Birthday Man

Brandon's birthday was November 1st.  Honestly it wasn't too much of a bash because the poor guy had to work.  But we did our best to celebrate the man who keeps us in diapers and groceries.  He works hard for us and we all love him for it.  I will say, I get a little jealous sometimes of the welcome home that he gets.  It's always a flurry of excitement, complete with the pounding of chubby little feet running to greet him with arms wide open and shouts of joy.  Even he admits it makes a long day worth it.  On his birthday we added some decorations to go with our welcome.

And the kids "surprised" him by hiding in the closet, except for Emma who couldn't see a good reason for quietly stuffing herself in there.

 

 We enjoyed Dad's favorite chocolate mousse for dessert.  The kids were also really excited about the gift they gave him, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii.  When we made our trip to UT, they'd played it with Dad and thought it was great fun, so they came up with the idea all on their own.  Then for weeks they talked about it, and Parker got anxious that mom wasn't buying it right away and wrote it down on a slip of paper each for himself, Drew and Paige to carry around so they wouldn't forget before mom was able to purchase it.  They'd make a big deal about hiding these slips of paper every night before Dad came home for about two weeks and then they just couldn't contain themselves any longer.  I think it was Parker who finally let it slip to Dad what the secret was.  We love our Daddy man!

Zoom Zoom

Daddy introduced the boys to a new hobby recently.  We're now obsessed with model rockets at our house.  They built their rockets from kits a few weeks ago but due to the weather, (and life) we had to wait a few weeks to actually launch them.

Today was the perfect day.  It was a smidge cold, but it was sunny and there was almost no wind.  So we bundled up and headed to the park. 

Here's Parker with his rocket the "Gnome" on the launcher ready to go.

Pressing the all-important launch button.

And a thumbs up after "rocket recovery."

Andrew and the "Firehawk" ready for takeoff.

They were oh so serious about getting to push that button!

Drew with his recovered rocket.

An action "blastoff!" shot for Parker.

Drew's blastoff.  Err....almost.  You can see the smoke where the engine is igniting, but it hadn't lifted yet.

I think this is going to be a really fun hobby for the boys and their Daddy to pursue together.  What boy doesn't love all things that zoom?

A Surprise for Dad

Our Daddy has been out of town quite a bit lately. Needless to say, it stinks. So when he called last Saturday to invite us to join him for the weekend we were packed and out the door an hour later. The boys had a big surprise for him!

This little man up and learned how to ride his bike! We owe it all to his 6 year old cousin Luke. No joke, Brandon has worked with Parker before and with not much success; so we've left the training wheels on. We go over to Luke's..... I kid you not they were outside for about five minutes and then come running in. Parker's telling me, "Mom, Mom!! Luke showed me how to ride his bike without training wheels!" And I'm thinking, yeah....riiiight. But we go out, Luke holds him steady and off he goes. Apparently Luke told him just what he needed to hear!

So anyway, we go home and take the training wheels off his bike. We agree to keep this a secret so we can surprise Dad. How fun is it that right after Dad calls to invite us for the weekend? So without saying a word to him, we tossed in the bikes. Oh, and here's where I should mention that Andrew decided he wanted his training wheels off too. So while I was inside tossing any clean clothes I could find into a suitcase, Parker grabbed the wrench I'd left out and took off Andrew's training wheels as well. Little monkeys. Just to see how it would go I did give Andrew a couple of test tries before we took off. He needed some extra help, but I could tell Dad would have him off and going in no time.

Boy was Dad surprised! We took advantage of the hotel parking lot to get in some good riding time.

And Daddy worked with Drew.

We had a few tumbles, but no tears! Andrew was so cute and funny that day. He was so happy about it all that he didn't get upset or frustrated.

And off he went! Funny little man.....after a few good rides he got off his bike and took a bow. So fitting to his cute little personality. Then he kept telling his Daddy "Love you Dad!" and "Thank you Dad!" and "I'm so happy to ride my bike Dad!" and the like.

They absolutely loved this. It was fun to be able to share it with Dad as well. He even taught Parker some extra tricks like how to start up against the curb.

And what were the lady bugs doing during all of this? Having a grand old time. These girls are good friends. To reward them for being so patient, they got to go to the park afterwards and swing. :)

And Emma enjoyed herself some time in the sun. Who doesn't love a nap in the sunshine? Seriously, best baby ever. She is so good to just sit there and be happy while we do whatever it is we've got going on.

And I thought I'd toss in a few more pics from the visit.

When Mom and Dad are too tired to visit the hotel pool, what's the solution?! Tub swimming. And what's even better, if you leave the door open you can still watch Nemo on the TV! Saweeet!

(Don't worry, they did get to swim in the hotel pool as well.)

Good thing our kids are used to close quarters! This was the biggest three on the fold-out.

And Claire decided she didn't mind a nap on the comfy cozy king sized bed. :) I just love the way sleeping babies look!

Winter Fun

Most of the time around here, it is too stinking cold to be outside. But you've got to find something to do when that snow just WON'T GO AWAY! Lucky for us we have a super fun Dad, always ready for some impromptu fun. Back before we dropped to single digit temps, Dad found us a great sledding hill right out front. See, there is something good about those piles of snow left behind from the snowplow.

You can bet that Princess wasn't going to be left behind. I wasn't going to take her out, but she just sat at the window crying to go out. I totally thought I'd spend 15 minutes getting her ready to go, and she'd be back in in five. Not her! She loved every minute of it. And P Doodle was good to help her hold on. Of course there are some perks to being the oldest; when you're the only one big enough to help the others, you get to go every turn.

More Fun with Dad

The boys got to go fishing with their Dad this weekend. As you can imagine, it was the best day of their lives so far. Dad took them to buy a new pole; Babycakes got Spiderman, and P Doodle got G.I. Joe, which he informed me he used to watch when he was a baby.....pretty funny since we don't have a tv, and G.I. Joe was way before his time. But as always, he wants to be just like his daddy. They had a great time, and the boys caught all these fish themselves. Brandon didn't even have time to rig up his own pole, he was so busy going back and forth between these two. But, these boys haven't learned to tell fish tales yet....if you ask them how many they caught, P Doodle says 5, and Babycakes says, "1.....2....3!"

The only downer to the day was that the girls didn't get to go. Poor, poor Princess. She was so mad she stomped her feet and cried for quite a while after they left. She hates to be left out of any fun that involves her favorite boys. But don't feel too bad....she got to go out to lunch and shopping with mom and sis. ;) And, as always she got plenty of Daddy time as well this weekend.

The Boy Who Could Fly/We Love Dad!

Okay, I know the picture quality here isn't the best, but I still thought it was fun! This boy loves having his Daddy home on the weekends, and I think you can see why. ;) This last weekend we were all particularly excited because he'd been gone for two weeks straight. As much as we missed him, it was almost worth the Princess' reaction when he came home. I was taking care of P Doodle in another room and had assigned Babycakes and Princess P to watch out the window and let me know when they saw Daddy. I needn't have worried....as soon as he was home, I knew it! Princess P let out the biggest squeal I've ever heard, "DA!" and then she and Babycakes thundered for the door. Even though I couldn't see her face, I know from where I heard it at the back of the house that it was the cutest thing. "Da" assured me that it was from his view out the window. ;)

Saving a Stamp or Two

If I were the Christmas card sendin' sort of gal, (meaning if I could spend the money on the photos, cute paper, and stamps) this is what I would send to all of you:

Happy Holidays family and friends! We hope that this message finds you all well and happy. We've loved our first full year in our new (old) home and feel so blessed to be where we are. We really feel that the decision to move here to Vernal was an inspired one. We miss being close to family and friends, but we've found some adopted grandparents in the ward to keep us from being lonely! I have also found that I am not quite the city girl I thought I was......at times even Vernal feels too crazy to me.

Brandon has learned that being a homeowner has some drawbacks as well as the perks. Like, doing your own yardwork, fixing your own leaky faucets, and all of the "honey-do" projects that come along with updating and changing things to suit our tastes. We thought last Christmas that it would be so fun to finally be able to put up lights outside......it was so much work, we never really got around to it this year! Between work, church, daddy time and honey-do's he hasn't had as much time this last year for all the fishing he would like - although he did get in one special fishing trip! Brandon has also been working on some on-line credits through BYU to finish his degree. Anyone want to try that load? I'm sure glad I have him around to "git-r-done!"

I'm busy as usual being mom. My routine doesn't vary much, but to be honest, I wouldn't trade with anyone! I love being there for all of the "little things" that happen every day. I think I drive Brandon nuts with my list of "guess what happened today" when he comes home from work. Having three children in three years has taught me a lot of patience, love, and has brought me closer to my Savior as I've tried to learn to be more selfless and charitable. Knowing how much I love my children and want them to succeed reinforces my testimony that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us very much and gives us every opportunity to correct our mistakes and return to him.

P Doodle is "the biggest boy in the whole 'tire world!" He had a couple of milestones this year, including learning to pedal his own bike, and wearing big boy undies! Wahoo! Only two in diapers! P Doodle never ceases to amaze me with his excellent memory, and ability to understand the world around him. I always have to remind myself that he really is only three and that sometimes, I expect a lot of him because he acts so big. How would I describe him? He is his Daddy. He is funny, smart, athletic, and totally confident in his ability to do anything he puts his mind to. He is also sassy, and not about to do anything that he doesn't see a good reason for. He's my little man, and he takes good care of the rest of us while Daddy's gone at work! He's also a hard worker, and gets right in there whenever Daddy has a project going on, or Mom needs help around the house.

Babycakes has also had a big year. He has grown so much. His vocabulary exploded this year. He went from being our quiet easy going guy, to bursting with something to say all the time. Sometimes Mom is the only one who understands his words, but they are sure there! He's also learned his colors, most letters, and loves to count and look at books. While Doodle is Daddy's boy, Babycakes is Mama's. He loves to "nuggle" and the day just doesn't start right if it doesn't start with one. He is also getting to where he is not about to be left out of any big boy fun. He's our sweetheart and always has a hug and a smile for anyone.

Princess P has brought so much joy and happiness to our home this year. Brandon and I have both felt that she filled a space in our home that we didn't realize was missing anything until she came along. Her brothers love her and take good care of her......as long as she doesn't wreck their trains. She also has Daddy wrapped around her little finger already. Maybe he's just matured a bit, but he sure has enjoyed the baby stage a lot more this time around, and something tells me that "Daddy's girl" has something to do with that! She always saves her sweetest smiles for her Daddy. Princess P is on the go already; she crawls, and stands and can't wait to keep up with those brothers.


We're so grateful for all that we've been blessed with this year and send our best wishes to you this Christmas season!

Maybe someday I'll really send actual Christmas cards in the mail........

In keeping with my goal, here's what I'm grateful for today:

• The comfort of a warm bowl of soup.
  
• A warm house when it's -11 degrees outside! (Can you tell I'm cold?)
  
• When the bagger at the grocery store offers to help me out to my car with my load and three kids.
• A night off from cooking thanks to the ward Christmas party!
  

Family Pictures 2009

We got our family pictures taken recently, and I LOVE THEM!! Here's a little taste. They pretty well speak for themselves, so I won't add anything else except thank you, thank you to our photographer Melinda Smith, for all of your hard work and generosity! Shes' amazing. Check her out on my sidebar!

My Little Man

Well, I know that there are some of you out there who read this blog only to see pictures of my kids, and right about now you're all thinking, "Enough about you!" So here's an update on Parker. Last week, he decided that he wanted to wear his winter coat all day. For two days. He wanted to have it on so badly that anytime he was naughty the punishment was having to take his coat off. It worked like a charm. But I cannot believe he wore it that much. I made him take it off to eat, and both he and the coat were dripping wet every time I took it off. This picture was taken after he'd been running some laps around the wall that divides our kitchen and living room. Can you see the sweat glistening on his forehead?

Not to mention the flushed cheeks? Oh, but he was so proud to be wearing that. He did look pretty darn cute.

He's also decided lately that he wants to become a fisherman. Mostly because Daddy has gotten back into the habit recently. Brandon was out in our backyard casting his line the other day and Parker came running into the house, "Mom! Where's my fry pole?" (Meaning fly pole) "I need to go fishing with Daddy!" So we got out his little pole and he went out back to practice as well.

Oh, this boy loves his Daddy. Anything Daddy does, is something he loves to do as well.

Unfortunately, my little man is sick today. But I have to say, that while I hate watching my kids be sick, it's been a nice chance to take a break and get some things done around here. I stretched myself to the limit last week. Besides that, this afternoon he's been jumping on the couch asking for treats. I don't think he's feeling too terrible anymore.

Another First...Fishing

This is going to be one monster post, but we had some monster fun this weekend. Grandma and Poppy came out for a visit. Grandma and I spent the morning doing this:

Then we took a little barbecue up to Steinaker Reservoir. This place is seriously about 7 minutes from our house. I don't know why we don't do this more often. Anyway....the boys had another fun summer first. Don't ask me why we've waited until the end of the summer to have all of these firsts. We're lame.

They went fishing! Every little, (and big) boys' dream.

Andrew ate about half a package of licorice....yeah, I don't normally allow things like that, and this is why, (and because it ain't healthy) oh and the monster red diarrhea he had the next morning.

Poppy and Daddy were nice enough to share their fishing poles with the boys. Every time they'd hook a fish they'd ask for a helper and one or two were sure to come running.

Grandma and Paige snuggled and watched the fun.

Impressive fish, huh? We caught tons of these little guys. Parker wouldn't touch em.

Ahh...cute. Daddy and his boys.

Paige was an angel as always and slept pretty much the whole time. And yes, she does suck her two middle fingers pretty much all the time, and yes, I'm okay with it, (for now).

Of course there was no keeping the boys out of the water...we finally took off shoes and rolled up the pants. Fortunately they weren't interested in going in any deeper.

The fishermen with their "big catch".

Here's the boys running from Dad to Poppy when Poppy got a bite. Notice Parker holding his pants up as he ran?

Parker's favorite part was reeling them in.

Cute, huh? Sorry for the overload of pictures....but I just couldn't decide between all these favorites. There were even more!

She's always an angel....even awake!

I love baby feet! These happen to be Drew's. Parker wouldn't let me take a picture of his.

Parker even got to hold a pole by himself.....for a minute anyway. This kid is a wild man!

And of course....we had so much fun he was asleep before we even got home. I was tired too!

Thanks for the fun times Grandma and Poppy....and the peaches!