Crews blessing

2009-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

The kids making gingerbread houses at Ben and Michelles

Sadie just bustin a sag. This girl has no bum! So She will be three next week. A couple of weeks ago I told her I just didn't want to buy anymore diapers. She simply said, "Ok Mom." She has been wearing underwear ever since. I don't even remind her to go. She has been so easy to train. Actually, I didn't do anything but wait until she was almost three. She even has dry nights. Its been great!! I should write a book about how to potty train -wait until they are old enough to do it themselves!!

These boys absolutely love their little brother. They can't get enough of him. They love when I let them read to him at night. Just tonight, Matthew took him from me and when I went into check on them, I found that Matthew had carefully tucked Crew in his bed next to him and was reading a book to him. I love these moments!! Crew is so good to humor his brothers.

Random pictures

2009-02-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

This was our first snow. Nice boots Trav! I make fun of them all the time. One time when Travis was putting them on Sadie said, "awesome boots, Dad!" Now Trav loves them even more.

Crew Loves to play with his toes. He loves to eat them!! The kids think it is so funny.

The kids making turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Matthew loves to cook! One day he was so proud when he brought me his yummy creation. If you can't see, its a microwave egg with broken bread. Yum Yum. After he brought this to me I helped him start his own cook book. He now has three different creations in his cook book. I just love to kiss the little cook!!

2009-02-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

For Matthews birthday we gave him a count down for disneyland. We have so much fun living thru our kids. I love the excitement kids can have. We had a blast at disneyland. Crew and Sadie were so good. Our doublestroller and having Celeste made it so much more enjoyable.

We went the weekend before Thanksgiving and hardly had to wait in line for the rides. I love this picture of Crew. He is such our happy baby. He makes me so excited to have another boy!

couponsens.com

2009-02-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, you need to check out this website. You have to subscribe ($14.00 a month), but it has saved us $100's of dollars. We order 6 Sunday newspapers (thru couponsense- $26 a month). We take out all the coupon books and immediately put the papers in the recycle. Couponsense tells you how to number the coupons so you can keep it all organized. Couponsense will tell you the sales at ALL of the grocery stores. You get things pretty cheap when its on sale, plus you use the coupon on top of the sale items. It gets really cheap when the stores double the coupon. That is when we get our cereal for 50 cents a box. And then we have 6 coupons so we get 6 boxes of cereal. A few weeks ago, colgate toothpaste was on sale for 99 cents. We had a coupon for 50 cents off. Safeway was doubeling their coupons so we actually got 6 tubes of toothpaste for free. Its really fun to see what we are going to get each week. We plan our meals around the sales. For example, we got 12 cans of cresent rolls for like 12 cents each (regulary $3 something each). So I got on the internet and found some fun recipes that use cresent rolls. I found you can make some yummy deserts too. My sisters use a free website called grocerysmarts.com Anyway check either one out.

Time to catch up

2009-02-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe its already February! This winter is going by so fast. We are enjoying the snow so much more this year than last (at least I am). We have been so busy and I have a feeling it is just going to get worse. Not that its bad. We took the kids to Disneyland in November. It was so much fun. The weather was perfect and we hardly stood in line. Celeste was nice to come with us. We all love her so much. And the kids have so much fun with her. Thanks Celeste!!

We went down to Mesa for Thanksgiving. It was fun to see Brad and Carena from Colorado. We ate at Hometown Buffet for Thanksgiving. We also made rolls, pie and turkey so we could have leftovers. We swam outside at Carena's parents house. The water was freezing but the kids had a great time. We took the kids to see Madagascar 2. It was a great show, even I would watch again. We also shopped black friday.

We had a great Christmas. We got Matthew and Caden four wheelers and got Sadie a little pink one from Wal-mart. The kids were so excited and the best part is that we got it all on film. Sadie was so much fun to watch. She is almost three and just at the age to understand how much fun and exciting it all is. Travis and the kids went outside to ride their 4-wheelers for a while and then we went to eat at Little America with Mark and Celeste and Mike and Heather Palmer. After breakfast we loaded the car and left for Utah. We made it to Filmore, but had to stay the night because the weather was horrible. It turned out great because we were able to get a good nights sleep and the kids are always excited to sleep in a hotel. The kids had a blast spending a week with the cousins, aunts and uncles and of course Grandma and Grandpa Meacham and their new dog, Diasy I mean Diamond. We went down to Robs and snowmobiled. We went to temple square with Chris and Laurie, Mom and Dad and Greg and his cute girlfriend. The kids went sledding almost everyday down at Shelley school. On our way to St. George, we stopped to see Grandma Pearl. We had a great time visiting with her. We learned more about Grandpa George and his family. Grandma is amazing. She remembers so much and has such a fun sense of humor. We had a wonderful time with you Grandma, and can't wait to visit again.

We spent New Years in St George at Leanne and Johns. We had great time playing pictionary, boys against girls. The girls won of course! We had some amazing food as well!! Thanks Leanne for hosting such a fun party.

January has been a fun month of playing guitar hero as a family, and reading the "The Kingdom and the Crown" series by Gerald N. Lund. If you haven't read these books, I highly recommend them. He wrote The Work and The Glory. This series is similar in the fact that he writes about a fictional family, but the life and teachings of Jesus are all real. I like it because it became real to me. Anyway there is nothing like having a good book in the middle of winter!!

Caden has loved loved loved 2nd grade. His teacher has been so good. I am already praying he gets a good teacher for next year.

We just got back from Mesa last night. It was fun to be in 75 degree weather. Infact we went swimming late Friday night outside and the weather was great. The pool was heated, Im sure that made a big difference. Mark and Celeste were sealed. It is such a great experience being in the temple with family.

Travis and I have been learning to coupon shop. We are absolutely loving it. Our best deal has been spending $43 and saving $250. Travis had to buy a couple more shelves to put all the food. Just within a month of doing this we have probably a year supply of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, and handsoap. We also have 25 boxes of cereal (cinnamon life, raisin bran, captian crunch, frosted flakes and a few boxes of rice crispies) for 50 cents a box!! We also got about 3 months worth of toilet paper for free. I hate spending money on food so this has been so much fun. Its mostly been fun because Travis likes to do it with me. Infact, he does most of the cutting coupons. One night I came home and he had the floor covered with different piles of coupons. He is really organized and I love it. Thanks baby baby!! Thanks for making and saving us money. I really can't wait to teach everyone I know about it.

I have also been busy with doing dictation for Travis and Kelly. Well, I actually just do Kelly's and Travis does his own. Its been good and fun learning more about what Travis actually does. I would love to watch him in surgery. I will post some pictures later

2008-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

Crews blessing

2008-11-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry these pictures are just random. Celeste took our family pictures. Didnt' they turn out cute? Today was Crews blessing. I really wanted it to be low key and not have anyone feel like they had to come. My parents, Greg and Jordan drove 9 hours from American Fork. And Brad and Carena surprised us from Denver Colorado. They drove 11 hours yesterday and had to leave a couple hours after church to be back for work on Monday. It was a great surprise. We didn't know they were coming until Travis saw Brad in the circle after the blessing was over. It was so cute to see them hug. We really feel blessed to have such wonderful support from family. Thanks everyone for coming.

Sunday Nov. 9th

2008-11-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Two months old!

2008-10-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

My little pumpkin! No thats not my long hair (I wish). Celeste came to help with Matthews party. Crew is now two months old. He is by far my easiest newborn. His first smile was at 3 weeks and he has been smiling since. We all love this little guy so much. He is just an easy going, happy baby. Infact, he is cooing on my lap as I am typing. What a sweet boy you are, little buddy!!

" Cool, what are these?" I love when they start to discover their hands.

Matthews 5th birthday

2008-10-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Michelle, how do I post his invitation? it is in collage form.

We went to Chili's Friday night with Mark and Celeste for Matthews birthday. Both Caden and Matthew were so excited to open up the count down to disneyland( We are going Nov. 13th and 14th for anyone who wants to join us.) We invited a few friends for a party on Sat. It was a fun weekend

Lake Powell pictures

2008-10-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that this was Crew two days before we left for Lake Powell

"I don't need to be here, brother! Lets go to Lake Powell!"

Laurie made all the headbands that we are wearing. Thanks Laurie!

2008-10-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Travi riding the air chair

Sadie loved going off the big slide with Dad

I love this picture of the kids. They all jumped off the boat. Even Sadie did it.

It was fun hanging out with shell in the boat

It has been a busy, but great six weeks!!

2008-10-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

We had visitors the first two weeks after Crew was born. Tamara came up the day Crew was born and took care of the other kids for us. She is always so good to drop everything and be there when you need her. Michelle and Cam came the next day and stayed for a few days. Michelle was so nice to bring me four meals to put in the freezer. The day they left, Leanne and Maryann came to visit. As soon as they got here Maryann mopped my kitchen floor and Leanne made dinner. Maryann also colored and cut my hair. I felt so spoiled and loved!! Next my Mom, Dad and Greggy came for a few days. That was so much fun because we didn't do a thing. We just hung out. Of course my Mom was constantly cleaning. She even cleaned my garbage cans. We laughed because my Mom took a picture of us all in the living room. Caden and Matthew were playing the gameboy, Greg was watching a DVD, I was on my phone, and my Dad was on the laptop. Thats how we visit now days. Before they left we took a hike in "our forest" behind our house. Marcus thinks we are rich because we have our own forest. It was fun to hang out with Greg. He is such a fun and funny kid. He had just got his wisdom teeth pulled and so we were making fun of him all weekend. Michelle and Ben came up next. She also brought dinner and some way cute shirts for me. She made a vinyl sign with the name of each member of the family. Thanks everyone for coming to visit. We felt really spoiled.
Our ward brought in some great dinners for a week too. Between all the meals, I didnt cook for a good two weeks. It was great.
So we had a quiet week of no visitors and then Crew got a temp of 102. This was five days before we were to leave for Lake Powell. I took him in to the doctor and they sent us right over to the hospital for test. His fever went right down, but they still wanted us there until they got the results from the tests. It was horrible to see how many times they tried just to draw blood. When they couldn't get it from his hand they tried his arm and then finally had to get it from his head. They also did a spinal tap, which I wasnt there for, but I could hear him screaming. And for the three days he had an IV in his arm. It was so sad to watch him go through it all. He really was a trooper though and didn't cry much other than when they were poking him. Anyway, he just picked up something viral, but because he was only 4 weeks its procedure to do all the blood work. We felt a little silly taking our little baby to lake powell, but really it was the best thing for him. His jaundice cleared right up. He is such a good baby anyway, but he hardly cried. He also had his first big smile there (I'm so excited I got a picture of it!) So we know that Lake Powell is Crew's favorite place to be.
First of all, thanks Chris and Laurie for an amazing vacation. They got the houseboat and Chris even brought his brand new boat for all of us to use. It was seriously a fun, relaxing trip. I highly recommend going to Lake Powell in Sept. The weather was amazing plus the water was so nice and warm. Our kids had the time of their lives. They literally played none stop all day long. Infact there were a few days when I hardly talked to Caden and Matthew because they were so busy. Sadie opened up to everyone even the dog, Hopper. It was fun to see her play with her cousins. We were all worried about the safety of all these kids but we decided it was probably one of the safer vacations with kids that we've been on. They all kept their life jackets on and just played on the beach. It's more stressful trying to keep track of the kids at disneyland. Travis brought a huge duffel bag of medical supplies thinking at least one kid was going to need stitches or break a bone or something. We didn't even get a bandaid out of it. Crew's jaundice even cleared all up. It was surprisingly nice and relaxing. It was fun to watch how the kids used their imagination while playing in the sand. It was a great time visiting and spending time with everyone. I love any vacation where we get to play in the sun and water. It was a perfect way to end the summer. Chris and Laurie, thanks so much for organizing and making this happen. Lets do it again next year!! I will post more pictures later.

2008-10-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

The kids loved being in the water because it was so warm!! Sadie really loves her Grandpa and had so much fun playing with him.

These are all the grandkids minus 3 (Doug and Tami couldn't make it).

As you can see, even Crew had a great time. Cute Mares and Jayni

2008-10-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

My cute Sadie. She was a happy girl at Lake Powell. She wants to go back to "pay powell"

Yes, that's Grandma wakeboarding!! She even skied. The kids love Uncle Greggy!! Caden, Matthew and Jemma spent all day digging this hole. They wanted the fish that they caught to have a home.

Crew Charles Reber

2008-08-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

We named Crew after his great grandpa Charles Wilkes. Grandpa Wilkes has many wonderful qualities. But the quality I want Crew to know about his Grandpa is that he is one of the most Christ like person we know. He is so humble, kind, gentle, giving and forgiving, just to name a few. We love Grandpa Wilkes and are so happy to name our son after him. We just found out that the house we were looking at and really were excited about didn't work out for us. And on the way home from the hospital I was thinking about that and realized I didn't even care. Its just a house and I've got everything I've ever wanted with me and waiting for me at home. I just wanted to go home and be with my kids and husband. I am so grateful to know about the plan of salvation. To know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves each of us, just like we know and love each of our own children. I love watching my kids gain testimonies of their own. I love teaching them the stories in the Book of Mormon and the primary songs. I am so grateful for my husband, he is so patient and forgiving. I love how the kids love and look up to their Dad. As I look at our new little baby who Heavenly Father has trusted Travis and I to raise and teach, I can't help but think about these things. I want to teach him all about his Father in Heaven who loves him and I'm sure perhaps will miss him too for a short while. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and how Crew has just gone thru an important part of that plan, getting a body. We love him already so much and am so greatful Heavenly Father has trusted Travis and I to raise him.

Crew Charles Reber is here!!

2008-08-20T10:25:00.001-07:00

My water broke at 5:30 am. Yay!! We woke the kids up. They were so excited to go with us to the hospital. Celeste met us over there. Sadie stayed with Celeste at the hospital and the boys went home with my good friend Jori. For the most part the labor went great. We were a few minutes away from a C-section because his heart rate was so low. But when the nurse checked and I was dialated to a 7

so they decided I could go on my own. As soon as he came out they took him to the NICU because he inhaled blood/fluid. He was only there for a few hours and has been doing great since. He is a great eater and did great last night. I always love that first night bonding time. I felt really grateful because the baby next door was screaming most the night. And Crew was as content as could be. Lets hope he stays that way. Caden had some cute questions about the baby. He wanted to know if the nurse had to wipe food off the baby since he was in my stomach. We asked Matthew if he wanted to stay while Crew was being born. He said, "no way, I don't want blood to squirt on me!" Celeste took a bunch of pictures with her camera so I will post some more soon. We think he looks like Sadies baby pictures. Oh ya, he was 7pnds 9 0z and 20.5 inches long.

Monday, Aug 18th

2008-08-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well I had my doctors appt. I am at a 2 and 50% effaced. So hopefully soon. Sorry not much to say other than I can't wait to get back to my book, Breaking Dawn. We did find a house that we really really like. It is a foreclosure. We will find out Wed. if we get it. If not, we will probably wait. I still think homes have to go down more in price. Especially here in Flagstaff. There will always be a house that we like.

Happy Anniversary Mark and Celeste!

2008-08-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

To the cutest couple we know, Happy Anniversary!! Is it five already? Mark was paralized one week after their honeymoon five years ago. It still amazes me what these two have gone through and are still going through. You will never hear them complain and that's what makes them the amazing people that they are. You make me want to be better!! We love you guys so much and are so grateful to be here in Flagstaff with you. I love how our kids love to go to your house just to hang out. Its so much fun to go to work and see Celeste, Dad and Grandpa. I am so grateful for such wonderful inlaws!! Celeste, thanks for being my sister here in Flagstaff. I don't know what I would do without you, seriously! We love you so much.

August 17th, 2008

2008-08-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by!! I guess my due date is not until Wed the 20th, but I always like to think I'm going to go early. That's what makes the last two weeks seem like forever. My doctor didn't even check me last week. Which was ok with me (at the time.) Now I am anxious for when he checks me tomorrow. I really want to know. I haven't had anymore contractions since last week. Maybe my due date is really Sept 20th. What a rude joke that would be.
Caden started 2nd grade Thursday. Its so full of mixed emotions for me. I am excited because he is, yet I miss him. Its hard for me to let him grow up. I wish the teachers would let moms have a desk right next to their kids. I would sit and hold his hand all day. JK. Travis went with me to drop him off and get him settled in. I can't believe how I am almost in tears and it's no big deal for Trav. Matthew was so cute and wanted to wear his backpack to drop Caden off. He was pretending that he had school too. He has another year of preschool, which I am happy about. Kindergarten is all day here. I don't think Matthew (or me) would be ready for that. What I really want is year round school. I love summer vacation, but I think it would be great to have a few weeks off every couple of months too.
I will for sure post tomorrow to let you know either way about my doctors appointment.

No baby yet!!

2008-08-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I thought I would have this baby by now!! I have been having the worst nights sleep. I don't know if my bed is too soft or what (probably the 45 pounds I have gained), but I cant sleep for more than an hour without my back and hips hurting. I have been waking up and not being able to fall asleep. So this morning at 4:30 (after trying to go back to sleep for an hour) I decided to just get up and do something useful like blog. It was actually pretty fun. I caught up on some friends blogs and did some scrapbooking. Yesterday I got up at 5:00am and prepared my primary lesson, read scriptures, showered and got ready all before the kids woke up at 7:00am. Wouldn't it be great if Moms only needed two hours of sleep? Think how much we could get done in the middle of the night! What a great goal that would be to go to bed early and then wake up two or three hours before the kids, just to get things done and ready for the day. My problem is I go to bed early, but still get up the same time as the kids do anyway. When I was a kid I NEVER saw my mom sleep in. She was always up exercising or COOKING breakfast when we got up. I'm embarressed to say, that when our boys wake up they walk straight to our room, shut the door, and then watch cartoons. If Sadie wakes up they will go get her and set her on the couch with them. Once in a while they will come back in and say, "Mom and Dad, its time to get up." Trav and I think its so funny. We were kind of proud of our kids for being so quiet and letting us sleep in. Now its getting a little old and I don't want Caden and Matthew to remember how lazy their parents were in the mornings. Funny though huh?
I am really excited to get back in shape and to loose this 45 pounds that I have gained. I am dreading how hard it is. Leanne is my motivation. She entered a contest and won $1000 by loosing all her baby weight. Its a lot of hard work and I'm not sure I'm ready yet.
I have a doctors appointment today. I really hope I am dialated some. I was hoping to have the baby on 8-8-08. How cool would that have been? I was all ready. The house was spotless and all the laundry was done. Even the bathroom rugs. Now I don't care when I have it. Just soon I hope. Like today would be good. Well its getting so late in the morning, its now 6:00am. I probably should get something done like a nap. I will let you know if anything exciting happens today.

2008-08-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

August 2, 2008

2008-08-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

I made the kids play before we left for their soccer games. Sadie thought it was great. She loves to play for other people, even if its just for Dad.

Way to go Sadie!!

2008-08-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

The boys were so proud of their little sister finishing her library reading chart. Caden started getting worried that she wasn't going to finish. Sad to say I wasn't working so much with her and so Caden took it upon himself to help her. He made sure to read to her and got her books to read herself. Matthew even layed in her crib a few mornings and read to her. I wish I could have recorded how they were treating her as we walked into the library to claim her prize book. Matthew was guiding her with his arm on her back and Caden was holding her hand. They could have received "the most proud brothers" award. This girl has no hope. She is spoiled rotten by us all. She is truely our princess sister.

Summer fun!!

2008-08-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

The kids have loved going to the pool. I have enjoyed this summer being pregnant, but still being able to play with the kids before this baby comes. Tamara came up yesterday and took the kids for a week for "Grandma camp." I can't tell you how excited they were to go spend time with Grandma. And if you know Grandma Reber, they are going to have a blast!! Thanks Tamara. Travis and I are having a great time alone getting lots of things done. Like we went out to eat and saw a movie last night. It was so different sitting in church without any kids. It makes me realize that I truely love the craziness of getting the kids ready, keeping them quiet, and seeing their cute pictures that they make in primary.

The kids love going to visit Dad, Grandpa, and Celeste at work. Grandpa let the kids take these crutches home one day. They were so cute with them. Caden asked what would be the easiest way to break his leg. Anyway I walked into my room and saw them both laying on my bed watching cartoons with their crutches still attached to their sides.

Sunday July 27

2008-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Before I forget I have to write this down. Travis told me in sacrament meeting today and I thought I was going to go into labor because I was laughing so hard. The other day he was out on the deck BBQing with sadie. He had his phone and they were listening to music. He was dancing trying to get her to dance too. Because of the fence, our neighbor couldn't see Sadie only Travis out dancing on our deck. Our neighbor yelled out the window "go neighbor!" Wouldn't you think it was the funniest thing to see your neighbor out dancing by himself while BBQing? I seriously couldn't stop laughing when Travis told me.
I was having some pretty good contractions today in primary. Its getting really hard to sit on the hard chairs for so long. I am 37 weeks ( ok, 361/2). I just can't imagine 4 more weeks. Isn't funny how long that last month can be? Especially when you can't imagine your belly getting any bigger.
Yesterday was a fun day. Caden had a soccer game. He is so much fun to watch because he really hustles and has fun. He got excited for his team whenever they scored a point. He's a great team player and had a smile on his face the whole time. After his game Trav dropped us off so we could get ready to go to Cadens first grade teachers wedding. I had volunteered 7 months ago to play for her wedding. At the time I didn't think about how big and pregnant I was going to be. It was good though. And Caden enjoyed seeing his teacher again. After the wedding Ben and Michelle, Celeste, Tyler, Kelly and Janice all came over for homemade icecream and to visit. Its always fun to get together. We had a good time playing the wii and visiting. We love visitors for anyone who wants to come!! Its a great time of year to visit Flagstaff. I have to remember how wonderful the summer is when we are getting snowed in during the winter.

Travis's trip to Alaska

2008-07-25T19:55:00.001-07:00

See that nice cabin across the river? Thats where the guys stayed. Actually, it was this cute little, cozy cabin they opted for. It had two, three stacked bunk beds. And a little corner table that sat one. How cozy!! Travis went with his Dad, brother Brad, Brothers-in-law, Mark and Ben to the Kenai peninsula in Alaska. They had a good time fishing, fishing and fishing!

more Alaska pictures

2008-07-25T19:37:00.001-07:00

These are some Halibut and Red Salmon that they caught. We have a freezer full of fish so come on over. Travis is learning some good ways to cook it.

July 24, 2008

2008-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun learning to scrapbook on line. I love that there is no mess and that I can do it anytime and anywhere. If anyone is interested I am using fxfoto. It is such a simple way to scrapbook. Ok, Sadie just bonked her head and is screaming I better go. She hates when I practice for symphony, now she hates when I'm on the computer. She is probably going to hate the new baby too. Oh great.

My absolute favorite!!

2008-07-20T17:13:00.001-07:00

It makes me so happy when I catch my kids reading. They have really enjoyed the summer reading program at the library this summer. The theme is "learning to catch the reading bug." And after they read a certain amount they get to pick out a "bug" prize. Its just such a nice QUIET activity that I don't mind them spending hours doing. We have also discovered we like to lay on our beds and listen to books on CD. Its a nice way to spend quiet time while Sadie is taking a nap.

Total sweetness

2008-07-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Sadie has been such a fun girl. She loves loves loves to practice the violin. She has even cried when I tell her thats enough practicing. She really is our little angel. The boys love her to death and think she is the funniest thing on earth. I don't have to spoil her because the boys get her whatever she wants. Matthew will even make her a bottle of milk and turn on Dora for her. Its so funny because they both talk to her like she is a little baby still. She is just so lucky to have two older brothers that will definetly look out for her.

How should we spell it?

2008-07-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

We all like the name Crew, but I'm not quite sure how we should spell it. What do you think, Crew, Cru, Krew, or Crue. Any suggestions?
Also has anyone tried the Graco swing where you just set the car seat into it? I think its a great idea, but I know Leanne would never buy a swing unless it plugged into an electrical outlet. But how nice to be able to come home and keep the baby sleeping by just setting him into the swing.
I know its getting close because I start to have crazy baby dreams. Last night I had a dream that it was a girl and I was so worried because my Mom is making a really cute blue and brown baby blanket. In my dream Travis wasn't there at the delivery and so I was so excited to dress her up like a boy and then have him change her diaper to find out that we had a girl instead. Funny huh?

Fun time in St. George!

2008-07-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

We left Thursday afternoon for St. George. Michelle kept texting me telling me what she was dialated too. We actually made it to St. George before she had him, but I didn't know what to do with my three kids and so we went to Leannes. Leanne had Michelles kids plus hers so I just didn't feel like I could leave her and go to the hospital. Michelle called us right after she had the baby so Leanne and I took the Kelsch kids to go see their new little brother, Kade Douglas. Thanks John for watching the rest of the kids. It was so cute to see how excited the kids were to see their little brother. I loved how Brielle said, "Mom, I think there's another baby still in your stomach." They think our stomachs go right down after the baby-wouldn't that be nice. To be right back to your pre-pregnancy weight how nice.
My Mom came and stayed with Michelle for a week. She is such a great help. All she does is clean, cook, clean, cook, and clean all while watching kids. I felt like I was more of a burden than a help adding more kids to the bunch. Michelle actually babysat for us while Maryann, Leanne, my Mom, and I went to see Les Miserable. Thanks Cam and Shell. We had a great time.
Maryann and Clayton asked me if I liked living away from family. I told them I loved it. But I have to just clarify that if it was possible I would love to have my kids grow up with their cousins. It makes me sad when we come home and they miss them. I also miss doing things together everyday. I'm just glad we only live 4 hours away. We will miss you if you decide to move up north!! When would we ever see you?
It was pretty rough having Travis go to Alaska. I know its selfish of me, I think it was just that I am 8 months pregnant and watching three kid wore me out. I still feel so tired from it. I hope I can get back some energy for when this baby comes.

Saturday July 5th

2008-07-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

We went to lake Mary Sat. Morning to do a little boating. Lake Mary is 10 min. away from us. I love this lake because of the beautiful pine trees that surround it. For as beautiful a lake as it is, we are constantly amazed that its not crazy busy. This was the 4th of July weekend and there were still only about 5 boats. This is Caden wakeboarding
with Travis. Because Travis is worried about his knees, he likes to ride the air chair. Its pretty fun to watch. When we got home, Grandma Reber told Travis and I to just leave and she would watch the kids. So Trav and I had a great afternoon together shopping and going to the movie. Thanks Tamara. The kids sure have a good time with you.

Thanks Grandma Wilkes!!

2008-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

Grandma Wilkes make this cute quilt for our little baby boy. Caden and Matthew were so excited about it. They think it is perfect for him. Thanks Grandma. We love you and appreciate your thoughtfulness.

4th of July

2008-07-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

€This year the flagstaff symphony played outside in the pine mountain ampitheater. It was a lot of fun music. Travis took the kids with Grandma Reber who came up to escape the 100 degree weather in Mesa. Caden really enjoyed it and said that he wished Payton could have come because he loves star wars. Travis said Sadie liked it too. He said that Matthew fell asleep after the first song. This morning I asked Matthew how his nap was last night. He said, "it was better than your concert." I just about died. I couldn't believe he came up with that one. Caden even tried hard to wake him up when the star wars characters came out. I had Travis film some of it for my Mom and Dad. I know they would come to every concert if they could. Anyway, it was a fun night. I laugh when I get a check for doing what I love to do. Travis filmed us playing the star wars theme, but for some reason it wont download. I will keep trying though. Caden wants Payton to hear it.

Silly kids!!

2008-07-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

This was Sadie dancing to the music of the ice cream truck. She was being so silly and making the funniest faces. I got just a little on film.

Matthew's first soccer game

2008-07-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Matthew was so excited to play soccer. When he got his uniform, he wore it for two days in a row. He also thinks he's the fastest runner in his new cleats. He is such a cute little boy and is constantly making us laugh. We love him so much.

Amber here is a picture of Tate wakeboarding

2008-06-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, we need to just plan on the weekend after memorial weekend again. That seemed to be the perfect time to go. Perfect weather and not too crowded. Sorry it took me so long to get you these.

Summer is my favorite time of the year!!

2008-06-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm not posting pictures today. We have been enjoying every minute of our summer. It is already going by way to fast. Last weekend we went to Travis' Dad's cabin in Kanaab with our friends Gabe and Jori and their two kids. I was so mad because we couldn't find our camera. I thought for sure Jori would bring hers, but she forgot hers. So we have no pictures of our fun weekend. We had a great time fishing. Travis couldn't believe how big the trout were. Karissa caught the biggest fish that was 23 inches. Travis had a great time fly fishing. This was the first time that Caden and Matthew actually stayed and fished all day with Travis. Luke renamed the ponds to rainbow hog lake. Jori and I just laughed because all we heard was "check out this hog!!" Gabe brought his four seater quad. We also had two four wheelers. One of the afternoons we took a 4 wheeler ride up to the pink cliffs. I can't even explain how beautiful it was. The kids loved taking turns driving the quads. I wish I had a picture of Jori and I with our big bellys riding in the rhino. Travis made one of the best dutch oven dinners and cobbler. He actually got on line and looked for some good recipes. It turned out to be a great memorable weekend. Thanks Gabe and Jori for going with us. We had a great time!!

This weekend Trav and I took the kids in the pop up trailer right behind our house. We did this last year and the kids loved it. Its a great way to enjoy the outdoors without spending any money. We drove seriously 5 minutes to this amazing spot with a great view of the peaks. We roasted hotdogs, made a great dutch oven cobbler and Travis sauted some mushrooms. The kids went exploring. Its so fun to see how excited they get over the "treasures" they find. Matthew found an arrow from a bow and arrow. He couldn't stop playing with it the whole time
Trav and I sat by the fire and read. I was able to finish Stepheni Meyers book, "The Host." Great book! I am amazed at how creative she is with her writing. Travis would be embarressed if you knew he just finished her other books, the "Twilight" series. He wanted to know what all the talk was about and so he started Twight and couldn't stop. Mark makes fun of him, but I bet Mark is secretly reading them himself. I can see him now with his flash light trying to finish just one more chapter. Anyway, Its been fun reading together.

I have been getting up and walking to the athletic club. I lift weights there and then I walk home. The mornings are so beautiful here. Plus, even though I feel so big and pregnant, it makes me have such a better day when I work out. We have been having swim lessons at the club. The boys loved it so much that I signed them up again. We will probably do another session in July as well. My goal is to get them pretty good at it before we go to Lake powell in September. I usually pack a lunch and then we spend the rest of our afternoon just hanging out at the pool. My kids are at such great ages that I am able to just sit and read while they play in the pool. I think I enjoy it just as much as the kids.

I signed the kids up for a reading program at our library. They have to read a certain amount and then they go back and get a prize. The theme this summer is bugs. So all the prizes have something to do with bugs. Well, my kids have been all over it. I am amazed at how excited they have been to earn their prizes. A proud moment for me is when I walk into their room and they are reading books. I really want them to have the joy of reading good books.

We don't have any big trips planned for awhile except that Travis is going fishing in Alaska with his Dad and brothers July 11th. I will be 36 weeks, but I plan to drive to St. George and stay with Michelle for that week. She is probably going to have her baby that week. So that will be a lot of fun being with her. Were just hoping they get their splash pad in before we come! JK

Lake Powell Fun!!

2008-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

I love this classic getting off the boat picture when the sun is going down and its time for dinner. Travis wakeboarding with Matthew. oops I meant to put Travis and Tate too.

Arent these a cute bunch of kids? Thanks Chad for bringing your boat. And thanks Melissa for getting us together.

More Lake Powell pictures

2008-06-05T14:37:00.001-07:00

We had such a good time at Lake Powell last weekend. We went with three of Travis' roommates from NAU and their wives. I don't know if very many people know, but two of Travis' college roommates married two of my roommates from NAU. One couple is even in our ward. They are all such great families. We had a great time. The weather was amazing, hardly any wind at all. Of course the kids had a good time playing with eachother. My favorite part was putting the kids to bed and staying up late with the girls while the guys went night fishing. We just needed more wood for the fire!

Happy Birthday Grandma Wilkes!

2008-06-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of myself for getting this on time. This is so important because Grandma NEVER forgets our birthdays, valentines day, easter, christmas, halloween, anniversary, kids birthdays, blessings, baptisms, and many more. If there is anything important in our lives, Grandma and Grandpa Wilkes always show their support. They don't forget anything. AND its not only on time, but its Early!! Talk about good. You are such a good example to me and I hope I can get better at showing my love and support the way you do. We hope you know how much we love and appreciate you. We sure hope you have a good birthday. Love you Grandma!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2008-06-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are late again. By the time we have a chance to breath after all the May birthdays, June 2nd has come and gone. Sorry Dad. We need to put an end on any more May birthdays. Anyway we sure hope your birthday was good. We wish we could have been there with you too. We sure love you though and really enjoy the time we get to spend together. We love how you get excited to talk to us on the web cam. You make us feel loved and special. Especially when you are with the whole family and you try to gather them all around to call us on the cam. We love you and are excited for the next time we get to see you. Probably in July in St. George when Michelle has her baby. Love you soooo Much!!!

2008-05-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Oh man, these pictures are all out of order. Hopefully you can figure it out. Sorry!!

We spent the rest of our time on the island of San Pedro

2008-05-29T21:49:00.001-07:00

I was holding a baby racoon here. I will post a picture of me petting a crocodile too. Yes, thats me getting a pedicure and my hair braided. I mostly did it so I could take a picture and learn to do it on Sadies hair. These are just a few pictures. Celeste took a ton on her camera and so I will post more later. Isn't this a beautiful place? We are all going thru paradise withdrawl. We had such a great time. And It was so fun to be with Mark and Celeste and Brad and Carena.

pictures of Tikal Guatemaula

2008-05-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

This was Monday. We took a taxi from the border of Belize into Guatemala. It was a two hour van ride on a bumpy dirt road. It was incredible to stand in the same place that the Nephites or Lamanites could have stood. It brings the Book of Mormon to life. These temples were just amazing to see. It was kind of fun to see a bunch of missionaries there too. They were having a zone activity. Anyway, great day in Tikal, Guatemala!

Happy Birthday Chris!!

2008-05-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

I know this is a day late. And I wasn't going to put it on the blog, but I have been thinking all day yesterday and today about how much Chris means to us. I just want to first wish him a belated happy birthday. I wish I was as good as Laurie at getting cards out. It means so much when you get a card in the mail. Sorry Chris. We love Chris because he makes us all feel special when we come visit. He loves to be with family. He has a certain protective love for his sisters. And we all know that he would do anything for us. I KNOW that if we needed something he would be the first to be here. He also stays until the job is done, even if it is 1:00 in the morning. When I think of someone who is unselfish I think of Chris. Thanks for being such a great brother and friend. We love you and your family. Hope you had a great birthday.

Our first two nights in Belize

2008-05-27T19:57:00.001-07:00

This was where we stayed our first two nights in Belize. It was absolutely beautiful. And please ignore me at the end.

An amazing trip

2008-05-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

We just got home this morning at 3:00am, but I wanted to write about our experience while it is fresh on my mind. We went to Belize in Central America with Travis' brother Brad and his wife, Carena and Travis' sister Celeste and her husband, Mark. We were soooooo lucky to have Travis' Mom, Tamara come and stay with the kids for a whole week while we were gone. She spoiled them rotten and they had a wonderful time. I was able to enjoy our trip knowing the kids were in good hands and were of course having a great time with Grandma. Thanks again and again Tamara.

So we flew into Belize last Sunday and enjoyed two nights at a cute little hotel with a beautiful view and swimming pool on the deck. Our favorite part of the hotel was the fun atmosphere of the restaurant and yummy food. We sat on the deck with the beautiful view of the city below us. With the swimming pool beside us and surrounded by the evening lights we talked and laughed and enjoyed both Sunday and Monday evenings outside. Then of course ended both evenings with a splash in the pool. If you know Travis, he never ceases to amaze us with how many competitions you can have in the pool.

On Monday morning we drove about two hours to Tikal in Guatemaula. It was felt to be the center of the Myan civilization which existed about 7oo bc to 1100 ad. It is amazing to think that it was the nephites/lamanites and their decendents that lived there. we were able to climb right up and walk around the temples.

On Tuesday we were excited to leave Belize and boat ride onto the island of San Pedro. We stayed the rest of our time in a beautiful condo and swimming pool right on the beach. Wednesday we got a guide to take us out to shark ray alley and hol-chan which are two supurb areas to snorkel. We were right in with nurse sharks, sting rays, grouper, trigger, barracuda and a ton of other pretty small fish. I actually touched a shark. Our guide was amazing. He jumped right in with us and was tackling the sharks and stink rays. Mark was on the other side of the boat and so Martin, our guide took the shark right over to him so he could see and pet it as well.

We spent Wed. just relaxing in the beautiful swimming pool. We also rented golf carts to drive around the island. Thursday the guys went fishing while us girls checked out the shopping of San Pedro in our fun little golf carts. After shopping there was plenty of time to swim and read by the pool before the guys came home and fixed us up some snapper, grouper, and trigger fish. If you know me, I have never been a fan of seafood. I wish I liked it because Travis loves it so much. But, I actually loved this fresh fish that they caught.

On Friday it was Travis' birthday and of course he wanted to go fishing again and so we had a guide take us out on an all day trip where we fished and snorkeled. Then for lunch the guide took us to a beach where he cooked up the fish (barracuda) along with rice and beans, fresh pineapple, sweet bread and some cold drinks. We all couldn't believe how good it was. Our guide was so nice and personable. Travis and Brad tried spear fishing too. They were like two little kids on Christmas with a new toy. They actually caught a few fish too. We came back to the condo from a long day out on the boat and all got ready to go out and eat. One of our favorite things to do was to clean up after a long day in the sun and to go out and try different restaurants. Saturday was another day of just relaxing in the sun by the pool. The best weather for swimming is when it gets too hot after awhile of reading by the pool so you have to dive in to cool off. We did this all day Saturday with an occasional contest or challenge from Travis and Brad in the pool. And then of course went out to eat again Sat. night.

We got home around 3am monday morning and the boys came into our room to see us at 5:30am. We had a wonderful time, but it was wonderful to see the kids again too. We had such a good time and hope to go back soon.

We walked like MADD

2008-04-27T16:29:00.001-07:00

more pictures at the zoo

2008-04-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

We went to Grandma Rebers Sat. to walk in a race against drunk drivers. It was held at the Phoenix Zoo. Grandma has a friend that had her only son killed by a drunk driver. We had a great time. Sadie was amazed at all the animals. We had just gone to "Out of Africa" the week before so Sadie was excited to see some of her favorite animals. It was such a fun day. After the zoo we headed home and stopped in Anthem for some outlet shopping. The weather was absolutely perfect. We ate dinner, shopped, had ice cream and let the kids play at the park. We all had a good time. We are excited to do this again next year.

Out of Africa

2008-04-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Caden feeding the giraffe. Ben and Michelle invited us to go to "Out of Africa" in Camp Verde. It was unlike any zoo I have ever been to. We got to go in and pet the animals. It was so much fun to see Sadie get excited about the animals. She knows them from her books but she got to see them live. She pet the snakes, turtles, giraffe and some type of big lizard. We went to a tiger show where we watched the tigers run, jump and play. The kids had a great time. It really is a cool zoo. We got to ride an old open bus around to see and feed the giraffe. We also saw a 4500 pound rino named boom boom. The kids were so excited because we yelled so loud that he turned around to look at us and actually stood up. Sadie still talks about Boom Boom. Thanks Ben and Michelle, we had a great time. Oh ya, you probably noticed Matthew wearing the same outfit to both zoo's. Well, he got that shirt from Grandma Rebers house and absolutely loves it. He calls it his zoo shirt. So when he found out we were going to the zoo he had to wear his zoo shirt. I love how he gets excited about the littlest things!

The best family vacation!!

2008-04-20T18:55:00.001-07:00

Ok I decided that my favorite vacation with the family is to drive 2 hours max. to a hotel. Travis had a podiatry conf. in Scottsdale 2 hours away. We left Flagstaff with maybe 55 degree weather and arrived in Scottsdale two hours later to a beautiful 85 degrees. I still can't believe how different 2 hours can be from pine trees to palm trees. Anyway, it was fun to watch how excited the kids were to drive up to the hotel, ride the elevator up to our room, check out their beds and the bathroom and then get into their swimming suits. We swam Friday afternoon then went out to eat and shop. Saturday while Travis went to his conference we just swam and enjoyed to beautiful sunshine. Grandma, Michelle and the girls came to swim with us too. It was so much fun for us because we just relaxed and talked while watching the kids have a blast. This was my kind of vacation-relaxing by the pool, shopping and sleeping in a nice clean bed. We need to definitely do this again.

Easter day

2008-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to find their easter baskets. After church we drove to Camp Verde to eat dinner with Ben and Michelle (Trav's sister) and Grandma Reber. Michelle just had a baby and still had us all over. Grandma Reber had the ultimate egg hunt. She filled 100 eggs with candy and MONEY!! One egg even had a $5 bill. There were so many eggs that we ran out of places to hide them so we just started throwing them all over. The kids had a blast and Ashlee won the $5. I think each kid made at least 5 dollars in quarters though. That was my kind of egg hunt. Thanks Grandma!!

Pinetop cabin with friends

2008-04-20T18:01:00.001-07:00

In March we went to Pinetop to this cabin with some friends in our ward. It was freezing cold, but we had a great weekend. The kids had soooo much fun too. Caden and his friends rode on 4 wheelers all day. Matthew loved the zipline. Thanks Carter and Rebecca for inviting us to your beautiful cabin. It was fun staying up late playing games. I can't remember, but didn't Trav and I win? Anyway, we will have to do it again. It was fun to get away.

Update on the last few months

2008-04-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have to thank Stephanie for her last blog entry. It really inspired me to write. I don't write in a journal and being so far away from my family I feel like I need to keep everyone updated. To tell you the truth this winter has been a really hard one. I've hated being here alone. If it wasn't so cold and windy I could probably handle it a little better by getting outside. I have been having a hard time living away from my sisters. It makes me feel so bad that all Caden and Matthews cousins are growing up together. And that Leanne, Michelle and Maryann are together to help each other with raising kids, cooking ideas, exercise groups, trading off babysitting and helping each other clean house and get organized. One of my favorite things to do is to run a long run. I feel so good when I do, but I'm just not that motivated to do it by myself. I have such a hard time when I call and my sisters have just finished a 6 mile run together. I just need to be ok with not exercising so much. This winter has been so cold, its just so much work to bundle up the kids and get out of the house. I'm already worried about how I'm going to handle next winter. I know, I am really pathetic. I have just had the worst attitude these past few months about living in Flagstaff. I need to get a better attitude about it. It makes me feel so guilty because this is something Travis has worked so hard for and now I feel like I'm not happy for him or supporting him. I am just being really selfish right now and I need to figure out how to grow up and live on my own (with my husband and kids of course.)

The kids are doing really well. Caden is doing well in school and makes friends easily which is such a nice blessing. Matthew is such a fun kid. He is a really good kid too. I was just thinking I don't remember the last time he has thrown a fit. He will mope and go in his room, but he rarely cries unless he gets hurt. I really have enjoyed spending my afternoons with him. He is learning to read pretty well. He goes to Preschool Tues. and Thurs. I actually trade teaching with 5 other Moms in my ward. All 6 kids in his class are so cute. Its been really good for him. I signed him up for "real" preschool next year. I still can't get over the fact that it's going to cost us $200 bucks a month just for 3 days 9 - 12pm. Can you believe that? Its just a normal nothing special preschool. Oh well, what do you do? Sadie has been talking so much more. She loves her brothers and calls them her "boys." She has been our easiest kid yet. She honestly loves to go to bed when it is time. I know, seriously what kid likes to go to bed? We just give her her blanket and binky and give her kisses goodnight. Then she loves to blow us kisses the whole way out the door. She still is taking a 3-4 hour nap every afternoon. Then goes to bed around 7pm. I am getting excited for another little boy. We think if he looks like Matthew we like Crew. If he looks like Caden we like Landon. We are still open for any ideas. Matthew really wants to name him Thomas after Thomas the train. He is excited to teach him how to run really fast. The boys are still practicing their violins. I am having such a hard time knowing what to do with that. It is a lot of work to practice with them. Not that they don't like to, its just the simple fact of getting out the violins and actually doing it. Its hard working so much with them when I know later I am just going to switch them to something more practical for boys like piano. For now its good for them I guess. And they look so cute playing.

Travis is doing great of course. He loves working with his Dad and Sister. He grew up in Flagstaff so he loves being back home. He really is a great doctor and Im not saying that because he is my husband. I am amazed at how much he loves to come home and study about surgery's or cases that he has. He reads his podiatry magazines just for fun. He really is a great people person too. He has just made medical school, residency and life so easy for me. So now I just need to learn to love living in Flagstaff.

Well, sorry no pictures.

l

Matthew playing the twinkles

2008-03-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew playing the twinkles

2008-03-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ok I hope this works. I have been trying for an hour. Don't you just hate computers sometimes? This is Caden playing Gavotte.

Why we went to St. George

2008-02-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

This picture of our snow was taken on our way to St. George. I just had to get out of this stuff. Travis had a Pod conf. in Park City. I had planned on going up with him, but when we got in St. George I could'nt leave. It was so nice to get out and exercise. We ran/walked the "stop sign" twice (6 miles). Exercising outside is like one big anti-depressant pill. The fresh air, running with good company, and the feeling at the end is one of my favorite things to do. I love it!!
I am so excited for warmer weather. It was 51 today. And tomorrow is going to be the same. But on Tuesday it is suppose to snow again. Its nice to have a sneak peek of spring though. We just finished our symphony concert on Friday. We had the violinist Lara St. John perform the Shostakovich concerto. It was amazing and so inspiring to watch her play. I keep waiting for Serena Mckinney to come and perform with us. Wouldn't that be fun Mom? Well, we have 6 more days before the boys graduate. I am so proud of Caden. He has worked so hard on Gavotte. I think he is ready. Matthew on the other hand well, Im just still not sure. I'm going to work really hard with him this week and see how it goes. I know he will be disappointed if I don't let him graduate. I asked Caden if he wants to continue the violin after graduation. He really does so I think I will see if Louise Scott will teach him and maybe Matthew in the fall. I need new ideas. Louise was my teacher when I came to NAU. She is the concertmistress in the Flagstaff symphony. She also started the suzuki teacher training program at NAU which is what took me to Flagstaff. So really she is responsible for Travis and I meeting!

She has done so much for me. I remember when I first packed my jetta and moved to Flagstaff. I was planning on staying for the semester, but really needed to get a scholarship to pay for it first. I was staying with an older lady for free rent if I agreed to help her out. I had no idea that she wanted me to come everytime she blew her whistle. When she asked me to help her use the bathroom I just about died. I kept my car packed because I basically wanted to go home. I knew I needed to see if I could get the scholarship first though before I let myself go home. If I couldn't, great I was going home. So I went to my audition with Louise Scott, the director of the music program. She had me play for her then told me she wastn't sure I could get a scholarship for the winter semester, but had a better chance for the fall. I was actually excited I couldn't get anything so I could go home knowing at least I had tried. The next morning Dr. Scott called right before I was about to leave and said they had enough to pay for me if I wanted to start this semester. I was seriously going out the door for home when she called. I didn't know what to think. I was so excited to go home that day, plus I didn't think I could handle another day of answering to a whistle. To make a long story short, I ended up staying (not with the older lady) and met Travis a month after that. Thanks Dr. Scott!! Can you imagine if I had missed her call and went home? I am just so grateful to a Heavenly Father who knew He needed to keep me in Flagstaff.

My under roos boy!

2008-02-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

I just had to post these. Matthew got soooo excited when I bought him some power ranger under roos. Look at his face, he really thinks he is a power ranger. He doesnt think they are underwear and loves to wear them anytime he can. He loves to wear his swimming suit too in the middle of the winter. He also thinks he is seriously the fastest kid around. He says he has to take care of his fast feet. He loves to play this game where he runs back and forth from Sadies room to ours. We will be sitting on the couch watching tv or in the kitchen and when we see him run we know its our cue to say "Trav, did you just see something?" He will do it over and over. He thinks he is so fast we dont even see him. He is such a fun kid.

St. George Fun!

2008-02-14T20:58:00.001-08:00

My computer wont let me download any pictures right now. Thanks to Michelle for making my blog look really cute. She is determined to keep us all going on our blogs. Everytime I talk to her she reminds me that I have'nt updated my blog. I might have to start screaning her calls. JK It actually makes me feel good that she is interested in my everyday life. And lately it hasn't been very exciting. We just keep getting more and more snow. Infact tomorrow is another snow day for the kids. They will have missed 6 days of school now because of snow. I am really grateful that I have symphony. It is such a nice break from the house and kids. I leave at 6:45 and get home at 9:45 so the kids are already in bed. And Travis will usually have the house clean when I get home.
We had so much fun in St. George last week. The boys played so hard that they slept the entire way home. If you read Michelle's blog you will know that we are both having BOY'S! Can you believe it? If you have any cute boy names let me know. We have no idea!! I have girl names but not boys. Well, I will try again to post pictures of St. George tomorrow. I just wanted to post a little something before Michelle calls.

Sorry for slacking!!

2008-02-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

Man oh man Im a big slacker. Ok, this is my excuse - every free minute I have I usually run for the couch to lay down with a blanket. I am now 12 weeks pregnant and am just now starting to feeling a little better ( I think). I don't know what it is because all three of my sisters don't get this sick. I really think I am the biggest baby!! I am just grateful it doesnt last all 9 months. We know its not twins because, get this, I HAVE AN ULTRASOUND MACHINE IN MY HOME!!! How funny is that? When I was about 9 weeks Travis just remembered that he made his Dad buy one last year for the office. They haven't really learned how to use it so he brought it home to try out on me. We could see the baby right away. It has been so fun to watch it grow and move around. My sister Michelle is about 16 weeks so we are going to take it to her house on Wed. to see if we can see what she's having. So if anyone wants to see there baby come on over. I mean really, who has an ultrasound machine?! Don't you think I should start a business with this? I mean I could set up a booth in the mall. jk
I am so excited to spend a few days in St. George. Sometimes just a different environment makes you feel better.
Well, here I am apoligizing again. But I will be better. We just bought a laptop and now I can sit on the couch by the fire to blog.

Sadie, getting what she wants. To eat ice cream on the floor. All by herself!

2007-12-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

Such a girl. And she has us all wrapped around her little finger. Especially her brothers. They love her so much. I get a kick out of how hard Caden can laugh just by watching her. He thinks everything she does is just so funny.

Boys being boys

2007-12-13T20:34:00.001-08:00

You would think they don't have any toys.

Snow day, Yippee!!

2007-12-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry no pictures. Travis had the camera at work the last few days. We woke up Monday morning to white all around. Our neighbors called and told us that school was cancelled. Caden thought that was the greatest thing. "So school is cancelled just so we can play in the snow all day?" And thats exactly what we did. We could'nt have been more surprised when we woke up Tuesday morning to the same thing!! Travis even came home from work and helped us all build a snow fort. The kids started and were great helps, but Trav and I were laughing because we ended up building it ourselves. I am amazed at how beautiful the pinetrees are all covered in snow. I remember reading about Flagstaff before I went to school there. The thing I was most surprised with was it claimed to have blue skies 364 days a year. So far its true. Even when it does get cloudy, it will clear up by the afternoon and the sky will be bright blue. I am really affected by cloudy, gray skies. I am so greatful for a little thing like the blue sky!!

Thanksgiving in Scottsdale

2007-11-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

Boy it was hard trying to get the five grandkids to take a decent picture with Grandma. Look at Sadie, she was so difficult to work with.

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Our yummy thanksgiving dinner. The best part was.....No dishes!!

We went for a walk in the evening. Trav and I sat on this rock and gave the camera to Caden. He took some really good pictures considering it was dark and he couldn't see thru the lens.

2007-11-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

We want to thank
Grandma Reber for the fun thanksgiving. We had such a good time basically relaxing and swimming. Its amazing to be able to drive two hours south for 85-90 degree weather. We went down Monday night and stayed until Friday. On Thanksgiving we swam most of the day and then went to Hometown Buffet. Then came back and watched football and swam some more. Travis, Michelle (Trav's sister), and I woke up early Friday morning and were at Wal-Mart by 5am. This was Travis' first "black friday" experience. He was really excited when he was able to grab the last Ice Age 2 for 5 bucks. I thinks he's hooked.

This is why I want my own camera!

2007-11-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

This is what I have to put up with. I'm looking through the pictures of my cute kids and then one of these pop up. This guy is a diabetic who had just healed some pretty bad ulcers on his feet when he tripped going up stairs and just about tore his toe off. He broke his bone and tore it most of the way around. I know, gross! Travis is lengthening this 12 yr. old girls 4th toe with this external fixater. She has to turn it 1 mm everyday for the next few months as it lengthens the bone.

Hey baby, how'd you get that hole?

2007-11-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

My puzzle boy!

2007-11-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

I love watching Matthew concentrate on these puzzles. He won't quit until he gets it done. And its one of the few things he won't let me help (which is fine with me.)

Hey hey hey, so far so good huh?

2007-11-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

So Michelle tagged me and I am suppose to write things that I like. Alright here goes, maybe I will list something you never knew about me.
First of all I love my Dad. I love his permagrin and I think he is the cutest dad ever. I love my family. I love doing things together. I love surprising the kids like pulling up to DQ to get a dilly bar after school. I love when Travis calls me to come eat lunch with him. I love going out alone with Travis. I love being creative to help the kids like to practice (well, I just like it when it works .) I love blue Sky's. I love big o long bike rides. Like all day. Like bring a sleeping bag and go down the coast (Ive never done that, but I know I would love it.) I would love to rent a motorcycle with Travis and go for a weekend. I love to make my bed. I like new sheets. I love new socks. I love shoes- OK, I love to shop. I loved Michelle's birthday party when just the girls went out. I like to get to know people. I love people who inspire me. I loved teaching relief society. I love the motivation it gave me to study and pray for inspiration. I love feeling the spirit. I love when my kids recognize the spirit. I love my fun memories of priest lake. I love going to any lake on a nice day. I love running with my mom and sisters on Thanksgiving morning. I love feeling red and sweaty after a run (I know, gross! But I love it) I do love to shower. I love planning vacations. I love not having a sore throat. I know this will sound crazy, but I like to do laundry. I love organized closets. I love having a girl and dressing her up. I love to smell things ( things like a new book, a pencil box, the smell of new paint, etc) I love playing in the symphony. I love practicing for it. I love visiting Travis at work. I love seeing him interact with his patients. I love to pack a lunch and swim with the kids in the summer. I loved our summer here. I love summer vacation. I hate back to school signs. I love a fireplace and hot chocolate. I love the feeling I get before a 5k (and after.) I love having a good book to look forward to in the evenings. I'm on harry potter 4. I know, its kind of tough reading. I love to go out to eat. I think my favorite thing to do is to vacation with family. Someday, we should all hike Havasupai. I love visitors. I love the smell of a newborn. I love finding out I'm pregnant. (I'm not, but its always so exciting.) I love having an ultrasound to find out what were having. I love the day of the delivery. I don't like postpardom, staying in the house for two weeks. I really like going to the beach. I love cuddling up with my kids to read. I love my red crockpot. i love to make dinner in the mornings. Alright now that you are all asleep, I think I'm done.

Travis's very talented sister, Celeste took these of the kids

2007-11-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Sadies personality is coming out so much. I am afraid we have another ham on our hands. Its fun to watch her play with the boys. She loves to sing her goodnight song to them everynight. "so long, farewell its time for me to go-o. I must I must I must get my princess sleep." Ya, it doesnt work very well but she loves it and the boys laugh every time.

I am so grateful Caden is our oldest. He is such a good kid. He is so nice to his younger brother. He also likes the responsibility that comes with being the oldest.

I love this picture of Matthew. He is seriously our knucklehead boy. He loves His older brother and is always trying to make him laugh. They really are good buds. I love the time I have with him when Caden is at school and Sadie is a sleep.

ALL RIGHT, I KNOW IM HORRIBLE OK?

2007-11-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

I am so bad because I spend so much time reading and enjoying all of your blogs and have no time left over for my own. I love all of your blogs and I have the best family ever. I am so excited for Renae and her baby girls. And congratulation to Sarah. I love the name--Alexander! I just noticed Erin has a blog so I'm excited to read hers. And of course, Heidi and Justins blog is so much fun. I love reading my Moms and sisters (Laurie included.) So I am vowing (is that how you spell it?) to be better at mine. Ok, maybe not vowing. But I hope I will be better.

There is no buddy like a brother

2007-11-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our first suzuki play-in

2007-09-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Oops sorry about the blurry picture. Caden did really well. He played up to perpetual motion. The boy next to him is also in is school class. Ya I know, Matthew is having problems with his violin hold. He had a good time though. They were especially excited to notice an ice cream/bakery parlor right out side the auditorium. I do have a video, but it is really dark so I will just film them later and send it.

Our redneck camping trip

2007-09-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

We decided to put to use Travis's Dads pop-up trailor. We drove about 5 miles from our house and set up camp. We roasted hotdogs and smores, the boys played baseball, and Sadie just chilled. Oh and Travis took us spotlighting when it got dark. Spotlighting is the ultimate redneck activity. We have a monster spotlight, we pile in the redneck truck and shine it out the windows hoping to see deer and elk. The boys had a blast and Sadie was amused. We woke up Sat. morning and had blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage and hot chocolate. We wanted to go on a bike ride, but forgot to bring the hitch for the bike trailor. So we just drove 5 miles home to get it. It was a pretty fun adventure.

Sadie walking on the sidewalk

2007-09-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sadie just learning to walk and talk. She just decided on her 18 month mark to the day that she would walk. It was like she knew she probably should start to walk. She is also learning to say a few words. I thought this video was funny. If it works I will send more!!

Camping in Kanab

2007-09-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

The boys had a great time with their scooby do and spiderman fishing poles. They acually caught a fair amount of fish. We went up for Labor day weekend with Travis' Dad and Janice, Mark and Celeste. Brad and Carena drove down from Colorado. It took them 11 hours. We had a good time playing cards, fishing, biking, going on 4 wheeler rides, and reading good books. Caden and I read the first volume of Harry Potter. Its a really cute book!!

Our Flagstaff home

2007-09-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

We are falling in love with mountain living. We love the pine trees, the squirrels and deer that live with us. I told Travis that I feel like we are on vacation everyday. I love walking outside and smelling the fresh air. It brings back memories of pulling up to priest lake, stepping out of the van and smelling the pine trees. I guess thats why I think I'm just on vacation. I can't wait to be able to use our fireplace on those chilly mornings. We love the forest right across the street (the boys think its ours.)

Matthews first day of preschool. His favorite thing about preschool is cupcakes and recess (of course!)

2007-09-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

2007-08-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

I just cant get enough of these kids!! Well, actually I can. Hey, do you see Matthews famous vein? Funny huh? Its been fun taking pictures of Sadie now that she says "cheese." Can you see her pink room in the back? I love it so much, I told Trav that I want to move in with her. Its been fun decorating it. The boys room is cute too, just not as fun JK. Michelle (Travis' sister) is making me a sign with vinyl lettering that says TRUE HEROES. Im going to frame BofM heroes all around their room. Then above their cute pictures that Skye Johansen took of them its going to say, "There's no buddy like a brother." And of course in Sadies room its going to say, "I didn't ask to be a princess, I just am."

Best Buds

2007-08-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

This trampoline has been the best babysitter, I mean investment. The kids spend literally hours on it! Their even good to let their little sister on for a while.

Sadies new room. Its all pink-- What a princess!!

2007-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Our Princess Baby!!

2007-08-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

2007-08-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

I need to take a better picture of the front of the house. This is pretty much it. My favorite part is the forest right across the street. If you look carefully, you can see the trees.

The deck behind our house

2007-08-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

2007-08-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is the front of the house. Do you see our nice patch of green grass? Kelly had an extra square from his house. He has fake grass in his front yard. It looks pretty good.

The kids always eager to help!

2007-08-20T20:45:00.001-07:00

Friends across the street. Luke and Carissa

2007-08-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

2007-08-15T16:54:00.000-07:00