H E L P

Somebody help me with this crazy blog header-title-picture thing so Wade can be a part of our family agian...  What am I doing wrong?!

Ahhh... Havasu!

We just got back from vacation at Lake Havasu and the boys are back in school!  Working on my Havasu post.  :)

Check us out... we've been MIA!

So I got on my blog in hopes that I'd feel bad enough to start posting again.  Well, it worked.  However Blogger has changed!  Let's hope I keep up my enthusiasm while I figure this thing out... again.  Step off our matching outfits.

Hmmm...

Ugh. I hate this decision. I REALLY prefer not to go private. I heard a horror story from a friend and made a rash decision. I have never had any issues here on my (dead) blog. I think I'm gonna stay public for awhile. It would be much easier for the grandparents. I will keep emails on hand should I ever decide to change my mind. Again.

PRIVATE

So, I avoided this for as long as I could... but we're taking this blog private. I know I've not been the best blogger lately, but now have a renewed desire to get back to it. :) However, I need to protect my children while I can so I feel that I need to keep our business and our pictures to ourselves. And our family and friends of course. :) If you would like an invite to read our blog please leave your email. After I add you I'll delete your email. I'll leave this for a week or so...

3...2...1... HaPpY NeW YeAr!

So New Year's Eve started out with Spencer taking Chase and Wade duck hunting early in the morning.

Wade and his gun shell.

Every boy's dream... to sit around in the mud with a gun.

Later that day we had Family Naptime, you know, so we could be well rested for our rager later that evening. We decided to do our own little New Year's Eve party at home with just our family. NOTHING beats being able to sit around in your jammies and pig out. And pig out we did. Then to see if we could get the boys to puke it all up we played our favorite family game... indoor dodgeball.

We all survived dodgeball so we watched the new Planet of the Apes movie.

We paused the movie at 11:45pm so we could watch the ball drop and pop some poppers.

And of course we had to get our New Year's makeout on!

Whoops! Crazy self portrait. This is better.

Hope this is a great year!

Trail of Dreams

On a whim I had Chase and Gavin try out for a play that our church was putting on. Of course before I knew it Wade and Ezra were having their mug shots taken too so I filled out forms for them too. They had to go in a room sing a song and do a reading. Chase ended up getting 2 character parts. The other 3 boys were cast as 'pioneer children'. The play was called The Trail of Dreams. It was about the LDS pioneers and their struggles and triumphs they faced as they came to the Salt Lake Valley.

As the practices got under way I realized how long and exhausting this was going to be on me, as I was taking all 4 boys by myself (Spencer was working). After a few practices the director asked me if I would join the play too. I'm guessing she was probably nervous about 4 wild boys being on stage. :) It was a long summer of practices, learning lines & songs, and blocking scenes. But in the end it was a huge testimony building experience for myself and my children. It was completely worth any stress I endured. The boys are already asking when the next play is going to be.

Side note: On the first night of rehearsal, the director asked the cast to keep track of the tender mercies that the Lord would bless us with in putting this play together. So... As the practices went on eventually Gavin asked me when we were going to practice 'his part'. Since Gavin wasn't exactly given a part (other than being cast as a pioneer child) I kept putting him off by saying, "Soon Gav." About a week and a half before the opening night of the play I noticed Gavin tearing up in the backseat as we drove to a rehearsal. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he was sad that he didn't have a part in the play. It broke my heart that he didn't feel a part of the play because he didn't have a 'real part'. I said a little prayer that I could somehow beg the director for a small line for him. I didn't know how that would actually go down though because the play was well rehearsed and ready to perform. At the end of rehearsal I was trying to rack my brain to think of how I could ask the director for a part for Gavin. Just at that moment the director approached me and told me that the little boy who was playing Johnny Cook, who had a scene of his own, would not be able to make it to 2 of the performances and would Gavin like to learn his part and fill in for those 2 nights. If she only knew how badly I wanted to tackle her and hug her! My prayer had been answered. When I told Gavin he had a HUGE smile on his face. That was my little tender mercy.

*Another benefit is that I get to hear this guy continue to sing the songs from the play...

Makeup Artist

Someone was left unattended near a tube of lipstick...

Pucker up baby!

We still exist.

Here's proof...

Faith is like a little seed...

Yesterday Chase, Gavin, and Wade sang in church. They had been asked by a lady who was giving the lesson. We worked really hard learning the song and they did really well. Wade does get a little antsy in the 2nd verse but it probably would have been boring without a little movement anyway. The song is entitled 'Faith'.

PS. Turn up your volume, it's not real loud.

PPS. I think Wade is telling me he needs a haircut in verse 2.

Who says your sacrament prayer?

At church a boy with a very deep voice was saying the sacrament prayer. Wade was sitting on daddy's lap. He leaned into daddy and whispered, "Dad, is this Jesus or Heavenly Father talking?"

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids."~Unknown

3/2010

Leprechaun Trap

(2008-2010...)



I have issues sometimes with keeping things I should probably throw away. But even Spencer applauded me when I pulled out Chase's old Leprechaun trap for Gavin to turn in.

Let's just say it's not the last project we've recycled.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

mom + dad (& chase)=LOVE

Big Helper

Helpin' dad with his chores.

Let's go dad!

Hair: by crib

rock on

SCOUT

3/2010




One cool thing about being 8 years old is that you can join scouts. Chase was especially excited to join scouts because he "wants to go exploring in the wilderness". I hope that happens for you soon Chase. How cool does he look for his 1st day of cub scouts.
leader: Janae Cox

Chase is 8!

3/9/10 My little baby boy is 8 years old. All those 'older mommies' who tell you to cherish every moment because it goes by so fast are right! It seems like just yesterday I was so excited to be having my first child. My first little boy. Boy did 8 years fly by! But I can say I have loved every moment of it. I just love my little Chase.

I love how his top lip goes up and to the side a little when he says some words.

I love his perfectionist-ness,

I love his passion for pirates and legos.

I love the unexpected times he'll just throw his arms around my neck for a hug.

I love his requests for me to snuggle him.

I love that he asks me to carry him to the shower when I wake him in the mornings.

I love (mostly) how he takes his role as the oldest brother seriously.

I love his addiction to reading.

I love the look in his eyes when he listens to me tell a story he's asked me to make up.

I love his desire to learn.

I love his cautiousness.

I love that he still wants me to comfort him, even at 8 years old.

I love that he only gets library books about sea creatures, land creatures, and sky creatures.

I love his desire to be a magician.

I love that he puts 110% into the things he loves.

I love his innocence.

I love his craziness and his quietness.

I love this boy.

Good morning, it's my birthday!

At Chase's request, peanut butter snicker cookies on a stick for his class.

The finished product!

Gifts!


What would a birthday be without legos?! :)






After school we headed out to Disneyland.




Daddy tried out the kiddie slide.


You chose to eat at the Pirate's of the Carribean restaurant, The Blue Bayou.


The gang. Ezra didn't want to show his face.




Then of course we had to ride the ride.


Wade on the zipline.



Gavin



And the birthday boy, Chase

It's time.

Okay, this is seriously ridiculous. I never thought I would be someone to get this behind on my blog. After a very shortened summer crammed with as much fun as we could fit into 6 weeks, I told myself I would catch up once the 2 older boys went back to school. Then my back went out. I'm going on 3 weeks of this back issue. I can't sit for very long. But by-golly, I'm gonna catch this blog up if it's the death of me. It's time.

1st Birthday Photoshoot



I took Ezra to the park to do a photoshoot with him for his 1st birthday invites. As luck would have it, he woke up that morning with a little sty in his left eye. Being the procrastinator that I am, I had to do the shoot anyway so I could get the invites out in time. Here's some of my favorites. I just love this cute little guy...