Happy Thanksgiving

We are getting ready for our thanksgiving.  We went to Ryan's grandma Thomas's side of the family dinner/ lunch and it was a lot of fun.  We got up and got ready for the day, packed all the bags because we knew we were going straight from the party to Idaho Falls and then Island park.  

Max had a short little cat nap on the way to the party and I just loved how he was still holding his football while he slept.  

Num Num Num

We went to a church in Clarkston and it was the coolest church building.  The chapel was two floors and had a elevator.  

Alexis had a zit that she picked so  bad it left a mark that made her look like she has a nose ring.  

Max had so much fun playing with the balls at the party.  He loved watching all the older kids play basketball and loved running around.  They played fun games and started a talent show and then we had to get on the road.  

It felt like we were in the car for five hours..... we made a couple of stops on the way at target and I had no idea that the sales were starting right as soon as I pulled in.  I couldn't believe all the people that were lined up around the building waiting to get in.  

The cabin was so much fun.  The kids  all have so much fun together and they loved playing out on the ice and it made me so nervous.  I felt like it hasn't been that cold and not enough snow so I wasn't even sure they should go on the ice at all.. but I guess it was fine because they said it was 6 inches deep. 

Max loved playing with the cute peddle plane.  

Brad always has the best t-shirts ever.  We had a lot of fun watching the edited movies that Annette brought up.  There was a couple good ones that we watched a couple times. 

Max was a good boy and just played with toys and hung out.  Ryan made a surprise trip to see us and he was so excited to see his da da.  (we were all so glad to have our Daddy with us for the weekend)

Brytlee loved fishing and caught some great fish.  I couldn't believe how many fish they caught and they were all big fish. 

Elizabeth is getting a little to big for the  little snowmobile.... so sad.  The kids had so much fun pulling each other around on the sleds with the snowmobiles and they all were safe.  It was so fun to see them so happy and having so much fun.  

I love this picture.  They are such beautiful girls.  

Brytlee was a great little driver on the snowmobile and was such a little pro by the time we left. 

do you want to build a snowman?  Adison really wanted to drive the little snowmobile so I sat on the back and helped her drive.  The seat is so small that there wasn't very much room for me to sit.  She gunned it one of the times and I flew of the back and had nothing to grab onto but her.... she looked at me like I was crazy and said.... "why did you do that?"  I just laid in the road and laughed and laughed. 

Such a little stud muffin.  We had a lot of fun playing rummy cube and Cindy went and picked up a game called uno flash that was a lot of fun to play.  Max loved sitting at the table and putting the tiles from the game on the holding peace.  

I took Max out for a little while to see if he liked it and he LOVED It.  I should have taken him out more because he was so mad when it got dark and cold and he didn't want to come in at all.  

He liked to lay in the sled and didn't really want to sit up at all but Brytlee said he was just laughing the whole time in while I was pulling him behind the snowmobile.  

I loved this face max was doing in the car.  He did it for a long time and didn't even act like it was a big deal.  

I am so thankful for times like this together with family that we can build our relationships and our memories.  I am very blessed when it comes to the family department.  I am born into a amazing family and I have married into a amazing family.  I love to see my kids with all of the people I love and know that they are gaining such great memories and friendships that will last forever.  It was sad this year to not have my parents with us and I know that it made them a little homesick to know that we were playing without them.  But next year we are going to party like crazy.
I have been thinking a lot about what I have to be thankful for and the list is endless.  If you really sat and thought about all that you have to be thankful for it is amazing.  We are blessed with so much and have so many great opportunities around us.   I have five little children that I look at and I am just amazed that I am lucky enough to have them in my life.  I have a wonderful husband who loves me, I have a beautiful home that keeps us warm and does so many other things for us.  I have amazing parents who have done Sooooooo much for me and have taught me the gospel.  I am so thankful for the gospel in my life and the things it teaches me and my family.  It helps us be happy and so much more.  I do love the saying, "what if you went to bed tonight and only woke up with the things you told god you were thankful for." (or something like that)  It is so true.  If we thought about it like that I think we would be on our knee's for hours thanking him for our bodies and every function they do and for the air we breath and all the other things we take for granite.  I love this time of year that we can sit and reflect on what is really important and we get to be around our friends and family more and just enjoy life.  

ginger bread house

The girls have been wanting to build a ginger bread house and so I bought a kit at the store for them.  It was so cute on the box and they made it look so easy.  But the house kept falling down and the frosting was way to runny.  The kids still had fun and enjoyed eating the candy and putting some of it on the house. 

they all had a part that was their side and they got to do it by themselves.

It turned out cute!

This is one of our favorite Christmas decorations.  My girls are so cute with it because Adison just likes to move the mouse and then the other kids love to put it where it is suppose to be so everyone is happy.  It was my parents when we were kids and I always loved it as a kid so now I am so glad that we get it now.  

I found this lamp at the di and lizzy and I had fun putting some bling on it.  so this is the before   

and this is the after.  It only cost 3 bucks and it will be for her room when we get it done.  She is so excited to have a new room and get to decorate it.  

working hard

We have been working little by little to frame up our basement and get a few rooms done at a time.  We are doing Lizzy's room, a bathroom and a room for Max downstairs right now.  I want to move Max our of his room up stairs and turn that into a music room so we can have a place for a piano... and then we can get a piano..... But I am not sure when we would really move him downstairs.  Right now he is still our baby and I am not ready for that yet.  I like having him next to our room so if he does wake up I don't have to go to far to help him out.  

I am so thankful for a husband who is a rock star.  There isn't anything her can't do.  I just think it is one of the best gifts a guy can have to be able to work with his hands and make something amazing.  I still can not believe he built this amazing house for us and what a hard worker he is.  I do like to help him when I can and put a few nails in and use the screw driver from time to time.  I like building things.. It is fun

While Ryan was building walls I built a little sign for our laundry room.  I was kinda proud of myself. 

Idaho Falls

Our little trip to Idaho falls 

These two kids are such goof balls.  It is funny that Cache always wants to hang out with Mia and Lizzy because Brytlee and him are the same age but he just loves them and they love him.  They have tons of fun together and laugh non stop and act like nerds.   I do wish they would be nicer to Brytlee and let her hang out with them more, but most of the time Brytlee is hanging out with Tessa and Ava anyway...

Cute little brunet. 

Alexis looks so different with brown hair.

It is so fun to have cousins that are the same age.  They are always playing and doing something fun together. 

We hurried home that night late because we new that the next week we would miss church.  The kids were all really tired and wanted to sleep in, but I was so proud that we made it on time to church.  

Max is always playing with a football or a ball of some kind.  He was so funny at church today and I was told by the rows behind us that we were all great entertainment.  Max was throwing the ball around and Lizzy got hit by Lex's arm and got a bloody nose and there I sure there was more to see and watch.... I keep thinking it is going to get easier.... not yet I guess. 

The week before thanksgiving i decided to get the tree set up.  I knew that the kids didn't have school on Wed. and that on thanksgiving we were going to be driving to the cabin in Island park and I wasn't going to feel like doing it when we got back.  It was nice to get done and the little kids were great help.  Brytlee's friend Shelby was over and she was a great helper.  The other kids would fade in and out and she helped the entire time so great.  I was a little sad this year that Alexis didn't really act like she cared to help at all.  This is usually her thing.  I guess she is getting to cool for this 

My Friend.

My good friend Sadie has had such a bad run of luck.  I have been feeling like it isn't fair and don't know why she has had it so hard.... in high school she had her appendices out and that was a big deal because non of us have ever had something happen like that.  Then she broke her back riding on a snowmobile.  She feel down the stairs and broke her arm... then when she was married she had a baby that got cancer and it was so sad and hard for her cute little family.  The last time we got together she told us she had lost a little baby girl and was 23 weeks pregnant.  Uhhhhh then her husband put a post on Facebook that said that if she would have kept the baby she would have died.  They had found a tumor in her brain and it was at the Max size.  When your pregnant tumors like that grow and so it had to happen for a reason.  They took the tumor out on the due date of their little girl.  I have not been able to stop thinking about her and praying for her.  I know she will be ok and I know she is such a strong person.  She has been through so much and because she has grown so much.  I remember reading her blog and thinking how she should be in the first presidency of the relief society or something because she is so strong and has the best spirit about her and is she is just amazing.
It is so funny how it has been 15 years and I still feel like we are in the same time frame of running around and hanging out all the time.  Our group of friends is always great at just picking up where we leave of and it feels like nothing has changed at all.
Sadie is home now and I think she is healing and doing well.  I know that she has so many people praying for her and because there isn't a person I know that doesn't just lover her.  She is the sweetest person I know.  

Week 3

Adison's leg is healing and looking so good.  I am so happy about how fast it has healed and how good it is looking.  The doctor said it would take at least six weeks to heal and on week 3 it has already healed a ton.  

This is on week four and it is getting even better 

week five and it is almost gone.  I know that so many people has been praying for her and I know that is why our little girls leg has done so well.  I know that prayers are answered and God really cares about us.  I am so thankful for all the sweet people, friends and family that have been keeping us in their thoughts and prayers.  

push my buttons.

Life has been feeling a little fast and crazy the past two months.  I swear we didn't even have a Novemeber this year..... I have no idea where the time is going.  I hate it when you have so much cleaning and work to get done that you have to push your kids away and tell them to go play and go away.... It is so nice when you can slow things down again and sit and enjoy the little things again.  Max is at such a fun age and all of our family is loving his little personality.  I love watching him and Adison play.  He just wants to do everything she is doing and follows her everywhere.  He laughs at what she laughs at and he just loves to be her buddy.  

Adison is going through a hard phase.... she is into everyones things and keeps breaking things and is just making mess after mess.  I don't know what to do with this little girl sometimes.  I was in tears twice this month with frustration from her messes and her sneakiness.  She likes to make potions and uses lotion and perfume and water and whatever she can get her hands on... and it is such a big mess.  She also loves to get into Alexis's makeup and she digs in it with her finger so it breaks and just looks so bad after she is done with it.  I have told her soooooo many times that she can not get into the kids things but she doesn't listen.  uhhhhh I am getting so frustrated with that.  But then she is also the same sweet little girl that loves to dance and play and is such a little sweet princess that it is so hard to stay mad at her.  She is also so funny and makes me laugh.  

Max loves his sisters and loves to cuddle in blankets. 

Adison "id a get warm two"  

How in the world is this girl growing up so fast?  She is so fun to talk to and we can talk for hours.  I love her so much and don't know how I am so lucky to have such a great daughter and best friend.  She wrote me a letter on insagram and it made me cry.  I will have to find it and post it because it was so sweet.

I went to Annettes house and helped her paint a ton and Max slept in the playpen next to my bed.  When he woke up he just layer there and talked so quiet and whispered.  He did it for at least a half an hour and then I grabbed him and put him in bed with me and we cuddled in bed for another half and hour.  It was a nice morning.  

My kids thought they were so funny when they hid inside with the lid on... I was about to throw it down the stairs until I realized it wasn't as light as it should be.... It was so funny.  Then I yelled at Alexis and told her she needed to go and put away the tote and when she opened it she jumped and laughed pretty good also.
I swear being a parent is such a roller coaster ride.  I hate the moments that I lose it and yell and act like a turd.  I have cried a few times from my bad moments this month and it had nothing to do with my kids.  It had everything to do with how I was acting.  I sometimes just feel like the biggest jerk and like I am the worst mom ever.   I hate when I get mad and yell way to much and I fell like all I am doing is getting after my kids.  I always feel so bad after and I know that they don't deserve it.  But for some reason they always forgive me and forget about it and move on.  I am so thankful for that.