his second year of preschool with Ms. Keri in a few weeks and can't wait to go back. That means I will only have one child at home with me for a few hours a week which will be nice. I guess our most exciting news (according to Colton) that has happened around our house is that our chickens finally started laying eggs. We have to check the hen house every morning, noon and night for eggs. Within a weeks' time we have collected over a dozen. For those of you who don't know . . . Colton is my little farmer guy so he is quite enjoying this experience. But he has yet to let me use the eggs to cook with . . . he wants to save them. In the picture above I put in one white egg we had to show the size difference (the brown eggs are quite smaller). I have been told they get bigger as the chickens get older . . . lets hope so.

July 24th

I almost forgot to post our Beaver Mountain trip. We went for the 24th with some of Kyle's family. Just as soon as we got set up some rangers came by and told us bears had been spotted about a quarter mile from where we were and for us to be aware. That was a little unnerving, but all-in-all we had a great time. I always love going up there; great weather, great scenery, great company, great card-playing . . . you get the idea.

Success

Kyle, Bob, Kim and I drew out for a doe hunt this year which started Friday. That night we loaded the kids and headed to Enterprise to see what we could find. I ended up missing my first doe (ok so it has been a while since I shot) but was able to get the next one I saw. Bob and I were the only ones to fill our tag that night. Now I will be busy bottling and making jerky.

Our new Ride

We actually went to buy a swing set and this is what we ended up purchasing. Kyle and I figured since Payton now knows how to ride his bike we might as well get some to go with him. Three nights a week we load the bikes and go for a ride somewhere (the two little boys sit in the little trailer that Kyle pulls). So far it has been really fun and it gets the kids away from the tv . . which I love!!

Life without Training Wheels

just starting out
coming back down the road - "lesson one"
riding with his daddy

So a few weeks ago Payton learned to ride his bike. He was a nervous wreck and every time Kyle would stop him that would be the end of a "lesson". Much to my surprise it only took four "lessons" and he was off by himself. And the best part, he never even crashed. The only problem now . . . he wants to ride in the street every day.

Memories

I have come across this a lot lately and figured I would give it a shot . . .


As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It does not matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember.

Next, re-post this same message on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It is actually pretty funny to see the response. If you leave a memory about me I will assume you are playing the game and will come to your blog to leave a memory about you.

Happy Birthday Weston

It is hard to believe, but my baby is turning two this week (we celebrated a bit early because of other plans taking place later in the week). When it was time to open presents he knew exactly what to do; he tore into them in no time. Afterwards there was cake and ice cream to be had and of course, we managed to squeeze in a few hands of Rook. Love that game.