Heather, Rex, etc.

Heather is AMAZING!!!

2011-09-23T17:14:00.001-07:00

There's a big grapevine on a big ol' frame on the property where we rent. Our landlord told us we could pick the grapes. So Heather went out with the kids and picked about 8,000 lbs of grapes. My first thought was "Ummmm, what are you going to do with all those grapes?" Well, she made grape juice! It made the house smell like grape jelly for a couple of days. I must admit, I was skeptical and didn't want to try it. I am not a huge fan of grape juice anyway......but after a couple of days I looked around and nobody was looking......and I tried it! It's DAAAAAAAANG GOOOOOD!!! I'm sorry to brag about Heather.....but she's amazing and I can't stand keeping it under wraps any more. She's awesome! It's too bad that I can't send out samples of this juice. I feel bad for sharing the story and photos and leaving you wondering what it tastes like. It's a little thicker than store bought juice. I know that sounds gross.....but it's really good stuff.

Anyway....just thought I'd brag for Heather. By the way....she's sitting less than 10 feet away from me and has no idea she's being blogged about. HAHA!

Rex

Curls on Rachel

2011-07-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

Rachel wanted me to curl her hair before church today. Here she is outside our new home!

Easter Sunday

2011-05-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

A quick snapshot because we are a little late for church. Such a good looking family!

Rachel is seven

2011-02-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

My little darling, Rachel, turned 7-years-old! I love her! And thank you, mom, for making the lovely cake with marzipan strawberries! It was gorgeous AND delicious!

2011-01-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

This is my amazing, studly husband working on our kitchen ceiling ALL DAY today on his last day off before leaving for Chicago. It's 11:00 PM right now, and we still have a couple hours to go. All this work so that I will have a ceiling while he's gone! Thank you, Rex!

This is my gorgeous new ceiling. I wish I had a "before" photo of the ugly drop ceiling with fluorescent tube lighting. My ceiling is now 7 inches higher and has better lights! Can't wait to tape it, sand, and paint it!

This is the stripped ceiling of the old lath & plaster ready for the drywall.

Don't bug me!

2010-12-30T17:42:00.001-08:00

My kids' play-doh creations: Tyler made a caterpillar and Rachel made a lady bug. Love it!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

We acted out the nativity story tonight. The kids loved it! And I think Rex looks hot as a shepherd. Rachel is Mary, Tyler was a shepherd but decided to be baby Jesus at the last minute. (He lay so quietly on the piano bench. Good job, Tyler!). Rex and Brady are shepherds and I am a wise man. Joseph was portrayed as a doll, because nobody wanted to be Joseph this year. Not pictured is Aunt Theresa as an angel.

Merry Christmas!

Church clothes

2010-12-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

I love my kids dressed up nicely in church clothes

Tyler just recently got a suit from a boy in the ward who had outgrown it. I think he looks so dashing! Now, if he would just start wearing underwear...

2010-11-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

We went and cut down a Christmas tree on Friday. This one we found for Aunt Theresa.

Repainting the front room. Tyler LOVES helping!

Brady is a wiley and spry little 2-year-old

New vidoes. No sound, sorry!

2010-11-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

Brady running and jumping over a piece of paper like it was nothing!

A fall tradition, never boring!

Apples, apples everywhere!

2010-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to our wonderful, wild friends, the G's, for the yummy yummy apples! I made apple jelly, apple pie filling, and apple pie! We still have some left over for eating! Thank you!!!

Father/Son Campout and Girls Night Out!

2010-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Last month, Rex took the boys to the Father/Son's campout. They had a great time doing...campy stuff. Tyler told me that they killed a fish in the lake and ate lots of junk food. Rachel, Aunt Theresa, and I went to the fair! We bought cotton candy, which seemed like health food after seeing deep-fat-fried butter on the menu. Rachel's favorite ride is pictured above, the tilt-a-whirl. What a great weekend!

FREE cheese at Albertsons!

2010-09-06T13:43:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day to get FREE cheese at Albertsons! Here's how:

Buy 5 Kraft cheeses $2 each
Give them this coupon for $5 off when you buy 5.
Total is $5.
Then a catalina will print out for $5 off your next purchase.

Then do it again, but instead of paying the $5, give them your catalina, and the total is ZERO, and you still get another $5 catalina off your next purchase.

You can print 2 coupons per computer. Hence, my 20 cheeses purchased above. Make sure to only purchase 5 cheeses per transaction so a $5 catalina will print each time. And if you are wondering what to do with so much cheese, freeze it! It stores well!

Why I love Google

2010-08-07T22:16:00.001-07:00

I don't have a smart phone. But who needs it when you can text Google! I just learned about this feature a few weeks ago and want to tell everyone how cool it is!

Do you need to know the address and phone number of your local Office Depot and don't have a phone book? No problem! Text GOOGLE (466453) this message "Office Depot Billings MT" and in 5 seconds I get a free text back telling me the two local listings with addresses and phone numbers. Sweet!

Are you lost in a new city? Do you need driving directions? Text GOOGLE this message, "Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago IL to Wrigley Field Chicago IL" and in a few seconds, Google sends me step by step driving directions. If you have exact addresses, that works, too!

Do you just want to know the weather in Seattle? Text GOOGLE this message, "weather seattle" and they will instantly text you back the current weather, as well as the weather for the next 2 days!

But wait! There's more! Look up flights, translate English to German, and get stock quotes (if you still have them)! Learn about all the other stuff Google will text you:
http://www.google.com/mobile/products/sms.html#p=default

Google, this is true love.

Ay, Pirate!

2010-07-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

Tyler's sporting a new do today for church. I wanted to take a photo, and he wanted one "like a pirate." Here is Tyler as a pirate. Arrrrr!

Yeti the cat

2010-06-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

Brady knows only a handful of words. One of them is Yeti, the name of the neighbor's cat. Whenever the cat wanders into our yard, Brady starts yelling, "Yeti! Yeti! Yeti" and runs over to pet it. He tries to be gentle, but sometimes he can be a little over-enthusiastic. Yeti is a calm and patient cat who never bites or scratches. When he has had enough toddler love, he just runs under the fence to the safety of his own yard.

The saga of a perfect gift

2010-05-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was approaching and Rex was thinking of special gifts for a special me. "No gifts this year." I told him. It just wasn't in the budget after some unexpected expenses. So on Mother's Day Rex made a delicious breakfast and dinner and I thought that was awesome.

But he was plotting the whole time.

With no money in the budget, Rex did some tricky maneuvering. He and ebay are good friends so he sold a few items behind my back, including his treasured high school baseball bat. Over the course of a couple weeks, he secretly stashed the money in his paypal account. Then he researched the perfect gift.

He knew that I loved to cook. And he knew my frustration with cooking one of my favorite dishes, potstickers, in my current pans. They always stuck. Badly. And the cleanup was horrible. When he learned that my friend Alicia had found some magical Rachael Ray pans that repelled food with its nonstick surface, he found the gift. He went to the stores to heft them and decide on the ones to get. He searched the town and the internet for the best price. And he bought.

Then he told me his long-kept secret. "I bought you new pots and pans! They will be arriving on Thursday!" Sweet! I love a good surprise, but I love a surprise with some advanced notice. Yes, I always found out at the ultrasound. Still a surprise, but I got to plan for it. That's what I like, and Rex knows me well.

I marked the calendar and looked forward to the few days until they arrived. Then, as luck would have it, I fell dreadfully ill on Wednesday and couldn't get out of bed for a few days. Thursday came, and so did the well-anticipated package, but I couldn't even get out of bed to open the door. The pans sat for a couple days. I loved them, but I couldn't think of eating, much less cooking.

But hurray! I am well again! And the pots and pans are excellent! They have fantastic ergonomic handles and clean up like a dream. I can make eggs and crepes without using even a smidge of butter. And yesterday I put them to the ultimate test. Yes, I made potstickers. Well, I made the dish formally known as potstickers. My potsliders turned out beautifully. Perfectly! I have never made them turn out so well! Each one slid out of the pan with ease, without charring to the bottom and having to force them out with a chisel. I felt like I was the famous cook on Food Network, where everything turns out ready to photograph. They were delicious, and now I will cook them for company without fear.

I love my new pots and pans! I love my husband and his clever, sneaky ways. And Rachael Ray...I love you, too!

Garden elf

2010-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

The kids got out the elf hats from Christmas today and Brady has been walking around with one. I love that he is posing in front of my newly planted window boxes. They make me happy. So does the elf.

AMA

2010-05-08T07:24:00.001-07:00

Tyler had a doctors appointment this week to get his cast off. Rex told me that he wouldn't be doing any more x-rays, but if Tyler would give a high five with his broken arm without any hesitancy, the cast could come off. Then Rex mentioned half-jokingly, "I should just cut it off myself at work." My financial wheels started turning. No new x-rays? Just going to the doctor to get the cast off? I could save that money by having my husband cut it off? Well! I went over to Tyler and asked for a high five and boom! No problem! So, I cancelled the appointment and we went to Rex's work. Here we are AMA (Against Medical Advice) or doing things against the medical norm.

Tyler is quite apprehensive about the cast saw, even though Rex put it straight on his own skin to show it wouldn't cut him.

Cutting both sides of the cast. Rex has done this a plethora of times.

Off with the padding!

Tyler is happy to have it off! But, it is so much fun to watch him act as if the cast were still on. He still holds it at the same angle out of habit and when he ran, he held that arm in front of him still and pumped the other arm at his side. Silly guy!

May Day lives on!

2010-05-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

Every year growing up in Yakima, my mother spent hours making May Day baskets each year for all our 20+ neighbors. We had fun delivering them as kids. Although the May Day tradition is slowly fading away, it lives on here in Billings! Following my mother's example, we made May Day baskets this year for the neighbors. We started by planting snapdragon seeds a month ago, and this is how much they grew! They will be lovely in the summer, I'm sure! The kids LOVED putting them on the porches, ringing the doorbell, and running away! What fun!

Happy May Day!

"I told you it was broken."

2010-04-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Tyler was playing around the car and we heard him yelling and crying. He was laying next to the car saying that his arm hurt. He took a nap after he settled down (a rare occurrence) and it began to swell. Sprain or brake? We iced it, but he still wouldn't use it today and it was still swollen. So, we went to the walk-in clinic and waited for 2 hours in a small room with Brady crying. But, the PA came in and told us it was broken. Tyler was silent during the whole process whenever somebody was in the room. But as soon as the PA left, Tyler announced, "I told you it was broken!"

So it is bandaged up and will probably get a cast tomorrow at his doctor's appointment.

My smart and funny kids

2010-04-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Racel put this sign on her door. I think it is so cute and funny! In case you can't read it, it says, "Dad not allowed. Mom not allowed. Please don't come in!"

Easter morning and Tyler can't wait to go outside and use his chalk. No time to get dressed, but it's a good thing he has shoes on!

Brady had fun hunting for "balls!"

Hiking for FHE

2010-03-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

My husband has such great ideas. On Monday, because he knew we would have more daylight (daylight savings time) he suggested we take the kids on a little hike. We went to a park that always has a ton of deer in it. The kids had a BLAST hiking. They looked for sticks, swung on a rope swing, threw rocks in the river, and saw deer! Afterward we stopped at McDonalds to counteract all that good fresh air and exercise.

It was a great evening! Yeah, Rex!

Husband training

2010-03-14T19:46:00.001-07:00

How does a little boy grow up to be a great husband? He has a fantastic father, of course! Yesterday, Rex took Tyler to the store to buy some syrup. While he was there, he spontaneously decided to surprise me with roses. He told Tyler the idea and explained how happy I would be to get them. They kept talking about it all the way home. Tyler was so excited about making me happy that he ran into the house, searched for me and handed me the bouquet with a huge smile on his face!

I loved the roses, of course, but the best part was seeing how excited Tyler was to make me happy! He is going to be a good man, thanks to his dad!

Cheap Juice

2010-03-02T10:29:00.001-08:00

My family drinks a TON of juice. So, when I can get it for 29 cents each...it's time to stock up!

Here's how:

Albertsons has Old Orchard 100% juice on sale for $1.29 each (Grape, Pineapple, Pineapple Orange, and Cranberry). If you buy 10 of them, you get a coupon at the register for $10 off your next order. You can use the $10 immediately toward your next 10 juices, too! This deal runs through March 6th.

To sweeten the deal, use this coupon for $1.00 off 4 Old Orchard Fruit Concentrates. You can print two per computer.

Things I Like about Rex

2010-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

1. His wonderful smile
2. His good sense of humor
3. He doesn't stink
4. He thinks I'm pretty
5. He writes love notes to me
6. He doesn't criticize me
7. He is athletic
8. He doesn't expect me to make dinner
9. He is quick to apologize if he thinks he's hurt me
10. He thinks random things are funny
11. He has a fantastic body
12. Especially his butt
13. He doesn't use a hairdryer
14. He's never stolen my candy....that I know of
15. He likes what I cook, except for German Pankcake
16. He types really fast
17. He has a fantastic work ethic
18. He's a good provider
19. He's terribly smart
20. He's the first one up every workday and never misses work
21. He always remembers when I mention I want something and he gets it for me as a surprise
22. He eats quietly
23. He spells really well
24. He loves the kids
25. He plays with the kids and teaches them stuff
26. He loves spending time with the family
27. He doesn't mind going on errands with me
28. He praises me when I brag to him
29. He's always trying to be better
30. He never forgets to pray
31. He knows how to fix anything
32. He knows all manly things, like BBQing
33. He makes the best cookies ever
34. He listens to me when I talk about gardening and couponing
35. He supports me in my goals
36. He kisses me
37. He cuddles me
38. He loves to learn stuff and is inquisitive
39. He is really, really strong
40. He served a mission
41. He holds a temple recommend
42. He will hold the baby during church
43. He doesn't mind when I drive
44. He's sensitive to me
45. He watches his weight
46. He likes to take the kids on errands with him
47. He thinks of fun, silly things to entertain the kids
48. He doesn't drink beer
49. He never yells
50. He appreciates everything I do
51. He dresses well
52. He is tall
53. He lets me do the finances
54. He makes really good scrambled eggs
55. He has a really really good memory
56. He is thrifty
57. He is kind and well-spoken
58. He's an excellent public speaker
59. He opens the door for me
60. He likes to come home for lunch
61. He is not gay
62. He only speaks well of me to others
63. He puts the lid down
64. He's not demeaning if I say something incorrectly
65. He never complains about the house
66. He's easy-going and not easily offended
67. He can do math in his head
68. He laughs at my jokes
69. He plays the piano well
70. He makes beautiful pottery
71. He teaches the kids to play baseball
72. He taught the kids to ride bikes
73. He has beautiful blue eyes

Free Olay stuff?

2010-02-15T20:24:00.001-08:00

Target is having a pretty good deal right now where you can get 3 of the above Olay products for free. Here is how:

All of the products in the photo (thanks TotallyTarget) are on sale for $5.50 which includes body wash, soap, and some lotion, I think. But if you buy 3 of them, you will get a $5.00 Target gift card at the register. Then, after you have bought 3 of them, you can submit your receipt for a $15 Olay Rebate.

Here is how it adds up:

Buy any 3 of the above products for a total of $16.50

Use the $1 off coupon from Sunday's paper if you have it.

Get a $5.00 Target gift card.

Get a $15.00 rebate.

Total: You made $4.50!

Keep it in mind if you're heading to Target this week!

Montana Rex

2010-02-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

This is the snow fort that Rex spent more than 3 hours building last Saturday with the kids. The kids love to play around in it, but otherwise it has gone unused this week. Until tonight.

This evening while I was making cookies for Rachel's Valentine's party tomorrow, Rex walks past me with a stocking hat and a couple of sleeping bags, and says "Good Night!" Without a backward glance, he headed outside.

I mixed up the cookie dough and put a batch in the oven. While it was cooking I snuck out and took a photo of him in the cave. He looks pretty "cozy."

Let me sum things up: My husband is sleeping outside right now in freezing weather under a dome of snow and ice!

Winter is starting to get to all of us about now...

English only? thoughts on egocentrism

2010-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Have any of you received an email that goes something like this:

If you are reading this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading this in English, thank a soldier.

While I admire teachers and appreciate soldiers, I am completely offended by the insinuation that we take soldiers away from their families, and possibly to die just to protect our language. Really?

We fight to protect our freedoms and the freedoms of others against tyranny. To promote equality. Not to promote English. Not so say that Americans are better than any other country. I would much rather learn French, Arabic, or Mandarin if I could avoid having hundreds of young men being slain in battle.

And what is with the tide of "English Only" mentality? Are we so forgetful of history to be so intolerant of non-English speakers in America? Are we not all immigrants? Have any of us learned Iroquois, Navajo, or Crow?

Why are we so demanding that the world conform to us? Have you ever heard someone lament, "Oh, I sure wish I never learned to speak Spanish fluently. It has just messed up my life." On the contrary, learning a foreign language enriches our lives. It enlarges our perspective and makes us a more educated and understanding person.

English only? Willing to die for English?
I hope not.

Snow!

2010-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

We got about 9 inches last weekend. Even the baby got bundled up to play this time. I love these snow shots. The white backgroud is lovely. But, it's ok if it melts now...

How to woo your wife

2010-01-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

I was going to title this post "Lovemaking for Dummies," but I was worried that I would get flagged. Not everyone has read Jane Austin, you know. Today is my birthday. I woke up and went into the shower. Taped on the faucet handle was a note telling me to look in the top bathroom door before I turned on the shower. I was thinking in my head, "Oh honey. You are so cute! I love it when you do little treasure hunts for me!" I looked in the drawer and there was a bag of chocolate with another clue to look in the microwave after my shower. I did, and there is ANOTHER bag of candies with a note. I continued to follow this treasure hunt, each time finding another present for my birthday! It was awesome! I got 3 satchels of chocolate (you can never, never have too much chocolate), my favorite chips, a pearl necklace Julie & Julia style, an ipod holder that I had casually mentioned to Rex that I really wanted and he happened to remember and buy for me, AND a coupon book!

Now the coupons are really good. My favorites are: Please wash the dishes for your lovely wifey, Take the kids out so I can get some alone time, Date to Wal-Mart (ooh, baby!), and Scrambled Eggs a la Rex.

Needless to say, this was the BEST treasure hunt that I've ever had. My husband is the best man in the entire world and he really knows how to make a birthday awesome! Rookies, take note!

Suction is key.

2010-01-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

I am 31 years old. What does a sophisticated not-so-young woman buy herself to celebrate 31 years? A new vacuum. I love it. My old vacuum has served many years faithfully, but it, to put it mildly, sucked. Or rather it did not suck. Suction is key. I felt like I was coaxing the dirt up the little tunnel. "Come on dirt. Get in there!" Even a small bead was too much for the old vacuum to handle.

So, tonight was the night. Costco and I had a date. I arrived home with my smart new vacuum and swept the entire house. Talk about a good time! I've never seen dust bunnies tremble so much. What a great feeling to simply get near the dirt and have it fly up into the vacuum. I even dusted the baseboards just by passing the sweeper over it! Whoosh! It was gone!

But the vinyl in the bathroom was the best. The dirt came flying toward me from all directions like I was the freakin' Pied Piper of Hamelin. Don't worry, little filth, I am not the Pied Piper. I am the GRIM REAPER!

Er...Giddy Reaper?

17 lbs in 2009

2010-01-10T17:43:00.001-08:00

2009 was my year in weight loss. I lost 17 lbs! I now can turn to back up out of the driveway without my lovehandles blocking me. (It's the little things in life that are so great). So, I have thought a LOT about weight loss this past year and think I have a surefire formula:

1. Nurse a baby. Don't laugh. This is really important if you're serious about weight loss. It burns 400 extra calories a day, which is like running 4 miles! Sorry men, you are out of luck on this one.
2. Quit your job. This is also very important because it's a part-time job losing weight. Figure in about 2-3 hours per day exercising (well, not all of it exercising, but bundling up children and traveling to the gym, working out, and then showering) and then 2 hours a day cooking nutritious food.
3. Live 7 minutes from the YMCA. The YMCA is my favorite place because they watch my children for free while I work out. It is an amazing santuary. Even if I didn't want to really exercise one day, I certainly wanted a break from the kids (just a short break--I do love them so), and I went to the gym. If you need to move to get closer to the Y, do it!
4. Starve. This was probably the most difficult part. It's kind of amazing that we are so blessed that we don't actually have to worry about getting enough food to eat. I think I would rather be overfed than underfed, wouldn't you? So choosing to starve is really hard. Nearly impossible. And it makes for a cranky mother. Approach step #4 with caution.

There you go! Each of those steps are essential, so if you are missing even one...please do not start. Give up now! Supermodels aren't happy anyway...they just look happy. Really they are starving people that just want to eat more chocolate bon bons.

Here's to 2010!

5-minute chocolate cake!

2010-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just for fun today while Rachel is at school and Brady is taking a nap, Tyler and I made chocolate cake in a mug. It only took 5 minutes to make an then I inverted it onto a plate for Tyler to enjoy. We added a candle and sang Happy Birthday just for fun! He made me light the candle and sing twice.

Later today...we're having an Easter egg hunt! Tyler and I filled plastic Easter eggs with clearance Christmas M&Ms and the kids will be searching for them this afternoon after they practice the piano. Yes, we have our holidays all mixed up, but bribes are good all year long!

He poops everywhere!

2010-01-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

Tyler is very frustrated with his baby brother. A few minutes ago, Tyler informed me that Brady "smells like poop!" Then he went on a little tirade, "He poops all the time! He poops in the morning, he poops at night, he poops at church! He poops everywhere!"

It doesn't stop there, "Brady! You are the stinkiest baby in the whole universe! You stink upstairs, you stink at the piano, you stink at books...."

I think he's still muttering.

All I really need in life...

2010-01-03T16:35:00.001-08:00

Chocolate milk in a sippy cup and a red stuffed bear!

I love this dress!

2009-12-21T20:08:00.001-08:00

I bought this dress before Rachel was born, and Rachel wore it many, many times. It's the only baby clothing item I've kept, and I LOVE it! And even though my next two children are boys, each of them has had to suffer at least one fitting of the adorable blue dress. In my defense, one hundred years ago, all baby boys wore dresses. So, I'm not so much crazy as traditional! And it's blue, isn't it? Doesn't Brady look lovely?

The most exciting things!

2009-12-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

Tyler wanted his photo taken by the Christmas tree with his cocoa and toast. We sure need warm things right now. It didn't get above 0 degrees F today! Chilly!

This is my first cheese! It is delicious! It tastes smooth and rich...like firm cream cheese. Fantastic melted on crackers!

This is Rachel and a friend dressing up! I just loved the costumes they put together that I had to snap a photo!

Brady LOVES putting on this hat! He put it on, takes it off, over and over and then walks around smiling with it on. He's our true Montana cowboy!

Cheap toys!

2009-11-09T20:59:00.001-08:00

At Target, you can get these adorable Mr. Potato Head "spud buds" for only 99 cents! They are priced at $5.99 in the Christmas section, but with this coupon for $5 off a Mr. Potato Head® Spud Buds™ toy, they are only 99 cents! You can print two coupons per computer.

Want to run to Toys R Us for cheap games? Check it out in this post here.

The recipe to a happy marriage

2009-11-07T21:26:00.001-08:00

Tonight there was a special note on my toothbrush. It began with "Heather, I love you. " and continued with lovely words, which I have to edit or I will blush. Or maybe you will blush. Anyway, that's how my scavenger hunt began. On each very complimentary note was a piece of chocolate. And the notes were all around the house. By the time I came to the jackpot (pictured above in our milk door) I had a load of chocolate and a very happy heart from all the lovely notes from my husband. I was giggling the whole time. This is just the sort of thing he would do while we were dating, and I LOVED it. And I still LOVE it!

This is just one reason why I have the very best husband on earth! He gives me chocolate and compliments.

Say Cheese!

2009-11-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

This is my first hard cheese I've ever made! It was so much fun. It's called Traditional Cheddar. I've already pressed the curds and now it's air-drying for a few days. Then, I just have to brush cheese wax on it and age it for a month. This is 1 pound of cheese from a gallon of milk! I can't wait to taste it next month!

12.8 lbs of candy

2009-10-31T20:33:00.001-07:00

This is my Tigger, Witch, and Cowboy before the Trick-or-Treating. We have had a busy Halloween so far, so they're looking a little suboptimal. But a photo, nevertheless!

This is how greed and gluttony pays off! The weather was lovely, and the kids were so excited to trick-or-treat. Tyler made it TWO hours and Rachel for two and a half. It was fun to watch them run from door to door. The kids are in bed now, so I'm not sure if I should hide half of it while they're sleeping, or just gorge myself.

Why I love Toys R Us

2009-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Toys R Us had a fun promotion: The kids got to go in between 12-2 and build a car using a base design for the wheels and then adding whatever legos they wanted. There was a huge tub of new legos for them to build any additions to their cars. They had a racetrack for the kids to race the cars as often as they wanted (between building more and more onto their car and making repairs when things broke off). Then, they got to keep the car they built! How fun! The kids had a blast, and all for FREE! Glorious!

Crying baby!

2009-10-12T10:32:00.001-07:00

Only a mother thinks her baby is adorable even when crying. And only a really mean mother would run to grab her camera to capture the moment while he's wailing.

Ok, not crying now, but snorting. It's really hilarious. He scrunches up his little face and breathes loudly through his nose like a bull ready to charge. Cracks me up.

Ending on a happy note, Brady has captured a pear and has snuck behind the sofa to eat his prize in peace. Sneaky infant!

Pumpkins, Pentagon, Bi-Pedal

2009-09-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

I love these pumpkins. They came from my garden and now are decorating my piano. Someday, they will end up in my tummy! I love looking at them.

Rachel picked me this flower on the way home from school today. I asked her what shape it was (thinking, "circle"). She replied, "A pentagon, I think." Sure enough...5 sides! Never underestimate a Kindergartner.

Brady is taking steps! He's turning into a real boy!

Gingerbread letters

2009-09-03T16:21:00.001-07:00

Grandma Mary is visiting and she brought gifts! Letter cookie cutters! We had fun today making and eating gingerbread.

Ginger is a vegetable, right?

Sweet ice cream deal!

2009-08-31T19:35:00.001-07:00

Head to Target! Get Dryer's ice cream for 50 cents! Here's how:

Buy 5 containers (1.5 quart) of Dreyer's ice cream for $2.50 each.
Use 5 $1 off coupons from here. (Listed under Expiring 9/12/09 as Edy's or Dreyer's 1.5-qt. Ice cream - $1/1)
Pay $7.50 out of pocket and you get a $5 Target gift card to use on your next purchase!

Yeah, baby! I have 20 in my freezer: chocolate chip cookie dough, rainbow sherbet, bananna split, mint chocolate chip, rocky road, hot cocoa, brownie, etc. It looks like an ice cream store. Yum!

Note: You do not need a Super Target to get this deal. Any ol' Target will do. Sale ends Saturday!

Primary temple trip

2009-08-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Our primary activity today was a trip to the Billings temple! It was great! We talked about the temple, walked around the grounds and touched the temple walls. President Alan spoke to us and told us about the cornerstone of the temple and a time capsule inside. And we even got to go into the atrium of the temple! Lastly, we got to see a beautiful bride coming out of the temple to take photos! It was great! I asked Rachel what her favorite part was and she said, "Eating a popsicle at the end!"

Ride 'em cowboy!

2009-08-23T18:35:00.001-07:00

We drove out to Roundup, Montana today to visit one of Rex's co-worker's ranch. Our children are finally true-Montanans, because they have ridden a horse! They were nervous at first, but with Daddy to help, they really enjoyed it! We also got to see their cattle. The children were fascinated by the large poop piles in the pasture and Rachel insisted on taking a bath as soon as she got home because she said she smelled like cows. It was a great adventure and we can't wait to enjoy more fresh air again soon!

Galloping away into the sunset! Get up!

Lost tooth!!!!

2009-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Rachel lost her first tooth! She is so proud knowing that an "adult tooth" will be growing in soon! She loves growing up! My little darling...

Sunflower field

2009-08-09T18:33:00.001-07:00

I painted today. I have been meaning to do this painting for months, and finally it's done! It is an abstract of a sunflower field. Oil on canvas. I used a knife to apply the paint instead of a brush to give a thicker paint effect. Eventually it will be hanging in our living room, but it will take about a year to dry. I'm seriously going to start using acrylics, just to have them dry faster! But, this was fun, fun, fun to do! Thanks to Rex and Theresa for watching the kids while I painted!

Detail: Sunflower field

This is a card I received from my host family in Spain (I studied abroad in 2000, and we still exchange occasional letters). It was the inspiration for my painting.

PhotoStamps

2009-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

I used this photo for my very own PhotoStamps. I ordered them today and will be using them soon! What a great deal to get custom postage stamps for less than sticker price! Read about it here and snag your own today!

My rock awesome garden

2009-07-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

This is my garden. It's my first garden ever. I absolutely, positively love it. It is truly exciting. Behold....

Peas!

Tomatos!

Pumpkin!

Small child!

I'm growing more vegetables, too. I can't wait to start harvesting. Yummmmm!

16 lbs of strawberries=freezer jam

2009-07-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Not quite as romantic as growing and picking them myself: I just picked them up at Costco. And truly, I could get more for less money by just buying Costco's jam, too. But, freezer jam tastes better! And I feel like a pioneer! (No snide comments that pioneers didn't have freezers. It's a moot point. They had jam, didn't they?) Here it comes!

My super smashers!

A little pectin and sugar and that's it! No cooking! Just pour it in the containers! Minimally processed means maximal taste! (and minimal work)

My baby assisted in the jam making process too! Thank you!

Ahhh...sweet reward!

Free BBQ sauce

2009-07-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

I love cheap...but free is better! If you need BBQ sauce, check out the promo at Albertsons until Tuesday:
http://www.fabulesslyfrugal.com/2009/07/free-kraft-bbq-sauce.html

Patriotism

2009-07-04T14:44:00.001-07:00

Not an assumption of grandeur
nor a blind eye to the errors of our past
the problems of our present.
Patriotism is an acknowledgement of the ideal.
Gratitude to the mothers and fathers
husbands and wives
sons and daughters
who have died
and who have lived to build
a community.
Patriotism is reverence to God
and a call to be godly.
Patriotism is not entitlement to our wants
but desire to contribute.
A continuation of an aged goal.
A knowledge of its worth.

Patriotism is hope,
remembrance,
action.

Power wheels

2009-07-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Who buys $400 toys for their kids? But who doesn't like to borrow them when they are out of town and we're feeding their dogs?

We asked first.

Tea party

2009-06-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

While the boys were napping today, Rachel and I enjoyed a lovely tea party with our new teacups from Grandma Ann. Rachel is seen here pouring milk into her cocoa tea and also munching some delightful lemon tea cookies. She made the lovely suggesting to dunk the cookies into our tea before enjoying them, and it was scrumptious.

A Christmas Story in June

2009-06-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

My husband is a artistic genius. He made a cast of his own studly leg, filled it with plaster, and made it into a working lamp. It now sits (stands?) proudly on our piano.

Crawling, cupcakes, and beads

2009-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

The kids first did this craft (stringing beads on pipe cleaners) at the YMCA, so we tried it at home! It's great fun! Bracelets galore!

I found these large sprinkles on clearance. They looked like too much fun to resist. The kids liked topping the cupcakes...and eating them. Here is a close-up of the cupcakes. They probably look more appetizing without a messy (but happy) face next to them.

Brady began officially crawling two days ago. I tried to catch it on camera this morning, but poor Brady was foiled in his efforts by a helpful brother.

Sweet hike pics

2009-05-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Because we are such an outdoorsy family, we went on a hike today! It was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the kids hiked the whole way. Even Brady! This is our family after we have hiked to a beautiful waterfall. You can't see if from this angle, so you will have to use your imagination!

This is Rex and the kids climbing on rocks right next to a HUGE waterfall! No, we didn't let them get close.

Brady loved that clean mountain dirt!

Aside: on the way home we saw over 40 deer along the road. They seemed to be raising them down in Nye, Montana. After seeing our 36th deer I commented, "Wow, there is a whole flock of them!"

Rex replied, "Deer don't come in flocks...it's a swarm!"

I love my husband! He also generously called out to them from the window, "Watch out for Ken Ard!" (Our neighbor/supplier of deer burger)

The Fremont Parade in Billings!

2009-05-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Tyler has been riding his bike in the backyard lately. He is so proud that he can start riding by himself! I walked outside this afternoon to an startling sight! I'm glad my camera was close at hand! Kids are so entertaining!

T-ball with Tyler

2009-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Tyler's first T-ball practice was yesterday. He was so proud! The kids batted, practiced catching, and had a good time! Before things got started he told us, "When I get done with this, I want to go to the playground." Kids are still kids! I bet when he's in the big league, he will still want to go swing and slide after practice.

The parents were required to participate, and Rex was a great coach to him. Tyler never wanted to part with his bat, even when it was time to catch. He cried a couple times playing catch when the ball got dirty, although his face was dirty the entire time.

One part of catch was pretty exciting. When Rex threw the ball to Tyler, Tyler threw the glove at the same time and oddly enough, the ball went right into the glove and when the glove hit the ground...the ball was still inside! I think that will be his signature play when he's older.

This is Tyler's first batting practice. You can't see it in the video, but the ball actually went 425 feet! I think we'll see some scouts out here next week.

Rachel's mother day gift

2009-05-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I told Rachel that tomorrow was Sunday. She said, "Tomorrow is Mother's Day? When we give our mother's presents?"

I don't know how she knew about this, but I said yes. And she said "I'm going to give you a present. Presents need to be wrapped!"

And then I heard a lot of commotion from her room: dumping out her backpack, sorting through her treasures, ripping.

And this is what I was greeted with this morning. She woke up early and was SO EXCITED to give me her present.

This gift was wrapped in a page from a magazine and taped with band-aids. I thought it was very clever.

And this was inside! It is an assortment of things that have ended up in her treasure collection. She must really love me to part with some of these things: her coveted butterfly hair clip, a reindeer pin, 2 lovely bracelets (one which was mine to begin with, thanks to Grandma Ann), a gold ring, and her prized lotion that Grandma Mary gave her for Christmas.

It was a fantastic Mother's Day gift!

Pinata fun!

2009-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! To celebrate our Mexican heritage, we bought a pinata! The kids could barely eat their enchiladas in anticipation of breaking it. Finally the moment to break the pinata arrived. To ensure safety, we did not blindfold them. Enjoy!

Note: Turn up your volume to hear an amazing burp in the background! All the 2nd graders reading this will really enjoy that!

Scissor skills

2009-04-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Note: This photo has been edited to comply with blogger's anti-pornographic regulations.

I heard some strange snipping sounds coming from the kitchen this evening. Rachel was calmly cutting her Barbie's hair.

"What are you doing, Rachel?"

"I'm cutting my dolly's hair--just like you are going to cut my hair."

I remembered that I had told Rachel yesterday that I was going to cut off all her hair because she cries so much every time I comb it.

"Do you want me to cut your hair?" I had meant it as a horrible threat so she would not cry so much.

"Yes, I want it to be like Madeline's." Madeline is her friend with a cute pixie-cut. Now I am stuck. Should I cut it or not? It would be easier to take care of, but she really has lovely locks.

"Now I need to give it a shower!"

She was done cutting and gave it a shower in the bathroom sink and dried it off with my towel. She was so proud! In fact, she went right on playing and announced to her other toys that Barbie just got back from the Beauty Shop!

Foundation safe mystery!

2009-04-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Our house is 109 years old. It has a lot of cool features in it...and a few mysteries! We randomly met the grandchildren of one of the previous owners at a furniture store. When they delivered the furniture they asked if they could have a tour of the house. They loved going through the whole house and telling me what their grandfather had done 20 years ago. While in the basement they said that they remember a safe cemented into the foundation. Drywall was covering the walls now, so it was not easy to confirm their story. But, our curiosity lingered...

Right now, my little sister is helping to finish our basement and we though we should take off some drywall and look for the "mystery safe" We took off 3 sheets of drywall before we found it. Unfortunately, it was only filled with...dust. The last owners must have looted it. Drat! But luckily, it was unlocked, so we could figure out the combination while it was unlocked.

It has been very fun locking and unlocking it and dreaming of all the cool things we are going to do with it. So far, we've decided to cut out the drywall around it, hang a picture (with moving eyes) in front of it on hinges. Then, whenever we get jewels or gold bars, we can just open the picture and get access right to our very cool safe.

Sherlock step aside.

Twirly skirt by Grandma!

2009-04-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

These twirly petticoat skirts retail for at least $80, but not when you have a sewing savy Grandma! Thanks for making this awesome skirt for Rachel, mom! She LOVES it! And it's so great to walk around Target with a little princess next to you, strutting all the way!

Rachel twirls!

And twirls! What fun!
Yeah Grandma!!!!!

Photos you won't want to miss!

2009-04-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

I think it's cute how Brady bites his lower lip. Rex's imitation of Brady is cute, too!

Brady loves hugs from daddy!

Daddy captured a Brady smile!

"Yes, I did have pumpkin for lunch."

Tyler painting

Mr. Handyman

2009-03-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

My dryer broke last week. Just died. Naturally, I was only doing laundry when I had piles and piles of it, so I was in a stinky situation. Luckily for me, my husband is a genuine handyman. No need to shell out a few hundred on a new dryer....just have Rex replace the motor! It only cost $75 and a couple of swear words! I really really appreciate him being able to fix things! He is so great! It saves so much money!

Thanks, honey!

Free trains!

2009-03-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

I love amazing deals! Today Toys R Us is giving away free Thomas the Tank Engines. There are four to choose from. Just bring in this coupon. I printed 2 coupons for the kids and Rachel and Tyler each chose one. Pictured above is Tyler with our two new trains! The total for both trains retails at $31.00. But today...free!

Diaper stockpiling

2009-03-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

I just got 9 jumbo packs of Huggies for $2.94 each! There is a sweet deal until Saturday at Walgreens:
Buy $25 of Huggies products and get $10 in register rewards ($10 off your next purchase).

Huggies jumbo packs are on sale right now for $10 each. Click here to print off a $5 off and $3 off Huggies Gentle Care (sizes 1 & 2) and Natural Fit (sizes 3-5) diapers. You should be able to print each coupon twice.

So here's a scenario:
Buy 3 packs of Huggies diapers (2 Gentle Care and 1 Natural Fit) for $10 each.
Use 2 $5 coupons and 1 $3 coupon.
Pay $17 out-of-pocket and a $10 register rewards will print out at the register for $10 off your next shopping trip. That's like paying $7 for 3 jumbo packs of Huggies! ($2.33 per pack).

Then, I found a link here where you can submit your receipts for a 75 cent rebate per package of diapers. Even more savings!

Remember, diapers make great shower gifts, even if you don't have little babies right now!

P.S. To get my 9 packs, I printed the internet coupons twice as permitted, and then they were reset on the website a week later, so you could print twice again. It is prohibited to Xerox these coupons. I also used a coupon in a recent Sunday paper. As another side note, I believe Huggies Pull-ups are also included in the deal. So, I'm going back to use a few pull-up coupons I have.

Thank you, Paige!

2009-03-07T14:28:00.001-08:00

Today I got a surprise in the mail: a gift from Paige! Thank you! It was part of her sweepstakes, and I was one of the lucky winners! I am very impressed by your creativity, Paige. It is a shopping bag made from a t-shirt. The arms and collar are snipped away and the shirt is sewn at the bottom. The t-shirt pocket is still on the back--handy for items, like coupons! (thanks, Paige)This is the detail on the bag. By my request, it is a drawing of Pike Place Market. Now, I have to know, did you draw this yourself? It is really, really good! I love it!

Keep up with Paige's blog here or on my blog links to the right under Just Once More Paige on the Internet. Thanks again, Paige!

Rachel can tie her shoes!

2009-03-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Rex taught Rachel how to tie her shoes two weeks ago. I can't believe how quickly she caught on to it! Only a few sessions trying and she can do it all by herself! We told her that she needed to learn to tie her shoes to go to Kindergarten. She is really excited to start school this fall! Good job, Rachel!

The kids are out riding bikes with daddy now. Rachel is learning to ride without training wheels. She was becoming really frustrated, so we bribed her. If she can ride all around the park, we are buying her a goldfish. They are only 20 cents at Wal-Mart. Bribes are great!

Brady jump-up

2009-03-04T10:37:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Grandma Mary, for the Johnny-jump-up. Brady has discovered it today and loves it!

Slobber and snot

2009-02-26T18:05:00.001-08:00

Despite the slobber and snot, I still think he's the cutest 4-month-old around! He is laughing with daddy in this shot. Rex is telling him off-color jokes.

See what I can do day!

2009-02-23T17:59:00.001-08:00

Rachel's gymnastics class held a See What I can Do Day. This is Rachel's first one. She has been taking gymnastics for only about 6 weeks. She loves it. Here is her bridge.

This is her awesome backward roll.

And her super cartwheel! What a gymnastics star!

Rachel's 5th Birthday!

2009-02-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

Rachel's birthday party was a blast! She is so excited to be 5 years old and kept mentioning how much bigger she looked. Here is Rachel blowing out her birthday candles. Tyler's expression in the background is consistent with his feelings all day: he was very jealous of all the attention Rachel got and cried when she opened presents because there weren't any for him!

The kids first decorated their gift bags. All the children came dressed as super heros or princesses. Well, except Tyler, who insisted on being a pumpkin.

The kids loved the ball-toss game they played for prizes. Please notice Rachel's beautiful princess curls!

The kids right before their treasure (easter egg) hunt. We hid 384 eggs. It was fun to watch them scurry for them! What great entertainment! Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Walking on water

2009-02-15T18:04:00.001-08:00

Although not exactly miraculous, it was still cool to walk on the lake. The kids loved it! Rex tried it first to make sure it was safe. And I stayed on shore with the baby to throw a lifeline if necessary.

Running off into the sunset.

(they came back)

Cupcakes

2009-01-25T11:58:00.001-08:00

We just finished frosting cupcakes. The kids enjoyed putting the sprinkles on EVERYTHING. The reason for celebration: I just found a cute cupcake holder last night for the bargain price of $1.99 and had to try it out. It works!

My children eat Vegetables: the Proof!

2009-01-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

Never mind the fact I fed them ice cream for breakfast, look at my little chipmunks (and neighbor) gobbling down peas! Just plain peas from the freezer! And to top this off, this was their third helping! They kept begging for more. It was so shocking and incredible, I had to videotape it just to prove what an amazing mother I must be.

This is unrelated to vegetables, but it's just a cute photo of Tyler holding his baby brother.

The reluctant princess

2008-12-25T09:46:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of neighbor little boys to play with around here, but no girls. Rachel frequently has to play "super heros" with the boys, but she loves princess stuff. So, when grandma gave her a new pink princess dress for Christmas, she was so excited to play princess dress-up. Tyler was the only playmate around. She briefly talked him into wearing a princess dress, "Tyler, it's BLUE!" but it didn't last long. Captured above is Rachel (very excited) and Tyler (less than thrilled). Now they are back to playing race cars.

Christmas cookies!

2008-12-14T14:28:00.001-08:00

We have thrown out our diets and have been going crazy making Christmas cookies this year! Here is Tyler putting blue sprinkles on his sugar cookies.

Rachel makes fantastic gingerbread men!

This is how Rex contributes to the cookie making!

The thrill of the HUNT

2008-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Author's note: Some people find hunting terribly offensive. For those of you, I apologize. But, when in Montana, do as the Montanans. So, we bought a permit yesterday and went to hunt wild Christmas trees in the forest. Although some people consider this barbaric, we just think of it as "thinning the herd." Pictured above are Rachel and Tyler ready for the action. We have smeared sap on them from female wild Christmas trees to disguise their scent.

We have cornered an unsuspecting tree and are about to make the "kill."

Rex's 22 didn't do much against this wiley tree, so he ripped it out of the ground with his bare hands!

We have our 68 point tree and are ready to take it home to mount it.

Rachel and Tyler have donned elf hats and stockings to dress the wild tree in preparation for our Christmas festivities. Note: if you notice that Tyler is actually wearing Brady's nightgown (size 0-3 months) it's because he fell through some ice into the river after the previous photo was taken and we were scrambling for dry clothes. But, we decided that it's a muscle shirt on Tyler and makes him look especially tough. Other wild Christmas trees were fleeing at the sight of him.

Merry Christmas!

Ode to Superman

2008-11-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry for getting all gushy, but I have to say...my husband is a stud.
This is why: Rex works 8-5 everyday without lunch. He usually has to stay late and is on-call all the time. He has to go in on weekends and holidays. Frequently he has to drive 2 hours each way to the Bozemen office to work his 9 hour day. Picture him getting up at 5:00 and not getting home until 7:30 at night. This is just to show how hard he works at his job.

Now, you would think he would just goof off when he gets home, right? Hardly! He starts playing with the kids and holds the baby. If he gets called into the hospital for a quick fitting, he will take the kids with him! The nurses and patients love to see the children, and it gives mom some time off. Then when he gets home, he will play baseball or monster truck games with them. At bedtime, he gets the kids ready for bed and will tell them stories. The kids love it! It's so sweet to walk by the door and see Rex laying on the floor of their room laughing and telling funny stories as they fall asleep!

I love how Rex wants to spend so much time being a dad and playing with them. One Saturday we were running errands and we drove by a school with a little basketball hoop. Later that day, he took the kids back to the school so the kids could dunk on a short hoop! Rex is the "spontaneous fun" king!

Not only is Rex a super Dad, he is an awesome husband. When he leaves early in the morning for work, I am still sleeping in bed. I've asked if he wants me to get up and make him breakfast, but he says, "No, I just want you to sleep-in" and he eats cold cereal. When he gets home at night, he never expects dinner to be ready. When it's not, he will help make dinner or find something to eat himself. Last week, he came home after a long day and asked if I needed any help. He then cooked dinner for us! (That's after a 9 hour day with no lunch!)

Anyway, I have to apologize to all you with mere mortal husbands.
I am married to Superman.

The Monster Trucks

2008-11-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Daddy took the kids to the monster truck show and they loved it! Smashing cars, crushing buses, and cool wheelies! This is before the show started, but they both had ear protection on during the LOUD event. Rex is the coolest dad ever!

Almost 4 weeks old

2008-11-07T21:21:00.001-08:00

Brady just learned that he's too young to go to Monster Truck

Mania tomorrow with daddy and siblings. He's not taking it well.

Halloween

2008-11-01T10:34:00.001-07:00

The princess, pumpkin, and cutie-pie are ready for trick-or-treating!

Mud

2008-10-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

The kids and neighbors started out making mud balls in our garden. It escalated into joyously throwing mud on the shed. As a "punishment" I made them spray and scrub it off. This was probably the happiest punishment they've ever had!

Rachel holding Brady

2008-10-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

Rachel is truly a wonderful older sister. She is holding Brady while I rake a few leaves. Her arm is getting tired of holding him, but I insist on waiting "just a minute longer while I get my camera." What a trooper.

The orthotist steps in

2008-10-25T15:33:00.001-07:00

Rachel got her cast removed and they made a splint to wear for the next 3 weeks. The edges of it were a little sharp so Rex, an orthotist, decided to replace her splint. He made it today on his day off. It is foam lined, with a lovely butterfly design. Rachel loves it! Shown in the photo is the old one and Rachel is wearing the new one. How handy that daddy could make it for her!

Practice starts early

2008-10-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

It's never too early to start!

(Brady's accessories came from Build-a-Bear)

Brady arrived!

2008-10-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

I started contractions on Monday at 6:40 PM and Brady was born at 10:06 PM.

He was 8 lbs 13 oz. He is a happy baby boy!

More snow!

2008-10-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Rachel in over a foot of snow!

Sledding Rex-style

2008-10-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

The kids laughed and laughed sledding with daddy!

Sledding?

2008-10-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Tyler goes down the slide in the snow today.

First snow

2008-10-10T09:39:00.001-07:00

The first snowfall of the year was very exciting!

The kids wanted to go outside as soon as they woke up!

Leaves

2008-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Rachel and Tyler loving the leaves

Hiking

2008-10-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Rex, Tyler, and Rachel pose proudly at the top of a rock during a hike.

I'm due today

2008-10-08T15:43:00.001-07:00

I'm ready to deliver.