Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

Over the weekend, we got 22 inches of snow. We woke up Saturday morning to this out our bedroom door. The kids were in their snow clothes and out the door just before 8 AM. Obviously soccer games were cancelled and we were able to hang out for most of the day. Nels cleaned and organized the storage room for me while I went to help a friend clean her house for a few hours because she was moving. The kids where in and out of the house about 50 times with lots of hot chocolate breaks. Nels was the snow man maker and we all got into a snow ball fight. We had a great day together and lots of fun being able to play with the kids outside. Hopefully it will do this again over Christmas Vacation!

Nels and Carter shoveling the snow before it got too deep. The snow kept falling and on Sunday morning we had 22 inches. We only had Sacrament meeting because half of the ward (including us was without power and some others were snowed in up at Rehberg Ranch). We had to go to mom and dad's to shower and get ready for church.

Working on the snowman.

Sledding down our little hill in the back yard.

I love snowy days and hope we will have lots more this winter!!! Just a little update on me, I am 31 weeks along and will maybe post a belly picture someday (maybe). I was just released from Young Womens on Sunday after more than 4 years. I am a little sad, but also relieved to have some more free time before and after the baby is born. My new calling is Relief Society teacher once a month (my dream calling). I start going to the doctor every two weeks now, which has me feeling a little nervous. I have started Christmas shopping, but have a long ways to go!!

Gardens, Football, and Aunt Lacee

My dad grew a big garden again this year. He has always loved to garden and since they sold the ranch and moved, it has been a few years since he has been able to grow one. He has made this garden out front of the Auto Auction and has been trying to get the soil good enough to plant. This year he worked real hard and had a great garden. I actually feel kind of guilty reaping all the benefits from his hard work. So I got to freeze some corn, beans, and make spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes. The little boys sure had a good time helping too. Too bad the girls where in school and had to miss out on all the fun.
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We also got to go to Fairfield a few weekends ago just for a visit and to watch Uncle Tate play football. He is #11 and is by far the best player on the team! The last two games he has scored a touchdown in each game! GO UNCLE TATE!! The kids had fun watching the game and playing under the bleachers. We also had a good time just hanging out and visiting.



We also got a visit by the funnest Aunt ever last weekend. Aunt Lacee came all the way up from Texas just to come visit everyone here in Billings. She stayed with us last Saturday night and brought lots of fun things to do with her. She came to the girls soccer games, we drug her around Cost Co for awhile and then while the boys where at Priesthood we decorated Halloween cookies and Lacee showed the girls some sweet cheerleading moves. I thought I had pics on my camera but can't find them for some reason. Annie and Macee where in heaven with her around and she was voted by far the best funnest aunt ever. She is not afraid to get down and dirty with the kids!

Please Help!

So it has been a few weeks since the girls have started back to school. Annie is in 2nd grade and Macee is in Kindergarten. I thought things would slow down a bit since Carter would be the only one I have home. Boy I was mistaken. Since school has started Macee and Carter have both had the flu. Soccer has started for both Annie and Macee with practices and games 3-4 times per week. Not only do I hardly get anything accomplished during the day with my sweet little Carter glued to my leg every second wanting me to entertain him. But it seems that he feels the need to throw a huge tantrum when I won't give him what he wants. This morning he came and climbed in bed with me about 6:20. Macee wasn't in too long after that and once she saw Carter was already in bed with me World War 3 begun. She was upset because she wanted Carter out of the bed and that she was the only one who could get in my bed in the morning. So between the hitting, kicking, trying to keep her off of Carter, and her yelling at me to take him back to his own bed I kept thinking to myself, "Where did I go wrong?" Oh, by the way she still comes upstairs in the middle of the night and wants to sleep on our floor. So we have again compromised with letting her sleep on the couch. BIG MISTAKE on our part. I seriously don't know what to do with her sleeping habits and tantrums. So I get her settled down and we proceed to start to get ready for school. (Oh, another thing, full time Kindergarten is hard on little kids. She told me after the first week that school is not the place for her and that she doesn't belong there. So with a little chat that everyone has to go to school and trying to ask her questions to see if something had happened that day at school, we agreed that she could bring her favorite blanket with her in her backpack in a pocket where no one would see it. That has seemed to help a little bit.) So anyways I get them off to school and I pick up after the hurricane of the morning and then I jump in the shower. While I was in there Carter had gotten into my vitamins and gotten the lid off of them and got a good taste of them. He came in and told me he threw up and I am thinking "oh crap" because he had the flu on Monday. So I get out, clean him up and ask him where he threw up. He leads me to the open bottle of vitamins with a few chewed up on the chair. So long story short after a call to poison control they said he should be ok. This has been the story of my life the last few weeks and something needs to change or I am going to go crazy!
So the last few days I have done a lot of praying for patience and wondering where did I go wrong? Baby #4 comes in 3 months and I can't seem to keep control of my two youngest ones! We have to figure out what to do with Macee's sleeping habits and tantrums. I also need to figure out how to make Carter happy during the day. We have tried to have play dates, going to the park, walks, and just staying out of the house because he likes to be on the go. This afternoon he actually came downstairs to play and I am thinking, "Oh good, I can get dinner going." Well this is what he was up too....





So this is what he had to do...



Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for me? I know that this phase shall pass and I keep trying to tell myself they are only young once and to choose my battles.

On a happier note Annie is doing great in school and I really like both of the girls teachers. Annie is a great big sister and does her best to help me out. I love all of my kids very much and I do feel very blessed to be able to stay home with them. Some days are just better than others. I am learning and trying to figure out what works for each of them because they are all so different. Anyways, tonight I decided that we needed to have a good family night so we made homemade pizzas and mini carmel apples for dinner. Now we are watching a movie with the kids and will soon get them to bed and then Nels and I can watch our movie and RELAX!

Our First Pet Funeral

Annie's Beta Fish died on Monday so we had to hold our first pet funeral. I felt pretty bad for her, this is the first thing she has had die. So for family home evening and to cheer Annie up we went and got her a new one. So needless to say everything is ok now.

We buried the fish out front in the flower bed and Annie said a few nice words and that was that. Hopefully this fish will do a little better.
This is just a random picture from girls camp last month. My little Young Women has been wanting to braid my hair for a long time and I told her she could do it at girls camp. So as soon as I got up there she corn-rowed my hair. She did a great job, but I felt totally bald with it being braided so tight.

It's a.....

So most of you have probably heard that we are expecting another little BOY!!!!! We had the ultrasound last Friday and everything looks great. We took the kids with us so they could see the baby and understand what was going on a little more with mom's growing waistline. The girls thought it was pretty neat, especially the 3D where you can really see the baby's features. Macee wondered why he looked yellow and why he was smelling his feet. Annie knew it was a boy, Dad and Macee thought it was a girl and I kind of thought it could be a boy, but wasn't for sure. Annie has been right with every baby we have had. With her around we don't need ultrasounds!

I have always wanted 2 boys and 2 girls and having them grouped together is even better. We are so excited and ready to get ready for this little guy.

He's a Big Boy!

We moved Carter into a big boy bed the other night. It was hard for me to move him out of his crib because he wasn't able to climb out of it. But to make room for the new baby we had to make some changes.

He has done great and looks like such a big boy sleeping at night. It is sad how fast they grow up!
He has also become interested in going potty on the toilet. I may try that obstacle when the girls go back to school next week.

Happy 9th Anniversary!!

Can you believe it! Nels and I have been married for 9 years today! As Grandma Beverly says 9 years ago the Tornado hit Salt Lake. Good thing we were married in Logan Temple, but we did get some aftermath of the storm there (thank goodness it was after pictures).

As I look back on that day I can't believe it has already been 9 years. It's crazy to think how much has happened these last years. Baby #4 is on the way, Nels made it through school with a Masters, we have been blessed with a wonderful job, great kids, a loving family who are such a great support, and most of all I really still don't understand what I did to deserve Nels. Each day I realize more and more how perfect he is for me. He balances me out and has such a great sense of humor it's hard to stay mad at him for too long.

Here are some of the reasons why I fell in love with him. On our first date he gave me goosebumps the first time he touched me. I knew he was someone pretty special. I was sure hoping he would give me a call the next day and he did. From our first date, we saw each other every day until I came home for the summer in April (our 1st date was Jan. 9th, 1999). I grew up knowing most of his family and knew what great people they were so I thought if he looked like a Stott he must have some of the same qualities they did. He opened every door for me and payed for every date (this I was not used too). The first time I met his mom she came down to visit him and he even opened her car door to let her out, I was very impressed by this and knew that he had a great love for his mom to treat her so well. He has such a great sense of humor and I never felt awkward around him. He was very creative and came up with some fun dates. He stood up for me when his roommate said he could date someone better (needless to say I didn't like this roommate very much, I still don't to this day). Oh yea, we can't leave out that I thought he was HOT (don't worry honey, I still do)!!

On a side note, my girls just came up the stairs talking to each other saying, "Love is Crazy" where they got that, I don't know.

To sum it up, Nels is the perfect guy for me and I love him so much. These last 9 years have been wonderful and I couldn't ask for anything more. Nels balances me out in every way, he is ambitious and takes great care of us. He is gentle, kind, patient, has a strong testimony, and he still loves to take me out on dates. He likes to hold hands when we go for walks, he watches chick flicks with me, he encourages me to pursue the things I love to do, he is compassionate when I am pregnant and eats with me late at night so I don't feel like a pig. He is honest and we can have "heart to heart" conversations. He is great to help me when I need it and he calls me several times a day just to see how I am doing. He also gives me foot and back rubs almost every night. He makes me want to be a better person and always has encouraging words when I get discouraged. I could keep going, but these are just a few reasons why I love him so much.

So here's to you hun, Happy Anniversary! Thank you for all that you do, you make my life truly wonderful!! I love you!!