Happy Birthday Halle

Two weeks ago my baby turned two. I am a little late posting these pictures, but I seriously can't believe she is two!!

Quotes from Conference

Jay was gone this weekend, so I was alone with the kids. I had it pretty easy, the kids sat and played games with each other while I was able to watch most of conference, there were still battles and the ever popular books that Halle always wants to read. I had been trying most of the weekend to teach Jackson about Conference and why we can watch TV on Sundays but still not watch movies. I have also been trying to teach Jackson to recognize when our new prophet, Pres. Monson, is on the TV. Jackson did very well and always came in the room when they were singing or saying a pray and would fold his arms. He would also talk about our new prophet telling me his name is Pres. Monson. With that in mind here are my favorite quotes from conference.

During the last prayer of conference Jackson had been folding his arms and bowing his head, about two thirds of the way through a longer prayer he looked up and said "Why's he taking so long, my head is getting tired".

The other one I hope it not blasphemous, on Saturday Jackson had be playing cowboy all day with his guns, cowboy hat, and cowboy boots. He came in the room while President Monson was speaking and I happened to say this is our prophet and asked if he remembered his name. He said that it was our new prophet, Pres. Monson because Pres. Hinckley has died. He then looked up and said "why did Pres. Hinckley die, who shot him?" Sitting there with such a serious look on his face and a toy cap gun in his hand I tried not to laugh and explain when people got old they die, well that opened up a whole new discussion about old people that I will not get into, but was rather funny as well.

I sure love my little (but ever getting bigger) boy!

What have you done on your days of weakness?

So, we got a cat!!! Despite Jennies threats to never speak to me again I still went ahead and found a free little kitty on KSL. What was I thinking this cute little thing was taken away from its mother way too early despite the lady telling me it was on solid food and litter box trained--was still nursing from its mother, did not and could not eat solid food, wouldn't even eat the wet food for the first day and a half. Is totally not litter box trained! I found this out after it ran in our house after Jackson (totally an outdoor cat) and peed on his bedroom floor. I have since had to shampoo our carpets just to calm myself so I didn't hyperventilate at nights thinking about stepping on cat pee every time I went in his room, or having my children eat something off his floor in the cat pee. And then come to find out the cat was only five weeks old when we got her, that's right her! Nobody knew what the kittens genders were and we got the luck of the draw a girl that now has to be spayed so we don't have little baby kittens to be posted on KSL in about 6 months.

On a better note, Jackson absolutely loves her and the cat actually loves him. She doesn't run away from him or anything and takes everything he has done to this poor kitty and keeps coming back for more. However, she is starting to run away from Halle. The name of this cat is none other than Treasure Chest. If you want to argue the fact that Treasure Chest isn't a great name for a cat take that up with Jackson. I try to shorten her name to Treasure and Jackson sternly reminds me that it is Treasure Chest!

Our Indian Summer

I think because we didn't have a spring this year I am having a hard (or harder than usual) time giving up summer and the warm weather we are having. Only two more days in the 80's then a big rain storm and cold weather this weekend. I am sure I can make it through the cold months, but I am thinking about moving to Hawaii with John and Wendi. So here are some of the things we have been doing to enjoy our Indian summer.

This is a must every year to drive up a canyon and see the fall leaves, we were a little early this year and now Jay is gone hunting for a week, so I think this is the only picture I will get this year.

Jackson had his first ever primary part in the annual primary program. His line was "I can pray for my family" he said "I can for my family" whatever he is still cute. He is more like me than I thought, he told me today that he wants to save his huge sucker that the primary gave him and not ever eat it!

We had a very fun University 22nd ward reunion with a lot of people from our old college ward. This is the only picture I got before it got dark. Halle and Katelyn who is only one day younger than Halle.

This last weekend Chelsey and I went shopping (kinda last minute) with my mom who was up in Park City with my dad. Well, the outlets were not all that great so Chelsey (the pampered last born in the family) was complaining that she never went down the Alpine Slide even though me and my brother got to go when we were kids and so, of course, my mom and dad took her. She was so excited, just like a kid at Christmas.

1st day of Preschool

I've been meaning to post a picture of my sweet boy on his first day of preschool. I was able to get him into where he went last year, she is the best teacher and so I am really glad we will be living here for awhile longer. He was so excited we left the house 15 minutes early and had to drive around for awhile just because he couldn't stand being home anymore. Halle loves having him gone and plays in his room the whole time (except for her nap).

So I'm trying to bury this under a bunch of stuff that nobody really reads, but when you tell the whole world your pregnant, then you have to go back and tell them as well when you miscarry. I miscarried this Tuesday at 11 weeks. Thanks to all those for the support and for the email question asking why I removed the pregnancy post, now you know. I really truly do have great friends and family, but please don't worry about us we are very happy with our two wonderful children, I would rather you worry about hunger in Africa or something.

The Last of the Camping, I Promise

Why, may you ask, am I taking pictures of my kids from inside the trailer when we were camping..... because of the next picture down.

Yes it snowed!! Jackson was mad that I forgot to bring his snow clothes. Silly me, I didn't think we would need them!!

The kids had a lot of fun on the rope swing that Mark set up, then he let them climb a tree. He actually shimmied up a tree to tie the rope in and then jumped across to another tree to tie a rope in another tree. WOW!

So I will stop boring everyone with our camping pictures, sorry its all we do in the summer time and besides that it was our last trip this year. It's what happens when you have a husband that is working a lot these days.

Jackson Hole

I know it has been over a month since our trip to Jackson Hole, but give me a break I am not the most on-the-ball-person anyway.

We had so much fun with our old neighbors who we still really, really miss almost a year later. Jay and I were able to go down the river and had so much fun, I think I could live in Jackson Hole. We went to the rodeo. Side note--it is really hard to go to the rodeo finals ever year and then sit through a locals rodeo where 8 year old can (barely) rope the cows! Halle loves Richard.
I told Cade if he wore the "pink" backpack he could have some of my cookies. He was the only one brave enough to do it.
Halle really enjoyed our hike.
I know this picture is dark, but it was almost dark when I took the picture and I am too lazy to use photo shop tonight. This huge buffalo walked right by our truck. As soon as my children were safely in the truck I jumped out to take pictures, Jenni was too big of a chicken and stayed in her truck!!!

Brandon and Jackson at the rodeo. They had a part where all the kids went out onto the field and chased cows. Jackson was very excited about all of this, but when over he went in the wrong direction back to his seat. We didn't find him for about 10 minutes, I was scared to death, but thankfully Brandon was with him.

In front of some falls in Yellowstone.

Hot spring in Yellowstone.

The boys at our campsite. Jackson was by far the dirtiest.

I don't know why we always get the good luck, but the night we got home Jackson told us his had hurt. I took a look and there were two or three bit marks on his hand. Some lovely spider must have taken advantage of my little boys love of sticking his hands where they shouldn't be. His had was swollen for a few day, but everything turned out fine.

Our very first cousin sleepover

Jackson was so excited to have his cousins come and stay over. He waited on the porch for a half hour before they arrived and was so sad when we dropped them off at their other cousins. Here they are in our bedroom down stairs with the 2 bed in it. Jackson slept on one and the girls on the other. He was in heaven.

To vie for the favorite aunt position you have to do fun things, we decided to go to Jumpin' Jacks to pass the day away.

Halle had so much fun she thinks she is so big and could climb all the slides by her self. Kallie was a very good help and took her down a lot of the slides. We also went to the bean museum. I'm not use to chasing 4 kids they always seem to want to go in different directions. I didn't get many pictures, the girls are used to having their pictures taken (a lot) and said "not you too!!"

Memory Game

I got this from Amy's blog...

Memory Game

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Snake River Rafting

So we just got back from Jackson Hole. We had a great time with our friends from Providence. We also ran into some of our friends that live in Provo, Jay and I went down the Snake River with them. We haven't been in a few years and were so excited to go that we made the statement that we would be happy to go in whatever raft they needed us in. Well, the adult raft was full so we went on the teenage raft. This was fine with me until out on the river Jay asked how old everyone was and when he said he was 33 all of the 16 and 18 year-olds (and that was all there was) about chocked.

Now, I was still fine with the arrangements until a bend or two away from Lunch Counter (very big rapid this year) they informed me that they were tipping the raft. We all sat in the back of the raft and at the first rapid we all went in. All I saw through the rapid was the underneath of it (the back side of water). Well, we all came up and some other company brought us our raft and we went on our merrily little way.

We had so much fun, thanks to the Driggs family and thanks to Gwen and Ryan who introduced us to the sport and for telling us that they were up there. I can't copy the pictures onto my blog, but I posted the link. The first picture is us going up and the second is all of us under the water, this was the best representation of how it felt for me and I have even been tossed out of the raft before during rapids. The next three are of us making our way through the rapids. I will post some more pictures of our trip soon.

http://snakeriver.elevationimaging.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?&category=586098