1 Year Old Pictures

10 Reasons I Love My Wife

As you have probably figured out from this title, and due to the fact that Bobbie doesn't have a wife, this is actually Matt attempting to make my first ever "post" on this blog. The reason I am doing this is because I have realized that recently I haven't done enough to show my wife how much I love her and really appreciate the things that she does for me and our family. Therefore, I decided to make a top 10 list of the reasons that I love her. Of course there are more than just 10 reasons, but here goes: (Note: these aren't necessarily in any particular order)

10: Patience - Even when I act like an idiot, lose my temper, or won't admit that I am wrong, she has the patience to look past my faults and live with me.

9: Cleanliness - I don't know of anyone who keeps a cleaner house (not car), even with two little monsters running around all the time.

8: Looks - I don't know if you have noticed (I know I have), but she does have quite the smokin' hot body. (I guess it helps when you run at least 5 miles a day)

7: Testimony - Bobbie has a very strong testimony that she often shares with others (usually not by word, but by action).

6: Cooking - More often than not, when I get home from work she has dinner ready for me and the kids. Sometimes I don't know how she finds the time (one of her best dishes is called "Pizza Factory"). She also cooks some pretty tasty meals.

5: Work - She is willing to work to help provide for her family. I would eventually like to not have this be necessary, but I still think she would go insane if she had to stay home everyday.

4: Mother - I can't think of a better mother for my kids (and I have been around some pretty good ones). Bobbie is so good at teaching our kids right from wrong and it is so easy to see how much they love her.

3: Generosity - Bobbie is almost always willing to set aside her needs for the needs of her family. With Bobbie, family comes first. (she even lets me decide what to watch on tv when we lay in bed...unless biggest loser, grey's anatomy, or private practice is on)

2: Intelligence - We always joke that Bobbie got dumber in college, but I know that isn't true. Bobbie is incredibly smart and capable of doing lots of things. Even though I'm the accountant, she is the one that manages our finances.

1: Wife - I know that I have the best wife I could possibly have. Bobbie compliments me in every way. I am so grateful that I have her. I am so glad she decided to go on that (blind) pity date with some recently returned missionary almost 4 1/2 years ago.

I love you Bobbie.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Cole
My boy is 1 year old! It is a very bittersweet day. For some reason Brooke seemed so much bigger and older at one. I don't know if it is becaues I was already 3 months pregnant or just because she was my first. Anyhow... I can't believe Cole is already a year. It really seems like just yesterday he was a newborn. He is still my baby!!

Facts about Cole at 1 year:

• He started walking a couple days ago
• He says mama, dada, grandpa, grandma, bubble, baby, more, hi, bye-bye, Brody, Blair, and ball
• He taught himself how to go up and down stairs (or Mindy did, still not sure on that one -- but I think he learned just from watching the other kids)
• He clicks his tongue for a horse noise, barks like a dog, says quack-quack, makes truck noises, and 4-wheeler noises
• He LOVES any sort of food, I haven't found anything he doesn't like. Most of the time he out-eats Brooke. (and anything that is not food too -- like the dog food and rocks :))
• Even though all he does is eat, he only weighs about 19 lbs.
• He is a very cuddly baby, he loves to be rocked and sung to and give big, wet, slobbery kisses
• He loves to pull hair, especially Brooke's
• If Brooke is sleeping and he finds her, he will poke at her eyes until she wakes up or swats him
• He has big feet- he wears a size 5, soon to be a 6
• He has 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom
• He loves to dance in the car to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood
• He loves dirt-- playing in it, eating it, whatever!
• He loves to throw rocks
• He gets into everything! One of his favorite things to do is open the cupboards and drawers and pull everything out.

We had a big party at our house with all his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins Sunday night. He really enjoyed being the center of attention for a change. The first present he opened was a ball and he had no interest in anything after that, even though he got LOTS of other fun things. As soon as he realized we weren't going to get mad at him for making a mess with his cake he was all over it! It was a great night.

House Pictures

Outside View

Kids' Playroom Downstairs

Master Bathroom & Bedroom

Kids' Rooms & Bathroom

Family Room/Dining Room/Kitchen

Front Living Room... someday I'll have furniture to put in here :)

Thats pretty much everything... we love it though!

Meet...

HURRICANE BROOKE!!!

The words "terrible two's" now have a whole new meaning. I thought she was into everthing when she was about 1, and that perhaps she was just going through her terrible two's early. Oh no!! I cannot keep up with this child and I don't know what I'm going to do with her! She has this new little attitude that she is the mother and she knows everything and can do anything. When I'm not paying enough attention of giving her what she wants, she shouts as loud as she can "MODER!!" (mother).

In the 3 hours since we have been home this afternoon this is what she has done:

• tore up some swingset catalog she found in the truck all over the living room floor
• found my Christmas decorations and got them all out. Gave them to Cole, who thought they were balls and threw and broke them
• Got the beef jerky out of food storage, opened it, ate one piece, gave one piece to Cole, and emptied the rest on the floor.
• Moved all of the food storage that she could lift all over the basement
• Took the lids off her markers and threw them on the floor
• Poured the dog's food in her water and then poured that on the floor
• found the easter baskets and pulled out all the grass
• opened a bottle of ranch and poured most of it on her dinner plate and the rest on Cole's tray and in the dog's food bowl
• gave Cole a piece of his own pizza which he tore up and threw on the floor
• poured several glasses of water on the floor and on Cole's head
• turned the bath water on scalding hot and screamed because it was burning her
• took her panties off and left them on the bathroom floor then took her pants off and left them on the living room floor
• used a whole roll of toilet paper to wipe and most of it ended up on the bathroom floor
• got out a bag of chips... which ended up on the floor (2 days ago she poured another bag of chips in her shopping basket)
• tried to put Cole in the toy box
• tried to give her golf club a ride on the treadmill...while I was running
• tried to brush the dog... with her toothbrush

Wow, I could go on and on. Where was her mother during all of this you ask? Most of this happened in the 15 minutes I was in the shower (Matt had to stay late at a KPMG thing tonight) and the rest was while I was on the treadmill. Seriously... it's 7:30 and she's going to bed because I can't take anymore! And bedtime... thats a story for another day. All I'm going to say is that she now has a lock on her bedroom door.

Finally

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy! BUT... we are finally settled in our house, we finally got our internet up and running and things seem to be going pretty good. Our neighbors are all very friendly and our new ward seems to be awesome, we've already been asked to speak ;)

After much searching and praying, I finally found an awesome baby sitter a couple miles from my house. Brooke and Cole are still going through that fun adjusting period, but I'm sure it will get better soon.

This is my 2nd week back at school... and I have to say not having to commute is HEAVEN!! It only takes me 20 minutes to get here now. I moved to a new school this year and it seems to be MUCH better. The teachers and principal are much nicer and although I miss my students, I'm sure the new ones will be just as good.

As for Matt... I guess he probably wouldn't be as happy as me... he has the dreaded commute everyday now, but he seems to be doing ok with it. Just one year and it will be over.

My sister borrowed my camera and seems to have forgotten to give it back so pictures will be coming soon.

A Cry For Help

I am STILL looking for a new babysitter for my kids. I thought I had found someone, but at the last mintue she decided that she has too much going on right now with her own kids and taking on two more full-time is just too much. I only have 10 days 'till school starts so I am desperate to find someone!! So...

IF ANYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO BABYSITS (or would be interested) IN DAVIS OR WEBER COUNTY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

Love My Kids

How can you not love these faces? :)

Cousins

Erin sent me these pictures that she took of the kids at Camp Williams. We don't get to be together as a whole family very often so its always fun when the kids get to play. Our little family is growing. When I married Matt, Cathrine was only 3 and David and Livi were babies. Now the boys have almost caught up to the girls and come December there will be 9... 5 girls and 4 boys! I love that they are all so close in age and play so well together... I hope it stays that way as they get older. Brookelyn-Age 2, Macie-Age 3, Ryan-10 months, Cathrine-Age 6, Olivia-Age 4, Cole-9 months, David-Age 4, Rylin-2 months

Summer Time

It has been forever since I last posted, not because we've been doing nothing, but because we've been so busy! Unfortunately, my camera broke and I'm still waiting for it to get fixed so I don't have many pictures to share :(, but here are a few highlights from our summer.

• We've spent LOTS of time at the new house... painting, tiling, and next week... laying carpet! We should be able to move in the 1st of August, YEA!!! (By the way, if any one knows of a good babysitter in or around Syracuse/Clearfield/Layton/Ogden PLEASE let me know, I am still looking!!)
• Matt finished his internship and was offered a job starting as soon as he completes his master's degree. We're VERY glad to have him home more!!
• Brooke is taking swimming lessons and loves every minute of it. She thinks she is so big and loves to show off to everyone who comes to watch.

• Cole is growing like a weed. He is almost 10 months and SOOO busy. He has a vocabulary of about 10 words and loves to tease and play with his sister.
• Matt and I spent 5 days in Washinton DC and left the kids with my parents. We toured all the sights, went to THREE baseball games (WAY too many for me, but Matt loved it) and we had such a nice break. Thanks mom, dad, Brody, and Blair!!
• Carrie, Phillip, and their girls came to visit so we had a week full of family activities... boating, Lagoon, a night at the General's house in Salt Lake, Rylin's baby blessing, and lots of hanging out!! It was great to see them and Brooke couldn't get enough of Cathrine and Livi. (I had a TON of cute pictures from boating and Lagoon, but thats when the camera broke so I lost all of them... grrrrrrr!)
• Brooke got her ears pierced. It was pretty cute, we brought her home some stick on earrings from our trip and when we went to put them on her she told me that she wanted to get holes in her ears and wear real earrings like Bentlee. So... I took her to the mall and showed her what they do and she still said she wanted to do it so I let her. They look pretty cute.CHEESE!
• Lots of time playing outside and at the pool.
  I love this picture, it is SO Cole. Just hangin', saying hi.
• This weekend is my family reunion at Bear Lake and then hopefully we'll be moving soon, I can't believe how fast summer has gone by!
  Mommy and Brooke
  Watching Barney in Mom's bed... her favorite.
  
  

Showing off his new Jordan shoes.