Mouse in the House

Todd left for Arizona on Sunday after sacrament meeting for a job he was going to be doing until Friday. We're trying to save and plan as much as possible before this baby girl gets here and drains all our money at once. Because he was working for another guy he had to take the laptop and leave me here computer/internetless. I had left our PC at my parents when we moved because I wasn't sure where we were going to put it. Well, I quickly found a place on Monday and brought it home so I could be in touch with the world. The bad thing is that I thought Todd had left the mouse (since the laptop really doesn't need one unless you're Todd and think you have to have it) so I didn't bring home the mouse hooked up to my parents "kids computer". It's very frustrating to navigate around on the computer only using the tab key. I wasn't going to make a special trip to Washington just to get a mouse so I put up with the tab key but only using the internet for the essentials (checking bank statements/payments/and some email). So, if you couldn't tell already I have a mouse in the house and I'm back to blogging and doing the usual operations around this house. The boys and I are leaving for Vegas tomorrow to pick Todd up. Cheri's letting us stay at her house (thanks Cheri) and swim in her new pool. We're all pretty excited to see our dad again but I think the boys are just as excited to show Kelsie what good swimmers they are. I'm sure we'll take some pictures while we're there and maybe get Cheri to do some blogging about the best weekend she will have had with her favorite sister! (that's me)

Just Swell...ing

Not that I'm really counting but I only have FOUR WEEKS LEFT until this baby decides to come (or according to what the doctors say). I go in this week to see "where I am" as far as what's going on with this old body of mine in the whole pregnancy scheme of things. I've started to get swollen fingers and my ankles are letting me know what it feels like to have cankles (I think that's how you spell it). I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring for the past three days because I'm nervous I won't get it back off at the end of the day. The other day I was laying with my feet up and told Payton, "I'm starting to swell! Look at my ankles! They are swelling!!" He looked at them and said, "You're ankles are good, mom? Is that what you said? You're ankles are good?" I guess we use the word swell a bit differently around here too often. I usually only use it when people ask how we're doing or if the kids want a bit of praise from their mom. Everything is just swell!

Little Hikers

Yesterday Tiffani and I took the kids on an adventurous hike. We really didn't know where we were going or where the trail we were taking was going to lead us, we just knew we had to get these dang kids out of the house and running off some energy. We drove to a little turn off spot on our way to Virgin and from there followed a trail that lead to a great tunnel the kids loved to climb into. They even found a geocache spot inside the tunnel. Of course convincing the kids the drug looking prescription bottle they found was actually supposed to be there and stay there was a different story. We made it to the top of the hill, took some pictures and then started our journey back to the cars. What a great hike! I'm so glad my kids were dressed for winter in the 80 degree weather. It really helped them enjoy the hiking experience. Thanks Tiff for finding something for us to do...and then letting me have a nap later that afternoon because my kids were tired too!

Of course Khloee was a great little hiker too! What a Billy Goat!

Happy Birthday Trudi

What's left of today is still my sister's birthday. I can never out-do Tiff's tribute to Trudi but I can think of a few things to add to the list. Ahhh memories...aint they grand...
-This is more of confession than a tribute to Trudi but I used to "borrow" money from her little red piggy bank in her room to take a few trips to Nissons. (I really needed the candy Trudi)
-When we were kids we would always sneak the video camera to make movies with our friends. Trudi busted us every time and I have a few videos with her voice complaining about the mess we had left.
-Trudi was never shy about bringing boys around...lets see if I remember a few: Brian Peacock and Bags seem to be in the forefront of my mind. Never got to meet the Brazilian hunk from the pictures.
-I do remember a great birthday she had for me at the Bluff's Motel. Of course she had invited a bunch of her friends instead of mine but it was a fun suprise to get to go swimming for my birthday.
-Now that we're older I don't get to share many memories, just hear about them from a distance: Karaoke at Big Lots the day after Thanksgiving for a swinging deal on a bike. Crying on her 30th Birthday because she was so old.
-Of course there are the fond memories we get to create on girl's weekend's we have once a year: Big mouth, spread fingers for every picture. Losing to me in Sing Star.
-Trudi's always been super tight with money (I mean FRUGAL) and she's always been a tidy freak. I'll never forget leaving her home in Tooele one time after being there for a few days. The minute we were out of the house, she had the vacuum going. Thanks Trud! Great example of Godliness--because you're so neat and clean.
Happy Birthday Sis! I hope you know you're soooo loved!

Never been tagged...but here goes nothing!

Rachel always has super cute blogs and that last one she had was someone that had tagged her. I have to agree with her that this one's fun and a bit different than other's I've seen. Rules: open your pictures file,pick the 4th folder, and the 4th picture in the folder. Write a little a about it.

This was in February of this year when it snowed. The boys got on their best winter clothes (if there's such thing in southern utah) and played in the white stuff. I know I was only supposed to post one picture but how could I leave Porter out?

So, now I tag everyone on my blog list...and you know who you are...don't play dumb.

The CTR Truck

For Christmas this year I bought Todd a drill. He's never owned one since we've been married and always just borrowed from family when he needed one. I don't know why moving to La Verkin is a justified reason to buy one now but I decided it was time. Well, the UPS guy brought it today and I told Payton it was a secret and it was daddy's new drill for Christmas but he had to keep it a secret. He's such a good secret keeper. When Todd came home today from work the first thing he said was, "So the CTR truck brought me a new drill?" I had him repeat it because I didn't quite know what he was talking about until he said Payton had told him the "CTR truck brought his new drill." The only thing I can figure he got CTR and UPS confused was because his Sunbeam teacher, Bro. Legg, drove a UPS truck and Payton always remembers Bro. Legg when he sees the big brown trucks. I guess it's good he's related his old Primary teacher with CTR, just a little funny, I guess. By the way, don't let Todd know he's getting a drill for Christmas...at least I haven't spilled the beans...yet.

End of one hunt...start of the next

I think this must have been Todd's horse. Just not sure what the picture's for other than to show the horse and his back?

Nice back side shot

Todd, Dave & their horses (don't know the horses names...sorry)

On top of Pine Valley Mountain...or as Todd would say on the phone when he'd call, "We're on top of the world".

This was the boys camp for the five day trek.

The Muzzle Loader is over and although I might have complained (mostly to Kandice) about Todd being gone for five days it wasn't all bad. He even took the boys out hunting the last night of the hunt. They didn't leave until after 5pm and they were back by 8:45 so you can imagine the huge bucks they saw. I just thought it was good he took the boys with him. Porter sounded a bit sad because "Payton and dad were being mean" to him. I guess when they got out and hiked around he couldn't keep up as well--that happens when you have mom's length of legs--and so he got told to hurry up a lot or he was going to get left. They are just so mean, huh? At least they had good snacks (String Cheese, grapes and cheetos..who could ask for anything more?) and mom got a night alone to watch a chick flick Todd would never stick around long enough to watch. Can't wait for the rifle hunt to start in a couple weeks. Then the hunts are really over...until the next one. This was the only picture I got before they left to go hunting. He's so photogenic eh? No wonder they didn't see any bucks. I'd run away from that too! Kinda' Elmer Fuddish.

updated blog...but some forgotten pictures

I added some pictures of Tav and Amie's big day but there were a couple cute ones I forgot so here they are...

This is Payton holding our temple bags. What a cheezer.

Porter couldn't quite keep his pants pulled up. He's definitley not built like his mom. He has no butt so his pants fall off often.

This is Todd holding Baby Riley. This is Tara's baby girl and she's so fun--esspecially now that she's started smiling.

What handsome guys, eh?