Ezra's Birth Announcement

I really try to be competent with programs like photoshop, but I just don't have the time! Luckily, I have fantastic friends who are wizards with these programs! (Thank you Anjella!)

Important Vesuvius information

This is a very important update for our super fun sledding hill, Mount Vesuvius. Ethan has decided he needs to change it's name so we don't confuse last year's Vesuvius with this year's Vesuvius. Effective immediately our sledding hill is now Mount Kilimanjaro. I think he learned about this mountain from Michelle.

Vesuvius update for Huge Snow today!

After a HUGE snow day today we spent a lot of time building up our sledding hill!!

Ethan and I spent all morning sledding and shoveling, now that Spen is home he is taking over for me!! Ethan is in heaven with his hill!

Ethan is good enough to mind our rule of no sledding without a grown up there to help and watch.

We finally got it packed enough that we can sled down 'doubles'. Ethan even talked our neighbor into sledding down with him. :)

Perfect for the Christmas break!

Vesuvius 2008

If you saw our blog last year, you know that we built our own sledding hill in our front yard for Ethan. Yesterday and today we finally got enough snow to start construction on the new and improved Vesuvius!

I have to say, we are all pretty excited about it. Mason only tried last year's hill a few times, but I think this year he'll be more excited about it. Ez will have to wait!

Ethan is fearless I'm afraid... He's going to have to start wearing his ski helmet when he is playing with just his friends and not his dad! When it gets too dark he brings his sled in to do some "stair sledding." I don't think I'll elaborate!

Skiing!~

Last year Spencer took Ethan to Sundance to teach him how to ski for his first year. He did pretty good for a beginner 4 year old! This year they both got passes
and I don't know who is more excited about it, Ethan or Spencer!

They've already gone twice so far and have plans to go A LOT these next few weeks! From what I hear he has improved quite a bit already this year! I just love how much he loves going with his dad...

Christmas Party

This year we finally got it together enough to attend the annual Angels Hand's Christmas party. It's at a fun center where you can to fun rides and roller skate and watch magic shows, etc.

After our pizza lunch date with Santa, we started at the bumper cars. Ethan and Spen had to go several times to satisfy Ethan! He had a blast

You can see how excited Mason was for the fun! His favorite part (to all of our surprise) was the movie! We went to see Madagascar with everyone. It was a lot of fun and our boys were so great!

Spencer took Ethan out to try and roller skate. He was pretty shakey!

Then he too Mason for a spin. I love that they let you do this with kids in wheelchairs!

Ezra 2 months old!

Time is just flying away from me, I remember thinking with Ethan that he just grew up way too fast. Mason has just been different in every way, but I am feeling like Ezra is growing up much too fast too! There's nothing I can do about it! At his 2 month check up he weighed 13.8 pounds and was 25.8 inches tall! He is getting so big so fast!

He's so adorable I can't stand it!

His brother's absolutely adore him. He's been so much fun.

We are all so happy to have him in our family! (He is too, I promise! This is just too cute of a picture not to put up!)

My Christmas Tree

I Love Christmas! I love Christmas decorations in houses and the cozy feeling you get with a Christmas tree all decorated and lit up!

When we were kids my Mom started collecting Christmas ornaments for us. I don't want to pretend I know how many I have, but I'll say it's in the many 100's! I know the next question too . . . do I really get them all out? Yes I do! It takes a full day to put them on my small normal tree, but it's the funnest tree you'll ever see! I love it! And . . I love A LOT of lights!

This is my mantel with my nativity and our stockings. I love a lot of lights!

Twilight anyone?

Tonight was supposed to be a long awaited Celine Dion show, but you may know that after selling out in Salt Lake almost 14 months before the show (scheduled for tonight) Celine Dion was postponed until the end of February! My sister and I have been planning on this for a long time (obviously) but because of the date change we had to change plans. Spen felt sorry for us and bought us tickets to see Twilight tonight as a consolation show, but my sis. got sick and he got to come with me!!!

So . . . . I have to know, what did everyone think of Twilight?

Little Heroes

I just copied and pasted this post from my friend's blog. (Hope it's OK Laree!!) They are a family who does a lot of good and really is trying to make a difference. Please take a minute to go to their website and see what they are all about. It's really easy to donate -- even if you can only afford $5. Please just go check it out and do what you can to help.

www.littleheroesfoundation.org


"Little Heroes Foundation is a non-profit organization determined to change the lives of underprivileged children all over the world. We believe that we are all children of God. Every child is a unique individual who deserves to be loved and cared for. We create opportunities to improve educational, medical, and living conditions for our little heroes in the hopes that we can help them to grow into intelligent, healthy, productive citizens.
We have many projects we are currently working on in Utah, Russia & Africa. This December, Little Heroes teams up with the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation in order to bring hope and happiness into the lives of young cancer patients and their families. In a special two-day event, Little Heroes and CCCF unite 90 families together to hold a gift drive to provide these young heroes and their families with a little bit of Christmas cheer during the difficult times they are facing. The event includes participating in a big family dinner, raising money, taking toy donations, and playing fun games.

As part of their mission, The CCCF commits to bring cheer, encouragement, and goodwill to children with cancer, to collect and distribute gifts and funds for children with cancer and to their families, and to lighten the burdens those children and their family bear.



*Please spread the word and pass it on! You can learn more at www.littleheroesfoundation.org

*Please join our cause on facebook!

We are launching a donation program for everyone to get involved in Charity. Whether your budget is big or small you can donate to Little Heroes! We ask for at least $5 dollars a month. Everyone can afford $5 dollars per month. Go to our website and donate now. Our generous board members pay for all operational costs. 100% of all donations go to the children! $5 dollars per month buy mobiles for the cribs in the Russian baby hospital, clothes, toys, shoes, medicine, books and food. $5 dollars buys school supplies for our Little Heroes Academy in Mali, Africa. $5 dollars buys toys and dinner for children with cancer in Utah. Please help now and commit to Little Heroes buy donating $5 dollars per month! Thank you for your kindness and generosity! "

The Pumpkin Suit

When Ethan was a baby we bought this adorable puffy pumpkin suit for him to wear for his first Halloween. I loved it, I especially loved to watch him crawl around the house in it. He hated the little hat that came with it, so his picture is without hat! Mason is just a good sport and would do whatever we did to him. Ezra is so tiny he may fit it again next year, but I had to get him in it this year just in case! -- (no hat!)
Ethan - 10 months

Mason - 18 months

Ezra - 1 month

Isn't Family Great?~

As many of you know our Mason is very medically fragile. He has had a very hard time lately. This past week he had another scary thing happen to him. This isn't about that though. This post is about the outpouring of friendship, love, and support that we have received in this stressful time for our family. I can't thank you all enough for all of your prayers, emails, phone calls, meals, offers to help, and just thoughts of concern you have shown for Mason and for our family. It has moved me and inspired me. Thank you.

~HALLOWEEN~

Happy Halloween!!! Halloween is always such a busy crazy day, isn't it? I love it though. Ezra and I got to go to watch Ethan and Mason 'march' in the school costume parade. After all that trick-or-treated around Spen's work. I always have to go to Granny's house and carve a pumpkin with her, and Ethan and Mason and I got to tric-or-treat the neighborhood. It was the first day Mason has been mostly OK, and he had such a great time!
Our pumkins . . .

Adorable boys

Cutest pirate in the world

Happy candy corn

Sleeping pumpkin

Baby Ezra is 1 month!

I can't believe that one whole month has passed already! Ez is growing up and getting more and more adorable by the minute!

These are the pictures I took of him at one month old. I have always taken a picture every month on the month date of our kids with a certain thing to show how much they have grown. Ethan had a football, Mase had a baseball, and Ezra has his Build-A-Bear named 'Rocco' that Ethan made for him.

It's really a lot of fun to look back at the pictures month to month when they reach a year.

What is going on!!

What to say after a very long unexpected month of craziness!! . . . Things are starting to get back to normal around here. I just found out today that Mason needs his IV meds for at least 2 more weeks. It was a relief that they are only sending me the supplies for the 2 weeks when the Dr. started talking about keeping them through Christmas! I honestly can't handle that right now! 2 Weeks however, seems doable! I am always amazed how well Mason handles all of this. He is the strongest, bravest little boy I will ever know. He manages to keep a smile on his face no matter what happens. It's very different to go places without him because people respond so much to him and when he isn't there it is very obvious.

Ethan is doing so great. He really fights doing homework though. I should be better at explaining why it's important but it seems like a lot to make a resistant kid do! I keep telling myself, it's kindergarten and it'll get better. Now I just hope to believe it! He has been my saving grace these past weeks. I don't think I could survive it all without his help. It's mostly happy help too! He LOVES to help with anything that has to do with Ezra. He is completely twitterpated by Ezra! I love it.

Ezra is growing so fast! It's unreal how fast he is growing up! His eyes are blue (gorgeous!) and he still has all of that soft fuzzy hair! He has gained 3 pounds and grown 4 inches in his first month!

Spencer is amazing. Since September 11th we have seen Mason through 4 surgeries, 14 days in a hospital, 1 month with his PICC - almost 1 week at home, and adopted a darling little baby boy. It's a lot to go on in one family and he has been incredible. Spen - I love you more everyday, and everyday you remind me why you were the perfect guy for me!

HOME~

Just a note to say thank you to everyone who showed their support these past few weeks while we had our latest hospital stay with Mason. While I was there with him I went over my book I keep for him to keep track of everything. He has almost hit 300 days in the hospital in his lifetime. He is quite an amazing boy. I have received the sweetest emails and phone calls from family and friends letting me know how Mason has touched them and how much he is loved. Thank you.

He's finally home, as of an hour ago! He comes home with his PICC line and 3 IV medications to be given for the next 4 weeks or so. He still has a ways to go, but he's getting better not worse finally!

Pray for Mase ~

Once again Mase is in the hospital for another infection. He has had so many infections in his lifetime that he has become resistant to most of the medications that can help. This is when things get scary. He has had 4 eye surgeries in less than one month and we are really nervous about this infection. He's not himself. I am really asking that all of our family and friends keep Mase in your hearts and your prayers that he will fight this one fast. Mase is such a sweet incredible person. I love him so much. He is so much a part of my soul. I hate to see him suffering. He is the perfect little brother, and now an adorable and loving big brother. His happy spirit is a big part of who we are as a family. We want him to be home with all of us where he belongs.
Please Heavenly Father -- take care of my baby, keep him safe.

Ezra's first bath at home

Tonight we gave Ezra his first bath since the hospital bath. We were pretty concerned that he would scream the entire time -- but he LOVED it.

Ethan was a very good helper. We scrubbed him clean! When I pulled him out of the little baby tub he peed all over my countertop! Ethan thinks it was because he wanted to get back in the tub. He's probably right!

Baby Ezra!

Welcome home Baby Ezra~

We hope you don't mind all of the attention! Ethan is not putting you down. You have two big brothers who love you very much! Mason holds completely still when you are near him. He gets a gianormous smile and says, "yeah" over and over!

You're adorable and we all love you very very much!

One of those days . . .

Have you ever had one of those days? Today was it for me. The rain didn't much help, that's for sure! When I have a really rough day, we always get breakfast for dinner. I love it anyway, but especially when there isn't much to cook and I don't really feel like cooking anyway. Ethan thinks it's the greatest and tonight it was especially fun because we had whip cream on top! What more could a kid ask for at dinner, I mean really?!

Build-A-Bear family night!

This week for FHE we went to Build-A-Bear.

Ethan has been so excited to go back there. This January his Aunt Ali took him for his 5 year old birthday. She let him get his bear whatever he wanted, he got PJ's and a stroller. Let me tell you she got some serious points for that outing! Ethan made 'Gerry' with her and his cousin and he absolutely LOVES Gerry. It was fun to see him get so excited over something like that.

Our trip to Build-A-Bear this time was special for Ethan and for all of us. He's been looking foward to this for a while now. This time we went he knew exactly what he wanted to do, what the bears were going to wear, what thier names were going to be, and how he wanted thier names spelled.

Mason was a little spooked by the stuffing machine and the loud noise. He made it long enough to help put a heart in them. They both got to put a heart in each bear. Ethan thought that was pretty cool, but he was confused that the bears had two hearts. He decided that it would be good for them to have an extra just in case one of them stopped working right. We had a great time.

Ethan and his animals!

I have a child who DOES NOT like to go to bed!!! He likes to think up reasons to get out of bed over and over again. If you've ever been at our house around bedtime, you understand I'm sure! Sometimes he will stay in his room and don't worry - he's prepared for what he has planned! He'll steal flashlights and hide them so that when we leave he can do what he wants to do without us noticing a light on. I went in to check on my 'sleeping children' (or so I thought) the other night and this is what I found . . . .

He at least FAKED asleep when he heard me coming back with my camera.

I suppose taking pictures isn't really the way to make him understand that he is not doing what he is supposed to be, but really . . . could you resist taking a picture of all of the animals in the house tucked in into "three layers of bed?" I couldn't either~!

Ethan, You are adorable in everyway. I hope that you don't ever stop doing things like this because it sure makes me smile! I love you Angel Boy!

Finally done with my canning~!

If someone would have asked me even last summer if I would be the type of person who canned food items, I probably would have answered no while laughing at the idea of it! But I have canned the last two seasons thanks to some very helpful friends and neighbors! Last year we just did applesauce and salsa, but this year I branched out to peaches and pears! We have a gorgeous peach tree that went absolutely crazy with peaches this year! We also did peach and strawberry freezer jam!
The only thing that I really don't enjoy about the whole canning process is how HOT my house gets and the HUGE mess to clean up every day.

I'm just hoping now that we actually use it all now!