Our superfam...TOGETHER: It's a great place to be!

Happy Love Day!!!

2012-02-14T09:06:00.004-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I think this is the only picture I have of Miles smiling while being kissed...had to put that one on here :) He sure must love those brothers!

Where does the time go? The boys are growing up so fast. They definitely come with unique personalities!

Miles 4 months

Quincy 4 months

Porter 4 months

and yes, I still have the hat and onesie for baby girl at 4 months...don't worry Grandma Hansen!

And I can't believe this cute little guy won't be "the baby" of the family in a couple of months

EVEN THOUGH THEY ALL WILL ALWAYS BE MY BABIES!!

Family Picture 2008

Family Picture 2009

Family Picture 2010

And yes, I have baby girl's superhero attire ready to go...

Look how cute my babies are...some things change a lot as they grow up...

and some things stay the same...like Miles' hate for loud noises :)

and last BUT NOT LEAST, my better half! Isn't he so cute? Ok, he'll get embarassed reading this, but he keeps our family together and keeps me SANE! :) Love you hubby! (and aren't you glad I didn't put a wedding picture here...otherwise we would hear from the boys about mom's "stringy" hair and dad's big glasses)

Love to all of my boys this day...

and always!!

Karate Brothers

2012-01-30T21:19:00.004-07:00

I catch a moment once in awhile that shows me they really do like each other....that is before they start karate-ing each other again!

How cute are they!

Porter is sure going to miss his brother next year when Q starts 1st grade!

Bath Boy

2012-01-30T21:17:00.002-07:00

Our Porter LOVES himself a good bath...

especially with superhero buddies!

Christmas Celebration 2011

2012-01-16T13:18:00.005-07:00

One thing I have to get better at for 2012....taking more pictures at Christmas! I enjoy the holiday so much and just enjoy the moment of watching the kids open their presents and then always realize I didn't get one shot of them opening. The boys were SO good this year Xmas eve and Christmas day. It was delightful and we had quite a few teaching opportunities to talk about the true meaning of Xmas. We had lots of fun!

Here is our Elf Quincy ready for his Xmas party at school

Christmas Eve picture...

Christmas morning with their pillow pets that they've been asking Santa for for lots of years!! Santa finally gave in. Miles got Dinger (Rockies mascot), Quincy got a panda, and Porter got the monkey, of course! They love them!

Having our New Years count down at 7:00pm. They loved using the fancy cups and bubbly drink! Happy 2012!!!

Quincy loses his first 2 teeth

2012-01-16T13:17:00.003-07:00

We were at the dentist and Quincy had his permanent teeth coming in behind the baby teeth, so out the baby teeth had to come. He was super brave and didn't even get bugged by it! He talks a little different now!

Our V boys

2012-01-16T13:14:00.004-07:00

Didn't want to post till after Xmas, but this is our V for the word LOVE on the gift to the boys grandparents. Each group of grandkids were a letter and hopefully the gift was appreciated by Grandpa and Grandma. Great idea Tiffany! We thought Light Sabers defined our family pretty well! :)

Quincy turns 6!

2011-11-19T07:21:00.003-07:00

I can't believe my Kiki is 6! He loves life and is so enthusiastic and passionate about it. He is also VERY persistent about everything....I realize that can be a positive trait, but I am still trying to figure that one out! He loves his brothers and friends. He loves ninjas and karate. He is also known for being the best back scratcher in the house!

He wanted a Ninjago cake so I bought a plain one and put Ninjago figures on top.

He also loves to be a spy. Thanks to everyone for all of his wonderful gifts! He is a lucky boy.

We love you Kiki. You are a special little boy!

Despicable Me Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T12:22:00.005-06:00

Here are our Minions!

Here is Gru with his Minions and shrink ray gun!

Here's Margo ready to sell cookies with the Minions

Q waving in the school parade

Miles and his buddy Benji in the parade

Miles and some buddies!

We are sure glad Halloween was yesterday. The day was beautiful...

and NOW it is snowing! Happy November!

Quincy's Hint

2011-11-01T12:18:00.003-06:00

Recently, this is how we know when we are in trouble with Quincy...

It's hanging on his door with our names crossed out. At least then we are prepared for the "wrath" of Quincy.

Love that kid!

Payson Utah Temple Site

2011-09-12T21:09:00.003-06:00

How exciting are these plans, right? We are thrilled about the Payson Utah Temple groundbreaking happening next month! So tonight for FHE, we headed to the temple site.

The site is HUGE and, until, now, has been a wheat field. The owner of the land donated their wheat field to the Church.

Here is our FHE "lesson". Allen is telling the story of how this temple site was chosen. (Allen's secretary at the Orem Institute lives right across the street and saw some of the story happening) They loved it...hearing about President Monson and the First Presidency visiting and knowing this was the place.

We found some wheat!

We can't even describe how thrilled we are. We can't wait to start attending our new temple. It will be the temple that we take Miles to in 4 years to start doing baptisms for the dead. It is sacred ground already and you can feel it. How thankful we are to have temples on the earth, the Lord's House.

Andrea and Guy's Wedding

2011-09-12T21:04:00.002-06:00

Allen's cousin Andrea got married on Saturday....don't think she can forget her anniversary....9/10/11.

How cute are they?

In front of the Provo Temple

Our handsome boys!

Random Shot, but I love it!

Congrats Andrea and Guy! We are so very happy for you!

Baseball Season Starts

2011-09-12T20:58:00.002-06:00

Miles is playing fall baseball this year. He is LOVING it! He plays for the Maple Mountain Warriors. Double headers on Saturdays for us. Sure love to watch him play!

It's nice. they are still young enough that the coaches don't have them locked in a position. Miles has been catching, pitching, and playing 1st base mainly.

GOOOOOO WARRIORS!!

Quincy Starts Kindergarten

2011-08-30T20:37:00.004-06:00

Ahhhh....our little ninja...is he ready for Kindergarten??

Oh YES, he is ready. At least he took off the mask...we'll have to deal with the Bruce Lee tee (notice the t shirt "he" is wearing in the picture)

Here is his "About Me" sheet....don't worry Grandmas and Grandpas...I am sure it will make it to his wall so you can see it closer!

Porter is going to miss him...A LOT

Porter was feeling left out!

Quincy and his buddy Kyle. They are in the same class.

THE THREE STOOGES! Quincy gets to be with his 2 best buddies...good luck to his teacher! LOL

We love you Quincy! Congrats on your first day of Kindergarten. You are such a big boy!

Miles Starts 3rd Grade

2011-08-24T21:14:00.002-06:00

Miles started 3rd grade this week. I love this kid and miss him when he's gone all day. sniff sniff...

but one silver lining to this IS...

My Batman and Robin get along so well!!!

They get to fight crime for another week....then Quincy gets to go to Kindergarten and they'll have to cut down on their "superhero" time! Porter is going to be so sad. At least K is only half day.

Miles' "3 in 2" Birthday Trip

2011-08-09T21:40:00.004-06:00

If you don't know Miles very well, let me clue you in. He loves THE ROCKIES!!

I don't know if it's in his blood because he was born in Colorado, or if it's just because we get a TV station that televises all of their games, but he is hooked!

We told him we'd try to get him out to CO this summer for a game, as part of his birthday gift!

We ended up sending him and Dad alone. Do you think he is happy to be there?

Here comes the part where we will never be able to top this birthday present:

Here is foul ball #1

Amazing right? I told Miles to not expect to get a ball....there are so many people there buddy...silly mom!

How about Foul ball #2

Foul ball #3...are you serious?

3 Foul Balls in 2 Games...

What are the chances? Happy Birthday buddy boy!

EFY 2011

2011-07-25T21:26:00.003-06:00

We had the opportunity to be session directors at 2 different EFYs this summer. Thank you thank you to both sets of grandparents for holding down the fort while we were working with 300+ amazing youth! What a blessing to be able to teach, feel the Spirit, and learn with amazing youth at EFY! We love it! It's hard work and not the "vacation" everyone thinks it is, but it is worth it! (Now, the week after EFY is brutal...back to routine...you know!)

BYU EFY

The U EFY

The slideshow Guru this session, Katie, insisted on "creative" pics of each of us for the slideshow at the end of the week. Hence, the goofy shot! Good thing she took it though. We were busy and I forgot to take pics this session.

WE LOVE EFY!

Miles commented the other day that he can't wait to go to EFY. Only 6 more years buddy! We can't wait to go together. He'll probably want to attend a session where his parents aren't there though! LOL

Miles' Baptism

2011-07-17T22:05:00.003-06:00

Miles was baptized on July 9, 2011.

It was a wonderful day. We had a lot of family and friends there to support Miles. Miles was so excited and it was so fun for us to see him ready for this important milestone in his life. We are so proud of the young man he is becoming. He finished reading the Book of Mormon before his baptism. He also memorized 11 of the 13 Articles of Faith. (we are still working on 2 of them).

We had a anti picture Porter that day. Too bad!

Here is the crew. We had Grandpa and Grandma Matthews, Grandpa and Grandma Hansen, Grandpa Bradford, Uncle Hugh, Aunt Brenda, and Cousin Paige there for the special day.

"Aunt" Andrea came too!

We had a BBQ at our home afterwards.

Our good friends, Lupida and Allison, made Miles a chocolate cake that he loves.

We are so proud of you Miles. Baptism is the first step in your journey back to your heavenly home. We love you.

Yellowstone/Matthews reunion

2011-07-17T21:40:00.004-06:00

Matthews Reunion 2011:

Allen's brother Jeff and his family hosted the family reunion this year. They live in Powell Wy, so we had a long car ride to get there so we decided to stop at a few stops in Yellowstone on the way there.

Our family at Old Faithful

The boys at Fishing Bridge store. This store is FULL of fun treats!

The boys got to do sparklers for the first time.

We went to the Cody Wyoming 4th of July parade. We were too busy melting during the parade to take pics. Here are the boys relaxing in the shade after the parade ended.

Jeff and Mel had a pool party in their backyard! All of the cousins had so much fun.

Thanks Jeff and Mel for hosting the wonderful reunion this year. We had so much fun! Can't wait for next year!

Happy Birthday Miles!

2011-06-29T21:24:00.003-06:00

Can't believe my buddy boy is 8! Where does the time go?

Miles with presents...which included a new bat, pitch back, Scouting shirt, money (always exciting), a Colorado Rockies hat with a promise note saying he'll be attending a game in Colorado this season!

Miles had his first friends party this year. We took 5 of his buddies to Pirate Island for pizza and games! His list of friends to take was lengthy but we only had 5 extra seats in the cars. They had a lot of fun!

I sure do love my Miles. For FHE this week we watched a slide show of pics of Miles from newborn-18months. We also talked about what we love about him. He is driven. He will work on something again and again and again if he loves it. He is our sports radio. He can't talk to kids his own age about sports...he has to talk to adults. He loves the Colorado Rockies and loved watching BYU basketball this year (crying is involved when those teams lose). Miles is a phenomenal friend. He would do anything for his friends. He is very thoughtful. Today was a neighbor's birthday....we picked roses from our yard for her...his idea! I love to see the young man he is becoming. I love you buddy boy!

Go Nationals!!

2011-06-29T21:17:00.002-06:00

Miles played baseball this year for the Nationals! What a great year. He improves so much every year. He wants to practice ALL the time! He played mostly 1st base, pitcher, or short stop. There were 1st and 2nd graders on the team so they would play with their age group, so one inning of outfield and then one inning of infield.

GO MILES!!

Family fun...summer is here!

2011-06-12T20:55:00.003-06:00

What do we need to make summer official? A family outing!

Bridal Veil Falls Hike...

and a stop at Blickenstaff....only the coolest toystore EVER!!! It was the kids first time. Yeah, as you can tell, they enjoyed it!

Horray for Summer! Horray for "Adventures"!

Miles' 2nd Grade Program

2011-05-18T21:25:00.003-06:00

Miles had his 2nd grade program. He is growing up on me that's for sure. He had a speaking part this year that talked about igneous rocks.

Look at how cute my Miles is....sorry Miles (he hates it when I say "cute" in a certain tone of voice)

Mom, stop taking my picture...notice the comfort of his classmate!

Miles' teacher this year was Mrs. Glenn. She has been wonderful. It is her first year teaching and you can tell she really loves the kids. She says Miles is a sweet kid.

Miles loves school and especially all of his friends. He gets calls from friends before he even walks in the door from school.

He would be playing sports every free moment if he could. He is our sports radio, STILL! He wakes me up in the mornings at about 6:30 to tell me the scores/stats of his beloved Rockies and what the weather will be like for the day. He really enjoyed watching BYU basketball this year and their Sweet 16 appearance. Tears were a must when they lost!

We love you Miles. Sure proud of the young man you are becoming.

End of the Year Music

2011-05-18T21:15:00.003-06:00

The boys have been taking music through the Let's Play Music Program.

Here they are at their recital. Quincy played the bells and Miles played the piano.

Here's Quincy preparing for his final concert in the American Fork Tabernacle

Here are my handsome boys ready for the concert!

Miles and Quincy are both visible in this shot!

It's so nice to see Quincy wearing something besides his Bruce Lee shirt! haha!

Patiently waiting to start!

The boys have learned so much this year in music. Miles is playing piano with both hands and playing 3 chords. Quincy knows his Solfeg hand signs and learned to play Do Re Mi on the bells. So proud of you boys! Keep up the great music learning!

living with boys

2011-05-18T20:54:00.004-06:00

Boys get embarassed while Mom tries to take pictures....

Crankiness happens with baseball: not getting to play enough, rain delays, Rockies losing, having to go to bed and not getting to finish the game...you get the idea.

I get to work with LOTS of superheroes daily! I need to invent superhero costumes that do not need major unrobing to use the restroom!

Mom gets to make things out of cardboard boxes. We have to get creative to help the engineer in us. Here is the Bat Computer...

If I need FBI help, they are very available to help with my every need.

Sometimes our days go like this...

and some days like this!!!

We have had so much rain lately, I thought we could use a funny quote to cheer us up:

Quote of the week:

When asked why it was raining again...Porter responded:

"The monkeys at the Zoo squeezed the hippos and made water come out of their mouths"

Thanks boys for making my life so interesting and full of adventure.

shhhhhhhh

2011-05-05T20:46:00.003-06:00

okay, everyone, don't tell my brothers...but sometimes it's really nice being the only boy at home for certain hours during the week. Sometimes I get special treats! Shhhhhhh, don't tell!

Buddies!

2011-05-05T20:41:00.003-06:00

For some reason, Porter and Quincy are getting along really well right now! I am enjoying it while it lasts...

Our spidermen

Playing at the park...

I am so glad that you guys are feeling the love right now! I hope you will always be buddies!

Shiner just in time

2011-05-05T20:37:00.003-06:00

Porter must have thought purple eyeshadow would look good on me...he accidently gave me a great headbutt and I ended up with this...

Actually, this is after about 24 hours....it did get worse and some color went all the way around the eye but didn't catch it on film. Just in time for my wonderful trip to Greeley. Thanks Porter! I enjoyed having to explain that one!

Utah Flash Game with Rosanna kids

2011-04-14T22:19:00.004-06:00

Allen's BYU Jazz Voices group, AKA "Rosanna kids" before singing the National Anthem for the Utah Flash game. They sing an acapella version of Toto's Rosanna and so our kids call them that!

Porter got a head rub from the mascot....can you tell he was thrilled!!?

Miles was of course in heaven...

He absolutely adores the boys in the group....can't you tell?

The boys all got jersies....they were so excited. They even wore them to bed that night! Porter's is so long that he called it his "dress". Dad corrected him quickly! It was a fun night!

Totally CHEESY!

2011-04-14T22:16:00.003-06:00

One of our favorite places to go out to eat is Pizza Factory!

Super Cheesy cute shots!

Box Painting

2011-04-14T22:11:00.002-06:00

Nice warm day+paint= Tons of Fun!

Excuse our lack of clothing, but didn't want to be worrying about ruined clothing! the boys had tons of fun decorating their own boxes!

yeah for warm weather!!!

OH YEAH...

2011-03-21T21:00:00.003-06:00

By the way...

THIS ONE IS MINE!!!

I would say I hope he grows out of it, but I still do it....

hmmmm...LOL

Love you Miles!!!

Prickable Me!

2011-03-21T20:53:00.004-06:00

Okay, I have a confession....I used to be totally ANTI-Despicable Me. I wouldn't take my boys to see the movie in the theater because I saw the preview and I can't stand a lot of potty talking in movies....because then the boys repeat it over and over again...

well, I was desperate one day at Redbox and I got it for them...

I LOVED IT!!!! Now, I am going to have to buy it. What a cute story!

Here is Quincy's "tater tot"! That's what we call them anyway...

Porter can't say Despicable Me so he says "remember on Prickable Me..."

okay, so I was wrong about that one...

Oh yeah....and the only "potty" parts were in the trailer!

oops!

Is it Spring yet????

2011-03-21T20:44:00.004-06:00

We've had some nice days, which make for pictures like this...

Then, it gets cold again and forces us to get out all of the cardboard boxes again!

and ALL of the stuffed animals (oh please help me). I have a child that loves stuffed animals. Torture for me. I am good with a favorite for on the bed...this seems excessive to me.

Porter loves his playgroup!

The boys NEVER watch princess movies! But they really wanted to see Tangled!! So off we went to the dollar theater to see it. It was awesome and there was enough action to keep them entertained too! It was in 3D....here they are in their glasses!

Happy (almost) SPRING!!!

Bobo turns 3!

2011-03-01T13:34:00.004-07:00

Guess What????

I turned 3!! I am so big!

What would a birthday be without presents? Miles and Quincy wrapped a whole box of treasures for Porter. He loved opening their gifts! But what has he been talking about for months???

Yeah, Porter has new buddies! Thanks to all of the grandpas, grandmas, aunts, and uncles for chipping in to get these fantastic Buzz and Woody dolls! As you can tell, he loves them!

and now Porter can be Buzz!!

He even got a new "big boy" blanket with tractors on it!

What birthday would be complete without a yummy birthday dinner....his choice: McDonalds (Raunchy Ronnies)! Yum yum!

and then cupcakes.....with Batman and Buzz on them!

Porter's Favorites:

Phrase: "Next time"

Pastime: coloring, playing tractors, Batman, Buzz

Friends: Miles, Quincy, Dad, Mom, and Blake

Nickname: Bobo

Movie: Toy Story 2

We love you Bobo! Happy .75!

Miles is growing up..sniff sniff

2011-02-26T18:17:00.002-07:00

Miles turns 8 this summer so we attended our first Blue and Gold Scout dinner! I can't believe my buddy boy is almost a scout! He got a paw on the cheek...he wasn't sure about that but then it took quite a bit to get him to wash it off!

My great grandmother LaFawn Anderson taught me to play Ma-Jongg when I was little. She traveled in China a lot and learned to play. We spent hours and hours as a family playing...even took it to the mountains for camping! I taught Miles to play a few months ago. He is already beating me sometimes! We have a fun time and it's just me and him. The other boys are too little to play, so it's fun mommy Miles time.

Love you Miles. You will ALWAYS be my baby! Don't you forget it!

Darth Vader lives...

2011-02-14T20:50:00.002-07:00

We've apparently loved the Super Bowl commercial a little too much...

Vader has made appearances at the Seminary, The Mall, Walmart...

but what an awesome commercial right?

Our kids still love to watch it!!

Showin a little LOVE

2011-02-14T20:44:00.002-07:00

Happy LOVE day you all!

Quincy breaking the board

2011-01-28T10:28:00.003-07:00

For Christmas, Quincy got 2 lessons at 2 different Karate schools here in town. We kind of wanted to check out the different programs and see if there was a good fit. Quincy had a great time. He got to participate in 2 class sessions and 2 private lessons. He loved it and learned lots too...things like cooperating and respect! Hopefully in the fall, Quincy will start lessons on a regular basis. Here he is in action breaking a board:

We love you, Karate Kid, Quincy!

Getting creative with wintertime...

2011-01-16T20:15:00.003-07:00

Oh what do you do in the wintertime...when you can't go outside and play???

Well sometimes you go outside anyway and make awesome snowmen...

Sometimes you get really creative with cardboard (our favorite "toy" at our house)

This is Cocoa, the boys pet puppy!!

Jumpin Jacks! Mental Note: do not let the boys all go down together next time...it's quite the head knocker!

Baking baking baking fun! Porter loves to help in the kitchen!

OUR VERY OWN ZOO.

Oh, springtime, where are you???

California Christmas 2010

2011-01-16T20:02:00.004-07:00

Where were we for Christmas? Sunny, well, rainy California!

Look at those boys holding to the iron rod....they thought of this all by themselves!

You can tell they are not sure about this "pretend" Santa! LOL

Sorry family....I didn't get my camera out much this trip. Must have been that flu bug that I had for most of the week!

Here's Porter with his tractor! Yeah for Tractors!

Good thing Matthews got traded this past year....we got all the merchandise at half off!

This T shirt has Matthews written across the back. Daddy got one too!

Yeah....Quincy will now wear a shirt that isn't white! In case you are not aware, Quincy is our karate boy and thinks that karate guys only wear white. But mom found this Bruce lee shirt and he will wear this!

We got to see so many family members...it was awesome!

Here is Miles with my brother, Uncle Jameson. I often call Miles "J". Kind of looks like my brother did when he was little. Wish we lived closer to him so we could hang out with him more.

Grandpa Paul and Grandma Billie had a "bare" tree when we arrived, so Miles promptly started making ornaments for the tree. The boys did an awesome job. It of course had to include a Go Jazz and BOO Lakers for Grandpa Hansen....Ha!

Merry Christmas!! We had a "super" one!

Will this stage ever end?

2010-12-17T20:55:00.003-07:00

Our Karate Kid is cute...but the headband is getting a little old....and dirty!

Here is a sampling of what we see HOURS daily....WARNIING:

This could make you very tired!!

Wintertime fun!

2010-12-17T20:49:00.002-07:00

We got a snowstorm! Yipee! Porter and I shoveled and made a mini snowman! We had so much fun!

The boys have been having fun with their "fort" for a month now. It moves rooms but usually consists of cardboard boxes, and all sorts of junk...sorry, that was mommy talking!

Look how much fun they are having!

Holiday Concert 2010

2010-12-12T20:04:00.003-07:00

Miles and Quincy take music lessons and are able to join the Utah Valley Children's Choir for a couple of numbers at their holiday concert. Quincy was nervous, as it was his first time, but did great!

This is my absolute favorite shot of the boys....

checking themselves out in the mirror before we left!

They had an orchestra there and it was hard to get good shots from where we were sitting but the boys did awesome! They performed a couple of pieces from Handel's Messiah...so beautiful!

Christmas is almost upon us!!!

Little Hoopsters 2010

2010-12-12T19:58:00.003-07:00

Miles loves basketball! He especially likes when they get to scrimmage! He is a very good shot and he is definitely getting better about getting in there and fighting for the ball.

Great Job Miles!!

Here is a sample of 1st and 2nd graders playing bball:

Thanksgiving with Grandpa and Grandma Hansen

2010-12-12T19:47:00.003-07:00

What a treat! We had my dad and stepmom here for Thanksgiving and the week after. Allen had a crazy concert schedule and they stuck around to help out! The boys love all the attention they get from Grandpa and Grandma Hansen.

You guys are more than welcome to stay that long anytime!

Grandma was so good to help Quincy with his fort and draw "paintings" for inside. She got lessons in drawing lego Batman and Star Wars. Poor soul! This is the first time Quincy has cried when they've left! Thanks Grandma for making him feel so loved!

Porter got "doctored" up by Grandpa with his pretend owies!

Miles "won"!!

Here is Grandpa trying out the karate moves!

I think Grandpa and Grandma were worn out by the end. We loved having you here! Dad, if only we didn't experience the "Wendy's" trip....haha!

Love you guys! Thanks so much for all of your help!

Miles in Heaven...

2010-12-12T19:44:00.003-07:00

well not really, but close for him.

Dad and Miles went to a Jazz game and Miles LOVED it. We watch most games on TV but have never been to an actual game. Thanks to a neighbor we scored 2 tickets so off the boys went.

Go Jazz!!!!

Quincy turns 5!

2010-12-12T19:35:00.003-07:00

I can't believe my Quincy is 5 years old! He was such a big boy to wait all day to open his presents. Look at that smile...

Mental note: never leave the cake on the counter....

Porter got into it, but I caught it pretty early, so we just told Quincy that Batman was in a hurry to catch the bad guys and skidded through the cake....gulp! He knew Porter messed it up but ended up taking it pretty well...

Pirate island....once again!

Yummy pirate pizza!

Quincy loves Preschool and playing with friends and his older brother Miles. He is even tolerating his younger brother sometimes too. He is our Karate Kid and has informed us that we cannot call him Kiki anymore....a hard habit to break. He wants to be called Karate Kid. He practices his kicks and splits every day. He is a crack up. He is big into working on a fort in the house, which consists of cardboard boxes, etc...He is very very persistent...which we hope will be a strength for him later on....:)

We love you Quincy...I mean Karate kid!

Tomatoes in Nov??

2010-11-16T20:29:00.004-07:00

I've never picked green tomatoes before. I kept them in my pantry for a couple of weeks and look at that....

Finally finishing up the season of fresh salsa and loved having the extra month!!!

Fall Leaves

2010-11-16T20:24:00.003-07:00

Took the boys to feed the ducks and the leaves were so gorgeous!

Here is Miles, humoring mom with her picture taking :)

Quincy throwing those pretty leaves!!

To be a kid again....look how carefree!!!

bye bye Fall.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-16T17:15:00.003-07:00

Here is my video gaming Luigi, Karate Kid, and Batman!

Can you believe this is my only Halloween shot this year?? Yeah, it was a little crazy!

The boys got caught in hail and had to return home for 45 minutes until the weather was bearable...and costumes could be dried in the dryer.

Happy Halloween!!!

A Preview...

2010-10-28T19:58:00.003-06:00

Halloween post is on it's way...

Here is a preview of my Karate Kid after he got ready for preschool this morning...

Thanksgiving in October

2010-10-28T19:49:00.004-06:00

Grandma Matthews decided to have a Thanksgiving in October because most of the siblings were coming for a visit, so the boys headed up too. I had a bad cough and had tons of primary things to get done. The boys had lots of fun with their cousins.

This is my all time favorite picture of the Grandmas....so fun!

Baby Britin is getting so big! What a Cutie!

Lyn, you look awesome girl! Okay, Galen, you look good too :) I almost didn't recognize you...did you shave???

What a kids table!

Wish I could've been there. Thanks Grandma Matthews for hosting a early Thanksgiving party!

Work Power

2010-10-28T19:00:00.002-06:00

Miles is quite the song writer. Here is his song "Work Power". He is so cute. He wrote the lyrics on the car ride home from somewhere and then we recorded it when we got home so we didn't forget it. Allen's BYU group loved it. He's got fans already...heehee

Enjoy!

The willows are out!!!!

2010-10-28T18:08:00.005-06:00

Meet our willow trees...

We have had a love/hate relationship with these trees...

I have LOVED them for the shade in the summer...

Allen has HATED them for being so messy...

Alas, Allen wins.

One of them started cracking....

It was either going to fall on the house or someone walking by...

So they had to go bye bye. Porter was a happy camper all day watching the heavy machinery!!!

It looks so weird now! I know I will get used to it but I still forget we did it sometimes, until I look at the house. I actually surprised Allen. He's been wanting it done, but I finally called and set up the time without him knowing...thought it would be fun. It took him awhile to notice since he got home after dark on the day it was done. Congrats dear, you won the "tree war". Haahaa.

You want more updating...???

2010-10-28T13:02:00.003-06:00

So so sorry....we've been working on other things!!!

Who is that?

2010-10-22T13:45:00.002-06:00

Now, what kind of superhero is THAT?

Playing with Picnik

2010-09-20T21:16:00.003-06:00

Loving Picnik! super fun to mess with my pics!

Picnik is fun!

2010-09-19T20:43:00.003-06:00

I am having a lot of fun using picnik.com! I've never done it before and it is working fabulously with our superman themed family photos!

Matthews Family 2010

2010-09-19T13:54:00.005-06:00

Here they are. I still have to crop and mess with some but here are a few of our shots from the other night. A BIG thank you to Andrea for putting up with us during our fun family picture session.

My 4 boys!!

Miles at 7 years...

of course, with a Superman theme we had to do this shot.

Quincy at almost 5. He'll be 5 in November. He is usually my "best" smiler but he was having none of it.

Quincy loves Karate. Here is his crane technique.

Porter at 2 years. What a character!

My 3 little boys! I can't believe how big they are getting.

OUR SUPER FAM!!!!

Anyone like taking family photos?

2010-09-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

Anyone feel like this when they take family photos??

I now need to go through the bazillion photos we took to see if we have any decent shots! I don't have one child who likes to "pose". Too bad...

Watch in the days ahead to see our SUPERfam. I swear we like each other. Most of our shots this photo shoot don't appear that way...but we really do! I swear!

Miles' LOVE notes!

2010-09-17T22:20:00.003-06:00

Miles pretends to be embarassed by mom's notes in his lunch. BUT I know he secretly enjoys them. This is one that he crumpled up and shoved in his pocket till he got home! Gotta love that boy!

Porter the helper!

2010-09-17T22:18:00.003-06:00

Porter loves to help out in the yard. Here he is helping Allen mow the grass! What a character!

Why do we have all boys?

2010-09-17T22:15:00.002-06:00

TO PREPARE FUTURE MISSIONARIES!!!

How stinkin cute are they??

The DREADED orange shorts!

2010-08-20T13:20:00.003-06:00

So, I was cleaning out my "tshirt" drawer yesterday and found these "hideous" shorts shoved in the bottom. They were Miles' a year ago, but he would put them on with EVERYTHING, and they are orange. So I decided to make them "disappear". Well, I put them in Kiki's drawer last night.....

You will not believe what he wanted to wear this morning!!!!!????

Hmmmmm.....I might need to hide them again.....AND clean out my drawers less frequently :)

I had to find him "the shirt" that goes with them and tell him that they can only be worn with this specific shirt.....LOL. I can try can't I?

Karate Mommy Date

2010-08-20T13:13:00.002-06:00

The new Karate Kid movie is at the dollar theater, so I took the older 2 boys to see it. We call Quincy our Karate Kiki as it is. He has been begging me to put him in Karate for months. This obviously didn't help. It was fun to take them on a little adventure before school starts.

Here they are trying out their moves....in front of the theater and at home on the tramp...

I wish I would've had the camera out after the movie ended. We were in the lobby and people seemed to be staring off in one direction (or maybe it just felt like it), but Quincy is in the lobby trying his "moves" out! Funny kid. We had a great time!

Boys at the Provo Temple

2010-08-08T21:00:00.003-06:00

It was a day of meetings for me, so Allen took the boys to the Provo Temple with a sack lunch. The boys had a lot of fun! They are growing up so fast. Look at my future missionaries...

I love to see the temple....I'm going there someday!

I hope you boys will always be this excited about the temple. It is Heavenly Father's house and we can't wait to be able to go inside together as a family!

Matthews Family Reunion

2010-08-08T20:46:00.004-06:00

We started our trip in Idaho Falls/Rexburg where Allen taught at an EFY. We stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Matthews. Porter loves baby Britin. We just have to watch him....closely!

Next we headed to Nampa, near Boise for our first Matthews Family Reunion for just Allen's siblings and families. We had 3 of 5 kids there. Hopefully next time all of them can be there.

We went to a super fun park/splash park. Quincy was upside down in 3/4 of the pics we took. He is our karate kid right now. So funny!

The boys got to bring their Wii remotes and play with cousins on their Wii! We had to keep telling them to scoot back!

We celebrated family birthdays that happened this past couple of months! Yummy, cupcakes!

Adara and Porter are buddies! They love horsey back rides!

Thank you Lyn and Galen for hosting! We love your new home! The boys loved spending time with cousins. Hopefully, more cousins can attend next year! Yeah for family!

Our singin Porter

2010-07-24T16:33:00.003-06:00

Porter is such a singer. He's been talking since about 16 months and he is a really great singer. Eventually the "Jingle Bells" song will be in season, but he sings it all the time. Also, Primary songs are favorites too....I am a Child of God, I Know that my Savior Loves Me, I Love to See the Temple, Families are Forever, etc...He has really good pitch. Of course, Allen was the first to point this out...so sometimes at bedtime when we sing songs to him, we'll switch the pitch mid song and he changes with us. Ahhhh, we are a music family, so we are so proud! Heehee.

Here's a sample. Allen ran in to grab the camera because Porter was riding his bike around singing "I know HE lives" as loud as he could. It could've been a great missionary opportunity if we lived somewhere where people don't know this song. It's my favorite song in Primary this year!

SO... ENJOY!

Porter, where are you?

2010-07-23T15:06:00.002-06:00

Ah ha! Caught in the raspberries!!!

WE LOVE OUR RASPBERRIES!

Rock project completed!

2010-07-21T18:48:00.003-06:00

REMEMBER THIS?

Well, the project is completed! Yipee! And there won't be a problem finding our house when we tell people to just look for the "smiley face" house!

Allen's recent musical adventures...

2010-07-20T09:26:00.005-06:00

I am starting this blog post with the pics but will have Allen share details about these experiences.

Allen had the opportunity to help direct the UVU Institute Choir for May 2010 General Conference.

This past weekend, Allen got to sing back up vocals for Ben Folds with the Utah Symphony. It was in Park City....great venue and great music.

Allen will hopefully edit this post soon....

So proud of you hubby!

CA trip 2010

2010-07-19T13:24:00.009-06:00

Did we have fun in California? Oh yes, we did!

We had a fantastic week in Southern Ca! We braved the "all night driving" trip this year. Porter didn't want to let go of his backpack and was throwing up, but besides that, and being so tired when we got there, it was worth it!

On the 4th of July, we went to the Del Mar fairgrounds to see my cousin, Paige, dance in a show. The boys enjoyed the Scooby Doo van and Porter loved the monster truck he saw!

We got a quick trip in to visit some of our favorite friends, the Johnsons! We love you guys!

Here is Quincy and Paige

The boys rode up and down my grandparents street in "the parade" for the 4th! There was a blow up fun house to play in too.

The beach was FREEZING this year. June gloom should've been over but NO. But the water felt warm, I guess that is a plus. The is the first year that Quincy just loved the ocean. So fun to see his face light up with being in the water and playing in the waves. We also saw the best dolphin "show" i've ever seen. The surf was super high when we were there and the wild dolphins were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Here is "the clan" at Grandpa Bradfords house.

The boys absolutely LOVE their Uncle Hugh (they call him Q)

Thanks for wrestling with our boys Hugh. They loved it!

Thanks to everyone who housed us! We had a fantastic time and can't wait to see you all again! We love you tons!

Miles turns 7!

2010-07-16T20:30:00.003-06:00

Well, actually his birthday was on June 27...but I am a bit behind.

Miles had a great birthday. He chose a Utah Jazz birthday cake, but added the color green to the cake because it is his favorite color.

He requested only money this year for his birthday because he has been saving for a year or so. So he mainly opened cards, but also got a new bike from mom and dad and a globe from Grandpa Paul and Grandma Billie.

And WHY did he want just money?.....He FINALLY got enough to buy his very own DS. Lucky boy!

He wanted to go to Pirate Island for dinner. The boys always have a blast there.

And then to top it off, The Orem Owlz had their first home game, so we got to go to a baseball game with fireworks afterwards! Miles was in heaven. It was a perfect day for him.

We sure love you Miles. You are a very special boy! We love how much you care for others. He takes gifts to neighbors and would do anything for his friends. (I wish he would feel that way about his brothers....hopefully someday!)

We love you buddy boy!

Want some rocks?

2010-06-24T14:35:00.003-06:00

We have some ROCK issues at our house. We have prepped the one side of the yard for bark chips, which made me never want to touch another rock. Alas, we still have this side to do so I am throwing rocks into piles again. We are taking off all of the rocks, putting down new weed barrier, and making a border of the BIG rocks. Then, we'll put down bark chips in the middle. There is a huge pile of small rocks in the gutter by the house. Feel free to take them! PLEASE!

I will post pics of the finished product....when it's done. UGGGG!

I love rocks....I love rocks.....I love rocks....positive thinking right?

Swimming lessons 2010

2010-06-24T14:31:00.002-06:00

Swimming Lessons are now over for the summer. We have done Seven Peaks waterpark swim lessons in the past but tried something new this year. A lady who lives within a few blocks of us has her own indoor pool and does swimming lessons year round. I think we will do a winter session too...it's so hard to progress when we only do lessons once a year. The boys got used to the pool and enjoyed their time in the water!

Snowflake AZ EFY

2010-06-18T20:42:00.005-06:00

Especially for Youth, EFY, is a youth religious camp for high school age kids. Allen has been teaching at EFY for a few years, but this is our first year to session direct. It is kind of like being the mom and dad of the session. It was AWESOME!

We got assigned to Snowflake AZ, which is truly in the middle of nowhere, but that made it great too. We truly lived at the camp and got to know quite a few of the 700 youth there! We taught, bore testimony, and had tons of fun with the youth, youth that truly amazed me. They are so strong and it was awesome to see EFY change some of their lives.

What a cute dad!!

Gorgeous Snowflake AZ temple

Here is our wonderful staff for the week. They were so fun to work with and each had strengths that truly made the team work so well together.

38 Fantastic Counselors...

they truly worked the hardest of anyone there!

We listened to lessons...

played games....

We even found wives for our boys....one slipped away before I could get her picture. For future EFY people...be careful who you sit with at lunch...you might be called up in front of 700 youth to share your testimony! The girls only have to wait about 15 years...LOL I told them to get a lot of education :)

This is me with my fellow NM buddies! I could actually tell the identical twins apart by the end of the week!

I am sure glad Allen got these last 2 shots.

We met Steven when he first arrived at the camp. He had earphones in with nothing playing...he just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

Here he is the last night of EFY. EFY truly changed him for the better.

We feel truly blessed to have had this wonderful experience. The youth are learning to have courage to stand strong in this sometimes crazy world we live in. I am so proud of them. They are strong and AMAZING! We are looking forward to next year....already!

A SPECIAL THANKS TO GRANDPAS AND GRANDMAS WHO SPENT A WEEK WITH OUR ACTIVE BOYS! :) WE DID NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM ONE BIT! THEY TRULY DIDN'T WANT US TO COME HOME!!

THE LOADER!!!

2010-06-03T21:53:00.004-06:00

I finally have a tractor boy. Porter LOVES Tractors. He loves to pull over at a construction site and watch the "excavators" and "loaders" and "dump trucks"...oh yeah and "mighty mixers" (cement trucks). We had a HUGE memorial weekend project in our yard and our wonderful neighbor said he would haul away rocks with a loader from work. Porter was in heaven!

He sees the loader coming...

And even got to ride it. His comments were "we went on the bumpy road" "I pushed the buttons" and such. He LOVED it!

Of course, all of the boys wanted to try. Our fabulous neighbor let Miles actually drive it. Talk about a bumpy ride. :)

Quincy honked that horn as soon as he was close enough to reach. His comment was "we need to get one of those..."

Here is a video to show our project. I didn't get a before shot so if you've never been to our house this won't mean much. Let's just say...our hands were raw and I never want to lift another rock in my whole life. BUT we still have another side to do later in the year. Now, we just need to lay the bark chips. Oh yeah, and Allen has been interior painting too! It looks awesome! Thanks hubby for starting the tradition of house projects for memorial day weekend! They always turn out so well.

Hey, Dad, don't I totally sound like Grandpa when I described the project in the video? It totally cracked me up when I watched it.

Summertime???? What to do?

2010-06-03T21:46:00.003-06:00

We are still trying to come up with wonderful summertime adventures...

And I think the neighbors would like us to figure out something too....

We love feeding the ducks....

The superheroes have emerged....maybe I need to get some ideas from them...

HAPPY SUMMER Y'ALL!

Quincy's Gymnastics class

2010-06-03T21:37:00.004-06:00

Quincy has been taking a gymnastics class these past few months and has really enjoyed it, especially the month of May. May was exciting because he got a "daddy" teacher. A boy teacher. So FUN! His teacher said that Quincy is very good about following directions. Good job Quincy. We are so proud of you! I don't even know what his favorite part of the class was. He just really enjoyed having a class that was just for him. We are usually going to sports events for Miles. So this was a special treat for him.

WE LOVE YOU KIKI!

2 year old moment...

2010-05-23T13:44:00.002-06:00

Porter is so adorable and I love him to pieces. He can be so fun, and everything excites him.

But some days.........this is what we get...

Enjoy...especially if you don't have a 2 year old! :) If you do have a 2 year old YOU FEEL MY PAIN!

Miles' Choir Concert

2010-05-20T13:53:00.003-06:00

Actually, it was Miles' performance and all of the Utah Valley Children's Choir. Allen helps direct that choir...so it was a joint concert. The Provo Tabernacle is such a great venue. Miles has learned so much this year in music. He is ready to begin on the piano in the fall. Quincy will start this fall. Porter is already singing the songs. It has been an amazing program for our family.

Here are the boys ready to go.

Miles and Felix were the only boys in their class. Look how handsome!!!

You can take the boy out of the sports clothes, but not the sports out of the boy!...or something like that! Here is Miles "practicing" before his concert!

Miles' First grade performance!

2010-05-20T12:49:00.005-06:00

I can't believe Miles is almost 7....where does the time go? He is such a big boy. He is starting to want his hair done (if anyone has any ideas of how to get it to stay up....mousse and gel don't work). He is a crack up. He is full of jokes and attitude. (see next pic)He is our sports radio. Kids his age have no clue what he is talking about. He is wondering who is going to get traded in the NBA. Ahhh, to be 6 again! :) Okay, so most 6 year olds don't care about the NBA draft and don't watch sports highlights on TV before school. Miles, you are one special sports nut!!!

Here is Miles with Miss Anderson. He has had a great year in school.

The program was themed about Under the Sea. It was super cute and the dance Miles was in was so fun to watch. Here is a glimpse from my digital camera video.

We love you Miles. You are growing up way too fast!

Seeing the Johnsons!

2010-05-20T12:45:00.003-06:00

We sure wish the Johnsons were our neighbors. We love them and it was so awesome to see them....even if it was just for an afternoon. Thanks guys, for letting us come over and play for awhile. We know your life is super busy. The kids love playing together....and we love hanging out too! Next time, Damon! We'll see you guys in July!

Grandma Bradford remembered

2010-05-16T20:31:00.001-06:00

Even though my grandma died a month ago, I still catch myself wanting to pick up the phone and call her. She was one of my best friends. I miss her. I am so thankful for her, her life of service, and all she taught me. I was so lucky to have such an amazing grandma. I want to make her proud, and I can't wait to see her again!!

Here we are last summer. This sweater was one of her favorites! It hangs in my closet. It still smells like her!

I flew out to CA before the funeral to help with things and Allen drove the boys out. What a wonderful husband I have. He drove to CA, went to the funeral, and then drove home the next day, ON HIS BIRTHDAY! I owe him big time. I have wonderful neighbors who helped with the kids. I stayed in CA a few extra days to help my aunt go through grandma's things. It was an emotional week: hard, but one I am so grateful for.

Here is my cousin Paige with the boys. Grandma's favorite color was blue so we all wore blue for the funeral.

Me and my brother, Jameson. NO, we are not twins!

Porter was so excited to be out of the car...he just rolled and rolled in the grass.

Grandma made chocolate dipped strawberries for all sorts of ocassions, so it was only fitting to have them for the luncheon following the funeral.

Grandma Bradford loved lilacs. Her "smell" was Youth Dew, by Estee Lauder. As a child, I told my mom that grandma had a smell. Everyone thought I was funny, but as an adult, we figured out the smell. Her packages smelled, her clothes, her house, everything. So nice to have a reminder of her in my house....even if it is her smell! She taught me how to can fruit, make freezer jam, and cook all sorts of yummy things. If I needed to know how to freeze something, I would call her. She called me her "sweetie". She served her whole life. I hope I can follow in her footsteps.

God be with you, Grandma, until we meet again.

The tramp is back!!!

2010-04-19T20:31:00.002-06:00

We take down our tramp every winter. The boys are so sad to see it go, but get SO EXCITED when it's time to put it up again. Our enclosure gave up the ghost...so we need to buy a new one. But for now, we are just being super careful...

This is about as careful as Kiki gets! LOL!

Yeah for SPRING!!!!

ONLY QUINCY...

2010-04-15T20:53:00.002-06:00

Pancakes for dinner...

2010-04-15T20:51:00.003-06:00

We love to have breakfast for dinner....but I am starting to think the boys just like it for the

TOPPINGS!!!

Meeting baby Britin

2010-04-15T20:45:00.003-06:00

Yay.....for part of spring break we went up to Idaho Falls and met a new cousin, Britin, and see her blessing! Tiffany is such a happy loving mommy! The boys were very interested in her, especially Miles. Now I am getting the "when are we having a baby" questions....thanks Tiff! Miles got this really cute smile on his face every time he went to say HI and even got to feed her. Once she got a little squirmy though, he was done! Congrats Tiff! She is adorable!

Our own April Fools...

2010-04-01T20:23:00.002-06:00

ARE YOU KIDDING? SNOW IN APRIL????

Porter and his best buddy!

Yummy, yummy eating the snow!!!

The Hereditary "LIP"

2010-04-01T20:16:00.002-06:00

Porter has been using the "LIP" quite often to show his disappointment in something. Allen also uses his LIP! They look like twinners!

(Porter looks like he is smiling but it's because he thought it was so funny to be faking the "LIP" for the picture!)

We also finally got through Miles' lip and got out his tooth! Yeah, Miles! The other top front will soon follow!

Boys...and more boys....playing ball

2010-03-15T20:51:00.003-06:00

Did I mention we love having cousins live close by? We went to the last home game for BYU girls basketball together. That is the game to go to apparently....we got Tshirts, basketballs, sports towels...all of the stuff they needed to get rid of for the season! The boys had lots of fun.

Afterwards, we played basketball at our house....

it gets kind of crazy with this many boys trying to make shots!!

GRRRRR....look at those strong faces!!

hey, how did the boxing gloves come out???

This picture cracks me up. Porter adores his cousin, but he is so nice....he doesn't even know what is coming...Porter isn't so nice!

DID I MENTION WE ARE SUPER EXCITED FOR

MARCH MADNESS?????

"Fun fun fun" for Porter's big day!

2010-03-01T20:42:00.004-07:00

Yeah, we love birthdays! Porter really had no idea what was going on! He's been singing Happy Birthday for a month because he had 2 grandparents have birthdays earlier in the month but didn't realize we were singing to him!

He was shaking with excitement for his dump truck cake!

Presents were fun too!

Yeah, finally a second pair of bobo jammies!

Yeah...we finally have cousins living close by! They came over for cake and playing! Jessica and Kyle, your kids are adorable! Thanks for coming and playing with us!

Our prince Porter with his nursery happy birthday hat! What a big boy!

Happy (almost) Birthday Porter!!!

Our Porter Bobo turns 2!

2010-03-01T20:21:00.005-07:00

Porter Thomas

Born February 29, 2008

Age: .5

What a cute newborn!!!

I have really enjoyed all of Porter's stages. I love my little Bobo. Oh yeah, our blog background this month is dedicated to Porter. He LOVES monkeys aka Bobos.

Porter at about 8 months...

Porter at 1 year

Some of Porter's favorite things:

His brothers. I love this photo because you can see how much Porter adores his brothers. My reason for not liking the photo: Thanks Q for the great pose :(

BALLS! OH YEAH!

His best buddy from across the street!

TRAINS, dump trucks, tractors...

Making HUGE messes!

Play Doh! Look at that excitement!

I love you PorPor Bobo!

Porter is also an expert talker....which I cannot capture on camera! He's been talking since about 16 months. I never have to wonder what he wants. One sentence from a month or so ago: Dad, mom promised Pizza Factory! (another one of his favorites) He also loves to sing and dance, especially to Stevie Wonder. You are such a joy to our family Bobo. We love you!

Porter videos

2010-02-12T13:51:00.002-07:00

A couple of Porter's "favorites" right now. He loves to get running really fast with his dump truck and then lift up his feet and let the truck drag him. Also, he is into getting himself naked in his crib when he is supposed to be napping. Decided to get it on video and was glad this time that he left his shirt on so I could post it on the blog! He sure keeps us busy!

Oh what do you do in the wintertime....

2010-02-12T13:43:00.002-07:00

Help mom make cookies...

Make a fishing game to help learn our letters...

and go see Grandma and Grandpa of course...

Spring spring where are you??? Are you coming soon?? We are ready!

It just doesn't seem right...

2010-02-12T13:36:00.002-07:00

Hand me downs.....they are wonderful, especially when you have 3 boys right in a row. But there are certain hand me downs that I am having problems with...for example, there is one sweatshirt that Miles wore that is so Miles that I have a hard time seeing Quincy in it...weird huh? Here is another "problem"...

Miles wore this outfit almost every day for YEARS!!! Weird to see Q wearing it....

Same with Porter wearing Quincy's "Jordan" outfit. It just seems wrong!

I guess I'll get used to it. Now I am really going to have a hard time calling the boys by the right name!

Porter's bankie!!!

2010-02-12T13:31:00.003-07:00

Still lovin' it after 2 years....

not so fuzzy anymore though.

Was tempted to try and go buy another one but don't know if he'd like the fuzzy new one.

Porter at 1 year with his favorite "bankie"

Porter at almost 2 years with his still favorite "bankie".

Sledding with "Pile's" family

2010-01-16T20:34:00.004-07:00

To preface this blog: "Pile" is Allen's cousin Kyle. Kyle has been staying with us off and on for a month while the final details were getting worked out on his family's home that they were buying. They were supposed to close the beginning of December so Kyle started his new job here but they ended up not closing until Jan. The boys absolutely love Kyle. Porter calls him "Pile". WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT THEY LIVE SO CLOSE NOW!!! They have boys and we have boys! yipee! The boys have never lived close to cousins!

I took Porter to the Dr this morning so everyone else went sledding. The boys love to sled!!

Our sledding fans!

Kyle, Jessica, and their 2 little guys

Kiki loves to sled but this usually ends up happening part way through the sledding experience.

Miles always has a blast sledding! Looks like he wants to sleep with his sled!

Since I wasn't there I can only guess...but this is usually Kiki by the end of a sledding trip! I absolutely love this shot...is that bad? He is adorable, even when he is pouty...and I can't hear it, which helps!!

Magnify yourself...

2010-01-08T13:18:00.002-07:00

LITERALLY!!!!

Bradfords brave the cold...

2010-01-08T13:08:00.003-07:00

My grandparents are from Southern California, so when we invited them to our house for Christmas...they knew they'd need to be prepared. Grandpa bought flannel lined jeans especially for the trip! heehee. We had lots of fun with them. I took Grandma on a girls trip to the Quilted Bear, a favorite for both of us! We also played lots of Old Maid. They had fun watching our craziness Christmas morning! I am sure they enjoyed the quiet and WARM weather when they got home! Thanks for coming guys! My basement smelled like "grandma" for days! (Every time my grandma sends me a package, I can smell her...she wears this day cream and it is really strong and yummy) Even as a kid I would comment on Grandma's smell....It took us awhile to figure out it was her moisturizer.