Trunk or Treat

Tonight we headed to the Church for the Trunk or Treat. Jared decided he needed a little more darkness to his costume. Last weekend at a friends party I dressed up as a Devil and he was an Angel. Tonight however, he was a Vampire. Sophia didn't know what she thought of her Dad all dressed up and scary.

Grace is a Naughty and Nice Fairy

Hailey choose the Army Diva tonight

Grant....what do you say to someone so cute. He was on the dark side that's all we know.

And Claire choose tonight to be Snow White. She kept wandering around following all the other Snow Whites she saw.

We had a Chili cook off and some Corn Bread. Then the kids went around Trick or Treating and filled their bags. I ran out of candy pretty quick, but we where still a "hot spot" with our propane heater to keep us warm.

Happy Halloween!!

Our life currently

I know I need to catch up a little bit from the summer but Fall has come and life is still moving forward. Grant signed up for Flag Football this fall and is on the Patriots Team. Jared is helping as a Coach. It has been so fun to watch him play. Jared wonders if the boys are even learning anything but I remind him that they are having a blast and that's all that matters.

Labor Day weekend we headed out to the Lake. The kids really enjoyed tubing this summer. This is sweet Hailey and Sophia.

Claire's fun milestone is starting Preschool. She wakes up everyday and wants to know if she goes to Preschool today. She loves packing her Princess backpack with her lunch and fruit snacks. She also begs me for a KitKat, which she calls a "Kittykat" that she can eat after her sandwich is gone. Her best friend is Wes and he is in her class.

Sophia & Corbin

This past weekend I went to McCall and had a scrapbook weekend. I was able to put a page together for Sophia and Corbin. I had so many fun pictures of them this past year. They were born only 10 days apart.

April in Review

Happy Easter!!

These are our little bunnies after their Easter Egg hunt. The bunny left lots and lots of eggs for them this year and had their very own private hunt in the back yard.

After the morning fun we headed out to a soccer game for Grant and Grace and then topped the evening off with shopping and a movie.

Grace turned 10 this month which means--(her parents are getting older). She has grown up so much and is such a big help to me around the house and with her brother and sisters.

She was on a competitive soccer team this year and really learned some great skills and a love for her team. She learned to play the violin and is still playing piano. Some of her passions are Converse shoes, drawing and her Ripstick.

Jared and I enjoyed a weekend away to Heber with some friends. It was a beautiful weekend with shopping, the boys golfed and lots of games. Some of our highlight were waking up early to the beautiful bird hitting our window and the crazy game around the pool table.

Thanks for the invite Tuellers!!

Elizabeth, Amy, Jen, Kim and Liz

I was reunited with some of the greatest ladies in the world. These sweet "chicks" are the ladies I spent my 2nd year at Ricks College with. We lived in the "Carriage House", #206. We spent time going to the new Rexburg Temple, making vinyl signs (thanks to Jenn) and talking, talking talking. It was so fun to see them, they look the same as they did __years ago.

It was one of those moments when you haven't seen each other for years and you just pick up right where you left off.

Love you like a hog loves slop!!

March Madness

Mr. "G" turns six!!!

He was excited to get a birthday party and take some friends

to Wahooz (formerly Boondocks) for some Lazer Tag and games.

They loved every minute of it.

Grandma Hathaway passed away and we attended the Funeral

in St. Anthony. She was special to Jared growing up, he spent

time living with her before his mission. He called her "Grams".

This month Hailey had some Clogging Competitions, one in Nampa and one in Pocatello. She did a great job placing 1st and 2nd in her dances which allows her to go to

Nationals at Lagoon in May

Grant and I went to Pocatello with Hailey to her Clogging Competition. Gaige, Grant and Clay were a big support in the stands. Grandma and Grandpa Howard, Daris, Sara, Danial and Lilly came to see her perform.

Grandpa Howard bought a KW for a new job he is pursuing. We couldn't wait to see the stripes he added and the new bunk beds inside. Thanks Grandpa for the tour.

We're still here...

Hi, it's me Claire, my Mom's sorry she hasn't posted new pictures of us for several months. She has been busy taking care of us and will try this week to update the blog. We have been involved with some fun things and we're all growing up fast.
This was us on Easter, don't we look cute?
Grandma and Grandpa Howard and Uncle Danial, Hannah and Lilly came to stay for the weekend. Grant and Grace had soccer tournaments and they all needed to see how well they play. We had fun coloring eggs, frosting cupcakes and playing with the cousins.

Digital Pages

So this month I started my next class with Digital Scrapbooking. I am loving it!! I learn so much and it seems to easy to have someone walking you through each step. I'm taking it online at Jessicasprague.com, this is the second class of three called

"Now We're Rockin".

Disneyland

Yes, I still honestly beleive that this is the "Happiest Place on Earth." I don't think anyone is ever sad inside here...okay maybe two year olds that want out of the stroller or need a nap. :D

But we sure can have fun and my older kids had great energy that kept going and going

Love our autograph book, they were all so excited to meet the characters
Claire just thought everyone was "so nice".

Claire's dream came true when we were finally able to met --

Snow White

Sleeping Beauty

and Belle

She looked at them and then touched Belle's glove and her neck to see if she was real. It was the cutest thing ever. When we left she asked..."Where was Cinderella, Ariel and Jasmine?" I couldn't beleive she would know who she didn't see...so we had to tell her maybe they were at lunch and we'd find them later.

Disneyland Friends

Daris and Sara They helped us a lot with the kids :)

Mike and Connie Thornock Family
Mj and Susie Jensen Family
Allan and Karalee Newberry Family

Mom, thanks for the wonderful Worldmark!! Super close and wonderful accomadations. We were very comfortable there.

Disneyland

Disneyland was fun with the kids. We enjoyed Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Run away Train, (as we call it) and Toon Town. We hit all the big rides first in hopes that Claire and Sophia would be patient with the rest of us. By night time, we realized that we didn't take Claire to see the Princess's at the Princess Fair, nor did we go into Toon Town until dinner.
The Autotopia was the longest wait in the park, but who can resist driving the car?

Hurray!! Tinker bell and her friends are the newest thing in the park. We were shrunk down to Fairy size and then saw Tinkerbell and one of her friends. Claire thought that was pretty cool

The long awaited "Sleeping Beauty's Castle", Claire asked for days when we would be there.

Disneyland

Gotta Love it!

California Adventure

We spent 2 days at California Adventure. I think I love this park the more I go. It's filled with lots of adventure and high thrills. Grace and Hailey are tall enough to go on about everything and we really enjoyed ourselves. Here is a shot of Jared, Daris, Mike and Ashlyn on the Malliboomer. I was tickled to see Uncle Daris go a few times and Grace begged for more.
The kids bought a autograph book and that encourages them to go and approach the characters and ask for a picture and then sign their book. It was a lot of fun. Claire always walked up and said "hi" to each of them.

I had the younger kids inside Bugs World while Jared was with the girls on Sourin California. Once they joined up with us they all did the rides again.

Oh ya!! We saw Mator and Lightening McQueen, we got to take our pictures with them and then later that evening they were in the Pixar Parade. I loved the joy and excitement I saw on Grants and Claires faces when they finally saw them both. "Cars" has been a favorite thing in our house for the past 2 years.

Gotta have a picture by one of the letters entering the park!

Motherhood

Sometimes women get discouraged.
President Bastian from our Stake Presidency encouraged us to toss the guilt and catch the joy. He read a fun poem:


The Girl in a Whirl
By “Dr. Sue” aka Vickie Gunther

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too. It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s: And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires! I fix the sink’s leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard;
It’s good if you do them;You can if you try!
Just set goals and pursue them!
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It’s easy!” she said…and then she dropped dead.

President Bastian quoted Mosiah 4:27: “And see that all things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.”
We should not procrastinate our preparation but all things should be done in wisdom and order. He encouraged us to study the scriptures, balance our lives and attend the temple.

My Christmas Dream

Okay, so I had a dream.....all I wanted for Christmas was going to Island Park and staying in a cabin. I wanted to be over there close enough to celebrate the holidays with family. We were able to find an adorable cabin that was perfect size for our family. Jared and some friends decided to meet up and ride snowmachines while we were there. So we invited the Larsen family to come and join us in Island Park after Christmas. We had a wonderful time with them, the boys machined and we played games and watched movies. We had some great late nights with lots of laughs. The best was a night ride with the boys and taking Aimee for her first ride in the dark. I always like to start my friends out on "the top of the hill to ski down". There's just no sense in starting on the bunny hill. "I think you did great Aimee!".

Fabulouse Christmas, I'm still thinking about it. I think we'll do it again.

Christmas in the woods...

Grant couldn't beleive all the snow that had fallen in Island Park. He started walking through it to make us a path so me and the little girls could get in the cabin. He enjoyed riding with Jared on the snow-machines.
The Larsen's and us met the Hafens to go sledding while up there and Sophia didn't move or complain after I got her dressed to go hang with the kids sledding.

This is the last evening we were in Island Park, my friend had called and told us to get outside and take some pictures because the sun was finally beaming through the clouds. The snow was amazing and so fun to play in.

Kylie and Hailey jamming out to guitar hero.

The kids enjoyed the Larsen girls being up there with us. One morning Grace, Grant and Natassia went outside and found little paths someone had dug in the snow. They created a little village with stores and jobs for everyone. They played in the snow for hours.