Jared-Liz-Mia-Mason-Brant

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-21T13:56:00.003-07:00

Holidays are so much fun when family comes to town. We had a wonderful few days with Jared's family and were so glad they made the long trip to spend Thanksgiving with us. I spent the day before Thanksgiving baking with my friend Monae. She helped with some amazing pies because for all the baking that I do, pies intimidate me. Cooking is so much more fun when you can chat with a friend the whole time. Thanksgiving day was filled with lots of food, naps, and a walk to the park. The next few days were spent shopping, playing, and hanging out. We also made a fun trip to jump street. It is a playplace made entirely of trampolines. We had so much fun. My father-in-law gets the MVP award this Thanksgiving. For the last seven or eight months, my kitchen overhead lights have been nonfunctional. They were the yucky plastic drop down ceiling lights. My father-in-law completely redid my kitchen lights and the ceiling. He is amazing and we love and appreciate him so much!!!!! The finished product looks so much better than what we had before. I love it and I love being able to see in my kitchen!!! It was so wonderful to spend time with Jared's family and see my adorable niece for a few days.

Snow Day!

2011-12-01T09:51:00.002-07:00

Denver had it's first big snow storm at the end of October, but we missed it while in Kansas. But we got another doozy of a storm the next week and the kids were out of school for the day. They played outside till they were wet and cold. Mason and I built this snow monster thing but it didn't last too long since all the snow was melted a few days later but it was fun while it lasted.

Potty Training/The Last of the Fall Leaves

2011-12-01T09:39:00.004-07:00

I've been putting off potty training Brant for quite a while. I think he's been ready for a long time, but I kept making excuses not to do it (After we get back from Idaho, or after we get back from Vegas, or after we get back from Kansas.... you get the picture; diapers let me be lazy. So I bit the bullet and after two days of wanting to give up, he got it and looking back at the last month, I have to say I've been really lucky because he was fantastic. He sleeps through the night and everything....amazing. It is a little sad though to think my baby is not a baby anymore. This picture is him putting three pairs of underwear on. Thanks Dad for the Thomas underwear.....he'll do anything to wear it.

Halloween

2011-12-01T09:33:00.003-07:00

Between trick or treating in Kansas, Trunk-or-treat at church and Trick-or-treating on Halloween, we got PLENTY of candy in our house and lots of fun dressing up. Mia and Mason also got to wear their costumes to school for a little parade.

Fall Break in Kansas!

2011-11-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Why did we spend our fall break in Kansas???? Because it is the funnest place on earth.....or at least it is when you get all your friends together for some not stop fun! Thank you Leslie for letting come and invade your house for a few days. It was a trip to remember.

I have to admit that I wanted to strangle Brant by the time we drove all the way to Wichita

Tracy got a flat tire and a very nice man stopped to help us fix it. The silliness never ends when we get together.

I think Tracy is mooning me =)

We went to this amazing pumpkin patch.....so many fun things to do.

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this bouncing bubble was SO much fun! This is Brant yelling "I am up here" so all the kids would stop bouncing him

after putting the kids to bed, we danced with the Wii....so much fun

We went trick or treating on the air force base. The kids all thought it was cool to get candy from all the soldiers.

Fall fun

2011-11-21T10:06:00.007-07:00

It wouldn't be fall without a thousand pictures of the kids and the beautiful leaves and all the fun that comes with it. I have lots more, but these are the first ones of the fall season. I love our red trees!

Mason is 6!

2011-10-24T14:17:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Mason's birthday a day early so Jared could be there for the opening of presents. Mason was very excited about his new bike. We celebrated the next day with breakfast crepes and candles. We took his new bike to the park and tried it out (it's a little big, but he did great). We then celebrated with his friends a few days later at a mini gold course. It was awesome. We were the only ones there and the kids just ran around and played and golfed as much as they wanted. Mason was very happy.

Vegas Baby!/ 10th Anniversary

2011-10-24T14:00:00.001-06:00

Jared and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago in Las Vegas. Jared's boss bought all of his employees and plane ticket to Vegas and a FABULOUS room in the Venetian hotel....can you say great timing or what....a great trip to vegas for the price of my plane ticket alone. So, we arrived Friday evening and got fancied up for Jared's work dinner. We conveniently missed the two hours of drinking before hand. We walked out to a balcony at the Belaggio that was right out on the water where they have the water fountains set to music every 15 minutes. How cool is that to eat dinner and watch that....unfortunately we got rained out and had to move to an indoor restaurant, but it was VERY cool while it lasted. Oh, and Jared won $125 in a door prize (yes it was casino chips, but don't worry we quickly cashed them in for cold hard cash!) The dinner was beyond good and I actually really enjoyed the people we shared a table with which doesn't usually ever happen with Jared's work stuff.

The next day we wandered around vegas and just relaxed. We went to a cirque de Sole(spelling????) show that night that was AMAZING!!! If you get a chance to see "O" in vegas, it was definitely worth the price.

We missed the kids but they were in good hands with my parents and didn't think twice about us being gone. My only regret is that I didn't get to spend more time with my parents while they were in Colorado. But it was worth having a weekend with my guy without the kids for the first time EVER since we've had kids. Maybe we'll do it again before the big 20.

Mia is 9!

2011-10-24T13:43:00.001-06:00

Has anyone noticed that all the big days in my kids life start with crepes? They always request crepes with REAL whipped cream....I have to agree this is a fabulous choice. So, crepes with candles, presents, party in the backyard again and lot of friends cake and icecream. Fun stuff. Once again I have to say that having Jared do all the work is a great plan. He set up the zip line in the back yard (higher and faster this year), the rope bridge, rock wall and a new addition....the monster swing! very very fun.

Mia and Mason's first day of school

2011-10-24T13:31:00.000-06:00

Mia started school a few days before Mason. She was very excited to see all of her friends and start 4th grade......wow, do I have a 4th grader???? Crazy! She likes her teacher but says her class is very naughty.....more so than usual. I feel bad for her poor pregnant teacher. Quick side note: In Kindergarten Mia met 5 girls in her class who all just clicked and were all SO sweet. They were all inseparable. Two of them have moved away but the remaining four have been best friends since Kindergarten. They have never all been in the same class again till this year....much happiness on Mia's part.

Mason went in for his kindergarten pre-testing the next morning. I was worried that he would be nervous with me leaving him because he refused to go with the other kids at the kindergarten night last spring....ah the tears of a kindie. But he was so brave and went all by himself with the other kids to get tested with only a slight look of abandonment.....sigh of relief. Then the first day of school comes and I was praying that he would not cry or have a melt down and refuse to go in (I have been worrying about this day for a long time). I can not believe how great this kid did. He got there and was so excited to play on the monkey bars that everything was right with the world. The bell rang and he lined up and without a care in the world walked into class and has not looked back since. I on the other hand started crying which I really don't EVER do in public so I quickly walked back to the car and finished crying there. I am so proud of him. Every morning he RUNS from the car to the playground; plus he has made some great friends who jump up and down and scream his name when they see him walking up the hill to school every morning. 2 kindergarteners down.....one to go.

The Benedict Family Reunion

2011-10-24T13:06:00.000-06:00

Our backpacking trip was just the beginning of our Benedict family reunion. Jared's parents rented a huge beautiful cabin in Island Park and we spent the week relaxing. We spent one day seeing Yellowstone. (Can I tell you that the animals there have a sense of humor because they like to go into hiding whenever I am there. I have been to Yellowstone at least 10 times in my life. I have NEVER seen a bear or wolf or moose. Yes the buffalo are cool, but this time we didn't even see a buffalo....NOT ONE. The only thing we saw was elk.) Even though there was a big lack of animal life, we had fun seeing the sights. We spent the other days canoeing, zip-lining, hot tubing, 4-wheeling, and playing. The kids got along SO well (except I think Brant may have punched James in the face once) ooops. Mia was so sad to say goodbye to her cousin Emma. We can't wait to see everyone again next year.

My 1st Backpacking Trip!

2011-10-24T12:45:00.001-06:00

Being married to Jared, you'd think that I would be very familiar with backpacking......not so. I love camping and hiking, but I've never done the whole pack your stuff in, hike forever, and then sleep in the mountains away from a campsite......not until this summer. My father in law took Jared, me, my brother in law, Damon, and my sister in law, Emily, all backpacking. It was really fun and even more beautiful. It also reminded me again why I love my in-laws so much; they are just awesome. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, my pack was by far the lightest (what is a great husband for if not to pack in all my heavy stuff).

Crowther Reunion 2011

2011-09-28T18:43:00.000-06:00

We went back to the Ranch in Soda Springs for my family reunion with my siblings and their families. We rode the horses again, made smores, played in the river, and jumped on the trampoline. I was proud of myself for doing a flip on the trampoline for the first time in decades. I also did something that I was always too scared to do as a kid.....I jumped off the bridge into the river. I know it doesn't sound really impressive, but it was a demon that haunted me for being too chicken as a kid. Anyway, it was really fun.

We spent the last day at Bear Lake. I love Bear Lake. The whole thing is just cool. Being able to walk out hundreds of yards and still be able to touch is so cool. The kids had a blast with cousins and it was the perfect way to end the family reunion.

visiting "Denver" friends while in Ida

2011-09-28T18:29:00.000-06:00

We love catching up with old Denver friends while in Idaho. I love that the kids play together the way they use to every day when we lived next door and I especially love to hang out with my building M girls (we missed you Tifani).

Corbridge Reunion 2011

2011-09-28T18:15:00.002-06:00

We had lots of family reunions this summer and the first one was my Mom's family. We went to my mom's family's ranch in Soda Springs. The kids had tons of fun on the trampoline, in the barn, on the horses and on the hay ride.

cute boys

2011-09-28T17:57:00.001-06:00

Here's a couple random pictures from this summer. My boys play so well together most of the time and can often be found hugging or snuggling.

Brant was so excited to see my Dad every day that he would just wait somewhere for him to get home and a couple of times his tiredness got the better of him. He fell asleep waiting for Grandpa to get home.

Aisley Mae

2011-09-28T17:49:00.000-06:00

I know I added a lot of pictures of this event, but I was very excited about Jared's sister having her first baby. I took the kids up to Rexburg on the 16th of July since Sara was scheduled for induction on the 18th. When we got there she was in the beginning stages of labor. I have never seen anyone in labor before, so it was really fun to be there. Sara went into the hospital that night and had Aisley Mae Forbush the next morning. Sara did awesome and Aisely is the sweetest thing. I was really surprised to see how sweet and sensitive Mason was around the baby. He was so giddy to see her that he could barely contain his excitement. He wanted to have his picture taken with her over and over. YAY for new cousins!

more summer in Idaho

2011-09-28T17:36:00.000-06:00

One of the funnest part of visiting my parents is my dad's water turn. The cousins all have a lot of fun splashing in the water as it irrigates my dad's lawn. They even put the slip n slide out and made up a 'water dance' to music that was very entertaining. My Dad lets them go with him to "help" check the ditches and they think they are very important. All in a days work in Malad.

4th of July

2011-08-31T17:56:00.002-06:00

The summer began for us by heading to Idaho for the 4th of July weekend. We love the parade in Malad. Mia and Mason rode on my dad's bank float again and had fun throwing candy with their cousins. Brant had fun collecting candy with his cousin Gordon. Then we all enjoyed a barbeque at my parents house and fireworks that night. A perfect way to start our summer in Idaho.

Last post of spring and I promise I'll start my summer posts!

2011-08-29T17:06:00.001-06:00

Mia had a really fun last day of school party. Here she is with a bunch of her friends with their bowls of ice cream. Mia had a great 3rd grade year with an amazing teacher.

This is just a funny picture of Mason asleep on the top of the stairs????

We took our friends, the Giles, zip lining this spring. It was a blast and we love spending time with our good friends.

I took the kids to the Aurora Reservoir beach this spring with my friends Tracy and Susan and their kids. I hadn't been there in about 6 years and it was a lot of fun. I was a little nervous putting on a swim suit for the first time this year, but we had a blast and the kids could have stayed all day. Bring on the summer!!!

Our first fireplace fire

2011-06-26T13:06:00.000-06:00

The kids have asking to build a fire in our fireplace since we moved in over a year ago so one of the last cold spring days this year we finally did it. We roasted marshmallows and made smores. I think the kids had a lot of fun.

A couple Easter pictures

2011-06-26T12:59:00.002-06:00

Goodbye 4-runner

2011-05-31T10:30:00.000-06:00

Jared finally sold his 1987 4-runner. He tried to get it to pass emissions and 800 dollars later it still wouldn't pass, so we finally gave up on it and sold it on craigslist. I am a little sad for Jared because he loved that truck and had dreams of rebuilding it "someday" but I think we both realized that "someday" was very far away and neither of us wanted to be those people who store old vehicles on their front lawn waiting to rebuild them. SO, we got rid of it.

P.S. I LOVE OUR NEW CAMRY!!!!!

Train Museum and Grandparents visit

2011-05-27T11:56:00.001-06:00

I wish we had gotten more pictures with my parents over spring break. I did get a couple of my mom slack lining but most of the rest are of the train museum. We had a really great weekend with my parents though. Brant was in train heaven at the Colorado Train Museum. It was actually pretty cool for a few hours. Brant could have lived there and been happy with his two favorite things (trains and grandparents). My kids are so spoiled with all the attention they get with my parents. My parents play all the tedious games that they beg me and Jared to play with them all year long. Board games, and blocks, and trains, and books,......my parents are tireless. We also had a fun night of bowling and a fun afternoon with the slack line and zip line in the back yard. We love it when they come and hate to see them go. We have been counting down the days till summer break in Idaho.

new table

2011-05-10T11:26:00.000-06:00

Jared bought me a beautiful new table. It's huge, mahogany, and my favorite thing is the bench for the kids!

Brant's 2nd Birthday

2011-05-05T11:31:00.000-06:00

Brant's 2nd birthday was in January. All he needed to be happy was cake, icecream and LOTS of trains. So that's what he got.

Christmas 2010

2011-05-02T10:23:00.000-06:00

(yes I am posting Christmas 4 months late.....laugh if you want)

We had beautiful weather this Christmas; it wasn't winter weather, but it was beautiful. The kids played outside in short sleeves all day on Christmas Eve. We made sugar cookies and drove around to see all the Christmas lights on the houses. The kids had a very fun Christmas morning. Mia got a new bed set for her new queen bed. Mason got lots of nerf guns. Brant got Thomas the Train stuff. But the coolest thing we got was Neo Trax.....definitely the biggest hit this Christmas. They are tracks that kids can put together all by themselves and they can move and build tunnels and do all sorts of stuff. All of the kids played with them all day (They still beg to get them out 4 months later, so I think we have a winner.) We had Christmas lunch/dinner and then headed up to the mountains to try to find some snow so we could use our snow shoes. We had to drive very far and very high up in the mountains to find some, but we finally got enough that we could snow shoe.

Jared made a huge fort in the basement for the kids and they spent several days down there during their break before their mean mom made them take it down.

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas break and a nice first Christmas in our very own home.

Mia's Broken Arm

2011-03-12T18:35:00.001-07:00

Mia broke her arm in December by running down the sidewalk and tripping. She landed on it wrong and broke her arm just above her wrist. Jared was out of town and my good friend Monae watched the boys all night while Mia and I headed to the ER. She was very brave. I think the ER should give out frequent flyer miles for repeat customers. This is our 6th broken arm for the kids and Mia's 3rd broken arm. Don't worry, I asked her doctor and there is nothing wrong with her bones. Mia was actually really excited about this cast.....blue with pink stripes AND sparkles!

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-03-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am just posting Thanksgiving pictures. We had a really fun Thanksgiving with Jeff, Karissa, and our good friends the Guercios. The highlights of the dinner were Monae's Turkey and Karissa's pies (Karissa made 6 pies!!! YUM)

zip line

2010-12-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Before the weather turned cold, we got one last day in the mountains with our friends, the Ames. The kids had fun playing and exploring while Jared set up the zip line. It was a beautiful fall day and we had lots of fun.

Kids in the leaves

2010-11-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of my kids in the back yard playing in the leaves. I love having a yard!

See Anything new and shiny about Mia's smile?

2010-11-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

We took the kids in for their long overdue check-ups at the dentist and luckily Mason had no cavities, but Mia on the other hand hand another two cavities in between her teeth. The dentist said that her mouth is so small and the teeth so close that he wasn't surprised that she had cavities. There is an orthodontist in the same office that does free consults, so we asked him when it is ideal to start braces. After he examined her mouth he confirmed what we already knew, that Mia's mouth is so small that she would need braces and if they do it now they can make her mouth bigger so they won't have to remove a bunch of permanent teeth later. So, Mia got her braces on a couple of weeks ago and she goes in for the contraption that makes her jaw bigger on Monday. She has been a rock star so far and doesn't complain and is great at taking care of them.

How can I decide???

2010-11-04T20:02:00.000-06:00

Here is a little confession. I have owned a Nikon D-80 for over two years now.....and I have only used it a couple times. Jared bought it thinking he was going to use it and never did, and I didn't think we needed it in the first place so out of stubbornness, I kept using our 'normal' camera to prove that it was good enough. Anyway, my friends who are all very into photography convinced me that I should start using it, so now here is my problem....How do I decide which pictures to keep. I took Fall pictures of my kids and I have hundreds of them. I have narrowed it down but I still have way too many that I want to frame.....I am much too indecisive. So, here are ALL my favorites. Sorry in advance for the overload.

Halloween

2010-11-04T12:31:00.000-06:00

Jeff and Karissa helped the kids carve some really cool pumpkins this year for family home evening. We went to a trunk-or-treat on Saturday and the kids had a lot of fun dressing up and getting candy and playing games at the church. Mia was a witch again, Mason was Zorro and Brant was Winnie the pooh. The best costumes were Jeff and Karissa's. They were king Arthur and his squire from the Monte Python movie. It was hilarious and looked so cool. Everyone at the trunk-or-treat loved it and thought it was really funny to watch them "ride" around on their invisible horses with Karissa making the hoof noises with coconut shells. I think the kids enjoyed handing out candy on Halloween night most of all. They didn't even care that they couldn't go trick or treating since they had so much fun passing out our candy.

Mason Turns 5

2010-11-01T20:12:00.001-06:00

Mason's birthday was a few weeks ago, and he wanted a party just like Mia's. So we invited a bunch of friends over and Jared set up the slack lines, hammock, rock wall, zip line and hanging chair. I was surprised how many kids were brave enough to go down the zip line. I think they all had fun and we only had a few casualties on the hammock, which was quite the crowd pleaser.

Mason is such a fun kid. He loves being with people and loves to play and learn. I love that he kills my spiders. I love that he follows his dad around and helps with every project and never gets bored. I love that he is such a happy and energetic kid, but he is also the first kid to come and snuggle up with me. I hope he never outgrows snuggling because it is one of his many talents. (On the way to church on Sunday, Mason told me that he needs to practice his talent more. I asked what his talent was and he told me that his talent was playing army =). I love this kid!

Mia's Baptism

2010-10-26T19:49:00.001-06:00

Mia was baptized on September 25th 2010, just two days after her eighth birthday. Mia was so ready to become a member of the church and receive the Holy Ghost. She has such a strong testimony of the gospel and knows so much already about the scriptures and loves to read them every night. She is a shining example of faith and kindness. We love her more than words can say and feel so blessed to have her in our family.

Mia invited lots of friends from school and some church friends too, so we had a big group of little girls. Mia's grandma's gave the talks and her Grandmas were the witnesses and gave the prayers. My dad played the piano since we had a no show from the primary for the piano. Jared did a wonderful job baptizing and confirming her and it was a wonderful day.

Isn't she the sweetest thing ever?

I can't believe I have an 8 year old!

2010-10-17T10:25:00.000-06:00

Mia turned 8 in September and I can't believe I have an eight year old. The first three years of her life she was my little shadow attached to my hip and since Jared worked long hours she really was my little buddy. She tagged along with me everywhere and helped me navigate the 'big city' we just moved to. I don't think I realized how easy of a child she was till I had my boys (who I adore). Mia has been the easiest child to raise and she constantly teaches me how to be a better person because she just came that way. We love her dearly and are so proud of all she is.

Mia had an "outdoor" party. Let me tell you, this was the best party ever. My sister in law, Karissa, made a cool rock climbing cake. Jared built a rock wall in the back yard, set up a rope bridge, slack line, and zip line and then made it all into an obstacle course that the kids LOVED. He did all the work and I just ordered pizza and chatted with the moms......easiest party ever. Thanks Jared!

This is Karissa helping Mia off the zip line.

Mia has such fabulous friends!

Brant on the zip line.

I can't believe the picture of her blowing out her candle was blurry....grrrr.

Our Summer (Yup, I'm that behind on blogging)

2010-10-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

I know I am behind on blogging, so bear with me with all the pictures in one post. I'll try to be brief. We had a great summer filled with lots of relaxing in Idaho and LOTS of working on the house back here in Colorado.

My fabulous sister-in-law got married this summer. It was such a wonderful week we spent there helping them get ready and seeing them get married was definitely a highlight of this year. WE LOVE BRAD. I have been so lucky to have amazing in-laws and he is no exception.

Mia and Mason got to help serve refreshments at the reception. I was very proud of them and what big helpers they were. Don't they look cute in there brown and pink to match Sara's colors.

This is our friend Michelle. She is like another aunt to my kids and we love her so much. She got married this summer too, and we wish we could have been there.

Mia and Mason on the Ireland Bank float in the 4th of July parade in Malad. They had fun throwing taffy and eating it too.

Brant's summer was filled with a lot of things that he loved. 1st place goes to Grandpa, but a close 2nd was the chickens.

We had tons of fun with cousins. Birthdays, parks, picnics, sprinklers, zoo, and swimming.....what a great summer.

We we glad to get together with Stacey and her kids for a fun afternoon. We only wish more Denver friends could have come. (Next years guys.)

Mia and Mason did great with swimming lessons this year. Mia passed again and Mason can put his whole head in the water and even dog paddle a little, so big accomplishments on both counts.

It wouldn't be summer without grandma's haircuts.

Have I mentioned how much my kids love to gather the eggs and take care of the chickens.

We also went to Island Park with Jared's family for a quick fun weekend of canoeing, 4-wheeling, biking, and just hanging out. We have such great families that we look forward to our summers in Idaho all year long.

Brant

2010-08-21T18:22:00.000-06:00

Brant had quite the summer this year. He was outside in the backyard playing with Mia and Mason and somehow managed to break both of his arms. Since neither Mia nor Mason actually saw what happened, we'll never know exactly how he broke them, but he must have fallen somehow. Anyway, we didn't even know they were broken till later that night he kept waking up and fusing and favoring one arm when he would try to crawl out of his bed. So, I took him to the ER where I had to convince the doctor to x-ray him because he didn't believe anything was wrong. So, they found a small break in his left arm and we put a cast on it two days later. That night we noticed that he was not using his right arm either. I think that he must have broken both arms at the same time, but the left was worse. Then once he got his left cast on, he tripped a few times (since he is a clumsy 17 month old) and landed on his other arm since he couldn't catch himself with the other arm in the cast and I think he made it worse. So, we took him in and got that one checked....yup broken. The good new is that he only had to wear them 3-weeks; the bad news is that we had them taken off while we were in Malad and the doctor there used ANCIENT equipment and CUT him 3 times trying to get them off. I felt so bad for Brant, but other than the many traumatic doctor visits this summer, he was a happy kid and had fun in Idaho.

Mia's 2nd grade field day

2010-08-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

Mia's 2nd grade field day.

Mia sings at the Rockies game

2010-08-21T12:53:00.001-06:00

In May Mia and her school choir sang the National Anthem at one of the Rockies games. About 100 schools in the area tried out for the spot, and Mia's school won. She was really excited and it ended up being a pretty cool experience for her.

The final product: House pictures

2010-04-19T17:08:00.000-06:00

OK, here are the pictures. I know there are tons, but this is our first house and I'm a little excited.

The house overhaul

2010-04-19T16:52:00.000-06:00

I finally got the house clean enough that I thought I was ready to move EVERYTHING over. I had been bringing large loads over to house everyday; once in the morning when I took Mia to school and once in the afternoon when I picked her up then cleaned for a few hours till Brant couldn't handle it any more then went back and packed up some more. But last weekend we rented a truck and moved everything else over. Jared's Dad got here that night and began overhauling our bathroom.(The tile and the walls behind it were really messed up). I think we about killed him, he worked so hard and he was a big life saver. He also helped overhaul the yard. Jared's sister and her fiance came for a few days which was such a huge help to keep the kids busy. We LOVE Sara's fiance, Brad. My kids have liked a lot of her boyfriends, but this guy hit it out of the park! Mason is absolutely sold on him. Brad played with him for hours on end.....Thanks Brad and Sara for keeping my kids happy during a crazy week. Then my parents flew in on Thursday and didn't stop working and cleaning and organizing for the next three days. I can't believe how much work got done this week. I LOVE the house now and the yard went from a complete disaster to something we can now work with. We filled 18 huge bags of leaves that hadn't been raked last fall. Then Russel and my dad hauled 2500 pounds of yard waste to the junk yard! What a transformation. I went from being completely overwhelmed with this new house and yard, to relieved and so happy with the way it all turned out. I have the best family in the world.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-19T16:19:00.000-06:00

Easter weekend was a big weekend for us. We closed on our house that week, so even though the house wasn't ready to move in(it needed a lot of work and cleaning and a lot of appliances), it was perfect for a little sleepover. We grabbed our sleeping bags and slept in the basement. (sidenote: the basement flooded a month ago, so the previous owner had it ALL redone before we moved in, so the basement was the only part of the house that was clean and livable.) Anyway, the kids woke up and found Easter eggs and played with the new golf set before heading back to the apartment to listen to conference. It was a fun little camp out.

January/February Update

2010-02-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Mia has been busy the last month in school and with friends. She was a flapper girl in her 2nd grade play. She spent every spare minute for two weeks learning her dance and speaking part. She makes a very cute flapper girl.

Mia had a Valentines play date here with her school friends and then they went to Lizzy's house for a sleepover. What a fun holiday weekend for her.

Sprinkles Anyone???

Mia had a school project to research one type of penguin; make a visual project of the penguin and it's habitat; and present a 5 minute presentation. Mia picked the Macaroni penguin. Up to this point in her school career I have been able to handle her projects, but my creativity hit a major wall here. So, luckily Super Dad stepped in and saved the day with this paper mache penguin that was awesome. (Yes, we were THOSE parents that did a lot of her project for her, but she did the research and memorized her speech and helped with as much as she could, so give me a break). She is so great at presentations......what a girl. I'm very proud of her.

As for the boys, they have been up to no good. Brant discovered that he can put half a banana in his mouth at one time.....big cheek pictures are always funny.

Mason spilled his yogurt AGAIN.....but this time it was funny because somehow he did this......... (I asked him if I could take a picture before I cleaned him off)

I am at a total loss to know what to do with this kid. He can climb up anything. He moves chairs until they are where he wants them and then grunts and pulls and cries till he gets on top and then smiles because he is so proud, but then gets SOOO mad when I pull him off the computer or piano or table. He climbed up to the computer last week and fell off and majorly bit his lip. Luckily my friend's husband is a Doctor and came over and cleaned him up. Wow, blood everywhere and two big holes in his face later.....he still climbs on everything. I spend most of my days with the chairs in the middle of the living room where if he climbs up he won't get anything. UGGGGGGGGG!

"HMMMMMM What will happen if I push this one????"

Anyone want to sword fight????? We've got some experts here.

Brant found an orange, peeled/decimated it and ate it. Yes I feed him. He just really wanted that orange. Plus it's fun to make a mess, right?

Even though the boys can be very mischievous, aren't they angles when they sleep!

Mason

2010-01-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

I need to record more of the funny things my kids say, so here goes this week's funniest moments from Mason

A few days ago as we were reading the scriptures with the kids the word repent came up and I asked the kids if they knew what it meant and Mia gave a good answer and Mason asked why we need to repent and I said something like "When we do something wrong or make a mistake......." Then Mason interrupts and says "Oh like when we start someone's house on fire?"............um yes Mason when you start someone's house on fire you need to repent.......said with a totally straight face while I was dieing laughing on the inside. I then pointed out that we can repent for little things too, but when I told Jared about it later that night he was proud of the fact that the kid thinks big.

One more quick one. Tonight when Mason was procrastinating going to bed he came out to talk to me. He told me that the reason he wakes at night is because Jared burps so loud at night (He pointed at his rear when he said 'burp'). I then told him the correct term is fart......come on he has got to know the difference right?????

Brant is 1!

2010-01-05T21:51:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my baby is one year old now. I know I went a little overboard on the pictures for the post, but what can I say....MY BABY IS 1. As far as celebrating goes, we decided to do a cake and presents in Idaho right before we left to come back since Jared is in California this week and we wanted him to be there. So, my mom made a fabulous cake and Brant opened a few presents that he loved. Brants actual birthday was today and the kids wanted to make his day special, so they really went out of their way to play with him and make his day fun. They also made him chocolate chip cookies to celebrate. So, here are all my recent pictures of my sweetheart. Gosh, I love this kid!

As far as what Brant is doing, I'll try to make a list.
-Brant loves to play and wrestle, especially with Mason -Brant loves to climb on anything and as high as he can get - He loves to play the piano very loud - He loves to swing in the hanging chair on the deck - Brant loves to make a mess especially with food and loves to feed himself - Brant bites....mostly just me, but it HURTS.....but I can't be too mad at the kid because the poor thing has 10 teeth fully in 3 that have broken through and 3 more that are about to break through.....ouch! -Brant likes to flirt with anyone that will smile at him and strangers love this kid....espcially old ladies at the grocery store - Brant took 4 steps all by himself last week, but refuses to do it again - Brant can get off the bed, couch, and chairs all by himself now - Brant talks and jabbers all the time; he doesn't say anything specific except the word NO and he says it with all his might over and over and shakes his head and arms to make sure you understand; Brant is very good at telling you when he is mad....this kid has some lungs and knows how to use them - Brant loves to play and be social and to be involved in whatever everyone else is doing - I love his smile and his heart shaped birthmark and his dark brown eyes and his slobbery kisses and his hugs as he pats my back. Brant may be stubborn, but he is the most lovable little one year old on the planet. We all love him and we are glad he is ours! Happy Birthday Brant

Christmas and the New Year in Malad

2010-01-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

We drove to Malad on Christmas day and had a nice Christmas there too. My kids were excited to see the new puppy that cousins had got for Christmas. We spent Saturday with my whole family taking family pictures and then my dad bought pizza and rented out the bowling alley for the afternoon which was so much fun. Unfortunately the stomach flu was going around and Mia got it Saturday night and it then went to my mom and then to me. But later in the week after everyone was feeling better, the kids had tons of fun in the snow. They got snowshoes for Christmas, so they 'explored' all around the reservouir and my parents back yard. My dad also built them a snow fort to play in. There are many good reasons why Idaho is our favorite place in the world to vacation, but our wonderful family is the biggest reason of all.

Christmas Eve in Rexburg

2010-01-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun and relaxing week in Rexburg. Here are the pictures from Christmas Eve. The kids had fun making and eating sugar cookies. We went for a drive around Rexburg to see all the Christmas lights and sang Christmas songs. The kids along with Jared's help made a bed in the closet downstairs to sleep in. We reinacted the Christmas story. We opened our Christmas jammies and just had a lot of fun.

packing up for Idaho

2010-01-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

I don't why the kids had the camera out while I was trying to pack for our trip to Idaho, but since I rarely put pictures of myself on my blog....here are two! Can you tell we are excited to head out the door and get our vacation started.

Jared Update

2010-01-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick update of what Jared has been up to. He finished his last two weeks with Ernst & Young and loaded up his office and left it in the living room for Brant to climb on....what fun. He started his new job on December 17th and is loving it so far. He is the Manager of Financial Reporting for a rare earth minerals mining company. I'm glad he is liking his new job and I'm also glad the boxes are finally in his new office =).

These other pictures are of a huge igloo he built for the scouts winter campout. Jared is the scout master in our ward and he does a great job with the boys. He took Mia and Mason up to the mountains the morning after so they could play in the igloo.

More Pictures with Grandparents

2009-11-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful weekend with my parents. I wish we could do it more often and for much longer, but we take what we can get. These are the photos of the kids and my parents at the hotel. Mia and Mason slept at the hotel with my parents every night. They jumped on beds, swam in the pool, ate lots of yummy food, played on the elevators, played photo tag (all the pictures from far away), and watched cartoons. It was a dream come true for my kids. Thanks again Mom and Dad for coming. We can't wait to do it all again!

Family Pictures

2009-11-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Before my parents left we got a few family pictures.

Trunk-or-treat

2009-11-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our ward did some games along with Trunk-or-Treat this year. The kids had a lot of fun. Mason didn't love wearing a costume, but he did love the doughnut he got to eat. When it was time to actually trunk or treat Mason refused to put on any of his costume so once again this year he trick or treated as a boy. At least we got a picture of our knight along with the witch and pooh bear.

Boo at the Zoo

2009-11-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to go to the zoo while my parents were here and the only day it was warm enough was Halloween. I vaguely remembered that the zoo does something for Halloween, but I didn't know that EVERYONE dresses up for it. We were the only ones with kids not dressed up....o-well, the kids still got to see the animals and got tons of candy too.

Jack-o-lantern

2009-11-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love that one or both of my parents has been here for Halloween the last couple of years. I love that they take care of the pumpkin mess! My mom picked out the seeds to cook and my Dad helped the kids design and carve the pumpkin. I know I've said this before but my parents are the epitome of patience and my kids are so blessed to have such amazing grandparents.

Sick

2009-11-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

We all got sick a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what it was because it was a little different for each of us, but Mia was home from school for several days; there were a lot of ramen noodles consumed; and a lot of naps and TV. I'm just glad the kids were better before my parents came to visit for fall break.

This last picture is Mia reading the kid scriptures in her Halloween costume. I thought it was funny seeing my little witch reading the scriptures. She reads the kid scriptures ALL the time. Sometimes I just want to say something like "don't you want to read something fun?" but I of course stop myself and am really glad she loves the scriptures so much. She read the whole Book of Mormon this week for about the 10th time and has read the New and Old testament more times than I have in my whole life. I'm not sure where this girl came from, but I'm glad she came this way!

The gate

2009-11-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Brant is at that age where I have to put up the gate in the kitchen the block him out...not to mention we have to keep the bathroom door shut. There are just too many opportunities for disaster if I don't. Anyway, Mason thinks it's funny to lock Brant IN the kitchen and Brant thinks it's the best thing in the world to be locked in the forbidden zone.

Mason turns 4!

2009-11-14T14:40:00.003-07:00

Mason turned 4 last month. He had a small birthday party with a few of his friends. I didn't get a picture of him blowing out his candles, but here are a few pictures of the kids painting, eating pizza, and hitting the pinata.

Mason has grown up so much this last year. I am so amazed at how helpful he is and wants to be. He can be the sweetest little guy in the world and just wants to play all the time. Mason has a very big and generous heart. He loves to make people happy and is my best snuggler. He is always updating me on how many "Mason" snuggles, hugs, and kisses he has left; and then he reassures me that his tummy is busy making more. He is happiest when he can play with friends or family....he doesn't really care who he plays with, he just loves to interact with others. He loves his gymnastics class he's been taking for the last three years and his teachers love him and are always commenting and on how polite and patient he is. He loves mommy preschool and all the interaction he gets with his friends and the moms. He loves to wrestle with his dad.....well, actually he loves to do anything with his dad; especially anything outside. Mason loves to take his sweet time at everything....eating dinner, walking to the car, getting dressed.....he just can't be rushed.....yes, it drives me nuts sometimes, but it's part of what makes the kid so loveable too. He just has to kick every snow pile, look at every bug, and jump in every puddle before he can get in the car. But once he does get in the car, he's got a great air guitar and head bang. He is always asking to listen to a "boy song" in the car and I can't resist watching him rock out. I'm not sure when it happened but Mason wrapped my heart around his little finger and all he has to do is look at me with those fabulous eyes and I melt. We all love you Mason. Happy 4th Birthday.

Brant is 9 months old!

2009-10-05T15:38:00.002-06:00

To explain the pictures below I have to explain that a few months ago I started doing a point system for the kids and chores. So now they get fifty cents every time they earn 10 points....anyway. Mason has been saving up to buy a pez dispenser since we started and he finally had enough to buy one plus a package of refills. Anyway, if you look close in the picture you will see some of the fruits of his labors. Brant ate the orange ones....paper and all. Yum!

So, Brant is 9 months old today and I feel like he has grown up so much over the summer. Here is what he has been doing. Brant wasn't a big roller. He physically could do it since he was just tiny, but unless he was REALLY mad, he didn't use this form of movement much. He was pretty mad for a long time that he couldn't crawl because he soooooo wanted to play with Mia and Mason. The first form of movement he mastered was cruising (yes kinda out of order) at 7 months. Then he started crawling.....backwards at 7 1/2 months. Then fianlly at 8 months old he started crawling forwards...YAY! It looked funny because he used one knee and one foot to push himself, but now at 9 months he is crawling normally and pulling up on everything and cruising EVERYWHERE! Brant was a really fussy baby until I quit eating dairy products and now he is such a happy and smiley baby. People stop and smile at him all the time and say what a smiley baby he is. I love his fun and intense personality. I love the kissy noises he makes. I love that he uses his teeth to help him pull up on things. I love the way he says go go go all the time (sometimes in a whisper and sometimes very loud). I love his chubby cheeks. I love to watch him watch his siblings. I love watch him wrestle Mason. I just love this kid to pieces! Ok enough gushing....I'm done. But I reserve the right to be mushy again in three months.

Conference Weekend

2009-10-05T15:22:00.002-06:00

Did anyone else have a fabulous conference weekend. Not only do we get to hear from the Prophet and leaders of the church, but also......WE DON'T HAVE TO GET DRESSED! Since Jared flew out to California on Sunday for work, the kids and I stayed in our jammies ALL day and just relaxed and enjoyed.

We did the kids conference packet that was all over the internet the last week. My kids may not have gotten tons out of conference, but hey they know what color of ties the apostles were wearing! =) One last story: Mason was trying to fill out his conference bingo and we were going to blackout, so all the easy ones were filled in already so for most of the conference he just kept saying the last word of every sentence someone said and asked me if it was on the list.......I don't know if this was the best way for me to get the most out of conference, but it sure did make it more fun for the kids.

Mia is 7!

2009-10-05T15:13:00.002-06:00

Mia had a fun birthday week. She got to take donuts to class. We made sugar cookies that she personalized. She got tons of fun gifts and cards and phone calls. She had a fabulous party with lots of friends. Between the craft paint, friendship bracelets, pinata, pizza and cupcakes, I think we are all partied out.....Until we do it all again in a week for Mason!

Brant and Jared Chillin'

2009-10-05T15:03:00.002-06:00

Brant doesn't usually like to sit still. He refuses to let me rock him to sleep or snuggle with him in the rocking chair. The only person I've seen that can consistently make him just chill is Jared.

Jeez, if looks could kill....."stop taking my picture; I'm trying to chill."

AWWWWWWWW!

Happy 32nd Jared

2009-10-05T13:52:00.002-06:00

Here's the only snap shots of Jared I got on his birthday. We love him and love what a hard worker and wonderful father/husband he is.

Mia's First Day of 2nd Grade

2009-10-05T13:42:00.002-06:00

Here are the first day pictures....yes I know it's almost fall break, but better late than never. She loves her teacher, Mrs. DeWitt, and is doing great. This won't make sense to anyone but her, but she has already made it to the sun, been a cudo kid and gotten a good works ticket award.

This is Mia being patient for yet another picture.

This is Mia telling me that the bell rang and I need to stop being a crazy picture taking Mom.

These are Mia's BFF's since Kindergarten. Mia-Bella-Courtenay-Lizzy.

Dancing kids

2009-10-05T13:28:00.002-06:00

Every now and again I wonder when Mia will start thinking she is too old for Mason or not want to dress up and dance with him anymore. I am so glad that these two get a long so well. And I hope that is always the case. (Yes I am about to brag about my kids so stop reading if you don't like it). People ask me all the time why my kids are so easy and awesome....I tell them that Mia just came that way and she raised Mason. And it's true. Mia has always been an angel and so easy. She hasn't hit a difficult stage or phase in her seven years and I'm so glad she loves her brothers as much as she does cause she makes my job soooooo much easier. Since all Mason needs to be happy is someone to play with, she is such a good sport. Now, I just hope she doesn't get burnt out before she can raise Brant!

Landon's Baptism

2009-10-05T13:22:00.002-06:00

Wow, this is long over due, but I have a lot of catching up to do, so here goes.

While we were home this summer my nephew Landon got baptized. This kid is awesome and we were so glad we could be there for his special day! Congrats Landon.

Jeff's Wedding

2009-08-26T19:30:00.006-06:00

My little brother Jeff got engaged and married this summer. My new sister in law is AMAZING and absolutely perfect for my brother. My whole family loves her and couldn't be more happy for them. Here are some pictures from the day. I love that my dad had to wear a HOT pink tie! And aren't they a cute couple. We love you Jeff and Karissa.

A few more pics in Malad

2009-08-25T13:46:00.005-06:00

After Jared's family reunion in Rexburg, we headed back to Malad for one last week of summer vacation. We got in all the fun with cousins and grandparents that we could. Plus Mia and I helped make a quilt for my brother and his fiance. Mia was a great help.

Repelling

2009-08-25T13:23:00.003-06:00

I was going to title this post "How did I end up marrying Jared?" but I didn't. But that is exactly what I was thinking while doing this 180 foot repel. I am terrified of heights and the only positive thing that can be said of my ruggedness is that I am a good sport and am always good for a laugh. I think people like me to come on these crazy outings of Jareds because I always find the hardest way to do something and I always freak out! I go into it every time knowing that I am going to freak out, but I know my husband loves these things, so I want to go too. Anyway, we hiked/rock climbed up the side of a mountain and then repelled down to a ledge and then repelled the rest of the way to the ground. It was fun being with Jared, Sara, Jeremy and Emily. We would have gotten a picture of Jared, but he always jumps off the cliff so fast that it's impossible to get a picture.

Rexburg

2009-08-25T12:43:00.002-06:00

Jared's immediate family all got together for about a week at the end of July. We really look forward to this week because Jared's brother Damon and his family live in Texas and we only see them every other summer. I LOVE Jared's family. There is never a dull moment when we are all together and yet they know how to just chill and relax too. The kids acted like they were best friends from the minute they all got there. We tried to squeeze in as many fun activities as we could. We went to the sand dunes and played in "Hidden Lake". It is a large lake in the middle of the dunes that doesn't get deeper than 3 feet the whole way through. The kids loved it. We also went to the splash park. Maxine did a really fun treasure hunt and care bear party for the kids. She had tons of prizes and surprises for the kids. Add some finger paints and the kids were in heaven. Most of the kids slept in a big heap in the game room it was really cute. Jared's brothers and Dad put new shingles on the roof, so that kept them busy. Emily and I mostly just hung out with the kids and relaxed. It was a perfect vacation. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Family Reunions

2009-08-25T12:36:00.002-06:00

The summer wouldn't be complete without family reunions. I didn't get many pictures of the family reunions, but here is one of our family at Jared's Craner family reunion. I also took Mia, Mason and Brant to the Jared's Patterson/Benedict family reunion. Both reunions were a lot of fun. Jared has such an amazing extended family. I LOVE getting together with Jared's relatives....not only are they amazing people, but they are REALLY fun too. I am very lucky to have such fabulous in-laws!

Friends

2009-08-25T12:25:00.002-06:00

While we were in Malad, some of our Denver friends that have moved back to Idaho and Utah got together for an afternoon. I've made so many amazing friends while in Denver; but when you live across the hall from them, they feel more like family. So, needless to say it was a wonderful afternoon catching up. I can't believe we didn't get a picture of all us together.....next year we will definitely get a picture (Tifani....start planning cause I want you in that picture). Here is a picture of the kids playing in the water.

Gordon Kelly Bytheway

2009-08-21T18:26:00.003-06:00

On July 4th at about 3:30 in the morning my little sister had a little baby boy. They named him Gordon Kelly Bytheway. Gordon is my Grandpa Crowther's middle name and Kelly is my Grandpa Corbridge's middle name. He is very cute and we are so excited to have another baby in the family!

4th of July

2009-08-21T17:48:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful but low-key 4th of July. We spent a few minutes at the cemetary to put flowers on David's gravestone. My parents and Christine's family spent part of the Day in Logan with Becky since baby Gordan was born early that morning. Plus we got in a lot of the usual festivities. We went to the parade and got a life-time supply of taffy. The kids all had a water fight. My dad gave Mia and Mason a ride on Black Beauty. We had a fabulous cook out. We played water balloon volleyball. Then my cousin's husband, Aaron, earned himself a huge gold star with the kids by spending most of the afternoon entertaining them with bottle rockets. Then when it got dark we did some more fireworks and we were all very satisfied and exhausted.

Climbing, Climbing and More Climbing

2009-08-21T17:21:00.005-06:00

We squeezed in a quick rock climbing trip while in Rexburg. All the pictures are self-explanatory except maybe Sara's 'friend'. We loved getting to spend some time with Sara's 'friend' Jeremy. He's quite the climber, so he scored major points in Jared's book.

Quick trip to Rexburg

2009-08-21T16:50:00.004-06:00

Jared was with us for almost two weeks before heading back to Denver to be our bread winner. We spent most of the time in Malad just relaxing and Jared spent some time building a chicken run for my Dad. We spent the last few days of Jared's vacation with his family in Rexburg. The picture of the kids in helmets is just outside the civil defense caves in Rexburg. We didn't make it all the way through because we left behind a very needy baby and didn't want to be gone too long. My mother-in-law was such good sport about taking the baby while Jared and I finally got some play time (This hasn't happened in a long time). Thanks Maxine! Anyway, the picture of us in the canoe is up at Island Park. We stayed at Jared's Grandparents cabin a couple days. We got caught in the rain on our first trip down the river. My grumpy face is because I threw my coat in the water.....yes I am very smooth! Even without my coat, it was really fun. If you look closely you can see the kids under the plastic cover. Our second trip down the river was even more fun though. Jared and I took one conoe and Jared's sister, Sara, and her friends took the other two. We left at about 11:00 and went down in the dark. We couldn't see a thing even though we all had headlamps. The fog was so thick that we could only see a few feet in front of us. We all finally figured out that we could see better without the headlamps. It was REALLY fun....definitely something we need to do again. My brother and his fiance Karissa came up and canoed the next morning and took the kids down the river a few more times. What a fun trip!

Camping

2009-08-21T16:27:00.004-06:00

We did a quick over night camping trip to Power house camp ground at Malad summit. The kids played in the water and were forced to pose for way too many pictures. Jared made Mia and Mason walking sticks and we tried them out on a short hike the next morning. We camped a couple of times while in Idaho and while I love camping, I always question my sanity the next morning after a long night of everyone sleeping in the same tent with a baby. On one camping trip at Jared's Benedict family reunion (Jared wasn't there), one of my kids wet the bed and so sleeping arrangements were very interesting the rest of that night. Anyway, I can't wait till my kids are a little older so we can enjoy camping even more!

Summer '09- Malad

2009-08-21T16:15:00.002-06:00

I have so much to post from this summer that it might take me all day to upload all the photos, but I'm determined to get it all done before Mia starts school on Monday, so here goes!
The kids did a lot of tree climbing and luckily Jared got a few shots of the kids in the trees. Mia and Mason slept in the new pull out couch/bed at my parents house. They loved it.....can you tell.

swimming lessons

2009-08-09T16:46:00.002-06:00

Mia and Mason took swimming lessons in Malad this summer. This was Mason's first year and I was thrilled that he even got in the water without me having to sit next to him the whole time. He got right in and even though he didn't pass, he did put his head in the water and blow bubbles, so what else could I ask for. He actually really loved it and had a great teacher. Mia was in level 3 this year but had her same teacher from last summer, so she was exited about that. She did great and passed her level. She was most exited about learning how to dive. Mia can already swim better than I can. I am so proud of both of my kids. I really don't want them to be afraid of having their head in the water for very long like I am. So I think we have a good start.

chicken coop

2009-08-07T15:11:00.004-06:00

When we got to my parents house at 3 in the morning, the first thing the kids did was go downstairs to look at the baby chicks that were living in a box under a heat lamp. My Dad decided to build a chicken coop and raise 10 chickens all in the name of self reliance. The kids think it is the coolest thing ever. They love checking them every morning and night; filling their food and water containers; catching grasshoppers and earwigs to feed them; and just watching them grow all summer. They should be big enough to lay eggs this fall.....I have no idea what my parents are going to do with that many eggs, but it's pretty cool huh. These pictures are of the kids painting the coop with my Dad. They also have their handprints, names and birth dates on the back, but I don't think I got a picture of that. Jared spent a long hot day building the chicken run and door for the chickens. The chickens moved in a few weeks after we got there and it all turned out great.

Idaho weather

2009-08-07T14:49:00.005-06:00

We had tons of rain in Denver this spring and it just kept coming when we got to Idaho. We were so anxious to be outside though that we put Brant in his highchair and rigged an umbrella so we could go out and play in the rain. One day the kids skateboarded in the rain on the front porch. I loved the weather this year.....there were so many rainy days and it didn't even get hot until after the 4th of July.....FABULOUS! Oh, And can you believe that Brant would need a heavy coat in the middle of summer....crazy.....but isn't the coat cute....it's a horse

.

Becky's Baby shower and Mason's Fish

2009-08-07T14:36:00.002-06:00

We had originally decided to leave on Friday June 13th to head to Idaho, but Jared found out he had a job interview on Monday so we decided to wait out the weekend and miss Becky's baby shower. But then Jared's interview got moved back to Wednesday and he called Friday afternoon and said to pack up and he would just drive us out then drive back to Denver then back to Idaho....crazy huh. But three hours later we were on the road with an SUV full of stuff to last the whole summer. We arrived in Idaho early Saturday morning and made it to Becky's baby shower. Doesn't she look great!

That night my dad walked over to the reservoir with my kids and the little Diego fishing poll he bought them last summer. They've tried fishing a bunch of times over the last couple years, but never so much as got a nibble. So, Mason was totally freaked out when a fish was on the end of the hook when he reeled it in. He was so proud that it was him that caught it, but wouldn't come near it the rest of the night....it really scared him....he he.

Family Pictures

2009-08-04T18:32:00.003-06:00

We had family pictures taken while we were in Rexburg. Here are some of the better ones.

Girls Retreat

2009-07-24T16:57:00.004-06:00

This post is incredibly old, but it was such a fun and memorable experience that I couldn't just skip it. At the end of June my friend Jessica had a family reunion in Estes Park and they didn't use all their time share so they very graciously let Jessica and a bunch of us girls and kids go hang out in their beautiful time share for a few days. It was CRAZY but oh so fun. We got lots of crazy looks while walking around Estes Park and while hiking, but hey we are brave moms. You can tell from the pictures that we had tons of kids which accounts for the craziness, but you can also see what fabulous friends I have too. These gals are like family to me and I feel so blessed to have such great friends.

Hail Storm

2009-06-07T17:31:00.005-06:00

Today when we left for church it was sunny and warm. When we left church it was dark and just starting to rain huge drops of rain. Three minutes later when we pulled into our parking lot, it was hailing marble size hail stones. Unfortunately Jared is in California and so I had to try to get all our church stuff and all three kids into the house with as little damage as possible. Half way across the parking lot Mason got hit with a huge ball and starting crying hysterically and refused to move. The blanket I had put over Brant's car seat had blown off and he was getting pelted and started crying too. So, while I literally dragged the kids into the house, the hail stones kept getting bigger and bigger and by the time we got inside golf ball size hailstones were coming down. The storm only last a few minutes but I enjoyed watching it from the deck. It took a while to talk the kids into going outside with me, but once I convinced them they weren't going to be attacked again, they enjoyed seeing the big hail stones that were already melting since the sun had come out. I later saw on the news that we also got a tornado here too....COOL!!! I wish I could have seen it (in a I'm glad no one got hurt kinda way). Here are some pictures I took and one of the tornado from the news article about it.

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Here are the hail stones that ended up in Brants carseat

Done with preschool!

2009-06-05T12:44:00.002-06:00

I did a mommy preschool with some of my friends this year. I thought Mason was going to be too young and we would just quit after Brant was born....But he loved it. I thought he would get frustrated and would be too young to sit still AT ALL, but I was glad to be wrong. He was so exited about everything we did and I was so proud of him. He loved having a special time to be with his friends and the fact that he learned letters and numbers is just a perk! All the moms were great. We each had our own teaching style and the kids got something new each time. It all turned out really well, but I think I speak for all the moms in saying I am glad to be done. We are all in need of a long summer break with no structure!!! My friend Leslie put on a little graduation for the last day. She taught them a poem and song to sing that was really cute and they looked adorable in their caps holding their diplomas. We then had a swimming party to celebrate. I'm glad preschool has been such a great experience for Mason.