Subtle and Neutral Colors

What can I say!!!  His words I will buy a black coat so I can wear it on my mission if I go to a cold place!

One First I didn't see coming!!!

Just in case you didn't catch it here lets try this...

Do you see it now...that is right, Braden baptized his friend!

Braden came up this morning and said to me " I am going to baptize my friend today?"  So for all of you that know Braden he sometimes says one thing, and with a little twist means something else.  I just stared at him trying to figure out what he was saying.  He repeated it three times, and I don't know how many times I repeated it to him, but lets just say it really caught me off guard.  He said "Well you know I can, right?" I replied "yes'' then said "Well I told Dad, he knew about it."  Well there is the breakdown in communication!

Braden and Nathan

Braden, Nathan, Michaela (Nathan's Mom) and Robert (baptizing Michaela)

This is with the missionaries Bro & Sister McMullin.

I wish I could have taken a picture of the actual event, it was so cute, Nathan's younger brother, and Edward were kneeling right in front of the font, with their noses up against the glass, only to have there older brothers in the font.  It was so cute.  The evening was amazing, Nathan's dad was there, and he seemed like a really neat guy.  I hope he follows his son's example!  Over all I was really super proud of Braden and he did an awesome job!

Giveaway Ultimate Date Night Finale~ 2 winners

Giveaway Ultimate Date Night Finale~ 2 winners

Jumpin' Jungle

 So the pictures aren't that great, but we had a good time.  Katie invited me and Edward out to Jumpin' Jungle a long time ago, but then I had the hysterectomy, and really wasn't up to running around, climbing, and jumping.  Well this morning I went to the doc for my 6 week follow-up, and all was well.  I was released from any and all restrictions.  Jumpin' Jungle here we come!  I talked Braden into coming also, because I knew Katie's older kids would be there also, and I knew that Makade would love to play with Braden. (it is amazing how alike those 2 are).  They all played really hard and had a great time.  I forgot my camera, so the cell phone photos are all I have! 

He loved these little cars!

And the slides & jump houses

Braden and I helped him up the first few times, and went down with him

And then he was on his own, and climbed it in know time!

Just watching some other kids trying to climb up the slied

He fell off one of the toys onto the padded floor, and realized that he could jump around and smash into the wall and even fall and it didn't hurt!

Having a real tough time finding pants that will stay up on the boy, and not be high waters!  

 We had a blast!  I came home so tired and sore.... I think I need to ease into this no restriction thing though, but a good tired /sore though!

The Nose in the Bear's Head

A few years ago(we hadn't moved to Kuna yet) Ruth and Nick got us all these noses to wear to the Christmas Light Parade in Kuna.  They had one for each of us and them and Joie. Edward found one and put it on and Trevor was quick to get this picture. Just after the picture was taken...

He found this cute ceramic bear that Adrienne painted quite awhile ago that I had setting under the tree.

He put the nose up in the head, beats me how he got it up there, because we have done everything short of breaking it to get the nose out and it won't budge!  I ask Adrienne if we could break the bear to get the nose out (Edward was being really persistent) she never said yes go ahead, but she never said no either.  So the nose is still in the bear's head!

Happy Happy Birthday to you!

Today 20 years ago Trevor and I had our first not so little baby girl.  She came into this world about a week overdue, and I was so not ready to be a parent (and the jury is still out).  I was so freaked out that they (the Hospital people) would actually let me take her home, and they weren't going to be checking up on me.  I was so scared, happy, overwhelmed, excited, and well just WOW!  Not only was she our first but also my parents first grandchild!  (I think they kind of like her a bit) So here she is 20 years later going to collage planning her future making all kids of awesome decisions all by her self despite everything I did to mess her up!

Here she is so happy to be with her family celebrating her birthday just and she does every other day of her life with this imperfect body, enjoying every good moment, and making the best of the bad!  She is amazing, and I have loved every one of the 631,138,519 seconds of those 20 years and feel very blessed to be apart of her life!

I forgot to get candles ( I always do) we waited till she got home from school about 9:30ish

So we let her open her presents and have the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (which I left the sugar out of) But not to worry I get a second chance to do it right tomorrow when we have her birthday dinner with her Grandpa Rice

Since she was going to be late getting home I went out to a Christmas party and I lost the game so I ended up with this totally amazing hat!

and yes we actually woke up Edward for her little celebration!

Even Oliver had to try the hat on!

My "BIG" baby boy!

So we get these coolers once a month with Adrienne's shots in them.  Then I put duck tape on them to keep the lid on them and to add a little color. We have 13 now (I have had to throw a few away) but get a new one each month! He loves them!

He pushed his highchair into the family room and climbed in and was just sitting there watching TV

We swapped out his crib for a bed since he tried to climb out of his bed head first, and well I really shouldn't be picking him up. When we (I was involved and really tried hard not to lift things) first put the bed down he climbed on and put his feet out the end of the bed in that little slot and hung onto the top of the fire truck and said "go go" and then Trevor pulled it up to the wall, and then he kept doing it thinking it would still "go"!

We made a bunch of changes to his room since he can get up and roam whenever I figured I should remove the changing table, and go to a shorter dresser. He likes to climb a lot.  He was getting really mad at Braden and Paul for moving his dresser into Adrienne's room (Adrienne loves it though), and then all night he was just really clingy!  He did take his nap (very short) and he is sleeping in it now.  I just sit in there with him till he goes to sleep.  Mom not to worry he is using your blanket, but when I took the picture he found this blanket that his great-grandma Campbell made and thought it was cool and had to try it out, but we switched back because your is warmer, bigger, and it has other trucks on it so it goes with the fire truck!  Braden laid down on this bed, and well Edward was not very happy about that and wasted no time in letting Braden know he better get off his bed! So yes my baby boy is getting bigger, but my baby he always will be!

Others

By Charles D. Meigs (written sometime between 1890 and 1902)
Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for – Others.

Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I do for you
Must needs be done for – Others.

Let “Self” be crucified and slain
And buried deep; and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again
Unless to live for – Others.

And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in heaven’s begun
May I forget the crown I’ve won
While thinking still of – Others.

Others, Lord, yes others
Let this my motto be
Help me to live for others
That I may live like Thee.

Happy Halloween!!

We have had this little pumpkin in our home for about a month now.  Edward thinks it is a ball, I am really surprised it made it to Halloween in one piece! This is Braden texting and carving at the same time!

Braden's job was to help Edward, and he did a good job!

Yes this is Adrienne's 50 lb pumpkin!

Check out how thick it was at the top!

Edward Helping draw the picture, he also had marker all over himself with Braden's help!

Ready Mad Hatter, Lucy, Alice and Dumbo for the Trunk or Treat?

Looks like he is ready for flight! 

Adrienne's is being held together with pins, & Edwards has a cleft lip, But I think they all turned out pretty good!

On Halloween Braden is going to a friend’s house to help scare trick or treaters.  Adrienne is going to the singles activity at the Rollerdrome, Oliver has to work, but will probably get off early when things die down, and he may head out to that same activity.  Trick or treating is dead in our neighborhood, so I think we will take Edward down to where Braden will be and let him do just a little trick or treating.  Tonight Edward was just running all over the place having a blast not really getting it.  Trevor just followed him around, and let him go where ever he wanted, and  he was just running around out in the big field.  When Adrienne saw this she just did not think it was right and showed him what it was all about.  He did pretty good until he felt the other kids needed to give him candy too, then Adrienne tried to turn around and come back on the other side where more cars were lined up…he just couldn’t see that the cars were on both sides, and kept trying to go back to where he was and keep gong the same direction.  The good thing about the not into eating is I was able to just give him 1 peanut butter cup and he was good.

Hope you all have a happy Halloween. 

It is ok to see cousins with out going to a funeral!

My sister Mary reminded me of this as she was telling me about a conversation she was having with another cousin.  Something like "Ya know it is really nice seeing you, but I wish it wasn't under these circumstances"  So now she has started making time to get together with different cousins that are close by, and maybe just going to lunch, or what ever.  Well a few months ago Katie Ripplinger (Wayne & Karen's daughter) moved up here to the Treasure Valley.  It has been a long time since I have had family live so close, so after getting off the phone with Mary that day I contacted Katie to plan a time to do something together.  We planned a hike in Juniper Gulch!  We went yesterday, it was only her and her oldest son Makade.

This is a fairly recent picture of her family.  Her youngest is 1 month older that Edward, so we are going to get the 2 of them together more often. Then Makade is 9 Alxis is 7 Teigan (boy)6 and Tiagh (girl)6 and Reilly is 20 months.  This picture was taken out side the Logan Temple.  Her husband David just opened his own dental office just a few miles from our house, but he didn't take our insurance so we went somewhere else.

This rock is called "the frozen wave"  and well Adrienne always wanted to catch a wave and figured this was the perfect time!

We couldn't have ordered up a more perfect day!  The weather was awesome, and the sky was so blue, and well this is everyone but me cuz I took the picture.  Braden at the lead with Makade, then Trevor with Edward on his back then Adrienne, the Bob (our friend and dentist) and Katie.

So Edward and I would hang out, and everyone else climbed around on the rocks.  He didn't mind so much cuz it gave him time out of the back pack, and well I really didn't mind keeping my feet on the ground! Here he is kicking up the dirt!

I took some pictures of Adrienne and Trevor jumping across a split in the rocks as they were climbing around. 

I had to get this quick cuz he was sliding down, he didn't like to be up on the rocks so much, well by himself.

They thought maybe they could come down this way, but then decided not and came down another way.

We are in Juniper Gulch, so we there should be at least one Juniper salute!

K maybe 3

"The cutest Boise State Bronco fan on the planet!" quoting Mary from face book.

This is all of us, well you might ask "What about Bob?" Well he is taking the picture!  This is Toad Stool Rock! but now we call it poop rock because we have now changed 2 of Edward's poopy diapers here.  I was also hoping for some fall colors, but I guess if you go to a place called "Juniper" Gulch you should not expect much.  There were many rocks with a lot of different colors, and well with our blue and orange we added a little color too!

I think this looks a little like PAC-man eating a pellet.

Just playing around!

Braden and Makade found a sniper spot!

I just really couldn't get enough of the rocks!  It was amazing!

This is about the only time I freaked out!  I could not see how close to the edge Adrienne and Trevor where, and after watching them for a bit, I started getting dizzy and I could really feel my little spot where I was shrinking fast, and knew I just needed to turn around and walk away. Other than that I did pretty good!

As we where walking out I looked up and I saw this little hole (well I am sure it is not that little) but from my perspective it was little, (can't see if very well in this picture) with the sun right behind it....did I mention the amazing weather, and the blue sky!

Well I had to get a few butt shots!

Katie and Makade...we hadn't told them about the Juniper Salute yet!

Adrienne liked this tree and just didn't want to take a picture of the tree!

This is where I was at when I freaked out a bit! (looking and Trevor and Adrienne)

I still catch my breath a bit looking at this picture...I am glad I didn't see this happen!

He didn't quite fall a sleep before we got him down and had lunch, and then he slept all the way home!

Well we had a wonderful day, and recorded the football game and watched it later (what a great game)!  I am really feeling it today,  but don't regret a second of it!  And well if any of you decide you want to come and check it out I would do it again a million times over!  It is a beautiful place, and a fun place to go!  I guess next weekend I will need to go in search of fall colors somewhere else that doesn't have "Juniper" in it name!