Shiver ME Timbers!!

This email is rated PG13 for strong language SO BEWARE!

If there is one thing I HATE in this world these nasty creatures are IT! I know hate is a strong word but I can definitely apply it to all spiders...THEY ARE NASTY!

This guy has made a BIG web outside one of our windows and we get to watch it. I first saw it when I climbed the ladder to replace a bulb, and just about died. My boys think it is great and love to check on it. They climb onto the bathroom counter and look out the window to see if it is still there. So now it has become like Charlotte's web.

I looked it up on the Internet and found out that it is a garden spider. They carry all there babies in the big shield on there rear ends. They die in late autumn and the babies live on. So I need it GONE soon. I definitely do not want a breed of those nasty critters around.

Also we have been dealing with a few funnel grass spiders and I am positive I have identified some hobos around too. I have only had like 5-6 in my house but that is WAY too many for me. The hobos and Grass are aggressive too. They seriously charge right into you when you try to kill them. It is very SCARY! My skin is crawling as I write. I am trying to be brave and not scream and freak out when they are around, I just squeal and wince. I don't want to pass my fear on to my boys. Easton tells me they are nice and good. He says we should just pick the up and put them outside. I say if they come into my house they will be sprayed or smashed, as long as they are outside they are fine, but they are not welcome inside. HMMMMMMM YUCK.

HOBO (the grass looks very similar)

BOTTOM LINE... I HATE, HATE, HATE them with a passion.

LOVE MY PHOTOGRAPHER

Love Heather Mickey. She is the greatest photographer. This photo session was a disaster. I had planned for it all day and it all fell apart at go time. Our session was at 5:45pm Mason, Grayson and I were there but Garet and Easton didn't come until the session was over. Heather quickly snapped a couple of shots of us as a family and Easton solo and I tell you what SHE ROCKS! It takes an awesome photographer to be able to get something like these when your clients aren't helpling you out much.

I especially LOVE the last picture of the boys hands. Baby, toddler, boy. It tells a huge story for me. They are my angels and I always want to remember their sweet little hands.

Heather you really are amazing thanks for capturing our moments for us...we will cherish them forever.

Chocolate Waffles...GENIUS!

My sis. gave me a copy of her ward cookbook and a recipe for Chocolate Waffles was inside. It is DELISH! First of all anything with CHOCOLATE in the title has to be good. My boys love these. They are a good alternative to the monotonous pancake, waffle, french toast...breakfast. These are a breath of fresh air, and a good little treat. We like to top them with whip cream, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit, or with butter and syrup, homemade raspberry jam or plain. The options are endless. They also make a great after school treat. If you want the recipe let me know. YUMMMMMM!

1st day of pre-school

This is late, but better late than never. Easton started school big 4 year old pre-school. He LOVES it. His best little buddy Hunter is in is same class, he loves his teacher Mrs. Lori, and has made new friends and reconnected with old pals from last year. We have a ton of boys in our area, there is only one girl in Easton's class. I am not sure if she is lucky or unlucky. She is a cutie though. He has already learned so much. He can tell you the life of a caterpillar. 1. starts out as an egg, 2. a baby Caterpillar pops out, 3. eats leaves, 4. turns into a chrysalis or you can say cocoon, 4. and then after 2 weeks a beautiful butterfly comes out. He really enjoys learning and school. I have noticed that Easton very lucky with the ability to retain information. He gets this quality from is Dad. I would study, take the test, then poof it is gone. But Garet and Easton really learn and remember things. He is so grown up now. He is becoming a responsible young boy. He is learning manners, how to obey, and loves to take care of me. He is very thoughtful...he will say to me "Mom i noticed you are my beautiful, or I noticed you work hard, or I noticed I love you mom." whenever we leave the house he always opens the door and waits for me to come out, and closes the door behind us. Sometimes I will say go get in the car and he will just politely wait for me, patiently holding the door until I get all of us and our stuff out in the car. He has done this for about 1 1/2 years now. I didn't have to ask him to do this he just "noticed" I needed the help. It is a special thing for me. I could go on and on but the bottom line is...I LOVE YOU EASTON.

It happened TODAY Litte baby Gray cut his first 2 teeth. I am a little sad about this because those cute little baby gums are gone. Your baby grows up faster when the teeth come. They transform almost overnite, it seems, from baby to toddler. So today is a big day. I am happy about it as well because he has been a grumpy little baby. I know he is getting 6 teeth all at once and I am very happy that 2 came in at the same time. But still my baby is growing up and it makes me sad!!!

Reaching milestones early

SLOW down baby Gray. He is in a hurry to grow up. I want my baby to stay a baby but he has bigger plans. This llittle guy is already CRAWLING! He started rolling and army crawling at 5 months...REALLY. And now he is full on crawling. He figured this out just before turning 7 months old and now he has got it down. FULL ON knees and hands crawling. It is so cute. He is still a little bambi like. A little tipsy and clumsy but he knows how to do it and LOVES to practice his new found freedom. He just turned 7 months old 10 days ago and perfected the skill of crawling about 3 days ago. Time to get the stair gate out, here comes trouble.
A few other things he began early are:
drinking from a glass at 5 months
Teething not just 2 teeth but 6 all coming at once
rolling over and moving
seperation anxiety 6 months
1 thing i WISH he would have figured out early is sleeping ALL night. I am partly to blame, his ear infections too,but I would LOVE to sleep all night long. Any tips anyone has I would love to hear.

Who should I call for HELP?????

I had just gotten home from a Costco trip and was unloading the car. The kids were following me in and out ,riding bikes and playing in the garage. I was talking to Meag on the phone and suddenly I hear Mason screaming at the back door. I run to the door and see him with a DART sticking from his temple on his head. YES A BIG SHARP DART! I hang up, grab him, and look at this object impelled in his head. I was just about to pull it out and then thought SHOULD I or SHOULDN'T I? In first aid they teach you not to pull out impelled objects. But what am I going to do? Garet is at the ranch, I can't strap him in the car and head to the E.R., 911...no. So I call the ranch no answer, call my dad...no answer,repeat this 3x to each. FINALLY they answer at the ranch but don't know where Garet is at. I tell them it is an emergency find him and have him call. Then my dad calls I tell him to come FAST. Then I remember in our other ward Danette who is a physicians assistant. I call her and she races over. (Thank you for awesome neighbors.)Right as she pulls the dart out my dad pulls up. RELIEF!!! Luckily the dart was under the skin and not deep into the head. He will be just fine.
HOLY COW SCARY!!! Just a bit farther and it woud have punctured his eye or...WORSE. It is scary what kids find and how quickly it can happen. I don't leave these things out. There is 1 box in the garage that is full of games and is too heavy for me to carry in, not a very good excuse.
So WARNING look around and find those things that can cause injury and get it out of there. I would never forgive myself for something I could have prevented. Kids get into enough mischief on their own.

MMM YUMMY

I LOVE Maddox steak house. It is so yummy. I especially craved this while pegnant with Easton. My sister and I would drive all the way to brigham city to get it. Turkey steak, baked potatoe, green salad with ranch, their famous cornbread and rolls, and the delish cream pies...mmm. So tonight I am making turkey steaks. I know they will not be as tasty as the real thing, but they will fill my need for them. Why is it nothing is as good as the real thing? Even if you buy all the stuff from the main place, it still never tates the same. Like olive garden salad. You can buy the dressing from the resturant but you can't get it the exact same. Well I am super hungry so I hope my turkey steaks cook FAST!