Big time catch up!

Where did the summer go?! Seriously with how busy we were it was like one long day dream. I don't even know where to start to catch up my blog. I guess we will go back to June and start there. We were so busy I know I will forget about half of the things we did, but hopefully my pictures will help me remember which I am just barely downloading on the computer today! So here we go starting with the last day of school. The kids had a field day the last part of the day so the boys and I walked down and snapped some pics.

Macee and her friend Katie pulling hard!

Annie and Zach (we are going to Disneyland with him and his family in November! We can't wait!)

Grandpa Griffin got chickens last spring. The kids sure thought they are cute. Now they are big and ugly but starting to lay eggs.

Hey mom...

Carter: Hey mom, can I have another fruit snack?
Me: No, you just had one.
Carter: I will give you $100 bucks.
Me: Really, ok I will take $100 bucks.
Carter: Ok, one second...

He proceeds to go raid his sisters piggy bank and brings me a dollar. Needless to say I caved and gave him one because he is so darn cute!

Another Carter potty training story. We keep telling him that if he poops on the toilet we will go buy a toy (yes, sometimes we bribe, judge how you may:)). So the other day he asks for his diaper so he can go poop. So instead of cleaning it out of his underwear once again I put a diaper on him.

I sit down to feed Dylan and Carter goes and does his thing. He comes back and says can we go get a toy now. I say, "no, you have to go on the potty." So he goes back downstairs, takes off his diaper and dumps it in the toilet. Hmmm....sneaky right, well mom didn't fall for that one. Silly kid!!

Camping

Nels and Carter went on their first father/son camping trip May 15-16. They went up by Red Lodge with the stake. Carter had a blast and felt pretty special that he was the only one that got to go. He keeps telling me now that girls can't go camping (I told him that girls can do whatever they want to :)). Here at home I had 2 upset girls because they didn't get to go. So we had a girls night out along with a cousin sleepover. I think that a Father/Daughter Camp out is needed here real soon.

Nels and Carter at the Waterfall

Carter on the hike (Nels said he did great) he even picked me a flower and brought it all the way home to me.

The next weekend we were out camping again. We met Charles, Janis, Tate, and McKay up at Indian Hill (half way between here and Great Falls). We had a great time and Uncle Tate and McKay were great at giving lots of 4-wheeler rides and entertaining the kids.


Tate teaching how to skip rocks

Dylan's first camping trip. He did great, we hope to go lots more!

Doing our favorite thing: Making Smores!

What do you do when...

Your 3 year old, who is potty training, pees down your vent instead of in his toilet....

Happy Birthday Carter!

Today Carter is 3 years old! It's kind of funny because the three older kids's birthdays are all about one month apart and all were on Mondays. We decided we needed to do something fun today so we went to the zoo with my sister and Carter's best buddy and cousin Griffy. We fed the horses, goats, and ducks. Then we finished off with a picnic and playing on the playground. Tonight we will have an ice cream Spider Man Cake and open presents.

Carter is such a sweet little guy, but can be mischeivious at the same time. Here are some of the top reason why I love my little guy:

1. He is my first baby boy. We were so excited to be getting a boy after 2 girls. We almost didn't believe the doctor when he told us he was a boy.
2. When I tell him I love him he always says, "Thanks Mom."
3. He always asks me to come play toys with him. I need to do it more often because my opportunities are slipping away.
4. He is fearless. My girls are scared of anything that moves, but not Carter. He is always in the middle of things. My dad has pigs and while the girls won't go near them, Carter will go stand in the pen and just watch them.
5. He is a wonderful little helper. He loves to help with dinner and stir things for me. When it is time to clean up, he is notorious for disappearing.
6. He has a little serious side to him. It is hard to get him to crack a smile when he doesn't want to, he will just ignore you. We were planting potatoes with my dad a few weeks ago and he was all business.
7. He is a sweet big brother to Dylan (most of the time). Dylan has gotten a few toys to the head lately.
8. When we go to the auction to visit Nels he raids everyone's desk for candy (especially Grandma's).
9. Every night when Nels comes home from work, he hears the garage door open up and runs to hide in the pantry or under the desk. When Nels comes in, he jumps out, hits him on the leg and then takes off.
10. He always has to give the girls a hug and kiss on the cheek before they go to school. If he doesn't get a chance to, he throws a big fit.

I love my little guy and am so grateful for his fun personality in our home. He is my little buddy and helper, until dad comes home.

Flyin Kites

We were bored over Easter Vacation so we went and got some kites. The wind was perfect and the kids kept their kites up really good, even Carter kept his up all by his self.

"Ballin' Mothas"

Today I had the chance to play in a 3 on 3 basketball tourney up at MSU-Billings. Cressida Carrol (an old friend that I played with for a couple years in high school who is also a member of the church, she is just a few years older than me), and Libbie Oram (a girl from my ward who also played college ball in Colorado and in Great Falls) got together and decided to play in this tourney. We called ourselves the ballin' mothas because we have 8 kids between the 3 of us, me having half of them. I must say I was pretty nervous becuase it has been FOREVER since I have played in a tourney. We ended up taking second place to 4 former college players (2 who played for the Griz, one played for MSU-B and overseas, and the other played for Rocky). And they only beat us by 6 points. I must say I was pretty impressed with how we did. Nels was a good sport to bring all the kids to watch and cheer us on. It was super fun and we hope to do it again next year.

Us waiting for the next game (me, Libbie's husband and daughter, Libbie, and Cressida).

Chatting with the other team, yea we beat them! lol