BYU vs. Middle Tennessee

Last weekend, Vaughn and I had the opportunity to take the boys down to the BYU game. This year Vaughn only has one season ticket, and so when he was given four other tickets right next to his seats, we decided it would be fun for my mom, Drew & Mason and I to go down to the game with him. It's been a few years since I have been to a game and it was fun to go again. It was fun to take the boys. They have been to games before, but never together. 

It had been raining that morning and I was really nervous that we were all going to freeze. Luckily, it wasn't that cold and we all had a great time!

Oh how I miss the mountains! Especially in the fall. They are so breath taking! 

Drew with the Provo Temple in the background. He is such a good kid! He is going to make an awesome missionary!

Mason is a nut! He cracks me up! His smile is contagious and when he laughs, you can't help but laugh with him!

After scoring, Drew loved hearing the cannons go off and singing the fight song with the rest of the crowd!

I am so grateful we were able to go down and see the game with Vaughn. I can totally see us there in five or so more years with all four kids and having a fun BYU tradition! 

Our Life as of Late

Since school has started we have been crazy busy. I'm not sure why I don't have more free time with three kids in school, but it's just not happening! Here are just a few picture of whats been going on at our house. My memory is so bad, so I take pictures so I can remember things, sometimes that doesn't even work! 

So Tays is a climber and loves to explore. I had moved these pots out to get something in the back and had to run to answer my phone. I heard Tays screaming and found him stuck!

Cleaning the garage Sam found some new socks for her wardrobe! And that stupid whistle that she puts around her neck! I need to hide it when I get a chance!

Tays looks so sad, but he really was fine. Just deep in thought eating his sandwich, I guess!

Tays and I have been walking a lot and he has fallen asleep a few times! He is a good little walking buddy and never complains! 

Sam is growing up too fast. She is just turning into a big girl. I want it to stop. She is loving school and loving her bus! She gets off almost every morning and says goodbye to it and and tells it that she loves it! 

Ok, so I took this picture to show Vaughn the line I had to go through at Costco (the other lines were so long). The cashier, Gayle, is the lady that told Vaughn he should have a vestectomy. Three days after I had just had Sam! No punishment for her. She had to write an apology letter and it was the most pathetic, generic letter in the history of letters. Truly disappointed in Costco in this one circumstance. Anyway, off my vent box now!

Tays loves climbing up on this stool and has yet to figure out how to get down. He's fallen off quite a few times, but still climbs right back up. I guess it's good he's persistent!

Just love this kid!

With our little lawn mowing business I've gotten really comfortable pulling the trailer. But now I am getting so good at getting the hitch lined up, on the first time!  I'm also getting better at backing the trailer up. The biggest accomplishment will be when I can get it backed into the garage and not just the driveway!

Last night Sam attacked this wall. My boys never touched a wall. Why is she doing this?! She has paper and coloring books. My mother in law says it means she is super creative, let's hope, because I am getting tired of her doing this. But then again, it could also be that Rapunzel in Tangled is a HORRIBLE role model for this type of behavior!

Oh my! I haven't seen how dirty this wall is. Mason hangs on the ledge and climbs up it. Guess I know what his chore is going to be tomorrow! So gross, sorry!

After one of our walks I let Tays swing and Sam play. Tays loved it and would have stayed there forever!

Sam ran through some sprinklers at the park and said she was cold, so she wrapped up in Taysom's blanket. At first she was a super hero girl, but then she decided that she wanted to be like Starwars! She is definitely a good mix of tom boy and girly girl!

Mason's Birthday Party

Mason was so excited for his birthday party! The day was finally here and Vaughn and I were excited because it would finally be over! 

These were the simple and plain invitations. 

And some of the decorations. 

Jack, Avery, Abby and Reed

Some of Mason's friends.

One of the games was an obstacle course. The kids loved it! 

I opted to do cupcakes this year instead of a cake and it was so much easier. We may just convert to cupcakes for everyone and forgo cakes for ever! 

We were really worried about the weather being rainy, but we lucked out and it was really nice! I think the kids all had fun and I am glad it is over!!

Best Surprise EVER!!

After getting the kids in bed I was pooped and depressed. I know it seems silly, but I was sad that I hadn't talked to my best friend and her girls for Mason's birthday. I think being exhausted just helped blow things out if proportion and I was just bummed because she is so far away now and I felt like she was probably up at her new house having fun and making new friends (which I can't fault her for doing) and was just busy living her life. I guess I have just felt lost and lonely and its been a tough three weeks. 

So I did what I've been doing the last few weeks and went to bed early. Vaughn stayed up and watched tv in our room. A little while later I woke up to Taysom crying and Vaughn was picking him up from the pack and play in our room. I was so exhausted I didn't even realize that Taysom had not been in our room earlier, but now he was.  I saw that Vaughn had it under control and went back to bed. Later, I again heard him crying so I thought I'd better go help Vaughn. So I walked out to the living room and saw Vaughn changing Taysom's diaper. He told me he had it under control and to go back to bed. What was weird was that he was watching tv in the TV room and not our room. I was a little confused, but if Vaughn tells me that he will take care of Taysom at 1:45 am, then who am I to ask questions?!

I went back to bed and the next thing I know someone is jumping on me and yelling at me to wake up, wake up, wake up. So many things went through my head. From I'm being attacked, to the house was on fire or someone had died. I started screaming. I was a little (and by a little I mean a LOT!) freaked out! Once I got my eyes open I knew that someone had died and it was my best friend. What other possible explanation could there be for her to be sitting on top of me yelling for me to wake up?! Once I saw it was her I screamed even more. I was SO SURPRISED! She shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be sitting on my bed, she should be in Washington so many hundreds of miles away. But she wasn't. She was here!! She was honestly here! In my room! At 2:00 am in the morning!! I remember saying something like that  she was here, she was really here and then I think I asked her why she was here! 

I guess I screamed so loud that I woke up Drew! Drew is such a deep sleeper and sleeps on the opposite side of the house! Whoops! When he saw Alayna he got all excited as well and asked where her daughter, Aubrey was. He was sad and disappointed to find out that she didn't come with them. 

We stayed up for a little while chatting and I was so sad to hear that they would be leaving to head back early afternoon the next day. We all headed to bed and I could not sleep! I couldn't believe that she was here, in my house! 

We didn't get to spend that much time together, but it was just what I needed. It was sad to see her go, again, but we have plans to go see them soon, so that made it so much easier! Now I am just anxiously counting down the weeks! 

Happy 6th Birthday, Mason!!

Mason has turned the old age of six! He has been looking forward to his birthday (really, what kid doesn't?!) this year because he was getting his first official birthday party! It would have been last year, but it ended up being more than I could take on with a newborn. Lazy me, I know. Anyway, he was super excited and that was all he could talk about!

On his birthday he woke up and absolutely loved his decorations! He is a big fan of having the house decorated regardless of who it is for! He was upset that I didn't do it for Taysom's. I'm glad I took the time to do it for him, because he was in birthday heaven!

I sent him off to school and then got busy making treats for his class. 

These are root beer float cupcakes. I made them almost every week for the farmers market last year. The kids all love them and there are never any leftovers. 

Then as I was opening one of Mason's presents with a new pair of scissors I slipped and cut my finger. It was the first time I ever thought I might need stitches. It bled so much and I had to sit down and got a little whoozy!!

It was so painful!

Luckily, it went more horizontal and not deep. 

Since it was a school night we didn't do much for Mason's birthday. We were all pretty exhausted and did homework and went to bed. 

First Day of Pre-School

Today was the first day of school for Sam! She was accepted in to the JEEP (Jerome Early Education Program) for her speech. Which means that she goes 4 days a week and gets picked up and dropped off by a bus! So awesome! She has been looking forward to going all summer and last week was a bummer for her, because she didn't get to go! 

Waiting for her bus!

Finally time to go!

Ohhhh! She was such a big girl and didn't give it even a second thought! It broke my heart! As soon as they drove away I just started sobbing. It was weird. I didn't think it would effect me so much. 

The almost three hours flew by and the she was home again with a precious picture she drew of our family and a big hug for me. And the best part?! She told me that she missed me! Awe!

My Sentiments Exactly!

I posted this on my fb page, but thought it was too funny not to post here! LOVE IT!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

It's the first day of school! I literally started singing the moment my alarm went off and jumped out of bed! I dare say that it was better than Christmas morning! (The last few weeks of summer were brutal on all of us!)

Mason was so excited for school! 

Sometimes I look at Drew and it just blows me away how tall and grown up he is getting. 

Once we got to school it started to hit home for Mason of what he was about to do. He got really nervous and I could not get a smile out of him. He ran over and gave me a hug and then when Mrs. Dey came out he slowly walked away with his class. Ohh. So different from Drew, who could not wait to get inside and see what this school stuff was all about!

My mom was here for Labor Day and for Taysom's birthday and I was able to convince her to stay for the first day of school. We took the kids to Mcdonalds for lunch and then had to say goodbye. Mason had a great day at school and is excited to go back tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Taysom!

Our Taysom is one! We are so exited to be celebrating this milestone with him! He is the perfect caboose to our family and we all love him to pieces!!

He weighs just over 20lbs and has transitioned to whole milk. He has been taking steps here and there the last few weeks, but decided yesterday that walking is now his preferred mode of transportation! He is just cruising with his walking! It it seriously the cutest thing ever!