Howdy Partner!

A HUGE THANK YOU to the Johnson family for hosting their AWESOME Barbn Dance last night! It was so much fun mixing and mingling with good friends, and making new ones too! :)

My kids LOVED their horses! I can't imagine how big a full grown horse must seem to a child!

Even Peyton was able to get up close and personal with the mighty beasts! I hope all my kids will love horses as much as their mom! Brandon promised me a horse someday.. I told Bailey (who also LOVE them) and between the two of us, I don't think he'll get off the hook that easy! ;)

The Johnson's hired a man to teach square dancing to everyone who wanted to learn. Bailey and Brandon had a BLAST dancing together (even though it was CRAZY hot!).

Before we headed out, we attempted a family shot... this is as good as it was gonna get!

We had such a blast, and made some great memories! It's times like these that you just want to last forever!!! :)

The New "Big Man" on Campus!

Can Hunter really be THREE?! My word where has the time gone?! If he wakes up tomorrow and wants to start dating, I think I just might kill over! Serisouly though, I have been SO blessed with this adorable kid! He is so sweet and sensitive.. my little lovey boy! :) Only his face could win me over to the point that I would purchase homes for his BUGS for his birthday!

In case you didn't know, I love all God's creatures.. truly, I do. But there are certain creatures that are meant to stay OUTSIDE, and not interact with mankind. That being said, Hunter LOVES bugs! A while back I gave my kids jars to collect their bugs in. I vividly remember cleaning my kitchen when Bailey came running up:

"Mommy, come quick! You have to see what Hunter did, and I don't think you're gonna be very happy..."
"What happened Bailey??"
"He let all our friends out to play in our preschool room downstairs!"
"Our friends?? What friends??"
"You know.. our worm friends, and our roly-poly friends..."

Yeah... about 3 dozen creepy crawlies later, you may be wondering if I'm glutten for punishment?! Well, one look at his face, and you just might have a lapse in judgement too! ;) Happy birthday buddy!!!

Playing catch up

Well, I've been putting this off long enough... There's SO much to tell! Brandon and I figured if we are going to drive 3 days to see family, we were going to make it worth our while! The entire month of July in Utah seemed worth while enough to me! :) The kids were truly FABULOUS in the car, and to reward them, they were spoiled royally by three adoring grandmas!!!

We bounced around a bit, but stared off at Grandma Roberts' house, then went for a weekend boating trip in Elko with the De Groot side and my Aunt Lauren. Then it was back to Grandma Roberts' for more fun with cousins, on to Grandma De Groot's, then a Hooley family reunion up Ephrain Canyon (we went "camping" in a beautiful trailor with AC... HEAVEN!). All in all, a splendid vacation visiting family and old friends. You'll notice, the slide show below excludes the camping trip with the Hooley family, but no worries, I'll share those pictures too once I get a copy of them. :) ENJOY!!!

Comparison

People ask me all the time, "Does Peyton look like Bailey?". Well, I have my own de-ja-vu opinions.. but pictures recap memories so much better! :)

Here's Peyton at about 6 weeks on her blesing day:
Here's Bailey at about 6 weeks (imagine her mouth closed..):
Peyton on her blessing day again:
Here's Bailey on her blessing day.. she was about 2.5-3months here, but you can see her little facial features really well:
So.. what do you think?! :)

Stolen Carseats & Baby Blessings

This past Friday, Peyton turned the big 6-weeks! As Excited I was for her reaching yet another milestone, the 6 week mark isn't my most favorite because it comes with a certain appointment that I absolutely HATE! You see, I ENDURE the evasion of privacy throughout the pregnancy because I know I'm getting a prize at the end.. at the 6 week check up, there is no prize. You just feel violated.

Brandon had been out of town all week on business, and was coming home that evening, and not a moment too soon! I called him afterwards, emotional, and asked him when he'd be home. "Another hour".. :( So, I opted to go to Target with the kids to pass the time more quickly and keep me from having my 6 week cry. FINALLY, it was time to load everyone up and go home to get a much needed hug from Brandon.

The kids started shuffling into the car, and Bailey yells, "Mom! Our seat belts!" What?! Sure enough, I looked into the car and both Bailey and Hunter's booster seats were gone! ..first things first, I SWEAR I locked the car! And second, whoever swiped them must not have kids, because they would have known that Landon's Alpha Omega Elite costs at least 4 times as much as Bailey and Hunter's booster chairs! Maybe they are going to sell them on craigslist.. how desperate is this world getting? Oh man.. Brandon's going to kill me! How could I have forgotten to lock the... and that's when I saw them: 2 dozen of the most stunning roses I've ever seen, right smack on my front seat! It was pouring rain outside, and in my rush to get everyone in the car, I didn't notice my adorable hubby hiding in his car, parked right behind mine.
I never had my 6 week cry. Rather, we called a sitter and had a FANTASTIC date at an awesome Mexican restaurant! And even though they were fresh out of Chile Relleno's, it was the most perfect evening one could have asked for. :) I have the best husband ever.

TODAY, that wonderful husband blessed Peyton in church. It was a beautiful blessing, for a beautiful daughter! One of those "mommy payday" days.. complete with a home made photo shoot afterwards (the morning session, trying to get a family shot, was a bit crazy)!

Maybe Tomorrow Mom...

So time flies. We all know that. More so as we age (not that I do...)! But nevertheless, I was quite disappointed in myself that I neglected to snap a few shots of Peyton at her 1-month mark. As a matter of fact, I haven't even reached for my camera since she was a week old! I swore I would give all of my kids the VIP treatment from day one, but truth be told, after all the diapers are changed, tummies are full, and bodies are dressed, there isn't much time left over for picture taking!

Last night I was determined to redeem myself. Peyton was 5 weeks as of yesterday (a good mark as well). Peyton however, had payback in mind. It was the saddest photo shoot to date... This in fact was the best picture of the evening:
So of course after that (which was strangely cute, and had to be chronicled since that's the face I stare into every evening due to colic), we decided to try again this morning. We were much more successful, and I had to share! :)



Happy 5 weeks Peyton!!!

Dedication

Most people are afraid of Jillian Michaels... she can kick your tail no matter your level of fitness! That is, unless you're a 4 year old with WAY too much energy!!! Bailey did the entire workout. TWICE! I wish I could say she gets her dedication from me... ;P

Peyton Bre

Our little Peyton Bre arrived yesterday (April 9th) at 3:38pm!!! She weighed in at 8lbs 1oz and is 20 3/4" long. :) It was a great delivery.. LOVE those epidurals! :) But boy, when she decided to come she came FAST! One minute I'm nice and comfy, the next I'm wondering if the doctor can put her gloves on fast enough.. two pushes later and walla! Words can't describe how excited I am to have another girl!!! My mom and sister Janelle are in town watching our other kids at home. They brought them to the hospital last night shortly after to see their new baby sister. It was SO fun to have us all together!
Peyton and a VERY proud daddy :)

Landon looks so big all of the sudden.. not that I ever thought he was small, but he is one cute "big brother"!

Me and my girls :)

The whole clan (thanks again mom for dressing them up SOOO cute for the big debut!). :)

We are SO blessed and happy that everything went so smoothly once again. Thanks to everyone for their love, support and prayers!