OcToBeR

The month of October is my favorite month....well, a REALLY close second to December anyways! We stay really busy keeping up with "normal" life and adding pumpkin patches, fall festivals, trick or treating, and parties we have something fun everyday. The kids wore their costumes 5 times this week and Troy and I even dressed up for a party. We have never done that before but it was fun!

If only it wasn't in the high 80's still it would be great and really feel like fall. I am ready to pull out the sweaters, the leggings, and of course Addi's leg warmers!!

Bath Time...and Daddy's watching!

Nothing ends a good day like falling asleep in the bath tub!

(enough said!)

Evan's Baptism

Today was a wonderful day for Evan. He turned 8 and got to be baptised. He had such a hard time making this decision since he had people against it but he was strong and stood up for what he felt was right and choose to join the Church and to be like Christ. I am so proud of him and am grateful for his example to my kids.

Our Monkey's Special Day

As much as I kept telling Malachi I would not let him turn 4, I couldn't keep the day from coming. Today was all about Moe. We had Quinn with us and spent the day with just our little family. I loved this idea! Malachi got to pick where we went to lunch so we all 'got' to eat McDonald's and watch the kids play. Then we headed to the Desert Museum in 100 degree weather because I couldn't get him to pick anything else. He loves it there and really wanted to see the big horn sheep. So after walking around for well over an hour we decided it was just to hot. We left there and we deer scouting (this was for Troy more then Moe). All the kids fell asleep in the car and that made it nice for Troy and me. When we got home it was time for Quinn to get picked up and we were all supposed to go on a rabbit hunt with Keith and Julie. As we drove to get them Addi cried the whole way. She was done in the car and wanted to play. So Troy dropped us back off at home. The boys and Keith and Julie went on a rabbit hunt but didn't see any rabbits so Kai didn't get to shoot them with his bow! They did however get to watch the sunset from the towers at the top of the ranch. Then it was home for cake and presents. Rebecca and Jesse also came over to 'party' with us.

He had a wonderful day and I am so grateful that he is my boy. I am so proud of the little man that he is and love to be him mom everyday.

Party like a 4 year old!

We did Malachi's birthday party today after church. It was an art theme so we had crayons, markers, colored pencils, chalk, and water paint. We went to the park and got to play on the toys too. This was exactly what he wanted. He had so much fun and loved to have everyone give him so much attention. It was the best party I have ever done...park meant to cleaning before or after and pizza meant no cooking. I did make the cake this time and it turned out pretty good. Malachi loved it! The part he was most excited about was everyone signing happy birthday to him. I think living next to 10 cousins and going to all those parties really makes you want your turn! He is such a fantastic boy that I am just glad he had fun and got to have his special day with his family.

Testimony

Today was such a special day at church. We have what we joke and call our assigned seats in church. Every Sunday we go straight to the back to the same spot. We like our spot for a couple reasons: 1. it's in the back 2. its cooler back there 3. the kids can stand up and not hit their heads on the pues 4. its a 'tradition' at this point (troy likes 'traditions'!!!) so while we were sitting in the far back listening to testimony meeting and out of no where Malachi said he wanted to up there and bear his testimony. Now anyone who knows my son knows he is extremely shy and doesn't talk to anyone he doesn't know. So this was a huge shock to both Troy and I. We 'discussed' who was going to take him up there since we didn't think this was a moment to waste. Troy took him and to our surprise he walked right up the microphone and bore such a sweet, special, and perfect testimony. I had no idea he knew how to do this. I sat in the back with my eyes filled with tears and was so proud of him at the moment. He is such a special little boy with such a sweet spirit. I am a very proud mama and glad he is all mine!

Sahuarita Festival

Every year Anamax park has a 'birthday' party. We have gone for a few years now and my kids love it. They have jumping castles, ponies, face painting, candy, games, a fire truck you get to shoot water out of, and a train ride. And best of all...it's all free! You can't beat entertainment that your kids are completely happy with that doesn't cost money. It only it wasn't 100 degrees!

Camping Elam style

Troy went Elk hunting and they had a very successful hunt. There were 3 tags and they had them filled in 2 days. This is unheard of for an Elam hunt since they are all about the 'trophy's'. It was a really good year and Troy and Bruce wanted to share it with all the grand kids. So Sunday after church all of the family drove up to Flagstaff. We left about 5 and didn't get to camp till 1130. It took a couple hours to set up the 'blue lagoon' and get all the beds ready. The kids were very tired and needed some sleep. We all slept in air mattresses in our cars. The kids were up early and ready to play. We hiked, walked around, played with cousins, shot bb guns, saw deer, had a fire, went on quad rides, needed showers, and had a serious lack of sleep....but it was a lot of fun and I would do it again anytime. (only next time want to get there during the day so we can set up camp before midnight!)

I am not sure why but for some reason we didn't see any elk...we heard them...but didn't see them....that might have had something to do with the 12 kids that were there but I am not sure!

Weaning the Girl

Addison is officially done nursing. I started weaning her back in July and she was down to nursing 1 time a day and we were both happy with that. BUT then she decided to get some teeth. My kids get teeth late so get several at a time. She pushed the bottom two and three on the top all at the same time. Only one of the top ones came through and the two bottom ones. The others went back...but for her cutting this many teeth meant a high fever for 6 days and a lot of pain. She was living on Motrin and the only thing that made her feel better was to nurse. I did not love this but I loved that she felt some comfort and I got to hold her still!! BUT this also meant we were back to nursing several times a day. Then we decided a trip to Washington was a good idea. Anyone who has kids with ears like my kids knows that when they fly they get ear infections. Malachi is old enough to chew gum and drink water but Addi...nursed! So we added an extra month on to her nursing months. When we got home we started cutting back again and got down to 2 or 3 times a day. On the 15th she nursed when she got up and then didn't want to the rest of the day...so the 16th I did the same thing and on the 17th we stopped completely. This was such a hard thing for us both. She cried for mama and I cried because she was upset. I was soooo ready for this moment though that it is very nice to be milk free!!

And the real work begins...

After we left the farm since we got done so early we decided to roast the chillies today. We all went to the ranch and the real work began. Troy and Bruce roasted while Karsyn, Aydin, Mindy, Kerry and I scrubbed the skin off. Then we had to get the stems and seeds out. Kerry does a lot of that part and she does the final wash in the house. She then bags all the chillies and divides them out to the family. Chillies are something that coming from Washington I knew nothing about but we all love to eat them for breakfast so this is a tradition that I am glad Troy has shared with him family.

Apple Annie's

We got up very early to go with Troy's family to the farm to pick our own produce. Bruce, Kerry and Grandma Grace were all here at 515 to load up in Tahoe to drive to Wilcox. We met Mindy and her girls around 7 to try to beat the heat a little. We picked several carts full of chillies, cucumbers, peppers, squash, green beans, jalapenos, and corn (they had to pick the corn for us since they are getting ready to do a corn maze). It was great to watch the kids have to work for something they all love to eat. Malachi and Fynley picked so many red chillies I didn't think Grace would ever tell them she had enough. They loved every minute of it and really enjoyed the work. Addi played with the produce and had a lot of fun since Aydin kept pushing her in the carts. It was well worth the lack of sleep and the drive to get to enjoy to veggies and the lesson the kids got to learn about where and how their food grows.

Splash Park

We drove all the way to Tucson to go to the splash park. We had never been there before but heard it was fun so thought we would try it. I wasn't sure Addi would like it BUT she was in heaven. She made more fun then anyone. We went with 13 kids, all friends from church, and had a blast of fun. Malachi ran around like a crazy boy and Addi kept right up with him. It was well worth the drive to watch them smile and laugh like that.

Zoo Day

My kids absolutely love the zoo so we go there very often. I like it because its exercise...better then sitting while they play. They like it because they get to run and see animals. Today was a lot of fun though because Heather and the boys were there of course but it wasn't over crowded and the weather was nice. Addi got to walk most of the time today also. She loved that since I normally make her stay in the stroller. But with the lack of people I saw no reason why she couldn't run. The animals were given a 'treat' or cow hide right before we got there and it was interesting watching them chew and play with it. The elephants were throwing dirt in the air and the giraffes were moving a lot more then normal. Walking through the Africa part made me think of Troy and how lucky he was to see all these amazing animals in the wild.

We really love our zoo days.

PaRtY like it's 1952

Today we got to ranch it for Bruce's birthday party. It was the crazy caos with have come to call going to Grandmas. She is amazing and likes us all enough to ignore the craziness and let everyone have fun. We had fun, cake, cousins, a walk with Grandpa, and lots of rain!! What else do you need for a fun family day?

Where's my MonKeY

When Troy started really planning his Africa trip all Malachi wanted him to get was a monkey. He wants this monkey stuffed and put on his wall. This will keep the monsters away of course! I don't know where he got his idea but he won't let it go. Now that Troy is back he wants his monkey. We are in for a loooonnng 10 months waiting to get the monkey!

(The funny part thing about the monkey is that Troy missed the big one 3 times before he finally shot the little one...he had to have a monkey to bring that boy and if for some reason he didn't get one at all he made arrangements for someone else to shoot one and we would pay to stuff it so we are grateful Troy got a monkey! But now Troy NEEDS to go back to get revenge on the escaping artist.)

African Safari

My handsome husband is finally home and after three and a half weeks without him I am even ready to listen to him talk about HUNTING! Troy and his dad left on August 20th for a 7 day African safari. They spent two full days traveling and started hunting late on Sunday evening. They got to spend 7 days of nothing but chasing animals...and in Africa this means sitting at a water hole until the animal walks about 20 yards away from you! Much easier then the chasing they do in Arizona! The video and pictures are amazing. I can't believe they got to be so close to such beautiful animals and not even at the zoo. They were very successful in their hunt. Troy ended up getting an impala, a varmint monkey, a porcupine...yes a huge porcupine!, a blue wildebeest, and his favorite...a zebra. Bruce ended with an impala, a kudu, a gimsbuck, and the ugliest wart hog he could find. They have wonderful stories about the places they saw and absolutely loved the people they met. Troy has not stopped talking about the amazing tracker they had named Issac. So after lots of travel time, lots of hunting, lots of Africa food, lots of pictures, and lots of memories they had to come home. They came back on the 31st. Addi wasn't so sure of her Daddy but Malachi was in heaven to get him back. I am glad he got to have such a great experience and even though we missed him we are glad he went....but more glad to have him back to ourselves!

Pool Safety

While we were in Washington Troy was home not only getting ready for Africa but also getting a gate up around the pool. I know this is not the best look for the yard but I love knowing that my kids are safe even if Malachi opens the door and sends Addi out.

When Malachi was little he never looked twice at the pool. He didn't care that it was there at all and in fact he was afraid of the water. So Troy didn't make this a priority on his never ending list. Addi though...she made him bump this up to priority when she started walking. She LOVES the pool and the water and is fearless. She walks right up the the edge and with no hesitation jumps in. So now we are all safe...including Mia who likes to swim more then all of us!

(This will also keep the top step that she likes to lay on clean!)

Grandpa's Ducks

We have made a point to visit my Grandpa's grave every time we go back home. This is something that is hard for me to do but also gives me an opportunity to tell Malachi stories about one of my favorite men. He has so many questions about Grandpa that it makes it a good time for both of us to remember him. But the kids favorite part is feeding "Grandpas' ducks". This time we took a Costco size box of Saltines and fed them 4 whole rolls. Then one of the guys who takes care of everything came up and gave Malachi a loaf of bread. This was so much fun for the kids. Even Addi had fun chasing the ducks and eating the crackers!

Are you ready for some FootBall!

We spent our last day in Yakima at Grandma Marklands house. The kids had so much fun. Malachi taught Addi where the toy closet was the first day we were there so she ran in and went straight for the toys so make sure they were there. Kai always goes right for the putters and practices his golfing skills. Grandma got to build towers for the kids to knock down and showed Addi that the animals fit in the holes on the Ark. But what was most entertaining and what we spent most of the day doing was playing football. Rylee bought Malachi a surprise...his very own football so it went to Grandmas' house with us. She was a good sport and chased that ball all over that huge yard. She finally got a little tired and sat down but still played catch till Malachi was bored of it. It was so nice to get to just be with her and the kids. We all had a wonderful time and day literally flew by. I couldn't believe it was already 3:30 and I had planned on leaving around 12 or 1 to get things done and say the rest of our good byes.

My other girl

This is my pride and joy. I love this girl so much. I wish I could steal her and bring her home. I tried this trip and was almost succesful but her parents kinda love her too so they said no. But I tried! She is crazy and hyper and loud and sweet and cute and just my favorite little thing up there. I can't wait to see her in December...

Malachi's Favorite part of Yakima.....

FISHING with Papa!

Malachi has loved going fishing with his Grandpa Mike since he could walk. He learned to hold a fishing pole before he could walk I think! As soon as he knows we are going up to visit my family this is all he can talk about. This trip he only got to go twice and only caught 1 fish. This wasn't as exciting as the last time he caught 62 fish but he still had a great time and came home tired and dirty. Anyone who knows my dad knows that fishing with him includes lots of junk food and soda...what kid wouldn't love that right. I remember that was the only reason I would go with him. What is so great about Malachi is that he really just loves fishing with my dad. He hasn't learned yet about the snacks....maybe I will teach that fishing trick someday but for now I will just enjoy watching them do something they both love together.

Day at the Lake

(My favorite picture of the trip!)

We went up to the lake with Steve, his family, my Dad, and Frances. It was soooo much fun! The kids were crazy enough to get in the water. Addi and Rylee just dove in. Malachi was a little more aware that is was cold water! They dug in the dirt and played together all day. My dad took his boat and Kai loved that. He would grab onto the seat and say "faster Papa Mike". As my Dad went faster he would have to hold on tighter to keep his little boo-tay in the seat. We had a picnic and just got to relax and enjoy the day. It was a little cold when we got there and even talked about just going home. But the sun broke through and it warmed up and turned out to be a gorgeous day.

Lions and Tigers and Bear Oh My

Troy and Bruce flew off to give the animals in Africa a reason to run. Troy has been excited for this hunting trip for about 3 years now so I am so glad that he is getting this opportunity. They are going on a 7 day safari and will travel for 2 days going there and coming home. It will be almost a month before we see each other so we are missing our family time terribly. I will give all the details and lots of pictures when they get back.

Super-Star Bowler

We learned while in Washington that Malachi is a rock star bowler...at least that he loves to go it anyways! Lindsay invited us to go bowling with her and some of her friends who she is on a bowling league with. Some of them were going to take their kids and we were going to have two lanes. One for adults and one for kids. But with one kid got in trouble and had to watch and another stayed home and the others didn't show up so Kai got to bowl with the adults and no bumpers! He did pretty good and got a lot of help from Lindsay and her friends. (I had to take pictures of course!) He really wanted to go back so just her and I and the kids went to night and had the bumpers this time. He bowled 3 games and still wants to go more. I think we have a league bowler on our hands....thankfully the shoes are awesome!

Flower Girl

I have always loved the gazebo in my Dad's front yard. I remember the weekend we put the bricks in and how it all looked freshly painted. It was pretty then when the roses grew up and started making a gorgeous back ground for the wooden bench. But now that that bricks are covered with moss and the paint is chipping off it is absolutely gorgeous. I love to use this spot to take pictures every time I go home. Addison also loved this bench and every time she went outside she made a run for it and would just sit there and watch what everyone else was doing. Frances gave her a rose one evening while she was sitting there and it was so cute to watch her take it apart and throw the petals. By the time Frances and her were done playing all the roses were off the bushes and on the ground. It was so worth it though watching my beautiful baby girl play and have so much fun on a spot that I wish was at my house.

I LOVE Washington

I love being back home. I love getting to have all the family time I can handle. I love watching Malachi play with his Papa Mike. I love being with my Grandparents. I love seeing my favorite niece. I love being in my house...the house I spent 18 years of my life growing up in. I love going to Craft Warehouse with my Grandma. I also love eating my favorite salsa with her! I love seeing all my girl friends that I have known forever. I love the weather. I love all the green grass and the "real" trees. I love the roads being in numbers i.e. 40th or 16th. I love the way the houses look. I love pitched roofs. I love Burger Ranch fry sause. I love the sunshine till 9:00pm. I love that my kids sleep in (but I don't love how late they stay up!). I just love being here.

Yakima Trip

I got online to check plane ticket prices and was able to get me and both kids round trip including a checked bag (that alone costs $40!) for 312 dollars so we jumped on the deal and had a week and a half to get ready for am almost 3 week trip back home! Malachi is always really excited to go home with me. Addi of course is to young to care about anything but being with me. So we cleaned the house, did several loads of laundry, found dog sitters and house sitters, rides to Phoenix and back, a hotel to stay in on the way back to Tucson, rides from Pasco to Yakima and got everything else we needed to get done taken care of. So on Sunday the 8th we got up and Troy drove us to Sky Harbor airport so we had time to get in and get our bag checked and get our seats assigned when they told us we were at the wrong airport! We needed to be at the Mesa-Phoenix airport that was a half an hour away! So we headed to the other airport and thankful for the internet and Mapquest on my cell phone we made it in time. It was nice because we didn't have a long wait till we boarded the plane. So we were off to meet my Dad in Pasco where he would take us back to Yakima until the 26th.

First Day of Preschool

Malachi started "real" preschool today. He has been so excited for this day ever since we signed him up. He hasn't been sleeping well and wouldn't eat this morning. So the big day finally came. He got his backpack ready and wanted to leave as soon as he woke up. We have a long morning until 9 o'clock came. Like most boys he wouldn't let me take pictures so this part was work.

My heart sank as I drove away from Becca's house. It seems so official and old not doing the co-op. We tried that last year and he didn't like it at all. He defiantly needs routine so this will work much better. We know Becca from church and she was in the co-op with us last year. Her house was the only house he didn't complain about going to. I hope he has fun and learns something!

The NEVER ending list

Today was the last movie of the kids summer movies at the movie theater. It wasn't a good one and we walked out before it was over (Muffetts in Space or something?...really bad!). Then off to do some shopping before coming home and cleaning kids rooms from top to bottom. We went through clothes...my kids need to stop growing! We went through toys...which is really hard when they are watching! We cleaned floors and furniture and washed beds and even scrubbed ceiling fans. We got a lot done, so for our hard work we needed a trip to get some ice-cream. Since their rooms are clean that means the rest of my house took a hit so tomorrow we need to get all that cleaned up but for today we are done.

Malachi starts his first day of "real" pre-school tomorrow. We did a co-op last year and he didn't like it at all. So this year we are going to go to the same house with the same teacher and the same routine everyday. We are all excited about this. Malachi is so excited he can't wait. He has been asking everyday if he can go to school. We are going to start out with two days a week and see how that goes. We might consider going three days if he wants too. I will miss my boy but he will be in good hands with Becca. She is amazing and will make it so much fun for him. I can't wait to hear what he learns. Addi and I will get some good girl only time in too while he is there...who knows what trouble we will get into!

Sweet dreams....

New Muleboy In Town

We started working on sleeping in our own beds again a couple nights ago. This meant a trip to the dollar store toy section where Malachi got to pick out whatever he wants to go in the basket that lives on top of the fridge. He picked out several "fun" toys and then found the fireman, policeman, and cowboy costumes. Now this is exciting stuff and worth staying in your own bed for. He has made it 4 nights in a row all by himself (this is a record in our house!!) But the most exciting things ever....the cowboy costume. He told me "I am not a cowboy....mom I am a 'muleboy' like my dad. We don't ride cows. Me and my dad just ride mules". I loved this and when he added the glasses I thought wow...he's a stud! He not only wears this "outfit" at our house but we take this out...wore it to the ranch, where anything goes...but also to Home Depot and McDonald's. Let me just say the ladies dig 'muleboys' cuz they all told him how cute he was!

Finally Getting Around To This

I have had the good intention of blogging for so long that the backgrounds and fun "stuff" was removed from my page! Wow...at least I am finally getting to it. I want to keep a blog so I don't feel guilty about not keeping a journal. This way I can add pictures of my beautiful babies too!! So instead of stressing about not starting till now I am just going to start from today. Nothing significant happened today. Addison is teething and having a horrible time. She had a fever over 100 all day and was a drooling mess (yuck!). So I got to hold and love on her most of the day until the Motrin really kicked this. Then she played for a couple hours but we both knew right away when the meds started wearing off. Malachi was amazing though. He played by himslef with his cars and trucks most of the day. This is very unusual for him, he usually likes to be with me and doing what I am doing. Mia and Rugar caught a frog tonight while I was setting this up again so they are both pasted out....hope they wake up in the morning!

I am off to finally get some sleep....