Fall Fun

Kanyon is at an age where everything is an adventure and he revels in all that comes his way. I love that he enjoys all of the small things that the oldest kids have outgrown such as frolicking in the leafs, painting pumpkins, baking cookies, being a thorn in mom's side 99.9% of most any given day. I miss the tender moments when Kaleb and Kennedy used to be in Kan's shoes, the time cascaded by all too quickly. I'm eternally grateful for all of life's innocence memories. These memories that thankfully leave pictures to look back upon as new memories and milestones slowly start to replace these moments.

Our Little Ladybug

Daddy has talent and he is meticulous when it comes to being "the best" at anything that gets dumped onto his plate. When I asked him to paint a ladybug on my protruding baby bump, I didn't anticipate such a brilliant work of art.

The Final Stretch

We are officially getting down to the wire and are now counting down days until our little ladybug comes screaming into our lifes. After our ultrasound yesterday they assured us she is a "BIG" healthy girl and we are so excited to have made it this far with minimal complications. I'm praying she will stay put for a few more weeks or at least through October. I say this because I want all of the holidays off on maternity leave. It seems like just yesterday I crawled into bed with Paul and passed on the pregnancy news. 8 months later crawling into bed certainly isn't as easy or comforting but knowing he is there and always offering to make adjustments for me seems to help me cope. Kimbree is head down and I'm convinced the pressure from walking will one day probably cause me to wet my pants. Aside from getting the bases for her carseat locked in the cars, we have everything in order and ready for her arrival. As painful as this past month has been, I can say with tears in my eyes that I will miss this. Knowing that I won't ever have these pregnancy moments again is as saddening as is it refreshing. I will miss feeling her roll and somersault around trying to get cozy. I will miss watching my belly as it takes alien form due to her movements. I will miss my pregnancy swag or waddle, however you view it. I will miss the kids sneaking a hand on my belly to capture her movement. I will miss Paul saying how sexy he thinks the belly is. There are so many different aspects that I will miss but once I lay my eyes on our new puzzle piece I'm convinced the joy she brings will surpass all the things that I will miss.

Elk Camp 2013

This post might just drop jaws but I'm ok with that, I figure I'm 8 months pregnant and entitled to have a melt down every now and then. I have come to despise the elk hunt; there I said it now someone hurry and shoot me! I only go for support because it's my husband and son's passion, the one thing they look forward to and dream about every year. Let me just say if I didn't love them both as much as I do, I would rather be raped by an elk than go on this chaotic trip. Once July hits in our household the topic of conversation seems to revolve around "the elk hunt." I seldomly get to poop in our house uniterrupted as is but when you have a 13 year old yelling something about washing his clothes in scentless detergent through the door it really just makes you want to put some camo on and track for miles through the woods in the pelting rain. I actually might enjoy "the hunt" more if it wasn't so much work for the women. We are the constant caregivers/entertainers for all the kids, we cook, eat, and clean up around the men's hunting schedules. I'm not saying the men don't do anything because they do and their sole purpose for being there is to KILL. If it weren't for being able to kill elk some of our kids mind come up missing. It simply isn't what most women would consider a relaxing weekend trip espeically after you've cleaned out poopy undies from your 3 year old deciding to poop in the woods, scraped mud from every nook, cranny, and crevice and have frozen your (<<<<< insert bad word here) off. Will I continue on this hunting journey absolutely because let's face it LOVE makes us do crazy things.

Arrrrrrrr Jr. High Pirate

It's hard to believe that Kaleb started the 8th grade this year and boy has it kept him on the go "constantly." The football season started before school did. For these Jr. High boys, football is like having a part time job. They spend anywhere from 15-20 hours a week on the football field between practicing and games. Every time I take a good gander at Kaleb, it looks like he's lost another 5 lbs. He no longer looks like a lineman even though he plays offensive/defensive line as a guard. He would indeed eat us out of house and home from all the extra calories he's shedding daily. One of the football coaches recently returned from Iraq and has placed huge focus on conditioning these boys into shape. Thus far it's been a losing season :( the boys won 1 game and have played their little hearts out. One of my greatest joys is cheering on my kids from the side lines; watching them pour their heart and soul into something they are passionate about makes all the tedious things in life fade away. Kaleb, no matter where you go or what you do (unless its bad enough that I want to beat you) I will always be your #1 fan.

Kimbree Jo

My Sweet Little Kimbree, I know that you aren’t born yet but before we know it you will be here and our lives will be blessed times 10. There are so many things that await you on the outside; you will be the line that completes our family circle. We can’t wait to see you for the first time and hold you tight in our arms and close to our hearts. I’m sure it won’t take long before we start picking apart different traits and features that you have and pin point where you got them from. You are already so active it will be interesting to see what you are like once you aren’t confined to being inside my belly. Your movements and stretches are getting much stronger and are often painful causing me to wince. You measure big and even though people say that “I’m not that BIG,” I’m more than certain you will be tipping the scales at 9 lbs. when you make your arrival. Since you are my last pregnancy, I’m trying super hard to revel and enjoy all of the last little pieces of pregnancy but I will be the first to admit that it’s not easy. You are sitting really low in my pelvis so it hurts to walk and change positions daily although I do think the exercise has helped the pain somewhat. I’m at the point now that trying to get comfortable enough to sleep is next to impossible and I would kill for a daily nap to catch up on some zzzz’s. I’m so anxious to see what your personality will be like and pray that you are mellow and mild tempered but don’t expect those qualities. More than anything I hope that you are happy, healthy, and vibrant. I hope that no matter where life takes you that you will always know that you are cherished and loved beyond belief. Keep growing big and strong sweet pea and I will be rocking you in my arms before you know it! XOXO Mom

3 and Thriving

What a year for our little "wild beast" Kanyon and once again time as flown by ever so quickly and the new adventures come in multiples. Some of the highlights over the last year are as follows: * You continue to grow tall but your waist size stays the same. * You conquered potty training. * You are a HUGE mama's boy and constantly attached to my hip. * You still don't sleep through the night most weeks. * You love bikes, 4-wheelers, blocks, books, and playdoh. * You have a little potty mouth (a dad trait) but are getting progressively better at using your "nice" words. * You love to dance, sing, and run circles around the kitchen. * You have impeccable manners that we are always complimented on. * You loved our trip to Kansas and everyone was enthralled with your little "BIG" personality. * You have to walk/run everywhere you go, no more strollers for you. * You rant and rave about hunting (a trait from big brother Kaleb) and go on moose, elk, and deer hunts throughout the house. * You overcame your fear of waves at the wave pool even after taking a good spill off the tube pulling you under. * You are hard headed and persistent, repeating the same phrase over and over typically until you get what you want. * You upgraded from a toddler bed to a twin size (courtesy of Grandma Sandi and Papa Joe). * You have a very boisterous voice and will often scream out of nowhere and then laugh because you think it's funny. * You laugh if everyone else is laughing as if you understand life's humors. * You love Grandma Sandi & Papa Joe's house and to go out for ice cream with Aunt Margaret. * You have a very technical mind and try to figure out how everything is made or works. * You love big animals from afar but they scare you up close. * You love fruit snacks and you only eat the creme part of cookies. Kanyon, you light up my life in so many ways. I look forward to waking you up every morning, even when I have to resort to using "Mr. Bee" when you're grumpy and won't budge. One of the best parts of my day is when you run into my arms at daycare. I love our chats on our way home and most times love that you are attached like a thorn to my side. Saying that you melt my heart is an understatement, you're pure wonderment and drive for life makes my heart burst with bubbles of happiness. I can't wait to see you become a big brother, you are so tender and protective over things that you love, I'm sure it will be the same for your baby sister. Happy Birthday TURBO, may your day and the year to come be blessed beyond measure and full of fun and exciting new adventures in your little world. I love you to the moon and back!

2013 First Day of School

Another summer has come and gone way too fast, so here we are again starting another school year that will pass just as quickly I'm sure. Little Miss Dani is starting the 2nd grade this year and is still attending private school "Blessed Sacrament" in Sandy. She had an adventurous summer with lots of trips to the pool where she learned how to swim and recently moved into a new house closer to her school. Kennedy is venturing into 7th grade, her first year at the junior high. She also spent countless hours at the pool this summer and has survived jr high shots, registration, and oreintation as well as signing up for some extracurricular programs. Kaleb is an 8th grader this year and like most boys his age I would assume has started putting forth more effort into looks than books. He started football a few weeks ago and has been driven toward the archery hunt which is his true passion. Days, nights, weeks, months, and years pass all too quickly as time waits for no man but we are excited for all of the fun things this year will bring for all of the kids.

"A Beautiful Dozen"

It's hard to believe a dozen years have gone by since Kennedy entered our lifes and I'm sure as I blink a dozen more will go by just as quickly. Age 12 is the beginning of a few milestones for Kennedy, the biggest is starting Jr. High in a few short weeks. What once seemed like a big excitement has gradually turned into nervousness and anxiety for her venturing into a new chapter, in a new school, with new faces, not to mention a variety of new teachers. We continue to have the highest of hopes for Kennedy and continue to reassure her that everything will be fine as long as she keeps her head on straight and doesn't get mixed up in the drama. Days, weeks, months, and years have passed so quickly that I will gladly say in the last dozen years Kennedy has blessed me with an abundance of things. Oddly enough I vividly remember every birthday; however, her first birthday seems like it just happened yesterday. Birthday #1 we had a pool party and you fell on the concrete putting a nice rasberry on your forehead the day before your one year photo shoot. You loved playing in the little pool but refused to get into the bigger pool with the other kids. You had no desire to make a mess of your birthday cake (which was a beach ball) and had to be coaxed by your dad to taste it to know it was ok. For gifts you received: a wooden rocking chair, a baby doll and stroller, clothes and shoes, and a table/chair set. That little wooden rocking chair soon became your "time out" chair. Birthday #12, another pool party including some of your close friends. We spent hours at the pool and regardless of the sunscreen, we all walked away with some nice sun scorches. You wanted an ice cream cake which Paul made big enough to feed a foreign country. You made a birthday wish list with a dozen items of different things you wanted. For gifts you received: rollerblades, jewelry, clothes, lip balm maker, make-up, and finger nail polish. Although many years have crept by from one birthday to the next, when I close my eyes I see that first party just as clearly as the last one. Happy Birthday my little blonde beauty, may this year be full of new adventures and enough joy to last an entire lifetime. My love for you multiplies as time coasts by. I treasure all of the years we've spent together and look forward to all of the years ahead.

2nd Trimester Skepticisms

I have to go here because lets be perfectly honest, if you've ever had a not so joyous pregnancy every time a pregnant woman tells you that she feels remarkable you really just want to punch her in the throat LOL ok maybe that was a little extreme but still. I thought, since at the current moment I'm not so much enjoying being pregnant I would give some brief reasons as to why. Reason #1: SLEEP - during the 2nd tri I haven't been able to sleep. I feel motivated but exhausted, I want to sleep all the time yet I just can't get comfortable enough to do so and just about the time sleep becomes me BAM I'm hit with a swift kick to the bladder sending me off to the bathroom. Reason #2: ACHES - everything hurts, my head, my boobs, my back, my belly, my thighs, my feet. If nothing hurts, something is probably wrong. If everything hurts too much, something is probably wrong. If everything hurts the right amount, that is a great sign and it means that everything is going perfectly. How do you know the right amount? You don't, and every day the "right amount" can change. Reason #3: KICKS - Oh your sweet little baby is healthy and moving around and kicking. You can feel her bumping around, it's just magical and then HOLY $HIT WHAT WAS THAT? That? That crazy sudden pain that almost made you collapse? That feeling that someone just sent an electric fireball down your vagina and through your legs? That, my dear, was your sweet little baby kicking you in the cervix. Reason #4: SWELLING - Everyone knows things swell when you're pregnant. Your hands swell. Your feet swell. Your face swells. Your boobs enter a room 5 minutes before you, and 10 minutes after your belly does. Reason #5: ADVICE - Everyone you meet who has ever met another pregnant woman is an expert on your pregnancy. Everything they will tell you defies logic, and is likely the opposite of anything your OB will ever tell you. The longer ago and the farther away they gave birth, the more advice they will have and the more they will insist your doctor is wrong. Example: 90 year old woman who birthed her youngest 70 years ago in Siberia knows more than your doctor and will terrify you while going on for hours about what the best way to be pregnant is (using vodka to douche every hour is important for a healthy fetus). Everyone else will ask you questions, benign questions compared to the stuff I've mentioned. So there you have it. Everything you may or may not have wanted to know about the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Now, I need to go ice my crotch and change my poise pad :)

"Honey Do's"

Paul and I created a list of "honey do's" that needed to be done before our little gal makes her grand debut. Oddly enough the list has grown quite significantly in size since it was first generated. This weekend we busted tail and polished off a good portion of our list and regardless of the new aches and pains that have been associated to all the hard work, it was quite an accomplishment to get a ton of much needed things finished. 2 days of blood, sweat, and tears (ok minus the blood part) and here is what we polished off:

*New shelves made for Kanyon/Kimbree's closet
*Basement rearranged with play area
*Basement walls and base boards washed
*Baby Swing assembled
*Crib Assembled
*Kimbree's corner created
*Front door and back french doors restained
*House cleaned
*Garage cleaned and reorganized
*Grocery shopping done
*Water Balloon Fight
*Wee bit of relaxation in the sun/jumping on tramp with sprinker on
*Storage Bins sorted in shed
*Finished it off with a good movie and popcorn

All of these things were done while entertaining kids and preventing a world war III disaster. I would say we accomlished a good chunk of our honey do's. I'm super excited to see bits and pieces of our upcoming bundle added to our pad as we patiently await her arrival so that our family can be complete. 

Home On The Range

There is something completely wholesome and refreshing about traveling back to where your very roots began. We try our hardest to make it back to Kansas once a year to visit family. Often our Kansas trip is the only little summer vacation we are able to sneak in and I'm extremely grateful for the quality time that is well spent with our Kansas family. My grandma who turned 80 this year and hasn't let age slow her down an ounce, goes out of her way to entertain, feed, and well feed us some more. We all leave heavy hearted and a few pounds more. Every night we had a family get together with yummy food and desserts. Aunt Julie ended up being the hostess with the mostest this year and opened her doors and kitchen to our crazy crowd, she definitely spoiled us with delicious meals. The kids enjoyed an array of swimming, fireworks, BBQ's, goat washing, redneck water slides, and camp outs. We were even able to sneak in a little maternity shoot to capture the growing baby bump. I revel in the memories that were created when I was a child growing up in Kansas and want those same memories for my children. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part of the trip but I've began to look at goodbyes as temporary, until our next adventure, I will keep you in my heart and prayers. A hearty family renunion is in the making for our next Kansas trip and we are ecstatic to see family that we haven't captured moments with in a very long time.

"It's A"

We are ecstatic to announce that we are adding the color pink to our already bold color pallet. Our plates will be overflowing but I'm pretty certain that the abudance of love headed our way will compensate for all the chaos. My husband and I made bets (30 min. massages) as to whom was correct on the gender and as much as I really hate to admit this "I WAS WRONG," and lost. Our ultrasound tech confirmed that I was wrong even after I proceeded to ask her if she was sure and how long she'd been doing this for, she grinned and replied "OHHHHHHHH just 32 years and there are no boy parts here." A huge part of me really wanted a little boy partly because we have everything to accomodate one; however, the other huge part of me (no not my butt) wanted a girl just to see what she would look like since the hubby and I have already made one heck of a good looking male offspring :). As the color pink has settled into my core, I'm finding myself more and more elated at all of the fun aspects that having a little girl entails: hairbows & headbands, frills & lace, dresses & mud, pink & purple, flowers & butterflies, and the most incredible of bonds.

We broke the news to our kids and families via a dessert decoy which left them in a turmoil. The list of possiblities they came up with as to why we were inviting them over in the middle of the week was quite comical so I have to share a few:
*We're having twins
*We're moving back to Salt Lake
*Hubby is taking a new job
*Mom is getting hitched
*Baby Gender (actually was on their list).


















We painted a box with blue/pink polka dots and filled it with pink/white balloons to reveal gender. Our kids and families seemed over the moon excited about adding another pink bundle to the clan. We are definitely looking forward to the adventures ahead and hoping to reach the finish line of this pregnancy with great health and complication free :) heartburn free would be nice too but that's probably not a possibility :(

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

I just wanted to write a quick little note to my husband in celebration of the day we joined our hearts and became a whole unit.

Thank you for all the wonderful years and treasured memories that you have given me. Your love is the strength that drives me to do everything for our family. You are the armor that shields me from tears and you're  my crutch when I don't have the strength to stand. You made my life colorful and added a rainbow of hope for better tomorrows. You continue to amaze me with your generosity and compassionate heart. My world wouldn't be the same without all of your wonderful attributes. Thank you for loving me, thank you for being a superior partner, and incredible father to our children. You inspire me to be a better person. Words are not enough to say that "I love you" so let me kiss you instead! Happy Anniversary Paul Michael and I will keep loving you from "Here to Eternity."

"Camping Adventures"

Finally, we pulled our tent out, set it up to make sure it still functioned properly, and headed out for a weekend at Huntington Lake. If you're a parent, you know that camping is alot of work when you have kids, especially young tots. It seemed as though we were constantly playing the "referee" role and I won't even go there with the (h e double hockey sticks Kan put us through).


We spent a ton of time in the water trying to cool off, Kan was fearless and rode on Paul's back out to the water plank with the other kids. Mom was a chicken and not a fan of the super chilly water passed her belly. The kids fished off the dock for crawdads and bass, they finally scored on the last day and we brought home 5 blue gill. There's very little time to relax when the kids are pulling you in 14 different directions or you have a 2 year old that simply doesn't sit still :( but somehow we managed to still catch a bit of shade and take in the nice evening air. We gathered firewood and were able to enjoy a small fire long enough for the kids to make s'mores. The pics do speak for themselves if you notice the pure enjoyment on the faces of the kids, awwwwwww to be young again.





"Horsin' Around"

We packed up the car and made a quick jaunt to Logan over the weekend to have some much needed HOUGH family time! Our mission was to help my brother Josh's family get moved into their new house but plans kept taking a turn for the worse and that mission wasn't accomplished in the utmost way. All plans aside we got to spend some time with both of the "Happy Hough" clans and get out of our house for a weekend which is always a bonus! It's incredulous how much our neices and nephews change in 5 months time, they are ever changing and growing like weeds, so sad that so much time lapses between our family visits. Brenten is so tall and smart and very set in his ways, he knows what he wants or doesn't, period end of story. His dad likes to pick on him which can cause an uproar in his little world :(  Miss Madi is a sparkly little ball of fire and on the go constantly. She loved the horses at the park and the Law farm and had no fear whatsoever, so cute! Then there's little Hannah who is a diamond in the rough, she is an aboslute gem from the tip of her curly cue hair to her kissable toes. She is such a happy and glorious little bug to be around, we couldn't get enough Hannah time. The Hough's are always a pleasure to be around (well most of the time bahaha) and we certainly enjoy our time with each of them. Oh how I wish we lived just a hair closer so we could play a bigger role in each other's lifes but never would I take for granted the time we get together. Thank you again to my sister in law Kaye who sent me home with some clothes to support my growing baby bump!