NoT RaPuNzEl.........YeT

Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your long hair?! Not at our house!

Brynlei's hair is finally growing to the point where she can wear some cute hairstyles!! I am sooo excited!  Last year at this time we were barely getting little pigtails in!!

I can't believe that this is my baby (so sad)!!

ThE FaMiLy PaRtY

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We had Karter's family birthday party on Saturday, March 21st.  He had a Skateboarding Theme!!  He is growing up so fast I seriously cannot believe that I have a 9 year old!!  He scored of course with tons of presents including; money, gift cards, skateboarding stuff, clothes, bionicles, DS games, etc.  What a spoiled kid!!  Thanks to everyone who came and helped to make Karter's day special!!!

FillinG CavitieS

Last Wednesday (18th) Karter ventured over to Dr. Heideman's to have his 2 cavities filled.  He was freaking out about getting a shot so we talked him into having laughing gas.  He was so loopy on it.  He was brave and came out loving everything about the experience (hopefully we won't be getting more cavities filled anytime soon.)  

Karter's 9th Birthday!!

Since it was Karter's Birthday he got to choose whatever he wanted to do.  Nate had the day off to celebrate with Karter.  After the morning St. Patrick's Day festivities, we all got "greened" up and off we went.  Karter chose to eat lunch at Frostop so we went there first.  After lunch he wanted to finish passing out his invitations to the family party.  When that was done he decided that he wanted to go to the school and play a little baseball.  The weather was so beautiful and the kids all had a blast playing catch, hitting the ball, and playing on the playground at the school.

Silly kids on the playground.  They had so much fun being outside the whole day!!  Karter also wanted to freshen up on his Guitar Hero skills so we rocked that game before he opened up his presents!!

Karter opened up his presents from us.  He scored a Nintendo DS and some games and accessories to go with it, some sweet clothes, etc.  After that we went to dinner.

Dinner of course was where else but Texas Roadhouse (something about getting up on that wooden horse and yelling Yee-Haw gets the kids every time.)  He then chose to go to the store and pick out another game for his DS with some money that he got.  Then it was off to Baskin Robbin's for ice cream at his request!  We ate ice cream, came home and sang Happy Birthday, blew out candles, ate some more, and finally headed off to bed. 

9 things we love about Karter!

*He is such a sweet brother and always wants to be with his family!! He constantly prays for another sibling to be added to our family.

*He loves, loves, loves Basketball and feels honored to share a birthday with one of his favorite players, Kyle Korver!!

*He is a friend to everyone. 

*He is a jokester!!

*He is such a good example to others and especially to us!

*He made us parents! We were so excited to be having a boy for our first child!  We feel grateful for each day that Heavenly Father blesses us to be with him!!

*He loves to sing and wants to learn to play the guitar, like Brad Paisley! (and secretly wants to be in a band someday!)

*He has soooo much love to give!

*He is so fun to be with and around!!

We love you Karter and definitely feel like we "scored" when you came into our lives!!!

St. Patrick's Day 2009

Not only is St. Patrick's Day Karter's Birthday but it is yet another holiday that we get to celebrate!!!  Well the night before we read The Night Before St. Patrick's Day and we talked about Leprechauns.  Well, when the kids woke up they soon saw that the Leprechauns had left them each a "green"  present.  They loved seeing what they got!  Grandma and Grandpa Graff gave them all green shirts to wear so that they wouldn't get pinched! (Thanks a ton!!)  I loved it and they all looked so cute.  Nate and I also wore green and anywhere we went we got tons of comments from people (sheesh you would've thought that some people didn't know about the holiday!) We had yummy pancakes and "green" gatorade to drink for breakfast!  What tons of fun and bonus for us that we also got to celebrate Karter's 9th Birthday! 

Wow, amazing how weeks just continue to fly right by.  Although I am pretty sure that I am ready to post all the events from last week today and at the latest tomorrow.  (like anyone but me really cares, but oh well.)

Time spent with my little family.  

Family movie/game nights. 

For the way my kids can be the best of friends.

Upcoming school events i.e. science fairs, track meets, classroom zoos, choir concerts, etc.

That Karter received his Wolf badge and advanced into the Bears and how proud he was of himself for accomplishing his goals(pics to come.)

Brekken's contagious laugh.

Brynlei and all the girlie stuff she brings into a house full of testosterone. 

Traevn's amazing ability to do anything he puts his mind to. (I could learn a thing or two:))

Peyton's way of being the family entertainer.

For Nate's support. 

That my Heavenly Father is constantly there for me whenever I need Him!

Karter's Friend B-day Party!!

Laser Mania!!

Karter had his friend birthday party the saturday (14th) before his birthday.  He chose to have it at Laser Mania.  I love going there because the boys love it and I don't have to clean up :)  Anyway he invited about 8 of his friends and off we went to enjoy an afternoon of Laser Tag, Bumper Cars, Miniature Golf, the arcade,  cupcakes, and of course pizza!!!  I have to say that it was so much easier taking Traevn's age of friends than it was Karter's age but still just as much fun!! Boy were these boys full of stories and lots of energy!!! Karter scored with tons of new presents and toys!! We all had a blast and can't wait to do it again next year!! 

 

Getting our garden planted and ready!

For Karter's birthday and more parties to come this weekend.

That Karter braved getting his cavities filled:)

Planting spring flowers in the front yard!!

The warm, warm weather and how beautiful it is outside!!

Spring Break!!

Being with my kids all day!

Nate being blessed with safety each day(and night) at his job!

Blue skies!

St. Patrick's day and wearing of the green!

Cooking on the grill!

More to come later this week:

Karter's birthday pics, friend party, family parties, St. Patricks Day pics, dentist pics, and a few others.....Hopefully, I will have time to get them all done before next week.

Happy 9th Birthday Karter!!!! We love you, dude!!! Hope you have an awesome birthday!!

*More to come later...

SueSSiCaL THe MuSicAL

For Dr. Suess week (which of course was last week) the choir had been learning Dr. Suess songs since the beginning of the year.  Last Wednesday (4th) Karter performed in his choir's Suessical the Musical.  It was a really cute cool show.  Karter did awesome and we were so proud of him.  He loves to sing and absolutely loves choir!! Way to go bud, we love you so much!!! He has a performance at Tuachan in April where they get to sing songs from the 50's, can't wait!!

*My kids, their humor and energy that keeps me going.

*For my family's health, we are blessed to be as healthy as we are.

*Peyton and his bff Grant.

*For FHE's with the whole family.

*Garden boxes.

*Work (mine and Nate's).

*Quiznos.

*For the talents of family members and their willingness to share them with us (thanks Dan!!)

*Karter's pride in accomplishing and making things in Scouts.

*The time to actually sit down and catch up on some posts :)

Valentine's Day (finally...)

Make a Smilebox photobook Okay, so here is our Valentine's Day finally.  The kids woke up to see the gifts that Cupid had left for them.   They were so excited!  They opened up there gifts including their Valentine bags that their grandparents had given them.  They scored with a ton of treats! Grandma Graff always gives them new (red) shirts for Valentine's Day to wear (and of course I don't have one single picture of them wearing them, I will just have to take a picture when I can get them to all wear them on the same day again.) Then we ate breakfast, which of course was heart-shaped pancakes, yummy thanks to Nate!  Then of course we all had to get the house ready for Brynn's birthday party.  Here's to next year :)

Time????

So I know that I am way behind on posting, heck I still have Valentines and the rest of the entire basketball season to post, let alone Karter's choir concert that was now a week ago.  All I have to say is where does all the time go?  I feel like this week (or should I say the past several weeks) have just flown past me.  I promise I will update soon, hopefully tomorrow.  

This week just flew right by!

*That it is March and that much closer to Spring!

*Can I just say warmer weather, love it!!! 

*Being outside!

*Karter's Suessical Musical for choir, so proud of that boy! (Pics to come)

*That Brynlei's new bedding came.

*Redecorating!

*For Baskin Robbin's Rainbow Sherbet, yummy! 

*That Nate and I finally had a real date for our Anniversary! (Thanks to Nate's parents for watching the kids!)

*More book orders....

*Mr. Clean magic erasers!

*That we have found homes for our little puppies!

*The sweetness and innocence of my children.  

*Magazine subscriptions (I love getting fun mail!)

*Sunshine! (Can you tell that I am so ready for the Spring?)

We MaDe It!!

TEN YEARS....

ONE DECADE......

WOW!!!

We made it 10 years!! So Friday was our 10-year anniversary!! Can I just tell you that I don't feel like I am old enough to have been married for ten years (I think I am in pure denial when it comes to my age:) Anyway I thought that I would post 10 things I have learned in the last 10 years:

*Marriages aren't at all like fairy-tales.  Although there have been moments when it has been better than a fairy-tale. I also know that in the "big" picture of it all it is much better than any fairy-tale could ever be.

*In marriage you ride many rollercoasters; emotional, physical, spiritual, etc.  So prepare yourself for the ride (and the occasional lightheadedness).

*You will watch and experience many miracles take place.  

*Once you think you have finally got it mostly figured out, something will definitely happen to test that theory.

*Kids will test you in many ways.   So you better have a dang good sense of humor!  But they will also teach you so much more than you could ever have learned with just the two of you!! And I promise they will make you a better you!

*Love is always there, although there may be moments of "not likes" :)

*You will grow to "hate" those little things that bothered you ( or should I say that you overlooked) when you were dating... But you also realize that it goes both ways and that no matter what this is still the guy that you would choose all over again.  

*That dating and then marrying your brother's best friend has its advantages and disadvantages. 

*Doing anything together (alone) after the kids have come is pure bliss.

*That the littlest things he does (without even knowing) can make your day, week, and even month.

*That 10 years is nothing compared to eternity.....

I {heart} Nate now more than I ever could have imagined 10 years ago and with each day that I am blessed to be with him, I love him even more!  I won't lie and say that it has been perfect because we all know that life just isn't that way but I will say that with every trial has come a greater and deeper love for him.  I know that without him I would not be whole.  He truly is my other half, my soul-mate, my one and only, my BEST friend.  He makes me a better person.  I still get that flutter in my body when I look at him.  He still turns my head.  I always wonder how I got to be so lucky to get him because I definitely am the luckiest girl in the world.  So to my prince who came and turned my ordinary life into one filled with things that could only be written about in fairy-tales....... I LOVE YOU!! and I am so happy that we get to experience this ride together!!! and just to quote Jerry Maguire, "You complete me."  So here's to another 10 years just as good as the last!!  Happy 10th Anniversay BABE!!!