Been a wile.

I was reminded this weekend on how long ago I have last posted to this blog. A lot of things have changed since September of last year. For one, we have moved, again. My father in law decided it was hi time he got a job, and with jobs here in short supply, he moved back to Wyoming. We had a beautiful baby girl, Elizabeth born the end of January. I almost didn't make it to the hospital. I started with a little pain on my way from tow that day, got home and found one our chickens had been hit by a car. I thought, I can feel labor pains now, not too bad, but I need to kill the chicken and not get bloody, because I don't know if I will have time to shower. I take are of the chicken, and see my father in law and say hi and tell him I need to goto the bathroom. Contractions are 2 min apart and getting very intense. I have only started having contractions for 10 minutes. I lay on the couch hoping for them to slow down. Nope. I called Joe, who is 45 miles away and tell him I am I labor, and have 3 contractions while on the phone with him. My telling him that I didn't know if he had to hurry, he had good insight and left immediately. My father in law watched the kids for us so we could go to the hospital. Joe got home in record time, and then we also got to he hospital, that was 40 miles away, in record time also. I was In labor for only 2 hours, and one of it was in the hospital. I didn't get the IV that I was needing for med, oh well. She was beautiful and healthy. A few weeks after Lizzie was born Paul, decided to move back to Wyoming. Living on the Christmas tree ranch was wonderful, and hard. We went through 13 cords of wood for the winter, and we were still cold, and we didn't have enough to get through all the cold months. We ended up getting another 2 cords, and still needed to get more. We found a smaller house closer to town, close to church, and $400 less on the rent. We were sold. The new house, had air, and central heat, and even a dishwasher. Now we are on 5 instead of 115 acres, drive 4 miles to church, and 6 to town. I am loving some of the conveniences of living closer. I have seen more people in one month than I did in the year we were at the ranch. We miss grandpa. He was fun for all to have around. We will see him in a few days when we take him his things for a family reunion. The kids are excited to see him and their cousins. I have been involved as the beehive advisor for a while now, and now I teach sammi. I love being with her and with the girls. Joe was called a few weeks ago, to be in the bishopric, and now I sit without him. He will do a great job. Joe is working on his masters degree and will be finishing that up by early next year. I was homeschooling the kids at the ranch, but when we moved closer to town, I put the kids into school for the remainder of the school year. They enjoyed that. Now we have a 7th, 5th, 2nd, kinder, and preschooler in school next year. I haven't decided if I will have Ty go to kindergarten yet, or let him go to 1st in public school. We shall see. We left the chickens on the ranch, and now need to build a new coop, and build a fence for them before we go and get some of them back. We really miss having fresh eggs and we love having chickens. The dog misses having his friends too. He is totally bored. I really had a hard time leaving the ranch for all the ideas we had to make it a permanent home, for Paul to live with us, to raise our family in a ranch style environment with all the animals that went along with that. Where we chose, was just too far for our family. We are ones that are involved in church, and wanted our kids to be able to participate in extra curricular activities if they wanted to. We we just not able to do that out so far. Oh well, life here is going on well, the kids are getting piano lessons every week, and seeing friends all the time. We are planning on getting them in wing chun after we get back from vacation. We also have the goal to get a travel trailer this year so we can pick up and go camping all summer. I saw some friends that I have not seen since sammi was just months old, and others since our wedding reception. I had a fun time reconnecting and having our families meet.good to see you Garian. We went for Christmas to see my family and had a blast seeing everyone. I have not seen my brother since before his mission. And that was when I was pregnant with Ian and he is 31/2. Adam played tackle football and had a blast playing with his best friends. Joes and my best friends, moved to Florida, and we miss them terribly. We had a visitor from our town in Wyoming for a few days last year, and loved seeing her. Jennifer was visiting her daughter in Washington, and decided to drive 900 miles to spend time with us. Thanks Jen. Well hopefully, I covered some of the major things that happened in the last nine months. Hard to do one blog as a catch up. Next I will post pictures when I am not typing from my iPad. Oh, we have Internet again!

well I finally have gone to the library to update.

Well the house is great and we all love it here in the country. joe's job is great and we are enjoying having the company of paul here as well. We are doing well homeschooling again this year and it has been a good transition. The kids know what to expect and are doing well. I start taking ty to and acupuncturist tomorrow and hope to help him with the gluten issues he has. We are all very anxious for him to be feeling better.
In the near future we are going to make a trip to utah and visit our family there, when joe has a work mtng. I will be having a baby shower there my mom told me and if you are there and would like to come, let her know, I would love to see you. I am 5 months pregnant and expecting a girl. We are very excited to end it with another girl. We feel very blessed. Things are going very well and we are looking forward to meeting her in Feb.
Things at the farm are good, 13 hens 3 roosters, 10 eggs yesterday, yah! The kittens have caught a squirl and a bird so far that I have noticed. The dog is now neutered and the doc told me that it should help him not to run away. I want a refund. (didn't help he still runs and is gone for 12+ hrs if I let him off the lead and take my eyes off of him for a second) Things are going well, we just can't mow the lawn in summer here, fire hazards are extreme, so I know paul feels like there isn't much to do. Well I hope all is well with everyone and will get on again when I can.love ya.

moving day

Well today is the day we get keys to move in our new house. We are all excited and looking forward to  being in our new place. I don't know when I will post again as I will now need sat. Internet. And for those getting a hold of me my cell doesn't get coverage so you can leave me a message. Now on for the adventure!

olympic penincula

 This is at a park in Redmond where I met up with an old friend sierra and her 7 boys. We had a great time letting the kids play and getting reacquainted.

 We were in bellevue this last weekend for a conference joe attended for work. We really wanted to take a different way home and visit the Olympic peninsula, the rain forest and the ocean. So we went  on a ferry across the puget sound and had great time on the ferry. We walked all around and took some pictures of course while on board.

 looking out over the front of the ship. truly remarkable and beautiful ship.

 Here is a look that I think amber would enjoy. He has been doing this lately for no real reason. It usually sticks out further but I think I got the picture at the wrong time.

 The first picture I got of him is where I could see all the way down his throat. I told him to close his mouth and this is what I got. much better.

 The picture I got of this one was where he was winking at me. That has been something he does since h learned how on his birthday. I again wanted a nice picture, and asked for him to not wink for the next picture, he obliged.

 The fun picture of them all in a row.

 Rain coming down and playing on the top. we pretty much had the top to ourselves. I wouldn't want to make that commute everyday. Expensive and boring if it was done all the time I bet.

 joe and i got out at this beautiful lake to take a picture. it was such a peaceful lake. I bet not so much in the summer. It was perfectly smooth water, I wanted to ski on it so badly!

 Hiking in the hoh rain forest.

 These guys were so strong, they were able to hold up this tree.

 I should have kept the camera on fast movements, darn.

 ty has very cold feet. he was jumping in every puddle and halfway through the hike he was just miserable. we went to the store and got everyone rubber boots when we got to town. their shoes didn't dry out for 2 days.

 walking down to la push beach

 beach 2 on la push. about 1 and a half mile hike in. Joe had no sugar besides some lifesavers in his pocket and was going low on our way back to the car. did I mention, that was the sunset? the lifesavers really did what their name says. he was ok and then we went to the store and got a little bag together that carries sugar and a meter for him to carry when he gets out of his car. I was ready to run back to the car and get help if needed but I am glad that wasn't necessary!

 kind of too far away but a fun family photo

ok so here is the most recent family photo
We had a wonderful time in washington. we went on the ferry, and hiked the hoh rain forest, went through  port angeles, la push and stayed in forks. we saw some crazy twilight fans and really had an enjoyable trip together. we are grateful to our friends who watched our dog and 2 chickens. I will get pictures of them soon.

 Not a great picture of the house, and needs cleanup, but we are excited to announce we are hopefully making this our long term home. I know what was the longest address we have had since we have been married? 3 years in Wy, Cali, came in a close 2nd with just shy of 3 years. Our goal is to make this a long term home where we can raise the kids. Of course I can't ever say that we won't move again. But this is the goal. We are going to do the whole farming thing. We already had plans to get chickens, oh we already have 2, and get goats, or a cow, and maybe some pigs to sell at the fair. I would love to produce our own honey but, I am highly allergic and Joe said no.

 This is a view standing next o the guest house looking towards the barn.

This is standing next ot the barn looking out obviously at the christmas trees. The machine next to joe is a tree wrapper. We have lots to clean up and make pretty again, we have fruit trees that have been producing fruit for a long time,  8 acres of river access to fish and swim in. Plenty of hunting grounds and tons of trails in the wilderness that surrounds us.
The kids are very excited and I can't wait to take them there and show them the house. Joe and I went to view the house without the kids. So all of you who plan to visit us this year, we are in a BIGGER house now and will have plenty of room for you. We will have 5 bedrooms not just the 3 that we have had here. very excited.

playing kick ball

A few weeks back we went to the park and played kick ball and had tons of fun. The sun was shining and we ran around for quite a while. next time I will take more pictures, but everyone wanted to play with me and I couldn't take pictures forever.

 Such a cute  picture, he is winking and telling me how much he loves me. On his 4th birthday

 Ty's dump truck cake. He told me he wanted gum balls on his cake so I pot them on for lights. I put chocolate rocks dumping out and he LOVED his cake. It tasted great.

 Ty's cake and getting ready to celebrate.

 His fire truck that he wanted so badly

 Some fun pictures  when the kids were little when we lived in Wyoming

 New bikes that we got for the kids for Christmas that they love riding.

 setting up the tree stand last summer

 When he was 6 months old

 Tyler and the great pumpkin. 2 falls ago

 08 visiting the biltmore in NC

 Kids when we went camping in 08 in TN

 Ty 2 yrs old

rolling down the hill in IN


I don't have all the pictures from our old computer on this one so I know some are repeats from years past but they are fun.
Tyler is now four and is such a character. He is very stubborn, energetic, full of life, imaginative child that loves his trucks, and riding his trike. He still is very skinny but is getting very tall. Getting off the gluten has done wonders for him. He is learning to be a good friend and loves others very much. Tyler seems to have something funny to say that he doesn't know is funny and makes us all laugh.