Our Family

Fun Times

2011-06-30T09:56:00.000-06:00

Anytime dad isn't busy at work, we hang out as a family. And even when he is at work, we'll sneak out to see him wherever he may be. We can't believe how fast this summer is racing by, but we've had fun with the things we've been able to do so far.

Preschool Graduation

2011-06-12T10:13:00.000-06:00

Braxton has been going to Teacher Kareen's for the last two years and is very sad he's done with school. He loved going to her preschool. We are super excited for him to start Kindergarten in the Fall. He's going to LOVE it! Our baby is growing up so fast.

Our Butterfly Chaser

2011-06-10T08:10:00.000-06:00

We weren't going to put Braxton in soccer this year, but he said he wanted to try it out. He's not the aggressive type so we weren't sure how he would do. When all was said and done...he said his favorite part was being able to run. We like to call it 'chasing butterflies'. He's not always following the ball and we would find him running the lines on the field. It drives James crazy to watch. I just laugh! I love watching Braxton discover and learn more about this big world. We found that Braxton enjoys playing goalie. He understands they are a team and tells us if a team member scores a goal...the WHOLE team gets a point. Smart little guy!

Running the lines on the field!

Big Cheese

Happy Belated Easter Greetings!

2011-06-09T09:47:00.000-06:00

I seem to run on a better late than never schedule anymore...
Just thought I'd post our kiddos on Easter day.

The Hunt

2011-04-25T14:12:00.000-06:00

A couple years ago I started doing an Easter Egg Hunt at my house. Every child brings ten filled eggs with them and then we combine them all. This way all of the kids get to hunt down ten eggs and go home with different treats. This year we did it with some of our cousins. Everyone came over for lunch and decorated cookies while we hid the eggs in the backyard. They had a blast! I don't think Braxton even notices he's the only boy.

Cause I'm the 'cool' mom! And...it's so worth it!

2011-04-13T09:11:00.000-06:00

SO! Our Uncle Wally gave Braxton a tent for his birthday. Well, mom had this GREAT idea to have a campout in the living room. Braxton has been begging to do this all week and we've had things come up that haven't allowed us to do it 'til now. The night before, we watched the movie 'Despicable Me' on the laptop in the tent. Let's just say, I've been dated! The ground is hard, and I'm exhausted! Braxton thought it was pretty cool, but next time I think we'll include an air mattress and ear plugs. I had put a blanket under us to muffle the noise but by wee early hours, Braxton had managed to wiggle it out from under him. Every time he moved, it made this wonderful crackling sound that woke me up. When he woke up this morning, he asked why my pillow was outside the tent...that I was laying on. I thought it was funny he didn't ask why I was outside the tent. Needless to say, both of us had a very wrestless night. Even though I didn't get much sleep, Braxton was SO excited to have a campout with me. I'm so grateful to have the opportunities I do with my kids. They are my world and it makes the little sacrifices so worth the time that I get to spend with them. I'm going to blink and they'll be grown and off doing their own thing...or maybe think mom isn't so cool anymore...so I'm going cherish what I have with them now.


Waking up to this happy little face every morning is irresistible!

Snow Much Fun!

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I said to James excitedly, "I have a great idea!"

His slow reply, "Oh great! What is it?"

Me, "Let's put Brianna down for her nap and go outside and play in the snow with Braxton."

To which he said, "You and I have different ideas of what's fun."

"Come on! Come on! It'll be fun!"

James, "Ya think?"

Mom pulling Braxton in for backup, " Braxton you wanna go outside and play in the snow?"

Braxton's face lights up, "With both of you guys at the same time!?"

Mom, "Ya! Does that sound fun?"

Why, of course it did! So we ended up playing in the snow for a couple of hours and guess who had more fun than Mom and Braxton combined...Dad! James is very creative. Our huge snowman idea quickly became a snow tunnel for Braxton, while Braxton and I worked on a smaller snowman and started a little snow fort.

The beginning of our very wet adventure!

Braxton calls his new friend, "Wooden Arms".


Too much fun!

One happy little guy!

Hmmm...Maybe it's time to cancel!

2011-04-08T00:42:00.000-06:00

Here's our stash! Braxton insists on piling them higher and higher and loves getting the paper each morning. He wants to see how tall we can build these bad boys. I've even had him line up the rolled papers to create a finish line so we can have races against each other.

When we first subscribed to the paper it was mainly for the coupons. Since Albertson's left us, I just haven't been as motivated in using the coupons. I think it's because they were the easiest and nicest to do business with. I'm really trying to have a better attitude, but it's not worth it to fight for a deal while hauling two kiddos with me, only to find out they are out of what I went after.

James thought I was crazy when I told him I wouldn't buy pepper without a coupon. He didn't want to use the twisty one we have. His newest addiction is Zesty Dill Pickles...strange coming from a guy that would down an entire cake I'd bake, leaving me one piece. I know I'm weird, but it's killing me to buy pickles every other week at full price. When I got home from the store the other night, we both laughed when I told him...'You need to find a cheaper hobby!' Bargain shopping is addicting and an adrenalin rush in finding the best deal.

When it comes down to it, I guess I gotta figure it out soon...are the papers piling up actually saving us money (coupons) or would we be better off saving some $$$ and trees. I'll keep you posted!

2011-04-03T23:57:00.001-06:00

Back To The Blogging World!

2011-04-03T16:10:00.000-06:00

I've been a tad behind in all I've done for the last year...but then James would tease I've always been a little slow! I've been wanting to catch up on here forever. The thought becomes so overwhelming that I just kept getting further behind. SO! I'll just start from where we are!

We're excited that James has less than two years left before he can retire from one of his many jobs. He's now working 12 hour shifts. I've switched places with him as far as church callings. He now has the three callings and I only have one. It's been a nice change of pace.

Last summer was spent PLAYING! We spent a lot of time at the pool and different parks. We camped closer to home. James spent a lot of his time off finishing the rest of our basement and we are all excited that he's finished. It took its toll on all of us!

Two more eye surgeries for Braxton and one baby later, we are finally starting to get back into the swing of things. Since my last post, Braxton had two additional eye surgeries, but we think we've finally got it. YAY! I hate seeing my little man suffer. We'll go for a follow up again in June.

Brianna joined our little family with a BANG! I was induced in October . Two and a half hours later she came barreling into this crazy world. Our little acrobat had the cord wrapped around her neck three times, causing a glucose problem, and five days in the NICU. She finally came home, but with oxygen for an additional week. She's our little fighter and an absolute sweetheart. She's been a very easy baby.

From Happy to Miserable

2010-01-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Torture! We took Braxton in for his second surgery the first of November to straighten four of his toes and Dr. Stott's added one more toe last minute (you can kind of see his curly toes above). We really had to hype up the second surgery since Braxton knew a little more about what was coming. I had to do a little damage control after telling him they were going to cut the bottom of his toes to straighten them. Braxton said to me, "I don't want them to cut my toes off." So I spent a couple of weeks trying to convince him they wouldn't cut them all the way off. I'm always surprised by his willingness to learn and understand and the ability I have to reason with him.
After surgery they called me back because Braxton was fairly upset and wanted his mom. When I got to his bedside and talked to him, I could tell he was in a lot of pain. I asked what he had had and requested more for him. Well, the computer was down for a few minutes so I waited IMPATIENTLY for the computer to come up so they could log it. I was getting a little angry! In the end, Braxton knows the drill and expects the ride out in the wagon to the car. James and Braxton have spent LOTS of time in these wagons killing time between surgery check-in and actual surgery. It's so cute to watch them play and have that bonding time.
Braxton did very well with the surgery for the most part. We had a little bit of an issue with his oxygen dropping when he came out, and not being on top of the pain, but he was a brave little guy! He is our cautious little one...so he babied his feet more than he needed to.
I do have to say I was very proud of him! The next day, I gave him the option to go to preschool and he wanted to. His teacher agreed to help him around, but she said he did great all by himself!

Fall Yardwork

2010-01-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Yep! I'm that far behind on blogging...I'm super excited that there is a hint of Spring in the air. Well, barely, but I can keep hoping. The days are a tad longer, aren't they?
I just wanted to post a pic of most of the plants I went crazy buying last Fall. I found a landscaper at Sam's club. I struck up a conversation with her about potting soil and found out she was doing commercial landscaping. She gave me a KILLER deal on plans and I'm excited to see it all come together.
After I promised James we were done planting, I went out a got a few more plants on even better clearance. I created a huge job for me and James to get them all in and run the water to them. We'll see how many of them survived our frigid temps of wonderful Cache Valley in the sea of inversion. I'm way excited to be back outside playing in the dirt.

Success!

2009-11-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

My garden this year was amazing! I've never had so much success and had SO MUCH food. This year I decided to put down black plastic and punch holes for the seeds and plants. I LOVED not having so much weeding and the vegetables seemed to really like the heat. This year I did TOMATOES...which we are still eating. The cardboard box with newspaper really works. I also made a bunch of spaghetti sauce. ONIONS didn't do as well as last year because they were slightly over taken by everything else, but we still got a bunch. I also had ZUCCHINI and CROOKNECK coming out our ears. I made Raspberry Zucchini jam...it's pretty good. CUCUMBERS have never grown for me and I had a lot this time. Our CANTALOUPE was to die for, very yummy. WATERMELON was good, but not great, I don't know if we'll do it again. PEPPERS I was able to use a bunch and freeze some too. PUMPKINS did amazing. I had 12 orange pumpkins. I had way too much fun this year and I'm excited to see how it goes again next summer. I love not having to pay for produce and learning new things.

First day of school!

2009-11-24T00:29:00.001-07:00

My baby in school! What's up with that! He is such a smart little guy he probably doesn't really 'need' preschool, but he definitely needs a social outlet outside of mom's world. So I ship him off two times a week to hang out with friends and play. He's starting to get into it. He loves going, but at first he wouldn't do much. His teacher said he'd just sit back and watch everyone else, but didn't really want to participate in the activities. I think he's starting to get more involved.

Braxton with his new teacher. He is the only one that calls her by her name...Teacher Kareen. All the other kids call her teacher. We love her!

Yellowstone in the Fall!

2009-11-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

I had James stop on our way into Yellowstone to take some pictures. This one is my favorite of all the ones we took. The moon reflecting off the water was so pretty.

Our good little traveler! This boy LOVES camping.

Our camping buddies! We love these guys! James works with Chad and we've started camping with them a couple times a year. We have so much fun.

Tatanka! Anyone? We learned from our friends on this trip that it means 'buffalo'. Now you know! Braxton is showing us what one is.

Grandma and Grandpa met up with us on this trip.
We love having them come along!

Mom and Braxton making our 'crazy' faces!

Dad and Braxton playing in the water at Yellowstone Lake. Braxton was having so much fun throwing rocks in the water that he was walking in the water.

New Blog

2009-10-09T21:28:00.001-06:00

I decided after LDS Conference that I wanted to start a new blog. One that was out there for the world to see and something that would be inspiring and uplifting in the times we live in. I'm not a fan of the media sharing the many awful stories and wrongdoings in the world, yet I find myself getting sucked into their heart wrenching stories. I wanted to create a place where people can go to read about the small, maybe big, miracles of service that are occurring around us everyday. I'm really not exactly sure where I'm headed with all of this or where I'll end up, but I have to start somewhere...so I think I'm ready to get it out there.
I'd love for you to post any stories that you feel 'made a difference' in your life or the lives of those around you. Maybe you are the secret service giver and just want to share with someone...post it on my new blog in the comments. If you would like me to 'POST' it as an entry you can send me a message in the comments or e-mail me your story and I can add pictures as well.
I'm very excited to see what great things are happening out there and hear your stories: http://sharingwarmfuzzies.blogspot.com

More Surgery and a bunch of rambling...

2009-10-08T20:06:00.000-06:00

I chose this first picture because as I was going through the hospital pictures you can actually kind of see what Braxton's eyes are doing...maybe. He had what was called Exotropia. His left eye turned out slightly. James noticed this when Braxton was little and we went to a local eye doctor two years ago who told us it was probably nothing. We went back to him a year later and he told us the same thing. When I took Braxton in for his three year well check my doctor said he was sending me straight to Primary's. He told us if they said there was nothing wrong then we would at least be at peace with it all. Within two months, Braxton was in for surgery, August 26th.
Primary Children's is an amazing place. I don't mean this in a bad way, but I did feel like a heard of cattle. We went in the same circles with a lot of the same parents. They took extremely good care of us and were very good to explain everything they would be doing.Here is Braxton right before surgery. Yes! Those are Teletubbies. He LOVES these little people. I could do without the responsibility of keeping track of 4 small creatures all the time. I talked him down to one and his blanket for surgery. He is such a little trooper and good sport about everything.
Here is Braxton a couple days after surgery. He wouldn't open it before then. They say it feels like they have sand or dirt in their eye because of the stitches. We tried to get him to watch the movie Cars with us the first night, but he just layed in our laps and listened. The next morning I turned on cartoons for him to listen to and gave him his sunglasses in hopes he'd try to open his eyes. It was hilarious when he said, "Look mom, two bunnies." Then he looked at me and said, "Two mommies." The surgery over corrects the eye so that it will be straight when it heals and this is what caused the double vision. The redness is still there but very mild to this picture. Sorry if I grossed anyone out.

We had lots of visits from friends and family both before and after surgery. His friend, Samantha, brought him a little doctor set before surgery. Another one of Braxton's little friends, Kenzie, stopped in to see how Braxton was doing after surgery. She had made him a play dough cake in hopes that he would feel better soon. She is so thoughtful for a four year old.About a week later, his eye was looking much better and he was ready to start preschool.

OCTOBER:
Our little family on the way to Primary's yet again...we thought we'd make and early foot follow up appointment for Braxton. We have met our deductible for insurance and were told almost a year ago that Braxton may need to have some of his toes straightened. This all has to do with his club foot stuff.

Good times in Dr. Stott's office. We're always finding creative things to count or play with and this time...we got into the gloves. Shhh...don't tell. Braxton LOVES playing with plastic gloves...so easy to please.

Dad and Braxton playing on the table. James was teaching him how to jump up on the table using the foot stool. Where to place his hands and use his weight as leverage to get him up. These two crack me up.

For those of you who haven't seen Braxton's baby pictures or have forgotten just how bad his feet were, this is a picture before we went to Primary's. He was about a month or so old here.

We had to cast both of Braxton's feet for a while before we could move onto the shoes and bar. He was my grouchy little guy the first 9 months of his sweet little life. He definitely tested our patience and taught me a lot. Now he's about the happiest kid I know. What an angel!

CONCLUSION:
Surgery again! Yep! We'll be going down November 4th for surgery to straighten 4 of his toes. This one should be a breeze compared to what we've been through with the eye surgery. They say he'll be walking by dinner. I'm so thankful for the good doctors that we live so close to. I am amazed at the technology and knowledge of the times we live in. We are truly blessed!

Deal or No Deal!

2009-10-03T17:02:00.000-06:00

Most of you know, I'm all all over a good deal. Guess that's what I get for deciding to stay home and be a mommy. James tells me it's my job at home to find the good deals, and I can live with that. Here are just a couple of the deals I found over the summer, and I have to say 'made' my day.

Any of you that know my husband, know he LOVES his Dr. Pepper. I found this awesome deal at Albertson's and literally loaded up. I got all of this (minus a couple of cases I gave to a friend who was with me) for $7.20. YEP! It comes out to be less than a penny a can. Now if I can just convince him to fill his mug at work with these cans. That will save us approximately $14.00 a month for a whole year. Which comes out to be almost $170 for the year. Crazy!

James laughs when he finds these random photos on my camera, but what can I say...I get a little excited about saving money. I told him I'd be rich if I got to keep all the money that I save each month on sales...so why aren't we rich? Anyway...I saved $150 on this trip and only spent $41. I have to thank Albertson's again for their great deals.

Now for the 'No' Deal part. All 7 Albertson's stores in Utah have been sold out to Associated foods. Darn it! Associated foods does have overall good prices, but not like the stock up prices that Albertson's has given my family for the last couple of years. I'll just have to get more creative in getting things for free.

Oregon Trip

2009-10-03T16:32:00.000-06:00

In August we went to Oregon for a week and a half. We did our annual family trip with my dad's family. We all load up or camp trailers and hit the road. This year we were lucky enough to get Connie and Mike to join our craziness AND my cousins from Washington came down at the end. We're so glad they all decided to tag a long.
Our first adventure was Crater Lake. This place was beautiful and one of my favorite things here was a tiny island...called 'Wizard Island' (there's a pic below). We also got to go walk up a mountain of lava and go through a lava tunnel. It was cold and dark, but I'd highly recommend it. So fun! We wished we'd had a better lantern than our little flashlights, but it all worked out.
The ocean is one of my favorite places. I don't care if it's cold or warm...I'm gettin' in. The sounds of the ocean are so calming and relaxing. Braxton had a blast here. The tide was coming in so fast we would almost get his name written in the water and then the waves would be starting to wash it away. After the ocean, we went to see the Sea Lion caves. Very cool, but very expensive too.
This trip was definitely the climax of our summer. We love getting together with family that we don't get to see very often. AND...what we really enjoy is sitting around the campfire with them all and just hanging out. This is where the best memories are made.

Oquirrh Temple

2009-09-16T16:06:00.000-06:00

Sorry I post so many pictures with every post. I take way too many pictures, but love having all of our memories recorded for us. This little adventure was to the Oquirrh Temple Open house. We love living in Utah and being so close to all of the happenings of the church that take place so close to us. We are very blessed to live where we do! It was pretty cool to be standing in one place and be able to see three temples all at once. Thank you President Hinckley for being so inspired.

Here's our little family in front of the temple after the open house. Braxton thought the temple was cool, but didn't quite follow the whole concept of things. He started to get a little bored towards the end...not wanting to stay on the walkways...and wanting to wander and explore. But I can't complain...I did too! Now don't get me wrong, but I didn't think this temple was as 'fancy' as all of the others I've been in. I had just been to the Draper Open house a month or two before with our Young Women and thought that temple was absolutely beautiful. This one just seemed to be more plain...and quite frankly maybe that's more how it should be...

Braxton posing with his daddy!

Braxton loves giving hugs and I wasn't about to pass this one up.

Summer Fun!

2009-09-16T15:47:00.000-06:00

Braxton wanted to have some friends over for a pool party. We set up his new pool in the backyard and had the kids come over and play for a bit. It was busy, but still a lot of fun for the moms.

Braxton chillin' with Kenzie!

Samantha is always on the run...it was hard to get a picture of her.

Brynlie thought it was great fun to try and drown herself. She found the deepest part of the pool and would slide down into the water. She thought it was hilarious, as we all panicked to get her back up. Kenzie has been playing at our house since she was pretty little ...she's like a big sister to Braxton.

Pioneer Day

2009-09-16T15:34:00.001-06:00

Me and my awesome little sister Ashley!

Grandma with here cool pops for the kids. They LOVE her!

Every year we got together at my dad's house for dinner and do some fireworks. It's been tradition to hang out here for most of July...at least that's what it seems. We ate and hung out for a while before we went outside. Braxton and I were in a little bit of a hurry this year because I wanted to take him down to Willow Park for the fireworks they were having down there...what a waste. I can't believe that the city even wasted their time and resources for 10 minutes worth of fireworks. They started and then they were OVER...just that quick. We met up with James who was directing traffic for a couple of minutes and then he had to take off.

Camping in July

2009-09-10T22:45:00.000-06:00

We only went camping once in July with all of the holiday stuff going on. This is the second year we've gone camping with the Vernon Clan. We absolutely love hanging out with these guys. We stayed at Beaver Mountain this year and then drove down to Bear Lake for the day.

I think this picture of Braxton is so cute. He is always so happy and fun to be around. I thought he'd be more leary of the water than he was. He got right in and had a blast with the girls. They'd drag him out on the float toys and bring him back, but he'd get one of them to take him back out.

This was so fun to watch! James had built a sand castle using the bucket. He'd fill it all the way up, pack it down, and then dump it out leaving the sand standing. Braxton was fascinated by this. He would get his shovel and dump some sand into it and dump it out, but he didn't fill it all the way up or pack it down. He couldn't figure out how to make it work...we had so much fun watching him try to figure it out.

Before we came home, we hurried up to Bloomington Lake. Braxton was a little sad since he'd just burned his hand on our trailer, but he was a trooper. We watched people on the rope swing and the Vernon's hiked around to the other side of the lake to swim and play on a log. We hiked down on our own and met up with them at LaBeau's for lunch. I love how beautiful it is up there and I'm surprised to hear that so many people have never been up there.

Swim Lessons

2009-09-10T22:28:00.000-06:00

We put Braxton in swim lessons this year for the first time and he was in a class of all boys. He did awesome the first day. He was the only one who jumped to his coach and thought it was pretty cool. The second day the pool was a lot cooler and he didn't really LOVE it like he did the first day. There were days that he would cling to me and not want me to leave him, but as soon as he got in the water with his coach he did great! I think it was more about the temperature of the water than anything else. He definitely hates water getting in his face...so we're working on this.
Braxton's favorite part was doing bunny ears as he hopped through the water. They taught the class to slide their hands up and then point them out. They taught the class to say, "Slide 'em up, Shoot 'em out, Push 'em down!" Braxton was so cute doing this that they would make him repeat it so they could hear him say it again. The instructors thought he was hilarious.
On the days he had lessons, we tried to go swimming afterward. We would go to lessons, go out to the car and eat lunch, and then come back in when they opened at noon. Braxton loved going down the slide and is looking forward to being able to go down all by himself next year.

Red, White, & Blue

2009-09-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

July is one one of my favorite holidays of the year. Not only do I love the BBQs and family get-togethers, but I love the fact that we get to celebrate our country's freedom. I'm so thankful for all the men and women who sacrifice their time and dedicate their lives for our country. The fireworks are a great bonus too.This is me and James waiting for the fireworks to start at the stadium. We sit on the corner of the street my parents live on and take the radio with us so we can hear all that is going on at the stadium. James always has to direct traffic right after the fireworks so hanging out with my parents is the perfect location for him to take off as the finale starts.

We were waiting for the Hyrum parade to start. Candy wasn't quite the hi-light I thought it would be. Braxton is such a passive little guy, we had to guard the candy for him. He was learning the concept of candy flying through the air. He came home with lots of candy and we had our fair share as well...along with lots of fun freebies and fliers.

Here is Braxton at the annual 'Cruise In'. It's not quite like it used to be, but we have fun going every year. Braxton sits in awe as he watches the cars go by. We've sat in front of Carl's Jr. for years now and it continues to get more and more crowded on our little corner. We've started the tradition of getting a slurpee right before it starts. We were sad that Nana was sick this year and didn't come with us, but we hung out with Papa; and even got to see James for a minute before he started his long night of work.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-09-02T00:17:00.000-06:00

I found this amazing deal on a trip/airfare to Vegas in June. Since we already had two camping trips planned in May, we planned our little adventure for the next month. We had a blast and wore ourselves out. We discovered the bus! I know sounds silly, but it was the cheapest way to get up and down the strip. We rode to Freemont Street twice. The first night we got there too late for the light show they have...so James wanted to go back again. We had fun watching an amazing artist there paint with spray paint. AND another highlight...I got to eat at Cheesecake Factory. YUM!

James anxious to get to our luggage. We had a flight delay both ways. Next time we'll just drive. We almost would have saved time and we'd have more fun.

Our hotel, MGM. We discovered a short cut out of this hotel the last night we stayed. Go figure! I think they said this place sits on 32 acres or something. The pool was divine...just like in the movies. I could have hung out at the pool the entire time I was there.

We went to see the show Ka that was in our hotel. I thought it was so awesome. People had a hard time following the story line, but I thought it was great!

Blue Man Group. Need I say more? James has been wanting to see these guys for years and we've just never done it. There show was hilarious and a little sticky...after I was sprayed with bananas. We'd go see these guys again for sure!

Rain Forest Cafe is one of my favorite places to eat. We've started going there at least once when we go. This time was more convenient since it's at the MGM. Yay! I can't wait to take Braxton there one day.

James has this obsession with taking pictures of me while I'm eating...ever since we were dating. I dunno! This time I set it up...not really...but I think it's funny the dessert sign is ironically above my head as I eat breakfast...that I found in the dessert section they had set up for lunch.

This was a much needed most fabulous get-a-way trip. Only the second time we've ever left Braxton. I missed him muchly, but it was good for our little family. HUGE thank you to my most wonderful little sister Ashley who took him for the four days we were gone.

Memorial Day

2009-09-02T00:02:00.000-06:00

Hanging out around the campfire...one of our favorite things.

So, you all may think I'm a little strange cause I'm posting a blog entry from 'May', but my OCD won't let me miss an entry...I'm trying to catch up.
The last weekend of May has become a family tradition to go camping at Alred Flats campground in Wyoming. There are always other family members that meet up with us there. We're never sure what kind of party we're in for until we get there. This year was very rainy and cold, but fun. We always drive over to the cemetery in Afton and typically have lunch at the park one of the days we're there, but it was too cold this year. We've been camping so much this summer that our trailer is literally becoming our second home. Braxton absolutely loves it.

Bear Lake Trip

2009-08-29T07:44:00.000-06:00

This was our second camping trip with the Vernon's to Bear Lake. We actually camp at Beaver Mountain and then drive down for a day. We had a lot of fun with them and the day was perfect. Braxton loved the water. I didn't think he would go for it since it was so cold, but he proved me wrong.
My favorite thing about this day was watching Braxton try to imitate James in making a sand castle. James would fill up a bucket with sand, pack it down, and then turn it over so it made a little sand castle. Braxton would put a few shovelfuls in the bucket and turn it over expecting it to come out the same.

Lunch on the beach

Hangin' with Dad

Bloomington Lake Hike

Braxton was not a happy camper for this little excursion. He burnt his hand on our trailer right before we left. We hiked up to the lake and watched some people on the rope swing for a while and then headed back. The Vernon's hiked around to the other side of the lake and found a log to climb on. They brought their new dog Lucy on this trip and we had a lot of fun with her.

The Vernon Clan

On our way out

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

2009-08-29T07:13:00.000-06:00

This summer we took the opportunity to see all the airplanes we could. We went to the Logan Airport for their annual open house. Braxton got to climb on some of the airplanes/helicopters so he can see more of what dad gets to do. We were able to see some friends that we don't really see any other time of the year that fly in to help or those who just show up for the airshow. And...lunch on Leading Edge made it even better. They did a great job putting the open house together. Thanks!

Braxton standing on the runway at Logan Airport.

Braxton and Jacqui standing on one of the planes.

We also went to Hill Air Force base for the airshow. The crowds were amazing. We had only been there about 30 minutes and Braxton asked if we could go back to the car. He's not a huge crowd lover and was basically done the minute we got there. We drove to Ogden with my parents and Aunt 'Ashee' then took the front runner to Clearfield. From there, they had a bus we could ride up to the base. It worked out great and Braxton got to ride on a train too.

Our first experience on Frontrunner. We thought it was pretty fun...and convenient too.

Things were crazy loud. Braxton wasn't too sure about all the noise. And we kept telling him when the planes flew over to cover his ears. I think he just kept his ears covered most of the time. We walked through this plane, which I think was a G5, and then we set Braxton up on on one of the engines. This plane was HUGE. We didn't make it to the finale with the Firebirds...everyone was too tired to wait it out.

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

Here are my boys! Aren't they cute? Father's Day this year more consisted of the whole weekend. We were able to go to Ogden and celebrate both Father's day and James' birthday with his parents. We always enjoy going down and hanging out with them. Braxton played in the backyard and we ate at Olive Garden...our favorite. Our little family went to Bluebird to celebrate on Saturday. James loves this place and I don't agree to go there very often. Sunday, I had to give a talk in church. No, not about Father's, but about being 'Spiritually Born Again'. I was very intimidated by the topic, but grew to love it as I sifted through 50 pages of Conference talks. James is on the grave shift, so he missed out. When we got home, I made him his favorite breakfast, French toast. Later that evening we went to my dad's house for dinner. Braxton LOVES being at their house. I think he'd rather live there. James offered to leave him there for a few weeks, but I quickly shut him down on that idea. All-in-all we had a great Father's day. Braxton is so proud of his daddy and wants to be just like him one day.

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-29T16:37:00.000-06:00

For the last couple years, we've gone camping Mother's Day weekend. This year we stayed at the Provo KOA. There was an awesome jogging trail that took us on quite an adventure where we ended at a park. The picture of me and James standing in front of the water is actually right under the interstate. You can see the road above us. We also got to stand under a train that went by...that was a loud crazy feeling...but now we can say we did it.
We went to Thanksgiving point and walked through the gardens and to the Dinosaur museum. Braxton didn't like playing in the sand there...he said he needed to wash his hands. I still don't think he fully grasps the idea of dinosaurs...with skin and without. We toured Cabela's...and the next day we went to the Living Aquarium in Sandy. If you haven't been, we all thought this was a cool place to visit. It was a beautiful weekend...we always love our first camping trip of the year.

2009-05-04T16:39:00.000-06:00

Wow! It's been a month since I posted and for some reason I think I have to have a picture with every post. So...I have lots of fun pictures, but they haven't ever made it on here cause it's more work to load the pics. I took pictures of our family in green for St. Patty's and Braxton eating his ALL green dinner. Lots of pictures of his and his niece's birthday parties. We have more than enough Easter and baby animal days pics...so one day now...maybe I'll even get around to scrapbooking them. At least blogging helps keep me more updated...or at least an intention to do so.
Spring is finally here and we are having so much fun playing and working outside. I figure we'll get it out of our system before it gets too hot...then we'll move on to the pool...right? This will be the most challenging year with Braxton, by far. He has hit the independence stage and wants to go off by himself to play. However, I think this will be the most fun year yet. He is so excited about seeing different things and he is SO excited for camping. We can't even say the word without him crying because he wants to go 'RIGHT NOW'. It got even worse when my dad came out this week to de-winterize his trailer and get it ready to go for the summer. We are looking forward to a summer full of fun activities and trips with friends and family.

Cupcakes

2009-04-07T00:40:00.000-06:00

So...I went to the Library a couple of weeks ago and they were having a bake sale. Someone had made flowers out of marshmallows. I thought they were adorable, so I made some for the dinner group I'm a part of. I just thought I'd pass this fun, fast, easy idea on to all of you.

1st day of gymnastics!

2009-03-26T00:36:00.000-06:00

We decided to try out gymnastics...we thought this would be a great opportunity to help Braxton with a little more coordination and help him socialize with other kids his age. He absolutely loves every minute he is there. The first two weeks I had to drag him out of the building crying. Week two he was comfortable enough to do his own thing and ignore anything the teacher asked him to do. I finally had to go in and help redirect. But after practicing follow the leader at home and discussing the importance of sitting on our squares until it is our turn we did much better this week.

I've Been Tagged!

2009-03-23T23:30:00.000-06:00

I've been photo tagged. The rules are to go to My Pictures and find the 6th file, then the 6th photo. So...Here you go! James graduated in 2005! Yey! He was not excited to walk, but me and his mom talked him into it.

I'm tagging anyone whose up for the challenge! :o)

Snow Day!

2009-03-23T23:10:00.000-06:00

So...all of this snow has since melted...that we got two weeks ago today. In my last post, I'd talked about how it would snow again before Spring really got here. I guess I just had to prove I was right. There is about 17 inches of snow on my table...yes that is a ruler sitting there. We got some more snow today off and on, but it was only about an inch. Won't we all be happy when we finally get constant warm weather?

Weeds in March?

2009-03-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog. We've been staying fairly busy with life and trying to keep up with James' work schedule. Today we got to work out in our yard for a few minutes. James was cleaning up after Sadie and I was putting down weed block. Yes! We already have weeds coming in all over the place. I didn't think it was as bad as it was until I got out there and really started looking at all the lovely weed sprouts attempting to take over my gigantic planter. We are excited to finally have the planter completed. James worked so hard last year to de-rock and bring in some mulch to make weeding easier for me. We hope to get some fun plants in this year. We are so happy that we are finally getting a small taste of what this Spring has yet to bring. We all know it will snow again...right?

Today Braxton had fun being outside spraying water all over. I can already tell it's going to be a fun filled wet Summer for us. We had a lot of fun playing in the backyard. Braxton is learning how to pump on the swings to keep himself going...and he is doing an excellent job. He's also doing so much better for all of you that knew he was terrified of the slide. The second picture here shows the remnants of the snow hill left in the yard that James made for sledding this year. This is the second year James created a sledding hill for Braxton by snowblowing all of the snow into a huge hill. This is a 'new' family tradition. We were excited to be outside playing 'on the grass'. We still have a ways to go before we will see the grass in the front yard...seeing as our house faces North and there are still about 2 feet in some areas. We are so thankful the warmer weather is finally headed our way.

Tribute to those serving our country!

2009-01-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

This youtube video really hit home for me today! I just thought I'd share it with all of you.
http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

Under Construction

2009-01-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that we only have 2 rooms left to finish in our basement, and we are officially on our way...after almost 10 years. James started last week by cutting concrete out of the floor to move the drains for the tub and toilet. I apologized for the inconvenience because I was the one who wouldn't settle for less than the jetted jub. When we built our house, I wanted jetts somewhere, but was told it was too much money. Then one day James used one of our tubs and quickly understood my desires for a bigger tub. We never thought cutting the concrete would make such a mess. He had created his own little booth down there to contain the dust, but it quickly found the cold air return and filled the house. Braxton came running down the hall and asked me to 'keep him safe'. As I walked to the hall, the entire house was filling with dust. Lets just say...we'll be cleaning every room from top to bottom over the next month.

Yey!

The drain is officially moved...and the hole is filled with concrete.

Braxton loves to help his dad! I came home on Saturday to see them cleaning up a little. We think it is very important to get proof of these moments when they happen so we can use it when he's older and refuses to lift a finger.

James caught him in all the safety equipment. I think we'll call him Urkel.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from New Year's. We were interested to see how Mr. B. did again this year. We let him stay up last year...just to see if he could do it...and to our amazement he sat on the couch with his eyes glazed over and watched the ball drop. That's my boy! This year wasn't much different other than there were lots more kids running around and they were much more tired. We have had the tradition of hanging out with neighborhood friends for a few years now and love them all. Thanks Rhett, for letting us come destroy your house. This year we all ate till we were sick and played Rock Band. Lots-o-fun!!! Good luck to everyone as you start your New Year's Resolutions. I think I'll make mine up as I go.

Yey! We all made it to 2009! Minus a few kids...
Finally! A break and some silence.
Braxton made it to 11:56 before he broke down.

2009-01-02T23:41:00.001-07:00

Santa stopped by!

2009-01-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

What a Christmas! This time of year seems to bring out who people really are and I just love it. I've had the opportunity to continue the Sub-for-Santa that I helped start (with the Young Women) in our ward about 4 years ago. I'm still working with this three years later on the Activities committee. This has probably been one of the biggest testimony builders for me and the 'reason for the season'. People are amazing and so giving each year. I feel bad that I can't share the feelings and things I've learned through this wonderful experience...words just can't express. I am so thankful to be in the service of those around me. It also helps me to appreciate what I have.
Christmas Eve we went to my Mom and Sister's home. Nana Cherie has officially been designated as the jammies grandma. We enjoy yummy food...usually ham sandwiches...and then open gifts. This year Braxton and Kambry got coaster cars. They had a blast!
Christmas morning both me and James were awake at 6:00. Santa wasn't going to come until after nap. I know...sounds strange, but we had to be to my dad's house by 9:00 and knew it would be a long process. Santa quickly finished setting those gifts out just as Braxton started waking up about 7:00. We opened a couple of presents and left for Papa and Nana's house. Braxton didn't mind at all. In fact, he kept telling us he was going to save some presents for later. He's not a normal child. Braxton had talked to Santa the Monday before and told him he wanted an Elmo that talked, a big truck, and a candy cane....and he delivered. Santa 'almost' forgot that candy cane, but we reminded him before he slipped out.
We opened presents at Nana and Papa's and had a late breakfast. Braxton got a kitchen that he loves. So far we've had oatmeal, cookies, and milk. That night James' parents were coming up, but his Dad had been sick the night before and the weather was awful. They came up the next night for dinner. We have always been so used to 'running' like crazy for Christmas that we didn't know what to do with ourselves...we played and hung out...it was great!!! Braxton got a digital camera and V Motion from this Nana and Papa. These were a 'big' hit. He is always trying to get our cameras. Anything technology sparks his attention...just like his daddy. We were totally surprised when we opened our combined gift and saw a Wii.
We want our family to know how much we love them and thank you for all you do for us...we're very spoiled.

Holiday Hello!

2008-12-16T12:50:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to get a post on here incase I don't get another done until after Christmas. I'm a slacker...I know. I still haven't gone private either. Today, James was working on clearing the driveway and sidewalks and then off to the backyard to snowblow. He started this great tradition last year by making a snow hill in the backyard that Braxton could play on. He took most of the snow from our backyard and snowblowed in all to the center of the yard. Last year, it was so big Braxton had to have help to even climb up, but this year he should have a blast.
I also had to show off one of my favorite pictures I took today with my new Christmas present. Braxton sends his love with a holiday hello wave. James gave my camera to me early so I could learn how to work things. I'll probably never know all that it can do, but I'm excited to learn lots of new stuff.

Busy Times

2008-12-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

We've been SOoooo busy lately, but we're having a lot of fun. We had taken all our Christmas stuff down before Thanksgiving to get the lights up outside. In doing this, I had a huge mess of totes to clear out before we had Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. I refused to take down any Fall decorations until the day was over...so we had mixture of holidays going on for about a week. It's felt a little strange this year still not having snow outside.The day after Thanksgiving we did our annual shopping around. We didn't have much that we 'REALLY' wanted so we didn't go out until about 7:00 a.m. and still found what we were after. It was nice to get a little longer to sleep and we took Braxton with us. He's my 'Super Shopper'! I love taking him places with me...he has so much fun.
Every year since we've been married (James proposed the night of this production), we've gone to the 'Forgotten Carols'. This year it was Friday night...so we took Braxton to Nana's and Papa's to spend the night. We went to dinner and on to see the show. We've loved watching how it's changed over the years. I like that he adds something new to make it just a little different each year.
Saturday morning we were up and running again. We picked James' mom up and headed to SLC temple to see some friends get sealed. It was amazing...they lost their little boy a couple days after he was born and were able to be sealed to him and their daughter (who was one of my young women a couple years ago). We were happy to be there for them. After this, we jumped in the truck and headed down to IKEA. This was our first time there. It was a long day...a long weekend...but I have to say Braxton was an angel all weekend. He loved temple square and I can't wait to take him back so we can see the lights.

We had these little turkeys for a treat after YW the week of Thanksgiving. They were so cute we made them for everyone in my family. They turned out cute, but next time I'll use double stuffed Oreo's. Braxton had eaten three of them before I decided 'no more'.

Our little family...

Nana, Papa, and my baby sister Ashley...or as Braxton would say 'Ashee'.

Nikki, Jeremy, and our favorite niece 'Kambry'.

Braxton loves it when his Nana and Papa come to visit.

Braxton is always up for a picture. Here he is with his Nana.

Going Private

2008-11-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about going to a private blog lately. I've heard some pretty strange things and I just watched a special on it on the news. People are taking pictures off of people's blogs and creating their own families...scary! Well...today I checked in on a friend and her baby's pics have been posted on some strange website. I don't know all the details, but I'm going to attempt to keep my family safe...so please send me your e-mail addresses over the next week so I don't lose track of any of you and can add you to my private blog... threegales@hotmail.com

Halloween Night

2008-11-06T16:16:00.001-07:00

Here are two handsome boys. If you asked Braxton what he was going to be for Halloween, he would say "A policeman like Daddy." Braxton loved everything about this night. He was excited to see all of he grandparents. His Nana and Papa even came up to visit and followed us around the block to 'trick-or-treat'. I keep waiting for Braxton to go to the neighbors and try it again on his own. He also got to see his cousin Kambry. They love chasing each other...and will never sit still for a picture.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T09:32:00.000-06:00

I can't seem to catch up on everything, but thought I'd make a special effort...since it is one of my favorite holidays. I'm in charge of our Super Saturday tomorrow and I'm excited to do a couple of fun things...probably won't get to do them there...and I'll be having a Super Sunday when I can say it's done. It will be fun to get some sisters together in our ward and eat a little. :-D

For Family Home Evening a couple of weeks ago, we took Braxton to the Pumpkin Walk. He was fascinated with the lit up jack-o-lanterns. He would walk up to each one and examine it, and then he figured out he could blow the candles out. James had to stop him, but we thought it was very cute and funny.
I took a couple of pictures, but I loved the one of Brent...for any of you that know him. He's the one on his bike all the time honking and waving to everyone. When I looked to see who had created this master piece, 2 of the 3 families used to live in our ward. Very creative bunch. His arm really waved.

The next week, I took Braxton back during the day with some friends. We had enough holes in Clifford for all the kids we had with us. He ran up to the entrance, turned around and said "Mom, take my picture!" People were laughing at us...do you think he knows Mom will be taking a picture of his every move. I think overall, he liked it better during the day because he could see more colors. But that night at bedtime, he had a very interesting conversation with his dad. He told his dad he was sad because someone had blown all the candles out in the pumpkins. I had watched him looking in the pumpkins during the day, but we really didn't talk about it afterward...and that never even crossed my mind. Oh how a little mind works.

Sorry for all the pics...I should have done a slide show. For Family Home Evening this week, Braxton carved his first pumpkin. We videoed him trying to get the seeds out and he would shutter and tell us he didn't like it...and it was cold...and slimy. He wanted to wash his hands.

Hope you all have a Safe and Happy Halloween. I can't wait to see all the costumes and stories to go with your Spooky night.

Lucky SevensTag

2008-10-17T22:57:00.000-06:00

One of my friends tagged me. So I'm going to do my best to get all of these answered...this is a lot harder than it looks. Thanks Cindy...for making me use my brain to think about me. I don't do that much anymore.

Seven Things I Plan To Do Before I Die.

1. Put a book together about my Grandmother's life.
2. Go on a mission.
3. Run a 5K.
4. Catch up on scrapbooking...I'm not 'terribly' behind.
5. Be a Grandma...don't know why...always something I've looked forward to.
6. Have family pictures taken on a train engine.
7. Travel...Hawaii is on my list.

Seven Things I Can Do.

1. Scrapbook/Digital Scrapbooking
2. Organize anything
3. Talk your ear off
4. Make good dessert
5. Crosstitch
6. plan a party
7. Make my husband mad

Seven Things I Can't Do.

1. Sew a straight line
2. Jump out of an airplane...don't like anything with heights
3. Draw very well
4. Grow a garden...but I'm not stopping until I get it down.
5. Change my brakes. However, James had me help while he did it. :-)I have pictures to prove it.
6. James also informed me I can't change the oil either.
7. I don't like to fly airplanes either...not that I couldn't learn...it just scares me when James tells me "your controls". YIKES!!!

Seven Things That Attract Me To James.

1. He knows how to make me laugh.
2. He is a VERY hard worker...most of the time too hard.
3. He has great eye lashes.
4. He stands up for himself and VERY independent.
5. How he plays with Braxton.
6. The way he looks at me.
7. His loyalty.

Seven Things I Say Most Often.

1. Seriously!
2. You amaze me. (sarcastically)
3. Go potty! Run...Run...Run...
4. Good job!
5. Do you know your Mommy loves you?
6. What time are you going to be home?
7. Braxton??? What are you doing???

Seven Celebrity Admirations

1. President/Sister Hinckley
2. Oprah
3. Angelina Jolee
4. Brad Pitt
(These two are very service oriented and I admire the fact they try to stay out of the public eye.)
This is about all I can come up with. I'm not into the celebrity thing much. The only ones I can think of are the ones that are always in trouble.

Seven Favorite Foods
1. Mexican
2. Pretty much any bread
3. Velveeta Rotel w/chips
4. Chips and Salsa
5. Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup
6. Dutch oven potatoes with Mt. Dew instead of Sprite (yummy!)
7. Anything I don’t have to fix

Seven People I Think Should Do This.

I think here are only about 7 of you on my list that would do this. Whoever is up for the challenge. Good Luck!

Through the eyes of a 2 year old

2008-09-30T00:13:00.000-06:00

When it gets really quiet at our house, we know Braxton is up to something and start our frantic search. Often times, he won't even answer us when he knows his newly found treasure will be snatched away. As I just went through the pictures on our camera, I found numerous videos of my kitchen counter...excuse the mess...but this one was the best by far. Braxton has a love for the camera...thanks to Papa Leavitt, who lets him play with his. As James would say, no wonder we can't have nice things. He'll be 'REAL' happy when he discovers this post...and I'll be in the 'dog house' for leaving the camera out.

Huge Savings

2008-09-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

I just put my groceries away and remembered I was going to take a picture like Lisa did of all the fun deals. Anyway...I've spent ALL of our money this month stocking up for the year with all of the food sales and thought I'd share my excitement with all of you. Last week was the 'BIG' Quaker sale. I found myself with two friends collecting a couple of coupons from Lee's and Macey's so we could hit the sale at Albertson's. Crazy I know...but I have friends who drive to Ogden and Salt Lake for the coupons. I bought 60 boxes of oatmeal, granola bars, granola bites, pancake mix, syrup...and a few other things for about $50. Yipee!!!
I went into Albertson's today for the soup sale and a few other things. If you bought Powerade, then you got a catalina coupon for free cereal. I ended up with 8 bags of free cereal and 1 free apple juice. The 'good' soup was only .63 or cheaper and my lysol was only $1.50.
I spent 27.80 and saved 74.27. One other trip was 43.97 and I saved 60.17...if I don't save more than 1/2 on my groceries...I usually wait for the next sale. I still try to see what Walmart has...but the sales usually beat their prices with the coupons for the name brand.
Does anyone know if Smith's in Brigham is still doubling coupons?

2nd Place

2008-09-20T08:09:00.001-06:00

Last Wednesday, Braxton was in the newspaper for winning 2nd place in the summer library program. I found out about it two weeks into the program and he still did a fantastic job. Braxton loves books and has always been really good...and gentle...with them. We read every day before nap time and bedtime. I figured this was the only way for me to establish the habit early on...or I'd find myself too busy to read to him. He won some FUN prizes throughout the month and I still don't think he really understands why. He's just excited to go to the library every week.

Little Homemaker

2008-09-11T23:20:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone...it's been busy! On top of life, I've been learning to can a little more. I've helped people, but when I only do it once a year...I forget. My goal this year was to learn to can beans, but my beans didn't do well at all. I have a wonderful friend who tried to teach me how to can pickles a couple of years ago, but I was pregnant and wasn't going there. I was too sick! She called a couple of weeks ago and I canned pickles. Yey!
I helped my step-mom last week get all the stuff ready for salsa, but had to leave before we could bottle it...so she finished...thanks Mary. And...I got a 1/2 bushel of peaches this year. I bottled this load all on my own. Everyone of them sealed, I was pretty excited. I wasn't going for the blue ribbon at the fair...I just packed as many bite sized pieces in the bottle as I could. I told James 'there's no reason to cut them twice' for Braxton.
This tomato is the first one this year to turn red. It is the ONLY red tomato I have. All the others are GREEN...GREEN...GREEN! We plan to use the tomato on hamburgers this Sunday.
Some of you may laugh, but I got my wheat grinder out today and started grinding wheat. I told my mom I got a bigger workout (burning calories) grinding the wheat than I will eating the calories from whatever I make from it. I'm going to start baking bread...so if any of you have a great recipe, let me know. I think I'm crazy, but I'm having fun trying some new things.

Pool Party

2008-08-24T22:09:00.000-06:00

Friday, my cousin, Amber came down from Idaho to visit. We used to work together at the school district and both of us quit when we had our babies. Amber just had her second little baby this spring. We set up the pool in the back yard and let Braxton and Maddison play for a while. Both of them walked through the water, played with toys, and dumped water out, but didn't want much more to do with it. I don't think either of them was even towel worthy when they were finished. We fixed lunch and the two of them scarfed everything down and I even had to get them more. We couldn't believe how well they ate. Thanks Amber for a fun day and some adult conversation.

My month to shine...

2008-08-20T11:53:00.000-06:00

What a crazy month it has been. I'm currently in Young Women as the Beehive Advisor and had the opportunity to go to girl's camp in Heber. This is a picture of my friend Carma on the ropes course. You climb the tree and then walk along the rope. When you get to the other side, you repel down. Did I do it...NOPE! OR there would be pictures to prove it. I hate heights! They made every girl at least try. It literally made me cry to watch some of those girls so scared up there. It was really cool to see some of them accomplish such a scary task. There are so many applications to life from this experience that I plan to continue to use.
During this time, James was having a super hard time being with Braxton, which made it hard for me to be away. He decided to regress a little in potty training. James typically only has to entertain Braxton for very short periods of time...all you mom's know...the fun play time. James was very happy to have 'mom' home again.
After coming home I helped get things together for my second calling, the ward camp out. I'm really sad we missed this. The ward learned how to retire a flag and the scouts did an amazing job in helping. We also had the vets from our ward recognized. We were at Cherry Hill camping with my family. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time. A big thank you to Nana and Papa. They took Braxton for about an hour so James and I could go down the water slides.
It must be my month to shine... I still have a lesson to teach, a sacrament talk to prepare, AND yes one more camp out...oh and that darn visiting teaching that always creeps up on us...sorry Melissa. I'm also on Enrichment committee. I'm really excited about our get-a-way this year. Our theme is Faith, Hope, Charity...it's going to be awesome. I can't wait!
I'm SO grateful to have the church in my life, without it there really is no purpose to life. I love my ward family and the support they are to me and my family. Our neighborhood really takes care of each other. I have a testimony of service and believe that when we do service for those around us we are serving the Lord. My service in the church has blessed my life and family in amazing ways and I've learned so much. It really has made me the person I am today. Thank you to all of you who have allowed me to serve you.

Elmo Live

2008-08-05T09:01:00.000-06:00

We got it! That's right...this little creature will soon enter our little home in real life form on Christmas morning. Pre-orders started today and are projected to be one of the top selling toys this holiday season. Now we (parents) have to wait until he comes out in October to play with him. Braxton is obsessed with Elmo movies and Grandma has an Elmo at her house he likes...he does the 'hokey pokey'. Mom and Dad have now until Christmas to get over that high pitched voice that will soon be following us from room to room. YIKES! You can check him out at this site. He really is cute: http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=8002&e=media&id=tf

New Grill

2008-08-04T23:38:00.000-06:00

We splurged and got a new grill. Actually, we really needed one. The old one we had was given to us and has been well used. It was spitting fire where there isn't supposed to be fire. We have been shopping around for what we wanted and found this one at Sears. It has a tiny ding in the metal, so we got a great deal on it. James said it'll look a lot worse after Braxton gets through with it in a few years anyway...nobody would notice...unless of course we now invite one of you bloggers over for a BBQ. We tried it out Sunday with stuffed hamburgers. Delish....

Bear Lake

2008-08-04T23:23:00.001-06:00

We were able to take another small camping trip. This time with some friends James works with. There were 14 of us total and meals were always a lot of fun. We got over to Bear Lake Wednesday evening and Thursday went to the beach for the day. That evening we had the opportunity to go to Pickleville Playhouse for a play. We were a little nervous taking Braxton, but he LOVed it. At intermission he kept asking for more movie...it was great!

These three were always playing with Braxton. I didn't know it took three to push a toddler on the swings...I always thought us girls did things in twos. He's a big flirt, just like his daddy.

Braxton isn't too sure about the water most of the time, but he's always ready for a picture.

Potty Time

2008-07-29T10:58:00.000-06:00

Braxton has been acting like he is ready for the potty...so needless to say that's where I've been the last couple of weeks. It was a spur of the moment thing for us. James had Wednesday night off so we went to the store for underpants and 'night night pants'. We told Braxton all the diapers were going in the garbage. We started Thursday, July 17th by putting all the diapers in the garbage bag and out to the garbage can, which I took and hid in the basement later. (I've had to hide spare diapers I keep finding in strange places, so Braxton won't see them.) Braxton had seen the garbage truck on Monday morning, and has always helped throw his diapers in the garbage can. He's the one that told us the garbage truck was taking his diapers bye-bye down the road.
Later that day, I wondered what I had done to myself. I changed my clothes 3 times and I'm not sure how many times I changed his...I lost count. We probably made it to the potty 50% this day. Friday, we only had 2 accidents. This I can handle. Saturday, 3 accidents...we were wondering if we were starting to go back down hill. Good thing is, he will tell me every time if he is wet.
Sunday, I was terrified to go to church. I had made sure Braxton was in bed on time so he would be well rested. This didn't work so well. My wonderful son wakes me up in the middle of the night to go potty, and it was a lot this night. I complain now, but I'll appreciate it later. I'm thinking he's my little over achiever. We went to church early to see the potty. I think I was more traumatized by the size of the potty than he was. He would tell me "Mommy, fall in" but he still was alright with the whole concept even though he never did go potty at church. We had 'NO' accidents Sunday.
Monday was our first venture out of the house to start adding distractions. We took him to the park with some friends. First, it rained on us, which made everything wet. His pants were wet from sitting on the playground stuff. Second, there was a water wall that he just loved. This is where the accident took place. We won't tell you which park. :-) I really haven't counted this venture as a true accident.
Tuesday was wonderful, he had no accidents again. Wednesday, our only accident was...well ummmm...poop. What a wonderful experience this is. This is something that truly makes you admire your mother for all that they have put up with for you.
He's been doing absolutely wonderful. I can't believe it really only took him one day...with a whole bunch of reminders still from mom and dad. I can handle one accident a day.
This last Saturday-Sunday night was a crazy one for me. Braxton started at 2 am waking up to go potty. We did this 6-7 times until 6 am. This just about killed me. I had called my pediatrician's office to see what the nurse thought about this, because he's been getting up a couple times at night. She told me to put him back in diapers. That WAS NOT the answer I wanted. He was going potty...isn't this a sign of being potty trained. Not one person I've talked to has had their children, or known of other children, who get up in the middle of the night to go potty. They either wet or stay dry. Oh, the different challenges each of us are given with our children. For now, I'm just getting up with him and cutting back on fluids before bed time. Maybe it'll last, maybe it won't. Time will only tell.

Pioneer Day

2008-07-29T10:34:00.000-06:00

Happy 24th a little late. We went to my dad's house this year for dinner and fireworks. Braxton LOVES the fireworks...but their not fireworks unless there's lots of noise and sparks. He's our little pyro, but so is his daddy. This is his cousin, Kambry, giving him kisses.
These two were so cute, giving each other hugs and kisses, until we got the camera out. Then we were trying to get them to do it again...so here's a little bit of a forced shot. Braxton is our little ham always ready for his picture to be taken. Kambry is very strong willed and does what she wants when she wants...just like her mom.

Memory Game

2008-07-24T17:13:00.000-06:00

1. As you comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Too much fun...

2008-07-16T22:17:00.000-06:00

We've been busy!!! Lots of fun things we've been doing this summer. The picture is of Braxton at the annual 'Cruise In' parade. We always meet my parents at Carl's Jr. for the parade and then get something to eat afterward. This year I ran across the street for slurpees. This is Braxton's first slurpee...and he loved it. Mom had the big debate as I stood in line...red...or blue slurpee. Which one will come out of he clothes easier. In the end, I think he ended up spilling on grandma but nothing on him. Go figure...
Our internet has been acting funny on this computer so I haven't posted for a little bit. I'll be better. We've also been on a couple of camping trips the last two weeks and are planning another one for the end of the month at Bear Lake.

Camping

2008-06-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

After the city celebration, and I do mean seconds after it was all over...James and I headed up to Wyoming to meet family for a little camping trip. We sent Braxton with Nana, Papa, and Ashley that morning. I was totally exhausted. The trip was a hard one for our little family, but we enjoyed being with everyone. All of my dad's family was there...his brothers and sister and their spouses and a couple of cousins. It was a great time hanging out with everyone and we really enjoyed the camp fires at night with everyone. We wish we all had the time to be together more often.

James and my Dad were our lifesavers. They kept our firewood stocked and the fire blazing in the evenings so we didn't get cold. This is my favorite part of the day...just hanging out and telling stories around the fire. Please notice the white Ashley is wearing. We always get numerous comments on the white pants. She wears these every time we go camping...I can't believe they are still this white. This last time it was Braxton that kept spilling things on her.

S'more night!! Here is Braxton with a big marshmallow in his mouth. Here comes the sugar high.
Curious George has managed to make himself more of a permanent fixture in our little family. There is not a lot we don't do without him and 'elephant' (I'll introduce him to you soon). George really enjoyed this trip and followed Braxton everywhere.

City Celebration

2008-06-30T08:12:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures from my crazy week. I was the chair over the city celebrations this year and it literally wore me out, but it was a lot of fun.
Me and Braxton are at the Sidewalk Chalk Contest. He was hot and only wanted mom to keep drawing triangles for him. The theme this year was "Round Up". I found this cute hat and he loves wearing it around the house.

We had a family swim night for the city. This year Dad was able to come play in the water with us. The last week Braxton keeps talking about going bye-bye in the car to the pool with daddy.

There was a dinner with entertainment. One of James' co-workers was our singer. He is an amazing country singer. We thought we'd make Braxton the star for a minute and take a couple of pictures. He's our photogenic poser.

New Bike Trailer

2008-06-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

Today I had to go to the city offices to pick up some things. I'm the chair for our city celebration this week, and I'm finishing up some last minute things.

We bought the trailer a couple of weeks ago, but just got it out to take for a trial run last night when dad got home. I need something to get me a little exercise.

This morning I told Braxton we were 'going for a ride' he got so excited he grabbed Curious George and headed for the garage.

I love how excited our children get over the smallest things. It makes me grateful to be a mom. I'm so happy to have Braxton to help me put things into perspective...and take time to smell the flowers. Which is exactly what we did when we got to the end of the neighborhood...mom had to catch her breath.

Lunch

2008-06-17T15:43:00.001-06:00

Trista and Samantha came to visit last week. My friend, Lauretta, took a walk to our house and we let the kids play for a bit. Before we knew it...the kids let us know it was lunch time. So, we had sandwiches with grapes and cheetos. We put sunscreen on all the kids, but mom got a little crispy.

Why is it, we as moms tend to neglect ourselves. We should be taking better care of ourselves so we can serve our families better.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-17T14:53:00.001-06:00

Braxton made a new friend on our 1st camping trip of the year. He learned how to blow bubbles...and the two of them had a blast. We stayed the first night at Lava Hot Springs. We camped with some of James' friends (and their families) from work. We all got up there late, but had fun eating dinner in the dark. The next day we headed out to camp with my family in Wyoming. I had gone into the trailer to change a diaper and our trailer was filling up with water. Needless to say it was an easy fix (cap never got put on after we de-winterized), but made a nice scene of kaos for a few minutes.

Braxton loves to help his daddy with EVERYTHING! Sometimes dad doesn't think it's so helpful. Dad just needs to be thankful that someone thinks he's SO cool. One day that coolness may wear off. :-)

New Haircut

2008-06-12T23:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah!! Braxton finally got a haircut. We took him in for his new summer look and he did great. Mom has been cutting his hair since he was born, and she really doesn't know what she's doing. Now his friends won't make fun of him.

Ride Daddy...Please!

2008-06-12T22:40:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a crazy week! We have been attempting to get some yard work done. I thought I would share with you what all this entails at our house. It's all about the 'ride' for a little two year old in a wheel barrow...and doing it in style. It's been pretty cold and rainy the last couple of days, but come rain or shine James has limited time to help us out at home...as he typically works 12-14 hour days. Doesn't matter the season, if you need yard work done, James is your man.

First Summer Get-a-way

2008-06-06T23:25:00.000-06:00

We camped in Salt Lake City over Mother's Day weekend. Saturday, we took a trip to Hogle Zoo. Nikki, Jeremy, & Jordan met up with us for the day. Nana, Papa, & Ashee (as Braxton would say) came with us on our little adventure. Braxton loves trains, so we decided to go on the little train ride. First, Braxton was a little overwhelmed by everything that day and little out of sorts. Second, we (with the exception of Papa, who stayed back at the fort to guard our loot) all piled on this cute little train only to find ourselves back at the station within a matter of minutes. The train ride was over before we knew it. Needless to say, don't take the train. According to Braxton, the hi-light of the trip that day would be the elephants and giraffes.