This is How we Roll

2012-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Austin had his Christmas program at preschool and it was the most precious thing to watch. He loves to sing! He was one of the three wise men. He was so into it and at times we could hear his raspy little voice...but he was definately not the loudest! (video below)

Cameron is playing basketball this winter. It's quite an experience watching their 'beginners' team during the games! Luckily they have the most patient, loving and calm coach to teach them the basics of the game.

Austin turns 5

2012-01-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

He was so excited to have another birthday. We had a simple family party and he was thrilled to wear his happy birthday pin to preschool.

2012-01-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

I went with Austin on his fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch.
hayride

this little piggy got rolled into a ball of hay...

silly faces

Colin had his first band 'concert'. It was more of a demonstration for parents and I learned how to play hot cross buns on Colins clarinet. He loves playing this instrument. This is the same one that Chris played over 25 years ago.

October 2011

2012-01-01T20:38:00.001-08:00

The high school Colin will attend is a new school and is currently in the 3A division. We made it to a game and for a team that has seniors on it for the first time they did pretty well. Here's to growth and learning! We can only get better....it is football and we do live in Texas!

We were also able to attend our first FC Dallas game, thanks to some great friends of ours. It was a lot of fun and very entertaining. We all had a wonderful time. Oct. 2011

Fall

2012-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

We got together with a few other families and had a special FHE the night before school started!

During Halloween time we enjoyed decorating cookies, faces and haunted houses!

While the dads were at the priesthood session of conference, a friend and I took our kids to get some frozen yogurt and then for some outdoor fun. There is a great hill close to our home that is fun to slide down on cardboard boxes.

Shortly after school started we found out we are expecting our FOURTH CHILD!!!! We are so thrilled and it was even more fun to see others' reactions about Chris being on board with it. We were both comfortable with our little family. Austin turned 5 in October and will be starting kindergarten fall 2012. For most of this year I've had the baby bug though. We both got serious about praying to find out if this is really the Lord's plan for our family. We received a peaceful answer and were blessed to get pregnant soon after.

Colin loved playing flag football this past fall. He had three other boys from church on his team, and they seemed to play really well together. He's hoping to play in the spring again as well. He's still deciding whether he wants to play tackle football in middle school next year.

Where have we been...

2011-08-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were able to go to Utah for his sister Megans wedding. It was so much fun. She is marrying Alex Whitbeck and he is a wonderful guy and is perfect for her. His family was a lot of fun too. She was/is a beautiful bride! We are still waiting to see all the awesome pictures that her photographer took, so this is the only one I got with my camera.

My mom was a lifesaver and watched the kids for us while we were gone.A week and a half before we left for the wedding I sprained my ankle. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't the 3rd time I've done it to my right ankle and this time I didn't have shoes on. I cringe everytime I think about how I did it. It's not a nice feeling. I'm still working on getting it stronger. I've told myself I am not allowed to leave the ground unless I have ankle braces on.

The day before we came home mom called and told us Austin has strep throat. As a parent it is a horrible feeling to be separated from your kids when they are sick. Mom of course took the best care of him, and we came home to a not so healthy boy. The week went by and we ended up taking him to an ENT. He has had many bouts of strep throat in his short 4 years and they suggest getting his tonsils out. It's common to assume that someone that has their tonsils out will not get strep again, but that is incorrect. But at least the pain that goes along with it will be less and other complications will be minimal. So in a month or so we will call to get his tonsils out.

The day after we got home the older boys were playing with some friends outside. Cam was riding the ripstick and fell off. He told their mom that his arm hurt, but never cried. Even when he got home hours later he just said it hurt a little bit. So we iced it and kept an eye on it. By Sat. it was still bothering him. So, we took him in to get xrays. Sure enough he broke it. A splint was put on and we were to go to the orthopedist a week later to get the real cast put on.
The boys started school on August 22nd!!!Cam is in third grade. I didn't get pictures before they left in the morning so I tried after school...needless to say Cameron wasn't thrilled about it. His outfit was cute though!
Colin started middle school (6th grade)! He was so excited! His nerves kicked in that morning but he made it with ease. I love the middle school here because the sixth grade is on the lower level of the school all alone...except elective classes. They really don't come in contact with the big, bad 7th and 8th graders :)this is when we got his schedule and locker..a bit fuzzy, but he's so handsome! I was using my camera phone and since have learned how to focus on the subjectToday is August 26th. Cameron caught strep and spiked a fever on the second day of school. So, he was home Tuesday thru Thursday. I had an appt. to get his cast put on today, but that would've meant that he would have to leave school early and missing three days already I didn't want to do that. So his fever broke yesterday morning and we went in to get his fabulous GLOW IN THE DARK cast on. A built in night light!oh, one more thing...Colin came home from school today and felt sick to his stomach and had a low fever. When he's had strep in the past his symptoms are just that a little fever and stomach ache.
We've had an exciting couple of weeks.

Random Fun

2011-07-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post these pics from the weekend of Camerons baptism. Chris' sister Megan is engaged! She will be marrying Alex Whitbeck (I hope I spelled that right ;)) They were able to come for Cams' baptism and meet the family.

We are so excited for these two! He is a great guy and he's getting an amazing woman!

While they were here we went to a Rangers game! Alex seemed to enjoy the 'Texas-sized fun'

Everyone- missed ya Ash

Here is our little family!

Vacation cont....

2011-06-28T08:35:00.001-07:00

rode 4-wheelers!

played with sparklers

We were able to visit the cabin.

We were able to meet our nephew Cooper. He is the third boy in his family too. A bit ironic if you ask me- that we and Chris' brother have three boys each.

Summer Vacation

2011-06-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

We rode the chairlift up Sundance...

Breathtaking

We hiked the Y.

Safety Town

2011-06-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

One of the main firestations close by allows kids to come and ride the kid jeeps on summer Friday nights. The other boys were with friends so I took Austin to ride the jeeps. A miniature city with roads, street lights, buildings and even a toll booth are what the kids get to practice their road safety on. Austin had a blast! He even chauferred a 3 yr. old around when her legs were just a bit too short to reach the pedal. Inside volunteers simulate a fire and teach the kids how to kick out the window screen and get out of a house.

Let Summertime begin...

2011-06-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

...and what a better way to do it then with friends and a backyard bbq.

Last Day of 5th Grade

2011-06-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

We are proud of Colin and his accomplishments throughout elementary school. He is continuing to grow and mature into a great young man.

He is so excited to start middle school this fall.

Recognition

2011-06-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Both boys were recognized at their grade level award ceremony for exceling in various subjects during the school year.

Cameron received the science award from his teacher. He was surprised, and super excited. He got straight A's for all subjects.

Colin was chosen to get the P.E. award. The P.E. coaches picked one student from each class.

Colin also received straight A's this whole year. A few weeks ago he even said "I am so done with elementary school, and can't wait until next year."
We have a 6th GRADER!!!!!!

Field Day

2011-06-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

Austin and I helped with field day a few weeks back at the boys school. I really enjoy watching the boys interact with their classmates.

Here is Colin playing 'jump the river'

Austin got to participate too!

Cameron had fun doing the water relay.

Baptism Day

2011-05-02T18:47:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Cameron was baptized on Saturday. It was a lovely occassion. Chris was able to baptize him. We had a lot of our family there to support him. A few friends came too and the feeling during the meeting was beautiful! We are so thankful for the decisions our children make (when they think) and for the relationships that others have with them. As their mom, I really do think we have wonderful children and they are worth getting to know. Just like any child or adult for that matter, we all have our crazy, onery moments. Yes they can be very annoying at times and I'll be the first to admit that! But we sure love them!

Not only did he get baptized, but then he had a soccer game and most exciting of all to him was the Pinewood Derby. He was super excited for his first one. His car did pretty well too! It was a great day and I am grateful to those that were there to support him! We sure didn't expect anyone to hang around all day! Esp. Chris' sister Megan, and her fiance! He was a great sport to be with our families all day!

All about Cameron

2011-04-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

A little over week ago Cam-man turned 8! He was so excited for his birthday. This one is a 'big one' in our family, so he was able to have a party. Chris had to work that day, so I took him and three friends to Amazing Jakes (an indoor amusement park). They had a great time. Thankfully, our families helped with Austin & Colin. I don't think I could've handled Austin and the other 4. It was so fun to watch Cameron interact with his friends.

He was excited to start cub scouts. He looks so handsome in his uniform. After the first night, he said 'scouts was awesome!' Cam is playing soccer this season and also had a game right after his party. He did really well for being so exhausted.We are so blessed to live near our parents. The boys are so close to their grandmas and grandpas. Our parents are so supportive and try so hard to make it to any event that the boys are participating in. They came to his soccer game that day and we had dinner and dessert at our home afterwards. Chris, Ashley and their kids joined us as well. We have so much fun with cousins. It was a great day!

Cameron will be baptized on April 30th. That day will also be eventful as well. He has a game and his first Pinewood Derby following his baptism.

Spring Projects

2011-04-18T17:21:00.001-07:00

One project was to refinish Colins chest of drawers. My sister and I shared it when we were growing up. When we first got it way back then it had a pale yellow veneer coat. I painted it white at some point and finally decided it was time to refinish it. It's a solid piece of furniture and I didn't want to buy anything new.

after I began sanding..the final product... At church we had a service auction. I bid on a friend offering her services to help shop for, make and install window treatments. I've really been wanting to do something to our family room windows. So I bid on it and won. This project was a lot of fun and not too expensive! Definately cheaper than custom ordering them.

I decided that I'd like Roman shades. I love the fabric and how it looks with the whole room.

My next idea for the windows is to frame them with moulding. I think that will complete the look.

We put some rocks along our flower bed on Saturday. The boys were with my brother and so Chris and I got to be alone while we worked. I told him I love projects and he responded it's b/c I have ADD. Well, that might be the case, but I still enjoy them! He just doesn't like me spending money!

Spring is in the Air

2011-04-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood is across the street from a cemetery. Each year at this time, bluebonnets cover the field near the entrance of the cemetery. Some may not know, but the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. They sure make for lovely pictures. Cars line the entrance day in and out from the time they blossom until they die away. It's so fun to see families, little girls, teenage girls, some boys dressed in white to have their pics taken in this field.

Can you tell the boys love pictures in flowers?!

Seussical the Musical

2011-04-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

The 2nd grade put on a musical program a few nights ago. It was way too cute and fun to watch! Cameron wanted to dress up as Thing 1 & Thing 2 with a friend. Thanks for doing this with us Bradley!

One friends mom went all out and made him a Grinch Costume. It was fantastic. He was the only Grinch, too!

He absolutely loved his styling his hair like this!

A little clip...

Comfort

2011-03-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a bed as comfortable as this! I went to check on Austin tonight and found him asleep on top of the dress up bin clothes. What a goofy kid!

2011-03-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

My friend got tickets to see Sesame Street Live and invited me and Austin. He hasn't watched it in a very long time, but still enjoyed seeing the characters. I think his favorite was cookie monster.

and he thoroughly enjoyed the cotton candy!

The final product...

The boys each have 6 daily jobs. Most must be done before school, but a few like setting the table can be done at dinner. I rotate dishes and clearing/setting the table each week. The jobs below the ribbon are for Saturday. They each have the three that are under their name and I rotate one to the right each week. That way they don't get bored with the same job each Saturday. I started with $2 for each boy per week. If they whine or don't complete the assigned job then I've decided to take away .10 cents. Whatever money is left in their jar at the end of the week is theirs to keep. So far it's working very nicely.

February

2011-02-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

I'm having a difficult time with blogger and the order of my pictures. So for chronological purposes start reading at the end. And we don't have photo editing software yet on this computer...so beware.

I got inspiration for this wreath here. I love how it turned out and it's made out of cupcake liners. I'm also working on a new job chart similar to this one and will post pictures once I'm done!

Colin turned 11!!!

Later that night we met both of our families for dinner.

His cousin Elisabeth shared her crown.

These two ordered the same drinks, meal, and were like this most of the evening. Funny boys.

He was thrilled that his birthday fell on a day when school was out. We hung out that morning and got songs loaded onto his ipod. Then in the afternoon he invited two of his best friends and we went to a rec center and went swimming.

We have a new addition...

Just kidding! But my boys are loving babies lately. Even Chris held this little guy at a baptism yesterday.

Two days before his birthday he received the Arrow of Light award and crossed over to become a Boy Scout.

Valentines Day parties at school.

In January Colin received his Webelos badge!

A big hug from dad! Colin is finally learning to roll with his dads sense of humor.

Ice and Snow

2011-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

What a crazy few weeks it's been here in Texas! Two inches of ice and then about 4 inches of snow fell last week...leaving school cancelled for 4 days. The boys sure had fun once the snow fell though!

I had a big urge to make a snow angel. It's been years. Chris came out in his shorts, no socks and snapped a quick picture from the garage. I didn't stay down too long because I don't have the right clothing for snow. It got cold/wet way too fast!

This is our driveway. You can't even see where the sidewalk is!

Austin loved eating the snow.

Oh boY oh Boy!

2011-01-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

Our friends had a new baby boy

They also have three boys ages 9,6,4

We have three boys ages 10, 7, 4

We had their boys over to play with our boys the day their mom got home from the hospital!
Here's what happens when you get 6 boys together...let's see... we had nerf guns, light sabers, Wii games, Spiderman, Batman, a Ninja Turtle, Santa Clause, & a karate kid They all actually got along very well, and had a fun time! I will be honest, I don't always have a lot of people over because I get anxiety about the size of our home. There are not a lot of places for the kids to go (or for me to go to escape the noise). And boys can get pretty rowdy. But this night was enjoyable and no anxiety ensued.

Ice Cream disaster

2011-01-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

Colin wanted ice cream last week and decided to dish it up himself. He got it all scooped into the bowl and started carrying it to the table. Then the unthinkable happened! The bowl slipped out of his hand (I'm not sure if he was using two hands or not). I just died laughing esp. when I saw how the bowl broke. A heart shape was created. We couldn't have done that if we tried! He was kind of upset b/c he thought now he wouldn't get any ice cream. Of course I had him help clean up and then dished him up some more ice cream. We don't even have tile in our kitchen, and our Corelle dishes still broke.

Baby FuN...

2011-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

I've been able to help with a few baby showers recently and have found some cute ideas to decorate. I'm so grateful to have friends with nice serving dishes, or the display wouldn't have been nearly as cute! Thanks for lending them to me!
Working with yellow and blue, tulle and food!
A baby bouquet...with silk flowers, blankets, burp cloths, booties, etc. This was really fun to put together.

Christmas Festivities

2011-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas break with our family and friends! We love to go see the downtown lights that are synchronized to music. There is one song that has been played the last 3 years that we absolutely LOVE...esp. Cameron. It is the instrumental Trans-Siberian Orchestra similar to this video I found on YouTube. I got teary eyed just listening to it this morning. Little did I know that the video is right here in our hometown. Maybe next year we can find the house...if it's still 'performing'.

Another tradition we've enjoyed the past couple of years ,thanks to our friends the Riches, is caroling at one of the local nursing homes. The kids actually love it and the smiles it brings to the elderly is priceless. They request songs and sing along. It has helped with overcoming my fear of nursing homes. It started when I went with my youth group growing up and we visited a home. One women was in a high chair and I don't think she was upset. I believe she was just vocalizing the way she knew how to. But she was screaming and banging on her tray. Of course being 12 or 13 I didn't know how to communicate with this and it frightened me. I love the elderly and have gotten over that fear. It does make me very sad though to think of our grandparents, parents and us being in that state one day. But such is the circle of life. I will love and be close our grandparents and parents till the end!

We went caroling with another group of friends around their neighborhood. It was of course evening time and the sun had gone down. Austin was trying to keep up with the older kids and was running around. Chris just got done asking him to stop running and he fell and scraped his face up pretty good on the sidewalk. Some might have wondered if his mother doesn't wipe stuff off his nose.Chris has fallen in love with the acappella group 'Straight No Chaser'. Anytime we went in the car, we'd listen and jam to their Christmas cd. The best is to hear the boys sing the songs by memory. Music definately sets a positive tone in our home.

I am sharing the duties of room mom with another mom in both boys classes at school. It can get kind of tricky, but it worked out great for my first 'Winter party' that was held on the last day of school. No we can't call them Christmas or holiday parties any longer- So SAD! Anyways, the whole 2nd grade decided to do a relay race with either rice or beans. Our class chose rice and I don't think we'll be doing that again. We left quite a mess for the janitors that evening. The kids sure had a fun time though. If you look on the floor it appears to have snowed in the classroom. I didn't get a great shot of the mess. This is just a little taste of what it really looked like.Colins class (tried) to build gingerbread houses. His group didn't quite get it so they decided to just enjoy the taste- or at least what was left of it.Austin was the only child that sat on Santas lap at our ward Christmas dinner. He wasn't too sure, but did it anyway.We spent Christmas Eve with the Petersons. Colin was a good sport & let me take a picture!The kids got a kick out of Uncle Chris' talking Santa app on his phoneCam and Reagan listened intently to Grandpa talk about the birth of our Savior. All the kids were very patient and respectful as we discussed that special night of The Lords birth.As is tradition, we get our kids new pj's to open on Christmas Eve. I think they looked so cute! We wrapped up the night up by decorating Aunt Megan's delicious sugar cookies for Santa!We sure missed Bridger, Parker, Scott & Sharae!And here are our handsome boys on Christmas morning. They opened gifts at home, had some hot chocolate with Grandma and Grandpa Dalton and Uncle Shawn. But not before trying some absolutely heavenly cinnamon rolls a dear friend brought us! Then we went to the Petersons for breakfast. Oh, and more presents. The boys were very excited with everything they got and extremely gracious. Even Colin said 'wow, we are spoiled'. I'm glad he thinks so b/c sometimes we would like to be able to do more. ....but glad we didn't go overboard this time, since we just had to put $1200 into my explorer this past week.
We went back and forth so much to our parents that I forgot my camera everytime. I took one picture of all of the Dalton grandkids. It was wonderful meeting our new nephew Evan for the first time. What a tiny little doll!
Kaitlyn cracks me up in her skirt with no tights/leggings on. The cold weather here is nothing compared to what they went home to in Wisconsin.Evan...almost alien-like in this picture with Aunt Katrina

2010-12-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

I am relieved that these are done and that they look like stockings! It's the first time I've attempted to make our own stockings. The C's look like G's but I promise they are C's.

On a side note, after we got our lights put up on the outside of the house a few weeks ago, we made a gingerbread house with the boys friends.The big brothers thought it would awesome to make it look like a storm came through. So, they began to squirt frosting all over it.Needless to say, the three younger boys were not happy. Especially, the more detail oriented 7 & 8 year olds. I promised Cameron we'd do more. We did mini houses this past week and he was much happier decorating his own home.

I have so much to be grateful for this time of year, esp. this year. It's been an emotional year for me. I couldn't have gotten through it without my sweet, caring husband, my awesome children who I enjoy more and more the older they get, my wonderful parents that give me advice, and dear friends that know what I need right- when I need it (Sonic!)
Thank you all so much!
I truly look up to you and hope I can be as good to you as you have been to me!

more pics

2010-12-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

*Team Peterson*
So competitive. Austin is on his way to the ground as Lanay took this one!

Love my boys!Especially this guy!(Images by www.lanayswanson.com)

Family Pictures

2010-11-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

So excited to see the final product of our family pics! These are a few of my favorites...and of course the main picture above I love!!!...sigh...someday we will all have road bikes like Chris! Images by www.lanayswanson.com

Comparatively Speaking

2010-11-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

My sister in law sent this blog post and this post to me today! Beautifully written and something that touched my heart deeply today.
Thank you for sharing Christi.

BiRtHdAy

2010-11-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

I was so looking forward to spending my birthday with my family on Sunday. We had both sides of our families together and celebrated my brother in laws (Chris) bday as well. It's been a while since we have all gotten together. It was so enjoyable! I am so grateful for OUR families! What a great way to start off my week!

Chris and my hubby were mocking me opening my gift! Instead of money, I got a present this year...he was acting so surprised and silly when he opened his card with his money in it b/c he knew exactly what it was!
My sweet sister in law Ashley
My wonderful parents!!!Ashley, me and my great Mother in law!!!Colin and Grandpa Pete playing a recorder duet.I had a wonderful day on Monday (my real birthday)!!!

A Great Saturday

2010-11-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Our family had a safe, fun filled day riding 4 wheelers today! Thanks to our wonderful friends that took us out, Colin & Cameron got to drive by themselves for the first time!
Austin was striking a few poses.Cam loved this dirt bike. It was the perfect size for him.Colin was a little big for it, but he still had a blast on it. Chris even rode it! Cooked up some yummy burgers & sausage. This is how Austin rode all day...with mom or dad.

I too drove a few times, but no one wanted to take my picture! Love this stuff!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T07:14:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of our costumes! Chris ended up getting sick this weekend so he didn't dress up...not that he'd planned to anyway.

Although a few weeks ago Chris and I went to an adult only party! We dressed up as...can you guess?Ed McMahon and I am the winner! We had to walk into Target dressed like this before the party...I should be embarrassed. I'm not though!

We had a carnival/trick or treating at the church. The kids had so much fun! There were some great costumes!!!

And Cameron was Jack Sparrow!
I wore my dads army uniform. It fit nicely! Colin thought about wearing an army uniform as well, but he was too worn out from 5th grade camp that day.I bought Austin a cute policeman costume, but one day he was playing in the dress up box and decided to change his mind and be Batman.
*Note to self...don't get the dress up box out if you already have a costume*

Austin is 4!!!!

2010-10-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

So excited to get 'dollars' in the mail!

Austin turned 4 on Tuesday. We had a birthday party at the park for him. There are a ton of kids his age that go to church with us, so we had a lot of friends come. Austin had a great time and he was so happy that so many friends came and for the wonderful gifts he received!

Also, a big thanks to Austins aunts, uncles, grandparents & great grandparents that remembered his special day!
The theme was a 'batty party' so it was a mix of bats for Halloween and Batman.
We played pin the mask on Batman.I made a giant cupcake for Austin and regular ones for his friends....and he wanted a pinata.We wrapped the night up with pizza at a yummy place here in town. Cousin Hayden really enjoyed the pizza...he had 4 pcs.

Camping

2010-10-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we attempted to go camping. It's the only weekend we'd be able to go until Dec. and probably not then because it's such a busy time of year.

Well, there was a chance of rain up at Lake Texoma where we'd planned on going. We got up there around 8:30 Friday night, set up camp, had smores and cobbler and enjoyed our friends company. Saturday I slept in until I think 9 while the men cooked breakfast. After clean up we took the kids on a hike down by the lake. The view was beautiful! After a bit it started sprinkling so we headed back to camp. The storms rolled in something fierce and we were huddled under our canopy. Austin was pretty scared. The other kids might have been, but showed no signs of it. I had Austin sitting on my lap for quite a while and tears flowed down his cheeks. I said a little prayer with him and asked that we be protected. We found out from voice mails and texts (thanks dad) that there had been tornado touchdowns right where we live and were headed towards us. About 20 minutes later the rain let up just enough for us to finish loading the trucks and head home. When we got home, it was lightly raining and Chris rinsed everything off with the hose and air dried it in the garage. What a mess, but it was a relaxing time that we needed.
The garage still smells like camp!

Her Words...My Feelings...

2010-10-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

...today I came across this post through another friends blog. I can't really put into words how much I love my boys and wouldn't change a thing. And someone that only has a girl(s) really can't understand the thoughts that go through the mind of a mother of all boys. So, with that said here were my comments back to Gretas post to hopefully give her a little encouragement thru cyberspace...
"I now have 3 boys and can empathize 100% with your feelings. I cried when I found out the 2nd and 3rd were boys. It makes it so much harder too for me, when other people make comments like 'oh boys are so wild and crazy'. or 'I love when girls just sit on your lap and will read a book'. Comments like that hurt. They don't realize how sad I am that I can't do hair everyday with bows, or dress them in such cute fashionable clothes. I love my boys and I have great boys. Yes they are active and full of life, but the love that is between a son and mom is wonderful! Esp. the older they get. My oldest is almost 11 and tells me now, almost on a nightly basis that I am the best! Boys also don't need/want 'things' to help their self-esteem (bows, shoes, clothes, etc.) I agree with Haak, in that boys let go of things with friends so easily and are pretty free spirited. Hang in there, and don't feel bad at all about how you are feeling! thanks for sharing!"

and I have to add that as I am sitting at my computer, hanging on the wall above me is my bridal portrait. Austin sat on my lap and said i look so beautiful and small in that picture! And that I look like a princess! Thank you Austin (4 this month)!
And when I look into Cameron's (7) gentle, big brown eyes I know I was definately blessed with these amazing young men for a certain reason.
so I ask myself am I being superficial in thinking that putting bows in a baby girls hair and having dresses and frilly socks to dress her in is all the joy there is to having a girl? I honestly don't think so. It's got to be more than that or we as women wouldn't want a girl so much.

My words cannot really explain my thought process, but in no means are they to offend anyone with sweet little girls! I sat in a camp meeting last night and admired the young mom holding her precious new baby girl. So much fun!

Joy School

2010-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

I started a joy school co-op with 3 other friends from church. We do two days a week and have the kids at our home once a month. It's worked out nice so far! Here is Austin ready to go this morning. Last week was rough but today he was happy to go!I had one more cute picture of him, but I have lost it on my computer.
The older boys are doing great in school. Colin was elected by his classmates to be on student council and applied to be on yearbook staff. He was chosen for that as well. He is super excited! These are great opportunities to get him involved and work with other people. And doesn't take too much time outside of school. Cameron is my little happy go-lucky guy. He just goes with the flow and doesn't have many 'issues'. School is fun for him. We love to have reading time before bed. He and Austin especially enjoy when I read to them.

More Summer Fun

2010-09-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Chris has a new best friend!

I was able to get away (without kids) and visit my dear friend in Ohio. They had a bunch of friends meet us at the lake and play on their jet skis. We ate, laughed, ate, walked, made cards, shopped, organized, sewed and thoroughly enjoyed each others company. I had a blast!

I decided to start teaching piano lessons. I have 6 students. 8 if you include Austin and Cameron. Austin can do the music that has numbers only, but you can only go so far with a student that can't read. He enjoys the candy he gets if he 'practices'. Cameron enjoys it. I just need to be more consistent with his lessons. Colin does well, but has told our parents he doesn't want to do piano. Maybe after he starts guitar lessons next week I can get him to do both. He does have a good basis though just from music class at school.

I was recently released from serving in the young womens organization at church, but we had a great 'last hoorah'. I made these fun cupcakes! It was a cruise theme.

True Beauty

2010-09-01T17:07:00.001-07:00

As Chris drove home tonight. He came inside and had us come see this (these) beauties! There was actually a very faint one right above this one as well! Texas can be pretty too!

Natural Bridge Caverns

2010-08-13T14:03:00.001-07:00

This time of year is crazy busy for Chris and we decided we weren't going to take a big trip this summer. Instead we have done a few fun things around here. The first was a two day trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio.
right before we began the tour- peace outthis is the 'natural bridge' where the tour begins. we eventually went about 180 feet below ground to see these beautiful formations.The boys did great on the drive

I'm so glad when Grandpa comes home!

2010-08-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

My dad has been traveling out of the country a lot the past couple of years. This past trip he was gone for a month and before he left again to go to my cousins wedding (mom was already there), I wanted to pick him up from the airport! The boys made a sign for him and we anxiously waited outside customs for him. The doors would open and we'd all get excited only to see him still working at the desk.Finally...here he comes!!!And I have a new nephew...Evan Terry Dalton!

this is such a cute picture with all their kids smiling
Kaitlyn, Christi, Logan, Evan, Emily & Ryan
can't wait to see how chubby he gets! love you guys

Houston Friends

2010-08-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Some of our closest friends from when we lived in Houston came up to Dallas for a dance convention. We haven't seen them in 5 years...WAY TOO LONG!!! We met them at the West End and had dinner.

here we are with Jennifer and NathanAfterwards we went and visited while the kids played in the fountains. They were all soaked by the end, but it was so nice to catch up and they weren't running into the street!Colin & their oldest Sara didn't even remember each other and were so timid during dinner. It was the most quiet dinner with 5 kids that anyone has ever witnessed! Austin of course was the most vocal.
I had to beg Colin to get a picture with Sara (for comparison sake)! Not too bad! This was them on The Ghosts/Sara's 3rd birthday that falls on Halloween. Colin/Buzz Lightyear is on the right and Cameron is the little green dinosaur on the floor. Reunion Tower
We had a fabulous time. We are certain it won't be 5 years again until we see them again! Love you all!

June/July

2010-07-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun summer so far! Nothing big, but spending a lot of time together. The boys have even been sleeping in the same room. They have grown closer and are treating each other nicely. Parents can't ask for more!

4th of July

Austin and mom being silly

Aunt Megan came to visit.
Our niece Elisabeth got baptized! Her beautiful family and her crazy cousins!!!

so much fun...

Slip 'n' Slide with cousins

Hanging with the fam

Cameron fell asleep like this. My mom was babysitting and he started in his pj's, but then he got dressed for the next day and went to sleep.

Chris helped Colins' scout group at Twilight camp. The leaders got sweet orange shirts!

May

2010-06-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken many pictures of anyone or anything lately. It's so sad. But I did get a good amount in the month of May. It has been an emotional rollercoaster this month but things are finally starting to slow down!

I have had fun doing some little projects. One of which, was some onesies for a friend at church that just had a baby girl. I had so much fun making them. I made a table runner and some cute bows that my friend Ashley showed the young women how to make. She is so creative! They are versatile so you can move them from a shirt, to your flip flops, and even to your head band.The end of school came and went! Before I knew it all three boys have been home a week now. It hasn't been too bad. I feel so blessed to have a great neighborhood and lots of friends for the kids to play with. The pool is a lifesaver as well!
Colin received the science award for outstanding academic science work in his class. He and Cameron both did great with their grades this year. And Austin went to the dentist (shhhhhhh...for the first time) a few weeks ago. He was the best little patient. Just like with his chest xrays he was perfectly still and did everything they asked without any fussing. I am taking all the boys back the end of this month. Should be fun, eh!

April

2010-05-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

Colins' friend from his old school invited the whole family to his birthday party at the ice rink. It was a great time and so wonderful to see our good friends from Plano. Here is Colin playing broom ball...a very fun game!

It was Austins first time ice skating. He did surprisingly well balancing on the skates, but needed to hold our hands while on the ice. He loved it though!

Our sweet Cameron is now 7! He turned 7 back in April. He is also enjoying playing his first season of soccer. He has learned a lot and is quite the little hustler!

Fun with cousins and Uncle Chris to celebrate his birthdayCameron wanted a cookie cake- with a cheesy, toothless smile!
Easter was fun as well! We enjoyed it with friends and family. Here is Colin doing a little jig

Definately Blog Worthy

2010-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

It was Austins turn to read scriptures last night and he was repeating what I said. I said, "the prophet told the people to repent, or God would..." Before I could finish he says out loud "kick their bums"!

Close enough Austin...God would destroy them.

Needless to say we all died laughing.

March

2010-04-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

I have not wanted to sit at the computer much lately. Just enough time to check email and be done. But I keep thinking of grandmas and great grandparents that enjoy seeing our kids and knew I had to update asap. They grow up too fast.

This is how we've been rolling a lot lately. In the car with our sunglasses...me and Austin! I turned around at a stop light and happened to have my camera. He's irresistable.I am finally pleased with this corner of my family room. I found some great fabric at Hobby Lobby to cover my lamp shade with. They even had a great trim that went very well with the fabric. With three big windows on the other side of the room it isn't too dark with the brown paint. Now if I can just decide what pics of the boys I want above the tv, the room will be complete.
We stopped at the dealership to get a part fixed on my explorer and they had this 1948 model truck on display. Austin couldn't believe how big the steering wheel was and how small the bench seat was. He really liked 'driving' it.
We are working on being independent and putting our underwear and shorts on by ourselves! At least he got them on, right?! both were backwards!

Colin at the pinewood derby last week. His car didn't do that great, but he, Chris and grandpa Pete had fun working on it. He was a good sport. Yesterday he was in a mood and asked to destroy his car. I agreed as long as he understood the end result. I am not sure if he went through with it.

Colin loves one on one time with anyone! It's actually really sweet. If anyone wants to learn anything at all, sit next to Colin for a while and he'll be more than willing to share any kind of random fact with you.

The first graders performed at a PTA meeting a few weeks ago. Cameron did awesome (yes a little bias, but it was pretty darn good. Cameron has always loved to sing and listen to music, but we haven't really seen him sing and dance! He knew every move and the words to each song. The lighting was horrible and it took me a while to figure out a good setting on my camera, but despite the quality this is a great pic of him movin' and groovin'.

I loved how he kept looking at us and smiling. He was so happy to be performing! He was not embarrassed at all.

Another round of snow that collected in an interesting fashion. The wind was strong from the northwest. If you look closely it stuck on the side of cars, mailboxes, homes, etc. that faced northwest.

Colin received the rank of Bear at the pack meeting. One more year and he'll be a boy scout.

I have a 10 yr. old

2010-03-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

Colin turned 10 on Feb. 21st.

He is growing up so fast. Although he sometimes is defiant, he is really starting to respect and obey Chris and me more. He didn't even ask for a lot for his birthday and was very appreciative of all that he did get. Colin even is saying things to Cameron that we've been telling him for years...which is good and bad. The oldest brother syndrome has definately kicked in. We have to occasionally remind him that there is only one mother and one father in our home! Colin also has been interested in Shawn preparing to go on a mission. Out of all my boys we think Colin resembles Shawn the most...even his demeanor!!! He looks up to Shawn a lot.
Handsome guys!

Baby dolls

2010-03-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

The chorister in primary told me a funny story about Cameron on Sunday. One of the men was discussing with the kids different scenarios and what they should do in each situation. Cameron and his friend Braden were chosen to come to the front and pick a situation. They chose a baby doll. So, the adult said "here's a baby that is crying and is upset about something. What should you do?" Cameron and Braden both wouldn't even look at the doll. They totally just turned their heads away and didn't respond. They were probably thinking...No boy in his right mind is going to pick up this doll and swaddle it in front of all his peers! So, Bradens younger sister came up and immediately swaddled the baby, cuddled it and started swaying or something. The teachers in the room had to giggle at these boys' reaction!
Yes and both of them have an older brother! Boys will be boys!

This One's for Shawn

2010-02-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

My brother Shawn went to visit friends/family in Utah this past week and said there isn't any snow on the ground. He definately left Texas at the wrong time!

I had a blast playing with the kids. I have never really rolled snow to make a snowman. It really works! Growing up here I never remember it snowing this much! This is sure going to be a wonderful memory for the boys!
Austin and I built a muscle snowman in honor of Shawn! I tried to chisel the midsection and give him some serious biceps.
Colin waited patiently overnight to tackle the snowman. He was surprised at how tightly packed from freezing overnight the snowman was. It wasn't a soft landing! And yes this morning I put plastic over their socks to protect them from getting wet. Cut me some slack. We live in Texas and do not own snowboots. I'm too practical to buy even rain boots. Don't have hiking boots since we don't really hike either. Snow boots aren't in the budget to wear once a year! Their shoes will dry!Cameron and his snowman they can really make snow angels Austin and his friend Jack were elated to have a snowball fight. Needless to say Austin won! Look at that mischievous smile.
READY...AIM...
FIRE!no school today and Monday is a holiday. Once again the roads really aren't icy, just slushy. I guess I can't blame the school district for being concerned for the safety of our children.

Time Out

2010-01-25T19:08:00.001-08:00

This is his new time out spot...

As long as I close the laundry room door, the kicking and banging doesn't irritate me too much! For now he's too afraid to jump down.
I don't think he's actually happy about being there...he's probably just posing for the camera.

Christmas

2010-01-05T14:51:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas with our families. The boys were so excited to see what Santa would bring them. Only the new socks dissapointed Cameron! If I hadn't left my camera at my moms the night before I probably would've caught his reaction on video.
His reaction= "I DID NOT PUT SOCKS ON MY CHRISTMAS LIST!"
and then he proceeded to throw them behind him, and didn't look at them until the next day. We just laughed, and explained that sometimes Santa brings things they need and was not on their list. That's a typical Cameron reaction if he doesn't like something.
Colin is loving his new stereo/cd player that sits on his new desk! Thanks grandmas!
Austin opening a present

Cameron was so excited to get speed stacks, although there still won't be competition between him and Colin. He needs to practice a bit more. We are a little competitive in our home!The boys in their matching pajamas (and Hulk hands...they're a little softer than their own hands)
...and in their Sunday best. It's not often they'll let me style their hair :(

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

I am So behind......I barely got a decent picture of the boys for Christmas cards (that still have not been mailed out). but here is the one I chose for this years' cards. I am crossing my fingers we'll get some great shots when we take family pics on Saturday. I want to complete (or rather start) my picture collage on the large wall in my family room.I thought this next one was cute, despite Cameron not looking at the camera. It was pretty cold and their cooperation was at a minimum. With the help of a can of silly string I pulled out, I was able to spray them and snap a shot.

We hope everyone has a fabulous and enjoyable Christmas!

A bit of everything

2009-12-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Colins' flag football team had their end of season party at a pizza place. He loved seeing his teammates again and thought his trophy was pretty snazzy!

GO CHIEFS!!!
Colin & his coachesA few weekends ago we thought we'd take the kids to build a fire and cook hotdogs and smores! Fun idea right. Everything was set and we headed to the campsite (no we weren't going to camp- too cold). It was sprinkling where we lived, but 25 minutes away we thought we'd be ok. Not so much. The rain followed us and so we headed back home. We didn't give up quite yet. Thank goodness for a grill! We did everything with the gas grill. I must say I prefer smoke filled burnt marshmallows, but we had a great time anyways on our back porch!

We had a nice Thanksgiving with both of our parents. My inlaws so graciously invited my parents over to feast with us. It was fun. The grandkids get along so well. The men and Colin were inside watching the Cowboys game and the we ladies enjoyed the kids playing outside. These kids are always willing to pose for the camera when they are together!

30th Birthday

2009-11-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

Chris and I decided to 'kill two birds with one stone' the weekend of my birthday. His grandma threw a surprise 80th bday party for grandpa and we really wanted to attend. Esp. since we got to attend my grandmas' this summer while we were vacationing. It was a great reason to get away (JUST THE TWO OF US) and celebrate my 30th and his gpa's 80th. My mom was so gracious to stay with our kids for 5 days! It was nice to be able to visit our families without entertaining our children too. Such a nice get away.
Me & my Sweetie
This was right when he walked into the gym. He thought he was at the church to meet with a church leader! Cutest picture...if only it was better quality
Chris, his mom Sally & brother ScottI love going to Utah and taking pics of the beautiful fall colors...mountains included.

My sisters in law- Megan & Sharaemy grandma was awesome and had my extended family over for dinner on my actual birthday!
cousin Chelsey, grandma, aunt Debbie, cousin in law Jalyce and her funny as heck daughter Taylee!

A few weeks ago...

2009-11-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

before Halloween...Austin turned 3!!!!

The night before we were talking to him about what the next day was. He asked where his party was. The most recent bday party he's been to was twin friends of Camerons' at Pump It Up (an indoor place full of bounce houses). So, Austin was wondering if his was going to be at the same place. I informed him with deepest regret that his party was going to be at our home with our family. Monday nights after dad gets home is pretty late for a big party. Plus we don't do parties every year. I called our parents and invited them over to help liven his 'party' up that night. He got some nice gifts from his cute friends and other fun stuff. But I did take him to the store and let him pick out a cake. He chose a Halloween themed cookie cake. And he chose pizza for his special dinner. He really had a great time and was so happy that is was his birthday! Here are a few pics of my handsome little man!
-his new church outfit-lovin' him some pizza. He has to eat it like the big boys. No cutting allowed. train table that mommy put together!

Computer drought

2009-10-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

The mouse pad on our computer wasn't working so Chris sent it in to get repaired. 3 WEEKS later we have our computer back! It's been rough. It's amazing how much we rely on email for communication!
My brother and his family came to welcome his brother-in law home from his mission! We loved seeing them again and wished they lived closer! It was like there was no lost time with the kids. They played great together. Emily is old enough to remember our faces from their last trip here and actually was smiling a lot this trip! We knew she'd come around! Logan is walking around everywhere and is just a chunky doll! Chris' grandparents came for a visit as well. We really enjoyed their company. The cousins all got along great each time we were together and as far as I know no one got sick from each other. We got pics of 4 generations with each of our boys, but here is one with Cameron because he looks most like his grandpa and great grandpa!Reagan and Cameron with Great Grandma!Nice opportunity for a little family picture! Don't know what was up with Austin.
Austin and Colin both got the flu at different times. I was behind Austins' every move with my Lysol spray and Clorox wipes! Austin also woke up in the middle of the night last week, could barely breathe and had a croup cough. Luckily we've been through this too many times with the others that we had everything on hand to get it under control. It was very scary, though.
I love our families so much!

Life Goes on...

2009-09-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's hard to blog very often these days. I accidentally deleted pics of the boys on their first day of school, but all went well. I was out of town the night of meet the teacher and Chris couldn't pick the kids up and get to the school before it was over. No big deal, though. I'm so grateful that these boys weren't nervous. They at least went on Saturday and saw who was going to be their classmates. Austin even had his backpack on with wheels as we walked Colin and Cam to their classrooms. In actuality Colin ran ahead and ditched his mom and headed to his class. I walked Cameron to his and then went to Colins' to at least meet his teacher. We didn't even make eye contact. I had to laugh when he said he saw me walking out as I was leaving!

I've been dragging Austin everywhere trying to get this and that done. But we do find time to do some fun things! He's been entertaining himself wearing my shoes a lot lately! Oh, and he told me I needed to buy a new baby as we were driving in the car a few days ago. I laughed and asked him if he wanted a boy or girl. No surprise he said boy!
And as we were saying bedtime prayers Austin busted out with 'peace out' with the two fingers poking out! We sure couldn't hold our laughter in.

Colin started flag football and had his first game yesterday. It was great to only have a 55 minute game. He did pretty good. Seeing him on defense brings back memories of myself playing basketball in young womens'. I was quite the pistol and for some reason always fouled out!

Chris is playing on a city basketball team, and the two of us are playing on a coed softball team. We had our first game Friday night. It was a lot of fun. We haven't played since Colin was a toddler. It was very nostalgic for me during that game. As a child I remember going to my dads' softball games and having a great time playing with friends. That was pretty much all we heard were the kids running around screaming and having a wonderful time with friends. There is even a playground in the center of the 4 diamonds for more entertainment.

It may sound like we are so busy, but not really. I'm grateful that Colin is playing through the YMCA and only has 1 practice a week...unlike the city football league that has 3 or 4- plus a game. It's ridiculous in my opinion. And it's that way for the kids that are 6 & 7 yrs old and up. I know I say that now and Colin could possibly play in that league in the future, but oh how I will resent it! I'm all about simplicity...check out their 'jerseys'...cotton shirts. No fancy football jerseys. *off the soap box*
Colin is showing off his skills in the video on our pull up bar.

My Special Daddy

2009-09-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Austin and I were driving to a friends house yesterday and out of nowhere he said he wanted daddy to come home. I told him 'that is really sweet, but daddy is at work. He'll be home later.' then Austin said "he's my special daddy." I had to call and have him tell Chris. So, he said it again after we got dad on the phone! He's saying it a lot lately. It makes me wonder what he really thinks about being with mommy all day!
Keep melting my heart Austin!

Girls trip

2009-09-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Austin saw this pic and kept asking grandma if she went to jail!

we drove over this awesome bridge to get to their home.

I was able to go visit my cousin Chantell, her hubby Brock and their precious baby Brightyn the weekend before school started with mom and my sis Katrina. It was a long 7 hour drive to Corpus Christi, but well worth it! It was the first time I'd met Brightyn and she's such a cute girl, esp. with her ears pierced! I love babies with pierced ears. We got to tour the U.S.S. Lexington. It is huge and took over 2 hours to make it through the whole thing. We went to the beach which is much nicer than Galvestons' beaches that we are used to from living in Houston. It was a great time. Thanks again for having us! I appreciate Chris not minding if I went and the help others gave with my boys.
I accidentally deleted most of the cute pics off my camera...bummer! So, here are a few of us in it. No pictures of Brightyn or the beach or all 4 of us!

The end of Summer

2009-08-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

As I said in an earlier post summer has been great. We've been to the pool a ton, seen some movies, conquered potty training in just a few days, watched too much tv, played way too many video games, played with friends, made a lot of cookies, gave our lawn a lot of TLC, painted one wall in the family room, went to the main fire stations' safety town to ride the bikes, and played with some toys here and there. But school starts next Monday and the kids are ready. Mom is ready! Although Austin will be very bored without so much entertainment.the lawn is finally looking greenwe're so slow with the painting process.
~Not the best picture, but the rest of the room was a mess!~his feet couldn't reach the pedals, so i pushed him around the 'town'(but not without a few accidents-when they're ready, they're ready...no forcing from mom)
the starting line!
Colin being a bum!
He loves to shake his 'chika bum bum'
I'll have to post a video sometime of Austin swimming. His arm floaties and ring float got a hole in them the other day and we weren't ready to leave the pool. So, he kept running from side to side and belly-flopping into the water. He actually was coming back up. It is cute.

30 years

2009-08-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend my friend from high school, Rhonda, had her 30th birthday party at the rollerskating rink we grew up going to. All of us in the pics went to high school together and turn 30 this year! The theme was 80's dress up and it was a lot of fun. Thanks Rhonda...you rocked the 80's look!!!
I told my boys this is what the cool girls wore back in the 1980's. They stared at me for a few seconds and were like "no they didn't mom". They pretty much told me I looked dumb! I just laughed. Chris also giggled a bit, but I think deep down he thought I looked cute!
happy birthday to us all!!!!Rhonda, me, Angela & Brianne
Aleshia, me, Angela & Brianne
I laughed at myself. I sure look better now wearing 80's than I did back then!

Inflatable Water Slide

2009-08-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last week our home teachers' family was out of town so he brought over their inflatable water slide for us to enjoy for a few days. The boys loved it.we had it on the grass just long enough to almost kill the grass. Luckily it didn't because Chris had just put a top dressing on the grass and it's looking pretty green!

Sleeping Angels

2009-07-26T19:38:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love catching my children doing funny things in their sleep. That is part of the reason I enjoy checking on them before I go to bed each night.
After our fun church activity on Saturday we were pretty worn out. There was a little bike parade in the parking lot and then we split up into groups and played games outside. This was following a yummy pancake breakfast inside the church. After I took the boys for slurpees we came home and Austin laid down next to me. It didn't take long at all for him to conk out. Colin took a picture of us snuggling. I laughed at how he positioned his arms. I didn't dare move.
This summer we've been more lenient on the boys staying up later. Because of this it is so hard to put Austin down before the other two. But no matter what time he goes to bed, he's up bright and early around 7am. Today (Sunday) he got up and we heard him out in the family room doing his own little thing. It was quiet soon after and when Chris got up this is what we found! He made sure to bring Mr. Bear with him.

Cameron wanted to wear his gloves to bed one night a few weeks ago. And yes this is during our 100 degree weather. Note he has on his winter pj's as well. I really don't understand because he and Austin sleep in the room that has barely any circulation. With 3 walls that are the outside walls. The gloves didn't come off all night.

I was honestly dreading summertime, but with a lot of swimming, and other fun activities it's flown by. I have really enjoyed my boys. I think I will be bored once school starts!

4th of July

2009-07-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th a day early and went to the lake with some friends. We figured the lake would be too crowded on the 4th!
One couple brought their kayaks and Colin loved that he could row it all by himself! He wants us to get one now. Chris isn't opposed either! The sand sure was hot, though. It was nice to have a small group and just hang out without worrying too much about the kids getting into trouble! the boys were zonked by the time we got home. We left them in the car for a little bit so they could get a decent nap and not wake up cranky. It worked.

On the 4th Chris took care of our lawn, we helped his parents work on a project and then saw the movie Night at the Museum 2. It was so cute. Then we swam at my parents' neighborhood pool and had some KFC. It turned out to be a fun day with no pics!

Summer Trip cont...

2009-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the park with cousins in between rain storms.

...took the kids to the Springville carnival. My cousins' daughter Taylee and Austin rode a few rides together. The first ride they sit next to each other and Taylee kept hitting Austin. She's so stinking cute I sure wasn't upset with her!

Chris and I have never been to a temple open house, so we took the opportunity to take ourselves and the boys to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was nice to have my cousin Jordan along as well, although he didn't want to be in a picture! love you J.

We appreciate Chris' grandparents for taking us to the cabin. The boys were thrilled to ride the four wheelers and dune buggie.

For most people that live here in Texas the whole point of going to Utah (besides visiting family) is what?...to enjoy the beautiful weather and mountains. "Their" outdoors are just breathtaking and we love to be outside any moment we can when we are there. It rained on and off just about every day, though. That was a downer, but we still had a great time. They have had a good year for rain. Tubing the river was on the to-do list, until we saw the rapids. It wouldn't be such a great idea with our three little ones!

Summer Trip

2009-06-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

We got back safe and sound from our trip. I must say I don't like my car anymore after driving so long in it. My shoulders and neck were killing me after each trip to and fro.

All in all we had a nice time. The weekend we arrived was a surprise 80th birthday party for my sweet grandma Buzzy. My whole family was able to be there! We were at a park in SLC and it was so nice to see cousins and their kids that we haven't seen in years! Grandma gave a speech and did a little table dance for us all! she's so much fun!

There was a merry-go-round that the kids (and adults) loved. Too bad they are coined as 'dangerous' in most places because it provided hours or entertainment for us!

Another day we took a picnic lunch up to Squaw Peak and then showed the boys Bridal Veil Falls (pictured above...I'm having a difficult time moving the pics around). Beautiful! It was a bit chilly or they boys would've enjoyed splashing in the water.

end of school year rush

2009-06-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Cameron received Star Student for the month of May in his class! They had an assembly this morning and their principle dressed up as Elvis. He's a great guy!

Where's Waldo...I mean Shawn!

there he is!

My baby brother graduated! He's such a tender hearted guy. We love him so much. Thanks for being such an awesome example to my children Shawn!

His graduating class had 1259 graduates! There weren't enough seats for the audience. No, we did not stay the whole time! It didn't take too long to get to the letter 'D'.

Colin received the Social Studies award and got 6th place in the 3rd grade spelling bee!

Out to eat with the 'fam. Debbie and Grandma Fox were here for Shawns' graduation

Austin put chips in his lemonade. Interesting choice!

Today is the last day of school for my boys. They are excited but a little apprehensive because they love being with friends.

Cameron ended his baseball season and won the last game easy. I think they might have only won a few games, so this was a great way to end! Chris got to help coach when he was not working. what cute boys!

score of the last game!

I love baseball caps for little guys...the ears are always sticking out!

Christi and her kids came to visit before our reunion in Utah. They are so much fun!

I was able to chaperone Colins' field trip to the RoughRiders field.

Now we're off to Utah this afternoon.

Friday Night

2009-05-17T17:52:00.001-07:00

Friday night the older boys and Chris went to the father and sons campout. No one in diapers is allowed from our family...so I kept Austin! I took Austin to Wendy's. I went to Target with my friend Ashley and enjoyed a chick fil a slice of cheesecake (only 300 calories-compared to 700 in the shakes). She did her research! Her hubby was so kind to watch Austin! Thanks Collins.

Then I caught up on my DVR shows after Austin went to bed. I got a call at 4:30 am and the boys needed in the house. It started raining on them pretty hard at the campsite and Chris saw someones' tent blow away. All the men decided to throw everything in their cars and head home. Chris made it a bit more exciting and stopped at IHOP on the way home.

We had a nice relaxing Saturday with nothing planned...it's rare we don't have anything going on.

It was a great weekend.

These are some funny shots I got last week.

Cameron does this thing with his one eye. He can move one eye inward.

This garage door is painted. The boys enjoyed the fine art.

Teaching Austin to do the 'peace' sign

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to throw a shout out to all my friends & family that are mothers on this special day. Especially to my mother and mother in law I want to say have a wonderful Mothers Day. I love you all so much and appreciate all that you've taught me, and all you do for my family. Also I hope our grandmothers' have a great day. You are wonderful women and we love that you are also involved in our childrens' lives.

I love being a mom. Yes it's hard, yes there are tons of tears, but the older my boys get the more proud I am to be their mother. I'm glad that I can make a difference in their lives and teach them right from wrong.

Here are me and my boys before church today!

LOVE 'EM!

no school =

2009-05-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

photo session in the square!
Monday was a teacher inservice day and so I wanted to get some updated pictures of the boys. This of course is not the norm for them to willingly be part of a photo shoot. But with a little bribery (slurpees) I think I got some good shots for one of my family room walls. I try to get the three of them together around spring break each year. So, I'm a bit late, but we had a fun time!

there were a few funny ones that I'll save for another day.

Eagle Scout

2009-05-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

My brother Shawn earned his Eagle Scout award this past weekend. Our family is extremely proud of his accomplishments. And the reason he did it- to be an example to his nephews- MY BOYS! They look up to him so much and Colin esp. since he's in scouts was all ears the whole evening! Shawn even got emotional talking about his nephews. That is not something anyone sees a lot! It was a really special evening!

our family

Aaron (Katrinas' husband) Shawn, Colin, Dad, & Chris

We can't believe he'll be graduating next month! Love you Shawn!

Easter pics...a bit delayed

2009-04-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Easter we were planning on attending our neighborhood egg hunt, but Cameron had baseball pics at the same time. No big deal. The older two boys aren't really into that stuff. And I am feeling sorry for Austin because he might miss out on things like this because the older ones are 'too old' for Easter egg hunts, sitting on Santas' lap, etc. and I'm not going to force them. He really is growing up too fast. This picture for example...such a man...falling asleep on the couch...sitting up (I came out of the shower and found him like this)!!!

But they did color eggs tie-dyed style and enjoyed that. No pictures though. No new easter clothes for the boys...a new tie is just not the same as getting an Easter dress! They could care less...Colin likes the one tie that he wears every Sunday. Makes my life easier, right!
Here are the boys with their Easter baskets. Austin and Cameron are the candy freaks in our house. If they could, they'd eat it all day, every day.

Too Sweet

2009-04-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

All moms deserve this award!

As I was looking through Colins' work he brought home I came across this and it almost brought me to tears. The older he gets he has become a boy of not so many words. I know this is normal and I'm ok with it as long as he continues to give me hugs and lets me give him kisses.

I love him so much and he really is a good boy. He tries so hard to do what is right! Being the oldest child is not easy. Expectations are higher and you are the example, but Colin handles it pretty well.

Honestly, we're all just doing the best we can- moms and dads included!

If you can't read it, it says 'My Mom Mindy belongs in the Women's Hall of Fame.

I admire her because she inspires me to do a lot of things like play more sports, exercise, and take really, really good care of me.'

Colin

Baseball

2009-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

thumbs up mom!

batter up... The season is in full swing!

Go Tigers!

I COULD USE YOUR IDEAS

2009-04-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am teaching our lesson in the young womens' class at church on Easter Sunday. I am going to focus on teachings of the Savior, mainly loving one another. A concern we have is that of 'cliques'. A never ending battle, but always nice to have a little lesson on!

I am asking you to leave a comment about any POSITIVE examples that you have had or someone you know has had regarding cliques. You were feeling left out and someone included you, you noticed someone who was physically impaired being treated wrongly and you stepped in, the love you had/have for another that might not be 'in crowd' material, etc.

No names need to be given, and I want to focus on positive experiences. I want the girls to realize that even if you are in the 'in crowd' you are a better person for stepping out and accepting everyone!

Thanks for your help! It's fun to share experiences of others' that I know. It makes it more personal!

IF IT'S TOO LONG to comment EMAIL ME! petersonmindy at hotmail dot com

Airplane Museum

2009-03-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I took the boys and a friend to the airplane museum at the Addison Airport. It was pretty cool. Most of the airplanes on display are still working and were ones we saw in the air show a few months back.

Ian & Cameron

Cade & Colin

Spring Break- park day

2009-03-25T13:49:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday we were able to meet up with some friends from Colins' school in Plano. We met at a park half way between our two homes and had a great time. Michelles' two boys are Colin and Camerons' ages'. It's so nice how even after not seeing them for months it is always like old times. A great time with a great family!

both big brothers did the same thing as we asked them for a group picture

Reese & Cameron

Rhile & Colin (they cringed when we asked them to do the hugging thing) I guess they're too cool or old to do that!

spring break- St. Patricks Day

2009-03-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Zoo: it was $1 day at the Frank Buck Zoo on St. Patty's day & cupcakes for everyone! Who could resist? We went with a few friends and had a great time. My personal favs were the giraffe, ostrich & zebra up close. silly goat

Colin (ok mom i'll give you a smile) & Sterling Abby,Cameron & Bradley (all 3 are in Kindergarten)

This is what happens when...

2009-03-18T08:06:00.001-07:00

...mommy stays in bed a little longer than normal because it's SPRING BREAK!

Chris was putting on his shoes next to our bed and softly says, "Mindy you're going to want to see this." Of course I jump up and look into my bathroom to find my sweet baby doing this-

using the mirror no less

I was happy that he was more than willing to stay put while I ran to get the camera.

This is also what happens when mom and friend are right there and a son chooses not to obey.
I'm a bit shaken up about something that happened yesterday. We'd had a great day at the zoo (pictures to come later) and then the kids were able to play with friends. As we were walking home from picking them up we stopped to chat with a neighbor up the road. The boys were riding bikes and running across the street. Everytime we heard a car coming we'd yell at them to remind them to stay put. One truck was coming and Austin decided that he wasn't going to listen and kept coming. Both Jenni and I were screaming for him and the truck to stop. For some odd reason the truck didn't see us or Austin until it was about 10 feet away. He slammed on his breaks and they locked up. You know how sometimes you think you're kid will stop and you go back and forth in debate whether or not to take control of their actions? like in a fight with friends...do I butt in or let them work it out. Anyways I froze. Jenni ran to grab him and I'm so grateful for her. The truck still was a decent distance away even after skidding a bit.

All is well, but even today I'm still numb from the incident. I've never had an experience that close to losing a child.

Please don't judge me or my parenting skills. Chris helped me realize that there are many different lessons to be learned from all angles. I was extremely surprised that Austin didn't listen. I know it sounds silly, but he normally listens to me and obeys. Yes, I yelled and a choice word came out of my mouth, but I later explained to the older boys that this was a perfect example of how their little bro. follows their example and why I don't like them riding in the road even though they can hear cars coming. That helped Colin because he was like 'what did I do' as I was yelling at them.

It seems as though...

2009-03-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've been extremely busy, but haven't used my camera since the last post. Cameron has started baseball and we have our second practice tonight as long as the rain holds out. I'll definately be taking pics of this.

Colin survived the TAKS test and said it wasn't as bad as he thought. They get the kids so nervous and what they don't tell them is that if you don't pass, you have 2 more chances to take it. He also tested for the gifted and talented this past weekend. We thought we'd give it a whirl since he keeps telling us he finishes everything first at school and unfortunately tells us he's 'the smartest one in his class.' We need to work on his humility! Even if he doesn't 'pass the test' he'll be fine. It means they go for an hour a week to a different classroom and push their thinking above and beyond the regular curiculum.

Austin is talking a lot more. 'I shoot you mommy' & 'I beatchoo daddy' are phrases we hear often. Shooting a toy gun and racing someone.

Chris and I received new callings a few months ago and are enjoying them. We hardly see each other, but we are both growing spiritually which we need. I am the 2nd counselor in young womens'. I work with the 12 & 13 yr. old girls in our youth group at church. Wow, do they have energy! Chris is the ward mission leader...something new to him, but has been a good experience.

We are both trying to get back in shape as well. He's loving his bike trainer and rides it at least 4 times a week. And I finally got a membership to the gym just up the road. When we first moved to our home the cost was like $80/month for a single membership. I got mine for quite a bit less...something that works with our budget! YEAH!

Colins' birthday

2009-02-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Colin turned 9 on Saturday. We started celebrating Friday at school. Colin isn't big into cake/cupcakes. He chose to have donuts for his class. 2 dozen donuts later and he was thrilled.

We don't give our kids big parties every year. We think it's too much and then they expect it. Plus they really don't need all those gifts every year. So, we told them on the big years they can...5, 8, 12, 16...Now off my soapbox...we did take him to dinner with his best friend from Plano, Cade to Peter Piper Pizza. It's like Chuck E Cheese, just closer to our home. We all had a nice time. Cade also got to sleep over.

I took Cade home on my way to a bridal shower Saturday and that left time for Colin and Chris to finish Colins' pinewood derby car for that evening. The past two years Colin has had scouting events on his actual birthday. This year was the derby and he received his Wolf merit badge. Both grandparents were able to come and two of his cousins.

Tradition in our pack is to hold the scout upside down and the mom gets to put the pin on.

The proud scout and parents!

His car didn't place, but he had a good time and all the boys received a certificate. His was the 'most futuristic'

Austin was sitting on grandmas' lap and all of the sudden realized that he had 2 grandpas'. He got down and said "2 bampas' and pointed to both of them. We had a nice giggle.

This week...

2009-02-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

TODAY(18th) IS THE BIG DAY FOR MOM AND DAD!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR YOUR CHILDREN/GRANDCHILDREN AND TAUGHT US.

TOMORROW, 10 YEARS AGO WE WERE MARRIED!

~CRAZY HOW TIME FLIES~

...About 10 moves, 6 apartments, 1 home, 3 handsome children, 1 miscarriage (a boy as well), 3 surgeries, 1 burnt hand, no broken bones, 5 cars, ?+/- pounds, SO many wonderful friends, ? co-ed softball & volleyball games, basketball games, t-ball games, karate, swimming, singing together, 2 degrees, only 2 tv's, 4 neices, 4 nephews, 2 brothers in law, 2 sisters in law, ? hairstyles, countless jobs, roadtrips, countless tears, & to top the list $$$ in school loans (with so much more)! LIFE IS GOOD and what a great decade it's been.

I Do MOMMY!

2009-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

The video should explain it all!

I Love my boys!

Off to Work

2009-02-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

I was preparing dinner a few days ago and Austin comes in all ready for work. He had his gear on, his cart was loaded up and he said to me "work". He then proceeded to walk to the garage door.

I thought he would just walk around in the garage for a little bit and then be done.

nope...he needed to get in the car with his bag and get the radio on before he left.

I didn't let him play too long since I was busy, so I pulled him inside.

He wasn't done yet, though. He had to put his bag and my purse on and walk around a bit more.

So random, but too cute!

On a side note...we've had sickness this week and I've been cleaning a lot. Our leather sofas have been needing a good scrub down and I wasn't too fond of the last cleaner I used. Chris had this spray cleaner that he's used on the steering wheel and other hard surfaces in the car. I just looked at the bottle yesterday and noticed it was for furniture as well. I tried it out and it worked like a charm. I was embarrased to see how dirty the sofas were (mainly the arm rests). The brand is BlueMagic and you can find it in the auto dept. in Walmart.

2009-02-01T08:51:00.001-08:00

We had fun playing on the ice on Wednesday. Of course school got cancelled. The ice had started to melt by 10 when the sun came out! It was a nice day, though. I stayed out with the kids for nearly two hours. It's been hard for me to keep warm this winter, but with two pairs of pants on, hat, gloves, scarf and many top layers I enjoyed the time outside.

All about my MR.

2009-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

My dear hubby turns 33 today! He is such a great man and such a blessing to have in my life. I know I've said it before, but life just gets better the longer we're together. I love to hear him say how grateful he is for our children and the quality time he gives them. He's always trying to make us laugh. Thanks for everything Mr.

LOVE!

a look back through the years...

2003- one of his favorite places (the mountains)

2004- so handsome at Ryans' wedding

2005- riding bikes with Grandma Buzzy on my cousins' bike

2006- coming outside after graduation

2007-make 'em laugh2008-eating the candy we are to be handing out (such a little boy)

I just talked to Chris and because of all the freezing rain that's coming our way they're closing the office early. He is on his way home now! Great birthday gift!

Another week down...

2009-01-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

I think I finally have the two older boys into a routine of making their beds before they go to school. Oh, and picking up clothes off the floor. That's been a big accomplishment this past week. It's like pulling teeth to get them to do any chores. I also usually start the dishwasher after breakfast. It works out nice so they can unload the dishes after school before any tv or outside play time. I've just felt lately that they really need to start doing some of these things and make them a habit. It's helped that Chris and I have been doing the same. We have heard from Colin 'well, you're bed isn't made every day' and all I can say is GUILTY. One more resolution to add to the list!

Chris is loving his Christmas gift. Although it would be a great picture if he had on all his riding gear (i.e. riding jersey, spandex). But then again, he'd make me delete that off of the blog! He has really gotten into road biking and the cold weather mixed with time restraints (and ocassionally a grumpy wife) have cut his riding time down substantially. He's been getting up and riding before work and is pretty much in heaven. Both of us thoroughly enjoy exercising. I'm happy to see him in a routine again.

...and a snapshot of my little independent 2 year old in his church clothes grandma Pete got him. I actually love that he's independent. He's so good about not making messes and cleaning up after himself if he does. He is talking a lot lately. He started saying 'gink' (drink). It's fun to listen to him use ending sounds like with the word 'reach'. The 'ch' sound is very clear.

Baby it's Cold Outside

2009-01-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday it was 80 degrees outside. Yes 80 degrees. I almost put on capris, but didn't want to scare anyone with my white legs.

Yesterday a cold front blew in and today it's been around 32 degrees most of the day. I've been so cold. The boys were so excited to eat icicles in the backyard when they got home from school.

his little hands were so cold afterwards. The mittens we had didn't help him any.

he sneezed or something.... j/k

I was afraid one of them would get their tongues stuck to the poles!

Texas weather is so obnoxious, but I loved going for a walk on Saturday. It was a nice break from the cold.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

We've had a very nice Christmas break with all of our family in town. We were lucky enough to have Chris' brother Scott and his family & Megan come for the holiday. We got to enjoy Ryans' family again, too! Aside from a little sickness with me and my dad, everyone else made it through two weeks and two families without getting sick. Although we are very sleep deprived. Hopefully we'll be ready for school to start in two days!!!

Christmas Eve we decorated Aunt Megans' delicious sugar cookies after dinner. This is a closeup of Haydens' sprinkle attack. He was lovin' the sprinkles.
The latest craze in elementary schools p.e. classes is speed stacks. You race to see how fast you can finish the circuit of stacking/breaking down cups. Colin was so excited that Santa was able to find them. The dinosaur exhibit at the Heard Museum was not quite what the kids expected, but at least they got to climb on one dinosaur!The highlight of the break (at least with four of the kids) was the train exhibit at North Park mall. Cameron, Austin, Hayden, & Bridger absolutely LOVE trains. As long as they're alone they each can play for hours with their trains. The hard part is when sharing is involved! The pictures are all in sepia because I have an idea of using these pictures in Cameron & Austins' room.

it's not a train exhibit without a few Thomas the Tank Engine characters!

I enjoyed having Kaitlyn and Emily over while their parents were shopping. I think they had fun, too!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and have a great year. We have a lot to look forward to in our home! More to come another day!

My Grandpa

2008-12-19T06:54:00.000-08:00

5 years ago (this week) my dear, sweet Grandpa Fox passed away. We have missed him so much. This man was the most humble, patient, soft spoken, hard working, talented (he had a beautiful singing voice) and kind person you will ever meet. He was so respectful of my grandmother and his children. What a great example he has been to his children, me, Chris and so many others. I am so proud of my grandmother and how she has dealt with the loss of her sweetheart.

One of my fondest memories of my grandparents coming to visit is when Grandpa would sit on the front lawn while we played and chew on our grass. Even my friend from way back in elementary school would remember that.

Mom has always told me that when I got my own house, she'd let me have the piano that her parents gave to her years ago. It was played in their home and in my parents, and now I am so excited to have it in our home. It might be a bit out of tune, but after traveling in grandpas little blue truck from Utah (how many years ago?), to two houses in Allen and now to mine- a few tune-ups are well deserved! I know her and dad miss the piano at times and if you ever want it back...just say the word!

This picture was taken when we visited Utah in the summer of 2001. Colin was about 18 months old and was Great Grandpas' big helper. My children love going and playing in their huge backyard. They especially enjoy the sandbox. Thanks grandma, Debbie, David, Richard and MOM for your great examples and the charitable hearts you have. All of you are truly amazing and I want to be able to give as much as you have and continue to do, not matter what your circumstance may be. GRANDMA, you and GRANDPA did a wonderful job at raising your kids!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time. It's such a nostalgic time of year. The holiday memories of growing up, songs that I hear on the radio, and thoroughly loving when family comes to town. I'm so happy this time of year.

Since being married, I've always wanted my house (whenever I were to get one) to look like a gingerbread house decorated with lights. I prefer the big white lights that stay in one place. Chris is of course on board to do anything with the outside of the house, so he put up lights earlier last week. The finished product:

I probably won't like the electric bill coming at the end this month, but it will be worth it.

Speaking of Christmas music...Friday night we went to the downtown Plano tree lighting. The group Chris sings with performed so we braved the (not so cold compared to today-28) weather to listen to them. They are very talented and fun to listen to.

There's my sweetie. No, he doesn't need glasses, but he's sporting a new line just in at his office. Why not!

My home boys loving their winter hats purchased for this winter. For some reason the ones from last year don't fit. It couldn't be that my little guys are growing up! I'm so grateful that they get excited about little things. Chris got home late Monday night so the boys and I had some friends over and we made gingerbread houses. The kids had a lot of fun. Colin even joined in at the end.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice week off of school (and even a few days away from work)with our families for the holiday! My whole family was here, as well as my grandma from Las Vegas. It was great to see everyone and I'm so thankful for family. I'm grateful that my husband and I enjoy being around each others' families. It could be awfully stressful if one of us didn't like our inlaws. And I appreciate him letting me go to Twilight (I LOVED IT...missed you katrina) with the girls and shopping, even though I know he'd rather be doing other things. Thanks Mr. He knows it's a give & take role anyways! AND...For staying up late and being tired the boys did really well. I love my children so much. They make me laugh and that's what we want in our home. Happiness and laughter!

impromtu family picture

We went to the Allen high school football game at Texas Stadium. As you know the new Cowboys stadium is being built. So this is the last year they'll play at Texas stadium. It was nice to go one last time. The kids had a fun time...eating nachos and popcorn more than the game, but still. The team is in the playoffs and I must say they are really good! Shawn runs the flags that spell EAGLES after each touchdown so we got to see him, too. Gotta love Texas high school football!!!

Shawn & Austin

the cousins...oh how funny kids are

4 generations- Chris and I love that our kids know my grandmas' and Chris' grandparents. Colin still remembers my grandpa Fox too, which is really neat. We didn't know our great grandparents, so this is pretty special.

Katrina and Logan (Ryans' little papoose...he loves to be swaddled) both so cute!

Back up & running

2008-11-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a crazy few weeks it's been. Right after Halloween our computer decided it was going to quit on us. Luckily we were able to get a new one. When Chris found a minute he was able to help me figure out why I couldn't load pictures on the new computer.

Then our internet provider (I won't mention any names) that starts with an 'A' and ends with a 'T' had a difficult time figuring out why our internet wasn't working. Hence no internet for 5 1/2 days. That was nothing but torture.

We are now back together and feeling much better about the electronics in our home. While I was offline my friend Ashley and I made a diaper cake for another friends' baby shower. It turned out so cute...I had to share. The parents to be are huge A&M fans and so we picked some chic fabric to wrap the diapers in with that schools' colors.

I also celebrated my last and final birthday on the 8th! I will now be 29 forever!!! Honestly though, I'm not too concerned about getting older or hitting 30 next year.

My baby brother got accepted to UVU for next fall!!!! CONGRATS SHAWN! My 4 boys and I are sure going to miss having him so close!

And this week has been the absolute best week for our family. Normally Cameron gives us fits about his clothes EVERY SINGLE MORNING! Starting Sunday we had a nice, enjoyable morning before church and it's been that way every day thus far! I'm pretty flabergasted! Even after school I've had no problems getting the boys to do homework. I'm so grateful for the happiness I have felt this week. Not only that, but we did a little rearranging of furniture. We thought it was time that Colin have his own room. Austin is still in the crib for a bit longer, but is sharing a room with Cameron & the bunk beds. Colin now has Austins' old room and the 'guest bed'. I also used mod pod and touched up a plain old white frame with a picture of Colin when he was like 2 to put on his nightstand.

Halloween festivities

2008-11-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

The week before Halloween we had our ward trunk or treat. The plan was for the three boys to be Alvin & the Chipmunks. Well, 2/3 of the plan was successful. Simon bummed out on me...it wasn't cool to be Simon. I was a little bummed just because I had the sweatshirt and had custom made black round glasses to fit on his. It all worked out fine, though.

So, Cameron was Alvin and Austin was Theodore. Not much preparation for these costumes. I only got a little bit of brown makeup on their noses because they weren't too keen on the idea of makeup on their male faces.

Then on Halloween Colin chose to be a beat up baseball player and Austin was Dumbo. I took Austin and Colin around the neighborhood and Cameron wanted to stay home with Chris. He had a fun time passing out candy with daddy. Austin and Colin had a great time. I pushed Austin on his new bike and he got off at every house and went up to the door.

School Pictures

2008-10-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

We got the kids school pictures back yesterday. I must say the prices are ridiculous! I paid too much for the number of pictures I got (hence the small pictures that I scanned in).

It'd have been nice for Colin to get his pics done this week because he's been wearing his contacts! We misplaced his glasses during all the birthday excitement on Sunday. We convinced him that he'd do better with his school work if he had at least his contacts in & he could avoid getting a headache. Chris also brought home a different brand that I wear & he loves them. It helps that his friends tell him he looks better without his glasses. He's more inclined to wear them now.

Look who's 2!

2008-10-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Austin is 2 years old today!

He is such a fun boy. His personality is great and he's starting to talk a lot more. We had our families over for a little hoopla! Grandma and Grandpa Pete were on an airplane home, so we missed them.

he was not sure what to do with the candles while they were burning. I told him to blow on them because they're hot. He always blows on his hot food. He blew once and that was it! He loved the frosting. You can see his fingerprints in the cake he did before we got the candles lit.

His old bike broke about a month ago and so we decided that would be a great gift from his grandparents. I love this one because the handle in the back controls which way the front wheel turns. So since his feet barely reach the pedals and most two year olds aren't the best at steering I can have the control on our walks. He was so excited! Thank you GRANDMAS & GRANDPAS!

Austin can't wait to have his friends over to play in his new tunnel! He and his cousins and brothers had a blast in it tonight.

He is pretty close to the full-blown terrible two's. He's following his older brothers' examples and throwing some fierce tantrums lately! He was upset at something last week while we were outside, decided to position himself in the dirt and SCREAM. It was a candid moment I couldn't pass up.

I took him to get his picture taken on Friday. He was great for the photographer. He did everything she asked like a robot. We got to go to the elementary school for their assembly that day and one boy saw Austin and said he is such a stud. I must admit he doesn't look this cute everyday, but I love the days I can get my boys' hair styled and dressed 'studly'. Here are a few of my favorites...

Again we appreciate everyone who remembered our little mans' special day! even great grandparents!

Visit

2008-10-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

My cousin Chantell and her husband Brock came for Sunday dinner a few weeks ago. They just moved to the Corpus Christi area from Utah. They are expecting their first baby, too! It was so nice to see you two and get to know Brock better! This is a first to have extended family living this close to us. So, this is really exciting for my family. We look forward to coming down to visit you as well!

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2008-10-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

All the kindergarten classes went to the pumpkin patch last week at Camerons school. I was babysitting a little boy, so he got to have Grandma D. go with him. My friend got some cute pictures while they were there. Thanks for helping out so much that day MOM!
p.s. it was the same day she babysat while we went to the BYU game

Gavin, Cameron & Parker