Chapman

Just a minute to brag about one of the coolest little boys in my life, Chapman! He is one of those kids who is pretty much good at anything he does - with the exception of skiing (but I am sure if he really tried it he's be pro in a couple of years)! Not only does he have mad sports skills, but he is so smart that he would probably be able to correct many grammar errors I am going to commit here and he's only 9 years old.
He has recently won the State of Utah championship for free throws in his age bracket, and is headed to compete for title of Western States Champ next week in Las Vegas!
We are very proud of him and love him to piece. My girls think he is fantastic and love playing with him.

One funny story I just cant resist telling happened at Chapman's recent sledding birthday party at the cabin. It was a mix of families all come together to celebrate Chapman! Kids had fun sledding and playing in the snow (OK, adults too) and the adults snowmobiled and ate lots of yummy food. The little girls had a blast playing with the cabin toys, made hideouts and played great all day. Last weekend Sierra & Halie were fighting and Sierra ran away and said "Ouch, my weenie" I kindly informed her that she was not equipped with that part and this is what she said in return "actually it's called a jewelery box" After I recovered, I asked where she could have possible heard anyone call it that and she said that the big kids said that at Chapman's birthday party after they went over the big jumps sledding!

If only I could absorb as much as the kids do - perhaps then I would be as smart as Chapman!

It has been a long time

Yes, I am still planning on writing a blog! I really want to write a blog, but this year when things have gotten crazy I have decided to let some things go and stop feeling guilty about them. Hence, the blog was one of them. Busy, busy, busy!
One big change in our lives is that Mandaline has come to live with us full time! We are all very excited about this, and she is (usually) a complete joy to be around. Duaine and I feel like we have been waiting for this to happen forever, and thankfully it has.
Every Monday I help at Sierra's kindergarten class for about an hour doing centers. This is so much fun, and is really one of the highlights of my week. The kids have gotten to know me, and I have gotten to know them as well. The always make me laugh, and want to wash my hands :) Sierra loves it when I come, and is sad when other moms are there and I am not! She is so sweet, she will still greet me with a big hug & kiss when I get there!
Halie and I go to singing every Thursday, and this truly is the highlight of her week. Every day when we drop Sierra off she say "is today my singing class day?" then gets mad when I pull into our driveway instead of going to singing.

Lea and I have been going to puppy training. It is going well and I feel really encouraged by how fast she seems to learn what we are trying to teach her. It is fun, but hard to find extra time to practice her tricks. I feel like I am in school again with the nag of homework in the back of my head all the time.
So that pretty much sums it up. Busy, but happy!

Now I am going to try to be better at updating - at least at my previous rate of like once a month!

New Family Member

So we finally broke down and got another dog. Actually, I should say that I broke down and got a dog since Mandaline was at church and Duaine was out riding his dirt bike when I got her, but I have been looking!

We got her from a family who had a 10 year old girl, and I think Sierra is taking her place because the dog is particularly fond of Sierra!

She is an adorable 4 month old Labradoodle. Her mom was a back standard poodle and her dad was a chocolate lab. Hence she will not shed!! And even with my allergies I can pet her! Which is fantastic, because I have never been able to pet dogs!

So far she is doing really well. She is still a bit nervous, but she is going to the door to go to the bathroom, and she is super gentile with the kids!

I think she will be a great addition to our family!

The days (& nights) with the boys!

We had an amazingly good time. Especially considering I had a 6, 5, 4 & 2.5 year old all in the same house, and for most of the time Duaine was also out of town!
Yes things were incredibly busy, but for the most part it is my own kids that are the pain in the but kids. I had no behavioral problems with Keri's boys, and they actually listen far better than my own kids. I even think they had a positive affect on the way my kids listen!

Halie & Hayden were quite a pair. In fact the majority of the fighting that went on was because my kids were fighting over who got to sit next to, sleep by, or play with Hayden!

Luckily during the time that Duaine was gone Dawnie came over two night to help me get the kids in bed, and one night my sweet grandma came and slept over to help. It was so helpful, I am not sure I could have done it without them!! Thanks guys!

(yes there are like 2" of frosting and decorating here!)

And even with all that sugar they were great!

We did tons of projects, and Keri left gifts for each day, and we ate a lot of fast food, and now it is strangely quiet around my house!

All I have heard for the past 2 days is "I want Hayden & Carsen back at my house" or " When are Carsen & Hayden coming back to our house?"

We love Carsen & Hayden!

I had to throw this pic in here because Sierra's funny face really captured the true way I felt trying to be a mother of 4!

October has come and gone...

Do you ever get the strange feeling that you are just watching your life pass you by? That was how October was for me. It went by so fast that I feel like I was not even there for a lot of it. Weird. We were busy as normal, and did many fun things.


Classic pic of first thing in the morning at the cabin. There is now furniture there, and it is so close to being done that we are planning Thanksgiving there! This weekend Sierra abandoned her favorite sleeping spot (with Grandma & Papa) and opted to sleep with Mandaline and her cousin. That is until she woke up in the middle of the night. So Sierra held the flashlight for me to carry her princess cot down the stairs into Grandma & Papa's room where she spent the rest of the night! What would we do without Grandparents!

This is our little bunch of Trick or treaters. My girls love Keri's boys so much that they are more like siblings than cousins. They went trick or treating on Keri & Mike's street, and since it was raining and they live on a big hill the dads loaded the kids onto the Rhino and went house to house on the Rhino!

Backwards order I know, but could they get any cuter! We even grew these killer pumpkins in our garden!

This is from the Playgroup Halloween Party at our house. Thomas is really Cole Lloyd, and Halie loves him. They were inseparable that day. Halie is always proclaiming "I love Coco" Sorry Kelli, I just cant get her to say Cole Cole.

For once we got our whole family in one pic. This is in Mandaline's house. She got baptised this month. Grandma Helen said the opening prayer, Uncle Adam baptised her and Grandma Doris said the closing prayer. At one point Adam described Mandaline as the connecting piece of a very large family, and I really like that description. She definitely is the connecting piece. It was cool to see all those people there - many I did not know - who were all there because they love Mandaline.

Overall it was a busy month, and November is coming roaring in as well. I have one & a half more days as a mother of three, then Carsen and Hayden become my boys for a few days as Keri & Mike go on an awesome cruise! So there is no slowing down :)

We love the Cabin

Grandma & Halie - this is the closest to a smile I can get!

Sierra, Halie & our neighbor Cassie and some really pretty fall leaves!

Can you believe we got a cute pic of most of our family!

Here is the cabin that we spend most of our weekends at - Love it!

Currently the cabin has cabinets, most of the tile, lights that work when the generator is running, and a well, with the potential for indoor plumbing (which we are excited for)!

Stitches & Witnesses

I am still laughing...
Let me explain.
Monday, cluts that I am, I walked into the door. Not into the closed door, but into the half way open, side of the door, with enough force that I needed three stitches on my eyebrow. And I now have a deep purple eye lid that is spreading more into my nose every day. Well ordinarily I would have doused the shiner with Hollywood amounts of makeup to cover it up, but I cannot get the stitches wet until tomorrow so I am sticking with big sunglasses to cover myself.
So this morning I get a knock at the door. It was unsolicited so normally I would not answer but today I had the window open and Halie was already waving at them so I decided to answer. It was a very nice lady and her son. They were Jehovah’s Witnesses. She starts telling me all the goods about their beliefs, and, here is the funny part, said it really has helped her in raising her children, and (pauses to stare at my shiner) has helped her to have a good, healthy marriage!
Luckily I had to leave to get Sierra from school, but I am still amused!