My Kater Baby is ONE!!

I can't believe it.....Kate turned one! I vividly remember the day our Christmas baby was born. It was a snowy night and the hospital was packed with laboring women. Everyone had the same idea....if we have this baby tonight, we can be home for Christmas. I was one of them patiently waiting for a room as the contractions got stronger and stronger. I finally got a room at around 7:00 pm and delivered Kate within 2 hours. She was small...weighing in at 6 lbs. 1 0z. but she was strong and healthy. The hospital was chaotic and I couldn't wait to get home! I felt good, Kate was doing well....so we were home before 24 hours even passed.

Now we are here again, one year later, and our newborn is now almost walking and talking. She is so fun to watch as she explores new things everyday. We love having our little Kate Noelle in our home. She brings much joy and laughter to each and every one of us.

Happy Birthday Kate (and her Aunt Noelle)!

Love.....Mom

It feels nice to accomplish a goal....

Ok, so this year I was bound and determined to get a family picture and send out a Christmas card. I had big plans to do something really creative and fun......Well atleast I did it, right? So here's the Christmas 2008 family photo taken by my little sister Marissa with my other little sisters Noelle & Mikah working hard behind the scenes to get the smiles from the youngins. Enjoy!!

Holiday traditions.....

The Christmas season has finally arrived....I love this time of year and the holiday cheer that seems to fill the air. The twinkling of the lights on the tree somehow bring a calm, warm feeling into the home. I love plugging in the lights outside each night as the sun goes down.....it brings memories of Clark Grizwald to mind each time I turn them on. I LOVE it!!

Last Sunday the monthly FHE was held at my Grandma & Grandpa Meyer's home. This was the start of our Christmas gatherings. My Grandparents never cease to amaze me! They are in their 80's and still host gatherings for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It's a large crowd, but you wouldn't know it with the way they make you feel. Each person that walks through the door is greeted with a hug and is made to feel like they are the only one in the room. There is always good food, good conversation and a good laugh.

Grandma wanted to have the younger grandkids and great grandkids put on the Christmas story production. She called ahead of time to make sure her cast would be there and had the bathrobes, towels, scraps of fabric and rope ready and waiting. She made sure that every one had a part and they were posted on the front door as you walked in.

Jaysie got to play the part of Mary and Teegan was a shepherd or a "leopard" as he called it. His robe was made out of animal print fabric...therefore he was a leopard. They all did a wonderful job and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. I can only hope that my children will be able to remember the good times they've had with their great grandparents.

Halloween Fun

We had a fantastic Halloween this year. The weather was perfect, the trick-or-treaters were happy and the candy was mm-mm good! Jaysie and Kate were cute witches and Teegan decided to be a football player at the last minute. We planned on him being Spiderman (hence the blue and red hair coloring). The football jersey and pads were a birthday present from Grandma M and he just couldn't resist wearing them.

Jaysie and I made the cute little tutus and then made sure to top it off with the fake glow in the dark eyelashes. The eyelashes have seemed to become a yearly Halloween tradition with her....in fact she told me that she could wear them everyday and they wouldn't even bug her. I can only picture some 70 year old lady with leathery skin, gobs of makeup and uneven fake eyelashes when she says things like that. Let's hope not....

I wish you could've seen Kate crawling around in that tutu. It was the cutest thing ever to see that little bum up in the air with all the foo foo swaying back and forth with each movement. It wasn't a real crawling friendly costume, but that's the sacrifice you make for cuteness! (If that's even a word)

Whenever I see a little girl in a witch costume it reminds me of a funny story. My friend's little girl was a witch one year. She was about 2-3 years old at the time and had a little trouble pronouncing her "W's". So whenever there was a word with a "w" in it, she would replace it with a "b" sound. When she'd get asked what she was going to be for Halloween she'd say, "I'm gonna be a Hallobeen @#$itch." Sorry for the crudeness, but that's funny!! I always have to give a little chuckle under my breath each time a "Halloween Witch" goes by.

Every year I thinkg

God Be With You Til We Meet Again....

Well, another death in the family. My 12 year old dog, Oakley, passed away last weekend. What a sad day....I know there are a few people that will read this and think, "What's the big deal? It's just a dog for crying out loud." If your one of those, then read no further because I might get a little sentimental for a moment. But if you are an animal lover then you'll understand.

Oakley was a birthday gift from Trent while we were still dating. We got her from the pet store in the old Ogden City Mall downtown which no longer exists. She was supposed to be a German Shepherd/Alaskan Malamute mix but as she grew it was determined that she was a German Shepherd/Bassett Hound mix. How that happened, we'll never know. She had a howl for a bark and front legs that were short and crooked, but we loved her despite her flaws. She had a nose that could guide her from one town to the other....she literally walked from Pleasant View to my parent's home in North Ogden one day all by herself. She spent many hours locked up in the pound waiting for us to come bail her out and happily greeted us each time. She loved to explore and the neighborhood knew her well.

She went pheasant hunting with Trent one time and decided to jump out of the back of the truck at 55 mph and was hit by a car going 40 mph while crossing the street in front of our house and lived through it all with no broken bones. She was quite the dog!

Sadly she started getting old and the arthritis got to her. I noticed that she was really struggling to get up and walk last week and by Friday night she could hardly stand up. She was an outdoor dog but I decided to let her sleep inside Friday night to keep an eye on her. We took pictured that day and I kind of knew what was ahead of me. Trent had to work Saturday and I dreaded having to be the one to take her to the vet. Saturday morning she couldn't get up. I had to carry my 50 lb. dog out to do her business and knew that it was time to let her go. The kids and I took her to the vet and said our goodbyes through many tears. It was quite an emotional event and one that I really didn't want to have to do...especially by myself. We miss her and loved having 12 years with her.

It is really weird to not have a dog in the home. I can say that it is kind of nice in some ways, but not nice enough to keep me from getting another dog. I'm sure there is another dog in our future but not in the near future. You just gotta love em!!

The Fabulous Fours....

Happy Birthday to my fabulous four year old!! I've been told that the fourth year is called the "Fabulous Fours" because that terrible two to three stage finally subsides and they just become fabulous little people. We'll have to wait and see......

Teegan (aka McSweegan) had quite an exciting birthday last Tuesday. It started out with a quick trip to the grocery store to buy a dozen donuts to make up for my failed attempt at making carmel corn. The trip was worth it though because the store manager ended up singing Happy Birthday over the intercom so everyone in the store got to hear that it was Teegan's birthday. He thought he was pretty special from then on. Off he went to preschool to share his treats and get the coveted birthday crown. I picked him and his buddies up to go have some lunch at McDonalds and then back to the house for presents, dessert and silly string fights. This was Teegan's first official "friend" party and he was soaking up all the attention. It was so funny to watch him open his presents and interact with his friends. He has quite the personality and makes me laugh constantly! Once the friends left it was time to get ready for the family to come over for more celebrating. He actually quit taking phone calls from family because "he had heard people tell him Happy Birthday too much," he said. Atleast he can't say that he's not loved by anyone, right?

I love my little Teegan and enjoy the excitement he brings into our home each day. He is always the first one to tell me thank you for making a yummy dinner or thanks for washing his favorite shirt. Every night he asks me what we are doing tomorrow and then quickly replies , "Oh, I know...cleaning the house!" He actually seems excited about it at the time...that quickly changes by morning. Underneath it all, he is quite a loving child and melts my heart each time I look into his big brown eyes. I love you, Teegan! Love, MOM

10 years sincy saying "I Do"

Wow...where have the last 10 years gone? I can't believe it has been 10 years since Trent and I got married. Time flies when you're having fun or too busy to even stop and think about it. I'll tell you one reason why I know Trent and I are truly meant for each other......we bought each other the exact same anniversary card! We got a good chuckle out of that one...
I just have to say that I am very proud to have Trent as my husband. He is a caring, loving husband and father to our three children. He works extremely hard, but always makes time for his family. I'm proud of him and proud of our marriage.....10 years is quite an accomplishment. Here's to forever, babe!!

I've been tagged.....

So my friend Kellie "tagged" me. Due to peer pressure, here's a glimpse of what goes on in my brain (there's not much left because I swear every time I give birth each child takes a part of my memory).

JOYS
1. Spending time with my family
2. Taking a few hours to catch up with the girlfriends over dinner
3. Being on a relaxing vacation
4. That moment when I actually get to decide what I want to do with my time...when does that happen?
5. Watching those I love accomplish something great

FEARS
1. Being a widow at a young age (when your husband has the 8th most dangerous job in the world it could happen)
2. Not being a good enough mother
3. Losing a child
4. Mice...most all rodents scare me.
5. Amusement park rides that make you feel like your falling

GOALS
1. Be better organized/better housekeeper
2. Be more loving to my children & husband
3. Be more confident in the gospel/better at my calling
4. Get inside & outside house projects finished
5. Be in better physical shape

Current Obsessions
1. Reality shows or competition shows like...Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, So you think you can dance, etc....
2. Working in my yard....I love to dig in the dirt.
3. Reading the newspaper
4. Finding cute home decor
5. Finding new recipes that are healthy, taste good and no one complains about.

FACTS
1. I don't like to clean house...but I love to have a clean house.
2. Love to be outside...will trade cleaning bathrooms for mowing the lawn & pulling weeds.
3. I hate to make phonecalls but I love talking to people
4. I love to dance and sing to the radio
5. I don't like to stay at home

So that's me in a nutshell! I would love to read some of yours.....so if you haven't already been tagged....then you've been TAGGED!!

1st day of school

The lazy days of summer are over and now it's back to the grind! Jaysie was excited to start 2nd grade this year. She couldn't wait to wear her "leggings" and the long shirt or short dress....whichever it is. The 80's are back!!

Teegan started preschool this year and had no problem leaving his mother behind. I pulled up to drop him off and he told me that I was to stay in the car and he would walk in by himself. I told him that I wanted to take some pictures in front of his school, but by then he was opening the door and running up the driveway. I finally caught him as he was hanging up his backpack and the only picture I got was ruined by another little preschooler who walked right in front of him. I did get him to give me a goodbye kiss, so I guess he still cares about me. Oh well.....I guess it's better than having to drag him in kicking and screaming.

Teegan learn how to swim

My little dare devil learned to swim this summer. I signed him up for his first swimming lessons at the local pool but I really wanted him to take some private lessons from my friend's daughter who taught Jaysie. It just so happened that the day he started his lessons, the girl who taught Jaysie called and said that she was home from college for a few weeks and wanted to earn some money by doing a few lessons. So he got double swim lessons.....but it was worth it to see him go from not wanting to put his face in the water to swimming like a fish it 2 weeks.
Teegan was telling Trent at the dinner table about learning how to swim and he was trying to explain that he can put his head all the way under the water. He said excitedly, "Dad, I can drowned." So I told him that he doesn't want to drowned. He looked at me rolling his eyes and said, "Yes, I do mom." So we had to have a discussion about how drowning isn't a good thing but going under the water and then coming back up is ok to do. So hopefully we've got that all straightened out.

My Kater Baby

Who can resist a spaghetti face? If you can't tell by her smile, she loved her first taste of spaghetti. She had no problem slurping up those long noodles and somehow chewing up the meat and all with only 2 little teeth. No choking or even the slightest gag either! She was entertained for hours.....ok maybe one half of an hour anyway. That's our "Kader" as Teegan would say.

Can you ever vacation too much?

You know we had big plans this summer to work in our yard and make some home improvements, but that has all been interrupted by vacations. It's been one vacation after another it seems, but can you ever vacation too much?? I say NO!! It has been so fun to get away from the ringing phone and the ding dong of the doorbell and just relax.

We went up to Marsh Lake in the Uintas for a short getaway with some friends. Some of you may know this face from high school.....

I had to laugh at Jaysie and her "friend" who happens to be a boy. This boy is almost 9 (an older man) and he had the hots for Jaysie. He walked her to the trailer when it was dark to make sure she got there ok and Trent said that he heard him even ask for Jaysie's digits! Trent told Jaysie one morning when we were eating breakfast, "Hey you'd better hurry up and eat because your boyfriend is waiting for you to come out and ride bikes." She was so embarrassed.....Oh, we got a good laugh watching the two of them. Jaysie claims that she doesn't like him and that she just had to hang out with him because he was the only one close to her age. Yeah, right!

Fun Filled Family Reunions

It's that time of the year for family reunions!! I've decided that the anticipation leading up to the reunion and the memories you have after are worth the craziness during the reunion. With about 50 people coming and going, eating and sleeping and dancing and singing for 4 days you can only imagine the fun we had.

Actually, I have to give my mom credit for putting on a great reunion at Bear Lake. It was fun to see cousins, aunts and uncles that I don't get to see too often. There were some great stories shared and lots of laughter to go around. With Grandpa and Grandma B getting up there in years, you start to really cherish the time you have with them and enjoy hearing their stories.

I finally made it to Bloomington Lake. It's only about 20 minutes away from Bear Lake and you can drive most of the way and then hike in about 1/4 of a mile. You feel like you are in a whole new world. We saw this big black spot on top of the cliffs across the lake and thought for sure it was a bear. We watched it for a while and could have sworn that it was sitting there turning it's head side to side. Finally, Jensen told us that it was just a burned off tree stump that we were getting all hyped up over. Rachel was ready to take off running if that tree stump started to move. She had just told us about the "Bears and Prayers" story she had just seen about a man who was attacked by a bear and lived to tell about it. She kept an eye on that stump the whole time we were there.

Thanks for the memories B family!

Happy 4th of July

I know it's a little late, but that's how I roll... We had a fabulous 4th of July and hope everyone else had the same. We went to the parade and watched Teegan & Jaysie ride their decorated bikes. We sat toward the end of the parade route so as Teegan said, "Wow, that took a long time!" We then went up to the Cherry Days festivities where the kids ended up bringing home 2 frogs, a cage and a 3 month food supply (if they live that long). Later on Jaysie, Kate and I went to Stadium of Fire in Provo with my mom and little sister. We were "lucky" enough to get tickets to see the famous Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana perform. Well let's just say that we somewhat heard her and saw her through binnoculars because our seats were horrible. The kids were happy, so I guess that's all that matters.

I'd have to say my favorite part of the whole thing was listening to the military wives talk to their deployed husbands via satellite. It was pretty touching to hear them say how blessed they felt to be in the Middle East fighting for our country. I never thought of it that way before. This year seemed to be all about those who serve or haved served our country during times of war and it finally hit home for me. I have friends and family who have been directly affected by this war and I've seen the sacrifices that they have had to make. It is amazing and I am forever appreciative of what they do for me and this country.

I love Independence Day and the excuse it gives us to spend time with our family. What a wonderful time of year!

Roughin' it

Last weekend we went back to Bear Lake but took the trailer and roughed it this time. We took a couple of families from Trent's work up with us and had a great time.My sister Mikah taught Teegan to say, "Would you like a slice of cheese?" and show a little leg when you say it. I don't get it....are they referring to cottage cheese legs?? If so, he ain't got any! Speaking of legs.....look at these bird legs. Jaysie is just a bean pole. Rachel gets a chuckle every time she sees Jaysie in a swimming suit because she definitely doesn't have the Meyer legs. Baby Kate on the other hand is just rolls of fun. She wasn't too fond of the cold, wet grass I made her lay on to get this picture. She is really starting to babble and can say Da-Da now. I'm working with her every day to try and say Ma-Ma. No luck yet...
Trent usually climbs poles that go the other direction...
Geez...trying to get this picture was like pulling teeth! I got called Krystyn and Grandpa Bitton (those in the family will understand) for just asking for a simple smile. Oh well, I guess fake and crazy smiles (Teegan) will have to do.

Trent to the rescue!

Thought I'd share some stories about my beloved husband, Trent. It seems like lately he has been in the right place at the right time when it comes to helping people in need. A few months back a car went of off the N.O. Divide and luckily our neighbor saw it happen and called 911. The sirens started heading up the divide but they couldn't see the car anywhere. The EMT's finally located the vehicle down in a ravine but didn't know how they were going to get the injured man off the mountain because no vehicles could get to him. Trent got on his new toy (the one that we've plastered pictures of all over this blog) and went down to check out the scene. The EMT's decided to strap the guy to our Ranger and take him up to the ambulance. From then on, we've called it the Rescue Ranger.
So then we go up to Bear Lake and decide to go get the famous "Rasberry Shake" one evening. As we are headed down the road we see flames and sparks up ahead. When we get closer Butch notices that a live power line is down. Trent springs into action again! He works with power lines every day, so this is right up his ally. He called the power co. and gives them all the in depth details and makes sure that everyone is safe until the situation is under control. You could see in his face that he LOVED every minute of it. If he would've had his tools and climbing gear, he would have been up that pole fixing it himself. He cracks me up!! Just glad that he loves what he does for a living....
Then the next day....we are headed to church (in Bear Lake)and running late. We pass an old man who was kneeling by the side of the road with a cane in his hand. We couldn't tell if he needed help or not....we thought he might be fixing a sprinkler or something. Trent finally said, "Let's go back and ask if he's o.k. I'd rather ask and know that he's o.k., then worry about it." We backed up and asked him if he needed help. He had been on a walk and said that his legs just gave out on him and he couldn't get up. So we helped him up and took him back home. Poor guy had to be in his 90's and could hardly see. Trent stopped by and checked up on old Russ Cottle after church and he seemed to be doing fine. We were thankful that Trent decided to back up and help good old Russ.
These few moments have made me realize that it is important to take the blinders off and look at our surroundings and notice those in need. It also made me proud to have such a wonderful husband!

Bear Lake

Took Grandma and Grandpa on a ride up Fish Haven canyon. What a beautiful place!
Trent and kids on top of the mountain overlooking Bear Lake.

The passing of our dog Sydney

We lost a member of our family last Saturday. Our dear dog, Sydney, was put to rest after suffering from liver cancer for the last 6 months. Trent and I were working in the yard Saturday morning and had noticed that Sydney was starting to fall when she walked and couldn't lay down because her stomach was so distended. The kids were gone to Grandma's house, so we decided it was time to put her down. I said my goodbye's and shed a few tears before Trent took her on her last truck ride down to the vet. He said it was even tough for him...he shed a few tears too.
We thought we'd wait for the kids to notice that she was gone before we had "the talk" with them. They didn't even notice that she was gone until Sunday afternoon after dinner. Jaysie wanted to give her leftover corn on the cob to the dogs. When she went outside to call for the dogs, we figured we'd better say something. We told them the news and they actually didn't seem too sad about it. Teegan didn't care....he was asking if we could get a new dog before the conversation was over. Jaysie seemed o.k. about it until she came back upstairs and had a few minutes to think about it. Trent asked her if she was o.k. and then the tears started to flow. She wanted to know where Sydney was buried....we didn't quite know how to answer that one. She asked if Sydney was buried next to my parent's dog, Jessie, that died a few months back and we thought that sounded good, so we we went with that one. It took about 5 minutes and Jaysie was over it and on to asking for a new dog just like Teegan.
We'll miss her crooked head and obnoxious bark every time we came home.....We had her for almost 10 years but still have our 12 year old deaf, arthritic Oakley to love for now. As much as we grumble over chewed up shoes or poop on the lawn, we still love 'em.

Summer begins.....

Summer is here! Atleast that's what the calendar says...the weather hasn't cooperated yet, so I don't have any sunny outdoor pool pictures. I took the kids to the Clearfield Aquatic Center a few months ago. How come kids always look cute in swimming suits?? My baby sister Mikah joined us....she is like an older sister to my kids, but better. They aren't with each other 24/7, so they actually look forward to seeing each other and get along well.I can't seem to rotate this picture....but this was Kate's 1st day at the pool. She was about 3 months old and loved it!!

The school year is over....

Jaysie in her Starfish costume for her "Oceans of Fun" 1st grade play. She had the opening line and annunciated her words clearly, as practiced. It was pretty good...for a 1st grade play.

Kate and Jaysie after the play. Kate got sunburned (OUCH!) and she's got some funky tongue thing going on...... Jaysie is standing by some of the sea creatures she made for the backdrop.

My first blog

Welcome to my blog! I guess I'm not as computer retarded as I thought!! Trent called off sick from work to take the family to get a little fresh air. He's looking really sick, right? The kids wanted to take pictures of wildlife....most of the pictures they took were cows and horses but we did manage to catch a shot of a little curious fox! Here it is almost June and every trail we took was cut short due to the snow. There is still a ton of snow on Willard Peak.