First post of 2013

Blogging hasn't been high on my to do list, but I thought it was time to change from a fall background to a spring one, and while I was at it, put in a few pictures for those who still look at blogs.  I know I should just start putting all of this on Facebook, but I'm just not quite there yet.

Anyway...we had a great Thanksgiving...

...found a great tree in the snow-less mountains...

 ...and had a great Christmas...with lots of snow!

 Katelyn turned 8...

 ...and got baptized.

 

Jace likes to watch TV sitting like this...

...and play with Gage on top of the bunk bed.

 

Gage likes to wear safety goggles and fix things around the house...

...and he doesn't like playing outside much, but today he did.

 

Kade is getting ready to crawl (he can also sit up on his own)...

...and smile all of the time.

 We have been busy, like always.  Some things are not fun, but a lot of things are.  We are certainly ready for spring, especially since we have a new swing set from Santa the kids are dying to put up! Everyone is growing up too quickly, but I'm trying to enjoy it all as much as I can.  

My goal is to write another post before school gets out...just trying to be realistic. : )

October

We have had beautiful fall weather this year!  We did have a week of cold and snow, but for the most part we can't complain.

My good friend Jana took family pictures for us this year.  They all turned out so cute, which is a great accomplishment considering that we had to get four kids to all look decent at one time.  They did pretty well and Gage was his usual goofy self.  It makes for some good memories!

 

We carved pumpkins a few days before Halloween.

We trick or treated in our neighborhood this year.  It was so warm that we didn't even need to bundle up...that was a first!  Now we are recovering from sugar highs.

Kade is five months old now and is a professional food eater.  He is such a good baby and is always brightening my day with his smile.

Now on to Thanksgiving!

Update

Gosh, where did the time go? With four kids I just don't have the time or desire to blog like I used to.

We are still alive and are doing pretty well.  Some days are great and others I feel like I'm barely staying afloat.  

School is now in.  I miss the laziness of summer, but it's nice to have a set schedule again  Katelyn's in 2nd grade and Jace just started kindergarten.  We are doing a neighborhood preschool with Gage.  Kade just tags along.

We are keeping things pretty simple this year as far as extracurricular activities.  Katie and Jace are doing soccer this fall and that is all.  We have plenty of years to be running around to this and that.  For now we will take it easy while we can...or at least as 'easy' as it can get with four little kids.

Kade is a thumb sucker.  We are 4 for 4, and only one has stopped so far. It drives Scott crazy.

First day of school! Don't let Gage's innocent smile fool you.  He has taken over the #1 naughty spot at our house!

Kade is almost four months old now! He is a good baby!

Kade

Here's our Kade, almost two weeks old.  He is a good baby.  He sleeps well at night (mostly) and is a great eater.  I love to snuggle him as much as I can.  He gets lots of hugs and kisses from the kids, especially Gage. There have been no jealousy issues so far...the kids have been great! We are just working on getting into a new groove.  It's been a little rocky, but not too bad.

I have had a lot of help from friends, family and neighbors.  We have felt so loved, and it has made our transition to a family of six much smoother than expected.

I feel great too, just the normal tiredness from being up at night.

I think he's pretty cute, don't you?

p.s. I'm not a fan of posting birth stories...sorry to all of those who were wanting to know.  I don't mind telling, just not in public.  If you want to know, give me a call...I'd love to talk to you!

He's Here!

He finally arrived!

Kade was born May 24, 2012

8 lbs 3 oz

21 1/2 inches

We all love him and are so glad he arrived safe and sound!

Busy, busy, busy

We have been busy. Mostly doing the same things we do every day, which is enough to keep us plenty busy. But we've also had some fun...

We went to visit my sister and celebrate her triplets' 1st birthday. We stopped by the mall and the boys got to try their hand at TV.

They quickly remembered that they are boys who don't sit and be quiet. They must climb and yell and make scary faces.

I had my b-day. I made myself a big double layer chocolate cake, and Katelyn made me a few mini cakes in her Easy Bake. Delicious.

Katelyn lost not one, not two, but three teeth in one week! This was tooth one. She lost one on the bottom and both front teeth. She has quite a gap and lisps when she talks.

Gage turned 3. He had been talking about his birthday for weeks and it finally arrived! I think he had a good day. Who wouldn't with McDonald's for lunch, lots of fun presents, and a dinosaur cake?

My brother and sister stayed with us for a week and we went to a fun trampoline place. They could have jumped for days!

We celebrated Easter and had a wonderful time. We spent a lot of time with family and the kids loved seeing their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents!

That pic above is about as close as we're going to get to a pregnancy picture. I am getting close...only about 6 weeks left!

Since January...

We had a great Valentine's Day. The kids had fun making and getting Valentines from their friends. I even got some beautiful pink lilies to brighten up our house!

We went to the dinosaur exhibit at the local museum. The kids got to see Sue, the giant T-rex. They loved looking at everything and were so excited that they could hardly stay at one thing for more than a few seconds.

We spent a weekend at a cabin in Driggs with some of my family. We couldn't have asked for a better time! The cabin was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and we enjoyed some first-class sledding right outside our back door!

For St. Patrick's Day the kids wanted to set up a leprechaun trap. They were pretty creative. Unfortunately, they didn't catch a one, but the leprechaun was nice enough to leave some treats!

We had fun taking before church pictures this past Sunday. We did get some good 'normal' ones, but I actually like this one better. :)

Jace turned 5! As my friend would say, he's now a whole hand. He was excited this year to have a friend birthday party. He requested a spy theme and a pinata and had a great time with his friends. He got lots of fun new toys and spy gear. He's all set to do many secret missions! This kid has a mind of his own, but we love him and his fun loving personality!