The Catterson Family

A Healing Clavicle

2012-02-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the doctors to get Tyler's clavicle looked at again. He has been really good at wearing his figure 8 brace so I was hoping we would get good results. Tyler did such a great job getting the X-Ray taken. Last time he was in so much pain he cried when they had him lay down. The doctor came back with his x-ray that looked like the bone was kind of pulling back together with a small gap and a huge knot around the broken area. The doctor advised me not to worry that it was normal for it to look this way. He advised that the next 4 months we really need to make sure he doesn't fall because his bone tensile is developing which will make his bone pull back together and stronger. However it takes a full year for the bone to be completely back to normal. So our little stinky is doing well but still has a long road of recover ahead of him. At least it doesn't seem to bother him. He plays like he always does which I say is probably not a good thing since our family is accident prone.

Ethan's Baptism

2012-02-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday our family attended Ethan's very special day. Ethan turned 8 years old in January which means he could get baptized and receive the gift of the Holly Ghost. It was such a special day for Ethan and my family.

Learning the drums

2012-02-04T19:31:00.001-07:00

Mathew bought this drum set for Christmas. Last week we had dinner at the Fischer house. Mathew was nice enough to let the boys try them out.

Clavicle Update

2012-01-13T13:25:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I took Tyler to our family doctor to check his healing process. After a week the bone should have started to knit back together. However what we saw with a new X-ray was it was worse. So the doctor gave him a figure 8 brace to help in his healing process. This should have been given to us by the ER doctor. Our family doctor was very upset that he sent a two year old home with just an arm sling. He said that was pretty much like doing nothing. We are scheduled to go back in a month to check the progress again.

Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

2012-01-10T19:51:00.001-07:00

Monday my work held a luncheon for all the trainers in dispatch. Austin and Braiden were both going to be at school so I only had to worry about finding someone to watch Tyler. Luckily I work with some amazing people and great friends. KJ offered to watch our little man so I could go to the luncheon. Tyler has only seen KJ a few times when he has come in to visit me at work. However he is so easy going I wasn't really worried about him being scared with her. KJ is an amazing mother and a great friend. I am really privileged to know her.

She met us at Brick Oven and took Tyler to an awesome museum that I had never heard of before. She also took these pictures for me to see how much fun he was having.

After they finished up at the museum she even got him a treat. One of his favorites, ice-cream. I am so grateful to my friend for helping me out that day. Tyler really enjoyed himself. When I showed him the pictures on my phone he had so much to say so I know he really enjoyed his time with her.

Thanks again KJ you are the best! After seeing the pictures I am going to have to take Austin and Braiden.

Family Curse Strikes Again

2012-01-05T00:31:00.001-07:00

I am at work on a usual Wed evening. I get this call from Anthony saying I have to come home right now. Tyler fell off the couch and he is hurt really bad. Sadly we only have minimum staffing working at the time I get the call. Which means I can't leave. I explained to Anthony that he has to take all 3 boys to the ER himself. As you can imagine he was not happy about my answer. So he packed all 3 boys in the car and headed for the ER. Luckily another co-worker showed up for work so I was able to go with him to the ER. After waiting for an hour and 30 minutes they called Tyler's name. He looked and was acting like nothing had happened to him. So I kind of felt silly bringing him in. Anthony explained to the ER doctor what had happened. He felt his ribs, arm, wrist, and shoulder. Nothing seemed to hurt him. Until he touched his clavicle. Tyler said ouch hurt then moved away from the doctors hands. They then took him back for an X-Ray. A few short moments later they came back with an arm sling and this x-ray.

So sadly Tyler broke the same bone I broke many years ago. I totally know how much pain he is in. This break is not a fun easy going pain free by any means. It should heal in about 6 weeks so hopefully they go fast for our little guy.

Christmas

2011-12-31T16:07:00.004-07:00

Christmas Eve we spent at the Fischer's house. Each year they make homemade pizza for everyone. When we got home the kids helped us make cookies for Santa.

Here are some for Santa. Tyler had to make sure it was safe to eat so one cookie had a bite taken out of it.

Here are some of the toys they got for Christmas.

Christmas morning. The boys couldn't wait to go open their gifts. This year we had church at 11:00. So they opened their gifts and had to get ready for church. After church they were able to actually play with what they got.

This year went by TOO fast. I think it goes by faster each year. The boys had a great Christmas with many new toys to play with in the new year. We were very grateful to spend our Christmas season with Anthony's parents and the Fischer family. Too bad my parents were there to share the day with us.

Holiday Lights

2011-12-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

A few days before Christmas we took the boys to go see the festival of lights in Spanish Fork. They also got to see Santa.

Temple Square Christmas Lights

2011-12-15T18:59:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took the boys to see the beautiful lights at Temple Square.

This is the large nativity scene they had set up. They also had a short recording you could listen too.

I am so grateful to have a Temple so close to go too. One of the many blessings we have available to us when you live in Utah.

Awards Ceremony

2011-12-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

For the third year in a row Austin has been given the scholar of the month award. Here is his awards ceremony I went too last week.

We are so very proud of him. He is doing so well in school. I can only hope that his success in academics continues.

Family Pictures

2011-12-08T19:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the pictures of our family we took this year.

All the boys!

Austin wanted to make sure he had a picture of his shoes in one of the photos. He very much enjoys these shoes. I honestly have no idea why.

Braiden is getting so big. He is growing up to be such a handsome boy.

Our boys!

Tyler did pretty good at keeping this pose. He kept his knee up for a long time. Too bad we couldn't get him to give a good smile.

I think this was Tyler's favorite part of the photo shoot.

All I want for Christmas....

2011-12-05T16:45:00.002-07:00

Is to get away from this crazy man in a Santa suit.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T14:40:00.001-07:00

This year my brother Ted rented a cabin up at Sundance. All my siblings and their families along with my dad and his wife stayed there.

It was so much fun to spend time with my family. All the kids got along really well and enjoyed playing with each other. Several of them played the Dance game in the basement.

Braiden just wanted to watch.

This we called laptop alley. There were at least 5 laptops set up on the counter for the kids to play mind craft. Which all of them thoroughly enjoyed.

They played out in the snow.

Tyler played cars all over the place. He was driving them on the ground, the fireplace, stairs, and even people.

They had a ping pong table set up. Even the adults got into this game. The adults and some kids played the card game "Scum". It was fun!

If we weren't playing games we just hung out and talked with each other.

This is the room the kids slept in. There were two sets of full size bunk beds. Each bottom bunk had a trundle bed that came out of the bottom. So each kids had plenty of room to sleep.

In the kid's room there was a secret loft which the kids found very quickly.

We made smores by the fire.

Then it was time to start cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner. Kara made the rolls which were SO good. Brynn was her little helper.

Branden decided that he wanted a deep fried turkey. I was very nervous about this since he had never done one before. So I talked them into also making a regular one, which we all split to have leftovers.

Apparently I was worried for no reason. Branden's turkey turned out AMAZING! I know this is the most unhealthy way to make a turkey but it really was so good.

Everyone enjoyed the food and were stuffed.

This is our whole gang. We had a great time. The kids were so sad to leave the cabin. We are truly thankful for our entire family. I think this was one of the best Thanksgivings we have ever had.

Austin's Basketball Team

2011-11-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Austin's last game for his 2011 Basketball season. Each team member got a medal and their team pictures. Austin is sad that his season is over and so am I. I really enjoyed watching him play. Basketball by far is my favorite sport to watch my kids play. Next year Braiden will also get to play and he is very excited about it!

Tyler's Surgery

2011-11-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

This morning Tyler had surgery to remove two cysts. We woke up early and met Angie and Rebecca at the hospital. The nurses, anesthesiologist, and his surgeon were all so nice. Tyler had no problem doing what they asked him to do. First thing was change him into hospital attire.

After a short wait they came to take him back to the operating room. This was how he choose to go. I thought for sure he would at least look back at me when they wheeled him off. Well I was wrong. He gave us all kisses, hugs, and said love you then was off with two strange people in surgical masks without even a glance back.

He was back with the medical team for awhile. I was just starting to get nervous when in came the nurse with a tired toddler on a hospital bed. The bed was so huge and he was so small. His eyes were open when they wheeled him in. One glance at me and he wanted to be in my arms. They said he was a perfect angel. No crying or fussing from him. He came out of the anesthesia very quiet. Just opened his eyes, looked at the light and said look light. He was tired for a short time then got up and wanted to eat and have his cup full of juice.

This is the stuffed Snoopy the hospital gave him. It has a mask on it like the one he used to make him go to sleep.

Growing up I had multiple surgeries. One thing I remember is when I got home I would have new pajamas, a stuffed kitten, and some activity books. Since Tyler is too young for the activity books and already got a stuffed toy, I thought I would grab him some new pajamas. So here he is being crazy in his new PJ's and slippers.

Our Family Curse

2011-11-08T15:06:00.003-07:00

I believe our children are cursed or the clumsiest EVER! Today Tyler and I joined Anthony at his doctors appointment. While waiting in the wait room Tyler was talking back and forth from me to the coffee table filled with books. On his trip back to the books he tripped over his shoe. Slammed face first into the edge of the table and split his eye open. I quickly picked him up and went into the bathroom to see how bad it was.

Since I am not a doctor I called his pediatrician who got us right in. I am so pleased to announce NO stitches for this boy. Just a black eye, some medical glue, and tape. Sadly his black eye will soon be paired with another since he is having surgery to remove his cysts on Thursday.

We are now home from our traumatic experience happy. Until the next time!

Park

2011-11-05T19:50:00.000-06:00

I forgot to up load these pictures from a few weeks ago. I took the boys to the park to try out my new camera and to let them have some fun.

Halloween Night

2011-11-02T13:11:00.002-06:00

This is my final Halloween post. I LOVE Halloween so we did several Halloween themed events this month. This year we went to the Paez house again for trick-or-treating and dinner. Alexis made homemade chili and cornbread. It was so good! After the kids ate we snapped a few photos and were on our way for the candy.

This picture I asked the 3 oldest boys to stand still for a picture. Tyler saw me and ran over to get in the shot. Sometimes me makes me laugh at how crazy he is.

The boys got home with way TOO much candy. So of course Anthony and I had to sample a few just to make sure they were safe candy for the kids to eat.
We didn't take her out but this was Bella's costume.

Carving Pumpkins

2011-11-02T12:54:00.000-06:00

We carved our pumpkins very late in the season. This year we went to the Fischer's house for pizza and to carve our pumpkins. I remember last year Austin and Braiden didn't want to touch the inside of the pumpkin at all. They were not interested in carving them. However this year was different.

Rebecca helped Tyler get all the insides out.

Tyler helped very little.

When it came to carving, I helped Austin.

Anthony helped Braiden.

Angie helped Tyler.

Here they are with their finished products.

Braiden's Zombie Hand

Tyler's Bat

Austin's Spider

Rebecca's mummy

Here are all the kids with their pumpkins. I think they all turned out amazing!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T20:50:00.000-06:00

Saturday we took the boys to pick out some pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. First we took a hay ride.

Tyler loved petting the animals they had.

These are the pumpkins they picked out.

Braiden was too scared to get a picture with this scary guy.

I think Austin was trying to scare us but I caught a glimpse of him when taking the picture,

The boys had a great time picking their pumpkins out. We carved them tonight. Those pictures I will post tomorrow with our Halloween night pictures.

30th Birthday

2011-10-29T19:45:00.000-06:00

Friday I turned the big 30. I really could care less how old I am so we really didn't make a big deal out of my birthday. Anthony bought me these beautiful flowers.

With the money my parents gave me I bought a much needed camera. My other one shattered on the rocks while camping.

We dropped the boys off at Angie's house and went to eat at a really good restaurant.

We were both so full after dinner. They really do fill you up with all different kinds of meat.

I had a great birthday. Now we are counting down the days until Anthony turns 32.

Cornbelly's

2011-10-29T19:34:00.001-06:00

Last weekend Sissy and I took the boys to CornBelly's while Anthony and Junior went hunting.

The first shot was taken with a real camera then the battery died. The rest were with my phone, so they are the best of shots.

If you look at each picture Braiden is in. He is either squinting, has his eyes closed, or his hands up shading the sun. Poor boy has the lightest of eyes to the sun really bothers him.

I tried really hard to get Tyler to look at me. Sadly he is in the stage of not wanting his picture taken.

The entrance to the corn maze.

This is the duck races. The boys really liked this one. They had to pump the water to get their duck to the other side.

Austin loved this bike ride.

I had to push Tyler around the track. His little legs were not long enough to reach the peddles.

Braiden got himself around the track half way then pooped out. I had to push him the rest.

Tyler thinks he is driving this 4x4. He pushed every kid out of the way to get to the wheel.

We had a great time and were there almost all day long. The kids really liked all the activities they had for them.

Basketball

2011-10-24T19:46:00.001-06:00

Austin kicked off his basketball season last week. He has been so excited to start this sporting event.

They have a total of 8 games. Some weeks they have two and others they only have one. The first 30 minutes of the game is more like practice. The kids get to run drills and practice shooting the ball. The last 30 minutes they play a game.

This is his team just prior to starting their game.

Austin had no problem getting the ball at the beginning of the game.

Hopefully we will get a basketball player out of our 3 kids. I LOVE basketball!

4-Wheeling

2011-10-18T03:08:00.000-06:00

So we finally got the 4-wheelers up and running. I must say these toys are EXPENSIVE but a lot of fun! Saturday we took the boys up Hobble Creek Canyon for a little ride.

Tyler's 2nd Birthday

2011-10-16T19:25:00.001-06:00

Today we celebrated Tyler's 2nd birthday with a small family party. Since I had to work we just did the birthday thing at home.

Here the boys are acting like their normal crazy selves.

One of Tyler's favorite gifts given to him by Short hair Grandma and Grandpa.

Here he is driving it all over the house after church.

Since I can't believe we have had Tyler for 2 years I went through our photo albums and compiled some of my favorite pictures of him.

2011-10-15T11:34:00.005-06:00

Here are the boys school pictures for this year. I told them to smile good like they are being tickled. This is what they came up with. I know sad. I can get better smiles out of them. I think the school needs to invest in better photographers!

Halloween Pictures

2011-10-11T13:01:00.000-06:00

Here are the boys Halloween pictures. I didn't want to purchase them so they have proof over the top of each picture. Oh well you can still see what they are going to look like trick-or-treating.

Karate Kids

2011-10-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

Tuesday was the boys first karate class. They have been so excited to go since we first walked into the gym last week. Braiden has been counting down the days.

They get to go two days per week for a month. We signed them up on a trail period to see if they would even like going. Their first class taught them some stranger danger techniques. They learned how to break a hold if someone grabs them by the arm and wrist.

Then they go to learn some punches.

I am sure they will want to continue going when we reach the end of their trail period. Austin will also start basketball this month. So our kids are keeping pretty busy!

Trampoline

2011-10-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

The other day we were walking around the mall. When we passed the kid play area a man came up to us asking if one of our kids would like a free turn on the trampoline. Austin got picked only because he is older and I thought he would be less scared.

Fire Station Field Trip

2011-09-30T15:29:00.000-06:00

Today I went with Braiden's class on a field trip to the Springville Fire Station. Tyler got to go with us. We met at the school and divided the class between the parents that signed up to help. In my group were Braiden and his classmate Eli. After the groups were all together we lined up outside and walked to the Fire Station.

First they saw all the gear the Fire fighters get to wear when fighting a fire.

Next they got to pass around a glove so they could feel what the turnouts were like.

They also explained to the kids what to do if their smoke alarm went off. They taught them to crawl out of the house and to not go back inside no matter what! They also showed them what to do if they were on fire. Stop, Drop and Roll! The kids thought that part was fun.

We then went out to see what a fire truck, engine and ambulance look like up close.

They even got to go inside a fire engine.

The fire men explained what equipment they use on the ambulance as well as the fire trucks.

Here is Braiden's kindergarten class.

Braiden has a fun field trip. I am glad Tyler and I got to tag along. Hopefully this will help him understand what to do and not to do in a fire.

The Never Ending Story

2011-09-23T17:51:00.001-06:00

I feel like my life is spent every 6 months with a trip to the ER. Today Austin came home from a friends house crying saying he cut his head and is bleeding. So I packed him up and took a quick trip to the ER. I thought for sure he would need staples. Austin was scared and crying saying he didn't want to go. When the nurse came out I asked if she could look at it to see if staples were needed. She cleaned him up and said maybe one. Then the doctor came in and to my surprise he said no he is good to go. Austin was so excited that staples were not needed. I think he is a little traumatized from his last ER visit where he got stitches above his eye. I am glad no staples were needed. Until the next time. These are the days of our ER visits!

Provo Canyon Bike Ride

2011-09-17T18:14:00.001-06:00

Today we took the kids out on our bikes for a ride up Provo Canyon. We started at the mouth of the canyon and rode up to Canyon Glen Park. Which is almost 3 miles round trip. I know not very long but for us it was just perfect. We plan to go more often so maybe we can go further each time. The boys did perfect and had a great time.

This is a caterpillar that we found when we stopped to eat. The boys thought it was amazing and wanted a picture of it. So here is our fuzzy!

Of course Tyler did so well. He just kicked back the whole time.

California Trip

2011-09-13T17:53:00.003-06:00

We started our long driving with some small bumps. We were supposed to leave Thursday at 4:00 pm. However I was running late from an appointment and Bella was still at the groomers. So we didn't end up leaving until 6:00. Which I think is pretty good considering we have 3 kids and a dog that needed to be packed in the car. So we start driving. We are just to Lehi when Braiden starts asking "Are we there yet?" That's right we are only about 15 minutes into a ten hour plus drive and that question is already starting. Then Tyler decides to start screaming. I don't mean in a cute little toddler way. Really screaming at the top of his lungs. He was squirming and wiggling trying to get out of his car seat. So we try to deal with him when Austin starts barking like a dog. I am not sure why but he felt the need to bark, REALLY LOUD! So I start re-thinking this fun trip we had planned. The screaming came and went all the way up to Reno. The barking eventually stopped but the questions just kept coming. Just in different forms. "Where are we going?" "Why are we in the middle of nowhere?" "How close are we?" I am not kidding he thought of every way to ask if we were there yet. We finally arrived in Yuba City around 5:00 am.

Friday morning I was able to visit some friends. My first stop was to my grandmother's house. After a short visit we took Bella over to Anthony's moms house. We were able to go get some lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in YC, Strings! Anthony and I would eat there every Wednesday in high school. After lunch Anthony and Bella stayed with his family and the boys and I went to visit some friends. My first stop the Wiggins family. In elementary school my best friend was Allicia Wiggins. I quickly became close with her entire family and basically lived at their house. Below is a picture of Erin's son Nico with my boys.

Next we went to visit my high school friend Jessica Myers and her family. Then we were off to meet Olivia Barrow, my cousin's brand new baby. She is DARLING! Sadly I didn't take any pictures of those two visits. Later that evening Anthony and I went out to eat with my Dad and Jean to El Toritto. I know two of the best places to eat in one day. I could barley handle myself. After a long day of visiting with friends and family we went back to my dad's house and the home I grew up in. Time for some night time swimming. One thing I truly miss is our swimming pool. I wish we could have one like this in our backyard. Here is Austin getting ready to view the backside of water.

Saturday I spent the morning with my grandmother Mas and my aunt Debbie. We went again to eat at Strings. I know twice in two days but it really is a good restaurant. The next morning we woke up and set off for Fort Bragg California. Here is the house we stayed in. It was so nice to actually have a real bathroom and bed to sleep in. Most the time we camp out on the beach. With 3 kids there was no way I was going to do that again.

Tyler's 1st time at the beach. Hanging out with Long Hair Grandma.

The kids quickly started the chicken game with the ocean.

Kiara, Braiden, Austin, and Amea decided for their first night to camp out in a tent off the deck of the house. They quickly realized how cold it was going to be and made the wise decision of sleeping inside.

Here the boys are setting up the play station. We were kind of spoiled in this house with TV, phone, and Internet.

Other than the beach which was a short walking distance from the house we visited several others. This one is Seal Beach.

The next day we visited a light house. On the way there we stopped and took some pictures in the wheat grass.

This is one of the 3 homes built in 1908 for the lighthouse keepers families in Point Cabrillo. The 3 families took turns standing watch through the night, and fueled the lamp and air siren when fog covered the coast. The 3 homes were restored in 2005.

On our walk back to our cars we noticed the squirrels were getting really close to us. Anthony bent down and fed one a cracker. The kids went crazy and tried to feed all of them.

This is Glass Beach.

After playing outside it was time to get some school work done. All the kids completed all their homework each day.

On Thursday we went to Russian Gulch. It is a State Park that has a 36-foot high waterfall. This is at the entrance to the 1.6 mile hike that follows the old logging road beside a stream.

To the water fall and back is about 4.8 miles, with a climb and a drop of about 240 feet.

For the most part the kids did really well on the hike. Defiantly not something they were used to. We had a great time hiking it.

Later that night we broke out the smores!

This is more pictures of our trip to Glass Beach.

Bella enjoyed chasing the sand flies and barking at everyone that passed us.

Friday we were joined by JR, Amy, Aunt Genny and Joey. Jr & Amy also brought up Pumpkin their dog.

Mendocino California is about 9.5 miles south of Fort Bragg. We love the little shops and a small restaurant that sell the biggest hamburger that I have ever seen.

Saturday we drove back to Yuba City were we visited with my Dad and Grandmother Mas for a short while before we drove all the way home.

We had a great trip. I am glad we were able to take so much time off to visit with family and friends. Now counting down the days for our next vacation in DISNEYLAND!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-29T22:16:00.000-06:00

Today Braiden started Kindergarten. He was so excited to ride the bus that he kept asking every 5-10 minutes if it was time to get ready to go. His poor little blue eyes are so sensitive to the sun that I wasn't able to get a great shot of him.

After he left on the bus, Tyler and I got ready and drove to the school. I wanted to make sure he got into the correct class. This is him getting off the bus at the school. He was such a big boy that he saw me and said "Mom I want to go in by myself." I am happy that he is independent but sad that he is growing up too fast.

Here he is looking for his shelf to put his backpack away.

He just found his seat and was getting ready to sit down.

He had a great day and is really going to enjoy school. I was afraid he would have a hard time riding the bus home but he and Austin walked through the door on time and happy as can be. I can't believe he is in school now. I will say it was kind of nice with only Tyler this afternoon.

Poison Shooters

2011-08-28T16:54:00.001-06:00

Austin's 2011 soccer season has officially started. He had already played in 2 games. His team picked their name after the second practice. They picked Poison Shooters.

His first game was last Thursday. They tied 1 to 1. Austin came close to scoring a goal which we were very proud of.

Austin has a great coach and a fun team. Sadly we will be out of town for the pictures of the team for both Austin and Braiden. So hopefully I can snap one of the entire team for both of them.
We missed the team pictures because we were out of town. So here is a picture of the team after their last game.

Braiden's 1st Soccer Season

2011-08-24T14:33:00.001-06:00

This last week marked a very important step in Braiden's life. He joined the wonderful world of sports. His first practice was last week.

Here he is with his team and new coach. We were very surprised to find that his coach seems very involved and happy to coach the kids. This has not been our experience when Austin played club soccer.

Yesterday was his first game.

Here is his jumping for joy when another teammate scored a goal for their team. At this age they don't keep score but I did. Braiden's team won. He has a really good player who has no problem getting the ball inside the net.

Braiden really loved playing and is excited for his next game on Saturday. I am happy that he seems to like sports so far. This is a huge plus so hopefully he will want to continue playing throughout his youth!

We missed the team pictures because we were out of town. So this is a picture of the whole team at their last game.

First day of 2nd Grade

2011-08-22T17:01:00.002-06:00

Today was a great day for Austin.
He started school again.
He has a great teacher that I know will help him further his learning.
Braiden starts next week and is counting down the days to ride the big school bus!

Austin's 7th Birthday

2011-08-18T13:34:00.001-06:00

This year Austin asked for a bike and a wallet. Since his list was so short he got both.

We also took him bowling at Fat Cats.

I guess he wasn't happy with what pins he knocked down.

Wally was pretty good. He had a spin on his ball like the professionals have.

After bowling we came home to eat some cake and ice cream.

I can't believe Austin is 7 years old now. He is growing up too fast.

John's Special Day

2011-08-08T15:39:00.001-06:00

Saturday we all were able to participate in John's special day. John was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He also received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a special day were my family was able to feel the spirit.

Majean's 90th Birthday

2011-08-08T15:13:00.001-06:00

On August 2nd we celebrated Majean's 90th birthday. I can't believe my grandmother is 90 years old. Just like last year most of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren along with her two sons gathered to celebrate her birthday.

We had ice cream, cake and sweet rolls.

This is everyone from my father's side.

The whole gang!

Another Trip to Urgent Care

2011-07-31T18:35:00.000-06:00

While at Alexis' house visiting with my family Austin hurt himself again. He came running up the stairs holding his eye screaming that he was bleeding. At first we thought that it was so small that stitches were not needed. Then we decided to take him anyway just in case.

They gave him some numbing gel then a quick shot to make sure it was really numb. He was so scared about getting stitches. He asked the doctor is a band aid would work? The nurse and doctor were so nice to him. They really helped to calm him down. I really thought he would squeeze my hand but he just held it and braved the stitches.

I guess all my children are wanting scars on their eyebrows just like their daddy. Austin's is on a different side as Braiden and Anthony's but they will all look the same. Wonder when Tyler will get them?

Olivia Barrow

2011-07-29T11:11:00.002-06:00

My Cousin, Montez had her baby girl yesterday morning.

6 lbs 14 ounces and 19 inches long.

She is adorable!

~Congrats Barrow family~

Here is her announcement we received a month later.

Braiden's 5th Birthday

2011-07-23T17:19:00.001-06:00

Today we celebrated Braiden's 5th birthday. Angie made his cute invitations (I blocked out our address).

We invited all the cousins except those in California and 4 of his neighborhood friends. Here Austin and Braiden are making sure the slide is working properly prior to the party.

Braiden picked out his cake.

Making his wish!

Yummy Cake and ice cream.

Here are all the kids!

Opening up his gifts. He got everything he wanted. Spoiled I know!

Marissa gave him his very own binder FULL of Pokemon cards.

Today was a very good day. The boys had a ton of fun! Now we are gearing up for Austin's party next month.

Lake Powell

2011-07-22T21:42:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Joe and Anthony went to Lake Powell. Here is one and only picture he took.

Softball

2011-07-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

All the years I have had watching Anthony play baseball and softball I have never seen him play catcher. He did a pretty good job but he is much better at playing shortstop.

Sadly his team lost. Anthony did a good job though. The boys had fun playing at the ball field. Even Tyler was good!

4th Of July

2011-07-22T13:35:00.002-06:00

I had to work on July 4th so Anthony took the boys over to the Paez house for food, fun, & fireworks. I sent him with my camera and reminded him that I need pictures taken. He snapped a few shots then my camera broke. So sadly these are the only photos I got.

It started to rain when they were getting ready for the fireworks. All the kids sat under this table to watch the show and stay out of the rain.

These are from Alexis' camera.

Cold Water

2011-07-22T13:13:00.000-06:00

Thirsty Anyone? Tyler is obsessed with the water hose. Any time we are outside he wants to turn it on. Now that it is hot outside we have it on more often.

Tyler's 1st Dentist Appointment

2011-06-21T14:15:00.001-06:00

Today the boys went to the dentist like we do every 6 months. However today was a little different experience. Tyler got to have is teeth cleaned also. The dental hygienist asked if he would like to try the dentist's tooth polisher or if he would be less scared if they just brushed his teeth with a regular tooth brush. I thought why not let him get use to how a real dentist visit would go. Much to my and the hygienist's surprise he did extremely well.

So we decided to go ahead and try to get some x-rays. He bit down on the x-ray film and lifted his chin up to the machine. I was so proud of him for being such a BIG boy.

Braiden's visit went normal. Then Austin told the dentist that he had a loose tooth. The dentist asked if he wanted him to wiggle it out. Austin said yes. Then quickly changed his mind by saying "I don't like it", but the dentist had already removed the tooth. So I guess our house will be visited by the Tooth Fairy tonight!

Sadly Austin has to return next week to get a cavity filled. So we will have to work harder on our flossing.

Strawberry Days

2011-06-20T01:02:00.000-06:00

The boys were lucky enough to go to Pleasant Grove's Strawberry Days. The Fischer family took all 3 boys to watch a parade and have fun at a carnival. Angie and Becca took these pictures on their phones.

Rebecca also won this

Angie was nice enough to get the fish tank, decorative rock, and fish food for us. We were planning on buying Braiden a fish tank for his birthday so this worked out for him. I asked what they were planning on naming the fish. Austin's first reaction was Fishy. Yeah I know our cat's name is Kitty and if I would have said yes Bella would have been named Doggy. So I really wasn't surprised with his first name. I quickly suggested he think of a different name. He then came up with the name Scoopy. So we now are the proud family of a cat, dog and fish.
On another note Austin has renamed Kitty to Fluffy. I tried to explain to him that she probably wont respond to that name but he didn't care. I guess he got the hint that Kitty was not really that original of a name.

Sleep Reading

2011-06-13T20:07:00.000-06:00

Monday night Anthony went upstairs to check on the boys before he went to bed. This is what he saw when checking on Austin.

I am so grateful that he loves to read!

Swimming

2011-06-12T20:21:00.000-06:00

Friday afternoon we took the boys swimming. I was really surprised to find the pool empty. So we had a blast all by ourselves. Austin and Braiden have been asking to go for a while now. Tyler was a little scared in the beginning but he soon got used to the water and enjoyed himself.

We had a great time. I am so glad that we have a pool that we have access to and it free.

Soccer Clinic

2011-06-09T03:00:00.000-06:00

Today both Austin and Braiden attended a free soccer clinic. Austin has played 2 years of soccer but this was Braiden's first time ever playing any kind of organized sport.

Here the kids were learning some basic rules about soccer. Don't pick up the ball with your hands and keep the ball close to you.

Their two coaches were amazing. They were from England and are from the largest soccer clinic in the USA and Canada. They had some of the best teaching skills I have ever seen for children. First they split the kids into 2 groups. One group were the Donkeys and the others were Shrek. Shrek had to chase the donkeys and pull their tales (practice jerseys) off. The second drill was kind of like red light green light. The kids asked the Bad Wolf what time it was and the kids could bring the soccer ball down the field. If the bad wolf turned around and said dinner time they had to freeze or the wolf would eat their ball. Next the kids were all surfers who were trying to get their soccer ball across the ocean. The coaches were crabs who would turn them into crabs. If the crab got your ball then you became a crab and tried to steal the soccer balls from the surfers. The last drill included parents. The parents were the cops and the children were robbers. The cops tried to get the kids and put them in jail. The kids had a blast trying to keep their soccer balls away from the cops to avoid jail time. If the kids were caught then they had to go to jail and pay a fine of jumping jacks.

Both Austin and Braiden had a blast at the clinic. This just got them excited to start their soccer season which is in the fall.

Basketball

2011-06-09T02:45:00.002-06:00

This month is a little busy for Austin. He has Basketball during the early afternoon then in the evening he goes to baseball. This is his first time ever playing basketball. I LOVE basketball and was so excited for him to learn it. These pictures are not the best quality because they were taken with my phone.

Learning how to dribble the ball.

All the kids with their coach.

Learning how to do a layup.

Practice shooting.

He has only gone twice to this clinic and has many more days to come. He so far is really enjoying it.

Here are some of the pictures the coach's wife took.

Baseball

2011-06-03T14:23:00.002-06:00

Austin officially started his Baseball season this week. We are lucky to have the same coach from last year. Austin is so excited to learn more and get better at the sport.

Here the kids are warming up prior to the game.

Austin's first time up to bat.

Then off he goes to second base.

Here he is getting there safely.

Here is Austin playing defense on second base.

Now it's time to shake the other teams hands and tell them what a good job they did!

His first game was a success. Although we don't keep score at this age, they all did a great job! Austin is getting better at every game and practice. Anthony has been working with him in the backyard with throwing and catching. He now needs to work on hitting the ball better.

2011 Braves Baseball Team

Crazy Tyler

2011-05-31T20:39:00.000-06:00

Our neighbors brought over cookies. When Anthony opened the door Bella decided to escape. So Anthony put the cookies on the counter and ran after the dog. When he returned he found Tyler sitting on the floor eating all the cookies. Tyler was able to safely climb up our chair, get the cookies off the kitchen counter, then back to the floor all without dropping them. He is our crazy monkey. Luckily he didn't eat them all because our neighbor is an amazing baker!

New Chow Chow

2011-05-27T14:58:00.001-06:00

Almost a year ago our family lost an amazing dog. Mariah has and will continue to be greatly missed. My mother and Wally have been searching for another dog for a while. Tuesday they found what they have been looking for.

Makayla was born on March 11, 2011. They found her in an ad on KSL. At first I was nervous about them getting another Chow but the boys met her yesterday and seemed to really like her.

Of course who couldn't just love this little ball of fur? Even Tyler was laughing and playing with her. He wouldn't sit for a picture. The next step is to introduce my crazy puppy, Bella. Makayla is so calm that I think Bella would tackle her and scare her.

PreSchool Graduation

2011-05-23T13:04:00.000-06:00

Last week Braiden ended his school year with a graduation. He had so much fun in school and is counting down the days for Kindergarten to begin. He had such great teachers for preschool who really helped him enjoy learning. Here are the 3 pictures I took from his graduation.

Our Boys

2011-05-08T22:39:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago the boys got their Easter pictures taken by Angie. Some of them turned out really good even though they were not into taking them that day.

Austin looks like a missionary in training.

Braiden did the best with the smiles.

Our crazy little Tyler needed some help. So I was behind him tickling his back. That is how we got this shot.

Of course we had to try one with Bella. However no one except Austin would smile.

We originally had blue balloons too but they popped for no reason.

This one is my favorite. It captures all three of their personalities.

Easter Activities

2011-04-24T22:03:00.003-06:00

We started our Easter fun at Thanksgiving Point. We got up bright and early to drive up to Lehi for all the fun activities they had planned.

Our first activity was a short train ride around part of the park.

Tyler saw this train and wanted to ride. So he and I stood in line while Austin and Braiden went on some of the older kids bounce houses. They met up with us when it was our turn to get on the cow train.

They had potato sack races.

Bean bag tosses.

They had an Easter Egg hunt by ages also. There were so many kids and not enough eggs for them. I wasn't able to get any pictures of them hunting eggs because I was too busy making sure my kids didn't get trampled by the other adults. It was so badly organized with major chaos. I kids only got about 4-6 eggs each. Tyler was so scared with all the people around him he didn't understand exactly what he was expected to do.

So after Austin and Braiden's age group egg hunt we packed up and drove to the best Easter fun we have ever had.

These are the kids waiting patiently for the largest egg hunt in history. Kara planned an amazing fun packed day for the kids.

She also decided that the older kids should have some type of handicap. So Branden taped their legs together so they would have a harder time walking.

Let the egg hunt begin!

Now that there weren't a thousand kids trampling him, Tyler was able to enjoy the hunt.

Austin stopped to pose for one quick shot.

Run Forest Run!

After the kids found all the eggs they allowed us to get one shot of all of them together. The hunt lasted about 15-20 min. They had to find over 400 eggs.

Then Ted had them all line up for a ride down the zip line.

Thanks to Kara we had an AMAZING Easter! The kids really enjoyed all the events we participated in.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T00:01:00.006-06:00

Hope everyone has a fun Easter!

Busy Day

2011-04-18T20:07:00.000-06:00

Saturday was so busy for us. It started by moving most of our furniture into different rooms so all of are carpets could be cleaned. After that was done we went outside to start planting our bulbs that we bought a few weeks ago. 68 bulbs later we were ready to put in our new bark for all the flower beds. The boys helped a little but quickly got bored with the manual labor. So they played with the next door neighbor. Tyler did really well staying by us most of the time. Then we went to purchase our hanging flowers. After some of the flowers come up I will post a picture. The boys did a great job waiting for us to finish in the front yard. So their reward was to go to the doughnut factory A.K.A Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

Tyler loved watching the doughnuts get iced and drop to the next tray. The kids love going to the doughnut factory. If only they were fat free!

My Work

2011-04-17T19:57:00.000-06:00

I have been working as a dispatcher for over 6 years now. Over those years I have trained several people. Sadly the majority of those I have trained have not been able to do the job or have decided that this job just isn't what they want to do. However my first trainee who has ever completed the training program was honored this last week. I am really proud of her and all of her accomplishments. Congratulations Ciara for being chosen as the Dispatcher of the Year. Please click here to read about her from our Mayor.

Nursery

2011-04-17T19:17:00.000-06:00

Today was Tyler's first day in Nursery. He is doing so good in Sacrament meeting now and I knew he would just LOVE Nursery. I checked in on him after Sunday School and found him playing with a bunch of other kids. He saw me looking through the window and just smiled. That is right no crying for this child. No separation anxiety for my kids. Nope they wave goodbye to us and could care less that we leave. I guess I should be grateful and not be sad that my kids love to see us go. Kidding aside I know how blessed I am to easy going children!

Name

2011-04-11T21:20:00.001-06:00

Braiden learned how to write his name. He was so excited to show me what he wrote in chalk on our porch. He has been working very hard to get his name down. He just loves school and can't wait to start kindergarten next year.

Mural Activity for Kids

2011-04-09T14:26:00.001-06:00

For a school project Angie put together a fun day of painting for kids. The boys had a great time getting messy.

1st Grader Honesty Play

2011-04-09T14:16:00.001-06:00

Thursday night our family attended Austin's first ever school play. It was titled Honesty. The first part was about an emperor who gave seeds to all the children in the land. Little did they know that the seeds were defective and not able to grow anything. When the children brought their pots to the emperor they all had flowers in them. With only one exception. One honest boy explained that he did everything he could to make the flower grow but nothing would sprout. The emperor then crowed him King over the land because he was the only honest one.

Austin was one of the narrators. He had two lines which he had memorized perfectly.

His lines were:

"All the children in the land were to come to the palace." "The guards made sure that all the children went to see the emperor."

He did such a great job saying his parts.

The children also sang songs and finish with a skit about Abraham Lincoln.

We all enjoyed the play. All the 1st graders did an excellent job!

Movie Time

2011-04-02T19:54:00.000-06:00

Today we took the kids to see Hop.

We were sure how Tyler was going to be in the movie theater but he did pretty well considering his age. These pictures were taken with my phone so they are kind of blurry and bright.

Austin LOVED the movie. He sat in his seat the entire time. It was almost like he wasn't even there. Good thing we remembered bringing him! Totally kidding I would never forget my Pastinator.

The movie was really cute. I totally recommend going to see it.

Quick Trip

2011-03-29T23:02:00.000-06:00

This last weekend Anthony and I took a quick trip. My brother, Ted called us up and invited us to spend the weekend with him in Disneyland. You don't have to ask me twice so it was a huge YES! Alexis, Joe, Anthony and I all joined Ted and his family. Some of Ted's employees also came.

So of course it would be hard to break it to the kids. How does a parent explain that they are going to Disneyland without their kids? Well as much as my kids love the happiest place on earth they love their Grandparents more. As Austin would say, "Long Hair Grandma" came to town! Anthony's parents were gracious enough to drive all the way from California to babysit for us and the Paez children. Junior was nice enough to drive to pick up the kids from school and take Marrissa back on Friday. This is the picture we received showing us that they were all home and safe from school.

One of the nights they made homemade pizza. Notice John and Tyler's hands. Yummy!

They also made cookies!

Then on the last night they rented movies and ate popcorn. I am so grateful that our boys have such great grandparents! They are so amazing. Not once did we have to worry about them when we were gone. I think this was the kids funnest visit with Long Hair Grandma and Grandpa!

We had a great time in Disneyland. I am not sure I could do it again without my kids. We missed them SO much, but it was nice to getaway with just adults.

2011-03-17T18:01:00.002-06:00

Lake Powell

2011-03-13T21:12:00.002-06:00

Anthony and Joe went down to Lake Powell last weekend. Every time they go fishing I ask for them to take pictures. This time he actually did! These are the photos he came back with.

Reading

2011-03-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight Austin decided to complete his 20 minute reading by reading to his brothers. Too bad they didn't want to stay the whole 20 min. but I was able to snap these photos.

Scholar of the Month

2011-03-03T15:13:00.001-07:00

About a week ago Austin came home with an invitation from his teacher. It was inviting his parents to join him for a special awards ceremony. So on Monday after I dropped Braiden off at pre-school, Tyler and I went to see what Austin was awarded. The principle gave all kinds of awards out. Each class received some for being kind, achieving set goals and one student from each class received the Scholar of the Month award. To my surprise Austin's name was called for Scholar of the Month.

Austin has been working very hard each day to complete his 20 minute reading requirement set by his teacher. He has been receiving 100% each week on his spelling tests and is doing extremely well in math. I am not sure how or why my child would excel in reading, math and spelling but somehow the education gene was passed onto him. We are VERY proud of his achievements in school this year. I am very glad his hard work was acknowledged.

Jump On It

2011-03-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I forgot to upload these pictures in January. We took the kids and Marissa to Jump On It. This was Tyler's first visit. They all had a blast.

Marissa was chasing the boys around with stuffed basketballs. They had fun trying to dodge her attempts but most the time they hit them.

Marissa is such a HUGE help to us anywhere we go. I can't wait until she can drive. I am sure she will be used often for a babysitter! The boys just LOVE her!

Hunter's Batizm

2011-02-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today was such a special day in our family. Hunter Hansen my brother Branden's oldest got baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My father was the one who baptized Hunter.

My Oldest Brother Ted did the confirmation so Hunter could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

These are the missionaries that taught Hunter the gospel.

The Hansen Family

These are all the children who were able to witness this special day!

Friends or Enemies?

2011-02-18T12:58:00.001-07:00

My camera broke so this is off my cell phone.

Bella tries so hard to be next to Kitty but the cat just isn't having it. Sometimes I catch Kitty chasing Bella around like she wants to play but I have come to the conclusion that Kitty is harassing Bella. Bella tries to play friendly with her but always ends up being hit by her paw or scratched by her claws. I am sure they will learn to get along and hopefully like each other. That day can't come soon enough!

2011-02-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Car Ride

2011-02-10T00:11:00.001-07:00

Today I decided to allow Bella to join us in the adventure of picking up the boys at school. Originally I thought she would just sit in Braiden's car seat and look out the window. However Bella had a different spot in mind.

Tyler allowed her to sit there for about one minute. Then he had enough and she was moved to the front seat. However when Austin got in the car she was able to sit with him the entire ride back home. The boys are so happy to have Bella. I couldn't even imagine how fun it could be to watch them with a new puppy. She is really a great dog and we are all very happy with our decision to bring her home.

New Puppy

2011-02-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Bella is our new addition to our family. She was born on December 4th 2010. Today we bought her from a breeder selling cocker spaniel puppies in the Walmart parking lot. We went shopping for groceries and brought back a puppy. So far she has been a great addition to our family. However we haven't had her overnight yet so we will see how that goes. Kitty seems to be fine with her. Mainly because she is half her size.

2011-01-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

The kids pictures finally came back. I guess their school had a ton of re-takes. I am very happy with both of their pictures. Last year Austin's looked horrible. He didn't even smile. So we practiced a lot before the photo shoot.

New Years Eve

2011-01-04T22:25:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the new year at the Paez house this year. Well I guess that is no different than any of the other years.

We ate, visited, and played a ton of games. Even the kids played with us.

Tyler thought it was his turn to draw a picture. He kept erasing the other teams score. We called him our little distraction for the other team.

Poor Ted hurt his shoulder and arm on Christmas. So he didn't participate in the games.

The countdown is on!

Happy New Year! We are so blessed to have a great family! It was so much fun to spend the holidays this year with my side and Anthony's parents.

I am sure this year will be just as fun and exciting as last year!

Provo River Trail

2011-01-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

The other day we had some time to kill while we were in Provo. So to stay close to were we needed to go we decided that we would get out and walk part of the river trail. Man was it COLD!

I was a little nervous having Austin this close to the water but Anthony was sure that he would not fall in. Yeah like I have never heard that one. Luckily no one fell in!

The boys quickly started a snowball fight with Grandpa Junior. It was pretty funny to see them throw the snow then start running in a different direction to avoid getting hit.

Poor Tyler was so cold. I decided to zip him up in my jacket to give him some of my body heat. It worked because he wanted out as soon as he warmed up.

Sadly Braiden didn't get away fast enough. A snowball hit him right in the face. As you can see he was not liking it at all. I guess he can throw them but not take them.

Thanksgiving Point

2011-01-03T23:28:00.000-07:00

This post is coming a few weeks late. A few weeks prior to Christmas my Father and his wife came for a visit. All of my siblings and their families were able to go out to eat and then take a trolley around Thanksgiving Point to see their Christmas lights. I had no idea you could even rent a trolley there. My dad found it in one of their mailings. It was so much fun to have all of us together in the same vehicle.

Tyler was so interested in the Reindeer that he would not even look at me for a good picture.

Here are all the kids waiting for the trolley to arrive.

Austin and John were lucky. They got to sit in the front of the Trolley.

Afterwards we went inside and got some hot chocolate. It was really funny to see the worker's face when my dad said, "I need 17 hot chocolates please".

Like always we had a great time being with family. I am glad Grandma Majean was able to join us!

Snow Days

2010-12-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

We have had a few days with a ton of snow. On this morning it took me 25 minutes to get home from work. When I got home, Anthony was outside trying to dig his work van out of the snow. He had turned on our Christmas lights and this is what our tree looked like.

Even his truck was covered. Since the roads were bad he decided to take a snow day from work. He wasn't the only one. Austin's school also took a snow day.

So when the snow finally stopped coming down we went outside and played. This was Tyler's first time being in the snow. He didn't really like it much. He kept falling down.

Austin is getting ready to start the snowball fight.

While we were out front our neighbors came by and dropped off a plate full of cookies. They were so good. Sadly I was only able to try one. The boys devoured the rest.

Austin wanted to make a snow Angel. I tried to get one of Braiden but once his back got cold he quickly got up.

Then the boys started to make our very first snowman. Our street had several houses with snowmen in the front yards. Ours didn't even come close to being as big as theirs but they had fun making it anyways.

See how sad ours looks. We called him the shrinking head snowman. He only made it a few hours because it started raining and the rain melted him away.

Christmas Day

2010-12-29T14:24:00.002-07:00

I guess Santa had no problem finding our house. Here is a picture of some of the gifts that were dropped off.

The kids got up at an early 10:30am. Yep that's right we were able to sleep in. I heard Austin up first then Braiden shortly after. Braiden was so excited to get started that he came running down the stairs and right over to the gifts. Austin being the mature 6 year old advised him that he needed to wait until Mom and Dad were up and downstairs too.

Here are the kids and Sissy showing off some of their gifts. We had a blanket made for Sissy with pictures of all her grandchildren on it.

This year Anthony and I exchanged gifts. Most the time we spend all our money on the children. So I sent Joe out to the store with money and had him buy fishing stuff for Anthony. When I picked up the purchases from him I went home and wrapped each gift separately. About 30 different fishing items were in this Christmas bag. It took him a while to get them all open. He thought I bought 100 $1.00 gift cards. That would have been funny!

This year we bought Junior a new motorcycle helmet. His old was had been through 2 or 3 accidents and needed to be replaced. I don't particularly care for motorcycles but I would rather have his head protected anyway.

After opening up all the gifts, we ate breakfast. Well I guess you would call it lunch.

Sadly Tyler was sick on Christmas. He did really good for the most part but he was tired of all the pictures and ready for a nap before we went over to my mom's house for dinner.

We showed up at mom's around 4pm for dinner.

After dinner we sat around and visited. Most of the kids were in the basement playing while the adults were upstairs sharing stories.

We had a great Christmas. The Palm Family, Paez Family, Catterson Family, Fischer Family, Hansen Family, and Norene family all were together to share the holiday. I am so grateful for an amazing family. The only ones missing were Ted and his family. They spent this year with the Rogers. We are looking forward to New Years Eve to all be together again.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-29T13:13:00.002-07:00

Christmas Eve every year we go to the Fischer's house for homemade pizza. This year I forgot my camera so I have posted the ones that Becca took. All of them are of the kids, being crazy!

Like every year we had a great time. The food was good and we enjoyed visiting with our family and friends.

When we got home, the kids made sure that the reindeer food was spread all over our front yard. They wanted to make sure Santa found our house. We also left Santa some apple pie. The kids thought he would be sick of eating cookies. So we opted for a different treat. He must have liked it because it was all gone the next morning.

Letter to Santa

2010-12-19T16:27:00.001-07:00

Today Austin wrote and mailed a letter to Santa.

He was so excited to write a letter to Santa. He completed it by himself. No help from mom or dad. After church today he took it to the mailbox and dropped it off.

I hope Santa gets it in time. I know we are way late but I am sure Santa has been watching him all year long and knows that he has been a good boy.