Playing Catch Up

I am so behind in my posting that this is just going to be a post with lots of pictures and a few stories while I try to get caught up and not be so far behind.

This is a picture of Weldon and the kids on Fathers Day. Weldon is such a great daddy for these little people. He is so much fun and he is so patient and loving with them. One of the things that I love is that he is always willing to get down and play with them and tell them that he loves them and make them feel special. I am so blessed to have such a good husband who loves us and takes care of us.

The kids love making and decorating sugar cookies!

Preston loved licking the frosting spoon

Weldon got a belly boat and this is a bass that he caught
Colton had swim lessons this summer and at first I was really worried about him because he wouldn’t put his face in the water and if he even got splashed a little he would freak out so I wasn’t really sure how he would do. The first day we went he didn’t get his head wet at all and so when the lesson was done I asked him why he wouldn’t put his head under water. He said “Because Mom, I just can’t breath under water” That sounded like a pretty good reason to me so when I realized that that was the problem I explained to him that he just needed to hold his breath under water. When Weldon got home from work we filled up the sink and showed Colton how to hold his breath under water. The next day in swim lessons he put his head under and everything! He loved swim lessons and now he is like a little fish anytime he gets near water, even in the bath tub! He is helping Kaci learn how to get her head wet too. It is cute to hear him explain to her about holding her breath and stuff, he is really patient and she is surprisingly trusting of him and does much better with his instructions then she does with ours. The whole experience taught me that sometimes I need to take a few  minutes and explain things as simple as him holding his breath instead of just think he already knows that stuff.

Colton at swim lessons
We have also gone out to Cluffs a few times this summer and have had so much fun there.

Weldon swinging


Me on the swing with Weldon and Colton in the water

Kaci and I on a tube

one day I took the kids to feed the duck and the ducks must have been hungry because they came all the way out of the water and up next to our car for the bread. I thought the kids might have been afraid of them but they did just fine Kaci just held the bread really high to keep it safe from the ducks.

I was especially surprised how brave Kaci was with the ducks being right up in her face like that.

After feeding the ducks we went to the park and had so much fun there. This was Preston’s first time in a swing and he thought it was so much fun.

The day after it rained really good in the hills behind my parents’ house and the water ran down through their place we went out to play. This is about as wet as Kaci got. She refused to get in at all silly girl.

Colton in the flooded road

The ditch was running from all the rain water so Shane and Colton went down it like a water slide. Colton liked it so much that he wanted to go down it by himself. He was so brave and he did go down by himself but I didn’t get any pictures because I was too busy running along side him to make sure he didn’t go under. He had so much fun though that he was so sad when it was time to go home.

This is Kaci modeling some of Grandma Shurtz’s super cute jammies. She just woke up but I think she looks super cute anyway.

messy Cheetos face

such cute boys

One of my Prey Mantis’. I have four, each in a different planter. They are fun to watch. I have watched them get bigger every day and now they are almost two inches long. I think they are super cool and kinda cute!

Kaci found the sunscreen and decided to put it on like lotion. She was pretty greasy for a while, even after I wiped her off.

We went on a picnic and found a nice spot with a stream

Colton helping Kaci across. We didn’t bring swimming suits but that didn’t stop these two!

Preston was happy to stay on the blanked with the food

We had a good time and it was a nice little picnic

I thought this was a cute parting shot of Weldon and Kaci asleep in the chair.
I will try to do better about keeping things posted and up to date. Things are going great here. The kids are all happy and well and growing so fast. Last night Colton had kicked off his blankets and when I went in to fix them he was half awake and he said “Mom I just dreamed I was jumping around”, then he sighed and said, “It was so much fun” then he went back to sleep. It was cute. It reminded me that these years go so fast. I don’t hardly dream and more but when I do it isn’t about fun simple things like jumping around. Childhood is so sweet and innocent and it is fun to feel like I get to experience it again with my kids.

Playing in Puddles

Were we live we are in the middle of two pastures and in order to water the grass in these pastures they just flood them from the canal behind the house. Some times they over flood them and when that happens we end up with some really big puddles in front of the house. One of the good things about these puddles is that they sure are a lot of fun for Colton and Kaci to play in; mostly Colton!

I got the kids in their swim suits and we went out to play in the mud. They were both so excited to be “swimming”. Kaci got in enough to get the tops of her feet wet and then when the mud started to squish between her toes she started whining/crying and said “I’m dirty! I need to go inside and take a bath!” I told her no way because we just got out side. (and for what ever reason when there are three people to get into swimsuits and get sun screened up and get ready to go outside something that should be as simple as playing in the mud takes 15-20 minutes to prepare for so we were definitely not going in the house just yet.)

After I told her to just play on the swings if she didn’t like the mud I looked over at Colton and he is literally sitting in the middle of the other puddle and is scooping huge handfuls of mud into his lap. There is no fear of getting dirty for that little boy. I just had shake my head and laugh at the differences between the two. I don’t know if it is a boy/girl thing or just a Colton/Kaci thing, either way they are pretty different.

After we played outside for a while we did go inside and take a bath and then I had to clean the tub because those two, well Colton really, had so much mud it was crazy! It was a fun day though and stuff like that makes for funny memories and fun moments just being kids. I love it.

Yay for Mud!!!

Something that I love about this time of year is that it is monsoon season. I love the dark clouds and the thunder (as long as it is still light out side because I admit I am a chicken and it scares me when it gets dark) and sometimes even the wind. I love these summer storms. The kids get so excited about the rain too and it is fun for me to see them be so excited about it. We have started going on drives in the evenings if it looks like it is raining somewhere in the valley and chasing the rain. I love these drives because it gives us time to visit and hang out as a family and do something together that we all love doing. One time we were chasing the rain and when we caught up to it it was raining so hard that we could hardly see through the windows. We were on a back road so Weldon pulled the car over and we sat and watched it for a minute. Then Weldon dared me to get out and run around the car in it so I did (Can’t pass up a dare) and when I got back in I was pretty wet. Then it was Weldon’s turn and as he was running around the car I locked the doors to mess with him. I wasn’t mean enough to keep him locked out very long, just enough for him  to pull the handle and realize that they were locked and then I unlocked them right away, but that extra second in the rain was enough to get him soaked! It was pretty funny. The kids were laughing and then Kaci said “My turn! My turn!” but we knew she wouldn’t have liked that much rain plus neither one of us felt like getting out again so she had to stay strapped in. It was fun.

The first rain of the season we let the kids get out and run and play in it and it looked like so much fun that Weldon and I took turns holding Preston on the porch and running and playing in the rain with the kids.

We had fun in the rain and the kids got pretty wet and loved ever second of it. We are one family that definitely loves the rain and we are very grateful for every drop we get!

This is kind of random for this post but I don’t know where else to put it so here it is. A while ago my Grandma Skinner came to visit while Adelle was down and Larissa came over too so we had sort of a mini reunion and we got to take a picture of Grandma with her Great Grandkids. It was neat because these are all of the grandchildren  up to this point.

Fathers and Sons

The title of this blog post is somewhat misleading because I don’t actually have any pictures of Colton and Weldon at fathers and sons. This year was the first year that Colton and Weldon got to go to fathers and sons together. Colton was so excited and Weldon was excited too. I felt really bad though because I didn’t give Colton a coat and he froze the whole time, but Weldon said they still had a good time and Colton kept saying how excited he was to be camping with Daddy. Kaci and Preston and I stayed home and hung out and had a girls night. We did our nails and did facials, and since Preston was here too he got a facial as well. He was a good sport about it though!

We had a good time here and Colton and Weldon had so much fun camping. It was cute when Colton came home because he gave Kaci a big hug and said “I missed you my sister!”

Having Fun in Mesa

Weldon had a weeks worth of training in Mesa a while back so at the end of the week the kids and I went up and spent the last night with him. The company put him up at the Arizona Grande Resort and it was pretty fancy schmancy! It had a water park there and we got to go play there and the kids LOVED it, well except Preston, he wasn’t a huge fan of the water in his face. We sure missed Daddy while he was gone and we were so glad to meet up with him again. The kids asked every day while he was gone where Daddy was gone and they prayed for him every night as well. They had so much fun in Phoenix and still ask regularly if we can go back and play some more.

Preston was so happy to see Daddy after a week of him being gone. He just snuggled him and smiled for the longest time. Daddy was happy to see him too.

One of the places we went to eat while we were there was a 5 n Diner and it was a lot of fun. The kids loved it and the shakes were amazing!!

Preston loves to stick out his tongue and he looks so silly!!

Sewing for the Kids

Sewing for my kids is something that I have come to really enjoy because they are not picky and are always so excited for whatever it is that I make for them. It is fun for me to take them to the store and let them choose some fabric and then come home and make something. Colton is fun because he thinks I should have it done immediately and is not very patient waiting for me but he does like to help push the pedal and help me sew. Kaci is fun because I got a dress pattern for her and every once in a while she will bring it to me and say “make me a pink dress”. It is cute and it gives me a chance to practice and learn new things while sewing for people who are excited no matter what it may look like in the end.

Here is a dress that I made for Kaci:

She loves her blue dress and I think she looks so cute.

These are Colton’s Bugs Bunny pajamas and this is about as long as he would hold still for me to take a picture so this is the only one. He loves them though and that makes sewing fun for me.

Baby Animals!!

One of the best things about warm weather is that it means baby animals!! My parents have baby goats and baby rabbits right now so the kids have had fun playing with them and it brings back memories for me too.

It is so much fun to have a petting zoo a few minutes away!!

Flowers

For family home evening we decided to have a lesson about the creation and plant flowers. I am not a very patient person so I bought actual flowers instead of seeds. We had fun planting them and even after they were all planted Colton had to go outside to check on them every five minutes or so. They are looking really good and I love going out side to water them and admire them. Flowers make me so happy, I just love them!

Snake Season

It’s that time of year again, the time when you really need to pay attention to your surroundings and keep and eye out for snakes.

A few weeks ago the kids and I went out to my parents’ house to visit because Jayla and Annie Mae were out there. Annie Mae and Preston were taking naps in the house so the Colton, Kaci, and Jayla went out side with Mom and I to look at the baby animals and to pick some strawberries. While we were picking strawberries we Colton Jayla and I walked over to an old refrigerator that my parents have earthworms in and were looking for some worms we were there for several minutes when Jayla came around to my right side and stood there for a minute or so. All of the sudden we heard a buzzing sound. At first I thought it was a locus and thought maybe I could find it and show the kids, but a split second later I realized that I was a snake so I immediately started looking around and I saw a rattle snake coiled and ready to strike about four inches from Jayla’s bare little leg. I yelled and jerked Jayla back away from the snake. My mom and I brought the kids a safe distance away and pointed out the snake to show them what it was and tell them how dangerous they were. Then my mom got a gun and I kept an eye on the snake. She shot it and then cut its head off and buried it. We checked around for a second snake but didn’t find one. (Mom found it several days later in the little white shed, probably twenty feet from where we killed the first one.) I just couldn’t believe it didn’t rattle at us sooner and it was really scary looking at where it was and where Jayla’s foot prints were and realizing just how close it was.

Not an amazing picture because I was far away and took it with my phone. They blend in so well it is insane!

Dead and headless snake, the best way for a rattle snake to be!!

Grandma’s got a gun!!

A few days later Weldon and I found this king snake next to our house. We were glad to have him so hopefully he stays around. We put him down and then went and got the kids out of bed (they weren't asleep yet) and showed them the snake. They thought he was neat. We told them he was just a king snake so we weren’t going to shoot it but we told them not to touch any snake because they might bite. Hypocritical I know especially since I have a picture of me holding this one, but I don’t think they would know the difference between a bad snake and a good snake.

iPhones and Pinecones

So this blog post is mainly going to be full of silly things that the kids said or did because I have been so busy that I have really dropped the ball on posting.

About a month ago Weldon and I needed new phones really bad because ours kept dropping calls or randomly turning off and stuff like that so we did some research and found out that we were up to get new phones with a contract renewal and that the phones would be iPhones. So we are officially part of the cool club now that we have those. (LOL five years from now I will read this and laugh because there will be something out new and cool and iPhones will be old school)

Any way the kids really love our phones to the point of us having to fight them for the chance too make a phone call and stuff like that. One day we were out side playing and waiting for Daddy to come home and I was trying to keep the kids busy so I suggested we go on a walk up the road to get some pinecones that fall off our neighbors’ trees. I said “Colton do you want to come on a walk with us? We are going to get pinecones.” He said “yes!” very excitedly and came running to go on the walk. We get to the trees and I said “ok pick some up and put them in the stroller to take home.” He kept looking around and asking where so I picked one up and gave it to him. He looked at me funny but picked up a few anyway and put them in the stroller. After a while I said it was time to go back home and throw them off the porch (I don’t know why but the kids LOVE this) Colton looked at me with his arms full of pinecones and said “I thought you said we were going to get iPhones!!” The look on his face was priceless, the poor little boy felt so ripped off that all he was getting was pinecones and not iPhones. I died laughing. Silly boy no wonder he was so excited to go for a walk.

I got this little toy out for Preston and Colton and Kaci thought it was so cool, apparently it is much more fun in the living room then it was in they toy room but they all had fun playing with it anyway. I thought it was cute to watch them all play together.

Preston was sitting here while I was making dinner and Kaci came up and sat by him and put here arm around him like this. I think she has a phone and they are watching a show together. It was very sweet though. She just loves Preston. If he is on the floor she will go lay by him and hold his hand. Colton is great with him too. I am so blessed that I have children who love each other and are so kind and gentle with each other, especially Preston.

Collecting little shells and throwing rocks in the water along the canal.

Preston just chillin’ in the stroller.

It is funny how different my children are in their personality. Colton is fearless, and Kaci is extremely cautious. An example of this is while on this walk I was telling the kids that they could only come down here if Mama or Daddy was with them because it is not safe for them to be alone because of the water and there could be snakes as well. Colton said “It’s ok! I’ll just swim really good and if there’s a snake I will step on him and smash him!!” Words that do not make a Mama feel very reassured about his survival instincts so I have to watch him super close and literally never let him out of my sight. Kaci on the other hand kept getting closer and closer to me while I was talking about the dangers and she said “I’m scared a little, can you hold my hand?” She is so funny, she is never just scared, it is always ‘I’m scared a little”.

She is sweet though and I don’t have to worry as much about her running off. I have to be careful what I say around her though because she does get frightened easily and she has a memory like nothing I have ever seen. One time Colton was trying to crawl under our back porch where it is really dark and with spider webs and stuff so I told him not to do that and when he asked why I said “because there are spiders under there that might bite you.” He said “But I don’t see any spiders” I made him get out any way. Kaci was standing there when I told Colton about the spiders and for about a week she would just stand in the doorway and cry because she was afraid of the ‘spidermans’ under the porch so we would have to carry her to and from the car. She also says any scratch or red mark is a ‘spiderman bite’.

Preston is still the happiest baby ever and is so easy to take care of.  He is so sweet and he makes me smile every time I look at him. He is such a chunk and is so stinkin cute!! He is six months old now and is trying to sit up and I have even seen him get on his ands and knees a few times trying to crawl. I forgot to say how big he was at his four month doctors appointment. He was 18.3 pounds and was in the 97% for height and 93% for weight. But I don’t remember how tall he was. He is just one big baby. He gets hard to pack around but that is how I get my exercise so I can’t complain. He is so funny because he laughs at everything. The other day I sneezed and he laughed about that for the longest time. It was like it was the funniest thing he had heard in his whole life, which I guess it quite possibly could have been up to that point. He is fun though and it makes me laugh to here him. The kids think this is great fun as well so they will play peek-a-boo and make funny noises to get him to laugh. It is really cute. Here are some cute pictures of  my sweet little baby.

Being tricky with Daddy

Handsome happy guys!!

When we put him in this thing he will just sit straight up and he feels so proud of himself

Check out that crazy hair after bath time!! his hair is so long and curly and is so much fun to mess with, I just love it!!