Eighty Porter Toes

Logan's first date....mormon prom

2012-02-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

Logan decided to ask his friends sister, Emma to the mormon prom tonight. Since she lives down the street, I was able to be the annoying mom and take the expected pictures. Quite the first date!! He had a great time. He went with his buddies, Aaron, Devon, and Isaac, and a couple other guys, and their dates of course. They had a dinner over at Devon's house. I can't wait to get those pictures. Logan said it was decorated really beautiful. They had pizza, salad, and breadsticks, and then went on to the dance. I am really grateful he is such a great young man, and has wonderful friends who are such a great influence on him!! After I took the picture of Logan and his friends, I couldn't believe how much they looked like missionaries, wow only 2 years from now, that's crazy! I'm glad he had a good time!!

Happy Birthday Ivy!!!

2012-01-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe you are 4 years old. It just seems like yesterday you joined our family. You have always been a very emotional girl, colic, screaming, and crying, but you are growing out of that, and are such a sweet little girl. We all love you so much and love your sweet smile. You just finally gave up the "binkie" only because I was brave enough to listen to your crying, and I couldn't believe how much less whiny you were instantly. I'm not sure what happened, hallelujah! You are in preschool now and just LOVE it!! You love shoes and jammies and lipgloss. You love to tag along anywhere if me or Dad are leaving and get really upset if you can't come along. You love all of your brothers and sisters and are starting to have some fun friends. Your best friends are Brooklyn Hale and Lincoln Whetton. Brooklyn brought you a cake over for your birthday that her mommy had made for you and we sang happy birthday, and Brooklyn blew out the candles for you, you looked and me and grinned. You think that everyday you have to play with her and get upset if I say not today. Lincoln lives next door and you love to play with him all the time too!! How lucky you are to have so many people around you that care about you. We want you to always be happy!! Happy Birthday Ivy!!

Beautiful flowers

2012-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

I tell Rich to never get me flowers, I don't enjoy them as much as when he plants them for me, what can I say but Gorgeous:)

I LOVE coming home to that!! And I love to go sit out and smell the flowers and enjoy some quiet, yes, it is short lived;)

welcome 2012

2012-01-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

Well it's the start of a new year, new goals, new experiences. We lost my Grandmother "Gay" as we call her today at 3:00. I am so happy for her to reunite with my Grandfather "Boppa" today. I imagine that was a really special moment! I am going to make it a goal to post something on my blog every week this year so I can have somewhat of a journal, since I am horrible at keeping a journal. I am grateful for my family, my wonderful better half Rich and our beautiful children who are all healthy and most of the time happy. I love them all and hope for a GrEat and ExCiTinG year!!!

Carson turns 7

2011-06-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

I think since it was just Mother's Day, and Rich helped them make me a "special" breakfast, Carson thought that sounded like a tradition we should either start or have always done:) so the night before his birthday he says, "don't forget to get up early and make me a special breakfast." I have never done that before, I usually try to make a "special" dinner, but I thought what the heck.....and he was delighted! I can't believe it has been 7 years since Carson joined our family. He is such a joy to have around and is just such a sweet kid.

This year Carson's favorites are:

color: green
breakfast: biscuits and gravy
food: spagetti
thing to do: swim, ride his bike
subject: lunch
video game: spiderman
treat: ice cream
cereal:golden grahams
number: 10
toy: lava man

For his birthday he got some transformers he has been wanting, and some swim toys, that Ashton thought were something to wear on his head, silly boy;)

kayaking with the kids

2011-06-08T16:05:00.001-07:00

We took the kids on a last min. kayaking trip last Tues. We went to blue ridge reservoir. Rich's partner at work has a kayaking rental business, and let us take them up. I hadn't ever been, and besides Logan, the other kids hadn't either. I was seriously impressed, even Carson was cruising around. He got tired after awhile, so Rich hooked his up to Logan's and he towed him along. It was a fun, fun day!!! We love spending time together, especially outdoors!!

broken

2011-05-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

Well we had a trip to the E.R. tonight. Ashton decided to learn how to climb out of the crib tonight, or rather fall. He broke both bones in the for arm. The good news is that the bones are lined up, no surgery and no setting the bones. They splinted it tonight and he should get a cool cast in about a week. He was so cute, when they asked him if he was a monkey, he said, u hu:). They gave him some gatorade in a cup with a straw, and he just kept saying, "a Ivy some juice," I seriously think it's adorable how both of them always think of each other.

A short get away

2011-05-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Rich and I had a great opportunity to go on an overnight backpacking trip to Fossil Springs, thanks to my sister Tracy and her husband Sean. They planned it for couples in their ward, and invited us, and Rich invited a firefighter friend he works with and his wife. It was so much fun, and SO beautiful down there. This was my 3rd time going, and it was easier this time for sure, I can thank my early morning workouts for that;) Rich has been down there a bunch of times over the years and still loves it!!

A great day!

2011-04-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

We saw something pretty in the desert! You don't see this very often .
We decided to go to Rich's favorite riding place, Sycamore Creek because there was water and especially since no one is out there during the week. He used to go out there riding with a buddy from high school all the time, and this was their "secret spot." It was really pretty, but their secret is safe with me, I couldn't remember how to get there to save my life.
We loved riding through the water!!!
We ended up riding a rough trail, about 30 miles round trip. There were some parts that were crazy hard to get up, but Rich always figures a way. I was a bit scared at first to go up hills that were steep at all, but after riding a while and learning the machine better, I got the hang of it, and it's so fun!! I'm ready to go again!!
I was showing off doing donuts, just trying to compete, he is better!

Thanks to Rich for always planning fun times!! And thanks to a dear friend for watching our little ones, thank you Tori!! Rich took me riding all by ourselves, no kids begging for rides, no crying whining or fighting for a whole afternoon, hurray!! We went out for about 5 hours, and I think that's the longest turn I have ever had :) You gotta love my hair, I tried to refuse wearing a helmet, but the paramedic side of Rich said no way!! I borrowed Logan's get-up, I think pink for me would be better. But I still looked official;)

Time to catch up

2011-04-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well lots has happened and I don't ever post, I feel like I never have a minute to sit down. I feel like I have been extra busy and wiped out. 2 toddlers is what I will blame it on, not to mention just having 6 kids, the laundry alone is a full time job! it's a good excuse anyway;) Logan turned 16, can you believe it? He got braces put on the day before his birthday, so he was a little bit miserable that day. I was going to throw him a big party, but there seemed to be a lack of interest, he says he doesn't know any girls to invite. It was also that he and his friends wanted to go to a dance that night. I won't complain about that, just buys us some more time;) He hasn't been on a date yet, I think he is waiting for the license first, which will be awhile, we are going to make him wait a bit. He is a great young man and is really growing up way too fast. It's been a weird reality for me. It WAY crept up on us!!

My little chef

2011-03-11T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ivy was really wanting to "cook" with me the other night. I was making fried rice and before I knew it, she had scooted the chair over and started stirring the veggies, she was SO proud, and SO darling!!

My big tiny girl

2011-02-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ivy is potty trained!!! She has been THE easiest one ever. She turned 3 and I said you are big now, you don't need diapers. You can go on the potty. We got her panties and, knock on wood this is day 5 and NO ACCIDENTS!!!!! YAY IVY!!! I don't even have to tell her to go potty, no timers, no reminding, she just goes in and goes, and when she needs help with the #2 she calls for me. I know it is so lucky, and I feel so blessed!

Happy Birthday Ivy!!!

2011-01-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ivy has a cold today, but still is smiling about turning 3. It is going to be the year to potty train!! She is at such a fun stage right now, she tells me when she doesn't want to go to bed, mom I want to hang out with you! She has a new best friend every day, whoever has won her heart that day, the kids all try to have it be them, I love it when she says, "mommy is my best friend." She is such a fun little girl and we love her so much!!

Family Pictures 2010

2010-11-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

We did it again, of course it is always a miracle that we can find even one that will work. We have a lot of kids! It's weird, it doesn't seem like it until I see it in pictures. I love every one of my kids so much!! I hope they know and feel that!!

Poor baby!

2010-09-29T00:37:00.000-07:00

Ashton fractured his collerbone. I felt so bad for him. He fell off me and Rich's bed when I was helping Paij redo her jewelry box. He sleeps on our bed often, and still does, just a crazy thing. I couldn't figure out where he was hurt, but had a long night of fussing and I didn't want to go sit at the E.R. by myself (Rich was at work). So the next day he went with me to the Urgent care, and after thinking it was the opposite side, and possible rib, I was totally wrong and babying the wrong side entirely, probably causing more pain:( He is doing better, however still baby's it and does grimice if he is picked up wrong. He looks adorable with his little sling. And the jewelry box turned out fabulous if I do say so myself!

Labor Day

2010-09-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

Labor day this year was low key but tried to think of something for the kids to do. Lunch at the mall, always a fav. Our fun neighbors came with us. Tori and I let the kids ride the carousel 2x. A very expensive event, at $3 a kid- crazy 90 second ride:o, BUT they had a blast and that's what matters right? It was Ivy and Ashton's 1st time and they LOVED it, and were very sad to get off. We got See's lollipops, butterscotch of course and took the girls to Tinkerbells to let them pick out a necklace. All had a great time, even Logan was a trouper! It was kind of funny, when we got off the elevator, I heard a young kid say, wow that was a lot of kids! And it is, but they are great kids!!

WHY?????

2010-09-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Never fail, when one of my babies is missing, I always know where they are, and sometimes it's both of them together. They love to get back in the laundry room, locking the door behind them and devour as fast as possible Dixie's dog food. Gross!!! Disgusting!!! WHY on earth would they want to do that? When Ivy was Ashton's age, she would go and get 1 piece and put it in her mouth and come show me and say "mmmmmm, nummy!" At least they are completely predictable. They are partners in crime, or at least disgusting behavior.

2010-08-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Rich and I, after a summer of fun with the kids, decided to take a much needed break by ourselves, no phone, no traffic, no noise:) We went up to the mountains, got some fresh air, and some R&R!

He took me on a hike to see Dane spring that I missed out on because of the ankle incident last summer that everyone got to see. Pretty neat!
Mostly we enjoyed being together watching movies, playing cards- he kicked my butt every time, ahrrr:) and looking at the beautiful sunset, by ourselves. We enjoyed the cool mountain air, music and sometimes just QUIET! Our home can be very noisy. We feel rejuvenated and ready to be back in real life. It was such fun to take a breather.

Good riddins' ya loonies

2010-08-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

School started Yeah! We were all ready!

Logan started High School, I can't hardly believe it! He has A-hour for the 1st time, it comes painfully too early for me. Fortunately for me, I pick up after school only, gotta love carpool:)

Paij started Jr. high, a big 7th grader. She was nervous, but so cute and brave and loved the 1st day

Sydney started 5th grade, and got the teacher she wanted, so far all the kids have had Mr. Daniels and have loved him! She was happy, but hot as she got off the bus.

Carson started 1st grade, all day for the 1st time, he informed me he is ready, we'll see how it goes. He also got off the bus happy but sweating to "death!"

Ivy and Ashton fortunately for me are home for a few more years, and took a really GREAT nap for the 1st time in awhile. I even had to wake them up to pick up the high school carpool.

I had a quiet, much needed day today, and was thrilled to see them after school!!

Day26 Saying goodbye and the end

2010-07-10T00:08:00.001-07:00

We said our good byes and were on the road again, this time our destination........home sweet home!! (p.s. doesn't her hair rock!) We did bear minimum stopping and we stopped in Palm Springs for dinner at Panda. We were hit with the ever so stunning heat as we got out of the car. Yuck!! Rich said my skin was instantly flushed, and we still had 10 degrees hotter to get, yikes! We texted our great friend and house checker, Tori and asked her to turn our air down, so it wasn't so terribly hot when we arrived. She did so and had the feeling to check our fridge. She had to be the bearer of bad news and tell us it was dead, and not the slightest bit cold, disgusting!! Luckily they had a fridge we can borrow for a bit, thx Brunsons! We stopped by the store and got the necessities and made it home at around 11:30 p.m. The kids got to see their dear friends who were waiting up for them to get home. Time to unload and put away, as both of us worked in the morning. Short night, we got to bed at 2:30. Nothing like getting thrown back into real life!! We decided we along with all of our friends and family need to move somewhere cooler, and more beautiful. But we were glad to see our home, for it is in fact home sweet home. It is great to be home, even if it is miserably hot!

Day 25 Jelly Belly Factory

2010-07-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

We had to check out the Jelly Belly Factory. We took the tour, it was interesting. The kids sampled flavors, and believe it or not one of the fav's was baby wipe- gross. They said it was tastey. We loaded up on the necessary flavors, (not baby wipe) and got some "belly flops" for camping treats. They were the defective ones, wrong size, etc.

We took Saber along again. On our way back to the Penrods we picked up pizzas and cheese bread from our new favorite place, Papa Murphy's, (thx Dan and Tiff). We ate, I did a couple of haircuts on our hubbies and tried to go to bed. I decided to use their washer and drier and get all the laundry done and back into bags, since I had a CRAZY schedule full of hair appointment waiting for me.

Day 23-24

2010-07-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday we relaxed and didn't do too much, had a bbq With Shirley and Jon and their family. Rich and Logan had fun playing pool. The babies got lots of attention, and the rest of the kids played and we didn't see or hear much from them. Carson and Logan got to use the fireworks they bought in Wyoming. They had fun.

Monday we went to Monterey Bay Aquarium. We took along with us Graycee and Saber. (8 kids) We had fun looking at all the wonderful sea life that they had on display.They had some interactive things for toddlers, it

was cute to watch them, it seems all kids like to play in water. We went back and fixed dinner and had an evening of hair coloring, since there was 3 girls with major growout:) and they just so happen to have a beauty supply about a 1/2 mile away from their house. Late night, I think it was 3:15 when we finally finished.

Day 22 San Francisco

2010-07-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

We went to San Francisco and went across the Golden Gate bridge. We stopped to take pictures,and it was so windy, got to love my hair:) We could see Alcatraz from a distance and went to Fisherman's warf. It was so crazy busy, and we knew we wouldn't be going back for fireworks for the 4th, especially with kids. But, we did get to get clam chowder, mmmm my favorite! We went down the famous Lombard street, aka the most "crooked" street. It was so crazy weird. The streets were so frieky, so extremely hilly, so steep. It scared me but everyone else loved it. I'm just glad I wasn't driving, I know I would have panicked! It was a fun day! We finally made it to our friends the Penrods house, just a couple days late. We had a great time catching up and laughing. Shirley is recovering from 2 spinal surgeries and isn't able to do too much, so it was pretty relaxed, which was fine with us.

Day 21 Day 2 of Redwoods

2010-07-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

We stayed at a campsite in the Redwood forest. It was a really cool campsite, right by the river. It was really nice. The campground host told us after we started setting up already that a black bear likes to wander around this part of the campground. At first, we thought it was kinda cool, until it got dark and we could hear it splashing in the water. Paij saw it walk right by our campsite and down to the river and had a panic attack. In the morning Rich saw the paw prints of the bear, scary!

Sydney gave me a small break from holding Ash, he is SO heavy, my arms hopefully will be really buff when we get back, I'm really worried that he is going to have a hard time when we get back, I have held him non-stop the entire trip. He is cutting all 4 molars and is extremely clingy to

only me, lucky me. It is sweet, just exhausting!!

This was a house inside of a tree, the kids thought was pretty cool.

Day 20 Redwood National Park

2010-07-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

We went through the Redwood Forest. The kids really thought it was cool. Lots of places to hide and play. About every 10 steps Carson wanted to pose for a picture, and even Ivy would take her binkie out and smile for a change. We camped at an awesome campground right by the Klamath river. It was beautiful. It was also right close to the coast, where the river flows into the ocean. Carson is posing into the "kissing tree" as he called it and he is standing on the lips that are stuck together:) We had to get a picture of the boys with Paul Bunyan, too funny, and the ox baby blue

Day 19 Leaving Vancouver and Silver Falls

2010-07-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

We left Vancouver and wet to Silver falls and saw this beautiful waterfall. It was a great park that we wished we had more time to spend at, I guess it's a good reason to come back:) We met up for lunch with some friends Harry and Andrea Topliss that moved to Oregon about a year ago. We had fun catching up and meeting their newest little guy Landon.

We thought it was so interesting that there were tons of Christmas tree farms. Rich and I wonder how much $ could really be in that, it seems like it would take a long time for them to get big enough to sell. Something weird we thought about Oregon is that it is ILLEGAL to pump your own gas------WEIRD!! They say it was started in the 80's to create jobs. Rich tried to help the guy by putting the hose back up, and got yelled at.

Day 18 Mount St. Helens area

2010-06-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

Tiffany took us to the Mount St. Helens area where they have some really cool things. We saw some lava tubes, where trees used to be but were burned up by lave and left a tunnel that the kids could crawl through. They thought that was really cool.

Ivy even braved it as long as she could hold the flashlight. We then went to the Ape cave, also made because of lava, a huge cave. It was pitch dark damp and dripping and very cold. It was fun to go into. The kids love to explore, so it was perfect. Tiffany had to get Joseph back for soccer practice, but we decided to stay and meet them back at their place later that night. We wanted to go explore that area more. We saw such beautiful things. It was such a lush green area. We got a great view of Mount St. Helens. If we had more time it would have been fun to get closer at see more of it. There was a really pretty lake we checked out. I guess coming from the desert we always are amazed at the beauty of any natural water things. So many rivers, creeks, lakes, streams. So of course, more pictures. We found this field of the most beautiful wild flowers we have ever seen, and spent a lot of time taking lots of pictures. Rich downloaded these onto the blog, I wouldn't have put some of these on here (the ones of myself.) Paij was DONE. She didn't want to take anymore pictures. I'm hoping we may have gotten at least 1 good one with all the girls. We had a great day.

Day 17, Day 3 of Depoe Bay, Oregon

2010-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

We went back to the secret beach, this time to play around in the water. We decided to carry the stroller this time, a huge pain, but very worth it, my arms were thanking him the whole time. Ashton wants to get down the whole time, and eat the sand, gross. He is exhausting to hold, extremely squirmy, and it gets old fast. My arms better be very buff by the time we get back, no need to lift weights for awhile. Rich took a shovel and dug a great hole, they called the jacuzzi. The water was very cold, it almost numbed your feet, but the kids had a blast and even got in the water. Ivy loved loved the waves, squealing in delight.
Carson and Joseph played like crazy, giggling and being very goofy. We saw sea lions pop their heads up pretty close to the shore.

Brandon saw this ball and thought he would kick it out to sea. It looked a lot lighter than it was, and really hurt his foot. It was a buoy from a fishing net that washed up on the beach and was made out of thick hard plastic. Dan and Rich had to help him get over the hill where Dan had a wheelchair waiting for him. He thinks he might have broken his big toe, or at least jammed it pretty good.
We got cleaned up, loaded the car, and the kids and headed back to Vancouver. We stopped by the Tillamook cheese factory for cheese curd and ice cream. What a treat! We barely made it there in time, about 5 minutes before it closed....phew!

Day 16 Day 2of Depoe Bay, Oregon

2010-06-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to Lincoln City for Sacrament meeting, went back to the housr for lunch and naps. Later that afternoon we went to Newport down to the boardwalk area and saw some of the local sealions.

Later on we went to see some tide pools at a different beach, during the low tide time. Carson is holding up the starfish Sydney found. We took more pictures, much to the kids dismay. We have to keep reminding them they will be glad later. They just don't want to take the time to stop and pose, so bothersome, poor little poopsies;)

Day 15 Depoe Bay, Oregon

2010-06-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Depoe Bay in Oregon with Dan and Tiffany and their kids. On the way we stopped at a fruit stand. Tiffany said that these strawberries called "hood" strawberries are the best. OK I thought I liked regular store bought ones but these are like biting into a piece of heaven. They taste like candy. The best thing I have ever tasted, wow! and definitely picture worthy!

Carson and Joseph had a blast playing together, cracking each other up and being silly.

The Oregon coast is so beautiful. I loved the contrast between the rocks and the water, and how the forest goes all the way down to the water, it's incredible. The beach house we stayed at was so great. It had these amazing paved paths through densely wooded areas that led out to cliffs overlooking the beach. I snuck out on Sunday while everyone was taking a nap and walked alone and listened to my book on the ipod and stared at the beauty of the waves crashing on the rocks. It made me feel so good! We walked to the "secret beach" with our very own tour guides. It was so cool, so different. It was covered with driftwood, it was so pretty. I had hoped to get a family pic. there where Aubrey and Syd are but we never ended up doing that.

Days 13 and 14 Vancouver, WA

2010-06-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

The kids played with their cousins, each one had one around their age Brandon is a few years older than Logan, Bailey is 13, Aubrey is 10, Joseph is 5. Ivy and Ashton entertained everyone, since it's been a few years without a baby in their house. It was fun to see the kids all getting along. They were instantly buddies, they had a BLAST! Brandon was out of town the 1st couple of days so Logan was a bit bored but managed to find video games and movies. Rich and I just relaxed and visited with Dan and Tiffany. Rich spent some time calling around to repair places, and parts stores to figure out the trailer situation. We had a bbq that evening. They spoiled us with really YUMMY food! The little boys were cracking us up, they are 2 of a kind, liking all the same toys, same movies, same sound effects. I'm sure its partly and age thing, but it was sure fun to watch them play. The babies didn't quite know what to do not being strapped in carseats and had a bit of a time adjusting to new surroundings. They exercised their shrill screams that they so uniquely and annoyingly both have, I'm sure that they won't be missing that in their house once we are gone:)

Day 12 Drive from Kalispell, MT to Vancouver, WA

2010-06-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Today we didn't do too much. We drove 9 hours from Kalispell to Vancouver Washington, stopping only when we had potty breaks or growling tummies. We tease Logan, calling him lolo the water buffalo, and had to stop for the picture of the lolo forest. Logan is always drinking tons of water, even on hikes when water needs to be conserved. In elementary school, he would do this at the drinking fountain also, even if there was a line behind him. One day a kid got annoyed and called him a water buffalo, and it has stuck ever since. Kids did good, a long day. We arrived at Rich's brother's house at 12:30 midnight. When we got here we found out that the trailer had a major problem....the bearings on one of the wheels burned out and after driving about 600 miles, we were extremely lucky that the wheel didn't fall off, and we arrived safely.

Day 11 Glacier National Park

2010-06-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

This was the second day at Glacier, the sun was out and it warmed up a bit. It was still chilly, but perfect. We drove to the other side and drove as far as we could on the "going to the sun" road. They told us we wouldn't make it far with the trailer, so we dropped it in a parking lot and went. Seriously we were in awe at how beautiful this place is. We kept telling eachother we felt like we were driving in a picture, I hope the pictures can do it justice, because it was breathtaking!
The kids were getting annoyed at Rich and I because about every 1/2 mile we'd stop and take more pictures. Paij especially was very annoyed, and was very vocal about it. We pretty much told her to get over it, and kept stopping. I made the mistake of telling them we'd stop for milkshakes, I'm sure that was mostly on her mind;)

We saw these mountain goats walking right down the little road to the hotel.

Afterwards we found a place to have the famous "huckleberry" milkshake. It was a cute shop and we had fun. We loved loved loved this place. Rich even bought and placed on our car a sticker. He really isn't a fan of stickers on cars, but he just had to. We all got hats and it was so cute, Ivy won't take hers off, she even falls asleep with it on, it's adorable!

Day 10 Glacier National Park

2010-06-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Post down below, Rich has been downloading pictures because it taked forever, I am adding commentary later. I can't figure out how to copy and paste and I don't feel like starting over.

Day 10 Glacier National Park

2010-06-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

We wanted to take the kids to the edge of the U.S. just for fun. It would have been fun to cross over, but without our passports no can do. Ok seriously this was THE FAVORITE park, the most beautiful place we've ever seen, ever! Rich and I are already making plans to return here, flying in and staying at the amazing hotel here, no kids.:) We drove in and were completely bummed because the "going to the sun" road was not all the way open, still snowy. It was due to open on Wed. 2 days later. It was raining on and off, and real cold, the high was 40 degrees. We drove the whole 10 miles they allowed us and had to turn around. But it was so so beautiful. The park ranger who let us in, said to go and check out "Many Glaciers" with the entrance down the road a ways, which runs along the outside of the park. We weren't expecting much especially when we started down the road, in seemed bumpy and not kept up as well, until we went a ways. Oh my goodness! It was incredible! There was a lake and creeks and green and lush. We drove a ways and there was an awesome motel right at the lake, that made you feel like you were in Germany. It was so cool. We drove to the end of the road and there was a campground that was so pretty. I asked Rich if we could please camp down there, even though it was so cold, it was so pretty. We had no propane, no cash to pay, and no food to cook with no propane. The park ranger told us to check out the store down the road, a giftshop, and restaurant, perfect. ATM machine, Italian food, no propane, but Italian food. It was great! Our campsite was right next to a river, cold water and fast moving. It was so pretty. We watched the kids carefully and had the best night. We had enough propane to run the heater for awhile, and we played games to a flashlight. We had a blast! We woke up and had cold cereal, packed up and were on our way.

Day 9 Driving to Shelby

2010-06-21T09:19:00.001-07:00

We didn't do anything exciting today. We drove through Montana to get to a small place called Shelby, to get close to Glacier National Park. We will drive through today. We did a mountain of laundry,(or 2) at a laundromat which I've decided we need at least 2 sets of machines at our house:) and drove the rest of the day. It rained most of the way, so sadly we got no pictures with scenery in the background. We saw this random statue of Christ up on a hill in a tiny town, think is a bit strange but no one asked me;) and antelope in a field, pretty neat, I've never seen antelope before.

Day 8 Yellowstone

2010-06-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

This was an exciting day, saw some bears and the fav. was the mama grizzly with what it looked like 2-3 cubs. We saw a couple black bears too. We went and saw the mud geysers, uuggg they smelled SO bad. At one point we walked through a cloud of steam and I about vomited. I was very worried that I smelled like that, but I think the smell was just in my nose for awhile. I made the kids humor me and pose for a photo. Ivy didn't cooperate but oh well. We saw a beautiful waterfall, wow! We had Logan take the pic of us. Later when we looked at the picture Rich said that my shirt looks like a maternity shirt, rest assured it just looks like I'm pregnant. I'll be getting rid of that shirt for sure!

Day 7 Yellowstone

2010-06-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

We were so amazed at the beauty of Yellowstone. We didn't realize how big the park would be. We saw Old Faithful and thought that was really cool. Logan and Paij almost missed it errupt because they were "starving" and went to the car for a snack and then decided to go get a drink. Right after they walked out from the place they had to run to see it. Rich keeps razzing them about almost missing it. He'll say "what did you think of Old Faithful?" and then in his funny voice he'll say, "I don't know I was getting a drink and I missed it)"

All the geysers were so cool. Really unusual for anything we see in our mountains. I am in awe because of all the different landscapes we see, even in the same park.

Day 6

2010-06-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

These some pictures that we took at Jenny Lake in the Teton National Park. It was so incredibly beautiful, and dangerously full of bears, we didn't see any, but took all the precautions to not have any visit us in our camp. It was our 1st time staying at a campsite. The kids did not like it at all, they are not used to caming next to other people and can't believe people do that all the time. The view was amazing right from camp. The lake was a short walk away. I wasn't prepared for all this cold weather. It was windy and a high of 48 degrees during the day, and in the upper 20's at night. We bought a catalytic heater for the tent. Ashton was in the mummy bag with me, a little squishy, but nice and toasty warm!

Day 5 continued

2010-06-20T11:10:00.001-07:00

This was THE cutest place we stayed at in Thayne Wyoming. It was so fun! The picture of the river was directly behind the cabin. It definitely was a highlight for me. The kids finally got to go swimming, so exciting I know, but that was what Sydney couldn't wait to do. The pool was outside, the temp. outside was 30 degrees, and it ended up snowing, not enough to stick on the ground, but crazy!

Wed. day 5

2010-06-16T19:18:00.001-07:00

We ended up staying in Logan Utah last night, and were so glad we did and didn't drive through in the dark. Sean, Tracy's husband told us how beautiful the drive through there is and Bear Lake. Seriously I had no idea it could be that incredible, I'm not sure the pics even do it justice, WOW! We stopped and got a famous raspberry shake in the Bear creek town. Yum! We got to Wyoming, it is so different here. It is so green, and so beautiful. We were supposed to camp tonight in the Teton forest, however it is raining and 40 degrees, with the chance of snow, crazy! We found an adorable cabin style inn, it is so so cute! I'll post pics tomorrow. We'll just drive through Tetons tomorrow and camp at Yellowstone. The kids are still doing amazingly well, and we are sure enjoying being together. It's amazing how nice even I can be without the stresses of "real life." It makes me want to simplify my life!

Day 4

2010-06-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Temple Square, we spent the majority of the day looking at the beautiful flowers and touring the conference center. Kids tolerated the millions of pictures, and loved the beauty of everything we saw. Only tragedy, we lost Ivy for a few minutes at the conference center. She had been really great about staying in the stroller, we got on the elevator, got out and headed up on the roof to see the landscaping, Rich was in charge of the stroller, glanced down and no Ivy! Panic!! The slowest elevator ever. I just knew that she would be freaking out, the tour guide felt so bad and took blame, said she is supposed to count heads, seriously cute, but Rich and I will take the blame! I kinda joked that if anyone did take her, they'd bring her right back,(anyone who knows Ivy knows she has a set of lungs on her:) I knew she'd be traumatized. The elevator finally opened and the security guard had Ivy. phew!!!! To all of of our surprise she has a smile on her face, and NO TEARS!! NO TRAUMA? WEIRD!!! The guard said she was just sitting on a chair by the elevator, totally calm! We hugged and kissed her and didn't take our eyes off her again! That was the 1st time I have ever lost a child, scary! I think she was enjoying some peace and quiet....alone:) I hope that it was just because she trusts us and knows we will always be there!

2010-06-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

We stopped by the Provo temple and took a few pictures. The flowers were amazingly beautiful! And it didn't hurt to getsome of the wiggles out of the little ones, wait I mean the big ones:) Rich and I are amazed at how well the little ones are doing so far, we have moments of crying, but hardly at all!

2010-06-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

We took Logan by the M.T.C. We thought it would be fun for him to see. 4 more years, crazy!

A couple bribes for a couple tired babies and we were off to Provo

2010-06-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

When we got back to Delta, we headed straight to a highly recommended pizza place by some friends, the Ashby's. It was really yummy and the kids thought it was pretty cool that they know Kevin,who is a native from that town, thanks Ashby's for a yummy lunch!

2010-06-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a fossil digging at a trilobite coury that Rich had seen on the Travel channel awhile ago. It's just outside of Delta a ways. They give you the tools and a bucket, and you get to work. The kids had a blast. They found lots of fossils and didn't get too dirty, that was Syd's main concern:) We paid for 2 hours which seemed like the perfect amount of time. We lucked out with the weather, it was cool, and mostly cloudy, which was nice not to be out in the bright sun. Ashton and I stayed at the car and he was easily entertained with food and toys. There was no place to sit and watch. We made our way to visit eventually, and see how it was going, and to my surprise they were having a lucky time, finding a ton! Soon they finished and we headed back to the car and had a some snacks, and got cleaned up a bit and headed back to Delta.

Day 3

2010-06-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

We stayed the night in a small town called Delta at a motel called Days Inn. (The kids get a kick outof the motels, which is why I take a picture)

2010-06-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

We got to Kanab and to our surprise it was a bit hard to find a motel, we figured it would be easier. We had luck on the 3rd one we went to, the Roadway Inn. The kids were so excited, we had a hard time winding them down to fall asleep, Carson and Sydney especially. Despite the bed the kids slept on with 2 broken off feet on the frame, everyone got some sleep. The kids were so excited that there was a continental breakfast until they saw that it wasn't as they expected, I think they invisioned "The Golden Corral" breakfast buffet:) We checked out and started driving toward the next stop. Zion National Park, we had an amazing drive, looking at the beautiful canyon. We stopped at the bottom, played awhile near the Virgin River, checked out the giftshop, and made lunch in the parking lot, later discovering a great park we would have enjoyed a picnic, and we were off to the next stop. There have been a couple temper tantrums, things forgotten, Syd's swimsuit and $, Logan's underwear, (he swore he packed), which has provided us with lots of laughs and teasing about what kind of underwear we will be willing to buy, whitey tighty's, spiderman, and girls undies. Lots of laughs, the best one was we told him we'd go to D.I. and get him used underwear, he flipped! Tomorrow we should be near a walmart or target and buy him something, we'll see....

2010-06-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

We made our way to Utah, taking a detour at the Navajo bridge.

roadtrip days 1 and 2

2010-06-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

We actually left somewhat on time, headed to flagstaff to pick up Logan on his way back from his superactivity for scouts. As we were leaving Flagstaff, we saw this cool thunderstorm over San Francisco peak.

Happy Birthday Car Car!!!

2010-06-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Carson turned 6 years old yesterday. I seriously can't believe how fast that went! He has been the most mild mannered of all my kids. He is a total sweetheart, and always knows how to make my heart smile. He will start 1st grade in the fall, and I truly am SO sad! I have absolutely loved having him home in the mornings this year. He is a joy to have around. I know it's time though): Some of his favorite things are: color: blue, movie: Toy Story and Incredibles (until recently called it uncrustables), breakfast: pancakes, dinner: spaghetti, thing to do: play. He got an mp3 player and star wars guys for his big day. When I asked him what he wanted the other day, he said, how bout an mp3 player so I can listen to music (and was dancing) when I color. Too cute! His buddies in the neighborhood have star wars guys, he was thrilled. We had cake and ice cream last night, just our little family (I am not a very good planner for birthdays) Rich and his partner Zack were able to stop by for the festivities, we were glad. Overall he had a great day. I am so grateful he is in our family!

It's been too long!

2010-05-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

One of my most favotite things about losing weight is......I can FINALLY wear my wedding ring!!! And I have fallen in love with it all over again:)

Better late than never:)

2010-05-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

I started early buying Easter clothes, was doing well until I realized it was general conference that day, and I decided I was sortof "off the hook." The older kids don't want to match anymore anyways, so I will keep doing it for the little ones.

Ivy and Bethany checking out their "prizes"

Carson had a blast, I couldn't ever get him to slow down for a picture.
Easter this year was GREAT! We enjoyed conference and a great dinner at Brent and Cheryl's house. It is always so much fun. Then a giant Easter egg hunt. Paij was too old this year, but a good sport. She had fun helping the younger kids. Sydney was an expert, Carson had better luck this year, he knew how to hurry a lot faster than last year when he ended up with 2 or 3 eggs (we snuck some more in there) Ivy was a crackup, she knew just what to do. Pure excitement!

girls photo shoot

2010-04-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

This one cracks me up....so typical at our house, Ivy getting into the girls' thing, especially chapstick and gum!!

I took the girls to take their pictures on Sunday. They are wanting to redo their room, and I thought it would be fun to have some fun pics up on their walls. I am in no rush to do their room, seeing how I LOVE painting:) Not professional, but I think they turned out ok. 1 of these days I want a professional to take our family pictures, but not till they will all cooperate.

Easter Eggs

2010-04-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

BEFORE
AFTER

Today with the Todds we colored Easter eggs. We had a great time!!!!! Ivy (after hers was finished) started to eat it with the peel on !! It was so cute!!

Sycamore Creek

2010-03-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Sycamore Creek and let the kids play in the water. At first the water was cold but Brayden was not afraid.:) We went with the Todds and the Redds. Logan couldn't come because he is at our stake's trek. We had a blast and the kids enjoyed the water a lot!!

The cute triplets!

Logan's Birthday

2010-03-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

He is very athletic, loves the outdoors, and is currently on his track team for his school and is very buff !!!:)

CArson looks toward his big brother all the time and loves him so much!

He loved when Baby Paij was born!!

It was Logan's birthday on Friday, March 12. He had a great day and when i went to pick him up for carpool i had already picked up donuts from Krispie Cremes and the three boys scarfed a whole box down!! After that at around 5 Grandie and Papa picked him up for his sleep over and took him out to Red Robin. Logan said he ate a lot there!! Then they took him to spend his money (he didn't want a present from us, only money) and he got a pair of shoes, a shirt, shorts, and a belt. They went home and watched a movie. Logan worked all day for Papa and had a good time. We all love him and are glad Logan is in our lives!!

2010-03-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since the Brunsons got that teeter-totter the kids (mostly the girls) have had a lot of fun on it.
Ivy loves to tackle him!:)

I love this picture!!:) They are so cut together.
Ashton loves playing with grass!

Over the past few weeks Ashton has been learning to crawl!!! He is all over the place all the time!!! He is a very drooly and busy boy!! He loves to be let go and crawl all over the floor. He learns a lot from Ivy and Carson loves to entertain him. Carson loves calling him "Bubba" and they are very good friends. Ivy calls him"Ash." We have to lock the bedroom door when Ashton is taking a nap because Ivy always wants to see if he is awake.:) She always is determined to wake him up (that usually calls for screaming!!) We love our Ashton boy and are so happy he is in our family!!

2010-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

Paij and Sydney were little Muchachas at Grandie and Papa's ward party last night. The passed flowers out to all the pretty Senoritas. They were so cute and had such fun!

Happy Birthday Ivy!!!

2010-01-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

Ivy with her flowers from "DADDY!" (he wants to be the 1st man in her life to give her flowers)

I can't believe Ivy is 2 years old already! That has zoomed by. We had a little cake and ice cream party on Monday. She is in a fun stage right now. She was hysterical to watch opening her presents, she was absolutely elated. Laughing and hyper, so funny we all cracked up. She is learning lots of new words and understands so much. I am always glad when you can communicate better with little ones. She wants to "go" everywhere with whoever is leaving, she will go and get her shoes on and grab her little purse, and say "me, go?" and if I answer correctly, she'll just laugh and giggle, it's so cute! She hates nursery, she cried so hard at church a couple of weeks ago, that she threw up all over her dress! Luckily I am almost positive she missed the teacher, and just got it on herself. The next week she sat on my lap for all of the young women's meeting, so I guess we'll try that for awhile, she's so cute, who cares, right? Anyway we LOVE our little Ivy, and we are so blessed to have her in our family!!

2010-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our youngest....his 1st time on a quad. Check out his eyelashes, I'm jealous!!!
Our oldest....in his new riding outfit he got from Santa Claus:)

2010-01-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

We had our 4th annual ice skating event on New Years Day. It is a fun tradition we plan to continue. The kids have SO much fun, and are getting to be quite good on the ice!! Even Carson did AWESOME! I of course with the other mama's (and my dad) stayed off the ice with the little ones and tried not to freeze!! What a fun memory!! p.s. thanks for the scrap book page, MOM!! love it!!

2010-01-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas at the Porter house was wonderful!! We had happy children, and enjoyed family and friends all day! Thanks to Aubrey, this darling vanity is now in the girls room, (owned by Paij). She did such a great job, I was grateful for her talent!! We after much thought got a flat T.V. for the front room, it totally makes the room feel HUGE!! We are so grateful for such great family and friends who we share such wonderful memories with!! I think I need a new camera, the pics are not that great, but it is what it is:)

Happy B-day Syd

2009-12-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

Sydney is such a sweetie, and so special in our family. She is quite the teaser, and is very silly at times. When she was little, she always wanted to be in a fancy dress, and digging in the dirt, making potions, and catching bugs; strange combination, but her. She at just barely 9 months never took a nap again. She was up at 7 and up till 11, no prob. She wasn't grumpy, just very, VERY busy. She was quite the climber, and would get into EVERYTHING. She exhausted all my patience. I knew she was just curious, not noddy! (that came later);) She at just barely over a year could climb like you wouldn't believe. She could climb in and out of her crib, we finally said what's the point? She loved her binkies, and always had 1 and usually had another in her hand or in sight. She is a great student, and has some really nice friends that she likes to play with. She loves riding her ripstick that she got for her birthday, and is very good at it. I love you Sydney, and especially love your laugh, it's contagious! On her birthday, I made the obligatory cake, almost gagging at the thought of another treat, with so many goodies on the kitchen counter. She loves it though, as we all do on our birthday. I hope you had a great B-day Syd!!

good list?

2009-12-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was so wonderful! All the kids were happy. After a bit I asked Carson if he had fun, he said "Yes, I love Christmas," I told him I do too. I said, "did you like all your presents?" He said "yes!!!! but I thought I was on the naughty list":) I tried not too laugh and asked him if he was naughty, and he said, kinda. I told him that maybe Santa just knew he would be better next year;) What a sweetie!!

Happy Birthday Paij!

2009-11-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Paij turned 11 on Monday the 16th. Where has the time gone? I still remember her entrance into the world, such a unique delivery! She has been such a joy in our family. She is such a great helper with the little ones, and is a fun person to be around and to talk to. She is one of my best friends! She is cheerful and very smiley! She is very grown-up for her age, and seems to have her head on straight, and wants to be obedient! I can always count on her to get up on time, by herself, get her chores done and be ready on time, everyday! She has gotten very good at doing her hair by herself and always looks darling! She has started getting quite fashionable and is loving cute clothes. This is the best part about having daughters, they love to go shopping. She is all about a bargain, I guess she learned something from watching me. Just before her b-day, she got to have her annual spend the night with Grandie and Papa. They went to Sweet Tomatoes and went shopping at Kohls, picked out some adorable shirts, on clearance, and rented the movie Bride Wars, and picked out her cereal, Cookie Crisp, yum! I absolutely LOVE that my parents do this, the kids look SO forward to it! We love our sweet Paij and hope that she knows that she is so special to us, that we only want what is best for her. We will always be there for her, ALWAYS, and that her Heavenly Father loves her too! I hope you had a great birthday Paij!

Ashton's 4 1/2 month check up

2009-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well just as I thought, Ashton is BIG especially for 1 of our babies. He was 17 1/2 pounds and 27 1/2 inches long. He is in the 95% for height, and 75% for weight and his head circumference. Wow, maybe he will be TALL! He had an ear infection though, I felt so bad that I had no idea, he has had no fever, a little bit irritable, but he also was cutting 2 teeth. He got 4 shots, and hardly cried at all.

Paij went for a well check today at the same time. She was in the 35 % for height, and 50% for weight. Dr. Jones said she hasn't hit her growth spurt yet, we can cross our fingers, she has to make it to at least 5 foot. He said not to worry! She had to get 6 shots, she was terrified. She got the regular 11 year old shots, the H1N1 and regular flu, her arms are sore! Our Dr. is so great, I completely trust him and value his opinion 100%. That is a nice feeling!

too big too soon!!!!

2009-11-08T23:02:00.001-08:00

Ashton is growing too fast! He cut 2 teeth this week. He is such a good, mild mannered baby. He already acts like he wants to roll over! I want him to stay little longer!

random cuteness

2009-11-08T22:59:00.001-08:00

Ivy is just so stinkin' cute! I love to capture moments like this. She is so full of personality. Over October break she was sick, and wanted lots of holding. She was sitting on the counter by me, while I cooked, and she grabbed the ripped wrapper of something and made a mustache; I can't figure out if she was sick of her nose running, sick of me wiping it, or just being silly, whatever the reason it made me smile!

2009-11-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

We went to the zoo on Sept. 30th with Tracy, Caleb, Bethany, Brooke, Kael, Carson, Ivy, and Ashton. In Sept. with your Fry's card you got in free. SCORE! We had fun, ate a picnic lunch and let the kids see all the animals, they all were out, SCORE again!!

Harbertson's ward carnival

2009-11-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

We went to the annual 6th ward carnival, the kids love it so much. This year we brought along our neighbor Caroline, who we love. Ivy was a cheerleader, Carson a baseball player, Syd miss America, Paij, the homecoming Queen, Caroline was Cruela Devil sp? Ashton was a baby, haha! (I can get away with it this year!) My parents were in charge of the party this year, and were a crackup, hippies! The kids love the cotton candy the most, it's their fav. There is also fresh popped popcorn, and a chili cook off, a pie eating contest and lots of games and even horse rides. I couldn't believe Ivy did both the face painting and got on the horse, anyone that knows our kids know they really don't like having anything to do with strangers, very shocking she let a stranger pick her up and put her on the horse! I'm kinds bummed that the pictures didn't turn out better, night and the flash and kids moving, oh well! We had a blast and can't wait till next year!

carving pumpkins

2009-11-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Carving Pumpkins this year was fun!! Rich took the kids to pick out their own pumpkin this year, usually we do 1 bigger one, but we thought it would be fun this year to let them do their own. I gave the little ones baths while he took them. (I had to do Ivy's hair for pictures though), silly I know! We had roasted pumpkin seeds, thanks to Logan who did all the work, they were super Yummy! They turned out really cute, what a fun family home evening! It is pretty funny though, our pumpkins because the porch gets sun all day, get all sunken in and they look more scary after they bake in the sun, gotta love Arizona!

My 2 Babies

2009-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ivy and Ashton..... he is a very tolerant baby!!!! I hope they will be the best buddies!!!

2009-10-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

We took the kids camping in Sept. It was really fun, I was kind of surprised how much I enjoyed it, since no one else could go up that weekend with us. I really enjoyed being with Rich and the kids, just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful forest. We never go by ourselves, we always love to go with family, and/or friends. I even got to ride the quads this time, last time was a bummer, I was glad not to be "broken" this time. In fact it made lots of things much easier!! Syd and I played chinese jumprope, I forgot how fun that is! Rich is so awesome, he always thinks of fun things to do with the kids, he is the greatest dad ever! Our kids really love to watch Survivor man on Discovery Channel. They decided to make a "survivor man" shelter, they had so much fun doing it. It looked so AWESOME! It was fun to see them all work together. About a month later, Sean and Tracy went there and saw it, they told us someone had been there and built something there, little did they know it was just us! Sydney found a really cool stick that she thought looked like a torch and was convinced if she could just light it we could put it next to our tent and have light all night. I think she was pretty disappointed that she barely got it to stay lit for a picture, adorable!

Binkie swapping

2009-09-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ivy is constantly swapping Ashton binkies, it's hysterical. He seems to usually have some girlie, flowery binkie in, and miss Ivy has the boy one. Whatever, at least he matches!! When she is done with the one in her mouth she shoves it back in his mouth. I guess if one is going to get sick, the other will be sure to follow. Luckily that hasn't happened ........yet!!!

Freedom at last!

2009-09-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

After 8 long weeks of no driving, being at the mercy of great family and friends, I self diagnosed that the boot has to come off, legal or not (by the Dr.), I drove today to my favorite place, TARGET. Carson thought it was so great that I was driving, and he didn't complain about the popcorn either! I actually got to use my double stroller that has been in the back of my car. Let's hope tomorrow at my Dr. appointment that he will give the approval, cuz I am done, Oh to wear matching shoes again. I know it will be a long recovery to normalcy, but every step is amazing. I really have taken for granted simple every day things like walking!

Ashton's blessing day

2009-09-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ashton was blessed at church yesterday by his

wonderful daddy. What a sweet, and special

blessing! We had a spaghetti dinner afterwards

at our home with wonderful family. It was so

nice, everyone pitched in and worked together

and helped me so much! We have really been

blessed with wonderful family and appreciate all

their love and support! We are so grateful for Ashton and his sweet little spirit in our home.

He has brought great joy in our lives!

New pics of Ashton

2009-08-27T20:13:00.001-07:00

Well these are the most precious pictures of Ashton when he was 3 weeks old. My good friend took these, what talent! I am so excited and grateful to her!! I am grateful to my mom for the adorable blankets which we used for the backgrounds! She is always awesome to give us matching blankets and burp cloths, I sometimes just want a new baby to see what she will make, but rest assured, we are DONE! Yesterday he had his 2 month check up, I can't believe he is already that old! He weighed 12 1/2 pounds, and was in the 75% for height and weight. He also had an ear infection, which was sad, along with shots, it was a rough day for him. But, I was kind of relieved that something was wrong, and he wasn't just going to turn into a fussy baby, because he has been soooooo sweet, and calm, and if I do say so myself, I deserve a calm one after my little high maintenance Ivy!! Love her, but she is a lot of work! She is mellowing out as she gets a bit bigger. And I can't believe how much easier it is than I thought it would be having these 2 so close together. I guess she is too young to know she has been replaced as the baby!

1st day of school

2009-08-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Well the 1st day of school came too fast! Logan is in 9th grade, I can't believe it! He is loving seminary and I am so glad! Because of his leg he is an aid in the office instead of P.E. He really likes it because he can do all of his homework in there! Paij is in 6th grade! She loves her teacher and is always a great student! Syd is in 4th grade, and got a new hairdo for school this year, she says she is daring! It's so adorable. Mr. Carson started Kindergarden and we opted for 1/2 day. He had a few rough days going, but now loves it! The bus picks him up right in front of the house, a real blessing, given my current handicap! I truly miss them and am so glad each day when they get home! They are such great kids and I love them so much!

Crazy gimpy summer

2009-08-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Well what a crazy summer! We are so loving our new addition to our family. When Ashton was just about a week old, My Grandpa "Boppa" passed away at 89 years old. This picture is on the way home from the hospital from having the baby. I wish I didn't look like such a bahama mama! Oh well. I was so glad to see him one last time!

A few days after the funeral I broke my ankle, the picture is when I took off the splint, I wanted to take a peak, gross! What a challenge it has been, I like to do everything for myself, and it has been very humbling, to have to ask for help in doing almost everything! I have had so many people help our family in so many ways, and we, especially I appreciate all of you who have helped us SO much! Between meals and rides and shopping, and helping get the kids ready for school, I am grateful. I am back on my feet 1/2 way, I still can't drive, hopefully that will be in a couple of weeks. My hubby has been so great, and the kids too! We went camping, despite the ankle, for 9 days, so fun, I will post that later. A couple of weeks ago Logan also broke his leg, got a fun ambulance ride to Phoenix Children's hospital, and had surgery. He is doing well, and is much more talented on crutches than I am. You know the saying, when it rains it pours, it poured at the Porter house this summer, but a lot of blessings we received also. One of the things that was really good for me was to realize I have to slow down and enjoy the kids and not over extend myself, SIMPLIFY!

The picture of Ashton is a couple of weeks ago, he is already bigger. I was afraid he would get really spoiled being held all the time, but I couldn't help it because I could, and I wanted to. But, so far so good! I started working again, and he is doing great, he still sleeps a lot, and loves the swing. Surprisingly, Ivy is doing well with him and it doesn't even seem to faze her at all that she isn't the baby anymore. She has done really well, but because I couldn't carry her at all, she has become VERY attached to Rich, and he has to be holding her constantly whenever he is home. He can't get anything done, and has joked about getting a backpack for her, so he can get a few things done in the little time he is home! Life is getting better, way better, and we are so glad!!!!

He has arrived

2009-07-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

ASHTON SAMUEL PORTER

June 26, 2009 1:06 P.M.

7 pounds 1 ounce

21 inches long

2009-06-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Carson turned 5 this week on June 2nd. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He has been such a fun little guy. He is a real sweet kid, and an easy one to have around. Since he was just tiny, he has been my "shopping buddy" and loves Target as much as I do. He has always loved his stroller and would probably still sit in it and just hang out. He had quite the seperation anxiety, and has gotten over that with 2 years of preschool, and is ready for kindergarten. He has always been the kind of kid we could take anywhere and we knew he would be just fine, no temper tantrums just sit on your lap and suck his thumb, for even the whole 3 hrs. of church. He has been the kind of kid to sit and play with toys and be able to entertain himself for a long time. He is really fun to buy toys for, because he really plays with them, and gets sooo excited for something new to play with. We love our Car-Car and are so proud of the good boy that he is. Last week, he asked me if he could take his life jacket off in the pool, and I hesitated but said yes because I was right there. He took it off and by golly, he is a fish. He can swim and can kick up for air and is amazing. He got a bike for his birthday and now he'll have something new to learn. We hope you had a great birthday Carson.

Nacho Libre

2009-05-29T21:54:00.001-07:00

Carson's hero is Nacho Libre and he decided to dress Ivy up too. They are silly kids!

Pedicures

2009-05-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! I took the girls for their 1st pedicures. We got a jamba juice and sat and enjoyed the pampering. I think we NEED to make this a tradition!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

What a special day! I woke up to a fantastic breakfast with bisquits and gravy, orange juice, bacon, and fruit salad with a yummy dip! Flowers were also set on the table and cute kids and a wonderful husband to eat with! After breakfast I recieved some fun gifts. Paij spent her own money and bought me some yummy slippers that will get a lot of good use. Syd got me some lip gloss and candy, and Logan and Carson got me a digital picture keychain. They all wrote such great cards, with meaningful words. I had a great day, and felt sooooo spoiled!

Yeah Ivy!!!!!

2009-04-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well it's official!! Ivy finally decided she was brave enough to walk. A week and 1/2 ago, right before she turned 15 months, she is crawling no more, and Mommy couldn't be happier!!!!

A Dad with a Kite

2009-04-03T18:41:00.001-07:00

Rich is the best dad ever. He is always thinking of fun things for the kids to do, to make such fun memories!! The kids think he is the greatest!! (and so do I)

popcorn and a movie

2009-04-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Popcorn and a movie, in a tent? These two little buddies had a great day this day! Easily entertained, they are so fun!

2009-04-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ivy crawled in to the boys room and found Carson's ring pop and went to town, no one was getting this thing away from her!!

Happy Late B-day Logan

2009-03-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

It was Logan's 14th birthday on March 12th. I didn't actually forget his b-day, just forgot to post it. I let him skip school the day after , and I took him to lunch at Chipotle. Yummy! I wasn't surprised he finished it, me however couldn't quite polish it off. We then went to the Mills mall to buy him some basketball shoes, which he was very happy with. Later that night he went for a night out with Grandie and Papa. They took him to Chilies for dinner and then shopping for more.............shoes? This time some DC's. They were quite patient with him, I think they said 4 stores till they found the right style and fit. Size 11 1/2 feet these days! I'm glad it was them and not me. I lack patience these days. He then spent the night and stayed up very late watching movies and having a blast! We love you Logan and can't believe how fast you are growing up!! Logan is definitely an out doors kind of guy. He has never been one for playing with toys inside. He loves camping, fishing, Quad riding, shooting guns etc.. He is a great big brother, especially to Carson, and so far not a terrible teenager. ( he does have his moments) He is learning to be a hard worker, I know he will thank his dad later!! He has some great friends and enjoys a social life!!

More spring break fun

2009-03-19T22:48:00.001-07:00

We took the kids to Sycamore Creek for a picnic lunch and to play in the water. We got KFC (yummy) and cold drinks and the kids played for a couple of hours. They had a blast, and asked if we could return again tomorrow. We were surprised how much Ivy enjoyed it. Once she got past trying to eat the rocks and the sand, she just crawled around in the water, no she is still NOT walking. She was as happy as could be, and we let them play till they all got cold. It was a great day!! I forgot to mention, Logan is on an outing- mountain man, We hope he is having fun!

Spring break fun

2009-03-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sydney and her friend Sophie have had a lot of fun this week. This day they did easy bake cookies and cake all by themselves!! I'm sure it tasted good, but this is Syd we're talking about, anything sugary is the greatest thing ever!!

It's a..........

2009-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Well, there is no mistaken that we are having a BOY!!!! We are soooooo excited!!!! We couldn't get a profile shot, but cute hands right in front of his face, and cute feet. Everything looked normal and good, so now just wait until he is done cooking!

Take a guess!!

2009-02-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

I am taking a survey on the gender of this new baby coming to the Porter home. I find out next Friday, let's see who was right.

Happy Birthday Ivy!!!!!

2009-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a whole year already!! Ivy has been such a fun baby. This was her birthday dress that my parents got her. The next picture is a bed Syd made for her out of a box. She laid in it for at least an hour. We kept thinking she'd fall asleep, but no, just chillin!The next one is her bouncy seat she has re-discovered, and loves to drink her bottles laying in it. And last but not least, she loves to play out in the grass with the kids after school, and this day they put Carson's cape on her, "Super Baby" to the rescue.

Syd's baptism day

2009-01-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

It was Sydney's baptism day. What a beautiful day! She was a little bit nervous, but mostly excited. She looked so pretty in her white dress, just like a little princess. Paij lead the music, and did so great! I was feeling really good, I felt in control of my emotions, well until my father in law got up to do his talk on the Holy Ghost. He proceeded to invite Rich and I up, and my parents, Rich's mom, Grandma Hamblin, and Gay and Boppa. We were all a little confused at to what he was doing, but he explained to Sydney that all of the people standing in front of her had testimonies of the gospel and all of us have had experiences in which we had been prompted by the Holy Ghost. He said that Boppa would be representing all of us in bearing his testimony. I lost it. Well, at least I wasn't the only one. I'm not sure if there was a dry eye in the room. I was so touched and felt the Spirit so strong. I am so happy that Sydney, and all of my children experienced that today! We are so luck to have all 3 of my grandparents and all of their wisdom and experience to influence our lives. Thanks to Rich's dad for that inspiration!

We had a great luncheon after at our house, yummy food, great family and friends! Thanks to everyone for making this such a special day!

2009-01-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Rich got an awesome surprise Christmas present this year! I surprised him with a new camping trailer, and boy was he surprised! After setting it up,and seeing how awesome it is, the girls talked me and Tori (next door), into having an "easy bake oven slumber party" last weekend in the new camper! We had a blast! But.....we found out that the easy bake oven isn't so easy, or you have to be smarter that the instructions! This was our 1st attempt to a chocolate cookie. Hey, if nothing else we got a great laugh. The 2nd attempt was lots better, but we dropped it on the floor, still funny, and they ate it anyway, 10 second rule, right?

Happy B-day Syd!!

2008-12-29T16:23:00.001-08:00

Sydney turned 8 on Christmas Eve and will be baptized soon!! She is a silly girl, that likes to have fun!! She is sure growing up quickly, we love you Syd!!

My baby is growing up!!!

2008-12-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

Not the best picture, but she got her hair curled for the 1st time for church yesterday!! I got a glimpse that she is growing way too fast, Slow down Ivy!!

Sledding minus the snow

2008-12-29T16:11:00.001-08:00

Well before we could put the sleds away the kids were sledding around and around the house, having a great old time, who needs snow?