Ok...Life has been insanely crazy around here and it has been awhile since I posted things...first off my camera went dead at Christmas and not extra batteries of course. So there weren't very many good pics for that day. We started off by spending Christmas Eve with Randy's family and had the family tradition with homemade clam chowder which was sooo yummy!! I could have eaten the whole pot! Then Christmas Day the kids were up at normal time so that was good. One of my good friends dropped by the day before with a breakfast crumb cake which was so nice of her to think of us and it was yummy so we had that for breakfast and really had a nice day. It was fun to see the kids open presents and feel the magic of the day. OH how I love Christmas. This year on the other hand was a little hard not having my mom around....there was an emptiness that I am not sure will ever be filled.
With being crazy busy with babysitting extra kids, my own kids, my calling life is never dull. Brian is playing on a Rec basketball team and is really having a blast. Kaeltynn has had a school program and did a great job...fun to see her growing into a young lady. She also recently had 2 baby teeth that needed to be pulled in preperation for braces..oh yes another one in braces before we know it. I should be remembering my camera in all of this but yeah that won't happen, LOL! Enjoying my busy life and will post pictures soon.

Last Saturday December 18th the kids and I decided to go to Danny's house to visit and give him a little Christmas cheer while Randy was working. We headed out about 9am and it had snowed the night before and the roads were a little slick but weren't to bad. On the way out I asked Brian if he would say a little prayer for us while mommy was driving. He said a great prayer which included the words,"please bless us Heavenly Father that we may be safe." We got there with no problems, stayed a few hours and had planned on going to the Cemetary on the way home. We got to the end of Danny's driveway and I called Randy cause I knew at that point it would be his lunch hour and told him about our visit and asked how is day was. I hung up the phone and off we drove. We were out in Melba and there are a lot of hills for any of you who have been out there, we were about 2 miles or so from Danny's, reached the top of the first hill and hit a patch of ice when the car started to slide....at this point we were all over the road but had gotten it under control when we hit another patch of ice and I knew as our car slid to the other side of the road sideways and we were approaching a tractor crossing sign that there was nothing I could do, I was going to hit the sign, sure enough it hit the sign on the drivers side door, our back wheels went off the hill backwards, we flipped back to front and then rolled down the hill(not sure how many times we actually rolled) and then slid. When we landed we were upside down in a farmers field. I immediately asked if everyone was okay and everyone replied yes we are okay. I then asked if anyone was bleeding and everyone said no. I then unbuckled myself which was a little tricky hanging upside down. My cell phone went flying and I knew I needed to get help. I told everyone not to move and kicked my window out and crawled backwards out of the window, ran halfway up the hill and waved a truck down, i knew he saw me and ran back to the car. Kaeltynn and Leah were in the 3rd row and Kate had gotten the two of them unbuckled(I think her mommy instinct had kicked in) I then helped Brian get unbuckled and he had to help me push Dyan and Reece who were in the second row up(which was now the bottom of the car) and Kate had to reach in between us and unbuckle them because of the pressure of their bodies hanging upside down and the seat belts being so tight. We all walked away from this with really now injuries, Brian had a couple of small pieces of glass in his hand and my legs are bruised from the knees down. The EMT's said that he had never seen an accident this bad with all kids buckled and in carseats and no one was injured. We later learned that there had been an accident in the same exact spot there earlier that morning. We later talked about the power of prayer and how Brian prayed that we would be safe. It is such a testimony of the power of prayer, and I thank Heavenly Father every day that my kids and I were safe. I believe that we were being looked out after that day. Our car we had to salvage but were blessed to get a minivan a few days later.

So these pictures are out of order, I hate when I haven't posted in forever and then my brain gives out and by that time I have put all the pictures in the wrong order. Oh well. It really has been busy at our house with no dull moments. We have had basketball tryouts, scouts, activity days, kids i watch during the day, primary, grocery shopping, dinner and everything else that come with having a family, and Christmas approaching, it will be hard one with out mom around. I know it will pass but not having her here at this time is difficult. I think of all the silly things that she used to do and we would laugh...the toys she picked sometimes were pretty hilarious, she picked a doll for Leah and thought it was the cutest thing until leah started playing with it and it started singing in Spanish, or when we got our gifts we were lucky if they were wrapped. That was just her and she did it for years. We love her and miss her so much.

Okay so this picture of Dylan's head really does nothing. Randy took the kids to school like normal and as soon as he got home my phone rang...I looked and Randy and said uh oh, it's the school! So the lady on the other end proceeds to tell me that Dylan fell and face planted the cement and that I should probably come down and look at it because the nurse was not in yet. So I go down and it was pretty ugly. With an enormous goose egg on his head I took him home for the day, he kept holding the ice pack under his eye though, I really couldn't figure it out. So I would move the ice pack to the bump that you see above. well 2 days later he had a black and blue eye...needless to say it was Sunday of course! He is doing better and all is well but man it was a bad one...I don't think that he learned his lesson though because every time we drop him off at school he takes off running.
Brian and Reece chillin. Reece loves the bean bag chair.
Kaeltynn trying to stay away from the boys.

OOPS! So these pictures are out of order, I guess the most important thing is that I am finally getting these posted. SO we had a snow storm come through and school was canceled the kids were so excited to go and play in the snow that I thought they were never coming in. Lacy...yes the dumb dog is still kicking she moves pretty slow now and has quite a lot of grey hair and Bear decided to have a little fun of their own.

Thanksgiving we headed to my in- laws for some good fun and company. Then that weekend I cooked our turkey and we enjoyed some left overs. Dylan who is the comical one of the family decided he wanted the leg of the turkey so here he is chowin down:) This kid cracks me up.
Reece enjoyed his Thanksgiving as well.
Leah and Ashley playing princess's. This is all new for me and kinda fun as Kaeltynn never really did girly things, she played with cars with Brian when she was little.

Okay so it's totally been forever since I posted pictures! We had Brian's birthday, he has now turned 11! Yikes! where has the time gone. He had a birthday party with some friends and we went to bounce and came back for some pizza and dessert. Then we had our own little family celebration..He wanted a double layer chocolate cake, it was a really good cake if I might add.
So I have been running a little daycare out of our house and it actually has been quite enjoyable. I have 5 extra kids on some days and 2 of my own. My little nieces are so stinking cute...Leah and the girls have a blast. In this picture we decided to have popcorn and watch a movie while the other kiddo's were sleeping, they had a really great time. Randy and I had to laugh because my whole life revolves around kids right now...Primary President, running a little daycare and having my own kids keeps me busy. I really actually enjoy it and wouldn't change it for anything.
NO this would not be my baby:) Leah loves little babies and is so cute with little Emily.
Brian got his Arrow of Light award in scouts!! It was a lot of hard work from his leader and I would like to say me but have to hand this one to Randy. Good Job boys! He was so excited. There is an actual arrow on it.
This was part of the ceremony that they had at the Pack meeting in cubscouts it was Brian and one other boy who got their Arrow of Light. Now he moves on to 11 year old Scouts holy cow own more year and he will be in Young Men's!!

October is such a busy month for us with 3 birthdays...a family baptism and just kid stuff so.. Okay so this was a little out of our comfort zone but we both decided to dress up at the last minute...Pippy longstocking(with out red hair) and fred from scooby doo! We had fun! I know we look silly but why not:0
The kids really had a great time, we ended up going trunk or treating at our ward party. Leah was a princess, Kaetlynn was going to a masquarde party, brian was...something mom doesn't like, Dylan is Hulk and Reece was Sully!
Dylan just being the Ham that he is.