Merry Christmas

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Wish we could be with everyone, but know we are thinking of all of you! From our family to yours,

Christmas program

The kids did a wonderful job at their Christmas program. They got all dressed up and were super excited. Delaney's class got to go first. They sang Red and Green, Up on the House Top, and Must be Santa. She did great! She was dancing her little heart out, we were all laughing so hard. Ben did a great job also. They sang Holiday Lights and Swingin' with Santa Claus. The song about the lights, they turn all the lights out and while the kids sing, they have different colored flashlights they move around together. It was pretty cool. We did not get pictures of the kids on stage, they just didn't turn out well. It was a great night though.

All lit up

We actually finished decorating the tree the day after we put it up. It just took me a while to post here. The kids are getting excited for the big day. Delaney is asking constantly if it is Christmas yet. This is the kids last week of school before the holiday. I am hoping to have everything done before that. (we'll see) This is Delaney's first year singing in the holiday program in school. I know she will do well. I will post later about that. Happy Holidays!!

Tree hunting

It's that time of year again when we pile in the truck, spend the $8 on a tree permit, and head out in search of the perfect tree. This year we went to the Crandall area. It is where Ben has been working for a while. After parking and getting out twice, we decided to head off the beaten path. We drove quite a way up into the mountain before seeing some trees off to our right. Instead of staying on the "road", Ben just heads that direction. There were some big dips in the road that you couldn't see because of the snow. Well we definitely felt them! Everyone came out of their seats and then we were cracking up. It is always an adventure when we decide to find our tree. Ben was a good sport this year. I am only slightly picky when it comes to the tree. He will probably tell it differently!

Thanksgiving Vacation

After a total of about 48 accumulated hours in the truck over a 10-day period, we made it home in one piece. It was great being able to see everyone. The kids had so much fun playing with all of their cousins and catching up with all the other relatives as well. I am so surprised how much all of the kids have grown since I last saw them. We had a blast going out with all of our friends with a night of dinner and dancing. I wish we could do it more often. Hopefully it will not be so long before we venture out that way again. The 17 hour (one way) trip doesn't get any easier, but well worth it. Thanks Grandma Byers for the care package on the return trip. It was a lifesaver! As you can see by the pictures, even the beef jerky became quality entertainment.

Delaney's report card

Laney's parent-teacher conference was great. All kids take tests in October to score them on reading and math to see if they need help or advanced work. On both tests she scored above-average! She is in the top reading group for kids already reading a little. Her teacher was so happy with her work and her attitude in class. I am so happy that Laney loves school and is excited to go every day.

Ben's report card

We went to Ben's parent-teacher conference last night. He has a great teacher this year and Ben likes her also. His reading has improved so much since the summer! Now he is in the 70% reading range. He is also in the highest math group in the class. She commented on how inquisitive he is and hungry to learn about anything. He received all A's and B's! All he needs to work on now is not talking so much in class!!! We are so proud of him. Tomorrow we are meeting with Laney's teacher and will let everyone know how it goes.

Halloween!!

This year was great. Ivy and Izzy are here and were able to go Trick or Treating with us. Ben was a Cowboy(Elvis just didn't work out), Laney was a princess(again), and Izzy was a pirate. I wore bunny ears this year and Ben had a Frankenstein mask with gloves. The pictures of us are not up yet, they will be added soon. Ben and Laney took turns on who got to ring the doorbell. We had to carry Izzy the whole time but she would say Trick Treat and thank you. She did a great job. And by the end of the night, she wasn't even scared of Uncle Ben anymore!

School pictures

Here are the kids new school photos. Hope everyone enjoys them!

Ben ** 3rd grade


Delaney ** Kindergarten

Pumpkins!

Well, it is pumpkin carving time again. This is one of our favorite times of year. We all get together and laugh and just have fun working on our pumpkin creations. I do have to buy them at the store which makes me a little sad. I miss taking the kids to the pumpkin patch and walking all the rows of pumpkins in search of the perfect one. Still, I think everyone did a great job and I know they had a blast! If you want to read the captions on the pictures, just put your cursor on the photo and it will stop and the caption will come up. Enjoy the pictures.

We have puppies!

Our puppies were born early in the morning on the 17th. Truby did a great job and we have 5 beautiful babies, 4 boys and 1 girl. She is a good momma and is great with the litter. I have a couple of pics now, I will put more up soon!

First snow

Here are some pictures of our first snowstorm of the season. One is the view from our front porch, the other our smoker that sits on the deck out back. The kids were excited to be able to play in the snow again. We got a good 3 inches, which is not usual this time of year. The snow is melting quickly, but it has been a blustery 18 degrees the past couple of mornings!

Getting close

Well, any time within the next 7 days, we will have puppies. I am excited and a little nervous. Last night Truby woke me up at 4am by scratching on the floor under my bed. I guess she is trying to nest, but since there isn't anything under the bed, she was just scratching the carpet. I hope she will be nice and have them in the daylight hours....I'm probably not that lucky. This is a picture I took of her yesterday. I don't think it does her much justice. She truly is very fat!

Nest

Yesterday the kids found a nest in a tree on the side of our house. When we went to check it out, we discovered it was either a wasp or hornet nest. Well, I looked it up. It is a Baldfaced Hornet. The nest, not hive I discovered, is very interesting and large. Almost the size of a basketball! Not sure what we are going to do with it yet, the kids want to keep it after they leave the nest in winter. Since it is at eye-level, I'm not sure if we will do that.

cookies

Today I spent part of my afternoon baking cookies. I am very proud of my recipe, it took me quite a while to get it just right. Worth every bit of effort. When Ben and the kids get home I know they will be excited. I love to see their faces light up when I make them a special treat.

Happy birthday Delaney

She did it, she is finally 5. First off, thank you to everyone who sent a gift or called to say happy birthday. She loved everything! The money, clothes, and toys were all great. I know she will enjoy everything. This year I decided that I was going to paint her room as a surprise. So Tuesday while she was at school, I drug everything upstairs, painted, and cleaned up before the kids got home. She was very surprised! I was happy that she liked it so much, it was a lot of work. Now Ben wants me to do his room too! I'll save that for another week.

Almost 5

Delaney will be 5 in four days and I almost can't believe it. I think back to the day she was born and can picture it like it was yesterday. She is now in kindergarten and acting more grown up every day. I feel a little sad about that at times, but I know that even when she says, "I can do it myself", she will still need and want me to be there for her. I feel blessed to have such a beautiful and loving daughter....I just wish she didn't have to grow up so fast.

The first week is over

Well, we made it through the first week of school! Both the kids like their teachers which is always a plus. I have been proud of them, they have to get up at 6:20 to get ready and have hardly complained at all. The first week is usually the hardest because they are not used to getting up so early. We even have to walk about 1/4 of a mile to the end of our road so they can catch the bus. But, they love riding the bus. It does make for a long day since they don't get home until almost 4. I am hoping they can keep the excitement for another week or so. The one funny thing that happened today was Delaney decided on her own to have breakfast at school even though she ate at home. Then she took to long and wound up getting a little lost inside the school. Ben was worried about her, he says he checks on her before class starts and didn't see her. One of the teachers found her and took her to class. She wasn't scared, just wandering around. I think this year is going to be exciting!

First day of school

The kids were both pretty excited to go back to school. Delaney could hardly sleep the night before. Ben and I took them to school and got to see their rooms and meet the teachers. Delaney has the same teacher Ben had at that age. When the bell rang, Laney just said, " see you later!". No problem at all. She especially liked riding the bus home. I think it was a good day for everyone!

Puppies

Well, after much indecision on my part, we have decided to let my dog Truby have puppies. She is due in the middle of October. The kids are excited that we will have a bunch of puppies running around for a while, but know we are not keeping any. I will keep everyone updated with photos!

County Fair

We were all excited to go to the fair this year. The kids got to ride all of their favorite rides and loved them all. The roller coaster was a big hit this time. We also walked around and looked at all of the animals and exhibits. I loved all the photographs taken by young 4-H'ers, and the giant paper mache bunny was fun. Next year Ben will be old enough to hve an animal at the fair. We are all looking forewrd to that.

More...

camping photos. Mom took these and I thought they were great!

Camping

This past weekend we went camping at the Medicine Wheel campground near Hyattville. It is a beautiful place. Not only is there lots of hiking, it is an ongoing archaeological dig site. The petroglyphs are amazing. The kids spent there time hiking, fishing, and playing in the water. Everyone had a great time and we plan to go back as soon as possible.

4th of July

Jenn and her family were able to come for the 4th of July this year. We had a blast. Tori is getting so big and is so beautiful. All the kids had a great time. We went to the big parade in Cody, and of course, the battery in my camera died! On saturday we celebrated Ben's 8th birthday. I don't think Auntie Jenn has missed one yet. He was so happy with all his gifts and we can't wait to spend more time with Jenn and Adam.....Tori too!

New tree fort

Ben Jr. had made an old fort in our tree line out back. Since the grass was starting to die there, I asked him to find a new location. Ben and his dad decided to build a new one in the trees to the side of our back deck. They had a lot of fun working together and the kids just love the fort.

Tagged

Okay here are the rules just write 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals,3 obsessions and 3 random facts. Enjoy!


3 Joys:
1.My family
2.a good cup of coffee
3.nature

3 Fears:
1.Something bad happening to my kids.
2.Losing my hubby.
3.spiders!

3 Goals:
1.Being the best mother and wife that I can.
2.Once the kids start school finding a job I enjoy.
3.Get more out of my garden.

3 Obsessions:
1.My kids well-being.
2.coffee.
3.My chickens.

3 Random Facts:
1.I dislike when anyone else folds the laundry, I always re-fold it.
2.I love to watch UFC!
3.I want to enjoy seafood..but, it is disgusting!

3 People to Tagg
1.Jenn
2.Ivy
3.Sara

Birthday hunt

This year for mom's birthday, she wanted to go for a hike and look for arrowheads and rocks. So we took a drive up to the Peaks. Everyone had a good time and the kids came home with lots of treasures. No arrowheads. We did see lots of ducks, some other interesting birds we had never seen before, and a bunch of lizzards.