Christmas

Merry Christmas!

What a fun day!

Bradley and Brett are the perfect ages, I think they got the most enjoyment out of the day.

Maybe it was a tie - I really enjoyed watching them.

I think ALL the boys had a great day.

It's a ...

GIRL!!!

The Doctor checked,

and double checked.

He said he was pretty sure

last month,

but since I told him he had to be

completely positive,

he waited.

He showed us all the parts,

and assured us that

no other parts would be growing!

What on earth are we going to do with a girl??!

Whoooops!

Surprise!

Shock!

Still don't believe it.

I can't believe I have to do this again.

I cried, lots.

I was afraid to even tell Bryan,

he kept saying we were really done.

Then after a week of waiting for just the right moment

Wouldn't you know it -

He laughed.

He was actually happy.

Good thing, I'm not there yet.

I already had "pregnancy-related" kidney stones

Spent a couple days in the hospital

They quit counting at eight...

(I'm okay now that that &

a nasty eye infection are over)

There were reasons I didn't want to do this again.

Even the doctor said,

"It must have been meant to be."

I am just trying to have faith that

everything will work out!

...

p.s. yes, we checked already,

there is only one

that was my first question for the doctor.

Off They Go

First Day of School

Blake - 7th Grade - Benson - 3rd Grade - Brayden - 8th Grade

I'm so glad they like riding the bus!

Lagoon

A Day at Lagoon The boys tried to talk us into Six Flags, they got free passes in California, but they accepted our compromise.

The new ride - The Samurai

That is Brett peeking over the seat

He seemed so little to be able to ride.

Of course, he thought that was exactly where he should be.

Benson & Brayden

Brett was looking a little tired, but would not give in, he may have missed something.

Bradley was so mad that he couldn't ride the big bumper cars.

I had to search for the little ones, thank heavens I found them!Brett even rode, couldn't figure out how to move, but he got to drive!

All-Star Play-offs

Little League All-Stars

in Wheatland, Wyoming

What an adventure!

Blake played, I kept score,

(free room - with 3 boys)

Benson is staying with Grandma & Royce for a few days,

everyone else is back at home - Brayden is in charge (he does a good job)

Wheatland is about an hour north of Cheyenne, in the middle of nowhere.

Small town, nice people, farmland,

But kind of in the middle of nowhere - oh, did I already mention that??

Day 1 - Monday

Travel day

Team meeting, check-in, practice

And a movie

(in my room - Bryan loaned the big screen projector, hard to beat)

Day 2 - Tuesday

First game against Lander

They were so nervous

Fielded great, just couldn't get home

R&R for the day

The team had a blast, after two hours messing around in the park, dinner, an hour playing ultimate dodge ball, then back at the hotel for another hour of ultimate 500.

You would think they would be ultimately tired!

They still needed a movie (in my room)

Day 3 - Wednesday

Game against Platte County (Wheatland)

Lost again, but this was close, they brought a great game!

But that meant we had a down day Thursday and didn't play until Friday - ugh.

R&R for today

I think they pretty much monopolized the water slides

And another round of ultimate dodgeball

And another movie (in my room)

Day 3 - Thursday

Fort Laramie

The barracks

The bakery

I've been there before, but I still thought it was cool. I don't think the team cared about it too much. Actually it was kind of hot - 103 degrees - they probably weren't used to that kind of heat, our side of Wyoming is still staying cool.

The visit to the bar was their favorite part - first sarsparilla all week long!

Back to Wheatland, nice BBQ & another movie.

Day 4 - Friday

Game against Green River

I think this was their best game, really close, but no win.

And a little more R&R that night.

Along with one last movie.

(I'll be glad to not have to share my room with 3 boys any more)

It was actually a pretty good time.

Blake & the team had a blast.

Helicopter Ride

Wow!

That's all I have to say!

Well, okay.

To tour Kaua'i from a Helicopter was an absolute blast! I still can't come up with the words to say how totally cool it was.

That video was of the falls in "Jurassic Park" - it is private land owned by the Robinson Family and the only way to see it is from the air. They own some 70,000+ acres on Kaua'i and also the forbidden island of Ni'hau.

Bali Hai (yes, dad, from South Pacific) with Ke'e Beach on the other side, where the road ends at the North end of the island.

Wow!

When we got our feet back on the ground, we also checked out Wailua Falls

and Spouting Horn

Bryan is a little obsessed with chasing down the unofficial state bird of Hawai'i

(the chicken - they are everywhere - especially at 5:00am)

Aloha!

Did Bryan mention that we were going to Hawaii?

Bryan has been taunting everyone at work for a week, wearing hawaiian shirts and asking (often) if they knew he was going to Hawaii. I'll bet they are glad he's gone...

But he's not.

After a 5 hour delay in LAX, then a rough flight on Janel, we got into Kauai at 9:00pm. It was completely dark, bummer.

Finally, we're here.

Saturday morning was beautiful!

We are right on Hanalei Bay.

This is the view out the front door.

90 steps to the water (Jim counted)

This is our vacation house,

the Hanalei Hale Plantation House on Hanalei Bay on the North Shore.

The guys did dinner. I love vacation!

(Of course, I was in the bathroom tossing cookies - I think I got a little food poisioning)

THAT Day

I am so glad THAT day is over!

Thursday was crazy from beginning to end.

Blake forgot his swim stuff,

I was asked to do a group for church that day.

Swim meet for Brayden & Blake,

Benson's Baseball try-outs, where

Bradley pulled the fire alarm.

Evacuated the baseball try-outs

and the swim meet.

Did they have to bring ALL the cavalry?

Ambulances, fire trucks, police officers...

(I think we have a higher percentage of officers here)

While the officer was talking to Bradley - Bryan disappeared into the church to set up a computer projector for me

Benson thought he had been forgotten and left behind.

(Fix that broken heart)

Benson to soccer,

Brayden & Blake from swimming

"Mom, we had to stand in the cold for 30 minutes cuz some little kid pulled the fire alarm!"

Brayden to cover Benson's game & treats

Blake to baseball try-outs

Turn the boys over to Bryan

(no, you can't babysit your own kids)

Me home to change,

Stress about getting an Internet connection to work through the cinder block walls in the church

But it worked. Thank Heavens. (Really.)

Done. I'm done.

Spring Break

Yea! The first day of spring break...

The Wyoming Way

8 inches of snow on the driveway.

(Oops, I mean on the gravel - hopefully cement in a month - or when the snow melts - July?)

Brayden shoveling the "boardwalk"

The boys thought it was great

We have our own sledding hill

Blake & Benson love it

Benson

(It will be a pain trying to make it not such a hill when it comes time to landscape)

Brett knows what that button does!

(Bryan knows that he knows too, the brake is on and it is in park)

After the plowing, the real fun comes

Our toboggan team!

General Conference was awesome,

I especially loved President Monson's Sunday morning talk

(with the buckets of tears and all)

and President Uchdorf's talk.