Our Family

When Little Hands Get the Camera

2012-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

YEA FOR CHUBBS!

2012-02-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

He finally decides to try out the walking thing! Sorry its sideways...couldn't change that.

one TOUGH MUDDER!

2012-01-19T19:27:00.001-08:00

www.toughmudder.com
About 4 months ago we get a call from a guy Chad works with asking him ( I thought) to sign up for this mud race. We got online - looked- and I thought thats crazy yes you should do it and look I can get a spectator ticket. Chad said well aren't you going to do it with me? Its a husband and wife team! WHAT! Serious? 45 min later we signed up TOGETHER! And in no time here we were faced with 12 miles of MUD, BARBWIRE, 12ft WALLS, ICE FILLED TANKS, 15 ft JUMP into more COLD WATER, climbing through PIPES and over LOGS, running up a HALF PIPE and to finish it off ELECTRICAL SHOCK!.....And it was AWESOME! We were on a great team of 9 people and we are looking fwd doing another one in Las Vegas in October.

Chad wore a camera around his chest. That is how we got a few pictures through out it...the video is pretty great! Just to long to upload here.

SLEDDING!!!

2012-01-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

A whole bunch of snow + Chad knowing a good sled hill = a fun couple of hours. Like watching a replay of last year Jessa wiped out hard on her first run. She shook it off and had a good rest of the time...just wouldn't go by her self again! Justin ruled the hill and Caleb slept in the car for most of it.

Caleb VERY unhappy that I have him....

and seriously 2 seconds later with his Dad! Stinker!

The kids always love that I pack hot chocolate and cookies and we love that they get cold after a good hour of sledding

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2012-01-19T19:00:00.001-08:00

Some where in all of that we had our 9th Anniversary. And as I sit here tonight (exactly 1 month later) I can't even remember what we did or even if we did anything. But 9 yrs and 3 kids later I still know that we are exactly where we are suppose to be!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

Our whole Christmas weekend was really great. Christmas Eve went went to a friends house for dinner, kids gift exchange, games and a funny white elephant exchange. I am so very grateful for them and their friendship! As a kid I always hated when Christmas fell on a Sunday. Now I think it is a great thing and helps my family remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. We had already told the kids that they could open 1 gift in the morning then we would get ready go to church and be able to open the rest when we got home. I still had my doubts that it would go smoothly but they opened one gift and got ready with out any tears. Once we got back the whole thing lasted about an hour and half! I was so glad to they didn't just rip and tear and that we could enjoy watching them.

I have always loved Christmas but there is nothing like watching my own kids excitement!

ALL ABOARD

2011-12-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

We surprised our kids with a trip on the Polar Express. We went with our good friends the Sipes and had a really good time. Before we got on the train we went into the Polar Room where they had some arts and crafts, pictures with Mrs. Claus and a cool table top Christmas village that a little model train drove around.

On the train we had HUGE cookies, hot chocolate, reading of the Polar Express book, games, singing and of course once we got to the North Pole Santa came on the train and gave everyone a silver bell. When the train started moving Caleb got so excited and was laughing and bouncing up and down

Here are the kids plastered against the window trying to see the North Pole. It was this whole village all in Christmas lights out in the middle of now where.

I am so glad that we were able to go and that we could share the day with our friends.

Here Comes Santa Clause~Here Comes Santa Clause....

2011-12-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

Justins very first Christmas he was only 6 weeks old so the next year when he had just turned 1 I took him to see Santa....what a great idea.........
5 years later he is still unsure. I stood in line with the kids and once we got to the front and it was our turn he didn't want to go. I guess at least now he smiles.
Jessa was very cute and made sure he knew she wanted anything princess
Caleb...Well I knew the only way for him to sit there was to not see me. So a friend was holding him walking around and when she saw it was our turn quickly came over and put him on Santas lap. I love his face! What the cuss is going on here!

UH-OH SPAGHETTI -O

2011-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas Programs

2011-12-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

I have been trying and trying to upload some video of the kids programs and so far not luck.

Jessicas little Joy School group acted out the nativity story and sang 2 songs. Jessa was a wiseman but that night was unwilling to wear her crown or bring a gift to baby Jesus. Just not worth the tears...same reason our Mary was dressed like Hannah Montana:)

Justins Kindergarten program was great! He was middle top and center which made it fun to watch him. They only down side was that the lighting was not great so pictures were not great. They sang a song called "Oh what a miracle am I. " It is such a sweet song! I hate to admit that I have become one of those Moms and got a little teary.

This is Justin with his Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Romney. I could not ask for a better teacher for my Justin. She made ALL (40) of her kids these cute little hats for them to wear! Justin has slept with his EVERY night since then.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2011-12-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

One morning we woke up to 18 inches of snow. There was not one person in our house who wasn't over the top excited about it! Chad was more then willing to go out and shovel our drive way and the kids couldn't even wait to get dressed so they went out in their PJs. As soon as I could get Caleb down for a nap I got all bundled up with the kids and we went out and played.

Justin found an icicle that he thought looked just like his BB Gun

We made a snow man and the kids thought it was awesome when I put water and food coloring in spray bottles and they got to paint the snow...BeSt DaY EvEr!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

After the Iron Man my sister Ryanne and her little family came for a recovery week.

We did crafts

Had a GREAT Thanksgiving dinner. And after dinner...............

Chad some how got put in charge of the 2 little ones and neither one of them was ok with it. It was pretty funny

One day we drove into Pinetop to feed the ducks and play at the park. I love November Arizona weather!

It is not easy getting a picture of all these kids together but it was fun to try

My kids were so excited to spend time with their cousin we always wish they could have more times like this

Fun in Phoenix

2011-12-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

My parents and Riki and Levi (after a forgotten wallet, missed flight, and late night pick-up) came down for a great weekend. First was Justins Birthday, then Jessas dance recital then we all headed down to Phoenix to watch Casey (my brother-in-law) compete in his second Iron Man. Now if you have never heard of an Iron man it is 140.6 miles of craziness. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon. Ryanne made us all matching shirts so he could easily spot us in our bright yellow. It was actually (and surprisingly) a lot of fun to watch and be able to cheer him on. Casey did really great! His goal was to finish in 10 hours and he came in at 9:59:53! I didn't even get 1 picture of him during it...bummer!

Considering that we were there running to different spots to see him all my kids did really well.

Justin and Jessa enjoying a snow cone waiting for Uncle Casey to zoom pass on his bike.
The day before the race we went to the Phoenix Zoo. I am always so glad when there are other people to ride the carousel with my kids. One trip around is about all I can handle. Jessa of course asked her Daddy
And Justin requested Uncle Levi

I am so glad that Levi and Riki decided to come down. My kids LOVE them BOTH so much!

We LOVE having family come visit and had such a GREAT time!

Dance Baby Dance

2011-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Jessa has been in a little tap/ballet dance class for the last 3 months and in November they has their first dance recital. They did a little ballet routine and she was VERY cute even though she said she likes tap better.
Jessa and her great friend Reese

I only got a couple pictures of her up on stage because they were all turning out yellow with the lighting.

Best Birthday EVER!

2011-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Justin was having a great birthday party (And yes, that's my replica of Chads truck. I must of made a mistake somewhere along the way because my kids think that I can make whatever cake their little imaginations can dream up.)with 6 crazy buddies

when there was a knock at the door...who could that be.....of course it was Grandad, Grandma, and Aunt Riki who flew in from MT for one great weekend. My kids face were PRICELESS !!
Justin was one lucky boy. Not only did he get the great surprise of family but his Daddy also thought he was ready for his very first Gun. I don't know who is prouder of that little camo BB Gun...Justin or Chad
Grandad was more then willing to take Justin out the very next day for some shooting practice
Jessa just so badly wants to be part of EVERY single thing Justin does

Happy 6th Birthday Justin!

THIS IS BEST SAID BY....

2011-12-08T21:12:00.001-08:00

Moto Moto from the Movie Madagascar "I like 'em BIG, I like 'em CHUNKY, I like 'em BIG, I like 'em PLUMPY"

I saw him standing there and just couldn't resist capturing his perfect cuteness.

I feel like I blinked and my 3rd baby had his 1st birthday! We had a little party for him and he did great.
Look at his face. It says it all: get me away from that crazy lady! He was sitting by me and I was being the crazy Mom shoving gifts at him so he crawled over to Marcie and sat on HER lap to open gifts. (We all love Reese and she LOVES Caleb!)
Yum Yum Yum
He couldn't wait to dig in

and IceCream too...Thanks Dad

Birthday kisses for Marcie
Oh ya, thats good stuff

WE LOVE YOU CALEB SO MUCH!!!!

And On The Field We Have.....

2011-10-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

He Hits, He Runs, He Scores.....It's DiamondBacks MVP Justin

You gotta watch her She is Quick, She's Got Eyes Like an Eagle and She Never Misses a Call....It is Referee in a tutu Jessica
He is Round, He is Fast and He Loves to Get Thrown Around.....It's Catch Me If You Can Caleb (aka the ball)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011!!!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Both kids went to the Pumpkin Patch with their Kindergarten/Joy School class and picked their perfect pumpkins. Carving was fun and they dug right in.

This is the first year that Justin has carved his pumpkin all on his own and he did a great job!
But he has ALWAYS had a problem digging all the slimy gunky guts out so I was surprised when he said "I want to get my seeds out" as he was running out of the kitchen and came back with these.....his yard gloves (clever I know) and he got the job done.

Caleb does what he always does....he ate. And he was cute doing it!

Caleb, Chubs, Chunk, Chunker

2011-10-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Caleb is GREAT! He is pretty much almost ALWAYS Happy. He thinks everything is funny: washing hands, putting/taking off shoes, putting on pants, baths, crawling away fast when we are trying to get him into the bath, drinking out of a straw, my dancing, his brother and sister. He is VERY ticklish. His WHOLE body starts moving whenever there is music on. He is into EVERYTHING at his level but also loves to pick up toys and put them in buckets, containers and drawers. He is an AMAZING eater and he eats A LOT. Like a whole banana and 2 pieces of toast a lot. He is a great sleeper...Thank You! He loves to give kisses and bites...Lucky Me.

Justin loves to give rides and Jessa and Caleb love to ride...works out perfect.

He pulls up onto everything but hasn't started "cruising" yet.

One of his MANY messes

When I found out I was pregnant with Caleb, I cried. I knew I would have #3 but wasn't quite ready for it. I was scared. I do the parenting thing by myself a lot (not to say that Chad doesn't help out a TON when he is home because he does. He just happens to be gone a lot too). All I could think was how am I going to do this. Caleb has taught me I CAN! I can do more then I thought I could. I can love more then I thought I could. I am capable of more then I thought I was. I LOVE this little boy! I love his smile, his laugh, his bright blue eyes, his chunky little thighs and chubby little hands. He is the BEST addition to our little family.

I LOVE YOU CALEB!!!

Crazy Hail Storm

2011-09-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful blue sky day then this little storm hit right as school was getting out (perfect timing). It was crazy and great and left just as fast as it arrived.

PROBLEM SOLVED

2011-09-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

I was telling Jessica the story of Little Red Riding Hood and after a little while she says

"I'm going to ask Santa for a princess gun so I can shoot that big bad wolf!"

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2011-09-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

5 yrs in Arizona and we finally made it to a Diamondbacks game. Weather was HOT (115! glad its an indoor stadium), game was FUN, kids were GREAT, company was the BEST and food was EXPENSIVE. What more could you ask for.

(lets just agree that this isn't the best pic of anyone. Ha!)

Jessica, Jessa, Little, Miss Marie, Big Girl Little Package

2011-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have always thought that kids do not need to be in a ton of activities at such a young age. BUT then (never say never) this new dance studio opened up. They have great teachers and are more focused on opportunity then money. So for $12 a month I couldn't pass it up.

Watch out Ballet and Tap here comes our Jessa!

She was so excited and they all were so stink'n cute!

Coming out of her first class.

They don't let parents in the studio during practice time but there is a waiting area and a window we can watch them through.
She also had her first day of Joy School! After watching Justin do it for 2 years she was more then ready. She was even more excited that I was the 1st teacher and all the kids got to come to our house.

She is a little ham. Getting a normal picture of her these days is tough.

We all know how neighbor kids go. You love them and they drive you crazy and you are glad your kids have someone to play with and you want them to go home. This is Jessas little buddy Mason. They love to ride bikes together, play cowboy/girl, and sneak into my house when I have asked them to stay out.
They are the younger sister and brother to these 2 monkeys who were almost the same age when this picture was taken.

Jessica is Daddy's little girl. I knew she would be the moment HE said her name would be Jessica (6 yrs before she was even born). She loves to wear skirts then go out side and play in the dirt. She plays cops while pushing her baby in a stroller. I take her to her first day of dance and on the way home she asks when she will be old enough to play T-ball. She is everything we could ask for in our little girl.

Arizona Summers

2011-08-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

Summer in the morning/early afternoon

Summer in the late afternoon/early evening (same day)

I have come to love (after my first summer here) the Monsoon rains.

July 24th

2011-08-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

In some places in the United States the 24th of July is a Holiday (in our family its my moms birthday). I know not everyone knows this but it is true. So much so that in some towns everyone gets the day off work. That's how much of a holiday it is. Although this is only is some parts of Idaho, Utah and Arizona its a holiday none the less. And here in Snowflake, AZ it is one of the BIGGEST of the year. It is a pioneer celebration...to celebrate the pioneers settling these here lands:) Anyway, it is fun. And I am glad that we were back in time to be part of it.

Rodeo. Who doesn't love a rodeo. Cowboys, country music, horses and dirt. They are one of my favorite things to go and watch. The kids really enjoyed it too especially the fireworks at the end.

Some friends and I took the kids to the park that had probably 4 or 5 jumpy castles set up. Jessica was an animal. I didn't think she would do it but she climbed to the top of the huge slide one and went down all by herself. She love the obstacle one and this one here (in the pic) had this little rock wall thing with a rope. She must have climbed up it and slid down 15 times. Look at her here hardly being able to stand the wait.
This was both the kids first time getting their faces painted. They were VERY sad when it washed off in the bath that night.

Happy 24th of July!

Montana Part 3

2011-08-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Our last week in MT was a little Scussel family reunion with Chads parents, both his sisters and their families. I always love it when everyone can be together. And luckily for me I LOVE my in-laws....ALL of them! I just didn't take as many pictures as I wished I had.

Round 2 of pony rides. This couple is amazing. They use their ponies as therapy for kids with handicaps and through a friend of a friend they let all of us go up to their house so all the kids could ride.

Jessa enjoying some ice cream with Nana
One of our family reunion days was spent up at Lake Seeley. We rented 2 jet skis, and although it wasn't super warm (I went out one time with my sweatshirt under my life jacket), we still had a great time.
Sorry about the backside shot. This is Addie(5), Collin(17), and Jessa(3). Collin and Beau were so amazing with all the younger kids. The whole day they were so willing to take turns taking each one of them out on the jet skis and behind on the tube.
Maisie(9), Noah(10), Seth(9) and Justin (5). Justin love love LOVED being with all of his older cousins.
Chad and Jessa
This is a picture of the last ride that does not even begin to tell the whole story. Chads sister Tammy took 5 kids out (bad idea). 3 in front with her and 2 on the tube. During the middle of their fun ride the jet ski quit working so the 2nd jet ski with Matt and Beau on it went over to see what was going on. This is where it goes from good to bad. The tube rope from Jet ski 1 gets sucked up into Jet ski 2. Now BOTH jet skis are stuck. And then bad to worse. It starts to rain. Chads parents hop in the canoe and go out to "rescue" the kids. More rain. The kids make it back safely to shore. The canoe goes back out to help tow in one of the jet skis while the other one slowly gets pushed back by 2 of the guy swimming behind it. Thunder and a complete down pour =TOTAL CHAOS! Long story short. Kids were screaming, a few adults were trying to get gear hauled out and the others were loading up the jet skis. The only way we possible could have gotten any wetter was if we had jumped into the lake with all of our clothes on. IT WAS AWESOME! The only reason we didn't get a picture was because none of us were willing to get our cameras out. There was nothing to do except look at each other and laugh!
Grinding meat with Papa

Everyday of our whole trip was GREAT! We loved every minuet of it. We left Chads parents house at 9:00 am and after a little visit to my sisters house in Utah (playing, dinner, baths, pjs) and a few stops along the way we pulled into our drive way at 7:00am the next morning. Chad always amazes me with his driving. He drove until 5:00am and then finally switched and had me drive the last 2 hrs. We LOVE Montana! It will always be home to us....until next year.

KiNdErGaRtEn!!!

2011-08-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Justin was so ready and excited for his FIRST day of kindergarten. He was up at 6:45 and we didn't even have to be there until 1:30. For the first day they have to have a parent with them. We sat and listen to all the announcements and other information for the parents then he went with his teacher, Mrs. Romney, only for about 30 min. while I filled out paper work. So really it wasn't that much of a first day. This was Thursday Aug. 11th. I still can't believe how EARLY they start here.

Day #2 He was still very excited about going so waiting until 11:30 was still a little tough but better then the day before. I wanted to walk him to his class to make sure he knew where he was going and planned on only being about 5 min early...then my car wouldn't start! This is when you are so grateful for neighbors! I walked across the street left my other two and took off in her truck..this is also when you are grateful you only live half a mile from the school. The kids go out to the playground first and wait for the bell and their teacher. But since it is the other big kids lunch time it is a little overwhelming. I stayed with Justin until his teacher came. He turned and gave me a big hug then walked up and hugged her. I got a little choked up but knew that he would do GREAT!

I will not be taking a picture everyday but I wanted to remember that he picked this shirt out because he said it looked like a scouting shirt:)
So today (day #3) I STILL got a little choked up when I dropped him off.

I know that he is so ready to learn and be big and I am so happy for the loving helping caring little boy that he is but I am also so glad that it is only 1/2 day. Ever since being around his cousins up in MT he CAN'T wait to learn to read. That's what he says he is MOST excited for.

Montana Part 2

2011-08-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

For weeks 2 & 3 we made the 3 hr drive from Chads parents house to my parents house in Libby.

It seriously always takes my breath away at how beautiful Libby is. (I have NO idea why this is underlined!)

(notice the snow still in the mountains in July)

My first week all 5 of us siblings were able to be there and spend some time together.

My brother Josh...who will eventually have a post of his own for the "uncle of the year award."

My sister Riki
and my other 2 sisters Ryanne and Amber
Our first few days in Libby were spent camping up by the Dam. It rained a few times but was still beautiful and warm. And I am SOO THANKFUL to my Uncle and Aunt who let us use their great camp trailer. It made things super easy...except for the 1st night when at 1 am I was hauling 2 of my 3 kids back to the house and my mom wrecked my sisters car in the process. But that is a different story. On with the pictures.

I have nothing else to say about my baby then that he was GREAT each and everyday! Thank you!
Caleb crashed on his first camping trip

"Hey Grandad, lets go explore."

We made it up to Ross Creek Cedars one day. Here is all of the cousins. My 3 and little Spencer.
The kids LOVE that they are able to go in side the trees...Even I STILL think it is really neat.

LOTS of 4-wheeler rides

This is the 4th of July parade in Troy. Yes, I said Troy. Troy is the tiny little town next to us that we always made fun of...and I guess now its kind of cool.
My brother-n-law Casey sat out on the street with the kids and told them to do three things. 1. Make eye contact 2. Smile 3. yell happy 4th of July
I guess it worked because my kids made out like bandits!
Last pic of me and the kids before finally calling it a night. (out of order, I know)
My sis Ryanne with her little family Casey and Spencer.
Yep my kids are in their pajamas and its broad day light out. That is because it doesn't even get dark until AFTER 10:30pm. That is why we decided to do fire works at our place instead of hauling them back to Troy at 11:00 at night when the towns fire works started. And fire works are not illegal in MT like they are in some states...so this is what we bought and it was fun!
I went in to check on Caleb and when I came out my sweet 5 yr old boy was lighting fireworks with a BLOW TORCH!!! Thanks Levi for thinking he was old enough.

Horse rides
I LOVE Justins hand on his sisters back in this picture. She was a little timid at first because she is right eye level with them. And he kept telling he "its ok, they are nice"

(see this white bandana. Justin got it at the parade and I swear I didn't see his hair for 3 days)

Chad flew in about day #20 and we were all ready to see him. The kids and I had missed him A LOT. I drove back to Missoula to pick him up. We met his parents for lunch, did a little shopping around town, then were able to stay the night at some hot springs on our drive back to Libby. Thank you Mom and Riki for keeping all 3 kids over night!
One afternoon Casey, Spencer, Chad and the kids and I took a little hike up Cedar Creek.
Justin caught on camera pooping outside for the first time. He is definitely going to have to learn to do this with out his momma!
quick family pic
(Baby Caleb was very content to stay at home and have special one on one time with Grandma)

Casey and Spencer
Lots and Lots of fishing with Grandad. I think Justin caught a total of 10 fish and Jessa some where around 5. They loved it and I know Grandad did too.

I had my 10 yr class reunion and Im not going to lie...it was pretty lame. Not very many people showed up. It was nice to see those who did but most importantly to spend time with my favorite girls. Lame or not we had a good time.

Saying good bye was hard but we enjoyed EVERY minute we had up there.

One last picture of the kids with my mom.

Montana Part 1

2011-07-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our yearly trip to MT came fast and went fast. We were gone almost exactly 4 weeks (including driving time) and we had a great time. My sister Riki flew into Phoenix on a Wednesday and early Friday morning we were all loaded up and off. I just have to say that my kids were GREAT! The first day of the drive they were PERFECT...seriously...and I dont say that too often. We made it to Pocatello, ID (742mi) and that was with a 2 hr stop at my grandparents house in Layton, UT. The 2nd day was good too but they were tired of being in the car. When we got out to take this picture I thought I was going to die. It was so cold and all I could think was that I only brought 2 pair of pants for each kid.
I can't thank Riki enough for taking the time off work to drive up with me. My kids LOVE her and ALL my babies and always loved cuddling to her.
Our first week was spent with Chads parents in Florence just outside of Missoula. I was lucky enough to see some of my cousins that I don't get to see to often. The 2 girls on either side of me are from Dutch Harbor, Alaska (have you even seen "Deadliest Catch"). The blondie had just moved down a few months before about 10 min. from my in-laws and her sister came down from AK to visit. Next is my sister Riki and the one on the end is another cousin that lives there in Missoula. Even though it was only for a few hrs it was still so good to see them. AND my grandparents from Boise came in too.
Papa has 2 riding lawn mowers a red one and a green one. He asked Justin if he would help him mow the lawn and Justin said "sure, which one do I get the red one or the green one."
Jessa was GLUED to his hip the whole time!
The weather did get warm enough for us to go to Splash Montana. It is a fun (and cheap) water park. Especially for little kids. My kids had a blast! And although Justin was bummed he couldn't go on the big water slides we reassured him that one day he would be tall enough too.

Chads sister lives just 30 min south of his parents and we were able to go and play at there house. She has 5 kids and my kids LOVE hers just as much as hers LOVE mine. Cousins are great!

All the grand kids know its kindof a tradition for Papa and Nana to take them to the Carousel in downtown Missoula. It is a fun place but I get dizzy after one ride. Its a good thing they would rather go with Papa and Nana then me.

Roasting marshmallows...who doesn't love that!

We were also able to spend an afternoon with 2 of my other cousins and their kids. I think this picture caught Jessa in the middle of a sneeze.
Caleb and his petite cousin Jaycee (she is only 6 weeks younger)

PHOENIX

2011-05-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Chad had a class for work in Phoenix for 3 days and asked if we wanted to tag along. Of course I thought sure lets get out of town for a few days...even though it meant me driving down by myself and only seeing him for dinner.

THE GOOD:

The heat (95-100), Costco, Target, splash pads, swimming pool, free hotel, spending a day with a friend from high school that I haven't seen since Justin was an infant (and she just moved down there! YEA!)and meeting her 3 cute kids, seeing a good friend of mine from Lakeside who moved back to the valley (sure miss her!), Caleb, kids completely crashing every night, my GPS, frozen yogurt!

THE BAD:

The heat for my baby, whining, not wanting to play with friends kids, broken dvd player, hot car seat buckles, babies blow outs (gross I know), the Zoo closing at 5

THE UGLY:

Justin puking his guts out in Costco but some how turning a corner just in time to see a garbage. Did get some in his hat..we promised to buy him a new one if he let us throw it away...WHEW!

Hearing my first " I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I REALLY REALLY HATE YOU!" fits. For those of you with kids this age and older you know what I am talking about. For those of you with out kids or with kids who haven't done this yet be real...its going to happen. And for the rest of you (grandparents in particular) who are thinking my kids never did that. Pick your jaw up off the ground you are not remembering right...it happens. I was not sad or hurt just couldn't believe he was doing it right there in a parking lot in front of my friend and her kids. But its ok. I locked him in the scorching hot car until he could calm down and apologize. Just like all of you would have done right! HA!

At least the Good out weighs the rest. Here are a few pictures.

(couldnt get picture to turn)

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

2011-05-16T21:37:00.001-07:00

Being a big 3 year old I thought Jessa could have some say in what goes on during her special day.

1. Who do you want at your party?

Only family, No friends (makes it easy for me...no complaints)

2. What do you want for your special Birthday dinner?

Cheese Pizza

3. What kind of Birthday Cake do you want?

Watermelon! (this was 3rd to princess and butterfly I was willing to (try) make any)

But this girl does LOVE watermelon and has since she was about 1. If watermelon is a choice she will choose it. Watermelon toothpaste, shampoo, chapstick, slushy.....So I was so happy she thought of a watermelon cake.

The Cake!

'A' for effort I suppose. At least they are little and dont realize the things I make really aren't that cool.

This was pretty cute. Justin is very thoughtful and he REALLY wanted to get Jessa something. So he went and found 2 toys of his that he wanted to give to her wrapped them up and was so happy when she opened them.
She definitely played the Princess card. She got a little chair from her Grandparents (A princess chair). Sat down in it and was more then willing to let Justin BRING her gifts to her one at a time.
How old are you!!!
The special birthday kid ALWAYS seems to have a birthday melt down at some point. Jessa had done pretty good UNTIL......
her very 'thoughtful' brother shoved her face into her birthday cake!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy JeSsA!!!!!

I'm hoping next year I can talk her into that butterfly birthday because I have a really cute idea.

First Hair Cut

2011-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

See this crazy long hair. It was time to go. He all ready has a comb over....Still cute though!

of course help from big sister Jessa

Not much but at least its all even.

Choir Program

2011-05-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

The kids have been practicing these songs since January and Thanks to an AMAZING teacher Miss Angie. They did GREAT! It was so stinking cute and fun! The theme was Disney so they sang "Cruella De Ville" "Winnie the Poo" and with all the other choirs "God help the outcast" They sang all the songs so good and did all the actions.

Choir Program

2011-05-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

"Winnie the Poo"

T-Ball

2011-05-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

Wrestling was good but T-ball is SO FUN!!! I LOVE watching him and all the other cute little 5 year olds chasing the ball around.

T-BALL Videos

2011-05-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Construction Zone

2011-05-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Remember that old song The foolish man built his house upon the sand. Well thats kind of what I feel like although ours is clay not sand. We started having problems about 6 months after moving in and it has only gone down hill from there. Basically (long story short) our house is on these helical piers and those piers were not dug all the way to the bed rock which means our house is not on anything solid. And when your house is not on anything solid thats a problem.

Here is a picture of our house lifted off of the garage floor. Yes you are seeing right! That wall is suppose to be on that floor and that space leads right to our crawl space under the house.

So right now I don't have a garage....

or a front porch (or a drive way)

See that metal container just passed our nice green grass. Well thats where ALL of our garage contents are including our 2 freezers and everything else I didn't realize how much I got in and out of.

Right now we have 3 big holes in our garage and 2 on the side of the house...26 more to go. So the can access the piers and hopefully fingers crossed....fix the problem.

OPEN WIDE

2011-05-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Jessa had her 1st dentist apt and did really good. She was a little hesitant and we didn't get x-rays but it was all worth it for the princess toothbrush at the end! Out of 4 only 1 of us had a cavity. I won't name names but it wasn't me...or the kids!

6 months!

2011-05-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

How many pictures does it take....

2011-04-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

To get 3 BEAUTIFUL kids to look at the camera at the same time!

EASTER 2011

2011-04-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT Easter! The kids woke up very excited to find their eggs that the Easter Bunny had hid (after they got over the creepy fact that the bunny came in while they were sleeping..Santa OK Easter Bunny not so much!) We ( Chad and I ) has a good Eater breakfast. The kids mostly ate candy. We were 20 min late for church and they were on a sugar high. That afternoon we went to some friends house for an early dinner. SO YUMMY!!! There was a TON of GREAT food!! And GREAT friends = a GREAT day! I'll try not to say great again. The kids had a blast on a 2nd egg hunt and considering there were 15 kids and we were there 6 hours they all did REALLY good. Hardly any fighting or crying.

FOREVER FANS

2011-04-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Papa and Nana got the kids these Griz outfits for Christmas and Caleb finally fits his. I am sure you have seen them wearing them in many previous pictures....They love them! Sorry to all the Bobcat fans;)

2011-04-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Even though He is 5 and will be starting Kidergarden this year (tear!) he was ONCE my BABY. He got this dog "mommy puppy" for Christmas when he was 1 from Great Grandpa Vern and still sleeps with it EVERY night.

2011-04-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

While Chad was in Nashville taking a class (eating at yummy places, listening to wanna-b country singers, seeing all the great sites, and the WHOLE time thinking about me since it is on my list of places to visit) I DID NOT wallow in self pity instead I took the kids into Lakeside to feed the ducks!

The loved it! And shared their bread with any other little kid who walked by.

Sometimes the AZ sun is so bright.

Justin: "hey mom, look at those ducks fighting. They are all trying to get that one."

Me: "um...yep" then quickly change the subject

Caleb is such a good happy baby.

I love feeding the ducks and watching my kids feed the ducks. I remember doing it as a kid in Boise when we would visit my Grandparents.

CoLoRiNg....

2011-04-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Such a hard job

2011-04-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I think I'm getting too big for the bath."

5 Months

2011-04-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Caleb is good at all the things 5 month olds do...LaUgHiNg, SmiLiNg, and EaTiNg!

Jump Around Jump Around..JUMP JUMP JUMP

2011-04-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am borrowing this crazy baby toy from my friend. Even though the music is annoying and it takes up way to much space...Caleb LOVES it and I love watching him in it. He bounces around like crazy then most the time falls a

sleep from all the hard work. Sure can't wait to give it back though!

Treat for the Trip

2011-04-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

We decided to make (and eat) some chocolate covered pretzels for Chad to take on his trip to Nashville, TN. Most of the chocolate ended up on her hands so in the end Chad left with a very small bag of pretzels.

When You Won't Eat What Mom Makes

2011-03-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

You have to make it yourself!

I didn't help him get or do one thing....but I did stand there and take pictures:)

Do you think someone should tell her....

2011-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

That leg warmers do not cover your underwear....
That this "really pretty fluffy skirt" is a slip.....

That red and black don't match pink with purple, blue and green hearts.....
That cowgirl boots don't go with everything.........

Na, I don't think so either!!!

Lesson Learned!

2011-03-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

When you hear your 5 year old son singing will.i.am from Black-eyed Peas....

"Baby where'd you get that body from, tell me where'd you get that body from

I got it from my momma I got it from my momma"

It's either time to go through the songs on your ipod or don't let them listen to your ipod at all!

2011-03-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Practice, Practice, Practice

2011-03-13T22:09:00.001-07:00

Justin at little guy wrestling practice. I didn't want to be "that mom" so I didn't take too many pictures. A few stretching and then him and his buddy Bryson practicing their moves.

Thanks to Grandad and Grandma for sending the little Libby Logger singlet....he says it makes him stronger!

First Tournament

2011-03-13T21:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday (March 12th) we took Justin to his first wrestling tournament. We put him in wrestling this year...yes I know he is only 5...mostly because Chad was helping out with the little guy practices. We had decided that we weren't going to do any tournaments this year just to let him have fun at the practices. Well on Tuesday one of the coaches announced that there was a tournament in Show Low on Saturday and ever since then he wouldn't stop talking about it. He asked us everyday if he got to go because 'he REALLY wanted to.' So we thought why not lets try it....no pressure...if we got there and he freaked or wrestled just one match and wanted to be done...fine no big deal. He ended up wrestling all his matches and did really well. Justin is not really aggressive so he got taken down a lot. But he didn't quit (or cry) he would roll to his tummy and stand up and go again. He took 5th place and got a green ribbon. Which was great until 1st-3rd place got metals but we explained it to him and he said he would run more at practice to get stronger:)

It was HIS choice not to wear his little Libby Logger singlet he wanted to wear his new SilverCreek Scrappers shirt. And can I say how weird it is to be taking my son to wrestling tournaments it seems like not too long ago that I was at them watching my little brother (about 18 years ago!). I think for the first time I was feeling a little old.

Sometimes he does this.....

2011-03-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well I never thought I would have a thumb sucker. My kids aren't even big pacifier takers. He has only done this a few times and it is pretty cute but I am hoping that it doesn't become a habit.

Cowgirl and Hair Dos

2011-03-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

"I'm a cowgirl Mom!" Wrong type of hat but still pretty cute. I LOVE this little University of Montana outfit she got from Papa and Nana!

Got out of the shower one day and Jessica was doing her 'little buddies' hair. I did have to help with the finish product. Why do I feel like this won't be the last time she dresses him up!

5 is Funny

2011-02-28T20:04:00.001-08:00

Justins little 5 year old mind is pretty entertaining. I get a lot of "Mom, what if...." followed by something that doesn't really make sense. He counts to 30, loves to draw and write. He can put all the alphabet in order and is started to figure out sounds. He started wrestling 2 weeks ago and we just signed him up for t-ball. He always tells me...Wrestling, T-ball, Montana and then I start kindergarten. And everyday he wishes it was the day we were going to MT.

16 weeks

2011-02-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

My baby boy was 16 weeks on Saturday (but will be 4 months this coming Sunday...how ever that works). He is a pretty content baby but is starting to realize when I walk away from him. He sleeps about 9 hours straight, eats then sleeps another 3. He smiles the minute you look at him and has started to laugh a little. I love this little guy and his chunky little legs!!

WHO DRESSED YOU????

2011-02-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

I LOVE seeing what she will pick out to wear. . . . You just never know what your going to get! Jessa LOVES to sing. She sings ALL day long. She loves to play with her play kitchen and cook for us and she also really loves to help me in the kitchen. I am never in the kitchen longer then 2 minutes before I hear "Mom, can I help you?" and right away she is pushing a chair up to the counter. She loves to have books read to her and she loves to play games. She can name all of her shapes (thanks to bingo), colors and count to 11.

February Has Been...

2011-02-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

stomach flu, croup, strep throat, stuffy/runny noses, coughs, bronchitis, not leaving the house very much and ALOT of cartoons and movies.

SLEDDING!!!

2011-01-22T10:17:00.001-08:00

We got some snow that actually stuck around. So as soon as the sun started shining I took the kids out back and made a LITTLE sled hill for them. They LOVED it and THOUGHT it was so much fun. . . .

And then we took them HERE. They learned what a real sled hill was like and thought it was "THE BEST THING EVER!!" They both wiped out pretty good. . . Jessa on the second run (video to follow). Chad and I thought it was going to be a short trip but after a few tears everyone was good to go and go and go and go again!

And Caleb...Well, he was perfectly happy hanging out in the warm car!

WIPE OUT Video

2011-01-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Visit from Papa and Nana

2011-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

Baby Caleb loved meeting his Papa and Nana! So much so that one night he cried on and off all night just so Nana could get up and hold him (and give mom and dad a break). Thank goodness we haven't had a night like that since.

Justin and Jessa loved helping Nana make her FAMOUS cinnamon rolls....YUM!!!

It has been almost exactly a year since we had seen Chads parents. I wish I could say it was great and wonderful but Jessica was MISERABLE, not feeling well and would SCREAM if any one but Chad helped her with anything! Caleb was fussier then normal and it was COLD one night it got down to -15!! Justin was very content to play with his new toys and was did really well...it was like a 2nd Christmas when Papa and Nana came. So needless to say we didn't do very much AT ALL and as happy as I was that they came to visit I felt bad thinking that everyone was super bored! I am REALLY looking fwd to this summer visiting everyone in MT and hope to take more pics!

The HIGHLIGHT was that they were able to be here for Calebs baby blessing (and of course Jeffs cooking!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-01-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

Calebs 1st Christmas

Scussel tradition sleeping by the Christmas Tree the night of the 23rd. Justin talks about it for the rest of the year...Loves it!

Making cookies for Santa

Christmas Morning! It was the day they had been waiting for and as much as they wanted to love it they were both sick with runny noses, coughs and Jessa had a fever and threw up the night before. So I didn't quite get the reaction I was hoping for but a month later and feeling better they love everything they got. And of course as always they were super spoiled by Grandparents and Aunt Riki.

I LOVE Christmas! Especially now that my kids are old enough to really get it. As a parent it does get tricky with Santa. You REALLY have to watch what you say those little ears are ALWAYSlistening! My parents skipped Christmas and went to Hawaii and Chads parents came down just after on the 28th. So we had a very nice and quiet Christmas. The best part of not having any family around for the holidays is having friends who don't have family in town either and spending dinners and lazy afternoons with them!

First Time, Fat Lip and a Fire (almost)

2010-12-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Caleb went to church for the first time on Sunday. He did great. But boy 3 hours of church can sure be exhausting!

So this one is a little hard for me to say. I opened the door into the bathroom to say something to Chad. Not realizing that Jessa was peaking through the crack where the hinges are with her sweet little face pressed up against it. I shut the door......

She instantly got a fat lip. The swelling has gone down but the inside is still pretty bruised. Talk about feeling like a terrible mom!

One Thursday night Chad was getting ready to go on a ride along with a friend. Before he left we started smelling this really odd smell kind of like something burning. We couldn't figure out what it was but I joked with him before he left that I would call him when the house blew up. A WEEK later just after Thanksgiving he was playing Nerf guns with the kids and one went behind the couch. He pulled the couch out to get it and this is what he found.....

We had a lamp plugged into there and it had completely melted the plug in part. The electrician said the only thing that kept us from having a house FIRE was that little metal box that is behind the outlet in the wall!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY (#8)

2010-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

Happy 50th

2010-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

We hope you have a GREAT day! We LOVE and MISS you and wish we were there to celebrate!

CALEB

2010-11-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

HaPpY ThAnKsGiViNg

2010-11-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving. My sister and her family came down from UT and spent the week with us. We didn't shower until mid afternoon, stayed up way too late, only left the house a couple of times BUT definitely enjoyed our time together!

The Cousins

Thanksgiving Dinner

1 little 2 little 3 little Indians....

This is pretty much what Chad and Casey did...played some game, drank Dr. Pepper, made a bunch of jerky. Oh ya and cooked a turkey.

My sister Ryanne and I with all our kids...well mostly my kids...someday that will change

Aunt Rye Rye and Caleb

1st Thanksgiving

Justin and Spencer. Justin sure is great with babies and I think Spencer was pretty entertained by his cousins running circles around him although he is one of the best most content babies I have ever met.

So tired from too much fun

We even got a little snow

Thanks for coming down to AZ to see us. All ready looking forward to next year!

Justins 5th Birthday

2010-11-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

We had a little "Baseball" Birthday party for Justin on the 13th. Considering Caleb was only a week old I sure was glad my sister was here to help out.

Cake Aunt Riki made. She did GREAT!!

Birthday Buddies

A game Riki and I came up with velcro on a ball to throw at velcro bases. We all tried and didn't have much luck, thought it might be hard for the kids and they ALL hit it on the first try.

On his actual birthday we took a trip to Flagstaff. We had pizza at Peter Piper and let the kids play some games. Justin had $15 from saved allowance and birthday money. In Target he was told he could get anything he wanted but he only has $15...right away he spots this

Of course we take him up and down EVERY isle to see if there is ANYTHING else he might want. But he was set on this set of cars and it was exactly $15!!

Peter Piper

Playing games

Ahhh! I am 5!!! and Jessa 2 :)

Yummy Pizza...but dessert pizza is always the best

Happy Birthday to my big 5 year old!!! Thanks for being such a great helper and always making us laugh! WE LOVE YOU!!!

MORE PICTURES

2010-11-13T10:37:00.001-08:00

Aunt Riki

Baby Caleb

Kids saying by to Grandma

Big Sister Jessica gives loves

Wide awake

Caleb Jeffrey

2010-11-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

6Lbs 15 oz 20in

Preschool Choir

2010-11-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

I put Justin in a little Preschool Show Choir that meets twice a week for half an hour. I had no intentions of having Jessica in it (suppose to be ages 3-5) but from the very first day she would go and sit next to Justin and do everything the teacher asked. She loved learning the songs and doing the motions and payed attention better then some of the 4 year old boys:) Justin is great at trying to help her with the words...Jessica would rather just sing it all by herself!

This was their first program they did. They were all so cute and did super great! Thanks "Miss Angie" for being such a great teacher!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2010-11-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure this is my last year of choosing my kids costumes....Justin has kindof figured out that he could be ANYTHING he wants to and it can be SCARY!!! But I thought they were cute (and super easy). Justin said he was the pretzel kind:) We took them to a few houses around the neighbor hood and Jessica just kept repeating "Happy Halloween" "Happy Halloween"! I think Justin loved handing candy out at our house just as much as he liked getting it. Halloween is a fun holiday...but what to do with ALL that candy!!!

CaRvInG PuMpKiNs!

2010-11-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

My Mom is here patiently waiting for baby #3 and she LOVES Halloween!! So she was more than happy to carve pumpkins with the kids...she still carves her own pumpkins every year. After 5 years Justin still does not like cleaning the guts out he must have washed his hands 4 times during the whole process! But they turned out cute and my kids were very proud of them.

38 Weeks and a Halloween Party

2010-11-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Chad was hoping and I assumed that we would have a baby by now... but we didn't so our costumes were very last minute (15 min before we left) and I was just happy to get him in a costume at all! We had a great time and can't wait for next years Halloween party!!!

36 WEEKS

2010-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

36 Weeks last week...37 tomorrow. And a big thanks goes out to my sister who after seeing a picture of me taken yesterday said "Wow, you look like a big ole moose!!!"

Computer Strike!!!

2010-09-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

I have been on a bit of a computer strike. I will get on (not very often) to check e-mail and do some banking stuff and that is it! Have I mentioned that I would like to punch my computer in the face? So here is a little update of the last 6 weeks....but I can't guarantee that me avoiding my ridiculously slow computer will end anytime soon.

First Day of Joy School

2010-09-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is Justin's first day of his last year of preschool. He will be 5 in November but I am glad to have him home for another year. Joy School is a homebased preschool where a small group of moms take turns teaching the lessons. They do learn kindergarten prep stuff but alot of it is value based which I like. I enjoy when it is my turn to teach but am also very happy that 7 other moms have turns too!

This year our little neighbor boy...Justins "Best Buddy"... is also in it.

OuR FiRsT TwInKiEs!!!

2010-09-19T22:22:00.001-07:00

I once ate a deep fried twinkie...Yep, you read it right...a DEEP FRIED TWINKIE!! It was about 6 years ago and I havn't had one since! My kids had their first. The didn't know what they were eating but they sure thought it was GREAT!

I'm sure you're wondering how a deep fried twinkie is and there is only one answer.... Good BUT Gross!!! ;)

Happy Birthday....A Month Ago!!!

2010-09-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

For my Birthday we decided to go bowling and invited a few friends along for the fun. It turned out to be a great family activity! Although the guys wanted their own lane...something to do with competitiveness I'm sure....we all had a good time. All the kids would get excited even if they hit just one pin and some of them loved just rolling the ball down it didn't matter if it hit anything or not:)

Team Girls Justin actually did really well once he got the hang of it.
First, and not last, family bowling night.

I am very grateful for all that I have been blessed with in my life especially for my 2 loving kids and an amazing husband!!!

We did have a little Happy #33 party for Chad but I didn't take any pictures...I'm sure he is REALLY bummed about that!!!

Prego Pics

2010-09-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

28 Weeks (7 months)
I know...its with my cell phone (obviously) but sometimes I only remember to take pictures because I have a cousin who is only 4 weeks behind me and we send pics to each other...so its all I got
32 Weeks (8 months)

...And Then I Realized I Have Everything I Ever Wanted

2010-08-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I taught a lesson to the young women I teach at our church about journals and how important it is to keep a record of our lives and the experiences we have for our posterity. In doing so I pulled out all my old journals ( I started writing in one when I was 11) and flipped through a few of them. I found a couple times where I was describing my future.....

I wanted to be married in the temple to a returned missionary. To someone who would tell me that they loved me often, like country music, and be a hard worker "like outside dirty work not sitting at a computer all day." I said I wanted 4 or 5 kids...Yikes! but my first 2 to be a boy and a girl. I wanted to serve in the young womans program at church and I "always thought it would be neat to have a bathroom in my bedroom!"

ERICKSON FAMILY VACA

2010-08-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to the wonderful grandparents who started this family 50 Years ago!!! To celebrate this amazing milestone with them almost the whole family of 43 gathered together at Moose Manner in Island Park, ID (about 30 miles from West Yellowstone, MT) for a weekend of fun.

Canoeing The River

Jessica safely buckled in between my parents and so happy not to be in a car seat
Uncle Casey, the newest family addition Spencer, and Justin who loved on that baby ALL weekend

Sister Riki Lee and Me

Sisters Ryanne and Amber

Grandad Scott, Grandma Karen and Justin. Justin had a great time and said things like "coming on hot" when they were about to pass you and once Amber and Josh passed them and was chanting we're #1 we're #1...Justin not to be discouraged chimed in We're #2, we're #2!!
Our boat had a little leaking but didn't delay us any. Older sisters always know how to work the system so it ended up being me paddling in front, chad paddling in back with Jessica in his lap and Riki kicking it in the middle enjoying the ride

The water was not warm at all!!!

FuN In GaMes

There was a "Survivor" themed baby shower for Spencer (and parents). So of course there would be a little kid worm eating contest. Some kids shoved the whole bowl in there mouth at once....Justin downed them one at a time with a little help from Jessa...and won!!!

Chad played the daddies drink from a bottle game. And not to be out smarted (he is pretty resourceful) or out done.. on the word "go" he pulled out his pocket knife, slit the top and beat out the competition. Way to represent!!!!

Justin in a relay race

Jessa and my brother Josh

RoAsTiNg MaRsHmAlLoWs

Justin and his cousins...well, my cousins...got along so great and had so much fun playing together.

Yummy!

HaWaIi 5-0

It was my Moms 50th birthday and since my Dad was surprising her with a trip to Hawaii we surprised her with a Luau party. 3 of the 5 of us kids were able to stay in West Yellowstone an extra day to celebrate her birthday. And all though the surprise was leaked out...we won't say by who...with in an hour of the party we all still had a great time...and she still cried.

The cousins waiting for Grandma. Justin, Spencer and Jessa

Here is her Surprise face...she acted very well!

Realizing she gets to go to Hawaii....AND dive with the sharks (gift from all the kids) Yikes!

My family has been to Yellowstone so many times I couldn't count. But this was my kids first time.

Grandad and Justin looking at the paint pots.

Waiting for Old Faithful to go off.

Old Faithful and Ice Cream...can't beat that!!

Doesn't everything seem bigger when you are a little kid. Justin thought it was pretty great
Jessica wasn't sure about the smelly spray that came our way.

4 days in the car for only 4 days to see family is a little exhausting but we are so glad we were able to go and spend time with them all.

Summer Swim Lessons

2010-07-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our swim lessons were half an hour everyday for 2 weeks.
Jessica and I were in the mommy and me class. The little ones really have a great teacher with a lot of good ideas. Jessa had fun but mostly loved to play with the little toy sinking sticks. She does really good "crocodile eyes" and sometimes would let me dunk her completely under.

Justin was in the pre-school class and I think he definitely will be ready for the hour long class next summer. He loves to jump in, float on the board and see how long he can hold his breath under water. He can't wait until he can completely swim on his own.

Here they are on the last day with their certificates.

4th FuN!!

2010-07-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

We had a GrEaT 4th of July!! On Saturday we went to some friends house for food, games and water fun. That night we went to the Rodeo and watched the town fireworks. On Sunday we had a BBQ at our house with (once again) yummy food and treats...Chad made huckleberry ice cream...It was fabulous!!!

A big hit especially with the adults was the marshmallow shooters or should I say war. A little sticky but we got it all picked up!!

Jumping on the trampoline

Ring toss for a pop

Slip N' Slide

Playing in the sand box

Swimming in the pool

Justin at the rodeo pretending to rope. Of course he loved the bulls.

Jessa is a big fan of horses

After the firework show with my sleepy wore-out kids.

My cute kids all patriotic for church

And although fireworks are illegal (even sparklers) and it is dark by 8:30 we have enjoyed Arizona because we have been blessed with GREAT friends and WONDERFUL children!!!

What to do....What to do...

2010-07-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Chad was gone 4 out of 7 weeks. A lot of times people will say to me "how do you do it" or "I don't think I could do that"
First of all YES you could!
Second my solution is LOTS of projects LITTLE sleep (I don't sleep good when he is gone anyway so why not reduce the number of hours spent there)

Sewing: These were 2 onsies that my mom got Jessa but since she is potty trained I didn't think that worked to well so I cut them into shirts and added a ruffle on the bottom

Flowers and Hair Bows. These can be done while watching a movie

Painting: I added an extra blue/pink and brown stripe to Jessica and baby boys room...why not, right?!?

Vinyl: Warning! It is VERY addicting!!! This is in my hall way and unfinished. I'm going to do sheet metal/magnets/pictures

Chad and I have done weeks apart on and off for almost 8 years...it still isn't easy but you may find yourself asking the same thing....

Now, when will he leave next?.....I have a lot of scrap booking to catch up on!!!

and having a neighbor who will stay up late nights with you once the kids are in bed is always an added bonus;)

Shhh...Don't tell her Daddy

2010-06-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

Jessicas hair was really long (in between her shoulder blades) but not all of it was that length...she definitely had a tail thing going on. I finally convinced Chad...who always wanted his little girl to have long hair...that it wouldn't grow good unless she got it trimmed. Then I waited until he was gone.....

and cut it off (about 5-6 inches) so it is all the same length...I love it!
I know he will too. How could you not...she is too stink'n cute!

New Dance Moves

2010-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Sure don't know where they get it (wink, wink) but my kids have some moves! This is their newest "the Q-tip" and "the Crab"

#3

2010-06-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

So I guess it is time to talk about the picture of my dirty oven....No, I wasn't just showing that it needed cleaned (yes, I am talking about the oven in my kitchen!)

We are expecting baby #3 November 10th. I am 20 weeks and feel good. Justin is excited, Jessa doesn't really get it and Chad and I...well, we can't believe that we are going to be parents of 3 kids.

........IT'S A BOY!!! and he will not have a "J" name

PUTT-PUTT-GOLF

2010-06-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Every time we drive by this little miniature golf course we mention that we should go and play....4 years later we finally went and the kids loved it.

As good as he looks I still beat him by 4 points!
Once Justin got his grip down he did really good.

She made it the first couple of holes.....

and then decided she would rather keep score.

They also loved the slush puppies and games at the arcade. Chad and I loved being able to spend some fun family time together that didn't include yard work.

Quick Sister Visit

2010-06-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

My sister Riki came in for a weekend visit while Chad was gone. We picked her up late Friday night, stayed the night in Phoenix, drove back to my house Saturday afternoon and she flew out Monday morning. Next time we will probably just plan on staying in Phoenix for the weekend.

The kids loved swimming at the hotel. Especially since it was 102 degrees.

It was so windy that we couldn't even be outside. We took the kids to a movie one day but most of our time was spent inside playing tea party.

Saying good bye to Aunt Riki at the airport.

Thanks for the super quick visit!

We loved having you.

Next time I hope you don't...

*Go 2 days with out coffee

*Spend $74 on a taxi ride between airports

* Pay $70 for your luggage when your plane ticket only cost $120

* and Have to explain to Justin why Levi can sleep with you but he can't

Arizona Swim Hole

2010-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

What do my kids do when it is hot and I have set up their swimming pool for them to play in?

They find a warm dirty puddle to go lay in.