Merry Christmas

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!

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)

Halloween 2008

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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.

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

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!!

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

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!!

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

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!

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!!

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

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!