Bittersweet

Everyone always told me to treasure every moment with my kids because they grow up so fast. It seems like that has hit me hard lately. I enjoy watching both of my kids becoming their own person, but at the same time, it's hard to let go. I love the fact that they are getting big enough to do certain things like open gates, load & empty the dishwasher, & my personal favorite... fix themselves cereal and watch cartoons on Saturday mornings so I can sleep in!!! As they get older there are so many more "challenges" that we face and I find myself saying "I can't wait till he outgrows this phase". Truth be told... it seems like the 'phases' are a test for me to help him find his own way. In the end, we usually have a stronger connection because we have learned from each other and respect each other. It's hard to believe, but my little boy isn't so little any more, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

Then there are moments like this and I realize that they're always gonna be my babies, no matter how big they get!!!

Derby Update

At the Boy Scout meeting tonight, they announced the boys who won at the race. Drumroll please..... Dustin won 2nd place for Best in Show! Way to go Tater!!!!

Pinewood Derby

Yesterday was the Pinewood Derby for the Boy Scouts. Dustin has been counting down the days for a month now. It was a new experience to all of us. Tater's car ran 2nd and 3rd on a few of the races, but wasn't quite fast enough to place for an award. He was pretty bummed about that, but still was proud of his car none the less.



He designed this car all by himself. He put a lot of work into his car to make it just right. Personally, I think it is a pretty awesome car. He should be proud of himself!!

I got a short video of his car racing, but those little cars really scoot and I wasn't able to catch much of the race except for the beginning so these pictures are all I really got.

Little Old Man Dance

Allow me to set the scene for this video.....

When Dustin was younger, my Grandma and her friends called him "Little Floyd". When I asked her why she called him that, she said it was because he reminded her of an old man. At the time, I didn't really see it. But now, every once in awhile I see what she meant. Sometimes Tater does or says something that is way beyond his years. Mainly I see it in his posture and actions. His newest "old man" thing is his dance. He looks like a little old man trying to get his groove on:) It's pretty funny, see for yourself.....

All I can say, is that I definitely see dance lessons in this boys future!!!

Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that another has gone by. 2008 was a good year for us, hopefully 2009 will be just as good if not more so. After the hustle & bustle of Christmas died down, we were all starting to go a little stir crazy. The best remedy for that?!?.... A road trip! Matt was helping with a rodeo just outside of Fort Collins, so the kids and I decided to go visit with Nana and Uncle Ryan. We had a nice little get away, we left on Wednesday and were back on Sunday. I drove over to Fort Collins on Thursday and picked up Matt so he was able to spend the long weekend with us. With the new year came a new discovery.... the Wii!!!



I'm not a big fan of video games, but this was too much fun. Even Riley Jo got into the games. In fact, she kicked everyones butt at bowling.



Matthew and Tater found the boxing game. It was so funny to watch them box it out with each other, but not really hitting anything.

And of course there was the dirt track racing game. That one was hard. Matthew got hooked on the Cabela's Extreme Hunting game. I definitely see one of these dandy machines in our future!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

It's taken me awhile to get some new photos on here, but here they are. We had a nice quiet Christmas. We were planning on doing dinner with some friends, but shortly after we got there, Tater got sick, so home we came. We fixed breakfast burritos, watched movies and played with new toys. Overall, a very nice and relaxed day.




Riley Jo managed to get a few more pigs. One stuffed and one porcelain figurine.

Santa did pretty well this year. Tater got a bunch of hunting/shooting stuff. Now he seems to think that he's ready for his own .22. Riley Jo got an easy bake oven but apparently his elves can not make light bulbs (Thanks Uncle Harvey!!!) because the oven was missing one. 3 days after Christmas we finally made a feast of baked goods.

Who can resist a cute boy in a union suit?!?

Ahh... yet another nerf gun to add to his artillery!!!

Brrr....

When it looks like this outside....

This is what it looks like inside my house....

I didn't do a really good job of capturing the complete picture.... there was a tent set up in each of the kids' rooms (no way they could all share one!!), my hallway was converted to a shooting range complete with barricades made from laundry baskets, small tables, pillows and whatever else provided cover from incoming Nerf bullets.

Even Butch got to come inside out of the cold.