Christmas Day

Christmas morning is something I look forward to all year of course! The kids let us sleep in WAY later than we thought they would. They slept until 8:00 a.m. Mark and I kept waking up just to make sure they hadn't come down without us noticing! They were so excited. Santa brought Braxton a BIG bike. He was excited and a little intimidated. But he's getting the hang of it. Haylee and McKynlee got bikes too...and all of the princess barbies. They were in heaven. We can't get Haylee off of her bike! Maycee wanted roller blades and she went to put them on and there was in ipod in the toe. Holy crap Santa must like our kids. He spoiled them and they loved it!! This year I put numbers of the presents so they wouldn't snoop (A little trick I picked up from my mom :) But, they were so excited to finally see who had which number and what presents were for them. Maycee and Braxton were both so excited about some presents they made for us. They were so thoughtful and sweet. We love our kids!! It was a great morning but then the work had to begin. Mark and I spent the whole day running around trying to clean-up and pack so we could go visit family the next day!!

Christmas Eve

I love this time of year. It has kind of become a tradition that Mark's parents come for Christmas Eve and spend the night. We have a feast like you couldn't believe. Just when you think the crab legs can't get any bigger THEY DO!! We love spending that night with them. Our kids were so excited. It was a really special Christmas Eve. Maycee wanted to read about Jesus Birth and the little ones did better than we expected. When it got time to go to bed the kids were so worried about being asleep when Santa came that they forgot to set out the cookies and milk. I didn't realize it until they were all asleep. So, luckily Mom saved the day and I was able to set out the cookies and milk before Santa came! Whew that was a close one.

That Time of Year!

So it was that time of year again to go visit Santa Claus. Our kids were so excited! We got to the mall and we were walking toward Santa when Braxton said, "I knew it...he's an impostor!" I asked him what he said, and he repeated it word for word!! I couldn't believe it! How did he even know what that meant? I asked him how he knew that he was an impostor. He said that he wasn't the Santa Claus that woke him up a few years ago and he knew that was the real one! So that makes the "Mall Santa" and impostor. Needless to say we laughed the rest of the time. I told him that he better go sit on his lap just in case he was the real one. He humored everyone, but he still knew it wasn't the real Santa :) Haylee and McKynlee were so cute they asked for a princess thing, Braxton wanted Halo Wars Mega Blocks, and Maycee wanted Roller Blades!! They have been on cloud nine...and I have been throwing out the "Santa is watching you" about 30 times a day! Oh, I love this time of year!!

Well, the time finally came when they got to see the real Santa and not one of his helpers. We heard he was coming to our friend Jim's house and that he was going to bring them a present and everything. Our kids were so excited!! We got there and when he walked through the door there was no doubt that he was the real deal! First of all, our sneaky little Maycee came running into the room and said, "O.K., so I just saw Santa get out of a red car!!" We went to check it out and indeed he did! It was a red PT Cruiser and the license plate said THE SLED!! He said it saves time to park his sled and then drive his car around town. Of Course...Santa is so smart! Then he sat down and told the kids that he was going to do something different and that he was going to answer any questions that they had for him. Our kids were the oldest ones there and so they went nuts of course. How many hours does it take you to deliver all the presents? How do you stay awake all that time? How do reindeers fly? Does Rudolph always fly on Christmas? Why does his nose glow? Do you stop at every house? What is your favorite cookie? I liked that answer the best, he said, "Look at me, do I look like a picky eater. You don't even have to leave cookies, I'll eat left over pizza...I'll eat whatever you've got!!" Maycee even found out that he was a Packers Fan!! She loved Santa before but after that news she loves him even more. McKynlee asked who was inside that Santa and he told Maycee to come over and push on his belly. He said lots of kids think he stuffs pillows and padding in his suit. But it was all him as Maycee found out. She pushed her fist into his belly and his belly shot back out "like a bowl full of jelly". Our kids were absolutely mesmerized!! That experience is definately burned into the memory banks. What a special night it was for all of us!! See Braxton it was worth the wait, you humored the impostor and you got the real deal!!!

Thanksgiving

OK, so I have been ssooo bad about blogging lately. But, I think things are back on track now so I can get things updated!! We had a great Thanksgiving this year!! The week of Thanksgiving didn't start out very good. I got sick, then Maycee, then Braxton. We literally quarantined ourselves from the rest of the family. We called my bedroom the "Den of Death". We kept telling Haylee and McKynlee they couldn't go in the den of death or they would get sick and we couldn't go to Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving! That was enough motivation for them :) Luckily we didn't share the love with everybody else and we were all better just in time for Thanksgiving Day! Mark went golfing in the morning with his Dad, Bob, Ty, and Jordan. They had a great time!! The weather was amazing. Of course MarLene made an AMAZING dinner for all of us. Even though every time she cooks it feels like Thanksgiving, she always manages to exceed every one's expectations!! It was so yummy. After we ate we got to go out and play on the golf course and enjoy each others company!! It doesn't get much better than that. I am so thankful for my family. I feel so grateful to have such a loving husband and such great kids. I love my parents and family so much, and owe so much to them!! I had a great childhood and I owe that to my family!! I am also very lucky to have married into such a wonderful family. They are so good to me and our kids! I love them so such, and can't imagine life without them!!

Daddy's Birthday

We were able to celebrate Mark's birthday on November 9th. He is such a great guy so we wanted to spoil him a little bit. We started the day off with sending him off for a massage. Then he went to lunch with his friend Brian. Then his parents came and watched the kids while he and I went to Milt's for yummy prime rib. It is such a cool restaurant. They set out bails of hay and apples on the ground so the deer will come down the canyon to eat. So, we sat there and watched all of the deer out the window! It was a really fun night.................................................

But at the end of they day the little butt got what he really wanted a little puppy!! I know what you all are thinking...I still can't believe he talked(tricked/coerced) me into it. But you know Mark, he ALWAYS gets what he wants. His name is Max and he and Beau have been really cute together! The kids absolutely LOVE him because he is small and they can pick him up (the poor dog). I told him if he ever doubts how much I love him just look into little Max's eyes and he will quickly remember! Happy Birthday Sweetheart. We love you!! Thanks for being the BEST husband and Daddy ever!!

California

Well, it's that time of year again to head to California with the family. We started this little tradition 7 years ago, and what a tradition it has turned out to be. We go every fall with Mark's family. Every year it varies a little bit as far as what we decide to do. This year we went to the San Diego Zoo which was so much fun. Maycee is the only one that has ever been to a zoo, and it was when she was really little. Mark gets mad when I say that, because they've been to Disneyland and Sea world a bunch of times. He says it makes them sound deprived or something (which we all know they are not :). Anyway, the kids had so much fun!! Their favorite thing was all of the monkeys and chimpanzees. They could have watched them for hours and laughed their little heads off.


The weather was insane. It was between 80 and 90 degrees all week. We could not have had better timing. So, we spent tons of time at the swimming pool. Our kids also love the koi pond. They think it's funny when they latch onto my finger.





Of course we spent the majority of our time at the beach because we love it so much!! We body surfed and got Maycee, Braxton, Bailey, and even Grandpa to come in and enjoy the waves. It was so much fun to see them all having such a great time. It was really crazy because the water was really clear (a little to clear) because Mark saw a 4 foot leopard shark and a seal whiz right past him!! Holy Crap!! I'm so glad that I wasn't in the water when that happened. Needless to say we didn't tell the kids until we were done for the day :) We also spent a lot of time at the tide pools. Our kids absolutely love it there. We found so many things this time. They love to hold the little hermit crabs and stick their fingers in the sea anemones so they squeeze your finger. We got a picture of a huge one. We even saw sea urchins. It was really fun. We are going to have some marine biologists on our hands!


The funniest part of the whole trip was on Grandpa's birthday. Mark and I got to go golfing with him which was a blast. We never knew Mark had such a good arm (and I'm not talking about his swing)!! We went to Joe's Crab Shack. We had never been there before, so we were excited when all of the waitresses stop to dance and their are disco lights and everything. Our kids and Grandpa got up and danced with them and we laughed our heads off. Well, after our waitress saw how uninhibited Grandpa was with the dancing I guess she figured he was a good sport. Next she brought out a wig, mu mu, ukulele, and stuffed him up nice and made him sing Happy Birthday to himself (by himself). He ate it up and then we all sang to him. I don't know if all of us have ever laughed so hard!! What a fun day it was for us all. Happy Birthday Grandpa Rick!!


The trip ended with a great Halloween. We met up with our good friends Dave and Jamie. It is always so great to see them. It was so fun to see little Mackenzie and catch up! What a great neighborhood to trick or treat at. The houses were decorated to the hilt and there were kids everywhere. They had a blast!! Another great year in California!

The Big Day

 

Well, it's official all of our girls have their ears pierced. When we started out with Maycee we really didn't have an age in mind of when they could get their ears pierced. We just figured when they were old enough to ask us and really want it we would let them. We never imagined Maycee would ask at age 3. We told her it would hurt and feel like a shot, but I guess us girls will do anything to look pretty lol. So, that kindof became the age. Maycee has told both of her little sisters that they can get their ears pierced when they turned 3. (What a good little mommy she is :) Anyway, Kynlee's birthday came and went and about a week later she stopped in her tracks and said, "Mom I never got earrings for my birthday!" It was a Monday night and Mark and I looked at each other and told the kids lets get in the car and go get Kynlee's ears pierced!! Everyone was so excited!! Maycee and Haylee were telling her it didn't hurt that bad and that she could do it. They only had one girl working there so she had to do one at a time. She didn't even cry....she was so tough!! Now she has pretty earrings like her sisters. It doesn't get better than that!!

Lake Powell

 

We were so excited for another trip to Lake Powell...our favorite place ever. We went the second week in October and the weather was amazing. It was between 80 and 90 degrees the whole time. The water was a little cold so we didn't swim as much as we usually do, but it was still such a great trip. We had our friends Jordan and Melissa and their family come and we had a blast. Our kids played so cute together and they made us the best dutch oven food ever!! We seriously ate better than we ever have. It was such a great trip and the company was fantastic. I know I've said it before, but I LOVE that place.

Happy Birthday Mark!!! Love the new body art!!

Mark, you have mad skillzzzzzz! Happy birthday big guy!
Love, Your Favorite Lil' Sis

McKynlee's 3rd Birthday

She was such a sweet little baby.
She is getting so big!
Check out Haylee's face as Kynlee was opening her presents...she was SO

excited for her sister to get presents and not her!! Ya right!!
I can't believe our baby is 3!! It was McKynlee's birthday on September 29th. Time has seriously flown by. Mark was out of town on her birthday so we took her to dinner and celebrated the night before. We went to a hibachi grill where they chopped up food, lit the grills on fire, swirled knives around, etc.. Our kids mouths dropped as their eyebrows got singed. It was so funny and cute. We loved it!! The next day we had a few little friends come over for a princess party!! All Kynlee wanted for her birthday was cupcakes...so she had her little friends and cupcakes and was happy as can be. It seems like just yesterday that we welcomed her into the world. She is our little comedian..and SSOOO loud!! Anyone that has been to our house can attest to that!! But she has the cutest voice ever, so it's O.K. She is quite the little "bootie shaker" and loves to tease people (especially Haylee because she has the best reaction with her squealing/crying). We can't imagine life without her. Our family definitely wasn't complete until she joined us! We love you Kynlee!! Thanks for always bringing a smile to our faces.

Las Vegas

 

We were lucky enough to tag along with Grandma and Grandpa to Las Vegas for mobile babysitting :) Mark and I had tickets to the Def Leppard concert...which was really awesome. Ya know, sometimes you just need to do things like that so that you feel young again. It worked too, we had such a great time. Mark's parents watched the kids that night and then we hung out at the pool for the rest of the weekend with them. While we were at the pool Mark pulled out Braxton's tooth. I love his little toothless smile!! Grandma and Grandpa, Maycee, and I also went to see Lion King. It was amazing. It was so cool how they would transform the stage, and the costumes were so creative. It was really fun to spend some one on one time with Maycee. It was such a fun weekend to hang with Grandma and Grandpa and enjoy the great weather.

Soccer Days

 

Well, let the games begin. It's that time of year again!! Braxton's team is The Sharks, and Maycee's is the Pink Flash. Both of their teams are struggling a little bit this year, but they haven't let that stop them from having fun! Maycee is our little forward and when Braxton is not heckling the other team he is a great little dribbler and defender. After the last game, we had to tell him that wasn't good sportsmanship and probably not a good idea since they lost 7 to 0. Lol We are having fun spending our Saturday's cheering them on!

Camp Out

Well, I think we can all agree...the Anniversary was great and all but let's get on with it :) Sorry I've fallen off the blogging wagon for a little while, but here we go.
We went on a ward campout last month and had such a great time. We had a great turn out again this year and our kids had a blast hanging out with all the kids in the ward. They had a talent show Friday night and our girls sang and danced to "Honey Bun". It was darling! It was funny because Maycee had a microphone and then a guy handed Kynlee another microphone right before the song started. Of course with McKynlee's soft little voice (ya right) you could ONLY hear her and Maycee wasn't very happy about that! After a LOT of convincing she decided it went well and that everyone thought it was cute!
We went hiking the next day and even saw REAL horses. I said, "Look there are some horses" and Haylee said, "Are they real ones?". The owners of the horses got akick out of that and asked them if they wanted to come pet their "real horses". Our kids were pretty excited. I guess we are city slickers and need to get our kids out more often!!

Happy Anniversary

Mark and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary on August 20th!! I can't believe it was fifteen years ago that I fell in love with this man. He was sweet and romantic then, and fifteen years later he is more thoughtful than ever! I know that is unheard of, but anyone that knows him knows that it is true. I feel so lucky, and I truly can't imagine my life without him. Marrying him was THE best decision I have ever made!!
The day started off with a wake up from Maycee before school whispering "Happy Anniversary". I looked over on our nightstand and there was Eggo waffles and orange juice for Mark and I. Seriously, how sweet is that!! She is thoughtful just like her Dad :) Then there was a knock at the door and there was a delivery man with 15 red roses!! When the kids got out of school we took the kids to Grandma and Grandpa's to spend some time while Mark and I went golfing and out to dinner. When we were first married Mark somehow had the patience to teach me how to golf. It has been a definate work in progress...and some pretty funny stories along the way. But the result has been awesome! It is one of my favorite things to do with him. Just he and I out in the beautiful outdoors swearing together lol. I'm just kidding, even if we are golfing bad we don't care because we are just hanging out enjoying each others company. It has kindof turned into a birthday and Anniversary tradition I guess..and I love it!! We ended the night with an amazing steak dinner and picked up the kids and headed home! What an amazing day!! Thank you sweetheart for always taking care of me, loving me, and being my best friend. It has been the fastest 15 years of my life!!

School Days

Well, it is official. School started on August 13th. This Summer has gone by way to fast, but the kids were so excited to go back to school and see their friends. Maycee is all about projects, so the summer was starting to get a little boring for the poor girl. Braxton was just excited about everything. Braxton is in first grade this year, I can't even believe it!! He couldn't wait for school lunch (so nieve :) and 3 recesses!! It doesn't get better than that. Maycee and Braxton were so excited to see each other at recess and be at school together. Haylee and Kynlee were sad to see their bro and sis go, but they got to hang out in their pajamas and chill. They decided it wasn't so bad after all!!

Haylee started preschool the next day, so she felt pretty big. I don't know why but every year I get a little sad to see them go off to school. Time is going by way to fast!!

Lake Powell

Well, we were lucky enough to get in another trip to Lake Powell before school started. We had a blast!! We found a great beach after a long search. The lake was the busiest we have ever seen it!! Creed and Lacey and fam came and then Colleen joined us for the last half of the week. It was an amazing trip. There is no place else we would rather be!!

 

There were so many places to hike. It was pretty windy a few of the days, so we spent a lot of time up on the rocks. The little girls spent their time collecting seashells, while Braxton threw rocks off the cliffs and watched them crumble. So, there was fun for all. We even got to carve our names in the rock which I hadn't done since my Senior trip in high school. It brought back some really fun memories.

We actually got all of the kids to atleast TRY skiing. Maycee and Braxton were little studs (we had to bribe Brax with a lego set...but it was worth it. After he did it he loved it!) Haylee was even brave enough to let me help her try once. She didn't get up, but her, Lexee, and Kynlee let us practice pulling them up on the beach. It was so fun to watch them follow in Mom and Dad's footsteps. It was one of the moments that you always think about, and when it arrives it is just as neat as you thought it would be!! Thanks for some great memories kids!!

Week with the Family

 

I am kicking myself that I didn't get more pics over the 4th of July. What was I thinking? Anyway, we had such a great week spending time with family. We got to go to my nephew Aaron's play and he was amazing. We were so proud of him! We got to see fireworks on the 3rd and the 4th with both families. Thanks for having us...we love spending time with all of you!! Thanks to the Wood Hotel. You are always so good to us and we loved our stay (of course)!!

4th of July

 

We were up north for the 4th and got to spend the week with the family. We had a great time. We have a new past-time. We love to surf behind the boat. It is so much fun and not near as tiring as skiing or wakeboarding. The coolest part is even the kids could go. It was the cutest thing ever!! I'm glad Mark has the arm-strength to pull them up, because I sure don't. But they loved surfing with their Dad. These pictures are priceless!

Bear Lake Trip

 

We went to Bear Lake with my family and had such a great time. I honestly can't remember the last time our whole family went boating together. We are all so spread out, that it is so hard to find a middle meeting ground where we can go. We camped on the old Idaho Hot Springs. I thought they would have fixed it up by now....I was wrong!! It was such a piece of crap, but hey it served its purpose. There was a big place for us to pitch our tents. It looks the same as it did when we used to go their as kids...just 20 years older. It was so fun to see all the cousins play together and having a great time. We love our family so much!!