Happy Birthday Achies!

Ashton is 6!! Man, I must be getting old! I have a hard time with the fact that I have children this old! He had a great birthday, all sorts of attention showered on him, just what a boy like him needs! Just look at that cute boy! He got a giant dart gun which has been used on him (thanks to dad) more than by him! Good times, we found all the darts we could and everyone joined in and had a war using all of the little dart guns against the big one! As much as he liked his gun, I am pretty sure that the squeeze cheese and crackers were his favorite present! Too bad that Jace helped him eat all of the cheese before he even got to try it!

Look how excited he is! So funny! I should just get my kids snack food for all of their birthdays, they like those presents most!

Somehow, I managed to not get a picture of his cake? So, here was the conversation.

Me: What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?

him: Chocolate, with chocolate frosting!

(really? How original!)

me: well, do you want it to look like something? or have a picture on it of something?

Him: Yeah! I want a skeleton head on it!

me: A skull?

Him: Yeah! That would be cool to have a skeleton head on it huh?

Me: Way cool!

So, I let him pick a picture from the Internet, and that was what he got! He loved it, and I guess that is all that really matters!

I sure do love this little booger! You will never find a more affectionate boy!

Light Parade and too much snow!

For the past 3 years, Nephi has has a lighting ceremony and light parade the weekend after Thanksgiving. They have groups of kids from the schools sing, and this year Jace got a turn. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication as to what time the program started, so we stood in the freezing wind for close to an hour before it started! My poor baby and Grandpa were so cold! It is close to impossible to see Jace in this picture, he's the one in the middle with the Santa hat on. They did a good job! I couldn't hear them, but I am sure that there is no way that the 2nd graders could have done anything but a super good job!


After the program, we have a Light Parade. There were lots of great floats, this is the gingerbread house that I helped with for the Arts Council. It turned out really cute!



Keira was dying to get out and play in the snow this year with her brothers, so here is her first excursion into the depths of our yard! Yes, she is wearing boy clothes! That's what you get when you are the youngest of 5, and the only girl! There are only boy hand-me-downs! For now, she doesn't seem to mind, so I'll make it work for as long as I can!

The snow was clear up to her little hips! I just set her in the middle of it and walked away to see what she would do....... Looks fun.... for now!

Ugh, I've fallen, and I can't get up!.....

I finally got this smile after lots of tickling and face making! She was pretty upset at being left to dig herself out!

Man, I made a cute baby!

Yup, still alive!

I'll admit it, I'm kind of a lazy jerk! I think about how far behind I am on this blog, and I get a little overwhelmed, so then I don't do anything, and then I get even more behind! I am remembering why scrap booking never worked for me! I started when Branden was already 4, and just couldn't catch up!

So, here is a new, super long condensed version of our lives to date!

First off, Halloween. I would skip it, but my kids are just so cute! We just do the town trunk-r-treat here, which I love! 20 minutes, and way more candy than my kids should eat in a lifetime! Here is the combined haul!

Cutest monsters ever with a scary ninja and of course, the bleeding ghost guy!

Go ahead, tell that face that you aren't going to take a picture while it's grinning while saying "Cheese". I can't do it! You should have heard her do her monster growl! Hilarious!

Flash Forward

So, I know that I still haven't posted about Christmas or a bunch of other things, but I couldn't just wait to post about my little man. Today is Gabriel's 4th birthday. Again, not so fun without the 4 year old. We try to make the best of it, and because bowling was such a hit last year, we went again this year. We went yesterday, unfortunately, it was more of a last minute decision this year than it was last year, so I forgot my camera, and we didn't get to invite so many people. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa Bateman didn't have plans and were able to join us. We are also super lucky this year to have Great Grandpa George living so close, because he was able to come with us too. It was really a good time. I was pretty worried that either my dad or my grandpa were going to do a face plant right at the line, but the bowling Gods smiled down on us, and there were no casualties. It took Grandpa George a few frames to remember how to bowl (apparently, he used to bowl on a league) but eventually, he got his groove back and ended up getting a higher score than my mom! After we all made fools of ourselves (Branden got the highest score of 107), we went across the street to get Chinese food. It was delish! This Afternoon, the kids and I went to the cemetery and put up birthday decorations, and each kid got to let one balloon go (4, one for each year) to heaven for Gabriel to play with. Tonight, we got together with my parents and Grandpa George again, I made dinner, and then we had brownies and ice cream. This is a difficult day for me, but it is a little easier when I have so many great friends and family members around me to lift my spirits and remind me how much I still have to live for. I love you little man!

(Pictures will have to follow later, my camera didn't want to cooperate with the computer today!)

Open hearts

Our book club this month is reading a book by Virginia H. Pearce titled A Heart Like His. When I first looked at it, my thoughts were "I'll try, but I won't like it". It isn't that I don't like spiritually uplifting literature, it is just that I have never done well with lectures. I have a hard time listening in classes, of all types, even though I want the knowledge offered. I constantly find my mind wandering to all sorts of other things. This is true with lecture type books also. I read the same page 5 times and the knowledge still won't sink in. I get it for that minute, but by the time I've read the next page, it is all forgotten. I am the type of person who needs a story to follow. I love history, but hate history books! I do, however, enjoy historical fiction. I get the history, but I also have a storyline to follow.

Back to my book club book. I got it today in church, and glanced at it briefly, then put it away in my bag. While my kids were playing video games tonight, I dug it out thinking that I might as well get a start on it, considering that it was going to take me all month to get through the 106 pages (in a normal book, that would take me maybe two hours). An hour later, I was already to page 71! I am so excited! Not only am I remembering the things that I have read, they are already making a huge impact on my life.
I have spent the last 2 and a half years in a horrible place. I have to convince myself everyday that it is a good idea just to be alive. Though I try not to live in a pity party by myself, it has been extremely hard. I love my family more than anything. They are like a drug to me. I am literally addicted to my children. Yes, they make me crazy everyday, but it makes me more crazy to be without them. Because of the loss of one of my choicest "drugs" I have felt like it will never be possible to be completely happy again. I am tired, irritable, and I am sure that I am just a joy to be around!

I know that everyone has their own trials, but it is hard for me to see that anyone could possibly suffer more than me. My feelings have put strains on all of my relationships. I am sure that I have pushed more than one friend away because of my "hard heart". As I have read this book, it has brought me some great insight. At one point, the author asks "Are you feeling the love of God - that He loves you, personally?" My answer has to be no. I have felt terribly abandoned. My hard heart has closed me off to the feelings of love that my Father in Heaven, I am sure, is trying to get to me. How do I change this? The whole idea of the book is that if we open our hearts, soften them, to the people around us, we will not only help them feel Gods love in their lives, but also in our own.
Sister Pearce states that when we feel His love, we feel "Acknowledged, accepted, validated, noticed, cared for, supported, encouraged, uplifted, motivated, inspired, comforted, HEALED, nourished, nurtured, changed, more confident, more able." Isn't this what we all want from life? To feel these things? If I can help someone else receive these feelings in their lives, will it really help me feel them? This is all I have ever wanted! I NEED to feel His love for me, with out it, I can't feel any other love for me. I am going to try to ignore my selfish impulses, and do my best to open my heart. I may be able to save some lives in the process, mine included.

Geocaching

On one of the rare occasions when Ryan was home, we decided to find something fun to do with the kids. We had heard about geocaching, and decided to give it a try. We found a few locations around our home. The first one was at Yuba Lake. It had a bunch of great prizes for the kids.

Here we are at our first found Geocache.


Here is the box and all of the awesome prizes!

One of the caches was clear up on top of the mountain. We hiked the last few hundred feet. This is the view that we got!

We had a really fun time and have been able to go a few more times. It is a really fun activity to do with kids!

Mozart

Every so often, I am graced by the beautiful sounds of piano music wafting through the house! It always makes me smile!

Besides being a musical prodigy, she is always willing to help around the house when ever possible (whether we want her to or not!)

Branden's 9th Birthday

Yes, I am a horrible mom, I didn't post about Branden on his birthday! So, let's hop into the way-back machine and return to September 11th. Branden had told his friends that he was going to have a birthday party, and I didn't want to make a liar out of him, so I let him have a few of his best buddies over for a pizza and movie sleepover. He asked for a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting again, but this year he wanted Darth Vader on it. This is what I came up with.

He was pretty impressed. I let him think that I drew that free hand from a picture I found on the Internet! It turned out perfect for him!

As always, Keira was there to steal all of the attention!

Over all, it was a pretty fun night for the boys. Now it is bragging time! Branden is such a great helper. He is always helping me with Keira, and with cooking, and sometimes even with cleaning! He is so handsome, and almost as tall as me. I'll be surprised if I am still taller than him by his next birthday! I really love him!

Sleeping Beauties!

So, sometimes Keira likes to fight us on taking a nap, and Ryan likes to snuggle her (or force her into submission!) to sleep. One day after I realize that she was no longer fighting him, I looked over and this is what I saw. Soo funny! Notice that they are laying the EXACT same way! Ryan hates when I take pictures like this, but obviously, I'm in charge not him!

Branden the WOLF!

I am so proud of my friend Branden. He is such a great kid when he wants to be! On Aug 26th he received his wolf in cub scouting. He was so excited! He really loves scouts, and can't wait till he is able to go on camp outs as a real boy scout!

Hey mom, Look what I can do!

This was taken before she could walk. I looked into Ashton's room and this is what I saw! She would climb up and then sit there and yell till someone came to help her slide down. She can do it herself now, just like an old pro!

Keira's Birthday!

You would never guess that our baby is the only girl! She loved every minute of attention she got on her birthday! This is the cake that we made for her to demolish. Really, all she did was tear it to pieces and throw it in her lap! She hardly ate any of it, which surprised me considering how much she loves chocolate!



We met Grandma and Grandpa at the park for pizza and cake, but the most important thing was the presents! She got a new baby doll and a princess phone from grandma and grandpa, and loved them.


This is the end product of all of my hard work! It is so funny how different babies deal with their own cake! What a mess! I am glad that it was a mess at the park! The birds cleaned up, not me!


From us she got a fun little bike that has songs, numbers and letters. She is still playing on it a few times a day, so I guess it was a good purchase! Yes, that is Christmas wrapping paper!


This is Gabriel on his first birthday, it just reminded me of the next picture of Keira. They must be related!

What beautiful babies I have!

1st day of school

This year was a huge mile stone for me, and the boys. They all got up to go to school! It was a little weird when they all left the house and it was just the girls left! I can't believe how fast they grow up and move on. It is all just wrong if you ask me! Here are my little goof balls ready to walk out the door for their first day of school for the 09/10 school year.
Here they are riding their scooters to the bus stop at the end of the block.


Ashton getting off of the bus at the end of his first day. He had a great time and has been a great student (according to his teacher who must have more patience than me!).

YUBA!

Our friends, and next door neighbors, invited us to go spend the afternoon with them at Yuba lake. Seriously, why don't we spend every day during the summer there? It is only about 10 minutes away! We must not be so smart!


Here is Ashton and Justin floating around.
Jace watering the sand, just in case it was thirsty, I'm sure!

Branden and his friend Jory (this was Jory's first time at a lake) having a super time!

All in all, we had a great time, even with the afternoon wind and sand storm! Good times had by all!

July 24th

The 24th of July gets quite the notice here in our one horse town. It is a pretty big celebration! This year, my great friend Krista came and spent the night with us so that she and her adorable boys could celebrate with us! My sister in law also came down with her kids to join in the festivities. The fun starts off with a children's parade, followed by a big lunch and dinner in the park, bouncy houses that our friend Jason brings, a movie the previous night on a super big screen in the park, and we top it all off with a great fireworks show!

Because daddy is a fireman, and grandpa is the chief, the kids get to ride on the fire engine and throw candy, They love it!

Branden got to march with the flag this time with his scout troop. He is getting so big!

Krista and her Cutie-patooties, Daniel and Isaac, watching fireworks.

Isaac was obsessed with kissing Keira every time she was within reach! Soo cute!

It got old! What a curse beauty is!

Wax on, Wax off, Daniel San!

In the middle of July, we invited ourselves to go to Fish Lake with my parents. I love Fish Lake. It is one of those places that our family frequented when I was a child. I remember that we always camped in the same group site, and us kids did some of the craziest crap! Seriously, where were our parents? Anywho, I am glad that I am now able to indoctrinate my children to believe that this is one of the greatest places ever to go camping! I know, I am a great mother! As the boys wandered into the lake at the beginning of a lightning storm, I decided to get a little nostalgic on them. They have no idea why they had to stand like that in the middle of the lake so that I could take pictures! It still cracks me up! I am easily entertained!

Branden doing his best Daniel San impression!

Ashton just about to fall into the freezing cold water! His balance must not be so great yet!

Jace almost balancing on the cold rock!

Acting in true boy fashion, trying to freeze their little tooshes off!

Birds and Bikes

This summer, we went for a few bike rides as a family. Most were just around town, but one Saturday, we went up to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo. We started just below the falls, and rode up to them and let the kids play, then continued up to the park where the Heber Creeper starts (I can't remember the name!) and had a picnic then rode back down to the car. In all we guessed that it was about 3 miles round trip. Quite an accomplishment for the kids with half of it up hill! Stupid me, left the camera in the car! So this is the only picture I have of the whole trip. This is how Keira ended up! The cooler was where her feet should have been, so she was stretched across the seat (which she hated). Poor baby! I really tried to make her more comfortable with the blanket, but she wouldn't lean that way! We have plans to do much more biking and hiking this next summer. Anyone up for the back side of Mt Nebo?

I got to go with Branden to Tracy Aviary for the 2nd grade field trip at the end of last year (yes, I really am that far behind!) It was fun to spend the day with him!

This was the biggest, creepiest bird I have ever seen! Seriously, the picture does it no justice!

This bird was part of the bird show. It was fetching raw meat here!

Baseball and long grass!

We put the boys into coach pitch baseball this summer. They had a great time (except when Jace didn't want to put any physical effort into playing, typical Jace). I am a horrible mom, and forgot to take any pictures of Ashton. He was in T-ball this year, and loved every second of it! His team was the Angels, and he was so cute trying to field the balls!
Branden and Jace were on the same team, which included all the kids from our town, The Rockies. Here is Jace batting. It took him a while, but he got the hang of it eventually!

Branden batting.

The "little sluggers" all tuckered out after a long game in the sun!

Jace in the out field..... What? What ball?

Branden playing catcher. The equipment was too big for him, so he opted out of the leg stuff!

Getting ready to throw the ball back to the coach.

A few times this summer, the lawn got a little longer than it should have. We decided to play a game for FHE, and Ryan mowed a kickball diamond in the grass. Grandma and Grandpa even came to play with us. It was a lot of fun! This isn't the picture of the diamond, but the grass was about the same length as it is in this picture.