St Patty's Day -- a little late

When we first started dating Tanner thought my family was weird

because we decorated for E.V.E.R.Y. holiday.

Now he enjoys that I do fun things for the kiddos (and him).

This year I didn't start thinking about it until 10 pm

the night before.

I got up early and whipped up some french toast

with shamrocks in it and some

delicious green Caramel Pancake syrup

that "looked like slime"

After the kids got home from school they found

a little note from a leprechaun named

Sneaky O'Lannigan who had left a scavenger

hunt for them. So off they went. . .

The hunt took them all over the neighborhood and I

was struggling to keep up with them.

They were so excited and I love that they still

believe in all things fairytale.

There were gold coins at each clue and the final

treat was a bag full of green treats.

Needless to say my completely restless night

of planning was a total hit, even if it did

mean I was scrambling the whole day to pull it off.

Hopefully next time I'll remember to start planning

more than a few hours in advance.

Mega Trip (part 3)

Utah trip - everything else

This is my nephew Zach (the whole reason we were out there). This morning he left for his mission in Ghana. We are so glad we got to spend time with him before he left. He serenaded us all week with his mad piano skills and we will miss hearing and seeing him for the next 2 years.

Lots of swimming in the pool. It fluxuated between 95 and 105 degrees!

This was an attempt at swim lessons but the pool was too freakin' hot! You can tell by how red Brynn's cheeks are. They kept climbing out to lay on the freezing concrete.

When Zach first tried to get him in Hud said "I don't know how to swim. I only know how to drown!" He made huge strides this week though. He's in a good place now - cautious but not scared.

Lots of schoolwork. The kids got a retarded amount of homework for their independent contracts. McKay was a total stud helping Bryson everyday. Made my day WAY easier.

Lot's of iPod Touch time. The kid is seriously obsessed with technology.

Lots of relaxing in the theatre. Wish I had a room I could go into, shut the door, and not hear another sound in the house:-)

Lots of wrestling. I watched Heidi's kids for a few hours cuz she was out of town and Marc was working. The boys always play awesome together.

Man Down!!!

But really though we just went to play with these little guys. They are so stinkin' cute but I'm so happy they didn't come with me.

Lots of people. Most of the family, minus a few stragglers. I think we total around 40 now

And last but not least. . . . our special kid! Somehow things are always backward on him!?!?

Mega Trip (parts 1 and 2)

Rick and Debi Meinzer's house

I tried to spare you all the crazy amount of crack that was exposed this day so you can thank me now. This is Monday at Rick and Debi's house. Rick brought his guys Oscar and Alfonso over to catch the fish and drain the pond. This was the highlight of my boys' life so far. They have not lived until now. I'm afraid all their other uncle's don't hold a candle to Rick after the pond drainage experience.

#1 - catching the fish (note: we start with clothes on)

#2 - pond half way down. Hud - half way naked

#3. Sorting the fish (the koi and trout mated so they had to be separated again)

Yes, that's snow in the background. Any chance to get naked though, right?

#4. Bryson decided to help sort piles of dead fish (still fully dressed)

$5. Might as well dig in and help while you can. This was before Rick started throwing the fish at him.

#6. Found a comfy spot on a cold hard rock

#7. Fine. I'll take my shirt off too. Then I'll torture some more 1/2 dead fish

#8. Who needs pants? It's almost 50 degrees outside. Practically hot!

When Jacob got home from school a bunch of neighborhood boys followed him down to the pond to check it out. Hudson was watching from the window and had a FIT when the boys got near his fish. He told Jacob "It hurt my feelings when you were playing with my fish because they are really super special to me!" (they are also DEAD, I might add) He also told Tanner "Hey this is cool! I can squish their eyeballs out!" (oh yea!)

Visit with the Browns

Some of the kids loved sliding down the stairs . . .

. . . and some did not. At all.

Cute little mini Brian. or Max.

Bryson loves his babies

They may not know it but they will be married one day:)

We got to hand out with the Brown's most of the day on Saturday and it was wonderful. We miss them so much and its always so fun to get together with them. It's so easy and natural and feels just like old times. We wish we could see them more often but we're glad they are the kind of friends we will always be close with.

Boy was I wrong!!!

From 2 weeks on I have been about 99.9% certain we were having a girl. I've told pretty much everyone who asked that I thought it was a girl, convinced the kids it was a girl, tried to find a girl name I like, and bought a pink purse for a diaper bag. I almost bought 4 coordinating outfits for a family picture-- 2 boy, 2 girl.

I can't believe I was soooo wrong!

The baby was flipping all over the place but I still can't feel any movement.

That's his butt with two femurs and another appendage:)

Looks like the same profile of my other two boys

We went to the mall in Utah and did this with all the kids. They got to watch a big plasma screen of their new baby brother. We saw him moving and swallowing and waving to us. Brynn tried to hold it together after we found out the sex but when we walked out she broke down. Which, of course, totally made me cry too. She wanted a baby sister soooooo bad. We have since been thinking of all the little girls we know who don't have any sisters.

Tanner and I don't care what the baby is as long as its a good baby. I'm feeling like it might be. This pregnancy has been cake (most of the time I don't even feel pregnant anymore) and hopefully the baby will be easy too. We are sad though that Brynn doesn't get a little sister. She would have loved it. Come August she'll love her baby brother though. She just doesn't know it yet.

Life in HD

I'm a week late in posting this but I've been too tired and lazy to get around to it. I can't believe my little baby is already 3!

My favorite sayings of late:

Mom: "How did you get to be 3 already? You were supposed to stay my baby forever."

Hud: "Okay Mom, I will."

The dog was chewing on the front of his shirt the other night and Hud said "Oh my gosh. He's trying to drink my milk. From my nipples!"

Mom: "Don't jump on my belly, you'll squish the baby."

Hud: "UGGHHHH! How much longer is it gonna be in derr? I hate babies!"

Leaving the store one day the clerk said thanks for coming in. Hud replied "Yerrrr Welcome! Mom, was that sooo cute that I said that?"

Everytime we ask him to do something he doesn't want, like take a nap, he says "Why do I always have to do dis all duh days?" (a combo of all the time and all day long)

While I was in the bath someone came to the front door and he was talking to them through the window. I asked him if it was Grandma and he said "No, just another human!" Oh, good. That totally clears it up.

Bryson: "You're too little."

Hudson: "I not wittle. I just smaller dan you."

When I say: "You're a big boy, you can do it" I get (Hud) "Noooo! I just teeny guy. I yer baby." (note that this has only been the case since the announcement of another baby.)

After peeing in our bed one night Tanner got up to make him go potty and Hud's in the bathroom crying "Dad I can't! There's no more pee-pee in my pee-pee. Its all gone!" (cuz its all over my bed!)

Hud is really obsessed with kissing lately. We were watching music videos on YouTube when he said, "Ughhh, when are they gonna start KISSING?!"

We could get used to this

We decided it was time to give YESCO the boot. It was long overdue. The first four years were great and we got 2 really awesome trips out of it. We are now officially self-employed and loving it. Tanner no longer has to report to someone else, spend hours in traffic everyday, work with people he doesn't like, at a job that no longer pays well. We are ecstatic. I'm not sure who's the most excited.

Bryson loves that: we both get up and get him ready for school; Dad is always waiting for him outside his classroom; Dad does homework every night with him; and he's always around.

Brynn loves that: she can roll out of her bed and into ours with her dad; Dad picks her up on time (unlike her mother); with Dad at home, Mom gets to stay and watch her dance every week.

Hudson loves that: he gets both parents all to himself, every day; he can wrestle with Dad ALLLL day long; Dad goes on errands with us and that totally cramps mom's style.

Kim loves that: she doesn't have to get all three kids out the door at 7:30 every morning; her naps get top priority now; she only has to walk to school twice instead of 4 times everyday; eventually she will be able to run errands by herself without the whole family.

Tanner loves that: he's making up for all the time he was away last year; he gets to join 'family nap' every day; he can stay in comfies all day like his wife while working on the computer; his family is thrilled to have him around allll the time.

So if anyone knows some farmers who want to use organic fertilizer we lovingly refer to as "Bio-Crap" give us a call. I know a hot guy who sells it.

Family Update

Obviously its been a while since anyone has heard from us. We moved from Reno on January 2, back to our hometown. The move went well, especially since it was our first one ever. Still, not looking forward to doing it again anytime soon. We were able to get the kids in school, by the skin of our teeth. Its been soooo weird to see all the same teachers that I had as a kid and walk around the campus that I know so well. Brynn's adjusting well and Bryson's having a little more difficulty. It makes me sad that he doesn't feel comfortable yet. He was nervous about not making friends and about 10 minutes after we pulled into the driveway 2 boys from the neighborhood came over and he was happy as a clam. The school schedule is difficult. I'm at the school 4 times a day (fortunately I can walk when its not raining) and it starts at the crack of dawn. Its been hard to get used to that. We really like the neighborhood and the ward and its nice being someplace familiar. So here's an update of the things we've been up to in the last 6 weeks.