long lost sisters to visit

Well ok, so they aren't really "lost" but they live so darn far away that it feels like it sometimes.  Erin and Melanie came to Utah with their families for a visit and it was a blast to have my family all together!  I just adore each of my siblings.  Honestly, I have no idea why I deserved to be in the family I was born into but I'm thankful for it every day.  My 3 sisters and my brother, and all the spouses, are such incredible people.  Fun and interesting, honorable and strong, faithful and mature, I just love them all so much.  It is genuinely a big party having everyone together.  A crazy, sometimes stressful party, especially with all 18 kids in one house! But I can't imagine life without each of them.  I think we all take family for granted. Especially those of us that have strong, big, supportive families.  But when I think of how a huge number of people either don't have family (or anyone that cares about them), or they are not close with their families, it hits me how special this group of people are to me and how blessed I am.  So anyway, here are some pictures of my favorite people in the world!

Strawberry Days Rodeo - so fun!!

It was just the 3 of us that night - fun to spend time with our biggest boy!

In every pic at least one of them had their mouth full... this is as good as it gets!

Dad, me, Melanie, Erin

Ririe, Mom, Coleman

The sandbox was a hit!

All of the gorgeous, strong women in my family. Love these ladies!!

Finding Nemo...and other neat fish!

Last Christmas we got a family aquarium pass and it has been so much fun! Luckily our cousins had the same idea so we often meet up to go together.  Some favorites are the rope bridge (a little scary but all the more fun!), the shark tunnel, and touching the sting rays. It has been such a fun adventure learning about the creatures of the oceans together!

Gabe leading the bunch with Jack, Wesley, and Logan behind

Our only girl, so cute, with Gage/Iron Man behind



Ririe's baby blessing

It's time for a little catch up.  I love this blog but I'm falling behind. Since I don't want to skip anything special, I gotta go back in order and record all the wonderful little things that have happened in our lives.  First of all, my beautiful baby niece's baby blessing.  Ririe Ruth is just a treasure! We LOVE having another girl around here... Nyah and the adults, anyway. I don't know that all the little boys are that opinionated on the subject.  Anyway, that precious baby looked like a perfect little doll on her special day.  Griff's grandmother hand crocheted a lovely gown for her to wear - it is breathtaking.  It was such a treat to be there with Mindy and Griff on such an occasion for their sweet family.

remodeling: Before and After pics

When we moved in, Eric and I knew we wanted to get most of the flooring replaced but it took us a while to decide on exactly what we should replace it with! We finally decided on a beautiful hickory hardwood floor.  In August we had the tile and carpet torn out and our new wood floor installed, yippee!! Around the same time we got the house repainted.  The previous paint colors were utter torture to live with... a greenish, yellow taupe - yikes.  The new beige/light gray with bright white trim and ceilings was perfect and so welcome of a change.   With the new floor and paint, Eric and I felt like our house had been transformed into a new house!  Here are some before and after pictures.

Family room BEFORE (note brown mantel)

Family room AFTER-view toward stairs (with white mantel)

Family room AFTER-view toward windows

Kitchen BEFORE (note island)

Kitchen AFTER (with island framed and painted)

Entryway BEFORE (with beginnings of French doors into the office being framed - used to be an open archway)

Entryway/Dining room BEFORE

Entryway AFTER (with tile inlay design)

This last picture shows up the stairs toward Gabe and Nyah's rooms - the new paint looks so nice! I forgot to take an after photo of the French doors leading into the office. They look great - picture to come.

One day when I was checking on Ian during his nap, I couldn't resist taking a picture of his BLACK feet from the remodeling! I was so happy when it was all finished and the house was clean and put back together.

First Day of School

Gabe is now a tall and handsome 2nd grader (with new shoes soon after this picture was taken) ... precocious Nyah is in pre-K, her last year of preschool... and Ian is still at home with me but wanted his picture taken too!

Gabe's 7th Birthday!



Gabriel is now a whopping 7 years old! It's crazy that it's been 7 years since I became a mother.  Poor guy was our guinea pig... as with all first children, it was a lot of trial and error! :)  But what a ride so far.  Gabe is my buddy. He always has been.  He has been there through two more babies, several moves, all the wonderful and exciting changes in our family... there's something special about that.  Like he is Eric and I's partner in crime or something! Maybe because he is 3 years older than Nyah.  But he is such a great kid. He loves and takes care of his little sister and brother - which includes a fair share of teasing but is there really any other way to be a big brother?!  Most of the time he is concocting really fun games and activities for them all to play and they are giggling away. Nyah and Ian don't get how lucky they are to have such a creative and energetic big brother! Gabe is SO incredibly creative. He can build anything - and I mean ANYTHING - out of paper and tape.  He sees a movie or reads a book (or is exposed in any way to something that intrigues him) and he is immediately building a recreation or his own invention.  Recently it is traps. We have a gopher problem and so he has been involved with our attempts (unfortunately unsuccessful) to exterminate them.  So he has been building all kinds of traps from paper, rubberbands, wood, staples, whatever is on hand. They are often elaborate and always well thought out.  That boy has a machine for a mind and can design and build anything he wants or makes up. It is amazing!  This past week he has spent days outside with his friend next door Cole, rigging the jogging strollers so that they can ride inside them and still steer and use the brake - all with dog leashes! (Our driveways are long and sloping so it's perfect.)  Gabe named his stroller Blue Fire and Cole's is Black Ninja. Haha they are so hilarious!  Then Gabe added a wagon behind his and started yelling out while he rides "Big rig coming through! CAUTION! Wide turns!!"  Every day it's something new.  I LOVE seeing what he will come up with next. 

He is also such a sensitive soul.  He is really starting to empathize and recognize others' feelings.  He also comes up with incredibly deep questions and insights about the Gospel and life here on earth.  He does not like anything remotely scary or even too adrenaline-inducing. That coupled with the natural phase at his age of following the rules and being uber-fair, he is no wild child! And I'm sure never will be (knock on wood).  For being only 7 years old, I feel like he takes up an enormous place in our family and in our hearts. Life is unthinkable without him! 

For his birthday this year we did a family bbq at the park which turned our really fun.  Gabe had all his cousins to run around with and lots of presents to open (very important at 7)!  To explain the purpose of the blue squirrel cake... Gabe loves the movie the Nut Job right now and wanted a squirrel birthday party! Well, since I had no idea how to do a "squirrel party" I made the cake a blue squirrel at least! He loved it. 

 

Happy Birthday Gaber Goose!! We love you bigger than the sky!!



cousins Jack and Wesley with our birthday boy



Crazy Nyah, Ian, Crystal

Dad with Ririe, Amy, Mindy

Nyah and Jack helped Gabe blow out all those candles

Mom and Ririe, me, Mindy

Gabe's blue squirrel cake as requested!

spring sports

This was the first year that Nyah played soccer and Gabe played baseball. Nyah didn't turn out to be much of a soccer enthusiast. Most of the time (99% to be exact) she refused to even go out on the field and by the last game she was bawling the whole time. We won't be trying soccer again for awhile. What a drama queen! The picture above was taken at one of her first games, before the game as she is playing around. I think we will try gymnastics or dance next... leave team sports alone for a few years.

Nyah playing soccer.

Gabe on the other hand LOVED baseball and tried his hardest every game and practice. It was a pleasure to watch him. He genuinely enjoyed playing and would often set up his own bases at home and play with his little siblings or the neighbors.  Eric and I were so happy to see him have fun - since that is the whole point at this age!

It was coach pitch and Gabe did really well.

Ian watching his big bro play.

Nyah is at the top of that tree in the blue shirt! She is a little monkey!

Happy Easter!

At an Easter egg hunt at a local park

Ian did NOT like that scary batman!

After church on Easter Sunday - what cute kids!