Chad, Chambrae, Daxten, Hadley & Mason

Trimmin' the tree!

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

It was so much fun to watch the kids decorate the tree, and undecorate the tree, and redecorate the tree, and yes they are still undecorating the tree! I think it changes on a daily basis. i love how the bottom of the tree was jam packed with ornaments all in the same spot, and all the same kind! We tried to migrate a few to the top but I swear they knew each ornament that we moved! They each have their favorite ornaments that they keep finding and moving to a new location. Hadley got to put the star on top of the tree (which might explain why it is no longer standing!). Our tree is prelit and all the lights were working when we put it together, however we have lost a few strands and can't seem to fix them! But it is beautiful and makes our home feel like Christmas. Great job decorating guys!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

So many things to be thankful for!
I love Thanksgiving, good family, friends and food! This year we were lucky enough to celebrate twice, once with Chad's family and once with mine. My camera was out of batteries though so pictures are few and far between. We had dinner with Grandpa Gary and Grandma Naomi on Sunday night at C&G. It was so nice and the entire extended family was there! It was pretty neat to have everyone there, we even managed to take a family picture. I can't wait to see it. It is hard to believe how many great grand kids there are and more are on the way! It's so fun to see them all running around together. I bet it is even more special for the grandparents to see. It was a great evening. Then on Thursday we made the trek to my grandparents. We ate at Grandpa and Grandma Ashments. The highlight of the evening was when my Grandpa decided to sport a pretty pink apron for the turkey carving! It was awesome! The time together was so nice and the food. . . MMMMM!!!! No one went home hungry. Hadley decided she would use a cheese spreader to cut a slice of cheese into hundreds of tiny pieces to share with every one. It was hilarious! Then we stopped by for a quick visit with Grandma and Grandpa Wilson. We gobbled plenty of tasty food and treats and now we are ready to bring on the Christmas season! Thanks everyone for a Terrific Turkey Day!!!

Zoey's Blessing Day!

2011-12-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

A beautiful day for a beautiful girl!

Chad was able to bless Zoey on Sunday November 27th, 2011. He did a terrific job, and I am so thankful that he is worthy to use his priesthood powers to bless her and our family. The little miss was an angel, she didn't cry once all day and if you can see I even managed to capture a few of her first smiles on camera! She looked absolutely precious. We had so many family members there to celebrated her special day with us. Thanks to all those amazing people who came and helped make the day even more special, we love you all and we love you beautiful little Zoey!

2011-12-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

We have been super busy lately, I am not sure what we have been doing but I am certain that I haven't had a free moment in a long time. We spent a fun afternoon making turkey cupcakes with the kids friends, we enjoyed a visit with Great Grandma and Grandpa Ashment, We made homemade pizzas with the little chefs creating their own, Chad took a fishing trip and caught TONS of fish, and we are still trying to adjust to having a baby in the house again. Life is crazy but FABULOUS!

I wanted to take a second to write about Mason. Mason is a monster! The other day he managed to clog the toilet, stick his hands in it after he finished going, write on the bathroom wall with colored pencils, dump an entire box of lucky charms on the kitchen floor, scale to the top shelf of the pantry and knock down the Halloween candy buckets, smash a powdered sugar donut into a million pieces and make both his brother and his sister cry, all before 11 o'clock in the morning! YIKES!! But on the other hand he is so cute! He has said the funniest things lately. Here are a few worth remembering!

He was sitting on the couch holding a bookmark that had a picture of Christ on it. I was in the kitchen and I could here him talking, "I don't want to go to nursery Jesus!" I thought it was so sweet that he was talking to Jesus. Maybe not so sweet that he hates nursery, unless Chad or I are in there with him, but sweet.

Then we were on the way to take Hadley to preschool and he spotted this big rather ugly looking white silo type building and he started screaming. . . "I see the temple, i see the temple!" He insisted it was the temple. That and every church that we drive past.

Another time he was watching ice age and during the part where the dodo birds chant, "Doom on you. . .Doom on you" I could here him chanting right along, "BYU. . . BYU. . .BYU. . ."! He may be slightly brainwashed but it was funny. I need to video him singing the BYU fight song, it is awesome!

Yesterday he was in the shower with me. I went to wash his hair and he started crying, "I don't want my hair washed, I don't like shampoop!" Hahaha!!

He also hates to be called hunny, I will say, "Come here hunny" and he will say, "No, I NOT hunny, I Mason!!"

Lastly when we were driving on one of our many errand running days I overheard him talking to himself. He was being a super hero. He said, "I going to destroy that monster with my missionary power!" Oh dear, I guess I better do a better job explaining what kind of powers missionaries have!

He really does make me smile, he makes me scream too, but at least they kind of balance out!

A few things from the other kids also, Dax was really angry about who knows what and he came up to me complaining that no one ever plays with him. He then proceeded to tell me that if it looks like his brother and sister are playing with him it really isn't them it is probably just holograms of them! Really, holograms!! Where does this kid even come up with this stuff??

I loved Hadley's rendition of Deck the Halls. She sang, " Deck the falls with lots of holly, fa lalalala la la la la!"

They are great kids and I love spending my time with them. Thanks for the smiles guys, I love you!!

Snow Day!

2011-11-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have never seen kids so excited for such a rotten season. What is so great about the cold, ice and snow? It just guarantees that I will never be on time for anything. The prep work to get the kids alone out of the house takes 3 times longer when you have to wear so many layers! Not to mention the matter of getting out of the driveway! However, They all 3 came flying into my room bright and early in the morning screaming "It's Winter Time!"so excited about the snow. Of course they instantly began the begging and so I dragged my sleepy behind out of bed, crawled down the stairs and began the quest for the snow clothes. The quest was only slightly successful but I bundled them up the best I could and off they went. I, of course planned to stay snug in my house with my warm jammies and a nice mug of hot cocoa. Only venturing out to snap an occasional picture or two from the deck. However, guilt started creeping in and I decided I better go help them build a snowman because everybody knows that the first snow of the year is the best for snowman building! I headed back to the basement to dig out some warm clothes for Zoey and me, snuggled her in her car seat and reluctantly plodded out the back door. I have to say I was super surprised to see the rolling three huge snowballs!! Dax had one all ready finished and was working on another and Hadley was almost done with yet another! I guess I wasn't needed after all! I helped them make them a little bigger, stacked them up and found a scarf and some twigs and Taa Daaah! SNOWMAN! It was terrific. I can't believe they are old enough to make their own snowman. It snowed again a few days later and they were back at the begging. I bundled them up and sent them out early because we had a baptism to attend that afternoon but they got sent back in because apparently the pheasant hunt has begun and our house is right in the middle of the firing zone. So, as to avoid being shot, they all came kicking and screaming back in for some hot cocoa! And as a side note, this year Chad is taking the cat pheasant hunting! Yes, you read it right, our cat is constantly scarring up and attacking pheasants. Crazy or Brilliant? we don't know but he is a pretty cool cat. Any how, welcome winter, I despise you immensely however, I will tolerate you the best I can at least until Christmas is over. After that I will most likely curse you everyday until the tulips and daffodils start popping up and you are on your way out!

Kids 2011

2011-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

TOO CUTE!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween. There is just something about the time of year, and all the fun decorations and activities and crafts and tasty treats! And all though I Hate dressing up I love dressing the kids up. I was so excited when they wanted to be Harry and Hermione this year! I have always wanted to dress them up with a theme but they have always had other plans. Mason took a little convincing. He really wanted to be "Matman! AKA Batman" but once we told him he could have a wand and cast spells at Dax he was pretty excited to be Ron. All though at one point I asked him what he was going to be and he said, "I going to be nothin!" They looked super cute all dressed up if I do say so myself. Zoey got stuffed in a too big lady bug costume, but she was warm and happy and a cute little bug! We went to our ward trunk-or-treat and chili pot luck and then went to the grandparents. The best part of the night was when we went to my parents house and Mase got his trick or treat candy and then let himself in and stole all the candy out of my Mom's many candy bowls. His basket was overflowing with stolen goodies! It was a great Halloween now bring on the TURKEY!

Jack-O-Lanterns!

2011-11-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

We have never carved pumpkins. We have painted them and decorated them but this is our first year carving them. The kids were a little leery about sticking their hands into the gunk. Especially because Chad wouldn't do it! Mase didn't like it at all and I cleaned most of his pumpkin out for him but the big kids did pretty well. They got to draw their faces on with washable markers and then I carved them for them. Mason colored his face on the pumpkin and then he colored his own face! Daxten and Hadley both wanted scary pumpkins and Mason wanted a silly pumpkin. I think they turned out super cute and super scary! Great pumpkin carving kids!

My 4 kiddos!!

2011-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Zoey is almost one month old and we just love her to pieces!! It is funny how love is exponential. Just when you think you couldn't possibly love anyone as much as you love your children you have another and find that you love her every bit as much. Zoey is an angel. She sleeps well, eats well and puts up with all the chaos in our home. She doesn't ever jump at the noises the kids make and she tolerates them holding her and kissing her and "petting" her (as Mason calls it when he rubs her head!) She loves to cuddle and she sleeps the very best on my shoulder (which I love!!). She is a delight. I love watching the big kids interact with her. Just today Hadley was holding toys up for her to see and Daxten was rocking her and Mason was saying, "Don't cry baby Zoey it's ok!". They are great brothers and sisters and I hope that they will grow up to be best friends! At her 2 week appointment she weighed 8 lbs and 4 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long! She is growing fast and we are loving every minute of it.

Zoey!

2011-11-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

After what seemed like a very long 9 months little Miss Zoey decided to make her arrival into the world. On Tuesday night I went onto the hospital because I was having a few problems and they hooked me up to all the monitors and determined that everything was fine. They were going to monitor the baby for 1/2 an hour and then send me home. Well, 1/2 an hour went by but they couldn't send me home because the baby's heart rate wouldn't stabilize. One second it was really fast and then the next it was slow and they couldn't determine weather it was naturally fast and then would decelerate, which would indicate there was a problem, or weather it was naturally slow and it would accelerate, which is perfectly normal. So after consulting with the doctor they decided they would start and IV and see if I was dehydrated and hope the fluids would help her calm down a bit. We waited and waited and waited but no luck she was still crazy. Mind you, this entire time she never stopped moving!! She was kicking and squirming everywhere! The nurse was pretty certain that her activity level was what was causing the accelerations but she still couldn't send me home. After talking to the doctor again he told them to keep me and induce labor the next morning! i was excited but terrified when she told me his plan. Not that it should have terrified me, but something about knowing that you are going to have a baby in the morning is frightening!! I called Chad and told him to call in the babysitter (Grandpa Dave!) and come on down. they started the pitocin the next morning bright and early and then Chad ran to help get the kids off to school. While he was gone the doctor came in and broke my water and I ordered an epidural. After having Hadley naturally I didn't want to chance it and I had a feeling this little girl was going to come quickly. I called Chad and told him to hurry back and then the epidural came. My Mom showed up first and then Chad. They both got there at about 8:15 or 8:20. I started complaining that I didn't think the epidural was working. The pain was getting worse not better. The nurse said she would send in the anesthesiologist but he never had a chance to come. The nurse checked out the situation and said that sometimes if things progress to fast the medicine won't work and that the baby was all ready on her way! Chad panicked, I did a little but somehow we all pulled it together, thanks Mom for keeping me calm!!! The doctor came in and the baby came out not too much later. She arrived at 8:43! The meds never really worked and Chad nearly passed out but in the end everyone was happy and healthy!!

Zoey screamed non-stop for at least the first 30 minutes of her little life. I guess she just wanted everyone to know she was here! She was perfect. My favorite part of the morning was holding her for the first time and marveling at the miracle that this sweet little angel was really mine. My next favorite part was watching the my other little angels meet their new little sister for the first time. It was so fun to see their eyes light up as they came into the room. They were all so excited. Mason kept taking her little beanie off and rubbing her fuzzy head, Hadley never stopped smiling the whole time she held her and Dax was the proud big brother, he was so sweet and gentle with her. Mason and Hadley went to the gift shop with Grandma Janna and bought her these cute little stuffed turtles and Daxten went with Grandma Kristy and bought her a little kitty cat. I know they all ready love her and I loved seeing them all together. It is so strange to think that our little family is complete. (well, barring any really unexpected surprises!) We had lots of visitors, Aunt Charity showed up right after she was born, and Grandma Janna, Aunt Bri and cousin Guy, Aunt Jenni, Grandpa Bruce, Grandpa Gary and Grandma Naomi and Grandpa Dave and Grandma Trina all made the trip to welcome the little Zoey. Overall, minus the less than effective epidural, it was an amazing day! And so worth the journey. Welcome little Zoey. We all love you soooooo much and are so excited for you to join our family. I can hardly wait to watch you grow and to spend every chance I get cuddling and loving you because I know how quickly you will grow. I love you!!! Welcome to the world little princess.

Little Miss Zoey

2011-10-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Zoey
Arrived Wednesday October 12th, 2011
at 8:43 AM
She weighted 7 lbs 7 oz
and was 20" long

We are loving the newest addition to our little family!!!
(More to come...)

Confessions!!

2011-10-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

As I was visiting with a very sweet older lady the other day she commented on what a great mother I was, she said she could just tell!! I love to get comments like that, it makes me feel good but in the back of my mind I always think, you have no idea what really goes on around this place!!! Not that I feel like I am not a good mother but things just aren't always as they appear. So today my post is a post of confessions!!!

Mason frequently eats Popsicles for breakfast! He goes and gets them himself and sometimes helps himself to 2 or 3 before i even get out of bed.

McDonald's, has on more than one occasion provided 2 if not 3 meals a day for my kiddos.

When the dentist asks if I floss their teeth, I tell him occasionally but I really mean next to never!!

Speaking of teeth, sometimes they climb in bed without brushing and, all though I know they haven't done it, I let it slide just so I don't have to get them out of bed and then wrestle them back in again!

I am certain that the only thing that keeps Dax alive is the 3 bowls of Lucky Charms he eats a day.

I once made it all the way to my Mother's house before I realized that Mason wasn't buckled!

The little color a picture for each day you read charts, that the kids bring home from school, usually get colored at breakfast the day they are due. We do read every day we just don't color!

When the kids cover the towels hanging in the bathroom with toothpaste they just get turned around again and again until there are no more clean sides to turn them to, then they get laundered.

The television does provided a babysitting service in our home, every once in a while!

I still let all 3 of them shower, or bath together.

I once made it to the bottom of the towel basket in the laundry room to find that 2 of my dish towels were moldy. I then threw them out!

Speaking of mold, I have been know to throw many a sippy cup of rotten milk away. We definitely keep the sippy cup people in business!

We are almost never on time, for anything! Church, school, play dates, family get togethers, you name it and we will probably be at least 15 minutes behind.

My house may appear tidy, just don't open anything because you never know what may jump out and grab you!!

I am a sucker and I let my kids climb in bed with me every once in a while, especially if Chad is out of town!

I have actually used the "i'll give you something to cry about" phrase a time or two. I could almost hear my fathers voice echoing back at me as I said it!

Is there really a difference between birthday cake and breakfast muffins? I think not, or so I tell my self to justify letting the kids have a frosting covered, sugar laden piece of cake for breakfast!

I have locked my 2 year old in his bedroom for a brief period of time, just so I can find my sanity!

On that same line, I have hidden from my children a time or two but somehow they always seem to find me!

This blog had been worked on with screaming children pulling at my hands and legs trying to get me off the computer, but hey every now and then you just have to do something for yourself!!

Yep, life around the Griffith household is somewhat crazy at times but I don't feel too guilty, I feel completely normal. I know that there are a million Mom's out there just like me, doing the best they can and with their own list of confessions!!!

Temple Square

2011-10-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so beautiful and Chad happened to have a somewhat slow day so we took advantage of both and headed in to temple square to enjoy the sights. I though it might be fun for the kids to see the conference center before conference. We toured it and got to go up on the roof and look around and we also went to the very top of the church office building. Our tour guide there was even sweet enough to take us to a room that let you get a southern view from the top. It was awesome. The flowers were beautiful and we all enjoyed our peaceful day together as a family!

Park Play!

2011-10-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Can you say ENERGY!!! These kids have been bouncing off the walls, and beds, and couches, and each other and everything that may bounce lately! (except the trampoline!) I took them to the park to let them run off some of that extra energy. Hadley has been wanting to use my three barrel iron on her hair forever! I kept telling her that as soon as her hair got long again, (remember the joe dirt haircut last year!!!) I would curl it. Well, that day has finally come! She looked so grown up. Now let's just pray that she never decides to cut it again!

Are you for scuba?

2011-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Chad is definitely for scuba!! He just received his certification. He loves it and is so excited to try out his new skills in an actual ocean! I came home one night to find him practicing in our bathtub!! Dax had to get in on the fun so he jumped in and became an expert snorkeler! Chad arranged for us to go swimming in a friends pool so Dax could try out snorkeling and he could practice scuba diving. Dax was great, he swam the whole length of the pool with his snorkel. He loves it. Chad also decided that he wanted me to try it out. I got to go down with him and breath through the scuba gear. It was awesome. I wish I weren't pregnant so I could have certified with him. Oh well, soon enough! The pool belongs to my Mom's neighbors so she came along to give scuba diving a try also. I think I may have found someone to certify with!

Cheer Clinic

2011-10-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

I know I am at serious risk of having Hadley overload from the last few posts. . . Hadley's birthday, her first day of school, soccer etc. but I am still going to post her pics from the cheer clinic! She loved it this year and she had a blast. I had to snap a picture of her with these 2 sweet cheerleaders. I started teaching them gymnastics when they weren't much bigger than she is and now they are teaching her cheer, CRAZY! She did great and we are so proud of her and her bubbly little personality! 3 cheers for you Hadley!

(This is the video from practice. It was easier to see!)

Hadley's First Day of Preschool!

2011-09-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks goodness this little girl got to go to school. I thought she was going to go crazy if she had to watch Dax go while she stayed home for even one more day!! She loves school, friends her teacher, EVERYTHING!!! I was shocked when she wanted to wear her petty skirt for her first day. She normally hates dresses and skirts but I guess she was feeling especially festive because she knew what she wanted. She was mad at me because we were a few minutes late and it was her FIRST DAY!! I can't believe that this is all ready her second year of school. She hardly seems big enough. Congrats Haddy Bug!! We love you, enjoy your last year of preschool!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2011-09-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

Chad is funny, he HATES it when you buy him presents for any event, birthdays included. I think part of it is because he doesn't like buying presents for anyone else and if you get a present for him, well you get the picture. But he does love a good celebration so for his birthday every year we try to make a special weekend of it instead of giving gifts. Normally we hit up the zoo but this year we decided to go to Park City instead. We took the kids on the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster. It was hot and crowded because it was Labor Day weekend but it was worth it. He took Hadley down the slide, I took Mason and Daxten got to cruise all by himself!!! I didn't dare ride the coaster with the baby belly so Aunt Bri took Hadley and Chad took Dax while Mason, Rue and I got a snow cone!! (Which was delicious FYI! I think I may need one of those on a daily basis!) On our way home we got sandwiches from the Dodo, to go because the kids were sleeping, and enjoyed a great dinner at home.

Chad is a great Dad. He may not change diapers but he always finds time to throw, chase, toss, tickle, cuddle, snuggle and tease the kids and he loves them more than anything. If you ask my kids they will tell you "Daddy always says YES!" He is definitely the favorite parent. They don't even know how lucky they are to have a Dad like him! He is also a terrific husband, he has been known to tackle an entire laundry room full of clothes in a single Saturday, he recently brought home $200 cash and insisted I spend every penny on new clothes for myself, he comes shopping with me even though I know that he HATES it and he even manages to make up an opinion on things just to satisfy my need for him to have one. Most impressively he manages to put up with me, even when I am pregnant! (that is true love!!) Funny things about Chad, he paces while he talks on the phone, he sleeps with his socks on and he even takes socks when we go boating, he makes up his own vocabulary in which only his children are fluent, he is befuddled by the shape of the pie since you can never manage to get the appropriate portion of crust to filling (I make his pies in a square baking pan!), and he can tell you every cell service provider on every cell tower you come across from here to California! (warning: of you ever go on road trips with him this can get extremely annoying!!!) What more can I say except that he is terrific and we are so glad that we got to spend the day celebrating him!! We love you Daddy, HaPpY BiRthDaY!

Smiling Faces!

2011-09-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Now that I am officially waddling, not sleeping much, whining a lot, hoping my feet are still down there somewhere, consuming at least one bottle of Tums per week, and frequently wondering what I was thinking when I decided that I could handle being pregnant for the 4th time in 6 years, I am so grateful for these smiling faces to remind me why I do it!! Being their mother is the best thing ever. I can't wait to add one more to our little, well not so little, family.

And how heavenly are they when they are napping!!! I could just sit and stare at them while they sleep, amazed at how perfect they are and that my Heavenly Father really dare entrust these sweet little things to me! (By the way, this little girl still can't let go of nap time. When she doesn't get it she falls asleep just about anywhere, today it was on the floor and yesterday it was on the beanbag chair in the playroom. And she just looked so darn pretty!)

So while I complain my way through the next 6 weeks, (hopefully less, 4 would be nice!!) I just wanted to say thanks to these three for reminding my of why it is all worth while! I love you, and your smiles, giggles, hugs, kisses, cuddles, silly jokes, huge imaginations and even bigger hearts!!!

Watch Out Kindergarten Here Comes DAX!!

2011-09-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am sure that every mother of a kindergartner says the same thing, "I can't believe that they are all ready that old!!" But it is so true. It is amazing how one moment you are holding your new baby in your arms and the next you are hoping he'll let you kiss him goodbye when you get to the door of the classroom! I can honestly say I am not one of those Moms that dropped their baby off on the first day and then cried the whole time they were gone. It may be different by the time I get to my last but I was so excited for Daxten to go to school. I was more excited to pick him up but only because I couldn't wait to hear about his first day! Daxten has been anxiously anticipating his first day for a long time. When I asked him if he was nervous he said, "Why would I be nervous Mom!" He got a new pair of shoes for school and of course, he had to choose the ones that looked just like Dad's and he had to picked a camo backpack because his Dad loves camo! I guess it just goes to show how much he is growing up, he all ready wants to be just like his Dad! Dad met us at the school on the first day and we all walked him in. He let me take his pictures and he said goodbye but he walked off looking confidant and excited and he never looked back! I am so proud of him and all he does and I know he will do just great!When I picked him up he told me that school was AWESOME! He said recess was his favorite part and that the only thing he didn't want to do was when they were on the playground all the girls were playing princesses and the kept needing a prince to rescue them. One time he said one of them pointed to him and so he had to hurry quick and find something else to do because he "Did NOT want to be that person!!!" I got a good laugh. I guess I can't blame him, rescuing princesses on the first day of school may not be quite what he had bargained for!The other 2 hooligans are not nearly as happy about him being in school as he is! Mason cries every time we drop Dax off, "Don't leave Daxy momma, Don't leave Daxy!" and then he comes home and finds Daxten's shoes, puts them on and tells me, "Me need these shoes go to school too!" When I tell him he is too little he tells me, "Me not too little, me BIG boy!!!" Hadley is happy for him she just wishes it were her turn. I think once pre-school starts next week she will be just fine.

Fender Bender!

2011-08-25T14:48:00.001-07:00

I have never been a fan of bumper cars. I get no thrill out of being thrown around like a rag doll while getting crashed into by other drivers. However, it is even less fun when it happens in your real car!!

On our way to soccer practice we were stopped in a turning lane waiting to make a left hand turn when all of a sudden we got slammed by some kid who wasn't paying attention. Never fear, we were all okay, the kids were crying, the crash jolted me pretty good so I can imagine that they were a bit shook up but I think they were more scared than anything. Needless to say we didn't make it to soccer, the police came and it took the better part of the hour to get everything taken care of. It was one of those times I am so thankful that I always put my kids in their car seats and buckle them in. You just never know what might happen!

Sun-kisses Kiddos!

2011-08-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I won't point fingers. . . Chad, these kids think it is the most hilarious thing in the whole world to take of running around the house, naked, screaming STREAK!!! Every time I go to bathe or shower them they get undressed and take off down the hall full speed! The last few times I've watched Mason run around in nothin' but his birthday suit I can't help but smile as I see this tanned, sun-bleached blond little boy and his bright white backside!! It is pretty cute. So as we rinsed the chlorine and sun off their little brown bodies I decided I should snap a few pics to remember the way they look after a summer full of fun and sun!

Extreme Makeover. . . Carseat Edition!

2011-08-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

When we decided that we were going to have another baby I remember thinking that there were so many things that I really wanted new of. 3 Kids just take a toll on on things. The crib is a little shabby, the bouncer got tossed in the move because it was so worn out and high chair looks like it served as a shield during a heated a paintball match and lost! The only problem is that it is so hard to convince myself to buy new anything when I know that it will be my last baby. So I decided instead of buying new I would just start overhauling! First thing to get a makeover. . . the CAR SEAT!!! Any of you that have kids know how grungy and dingy these things can get. Everything from smashed, half chewed gold fish and leaky sippy cups to exploding diapers and spit up milk gets into these things and then to make matters worse it sits in the hot car baking all the gunk in, disgusting! After 3 kids mine had been washed so many times that all though it was clean it just looked dated and worn out. The canopy was sun bleached and the fabric on the seat was looking a little thread bare. So off to the fabric store I went, and a few days later it emerged from the dust looking. . .

FABULOUS!!!

It is hard to believe it is even the same car seat. I LOVE the way it turned out, not overly feminine, a touch of whimsy and best of all no baked surprises lurking in the cracks and crevices!

It was such a fun project. I was worried I was in over my head but I think it turned out pretty good. I definitely won't miss the gold and black checks. Now I can't wait for the little missy to get here so I can put her in it!! Next project? The crib!

Season Openers!

2011-08-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

The soccer season is official open! We spent the better part of our Saturday watching our little rugrats play. They did terrific! Daxten is getting so quick and is really starting to get a feel for the game. He plays with heart and he loves the game. His team this year is the Green Lightning! Hadley's team only had 4 players show up so she had to play the entire game. She did great! She is speedy and isn't afraid to get right in the middle of things. She scored the very last goal of the game and was so proud of herself! Her first game and her first goal. Her team is the Orange Crush! We are so proud of both of them and are looking forward to another great season!

Friends!

2011-08-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hadley was so excited to have a party with her friends this year. She didn't have very many people that she wanted to invite but she knew exactly who she did want there! She invited Spencer and Addy, Gage, Kate, Kiersten, and of course she couldn't forget cousin Guy, Daxten and Mason! We sent out invitations and much to her dismay only one of her friends could come!! I decided that maybe we should re-schedule so we tried another day and everyone made it. She was ecstatic! She wanted a flower birthday so we made bug wands, dum-dum flower pots, dug in the sand for bugs and played pin the spots on the lady bug. The kids were so cute and it was so much fun. Happy Birthday, yet again to my little Had-bug!

Boondoggles!!

2011-08-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why but Chad is notorious for renaming every place we visit. For example my children know Noodles & Co. as Snoodles and Poodles!! And boondocks is now known as Boondoggles! We took Hadley here on her actual Birthday for a day of family fun. She had a blast in the kiddie cove, climbing and playing and she really liked the bumper boats, until she got squirted in the eye, but the miniature golf. . . well, let's just say it was memorable!! She loved the first few holes but then she got angry that she wasn't any good at it and she started crying every time she would hit the ball and it didn't go where she wanted it to. She even threw herself down on the green, laid on her back and screamed! In her defense she was exhausted and she really wanted to go home and nap. We rushed through the mini golf and got her some food and a nap and then she was angelic. Despite all that I think she had a great birthday!

Spaghetti Factory Birthday Celebration!

2011-08-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hadley decided that she really wanted to go to the Spaghetti Factory for her birthday this year. I don't know why, or where she came up with it since she has never been there but she said she wanted to go some where fancy and eat her favorite food, spaghetti!! We invited all of her family and everyone was able to make it!! Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles! (minus Chase who is a little far away for the event, we'll have to catch him next year!) It was slightly chaotic with a group that big but she had a great time! She loved her giant meatball on her spaghetti and having all the attention on her.

Fun things about a 4 year old Hadley. She has decided that she finally likes all things that are girly! Except for dresses of course because they are much to restrictive for a girl as active as Hadley. I know I have mentioned several times what a fish she is but she really loves the water. Chad and I laugh when we take her swimming because it really is a mystery how she breathes. She is under water all the time. She can't even hear me talk to her because she never stays on top long enough. She loves to learn and to read. She also loves anything artsy. She will spend hours drawing, and coloring and she is an absolute perfectionist. She will start over if her picture is not just perfect. Hadley is a great friend to her brothers, cousins, and everyone she meets. She is willing to share, to help and to love anyone! She still has a bit of the Mad Hadder in her and anytime she gets angry you hear this ear piercing wail, sometimes I wonder how I can still hear!. And she is big time drama! Everything and anything is a huge deal and she definitely lets you know it. She is the best cuddler ever! Chad and I spend our evenings fighting over who gets to cuddle with her. I always win though because she is such a Momma's girl! (sorry Daddy, us girls have to stick together!) She loves animals and insects and flowers. She enjoys gymnastics and practices all the time. Hadley is such a joy and we love having her in our family. She can make anyone smile and brings such a sweet spirit to our home. Hadley, we love you!
Happy Birthday Piggly!!

Hadley's 1st Soccer Practice!

2011-08-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

It is FINALLY Hadley's turn to play soccer. She went to every one of Daxten's games and practices just waiting for the day that it would be her turn to play. She had her first practice the other day and she LOVED it!! I snapped a picture of her and the boys right before we went.

She makes one cute little soccer player. Cleats are much cuter is little sizes and pink!! She is actually pretty good soccer player. She has a lot of coordination and she runs fast, it will be fun to watch her grow through the season. I hope that she enjoys her turn!
(As a side note, I got lectured by Daxten when I put Hadley in this shirt. I have taught my children about modesty and they have been learning about it all month in primary. Hadley usually wears a shirt under her tank-tops but this day I was all out of tee shirts and I just needed something light to put on her. He told me that it wasn't modest and it didn't cover her shoulders. I know there shouldn't be exceptions to rules but it really was all I had so I just told him I was sorry and I would try harder to find her a more modest shirt next practice! Let's just hope that he is as concerned about being obedient to rules when it comes to himself! )

Summer Fun!

2011-08-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am sure that I have all ready mentioned my love affair with summer but I just can't help it! Who wouldn't fall head over heals with a season that allows for so much fun in the sun!! I am definitely raising little fish. Our second round of swimming lessons started this week and I can't believe how great they are doing. Dax and Hadley no longer want to wear their floaties when they are in the shallow pool and they both just dive in and start swimming. I love it! I can't believe how well Hadley does. She is almost 4 and she can all ready swim all by herself. Mason has finally figured out how to get around also. He is crazy. I am so glad that we get to spend so much time at the pool, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine!

My parents ward had a water party the other evening. They invited the grand kids to join them. Hadley couldn't stop talking about it and asking if it was the day for the water party yet! She even slept with the invitation by her pillow! Finally it arrived and we went, splashed, tugged, swam, slipped and slided to our little hearts content. It was a lot of fun and we are so glad that we got to go. Thanks grandma and grandpa for taking us!

Bunk up boys!!!

2011-08-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

If you can remember Mason has been climbing out of his crib for nearly a year now. Yet, up until this last week he was still sleeping in it. Not because it contained him, simple for lack of anywhere else to put him!! I promised these two monkeys that I would buy them bunk beds and after a long search, I finally found some that I liked. They love them! Most frequently you can find them both on top playing. Surprisingly Mase sleeps in his bed, no problem. I guess the advantage of having a baby that can escape from his prison, I mean crib, is that the switch to a bed is a piece of cake. I have been working on finishing the rest of the room to match now that we have the crib out and it is looking super cute. I am glad that they love it. I have to admit, I always wanted bunk beds!!!

Lake Powell 2011

2011-08-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Heaven on Earth! Red rocks, hot sun, cool water, sand, lizards, and tons of FUN!!!!! Life just doesn't get any better. Aside from Christmas I think Lake Powell is the most anticipated event in our little lives. Dax began the countdown when there was still snow on the ground. This year was no disappointment. It is funny to watch the dynamic change as we get older. This year we didn't break out the ski's or the wake board once,and there was a day when the wake board never made it back on the boat! This go around it was all about the little ones. They tubed to their hearts content, jumped on the water tramp, collected sea shells and swam, swam, swam! I think we had more fun watching them have fun than anything else. Hadley is a little fish. She never flinched at the cold water once, she just jumped right in and swam. She also begged to go faster every time she got on the tube! Mason is a little dare devil too! He wanted to go off the big slide on the house boat, and much to my dismay, he got his wish! Once was enough, he wouldn't have gone again but he was pretty proud of himself! He loved riding the tube with Dad and he loved just being a part of it all. Dax got to join Dad and Uncle Brett for some late night fishing and he caught his first wall eye! He loves the tube but would like to take it a little slower than Hadley would. He spent an entire afternoon swimming with Uncle Brett, I thought for sure his feet were going to grow webs! Of course it is always fun for them to have cousins to share the excitement with. Guy and Rue were a blast! I still can't get over little Rue in her life jacket and sunglasses, what a cutie!! And Guy and Hadley made the best sea shell hunters ever! We left all smiles and grins, miraculously not sun burnt, but completely exhausted from all the fun!! So long Lake Powell. . . until next year!!!

Happy Birthday Mason!!

2011-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

All though I can not remember life with out this little man I can not believe that he has been here for two years. For his birthday we took him to the pool during the afternoon then we came home and had a super low key party with just family. He is super into motorcycles so we attempted a motorcycle birthday. He had a motorcycle cake and he got a little ride on motorcycle that he loves! His brother and sister were excited to give him their presents. Hadley choose a pack of backhoes for him, another one of his obsessions, and Dax choose a baseball tee, since Mason loves sports of any kind! He had a great day, my favorite moment was when I put his cake in front of him to take his picture and he started singing happy birthday to himself!! It was funny because from the moment he woke up we would tell him happy birthday but he would say, "no, not my birthday, Daddy's birthday", or Mommy's birthday, or anyone but him. I think when it finally sank in what a birthday was all about he was glad that it was indeed his birthday!!

Things about 2 year old Mason. . . He is the cutest, most lovable pain in the rear end that ever existed! He will steal your heart one moment and then punch or jump on you the next. He counts to eleven but refuses to count 2 or 4. Mason is a typical boy! Dirt, cars, motorcycles, sports, wrestling, driving big machines with dad, teasing his sister, you name it he loves it! His favorite song is Whenever I hear the song of a bird. . . but that is the only part he ever sings, and he sings it loud over, and over and over again! He doesn't watch very much TV but if he does he chooses Mickey Mouse. He is not scared of anything, if the kids are flipping and jumping then so is he, and he is usually jumping higher and flipping faster. Mason loves Dax and Hadley and wants to be just like them. He hates wearing shoes, of any kind and he loves Popsicles and chocolate milk. Mase is a great helper, he will gladly unfold your laundry, unmake your bed and he is always more than happy to lick your newly Windexed glass doors! He is independent and he talks really well for his age. We love Mason and are so glad that he is part of our family!!! Happy Birthday buddy, we LOVE you!!!!

Splishin' and splashin'!

2011-07-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

I think I may have fish for children. They LOVE the water. We have been to the pool a few times this summer and I am sure we will make it many more times before summer is over. They took swimming lessons at the beginning of the summer but because I had to be in the water with Mason I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. They all did great! I love watching how fearless they are, it does make me slightly crazy but at least they aren't scared of the water. I can't believe that Mason will just jump right in, he doesn't care if I catch him or not he just jumps. I have had to teach him that there are places he can't touch so he doesn't just bail without asking first. Hadley and Dax liked learning the chicken, star rocket swimming stroke. They practice it all the time. Summer doesn't get much better than a fun day at the pool!

4th of July!!!

2011-07-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Holiday's don't get much better than the 4th of July!!! This year we really did it right. Chad decided that he wanted to take the kids in the C&G parade truck this year. He has great memories of riding in the parade from when he was a kid, but the truck hasn't been in the parade for a while since all the grand kids are grown up. Well, now we have a slew of great grand kids to carry on the tradition! They had sooooo much fun. I had to laugh because Dax kept trying to earn points by throwing taffy. 5 points for hitting a woman, 5 points for an old lady and 1 point for a dad (yes the game was made up by a man. . . you know who you are!) Every few minutes he would crack up laughing and scream 5 points!!!! That little stink. He gave himself 15 points when he hit the cotton candy carrier in the eye! But in the end Hadley earned the most points when she hit a police officer on a motorcycle! It was great. Mason loved it but he wasn't so sure he wanted to throw the candy. He kept telling me, "Not throw it Momma, EAT it!!" We also got to spend some time with my Mom's family at the annual BBQ, and sleepover and the first ever bounce house!!! It was awesome. We had great food, a rousing game of duck duck goose, complete with minions! and a BEAUTIFUL sunset. Dax and Hadley were even invited to join the chaos and sleepover with their cousins. Dax did great but Hadley decided at about 3 that no bed is quite as comfortable as her own. I went and retrieved the sleepy little thing but she barely made it up for the parade the next morning! The bounce house almost didn't happen due to the wind but the real house made a great wind blocker and thankfully it got to stay! Everyone got in on the fun, I even caught Grandpa Bruce in there with Mason. I laughed when Dax was telling the parade tale to my Grandma and she asked who he got points for hitting. He patted her arm and said, 5 points for a lady just like you!!!
Lastly we finished up our day with a trip to Oakridge with Chad's family. They have the BEST 4th of July dinner ever. They paint faces and have a balloon man, a live band, a hula hoop contest and GREAT fireworks!! Hadley remembered the face painting from last year and I have never seen her eat so fast. She couldn't wait to go get her face all fancied up!! She choose to be a kitty, big shock, and she was super excited when she saw her cousin Brinley was a puppy! Mason decided he wanted a scary snake!!! They both LOVED their faces! Dax would rather not get his face painted but cousin Guy got a sweet spider man! They loved every moment of the fireworks. Mase kept telling me that the fireworks were going to fall on him. I told him no but he just kept saying, yes Mom, fall on me!! If you look closely you can find the end result of such a fun day. . . 3 exhausted, sleeping kids! Thanks to all of our family that made the day as spectacular and the fireworks!

Airborne!!!

2011-07-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Aunt Bri and Cousin Guy took us to an awesome trampoline place this weekend. It was stupendous! They jumped and jumped and jumped until they were exhausted. It was a lot of fun and I can honestly say that part of me wished I weren't pregnant so I could enjoy the jumping as much as everyone else.
Mason is a dare devil. He will jump off anything. When he saw the big kids jump off this tall platform he just had to get in on the fun. I was a little nervous but he would not let ANYONE help him. He told me, go away Mom!

Hadley and Dax were everywhere flipping and spinning running and jumping!
Thanks for sharing the fun with us Aunt Bri and Guy!! We can't wait to go again.

2011-07-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Mason got to experience jumping on the tramp with the sprinklers for the first time the other day. I don't know if he liked jumping or drinking the water best but he definitely had a blast. The big kids were a bit distracted by other things so he got to enjoy his time all by himself!

Did someone ask for a blanket?

2011-07-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Some moments in time are just too precious to let escape without snapping a picture. I loved it when I found these two cuddled up watching cartoons. They did haul out TONS of blankets and pillows but I guess I could overlook it since they were being so sweet and so darn cute!! I love these kids!

Surprise Visitor!

2011-07-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

The other day the dog was sniffing about the window well. My first thought was there was food down there but upon closer examination I discovered. . . . A gopher!!!!

The kids stood at the window for hours watching it scurry around and try to find it's way out. It wasn't very big so I am assuming that it was just a baby but hey, I don't know anything about gophers! Hadley affectionately named him "little gray fuzz ball". She loved him the most. I think she stood down there most of the day. She said, "Mom, I bet he climbed down there to stay away from predators. Don't worry little gray fuzz ball you can come down here anytime you need to hide!" She was devastated when we let him out before bed. She was convinced that she could keep him and feed him but she finally agreed that it would be better if he were free. The next morning she ran right down just to make sure he didn't fall in again! Oh the country life. I LOVE it!!!

Thoughts!

2011-06-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things get rough. Chad works. . . ALOT! I love him so much and he is an amazing father, provider and husband and I am so grateful that he has such a good job but sometimes it is just hard on all of us. I hate that he has to work all hours of the day all days of the week and that sometimes even though he is with us he isn't really with us (a downside of modern technology, blast those I-phones!). I know that in a job like his it will never change so I just try to help us all make it through those really rough and busy weeks.

I had to take a second to laugh the other day, or I may have cried, when my Mother called and could hear all 3 kids in the background just wailing. She asked if everything was all right. I assured her that it was. Then she asked what they were screaming about. I proceeded to explain that Dax was screaming because we hung a blind in his window and now he couldn't see the lights from the softball field, Hadley was screaming because it was almost 6 and I told her she couldn't take a nap and Mason was screaming because I wouldn't let him hit Squiggley, the cat, with a golf club! She then started laughing and apologized for laughing but hey, I couldn't blame her it really was pretty funny!

As I drag the 3 of them through the grocery store, haul them all off to church, struggle to make it to swimming lessons and gymnastics and nearly strangle them when it is time for bed I wonder how i am ever going to make it with 4. The laundry is constantly spewing forth under the laundry room door, the sippy cups alone make more dirty dishes than my dishwasher can hold and with a yard full of dirt and a kitchen of fairly dark hardwood floors the trail of dusty little foot prints is never ending. But then I see them climb into the crib and cuddle together, and build forts and sing songs and giggle together and I remember why I wanted them in the first place. The quiet moments while the little ones are napping when Dax and I can take a minute to read together, the absolutely priceless cuddle time with Hadley, the slobbery kisses plastered all over my face from Mason and all the giggles and fun during those moments that I remember how to be a kid and find myself immersed in playtime and enjoying every second of it, that is what it is all about!

So tonight as I struggle to get the rug rats to bed by myself (Chad is in Idaho for a few days) and I fold the umpteenth load of laundry, unload the dishwasher and load it back up again and then finally crawl into bed where I'll struggle to get comfortable, eat my millionth Tums and wake up multiple times during the night to put little munchkins back in bed, I will try my best to remember those sweet little moments that make it more than worth while!! After all . . . Scrubbing and mopping can wait til tomorrow. Children grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep!!

2011-06-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE taking the kids to the fountains at the gateway. It is free, it is fun and it means that I can sneak in a little shopping while we are there. Last year Dax was the only one that liked it. The other two were terrified. This year the all had a BLAST!!! It was so much fun to watch them run in, get the look of terror on their faces as the awaited their fate, and then run back out laughing and giggling with water dripping down their faces. Everyone of them got squirted in the eye at least once but they were having enough fun that they decided to toughen up and get back in the fun. What a great way to spend the first hot day of the year!!!

Last Soccer Game

2011-06-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Dax the Defense-a-nator's, (so called by his coach!!) first soccer season is officially over! He had a great time, learned a lot and made lots of new friends. It was such a good experience and he all ready can't wait for next year. On the way to the game I asked him if he was excited for his last game and he said, of course not Mom I love soccer, I don't want it to be over!! He got his medal and they came in for one last team photo! All though we were all sad to see the season end we are excited for the next one! Dax is also excited because Grandpa Bruce promised him he could shoot his pellet gun once for every goal he made. 3 goals 3 shots and he can't wait!
Congrats on a great season buddy!!

2011-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Life just isn't fair!! I do all the hard work wearing him out and then Daddy gets the cuddle time!!! I was a little jealous when I found them like this but it was the day before father's day so I guess Mase was just giving Daddy and early present. Cuddle time with this little guy never lasts long enough for him to fall asleep so you have to soak in every second on those rare occasions that it happens.

Family Pictures!

2011-06-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here comes the SUN!!!

2011-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

We have been anxiously awaiting a day warm enough to break out the swimming pool and after a long wait it finally arrived. The kids swam. . . the toys swam. . . thier beach towels swam. . . and my book swam, my library book swam!!! Yes, Mason decided that he would set it afloat. Curious kid or just plain mischief? You decide!!

Really????

2011-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

If I've said it once I have said it a thousand times. . . this kid is MISCHIEF!!!!! I guess that is what I get for not getting his chocolate milk the moment it was demanded. But then again, look at that face, how could anyone be angry at that?!

Girl. . . Boy. . . Girl . . Boy. . . ?

2011-06-10T14:24:00.001-07:00

GIRL!!!!

Hooray! I can't even tell you how excited I am. I would be excited no matter what, my three sons would be fun too, but I did really want one more little pink thing. One more go at the pretty dresses and flowers and bows. One more little princess to play dress-up with and paint her nails and curl her hair. But most of all one little sister for Hadley, because ever girl needs a sister!

We took Hadley and Daxten with us to the ultrasound appointment. They were so excited to find out what "kind" of a baby this was. The only catch was they didn't get to find out till the very end of the appointment. The tech looked at all the parts on the baby, she showed them the legs and arms, feet and brain, back and hands, everything but the gender. We got to take a 4D peek which I have never done with any of my kids. I was amazed at how awesome it was!! I can't even believe that that is possible. Finally, after nearly 40 minutes, she told them that they would have a new baby sister! They were both excited. Dax said he wanted a brother but that he knew it would be a sister and Hadley was all smiles! That night as I was tucking Hadley in I was talking to her about where the crib would fit in her room and about having a new baby in with her, she smiled the sweetest smile, looked at me and said, "I am really excited about that Mom but right now I am too tired to talk about so will you just kiss me goodnight!" Dax was mad that we told anyone, he wanted to keep it a secret! And Chad, he says he is super happy and will be until she hits about 14 then he won't know what to do with her!! All in all we couldn't be more happy for a little sister to join our family. Too bad we still have another 4 months to wait!!

Oh and one more funny little thing, all through the appointment the tech kept calling the baby pumpkin, there is pumpkins little lips. . . there is pumpkins little feet. . . etc. When Dax was eating dinner he giggled and out of the blue said, "Mom, I didn't know you were naming your baby PUMPKIN!" He now calls her, Pumpkin Elizabeth Griffith!

Hat Trick. . . sort of!

2011-06-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Daxten loves soccer and he always wears the BIGGEST smile while he is playing but he has never scored a goal. He doesn't let it bother him too much but sometimes he says that he is the slowest and the worst player on his team and he will never score a goal. We have 3 games left and all though I know it would be okay if he finished the season without a goal, I really wanted it for him!

When we showed up for Thursdays game there were only 3 of our players there. The other team was kind enough to play 3 on 3 so our kids could play. It was really good for Dax because he got to play the entire time and there were less kids in there going after the ball. You could see him get more and more confident. When one of the little boys fell down and everyone went over to check on him, Dax took the ball and went all the way to the goal and scored!! At the half I was telling him congrats and he looked at me and said, "Did that even count?" We told him it did and then he told Grandma, "Well, everyone was distracted so I decided that I should score a goal!" That kid makes me laugh! After that things got even better, his confidence grew and he was playing really hard. He had 3 more almost goals and 2 real goals, not the distracted type!! I was so happy for him. It makes me fell good to see all his hard work and practice pay off. Love ya bud, congrats on your Hat Trick!!!

Bug Eyed!!!

2011-06-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Daxten had his kindergarten eyes exam today and he got his eyes dilated. I had to take a picture because it is so funny to see his pupils so big. The right one is a lot bigger than the left and when I look at his close up he looks a little crazy!! He is super annoyed that everything is fuzzy and he is annoyed that he can't see his own eyes in the mirror. I promised I would show him this picture tomorrow after it all wears off. Because he has such light colored eyes the doctor said it may last for more than 12 hours! Daxten loved the eye exam though. We have a friend that is an optometrist and he is awesome. (I give recommendations if anyone is looking for a great eye doc!)Speaking of the doc, Dax may have found a new profession. He was amazed at all the cool machines and gadgets that he got to use. He is still talking about how cool it was. As for his eyes, everything looks great!!

The Garden

2011-06-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to plant a garden this year. I was going to wait until next year after we have our yard and sprinklers in but my parents rented a tiller for their tractor and my Dad came over and tilled me a huge garden spot. I decided why not! We have lots of space and lots of dirt, so we may as well stick something in it and see if it will grow, besides the kids will LOVE it!

The tilled up dirt was the best part. Hadley came flying over to me and screamed, MOM, dirt is AWESOME!!!!! They played in it for hours, and then came back out later and played for hours more. Saturday we went to work planting. I had a bunch of random boards left over from house building so we threw together some make shift boxes to mark out the garden and we planted corn, beans, carrots, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, peppers and strawberries. I am hoping to find some raspberries but so far I haven't had any luck.

Maybe. . . Maybe NOT!!!

2011-06-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

I feel like spring/summer are playing evil tricks on us. We get a single warm day thrown in with lots of rain and wind and even snow! It is definitely not cool! We are super bored but have been trying to combat the boredom of being trapped indoors with some fun things. We went to the indoor pool one night. The kids love swimming and Mason is so glad that he is big enough to cruise around with his floaties!!! We also snuck out to the park between the rain and the wind. We decided to walk to the school Dax will be going to this fall so we could play on the playground. It is a pretty long walk for little legs! Mase wouldn't ride in the wagon, he insisted on walking the whole way. He didn't want to hold my hand and he would stop to pick up every rock that he could find!!! Needless to say it took us a while to get there but once we arrived it was worth the wait. Dax was excited because he made it across 5 monkey bars all by himself! Hadley and Dax played a great game of hide and seek. She is a great hider but Dax would climb to the top of this post and spot her every time!Mason insisted on climbing up the ladder instead of the stairs or the rock wall and it makes me a little crazy!

Someday the wind and the rain will stop. . . we hope! But until then we will just have to be creative so we all don't go crazy!!!

Gymnastics Recital!

2011-05-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

Hadley had her end of the season gymnastics recital. My camera takes terrible pictures on the gym so I got lots of video of my cute little gymnast flipping and jumping all over the gym. She is such a happy little gymnast, I swear that the smile never leaves her face. She was super excited about her trophy and the flowers from her Dad. She has even decided that pink is one of her favorite colors now, since her trophy is pink! Good Job Princess!!! We love you!

Preschool Graduation 2011!

2011-05-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the school year is all ready over!! I am not complaining but it has been a chore to run them both to school and pick them both up at different times so they could have their own classes. I know that it was worth every trip because they really enjoyed the time away from each other and the chance to develop their own little friends and their own personalities. They have grown so much this year. It amazes me how big and smart they are and how they have turned into their own little persons!!

I'll start with Miss Hadley. . .

This year Miss Hadley has learned to write all her letters, she knows all her alphabet sounds and is eager to read. She loves sounding out small words and she cuddles up in my lap for a good book at least 3 times a day. She also knows her birthday, phone number and address. Hadley genuinely loved every day of preschool. When she developed strep and couldn't make it to the last day of school she woke me up in the middle of the night to make sure I called and told Miss Annette that she was sick and wouldn't be there. I love how eager she was to share all her hard work with me and how she could hardly wait for her preschool days to come. Hadley has also made lots of friends this year. She is the type of kid who will play with anyone and always has a smile on her face.

In her end of the year interview with Miss Annette this is what she said. . .

My name is Hadley Griffith

I was born on August 13th

My eyes are blue and my hair is brown.

My favorite color is blue.

When I watch TV I like to watch Blues' Clues.

My favorite song is Row Row Row your Boat

My favorite book is Lion King

My favorite food is spaghetti

My hero is my Mom because she does laundry with me and she cooks with me.

My favorite thing about preschool is that we paint.

When I grow up i want to be . . . I don't know yet!! (all though she has told me that she wants to be a vet, a zoo keeper and pilot)

I am special because I like my little kitten, Mr. Squiggles!

Congratulations big girl! We are so proud of you and all your hard work!!

Next Mr. Daxten. . .

Daxten told me at the beginning of the year that he was a preschool expert and he all ready know everything they were going to learn. I have to give it to him that he did pretty much know it all however, I think he enjoyed preschool a lot more this year. He has grown so much. He learned to read, he learned to count to 100 (he would count further if he could get anyone to listen long enough!), he learned to be a good friend and has had some great playdates with his preschool friends. He can't wait to start kindergarten!! He reminds me every time we drive past the school that he gets to go there now that preschool is over. I know he will do just great!!!

In Daxten's interview with Miss Annette this is what he said . . .

My name is Daxten Chad Griffith

I was born on January 29th

My eyes are blue and my hair is blonde

My favorite color is blue

When I watch TV I like to watch The Backyardigans, Front Page News(his favorite episode!)

My favorite song is the first song on the Aristocats, the one where Berlious plays the piano (he also wants to learn to play it on the piano!)

My favorite book is There was an Old Monkey who Swallowed a Frog. . . what a HoG!

My favorite food is Lucky Charms

My hero is Batman because I like Batman

My favorite thing about preschool is Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, from the ABC book!

When I grow up I want to be a dentist because I like to squirt the water

I am special because everyone says my big blue eyes make me special!

Congrats little man, keep up the good work at kindergarten next year! We are so proud of you!!!
Future Graduate!!

The zoo

2011-05-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

We did have a few days of sun mixed in with the month long rain storm we have been blessed with. . . I have to keep reminding myself that it is a blessing because it is starting to feel a bit like a curse! Any way, I think that we picked the best day of the year to take our little family of monkeys to the zoo. We haven't been for a while and I think it was the first time that Mason really got excited. He loved the animals and the DINOSAURS? Yes, there are dinosaurs at the zoo. Don't ask me but it was pretty cool. I am so glad that we got to get out and about in the sunshine and enjoy our time together as a family!

Preschool Field Trip

2011-05-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

The kids got to take a field trip to The Purple Cow bookstore for story hour. It was super cute and it was fun to see them interact with their friends that I have heard about all year long! The little boy to Hadley's right is Spencer, her best friend. She insists that she is going to marry him! I laughed at her the other day, I told my boys they were the cutest boys ever and she said, "What about Spencer, Mom?? He is CUTE!!!" Gotta love the first crush!

Hadley's Un-Birthday Celebration!

2011-05-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Since Hadley is a summer birthday they celebrated her un-birthday at preschool. She wanted to take rainbow cupcakes so she and I worked hard to make these.

They were a hit. All her preschool friends loved them and she was one happy un-birthday girl. She got her birthday crown at school and insisted on wearing it for most of the day. Now she just can't wait for her real birthday so she can have a party and invite all her friends!

Mother's Day

2011-05-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

What a lucky Mom I am to have these three to wake me up and wish me a happy Mother's day!! They were so excited to give me the presents they made in preschool. Hadley asked me every day if it was Mother's Day yet because the sweet little thing couldn't wait any longer! Daxten wanted to know if there was a brother's day! Thanks guys, your smiling faces made my day!

Subtle hints. . .

2011-05-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

On Easter Mason wore this shirt. . .

While I thought the bright orange letters, that practically shout at you, would not go unnoticed, I was pleasantly surprised at how long it took for everyone to catch on to the message!!!!

Yes, we may be crazy but we are preparing to welcome Baby Griffith #4 to our family around the 24th of October. I promised Chad he can deny any knowledge of the events leading up to this decision since he swore that he was finished after Mason.(It took a little doing to convince him that 4 was the magic number for our family! And he is still not sold on it, but we know he'll come around eventually!) We are super excited and super nervous to be adding to our all ready overly energetic mob but hey, the more the merrier, right! Daxten is hoping for another little brother so the boys still out number the girls. He would name a brother Nathan or Nate or Eli! Hadley wants a little sister named Marylin, which is way better than her original name choice of Chubby Butt!! And Mason, well, we are just going to let him live out the last months of his baby reign of terror in peaceful ignorance, seeming as he doesn't really understand anyway! He does talk to the baby though, he gets right down next to my tummy and screams, "Baby Rue, are you in there?" It is pretty cute!

We are excited to see what this new little one will add to the loving, chaotic, craziness that we call our family!!! Yes, baby, maybe joining a zoo isn't exactly what you signed up for, but you can be sure that you will be loved by all the crazy animals that live here!!! We'll see you soon!!!!

Bye Bye Binki!!!

2011-05-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

Wondering what happened to it? Just ask Mase. He will tell you that the Monster ate it GONE!!! Yes, I am one of those mothers that tells my children lies to make things a little easier to swallow. When Hadley was 2 her beloved binki was stolen by the binki fairy and taken to where all the binki's go when babies are too big for them and then, just last week, Mason's was eaten by the binki Monster! He is adjusting pretty well. He only cries for it at nap time. So long binki! Next task, good bye crib. . .

(Sorry Mason for the black mail picture but in my defense you dressed yourself like this and you were pretty proud of your ensemble!!)

Church History Museum!

2011-05-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to the new children's exhibit at the church history museum make a day trip out of it soon!!! It is so cute. My kids love it. It isn't crowded and all though it isn't huge it is free and fun and you can always walk around temple square while you are there. Here are some pictures of all the fun we had!

Spring Fever!!!

2011-05-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE summer time. I am certain that I live in the wrong state because here we don't get enough sunshine to even partially quench my thirst for it. There is something about the feeling of the warm sun beating down on you that just nourishes your soul. Not to mention the warm summer nights sitting on the front porch as the starts peak out and the simple joy of spitting watermelon seeds as the juice drips down your chin!! You can imagine the anguish of such a long drawn out winter. When we woke up to another day of rain/almost snow Dax said to me, "Mom that ground hog sure was wrong, i don't think winter is ever leaving!!" I have to agree, the little furry guy was way off with this years forecast however. . .

We have had some spring like moments that we have particularly enjoyed!!!! The other day while Dax was at school Hadley and Mason and I went for a fabulous wagon ride. We collected wild flowers and rocks to our hearts content and even filled the wagon with dirt that we had to bring home! (As if we don't have enough of our own!)

Daxten couldn't wait for his Dad to get home so that he could convince him to climb the tree out back. He was super excited when Chad agreed!! I got a good laugh when Chad hauled out his gloves and ladder to tackle the task. I gave him such a hard time about it that eventually he climbed it with out the ladder just to prove he wasn't an old man!!

And I couldn't help but long for summer as I watched Mason chow down

on his corn on the cob!!! So cute!!

I will try to make the most of the weather we have but I can't wait for that good ol' summer sunshine!!!!!

Easter Morning!

2011-05-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

It is time like this that I am so grateful that I have children because I have to say that Easter is so much more enjoyable when you get to share it with three enthusiastic egg hunters. All though it is a bit fuzzy, here they are waiting as patiently as they can for the adventure to begin! This was also our first holiday in our new home which made it even more exciting. The bunny hopped at our home in the morning, then at all the various Grandma and Grandpa's through out the day. The spoiled kids made off with more candy then they know what to do with and we really enjoyed spending time with all our family and loved ones!

The Easter bunny brought everyone a brand new cowboy hat!!! We had taken the kids to Cal Ranch a few nights before and they fell in LOVE with the hats and boots. All thought the boots were a little out of the Easter price range the hats were a Hit!! I have to say my boys make pretty handsome cowboys!

Eggstravaganza!

2011-05-02T09:02:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't like to make a plain ol' boring batch of boiled eggs FABULOUS!! This year we didn't get too crazy with our creations but we did have a lot of fun. Well, I take that back. Dax and Chad got a little crazy. When the eggs were gone they decided to try dying other things like, ice cubes and gummy candies and crayons!! (Which made Mom a little crazy!) They were disappointed to learn only the gummy candy changed color.But it was lots of fun. We also went and saw Hop. I say we saw it but I should probably say that Hadley slept through it and Daxten hid through it. He claimed it was scary? (Who knows!) and Hadley, well she was just tuckered out. It was a great "Easter Eve"!!!

Candy Factory!

2011-05-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to take the kids on a tour of the Sweets candy factory for a while so we decided spring break would be the perfect time.

It was pretty awesome!! I am not sure who enjoyed it more, them or me! They got to sample a bunch of the candy and see how it was all made. It really was perfect timing because it was right before Easter because heavens knows you get TONS of candy at Easter! My favorite part was the stylish hair nets we got to wear! Even little Rue had to sport one for the tour! What a bunch of cute candy makers!

Spoiler Alert!

2011-04-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Beware that I might get a little sappy on this entry!!!

I love that Daxten is getting old enough to watch more grown up movies. Not that I don't enjoy watching Mickey Mouse day in and day out, but it is really great that I can sit and enjoy Harry Potter or Night at the Museum with him while the younger kids are napping. The thing about Daxten is that he is really sensitive. He can't handle anything scary, or sad, or the least bit suspenseful. I have learned a trick with him though. He can hand it all, the sad and scary and suspense, as long as he knows how it ends!!! For example, the other day we were watching the 3rd Harry Potter and he was getting nervous but as soon as I spilled the beans about Sirius Black he was good to go! He didn't even bat an eye for the rest of the movie because he knew how it ended. I was thinking the other night about this because things in our family have been kind of crazy.

We have had a lot of things happening, both good and bad, and sometimes I wonder how we ever make it through the tough times. I realized that the wonderful thing about the Gospel and the plan of salvation is that it tells us how our story ends. Just like Daxten, because we know that everything ends happy ever after we are able to make it through the scary and the sad and the uncertain times. It is truly the greatest blessing I could ask for. I am so blessed to have the knowledge that my family is forever and I am grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who allows me to know the ending to our story so that I can truly enjoy living it!!!!

Griffith Family Circus!!!

2011-04-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

First of all, Chad has been out of town for work a lot lately. It isn't too bad but it really takes a toll on the kids. They turn into little devils after a few days of not having Dad around to break things up a bit. So when Chad called to tell us that he wasn't going to be home till really late I had to do something to make the whining and crying and fighting stop!! Well, this is what we came up with!

They were clowns. . .

and amazing tightrope walkers . . .

and gunny sack racers . . .

and circus seals, and lion tamers and anything else we could think of. We had circus popcorn and candy for a snack and it was TERRIFIC!!!!! They are still talking about how fun it was. It really is amazing what you can do with just a little bit of imagination.

Goats!!!!!

2011-04-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Gary was so excited to take the grand kids out to Lake Point to see the brand new baby goat!!! Chad's Uncle Terry has quite a few goats and chickens and pheasants and it is like our own private petting zoo. The kids loved it!!! The baby goat was just 2 days old and was named Hindi! Mason liked the goats but he wouldn't let me pit him down he was way to nervous. He talked about them for days afterwards so I know he really liked it! Hadley and Dax we everywhere though, petting the goats, checking on the chickens and pheasants and just cruising. I loved watching Guy and Hadley run off hand in hand to go see the chickens and count the eggs. Cousins are the best!!! Thanks Grandpa for taking us on another terrific adventure!!!

Random photo of Mason that I just had to include somewhere. Silly kid!!!

Happy Birthday dear Grandma. . .

2011-04-11T08:20:00.001-07:00

While we won't mention which birthday. . . this year was a fun one for Grandma!!!!! The kids put together a bag of silly gag gifts for someone turning, well you know how old you are!!!! They were so excited. They each picked out their own gift for her also. Dax wanted to give her nail polish and Hadley wanted to give he a necklace and earrings. Mase just wanted to eat all her jelly beans! Charity and I also got to take her out for a girls day. We went to Sostanza for a delicious lunch and we got pedicures!!! Hadley even got to join the girls for pedicures, which she LOVES!!!! Talk about a spoiled 3 year old. She just sits and splashes her feet in the water and waits for her turn to get all painted up pretty!! I hope that my Mom had a great birthday. I know we sure had fun!! Love ya Grandma, Happy Birthday!!!!!

St. Patties Day!!

2011-04-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have never been one to get into this holiday but after some great suggestions from some friends I decided that it was about time we got in on the mischievous leprechaun fun!!! The kids decorated a treasure chest the night before and left it in the moonlight waiting for a leprechaun to put his treasure in it. The treasure makes his chest too heavy for him to carry though so he hides it and goes to get help. If the kids find it before the leprechaun comes to get it they can keep the treasure!!! So first thing in the morning Dax comes running in to tell me that their treasure chest is GONE!!!! And they are off on the hunt for the treasure. It didn't take them too long to find the box of goodies. And it didn't take the too long to discover that the leprechaun had been up to mischief. He dyed their breakfast green!!! It was cute because all day anytime they would find anything out of place they would come running to tell me the leprechaun had been up to more mischief!! It was lots of fun and we can't wait to carry on the new tradition next year!

Disney on ICE!!!!

2011-04-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

So These posts are really late in coming but I had to try to get them on here!!!We got to go to Disney on Ice this year and it was AWESOME!!!! I don't know if I loved it more or if the kids did but either way it was well worth the money. Everything Disney does is always amazing. I loved having Hadley sit on my lap because she was sooooo excited by everything and everyone that skated out! She smiled the entire time. Dax wasn't sure that he wanted to go. He really wanted to join Mason at his Grandma's house but I forced him along and I am pretty sure, all though he wouldn't admit it, he was glad he came. It was a great day out with the family!!

Jealous!!

2011-03-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

Every one of my children has done this at least once but every time I can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy!! I mean really, who wouldn't want to eat a yummy meal and then just drift off to sleep! I was vacuuming and had cleared away his dinner. He was content in there so I left him while I finished up and when I came back he was out!!!! And yes, I know he is naked but this little one loves to be naked! Every time I change his diaper he screams naked boy! and tries to run away before I can get him dressed again. It is pretty funny!

Since we are all ready in the high chair I thought I'd add this little video. Mason LOVES to say he prayers. He will say them over and over and over with, or without help. The other night at dinner he must have said them 100 times and he only wanted Daxten to help him. It was way too cute so of course I had to grab my camera!

Kids will be kids!

2011-03-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

I love the silly things that kids do. It never ceases to amaze me how they can find something so simple and be entertained for hours. Lately they have been staying at the hotel! AKA the bottom shelf of our linen closet! They lock themselves in there for hours just hanging out doing not a lot of anything, but they are sooooooo excited about it!! When they finally emerged the other day it was to go on a super hero mission. I had to capture this moment for future generations because these were some great outfits!! Hadley insists on wearing these sports footsie pajamas that were Daxtens. It's not that she doesn't have plenty of girly, cutesy ones, she simply likes these better. Topped of by her super boots and her backwards super cape and her spy glasses she is quite the little fashionista!!!!

Daxten was at least dressed but he also had to sport his moon style super boots, cape and spy glasses as they both zipped around on their super scooters to save the world!!! I love these two!!! They really make life fun!

Livin' it up in the country!!!

2011-03-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

I LOVE being out here in the middle of nowhere. I love that it is silent at night and that the cows wake us up in the morning. I love that the air smells crisp and clean and that even though I have no blinds yet I only have to worry if the farmer is out feeding his horses! I never pictured myself as a country girl but I could definitely get used to this!!

When the snow flew the other morning I loved that Chad decided we were going sledding!!!!

He loaded up the ranger, bought a sled and came home for us! We cruised around the house, around the field and even over to Aunt Lisa's to say good morning! It was AWESOME!!!! The festivities continued most of the day. with a short intermission for the BYU game with Grandpa, Aunt Jenni and Uncle Brian and Uncle Bert!! We were even joined by Uncle Glenn who fired up his ranger and cruised on over for some good cold fun in the snow!! It was all going great until Dad and Uncle Bert decided to do some "extreme sledding!!" and we ended up with a few broken sleds but thankfully no broken tail bones!!! And so, even though I hate the snow, I really can't wait until it flies again!!! Thanks for a great Saturday Daddy!!!!

Little Artists!

2011-03-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Mason got to do his first ever water coloring!!! He loved it and did a great job. By the time he was finished he had officially painted the inside of both his ears blue!!!! He had a well child appointment the following morning and I can only imagine what the doctor was thinking when he looked in his ears to see that they were bright blue!!! I bet that's a new one. Oh well, we just like to keep things exciting!

We do have a few artists in the family and Hadley may have inherited some of their talents. She is meticulous about everything she does. The colors have to be just right and if she colors it has to be in the lines and the right direction. She spends hours painting and coloring and is upset if it is anything less than perfect. She draws pictures of everything, people, bugs, animals, flowers you name it and she'll try it!! I LOVE her enthusiasm!! Dax is just creative!! He doesn't want to do anything the conventional way. He would rather water down his paint and flick it at the paper in a haphazard manner than neatly draw a picture. He has no patience for coloring but he does like to draw! He draws things like, elk for his Dad and a family full of bees with all our names on them!

We also have a few architects in the family so we thought we'd give these kids a shot at it!! Equipped with the tools of the trade, marshmallows and tooth picks they dove right in to the challenge and did great!!!! Dax discovered that triangles are stronger than squares and managed to build a pretty tall building. Hadley just enjoyed making a big long building and Mason just enjoyed the marshmallows!!!

Best Dads EVER!!!!

2011-03-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to inform everyone that I might possibly have the best Dad EVER!!!! It is so cute because he never ever forgets his daughters on Valentines day. I have gotten a variety of gifts from him over the years, I remember balloons and carnations as a kid, chocolates and stuffed animals and a few years a go I even got a chips and dip bowl with chips and dip!! This year, however I got these!!!!!

They were beautiful and the smelled AMAZING!!!! My Dad really is the best, and not just because of the flowers!!! I am pretty sure I was the only kid that could say that I have grown mold in petry dishes, made water rockets, built robots, learned to draw in cad key, practiced algebra during sacrament meeting and made the most awesome glow in the dark spinning solar system complete with black lights!!! He always has an ear to listen and a hug to comfort. He is terrific and I am super lucky to have a guy like him to call Dad!!!
I guess the only other Dad that will ever measure up to mine belongs to my own beautiful daughter. She also has one pretty amazing Dad who brought her these for Valentines day!!! She was sooooooo excited to have her very own beautiful flowers to set up on the counter by mine. She loves flowers of all shapes sizes and colors but these were extra special because they came from her Daddy and they were just for her!! Chad is one pretty amazing Dad. It doesn't matter how tired he is when he gets home he always has time to rough house with the kids and give them all the attention they need. He always takes the time to support them in what ever they do. He is pretty terrific and I have a feeling she too is going to be one spoiled little girl, just like her Momma!!!The kids helped me make a nice dinner for Valentines. We had Chicken Cordon Bleu, twice baked potatoes, broccoli and topped it all off with Dad's favorite dessert, Creme Brulee!!! They also got spoiled with lots of candy and treats from all their grandparents and a trip to the book store for a new book each! It was a great Valentines day and it was so nice to share it with the ones I love most in the whole world!!!!

Gymnastics!

2011-02-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting to start Hadley in gymnastics until it was something she wanted to do, not just something I wanted her to do. Ever since I started teaching her at home she has been begging to start so I finally got her into a preschool class. She LOVES it! (The lighting in the gym is terrible so the pictures are terrible to but I still had to try!)

I am so excited for her to get involved in something that I love and that I can help her with. She is so cute out there doing her tricks as she calls them.

She has such attitude. She climbs into our bed at least once a night and the other morning she came in at about 5, snuggled right next to me and said, "I want a drink and if you don't get it for me I will say stupid one time, and if you still don't get it for me I will say hate one time. and if you do get it for me I will be VERY HAPPY!" needless to say i hated every minute of it but she got her stupid drink!!! i love how she doesn't even have to think while she talks it just comes out, and she scarcely even takes a breath. What a spunky little thing!

TROUBLE!!!

2011-02-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Remember the post where the kids piled the pillows under the crib to rescue the baby! Well, I blame them for this!

Mason has personality plus! In "How to Train your Dragon" terms this boy is a terrible terror or a monsterous nightmare!! I have never loved something so much and yet still wanted to invest in a straight jacket and a muzzle! He is DETERMINED! Determined to climb out of the crib everytime I put him in it, determined to get into every toilet in the house at least once a day, determined that if he can't get in the toilet he is at least going to get the tooth brushes in the toilet, determined to strangle to poor cat and determined to hit everyone and everything! I honestly don't know how we make it through the day. However, he is also determined to give the best hugs ever and to look at me with those huge blue eyes in such a way that it is impossible for me to stay mad for long! So i guess all there is to do is pray for patience!

Birthday Bash Take III

2011-02-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

Sunday night we had all the family over for dinner and cake and ice cream with the birthday boy. He chose to serve grilled ham and cheese sandwiches to all his guest since they are his favorite food! it was a fun night, Dax loves attention and was happy to be surrounded by everyone he loves (well, almost everyone!). He was so excited when he got his gift from his Dad and it was his very own paintball gun!! In fact it is all I can do to keep him from shooting the cows in our backyard!

Things about a 5 year old Dax!

Daxten can read, he doesn't have the patience to sit and do it for very long but I catch him reading all the time! He LOVES to learn about anything and he is really into Dino Dan! A new cartoon that teaches all about dinosaurs. He got this archaeologist vest from Grandma Janna so he can be just like Dino Dan!

He loves music and is constantly putting on pretend concerts for which he gives away tickets to just about anyone he comes in contact with. He also has the wildest imagination, I don't think he picks up more than a single toy in a day but this boy plays all day long. When he wakes up he might be an explorer and then he is a cowboy, then an astronaut, or his new found favorite, the rifleman with his six shooter (thanks Grandpa Bruce!) Dax likes preschool and wants to be every one's friend. I was so proud when his teacher told me that one little girl was having a hard day and so Dax went over and sat by her so she would feel better.

Dax is a great big brother. He takes Mason under his wing and when I force Mason to stay in his crib for a nap it is always Daxten that he cries for. He is also kind to Hadley, he is always concerned that she will feel left out and he is eager to let her be a part. He does do his fair share of pesting though. He is constantly making her scream by shooting something or another at her and he has to make sure that he makes the rules for every game they ever play. I LOVE this kid so much! He has the sweetest smile and is so loving. There is nothing better than when he comes up and says Mom, I have to tell you something. I love you! I hope he know how much we love him! Happy Birthday Little Man!!! We are proud of you!

Little America!

2011-02-18T15:07:00.001-08:00

My most anticipated weekend of the year happens at the end of January when we get to attend the AGC convention. It is the one time I can count on 2 full nights rest seeing at least one movie, eating fabulous food and not having to cook pay or do dishes, and some much needed alone time with my hubby!

The kids look forward to it to because for them it means sleepovers with Grandma and a swimming date with Mom and Dad! My camera was dirty and most my pics are fuzzy but you get the picture!Cousins Guy and Rue came into swim along with Aunt Bri and Aunt Jenni so it made it extra fun!! Since it was Daxten's birthday he got to choose where we went for his Birthday lunch. He choose Red Robin and then said, "What do they have to eat there?!" It was great to have lots of family there for lunch. Dax even got a HUGE piece of cake to celebrate! We were glad to get to spend some time with him on his birthday but we were glad to send them away with Grandma and Grandpa!

We danced on western night, were motivated by one of the top guys at Harley Davidson at the motivational lunch, got a bit formal with music by Jon Shmidt,who was AMAZING, on formal night and stuffed ourselves at brunch! I LOVE BRUNCH! In between we just enjoyed! What a great weekend!

Birthday Boy!

2011-02-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that this little man is five all ready!!! Time flies so fast you don't even see it coming! Dax got extra lucky this year because his Birthday fell on the one Saturday a year that I am out of town. Now I'm sure you are wondering how that is lucky but let me enlighten you. Daxten got to have a party with his friends on Thursday, he got to come into the little America with Mom and Dad on Saturday and then he got to have a sleep over with Grandma Kristy and on Sunday he got to have a family party! Now that is one lucky kid!!! For Daxten's friend party he got to invite his preschool friends and a couple of his cousins. We had a drive in movie party and they built their own cars and watched land before time cartoon. For treats they had popcorn candy and sprite that they bought with tickets. It was a lot of fun and the kids were all so cute and good! He LOVE zebra cakes and so we made him a cake of zebra cakes and kept things simple and fun. Dax has recently decided that his best friend is a little girl from school named Grace. He wanted her to sit by him and I was laughing so hard when she came to the top of the stairs with a popcorn box. I asked her if she needed more and she said, "No. . . DAXTEN needs some more popcorn!" What a great sport.

Dax is also a but bossy, he told all the kids when they could bring up their presents for him! Such a change from the shy little guy he started out as!

Birthday to be continued. . .

Fun times!

2011-01-24T08:32:00.001-08:00

We have been super busy for what seems like forever! Between building, and moving and cleaning and Christmas and everything else that has been happening life just doesn't ever slow down! Sometimes it it is fun just to take a moment to enjoy! Here are some of the silly things that have happened lately!

First, we were walking out of Home Depot right after Christmas an there was a man that was tall and skinny and had a huge white beard. Mason saw him and started saying ho ho ho! ho ho ho!! When we got to the car I asked the kids if they saw the man Mason thought was Santa. hey said yes and then Daxten said, "I know it wasn't Santa Mom, but was it Lorenzo Snow?!"

The kids have been on a mission lately to get the baby out of the crib!! He came toddling in to my bedroom with the kids behind him cheering! YA MASON!!! You did it, you are free!!!!This is how they did it! Unfortunately with all their "help" Mason can now crawl out all by himself. YIKES!!

Hadley was sitting at the counter at my parents house and she was just being cute I told her, Hadley you are so stinkin' cute and she just looked at me and smiled and said, "Then take my picture!" I didn't have my camera so I snaped one with my Mom's. Here is the little sassy pot!!!

She has been practicing her cheer leading stunts with me and she LOVES it! She is pretty daring and jumps right up there. The boys like to et in on the fun to. We even had our own little gymnastics class the other night. It was lots of fun! The kids took these pictures of each other so they are not perfect but it made it even that much more fun!

Mason is also a little TERROR!!! He is a silent little devil and you never know what trouble you are going to find when he disappears but 4 times in the last week this is what I have found, mind you it happens in a matter of seconds!He loves to take off the heater vents and throw things down them and he loves to dump the cat's food and water out and throw the dish in the kitty littler box!!! WOW, I can't keep up with this kid!

But we finally made it into our new home!! It has been nice getting settled and making it a home. I can't wait for the chaos to wind down a bit so we can sit back and enjoy more of the small stuff as a family!!! Here is Hadley sleeping in her new room for the first time. We were here cleaning before the move and she just went in a laid down and fast asleep!!

That DARN cat!!!

2011-01-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

Having a cat has been a lot of fun. The kids absolutely love it to pieces! The cat gets packed around forward, backwards, inside out and upside down. It chases everything and everyone. They have had so much fun. Hadley loves to snuggle with him. She always wants him to sleep in her bed and was super excited to take him for her first show and tell at preschool.

Mason however really really really loves that cat. He is always trying to carry it. The only problem is that he usually carries it by the neck and takes off running before someone can grab it away from him! He will sit and love him for hours. However, the cat is not very smart because all though Mason is really rough to him he still insists on sleeping in the crib with him!!! Now you would think this would just delight Mason but it doesn't. It makes him FURIOUS! He wakes up crying and when I come in to see what is wrong he points and screams CAT!!! Once the cat has been removed he goes right back to sleep. It is pretty funny! Funny thing, the cat likes to sleep in Masons bed so I guess Mason thinks he should sleep in the cat's beds!! We love Squiggles and are having a great time being cat owners! Don't worry though, we haven't forgot about Sage. She still gets plenty of love and attention!!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

I LOVE gingerbread houses. For me Christmas wouldn't be complete with out building at least one. For our Christmas party with my Mom's family we built them. The kids each got their own little one to decorate as they wanted. They turned out sooooo cute!!!

Addy was sweet enough to help my little Hadley and Emma jumped right in to help Dax. I had to laugh when I noticed Daxten adding grapes to his roof!!! Silly thing!

The It was a ton of fun and we can't wait to do it next year.The adults split into teams and attempted to battle it out for the best gingerbread house! I am sad I didn't get pictures of the finished projects but they were awesome!!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning!

2011-01-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we spent at my Grandma and Grandpa Wilson's. It was nice to see my family since we don't make it down there as often as we would like. It was really cool because they have nine children and all nine were there for Christmas Eve this year! The house was super full but the Christmas spirit was contagious. Then we made a quick stop by Grandpa Dave's so Dad could grab a crab leg, a Christmas tradition, and then home to wait for Santa!

Mase wouldn't sit still long enough for the traditional waiting on the top of the stairs picture. He got a peek of the presents and was off as fast as he could go! And guess what Hadley found in her pile?She named him Squiggles! She and Mason didn't even look at their other gifts they were so excited!

Daxten didn't get a xylophone but he did get a guitar, which is even cooler! He loved that and some awesome dinosaur cards with a view master that teach him all about dinosaurs!

Mason's favorite gift was a football! Imagine that, and he even picked it out himself! He just walked around throwing it to or at everyone! It was fun to have Grandma Janna and Uncle Brett around to see what the jolly fat man brought! After all that fun it was off to the Grandparents to open presents with them. !

First stop, Grandpa Gary's famous waffle breakfast! Breakfast on Christmas morning is the best, especially if you don't have to cook it!

Then off to Grandpa Dave and Grandma Trina's. I loved it when they got attacked by their own gift, which was one of Daxten's favorites! Hadley got her very own camera and couldn't wait to start snapping pictures!

Last stop Grandma Kristy and Grandpa Bruce's where the highlight of our visit was that we got to talk to Uncle Chase!!! He sounded so good. My favorite piece of news from him was that he received a live frog as a white elephant gift and that it came from a Vietnamese restaurant in the city he is in!!! We missed him this year and can't wait for him to be home next Christmas!!

My favorite gift the kids got was this homemade puppet theatre from Aunt Charity & Grandma. It fits in the door way and is just adorable!! Daxten's favorite present to give was this spinning stool for Grandpa's garage. He could hardly wait, it was a far cry from the lump of coal he said he was going to get Grandpa!
And the final haul. . . can you say SPOILED!!! I blame the Grandparents!!

The Beginning of the Never Ending Christmas!!!

2011-01-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

What kid doesn't want Christmas to last all year long? This year it made it almost an entire week! We started at Grandma Janna's on Thursday for Christmas with the cousins! It was so cute to see them all lined up waiting to open their presents from Grandma! Having them together made Christmas so much fun!

Hadley kept asking if she could wash her hands. I finally took her in and washed them and then she smiled and announced, "Now I am ready for baby Rue!!" Aunt Bri was sweet enough to let her hold her and Rue fell asleep on Hadley's lap. Hadley sat there and held her for quite a while and sang her lullabies! It was too cute!

The really baby was so cute that she was even more excited to get her very own baby doll! It is so cute to see the little mother in her coming out! What a doll!

Mason was all ready to open his presents! He sat right down on one and started opening another!

And I love the look of excitement on Daxten's face as he watched Guy open this present, I think it almost matches the look on Brocks face!

When he finally got to open his he was super excited to see it was a flying saucer that you control with your hand. Of course he knew all about it because he's seen the commercial!! (in case you didn't know Dax is the king of commercials,he is constantly trying to persuade me to buy something off TV. The most recent being toothpaste that cleans away lots more germs than the other toothpastes!) Christmas with Grandma Janna was lots of fun now onto the next house!!!

Santa. . . take one and take two!

2011-01-03T08:44:00.001-08:00

We were invited to attend a pancakes and pajama party at the elementary school with Grandma Kristy and guess who was also in attendance? You guessed it SANTA!!! The kids did pretty good, Mason wanted to go see him and so did Hadley. Dax wanted to see him but he didn't want to sit on his lap! Hadley told him she wanted toys and Dax told him he wanted a xylophone?! Where did that come from? He is truly unique!At the Griffith Christmas party however. . . I tortured my baby for a picture with the jolly fat man and my big boy wanted nothing to do with him!!! Hadley was nervous but finally posed for her picture and told him that she wanted a pillow pet!

The kids have been pretty good this year though, at least while they were sleeping, so I am pretty certain this guy will be coming to our house soon!!

(My camera somehow got switched to wide mode so all my pictures are tall or wide and I haven't edited them yet but hey, I had to post Christmas!)

Christmas C&G Style!

2011-01-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

In our family it isn't really Christmas until you roast a pig!! Chad's company hosts practically the entire town for their annual Christmas party. In lieu of Christmas card or presents they have a big luncheon for all their clients, friends, family and community members as a way to say thank you for the service, business, and support they give through out the year. Chad's Grandpa was saying that he can't remember the exact year they started the tradition but that he was certain they were close to 40 years, WOW!! Each year there seems to be more and more people in attendance and this year was no exception! Plus this year the girls got to show their C&G spirit, we all got pink C&G hoodies!! Even little Hadley bug!

The kids LOVE the dessert table and I am certain that in attempt to win my little Mason over, everyone that walked by him handed him a sugar cookie! By the end of the party he would bring the cookies to me or throw them in the garbage because he simply couldn't eat another bite! Dax and Hadley had their share also! Daxten was excited because he was finally old enough to hang out late at the office and help cook the pig. He and Chad stayed down there roasting until about 11. What a great was to celebrate!!!

Stuck!

2011-01-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Mason manages to get himself wedged in the railing and then he sits there and screams. . . STUCK, STUCK, STUCK, over and over and over until he gets rescued and then he is right back at it! He is at such a fun age. He says all sorts of things, loved to play and wants so badly to be as big as his brother and sister! We love him to pieces, even if he is a little ham!

SNOW!!

2011-01-03T07:58:00.000-08:00

I was laughing so hard when I found Hadley in the fan box covered with snow a.k.a. smashed up Styrofoam!! She played in there for hours and the Styrofoam was stuck in her hair for days!!! It is always amazing to me that they can play with something so simple forever and yet their toys only last a few moments. I guess I know what she is getting for Christmas!

Temple Square

2010-12-31T16:14:00.001-08:00

The lights at temple square are always so beautiful! This year we were lucky enough to get to see them in near 50 degree weather!!! It was still chilly but it was so nice to not freeze for once!! The kids loved them and they loved seeing the different nativities. What a perfect way to start our holiday season!

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

This Christmas since all of our decorations are packed the kids were in charge of making the decorations for the tree. They painted stars, made paper chains and candy cane reindeer, and laced mittens and stockings. The tree is so cute! I LOVE it! I loved it even more when I found them hand in hand around the tree singing, just like the whos on How the Grinch Stole Christmas!! So CUTE!!! We also got to take a trip to see the elves at Gardener Village!! If I had had time to send out Christmas Cards they would have had the picture of the kids and the elves on them! Merry Christmas!

Brainwashing!!!

2010-12-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

It is an understatement to say that Mason LOVES balls!! He sleeps with them, digs through entire toy boxes just to find them, throws them, kicks them, and hides them from his brother and sister! We were out to eat the other day and he spotted the soccer game on the TV, on the other side of the restaurant, and started screaming, BALL, BALL, BALL!!!!! He will sit down to watch any sport on TV better than he will watch a cartoon! I think it is safe to say he is obsessed! And that of course, makes his Daddy very proud! They have this little thing going where Chad throws his hands up in the air and Mason screams, "FOOTBALL!!" It is so funny. I attempted to get the same response from him, and while it isn't quite as good it is still pretty funny!

(The video won't upload. . . to be continued!!!)

LEAVES!!!!!

2010-11-29T08:54:00.001-08:00

Mason HATED them!!!!

The kids LOVED them!!

Cutest New Cousin!!!

2010-11-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

The kids have been waiting and waiting to meet their newest cousin, Baby Rue!!! She was born in October but we have been a bit under he weather and wanted to make sure everyone was well before we took them to meet her. She is BEAUTIFUL and they can't stop talking about her. They all ready love her. Congrats Aunt Bri and Uncle Brock on your beautiful baby girl!! And Guy on the sweetest little sister, she is lucky to have such a great big brother!!!

The Big Buck!

2010-11-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Chad was lucky enough to be able to go deer hunting on a friends land this year and while this wasn't the deer he really wanted he had a blast!!! The kids were so excited to see Dad's BIG BUCK!!!

I, however, was praying that this would not happen!! I know it is evil to pray against something that my husband really wants but I DETEST deer meat and I hate paying to process it. I am happy for him though, congrats on a successful hunt!!

Halloween!

2010-11-03T08:25:00.001-07:00

Bowling

2010-11-03T08:11:00.001-07:00

We got to take the kids bowling the other night to celebrate Aunt Jenni's birthday. They loved it! Especially Mason!! It was so cute to watch him. First he LOVES balls so he went crazy in a place filled with them. Next he would get so excited! He would push his ball down the ramp and then stand and clap and bounce up and down watching it go down the lane. The excitement didn't wear off either, he wold get that excited every time he had a turn, which was every other ball because he got to bowl for me and Chad and Grandpa! It was much more fun to watch him than to bowl ourselves!

"HAT-itude!!!"

2010-10-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Every time I turn around this little guy has found another hat!! It is so cute to find him just randomly sitting or playing with someones hat on! He has got quite the little HAT-itude!!!

My big kids won these glow in the dark teeth at a Halloween Carnival and insisted on posing for some pictures to see how scary they were!!!

The Witches!!!

2010-10-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Gardner Village take III!!! I can't believe that this is the third year we have ventured to the witch festival but every year we love it even more! The kids found all the witches on their scavenger hunt, ate yummy cookies, played with their aunts, cousins, and grandmas and had TONS of SPOOKTACULAR FUN!!!

Fall Colors!

2010-10-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

I love escaping up the canyon in the fall to see all the beautiful colors. This year the kids had a blast finding acorns!! The collected all the ones they could find with thier "hats on"! It was so nice to enjoy the great outdoors a bit more before the snow flies.

Proud Father and Grandfather Moment!!

2010-10-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

There are certain events that Dad's and Grand Dads just look forward to from the moment the doctor says, "It's a boy!!" This, in our family, was a BIG one!!!!

With a little help from Dad and Grandpa he was eventually able to shoot the can all by himself! Great job buddy! And congrats to Daddy and Grandpa I think you all ready have him hooked, he is all ready asking for his own gun. . . YIKES!