Ryan & Kay

I'm in big trouble!

2011-02-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what my problem is, but I just don't like blogging, journaling or scrapbooking as much as I want to. I want to remember all the stuff my family says and does, I just want someone else to do the work for me! So, Ryan has spent more time on this blog recently than I have. He called me from work tonight to tell me that the background needed to be changed because it was too hard to read the words, then he reminded me that I haven't posted anything since June, and that was about Ashton's 6th birthday (he turned 7 a month and a half ago). So, the big question is, do I try to cram in the last year of our lives, or just try to start fresh with today? Any opinions? There probably isn't even anyone left who checks this thing! Ha, ha! Guess that is what I get for being such a slacker!

Happy Birthday Achies!

2010-06-01T20:43:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-05-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-02-09T21:17:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T13:28:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-14T19:14:00.001-08:00

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!

2010-01-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-05T15:55:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

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.

Playing catch-up!

2010-01-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

So, Here I am, feeling stupid because I am so far behind! Here is my excuse....

I have recently rediscovered reading. I have always loved reading, but kids, and a household had distracted me for the last 9 years. My new found fun started with the combination of our ward book group mixed with my good friend Jason writing his own gem. I was able to talk Jason into letting me read his rough draft (he didn't however tell me that it wasn't complete!). I really enjoyed not only the story, but the act of reading something with substance (not a free parenting magazine article). The ward book group was reading a book that I thought sounded interesting, so I joined. I read both things really quickly, and soon felt bored. I forgot about TV, and housework started to suffer (who needs a clean house?). I needed more books! So, for the last 4 or 5 months, I have made frequent use of the county bookmobile service (no library in our little town!) each time taking several novels for me along with audio books for Ryan and children's stories for the kids. Needless to say, I end up with a large armload of new books every other week for my family to enjoy! I have been able to read many books that I have wanted to try out for years, and some new ones that I would never recommend to anyone! Branden has caught the fever, and has read the first three Harry Potter books and is starting on the fourth. I am reading them with him, and when we finish one, we watch the movie. It has been fun for me to see the excitement he has when he finishes a large book. He is only 9, and is usually not so confident in his abilities. I love that he feels good about himself when he reads. Jace has also started "reading" Harry Potter. He says that he is reading them, and he is capable of it, but I think that he is not quite ready emotionally to deal with such a drawn out story. He tells me one morning that he is on chapter 3, and by the end of school, he's on chapter 19! Unfortunately, I know that he is not given enough time in school to read quite that much in one day. Oh well! When he's ready, I'll be there to help! Anywho! That is my excuse! The suffering of my blog was one of the unfortunate downfalls of my reading addiction! In fact, the bookmobile took a month off for Christmas, and I ran out of things to read, that is probably the only reason this is being posted!
By the way, Jason, I am still waiting on the edge of my seat for the ending of that book!

Now for the catch up!
This was at the school playground next to Tayna's house in Draper, kind-of old, but I thought it was a cute picture of my little ones!

Fun at the Museum

2009-09-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

We were luck this summer, we did lots of fun things! We spent one whole day with our cousins, Shaunda, her kids Porter, Kellin, and Teagan, Brena and her cutie Camden, and Kim, in Provo at the BYU Museums. We went to the park first and had a picnic lunch, then we headed over to the Museum of Palaeontology (Dinosaurs) It was small, but had plenty of hands-on stuff, and the kids had so much fun! These boys just love to get together. Too bad that it seems to only be a few times a year. Next we went to The Museum of Living Sciences (the Bean Museum). There were all sorts of animals there, complete with a giant elephant (my favorite!). When we were done there, the kids all voted to go to the Art museum. There is some strange stuff that is considered "art" these days! We had a really great time, and hopefully it won't be a whole year before we can play with these fun cousins again!

Here is Branden and Porter in a Dino head.

Branden trying to get his head bit off! Watch out! That is Kellin waiting for his turn, with Ashton right behind!

This is the picture that got me in trouble. The boys were getting tired, and were being silly. I thought it was a cute photo, and as soon as the picture was shot, the security guard ran over and politely told me that no pictures were allowed in the art museum. Oops!

The whole crew in front of the Dino wall. My camera wasn't good enough to get everyone in, but they were trying to "blend in" to the mural by being dinosaurs!

Watching the video presentation at the Bean Museum. Cute Jace and Kellin being bestest buds!

This is the whole crew, L-R, Teagan, Porter, Camden, Branden, Keira, Ashton, Kellin, Jace.

Swimming Lessons

2009-09-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

We signed up for swimming lessons again this year. I had high hopes after my boys spent so much time in our pool last summer and this summer. They all seemed to do really well, but when it came time to test, they all fell a little short, literally. None of them could swim the distance that was required on certain strokes. Bummer! Ryan said that we're not letting them try again next year. We'll see! I know that they can do it, and one teacher even said that if he practiced, he could move up next year. Anywho, I was proud of them. I can't swim with my face in the water, so they are all better than me!

Mammoth Parade

2009-09-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

This year, my kids were invited to ride on the Sheriff's Office float for the Mammoth Parade during the Ute Stampede. They were really excited to say the least! I only got a few pictures, they were moving and I wasn't going to chase them in 100 degree weather!

They had a great time throwing candy, and when they got to the end, the Sheriff lost them. Yup, I did say that. They were supposed to wait there for me to come to get them, but the message was lost somehow. So, they decided to walk the 5 or 6 blocks to where I was. Honestly, it would have been OK if they had, but when I showed up to get them, I asked the Sheriff where they were and he just gave me a blank look. I told him who I was, he said he knew who I was, but didn't know where they were. I jokingly said "Oh great, you lost my kids? If I can't trust them in the care of the Local Law Enforcement, who can I trust them with?" Ryan didn't think that it was funny. I'm sure that the Sheriff knew that I was kidding. Anyway, I found them about 3/4 of a block away headed to where I was sitting during the parade. No harm done!

Here I am!

2009-08-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't vanish off the face of the earth, I'm just lazy! I have so many things to add, I am just a little overwhelmed! BUT, The important thing today is that I mention that it is Keira's Birthday! Yay! She is so great. Such a happy girl, except for when she's not! She is just barely 20 lbs (my skinniest baby so far!) but is a pretty tall girl. She almost has enough hair to put into little pigtails, but won't hold her head still so that I can do it! She babbles all of the time, and half of the time, it sounds like she is saying actual words. She has almost 5 teeth (slowest teether) and is almost walking. She has great balance, but is too chicken to really walk. We've had one or two steps here and there, but nothing too serious! Starting today, she and I get to have a few hours of alone time while all of her brothers are at school. It is going to be a nice break! She'll sleep till at least 9:30 most days, I love it! This baby is such a blessing to our family. She loves her brothers and gives lots of kisses (mostly to Jace!). She has such a fun personality and is sure that she is the funniest thing ever. She and I took a trip to the cemetery to visit Gabriel the other day, and when I started to cry, she turned right around and gave me a huge slobbery kiss, then lots of hugs and more kisses. It was so sweet! She has just learned how to say "boo" this week, and plays peek-a-boo with the old people who sit behind us at church (sometimes she has to wake them up first!). It's so funny! We are all so glad to have her as a very important part of our family, and love her so much! Happy Birthday baby!

Here are some before and after pictures. The day she was born, and on her birthday.

Swimming ROCKS!

2009-07-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

We finally got the pool out a few weeks ago, and put Keira in, after her brothers begged! She couldn't decide if she should laugh or cry!
I think that over all, she has fun!

Grandpa George

2009-07-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

I love my Grandpa! He has always been so gentle and loving to his grand kids. He makes wooden cars for third world countries in his spare time, and loves doing it. His health has been fading the last few years, and he is starting to get really forgetful. It is so hard to see someone you love so much, get older. At Amanda's wedding, he picked Keira up as I was cleaning some things up, and when I noticed them, she was looking up into his face just talking away as she played with his tie. He was smiling and talking back, it was so sweet, so I snagged a few pictures. I hope that she will treasure these pictures later in her life when he is gone.

They probably talked for about 10 minutes! I hope that she will be able to really TALK with him someday!

New cake

2009-07-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is my sister Amanda's wedding cake that I made last week. I think that it turned out perfect.
It was a lot of cake! Luckily, she was smart enough to serve the cake for the refreshments, and didn't have much left over! Everyone helped with this cake. Branden and Jace helped mix cakes and grease and flour pans, and eat left overs! Ryan helped with icing, and Keira helped with clean-up! Or really, just helped me with messes to clean up!

There were little chocolate hand prints all over my floor! I had to mop before I could finish the cake! Yes, my child is the devil! Really, someone turned the red eye thingie off on my camera!

Three little Indians, or Way too much sun and not enough sun screen!

2009-07-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh the other day as my boys were getting out of the shower. I had to send them in to show daddy their bums! Put on your sunglasses for these pics!

Branden and Jace were pretty embarrassed about the picture thing, but not Ashton! He was wagging that hind end all over for the camera! You gotta love the back yard swimming pool! I swear, I really do put sun screen on them!

Cakes

2009-05-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

I've had some requests to post some pictures of cakes I've done. Here are a few. The one that everyone wants to see is the latest, the rock climber wedding cake. Yes, this is what they wanted. Honestly, I think that I improved on their idea! They brought me the little people, these are not what I would have picked! This one could be on cakewrecks!

I don't have finished pictures of this next one, it had Gerber daises on top and I think scattered around it. This is the point I got it to.

This is one I did with my sister for one of my old neighbors.

The baby's screaming, so I'll have to make this one to be continued...

Cinderella baby!

2009-05-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

Keira was in her first pagaent, and won! I shouldn't be surprised, after all, she is the cutest baby ever! She won the Central Utah prelimanary. The state competition is in two weeks in Richfield. Ryan wants me to take her so that we can show her off. He's not proud! She was in the local paper with her little tiara, giant trophy and "Cinderella Infant" banner. What a cutie! Oh, and pay no attention to the giant lady holding her!

Fun with Jace

2009-05-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

Jace's First grade class put on a fun program this year. It was all about being a Terrific Kid. Jace's part was the song Happy Wanderer. He did a great job playing a hobo!

The first grade also got to go on a field trip to the Discovery Gateway. I got to go with Jace, and it was worth the drive! I am so lucky to be able to spend such fun quality time with my kids! Jace seemed to have a great time, but we were pretty tired when it was all over!

Man, he is a cute kid!

Easter IS in May, and don't tell me it isn't!

2009-05-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun Easter this year. With all of the egg hunts, the spilling of green coloring all over my counter, and Daddy at the Dunes on official business, it was a super good time! Keira has a fun time with her first Easter. She even got a cute new Easter dress. We had one hunt at Grandma Gail's house....

And one at the Retirement home in Nephi....

And then there were all of the goodies that the Easter Bunny brought.

A few days after Easter, I gave Keira a basket full of empty plastic eggs to play with while I put on my makeup. She started crying, and this is what I found! She was so mad at that basket!

Catch up!

2009-05-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's time! Time to play catch up. I have a list in front of me of things I need to add, so here it goes!

First is basketball. Branden and Jace both got to play basketball this year. It started in January, but I'm a little slow! They both did really well. Jace is not as tall and strong as Branden, but by the end of the season, he was making shots all over the place! I am not so smart, and forgot my camera (yes, at every game) so these are the only ones I have, thanks to Andrea!

Looks like Jace is going in for a Layup!

Branden pausing to pose for the camera!

Next was Jace's 7th birthday. I am not OK with this whole getting older thing. Seriously, whose idea was that anyway? JERK! Honestly, I can't believe that my perfect little Kerman in 7. He is all independent and opinionated now. Where did that come from? Not from me! (he, he, he!)

We are really lucky, and were able to get a bouncy castle for his party. He decided to have a boys only party, and invited all of his best friends. We played in the bounce house, then opened presents and had cake and ice cream. I don't get it. I decorate cakes, yet my kids all just want a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. BORING! (but delicious!)

What a goof ball this kid is, I just love him so much!

As you can see, he got all sorts of fun stuff, including an air soft rifle and pistol from mom and dad (lucky ducky). He spends all sorts of time "shooting humming birds". Don't worry, I've watched him shoot! No humming birds have actually been hurt as a result of this birthday present! Funny kid!

My crazy life!

2009-05-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

I really just hate May! My birthday sucks, Mother's Day just makes me sad, and to top it all off, I had a really weird wedding cake to make along with baseball games (2 games twice a week for kids, and 2 games once a week for husband) and the end of the school year (trunky kids, and mom) and a teething baby. What an awesome life you say, ummm not so much! I have been thinking that I would catch up on my blogging eventually, but I am going to have to go out of order for just a moment. I need to talk about my little man. It is so wrong that I would have to live in a world without him for 2 whole years. What is this supposed to teach me? That life's a Bitch and I should just deal? Common, honestly? How am I supposed to deal with this? My kids are my life, and without him, life's not right. I spend allot of my time worrying that we're going to forget him. I can't remember his smell, I can't remember what it felt like to hold him, I can barely remember his voice. It's just not right. I can't wait till I can come face to face with the Lord, there better be a good explanation. I really want to believe that it isn't just some joke or punishment. I wish that I could just go on blind faith here, but for being such a loving Father, he sure has left me feeling high and dry. I realize that I have many other blessings, such as my other kids, a home, a husband, the priesthood, even the jobs that my husband has. The absolute and utter despair I feel at the loss of Gabriel drowns those things out. What a downer I am, huh? Welcome to my life! Bottom line? I don't think I will ever enjoy May again.

P.S. The first few songs on my player are my Gabie songs, if you are interested.

Graduation

2009-04-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have to start this post by telling everyone how proud I am of my husband. The thought of going back to school scares me, and he did it with very little complaint and really good grades! Yup, my husband is a big graduate. He is now officially a corrections officer. 10 weeks of hard work (mentally and physically) paid off! We started off the day with a spouse class. This is what I saw when I walked in. It was an hour of statistics of the probability of law enforcement officers to abuse substances, be abusive, have depression, commit adultery, and commit suicide. They want the families to be aware of any warning signs so that these things can be helped or avoided. Then they had the ceremony. Our County Sheriff (Ryan's boss) spoke, and one of his classmates also spoke. They were supposed to be sworn in, but the guy leading it must have decided that they shouldn't have to repeat the whole thing. Kind of weird! Oh well! The bottom line is, he is a Graduate! Good job Ryan, we love you and are so proud!

AAARRGGGGHHH!!!!!

2009-04-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on this thing, I am not quite sure where to start! I think that cronologically, I should start with oil painting class. There was a grant that was received in our county for some arts classes. The first one was an oil painting class. I am not artistic, but Jace has always loved "drawling" so I really thought that he would love it. Branden, Jace, Jarom (one of the neighbor kids) and I went to the class. I was hoping to paint myself, but had to take Keira with me because Ryan was still at school, so my painting skills will just have to wait dormant till I have enough time and money to discover them. So, here I am with 3 painters and a grumpy baby. I was trying to help relay the instructions (the teacher went much too fast for the little ones), mix paints for all of them, and explain how to use the brushes. By the time we had finished one step, the teacher was 4 steps ahead of us! It was pretty overwhelming! Jace started to notice that we were behind and that his picture didn't look like anyone else's. Not so good for him! He started saying that he was no good at painting, and that his picture didn't look anything like it was supposed to look. I was trying really hard to encourage him, and keep up with the teacher. I told him that every painter will do things different, and that his wasn't supposed to look exactly like everyone elses. At this point, the teacher starts walking around the room to "help" people. She looks at Jace's painting and tells him that he's doing it wrong, and that the gray color we were using was supposed to go around the sun, not on it. That was the end of Jace's artistic career. He won't even sketch anymore. I am so upset! He used to draw me pictures all of the time, now... nothing. He tells me that he is no good at art. I have continued to encourage him to try again, but he wouldn't even go to the art basics class with me a few weeks later. Here are the boys' paintings. I am really proud of them! The first one is Jace's. At this point, he had grandma come and pick him up.

Branden's finished picture. I think he did awsome!

Creative Arts

2009-03-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Branden and Jace both entered the creative arts contest in school this year. In my day it was called the "Reflections" contest. They came up with their idea's and did them almost entirely by themselves (I helped with things like spray paint and hot glue). I am so proud of them. They both did an awesome job. Jace got a participation ribbon, and Branden won 2nd place for his grade and category. He was so excited!

Here is Jace's ultra cool art work. He used my star punch, but the rest was done by tracing circles and cutting them out.

And this is Branden's paper mache' globe. I tried to talk him into trying to make the continents look like the real ones, but it was a no-go. I still think that he did a wonderful job

Here are Branden and his friend Jarom receiving their awards. I am pretty sure that it is the coolest trophy ever! At least that is what Branden thinks! Good job boys! We love you so much! Oh, and for all of you who are thinking, "I haven't paper mache'd in a long time, that sounds like fun" No, it isn't! Just a friendly warning!

Picture princess

2009-03-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

My cousin had this on her blog, and I thought it would be fun. Shabby Apple is having a "Picture Princess" contest. I may be a little biased, but I am pretty sure that Keira is the cutest baby girl ever! Keira has brought a light into our home that is unexplainable. Her beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous eyelashes are so perfect. She has the cutest dimples which help to emphasize those chubby cheeks! I love the way that her face lights up when her brothers come into the room, and the adoring way she looks at her daddy. She has a way of grabbing the attention of everyone she sees. There is no mistaking her "Princess" status in our family. We love her so much! The little girls and little girls dresses from Shabby Baby are so cute, I love this one.http://www.shabbyapple.com/p-84-queen-of-hearts.aspx I think it would look so perfect on Keira! I am sure that Keira will always be a picture princess!

Fun, or something like that

2009-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we got to go to Chuck E. Cheese with my family. It was a birthday party for my niece Paige (3) and my nephew Conner (1). Fun was had by all! Thanks Lori and Becca for inviting us and including us in all of your fun!

LIAR!!

2009-02-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

What a liar I turned out to be! I told Keira that avocados were yummy, apparently she does not agree!

Poor baby! She just held them like that in her mouth untill they all got pushed out by her slobber or her tongue.

What a stubborn little stinker! I wish I knew where that trait came from!:)

Shots and Razor blades!

2009-02-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

While getting the boys hair cut last week, our hair dresser finds a mole behind Jace's ear with a black spot on it. I am pretty paranoid, and I know that the spot wasn't on it during the summer when I buzzed his hair, so we went to see the doctor.

When we got there, I told him in the car what a black spot could mean and that the doctor was going to have to cut it off to test it and make sure he is still healthy. He FREAKED OUT! He was NOT going to go in! He decided that he would rather have cancer than get his mole cut off! So, I offered him a piece of gum. It worked! He did really good. His eyes got good and watery when they gave him the shot to numb it, but nothing spilled out. He said later that he couldn't even feel it when they cut it off, and it still didn't hurt. What a trooper. He earned his favorite candy bar for all of his bravery, a plain Jane Hershey's bar. We will know in about a week if they find anything wrong.

Money

2009-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

My little friend Ashton is way more observant than I give him credit for. We got a giant #3 balloon for Gabriel, and on the way home, Ashton asks why he didn't get a #5 for his birthday. I didn't really have an answer for that, so he asks me if he can have the #3. I told him no, it was for Gabriel. Gabriel wasn't going to get any birthday presents, so he gets balloons. He then tells me that we could just bury Gabriel's presents and then he would get them in heaven (we buried Gabriel, and he is in heaven, so why wouldn't it work for presents?). I told him that it just doesn't work that way. After we got home he brings me a penny and says "Hey mom, I'll give you my penny for the #3 balloon." I said no, and that I didn't need his penny. So his reply "Yes you do, because you are running out of money." Well, you are right Ashton, but unfortunately your penny isn't going to do me much good! Funny kid!

Happy Birthday Gabie!

2009-02-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

Today is my sweet angel's birthday. Not my favorite day of the year. This year I delt with it a little differently. I didn't insist on just sitting around crying! There was crying, but not constant. On Saturday, we went bowling with Grandma and Grandpa Bateman, and Grandma and Grandpa Pettit. We only had one lane, something we will have to fix next time, but had a great time anyway. It would have been more fun if the birthday boy could have attended his party, but we made the best of it. Today, the kids and I took a banner and some balloons to the cemetary.

We let one go from each of us, and tied the rest up.

Then we went and had dinner, cake and Icecream at Grandma Gail's. I am so greatful that I have them here to help me through this stuff. The Cake was not real extravagent, but hey, I don't really feel like cake baking today! I'll do better when he can tell me what he wants on it!

We missed daddy who was at school. Hopefully he'll be able to attend next year's party. We love you little man! We desperatly hope to see you soon!

Have You?...

2009-02-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

Copy and paste the list. Bold the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14.Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Ok, maybe not to the top, but definately to the top of the base!)18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22.hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a 1/2 Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31.hit a home run. 32.been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (Really just the one in vegas!)41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance (With Gabriel) 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone. 78.Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100.Made amends with someone who offended you 101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot 102. Ran out of gas 103. Eaten fried okra 104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea 105. Peed in a swimming pool 106. Stayed in a beach house 107. Hosted an exchange student 108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need 109. Worked on a political campaign 110. Coached a sports team 111. Baked bread from scratch 112. Driven from coast to coast 113. Paid off all of your debt 114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire.115 Cut up a credit card 116. Drove a car through a flood 117. Been on t.v 118. Had braces 119. Been to the top of the twin towers in NY. 120. Have played in both the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans 121. Been to ground zero 122. Bite my fingernails 123. Likes to scrapbook 124. Hates pie 125. Visited Mexico 126. Seen a Tornado in person 127. Have ever been lost at sea! 128. kisses a frog. 129. Gave birth to twins. 130. Received 2 moving violation tickets in 1 day. 131.Been Life Flighted. 132. swore 133. stranded in a motel for Christmas. 134. Been in 2 countries at once! 135. Never tasted any kind of alcohol. 136. Floated down the canal in inner tubes and once a bathtub 137. Sunk and almost got stuck knee deep in a manure pit. (or as we called it..jigglies) 136. Been to Mount St. Helens.

Report cards

2009-01-28T20:15:00.000-08:00

Branden and Jace got their report cards last week for the second quarter. I am such a proud mommy! They are both doing exelent! There are comments from both teachers about diffuculty in obeying and keeping mouths shut, but their scores are both really high. In Branden's packet there is a reading fluency sheet that shows they should read 90 words per minute at the end of second grade. Branden's scoring in the 145 correct words per minute range. I am so proud! I love to read, and apparntly it has worn off on someone! Good job boys, I love you!

Confusion

2009-01-28T19:59:00.001-08:00

While confusion usually runs rampant in my home, I have discovered that I have also caused confusion amongst those of you who read my blog. I am prepared to clear that up today. I have been informed that nobody can figure out what my ID picture is. Is it really that unclear? I saw that picture and knew that I had to use it, first of all, because it sums up our lives perfectly, secondly because it is so characteristic of the friend who took it! This is a picture which Ashton took of himself when I wasn't looking. He actually took close to 50 pictures! Last year, we got him one of those Fisher Price camera's for Christmas, but apparently mine is still more fun. I deleted most of them, and only kept the ones that made me laugh the hardest. So, without further delay, here are some of his masterpieces for you to enjoy!

Most of his pictures are of the floor, the ceiling, a door knob, a light switch, or even something as beautiful and intriguing as his nostrils! What a goofball!

Sledding

2009-01-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

Keira got to go on her first sledding trip a few days ago. What fun! No, she didn't actually go sledding, but she got to watch and that was pretty fun for her. We are super lucky that we have a good sledding spot across the street from our house!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo! Christmas made it! (and so did I!!) We had a pretty good haul over all. It was fairly meager compared to our previous Christmases, But I loved it that way. The boys each got a shirt, new pjs, a basket ball, one special gift, and a game to share. We also got some new leap pad books to share. Branden got a BB gun, Jace got a electronic drum pad, and Ashton got a scooter. And the gift of choice, a Wii.

Keira got a few little toys, she doesn't need too much yet! She got her very first baby doll (thanks aunt Jo!)We had Christmas super early this year so that daddy could go to work at 8:00. After he had left, we had breakfast, got dressed, and headed to Grandma Gail's. We opened gifts there and hopped in their car to head to Salt Lake. We saw Grandma Cookie and Grandpa George, and all of the cousins in the process. It was a fun, but tiring day. I am sooo glad it is over! We went back to Salt Lake to have a party with Grandma Christy and Grandpa Mel on Saturday. This year was kind of a bummer, Grandpa Breithaupt was going to spend Christmas with us, but got sick and passed away the Sunday before christmas. Monday the 29th was a beautiful funeral with some very nice music from Ryan's cousin's. I wanted my kids to attend so that they could see all of the honors given to a veteran of the armed forces. It was neat to see the flag ceremony, the gun salute and the playing of tapps. We are so lucky to have people like Louis Mathias Von Breithaupt who are so willing to serve our country and protect our freedoms.

I am so grateful for the Christmas season, and even more grateful for the end of it! Time to slow down!!

Ryan broke his had a few weeks ago playing basketball, and despite having a cast stinking up the place, it hasn't healed. He was hoping to have it off in time to go to his post training, but instead, it looks like surgery is in his near future. We'll know for sure hopefully tomorrow.

My Rock Star!

2008-12-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ashton: I'm going to comb the front of my hair.

Me:OK

Ashton:It is cool like this. (while combing two combs together towards the center of his forhead)

Me: Yup, that is pretty cool! Do you want to wear it to school like that?

Ashton: Yea, everyone will think it's super cool.

Me: OK, I'm sure that they will.

Ashton: I could be a ROCK STAR with this hair! (while doing the rock star stance and playing air guitar) But without the guitar!

Me: You are right, you could totally be a rock star with that hair!

Funny kids!

2008-12-18T17:36:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Ashton is 5!

2008-12-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Ashton turned the big 5 yesterday. Wow, I must be getting old! He was so excited. He asked for a monster truck cake, so we put a giant monster truck in the chocolate frosting running over all of the little hot wheels cars. It turned out perfect for him. He even helped with the frosting and the car and rock placement! He got two awsome presents. Grandma Gail got him a crazy loud pull my hair out robot. It talks, walks, and shoots everything. Super cool! After seeing his cousin Caleb's hot wheels toy, Ashton decided he needed one for his birthday. It is also super loud and I can't wait for the bateries to die! It makes comments like "Stay out of my town hot wheels!" I can just tell that this year with Ashes is going to rock!

Watch out!

2008-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Branden's school is lucky enough to be part of a program called "R.A.D. Kids" It teaches them personal safety. Branden really loved his class, and was excited to teach his brothers his Rad kids "skills". At the end of the program, they had a graduation. It was fun to see all of the second graders kicking and hitting the man who was kind enough to volunteer to be the "bad guy". All I have to say is don't mess with my kids! They'll kick your trash!

Twilight Movie

2008-11-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am going to start by saying that I have not seen the movie! I have read other people's opinions on it, and found them very interesting however. I did read all 4 books, but did not necesarily love them. It was a classic teen crush story with far more passion than any teenager should experience. If she was my daughter, I'd FREAK OUT! My friend Teri posted this link on Facebook, and I laughed my butt off! This is so how I see it!

http://www.ericdsnider.com/snide/my-rejected-twilight-screenplay/

This is some funny crap!

Baby Tag

2008-11-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

So, I got hit with just about every tag thing out there! But I love my baby, so this should be easy!

10 things we love about Keira

We love Keira's strawbery blond hair
We love her dimples (all 58 of them)
We love how light weight she is
We love her laugh (we've only heard it twice)
We love how willing she is to smile at everything
We love that she is not a puker
We love that she is a good sleeper
We love that she loves us
We love that she has brought so much joy to our home
We love her big, beautiful, bright eyes framed by ultra long snuffeluppagus eyelashes!

I know lots of people with babies.. I tag Andrea, Jilean, Tori, Tayna, Aimee

What A Turkey!

2008-11-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here is my favorite Ashton singing the song he learned in Pre-school today. The words are "A turkey's such a silly bird, his head goes wobble wobble. He always makes a silly sound GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

I just love this kid!

Hey, no tag-backs!

2008-11-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

5 things...

10 years ago (I can't even remember yesterday)
1. I was still single!
2. working at Founders Title as a recorder
3. Thinking of buying a house. ( I was still a dreamer then!)
4. considering a mission.
5. Trying to pay for that really fun party at USU

5 things on toady's to do list
1. laundry
2. dinner for bonko
3. keeping to kids quiet so Ryan can sleep
4. practice for primary program with my kids
5. dishes

5 snacks I enjoy
1. chocolate
2. fruit
3. vegies
4. cheese
5. Swedish fish

5 places I have lived
1. West Jordan, UT
2. Logan, UT
3. Levan, UT

5 jobs
1.Bridal consultant
2. fast food employee
3. Phone surveys
4. customer service/ document recorder
5. delinquent property taxes

Tag!! (Thanks Brianna!)

2008-11-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

8 favorite TV shows
Days of our lives (really I hate it, why am I still watching every day?)
The Office
30 Rock
My Name Is Earl
ER
House
Lost

8 Favorite Restaurants (assuming I actually went to restaurants!)
La Vignia
Souper salad
Outback
Any place that searves food!

8 things that happened yesterday
Took care of a sick kid
went to church
ate a yummy dinner
hugged my babies
visited Gabriel
watched Amazing Grace
watched The Ant Bully
visited with my parents

8 things I'm looking forward to
The 2nd comming
Seeing Gabriel
hugging Gabriel
Next summer
Retirement
bed time
Christmas
Being done with Christmas shopping

8 things on my wishlist
being debt free
all of my children in one place
being a little less "fluffy" (ok, really alot less fluffy)
lazer hair removal (I'm with you on that one Brianna!)
a full nights sleep!
no more poopy pants!
no more wet pants, cause pee stinks!
being done with laundry!

8 people I'm tagging (Do I know 8 people?)
Jason
Andrea
Brena
Tori
Tayna
Jaylynn
Christy
Leah

Baby Gabie

2008-11-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the year and a half anniversary of my beautiful son's death. Not such a super thing for me. I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures of him so that you can all see how perfect and sweet he was! I'm not so great at this posting thing, so the pictures are set up kind of weird. Deal! I did the best I could!

We miss you so much and love you more every day!!

Cats as big as trees?

2008-11-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

So, we have always incouraged our kids to say their prayers by themselves and they have always done pretty good. After a while though, they all had the same prayer. Ryan gave them the how to pray talk and things changed. They all do very well still, they pray for exactly what they want. Ashton's new prayer goes something like this: We thank Thee for this day, we thank Thee that we won't have any bad dreams, or scary dreams, or beary dreams (dreams with bears), or dreams with fur in them, or dreams with cats as big as trees.... WHAT? Where do they come up with this stuff? This is the only time ever that I have heard anything about cats as big as trees. And what is with the dreams with fur? I think I would like a dream with fur in it. It sounds warm and soft, not scary.. but what do I know?

We had our first pinewood derby this last week. What an experience. I was all prepared for the tantrum that would follow the inevitable defeat of our first derby car (which was a replica of Ryan's old Chevy truck). By some miracle, we almost won the whole thing! Branden ended up taking 2nd place overall, and just barely lost 1st place. He was all sorts of excited! All in all it was a pretty fun pack meeting. The first of MANY to come with all of my boys! This is going to be ultra fun!

Halloween fun

2008-11-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

Branden as the guy from Scream

I love Trunk-r-treating! Where else can you get more candy than your kids can handle and get all of yours passed out in half and hour? Then you get to go home and relax for the rest of the night. Not to mention that you can see your kids the whole time and, (at least in our town) you know everyone who is giving candy to them. Best thing ever!
Jace as the "snake ninja"

This year, after dinner at the church and trunk-r-treating, we decided to let the boys stay up as late as they wanted. They outlasted us! We went to bed at 11:30ish, Ashton said that the clock had two 1's one 2 and one 7 when he went to bed. I'm guessing 12:17. This is the second time that we have let them do this, so now they ask if they can stay up every weekend. This one worked!

Ashton as the "red ninja"

So, I am posting halloween pictures. After our earlier adventures, it was like pulling teeth to get everyone re-dressed and ready to go. I couldn't decide which costume to use for Keira, so she got to be a lady bug and an elephant. Good times!

I'm feeling so left out

2008-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like such a loser! I am about the last person on earth that is not blogging! My reasoning for takeing so long is that I am really pretty lazy, and if I have free time I would rather spend it sleeping or reading. So, everyone I know is loving this blog thing, (and I love reading them) so I've decided it is time to get off of my lazy butt and join the heard! To start off, Here is the definition to Pandemonium
–noun
1.
wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.
2.
a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos.
3.
(often initial capital letter) the abode of all the demons.
4.
hell.

So, this pretty much summs up our family!! Ok, not so much the last one, but every once in a while! Our family consists of Ryan, my awsome husband whom I love so much, me Kay, Our 8 year old son Branden, 6 year old son Jace, 5 year old son Ashton, Gabriel (would be 3 in feb. Passed away in May 2007), and The Princess, Keira; our first girl who is 2 months old.

We are so lucky! Our children are such beautiful kids, something just works when you mix us together!

So, it is halloween, and this year I decided to get the moneys worth out of our costumes. The kids are wearing them all day! we got up and had breakfast, then got dressed and headed to town. I know that sounds silly, but really... we live in a super small town, so we have to go 10 miles to get to anything. We stopped and saw daddy at work, then headed to Grandma Gail's work. After eating a full sized candy bar for an after breakfast snack (Thanks Mary lou!), the boys headed outside to help rake and stomp leaves that were outside of the office. The pizza store next door gave them pizza for helping, then they got to go to the dump to get rid of them (where they really just played in them) and then were treated to Slurpies.
Branden informed me that this was the best Halloween ever, and we haven't even gone Trick-or-treating yet. Now I know to start every holiday with manual labor! I love my kids!