Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010!!
We had a nice quiet "Party" at home tonight with boys...midnight came at 10:00pm, we had our favorite treat (pazookies with magic shell), toasted to the new year with sparkling apple cider, and we even wrote down some goals for the new year...

Austin's goals included: read all the goosebumps books by the end of the year, play good in "machine-pitch" baseball this year, serve others.
Cade's goals: Learn to write his first and last name really good, and score seven goals every soccer game instead of six.
Our goals for Dax this year: in a big boy bed, potty trained (maybe- I am so bad at this)...
Family goals (according to the boys): go to Disleeland, Huwai, get ulong better, skriptrs, (as austin wrote down)and cade said we should "get a girl baby!" I don't know where that came from- I guess I could get him a doll!!
My goals are to for sure get our backyard done along with several others....

The last few days we spent up in Idaho with my family. My mom and dad got some condos up in Driggs right by Grand Targee ski resort. Austin and Cade got to ski for the first time- and we had fun playing with the cousins...Thanks for the fun MOM and DAD!!


Lots of kids in a confined area equals creative play where ever it can be found. They loved playing in the closet on the shelf, and for some reason pushing the coffee table from room to room was SUPER FUN...

Christmas party...Acting out the manger scene. We had a bird, a donkey, and a cow... and a suprise visitor. Dax was terrified of santa!!

Austin was the elf in his school program. He was so excited and he did really good except he didn't crack a smile the WHOLE time! And he wouldn't look at anyone...not sure where the stage fright came from!
Cade's classic pouty face because he didn't get his way...
a memorable moment by dax. I woke up one morning to him putting a whole box of pads in the toilet..His new obsession is toilets and unfortunalty he can open doors so now just shutting the door won't keep him out...
and I had to post a pic of his new best friend! He loves Uncle MATT. Ever since we went to Australia he has decided that he loves matt. He even runs to him when he sees him. If any of you know Dax, you know that there aren't many on his list of favorites...but Matt, you are one of them!

2009 Highlights
(Since I haven't posted in a LONG time...I figured I would just do a 2009 highlights...)

Austin



Austin-6 Started first grade this year. His favorite thing about first grade is school lunch and recess. He loves that he can read! He is a great student and is always getting nice complements from his teacher. He has been busy with sports; playing soccer, baseball, and basketball. He loves to play with his friends and he is an awesome big brother!

Cade


Cade-4 is in his second year of preschool and boy are we glad he’s got it! He’s such a fun, crazy, ALL BOY BOY! He loved playing soccer this year and scored at least 3 goals every game! He’s a quick runner and when he’s happy- he is really happy! He always has something sweet to say and he gives great kisses with his giant lips!

Daxton


Daxton 22 months- Such a sweet boy. He is getting so big and so independent. He is so goofy and loves to run around in the nude! He likes to think he is one of the big boys and he can hold his own! He loves his silky and his big brothers (most of the time)

Dave


Dave has been busy with work and has even gotten to travel to Australia a few times. I joined him for a week and enjoyed the beautiful city of Sydney. He has been playing in-door soccer a little bit (believe it or not! And he likes it!), baseball and we are soon reaching the basketball season! He stays busy with his church calling in the Stake Athletics Program & trying to keep up with my “honey-do” list. ( I do have to say that he did get lights up on my house this year!)

Jess


Jessica- Earlier this year I got to dance again with all my high school friends in the Viewmont concert. It was fun to be with the girls again- and SO fun dance again! (makes you miss the good old days!) I started working for Jet Blue and we have a love/hate relationship! It’s a great job and we’ve loved the flying benefits (I've already been to New York and Australia- and have hopes of lots more flying).I also just got called to the Primary Presidency and have been forced out of my comfort zone to get up in front of 170 kids to teach sharing time!

We have had a fun year and we are so blessed!! Happy Holidays everyone!!

update...

these pictures are from my phone- so they are kind of crappy, but dave has my camera in australia and what good is a post without pictures??


So once again two months have gone by since I've posted, so here is the update...

I went on my first FREE FLIGHT with Jet Blue!!
Me and Carrie (my sis-in-law) Who also works for jet blue decided we just needed to go...So we grabbed our friends and New York City we went! We took a flight to long beach-then the red eye to Boston and then finally made it to NYC. We walked and walked and shopped and shopped and ate and ate! A few highlights...
Mary Poppins on Broadway! (amazing! The set was fabulous and Mary was incredible!)
Frozen Hot chocolate at Serendipity! The wait was over two hours and the bill was high- but they aren't kidding when they say the frozen hot chocolate is the best!!
Dylans candy factory- A little piece of heaven, candy on every wall and cupcakes to die for!
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, and ground zero...The last time I was in new york was one month after 9/11.
Canal street and meeting Baboo- or whatever his name was! ha ha!

We tried to go to the today show and see some 10 year old teeny bopper. We thought we'd be able to get right up front, but boy were we wrong! We couldn't even see the stage! I guess this teeny bopper is pretty good...I don't even remember his name!

It was a fun trip! Thanks girls! Until next time!! Pictures coming soon...

The weekend after new york I spent two days at SILVER WOLF training. For those of you who don't know what Silver Wolf is, let me explain. Lot of Adults acting like nine year olds, screaming, and chanting and cheering for two straight days. I also got to meet a Kangaroo by the name of Roxie who was six months old and the cutest thing ever. Who needs a dog? or a baby for that matter? I want a Kangaroo!
Besides the mice and SUPER HAPPY CRAZY PEOPLE, I had fun and got to spend some time with my good friend Tara!

Dax is already turning into a two year old. He has been SO MAD at me for being gone so much. He flips out if I leave the room without him. In fact, tonight is the first night he has been really happy. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my Dax man is back! He has such a funny way of talking. He can say quite a few words, but it's the way he says them. Always drags his words out and the pitch goes up (way up) at the end of the word. Almost like he's singing. By the end of the day it's quite annoying, but it will be fun to tease him when he's older! And just for the record, I made a post a while back about what words he was saying, And I left out the most important word...Pa Pa. I am pretty sure this was his first word- and I know it's still his favorite word!! He loves his Papa's!!

Cade is my usual Cade. He has been loving soccer this season and I have to admit he is the MVP. He scores anywhere from 3 to 6 goals, and I think he has the game figured out! He waits back until someone kicks it away from all the kids and then he just goes and takes it all the way down the field to score! The last few games he's been "blocking the goal"- his league isn't supposed to have goalies, but he knows that if he stands in front of the goal, they can't kick it in. He's not just all looks after all!

And Austin is growing like weed! We pulled out all of his pants from last year, and I can't believe that they are all total floods on him! He's going to be taller than me before too long! He's doing great reading and even though he thinks he doesn't like school, I know he does. His teacher always sends home notes of what a great student he is. He rides his scooter every morning and he plays on the monkey bars all during recess. He is awesome on them. He can skip bars and go backwards!
This year in soccer it is starting to feel like real soccer. They have refs and their goals are starting to get bigger, and the coaches are more intense. (I don't know if I'm ready for crazy competitive coaches and fans...!) I think he is figuring out that he like to play defense instead of offense, but he's scored quite a few goals this year too.
He still gets comments daily on his "beautiful red hair" and that is something I will always remember about him. Even as a baby, you couldn't go anywhere without someone commenting about his hair. And I have to admit, he is pretty dang handsome. I love his brown eyes!

Dave is in Australia this week! He is so lucky! He is there for work and he is loving it! It's hard having him so far away because I've only gotten to talk to him once, but we are getting pretty good at emailing! He has to go back the end of November and I will probably go with him- so that will be fun!!

Tonight for Family Home Evening we picked pumpkins and painted them. Austin reminded me that we were only having "half family home evening, because daddy is not here"...but you get the point. Lots of paint, a big mess and three happy boys! Happy Halloween!!!

Our fun trip up to snow bird resort! First we had lunch and sat by "austin pond", then we rode the tram up the mountain and then hiked down the mountain (a very steep mountain!! We basically slid down on our bottoms!) and rode the ski lift the rest of the way. Dax kept switching spots on the ski lift and it was stressing me out!

our summer!

 

My update... Our summer! I can't believe it's over! We had a good one! Some things we did this summer...
play in the yard, ride bikes and scooters, play with lots of friends, We went to the Temple Open house, Went to Idaho and played with the rammell's, Bear Lake to play with Family...and that's about it!
Now I've got Austin in FIRST Grade!! Oh my goodness! I can't believe my baby is in school all day! I thought it would kill us getting up so early for school, but believe it or not I think we are surviving. Austin loves all the recesse's at school and he is LOVING school lunch!
Cade starts preschool next week (it can't come quick enough)- He is still a wild one! He LOVES to be outside- he is awesome on his bike and scooter and he loves to play the PSP. (I wonder where he gets that from!)
Dax is getting so big. I am realizing that he is no longer my baby- and he turns into a little boy more and more each day! He is starting to talk...some of his words include:
mama, dadd-EEEE, nani (candy or austin), keeey(cade), bike, no, mine, addy & kenzie (our girls we've had babysit...he loves them), "let's go" (daddy's favorite), shower, tubby, piano, window, si si (his blanket) ....and he learns more every day!!

Everything else is going well! I am working for Jet Blue- and it's going good! I am excited to get home (which should be next week)! We are planning some fun trips to use our free flights...san diego, New york, long beach!!...
Dave is doing good too- staying busy with work, stake athletics, and being a stay at home dad while I'm working at nights!

I love fall time! I am so excited for the cooler nights and all the fun holidays coming up!!

Hi ALL!! I know, I know! It's been forever! Just wanted to tell you that I will be updating very soon! Lots of pics and lots of catching up!! We've had a great summer!! (BUSY!!)

fallen off the face of the earth....

I know, I know, my last post was in June- and I still haven't even posted about Austin's or Cade's kindergarten/preschool programs/last day of school!?(seriously?) quick recap of what we've been doing since the end of may...

trip to st. George, birthday parties, digging up our backyard, swimming at uncle Curtis's pool, GIRLS CAMP for four days (so much fun! Loved every minute of it!! I seriously can't wait for next year! Our girls are amazing!), looking at my dug up back yard, weekend trip to idaho, hauling concrete out of our backyard,playing lots and then started training for jet blue and then stop....

I think my life was put on hold- or maybe it's because my sleep schedule is so messed up right now that I can't even think straight! (okay, it's not that bad- but it's definitely been rough! worse than getting up with a newborn!)(but that's not a fair example, because we all know that I love newborns and all that comes with them!)

anyway- I just got a job with jet blue doing reservations- I will be working at home but I am currently in training for three weeks- at 4:00 until midnight, monday through friday. AHHH!!
I have missed my kids tons and I think they miss me.

Cade: "I hate Jet BLue mommy."
me: "But Cade, as soon as mommy is all done then I am going to take you to disney land!"
Cade: "I'm just not even sure I like Disney Land..."


poor kid- and Austin is turning into somewhat of a crybaby! He is extra emotional and I wonder if this has anything to do with it!
and Dax- what can I say? He has a 50/50 chance. is he going to follow Austin's example, or Cade's? Seeing as how he SCREAMS if he doesn't get his way, I am terrified to think he's leaning towards brother number two's example.

my hubby on the other hand has handled this WAY too well!! I for sure thought I would be hearing more complaining, but honestly he hasn't complained once! He is amazing- and the boys have LOVED the daddy time!

So as for keeping up in the blogging world, everything has come to a slow. I have good intentions of being better when school starts!
I have a new found respect for working moms. It's so hard on everyone involved!

Dave took the big boys camping this weekend with my family. I didn't get to go and Dax got uninvited- so we've had a lot of time together over the past three days. Oh the days of only having one child! The house has been so quite! No teasing or screaming and I have to admit, it was SO PEACEFUL! But after a long Saturday of just the two of us...I miss my boys!

oh, and I can't not tell Dave how much I love him! Today is our SEVEN year Anniversary. You always hear about the seven year itch, and I hope this year isn't getting started on a bad note because Dave is in Idaho and I am home! Who would have thought! Just goes to show that we all make sacrifices for the kids! (cade apparently wants to live in a tent in Idaho FOREVER!!!) And I'm sure Dave is tempted because the golf course is only a two minute walk away from the campsite! Austin is in heaven with four wheelers and guns/air soft guns and cousins all around him!
I hope they come home!!

But, I love you babe! Thanks for all that you've given me, thanks for being you and helping me become me. I think we are a pretty good match. And I'm just lucky that you are still a "hottie"!! love you!!

cade's prayer

please bless that dad won't get hit by a monster and if there are monsters please let Jesus be there. And there aren't any monsters just Laman and Lemuel...amen.

he is obsessed with Laman and Lemuel. Last night he had to go to bed with his shoes just in case "those guys from the scriptures- Laman and Lemuel- come and get them"- even though I have explained to him that they are dead and that they will not come and get him, we still hear about them daily.

the amazing SNAKE party...

For Austin and Cade's birthday party we decided to have a SNAKE party. It was probably the funnest party I've ever been to. Well, not for me personally, but to watch the kids and see how excited they were, made all the gross snakes worth it! (of course I didn't touch or get near any of the snakes!)

have to show off the snake cake- it took way too much time to not show it off!

Austin did so good! This snake was HEAVY and you could tell because his arms kept getting lower, lower and lower until he finally couldn't hold it anymore.

We learned that FEMALE snakes "RULE in Snake world" and they tend to get bigger than the males. So most of the snakes were female- this one's name is peaches. I loved the names they had for them! Like they are trying to make them seem not so gross or something- it didn't help

Cade was so brave!! I guess I didn't know how he would react to the snakes- but he did so good!! He was the first one to hold a snake and he had no fear! This red snake seriously loved him!


This is "squish" she weighs 145 pounds and is over 12 feet long! SHE WAS HUGE!!

This is Shane- the guy who did the party. He was so cute with the kids- and he kept us adults entertained too. Definitely recommend him for your next party! Worth every penny!!!


I have to apologize to my mom. I've always thought she was kind of a wuss- but anyone who can drape a snake around their neck is definitely not a wuss! Sorry mom!! You know I love ya!



Dax feels the same way I do about snakes...


at the end of the show they piled all of the snakes on top of the boys...too cute!

happy birthday mr c man!! I can't believe you are four years old!! I'm feeling like you kind of got ripped off today because it was Sunday- so we didn't get to go out and do anything super fun- and you were looking forward to going up on the stand while all the primary kids sing "You had a BIRTHDAY"- except the fact that you fell asleep in Sacrament meeting so you missed it!!
But we had his birthday party last night (which was AMAZING!! MORE ON THAT TO COME!!I need to get my pictures- then I'll blog)- so he woke up to a room full of new toys and him and Austin went at it (which was nice, because Dave and I got to sleep in a little!) And after church we had dinner at the Tidwell's and then Peanut Butter bars for his "cake" and a few more presents. Boy are you spoiled!!

Things we love about CADE....
you still love your silky and need it every night even though sometimes during the day you will say, "I don't need my silky anymore."
Your favorite thing for lunch is Dino Chicken- but you will eat Mac N Cheese (only the shells), and sometimes you will do with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter. and you love nachos- you beg for them for breakfast...
You are SO ATHLETIC!! You are always playing with a ball- soccer ball, golf ball, basketball- anything that keeps you moving. You can already ride a bike without training wheels, you've been riding a two wheeled scooter for two years and you freaking ROCK AT IT!! (now if we could just get him some height we already know he's got the skills and heart!)
You are brave and will try almost anything at any time- you certainly have NO FEAR and you think you are invincible. (you will have a rude awakening at some point in your life, lets just hope it's not lethal.)
You love to color, paint, build with legos and you will do these everyday for hours on end!
You are a good brother and you have some great sharing moments that surprise us all!
You have a sweet heart and you are very passionate! We love you to pieces and are thankful to have you in our family! Happy number Four Cader-bug!!!

I've decided that may and june are probably going to be the busiest two months of my life...EVERY YEAR!! We go from Dave's birthday on the 18th, to Austin's birthday on the 28th, to Cade's birthday on the 7th. And then you throw "end of school" parties and yard work and trips- IT'S CRAZY!!

since I've been going to the gym at 5:30 AM I am always excited to come home and know that I can go back to bed for a few hours. Well, this particular morning this is what I came home to... IN MY BED


too cute to not post...but it meant that I had to sleep in cade's bed-not so fun!

My kids are all confused about real birthdays (as apposed to half birthdays because the schools celebrate the summer b-days during the year...) and Cade pouted all day on Austin's birthday because "It's not fair" that it was his birthday and not cade's...
Oh well- Austin had a great day! He slept in (like always), played with Isaac the minute he woke up, went to Mcdonalds for lunch, off to school, then two of his friends Mason and Tyson (twin brothers with the same cute red hair that austin has!) walked home with him and they all played until party time. All of Austin's cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and pa's came to eat cake and spoil him rotten! Anytime someone walked in the door he would say, "where's my present?"...
Megan and Curtis stayed late and Curtis helped Austin build his new lego ships that he got. (nice uncle!) and I think the highlight of his day was at 11 O'clock that night he said, "I'm hungry" and Uncle curtis said "come on I'll take you to Mcdonalds and you can get whatever you want!"- I have never seen a six year old be so excited!! What a fun memory! Thanks Curtis and megan for a fun "late night"...(believe me, I paid for it the next day with a very TIRED austin!)


The last few years we have gone down to St. George for Memorial day- So this year we how could we say no to the invite!? We went down on Wednesday night with the Nash's and then my mom and dad came down later in the weekend. We had a house full of crazy boys and they loved every minute of it. Cade wishes we could "live in our St. George house forever"...
Tish and her baby girl Sydney, My cousin Becca and her baby girl Molly, Me and my baby girl oh wait, I mean boy DAXTON :)





ohh I just love those big buck teeth!! The only time in his life that they will be so stinking cute!!
here comes summer! Ready or not!! YEA!!!