Tracy n' Katie

Birch Creekin' It...

2010-07-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Since Morgan's 8th birthday in January, she has been begging us to take her fishing with her new pole. We heard the fishing was good at Birch Creek and planned a little camping trip to kick off the summer. Morgan did a great job all on her own this year. She even wrangled her cousin Josh into putting her worms on the hook for her. I didn't catch any pictures of her fish because she was always down the creek finding a better hole.

With the help of Grandpa Marshall, Abby caught this little brook trout. She couldn't have had more fun. She did plenty of fishing on her own too.

Wyatt could have spend days on end fishing. He was always trying to get someone to bait his hook and he would sit by the banks all day and fish. Here is one of the beauties his dad helped him catch.

Across the road from where we camped was a daunting cave that all the kids wanted to explore. With our binoculars, we would watch brave 4-wheelers creep their way up the path and back down. On Friday we drove to the base of the big hill and went for a hike. I don't think any of us realized just how steep the climb would be.

I couldn't believe my eyes, but when I looked up, Abby and her cousin were the first ones to reach the cave. She practically ran all the way up. Here is Abby at the start of the hike with Ally, here partner in crime.

Morgan and Josh enjoyed the hike too and weren't far behind Abby.

Wyatt and I kept a slow and steady pace and made it too the top. Look how steep our climb was.

Chase had the right idea, riding up on Tracy's back. He had a great time, especially since we were outside.

Here we all are inside the cave. It didn't turn out to be much more than you could see from the road, but we saw some awesome sights.

Around the corner from the cave was a big natural arch. It was as large a the cave. I am standing below taking this picture.

Here is a picture looking down at the valley. I sure was proud of my little hikers. We had a great trip and hope to do it again next year!

Enjoying our Journey...

2010-06-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Life has been an adventure lately, but we are enjoying every minute of it. We have been staying at my parents while we build a house this summer and my kids are having a blast. I didn't realize there were so many decisions to make when you build, but it has been fun seeing things progress.

We went from this in May...

To this in June. I can't wait to see what July brings.

I have some catch-up to play with my blog, (end of school, camping, etc,) but here is a picture of my cute family enjoying the sunshine.

He's wearing us out....

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

He's almost nine months and he is into everything. he might look Innocent, but he is Trouble with a capital T.
He's learned new tricks and we find ourselves having to relax and recover after a wild day of chasing our Chase.

Morgan and Abby let Chase try their ring pop and he took over from there.

He couldn't be happier about it either...

He stole the cookie from the cookie jar too...

Life hasn't been the same since....

He crawls everywhere, even up stairs, and is into everything. I found him on the dishwasher just this week.

He's trying to walk. He pulls himself up and walks along everything. He even takes a few steps. I should have know when I named you Chase I was in for some fun! We love you Chaser!

8 is Great!!!

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan was so blessed to be baptized on January 9, just the day after her birthday. Here is a little about her day...

The announcement

Here she is with her dad on her special day

This is the biography that I read at her baptism. It was also in the church bulletin the next day with a picture of her.

Morgan Leann Marshall was born January 8, 2002 to Tracy and Katie Marshall. She is a loving older sister to Abby (6), Wyatt (3), and Chase (7 months). Morgan was born with a determination to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to do. She loves life and is a joy to be around. Morgan is a friend to everyone, and enjoys spending time with her cousins, and playing games with her family. Morgan loves to run, play soccer, baseball, dance, jump rope, read and play the piano. Morgan loves to go camping, especially if it involves riding 4-wheelers and fishing. She has become really good at out-fishing her dad. Morgan’s favorite food is sweet and sour chicken. Her favorite subject in school is math. Morgan’s favorite primary song is “I lived in Heaven.” Morgan has a strong testimony and is so excited to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. She is such a good help to her mom and dad and a great example to the rest of her family. We are so proud of Morgan’s choice to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized.

Here is Morgan in her new baptism dress. She picked it out all by herself.

We have such wonderful family that supports us in all of our important events. Nearly all of our big family was there and those that couldn't be wanted to be. Morgan you are always our princess and we couldn't be happier with your decision to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

What an awesome special day to remember forever!

A Birthday that's Golden...

2010-02-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Do you know what a golden birthday is? I didn't and was quickly educated by my soon to be 8 year old. It's when you turn the age of the day of the month you were born on (ha ha ha, did you get that). So Morgan turned 8 on January 8th. It was golden for more than one reason.

Here is Morgan looking so golden on the morning of her birthday in her new outfit from Chase.

One of the highlight of the day was ring-pops for her class as seen by her blue lips below. She was so excited to get her own fishing pole, Star Wars Lego's, and a new DS game.

Aunt Shelby (she rocks) hooked us up with a free bowling pass at ISU so we picked up some pizza and some friends and had a blast !

Abby and Wyatt were thrilled to be involved!

It was fun watching all the giggly girls playing slap games all night when they weren't bowling. Do you remember playing those?

Of course the cupcakes were a hit!

What a great bunch of friends.

Morgan you are golden. How great that your golden birthday was your 8th birthday! We love you! We hope you will always remember your golden day!

Merry Christmas Day...

2010-02-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. It started with a celebration Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Williams', the highlight of which was talking to Uncle Bracken. What a stud!

Of course my kids were thrilled with their new Christmas PJ's. We couldn't get home soon enough though because Abby was so worried about not getting to sleep in time for Santa. They were tracking him online and he was getting closer!

Morgan was so excited to get the webkinz she asked for and named them Hailey and Pepper.

The spirit of Christmas was so magical with Abby this year. She was so cute when she opened the Webkins she was hoping for, now named Frosting and Mike.

Every present Wyatt opened was quickly followed by "I was just thinking about this." He couldn't believe his eyes. So cute!

Chase was more excited with the wrapping and seeing how things tasted than anything else.

After opening presents my kids went downstairs and couldn't believe they had a couple more presents waiting to be opened. They quickly discovered a Wii and our house hasn't been the same since.

The very best part of Christmas wasn't the presents, but spending it with family. We were so blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa Williams have breakfast with us. We were doubly blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa Marshall have Christmas dinner with us. It was such a joyous day.

The day after Christmas the Stanton family came and taught us some sweet skills for our Wii. We had a blast hanging out!

Abby, Wyatt, and Evelyn created some delicious entrees with their new play dough set.

One of the Holiday highlights for me was matching outfits for all of my kids. I love matching.

I took it one step further and matched up the whole family. Tracy swears he won't wear a sweater vest, but if anyone knows where to get a good deal on one, I might just buy one for the priceless look Tracy would give me.

One final Merry Christmas, until later this year!

A Christmas Program Marshall Style..

2010-01-31T14:21:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to be able to celebrate the Christmas season with both of our families. The Williams family produces a program and pageant like no other.

Morgan showed her newly learned piano skills. It looks like she was playing with angels.

Abby has some pretty sweet skills and graced us with her version of "Up on the Housetop"

Wyatt invited all of his cousins to join him in singing "Jingle Bells" , with Morgan accompanying them on the piano.

The traditional Christmas Pageant ended up being a little nontraditional with the addition of a Christmas elf to the roster. Wyatt insisted on being an elf, and I decided it wasn't worth the fight. Uncle Kyle did a great job of writing him in the script along with the Wise men and Shepherd.

Chase was our dear baby Jesus, and Morgan and Abby were Shepherds this year.

This is Chase's reaction when we told him it was time to go to Grandma and Grandpa Marshall's for another pageant and party. Yes!!!!

Morgan was our beautiful Mary. She did a wonderful job.

Wyatt was a little more traditional this time as a Shepherd with his sister Abby.

Our nativity included a zebra this time. A cute one at that!

Grandpa had all the kids lined up for a story before we opened presents. We love Grandpa's stories.

We were blessed to be able to celebrate with Great Grandma and Grandpa Tracy (pictured below) and Great Grandma and Grandpa Williams this year. What wonderful memories and an awesome way to ring in the holidays.

Partyin' it up for Christmas...

2010-01-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

I know it is nearly February, but I need to play catch-up. We had lots of fun the few weeks before Christmas. We started it off with a work party with all the Police officers and their families at Outer Limits. They provided dinner and all the activities. My kids had a blast playing black-light miniature golf and arcade games.

Chase was an absolute trouper through all the party central. If he had a bottle of apple juice, he was happy as ever!

Abby was so excited to get to have a Christmas party with her Kindergarten class. She just adored all the games and activities. I love the next picture of her. I know it is blurry, but it shows how much fun she was having with musical chairs. She was dancing like no one else!!

What would a party be without a messy cupcake?

Morgan had a great time in her party too. Tracy and Wyatt helped run one of the stations and enjoyed every minute of it.

Of course we went to the annual ward Christmas party? Here are my kiddos with Santa.

What would a Christmas Party be without at least one kid in tears. Chase was absolutely terrified of Santa. (mean old mommy!)

It beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house.

There are Christmas Elves...

And reindeer, rabbits, monkeys, and more elves...

And tree decorating...

And stockings to be hung...
And snowman kissing...
And gingerbread houses to be made...

I think we are ready. Hope you are enjoying this special holiday season with your family too!!!!

Tis the Season...

2009-12-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for

Orange smiles...

Packages all wrapped up in laundry...

Caroling (by our neighbors. I invited them in because it was below zero outside.)

and Dancing like Sugar Plum Fairies...

Merry Christmas!!!

Look who's 6!

2009-12-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Can you believe our little Abby has turned six years old. She had such a great birthday. Here she is in her cute birthday outfit. She loves accessories, and especially loved the scarf on her dress.

For her birthday cake she wanted a pink tiger.

As Abby said, "it kind of looks like a pink tiger, mouse, elephant."

For her birthday she wanted a pajama party with friends. All her friends brought their favorite stuffed animal and they made matching bracelets for them and their stuffed animal. They painted fingernails, and watched Tinkerbell. Lots of girly stuff!

Mom and dad got her a pink DS. What a spoiled girls.

We love you Abby. You are such a sweet little girl. We hope you have a wonderful sixth year!

Thankful Hearts...

2009-12-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for. I didn't want to let the holiday season pass without sharing a few of my blessings. Some of my greatest blessings are definitely my children.

Here is Abby in a Thanksgiving outfit she made at school. She loves Kindergarten and is such a good girl.

Morgan made a Pilgrim hat at school, but it was having a hard time fitting right with her piggy tails. She is such a great big sister and helps me so much.

Of course I am thankful for my two little boys. They are such good brothers. They love each other so much and I love them.
I am thankful that my kids enjoy whatever they set out to do. They always strive to do their best. Here is Abby playing soccer this fall. She loved every minute of it and worked hard.

Morgan had a great season too. She is always a great team player and so much fun to watch.

I am thankful that Wyatt always follows his sisters around with a smile and is their biggest cheerleader.

I am thankful Wyatt always has a smile on his face no matter what he is doing.

I am especially thankful to only have one kid in diapers now. I love that Wyatt reads Calvin and Hobbs (maybe that is where he is learning his tricks.)

I am thankful my girls love to go out and make a snowman when it snows...

But I am even more thankful for two thoughtful daughters who shovel the neighbor's driveway when they go out to shovel ours.

I could go on and on because I have truly been blessed with some wonderful kids!

Morgan's 2nd Grade Program...

2009-12-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Morgan had her second grade program and it was awesome. They did the music and reading of Suessical. Here she is in her outfit. It was so fun to watch.

Here is a little video of her part in the program.

Great job Morgan. I can't believe how grown up you are getting. You are such a great daughter.

Chase's Firsts...

2009-12-05T21:41:00.001-08:00

My baby turns seven months old next Friday so I thought I better post about some of his firsts. He is such a sweet baby, but boy is he learning to take after his name. He loves to be in his walker and runs and chases after anything and everything. He loves to go and wants to keep up with his siblings. He loves to jabber mama and dada, and loves to laugh. Chase especially loves his brother and sister. Here he is our sweet little boy.

He wasn't sure what to think about rice cereal the first time. Look at those eyes. What are you feeding me mama...
Of course, where would life be without the first Oreo? He cried when I took it away from him. We had a long night with a belly ache, but it was fun while it lasted.

Chase's first ride down the slide with lots of help from Wyatt.

Chase's first time wearing matching outfits to church. I am sure it won't be the last either.

Chase's first time sitting up in the bathtub. We are so glad to have such a good big brother for all these special occasions.

Speaking of big brothers, Wyatt was so excited to teach his Chaser how to play catch. They played forever.

Chase's first picture with Great Grandma Owens. She is such a trouper at 90. Chase loves to walk up to her in his walker and they just stare at each other forever. They are so cute. He loves her so much.

Chase and Wyatt with matching Mohawks. I guess that means time for....

Chase's first haircut. He didn't sit still at all. I still need to trim up a few spots.
I think he looks so grown up with his spiky do. Wow, where has time gone?

All three of my guys sportin' new do's....

We love you our little Chaser Man!

Halloween Bash...

2009-11-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Halloween. It was a gorgeous day and my kids had a ball. They were thrilled about the candy and hopped up on on sugar til late that night.

Wyatt picked out a zebra outfit for Chase. Chase-man was cute as ever. I loved his bushy tail!

All smiles for the camera!

Tracy and I were laughing at his bushy tail and Chase had enough. Mom and Dad, get me out of this crazy costume!!!

Morgan, Abby, and Wyatt were so excited to go trick-or-treating. Look at those cuties!

Wyatt was so stoked to be a ninja. I don't think he even knows what a ninja is, but he was excited to have a dress-up costume of his own. A lady at church asked him what he was for Halloween, and he said he was a good ninja.Abby graced our presence as Princess Aurora or Sleeping Beauty.

Morgan even let mom sew her a costume and went as a fifties girl, poodle skirt and all!

Abby was so excited to have her first class party as a kindergartner. She had a blast playing games, crafting, and eating junk food. Here she is with her teacher Mrs. Haber.

Mrs. Hancock, Abby, and Emily...

Waiting patiently for the Halloween parade...

I love glitter glue, I love glitter glue...

Fun times with friends...

Morgan had a great time at her Halloween party too. Here she is with her teacher Mrs. Schiffman...

Morgan and her BFF Rachel...

Morgan in the Halloween parade...

Morgan and her girlfriends. Lot of fun...

Great times, good memories, and fun times for everyone!! Happy Halloween!!!

Wyatt's Three...

2009-11-04T21:43:00.001-08:00

I know many of you are going to be shocked that after more than two months, I am back in the blogging business. I have a lot of pictures to post over the next little while. The reason I have been on hiatus is because we were getting our house ready to sell. It officially went on the market Monday. Some of the highlights of the last couple of months (yet to come) are family pictures, soccer, Halloween, swimming, lots of remodeling, and some of Chase's firsts.

To start it all off, we had a great time celebrating Wyatt's 3rd birthday. He wanted Spongbob everything. I was a little nervous about the cake, but Wyatt was thrilled!!!!

Here are some of his cousins who came to celebrate with him. They can't wait for cake!
Wyatt was so excited to open his presents. We got him a new bike and couldn't wait to give it to him. We had a good laugh because his cousins gave him a fake shotgun and he didn't even look twice at the bike. He even slept with the shotgun for the first few nights. I think Wyatt is already walking in his dad's footsteps.

He had a special day and we couldn't be happier that Wyatt is our little boy. He is getting to be such a big boy and is even potty trained. He loves helping with his little brother who he calls his buddy. We love you Wyatt --- Happy Birthday!!

First Day of School...

2009-08-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another school year has started and I am sending two kids off to school. Wow, I feel old!!!

Morgan started second grade this year and is in Mrs. Schiffman's class. It was a rainy first day, but Morgan had a great time. We were just relieved that we didn't get a call from the school saying she had passed out and bonked her head like we did on the first day of first grade. We are so excited to watch her learn new things and make new friends. Go Morgan!

I can hardly believe Abby is old enough to start Kindergarten. She goes in the afternoon and is in Mrs. Haber's class. Abby didn't start until two days after Morgan. I can't tell you how may times she asked me if it was time for school yet. You can almost feel her excitement in this picture.

Here she is walking into school on her first day. It's a good thing I was wearing sunglasses, because there were a few tears shed that day!

It was fun to watch my two beautiful daughters come out of school together. They have class right across the hall from each other and sometimes see each other in the hall.
Wyatt was excited for the first day of school too. He gets to go to story time (school) at the library a couple of times a week. Here he is in his new school shirt and backpack. He still has three years until Kindergarten, so he isn't in preschool until next year, but don't tell him that!

Chase didn't really know what was going on. He was just happy as always!

Here's hoping for another fun successful school year!!!

One Last Hurrah.....

2009-08-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

We had to squeeze one last camping trip in before school starts and we are forced to get back into a routine. We went to McGary canyon up by Kilgore and had a wonderful time. In fact, Chase pretty much sums up our feelings about this camping trip in his picture below...
Wyatt was funny on this trip. As soon as he woke up, he would put on his helmet. He wanted to ride on the Motorcycle all day. He wouldn't settle for the 4 wheelers. This was his expression when he found out he had to wait until after breakfast to go for a ride...

Abby says the reason we go camping is to get dirty. She did a good job of living up to that motto this trip.

Morgan did a great job of getting dirty too. This was after the kids thought it would be fun to draw beards and mustaches out of dirt on their faces. Too funny.

Abby and some of her cousins found the only spot in camp with loose dirt and decided it would be fun to play like it was a beach. What would the beach be if you didn't bury someone in the sand?

Abby was the lucky recipient. Look at those legs. Morgan was kind enough to dig up dirt so they had plenty to work with.

After all that dirt, we decided to cool off and clean off a little in the creek.
I dipped Chase's toes in the water and this was his reaction. (Mean old mommy!)

Abby thought it felt awesome!

Hangin' out under the bridge with some cousins.

Morgan and Josh enjoying a deep spot.

Abby was splashing her dad in this picture. I love the little look in her eye!

Wyatt was ecstatic to find a mossy spot in the water. What is with boys and gross things?
Yum, Yum!!

We had quite the eventful trip. Tracy kissed a frog and was disappointed that his prince didn't come -- JK.

Abby and and Ally had a double wedding to their cousin Kaden. They even had fresh bouquets of wild flowers and beautiful hand-crafted veils.

Wow, what fun. Until next year!

August comings and goings..

2009-08-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

August has been a busy month. Here are some of our random highlights.

Chase had his first 4-wheeler ride through our yard. He didn't get too excited. Just stayed mellow-yellow like usual.

Morgan and Abby had a cousin slumber party with Andrea. They had a great time and can't wait to do it again.
Only one of the three kittens that wandered into our yard survived. They were so small. Tiger is doing great and has made a fun new addition to our family.

Wyatt loved spending time at his grandparents' house. Here he is picking peas with grandpa!

I had my birthday this month too. The girls made me a breakfast in bed of cinnamon toast and a glass of milk. It was also fun to watch the kids make me a cake all by themselves. I stayed in the room to supervise, but they did everything from cracking the eggs, to turning on the oven.

Look how excited Abby is after her and Wyatt finished frosting the cake and putting on the candles. Of course with kids in charge, you end up with a delicious rainbow chip cake with rainbow chip frosting.

Thanks Linds for the hair make-over. I am really loving it.

Hopefully September will be just as fun as the kids start school next week.

Happy Campers...

2009-08-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

We are definitely happy campers around here. We went on another campout with some friends and had a great time. It's always fun watching the kids play and have a great time during the day, and even more fun catching up around the campfire at night after the kids go to bed.

Chase wins the happiest camper award. Here he is just chillin' and enjoying the outdoors. I think his smile melts me a little more every time I look at it.
Just enjoying getting dirty!

Speaking of getting dirty, Wyatt and his friend Ryann are pros...Tracy, Chase, and Tiger (the kitten) relaxing. Tiger did great on his first campout.

We decided to go for a hike and it turned out to be a little longer than we anticipated. Here is Abby helping Wyatt and Ryann along. She is getting so grown up!

Morgan and Makayla on the hike. Is it just me or is my Morgan growing up?

Almost there. I think I can! I think I can!

What would a campout be without a little fun in the creek?

Good times and great memories!!!

We are so blessed to have such great friends!

Hangin' with the Atwoods...

2009-08-02T22:27:00.001-07:00

We had the awesome opportunity to spend some time over the 24th of July weekend with my sister Megan and her family in Lehi, UT. They are definitely the hostest with the mostest. Here are some of the highlights from our wonderful family vacation.

They took us up American Fork canyon to see some of the beautiful sights and to enjoy a picnic in the mountains. The kids loved playing in the creek.

My cute mom and dad...

Chase adored being outside!

My family...

Megan's beautiful family...

Another highlight was the trip to Cabellas. Tracy loved showing our kids how to shoot in the gun range. The kids loved picking out their favorite kind of fudge to share.

Chase was hungry, but decided Cabellas was more exciting than lunch!

The pool at Megan's townhouse complex was the favorite part of the trip for the kids. They swan every day!

Abby...

Wyatt...

Morgan...

My sister Megan rocks the pool. She is a hard-core swimmer (as noted by the swim cap.) She took swimming lessons this summer and taught me some of her sweet skills.

Here is proof of me actually swimming with my face in the water (don't die of a heart attack Shelb!)

Morgan was quite a good swim coach too. She can swim circles around her mom though!

Ryker had a blast with his cousins. Here he is jumping in the pool!

Mom and Bridger enjoying the sunshine, soaking their toes.

Megan also took us to an indoor amusement park called Jungle Jims. The looks on my kids faces says it all...

Chase rode on his first ride -- the merry-go-round! He didn't quite know what to think.

Chase was such a trouper through all of our adventures. He was a perfect little angel.

Thanks Megan for an awesome time that my family will cherish forever! You and Shawn rock!

Splashin' it up...

2009-08-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Life has kept us busy this summer. Recently on a trip to Utah we had the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with a couple of my old teammates from the good ol' Ricks College days. It was great to catch up with Taryn and Kelly and spend some time with their cute kids at a local splash park. This is a shout back to Kelly and her blog.

Of course I need to say a special thanks to my husband who was the lone husband who tagged along. He was definitely a favorite with the kids and a great sport for going with us.

Annunal Marshall Flingdango....

2009-07-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

The annual Marshall Camp-out has come and gone and some great memories have been made. On the way we made a pit-stop to visit our newest nephew Jack. He is such a sweetie pie. Chase and Jack are less than two months apart, but I think Chase looks like the stay-puff-marshmallow man next to him.

We had to make a second pit-stop when we saw a momma moose and her twin baby mooselings (what are baby moose called anyway?). If you look close you can see the babies.

This year we decided to hike into Aldus lake with the kids. It was 1.3 miles in and was a pretty good hike. This is close to the beginning of the hike -- as noted by the smiles on all the kids faces. Chase definitely had the easiest time on mommy's tummy.

Abby was quite the trouper and did a great job hiking. She did it all by herself most of the way. We were so proud of her. It was a lot of work for her small body.

Wyatt sat on Tracy's shoulders for most of the hike. Tracy also carried our pack. I think I over-packed for the hike -- that was one heavy backpack along with a 40 pound Wyatt! Tracy's shoulders are barely recovering. I think he is going to pack the backpack next time.
Of course Chase just chilled most of the day.

We were so excited to make it to the lake. Here we are enjoying our lunches. To bad the mosquitoes enjoyed us for lunch too. The lake was beautiful and the kids enjoyed themselves. Notice the annual camp shirt. We looked like quite the crew on the trail with over 25 of us all dressed alike.

Morgan had to try her hand at fishing. She was quite the little fisher-woman on this trip. She caught so many fish at a pond by our camp-site that she was hooking them for her cousins to reel in. She out fished her dad again.

After the hike, we had a fun evening of skits and lip-syncs. Here is Morgan leading a skit for her cousins and sister under the blanket. Uncle Brett didn't see it coming, but they had it out for him with a cup of water.

Morgan, Abby, and Wyatt lip-synced a Hannah Montana number. It was too cute!

Chase enjoyed getting to know his Grandpa Marshall a little better!

Of course, what would a Marshall Campout be without some sort of an obstacle course challenge. Here are the kids at the start of the course. There was a rope-climb, a rope-swing, a spider net, a balance beam, and a bike race. Here are some pictures from all of the fun.

Great times and great memories. Lets do it again soon. Anyone up for August?

3 New Additions....

2009-07-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Tracy was mowing the lawn last Friday and three little kittens wandered into our yard from the field behind our house. They are the cutest littlest kittens, no more than a month old. We were relieved when they drank milk from a small bowl. I don't know if I have ever seen my kids so excited.

It only took about an hour before all three kittens had names. The golden one is Tiger. The black one with long white front legs is long socks. The other black one is blue eyes.

How do I break it to my kids that they might get to keep one, but the others will have to find new homes. For now, I think we will just enjoy the kittens.

Let Freedom Ring....

2009-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. It all started on Friday with a golf tournament for Tracy, my dad, and my two older brothers. They ended up in a play-off and took second place. The festivities continued with a birthday Luau for my nephew Skye.

Morgan and Abby joined the little kids in the warm kiddie pool. As you can tell, Bridger and Cyrie aren't too thrilled about the company.

Wyatt loved the water fun. He spent lots of time going down the slide into the pool. There was always a big grin on his face.

Chase had a good time on the sidelines with Grandma. She took good care of him!

The water fun was followed by a weenie roast around the fire pit. Look at all those hot dogs.

After the Luau there were plenty of rounds of card games and good times until way late into the night. Life didn't slow down one bit as we took off for a Marshall family pool party Saturday afternoon.

Chase had some more grandma time. He loves his snuggles.

Abby decided to take her cousins for a ride in the toy truck and nearly lost her cousin Matthew out the back. Remind me of this when she asks for her drivers license.

Wyatt and Tracy had a great time doing tricks in the big pool.

In the meantime, Morgan was in cahoots with her Aunt Amber. Lets just say nobody was safe when they were done filling balloons.

After a BBQ with the Marshall family, it was off to Pocatello for a great fireworks display. We sure are grateful for the wonderful country we live in, and for the wonderful families we have to share it with.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME...

2009-07-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

We just finished a fun season of Tiger-ball and T-ball. Abby improved so much this year. Rarely did she even have to use the tee. I don't think I heard her coach telling her to stop playing in the dirt the whole season. She really enjoyed herself.

Here is Abby hitting the ball--nice connection. Go Abby!!

Morgan moved up a league to Tiger-ball this year. They keep score, can strike out, and switch innings with 3 outs. She was on a team full of boys that were a year older than her in school. I was so proud of her and the great little player she was.

Here is Morgan right before she had a great hit. Look at that concentration. Go Morgan!!

Wyatt was quite the little trouper this year. He was at the ball-park Monday through Thursday every week cheering on his sisters. He would bring his own bat and ball to play on the sidelines.Of course we can't finish a post without a picture of my cute little Chase. He was a trouper through it all this summer too. He is such a sweet happy baby.

Island Park...

2009-07-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to belong to such wonderful families. We have been to several reunions lately. I posted a few times so check out the fun we have been having. Our latest trip was to Island Park. We stayed at a cabin off the outlet of Henry's Lake. It was absolutely beautiful. Great Grandma and Grandpa Williams even came up for a couple of days. Look at the gorgeous views off the deck...

The kids had so much fun playing on the docks. Tavin and Wyatt hiked up the hill for big rocks to throw in the water....

The boat was so much fun too. Even when they weren't going for rides, the kids had a great time playing on it...

What a cute bunch of kids ...

Morgan out-fished her dad on this trip. If you look close you can see her little fish she caught all by herself off the dock. She was so proud of herself.

We made a trip into West Yellowstone. Here is a picture of our whole family. I realized it is the first picture we have of all of us since Chase was born.

Here are the cute kiddos outside the candy store and ice cream shop. We all went home hopped up on sugar. Good times!!!

Chase sure loved his grandma. Look at the cute smiles he was giving her. He was such a great little boy. I just love him to death. What a sweetie-pie.

Tauphus Park...

2009-07-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

We went to the annual Williams extended family reunion. It was held at Tuaphus Park this year. Here is a picture of Great Grandpa and Grandma Williams with my four kids...
It was such a rainy day, but it held off long enough for the kids to go through the zoo. We had a great time. They loved this huge tortuous...

The flamingos were lots of fun too...

I love watching how excited my kids would get about all the exotic animals. You can see the zebras in the background.

We feel so blessed to be apart of such a wonderful family.

Diamond Creek ...

2009-07-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

We ventured out on our first camp-out of the season in June and had a wet muddy great time. We had an awesome time at the Owens anual Diamond Creek reunion. Wyatt had a blast helping his daddy get things ready to go...

Morgan sure is a cute camper....

Abby got right in the dirt and sawdust and had a great time...

The annual skit show was tons of fun. Here is Morgan showing off her sweet hula-hoop skills...

Abby had a great time in a skit with a bunch of her cousins...

By Friday, there were over 95 people our reunion. It was awesome!

Wyatt loved to ride the trikes down a big hill. He went down the hill at least a hundred times over the weekend.

If you want to know how muddy it was, just look at his not-so-blue jeans...

Oh, what a blessing...

2009-06-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Chase had a special blessing day on Sunday. We had so much family come and support and our new little guy! He was an absolute angel the whole day!!!

Chase has been an amazing baby. He is so mellow and calm. I count my blessing every day that he is a part of our family!

Here is Chase only a few days old having his first sponge bath at home. After his bath you can see what his cute little baby hair does when it is wet...

I can't believe Chase is 4 weeks old. He is getting back his chubbiness. I love to snuggle him!

So much has been happening in our lives lately. Every time I turn on the computer to post about it, I end up going through Chase's baby pictures. I will try to update the rest of our lives soon. Until then I better go hug my baby!

School Carnival and a 2 Week Old!

2009-05-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Morgan had her school carnival this week. Abby and I went over to help and have some fun with Morgan. They enjoyed cotton candy, popcorn, popsicles, and drinks.

There were lots of fun games. The girls' favorites were the fishing pond and the ring toss.

I can't believe Morgan is finishing up first grade. My family is growing up too fast.

Speaking of growing up fast, Chase-man turned two weeks old this week. He is such a joy in our lives. None of us can get enough of him!!!

I thought this picture looked like his Grandpa Williams.

Here are my four cute kiddos all ready for church. Chase had his first diaper blow-out shortly after this picture. We were almost late for church. I don't know what it is about Sunday outfits that brings out the magic. Hopefully he will behave better on his blessing day!

Wyatt sure loves having a brother. Chase loves Wyatt too. They are too cute together!

We have a CHUBBY CHASE!

2009-05-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to have a chubby little Chase on our hands. He weighed 9 lbs 8 oz, and was twenty inches long. I love how absolutely chubby he is everywhere!

We love you Chase! You have won our hearts over already!!!

The final COUNTDOWN...

2009-05-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Only a few more days to go until we officially welcome baby Chase. Today I asked Wyatt if he was excited to be able to hold his little brother soon. He looked at me strange, grabbed onto my belly and said, "I can't mommy, you are too heavy." I had to laugh because it made me realize he doesn't exactly know what's going on. The rest of us can hardly wait.

Here's a picture of my pregnant belly Morgan took today at the request of a few sister-in-laws. I am definitely looking forward to having a little more space and a cute baby in my arms. Chase will absolutely be the best Mother's Day present I could ask for, even if he is a day late. I can't wait to post new baby pictures soon!

A Sunday Drive...

2009-04-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

When church starts at 1:00, sometimes it's nice to load the kids up in the car and let them take a ride to wherever their imaginations lead. There are limitless possibilities.
Abby's off to a beautiful Island getaway.

Wyatt decided to hit the racetrack for a few laps in his car. He even had the sound effect down.

But don't forget, before they can go on their Sunday morning getaway, they need to fix up the car just right.

It's a lot of work, but well worth it!!!

I love watching my kids' imaginations at work. How fun to be young and carefree. We are still anxiously awaiting baby Chase. Two more weeks -- yahoo!

Soccer Rockers!!!

2009-04-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

We are two weeks into our soccer season and everyone is having a great time. I am so proud of my girls and the good little soccer players they are!

I challenged Morgan to try and steal the ball at least five times from the other team. She worked so hard. She just kicked the ball away from a boy on the other team in this picture...
Dribbling the ball down for a goal in this picture...

Another steal in this picture. I love that the boy totally tried to kick the ball, but Morgan kicked it away from him before he could connect.

Here she is taking control of the ball and moving in for the kill. Wow, I love to watch her play. I get excited just posting pictures. She is such a coachable player. Anytime you tell her to try something, she works so hard to get better. Way to go Morgan!!!

Wyatt was just chillin' at the soccer fields. He is his sisters' biggest fans -- well besides his mom who is rather noisy on the sidelines!

Abby has been a delight to watch in soccer as well. She is such a girly-girl at home, but when she puts on her shin-guards, she turns into an animal. Abby is going in for a goal in this picture.

She's just chasing that ball down the field. That girl is fast!!!

Abby is battling for control of the ball in this picture. She goes head-to-head with anyone. Notice her tongue is sticking out as she concentrates...

Soccer is so much fun. I don't know what's going on in this picture. Her tongue is out and she is having a great time.

It's such a blast to watch my kids have fun and excel in the activities they participate in. I am still waiting for the day when one of my kids asks me to calm down and be quiet on the sidelines!

Happy Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely wonderful Easter. It's nice that my girls are getting old enough to understand the true meaning of this special holiday. We had a great day at church and at home enjoying the day as a family. Here are my cute kiddos before church in their new Easter duds...

Following along with the Williams family tradition, my kids were excited to wake up to trails of jelly beans and messages on their floor Easter morning. Abby couldn't figure out why the Easter Bunny wrote "Hoppy Easter" instead of "Happy Easter" on their floor.

My girls were amazed that the Easter Bunny knew the name of our new baby already. They said we have to name the baby Chase for sure because the Easter Bunny said so -- What are mom and dad -- chopped liver?

I don't know what the Easter Bunny was thinking, but he left light sabers in Tracy's and Wyatt's baskets. They've had lots of fun with them. If you notice, there isn't a picture the whole day of Wyatt without his light saber. He hasn't put it down for 3 days straight.

Morgan was excited to get a chocolate bunny and the game Animal Crossing for her Nintendo DS. She was spoiled!

Abby couldn't have been happier with her new High School Musical 3 DVD. She was so excited that it was all hers.

What an awesome day we had. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter too!

A Hunting We Will Go...

2009-04-12T20:45:00.001-07:00

We have had a great time recently with some fun Easter Egg hunts. We started things off right with a cousin egg hunt at my parent's house over conference weekend. The kids were so excited to get some treats! Grandma even hid a golden egg with $5.00 in it. Morgan and Abby new just what to do -- they headed out and started collecting eggs.

Wyatt had to figure things out a little bit. As soon as he realized there were treats in the eggs, he was off and running.

Jaxon was the lucky winner of the golden egg, all the kids were so jealous! The other kids each got a dollar egg though. Morgan was figuring out what every one's tithing was. She wished she got to pay 60 cents like Jaxon.

Abby looking in the wishing well, what a cutie!

Wyatt trying to reach the eggs on top of the wood pile. He had to call in some reinforcements!

Morgan, Abby, and Andrea were thrilled with the egg hunt!

Once the eggs were found, Wyatt and Skyelar moved on to the trampoline. They had a fun time just jumping and wrestling.

We all had a great time. The guys who were there went to the priesthood session of conference together while all the girls had a great visit.

Yesterday we went to Osgood and had a cousin egg hunt with all the Marshall cousins. Before the hunt, the kids had a great time chasing rabbits and exploring the old barns and buildings. Grandma took Wyatt and Caleb for a walk. They had a great time! All the cousins lining up for the start of the hunt...

And they are off and running...

Abby, Ally and June new this was serious business.

Wyatt didn't waste any time either. He didn't need help getting started this time.

Morgan decided she needed to check out what was in the egg before deciding if it was a keeper or not. A girl after my own heart.

We have had a great couple of weeks with lots of family and fun. I am glad we were able to avoid the overcrowded community egg hunts this year. I wouldn't want to get into a parent brawl over whose kid got to the egg first. I already know mine would have been there first-- JK. We had a great Easter. I will post about our Easter morning later this week. Happy Easter everyone!!!

Spring Break, One Last Hurrah....

2009-04-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had to finish the week of spring break off with another cousin slumber party. There was a lot of make-up, dress-up, music, and fun. Here are Abby, Morgan, and Andrea after they did their makeovers. Beautiful...

After the make-up, the girls dressed up in their High School Musical and Hannah Montana pj's and put on a concern for me. They sang some songs off the HSM soundtrack. Abby was the lead singer, and Andrea and Morgan were the back-up singers and dancers. There were some pretty sweet dance moves going on!! If I wasn't 8 months pregnant, I probably would have joined in. Did I mention they even had a disco ball going on in the background. It doesn't get any better than this!!!

Spring Breakin' continued....

2009-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

On Thursday of Spring Break I headed to Idaho Falls to spend the afternoon shopping for home decor with my mother-in-law and sister-in laws. We had an absolutely wonderful time.

My kids were excited to spend time with my sweet mom while I was shopping. When I returned from shopping they were so excited to tell me about all the fun they had. Grandma bought the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua and they loved it. Grandpa brought home chicken strips and fries for the kids while grandma whipped up these cute little fruit flowers below. They felt like kings and queens!!

After dinner grandma treated the kids to plastic bag bread making. Each of my kids and their cousin Brigham mixed and beat their own bread dough in plastic bags. They were excited to dump out the dough and beat it some more on the table. The boys really enjoyed the bread beating, I mean kneading.

Wyatt couldn't resist a little taste of the dough. He was in it for the quality control.

Each of the kids made two little loaves. It was such a fun time.

They didn't think the bread would ever be done, but they all agreed it was worth the wait. The bread was delicious!!!

We had so much fun --- Thanks Grandma!!! We even stayed the night and were able to spend time with Great Grandma Owens. What great memories!

Spring Breakin'

2009-03-29T21:37:00.001-07:00

I'm sad that spring break is officially coming to a close (especially since we didn't see much spring last week). This afternoon, Abby asked me how come spring is so short. I agree! Even though the weather wasn't that great, we still had a lot of fun. I have lots of pictures to post this week.

We started off the break with a cousin slumber party. Ally stayed over on Monday and the kids had a blast! Morgan and Abby have been earning a trip to outer limits fun zone by working hard on their chore chart. They thought it would be awesome to cash in on their hard work with Ally. They started the evening off with a visit to the play land. And boy did they play hard!

Wyatt couldn't resist showing off his muscles for a couple of the girls -- jk!

They tried their luck at the arcade next. Tracy had to get in on the action too!

Wyatt absolutely adored the motorcycle game. I think I am in for it with this boy and motorcycles!

Morgan was awesome at smashing spiders. I was so proud of her because I HATE spiders in any form!

Abby and Ally rocked the alligators!

After the arcade they played lots more at the play land. They played so hard that night that everyone was asleep by 9:30. I was prepared for giggling girls 'til at least 11:00!

It's a tradition to wear matching shirts the day after the slumber party, so here are the cute girls showing off their matching outfits and hairdos

All the kids had an absolute blast and when we took Ally home, Amber was nice enough to watch out kids while Tracy and I escaped to the temple for a couple of hours. It was a great start to the week. Stay posted and I will share some more of our fun Spring Break stories.

Just thought I would give a shout out to having less than six weeks to go for our little guy. Tracy and I are coming close to agreeing on a name. We possibly have a Chase Micheal on our hands. We will keep you posted. thank for all the name input so far.

Spring has Sprung ...

2009-03-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying some really great weather lately. The kids were so excited to help Tracy put back up the trampoline. It was fun to watch everybody work together. They were doing such a great job, I decided I better grab the camera and document it.

I loved watching their determination and teamwork.

Wyatt wasn't about to be left out of the action.
Morgan was such a great helper! I was glad I had a camera around my neck because she stepped in and helped out so much, I felt kind of like a slacker.

I think I can, I think I can....

And of course what's a project without some entertainment?

What a wonderful blessing a family is. Most of our greatest joys are just spending time with each other. I love how my kids love to be a part of whatever we are doing. They are growing up so fast. I am proud of each of them. I couldn't ask for a better family.

On a side note, we have less than two months to go before our new little baby. Any name suggestions out there? We are in need of some help!

First Grade Program ...

2009-03-04T20:40:00.001-08:00

On Friday we were able to experience one of the many joys of being a parent as we watched Morgan's first grade program. Morgan was really excited about the songs they had been learning. She picked out her outfit, and told me how she wanted her hair styled. They sang songs about each month of the year. Here is Morgan waving at us before the program started ...
Here she is singing about wanting her two front teeth for Christmas (she was missing both in December)....

I had some short video clips to add, but for some reason I can't get the sound to match the video, so instead here is Morgan with a few of her classmates and her teacher Mrs. Cranor...

Morgan has been a spectacular first grader. She is definitely a teacher's pet and a wonderful student. You sure sang beautifully in your program Morgan and I am so glad to be your mom!!!

Always a bad rap ...

2009-02-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

I was reading some of my recent posts and decided Wyatt was getting a bad rap. He is full of mischief, but he is such a fun good boy most of the time. Here are some recent pictures of Wyatt just being Wyatt.

He adorses his dad and wants to be just like him ...
He is Tracy's little shadow no matter what he is doing ...

He is such a little handyman already. He loves to help Tracy fix anything. (I won't mention the reason they are fixing the towel bar is because Wyatt was swinging on it :)

He doesn't forget the inportance of safety ...

He always knows when mommy needs a snuggle buddy. He's my sweet boy. I loved you Wyatt!

We have a BiRtH dAtE ...

2009-02-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

After a few more pounds and another trip to the doctor's office, we have a birth date set for our new little guy ... May 11, 2009! How cool that Abby and Wyatt are both born on the 11th too, just different months. I am starting to get really excited, and a little bit nervous, especially when I think about him following his brother's antics. In the past twenty-four hours, Wyatt has had a bloody nose, a fat bloody lip, and a bloody mouth all from different accidents. This is his latest perch for watching movies ...
I think I will invest in a lot of hair dye, but life is an adventure so bring it on! We can't wait to meet and hold you sweet baby. Now we just need a name. Abby likes Steve, Morgan likes Ricardo, Tracy likes Slade, and I am leaning towards Chase -- any suggestions?

The Lollipop Gang ...

2009-02-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted a huge lollipop. I think it stems from a photo of my parents dating and sharing a huge lollipop -- probably twice the size of the ones in the picture below (I'm sure my siblings know the picture I am talking about). So, when I saw these lollipops in the Valentine's section, I couldn't help but pick up a few for my 3 sweet little Valentines. Morgan, Abby, and Wyatt were thrilled to find a sucker the size of their heads waiting for them on Valentine's morning. Nothing like a sugar rush to start the day off right!

Wyatt was definitely in sticky heaven!

Morgan and Abby thought it was a pretty tasty treat!I hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day my little lollipop gang! I love you!

Why I Love You....

2009-02-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, here is a list of why I think Tracy rocks!

1. He is the best dad in the whole world!
2. He loves me (even when I get the pregnancy grumpies)!
3. He loves my cooking and loves to cook with me!
4. He helps me out with anything around the house, and does anything to make my life easier!
5. He spoils me!
6. He is patient with the kids and me!
7. He loves to spend time with his family, even if it's a trip to Wal-Mart!
8. He would do anything to help anyone out!
9. He is a great provider for our family!
10.He looks pretty hot in his uniform

I love you Tracy! You are the best husband a wife could ask for!

Daddy Fun!

2009-02-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

When it comes right down to it we already have four kids -- number five is on the way. One of the kids is just a little bigger than the others. That's part of why I love him so much. Tracy is such a great dad, and our kids love playing with him. Every one of our kids has loved being thrown to the ceiling. Wyatt loves it a little bit more than the others and that scares me a little.
If Tracy gets down on the floor, pretty soon all the kids pile on. It usually happens right before family prayer. He makes sure the kids are all wound up for bed! (Tracy had to be sure he was in push-up position for this picture!)

There is so much giggling going on, it is contagious!

All I have to say is ... like father, like son!

What Would You Do For $1.00?

2009-02-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Abby would do just about anything for a trip to the Dollar Store! She had her kindergarten shots last week, and we told her if she was brave she could pick out a prize at the Dollar Store. I couldn't believe how brave she was. She sat on the table and didn't even flinch when they gave her 4 shots. She isn't related to her mom or dad. Tracy pulled the needle out of his arm 4 times before they had him restrained at his kindergarten shot appointment. My mom had to drag me kicking and screaming to get my shots. We are so proud of what a big girl you are Abby! Look at the fun Strawberry Shortcake puzzle she picked up on the way home.

Tagged ...

2009-02-01T21:41:00.001-08:00

I haven't played tag in a long time. This is my first time being tagged for my blog, and both Lindsay and Tiniel tagged me, so I guess I better follow through.

6 things that make me happy ...

1. My kids. They are my greatest joy!
2. When my husband has a day off of work! He's pretty cool to hang out with!
3. Chocolate -- yum yum!
4. A good book. I could read all day long!
5. Camping! I love being in the outdoors with my family! (I just don't like to do the laundry when we get back!)
6. Blogging, I think I am addicted to it!

We were TeePee'd...

2009-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you turn your back for a couple of minutes on a wild little two year old named Wyatt! He didn't like the decorations in my living room and decided to add his own take on the decor...
Can you tell how proud of himself he is? He decided he better take off before mom put the camera down! Wise choice little turkey! It's a good thing I love you so much!!!

Snickerdoodle-dee-dum....

2009-01-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing like baking cookies on a Sunday afternoon with your kids. I was craving snickerdoodles, so... we made snickerdoodles. The kids loved coating the cookies in cinnamon and sugar. The older my kids get, the more fun we have together. I wish I could just freeze them where they are at for a while. They grow up way too fast!

Helping Hands ...

2009-01-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

I love that my kids are big enough to help around the house. I love that they help me clean the bathroom and even fight over who gets to clean the toilet. I love that my girls mopped my kitchen floor all by themselves and I didn't have to redo any of it. I sure have some good helpers! It makes me excited to see how they help out when baby brother comes in May.

Don't worry, he was supervised!

Bedtime rituals ...

2009-01-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

At most peoples houses, bedtime consists of stories, songs, and other quiet activities. Somehow, our bedtime rituals often include dancing. I put in a primary children's CD and next thing I know, instead of the quiet activities we are supposed to be doing, this is what we end up with ....

The next night we watched Beauty and the Beast. When I walked down at the end of it, I found these two dancing. It was cute!

Some of my favorite memories with my mom are when we would dance around the living room. We have continued the tradition. We have many dance fests at our house, especially when dad is working late. I'm glad we don't have that on tape. I am sure I never get carried away!

January Sunshine :)

2009-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Why does 45 degrees in January feel like 75? My kids asked me if they could go swimming in their pool this week while they were enjoying a warm sunny January afternoon. There is still snow on the ground in a few spots and I had to beg the kids just to wear jackets. Maybe it was all the hopscotch they drew and played on the patio.

Or maybe it was enjoying some fun outside recreation. Either way, the sunshine felt great and we had a great time!

Don't be fooled . . .

2009-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Don't let these big blue innocent eyes fool you. When you turn your back, she might grab a pair of scissors and .....
You might find out that her bangs now look like this .....

She is cute even with crooked bangs. Thank goodness for curly hair. It could be a lot worse. This is our first haircut incident, and hopefully the last, at least for my girls.

Bookin' It!!!

2009-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

I love the Book-it program Pizza Hut does in the elementary schools. I love the motivation it is for kids to read, but mostly I love it because it is an excuse to go eat pizza with my daughter. Thank you Pizza Hut for a delicious lunch date -- it's just what the pregnant lady ordered!! Oh, and Morgan enjoyed her pizza too!

Family Night at its Best!

2009-01-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

On Monday we decided we wanted to do something fun for our FHE activity. We were so excited to go bowling at ISU! Tracy and I were secretly excited to have an excuse to use the bumper guards -- no gutter balls today! Don't tell ;)

Wyatt absolutely loved it. He had a hard time understanding the long wait between turns, but with his daddy's help, he did a great job!

Lookie, I knocked eight pins over -- Yea!!!

The six pound ball was almost more than Abby could handle, but she sure did great. I think it took over a minute for the ball to reach the pins, but we learned it didn't take speed to knock over the pins!

Look at her ball, it is straight on for a strike!

Morgan did a great job too. The ball was just right for her and she had an absolute blast!

I don't know if we even needed the guards, look at her ball line up perfectly. I think we have some future bowlers on our hands.

At the end of the night with bumper guards and all, the high score was only 116. We were all within a few points of each other. I think Tracy and I need to work on our game. We used the bumper guards as much as the kids. I don't even want to think about the score if we didn't have the guards. It was such a fun time just hanging out and having a blast as a family!

Day out on the Town!

2009-01-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

Tracy and Wyatt headed out Monday morning for a father-son outing. They were off to visit all the pet stores in town. Wyatt was so excited to pet some animals.
Abby's preschool was having a field trip so her and I had a mother-daughter date too. We visited a bakery and learned about making pastries. At the end, all the kids enjoyed frosting and eating yummy sugar cookies. Abby decorated a delicious butterfly!

The visit to the bakery didn't go as long as we thought it would, so Abby and I decided to see if we could find Wyatt and daddy and crash their party. It didn't take long, look at these rough couple of hooligans we found at Petco ...

Here is Abby checking out some sweet little birds. She thought they were so beautiful!

Wyatt enjoyed the birds too.

Here we are looking at all the fish displays. I think my kids are wondering if they will ever get to experience the joys of raising a pet. To bad their mom is not a pet person.

I couldn't finish my post without adding a picture of Morgan. She missed out on some fun, but this is her heading off to school for the day. She had a great day at school. It was even early release. We had lots of fun when she came home, and I will posts some pictures of our fun family home evening later this week.

It's all about the Great and Best!

2009-01-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

We have some of the best great grandparents ever. Here are our kiddos with Great Grandma and Grandpa Tracy. What a bunch of cuties!
Of course we need a post with our new Sunday best. These are the kids in their Christmas dress clothes.

Wyatt is ready to head out to church. He is so excited Santa brought him a Book of Mormon and a scripture case. He is a big kid like his sisters now.

Another cute set of dresses from Grandma Marshall.

What Time Is It?

2009-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

It's party time. Morgan turned 7 years old today and had a party with some of her friends. It was all about High School Musical! The invites were High School Musical, the cake was High School Musical, even the party gift bags were High School Musical.

What a cute bunch of girls. I think Morgan is going to smile that smile right off her face. It was such a fun time!

After her friends left we had a yummy dinner of sweet and sour chicken. Morgan and Abby made their famous fresh fruit salad with grapes, kiwi, oranges, apples, and bananas -- yummy. After dinner Morgan opened her gifts from the family. Abby was so excited to give here a pink tub of Lego's. They love to play Lego's.

Tracy and I had a surprise up our sleeves. We got her a Nintendo DS. She has wanted one for a really long time and had no idea we got her one for her birthday. It was such a fun night! She gave me the biggest hug ever and hasn't stopped smiling all night. We love you Morgan and wouldn't know what to do without you. You are so thoughtful and such a good big sister. Happy Birthday!!!

Here is a video of Morgan opening her DS. It was so fun. She is not super animated when it comes to surprises, but her smile in the end says it all.

A New Year to Remember!!

2009-01-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Our friends Troy and Tawna hosted a New Year's Eve party at their house. It was rocka-lockin'. They started the evening off by showcasing some of their sweet skills. I am so jealous. I can only dream about being this flexible.

All I can say is OUCH! They don't even have to stretch. Troy and Tawna, you guys rock!

We played some serious games. It is a tradition to have a Mexican Horseshoe tournament. I am pleased to say that Tracy and I brought home the Horseshoe trophy. Matt and Carin came in a very close second, but we triumphed in the end! We stayed up way too late, and played every game in the book. It was a great night, with great friends, and great food.

Tracy's sister Amber invited us to her house for New Year's Day for some more good food, good games, and lots of good times. Wyatt was excited to play with his cousin Preston. They loved the four-wheeler, I know it's hard to imagine.

Morgan and Abby bunked up with cousins Kaden, Josh, and Ally for the movie, "Night at the Museum." Abby thought it was a little scary -- can you tell by the look she is giving me?

We played some fun games. I won't name any names, but I didn't know spoons could turn violent. Here are some pictures of us playing Guestures. What a great time!

Amber and Carlan broke out the dance mats for the PlayStation. I never would have guessed, but Tracy and Carlan schooled everybody with their amazing dance skills. Tracy was pulling out moves I have never seen before. I think he is considering being a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance."

What a wonderful start to the new year. Good times with good friends and family. We love all you guys!

Marshall Family Fun

2009-01-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

The holidays are never complete without a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Marshall's house. We hooked up our new sled to the snowmobile and had a great time. The kids cheeks were so red by the time they came in. They loved every minute of it, even the cold!

Grandpa warmed all the kids up by leading them in some holiday songs. He has all the grand-kids lined up on the couch singing every Christmas song in the book! What a great grandpa we have!

Abby and Wyatt are leading the kids in "Once There was a Snowman." Those are some pretty tall snowmen. I love the way Uncle Carlan is participating in the background.

Morgan's cousin Porter taught her a song entitled "Don't Leave Crunchy Cookies for Santa." I guess Santa crashed and his teeth fell out in the snow. Morgan sang it for all of us. It's a pretty funny song and she did a great job singing all by herself.

We hope every one's holidays were filled with as many warm memories as ours were.

Scooter Fun ...

2008-12-28T19:25:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we went over to the school where my dad teaches and gave our new scooters a go. There is a long carpeted hallway that was perfect for some scooter fun. Abby hadn't had a chance to ride her birthday scooter, Morgan was excited to try her new electric scooter, and Wyatt was set to ride his Uncle Bracken's scooter!

Morgan did a great job of learning to ride, but it went a lot faster than we thought it would. The instructions said the max speed was 10mph, but I think it may have even been faster.
Look at Abby's hair flying as she tries to keep up with Morgan. That scooter can fly. I think I need to get more pretective geer before Morgan hits the streets.

Abby loved her new pink scooter. She scooted up and down the hallway so much, she fell asleep at 6:30 that night and slept for 14 hours straight.

Wyatt had an absolute blast on Bracken's scooter. I was amazed at his coordination for only being 26 months old. He was so glad to be included in the action.

Abby and Wyatt even tried to ride the same scooter at one point. It was such a fun time.

Tracy and I took Wyatt for a few rides on the electric scooter, and this was his reaction when we made him get off. I think we are in trouble when it comes to motorized vehicles and this kid. He is a dare-devil just like his dad. The faster it goes, the better it is for him.

Some cousins even joined in on the fun. This is Ryker sporting his new skates santa brought him. His smile says it all when it comes to the fun he had!

Here I am trying to teach Andrea how to ride the scooter, or should I say, I am trying to keep up with Andrea. That thing can really move.

Most of the adults had to give the electric scooter a go. This is my sister Megan cruising down the hall. Her smile is almost as big as Ryker's. I have to confess that I did as many laps as anyone. Where were these things when I was a kid?

Christmas Day...

2008-12-25T17:46:00.001-08:00

We had and absolutely wonderful Christmas!!! The kids woke up at 8:30 and the fun began. They were so excited to get a sled. It goes perfect with the White Christmas we have been enjoying.
Morgan must have been extra good this year. She was thrilled to get a pink electric scooter. She can't wait to ride up and down the sidewalks. Our kitchen just isn't quite big enough.
Abby absolutely addored her Baby Alive. Her name is Rosabell. She has been feeding her, changing her diaper, and being such a good mom all day. She is going to be such a good helper when her new baby brother comes in May!

Wyatt was so cute this Christmas. He had a blast with his new train set, and everything else in sight. He even showed his tender side with Abby's new baby and took her for a ride on his 4-wheeler.
The kids are sporting their new jammies and robes. Santa even brought everyone a new movie. He sure spoiled us this year!!

This is what happens when you turn your back for one second on Tracy and Wyatt. Wyatt decided he needed to show off his big boy undies. I hope he is this excited about them when I make him start wearing them for real .... wish me luck!

We had several inches of new snow on Christmas morning. Tracy and Abby enjoyed shovelling out the driveway. Don't tell them, but as soon as they came inside, it snowed a couple of more inches.

Wyatt had fun in the snow, but when we turned our backs, he took off his gloves and got stuck. He thought the snow was pretty tastey too.

We had such a wonderful Christmas. We hope everyone else had just as great of a day!!! Be sure to scroll down and check out our Christmas Eve activities. We have had an absolutely awesome holiday season so far!

Christmas Eve with the Williams Family...

2008-12-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Every year our family does a Christmas Eve program. Each family prepares a part for the program. At the end, all the kids act out the nativity scene from the Bible while someone reads the Christmas Story. This year Morgan was the Angel, Abby was Mary, and Wyatt was a Shepherd. Ryker is the cute little Joseph this year, Andrea is the donkey, and Cyrie is the sweet baby Jesus. All the other cousins were wisemen and shepherds.

Look at all those cute kids. Wyatt is the Shepherd checking out the cute Baby Jesus.

This is our precious Christmas Angel and Mary.

All the kids sure had fun acting out the Christmas Story. It was such a fun night.

My kids sang Jingle Bells for our family's part in the Christmas program. Even Wyatt sang and jingled his bells on cue.

It was so fun to have Great Grandma and Grandpa Williams join us for our Christmas Eve Party. They are such sweeties!!!
Here's the kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa Williams. Too Cute!!! What wonderful grandparents my kids have!

I love this picture with all 13 grandkids! This was the best out of the 20 pictures I took. I guess when your working with 8 kids three and under, you take what you can get.

Happy December

2008-12-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Abby had a dance recital on Saturday. They did such a great job. Abby danced to "The Happy Little Elf." Morgan danced to "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer." I am so proud of my beautiful dancers!!! Move over Broadway, Morgan and Abby are on their way!

Morgan's first grade Christmas party was a blast. Abby enjoyed being included in the festivities. Tracy even came and helped the kids play a game. Morgan is the sweetest first grader ever. It is so fun volunteering in her class.

Wyatt!!! What more can I say. Here is Wyatt trying to sneak some of the Christmas candy I just made. You have to love the pink shades. Tracy is so happy he has a brother coming in May.

We enjoyed breakfast with Santa at a ward party last week. It took Wyatt a long time to decide he wanted a goodie bag more than he was afraid of Santa. This is the first year I don't have a crying kid on Santa's lap.

Abby celebrated her 5th birthday on December 11th. I think I am in for it with this little girl. The first thing out of her mouth when she opened her birthday outfit was, "If only I had a pair of shoes to go with it." She was so excited to have a pink butterfly cake. She wanted a pink razor scooter. And of course she opened a barbie wearing pink. It was a special day with cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all her family around her. We love you ABBY!