Santa Claus is coming...

Merry Christmas friends and family! We probably won't get around to a Christmas card this year, so go ahead and count this post. There's nothing too exciting going on around here. The two oldest boys are growing and doing great in school. Cameron and Adam keep me company at home. Adam is almost 2, which should speak for itself. Brian travels to Weber once a week for his MBA classes. He's doing well. We still love Logan and hope to stay here forever. We're thankful for kind neighbors and friends, and loving family of course.

















This guy was an awesome Santa. All of my kids liked him - except for Adam (you can see me trying to convince him in the last picture). These pics were actually taken over Thanksgiving break. We had a great time with Brian's sister and family.

Biscuits!

It was a biscuits and gravy morning. Cold outside, toasty inside. My awesome husband put up the Christmas lights yesterday so we're feeling extra festive. Our neighborhood has lots of white lights - I was missing the colorful ones of my childhood, so Brian wrapped the columns in multis (after I put the ribbon on - yes, I'm pretty awesome myself) and it looks so cute!

I promised myself I wouldn't update my blog until our colds were gone. Well I was able to breathe through my nose last night, so I guess I've put it off long enough (almost 4 weeks!) Cameron picked up another virus last week, so he still sounds like he's talking underwater (and he can't hear a thing - it's kind of sad, kind of funny).

Well back to the biscuits...I tried a new recipe this morning and it was FABULOUS. I know biscuits are simple and a little old fashioned, but if you haven't made any in awhile, I recommend these (nothing extraordinary - just light and yummy without the weird aftertaste you usually get from biscuits)...

Sour Cream Drop Biscuits (from a Pillsbury cookbook)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup sour cream

Mix dry ingredients and then cut shortening in with fork or pastry blender. In a different bowl, blend milk and sour cream well. Add all at once to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (will be pretty wet). Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Crazy tired

This is exactly how I feel today (minus the smile perhaps). We've had colds for over a week and I'd really like to be able to breathe out of my nose again!! I have pretty lame problems - sorry to anyone who has a real problem to sniffle about. (lame puns too) :)

Brian and I got to go to a reunion last night commemorating my Grandma's arrival to Ogden from Holland. Her family joined the LDS church and then immigrated here in the 1920's. My great-grandparents have over 700 descendants now. It struck me that our decisions can have a profound influence on the lives of literally thousands of people - and that's just within the first century of our passing. That's a lot of pressure - humbling but inspiring at the same time. I'm so thankful for all of the good, honest, hard-working people that set the stage for me to be where I am today. Comforting to know we don't have to be famous or do something extraordinary to make a profound contribution to this crazy world we live in.

Well that's my thought for the day...

Boo!

Adam thinks Halloween is the best thing since popcorn. The rest had a great time, too. We went to a neighbor's house for dinner and a fun party (complete with donuts on a string - Tyler was SO fast at that game!) and then went around the neighborhood in a huge group of kids (it's a wonder there was anyone left to answer the doors).

We tried to get the sugar out of their systems this afternoon by going on a hike up Green River canyon with some friends. Tyler still wants to go to Grandma's house for his birthday (next July), but then he wants to go on another hike ("Grandma can help me through the cave if she wants, because mom doesn't like to get dirty" - as if Grandma does!).

Are you ready for some football?!

We went to the USU vs BYU game Friday night. It was nice to be able to root for both teams. BYU did good in the first half, and then played terribly - I mean worse than I've ever seen anyone play. USU got 2 (almost 3) touchdowns in the last half, and played way better than I thought they would, considering their reputation. BYU still won 34 to 14, but they should still be ashamed of themselves! Anyway, the kids had fun, but got bored towards the end (especially Adam, who kept kicking the guy in front of us. Which would have been ok, except he was one of Brian's clients. Oh well...)

Conference was nice this weekend. I love being able to sit for 8 hours without feeling guilty. Two of our boys are sick today, and I'm hoping no one ends up puking in the middle of the night! We're getting flu shots on Wednesday, so hopefully we'll stay relatively healthy this winter. Love you all!

Treasures

I think all boys must do this, but I couldn't help smiling as I changed my laundry tonight. Cameron's "crystals" that he collected, washed and played with all afternoon; Tyler's shiny bead that he found in Mom's jewelry box (that he knows he's not supposed to play in); Adam's penny that he finds no matter how many times I fish it out of his mouth and put it away, and Brian's quarters that he keeps earning and losing over and over again. It's moments like these that make me smile and wish they could stay little forever...

Hi!

Happy Sunday everyone. Brian turned 7 this past week. I love to be able to say my kids are 7, 5, 3, and 1 - it makes tham sound further apart. We celebrated Brian's birthday on two days. On Thursday, I set up a table with balloons in our yard and served cake to all the kids as they came off the school bus. 40 kids and moms in all. We had fun, and Brian loved the attention. We opened presents on Friday, because big Brian has school on Thursdays. Brian got his first bike that wasn't a hand-me-down (though he's already taken a few good falls and scuffed it up a bit.) After presents we went fishing with our wonderful neighbors, the Olsen's, and had a really nice time playing in the sand, chatting, and catching a few fish (luckily it was only the Olsen kids who caught the fish, so I didn't have to cook any!) .

I included this pic of Cameron because it reminded me how much I love to lay in those patches of sunshine on a yucky day...

Back to school

We started the month off right with the reunion, and then we tried to make the most of the rest of the summer. I've got these pictures out of order, but here's Tyler on his first day of kindergarten. As you can see, there are plenty of kids his age in the neighborhood. He's got a crush on the girl standing next to him - yep, he has good taste.We did s'mores and hot dogs at the park a few Mondays ago (since we never got around to it during the reunion). It was a fun family night activity.















We got to go horseback riding with some friends we haven't seen in over 3 years. They live in Newport Beach, so we think we'll go and visit them next! Vanessa is a professional photographer there, and she got me excited about photography again. I've been looking at cameras and saving up for one.
















Brian has a great work party every year at a small amusement park here. We got to rock climb and do bumper cars. I even went on a really scary ride. We had a great time.




















I was the world's best and worst mom all in the same day yesterday. We took the kids to play tennis, I made french bread and cinnamon rolls, and then I got out the slip-and-slide to celebrate the last really hot day of summer (at least that's what the weather man called it). I even braved it a few times (though my arms are paying the price this morning!). Brian sprayed a bunch of wasps while we were outside, and they went everywhere. One even went down my shirt and stung me three times before Brian bear-hugged me (and it) to death. I almost stripped right then and there in our front yard, but I showed a little restraint and waited until I was in the entryway (but I think the door was still open). The kids played on that darn slip-n-slide (actually just a thick, long piece of plastic that Brian staked into the ground) for over 5 hours. They slept SOOO well last night. Here's where the bad mom part comes in. I was too tired to cook last night, so we had cinnamon rolls for dinner. That's all we ate. The boys didn't mind, but I think it was the least nutritious meal I have ever served. So that's about it for now. I better go get those yahoos ready for church (which Tyler just informed me is "WAY, WAY, WAY too wong and borin."

Family Reunions!

We've been crazy busy this past month. First, we had Brian's parents, his sister Karie, and his sister Delona's family come for a weekend. We had a great time camping (but remind me not to take an 18 month old to a lake with only one pair of shoes ever again). We also spent a day at Bear Lake. Cameron was amazed at how big the fish were, and he couldn't get enough of the waverunner. We forgot Brian's sunscreen, we ate really greasy hamburgers, and we were grateful for showers and comfy beds when we got home.
















This past weekend, all of Lisa's family (except Chrissy's husband Jon) came to our house. There were 21 of us all in the same house. Getting ready for church was a challenge (Carl washed his hair in the kitchen sink), but everything else ran really smoothly. Everyone's kids are getting so big. It's fun to see them play together. We are looking forward to future reunions with less 2-year old tantrums, but lots of fun memories were made despite the occasional choas. Lisa's dad made a trip to the emergency room on Saturday, but is doing fine now (those darn 4-wheelers are fun, but sometimes you have to wonder if they are worth it!)














School starts next week. Brian will be in 1st grade and Tyler will be in afternoon kindergarten. I'm glad I still have 2 little ones at home, and I'm looking forward to an occasional nap with them!

Summertime!

We love this time of year! Utah and Idaho got robbed of spring, but summer is finally here and we are having a great time. It's been fun having Brian home from school every day. He and Tyler spend their days riding bikes, playing with friends, and practicing basketball, tennis, or soccer. Cameron tags along, and Adam cries at the window wishing he were big enough to play. I didn't want our summer nights to be filled with baseball practices and games, so we play at the church with a bunch of primary kids every tuesday and friday morning. We have a great time. Brian is quite a slugger, and Tyler cracks me up because he always forgets to run to the next base (or forgets which direction the next base is in).



We made pizza the other day - the boys love helping. We like making cookies even more, but I have to limit myself to once a week so the neighbors stop asking me if I'm pregnant (no, I'm not).



We have lots of birthdays this time of year. Big Brian and I turned old(er) last month, and Cameron had his 3rd birthday in Boise last week. We had a wonderful time visiting my parents and Aubrey's family. BethAnne and Grace are adorable! It's fun to watch the kids play together - especially in Aubrey's pool. We went to the park by Grandma and Grandpa's twice a day while we were there. I'm contantly amazed at how fast these kids are growing.

We are getting really excited for our family reunions this year. Brian's family is coming from Michigan and Provo at the end of July, and Lisa's entire family is coming a week later. We're going to play at Bear Lake and hang around here as well. I've had fun decorating and buying a few new pieces of furniture for the occasion. We hope all of our friends and family are having a nice summer!

April Update

Aside from all the snow, we had a nice April. Our weeping cherry tree bloomed over the weekend, and it is beautiful. We visited good old BYU a few weekends ago. It was fun to be on campus again, especially since we weren't the ones studying for finals this time! We took the kids bowling with Delona's cute kids and everyone had a wonderful time.

Cousin Caitlyn and Aunt Chrissy were both a big help with Adam. He was determined to get his fingers pinched in the ball return, and wanted every turn to be his. Cute boy. The rest of the boys are getting so big - it's hilarious to watch them throw the 6 pound ball with all their might, and then wait a full 2 minutes before it actually reaches the pins. You've gotta love those bumpers, too.

I took this last picture to mark the first day I dared to give Adam his own bowl of cereal. He didn't throw it on the floor, and he seemed to enjoy being just like his big brothers.

Lastly, I had a fun day yesterday. Adam and I travelled to Centerville for my cousin Kim's bridal shower where I got to see most of my mom's family, and then I went on to Orem where we celebrated my Grandma Baker's 80th birthday with all of my dad's side. It was so nice to see everyone, and a relief to see my Grandma recovering well from a recent surgery. We hope all of our friends and family are doing well. Keep in touch!

Easter and Motorcross!!

So it's been too long since I've posted anything - I dont' know where to start! Here's a picture of the kids on Easter morning. Cameron's black eye is from a flying toy he ran into. We went to a crazy community easter egg hunt that didn't actually involve eggs or hunting. Basically, a thousand ziploc bags (full of jelly beans and cinnamon bunnies) had been thrown on the church lawn and the kids walked two steps and picked up two bags each. We left within 2 minutes of it starting, each kid with more cheap, nasty candy than they could eat in a week. I sound ungrateful, considering it was the Lion's Club who sponsored it - old men don't really know what makes a good easter egg hunt. Luckily, Grandma does, and she gave the boys a fun one the next weekend in Boise. In fact, Tyler was saying morning prayer today and he said, "and thank you for Grandma and her easter egg hunt" completely out of the blue. We've been encouraging them to really think before they pray, so I had to smile when he came up with that one. Cameron was amazed at the motorcross guys. Everytime one launched into the air, his little eyes would sparkle and he'd make a "wow" face. Cute boy. Hopefully we can steer him in a different direction before he's old enough to ride a motorcycle. I included the last picture because I crack up everytime I see the boys watching TV together. They have two whole couches to sit on, but instead they choose to mash together on a single cushion. They happened to fall asleep this day, and I couldn't resist the photo opp. That's about all that's going on for us right now.

Too Big!

So the boys are officially too big to fit in the bathtub together. It cracks me up because they fight over who gets to be in the front, but then they're all smashed like sardines so the person in the front is crammed under the faucet with someone's little foot jabbing at his backside. Brian has decided that he's big enough for the shower, so that should take care of the over-crowding issue.

We had a nice month. We went skiing (ok, big Brian had a great time hitting the slopes, the boys went tubing, and mom hung out in the lodge and ate brownies that made her car-sickened tummy even sicker!) A good time was had by all.

Then Chrissy (Lisa's sister) came for the weekend and we had a wonderful time. We celebrated her birthday and watched a few movies to relax. We also loved seeing Lisa's mom for a few hours. The boys absolutely loved the "fun dip" treats she brought (do you all remember those from back in the day?) - they ate a different color every day. Actually, Brian ate all three colors on the first day, and Tyler and Cameron spaced them out. Does that tell you something about their personalities?

And finally, Adam is into EVERYTHING these days! I was trying to cook dinner and he got into the powdered sugar. I took the sugar and everything else away from the cupboard that I thought he could get into. Then I turned around two minutes later and he had cocoa everywhere. You'd think he'd take one lick and spit it out, but he didn't seem to mind (maybe his taste buds are a little more Baker than Llewellyn, considering Brian thinks dark chocolate is of the devil). Well, 7am comes early these days (though I've almost got Adam sleeping through the night finally). I'm calling it a night! Love you all...

February fun so far...

We've had fun the last few weeks. Brian earned "Dad of the Year" award (again) by making a giant mound of snow, and then helping the kids dig a cool fort into the side of it. Then he bought me an early Valentine's Day present - a beautiful dining room table that I've had my eye on for awhile (thanks Congress and Mr. Bush! We're already spending that money you've promised to send). Brian worked so hard putting it together that he threw his back out. Say a prayer for him - it's a doozy this time. Last but definitely not least, Adam turned one yesterday! I think his Elmo cake was the most adorable thing I've ever seen. Delona and her youngest three kids came up for a few days and we had a wonderful time.