A New Friend

I would like to introduce you to my new friend. Her name is Daisy. She lives just outside my back door. She loves me.

She always comes over to see what I am doing.

And to beg me to pet her. And feed her...

In February she will have her calf and we will start milking her. I went to a cheese making class several months ago. It was loads of fun. The entire family is excited to have our new friend here! (No I am not going to milk her, that is Heath's job. I take care of the milk, cheese creation, butter making...all of that stuff and he does the milking.)

A Bunch of Supers!

We carved some sweet pumpkins. Tell choose the biggest pumpkin he could find. Gideon wanted a Frankenstein one. Kodi's had to have eyelashes because it was a girl, of course. And Trace wanted a scary one.

Our cousins were here. We LOVE to coordinate our Halloween. If you thought coordinating 4 kids was hard....try 9! :)

So here is the final result, an entire bunch of Supers! What we have: CatWoman, Captain America, Superman, Bumblebee, WonderWoman, SheRa, SpiderMan, BatMan, IronMan, and Super Baby!

Goodbye Old Friend, Hello New One

So our life seems all consumed with the business change. IronRidge has reached the end of its life. It has taught us so much and helped us to learn to be better in the future. Speaking of future let me be the first to introduce you to the newest engineering firm in town, GO Civil Engineering. We are officially up and running with it. Heath built his desk and it looks awesome! Hopefully soon we will have our sign up outside and people will be able to find us. I go in three days a week and keep the books in order and for Heath it is his home away from home. We are so excited for this new adventure that our life is taking us on, and very glad that we are traveling together. ;) (Pictures will follow some day. I just wanted you to be updated on the excuse for neglecting my blog.)

Finally!

So my sister finally committed to taking our family picture. I have been asking her for years and years (Yes, it has been two years since our last picture.) and she just keeps dragging her feet. :) OK, not really...it is me. I love having my family pictures but the work that has to go into it sometimes doesn't get the highest priority. Regardless we have awesome family pictures once again! She pulled out her magic wand and made us suitable for the general public. We went up the mountain and the leaves are just changing and it is gorgeous. The new header is the only picture she has released to me. She likes to tease me by just giving me bits and pieces of what I want. SO...naturally I am passing the teasing on to you. She has promised that more are coming, but even if they don't this picture is perfect! Thanks sister!!

City Girl

This is our Grandma Lu. She is a city girl if there ever was a city girl. She is moving closer to us and we can't be more excited and happy! She lives in NY and the idea of her in the country is a bit of an adjustment for her. So when we got our tractor it was only natural that Grandma Lu drive it. Although I think we told her she was just going to "sit" on it while we took a picture. :) The video below is her driving it about 15ft across the backyard. ;) I love this lady! She is beautiful and caring in every way. She is a true funny girl! (There aren't many of us out there, you know.) We can't wait 'til you are here for keeps!

Green Thumb

I do not have a green thumb. I want to have a green thumb. I am trying to train myself to have a green thumb. Any produce that comes from our garden is Heath's fault. This year we haven't had much time to spend in the garden, so when we got two laundry baskets full of corn we were so proud of ourselves!

Great American Stampede!

We LOVE this Cedar City event! It is put on by the Lion's Club which means that for the most part the kids and I are enjoying the festivities while Daddy is helping with everything. :) We got to the rodeo early to make sure we got a perfect spot to watch the show.

This year Heath talked me into letting the kids do the "mutton bust." Kodi, Gideon, and Tell all wanted to ride a sheep. Trace was more than happy to sit with me and watch. The picture above is Gideon. He won the mutton bust and could not have been more proud. He would tell anyone that would listen that he won the rodeo.

Kodi was a bit heart broken that she didn't win. (The girl is used to winning whatever she tries. It was a good lesson for her to learn.) But all in all it was a great weekend. We all wore our cowboy hats and attracted a lot of attention. We can't wait 'til next year!

My Boys!

It has been one week since Kodi started school. As you can see from the above photo the boys are LOVING some Mom time.

Red 3

My third child is going to preschool this year. He couldn't be more excited, I couldn't be more anxious. I love, love, love his preschool it is just the idea of another one heading off to school. Kodi starts school this Thursday, Gideon starts in two weeks, and then Trace will start in three weeks. (I will be brave, I will be strong, I will not cry for the next month!)

Let's Decorate

It was my birthday on Saturday. Daddy and the kids decorated a yummy cake for me. They had a great time, and the gel frosting they used turned your mouth, hands, arms, and face wonderful colors!

Yes, it is a flaming inferno. No, the smoke alarm did not go off so I guess I'm not that old. :)

Blog Stalkers

Since two of my sisters have moved back from TX, I have not been very motivated to blog. (I know you haven't noticed.) Mostly because they are here and know what I am up to. So this weekend my baby sister and I went on a small road trip to Logan. While there we had dinner with my favorite cousins of all time. They expressed their dismay that I was not "really back" as my blog post from months ago stated. Shamefully they are correct. "I check your blog everyday!" Oh no, really? Well, I am recommitted to keeping current on my blog all of our adventures. I guess more people are anxiously awaiting the next episode of "Crazy Oveson Life" than I originally thought. :)

Camping!

Here are some of the pictures from our camping trip. (In no particular order.) We tied a rope bridge between two trees again this year. It was just as much fun, maybe even more, as last year! The kids were nervous at first but were bouncing and sitting in the water in short order.

We went "fishing." The kids would cast and reel in the line, while standing and stomping in the water, throwing all kinds of things in the water, and making all kinds of fabulous noises. I don't know why we didn't catch any fish. :)

We relaxed and enjoyed the out doors.

We braved the world barefoot most of the time.

We soaked up the sun.

We painted trees.

We got dirty in places that we didn't even know we had places.

We carved soap.

We camped with cousins, aunts and uncles. Our Red Grandma even came up the last day to join in the dirty fun. :) Hopefully we can sneak one more camping trip in before the summer is gone.

Happy 4th of July!

The 4th of July is one of my very favorite holidays ever. I love everything about the day. I love the red white and blue everywhere. I love the sense of togetherness as a family, community, and nation.

This year we got to be in the parade. We made super cute tutu's for the girls and cool dude bandannas for the boys.

We wandered around the park after the parade, but since our Daddy was helping out at all the booths, (Not really but it felt like it.) the kids and I headed to a less stressful park to have a picnic.

We had a super fun neighborhood BBQ that night. There was the biggest slip 'n slide ever there. Gideon would run most of the way down the plastic before he would lay down. Silly boy!

Then the fireworks. (I LOVE FIREWORKS! I think it comes from when I was a kid and watched them set off the big ones, up close and personal.) Our Daddy put on a fabulous show in Grandma's driveway and we watched the big ones right outside our house.

All in all, a wonderfully exhausting day!

Really Back!

So we finally got Internet at our house. (So now there is no excuse to update my blog.)
This week as been a whirlwind to say the least. Heath went to Wood badge, so we were Daddyless for a week. Toni and I went para sailing on Monday, heavy duty manual labor on Tuesday, truffle making on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday kinda blurred in anticipation for today. Oh and in the middle of all of that we had 2 mice invade our home. I hate mice. I sat in the middle of the kitchen table crying and scaring it back into hiding. It was late, I was scared, and texted everyone I knew to tell me how to get rid of it. My sister Emily came and helped me set traps the next night. Aimee and Toni came to "check" on me that night. (Really they came to scare me.) By then we had caught the beasts. They killed and removed them from my house. I, of course bravely cowered in the corner. However, today is Saturday and our Daddy is coming home today. In the 10ish years we have been married we haven't been apart for this long before. I'm glad it is over and life can go back to normal.

Lots of happenings!

So here is a consolidated timeline of some of what we have been up to.

St Patrick's Day was completely green.

Easter was wonderfully springish! Thanks Red Grandma for helping us look so stylish.
Tell's 3rd birthday was a crazy monkey of a time.

Trace's 4th birthday was a treasure trove of pirate loot.
For our birthday's we got a pass to the new aquatic center and we can't get enough of it. Swimming, swimming, swimming. We had to go for each birthday so far, and a few times extra for added fun.

And in the mix of all of that, Aunt Toni and family moved back by us and we can hardly contain our excitement!

We are busy busy busy with church, work, kids, and home stuff. But loving every minute of it!

We Live!

Hello, Hello, Hello my friends! We are in our new house, boxes are mostly put away, and life is moving forward. We don't have internet at the house just yet, so posts will be here and there. But we are here, we are here, we are here! (Name that movie...)

T-Bear

Mommy! Look what I found.

I'm not sure what it is for but I better try and eat it. I did it! (Too bad no real eating was involved.)

You love me, I know you do.

I sure that if a boy wearing a butterfly net for a hat, playing a harmonica doesn't make you smile nothing will. :)

All Because Two People Fell In Love...

10 years ago, (yesterday) Heath and I were married. They have been the most wonderful years of my life. I can't think of a better person to compliment me. We are the best team out there. (Sorry if you thought you had the corner on the market, but you are wrong. :)

Normally we go and do sealings at the temple on our anniversary. It reminds us how it all started and the blessings and promises from being married in the Temple. However this year we did things a bit different. The kids know that Mom and Dad go down to the temple, but they haven't ever been down. So we loaded up the entire family and went down to St George. We went through the visitors center and walked around the temple. It was a wonderful day!

I love you Heath! Thanks for a wonderful 10 years, and many, many, many, more to come.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Red Grandma hooked us up with some super cute monkey jammies. (She also got Heath and I some as well. ---Not Shown--- I didn't know that they make footie jammies that big.) The kids loved them and were oh so warm.

We had a wonderful Christmas and hope that you and your family did as well.

And Happy New Year! (I know that you can hear them saying that through the picture.) :)

Happy Birthday Gideon!

Well folks, my oldest son went and had a birthday. I can hardly believe that he is already five years old. The time has flow by! He went from being a wonderful baby with excellent kissing chops, to being a tall and skinny little man. We sure love our Dig. Happy Birthday Son!

Soon, I Promise!

I have been a complete and total slacker about updating my blog. I have been given hints, and hints and more hints that I need to get with it. My pink friend got sick there for awhile. (My computer is pink.) And so I am still needing to put my photo software back on her so that I can post some pictures. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day! :) .....Deep Breath, Aunt Toni....patience is a virtue...

My Grey Puppy!

About two years after Heath and I got married I informed him that I needed a little grey puppy. Of course he got me one. She was the first puppy to leave the litter. She bawled and bawled as we drove away. I was heart broken and certain that we needed to return her. (Of course someone else would purchase her if we did not was the logic that Heath used on me.) So home she came with us. We named her Hannah, "A girl? I might have known she'd have a girl!"
And so I got what I wanted.
Growing up I had lots of cats. Mostly outside cats. But no dogs. So she was my first puppy and I loved it! I had jury duty the first week that she was home with us, so she went to work with Heath and he got all of her attention. So for a long time she was "Heath's dog." But as the years past she would follow me around and help me do laundry, help me cheat at hide and go seek, clean up the floor under the table after meals, and sit on my feet to keep them warm. She definitely became my puppy! :)
On one of our runs I pushed her hard, and by the end of it I was carrying her down the street. She layed down and refused to walk another step. But she was more than content to check everybody out as I carried her down the road. Before Kodi came along it was Hannah and I that held down the fort while Heath worked late. I am scared of the dark. And I wouldn't let my imagination get the best of me unless Hannah started barking. Then I knew that something totally scary was waiting outside my door. And I would immediately call Heath. I don't know how may countless hours I have seen Hannah sit and endure the "love" from the kids. From pulling her hair to forcing her to share her bed with all of their stuffed animals. We all can remember good times with that old girl!
My Hannah got very sick. (I will spare you the disgusting details. I'm pretty sure the only person that is intrigued by that kind of thing already knows them.) And so this Thanksgiving we had to put her down. It was hard. (No I did not personally do it, Heath did.) It was heart breaking. She taught all of our kids the joy and responsibility of having a pet, and the comfort that she can give. I will never be able to replace her. GusGus is giving his best go at it, but he is still in the "Heath's dog" stage of it.
Hannah was my guardian, my furry friend, and partner in crime. I love her and I miss her.