Muzzle Loader coming to a close

Well, Todd has been gone with my bro-in-law Dave hunting since Saturday and won't be back until tomorrow....sometime. It hasn't been awful without him but it hasn't been all hunky dory either. I'm having trouble with my four year old being able to listen and follow directions. Now I'm told this is normal but it is sooooo frustrating! Kandice, Tiffani and I went yard sale shopping on Saturday. (here's a picture of all our treasures!) Somehow Tiff got her hubby to take her boys along on his muzzle loader hunt. Gunna have to do some practicing i guess to get Todd to take that hint. Anyway we went to Costco later that day. The dang kid (talking about Payton here) got lost...well...so he ran away trying to be funny. Costco's a bit larger than our house or even Nissons Food Town for that matter so his mom didn't find it a bit funny when she found him standing on top to three stacks high of the tissue paper in the back of the store. He had a bird's eye view of his mom looking for him I'm sure and was probably just thriving on the whole experience of watching me freak out! Well, there's more instances of course but I'm sure excited to have Todd come home so he can deal with him for a little while.
Of course we have done some fun things while Todd's been gone. Last night was probably one of the most fun things. Kandice called me up Monday and said she had a fun idea for dinner and FHE that night. She brought over some Kimono's (sp?) that my bro. brought home from his mission to Japan and we made Chinese food. The boys dressed up and used chop sticks and everything. It was a fun way to have dinner and something different. Payton asked this morning if we were going to have China food again today. Thanks Kandice for spicing up our lives. We just got back from the Rec Center and the boys are zonked out on the couch and their bed so I thought it was a perfect time to do a bit of blogging. I would love to say I'll have a great post on the successful hunt tomorrow but I know Todd a bit better. He's not shooting anything unless it's a monster buck...and do those really exist?

Tav and Amie Get Hitched!

Todd's little bro. Tavish and his georgous girl Amie tied the knot Friday in the St. George Temple. Their sealer that performed the marriage did an awesome job. He actually taught gospel principles about the temple ordinances and symbolizim instead of just telling the two of them to love each other and care about each other...well, you know how most of the weddings seem to be just related to the couple. This was just different and could be applied to everyone witnessing their marriage. Maybe the difference was just where I am at in my life, but it was just an awesome experience which I am so glad Todd and I were a part of. Payton cried and cried because he wanted to go into the temple with us. I hope he has that kind of desire to stick with him in future years. After the wedding we went to their luncheon which was held in the Quail Valley Stake Center. It was good food and such an honor to Amie and Tav and the good lives they've lived. That night was their reception at the Opera House in St. George. They had gone all out on the food serving pasta, breadsticks, and a couple different salads. The boys really enjoyed the frosting off the cup cakes they had. Todd was the best man so he got to get all dressed up in a tux and strut his stuff (just how Todd likes it you know.) Let's just say he stayed in a corner for as long as possible. Luckily we didn't last long because the boys just couldn't stay out of the water ponds there at the Opera House. After a couple hours of the reception they were swimming. That's when we called it a night and headed home. It was a beautiful wedding and Tav and Amie are perfect for each other. I'm so happy Tav married her because she's just so cute and easy to talk to about whatever and she treats the boys so well. Their mom hasn't got enough energy to run around with them right now like Amie does! Congrats you two!! We love you!

yearbookyourself.com

So one of the girls at work introduced me to a new web site that everyone at the office seemed to get a real giggle out of. So I decided to give it a try on my home computer. Of course I never would put my own picture on the yearbook page so I decided to go with Kandices because she's such a good sport. I think my hair do is from 1966 (which I'm thinking about going back to) and Kandices hair do comes from 1968?? I think?? Try it for yourself!! It's kinda' funny. I think the boy hair-do's are more fun than some of the girls so let your hubby's see how cute they would have been "back in the day". (yearbookyourself.com is the web site in case you missed it somehow)

No rest for the wicked

I'm told the righteous don't need any rest so that must mean I'm wicked because I'm sure tired all the time. I'd like to blame it on the whole pregnancy thing but I'm afraid it's more than that. While I was checking out a few blogs today I had Speed Racer on in the other room thinking that the four children in my house at the time would enjoy it. Now I know that I'm not supposed to use TV as a "baby sitter" but what the heck else would I use it for unless I'm watching it? Well, because it's Monday I have Tiff's kids. There's slightly more noise echoing off the floors and bare walls (nope, haven't really hung anything up yet) but kids will be kids, right? Well, Luke comes in and tells me Porter has colored on himself. Not too surprising because he's done it numerous times before. I have such a talented son because he can not only draw shapes and letters but he can draw upside down! check out his artistic abilities. A house with an L in the middle. How amazing is my child! I had to take a picture so you would all know what your children are up against as far as talent goes. Keep in mind that Porter is only three. Imagine him in a few more years. My own little Picasso.

Porter's 3!!

Porter got to celebrate (if that's what we actually did) his third birthday yesterday. I felt pretty bad because I had to work all day and didn't spend too much time in planning a party or making a terrific cake--as if all day would have helped me making a great cake. I'm not like Tiff and can't whip up a fabulous looking birthday cake that people would actually want to eat.
Anyway Todd and I decided it was time he got his first bike. Of course he's so stinkin' small that we knew we had to get the smallest bike possible if he was going to ride it. Even the 12" bike was a little to large but I think he'll adjust...or we're going to have leg extensions put on Porter. He got to spend the day w/g-ma Julie opening presents and had lunch at McDonalds. Yeah, got spoiled by grandma. That night we made a "Rodeo Cake" which really was just a cake with a few farm animals on it.

We really lived it up! Tiff's family came over and had some cake and brought a present all the kids enjoyed playing with while us old folks sat around and yakked. We were all in bed by 9:45. What a great birthday eh? Good thing he's only 3 and he may not really remember how much planning--or I should say the lack of planning--went into his special day. We sure love this little stinker anyway!! Tonight we're going to the Rodeo w/Kandice and Tiff's families to really live it up. Yahoo!!

Our First Black Eye

It seems like we've been long over due for a black eye in the family so I guess I'm not suprised that Porter would get one the week of his third Birthday. It's still a bit crazy to think that my "baby" is turning three. Guess that's why we have one in the oven ready to change the baby status. Anway, Here's our little Porter bug the day after he fell off one of the stools at the bar. We've been having to do a little "remodeling" this week (already) because of our wood floor. I don't know when it will be done but I'm not sure that having it done would have softened Porter's blow to the head when he fell. I guess falling head first onto a pad that covers cement is as good as falling on a wood floor that covers the pad that covers the cement?? I'm not going to try to find out which is softer.
OK so he looks a little like the "HEY YOU GUYS" kid off the goonies. Still gotta love him!

"Toad"aly Awesome Find

Last night we were outside our house when a rock jumped. Or so I thought it was a rock. We found a little toad outside our house and I'm proud to say we didn't kill that poor thing. Payton and Porter chased that thing all over the front yard catching it, dropping it and catching it again. Porter didn't like to hold it but he sure liked to chase it. Here's some pictures of our new found friend.

You can't see the frog in Porter's shirt but it didn't stay there long. He was a bit nervous!

Labor Day Weekend

Sunday was our first time at our new church so we decided to go instead of go camping on Cedar Mountain with the rest of my family on Saturday. (Actually it was supposed to rain Saturday and Sunday so Todd wasn't really into going camping in the mud). After our church meetings we made the spare of the moment decision to head to the mountain for the night and spend Monday there. It was so fun and the kids had a ball...even though their mom forgot their jackets laying on the bed (oops). The boys rode 4-wheelers every chance they got. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of them on the 4-wheelers because that's really where they spent most of their time. We did go to the caves on Monday and let the kids hike through. Tiff was a trooper and took Porter through one of the smaller (not so accessible for pregnant folk) caves. She had to put up with the constant crying and "I can't make it" sobs. Thanks for the great memories, Tiff. I'm glad we spent the day there...it beats cleaning the house!