4ever family

The Baby Reader

2012-01-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Jakey loves to read, he loves it when we read to him and he also loves to "read" to us. It's something I hope he loves to do for the rest of his life!!

Christmas!!!

2012-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

We were so happy to spend Christmas at home this year. It was nice to visit with family last year but our kids are getting older and it's been fun to start our own traditions and be in our own home for the holidays!! We got to skype or talk on the phone with all of our family so that was fun! The kids took a little while to wake up on Christmas morning but once they did, they were so excited!! We had a delicious breakfast, made by Daddy then went to church for a beautiful sacrament meeting where the Christmas story was told and beautiful songs were sung!! After church, Jerrod made a delicious birthday/Christmas dinner and we had our fun neighbors over for dinner, treats, and games!! It was a wonderful day!!

Christmas Program

2012-01-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

The children did a wonderful job in the Christmas program, it is always so fun to go and watch them sing and talk, to see how hard they've worked to memorize and how excited they are to show us what they've been working on!!!

FHE

2012-01-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

We try to have family night every Monday. We each take turns being in charge of different things like, the treat, the prayers, the songs, the lesson, etc. This Monday was Sis' turn for the lesson, I asked her if she needed help preparing something and she said "No, it's already done." When FHE came she gave us a wonderful lesson!! She set up bowling pins that had different questions about the Prophet Joseph Smith. We each took a turn to knock one down and whatever one we knocked down we answered that question!! She also read us some scriptures about it and bore her testimony about it. I am so proud of what a wonderful girl she is and what a wonderful lesson she gave, and how much she teaches me everyday!!

Family Pictures

2012-01-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

The last family pictures we had taken were right after the baby was born so we decided to update them. We had our wonderfully talented neighbor follow us around town for a little while and try to get some good shots!! I really love how they turned out (these are just a few of the many we took!!) We got individual shots of the kids and some fun family ones all around!!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, it is crisp yet the sun is out, it is a time especially devoted to thinking of our many blessings and showing our gratitude!! We had a great day, we started out by doing a neighborhood turkey trot-we did the family fun run of one mile-the only reason I didn't come in last is because a nice lady that just had a baby two weeks ago decided to run!! I don't love running but I had a great time running with my family, it was a really neat event. After that we came home to get dinner started. JD was a huge help this year and for some reason he loved the turkey neck and sticking his hand down in the empty turkey-what a weirdo!! Sis missed an activity days where they learned how to make homemade rolls so she and I made some together, it was a lot of fun and they turned out great!! We had a delicious dinner and a fun time!!

It Begins

2011-12-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

J has a Clark Griswold complex-he even took one of his days off this year specifically to put lights up on the roof. The kids really wanted to get up there with him and at first the rule was they had to stay up on the apex w/a leg on each side but it wasn't long before I heard the pitter-patter of crazy feet running around up there. I was sure we were going to have to make a trip to the ER. As J would say, "that's good parenting right there!" But they got the lights up safe and sound and J has been adding more and more each day, the house looks great!!

Life is too short

2011-12-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

This month we were very sad because J's uncle, who we call Tio, passed away prematurely:( He is a wonderful person who was always very gracious and kind to our family. We love him and will miss him greatly. Because of this, our family took a trip to the place where he and J's mom grew up for the memorial. Although it was a very sad and reflective time, it was also very special for our family to be together in a place where J has so many fond memories of growing up with his family. We enjoyed spending time with family, riding the ferry over to the island where the family used to have a cabin on the water, exploring the downtown area, and eating yummy food!! We know that Tio would have been happy that we were spending time together, remembering him in a place that he loved!

Veteran's Day Program

2011-12-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Sis & JD did an AWESOME job in their Veteran's Day Program at school. Of course, I got teary eyed- it was so special, so heart warming to hear these beautiful, innocent children singing songs about our freedom, our country, and those brave men and women who fight to keep that freedom!!

JJ's traps

2011-12-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

JJ definitely has a creative mind. Last night he didn't want any bad guys coming in his room so he stayed up to build a trap to catch any that might come his way!!

Halloween!!

2011-12-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

This was another great Halloween!! We went to the school carnival-the kids always love that and have a blast!! We also went to the straw maze to pick out pumpkins, carved them, had a fun Halloween themed dinner, and went to our neighborhood trunk or treat after that we did our traditional candy sorting and watched Hocus Pocus!! This year we had a lion (that costume has had a lot of good mileage!!) an army commando, a scary skull guy, a sparkle witch, and Daddy did go to work as a Valedict-pumpkin!!

1st time for chocolate pudding!!

2011-12-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

Mommy gave baby Jakey his very 1st choc pudding and let him go at it right as I was leaving to go visiting teaching-you're welcome Daddy!!! He grubbed it down and loved it all over the place!! After he was done he got a nice warm bath and went to bed!! Yummy!!

Trip to Utah

2011-12-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Julie lives right next to my favorite store ever!!!
All the kids got along really well together!!

J had some meetings with BYU down in Provo so I invited myself and my 4 crazy kids to go down w/him and visit with my favorite college roommate and her beautiful family!! They just moved to Utah and I haven't seen her for years, it was tons of fun having our children play together and catching up!! On our way home we stopped at Temple Square-the kids have never been before, I was so proud of them-they were tired, it had been a long weekend but they were troopers as we dragged them all over in such a short time!! We had a ton fun!

School!!

2011-12-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

School started again!!! Whoooooooo hoooooooo! Sis is in the 2nd grade, she loves her teacher Mrs. Rydalch!! JD is in 1st grade this year-all day and he loves that he got Sis' teacher from last year-Mrs. B!!! JJ also started preschool with Mrs. Nikki-he's been waiting for his turn to go since his big sister and brother have both gone!! School is going very well and every one is learning lots!!

Yard Work

2011-12-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

J's summer projects were plentiful this year!! He wanted to tear the weedy grass at the edge of the road out and replace it with sod as well as dig a hole for our trampoline to be buried. He went to the rental place and was supposed to get a tiller to tear up the weedy section and instead came back with an excavator!!! He had a lot of fun running that thing and we had a lot of help from our great neighbors. The projects took a little while longer than we expected but we finally got them done and they look great!!!

Baby turns 1!!

2011-12-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

This little guy has been a bundle of love around here!! He brings smiles to all of our faces, he LOVES his brothers and sister, he loves to eat, he is starting to try and walk and he LOVES his naptime and bedtime-what a good boy!!

JJ turns 5!!

2011-12-13T16:25:00.001-08:00

Oh this crazy, crazy boy. Our lives truly wouldn't be complete with him. He can be so sensitive, he is such a good big brother. He loves all the normal "boy" stuff; wrestling, shouting, running, jumping, playing etc. He also loves puzzles, the iPad, and to eat!!

Sissy turned 8!!

2011-12-13T16:22:00.001-08:00

We love this girl more than we can say, she is so confident in who she is and where she comes from, she has a testimony, loves the gospel, helps others and loves art and anything about the Titanic!!

Jayden turned 6!!

2011-12-13T16:17:00.001-08:00

This is truly the sweetest boy, he's so kind and caring and always thinks of others!!

Baptism

2011-12-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

I know its been forever since I've blogged, I really wanted to put in a few highlights from the past few months! In Oct Jocelyn was baptized!! We are so proud of her and her beautiful spirit and testimony!!

Tag

2011-07-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have never had a baby that is so into textiles- he loves fabric, ribbon, blankets, even paper. Whenever he is playing with a toy, blanket, stuffed animal, etc. without fail, he will turn it over and over until he finds the tag and will start sucking on!! At our picnic he eventually found the tag of the blanket we were sitting on!!!

Farmers Market

2011-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Baby loves being outside, especially at the farmer's market with all the sights and sounds!!

JJ asked for a spiderweb, a spider, and a fly on his arm, not sure what that's about but, he got what he wanted!

Although you may think JD asked to be Gene Simmons from KISS he actually asked for Spiderman, pretty close!!

Sis asked to be a fairy!
Getting all gooped up with sunblock for the farmers market!!

We love the Farmers Market, there is so much fun to be had there! We love the food, the smells, the sights of all the talented wares!! Our fav's are: snowcones, Fritz's beer brats, homemade jewelry, face painting, crazy corn on the cob, fudge, it's endless!! They also have different themes for different days- on kids day they have scavenger hunts, the firemen have their trucks out to climb on and we got to shoot the fire hose, there are prizes and they release 10,000 lady bugs!!

Last zoo post, from this trip anyways!

2011-07-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

zoo continued

2011-07-06T14:03:00.001-07:00

The kids got to see how they sized up to the wingspan of a golden eagle (Sis & baby's pics are above, I couldn't fit all the pics I wanted on one post!!) We put all the kids in the play nest which is crazy because we did this a long time ago and all that was in the nest were Sis and JD when he was one and she was 3!!!

Some more Lita fun!

2011-07-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

We also went to the zoo while Lita was here. It's not a huge zoo but it's nice that we can see the whole thing with all the animals in one afternoon. We took our lunch to the play at the park outside the zoo and after that we went and had lots of fun seeing the lions, turtles, peacocks, penguins, birds, zebras, etc. etc, etc!!

We love Lita, no serioulsy, LOVE her!!

2011-06-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

The school sent J to Nashville, TN for 4 days so Lita (my Mom) came and saved us!! We always have so much fun when she visits and this time was no exception. We went to the zoo, to the Riot Zone, out to dinner, shopping (my personal favorite ), to the park, deep fried a lot of food, went to the farmers market, put on a play, played on the computer, jumped on the trampoline, we had TONS of fun!! Thank you Mom for coming to spend time with us and having so much fun!!! One night we went to Applebees for dinner and a face painter was there doing free face painting, she was amazing, a true artist, the kids' (and mom's) faces looked great!! More pics of the fun trip to come!!!

Last Day of School!!!

2011-06-24T14:11:00.001-07:00

I know it's a shocker that I'm behind!! We start our school year in August and the nice thing about that is we are done in May!! This year went by so fast for us, Sis was in 1st grade-going all day, eating lunch at school, loved her Teacher Mrs. B, and really latched on to reading. She loves it!! JD finished Kindergarten-this guy has really come out of his shell, he loved his teacher Mrs. Williams, and had so much fun with his best friend Brock in his class! He learned a lot and did a great job!! We're full into the swing of things in the summer and JJ, Jacob, and I have really loved having these to at home all day to play and help out!

Sure love these boys

2011-06-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Who ever knew I would have so many boys in my family! The boys outnumber the girls 2 to 1 and I love it!!! I think about all the girl-drama I had in my family growing up (and maybe still have a little ;) love you sissys) and am so thankful that usually the noise in my house is wrestling & burping (which may also have been the same amongst me and my sisters growing up!! hahaha). All of my boys, and Sissy treat me so well, I am so thankful for them and have so much fun with them!! This Saturday at our house, J got dressed in a blue t-shirt, khaki shorts and a hat, so the 2 big boys did the same to be like Daddy and of course we had to get Jacob in on the fun!!

Cute Stuff!!

2011-06-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

This little guy puts a smile on all our faces!!

4=Fun!!!

2011-06-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Love these kids more than I can say. They are helpful, crazy, funny, crazy, silly, crazy, smart, crazy, beautiful, crazy, kind, crazy, sweet, and did I mention CRAZY!!! I'm so grateful for these babies who keep my life full of joy and very interesting!!

Playin in the Rain!

2011-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

We had a sunny rainstorm the other day and the kids were lovin' it!! They each got their swimming goggles on, so they could see in the rain (yeah, I don't know either, just go with it!!), and ran around having a great time!!!

Apple Brothers

2011-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Baby J loves to eat, just about anything. He also loves his big brothers and his big sister. These two boy were sitting eating their apples together and it was just too cute of a moment not to capture, especially the one of him looking up at his big brother, or rather-his big brother's apple, maybe he's wondering if he's going to finish it!!!

Making Cookies

2011-05-23T08:55:00.001-07:00

The kids say that I'm boring but I can't figure out why, I love to do homework, clean the house, and do laundry, I have no idea what they're talking about!!!! Really though, we love to play games, have movie nights, jump on the trampoline, go on walks/bike rides, and read together but I don't always give them a chance to use all that creativity floating around in their beautiful little brains!! So I made up some sugar cookie dough and let them have at it!! It was fun, yummy, and they all did a great job!!

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to have one day a year that is completely devoted to the women in our lives who work so hard to help keep us healthy and happy!! Yesterday was a really nice day at out house. The kids were eager to help and be kind, they gave me wonderful homemade books and cards, I got breakfast in bed, chocolates, J gave me a gift card to one of my favorite clothing stores, and a delicious dinner!! I'm grateful for my family, I love them very much! I wish it was Mother's Day everyday!! This morning when we woke up the first thing JJ said was, "awwwww it's not Mother's Day anymore!" I told him he can treat me like it's Mother's Day everyday!!!

Spring Cleaning!!!

2011-05-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

I love spring time and the beautiful new life surrounding us! In our little corner of the world we don't really have a long spring, we have mostly cold winter and hot summer, thankfully our spring has been rainy and cold so we can stay indoors and spring clean!!!! i love to take that time once a year to really get down and clean the nitty gritty. The kids have been a huge help and so far in two Saturdays of working hard we finally have the kitchen and dining room done!! This Saturday we're on to the living room and bedrooms!! You might think I'm a slave-driver (my spring cleaning list is 3 pages long) but the kids are happy to help!! As you can see by the smiles on their faces while they are "mopping" the kitchen floor!!! Cleaning time is family time!!!
P.S. I promise I gave them rags with a soapy bucket to wash the floor, it was their idea to get the toothbrushes!!!

Baby Jacob @ 6 months!!

2011-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Seriously this little guy is a cutie and he makes us all smile!!! These pics and video are a month old but they're still cute and I wanted to share!

Fun stuff

2011-05-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sis got these glasses from school and thought they'd look perfect on baby, what a cutie!!

JJ & JD wanted to watch Toy Story 3 and these aren't just any fans, they had to dress up and become their favorite characters!! In this pic JJ is saying, "There's a snake in my boot!" and JD is saying, "To infinity and beyond!"

Seriously, it's been 5 months!!!

2011-05-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here's some quick updates and pics!! Easter at our house, the kids all dressed up for church and then dying eggs after we got home!!!

Call Me!

2010-12-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

Gramma, I miss you, Call me!!

I can't believe he's almost 2 months!!!

2010-11-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

Jacob is getting so big. Its been so fun to see him smile and coo and talk. Once he's had a good nap and he has a full tummy, he's all smiles and talks a lot. He works so hard to get any noise out, sometimes he'll start waving his arms and kicking his legs, then he opens his mouth and nothing comes out, darn it!! We love him tons, he is such a blessing to our family!!

From 3 to 4 is definitely harder than it looks!!

2010-11-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Jacob's true feelings about coming to our family!!!
Sissy w/Baby J on his last day with the billi-blankie, our little glow worm!!
Family pics my Mom took for us on campus before she left

Each night I wonder where the day went and what I got accomplished!! I'm so far behind on the blog and I feel so bad about so much over the past few months that I've left out!! I wish I could say that I'll be better and make it up but there really are no guarantees at this point!!! I have lots of pics I need to download from my camera but here is a mish-mash of what's on the computer from the past month!!

Baby Jacob is here!!

2010-09-23T20:27:00.001-07:00

Jacob was born on Tues the 21st!!!! He is our smallest baby at only 8lbs 5oz and 20" long. We are all doing well and are loving him tons!!! More details to follow, just wanted to get some pics out there for all of our family and friends!!!!

Demolition Derby!!!!

2010-09-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every year the Madison County Search and Rescue puts on a demolition derby to raise funds. This is the first year we've gone and we loved everything about it!!! From the mud and the mullets to the the crashing and bashing!!! The kids loved to watch the cars run into each other and each round we would pick our favorite to see how far it would get. During the breaks when they had to use tow trucks to pull out the "dead" cars the National Guard was throwing out prizes and they had a money fun run. There were different heats for different ages. They threw out tubes w/$1's $5's $10's & $20's on one end of the muddy field and the kids lined up at the other, when they blew the horn you just ran like crazy to try and get a tube. The first heat had 5-8 year olds and Sis REALLY wanted to join in. This being our first year, we didn't know they did this so we didn't come prepared, plus the thought of my little girl out there with a lot of back country boys was really scary so we told her no. She was sad and started crying so the man sitting next to us took out his wallet and gave her a dollar and told her how smart she was for not getting all muddy to get her dollar!! What a sucker!!! She had a smile on her face the rest of the time!! It ended up being a great event and the winner of the whole derby was actually the Sheriff's son who turned around and donate all his winnings right back to Search & Rescue!!!

My Boys

2010-09-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

They take such good care of me. I mentioned to J how badly all of the window tracks in our home needed cleaning and how much I did not want to do them. That Saturday, while I was sleeping in he enlisted the help of our two boys, who, once you direct all that crazy energy, can really get some work done!! Thank you my wonderful boys, that is the best gift ever!!!

Crazy Kid!!

2010-09-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

JD is so funny, we had a lot of stuff in our living room because we got home late from the 4th of July festivities and the next day he set it all up like Santa's sleigh. He was Santa, obviously, the Lightning McQueen pillowcase on the back is full of toys for good girls and boys and the red Spiderman hat at the front is Rudolph!! He had a lot of fun flying around giving out gifts to those of us who were sleeping. Christmas in July at our house!!

4th of July-Part 3

2010-09-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the actual day of the 4th, we had a great day at church and then came home, took a walk, and as soon as it got dark we lit our fireworks, some snakes in the garage, because of the wind, J lit his traditional Exploding Bin Laden Noggin, and then we went to the neighbors and had a few families together so the show was great!!!

4th of July weekend part 2-Saturday

2010-09-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to our city's fun main street parade, it's been a tradition for us to go every year and get candy, chocolate milk, and lots of advertisements!! It was really cold to start, the kids had their sweatshirts and a blankie but as the morning went on, it got warmer and as the candy started being thrown their energy was fired up!!! Our awesome friends saved us a prime spot and the kids all had fun sitting next to each other, there were only a few tears about candy stealing. We also had a crazy parade lady sitting near us snatching up big items before the little kids got to them, it was fun to watch her go so crazy!! After the parade the tradition is for us to go to the same fireworks stand to get some goodies because they have a bounce house the kids can jump on while Daddy picks out the stuff he needs for his pyrotechnics show!!! After that we went to our friends for a bbq and some visiting and lastly we trekked up to Driggs to see Glenn Beck. I'm not a huge fan but J really enjoys him so we went. He gave a great speech to celebrate our independence day and the scenery was beautiful followed by an AWESOME fireworks show to wrap it all up.

Our 4th of July weekend

2010-08-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

Independence Day is our family's favorite holiday, it might have something to do with a husband/father who is a history education major and loves anything to do with the founding fathers and the great old USofA!! But also we love the warm weather, the food, the BBQ's, the gatherings, etc. etc. etc. This year because the 4th was on a Sunday we had a whole weekend of festivities!! On Friday the 2nd we went with our friends the Jones family to see the Rigby firework show. While we were waiting for it to start we ate snacks, played games, talked, and lit sparklers. The kids sat up on top of the vans and kept asking, "is it time yet?" we kept trying to stall them and tell them, "any minute now" but it was A LOT of minutes. Finally the show started and it was fun but very short due to budget cuts this year!! All in all we had lots of fun!

Seriously, Way behind!!

2010-08-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Back in June, J and I got to have an awesome date night!! Our wonderful neighbor took the kids for 5+ hours while we drove down to Blackfoot to see Brian Regan. He is HILARIOUS!!! We went with some friends down the street and had a blast! No kids and LOTS of laughing. In fact, those of you who know J well, know that he has a very distinguishable laugh, and very loud. A group of people right in front of us actually moved their seats because he was laughing so hard and loud!!! It was tons of fun!!

Going extinct........

2010-08-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

No, not my blogging, although I am WAY behind on that and I need to catch up. On our trip home from WA and the OR coast we stopped at a gas station that had an actual pay phone in working order. Our kids have never seen one of these and didn't know what it would be used for since we have cell phones, e mail, text, etc. J wanted the kids to take a pic in it so 5 years from now when there are no longer any pay phones anywhere we could say we saw one once!!

Happy 4th!!

2010-07-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am WAY behind, so much has happened since our last post, I really need to download some pics off my camera!! Here are the chillin's bein' all patriotic with the flag! I can't believe they are getting so big! I'll download more photos and get them up!!

Be careful!!

2010-07-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

Falling asleep at our house can be a dangerous and interesting thing. J was watching a movie with the boys while Sis and I were napping, when I woke up, I went downstairs to check on everyone and found the boys were gone and Daddy had fallen asleep so they decided to "decorate" him. They did a very good job!!!

The Boys are training-wheel-less!!!

2010-06-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day JD really wanted to try riding his bike with no training wheels so J took them off and helped him go!! When JJ saw how much fun it was, he wanted his off too!! So both the boys are riding two-wheelers!! The first day or two they were a little shaky but now they are experts, even a little too comfortable- we don't think it will be long before JJ's doing all kinds of crazy tricks on his bike, he has no fear!!

A Swingset!!!

2010-06-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

The finished project!!!
J did all the hard labor while I read the instructions and handed him stuff-we're a pretty good team!!
Here's the before pic of the yard needing some kid-friendly stuff!!!

We have a nice big yard to run around in but besides the garden and the fire pit (which are both places we don't want the kids to play) it's pretty bare!! We decided we needed something for the kids to do and since the two neighbors have a trampoline we decided to get a swing set. We put it up a few weeks back on a nice Saturday and since then the weather has been horrible. The kids love it so much they don't care and they've totally loved having it so far!

Peter Rabbit Program

2010-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sis' class did a Peter Rabbit program right before school got out. She was Reader #1 and did a great job memorizing her part!! We went as a family to go and watch and we had a great time!! p.s. sorry the video is sideways, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it!!

Matching Boys

2010-06-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

I don't often try to make my boys match w/their clothes, but every now and then, I think it's cute. Papa & Grammie got these matching sweaters for the boys for a screaming good deal while they were here. Last Sunday it was overcast so we decided to put the boys in their sweaters. JD was being crazy and came out first w/everything backwards and inside out before we finally got them all put together and looking handsome!!!

"JJ" hat

2010-05-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

While my parents were visiting, we ate at Jimmy John's sandwich shop. My parents noticed all the workers wearing, "JJ" hats so they asked if they could buy one. JJ loves his hat with his name on it and wears it a lot! Every time we pass Jimmy John's, he says, "There's my store, the JJ store!"

Helicopter Rides are the BEST!!!

2010-05-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Helicopter rides from Papa have been a favorite in our family for as long as we can remember. Usually it's a right- before- bedtime ritual of getting to buzz around the house in jammies, coming to a safe landing in bed! They start when they're brand new babies and so far, even Sis is still getting them at 6 1/2. It will be a sad day when we're too big for those good times!!

Sunrise

2010-05-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm NOT a morning person (shocker, I know) but J is exactly opposite, he loves to wake up early and get started for the day. Our children are a mix of the both of us, Sis is a night owl and likes to sleep in, JJ is up at the crack of dawn, sometimes earlier, and JD does both. For some reason this morning, they were all up and ready to go when the sun came up so J took them out onto the porch to watch the sun come up. I, of course, was still snuggled in my warm bed fast asleep!!

The Dentist

2010-04-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

All growing up I hated the dentist, but that's probably because I had cavities so it wasn't a good experience. J loves the dentist, he says it's like going to a spa!! I'm not that fond of it but I have gotten better-the massaging chairs and TV's in the ceiling help A LOT!!! We really love our dentist, he is very nice and great with our children, the kids love going to the dentist, they get so spoiled- watching cartoons, getting a goodie bag with their own stuff, including a frozen yogurt gift certificate, a gold coin to get a treasure and a balloon, it's like the fair!! Also, one time we went Sis got done first so the dentist had her come over and help with JD, she got to wash her hands, put on gloves, and use the water sprayer and sucker on him!!!

Kindergarten Registration

2010-04-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my boy is ready for Kindergarten!! I took JD to school to get him all registered for Kindergarten, he was a little nervous but really excited, he did a good job and was excited to get his packet to work on for the summer and be ready in the Fall!!

My Boys

2010-04-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

My boys in their Sunday best!!
JD is getting so big, he's so kind and patient. He's always a problem solver and doesn't like to see anyone upset.

JJ has changed quite a bit also, he is still stubborn and a little defiant at times but he is also growing up and getting so smart. He likes to cuddle-which he never used to be able to slow down for-and he plays very well with his brother and sister!My crazy boys!!!

Easter weekend was also General Conference weekend, we love general conf and look forward to creating new family traditions with it every year! It's so inspiring and uplifting, it reminds me what I am here for and that I really can make it through, even when I'm right in the middle of a messy house, dirty-back-talking kids, eating mac & chz cause I don't want to cook and payday isn't for 2 more days, etc. etc. etc!!! Anyways-we love it!! J is a convert to the church so he didn't grow up with general conf and has gone to the priesthood sessions mostly by himself ever since he was a member. Even though you're not technically supposed to go until you're a little older J and JD have had great experiences going together the past few years. This year JJ is 3 and he decided he wanted to go also- we all know JJ -Little Mr. can't sit still and be quiet for more than 2 minutes together. I told J, this is supposed to be a relaxed and good experiecnce for him so he should prob just leave JJ home with me (mean Mom, I know, but so true!!) After going back and forth over and over again JJ promised he would be good and sit still for two whole hours so J took both the boys. When they came home I was anxious to find out how it went and J said, on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best, he gave the boys a 7. How great!! Now it can be an all boys tradition to go to priesthood session and bring the girls home ice cream!!!

Amie's visit

2010-04-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

My BFF called on Thurs and said, we're coming for spring break, we'll be there on Sat, is that ok? I said, Of course!! So she braved the 12 hour drive all by herself with 3 boys in the back. I was so glad to have her company and to have someone to talk with, craft with, break my diet with, etc etc!! We did all kind of fun things like, flying kites, playing games, watching movies, playing in the snow, FHE, rootbeer floats, gas station nachos, crafting, and lots more!! The 6 kids did ok together, we had to do a lot more refereeing than we wanted to and had to separate some of them but there were times, like in this pic that they all worked/played together and especially after they were all in bed for the night, we had a GREAT time!! Their trip was cut short because of snow-yes during spring break- and dangerous passes but we had such a fun time and are so grateful they made the trip over!!!

8 Years!!!

2010-04-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

(So, I'm way behind on blogging) J and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary at the end of Feb. it was so much fun. We got to do a session at the temple and then go out to dinner. We have some great friends who told us not to worry about getting back to pick up the kids anytime soon and our parents sent us a gift to celebrate so we got to have a worry-free and no-cost-to-us date night. That is so rare in the land of 3 kids, it was WONDERFUL!!! We are so happy together, 8 years has gone by so quickly and it just keeps getting better!!!

These three....

2010-03-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

These three kids drive me crazy, make me laugh, are silly, tons of fun, and oh so lovable. They are growing up and each have their own personality. I love them tons and tons and am thankful they have blessed my life (even on the days they make me want to take an extended-stay vacation to the loony bin)!!!!!

Glad somebody likes em!

2010-03-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

J is sad that I would rather have McDonalds french fries than flowers because he loves flowers and loves to give them. Luckily, Sis LOVES to get flowers- so J is happy to periodically bring home a pretty flower or two for her which makes her extra happy and as long as he has some french fries too, we are all happy!!!

"I didn't even use any naughty things"

2010-03-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

JJ was supposed to be napping (yeah right) when I heard him yelling for me. I asked what he needed and he said, "I need you to come here." So I went in and he showed me his creation. He was so proud of what he built and even more proud that he used only things from his room- occasionally he will sneak things he's not supposed to have into his room and get into trouble. This time he proudly declared, "See what I built, and I didn't even use any naughty things!" How could I not be proud!! Good job son!

Driving the "tractor"

2010-02-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

When we go to Papa's house the kids like to take turns driving the "tractor" a.k.a. his riding lawn mower. This last October was the first time the boys got to drive it all by themselves! They were a little nervous at first and JJ freaked out when it was time to stop because he couldn't reach the breaks and he thought he was going to crash into the garage!! They looked like such big boys driving all on their own!!

We love Icees!!

2010-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

The kids spent their V-day $ from Grammie & Papa to go with Daddy and see Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakuel, they also bought their favorite movie treats-Icees. The boys always come home with colored mouths because they usually enjoy their drinks more than the movie!!

New Year's Goal

2010-02-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

JD was going crazy wanting my pop and kept asking for more and more

Sissy was also chugging on my pop and JJ was eating all the candy he could shove in his face (with some not making it, obviously).

One of our resolutions for this year is to eat healthier so we are NOT eating fast food (anything with a drive-thru is out with the exception of Subway), candy, or drinking pop. Most of you who know me know this will be REALLY hard, I have a HUGE sweet-tooth and love sugar. Luckily, baked goods like brownies, cookies, etc are still ok, as well as ice cream-I couldn't just go cold turkey!! We have made it a month and a half now and I ocassionally go through withdrawals but for the most part we're all doing great. These are some pics of us on New Year's Eve "disposing" of the candy we had left in the house and my good friend brought me over a caffeine-free diet Dr. Pepper (If I would have known those existed I might not have made the pop rule!!) Since Dec. 31 we have been good but I'm not sure how long I can hold out!!! The kids were way hyper because of all the sugar!!

It's SHORT!!!

2010-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

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I've been wanting a change for my hair for a few weeks now and I decided I'm going SHORT. I was scared and nervous before I got there but it was even worse when the girl who was cutting my hair was even trying to talk me out of it cause it was so short but I wanted to do it so off it came. I meant to take before and after pics but I forgot so it's only after. I think I like it, it's a really big change for me so we'll see if I get used to it!!!

Superheros????

2010-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

When the kids get bored, they get creative. After church one Sunday the boys got in their jammies and that wasn't good enough so they put their suit coats back on and then to top it all off they got, thankfully, clean underwear and turned into flying, web slinging, save-the-day SUPERHEROS.

Academic Achiever

2009-12-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

Every month or so each grade gets to pick one student to be an academic achiever in different areas. Sis was chosen to be the Kindergarten academic achiever in Math in October!! She loves math and is very good at it!! We're very proud of you Sissy!!

Watching the boob-tube

2009-12-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

I went downstairs to check on the boys yesterday and I found JJ falling asleep, sporting a Seahawks helmet, watching Pollyanna. It was too cute!!

He's a Nerd, but he's our Nerd!!

2009-11-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

There isn't anyone who can look at these pics and not start laughing out loud!!! He is so cute and he makes us laugh, we are so grateful for our wonderful children who help make us so happy and sometimes a little crazy!!!

JJ goes to Preschool!

2009-11-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Our baby boy is finally in preschool, we love it!! He goes on M, W. & F for 2 1/2 hrs and that time is heaven for me and for him. He was having a little bit of a hard time at first but now that he is used to it he loves it and really, so do I. btw, he picked out his own socks for the 1st day of school, they are bright green with eyeballs on them, they're supposed to be Mike from Monsters Inc!!! I didn't want to fight that battle!

JJ is 3!!

2009-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am really behind--- JJ turned 3 in Sept. He usually seems so much older than that-opening windows, popping out screens, lowering himself to the ground, coming around to the garage door and coming inside, using forks to pry open child locks, talking non-stop, and almost being the size of JD makes me forget that he is only 3years old. He is our very energetic, full-of life, likes to do things his way, wonderful son and we love him very much!! Happy Birthday Son!!

My super stud!

2009-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is for all of you who may wonder what it is I see in my wonderfully wacky husband. Besides him being an amazing husband and father, his kindness, love of life and learning, care for others, righteous use of the priesthood and love for the gospel; he is crazy fun and silly and I love that he likes to make me laugh and sometimes go ewwwww to the black socks. You know I don't love em but I sure love the stud that fills them!!!!

JD's stitches

2009-10-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's amazing that we had to get stitches again in our household and it wasn't on JJ. Actually, JJ caused these stitches, he threw a cap gun at JD's face at close range!! It actually wasn't very deep, just a wide gaping wound that required three stitches. It happened over Labor Day weekend and he now has a small scar but nothing major, as Papa says, "Chicks dig scars!"

White trash swing set!

2009-09-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

On our vacation this summer we had a BBQ at my parents house with all my siblings and nieces and nephews. Of course all the kids wanted to play and swing and they usually needed someone to push them. After all of the adults took turns and the kids were still in need of a push, Jerrod got the bright idea of attaching the dogs leash to the two swings so he could sit down while still giving the kids a ride on the swings!!! We were all laughing and although we had to give him points for being inventive, we also decided it was a little white-trash!!!!

Our baby girl is 6!!

2009-09-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Sis just turned 6!! It's been a great year so far, Sis started Kindergarten and got to have a sleepover for her 6th birthday!! It was actually a last minute decision, we were watching our neighbors girls for the night while they were out of town so we invited our other neighbors over and turned it into a sleepover!! The girls played, ate, played some more, opened gifts, and then ate some more and then watched a movie and stayed up giggling until after midnight! Sis had tons of fun and I'm thinking it will be our first and last sleepover!! On her actual birthday at school she brought treats to share with her class, she got to be the VIP and line leader and they sang her happy birthday!! What a wonderful day!!! We sure love you Sis and are so grateful for what a big helper and wonderful example you are!!!

JD's 4th B-day

2009-09-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

We're way behind and I didn't want to overshadow my angel of a child and his birthday!! It was back in July and he had a fun day, he got the traditional breakfast of a maple bar and chocolate milk, then he got to see his cake (which I totally stole the idea from my wonderfully awesome and creative friend, thanks Chris!!!), after that we went to see a movie at the theater, that may be one of my kids' favorite things to do, then we headed over to the park for pizza and presents and some playing, of course. Finally we headed back home to eat the racing track cupcakes and it was an awesome day!!! He's getting ready to start preschool on Tues and is way excited. JD, we love you tons, you bring peace to our home, you always have a kind word to say, and you are so giving, Happy birthday, we love you tons!!!!

My little girl's 1st day of Kindergarten!!

2009-08-26T12:35:00.001-07:00

Sis is getting so big, J and I were just looking through her baby scrapbook last night thinking how we've been so excited for this day!! She couldn't get to sleep last night because she was so excited for today!! This morning I didn't have to wake her up, which is unusual for her, she was up and dressed and asking to go to school. She kept watching the clock waiting for the right time to go outside and wait for the bus!!! Here are some pics from yesterday when she got to go to an open house, meet her teacher, and see her classroom and also from today. We took pics getting ready, waiting for the bus, and then once she got on the bus we drove out to the school so we could take some more when she got off the bus at school, yes we're crazy like that!! We'll take some more when she gets off the bus after her first day of Kindergarten!!!

A tribute to the Sis'

2009-08-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Jocey and Riley are only about 6 months apart, they are both girls with attitude, and they both already act like they're 16 years old. You would think that they would clash and not get along with each other but they are the best of friends, in fact they call each other Sis because they are more like sisters than cousins. They play so well together, have so much fun, have the same interests and are both so silly!!! We can't wait to see you again Riley beans, love you lots!!!

Lookin good

2009-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

JJ came out the other morning with all kinds of fashion no-no's-flower shirt with plaid shorts and socks with his crocks, this kid must get his "unique" sense of fashion from his older brother!! (see past posts of JD and his crazy get-ups!!!

Beautiful girl

2009-07-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is Sis getting ready for church, she is really starting to love clothes and some jewelry, she usually changes her outfit 2-3 times on Sundays before church!! We love her very much and are very proud of what a good girl and big helper she is at home!!

The hot Jealous Girls!!

2009-07-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

We got the pool out on a nice summer day and lots of the neighborhood kids came to play, which is one more reason we love living here!! Anyways, Sis and her friends all got their goggles/sunglasses and said they were in the "Hot Jealous Girls Club" (not sure where that came from) they would jump in the pool for a minute and then go over to the driveway and layout on their towels and say things like, "Hey hot jealous girls you want to get back in the pool now." It was cute and scary all at the same time, they are so little and yet so big!!!

It's all about family

2009-07-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

On Memorial day we had our wonderful neighbor take some family pics of us. The last ones we have are almost 2 years old!! It's funny that the last ones we took were at the gardens, so the background was green and the whole family was in blue. These ones were in a neighbor's yard (they had all kinds of beautiful trees, flowers, bushes, etc) and we are all wearing blue or white. And the one we chose to print of we are sitting in exactly the same position as two years ago. You can see I'm not one who lives on the dangerous side, I don't adapt to change all that well!! The kids did great and these are a few of my favorite shots from the day!

It's that time of year!!

2009-06-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

We're so excited the weather is finally getting nice!! You know what that means, Popsicles, BBQ's, camping, pools, splash park, mosquitoes, not wanting to go to bed because, "it's still light out" oops, I was supposed to be concentrating on the fun things!! We love summer time and can't wait to soak up some much-needed rays this summer!!

Going, going, GONE!

2009-05-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe it and had to take a picture of my NonSTop, cRazY, EnERgeTic, inTo EVERYthING, baby boy. He missed his nap this day and passed out at the dinner table!! (but of course, not until after he finished his meal ;)

Tea Party!

2009-05-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

My Mom gave Sis this ladybug tea set when she was only about 3 or so but it's ceramic so we haven't gotten a ton of use out of it but now that she's bigger she loves to throw tea parties. She sets up her animals in her room during quiet time or invites her brothers when they are awake!! I had enrichment this night and J was so tired (as you can tell from him sleeping in the background!!!) So we brought out the tea set, gave them some mini marshmallows and they had an awesome time!!!

This crazy kid!!

2009-05-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

This isn't our first post of JD in some crazy get-up!! He always makes me laugh with his sense of style and his imagination!! We sure love this little guy!!

No training wheels!!!

2009-05-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Sissy is getting so big!! She's been really determined to ride her bike with no training wheels this spring so Daddy helped her today and she caught on right away!! She wasn't scared and just wanted to keep going!! What a big girl!!

My little scrapbooker!!

2009-05-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Of course while my Mom was here we went to Roberts!! The kids got to pick out some stickers while we were there. Then about a week ago I was in my craft room scrapbooking and all the kids came in to be with me so everyone got their own piece of paper, crayons, and their stickers from Roberts!! It was so fun to work together with the kids!! I couldn't believe that JJ sat still long enough to make this awesome scrapbook page all about firefighters!! Jerrod couldn't believe it either so he took a pic, it's a good thing he did cause about 5 minutes later JJ ripped all the stickers off his page and ripped up the paper, that's our boy!!!

Down & Derby car

2009-05-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

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We got the movie "Down and Derby" and the kids love it, it's so funny. While we were at the gift shop at the Museum JD found this race car that you make and paint yourself, he was sold!! Daddy helped him make the car and let it set and then we let him paint it, he did a great job and he loves that car!!!

Harry & David's

2009-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

JJ asked if he could take the "cake magazine," a.k.a. the Harry & David's catalog, to bed. I said yes and this is what I heard from his room 5 min later: "I like this one and this one, and I like this one and this one." And also, "Yummmm!" It was so hilarious, he's definitely my son!

Yes I love technology

2009-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

So we're still changing diapers around our house, potty training wasn't as fun as JJ originally thought!! Anyways, he doesn't like to sit still so we found a sure-fire way to get him to sit still while changing----let him watch movies on J's phone!! He'll sit there forever with that thing, oh the blessings of technology!!

Her very own library card!!

2009-04-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

We registered Sis for Kindergarten!!! They gave her a packet of stuff, including things from the public library. There was a pic to color and turn in for a prize and a form to fill out to have her very own library card!! She is getting so big, she loves to go to the library and now even more because she is a big girl and can do it herself!!

My Marmee

2009-04-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

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I love my Mom. She is wonderful in so many ways!! Months ago, Sis called her and randomly asked if she was coming to visit us for Easter, so she did!! She flew in the Sat before and stayed the whole week with us!! We had so much fun doing lots of stuff like, shopping, going to see the Titanic exhibit at the Museum, embroidering, going on walks, watching movies, making cupcakes, eating snacks, playing games, making crafts, talking and so much more. I love having her come and visit, she is such a huge help with the kids and all that needs to be done around the house. We have so much fun together, I keep trying to talk her into moving to Idaho but I'm pretty sure she's not going to budge!! Thanks so much for coming Mom, and for everything. We love you so much and miss you tons!!!

Lots of Easter fun!!

2009-04-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun for Easter!! For FHE the week before we died easter eggs, the kids loved it and we ran out of hardboiled eggs just as their creative juices were starting!! My Mom came to visit right before and we had TONS of fun with her, (I'll save that for another post) The Easter Bunny sent J a text that he stopped by our house on Sat while we were out on a walk and left our baskets so the kids and Lita went searching for them! Sun J and Sis watched the sunrise, that's a tradition I'm still not into yet (too early for me!!haha) We went to church on Sun and then a walk, the kids were buzzing from all the sugar. Later in the week we decorated egg-shaped cupcakes and they turned out almost too pretty to eat!! We had so much fun, we love that this is another holiday when we get to remember our Savior and that He Lives!! And also have some fun with an imaginary person who leaves us goodies and suprises!!!!