I'm baaack

So, i'm back. Year long time off, no biggie, just got bored, nothing to say. But with Nana & Papa in Russia, I thought this would be a nice way for them to see some of our daily lives. This first post though has to be all about my Sister Shoebox Swap. I had the best time doing this! It was my first time and i can't wait till the spring when we get to do it all over again. I had a ton of fun shopping for Kelsey and she sent me the most adorable stuff. She is one talented lady I must say! She made the cutest little cards, and potpouri that smells divine. And see that adorable little dolly on the right, she made it! Amazing huh!

And when I opened the box the delicious smell of these candles almost knocked me over, I would love to have that experience everyday!

This adorable banner is another beauty she sent me. She made it herself, again I repeat, she is so talented.

Thanks so very much to Monica for letting me participate this year...and to Kelsey for the lovely items that have all been treasured and loved. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

I'll be back soon to catch Nana & Papa up on things since they left.

Jenn

Adams Canyon Hike

So I did it! I went on my first "official" hike. David finaly talked me into it. i decided since it was a busy path that our chances of meeting a bear or mountain lion were pretty slim. And i am ashamed to admit it, but i really did like it. In fact i'm planning on going back and doing the same hike again without the kids. That was one of the problems i had on this one. There were quite a few parts to this hike that made me nervous with the boys. Tom had no problem, but some places everyone had to hold their own to make it up, and sam couldn't quite do that. David was carrying Ben on his back the whole time so he was busy enough. So that left me to help sam, which i was not that comfortable with. But we did it! We did really good for our little family. These are just a few of the pictures, they do NO justice to the views we enjoyed. We had a ton of fun!!!!

Lagoon Day!

Davids job has a big party at Lagoon every summer, everyone gets in free and they feed us till we explode, its hot and lines are long. All around great time. But our kids love it, and this is what parents do right? Especially when its all free! So, I forgot that blogger loads the photos backward, so you will see our day backwards, from end to beginning. At the entrance/exit they have this great fountain that just beckons children & adults at times to play. It had been a pretty hot day, and we had already got wet on the log schute, so why not?

I don't do big roller coasters and rides that take me in circles very well. in fact, if i turn my head to quick it makes me wanna puke. But what i love and can do over & over are the water rides. this was fun!

My sweet boys were very patient cause we did a lot of this today. Waiting in a hot line with very little shade, is pretty hard for little kids, but they were great!

Ben did a good job too, we brought his leash, so he did some walking, but was pretty happy riding around in his wagon. What a good sport.

Sam & Tom surprised us this day. Their normal personalities are

Tom: shy, safe, reserved

Sam: wild, adventerous, no fear

But this day, quite the role reversal, this little whale was more of sams pace, but tom was ready to ride the biggest fastest ones around. He was still too short of course, but he thought he was ready. He did get to go on some of the bigger rides with David while Sam and I kept our feet firmly planted on the ground.

Like I said earlier, this was toward the beginning of the day. The tilt-a-whirl used to be a pretty safe ride for me, i had fun while we were spinning, we were all laughing, but when i tried to stand and walk, the world kept moving for some reason!

This was the first ride they got on for the day. David and Tom loved it Sam, not so much, boy after my own heart!

House of Joy

Our home has truly been a house of joy this month. We have been so blessed with visits from extended family, reliving old memories and making new memories. As we speak David and his brother Paul are heading out for their hike up Kings Peak. David has been looking forward to this for so long, i'm glad its finaly here. We had nice BBQ with his parents last night before the mountain men headed off into the wild.

Sam celebrated his 4th birthday this month as well. Thomas hung the decorations and we all enjoyed the spiderman cupcakes. Nana & Papa are such goood sports wearing their birthday hats.

Grandma & Grandpa came for a visit as well. All you have to do is look at this picture to see the joy they bring to my children and home when they come.

Uncle Loren & Aunt Teresa came as well. Their beautiful children are growing so quickly. My boys were in 7th heaven having their cousins here. Friends sleeping over and being here three days straight, they didn't know what to do with themselves. They had such a good time.

Beauty All Around

We had rain storm come through and i couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that was left behind. of course this picture does no justice to it's beauty, but what a gift from our Father in Heaven.

Our Little Adventure

I have known for awhile that there was a mall down in Sandy with a Carousel, but i have been far to lazy to take the kids down to it. Sandy is about a 45min. drive from our house so it would call for a "whole day" to take them down there. So, finaly yesterday i took them down. And now i am regreting every minute of it! OH, they had fun of course, but acted just terrible when they weren't doing what they wanted to do. They showed their evil little selfes to the whole mall. With the screaming and hitting, they truly gave me a run for my money. of course it was mostly sam. tom just wouldn't leave me alone about getting ice cream. it wasn't enough that they got to ride the train and carousel, no, he needed more! sam just was being sam. and ben was very tired of being in the stroller. it was huge mall and i had no idea where i was going!!! anyway, here are the pictures of them while they were happy and getting their way, but i don't have any pics of the red devil eyes they were showing at all other times!!!

72-hours& 3 weeks

Isn't that the cutest face ever, but its that cute little cast on his arm that gets me. What a tough little guy he is. If you read my previous post you know what happened last saturday. I had to take him back to the dr. on monday and they put him in this little cast. he has been so brave through this whole thing. the only time he has cried was right after it happened. but once we got to the e.r. he quit crying and has been his normal wild self since. even with a broken radius he is still a hard core boy. he has to wear this for three weeks. It hasn't slowed him down once. he still climbs the hill in the backyard, runs and plays with everyone, and rides his bike. and you will be glad to know that it has most certainly not slowed or tempered his patience at all!!!!

Now, as for all this mess on my bed, and i'm embarressed to admit it, but i finaly got our 72-hour bags organized and ready to go. i had a terrible dream the other night that there was a catastrophe and i was not prepared. so that morning i got up and got it done. it took all day, between taking care of three kids, but well worth it! i did have to go to the dollar store and get a few trial size items. but most everything we already had at home. so really it only cost me $25 to get these ready! my next goal is to get larger 72-hour kits ready. i read online somwhere to use those lock on lid trash cans instead of totes. at first i wondered why, but then i got to thinking how much sense it made. one, they hold more, and two, you or your kids can pull them. i started picturing the pioneers crossing the plains pulling trash cans and thought how much more sense that made than everyone trying to carry a tote! of course i have no plans to pull those crazy things, but you never know if you might have to. (no access for car travel or somthing) anyway, it is a huge relief to have those done.