Todd & Diane Plus 4

February

2011-06-25T02:10:00.006-06:00

Hayden started sucking his thumb! We have never had a thumb-sucker in our family and now was not the time to start. So I would watch him for a minute and think how cute he was, then pull it out. He didn't like his binkie because his mouth was just to small for it. He would either gag or just couldn't keep it in. Luckily the thumb only lasted about a month and he grew into his binkie.
Hali had a science fair at school and was given the theme of Force and Motion. She was so excited to do this. She put a lot of time and effort into her project and did it mostly on her own.

Carter was invited to go play hockey one night with our neighbor. He has never been on skates, not even rollerskates! He was out on the ice for a few hours and fell A LOT! He yelled through the glass to me, "This is hard!!!" But he always jumped right back up and kept going. After all the warm-ups and drills, the boys played a game and he even scored a goal. He was pretty happy! I was impressed he stuck with it and didn't slow down. I would have thrown in the towel!

January

2011-06-25T01:06:00.008-06:00

Hayden is such a good little baby. He hardly ever cries and when he does, it's more like a whimper. He has been sleeping through the night since December 31and started smiling in January. He is always happy! I heard on the radio one day that a baby cries on average 112 minutes per day. I was so shocked! That's almost 2 hours!!! I think Hayden's whimpers are less than 30 minutes a day.
Paige loves to have him all to herself while Carter and Hali are at school. (Paige's boy doll is wearing one of Hayden's preemie outfits! He was so little!)
Carter and Todd started working on Carter's Pinewood Derby car about 3 weeks before the race. It turned out to be quite a family affair. Everyone was full of ideas for his car. Carter designed the shape, sanded it, helped tape off the tires, painted the undercarriage and helped put the decals on. Todd spent a lot of time on the paint, while Carter "supervised". They put a lot of time into it and had a fun time together. We all wore our BYU Basketball shirts to the race to cheer him on! (Thanks, Dad for the shirts!) We didn't bring him any luck, but we all had fun.

December

2011-06-24T22:56:00.016-06:00

One of my favorite traditions is decorating gingerbread houses. Our little family has done it for three years now. We got together with some of the Sanderson cousins and had a lot of fun.
On Christmas Eve, we went to visit Grandpa Durney (Todd's grandpa) who is 100 years old. He is an amazing man! The kids always love to go visit him and look at all of his wooden toys and trinkets he has made. 4 generations
For Christmas this year, Louise, Brad, and Julie came over. They stayed the night Christmas Eve and it was really fun to have them with us all day. The kids were really excited to see what Santa left for them. (Paige loves her candy!) Carter got an Air Hogs remote control helicopter and Beyblades & a stadium.

Hali got Bop-It Bounce (and something else the camera didn't catch). Paige got a guitar with a microphone and a Strawberry Shortcake remote control car. Trying out her sled....Hmmmm. Hayden got a turtle stuffed animal and diapers.

Hayden's Blessing

2011-03-17T12:33:00.009-06:00

Our baby was blessed and given the name of Hayden Rodney Pingel on December 5. Hayden comes from his Great Grandpa Sanderson's middle name and Rodney is his Grandpa Pingel's first name. Todd really liked a different name (Rockwell) and I was pretty sure he was going to change it during the blessing, but Hayden stuck. Phew!

We love our little guy! He has added such a wonderful spirit to our home. He is very content and loves his brother and sisters. It has been fun to watch Carter, Hali and Paige interact with Hayden. They are so gentle with him and very helpful. Todd and I are very blessed to have these 4 wonderful children in our lives!

We had great family support and thanks to everyone for being a part of our busy weekend!

Hali's Baptism

2011-03-17T11:22:00.003-06:00

Hali was baptized on December 4. She ended up waiting an extra month so she could be baptized the same weekend that Hayden was blessed. She was excited and memorized (pretty much word for word) the covenants she would be making with the Lord when she was baptized. She wanted to be ready for this big step. We are so happy that she chose to be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

We had great support from our families, making the day that much more special to Hali.

It was fun to all be together. The afternoon was filled with a little bit of everything.

Christmas Party

2011-03-17T10:21:00.004-06:00

We got together with the Sanderson's for a family Christmas Party on December 3. We ate yummy snacks and had a lot of fun! Mom & Dad were here and Blaine flew in from California to be apart of all the weekend activities. It was great to be together!
Hali, Brooke, and Kari moving M&M's with a straw.

We played a crazy game of pictionary! Here Kreed is drawing for Dad, Tatum, Dave and Kari. It was fun to see the kids draw. They are good little artists!
And you can't have a Christmas Party without White Elephant's! I love Hali in this picture! At this point, she still wasn't sure what hers was (year subscription to Western Horseman). Carter loved his CD player! We should have just wrapped it back up and given it to him for Christmas. Paige ended up getting the same present she took. She wanted the glasses so bad that she was willing to go take them from Kent during the game!

Dad, Koy, Kent, Brooke and Paige modeling their stuff! We had a fun time!

One Month Old

2011-03-16T20:53:00.003-06:00

I am attempting some major catch-up....again! As I was going through pictures, I came across a few that reminded me just how little Hayden was. I can't believe how much he has grown! These pictures are at 1 month old. His onesie is way to big, he has little bird legs, and is still so cute! He loves to snuggle in, hardly ever cries, and has advanced to a "big baby" carseat. I love how my hand covers his back. He was such a little guy!

About Hayden

2010-11-05T10:18:00.000-06:00

Before we could leave the hospital, we were informed that we would need to buy a special car seat for Hayden since he weighed less than 5 lbs. The bad thing was that he would only need it for a few weeks. It's the weirdest looking thing. Not sure how it's more safe, but what do I know!
We had our first experience with jaundice the day after he got home from the hospital. He had to be on the bililight for 4 days. It was a perfect excuse to just sit and hold him all day!
Hayden got down to 4 lbs. 11.5 oz. At his 2 week check-up, he was up to 5 lbs. 3 oz. His clothes are all so big on him. But I love that he is so little! The little newborn stage will just last that much longer and that makes me happy.

Life is good! Really good!!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:28:00.003-06:00

Our Baby

2010-10-22T08:48:00.004-06:00

Our little baby Hayden was born on Tuesday, October 12 at 6:31 pm. He weighed 4 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19" long. I went in for a Dr. appointment Monday afternoon and was sent to the hospital to be started. It was such a long 26 hours! I was put on magnesium to prevent seizures and the side effects were horrible. But through it all, Hayden was a rock! He surprised us and the nurses with his strong and steady heart rate, never dropping once. For 3 weeks early, he is healthy and strong and his lungs are fully developed. We are so blessed to have had everything go so well. We are loving having him in our family. He is definately not starving for attention! We all love holding and kissing him.

Carter's Birthday

2010-10-16T16:42:00.005-06:00

Carter turned 10 this year, no longer in the single digits. He wanted dirt cake which we all liked since it was something other than "cake."

After he opened up all his presents, he walked Grandma Pingel out to her car and on the way back, Todd asked him if he was happy with all his presents and he said, "Yeah, but I would have liked a skateboard, too." When he walked in the door, this is what he saw....
One happy boy, about to pop out of his skin! Happy Birthday, Car! We love you!

Paige's Birthday

2010-10-11T10:52:00.007-06:00

Paige turned 5 today! It was an eventful birthday, not ordinary by any means. She and I played a competitive game of Go Fish in the morning and she will tell you, she "smoked me, 6 to 2". I had a Dr. appointment in the afternoon and they kept me to get me started.

She loved the cake Todd got for her and for dinner, they carried on our October tradition of Square Pumpkins from Arctic Circle. Paige really wanted a Barbie scooter for her birthday. So Todd handed her this "Barbie scooter" and she said, "Dad, I didn't want a scooter for my Barbies, I wanted a Barbie scooter for me to ride." He told her to go outside and try it out and she thought he was crazy. He finally got her out there and this is what she found....

Then she came to the hospital to open the rest of her presents. I was glad to be a part of the festivities, even if it was just for a little bit.

Happy Birthday, Wiggles. We love you!

Hali's Birthday

2010-10-10T10:20:00.002-06:00

Hali turned 8 today! She was surprised and happy with all her presents.
We sent her out of the room to get something and when she came back, she saw the bike and was so excited. As she took her test ride, she got to the end of the street and I could see her trying to stop using the pedals but they were just spinnig backwards. I thought she was going to crash, but she figured out the hand brakes in time. Phew!
Since I was on bed rest, Todd was kind enough to make her the cake she wanted, chocolate with blue frosting and math facts on top. She loved it! She picked to have nachos for dinner.

Happy Birthday, Hali Wali! We love you!

Milestones

2010-10-08T15:34:00.000-06:00

I find it very interesting that every pregnancy can be so different. This one has definitely been a challenge and I am making some unique milestones this time. I went into the doctor's office on Sept. 20 due to a headache that kept me up the night before. My blood pressure had gone up considerably and they did an ultrasound and non-stress test to make sure the baby was ok , which he was. I was sent home with a prescription for blood pressure medication and told to "take it easy." I have been going in twice a week for check-ups (blood pressure, ultrasound, and non-stress test).
Well, I went in on Tuesday and was told I have toxemia and that my blood pressure was so high that I was at risk of having a seizure and could not go home. I was sent to the hospital for a 24-hour observation stay and was tested and monitored to see if there was anything else going on. They sent me home with more medication and put me officially on bed rest.
I went in again today and it was the same story, same tests. He has grown a little and weighs about 5 lbs. 5 oz. I left with an increased dosage of medication. The doctor is hoping I can make it through the weekend and by Sunday the baby will be 37 weeks and then I will probably be induced after that. Before 37 weeks, he would be premature. We'll see what news my Monday appt. brings!
My family has been awesome!!! The simple things they do make me smile. The kids have been out of school the past few days and have been great help. The girls take my breakfast order (which consists of cold cereal choices and milk choices) and get it ready for me. Carter makes peanut butter sandwiches for lunch (with jam dripping over the edges). They vacuum, do dishes, make each other's beds and keep things cleaned up. Then Todd comes home from work and is like "Super Husband" taking care of everything else. And at they end of the day, he gets to crawl into bed with me and listen to me snore (like a freight train, he says) all night and gets hardly any sleep. He has been so patient, kind and loving through it all. Our extended family has been great, too! Thanks for your love and concern.

1st Day of School

2010-08-30T14:11:00.005-06:00

Carter and Hali had their first day of school today. It was rainy and a little chilly. I can't believe Carter is in 4th Grade and Hali in 2nd. When did they get so big? They were really excited to go to a brand new school this year. But the thing they were most excited for was taking their own lunch from home! They finally talked me into making them lunches and had their 1st meal all planned out for me. As we got closer to the school, Hali said she was starting to feel a little home sick. But she was still all smiles when I left her.
Paige had big plans for our day! She said, "I'll brush your teeth and you can brush mine. Then, I'll help you make your bed and you can help me make mine. Then we'll do pre-school!" We did it all. I decided I didn't like anyone else brushing my teeth and wondered if she feels the same when I brush her teeth. It's hard to hold everything in with someone else brushing! But I have to say, she was very gentle. After our fun-filled morning, we went and had lunch with Todd at his office.
The kids had a great day at school! They love their teachers, the playground (very important) and home lunch (I wonder how long their excitement for this will last). It was a successful 1st day and they are excited to go back tomorrow.

One Last Trip

2010-08-26T20:02:00.001-06:00

We took a quick day trip to Lava Hot Springs today, before the kids go back to school. Todd took Carter and Hali to the big slides first thing. They both jumped in and had no idea what they were in for. I could hear Carter coming down, but Hali said she was going so fast that she couldn't scream. They were pretty scared by the time they got to the bottom. But they shook it off and kept going.
Hali and Carter had a race to see who made it to the end first. Carter won!

They liked the curly slides, too.
Paige and I hung out in the pool. We all had a fun day and will miss Carter and Hali when they go back to school.

A Sneaky Surprise

2010-08-11T22:21:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you knew exactly what was going on, only to find out that you had absolutely no clue? That's me! Mom, Hali, Paige and I drove to Dave's house tonight for what I thought was a "Sanderson Family get-together". Blaine and his family are here from California, my mom came up from Utah, and I even had Kari try and talk Dad into coming up for it (thinking he would be the only family member not there). But as I started walking toward the backyard, I noticed a car that looked like my mother-in-law's and wondered why it was there. As I turned the corner, there sat Todd's mom and sister, my Aunts, Kari, Tatum and Aubrey, plus all the kids. I'm sure I was quite a sight because I was so confused as to why everyone was at this get-together until someone said it was a baby shower for me. Being our 4th child, I never even imagined having another baby shower. Everyone was very sneaky and quiet about the whole thing. So, it was a family get-together, just different than I though it would be. Thanks, Aubrey, Tatum and Kari for planning such a fun night!
All 4 of my Aunts (Barbara, Mary Louise, Rita and Kathy) and my mom, holding Macy.
Tatum, Jaci, Kreed, Allie, Aubrey and Myley
Hali, Paige and Kari
Julie and Louise
Hannah and Jaci

Major Catch-Up

2010-07-28T15:22:00.002-06:00

I have just finished 9 months of updating! Yay!!!!! I am a slacker no longer.......for today anyway! Enjoy the reading!

Rigby Lake

2010-07-24T21:07:00.003-06:00

We went to Rigby Lake today with the Clements Family. Carter and Hali liked swimming out to the water slide in the middle of the lake. Paige was happy on the tube with Todd or playing in the sand. We had a lot of fun and definitely need to go back again before the summer is over!

Hali and Megan
Megan and Paige by their sandcastle.
Colten, Carter and Nathan

Kari's Graduation

2010-07-24T09:50:00.001-06:00

We had the opportunity to attend Kari's graduation from BYU-Idaho last night. She graduated in the top 5% of her class in Accounting. Way to go, Kari!!! She has moved from Rexburg and the kids are really excited to have her only a few miles away from us! Now she gets to study for the CPA!

Love Notes

2010-07-16T14:31:00.002-06:00

We sure missed Todd while we were in Utah! The girl's each left him a note on his pillow last night. We laughed as we read Hali's, and Paige's people are just too cute!

A Visit to Grandma & Grandpa's House

2010-07-14T22:36:00.012-06:00

After Cherry Hill, the kids and I went down to Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson's and came home on Wednesday. The kids keep so busy when we are there! They just bounce from one thing to another. They love the horse, the Nintendo, the computer and the dirt! Grandpa taught Carter how to drive the lawnmower and had him mow at home and the car wash. This was definitely the highlight of his trip!

He ran into the fence the first swipe down the lawn and I almost had a heart attack (and probably Dad, too). But Dad was very patient and walked the whole lawn with him! Carter did a really good job! When he did the lawn at the car wash, Carter just took off like it was nothing! Kind of like riding a bike.

Dad even taught Hali to drive and she pretty much went in circles, but loved every minute of it!

They love to get out all the old trucks and play in the dirt. We had lunch outside one day since the kids so dirty. Paige looks like she has war paint on her face! They were hot and sweaty and would wipe their faces with dirty hands and they came in filthy!

I made a blanket 17 years ago before I left for college with my Aunt Kathy. It was looking so sad and was beyond repair. I hated to get rid of it, so Mom helped me give it a face lift! I bought a couple of sheets and recovered it and now we have a nice warm blanket to take to baseball games. And it looks a whole lot better!
Dad bought fireworks for the kids to do one evening. They absolutely love the snaps every year, or "snappers" as Hali likes to call them. They had fun with the sparklers, too.

Cherry Hill

2010-07-10T20:17:00.004-06:00

We went to Cherry Hill on Thursday for some camping and water park fun with Brent & Sandy and family and Louise, Julie and Brad. We camped for 2 nights and had a great time swimming. The kids look forward to Cherry Hill every summer! Carter and Hali have turned into little fish and loved everything. Paige was happy to spend her day in the lazy river or going down the little slide in Pirate's Cove.

The Angels

2010-06-30T21:35:00.002-06:00

Carter played on the Angels team this year in baseball. Games started in April and ended the last part of June. We were bundled up in coats and blankets for most of the games. We probably had 5 games that were nice and warm. He did a good job and kept us running all week long. He had 2 games a week and practice twice a week. The coaching staff was awesome! They were dedicated and taught good sportsmanship. It was a really fun team to watch.

They ended up as the American League Champions and went on to the Cal Ripkin City Championship and took 2nd place there. The above picture is the opening ceremony for the City Championship. Carter is #8 (8th one from the left). The positions Carter played throughout the season were pitcher, outfield, and 3rd base. Way to go, Carter! We look forward to next year!

The Butterflies

2010-06-30T21:08:00.002-06:00

Hali played T-ball on the Butterflies team this year. She played the whole month of June and had 2 games a week and practice usually once a week. She did a great job and has learned a lot about baseball just from watching Carter play. See how cute she is!

June was dedicated to baseball at our house this year. That's mostly all we have done! And we've loved it! All 3 kids also started piano lessons this month.

Girl's Weekend

2010-05-01T21:57:00.002-06:00

I went to Orem this weekend for a friend's surprise birthday party and took Hali with me. Kari went down with us and Mom met us in Provo for a fun get together. I wasn't much fun Friday night because I was sick and just needed to sleep. Saturday was filled with lots of shopping and lunch at Red Robin. We all had a great time, especially Hali. She loved her bed and wanted to take a picture of it to show Carter and Paige. It was an "L" shaped pull-out couch and she wanted to sleep on the end. But when she layed down on it, she discovered that it didn't fit her and she moved into my bed.

We had a fun time and hope to make this a yearly tradition!

The Bar

2010-04-27T22:14:00.010-06:00

Today we had the opportunity to sit in on a session of the Idaho Supreme Court in Boise, as Todd was sworn in as an attorney and admitted to the Idaho Bar. It was such an exciting day and a neat experience. Way to go, Todd!!!

We all went to dinner afterwards at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Happy Birthday, Mom! Thanks for spending it with us!

Easter

2010-04-04T21:38:00.002-06:00

The kids always love looking for their Easter baskets. Paige found hers in a kitchen cupboard, Hali's was under the desk, and Carter's was in a closet in the laundry room. The Easter bunny filled lots of eggs this year, a few were hidden just a little too hard!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Durney

2010-02-20T19:21:00.004-07:00

Grandpa Durney (Todd's grandpa) turned 100 years old yesterday and a celebration was held for him today. He is an amazing man! He keeps track of how many grandchildren he has, including great-grandchildren. Our kids love to go visit Grandpa and he always calls them by name. He has a great sense of humor and a very positive attitude!
Grandpa Durney with his children : L to R - Geralyn, Lee, Louise, Ray, Susan, Carl

Welcome Home, Spencer!

2009-12-28T22:02:00.001-07:00

Our nephew, Spencer, came home from his mission this month so we went to Post Falls this weekend to hear him speak in Sacrament meeting. It was great to see him again and fun to be around Scott & Shari and family.

Christmas

2009-12-25T20:13:00.009-07:00

The kids get to open one present on Christmas Eve....new jammies! Funny thing is, each year they forget it's pajamas.Santa was loaded up on treats this year! Cookies, chocolates, milk, Diet Coke (Todd has convinced the kids that Santa is lactose intolerant and would rather have D.C), and carrots for the reindeer. The kids still talk about the carrot crumbs the reindeer left in the bowl. Carter left a note for Santa so he wouldn't over eat! Santa delivered just what everyone wanted. Carter was so happy to have the Nerf machine gun.

Hali was about to burst out of her skin when she opened Bop-It!
And Paige was excited to get a princess piano!

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-05T19:05:00.011-07:00

All the Sanderson cousins got together to decorate gingerbread houses today. Paige was so excited to do her own house this year! She stuck with it for a long time and did a good job.Hali's house was very organized and neat. She and Brooke had a fun time sitting next to each other.

Carter went for a log cabin look on his house! It was all brown, with the exception of candy canes on the back. He even had a campfire in the front with rocks around it!

Carter, Paige, Brooke, Hali, Kaden, Koy and Kelsi with their finished houses. We missed Kreed in our picture. He got his done in a jiffy and they were off! We look forward to making houses again next year!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T16:23:00.027-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah with the Sanderson's.

We made an assortment of yummy chocolates!

The kids loved getting their hands on Kolby anytime he would let them.

And we even made it to see Santa!

Corn Maze for FHE

2009-10-26T22:22:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Carter

2009-10-16T21:10:00.001-06:00

Carter is in his last year of single digits. He turned 9 today! We had a Pingel Family birthday party on Monday celebrating all the October birthdays. I was in charge of making the cake and instead of making 4 cakes in 6 days, I just did Carter's birthday cake that night. He was happy to share it with everyone.

A BYU pillowcase!Making a wish on the morning of his birthday.He chose to have orange sugar cookies on his birthday. (We are done with cake for a long time!)Carter is full of energy and life. He is a wonderful big brother and loves to teach his sisters the proper way to play sports. He loves Legos! I'm not sure if he will ever out-grow Legos. He is becoming a better reader and is a good friend. Carter is a well-rounded kid! We love you, Carter.

Happy Birthday Paige

2009-10-11T22:36:00.001-06:00

Today was Paige's 4th birthday! We drove to Boise early this morning for a baby blessing and Paige was all smiles when I told her happy birthday at 4:00 AM. She was so excited! Aunt Janet had a cupcake for each of the kids with a candle to blow out. Paige opened a few presents while we were traveling and then we had more presents and cake & ice cream when we got home.

Paige has such a funny personality and keeps us laughing. The only thing she wanted for her birthday was slippers. How easy is that?! She loves to color, play with dolls and little matchbox cars, do puzzles, sing and dance, and loves to play with Carter and Hali after school. She is honest and isn't afraid to say what is on her mind. Her newest found love is doing subtraction flashcards with Todd. She wants to be as big as her brother and sister. We love you, Paige!

Happy Birthday Hali

2009-10-10T21:30:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Hali's 7th birthday today! She chose french toast for breakfast. We had a birthday party with the Sanderson side of the family at Kent & Jaci's house, celebrating all 3 kids birthday's.Hali wanted a sunflower cake this year and I remembered this cute cake that I saw on Hannah's blog over a year ago. It was easy and yummy!

Hali is such a sweetheart, always concerned about others. She is easy-going and selfless. She loves to play games, read, play school with Paige, and anything art & music related. We are so glad you are in our family, Hali! We love you!

Pine Wood Derby

2009-09-30T21:11:00.001-06:00

Carter participated in his first Pine Wood Derby tonight. He drew up the design for his car and enjoyed working on it with Todd. He didn't win but was a great sport and just enjoyed the race. When it was over, Carter was sending his car down the track backwards and it was going a lot faster. He said he should have been sending it down that way during the race! He got a certificate for the "Most Aerodynamic Car." He had a fun time!

Goodbye August

2009-09-14T22:21:00.005-06:00

We're half way into September and I'm not sure what happened to August. So here's a quick recap before I get even more behind. The kids started school on August 24. Carter is in 3rd Grade and Hali is in 1st this year. They have great teachers and are loving school. Paige sure misses them though!

About a week before school started, I looked at the school district job postings and saw 2 part-time Kindergarten teacher openings. Thinking that might be fun, I spent a few hours filling out an application, later to find out they had already been filled. Thursday (20th) night, I looked at the job postings again before I went to bed and saw a new posting for the same position at a different school. The next morning (21st), I got a phone call at 9:00 am asking me if I could come in for an interview as soon as possible. I had an interview at 12:00 pm and got a call offering me the job around 2:00pm. Talk about a crazy day! I walked into my empty classroom and knew I had a long weekend ahead of me. We were able to find enough tables and chairs to get started and Todd helped me put things up and get as organized as I could. Hali asked me the cutest question after I worked in my room on Friday. She looked at me and said, "Do you have a nice teacher's chair?" I told her I didn't even have one in my room. Her mouth dropped open in shock and she said, "You don't even have a teacher's chair?" Afterall, what teacher doesn't have a teacher's chair! It's funny to hear what kids think about. I went in again Saturday and by Monday morning, I had 18 Kindergarteners lined up at my door. And I was relieved to be able to tell Hali that I finally got my chair!
I am enjoying my job. It's really nice to only work in the morning and then have the rest of the day at home. I love the people I work with and it's really nice to be able to stay in the same building, too! When I taught in Utah, I split my day between 2 schools in South Jordan. This is so much more relaxing. I'm in a great place and look forward to a great year!

Redfish

2009-09-14T21:57:00.007-06:00

We had the Pingel Family Reunion August 7-10 at Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth National Forest. It was great to see everyone! We had a large group with 46 people at one point, missing 7 family members who could not be there. We missed them! It was raining the day we got there, so we set up our tent in the rain. What a great start! It rained off and on through Saturday. I was amazed at how cold the air got when the sun would go behind a cloud. We always had to take a sweatshirt with us! The temperature fell to the 30's at night. I think we took every blanket we own, but we stayed warm!

Hali and Paige had a fun time sword fighting with their Uncle Scott!

We had a great time fishing out on the lake. We didn't catch anything, but the kids had a great time holding the poles and Carter became a pretty good little caster. When we came back from fishing, it was a little warmer and Scott's family was playing in the water. So the kids rolled up their pant legs and they played too. They loved having Briana and Nick cover their feet with sand!

On our way home, we stopped at the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge and walked through it. I could write about this for hours, but I will spare everyone the bordom. I absolutely loved this! It was so fascinating to see and learn how gold was mined. This is the front of the dredge. The rocks were scooped up in the black buckets behind the kids and dumped inside for sorting out the gold. This is the back of the dredge where the rocks were deposited back out into the river.Inside the engine room of the dredge.
We drove up the road a little to Custer, an old mining town and enjoyed walking around there.
It was a great weekend and we are looking forward to the next reunion.

The Zoo

2009-07-31T22:06:00.001-06:00

We went to Tautphaus Park Zoo today with Grandpa Sanderson. The kids loved it! We were able to see a variety of animals. These were a few of our favorites.We found the monkey's fascinating! We saw so many different kinds and sizes. We loved just watching them swing from rope to rope. There was this one monkey that would land on the ledge by the window whenever Todd turned to walk away. It hit the glass pretty hard the first time and scared us to death! We were prepared for it after that.

We saw the cutest baby flamingo that was only a week old. It's standing on the rock at the feet of the tallest flamingo.

Carter and Hali spent 5 days in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa. Paige was so happy to have her playmates back. We sure missed them!

Cherry Hill

2009-07-17T20:38:00.005-06:00

We spent a few days camping and swimming at Cherry Hill in Utah. This is one of our favorite summertime activities. The kids love playing in Pirates Cove! The water is shallow and they just go from one thing to the next. They have a lot of fun on the pirate ship!The mat slides are really fun! There were some additions to the slides this year to make them look like dragons, hence the name "Double Dragons."It was not Paige's favorite ride. She was happy in Pirates Cove and on the Lazy River.Cardiac Canyon is always a favorite! Hali was tall enough to go on it this year. She was a little scared at first but the fear quickly wore off and she was all smiles.Todd's mom and sister, Julie, went with us and his brother Brad came up for a day. We enjoyed having them all there.

4th of July

2009-07-09T22:06:00.005-06:00

We celebrated the 4th of July in Utah with all my family this year. There was always something going on and I don't think we were ever bored. There are a lot of pictures to this post, and they say it all! We had a great time!!

Grandpa had a few buckets of sand in the garage that the kids discovered. They started dumping it out so Mom and Kent quickly put together a make-shift sandbox. The kids loved it!

Kreed, Brooke, Hali, Paige and Koy

Some of us went swimming one afternoon and had a fun time.
From left to right: Tatum, Carter, Paige, Me, Todd, Dad, Brooke, Kaden, Hali & Kelsi. Koy and Kreed are not in the picture.

The City has a Children's Parade the night before the 4th and all the kids were in it this year. They start at one end of the street and ride to the other end, then circle back. They circled a few times and then they each got a popsicle. I think every kid had a permanent smile. They loved being in the parade! It was a team effort getting all the bikes and a wagon decorated.Hali & ToddKaden & CarterBrooke & HaliPaige

All the cousins enjoying their popsicles.

Later that evening, we had sword fights. The best thing about these is that you can hit as hard as you can and it doesn't hurt. Great for all ages!Kaden, Carter and JaciDad on the run, being chased by Carter!Allie, Kreed and Koy ganged up on Carter. Looks like the little kids won!Dad, Kari, Kaden, Paige, Blaine and Diane

The parade is always fun! The kids loved the candy, sirens, getting wet from squirt guns and popsicles. So many popsicles were thrown out this year, which was great because it was hot!

Kari, Jaci, Paige, Carter, Diane, Todd and Hali
Allie, Carter, Kaden, Brooke, Paige and Hali gathering up candy!

It has become tradition to have a water fight in the afternoon on the 4th. Todd started this 10 years ago when we were dating. He got a pitcher from my mom (thanks mom!) and got me from behind. Everyone came out and joined in and the rest is history. So each time we are at my parents house for the 4th, there's a water fight.

Todd was hiding by the corner of the house and Carter went looking for him. That's when it all started.
Hali wondered what was going on and then she got it too.

"Where's my next victim?"
I should have known better than to be outside taking pictures during it all. Jaci and I were trying to be so careful, but we both eventually got it and joined in the fun. The kids were having a ball and the little kids started enjoying it once they figured out what was going on.

Later that evening, Kari put together a treasure hunt for each family. We were all going in different directions, in and out of the house, around the yard and up the road. It was the most creative treasure hunt I have ever done. We had codes to decipher, a puzzle, wordfind, wordscramble, etc. It was really, really fun. Our treasure at the end was a Music Maker from Mom and Dad. The kids have really enjoyed playing it!

The fireworks are definately a favorite on the 4th. We lay in the bed of the pick-up and are literally directly below the fireworks. Sometimes we can even feel d'ebris falling on us. It's the only way to watch the fireworks! It started to rain on us at the very end, a first that any of us can ever remember.We came home and had homemade ice cream. YUM!!!!

There was never a dull moment! There were 8 bikes and 1 wagon going around, badminton, basketball, early morning golf, roping,
the boys played Bocce,and when you have 22 people in a house.......
there is a mess of shoes!

On our way back to Idaho, we stopped at Temple Square in SLC. We enjoyed our time there and loved spending just a little longer with Kent's family.Koy, Brooke, Hali, Paige, Kaden, Carter and Kelsi

We had a great weekend! It all ended just a little too soon. The kids bounced from one thing to another and they all got along so well. Thanks everyone for a fun time!

We love this country that we are so blessed to live in! We are so grateful for our freedom and safety. We are thankful to those who fight for all we have to enjoy.

Hali's Softball

2009-06-29T21:18:00.001-06:00

Hali has been playing T-ball this month and had their last game today. It was really fun to watch her progress throughout the season. It was quite a switch for us to go from watching Carter's games to watching little girls. We forgot how slow and comical T-ball is. And girls are hilarious! Hali's team was the Alligators. The other teams they played were called the Dandilions, the Blueberries, and the Pink Panthers. Only girls teams would be named so cute! One game we watched had more hugs than high-5's. They even used their good housekeeping skills while on the bases, well most of them. There were a few girls in the outfield who liked to cover up the bases with dirt. But the players running the bases would either look at them with bewilderment or bend down and dust it off with their hand. And the cheers they would say for each other were just too cute!Hali liked playing near the pitcher's mound since this was where most of the action was.

And what kid doesn't love it when it's their turn to bat?

And the most important part of the whole game, was the treat afterwards!

At the end of the game today, they had pizza and each girl was given a metal. Hali was so excited! She wants to hang it on the wall. We're sad that our games are over for the summer and look forward to next season.

Yellowstone National Park

2009-06-26T22:10:00.001-06:00

Where did we go today????

This video cracks me up! We were at Fountain Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. It is a mouthful to say and Hali gave it her best and I love her smile at the end! The paint pots looked like bubbling mud.

My mom & dad and sister came up for the weekend. Since Kari has never been to Yellowstone, my dad thought it was time she went and invited us to go along. It's been a long time since I was there and the kids have never been. As we entered the park, the ranger gave all the kids a picture list of animals and birds to look for throughout the park. The kids took this so serious! Carter said a few times, "I didn't know Yellowstone would be so fun!"

This was the coolest spring! The water was a deep blue and so clear. The kids were so fascinated by the steam, or "smoke" as Paige called it. When ever we walked through the steam, it smelled like boiled eggs and we didn't like that so much.

This spring was huge! The wind was blowing the direction of the path and it was a little hike to the top of the geyser. By the time we got around it, we were all a little wet and Carter's glasses were fogged up most of the way. It was entertaining!

By the time we got to Old Faithful, Paige's little legs were done. She loved the piggy-back ride!

Old Faithful was awesome! The kids were so enthralled and learned more about the pressure inside the earth.

We saw some elk and buffalo, but to the kid's disappointment, no bears.

We entered the park in West Yellowstone and came out on the south end and came home through Jackson, WY. It ws an all day trip and we had a great time. We enjoyed spending the day with Grandpa and Kari!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

2009-06-24T23:03:00.001-06:00

Carter's baseball season ended the first part of June and we have really missed those evening outings to the ballpark. Each player in the Cal Ripken League was given a free ticket to the Chukars Minor League baseball game for tonight. So Todd, Carter and I went to the game and had such a great time! All the players lined up by the 1st base and when each team was called, they ran along the sidelines toward 3rd base.

Carter is the 3rd one from the front and wears the #8 jersey.

It was so neat to see all the teams lined up along the sideline! The players and coaches all had the biggest smiles. It was great!

After the parade, all the teams exited the field and watched the "big boys" warm-up. When it was time for the National Anthem, the Chukars and Ghosts (from Casper, WY) lined up in front of their dugouts and the little kids got to run across the field and were stopped on their way across to salute the flag. It was an awesome sight!

Carter loved watching the game and never seemed to get bored. I asked him a few times if he was ready to go yet and he shook his head quickly and said, "No." The Chukars won 7-4. Todd and I enjoyed spending time just with Carter. He's ready to go again!

Gone Fishin'

2009-06-17T22:21:00.000-06:00

Carter went fishing today for his first time! He has been waiting for this day for a few months now. He went with his scout group to the greatest pond, where only kids under 14 can fish. They don't have to have a license and neither do parents. Parents cannot fish but can help the kids. We had a great time! He caught a fish and as soon as it was being lifted up out of the water, it wiggled off the hook and swam away. Carter was so disappointed. It took him another 45 minutes to catch another one. He only believes he caught one fish, not two. I guess he doesn't believe in catch and release. When it came time to divide up the fish between the boys, Carter said he didn't want to eat the fish but still wanted to take it home. Not sure what he wanted to do with it! Maybe mount it? It was a prize and he was so happy.

Not Just a Stubbed Toe

2009-06-17T22:10:00.000-06:00

I was getting ready for the day yesterday when Carter walked in, actually hobbled in, and sat on the stool and told me he had stubbed his toe on his door. Like a sympathetic mom, I looked it over then wiggled it. That's what you are supposed to do to make sure it's not broken, right? WRONG. He hollered, "That hurts!" I suggested that he go rest on the couch until his toe felt better. I really didn't think he would do it, but he did. Then to make matters worse, he stubbed it on his bed post last night.

By the evening, it was starting to turn colors and by today it was blue and purple. He walks on his heel which he says is pretty sore now too. He has been very tough through it all, never once crying.

Carter's Favorite Pastime

2009-05-27T22:40:00.012-06:00

One thing I really enjoy about this time of year is baseball games. I love being outside sitting along the sidelines watching Carter play ball. He has been playing in the Cal Ripken league this Spring, his first year in the competitive league. He is on the NY Mets and it has become his life! He has 2 games a week and they practice twice a week as well. On the off day, he has had scouts. He keeps us going! The older he gets, we are finding that sports are more and more stressful on the parents. He pitched tonight for the first time and we found ourselves saying, "Please don't hit anyone. Please don't walk everyone." Stressful! The league has been doing some machine pitch, and some coach pitch up to this point. But tonight they started the kids pitching. Carter started out the game and actually did really well. In the 1st inning, he had the bases loaded with 2 outs and the batter had a full count and Carter threw a strike to end the inning. I don't think he realized the pressure he was under. He had one play tonight that I didn't get on camera that I wish I would have. He caught a fly ball when he was pitcher and the player on 1st base ran. Carter threw it to 1st and got a double play. He was so excited! It was fun to see him having a great night.

He also likes playing 1st base. He has more hustle in him than he had last year. He's learning more and more each game. He even played catcher one game, and I have to say, it was a learning experience. He stood clear back by the backstop! Who's kid does that? Todd said it was a good thing the backstop was there or he would have been in the bleachers! He has not been put in as catcher since then. Phew!

He got a new bat this season and he's had a hard time adjusting to it. Occassionally he hits a good one. He had one this season that was a line drive to second base and hit the baseman in the arm. In the video, you can see him flailing his arm. It's a little funny.

Hali's New Talent

2009-05-27T21:24:00.027-06:00

Hali finished up a 6 week Smart Start Golf class last week. They use oversized clubs, tees and balls and focus on technique. She was eager and quick to learn and loved it! She is so self-motivated and does a great job with everything she tries. We went to Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson's over Memorial Day Weekend and Grandpa took us all to the driving range. Hali has inherited Carter's old clubs and was excited to use them. They were definately different from the clubs they used in class, but she adjusted quickly and did really well. I even did better than I have ever done. I guess the class paid off for both of us! Hopefully we'll have a family foursome one of these days!

Sweet Rewards

2009-04-02T10:53:00.010-06:00

Every year, usually around Christmas time, my mom gets together with her neighbor (the professional candy maker) and makes chocolates. Growing up, I would go over and watch and sometimes sample. They did all the work and we got to enjoy the fruits of their labors! It worked out well. And these are not amateur chocolates. These are as good, if not better, as the ones you buy in fine chocolate stores. They are so yummy, they just melt in your mouth. Last night, we got together and Mom taught us how to make caramels. It took us about 5 hours from start to finish and boy was it worth it! It took about 1 hour to cook the caramel to a soft ball stage with constant stirring. It was a good thing we had lots of hands to switch off with! This is the chocolate we used and it smelled so good! It was sitting on my counter for a day and they kids loved to open the bag and just smell it. Talk about pure torture! We still have 1/2 the block left and I think we'll learn how to do cream centers next time. I can hardly wait!

After the caramel cooled and was firm, we cut it into pieces. Occassionally there was an end that was to small and it just had to be eaten! This stuff is so yummy even without the chocoloate! The chocolate makers consisted of Chelsea (my cousin), my Aunts Mary Louise and Kathy, and Tatum (my sister-in-law).

We had a great time dipping the caramels. Mom taught us well. She showed us how to do it and then hurried around getting the caramel, melting chocolate, shuffling pans around and holding Kolby when need be. Our's looked nothing like her's, but they sure tasted good. And we each had a gazillion to take home to our ever so happy families. And the best thing, it's not even Christmas! And I just have to say, I come from the greatest family! We have more fun when we are together. My Grandparents and Aunts & Uncles did a great job of planning lots of family get togethers when all us kids were growing up. It's harder now that we are all so spread out, but we still manage to get together and we love it! There's nothing better than family.

2008 In A Nutshell

2009-03-16T10:42:00.004-06:00

Our blog is the only journaling I do. Since I didn't start it until late in the year, there were some events that we didn't want to forget, so I am going back and reviewing the year. It is an enormous post and some may find it rather boring.

February

Todd's grandma, Rosetta Pingel, passed away at age 94 on February 23, 2008. Todd flew out on the 28th to attend the funeral in Malad on the 29th. He really enjoyed being able to visit with his family and most of mine. It was a really quick trip and he returned home on March 1st. Little did we know that just 4 weeks later, we would be headed back to Idaho for the passing of Todd's dad.

March

Oh, poor Paige! The girls and I were making cookies on March 11, just taking a batch out of the oven so we could go get Carter from school. When all of a sudden I heard a crash followed by a piercing scream I will never forget. Paige had smashed her finger in the Kitchenaid mixer. I rushed her to the sink to rinse it, only to find that the meaty part of her index finger was about to fall off. (Sorry in advance for any weak stomaches.) Hali ran to get a cloth to wrap her finger up in. We buckled up and headed off, making a few phone calls along the way with Paige still crying and Hali holding the cloth around Paige's finger and hand. I called my friend Rashana and asked her to pick up Carter from school and called the Dr. office to see if I should take Paige straight to the ER or to their office. They said they could do stitches there, so to bring her into the office. All this happened in about a 5 minute period. Once in the Dr. office, they looked it over pretty good and decided it should be done by someone in the ER. So we went there and waited a little longer to get the process rolling. Paige had stopped crying while driving to the Dr. office and was doing pretty well, considering her finger was falling off. I was given the option of putting her out to do the procedure, but that would have taken a few more hours. I wasn't up for that! So they wrapped her up tight in a sheet, like a mummy. Once again, she screamed. I had to lay across her and hold her down tight, which was awful. She kept looking at me like, "Why are you doing this to me Mom." It was horrible. She had 4 stitches put in. All in all, it took about 4 hours. The girls colored and ate popsicles while we were there. Near the end of our visit at the ER, Hali said to me, "This is fun! When can we come back again?" I hope to never do this again!
Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson sent her flowers and a balloon. She thought that was the greatest thing ever and she loved it!
This is how it looked the day after the stitches. It had to be sealed up tight and cleaned daily.

So for all of you who have Kitchenaid mixers, put the top part down when you are done so your little helpers don't do it for you. I think she used one hand to put the top down while the other hand was around the top part of the stand, with her index finger pointing inside the base. I don't know how many times we have used the mixer and left the top up and never had a problem. I never would have thought!

April

Todd's dad passed away at home on April 2, 2008 surrounded by his family. We were so blessed to be able to spend the last few hours of his life here on this earth with him. He was such a wonderful father and grandfather. He loved to tickle and play with the grandkids. As a daughter-in-law, I was immediately welcomed into the family with open arms and love. We will always remember his love for family, love of the gospel, value of hard work, and infectious smile. We are so blessed to know that families are forever. We miss him deeply and look forward to one day being reunited with him again.
This picture was taken June 9, 2007 at a family reunion. That same evening, we celebrated Bud & Louise's 50th Wedding anniversary that was coming up in December. It was nice to have all the family together to honor them.

June

It was a busy, crazy month! My sister, Kari came to visit us for a month (which we loved!) and stayed with the kids while Todd and I went to New York for 3 days. We had a great time in NY! Our hotel was in Newark near the airport, so we got to experience the train a lot. We arrived in Penn Station and didn't realize the immediate shock we were about to experience. As we walked up the steps to exit the station, leading onto the sidewalk of NY, we were amazed at the mass of people and the noise. And there is no stopping on the sidewalk to figure out which way to go. We quickly got thrown in with the flow of traffic and walked until we figured out where we were going. We decided to go to the Empire State Building first. We went to the top and were able to look out over the city and get our bearings. It was an amazing view!

We spent a lot of our time on a tour bus that went all over the city and we were able to get on and off at different places. It was a great way to see NY.

We enjoyed Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Natural History.
Everywhere we went, we had been looking for the Manhattan Temple. We were told that it is mixed in with all the buildings and it doesn't stand out like the temples usually do. We were on the tour bus and I happened to turn and look a different direction, and there it was. We almost missed it and so glad we didn't!
We really enjoyed our time in New York. There was definately more to see, but we were happy to see what we did. Congratualtions Dr. Shumard on your graduation from medical school! Thanks for giving us a great reason to come to NY!

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Baseball Season

Carter played baseball this summer and we loved going to his games in June and July. Baseball is his sport! It was fun to watch him develop and grow over the season. He had some great hits into center field and enjoyed playing different positions in field and out. Parents were assigned a week to bring a snack for the end of the game, and he really liked that! We are all looking forward to next season!

Crossing home plate and playing on 1st base.

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Storms, Storms, and More Storms

This month was a very nerve racking one with tornado watches and warnings. We had adjusted to the crazy and loud storms of the mid-west, but my sister was scared to death the whole time she was in Kansas, and I don't think she will ever return. But June was even scary for us. There was one particular storm that really sticks out in our minds. Todd was at school and called me to tell me they had to take cover due to a tornado that had touched down a mile from school. We quickly turned on the tv, only to find out that it was headed our direction. I hurried to make sandwiches for dinner just in case the power went out, so we wouldn't be hungry. It grew darker and darker outside and looked scary. Todd called often to check on us and when the warning finally lifted for him, he wasn't sure if it was safe to come home since he would be driving the same direction the storm was going, with another storm following him. He finally decided to take the chance and we were all glad to have him home safe. We watched one funnel cloud form out the window and when it was out of view, went to the tv and watched it touch down about 5 miles from our house. It was a scary time.

Another time, Todd left for school and called me about 15 minutes later, wondering if I was still at home. I had gone out to do a few errands and he said I should probably go back home quickly. He was driving into a storm that was headed toward our house. He was stopped on I-70 due to heavy wind and rain. Cars could not see the road, so everyone pulled to the shoulder and stopped. We got a lot of the rain from the storm at home, but not as much wind, thank goodness. We do not miss tornado season in Kansas!

September
We really enjoy camping. We had not been camping in Kansas yet, so we decided it would be fun to go. We did have a good time, with good friends, good food and great scenery, but we found out that camping in Kansas is not so much fun. It's hot and humid. The inside of our tent was covered in beads of water. We were so wet and sticky that we could not sleep. I guess we are not diehard campers. The conditions have to be just right, a little more civilized. The toilets were not flushing, either. The kids absolutely, refused to go in them, which I can understand. But at the time, it was completely frustrating. When a little girl has got to go and she's dancing around, more concerned about the spiders on the ceiling (for 5 minutes), you would think, "just go and get out." We were in there forever! I even took Clorox wipes in to wipe down the toilet. Gross! I think we'll stick to the places we know and love.
She refuses to use a porta-potty, but will pick up insects!?

October

The Newest Member's of the Family

The kids all have their birthdays in October, within 6 days of each other. So when they get birthday money, they all like to spend it at the same time and usually on the same things. A few years ago they made dinosaur stuffed animals at Build-a-Dino and loved it! They wanted to do it again this year. First, they got to pick out the dinosaur they wanted. Next, they put a stuffed fabric heart inside and fill the dinosaur with stuffing. They can pick if they want their dinosaur stuffed soft, medium or hard. They step on the pedal and begin filling. Here is a picture of Carter stuffing "Rinney", a Pteranodon. It gets sewn up and they they take it over to the bathing station to clean and fluff it up.
Air blows out from the fans and they have a brush to comb the dinosaur and get it all clean. Hali is cleaning "Chloe", a Parasaurolophus and Paige is cleaning "Blueberry", an Apatosaurus.

From here, they go to the computer to enter in information and then a birth certificate is printed. The new fluffy friends are then put into a box, with their heads poking out. I'm not a lover of stuffed animals, but these are the cutest, softest little animals. It is a fun experience! These new family members now join Rex (a T-Rex), Lily (Apatosaurus), and Sara (a Triceratops).

December

Carter's Basketball Season

Carter played basketball again this year. He had a great coach that taught the team a lot of basics and how to run plays. It was yet another learning year. And I have to say, it was just as much learning as a parent as it was for Carter as a player. We have found it very difficult to sit through a complete game and not be frustrated with Carter's mistakes and fluctuating level of effort. We forget that it's a process and it takes time and practice to become better. We have had to learn a lot of patience in this area. He had some games, some moments, where he was right on. Those were fun to watch! He was a lot better this year than last and hopefully he will just keep getting better. Now he said he's ready to play football, which he hasn't done before. I feel another lesson in patience coming on :)

Carter is in blue, wide-open, ready for the ball! Each boy wears a different colored wrist band and a player on the opposing team has one to match. That helps each player know who they need to be guarding. Great idea!

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A Quick Trip to Nauvoo

There's nothing like waiting until the last minute for a big trip! We have been wanting to go to Nauvoo since we moved to Kansas and finally made it! We still had Todd's mom visiting us, so we were able to take her with us. We stopped at Adam-ondi-Ahman on the way, one of my favorite historical church sites.

Shortly after we arrived in Nauvoo on Sunday, an ice storm hit. That evening, we attended a Christmas musical program that was put on by the missionaries there. They did a fabulous job and it was a great way to get into the Christmas Spirit. Carter started to wilt during the program and at first I thought he was just tired. He then told me he had a headache. I felt his head, and sure enough, he had a fever. We get so scared when he gets a fever because his temperature gets high really fast and it's hard to break. We kept Tylenol in him every 4 hours, even through the night and by Monday afternoon, he was back to himself again. PHEW!

We had a fun Hotel room, The Brigham Young suite, just across the street from the temple. It was a beautiful view! We loved just looking out the window and seeing the temple all lit up. We felt an amazing Spirit while we were there.

The next day was beautiful with everything covered in ice and snow. It was bitter cold and not very fun to be outside in, but we still enjoyed it. Each little house that we went into was very fun and interesting. The missionaries looked a little shocked to see us everywhere we went. I don't think many people tour Nauvoo in December, especially the day after an ice storm. But they were all very welcoming. We learned how the pioneers baked in a bussel oven, the process they went through to dip candles, and we all got to help make a rope. We enjoyed the Bakery, the Blacksmith Shop, the Brickyard, the Tin Shop, and The Browning Gun Shop.

At the Scovil Bakery in front of a bussel oven, where we enjoyed a yummy gingerbread cookie.

At the Blacksmith Shop, where we watched a horeshoe being made and got "prairie diamond" rings, which the kids loved!

The Mississippi River was incredible to see! It was frozen over after the ice storm, which made us think of the pioneers crossing the frozen river. It was very humbling to be in Nauvoo and put into perspective what the early saints went through. This picture doesn't do it justice, but the river is in the background. It was huge!Carter, Hali, and Paige were troopers to brave the frigid wind for a picture in front of the Temple. We didn't have time to see all there was. We'll just have to go again to see the rest! I think we'll try to spend more than 22 hours there next time.

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Leaving Kansas

Our 2 1/2 years in Kansas came to a close on December 17. (We got home from Nauvoo on the 15th, packed lots of boxes the 16th, and moved the next day. CRAZY!) We were sad to leave friends, but excited to be moving to Idaho where we would be surrounded by family. We were hoping to arrive at our destination by the 19th, but due to weather and road closures, we didn't get there until about 4:30 pm on the 20th. The move went very smoothly and the kids were all-stars! They were the greatest travelers and were so good to help with whatever needed to be done. Paige was sick for the first few days and had a fever. She whined and whimpered a lot and just wanted to be held. I felt so bad for her, but considering all, she did great! Carter and Hali loved taking turns riding with Tood in the moving truck! We are so happy in Idaho!!!!

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Christmas

We spent Christmas with Grandma Pingel and Julie this year. Todd's birthday is on Christmas Eve, so we had dinner there that night and spent the night as well. It was a great Christmas! They kids were so happy with everything they got and they were very appreciative, which made it all the better. One of my favorite moments was Hali opening up her Sorry! game from Santa. She had been wanting one really bad, and I thought she was going to burst out of her skin with excitement. She couldn't have been happier! I loved just watching everyone open presents, and being able to see the joy on their faces alone, brought me happiness. I started Christmas shopping in February on clearance sales (the life of students!) and found some great deals. It was great to not have pressure to get shopping done and to just get things here and there when I found a great deal. I went out on Black Friday and finished everything up.

We loved being with Grandma and Julie for Christmas. Brent & Sandy and their family came down for dinner and the kids had a fun time together. In the evening, we went to Kent & Jaci's house to celebrate Kelsi's 12th birthday. We loved being able to see both sides of our family on Christmas!

Boys Will Be Boys......Girls Will Be Girls

2009-02-08T20:39:00.013-07:00

Todd and Carter went on an overnight snowmobile trip with Kent, Kaden and Koy, and their ward this weekend. They rode around Friday in lots of fresh powder. Carter thought it was pretty cool when Kent cooked Little Smokies in a pot on the engine of his snowmobile. They slept in cabins, played games, had a good breakfast, and rode around some more on Saturday. They had a great time and said it was beautiful.

Kaden giving everyone a thumbs-up.

Tired Koy, worn out and ready for bed.

Well, us girls decided to get together for a great time as well. Jaci, Kelsi and Brooke, and Hali, Paige and I all got together for pizza, bowling and a sleepover. We stayed up late watching a movie and eating popcorn (Hali's request) and candy. We had a yummy breakfast, painted fingernails and toenails and ate dirt cake. Hali and Paige, like usual, were not ready to go when it was time. They love playing with cousins! I think if we were to live next door, they still would not get enough of eachother.

Paige loved the shoes! She told me she wanted to wear them home. We all had a great time!

Snow Fun

2009-01-11T22:01:00.013-07:00

Living in Kansas, we really missed the snow. We have all looked forward to being back in the west to play in the snow again. We spent New Year's at Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson's house in Utah. We had a great time spending it with family. Dave, Tatum & Kreed, and Kari were also there. We played games until way too late at night, ate more yummy food than we should have (actually I should only speak for myself), and probably wore out the nintendo. Carter played outside until he was cold, wet, and wrinkled. We are loving being around family! These pictures were taken on New Year's Eve. Hali and Kreed had a great time riding together and Paige enjoyed rides with Grandpa. Todd enjoyed pulling Carter on the sled, I think because Carter would yell, "faster! faster!" And of course, Todd would go faster and dump Carter off. Carter and Hali enjoyed throwing snow on everyone. In this picture, it happened to be Uncle Dave. It was a great time!

A Beautiful Snowy Morning

We awoke Friday morning (Jan. 2) to 5" of new snow. One thing I love about the snow is that it falls so peacefully. It is really enjoyable to wake up in the morning and have it look different than the night before. We have also really missed the mountains. This view is from my parents front yard. The trees were covered in snow and it stayed that way all day. So once again, we took advantage of the snow!

Todd & Paige pulling Carter and Hali once again. This time, they were dusted with quite a bit more snow and got dumped off a lot more. It was fun for everyone!
I know, this is a silly picture of quail on my parent's driveway, but it's the simple things I've missed while in Kansas. I have always enjoyed watching them waddle down the road. I love the country!

After a little while of watching the kids go around and around, I mentioned the word "jump" to Dad and he was quickly back with a shovel. He and Todd took turns on course maintenance and before long, they had a pretty good jump going. Carter and Hali thought it was great! We all had some great laughs. Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun time!

Todd's Graduation

2009-01-08T22:05:00.010-07:00

The day we have been waiting for finally arrived!!! Todd's graduation was one of the most exciting events I have been a part of in quite sometime. He graduated from Law school on December 12, 2008. It has been a rollercoaster of a ride, but many wonderful blessings have also come our way. Todd started and finished his undergrad in 2 years, taking up to 24 credits in one semester, just to get finished quickly. As soon as he finished, we moved to Kansas and 6 weeks later he started law school, completing that in 2 1/2 years. Talk about determination! He has amazed me through the whole process. He could have easily buried himself in the books, but he always found time each day to spend with me and the kids. Family has always been his top priority. My church calling took me away from home quite a bit and he always supported me. He never once complained about having to take care of the kids. They enjoyed eating popcorn and watching movies together. The kids were sad when I didn't have to leave because then there usually wasn't popcorn with Dad. It was just another night. Todd has made a lot of sacrifices over the past 4 1/2 years and continues to do so. I appreciate all that he does for us. I am so grateful to be married to him. Way to go, Todd!

We were very blessed to have our parents and some friends come out for graduation. They made a lot of sacrifices to attend and we really appreciate them coming. It made the night that much more special. Thanks!!
Our family with Mom Pingel and Mom & Dad Sanderson

Church Sites.....one last time

2008-12-11T21:39:00.010-07:00

Our journey today took us to Liberty, Missouri to see the Liberty Jail where Joseph Smith was imprisioned for 4 months. The prison has been recreated to show what the conditions were like inside. The walls are 4 feet thick. The floor under the straw is the original rock floor. The sister missionary that took us on our tour today told us that The Community of Christ musuem in Independence, Mo. has the original door to the prison, an interesting bit of information that we didn't know. Todd and I have been to Liberty 5 times now since moving to Kansas and we learn something new every time. There is such a Spirit at these church sites.From Liberty, we drove to Independence. We have always talked about The Community of Christ's interesting building, but didn't know anything about what was inside, until today. The outside has a tall silver spire that twists up like an ice cream cone. The museum inside was very interesting. They had a lot of information on Joseph & Emma Smith and the early church as we know it. It was very fascinating. From here, we walked across the street to the LDS visitor center. We always enjoy the tour here. In December, there is a display of about 300 Nativity scenes set up from all around the world. Each one is so different and unique. During the tour, I started comparing our experience over at The Community of Christ to our church's visitor center. Both had a lot of great information, but one was lacking the warm, peaceful feeling you get when learning these things. I am so grateful for the early saints who sacrificed everything they had, even their lives, to give us the church organization we have today. I gain a deeper appreciation for them with each visit to these wonderful church sites that we have been blessed to be close to over the past 2 1/2 years. We are going to miss visiting all these places! At the end of the tour, there is a pioneer playroom for kids. Paige loved sitting on the wagon. Carter and Hali were in school today, so that's why they are not in the pictures.

Hali's Gymnastics

Hali had her last night of gymnastics tonight, which meant we could go inside the gym to observe and take pictures. It made the night more special to have Grandma Pingel and Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson there to watch Hali. She loved performing for them! It's been fun to watch her become more confident, especially in the balance beam.

Kansas BBQ

2008-12-10T22:57:00.005-07:00

We are moving from Kansas one week from today and trying to squeeze in all of our favorite things. Tonight it was BBQ for dinner. Kansas has some of the yummiest BBQ restaurants, Arthur Bryant's and Vermont Street are a few of our favorites. We have been so excited for grandparents to come this week. We picked Grandma Pingel up from the airport yesterday and Paige talked her leg off the whole way home! I was getting Paige ready for bed and she asked me if she could go look at Grandma again. I told her she needed to go to bed, and she said, "I just want to look at her again." It's been a while since we have seen family and we appreciate them coming to celebrate graduation with us. Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson flew in today and Paige was once again excited to go to the airport.

Gingerbread Houses

2008-11-23T22:02:00.006-07:00

Our family was invited to make gingerbread houses on Saturday with another family that we go to church with. This has been a family tradition of their's for 30 years. We had to bring our houses and icing and they supplied all the candy to decorate with. We had such a fun time and the kids loved being creative. I was surprised at how their houses really resemble their personalities. Carter likes to build things that are very neat, organized and symmetrical. Hali likes things colorful, fun and not very organized. Paige was just trying to stick candy on as fast as she could get it in her little hand. Hali was so sweet to share her house with Paige. If anyone is looking for a gingerbread house recipe and pattern, here is the link to one that is tried & true. It is very easy and kid friendly. http://www.mormonchic.com/recipe/recipebox/pages/gingerbread.asp

It was truly a candy wonderland! The hardest part was deciding what to put on the house! I think the kids walked around in circles several times, taking it all in, before gathering candy.

The finished houses! Carter had a tree in the yard with lights on it, Santa in the doorway, and a woodpile on the side of his house.

Hali and Paige had a tree, snowman and gingerbread man in their yard. They also added a pond and a flower garden.

I am thinking this is a great family tradition to start!

Lollipop Reflector

2008-11-18T20:52:00.003-07:00

I always have good intentions to journal the funny things our kids say and do, but for some reason, I rarely get it done. I am finding that I actually do it now that I am blogging. Being able to have a picture with the saying is so much more fun. Paige and I saw this reflector when we were on a walk and she quickly said, "A lollipop!" I explained to her that it was a reflector and told her what it was for. She thought for a few seconds and said, "Yea. A lollipop!" I don't think I will see reflectors, just as reflectors anymore. Too Cute!

New Glasses

2008-11-17T20:59:00.003-07:00

Carter is into his 3rd year of wearing glasses. It's funny to see him become more particular about what he wants the older he gets. On the way to his appointment, he informed me that he wanted orange glasses. YIKES!!! Orange? He thought that would be pretty cool. Well, after the check-up with the doctor, we went to pick out some new frames. The assistant had some trays with frames inside and asked if we wanted plastic or metal. Of course the plastic, and very colorful frames had to be on the top of the pile. I quickly said, "metal" and Carter said, "I'm ok with metal." Phew!! A major disappointment avoided, so I thought. We moved on to the metal frames and picked the winning pair. Then came a question I was not prepared for. "Can you put some orange and yellow flames on the sides?" What??? Flames??? Like a good mom, I started laughing. The assistant tried so hard to keep her composure and did a pretty good job. She explained that they didn't have any with flames on the sides, but maybe when he ordered new frames next year, they just might have some. So needless to say, no orange and no flames. On the way home, I told him maybe we could find him some sunglasses with flames on the sides. He said, " I don't want sunglasses with flames on them." Then he asked me if his glasses were going to be orange. It's a good thing check-ups are annually!

Photo Tag

2008-11-16T21:51:00.004-07:00

I've been photo tagged by Valerie. The rules are: go to your 4th folder, pick the 4th picture and post it. This is a picture of Hali showing off her art work. She is our little artist and likes to have me take pictures of her hard work.

I passed tumbling!

2008-10-27T21:58:00.005-06:00

Well, not me. Paige and I have been taking a "Mom-n-Tot" tumbling class and today was the last day. She looked forward to it each time and is really going to miss it. The kids in the class were able to use all the equipment that the older kids use. She has been watching Hali for so long behind a window and she loved being able to go in and do everything she's seen Hali do. On the last day of class, friends and family can come into the gym to observe and take pictures. Paige seemed to really be performing for the camera! Here is our gymnast in training. You just might see her in the Olympics in 16 years!

Pumpkins

2008-10-26T22:09:00.006-06:00

We took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday to pick out the "perfect pumpkin," as Paige kept saying about hers. We went a little late in the season and Carter had a hard time finding a big one, but he finally settled on one. I don't think he would say his was the "perfect pumpkin," but it's a pumpkin. Hali went last week on a field trip and picked out hers, so she really enjoyed telling us everything there was to know about the place. It really was a lot of fun. A tractor took us by hayride out to the patch and then came back to pick us up. There was a playground, a hay maze, and animals. We've been away from country living for too long because the kids were fascinated by the chickens and cows, like they've never seen them before. I don't think they remember the herd of cows that used to be in our backyard before we moved to Kansas. Farm animals are a novelty around where we live!

The kids got to carve their pumpkins at a church activity on Saturday. Carter and Hali did their own this year and did a great job. Paige pushed in her pieces and for the next 45 minutes, I heard, "Mom, now what do I do with my pumpkin?" She waited so patiently while Carter and Hali finished carving theirs. They were so excited to finally be able to wear their costumes. We had a great time.

A Blustery Day

2008-10-22T07:51:00.004-06:00

Our time in Kansas is winding down fast and we are beginning to think of all the things we are going to miss. One of those being the rainstorms. But let me clarify, not the kind of rain and wind that are sometimes followed by a sound outside that we call the "Tornado Siren." We are not going to miss those storms! I'm talking about continuous thunder and lightning with a down pouring of rain. When we had only been in Kansas a few days, we were awakened in the middle of the night by one of these storms. Scared us half to death!! People later told us that we would get used to them and be able to sleep right through it. We haven't reached that point, but they don't scare me anymore. In fact, I purposely opened the sliding glass door yesterday to listen to and smell the rain. The kids on the other hand, secretly tried closing the door and few times because of the thunder and lightning, but they were busted! I want to enjoy as many rainstorms as possible over the next few months. I love the rainy days!

These pictures were taken about a year ago. I love watching the water shoot out of the downspout.

Carter's 8th Birthday

2008-10-20T21:57:00.001-06:00

Carter turned 8 on Thursday, the 16th! He is all boy! I'm not sure if he was more excited about the Transformers wrapping paper, or the gifts inside, but all said and done he had a great day. He is a very social little guy. He likes to be the last one to leave school to make sure he tells everyone goodbye. If there is a wrestling/tickling match going on, he is right in the middle of it. He loves Transformers, Legos, and food. Carter designed his birthday cake this year. He brought me a drawing of what he wanted it to look like and what colors to use. He enjoyed building the crane and truck to go on it. I was a little sad he didn't want me to do the Lego cake I was planning on, but his was much simpler and he loved it!

Hali's Birthday

2008-10-13T23:30:00.000-06:00

Hali celebrated her 6th Birthday on Friday. She had a smile on her face from the moment she woke up until she went to sleep. She is an angel. She brings such a sweet spirit into our home. She has a love for life and is helpful, cheerful, and spiritual. She is a friend to everyone and loves to learn. Happy Birthday, Hali!

Paige's Birthday

2008-10-13T21:20:00.001-06:00

Paige turned 3 on Saturday! What happened to our baby? Where did the time go? Paige loves to have the whole family home. Everyday, I hear, "I miss Carter and Hali," and "I miss Dad." So it was great that her birthday fell on a Saturday this year. She loves playing with Carter and Hali and wants to be right in the middle of everything they do! She is happy, funny, and sometimes a little to big for her britches. Happy Birthday, Paige!