Happy New Year!!!

This year we didn't have any New Years eve plans so we decided to go to the cabin. We have never been in the winter and I loved it... I only wish there had been more snow! It was so nice to just hang out and be lazy. The kids built endless houses with lincoln logs and Brax was entertained for a good part of the night with some tinker toys.

When I tell people I married someone super special... This is what I mean! :)

Taya's a Ninja

Last sunset of 2011.

Good Riddence! I hope 2012 is a better one for me!

We R Back

So I have kind of forgotten that we have a blog! I have not posted in almost 2 years and so much in our lives has happened. The kids are getting so big and growing fast. Braydan just turned 10, Braxtan is now 8, and Taya is 6. They are always busy with something; dance, sports, school, scouts etc. Tony is still working at UPS and we are both glad that the Christmas rush is over! I am working as a Clerk at the Infusion Center at the hospital and will be taking a cna class that starts next week. There is so much I could post about from the past 2 years but I am not going to attempt it. I guess we will just start from here on out.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~*~ STATE CHAMPS ~*~

They did it! Both Braydan and Braxtan were able to take first place at the State bantam wrestling tournament last Saturday. Braydan pinned all 3 kids that he wrestled in the first round and Braxtan finished off the season unbeaten. Good job boys, we are proud of you!

NiGhT oUt WiTh BrAy

Braydan had been asking me for a while if he and I could spend a little time alone together. Its seems to get harder and harder to do that as the kids get older and we get busier. I have been wanting to try out my camera and see if I could get some decent night shots and put my camera to some use. Bray thought that it would be fun to come along with me. We stayed up late and waited for everyone else to fall asleep. After they did we snuck away. It was fun to just drive around with him and talk, if he wanted to stop and take a pic of something we did. All of the pictures we took were of something he thought looked neat and wanted to take pics of. The fog and rain made it a bit harder to get a good picture but we had fun and I liked teaching Bray and letting him learn about something I am interested in. Here are some pics of our adventures.

Street lights

The tower at the rock church


I loved this tree!
Main street with a long exposure.
I wish there was more traffic!

Braydan seen this tree and thought it was so cool.

He said it reminded him of the tree of life because

it is always glowing. To cute if you ask me!

Thanks for being my Friday night date Bray! You made my day!

~ Grandpa ~

Last Sunday we wanted to go for a drive. Tony's grandpa Max stopped by and we invited him to come along. We didn't know where we were going or what we were going to do when we set out. We ended up taking a drive out to New Castle then through some back roads and came out on Antelope road. We just drove around and Max showed us all the places he used to live when he was a kid. He took us out to this old farm and had us stop by this shed. He built this little shack in 1949 by himself and lived in it for 2 1/2 years with his brother. He built it from spare wood that he had found. It was barely big enough for both their beds and a small stove. I have to say that it was a very humbling experience for me. I think it is in our nature to always want more than we have. After seeing this I realized how lucky we are and haven't felt the wanting for anything new. We have homes where we flip switches to make everything work, turn on a faucet and hot water comes out and turn up the heat and feel warmth. It was so amazing to see Max's face and how proud he was of this little shack that he had built......and rightly so. You could see it in his eyes as he took us place to place, telling us the history of it and the things he used do that he could remember it as if it were yesterday. I think those moments when you can see into someones eyes as if they were a child are few and far between, but are those moment that are so very special and the ones we will remember. I wish that there was some way we could find out who owns it! It was a great day for me and I am sure that it was just as great for Tony! Thanks Max for a great day!

***Ice Fishing***

So I haven't posted a blog in forever. Here are some of out latest adventures and happenings.

We took the kids ice fishing for the first time. Tony also had never been and I had only been a couple of times when I was little. We had an awesome time and the kids had a blast! We had so much fun that we stayed all day. We got up there around 7 am and didnt leave until after 4.

Tony and Jason Hoyt

Taya loved the fishies!

Braxtan

Braydan looks so enthused!

Booey and sweet Avery

Trying out the new camera

I figured since Tony got me a camera for Christmas I might want to try to figure the dang thing out and put it to some use. I enlisted my brother and his family as my victims. As you can see by these pics I am very new to both photography and photo shop. Here are a few pics of our adventure!

Thanks Matt, Natalie, and kids for letting waste your time on a Sat! Hopefully you will let me do it again sometime, I had a blast hanging out with you guys!

~~Twas the Night Before Christmas Eve~~

We got lucky again tonight and were able to have some of the kids cousins come and spend the night with us. My kids always love it when they come and we always seem to have a ton of fun! Everyone has someone to play with and that keeps them out of moms hair. YAY! We decorated sugar cookies for Santa (ate most of them), played a lot of wii fit and rockband, then went down stairs and watched a movie. I never notice how many eight kids is until I see them spread across the floor in sleeping bags, at which time I think I might need a bigger basement! I hope we can do many more of these sleep overs. Being close to my cousins was something I always wish I had when I was younger and am so glad that my kids have that! Although I am sure that there will be a lot of trouble made together in the future!

!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAYDAN BOY!!!

Happy 8th birthday Bray! We are so proud of you and love you very much! You are always willing to help and never complain about it! Thank you for being such and easy, happy kid! You make our lives easy! We hope it is a good birthday for you and all your wishes come true!

Braydan has decided to pick a few friends and take them to Ninja for dinner. He has also enlisted me to make him an R2D2 cake. We will have to see how that turns out!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

So again I am late posting pictures! Here are some pics of the kids in their costumes. Every year we get together with all of the neighbors kids to go trick or treating. We light up the trailer with halloween lights and either pull in with the rhino or a truck. They love it and I am going to be sad when they don't want to do it anymore!

Taya was a geisha

Braydan and his friend Jordan where ninjas.

Braxtan wanted to be something bloody so we bought these clothes at the DI and he made his own costume this year. He was a zombie.