The Cook Family

New Mexico

2011-07-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is a view outside our hotel room of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Josh had to come here for a Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Conference and we decided to come with him and make it a family vacation. There are a lot of brown buildings/houses here, Caleb nicknamed it "Brown Town."

Us visiting some ancient ruins.

There were some underground caves. Caleb does not like heights, so he kept watch while we took a look inside.

Carly inside the cave.

Coming out of the cave.

James by an altar.

The kids standing in front of an ancient church.

Goodbye!

2011-07-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last week a missionary that finished serving his mission in our ward left to go home. Elder Sims was always fun to have over for dinner, without fail one of the kids would cry the ENTIRE time he was in our home. I don't know why, he seemed like a nice guy. I think it was just a funny coincidence. Goodbye Elder Sims....you will be missed.

My Big Girl

2011-07-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Carly is always trying to help me. This time she decided to wash dishes and then told me to take a picture. She is so sweet.

While Carly is helping me around the house the boys can usually be found in a corner somewhere with a big stash of toys playing "bad guys."

Boys and girls are so different!

Graduation

2011-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Carly recently graudated from kindergarten. She and her fellow classmates put on a really cute progam for all of the parents and then the teachers handed out diplomas to the students.

Carly posing with James after the program.

The graduate.

Caleb trying to get Carly to stop putting her arm around him. Wow, he is a tough guy.

Carly and her teacher Mrs. Michaels.

I am so proud of my little girl! She is growing up way too fast.

Cute kids!!!

2011-07-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Carly put the hat and bunny ears on James and I had to get a picture of it.

Caleb and Carly share a room. It is not uncommon for us to find them asleep in the same bed. They are more than siblings, they are good friends.

Race Day

2011-07-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

There is a race here in Billings that is called the Montana Women's Run, it is the day before Mothers Day. It is just for women. So, I choose to run it with Carly. We ran/walked two miles togther and it was so neat to spend that one on one time with her. She was so nervous for the race, in fact, she stressed over it for a couple of weeks. Carly picked out our clothes for the race, we were matching. At the end of the race we were given a medal, as shown below and a flower. I think this is going to become a mother-daughter tradition. :)

Yaahoo!!!!

Easter

2011-07-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

It took a while to get a picture of all of the kids looking in the same direction. But, here they are showing off their Easter baskets. Having kids sure makes the holidays more fun. They get so excited about the simplest things.

Carly with one of her jelly beans.

James with his new green ball and a sucker in his mouth.

Caleb and a "bad guy" blue jelly bean. (He likes to place those two words "bad guy" in front of a lot of words. I think in his mind it makes whatever he is refering to tougher.)

James would find one egg, eat all of the candy that was inside it and then find another egg and do exactly the same thing. I think he was worried his brother and sister would take his candy if he didn't eat it as soon as he got it.

Caleb showing off his "bad guy" green egg.

Looking under all of the branches to find the rest of the eggs.

Showing off their loot.

I love those two little teeth!

Spring Vacation

2011-07-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

This spring break instead of going somewhere we had Josh's parents, brother Joe, sister Heather, and sister Stephanie and her two children, Jessica and Jackson come and visit us. I think I prefer having family at our house than taking a long road trip. It was like having a vacation at home. YEAH!!!

Above is Josh's mom, Jackie, and sister Stephanie helping James get ready to go outside. They are so beautiful and wonderful.

All of the kids sitting on the stairs watching Josh train his puppy.

Caleb is pictured here with a bobcat in the background. He really likes bobcats. It was pretty neat for him to see one up close.

The kids (Carly, Jessica and James) sitting in front of the bear.

Uncle Joe reaching his hand out to see how dangerously close he could get to a black bear. SCARY!!!!!

Mountain lion. (I think this was Josh's favorite animal to see at the zoo.)

Caleb with all of his treasures. He is also making a fashion statement wearing his blue boots when there is no snow on the ground. Oh, I love this boy!

Red fox.

Carly and James playing in the rocks along the pathway.

Uncle Joe almost touching a mule deers nose.

Jessica, Grandpa Cook and Carly enjoying their time together.

We sure hope they come and visit us again soon!

Cooking Class

2011-07-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

James loves to help me cook. While I do not like having him this close to a hot pan, I made an exception this one time so I could get a few pictures.

So happy to be helping me in the kitchen.

Wahoo!!! The sausage is all done!

Laundry Baskets

2011-07-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

My kids have always enjoyed playing in laundry baskets. Carly is trying to pull the boys around, but they are too heavy.

Caleb sits down to get a ride in the basket from James.

My boys.

Sweet smiles.

I love seeing my kids happy. If this is all it takes to make them happy, then I'd say they are pretty easy to please.

Packing Peanuts

2011-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Grandma Cook sent us a package and inside were some packing peanuts. The kids loved the gifts their Grandma sent, but they also had a great time with filler she used around the gifts.

James grabbing handfulls so he can crush and scatter the pieces all over the floor.

Swimming in the mess he just made.

This was so fun for the kids. So, instead of worrying about the mess they were making I just watched them make it and enjoyed seeing them have so much fun.

Happy Birthday Carly!

2011-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Good morning sleeping beauty.

Yes, Carly picked out her own clothes. I had nothing to do with it. She is wearing all different shades of pink, I think we are heading in the right direction. She got this crown at school today. I made pink and blue cupcakes and stuck suckers in them and took them to her class. Kids in her class are so cute. She really enjoyed celebrating her birthday at school with all of her friends.

At home doing heavy, heavy hangover thy poor head.... Caleb loves doing this because this is the only time he can get away with bonking Carly on the head and she wishes him so pretty fun stuff.

James thought the headbands Carly got were pretty fun to play with.

Carly with her strawberry and blueberry flower cake. She was very specific on the kind of cake she wanted and how I had to decorate it. I am already nervous for what she is going to order for her next birthday.

We absolutely love having Carly in our family. She is such a wonderful big sister to her brothers. Always thinking of others before herself. She likes to help me cook, clean and all of the other chores a mother does. She is like my little shadow and I love it!

Dinosaur Training

2011-07-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

For about a year and a half Caleb has been perfecting the art of being a dinosaur. He practices clawing, walking, growling, talking and fighting. You know, all of the things he imagines a dinosaur would do. Since he has had so much practice he decided to pass all of his knowledge on to his little brother....

James is on his way to dinosaur training.

The instructor, Caleb explains to his brother that he needs to climb up on the top of the couch and perch himself on the edge.

And then, in true dinosaur fashion get into a fighting position with the claws out and ready to fight off the enemy. GROWL!!!!!!!

Good James, now climb up and be a dinosaur with me!!! Mission accomplished. Brothers are the best!

Snapshots before church

2011-07-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

If I let Carly could shop for her own clothes I am pretty sure they would range from pink to purple. Girls are so fun!

So pleasant.

My baby looks all grown up.

Buddies

2011-07-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

Since Carly has been in school my boys have become buddies.

Caleb showing off his new toys, which he found in the silverware drawer.

James is enjoying playing a boys version of "kitchen" with his brother. (Their game of kitchen only involves the tools and utensils found in the kitchen, not the food used to make a meal.)

More fun than new toys....a cardboard box

2011-07-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

So happy!

I love how they are all smiling. Who knew a big empty box could be so much fun?

The expression on Carly's face is priceless.

Peek-a-boo.

Christmas

2011-07-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, I know I am a little slow on posting these pictures from Christmas. But, better late than never. Right?

Horses for our cowboy.

A barbie for our princess.

Worms for our "wormy boy." (a nickname Carly gave him a year or so ago)

Our ball player.

More princesses for our girly-girl.

A vehicle that comes with a trailer that can pull around our cowboys horses.

Mint Chocolate Brownies :)

2011-07-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Chocolate is always a hit at our house especially with the kids.

My little sweetie!

My little chocolate lover!

My precious little baby!

Daddys Helper

2011-07-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

Caleb is helping his Dad make a dog run for the hounds.

Hey, I'd say he is getting the hang of using a shovel. Cute boy!!!

Now it's Dads turn with the shovel...so, Caleb resorts to using his hands to dig.

Shovels are heavy to a three year old. Here he is demonstrating a trait he gets from his Dad, sticking out his tongue when he's focusing.

Little School Girl

2011-07-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Carly is all ready for school.

Grabbing some toast on her way out to the bus.

Our little school girl poses before she runs out to catch the bus. She loves school and is learning so much! The only bad thing about her being in kindergarten is she's gone all day and the boys and I miss having her at home during the day.

Ready for School!

2010-10-04T12:24:00.001-07:00

The other day was "Hat Day" at Carly's School.

She came home all excited the day before and searched the house for her "favorite" hat . . .

. . . I hope Josh is proud :)

Trying to match an outfit to her hat was impossible, so I just let Carly pick out the rest of her clothes herself. Normally, I have to send her back to her room three or four times before school to put on a different colored shirt, pants or socks--but after seeing the hat she was determined to wear, I decided to let her have one day of independence. Here is a picture of her on "hat day", waiting at the bus stop in front of our house:

Caleb's Birthday

2010-10-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Caleb! He turned three!!! He is a very pleasant, easy going boy who loves dinosaurs, tractors, cowboys, trucks and his favorite words right now are "naughty" and "bad."

He stores all of his treasures in his basket and carries them around ALL-DAY LONG! I guess that's one way to protect his loot from brothers and sisters.

Josh's Bow Hunt

2010-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Josh has been pretty excited about Montana since he knew we were moving . . . I'd like to say that that the reason he was excited is because he was glad to be finished with school in Washington, or because he couldn't wait to start a new chapter of our life together . . . but once opening day of the bow season came he brought home the true source of his excitement . . .

I guess Montana has good hunting.

Since Caleb's birthday was within two days . . . he'd thought that Josh brought the deer home for him. He was beyond excited. He kept saying, "My deer. My deer." On his actual birthday, though, he walked into the garage and saw Josh carving "his deer" into steaks. At that point he said, "My deer all gone."

We Got A Puppy!!!

2010-10-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

. . . And James was not sure what to think at first when his dad brought it home.

. . . But Carly and Caleb knew just what to do . . .

Puppy love.

Miscellaneous

2010-10-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I thought that I'd post this picture of Caleb . . . I might be able to use it as embarrassing leverage when he's a teenager. For the most part, Caleb wants to be like his dad . . . but every once in a while he follows my example as well.Carly started school in August. Since then she sure has missed her nap time. She comes home and falls asleep on the couch at least once a week. Kindergarten is all day here, and even it wears her out, she thoroughly enjoys it. I think she is so tired because she has three recesses everyday. :) Carly's favorite class is music. She loves playing the flute and the harp. Her second favorite class is P.E. The boys and I sure do miss having her at home during the day. Now we just look forward to the weekends that much more.

Happy B-Day James

2010-10-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy turned one. He loves to eat, smile and play with his siblings. He says "Ma-Ma", "Da-Da", "Ba-Ba" and "Nuh-Nuh" (Carly's nickname). James is such a joy. We feel so lucky to have him in our family.

Hurray for birthday cake!!!

James and his new toy. He loves it!!!!

My baby when he was a newborn:

We Moved!

2010-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August we moved back to Billings . . . where Josh has landed a job. We took a risk and bought a house just outside of town. It was so fun to watch the kids' expressions as they took in their new house . . .
Because of all their excitement and running around, the kids started getting in the way of the work--so Josh put some chairs out on the front deck and told Carly and Caleb to count the cars as they drove by. They sat there for about ten minutes and only saw one blue car--it reminded me of the two kids on Dr. Suess' book, "The Cat in the Hat."

All About Caleb....

2010-08-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

Caleb is such an easy going little boy. We have been trying to get him to talk more and as a result he says some of the cutest things.

Growing up....

2010-08-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

My baby is growing up too fast!

He loves his soft blanket.

I cannot believe he is almost one year old.

This is a video of James playing. He is such a joy to have in our family.

Picking Wildflowers

2010-08-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

We went on a family outing and Carly picked flowers the - entire - time.

Carly even took a break to teach Caleb how to pick flowers.

Caleb hard at work.

And...now they are racing back to show me all of the flowers they found. Well, in all of the excitement of the race, Caleb forgot his flowers. :)

James is happy to be outside!!!

Not so happy....

I am not sure if he really liked being outside or not, but he did love playing in the back of the truck.

Weeding our little Garden

2010-07-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Caleb contributing to our outside chores. He is great about pulling sticks and rocks out of the flower beds--then trying to sneak them into the house. He calls the sticks his "sharp swords" (he says it less audibly though) and uses the rocks as leverage over Carly. When Josh arrives home, he wastes no time in throwing Caleb's dirty sticks back outside . . . and the next day the process starts all over again.

Here is Carly chopping weeds with her homemade garden hoe. The plot she is weeding is her "flower petal garden." As the summer heated up and the flowers started losing their petals, Carly would gather up the petals and plant them in her own secret plot, hoping to grow beautiful blossoms for Fall. She works surprisingly hard on her project . . . Hopefully a miracle blossom or two will appear before we have to move.

Here's our roto-tiller. James is the best help of all. He will till up rocks, dirt, top soil, fertilizer, dog food, and pretty much anything in his path. He uses his mouth, teeth, fingers, and anything he can get ahold of. James is by far the most effective weed puller; we just have to make sure that he doesn't get too close to the plants.

Guess our kids favorite food....

2010-07-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

I used to wonder if our kids were going to be more like their Dad, or more like me. So far all of the kids look. . . .just - like - their - Dad. (thank heavens) And, now that we have found the kids share their Dad's love for hot dogs, I guess I do not have to wonder who the kids are going to take after anymore. :)

Dinner is served.

James loves his hot dogs too! :)

Goofy girl.

Caleb eats all of his hot dogs first, and then he eats the macaroni and cheese.

Sweet boy!

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-07-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Cook Family Idol

2010-06-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a trip to Billings to look at housing. Above is a song Caleb sang most of the drive. He composed and wrote it himself while reading his dinosaur coloring book.

Carly sang a song too. She had to show Caleb what real songs sound like . . . so she sang about a barbie princess.

The rest of the drive was a battle of the songs.

Happy Fathers Day!

2010-06-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

The kids before church on Sunday. They were so excited for Fathers Day. During sacrament meeting the Primary children sang to all of the Dads. I was in the hall with James and Josh forgot to tell Carly to go up and sing. She was heart broken that she did not get to sing to her Dad and so we had the kids sing to him when we got home.

Enjoy the video.

When it is too quiet......

2010-06-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

....you know the kids are up to no good. This is a mess I found on one such occassion.

Being the mean mom I am...I made the kids clean up their own mess.

Carly hard at work.

Carly telling me how much work she is doing and how little work Caleb is doing.

Caleb was happy to just watch Carly work. Don't worry, I made him help clean up too.

Our new place

2010-06-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take a picture of our new place for the summer, but here are some pictures of the kids and a couple of their aunts, they came just after we moved and helped me finish unpacking and had fun playing with the kids as well.

The kids love our new house and yard. There are a lot of rocks in the yard, as you can see. I am constantly finding rocks all over the house. I love these kids!!!!

Uncle Brandon had a birthday! We made him a cake and had a little party with him before he left to go back to Washington. Thank you for all of your help with the move, Brandon. You are a hard worker and you never complain. We will miss having you live with us.

Caleb with a serious look on his face. I think he was stepping on ants.

Aunt Lynnette and Carly.

Carly made Kirsten and Lynette play barbies with her while they were visiting. She has such nice aunts.

Aunt Kirsten and James.

Messy eater. :)

We've moved....

2010-06-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

....from Washington to Montana. This summer Josh is studying to take the bar. While it is fun to live in the big sky country we will miss our friends and family in Washington. Below are a few pictures of some of my close friends in Washington and their children.

Melanie, Jill and me.

The children. (Caleb is in there somewhere)

Graduation

2010-05-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to surprise Josh by ordering his cap and gown and sending out graduation announcements. When Josh found out, he said that he didn't want to walk at graduation--he said he wasn't going to wear a clown dress just so he can listen to a few boring speeches, but in the end, Josh finally agreed to walk if I stopped sending announcements and displaying pictures of him to everyone. Well, its a good thing that "everyone" doesn't know about this blog. :)

He did it!!! We are so proud of Josh. He graduated from Law School. We have been going to school since before we were married and now we are almost done. We will be moving to Missoula, Montana soon so Josh can study for the Bar exam. At the end of this summer he will take the Bar which is drawn out over a couple of days and includes several very long tests. After he takes the Bar we will move to Billings, Montana where he has a job lined up. We are so proud of him. He is such a wonderful husband and father. The kids and I feel so lucky to have him in our lives. Thanks, Josh, for everything you do for us!

Our little family.

Our wonderful families who came to support Josh.

Josh with his parents.

Josh & I with my parents.

We graduated!

So happy to FINALLY be done with school.

Caleb's pants were constantly falling down all day. Poor kid. He needs a belt.

Grandpa Cook and Caleb.

2010-05-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

Sweet Carly

2010-05-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is home. Carly had surgery last week and everything went well and we are so glad to have her home. Before she went in for surgery the nurse asked her if she had any brothers or sisters and she told them she had two brothers. The nurse asked her what she liked to do with them and she said she liked to wrestle. She was a good patient going into the surgery, but she fought coming out of the anethesia really bad. After the nurse saw her fighting she said that she was not sure if Carly's brothers were older or younger, but she would put her money on Carly. I am so glad her Dad was there to hold and comfort her as she was waking up.

Following the Leader

2010-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Cabelas this week. The kids loved seeing all of the animals. We also took them to the little shooting range where they did some target practice. They are now expert shots thanks to the pop guns their Dad got for them.

Matching Pajamas

2010-05-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up my Mom would spend countless hours making matching outfits for my sister and I to wear. I remember one Sunday morning she was so excited to show us the dresses she had made for us. I looked at the dresses all covered in ruffles and lace and thought you have got to be kidding me. (I was 9 at the time) But, my Mom got her wish. My sisters and I wore the dresses to church and she took a lot of pictures. (Against our wishes) I never understood her desire to constantly dress my sister and I alike, until I had two boys. They look so cute in these matching pajamas! Thanks for the great idea Mom.

I love these kids so much. I am so lucky to be able to stay at home with them all of the time.

Mother's Day

2010-05-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

The kids sang a song for me this Mother's Day. It was so sweet.

Who's been sleeping in my bed?

2010-05-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Lately Carly has been trying to sleep in our bed. It started a couple nights ago--she climbed in bed with us, and took over the sheets, because she'd had a bad dream. Normally, if she crawls in with us we only let her stay for a minute, until she calms down, and then take her back to her own bed, but that night we were both too tired--so she stayed. The following night I went to lift the sheets and she had taken over yet again. I promptly picked her up and carried her back to her crib. Yes, that's right; she sleeps in a crib, and always looks so cute and innocent behind those bars. She used to have a big-girl bed, but ever since my brother Brandon moved in with us she got bumped to the crib (now Brandon sleeps in the big-girl bed). It is so fun to have all of my kids sleep in cribs.

Here are a few funny things Carly has said recently:

~Carly was introducing Caleb and herself as they entered the "dance floor."~

CARLY: "Ladies and gentlemen. . . .I would like to present to you the most toughest guy in the whole world. . . .he runs and he dances so fast. . . .Ok, go."
(Pause) "And Carly the princess."
"Ok, then we bow."
"Ok, now we dance."
"No, not dance fast, you HAVE to dance S - L - O - W!."

~James was fussing when we were driving in the car the other day.~

CARLY: (In a very stern mothering voice said to James) "You know you are NOT the only kid in the family, right?"
JAMES: (continued to scream)
CARLY: (continued to be frustrated)
MOM: (couldn't help but smile)

~Carly and Caleb were playing pretend. I asked Carly what they were doing and this is what she told me.~

CARLY: "He is the prince. I am the princess who cooks for him. He likes to eat at night and so I cook for him to make him happy. Here you go prince." (handing him a plate of goldfish crackers)
CALEB: Mmmm....

~The kids were pretending they were animals.~

CARLY: "He likes cats. So, whenever I want him to hug me I pretend I am a cat."

~I went into Brandon's room to get something and Carly followed me.~

MOM: "I wonder why it stinks so bad."
CARLY: " Mom, it is because [Uncle] Brandon farts ALL-THE-TIME!" (Carly used to share a room with Brandon, so I guess she would know).

Our kids like to....

2010-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

.....dance. They are constantly asking me to turn music on for them. Below are a few pictures of one such occassion.

Grab your partner.

Doe-see-doe.

Turn to your left....

...and step on his toe.

Carly loves to dance with her brothers.

Easter

2010-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

This year we had a very relaxed Easter. We listened to conference and had our own Easter egg hunt in the front yard. The kids loved the Easter egg hunt. It is amazing how simple things can be so fun.

Our little boys.

Caleb found all of the blue eggs.

Because her brother is so obsessed with blue eggs, Carly was allowed to gather the rest of the colors. Her basket was really full when she was done. Happy Easter!

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

We recently celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Josh recruited some friends from Law School to watch the kids for us while we went to dinner. We gave the new baby-sitters our phone number and told them to call us if there were any problems or if they had any questions. Then we had a wonderful time . . . at Applebees.

With regard to the baby-sitters, we thought no news was good news, but we were wrong. When we went to pick up the kids we found out that James had cried non-stop for the first hour. The sitters had both called their moms to ask them what to do, but nothing seemed to help. James had finally fallen asleep only minutes before we returned. Whoops! I think next time they will not hesitate to call us if they have any questions. I felt bad that James cried while we were gone, but I am grateful for awesome baby-sitters that allow us to take a break now and then. Thank you so much for your help!

Blah, blah, blah....

2010-03-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

Carly says some of the funniest things. The other night she was having a hard time sleeping and she said, "Mom, I cannot sleep. My heart is going blah...blah...blah."

Carly fell off of her toy car and said, "Oh no!!! Now my heart is way down here." (pointing to her hip) She continued to explain it was ok because she "has a heart here, here, here, here and here." (pointing to all of the major joints in her body) I think we need to have a lesson on the body. Don't you?

While playing dogs with Caleb she said, "Well, that is weird. . . .I am a talking dog, I am a hound dog and I am a Nuh dog."

*Nuh is a what Caleb calls her.

Then she pointed to me and said, "See. . . .THAT is my Mom. She is like a great BIG dog."

When she and Caleb were taking turns jumping off of the couch she said, "I wish I can fly. . . . . . (and then landed on her feet and realized she did not have the ability to fly) Oh, I can't fly yet."

My baby is growing up.

He can almost sit up.

He is such a happy boy.

Acchhooo!!!

2010-03-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

Caleb has perfected the art of sneezing. (I apologize the video is sideways.)

Happy Birthday!!!

2010-03-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

We recently celebrated Carly's birthday. It is hard to believe she is already five. She is such a wonderful big sister and a great help to me at home, we will all miss her when she starts school this fall. We love you so much Carly. Happy Birthday!

Her Rainbow cake. For the record, this is the first birthday cake I have made for my kids that has not been a total disaster. I sure hope all of the kids like rainbows.... :)

Yay!!!!

Josh's family has a tradition of someone bonking the birthday person on the head with their present and then the birthday person wishes that someone something nice. Well, none of the kids wanted to bonk her on the head. I think they were all worried about getting in trouble. So, she bonked herself on the head. The only person who was not afraid to bonk her was Tanner. It is a fun tradition!

Princess shoes.

Caleb showing us his fruit snacks.

Cute little cousin helpers, Travis and Aubree.

When Carly was about to open her presents she grabbed one of them and asked me, "Who is this for?" I think she thought it was Christmas all over again because her cheap parents used Christmas wrapping paper to wrap her presents. Whoops!

Fun New Toys....

2010-02-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

I was in the bathroom getting something out of drawer when the kids found fun new toys.......they found toothpaste. I got Diego and Spiderman toothpaste on sale and the cartoon characters on the tubes kept the kids entertained most of the morning. I love it when that happens.

Goofy kids.

Conversations with Carly:

-Carly was playing dress up and after putting on several layers of clothes said:-
CARLY: "I am so HOT....like a sausage!"

-The other day we went to the regular grocery store [Safeway] after going to costco the day before.-
CARLY: "Mom, where are we?"
MOM: "Safeway."
CARLY: "Mom, can we go to C O S T C O - everyday????" *Costco is by far my kids favorite store.

CARLY: [as she runs] "Mom, do I got fast legs?"

CARLY: "Mom, you know some people are already done with work cause they want to pick flowers with their kids...." [obviously complaining about how busy her dad is]

CARLY: "Mom, do you know, I am trying to be just like you?"
*I cannot remember what I said, or if I said anything at all. But, I do remember I felt like crying. Carly is such a sweetie.

Dress up....

2010-02-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you're totally bored on a cold winter day?
I know....I will empty my closet and hang my clothes all over the house and pretend it is a store.

The store owner/fashion designer/model hard at work.

Yes, she even hung clothes from the light switches....they were everywhere!!!!
Here she decided it was boring playing dress up by herself and so she was trying to recruit other people to wear her clothes.

- Carly picked out a very cute dress and was wandering around looking for someone who would willingly put it on...-

CARLY: "Let's see....who wants to wear this dress?"
CALEB: (innocently sitting on the rocking chair)
CARLY: "Hmm....Maybe, the boy with the PURPLE blanket wants to wear this dress."
CALEB: (Looked at her with disgust, anger and you've got to be kidding me all at the same time and said) "Aaahhh....!!!!!" (He was not going to be her little male model.)

The boy with the purple blanket.

Another innocent boy....who is too young to say no to her attempts to dress him up.

Moral of the story....I think Carly needs a little sister.

Homemade Ice Cream

2010-02-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Carly's specialty....Homemade Ice Cream
Yes, she made it herself and yes, I was fortunate enough to write down the recipe.

The recipe for Cinnamon & Sugar - Sprinkle Ice Cream:
1/2 c. Sugar
1 T. Cinnamon
2 T. Pink sprinkles
2 T. Blue sprinkles
2 T. Red sprinkles
*Mix together and then add 1/4 c. Water. Put it in the fridge until it gets really cold or freezes.

The little chef creating her masterpiece.

Growing up too fast.....

2010-02-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

James has been such a joy to have in our family. He just started saying, "dada....dada....dada" and "mama....mama....mama." He thoroughly enjoys interacting with his brother and sister, playing with his blanket, and bath time. I love seeing him grow and change, but I hate to see him grow up so fast.

He recently had his six month checkup and below are his measurements.

Weight: 20 lbs. 9 oz. (75-90th percentile for his age)
Height: 28 1/4 inches (75-90th percentile for his age)
Head: 41 cm (95th percentile for his age)

Caleb and James have been very similar in their size as babies. It will be intersting to see if this pattern continues. At six months Caleb had the following measurements:

Weight: 20 lbs. 2 oz.
Height: 28 1/2 inches
Head: 42 cm

Carly loves anything girly. Here she is fashioning a hair-do, necklace and earrings all designed by herself. (If you look closely you can see her earrings are bobby pins with hair things on them....she is so creative!!!! Why didn't I think of that?) I cannot wait to see what she is like as a teenager.

Beauty School

2010-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Carly and Caleb love to do whatever I do. It does not matter whether I am cooking dinner, doing laundry, washing dishes or just getting ready for the day. Below are pictures of one such occasion.

Getting all of the makeup out of the bag.

One eye lash curler.

Two eye lash curlers.

My little sweetie.

Pucker up.

Hi Mom....

Photo Shoot

2010-02-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

The boys were wearing matching pajamas one night and so we decided to take a few pictures of them. Scroll down to see all of our attempts at getting a good picture.

We got them both looking at us and they are even holding hands. But, James has his hand in his mouth.

Sweet boy.

Caleb was ready for the roller coaster ride to take off. Too bad the rocking chair he is sitting in is not equiped for such an adventure.

Ohhh...he's giving his brother a kiss. And in case you're wondering, yes; his pajamas are on backwards. He is going through a phase where he does not want to keep his clothes on. We figured out he cannot get his pajamas off when they are like this and so, he has been wearing them a lot lately.

Atleast Caleb is looking at the camera.

Too cute.

Barbies....

2010-02-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Carly has always loved playing with barbies. For Christmas Santa gave her this princess table and chairs. She is constantly making little snacks for Caleb and herself and insisting they eat at her new table. On this occassion, barbies were also invited to their picnic. The pictures are priceless.

Caleb had a wonderful time. Although his favorite part is the food, he takes every opportunity to play with his sister; even if barbies are involved.

Making more food for her brother.

Play time.

James cannot wait to join them.

Snack time!

Fun Pictures

2010-01-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

Caleb is all boy. Besides his love for cars, during the last few weeks he has developed a love for dinosaurs. He now eats with them, bathes with them, sleeps with them and jumps off of things yelling "DINOSAUR!!!!" as loud as he possibly can.

James is growing up way too fast. Carly thought it would be funny to put this hat on him and I just had to take a picture.

Our little princess holding James hand during a scary part in a movie. Too cute!

Carly, Cassidy and Jessica playin dress up.

Merry Christmas

2010-01-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

We thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas break. We were able to spend time with both of our families and loved every minute of it. (I do not know why, but some of the pictures turned out really small. I would fix them, but I do not know how...sorry)

Christmas in Washington....

Mmmm... chocolate.

Caleb had so much fun with his sword. The only problem was that he poked a lot of people with it while we were on vacation. Sorry everyone.

Caleb has become attached to his Uncle Brian. It is great! Instead of trying to find Caleb all of the time we just know he is with Brian. Caleb is his little shadow. Thanks for being such a great sport and letting him follow you around, we appreciate it.

Mary is played by Carly and baby Jesus is played by Andrew.

Mary riding the donkey.

Christmas in Utah.....

Below is a link to a video of the kids opening their Christmas presents. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO-ZEthqoZ8

Spoons

2010-01-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, Caleb is holding a spoon and a comb. It may seem strange that he often plays with spoons and combs instead of his other toys. But, what you probably didn't know is that I forgot to pack toys for the kids when we headed to Montana for Josh's summer internship. As a result, Carly and Caleb learned to be easily entertained. Because of their toyless summer, they both became expert bug smashers, rolley-polley catchers, spoon and comb swordsmen and great helpers in the kitchen. Now anything becomes a toy once Caleb grabs ahold of it, and he often prefers playing with household items over his own toys.

Here's Carly playing dress-up. No dress is complete without a spoon.

Our princess and her knight.

Grocery Shopping

2009-12-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took on the task of organizing our food storage. I thought it would be great to have two extra sets of hands helping me complete the project.

They were great helpers for about 5 minutes. But then they started finding all of the goodies and decided to bag up as many as they could while my back was turned. I later found them in the hallway, with mischevious grins on their faces, dragging a very heavy grocery bag filled with . . . .

. . . . . sugar!!!

They were disappointed when I made them stock the goodies back on the shelves. Once the sweets were out of reach, the kids were much less willing to help. Caleb suddenly became exhausted and decided that he needed a rest.

Open Season

2009-12-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

Well, this year Josh conspired with our Bishop, Bud Wilhelm, and the two of them convinced me and Bud's wife to take hunter safety and hunt with them. "It will be fun, like a double date!" Josh said. Then Bud convinced me that Melanie (his wife) was excited that I would be hunting with them. Before I knew it, I was committed, and Josh rushed me through the hunter safety requirements so that I could get a deer tag. The plan was that Melanie and I would hunt during the rifle season, and by helping us Bud and Josh would get some scouting done for their bow hunt which started three days after our season ended. Well, to sum up my hunting experience: it was surpisingly fun, I froze to death at least once, and I really enjoyed the one-on-one time with Josh. Josh was very considerate--one time I forgot my wool socks, so Josh gave me his. He was trying to make sure that I enjoyed the experience, and the ground was snowy, so he let his feet freeze instead of mine. LOL. The Wilhelms were great, we saw lots of deer, and even though I didn't get a buck myself, Melanie did. Then, during the first week of the bowhunt, Josh arrowed a nice 4x4 that he had been keeping track of. Below are some pictures of our adventures.

Melanie and me with her trophy.

The kids were so excited.

Bud and Melanie, with their oldest daughter Emma

Josh shot this buck from a tree stand, at 20 yards.

During my hunt, Josh told me that he wanted me to get a deer even more than he wanted one for himself . . . but I think that his smile says differently:) He and the kids were grinning all day long.

Fetch!!!

2009-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Josh has hunting dogs. Besides taking them hunting, with the kids' help Josh teaches the dogs to behave, plays with them, and scolds them when they bark in their kennel. We try to keep the dogs quiet so they do not bother our neighbors, etc. Somewhere along the way Caleb must have noticed Josh acting stern with the dogs, because he began applying the same techniques to his sister. Here is Caleb and his dog training skills. Enjoy! (click on link below to watch video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPeY5mzOtzg

Our Babies

2009-11-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know our babies look quite a bit alike. But, can you tell which baby is which?

Baby A.

Baby B.

Baby C.

~ Caleb spilled some of his cereal the other day and Carly tried to comfort him.~

CARLY: "I know why you are sad.... it is because you realize that someday we are going to move to Montana."

CALEB: (Not having a clue what she was talking about replied...) "YEAH!!!"

~The kids were eating lunch and I handed Caleb a spoonful of peanut butter (it is one of their favorite things to eat).~

CALEB: "Yeah.....POOP!!!!"

Our Little Girl

2009-11-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

We have come to realize that our little girl is not so little any more. Next year she will be starting school.

This is a picture of our family. Look closely. She put a lot of time and effort into this masterpiece. (I labeled each member of the family.)
Carly is such a funny girl. The other day I was taking care of the baby and she spilled her cereal. Instead of coming and asking me for help she tried to clean up the mess all by herself. I walked into the room just as she was squeezing the washcloth she had been washing the floor with in order to get some milk out of it so she could finish what little cereal she had left in her bowl. She is so resourceful!

Yesterday I noticed Carly's room was dirty. I asked her to clean her room. She went into her room and shut the door. I went to check on her progress about 10 minutes later and her room was clean. This has never happened before. Cleaning her room has always been a team effort. She is growing up so fast! Because she did what I asked her to the first time I asked I told her she could pick out a treat the next time we go to the store. Carly was so excited! But, she felt the need to explain to me how the treat she was going to pick out had to be on sale or else we cannot buy it. Can you tell we shop the sales?

The kids are already anxious for Christmas. Carly wants something that has to do with princesses and Caleb wants a train. He loves Thomas The Train. We will have to see if Santa has anything in his bag that is on their wish list.

James is growing up so fast. He is three months old (as of last week) and weighs 17 lbs. As you can see from this picture, Caleb loves being a big brother.

Dance

2009-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

We enjoy watching our kids dance. They come up with some of the most creative moves. In this video it almost looks like Caleb is doing exercises you would see at football camp, while Carly pretends she is a ballerina. I think they get most of their dancing ability from their Dad, because I cannot dance.

Learning to talk

2009-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Caleb has never been much of a talker. But, lately he has come up with names for a few of his favorite things.

He calls his sister Carly, "Nuh." I do not know how he came up with Nuh out of Carly, but whatever.

This is his rabbit. He takes it everywhere he goes. He named it "Ra." Atleast he got the first two letter of the word this time. I think he is making progress.

Finally, are the elk on James shirt. Caleb points to them and says, "ELK!!!" Yes, he said it! Can you tell his dad is a hunter? It is funny how much Caleb already loves animals and the outdoors just like his dad. He gets so excited when we go to Cabelas and see all of the animals they have on display.

Our Little Cuties

2009-10-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

James is officially 2 months old. He weighs 14lbs. 13 oz., is 25 inches long and his head is definately growing. All of his measurements put him in about the 90th percentile for his age. He is a smiley baby and he loves to be held. And we love him sooooo much!!!!!

Carly and Caleb are best buddies. Whether they are pretending to be animals or having races from one end of our apartment to the other, they love playing together.

Carly loves being a big sister. She is constantly giving James his binky and showering him with hugs and kisses.

An attempt at a picture of all of the kids....Carly loves to be silly whenever I pull out the camera.

Scripture Power!!!

2009-09-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Carly came to Josh and me and told us her friends at church have scriptures and she doesn't. So, Josh let her use his scriptures this Sunday and she was so excited to go to church with "new" scriptures.

Here she is trying to lift them up, but they are too heavy to hold up with just one hand. As you may have noticed from this picture Carly got her hair cut. You are probably thinking she got a hold of the scissors and cut her bangs all by herself, but you are wrong. I cut them. It was a decision I made on a whim early Sunday morning. Bad choice. I think I was still half asleep when I actually cut her bangs. I have made a resolution not to cut hair ever again, or at least wait until I am fully awake before grabbing the scissors. Any suggestions on how to make her bangs not look so stupid, or tips to encourage hair growth are GREATLY appreciated.

Caleb LOVES these Thomas the Train pajamas. He calls trains "choo, choos."

James is six weeks old and is growing very quickly. He is starting to wear some 3-6 month clothes already.

A Special Day

2009-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

We blessed James this past Sunday and I decided to take some pictures of him in the cute little outfit he wore. We also choose to celebrate Caleb's birthday today. (pictures of his are birthday posted below)

2009-09-08T11:56:00.001-07:00

Grandpa's Bear Hunt

2009-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Josh invited his dad, Brent, up for a bear hunt near Coeur d'Alene Idaho. Josh had been planning this hunt for a whole year--he was keeping track of several bears and wanted to treat his Brent to a free guided hunt, with Josh as the guide. It was his way of thanking his dad for being such a great influence in our lives. Sorry for the gorry pictures--the only pictures they took were rated R!

Our Kids

2009-08-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

Our little kiddos.

Caleb does not like it when his brother cries. As soon as he hears James crying he runs over and says, "Baby....sad."(repeated over and over) and gives him kisses on his head. He is such a sweet boy.

James is constantly wanting to eat, which is great!

Two week check up

2009-08-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today James had his two week check up. He weighed 9 lbs. 13 oz. and was 22 3/4 inches tall.

Cheese!!!

The kids are admiring a beautiful bouquet of flowers that I received from Josh's work.

Oh Baby!!!!

2009-08-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

James Cook was born on Monday at 2:48 a.m., weighing 8lbs. 5 oz. and measuring 20 1/2 inches long. I started having regular contractions about 12-13 minutes apart on Saturday night, but just thought they would go away because my due date was August 24th and there was no way I would be going into labor this early. (I was induced with Carly - 6 days past my due date as well as with Caleb - 6 days early) Plus, Josh was still in Montana for his summer internship and I was NOT going to have this baby without him by my side. I talked to Josh around midnight on Saturday night and told him about the contractions I was having, but that I was hoping they would just go away. Then, his phone died. The contractions did NOT go away, in fact they progressed to 7-8 minutes apart, so at 3:00 Sunday morning I called my parents to see if one of them could make the drive over to Spokane to be with me just in case I did have the baby. My mom and my brother Brian drove over and got here at about 7:00a.m. In the meantime, I called my brother Eric and he willingly came over in case things progressed quickly and we had to go to the hospital before my mom arrived. Lucky for us, the contractions stayed about 7-8 minutes apart. Eric and Brian took Carly and Caleb to church in the morning and my mom stayed with me to help me time contractions and to be there in case I needed a ride to the hospital. Well, we went for a short walk down by the river and my contractions sped up to 2 minutes apart and so we got our bags and headed to the hospital. I decided to try giving Josh another call even though I knew his phone was dead and the only charger he had was in his car, and he answered!!!! I told him the progress I had made and that we were on our way to the hospital. At first he didn't believe me and then we were trying to decide if he would have time to make the 10 hour drive before the baby was born. Needless to say, after they admitted me to the hospital, he packed up all of his things, left his internship early, and started the long drive home. After my mom and I got to the hospital we had to walk around a little bit to encourage the contractions. Things progressed nicely and they broke my water around 2:00p.m. By about 4:00p.m. I decided to get an epidural because I was dilated to 4cm and when I was in labor with Caleb I went from 5cm to 10cm in 30 minutes, and I did not want to deliver without one. After the painful process of getting an epidural I began to feel much better. My mom and I played some cards and relaxed for a while. I got to 5cm and they brought the crib and all of the delivery equipment in, but I did not dilate any more for about 8 hours, which, worked out perfectly because it gave Josh time to get to the hospital (he got there about 10:00p.m.) and be there for the delivery. At about 1:00a.m. things finally started to pick up....I got to 6 cm, then 9cm, 10 cm and then it was time to push. I started pushing just after 2:00a.m. and he was born just before 3:00a.m. All in all, I was in labor for about 30 hours and at the end I was totally exhausted. However, I LOVED going into labor on my own. Josh made it there in time for the birth. The baby was healthy. And I could not have asked for anything more.

My mom holding James just after he was born.

One day old.

I'm happy it's over and he's finally here, and he's wishing he was back inside of me.

Daddy's boy.

All ready to go home.

Being greeted by his brother and sister after coming home.

Three days old.

Billings, Montana

2009-07-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be good to post a few pictures of Billings, where Josh has been working this summer.

Billings at night.

Before coming here, we thought Montana was all farms and ranger stations. When we arrived, though, we were surprised to see high-rise buildings and a valley full of suburbs. The Billings area has a lot more people than than we expected.

Pictograph Cave

2009-07-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Pictograph Cave State Park.

This is supposed to be a drawing of hunters trying to get an elk.

Men carrying guns.

The Ghost Cave.

There were cottontail rabbits everywhere; a baby bunny was even hanging out inside the indian teepee.

When the rabbits started running, the kids instantly gave chase. . .

. . . and got one cornered.

The Visitors Center they had a place for the kids to practice drawing their own pictographs.

Our little cave artists.

The Zoo

2009-07-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to The Montana Zoo. Carly's favorite animal was the tiger.

Roarrr!!!!

Red Pandas.

Caleb pointing out to his Dad where they were at in the tree.

There it is!!!

Caleb and I liked watching the mountain goats. Caleb was trying to convince me that they were called "elk."

Caleb figured out that grizzly bears are big and scary. The whole time we were watching the grizzly, Caleb was saying "HI-DA" (hide) and trying to hide by burying his head in Josh's shoulder.

However, Caleb and Carly were most impressed by the wandering peacocks. I guess they prefer animals that they can "catch."

Yellowstone Vacation

2009-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Josh's parents were so good to invite us to go to Yellowstone Park with them. We had a wonderful time seeing all of the beautiful scenery, and the animals, but more than anything we loved spending time with family. Enjoy the pictures of our trip!

A. Traveling over the Beartooth Mountains:

A gorgeous high mountain lake.

Mountain goats.

B. Yellowstone Park:

Buffalo.

Nate, Stephanie and Cassidy.

Uncle Brandon taking a swim. . . .

. . . and eating some fish.

Uncle Joe showing Carly the otters and Uncle Beeto in the water. :)

Caleb and Carly watching the spawning trout.

A couple of young black bears . . .

A lone wolf harassing a wounded elk. In the middle of the fight the wolf ran down a curious coyote and took care of him too.

C. Traveling over the Chief Joseph's Scenic Highway:

Catfish Carly

2009-06-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Josh took Carly out fishing. . .

. . . And they stumbled upon some of the nastiest fish I have ever seen.

Luckily, they devoured the creatures before coming home. I'm just glad they didn't ask me to cook up some catfish.

Caleb the Kid

2009-06-28T10:36:00.001-07:00

For Father's Day, Caleb and Carly chose to buy their dad some squirt guns.

Since then, Caleb has decided that the firearms really belong to him.

He spends his time "shooting" at birds that land on our front porch . . .

. . . and pistol whipping his older sister when he thinks she deserves it.

He really loves it when Josh fills up the guns with water and we all head outside for a water fight.

Family Hunting Trip

2009-06-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

The other day we all went for a family hunting trip with the hounds.

Lucky for the kids, the dogs treed their quarry right next to the car so the kids could enjoy the experience.

If you think these dogs can howl, you should have heard the Caleb and Carly! :)

Our kids are going to be the biggest rednecks! :)

2009-06-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

The Chair

2009-06-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is the most comfortable chair in the house. The only problem with having this chair is the kids have figured out how nice it is and continuously fight for control of it.

Here, Caleb takes advantage of the abandoned chair and climbs on it.

Enjoying his victory.

Carly jumps on the chair as soon as Caleb gets down.

It's a rare occassion when they decided to share the much coveted chair.

Conversation with Carly

2009-06-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

~ I was fixing dinner when Carly came into the kitchen and asked me the following question.~
CARLY: "Is Dad coming home today?"
MOM: "Yes...Do you want to call him and ask him if he is coming home?"
CARLY: "Yes!!!"
*She called him and got the reassurance she needed, he WAS coming home. Since Josh has started his internship he has only had to work a few late nights. The kids and I sure do miss him when he is gone and look forward to his arrival home.

~ Josh was in the bathroom when Carly announced she needed to go potty.~
CARLY: "Dad....I need to go potty!!!!"
DAD: "Ok, just a minute..."
CARLY: (impatiently says after waiting about 6 seconds) "I CANNOT WAIT ALL DAY!!!"

~ The other day we all went car shopping to replace Josh's truck that broke down on our move here. We found a great deal on a truck, bought it, and took the kids for a ride in it to spot some deer. On our way home at the end of the day Carly said the following:~
CARLY: "This is the BEST day ever!"

Shh....

2009-06-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

At our house nap time is precious. We all love our naps. I realize Carly is getting a little bit old to be taking naps; but, she still needs one.

Caleb has grown up so fast. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. I can hardly believe he is going to be a big brother in just a matter of months. Time goes by too fast!

Our Move....

2009-05-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here is our new home. Last Wednesday Josh left to make the big move to Billings, Montana for a summer internship. The kids and I did not leave at the same time as him because I had a doctors appointment the following week I could not miss. (doctors orders) The night Josh left he called and told me how beautiful Montana was and after a lengthly description of the terrain, said, "Oh, yeah my truck broke down and I am stuck in Whitehall, Montana." At first I thought he was kidding. But, then he told me the noises his truck made on his coast into Whitehall and I realized he was serious. The mechanic said the engine of the truck had gone out and that it would cost $2,000 to replace it. Normally, we would get the mechanic work done and be on our way, but, for those of you who have not seen our truck....just take my word it was not worth it. Josh spent the next day on the phone with car dealerships located in Butte, trying to find a good deal that could get him to Billings in time for the internship to start; but, had no luck. Instead, he rented a truck and drove to our new home outside of Billings and unpacked. He rented the car for one day and had to return it where he got it from, which was in Butte. So, the next day the kids and I made the drive to meet him and make the rest of the journey to our summer home. I am sure that many of you will laugh when you see the picture of our new home, but it is actually pretty nice inside. Instead of finding a place close to Josh's work, we decided to save money and live outside of town in a cheaper rental. The only down side to Josh's truck dying on us is that it makes the ride in to work a little tricky. But, lucky for us, our neighbors are more than willing to help and have offered two modes of transportation......

A donkey......

Or, a horse. Naturally, Josh has chosen to take the horse because it is much quicker, reliable and less stubborn than the donkey. Ok, so he does not really ride either one of them in to work.....instead, I let him take the car. But, it is nice to know he has the option of riding in to work in case we are ever in a bind. :)

The kids love our new home. They especially love our fenced yard.

Caleb LOVES to be outside.

Movies....

2009-05-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Our kids love to spend time with their Dad. Carly has figured out the way to get Josh to put a movie on for them is to ask him if she can watch a moose or deer hunting movie. These pictures are from two seperate occassions where her manipulation trick worked wonders.

2009-05-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Carly likes to pretend she is a doctor. Caleb always plays the patient, not that he has much choice in the matter. :)

2009-05-20T09:02:00.001-07:00

2009-05-12T10:36:00.001-07:00

Mother Dear....

2009-05-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

On Mothers' Day the Primary children sang this song to their Mothers. It was Carly's first time singing in church and she was very nervous. Enjoy!!!

Mothers....

2009-05-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my Mom and Dad when we went camping with them last summer. Over the years my point of view of Mothers' Day has changed considerably. When I was young I did not fully understand the reason we celebrated Mothers' Day. Now, I am baffled by the fact that we only take one day out of the year to honor the women in our life and all they do for us. Perhaps my perspective has changed because I am now a mother and am starting to understand exactly how much mothers do. I am grateful for my mother and all she has taught me. Growing up my Mom always made it a point to teach us how to cook, clean, work, etc. along beside her and it wasn't until now that I try to teach my children the same skillls that I have truly appreciated her efforts. She taught me everything I know about being a mother and I am grateful to her for that everyday.

Puppies......SOLD

2009-05-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

In March we had two surprise puppies and it was amazing to watch the kids get so excited to help their dad feed them and take care of their needs. Carly became very close to them and even named them Ella and Johnson. But, just the other day, we sold them and Carly sure took their departure hard.

This was taken just after she watched them leave....forever.

As you can tell, Caleb was not as hurt by their leaving as Carly was, she is such a sensitive little girl.

Puppies 4 Sale!!!

2009-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

These were the surprise puppies that we never planned on. But thanks to Carly, we were able to sell them quickly. Josh took these pictures of Carly holding the pups and posted them on a hound hunting forum, and within a few hours he had multiple offers from all around the country. I guess Carly is quite the saleswoman. Now Josh is wishing that he'd charged a higher price.

Carly's Sayings . . .

2009-04-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

~Today Josh told Carly that it was time for her to help with the chores after supper, so she was assigned to wash the chairs around the table. Josh handed her a rag, and it wasn't thirty seconds before she said, "Mom, I am tired of doing all the work."

~Yesterday we were driving in the car, and the sun was right in our faces. Josh and I lowered our visors, when we heard Carly pipe up from the back seat, "Mom, you can move the sun? It is in my way."

2009-04-16T22:11:00.001-07:00

Our Family.....is expanding

2009-04-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here are all the names of the members of our family. All of the names that is . . . . . . except for one. That's right. In August we will be adding one more name to our porch. And although we do not have that name picked out yet, we do have some cute ultra-sound pictures.

Cute little face.

Tiny feet.

But is it a boy or a girl? Well, today the doctor answered that question for us.

It's a Boy!!!!!

How to train your daughter to clean up her toys....

2009-04-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

To begin, kick the dolls your daughter won't clean up into the middle of the floor, so that they are in plain sight.

Then, release the caged little brother into the room where the toys are found. It won't be long before he sees the girly stuff left out for him.

He will seize the girly items and sprint full speed to the garbage can--gnawing on the plastic dresses as he goes. Then, without hesitation, he'll hurl the dolls to their fate. That's right, as a typical boy he knows just what to do with that girly stuff. And our little cleaner is so fast and aggressive that his older sister is literally helpless in her attempts to stop him.

Repeat these steps each time the older daughter leaves her toys out. It won't take long for her to realize that it's better for her to clean up the toys before mom and dad let little brother out of his cage. In a matter of weeks you either have a very cleanly little girl or a lack of toys to be left out on the floor. Problem solved.