tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78968871821506340462012-01-16T22:17:45.282-08:00Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.comBlogger2911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-47039831132888500082012-01-08T17:43:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:43:07.109-08:00

I don't know who is more excited Gib and I or the kids?  Seriously, we can hardly stand it! It's pure magic from the moment they enter the room on Christmas morning. Air hockey was a big hit! Fenn wanted Dr. Dreadful's Zombie Lab so bad.  That is what he told Santa and anyone one else who asked.  He was so happy when he opened it, he threw his arms around Gib! She was

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-9621129815778487652012-01-08T17:11:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:11:53.081-08:00

We started off at Jim and Terry's. Always a good time! Then we headed to my mom's house. Isn't Almah cute!   It was sort of a sad year for us.  It was the first time EVER we have not all been together for Christmas, and let me just say, I didn't like it.  Nicole got a new job so she couldn't come home.  Then Austen, Lynlee and Steve's baby, decided to arrive 6 weeks early, and was still

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-9755332415636845042012-01-08T16:50:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:50:42.883-08:00

Maupin Family Christmas has become one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season. It's the only time of the year we get to see Michon's side of the family. This year we were small in numbers, but it was fun non the less! Hazel wasn't too sure about being alone at the table with Eric. She refused to make eye contact.The only sad thing is, these two were the only kids this year, so they took

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-48162116230203709162012-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:45:30.698-08:00

It has become our tradition, that every year, as one of our advent calendar activites, we go look at Christmas lights and take our picture with the Grinch! This is the first year Fenn wasn't scared to death. The Jim Carey version of movie really made an impact on little Fenny this year. We were laying in bed one night when he said, "You know what makes me really sad?" I said,"What?" He proceeded

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-28461151527201769842012-01-08T16:39:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:45:40.178-08:00

 Every year there are those traditions that tell us, "It's almost Christmas!"  They are so exciting we can hardly stand it!  The first of those is the advent calendar.  To see all those little buckets filled with treasures, treats, and fun activities to do, is almost too much! The next indicator of the season, is Elf on the Shelves return.  This year, Orph, as he was promptly named when

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-51031768492286484642012-01-08T16:22:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:22:43.430-08:00

This last semester Hazel took tumbling and dance.  The dance class was 1/2 ballet, 1/2 tap.  She loved every minute of it, especially the ballet.  Mr. Jeff is magical with those little people, she was particularly fond of when lifted them up and twirled them around like real ballerinas.  They had "recital" in an effort to prepare them for this spring, when they perform at the annual studio

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-12054755125081619682012-01-08T16:09:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:10:52.247-08:00

Hazel is what I refer to as, "A crap hauler!" I've posted about this problem before, but I think this picture clearly defines what I mean. Notice all the crap she has gathered around herself (including my cell phone). An hour later ALL of this stuff (including my cell phone) was in a shopping cart. The really remarkable thing is she does an amazing job of keeping track of what she a tucked

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-25339869459665662552012-01-08T16:04:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:04:34.853-08:00

Just days after turning 5, Fenn lost his first tooth.  Of course, it was very exciting for him, but it made my stomach hurt.  It was one of those defining moments that said, he's getting big and it broke my hear just a little bit!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-91595290086319201952012-01-08T16:01:00.000-08:002012-01-08T16:01:11.470-08:00

Several months before Fenn's birthday he asked, "Mom, what was I born to do?"  I told him he was only 4, and I don't think we know yet what he was born to do, other than make me happy every single day.  That answer didn't really suffice which he let me know as he climbed the door frame.  Lately, he had been climbing every door frame he could find, so I told him he was born to climb.  The next

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-35211016729804568512011-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:002011-11-12T12:15:24.654-08:00

I cannot believe the things Fenn comes home from Pre-School with. He is always throwing out random facts he has learned. A few examples are: Did you know bats have thumbs? This is the biggest leg in the human body, it's called your femur. The smallest bone is your ear. Did you know that food turns to poop? Isn't that weird? And my personal favorite happened a couple of days after I got pulled

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-37097989166424139652011-11-12T10:59:00.001-08:002011-11-12T11:59:36.853-08:00

As would be expected, Hazel wanted a princess party this year. She also wanted to eat pizza and have Pepsi to drink. Who am I to tell a 3 years anything but yes on her birthday?  I was brainstorming with Katie about how I could make it feel fancy.  She suggested a fancy punch fountain, and as usual, she hit the nail on the head.  Best $20 I every spent on a birthday item.  The kids loved it!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-86943124282912941102011-11-12T10:28:00.001-08:002011-11-12T11:18:08.741-08:00

Pre-School Parties . . .  We started the festivities off this year with two  Pre-School parties. Then we headed over to "Papa's Pumpkin Patch." Usually, Gaga and Papa grow a few cute little pumpkins. Not this year.  This year they were great big and very cool; so cool that Papa decided to get in on the carving right then and there.    As you can see it was pretty fun

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-43570971752411003592011-10-23T19:59:00.000-07:002011-10-23T19:59:34.936-07:00

If you have never been to Twin Lakes in the fall, you are missing out! It is truly beautiful! The nights are cool enough for a fire, but the days are PERFECT! Perfect for fishing! Perfect for rock climbing! Perfect for crawdadding! Perfect for cousin fun! Perfect (ok maybe not perfect) for a little swim! And perfect for doing a little dance!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-15106495843696047072011-10-23T19:13:00.000-07:002011-10-23T20:16:52.978-07:00

 Mrs. Stark's Pre-School went to Lattin Farms to the pumpkin patch.  It started off with a bang when we spotted this fuzzy caterpillar.  Of course we road the cow train . . . Checked out the animals . .  .  And entertained ourselves climbing this tree.  This is the best climbing tree in town.  Fenn was particularly fond of it.  He kept saying, "Hey mom, get a picture of

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-67498413346440115712011-10-23T18:39:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:40:45.371-07:00

We had a heck of a time getting out of town, due to our busy schedules, but once we did, we had a great time. The kids LOVED it, and I was so busy relaxing I hardly took any pictures (I will do better next year)! I truly love this Mackedon family tradition.

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-46217219099375919982011-10-23T18:30:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:31:31.353-07:00

Thank you Poppa for including us in the harvest of your potatoes! We loved it!  I love the fact that Gagga and Poppa have such a great garden, I benefit greatly from it!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-17553756665498198922011-10-23T18:28:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:28:47.659-07:00

This year I decided that Fenn would really benefit from both Mrs. Stark's and Ms. Pam's pre-school!  Turns out I was so right!  He loves going to both places, and he has "really turned a corner" as far as school goes. Last year, he could have cared less.  This year he colors in the lines, is writing so much better, and finally getting those letters down!   One day Miss Pam says, "Fenn tell me

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-33491738020314334812011-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:21:29.603-07:00

Fenn started soccer this year in the under 5 program.  It was . . . interesting!  Let's just put it this way, I was considered a coach! Clearly, if you know me, you know I have no business filling this capacity, even in the under 5 league.  I will say Fenn's skills did improve (I take NO credit for that)! I had to include the first few pictures, which made it look like he was hard core soccer

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-49509942204069888712011-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:10:56.466-07:00

Hazel and Maleen started tumbling this fall. Maleen has since "dropped out!" We aren't sure if she why, we think it has something to do with not liking to be told what to do! Anyway, I am thrilled we got these pics.  And I am hugely in debt to Katie who continues to Hazel on Mondays while I work, even though Leenee is o-u-t!  The girls also started ballet at the same time, pictures of

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-68620048567725321742011-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:54:01.747-07:00

It was a very busy, wonderful summer! We wore these two best buddies out!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-36947949506468603072011-10-09T20:52:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:59:39.004-07:00

I got really desperate this summer to go to Twin Lakes. We had only been up there once, I was so slammed getting ready for school to start and I needed a little R & R. So I called Julie. Now if you know Julie, you know she is a planner. And, it takes her "a while" to get ready for anything. I said, "Jules, do you want to go to Twin Lakes in like 2 hours? Don't stress just grab some clothes for

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-74540664536333077702011-10-09T20:46:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:46:37.443-07:00

This year Katie and I made the wise, wise decision to separate Hazel and Maleen for swimming lessons.  The instructors don't realize it, but they are truly grateful we did that.  Hazel had Taylor Webb and she loved her.  She bossed her around quite a bit, but Taylor handled it well. And of course, the slide!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-64092209983031133552011-10-09T16:25:00.000-07:002011-10-09T16:25:12.184-07:00

Once again, we found ourselves at the Fallon Outdoor Pool for swimming lessons with, Natasha!  The next two pictures represents the activities Fenn enjoyed about swimming:  "getting" Natasha, and jumping in from either the side or the diving board.  In reality, his skills really did improve this year! What's a swimming lesson without a little "Monkey, Tree, Rocket?"  And finally, the

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-57149390485223858812011-07-17T22:37:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:38:16.958-07:00

This was an extra special July 4th because Amy, Pat, Maggie, Ellie, and Sadie were home.  We hadn't see them in a year and we were all so excited on our drive home from Utah, we could hardly stand it!  We came home, changed our clothes and headed to Gaga's!  These cousins played, and played, and played! The next day we came back over bright and early and stayed until we were all so tired we

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-58871370134348111882011-07-17T22:28:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:28:32.053-07:00

I have been wanting to go back to Stadium of Fire ever since I went the first time, which was 10 years ago or so (the weekend Katie and Nathan got married).  So, after the Eborn Family reunion we dashed down to Provo to see the show, which includes the worlds largest stadium fireworks show. It's special, really, really special. It was hotter than blue blazes when we arrived.  And we arrived very

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-17315706495945894072011-07-17T22:21:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:21:35.266-07:00

The other challenge course we got to do was the swing.  We finally got Hazel talked into putting the harness on and then when I put the helmet on her I pinch the skin under her chin in the buckle- bad! It was stuck in the buckle. Needless to say, she started to cry and wanted the helmet and harness off so she didn't get to do the swing.  I was so disappointed, I had to remind myself that she was

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-48385368997580250172011-07-17T22:17:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:17:57.815-07:00

I had to do an entire blog post of just Fenn.  He was the youngest person do it in our group.  We were pretty proud of him (I actually teared up at one point).  Here he is all harnessed up, waiting for his turn. He pretty much had perma grin the entire time! Up he went! Almost there buddy (my stomach hurt at this point). This is were things got a little tricky.  He had a hard time trying to

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-55568706253538711152011-07-17T22:10:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:10:01.676-07:00

At the camp they have various challenge courses.  Our family got to do the zip line.  Malcolm, who doesn't love heights was the first to go! As you can see they climb this cargo net first. Then they have to cross this bridge. Each step gets further and further apart. Then it's time for the zip line! A little freaked our at first! Marcus gives it a go. I hope his mom got better pictures of him

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-2230734003200727762011-07-17T22:01:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:01:18.455-07:00

Every two years the Eborn family has a reunion.  The brothers and sisters take turns planning it.  This year is was up at the Heber Valley Girls Camp. I wish I would have taken a picture of the cabins at our actual camp site. It was truly beautiful!  They had a lake were we did a little kayaking first thing! We (Gib) paddled over to see a deer laying in the grass along the shore. These two

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-23612780074426150612011-07-17T21:53:00.000-07:002011-07-17T21:53:34.540-07:00

Our annual camping trip to Lahontan is always a highlight of summer.  The creatures alone are quite entertaining.  Take this little tiny bright green worm on the camping toys box.  Hazel couldn't believe it.  This year we had 2 unique "sitings." The first was when a seagull got completely tangled in fishing line.  Louie and the kids untangled it (which was quite the process) and set it free.  We

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-22270644029507356842011-07-17T19:42:00.000-07:002011-07-17T21:45:19.924-07:00

If you ever get the opportunity to take your children to a Broadway play, you should jump at the chance. It is worth each and every penny! This June we drove over to Sacramento and went to see Mary Poppins. We bought our tickets as a group, "Fallon's Finest" and went to a Thursday matinee. Our group included: Melissa, Fenn, Katie, Marcus, Nettie, Kaden, Christine, Franny, Lani, Aspe, Courtney,

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-36646343900474066372011-07-17T19:35:00.000-07:002011-07-17T19:36:41.384-07:00

We LOVE Miss Pam. Signing Fenn up for pre-school this year was such a great decision. He loved it, and of course that had everything to do with Miss Pam. He was stoked for pre-school graduation which included snow cones, fishing, face painting and a bounce house!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-25864311508576244682011-07-17T19:27:00.000-07:002011-07-17T19:43:37.014-07:00

We made Gib a cherry pie! It was yummy, but mostly I had to document it because Fenn was soooo proud of the cherries he so carefully added to the top! It was sweet!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-11059031969354520322011-07-17T19:24:00.000-07:002011-07-17T19:24:59.662-07:00

This was my laundry situation a few weeks ago. I actually had to run to Walmart and buy Hazel some clean panties just prior to this! Not good for the ego, mood, chi, etc.

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-41778206836578210072011-06-11T20:45:00.000-07:002011-06-11T20:47:05.006-07:00

What do you do when a 2nd rate (maybe 3rd rate) circus comes to town? You make sure you have PLENTY of cash, load up the fam and go of course! For the bargain price of $18 Hazel, Fenn and I got to ride this elephant for about 90 seconds.  They guy leading her was a real charmer. Didn't say one word, didn't even tell us her name. All the South American performers doing a tribute to the "The

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-71281700280993843882011-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:002011-06-11T20:50:21.184-07:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't blogged the little moments that make life so great; so I am going to do a little catch up on Hazel Annie.  She potty trained herself.  It drove me nuts. She just started to refuse to wear a diaper. The problem was, she wasn't quite old enough.  I swear for 3 weeks strait any time she went to my mom's or Katie's she wet her pants.  But, it's done now!  As

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-19036961656150274972011-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:002011-06-11T20:54:53.682-07:00

This year we went to the cabin for the whole Memorial Day weekend. I have to admit, I felt pretty guilty about not going to the cemetery, but we had a good time.  A big part of the cabin is the treats.  As you can see we hadn't even gotten the bags moved up stairs and the girls broke into the popcorn balls. Another big part of the cabin is looking for "crystals" and exploring the woods.  Luckily,

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-74985967541789002912011-06-11T19:24:00.000-07:002011-06-11T19:24:34.313-07:00

The real reason we made the voyage into Utah was for Lynlee's graduation.  Actually, Rachel graduated too, but since she is going on to pharmacy school, she chose not to walk (a wise decision might I add). Can I just say that I am angling for U of U for my kids.  Their hospital is ranked right at the top now, they are one of the greenest campus' in the county, the campus is beautiful, my dad and

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-66727422180279401392011-06-11T19:07:00.000-07:002011-06-11T19:07:34.252-07:00

We headed to Hogle Zoo . . . again.  This time our girls were older, it was much, much better (not that the last time was bad because it wasn't)!  We didn't even bring a stroller this go round, everyone was big enough for these little cars. Favorite animals of the trip . . .  Not the best picture, but a true favorite! The giraffes were inside this time and you can walk up above so you are

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-78717277644489441332011-06-11T18:48:00.000-07:002011-06-11T18:48:47.209-07:00

We went to Salt Lakes "new" aquarium.  When we pulled up we were a little alarmed, it looked pretty small, and the three school buses looked like they held a lot of kids!  Turned out it was perfect from start to finish.  We all loved it, Hazel is still talking about it. Everyone having a look-see at this fellow . . .   The real star of the show that day was these guys . . .  Maleen tends to be

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-8658402319072431692011-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:002011-05-15T11:14:38.921-07:00

Gib made the point several times that Santa didn't come to his house on Easter. I fully agree!  The problem was that my kids fall/winter birthdays are not conducive to getting a bike, so the bunny had to go a little over board this year.  Sadly, the doll and transformer from Grandma were way more exciting than the bikes. The hunt . . .  What is Easter morning without a chocolate bunny?

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-2983024409024025102011-05-15T10:50:00.000-07:002011-05-15T10:50:51.036-07:00

Egg dieing was a pretty low key this year. It was nice to have Great Grandma Tucker with us! Fenn died 98% of his eggs blue. Maleen liked to stir. And this is the only picture of Hazel I could post because it turns out she had no pants on that night (How was I not aware of that?).  She died 18 eggs in about 45 seconds. 

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-72930495714043426862011-05-15T10:43:00.000-07:002011-05-15T10:43:04.500-07:00

A sad thing, ALMOST, happened this year.  Charlie and Lani almost didn't have their egg hunt, but after some intense pressure from those of us who have added it to our favorite Easter traditions, they caved.  And once again, a great time was had by all!  And they're off . . .  This year, they put all the kids in the same field, but they partnered up the big kids with the little kids.  Hunter was

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-80681494243651015022011-03-28T15:23:00.000-07:002011-03-28T15:24:11.238-07:00

These two make more messes when they are together than you could imagine (unless you have twins).  It is really unbelievable. In this particular instance I found them, stripped of their clothes, in the bathroom sink splashing water EVERYWHERE.  Every item that could hold water has water in it (candles, q-tip jars, etc.) They were having the time of their lives. (Hazel is going through a stage

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-65190005173792097082011-03-28T15:14:00.000-07:002011-03-28T15:14:26.439-07:00

This year the leprechaun made a visit.  His foot prints were everywhere and he made quite the mess in the bathroom.  I told Fenn there was Leprechaun dust in the tub, he did a little investigating and said, "No, that's green glitter." Yes, Leprechauns have 3 toes. You didn't know? The Leprechaun also left a special breakfast treat that mom will never ever buy! I think they are pretty cute!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-10046156062057902122011-03-28T14:58:00.000-07:002011-03-28T14:58:02.898-07:00

Grown- ups like sledding too.  Gib's maiden voyage he went a little faster than he anticipated . . .  his beard was full of ice and snow.  Gib also gave snow boarding a try for the first time, which I thought was very brave! And he starts to loose it . . .  I have never been a very "brave" person in the sense that I am NOT a thrill seeker and to be honest that has only gotten worse since I had

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-4589621967068888292011-03-28T14:41:00.000-07:002011-03-28T15:27:45.733-07:00

At the end of February we headed up to Carole Summit to go sledding with the Mori Families. IT WAS A BLAST.  As you can see we took Trevor and Hunter with us.  Fenn "entertained" us the whole way up by telling his outlandish stories.  At one point he started telling us how he and his Grandpa Leonard (Gib's grandpa whom Fenn never met, but talks about constantly) went hunting for Big Foot in the

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-7627545667966244292011-02-22T15:37:00.000-08:002011-02-22T15:37:39.883-08:00

For us, Valentine's Day started out with some pink heart pancakes.  A good way to start the day in my opinion! Of course we had to have a few heart shaped sweet treats too!  The pies were so yummy filled with raspberry jam and chocolate chips or apricot jam.  We delivered them to our grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins.  The kids were so cute, they would say, "Happy Valentine's Day

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-32517880946347434402011-02-22T14:31:00.000-08:002011-02-22T14:39:07.170-08:00

My dear friend Annsley does not approve of blogging about sickness, but I just can't help myself. We had a rough few weeks. We'd battled the cold and cough for weeks and then boom, it turned really ugly. Fenn wound up with bacterial bronchitis. Giving Fenn medicine is a real nightmare, it involves a lot of gagging and puking, poor kid (I sympathize I was the same way when I was little, still

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-52375813325088810472011-02-22T14:26:00.002-08:002011-03-27T16:52:08.447-07:00

This year we signed Fenn up for "Greenwave Youth Wrestling." I used this picture because I think it really shows how the boys felt about it- they loved it!  Personally, my favorite part was the warm-ups. I loved seeing Fenn try to do backwards somersaults and run laps with the big boys.  I also think it was my favorite part because it was the only time I really understood what the heck was

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-40260714013436022502011-02-22T14:26:00.000-08:002011-02-22T14:26:19.558-08:00

As most of you know, last spring Katie and I started the process to open a charter school, Oasis Academy, in Fallon. It has been quite the process and has actually taken over our lives to a large degree.  Honestly, its too much for a blog post, in fact someday I'm going to convince Kate that we need to write a book about the experience.  For, now I think it will suffice to say it has been

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-11753265546215907592011-02-22T14:15:00.000-08:002011-02-22T14:15:53.221-08:00

In January, we had a few really cold days and nights.  Gib called and said we were going ice skating at Indian Lakes. I was not amused! I thought it was a horrible idea: it was too cold, it was dark, it was too cold, our kids were too little to skate, it was too cold, our kids were going to hate it, it was too cold . . .  I was so wrong!!! I really had to apologize and beg forgiveness for my bad

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-34789965197748390472011-01-04T23:58:00.000-08:002011-01-04T23:58:33.213-08:00

I love the sister exchange! I think it is because I love being and having sisters.  I love to buy whomever I've got something they are really going to love, and I love to see what everyone else gets.  It's one of my favorite traditions.Personally, I thought this was a STUPID gift, but as you can see she was quite happy about the whole thing.  Don't ask me why? Can't wait to hear if she likes

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-68027709320639915102011-01-04T23:44:00.000-08:002011-01-04T23:44:01.419-08:00

After we do Santa at our house, we head over to my mom's!    This year we got a really special gift from my parents.  This "project" has been in the works for the last two years.  My mom had all of these quilts done for us.  One of my cousins, who is obviously very talented, Christie, did the tops and then someone else quilted them. Each one is different and I love them.  It was such a thoughtful

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-29922123971518156592011-01-04T23:26:00.000-08:002011-01-04T23:26:50.468-08:00

Is there anything more magical than putting your children to bed on Christmas Eve with the anticipation of Santa coming while they are asleep? I think NOT!  Santa always lands on our roof once we get into bed and you can here the reindeer pawing around and Santa getting out to check if we are all asleep.  Fenn's heart starts to race, and his whole body just shakes with the excitement of it all!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-21360723515797850132011-01-04T22:57:00.000-08:002011-01-04T22:57:44.568-08:00

Is it just me, or is there a resemblance? I often say that our family is quite glutenous on Christmas eve, we eat all the foods we love the most and honestly it is a little ridiculous, but oh, so good.  This year I took a couple pictures of our favorites.  The coconut shrimp being my personal favorite. The crab is also a big hit. Hazel did not know what to make of it! One of Gib's favorites,

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-4221703886699466862011-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:002011-01-04T22:25:48.163-08:00

My mom could not pass up these purse ornaments for the girls, and if you know our girls you know. They were an extra little treat for the girls Christmas Eve morning!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-30451953157479375182011-01-04T22:23:00.000-08:002011-01-04T22:23:39.313-08:00

 As always, I cherish the pictures of my children with my Grandma.  Hazel, like me, has a deep love for Great-Grandma Tucker, we are indeed kindred spirits! I gave my Grandma a picture similar to this for Christmas.  I printed the kid's names on it for her as there is no way she can keep them strait these days!  Getting some Grandpa love!  The Cantata is one of the few times all year that the

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-2974414775998253162011-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:002011-01-04T21:57:53.630-08:00

Every year the Hammonds do a fabulous Christmas display at Farmer's Insurance! And every year we take our kids to see the Grinch and have their picture taken. This is the first year Fenn went up to the Grinch by himself and didn't cry. You can tell he is proceeding with great caution, but was quite proud of himself! Check out last December's post to see the difference! Hazel on the other

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-1052653756786569082011-01-04T21:48:00.000-08:002011-01-04T21:56:40.225-08:00

I love Christmas Sunday! Our ward did their Christmas program the week before Christmas Sunday (don't get me started) so that gave me the opportunity to go to Katie's ward with them. You see last year our ward did the same thing and then on Christmas Sunday there was no mention of the fact that we were celebrating the birth of Christ, which really didn't sit well with me, so this year I made

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-29791125142401822702010-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:002010-12-17T15:28:11.449-08:00

Court got Fenn this snowball maker for his birthday! Not sure why, but he calls it a snowglober. This morning he hopped out of bed, ran strait to his closet and got it out when he saw the snow. Unfortunately, at that time it had just started to snow and like his dad told him, "Fenn if you got all the snow in our yard it wouldn't make a snow ball at this point." Luckily, it snowed all day long

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-30686571809384611812010-12-17T15:18:00.000-08:002010-12-17T15:18:18.446-08:00

For the last five or six years we have been getting together for Christmas with Court and Trini. We alternate every year whose house we go to.  If it's at your house you fix dinner and if it's not you bring dessert.  This year we went to their house. It's hard to schedule a night when everyone can come, in fact this year Anns had a soccer game and showed up just in time to eat (her mom did not

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-82609111556622990032010-12-12T20:42:00.000-08:002010-12-12T20:42:54.633-08:00

Prior to our plans to go to Shrek in San Fransisco, we were leaning toward a Scooby party, but I went ahead and manipulated Fenn showing him all the cool Shrek party stuff on line so that I could keep the theme alive (I have issues I know) and to be honest I am not the least bit sorry I did.  I love a theme! Trampoline football?  I don't recommend it, but they had fun! All the ogres right

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-30244374038963360102010-12-12T15:45:00.000-08:002010-12-12T15:45:07.895-08:00

If you know me at all you know I'm not really into the concept of the birthDAY,  I much prefer, at the very least, the birthWEEK, and if you can pull it off, the birthMONTH.  Unfortunately, for Fenn, being a December baby it's pretty hard to pull off the month, but we milked it pretty good this year.  We started off with the play on Dec. 1st. Then, his actual birthday fell on a Thursday, which is

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-6634869831841851552010-12-12T15:24:00.000-08:002010-12-12T15:24:44.640-08:00

  This year, we did something a little different for Fenn's birthday.  We took him to San Fransisco to See Shrek the Musical.  Gib needed a little convincing, he was of the opinion that he wouldn't really like it or get (I'll just go ahead and tell you now that Daddy was WRONG)!  When I saw that Shrek was coming to the City I knew I had to jump on it. Shrek was the first show Fenn loved. He loved

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-10518252054590208012010-12-12T14:56:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:56:36.164-08:00

The tree is beautiful this year.  They added lots of yellow lights so the LED lights look much better and not so blue. It was a brilliant idea and whoever thought of it should get a raise! It was much, much warmer this year than the last 2 years so we hung around outside much longer while the kids played and had a blast! When the city lights the tree they have all these fake snow machines set up

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-44439253582550141612010-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:57:06.208-08:00

This year our turkey took a little longer to get done than expected so Fenn had to have a little pre-dinner snack! Katie pulled through again and made the girls these adorable skirts! Too bad I didn't get any pictures before they stripped off their cute sweaters! Every year I think I will do better with the Thanksgiving pictures, but I never do. I guess I am just so caught up in the food I

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-64439482197685090992010-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:58:53.035-08:00

Every week at Silver Star Academy they focus on a new letter. The kids bring in items that start with the letter of the week. On "F" week Gib arranged to have firetruck come. Miss Pam combined all the classes for the special event! Mitch did a great job, the kids were so good and listened to his every word! And of course the fire truck was a big hit! At one point Mitch asked, "What should

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-30696102251396921502010-12-12T14:24:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:59:12.515-08:00

Luckily, it melted by about noon, as Hazel was NOT AMUSED! And to be honest, neither was I because I was ill prepared. My kids had no snow boots that fit, not snow pants, Fenn didn't even have a pair of gloves that fit. He made a few snow angels and then his hands were frozen and his sweat pants were caked with a stiff, wet, layer of snow! Our time outside was short lived.

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-81832110569266708712010-12-12T14:21:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:59:42.828-08:00

Hazel and Fenn are starting to play together more and more. I love it! I love listening to them play, it warms my heart! Fenn is really getting imaginative. He will spend hours building things or playing with his "guys." These are the favorite things to play with. Notice the pink phone right on top of the bat cave! This was an exciting game. They wore helmets, wrestled and tried to get one

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-49034521825522221052010-11-20T08:54:00.000-08:002010-11-20T08:56:57.434-08:00

A few days ago I put a sweater on in the morning before work, well, the heat was way up and 1/2 way through the process of wrangling my kids and getting them dressed and ready I got super hot and irritated. So I said, "Ahh, I'm so hot," and took the sweater off. To which Fenn said, "Yeah, hot like Daphne!" I love that kid!!!! (Yes this is the "hottest" picture I could find).

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-39014210847771137962010-11-09T21:39:00.000-08:002010-11-14T21:52:36.260-08:00

As most folks know, Aunt Amy, Uncle Pat, and MaggieEllieSadie, moved to North Carolina. What do you know, but Aunt Amy sends these cute little outfits as a "birthday gift" for Hazel. She thinks she's so subtle, but I know what's going on here. She is sending subliminal messages to my innocent, young children, trying to lure them her way. I think it's wrong, but who can blame her (ha,ha,ha).

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-1923521817286016262010-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:002010-10-31T16:23:18.325-07:00

Hazel Annie is 2 and she is terrific.  She loves, loves, loves to sing. One of the sweetest moments over the last year was when I picked the kids up late at night from Gaga and Papa. It was summer and they were sitting outside. Fenn was asleep in Gaga's lap and Hazel and Papa were looking at the stars and he was singing her "You are My Sunshine." Hazel LOVES a song and this is no exception.  A

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-16217648204564952322010-10-31T00:35:00.000-07:002010-10-31T13:30:45.549-07:00

As usual, Grandma's house was awesome. I really have to figure out how to take night pictures (I did learn, but you know it, been two semesters, so it's like it never happened)! I wanted Hazel to be a cute Tom Arma animal, but she told me she wanted to be Spider Man like Fenn.  At that point I decided to save myself the $50 and let her be a super hero, realizing there was a pretty good chance she

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-85540357065292168922010-10-31T00:21:00.000-07:002010-10-31T00:21:33.612-07:00

This was a good time. It started out a little rough, our first house was broken so I had to return it "real quick." Then we had to put the activity on hold because we were hitting each other and twisting each other's arms. When we tried again the next day things went much better. True our ghost was broken, but at that point we had to let it go!!! I am learning to "let it go" on a lot of levels,

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-82150083571160068422010-10-31T00:07:00.000-07:002010-10-31T00:07:26.752-07:00

Music with Miss Dana is a real treat. She has a voice like an angel and the kids love her!  We had a little Halloween Party.  I was too exhausted to put my kids in costumes (bad mom I know). It was a great party.  The only sad thing, Maleen wasn't there.  Poor Kate was up until 2 a.m. the night before working on  the "Crisis Manual" for the charter school, poor thing, so she didn't come!  

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-49678172574853374982010-10-30T23:29:00.000-07:002010-10-30T23:56:29.718-07:00

If your a mom, I know you've had them. You know, those moments when you look over at your child and think, "Oh my gosh, she/he is so cute I can hardly stand it." It's not vain or rude, it just naturally happens now and then when you are mom, you can't control it! And for me, this was one of those moments. Hazel loves a hat. In this case she came across a fly fishing hat Gib bought me! She also

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-68244113666843398882010-10-30T23:23:00.000-07:002010-10-30T23:23:46.125-07:00

As a mom, it really makes your heart happy when you send your child to a pre-school where they go out and pick their own pumpkins right off the vine from the teacher's garden. I am grateful everyday when I drop Fenn off with Miss Pam and this pirate pumpkin that he adored is just one reason why! Fenn, writes his name for the first time. I asked, "Did you write this all by yourself." He goes, "

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-81351411911486797672010-10-18T22:28:00.000-07:002010-10-18T22:28:48.975-07:00

The real reason for our trip to Utah was Brennan's Homecoming from his mission to Samoa. It was good to see him again. He gave an EXCELLENT talk at church, and later that night we all enjoyed listening to him tell us about some of experiences while we looked as some of his pictures! What a transformation. Still a cute, funny guy with a little edge and sarcasm about him, but at the same time so

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-13367396851349204022010-10-18T22:11:00.000-07:002010-10-18T22:11:31.004-07:00

Let me just make another plug for Utah Valley during the Halloween season, Cornbelly's! It's a Halloween shin-dig like no other, or, as Fenn told Gib on the phone, "It was freakin awesome!" They have these things called jumping pillows.  They have three of them so kids of all sizes can have fun and not get hurt.  And they are fun.  Maleen threw a fit the first time she had to get off and Hazel

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-57054083641932431362010-10-18T21:15:00.000-07:002010-10-18T21:15:25.558-07:00

\If you have never been to Gardner's Village, you are missing out. And if you have never been during Halloween, you are really missing out.  Every year I say, I am going to buy tickets to the musical dinner show "Witchapalooza" and this year I did!   We went a little early to check out all the witches on display.  They are truly amazing, I should have taken more pictures, but alas, I was too busy

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-11941556433291058732010-09-21T18:00:00.000-07:002010-09-21T18:00:34.667-07:00

The twos have hit a little bit before she officially turns two, but the girl has an opinion. In this case, she is "angry" that I will not let her paint with the dot markers in the drawer she is pointing at. Yes, she pulled her hair out and NO, I have no idea where the black bows are that were in it! This is when she tried to grab the camera out of my hands and screamed, "Don't take my picture!"

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-70596892597219191062010-09-21T17:16:00.000-07:002010-09-21T17:30:43.773-07:00

Since Gib has taken on his Killam Waterfowl Outfitters endeavour he is gone on his birthday every year (guiding waterfowl hunters in Canada), so this year we decided to have a birthday dinner for him before he left town. I am glad we did! I think every girl should have her man leave for a month. It's quite humbling. You think they do nothing, until they aren't around to do that nothing!  Now, I

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-10734048879107408132010-09-21T17:14:00.000-07:002010-09-21T17:34:10.707-07:00

When Fenn was a baby, Gaga saw this cool shark kite and couldn't resist buying it.  Today Gib took Fenn out to fly it for the first time.  Well, actually, he took both kids, but as it turned out Hazel didn't really like the scratchy field so she stayed with me!  They loved it and had a blast.  The only problem we now have is, where does one store a 5 foot hammer head shark kite?????

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-62187782337986669712010-09-21T16:48:00.000-07:002010-09-23T17:49:17.832-07:00

In 1985 , Michon (aka Gaga) was asked to sit on the newly created Nevada Commission on Nuclear Waste, a group charged with  advising  Nevada's governors on all issues related to storing waste at Yucca Mountain.  She believes they were looking for someone from rural Nevada and a woman, but she reluctantly agreed and then went on to serve as Vice-chairman of the commission for 20 years. Little did

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-8116756342590203422010-09-21T16:31:00.000-07:002010-09-21T16:31:37.812-07:00

I thought it was critical that I take these pictures for three reasons:1. They were so stinken cute I couldn't stand it2. I truly believe that 10-12 years from now these pictures can and will be used to my advantage3. While I love blogging the special events life offers, I love blogging the day to day stuff that makes life worth living even more and seeing these two wild boys showering up,

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-2367903954119162752010-09-21T16:20:00.000-07:002010-09-21T16:20:43.483-07:00

Hazel was most excited for the parade this year.  She wanted to see the horses. Notice she has her "shiny, shiny purse" and "pink phone!" Fenn was, of course, already gone with his dad to get on the fire truck! It has taken me awhile to blog this event because during the course of the parade I wasn't documenting the moments according to Julie's standards (her camera had a dead battery) so she

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-25217296235369020562010-09-05T18:46:00.000-07:002010-09-05T18:46:50.050-07:00

I have no idea where this phone came from, it was never mine, but somehow it showed up at our house. To say that Hazel loves it, is an understatement.  She carries it with her at all times, including to bed.  If she wakes up in the night and cannot find it she cries until somebody does.  On the few occasions when it has been "misplaced" it has not been pretty.  The other day she was sitting on

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-3257841075043369722010-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:002010-09-05T18:39:40.001-07:00

The kids and I headed to Twin Lakes for Friday and Saturday night of Labor Day weekend.  It was a new experience for us being up there without all the cousins.  It was just us and grandpa and grandma, who had done a lot of work on the upstairs of the cabin since we were there last.  Turned out to be an absolute blast! Saturday morning, bright and EARLY, Fenn requested that we go on a "big

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-5452068618702874032010-09-05T17:43:00.000-07:002010-09-05T17:44:23.221-07:00

Fenn had been playing quite a bit of football with Richard (aka Jeff). So one night I hear him say, "Mom, play football with me one more time. I think I can take you down." I looked over to him ready for action, a pistol, a sword, a dustbuster, and a mask!

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-62071797253931346852010-09-05T17:22:00.000-07:002010-09-05T17:29:12.773-07:00

and we all know what that means, dove season. It was high excitement for little Fenny getting go dove hunting for the first time. His dad bought him his own hunting vest and everything. Gib woke him bright and early (which initially did not make him happy) but it wall all smiles from there! Gib was thrilled to take his dad hunting! It was a special time being able to hunt with his dad and his

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-84559760288725976702010-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:002010-08-31T18:39:52.024-07:00

Today was Fenn's first day of pre-school.  I think I would be sorry if I didn't tell the story of how this came to be.  Last year I started hearing rave reviews about Pam Hucke's new school.  I called in  March to see about signing Fenn up, only to find out she would most likely not be teaching a 3 year old class because she was going to do kindergarten. I was sad.  Well I called this summer

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-6192992606093702862010-08-28T14:48:00.000-07:002010-08-28T14:51:36.859-07:00

I, much to Lynlee's evil delight, took a serious digger at my moms. I stepped outside to check on Fenn and Trevor. Turns out they had turned on the hose and the entire courtyard was soaked. I had on really slippery rubber flip-flops and that's just what I did, flip-flopped down the concrete steps. It hurt very, very bad. Lynlee laughed her *%*&%# off  at me, which I thought was incredibly rude.

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-49641044310001642002010-08-28T14:38:00.000-07:002010-08-28T14:39:31.148-07:00

The other night we were all eating dinner at my mom and dad's. The boys were off hunting with tinker toy weapons, the girls were playing in the tupperware cupboard, and the adults were sitting around the table visiting. My mom walked over to the sink. She was looking out at the road, and she must have got a glimpse of the girls in the reflection of the window. She let out a cry and turned around

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-60055090195599483852010-08-28T14:32:00.000-07:002010-08-28T14:40:40.929-07:00

There have been a few times over the summer when my "real camera" hasn't been handy, and I have been very thankful to have the phone on my camera. This classic camping moment is one of them. Another great Lahontan moment! Fenn, Lorenzo, Franny, and Aspen is a big huge mud bath. Having the time of their lives.For some reason, Hazel took a liking to this random hat. Marcus "made" this hat when he

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-47719719182603552562010-08-28T13:57:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:57:57.919-07:00

I use the term "swimming lessons" very lightly here.  Not because the girls didn't love to go, not because we didn't pay $30 each for them to have a semi-private lesson, not because Eddie didn't try his darnedest. No, I use the term lessons lightly mostly because our girls had some strong opinions about the lesson plans for the day.  Hazel bossed Eddie around constantly and the poor guy didn't

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-91010660761809900762010-08-28T13:37:00.000-07:002010-08-28T14:41:49.244-07:00

A few weeks back, Gib took Fenn on an overnight chukkar scouting trip to Winnemucca. Fenn was so excited. I was so sad. I don't know why? I just really did not like the idea of him being away from me overnight. I admit, I cried. Fenn was like, "I'm sorry Aunt Mel, I am, but we gotta go!" It was cute, like I'd like to help you out but my hands are tied. He had a great time. Gib planned to just

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-4861277996219271292010-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:002010-08-28T15:19:03.838-07:00

Back in May, you may remember that I talked about the fact that Fenn could not be talked out of getting me the "Topsy Turvey" tomato thingy. Actually, he wanted to get the huge one that cost $80 bucks and Gib  was able to convince him that the small one would be just right (thank goodness). Anyway, I made a huge deal out of it, took Fenn shopping for the plant, planted it together, and

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-88402501993267687992010-08-28T13:21:00.000-07:002010-08-28T13:21:48.769-07:00

Fenn thought he was quite skilled when Gib let him drive the lawn mower all by himself. I think Gib was trying to gage how long it would be before he could make Fenn do that dreaded chore.

Mommy (a.k.a Melissa)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17791119848694048539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896887182150634046.post-51800486958152182052010-07-26T10:41:00.000-07:002010-07-26T21:58:42.238-07:00

This is a recent picture of my kids with there dear cousins Maggie, Ellie, and Sadie playing in the irrigation at Gaga and Papa's. This is a hard post for me to make. You see we love these girls so, so, so much. And they love my kids so, so, so much. Recent circumstances have given their family the opportunity to move to North Carolina. And while we are thrilled that they have been given this

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