Chaos Is A Friend Of Mine

2009-11-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

12 Is Too Close to 13

2009-11-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hyatt decided to turn 12. Even though I told him not to. I begged him not to. I threatened to stop feeding him, so he would stop growing. I kicked, I screamed, I whined. He did it anyway. So. . . in honor of his 12th birthday, and in keeping with some very outrageous tradition that Matt got started a few years back. . . we took an unexpected trip. We woke up a couple of days before Hyatt's birthday, and Matt said to me "Let's go see the Yankees again" (now, I have never seen the Yankees play, but Hyatt and Matt have done it a few times. . . remember what I said about an outrageous tradition) So we packed up the next day and off we went, but this time we went to California to see the Yankees. Much warmer, and much easier. We took the boys to Huntington beach, and stayed in a brand new hotel that was right on the beach. We did all the fun stuff. We ate at all the great spots, we shopped at at the great shops, we rode waves, we ate doughnuts made by surfers (why do old surfers make such great doughnuts. . . gee I wonder), and we went to the game at Anaheim Stadium. We packed so much fun in to 4 days, it felt like 2 weeks.

Two things happened on this trip. First, I decided it was ok for Hyatt to turn 12. He is so much fun to hang out with. He is funny and smart, and brave. He is a little too brave. The life guards at Huntington had to remind him of that. . . over the loud speaker. I decided that even though I hate that he is growing up, I love who he is growing up to be, so I can enjoy it. But I may still complain once in a while. I get to do that. The day he is taller than me, which at the current rate of things will be sometime this year, I get to REALLY complain. The second thing I discovered is that I LOVE major league baseball. LOVE IT! No more letting the boys go with out me. I want in on all the fun. Matt thinks he may have created a monster.

We had a fabulous trip. It was all so perfect. The hotel had even decorated our room for Hyatt's birthday when we got there. (Matt is such a fun dad!) They had a huge poster, signs and a big huge box of treats for Hyatt to take to the game. If you ever get a chance to go to Huntington, stay at the Shore Breaks Hotel, it is the best! A huge thanks to my Mom and Dad for keeping not only Griffin, but the dog too! THANK YOU!! It was so fun to have time with the older boys, and do all the crazy stuff we can't really do with Griff. You guys are the best!

St George Marathon

2009-10-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hyatt and I made a quick trip to St. George to watch Kris run the marathon. She was amazing! It was so fun to see her cross the finish line. The last time I saw her cross a finish line was her fist marathon a couple of years ago in Dublin Ireland. It was so exciting to see her run again. She had a great race, and could have run even faster then she did (which was already pretty darn fast), but decided to stay with her running partner who had a little trouble mid race. That is just the kind of gal she is! When I grow up I want to be just like Kris. She just decides she wants to do something and the next thing you know she is doing it. It is just that simple! So far this year she has run a marathon or two, written a book that will be released in the spring (check her out on Amazon. . . Kris Chandler and the book is called Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me), studied birds in Ecuador, learned how to sail, kayaked all over Utah and Montana, been the best mom that 4 kids could ever ask for, AND talked me down "off the ledge" about 50 times. Those are just a few things she has done, and she has a million more planned. She is the coolest.

We stayed at the Entrada Inn, which Hyatt thought was pretty cool because High School Musical 2 was filmed there. He tried to pretend like he didn't think it was cool, but he and Clark were not fooling anyone. They had a great time.

The pool was so nice. The only bummer was they wouldn't let them jump off the rocks. The weather was perfect, and we all had a great time. I am shooting for the half marathon in 6 months. We will see how that goes. For now I was content to watch my sister and enjoy spending time with her and my mom. Thanks Kris!

Meet The Newest Member of Our Family. . . And Her Brother

2009-09-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

Last December, Matt and I had a small lapse in reasonable judgement. We decided we wanted to get the boys a puppy. We looked and looked, and we decided on a labradoodle. Then we went and looked at dogs. Luckily we brought my parents with us. My dad, in a nice "not really trying to get in your business" kind of way, told us that we had lost our minds, and that we were stupid to get a dog in the middle of December, and that Labradoodles were just mutts with an expensive price tag. (You see, my dad. . . he never really says what he thinks, it has always been a problem with him!) So we waited. And waited. And waited. But, because we like being pecked to death with questions from our children. . . we told them that we were going to get them a puppy. So the great puppy search began. Everyday for weeks Hyatt would bring us pictures of a different breed. He would research them and print pictures, and tell us that this was the dog for him. Then I would find something wrong with the breed, and crush his hopes and dreams over and over again. It became a ritual. Then my dad called us one day and told us he had found the dog for us. A hunting dog, of course. Not some wimpy sissy dog, like a labradoodle, but a rugged "boys dog" that will bring pheasants back to you after you shoot them out of the sky with your shot gun.
"A cocker spaniel" my dad said over the phone.
"A what?" I said.
"You mean to tell me that you want me to get the same dog as Oprah freakin' Winfrey? "
"Yep"

"Well, that's rugged." I thought.
"But, not just any Cocker Spaniel, a Field Cocker, they are totally different" He said. " They will hunt all day AND make the perfect pet, and I have found the best breeder in the United States and he will have a pup to you by June."
"JUNE!" I said. "It's only January, and I am already undergoing a slow form of torture with questions about WHEN, WHEN, WHEN!"
But, it was done. So the wait began. Hyatt marked off the days in his calendar. He talked about it with all his friends, and anyone else who would listen. The twins thought up names, and played make-believe in the little dog crate we had in the garage.We read all the books, watched all the videos. Googled images of Field Cocker's until the keyboard wore out. Then June finally came. 2 puppies in that litter.
Both males.
So we went on waiting.
This time the date was August. The week school starts, we told the boys. Well, that week came and it went. The poor kids couldn't take it anymore. It was like moving the date of Christmas, or changing the finish line at a marathon. But, last week, the day finally arrived. The boys all loaded in Grandma and Grandpa's car and left school early to make the trip to the airport to get the dog. There were pictures taken, hugs and kisses for the dog, even some welcome home posters made. They brought the dog home and loved it for 3 whole hours. . . right up until I walked in, took one look at the dog, and told them it was the
WRONG DOG.
"Not our dog" I said, "Not the dog from the pictures, not the dog we were promised, and look a little closer here, NOT EVEN A FEMALE!" (Because I am wildly outnumbered here, this was an important detail. I was not about to get a male dog, do you think I am crazy? )
So, upon further inspection( and a priceless look of embarrassment on my dad's face for not even noticing) it was discovered that our dog had been switched at the airport, and sent to Georgia. We had a dog alright, but it was our dogs brother.

I thought my kids were going to die.

They cried and they moaned, and they bitterly wrapped their little "Christmas present" back up, and took him back to the airport. So, we began the waiting game again. Luckily we only had to wait one day. Back to the airport, new posters, new pictures. New Dog. And now we have our dog. The right dog. The perfect dog. The dog we have been waiting for all year.
And. . . she was worth the wait!

Sky Blue Sage
"SAGE"

She only chews things that she can get her mouth around, so that's only EVERYTHING. Including Griffin. Griff is my new best friend, he wants me to hold him all day long.He dreams of being be taller. He eats lunch ON the table now, not at the table. He follows me where ever I go, looking over his shoulder all the while. He has a love- hate relationship with the dog. He is not sure she was worth the wait. But as for the rest of us, we love her, and want her to stay.

Footnote: In fairness to my dad, he clearly would have noticed that this was the wrong dog if he hadn't be swept up in the emotion of three little boys jumping for joy about a new dog. I don't even think he got a chance to look at the dog, because the boys were mauling him. So Dad, you know I am going to hassle you about this forever, but let it be said, that it really would have happened to anyone, and we love you for finding us the perfect dog.

Now will you help us train her?
Please?

This is her brother.
Brady insisted we call him "Kevin".
I'm not sure why, but it may be because he recently was subjected to a screening of the movie
"Footloose"
Anyway, we liked Kevin, but he was not nearly as cute, and we were happy to trade.

First Day of School

2009-09-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here they are. Ready to go. Like most mom's, I both love and hate this day. I miss them so much when they are gone, but it helps me appreciate how much I love the chaos and confusion of four rowdy boys in the house.
This year they all got a candy bar poster from their Grandma and Grandpa. So cute! No one wants to eat the candy because the poster is too cool. I am sure they will cave soon. Thanks Pat and Duke!

Look at Brady's face! Do you think he likes it?

New Teachers

2009-09-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Brady and Coleman started Spanish Immersion this year. They are so excited about it. Soon they will be getting in on Matt and Hyatt's secret conversation's. Check out their teacher! Cole had a big smile on his face when he got a look at her. I wonder why?

Okay, so I know this is a horrible picture, apparently I don't know how to use my camera, but I had to throw it in because you can see how much taller Hyatt is than his teacher. It is so funny! I'm not sure how much she likes it though!

Boys of Summer

2009-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I do this every year. I try to squeeze every last fun thing I can think of into the last two weeks of summer. Call it a panic attack if you must, but I just can't help myself. These next few pictures are some of the highlights of the craziness. Matt and I took Hyatt to his first concert. Kenny Chesney. He loved it! Matt, of course, hooked us up with super good seats so he is totally ruined now, and thinks all concerts are like this, but it was so fun we couldn't resist. We will make him sit in the nose bleeds for the John Hiatt concert in October, that will straighten him out. I think the drunk girls in cowboy hats freaked him out a little, but he put on a brave face.

I took the boys back to Montana for one more week of fun. This is Brady and Coleman at our favorite ice cream shop, we sent this picture to Matt to rub it in that we were eating huckleberry ice cream with out him. Not nice, I know.

This is my cute 11 year old, on Hebgen Lake again. Deep thoughts running through that head. (Actually it was just REALLY early in the morning, and he was still a little out of it).

We took several more jet skiing trips. We are trying to find the best place to go. On this trip we found the WORST place to go. Utah Lake. Worst place, hands down. (It makes me so mad too, because it could be such a beautiful place, but this is not the place for my environmentalist rant. Where is the place for that by the way, because I feel one coming on? ) The sunset was pretty though. Griff was being carried off by the giant sized mosquitoes, so I couldn't take many pictures.

2009-09-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

We spent several days at our nice neighbor's pool. The water slide is better than any water park around, and it is so gorgeous! It was so nice of them to let us swim so much!

We made the obligatory trip to Lagoon. I didn't even bring a camera this time, but I did snap a couple of pictures of Griff on the kiddie rides for the first time.

He loved the elephants. He loved riding them all by his big self while all of us stood outside and made goofy faces at him and waved wildly. I don't know which was more fun, the ride, or seeing us act like idiots.

Another Day In Paradise

2009-09-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Just another day in Paradise. Paradise, Utah that is. My Dad and I took the boys up for one last day of fishing before school started. I am sure there will actually be more days of fishing after school gets going, but we will have to sluff then, so I won't be able to post about it, lest you all think I am a bad mother. We had a great time. Fish, Dirt, Sunshine, and Fresh Raspberry Shakes from Maddox Drive In.
It's good to be one of these boys.

2009-09-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Trout Hunters.
We are trying to teach the boys how to read the water. It is pretty easy when you can see the fish rising all over the place. Paradise spoils them. We will take them back to Hebgen where they have to work for it, right Dad?

After scoping things out, it's time to get into some fish. Cole started the day off right!

Life is pretty good!

Then Brady hooked one, and we were off and running. At the end of the day, everyone caught fish but me. LOOSER! But, as we say in the Chandler family (especially on days we get skunked) "It's just good to get out!" And it was.

2009-09-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the expression "Like shooting fish in a barrel." Well, this is what it looks like. The boys found the "barrel" that they keep the fish to stock the streams with, and they thought they had died and gone to heaven. . . until Grandpa told them that those fish were off limits, and they couldn't catch them.

It didn't stop Cole from stripping down just to "get a little closer look" He only picked a couple up dad. Sorry.

This is what the end of the day looks like. Tired and hungry. Nothing that a quick stop to Maddox Drive-In couldn't fix. Great Day!

We Miss This Kid!

2009-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hyatt is at Outdoor Education Camp all week. He is a brave little guy, he went all by himself, with no friends! He decided he wanted to go, even though none of his friends were going. He is so tough! He was a little nervous the morning I dropped him off, but he made a few friends while waiting for the bus, so he was happy. I think I was more nervous than he was. I know he is having a great experience, and I am proud of him for doing the hard thing. We miss him, but it is pretty quiet with out him picking on the twins. Maybe he will like them better when he gets back. For a day or two anyway.

We are having fun with out him though!

Cole and Brady are pretty proud of their "surfing" skills

I love the look on Coleman's face, he was so loving being better than Cassidy at something in the water, but then she figured it out too. She is an amazing swimmer, and it is hard on the ego to have a GIRL (who is also younger than you) be so much better at something. I love it !

Montana Fun

2009-07-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

We took a trip up to the cabin for 2 weeks. The next few (okay, more than a few) posts are all from the trip. It was a blast! The boys did it all. I snapped these pictures from the car while waiting for the boys to get ice cream at a little shop in West. They illustrate one of the best things about the cabin this year. . . Cousins. We were all there, except Alex and Jessie (who we missed). I gave the boys 20 bucks and told them to go get ice cream for themselves. They were not tall enough to get the attendant's attention, so they had to make a plan.

When Carson couldn't hold Brady up any more, he took one for the team.

Success!

Pull The Tail Off The Donkey, I Mean Cow

2009-07-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

Every year at this little rodeo they let all the kids climb the fence and try to pull a ribbon off of a calf. It is the highlight of the rodeo for the boys (go figure). They break the kids up in to two groups, under 7 and 7-12. This year they all got to get in on the action.
Look at that calf! Scared out of it's mind!

Brady and Cole ran pretty fast, but they didn't get the ribbon. They did get two shiny gold dollars though.

This guy, however, managed to chase that calf down first and get the ribbon. He could not have been more proud of himself! He won a gift certificate to the local bar and grill, and most of all, he won braggin' rights. One happy kid!

Wrangler Butt's Drive Me Nuts

2009-07-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

We went to our favorite small town rodeo. Wrangler butts do drive me nuts, but these are gap butts. Still pretty darn cute.

Hey, Hey, the gang's all here.

Griff just comes for the drinks and the girls.

I Love A Parade

2009-07-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have posted about this before, but I can't resist. This is the only 4th of July parade my kids have ever known, and they LOVE it! They did the traditional cousin's float, but this year in the drift boat. Brady sprayed a lady in the face with the water gun again, even after she looked him straight in the eye and said "Don't you dare spray me, I do not want to get wet!" She might as well have said " I double dog dare you to spray me" because he just couldn't help himself. Luckily Traci was sitting next to him on the boat, so maybe the lady thought he belonged to her!

Here they come!

Traci snapped this little gem with Smokey (who is simply the best part of the parade if you ask me). Look at poor little Cassidy in that sea of stinky boys!

This is his favorite pose. He is pretty proud of those guns!

Lesson Learned

2009-07-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite days of the trip. We took the boys down to the Grayling to do a little fishing and a whole lot of rock skipping. "Hot Shot" was wading out and got in a little too deep. He was yelling at me to come fish him out, but I was having too much fun with the camera. Boy was he mad. You can see the progression of the pictures as his boots filled up with water. I did put my camera down at one point when I thought he actually needed some help, so I missed the shot of him totally up to his waist in water, but the other pictures spell it out pretty clearly!

This one shows him walking out, I don't know which is funnier, the water in those boots or the ticked off look on his face.

Matt and I were laughing so hard (mostly because this has happened to us both once or twice) and he was so furious. The harder we laughed the more upset he got, so the harder we laughed. Mean parents huh?

This last one is my favorite. Best picture of the trip. It took 2 days to dry those boots out! I guess he learned his lesson, look before you wade right in. Some of life's toughest lessons can be learned at the river with a fly rod in hand!

Montana

2009-07-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

We did the traditional fun stuff, there were many hours spent riding the zip line in the back yard. . .

Quiet moments of reflection spent on the river's edge. . .

Cole doing his impression of Jeff Corwin at the Madison River, with Brady as first assistant . . .

And of course, there was the traditional episode of skinny dipping in broad daylight. I was forbidden from posting those pictures, but you get the idea here. It's amazing how quick Hyatt is to shed those clothes and wade right in. Frightening actually.

Hebgen Lake

2009-07-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

After a long day on the lake, a cozy blanket with your cousins is about the best spot on earth!

Griff spent most of the day mooching off every one's drinks and treats. He just walks around with his hand out, and some one usually sticks something in it! Lazy little bum! He is never going to talk!

Hebgen

2009-07-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hebgen Lake is the best! A little cold, but nobody cares. This year we added wave runners to the list of things used to get on this lake. We were pretty noisy when all 26 of us pulled up and set up camp with a boat and wave runners and a kayak. It was great! The kids all loved the wave runners, especially Hyatt who got to drive them all by himself. He loved helping Matt with the trailer and all the loading and unloading. I think it made him feel grown up, and Matt loved having the help!

Griff and Kai got in on the action too!

It is such a pretty lake!

Human Bilboard

2009-07-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ummm, are you serious?

This is what happens around here when I am gone for the day and someone who will remain nameless is in charge. ( Hint Hint, his name starts with M and he leaves Sharpies around for small children to play with). This is what Hyatt calls "free advertising." The boys had a lemonade and snack stand at our house today, and this was the lovely sight that greeted all my unsuspecting neighbors as they answered their doors this afternoon. The "no soliciting" signs in all of their windows serve as no deterrent to my "spirited" children. These boys are totally out of control. Sharpie? Seriously? The great thing about sharpie, as I was informed by one of the culprits tonight, is that they can use him again tomorrow, because it won't wash off in the tub. Nice!

The Face (s)

2009-07-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

He doesn't talk much, but why do you need to when you can pull these kinds of faces?

First Day of "Actual" Summer

2009-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have my life back! After getting a few major projects behind me, girls camp being one of them, I am back to my regular life as mom and entertainment director for the summer. The boys had to put up with me saying "we can do that after camp is over" for far too many days, so now we are making up for lost time. We have a million things planned, and I will try to take a few pictures to post along the way. This was the first day of "actual" summer for me. We hiked up the canyon, had some lunch, and played in a few waterfalls. This shot is so representative of these boys, always messing around, and always sporting some horrible outfit they picked out themselves. Plaid mixed with stripes seems to be a favorite lately. I hope you are all having a great summer! Montana here we come!

There Should Be a Mother's YEAR For This Lady!

2009-05-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day.

When I was a kid this was always a day when my mom was a little cranky. I know she will kill me for telling the world that fact, but it is true. As an obnoxious little kid, I could never figure this out, what was there to be cranky about? She got dinner, a nap, and we hung up our clothes after church, what more do you need? As an adult, and a mother myself, I can see what the fuss was about. It is a day to look at your life,and you kids, and to feel the pressure to be the perfect mother. Well, my mom doesn't need to feel that pressure. She really is the perfect mother.

It is slightly intimidating to have a mother like mine. She has done it all, she is gorgeous, and she never backs down from a challenge. Even though she is so amazing, she is also sweet and caring and a more generous woman you will not meet. My children call her when I don't give them the answer they are after, and they even have a sign in their room to prove it. It says "If your having a bad day, call Grandma!" and her phone number is written on the back. One day when one of my boys was a bit younger, and throwing a fit in his room, I found him trying to climb up on the book case to reach that sign so he could call Grandma and tell her all about what a terrible mom he had.

My mom is smart and funny, AND she irons pillow cases. Matt wants to know why that last one wasn't passed down. I tell him he can have 2 of the 3. When I am upset, I call my mom. When I am happy, I call my mom. When I am frustrated, I call my mom. When I am in a jam, I call my mom. When my dad answers the phone, sometimes he just says, "Hi Lori, hold on, I will get your mom." He knows.

So, Madge, this Mother's Day, I want you to know that you are the best, and that I love you. I know we have all given you grief over the years, and we are all getting pay back in the form of our own children. You are the standard by which I judge my own skills as a mother. You have always been there for me. ALWAYS. When I look back on the best times and the hardest times in my life, you are always a part of those times. Cheering me on, encouraging me, supporting me, scolding me, congratulating me, teasing me, and most of all, loving me.

I think you deserve more than a day for Mother's Day, you should get a Mother's YEAR. Love You!

Play Ball!

2009-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Fitting huh?

Bust a Move

2009-04-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Bad video quality. . . but sweet moves!

Spring?

2009-04-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me? This is Spring Break.
My sister is in Hawaii, just called to say her boys are surfing. So.

This Is What It's All About

2009-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture from the trip. I love these boys. They were so much fun, and they loved every thing that we did. Matt made it all so fun for them. The thing you don't see in any of the pictures is me. That is because I had pneumonia the whole trip. I didn't know I had pneumonia, but I knew I was so sick I wanted to die. I kept thinking I would get better, but I just kept getting worse. Matt was so sweet to me, and he did everything for the kids. All I did to return the favor was cough. I coughed until I think he was ready to leave me by the side of the road, but he never complained. I never want to be that sick again! Even though that part of the trip was miserable, we still had a blast. I wish the boys would stay this age forever. I even thought for a minute that I might trade my mountains for the beach. It was just for a moment though. The thing is, I would be happy where ever I was, as long as I had these guys with me.

Ahhh, the Sun

2009-04-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

We took these pasty little bodies to the beach. They loved every second of it. Our place was right on the beach so they just ran in and out all day. It was so fun to see them play together and invent things to do.

Hyatt worked on his tan. He also was in charge of all crab hunting expeditions, and tide pool creations. He can be a really fun big brother when he wants to be.

Griff had one little toy and he was perfectly content. He dug with the yellow shovel all day, every day.

They caught crabs all day. They had quite the collection by 5:00. They wanted to bring them home ( of course) but I reminded them that we are done with pets until we get the dog. It was so easy, and so nice. No crying, no bargaining. The only bad thing is, we really have to get the dog.

Best Part

2009-04-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

After 3 days here, we left the craziness, and had some fun here (look down)

This was the best part. I love this beach.

Birthday Breakfast

2009-04-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

They love Chip and Dale. Breakfast with them is always a highlight!
Brady really loved it this time because he is missing the same teeth as Chip, or is it Dale?

Lucky Number 7

2009-04-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Brady and Cole got to spend their birthday at Disneyland. They had so much fun. They did everything they wanted, TWICE. This included ice cream at 10:00 in the morning. You only live once right?

Matt had some cute surprises arranged for them through out the day. The buttons with their names that said "It's my birthday" were a hit, every where we went in the park people wished them Happy Birthday. Some even sang. It was so cute.

We finished off the day with a fun dinner, and a birthday dessert. Man this kid loves dessert. It is actually a little disturbing.

California

2009-04-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is the gate you go through from the Hotel. It is so nice! I also love it because it puts you right in the middle of the one part of Disney and California Adventure that I like. It is a good start for me, to kind of ease into to chaos slowly. I love the pine trees and the fake cricket noises. It makes me think I am actually in Montana which is where I really want to be. Then you walk 20 feet and see your first churro stand and it's back to reality. Oh well.

Griff loved the rope course. He is such a climber, he was in heaven. I love this smile!

California

2009-04-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

We loaded the kids up and took them to California for Brady and Coleman's birthday. What a blast! We stayed at the Grand California for a couple of days and did the whole Disney thing. This was the view from our balcony. That is the best part about that hotel, the entrance to California Adventure. The boys love being able to just run right down the stairs and get right into the fun.

Lots of pictures of them in front of the Grizzly, because Grizzly Falls is their favorite ride. I think they rode it about 10 times this trip. They were soaking wet, and just kept going back for more.

Knowledge Bowl Champ!

2009-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hyatt competed in the school knowledge bowl 2 weeks ago. He worked so hard for 4 months to learn everything he needed to know about Fine Art. I have to admit that I did not do one thing to help him except drive him to the practices every week. He did it all on his own. I was a little worried when it came time for the competition, because I was not really sure he was ready. He surprised me AGAIN! That kid was a STAR! He carried his team in the first round. I was standing in the back of the room rocking Griff and I could not wipe the smile off my face! It was that big huge proud mom smile that you try to contain, (so embarrassing) but I just couldn't. Hyatt couldn't either, he smiled through the whole event. He was amazing. That kid is a student, no matter how hard he tries to pretend that he isn't.

Great job Hyatt! We couldn't have been more proud of you!

Quick Break From The Snow

2009-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

I couldn't stand it another day. I had to feel sun on my face and remember what it feels like to be warm. So when we realized, at the last minute, that the kids were going to be out of school for a random Monday, we took the long weekend and headed to St. George to find some sun. Brady and Cole loved the hammock, and I loved that they wanted to read so much.

Griffin loved the sand box. Poor kid learned to walk about the time the cold weather hit around here, so he hasn't really even had a chance to explore our own backyard. He is going to love it!

Hyatt wanted to play jam-ball all day. Look at that blue sky, and look at the reach on that kid!

Griff wanted to play too, but mostly he just wanted to be barefoot, and throw the sand on the basketball court. It was the perfect trip. It was just what we all needed. I think we can hang on untill March around here.

Multi Tasking

2009-02-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Does this make me a bad mom?

Is it wrong to use nap time as get stuff done time?
Is it wrong that I think my bag is soft enough to double as a pillow?
Is it wrong that this is not my first offense?
It it wrong that he slept through the whole trip, even when there was a gallon of orange juice in between his legs and artichokes
stacked up around his ears?

I got some dirty looks in the store, but only when I was checking my email on my cell phone while pushing the cart.
(Turns out it takes two hands to steer very effectively)

Who knew nap time could be so productive.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

We had our friends over for New Year's Eve this year, and they took our fondue party to a whole new level. Jill brought her chocolate fountain, and my kids LOVED IT! We all had so much fun! Coleman asked me if he could just put his face in the fountain.

This is what happens when you give Griff an Oreo.

This is what happens when you take that Oreo away from him.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Homestead

2009-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

The boys and I took a short trip up to the Homestead with my sister and her kids. The big kids went snowshoeing, (my niece Jess is sending photos later) and I took the little kids to the pool. The monkeys loved swimming in the pool with the snow piled up to the windows outside.

Brady and Cole with Luke

Coleman insisted I take this picture to show Dad how much snow was outside. They loved this! So did Griff, but no pictures of him for some reason. . . 4th child.

Christmas Break

2009-01-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

The boys hit the slopes, and had so much fun!
Two more years and Griff and I will join them!

Pizza anyone?

Chistmas Eve

2009-01-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas Eve at White Grandmas this year, and the boys made a short appearance in these costumes. Hyatt was the angle this year, he thought it was hilarious! So did we!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

The boys waiting to go downstairs. I usually take about 20 pictures of them waiting on the stairs, just because it makes them so mad to keep waiting. Mean.

This was the favorite gift of the year. We finally broke down and got yet another game system. Coleman has been lost in Wii land ever since we opened this. That is why we waited so long to get one, because someone in our family has a little problem with video games, and I am not mentioning any names, but he has big green eyes (eyes that get a strange glaze over them as soon as the t.v. comes on) and his name starts with "C." The funny thing is, he can beat anyone at any game. He has been "schooling" Matt all week.

Griff got this fun train from my Grandma and Grandpa, he loves it! Christmas was so much fun I forgot to take anymore pictures, the kids made homemade things for each other and I wish so bad I had pictures of them opening the gifts, but I was lost in the moment!

Hyatt's Spanish Program

2009-01-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Spanish Immersion program is always so much fun, the kids work so hard on it every year! We got there a half an hour early and still had the worst seats in the place, so I could not get the best pictures, but you get the idea.

We are so proud of you Hyatt, and you look pretty cute dressed up like a Native of the Andes!

Cool Job

2009-01-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Doesn't Matt have a cool job? This is his latest monument. He did this one for a veteran's hospital in Texas. These pictures were taken at the unveiling ceremony. I think he is pretty amazing, if I do say so myself! It is so fun for him to get to do something he loves and get paid for it!

Paradise

2008-11-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

Anatomy of a perfect day, 11 year old style. . . You get to sluff school ( your mom is a sucker for a big smile and those baby blues) and you go fly fishing with your Mom and your Grandpa. You spend the whole day in waders and you get to eat lots of junk food. You get to hear all about Grandpa when he was a kid. On the last cast of the day you and grandpa hook the biggest fish of your life ( with a little help) and, after 25 minutes of fighting and gentle coaxing, YOU LAND IT!

That is the face of a very happy little boy. He worked hard for this one!

Anatomy of a perfect day, Mom style. . . You get to leave the little kids home (because you have the coolest Mom in the world and she volunteer's to keep them the whole day) and spend the whole day fly fishing with your dad and your oldest son. You get to turn off your cell phone, drive through 3 canyons, spend the whole day outside, and see over 15 birds of prey in one spot. You get to catch lots of fish, listen to pheasants, watch a red tail hawk ride a thermal with your son (who happens to be as excited about it as you are) and best off all, you get to have this view, and snap this picture. My parents are the greatest. Look at Hyatt soaking it all in.

Spooky.

2008-11-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Hyatt!

2008-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe he is 11. It really feels like about 3 years ago that we brought him home and wondered how in the world we were ever going to be able to take care of a baby. This kid is the greatest. It is so fun to have him around. He has turned into such an amazing guy. He is brilliant, speaks two languages and is a straight "A" student. He is funny, totally sarcastic and mean. He is a great big brother, he helps with everything, and now even babysits. He is so good looking that I am slightly worried. He is a well rounded kid, a great athlete, and a talented outdoors man. He is just the perfect kid, if I do say so myself. Now, someone remind me that I said all of this when he turns 16.
I love this picture because it shows something very special about Hyatt. He is very gracious. Look at his little face. The only thing he wanted for his birthday this year was a long board. That's it. If you will look at the presents on the counter you can see that there is nothing that looks like a long board. He has that cute look that says " Well, they didn't come through this year, but I love them anyway, and I will try to smile and be thankful." He is genuinely like this all the time.

This is the face he made when Matt told him there was one more thing we forgot in the garage.

And this is the face he made when he remembered that his Dad ALWAYS hooks him up.

Happy Birthday Hyatt, we love you!!!

Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This

2008-10-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Does this ever happen to you?
You spend the whole morning running back and forth from school because someone forgot something, or someone needs a clean shirt because they spilled white-out on theirs. Then you run to the grocery store and end up forgetting the one thing that you really needed, so you have to go back. Then you run home because you have to get the stuff ready for the Young Women's activity ready, and you only have 30 minutes before the older kids get home from school. Then you go back to school for the 4th time to run the carpool. Then you help with all of the homework, get the stuff ready for scouts, do 4 loads of laundry, run someone to football practice, and cook dinner. Then you go to mutual, and when you come home all of the dirty dishes are still in the sink, so while your husband puts the older kids to bed you clean up the kitchen for the 3rd time that day, and when it is all clean you take the baby up to give him a bath. Then you come back down stairs to make a bottle and send 2 quick emails. Just as you have finished up the emails you hear a happy squeal coming from the kitchen. "How sweet," you think to yourself, he is all clean and happy and playing quietly with his toys in the kitchen.
WRONG!!!
He is clean, he is happy, he is playing quietly, BUT NOT WITH HIS TOYS!

So you let him play. For way too long. Because you are too tired to argue, and in your delirium, it is sadly funny that someone left the lid slightly ajar on the top of the huge canister of flour. How can a face like this be anything but adorable. So when he is done you give him one more bath, clean the kitchen one more time, and after you tuck him into bed you take a deep breath, and pray for the strength to do it all over again tomorrow. The funny thing is, I wouldn't trade these days for anything.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2008-10-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Brady and Cole have had the best time this year in Flag Football. They have two great coaches that are so much fun. They are the smallest kids on the team, it is so weird! They are the only first graders though, all the other kids are in second grade, but still, I am so used to having Hyatt who is always the tallest no matter what age group the kids are. Cole scored this week, and I wish I would have captured the look on his face, he was so proud of himself! I wish football season was longer. ( Don't any of you tell my husband that I just said that!)

Look Who's One Year Old!!

2008-09-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Baby Griffin is One Year Old! I can't believe it. This has been the quickest year ever. We had the whole gang over (and I mean GANG, the boy cousins are all like a little wolf pack when they get together) for the traditional destruction of a cake and presents. Griffin was very timid about the cake, but he figured it out eventually.

Look at that face. I swear, I sometimes think I could have four more.

We had two cakes, one for Griff, and one for the rest of us.

Lots of cute gifts. Thanks everyone for coming, and for being such great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. We love you all.

This little guy has been the sweetest, most adorable little thing. He is so mellow. I am sure by this time next year he will be as crazy as the rest of the group, but today he is just an angel. We love you Griff Monster, Happy Birthday!!

No Girls Allowed!

2008-09-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is why Griffin was born a boy, and I will never have a girl. How would a girl survive this kind of chaos? The boys (of course) had to get in on the cake destroying action. Coleman started it off with a face plant into the cake. . .

Brady wanted to try some too. . .

Then Matt pushed Hyatt's whole face into the cake. Little boys, big boys, it doesn't matter, they are all BOYS!

Then my mom leaned over to try and save Griffin from all the chaos, and he reached up and got her too! You have to be brave to hang out with this group.

Meeting With the Bishop

2008-09-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, a phone call from the Bishop's house meant one of two things, and they were both bad! Times have changed. Our very good friends the Cluff's invited us to go up the canyon for some family night fun this week, and it was a blast. Bob happens to be our Bishop, but he is still willing to hang out with us. See how grown up I am Mom and Dad! No, actually, we have been friends with the Cluff's much longer than Bob has been our Bishop. I first met Jill when we had just moved into our house. I was invited to a baby shower for a woman that I had just met, and barely knew. I felt kinda weird about the whole thing because I did not know anyone there. I sat across the table from Jill and listened to her talk, and I immediately knew that I had to make friends with this woman, because she was my kind of girl. We have since become very close friends ( she was called as my visiting teacher shortly after that baby shower, so she really had no choice but to talk to me) and I consider myself lucky to spend time with her and her cute family.

Side note here: After Jill and my other great friend Natalie had been my visiting teachers for about a year and a half, I leaned over to Natalie in the middle of a lesson on visiting teaching in church one day and asked her who she was assigned to visit. She looked at me like I was some kind of an idiot, and it took me a full 30 seconds to figure out why. I wanted to die, I was so embarrassed. I am always saying stupid stuff like that before I think. All the treats, all the long talks, all the laughing, and I just nullified it all with one comment. We laughed so hard in the middle of that class I almost had to leave. Jill and Natalie still spoke to me after that, and for that I will always be grateful.

This is the gang, they all got in the river the second we got there, and of course caught a snake. Maddie is Hyatt's age, and Will is close to the the same age as the twins. They all play together so well, I love it.

Jill is the best kind of friend, she is tons of fun, and super thoughtful, AND she lets me gripe to her about anything, and she still likes me the next day. Griffin loves her! She is also the best cook I know. She brought her "secret" lemonade (as Maddie called it) to dinner, and it was delicious. You know you are a good cook when you even have your own special lemonade, the stuff I brought came in a 2 liter bottle.

Here is the latest addition to our wild animal collection. It is starting to look like an episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom around here. Just once I would like to go on an outing and NOT come home with a new member of the family!

Bob and Matt cooking the grub. By the time we got around to dinner it was dark, and the kids were freezing. We made a valiant effort though, and the food was still delicious, even if we couldn't see what we were eating. I like THESE meetings with the Bishop, I think we should have them more often.

Blue Blooded

2008-09-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

How are my children so blue-blooded, when I am a genetically predisposed, die hard Runnin' Ute? It is simple, they love their Daddy! They want to do everything he does, and I just simply can't compete. I think I am softening a bit however, because it is starting to be less and less fun to cheer for the Utes with four people booing and hissing at me. You know how rotten those BYU fans are,(wink, wink)
try living with some!

I think this will be the new weekly tradition, they had so much fun. Brady asked me if we could do Griff's hair blue too, I of course laughed and said no. It was when Matt said "Why not" that I started to think my family is seriously demented. What's a girl to do?

Labor Day Catch Up

2008-09-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

I took the boys up to the cabin over Labor Day weekend. We had to leave Matt behind because he had to get caught up at work (that is the lie that he told us, but I knew it was because of the BYU season opener. . . he has a sickness). It turned out that all of my siblings except Clay came too, so it was a blast! We always have so much fun up there when everyone comes. The boys love their cousins, and it is so fun for me to get to spend time with my siblings, especially Cam and Traci who I don't get to see very often. We crammed as much as we could into a weekend, I even got a little kayaking in with Kris, Mom and Kristalyn. These are just some random pictures of the weekends festivities. My cute mom got up early one morning and hid "treasures" in the forest for all the kids to find later that day. They loved it, and they loved the loot they scored. The zip line is always a favorite activity
Brady and Cole with Carson and Chase on our way to do a little fishing. It turned out to be very LITTLE fishing, see 2 pictures below. . .
My little man in his waders, he looks so cute, like a small giraffe in a pair of hip boots. Those legs, oh to have legs that long and skinny!
This is why the fishing was nixed, the water behind the boys is the dam below Hebgen Lake. They had some kind of problem and couldn't get 2 of the gates in the system to close properly, so the water level in the Madison rose several feet in a few hours. It was kind of exciting actually, the fish cops were telling everyone to get off the river because it was so high, and they were not sure if the dam was going to hold. We thought it was exciting anyway, but the boys just thought it was lame because we couldn't fish, and they couldn't get down by the water.

2008-09-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

Cousins on the back steps. Look at all of these boys and poor Kelli in the middle of it all. She is such a good sport though, she puts up with all of them, and they LOVE her! Some kids just don't want to grow up. Even if they are 6 foot 7, and have legs that drag down on the ground when they ride the zip line.
The kids ride this thing in the back yard all day long. It is so much fun, they never get tired of it.

Mantis Moment

2008-08-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Cole thinks he is Jeff Corwin. He spends his days catching bugs of all kinds, his favorite being BEE'S! He played with this praying mantis all day, and was showing off just a bit by letting the little critter climb up on his shirt. While I was taking the picture the mantis went on the move, his face in the next picture says it all!

Apparently he needs a little more practice before Animal Planet will give him his own show! He was screaming and flipping out, and he was sure that the praying mantis was biting him. Hilarious!

Why is Brady pulling this face, and laughing uncontrollably?

This is why!

And then there was ONE!

2008-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post from a place I have never been before. It is a place I have heard people talk about, but I was sure I would never live to see. This place is called "Home with only one baby ." No job, no noise, no mess. Well, there is some noise, and some mess, but it is small, and it has this cute little face. I dropped the boys off this morning, and Griff and I went for a run. Now we are going to take a long bath, and play blocks. This is a magical place. Thanks Matty for making it possible! We love you!

First Day Of School! Yes!

2008-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I know I am biased, but these are good-lookin' boys! Especially when they are CLEAN! They were all so excited for the first day. They were even on time! I don't know who was more excited, them or me? I will miss them, but I will find something to do with my time. Ha Ha !

More First Day of School

2008-08-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

I love Hyatt's face, it says " Mom, are you serious, I am too old for this!"

This is what he did immediately after we got to school. . . ditched us and ran to his group of buddies. I am so glad he has good friends, even if he does like them more than me.

First grade buddies

Look at this face. "Mom, you again with the stupid camera? Go home already!"

Last Saturday Night of Summer

2008-08-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

We went up the canyon with our dear friends the Garcia's on Saturday night. The weather was perfect and the boys all had a blast. It felt so much like fall all of the sudden. The boys all played in the stream and got good and dirty. We love the Garcia's, they are always so much fun to hang out with!

Of course they had to catch something. This one didn't come home with us though. They funniest part of the night was when Hyatt came back from catching things in the stream, carrying a huge watermelon. He was so proud of himself , and he yelled out " Look what I found Mom!" We hurried and told him to go put it back, and explained it belonged to someone else, and they were just keeping it cold. Coleman was a little behind him and the people who they "stole" the watermelon from yelled to Cole to go and get that kid and tell him to bring back their watermelon. Hyatt was so embarrassed, but when He and Cole came back to us they were carrying big pieces of watermelon. I guess the people cut them off a piece and were really cool about it.

Ernie is Released Back Into The Wild. . . Sort of

2008-08-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

We released Ernie back into the wild on the last day of summer. Wild-- well that may be a slight exaggeration. We took her back to the pond we got her from, where she will be fed by hundreds of small children every week and it won't matter that we domesticated her. (I have guilt, and I am trying to work through it, OK?) The boys were sad to see her go, but they were happy to see that she loved her new home. Lessons learned from this experience? 1. NEVER EVER EVER bring home a wild duck. 2. Duck poo is seriously gross. 3. Never tell the boys they can bring anything home if they can catch it, because Coleman will catch ANYTHING, by any means necessary. 4. I am clearly weakening in my old age. And number 5. We need a dog.

2008-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Good bye Ernie, we will miss you. (Let's be clear, the boys will miss you, I, on the other hand, will NOT miss you, and am so thrilled to have my patio back, I can hardly stand it!)

This is what they tried to bring home from the pond! Can you believe Matt even had the nerve to call me and ask me if I would mind if they brought it home! I just got rid of the duck, and now this? Needless to say, I told him no freakin' way! Boys!

This is what happens when you drive a duck clear across town without putting it in a box of some kind.

More last minute fun

2008-08-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

After Lagoon, we stayed over at a hotel in Salt Lake that we love to stay in simply for the pool. It was the perfect ending to a long summer. The boys all swam for hours, and had a big breakfast by the pool. Cole fell down on the cement and got a nice shiner on his cheek, nice timing-- right before he starts school! We had such a blast just being together and relaxing, I don't know why we try to go on big vacation, the kids are just as happy with the hotel pool 45 minutes from home as they are 400 miles from home!

Lagoon

2008-08-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to Lagoon for some "last week of summer" fun. I have not been there since I was little, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was really fun, and the rides have really improved. The boys were amazing, they all rode the scariest rides, and they did not even flinch. I woke up that morning with the flu, of course, ( I got the flu 2 years ago at Disneyland) so I thought I was going to die. I was really worried about the whole day because Matt does not do any rides that go upside down or side to side or fast or . . . Just kidding babe! So I didn't know how well it was going to work. Matt was a good sport and did most of the rides, and by afternoon I felt better and then we hit all the crazy rides. Good, cheap fun. Can't beat it! Hyatt even said he likes it better that Disneyland, I told him to keep that to himself, because I still want to go in the fall.

They loved Wicked! I must admit, I loved it too. I was a little freaked out when they made the twins ride in a booster seat, but it was fine.

Cole and Hyatt loved the water fountain!

2008-08-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

They rode Collosus 6 times! Matt rode Collosus ZERO times.

Griff pretty much sat here all day, and had this same smile on his face, I know I am being rewarded for surviving the first three!

Last Lemonade Stand Of The Summer

2008-08-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

The twins made a killing at what will probably be the last lemonade stand of the summer. They worked with their friends Sophie, Abby, and Esther and made over 20 dollars in under 2 hours. Sophie's mom Amy was a good sport to sit out with them! They have a system worked out, they split up and canvas the neighborhood ringing doorbells and telling people to come quick if they want to taste the "best lemonade in the whole world." Works every time!

This Is The Place

2008-08-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Matt worked on this monument that was just placed at This Is The Place Park. It was pretty amazing to see this huge crane lift this bronze statue that weighs about 1,ooo pounds like it was made of plastic.

The boys thought it was so cool that they got to help with the placement. There were a few people standing around watching, and they got to jump the tape and polish the monument up. They all felt so important, and they had big huge smiles on their faces!

I was so glad to have the thing on the ground, the day before at the foundry there was a little excitement. . . the statue FELL OFF the forklift as they were loading it onto the truck, and came crashing to the ground. It nearly hit Matt and his brother. Luckily no one was hurt, but it could have killed them both. Matt came home and told me the story and I almost threw up, he was laughing about it, but I could tell he was a little shook by it all. Can you imagine the headline-- "Sculptor killed by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young." Thankfully Matt and Jason have cat-like reflexes, and they are OK.

Children's Museum

2008-08-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

My mom, Kristalyn and I took the kids to the Children's Museum a couple of weeks ago. I have been so uninterested in blogging this summer, too much going on, but I will post a few pictures here to catch up. We took my kids, Kris's kids, and my brother Clay's kids who were here from China for 3 weeks. It was CHAOS. The funny thing was however, the chaos was not so unusual to Kris and me so we really did not notice it. About 1 hour into the whole thing, we looked at my mom and she was starting to twitch. She put up with the noise for as long as she could, but finally it got the best of her so we loaded up and went home. It was lots of fun, but just lots of people too. Gayle was clearly still suffering the brain numbing effects of the museum when she suggested that we take all of the kids to Hires for root beer floats. So much worse than the museum! The kids tried to be good, but when Cassidy spilled her entire root beer float and then began to wail, it was officially time to go. (No pictures taken at Hires, but it is burned in my memory so I'm good) We had fun with the cousins, and my mom felt much better after the Advil kicked in. Kris and I had a good laugh when we realized we are so twisted that all the noise and running around seemed normal to us. Life with boys!
Parker, Hyatt and Zach, trying their hands at reporting

Big guy in a little suit
Aiden loved this swan

Trouble

Poor Cassidy was the only girl all month ( the only girl cousins are all older) but she was a good sport, and she kept them all in line.

A Three Hour Tour. . .

2008-07-10T23:54:00.000-07:00

Matt and I are slow learners. Every year on one of our trips to the cabin we feel the need to take the boys down the Snake River at Macks Inn in Island Park. Every year we think that it will take us about 3 hours. Every year we are wrong. This year is took us close to 5 all together. My mom was such a good sport and took Griff for us ( Thanks Mom, we love you) so we could go and enjoy ourselves. . . and for the first 3 hours, we did. No, it really is a blast, and all though it is incredibly slow and mildly boring, and you could practically walk the whole thing because the water is so shallow in spots, it is a lot of fun every year, and we always laugh about it afterward. This year the boys had little nets that they caught minnows with the whole way down. Very fun. Matt and I got a good work out paddling, and everyone got thrown in at least once. Matt only got mud on Coleman's face this year, not in his eye, and my camera stayed dry. Bonus! We have figured out that is is much harder to tip a flat bottom boat than a canoe, and so we opt for boat. We had such a great trip to Montana this year it was hard to come home, but we will always have next month right? I come home feeling like I can take on the world, and refocused on what is important, enjoying every moment with my family. I wish the boys could all stay the ages they are right now, they are so much fun to be with. They are all so different from each other, but they get along so well. I love how much they all appreciate nature and all it has to offer. They all live so big, making the very most of every minute, diving in to every adventure head first. I love my boys!!!

Bike Riding at the Cabin

2008-07-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

The boys love riding their bikes at night at the Cabin. Here are a few shot we took while waiting for Grandma to pump up the tire on her bike.

Mr. Trickster

Best Friends

Summer of the Monkeys

Help, I have lost my dentures!

2008-07-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

This is the funny face Griff has been pulling lately. He is such a funny man.

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-07-10T23:22:00.000-07:00

We took the boys for a short trail ride again, with Cassidy and Aidan ( our cousins that live in China) up at Parade Rest Ranch just outside of West. Clay got better pictures and promises to send them to me, I will post them if he remembers. The boys loved it and Hyatt is now saving his money to buy a ranch and a bunch of horses. That would be good, because we need a place for the duck, two turtles, 3 frogs and 4 wild monkeys we have at our house right now.

Fourth of July, West Yellowstone Style

2008-07-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

Every year Matt and I try to be in Montana for the 4th of July. It is the best place on earth to celebrate everything that is great about Small Town America. We went this year to our Cabin with all of my family except for Cam and Traci who couldn't make it ( We missed you guys) and it was a blast again this year. The kids have so much fun with all of the cousins, and there is always some crazy thing going on . . . the zip line in the back yard, shooting bb guns off the porch, catching fire ants and seeing who can go the longest with out being bitten, riding bikes until the sky is pitch dark and the mosquitoes are eating you alive, or carving sticks with the new pocket knife you just got at the dollar store. It is a little boys paradise. The parade is clearly the highlight for me. Every year we let the kids be in the parade, and they love it! This year we didn't do a very good job of planning so we didn't have decorations for the car or the four-wheelers, but they did have candy to throw, and B.J. came up with the idea of squirt guns. It is always crazy, and funny, and this year was no exception. B.J. and Matt thought that it would be a good idea to just send Hyatt and Parker on the four-wheeler (with Carson in tow in a wagon) all by themselves through town to the spot where they line up for the parade. Stop signs, crossing the freeway, what ever, no big deal! Men! That did not work out very well, so Kris was a good sport and drove the little tiny four wheeler through town for them. The parade was so funny, complete with royalty in a Mackenzie boat, I love it! No one was injured this year, and that is all I could hope for. My kids don't even know what a big parade is like, so they think this one is the best, and they get to be a part of it, so even better. The whole town comes out to support each other, and the "floats" are so low tech, it's hilarious. Every year I get about half way through and then I cry. I don't know why, but it just makes me feel so happy to be in a place where life is simple, and being surrounded by the people you love is the only thing that matters. West Yellowstone puts on an amazing fireworks display in the forest up over all the pine trees. It is so perfect, we just pull up the truck and everyone spills out at 5 minutes before 10 and then we get to watch the fireworks in a dark Montana sky. Summer is the best in Montana.

Griff loved all of it, except for his hat, that he hated!

This guy makes it all possible, and we all love him for it! Thanks Dad ! Not pictured, but also making it all possible is Mom. Thanks Mom! You guys are the best!

This is the cake I made for dessert. It looks pretty good huh? Looks can be deceiving. I forgot to put the baking soda in it, so it was more of a brownie than a cake. My family was so nice, they all ate it and pretended that is was good. Oh well, you can't win them all!

2008-07-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here comes our crew!

Hyatt and Parker, with Carson in tow.

The Wild Bunch!

Brady, Luke, Coleman, and Chase in the truck with squirt guns. Kristalyn, Kristen and I watched in horror while these boys sprayed everyone along the parade route, including one sleeping baby, and one woman's digital camera. Luckily there were no decorations with our names on them!

2008-07-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

It can't be a parade in West Yellowstone with out Smokey!

I love this, these kids were so cute!

I need a haircut!

2008-07-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

My all star pitcher, and even with a bum toe!

2008-07-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

I have not been very good about blog updates lately, but I will try to catch up here. Hyatt pitched his last game as a Ranger the last week of June. He was such a star this year! He had some good games and some not so good games, but he made such an improvement from last season, and he really had fun this year. It was both exciting and terrifying for me to watch him pitch. I really need to work on the whole sideline Mom thing, I have about 18 more years of it, and I am not too good at it yet. The week before the big tournament Hyatt hurt his toe skateboarding. I, like the compassionate and caring mother I am, told him he would be fine, and it would feel better in a few days. I let him walk around on in for 4 days before I realized that it did not seem to be getting better, and maybe I should have my dad look at it. We took him in, and the poor guy had a dislocated toe! We took him into Dr. MacArthur and he fixed it right up. Hyatt thought it was so cool, they gave him four shots in the toe and then dug right into the toe and clamped on the the bone and put it right back in place. Hyatt was a champ, he did not cry or complain, he just simply crushed my fingers while holding my hand. He had to play the next day, and it hurt quite a bit, but he got through it. He

This fake smile is after they lost the last game in the tournament. He was a good sport to put up with my camera in his face.

A few random pics from the Strawberry Days Rodeo

2008-06-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

My boys LOVE the Rodeo, any time, any place. We went to the Strawberry Days Rodeo last week with a group of friends, it was a blast! I wish I had video of the reaction my boys had to the bulls and the motorcycles! We try to hit every Rodeo we can all summer, there is a small one in Montana that we go to over and over again. It must be some sick obsession of mine left over from my youth. I used to go to all the horse shows and rodeos with my family and just have to watch because I am so allergic to horses. It really sucked! I think I watched the movie 8 seconds 10 times ( and it is a really stupid movie). The best part of the Strawberry Days festivities is of course the STRAWBERRIES. Coleman ate 3 cups full before the barrel racing even got started, and then right when the motorcycle jumpers came on, I looked over and he had that LOOK on his face. Matt ran with him to the bathroom, and made it just in time. He looked so miserable, but then when he came back he was as good as new, and the first thing he asked me was could he have another cup of strawberries. Flat learning curve...

How come my guys are the only ones pulling faces?

Hyatt and Cannon

It is the responsibility of every 10 year old boy to do what ever it takes to completely gross out the girls they are sitting with. Hyatt did his duty quite well that night, as you can see by the look on Bella's face. Strong work son, strong work.

Ernie the Duck

2008-06-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

In a momentary lapse of reason on my part, I let the boys rescue (some may say kidnap...or is it ducknap) a baby duck from a pond by our house. We watched the little guy be pecked half to death for an hour by all the other ducks, until the boys and Matt couldn't handle it anymore. I tried to tell them that you just don't interfere with wild birds, but they we not having it, and finally they wore me down and when the little duck wobbled off the the shore and lay down in the mud almost dead, I caved! They brought the duck home and I was sure it would be dead by morning. Nope. So now we have a pet duck named Ernie. The kids love him, he follows them all over. Griff tried to kill it, but other than that I think the little guy is pretty happy. At least that is what I am telling myself.

You have to admit, it is pretty cute! Nice punch mustache Hyatt!

Schools Out For Summer!

2008-06-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since my last post, and I have not been taking pictures either. Summer is too fun to stop and blog! These pics are from the boys last two days of school. The dance program was so cute this year. The twins did a bear hunt song, Brady and Cole really loved shaking their little butts during the line that said "A fuzzy little tail." Hyatt worked hard to learn all the moves for his flag routine, but he frowned during the whole thing. It was the sun in his eyes right? It was NOT the 10 year old " I am too freakin' old for this stupid dance festival" face, I am sure of it!

Mrs. Jones and Senora Tavares. The boys all had the BEST teachers this year! Coleman cried the morning of the last day of school because he realized he was not going to see Mrs. Jones everyday. (We have already been to visit her once this summer. . . I think he likes her more than me!) She is such an amazing woman, and I will am already looking forward to Griff having her as a teacher. Senora Tavares is going to teach the 2nd grade Spanish class next year, so that means the boys will have her as a teacher soon . She was so good to Hyatt this year, he is really speaking an amazing amount of Spanish! He and Matt can speak and leave me completely out of the conversation now, not cool. She just moved into the house across the street from us, so Hyatt thinks that is pretty fun to see her all of the time. I am not sure how fun she thinks it is, but she fakes like she loves is, so she is very sweet. We left for Montana right after these pictures were taken, but I left my cameras at home. . . nice. We had a really good time though.

2008-05-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

I could not make the clip work below so here it is as a seperate post. I am truly the worst blogger in the history of earth!

2008-05-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!!

2008-05-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Brady and Coleman have been taking swimming lessons for 3 weeks and the results are amazing! We spent all of last summer with them screaming and crying every time they got near the deep end, even if someone was holding on to them. Brady started it all during swimming lessons at the neighbors pool. He got so freaked out for some reason, and he would not go into the deep end at all, and he was so mean to the girl that was teaching. He would tell her that he hated her and then jump out of the pool and run away. After a few rounds of this then Cole decided that he was afraid of the deep end too, he wasn't as bad as Brady, but it was still pretty bad. I was starting to think that they would never swim when I found this AMAZING woman who teaches little kids as young as 6 mos old to swim and be safe. I have started calling her the Brady Whisperer. She has both of them swimming the length of the pool, jumping off the diving board, and swimming like a little fish. It is unbelievable! We had two episodes of Brady trying to take the chair he was holding onto into the pool with him because he wouldn't let go of it, and then that was that. She has put some kind of spell over him! When you watch the video you may not be too impressed considering that they are kindergartners, but if you could see how much progress they have made in just three weeks you wouldn't believe it!
The top one is Cole, and the bottom one is Brady swimming the length of the pool (starting at the deep end).

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another!

2008-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is what I woke up to yesterday. We just finished redoing the deck and patio from Coleman's paint disaster I posted about a few weeks ago, and the yard was almost looking good again, and then the wind made this little mess. There is glass everywhere! I don't know how I will ever get it all out of the grass! The weather this year has been so crazy, it is May and it is still so cold. We have even had 2 baseball games called because it is just too cold for the kids to play. I can't believe that this did not wake me up, it must have been so loud. It kind of freaks me out that glass could shatter and I just sleep through it, but Griff makes one little peep and I am jumping out of bed, weird!

Back to work I guess.

Paint Project # 1

2008-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to paint the family room and the kitchen, so I enlisted my mom's help and then everyone wanted in on the action.

You can see that Brady and Coleman couldn't decide if they wanted to paint or watch T.V. My mom is so cool, she helps me with ever project I dream up. And she didn't even complain that I wanted to paint the kitchen orange.

When we finished the kitchen, I wanted to paint the whole house! So I decided to just do the dinning room and see how that went, then maybe the master bedroom next. It turned out pretty cute, but I think I am done painting for a while, too much work with the baby.

You can see the orange in the family room just a little bit through the arch in this photo.

Pioneer Day

2008-05-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hyatt had Pioneer Day at school. It was pretty fun, I don't think he was too impressed however. It is hard to impress him these days. The songs that they sang in the program were really cute, the teachers work sooo hard on those things!

Here he is with his friend Dallin trying to saw wood. They both need a little more meat on their bones!

After 20 plus minutes they finally did it.

Spring Break in Washington D.C.

2008-04-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

We all went to Washington D.C. for Spring Break this year. We went with our good friends the Kennedys. What a blast! We gave the boys the option of going to D.C. or Florida to Disney World and they all wanted to go to D.C. I was so surprised. But the reason they wanted to go so bad was because our darling friend Taryn and her husband live out there, and the boys were dying to see her! Her husband works at the White House and told us that he could give us a tour of the West Wing, and that sealed the deal for everybody! We had so much fun. I was really nervous about going because I was sure that the boys were too young, that Griff would cry the whole time, and that everyone would whine about the walking and the museums. I couldn't have been more wrong. The boys totally loved it, Griff was a star, and the weather was so nice that the walking felt like heaven! I cannot wait to go again. There was too much to do and see, we couldn't do it all. The Pope was in town, so the boys got to see the Pope and President Bush together on the South Lawn, they thought that was very exciting. It is always so fun to be with Kennedys. Matt K. knows D.C. inside and out, and he made it really fun for all of us. It was great to see Taryn again, it has been way too long. I think my boys are all in love with her, they could not stop saying "She is so nice mom, she is so pretty mom, when will we see her again mom?"

It was nice of Brendon to take us all through the White House. It was amazing to stand in the Rose Garden and see
the Oval Office. A once in a lifetime experience, thanks Taryn and Brendon!!

I put a million pictures up, I don't know why, but it was just so fun I couldn't help myself! This is the whole gang (except Griff) at the Lincoln Memorial, looking at the Washington Monument.

Look how smiley they are, it was so great!

This was Griff on the airplane, he was such a champ! He hardly cried at all the entire trip! He was so happy to just hang out in his stroller and enjoy the sunshine!

2008-04-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

I think we saw every monument there was to see (Matt made sure of that) and the boys never got sick of it. Amazing!

I love the face Coleman is pulling in this one.

Slightly irreverent, but what are you going to do?

2008-04-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Mount Vernon. Sweet hat Cole!

We took a cruise on the Potomac River. The kids loved it, but I think they were more excited about the stale popcorn than anything. Sad but true.

2008-04-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

The tour of the West Wing was the highlight! This is in the press room with Brendon

Brady pretending to be Helen Thomas. A little shorter and a lot younger!

They thought this was so cool because they have seen it on t.v. before. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty darn cool too!

2008-04-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Taryn and Brendon and the monkeys outside the West Wing

Isn't Taryn the cutest thing in the whole world ! My boys couldn't get enough of her!

The Glenn boys reporting live outside the White House

The Rose Garden

2008-04-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Standing outside the Natural History Museum, waiting for Dad to park the car... and waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

The hissing cockroaches were a hit!

Who knew a cockroach could be so much fun?

It's That Time Again...

2008-04-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Matt took the boys to the annual Blue and White game two weekends ago. They had a blast! I don't actually know who has more fun, Matt or the kids. They all got to do drills with the players, and get autographs signed. The best part about it was that I got 4 hours to go shopping for our trip to Washington D.C. and no one was running through the stores knocking things over! Next year I think I will go however, because I am just going to have to face it, My boys love BYU no matter how hard I try to bring them over to the dark side. When Matt showed me these pictures I was kinda sad that I didn't go, they look like they are having so much fun. It is so cool that the players take the time to hang out with the young kids, they worship them!

Hyatt's dream in life is to play QB for BYU. I have told him that if he does it, then I will officially stop cheering for Utah, and don the brightest blue BYU t-shirt I can find. I think the thought of that alone may just push him to work hard enough to do it!!

Kindergarten Field Trip

2008-04-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

The twins and I went on a fun Kindergarten fieldtrip to Thanksgiving Point. It was so cold! They loved riding on the bus, it was definitely the highlight of the trip. I have not been on a bus in quite some time, and I have forgoten how noisey it can be, how do those bus drivers do it?

Brady and Cole on the the wagon ride. I don't know how they stood it, I was so cold, and I have hair to cover my ears!

Cole with Lily and Sadie

Easter Sweaters?

2008-03-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Easter sweaters? It's just not the same as the Easter dresses I always got as a little girl. It's as close as we are ever going to get though, so no hats, no gloves, no pink flowers for us. I may never get to buy an Easter dress for a little girl, but pink is overrated. What could be more fun than these little monkeys? (By the way, they stayed in these clothes for like 5 more minutes after this picture before they stripped down to just pants and got serious about playing. Cole still managed to get a giant orange stain on his sweater that I can't get out. At least I got a few pictures!

Sad Baby

Happy Baby

Easter

2008-03-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

We had the traditional egg hunt in the back yard, it was so nice and warm (kind of) and the kids had so much fun. Apparently it is simply impossible to ever have enough jelly beans and peanut butter eggs. Coleman's bucket was totally full and he was still running in a full sprint to make sure he got all of the candy before anyone else. Ahhhh, greed, isn't that the true meaning of Easter? We actually did have church in the morning, and for a brief moment the kids (all though they were probably faking) acted like they understood and appreciated the real reason for Easter.

Brady and Coleman's Birthday

2008-03-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

It was a crazy weekend around here. We had Brady and Coleman's birthday on Saturday, and Easter the next day. Needless to say, I did not do either event as well as I would have normally, but they will all live right? We went to Backyard Adventures for the party, and it was so easy! It really is a party that requires no planning and no mess to clean up, perfect. They had a great time with all of their friends, and I let them invite as many as they wanted so I think we ended up with about 18 kids. Sure glad it was not at my house!

Then we had a party with Matt's family over at our house that night. Brady and Cole got so many gifts that day, I could hardly bring myself to do Easter the next day. I can't believe they are six years old. It seems like last week that they came home from the hospital in those two little car seats. I must say however, I am glad it was NOT just last week, because that would mean I would have to do that whole first year over again, and that would cause me to break out in hives, and need some anxiety meds. Six is a good age for all of us!

Is this really happening?

2008-03-19T21:51:00.001-07:00

Today started out fine, the kids were late for school, I didn't make it to the gym, but it was all okay, the sun came out and we were having a blast, then by 2:00 the wheels came off. I have no pictures to remember the afternoon by, but I am quite sure it will not soon be forgotten. . . We decided to go and clean up the back yard a bit. We had a crew come and clean up the yard last week, and I wanted to just spray off the basketball court and clean up a little to really finish it off. There was a half ( or so I thought) empty can of outdoor wood stain down in the fire pit area, and I put it in a bag so I could get rid of it. I set it next to another bag of garbage. The baby started to cry and he was in the stroller in the front part of the yard, so I asked Coleman to take the bag of garbage to the garbage can, while I got the baby. I did not see him go, and he picked up the bag with the paint in it, and proceeded to take it to the " garbage can," unfortunately it was the one in the house. You know where this is going don't you? A few seconds later he came walking out and said calmly "Mommy, I spilled a little paint in the house." I ran in the house to see the ENTIRE kitchen floor covered in redwood stain. It was everywhere! I immediately started cleaning it up thinking that if I got it before it dried I might be okay. Then I realized I left Griff outside in the stroller. I yelled to Cole to go and push the stroller to the back yard, and went back to work. A few seconds later Cole came back into the house and said " Mommy, I spilled the baby!" Sounds funny now, not so funny at the time. So I ran outside and sure enough, he had spilled the baby. Luckily I had Griff buckled in the car seat and the car seat in the stroller, so he was fine, in fact he was just sitting there sideways on the grass with a big huge smile on his face. I wish I had a picture of the kitchen and the stroller, it was so out of control. I was actually laughing, it was so bad there was nothing else to do! Poor Coleman felt so bad, and he and Brady were so good to help clean up the mess. The kitchen is fine, thank goodness it was all on the tile. The back porch is a different story. Can you stain a Trex deck? When I asked my brother B.J this question, he laughed and said " apparently, just ask Coleman." What a smart . . . you know what. I am tired, and Matt is still at work sculpting ( big monument that he needed to finish yesterday) but Griff is still ready to party. Maybe tomorrow will be better, but no guarantee huh? I have a quote from Bob Dylan over my pantry that says "Chaos is a friend of mine." It certainly was today!!

"Playgroup Rocks!"

2008-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

We have playgroup every Tuesday for the twins, and this week it was at our house. Usually it is just Brady, Coleman, Azelea and Lily, but this week we invited Trevor over at the last minute. We made little birds nests, (I know, it is a little lame, but I actually forgot that playgroup was at my house). They all have so much fun, they all yell "Playgroup rocks!" the second they run through the door. I must say, staying at home with the kids is pretty fun, I am missing my career less and less every day.

I can never figure out the order on this blog

2008-02-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

A little note to explain the previous posts, I cannot figure out how to get the order right on my posts and I am a total dork so the explanation for the party is the very first post, and the order is all out of wack. Sorry. I think I need to take a class on blogging (oh crap, I am soooo old).