My Mom....Happy Birthday!

My Mom is truely a Wonderful Woman...a true Lady. I love my Mother and am so glad to have had such a wonderful example as to what a Great Mom should be. She still spoils me rotten as well as does the same for my Kids, her Grandkids. Here we are in Escalante. We are climbing around on Devils Garden, a bunch of really cool Rock(sandstone) formations. Everytime we go to Escalante with my Parents, my Mom helps me so much with my Kids and helps make it fun for all of us. She also gives me a usually well needed break. Thanks Mom for all you do for me!

Here was a sillly picture that I couldn't resist posting. Though my Mom is going to KILL ME! Neither one of us had any make-up on and we were riding Frontrunner down to SL. I was alone with my Boys and met up with my Family in Ogden to go with them. The whole trip my Mom was tending to my Boys and her Other Grandkids. I never saw her when she wasn't holding onto one of the Kids hands. It was usually one of mine she was helping me out with. I hardly had to tend my two little Cuties all night. It was nice to be able to just watch them having so much fun with Grandparents and Cousins. By the way this picture is just weird because I'm holding the camera out infront of us and trying to hold my little wiggle Aidy at the same time. So we got a really funny picture out of it...I'm still practicing my skills.

Here is my Mom with her Sweetheart. I don't know if my Dad know's how much my Mom really loves him....they have funny ways of showing their affection. I'm sure he has some idea though. But my Mom tells me often that she does love him and appreciates what a good husband and Dad he is. Im grateful for my Mothers example. She has always been my Dad's right hand-Man(Woman). She has often been found doing what is considered "man's" work like helping tow broken down trucks, cleaning up the yard and house in Escalante, yardwork, feeding the animals, hauling hay, milking cows, you name it she's probably been right out there with my Dad...I remember many times as a family doing these things also. But even though she helps do all that she still cleans the house and does the "woman's" work too. It has taught me to do things together as a family and show your spouse you appreciate them and what they do for you...help them out if you can. Both my Parents are very hard working people. I'm glad I've had their example and I hope to be more like them as I continue to grow and learn with my own Family now. My Mom has sacrified a whole lot just to make me happy and make sure my needs and our families needs were met. I do appreciate all her sacrifice and hard work for us.

My Mom is the Greatest Grandma EVER!!! There is no doubt she LOVES her Grandkids, every one of them to pieces! She is one of the few Grandma's I know that gets down on the floor and plays with her Grandkids. She is always so excited to see them and treats them so special when they come to visit. My Kids can't wait to go visit and often ask to stay longer just to keep playing with Grandma! She makes sure every minute the Kids are with her is spent having fun and doing what they would like to do, even if it means tearing her house apart to make blanket tents and have a tea party under it on her living room floor. Or having sleepover nights on her living room floor under the tent. Which usually consists her making a treat (sometimes popcorn) and watching movies until the Kids are starting to dose off. I remember my Mom doing similar things for us as Kids and we loved it, even if we didn't show it very well. As we grew up we had Friday or Saturday night Pizza and Movie night, as a Family just spent at home, and it was great. It's a tradition I'm trying to incorporate into my own Family.

My Mom has taught me so much and I couldn't ask for a better Mother I have the BEST! She has taught me what is important in life like being a family, letting your Children know you love them always, not sweating the small stuff, loving you Hubby no matter how mad you may get at them for doing dumb stuff, how to be a homemaker and make your home a happy place to be. She doesn't ever give herself enough credit for all the good she does and I hope someday she'll know how special she really is!

Mom...Thanks for being the Best! I Love You and Hope You Have an Awesome Birthday! Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Valentines Day & Trip Home to See Our Families!

For Valentines Day we went down to Build-a-Bear at the Gateway and rode the Front runner down then later we went to a yummy dinner at Maddox. My whole family came with us and it was a fun trip in spite of the blizzard of a snow storm we had to drive through to get on the Front runner. Thanks to my family for coming with us I'm glad we got to spend that day and some of the next together, love you all!

Corbin and Cousin Gavyn, they are so funny when together! They both love Star Wars, Spider-man, and all the rest of the action figure shows and so they get along great. They were entertaining us by making silly faces.

Here's the Girl Cousins all sitting' together! Jenna, Miss Chloe and Baylee. Miss Chloe wasn't feeling all to well and Baylee and Jenna tended to her the whole time on the train. These are Corbin and Aidan's only girl cousins(so far) and they are all my cute little nieces!

Aidan didn't always have a seat with the other Kids so he took advantage of Grandma and Grandpa time! He's no dummy, he knows Grandma always carries a stash of treats, as well as will spoil him rotten.
Aidy chose a cute turtle which he named "A" Turtle. He knows his name starts with "A" and it's one of his favorite things to say. So we weren't surprised when that was his response when asked what he wanted to name the turtle. He loves that turtle to pieces and is always squeezing him tight! It was fun watching him take such good care of that turtle and being so protective of it, no one was allowed to touch it except him.
Corbin chose a snugly black Bear. As you can see he loves it! He's even insisted on sleeping with it for the last several nights. Originally he named his Bear "Home Stuffed Bear" and later decided he was tired of people asking him to many questions about it. So he has since changed the name to "Snugly". He too has been pretty possessive of his Bear but loves to show it off!

Here they are giving their Bear and Turtle a bath. They had lots of fun bathing and brushing them and getting them all ready to take home and be theirs to keep! It was a fun day! We had to stand in line since it was Valentines day and we had to rush a bit to get back in time for our reservation at Maddox. But it was a good day out with family and we made some fun memories!

Corbin and his Cousins Adam and Jared. I found them several times sitting in the chair together either playing Nintendo DS or watching t.v. We had a Birthday get together for Nate and my Sister-in-Law Jerilynn. It was a fun time and again we had all the family together!

Cousin Ryan got his own seat so he didn't have to share and he's probably a lot more comfortable too! Thanks Ryan for being nice and teaching Corbin how to play your DS. You were a very good sport letting him keep bugging you about it and letting him play.

Aidan and Cousin Dallin had a blast playing blocks! They were found often in the middle of the block pile building planes and trains. Cousin Liam who is the only Cousin I didn't get a picture of 'cause he left the night before, was also usually playing with these two having fun with the blocks.

Right before we left it was snack time. Or in other words....because it was time to go the Boys went and begged Grandma for a snack to stall and stay longer. What can I say, my Boys are spoiled rotten by all their Grandparents and what can I do about it, nothing! I really don't mind and am glad they are loved so much! We had a great time seeing all of our family and were glad we didn't miss anyone! Thanks everyone for making it a nice trip home, Love you all!

Birthday Bash for Daddy!

O.k. so we didn't exactly have a Bash for Nate, but we did try to make it a fun day for him. We hope he knows we love him and are glad he's our Daddy/Husband! Corbin and Aidan were so excited to give Nate a present and couldn't wait till he came home to help him open it. So while they were waiting they managed to unwrap it at least 3 times before Nate got home from work. They also worked really hard on making their Dad a cool Birthday card with messages and pictures, and the works!

Since Nate requested a "special" Birthday Cake as usual, which was a chocolate, gingerbread torte that's cooked in a cast iron skillet then topped with whipped cream and drizzled with a orange glaze. I knew the Boys wouldn't eat a bite of that cake so Nate also got a Chocolate Fudge cake to share with them. We didn't have a #3 and #4 candle for the cake, so we improvized with a #3 and four relighting stick candles instead. The Boys were still blowing out candles 10 mins. later. Nate chose to go to a Chinese Buffet at the request of Corbin and Aidan(yes, they have their Dad wrapped around their little fingers...tightly!) so they could eat crab legs and clams! Funny thing neither one of them actually ate the crab legs or the clams they just played with the clam shells and had to take one home for keeps. What a couple of silly Boys we have! It was fun to see how excited the Boys got for their Dad and helping him celebrate! We ended the night playing Boom Blox as a Family on Nate's Wii and then hit the sack for Bed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATE!!!

Say Cheese! What a Handsome Man! Happy Birthday, Honey! I Love You! I hope you have the most Awesome Day! Thanks for being my Man! Nate helps me in so many ways to be a better person or at least try! He's so smart and I can always ask him questions and have him help me figure things out, he even will research it for me if he doesn't know off the top of his head. He sends me uplifting and just interesting emails from time to time and he always seems to know when I need them to boost me up that day. He is very thoughtful person too. I'm glad I'm married to such a wonderful Man that takes such good care of our family!
Nate and our Boys!!! They love their Daddy to pieces and can't wait each day until he comes home from work so they can play with him! He tells wonderful stories which Corbin and Aidan can con him into telling them at bedtime on the nights he's home to help tuck them in. I asked the Boys what they thought of their Dad. What they said was that he was a cool, handsome, fun, strong Dad that had fun and played lots of games with them. Nate is an awesome Dad and tries to make sure he takes time out each day to spend with them showing the Boys that he loves them too! Something funny as I was asking Corbin what he though of his Dad this afternoon, he said "cool, pretty, and fun." I just had to ask if he really meant "handsome". Though Nate is "pretty", I don't think he appreciates being called that.
This is not Nate's favorite activity, it's to represent that he loves the outdoors, camping, hiking and exploring. Though I do think he may enjoy fishing a bit more now than he use too, maybe since we tried a few times this Summer and even though we didn't have any luck catching anything we did have fun spending time together as a family. He also enjoys reading, and watching SCI-FI, and Action, movies and shows. His favorite sports would have to be Fencing and maybe swimming though he does like basketball(Utah Jazz) and Football(USU Aggies, and GB Packers). If I'm wrong about any of this he'll correct me later. Nate is a great Husband and Father and I appreciate all that he does to make us happy! Thank you, Nate! I just wanted to share what a neat person he is and let him know that we Wish Him the Best Birthday Ever!

Snow Day!

Having Fun In The Snow!!!

About 2 weeks ago roughly, we had a huge snow storm. It snowed pretty heavly for 24 hours straight. We also were blessed with a lot of wind and drifting! Anyway the next day we had a ball playing in all the snow. Here the Boys are on their sledding hill. Aidan was happy shoveling while Corbin took to the sled.

Aidan went from drift to drift digging holes in the snow. He loved it, but didn't want anything to do with sledding down the hill. I asked him several times if he wanted to try it and told him I'd help him. His response everytime was "nahnah, no!" I just figured he was too busy digging to bother with the sled. He was having fun and that's all that mattered!

Here Corbin is taking a ride down the hill. He loved it but took to shoveling with Aidan after a while. We all had to pitch in and build up the hill after a few rides down it. The snow was to soft to even pack and make a Snowman. Corbin tried several different methods and trails to sled down the hill and had a ball trying new stunts. He'd yell at the end of his ride"This is totally Awesome!" He was having fun too and that's all that mattered!

We've had a lot of indoor days because of how cold it gets out here, so we actually welcome the snow since it warms up a bit. It is funny though this Winter has been the warmest one so far since we moved here and we've had less snow storms, weird. It was a nice day to be out and we had a great day! I love my cute little snowbuddies!

Tagged: 5 Things I am Addicted Too!

1. Family-I love my family! They are my everything and I often give up well needed alone time for Family time because I just feel like it's more important to be with my Family and spend as much time together as we can. I love my Boys and I love my Husband and they are what matter most to me!
2. Reading-I don't get a lot of time to do it, but when I do, I love it! I love the Twilight Series and I can honestly say I'm probably addicted to that too! I have to really discipline myself when I get into a book and make myself put it down and be a Mom and Wife and get the house cleaned and dinner made. There for I don't read near as much as I could or would like too!
3. Dr. Pepper and Chinese Food-If I could justify it in our budget I would have a case of Dr. Pepper permanently on the grocery list, but I'm good and don't buy it so I don't have to have it everyday! I do have to have one on my bad days and thanks to my awesome Hubby he lets me get one whenever I really need it and doesn't give me any crap about it. Dr. Pepper is also my choice of beverage when ever we go out to eat so I get my fill! I Love Chinese food and never seem to get sick of it. I even took a few County Chinese Cooking Classes back when we lived in Bountiful and I loved it! Every once and a while I get out my recipes and cook something edible up!
4. Country Music-I like all sorts of music but I love Country Music. It's what I grew up with and it reminds me of home and my roots! My Boys even like it too and Corbin has really taken to Taylor Swift and her song about a "Stupid old Pick-up Truck You Never let Me Drive". It's hilarious to watch and hear him sing that song or at least the few parts he knows. It makes me love Country Music even more! Thanks Nate for putting up with My Country fetish, I love you! Nate doesn't love or even like Country Music like I do, but he lets me listen to it in the car and house even when he's around. What a Sweetheart!
5. Jon and Kate Plus Eight-The T.V. show. I love it and can watch reruns just as well as the new episodes. Their sextuplets are 1 month younger than my Corbin and I love to watch and see what they are up too and what new challenges they are facing. I especially like to see what new adventures they are going on! Aidan loves to watch it with me and especially the reruns when they were younger he starts getting excited and says "baby" "baby". Corbin and Nate even join me sometimes to watch the show. I think we might all be addicted!

I'm TAGGING: Nate, Jerry, Janae, Harmony, Jerilynn, Katie, Melissa, Marcie, and anyone else who would like to share, Have Fun with it!

Brotherly Love!

I had to post this cute picture more than anything it's got some sentiment! We've been having a bit of trouble getting our little Cuties to stay in there bed once we've turned out the lights and said "good night". For some reason they think it's party time and lets just say they make sure they have a good party! Well last night after several attempts and a finally their staying in there beds, I went and checked on them. I do this often before I go to bed and pull their covers up one more time and hug them and kiss them and even pick them up sometimes and hold them. Yes, I'm a crazy Mom that really does love her Children and hates to see them growing up so fast. I usually think their so dang "cute" and "angelic" looking that I can't resist and I usually have to tell them I'm sorry for being a mean Mom and getting after them throughout the day. Anyway back to last night. When I went in to check on them this is what I found. Isn't it cute....two brothers that just needed to be close. I think Aidan has been trying to tell us his converted crib isn't all that comfortable anymore and he needs a big boy bed...this may be why he's sleeping on Corbin's bed. Any how I thought it was cute and kind of precious! When we moved into this house Aidan was still a baby and we put them in seperate bedrooms to give them their own space. Not much later we moved them into a room to share. They both had been waking up all through the night and we thought they were having nightmares or something. After we moved them into one room they've done a whole lot better. But, they have also learned to make the most of it by having way to much fun at naptime and bedtime. Oh well, like my Mom says "they aren't going to be little forever and enjoy them while they are....stinkers or not...just love and enjoy them!" So that is what I try to always remember. I've also been trying to take on the atittude of "If it really doesn't Matter than don't let it Bother me enough to make me Mad". With that I've just tried to keep in perspective what really does matter....my Children, Our Family and all of Our Happiness. I have an article on this I'll try to post later, it talks more about this perpective.