Christmas 2013

Almost caught up!

Christmas was great this year! The boys had so much fun and LOVED opening their presents.

I made the boys BYU pajama pants, thinking they would love them. Only Bacon wears his. I guess I'll make something else for them this year!

Pach made quite the leap this year with gift giving. He put A LOT of thought into what he wanted to get everyone. It was really quite sweet. He did a little help thinking of what to get Dad but he really wanted to get everyone something they would like.

Our annual Christmas ornament. 

Letter for Santa. He especially loved the homemade peanut butter cup and
peppermint bark. Yum, yum!

Pach and the advent calendar.

Ready for bed so Santa will come!

Santa has come. We're ready to open the presents!

First were our "stockings". 

Pach opening a present from Santa.

Pickle opening a present from Santa.

Bacon opening a present from Santa.

Baby Dino got a new Christmas Sweater. He never gets left out.

Dad opening his present from Pach. Of course, he needed help.

Pickle's present to dad. Dad needed some help.

Bacon helping dad open the present from him. Dad just can't open
these by himself. Wrapping jobs are adult proof or something! :)

Me and my 80's Glam Sharpies!! LOVE THEM!!

Everybody helping dad open another present.

We opened a present from Pach. And he took a great picture of us too!

The boys "ooohhhing" and "aaahhhing" over the table dad made them.
Now they have a place to play cars and Legos!

Thanksgiving 2013

Yes, I am still playing catch up from last year!!!

Thanksgiving was fun. This year Tim's sister and her family from Mexico came up for the holiday.

We had a feast and then after we had napped, Tim and the boys put up the Christmas tree and we decorated a lot of the house. Not all of it but some. The boys had a great time, as usual. They LOVE decorating for any holiday but especially Christmas.

Pachman's Lego Turkey.

Close up shot of homemade cranberry sauce.

They look thrilled, don't they?

Everyone is ready to feast. 

Cute little Bacon and Pachman being silly.

Handsome Pachman.

Crazy Pickle. Can always count on him for a funny
or crazy picture.

No Thanksgiving is complete without olives on your fingers.

Bacon deep in thought. 

This one just made me laugh. I love his "enthusiastic" face!!

Halloween

The boys had a great time with Halloween last year.

First up was Halloween Happening at the elementary school. The boys had a great time and were so good for me. Tim was gone, so we went solo. I had to work the petting zoo and they stayed close and hung out. After that they got to ride the horse (which they all loved), play a bunch of games and of course, get candy. They also got to eat free popcorn and snow cones. At the end they wanted to buy some glow necklaces but I only had enough for 2. A gentleman standing by us bought a third one for us. It was really very nice and all 3 boys came home happy.

Next up wasTrunk-or-Treat at church. Tim was gone again, so we hitched a ride with a friend and she passed out candy for us. The boys LOVED it and got lots of candy. They got to walk around with some friends and came home with A LOT of candy. They enjoyed going with my friend. They love their Martha!

Lastly, Halloween day! Pach had a parade at school, so I packed up the younger two and headed to the school to watch and take pictures. They were all dressed up too! Everyone was so excited! And then of course, TRICK-OR-TREATING!!!!  Tim was home for this activity and we headed over to a friend's house for dinner before and then trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. It was a lot of fun and totally crazy! I am just so grateful for wonderful friends. Bacon is a lot slower than the older boys, especially when something like candy is involved. They went ahead with a bigger group of older kids and I didn't have to worry. They all had a lot of fun. After the candy looting, we headed back to the friends house to watch a movie. The boys had a great time.

Luke Skywalker ready for school.

Optimus Prime ready to take Luke to school.

Happy little Buzz ready to take Luke to school.

My three little men ready for Halloween.

Luke, Optimus and the Eagle.

Batman and Optimus.

Pach changed for Trick - or - Treating. Fun with friends.

Fun with friends for Trick - or - Treating.

Durango and the Train Ride (finally!)

 Last March (2013), we had planned a family vacation that was cut short since Bacon got another ear infection and was throwing up. We finally finished it in October of last year with the Steam Train Ride from Durango, CO to Silverton, CO.

It was somewhat of a crazy adventure. Tim's parents had come for a few days and watched the boys while we went got to spend some time to ourselves. Then we packed everyone up and headed down to Mexico to drop Grandpa and Grandma off with Tim's sister and her family. She had just had a baby, another little girl.

We tried to start the van and it wouldn't start. Tim thought it was because the radio had been on and the doors open while we packed. We jumped it and took off. We stopped in Lordsburg, NM for lunch at a McDonald's and when we got out the van would start. Luckily there was a nice gentleman leaving and he helped us out. We drove to the US/Mexico border to make the grandparent switch and that was a crazy road! There were huge grasshoppers all over! We stopped just outside the border crossing station and the boys, with grandpa, picked off the dead ones from our grill using sticks.

We made the switch and the van wouldn't start. Thankfully we were able to get it going with the help of our brother-in-law and headed on towards Albuquerque. We stopped at an auto parts store and bought a new battery. Not what we had planned but it sure was nice! We made it to our hotel and were so happy! Tim was able to use his points and we got a free night at a Marriott. I officially decided after that night we are no longer a 1 hotel room family. We need 2 rooms for all of us to sleep well! I was sandwiched in between Pach and Pickle. I ended up sleeping along the bottom of the bed and then finished the night off next to Bacon, who was sleeping with Tim.

We made a stop at Target on the way out of Albuquerque. The boys needed some winter gear. They weren't selling it yet in Tucson. Pach was happy with matching Angry Birds Space gloves and hat. The other boys just got hats.

We made it to our hotel in Durango and promptly headed to a place to eat. Tim had been there before and really liked it. We had placed our order and just gotten our drinks when Bacon decided to throw up. Yep, what a way start! AAAGGGGHHHHHH! Tim took him out to get him cleaned up while our table got cleaned up, we changed our order to go and left. I did get to eat my clam chowder when it was still hot. The burger I ordered was ok. I'm sure if we'd eaten the food fresh and hot, it would have been amazing! And that was the only incident with Bacon. I did have to go out and buy some laundry detergent to wash clothes though. *sigh*

The next morning, we packed up sack lunches and snacks and headed out to the train! The boys were so excited!!! The love trains! We got pictures and they could hardly contain themselves. The train ride to Silverton was beautiful! There was a river and of course, lots of trees, shrubbery and general greenary. The older boys were so excited because we got to buy hot chocolate from the food car. It was really cold! They took turns looking out the window and we had to be careful they didn't stick their heads too far out the window. There were lots of smiles! Bacon and I took a nap during the 4 hr ride.

In Silverton we walked around a little bit. We got a patch for our collection, a pin and deck of cards for me the boys each got a train patch and a little engine. We had lunch down by the river. The boys spent a lot of time throwing rocks in the river and running all over. We did manage to get them to eat most of their lunch during that time. They were just in heaven! And it had warmed up, which was really nice. We bought some fudge and then got on the train to head back.

Bacon did not do as well on the way back to Durango. He enjoyed it for awhile and then was ready to get off the train. I ended up taking him to an open car. He did better there and eventually fell asleep. I took him back to our regular seat and took another nap too! After we got back, we found a nice little Italian place to eat and everyone was happy. Pach got the spaghetti and meatball for kids. Yes, just one meatball but it was huge! I think it the size of a baseball but it could have been slightly bigger.

We got back to the hotel to take baths and start packing up. I thought all the excitement was over but I was wrong. Bacon had a diaper issue and I ended up doing 2 more loads of laundry. He couldn't have been wearing clothes that could go in the wash together! AAGGHHH!!! I think our next trip I might take laundry stuff just to be safe.

We made it home and the we really did have a great time. The boys loved eating breakfast at the hotels and IHOP. They get so excited with the different places and really enjoyed the train. We even splurged on the way back from Silverton and bought popcorn and soda as a snack. It may have been a quicker trip but it was a lot of fun.

The boys in front of our train. Yes, it was cold
enough for the gloves and hats.

The side view of the train.

It was all we could do to keep him from climbing out of the train.

The boys LOVED it. We had 2 seats but they wanted to squish and look out
the same window. 

In Silverton having fun.

Pickle

Pachman

Walking down to the river in Silverton.
We had lunch there.

Me eating lunch and the boys throwing rocks.

A little daddy alone time throwing rocks. That was the only way to keep
Bacon from jumping or falling in the river.

Older boys getting in on the rock throwing fun. Again, a safe way to keep
them from falling in the river too.

The main men in my life having a blast.

On the way back to Durango.

Silly Pach on the way back to Durango.

Silly Pickle on the way back to Durango.

Fun with daddy. 

I believe this was nap number 3 for Bacon and myself. Loved the cuddle time
with him.

Christmas 2013 Letter

Yep, I know. I missed posts about Halloween AND Thanksgiving. Those will hopefully come! Ha! 

Here is the Christmas 2013 letter from us. Sorry there is no picture of our Christmas Card but we don't have a scanner!!

Merry Christmas!!

Family and Friends,

General: Emily is still teaching the 4 turning 5 year olds in church and loves it! She has also had the opportunity to sub for the organist a few times and has really enjoyed that! Tim is still the financial guy. Nothing too exciting there.

January: Nick turned 4 at the beginning of the month. He is getting to be so grown up. He still loves cars, trains, airplanes, transformers, etc. He loves to play with his brothers and his friends.

February/March: Tim’s younger brother and his wife had a little girl in February (niece #7). In March we headed to Utah for the baby’s blessing. We were able to spend time doing a few things. Emily went skiing for the 2^nd (kind of first real) time. Tim got to spend a few hours skiing on his own, while Emily took a class. They both had fun. On the way back home, we stopped in Moab, Utah and did a little off-roading. It wasn’t quite as exciting since Tim ended up going on his own for most of the experience. Jake was sick, so after a small adventure, he and Emily went back to the hotel. Zach has a queasy tummy, so he went back to the hotel and Nick wanted to play with Zach. Tim had as much fun as he could have by himself. We stopped in Durango on the way back to Arizona to ride a train from Durango to Silverton but that was cut short since we found out Jake had another ear infection and was puking. That marked the 3^rd ear infection in 1 ½ months.

Also in March Emily ran her first sanctioned ½ marathon. It was in Phoenix and after training all winter long, finished in a time of 2 hrs. 15 mins. Her goal was to finish around 2 hrs. 30 mins., so it was great! And she managed to finish about 10 mins. before the first marathoner came across, so that made her even more happy! And she ran into a couple friends she hadn’t seen in years.

April: Tim’s birthday came and the boys had a great time picking out presents on their own. Tim was a good sport and “enjoyed” all the gifts given to him. Jake had another ear infection. L

May: School ended for the summer and Zach was so happy! Jake had another ear infection. L It started getting old going to the doctor.

June: Jake turned 2! And he had an EAR INFECTION FREE MONTH!!! He loves to play with his good buddy Eli. He also loves to climb, get into everything and thinks he can do everything by himself. *sigh*. He also loves cars, trains, airplanes and especially motorcycles.

July: Zach turned 6! And he started 1^st grade. He loves school and loves to play. He is often found in his room playing cars, making explosion sounds and running around the house. He is becoming quite the reader and this year for Christmas tried to really think about what people wanted. It was a nice change.

August: Emily turned 29 again! And Tim and Emily celebrated their 9^th anniversary. Nothing special, just out to dinner, which is always fun with no kids! Emily’s younger sister had a baby girl and at the end of the month Emily headed to Omaha for the baby blessing and to spend time with family. It was a more exciting trip that originally planned. Emily’s mom had been helping at her sister’s when she fell down the stairs breaking her ankle in 3 places and dislocating it. It was still good to see all the family that was there and meet her new niece (niece #8).

September: Tim went to Utah to watch BYU play Texas AND WIN!!! He was able to see his brother and hang out and kind of relax. He had a great time. Tim’s sister had her 2^nd baby this month, another little girl. We now have a total of 9 nieces and no nephews. Someday we hope someone will finally have a boy! I guess until then Emily gets her girly fill by making cute blankets and buying clothes for all her new nieces. Zach and Nick started soccer this month and are enjoying it. Emily is coaching Nick’s team and is finding it fun, hilarious and enjoyable! The kids are great!

October: Tim’s parents came to visit. Tim and Emily were able to get away for a couple days and it was great! Then we all (Tim’s parents too) loaded up in the van and headed to Mexico. Tim’s sister lives there and we dropped his parents off at the border. It was an exciting trip as the car battery decided to die, so we had to get jumped 3 different times and drove down a 60+ mile long road one way COVERED with grasshoppers! Our car is still a little gross! After the grandparent drop off, we headed up to Albuquerque for the night. The next day we bought winter stuff for the boys and headed off to Durango for the train ride we missed in March. The Train goes from Durango to Silverton and most of the cars are from the early 1900’s, beautifully restored and kept up. It’s a steam engine. The first stop after the hotel was dinner at a steak place Tim had been to before. First thing Jake did was puke all over the table just after we ordered. Luckily it was just the once and we think it was due to the long drive and lots of junk food. The boys really enjoyed the train ride the next day. It was a bit cold in the morning but by the time we got to Silverton the weather had warmed up and the boys had a great time eating lunch by the river and throwing rocks in. Tim traveled to Portland for work and was able to see his parents and Emily’s parents.

November: Tim traveled for work 3 of the 4 weeks this month. It was a tiring and exhausting month for Emily (for Tim too). Thankfully, he was able to be home for the week of Thanksgiving and that was great. His sister and her family came for Thanksgiving and it was fun to meet the newest niece. Emily was able to go shopping on Black Friday and have a pleasant experience. She hit Jo-Ann Fabrics and saved over $200 on flannel and a few other things. Enough fabric to last a year! Jake broke his 4 ½ month streak of no ear infections with another one. Luckily we caught it quickly and it was not a “problem”. Tim put up all the Christmas decorations on Black Friday with the “help” of the boys.

December: Tim started this month by traveling to Wisconsin. He told Emily, “I’ve always wanted to go to Wisconsin … in the summer!” Luckily he was there before the big storm came through and was able to make it home safely! We have really just been enjoying the season and the cooler weather (finally). We are so grateful for this time of year, to really concentrate on our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to have such great reminders of all he did for us.  We hope you will remember the Savior and feel His love as you celebrate Christmas this year!

Merry Christmas!

Tim, Emily, Zach, Nick, Jake and Baby “Buzz” or “Holly” (We find out in January).