Christmas in Florida

So this year we decided as a family that we have way to many toys, and more clothes than most kids need. So we asked our kids if they wanted to write a letter to Santa and tell him to take all our presents to kids that really need them, and we are headed to Florida for Christmas this year! We are so excited if you don't know, we love Florida and try to make it there as much as possible. This will make it 3 times this year for CJ and I, and twice this year for my kids. We have some really great friends down there CJ met on his mission that we consider family. So I hope the weather will be nice for us down there. We are going to do something new this time and drive to Miami which we have never been to yet, I am super excited! We are definitely going to miss our families here but just felt like it would be a good opportunity for my kids to see something else besides presents this year. We will take lots of pictures to post when we get back we will leave Christmas Day and come back New Years Day!!

New family pictures

So at the first of the month my sister Lisa scheduled pictures with our sister in law Jenny's friend, Kourtney to take our whole family picture for my moms Christmas present. Well while we were there, and all dressed I had her snap a few quick pics of my family. I think they turned out great especially for how quick they were taken, it honestly only took 5 or 10 min. (for my family pictures) you gotta love that! Well here they are, Thanks Kourtney I love them. If you want her info here it is http://www.318photography.com/

7 on the 7th

Today my not so little anymore Jaeden turned 7! Yes I can't believe it myself that I have a seven year old. It seems so crazy to me that 7 years ago I woke up, and told CJ I think he needed to stay home. Well at 8 a.m. I got sent home and decided to walk to my sisters house that was a few blocks away Yeah I didn't make it there, my friend Holly had to come pick us up and take me there while CJ got the car. By the time I got to the hospital, I was shuffling my way in and bawling my eyes out, especially when they told me all the rooms were full including the triage ones, so I would need to wait in the waiting room. I looked at that nurse and said I came in at 8 a.m. this morning and left at a 4 I have been having contractions for 4 hrs. at 3 min. apart and I needed a room. I think she knew I was serious! They got me right in and I was a 7 my baby was born that night around 7p.m. weighing 7lb. 10oz. This 7 thing must have meant good luck or something because I have been the luckiest mom to have this sweet, crazy, loving little boy in my life for 7 yrs. now. Jaeden we love you sooo much and couldn't imagine our life's without you especially since he was born on our 9 month anniversary we didn't have much time to imagine it without him. But I wouldn't trade it for anything! He may be crazy and wild at times but the sweet little things this special boy does makes me forget those things. Just a little thing for me to remember, tonight I went to drop CJ off at my brothers to pick up our motor home. We get there and of course the kids want to drive with dad in the motor home so they both jump out, and Treyson starts crying because he wants to go too. So I get him out take him around to get in, and Avery and Treyson are in the motor home CJ asks me where Jaeden was. I said I'm not sure so I went around to the car and there he was sitting in my car all buckled up again. I opened the door and asked him what he was doing. He looked at me and said I don't want you to have to drive by yourself. I broke down in tears, it's the little things like that this little boy does that just makes me so proud of him! If I could remember to be like that more often I would be a much better person. I am blessed to have this sweet child as my son and love him so much! Happy Birthday Jaeden we love you!!

This picture is of Jaeden at his party last year. It was such a special birthday that year we had done a FHE lesson on Jesus and Christmas being his birthday and how cool it was that for his birthday everyone else gets presents, Well that year he told us he wanted to be more like Jesus and wanted to give everyone else presents on his birthday! So we let him pick gifts out for everyone and wrap them, it was so amazing watching this little boy with this huge heart give instead of receive presents on his birthday. Not very many 6 yr. old kids would come up with this idea on their own. I tell you he is something special!

Halloween 2010

This year CJ and I told our kids we were going to dress up as each other for Halloween. Well it came down to that night and I said you need to find some of my clothes that fit you so you can be me, CJ thought he was going to back out of the whole thing. I told him there was no way he could do that we had told our kids for a month or so we were going to dress up so after a few minute of talking him into he finally agreed. I went to work trying to make him look the best I could with what we had since we didn't buy anything for it. I have to say seeing the kids face when we walked out of our bedroom was priceless. Especially Treyson it was so funny he had this puzzled look on his face and said mommy daddy, and then laughed, It was so cute. The kids went all over to our friends and family, and got spoiled with lots of candy. It was such a fun year trick-or-treating. It was really funny because our neighbors wouldn't realize it was us until we started talking, or they sat and stared at us long enough. We stopped by Carls Jr. for dinner and went through the drive through, you should have seen the girl working the window she was trying so hard not to laugh until I made a comment, then she laughed and had to have everyone that was working come and see how funny CJ looked. Lets just say I'm super glad he is a man and not a woman!

Dad's homemade pancakes (Halloween style)

So I gave my sister a little bit of a hard time this last week when she called me to tell me of these pumpkin rolls that she had made. I'm not talking about the yummy cream cheese filled ones I'm talking about a roll colored orange, and a green top. I told her wow you have way to much time on your hands. Well after I thought about it for a while I thought of the breakfasts my dad had made for us as kids. Just the little things like smiley face pancakes, or mickey mouse pancakes, or food coloring in our oatmeal. Silly little extra time consuming things that as a kid were the best most amazing breakfasts ever. So I thought why not? Why not take the few extra minutes to make my kids day that much more special. Today was my kids Halloween parade, so I woke up a few minutes early to make my dads buttermilk pancakes with a Halloween twist. I think they turned out pretty cute they not only made my kids smile, but I couldn't help but smile at what I had done for them and how happy they were. Now I thank my dad for the few extra minutes he spent on us kids to make our breakfasts special. Happy Halloween!!

Thanks Lisa for the motivation.

Avery is a genie

Yes Jaedens costume looks crazy, that's what happens when you lose your real costumes mask the week of, so the night before end up at Wal-Mart. Yes the selection is not very great for those that wait last minute he is supposed to be a skeleton lord

(don't ask me what that is. The picture looked way cooler on the package.)

Panguitch weekend

 CJ took Friday off so we could go up to Panguitch as a family. My mom and aunt Melanie came up Thursday night, and on Friday morning CJ took the kids up hunting while we cleaned out my grandma's storage room in her basement. It was a lot of work but so worth it when it was all done, and we had a good time doing it. My family also had a great time playing in the mountains. They of course didn't see anything, I didn't think they would especially with my 3 kids going along. Other then that we spent a lot of time relaxing, watching movies, and hanging out. A well needed break from everything. This is a new face Treyson has started doing it was so funny we were getting kids ready for bed and he kept doing this face. We were laughing at him and he just kept doing it over and over again. Silly boy I just love my kids so much!

Photo Shoot Giveaway

So one of my friends I play bunco with is doing an awesome giveaway for a family photo shoot with her! So check out her blog, and sign up maybe you'll be lucky and win. But hopefully not because Ireally want to win myself! Check out her work she is awesome.kelliestilsonphoto.blogspot.com

These are just a couple she took of my friend's kids

so cute huh!

School Time (I know I'm late)

I think I am always late at posting things. I'm just not a great blogger. But I really wanted to have pictures to remember their first days of school it wasn't the same days but I guess that the good thing about being late is I can post them together! They were both really excited to start school and are loving their teachers. I'm really glad they have made some good friends already this year. I can't believe I have two kids in school already!

My 1st grader

His desk

All ready for Kindergarten

Avery and her friend Jaxon.

Tubing

We took our boat out to let the kids go tubing. It was so much fun we even let Tinkerbell come along on our boating trip. We have had such a great summer at the lake. We sure are going to be sad when it's to cold to go anymore. I didn't get pictures of C.J. but he told me I couldn't get him off the tube, well I showed him. I would floor the boat and then all of a sudden turn. The tube would be clear up on its side. The rope actually broke, and he went rolling over the water it was so funny I wish I could have taken pictures and drove the boat at the same time!

The boys

Avery and mom (she was really nervous)

Mom and Treyson

Jaeden

Tink was not quite sure what to think!

Lake Powell 2010

So it has been 2 yrs since we got to go to Lake Powell. Last year when CJ's family went Jaeden had a broken hand, and Treyson was just little so we decided it would be easier to just skip out that year. Well we were really excited that we got to go this year because a couple weeks before CJ picked up a little boat he worked so hard on it so we could take it. We had such a great time and the weather was perfect nice and warm during the days and it would rain at night so it cooled off enough to make sleeping nice. Thanks Somerville family and all of our other friends that came, and made our trip so much fun! Can't wait until next year...

My baby couldn't get enough of the bikes he would put this helmet on and try to climb on the bikes.

Luckily Papa Jae was willing to take him for rides!

(CJ and Tova jumping)
We had a blast cliff jumping even Jaeden got brave and tried it.
After the first time I couldn't get him to stop!

talking him into jumping...
He did it!

 What a fun group of friends and family everyone made it so much fun!

Great reminder to mom's

I saw this on another blog and thought it was just perfect for me today, and thought every mom should watch it!

Boys & Their Toys

Our girlies!

So I have been really bad at keeping up on my blog, so I thought better late then never. A few weeks ago we went camping with some friends of ours we just made a quick trip out to Warner Valley in the morning we woke up and let the kids ride around on their bikes. Then the dad's decided it was their turn, and thought they had to race around. It was funny watching them they reminded me of the big bears on the little bikes at the circus! Thanks Matt & Aimee we had so much fun hanging out hope to do it again, maybe when it's not quite so hot!