New Christmas Tradition

I love the Christmas season and I have been anxiously awaiting it long before Thanksgiving. I love everything about it. This year for Christmas we started a new family tradition and decided to draw names between us all. I got Austin; Austin got Cameron; Cameron got Me; Andrew got Spencer; and Spencer got Andrew. Austin was in charge of preparing the names so we could draw from a hat and he took it to a whole new level. He didn't just write the names on a small sheet of paper, he went to the effort of taping money (coins) to them as a special added touch. He was pretty excited to be in charge of such an important task. Spencer and I just laughed.

So this last Saturday we made a special trip to Fred Meyer and each of us got $10 to spend on our person. Austin was able to maximize his money and came away with 4 presents for Cameron, again which he is pretty proud of. The boys had so much fun hunting for the perfect gift, and I can't wait to see if we can make it till Christmas with out them spilling the beans on what they got. We shall see...

Late Night Excitement

There are lots of good things about the winter season that I like such as; the holidays, endless cups of hot chocolate, and curling up in a blanket on the couch with a good book. Those three things make me very happy! Unfortunately though, there is a negative side to the season in my eyes that I could for-go. I am not a fan of the sun going down so early and the feeling of dry, chapped skin, no matter how much lotion I apply. But more than anything, I am not a fan of the runny noses & cold germs that make their way into our household this time of year.

Just a little over a week ago Andrew fell victim to the common cold. His cold really only manifested itself by way of a runny nose and cough, nothing too unpleasant. So it was a surprise to me that on the night of the Civil War game I came home from work to hear that Andrew needed to be monitored. Spencer explained to me that Andrew was laboring to breathe. Unfortunately, we have had some experience with croup in our household so I was fully aware of what "laboring to breathe" meant. I checked on Andrew immediately, who was sleeping, and after just a short glance at him I knew I had to take him to the hospital. I arrived in the emergency room around 11:30 p.m. and was out the door just a little after 2:00 p.m. After giving Andrew some breathing treatments and taking x-rays of his chest the doctor determined that he had Bronchiolitis, a viral infection in the lungs. I guess it's like a form of Bronchitis, only in kids. No antibiotics were needed, but they did send me home with an inhaler. I was grateful for the quick attention we were given in the emergency room. Note to self - if you want fast service in a medical facility, tell them you are laboring to breath. Works like a charm.

So it's now 2:30 in the morning as I pull out of the hospital parking garage when my low fuel light comes on. Not good! So I decide that my best bet of finding an open gas station at this hour would be on 185th. As I pass all the exits along the way I notice that not a single gas station is open. Almost in a panic I call Spencer and ask him if I have enough gas to make it home. He said No, and was against the idea of me even trying. Visions of Andrew and I sleeping in my car flash into my mind. Fortunately, we did not have to sleep in the car! A Shell station was open not too far off the highway and I profusely thanked the gal who filled my tank for being open so late. My luck even got better because next door to the gas station was a McDonald's so I treated myself to a strawberry milkshake. Actually I really needed it to sip on so I could stay awake for the remainder of the trip home. It was a long night but I finally made it home safe and sound feeling grateful to have a healthy little boy sleeping comfortably in his bed!

Our Thanksgiving Holiday

First of all I would just like to say how grateful I am towards my Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunities I have been given in life. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the constant companionship I have with Him, even though I don't always feel like I deserve it. I am grateful for the family I belong to, and for the opportunity He has given me to create a family of my own. Each year as I am getting older I am realizing now more than ever the importance of Family. The traditions we are creating, the memories we are making, and the bonds we are strengthening. Thank you Father for continuing to teach me such valuable lessons in life!

Thanksgiving this year was so much fun and so relaxing. The day's events started around 8:00 a.m. when Spencer played in the Turkey Bowl with our ward at the local park. The turnout for players was great, and for those who weren't playing, we got to mingle by a fire with some delicious hot chocolate and muffins. The men were kind enough to let the little kids play with them, which they enjoyed. After we got home and everyone washed off the mud they were coated in, we had just enough time to prepare our contribution to our Thanksgiving meal.

Thanksgiving dinner was held at Brandon & Eileen's house at 2:00 p.m. and we brought; Green Bean Casserole, Jellied Cranberries and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Our dinner was delicious and it was so much fun visiting with our relatives, all 25 of them. Every year we wonder if our family is getting too large to all get together and all of us kids protest and say No, it isn't. We love it!

After dinner we headed over to Spencer's parents house to peruse the ads for Black Friday. Spencer and I enjoy taking advantage of the sales on black Friday and feel that it's worth the hassle for the deals you get. We were fortunate to get Megan to spend the night so that we could get up early (3:30 a.m.) and travel into the city. We went with some friends of ours and after we hit the stores we wanted to and got the deals we seeked we stopped at IHOP for some breakfast and still made it home by 9:30 a.m. Guess that's what getting an early start will do for ya. The rest of the weekend was spent with family and decorating for Christmas.

All I want for Christmas...

...is my two front teeth! Well, and maybe my bottom one too!

Right now Austin has 3 missing teeth. It was pretty funny the other night though, the Tooth Fairy just about botched it. As I was waking Austin up in the morning I realized that I had completely forgot to take his tooth and leave him a dollar. I quickly high-tailed it back to my room, grabbed a dollar and tried to sneak it under Austin's pillow. I got my hand underneath but just as I was pulling it out Austin jumped up and flipped his pillow over. It seriously happened so quickly and I just knew he had caught me red handed! When he saw that his tooth was still there, as was the dollar bill, I said, "Wow, I guess the Tooth Fairy didn't need your tooth this time". He didn't ask me any questions and I was certainly glad that he didn't. I don't know how much longer he will continue to believe in this stuff, but I hope it lasts for a while longer.

Harry Potter Marathon

I have to say, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I'd enjoy reading The Harry Potter series. I used to look at those books thinking, who in their right mind has the time and patience to read such large books!? Well I have a confession ... over Labor Day weekend I entered the magical world of Harry Potter and and I love them!! I dare say they are by far my favorite series I have ever read! I am currently reading book #5, The Order of the Phoenix, and I hope to be done with the entire series by Christmas. I truly do not know how the series end, I have my guesses, but will wait until I read the final book to know for sure. I'm really excited!

Since I have read most of the books now and understand more fully the story line, I decided to have a Halloween Harry Potter Movie Marathon with the kids. We started with the second movie and watched them one after the other. It was fun! We broke away long enough for the kids to go to Trunk-or-Treat and load up a 6 months supply of candy. Good grief, they got a lot! This year for Halloween I didn't really think about costumes until the last minute. I didn't feel like spending any money on a costume, so what ever they could find that would fit them they wore. Austin was a Storm Trooper; Cameron a Ninja; and Andrew, Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.

My Baby Turned 2

Yesterday was Andrew's 2nd birthday and I am really in awe at how fast the time has flown by! It's interesting how when I think of the future 2 years sounds so far away, but then 2 years ago seems just like yesterday. How can it work like that?? Anyway, at 2 years old he is growing into quite the adorable little boy. Last night we had a little party for him with cupcakes and homemade waffle cones. My store gave him his own little personal birthday cake and after we sang to him he just stood there in front of the candles not quite knowing what to do. His brother's had to finally step in and blow them out. Andrew is really starting to talk a lot these days. He loves to dance and gives great hugs and kisses. He is such a wonderful addition to our family and I love him so very much. Happy Birthday baby!

I definitely have Boys!

A couple of days ago Austin was taking an extraordinarily long time on his walk home from school. Spencer happened to be home early and decided to poke his head out the front door and look for him. A minute later I heard Spencer call after me and said I had to come and check out what Austin brought home from school. On my way out the door I asked what it was and Spencer just said, "Well, you've got boys!"

I headed out the door and found my sweet son carefully balancing a dead snake on a stick. Yes, he did in fact find a dead gardner snake on his walk home and thought it would be great to bring home. Boys!! After his brothers all got a look, he disposed of it and I had him thoroughly wash his hands.

Beach Trip

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the past week with my Dad. He lives in Utah and so we don't get to see each other more than a couple times a year. For most of our visit we stayed at the beach near Lincoln City. Spencer was able to spend Saturday through Monday with us and then he and Austin headed home while I stayed with our other two boys. Our weather was amazing!! Very little rain and no wind. Having no wind was actually a little bitter-sweet; we really looked forward to flying our kites, but truly there was not enough wind to do so. I found that unusual for the beach. We did get to play on the beach though and the waves were huge this time of year. Austin thought it would be fun to run from them, but he couldn't. Spencer brought his Dad's boat and so we went crabbing and caught a total of 14 keepers. We also hit the outlets in Lincoln City and found some amazing deals. Every evening I really enjoyed watching the sunsets. Because it was so clear out, the sky lit up so nice and bright. Once we came home from the beach my Dad had the opportunity to go sturgeon fishing with my Father in law. I was really wishing that he would be fortunate enough to catch one, but it just wasn't the case. I'm starting to wonder if he believes me that there really are sturgeon in the river. Regardless, I know he had fun and we had a great time with him. Unfortunately, my Step Mom wasn't able to come this trip, but we missed her greatly!

More Hunting Pictures

Austin's New Rifle. He shot twice right in the heart of the target. He's a natural!

Eric & Robin playing some outdoor games
Austin & Korissa playing Darts
Spencer's Omelets, specially made to order
The Hanging Post, all the kids watching in awe

Chuck's Deer, a nice 4 point

Wyatt's Snowman, as tall as the trailer

Andrew playing in the snow and having a blast!

Welcome to Deer Camp!

Deer Hunting ... sound enticing??? Maybe not for a lot of people, but man-oh-man we sure had fun!! Deer hunting in our family is a family event. The women and children stay in camp while the men go out and hunt. In the evening however, is the time when the kids get to go along. When the guys have tags, hunting season is a time we all look forward to, here's a few reasons why:

Out in the Middle of Nowhere

Each year the guys pull tags for the same spot, 6.5 hours away from home in the middle of nowhere! Believe it or not, there is actually an upside to this. It means a week of no work, no church callings, and no dirty house to clean. It also means lots and lots of family time! I do feel fortunate though to have a trailer because you wouldn't catch me out there in a tent, it gets way too cold at night for that. I absolutely love the bonfires that burn day and night, it makes for an easy way to do the dishes.

The Company

You can't hand pick a better group of people to hang out with. The party consists of Harold & Donna, Kim & Chuck, Eric & Robin, Mom & Dad and Spencer and I, with a total of 9 kids between us. This group has been hunting together for years now and will hopefully continue on.

The Food

Oh my goodness the food!! We ate all too well and way too much. Forget the traditional hot dogs and smores that you might normally associate with camping and think fancy. We had homemade noodles & chicken, wilted salad, and homemade Carmel cinnamon rolls; dutch oven ribs, scalloped potatoes, wheat bread and peach cobbler; taco soup, dutch oven brownies & mint chocolate chip ice cream; sloppy joes; omelets, specially made to order; three berry slump cobbler; breakfast casseroles and dutch oven apple crisp pie. The Activities & Games

The kids in no way lacked entertainment. It snowed pretty good for the first couple of days we were there and they had a blast playing in the snow. A couple of days later after the snow melted the kids caught bugs, played baseball and rode the 4-wheeler around camp. Donna brought the makings for cupcakes and let the kids bake and decorate them.

The Reward

It's always nice to have a great time at camp, but it's even better when "The Hanging Post" has something hanging on it. After all, the whole purpose of the trip is for meat! Even though there is purpose to hanging an animal after the kill, I'm pretty convinced there is also a bragging right about it. Practically every hunter that passes another man's camp strains to look for it. Our camp was successful. When we left (2 days earlier than everyone else) we were 3 for 6, Spencer lucky enough to be one of them.