THE VEST'S

WHITNEE

2010-11-29T22:46:00.004-07:00

This little munchkin is growing right up. I wanted to note some of the things she has done lately, because I know from experience how quickly you forget (even when you think you never will). At 2 1/2 years old, this is what she has been up too:

* She is 3/4 potty-trained.

* She LOVES to read books with Grandma Melanie.

-Grandma can't even sit down on the couch without Whitnee running for the books and begging her to read them to her. For the most part, they are the same ones over and over which means Whitnee can almost read them herself:)

* Her brothers think they have a 2nd mother half the time. I watched her strut into the living room the other day and tell the boys to be quiet. Hmmmm.....where did she get that from?

* She is getting a little better at getting her hair done. She still has her moments, but I seem to be able to reason with her a little more. We sing LOTS of songs!

* Speaking of songs....she likes to sing I am a Child of God, Fishy Fishy in the Brook, Popcorn Popping, and 3 Litte Monkeys.

* She loves nursey!!!!

* Her cute lingo....Eton=Weston, Walka=Walker, Gamma=Grandma, Ompa=Grandpa.

* Whenever Grandma Melanie is cooking in the kitchen, Whitnee has to be sitting right up on the counter helping her. Grandma is very patient. I think Whitnee will have an adjustment moving away from Grandma when our new house is done.

* She is a snuggly girl, which we love!

* Her favorite cartoon is Dora the Explorer.

* If I am on the phone with Grandma Shelly, she INSISTS that she talks to her and will not let it go until I hand the phone over. She has also been known to call Kash, Kaylee, and Kristen. Every night when I put her to bed, the last thing she says to me is "play with Kash?", to which I respond...."We will see..maybe tomorrow." It seems to put her mind at ease for whatever reason and she goes to sleep.

* She loves to go in the truck with Grandpa Burt. When we are in Park Valley, she is the 1st one with her boots on waiting by the door.

* She is quite picky when it comes to food, but loves mac-n-cheese and cheese "torras" (tortillas).

* She is known as Mommy's Baby Doll, Daddy's Baby Doll, Grandpa's Pumpkin, and Grandma's Sweetheart. Depending on her mood, depends on who she is at the moment. We make quite a little game out of it.

* She loves Grandpa Dennis to give her "moose poop" (M&M's dispensed out of a wooden moose).

-A funny story about this....Grandpa Dennis told her if she was his pumpkin he would give her "moose poop". She quickly agreed and so he gave her a handful of M&M's. She shoved them all in her mouth as fast as she could and ran out of the room yelling Mommy's Baby Doll!!

* And finally, I am a little hesitant to even post this, but yes we still have the binky. For journaling purposes we may just want to know how long she hung onto that thing. I have told myself that as soon as I am confident she is fully potty-trained, the binky is history. One thing at a time!

She is just growing up too fast!!!

THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW HOME

2010-11-12T00:54:00.003-07:00

I am so excited that I am finally blogging about our new home. We broke ground on October 23, 2010. We are so excited to finally see this unfolding and can't wait for the finished product!

I am going to try to keep an on-going log of each of the steps in building our house. It is mostly for my own journaling purposes and I will keep adding to this post with each new step.

Digging the hole.

My brother-in-law Cabe dug our hole. He is amazing on that track hoe!

Our big hole with lots of dirt and clay for the kids to play in!

A rainstorm came in that night and the next day and made our hole into a nice swimming pool!

We had to pump the water out, and then have a gravel slinger come and shoot gravel into the hole to help with all the mud.

The footings.

Grandpa Dennis helped Whitnee put her handprint in the wet cement!

The foundation.

Tarring the foundation, hammering off all the little metal pieces on the foundation, and running the french drain.

Walker, Trent, and Whitnee all pose for a quick picture!

LITTLE BRAVE'S WRESTLING

2010-11-11T23:13:00.004-07:00

Weston and Walker did Little Brave's Wrestling this fall. Trent was a wrestler in high school and really wanted to give the boys a chance to try it out. I think they enjoyed it, and learned a lot. I know I have a lot to learn, as I stand there and listen to Trent coaching them along with all these terms that I have no idea what they mean...i.e. Half Nelson???? Anyways, the meets were fun to watch....at least at this point in the game. I'm sure it will get much more intense. Good job boys!!

Weston

Walker

HALLOWEEN

2010-11-11T22:52:00.005-07:00

We had a super fun Halloween this year. There was nothing too much out of the ordinary, but the day was just plain fun! I find that I dread figuring out costumes and deciding what the kids will be, but I really enjoy everything that takes place on the actual day! Our ward did a trunk-or-treat this year, so we headed over to the church for dinner, a few games, and then trunk-or-treating. It started pouring rain so everyone ended up setting up inside the church to pass out the candy. It still worked out great. When that was all over, we went over to our friend's house, and as luck would have it, the rain had quit, and the kids got to do some good old fashion trick-or-treating. You know....like the kind where you walk around to the houses and get candy! Candy overload pretty much explains it after that, and we came home with lots of candy and some happy kids!

All ready to go!!

Weston - Bakugan

Walker - Mario

Whitnee - Kitty Cat

The kids waiting in line at the fish pond!

ELK HUNT

2010-11-11T22:33:00.006-07:00

Trent went on his annual elk hunt in October. Trent, his Dad, Levi, and his friend Darin went up into the Uintahs and packed in with all their horses. He loves to go on pack trips more than life itself, so I always thought that was his main reason for going, and he just took the elk tag along just in case. Well, this year he made good use of that tag and got himself a nice elk. He came home just as happy as could be. Good job Trent!!

IT IS HAPPENING

2010-10-22T21:18:00.004-06:00

Yep.....it is FINALLY happening!! Look what pulled into my lot today? Bet you can guess what will be happening tomorrow! We are digging the hole for our house!

LET THE BUILDING BEGIN!!

BULL RIDING

2010-09-01T13:37:00.005-06:00

Our neighbors stopped by the other night, and the kids decided to have a little rodeo. Trent built a bucking bull this past summer out of a barrel, springs, and ropes that the kids (and adults) love to play on. They all headed out and before we knew it, Weston came running in and asked for the camera. I reluctantly gave him the camera, making him promise to be careful. Wow....am I glad I did!! The kids took all the pictures themselves and this is what we have to show for it!

Weston practicing his bull riding skills!

(Trent was a bull rider in highschool, and I have told my boys that there is no option of them becoming bull riders unless they want to put me in an early grave! So....this pretend bull will have to do!)

Tyson & Whitnee

Walker & Mason
(They are the best little friends, and love to play together!)

Whitnee, Tyson & Brooke - Tyson & Weston

Trent & Whitnee - Whitnee & Weston

BACK TO SCHOOL

2010-08-24T10:53:00.017-06:00

Well, it is that time of year again. We had a GREAT summer and now it is back to school and a routine (not sure I remember what that word means)! I hope I figure it out soon though, because it will be nice to feel a little more in order. I really can't believe they will both be in school all day. The house will certainly be a lot more quiet! I don't know where all the years have gone. At times it feels like it will never end, and then at other times you feel like the years are just slipping away. Especially since I already had to sign Whitnee up for preschool next year. Her teacher registers a year in advance. How crazy is that....I will be sending my baby to preschool a year from now. Lets just not think about that right now! These are definitely the best years! Anyways, back to the first day of school......!

Weston & Walker

My 4th Grader!

My 1st Grader

I love these kids!!!

Weston & Walker at the school!

Weston....just another year right?

Do you think Walker is excited?

AND......I guess this is how Whitnee felt about the whole thing!!!

SWIMMING LESSONS

2010-08-24T10:53:00.013-06:00

The boys took swimming lessons the last week of summer. They swam for 50 minutes each day. They love to swim and I love that they are learning these great skills. Walker is doing great, but his teacher said he is still a little nervous in the water. I love his soft and conservative personality. It fits him perfectly. I was also so impressed with how well Weston progressed. They even did a little diving and I loved watching him. He is my not-so-conservative kid and I love him for it. He loves an adventure! I was never a swimmer or diver, so I love watching my kids be able to do it. Good job boys!!

Looking a little water-logged!!!

Yay.....we did it!!!!

My little side-kick....we hung out by the pool each day while we watched the boys!

SUMMER FUN

2010-08-24T10:53:00.006-06:00

Here are some random, but fun things we did this summer. It seems like summer did go by super fast, but we still enjoyed it.

Walker & Mason swimming in the front yard!

Whitnee getting in on the fun!

Playing with the kitty!

Sandbox fun!

We spent a day swimming with friends in Park City. The kids loved it!!

Whitnee loves the water!

Walker jumping in!

Weston & Whitnee

Sierra & Whitnee in the clubhouse taking a break from swimming!

Whitnee

We made zucchini cupcakes one afternoon. The kids wanted to get in on the cooking, so I put them to work. Here is Kassidy (Walker's friend who was over playing) Weston & Walker.

What kid doesn't like a spoonful of batter?

(By the way....this recipe was delish!! A great way to use up all that zucchini you have laying around! Thanks Jennifer!!)

YELLOWSTONE

2010-08-24T10:52:00.000-06:00

SOME OF MY FAVORITE DAYS

2010-07-19T22:48:00.008-06:00

Some of my very most favorite days when I was growing up were spent helping my dad with the sheep. I find that as the years have gone on, I still feel the same way. It is definitely not as easy to come and go as it used to be, but I love to go and help whenever I can. It is so nice to be able to take my kids along now, and watch them experience it. I wanted to record some of the main events that take place each spring and summer with the sheep. I have been a little more diligent in taking pictures this year, so it is making it easier to blog about. Shearing is the first big spring event, but it has a whole post of its own.

LAMBING

Next is lambing. It seems like each year we are barely shearing the last sheep as the first lamb is almost ready to be born. This spring we went down to the desert and Terrace where my dad lambs some of his sheep. My mom, the kids, and I gathered up some snacks and headed out to meet my dad and spend the afternoon with him.

Walker, Melissa, Whitnee, & Weston

Some of the bells that were taken off at shearing time and will then be put back on at docking time.

Helping Dad sort some ewes and lambs.

Grandpa Burt showing the kids a lamb that didn't make it.

Walker & Weston

Little sheepherders!

Dad in the old water truck. I love this picture!

Filling up the water truck on Terrace.

DOCKING

In May comes docking. We have 4 straight Saturdays of docking. We usually dock all the lambs and then fry hamburgers and stuff ourselves with burgers and chips. Here are a few pictures.

The docking crew!

Break time....muffins and a drink!

Dad cutting out the ewes from the lambs.

This is definitely a case of many hands make light work. It doesn't matter the age....if you are there, there is always something you can do to help.

TRUCKING TO THE SUMMER RANGES

Once summer hits, we start taking them all the the montains for the summer. I happened to be able to help out with one run this year. This particular day, we were heading to Franklin Basin. The boys love to ride in the semis, and be with the cousins. We headed out to load at 4:30 am, and by 2 or 3 that afternoon, we had the sheep in Franklin Basin. We always stop for breakfast along the way, and have to do the grocery shopping (my job this time) for the sheepherder.

Loading that morning

This was my vehicle for the day. I pulled the horses and camp. We made it safe and sound!

Unloading in Franklin Basin

It is so pretty up there!! Aside from the mosquitoes that try to eat you alive, it is a beautiful place!

I love this life and I love that I can still be apart of it. My mom is always so willing and helpful to keep Whitnee (and the boys when they were little), so I can go and help Dad. It is amazing how fast the kids grow up and before you know it they are coming along with you. I'm so glad my kids get to experience this type of life!

FISHING

2010-07-19T20:30:00.007-06:00

There is nothing better than a good old fishing trip up the headgates. We spent a lot of time up there when I was growing up. I remember making a picnic lunch, driving the old bronco up the headgates, parking right over the creek, putting the tailgate down, and sitting on it while we hung our feet over the water and ate our sandwiches. Anyways, the kids and I were at mom and dad's one week in June (I love summer....no school....and being able to come and go a little more freely), and so I took the boys fishing up the headgates. Weston and Charly rounded up the Kubota, and off we went. Everything went great except for the ant hill I stepped in!

Loaded and ready to go!
Weston pretending to eat some dead lizard he found!

Charly & Weston

Weston baiting his hook!

Walker, Charly, & Weston

Not having much luck here!

Walker

Trying a different spot!

The boys trying to figure out how to get across the creek without soaking their shoes. I was loving that I had flip flops on!!!

I think they all had a good time even though we didn't catch anything. They loved being up there trying. I don't claim to be a fisherman at all, so I wasn't any help. There was one funny time when Weston and Charly had crawled under some branches to get to a part of the creek they thought would be good. All of a sudden I heard this HUGE scream, and apparantly they had seen a snake. As soon as they could safely get back under these branches to where I was without this snake "getting them".....they were totally done with that spot! All in all, it was a good day!!!

(Whitnee was taking a nap, so Grandma stayed home with her....thanks Grandma!)

A WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS

2010-07-19T18:09:00.007-06:00

We took some of our good friends to Park Valley for a weekend in June. We rode horses, motorcycles, played games, stayed up late, cooked and ate good food, and the boys even did a little bunny hunting one night. We love being with these guys and they wanted to see what the Park Valley life was all about.

Walker posing on the motorcycle! He couldn't actually ride it yet. His head was still healing and getting better.

Kaeden

Zander

Trent & Garth

Jonah

Walker, Weston, & Zander on the tramp!

Zander, Walker, & Weston

Melissa & Trent

I just love this picture. Garth couldn't possibly figure out how everyone was going to fit in the feed truck to drive down to the field to go rabbit hunting. They all piled in and I snapped a shot. I think the 2 older boys are on back.....there just wasn't room. Looks like a bunch of happy hunters to me!!!

HOGLE ZOO

2010-07-19T17:47:00.006-06:00

We took the kids to Hogle Zoo at the beginning of summer. It had been forever since I had been to the zoo, and we all really enjoyed it. The weather was perfect and the kids were great. We went with Marc and his kids, so it was even better that the kids got to go with their cousins.

Ice cream break!

The baby elephant was asleep while we were taking pictures. I think he actually woke up right at the end!

Weston loved all the snakes and other wierd reptiles!!

The giraffes!

More ice cream pictures!

Weston

Walker

Whitnee

Weston, Melanie, & Garrett in some underground exhibit!

Walker in a turtle shell!

Thank you Marc and Brandee.....we had tons of fun!

WHITNEE IS 2 YEARS OLD

2010-06-10T21:17:00.003-06:00

It is official....my baby has turned 2 years old. I really can't believe she is this old. It almost seems like yesterday that the was being born. We celebrated with Trent's family on her birthday, and then went to Park Valley that weekend and had another party for her. She definitely made a haul and I LOVE.LOVE.LOVE being able to buy pink things.

Whitnee and her presents!
Whitnee

This is her pillow from Grandma & Grandpa Great Vest. Grandma Great makes a pillow for each othe the great grandchildren for their birthdays. Their name is also sewn on the end of the pillow case. She totally loves her pillow!!! It is all mini and everything!

Whitnee's cake!

(In my defense, I wasn't really excited about decorating 2 cakes in one week, so she got an ice cream cake for the 1st party, and I decorated a cute rainbow cake for her 2nd party. The only problem is, we have no idea what happened to the pictures of her party in Park Valley. I used my Mom's camera, and now we can't find them (the pictures...not the camera) anywhere! So just picture a cute pastel rainbow cake with fluffy marshmallows and pink frosting!)

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

Whitnee the next day posing by all of her presents!

A little spoiled don't you think?

A few things about Whitnee:

*She loves her Dad and runs to him the minute he gets home!

*She loves cheese tortillas!

*She didn't start talking much until she turned 2!

*She has a serious sweet tooth for candy!

*She loves to ride the motorcycle with her Dad!

*She HATES to have her hair done. Some days it is all we can do to get it pulled out of her face!

*She loves to go with Grandpa Burt in his truck!

*She already loves sheep.....a girl after my own heart!

*She has a sweet little personality!

*She has always been a great sleeper and loves her own bed.
*Her brothers really do adore her...she has them and her dad wrapped around her finger!

*She LOVES her binky. She always has and still does. I hate the thoughts of getting rid of it for her sake, but it is definitely time!!!

Whitnee has added sooooo much to our family. We love you Whit!!!

EASTER

2010-05-19T14:27:00.007-06:00

We had a great Easter this year. It happened to fall on the same weekend as General Conference and shearing, so we were all in Park Valley. It was full weekend, but we still had a great time. The pictures are a little out of order, but this is how it all went.

EASTER MORNING

Weston

Walker

Whitnee

Whitnee finding an easter egg that the Easter Bunny hid!!

The kids and all the eggs they found!

Kash, Kaden, Weston, Whitnee, & Walker

(Braxon must have still been asleep)

THE WEEK BEFORE WE LEFT FOR PARK VALLEY

The kids in their Easter outfits!

Melissa & Whitnee

We dyed easter eggs before we headed to Park Valley. Jill brought her kids over, and they all had a good time.

EASTER EGG HUNT IN PARK VALLEY

We did an easter egg hunt one afternoon after shearing. There was a snow storm coming in (crazy spring weather we had this year), and we decided it was now or never for the hunt. Whitnee was asleep, so we just let the boys go after it and we barely beat the snow.

Walker & Kaden with their toys!

Weston on the hunt for candy and toys!

The boys and their goods!
Walker, Kash, Weston, Kaden

Back in the house where it was warm!! I'm sure it was snowing like crazy outside at this point!!

GOOD TIMES!!

SHEARING

2010-05-19T14:26:00.002-06:00

One of my most favorite time of the year is shearing. I love springtime, and along with it comes 6 days of shearing sheep. This year was no exception. It is a family tradition that we all love. The kids love to spend their days running freely on the desert with nothing but sage brush and dirt to get into. There are many lizards caught, old sheep tags collected, and old bones and rocks that make it into the boys pockets each day. My mom cooks lunch for everyone each day, and hauls it down so we can all eat! There is always something to do, and we all just enjoy helping! I have many memories of shearing as a young girl and I know my kids are forming some great memories too as we continue the tradition. Here are some pictures that tell the story of our week.

Lunchtime in the sheepcamps!

Afternoon snack of homemade smores over the fire. We had to get really creative to make these!

The door of my Dad's semi

Derek & Weston on the wool bags!

Whitnee & Trent

Kate, Melissa, & Jill

(Traditional picture in the wool)

Whitnee, Braxon, & Kash

Kate, Whitnee, Trent, & Melissa

Kate, Karissa, Kaylee, Ally, Melissa, & Jill

Weston riding the motorcycle!

Jill & Melissa

Charly, Derek, Weston, Kaden, & Walker

Melissa & Whitnee

Kash & Whitnee loved running around the chute!

Cousins!

Kate & Melissa

Walker

Inside the shearing plant!

Grandpa Burt & Braxon

We had a great time, and can't wait until next year!!

WALKER'S GIFTS & NOTES

2010-05-19T14:13:00.004-06:00

I wanted to do a final post on Walker and his accident. He is doing great and seems to be healing well. We are still trying to be super careful with him so he doesn't hit his head again. I am so thankful for this boy and am so glad he is okay! Walker had so many visitors and concerned people that we can't even begin to thank everyone. I am so thankful for the wonderful neighbors, friends, and family we have. He is one loved little boy. Thank you to everyone for the calls, gifts, dinners, notes, visits, and concern!!

Walker and all his gifts and cards. Looks a little like Christmas huh. Some things aren't even in the picture because he continued to get things after we took the picture!!

Walker getting his staples out. His cut healed up really good, and the staples came out quite easily!! (Thanks Garth!)

WALKER'S PROGRESS

2010-04-28T17:45:00.004-06:00

DAY 4

Walker was feeling much better by Tuesday morning. He still had some headaches going on, but the pain meds were controlling them. He drank 2 cartons of chocolate milk, but didn't feel like eating much. When the nurse practitioner came in that morning, she said he looked good and could go home. YEAH!! She wanted him to try and eat some breakfast, so we ordered him some pancakes. Needless to say....he only ate about 4 bites. He later told me, "I don't like Primary's pancakes". Oh well, he ate enough to be able to leave the hospital. Trent came and picked us up at noon, and we headed home. Walker's spirits lifted just at the thought of getting to go home. We got home and spent the afternoon resting and taking it easy. He had a few visitors that brought some fun activities to keep him busy in the next couple of months. He slept great...as well and the rest of us. It's so nice to be home!

Thumbs up!!! Walker is heading home!!

(The sun chips were actually one thing he ate and enjoyed during his hospital stay! They were better than the slurpees according to Walker!)

All packed up and ready to go!! I love that smile!

Walker and his cute nurse Aly.

DAY 5

Day 5 has shown huge improvements!! I am so happy to see my boy starting to act like himself. He woke up wanting to eat breakfast. He ate a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch, then ate some popcorn, and drank a whole cup of milk. His appetite is definitely back! When Whitnee was waking up, he came out and told me I better get her out of her crib. He said he didn't want to get her sick and give her a headache. Cute kid!! I told him he couldn't get her sick, but he shouldn't lift her right now anyways. Later on he told me he was starting to feel like his normal self. He really is acting good and doing well. I can already tell I will have my work cut out for me trying to keep him from running and doing all the normal "kid" things for a couple months. Let me just say this.....it is TOTALLY worth everything it will take to have my Walker fully here and recovered. The more time goes on....my mind wanders and I realize how much worse if could have been. I don't even like to go there, but how grateful we are that things are going to be okay.

THE LATEST ON WALKER

2010-04-26T22:51:00.006-06:00

DAY 3 Continued

I wanted to post a few more pictures of Walker's day today. He was awake a lot more today, and they finally got the headaches in control with the oxycodone. He was pretty quiet most of the day and didn't want to really interact much. I think he got a little irritated and moody, which they say can happen. By about 8:00 pm we told him we were going to let him have a bath, and part-way through the bath he seemed to pop out of his little "thing" he was in. He wanted to fill the tub up a second time and get a new toy and bath a little longer. It was nice to see him acting somewhat normal. He just gets tired so quickly that we have to be careful and watch him closely. He is asleep now and we are hoping that we will be leaving in the morning. I'm hoping that getting home will help him feel more comfortable. Here are some pictures we took today. Sorry about the quality, but they are from my phone.

Trying to play a game of Trouble with Grandma.

Trent took in on a walk (he actually carried him most of the way). We looked at all the fun things the hospital has in the hallways and the elevator. He wasn't too interested at this point.

Bath time.....Grandma found some bubbles in the toy closet and Walker loved them.

After his bath, we took him down to the snack room and he got a whole wagon full of treats. A root beer slurpee, orange slurpee, chips, and pudding. He was set for the night. We love to that cute smile of his!!

WALKER'S UPDATE

2010-04-26T13:51:00.004-06:00

Okay....well, not the news I was hoping for. They want to keep Walker 1 more night to see if they can control his pain a little more. He has horrible headaches and the tylenol/ibprofen aren't quite cutting it right now. They are trying oxycodone at the moment to see if that will help. I feel so bad for him....he is such a trooper!

WALKER'S ACCIDENT

2010-04-26T10:07:00.008-06:00

Well, our weekend turned out a little different than we had expected. Walker was in a 4-wheeler accident on Saturday night that landed him in Primary Children's Hospital with a MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). He and some cousins were riding the 4-wheeler around and Walker slipped off the back on one of the turns and landed on the back of his head. When I got to Walker, he had a HUGE goose egg on the back of his head that was really bleeding. He was crying and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. We accessed the wound as much as we could and couldn't see any huge deep cuts. I let him lay down to rest with an ice pack on his head and watched him for signs of a concussion. I woke him up a little later so we could put him in the bath and clean all the blood off of him, at which point he started throwing up and his head started bleeding again. I knew it was time to head for the hospital, so we gathered him up and left for PCMC. From about 11:00 pm to 4:00 am Walker was seen by a number of dr's, nurse practitioners, and nurses. He had a CT scan that showed some things that made it very clear we were not going home that night (or should I say morning). Walker has a severe concussion with a contracoup, and a 5" skull fracture. A contracoup is where the brain hits into the front of the head from a blow to the back of the head. Basically when Walker fell on the back of his head, it sent his brain forward and it hit the front. It causes bruising and he had a small amount of bleeding in there from it all. The fracture wasn't a serious one, but it was still a fracture on the back of his skull. Walker was extremely tired through this whole process and slept the whole time except when they would have to wake him up. The told us he was going to be admitted to the trauma unit. Before we were transferred up there, they started his IV and gave him morphine and anti-nausea medicine, and cleaned out the abrasion on the back of his head. They found a little gash they felt needed to be stapled. Needless to say, this was not fun for Walker (or Trent...he was as white as a ghost from all the vomiting, wound scrubbing, IV needles, and now the staples), but now Walker has 3 shiny staples in the back of his head. He was a real trooper and handled things quite well considering. Oh....and in amongst all this he was very nauseated and kept throwing up. Poor little dude. Anyways, we were admitted to the trauma unit and got to our room about 4:00 am. At that point they got him all settled and of course he just wanted to sleep (very common with concussions and brain injuries). We got an hour or two of sleep (don't know if you can really call it sleep), with Trent and I taking turns on the one bed in the room and the other in the chair by Walker. I actually crawled into bed with Walker at one point and slept at the bottom of his bed. Not long after, all the dr's from the trauma team and neuro surgery team started their rounds.

DAY 2

Most of the morning was spent talking to multiple dr's, nurses, and rehab personnel. He had more blood drawn (he was so brave), and all of his labs came back good!! We got him to drink a little gatorade, and his stomach seemed to have settled down at that point. He hadn't thrown up since early that morning, but by 11:30 am up came all the gatorade. He was pretty sleepy for most of the day, but the poor guy gets the worst headaches. They have been giving him tylenol regularly with morphine here and there for the pain. He complains that his head hurts right in the front. The dr said that is where the contracoup happened and makes sense why it hurts so bad there. He did wake up for about 1/2 hour in the early afternoon and watched cartoons with Trent, but tired out quickly and wanted to go back to sleep. Grandma Shelly came up that afternoon and then Grandma and Grandpa Vest came up a little later with Weston and Whitnee. Walker was asleep for most of time they were here. Cute little Weston was pretty somber. He was the one that got to Walker first when the accident happened and lifted up his head and saw all the blood. He was hysterical when he came and got me. By the time we left for the hospital that night he was so upset and wanted me to reassure him they they wouldn't hurt that thing on the back of Walker's head and that his little brother would be fine. He even wanted me to tell him that we would all be going to church that next morning, which by then I was pretty sure that wasn't happening regardless of what they found when we got to the hospital. About 6:30 pm Trent left with Weston and Whitnee and his Mom and Dad so he could be with the kids that night and get Weston off to school the next morning. My mom stayed with Walker and I for most of the evening. Walker had a great evening. He woke up, wanted to eat, and play with the monkey Grandma Shelly had brought him. He was very talkative and remembered things and knew what had happened and what was going on. That was all music to our ears, plus the fact that he was starting to act like my Walker. We had a good 3 or so hours with him like this and then we got him all settled for bed. We had a pretty good night. Walker slept well and I actually felt like I got some sleep. I don't think my eyes are quite as swollen as they were yesterday from all the crying and lack of sleep. I just hate seeing my kids hurt and this particular hurt has really worried us. One dr told us it is nothing to mess around with and they take it very seriously. I am so thankful for good dr's and the medical technology we have. I honestly feel like he is such good hands here at Primary Children's and I am so grateful for that.

DAY 3

Day 3 started off a little rocky (2 steps forward, 1 step back). Like I said before, he slept great, but the pain medicine wore off and by 7:00 am he had a horrible headache setting in. He threw up 2 more times from the nausea (he hadn't thrown up since 11:30 am the previous day). The dr's came in again and said he looked like was doing well. We had to do another dose of morphine because the headache was still hanging around, but I think we are finally getting the pain in control as we speak. He ate a few bites of frosted mini wheats but doesn't have much of an appetite right now. They are telling us we will hopefully get to go home this afternoon if they can keep the pain in control and if he will eat and drink. We are crossing our fingers. He has told us more than once that he just wants to take this "thing" (IV) out of his hand and go home. He has been such a good little patient. One of the nurses commented that he has been one of the best. He is so cooperative and and been so good. He still has some recovering to do once he gets home, but one dr said he expects him to make a full recovery. He has 2 months of no contact sports which also include running, jumping, riding bikes, and jumping on the trampoline. Unfortunately he is not going to be able to finish out the soccer season, but there will always be another year. However he is quite excited that he gets to miss school this whole week. That....he is okay with!!!

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and fasting. We know that Walker has been truly blessed and we have been so grateful to everyone for your help and concern.

WESTON'S 9TH B-DAY

2010-03-24T14:29:00.006-06:00

Weston turned 9 years old on March 18th. Yep....I have a 9 year old. That is just a little wierd if you ask me. It seems like just yesterday that we headed to Cassia Regional Medical Center after my water broke, but at the same time it seems like we have had him forever! He is such a good kid and a huge help. He got to have a few different parties this year due to the fact of when we could get everyone together. He opened all of his presents on his actual birthday and then we went out for ice cream. The next day my family came down and we celebrated with Arctic Circle (McDonald's was a MAD HOUSE), bowling (this was for Mom's b-day back in February that we had never been able to get together for), and then came back to the house for more presents and cake and ice cream. The kid got completely spoiled and was super happy with all of his gifts. He asked for Bakugan and Pokeman...and let me tell you....that is like telling him to go and buy me make-up. I don't have a clue what he has and doesn't have and there are a lot of choices!! It turned out okay, and I must have chosen right, because he was one happy camper. The following Sunday we celebrated with Trent's family. Weston has 2 cousins with birthdays right by his, so we combined and celebrated all of them on Sunday. We had a nice dinner and some delish ice cream cake for dessert. Once again, Weston got spoiled and can't wait to go and use his gift card to Game Stop from Grandma and Grandpa Vest! One of Weston's requests for a present this year was a Venus' Flytrap. Well....I wasn't able to find one, and so the stores told me to check back in a month of so. Devin came to my rescue and found one up in Ogden and brought it down to Weston. He was so excited! That is a perfect example of the kinds of things Weston likes. He has been asking for a lizard or a hampster for months and months now....but I just can't bring myself to take the chance that these things would get loose in my house! Anyways, this carnivorous plant will have to do for now until we agree on a pet! (I'm thinking lambs in a couple of months will do:)

Ready to open his presents!

Finally.....the Avatar game for his DS!!

Bakugan

A Razor Spark Scooter from Grandma Shelly and Grandpa Burt!

Snake Cake

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Weston and all of his presents!

A few things about Weston:

*He is the best big brother!!!

*He loves Macaroni and tomatoes!

*He loves to play soccer!

*He loves any action figure!

*He has such a kind heart and trys to be kind to everyone!

*The kid can seriously dance!!

*He has a huge sense of adventure and loves to try new things!

*He likes to ride his motorcycle when he gets the chance!

*He loves to go ice fishing/fishing with his Dad!

We love Weston so much. He is such a great kid!!

WALKER'S NEW JOB

2010-03-08T22:19:00.004-07:00

I got a call from my sister-in-law tonight. She told me that she and Megan had just bought the most beautiful painted rock for $1.00. Me...not knowing what the heck she was talking about....just went along with it and told her that was really neat! She went on to say that she had bought it from Walker and Mason. REALLY?? Apparently, while Walker was playing at his friend's house they decided they wanted to make some money and that they would have a rock sale. They went and gathered up a bunch of rocks, took them inside, painted them all up, and then went out by the road to sell their treasures. The small ones were $1.00 and the big ones were $5.00. Wow, they must have been some masterpieces huh? Needless to say, Walker came home tonight with $.50. They must have split the only dollar they made between the two of them. Walker came in the house acting like he had made a million bucks. He was so proud of himself and what they had done. I just love kid's creative and innocent minds. Way to go boys, and thank you Brandee and Megan for being such loyal customers!!

WESTON EARNS HIS WOLF

2010-02-26T17:01:00.003-07:00

Weston has earned his wolf badge in scouts. He has worked very hard and was so excited to get the award at the Blue & Gold Banquet. This whole scouting thing is completely foreign to me (one of the cons of not having a brother), but I am slowly learning as we go. It is fun to see Weston learn and grow in all the different areas in scouts. They asked him which one of his requirements was is favorite to do, and he promptly said....going camping!! The kid loves to camp and has a huge adventurous side to him! Weston is such a good kid and is sure growing up! Congratulations Weston!!

Weston getting his awards!

It is the scouts 100 year birthday this year, so we celebrated with cake for dessert.

They had a special speaker that talked to the boys about scouting and all the things they will be doing and how scouting can help them become good people!

WALKER IS "6"

2010-02-26T10:48:00.010-07:00

Well, we started off the run of "spring" birthdays with Walker! He turned 6 on Feb. 19. What a fun day we had. It was his year for a friend party, and so he decided he wanted to take his friends to Chucky Cheese! I picked up all the kids from school and we headed to Layton (in a snowstorm I might add). My Mom and Jill met us there, and the party began. I was very impressed with Chucky Cheese and how they do birthday parties. I booked the party online a couple weeks prior, we passed out invites, and then showed up on the big day. How easy could it be? It was seriously so fun and so hassle/stress free. I think all of the kiddos loved it!

I gave all the kids their cup of tokens and off they went to play.

Whitnee & the Birthday Boy

Whitnee riding the horse! (with Grandma's help)

Whitnee still a little unsure about the whole thing.

Kash & Whitnee

Kaden & Walker

Weston & Colton

Noah & Mason

Whitnee riding the helicopter!

Next, we all went back to our table that was all decorated and had pizza and soda pop. What more could a kid ask for right? Everyone ate and then the kids headed back to use up the rest of their tokens while we waited for the arrival of Mr. Chucky Cheese himself!

AND...here he comes. (Pics are a little blurry, my camera is having some issues) Anyways, everyone gathered back around and Chucky Cheese came in and sang and danced with the kids. Walker blew out the candles on his cupcakes and then Mr. Chucky put a crown and medal on him. We ate our cupcakes and opened presents....and then off to munch our tickets from all the games to see what prizes we won.

After Chucky Cheese, we headed home to prepare for the family party that night. As a little side note.....when we were on our way home I saw that I had missed a call from our real estate agent. I called him back only to find that he was at my house at that very moment showing it to someone. NICE!! My mind started racing as to what I left the house looking like...(the morning had been hectic from baking/decorating cupcakes for the friend party, baking/decorating the cake for the family party, and getting to his kindertgarten class to take doughnuts). Anyways, come to find out he had got a hold of Trent and had told him to go show the house!!! I certainly won't turn down a house showing so I was glad that the house was in somewhat decent shape despite the half-decorated cake, pans in the sink, and the bathroom left a mess from me running out of the house in a hurry. All in all...it worked out fine.

Anyways...back to the real story. So we got home, cleaned up a little more, finished decorating the cake, decorated the house with balloons and a banner...and then welcomed the next group of guests! Walker got lots of fun things and enjoyed all the attention.

Walker & his cake....Spiderman as requested by the birthday boy!

Walker and his Great Grandma & Grandpa Vest

Walker and his Great Grandma & Grandpa Pierce

Walker and Grandma Shelly & Grandpa Burt

{Insert picture of Grandma Melanie & Grandpa Dennis HERE}

Grandpa Dennis was out of town and was not able to be there. Grandma Melanie was able to come for a bit...as she had a house full of company that night too. We still need to get a picture with Walker and the 2 of them!

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

Walker and all his presents

He made out pretty good...don't ya think?

We had a great day and loved being with everyone. Walker is such a great kid and we love him to pieces. He has the kindest/softest heart, very content to play on his own, tries to do what he knows is right, loves to cuddle and have me scratch his back, is the first one up in the mornings, has a serious sweet tooth, has taken a recent liking to basketball, loves to play with his friends, and is a smart boy! We love you Walker!!!

VALENTINE'S WEEKEND 2010

2010-02-16T13:03:00.006-07:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

(Making cookies in our PJ's at 11:00 am...we enjoyed our day!!)

I really enjoy Valentine's Day, because it is such a simple...yet fun holiday. The boys both had their parties at school on Friday, and I was able to help with Weston's. I love getting to be a part of their classes and help on such occasions. We came home with lots of valentine's and candy. The next day was pretty low-key, and we just hung at home while it rained outside:( I am so wanting nice weather right now....can you tell? Anyways, we gave the kids come valetine's treats that night and then they went and played at Jill and Elden's while Trent and I went to dinner with Garth & Wendy to Texas Roadhouse. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We also tried the new Sub Zero ice cream place that opened up recently. YUM....would definitely recommend it. (Vanilla custard with strawberries...in case you were wondering). We spent the rest of the night visiting and watching the olympics after the kids were in bed. We woke up Sunday and had pink pancakes with blueberry syrup (pink & purple look)...and then headed off to church. It was a great weekend and we really enjoyed having Monday off of school too. The kids and I made sugar cookies from a fun mix we got and they had them slicked up by the end of the day. Hope everyone else enjoyed their day/weekend of LOVE as much as we did:)

NEW YEAR'S 2009

2010-02-16T12:43:00.005-07:00

I know I am a little behind on this post, but here we go. For New Years, we decided to head to sunny St. George and enjoy some nice sunny weather and bike riding. We went with our good neighbors..the Bromley's.....and we all took our motorcycles and headed south. Let me just say that it was so nice to get out of the inversion we were having. It felt like spring down there. Anyways, we stayed at the condo (thank you Grandma and Grandpa Great for letting us stay there), and had fun playing in the sun. I didn't get any good pictures of motorcycling (don't ask me why....I hate when I forget), but I did snap a few of swimming and the condo. The days were spent up on the hills biking, and then swimming to follow and some good eating at night. We hit Chili's, Cafe Rio, and Chuck-a-Rama while we were there. Yum...I love going out to eat. We stayed up really late playing the Wii and I even read a good book. All in all, we had a great time. Here are a few of the pictures I DID get.

Weston

Mason & Walker

Walker & Mason heading to the pool!

Melissa & Whitnee

(Doesn't this picture make you want Spring....flip flops in January...LOVE IT!!)

IS THIS WHAT CHURCH CAN DO TO YOU?

2010-01-26T21:46:00.003-07:00

Shortly after we got home from church, I walked into the kitchen to find this. Do you think they are hungry?? I guess it's a good thing we have the candy bowl as a stand-by!!

JAMI & JACKSON

2010-01-26T21:17:00.005-07:00

A huge highlight in December was my BFF Jami and her cute little Jackson came and visited one afternoon. She lives in Iowa and was in town for Christmas. I was so glad we got to spend some time together while she was here. Not only did we spend an afternoon together, I got to go to a baby shower for her, and we also got to attend Jackson's blessing. It was great!! I could go on forever about all the memories with Jami.....because believe me.....we had some good times. We were the only 2 girls in our grade growing up, and so we naturally found a common bond and friendship. That friendship has lasted through the years, and we always seem to bring up the good times as if they were yesterday. (I'm still amazed at the things we did and created....we made our own official checks and perforated them on the sewing maching so they would tear out like real ones. We needed them for all those hours spent playing store, bank, and post office!) I'm so glad we have been able to keep in touch as much as we do, even if life is busy and crazy. I so appreciate her and the friend she is. Thanks Jami for being you.....love ya tonz!

Jami and her cute litte boy...Jackson!

Isn't he the cutest thing ever?

Okay...he's not so happy with me at the moment!

CHRISTMAS

2010-01-26T19:43:00.013-07:00

We had a great holiday season, and now I am finally getting around to blogging about it. Pretty bad huh? We had 2 annual work Christmas parties, the ward Christmas breakfast (which we missed because we were out of town), and then of course all the family parties. We started off with my Grandma and Grandpa Pierce's party the Friday before Christmas. What a fun and crazy party it was. I find myself always looking forward to it....tradition I suppose....but I really enjoy getting together with everyone. Whitnee and I came down with strep throat that week, so we were barely on the mend when it came time for the party. We had a waffle bar that turned out delish. We had every topping you could want, and then a tasty skillet complete with sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, and cheese. We then had a nice visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause. Did you know that Santa and Mrs. Clause can sing.....oh my gosh....they have great voices. Harmonizing and the whole bit! Afterwards, we went to opening a thousand presents. On a side note....the adult exchange has been replaced with giving money to a charity or someone in need. We started this in 2008. This year was really neat because my Mom and some of her family have been heavy into geneology and found that my Grandpa Pierce's baby sister that died as an infant was lying in an unmarked grave. The money this year is going towards getting a headstone and placing on her grave. I love that we can do meaningful things in exchange for the adult gift. Anyways, the night was a lot of fun. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for always hosting such a fun party for all these years!!

Weston...how about that cheesy grin!

Walker

Whitnee....not a fan of Santa yet!

Grandma and the grandkids!

Trent & Whitnee

Next came the week of Christmas. Things got a little crazy, but we managed to make things happen. We had decided to spend Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day in Park Valley, and then the rest of Christmas Day and the weekend home with Trent's family. His sister and her family were coming from Kansas so all the Vest parties were planned on the weekend. We were going to head to Park Valley Christmas Eve, or maybe even the day before. Sounds all good right??? WRONG!!! Trent had to make a last minute trip to Montana on Monday and wouldn't be back until Wednesday!! He kindly told me that he would meet me in Snowville and we would continue on to PV Wednesday. Great.....nothing like preparing for Christmas ALONE!! Neighbor gifts still needed to be delivered, gifts needed to be wrapped, and packing the car with everything....by "everything"....you know what I mean.... didn't sound all that fun. But....we pulled it off. (Thank you Jami for the wonderful suitcase idea.....a great way to haul the S**** gifts without the kids even thinking twice as to what was in them). I made it to Park Valley all safe and sound (barely dodging the flying dining room chairs that came flying off the back of a truck I was following on the freeway...yeah, that topped it all). Trent got delayed in Montana, and so he came all the way home and hitched a ride with Jill and Elden on Thursday. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the week. The pictures will tell the rest of the story.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Weston admiring Grandma Shelly's Hallmark Tree
(I think he is touching the ornament Grandma bought for him)

Walker....nothing better than a sugar cookie!

Whitnee and her Hallmark ornament!

Kash & Whitnee

Peppermint stick anyone?

Mom and the 3 ornaments from the 3 families.

It is a tradition that we all give mom a new ornament each year.

The "unwrapping" game. Mom and Dad wrapped gift cards a million times, and then we get to roll the dice and if we get doubles....we get to try unwrapping the box. (with gloves on)

The winner...which was Kate....then got to pick which one she wanted and pass out one to everyone else. Trent and I ended up with Chili's and Walmart! We will definitely have fun with them!

Walker hitting the pinate. The kids loved it!!

Weston and his new clothes from Grandma and Grandpa. They gave all the grandkids some new wranglers and boots. We decided to open these on Christmas Eve because Christmas Day is always crazy with all the other gifts.

Walker and his new clothes!

Whitnee and her cute pink boots!

This was them actually starting to unwrap the gifts from Grandma and Grandpa!

Now onto the traditional Christmas Eve jammies from Trent and I!

Jill, Kate, and I coordinated with the jammies and got our kids matching ones. Mom and Dad gave the girls new P.J.'s and the guys got new wranglers as well.

The kiddos all ready for the Nativity story. They got to put the nativity scene together with stickers my Mom had found while Devin read the story!

A late night round of chips and salsa!

We also had banana splits around 11:00 that night...nothing like over-doing it!

CHRISTMAS DAY

Whitnee's spread from Santa

Weston and Walker's gifts from Santa.

The Wii and Wii Fit was a family gift that we are all loving!!

Whitnee on Christmas Day!

Trent playing Bakugan with the boys!

Trent playing dolls with Whit! She had a long night because about the time Santa was arriving, she decided to puke all over in the crib. Keep in mind that 2 days prior she had done this at home, so I thought she was past it. Apparently not!! It took her a little while to get going that morning. Poor thing!

We came home Christmas night, and went to Trent's Grandma and Grandpa's party in Ogden the next day. We had a nice lunch, some family pictures (which I don't have copies of yet), and enjoyed visiting. The guys had their traditional basketball game. Trent never gets sick of basketball, so he had a great time. Kevin and Jodee (Trent's sis from Kansas) got stuck a couple days longer because of all the snow they got, but finally made it late Sunday night. We had Trent's family party on Monday and it was so good to have EVERYONE there!! The kids love playing with their cousins for hours on end. I didn't have my camera (bad move I know)....so Marc....if you have pictures I need them!!!

It was a great holiday season and we are sure blessed. We have the best families and enjoyed every minute we got to spend with them!

FAMILY PICTURES

2009-11-30T15:38:00.006-07:00

We took some family pictures when we were in Park Valley the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then we also took some more on Thanksgiving Day at Ross and Karen's house. I'm also posting the boys' school pictures they recently got back, and Whitnee's that we had done in August.

Weston - 8 years old

Walker - 5 years old

Whitnee - 15 months old

Family picure on Thanksgiving Day. We weren't really dressed for a matching family pic since we had just taken one the week before, but we snapped one anyways!

Grandma Shelly and Whitnee

Trent and his boys

Melissa & Whitnee

Family picture we took in Park Valley

My Family

Back - Elden, Katey, Devin, Braxon, Trent, Melissa, Whitnee
Front - Kaden, Jill, Kash, Mom, Dad, Weston, Walker

THANKSGIVING

2009-11-30T14:32:00.008-07:00

I'm not really sure what happened to last week, because it seemed to fly by so fast. One thing I do know, is that we all had a great time being with family and stuffing ourselves with food. The kids were out of school from Wednesday on....so we decided to get crafty and make some rainbow bright cupcakes on Wednesday afternoon. This is how they turned out....the boys got a total kick out of them and had fun just making their own creations! Whitnee was asleep, and to be quite honest it was a little easier without the help of a little 18 month old. Her cooking days are right around the corner though...don't worry!!

All ready to go!
The purple was more like a yucky gray color...it just wouldn't turn purple!!

Spooning in the batter!

Just a little lick to keep those fingers clean!

Ready to bake!

And.....the finished product!!

Later that night, we went out with Garth and Wendy to Chili's for dinner. The kids all stayed home with Kaeden, and so we got a night out with just the adults. It was great. We also got to decorate the boys' Christmas tree that Grandma Shelly has given them. They were so excited to decorate it one night with her. All of their ornaments are soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, and little leather baseball mitts. It is cute and they love sleeping with it lit up each night. Whitnee's tree is a pink barbie tree, but we have opted to wait one more year before putting it up in hopes that the decorations won't become toys each day. Thank you Grandma Shelly...we love you!!

Now onto Thanksgiving Day! Thanksgiving was held at Ross and Karen's house this year. We had everything from football, visiting, eating, family pictures, bingo, visiting, more eating, and of course looking at the black Friday ads! It was a great day, and we all have so much to be thankful for. Here are some pictures of how the day unfolded....courtesy of my Uncle Dan.

Stirring up my salad!

Whitnee patiently waiting for dinner!

The men doing what they do best on Thanksgiving....watching football!!

Whitnee finally getting to enjoy her dinner!

Walker & Kaden getting ready to eat!

Grandma Shelly helping Weston dish up his plate!

And then.....the BLACK FRIDAY ADS!!

Do you think we all like to shop?????

And then came Friday morning.....let me just say that I will definitely be doing it different next year if Walmart is on my list of stores!! What a flippin' zoo!!! I had a feeling that we should go at about 12:00 midnight so we could be sure to get a couple ITEMS....one being a laptop. Well, 4am didn't cut it when there were only 10 laptops to begin with, and I was less than happy when we got out of that store!! I did check quite a few items off my list at some other stores, but I was not a fan of Walmart on Black Friday. (Maybe I will feel differently next year if I'm the first one in line with 12 thousand people lined up behind me)!!!!! On a different note, Trent and Weston went on the traditional pheasant hunt with his Dad and brother on Friday. They had a great time, and Weston could have stayed up all night telling me about the stories they all told on the drive to and from Duchesne.....memories in the making.....that is for sure!!

Saturday we all got together with Trent's family for his Thanksgiving. I love that Melanie (Trent's mom) does Thanksgiving on either Saturday or Sunday of the same week. It makes it so we can celebrate Thanksgiving with both sides of the family each year. We had another yummy dinner and enjoyed watching BYU beat Utah....(sorry, I had to throw that in)!

On Sunday, we had another get-together with my family for Braxon's blessing. Katey and Devin blessed their little guy and it was such a nice day. We went back to their house afterwards and had a really nice dinner and enjoyed visiting and eating some more. I told myself each night that I would never eat again, but somehow I change my mind by the next morning. One thing is for sure....I won't be skipping out on exercising for no good reason this week!!!

Anyways, we all had a great Thanksgiving and we have so much to be grateful for!! Here are some of the top things on my "thankful list" this year:

*My good husband

*My 3 great kids

*My wonderful family

*The best inlaws ever!!

*The gospel

*Trent's job

*The holiday spirit that is all around

*A warm home with food in my fridge and cupboards

*This free country we live in....thanks to all those who have and continue to fight to keep us free!

And the list could go on and on and on!!!!

HALLOWEEN

2009-11-03T12:49:00.006-07:00

We had a great Halloween this year. I will be honest....Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I hate dressing up, and therefore you never see me in a costume. I do have fun getting the kids dressed up, and they seemed to all have a good time. The boys both had Halloween parties at school on Thursday as well as a parade. Sorry...no pictures. Why is it that your camera dies at the most inopportune times???? On Friday, there was no school and it was trunk-or-treating that night. I spent most of Friday cleaning the house like a mad-woman for 2 house showings, and then spent the rest of the time with Jill so the house would stay clean and the agents could show it. We flew home at 5:30 that night to throw on the kids' costumes and head to trunk-or-treat. It was a perfect night. We ate chili and hot dogs, and then let the kids get all their candy. We got home at a decent hour and enjoyed all the candy. YUM!! The next day was Halloween of course. We all slept in, (I can't even remember a Saturday when we all were home like this), had a nice breakfast, and then Trent and the kids headed outside to clean up the 2nd round of leaves. (Still one more to go). It was such a nice day and we enjoyed being outside. We came in and got the kids cleaned up, Whitnee took a nap, and then got ready and did a little more trick-or-treating so the kids could dress up one more time. I think we went to a total of 7 or 8 houses since we had already done truck-or-treating. We finished off the night big with dinner at Chili's and then came home. It was a great day, and the kids got far too much candy. I am now dealing with the after effects of Whitnee whining at the cupboard every other minute for the candy bowl.

Our BIG pile of leaves!

Dad even got in on the fun!

Whitnee starting to disappear!

Weston's hand is the only thing left showing!!

Mario - Weston

James - Walker

Pink Poodle - Whitnee

The kids all ready to go!

After trunk-or-treating!
(sorry about the lighting....not a great picture)

THE LATEST FROM WALKER

2009-10-17T10:33:00.006-06:00

Walker has came up with some pretty good ones lately. I had to record them for my own records.

The other day we were in the kitchen. His kindergarten reading chart is hanging on the fridge. He gets to put an "X" on each day that we read. Well, there have been a few weekend days that we haven't done so good because we have been in Park Valley, and therefore no "X" is on them. After studying the chart he said,

Walker: "Mom, we can't go on vacation anymore." (love the term vacation for going to PV!!)

Me: "Why not?"

Walker: "Because I am not getting my reading in."

Me: "Well, we can take a book with us, and try to get the reading done there."

Waker: "Does Grandma Shelly have books?"

Me: "I'm pretty sure she does!!"

What dedication.....most kids would be happy for a day or two off!!! I know I am!!!

Then, just last night we were sitting in the living room, and Whitnee walked in with a bunch of balls stuffed inside her shirt. I asked her what was in her shirt, and Walker quickly replied as serious as ever:

Walker: "I think she is growing a baby inside!"

Me: HUGE outburst of laughter!!

Oh, the innocence of kids!! I love them!!

Last but not least......Walker has decided he wants his name changed to Austin. There is no exact reason why. He doesn't even know an Austin. I guess he just likes the name. So there you have it!!

RANDOM HAPPENINGS

2009-09-24T15:54:00.007-06:00

Here is a catch up on a few things that have happened lately. We went up to Park City on Labor Day and had a BBQ with the McFarland's. The weather was beautiful and the kids swam and swam. It was so nice to sit and just visit with good friends....especially since I had just canned all my peaches that morning. (Can I just say that I'm glad canning season is over....corn, salsa, tomatoes, peaches, and pears! We are sure going to enjoy the yummy food though, so it is all worth it!!)

Anyways....back to the story!! Here are some pics from Labor Day!

Cute Whitnee...she had so much fun playing with the water bottles, that her pants were soaked!!

Zander, Weston, & Walker

Zander, Walker, Jonah, & Weston....after a fun afternoon of swimming!

Then comes the fabulous season of Fall!! I can't believe it is already here. I pulled out a few decors and threw them up. I put some Halloween pumpkins up, and the boys are loving them. I figure Halloween will be here before we know it, so why not put Halloween up while I'm at it!

Last but certainly not least....here are a few pictures of Whitnee. I feel like she is changing and growing up so fast. I did her hair in piggy-tails today because it is getting some length to it. I decided this was a good time to snap some current pictures. She is not at the most cooperative age, but with Walker's help we got it done.

I actually took this picture last, but I thought it was funny. Check out the Christmas bib (all her other bibs were in the laundry)....and how about that handfull of binkies?? Not to mention some good old string cheese!! What a funny girl!

Where did my baby go??? Is she looking all grown-up or is it just me???

Piggy-tails from behind!

She thought this picture taking was a funny game, and refused to hold still!!

So CUTE!!

1ST DAY OF SCHOOL

2009-08-28T15:54:00.010-06:00

Well, summer came and went and soon we found ourselves on the 1st day of school. Brand-new outfits and backpacks were all laid out the night before, Father's Blessings were given, and we were ready for the 1st day. We woke up early and got everyone ready! Weston wanted me to drive him so that he made sure he could find his class.

We ate a yummy breakfast of pancakes!

Then we posed for a few quick pictures before rushing out the door. Here is Weston in his new attire and all ready to start 3rd grade!

(Really???....do I really have a child already in 3rd grade??)

Here is my cute Walker all ready for Kindergarten. He doesn't go until the afternoon, but he wanted to be up and ready first thing!!

We found Mrs. Hunter's classroom without any problem and Weston

let me snap a quick picture of him.

He found his desk and settled in for the 1st day.

A few hours later, we found ourselves back at the school for Walker's 1st day of kindergarten. We got to know his teacher Miss Van De Graaff, and she told us what to expect for the year.
Afterwards, I got to take Walker on a scavenger hunt so he would know his way around the school. He found cute prizes at each stop. We signed up for a testing time later in the week,
and then we got to go home. His first real day of school will be Monday the 31st, because of the testing that took place this week.

We headed outside to go home, and school was just getting out for the day. We found Weston, and both the boys wanted to ride the bus home. It worked out perfect, since this will be their daily routine of getting on the bus together.

The bus finally arrived.

Onto the bus they go!

All in all, it was a great day. I think it will be a fun-filled year, and Weston and Walker are sure excited. I'm sure Whitnee and I will fill our days somehow and enjoy our time together!!

SUMMER...WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?

2009-08-21T23:38:00.010-06:00

I can't even believe that summer is over. It has gone by so fast, and we have sure enjoyed all the fun things we have got to do. Here are a few more of the happenings that I haven't blogged about.

OUR LAMBS

We raised lambs this year....a tradition that the kids and I love to do!! I like that the boys have a little summer job, but I have a hard time completely turning it over to them. I love it as much as they do....(okay probably even more!)

Happy boys doing their chores!

Whitnee liked getting in on the action!

Whitnee...wanting another turn!

All done feeding for the morning!

WHITNEE

Our good friends from New Zealand sent Whitnee this darling little outfit for her brithday. Charly wanted some pics of her in it, so I took some pictures and sent them to her. I still need to take one of the cute little dress they sent! Thanks Shane and Charly!!

I can't believe how fast she is growing up!

Love this little girl!

SWIMMING LESSONS

Weston and Walker just finished swimming lessons this week. I put them in the session that runs for 1 week, and each lesson is 50 minutes. I loved it much more that the 2 week/25 minute lessons. I felt like they had enough time in the water each day to really get into it. Weston made huge improvements, and is doing great at floating on his back and his front crawl is getting much better. Walker is getting very comfortable in the water and learning a lot of the basics. I loved watching them improve and pass off their levels. An added bonus was that their cousins Garrett and Melanie were in their classes. That made it even funner! Good job boys!!

Walker and his class

Weston

Yay....we passed!!

Weston and his teacher Liz
(sorry about her eyes being closed...oops!)

Walker and his teacher Ricky

THE CABIN

2009-08-18T08:08:00.007-06:00

We were able to go up to the cabin with the McFarlands the last week in July. We took all the the motorcycles and headed up for the weekend. It was really fun to just get away and hang out with some good friends. We rode bikes, went out on the canoe, did some cliff jumping, fished, went paintballing, ate lots of good food, and stayed up way too late laughing and playing games. We even got to see some moose one night while we riding around! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Great for letting us go to your cabin!!

Walker getting ready to ride!

The boys heading paintballing!

Walker & Weston taking a dip in the water!

Weston loves to fish!

Yummy french toast for breakfast!

A nice game of pool between Trent & Garth!

A cowgirl in the making!

A little blurry, but a cute shot of the kids!

Weston doing some cliff jumping!

Horseshoes

PARK VALLEY 24TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

2009-08-07T16:47:00.008-06:00

We always go out to Park Valley for the 24 of July Celebration, and this year was no exception!! We had such a fun weekend with family and friends. It is great to catch up with everyone that you haven't seen in quite awhile. Things started off Friday night with a steak fry and then a dance. We all headed over and ate some good steak, and then sat around and visited while the dance got started. I couldn't talk Trent into swinging for the life of me, so Elden finally agreed, and we tried to remember a few swing moves. It was lots of fun. The boys loved running around with all the kids and Whitnee was actually not a big fan of the loud music. Next year we will pick a spot not so close to the speakers.

The next morning was breakfast (thanks to the guys...we didn't have to drive over and get ours!! They brought it home to us!!) After we ate and got ready, we headed over for the parade and program. Then came lunch and the games. The races are always a big hit, and well I just can't keep my footing on that 3-legged race. Emilie and I were in the lead and totally biffed it at the end. It was so funny!! Then onto the tug-a-war.....GO ROSETTE!! The Rosette men and women won, but the kids didn't have as good of luck. Park Valley seemed to have the strength this year with the kids. We went home to change for the rodeo, and just as we were getting back to the bowery a huge rain strom came through right about the time the rodeo was supposed to be starting. It was crazy.....it just rained and rained. The rodeo did end up starting later after the rain quit, but they canceled the sheep and calf riding (fine by me now that the arena was a big mud hole...not fine by Walker!!) He was so excited to ride....guess we'll have to wait for next year! They had the chicken chase on the lawn, and as the pictures will show....Walker's cousin Megan caught a chicken....who gave it to him.....and I had Walker promptly give it to some cute little boy that wanted a chicken. It all worked out....we have enough chickens around here! So all in all....it was a great weekend!! I love Park Valley and all the memories we have and continue to make. There is something about small-town living!!!

Weston after his race with his quarter

Weston, Walker, & Kaden at the steak fry and dance!

Walker after his race...he won and got a fifty cent piece!

Fisher Anderson and Walker in the 3-legged race

Fisher & Walker

Charly & Weston in the 3-legged race

Charly & Weston

Kaylee, Whitnee, Kaden, & Walker waiting for the chicken chase to start!

Weston, Walker, & Kaden

4TH OF JULY WEEK

2009-07-07T17:38:00.005-06:00

I have to preface this post with the fact that I forgot my camera and so the week of the 4th of July will be remembered and recorded without pictures. (I know....not a good thing, but not much I can do about it now!)

Anyways, we had the best week. The plan was to go to Park Valley on Friday the 3rd, and spend the 4th of July out there. Well....for those who know me....I always seem to come up with a plan to head out a little earlier. (suprise, I know!) Tuesday wasn't even an option for leaving and heading out, but guess what....that is exactly what happened. I was talking to Mom that morning and told her I might come Wednesday, but we would have to see. The next thing I know, I was on the phone with Dad who was heading down Weber Canyon on his way home from Colorado. I decided that I should meet up with him and ride out and then Trent could come on Friday after work. Within about 1 1/2 hours, I had packed, cleaned the house up (have to leave it in good condition in case someone wants to come and look at it since it is for SALE), and got me and the 3 kids ready. Jill picked us up (thanks a ton Jill) and drove us to Ogden to meet Dad. We loaded into the semi and were off. I'm so glad we went early, because we had a great time.

After arriving and eating tacos for dinner, mom and I mowed the lawn and did some yard work. The kids played and played. The next day consisted of helping mom get more yard work done, (trimming big HUGE bushes...which was fun for about the 1st 5 minutes....I think I missed my lot in life....they really did look good..haha:), and doing some house work to get ready for the weekend when all the rest of the family would come. The boys had a sleepover at Linda's that night, so they were as happy as could be! I woke up at 4:00 the next morning and headed out to help Dad load 5 semis with sheep to head to Franklin Basin. My intention was to help load and then spend the rest of the day helping mom, but that changed too. As we were all loaded and leaving, Charly wanted Weston to ride along with him and Kerry, so I decided to take the boys and go with Dad for the day. Mom kept Whitnee and off we went in the semis. Franklin Basin is so pretty and green. It was a lot of fun and so nice to be with dad and help with the sheep. (my kind of day!!) We got home about 8:00 that night, and were all ready for a good nights rest. The next day was when the rest of the family came including Karen & Ross and their family (we missed Kate and Devin...they were with the Miles' side). We went fishing, rode 4-wheelers and motorcycles, and stayed up late talking and laughing! As for the 4th of July (Saturday), we all just hung out and visited and then had a yummy BBQ that afternoon. (We could have fed the army.....why do we always have so much food?) We all hung around, played games, laughed and laughed some more, and did fireworks that night. We left PV about 10:30 that night (not the best part of the week) and drove home late so Trent could be here for his meetings Sunday morning. We had such a good time. Thanks Trent for holding down the homefront since the kids and I left early, and thanks Mom and Dad for a great week. I love being able to help them and spend time together.

MOAB

2009-07-07T14:21:00.016-06:00

We went to Moab with Trent's family a couple of weeks ago. We had such a good time and totally enjoyed ourselves. We all took trailers and stayed at Slickrock Campground. It was the best campground with lots of trees, a swimming pool, and a fun park for the kids. We of course hiked into Delicate Arch and Sand Dune Arch. We took our motorcycles and the boys all went riding and jeeping one day, and we also went and played on a giant sand hill. We did some tye-dye, ate lots of good food, and just enjoyed relaxing! The pictures will tell the story of how the vacation went. Thanks Marc and Brandee for planning such a fun get-away! We loved it!! (We even stayed an extra day because we were having so much fun!!)

On our way to Moab!!

We made it...and into the pool goes Weston and Wyatt!

Good buddies....Wyatt & Weston

Wyatt, Melanie, & Walker in the hot tubs!

Whitnee...(before she got ahold of a cookie)

Whitnee after her cookie!! Oh well...we were camping right???

(I spent a good 20-30 minutes that night washing her darn shirt out in the sink!!)

The boys on their way to Delicate Arch!

Miss & Whitnee hiking to Delicate Arch!

Cabe & Rance and Trent & Whitnee on the hike!

We made it!!

Our family under DELICATE ARCH!

The Vest Family

Grandma Great hiked all the way in with us....what a trooper!!

Trent and his late night snack of frozen burritos!

Whitnee all cleaned up and ready for bed....watch out for that hair!

Walker & Weston ready for bed!

Weston and a HUGE toad that Uncle Larry found!

Whitnee insisting that she walk to Sand Dune Arch!

Some of the cousins!

Trent on top of Sand Dune Arch

The kiddos at Sand Dune Arch!

Brandon, Trent, & Dennis

Whitnee & MyKenna playing in the sand!

Weston riding his motorcycle!

Walker on Uncle Marc's 4-wheeler!

Doing a little tye-dye!

Miss and Whit in their matching shirts!

The kids playing badminton!

Jeeping!

I'm glad I wasn't there to see where they went!

According to Grandpa Great...it was pretty intense!

The boys all made it back!

Weston with a big lizard on his hat!

I think Walker covered every inch of the campground on his bike!

Whitnee in the mud at the big sand hill!

Walker and Levi coming down on the sled!

Whitnee and Trent in the pool...she wasn't too sure about it!

Trent and Whit!

Walker & Weston

Weston, Wyatt, & Walker all digging for dinosaur bones!

FATHER'S DAY

2009-06-22T13:14:00.008-06:00

We had a great Father's Day weekend and got to spend time with all the special "dad's" in our life. We started Saturday off by mowing the lawn before the rain hit....which we did get it done in time. The boys went to a primary activity, and by the time everyone got back home, the rain was coming down. My Mom and Dad came down later that afternoon, and we went and spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa Pierce. After, we ordered take-out from Chili's and came back to our house and enjoyed some really good food. The rain finally cleared, and Mom, Dad, and I went and did some grocery shopping for all the Sunday meals that were to come and of course getting all Dad's camp groceries. It was so fun just spending time with them. I had to teach relief society on Sunday, so after church we all headed to Jill and Elden's and had a BBQ with my family. Kate and Devin made it down, and we ate way to much good food (lamb chops and marinated chicken) and let the kids play. We then headed home and made up another salad and headed to Trent's Mom and Dad's to celebrate Father's Day with his Dad and Grandpa. Once again, another great meal and lots of fun visiting with the family. (I don't suggest eating 2 great meals like that in one day!! So, so, so good....but WAY TOO FULL!) I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such good family on both sides. It was such a fun weekend and we really enjoyed being together!

Here are few things about our Dad's:

TRENT

- He is such a fun and giving person

- He loves our kids and doing things with them

- He provides and takes such good care of our family

- He honors his priesthood and helps teach our kids what is right

- He is so handy...there is nothing he can't do!!

- He loves to wrestle and play with the boys, but at the same time can be so gentle and kind with Whitnee!!

- He is always optomistic about everything!

MY DAD (BURT)

- The most giving person in the world

- Always makes my sisters and I feel like we are the most important thing ever..and now treats our husbands and kids like that!

- Provided such a great childhood for us

- Is a VERY hard worker, and taught me the value of work

- Passed on his love for the sheep to me!!

- Is a great Grandpa and so good to our kids

- Taught me the importance of honesty and integrity

TRENT'S DAD (DENNIS)

- Always so helpful

- Such a great grandpa and loves his kids

- Has always treated me as one of his own

- He raised a great son and Trent has always had a great dad to look up too!

- Always has time for the grandkids

- I love his easy-going attitude!

- Teaches his family about the gospel and how important it is!

We are so thankful for our Dad's and Grandpa's. We love you!!

THIS AND THAT

2009-06-10T18:32:00.007-06:00

What is wrong with this picture???? The other night we heard a splash, and this is what we found. Weston was in taking a bath, and Whitnee made her way in the bathroom and wasn't happy to just stand by the tub. She was going in too!! We all got a good laugh, and will shut the door tighter next time. Just as a side note....she was already bathed and in her pj's for the night. Guess she got 2 baths!!

Here are Trent and the boys practicing for OHV certification. Weston is taking the course on Saturday, so they are out riding around. Walker is still too young to take the class, but he is learning to ride. (ON THE GRASS ONLY...if you ask Mom)!! Whitnee and I hang back and hold our breath. Good luck boys!

WESTON FINISHES 2ND GRADE

2009-06-10T18:24:00.005-06:00

Weston is done with the 2nd grade and ready to move onto 3rd. He had a great year and really enjoyed school. When he got home on his last day of school, he told me that he is going to miss it. His teacher was Mrs. Brasseaux, and he really liked her. Weston is such a fun kid and has fun in whatever he is doing. He made lots of good friends and had a great year. His teacher made a DVD of pictures that she had taken throughout the year, and sent it home on the last day. It was so fun to watch it and see all the fun things they did. I was kind of lousy at taking pictures on the last day, so here is his school picture. What a handsome kid. Way to go Weston!!

WALKER'S PRESCHOOL GRADUATION

2009-06-10T17:39:00.005-06:00

Walker graduated from preschool and is officially ready for Kindergarten. He had such a good time in preschool and had a FABULOUS teacher....Miss Melanie. She is so good with the kids and never ceases to amaze me with everything she does with them. They performed "Mother Goose's Goose is Loose". Walker was Jack Sprat and did a great job. Here are some pictures of the performance!

Walker ready to perform!

Mr. Jack Sprat

Official Preschool Graduate!

Walker's Preschool Class

Miss Melanie and Walker

(not sure why he had to pull that face!)

Walker is so excited for Kindergarten. He can't wait to ride the bus with Weston and has already started asking me how many days are left of summer:) I love the preschool years, and it will be kind of weird not having a kid in preschool for a couple years now. Great job Walker!!

WHITNEE IS "1"

2009-05-18T16:34:00.014-06:00

I can't believe it has already been a year, but little Whitnee turned 1 year old on May 12th. Here is a picture of her a year ago, compared to one of her now:

Newborn

1 year old

We had her birthday party with the family. She didn't quite know what to think of all the attention, but was fine as long as Grandma held her. Here is how the night went:

A picture with some of the cousins before we opened presents.

A pretty new dress and shoes!

Her first baby doll!

A pink swing from Grandma Shelly and Grandpa Burt.
(Perfect for summer)

Her new pink horse!

All of her presents!!

Whitnee

Her "cupcake" cake

Whitnee and her cake

The famous tradition of getting to eat your 1st birthday cake all by yourself!

She loved the frosting!

Whitnee is such a fun little girl. She has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives. She has been the best baby from the day she was born, and continues to charm us with her cute little ways. Some highlights of her first year are:

Slept through the night - 2 1/2 weeks old

Rolled over - 4 1/2 months old

Sat up - 5 months old

Crawled - 8 months old

Walked around furniture - 8 1/2 months old

1st tooth - 9 months old

1st step - 10 1/2 months old

Walking alone - 11 1/2 months old

1 Year Old Stats:

Weight - 21 lbs. 6 oz. 54%

Height - 28 1/2 in 28%

Head Circum. - 45.8 cm. 78%

Whitnee loves her brothers and they love her. She really likes to be chased and try and get away from you. One of her favorite things to play with is the dish towel. She loves to carry it around and put it on her head. The last week or so, she has been waking up and wants to just be left in her crib. She is so content to just roll around and hang out in her crib....by herself. I guess she likes to "lay around in bed all morning!" We love you Whitnee!!

WALKER'S FIELD TRIP

2009-05-18T16:21:00.004-06:00

Walker's preschool class went to Wheeler Farm on a field trip. My mom was in town, so she kept Whitnee and I went with Walker. We had a good time. They saw lots of animals, went on a hay ride, fed the ducks, and then had a little snack and drink before heading back home. It was really fun spending a few hours with Walker. He is a good kid, and I can't believe this is his last year of preschool. He is growing up so fast!

His buddies!

Amalaciah, Cooper, Walker

All loaded onto the wagon for the hay ride.

Looking at the milk cows.

This was our tour guide giving them food to feed the ducks.

Eating some popcorn after a fun time at the farm!

MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-18T15:46:00.005-06:00

I had a really great Mother's Day. The boys did some of the cutest things in school during the week, and then I had Breakfast in bed Sunday morning. Trent was so good to cook breakfast, clean up, get the boys ready (they even made their beds and cleaned up their room before church), and that made it so I only had to worry about getting myself and Whitnee ready. It was really nice. We had dinner with Trent's family that evening and then visited my Grandma after that. We did my Mom's Mother's Dad dinner on Monday, because that worked best for everone to get together. It was so fun being with our families and spending time together. We have the best Mom's ever. I owe everything to my Mom for always being there for me and giving me the best childhood ever. She continues to be a great Mom and Grandma. Our kids adore her and we appreciate all she does for us. Trent's Mom is equally as wonderful. I have always said that I have the best inlaws ever (and that is the truth!!). She has always treated me as part of the family and is so good to our kids. Trent and his Mom are very close, and he honors and respects her very much. She is a very special part of our lives! We are so blessed to have such wonderful moms and grandmas. I am so glad I have the opportunity to be a mom, and for Trent my cute kids. I love them very much!

Bringing me breakfast in bed. Whitnee was still asleep, so she didn't get in on the picture.

This is the cutest book Weston made for me in school. It is all about me. He put so much thought and time into it!! The picture on the right is of me combing his hair....he's got a picture of the spray bottle and all!!

One of the pages was all about your Mom's cooking, and what recipe they liked best. Weston picked boiled eggs.....wow...that's a recipe to be known for:) The directions were perfect by the way....it is so fun to see things through the eyes of your kids.

Walker made this cute picture frame in preschool. He was quite proud because he used "permanent" marker. Isn't he cute?

Here are all my fun gifts (except for my flowers for the yard...Trent gives me those every year). I have to mention one more cute thing. Weston also brought me home Breakfast in a Bag so I could have breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. It was a bottle of apple juice and a cereal bar. How cute is that? His teacher really did some nice things!

Thanks for a WONDERFUL MOTHER'S DAY!!

SOCCER

2009-05-18T15:31:00.006-06:00

Well, another soccer season is over. It is really fun going to the games. Weston loves to play and has really improved his game over this past season. He has been scoring 1-2 goals each game. He is super fast and quite coordinated! Good job Weston.....we can't wait for next season!

Walker is starting to get the hang of things. It seems like with my kids, it takes a couple years for them to understand and really get into it. The first part of this season (last fall), he would run around the ball...so cute....but now he is getting in there and kicking it. He scored his first goal in the last game. We were so proud of him. Good job Walker!

And...here is the fan club. Whitnee enjoys going to the games and hanging out. She started walking about the time they had their last couple games, so she would cruise all around on the grass. We had some good times!

LOOK WHO'S WALKIN'

2009-05-08T10:58:00.008-06:00

Whitnee has officially started walking. It all started about 2 weeks ago (11 1/2 months old), and now she is all over the place. I can't believe how well she is doing. I have to admit that it is nice to not have her crawling all over. I like when they are on their feet. So watch out world...this little girl is on the move!!

I also wanted to post these cute pics of little Whit. We tried pig tails for the first time the other morning. She actually cooperated quite well. It is so fun getting to do the girly thing. As of right now, I'm enjoying getting to actually do a head of hair (combing the boys hair doesn't really count does it?) Anyways, so here is the process from beginning to end!

Waiting to take the curlers out.....

Isn't that cute!

Oh, we love this girl!

This is right before bathtime that night....doesn't it feel so good to get those bows and elastics out?? I'm guessing she is saying YES!!

A LITTLE CATCH UP

2009-05-02T15:50:00.008-06:00

TRENT COMING HOME

Trent went out of town on business for 10 days. He was in Chattanooga, TN for the first 6 days, and then in Atlanta, GA for the rest of the time. Can I just say that 10 days is along time to be a single mom. We missed him like crazy. The kids and I kept busy with school, soccer, my cousin Nate's homecoming (and going to the airport to see him come home), FHE with the Vest's, Kate's birthday dinner, and whatever else we decided to cram into those 10 days. He got home last Wednesday afternoon, and as you can tell the kids were quite excited to see him. Weston wasn't home from school yet, so Whitnee and Walker were the the first to see him. We then headed outside to wait for Weston, and I wish I would have got a picture of him literally running off the bus. It was so cute. Anyways, we are so glad to have Trent home. Love you DADDY!!

Do you think they are a little bit excited??

He brought the boys these airplane sets that they have loved.

Whitnee got a cute little pink bear that says Georgia, and I got a pink T-shirt that says Atlanta.

WALKER'S PLAY DATE WITH COOPER

Walker has been begging to have his friend Cooper come over and play. We finally had a day that would work. They go to preschool together, so after preschool on Wednesday they got to play for awhile. Most of their time was spent outside riding Walker's 4-wheeler, playing on the swing set, and squirting water all over. (What is it about kids and water??) They had chicken nuggets and tater tots for lunch. It was so fun to watch them have a good time. I love watching them act like they are the toughest and most invincible boys on the planet. It is so cute!

Hang On!!

Squirt Guns!

YUMMY!!

LITTLE MISS WHITNEE

This is what little Miss Whit has been up to. The first 2 pictures are a couple months ago, but I never got them posted until now.

She was sick, and fell asleep on Trent one night. Doesn't that look comfy??

She fell in my bathroom one morning while I was getting ready. She hit the edge of the garbage can, and it got her good. Poor little girl....looked like she had been beaten!

This is my cute little Whitnee. She is growing up way too fast....she is already 11 1/2 months old!

She still only has 2 bottom teeth....I keep thinking the top ones are coming in, but they haven't shown up yet!

This is where I find her multiple times during the day. She loves to make a mess with the books. Pretty innocent looking huh?

OH THE TUPPERWARE DRAWER!! A baby's best friend...right? Not only does she pull them all out, she has decided to just make herself at home in the drawer. Silly girl!!

EASTER

2009-04-17T17:27:00.005-06:00

We had a great Easter this year. We had spent the prior weekend and the first part of Spring Break out shearing sheep with my family (that is another post when I get the pics from my mom's camera), and then the rest of Spring Break and Easter at home with Trent's family. We spent Friday afternoon at the park with the kids (no pics....my camera was dead), and then Saturday we had a party with the Vest's. Trent's Mom and Dad put together an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt and each of the families found a huge easter basket filled with tonz of goodies and fun stuff. That night we came home and died easter eggs with the boys and tried to get to bed at a decent time so that the Easter Bunny could come. We woke up early Sunday morning and had to wake the boys up so that we could do all the Easter festivites and still get to church at 9:00 AM. We let Whitnee sleep until it was time to get her dressed and ready......it wasn't worth having a cranky baby all through church. Anyways, the boys loved all their candy and toys. They got cap guns that I'm sure the neighbors aren't appreciating very much. The stunt cars were a big hit, and they have yet to try out their scooby-doo sticker books. Whitnee got lots of fun baby treats, some fun squishy blocks, books, and some way cute bows. The Easter Bunny hid the eggs that we had colored the night before, all around the living and dining room. The boys had a lot of fun finding them. We managed to only be a few minutes late for church (the kids looking great in their Easter attire) and then afterwards, we came home and had a yummy turkey dinner. Trent's parents came to dinner and I think we all enjoyed ourselves. We also made bunny bread, but it was an evening snack since I forgot to set the dough out before church. We still got it done, but not quite in time for dinner. We had another fun Easter delivery that night. Grandpa Burt and Grandma Shelly sent in more fun Easter treats and toys for the kids and lots of good gardening stuff for Trent and I. It must be time to get the garden going. Thanks to all our families for the fun times and the fun Easter goodies. We sure enjoyed spending time together and most importantly, remembering our Savior this time of year.

Coloring eggs (Whit was asleep)

Good times!!

Walker & Weston on Easter morning.

Weston and his Easter basket.

Walker and his spread!

Whitnee....2 seconds after we woke her up!

Finally....ALL ready for church

Walker, Whitnee, Weston

The famous Bunny Bread...a little lop-sided and VERY chubby!!

He sure tasted good though!

P.S. By the way.......it took my BIGGEST mixing bowl (and it is a BIG one) in my kitchen to fit all the candy when Easter was said and done! Ummm....that is a little ridiculous don't you think???

WESTON'S BAPTISM

2009-03-24T09:35:00.009-06:00

Weston was baptized on March 21st. It was such a neat day, and Weston had so much support from the family. We had gotten permission to do his baptism on a different day from the scheduled stake baptisms so that Trent's sister's family could be here. They live in Kansas and had been visiting for a week, so we were so happy they let us do his baptism while they were here. It started at 2:00 and both his grandma's spoke, and his grandpa's said the prayers. My mom made the cutest little slide show all about Weston that was shown. Afterwards, we all had cake and ice cream and visited with everyone. He got his first set of scriptures with his name on them, and many more nice gifts. Thank you to everyone for coming and supporting Weston on his special day!!

Weston's Baptism Invitation

Our handsome boy!!

Weston and Trent

Weston and all of his Baptism gifts!

WESTON'S 8TH BIRTHDAY

2009-03-24T09:02:00.008-06:00

Weston turned 8 years old on March 18th. I can't beleive he is already 8!! Since his baptism was not until Saturday, and that was when all the family would come, he wanted to go to Chucky Cheese on his actual birthday. He invited one of his really good friends Braden Zesiger, and we headed up to Chucky Cheese after school. The boys all played and played, and loved all the fun games. We ate some yummy pizza and Trent and I enjoyed watching them all have a great time. He opened his presents while we were there (we had let him open 2 earlier on). Some of his favorites were his Star Wars Legos, and his Matchbox Car game. He got spoiled as usual, and was one happy boy. Chucky Cheese, friends, family, and new toys.....what more could one boy ask for. Afterwards, we headed back home and he had scouts. He seemed to enjoy his first time! After we all got home, he had lots more phone calls from family wishing him a Happy Birthday. We had such a good day!

Walker, Braden, Weston, & Trent at Chucky Cheese

Weston trying out one of the games!

Trent and Whitnee waiting for the pizza

Walker and his CUTE smile!

The pizza finally arrived....YUMMY!!

Weston and his STAR WARS LEGOS!

Braden and Weston with the soccerball and

Bakugan Braden gave him!

The final picture of all the "goods"

Some thoughts about Weston:

*He is such a kind-hearted boy!

*He loves life!

*He loved to play soccer.

*He loves Mac & Cheese.

*He is so good to his brother & sister!

*He loves to smile.

*He loves to play with his cousins and friends!

*He is a HUGE helper around the house.

WE LOVE YOU WESTON!

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY MOM

2009-03-09T13:41:00.009-06:00

Happy Birthday Mom!! All I can say is WE DID IT!! Let me explain just a little bit about what I mean by that. Jill, Kate and I decided that we wanted to throw Mom a surprise 50th birthday party. We started planning quite awhile ago, but as time went on.....it became much harder to keep a surprise than we thought. We decided to tell Mom a "pretend" party date, because her actual party was a few days after her actual birthday. We didn't want her to think we completely forgot.......and she kept hinting around. "So when is my party? Aren't you planning anything yet? Don't you think you should let the family know?" It was hilarious......we just let her talk, and made her think we weren't too worried about the "small" details. We would get around to them.

Anyways...on with the story. So the date was February 28th, and we invited her friends from her childhood, her close friends in Park Valley, and the family. We did it at Katey and Devin's house since it was a half-way point for a lot of the people coming. Everything was going along somewhat smoothly until the week prior. I had forgot to inform Karen (her sister) that the "pretend" party was at her house. I was too focused on the real party. Anyways, Mom hit her up about the party, and Karen didn't have a clue what she was talking about. OOOPPPS!! We sweet talked our way out of that situation (and MANY more), and Mom believed every minute of it.

So this is how the party went down. The day of....we told her that we were all meeting at Maddox to go out to dinner for her birthday. Well, as luck would have it....she didn't want to go to town that day. GREAT!!! Now what were we going to do? Another catch!! This was getting exhausting....I've only told you an 1/8 (even less than that) of all the mishaps of keeping this thing a surprise! So Dad basically told her they were going, and off they went. They pulled into Katey and Devin's (Mom thinking they were picking them up to head to Maddox), and the driveway was full and family and friends. Her jaw dropped and at that point we knew she didn't have a clue. It was a complete surprise. The following pictures tell the rest of the story!

Some of the fun decors!

We had everyone bring a scrapbook page of memories

and they also signed a cute guest book that said "50 & Fabulous"!

We also wanted to acknowledge her 5 year milestone as a cancer survivor (now almost 6). We ordered this dome with a personlized letter and a picture of her in it. It also had pink roses around the bottom! It was so pretty.

Weston, Walker, Kaden, and Kristen

The kids patiently waiting for Grandma to arrive! Whitnee had RSV....so Trent had to stay home with her. We missed them!

Kate, Miss, & Jill

Everything was ready to go....just waiting for MOM!

HERE SHE IS!!

The anxious guests watching her arrive!

Mom hugging Carrie Hislop. Mom and Carrie grew up together.

This is the video we made Mom. It is all about her life over the past
"50" years from when she was born until now!

Dad and Mom

Sherrie VanOrden, Mom, Carrie Hislop, and Dotty Spainhower
Childhood friends!

More pics with friends!

This the the birthday cake that her friend Sherrie VanOrden made.
It has a little garden on top....SO CUTE!! It is ALL gluten-free....as was the whole
taco salad dinner we all ate!!

Linda (sister) & Jean Morris (friend from Park Valley)

Everyone chatting and having a good time!

Thank you to everyone for coming and making this day special for Mom. Also, thank you to Dad for getting her there. It turned out to be quite the job to get her to the party. Thanks to everyone for helping us pull this off and keep it a SURPRISE. It was so much fun. We love you Mom and look forward to many more years of memories!

WALKER IS "5"

2009-02-25T15:57:00.005-07:00

Walker turned 5 years old last Thursday. We had such a fun day, and he definitely got way too many fun presents!! To start off with, he got to celebrate with his preschool class on Wednesday. He took cupcakes (with white frosting...his request!!) and shared them with the whole class. They made a cute poster with everything they like about Walker, and he also brought home a cute little present from his teacher. Then on Thursday, we got up and decorated the house, wrapped presents, and then headed to lunch with Grandma Shelly and Kaden. He wanted to go to McDonald's of course, so off we went. Later on, when we got back home, we made a fun dinner, and then waited for all the family to come and celebrate with us. When everyone arrived, he opened lots of presents. His Bakugans were his favorite! We then had cake and ice cream and let all the cousins play and have fun while the rest of us just visited. He wanted an army cake, so that is what he got. Thank you everyone for coming and making Walker's day special! Happy Birthday Walker!

A few thoughts about Walker:

*He is such a kind-hearted boy

*He loves to laugh

*He is really into action figures and army guys right now

*He is very particular about his clothes

*He is a great helper

*His favorite food is Mac & Tomatoes (family favorite)

*He is excited to go to Kindergarten

WE LOVE YOU WALKER!

WESTON'S SHARK REPORT

2009-02-25T15:40:00.005-07:00

Weston is doing a report on sharks at school. Last week, he brought home some molding clay, and they were supposed to make the clay into whatever their report was on. Weston picked sharks, and so he made a grown shark and then a baby shark coming out of an egg. The picture won't do the baby shark justice....he did such a good job. He even wanted to put teeth on the big shark. He then let them harden and painted them. For extra credit, the teacher told them they could also make a diarama. We used the boys fish tank (thanks Grandma for the good idea), and made quite the little home for the sharks. The shark is even looks like he's swimming thanks to some thread and a little tape!! He is a really creative kid!! Way to go Weston.

9 MONTHS OLD

2009-02-13T14:08:00.003-07:00

Whitnee is 9 months old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. She had her check-up today, and here are the stats:

Weight - 20 lbs. 4 oz.
Height - 27 1/8 "
Head Circum. - 45.2 cm.

She has been the best baby ever. She has been content from the day she was born, and is always happy. She is officially crawling all over, pulling herself up to things, and walking around the furniture. She just started saying "da da" in the last couple of days. (You can imaging how happy that makes Trent....even though I think it is mostly jibber jabber at this point). She is a great eater most of the time. Sweet potatoes seem to be one of her favorites, but she really does eat most baby food. She is still getting used to table food...it must be a little chunky. On a funny note....she loves PAPER!! She will chew up a piece of paper faster than anything. I found her chewing on a book the other day. That book will never be the same. We are learning really fast to keep all paper products out of her reach. She is such a cutie! We love having her in our family. She is definitely the "princess" of the family because she has 2 older brothers who totally adore her, and a dad who she has completely wrapped around her finger. We are so thankful to have a little girl. We love you Whitnee!!

MY BIG HELPER

2009-02-13T13:53:00.005-07:00

A couple of days ago, I had 2 loads of laundry on the couch that I hadn't folded yet. Walker came up to me and told me he was going to fold it.....me thinking okay....whatever. He is only 5 years old. Well, let me just say this....don't underestimate your kids!!! This is what I found in the living room 15 or 20 minutes later. What a good boy! We love you Walker!

CAN I JUST SAY....MMMMM

2009-02-11T09:43:00.004-07:00

So I have been on a bread making binge the last couple of weeks. I'm not usually fan of making my own bread and rolls, but I gave it a shot. Yesterday I made orange rolls, and I must say I was quite pleased. I got lucky this one time I guess. This is actually my Grandma Kunzler's cinnamon roll recipe, but Linda gave me the orange filling and icing recipe.....thanks....these go really well with my cutting back on sweets. Oh well....ya gotta enjoy yourself once in a while!

Here is the recipe if anyone is interested....it really isn't too hard! Trust me....if I can make them....anyone can.

ORANGE ROLLS

1/2 C Warm Water
2 T Yeast
**Mix and let yeast bubble up

In another bowl mix:
1 1/2 C Milk
1/2 C Shortening
**Heat in mircowave until shortening in melted
1 C Sugar
3 Beaten Eggs
1 t Salt
1 C Mashed Potatoes
**Add to your shortening and milk mixture

Add your yeast mixture and stir until mixed

6-7 C Flour

Let raise 2 times (I raised them 30 minutes each time). Then roll them out, and put the following inside:

1 Orange Peel (grated)
1/2 C Sugar
**Let this sit while you brush on the butter and sugar
Brush with melted butter
Sprinkle with sugar
Add orange peel mixture

Roll, cute them, and put them on the pan. Raise for another 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

ICING

8 T Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
4 T Melted butter
4 C Powdered Sugar

ENJOY!!!

BAHAMAS

2009-01-27T08:37:00.019-07:00

Wow...what an amazing week! Trent and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, and had so much fun. We flew out of Salt Lake early Sunday morning and arrived in Miami later that day. Kevin and Jodee (Trent's sister and her husband) met us in Miami that night, and we had fun catching up with them. They live in Kansas, so we really enjoyed our time with them on the cruise. Our ship didn't leave until Monday at 5:00 pm, so we had some time to hang out on Miami Beach and relax. Our hotel was a block from the beach, so that was convenient. We boarded the ship on Monday, and cruised freestyle with Norwegian Cruise Line all week. We weren't able to port at Freeport, Bahamas Tuesday morning because of 50 mph winds! Yeah, the ship was rocking around, and I was freaking out a little. We spent the day at sea and got to Nassau Tuesday night. We were able to go to Paradise Island where there is a really fancy resort....Atlantis.....and see an indoor Aquarium and a dolphin cay. We toured around and saw some fun things. The next day, we were at Nassau all day, so we hit the beach. The wind was blowing a little, so the waves were really coming in. We had so much fun getting pushed around by the waves and rolling on the beach. We did a little shopping and then was back on the boat before we left port that night. On Thursday morning, we arrived back at Freeport since we were not able to stop there in the beginning. This island was Trent's highlight of the trip. We went and did some snorkeling on this private beach called Paradise Cove. There weren't that many people there, and the the day was so nice. We got some nice sun....and both of us did some snorkeling. Trent ventured out a little farther that I did, but I saw some cool things where I was. They guys saw some huge rays that swam under them.....scared them for a minute....but they enjoyed it. Also, when we were at this beach, we were only 2 miles away from John Travolta's place. Anyways, we took a taxi back, did some shopping, and headed back to the boat. We traveled through the night and arrived back in Miami on Friday morning. Along with all these excursions, we ate WAY too much food. It is seriously ridiculous how much you eat on a cruise. It was so fun to try new things....but I do have to say that their strawberry souffle was awesome! We went to shows each night on the ship that were put on by their production company (they were great dancers) and also we watched a comedian/magician a couple of times. Each night we also went up and watched Karaoke. That was hilarious watching those that could sing, and those that thought they could. Kevin got brave and he took a turn on our last night on the ship. Way to go Kevin!!! Well, that is a brief rundown of our cruise. We had tonz of fun and loved it!!! My mom kept our kids, and we couldn't thank her more. She said the kids did fabulous (I was a little worried about leaving Whitnee), but she did great! Thanks Mom for making it possible for us to go on this cruise! We love you!!

Our cruise ship....THE NORWEGIAN SKY

Leaving on the plane...nice face Trent!

Serious jet lag

No sleep the night before + Being on a plane all day= JET LAG

Miami Beach

One of our many dining experiences!!

Relaxing in our Stateroom

Eating yet AGAIN!!

The couple in the red and black were some friends of Kevin and Jodee's.

It was really fun getting to know them.....we had A LOT of laughs!!

Jodee and I waiting for our nightly show to begin

I loved their dancers!!

Trent and I on the beach in Nassau

Our clothes were all ballooned up from the wind!!

Mike, Trent, & Kevin getting ready to hit the waves!

Heading snorkeling!

Trent and I on the ship.

Trent just getting done snorkeling!

Beach Bums

CHRISTMAS

2009-01-13T09:16:00.019-07:00

I know that I am a little behind, but we did have a really good Christmas. Here are some of the highlights!

We went to a Christmas party at my Grandma and Grandpa's and Santa and Mrs. Clause came. All the kids went right up and sat on his lap. I don't think Whitnee knew what was happening, or she probably wouldn't have been so willing.

This year for Christmas, we went to Park Valley and spent it with my family. Both Jill and Kate and their families were there, so we really had a great time. We left Christmas Eve Day and headed out. We had a great night with a yummy dinner, games (the unwrapping the present that was wrapped a thousand times was the funnest), the traditional "giving game" that my Mom and Dad do every year, Christmas Eve jammies, and then we watched a DVD on "Mary Did you Know". The boys made a sticker nativity that was really fun.

Well, Santa finally arrived. We spent the whole morning opening gifts and having way too much fun. Weston got a bike, a new DS game, action figures, more games, and clothes to just name a few. Walker also got a bike, a new truck and trailer just like Dad's, books, games, and of course clothes. Whitnee got a highchair with lots of cute clothes, a baby laptop, and a couple other little toys. Those are the highlights of the kids gifts. They seem to always get spoiled....I guess Santa must think they are pretty good kids.

Weston and some of his toys!

Walker and some of his presents!

Whitnee and her spread!

Weston's new coat to go help Dad feed the horses.

Walker and his new boots!

Whitnee is trying to decide if this is all worth it :)

Trent and I certainly didn't go without either. Trent being the little sneak that he is surprised me with quite the Christmas gift. First I opened a cute capri outfit....me thinking.....this is cute for summer!! Then I opened this little box of motion sickness pills, and then........I opened the big one. We are going on a cruise to the BAHAMAS!!! He never ceases to amaze me. I about died. He had it all booked and planned. We are going with Kevin and Jodee (Trent's sister). My mom is coming to watch the kids for a while week while we are gone. Did I mention kids.....like Whitnee.....meaning I am leaving Whitnee for a week. That part totally freaked me out at first, because she is only 8 months old. I can't even tell you how excited I am though. My Mom is so great with the kids, and I don't worry for a minute now that it has all sunk in. I do hope Whitnee adjusts okay, but other that that it should be fine. Anyways, it was quite the Christmas to remember. All of the other gifts we gave each other seemed a little insignificant after this. I do love my new griddle and dishes though. Trent got some tool sets he had been wanting, a new coat, shoes, and a new flashlight. What a fun Christmas!!

We stayed in Park Valley until Friday (I'm glad we didn't have to travel on Christmas Dad in that snow storm). We headed back Friday afternoon (still have bad roads though), and spent Saturday with Trent's family. His family Christmas party was on Saturday morning and we all had a really good time. Trent's Mom and Dad had just moved into their brand-new home, so we got to all enjoy that. We had a yummy breakfast and then opened presents. It was fun to relax with the family for the day.

Christmas was the best, but it certainly wouldn't be Christmas without remembering our Savior. I loved the DVD we watched on Christmas Eve with my family. It sure brings the true spirit of Christmas into your heart. I so thankful that we can celebrate his birth and enjoy spending time with those we love. I hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

COOKIES AND MORE COOKIES

2008-12-23T00:12:00.012-07:00

The boys and I decided to make cookies today since we it was their first day of Christmas break. They did great cutting out the sugar cookies and then frosting them. I actually think it was one of our cleaner cooking moments......surprise!! Walker's cookies have about 3 layers of frosting and 3 times the sprinkles, but boy do they look good. Weston got creative with the stocking cookie and loaded the sprinkles on too. Trent got home just as we were finishing and couldn't wait to have some frosting....I mean a cookie. NOT!! (He doesn't get into frosting!) Whitnee hung out in her bouncer and ate banana puffs. I'm sure that next year she will want in on some of the action. Anyways, here are some pics of the cookies.

Getting into it!

Weston....trying to frost with his cute little cast!

Walker......here goes layer #1!

The finished product!

I also wanted to post a cute picture of the kids and their Christmas tree that Grandma Shelly bought them this year. Last Friday, she was in town and came hauling in with the cutest little Christmas tree and ornaments for the boy's room! She thought they would enjoy having their own little tree....and enjoy it they DO! The ornaments are so dang cute. They are little footballs, soccerballs, and basketballs. They totally match their bedroom. I loved the tree skirt too...just a little mini one! Anyways, thank you Grandma for being so thoughtful. You always find the funnest things!

Weston took this one of Whitnee after we took the pictures of the tree. He's my little photographer and catches some fun shots!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-21T23:52:00.005-07:00

I really can't believe how fast the month of December has gone. We have had a lot of fun with family Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, work parties, lots of snow, and just being together. Weston and Walker both brought home the cutest homemade 2009 calendars from school. Our kids are at such fun ages, and it makes Christmas even more magical and fun. We hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and that we can all keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts ♥!!

WESTON'S LITTLE MISHAP

2008-12-06T23:00:00.013-07:00

So I am getting my first taste of boys and broken bones. Weston broke his arm on Thursday after school. He was playing at the neighbors house, and they were chasing chickens (yeah, I know...really dangerous huh). He tripped and fell and landed just right (or should I say wrong) and got a greenstick fracture on his left arm. I tried to tell myself and him that it would be okay, but after awhile of him being really upset about it, and then Trent looking at it, we decided we better take him in. Good old Kidscare splinted it for him, and then off we went to the Sport's Medicine doctor the next morning to get it casted. He is really handling it quite well. Once the initial pain and throbbing let up, he has been doing great. He has been trying to use it as an excuse to miss school, but I'm pretty sure he will be good to go on Monday! He is such a fun kid with so much enthusiasm for life. We ♥ you Weston and hope your arm heals fast!!

P.S. Weston....Grandma Pierce told me that after your arm gets feeling better, that you might try to use your cast as a weapon. Don't even think about it. :)

THANKSGIVING & FAMILY PICTURES

2008-12-02T22:28:00.008-07:00

We went to Park Valley for Thanksgiving this year. We had a great time and lots of good food. The kids and I went out Tuesday and helped Mom make pies all day on Wednesday. Everyone else showed up that night and the party started. Trent hung all of Mom and Dad's Christmas lights and wired in outlets on the outside of the house to make it easier to plug them in. He got it all done, and we were able to turn them on Thanksgiving night. The boys went rabbit hunting with Grandpa, and we all visited and had a great time. While we were there, we decided to snap a few pictures of the family. Here are a few of them.

The Kunzler Family

Grandpa & Grandma with the grandkids!

Grandpa Burt with Weston, Kaden & Walker

Grandpa Burt and Weston

SO SO THANKFUL

2008-11-20T11:47:00.007-07:00

I can't help but think of everything I have to be thankful for this time of year as Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us. I love the holidays, and the time we spend with family and friends. Just a few things I'm thankful for.....

1) Trent....one great man that I love very much!!

2) My Kids....life would be so boring without them.....I love them to pieces!

3) The Gospel.....I'm actually enjoying my calling as a R.S. instructor!

4) My Family.....there is nothing better than going home to Mom and Dad's....especially when all 3 of us and our families can be there!

5) Trent's Family.....I've always said I have the best in-laws ever....they have always treated me as one of their own!!

6) Being home with my kids.....I consider this a great blessing to be home with my kids. Thanks Trent for being such a good husband and dad!

7) Health & Strength....We have been very blessed!

8) This time of year.....I love the holiday spirit that is all around.....even if the radio is already playing Christmas music. I really am enjoying the music though!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-11-04T10:02:00.005-07:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. We had our trunk-or-treak on Thursday night, and then on Friday, Jill and I took the kids and headed to Park Valley for the carnival and trunk-or-treat out there. The carnival was tonz of fun and Walker and Kaden even won a cake during the cake walk. Needless to say, we came home with WAY to much candy, but I guess that is what Halloween is all about. I can't beleive Novemeber is already here....I heard Christmas music on the radio yesterday, and kind of got into the Christmas spirit for a minute. I then thought about all of my Christmas shopping that I haven't done....well, that was a short lived Christmas spirit moment. Anyways, here are some pictures from Halloween!

Weston-"The Rock" from Fantastic Four

Walker - "Spiderman"

Whitnee - "A little Floppy Eared Lamb"

The cousins all dressed up before the carnival.

Back - Walker and Kaden

Front - Whitnee, Weston, and Kash

I'VE BEEN HUSBAND TAGGED

2008-10-29T13:39:00.016-06:00

1. Where did you meet? We met at USU. I was roomates with Trent's sister Mindee for 2 years. We were in our 2nd year of college when Trent got home from his mission and decided to go to USU. Well......we met and the rest is history.

2. How long did you date before you were married? We met in September of 1999, started dating in October, got engaged on February 3, 2000, and were married on May 18, 2000. All in all, we dated about 7 months.

3. How long have you been married? We have been married for 8 1/2 years. Wow, where did the time go?

4. What does he do that surprises you? Trent loves to just show up without telling you he is on his way or coming home. I love when he gets home early from work (which isn't too often), and just walks through the door. Another thing he likes to do is I will call him thinking he is at work, and we will talk and the next thing I know I am looking at him walking through the door still talking to me!! I think one of the cutest/cleverest/funniest things he has done though is when he loaded his car in his horse trailer and drove to Park Valley. (The kids and I were already there). He was coming out and knew he had to be home a day sooner, and knew that I wanted to stay. Anyways, he brought his car out so he could go home and the kids and I could stay an extra day!! What an awesome husband. The only thing I regret is not getting a picture of his car inside his horse trailer before he unloaded it!!

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Of course, I love everything about him, but I love his face when he has his cowboy hat on. He is one handsome dude!!

6. What is your favorite quality of his? Wow, where do I begin? I think one of the things I love most about Trent, is his unconditional love and his ability to be so non-judgemental. He is so accepting of everyone and I love that about him. He is patient with me if it has been a crazy day, and I so appreciate that. I love you Trent!!!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Yes, he calls me Miss and Love.

8. What is his favorite color? Blue and red.

9. What is his favorite food? A couple of Trent's favorite foods are Enchiladas (Brandee's recipe), Chicken and Rice, Shepard's Pie, Razzleberry Pie, and Peanut Butter Cookies. His favorite meal is breakfast (like the whole gourmet breakfast thing), and well.....he sure is out of luck on that one. I'm a cold cereal fan, except on Sundays we try to have a fun breakfast together. I always tell Trent he is missing out, because he is not a big eater, he eats really fast, and I tell him he just doen't enjoy his food. Oh well.....if that's the worst of his problems, he will be okay :)

10. What is his favorite sport? Well, let your mind run wild. This guy is crazy about sports. He was a bull rider in highschool (which I was very glad he gave that up after his mission), he played lots of sports in highschool, and then played on a football team right after we were married. This scard the heke out of me, because he was fast as all get out, but totally just bounced off those big football players. After he hurt his collar bone playing a game up in Boise, he decided he had a family and better not take any chances. So for now, he loves basketball and even a little softball once in a while.

11. When and where was your first kiss? We went to homecoming at USU, and it was afterwards when he brought me home.

12. What do you like to do together? We love going on a date with some of our friends. It is hard to find the time with little kids, but we love to do this when time permits.

13. Do you have any children? Yes, we have 3 great kids. Weston is 7, Walker is 4, and Whitnee is 5 months. We feel so blessed to have 3 of the best kids ever!! We can't imagine life without them!!

14. Does he have a hidden talent? Trent can seriously do anything!! (I'm not kidding either). He always amazes me at what he can pull off. He is such a handy man around the house (even though he can't hide that talent....). If something breaks, he will find a way to fix it.

15. Who said I love you first? Trent did. I remember being so excited that he told me he loved me, but it took me a little while to say it back to him. I guess I was just too scared or something, because I knew I had fallen hard for him. I don't think he ever thought I was going to say those 3 words, but eventually I got up the courage!

16. What is his favorite type of music? He likes country of course. A few years ago though, he started listening to 98.7 and FM 100. I guess he likes a little variety.

17. What do you admire most about him? I really admire is dedication to the gospel and his work. He gives his job his all, and makes it possible for me to stay at home with our kids. He is also very dedicated to his church calling (Young Mens). He loves the YM, and does an awesome job!!

18. Do you think he will read this? Eventually.....love ya Trent!

I TAG......anyone who wants to do it!!

WHAT?.....LETTERS TO SANTA?

2008-10-24T17:21:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I know that Christmas seems to always sneak up on us, but the boys really gave me a wake-up call a couple days ago. They informed me that they were going to make their Christmas list, and I didn't really think much of it. The next thing I knew, they were getting out the envelopes and stamps, and sealing up a letter to Santa. What...we haven't even had Halloween!! I guess it was just a little more than a list of wanted toys that will change a hundred times between now and Christmas. Anyways, so I hope good ole' Santa is ready for the letters, because here they come!