Love Remains

We are living proof that Love Remains

That is right, David is helping my son spray lighter fluid into a fire, and I am still really missing him. go figure!

David: I will miss his ability to make any moment lighter with his laughter and teasing
Jen: I am going to miss having her here when I have my babies, and me being there for her. I am also going to miss her Sunday night meals.
Joshua : I will miss his sweet spirit and gentleness with my children. I could always count on Josh to do a talk, scripture or prayer in primary at a moments notice.
Kyndra: I will miss her mothering and calmness and patience.
Hailee: I am going to miss how she would take Ele and Livi and dress them up and make them feel like princesses, I will miss her darling voice.
Gabe: I will miss not having him here for Aaron and all of the momentous things that they would have done in their lives together, (schools, baptisms, dates, sports)
Michael: What is there not to miss about that sweetest of sweet boys!

That's how I know!

Happy 7th Anniversary
January 4, 2002

That's How I know he loves me!
1. He never complains about moving furniture around
2. He never even suggest that I use a shovel/rake
3. He always warms up the car, and turns on my seat heater
4. He never makes me go in the basement (I don't like bugs)
5. He weeds the whole garden ( I really don't like bugs)
6. He always peals my oranges
7. He watches Hallmark movies with me
8. He hand pushes mowing the front lawn (just because I think it looks better)
9. He rubs my feet
10. He lets me take 2 hour naps on Sunday
And Many More Things!!!
I LOVE YOU MATT!

Snoooo Fun

We had the most beautiful snow storm. Almost 3 feet in 24 hours. As you can see it is almost to the kids waist.

We have had the never ending dressing and undressing.

Its a good thing it is beautiful because I could swear that a good portion gets into the house.

Again, proof that Papa is the greatest!

The Christmas fun begins

We started off the Christmas holiday with one of the children's favorite things to do.

The Coeur d'Alene Light Cruise.

This consists of going on the boat, drinking hot chocolate, seeing all the lights, visiting Santa at the North Pole, and most of all, being with family.

Chistmas is here!

It seems like Christmas comes so fast every year. It might have something to do with the fact that I turn Christmas music on in September, however it never really hits until the day after Thanksgiving when we pull out the decorations and finally turn on Roger Whitaker for the 1st time, the kids singing "our" traditional CD that finally makes it real.
WE LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

Thanks Deanna for the cool new way to display more than one picture at a time!

Honoring Vetrans' Day!

Our Cousin Stephen was here for 2 weeks. He is a Sargeant Major in the Army Special Forces. We were honored to have him attend our elementary school assembly with our children and they were proud to have him there. We could not have asked for a better example.

Thank You Stephen and all the other men and women who serve for us and our Amazing Country!

Halloween Party

Last night our ward had a great Halloween party, it was very well prepared and the children loved it, there were games, food, candy, hay rides, and lots of space,everything you could want at a party. I left Matt in charge of Isaac and ran to do the activities with the other 3 kids, we had a blast. Matt was quite worn out after the night was done, he definitely had the harder job!

Zac was a bee! ( we have one of those every year)

Aaron was the Red Ninja Turtle
This is him playing one of the games, but it was Livi who really got into them- I could not even help her aim.

I let the two older kids pick what they wanted to be this year,

Ele was a Bunny Rabbit, big surprise!

If you did not know, her nick name is "Ele Belly Bunny Rabbit" given to her by her Papa

I don't know how I missed Ele at the party

so this is her at Aaron's School party with Michael and Livi

Emmalee, Mandy, Jamin, Melissa, Jessica, David, and Joey

These are some of my favorite kids, Mandy and Emma were a little creepy but Lissa was the cutest adult pirate I have ever seen, and I was told that Joey made a mushroom look pretty darn good. Jess is "too old now" and Jamin and David were just poops.

I would like to think that I was the angel between the witches but when it came right down to it, I was a poop also!

Pumpkin Carving

Many of you know how it is with carving pumpkins, the parents end up doing 90% of the job. Matt did the carving and I was the one who dug through the goup to find the seeds. Regardless, the children all are very proud of the way "their" pumpkins turned out.

Ele is my unique child, last year she wanted a white pumpkin and thought that it was pretty cool to be different so she wanted to do the same thing this year, but there were none to be found, at least at the fruit stand we went to, but she saw the red one and said that one would do. (The Goup is a lot more slimy in the red than the regular orange, but the seeds are quite a bit larger if anyone is interested)

The Pumpkins all aglow

Yes, that is a Coffin in on our porch. Matt is endlessly tormenting my mom and he built it for her but she didnt want it (I cant imagine why) It worked out pretty good for us. It just finishes my halloween porch decorations.

Aaron Turns 6

Aaron's Monster Truck

No laughing, I never claimed to be a culinary artist. He requested a Monster Truck, I know it looks more like an old fashioned farm truck but he loved it anyway.

Opening presents with all his friends
When we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday he said that he wanted to go
"real golfing, not the fake kind".
even though they only got through 6 holes before they decided they had had enough, they all came home feeling very old and proud of themselves
Aaron will often go out in the yard with

Papa and Grammy and hit golf balls.

Not to brag but he is actually quite good, OK so I am bragging.

Biggest Mistake

My Sister Debbie wanted to see my biggest mistake on film so here it is!

The kids named him Sammy. I would have said no, but Matt knew exactly what to do. He brought the little ball of fur home as a surprise! How can you say no to that. He really is cute. I would be more upset about it but I do know that because Matt loves dogs he will be well trained and I wont have to do anything for him. So, you tell me, could you say no to that?

Besides I did get a kitten not even 3 weeks ago. I really had no leverage.

I Have Been Blessed

We finally got our family pictures taken. The last time we did this it was with just Aaron and Ele, I cant believe how quick the time flies, maybe we can keep this one current for a while!

I must admit that in the past it was really hard to find incentive to get our pictures taken knowing that it would be outdated in 9 months. But just look at those faces and see why we continue to bring them into the world. I have been blessed!

Just us Girls

Cute guys

Remodeling

Our house is in constant remodel - we are trying to pay cash as we go along so it is a slow process. We have already redone several portions of our house that were a necessity like our kitchen and bathroom, but this was one of my biggest pet peeves. The back door that you are looking at was a finger chopper and the kids had to push with their feet against the frame to even be able to open it, and no matter what we did we could not keep the handle on. The window was so low we could not see out of it with out bending over. Well 2 years later it finally happened.

This is our new slider. I can see the whole back yard and I love it.

This is our carpenter. Kind of goofy but cute none the less.
Many of you have never seen our Humble Abode. Well, this is it and believe it or not it looks 100 times better than it did when we got it. I think it gets cuter every day, I am usually decorated for Halloween by now but my flowers are doing so good I don't have the heart to pull them out yet.

New Kitten

I am not a huge animal lover in fact the only animals that I have ever gotten on my own were because they were either sick, dying neglected or very ugly, and Matt certainly is not a cat guy . However this kitten was both neglected and ugly, and Matt cant ever tell me no, so... it was meant to be ours. For the 1st time I do not regret my decision. She is so gentle. Most of the time Isaac is carring her upside down and she just hangs there. The Kids adore her. Now I just have to deal with a litter box, craziness at night, and in the future, kittens. (I have the philosophy that every female deserves the chance to be a mother at some point in her life. even a cat. ) then we have to get her fixed and declawed so our Free kitten was not so Free.
Side note: She loves Matt, and will not leave him alone.