After such beautiful Baptism we went home with family and celebrated his birthday.  Complete with cake ice cream, and Presents!!!! Happy Birthday sweet boy!

It's Great to be EiGHt!!!

It is hard to explain the feelings that go through a mother as she watches her First Child enter the waters of Baptism.  Words can not explain how proud I am of Preston's decision.  As we were preparing for this day the thoughts kept going through me of that he was just a little boy, did he understand what he is committing to, Does he really grasp what is happening.  I thought this is the single most important decision he is going to make.  I would pray in my heart he would understand.  As Chad and I talked to him about the promises he was making that he was promising to always try his hardest to live like Jesus, and that at times he would have to do things he didn't want to do but if he would do the hard things with his eyes and heart toward his Father and Heaven and Jesus Christ that it would be for his good and his faith would grow.  I watched my "Little" boy step into just a little bit bigger of a boy.   I can't say a young man yet.  I am not ready.

We are so proud of him for HIS choice to do this.  It was in the end his choice.  I am so blessed and thankful for inspired primary leaders that touch and teach our little children's hearts and minds to love and want to serve their Father in Heaven.  And walk in Christ's footsteps.  What  an example of pure love and service Preston is to our family.  He teaches me everyday to Serve with Love he defiantly has that servant's heart like his Father.

So sweet that he was able to be baptized on his birthday he will always remember the day.  What an opportunity to share this during this time of the season.  What better way to honor the Savior during the time of year that we celebrate HIM than to follow him and enter into HIS church.  It was a beautiful experience that I will cherish forever.

Decisions...

So I have been wondering if I should close this blog of mine that nobody probably reads anyway.  Or should I say good bye to facebook and focus my time on this.  Facebook has taken over my updating and picture posting.  I can post pics from my phone immediatly which is nice to share with family and friends except now my thoughts don't really get expressed.  I'm just not sure what to do.  After all this blog was supposed to be my journal but as I have had some spiritual moments I don't think I want to share them publicly.  I am finding that I need to write these moments down so I don't forget them but just end up putting it off.  Decisions Decisions???? 

One thing on my mind latley is Christmas.  What the meaning is and spending time with my children and teaching them the real meaning.  As I was pondering one evening about Santa I never realized how Santa and Satan are the same name but the "n" being moved.  It has bothered me so much to realize this.  Is santa just Satan's way of  taking the focus off of the "real" celebration?  Where is our focus.  What about those that are not Christian?  What does Christmas mean to them?

Last year my mom gave us a book with 7 traditions to incorporate in your home to build a christcentered christmas.  We started on MOnday and  I am so excited to add these to our family over the next weeks leading to christmas.  If I keep this blog open I will share as we go through. 

What you do is set a empty Nativity up and each week you learn about a new character that makes up the Nativity Scene MOnday we learned about Mary and her symbol is the heart because she pondered all things in her heart.  We read the pertaining scriptures, learned what type of women she was and then we made Felt Heart Ornaments to hang on the tree.  The kids and I had fun.  And I love seeing our hearts we made.  We then added Mary to Stable. Next week we learn about Joseph.

I am so thankful for a inspired mom and the way she has helped me gain a testimony and a father with unwaivering faith and Testimony that has helped me through my life.  I pray I can pass this on to my family. 

The meaning of lOVE

Listened to this song off a blog I follow and felt what a beautiful  message it shares.  I feel that we all can be reminded of the power of Real love more often. ;) Enjoy

9 Months... Going on 12

Kambria is 9 months well by the time I post this she will almost be 10.  Time just has flown WAY to Fast with her.  She is the light of my life right now.  I don't know if I am just older or what but I have enjoyed every day with her.  I love her so much. 

She wants to grow up so fast.  I blame it on the fact that she has 2 older brothers and a older sister and many older cousins that she watches everyday and she wants to just be a part of the action. 
She has been pulling herself up since 6 months....walking holding your hands since 7 months... I thought for sure by 9 months she would be running but she has just started cruising along furniture, or walking pushing whatever she can (daddys work boxes as of late), And begs continually for you to hold her hands and let her walk.  Whenever I am carring her she just pulls the wet noodle and tries to get down.  Last week she started lettting go and standing for a second alone.  So I am sure she is close to walking. 

At her doctor appointment she was 70th percentile for her weight and 90th for her height.  She is one tall girl.  At this rate she will be taller than her mama before age 5 :)  She is in 12-18 month clothes.  Her favorite food is anything we are eating..  And she loves to nurse.  I am happy to report that she is sleeping 6-9 hours now.  I had to let her cry it out one night and she did it.  I actually fell asleep and didn't wake up until 8 the next morning and never heard her.  ( I was really tired)  Chad was out of town so to this day I don't know if she cried that night or not.  but I couldn't go back incase she did.  She has done awesome since. 

The kids love her and are so good at playing with her.  Karleigh and her will be best friends I just know it.

I want to share this video from a friends blog I follow it has touched my heart tonight. I have watched and listened and cried twice tonight.  I want to share it here for others to see and also so that I have a copy of the link for myself so I can be reminded.  Thank you to my friend you shared this.

7 months

Kambria is 7 months well actually she will be 8 months next week.  She is such a JOY in our home.  We absolutly love this girl.  She is crawling and is trying to walk everywhere.  She even took a few steps the other day even though she can only stand for a second.  I can't beleive she is already wanting to grow up so fast.  I love her to pieces.  She is definatly her daddy's girl.  She has his personalilty.  Laid back and FULL of LOVE.  She loves to cuddle and loves to blow raspberries and just squeals with delight when she is with her family.  She loves the outdoors.  We took the kids to the beaver ponds last sunday and got out and walked around she just kicked her legs and squealed just by being outside. She loves it. 
Yestereday we went up Ogden Canyon and stopped at south Fork campground and let the kids play in the river.  She didn't mind the cold at all.  She kept wanting to go deeper and deeper.  The water was at her thighs and she just wanted to sit in it.  It cracks me up.  She is our Backcountry baby!!!! 

In the picture above is her first ponytail.  It is  a alittle hard to see but it is super cute. 
I only have one gripe about her and that is that she wakes every 1hr and a half to 2 hrs through the night to nurse and I NEED SLEEP!  I know she is just sleep associates nursing to sleeping cause she never took a binki and still refuses. And everyone says I need to let her cry it out.  So I am telling myself to do it everyday but it hits 2 in the morning and I just want to sleep not listen to her cry.  So it is our on going battle.  Oh well. 

KINDERGARTEN

Colton's first day of Kindergarten.  Wow we have had a week.  I have been busy getting my kids ready and back to school.  WE had some drama with the teacher I requested for Colton. She just was not the right fit for him so I spent last week working on getting him switched to the other class and stressing because the other teacher had a full class and not knowing if he was going to be able to transfer but am soooo lucky and feel blessed that he was able to switch.  Today was his first full day.  He was so excited yet nervous.  I picked him up and he was all smiles. 
It was harder this time for me to send him.  Colton is my litlle man.  Preston has always been so independent and mature that I knew he was ready for Kindergarten and it was really not that hard to send him off.  Colton on the other hand has been much harder for me.  As he sat in class looking a bit overwhelmed I left feeling like I was throwing him to the wolves.  I worried all day but was assured as I picked him up that he is going to ROCK in Kindergarten.  I love him so much.

Colton started Soccer again this season and agian LOVES it.  At his first practice a boy on his team was soooo excited that they had the mini guy on their team and since then we have called him the mini guy.  He loves soccer and is really great out there.  He has such aggression that it is funny to watch him because he will be right in the middle of the pile of kids kicking and battleing for the ball.  The other parents just think it is great how determind he is.  Chad and I laugh and just say it is great on the field but not so much at home.  The Agression part not the determind part.  He is not afraid of much. Even if the other guys are bigger it does not stop mini guy!!!!

Timpanogas Cave

here is how Karleigh felt about the cave... Nervous

Kambria crying....She was soooo tired and just wanted to nurse

Outside the cave

My AMAZING husband

Saturday we hiked Timpanogas Cave with the kids.  It was sooo fun.  I had Kambria on my back.  Preston hiked up with a pack full of 4 water bottles ( the kid is tough) and he hiked down.  Colton made it half way up and rode on Chad's shoulders the last 1/4 while he packed a full backpack and Karleigh on his back as well.  I don't know how he did it.  I kept asking him if he was okay I was so worried.  But he did it.  He ended up packing them both down most of the way down.  colton walked a little at the end.  He was tired.  Not only did Chad hike that with us we headed through AF canyon and came out in heber and headed to my parents so he could help them move, and then came home and moved his sister.  He is AMAZING.  I love him so much.  I am so grateful for his loving encouragment up to the cave.  As you can see in the pics I am not in the greatest shape since having Kambria but I did it and I am proud of myself.  I love my family sooo much.  I am blessed immensly with the greatest loving husband and loving wonderful fun kids. 

Copper/???

We took the kids to the Kennecot Coppermine.  I was amazed at how much we use Copper and how it is part of our daily lives..  The kids thought it was neat for the first 5 min. But then they were ready to go.  It was a little over their heads I guess.  Colton liked the BIG dump trucks, Preston liked the cool rocks, Karleigh liked looking through the scopes, and Kambria just likes being with her family :)

Pie anyone

We headed to the Davis county Fair with my friend and her kids.  The kids entered to be in the pie eating contest and my friend secretly entered me.  She entered herself too. As we were listening to the names being called Preston told me that Trudy entered me.  I looked at her and she was smiling.  I thought they had called 8 people and said oh good not me just as they drew one more name and low and behold I was pulled.  I have never done anything like this so it was fun.  So thanks Trudy for giving me the expereince ;)  The kids got a kick out of watching mom get a mouthful!!!!

Family Fun

Chad went on a overnighter with just preston to spend some time together.  So while they were out of town I took the other 3 minature Golfing at Cherry hill.  They had fun.  I thought they were just so cute.  And it was my kind of golfing. Run and throw it in and move on.  We were done pretty quick.  Love my kids!!!!

Family Reunion

love when they fall asleep in the stroller

A couple of weeks ago we had a family reunion with Chad's Grandpa's Sister and family.  We do it once a year and it is the only time we see that side of the family.  It is so good to meet new people.  This year I noticed how as adults we sit in our own families and don't mingle much with the other families but then I watched as our kids and their kids just played together like they were friends forever and couldn't help but think how amazing little kids are at just making friends with anyone that will be a friend back.  I thought to myself that we all need to be more child like and look past all our insecurities and just be friendly.  Cause watching the kids have a great time i couldn't help but think about all we were missing by not moving past our own comfort zones and having a blast too! 

The moon and Buck

On our way home from my parents we decided to head up the behind there house to scout out deer.  As we found deer herd after herd we saw the moon start to rise above the mountains it was really cool.  Preston wanted me to take pictures as it got higher and higher so that is the moon at the beginning on until it was high above us.  Just beautiful. 

Lagoon..

Here is what kambria thought of lagoon



Hot but happy

 I am sucker for Lagoon.  I love it.  Chad hates it.  So I go every year without him.  The kids are old enough that they really enjoy it as well.  It was fun to go on bigger rides with Preston and he liked everything.  I dragged Colton on some rides and freaked him out at times.  Karleigh loved kiddie land but was not fond of the bigger rides.  Kambria was great.  I felt bad after a while so Chad hurried home from Idaho and came to get her because it was just soooo HOT.  She is such a trooper I love her.

Chocalate Facial anyone????

This is what happens when our kids get bored in the car.  The other day we went to my parents a hour and half drive and with four little kids they find almost anything to keep themselves busy.  I could hear karleigh just laughing in the back I turn around to see this....

Wow has it been forever.....

Did you all think I was long gone from this whole blogging buisness? Well probably not since I am not sure who even reads this. I was deciding wether or not to keep blogging but I feel that it is good for me to post what is going on with our family if only it is for our enjoyment to look back on. 

Chad's sister got remarried on July 28th.  So to have a fun little girls' night out we went to get pedicures the night before.  It was fun to go all together.  It was Karleigh's first time she thought it was a little boring and was sad that her finger nails didn't get to get painted but she loved her cute polkadot toes at the end. 

The wedding was beautiful and she found a wonderful new guy! We really love him.

Chunky monkey

Kambria will be 5 months in 5 days.  I can't believe it.  She is definatly my rolly pollyiest.  Her legs are so rollie.  We can't help but kiss her chubby little cheeks all day.
Yesterday she was sleeping on me and was dreaming.  She was crying in her sleep just pulling the saddest face and then she starts to smile and coo all in her sleep.  I was wondering who she was talking to.  Then all of sudden she stops and starts to just cry so sad she woke up just crying.  I can't help but wonder who she was talking to. Then they must have left and that is why she woke crying.  It is amazing how close these little ones are to the other side.  It is the only explanation for me.  What else could a little one be so sad about.  Especially one like her who is sooo happy all the time.