Walking out side!

Ryker started walking Dec. 23 2011. Best Christmas present ever!! He had been able to for months. Running with his walker and side stepping while holding onto things, but this was the first time he really let go and went for it! In Nana's kitchen! Now he walks every where! Still wont hold your hand while moving, he is pretty independant. Now I can finally let him out doors knowing he will like it!!!

January2012

Carter is 7!!

Happy Happy Birthday Carter!!  Our NewYears boy is now 7!  He is such a neat little guy!  Definately the man of the house when Dustan isn't here.  He is so kind and caring.  So sensitive to all those around him and their feelings, and truly the most helpful child there ever was!!  He loves hard work and knows how to take care of his family!  So good and loving to his siblings.  We are so blessed to have been blessed with such a wonderful boy in our family!!

The year that Nana threw out Christmas! ;)

I always laugh at how far behind I am in my blog and then I always sit here not know where to begin in catching up!!

The year that Nana threw out Christmas!!! 2011

I have to share this story not because were mad at Nana and want her to feel bad.  Accidents happen and really Im just glad it wasn't me that did it,

and its something I totally would do!  But because its one more memory to add to the books, that luckily we can now laugh at!!

We had a great Christmas this year!  We always do!  We spent it at Nana and Pompa's and when we do we always pack up for a couple days and we all stay under the same roof.  On Christmas Eve, when we settle down to bed, we all open a new pair of Jama's and gather together to listen to stories.  We then hear Santa's sleigh bells ring out side the windows, giving us a warning its time to say our prayers and crawl into bed so that he may come.  As a kid it was always my favorite tradition he did for us and we are so lucky that Santa still does it for them.  Nana sleeps out under the tree with her grand babies and Jon Jon.  I dont know how they always sleep through Santa's arrival.  He can be pretty loud!  But they do! 

Christmas morning we woke up to presents!  The kids must have been pretty good.  Because there is 3 big families it takes us a while!  Especially when I make everyone open one by one so we all can see.  After we ate delicious Soufle! And spent the rest of the day playing together as a family.

That night we gather and hauled all the trash out side to be picked up early the next morning.  We were careful as to what bags needed to be brought out and which didn't.  Come morning as were packing up to go home I notice were missing some of the kids presents.  I asked Dustan if he already loaded them up and he hadn't.  We searched the house high and low and they were no where to be found, when it dawns on me, DID THEY GO OUT LAST NIGHT WITH THE TRASH!!!  Suddenly we're in panick mode!  The men again said NO they were very careful with what went out, made sure they didn't take the bags full of presents.  Turns out Nana decided to "help" and took out the extra bags in the living room.  By then Trash was gone!  I was physically sick!  And I yelled for Dustan to get in the car and we chase the Trash guy down with Pompa.  He let us dig through the truck even let loose the compactor.  By then what ever toys were in there had been crushed and it didn't matter.   I bawled!  Sick to my stomach that we worked so hard to pay for Christmas and the BIG presents were gone!  Brand new never been open, presents thrown out and crushed to bits! (the though still makes me sick)  Poor, poor, Nana felt aweful!  Had no idea that she could have possible done that.  It was just sad!!  Kids really didn't know what to think, we tried to not make it a big deal, but poor Nana went out that day in the rush, re-buying Christmas.  Oh it was so sad!  I felt so bad that she felt sooooooo bad!!! 

Now we can all laugh at it and everyone still teases her and probably always will how she threw out Christmas!!  Poor NANA!!!

Snakes!!

Just yesterday when Carter was getting off the bus we found a baby snake!  Little tiny thing.  So with the help of our cat, Fuzzy (he was trying to play with it like a string) I caught it!  I convinced the kids it was too small to bite, so they each took turns holding it.  YUP! all three of them ;)  Our little Ryker did quite the number on it...

She was being so brave!  Very proud of this little one.

  WARNING!

The following pictures may gross you out.

Oh he pulled it so tight!  :?

The darn kid kept trying to put it in his mouth!  Poor snake.

But look how cute he is even when he's trying to eat a snake!

And with that last try, we decided it was probably time to let it go.

SOCCER!!!... pass, shoot, score!

This is Carters first year of soccer and he is loving it!  He is a year behind but picked it up so darn quickly!  This is truly the funnest age to watch.  They all just run around wild kicking no matter which way the ball fly's.  Carter plays great everywhere.  Incredible Goalie, when he pays attention.  He scored once and blocked every ball that came his way, he even dove to stop the ball then summersaulted with the ball after.  Pretty impressive, but I think thats what he was going for ;)   Everytime the ball start coming his way, you have to yell at him to get ready.  He is so funny!

Angels Amoung Us

Today started out as any other day; scriptures, family prayer, get kids ready and off to school, feed and play with Ryker till he goes down then CLEAN!   Just as I was loading Ryker into the truck to take Chasee her homework she had left on the table, my sweet husband asked me to drive into town to go to lunch with him.  So off we went!  We stopped by the school, took Chasee her homework, waved to Carter in his classroom on our way out, it totally made his day (which in turn made mine :).  Dropped the movie off at the rental store, and headed into town.  When we got to WW Peppers I noticed my phone was missing!  We looked in the truck, called the school (thinking I may have left it on the counter when I signed in) and NOTHING.  Oh well,  I must have somehow set it down before I climbed into the truck.  I decided we weren't going to worry about it while we had lunch.  After, I ran a couple errands, the lady's were so helpful and nice at Hobby Lobby!  They even gave me 40% off after I forgot my coupon at home.  I was so grateful to them!  On my way home I decided to go the highway instead of the freeway and stop by the lumber store to grab wood for our next class.  The guy who helped me was incredible!  Dug through the entire pile of wood to find the best cuts, then he went above and beyond and measured and cut wood which saved me a whole lot of work!  My day was going great!  With 20 minutes to get back I pulled onto the highway to head home and I heard the strangest noise!  I let off the accelleration and the noise stopped.  Not wanting to stop, because I wanted to get home in plenty of time for the kids to be dropped off, I accelerated just to see if the noise was still there. YUP!  So I knew I had no choice but to pull over.  Just as I was pulling off I realized my tire was going FLAT.  I noticed a road and turned right onto it.  A wave a panic rushed through me as I realized I DIDN'T HAVE A PHONE!  Right on the corner was a business.  I turned in, hoping I could use their phone and thinking it would be safer to change the tire in the parking lot.  I ran in and the front desk lady was amazing!  I called Dustan to come fast to change the tire.  Knowing the kids will be getting off the bus soon, she found me a phone book and I started calling neighbors, NO ONE WAS HOME!  I didn't have my phone so I didn't have anyones cell phone number and had no way of getting a hold of anyone!  I called to school so they could radio the bus driver and let them know I wasn't home, NO ANSWER.  I called First Bus, to have them radio the Bus Driver and they couldn't get a hold of him,  I had no one else to call...  I called Dustan again to find out how far he was just as a lady came out of her office (ready to go home) and offered to take me somewhere.  I thought, that would be great except how would i get back to the truck with 3 kids and no car.  Dustan answered and was well on his way but still far out.  I broke down in tears. I was so lost on what to do.  Home was still 10 minutes away, my kids were getting off the bus and I had felt I completely failed them.  The lady then offered to take me to my house and then bring me back.  I had no other choice but to let her.  We loaded the car seat and set off.  When we pulled up Carter and Chasee were in the door way watching, As I ran to the door Chasee broke down in tears. Carter assured me they were perfectly fine.  He also let  me know they didn't get out any toys or make a mess while i was gone, I laughed.  As put their shoes on, I  noitced my phone randomly sitting on the grass by the front door, grabbed it and we left. I thanked the lady repeatedly, she was such a life savor.  She took us back and headed home.  I don't know what I would have done with out these two amazing ladys.  Or with out my Heavenly Father watching over me.  That flat could have happened anywhere along the way home with no businesses around.  And if we were on the freeway, it could have been a major accident.  I Truly feel this was one of  HIS Tender Mercies. I feel so blessed, and so grateful to him and his Angels who were so willing to help me through this Almost Disaster.
I can honestly say I feel our family has been so very blessed, beyond our understanding of why.  We have faced so many obsticles and through every single one HE has carried us.  I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father. 
There Are Truly Angels Amoung us!!

SCHOOL DAYS

The kids are all back to school now!  Carter's in the First Grade and Chasee's in Kindergarten.  We got so lucky with who their teachers are and are so happy with them!  I will have to admit I had a little week of depression once they started going and Dustan being back at work.  It was a dramatic change for me!  But Ryker made sure to fill the void for me, and fast-  He is now into everything!!!

The kids are thrilled about what they are learning and all the fun new changes and I am so please to hear all about it the second they step off that bus!  Thank heavens for the bus!