Spring Break

Troy and I actually had a whole day off together during spring break, so we loaded up the car and the kids and headed to spend the day at Pipe Springs in Fredonia, AZ.  The last time I went there was for an Easter trip with my family when I was 7, I remember bit and pieces about the place and the last few times I've driven by I have wanted to take the kids there.  We went on a tour through the fort and learned all about how the pioneers would protect and provide for themselves while at the fort.  The 1st telegraph in the area also began at Pipe Springs.  We went on a short hike that was very steep and rocky, Tanner kept saying "Mom, I just love this trail!" The kids had fun finding all the pictures on their Junior Ranger paper, and Kason could have stayed all day and watched the ducks in the pond dive upside down looking for food.  We had to keep a tight hold on him, or he would've ended up in the pond with them!  We ate our lunch out on the picnic tables and then headed over to Kanab and to the sand dunes.
At first, we were the only ones out on the dunes, and the kids loved it! Except for when they wind would blow hard and blast us with sand.  We climbed up onto one of the tallest dunes and Tanner ran all the way up....Braxton decided it would be fun to run all the way down....I wish I had been recording him....he ran all the way and then biffed it so hard at the bottom and probably slid a good ten feet, face down in the sand! That right there was worth the drive over, and my very first bee sting I got as we were leaving! His eyes, ears, mouth, and nose and every other crevase was full of sand, we laughed so hard and Tanner asked him if he would do it again!
It took Kason a bit to decide just what he thought about the sand, but he loved it and probably consumed a small handful everytime he'd pick up a little snack he had dropped. 
We were tired, full of sand and little sunburned when we got home, but we had such a fun day and can't wait to go back and play again!

Had to have a picture of the sand packed booger on his face!

Practicing our walking skills...won't be long before he takes right off!

I have to document my very first bee sting.  I don't know if it was an African sand bee or just what, but it got about twice this size and when the redness, itching, and hard bump left  a week later, it left behind a nice little bruise!

Your are invited to our 'Upside down, Backwards party!'

It's been a few years since our last backwards party so I decided it was time for another.  We all turned our shirts backwards, walked to the table backwards, ate with the table upside down, and had our ice cream first! Even Kason's clothes were backwards and his highchair was down as low as it could go. We had a fun time, and  Tanner wanted to have a backwards party every time we sat down to eat for the next several days, and would just turn his shirt around in hopes I'd proclaim it to be another backwards party! I guess we better have them a little more often!

BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET

This was our first Blue and Gold Banquet...having grown up in a family of all girls, I'm completely clueless when it comes to Scouts! Troy laughed really hard at me once when I asked if at a 'Round Table' meeting, they really sat at a round table? So ok, I have A LOT to learn!
Anyway, thanks to my amazing, queen of scouting neighbor, Caylena, I'm getting the jist of it! The banquet was really fun and and Braxton was so excited about it.  Troy and Braxton made an awesome cake and the best part was it was ready to go by the time I got home from work, and I didn't even have to lay a finger on it!!! The cakes were judged and Braxton's got the 'Spirit of Scouting' award.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY KASON!

Spike the dinosaur

Opending presents

Happy Birthday Kason! I can't believe you are one already, this year has totally flown by and it seems like we just brought you home on a cold windy day!  You have grown and changed so much and have brought so much joy and fun into our family and home. 
We celebrated your birthday yesterday since Sunday seems to be the best to get our families together.  Gma's  and Gmpa's Smith and Webb came, Aunt Caroline, Uncle Brent, and all the McFadden kids, Nick, Paige, and Josh, and our new neighbors the Farley's all came over for pizza, cake, and ice cream.  All the kids took a few swings at the pinata and Carson finally broke it, he even helped you take a few swings at it too.
Mom made a very cute green dinasour cake and you picked at it pretty uneventfully, you didn't even really get it all over!  Tanner and Camrie helped open your presents, you got some cute clothes, money, and fun toys!  After the party you were so tired out that you fell right to sleep and seemed to just want your bed and didn't protest much when we put you to bed at 7:30. 
Everyone sure loved on you today at the daycare, you even share a birthday with Ms. Mindy.  Pretty soon they will move you from the Roly Poly class to the Caterpillars.  You LOVE your teachers right now and they will miss you!
Here's some of the fun things you have been doing:
~ you are now wearing 9 month shirts.... pants are only 6 months....
~ you are eating more and more table food
~ only 2 shopping bags full of frozen breast milk bags left to use up
~ we stopped nursing 3 weeks ago, you have done great - Mom is still feeling the effects.....
~ you can open the baby gate on the stairs if it's not latched just right
~ you wave bye, bye
~ you blew kisses  for the first time last week
~says momma, and dadad, ball,
~you chew on your crib rails like a horse does a fence, we thought about getting you a salt lick for your birthday!
~love to push your high chairs and the kitchen chairs all around
~you like to point at the pictures when we read stories (you like 'There's a Wocket in My Pocket')

Happy Birthday Kasonater, WE LOVE YOU!!!

My most favorite people. Ever.

This is a usual scene at our house....love them all!

Happy New Year!

Playing Uno-Moo

Making some noise!

Playing Golf on the Wii

New Year's presents from Santa

This year we celebrated New Years Eve by going out for pizza at the Pizza Factory, then to Artic Circle for ice cream cones and a yummy candy cane milkshake for mom.  We saw some pretty fireworks on our way home in our neighborhood, Tanner and Camrie were ok to just see them from the car - they are not fans of noisy fireworks!  We played a little Wii and then some fun board games, ate treats, then did some noisy poppers with confetti (Camrie didn't like them of course!) and put the kids to bed about 11:30.  We Troy and I watched the ball drop from Times Square and hit the sack.  In the morning we discovered Santa had dropped by again this year to leave some fun New Year's presents and treats.  Santa went a little crazy this year, and brought Braxton and Tanner the Mario Kart Wii game, and 2 wheel controllers, Camrie got a little baby doll that goes in the tub, and Kason got a little singing basketball hoop, and left he also treats for mom and dad.  The kids were excited and before we realized it, it was 8:35 and church now starts at 9:00, so we only made it for Primary.  Later on Braxton came home from a week stay at his Dad's and we were glad to have him home.  Even tho it was Sunday, it was time for the tree and decorations to go so I took advantage of nap time and took the tree down.  My word for 2012 is ORGANIZE! What's yours????
 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Dec~2011

December is always a crazy busy month, so here are some pictures of some of the fun things we did this year to celebrate.  We started out the month by going to Tuachaun to see the live nativity.  This year we invited some neighbor kids down the hill to join us, and we all had a great time!

She may be scared to death & on the verge of tears, BUT she is actually sitting on Santa's lap.  SCORE one for Camrie!

We braved a cold night up in Cedar to go caroling with the Webb family, this has been a fun family tradition for many years.    Here Uncle Stacy is reciting in his very grinchy voice 'How the Grinch Stole Christma's to the kids at Gpa Webb's house while we warmed up with chili and treats. 

Dec 22, we took Camrie to Primary Children's  to meet with a Neurosurgeon concerning the sacral dimple she was born with. This was her 'special SLC trip' with just mom and dad.  The appointment went well, and despite a little fit over a sucker amongst a waiting room full of people, she did well. And it was fun to just spend time with her.

We made SOOO many treats! Gma Kaye always helps the kids make candy trains.

Here is our Christmas tree, it's decorated sparsley at the bottom because of......

...this little cutie!!  Not one present was found under our tree until Kason went to bed Christmas Eve. He would've single handedly taken care of unwrapping everything in about 5 minutes tops!

Finally! the night we've waited all month for has arrived, and our 4 chilens were so tired and onery! We had great plans for a fun evening, but we bagged our plans and saved them for Monday night instead! We delivered a few last gifts to friends,  opened our jammies, read Luke chapter 2, fed the reindeer, put our magic Santa keys outside on the doorknob (because we have no chimney you see!) consoled (ok, &  laughed at) Camrie as she totally freaked at the thought of Santa actually coming into our house, and sent them to bed!

The reindeer gotta eat too ya know!

YAY for Christms Morning!! Braxton tried his best to get mom up at 4:30, but he was sent back to his bed!  What a haul and a fun time! Lots of fun suprises! Dad= Kindle, clothes, dutch ovens, books.  Mom=iPhone, jacket, fun kitchen items, family/kids pictures.  Braxton=ripstick, movies, clothes, shoes, watch, legos, books.  Tanner=R/C Thomas the train, more Thomas trains, books, movies, shoes, clothes.  Camrie= Clothes, princess dress ups, books, movies, games, 'Koko' train from the 'Chuggington' cartoon.  Kason= Toys, clothes, & lots of giggles playing in the mess!

What? a Wii? I'm having a little chat with that Santa! This Mom has said no way to a Wii for 4 years straight!!! Braxton and Tanner could hardly belive their eyes! :)

Kason had no idea where to go next...so many boxes, so much paper to eat!

The boys having fun playing the Wii!
We had a wonderful month full of shopping, Christmas programs, looking at lights, singing all the Christmas songs, and  so many opportunites to serve others which really blessed us more and meant more to our family this year than all the presents and fun combined! It has been so amazing to watch our kids learn that it really is better to give than to receive and to feel the true spirit of Christmas.  We hope you all had a Merry Christmas as well!