Showshoeing!!

 Totally awesome opportunity!!!!!!  Carolyn asked if I want to join her and her and her cycling group snowshoeing!  Wala!  This morning I found myself with a bunch of fun new people up at Mutual Dell in fresh cozy powder strapping on some sweet snowshoes Michelle let me use.  Then off we went hiking through the marshmellowy ground between the snow covered pines.  It was breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!  Needless to say my new passion is snowshoeing and I can't wait to go as a family someday!

Me and Carolyn

A horrible picture of the super fun group! 

Jared! 8 Months old!

 Our little Jer Bear, Jerry Berry! 

 Who smiles at the sight of anyone and everyone and loves when they will smile back!

Who has begun growing like crazy!

  Who has started talking (words like Mama and Dad and bbbbbb)

 

 crawling, pulling up on things and walking along side.

 Jared makes our family and home happier and crazier then it has ever been :)

 I love the adventure and curiosity our little growing baby brings to our home!

 

 Not that I want him to grow AT ALL.  But seeing that it is inevitable...  I embrace it through the tears..  And he makes that easy to do :)

 

Jared truly is a light.

 Jared is a unifier.

Jared is our family's joy!

And we think he is cute :)

Jared's First Halloween

Like my make-shift photo shoot in my front room with my crapy camera?  I sure do, but it helps to have someone sooooo cute to capture!  Speaking of cameras...  I complained one day about having too many.  THEN one went on sale at Costco-- THE ONE I REALLY REALLY WANTED FOR AN AMAZING DEAL.  But being the frugal freak I am, I wouldn't buy it till my good camera went dead.  So secretly I hoped it would die...  Well it DID!!!  And them Brad got laid off....  So now I have my crappy camera.  Period.  Which is why I haven't blogged much, because I do not like the quality of pictures I have taken...  Ugh.  My poor children...  ANYWAY. Here is the run down since I didn't take anyones picture but Jared:
Jared was a Zebra.

Bryan was a turtle.

Paul was a Ninja.

Hyrum was a Prince.

And it was a fine and wonderful Halloween indeed!

Bryan, makin' me laugh!

Wheew!  What a night!  I finally got all the kids to bed and got started on some muffins for breakfast.  But there was one cute little guy still awake.  I don't blame him, he did sleep for a couple hours after a fun swim and long trip to Costco.  So Bryan and I ended up making the muffins together.  While they were cooking, I still had 100 things to still get done today!  Exercising happened to be on the top of my priorities.  So I turned on my DVD of Classical Stretch (which is my favorite!) (AND I will still be able to do it when I am 90, I am sure).  Bryan was hesitant to do sit-ups with me, he said, "Those are only for GIRLS!"  Ok, whatever.  Then went the timer and I hurried and paused Miranda Esmond-White, to go check on the muffins.  It took me a few minutes.  Bryan came into the kitchen saying, "HER is WEIRD!  She is going like THIS!"  Then he held his eyes as wide open as he could for as LONG as he could!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  I love that kid.  After that, I felt the need to explain what a "Pause" button was :)

After I got the muffins out and another batch in, I found Bryan asleep on the couch, or so I thought... "Bryan! Did you fall asleep?" I hollered down to him. A little startled, he replied, "No, I am just closing my eyes." Hehe, I love you kid!

Here is another picture of my sleeping beauty at the kitchen table:

And did I say something about breakfast earlier?  Well, I am already missing me some of this:

 

But still so grateful to have this (unfortunately we missed the big ol' kiss he just gave me):

Errrr!  I just can't say it enough!  WE LOVE JARED!  He has brought our whole family closer.  We are happier and more loving and everything!  He is our miracle!  EACH of our kids feel this way too!  Jared is like our ooey-gooey, gluey love!  He bonds our family stronger.  Just like Bryan did when he was born, and Paul, and Hyrum...  But it seems stronger the more kids we have.  This may not make sense to anyone but me... 

And seriously, he is SO cute!

 And maybe someday, he will like to wear swim goggles, instead of chew on them.

And that shirt there "Best Friends" Bryan decided he is the turtle and Jared is the crab :)  I do hope they will always be best friends!

Makin' a baby!

Makin this sweet baby wasn't easy! In fact, I stayed in bed for almost a whole year being terribly sick and then after I had him I got put on bed rest! But I would do it for my Jared any day, any year. I love him more and more everyday! I remember when I had just hit 6 months along and they were concerned that I might lose my little guy. Ever kick and movement I cherished, because I didn't know how long I would have him. His spirit and mine became best friends during our nine hard months. And then he came, and they put me out. And when I finally came to, they made me wait an excruciatingly long time to see him. I felt like part of me was gone! When I finally got to hold him in my arms, I felt such love and a sense of relief. He is here and safe and in my arms.  And it has been that way ever since. I still hold him all the time! And when I am not, I feel like a part of me is missing. I will worry about the whole "letting go" later, because for now, I am enjoying holding on to every moment I have with Jared, and honestly, all my little rascals!

 Brad and I decided we need to clone our little guy.  He is just so perfect.  And frankly, I don't like to share him.  But, I am always glad when I do.  He loves his Daddy and his Daddy sure loves him :)

Man!  I love my family!

discovery

Paul is super clever!  Yesterday at dinner Paul pointed this out:
"I know why a fork is called a fork.
Because it has 4 poky things!"
I never thought that that...  Four... Fork...  Pretty smart!  But I did begin to think that
Life is an accumulation of one's discoveries
and my boys have a life that is full and adventurous and is being discovered one utensil at a time :)

Chasing del Cows

I love Love LOVE when we come back to our home town and Grandpa Baxter's has some calf's that need to be doctored.  We love going and helping!  Not that we are helping them much, but they are helping our boys.  I have a huge fear of raising Citidiot (city+boy=idiot=citidiot).  This year we got to chase with Kaden and Dallin and of course Grandpa Baxter and Papa.

 Jared's first time chasing cows!

 Men at work--- Grandpa Baxter, Brad, Kaden, and Papa

 While the men were at work, the kids played!

 I think these next few picture deserves to be in a story book:

Once upon a time a mighty cow, Poop Dauber, was incarcerated by the Powerful Kaden and the Oppressive Brad.

In order to restore Poop Dauber's title as "Head Heifer" she had to defeat the Powerful Kaden and pass through the gate. She reared up and bellowed forcefully into the ear of the Cow Master.

 Just the look of the Powerful Kaden made the mistress shriek in fear.  She backed down as Crazy Horn and Barmy came to the rescue.

 But that wasn't enough.  Powerful Kaden conveyed his bloodcurdling, beating bludgeon.

 The heifers were defeated.  They relinquished as chills creeped through their four stomachs and knew that the mission will never be triumphant as long as the Powerful Kaden is guarding the gate.

 THE END

Now tell me, that is a top seller novel.  I need to get it copy writed...

 Sorry, I guess my kids weren't supposed to be on the hay bails...  It was 5 minutes of extreme fun for them though!  And 5 minutes that I didn't stress about them getting hit by the road.

Awe! Have you ever scene a teeny tiny cow that is so cute!?

 Jared had so much fun!  But the end he kind of zonked :) 

 Oh!  And a shout out to this beautiful woman!  Grandma Baxter just turned 85!  We did a surprise dinner and it was wonderful!  I feel so blessed to have her in our life's and also that her genes are in my children's blood!  They have got some amazing grandparents and great grandparents!

Happy Birthday Grandma!