Kayli bear is getting big...

Kayli is growing so fast. It kind of makes me sad that my little baby is no longer a "newborn", but every stage is fun and I love LOVE that she smiles at us now. So sweet.

The first snow....

Oh I love the first snowfall! The kids wake up and pretty soon the shout goes up throughout the house..."SNOW....SNOW...IT SNOWED!!" Then it is boots, hats, scarfs, swishy sounding snowpants, and gloves all over the house. The door slams and I dont see the kids for the next two hours as they mess up every bit of the fresh fallen snow! Then it is rosy cheeks and hot cocoa...wet socks from melted ice on the kitchen floor.

P.S. Isn't Martie just gorgeous? I just want to squish her to bits she is so pretty!

Trav's Birthday

Travis turned 5 years old a couple weeks ago! I can't believe it. He wanted an army birthday with a tank cake. It was really fun to make. Here are some pics of the fun. My mom and I made him a little army fort that he can put over the kitchen table and hide in...it even has windows so he can see the enemy coming!

Halloween

Halloween FHE, Dinner, and Carving Pumpkins

For this weeks FHE, Jeff and I planned a spooky dinner and then did that fun story about the dead man's remains. The kids loved it! They were so grossed out if was really funny! We played scary halloween sounds in the background and turned out all the lights too. Later, we carved pumpkins and had some dessert. It was a great night.

Baby Pics

It's always fun when Grandpa comes...when Grandpa Comes!

Week One with Four Kids!

So this was an exciting week for us...4 kids in the car, 4 kids to feed, 4 kids to bath, 4 kids to get to sleep, 4 kids to play with...you get the idea. Luckily, my mom was able to come visit this whole week and help me. Everytime I have a new baby, I am reminded of how great my mother is...there is NOTHING she won't do for me. She sewed, swept, cooked dinner, made cookies with my kids, did the laudry, grocery shopped and BEST of ALL...she is the most fun to be with, to visit with, to share a good laugh with. She listens to all my worries and reassures me. She hears me gush over my babies one minute and snap at them the next--and never judges me--just knows me. I love her! So THANK YOU MOM! I look at my little ones and I love them so much it almost hurts....and then I think to myself "that is how she felt about us...how she still feels about us" and I am so grateful! So here are some pics of our first week as a family of 6!

Kayli Bear so CUTE!

Napping in the window!

Can you IMAGINE---I said to Jeff what if they were all real?

He didn't like that thought! Martie likes him to take care of her

babies when he is taking care of Kayli. haha

Eveybody has had "baby" on the brain lately. Martie

is constantly asking the boys to play house with her.

Trav doesn't look too pleased. I love it!

SHE'S HERE!

Kayli Elizabeth was born on Thursday morning. She was an itty-bitty thing weighing only 6lbs 9oz. She is super sweet and we are so blessed to have her. The kids just love her lots and were so excited. Here are some pics.

I'm Mad!

I'm Mad! Yes, that is right, and legitimatley so I might add. So at the beginning of my pregnancy during my first Dr.'s appointment, I let it be known (very loudly and clearly) that I did not want to know my weight. That I would take part in their little weigh-in humiliation sessions at each visit, but that I in NOOOO WAY wanted to know the results! So each appointment, I step on the dreaded scale (you know the noisy Dr.s office kind--hate em) backwards and listen as the nurse clunks the scales around. WELL, today I officially reached my ninth month of pregnancy and went to my appointment. Like a dutiful patient I walked backwards to the scale, stepped on the scale backwards, and waited silently for her to finish the torture...As I stepped off...I hear the NUMBER roll off her lips..."NOOOOOOOOOO" I screamed in slow motion movie type fashion...............

but it was too late...

the worst part---Jeff brought me a chocolate cream pie home yesterday and I was planning on eating it for lunch. I stepped on BACKWARDS for a reason...come on'

Superheroes?

On a typical Wednesday you can find Trav, Marite, and I at the library, picking out books and enjoying storytime. Today, as we were driving to the library Travis was telling me all the superhero names that he has assigned to the family. They are as follows...

Jeff--Strongman
Caleb-Stretchman
Martie--Firegirl

He then notified me that he was Fastboy...

I was patient while I waited for him to assign me my totally AWESOME superhero name...
after a moment of pondering he said...

"well, mom, i guess you could be like cookgirl."

So EVERYONE else in the family gets a really cool superhero name and after racking his brain all Trav can come up with for me is cookgirl? You always no where you stand with Trav...I'm not fast, flexible, or cool in anyway...to him my value is in cooking. Does this please me? I do not know, but what do you think of my disguise?

Back to School Dinner!

So in honor of school year 2009-2010 (which starts tomorrow WOOHOO!!!) I decided to throw a "Back to School" dinner complete with cafeteria trays, pop quizzes, and crayons! The kids seemed really excited. The kids pretend punched in their lunch codes, grabbed their trays, and were served up "lunch lady"style (minues the hair net)! We all sat down to eat, blessed the food which Caleb said isn't like real school, and dug in.

The decorations.....

the centerpiece....

the pop quiz...we all scored 100%

the whole family...

my serving counter...

& on the menu....spaghetti, garlic bread, applesauce, carrots/dip, & a brownie!

After all was said and done....I said to the kids "How was that for a fun surprise?"

and Trav answered..."It wasn't bad."

I will take that as a thank you and well done!

ZOO

Friday we went to the Idaho Falls Zoo, and although it is small, it was still alot of fun! Here are some pics...

Camping Trip

The kids spent hours and hours catching these little frogs on the beach!

...bucket of water in the face....



...the culprit...



Every year we try to go on a camping trip with Jeff's dad. After days and days of packing (Grandpa Mike's gift/curse), we left Nampa and headed up through Idaho City, Lowman, etc. and into the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. PRETTY!! The drive was a little rough for a family with notorious carsickness and a very pregnant woman, but we made it--with only one melt down from Trav---who refused to buckle in his car seat and then after being forced in, sent me seething glares from the backseat for the remainder of the trip. You don't force Trav into doing anything unless you want to make an enemy for life.