THE PROBST PRESS

Already

2012-01-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

How did 8 months come and go so fast? I really have tried to enjoy every moment with this little baby girl. I even kept her sleeping in our room a little longer than necessary, so nice of me right? Now I can see why being the baby of the family has it's benefits. Emery has been my little angel girl, my little slice of heaven. A really good reward after the last 2 spitfires!

She has now entered busy, roll around, wiggly, baby mode. It's so exciting to see her accomplish new things, but so sad that she is already becoming more independent.

She is very strong and wiry, like Kael was. She is a happy baby, doesn't fuss for no good reason, is a great sleeper, loves music, and adores her SISTER. She is almost crawling. NO! Now I have to make sure she survives this toy infested household with out choking on legos.

She loves bananas and peaches, hates when Daddy kisses her, and is a Mama's girl. Emery loves her bath's, has a contagious smile, and is the size of your average 5 month old. Such a small fry!

What a Joy you have been little one.

Great start to a New Year

2012-01-12T22:04:00.001-08:00

We took the kids to stay overnight at the Great Wolf Lodge on the last day of the holiday break. It is an awesome indoor water park and hotel about a hour from Gig Harbor. We had so much fun, even Emery loved the water this time. So, Mom & Dad thanks for the "family time" gift idea this year, we had a blast together! We promised a family picture showing what exactly we did.... so here it is!

Bubbles..

Studs.

Us girls enjoying the wave pool...

The coolest giant gingerbread house.

Our little pack of wolves...

December 2011

2012-01-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a tad late posting holiday highlights....

I love Christmas. It always comes and goes too quickly. I hate the way the house looks afterwards.... empty, dull, no more glow. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years & are very excited for what 2012 will bring!

Christmas dress up time.

Scott's dad had his surgery to remove all the cancer that was found in his stomach. There were many persistent prayers, fasts, thoughts, and so much hope that things would go the best they could. We sure do love that man more than words can express, and we are so grateful he was blessed to have an amazing doctor and so much love and support from family.

Scott and his office staff on their first Comfort Dental Care Day in Washington. The doctors and staff donated their time to offer free dental care for those in need. They treated 50 patients on Christmas Eve Day.

Grandma & Grandpa Williams came to visit for Christmas! What a treat it was to have them. We had a wonderful time, and beautiful weather. We went bowling on Christmas Eve Day, had fresh seafood lunch on the bay, baked christmas cookies, and chowed some toasty & delicious soup for dinner. The best Christmas yet.

Best part of the night was snuggling up to the fire and watching a nativity video together and talking about the true meaning of Christmas.

Sugar cookies.... a mastered recipe (Scott claims). He IS always right about everything. They were so worth the extra pounds and skipping meals.

How cute are these two gals?!

Oh this pictures makes my mouth water....

Presents out, stockings hung.

Emery's first Christmas.

Boys and Legos = best presents ever because they vanish to their bedrooms and don't come out until 2 days later when the sets are complete! Genius.

Jade and her (not so) exciting gift... she didn't even want it. She asked us to give it back to Santa! Scott even spent all this extra time beautifying it with girly stickers... why am I nervous this scenario will repeat itself in 13 years or so? "I don't want a truck Daddy, I want a BMW!" Yikes. Hopefully she grows into it, because it ain't going back. The boys already broke one of the mirrors off...

Jades favorite gift was her very own mini scriptures and carry case from G & G Williams. She is a sunbeam now, and totes that book of mormon every where she goes!

Freedom of the Seas

2011-12-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

For our 10 year Anniversary we actually did something big! A Western Caribbean Cruise with all the kids and Scott's parents. The trip overall was a great time and I am slowly forgetting what the airplane ride to and from was like with 4 children. 9 hours total just to get to the ship.... insane. The kids did as good as they could, and little Emery wins the best behavior award. Seriously, I don't think she cried once the entire trip? Sweet little girl.

It was a cinch once we got on the ship and everything was right at our fingertips, food, entertainment, swimming, karaoke, parades, and sunshine. I am so glad Scott's parents came with us. We made some great memories, and it will get me through all the rain this winter!

So grateful for a hubby that planned all this and made it happen. Can't wait to go with just him somewhere next time.....

Our ship docked in Haiti.

Sunset from our balcony.

What a view!

Grandpa and Emery.

kids with their sea pets.

The sweetest happiest little baby.

Scott and his beautiful Mom & Dad.

Jamaica.

At the beach in Haiti.

The water park on the ship. Kids loved it!

Roller coaster in Haiti.

We loved this beach, check out the water sports for the kids in the background.

My boys first real swim in saltwater...

Karson swinging.

Scott with his girls.

The most amazing picture of Haiti and the ship. Unreal. This day was my FAVORITE!

Heading back on the ship.

Even a little baby hot tub. She loved it!

Us girls spent a lot of time in here...

Not this little busy body, this is probably the longest she sat still. Cute though!

Look at that water! Amazing view from on board.

Kids with Dreamworks characters.

Good looking couple!

Dining... oh I miss being catered to all day & night!

Cozumel Mexico.

Swimming with the Dolphins! So fun.

Love these three!

Parade to end the week, and what a great week it was!

Fall 2011

2011-11-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

I love the fall, it is such a crispy, colorful, warm time of the year. I was a little worried that the leaves wouldn't change here because it's so forested. Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong! The most beautiful colorful leaves are falling and it's even more beautiful because the green is still green as can be. It's November and we still have had sunny amazing weather (I know it's gone any day now) but it has been a treat.

Halloween was a warm sunny day and so much fun. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco actually, with out all the crazy people. We walked through downtown Gig Harbor while the kids trick or treated at all the cute shops. Tons of families. Beautiful scenery. Perfect evening... it really made me want to stick around Gig Harbor for as long as possible.

Over the weekend we also visited this amazing ranch for some fun activities. I about died, it was so beautiful. Seriously, a slice of heaven. We WILL have something like this one day!

The kids rode ponies, catapulted pumpkins, were part of the kids rodeo, and ran through hay mazes. Such a fun day!

I love this picture of Jade the cowgirl.

Look at those leaves!

Our little cow (I mean calf)

Trick or Treat...

Downtown Gig Harbor. Even the Yacht's were handing out candy :)

It was as beautiful as it looks.

Meet creepy, the drunk surfer wearing a mask and splashing all the little kids on the dock. I wanted to tell him to knock it off, but didn't want to start anything I couldn't finish.

A sunset, and the cutest monkey ever.

Happy Halloween!

Shmorgishborg

2011-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have around 100 pictures I'd love to share and oh the time it would take...... life is too busy these days. I am so behind already, so, I thought I'd present a few of my favorites and call it a day.

We have had SO much fun in September and October. Lots of trips to see great friends and family. Shopping, birthday celebrations and surprises. A weekend away with just the Hubby, a BYU football game. Eating, lots and lots of eating..... Canada is the best place to go if you want to add some plumpness to your back side. It's worth every bite too! Game nights with the family, late night chats with the parents. It has been a juicy few months with lots of people we love!

A cute little baby, folding her arms.

A very excited cub scout!

Two BYU fans.

A very dear friends birthday surprise!

A little chat with a favorite uncle.

A introduction to great grandparents and reality. This will be us one day, I hope my kids will be at my side. I love these two so much.

Turkey man- a.k.a Dad

A hostess, and a first time turkey stuffer. A pretty one.

The beauty, and the shorty.

A birthday girl (and bun in the oven) surrounded by sisters.

A picture dodger..... ha, got one Dean!

Almost all the Canadian Turkeys in my life..... we missed the ones in Colorado.

A perfect day

2011-09-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

.... Includes having my oldest become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and my youngest, named and blessed. It 's pretty awesome that they could share such a special day together. It really was flawless. I am so grateful for such amazing family that worked so hard to make their day perfect. We are so proud of Kael and his choice to be baptized, he and his baby sister were angelic in white.

Thank you to everyone who came to support our family, we missed all who couldn't be there.

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Kael Michael Probst

He was baptized by his Grandpa, who he is named after.

Will and Kael together after his baptism. So great to have the Boehme's with us for the weekend!

Proud parents.

Scott's Mom and Grandma Joy, who Emery Joy is named after.

The babes of the day, Emery and Quade.

My Mom and Emery

Dad and I, with Emery again.

Scott and his gorgeous sisters. Funny moment here.... right ladies ;)

Look at this day, it was the most sunny, beautiful, day ever. A Montana paradise.

The only picture I got all weekend with my sister..... inexcusable.

I seriously have the best families in the entire world.

One of those moments

2011-08-24T14:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had one of those moments as mom where I could hardly believe what was said by one of my children. For once it wasn't bad either, in fact it was amazing. I have realized we must have done a few things right. It felt so good and I just have to write it down while it's still fresh in my mind.

Kael is now officially 8 years of age. Wow. How did that happen? He is getting baptized next weekend.

He came into my bedroom yesterday and said this to me, in a very serious, grown up voice.

"Mom, I figured out that life's not that hard. If you just get the hard work done there is so much time to play and have fun. So, I have been doing what you ask me to and it's not that hard."

I was speechless. I just looked at him and had an overwhelming love for him. He has always been the sweetest boy, sensitive, funny, and kind. What he said to me, I didn't figure out until I was married with kids. He is trying so hard to be better, to make the best choice, to be more loving in our family.

We love him more than words could express. We are very excited for his big day next weekend.

So grown up

2011-07-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

This little girl is growing up way too fast. I can't believe she is turning 3 next week.... or more like 16. She is totally obsessed with high heels. She walks around the house in these babies all day long. Stop growing up so fast little girl.

They may act like Tom & Jerry some of the time, but these 2 boys sure do love each other.

Our real live baby doll. She looks so content sitting in there....

Jade and I down by the bay, where the watermelon grows....

This is why Emery should be more nervous about sitting in that stroller. Jade is in heaven with this big sister stuff.

This girl is a Daddy's girl (probably because he never tells her no) and because she loves him.

A baby changes a family in so many good ways.... I can see why people have 10 of them. I am grateful for my 4.

July 4th at the beach

2011-07-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Our 4th turned out better than I expected being so new to this area. We had gorgeous weather, and headed to the park for a picnic, and then to the beach of course. We ended the evening eating grilled steak & lobster and watching the most amazing fireworks right from our deck. All the rich folks here compete to put on the best show, and with the waters reflection it really was outstanding! So everyone plan to visit us every july 4th to see for yourselves....... you will not be disappointed!

I was grateful the kids had their cousins around to enjoy the night with.

Monkey # 1

Monkey # 2

Check out this starfish they found!

We found so many that day.

Meet Scott's cute cousin Andrea.... our summer Nanny and lifesaver! I love her and so do my kids! I'm hoping she'll come back every summer, but I think she won't last very long out there in the dating world. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...... oh, and did I mention that having a Nanny around is THEE best? It is, and I feel spoiled.

Emery and I enjoying the fireworks.

Hello Washington

2011-06-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is a more recent picture of our little Emery. Finally has some good cheeks on her.

Gig Harbor really is one of the most beautiful places ever. Especially in the summer. I can see how people want to live here and endure the rain all year long.

This is our view everyday. We walk down to the bay almost everyday when the tide is out. The kids love it!

Our first garden! It has been growing so fast.

We headed to the beach last week and had a blast. It was a perfect sunny day to find all sorts of treasures. It was only a 10 min drive from our house to this beach! I can handle that all right :)

My little men showing off their muscles.

I love this picture.

I love love love this little girl.

Jade wasn't so sure about all our creatures..... starfish, crabs, sand dollar's, sea shells and jellyfish. The boys on the other hand loved it!

Washington has so much to see and explore. We are just getting started!

Sneak peak

2011-06-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

So here goes a first attempt at catching up...... I'm going to keep it short and sweet ( if possible)

Here are some of Emery's very first visitors....

AND a few of my favorite people.

Auntie Regan, Uncle Joel

Grandpa Mike

Another Uncle that saved the day and drove our Gigantic U-haul truck to Montana for us! Don't know what we would have done with out them. Thank you Seth.

This is Seth and Grandpa Mike leaving at 5:00 am in the morning with our 2 trouble maker boys along for the very long ride. We are forever in their debt..... and I'm not sure which was harder ..... having our boys for a week, or the 14 hour drive home?

Sisters! This girl loves her new little baby.

Karson and Emery.

Kael learning how to burp his baby sister! SO cute.

This was so sweet.... but most likely was the moment Emery got conjunctivitis from them. No joke.

The boys working hard all day with Grandpa Dave to get the garden done! They loved it.

Kael riding on his new trick bike.

Grandma Sharon and Emery finally meet.

I swear my Dad is really 35, he works so hard and never stops. Love you for giving us our garden dad.

Emery all ready for church. 3 weeks old.

Finally, he sat down to snuggle Emery for a while:)

Okay, that was only part 1 .... still so many more to come.

Emery J.

2011-06-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

A little late in making this announcement...... but Emery Joy is here and perfect as can be!

She was so worth all the pain..... and there was a lot more pain this time around.

I love her dark hair and sweet lips. She has stolen all our hearts.

This post is the beginning of a much needed catch up.... as life has been just a tad on the crazy side lately.

Many more pictures to come of this little girl and all our adventures over the past few weeks.

We survived. Don't want to do it again. Ever.

Loving Washington and all it's lushness. Is that a word? No more desert land. No more wind. Okay and a lot more rain just not right now:) The weather really is heavenly and so is the view.

Oh, I almost forgot..... Happy Birthday Scottie my Hottie! If your wondering what your gift is..... she is in our room, 7 lbs 3 oz and fast asleep. Kind of hard to top that one huh? Today was lame I know...... you really are special, just not right now;) Love you and promise to give you a reward for everything you just put me through the past few months...... ;)

She looks like Kael so much in this picture!

Rosy cheeks

..... more to come

Blue belts

2011-05-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

These two boys could hardly wait to have karate class finish so they could graduate to their Jr. blue belts. They worked so hard. Seriously, a lot of the things they do I couldn't do. I have seen how much stronger they have become. They have learned respect, self discipline, how to listen better, what it means to work hard ....... and I mean hard!

I am sad to be leaving this program and such influential teachers. Hopefully we can find something great like this in Washington for them.

Good work my little blue belts! Were so proud of you both.

Kael doing "black belt" push ups ..... face touching the ground. They have to do five sets of ten!

Karson with Professor Robert. He was so good with my boys!

Blue Belt Ceremony.

Putting on their new belts.

They started with white belts and then graduated to purple, then blue. It takes around 4 months to earn a new rank so they really have worked hard!

False Alarm

2011-04-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of this little baby for being obedient. 32 weeks is way too early to arrive. We had a little scare last week when I started having contractions every 3-5 mins for almost 3 hours. I of course had to go into to the hospital and have some tests, monitoring, and to see if I was dilating. I was so scared when she checked me because all my preterm babies have come this exact way...... consistent contractions usually = baby 5 hours later.

I left still having contractions but feeling much relief after a negative test result came back from the Fetal Fibronectin Test. It basically means you can be 99.2% assured that you won't deliver in the next 2 weeks.

So hopefully we don't have anymore false alarms until I make 35 weeks.

I still can't believe she could come that soon!

This little lady has been so sweet and helpful these days. I can't believe how independent she is already. I can't wait to see her become a proud big sister soon.

She has totally been my little sunshine during these weeks of change and uncertainty.

I have come to realize how great my children really are these past few weeks. We have had to really stick together and rely on only each other. I love them more than I did a month ago when life was easy and predictable.

Birthday BOY!

2011-04-20T10:21:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe Mr. Karson is the big 6 now! He has grown in so many ways this year and I am just so very proud of the handsome, sweet, tough, confident, and funny boy he is.

We started off the birthday weekend by Karson bringing Dunkin' Donuts to his kindergarten class on Friday ..... which were a total hit with the kids and made me feel less guilty for not baking.

Oh, and we came up with the idea of making him a simple birthday shirt to wear that day to school.

Birthday BOY. With a big number 6 on the back.

Here he is ...... cheeks full.

On the morning of his actual Birthday I had a canvas & paint ready and waiting for him. He has been asking to do this for a long time..... so glad we got such a sunny morning to give it a go.

The masterpieces.... Karson's, Jade's and Kael's.

Karson got to decide where to have his birthday lunch.... of course he picks the place with fire and the best steak ever.

We stopped in for some fun at the Zoo too!

My two little tigers...

Finished the day off with cake and presents of course!

I was so worried he wouldn't even have a birthday this year with all the craziness of our lives right now. Turned out so much better than I thought, he is so special and I think he felt that way! His favorite presents came from Grandparents in the mail....... thank heavens for them!

A familiar face

2011-04-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

Meet another little Probst that looks so much like the others it's crazy. Scott and I just couldn't get over how much this little baby looks like Karson & Jade!

This was from my 27 week ultrasound so I am excited to see how clearly we will see her next time..... 32 weeks is right around the corner. I'll be sure to share more pictures when we get them.

These pictures make me so excited to meet her I can hardly stand it!

Music = my survival

2011-03-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is so hard to stay on task when life seems to swallow you up.

It is spring break and it is not a typical one for us around here. My kids keep telling me they have no toys, no friends to play with, no fun trips planned anywhere...... and it's all true. Spring break is the time you usually fly to Disneyland together, something exciting, life changing.

Well, our life changing event is finding a roof over our heads for the next 2 months (which thank heavens we did find), packing a minimum of 8 boxes a day, cleaning, eating at every fast food joint, and keeping everyone low stress and happy during it all.

We have had some good days and some days I am not proud of. Moving is such a transition for everyone and it's hard being the Mom trying her best to be happy, tough, patient, fun loving and create a non stressful environment for her children.

So at least the meltdowns have led to much being accomplished the following days.

We have been so blessed these past few months, everything has been working out just right. I am just emotionally challenged with this pregnancy and extra worried about everything that usually I wouldn't even blink about.

I bought some new music the other day off itunes and am here to say it has been the key to my survival.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I love finding new songs and albums.

So Adele, thank you for having such a great new CD.

Mindy Gledhill, if I were ever lucky enough to make music it would be like your album "Anchor."

So go and buy both! Now.

They are the reason for my happy packing days.

SOLD!

2011-03-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right..... 12785 Angelina Drive will no longer be ours as of April 18, 2011. As happy as I am to have this huge house sell and not lose a ton of money, it still is really sad to hand over these keys. It has been so good to us and so many memories will be left behind in it. It's always hard to start a new chapter in life, but every beginning comes from some other beginnings end...... right? Isn't that how that song "Closing time" goes? It sure is closing time for us and until the closing day on this house we will try to savor every last moment here in it.

Now ....... about finding a place to call home for the month of April & May? This will probably be the most interesting, stressful, exciting, and EMOTIONAL few months I will ever have to experience. I know it always works out in the end..... I just don't want it to all happen so fast that I am institutionalized when we arrive in Washington.

This little baby girl will hopefully be good to me and come at the right time.... or at least a little closer to the right time then the last two did.

Thanks for the many memories and being our first place to call "Home".

Just a small tear or two after writing this......

okay, maybe more like a flood.

My little scientist

2011-03-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

Karson's class had a "Worm Expedition" day last week. All the kids wore their white scientist coats and showed us parents all kinds of facts about worms. Karson was so excited to tell me about everything he learned and showed me some really interesting things. He loves his kindergarten class this year and has grown up so much!

Warning: dissected worm picture below.

He is my cutest little scientist ever!

Reading his worm journal to Jade.

Him and Jade getting up close and personal with the dissected worm.

He taught me that worms have 5 hearts. How they can regenerate if cut in half. How they help our garden's grow. How they don't have eyes, why they are so slimy....... and much much more!

Karson is so social and outgoing at school. He gets notes sent home all the time from Ms. Kate saying he has been awesome that day! He is very smart and has just started reading and is so very proud of himself!

I sure do love this boy!

The bump

2011-02-28T18:52:00.001-08:00

So here we are. Scott finally snapped some proof of my growing belly...... 26 weeks. I thought I might as well have a few pictures of this pregnancy right now, before I get even bigger and refuse any kind of photo at all.

I got some really cute & cheap pregnancy clothes from my neighbor the other day and what a difference it can make. She had a few pairs of designer maternity jeans and I paid only $40 ...... and they fit! It's so worth having a few nice things to feel sort of cute in when pregnant. Thank goodness I've learned that and it's my fourth baby! Jeepers I'm slow.

Enjoy --because you won't see me again on here until this baby arrives.

This pose makes me laugh ...... super cheesy, but Scott insisted.

Curls

2011-02-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

Can't even tell you how long I have waited for this moment. She not only let me curl her hair like mine, but asked me to. We also had a another big first recently....... painting her fingernails bright red! Girls are so fun and I guess I really wondered after her following those wild brothers around all day if she could be a girly girl?

I did hear her yesterday call someone a "poo poo head" and right after saying it she said "that's not nice, don't say the "s" word"

First I about died laughing and then had some serious concern that soon she would be calling people the "s" word. She sure keeps us on our toes.... and she's only 2?

Call me Dual

2011-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

I passed my citizenship interview on February 7th, 2011. The official ceremony is next week. I am happy to say that I am in fact American (and Canadian) now. Canada loves me and so does the U.S.A. When I told the kids I passed, Kael said to me "Now your like the rest of our family Mom"

Cute, but one day I will have to break it to him that half of his genetic makeup is indeed Canadian!

Scott works the day of the Ceremony so it will be just Jade and I having that proud moment together.

I guess I will just have to imagine Scott's weaselly grin if he were there. He loves that he stole me from the land of the frozen chosen.

Oh, and I feel really smart after memorizing 100 questions about the United States. They only asked me 10 of them.... that was mean.

So for all you Americans out there let's see how much you know......

1. How many voting seats are there for the House of Representatives?

As promised....

2011-02-04T18:14:00.001-08:00

This is for my sisters far away that I made some promises too. Emily, here I am trying to show you just how much I love the apron you made for me and that it's fits belly and all. The fabric is just too cute. Thank you again.

Cutest little pocket on it.

Jenny, these are so you can see just how good a house can look without orange walls.

They painted up above the mantel too and I think it gave it some depth. What do you think?

Doesn't that look better..?

I 'm so glad we changed it.... hopefully it pays off and we can sell this house!

I still don't have a picture of me & my belly to share...... I will see what I can do.

Tidbits.

2011-02-01T12:30:00.000-08:00

Today when I laid Jade down for her nap she said " Mom, I need Something" to which I responded you already have cold water and your baby doll, go to sleep. Then in a little voice she said "Hug me". How cute of an excuse was that to get me to come back in the room to see her?

Kael today also surprised me by asking during my ultrasound " So, where exactly does the baby come out Mom, just show me". Uh, well, that was an awkward moment of silence. Thank heavens Jade interrupted with a scream when Karson tried to move her chair. I guess we need to go ahead and address that curiosity of his ...... I've been dodging it for a while now.

Karson managed to fool at least 5 people yesterday when he got out of school early for feeling "sick". I really didn't care that he missed a few hours of kindergarten...... it's more the fact that he knew just what to say and do to get himself home. His stomach was hurting he claimed, but he managed just fine at karate a few hours later. Mysterious?

Obviously we had another ultrasound today. It was so great to see everything from her nose to her kidneys on that screen. She..... which I doubted at times really was a she, is 100% a she. I guess Jade really will get a sister. So happy about that. I was 21 1/2 weeks today and the baby looks great, I feel great...... and am growing at a rapid rate.

Here she is.....

Little life

2011-01-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

It's so crazy to me that I forget what it's like to feel the little life inside me kicking, and moving, and even her tiny hiccups when I'm pregnant. It's amazing to think that last time it was Jade, and before that Karson, and before him Kael kicking around in there. What little miracles. It is always so hard to be pregnant and growing in places you don't want to be, but it's these next few months I love. Feeling the baby every day and knowing were all getting closer & closer to meeting her soon. I think it will be harder than I thought to say I'm finished after this one......

Maybe one more? Or maybe 4 will be the end of me? Can I just say how much I love my husband for wanting 6 ? There is nothing more important than family and I love these little ones more & more each day.

This was around 15 1/2 weeks. My next ultrasound is in one week so I'll post some better pics then.

It's that time of year again

2011-01-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

....... and we are headed to the Denver Stock Show for some good ole' western fun. We have gone every year while living in Colorado and always have a great time. The boys are "gearing up" to be real cowboys for their first Mutton Bustin' experience this weekend. Scott walked in the house with the boys looking like this....... and I fell in love all over again for these 2 little heartbreakers.

These two are becoming the best of friends these days. They build legos together for hours without fighting, and are way too silly together at times, they are both great big brothers and I am just so grateful to have two perfect sons to call my own. Scott as you can imagine feels the same way times 1,000.

These pictures steal my heart every time......

Kael loved the bull on the back of his shirt.

Just a update on this little smarty pants. She is making the sassy face of the year here and it kills me! Oh the drama of girls. I love every second of it.

We have been potty training this past week and she has pretty much got it! Yay! We are still having to remind her frequently about going to the potty, but she will pee on demand (which is the ticket). The best part is seeing her in her skinny jeans with this tiny little bum, or in nothing but undies running around the house!

The "nightmare" before Christmas.

2010-12-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

Came true for us unfortunately. This poor little girl started throwing up the night we arrived in SLC for some family fun. The only good part of this story is that we were staying in a hotel so that made for an easier clean up I guess. Jade was so sick. It was so sad. I had nothing else to do but sit around and feel so bad for her and all of the Christmasy things we were missing out on. She was really really sick for the next 4 days and we finally made a trip to the ER which helped drastically. So, the nightmare happened for us. Lesson learned. Don't travel at Christmas time, just stay home.

We did manage to sneak out for a few activities with this very sick girl. We just brought along the Ziploc throw up bag.

This picture was from the last day of the Utah trip when tiny was finally back to being her cute little self. (4 lbs Tinier)

The carriage ride we attempted with the kids.

Temple square at Christmas time is my favorite thing and something we had to do.

The boys and the lights.

Going out for dinner at Tucanos with Scott's family. Yummy.

Grandma Joan went all out again and made all these kids the cutest blankets for Christmas. My boys were so excited! Thanks Grandma.

Scott and the boys made this giant snow fort.

Thank heavens Jade got better and we didn't have to miss out on these little triplets birthday party. It was the cutest party ever Shana, and we were so glad to be there.

All in all our nightmare slowly came to and end ........ sort of. Turns out as soon as we got better and left, everyone else got sick from us. Unbelievable.

The End.

This Christmas

2010-12-25T17:22:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve this year was very different than last year. Just our little family together playing card games, reading Christmas stories, eating yummy food and watching holiday movies. I would call it a success even though we missed all our family far away. We came up with some new traditions and kept some old. I love how Christmas makes me feel little again. It all happened so fast this year, too fast. I was sad this morning that it was over.

Here we are playing " PayDay" which the boys loved.

We prepared a very fancy feast and did it in honor of Jesus Christ's birth. We wanted to celebrate his birthday with a "Dinner for a King". We loved sitting around the table and talking about the true meaning of Christmas. The boys asked if we could eat dinner like that every night!

On The Menu

Appetizer: Cheese Fondue with French Bread

Main Course: Marinated Steaks with Scalloped Potatoes

Salad: Mixed greens with Mushrooms, Bacon, Mozzarella Cheese & red onions

Drink: Sparkling Apple Juice.

Dessert: Miah's Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas morning. Sleepy boys and a few opened presents thanks to Mr. Karson himself. He was the first one up and took matters into his own hands!

Miss Jade was so excited for all her baby doll items and presents.... oh, and candy!

Christmas Eggs for breakfast. So yummy. It's like a gourmet poached egg in whipping cream baked in the oven with a pinch of kosher salt. Creamy goodness people.

Christmas breakfast wouldn't be complete without Star Wars Pancakes! The boys are currently obsessed with Star Wars ANYTHING. Perfect gift mom. Thanks.

We most certainly did have a wonderful Christmas and hope that all our family and friends did too!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas time's a coming...

2010-12-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

We have been loving all the fun activities this time of year brings. This is Jade's first real Christmas experience and she is loving everything from Elvin the Elf, to visiting Santa at the North Pole. We had so much fun this week together as a family.

Jade wearing her Happy Holidays shirt.

Grandma Joan gave us this cute FHE lesson to do with the kids this year. It's all about filling up baby Jesus manger with straw before Christmas comes. Every time you do a good deed for the family member you secretly are serving, you place a piece of straw in the manger. We have found candy canes on our pillows, beds made, dishes washed out, less fighting and more love from everyone. It's safe to say that it's working. They love the secret part of it and not getting caught. We draw new names every week.

I love what every straw represents. Thanks Grandma. We will be doing this every year.

Jade's first trip to see Santa at the North Pole.

The boys love this place.

Jade was big enough for the candy cane roller coaster!

We also made gingerbread houses this weekend.

Good job boys! Kael might have a slight sugar high here......

Yummy!

A sun beep

2010-12-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today I heard Jade singing to herself and it was the cutest thing ever. As I was listening she softly sang "a sun Beep, a sun Beep, a sun Beep" and then it clicked what song it was. Jesus wants Jade for a sun beep I guess! She must have learned it at nursery because I have never sang it with her before. Just another cute Jade moment I refuse to forget.

Elvin is here!

2010-12-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Elvin our little Elf showed up this morning sitting in one of our Christmas wreaths. He always finds the funniest places to hide on December 1st. The kids were so excited he came again this year. His job is to watch and report to Santa Claus on how we have been acting before Christmas comes.

Elvin always shows up with special notes or small gifts for the kids. He brought them a new Christmas book today, and delivered something from Grandma Sharon.

The boys love this magical little Elf.

Where we found him this morning.

Grandma Sharon's advent calender she sent us. We love it Mom!

Christmas time makes me smile!

I can't believe it's December already!

Thanksgiving in Utah

2010-12-01T07:51:00.001-08:00

This year we drove to Utah for Thanksgiving to be with family. It was so great to see everyone and for all the wonderful extended family we have. Scott's Grandma's health hasn't been very good so we wanted to be there to spend some time with her. Karson kept going over and checking on her and hugging her. He is so tender hearted and really was worried about how she's was doing.

We are so thankful for family.

Grandma & Grandpa Probst with all their children.

Mike with his parents.

Karson and Grandma Darlene.

These two little munchkins were so cute this trip. They were giving kisses and hugs to each other, laughing and playing together. As long as they had someone's phone to play with......

We were lucky to see Scott's Grandma Joy as well while in Utah. She is a master braider. Just look how cute Jade's hair is!

How could Joy braid a squirmy little 2 year old's hair so well? Jade would NOT hold still!

Thanks Grandma Joy. Jade looked so pretty.

Little Pumpkins

2010-11-14T19:39:00.001-08:00

Meet Lisa. The cutest Mom to be of twins that I have ever seen. I had the chance to host a "Little Pumpkin" themed baby shower for her in October. I had lots of help from Regan, Kera, and Jocelyn for the big day (thank heavens). Lots of yummy desserts were served and we had a great turnout.

Now we are just waiting to meet these sweet babies..... baby boy & girl!

A little hard to believe there's 2 in there?

Little pumpkins everywhere....

Pretty flowers.

Carmel puff stuff...

The gourmet dessert table..... delicious.

All the ladies that made it happen, and the cute Mom to be in the middle. Yes, we love her!

Let the count down begin.....

Finally....

2010-11-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

SNOW! There is nothing better then jumping in a hot tub when the snow is falling!

We love winter and can't wait for more fluffy, white goodness.

A little getaway

2010-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

We snuck away to Denver this past weekend for some family fun. I think we picked the most gorgeous weekend to go to the Denver Zoo & up to see Estes Park. The weather was unreal, 78 degrees and all the trees were so bright with color. It was like raining leaves with summer weather as we walked around on Saturday. So perfect.

We stayed in a hotel that had a big water slide for the kids and a little one for Jade. It was the perfect little getaway.

Warning: there are way too many pictures here. Sorry. I just had to share.

Estes Park was so worth the drive! Cute little shops and an amazing scenery.

The kids checking out all the Elk.

There was Elk poop everywhere...... they just wander around town I guess?

Here's to "9"

2010-11-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Nine years of marriage and what an adventure it has been. Each year brings us more joy as a family and so many blessings. I am so grateful for each chapter so far and what we have accomplished together. Best friends....... and more in love somehow. Three amazing children, undeserved it sometimes seems. They have brought so much happiness into our lives. I can't wait too see what the next 9 years will bring.

Tonight was perfection. Dinner for 2 at quite possibly the nicest restaurant we'll ever eat at. The Penrose Room at the Broadmoor. Delicious food. Gorgeous views. Quiet moments with the man I love. Perfect night.

The Broadmoor Hotel and grounds.

Waiting to be seated....

First time Scott wore his JCrew sports coat, and he's had it for 3 years. I think he looks hot in it! He better be more open minded from now on.

We had the best view......

and the best Filet Mignon..... ever.

So yummy.

Thanks for the great night my man! Happy Anniversary to US!

BOO to you!

2010-10-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our Spooky Sunday today. We had the most amazing weather and the kids had so much fun filling up their candy buckets tonight. Even Jade stayed out with us the entire 2 hours and loved every minute of it. Halloween is so much fun!

Our little Lady Bug.

Karson picked a bat and Kael a skull this year to be carved.

The highlight of the week was having Grandma Sharon come and stay! We miss you already Mom. My kids adore you.

Kael ready to make "swamp water" with orange crush & root beer.

Wouldn't be Halloween without Sloppy Joe's! Yummy.

The kids and a big bad wolf ready to go get candy! Jade doesn't look to impressed with that wolf does she?

Going to our neighbors first......

Getting chilly!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A few highlights

2010-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Lots of exciting things to share, or at least we think so. First off, I finished my first blog book and am so happy how it turned out! It was really easy and I feel like I actually have a purpose in blogging now.... it serves as the best family journal ever!! I used Blurb and will continue to in the future. It was around $45 and 85 pages ...... not too bad hey?

Here is the front cover.

and the back.

This picture is for Grandma Sharon. Doesn't he look so handsome in his new church clothes you sent him? Thanks so much Mom, he loves looking like his Dad on Sunday.

Also, this not so little guy had his tonsils taken out a last week and was so brave!

These are the only pictures I got from the day he had surgery. He did great and surprised all of us with how hyper he was when he got home! I have heard horror stories about this surgery and for Kael it seemed like a breeze. He's sure enjoyed all the lego prizes he picked out, popsicles & ice cream, gifts from Aunt's & Uncles, friends, and Grandma's! Sounds like more of a party to me! Way to go Kael. We are so proud of you!

I told him to try to look sad for this picture while building his new lego ship...

Asking me to remove the hospital bracelets...... Now!

Okay, this picture makes my skin crawl.

Kael found this creepy halloween looking giant spider behind our milk box (where Jade plays all the time) Holy Crap! The boys and I were freaking out!!

Check out that nasty thing crawling away. Good thing we mushed it's egg sack after mushing him! I Don't want to see one of those ever again.

Last but not least, a few pictures of the boys doing some Kempo Karate.

They love it and I think it has been so good for them to learn to focus and have more respect. I also love that they will be able to defend themselves and not be scared of fighting back when needed. Kids are mean these days.

Hopefully they don't kill each other though.

At work.....

2010-09-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

This little girl says the sweetest things. It's so funny how smart kids really are. We have a picture of Jesus in our office that we were looking at together today. She was sitting on my lap and said "Jesus, hold you?" which means she wants Jesus to hold her. Then she proceeded to say "Jesus at work?" She must have linked Daddy being gone to work and not home, to Jesus being at work and not here with us. Loved it. Interesting how she looks at pictures of people all the time and has never said that about them not being around. Priceless.

It was one of those moments that I don't ever want to forget.

She looks 14 in this picture and it kind of scares me a little. Why can't they just stay small forever?

Autumn days

2010-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

The weather has been most delightful these past few weeks. Not even a hint of wind. Strange.

I read this and had to share.

" I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as Autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."

There is nothing better than crisp, mellow, golden, leaf kicking Autumn days.

This September has been so good to us.

Putting up fall decor....

I love chubby little toes.

Got Milk?

Yep, it has been so warm we've busted out the sprinkler under the trampoline a few times!

Improvement

2010-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Practice makes perfect right? How about in my case practice makes better. A while ago Regan taught me a new technique with crafting hair bows. I wasn't too excited because it took me like 2 hours to make one and it wasn't even great!

So I thought about giving it another go and used up all my random rolls of ribbon I had sitting around the house. I wanted to try to be creative and still keep it simple. I have to say I am very proud of myself for finding success finally! I love them.

This cream one is probably my favorite. I loved the little beaded ribbon on it.

The red one ..... that was my first one. Yikes. It was falling apart so I added the centers.

These ones are more casual but match any outfit.

Thanks Reg! I'm kind of addicted. Bring on the ribbon......

Guilty

2010-09-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we let it go. This suburban was soooo good to us this past 6 years. Scott is blaming it all on me why it's gone. Why do I feel so bad replacing it? It must be for all the memories tagging along with it over the years. It is the only vehicle we have known through babies, San Francisco, 1000 mile road trips, and hot date nights if you know what I mean......

We actually did have a moment of silence last night as the new owners drove it away.

Then I got over it really fast because it was a huge vehicle to drive. Sorry.

I guess we're moving on and up.

We love you '94 teal suburban and won't forget you.

A reminder

2010-09-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

How does time fly by so fast? I came across these pictures of the boys from a few years ago and can't believe they were ever so little. Karson's cheeks at this age are award winning and I think he got that from me. I sure love these boys. I miss them now that they are gone all day at school....... everyday. Sad.

It is so weird that Jade wasn't in our family here and now our world revolves around her. I just want to savor each day with this little family of mine. I can't imagine them leaving one day ...... going on missions, getting married, becoming parents...... I can't even go there without losing my mind (even though I know that is the ultimate goal for each of them). It makes me want to remember to do the things that matter most while I do have them with me. With each child I swear I have become such a better mother. Maybe that is why we should have big families so that we can master the job.

I treasure these children with all my heart.

One year older....

2010-08-31T12:31:00.001-07:00

So here are a few pictures from my Girls night out Birthday celebration!

The melting pot was delicious and the perfect place to go with friends. It was a very late night and very entertaining. Thanks ladies you are all so great!

Me holding my very own fondue plate full of yummy treats. Oh yeah.

The ladies of the evening Kera, Miah, Jocelyn, Regan and I.

Thanks for making me feel special by planning this Reg. You are the sweetest.

Kael and I have our birthday's only a few days apart so...........

Part 2

I have a 7 YEAR OLD!!!!!!

Kael with all his buddies at Laser Quest. Such a good group of boys.

They came out and toilet papered the birthday boy! SO funny!

Karson claimed the title for both tossing games and won this certificate as a prize.

Excited to go in....... and a little confused after 100 instructions.

We sure love this boy! He is so sweet and one of a kind!

Happy Birthday Kael!

Love Lives On

2010-08-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to say goodbye to those we love so much. The tears keep coming every time I think of this wonderful man I got to call Grandpa. He lived a great life and influenced so many people for good. He will be greatly missed, and I know that as long as there are memories that he will live on in our hearts. I love you Grandpa and am so grateful for the time my children did have with you these past few years. I am so grateful for these pictures and will cherish them forever.

I have peace knowing where you are and that we will meet again.

Kael & Grandpa.

Grandpa meeting our little Jade for the first time.

I love this picture of my grandparents.

All of us together for a visit.

Grandma you are in our prayers. Stay strong, we love you.

My Grandpa & Grandma holding Jenny's twins.

I always looked forward to family time with my Grandpa. He was one in a million and will be so greatly missed.

Twenty....... what?

2010-08-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this is my last birthday in my twenties! What! That is not cool at all. I don't like getting old. On the other hand I love my life and what these past 28 years have brought me. I'm a mother of 3 little perfect children. I'm married to a dentist..... that was lucky. He also happens to be my best friend and I love him more & more each day. Except for yesterday when he told me that, "No, I could not join Villa Sport fitness center & Spa". I'm only kind of joking here:) Hint. Hint.

Today was a great day. It included dinner out with the hubby, fancy blue toes from a pedicure, beautiful red roses, cards, cupcakes, birthday phone calls, and visits from friends! Lots of love.

I'm looking forward to a fun night out with girls tomorrow thanks to Regan!

Here are a few pictures from my birthday events today.

Showing off the roses and baby blue toes.......

Thanks everyone for a great 29th birthday!

'Brigs' no more....

2010-08-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

Scott will have to find his little brother Seth a new nickname now that he's a bachelor no more. "Brigham" has caught him self quite the catch as you can see in the pictures. We couldn't be more happy for them both and they really do make a perfect couple. We are so glad we were able to be there for their temple sealing and share that special moment with family.

You had the most beautiful wedding day ever Seth & Ashleigh. We love you both.

The reception was held at Scott's parents house in Dillon. They had beautiful sunflowers planted all over the yard and set up cute tables like this one.

This is the only picture I have of the little girls in their dresses Joan made for them! Aren't they so darling? Check out those triplets too-- so cute!

Some of Ashleigh's extended family were not able to come to the wedding so they had a ring ceremony for them before the reception. The scenery was amazing!

Here he is, a new man and not even married quite yet...... I 've never seen a guy take such a liking to gardening so fast! Oh the things you do for love!

It sure paid off though.......

Here they are with all their handsome nephews! I wonder what their chances of adding more boys to the family is?

I loved this old window with their names on it, Suzanne's friend made it.

and the beautiful yummy cake of course.

All these cute things made me want to rewind and re-do my wedding! Oh the things you learn too late.

Congrats Seth & Ashleigh. Enjoy your honeymoon in Maui!

Lake 5 Reunion

2010-08-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

This was the first time all of my family has been together in a long long time. Lake 5 will be no stranger to us in the future I'm sure. We had such a great family reunion and the kids were in heaven at the beach, on the boat, riding bikes, roasting marshmallows and just simply playing together. I am so grateful my family and I really do think I have the best family in the World.

It was so hard to drive away. Oh the tears......

Thanks Mom & Dad for the best week ever and for organizing it all.

Here's a high 5 for lake 5 for the original Williams 5!

That was cheesy wasn't it?

Regan took family pictures for everyone. This one Scott snapped on our fancy little camera.

I can't wait to see hers!

This was our little cozy cabin for the week..... cute isn't it!

The camping diva....

The boys both tried water skiing for the first time. I was so proud of them!

That uncle Brian is quite possibly the best uncle out there! He was in the water helping all 10 kids go skiing! Thanks Brian.

Me trying to look warm...... it was pretty chilly the first few days. Trying to tan anyway?

This picture may be disturbing to those who don't know us well.....

Yes, Scott is wearing XXL thrift store leopard panties (or in other words used panties) with a real fox tail attached. Isn't he foxy?

The best white elephant night ever. Pretty much died laughing!

Grandpa being a good sport for the kids......

Grandma Sharon and a little heartbreaker.

Nothing like a good Go-Cart race....

Am I seeing things or does our tiny little princess have knock knees??

so funny!

More pictures to come.......

14,110 ft.

2010-07-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you Cog Railway for a memorable day!

3 hours and 10 minutes by train to go 14,110 ft to the top of Pikes Peak and down again. The boys were excited to ride their first train....... and up a huge mountain to top it off! The scenery was amazing and so was the weather luckily. Scott's brother and his wife requested this activity for the day and we are so glad they did. The view from the top was pretty amazing. Poor little Jade missed out today....... but holding her on my lap for that long would have killed me and all on board!

Here we are ready to go!

Isn't this little Red train cute...... I thought so.

You don't even know the work behind getting these boys to smile and hold still for a picture! I guess they were just sitting for the last 2 hours......

Never thought we'd see Shawn & Annette set foot in Colorado. We are so happy they came. It was Annette's very first time ever flying on a plane....... and it was all to come and get tortured by Scott in the dental chair! Sorry Annette.

The night ended with another first, eating at " The Melting Pot". Let's just say it did not disappoint!

Just a tip: don't ever take two naughty boys out to eat for 2 hours at this expensive Restaurant!

a real "Gem"

2010-07-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that next week our precious little Jade will turn 2. She is the most vibrant, funny, smart, sweet, sneaky, and loving little girl. I cannot imagine life without her. She is talking so much and doesn't miss a beat. She has even made it on the potty a few times this week so I am very proud of her ..... she'll do anything for candy! She still sleeps around 14 hours every night which is unreal. She is such a happy, bubbly little girl always giggling and hopping around the house. She will always be our precious Gem just like the stone she was named after. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of her.

Little Miss Jade Elaine.

A daddy's girl for sure.

I love this outfit. Bloomers and all.

Her "something's wrong " face......

So cute trying to wear Mommy's shoes.

So sneaky trying to dodge the camera....

Please stop growing so fast little girl!!

Montana Bound

2010-07-14T10:03:00.001-07:00

So Grandma Joan had our two wild boys in Montana for 2 weeks this summer. Kael and Karson were so excited to go and didn't miss us one tiny bit. Sad. That just tells you how awesome their grandparents are and uncle Seth of course, they are so lucky to have them. We had quite the vacation here in Colorado with only little Jade around. She was pretty bored without those brothers of hers.

The boys were in farm heaven. I guess a farming lifestyle is inevitable for this little family of ours. It's just a matter of when?

These pictures are from Grandpa and would only download to this size. Darn it.

The boys with Uncle Seth.

Kael shot and killed 30 gophers........... who knew a Red Rider BB gun could do so much damage!

Karson rode Smokey as much a possible. He loves horses.

Here are the boys and their "Super Grandma"

I just had to show off this cute little dress that Joan made for Jade! It is so darling.

Trying to get a smiling picture of this little runt = impossible.

Thanks Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Seth for taking such good care of the little rascals. These boys sure can't wait to come see you all in 2 weeks!

1st Bank with Dad

2010-07-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

The boys have been asking for a while if they can put their money in the bank like their dad does.

So Scott decided to take them in and open up savings accounts for them last month. Kael was so excited, he has earned quite a lot of money from his daily chores over the past few years! He loves to help clean. Karson was kind of sad when he looked in his treasure box where he keeps his money and only saw a few dollars. He is always opting out of doing chores and work. I kind of felt bad ...... but maybe this will be a good lesson for him and he will want to "earn it" like his brother.

Here they are so excited to go in and get started.

Karson had to bring in his treasure chest with fake coins in it also. Hilarious.

We decided to jump start the boys accounts by giving them these.....

They counted out every last penny and handed it over.....

They were so cute. Kael wants to save up $500 to buy a calf from grandpa Mike one day.

Karson wants a cat.....?

Red, white, and ...... blue.

2010-07-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Okay...... I didn't decorate with a ton of blue because then I can't count it as a Canadian celebration as well. Aren't I sneaky? I am actually very proud to call both countries my home. My little family is definitely more American then Canadian these days.

I am out numbered 4 to 1!

Our 4th was filled with yummy food, decadent desserts, great friends & family, a few tornado warnings, topped off with 100% rain, and some sad attempts at fireworks while hiding in cars!

So we had July 5th fireworks instead and everyone showed up for some fun. My camera died so I only have a few pics from the night. Hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend! We sure did.

Daddy's little American girl.

I'm pretty sure this little stud is an American too........

Some of the patriotic "decor" for the big party.

Did you guys know that Martha Stewart came to our party and delivered this cake made from scratch? Yep. We feel lucky to have our very own Martha around a.k.a. Regan. She doesn't mess around as you can tell. The cake was huge and delicious!

A few good men.......

2010-06-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

....... that I have been lucky enough to have in my life have been on my mind.

I am so grateful for the impact and powerful influences these men have had in my life. I feel confident and secure everyday because of the unconditional love shown to me growing up. I truly think my DAD set the standard for being selfless. Never ever thinking of himself. I AM who I am today because of his example, testimony, love, and guidance. I love being around you Dad, and I love the man you are. Thank you for being your best for me, and for your constant support and push for me to be better. I love and adore you more than you know. Happy late Father's Day.

Call me extra lucky I guess. Not only did I get one amazing dad...... I got 2! This man has loved me and treated me like gold from day one. He has made home not seem so far away and I love him for that. A burly Cowboy with the Biggest heart you'll ever find. I don't know a more generous, loving, person. Sure love you Grizz.

Last, but certainly NOT least is this good looking man that stole my heart long ago. He has exceeded every expectation of mine as a husband, father, provider, and best friend. All of our kids look identical to him (his reward I guess). Thank you for being a family man, and always putting us first. We always love when you are home......... even if you are sitting in that chair ;) Happy Father's day!

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

For Memorial weekend we were invited by our good friends the Anderson's to go up to Tarryall Colorado and stay the night in a cabin that they had rented. It was so beautiful and the kids had so much fun together! I think we need to do this every Memorial weekend from now on. The sunny weather and scenery made this trip worth it! The highlight for me was staying up until 1:30 in the morning eating s'mores and hot dogs, melting glass bottles, laughing & talking about pretty much everything, and enjoying a toasty warm campfire with great friends! I felt young again......... until 6:3o when the kids woke up.

Thanks Brian and Miah for such a great time!! We can't wait to do it again.

Karson chillin' and fishin at the same time.

Connor and Kael

Scott and his boys

Kael being very patient for a bite......... no luck.

The cute cabin we all stayed in.

Check out the beautiful scenery in this picture. It was stunning.

These kids are pretty cute too!!

"Sun" day

2010-05-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

I love when the Sun is shining on Sundays. Especially since it has been raining, snowing, and hailing for the past week....... oh, and freezing. The kids were so cute this morning, they were ready for church on time and early enough to take Jade for a stroll around the block. They looked so cute I had to catch the moment since most Sunday mornings for me are frantic, rushed, and stressful. I love these little souls, I looked at them today and couldn't believe they are temporarily mine. They are my treasures.

This little girl has the best big brothers!

Jade is loving the trampoline these days....... too bad it's ripping to pieces.

Scott's attempted flip thingy? The landing was even worse.

Me showing the boys a real back flip! ha.

See, Kael is standing in the hazardous zone...... where the springs fly off at any given second!

Looks like we will be buying our second trampoline this summer and not at Wal-mart

Who am I ?

2010-05-10T15:25:00.001-07:00

" The best moments in life are when I am relaxing in my massage chair, drinking a frosty cold Coke or diet Pepsi, wearing my favorite handmade moccasin slippers, browsing the internet while watching 48 hrs mystery on t.v., and just kicking back in my bright orange ball cap. I really like it best when I don't have to get up or be disturbed during these types of moments."

WHO am I ?

If you don't have a clue who this is supposed to be then you don't know us very well at all.

This is hilarious only if your not married to it..........

Where is the "good" in Goodbye?

2010-05-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously- why is it called that. I can't think of anything good about saying goodbye.

On the other hand I am trying to look at the positives here. Having my big sister move in three doors away this past year has been delightful. I never imagined I would ever have any of my sisters so close, and for that I will be forever grateful. You see, I am the baby of the family and have always looked up too my siblings. They have all been amazing examples to me and I love the time I have had throughout the years growing closer to them. I really do have the BEST family. Jenny, thanks for the best year ever. I love your kids to pieces and am glad they know who I am now:)

Another positive is I am spoiled enough to have Joel here still- don't think about going anywhere brother.

We all had so much fun together and made some great Colorado memories!

Change is inevitable.

Jenny & Josh we love you both! Those Canadians better treat you right........

We had to snap a few pictures the past few days because we had NO pictures together?

The boys have sure been living it up this last weekend with their cousins!

One last hurrah on Sunday night together. This picture is for just for you Josh.....

Introducing the Chipmunks & Chipettes live! They made their own rock band this weekend. It was so cute to watch............ they all love music so much!

Okay. " Sadbye" to you. I love you Jenny Anne. Don't have too much fun without me. Come visit me soon. Send me lots of chocolate and chips and Superstore goodies for therapy. I may go into a deep depression and need some of that stuff...... you never know?

Truth be known

2010-04-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

So Jenny and I had a special little moment today...... and by special I mean real. You all know how real life as a mom can be, but you rarely talk about it or blog about it. Blogging is a perfect way to cover up so many little secrets of how we really go about our day.

Jenny had this fabulous idea of challenging all of you bloggers out there to post something real, not perfect, not edited, not something your proud of, but real.

I guess I get to go first....... lucky me. Today I was in the playroom with kids and I glanced down to see something that looked strange and kind of reminded me of, well, what poop looks like. I grabbed a DVD case and flicked it around to see what it was. Well, I really can say this was a first. It was not only poop, it was petrified poop. Yep, I really am a superstar cleaner and managed to not notice that someone at some point pooped upstairs and then left it to dry. Best part of the story is my sister was right there with me and witnessed it all unfolding. WE laughed so hard. She too has found some fun surprises over the years............ how refreshing.

I love those moments. They are what makes life interesting.

I love you Jenny. I know you will still send your kids over.......... for one more week. Then I have to replace you cause your leaving me. It really isn't possible though. You are the real deal. I love that.

Thanks for laughing with me today.

The big 5

2010-04-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Karson is 5! What a big boy. He had such a special birthday on Friday and really felt the love from great friends, cousins, and grandma & grandpa! He was a little surprised to find Grandma Joan and Grandpa Mike standing at the door on Thursday night asking if they were too late for the big party. His face was stunned, confused, and priceless. What a lucky boy to have them around for his special day.

Karson asked for a Scooby Doo birthday this year. It really was a great day. It's always so busy to plan it all and make everything perfect. We sure do love this little boy, he always will be our little pistol and completely unpredictable. He is stubborn and smart, and oh so full of charm!

Happy Birthday little man.

The kids playing the "Mummy wrap game"

Jade peeking at Karson the scary Mummy.......

Some of the fun food we did - fruit kabobs and puppy chow.

The birthday boy and Scooby Doo.

His favorite present was from Beau and Hillary......... 2 pet fish! He named them Daphne and Scooby. Bad news is they both already died. It was a three day present....... were not very good at this stuff (I 'm assuming.)

Karson snuggling with G & G. They are so cute.

We love you Karson Scott.

Too much?

2010-04-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

I know summer's not here yet but I just couldn't resist the urge. I have NEVER painted my fingernails any color before ........... so this is kind of a bold start. Maybe it would work better if I wasn't wearing a neon green shirt today.

So.............

Is orange hot, or not?

I may just hold off until I have somewhat of a tan, and then put it on my toes instead:)

Vegas Victims

2010-03-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

" What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Well, it all makes perfect sense to me now. It's your MONEY. These two proved that theory all too well. They gambled......... and lost. It's a good thing Scott read " The World's Greatest Blackjack Book" before he went. It really, really helped him lose more money.

I know they had a great weekend..... but I'm pretty sure that's their first and last trip to Vegas together.

They were really looking forward to watching BYU play for the title. Too bad they let them down.

Can't complain too much though, they still saw some good basketball!

Everything Spring

2010-03-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

I love spring. The bright colors, the almost green grass, the sunburn at the park, and the fact that Easter is almost here.

Today sure felt like spring. I tried to soak it in because tomorrow we may have snow. We don't really have April showers here in Colorado, we have April snowstorms. So hopefully ......

high elevation = intensified sunshine = melting of snow.

I thought Jade looked very "spring" today.

Kael's spring picture was definitely fridge worthy, don't you think?!

He even colored around each letter of his name. Perfection.

Blue blue sky and a little munchkin.

My favorite picture of the day. I love this beautiful girl of mine.

Robin's egg blue is one of the best colors ever I have to say.

Especially this time of year.

A little luck

2010-03-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

Scott got lucky 10 years ago on his mission in Kentucky and found this four leaf clover. When we met in Utah a few years later he decided to make a bookmark with it. So he used this silly picture of me to make it look like I was holding the clover. So I guess this was the luck he had been waiting for.

Oh the things you do when your in love.

The quote on the bookmark says, " The most precious gift that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart."

So cheesy but cute.

Girls retreat in San Francisco

2010-03-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

All of us dental wives reunited, no kids, money to spend, in the city we love= perfection.

We always said we would stay close and eventually ALL make it back to the city together. I am proud to say we did it, and it was a blast! These girls are amazing. Crazy to think all these ladies are so dear to me and it's all because our husbands got into dental school the same year?! I sure got lucky. I can't wait to do it again! Thanks ladies for a perfect weekend:)

Here we are. We don't miss our kids and you can tell.

We waited 2 hours to eat this...... and boy was it worth every minute! The Monte Cristo at Mama's.

All of us in front of the Carter's home where we stayed for the weekend. They were way too good to us. So grateful for their generosity....... I just wish we could have spent more time with them.

The classic Ghirardelli chocolate sundae........ the only thing we could afford in the city during dental school!

Sunny Lombard Street.

......... and Juliana catching me being a dork as usual. At least the bridge looks amazing because I don't really know what I am doing?

What a beauty

2010-03-12T20:17:00.001-08:00

I had to share this adorable picture. This is my beautiful mother when she was 16 or so. I haven't seen very many pictures of her when she was young and so........ I fell in love with everything about this picture. Check out her style. That is by far the cutest costume I've ever seen, in fact I want her shoes. So cute! How can it be that she has stayed so gorgeous after all these years? Your such a beauty Mom, inside and out.

So blessed to be your daughter......... just look at those legs;)

February visitors

2010-02-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity this month to have a few of our good friends from dental school stop by for an evening. It is always so good to catch up with everyone and their growing families. We had a great night with all of you and wish we could do this more often. It is never enough time together, but is better than nothing:)

Natalie A. you do not even look pregnant? Wait ....... aren't you due soon?

Gotta love these gals!

Thanks for taking the time to come see us.

"The dentists."

and a quite the load of kids.......

and very cute kids they are!

Valentines

2010-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Happy Valentines Weekend!

We have so much love to send to many wonderful friends, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandma's, grandpa's, and cousins everywhere!

Boys and Basketball

2010-02-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

The boys started basketball a few weeks ago. It is so funny to watch Karson play, at least he goes out and tries this year. If he doesn't have the ball he gets bored and runs off the court. He doesn't like to pass...... or maybe it's just because their telling him to? He is the tallest on his team and has been scoring lots! Scott has told the boys they get a dollar every time they score. Uh....... he can't keep that rule up forever. Don't worry we know it's not ALL about scoring :)

These boys have a lot of years ahead playing sports together.

Now here's a little baller. Kael is loving basketball, he scored 5 baskets his last game. He really is very athletic ..... we are so proud of him!

It's fun when they start to love the game and understand how to play it.

To keep the boys busy we also have them in swimming lessons right now. They love the water and are doing great. It's all making sense why they have been going to bed in a snap ;)

Discoveries

2010-02-04T13:19:00.001-08:00

You know how sometimes you just find things you can't live without?

I was thinking of some yesterday and thought they just might be worth sharing. So here are some of our latest discoveries.

Diet or regular lemonade at chick-fil-a. SO GOOD.

"Shores" from hapari.com. Modest under shirts with a new twist. I can't imagine life without them!

Blurb.com - print your blog into a book. Easy and addicting. (thanks Jenny)

Panini Grill from Williams & Sonoma. Oh my, dinner has been divine since we welcomed this baby into the family! Get one.

The food network show " Diners, Drive In's, and Dives "...... we love to torture ourselves by watching delicious food being cooked at different restaurants all over the country.

Tylenol PM. Yep this one's for Scott. He doesn't have to hear me get up with the kids at night anymore thanks to these little blue pills. Isn't he thoughtful?

P90x. Love/hate relationship here. I didn't know my butt had so many muscles..... or places it could hurt:) If you've ever wondered if it works...... IT DOES!

Project Runway. I love seeing the creativity and style from these people. Some are crazy, some are fabulous.

The Wing Stop. Has by far the best lemon pepper wings and garlic fries. Too DIE for.

Magnalite Roasting pot. High performance cookware that I got from Scott's mom for Christmas. Roast's cooked in these are out of this world! Check it out at wagnerware.com.

I think that's all for now. ENJOY!

Tiny

2010-01-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Tiny, that is her nickname for the time being. This little girl may be very small but is definitely running this household! She is already climbing up chairs to sit on the kitchen table so that she doesn't miss out on all the action. She gives the best KISSES you'll ever see, but it is all on her own terms. Seriously, if she doesn't want to she'll just smack you away instead. It's ALL or nothing with her! Scott has asked for kisses since Tiny turned 6 months old. He has been very patient with this little woman, but it was all worth the wait.

Oh, I forgot to mention how much she enjoys SUGAR. That one is not from me folks- Scott has a serious candy problem. Dr. What?

Mysterious eyes. They aren't brown or blue but a very light green maybe?

We love the sassy, sweet little person that she is and always will be.

2010-01-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had a great night with delicious food and lots of fun! The blanket toss was a hit for the kids....... okay I tried it too! So much fun, a kids dream..... and no injuries (thank heavens).

The kids had balloon sword fights and a dance party as well.

Then we had a pretend count down for them around 9:00.

We were so grateful to have family to celebrate with this year.

It will be exciting to see what 2010 has in store.....

We wish you all the very best in the new year.

My snowmen

2009-12-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a picture of my cute little snowmen and their friend " sparky " from a few weeks ago when we got a lot of snow. It is so fun to just forget everything for the moment and go outside to play, laugh, and create with these boys. They really are sweet (mostly when they are separated from one another).

So much for snow this past week, it has been so warm outside! I sure hope we get snow for Christmas. A whole lot of it.

Santa's Workshop

2009-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Scott took Kael, Karson, and Beau up to Santa's workshop on his day off. The boys had a blast riding all the Christmas themed rides, visiting with Santa, and eating lots of treats. This place makes me want to be little again! I would highly recommend it to any visitors (hint hint) and it's open year round. It is up in the mountains, so the scenery is beautiful.

I love Christmas time.

Beau riding a reindeer.

I just love this picture. Beau's face says it all. Serious business.

Front seats on the candy cane roller coaster.

Karson on the rocket ride.

Flying around on the Christmas tree ride!

This is always one of the kids favorite rides. You can see how beautiful it is in the background!

A great way to start out December!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-26T20:10:00.001-08:00

What a day to be thankful for! Our first "real thanksgiving" with more than just our mouths to feed! I would call today a huge success. No drama in the kitchen ....... and fantastic friends and family to share the day with. It doesn't get much better than that.

To top it off it was a gorgeous day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Joel and Regan's newest addition wanted to say hello. Anderson you are too cute!

Here is our top turkey chef. He did a fantastic job!

Showing off my potato masterpiece. I just love the serving bowl.

The women of the kitchen, Jenny, Regan, myself, and Kera. I love these ladies. Look at that feast!

Scott and his little gal enjoying the food.

Hope you all had a wonderful day.

Celebrating 8 great years in VEGAS!

2009-11-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

November is always an exciting month because we plan something fun for our anniversary. Well, Scott was full of mischief and tricks this year. He planned a surprise weekend away with no kids to Las Vegas! He did all the planning of having Grandma Joan come to watch the kids and other details without me knowing. I eventually figured it out and was so excited! I am so lucky to have such an adventurous and thoughtful husband. We had such a great weekend and I felt so spoiled and pampered. Scott had purchased tickets to Phantom, Jersey Boys, the PBR finals, and the Beatles cirque du soleil! We have never in our 8 years of marriage experienced such delicious food, exciting entertainment, and weird people all in one weekend before. It will be the anniversary to beat!!

The Phantom was my favorite show by far, it's so romantic.

The PBR rodeo finals were awesome! (Scott's favorite for sure)

We won't mention how many bills slipped into that machine?!

The Titanic exhibit was amazing.

We felt like we were in Italy staying at this hotel.

The Palazzo is out of this world beautiful! I loved staying there and hope to go back one fine day.

It really was the perfect getaway. Thanks babe for an unforgettable romantic weekend! Love you!

Oh Canada how I love thee!

2009-11-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

I have so much to catch up on over the last month. Wow. It was the busiest 4 weeks ever but also the very best! I was able to see lots of family and friends when I went home to Canada. Can I just say how much I love that place! Waterton was amazing. We had a late Thanksgiving there together and it was great (but not complete without Joel and Regan). I was not sure what to do with myself most of the time having only one child to take care of ......... Scott had the boys in Montana. He is so good to me, and he survived the week with two crazy little boys, which is impressive.

I also got to spend some one on one time with my sister Emily and her darling family. We have never really had the opportunity to just really catch up and enjoy our time together. It was fun to stay up late and chat, watch girlie movies, go out shopping, or just sing our hearts out and be goofy. It was perfect. I love you Em thanks for everything.

Here is everyone slaving away in the kitchen for our big turkey dinner........

My gorgeous sisters and Mother.

Grandma with Jade "Elaine" her namesake.

We got creative and that is supposed to be Joel in the middle?

All siblings together ......... almost.

Waterton. My favorite place. Pretty amazing to see the wildlife this close.

Nadine and the cutest little bowl cut boy you've ever seen!

Emily and I.

Her youngest boy Seth, so cute!

Emily and I having a photo shoot on her farm with the perfect tire swing!

This moment sure made it hard to leave.

I had so many pictures and so little time to post this. I am so grateful for my amazing family and for the time I had to spend with each of you! I love you all!

This girl loves to dance...

2009-10-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

and........these are her first pig tails!

So I finally caught Jade on video busting her moves. It is so funny because she will only do it to this song! This is just a glimpse of it, she usually will dance the entire song if I'm not right there with a camera in her face. Still so cute though! Enjoy!

Hiking the Manitou Incline

2009-10-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, some of my friends talked me into getting up at 6:00 am to hike a 2,011 ft vertical incline........ which meant climbing 5,000 steps straight up this mountain. It was so beautiful outside and made it worth all the pain. After reaching the top we ran 3 1/2 miles back down. It felt so good and I would totally go do it again with you girls, so until next time........

Here we are at the beginning..... it was cold out and hard to breathe!

NO TRESPASSING SIGN. Doesn't seem to be stopping anyone.

Cool rock near the top...... gorgeous view.

Yes, scary steep. This guy is getting his butt kicked and that IS what we all looked like at this part of the incline!

At the TOP! Yeah...... now it's time to run back down the mountain (that part was so much easier).

I was so glad I made it. I really was wondering if I would?

Albuquerque Trip

2009-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks ago we went to New Mexico to visit our good friends the Sigmon's. We go way back with these guys and have great memories from the time we met in 2001 in good old Rexburg. It's one of those friendships you hoped would last, and did! We were excited to finally go visit them and have quality time with their beautiful family. We pretty much laughed hysterically the entire weekend!! We love you guys and had such a blast!

We went to the state fair and the boys loved it!

This is Kael's nervous smile.

All the kids sorting their goods.

Lance and Nicolette.

We got to ride up the mountain in this cool cable car, and enjoy an amazing dinner at the restaurant at the top of it! Yummy. Best date night ever. Oh ..... and we also got MAC makeovers before so we could look sassy.

Lance and Scott getting ready to go dove hunting out in a cornfield.

Scott holding his two dead doves. poor little birds.

The true cowboy holding his prize also (he shot more than that).

I can't believe we didn't have little Jaelyn in this girly shot!!

It was so great to see you guys and we can't wait to come visit again soon! You are the best host/cook ever Nic! Love ya!

Can't keep up

2009-09-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

We always have something going on it seems......... and I have missed out on posting about some major things. Like having my sister move all the way from Canada and becoming my new neighbor! Never in a million years did I see that one coming. Now that she is here with her family, I'm afraid I might not survive again without her........... I'll just have to pretend she's never going to leave I guess. Just wait, it even gets better my brother and his wife also moved into our neighborhood in July and so yes, I am feeling very spoiled, but also very deserving of having my siblings close by. I don't have any pictures of all of us yet because we actually see each other more than 2 times a year now....... so who needs pictures?

I feel very blessed to be able to have family close by, and I know I will not waste a minute while they are here. Colorado is obviously where the party is at right now if you haven't noticed!

Here's the cousins: Kael, Beau, Hillary, Karson and Maguire.

Adding to the fun this month we had a visit from Grandpa & Grandma Probst. They drove 1000 miles to come see us and had to leave after 3 days to drive back to Montana. We had so much fun with you guys and wish you could've stayed longer! Scott hates it when you leave...... he kind of turns into a little baby when you go.

We love you and are so grateful that you always make time to come see us!

Grandma and Karson baking together.

Grandma took Jade in the hot tub for the first time!

Grandpa trying to cuddle with a feisty little girl!

Come again soon!

You've had a Birthday.......

2009-08-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Shout hooray!

Let the pampering begin! My sweet little boys were all ready to give me some extra lovin' on my birthday! They picked me out these gorgeous roses and were so excited to surprise me! What a perfect start to a perfect day! Scott let me sleep in and got the boys dressed, fed and all ready for school. He was so sweet and brought home breakfast.......... had a pizza party organized for lunch with family there, and spoiled me with great presents!

This year I even got a CAKE!! Thanks babe. Turning 28 wasn't so bad after all.

Me and my cake.

Regan - Thanks for cute shirt! You know I loved it if I went and put it on two minutes later!!

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who made me feel SO loved on my birthday! You know who you are!! xoxo

KAEL'S PIRATE PARTY!!

I wanted Kael to have an awesome birthday this year....... and I think he did. Turning 6 is a BIG DEAL. We sure love this handsome, athletic, happy, smart, and loving boy! He will always be the best big brother and example in our home. Happy Birthday Kael!! We love you.

He wanted a treasure chest cake ....... so here it is.

He loved it!

We were praying for a HOT day so the kids could all play on our crazy water slide treehouse!

They had such a blast together!

Pirate buddies.... Karson and Beau.

He look so big in this picture.......

Happy birthday my boy!

Early to bed, early to rise......

2009-08-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

School Time has arrived!

The boys have started school this week and are so excited. Kael thinks school is "AWESOME"!

Karson is very proud to have three pet guinea pigs in his classroom! This week has been great so far and I am excited for them to learn and make new friends this year. The boys are both happy with their teachers and we haven't had any melt downs yet (except for when I forgot to pack Kael a snack the first day of school........ he was a little emotional about that).

This is all new to me, so hopefully I will keep up with it all!

So here they are, first day of school, 7:40 am, sleepy eyes, new clothes and Big smiles!!

Way to go boys, we love you!

Birthday Princess.

2009-07-28T20:00:00.003-07:00

Here is our birthday princess! She turned one today! I was so excited to make a PINK cake.

This little girl has brought so much love and joy into our family. She is starting to show her little personality more and we just can't get enough of it! She loves to clap her hands and get attention from everyone. If we are in heaven now I can't even imagine what it will be like when she turns three! We sure love our baby girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADE!

Her very pink butterfly cake!

Scott cuddling with his favorite girl.

Jade and I posing with the cake!

She grabbed that cake so fast and was loving every bite!

I love it when they dig right in!

An attempted family picture. Thanks Regan, I almost forgot to try!

Quietly enjoying the goods.

What a great day! Thanks to everyone who sent or gave Jade presents to make her day special!

Crazy Colorado weather

2009-07-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Houses have been struck by lightning in our neighborhood. Tornado warnings aren't unusual ..... seek shelter underground. Our trampoline blew over and broke our fence. Giant hail storms that will hurt you when you try to run out and collect evidence. Scattered thunder showers daily. Always exciting I guess. Sometimes a little scary.

Our proof.

Kael was determined to find the biggest ones...... and came in crying because it hurt so bad!