Roppin' cows

Less is More

Josie had a little car seat/baby carrier for her baby and she NEVER used it so we gave it away. Now she just uses this little basket, and calls it a car seat. Maybe less is more for little girls with big imaginations.

"I do it Mom" Josie said she would do it, so I let her. She did pretty good and it kept them both occupied for a long time.

Just so you know 'Baby Five' no longer is named 'Five' now her name is 'Baby Princess' (I'm not even sure Josie knows what a princess is so that is why I find it suspicous that baby Five changed to baby Princess after playing with Rio for three days. Either way it made me laugh out lound when I was informed of the name change.) You can tell from the picture she takes this matter very serious.

Dean took me to Park City for 3 days. Thanks to Addy for tending the kids. We had a really nice time (after I got Dean to turn off his phone). I kept telling him it was my trip, and it really was, he let me do everything I wanted and was so patient and so fun!

P.S.

Dean did get me a Valentine gift... a book and a card, and he even got Josie a cute little necklace.

When we got home I started to unpack and didn't pay much attention to the kids. So this is what I get. He had eaten almost the entire banana and a lot of the peel. The mess was already made so I just let him finish.

Pillow Talk

The other night

Me: Dean remember when I had the worst pain of my life and you slept through it. Remember I told you the next morning that I didn't go to sleep until 5:30 am and you just shrugged it off.

Dean: Ya

Me: Remember it happened again and you were nice about it but you totally thought I was over reacting, and then less then a week later I had surgery.

Dean: Ya what about it

Me: I was just thinking how it really was a big deal and you totally thought I was overreacting. I'm not a baby so it weird that you didn't believe me.

(he then sat up)

Dean: Well I slipped on the ice yesterday and now I think I have a bone chip in my elbow.

Me: ... and we're back, you always make it about you. Then I laughed really hard.

Tonight

Me: Hey should we exchange Valentines presents a day early?

Dean: Well I was going to give you something but I forgot what it was.

No lie, he was dead serious. Then I laughed really hard.

Lately

It took a little bit of begging but I got Dean to take us swimming in Preston. I don't know why I had to beg he should have begged me. I got everyone ready, fed everybody dinner, packed all the stuff we needed (towels, clothes to change, life jacket, baby float, etc.) Sang Josie songs the entire 30 minute drive to the pool. Got the kids ready to actually get in the pool. We swam, played, and had a good time. Then I got one kid out at a time showered them got them ready for bed while at the pool, showered myself, gathered all our stuff back up, sang songs all the way back home, and put the kids to bed. When we went to bed I was thinking how much work it is to have a good time as a family; but it must be worth it because then I asked Dean if he would take us again!

Josie is wearing Rio's swimsuit (size 6 months). Trig is wearing Jake's (size 2T)

That is so Backwards. They are so opposite.

We went to pick Dean up for lunch one day and took some pictures of Jed bringing in the babies they started breaking this week.

Dean has started calving a little bit already. It has been really nice weather for calving so far. I always pray the baby calves will be healthy, I feel so bad they are born in the freezing cold.

Dad this is that Huck horse I've been telling you about.

Dean went to Alice Lake Snowmobiling. They ride in 30 miles on Snowmobiles to the cabin where they stay. It makes me crazy nervous. They are so far from everything and no way to get help in an emergency. It gives me serious anxiety but its Dean's Utopia. Obviously I didn't take the picture, I googled it, but you can imagine it looking a lot like this but with 7 feet of snow piled on top. He came home and told me the stories of all the scary snowmobiling he did, while I bit my names and checked to make sure our life insurance was still paid up.

While Dean was gone I took the kids to Utah. I went down to paint JD's house and had a really fun visit. Maddie stayed with me and it was so fun to have her. We took grandma great to lunch and took Gracie shopping. I only have one picture to prove we were there; Sunday we had a really intense game of ring around the rosie. I love watching the cousins play together.

We took Trig to the Dr. and he had ANOTHER sinus infection and an ear infection. The poor boy in 9 months old and on his 5th sinus infection. He has 5 teeth, three on top and two on the bottom. He is walking a lot along the furniture but not even close to walking by himself. He is still very happy and its been fun to see him play more with other kids. Its interesting to see how into trucks and balls he is already, boys must truly be born with that. He is getting so busy. He loves to pull everything out of any drawer, and he loves to make a mess.

Josie has been testing her limits. She is learning more about time-out and so am I. She is so funny and staring to say really funny things. She sings a lot, especially to her babies. I took this picture one day when I heard her singing "You are my Sunshine" to her baby inside her cardboard house.

She is such a ham

I walked into Josie's room and she was reading her books with a cowboy hat on. She is so funny. After I took this picture I realized I really need to put her in a real bed, I just really don't want to, just not yet.

Grandpa gave us a box

After the kids used it as a tunnel for two days. We made it into a house! Josie took her painting very seriously. She is proud of her house and will not let boy anywhere near it.

How I spend my time

I spend a fair amount of my time reminding Dean that he is not as cool as he thinks he is. But yesterday I found out that he really is pretty cool. Maybe I don't know as much as I think I do... no that can't be.

But really in reality he is an excellent dad, a great husband, a hard worker and a pretty dang good snowmobiler. I couldn't even get good pictures because I was to busy either screaming for his life or just trying to catch up to him.

We Love Laurel!

After seeing Josie's makeshift baby beds (laundry baskets) aunt Laurel took pity on Josie and made her a real baby bed. Laurel built the bed and hand made all the bedding, she is amazing. She even custom painted it purple per Josie's request. Thanks Laurel we love it!

You did what?

Well first it was in this tree...

Then I climbed up there and poked it with a stick, and it ran to this other tree.

Why would you do that? Why would anyone climb up a tree and poke a carnivorous beast?

Then Lawrence comes over and tells me his side of the story, "Well we had the lion in the tree real close to the house, and we were trying to get it to come closer to the house so we could show it to you and the kids. Dean climbed up there and poked it with a stick but it just ran to the other tree".

O now I know... to get it to come closer to your wife and children.

I love having a backyard full of adventure but lets not be out just poking it with a stick.

FHE

Dean took us to the hot pots by our house. Josie was so excited to go swimming and talked about it the whole drive over. I was worried about taking the kids in the cold but they loved it, Trig especially he mostly just lounged around in his chair. Josie had a good time doing the back float and jumping off the edge.

around our house

"Grandpa Buce Ap-rica..."

We skpye with my parents in Africa. Sometimes Josie talks to them and sometimes she is shy and just sticks her fingers in her mouth. Addy gave her a computer and she loves to pretnend to talk to Grandpa.

Daddy, Josie and Bear having a little Tea Party. (These tea parties take a long time because everything has to go in the microwave and the fridge, and be stirred a dozen times).

Josie on a little shopping trip, she was sad because boy wouldn't follow her. He didn't want to follow because he stayed behind to crash the kitchen.

I basically just want to squeeze him all the time

This little dude loves his momma, he follows me around and is always climbing on me. He is so happy, but he is starting to get into a lot of mischief. Like eating a little chalk, but I can't stop him cause he is always very proud.

His new thing is playing the piano. He loves to stand up and play a few notes but more than that he likes someone to see him do it.

Did she learn that from me?

Today I walked in the living room and I saw Josie like this. I asked her what she was doing, "pick bebe's nose" of course I already knew what she was doing. I invented it, I just didn't know she paid attention. My mom used to tell my dad when he was telling a dirty joke or cussing or really doing anything naughty, "Your teaching Bruce, your teaching". Meaning that he was teaching us kids bad stuff. Well apparently I'm going to have to be more careful about the things I'm teaching my daughter. In my defense I don't really sit on him I just use my legs to hold his arms down. And the kid has a really gross nose he needs my help. As for the bobby pin, well its just an excellent tool.

Some people document funny things their kids say...

I would like to remember the things my husbands says!

I woke up this morning with a really bad headache and haven't felt good all day. I was cooking dinner and Dean hugged me. He touched my forehead with his face...

Dean: You have a fever

Me: Probably; I've been telling you I don't feel good.

Dean: Well you defiantly have a fever

Me Joking: Can you finish dinner and I'll lay down

Dean: Just lay down after you make dinner

he walked away, seconds later he walks back in the kitchen

Dean: Do we have any Zicam I think I felt a little sick this morning

Later he was in the livingroom and I hear...

Dean: Josie can you get Daddy the remote

Josie: No daddy

Dean: Josie get me the remote

Dean: Josie its right there, can you bring it to daddy

Dean: Josie, Please - get that remote for me

Dean: Josie just right there get it for dad

I love him a lot and I'm so glad he makes me laugh. He did give my puppy away yesterday and I'm still a little mad about it. Actually I can't decide if I'm more mad that I care that the dog is gone or actually that the dog is gone.

911

I'm not entirely sure why I still come running when I here her screeching scream. It is almost always because she can't find the comb or because boy touched her toys. This time it was boy. He was getting her babies. She had been taking care of these four babies all day (she wore those over sized slippers all day too). For Christmas Dean and I went to a couple stores trying to find a baby crib (they just don't make them like they used to). We never found one that was good enough quality to be worth buying; but good news she is just happy using laundry baskets. Besides even if we did buy her one crib we wouldn't have bought her four.

When I was little my mom bought me quints. I loved playing with them. That is what Josie and all her babies reminded me of today. My mom teases me because I played house and babies way into sixth grade. Maybe that is why I'm so glad Josie loves her kitchen and her babies!

Speaking of babies this little one has had a rough three days. You can't tell by the picture but he has been miserable. His top teeth are coming in and he has been pretty unhappy. I'm nervous for him to get top teeth. I have really enjoyed him being little and I'm afraid he is going to look so grown up.

Just to Journal

This little dude is getting so fun! He is standing up to everything and learning to walk along the furniture. He is always slobbering and usually has a runny nose. I know it sounds gross but he is so adorable and happy that it doesn't even bother me. I love the big smile he always has. He sleeps through the night pretty good, I usually have to give him his binky once. He greets me most every morning with a big smile, standing up in his bed with a smelly diaper, but I love him anyway. He loves to play peak-a-boo and patty-cake. He watches his sister all day long. Anytime there is a ball close by he is bound to find it; he loves balls. He is a good eater, but still allergic to milk. I have started him on a lot more table food and he does pretty good. He is so busy; he just cruises around and explores all day. He is getting so hard to take to church. He just wants to get down and play and truly he is to heavy to carry around for three hours. I love this age and I love this little man!

Dean has been taking Josie to work with him a lot lately. She loves to go with him. When he gets ready to leave in the morning she says, "Wait me Daddy" and runs to get her coat. Today was really warm, he took her for over 7 hours. They fixed fence, moved cows, fed cows, met with the piviot guys, and went to lunch. When she got home I asked her what she did and she yelled, "Cows, Cows, Potty side Mommy". So basically she must must have been impressed with the cows and with herself for going potty outside. (I'm not exactly sure how that even works with a two year old but aparently she and her dad figured it out - he is a really good dad, however he still will not change dirty diapers).

I think its safe to say Josie is potty trained. She wakes up at night if she needs to go potty, and only has accidents on really rare occasions. She talks a lot. She is really busy figuring her world out and testing boundaries. She loves to sit on, bite, and hit her little brother, when she isn't busy hurting him she loves to hold him, sing to him, or read to him. She loves to say prayers, brush her teeth, color and do hair. She LOVES to talk on the phone; she usually calls Addy or Koen 50 times a day. She is eating a little better, she still loves eating noddles most. I love this age and I love this little girl!