Summer fun

On the way home from our SLC trip.  

Summer came to my house while I was gone to say goodbye to my parents…. She came to see Rigby play preston in a basketball game and then stayed the rest of the weekend.  I got home friday afternoon and was able to hang out with her and go play till sunday.  It was a lot of fun to have her, Conner, and Cache stay with us.  

We ran into a store that had a ton of cool dresses in the basement and so she had a ton of fun trying them on.  I remember when I was a teenager this was on the top of the list of fun things to do.  She looked amazingly beautiful in all of them but this one was my favorite.

we all went swimming and had a lot of fun on the rope swing.  

Summer send me a couple of great snap chats.  

Alexis had a great game this game.  She scored over 12 points!!!

Goodbye

My parents finished the training for the MTC on Friday around 3:00 and were going to stay in SLC that night and then start the long drive to NYC.  They didn't really know that we were all going to go and meet them and stay the night with them so it was a fun surprise.  It was so good to hear all the spiritual stories they had, and hear about what they had been doing in the MTC for the past two weeks.  They meet so many cool people and learned so many great things. I was so touched to see how emotional it has made my dad and I can see how much this all means to him.  I couldn't really look at him when he talked because I was afraid I would start to ball.  They both seem so happy, and I am so happy for them.  It is so crazy to think about this amazing adventure they are going on.  

We had a lot of fun talking and hanging out together.  We were all so sad that we were missing Greg on this trip.  It just wasn't the same with out him.  It is so hard to have him in North Dakota and not close to home.
It was so sweet when my dad tried to tell us that he was so glad we came and that he was so thankful for his family he started to cry.  I had to look away and close my eyes because I as about to lose it again.  He said that he never thought that we would all come.  We just  laughed and said, "you can't get ride of us that easy."  I love that my family really does get along and really loves to be together.  WE always have so much fun together and laugh so hard at all the great stories.  I am so lucky to be apart of such a amazing family.

We all woke up early and had breakfast together before they had to get started on the long drive.  They were planning on going 500 miles a day and that way it would only take three days before they arrived.  

My dad can pack like it is a game of tetras.  I don't think they had room for ANYTHING else at all.   Annette had packed a blanket for them that they have had on their bed ever sense they were married.  It just felt weird for them not to have it.  My mom said it was so funny because when she got up that morning my dad was jumping up and down on his suitcase trying to get the blanket to fit inside.  

It gave me such a sad pit in my stomach to watch them drive away not knowing how long it will be before I will see them again.  It has made me realize how much I need them in my life and how much I love them.  But they are being such a great example to me and my family that I am so proud of what they are doing and that makes it all feel better and makes the pit go away.  My kids are going to always look up to Grandma and Grandpa and know that they love the gospel and they are on a mission.  It is such a great example, and I know ALL of our family will be blessed because of it.  

Winner

Adison and Elizabeth won the coloring contest this year and were able to have their picture in the paper.  I think it is so nice of the stores to do something fun for the kids.  They all get so excited to color and see if they will win.  Most of the time they do.  I think it is the last year that Elizabeth will get to do the contest so I am glad that she won.  

First Birthday!

My baby is growing up…. he turned one year old and I am not happy about it at all!  It was funny because when we started to sing to him… he wasn't happy at all either.  If we would sing at all he would try to hide and act all nervous about it.  He wasn't so sure he wanted us to celebrate his birthday that day.  It was funny because I started to sing, "its my party and I'll cry if I want to" and right on cue he started to cry.   

I made his cake look like a big pile of dirt..   I just cute a chocolate cake up and then crushed up oreo's and then put it on top .   

I wasn't very good about teaching Max how to blow out his candle so this was the first time he had ever really tried it.  He wasn't so sure what he was suppose to do so Brytlee ended up helping him out.  

He did love his cake!  I got him a set of blocks for his birthday because he was trying to stack some at my parents house and he was doing such a good job at it.  I don't really remember any of my other kids wanting to stack and knock things down at this age so I had never bought any before.
Max is at such a fun age and is such a sweet boy.  I love that I can ask him for a kiss and he will give me one.  Or is I give him a hug he will give me a hug back and pat me on the back.  I have never had a baby that loved to cuddle or be held close even and so it is so fun to finally have a baby that will let me.  I am sure one day he will get sick of me kissing him 1000 times a day.  I just can't help but kiss this sweet little boy!!!  I am so in love!

Super Star

7th grade basketball.  I am so proud of Alexis this year.  She has improved a ton and is  working so hard and getting better and better each game.  Ryan is her coach this year and is doing a great job with the girls.  It is a ton of fun to watch them play and see how good they are.  I still am in shock when I see how good they are.  It makes them look so much older than how I feel they should be.  I love all the girls on her team and love that they are all good friends.  

#13!!!!!  Basketball star!

just Chillin

After a lot of busy vacations it was nice to come home and do nothing but play and hang out together.  Max was so happy to be home and I am still working on getting him back on a schedule.  

Adison has gotten a little worse in her changing of clothes…. ever five minutes.  I swear that girl is one of the messiest kids ever.  But she loves to put outfits together and she will tell me that she looks like a barbie or a princess. 

Max has a mouthful of teeth (I think 12) and he is eating almost everything he wants.  He is so far a great eater and I hope that doesn't change.  He will eat his baby foods still and when he is done…. he is done.  

The girls have been building really cool houses and forts with the straws and connectors they got for Christmas.  I love to see them being creative and working together to make it happen.  

So when I started putting my tree away and all the other Christmas things away I thought that I should clean out the storage room before I put anything else in it.  Then when I started pulling things out I realized there was a ton of shoes and clothes that I needed to get out for Adison and Brytlee.  It was just one thing after another and before I knew it I was buried in the biggest mess ever.  But after about a week of digging myself out it is all back to normal for a little while.  

This is just so annoying….. I really know why some people just get ride of everything and buy new for each kid.

silly kids

It is so nice when kids this age play nice together.  I am so glad that Adi had a cousin her age to play with.  And Josy is such a sweet heart and so dang cute!

The kids are loving all the fun toys and dress ups that are at grandma and grandpas house now that Annette is moved in.  

My Baby boy is 1

Max is going to turn one on the 9th of this month.  I can not believe how fast this year has gone, but at the same time it hasn't.  I have enjoyed this little boy so much and have just wanted to soak it all up and not miss a thing with this little boy.  He is so into cars, balls, and boy toys.  I love watching him play and everything he does is amazing.  It really is like having a first baby all over again where he is our first boy and it is all so new and different to me because all I ever know before him was girls.  I really wish I could have a bunch more boys because they are so much fun and I never would have known without this little man of mine.  

I was so sad that he got a little scratch on his head the day we took him in for pictures and I thought about picking it off but didn't because I didn't want a red spot or a scare, but then after he took a nap later it was gone without a mark so I guess I should have done it after all.  

I can not believe how much we all love this little boy.  He is so much fun and so amazing.  I love to watch my girls play with him and see how much they all love each other.  It is so great to have a family and it brings me so much happiness.