A Sweet Surprise...for Todd

A warning for the girls:

DON'T BE JEALOUS OF ME!

So on my way home from work yesterday I called Todd and asked if he had picked the kids up from Tiffani's. He said he hadn't because he had been delayed and he had a surprise for me when I got home. My first question was, "Is it another dead animal?" He laughed a bit and just said he wouldn't tell me. I'd just have to wait until I got home.

Well, I picked up the kids and hurried home to see the great surprise. It was a surprise but it was greater for Todd than for me. I shared in his joy as he told me the story about our new pet, "The Calico Buck". One of his buddies, Seth, had taken a set of old sheds Todd and his dad had found hunting a long time ago. (for you non-hunting folk I'm not talking about storage sheds. I'm talking about deer sheds--their antlers that fall off every year and Todd loves hiking around finding them) The sheds were old, broken and falling apart but Todd hung onto them because they were a matching set and I think some of it was for sentimental reasons--being that he found them with his dad and all.

Seth took them over a year ago and has been working on them, fixing them up and restoring them to what the original probably looked like. He was working with another of Todd's buddies, Jeff, who does taxidermy and was giving Seth pointers to help him out. Seth was trying to fix them up as a surprise for Todd to give to him. After Seth got them looking good he'd take them to Jeff for more tips on what to do next. After a while of doing this the sheds were looking great and Jeff got the brainy idea that they couldn't just be sheds given to Todd, they needed to go on a body. So these two buddies worked together for over a year on this buck that they now call the Calico Buck. Todd was in awe when they just gave it to him last night. He didn't know what to say because he was so taken back. When he shared the story with me he kept saying, "I don't get it. Why would they do all that for me?" Well, I know why--I married him, duh! It's awesome to see his friends show him by doing something awesome for him. Heaven knows I can't compete with that.

I just need to write a letter to those boys now and let them know the deer on the wall has stolen Todd's eye and I just can't compete anymore. He used to look at me like that. At least when I think we have no money left we will always have two bucks to our name!

The deer on the right is the one from Jeff and Seth and the one of the left Todd shot a couple years ago.

Happy Birthday, Todd!

Today is Todd's b-day and it wouldn't be right to wish my sister's a happy one and not my own hubby! What a great husband and father he is. I think this picture of Payton watching his dad says a lot. My boys love their daddy and little Jul's is right there with them. He's such a hard worker and he can play pretty hard too. I just like that the boys are getting old enough to "play" with their dad now and can leave the girls to do their thing.

A few things I love about Todd:

He's always worthy to give any kind of blessing. I love knowing the priesthood is ready and willing to be used in our home

He's non-judgemental. That's one of my biggest weaknesses so we compliment each other!

He's always ready to get outside and "do something". He hates sitting in the house doing "nothing".

He's a hard worker. I love watching him build things. My favorite was watching him build our home.

He's better at cleaning the house than I am. (that can be a little frustrating because he cleans things I don't get to--making me feel guilty...but I'm learning to let him clean without hurting my feelings).

He's a great dad and husband. It took us a few years, and I guess we're still learning, but our communication is getting better, making our marriage better.

Happy Birthday Todd! I love you!

Just Two Things Dad

Best Buds

Todd got called out on a fire today so he had a few hours after he got home from work to pack and get ready to head to Arizona for...well until the fire it out--however long that takes. Julia and I were the only ones in the garage as Todd was about to pull out for his voyage when Payton came running outside to tell his dad goodbye. Todd opened his door to give him a hug goodbye and Payton says, "Just two things I wanna' tell you, dad. One is drive safely and the other is don't catch on fire." I was grinning ear to ear and watching Todd in amazement that his smile wasn't bigger. Then Todd said, "There's just two things I wanna' tell you, Payt. One is I love you and the other is I love you." Payton climbed into the truck and gave his dad a huge hug goodbye. I just didn't want to forget that. (Payton made it more memorable when he prayed tonight for the same things.) I sure hope Todd doesn't catch on fire!

Father 'n Sons

Todd decided he was going to take the boys to father and sons this year. I was TOTALLY for it!

The boys were so excited to go camping with their dad!

They had to wash their hands and faces before they could go...I'm not sure why

Julia was not at all happy they weren't taking her--ok so she was just ticked I sat her down so I could take a picture.

Todd took my challenge of taking at least one picture. He surprised me and took these!

(Brace yourselves-- These are dirty photo's!)

I should have taken a picture of the dirt monsters when they came home but I was more concerned about what they were touching and where they were sitting to pull out the camera. I did have a nice pile of dirt and rocks on my floor where they took their shoes off. Yeah for camping, the great outdoors and of course Daddy's!

Like Father Like Son

Check out my mini archer in training. He's been wanting to shoot his bow ever since his dad pulled it out to let him try it.

THE RULES:

(Todd made the boys repeat them to him)

..A bow is not a toy, it is a weapon!..

..I will never shoot my bow unless my dad is with me.. (this rule got changed to "if my mom or dad is with me")..

I will never shoot my bow if kids are outside playing..

I think he looks like a cute little archer and I love seeing Todd outside with him trying to help him. Here's the check list they go through..

..Knock (the arrow)

..Finger tabs

..Stance

..Draw ..Anchor

..Aim

..Release

This doesn't happen very often so when he hits the target, we have to take a picture!
With the practice lately it's been shortened to "Stance, Anchor, Aim, Release". Can't wait until his dad will take him with him to tournaments so they can shoot together. He's getting better at shooting his bow but he's not very accurate...YET! At least he's learning. I'll post some more video later when I make the time to choose the cutest one.

Bad Habits worth breaking....but how?

Our family has gotten into some bad habits lately and I'm not talking about chewing our fingernails here. That one just belongs to me. I'm talking about our night activity. It should involve deep breathing, drooling and a possible snore now and then but it doesn't seem to be that way right now. Todd's allergies have been so bad this year that he is constantly blowing his nose, coughing or some other respiratory activity that is not quiet enough for me to keep my eyes closed. It wouldn't be a problem but Julia still sleeps in our room and it seems to wake her up too. Even though I know she doesn't need it I end up feeding her just to get her to go back to sleep--it's just easier? Lazy I know but easier.
Well, as if that wasn't enough, down he hall where the boys are sleeping only one knows how to stay in his bed. Porter always wakes up crying for mom or needing the hall light on or his primary music has stopped. Last night I turned his music on at 1am and 4am--not my idea of fun!
I remember reading Angie's blogs about not getting enough sleep and thinking how that could be possible? NOW I KNOW! I just get tired of being tired!
So, this blog is a vent as well as a cry for help. Any of you have suggestions besides me moving to the garage in a sleeping bag--because it might just come to that :)
On a good note though, Payton has been staying in his bed without a problem and he's finally getting to the point that he can stay dry at night...FINALLY! Darn those small bladders!

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?

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!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, to my own dad, my father in law, my grandparents and of course to my own hubby, Todd! Sometimes Mother's Day is a bummer because it's so close to my birthday and it seems like it all gets celebrated together, but Father's Day is great because I get to just focus on those special men in my life.

First let me tell you some things I remember about my own dad that makes me love him and appreciate him. He's always been a hard worker. I don't remember him staying home from work even when he sounded like death warmed over. I loved going down to Bloomington Elementary with him and he would let us ride the scooters in the gym and watch movies and read books in the library. On special occasions he would get me a pop out of the pop machine which I thought was sooo cool because I didn't need money to get a drink. I remember watching my sister's play ball with my parents and while dad didn't yell much while they played (and mom would yell when it was something good, "Good One!") I remember the coaches corner when the game was over. I don't remember being coached in the corner much, probably because dad knew I wasn't going to be that great at sports anyway so why try. Or it could have been that there was no room for improvement--I think that was the reason, all right. I loved watching the Jazz games on his bed with him. They could get pretty exciting and that bed is pretty fun to jump on. I loved dancing with him in the kitchen while he made up some melody for us to dance to. You wouldn't know he was such a good singer with all that talk he says now while being in the choir in Nauvoo but he sure could make up some great songs. I loved sharing his chips and salsa with him and although I hated helping hold up the tomato plants in the garden while he tilled up the garden I loved eating his tomato's when they were juicy and red. I sure loved dog piling and shoving my hands in his arm pits to get a reaction. Of course there are so many other memories, Christmas, family reunions, camping, his big belch after dinner but always telling mom thanks for the meal, the list goes on and on.Dad, thanks for all the great memories and especially for teaching me the gospel in my life. I think that's one of the reasons I feel obligated to my church callings is because of the example my dad set for me. He was always dedicated to his callings in the church. I love you dad!

Of course Father's Day wouldn't be complete without telling my own hubby what a great dad he is. The boys love him and Porter is always asking to go fishing...at not the most opportune time. There are still morning's he wakes up and asks his dad to take him turkey hunting again. I'm glad he loves to take his boys in the hills with him so he can share time and memories with them just like I know he has of his own dad. Dennis (Todd's dad) was Todd's best friend and I know he doesn't want anything different with his own boys. If you ask Payton who his best friend is he'd say Luke but if you ask him who his bud is he'd say his dad. He's a great example of hard work and hard play and he's always getting on me about eating healthy and living right. Glad to have a nutritionist in the family to make me feel guilty. I know the boys love him so much and I'm so glad that we're having another baby (which Todd hopes is a girl) to share the love that our family has to give. Happy Father's Day sweetie! I love you!