Birthday Fun!!

Alright, the next couple of things I have missed are birthdays for Taite, Matt and Gus! Look at this crazy bunch :)

Can you tell we all love Daddy more than just about anything? Well, surely by now everyone knows how I feel about this big hunk of a man. My Hoss. Happy Birthday babe, I love you so very much.

The kids really put some thought into gifts for their Daddy this year. Cy was beyond excited to give Matt a new model airplane! They love to put them together...together :)

Many of you know that Matt is a little obsessed with canning (I'm so lucky!) He makes the greatest, most delicious applesauce that the kids LOVE. Bailey wanted to get him an apple peeler to make the process a little quicker :)

Then there is my Gus. This kid is the most hilarious thing in my life. He is so full of energy and happiness, he is a spaz in all the right ways. I just love to sit back and watch the entertainment he so lavishly supplies!

With Taite, Matt and Gus having birthdays so close together Gus was beyond excited that is was finally his turn after watching the other two get to open their presents! He was cracking us up because the whole time he was unwrapping a gift he just kept saying "and...and....and...AND!" building with such excitement, it was hilarious! He was so thankful for each gift and said thank you a million times to each and every person. What a cutie.

His obsession with tractors is still alive and well.

I think I know where he gets his love of tractors. These two spent a good 20 minutes inspecting all the functions of the realistic John Deere gift :)

Oh my little Gus, I can't believe he is 3. He has two speeds, crazy energetic or snuggle time. I love them both! I love him so much, just can't imagine life without him!

Taite turns 6!!

Isn't she just the cutest thing ever? I think so. Her personality is just that too, sweet sweetness :) But as Matt would quickly point out, she also has a very feisty side that can quickly come out...like on the basketball court! She has become quite the baller!

Taiter is a joy in our family. I am so thankful for her.

Someone has a habit of blowing out the candles before the birthday girl has a chance :)

When we moved we weren't able to take our cat with us, Taitem was heartbroken to leave Shorty behind. But he was very comfortable out in the country and had become almost as much our next door neighbor's cat as he was ours. We decided to give him to our neighbors. Taite was so sad though so Matt and I pulled off a big surprise and got her some kittens for her birthday. She was SO very excited. The little girl cat is her very own and the other kitten is the whole family's, she did get to name them both though, Simon and Katie.

She heads out to spend some time with Katie as soon as she gets home from school. Too cute.

She will no doubt have mad athletic skills...but she is still all girl this one :)

LOVE you Taite!

First Day

Wow, the first day of school this year was a mess. We had just moved days before and we were totally crazy! The pictures were lame because we were running from one place to the next just trying to meet their teachers a little before the bell. Our town does something a little different, K-3rd grade is in one elementary and then 4 -6th are by themselves. So Ellery is all by herself and it is a race to get them to their schools on time. Normally they ride the bus, but since we missed orientations and open houses we tried to go early and say hello to their teachers. It was madness. But we are settled in and we could not be happier with the fantastic school system here in Plainfield :)

T.R.A.C.T.O.R.

That is how you spell heaven for Gus and Cy, tractor :) These boys love anything and everything to do with farming and tractors. They go ballistic when they get to see a big combine working the field or just driving down the road. So when our good friends Angel and Justin invited us to go to Justin's parents home to play around on his Dad's restored tractors, we jumped at the chance! Gus still talks about it all the time.

Beautiful huh?

"Enough pictures already Mom!! I'm trying to drive here."

Thanks Justin and Angel it was a blast!

Elle

Ellery is the only one that I haven't kind of updated on, so here goes. As always Ellery is just a fantastic girl. She is growing up so much and I have mixed emotions about it, love and hate! I love to watch her accomplish new things, she is so talented and inquisitive. I just hate that she is getting so big...and needing me less.

Ellery has been so resilient with our moves and changes, she just keeps on being consistently wonderful. I can't tell you how many times she will just be off doing a chore that needs to be done, just to help me out. I never even have to ask, that is typical Elle.

She is really enjoying school this year and shortly after school began she was moved up to advanced classes for several subjects. She works very hard always in school and it makes me very proud. Everything about this girl makes me very proud :)

Plus she's dang scrappy on the basketball court :) Wahooo!!

Baptism Day

My Bailey girl is such a wonderful girl, I don't even know where to start with this one. She is as hilarious as she is smart which I love about her. Bay always keeps us on her toes with her quick whit and humor, she never misses a chance to make you smile. I love this girl so much.

She can get dirtier than any boy I know outside in the yard, climbing, crawling, and digging until her heart is content...now that is Matt's kind of girl :) She is rambunctious and full of energy and yet she has this soft sensitive side that makes me so proud. She loves to help people and really looks out for the underdog. I am so proud of her...even the little mischievous side she's got!

She was so excited to get baptized this summer, she could hardly wait. When she had her interview with the Branch President I waited for her outside his office. The hallway was packed with people and all of the sudden the office door flew open and she bounced out with her arms up in the air, "I passed!!! I PASSED!! I can't believe I passed!" she exclaimed. I chuckled and then paused. Wait a minute, what were you so worried about...I think we need to talk :)

Bailey's baptism was wonderful. She really wanted to be baptized in Utah so that Oma Great could be there along with all the other Utah fam. We had lots of family and a few very special friends there to support us, it was amazing. She had a fantastic day and we are so glad that she is making the right decisions in her life. She has a strong testimony already in her life and I know her Heavenly Father is very pleased with Bailey!

She is such a ham.

Boy I love her.

Just a fantastic trip

Our trip to Utah was so what we needed! Despite the fun of early pregnancy and stressing out about our upcoming move, it was so relaxing. The best part by far was getting to see so many of our friends that we miss dearly...I only wish I had taken pictures of everyone we got to see, I'm pretty forgetful in that area :)

Big, humongous thanks to my parents for letting 7 people crash at their house for a couple of weeks!! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, we love you so much.

Until next year :(

Nauvoo

Well here we go, I am going to try my best to catch up on our CrAzY summer!! I was bound and determined to make it back to Utah for a nice long visit this summer, finding out days before our departure that we were moving and finding out we were pregnant could not alter my big plans. See moving to Indiana 3 years ago, we have fallen way short of my quota for sufficient Utah visits :) I was intent on having a fantastic visit squeezing in all that we possibly could.

I had planned to visit for a whole month! I was going to drive out by myself with the kiddos, then Matt would fly out for a week or so and drive us home. I had planned some fun along the way to break the trip up a little since I am no long-haul driver like Mattie. Well, lucky me, my Mom decided to fly out to Indiana and just for "fun" she would make the long 2100 mile 35 hrs of driving time trip with me and a car full of 5 road warrior kids. Is my Mom the best or what? Honestly.

The Mighty Mississippi! The kids were so excited and were dying to get in it :)

I think my kids' absolute favorite thing in the world is Oma, they were in Heaven having her on the trip.

Of course we know how Taite feels about Oma so for her that is an understatement.

The children's pioneer park was their absolute favorite part. They wanted to stay for hours pretending to live the frontier life. They loved it so much we had to come back the next day before we left just to touch up on their pioneer skills.

Pioneer cuties :)

My Mom even found something to entertain herself, and she was dang good at it!

This majestic temple is just awe inspiring, it makes me emotional just to see it. You can't help but have your thoughts turn to the Prophet and leaders and all the early Saints who went through so much and gave all they had. I love Nauvoo so much and each time I go my testimony is strengthened.