fall break 2012

Last week was the kids Fall Break. Everyone (but Cort) had a whole week off from school. It was so nice. We decided to head to Utah to enjoy our family and friends there, along with some of the fall goodness that is there right now. We had such a great time. From General Conference up at Snowbird, to lots of play dates and dinners with friends, sleepovers with cousins, and trips to some of my favorite stores in the world, it all went by too fast. Until next time Utah. We love you!

Cort spent Conference weekend up at Snowbird with us and also took Taylor to her first session on conference before he headed home. He told me that halfway through the meeting she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I don't know what I would do without her. She is a gem.

Last year on "accident," I learned that big pieces of poster paper and markers are a great thing for kids to do while they listen to Conference. It worked like a charm again this year. I love the end result. Quite the masterpiece.

Avery and Cort watching the last session on Conference together

 Snowbird's Oktoberfest was going on that same weekend, so in between sessions we took the kids down and let them do the Alpine slide, an obstacle course with a harness, and a good ole' fashion bounce house. We also did some swimming and running around with the cousins. It is so pretty up there this time of year. It truly is my favorite and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning just being there and feeling the chill in the air. It's the best!

Cort had to get back for his rotations on Monday so it was just me and the kids for the rest of the week.
Here are some highlights from it all.
Witches at Gardner Village with the cousins, a must this time of year!

 Fun times with friends

Avery and my sweet friend Ang's little Oakley. They are exactly one month apart. Such pretty girls.

Avery 3 and half months old and my friend Leslie's little guy Wyatt 3 days old. Avery looks so big next to him. It hurts my heart a little, she is changing fast.

A trip to our very favorite Pumpkin Patch. I so bad miss this place.  Truly it is the best pumpkin patch out there.

Grandpa Bryce's house is always a good time, None of us ever want to leave.

 Avery got to meet some of her cousins for the first time while we were there. They couldn't get enough of her. Everyone loves babies!

Cort flew in Thursday night to help me drive back, however that did not go as planned. He ended up in the ER that night where they wanted to admit him cause his CPK levels were out of control. Meaning he had broken down muscle fibers in his blood stream which can led to kidney failure and liver damage if not treated. Apparently, while we were in Utah he worked out A LOT, did crossfit a couple days in a row. SO Cort flew back to AZ and checked himself into a hospital here while I drove back with all 5 kids in tow. I remember at one point, just outside of Kingman, AZ at around 10:00 that night, feeling very overwhelmed by it all and very alone. I was worried about Cort, and exhausted physically and mentally. I said a silent prayer in my heart and pleaded to my Heavenly Father to have someone, ANYONE call me. Within 5 minutes of each other two of my bestest friends in the world called and then within another 20 minutes my dad called out of no where as well. Heavenly Father is very real and he does answer prayers. I testify to that. Besides that experience, the trip is a blur to me now, as is that weekend. I woke up this morning and asked myself "did that really happen?" Sadly it did. Cort finally got to come home yesterday morning after four days in the hospital his CPK levels finally went from 350,000 (super scary high) to 29,000 (still high, but much better). Thank goodness for wonderful friends who stepped up without being asked and took my kids for me so I could be with Cort in the hospital.
Cort and Avery last Saturday night

Thankful he is home now and trying to get back to normal. The doctors told him no exercise for 10 days and to drink lots of water. He is having a hard time with the no exercise part. Last night him and Avery went on a walk around the neighborhood. According to the doctor a walk is OK. Just glad he is doing better, it was a little scary to say the least. Until next time Utah! You never disappoint!

Busy but good

Our lives have been crazy busy over the past month. I told Cort the other day I feel like we are passing in the night. His first rotation has been a toughie, but we are almost through it and we are hoping his next one won't be as intense and time consuming. Here's to hoping! Besides Cort's schooling we have had all sorts of things to repair in this house, they say things like this come in threes, well we are on like number five, or maybe six. I think it's safe to say we have had our fair share. Sure hope we are done with all that.


Last Saturday, Taylor had her second meet and scored a 9 on the vault! And a 8 on the beam. She is so amazing. And is so fun to go and watch, I swear though I get more nervous then she does. Also, her gymnastics team took 2nd place overall. Way to go Diamondbacks! 

 Taylor after her meet. What a cutie!

 

Taylor also, ran for her class's student council  last month too and won, so she has been keeping busy with that as well. Her teacher is a riot. She nicknames all of her students. She nicknamed Taylor "Sugar and Spice," because she's a lot of sugar with a little spice. I think she nailed it! That's a great description of our Tay.

Chase was the superstar student last week in his class at school. He picked out all the pictures that he wanted on his poster. As he was picking them, he kept telling me that he really wanted one of just Avery on it. These 3 boys of ours are 100% BOY, but when it comes to their sisters, especially Avery, they are just a bunch of softies. It's very sweet.
The boys with Aves

Chase and his poster

Chase's info sheet. My favorite part is where it asks what he wants to be when he grows up and he says a paleontologist. Awesome.

Talan started soccer for the first time ever, a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure how into it he would be, but he is loving it and stays focused the entire game. What a kid. We sure love this little guy.

Talan is also my big helper at home. I am so glad I get another year with him before he's off to school all day. About a month ago our family room flooded during a rain storm here. It seriously poured rain like I've never seen. And me and Talan worked super hard to get it all cleaned up as fast as we could. What a life saver this kid was.

Easton started his own little version of preschool at a neighbor's house this past month. She calls it play-school and Easton loves going. His teacher's name is Mrs. Kristen, but he calls her Krismen. His little class is only twice a week for two hours but he loves having his own school. Today they had to fill out their family tree, he was pretty proud of his. Also, something funny, today Easton went home with a friend because I had somewhere I needed to be after his class. His little friend's mom text me a few minutes after they got to their house and said "I haven't stopped laughing since Easton got here. A few minutes ago he told me "why don't you have any pictures of me hanging up?" What a crack-up.
First day

Avery is now 3 and a half months. She hasn't rolled completely over yet, but can get on her side. She still is our little thumb sucker and sleeps through the night....most of the time. At her two month appointment she weighed 12 pounds and was in the 50th percentile for weight, height and head size. She is super smiley and coos all the time.

Me and Aves at her first Utah Utes football game. The Utes were here playing against ASU and one of Cort's buddies from Utah came down for the game and had some extra tickets, so we meet up with them there and took Avery with us. She so reminds me of Taylor as a baby, but she definitely has Talan's face.

Life is busy, but good oh so good. Even with all the stresses, we know that we are extremely blessed.

 "We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
President Thomas S. Monson 

our little bug

Taylor had her first gymnastics meet on Saturday. She has done a few inner-squad meets before, but this is the first time she has gone up against other gyms. It was so fun to go and see all the things she can do. Some of them surprised me, it's been awhile since I've gone and watched her in action. She works so hard, and really is so good, she loves it so much. We couldn't be more proud of her.
Floor routine

Bars

Beam

Afterwards

I love that she loves gymnastics so much. It really is her thing.

Show Low Tri

This past weekend we went up North about 3 hours from here, to Show Low, Arizona, so Cort could race in his first half Iron Man. Not sure how long the swim was, but the bike was 56 miles and the run after that was 13.2. No surprise, he did great. He never seizes to amaze me.
Cort and the kids. Crossing the finish line with their dad. I love Talan's face in it, he is beaming with pride.

Post race

There was a kid triathlon as well that same day. So after we cheered Cort on that morning, it was the Taylor and Chase's turn. And in true Chase and Taylor form, Chase was focused through the entire race, he totally had his game face on and our cute and social Taylor made friends along the way. :) Chase competed against the 7 and 8 year olds, he's still only 6, and took 4th overall in his age group. That kid definitely got the competitive gene. Their first run was a mile, then they did a 3 mile bike ride (which a good portion of it was uphill,) and lastly they did a 3/4 run to end it. The swim was in the lake and so they didn't have the kids do it. I am so proud of them.
Before the race with their friend who did it with them.

Getting ready to go

And they are off!

During the race

Notice here that the water station was at the halfway point on the biggest hill they had to ride up. (This picture really doesn't do this hill justice, it really was quite a climb) We thought that was hilarious. I bet they rethink that one for next time!

Crossing the finish line

After the race. Way to go!

Talan told me last night that he wants to do a run and do a bike race like his daddy. I guess I better jump on this band wagon of tri-athletes as well as sign up for one too!

Our friends the Davis came with us and let us all stay at their cabin in Pine top. The kids did not want to leave. So besides the races, we rode quads, did a zip line, ran around and got dirty and had a great time. They had a swing on their front step and I enjoyed rocking Avery on it Sunday morning and just being in the mountains again. It really is quite breath-taking up there. The weather was perfect, about 60-70 degrees, just how I like it!

Obsessed

Look what Avery found! She is obsessed with that thing. And it's always her thumb on her left hand. Maybe I will have another left hander. :) It really is the cutest thing ever. I have to keep reminding myself that she's only two and a half months. She seems so much older than that.

Talan is FIVE!

Talan one day old. I remember the first time they placed him in my arms, my first thought was oh he is BEAUTIFUL! He was such a pretty baby. Everyone always commented on how pretty he was. We still call him our pretty boy.

 Talan 7 months old March 2008

Talan 2 years old 

Talan 3 years old

 Talan 4 year olds 

                                                                 Talan now 5 years old

Today Talan turned five years old. He seems so grown up to me today. It's like he grew up over night. I read Talan's birth story to him this morning and a couple other entries from his journal of funny things he's done over the past five years. I can't believe he is five. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around it.
Five things I love about Talan:
1. I know I've said it before but Talan has the best imagination of anyone I know. He comes up with the funniest stuff and never ever have I heard him say his was bored. There's always something going on inside his head. Until recently he still has been taking naps and me and Cort are convinced the reason why he still has needed them at this age is because his mind is nonstop. He's always been my child that I have to make eat, he would much rather be playing than eating. Eating is so overrated as far as Talan is concerned. It's always a good time when Talan is around.
2. Talan is the epitome of cool. This kid just walks around like he owns the place. Nothing intimidates Talan. He is very secure in who he is.
3. His laugh. He has one of those laughs where when you hear it, you have to join in. It's so contagious. Also  his sense of humor. The kid is a crack up.
4. The way he talks. When he's telling a story he says "and then.." at the beginning of almost every sentence.
5. His cute little face. We call him our pretty boy and our ladies man. He has the best lips and sweetest smile.
The traditional birthday balloons. Before Talan went to bed last night he asked me "Do you think I will have balloons in my room in the morning?" He was not disappointed.

Playing Dentist with Easton on his birthday. The shoe, and the hanger and the cord were just a few of Dr. Talan's dentist "tools."

Talan loves ninjas, and swords and all things Power Rangers these days. Here's his cake. I made it, but Cort frosted it. We make a great team!

Talan's favorite things at the age of five:

Food: He is a carnivore. He loves meat! In any form really. It's the one thing I don't have to beg him to eat. He also loves peanut butter, he has a P & J for lunch almost every day.
Color: Red and Black and Gray
Scripture story: In Talan's words "I like the one where the guy tries to get the plates."
Favorite Thing to do: "Play with my family." And I would add to this playing with Lego's, and any of type of toy really. He also loves to ride his bike and play at the park. Can't wait til it cools off a bit so we can make that a part of our daily ritual again.

We love you our Tally Wally, Whacky boy! You are such a blessing to us. So grateful you are a part of our family.