The Stears Family

First Hair Cut

2012-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Ryan's hair was really bugging me. He had a lot of random long pieces of hair that never stayed down. It was all different lengths and all I can do is a comb-over. So I took the clippers to it and now it's all one length and so cute. He didn't like the hair cut, he cried the whole time. But now he is such a handsome little guy.

Super Bowl

2012-02-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Every year Scott's work has a super bowl party. Well this year where the Patriots were playing, and that is Scott's favorite team, we showed up wearing all of our Patriots attire. We were sad though when the Patriots lost.

6 months old

2012-01-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

Ryan is 6 months old. We started the cereal and baby food a couple days ago and he doesn't seem to mind too much. He had his doctors appointment and now weighs 18 pounds. He was so happy for the doctor until the nurses came and gave him his shots. But he only cried for about 30 seconds and then was smiling at everyone again. He is so fun! I love this age. He is now giggling and we are always tickling him or something so we can hear his sweet little laugh. He is still not sleeping through the night, but hopefully the cereal will fill him up and keep him asleep.

Family Pictures

2012-01-30T14:17:00.001-08:00

Heaven Sent...I love this baby

Brotherly Love

This picture cracks me up (especially Cole's face). It would have been so cute if ALL the kids looked good in it.

This is the winning family picture.

I am sure you have noticed the new pictures of my kids to the side of the blog, but here are a few more from the photo shoot. My friend Brianne took these pictures for us a few months ago. I swear I only get family pictures done just in time for Christmas cards so it is always in the winter. I do love how they turned out though. We needed a new picture.

School Boys

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is what I get when I tell them to smile for me. This is their first day of preschool.

The boys have been loving school. They have so much fun and are so excited when they get to go. They go Mon Wed Fri from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. It's pretty early in the morning but it works out where I take Macey and her friend to school and then drop off the boys too. It's nice to have a couple hours to just myself, oh and Ryan too. But the 2 hours does go fast. It's just enough time to get a shower and ready for the day, feed Ryan and get him ready for the day and then we hop back in the car. I was a little worried about what it was going to be like getting 3 kids ready in the morning, but it hasn't been too bad. I try to bath the boys the night before so it's not to crazy in the morning and Macey can get herself ready, I just have to do her hair. Every time I pick them up they tell me all that they did in school. Lately they have been learning about doughs (playdough, bread, tortillas, etc). Before school started we took them to the doctor to update them on some immunizations. They got 3 shots in the leg. It was pretty traumatic for them. They had a hard recovery too, it took them about a week to fully recovery. They were in pain and started getting fevers every day. Poor guys! I am not looking forward to their kindergarten shots.

Boys Preschool

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

They were mostly excited about the spider, Webby, he is the class pet tarantula.

The boys are starting preschool on Wednesday. I signed them up to go to the preschool at BYU-Idaho, so it is for semesters at a time. They had a little open house where the boys can come and see their classroom and meet their teachers. They had different stations set up with different activities (playdough, painting, coloring, water table, blocks, etc). The boys were so excited and were having so much fun, I couldn't get them to leave. I am excited that they will start preschool. It will be nice for them to get out of the house, socialize and learn. It will be a nice break for me too.

Ice Fishing

2012-01-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the little dinky fish Scott caught. This fish was slippery and Scott had a hard time holding it. It even flopped out of his hands onto me.

Notice Cole's boot. He was not watching where he was going and fell in one of the holes up to his knee. Luckily he had his snow pants on so he was able to stay dry except for his boot was soaked and I didn't have a change of shoes for him so Scott put my bini in his boot and Cole went on playing and fishing. It was very sunny that Cole couldn't open his eyes to look at the camera.

Scott has been doing a lot of ice fishing this winter, but this time we got to go as a family. We just went to the local Rexburg ponds. The kids loved it. Scott and Chris made a few holes with the hand auger and later my sister brought the power auger and they drilled a lot of holes. We caught a few fish. The weather was really nice, we had a lot of fun. After that we went back to my mom's for the annual New Year's lunch, where we eat a ton of food and watch the Rose Parade.

5 Months Old

2011-12-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

Ryan is 5 months old today. We love him so much. I can't stop kissing those cheeks.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T10:56:00.001-08:00

All the cousins

The kids in their jammies

We got Scott's mom this blanket with all the grandkids pictures on it. She loved it so much, she even cried. Priceless!

my parents got Ryan an angry bird, but didn't realize it was a girly bird until we opened it. He still loves it.

All the girls got these cute hats.

We got this games Don't Wake Daddy. It is so fun, the kids really like it. Carter kept covering his ears because it's kinda startling when daddy wakes up.

Christmas was so fun this year. We started Christmas Eve at Heather's house. We had a big dinner and then went down stairs for some games. We played some rock band, just dance, minute to win it, pictionary, catch phrase, and $5 presents. Then we headed home to put kids to bed and wrap some presents. The boys got some bikes and some monster trucks. Macey got a jewelry box and candy land from Santa. We opened and put together all the toys and played a little bit before we had to get ready for church. We just had sacrament meeting with a few speakers and the primary sang and I sang in a quartet. After church we went to my mom and dad's house for some dinner and more presents. The kids got spoiled, but we have been having fun with the new toys. Keeps them busy during these long winter months. We love holidays like this where we can spend time with the family.

Ryan Rolls Over

2011-12-26T10:45:00.001-08:00

(He was crying and fussing, but I still had to record him rolling over)

Ryan is going to be 5 months old in a couple days. He rolled over on Christmas Eve. (Macey rolled over on Christmas Eve too). We were so excited for him, but now we know that next comes crawling and then walking. It goes by so fast, I will be chasing this kid around before we know it. He smiles and giggles, it's so fun to play with him, he is so ticklish. He found his voice recently so he now talks really loud. He loves to be held and see what's going on.

Santa at the Library

2011-12-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Santa was at the Library tonight. The kids got to sit on Santa's lap and tell them what they wanted for Christmas. Then they had a bunch of crafts for the kids to make. It was so much fun. The kids really like it. Macey brought her friend Payton with her. Macey told Santa she wanted Candy Land and a jewelry box. The boys told him they wanted monster trucks. The best part of the night is when Carter was sitting on Santa's lap and asked him, "Why are you wearing a costume?" Santa just said that he wasn't wearing a costume and that is how he always dressed. Carter was a little confused. Then Santa asked Carter why he was wearing a costume. Carter quickly corrected him and said, "No, I am wearing a shirt and coat!" After we left the boys were asking where their monster trucks were. They thought Santa was going to give it to them right then. I keep trying to explain the whole Christmas thing to the boys and that they have to wait and see if they get monster trucks on Christmas day. I had to get a picture of Ryan with Santa since this is his first Christmas. I love that he is smiling so big. Santa even gave him a candy cane, he liked to chew on that (don't worry...the wrapper was still on).

4 Months Old

2011-11-27T18:45:00.001-08:00

Ryan is 4 months old. He is starting to be so much fun. He smiles, coos and giggles. He makes me smile everyday. Macey and the boys are really starting to like him. Ryan will sit in his bouncy seat and just watch the boys run around and wrestle. They love to make him smile. Macey is like a little mommy. She loves to hold him and play with him. This age is so much fun where he can't move yet and just sits there and smiles at you. I can just plop him down and know he won't go anywhere. It helps to get things done. I know it won't last long so I am enjoying it while I can.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

This year we were at my mom's. Scott went ice fishing that morning with his friend Ben and Aaron, while I was home making the pies and yams. It was just the sisters that were here this year, we missed Jason and Aaron. We all contributed to the yummy dinner. That night we went to Black Friday at Walmart, Target and Khol's. It was crazy, but successful. I got everything that I wanted. Black Friday started early this year. Walmart opened at 10pm, so we were home by 3am to get a little sleep. Scott was on night duty with Ryan. He then woke up at 5:30 to go to Sportsman's Wearhouse to grab some fishing poles which were a great deal. Scott had to work that day while the kids and I just vegged all day in our pjs.

Lost a Tooth

2011-11-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Macey lost her FIRST tooth on the 23rd. The tooth was loose for about a month. Finally it was ready. She wiggled it constantly. She wanted my sister Jenelle to pull it for her since she is a Dental Hygienist. She did great and was so brave. Macey was so excited for the tooth fairy to come. She asked me so many questions about what she looks like, how does she get in her room, is she small or big, what does she do with all the teeth she takes. I couldn't really answer her questions (she is my first kid to lose a tooth, so I am new to this game). I just told her I have never seen her before, but she must be magical to come in her room and then take her tooth without waking her up. I said she has a big collection of all the teeth. Macey wrote her a note along with her tooth and put it under her pillow. She went to bed at 7:00 that night because she was so excited. She then woke me up at 5am to show me that the tooth fairy brought her 2 dollars and a note that said thanks for you tooth. She gave her 2 dollars because her first tooth is very special. Macey carried that note and money with her all day and showed everyone. Macey is also one of the last ones in her class at school to lose a tooth. So she was happy that now she gets to sign the big tooth in her classroom.

It snowed!

2011-11-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Cole making a snow angel

The boys still manage to fight, but this time with snowballs.

It snowed last night! But we made the best of it. The kids couldn't wait to get their snow clothes on and go play in it. They were out there for hours. I went out and played with them for a little bit until I got too cold (I don't have snow pants for me). I made snowballs for the boys to hit off of their t-ball stand. They thought that was fun to smash the snowballs.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Halloween with the cousins

Halloween was cold this year. It was windy and so with that wind chill it made it extra cold. Macey got to wear her costume to school and then we went to the Stake trunk or treat that night. We then headed back to our house to pass out more candy. We didn't take our kids back out, they got plenty of candy at the trunk or treat. We were pretty good about letting the kids only have a few pieces of candy or else they would be bouncing off the walls. The best part was dumping all their buckets into a huge bowl, handing back out the nasty stuff that we don't like to our trick or treaters, and then mom and dad having first pick of the stuff we like.

Spooky Dinner

2011-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

My mother in law made the grandkids a spooky dinner last night. She made bloody toes made out of mini corn dogs, ghost made of mashed potatoes, and spiders made of meatballs. For dessert it was ricecrispies that looked like pumpkins and cookie witches hats. It was so cute and the kids loved it. We kept telling them they were going to eat bloody toes for dinner, they didn't know what to think about that, but once they figured out it was just corn dogs they loved it. They got fun Halloween cups and straws and then Nicki gave them a bucket with candy. They had so much fun. For the adults it was yummy nachos. It was fun to have the whole family together. I love holidays like this.

School Carnival

2011-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

I made Macey's poodle skirt. It turned out so cute. She wanted to be a vampire but a lot of her friends were being vampires so we went shopping for a costume and all the ones she liked were around $40. I wasn't about to pay that for something she wears once. So I told her I could make her a poodle skirt. She didn't know what a 50's girl looked like so I showed her a picture and she was sold. Plus it only cost around $8 to make. That's more like it. I found the scarf and glasses at a party store. It all turned out so cute!

Cole fell asleep in the car with his vampire teeth in his mouth.

Macey's school had a Halloween Carnival. The kids like to go every year. They have fun games and prizes.

Can you guess what the twins are for Halloween?

2011-10-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, Transformers!

Cole is Optimus Prime and Carter is Bumblebee. Our ward put on a little Halloween party for the preschool age. They made popcorn witch hands, apple teeth and had a little trick or treat. The boys had fun running around the gym and getting all hyper on their candy.

I guess it's tradition now...

2011-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I have been taking the kids to this one pumpkin patch for the past couple years now, so I guess it's kinda tradition that we keep going back. This year we went when Scott got off work so he could go with us, but by that time it's dark outside. It was also very cold so we only lasted a few minutes. We let the kids run around, do the little straw maze and play on the train for a minute until we were ready to go. Well Scott and I were ready to go, the kids didn't want to leave because we had just gotten there, but a little convincing that we were going to get hot chocolate and they agreed to go.

Fishing

2011-10-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Scott went fishing with Ross and my dad in Blackfoot yesterday. Scott caught this big fish. The mouth is kinda scary looking, I wouldn't have touched it. He said it was about 5 pounds and this picture doesn't do it justice.

2 Months

2011-10-07T08:03:00.001-07:00

Ryan is 2 months old now. He weighs 11 pounds. He is my needest baby. Loves to be held, but only a certain way. He is happy and smiley if you catch him at the right moment. He does sleep well for me. He takes long naps during the day which is a big help and only wakes up once in the night. It is getting later and later, so soon enough he will sleep through the night. We love our little Ryan.

Demolition Derby

2011-09-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the demolition derby on Saturday. Scott stayed home with Ryan. The kids were so excited. The boys loved seeing the cars all crash into each other and Macey and I had fun cheering them on. We each picked a car that we wanted to win. The boys of course picked a yellow one that looked like Bumblebee from Transformers. Macey and I picked a black car #13 that was sponsored by our favorite hamburger joint, Big Juds, and ours won.

Sleeping Baby

2011-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

I love how Ryan sleeps with his hands up by his head and his tongue sticking out. I catch myself just staring at him while he is sleeping. He has been sleeping great for me. He wakes up once or twice in the night, eats and is right back to bed. It is a big help that I can get enough sleep at night or mommy would be a monster. He is so sweet. I love him so much.

Potty training twins.....ugh!

2011-09-07T08:07:00.001-07:00

We have been in the process of potty training the boys. I wanted them potty trained before Ryan was born, but they weren't quite ready. I wasn't about to push them into doing it, I guess I wasn't quite ready either. Besides, it's training the parent too. Just about a week ago Cole was wanting to wear underwear, so we put him in some and told him not to pee in them. He did great. Cole kept telling me, "Trust me mom, I won't pee in them". Then Carter wanted to wear some too. It helps that they can learn from each other. I was going to potty train one at a time, but they have to be big boys together. Since they are obsessed with Transformers I decided to do a sticker chart (since that worked with Macey). It is frustrating when they have accidents though. It is double the mess and double the laundry. I just keep telling myself to keep going and not give up. They do get sick of me constantly asking if they need to go potty, but that keeps the accidents down when I stay on top of them. I do hear that boys take a little longer and are harder to train, but we are getting there. I thought today was a good day to take a picture since they are all transformered out, with the chart, their shirts and yes even their underwear. I had to post a few pictures, they were having fun with this photo shoot and making silly faces. I love my boys, they are growing up so fast!

Ryan's Blessing

2011-09-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

We were able to bless Ryan today. It was such a pretty day. Scott gave such a beautiful blessing. We are so blessed to have Ryan in our family. He is so sweet and we love him so much.

Ryan's Newborn Pics

2011-08-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Brianne took these pictures of Ryan when he was only a few days old. I have never done newborn pictures before so I was excited to get them done. Ryan was good for a couple pictures and then he woke up and started screaming. So then we decided to try another day. I made sure he was fed and in a deep sleep before we tried again, nope, he woke up and started screaming again and would not calm down to get any pictures done. So then I fed him while I was at her house and then we were able to get the rest of the pictures. He was so difficult, but Brianne managed to get some really cute shots. I love them!

First Day of School

2011-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Macey started school today, she is in 1st grade. Her teacher is Ms. Beesley. She was worried about going to 1st grade because other kids have told her that Ms. Beesley was mean. I tried to tell her that she will be fine and her teacher is probably only mean to bad kids. So I told her that if she is good that Ms. Beelsey will be nice to her. When I picked her up today she said she loved it and Ms. Beesley was nice. She was excited to go all day to school, that meant she was one of the big kids now. She liked that she could eat school lunch, but she said they put the applesauce on her cheese slice and that was so disgusting. She knows a lot of kids in her class from her kindergarten, she even sits by one of her friends. So I guess the first day was a success. Lets hope she stays excited about school.

2011-08-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ryan is 3 weeks old now. This was his first time going to church. He looked so cute in his little outfit. He has been such a good baby. He is my little screamer though. When he needs something it's not just a little fussy, it's all out scream. It has been a big adjustment with 4 kids. I feel like I get pulled in 4 different directions. Everyone seems to need something at the same time. The kids just love Ryan, they all want to hold him and kiss him all the time. Ryan is now up to 7lbs. He is starting to focus on things more and stay awake a little longer. He is so sweet and we love him so much!

Macey's Birthday

2011-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Macey turned 6 on July 31st. I felt bad because I didn't have anything planned for her. I did warn her weeks ago that I might be having the baby on her birthday so we would have to celebrate it later. She really didn't want to share a birthday with a brother. Luckily Ryan came a couple days earlier. Scott ran to walmart the day we got home from the hospital to get Macey a few things. We didn't have family over or anything, we just did a simple little cake and a few presents. Macey was just fine with that. Although I did promise I would take her school clothes shopping when it got closer to school. So she is looking forward to that.

I had to post this sweet picture. Macey loves to hold Ryan and I don't mind that she does, it's kinda helpful. I love sleeping children.

Introducing...

2011-07-31T13:39:00.001-07:00

Ryan Hansen Stears

Born: July 28, 2011 3:44pm

6 lbs. 2 oz. 18 inches

Macey loves her baby brother. She is already such a big helper.

Family of 6. I love how we all cram on the bed.

Ready to go home.

We are so excited that Ryan is here. I started having contractions Monday night, so I thought Tuesday was the day, but then when I got up and moving and the contractions stopped. Then started again that night and a few throughout the day on Wednesday. Then Wednesday night they were starting to get worse, but not to where I couldn't handle it any more and needed to go to the hospital just yet. So I basically didn't sleep for 3 nights. I was ready to be done. I had a doctors appointment Thursday morning. He said I was dilated to a 4 and told me to go home and it should happen that day. I told him I didn't want to go home, I was ready to be done. I was having contractions every 5 minutes and was very uncomfortable. I didn't want to go home and wait it out, I have been doing that since Monday. So he told us to go up to the hospital and he would come break my water at noon. So Scott's mom and sister came and stayed with my kids while we headed up to the hospital at about 10. The doctor came at 1 and broke my water, then it was time for the epidural. The epidural was the worst part. I was nervous about getting it anyway, and it took him 3 tries to get it. I was having bad contractions during the whole thing that it was hard to stay relaxed and still. Once it kicked in I was feeling really good. After that it seemed like time just flew by. Ryan was born at 3:44 pm with only 2 pushes. It was great! I had to stay in the hospital for 48hrs. I tested positive for the Group B Strep. They gave me penicillin and once you get the antibiotic you can't deliver for 4 hours. I delivered 3 hrs later so because of that I had to stay 48hrs so they could monitor the baby. I was ready to go home the next day. It was hard to stay 2 full days. It feels good to be home and be with the family. Ryan is such a sweet baby and is healthy and strong. He was the smallest of all our babies, even smaller than the twins. We couldn't be happier. We are so in love.

Baby Update

2011-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

I feel so bad for this baby, I haven't been keeping an update on this pregnancy. I guess the more kids you have the less you actually write things down. Plus I hate taking pictures of myself, especially where I look huge. I hate belly shots, but you have to take at least one for the baby book. I hate that I just grow all around, I have never had that cute belly like other women get. Well, I have 3 weeks left and I am starting to get nervous about delivery and having 4 kids. It has been a pretty good pregnancy. I never got sick and haven't been too uncomfortable. It does take me a long time to clean my house, I have to take a break and sit down every 10 minutes. I do have gestational diabetes with this pregnancy, so I had to prick my finger and test my blood sugar like 4 times a day. They also had me counting carbs and keeping track of what I ate, (which is a good thing, I need to start changing the way I eat). My numbers have been good every time, so I have it all under control. The diabetes goes away after delivery, but put me at high risk of getting diabetes when I am older (which I knew already with both my parents diabetics, it's genetic). Other than that everything else has been pretty good. I am still able to get some sleep, I really have no complaints. We are getting excited to meet our little guy. The kids are excited too.

4th of July

2011-07-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

It's so hard to get Carter to look at the camera

After the parade

Waiting for the fireworks to start

We always look forward to the 4th of July. It's one of our favorite holidays. We went to the parade and the kids got a ton of candy. Then went to Heather's house for lunch and then we were off to the hotel. It was a very relaxing day. Scott took the kids while I took a nap in the hotel. Macey got to swim with her cousins. Then the whole family went to Olive Garden for dinner and that was interesting. They messed everything up and we were there for 2 hours. The manager just decided to pay for all of it, so we got a free meal and that was nice. The fireworks were amazing as always. The kids really enjoyed them, but Macey and Cole both fell asleep during them. They were exhausted from such a long day.

My sister Nicole and her husband Jason and his daughter Katie came to visit. My brother Jason and Kate and Lucas came up too. It was so fun to see them and catch up.

That's what kids are for, right?

2011-06-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

When I am close to the end of my pregnancies my feet swell up like balloons, especially in these hot months. I had my feet elevated one night and Macey offered to rub my feet with lotion. Of course I said yes! Then Carter joined in on the other foot. It was so nice to be pampered.

Bear World

2011-06-21T07:55:00.001-07:00

There was this white elk there. It was so cool, he was huge.

The baby cubs were so cute.

I love this picture, Carter was little scared when the car would bounce high and he was hanging on for dear life, while Cole is having the time of his life.

After fishing we went to Bear World. We were able to get in for free, which is even better (that place is expensive). We drove through the park and saw all the animals. The kids loved it. There were a ton of bears that were really neat to see. Then we let the kids go on all the little kiddy rides. I was worried the boys were still too little but they let them on all the rides by themselves. They especially liked the little roller coaster. They had so much fun. After the rides we drove through the park one more time to see the animals.

Lone Pine Fishing Day

2011-06-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

A nursery in town does a free kids fishing day every year. We caught a ton of fish. I actually caught the biggest fish of the day (18 inches). They hold a contest for whoever catches the biggest fish wins a bike and Macey got to take home this pretty little bike. The adults were having fun fishing while the kids had fun playing in the dirt and watching us fish.

Twins Turn Three

2011-06-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Birthday breakfast, cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk (their choice). And their new water guns they opened that morning.

The rocket launcher was a huge hit for all the kids. Here is Carter trying it out outside.

And then they tried it out inside (not too happy about that)

Cole and Optimus Prime (the boys love transformers)

It's nice to see they still love each other

Yes, my little babies turned 3 today. They grow up so fast. They were so excited for their birthday this year, they actually understood how it all worked. They knew about presents and cake. It was so cute, whenever someone said "Happy Birthday" to Carter, he would reply and say "thank you" (he was so polite). We had a family party for them tonight. They opened lots of presents which they took a few to bed with them tonight. They joined in singing to themselves as we did the cake and blew out their candles. They loved every minute of it and it was so fun to see them so excited.

Scott's Day Off

2011-06-02T07:42:00.001-07:00

Scott and I fought over who had the biggest fish and I think I did.

Scott took the day off on Wednesday and you can guess what we did. Fishing! But this time he took me and the kids. My dad and his friend came too. Scott's fishing trips usually starts at 4am and that is about what time we woke up (crazy). We headed out at 5:30am to Henry's Lake in Island Park. It was a gorgeous day. The kids were really excited to fish, and were kinda annoying about it, asking us every 5 minutes to let them fish. I am not quite comfortable letting my kids handle fishing poles with hooks yet, we just let them reel the line back in. It was a good day fishing. I caught 6, Scott caught 6, and my dad was actually able to catch 2 (he usually doesn't catch anything). My kids had fun watching us catch fish and run up and down the dock and throwing rocks in the water, until Fish and Game came and yelled at them for playing on the dock. Then we hit Big Jud's for some yummy hamburgers and went home to take a long nap. Later that afternoon we finished the garden and got everything planted.

Memorial Day

2011-06-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we spent the day with Scott's family. Scott and Kade woke up early to get the garden ready for planting. The women made a big breakfast. After breakfast we attempted to plant, but then it started to rain so we had to put it off for a couple days. We then decided to go visit the grave of Grandma and Bobby. It was freezing and raining so we didn't really get out of the car except to put our flowers out. Macey painted them a picture of their favorite color flowers, it was cute.

Macey's Graduation

2011-05-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Macey walking in, she was the leader

Macey with her teacher Mrs. Jackson and her friend Jenna

One proud Mama!

Macey with her friends Orrin, Payton, Aden and Lizzy

Macey had her Kindergarten graduation today. She is very excited to be going to first grade. They sang songs and then got their diplomas and we watched a slideshow of the pictures they took throughout the year. (Sorry the video wouldn't upload, so you don't get to see her singing)

Utah Trip

2011-05-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Carter loved climbing up on the animal statues.

Macey's favorite was the giraffes.

This gorilla was so cool. They fed him right in front of us and it was so neat to watch him.

We took a little trip to Utah for the weekend. We were dying for a little get away and Salt Lake is only a few hours. Scott's family came with us. We left after Scott got off work on Friday and started off the trip with stopping at In-N-Out. It was so yummy and just like I remember. Then off to the hotel for some swimming. The kids loved to swim. They were back and forth from the hot tub to the cold pool. The next morning we got up early to eat the yummy breakfast at the hotel (one thing we look forward to when we go to Utah). We then went to Hogle Zoo. It was a perfect day. The kids had so much fun seeing all the animals and riding the carousel and train. After the zoo we went to Chuck E. Cheese. I told Macey there was a chuckecheese in Utah and since then she insisted that we go there. I remember going to Chuck E Cheese as a kid and it was so much fun. The one we went to was kinda ghetto and the food wasn't good at all, but the kids had fun and that is what matters. Macey got to take a picture with Chuck E and that made her day. After that all the girls went and got pedicures while the men took all the kids back to the hotel. Macey even got to go with us, she was so excited to be one of the big girls and get her toes done. By the time we got back to the hotel everyone was exhausted. We wanted to take the kids to temple square, but we were all so tired. We went out to eat at Olive Garden and all the kids had enough and were bad at the restaurant so we got our food to go and went back to the hotel for more swimming and then bed. Our kids were so off schedule that it was getting hard to go anywhere. We all went to bed early that night and headed home the next morning, but not without getting the hotel breakfast again. It was a short trip, but so fun to get away.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

Hope you all had a good Mother's Day! I had to take a picture with my kids. They are getting so big. I just love them so much!

Easter

2011-04-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

My brother Aaron giving Macey a ride on the scooter

The kids eating all their candy out of the eggs

Some of the Jones cousins

Kim won this pinata so we had to crack it open. The kids loved it!

We had a fun Easter this year. The boys new exactly what to do with the eggs. I put together a big neighborhood egg hunt and bbq on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and perfect. A lot of people showed up. We had about 400 eggs to hide. It was fun to get together with friends and neighbors. Sunday was our Stake Conference so we didn't do new Easter outfits this year. Scott and I switched off going to conference so we didn't take our kids at all. Sunday morning the kids got their easter buckets from the easter bunny. Macey is very suspicious about the Easter bunny. She keeps asking me how does the Easter bunny know that I like this kind of candy and how does he know I like these toys, etc. After conference we had dinner at Scott's mom's. The whole family was there. We had our annual Adult Egg Hunt. Which was a blast. Later that night we went to my mom's for another grandkid egg hunt and adult one as well. My brother Aaron and his wife Elizabeth and their girls came to visit. Nicole and Jason came too for a couple days. It was fun to see everyone. My kids were so wasted after this whole weekend of fun. They played hard and ate so much candy.

Grumpy Face

2011-03-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Carter does this grumpy face and we can't help but laugh every time he does it. He thinks he is pretty funny too.

He doesn't have to really be grumpy when he does it.

On a side note, I went to Walmart yesterday and showed the boys some big boy underwear. I thought I should start potty training since I definitely don't want 3 kids in diapers. But they wanted nothing to do with it. I would show them the different characters on the underwear and they just said NO! So I guess they aren't ready yet. I don't want to push them into it because there is 2 of them and I would lose this fight. Plus they still seem so little to me (even though Macey was potty trained at this age). Hopefully it won't be long until they are ready. I do hear that boys take longer to train. So I have until August and I know even a few months makes a difference at this age.

IT'S A......

2011-03-14T16:17:00.001-07:00

BOY

We are really excited for another boy. I definitely have everything I need for this one. He will have quite the wardrobe with having double everything from the twins. Macey was hoping for a girl but she wasn't too disappointed about the having a boy. The first thing she said was "Great, now he's going to get into my stuff". She loves being a big sister. Now I just need to come up with a name, I am so bad at that.

Our Piano

2011-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our friends that lived down the street moved to Oregon and didn't want to move their piano all the way there so they just gave it to us. I have been wanted a piano for awhile now and it was just perfect. The leg was broken off and it was way out of tune, but with a little fixing it's great. Scott's mom is going to start giving Macey lessons and I am so excited about it. I think I might have to sit in on some of her lessons so I can start learning again. One of my regrets is quitting piano when I was little. Macey is excited to play, I just hope it lasts. I have been able to pick up on a few of those songs that you play in the beginner books. The boys really like it when I play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

What is it with boys and the word "poop"?

2011-03-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Cole and Carter love saying poop and pee. They think it is so funny. I think it is our fault for laughing when they first said it. That was a bad idea, now I can't get them to stop. Their favorite thing to do is when we are singing nursery songs together they always replace one of the words with poop or pee and then they both start laughing. Like "Jesus wants me for a Sun-poop". We tell them to not say it, but they think that is even more funny when they get caught and told no. What little stinkers huh? I hope they aren't going to church and singing it that way in nursery. I can only imagine what they would start in there. Right now we are to the point where we are just ignoring it so they don't get the attention they want from saying it, but these boys just feed off of each other. They make each other laugh and entertain each other, which is great, but it makes them a little tag team. I hope this is just a phase that boys go through. (I thought I would put a few pictures of my mischievous duo)

Long Winter

2011-02-20T07:40:00.001-08:00

Macey drew this picture at school the other day. The directions were discuss with your child winter activities that you and your family enjoy together. Ask your child to draw a picture of your family enjoying this winter activity. She drew all of us watching tv. How sad is that? I admit, the tv is on a lot in our house during the winter. I will make up excuses to leave the house, just so we can get out. We get so cooped up in the house. We need summer to come!!! If you look close she even drew the new baby. She is really hoping for a girl.

Singing Time

2011-02-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Cole and Carter love nursery, especially singing time. The nursery leaders always tell me how well and loud they sing the songs. We are always singing around the house. Thought I would record a few songs to share.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

Macey was so excited for Valentine's Day so she can pass out her valentines to all her friends and the party at school. I thought I would do a little something for her this year. I decorated her door with a bunch of hearts and then got her a balloon with some ring pops (her favorite). Scott gave her a couple of roses. So when she came home from school she was surprised. The boys loved raiding her box of goodies when she got home. My kids were so hyper yesterday from all that candy. I baked Scott some of his favorite cookies and me and the kids delivered them to his work. That night we got a babysitter and Scott and I went out for some chinese. Everywhere you went was packed so we decided to go to a restaurant that no one really goes to, but it's so good. Then we did some major grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping but it was very needed. My poor kids are getting tired of having little food in the house.

(I'm sad I didn't get a picture with my honey or my boys, I do love you too)

Big Boy Beds

2011-02-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

We got the boys some twin size beds. They have figured out how to climb in and out of their cribs for awhile now. And it was kinda nice that they can put themselves to bed and get themselves out. So then we thought lets make it easy on them and get them regular beds. Plus I have been dying to redo their room. Their room is also the playroom and it drives me nuts. We finally went through the toys and now we can put their room together and keep toys in the closet. We weren't really sure if they were ready for big beds because they are still little and not potty trained. I did double up on the waterproof pads so hopefully their mattress will last them awhile. They are so excited about them and immediately started jumping on them. Boys will be boys I guess. I love the bedding too. I found it at walmart for $30 each. I came with a comforter, sham, fitted and flat sheet and pillow case, plus it's cute and they can grow up with it. Love it!

Baby #4

2011-01-10T08:39:00.001-08:00

Yes we are expecting baby #4. We are excited, but also kinda nervous. I can't believe we will have 4 kids. You think the twins would have done me in, but we knew we weren't done having kids. There is just 1 baby this time so we are excited about that. I don't think I could handle twins again. Everything is well, the baby is growing right and there is a heartbeat. I am feeling great. I haven't been sick, just tired. This baby takes a lot of energy out of me. I think a lot of you already knew I was pregnant because no one can keep a secret especially Scott. And if you got a Christmas letter from my mom she basically announced it for me. So I guess why not announce it again where I actually have proof now and know that everything is ok. My due date is August 4th.

Christmas

2010-12-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

I love this picture, I actually got all my kids looking and smiling.

All the cousins

Kade and Heather playing elephant swing

Carter trying out the bobble head from minute to win it

Macey playing face the cookie

We had a fun Christmas this year. It started out on Christmas Eve with the Stears Family. We had a huge dinner and then played some games. We played Just Dance 2 and laughed so hard watching Scott and Rex play. Then we played Minute to Win It. The kids all got their matching pajamas. Then it was time for dessert. After that it was back to the Wii for some rock band. By that time it was time to go home to get the kids to bed for Santa to come. Cole was so wired, he was the only one awake on the way home. Finally got the kids to bed and Scott and I stayed up until 1am wrapping presents. On Christmas Macey was so excited, she got what she asked for from Santa, she said, "Santa is so cool, I love Santa" The boys were kinda grumpy because we woke them up, but as soon as they saw the presents under the tree they were excited. It was fun this year because they were able to open their own presents and were excited about what they got. Then we went to my mom and dad's for some breakfast and then opened gifts there. My parents got Macey a bike and the boys some harley davidson big wheels. They loved them. They couldn't wait to ride them so we put them together and went outside. Luckily the driveway was clear of snow that they could ride them. Derek took the boys sledding down the little hill. We played the new games we got for Christmas. Then my dad made a yummy prime rib dinner and then it was time to call it a day. Our kids were worn out and so was I. But when we got home we had to open up some of the kids presents. I think Scott and I had more fun with the remote control cars and the criss cross crash. We had so much fun and loved just being around family.

Fun in the Snow

2010-11-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

It was such a beautiful day today so I thought I would get the kids all bundled up and go play outside in the snow. The boys haven't played in the snow yet so I wasn't sure how they would like it. They loved it. They were so funny how they would dive right into the snow and basically do a big belly flop. Of course they had to eat some and try it out. Macey was making snow angels everywhere. We had fun, but it was a pain putting their boots and gloves back on every five minutes.

It's officially....

2010-11-09T08:06:00.001-08:00

Fall?

It snowed all day yesterday! And so it begins.

Does this make me a bad mother?

2010-11-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

And yes that is a skewer in his hand, safe I know!

One day I was looking all over for Carter and couldn't find him anywhere. I went around the street over and over again calling out his name and no sign of him. I started to worry! Then on my friends doorstep I saw a little kid lying on her doorstep. I knew it was Carter, so I ran over to make sure he was ok. He was asleep and snoring very loudly. Before I moved him I went and got my friend to show her what was on her doorstep and of course we had to grab the camera, it was just too funny, but so sad.

Game Night

2010-11-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking the boys are probably old enough to play some kid games. So I got out Hungry Hippos and Let's go fishing game. They loved it. They were so excited when their hippos ate up all the balls and caught a fish. It was hard to put them away for bed time.

Halloween

2010-11-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. Friday was Macey's class party and she got to wear her costume to school. That night was the school carnival which was fun but crazy. There were so many people there and it was hard keeping up with the boys and tracking them down in the crowd. Saturday was our Halloween in Rexburg. Everyone goes trick or treating on Saturday night since Halloween was on a Sunday. We were very busy trick or treaters. We took the kids to the Teton House (the assisted living in our ward), then visited a couple in the ward that actually called me to bring the kids to her house. She loves our kids. Then we went out to Sugar City where Scott grew up, we visited the kids favorite babysitter. We saw a couple more people there and then stopped at the trunk or treat at the church where my parents were. After that we went back home to pass out our candy. By this time the kids already had a bunch of candy so I didn't take them around the neighborhood. After our candy was gone we went to Scott's mom's house for some chili and hot dogs. It was a busy night and our kids were exhausted.

Macey was a witch and the boys were little fisherman. I made the boys fishing vests and there poles.

Pumpkin Carving Night

2010-10-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I told Cole to put his hand in it and this is as close as his hand was getting to that pumpkin.

He was happy with a scraper then he didn't have to touch it.

We carved pumpkin last night. The kids were so excited. I was interested to see how the boys would be this year because Cole screamed his head off last year and Carter dug right in. Well Carter still dug right in and Cole didn't scream, but wouldn't touch the inside of the pumpkin. Macey wanted a witch on her pumpkin because that is what she is going to be for Halloween. For me and Scott is was a cute spider and the boys just got a cute little face.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

This picture is when I asked the boys "where is mommy's eyes?" and Cole closed his eyes showing me he knows where his eyes are.

I know I haven't posted in awhile. We have been in the middle of getting a new computer and changing everything out and then it stopped working so we had to replace the hard drive. So yes it has been crazy just trying to get back online again. But I haven't had anything to post about, we haven't really been up to anything. But today I took the kids to the pumpkin patch. They had fun running around and seeing all those pumpkins. The kids picked their pumpkins out, there was a little straw maize for kids and train rides. These pictures aren't the best, it is impossible to take a picture of all three of my kids at once, they are never looking at the same time. I have to stand there and ask them "where's mommy" just so they are at least looking at me, but then they point and say "right there" and that's what the picture turns out to be is one kid smiling and the others pointing at mommy.

ABBA Mania

2010-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

I went to an ABBA concert with some friends last night. The broadway performers from Mama Mia came to BYU-Idaho. It was so much fun.

First Day of School

2010-08-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the bus.

These are Macey's friends Aden and Kaitlyn. I don't think Kaitlyn wanted to take pictures.

Macey started Kindergarten today. She has been looking forward to this day for so long. Yesterday we were able to go meet her teacher and see where her classroom is so she will be ready for the first day of school. Her teacher is Mrs. Jackson, and she seems really nice. Macey kept asking me all sorts of questions, and kept telling me which way she was going. She said she can do it all by herself. She gets to ride the bus to school, which she was very excited about (the bus stops right in front of my house which is very nice). I could hardly get a picture of her getting on the bus because she was running so fast. I did get teared up, my baby is going to school. She is such a big girl!

Montana Trip

2010-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my sister Nicole in Montana this weekend. It was a lot of fun to spend time with them and see where she lived. We took the kids to a couple parks, went on a beautiful drive up to a lake, where the kids loved to throw rocks into the water. We went to a potato festival where we had a yummy pancake breakfast and Macey got LOTS of candy at the parade. We set up the pool for the kids to play in. Macey had so much fun playing with Katie. Thanks Nicole for a fun weekend and letting me and the kids take over your house.

Rigby Lake

2010-08-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the Lake on Monday. I thought I should try it out this year where the twins are bigger and I thought they would love to dig in the sand and play in the water. They loved it! I could not keep Carter out of the water. Cole would take two buckets and go back and forth getting water in them and dumping the water in a hole he dug in the sand. He did that all day long. Macey liked to pretend she was swimming, but would only go knee deep. It was a perfect day and we had so much fun. The kids all fell asleep as soon as we got in the car. What a great way to wear them out.

Macey's Pictures

2010-08-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Brianne took these pictures of Macey. I am redoing Macey's room and wanted to frame some pictures of Macey to hang on the wall. They turned out so cute.

The Big 30!

2010-08-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Scott turned 30 yesterday. Friday night we were able to go out to dinner and a movie (thanks Kim for watching my kids). On Sunday Scott's mom made him dinner and a cake. We love you honey! Happy Birthday!

Birthday Girl

2010-08-02T10:20:00.001-07:00

Macey turned 5 on Saturday. She was looking forward to her birthday for months and finally it came. (now she can't wait until kindergarten) On Saturday morning she wanted toaster struddel for breakfast and then she opened her presents from me and Scott. She was so excited about her Barbie in a Mermaid Tale movie and barbie. She also got a glow station doodle thing (that has caused nothing but fights with the kids). I told her we could do whatever she wanted that day, she wanted to go to a movie then go bowling then play on the jumpy houses then play the arcade. I talked her into narrowing it down to 2 so we went to the movie and saw Despicable Me in 3D and then played some arcade. She had a fun time. Sunday night we had the family over for some cake. She got some school clothes and supplies, some barbie clothes and some moon dough.

Finger Painting!

2010-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Carter climbed up on my counter and got a whole cube of butter that I left out to soften. He decided to finger paint with the butter all over my window. It was a greasy mess!

Big Fish!

2010-07-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Scott went fishing with his friend Ben on the Teton River. They caught this big cutbow. It gave them quite a fight. They were pretty excited about it.

Scott even made Sportsman of the Week on Bigcamo.com. Scott orders his waders and things from big camo. He sent them his picture and they posted it on their website. Check it out! http://www.bigcamo.com/ (you will have to scroll down a little bit until you see the pic)

4th of July

2010-07-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th (or 3rd) this year. We went to the parade in the morning. Macey had fun getting lots of candy. The boys weren't too interested in getting candy, they were happy with just a sucker. But we loved the chocolate milk! Then my mom and sisters and I went to the new Twilight movie. Then we were off to Idaho Falls to the hotel. I took Macey swimming and then it was time for fireworks. We had a big party this year. After the fireworks it was off to bed for the kids. Macey went right to sleep, but the boys were so hyper and would not go to bed. They just wanted to play. They ate so many sweets and got some glow sticks that they wanted to play with all night. So needless to say we only got about 1 hour of sleep. So the next morning we got some breakfast, went home and we all took a big nap.

Ross Park

2010-07-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Cheetos Smile!

We went to Ross Water Park on Friday. It was fun, but windy so that made it kinda cold when the wind hit you when you are wet. The boys were kinda scared at first, but warmed up to it pretty fast. They loved to splash everyone around them. Macey of course had fun!

Scott's Fishing Trip

2010-07-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

Ok here is another fishing picture. Scott went to Jackson Lake a couple weeks ago with a couple of his friends. He left at 3 am that morning and didn't get back until 1 am the next morning. So it was basically almost a 24 hour fishing trip. Scott got so sunburned (he didn't wear any sunscreen). He was so miserable and we think he got sun poisoning or heat stoke (something like that) because he was so sick. We tried everything to help his face and lips but they eventually pealed and he's finally back to normal. So now Scott is taking a long break from fishing. He had a lot of fun but was ready to leave after a couple hours. His friends he went with are die-hard fishermen. I love this picture though of Scott and his fish and the tetons in the background. So beautiful!

My Sister's Wedding

2010-06-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

All my siblings

The whole fam

My Handsome Boys!

My brother Jason and Macey

The bride and groom with all the nieces.

My sister Nicole got hitched on Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding. My whole family was able to be there along with some family friends that we haven't seen in years. It's been 5 years since my family has been all together at the same time. She married Jason Grafel, he is a really nice guy from Montana. They look so happy together and we are so happy for them. On Friday night we had a bachelorette party at my house. It was a lot of fun with lots of laughs. Saturday was the wedding. Nicki, Makell, Heather and I made her cake, it turned out beautiful! It was a long, fun, exhausting day! We are so happy for you Nicole. Have a happy marriage!

The twins turn 2

2010-06-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

I got the boys these sunglasses. They think they are pretty cool.

Tired Boy!

They stayed pretty clean this year!

Yesterday was the twins birthday. I can't believe they are two years old. We started out the day with singing Happy Birthday to them. They didn't really know what to think. We went to McDonalds for lunch and then I got them a balloon. They love balloons. Then it was back home for naps. We had pizza for dinner and then the family came over for some cake and presents that night. The boys loved opening their presents. They got an airplane with legos, some clothes, water rockets (that is more fun for the adults), and some talking dump trucks. I think they had a good time.

He's at it again!

2010-06-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Carter found the cool whip container on the counter and ate almost the whole tub. I kept hearing "mmm" every now and then so I thought I would see what he was up to and found him with a big mess. He is such a little stinker!

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

Macey and the boys planting some onions.

Everyone helping to plant seeds

Our cute little nephew Lucas

The family in the garden

Cleaning the bird poop off of the headstone

I love this picture of Carter and our newest niece Aizlyn

Grandma Nicki with the grandkids.

Macey watching us fish

Here is Scott showing us the fish he caught. That is my sister Nicole's dog trying to get the fish.

We had a fun Memorial Day. It started out with planting the garden. Scott's mom moved in right across the street and there is a place made for a garden and so we thought we would attempt it this year. My kids loved to help place the seeds in the ground. I have never planted a garden before, so hopefully it will turn out. We planted carrots, peas, onion, corn, potatos, and tomatoes. After that we went to Scott's Grandma and Grandpa's gravesite. We put some flowers next to their headstone and took a few pictures around it. The twins kept going around and taking the flags off of everyone else's grave. Macey kept crying and complaining about her ears hurting. My kids have never had an ear infection before so I didn't really know what to do. We took her to Community Care, luckily it was open, and found out that she had a double ear infection and it was starting to spread to her throat. We went and got her perscription and took her home to get some rest. She was in so much pain and could hardly sleep, she was pretty miserable and it was so hard for me because I couldn't help her. Finally the medicine kicked in and she was ready to go play again. We decided to take the family fishing. My parents and sister showed up and we caught a lot of little fish. The twins liked to see the fish but had more fun throwing rocks in the water. We then went to dinner and headed home. We were all so tired from a long day.

Last Day of Preschool

2010-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick picture of Macey and her friend Brooklyn. I thought it was a cute picture, but on this day Macey had her last day of preschool. They had a little party with different things to do. She got candy, face painting, egg race, water balloon toss, and made a cute hat. She is so excited for Kindergarten.

Macey can ride a two-wheeler

2010-05-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

A lot of Macey's friends can ride their bike without training wheels and Macey decided it was time she learned. So we took off the training wheels and helped her learn. We took many trips back and forth up and down the sidewalk. She finally decided she just wants to do it by herself. She practiced and practiced all day. It was rainy yesterday so she would go outside in between down pours. Scott, the boys and I would sit there and watch her and cheer her on, Go Macey, Go Macey. She loved all the attention. This morning as soon as she was done with her breakfast she was outside. I went to go see how she was doing and she was doing it. My little girl can ride a two-wheeler. She is so proud and so am I
.

The boys were being so funny swinging around on the tree.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

This picture is funny because we told Macey to take it just of our heads because we don't like the full body shots and she did just that.

I had to take pictures today with my cute kids and sweet husband. I love Mother's Day, I get extra hugs and kisses, don't have to change quite as many diapers, I don't have to cook, get to take a nap, and get a nice foot rub. Thank you to everyone that made my day so special.

Girl's Trip

2010-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Lifehouse pointing at me!

Daughtry brought Lifehouse out to sing the encore song with him.

We took a little girl's trip Thursday and Friday. All the men took off work to take care of the kids while the ladies went to Salt Lake City. We went to the Chris Daughtry concert. Lifehouse opened for him. It was so much fun. Me, Nicki, Makell and Heather went. We left early Thursday morning and stopped at Goodwood to eat, Yum! We met up with Dana and went and got a pedicure. We met up with the cousins Chris and Mandy before the concert and ate at Chili's. Then we were off to the E-Center for the concert. It was so loud and crazy fun. Friday we did a little shopping and then ate at In-N-Out. I have missed eating there and it was so good.

Taste of Home

2010-04-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry the picture is so dark, all I had was my camera phone.

I went to a Taste of Home show last night with my friend Kate. My friend and old roommate Kristi Larson was the chef. It was so much fun to see her again, it's been over 7 years since I last saw her. She did such a great job and made some recipes that looked very yummy. You can check out their website at www.tasteofhome.com. Kristi does shows in the western states and on their website it tells you where and when the show will be in your area, so check it out. I recommend going to one, they are fun and you get new recipes and tips on cooking.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Some of the neighborhood kids.

The boys figured out how the drinking fountains work at the church.

Cole playing with the basketball

Carter finding some eggs until he saw the ball too.

Macey eating the candy.

Macey trying out her "hoopa loop" (I love her bedhead)

Carter found some eggs at Grandma's.

The boys love to play on the piano.

We had a fun Easter this year. We really enjoyed listening to Conference, spending time with family, playing with all the new toys, and eating tons of candy.
My Aunt Cathy, my cousin Dana and her family, and cousin Jay all came to visit. They stayed at my parents house. We all went to dinner at a really good pizza place Friday night.
I put on a little egg hunt for our neighborhood Saturday in between Conference. Well, it was a blizzard outside so I didn't know what I was going to do. Luckily one of my neighbors had the key to the church just down the street from us. We couldn't use our church because it was being used for Conference. After the first session of Conference a few of my neighbors and I went and hid all the eggs in the cultural hall. The kids had a fun time finding all the eggs. Macey found her 10 and then right away starting eating all the candy. The boys weren't too interested. There were a few basketballs in the gym and Cole and Carter found those right away and were more interested in playing ball. Saturday night, while Scott was at Priesthood Session, I fed the kids and then we colored eggs. I locked the boys in their chairs, I didn't want them getting into all the dye. They were pretty upset about it, but I let them hold the eggs when they were dry.
Sunday morning we gave the kids their Easter baskets. Macey woke up at 6 the morning excited to see what the Easter bunny brought for her. I told her to go back to sleep and wait unitl everyone was awake. Well, she decided to go take a peak, she came running back to me saying "Mommy I got a hoopa loop!" Macey was so excited about her "hoopa loop"(she is actually pretty good at it). The boys went crazy with their punching balloons and baseball bats. They figured out pretty quick that you can hit people with the bat. We then had a few friends over for breakfast. I made yummy Belgian waffles and bacon. We watched the morning session and then were off to my moms for an egg hunt with all the cousins. We had a huge ham dinner. Then the cousins had to leave and so did we, off to Scott's mom's house.
At Nicki's we had the annual Adult Egg Hunt. She threw all the eggs out at this huge hill area (it's good sledding in the winter). It took us about an hour to find all the eggs. We then went back to Nicki's house for the prizes. Scott and I only made 4 bucks and a bag of m&ms. It was a lot of fun though. Nicki gave the kids some cute things for Easter. By that time our kids were so tired so we headed home. Played a little bit and then off to bed.

My Cute Babies!

2010-03-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

I think this is my favorite picture of the twins. It shows that Cole was smaller than Carter at one time. I love how they used to just snuggle each other (but maybe that's because we would lay them by each other and they couldn't really move yet). They were just starting to smile at this age too and it was the first picture I got of them smiling at the same time.

My sister bought the boys these shirts, I thought they were pretty funny.

One of Carter's first smiles.

One of Cole's first smiles.

I love these pictures of the boys sleeping together. We would just put the boys on our bed and they would share a big pillow and cuddle each other.

I love this pic of Carter and his crazy hair and baby food on his face.

Happy Cole rolling over.

This picture just reminds me of how chubby Cole was. He still is a pretty solid kid.

I had just cut Carter's hair in this pic. I did a very bad job on it. I felt so bad for the baby. But he was still happy.

I love happy, fresh smelling babies, right out of the bath.

A better hair cut for Carter.

I just got a new cell phone and I was worried that all my pictures on my phone would be lost so I sent them to my online account so I can access them. I was looking through them and it brought back so many memories of the twins. They were just so cute, so I had to share them with you. Sorry they aren't the best quality pictures, but that's what I get for using my camera phone.

This one's for you babe!

2010-03-26T09:27:00.001-07:00

Scott went fishing again with his friend Ben Rydalch. They went to Henry's Fork and caught some nice sized fish.

Finally we can play!

2010-03-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

It has finally been a little warmer outside to go out and play and the boys are so excited. The snow has finally melted in the backyard, although the boys still go and find those patches that are left and play in them. Also melted snow means big puddles, so they come in with soaked feet. I love this picture of Cole, he just has the biggest smile on his face. I'm sad Carter wasn't looking, it would've been the perfect picture. I'm so glad to finally spend some time outside. We have been looking forward to spring for a long time.

Feeding Themselves

2010-03-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have been letting the boys feed themselves lately. I know they are almost 2 and should have been doing it for awhile now, but I guess it was just easier on me to feed them and less of a mess to clean up. But now they insist on feeding themselves and they are doing so well using a spoon or fork. Plus it's actually been really nice because I can now enjoy my own dinner and not have to worry about feeding them while my food gets cold.

Sneaky boy!

2010-03-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

I couldn't find Carter this morning, he was being very quiet. I found him in the pantry where I keep the garbage. He had gotten a pudding cup out of the trash and was licking it clean. Disgusting, I know, but I couldn't help but laugh at this little stinker! Why do kids have to play in the trash can? I have to put it in the pantry so I can close it in there, but as soon as that door is open the boys go right for the trash.

Finally Something to Post

2010-03-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I haven't had anything to post about. We haven't really been up to anything fun lately.

These pictures are from yesterday when Scott went to the Henry's Lake Fish Hatchery to spawn fish. He went with a few of his friends. Scott had never done it before, and they had a lot of fun.
Spawning is releasing eggs into the water so they can become fertilized by the male. They do this step by step at the hatchery. They told Scott that they release 1.3 million spawns a year.
It's just funny what men get so excited about. They were looking forward to this day for a couple months.

Daddy/Daughter Date

2010-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Scott took Macey on a date tonight. He asked her what she wanted to do and she said she wanted to go bowling and get some ice cream. She was so excited and could hardly wait to go. I thought it was about time that one of us take Macey out. It's been awhile since it had just been about her.

I'm sure you noticed poor little Macey's road rash on her forehead. She was holding hands with her friend and running across the street after school today. Macey slipped and fell and landed right on her face. I didn't see it happen, but her teacher carried her home. I was shocked when her teacher walked in holding her and then I saw her forehead. She was really tough and didn't cry until she saw it in the mirror. She didn't realize how bad it was. She asked for the mirror and then started crying and saying "I hate it mommy!". She thought she looked scary. But despite her scrape she still wanted to go on the date with daddy.

Horseplay

2010-01-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

The kids love to play horsey with daddy. It's so cute to see how excited they get and to hear them make the horse sound.

The boys saw that I got the camera out so they had to come over and cheese it.

Fishing Again....

2010-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Scott went fishing with his friend Ben in Soda Springs. They caught a ton of fish and they were huge! Sorry you are all probably sick of these fishing pictures, but Scott is really starting to like his new hobby.

The latest thing...

2010-01-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

Finally a toy that they play with together and get along! Cole and Carter love Macey's doll stroller. Carter sits in it while Cole pushes him all over the house. It's the cutest thing! I am waiting for the wheels to pop off though, but until then let them have their fun, right?

Dressup Queen

2010-01-13T08:23:00.003-08:00

My mom bought Macey this new dressup for Christmas. I think she put on every accessory that went with it. It's quite the look!

Weekend at the Cabin

2010-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend at Phillip's Lodge in Island Park. It was a much needed get away with a lot of R&R. We ate yummy food, watched movies, played games, sat in the hot tub and just lounged around. I brought a couple toys for the boys. We played with their new shake n' go cars. Cole was so excited. The tub in our room was a big jacuzzi tub and the kids had fun taking a bath in the "swimming pool". The funniest part of the whole weekend was when Scott was changing Cole's poopy diaper and the diaper fell off the chair and poop went all over the floor. We were all pretty disgusted, but couldn't stop laughing.

My crazy husband is at it again...

2010-01-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

Scott went fishing with his friend Ross. This time they went to Hebgen Lake in Montana. He said it was -15 degrees plus the wind. They were able to catch some fish, Scott brought home a couple. He is very proud!

Sledding

2009-12-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

Macey and Noelle

Macey, Noelle and 2 little girls we don't know

Trying to walk back up the hill

Boys going down the hill

Carter crying after going down the hill

Macey, Noelle and Kim going down the big hill

This is where Macey got hurt

Then she was sad

We went sledding today. The college has pretty nice hills for sledding. Macey loved it until she went on the big hill and got hurt. The boys didn't like it so much. They liked being pulled around in the big sled, but not going down any hills. They liked watching everyone go down, they would say "WWEEE".

Birthday Party

2009-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

Cole found the big blowup basketball. He was pretty excited about it!

Me and Cole going down the slide

Every time Noelle and Macey see each other they have to give each other a big hug! It's so cute!

Carter loves those big punching balloons.

My niece Noelle had her birthday yesterday. Since Aaron and Elizabeth are here visiting we celebrated her birthday here. We went to The Rex and they have those big blowup jumping things and slides. The kids had so much fun and so did the adults.

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-12-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

I turned 27 on Sunday the 27th. It was a great day. Scott stayed home and missed his morning meetings to cook me breakfast and get the kids all ready for church. I substituted for Macey's Sunbeam class. That was fun to watch her in primary. After church I got to take a long nap. We went to my parents house for dinner. They cooked prime rib, Yum! Scott was extra helpful with the kids. I don't think I changed one diaper that day, what a great birthday present!

Christmas

2009-12-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

The boys got this ball pit and love it. Look at Macey's static hair.

The boys got a tent with a tunnel. They love this too!

Cole got a basketball hoop. He couldn't even wait until daddy was done putting it together.

The boys in their new chairs.

Macey's new born baby and bathtub

Cole got some more sports balls!

WWWEEEE!

The boys loved their wagon

Waiting to come down stairs

Every time I get the camera out Carter says "Cheese" with this cute face.

(Christmas Eve pjs)

We had a fun Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve we went to Aunt Heather's house for dinner and games with the Stears Family. We did our $5 gift game and then it was onto Catch Phrase and Family Feud. We laughed so hard. Christmas morning we opened our presents at our house and then we went to my mom's house. The kids got so much stuff. We spent all of today just getting our house organized again. We then had dinner at my mom's house. My brother Aaron and his family are up to visit.

Fun with Frosty

2009-12-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

Macey and Brooklyn next to their little snowman

December 16th, "Frosty wants to play with a friend today". Macey's friend Brooklyn came over to play. We made cute little powdered donut snowmen. Then they went outside and made snow angels and a little snowman. Their friend Kaitlyn then came over and they played outside and had a snowball fight. It was pretty funny to watch. After awhile they all came in because they were freezing. Macey and Brooklyn didn't have snow pants on so they were soaked. Oops, I hope they don't get sick!