HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
I usually dress up our "family" but this year I didn't feel like going through the hassel of making Lance & I into "green eggs & ham" so the kids were "Cat In The Hat" w/THING 1 & THING 2 (which could not have been more fitting for my little men) & Lance dressed up as Hawk eye from MASH. I attempted Hot Lips but the wig was too itchy & none of my family caught on so I ditched it before Trick-or-Treating. :)
Here's my gang....



Here's the whole photogenic group after they got their loot!
back: Bry (kinda), Hayd, Sami, Hazy, Averylin, Camerin
front: Clay, Trey, Lucas, Breq, Haylee, Syd, Wy, Roo & Devin.
I laugh when I look at this pic & realize that none of the older siblings are holding their own little brothers/sister. Only a couple of them are even standing by each other. lol! WE LOVE COUSINS!! I <3 all my nieces & nephews so much!

These two are just soooo cute together! & watching them doing their 2yr old run to each house was priceless!! I so wish someone would've recorded it! :(

FIRSTS

Sami started Pre-school this year with teacher Natalie's pre-school. She loves her teacher & all of her new friends. She was so proud to show her teacher that she could already write her name before school started! <3

Sami was also old enough to finally play soccer like all of her older cousins. Her & Hazynut were on the same team with the same timed games everyweek because her mommy was so generous & volunteered to pick up the goals & flags after each game. (which btw: did not turn out to be an easy task ;))

Here the girls are after their first game: Breq, Syd, Haylee, Hazy & Sam. The boys play in a different league so we didn't get their pics this season but did catch a couple of their games. & Let me just say that the 8yr boys & 8yr girls have two completely different techniques. Those little men are out for blood!! ;)

CATCH UP!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMI LEIGH!!

My Sweet Samantha Leigh is now 5yrs old!

I can not believe I have a 5yr old.

Here are some things about my sweet little Princess:

She started soccer this year.

She plays on the same team as her cousin Hazy nut (aka killer) & they fight for who can score the most, sometimes throwing fits when the ball gets taken from them when they were going to score (Sam). lol

Sami also started pre-school this year.

She LOVES everyone & each day before she can come home from she has to give EVERYONE a hug & tell them all goodbye.

Same thing with dance.

She listens to her mommy even when I dont believe it.

For example when mommy tells her not to touch her hair because I don't want it messed up, she takes me so seriously that its a joke with not only Miss Natalie (pre-school teacher) but also sister Morgan (primary chorister) to play the game of "touch your head" or "pat your hair" just so they can see her raise her hand & say "My mommy says I can't touch my hair". (she's always very distraught)

Sami is easily teased. Mostly because of her dramatic ways....(see above distraught remark)

Sami is the VERY BEST big sister! she loves her little brothers. <3 <3 <3

Sometimes she'll even let them play with her things (if she's in a very generous mood)

Sami will be a teenager in probably a year (sometimes I wonder if it will be that long ;))

She sometimes suffers from the "I'm the oldest, so I'm right" syndrome that I believe she inherited from her aunt Mistie. ;)

I Love my Princess!

She knows how to push my buttons already so I'm a little terrified for the adolescent years.... and so on. ;)

But I do Love her. She still lets me do her hair all up anyway I want, & pick out most of her outfits & give her as many hugs & kisses as I want.

I don't know what I would do or how boring my life would be if I didn't have my little girl. :)

Here are some pictures of her 5yr Butterfly Birthday Party!

Summer Summary of 2011 ~in pics

This Summer we did a lot of camping. We love camping in trailers, cabins, tents...doesn't matter its ALL fun!! This year we had a few "iffy" trips where we ran into a few last minute problems like the truck we're taking's starter dying & having to push start the entire trip (lol) OR Getting all the way to Park City & having a panel of the trailer fall off on the freeway (fun)
We also did a lot of riding, 4wheelers & horses. But of course I forgot my camera most of the times we were riding the horses, it was fun though & I'm falling more & more in love w/Chancy.
We swam, Boated & had a lot of fun! I LOVE my family & am so glad Lance & I took as much time as we could this summer to spend time w/the kids making memories & having fun...sometimes it took a lot of work for just an afternoon of fun or a weekend of camping but in the end it was well worth the effort.

LUCAS OSRO IS ONE!!!!

I am having such a hard time realizing my little Lukey is actually a year old. It doesn't seem like its been that long. Plus he seems so dang tiny to me he's not like any other 1yr old I know. :)

Anyway~here's some ramblings about my Lucky Luke, although it should be "lucky" mommy because not a day goes by that I don't think about how I could have lost my teeny tiny "anabel". I am SO very blessed to have my Lucas....I don't know how I could've survived without him. <3 <3 <3

* Lukey Pukey~I have never known a more picky infant than you! It took months before you could keep down formula, you didn't like mommy's milk (just the container), Fruits we're a disaster for at least 6 months (g-ma is still nervous when I give her peaches to feed you ;)), we hoped that time would fix this tummy problem with you & even though you're a year now we're still crossing our fingers hoping one day you'll be "normal" :) Don't worry baby boy~even though you clearly get your pickiness from your high maintenance daddy~ mommy will always LOVE you & cater to your every whim.

*Lucky Luke~when your big bro was your age I was devastated, thinking how will I ever survive such a wild child? Now though, even Roo seems almost tame. You are not quite 20lbs & have been able to climb up my couch & into the window sill since you were 10mos old. You can't walk & thankfully show no interest in doing so. Unfortunately this has not helped @ ALL in the injury department, for some reason you don't have a sit still button & end everyday with yet another bump, bruise, scratch or concussion (j/k Mist~you still get the credit for that ;) LOL). I used to believe Roo would get the 1st broken bone but now his odds are about the same as yours. Luckily both boys have very hard heads & you usually jump right back up after almost any incident :).

*You have the most ADORABLE scrunch the nose laugh/snort in the entire WORLD! The looks you give could melt an iceberg! No one is immune to your beautiful face. Even when you whine you have us all over you!@ stores, @ the park, even @ church old women come from miles around to try & get a squeeze in from the cutest baby on the earth. Lucky for you, your fast......too fast. ;)

* You can crawl @ 7mph ~seriously, I've timed you! ;)

* No dog, cat, sister or brother is safe from your tormenting antics. For someone so tiny you sure know how to irritate these poor creatures. & you work it perfect. They usually try to defend themselves or their possessions & make you cry in the process, this results in a stern lecture from mommy & them giving in to you & your (before mentioned) Beautiful face. But on occasion I'll look @ just the right time & see this conceited smirk of success come across your face that says, 'I may look naive but I know exactly what I'm doing....'~ I really should watch my "but he's just a baby..." talk now that I know you're an evil mastermind monkey. :)

* Lucas Mucas~ given your birth experience, small size & horrid eating habits, you really have been a healthy boy. Both your siblings had multiple ear infections, coughs, colds, flu, etc. before their first year. You my dear baby have had no such illnesses until a week before your 1yr well-child visit when you came down with a double ear infection. Poor Kid! You've been handling it like a trooper though! Even sleep through the night once a week ;)

*Monkey boy Luke~ okay so I've already talked about your climbing talent but I have yet to talk about your diaper changing experiences. So far in your short life 90%of your caregivers have dubbed you "the worst baby to change ever!" even your gma who claims changing 100's of babies says that you are the worst. Can you believe how mean they all are? Calling my tiny 19lb baby such mean words? I know I can't either.... until your next diaper change.... then suddenly I am in complete agreement with the other harsh assesments. You are horrible. Aunt Shay even claimed if she "thought" about changing your diaper you reached right for your wink. Its clearly your best friend & for some reason you are VERY opposed to having it uncovered because the second its out of your diaper its in your hand, being tugged, yanked & pretty much ripped off of your innocent body. Normally I find this rather funny but when trying to get a poopy diaper off your bum & put your squirming, unbelievably strong, twisting body back into clothes it is very much the opposite of funny.

Okay so this is a BIG LONG post for a not very BIG BOY... sorry all you readers, this one's for me :*}
I LOVE YOU LUCAS~MORE THAN WORDS COULD EVER TELL!! YOU ARE SUCH A HAPPY BABY, EVERYONE THAT KNOWS YOU FALLS INSTANTLY IN LOVE! YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS ARE VERY MUCH MY ENTIRE WORLD & I WOULDN'T TRADE YOU GUYS FOR ANYTHING!!! <3 <3 <3

Bear Lake

Lance's parents usually get a condo up in Bear Lake over the 4th of July & stay a week, this year we decided to go up with them for a couple nights the next weekend.

We boated, swam, went for walks & played at the condo, there wasn't much beach so we stayed on the boat most of the day. The kids had fun & were it not for some afternoon storms & a ticket the adults would've had just as much fun ;)
Of course I forgot my camera & didn't get any boating pics, but here is a nifty little thing Lance's little cousin Autumn came up with to entertain Seneka & Sami...Thanks Autumn, you are such a good little babysitter!

Swimming after a long hot day of Boating

Roo & Tige doing what they do best ... ;)

& here's just a cute one of Luke patrolling the condo <3

4th of July

This year over the 4th of July weekend we took our kiddos up to the Woodruff Rodeo & let them chase rabbits, chickens & ride sheep! Sami has waited a long time to be able to do "mustin bustin" & this was the year. I'd like to say she jumped right on & took off, but if any of you know my Sami you wont be shocked to hear that it took more than a little encouragement (& maybe a little bribery) to get her on one of those sheep. Her complaint at first was that we didn't bring her saddle, the second was that those sheep were "way too dirty". Finally we (me prodding, the cowboys cheering & her daddy running along side) got her on one & away she went! She didn't last long but not because she didn't hold on tight enough, only because she was holding daddy instead of the sheep. lol! She was very proud of her new shirt after it was all over :) Her 2nd cousins did much better though, Emily caught a bunny (that you get to keep) & won a belt buckle for mutton bustin, Natalie caught a chicken (that you trade for $5) & Makayla got a nice cut above her eye when her ride stepped on her head (better than any trophy)

It was fun, I always enjoy a good rodeo & I love Woodruff!

After a meal & nap we went back to my parents to light fireworks:

My Princess's 4th of July gettup:

St. George/Christmas Present :)

Last Christmas my parents surprised us all with a free trip to St. George, & tickets to the opening night of The Little Mermaid down at Tuacahn. So this June my siblings & I packed up our families (minus the babies under 2) & headed down to a weekend filled w/fun, laughter & entertainment. :) Thanks so much mom & dad it was awesome ... can't wait to see how you top it this Christmas . ;) just kidding <3<3<3

Here we took the kids on a nice little hike that lead to a beautiful little waterfall & swimming hole.

Some of us got a little more wet than others ;)

Here's my ever so photogenic children @ Tuacahn before the delish dinner they served us.

"twinners"

Here's our brood on parade walking from the hotel to the Family Fun Center...

The entire fam (minus our baby boys abandoned @ home (sniff)) out to dinner, something we don't do very often considering our size...

our "good boys" :)

.... and swimming!!! We LoVe to sWiM! :)

Memorial Day Camping Trip

Lance & I threw together a last minute camping trip over Memorial Day, we took the kiddos, 4~wheelers & his parents trailer & went up to the Hotsprings Camperworld in Plymouth. We swam & 4wheeled, my parents & Mist & her girls all came up Saturday so we could try out our dutch oven skills on them & it ended up storming on us. It was fun though, here are some pics from that trip....
Here the kiddos & I went "fishing" in the super high river water while Lance & papa were golfing.

Here's Lukey in his prison at the beginning of the storm

The kiddos on the first night chillin around the campfire.

The kids & I all ready to hit the trails :)



Roo LoVeS him some s'mores!! ;)

Chillin in the nice warm pools