Life is Beautiful

15 months!

2012-01-27T21:36:00.002-07:00

Little Roo finally had his 15 month checkup (only 3 weeks late). He is growing like crazy! I swear he learns about 50 new things a day. He keeps us smiling and gives us all plenty of hugs. I love his sweet personality. He gives loves freely to everyone, but especially his family. He runs off playing, then comes for a hug and runs off playing again. If anyone is laying on the floor, he is giving body slams and more hugs. The second he wakes up in the morning or from a nap, he has a line up for brother and sissy hugs. He's full of smiles, says "cheese" the second I pull out the camera, can hear the bathroom door open from a mile away and is there in 2 seconds flat, climbs everything, hears the door open in the afternoon and immediately says "dada" and runs for hugs, sleeps great and loves his bed and his binky that stays in it, eats more than me (his favorites this week are pineapple, tuna fish sandwiches and oatmeal), gives high fives and pound it, loves his brother and sissy's, is always the first to give hugs if someone is sad, loves balls, books and being outside, and is full of energy!
These his words:
His favorites; ball (anything round), dada, hot hot, more more, duck, yuck, apple.
Others; uhoh, mama, bruder (brother), moo, neigh neigh, uff uff (dog), hohoho (Santa), nana (banana), Gama, Gampa, no no, I do (any time we ask a question starting with who he immediately raises his hand and says IIIIdo), ahhdu (all done), brmm brmm (cars), are ya (when he covers his eyes for peekaboo or someone is hiding), bubble, Jesus, cheese.
Words he signs; please, milk, drink, potty, bath, bird, thank you, help.
The stats:
Height 31.7 in 61%
Weight 27.3lbs 81%
Head 19.9 in 99%
He seems so big next to the other kids his age, but he is healthy! Just a big noggin (more on that to come). Love this boy! Some pics...

This was taken on his 15 month b-day.

A new trick, he is flexing his muscles! I couldn't get a good pic of the fists because every time I got the camera ready he stopped to say "cheese"!

The climb onto the bar!

Project Day!

2012-01-27T21:12:00.005-07:00

Last Saturday was PROJECT DAY! It started with Cole begging all week to finish his pine wood derby car. So we got all our supplies and promised him we would work on it. In the process we found some paint for the girls doll house they got from Grandma Jan and Papa so the BEGGED to work on it too. Needless to say, it turned into a very long project day, but we were successful on all counts!
Cole has been planning his car (tank) since he got his kit a month ago. He had this perfect plan in his head, and our job was to make it happen! We'll follow up with the finished project soon, but we got a good start and he was VERY pleased with how it was turning out, phew!
I thought we could prime the girls dollhouse and go from there, but after taking over the garage, we just plowed through and finished it. The kids all helped me prime it while Andrew was napping. Then I surprised them by getting the rest done while they were having movie night. We were planning on a few different colors, but we made it happen with what we had. It might have been a little better job had we had more time and been outside, but it worked out in the end. We were happy no one was asphyxiated by paint (Andrew even helped me by playing in the van while I painted)! The girls were also VERY pleased with the outcome, and they play with it constantly! Happy Project Day!

Careful painting, he practiced on paper first- he did awesome!

Happy boy fixin the wheels!

Painting!

Good workers.

Paint away.

Cheese!

Intent on his work!

The nearly finished product!

Whalaw!

Random Fun

2012-01-25T19:44:00.004-07:00

Just some random fun pics of the past few weeks...

Cole giving Mads goodnight hugs.

Handsome in the tub.

Jumping on the chair.

Wrestling boys!

More wrestling.

Snowflake tortillas- an idea my mom gave me, the kids LOVED it!

Cole had to make one when he got home.

Drew learned to climb the bar stool and get on the bar- nice.

Enjoying the snow! They were out til after dark!

~Long Weekend~

2012-01-16T21:36:00.007-07:00

We have had a very fun, long weekend! It started with a sleep over at Gram and Gramp's on Thursday night. All four kidos! John and I enjoyed a kidless, date night. Something we aren't very good at. I dropped the kids off, then went and got a haircut. We had dinner at Javier's, then went to a session at the Bountiful Temple. It was so nice to enjoy the night together, and not worry about getting back to the kids. The best part was knowing they were having the time of their lives, and not missing us a bit! The next morning we even enjoyed sleeping in (a bit), then John went to work and I enjoyed breakfast with a friend. I went to get the kids about 11, and they were far from ready to go home! I don't know that they were even excited to see me. Gram was spoiling them, and they had an agenda of things to do before going home. We had lunch, pulled a sled behind the 4-wheeler, cut out Cole's pinewood derby car, played some more, and finally headed for home around 3. Drew had a long nap, and we had a fun night. Gram let us borrow Home Alone 3 (they watched 1 AND 2 at their house), which they couldn't wait to see! They were all ready for bed when it was time. Cole and John had a sleep over upstairs, Cole was VERY happy!
Saturday we hung out and played. We read a little Harry Potter, and even got some homework done. I got to work Saturday night, so they had "daddy night".
Sunday was church, then family time. Grandpa George came for delicious roast dinner that John cooked- mmmm. We finished off with hot cinnamon rolls. That night the girls had a sleep over upstairs, and Cole and John slept in our bed and even watched a movie on John's laptop. Everyone was happy!
Monday was more fun times. Saylee had a birthday party and Madi got to go to a friends. Cole and John played Big Game Hunter 2012 while Roo took a nap. Later we went to the mall to maybe go to a movie, but we decided to wait til there was one we really wanted to see. The kids played at the playground and got some energy out. Then home for calzones, and we rented 'Mr Popper's Penguins' which they thought was quite funny. Off to their own beds and time for normal routine. It was a great weekend!

Drew and Gram watching us out the window!

Mads bundled up.

Cole and Say.

Say and Mads.

It wasn't too cold, so we got Drew out for some fun- he liked it!

Snow angel!

Cole and Drew.

Happy Madi.

Say and Cole in the field.

Me and a tired Roo.

Drew taking Gramp's hat.

Riding toys at the mall.

Cruisin'.

Another Tooth!

2012-01-16T21:31:00.001-07:00

Saylee lost her 3rd tooth! I was inspecting her brushing the other night and found a VERY loose tooth. It was right next to her 2 new big teeth so she hadn't noticed it. She wiggled it a bit, then got her courage up to let John pop it out. It was an easy one and she was excited for the tooth fairy!

The hole!

~Baptism Day~

2012-01-12T14:12:00.010-07:00

Cole's baptism day was perfect. He has been so excited for this day to finally come! He got to meet with the Bishop the week before, which he thought was pretty cool. We also had the missionaries over for a little lesson and some brownies and ice cream on Wednesday. Cole liked that too.
It snowed quite a bit the night before the baptism, but luckily everyone made it that was planning to come. There were a couple of baptisms from our ward and 4 more in the stake. It was a full house. Cole was excited that he had so many friends and family there for him. He was the last of the group to be baptized, then our ward went back to the Chapel for Confirmations. We'll keep all the special details in Cole's personal journal, but suffice to say it was a very special weekend! Cole said he favorite part of all was "getting baptized". John did an awesome job, and the whole thing was perfect.
We had family and friends over after for lunch. Cole ordered taco salad in taco bowls. He had a great time being the center of attention and being with cousins and friends. He was given a lot of special gifts too. Thanks to everyone for making it a very special day!

Cole with the gifts we gave him the night before.

His new CTR ring that has Chinese on it- he loves it!

His personalized towel- he thought that was way cool!

Reading his baptism journal the morning of.

Ready to go with daddy.

Boys in white.

After with Gram and Gramp.

Best buddies!

With Grandma Jan and Papa.

Cole and Grandma Jan.

Cute Roo.

Cole and his Grandpa's.

His taco salad as ordered (he likes meat, black beans, corn and cheese)!

Buddies!

Cole and Grandpa George.

Cute girlies!

Getting attacked by Gram and Aunt Nance.

More gifts and cards.

I was trying to be out of this pic, but Drew was giving hugs to cousin Landon.

Loving his cousin- he loves babies!

Cole and Aunt Nic.

More kind gifts.

Cute cousins!

Realized at the end of the day I didn't get a pic with my boy! This is the best we could do!

Building new Legos from Ethan with Say.

We didn't get a family pic either- too crazy. This is the next day, close enough! Love our fam!

~Cole's 8 Year Pics~

2012-01-12T12:42:00.008-07:00

Cole is 8!!! My awesome nephew took his pictures a month or so ago on a COLD winter day. Trev, John and Cole went to SLC and got some great pictures! These are some of my favorites...

8 Years of Cole

2012-01-12T12:06:00.001-07:00

Make your own slideshow design

Field Trip With Uncle Jeff

2012-01-12T10:44:00.003-07:00

It's our turn for preschool at our house! Madi is so excited. We started with the letter P and made Pillow Pets. We had a field trip to Uncle Jeff's Animal Hospital! All the kids LOVED it, except Madi. She really did love it when it was said and done, but his HUGE dogs were more than overwhelming to her. They were a hit with everyone else though! Winston was a good sport to let everyone crawl all over him. Thanks Uncle Jeff!

Drew weighing in!

Checking out the dogs- he loved this place!

Saylee loving Winston.

Madi sitting on the counter away from the dogs!

Drew and Winston.

Madi was happy outside!

A picture by the front door with Winston, as close and she was getting (too bad the sun was bright)!

Scouts!

2012-01-12T08:07:00.002-07:00

Cole's started the adventure of scouting! They let him start going awhile back and he loves it! He recently got his scout book, and he received his Bobcat at his first pack meeting the week after Christmas. He keeps reading his book, and is very excited about all the fun things he gets to do. He is especially excited about the pinewood derby coming up this month! We came home and had to search designs to find what he wanted to make, he can hardly wait! Still can't believe he's big enough for all this!

Our Bobcat!

Pinning my pin on.

~Roo's Latest Tricks~

2012-01-10T19:06:00.003-07:00

Andrew has learned some good tricks lately! He is obsessed with the potty, mostly playing IN it. We found the potty seat the other day and let him sit on it. The first time on he pooped and peed! He thought he was so funny. I swear he can smell (no pun intended) if the door is open and he runs for the bathroom. He gets his seat out and tries to climb on. I have only put him on it a few times because it's a pain to undress him, but he has pooped in it twice- he thinks its so funny!
He is also into feeding himself- he discovered chocolate pudding the other day and loved it!
His other great trick is climbing. He now carries a stool around so he can climb on things. He discovered Saylee's vanity with a stool right there for him to climb up- it's perfect!
Crazy Boy!

Aren't I cute!

Cheese!

Yummy!

Climbing!

Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam!

2012-01-09T22:31:00.003-07:00

Where does the time go?!?! Madi got to go to Primary on Sunday!!!! She is a Sunbeam, I can't believe it. She was VERY excited and not nervous a bit, which is good for this girl. She had a smile the whole time and said it was SOOO fun. She hasn't stopped wearing her CTR ring yet, I love it! She is growing up so fast. She doesn't let me call her princess little anymore, it's princess big! Lub this girl!!!

Mads ring!

~A Week of Fun~

2012-01-07T22:56:00.012-07:00

I think the week after Christmas was much busier than Christmas itself! It was a whirlwind of fun, here's the quick version...
Monday was my families Christmas party. The kids started the day enjoying and discovering all their gifts. They had fun playing together. They got Mario Cart for the Wii and loved it! Saylee had been wanting to make sugar cookies, so I convinced her to make them today instead of before Christmas. She and Madi picked out all the cutters. We made everything from stars to pumpkins to candy canes! They had fun. I appreciate my mother more and more every time we make sugar cookies- I should do that more often like she did!
We started our party at the bowling alley. We were supposed to be having a ugly sweater contest, but John and I and my niece and nephew were the only participants- boring fam. According to the neighboring bowlers, John won hands down! The kids had fun bowling, mostly. The boys refused bumpers, and their game got a little long as they got tired! The little girls didn't quite finish theirs- they were done. We did have a good time. John even performed to "Party House Rock", ugly sweater and all- the teens and adults were impressed!
We had soup and sandwiches for dinner and plenty of other food and snacks. The kids enjoyed their gift exchange- I love how cousins love each other! Then they played while the adults enjoyed a white elephant exchange game. We had some interesting gifts! I think Rob won with the deer leg knife that John brought.
Someone asked when we were going to open Cole's birthday gifts, to which he replied, "Start singing" and began the song. He was wild and happy for the attention! We were all spent by the end of the night!
Tuesday we tried to get a few things back to normal or at least organized. Johns parents came for a visit in the afternoon. The kids were excited to show them their Christmas! They brought Cole a treasured birthday gift, Star Wars Episode I- his very favorite! They also were bringing the girls the rest of their Christmas, something they had been working hard on. But due to a little mishap they weren't able to bring it. They brought it the next week so I included the pictures here. They made a HUGE dollhouse for Saylee and Madi. The girls love it and can't wait to paint and decorate it! It has become the house for the Barbies, with a loft for the big dolls to sleep in, it's perfect.
We had dinner with them at "Chuck a Grandmas" then they headed home. Another fun day!
Wednesday I can't even remember. I'm sure we played a lot, and maybe caught up a bit. Wednesday night was Cole's first official Pack meeting. He earned his Bobcat! They let him start going to scouts awhile ago and he loves it! He just got his book and has been so excited reading about all the things he gets to do. He is especially excited for the Pine Wood Derby this month- he has been designing his car and can't wait to get working on it!
Thursday was a beloved, cousin swap, sleep over. The kids love cousin sleep overs, and try to plan them whenever they get a break. We ended up with the boys this time, 5 ages 7-9. They had so much fun, and were so LOUD and a even a little stinky! Marshmellow guns, pillow fights, wrestling, running, drawing, DS, pizza making, darts, popcorn, Kung Fu Panda 2, lots of stories and a little sleep. Morning brought waffles, eggs and hot chocolate, and a BEAUTIFUL day to play outside. They had quite the adventures down by the creek and in the "woods". The girls ended up in the Valley. It was Madi's very 1st sleep over and she loved it! I was told they played a lot of school and had a lot of fun. There were 5 girls ages 3-6.
Friday again was beautiful weather! When all kids were returned, we played outside and enjoyed the sunshine. It felt like spring, mud included! Friday night my family enjoyed a trip to the Temple. It was so great to all (almost all, we missed Rob) be together. We were able to seal my grandpa Story to his parents and my uncle Dan to his parents. We did sealings for an hour. It was awesome. We had dinner at Robintinos. This was my mom's birthday gift she has been wanting for years, hopefully we do it again soon! Our awesome babysitters, Meili and Jenna watched the kids, they had tons of fun as always. They stayed up late again and were soooo tired!
Saturday was New Years Eve. The kids were really tired from a week of fun, and a little (sometimes a lot) ornery! I had (got actually, I have been called off so much!) to work that night. John said the girls and Drew crashed out early and he and Cole watched the ball drop at 10pm and went to bed soon after!
Luckily church is now at 11, so we got a little morning sleep. We are ready to get back to normal and on schedule. But a great week of fun!!!

Monday...

Roo just listening to tunes and riding his fire truck!

Cutting out cookies!

Wii Mario Cart!

Frosting!

Wow!

Mads loved bowling and carrying that big ball all by herself!

Cole's got it down!

Say between the legs!

Nice form, haha

Nice sweater!

Perfect arch!

Dewey did this on her own, walked right up and turned around- she's a goof!

Madi watching her bowl!

Roo and Gramp!

Saylee opening her Squinky holder and Sqinkies from Clarissa.

Roo got Little People bus from Sammy.

Mads got Squinkies and a Webkinz from Kyla, she was so excited once she peeked inside!

Cole's Lego city from B-man.

The after hug, Cole was excited!

Again, nice sweater!

A birthday gift!

John's slew of car care from the old $ store.

Tuesday...

The birthday gift:)

The dollhouse!

Hugs for Papa!

Hugs for Grandma Jan!

Wednesday...

Cute Roo riding!

Our Bobcat!

Thursday...

The boys!

Movie time.

The adventure!

Drew LOVED being outside!

Adventuring!

Happy Birthday Coleman!

2011-12-31T14:35:00.006-07:00

I still can't believe our big man turned 8! He and I went shopping and he picked out a huge Star Wars balloon. I love that he loves his birthday! He just roles with it all, doesn't ever seem to feel bad he has to share it with the world- he knows it's special! He stopped building his Lego set long enough to open birthday presents and blow out candles on his apple fritter doughnut cake. We got him a Lego Star Wars character encyclopedia that he loved and wouldn't put down to open the rest of his gifts. He also got a football, basketball and scout shirt. Gram and Gramp got him a fishing vest and a book about preparing for baptism. Happy 8th Birthday Buddy!

The gifts!

"Happy Birthday to Me!"

The "cake"!

Love him.

Gifts.

Reading his encyclopedia while Drew plays with his ball, personalities shining through!

Cards.

Sporting the new vest and reading the encyclopedia.

He didn't put the book down, but Drew was ready for the next ball.

Calzones for dinner!

Birthday dinner.

Playing catch with dad!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T16:14:00.014-07:00

This Christmas was definitely one of my favorites! The kids are at such fun ages. They were so excited, and so happy all day. Saylee started our day at 6:30. John and I could hear them in there talking, then Saylee came in our room bursting with excitement, telling us she told Madi she would come get us to get her off the bunk bed. I went in to find Madi and Cole sound asleep! Saylee had woken Mads, but she went back to sleep. Saylee could hardly stand waiting. She cuddled with us for a while. She kept saying, "Let me just go look then I will come right back down!" She soon found that the elf, Popotchi had left a note and she got a lion Webkinz. I got ready and she waited as patiently as possible. Cole and Madi woke up to us singing Happy Birthday to Cole around 7:30, and we woke Drew a little before 8. Cole found his frog Webkinz, Madi her hippo Webkinz and Drew and McQueen wheelie from our elf. Finally time to go upstairs!
Santa delivered all their wishes, plus some! They were all very happy. We opened the rest of the gifts and enjoyed our morning. We had biscuits and gravy, sausage and eggs for breakfast. The girls had dolly fun, Roo played cars, and Cole began the Lego creation, then we headed to church. Cole says he thinks Christmas should always be on Sunday because that's what it's all about. Church was filled with Christmas songs and special testimonies. Cole received lots of Happy Birthday wishes!
We came home for more playing. The girls quickly changed back into their outfits that match their dolls, but Cole was too busy building Lego's to even change! He kept telling me, "I'm addicted to building these!" Gram and Gramp came for lunch (rolls, sandwiches, veggie tray), and more gifts. We celebrated Cole's birthday with them. He stopped building just long enough for his apple fritter cake and a couple of gifts, then he was back to it! We spent the rest of the day enjoying the excitement and new gifts. The kids were so happy and relatively calm, it was a great, relaxing day!
Cole finally finished his Lego creation at about 5pm. It was the first time he had built the entire thing by himself, and he loved it. Lego's are so cool! It wasn't til then that he changed out of his church clothes and discovered his other gifts. We let him shoot his BB gun even though it was getting dark, because he hadn't shot it yet. The girls played dolls together, and everyone enjoyed singing in Madi's new microphone. Drew loved his wheelies ramp, and his firetruck.
We had calzones for dinner as per Cole's request. Then Trevor and Kyla came to visit and play with the kids. They were ready to crash when it was all over! The girls had a sleep over upstairs with their dolls and matching nightgowns. A beautiful day!

Saylee waiting!

Lined up!

Saylee and "Roxy"!

Cole with his pile!

Cheese! Wheelies!

Playin' with brother!

The "pink, stand up microphone"!

Excited!

Earrings for Roxy.

Cheese!

Cole gave John Big Game Hunter 2012. (Cole wondered if that meant we couldn't play it until 2012:)

New outfits for Say and Roxy!

Mads singing in the microphone.

My gifts!

Clothes.

Drew ripping the paper!

Clothes.

The famous child's XL snow pants, OOPS!

Cute Mads!

The mess.

More mess.

Mads and Ava in their new twiner outfits.

Lego boy!

Say with the ear buds and Roxy in her new backpack.

The twiner outfits.

After church, CUTE!

Building!

More ripping.

Say.

Mads.

Cole.

Drew's favorite part about gifts.

Rip it out.

Say and Gram.

Mads and Gram.

Say took a picture of me.

Roo and Gramp.

More building.

Getting closer.

Finished!

The first BB gun shot!

Girls and daddy!

Roo riding before bed.

Trevor fun.

Kyla love.

The sleepover!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-30T15:43:00.009-07:00

Christmas Eve was spent getting our final preparations for the big day! Luckily, we were all feeling GREAT (we had a NASTY bug earlier in the week and I will spare the details)! John went ice fishing in the morning, and the kids and I delivered some final treats to friends. We got some baking done, cleaned the house, wrapped a couple of little things, and went grocery shopping. We enjoyed turkey noodle soup and bread sticks for dinner, then headed upstairs to open just ONE gift. The kids all got matching snowman PJ's, John got camo PJ's and I got cozy flannel ones. The kids convinced dad to let them open one more present, then they exchanged gifts between each other. We drew names this year, Cole and Say got each other and Mads and Drew got each other. They were VERY happy with their gifts! John and I each opened just one more too! I was impressed that there were still gifts under the tree when we finished.
We headed to Willard to see the lights, which turned into a longer experience than we planned because we forgot to bring cash and had to got into Brigham to get some (a story in and of itself!). The kids loved seeing the lights and staying warm in the car. Cole "drove" us through them. It was a lot of fun.
We got home and wrote notes to Santa to make sure he knew how to get in the house, Cole even drew him a map. We left cookies and chocolate milk (Madi says that is Santa's favorite), threw out some reindeer food and headed to bed. Saylee has been promising Madi that she could sleep IN her bed with her on Christmas Eve and they were so excited! They couldn't stop hugging each other and telling each other that they loved each other. Cole slept on the bottom bunk. It was cute to hear them talking and laughing in there. They were VERY excited, but also very tired. They were out quickly and ready for the big day...

Dinner time!

Mmmmmm!

The tree before. (Notice Popotchi the elf at the top of the tree. He came again this year and the kids loved it. They love to find where he is hiding each day. He brought the boys a Lego Star Wars advent calendar and the girls a Polly Pocket one, which they had a ton of fun with. He's a great elf!)

PJ'S!

Happy kids!

Cute kids!

So excited!

Happy!

Couldn't stop moving! He got Swiss Family Robinson.

Roo figured out the gift thing quick!

His gift from Mads.

Giving a gift to Mads.

She was SOOO happy!

Cole's gift to Say.

Loves!

Saylee's gift to Cole.

John's surprise.

My WARM new coat!

Cole driving with dad and Madi.

Say.

Roo climbing out the window.

Reindeer food!

The sleepover!

Madi's note to Santa!

Saylee's directions to Santa!

Cole's map to Santa!

School B-Day

2011-12-30T15:41:00.002-07:00

Cole got to celebrate his Birthday the Tuesday before school let out. He was so excited. He wanted doughnuts for his treat. He came home with a boomerang from his teacher that he LOVES. He says it is the best present ever. He has had a lot of fun with it. He also got a very cute book of notes from his classmates. It was bound and everything. It was fun to see the nice things they had to say about him. A lot of them said how nice and funny he is. My favorite one said, "I like how you always do what you think is right." What a fun day:)

Cute Birthday Boy!
Oh yes, he wanted to wear a Christmas shirt and this is what he came up with!

Christmas in Idaho!

2011-12-30T15:05:00.007-07:00

The kids know that when it's time for our Christmas party in Idaho, Christmas is almost here! They always get so excited to see their cousins and sleep at Grandma Jan and Papa's. It is a whole day and a half of party and they LOVE it! This year cousins Jen and Mary joined us from Seattle. We love them and were happy to see them. Cole was happy because Mary speaks Chinese and he could talk to her, he thought it was pretty cool.
Three of the cousins slept over Friday night, and the rest came Saturday morning. We had great visits, and the kids had non-stop fun. They loved playing hide and seek, school, games, and under the dinner table. Dinner was great, followed by a talent show/recital, then gifts. We celebrated Papa and Cole's birthdays too. It was a mess of fun, and they were ready to crash out when it was all said and done. We got home Saturday night with tired, happy kids!

The slumber party!

Say and cute baby Landon.

John had to go take a picture of the famous machine that nearly took his arm- yuck, I think I could have done without the visual!

Uncle Dave and the boys!

Why this was the favorite place to play?!?

More fun under the table!

Cute girls ready for dinner.

Bring on the food!

Papa and the kids!

Grandma Jan and the kids!

Loving, helpful cousins!

The whole crew!

The famous stunt this year.

The boys making Grandma happy for the family pic!

The kids singing Jingle Bells!

Cute kids!

Cole's recital piece.

Cole and Shelby did a duet.

"Happy Birthday Papa and Cole!"

Make a wish!

Happy Birthday Boy!

Roo in the PJ parade!

Mads LOVED her Hello Kitty jams and jewelry box!

Say LOVED her puppy purse!

This boy couldn't be happier with a new Star Wars DVD!

More cute cousins!

Roo Magoo

2011-12-29T21:50:00.005-07:00

This boy is busy! He thinks anything that is on the ground and looks somewhat sturdy, is a step stool for him. Presents fall into this category... Cute boy!

Here we go!

Look at me!

Proud boy!

He even found the sprinkles for a shaker!

BOM

2011-12-29T21:49:00.003-07:00

We started the Book of Mormon as a family over 2 years ago, and finally finished!!! Our goal was to finish before Cole got baptized, and are happy we made it. The kids were excited and wanted a party. We made ice cream sundaes with all the toppings! The kids have made sure we never miss reading before bed- good job kidos!

The fam!

~Christmas @ Preschool~

2011-12-29T21:40:00.004-07:00

Madi had a fun Christmas party at school. They made a fun wreath, played cute games, sang songs, and ate snacks. They even did a white elephant exchange and she got a little horse that she LOVED. She is so excited for Christmas time, she's loving it!

Mads gluing intently.

Drew loved this chair at the party, cute boy!

Mads, AKA Rudolph, holding up the bell for the kids to sing loud!

A fun hiding game!

She's it!

Elf, Elf, Santa!

The treat!

Cheese!

Her gift.

The cowgirl loves the horse!

Cookie Dough

2011-12-29T21:38:00.005-07:00

This year we spread Christmas cheer with some sugar cookie dough, a cookie cutter, and a cute poem,

We made a plate of cookies,
And ate just one or two,
But started feeling guilty,
Because they were for you.
We went into a panic,
And ordered on the phone,
This brand new cookie cutter,
So you could make your own!

The kids love delivering things, and while they are getting warm in the car watching a Christmas show, John gets his exercise! We love this tradition of delivering treats, and love all our friends! We got some cute responses in return this year to our poem.
Madi helped me make the dough...

And she made Drew a birthday cake!

Funny Girl!

Piano

2011-12-29T21:35:00.003-07:00

Cole had a Christmas recital. He played a duet with his teacher, "Away in a Manger". This is one of his favorite Christmas songs. He did great!

Santa 2011!

2011-12-29T21:25:00.004-07:00

We got a surprise visit from Santa at Gram and Gramps too! I don't know if it was much of a surprise, the kids always look forward to this too, and were watching out the window for him! The kids loved their turn on Santa's lap (Madi freaked out with all the cheering when it was her turn, so we had to wait a minute and go again with less attention- then she loved it!) They all like Santa, Drew even did good with it, he just looked at him. They put in their Christmas wishes, Cole wants a Lego Sith Infiltrator, Saylee wants an American Girl doll, and Madi wants a pink stand up microphone! I think Drew wants cars and a race track! They each got new gloves and a treat, and were happy as can be with their Santa visit! Thanks Gram and Gramp!

Cole and Santa!

He likes him!

Saylee explaining her wish!

Happy!

Roo checking him out!

Hmmmm...

Is it edible?

Thanks!

Madi telling her wish!

Happy Girl!

John and my dad's boots!

Me and Santa!

Nativity

2011-12-29T21:16:00.003-07:00

We always look forward to our Bailey family night in December. The kids love to do the Nativity, and can't wait for their parts. The girls love to be angels, and Cole really wanted to be a wise man this year. His gift was real frankincense (thanks Amber). Andrew made a great cow! All the kids always do a great job, they are reverent and know how important it is. It is fun to watch them! After the Nativity we had dinner, and enjoyed the Christmas Devotional, a perfect way to start our Christmas celebrations!

The kids in the "stable".

Cute.

Our cow riding the cow!

The Wise Men.

The whole group singing "Silent Night".

Cute kids.

Loving Gramp!

Painting

2011-12-29T21:11:00.003-07:00

The kids wanted to paint the other day, and we let Drew join in (I think Cole had painted a lot by this age). Andrew loved it and only ate a little! The kids thought it was fun that he could join them.

Jubilee!

2011-12-18T22:03:00.008-07:00

We went to the Christmas Tree Jubilee Thanksgiving weekend, a tradition we might have to keep! It was fun, perfect size, and close to home! The kids liked picking out their favorite tree, which turned into a few favorites! The girls liked the very colorful trees, Cole picked ones with different tops, and unique trees, and Drew like the train and cows. We had dinner at Subway, a new favorite of all the kids. Cole likes meatball subs with daddy, Mads and Say had ham, peperoni, and cheese, and Drew and I shared tuna. After dinner we went shopping for our new Christmas ornaments. A great family night!

Mads liked the gingerbread/candy cane tree.

The Grinch tree from Cole and Says school.

Roo liked the trees!

"Mooo", he like the cows.

Cole like this one because of the star.

The train was entertaining.

A very colorful favorite!

Mads liked it too!

Another girl fav.

Posing Say.

Say like the elves.

Madi like Snowmen at Night and the moon on top.

Cole like the sock monkey tree.

This was Cole's first favorite, he really like the top!

The kidos!

Say

Mads

Coley

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-18T21:57:00.005-07:00

The kids had so much fun decorating for Christmas!!! They HAD to do it the day after Thanksgiving, and were ready to get the totes out themselves. I usually get the tree up with the lights and get everything clean before we start, but they weren't going to let that happen this year! We just had to decorate spots at a time and clean as we went because they were excited:) Madi asked if she could put the star on top before we even got things out, she was so happy to do it. The kids love getting the ornaments out and asking about each one. They get a new ornament every year and love to find which ones are theirs. This year Cole picked a General Grievous ornament (which he had to save some of his own money for), Saylee picked a Dora one (she had a hard time picking and had 3 different ones before she finally decided), Madi picked a snowman (the first one she picked up and she loved it), Drew got a Monster Truck (he loves trucks and we call him a monster when bulldozes over everything in his way). John and I got a Boston Red Sox Sock Monkey ornament. It was a little hard to teach Andrew not to touch the ornaments after he helped decorate and we were all touching them! He learned pretty quick though, and did good. He learned a new word because of it, "diddy". As long as we told him "pretty", he would just touch them nicely and say "diddy".
It was fun to put our tree upstairs in the new room. The kids love turning the lights on and seeing it. I got to put 'my' tree downstairs in the living room. It took a few days to get all the decorations up and ready, but we finally got it done and all the totes put away!

Madi and the star!

Good job girl.

Roo helping!

And eating...

Cole trying to get things up high!

Cute boy!

Mads decorating.

Saylee picked the perfect spots for everything.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-18T21:37:00.006-07:00

Thanksgiving was grand as always, plenty to be thankful for! We had dinner at my parents house with the whole fam. It was delicious, as always, and lots of fun. We enjoyed the beautiful weather, and played outside a good part of the day. The kids love being with cousins. The girls made bracelets and played. The boys shot guns and had adventures. Mostly, we enjoyed being together!

Drew and Madi ready to eat!

Cole and Say with some cousins!

Pilgrim Saylee.

Pilgrim Roo.

Pilgrim Madi.

Pilgrim Cole.

The guns are loud and someone borrowed her ear muffs!

Madi's bracelet.

Chocolate/peanut butter pie!

Roo's cousin time.

Shooter John!

I can still shoot! You have to say I look more natural than my sister!

Cole was in HEAVEN with grandma's BB gun!

More guns!

Crazy cousins!

Cute cousins!

4wheeler cousins!

More cute cousins!

More guns!

Some of Madi's artwork!

Saylee's turkey's!

More Saylee turkey's!

Cole's thankful turkey!

And in Chinese!

The family Thankful turkey we made for family night. The kids loved doing it, and it wasn't hard finding so many things to be thankful for!

Say

2011-12-18T21:32:00.002-07:00

Say was proud of her certificate...

Although her latest response to people asking how she likes kindergarten is, "It's easy!" She is funny, and she loves school:)

Cousin Sleep Over

2011-12-18T21:23:00.003-07:00

The kids have been begging for a sleep over, so we had a couple of cousins come over Thanksgiving break. They had tons of fun. They were hyper as ever, and loved every minute of it! They made pizzas, did crafts, played games, watched Scooby Doo, and crashed out. The next day they had grand, dirty, fun adventures outside! Thankful for cousins!

Turkey Vader part 2

2011-12-18T21:19:00.002-07:00

This is the description Cole wrote on his Turkey Vader...

Madi's Preschool

2011-11-20T21:33:00.004-07:00

Madi is loving preschool! She isn't sure what to call it, sometimes she calls it "home school" but it isn't at her home... yet. Saylee called it "preschool at houses", but Mads usually just calls it school. She loves to go, and talks about it all week. EVERY morning she asks, "Mom, what day is it?" I tell her, then she says "then it's (whatever day), then it's (whatever day), then I have school!" She knows it is on Wednesday and Friday. She has a little bit of a hard time when she goes to a new house. She's fine if she doesn't think about it, and does MUCH better with quick goodbyes from mom!
We had a preschool, Thanksgiving party. She had so much fun. They played games, ate turkey cupcakes, made drums and Indian headbands, and sang songs. Madi had a great time, and Andrew loved it too! She is growing so fast, and loving every minute of it! Some of Madi's favorites in her words...
Color: pink, pink and purple
Treat: Ice cream
Food: cinnamon toast
Toy: Stick horse
Thing to do: Play in the snow
Book: All the books
Drink: Slurpee (we have "slurpee day" after the first gymnastics of the month)
Holiday: Christmas because it's Jesus' birthday
Thing to play: Outside
What she wants to be when she grows up: A cowgirl!
Mads is a doll. She melts us with her big, brown eyes. She can be VERY stubborn at times, but always comes around. She loves to play and pretend especially when no one bothers her. She LOVES when Saylee gives her a lot of attention. She likes to play with Cole, and knows more about Star Wars than I do. The other day her friend was over and Madi came to me and said, "Parker wants to be (someone in Star Wars- I forget who), but we are playing Episode 1 and (so and so) is not in Episode 1!" I assured her they could just pretend or play a different episode! Madi likes to take care of Drew, and often mimics me in things I say to him. She is a great little mommy to him, and he always gives her big hugs in the morning. Anytime Madi does something cute, I say , "Madi, I like you" to which she responds, "You mean lub!" Lub you Madi girl!

Mads at her party!

Playin' the drums!

Indian Roo!

"O,O,O,O"

The turkey cupcake!

Very cute!

Roo liked the cookie Madi gave him!

mmmm.

Madi liked the frosting!

Saylee's Spotlight

2011-11-20T21:11:00.003-07:00

Saylee got to have "Spotlight Week" at school last week. She was SO excited! She got to do something special every day. Monday was her poster. She picked pictures of her and put them on a poster and got to tell the class about them. There was also a sheet on the back that she had to answer questions all about her. She had fun picking out pictures, it's always interesting which ones are their favorites. She wanted to make sure there were pictures of her in the hospital all the time she has been there. She arranged the poster just how she wanted and wrote all about her pictures in her own sound out spelling. She did great! I volunteer in the kids classes on Monday so I got to be there when she presented her poster. She was so proud and happy to be in front of the class.
Tuesday the class got to interview her. They asked her all her favorites. These are the ones she told me when she got home:
Breakfast food: Pancakes
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Book: Fancy Nancy
Movie: Tangled
Animal: Lion (She told me later her 1st favorite is a monkey, then a lion)
Game: Chutes and Ladders
Color: Pink
I asked her a few, then she was done.
To do: Play outside
Treat: Skittles
Wednesday she got to take the "secret sack" with something in it that tells about her. She chose to take her "Robin doll". Her 3 clues were, It's plastic, It has hair, and It's a girl.
Thursday she got to take her favorite book that has a good message. She chose "A Mud Pie For Mother", very cute story.
Friday was "share and teach". She got to pick something she has learned, or done, and share it with her class and teach them about it. She chose to do cheer leading. Madi and Andrew and I got to go watch her share at 8:30 in the morning! She wore her cheer shirt and borrowed a friends pom poms from Weber State. She told her class how she likes to cheer and that she has cheered at Weber State for 3 years for some football and basket ball games. She told them she sometimes gets pizza at practice and that she got to play duck, duck goose with the mascot Waldo. She taught them the cheer, "Weber State, Weber State, Great, Great, Great!"
What a fun week! Saylee loved being the spotlight!

Her page about her with answers in her own words.

The poster!

She was excited to take this poster!

Telling about her pictures.

Teaching about Cheer!

Reflections

2011-11-15T21:49:00.003-07:00

Cole and Saylee both chose visual arts for reflections this year. The topic was, "Diversity Is..." Cole took pictures and made a collage, and Saylee drew a picture. They did it all on their own and had fun. I think they might even have a little bit of an idea of what diversity is now... maybe. They got awards tonight for participation, along with a pass to Kangaroo Zoo, and some Pop Rocks! That, along with a cookie and seeing friends, worth it!

Cole's project and certificate.

Saylee's project and certificate.

Turky Vader

2011-11-15T13:05:00.004-07:00

Cole had a fun assignment to disguise a turkey so it would get passed by for Thanksgiving. We had fun turning his turkey into Darth Vader! He found a Darth helmet and light saber in a toy magazine. He colored the turkey black, and we glued on the helmet, and light saber, then we made a cloak and some boots. We had fun!

Turkey Vader!

Cole with his turkey.

Tanky

2011-11-15T12:57:00.004-07:00

Cole had show and tell in Chinese. It was so hard to decide what to share, but he finally decided to take his ceramic tank he had painted. I was volunteering in his classroom when he did it, so I got to take pictures and watch him. Had no idea what he was saying, but he was smiling and having fun. It's fun to hear the kids having conversation with each other. They were laughing and talking, all in Chinese! It's awesome. Everyone liked his show and tell- he was happy:)

Cole and "Tanky"

~Primary Program~

2011-11-15T12:37:00.003-07:00

I love Primary Program Sunday! Makes me remember that the world is a wonderful place, and our kids are so amazing! I can't even express my feelings, but our kids (meaning the entire primary) did awesome. Had tears in my eyes and goosebumps the entire time!
Saylee got to write her own part about why the temple is special to her. She stood tall, and in a strong, confident, happy voice said, "The temple is special because we can get sealed there and live with Heavenly Father, and Jesus, and our family forever."
Cole's class talked about baptism, and he got to recite the 4th Article of Faith. He carried his scriptures with him, sat them on the pulpit, and calmly, yet confidently recited it beautifully.
They both were excited to do it and to be up there. I think they understood the importance of what they were saying. I love watching these kids grow and gain testimonies of their own. Cole told me the other day, "Mom, I don't believe our church is true, I know it is." He has been talking to some friends about church and is really building his own testimony. They have strong spirits. LOVE THEM!
Madi loved having the kids up there, she watched the whole thing intently. Gram and Gramp came down to watch too- the kids love that! They joined us for dinner after along with Grandpa George. Wonderful day!

Saylee

2011-11-11T21:35:00.003-07:00

Saylee came home from school with this today...

It says... "You are cute. I like you. You are at my center. To Saylee, From Jack." :)
They started a new "center" at school last week where you can write notes to others in the class and put them in their cubby. She loves it and has received a lot of mail! I thought this one was particularly cute!
Some things to remember about Kindergarten thus far...
Saylee LOVES school! I think she likes the social aspect best, but she does like to learn. She just got her first report card and got perfect marks. Her teacher has nothing but wonderful things to say about her. She gets up and ready happily for the most part, she hurries so she doesn't miss the bus!
She had her first field trip to the Nature Center. I didn't get to go, but she met a new friend, Kambri, and had a lot of fun. She said she like playing predator and prey where they try to hide and blend in with nature so the predator couldn't see them. She also caught a grasshopper.
She loves to come home and tell me every detail about how things work, and what they do at school. She loves library day, PE, centers, her teacher, riding the bus, and being big. She just loves everything about it. Her Kindergarten crush is "York". He is not in her class, but he sits behind her on the bus and pulls on her coat. She told me she thinks he like her. I have yet to see him, but she showed me where he lives. Funny girl. (Just in case I didn't write it before, her preschool crush was Kylor, he was a cute boy. A little rambunctious, but cute.)

Am I ready for snow?

2011-11-11T21:31:00.004-07:00

No! But our kids are! They were very excited to wake up to a white blanket. They immediately wanted to go outside and play, sled, build a snowman, and EAT snow! Glad they like it. Saylee said, "Mom, you were happier last year when it snowed". She must have sensed my gloom for the early, cold weather, I will try to enjoy it! They had fun, and enjoyed their hot chocolate after!

Roo all bundled up, he even liked it!

Cole lives for snow!

Ready to sled!

Climbing the hill.

Happy Mads!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T13:32:00.011-07:00

When did Halloween start lasting a whole week?!? Good thing I like holidays! We have had fun. The kids LOVED their costumes this year, they were so excited. I bought costumes on clearance last year, Cole had a skeleton but he converted it into Darth Maul with his imagination. He even saved his own money to buy a Darth Maul, double lightsaber! It turned out awesome. Saylee was a princess on a unicorn (she informed everyone that it was a unicorn, not a pony even though it didn't have a horn)! Madilyn was Strawberry shortcake with cute read braids that she loved! And Drew was Elmo- it was supposed to be Madi's costume, but she didn't want it and he LOVED it and kept hugging it so she gave it to him!
We started the festivities with Cole's piano costume party. He painted a pumpkin that says Star Wars, and came home soooo excited because, apparently he directed Star Wars plays then entire party. He was in heaven! The girls got to paint their pumpkins at home too!
Friday we had our ward Halloween carnival/trunk or treat/chili cook-off/Halloweeny roast. The kids enjoyed the games. Cole liked the cowboy dart shooting game best, Saylee and Madi both like the ghost bowling. Andrew stayed home for a much needed nap with John, and later joined us for trunk or treat. They got plenty of candy, and enjoyed the hot dogs, soup and yummy breadsticks!
Saturday we carved our pumpkins. (After jumping in the leaves and really breaking my camera- John had to go buy me a new one so we could carve pumpkins!) The kids all picked their faces and I helped them carve. Cole cleaned out his whole pumpkin this year by himself. Saylee was the most grossed out by it all, and Mads did good getting hers clean. Cole named his pumpkin Jack, Jack, Jack-o-lantern, Saylee's was Roxy, and Madi's was Star Star. Drew slept through the carving, but liked his pumpkin when he woke up! Cole and I liked the baked pumpkin seeds.
Sunday we dressed up again to go visit Gram and Gramp. Luckily this time Cole had discovered John's costume that his students put together for him and he was a fighter pilot (one less time of tedious face painting!). It was fun to see cousins in costume and trick or treat to Gram and Gramp!
Finally Halloween! The kids got to dress up for school. I also got to join them and help for Saylee's class party. My friend and I were witches and made some yummy "brew" complete with toad hearts, newt eyeballs, warewolf claws, rattlesnake venom, vampire blood, crushed skeletons, and worms. It was great to see the kids faces! Saylee was proud that she was brave enough to try the brew! John took the day off (his kids were out of school) and had a fun date with Madi while I was gone and Drew slept. Later I took the kids back in costume to join the parade in the afternoon at the school.
Right after school, we went to visit Grandpa George. The kids were excited to show him their costumes, and he had special treats for them. They love his house and love him. We came home to find Grandma Jan waiting for us with Jack-o-lantern pizza's! We ate dinner and went trick or treating! The anticipation had built up so much they could hardly stand it! Especially Saylee, she just couldn't wait. We hit our neighbors and went down and back on the street above us, and they were done! Plenty of candy, and plenty of fun! The weather was great, it was almost warm! They dumped their candy, picked their favorites and gave the rest to dad to take to work. They all wanted to play with their playdough most. Then they were ready for bed. Grandma got to sleep over, so even after a VERY long, busy day, they were up bright and early the next morning to see grandma before school. What a fun week! Can't wait for next year, we already have fun costume ideas...

The Star Wars pumpkin!

Cute painters!

Three kidos.

Darth Maul!

Strawberry!

A bowling princess riding a unicorn!

Face painting, she picked a heart.

More bowling!

She picked a spider and a heart.

Elmo!

He found a big treat!

Darth and his buddy Harry Potter.

The pumpkins!

And Drew's!

Elmo eating puff snacks from Gram and Gramp.

Jet Fighter Pilot!

Most of the crew!

He loved this costume almost as much as his Darth Maul.

The princess and her spider hat.

Mummy wrap!

Bowling.

Bingo!

The brew!

Cute girls in the parade!

Darth at school!

Elmo with Grandpa George!

Saylee's special treat.

Madi's special treat.

Cole's special treat.

The kids with George.

The pumpkin pic (Saylee is not impressed, she wants to trick or treat!)

Another shot.

Drew and crazy dad, he cut his hair with my nephew to be an old man!

Crazy dad!

The kids with Grandma!

Mads and Daddy!

The front porch!

Playdough time!

The pumpkins lit.
Happy Halloween!

LEAVES

2011-11-07T13:15:00.007-07:00

The kids LOVE the leaves (way more than I do)! They do make for good pictures though. We only got one good jumping in before the snow. The pictures don't do the final pile justice, it was HUGE!

JUMP!

WAHOO!

Mads helped me rake.

Cute Roo!

John raking- he got some great double takes from the people driving by. This was part of his Halloween costume his students made him.

Coley!

Dewey jumping!

Run Mads!

More Drew.

Cole loved this mask- he wore it til it was all steamed up!

Saylee buried.

Mads!

Not liking it so much now!

More Randomness...

2011-11-07T13:07:00.004-07:00

Some cute random pictures...

Aunt Shiree, Uncle Dave, Carter, Macie, and Landon came to visit. Mads and Macie are good friends!

RooRoo loving Gram at the soccer game (notice the gash and goose egg on his forehead from bonking the corner of the computer desk).

Cole and Carter playing lightsabers- Boy cousins!!

Say scored another goal in her soccer game!

Buddies!

Mads had a field trip to the pet store! She like the birds and fish the best!

Drew liked the rat, yuck!

~Family Pics and Drews 1 Year~

2011-11-06T21:43:00.007-07:00

I just love pictures!

Finally!

2011-11-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

I finally got some posts on- more to come!!!

Haunted Houses

2011-10-30T22:03:00.008-06:00

My awesome sister planned a haunted house making party at her house with all the cousins over fall break! These kids love getting together, and its even better when there is spray paint involved! We ate pizza and each of the kids got to make their own haunted house. We had a blast, and got cute Halloween decorations out of it. I think everyone's favorite part was spray painting! Thanks sis!

The spray painting party!

Cole was LOVING it!

Mads pink house!

Saylee's multi-colored!

The final product!

Says!

And Mads!

Roo enjoyed eating apples and smiling at everyone!

Giggling with his spider rings!

The Boat!

2011-10-30T21:57:00.003-06:00

John has been eying aluminum boats for awhile now, and he finally bought one! He was SO excited! He was like a little boy at Christmas. He couldn't wait to get us all out on the water. We were able to make a couple of outings before it got too cold- a touch of the fun we will have when we get warm weather back! The kids thought it was fun (and cold). Cole was proud to be the driver while John fished, and John was elated with the whole thing. We might even catch a fish someday, but in the meantime we will be having fun!!!

The whole outfit! YEHAW! (Puts a whole new dimension on the meaning of a truck and a boat!)

On the water!

Memories!

Bright sun!

Captain Roo!

A man and his boat!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T21:51:00.004-06:00

We made our family trip to the pumpkin patch on a warm Saturday afternoon. The kids always look forward to this. There is something about being let loose in a HUGE field of pumpkins to find the perfect one. We all had fun and it was such a beautiful day. On the way home we picked up tacos and went to the park for a picnic and more playing. Good times!

The sun was bright!

This witch was scary (especially her big cold sore!), the kids loved it!

Me and my kidos!

Mads perfect pick!

Saylee found hers!

Drew wants that one!

Got it!

The fam in the pumpkin patch!

Tiana

2011-10-30T21:49:00.003-06:00

Our dear friend had a "Cooking with Tiana Party" for her Dream Factory dream. We were excited to share with her, and the kids LOVED meeting Tiana! Cole even said it was pretty cool because there was a "boy" couch and they got boy gift bags!

Mads and Tiana.

Say and Tiana.

gramp

2011-10-30T21:47:00.004-06:00

We decided to spend our early out afternoon at Gram and Gramps! We don't get there enough with the kids in school. They played and played, ate pizza, and helped Gramp with chores. Saylee even let the new calves lick her fingers! The 4wheeler rides are always great:)

"Helping!"

Drew likes the ride!

Black Island Take 2

2011-10-30T21:35:00.005-06:00

I scheduled another field trip to Black Island with some work friends. I was able to take Say, Mads and Drew. We had a ton of fun again. We love this place. This time Mads and Say liked feeding the animals out of their hands the best, and Drew loved the slide. More pumpkins and hours of fun!

Roo in the corn.

Train ride!

The slide- he would slowly go then...

turn around and cruise down!

Cute Mads!

Saylee climbing the hay!

Cute girls on the hay ride.

Me and my Roo.

The perfect picks!

Tractors and dirt!

Feeding the burrow!

It tickles!

This one tried to eat Drew!

Mads loved these little goats!

Swinging!

Swinging Say!

Head first!

1 year stats

2011-10-20T22:20:00.006-06:00

The Stats!
Height 30.8 in. 80%
Weight 23.94 lbs 67%
Head 19.4 in. 98%

What a big, fun boy our Roo is! He is SO cute, SO happy, and SO BUSY! He is a climber and a bulldozer. He prefers to go OVER things rather than go around them, we call it ROO-WHEEL-DRIVE! He constantly pushes his cars around, and says BRMMMMM. He likes to play in the cabinets, climb in the dishwasher, empty the drawers, lift the toilet lid and let it bang down, play in the dirt, and splash in the bathtub. He loves to give hugs and kisses, and is very friendly and will give most people a hug if they just acknowledge him. Andrew is walking more and more everyday, but his preferred method of travel is pushing something... mostly his tractor, but he'll take anything (rocking horse, chair, stool, toys, and even his sister). He still does his bear crawl when he wants to go fast. He signs and says more and all done, he signs milk, dog, and bye. The other day I asked, "Who wants more...." and the kids all raised their hands and said, "I do!" Drew mimicked them and now its their favorite game. They ask anything and he will raise his hand and say "I do". Funny boy! His favorite toys are probably balls, trucks and stuffed animals. He loves dogs and horses. Andrew also LOVES to eat. Some of his favorites are oatmeal, tuna fish sandwiches, chicken pot pie, cheesy potatoes, grapes, strawberries, and cheese. He now has 6 teeth, 4 top and 2 bottom. He loves to be outside, and LOVES his brother and sisters. We love this busy boy and are so glad he is part of our family! Some random pics...

The best picture I captured at the doctors office- he was too busy!

Cheeser in the tub!

Brrmmm!

Big tractor and dirt!

First empty the drawer, then climb in it, then use it to get in other drawer- SMART BOY!

Tada!

A birthday toy from Aunt Nance- he loves it!

Big boy!

Walking!

More walking!

He takes this tractor EVERYWHERE!

Going fast!

Pushing the horse...

and cars...

and train!

~Sneak Peek~

2011-10-11T12:11:00.004-06:00

Can't wait to see all our pics! This is the sneak peek. Love our photographer, check her out here!

"Happy Birthday To Drew!"

2011-10-09T22:30:00.015-06:00

The little man is 1!!! We started the birthday festivities on Sunday at my parents house. Andrew liked his gifts, and the packages they came in. He was even polite enough to take time to look at the cards. We had dinner, sang "Happy Birthday", then 'bring on the cake'! The kids helped me make a baseball cake. I have to say it turned out much cuter than Cole's first birthday baseball cake. I have improved over the years. Drew was not sure what to think of the cake. He picked it up, looked at it, touched it a little, and looked at it some more. He finally sunk his hands in, but wasn't sure what to do- his hands were messy, it was TOO sweet, and... he started to cry! We had to distract him with his balloons to get him happy again, then daddy found him some of the inside of the cake which he like MUCH better. At one point someone yelled, "give him a carrot", haha. My family thinks I am way to stingy on my babies and sweets! He liked the cake after that as long as grandma sat by and got him some good pieces. He was happy to be clean again and play with his toys!
Monday we got his 1 year pics, along with some family pics- can't wait to get them!
Tuesday was the BIG day! We decided to do something fun as a family since we had done the cake and party thing already. I voted for the zoo and dinner, but we had to play it by ear for the weather. Lucky for us, the clouds parted and the sun shined through just in time for our little family to go to the zoo! We had a great time, and were one of few families there. The animals were very active. I think Roo liked the monkeys the best. We road the carousel, then headed to the park where the kids gave Roo presents! He was more interested in climbing and exploring the park, but he did enjoy his Fur Real Puppy, stuffed horse, and snacks on the way home! We stopped at Sizzler for dinner. Drew made and big mess and ate a ton- 2 normal things for him. We headed home to find more gifts and kind friends to wish the little man a Happy Birthday! A great day- can't believe it's come and gone! Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

His first gift!

Vroom, Vroom!

Reading the card!

Uhh, Mads!

He DIDN'T love the hats!

LOVES his new ball from Gram and Gramp!

"Happy Birthday to Drew"

The cake!

Hmmm.

"I think I'll just pick this up and check it out!"

Hmmm

Dad putting on the "war paint"- Drew didn't like this!

Grab it!

"I don't know what to do!"

Where's the balloons?

Good distraction!

"Okay, this isn't so bad."

Now we're talkin'

Yummy!

And messy!

Happy Birthday Boy!

A couple more tastes!

Yay!

Our own version of 1 year pics!

HIS BIG DAY!!!

Birthday morning!

The kids shared "cinnaburst" bread! He also enjoyed his oatmeal and pears.

mmmm

Gram and Gramp singing "Happy Birthday"- He loved it!

Hello?

Bath time, another thing Drew LOVES!

Lots' of splashing!

Tuna fish for lunch!

Folding arms for prayers- his new trick.

Playing with random things from the cupboards and making messes!

"Where should we go first?"

Monkey's!

The man.

Say

Cole

Mads

So big!

Not an infant!

Carousel!

Roo loved it!

Zebra riding!

Elephants!

Not too big!

Present time!

Hugs for the horsey!

The Boys!

His BRRRRRMMM face!

Exploring!

Dinner time!

Watermelon!

More fun!

BALLOONS!

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

2011-10-04T08:34:00.001-06:00

~Sneak Peek~

2011-10-03T23:48:00.002-06:00

A few more minutes and my baby is officially 1!!! Here is a sneak peek of his Sunday, pre-birthday party...

More to come tomorrow!

"YoU'Re nOT cAr WreCkeD"

2011-10-03T23:43:00.002-06:00

Saylee and Madi started a game at lunch today where Saylee would name two people and ask, "Who is older?" Madi would answer, and Saylee would respond "Correct" or "Wrong". They were having a great time, and Madi started asking Saylee too. I was cleaning and not paying much attention, but they would occasionally ask me for an answer. Madi asked me one, then went running to Saylee yelling, "You're not car wrecked, you got it right!" I wondered what she was talking about, but Saylee quickly responded, "Madi, is not car wrecked, it's CORRECT!" Glad she know what she was talking about!

~Fall Fun~

2011-10-03T09:04:00.010-06:00

We had our annual Black Island field trip! The kids look forward to our fall fun, and this is the kick off. It worked out good this year to have it on a day the kids were out of school. It was crowded, but it's such a big place it wasn't bad at all. They always love the hayride, Drew really loved it as long as we were moving! We picked the "perfect" pumpkins. They all loved the slides, bounce house, pig races, water-pump duck races, train ride, corn box and more! It was very warm, but better than last year when I was 81/2 months prego! It was a perfectly fun day! We stayed over 3 hrs, and finally had to leave to get Cole to a birthday party. Andrew loved every minute of it and was completely worn out, but very happy. He slept over 3 hrs when we got home. We all slept well that night:)

Just chillin' in the dirt!

Cole's perfect pick!

Saylee's ready.

Mads found hers.

Just right!

Perfect!

Us.

Roo's pumpkin and some tasty dirt!

Off to find more- love this crawl!

Checking out the slide.

Wahoo!

Drew climbing up.

Cole's favorite way to slide.

And down!

The water pump, rubber ducky race.

Cole figuring out just how it all worked!

Tough Mads.

The boys on the train ride.

Brothers!

Madi loved this!

Me and Roo!

He LOVED the corn! (and didn't even try to eat it!)

We need one of these.

Comfy.

Corn angels!

Buried!

Teeter-totter.

Drew checking it out.

This is how we all felt when we got to the car!

Drew eating a pear after his slumber!

Mmmmmm!

A Man and His Garage...

2011-10-03T09:02:00.002-06:00

John LOVES having a garage- it's a man thing! He has been building shelves and planning his layout all week! Here's the man and his garage...

Fathers and Sons Cole style...

2011-10-03T08:58:00.003-06:00

Our stake Fathers and Sons outing got cancelled this year so Cole planned his own! He always looks forward to his daddy time. John told him they could do whatever he picked. Cole picked; dinner at Subway, sleep out in the tent, watch Star Wars Episode 1 IN the tent, then wake up to bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, waffles, OJ, and chocolate milk! The girls and Roo had our own little party in the warm house. We ate pizza, watched Care Bears, and the girls slept upstairs.
Cole was SO excited. He told John, "it's going to be a big day!" It was a success!!!

Snugglin' in the tent.

Watching Star Wars!

Care Bears and popcorn!

Girlies!

Party!

~Field Trip~

2011-09-23T11:06:00.005-06:00

Madi had her first field trip today! She was sooo excited! She kept asking me while we were getting ready, "what do we do?" We went to Great Harvest and learned about making bread, mmmm. Me and Drew got to tag along. She thought it was great and said her favorite part was the "giant cookie" at the end!
Funny girl!

Roo and Mads.

Madi and her cute friend Ruby.

The giant cookie!

Mmmm, chocolate!

Big girl!

Busy...

2011-09-23T10:40:00.004-06:00

This boy is sooo BUSY!!! He's a mover and a climber! We thought he would be walking by now but he prefers to bear crawl when he needs to go fast. He has taken 5 or 6 steps, and is constantly standing up in the middle of the room just to clap for himself then get back down and crawl. He loves to push cars, or anything else he can get to slide across the floor. He is constantly jabbering and coo's like a morning dove. Here's a few busy pics...

Gotta get this thing to go!

It's a better view from up here!

Scoopin'

Back on for more.

His new preferred crawling method.

Down long enough to analyze his next destination.

Much more fun to climb IN the box!

And go crazy!

Randomness

2011-09-23T10:31:00.004-06:00

A few catch up pics!
Fall soccer has begun! Cole decided to play this year. He is excited about it. Saylee is loving it too. Saylee scored a goal on Saturday...

Cole is into strategy and planning...

This is one of Saylee's outfits picked out for school this week...

Mads is LOVING preschool. She thinks she is pretty big, and I think she is pretty cute...

The school had a tailgate party. We had fun dinner, treats, bounce houses and games. The only picture I got was Saylee's crazy hair she got done...

Famous Last Picture...

2011-09-20T17:10:00.004-06:00

This is the picture I took just before I dropped the camera in the lake...

I thought he would stop when he got to the COLD water, but he kept going. I grabbed him before he went under and dropped the camera. Luckily I was able to grab it quick and dry it out, but if you see PINK in the pics below, I need a new camera!
THE HOUSE IS FINISHED- THE PICS BELOW...