We're Back!

So the last few weeks I've been in a huge funk. I have had so many different feelings and I realized that I really missed blogging. It was such a good outlet for me and a record for our family history. It made me so sad when I realized that I have been missing out on so much about Taysom by not recording things. I want to go back through the last couple months and organize some of the things we have done, if I can remember them, and post them. So if there is anyone that still checks this blog or even cares, please be patient with me and forgive me for taking a few months off! I am so excited to blog again and just can't wait to get it all caught up!!!

So here we go! I know some of these are out of order, but I will work on that later.

So I think we left off around Halloween. We had a great holiday this year and the kids were excited to dress up and go trick or treating!

Sam's hair is getting so long!

Usually it is so curly, but I had straighten it this morning. 

My blasted camera phone doesn't do very well when there is movement. 

Mason's pre-school class went to the nursing home to sing the scary Halloween songs!

Mason is on the end on left. He was Darth Vader. 

 Aaarrrgggggg!

Not her real Halloween costume, but she would've made a way cute pirate!

Mace and Tays. Taysom just keeps growing and growing!

I think he is about 2.5 months here. 

Mason LOVES Taysom. He is such a good brother to him! 

Mason made an awesome evil Darth Vader! 

Drew, uh I mean.... Annikan using the force. 

Not being a fan of Star Wars and being the one that had to go buy the boys costumes I didn't realize that Annikin and Darth Vader are the same person. Oops. My bad! 

Using the force 

Sam was a cute little witch and Tays was a pumpkin. 

Drew's mask still freaks me out! So creepy!

Sam was casting spells on us! 

Sam won the cake walk! 

Mason is so great to sit by Taysom and talk to him. 

He loves making him smile and laugh!

Here are a couple of Taysom's first smiles!!

She's a big girl!

Sam is now in a twin size big girl bed and she is working on potty training!!

We started potty training her when she walked in one day with a pair of panties and proceeded to take off her diaper and put on the panties. I just thought, ok, here we go! 

It was a tough week with tons of accidents. The only time she stayed dry was at  night. Which I've heard it the first step of potty training. Finally, on the 8th day, something just clicked! She went three days without a single accident!! Then....she got sick. She woke up two days in a row covered in throw up and diarrhea. Not sure what was going on, but we are trying to get her back on track!!


Update: 10/29/12

Sam is doing so well! She hasn't had any accidents for over a week and has continually stayed dry at night! She loves being a big girl and wearing her new panties! I just love having only one kid in diapers again! It really has made life a little easier!  

First Smiles!

Taysom has started smiling! I absolutely love when he smiles! There is nothing more precious! Here are just a few that I was able to (sorta) catch with my phone!

I'm sad this is blurry, but I think I have almost an identical picture of Drew like this...I'll have to try and find it.

Ok, so not a smile, but I can only imagine what he is thinking!

There are so many things that I should be doing during the day, but I just can't pull myself away from him while he is awake!! 

Saying Goodbye to Grandma's House

Friday afternoon, Vaughn and I packed up the kids and headed down to Weston, Idaho. That is where my grandma lives on a farm and raised her family with my grandpa. My Grandma is nearly 95 years old and until now has been living on her own for almost 16 years. She still does pretty well by herself, but it is just safer for her have someone closer to her at all times. We knew this was coming, but a few weeks ago the decision was made and it has happened so quickly. I knew I had to make it down there before she left the farm to let my kids be there one last time and so we could all say goodbye to the house and farm. I may be too sentimental, but I really felt a desire to go one last time. 

The boys had so much fun running over to the horses and cows and playing on Grandma's swing set. I let them take it all in and run (pretty much) free. Here are just a few of the many pictures that I took.

I showed Drew how you can let the calves suck on your hand and he thought it was soo cool! He didn't let the calf get his whole hand in its mouth, but he said this cow was one of his favorites, because it let him pet it. 

I remember during reunions, my cousins and I would make up acrobatic routines on the swing set and perform it for anyone that we could get to come watch it. And before this swing set was here, this is where all the tents would be set up for the sleep overs at the reunions. You could see a cluster of tents and kids running everywhere! I am grateful that I had so many friends as cousins and that we had grandma's house to play at and make so many memories. My grandma and grandpa have 49 grandchildren. There was always someone to play with or something to do. 

I love this picture of them!

Behind them is the front of the house. In the tree there was a ladder to climb up the tree. And I want to say there was swing as well...(anyone remember?) One of the best summer activities at Grandma's was when they would pull out the slip n' slide! They have the little hill next to the house and then a steep hill just out of this picture on the right. It was always sooo much fun to play on the hill! 

Sadly, I don't know the story of this mailbox. But that is my grandpa's name.

Dean R. Bingham. What a great man he was. 

Great Grandma Norine Bingham. Or Grandma Great as my kids call her. 

Another favorite thing to do was play dress up. There was a closet in the basement FULL of dress up clothes and it was so much fun to dig for treasures and create new looks! Malita helped Sam get all dolled up to surprise Grandma Linkenhoker and Grandma Great! She had so much fun and I am glad we thought to dress her up.

Taysom with his Great Grandma Bingham and Grandma Linkenhoker.

While visiting that night my Uncle ElRay and my cousin Leslie showed up. I didn't know they were planning on coming and staying, but the more the merrier! We had a nice visit with them and with my grandma. 

I am so grateful that we were able to take the kids to grandma's house this summer and let them experience camping in the backyard like I used to when I was little. There are so many wonderful memories that I will always be able to keep and it definitely makes me want to pass on some of those traditions to my family. 

Saying goodbye hasn't been all sad. Grandma is moving to Jerome and she will be just around the corner from us! We are excited to have her here and to be able to see her more often. My boys are excited to be closer to her and I am sure they will be asking all the time if we can go over and say hello!