August 2010- Stanley, Idaho

We took a day trip up to Stanley. Way too long a drive for a day trip we should have stayed the weekend. Maybe next time. We were trying to fish but caught nothing. We did see a beaver the size of Abbie which we were able to watch up close for quite awhile. No pictures of it though because I was too scared it would come after one of my kiddo's!

August 2010- First day of School

Savannah -7th Grade @ Lake Hazel Middle School

Max- 4th Grade- Siena K-8
(Mrs. Ashby)

Abbie - Home with mom:)
Brady- 1st Grade- Siena K-8
(Ms. Hauser)

August 2010- Abigail's 2nd Birthday (while we were at Yellowstone)

Abbie turned two while we were at the Andrew's cabin. We celebrated with an ice cream cone at DQ while we were at west Yellowstone. She was in heaven with her favorite boys (Max, Brady, Kyle, Jake, & Kade paying her complete attention for a little while).

August 2010-Island Park

Island Park @ the Andrew's cabin: Lots of kids = Lots of fun!!

Wade & Abbie

Brady

Max & Jake

Savannah & Abigail

Savannah & Kyle

July 2010- Billy visits & Girls Camp

Girl's Camp

Savannah's 1st year! Most girls probably enjoy the break from their parents but she had both Wade & I there.

High Cliffs, Oregon

Alyssa Brotherson, Jessica Stastny & "Savi"

Billy came for the 'Twilight Criterium' bike race. So, we went to cheer him on.

He's in there somewhere!

June 2010-Greer!!

On our drive in from Idaho we go through Springerville and pick up some groceries and paperproducts to get us through for a couple of days before we are ready to head out to Show Low for some shopping. Well, right before we arrived in Springerville a plane crashed into the high school and all the power was out in the town including the grocery store. They let us in with our flashlight to buy some basic stuff to get us thru. You'll notice that I forgot any paper goods from the picture below. Abbie didn't like shopping in the dark so we hurried quick.

The cheering section at the first talent show. Kristin, Kim, Me, & Karen.

We had a rat situation in the kitchen. It kept jumping up on the stove so with LOTS of hungry children. LaNell inprovised and cooked old school style in the fireplace.

"Picnic" out by the lake. Didn't turn out very relaxing. It was short and cold. We didn't even go rock hopping at all this year because it was rainy and colder the whole time.

Gavin, Max & Justin


Brady & Aftin

Austin & Abbie not cooperating as usual!

Abbie ready for the talent show.

Talent Show #1

We kind of had two shifts at the cabin this year. This show was with Rob & Kristin's kids, Danny & Kim's kids, Our kids, & Billy & Karen's kids.


Tatum, Savannah, & Lauren

Talent Show #2

With Trevor & LaNell's kids, Our kids, Billy & Karen's kids, & Timmy & Shiloh's kids.

Filling in from last April 2010-February 2011-

April 2010

Savannah turn 12- party at boondock's (no pictures from there).  Pie for her birthday made by Wade!  Makayla, Becca, Savannah & Tasha

Brady turns 6- party at our house ? How can I already have forgotten? again no pictures? I will blame that on pregnancy brain or the fact that I strongly disliked my camara back then.  (It is Dec. 2012 and I just found some pictures from this party!! Yeah)  Party was at Chucky-Cheese!  With Tyson Grow, Aiden Bodily, Isaac Shores, & ?.

May 2010

Wade & I got to go to Washington DC.! Dream come true for me. Dallas (Wade's brother) graduated from dental school at Howard University and all Wade's sister's went as well.

I could have stayed for at least another week! These are pictures of the White House, The Capital, & Lincoln's house. I would have loved to have seen and read tons more. So hopefully I'll get to go back sometime.

Starting over AGAIN!

I think that I will go back and fill in the last 8 months but for now here's what has happened with us lately.

New Year . . New Hair cuts for the girls.

Abbie Before. . . .

Abbie after . . .

What do married parents of 5 do for fun on a late Saturday Night??:0

Ruby before. . .

Ruby during (we took this one to show someday at her wedding reception:)!) Entitled "The old man"

Ruby after . . .

IT'S STILL NOT WARM!!!

I am really starting to realize why it seems like all the couples we know here go on a cruise to somewhere warm in February!! I have been cold since November! But I do see promises of changes coming and for me it feels like waiting for Christmas morning. The blossoms are all out on the plum trees a tulip in my front yard bloomed just yesterday and then today when I went out to get the mail I felt it. Heavenly warmth. . . it lasted about an hour because the next time I went outside it was pouring rain and the chill was back. Okay that is the end of my whining for this winter. That is of course unless it snows again. Then I reserve the right to vent again.

More about Max

After I finished that last blog two more things came to mind about Max. I wanted to add that I love how Max watches out for others at school. I think that every year when I meet with Max's teacher I learn how he has voluteered to sit with the kid with peanut allergies so he won't be alone during lunch, stayed in from all recess' for the last month or so because a boy fell off of a basketball standard (he was standing on the hoop part and his brother pulled it down and he flew off onto his head) and cracked his skull so couldn't participate in ANY physical activity. I love that he is looking out for those in need of friends.

The other story about Max happened last Saturday. He was letting Wade & I sleep in and decided to make himself a cinnamon roll so he and Brady took some out of the freezer. On the bag it says done in 30 minutes so he got them out to cook for everyone. He put them in the MICROWAVE and after about 15 minutes he came up to tell me that smoke was coming out of the microwave. Well, today is Thursday and the smell is still with us!!! I think that we are probably going to have to get a new microwave and maybe have our cabinets that we just re-did when we moved in re-done as well!!! "You can have nice things or you can have kids:)~!" right dad.

Max is Nine

Max turns 9 years old today. We let the kids choose the menu of the day on their birthdays because I like to see how their tastes have changed and they love it. So Max's menu this year is.
Breakfast: Lemon filled Donuts & Milk
Lunch: Pizza brought to the cafeteria by me and Brady & Abbie
Dinner: Cornbread & Chili
Birthday Cake: Nonny Houser's Lemon Kiss Cake

My three favorite things about Max: (his birthday is the perfect day to think about him)
#1- He is always so sweet to me. He gets worried about me when I get up on ladders, stand up on countertops or do anything that looks unsteady. I think most kids just don't pay attention to that but Max is always making sure that I am doing okay. Wade says it's because he's seen me trip one too many times but I think it's just his nature to want to make sure I'm safe.
#2- He is super smart. Especially when it comes to figuring out how things work or how things go together. There have been many times when I am doing something and decide to just set it aside until Max gets home and he can do it or show me how.
#3- He is a rule follower. Now this doesn't seem to always apply at home:)but when we are out "in the world" he wants to make sure that he is doing things right. Like the time Brady was in a 'fight' at school (long story) and Max said that he wanted to tell the bus driver when he found out but they were already at the bus stop so he came to tell me. I asked him "why did you want to tell the bus driver?" and he said that he was taught that they should tell a "trusted adult". Or how he makes sure we have our escape route in case of a fire after visiting the fire station, stops tubing exactly at the time they say instead of trying to sneak in another run even when all his friends went again.

We Love you Max!! So Lucky to have you in our family.

Thanksgiving Weekend w/Billy & Karen's Family

We missed the Price family reunion in Phoenix this Thanksgiving but at least we were persuaded :) to go as far as Sandy, Utah. We had so much fun and are so glad we decided to go at the last minute. We got to go sledding, even though we had to go all the way up to Solitude before there was enough snow. Temple square lights were a little dissapointing but we did practically run through the kids were so cold. Seeing Wade's grandma Nellie (who turned 94 the day before), Uncle Leight & Rebecca, & Aunt Jeanenne & Uncle Jud and other cousins and their kids was fun. It was also great to see Ryan and Lacee since we won't be able to see them during Christmas. Black Friday with Karen and just hanging out. Although Brady is still disturbed by the fact that they had practiced some play they had written all weekend and never ended up showing it to us. Maybe next time.