Loving Life

Brock's sports

2011-04-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

One thing we have realized to our relief is Brock loves sports. We both are past athletes and really hoped our kids would feel the same way. He has played just about every sport and here are a couple of them. He did flag football for the last year, yes he really wants to play tackle and since they do it in 1st grade, he can. It is a little scary for Mom but he will try that in the fall. So here are the flag football pictures.

He also played basketball with the city and had so much fun! He is a good little athlete! So fun to see him develop these talents.

Briggs in nursery

2011-03-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

So after a lot of coaxing and sitting in there with him, Briggs now loves nursery. He loves the friends in there, songs, snacks and leaders. So he now looks forward to going. But 3 weeks ago we feared that it changed. He had a run in with the wall. He is a very rambunctious little boy and when given the chance to run around the table he will take it. So apparently they all decided to run around the snack table. Briggs tripped and hit the wall divider, which is sharp and metal, not a good combo. I just walked into Relief Society when a good friend came to pull me out and say calmly Briggs fell and is bleeding. I wasn't too concerned until all I saw red, he was covered in blood. I know heads bleed but I have never seen so much blood. I had a friend call Barrett cause he was home with Brock who was sick. Then we brought him home and finally calmed him down and cleaned him up. It stopped bleeding and Barrett thought a butterfly band aid would keep it together and wouldn't need stitches. I thought it would for sure need stitches, but it is looking good now! In this picture he is being tough, cause we kept telling him that to help calm him down. Being pregnant didnt help my emotions but I kept it together for the most part. The primary president and bishop showed up later that week to make sure he was ok, which was very nice!

New Year, new life, new dreams!!

2011-01-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

So a happy new year to everyone! We are glad once again to say goodbye to another crazy year. New dreams of a better, more successful year. No more layoffs please!!! But some wonderful news, now that it is official( we heard the heartbeat), we are expecting #4 and final :) Our new bundle is due August 5, so hopes of a July baby!! We are excited, ready (I think), and grateful!

Click Here For Images &
Baby On Board Pictures - Pictures

The Holidays

2011-01-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was freezing cold and I signed up to run a 5k that morning. I couldn't back out even though I know some people did. It was 9 degrees, burrrrrr. It was still fun to get up and get a good workout in on turkey day. Barrett missed flag football so I could too, how sweet!! Then we went up to his aunt and uncle for dinner which was delicious! Very grateful for the invite and the kids had fun in a new place.

Christmas seemed to come so fast, but never soon enough for the kids. What a fun year, they are all at very good fun ages! We enjoyed seeing them wake up and find what Santa brought! It is so much so fast but we loved it. Briggs was so cute when he woke up and got out of bed, he was still sleepy, so he kept repeating, "I'm walking, I'm walking." We spent Christmas eve and my parents getting spoiled and enjoying the true reason for the season! Then went over to Barrett's mom's that day for some more fun, food, and presents. We were very blessed and spoiled! Pictures will come soon!

Halloween

2010-11-21T13:44:00.001-08:00

These are cute kids on Halloween! Brock was a vampire, Briggs a dragaon and Sammi was a spooky witch. They loved putting the makeup on and getting dressed up!

Circus

2010-11-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

We got to see the animals outside before the circus. Then we went inside and got close up with a few different acts! The kids loved it. Sammi was a little nervous with being so close to the really tall guys and clowns. The elephants were amazing and even did a painting all on his own! All in all so glad we had the chance to go as a family. It was really fun!

Sammi's Birthday

2010-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

About a month into school Sammi turned 5. She is so close to the deadline, but misses it. She is so tall, she is going to tower over those kindergartners next year. So this year for Sammi it was just our family party and we decided to take everyone to the circus. We had so much fun seeing all the animals and many neat tricks! They all loved the motorcycles in the round cage, that was my favorite as a kid too! On the night of her actual birthday we had her favorite dinner of eggs and bacon made by Dad and some cake and ice cream. She got to go out with Grandma and Grandpa Wootton and eat dinner and go shopping. Then a few weeks later she had a fun sleepover at Grandma Loves! She was spoiled with toys, clothes and lots of love!
We love you Sammi!
some of my favorite things about her are
-she loves her Dad so much!
-she loves to help me cook
-she wants to wear lipstick every day
-even though we but heads at times, we are a lot a like and it is fun to have a little me!
-she loves to dance and play house
-loves babies and prays a lot that we can have a girl baby sometime :)
- she learned to ride her bike without training wheels
- not afraid of the water and is a great swimmer.
- learning to read and is doing great!
- loves pink!
lots and lots of wonderful things about her!

First Day or School!

2010-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Here they are, better late than never! This is the 1st day of school for Brock and Sammi. Brock is in 2nd and has Miss Bennett, which he loves. Something interesting we discovered is this is his third B teacher, preschool- Mrs. Buxton K- was Mrs. Ball, 1st- was Miss Brown. Kind of funny. Sammi is at learning dynamics also with Mrs. Buxton for pre-school! They fortunately love school! Briggs has a hard time sometimes when they are both gone but we enjoy time alone too!

New Posts coming!!

2010-11-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

School, Sammis bday, Halloween, etc! I am so behind but will update soon!

Family Pictures

2010-10-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

We had family pictures taken at the end of the summer and here are a few of them. We are so happy with them they turned out great! I laugh so hard when I look at Briggs in them, he is so crazy and wouldn't sit still, he was jumping off that bucket and running around like crazy!! It was a cute little run down house, barn thing in PG! Loved our photographer too, she did great!

Sisters trip

2010-08-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

The beautiful beach!
align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_l0ycrCiTzEU/THPmg3wdVWI/AAAAAAAAAZs/SyYM1Ul12qM/s320/Picture+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509000221601650018" />
My sisters and I were able to go on a trip just us, no kids or hubby's, and it was so fun. We were minus 1 sister and we missed her but the 3 of us had a blast. I now truly appreciate having all sisters and no brothers it is nice to raise our kids, help, listen,and do fun things together. We went to Orange County, CA. We spent some time at yummy restaurants, trying to get around with a GPS, talking in the hotel, working out, and most of all on the beach! I love the beach and the relaxation you feel hearing the waves crash and laying on the beach. We also did some kayaking out in the ocean! We laughed harder than we had in a long time! I love my sisters and am so glad we were able to spend this much deserved and needed time together!

Utah Valley Half Marthon

2010-07-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

I did my 2nd half marathon June 12! My first half was 3 years ago when Sammi was 18mo. I wanted to try a different course and heard good things about the Utah Valley one, because it is mostly down hill :)! The training went pretty good, the weather never really cooperated during the race but I ran through it. I was mentally more prepared and had fun. I have lots of freinds who run, but ended up doing this one on my own. I am good with that I like my music and it is very therapuetic. I was very happy with my time, I just wanted to beat my first time and did by like 20min. I had about 2:37! My wonderful hubby and kids were there to see me run in and were very supportive during the training. Barrett even got up at 3:30 with me to take to to the start line. The weather wasn't great for June but you learn to run in anything in Utah! It was beautiful to run down provo canyon, past bridal veil falls, and into Provo.

Swim lessons

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

We did the first round of swim lessons this past week, the 2nd week of June, and Brock and Sammi did great. We go to a great house in PG with a pool and wonderful teachers. We have now for 3 years and they do a great job. Barrett was able to come and watch a day and the kids were so excited to show him what they can do. I am so proud of them both, they each moved to the next level! Brock moved to level 4 which has 10, 11, even 13 yrs old. He will learn breast stroke, side stroke and practice the other 3 strokes he knows, going down and back the whole length of the pool on his own. He can also tread water great, 2 min at a time no problem. He is such a good little swimmer and we are very proud! Sammi did great in level 2 and will start to swim across the pool on her own, the short distance, learning freestyle and back stroke. She is very comfortable on her own which is so nice. Here are some pictures of them both!

Soccer

2010-06-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am so behind, so I am trying to catch up on everything that has been going on! This spring Brock and Sammi were able to play soccer with the city. They both did great and loved playing. Sammi didn't have quite the drive yet, being her first year, but she did score a few goals and was taller than most of the other kids. We will see if she wants to play again. I hope so!
Brock did great and loved having a little more structure as he gets older. They were able to have goalies and some defenders. He really liked playing goalie, but really did well as foward attacking the ball. He is definently one of the tougher kids, he's not afraid of anyone! We were so proud! Barrett help coach Brocks team which made it a little trick to watch both games when Brock and Sammi games overlapped each other. I love seeing them play sports and figure out what they are good at and love!

Brock

2010-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Brock had his birthday on May 9 and we celebrated together as a family. We decided to do a friend party every other year and I really like the idea. The kids aren't too sure, but we enjoyed a day at Boondocks with just the five of us. Then on Sunday, also mother's day Brock and I enjoyed breakfast in bed. Daddy did such a good job spoiling us both. Then Grandmas and Grandpa came over for some cake and ice cream. I can't believe he is 7 and next year will be getting baptized. He is such a big helper. I love having him around more this summer. He is also very very smart. Loves math and loved 1st grade. He got a bee bee gun which he wanted for a while and a couple of wii games. We love Brock so much and hope he had a great day.

Briggs

2010-05-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

April...
So April had a nice start with a job and midway through we had another birthday. Briggs turned 2, holy cow my baby is 2. He is so fun, loving, tender, crazy, busy, and we love every bit of him. We woke him up to presents and surprises, I think his favorite is the little mini spider man four wheeler. He drives that thing like he owns the place. Some things I love about Briggs at 2'
>He is still a momma's boy, Brock barely lasted till 1.
>He says yeah for everything, mid cry you ask, "are you ok?" and he responds, "Yeah"
>He has the highest pitch scream to ever come out of a boy maybe even any 2 year old.
>He is not afraid of anything.
>He will climb up or jump off just about anything.
>He is totally turing into a toe head, no more strawbery :(
>He will always cuddle with me.
>He would rather sleep on the floor than in his crib/toddler bed. So he now sleeps on a sleeping bag?/ Whatever works right?
>He stills climbs in our bed at least once a night.
>He has a mean bite, you make him mad, or take something he will bite, ask Sammi :(
>He loves fruit snacks, he could eat 5 a day if I let him.
>He still struggles when he is left with a sitter. Crying and wants me.
>maybe that why He wont go to nursery either.
>He loves shoes, wants them on first thing after he is dressed and usually wont take them off.
>He loves Brock and doing anything he is doing
>He loves his binky
>He does not like sleeping especially alone
>He loves going places in the car
>Falls asleep in random places, the floor being the most frequent

He had such a great day with his family. Grandma Love and Grandma and Grandpa Wootton came over for a bbq and some cake and ice cream. He got some trucks, blocks, diggers and clothes!
I could go on and on, but we will stop there. Happy Birthday Briggs! WE Love you!!

Where do we begin....

2010-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I want to give a brief update of our March events. So Barrett turned the big 30 on March 10th and I tried to do something special, but all I came up with was laser tagging and dinner with some great friends. We have truly made some amazing friends from Saratoga Springs and we now have an annual dinner at Tucanos! The guys love the meat and the girls love to chat and enjoy the company. Laser Tag was a blast and made us feel young again. We were probably the oldest there for sure! We put girls against guys and they killed us, but we still had fun trying to find them and tripping up stairs! Then March 11th I turned 29, yeah I will be in my 20's one more year. WE went to see Avatar and got a quick bite to eat. I was very spoiled with some nice running shoes and running clothes. It is pretty fun to have our birthdays right next to eachother. It does seem like an anniversary or valentines, but Barrett does always make it special for me.
Also in March was the first of 4 interviews with Wadman construction. They started with a phone interview then went on to 2 interview with managers to 1 interview with the president and v.p. of Wadman. It was a long process and we were very stressed and anxious, but they did hire Barrett as a temporary employee, then after 90 days as a superintendent. It was a huge blessing and we are so grateful to have the work. It was a wierd way of hiring and not loving the trial period, but they really seem to like Barrett and have big plans as soon as his hours are up with the temp agency. We will not ask questions and just be grateful for the work. We have learned so much through this time and are truly grateful to go through this. We have had so many prayers, fasts, and kind gestures for or to us.Thank you to you all! What a humbling experience and now we hope to be able to pay it forward. He started April 1, 2010 and they have kept him pretty busy, not always doing what he loves to do, but it all pays the same!:)
I am so proud of him and truly look up to him and his hard work ethic and good attitude. They wanted you for a reason and I am grateful for that!!

Basketball

2010-03-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Brock was able to play rec league basketball for the first time. He loved it too! This is the first time Barrett didn't coach him, but it went well! Brock has loved his coach. WE are learning he is very hard on himself and wants to be the best, so that is something we are trying to work with him on. He can dribble great and shoots really good too. His best game he made 8 baskets, he was so excited!! WE love coming to the games and watching him discover his talents!

Soccer

2010-03-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is such a bad picture so don't look too close! It was right after a game.

So I have started playing indoor soccer, I guess now 2 seasons. I play with some people in our ward on a coed team and it has been pretty fun! It took me a minute to remember the game but thank goodness I had experience from high school. It is really fast paced and a great work out. I have really had fun!

Here is a brief catchup of the holidays

2010-02-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful we were so blessed and had such a nice Christmas! The kids
were very happy too. We definently cut back but I don't know that the kids even noticed. We(Santa) made Sammi a dollhouse, which turned out so cute. It was fun to work on together and keeping the kids out of the garage was a challenge! But it turned out perfect! She loved it and plays with it more and more everyday. Brock got Madden on Wii and loves it! Briggs got some wonderful slightly used toys and has no clue and loves them all! We had Barrett's Mom over Christmas Eve and helped wrapped up presents. Barrett and I were very grateful to be able to give our kids a wondeful Christmas, that was our only desire for this Christmas! We had many wonderfull generous and loving family and friends help us out during this time! Many drop offs we still to this day don't know from who, but also some we know very well and can't tell them how much we appreciate there willingness to sacrafice on our behalf and share with us during this Christmas season!

The New Year was fun, we spent the night with friends playing games and enjoying eachothers company. Hoping we can end this past year and start a new and better year in many ways. HOpefully a job, being #1!But many more goals and a great start to a new year.

Pictures will come soon!

New Rooms!

2009-12-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

We recently moved Brock down stairs so he could have his own room. He is getting so big and insisted on needing alone time, and Sammi wasn't giving him any. We have 3 more bedrooms downstairs and he wasn't nervous at all so we went to work combining the two offices and moving Brock's bed downstairs. He wanted a sports room and we did our best, still in the works though. Sammi was able to have her own room upstairs now and she wanted a pink one! So to help with the transition of sleeping by herself we let her pick some paint and we painted her room! It turned out really cute!! I still want some new furniture for her but the painting and flowers are darling! Barrett is so great with all my projects! He helped so much with the painting and moving! Thanks hun!I must say that everyone is doing great in there own rooms. Brock is not scared at all and Sammi sleeps in later than everyone now! Yeah!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T12:52:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for! Last Monday we did family home evening about gratitude and we each made a list of everything we are grateful for. Brock did his own and Sammi got help from Dad. I helped Briggs with one too. It was so nice to see what everyone is thankful for, even remind myself, that although we are going through this trial, we have so many blessings. I love those moments together as a family. We all put eachother at the top of the list. I love my family so much! We spent the day with my family first eating at a church with my Mom's side of the family, (grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) there was a lot of people. Then we went back to my parents and ate some more . Then my Dad bought us all tickets to see Christmas Carol! The kids really liked it, even though the ghosts were a bit scary. We back to eat more and play games! All in all a great day with lots of eating!

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

We carved pumpkins this year just with our little family! It was fun and we kept them really simple. The kids loved drawing on the pumpkins and picking out the design. They all, even Briggs liked cleaning them out. Then Brock had a halloween parade at his school and Sammi had a little party at pre-school. We got together with my family and had a fun party with all the cousins in there costumes. Then on Halloween the kids went trunk or treating with there cousin Savannah at our ward building.Brock was Indiana Jones, Sammi was a unicorn, and Briggs was the cutest giraffe!

Flag Football

2009-10-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

This was Brock's 1st year to play flag football and he loved every minute of it!Barrett and Eric were coaches again and they were able to teach them a few plays and have lots of fun doing it! It was so fun to watch. They did really good and tried really hard. It was combined with 2nd graders and we were definently short on 2nd graders on our team so some games were a little frustrating. The difference between 1st and 2nd grade is pretty big so they struggle at times. They still had a lot of fun and we did win a few games! Way to go Brock!

I like Daddy being around!

2009-10-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Today I went on a run outside while Sammi was at pre-school and Barrett was home with Briggs. It is so nice to be able to go running during the day! This is what I came home to! I thought it was the cutest thing ever! I have enjoyed having him around more and the kids like it too! One plus to being unemployed!

Hunter's wife

2009-10-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

So I decided I am not a good wife of a hunter. There are amazing women around me that support and actually go hunting with there husbands. Not me and my cute hubby says he wouldn't want me there anyway! So Barrett took off early Friday for the combo Elk and Deer tag he was so excited to get! The plan was Friday thru Tuesday all along and I thought I would be fine with that(if he was employed.) But of course as he is packing and getting all his gear ready, I start to get quiet. Barrett sees the frustration and says "do you want me to come home Sunday?" I reply, "well no, I just don't understand why it takes 5 days, that is a really long time." Barrett: "OK I will come home Sunday." Ash:"Really it is OK, that was the plan all along and I will be fine. Don't come back for me, but what if you get a job interview or offer." Barrett: "I am coming back Sunday."
So as he called to confirm today that I need to pick him up and he will be there Sunday at 1, I was kind of happy, but also feeling bad. He hasn't got anything yet!

Today though Brock brought it all back into perspective for me. I was sitting down after dragging all 3 kids to the dollar store as promised, buy milk and pizza for dinner, and then in and out of the tub after practically mopping the whole floor due to splashing, to fold some of thier laundry. I started to explain to Brock how hard it is to do this parenting thing alone and how tired I am. I told him I really needed his help! He said "Mom I will help you" and started folding laundry with me, which lasted all of 2 items. Then he asked "did you not want Daddy to go hunting?" I replied, "Well no, yes, I guess so, I think it is good to have hobbies and I want him to enjoy his time and have fun. I know he loves it. It is just hard to do it alone." Thinking nothing of it and expecting to never hear about it again we carried on. We did our regular bedtime routine and were saying prayers, Sammi wanted Brock to help her, so he did. It started out the same old thing then in closing he shocked me when he said, "we ask thee to give Mom help from the Lord." I felt the tears coming, but tried to hold it together to give him a huge hug and say thank you for that special prayer! I am so amazed how kids can bring it back to perspective and say it like it is! I thought wow, even Brock knows what I should do. Have I prayed for help while Barrett is gone? No. I have prayed for protection for us both and to watch over us and a job. I didn't simply ask for help. All we have to do is ask and it shall be given us. What a good reminder for me! I am so grateful for my Lord and I know He can and will help me. I am not the perfect wife or mother and I don't have to be. But I do need to be willing to ask for help. Thanks Brock!! I just wanted to journal that so I could remember that special moment!

Sammi is 4!

2009-10-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sammi had her birthday on Tuesday Sept. 29. I have to say how grateful we are to have her in our family! She is a little drama queen that from birth has always butt heads with me, but I love having another girl in the family. Barrett says we struggle because we are so much alike, I disagree. She is in pre-school for the first time in someones home this year and is doing great. She is learning her letters and numbers and making great friends. She loves going to school and can't wait for the days she gets to go. She loves girly things like dress ups, princesses, polly pockets and of course anything pink. She has taken gymnastics and can't wait to try dance. She also loves to play with the boys and do anything from super heroes to football with Brock and Dad. Her best friend is a little boy named Dylan whom she is going to also marry:)! She is so sweet and kind yet always wants her way!! She loves to help when she can and listens pretty good! I can't believe she is four already. I love seeing her grow and change into a beautiful little girl!
She keeps saying I am four and I got four parties. Which was true and will never happen again. We got together with my family on Saturday. I made the lovely Barbie cake, she loved it and got to help, that is all that matters(it was pretty scary in person). Then on Sunday Barrett's family came over and we celebrated again. My sister in law Nicole made that awesome present cake which delicious and beautiful. We decided she is making cakes for all the grand kids. She really did great and loves doing it! Then Tuesday was her actual birthday so we made her favorite dinner, rolled up pancakes, bacon and eggs. She also open the gifts from us. Then I felt like she should have a little friend party for the first time on Wed. She got sick so we postponed it Thursday. They all dressed up and we played games, ate cupcakes and that made party number 4. Her are the pictures!

1st day of school

2009-08-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Brock started 1st grade this year and after and lot of thinking we decided to go back to the public school, so I didn't have to drive an hour round trip 2 times a day. He was so excited to go to a brand new school and be with his friends and eat lunch! So far we like his teacher and seems like it will be a great fit for everyone!
Sammi also started pre school at a house close to our neighborhood! So far it has also been great! Briggs and I get to have some quality time which is usually him napping and me exercising, which is great for me!Don't they look great for there 1st day!! I must say I have pretty cute kiddos!

Camping/swim lessons

2009-08-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Barrett came home from Vegas for a weekend and we went camping as a family to Strawberry Lake and had a lot of fun! The kids love the dirt, hiking, fishing and marshmallows over the fire! We even had a little family water fight which mostly consisted of Barrett soaking me and the kids, but we tried really hard to get him! We slept in a tent for the first time in a while and it wasn't too bad, thanks to a heater! Briggs did really well and was Dad's little buddy! I love spending time outdoors with my family. We truly cherish those times we have not worrying about material things and just enjoying God's creations!

Brock did swimming lessons again this year with Josh. He was treading water, diving, front crawl, back stroke and even tried flips off the diving board. I couldn't believe a 6 yr old could tread water for 2 min, he did great even though he was the smallest and youngest by 2 years in his class. Sammi also did a week of swim lessons and loved it. She is really comfortable in the water now and can go under and almost swim a bit! They both got plenty of practice going everyday while we were in Vegas!

Some last summer fun!

2009-08-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

We did have some fun as a family in Las Vegas and here are some of the pictures.We went back to the splash park on a Saturday this time so Daddy could join us, the kids had fun and loved feeding the ducks. I was a little scared for Briggs though because they were just his size and not shy.

Or Not!

2009-08-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

So as I was just saying we are so grateful for the job that took him to Las Vegas for the last 2 months, but as of today he was laid off from that great company. Darn it! So if any you know of any jobs, let us know and I guess wish us luck. I know things will work out, but it was a pretty tough one to digest, I really never saw it coming! We still have many blessings and are grateful for all our friends and family who have already been there for us! I am hopeful and know Barrett will find work soon!

Back home together again!

2009-08-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

So we are back in Utah and had a nice week together with no work. Barrett took the week off to spend some time together without having to work. He took Brock camping by themselves for a little boys trip. They took the 4 wheeler and did lots of fishing. Sammi and I had a movie night and painted our finger nails and toes. Unfortunately we don't have pictures but it was a good week home! I have a few posts about some things we did in Vegas this time so I will put those pictures up soon. All in all it wasn't too bad to be in Vegas for a few more weeks, but we are glad we are together in our home again. We definitely found a greater appreciation for the home we have with a yard! We also appreciate the time we are together now which is a great blessing! Also grateful for this beautiful state we live in and for the nice cool weather we had this weekend. We are very grateful for Barrett's job and that he is still employed and hopefully it will be closer to home now!

Back to Vegas we go!

2009-07-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

So Barrett is still working in Las Vegas hopefully for only a few more weeks! Now that we have no more obligations,like swimming, dr's appt etc. We decided to come back with him until he is done. We are staying in a extended stay hotel with a pool. That should be enough for us. The kids love swimming and with 110 degrees that is about all we can do during the day!It is tight quarters for the five of us, but well worth it to be together. I hope we can manage to keep busy and from driving each other cazy until he is done. I just need to be thankful he has a job. The job situation is kind of frightening. I hate being alone and thankfully it is not during school and not too far so we can come down. I want to get some workbooks or something to keep the kids busy inside the hotel room. Any tips or advice please share! I don't know how military wives do it. I am not that strong. I am truly grateful for a job and for a hardworking husband! So goodbye cool mountain breezes and hello to the desert heat!

Aquarium

2009-07-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

We also went to an aquarium in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay! It was so fun to see the kids look at all the fish and sharks. They have a tunnel where you walk through the aquarium and the sharks were right above you. My parents came out and went through that with us. We all had a good time.

8 years strong!!

2009-07-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

I just have to post that yesterday was our anniversary! Wow has it gone by fast. Bear has been working in Vegas for a about 5 weeks and we have been apart far too much. He did come home this weekend and we had a great time celebrating the 4th and our 8 years together. We have actually been together 10yrs including the mission time. We were able to go out on Friday thanks to Barrett's Mom and get much needed massages (after sleeping on hotel beds and being alone and exhausted)! We then went out to one of our fav's Red Lobster and just talked and spent good quality alone time. You really appreciate and love someone even more when you have to be away from them. We reminisced about the 8 wonderful years and that special day 8 years ago! We love having it close to the 4th, time off and fun activities! I love being married to him and knowing we can be together forever!! I hate having him gone but I thank him for providing and taking care of us so well! I love hugging him and just being in his arms! I hate fighting and arguing but know it will only make us stronger, we will get through tough times and make it through this trial of life! I love the 3 beautiful creations we have together and they remind us daily what life is about! I love learning and growing each year whether good or bad. I love being a Love!! Thanks Honey for all you do amd for 8 wonderful years I love you! Here is too many many more!!

More Vegas Fun

2009-07-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

We went to a fun splash park in a nice Las Vegas neighboorhood. They had a little pond with ducks the kids got to feed and lots of turtles everywhere. Then inside a gated area there is a free park where there is a playground and splash toys! It was still so hot we didn't spend too long there! But the kids had fun!!

Then one night we drove out to Hoover Dam with Barrett and saw that neat site! Barrett was so excited, it was pretty amazing. I don't know what was cooler the dam or the bridge they are building! The kids were amazed!

Vegas Fun

2009-07-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

So Barrett has been working in Las Vegas for about 6 weeks helping Layton finish out a project and will hopefully soon be done. We went down for 2 weeks to spend some time with him. It was nice for us to have a little vacation, while sad that he still had to work all day every day. We got perfect weather and had a few fun outings beside the pool! We went every single day to the pool, it was so nice and fun for the kids, they love the water! Here are a few highlights from our trip.
We went to a really neat park where big horn sheep come eat the grass and just hang out. The kids wanted to touch them until they started ramming eachother and then climbing up the slide at the playground. They are so amazing how they don't even care about people being around, they litterally started walking on the slides and then kids said, "can we go now."

May in a nutshell

2009-06-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great May starting with Brock turning 6!! Wow I can't believe I have a 6yr old. He had a fun party with a few? friends. Barrett talked him into going to Cabelas where they let you have as many kids as you would like, scavenger hunt, tokens to shoot the guns, fish food and some candy for each one. So I did go a little crazy and invited quite a few, we had 16 with Brock and Sammi. It was crazy, but fun! He got lots of water guns, bakugans, and star wars stuff! We got him Lego Indiana Jones on Wii which is nice instead of star wars all the time.
Then the next day we headed down to Monticello for the turkey hunt which was very unsuccessful for all the hunters in our group, but still fun. We had a pool and hot tub at the hotel and had a fun cook out in the mountains! Then on the way home we stopped in Arches National park and did a couple of little hikes which was so beautiful and the kids were amazed! The sand was so soft but when the wind picked up it hurt a little, so we quickly left that hike. What a beautiful state we live in, we have it all!! We definitely want to go back and spend some time at Arches and Moab.

Then with school coming to an end we had the dance festival at Brock's school, which was so cute! Then his Kindergarten graduation, which really brought tears to my eyes, I can't believe he is done and now going into 1st grade, aaah. I am so happy/sad to see him grow up so fast! He did wonderful at Odyessey. We are so proud of him. May flew by and June is going to fast too.

I have to vent!!

2009-05-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

So I really have a lot of updating to do, birthdays, vacations, etc, they are coming soon. I needed to vent and get my thoughts out about this whole parenting thing. Do any of you ever feel like you suck at it. It has been one of those days. Mostly with a particular 3 year old in this house, but seriously what have I done wrong? So let me tell you how each day typically goes and specifically this one. We usually have to get up by 7 and take Brock to school which Sammi hates and usually fights me on putting shoes on or just getting to the car, but today we actually didn't have to do that we got to sleep in so I thought, when all 3 were up at 6:30. Brock and Sammi start out the day with a fight about who made there bed first since the night before Brock decided whoever did it first could choose the Wii game they could play. I usually help Sammi since it is hard for her, but I tried to stay in bed as long as possible. Brock broke down and helped her do it, I think so she would stop crying. Then we had the usual fight of taking her pull up off in the morning. Then breakfast was not the right pancakes as Sammi stated, she wanted rolled up. Then it was time to take Brock to school for his cute Dance festival and Sammi didn't have her shoes on and didn't know where they were so after patiently waiting she found the ones she used to help pull weeds on Saturday and dirt is now all throughout the house. We got to the school and Sammi played for a minute at the park. While the kids got together for thier dances. She then sat while she watched and had snacks. Once it was over she wanted to play for another minute so I let her play for a minute then we had to get Brock from his class to go. It was a full out set Briggs down and drag her off the swings while crying the whole time. In the mean time she lost her gum and was mad about that. We got home and she got to play with her cute little friend Dylan for a minute with his mom at the park. Then Dylans mom walked them back to our house and they played for a minute downstairs. It was time for Dylan to go and Brock was going to his friends house. Sammi didn't want to stay home. I said I'm sorry Sammi but you need to stay home and rest we can put a movie on. She was not having it. She put her shoes on and next thing you know she is running as fast as she can down the street towards Dylan's and away from me. She was half way down the block when I took off with no shoes and Briggs in hand after her. Brock took off on his scooter to help but it took him two trys to catch her. She was almost to the end of the street when Brock sits on her to keep her from moving. She is mad, in pain, and I am sure scared. I get to her and tell her she needs to listen and we are going home. I grab her hand and walk back home still holding poor Briggs. The whole time she is screaming and hitting me. So I tell her she may not play outside anymore today and put her in her room still screaming at the top of her lungs. She unlocks the door and comes out so I drag her up there again. She is now asleep on the floor of course. But, seriously, how do I avoid these battles every day? I am trying to be patient but she makes me so mad. I say a little prayer every time to help me be patient and to know how to handle the situation, but it is still hard. Well if anything I vented about it, but truly a litte advice, tips, ideas, or suggestions would be awesome. Barrett says it is just the girl thing, but I really don't think that is it. She really wants to do everything Brock does and he is 6 so he can play longer and more then she can. I don't know, but it is a daily struggle and hopefully she will grow out of it. Thanks for listening and more interesting posts will come.

My baby is 1!!

2009-04-26T20:44:00.001-07:00

Briggs turned 1 on April 18th and we had a fun little family get together. I can't believe he is one. What a fun little guy he is, for the most part. He is our little clown. He loves attention and making people laugh. He has had his fair share of ear infections and we can always tell when he has one because he is a different baby. He actually is got tubes in on Tuesday so hopefully he will feel better finally. He is walking all over the place and gets so frustrated when he falls down. The last time we went in he was about 21pds. So he is finally getting chubby. He loves being outside and gets so mad when we come in. He got a swing for his birthday which he loves and enjoyed with the warm weather.I found the cutest cake of combined cupcakes to make a farm house with little people on it. He is still a little Mommas boy, which is fun most of the time. We love him so much and can't believe we are already through the first year.

My little missionaries!!

2009-04-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago Brock and Sammi dressed up as missionaries and came to teach me. They were so cute and did a great job. It is amazing what a simple basic knowledge of the gospel can do. Brock did really good at answering my questions. We even turned it into family night and talked about Barrett's mission and pulled out mission pictures. Which is neat for us both because I feel like I was a part of it a bit, writing him the whole time. I hope that gave Brock a new excitement for going on a mission some day. I think he is really concerned about no tv and video games. Sammi was convinced she needed to wear a shirt and tie, even I said girls wear dresses on thier missions.

Gymnastics

2009-03-30T14:17:00.001-07:00

Sammi did gymnastics at the AF rec center for a few months with her cousin Kimberly. She had a lot of fun and learned new tricks! She said her favorite thing was jumping on the trampoline. It was so fun to see her have something that only she does. It seems like when you are so busy with the oldest doing lots of activity and sports. The others get a little forgotten. I hope we can find something that she really loves and gets to do often and gets good at it. I think the next thing is to try out dance, all though it is so foreign to me, we will try! Any ideas of places to go to would be great! Thanks

Happy birthday Barrett!

2009-03-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish my hubby a happy birthday today! He is 29. He really is amazing and does so much for us. I asked the kids to say why they love daddy and Brock said, "because you go to work and get us money to buy all the stuff we need and he is nice to us and he takes us camping and fishing." Sammi said I love daddy because he tickles me and lays with me. I love you so much and really do appreciate all you do for us. You are an awesome father and husband. Hope you have a great b-day and I am excited to go out and have a break from the kids.Love you always and forever!

Briggs

2009-02-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

Briggs is 10 months old. Wow the time has flown by!! He is busy crawling all over and pulling up to everything. He loves to stand and walk. He actually took some steps on his own which was exciting. He is still our littlest at 19 lbs 13oz and 28 in. I think Brock was that at 6 months, but that is ok. He is such a sweet baby and loves to follow his brother and sister around. He says momma, dadda, uh oh and claps and waves!! It is so fun to see them grow and develop into themselves. He had such a fun silly personality. We love him so much!

Ice Fishing

2009-02-22T13:42:00.001-08:00

Brock and Barrett went ice fishing with some friends in January. They had a lot of fun. They did not catch anything, but saw a couple of other fish from other people. It was quite an adventure keeping warm and keeping Brock out of the holes. Brock's foot actually slipped into a little hole and he said it was so cold but he didn't seem to upset about it. I was freaking out when I heard that, I guess it is good I didn't go!

Sammi's hair!

2009-02-16T20:03:00.001-08:00

Sammi did what just about every child, especially girl does in her lifetime. She cut her own hair as you can see. It was cute when she did it she said she wanted it short like mine. Then she said she really wanted it like Brocks. Which had me a little nervous, at least she really didn't go that short. We then took her in to a really cute place called cookie cutters and they made it so cute with bangs. She seems to think she has a fohawk like Brock though. I keep saying no they are called bangs. She loves Brock so much and wants to be like him. Is that normal? I guess I was never a girly girl either. Honestly it is a cuter cut and much easier to do, so she is pretty smart I guess!!

Update of the Holidays!

2009-01-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

First of all I wanted to say we did not get cards out this year and want to thank everyone for the cards we did get!! Life got crazy and we didn't get a cute picture of us all. So sorry we love you all and hope your holidays were wonderful.
We had a wonderful Christmas, spending Christmas eve with Barrett's family acting out the nativity was so cute! Brock was a very handsome Joseph, Sammi was a sheep I think, and Briggs was supposed to be baby Jesus but Abby was to scared to hold him. I am sad we do not have pictures but it was cute! Then Christmas day we woke up to find all the fun things Santa brought. The kids were so fun and thrilled with what they got. Then we fought the storm and headed to my parents to get more fun gifts and play some fun games. We had so much fun and are very blessed to have a wonderful family. New Years we spent playing games with friends and did stay up with all the kids! We had so much fun and found a new love of Rock Band 2, thanks to our friends!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-21T14:16:00.001-08:00

We have had a fun Christmas season and wanted to share some of the events. We first had a party with my Dad's family which Santa came and we ate and di some fun crafts. Then we had a party with my Mom's family and we played some fun games which included dressing up my Dad as Santa. The grandkids loved that. Then this past weekend we went up to Idaho for Barrett's Mom family party. We got to go bowling, eat good food, see Santa, and exchange our homemade ornaments. We love spending time with our family and can't believe we are only days away from Christmas. We had fun see extended family and sharing some favorite traditions. We love looking at our tree with all the homemade ornaments and remembering each year and family. Brock and Sammi, and even Briggs loved seeing Santa Claus a few times. Although Brock could only say kind of when asked if he was being good, I am sure he will come and get him just what he wants. We love this time of year. We do know the most important part and have also spent time reading stories and talking about Jesus. Merry Christmas!!!

Give Thanks!

2008-11-25T22:15:00.001-08:00

I thought with Thanksgiving 2 days away I could share some of the things I am truly grateful for. This is more for me than anyone else. I first have to say I can't believe this is our 7th Thanksgiving together, Barrett and I. Time flies! I am so lucky to have such a great man who is absolutely perfect for me. We definitely are a match for each other. I think we both knew it when we met, even at 17 and 18. We never wanted to be apart and then had to face distance for 2 years while he served a mission. We both grew so much while he was gone and most of all realized we didn't want to be apart. So then it began! Engaged 2 weeks after he got off the plane and married 3 mo. later. Life hasn't always been perfect but I am so thankful to have him with me through all the ups and downs. We have grown together and learned so much. I am so grateful to him for everything he does, everyday!! Thanks babe.
I am also so grateful for 3 beautiful, Healthy, most of the time happy, children. Barrett and I have talked many times of the absolute miracle these children are, how lucky to have no major illness or problem of some sort. We Heavenly Father everyday for that. I am so glad to have the opportunity to be a mom and grow and learn about this sacred role of motherhood. What a special task Heavenly Father has entrusted me with, raising these kids. I worry everyday for them, but ultimately am just glad to have them here with me. I love there special spirits and different personalities. They are so different each one. We have been thrown for a loop with the latest, he is tough, from no sleep to never wanting Dad or to be put down. He is wearing us out. But his smile melts our hearts every time and reminds us it is worth it. We love them all and add that to the list.
Most importantly I have to give thanks for this amazing church I am apart of. The gospel is why we are here. We could not be here or get through any of this without it. I don't know how people do it without the peace I have due to my beliefs. I know I can be with my family forever and I know I am never alone. I have peace in times of fear, doubt and stress because of that. I love having this in my life and am so grateful to have the blessings as we live it.
I am grateful for all my family. I have 3 wonderful sisters and amazing parents who have made me who I am. What an example they are to me. I hope to follow in their paths. They have always been willing to talk and help me through any situation. They have always been so supportive my whole life. I know many people do not have strong families and I am so glad to have that in my life.
I could go on for hours but a few more to add then I will end. I am very grateful for a home to live in, food, clothing,and very very good friends.
In short I just wanted to share during this holiday some of my greatest blessings and I hope others will enjoy Thanksgiving and remember there blessings also!!!

Pictures from Halloween (finally)

2008-11-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

Due to a crazy week this is going to come in pieces! So first an overview of the events. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Wootton's the Sunday before and all the cousins dressed up! They had fun checking out each others costumes and sharing treats. Then for family night we went to Grandma Love's to carve pumpkins with Nicole, Courtney, and Savannah. Barrett enjoyed making the vomiting one with Brock. Sammi and I tried for a spider but the legs struggled to stay together, but you get the picture. Brock loved digging around to get the seeds out and Sammi thought it was pretty gross. Then on Halloween the kids had a little party at Sammi's Joy school with Brock too! They decorated cookies and made a cute skeleton. That night we went to the church parking lot for the 2nd year in a row for trunk or treat! The kids made out great while Dad stayed at the car and handed out at least 400 pieces of candy in record time. There was a lot of people, so it was a little crazy, but fun. We then headed back to Grandma Love's for some soup and a little more trick or treating! Brock was Obi Wan, "Star Wars Jedi with a green laser."(from Brock) Sammi was a beautiful little princess named Cinderella! and Briggs was of course a little football player just as Brock was at this age! We will post pictures shortly! Hope Halloween was fun for all!!

Briggs- 6mo

2008-10-22T14:59:00.001-07:00

From this.....

...To this, I love those dimples!!

Briggs is now 6 months, boy how time flies! He is such a fun, busy little boy. He is our screacher! Yes, he screams at a very high pitch when he is happy, sad, or especially when he is mad. He also loves to spit. It is actually very funny. These are some pictures we took of him doing it with an awesome face. He loves to have an audience and for people to talk to him. He weighs 16lbs 11oz, so he is getting chunky! He is only 25 1/2in long which is little but he is growing well! He is starting to sit pretty good. Still loves his mom! He has mastered a bottom lip when he is really sad or isn't quite sure about the person. It is very sad! Brock and Sammi love talking to him and getting in his face. We sometimes have to remind them that he can see and to stay back. He gets mad when they are too much. We love him so much and can't wait for the next 6 mo!

Tagged

2008-10-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is a first and was actually really hard.I didn't really want to publicize my quirks. Thanks Erin!!! So here goes 6 quirky things about me, then I have also tagged 6 people at the bottom! Have Fun and enjoy.

1. I rub my feet together when I am going to sleep. My Dad does it too. I know kind of wierd.

2. When I get me my hair done it has to be different each time. I like to mix it up. I like to feel like I just got it done not just the same old thing.

3. I can't let anyone look for something for me. I have to look myself so I know. For instance if I ask Barrett to find something for me and he can't I will go look in the same place he just did to know for sure it is not there or sometimes actually find it. :)

4. I have to fall asleep with the TV on. It used to drive Barrett crazy but he is used to it know. It is kind of relaxing I guess, another one from my Dad.

5. I talk to much! (Quirk? I guess) I am on the phone a lot. I love talking to anyone, anywhere.

6. I sometimes will pick up at night when the kids go to bed in the dark with just the TV on. I think I don't notice as much of the mess so I don't get so mad???

So thats it, I wish it was more interesting but those are some quirks I guess.
Now I tag:
Melissa
Krista
Megan
Kelli Thompsen
Aubrey
Paige

Pumkin Land

2008-10-20T15:09:00.001-07:00

We went to pumpkin land with some friends. It had a little corn maze(which we did not get through, we got lost), bouncers, farm animals and a spooky barn! The kids had a lot of fun playing and picking out a pumpkin!

Happy Birthday Sammi!!

2008-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Some pictures over the years from birth to now! What a beautiful baby and now little girl!

3 years ago today we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Samantha Jean into this world a little backwards and early. She weighed 6lbs 10oz 19in long, born at 1:40 am. She had to come by c-section because she was breech. She is such a wonderful addition to our family. She is such a girl yet loves to wrestle and play with the boys. She loves helping Mom with anything especially folding laundry, loves playing with Brock, and especially loves her Dad! She got to spend time with her Grandma Love and Grandma and Grandpa Wootton over her birthday weekend. She wanted a white cake with white frosting so we picked one out and she was thrilled. She also chose her favorite dinner of waffles! She was very spoiled from families and friends and now has more girl toys to play with! Happy Birthday Baby! Love ya

We made the switch

2008-09-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Brock has now moved to a charter school in American Fork and I am pleased to say it has been such a good thing! I was very unsure at first, because of the driving, uniforms, and friends, but things have really worked out and Brock absolutely loves it. I have asked if he is sad that he won't see his other class and teacher anymore. He keeps telling me, "this is better Mom!" He has a full time teacher plus aide there everyday. He says he likes having 2 teachers. It is weird how it worked out because he was already going to Saratoga Shores for about 3 weeks. I was not thrilled about his teacher, but I thought I could help and make it ok. I got an email from Odyssey saying they had a position open for Brock in afternoon kindergarten last Tues. Then we went that day and checked out the school and met the teacher. He was sold. The teacher said do you want to come here or are you still deciding. Brock said "I want to come here." I was very impressed with the school, teacher, and curriculum. They do reading and math based on the level they are at. Which is awesome! I still had to think of the drive, 25 min each way and all of his buddies were in morning kindergarten. But we decided to try it out, so thanks to Barrett's sister who gave us some old uniform clothes, we started the next day. After a long morning of still debating and waiting to take him, we finally got there. He did great went right in. I still wished we could do morning so it wouldn't shake up the routine to much. I think that was the hardest part. As I was leaving they said they had one spot available for morning and we took it. We leave the exact same time he had to be ready for the bus. Briggs does much better in the morning and then he and Sammi take good afternoon naps because we are home. He loves the uniform look too. If we go anywhere after he says "Mom they will all see me looking so handsome." He has made the transition easier, because he is so positive and happy about it. I think it was answer to prayers and things have worked out for the best.

More Pic's

2008-09-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the Payson Lakes camp trip from the next post! Brock and Sammi had so much fun together. Enjoy :)

Summer is ending.

2008-09-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

We are sad to see the summer go and wanted to share some of the last things we did. We love to go camping together as a family. Last year we were able to buy a trailer to make the experience even more enjoyable. I don't mind one night in a tent but that was about all I can handle without a bathroom and water. Barrett quickly learned if he was going to be able to enjoy the outdoors he had to make it easier for me. So buying the trailer was one of the best things he has done. I absolutely love it now. It has been such good family time. The kids can't wait for our camping trips and enjoy every bit of the experience. They love the hiking, fishing, riding bikes, and playing in the water. We are so lucky to be able to go often and enjoy nature and each other. The last couple of outings were new but extra fun. We went to Yuba Lake with a group of families from our ward and had a blast boating, swimming and just hanging out talking. The kids loved being there with friends too. They loved playing in the water and even riding on the tube, for the most part. Sammi was brave enough to get on with me but shortly after being pulled at 2mph she wanted off. She really loved to play in the sand and get some rays. Brock is a fish and loved every bit especially the tube. We have such good friends and love the ward we are in. What a good time we had and it is officially a yearly event.

The other camping trip was just this past weekend we went to the beautiful Payson Lakes with Barrett's Mom. We had so much fun and appreciate her so much. The kids love spending time with her, sharing hugs, and telling her their stories. She is such a big help. One more set of hands is great with 3 kids. We did lots of fishing and think Brock was born to fish. He caught the most fish out of us all. We had a choice of 3 different lakes to try and enjoyed each place. Sammi loves being outside, getting dirty, and petting the fish Brock catches. They both had fish for breakfast both days because you have to keep at least one to eat(says Brock). Barrett was such a good Dad and husband as he untied many knots, unhooked fish, and retied hooks. He lost at least 3 float balls and hooks thanks to Brock and I. He never complained that he wasn't able to fish like he wanted. He just enjoyed the time we spent together. Thanks Hun!!

Well another summer is gone and I truly have cherished these priceless memories we have made and look forward to the many more summers to come and make more!! It is nice to take a moment away from the busyness of life to enjoy the beautiful world we have.

Brock started Kindergarten

2008-08-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

Brock waiting in line to go to class!!

Brock started kindergarten today and he did great! It was way harder on me than him. He had met his teacher and did testing already so he knew where to go and what to do. He didn't get to ride the bus to school but he did ride it home, which was scary for mom. But he was such a good boy and did exactly what he was supposed to. It was weird having him gone and Sammi definitely missed him and caused some havoc because of boredom, but we made it. We are ready for tomorrow. I think we are going to try to let him take the bus to school tomorrow. I will follow just to make sure. He is such a big boy and ready to learn and have a fun year. We are so proud and excited for him! So here are a few snapshots of the first day.

Briggs 4 months!!

2008-08-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Briggs is 4 months old, wow how time flys! It makes me sad to think about and I constantly remind myself to enjoy these stages. I know how quickly they grow up. He went to the doctor today and is doing great! They all thought he was such a handsome baby looking like a little man. He weighs 13lbs 3oz and 24in long. Kind of little but he is growing well. He is probably one of the tougher babies we've had but we absolutely love him. He smiles a lot and is starting to laugh a bit. He has rolled over a few times but is rarely on the floor to do so! His brother and sister love him to pieces and Brock has actually turned out to be a really big help with him. This is my favorite time when they can smile and laugh and still love to be cuddled.

One of those mean doctor office pictures. He hated his shots, poor guy!

Briggs in his little Bumbo chair, he really likes it!

What a handsome boy!

Sleeping Kids

2008-08-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Brock & Sammi
So yesterday we had quite the day and had to capture this rare occasion on camerea. We went to $2 dollar Tues. at Thanksgiving point and saw the farm animals, rode ponies, and fed goats. They loved it, but it was very crowded, everybody heard about the great deal. Then went to a friends and swam in a little pool. The kids are fish and didn't want to stop. We then came home and everyone fell asleep they were so tuckered out from the day of fun. Brock never sleeps during the day and to have them all down together was such a surprise. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I probably should have slept or cleaned, but I did get to enjoy the latest twighlight series book(Breaking Dawn) which I am loving so it was so nice to have a quiet house. It is few and far between we have these moments during the day so I had to have the proof! Are they sweet sleeping babes! I love my kids so much we are so blessed to have wonderful kids!

Briggs

I am a new woman!!

2008-08-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Briggs had a great night last night and boy what a difference it makes. I feel like a new woman. It is amazing what sleep can do for you. He went down about 10pm and didn't wake up till 5am! It was heavenly. I definently need my sleep and if he can manage to do that once in a while I think I can handle 8am kindergarten. He is 3 months so he is doing pretty good. I am not expecting that all the time, but considering the night before it 10pm,1am, 4am then 7am, that was awesome! Hope we can keep this up!! Wish us luck.

Briggs' blessing

2008-08-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Briggs was blessed yesterday by his wonderful Dad! Barrett did such a good job even though Briggs cried hard through part of it. He has been such a wonderful addition to our little family! He is such a sweet baby but very much so a mommas boy! It drives Barrett crazy, but he still tries to hold and play with him. He looked so handsome in his outfit with his cute little smiles! We had such great support from family and friends and want to thank them all for coming and being apart of our special day!

My little family on the big day!

Doesn't that melt your heart, what sweetie!! I love those smiles!

T-ball and swimming lessons!

2008-08-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

BROCK AT SWIM LESSON(doesn't he have beautiful skin)
SO THIS WEEK BROCK HAD SWIMMING LESSONS WHICH HE LOVED AND DID GREAT WITH! HE IS SUCH A GOOD SWIMMER. HE LOVES GOING ALL OVER AND BEING ABLE TO DO IT ON HIS OWN. HE IS NOT SCARED OF DEEP WATER AND DIVES ALL THE TIME!

WE ALSO FINISHED T-BALL THIS WEEK . BROCK HAD FUN HITTING AND RUNNING AROUND THE BASES. BARRRETT COACHED THANKS TO MY VOLUNTEERING HIM. A NEIGHBOR HELPED TOO. THAT MADE IT MORE FUN. SAMMI EVEN GOT IN ON IT A LITTLE TOO. BARRETT LET HER WEAR AN EXTRA SHIRT AND HIT AND RUN A FEW TIMES. SHE WAS BY FAR THE CUTEST LITTLE PLAYER!

SAMMI WITH COACH SCOTT

Sammi's potty trained!!

2008-08-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

I think we did it!! We started potty training about a 3 weeks ago and I think this past week she got it! It did take some convincing to go poop on the potty and here is the evidence. She had an accident and pooped and peed in her underwear, but was so tired she didn't want to sit or come tell me so she fell asleep standing(sorry kind of gross). But we have gone about a week without accidents! Yeah Good job Sammi! (she is giving thumbs up by the potty)

Summer fun

2008-07-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

Since we just started this I wanted to share some of this summers events. We went camping over the fourth of July with Barrett's family and had a great time! The kids loved every minute from the four wheeling to the dirt. They got so dirty and didn't mind a bit. I was a little grossed out and thankful for our trailer and the tub which we used almost every night. Briggs did pretty good too! We have found a love for camping and the outdoors so we can spend such fun quality time as a family!

Fun at Grandma & Grandpa's house

2008-07-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

These pictures are back from April, when we were at my parents' house one evening. The kids were having fun playing with their cousins. And Briggs was still so little.

Brock playing football

Sammi & Dylan

Briggs and Gretchen

Briggs

2008-07-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here is Briggs, 3 months old!

Barrett and Ashley Love

2008-07-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

We finally did it! Official bloggers. Hope I can keep up and put fun family times on there. Here goes nothing! So let me start by a little update on the fam. We have 3 beautiful kids named Brock, 5 yrs Sammi, almost 3 and Briggs 3mo. We live in Saratoga Springs, Utah and love it. Barrett works construction for Layton Construction and himself. I stay home with the kido's! Here are a few pictures of the kids.