Haught Family

M.I.A......

2011-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have survived the first few months of this pregnancy. At times I wanted to give up. The nausea mixed with anxiety over the health of this baby were almost too much to bear. Now I am 18.5 weeks and feeling a whole lot better. I still feel a little apprehenzive to get attached to my little girl but with each week that passes I am falling more in love. Her due date is Valentines Day but according to my other births she'll probably come a couple weeks early.

Here is a little peak at our newest addition.

Well Hello There

2011-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy, Busy. That explains our last few months of life around here. I won't even attempt to catch this blog up. Here are a few pics though for your viewing pleasure.

Birthday dinner with the fam. I can't believe I am 30 years old! YIKES!

Natalie got her expander out. She gets her braces next week.

My little brother had a baby. She is absolutely perfect!

Trip to AZ to see cousins.

My sweet Grandma Marge passed away last month. She was an amazing woman and we miss her so much.

Between Cooper's baseball and Cody's t-ball we've pretty much been living at the baseball fields. It has been fun to watch our boys grow and develop their talent in baseball.

Eli has been an absolute angel lately. I thoroughly enjoy having all day, every day alone with him. He misses his siblings though, he can't wait for them to be home for the summer.

It's an Investment, Right?

2011-01-24T08:31:00.001-08:00

I never knew that my 2 year experience as an orthodontic assistant would come in handy but it has. I noticed a couple years ago that Natalie had a crossbite and severe crowding. I knew we needed to get prepared to spend lots of time and money at the orthodontist office. After many visits to different offices around Albuquerque, I finally decided on the right doctor for Natalie. I couldn't be more happy with who we chose.

We started the long 18 month process last week. She got impressions done and she gets her expander on Friday. I'm not thrilled at this new phase of life but I know the outcome will be worth it, plus, Natalie is so excited!

What a SURPRISE?!

2011-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Eli made his first trip to the dentist. Talk about anxiety leading up to it. Not from Eli, from ME! I know Eli very well and if there is one thing I have learned it is that he is very UNPREDICTABLE. I never know how he is going to act! So naturally as I scheduled that appointment for him I was very nervous. To my surprise he did GREAT! No crying, no screaming, and no refusal. He was very cooperative. YAY to Eli!

I can't juggle

2011-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

How does a mother juggle facebook, blogging, and a personal journal!?
When I'm doing good at one all the others get neglected.
Ugh to social networking.

Knowing When to Let Go

2011-01-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

I share this very personal experience to hopefully help others out there that are struggling with the same thing.

The years 2009 and 2010 have been extremely difficult for me. I have experienced four miscarriages in which I lost five babies (set of twins) and enough heartache to last several lifetimes. I can honestly say I have hit rock bottom emotionally. I feel that the Lord is trying to teach me something through these experiences and no matter how hard I try to understand it I'm just not getting it.

My regular Ob/Gyn referred me to an infertility doctor in hopes that he could give me some answers. I met with him last week. The extensive testing he (fertility doc) would like to do is going to cost roughly around $2500, money we just don't have right now to devote to reproduction. He wants a hysteroscopy, chromosome testing, and other blood work. I don't feel desperate to conceive...yet. I don't feel like my birthing years are coming to an end and I'm running out of options. Six months ago I would have paid a million dollars to be given some answers as to why I have lost these babies but for some reason at this point in my life it just doesn't feel right. I don't want to do all these invasive procedures. If my body can't do it on its own then maybe I'm not meant to have another baby. So now we are left with the question: How much longer can we go through this? When is enough, enough and we let go of having another baby?

I feel like I need to exercise faith. Faith that my loving Heavenly Father knows whats best for me, faith that he will give me the strength to handle what comes my way. I know in my heart that if the Lord wanted me to have another child he would give me one.

Throughout these trying times I have not forgotten that I have 4 wonderful children. They have brought me such happiness and overwhelming joy. I love them more now than I ever have. I realize that bearing children is nothing short of a miracle. I truly took it for granted before. I have been blessed with an amazing husband who loves me unconditionally and is always looking out for my well-being. Many times he has offered his shoulder for me to cry on. I know he doesn't understand all this "woman stuff" as he calls it but he is really trying. I love him so much! Whatever comes our way in 2011 I hope that I can hold my family together and focus on the things that matter most to me.

Haught Christmas

2011-01-07T07:42:00.001-08:00

Taylor and I have always traveled on Christmas in order to be with family. We loved spending Christmas with all our loved ones but it just too crazy and we weren't enjoying the true meaning of Christmas. So when Taylor's mom passed away in October (last year) we decided we were going to start the new tradition of staying home and celebrating Christmas with just our little family. At first I thought I would hate it! After all I am a lover of huge crowds and mass chaos. I have to admit that this year it was sooooo nice to just be home with our kids and enjoy them. We stayed in our pajamas ALL day, ate whatever we wanted, and had no commitments!
I love Christmas time. It is by far my favorite holiday! I love the baking, the lights, the smells, and of course the over crowded retail establishments.
We are so grateful for all of our many blessings. Healthy children, a home, a job, and of course our families. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

A few of our favorite gifts this year were:
Taylor- bullet tumbler
Steph- video camera
Cooper- air soft guns, Colts paraphernalia
Natalie- gumball machine, ipod
Cody- air soft guns, remote control car
Eli- racetrack, Alphie the robot

Pajamas from Grandma

The Tree on Christmas Eve

Opening the Playstation 3

The guns

Eli's new racetrack

Hospital Stay

2010-12-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

My younger sister, Marlene, has twin boys, Josh and Tyler. They are 11 months old and hands down the cutest kids I have ever seen. The boys have been sick for quite some time, things like runny noses, ear infections, diarrhea....typical toddler stuff. They also have some feeding issues and it seemed to had gotten progressively worse. The had lost some weightt, acting lethargic, and were dehydrated. Marlene took them to the doctor on Friday morning. The doctor was pretty concerned about their condition so he sent them to the hospital.
When I got news that they were being admitted to the hospital and would be there for a few days I immediately booked a flight and left Friday afternoon to help. I have been in the hospital before with a baby and I just couldn't imagine Marlene trying to care for twins all by herself.
After running some tests and experimenting with different formula, the boys are now on a strict diet of just formula, rice cereal and very bland crackers. They can't have any baby food, table food, or dairy. The docs are hoping that this will help with the boys' discomforts and help them want to start eating again.
I really enjoyed my time with Marlene and her boys. I especially enjoyed the snuggle time! They are so sweet! I am also so grateful to have Taylor be so supportive. He was very willing to watch our kiddos so that I could run off and be a big sister.
Josh and Tyler were discharged on Monday evening. They have gotten their appetites back and hopefully will continue growing on a steady basis.

Tyler sleeping with me

Josh not wanting to sleep

When the boys started feeling better, it was hard to keep them busy/occupied.
Trying to keep busy

A Big Snow Storm

2010-12-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

I am starting to get used to and maybe even enjoy (although I hate to admit it)having the cold winters here in New Mexico. I love experiencing the peacefulness of falling snow. I may be crazy, but I even love driving in it!
Last Thursday we had a huge snow storm move into Albuquerque. My kids didn't have school Friday so they really enjoyed playing outside all day. We built snow men, made snow angels, and Cooper even shoveled off my driveway. What a nice boy!!

Christmas Tree

2010-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

December 4th, 2010
We went up to the Jemez Mountains to cut down a Christmas tree. It was actually very warm and not a lot of snow on the ground. We took our time searching for the perfect tree. I was too busy to take any pictures but after we got our tree and 3 others (for friends) we stopped at a little cafe and got some hot chocolate. This has become such a fun tradition.

This is the kids little tree that they picked out. For some reason I didn't get a pic of our big tree.

Eli, Eli, Eli

2010-12-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Do they have therapists for 3 year olds?! I'm not joking when I say that he may need some kind of bipolar medication!

Taylor and I have been engaging in quite a few conversations regarding our 3 year old, Eli. Anybody that knows him, knows that he can be a handful. He is a frequent topic of our prayers at night, seems trivial but I don't know who else to turn to. I know that Lord sent him to us for a reason but at times I feel extremely under qualified.
He has the same parents as our other children, raised in the same house, has the same rules, but he challenges EVERYTHING! Needless to say, I am exhausted. I love him so much and while he can be so hard, he can flip a switch and be a loving, kind, gentle, little boy. How can you ever be mad at this adorable face?!

November Happenings

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

*We finally got our front yard done. It was such a huge project to remove our old landscape and replace it with grass. I'm so grateful for my hubby and all his hard work!

*This year we went to AZ for Thanksgiving. Natalie had a blast playing, holding, and feeding the twins, Josh and Tyler. I love those boys to pieces.

*I was lucky enough to have Josh fall asleep on me. He just melts my heart.

*Cody and Eli enjoyed cuddling with Papa and reading books.

*Grandma spent most of the week in the kitchen. Natalie was right by her side most of the time making sure everything was tasting good.

*The day after Thanksgiving we canned flour and sugar. This was a lot of fun working together as a family. I think it has become a new Thanksgiving tradition.

*A few days ago Taylor built a firepit in our backyard. It has been so nice to spend time together as a family outside whether we're roasting marshmellows, hot dogs or just chatting around the fire. The kids have really enjoyed it.

Could be Worse.......

2010-11-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

A father passing by his son's bedroom
was astonished to see that his bed was nicely
made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an
envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow
that was addressed to 'Dad.'

With the worst premonition he opened the envelope
with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you.
I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted
to avoid a scene with Mom and you.

I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her
piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that
she is much older than I am.

But it's not only the passion... Dad she's pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy.
She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for
the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone.

We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the
other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for
AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.

Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself.

Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so
that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love,
Your Son John

P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house.

I Just wanted to remind you that there are worse things
in life than a report card. That's in my center desk drawer.
I love you.

Call me when it's safe to come home.

Family Time

2010-11-09T08:06:00.001-08:00

We are so grateful to have Taylor back full time. I have to admit that life is a whole lot easier with a second pair of hands around here. We were really needing some family time so we took the kids bowling. Always an adventure with our kids. Haha.

We were on our last frame and getting ready to leave when another family started setting up in the lane next to us. We asked the husband if he could take a picture of our family all together. He of course said yes. After the picture was taken we realized who had taken it. It was Steve Stucker, the weatherman and coanchor on KOB.
How random that he would be next to us at the bowling alley!!

What a STUD!!!

2010-11-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

Taylor has just completed his last hunting trip for 2010. I couldn't be more thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I love that he hunts! I think that a man that can literally "bring home the bacon" is so attractive and honorable. Its his passion and so I share in his excitement! But I am so anxious to have him home with us.
He had a pretty successful year. We now have 300 lbs of Big Game meat in our freezer. More than enough to sustain our family until next hunting season starts. I'll be busting out the dehydrator any day now to start making some jerky. Raise your hand if you want some!!!!
Bull Elk Hunt

Deer Hunt

Natalie Piano

2010-11-02T16:28:00.001-07:00

This girl has come a long way with her piano in only a few weeks. I am so proud of her!!
**Pause the music down at the bottom in order to hear video**
This is "Love One Another"

Wow! November already......REALLY?!

2010-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its November 1st. Hunting season is coming to an end (Hallelujah!!) and the Holidays are officially upon us. I have a lot of work to do. Its fun work though so no complaining will come from me!
We had a great Halloween this year. We started with the Ward's Annual Trunk or Treat. No pics from that night...I totally forgot and to be honest I was a little busy.
We carved pumpkins a couple weeks ago.

I learned a few things while completing this task alone for the first time.

#1- Wear gloves while cleaning out the pumpkin guts. ICK!
#2- Carving pumpkins should be a man's job.
#3- Kids lose interest very quickly. You're soon to be left alone with no help and no one to keep you entertained.

Our pumpkins turned out FANTASTIC! I'm very proud of myself!!

I scored major points last night with my kiddos. I was a nice mommy and let them trick or treat a few houses even though it was Sunday. I hope I don't get struck my lightning. Haha. There was just no way I was going to keep the kids inside the house and honestly thats just torturous!! Every child needs to get the opportunity to go door to door asking for candy. Its a great thing!

October 26th

2010-10-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

One year ago today my sweet Mother-in-Law lost her battle with cancer. She was the worlds greatest Grandma to my kids and such an example of faith. She fought long and we're so proud of her. We miss Cathy so much but I get to feel her often. I am glad for the plan of salvation and the knowledge the comfort the gospel brings me that one day we can live with her again.
My thoughts are with her children today, especially her daughters. I can't imagine going through life without the help of my mother. Love you Tash and Jenn. Hang in there!

P.S. In honor of Cathy, I am going to consume a whole entire bag of Hershey candy bars.

I wanted to share this because it is one of my most cherished memories with Cathy. This pic is from Cooper's birth. I will never forget that day. It was a very special/scary time for Taylor and I. Cathy and Butch sat at the hospital all night with us anxiously waiting for their first grandchild. I remember the moment Cooper was born. Taylor, myself, Cathy and Butch were all bawling our eyes out. The spirit was so strong and we all knew at that moment that Cooper was sent specifically to our family for a reason. It was a very neat experience and I'm so grateful I was able to share that with them.

We have the privilege of passing Cathy's grave everytime we drive in to AZ. We always stop and spend a few minutes there. The kids enjoy it and I think it helps them feel like their Grandma isn't that far away.

Eli Turns 3!!

2010-10-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Eli turned 3 years old on October 18th. We are such horrible parents because we still haven't celebrated it with him. Taylor has had a few hunting trips the last couple weeks so we'll wait until he can be home with us. It's a good thing Eli is too young to know what day is actually his birthday.
A couple things about Eli right now:
-Loves watching Team Umi Zoomi
-Would eat cereal for every meal if I'd let him
-Never denies me hugs and kisses
-Is a MAJOR mama's boy
-Loves going to bed....maybe its because he doesn't take naps
-Loves to do his "homework" as he calls it. (color pictures)
-Won't wear anything but pajamas
This kid cracks me up. He has me laughing all the time. I'm so glad we have all day together alone while the kids are at school.

I Don't Think She Could Get Any Cuter

2010-10-19T08:23:00.001-07:00

My friend Heidi took some amazing pictures of Natalie at the Albuquerque temple in her baptism dress. I'm very happy with how they turned out!!

Natalie turns 8 and gets baptized!!!

2010-10-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Natalie turned 8 on October 5th. All she wanted for her birthday was to get her hair cut and go to Applebees for dinner. Easy enough, right?! So we did just that. Immediately after school I took her to the salon and she got her hair cut. I love Natalie with short hair! It is super cute and super easy! Then we headed to Applebees for dinner. The kids were in heaven. Taylor and I, not so much. It's always chaotic trying to take 4 kids to a restaurant. We had a great time though laughing and joking with our little ones. We went back home, ate cake, and opened presents. Natalie had a great day. I just still can't believe my chubby baby Natalie is now 8 years old!

The weekend of October 9th Natalie got baptized. We had tons of family come in town to support her. We had a very full house but we're so grateful everyone came to visit! We had a great weekend.

I'm so proud of my little girl for deciding to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I see her testimony growing every day and I love to see her making good decisions.

September 2010

2010-09-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Our September started off horribly with losing another baby, but I am happy with the way it is ending. From baseball games, to piano, to hunting trips, and lots of family time I feel so grateful for my life. I am truly blessed! Here's what we've been up to.....

**Cooper- In the 4th grade. Continually excelling in school. He has a wonderful teacher and 8 other LDS kids in his class. He is such a great example to his younger siblings. Cooper is also playing baseball right now. He is really turning into a great athlete. He has been the starting pitcher in 3 of his games now. Taylor and I thoroughly enjoy watching him play.

**Natalie- In 2nd grade. How did I get so lucky with this girl?! I call her "my angel child". She is kind, sweet, loving, and so helpful with her younger brothers. She started taking piano lessons a few weeks ago and she totally loves it. I'm surprised at how fast she has picked it up. Right now she practices on a keyboard, but I guess its time to get a real piano for her. She'll be turning 8 years old in about a week and then getting baptized. I don't know where the time has gone.

**Cody- Oh CODY! This kid constantly cracks us up! He says the funniest things. Cody just turned 5 last month. He started kindergarten this year. I thought he would have a hard time adjusting, mostly because he is the youngest in his class, but he has surprised us. He loves school and loves his teacher! He is also playing t-ball right now. Let's just say he's very entertaining to watch. I love my Cody so much. He always has a hug and a kiss for me. I love that he still cuddles with me.

**Eli- Hmmmm, where do I start?! He runs the house. That's about all I can say. He is totally spoiled and it's all my fault. But I love him to bits and he is the baby of our family so that's what happens. We enjoy our time together alone every day while the kids are at school. Eli started a tumbling class a couple weeks ago. I can't say he loves it but I make him go because he needs the interaction with other kids.

That's our life right now. Busy, busy. I've been pretty consumed with getting pregnant and staying pregnant and I feel bad about that. I have a new found perspective on life right now. I am going to enjoy every minute that I have with the children I have been given and my sweet husband. Time flies by so fast. I feel so blessed to have my darling family.

Everyone goes through trials.......

2010-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to cleverly start this post so I'm just gonna jump right into it.
The last couple of years, I have struggled with sustaining a pregnancy. Last year I lost 2 pregnancies both within the first 12 weeks. It was devastating and I thought for sure it wouldn't happen again...not to me anyways...I have 4 healthy children. I have never had complications.
In March of this year I got pregnant again. I found out very early. I was ecstatic!! From the beginning my symptoms were strong. I went for an ultrasound at 6 weeks. There we found out we were having TWINS!! They had heartbeats and looked extremely healthy. Taylor and I both cried, we were so happy. We hardly spoke as we left the office, we were in total shock! I thought to myself, "this is it, the pregnancy that is going to last!!" For a week straight I stared at the ultrasound pics, in awe of the thought that I could have twins. I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks, babies still looked good. My doctor thought he saw a third baby. We were on an emotional high! Finally I was going to be blessed for the trials I have been through. My doc sent me to a specialist a week later and we found out that both babies had passed away. No heartbeats were found. They quit growing at 7 weeks. I had to do a D&C the next day. My Doc did it in his office and I was awake during the whole procedure. I could hear and feel everything. It was by far the worst day of my life. I didn't think I could go on. I was heart broken to say the least. My doc ordered all types of blood work to try and find out why I'm losing my babies. No answers were found.
I mustered up the courage to try again. In July I found out I was pregnant. I was excited and nervous. I have never prayed so hard for something in my entire life. I begged and pleaded with the Lord to give me a healthy baby. The doc assured me that from a medical stand point everything looked great. I started taking progesterone supplements from the day I took the pregnancy test. I felt good about this pregnancy. I opted not to do any ultrasounds or blood work because it just made me get attached to something that could be ripped away so quickly. I had shared my news with some close friends of mine. It helped my anxiety knowing that other people were aware of what I was going through.
We went to AZ for a family wedding last Thursday (that's another post). I was about 6weeks pregnant. I started cramping and bleeding heavily on Saturday. I lost the baby on Sunday. Talk about horrible timing. I forced myself to wear a smile for the remainder of the weekend. I didn't think my heart could be broken again. I am so sad and confused.
Well, it's been 1 week since I lost my 5th baby. I never thought I would ever have to say that! I know that everyone goes through trials....for some reason that doesn't lighten my pain. Now I'm left to pick up my broken heart and keep moving forward. Thank goodness I have such an amazing hubby by my side.

Thanks Heidi

2010-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

For viewing pleasure of the Grandparents......
**Special thanks to Heidi for taking these awesome pictures! You are sooooo talented!!

Mr. Romantic

2010-08-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Mondays are hard to get moving, right? I always feel like I'm carrying an extra 50 pounds. This last Monday was no different, it was a rough one for me. Until after school......I pull up to the house (around 4:00) and notice Taylor's truck in the drive way. YAY! He's home early. I proceed to walk into the kitchen where I notice a single rose and a card. I immediately started thinking, "oh, crap! What special day did I forget?" I opened the card and started reading. I'll spare you the details, but basically my adorable hubby asked me to go on date with him. Our date was scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:00pm. Kinda late for a school night but of course I agreed to go.
Wednesday came. I had a meeting that evening so I wasn't going to be home until around 8:00. To my surprise, I came home to the lights off, kids in bed, and no babysitter. Taylor greeted me at the door and asked if I was ready to go. He then walked me into the kitchen and sat me down at the kitchen table. He magically pulled out "take out" from AZUMA! My favorite restaurant right now. He then pulled out candles and champagne glasses (for Martinellis). Awwww! My heart melted! He knew just what I needed after a hard week. After dinner we watched a movie. It was a late night but well worth it!
I love my Taylor. He is so romantic. Always full of surprises and always knows how to make me laugh. I love you babe! Thanks for the great evening.

Monday Morning Confession

2010-08-23T07:22:00.001-07:00

Now that the kids are back in school I find myself with lots of time on my hands. You'd think that would mean I have completed a ton of projects, such as cleaning out closets, rearranging bedrooms, organizing drawers but NO. It actually means the opposite. I am thoroughly enjoying sitting around and being lazy. I occasionally get up to feed myself or play with Eli but for the most part we are worthless. Eli is demanding and it takes everything in me to care for him during the day. I need a dose of motivation! Anyone know where I can get some??

Cody Wayne turns 5

2010-08-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday August 11th was Cody's birthday. I can't believe he is 5 years old. Where has time gone?!! We love our little Cody man! He is such a sweet boy (when he wants to be). He has always loved cuddling with me. He offers the greatest hugs and kisses. He can be quite a brute with other kids but all in all he is a wonderful guy. We love you C-DO!!!!

He thought he was pretty special when I showed up at his class with a treat. After school we had a family party for him. He chose to go to Dions for dinner. We came home, opened presents, and ate cake and ice cream. He had about a million phone calls from family and friends. By the end of the day he was tired of talking. To those of you who tried to call, thank you very much and I'm sorry he wouldn't chat.

Maybe...............

2010-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Well, 3 out of 4 of my children started school today. MAYBE I'll actually have time to blog again..................

What’s The Matter With Kids Today?

2010-04-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

**Dr. Laura wrote this today...I LOVE IT! Explains why kids get away with so much. Their parents don't follow thru with the consequences!!**

What’s The Matter With Kids Today?
April 15, 2010 on 12:00 am | In Children, Parenting, Personal Responsibility, School, Teens Email This Post

What’s the problem with kids today? The answer to that is easy: THEIR PARENTS!

According to the Fresno Bee, five high school seniors cut down two trees on their campus as a “senior prank.” School officials expelled the students and transferred them to a continuation school to finish out their senior year.

The students (all seniors and football players) cut down two Southern Live Oak trees, with ten-inch trunks. The trees were about 14 years old and nearly 20 feet high. The damage was estimated to be between $7,500 and $14,000. The boys said this was a prank meant to deprive junior classmates of shade.

Stupid, stupid, stupid…..but they are all “jock heroes,” probably way too used to inflated estimations of their own value and power.

The school did exactly the right thing.

The parents did exactly the wrong thing. They said that the school “overreacted,” and they got attorneys involved to get their kids back in the school. The school is standing firm. Good for them.

“To hire attorneys,” as one of my listeners wrote to me, “teaches these kids that they can get away with ‘pranks’ and that they do not have to respect the law or be accountable for such behavior to school officials. It will be interesting to see how these youngsters turn out as they mature. Will they be good citizens? Will they raise their children similarly to how they were raised? Will their views change on how their own parents handled this life lesson? It remains to be seen. I do hope our community doesn’t read about them again later on down the line after they’ve robbed a store or beaten someone up and again hired an attorney to defend their actions.”

That point, in particular, is why (when people call and tell me that they have “x” number of “beautiful” children) I tell them I don’t care if they have pretty or ugly kids. I only care that they have decent kids, because the well being of all of us depends on that.

Baby Anthony

2010-04-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

My little sister Karen gave birth to her second child a couple weeks ago. Taylor flew me out to AZ all by myself so I could enjoy some baby time. Baby Anthony is such a doll. Congrats Tony and Karen!!

I also got to hang out with my other sister, Marlene, her almost 3 month old twins and her 2 year old. I loved snuggling on the couch with a baby in my arms. Nothing is better than that!

Life

2010-04-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

**I wrote this in January and never posted it. I found it in my drafts and I feel like it still reflects my feelings of today....here ya go!

The last few weeks have been especially hard for me. I guess thats why I haven't wanted to blog. It's been hard to look at the positive things going on around me. Don't get me wrong, I love my children and I love my husband. But I miss my mother-in-law. Plain and simple. There are so many things that I need to talk to her about. So many things that I need her advice on. At times I think life is not fair. Why would she be taken from me at a time when I need her so badly. I know she is close, I feel her presence often. But man, it would feel so good to talk to her.

As some of you know, I had 2 miscarriages last year. TMI sorry. The first baby would have been born on Christmas 2009. The second one would have been born middle of February 2010. I had no idea how much these experiences would change my outlook on life. The first one was difficult emotionally. The second was even harder. Talk about a slap in the face. Am I not healthy enough to carry a child? Does Heavenly Father not think I am worthy enough? All of a sudden I view my kids as blessings and miracles. I treat my children in a different way now. I have always enjoyed my time with them but I have really started
to focus on how I treat them.

We want another baby so badly. Sometimes I feel selfish for wanting another one even though I already have 4. Honestly, I would have 10 kids if I could. I love pregnancy. I love newborns. Part of me just wants to prove that I can get pregnant again. I want to prove that I can have a healthy baby. Sounds crazy, I know!

So for now, I am trying to find joy in the things Heavenly Father has given me. We truly are blessed and I need to remember that when I start feeling down.

I love the beginning of a new year. I love that it forces me to reflect on my life and make changes. Hopefully by posting these it will keep me accountable.
New Year's Resolutions are:

1. Start exercising. This is going to be a tough one, but my body needs it.
2. Get more out of my scripture reading.
3. Be a fun mom. Enjoy the journey, not the destination.
4. Focus on the needs of people around me.

Cooper and Cody's room

2010-04-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I have been on a huge redecorating kick lately. It's so DANGEROUS!! I finished Natalie's room and moved on to the boy's room. Here is the final paint color. I'm slowly adding things to the walls to personalize it.

** My picture taking skills are HORRIBLE....sorry!

Happy Birthday Cooper

2010-04-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Cooper's 9th birthday on March 26th. I still can't believe my oldest child is 9 years old. It makes me feel really old!!
On the night of his birthday we took him and some of his friends to the Monster Truck Jam at Santa Ana Star Center. Taylor is contracted with them so we had some major hook-ups. We were able to get a suite for Cooper's party. It worked out perfect!! The kids could run around as they please and not have to sit throughout the whole show.
Before the show started, we got to go down on the track and see the monster trucks up close. The boys were in heaven! The night was a complete success, especially since I didn't have to clean my house after a birthday party. :)

Hello Out There........

2010-03-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to keep up with my blog lately? I can keep up with facebook, check my email, download songs from itunes, but for some reason blogging is such a torturous task. We have had a lot of fun adventures and I wish I was better at journaling about it. I keep telling myself that I will get caught up......eventually.

Life has been good lately. Busy, but good!

1. I have successfully potty trained Eli....Hallelujah! I have no children in diapers, can you believe it?
2. Baseball season has started. Cooper is in Minors now and Natalie is playing softball. They both love it!
3. We've made several trips to AZ. And no, the trip doesn't get any shorter. :) I got to hold and love on my sister's twins. They are so precious!
4. Natalie and I redecorated her room. She got to pick the bedding and the wall colors. I think she did a great job.

**So, for all you blog followers out there that are still paying attention to us, here are some pictures for you. ENJOY!

Joshua Dean and Tyler Michael

2010-01-06T09:20:00.001-08:00

My sister had her twins on January 2nd!! It has been a long hard pregnancy for Marlene but she did a wonderful job bringing these boys into the world. I am grateful that the Lord has blessed our family with these sweet little boys. Josh and Tyler were born at 35 weeks so they will be in the NICU for a couple weeks, but for the most part they are doing well. Congratulations Marlene and Ben, they are absolutely precious. I can't wait to come see them!
TYLER

TYLER

JOSH

JOSH

Christmas Tree and a Special Visitor

2009-12-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Christmas traditions unique to our family is going up north to the mountains and cutting down a Christmas tree. The last couple of years I was unable to go because Eli was just too young to go. This year was fun because I finally got to go! There was a ton of snow on the ground and Eli was a complete stinker which is why I have no pics of us ACTUALLY cutting down the tree. We stopped off at a little cafe afterwards and got some hot chocolate and lunch. The kids enjoyed decorating the tree once we got home. They really took their time placing the ornaments. I think it is neat that they take pride in the tree they picked out.
This weekend Taylor's little sister, Jennifer, came to visit us. My kids have been looking forward to this for 2 weeks. They were so excited! I am so grateful that my kids get along with their Aunt so well. I enjoyed hanging out with her too, we ate lots of sugar cookies, laughed at my hubby, played with the kiddos and watched a hilarious movie. :-)
I was sad to see her go but hopefully we'll be going to AZ again soon to visit.

A Lost Tooth.......

2009-12-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Natalie lost another tooth! When we finally realized that it was loose it was barely hanging on. Taylor noticed it one morning before school and offered to pull it out. Natalie willingly allowed Taylor to "try". I am so proud of her! No tears, no whimpering and no apprehension. I just love my girl and how stinkin tough she is!

My toughest challenge......

Eli is spunky, witty, full of energy, stubborn as all get out, cranky, moody...I could go on and on. Taylor says he's bipolar. He can be happy one minute and on the floor screaming the next. He makes me feel like a rookie parent. I can honestly say that he runs this house. Everything we do or don't do is because of Eli. I love him to death, how can I not? He is so adorable. But man is he a challenging kid!

A New Addition to the Haught Home

2009-11-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

We had something really exciting happen in our home recently. Taylor and I have been waiting anxiously for this day for over a year...........here it is.......

TAYLOR'S BEAR RUG FINALLY GOT DONE

We searched all over the house to find a place to hang it. Finally we agreed that the staircase was a perfect location. Now when I get up in the middle of the night I am greeted by a smile from our new family member. I am so lucky!!

Cathy Diane Hakes Haught

2009-10-26T09:59:00.001-07:00

My mother-in-law lost her battle with cancer this morning. Our hearts are aching but we know that she is in a better place. The last few years of her life have been an emotional roller coaster but such a blessing. We are headed out of town to be with the family during this hard time. I'll post more later......

No, We Haven't Died....

2009-10-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Although we have come very close. We have the flu rapidly spreading through our family. Natalie started last weekend, Taylor shortly after, then Cooper and now Eli. Cody and I are the only ones that have not gotten it YET. And I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get it at all. I feel very detached from the world and especially from my friends. I have been forced to stay indoors with my children until they make a full recovery. It has been nice to just focus on them and spend good time with them though. We have read lots of books, watched lots of movies and played lots of games. It really has been a week of fun family time despite all the germs!
Flicking cards into a cowboy hat. Good old fashion fun!

Natalie and I tied so we had a cookie eating contest. Natalie won!

Life Lately

2009-09-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

I don't usually write my internal thoughts and feelings but for some reason they are flowing freely tonight so I am just gonna keep it going. Maybe it will help me sort it all out.
Where do I begin? My emotions are all over the place. Poor Taylor has to put up with me and he never knows which Stephanie he is gonna get. There are a lot of good things going on in our lives right now but I find it hard to enjoy them because my mind is elsewhere. Here is a glimpse of our lives lately......

#1 Cody started preschool. I wish I had a picture to share but I don't remember which file I stored it in. When I find it, I'll post it.

#2 Cooper and Natalie's baseball seasons started. They are both doing great! The only complaint I have heard so far came from Natalie: "Mom, I don't like baseball because the hat messes up my hair" A true girl! I had no idea it would be so hard to juggle 2 different kids sports schedules. At times I have to be in 2 places at 1 time....that's where having a husband comes in real handy!

#3 Our fridge decided to stop cooling our food. Doesn't sound like a huge deal...well, it was a massive deal! How do I feed a family of 6 with no refrigerator?! I'll tell you, ice chests. I had 3 of them in my kitchen for 2 days until we could diagnose the problem with our fridge. The guy quoted $776 to fix it. NO WAY! I bought the dang thing for like $800 6 years ago. My handy hubby stepped in and fixed it for close to $200. Thanks honey!

#4 Tay and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary this month. Yes, 9 years! Can you believe it!? He was in Austin, Texas for work the day of our anniversary, but he made it up to me. I got flowers and chocolate covered strawberries delivered to my door! I love my Taylor! I can't even imagine my life without him.

#5 On Thursday night (Sept. 24th) Eli hit his head on the corner of our computer desk. Sliced it right down the middle of his forehead. Blood everywhere. Of course, I am home alone with the kids. I called Taylor, he was at the grocery store preparing for a hunting trip he was leaving on that night. He called our cop buddy Dave who came racing over. (Thank heavens for friends) I rushed Eli into the Urgent Care and they stitched him up. He is expected to make a full recovery but will forever have a scar on his forehead. Oh, BOYS, they have made me see things I never thought I would see!

#6 Taylor's mom is struggling to stay alive. Her LONG battle with cancer is nearing an end and I can't seem to accept it. I have known this day was eventually going to come but I still find myself extremely ill-prepared. Her health has been deteriorating rather quickly for a couple months. A couple Sundays ago we got a call during church from Taylor's dad saying that Cathy was done fighting and that she was ready to die. We prayed all that day that she would hang on until we were able to get to AZ to see her. The earliest we could get there was Thursday. It was the longest week of my life knowing she was ready to die and the Lord could take her at any time. Thursday finally came and we hit the road. Our visit with her was so neat. I'm so glad that my kids got to see her and say the things they wanted to say to her. She is such an amazing woman. When the time comes that she does pass away I will be losing one of my best friends and a phenomenal grandma. She has helped me through times that I never thought I would make it through.
Currently, her nurse comes about 3 times a week to check on her. The last report I heard was that she probably has a few weeks left of her life. Just doesn't seem fair.
I am so grateful for my testimony of the Resurrection. I know that we will be with Cathy again. That knowledge has helped me through this extremely difficult time and has allowed me to give answers to my children when they have questions. It is comforting to know that we can all be together as a family again.

Cody Turned the big 4!

2009-09-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

My Cody turned 4 years old on August 11th. I can't believe that he is 4 years old! He and I had a very special day together since the older kids were already in school. I think he really felt like "the king" for the day. We celebrated with cake and ice cream that evening.
Cody is such a sweet kid. He never denies me hugs and kisses and I take full advantage of that since I know that someday he will be too "cool" to hug me. We love you Cody and we are so glad that you are a part of our family!

Some of his favorite things:

Color-blue

Toy-bakugans

TV Show- Go, Diego, Go

Movie-Kung Fu Panda

Animal-dinosaurs

Food-hot dogs and frozen waffles (he really does eat them frozen)

Game-Lego Batman on the Wii

Thing to do with mom-cuddle and read stories

Things to do with dad-fish and go golfing

His birthday wish for 2009-"I wish that all the dinosaurs would come out of the ground so that I can play with them"

Taylor's bear hunt Aug. 2009

2009-08-24T12:16:00.001-07:00

It's that time again.......HUNTING SEASON. YAY! Can you hear my enthusiasm?! Well, despite my sarcastic remark, I really am excited. I just wish I could actually go hunting WITH Taylor every now and then. He went bear hunting this last week and yes, he came home with one. We cleaned out our deep freezer a couple weeks ago in preparation for some game meat to move in. So far all we have are 2 bear heads, but I look forward to some "edible" meat. Here is a pic of Taylor's bear.

First Day of School

2009-08-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Summer has come and gone.....way too quickly if you ask me! Natalie and Cooper started school on August 10th. It was a bitter sweet moment for me. The kids love school, especially getting to see their friends every day. Plus, they were starting to get bored staying home with me. So, I guess it is a good thing, but I sure miss them!

California Trip....beware lots of pics!

2009-08-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Taylor and I took the kids on one last vacation before our summer ended. We first headed to Thousand Oaks, California. Taylor's sister was blessing her twins there and we wanted to attend. The trip to Thousand Oaks was interesting with the kiddos, to say the least, but we survived. I had no idea throwing 4 kids in the car and driving for 12 hours could be so "fun". Ha! We are glad we went though. We really enjoyed spending time with Tash and Leland and the twins. Leland's family was so wonderful to us and made us feel very comfortable.
Me and baby Liam

Shane and Liam

Proud Parents: Tash and Leland

Natalie and Liam

Cathy, Tash and Me

Natalie and Tylie doing a Puppet Show

The Monday after the blessing we headed down to San Diego to continue our family vacation. We stayed in the most beautiful hotel right on Mission Bay. The kids had a great time visiting the beach, Sea World, and Legoland. We had an amazing time as a family and I really hope we can do another trip like this soon!
View from our Hotel room

Cathy, Me and Eli on the beach

Cody playing swords on the beach

We made it to Sea World!!

Sea World: Waiting for Show to start

Legoland

Train ride

Me and Eli waiting for kids to get off of the ride

I am so glad that we took the kids on this trip. It was so much fun and we created a lot of fun family memories.

Yada yada yada.......

2009-07-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy and busy summer full of swimming, play dates, and family time. I don't have the time nor the energy to write a long post so here are some pics from our last few weeks.

My parents came to visit us a while back. We took them to the zoo and the aquarium. The kids had a great time being spoiled by their grandparents.

Cooper finished his last season of Rookie (machine pitch) baseball. Now he gets to move up to Minors!

Taylor took Cooper fishing. Cooper came home so excited and grateful to have spent the day with his dad. After watching this video I sure am glad I was not there to witness this. Poor Cooper was freezing!!

Random pics from this last month

2009-06-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

A couple pics from my weekend in AZ. I went all by myself and thoroughly enjoyed shopping, going out to eat, and staying up all hours of the night. It was so nice to hang out with my sisters and not have to worry about my kiddos! Thanks Taylor for watching the kids while I was gone! This is a pic right before we went out to dinner.
Mom, Marlene, Steph, and Karen (Tracy is taking pic)

Me and Reagan

I also went to watch my brother and his band perform. They were awesome!

Taylor was given tickets to an arena football game at the Santa Ana Arena. We had a suite which was nice because the kids didn't have to sit in a seat the whole time. They got to run around and act crazy.
Natalie brought her friend Abbey

Our family minus Cooper. He was at a friend's house that night.

Cody enjoyed watching the cheerleaders!

A couple home projects......

2009-06-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Taylor has been listening to me curse my kitchen sink for 4 years. He finally gave in and let me buy a new one. I splurged and got a new faucet too! I am in love with it! It "only" took us 10 trips to the hardware store and 3 days to install it! I am so glad that it is finally done.

About 6 weeks ago we planted a garden. It has really come a long way! I think the funnest thing about having a garden is the joy it brings the kids. They take such good care of it. Don't be surprised if you find bags full of veggies on your doorstep, I am afraid we planted way too much for our little family! Especially considering I am the only one that eats vegetables in our household!

These pics were taken 2 weeks after we planted. The peas and corn were from seed.
Zuccini

Corn

Peas

Here is the garden now. And it is growing by the second!
Zuccini and Tomatoes

Peas and Corn

Eli loves the garden. He especially likes to water it with his daddy.

Some pics from Heidi

2009-05-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

I have given up trying to catch up on the past. I may regret not documenting our lives for the past few weeks, alot has happened. But I am wanting to move forward so from now on I am ready to blog about the present.
My friend Heidi babysat my kids the other night. She took them to the park and captured some really great pics of them playing. I love how they turned out! Thanks Heidi!

Haught Family Cabin Trip

2009-05-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

We went to the cabin with Taylor's family a couple weekends ago. The truth is it is probably the last time we will all be able to go to the cabin together. Our family is just getting way too big. Cathy scheduled a family picture while we were all up there together. That was fun........and interesting! It proved quite difficult to get 7 grandkids happy and smiling at the same time. I was impressed though, the pics turned out great! Eli was by far the biggest challenge, no surprise there!! I will post the family pic as soon as I get it.
We always have such a good time at the cabin. This time was no different except for the last night we were there. We had just finished playing games, doing comedy skits, and playing American Idol on the Playstation when Dallas started feeling sick. One by one every body started coming down with the stomach flu. I take complete blame. Cooper had it a few days before we left for the cabin and I guess it was still in his system. OOPS! We spread our germs to everybody! Sorry guys! Even poor little Eli got it. He had never had the flu before so it was really sad for me to see him throwing up. Poor guy!! Despite the sickness, we had a great time and we can't wait to go back!

It is a tradition to ride the go-carts every time we go to Show Low. The kids really look forward to it!

Cooper really wanted to go golfing, I think this will have to become a tradition as well. Everybody (even the adults) enjoyed miniature golfing.

Turkey Huntin'

2009-05-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back Taylor took Cooper turkey hunting. It was absolutely freezing and a bunch of fresh snow on the ground but they had a great time. They came back with not just one but two turkeys. I guess I have a big Mother's Day dinner to look forward to!

Cooper's 8th Birthday and His Baptism

2009-04-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

On March 26th my boy turned 8 years old. I love him so much and I can't believe how fast he is growing up! He was very anxious to turn 8 so that he can be baptized. Our plan was to have his baptism here in NM. When we found out that Cathy (Taylor's mom) wouldn't be well enough to travel we immediately made plans to have the baptism in AZ so that she could attend. Cooper is the oldest grandchild for Taylor's mom and the first to be baptized. It was really important for her to be there.

The baptism was beautiful. It was a perfect day! I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life. It makes me proud to think that my son chose to be baptized and get confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Maybe as parents Taylor and I really are doing something right.

Our family

Cooper and my parents (Grandma Barbara and Papa Larry)

Grandma Cathy and Cooper

Cooper and Taylor's parents (Grandma Cathy and Granddad Butch)

Cooper and his cousins on Taylor's side. (Caidgen, Cooper, Cody, Ami, Tylie and Natalie)

The rest of our visit in AZ was great. Here are a few random pics.

We got Cooper got a .22 rifle for his 8th birthday. So Taylor and Ben took Cooper shooting. They had a great time.

Eli giving Grandma Barbara kisses

Eli enjoying birthday cake

Papa Larry and Cody reading

Our first major accident

2009-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

March 18th, 2009

I need to back track a little, so bear with me. I will eventually get caught up with my blogging.

On March 18th Cooper had his first major accident. We were all outside playing (our whole family, plus I was babysitting 3 kids). There is a dirt hill by our house and Cooper had the ingenious idea to ride down it on his bike. I gave the typical mother's response, "It is your decision, but don't come cryin to me when you bust your head open!"
About 2 minutes later I hear Cooper screaming/crying. I ran over to him and immediately noticed blood running down his leg. I sat him down and squeezed his leg together to try to stop the bleeding. I could tell that it was a really deep cut. I do not handle blood very well so I was starting to feel woozy. Taylor had been outside with us but took off just minutes before this to go on a dirt bike ride into the desert. So I was all alone with 7 kids. How in the world was I going to get him to the hospital?! Luckily my neighbor/friend Steve was working out in his garage. I screamed "Steve, Steve!" He came running with his son and nephew. They picked up Cooper and carried him to my house. Meanwhile I was bent over with my head between my legs about to pass out! They got a towel and wrapped up Cooper's leg and sat with him until Taylor rode up. Taylor threw Coop in him truck and headed to the Urgent Care. It was the hardest thing for me to have to stay back with the other kids and not go with them.
Cooper ended up getting 9 stitches. 2 on the inside and 7 on the outside. I guess as he was pushing his bike up the hill his leg slipped and hit the side of his bike. He cut his leg on the large bolt that holds the training wheels on. DISGUSTING! He was such a tough kid through this whole experience and I hope he learned his lesson to listen to me when I give him warnings! Mothers know best!
These pics are a little graphic, so BEWARE.

Cody Stories

2009-03-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was just upstairs putting the 2 boys (Cooper and Cody) to bed. I love to lay by them at night and talk about their day. Cody usually ends up saying something funny.
Well, tonight was no different. It starts like this....
Cody rolls over towards me and says,
Cody: "Mom, will you tickle my back?"
Me: "Sure, roll over"
I proceed to start tickling his back with my fingertips.
Cody: "No, Mom, with your claws out!"

**Same night, but a few minutes later. I have walked out the door but can hear the boys talking....
Cooper: "What is that stink?"
Cody: "Oh, sorry Coop, it's probably my brest, I didn't brush my teeth today. Ha ha, don't tell mom."
In Cody's language brest means breath.
I gotta a good laugh!

I am really behind on posting. I have many stories and experiences to share but because of my new found obsession with couponing and facebook, my blog has taken a back burner. We are headed to AZ tomorrow for Cooper's baptism so maybe when I get back I can blog! Stay tuned............

Killin Time

2009-03-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Bunko and I am on a sugar high. Happens every time! Unfortunately, I won't be falling asleep for a while and Taylor is off at the gym so I figured I would get on the computer and blog. Hopefully kill some time until he gets home. I have so much going on in my head right now, I just have to spit some of it out!
We are being faced with some harsh realities in regards to Taylor's mother's health. It has hit us hard even though we have been trying to prepare for it. I find myself feeling very helpless, angry, sad, and confused. It really STINKS! I am not going to share details right now, .....maybe later, we are still sorting it all out in our heads.
More news. Cooper and Natalie got their progress reports from school last week. I am very impressed with both of them. We have Parent Teacher Conferences next week so I am excited for that. I just have to say how happy I am that we moved our kids to NACC. I have yet to be disappointed. YAY!
Cody is doing great. We practice his letters and numbers everyday. I am amazed at how quickly he is picking up on them. I wander if it makes a difference that he has older siblings? We also have a quiet lunch together once Eli goes down for his nap. Cody calls them our "lunch dates". He is such a sweet little boy...as long as he gets his way!
Thanks to everyone who offered to help babysit last Saturday for me. Many of you have asked why in the world I needed a babysitter at 4:30 in the morning? It recently occurred to me that I have a child (Cody) that is approaching preschool age and if I want him to go to a good school than I need to get him registered. Taylor happened to be on a Young Men's camp out the day of registration. (Good timing Tay)The particular preschool where I want him to go is first come, first serve. I knew I needed to get there early. Since I didn't have a husband to stand in line for me I thought 4:30 was early enough! Boy was I wrong. There were people that got to the school at 1:00am. It is crazy the things we do for our children! I will find out hopefully tomorrow what class he got in to.
Eli is same old Eli. Keeps me very busy. He is getting quite the personality. He is in constant need of my undivided attention. And if he doesn't get it he screams and cries. If his tantrums don't work he finds mischief. His favorite thing to do is go into the kitty room and play in the litter box. I know, DISGUSTING! Don't worry he is quickly disinfected. He still enjoys dancing on my table, rummaging through my cabinets and rearranging the dishes in the dishwasher. He is a handful and I am quite exhausted by the end of the day, but when he gives me hugs and kisses at bedtime it makes it all worth it.
Taylor just pulled in the garage....better head off to bed.

ANY TAKERS?!

2009-02-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

I AM IN DESPERATE NEED OF A BABYSITTER FOR SATURDAY MORNING AT 4:30. I KNOW IT IS EARLY. I JUST NEED SOMEONE TO COME SIT AT MY HOUSE WHILE MY KIDS SLEEP. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE, PLEASE CALL ME!
THANKS

I Need Suggestions

2009-02-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

I survived my day in the hospital. It wasn't that bad. The anesthesia was the worst part, it made me pretty sick/loopy for the remainder of the day. Now we wait for the bill. UGH! That tiny IUD is ending up to be a very expensive mistake. Now that it is gone, I am looking forward to being hormone free.

BEFORE

AFTER

I had a pretty relaxing weekend. I can't say the same for Taylor. He was amazing and took care of the kids. Valentines day wasn't the complete bust that I thought it would be. We decided that since I wasn't really feeling well enough to go anywhere that we would have friends come over to our house to hang out. We had heart shaped pizza for dinner and cupcakes for dessert. The kids loved it, and that is what matters, right?

Nothing else is going on. Kids are back in school after a long 4 day weekend. I have been arranging lots of play dates for Cody. He gets really bored with just Eli and I to play with. I think he is ready for preschool...seems strange that he is that old already. I gotta start researching one for him and then swallow the fact that we will probably spend close to $150.00 a month for it. OUCH!

Eli has discovered how to climb onto my kitchen table....or any other table for that matter. About 10 times a day I walk into the kitchen and find him dancing on top of it. It is really cute but very dangerous! How do I prevent him from doing this?

That's about it for us! Here are some random pics I found on my camera this morning and a video of Eli doing what he does best!

Natalie started gymnastics a few weeks ago so we all decided to practice our skills as well. The kids were in awe when they saw Taylor and I doing cartwheels.

YAY FOR LOVE

2009-02-14T09:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to all of you! My Dad calls it Forced Affection Day. Which I think is hilarious, but true! We all have these unrealistic expectations of what Valentines Day is supposed to be like. And most of the time these expectations never get met. The point of Valentines Day is to show the people that are important to us how much we love them. So, regardless of what you choose to call this holiday, I hope you all have a great day with the people you love!

Day of Fun

2009-02-13T05:24:00.001-08:00

I am headed to the hospital in just a few minutes. I pray I make it back alive!! WISH ME LUCK!!!!

Oh well! There's Always Next Year.......

2009-02-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

February 10th

Today is definitely one of those days that I want to grab a good book and cuddle up in bed. I have no motivation to do anything! There are about 5 loads of laundry that needs folded and put away, a sticky kitchen floor that needs mopped and 2 children that are thirsty for some attention from their mom. I attribute my current attitude to the weather. It is dark, cloudy, and miserably cold! Now that I am done blaming the weather....here are a few things happening in the Haught's house this week.
I was headed out of the house on Friday morning to a doctor's appt...(I will get into that story a bit later) when Natalie comes running out to the car with a bloody mouth. I gasped and screamed, "What happened to you?" Come to find out she lost her tooth. Well, actually Taylor pulled it out. He has a way of manipulating the kids into believing that he is the "best" man for the job. He literally has to sell himself to them in order for them to open their mouths. It is quite funny. He managed to get her tooth out with not one tear shed. What a stud Natalie is! I am grateful that Taylor tackles this parenting duty because everyone knows I would be on the ground passed out from the blood.
In other news, I have been loving having Cody and Eli home with me during the day. I get to spend good quality time with Cody and it has really helped his behavior. He goes the majority of the day now without any major fits or tantrums. I wish I could say the same about Eli. He has perfected the art of fit-throwing! Who would have thought that at 16 months old he would already know how to get what he wants.
Natalie and Cooper are really enjoying school right now. Cooper still fights doing his homework but it is so much better than last year. Natalie's homework is sent home on Monday and it is supposed to last all week. Well she gets it all done on Monday afternoon. She must get that from me! Ha ha.
Reader's Discretion is Advised
I went in a couple weeks ago for my yearly pap smear. I know, fun times! I had an IUD put in after I had Eli so they wanted to check that too. Well after a few minutes of the doctor trying to find the strings she couldn't find them so she advised me to come back in a couple weeks have one of the other doctors check. I went in this last Friday for a normal IUD check and this doctor couldn't find the strings either. She blamed it on my last doctor, he probably cut the strings too short. She asked if she could do a "slightly painful" procedure to try to locate the IUD. I agreed, I wanted to make sure it was still there. After what seemed like an eternity of her "digging" around I was in too much pain to continue. She still hadn't located it. She started to look concerned. She sent me down the hall to radiology where they did an ultrasound. The tech located my IUD but unfortunately it is not where it is supposed to be. It is higher up in my uterus and could have potentially perforated it. She said that it needs to come out and the only way to do it is by a surgical procedure. By this time I was in tears, 1. because I was in pain from the doc trying to retrieve it, and 2. I was scared that my uterus could be damaged, and 3. Who has time for surgery? That was so not in my schedule for this week! The whole appt was difficult for me and I was really wishing I had Taylor there with me. I went in for something simple and I walked out feeling like I was a "special case". You know when you hear the statistic 1 in a 1,000 woman with have this side effect...I was that 1 woman. I cramped and felt pretty crappy for the remainder of the weekend. I am feeling fine now but my nerves are getting the best of me. I know it is not a major surgery but still kind of scary not knowing the damage the IUD may have caused.
So, needless to say I am scheduled on Friday for this procedure and I am not looking forward to it. I will be quite woozy and out of it all day Friday and possibly in pain and cramping on Saturday. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO US!!!

It's Just Not Fair!!

2009-02-05T13:08:00.001-08:00

January 29th-February 2nd

We went to AZ this last weekend. It was kind of a last minute trip. Taylor's mother has been struggling with her health and we needed to go be with her. Taylor had a Young Men's campout on Friday which meant he couldn't leave until Saturday but I was not wanting to wait until then so I took the kids out of school early on Thursday and started the drive to AZ. Thankfully the drive went smoothly.
Here is some background on Taylor's mom's condition. Cathy (Tay's mom) was diagnosed with colon cancer 12 years ago. Her health has been up and down since then. Over the past few years her cancer has spread to other organs in her body and has caused many other complications. She has under gone many rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries. She has defeated death many times. There is no medical explanation of why she is still alive. We all feel extremely grateful that she is still with us on this earth. We know it is an absolute miracle! Cathy and I have always had a close relationship. I have been comfortable around her ever since Taylor and I started dating. I love her for so many reasons but especially for the love she shows my kids. Lately, I have been living in a state of denial in regards to her health. As her strength is slowly deteriorating it is becoming more real that she may not be around forever.

Our family gathered together to go to the temple with Cathy. We also participated in a 24 hour fast on her behalf. It was such an amazing experience and we are so grateful that we were able to be with the family during this time. We all hope and pray that she will be granted with yet another miracle and she will live a long and healthy life.

I got to hang out with my sister, Marlene, her daughter Reagan and my neice Amber on Friday. We took the kids to the park since it was a beautiful 75 degrees outside. I guess my kids are not used to such warm temperatures because they were pink cheeked and sweating within about 5 minutes of being outside! So, I let them run through the sprinklers! They had so much fun! I was HORRIBLE about taking pictures this weekend but here are a few from our fun day at the park.

Since we were in town we got to go to my friend's daughter's baptism. Cooper was so happy to be a part of such a special day. He can't wait for his own baptism. I still can't believe I almost have an 8 year old!!

It was a short visit with our families but well worth the drive. It was great to see everyone! We appreciated the opportunity to be a part of such a spiritual weekend. The experiences we had will be remembered forever!

Grandma Barbara and Papa Larry

2009-02-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

January 23rd-25th

My mom and dad came into town to spend time with my kids. It was so nice of them to drive all the way here for just 2 days. My kids thoroughly enjoyed having their grandparents here for the weekend. I can't believe how much Eli enjoys being around my mom. It was cute to see his face light up as soon as she walked into the room. Several times he even chose her to hold him over me.....CRAZY!!
We (Mom, Dad, Taylor and I) even had the chance to escape the children for a couple of hours and enjoy a nice dinner at Countyline.
Thanks mom and dad for coming out to see us. We miss you tons!!

Cute Little Cody Wayne

2009-01-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

Cody says the funniest things. Not a day goes by that he doesn't stop me in my tracks with some snood remark. Tonight while Taylor and I were cleaning up dinner we hear Cody rummaging through the refrigerator. Taylor turns around and asks, "Cody what are you doing?"
And Cody replies, "Oh, Dad, You'll find out.....!"
Taylor couldn't come back with a comment quick enough so he left it at that!
Oh, our sweet, sweet, Cody.

Brian Regan Comedy Show

2009-01-25T16:05:00.001-08:00

January 16-19
Last weekend we had some of Taylor's family out to visit. It was a short visit but it was so great to have them here! I really enjoyed sitting around and visiting with them.
I forget how nice it is to have extra hands to help take care of my kiddos.

Natalie really enjoyed spending time with Tylie. They were like 2 peas in a pod the whole time she was here.

On Saturday night while they were here we went out to dinner and to see Brian Regan. If you don't know who he is I strongly suggest watching some of his comedy shows. He is hilarious!! And the best part is that he is a "clean" comedian.

We played some American Idol on Dallas's Playstation 3. It was so much fun! I don't think I have ever laughed so hard.

Photo Shoot

2009-01-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

My friend, Heidi, babysat Cody and Eli this morning for a couple of hours. She got some really cute pics of them. My kids never seem to sit still for me so I am grateful that she had the opportunity to snap a few shots!!
Thanks Heidi, they turned out so darling!!

Wiggle Worm

2009-01-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I think that everything this kid does is so dang cute!! According to the picture, I don't think I am the only one that thinks this behavior is cute.....He gets a kick out of himself!!

He will not sit down to eat. He has to stand! No matter how tight I put the tray on he will find a way to wiggle out of it!!

Inspiration.......

2009-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of years I have been wanting to get my food storage/year supply done. Everytime I would start to think about it I got overwhelmed and told myself I would tackle it another day.
With the current state of the economy, everyone has felt a pinch in some form or another. I know that it is only a matter of time before we will need to rely on our food storage for survival. Taylor and I are in charge of our family, right? We need to be prepared when hard times come our way.
I feel that with 4 children and the ongoing advice from the prophets that it is finally time for me to stop "talking" about being prepared and actually "do" something that will better our situation. I have been praying for weeks that I would find something (as far as preparing for hard times) that would make sense to me and that would be easy to apply to our lifestyle. I received this email this morning. It was a direct answer to my prayers! I am so grateful that someone was in tune with the spirit and felt prompted to share this email. It has simplified this process for me and I now feel confident that I can get prepared!!

"The Noah Project"

Jan. 5-10: $10--placed in a safe location
Jan. 12-17: salt--4 containers
Jan. 19-24: Jello--4 large boxes
Jan. 26-30: flashlights and batteries
Feb. 2-7: $10--placed in a safe location
Feb. 9-14: tuna fish--12 cans
Feb. 16-21: can opener
Feb. 23-28: water, 14 gal/person
March 2-7: $10--placed in a safe location
March 9-14: Milk evap. or powder
March 16-21: split peas--2 lbs./person
March 30-April 4: toilet paper--24 rolls per person
April 6-11: 4 bars soap
April 13-18: $10--placed in a safe location
April 20-25: Banana slices
April 27-May 2: baby wipes--2 containers
May 4-9: 12 cans meat
May 11-16: $10--placed in a safe location
May 18-23: fruit juices
May 25-30: matches--2 boxes
June 1-6: peanut butter 5 jars
June 8-13: $100--placed in a safe location
June 15-20: storage boxes
June 22-27: crackers--6 boxes
June 29-July 4: granola
July 6-11: $10--placed in a safe location
July 13-18: plastic utensilsJuly 20-25: powdered eggs
July 27-31: spaghetti sauce
Aug. 3-8: $10--placed in a safe location
Aug. 10-15: multivitamins
Aug. 17-22: disinfectants
Aug. 24-29: paper plates
Aug. 31-Sept. 5: $10--placed in a safe location
Sept. 7-12: shortening 2 cans
Sept. 14-19: baking soda and powder
Sept. 21-26: salsa 64 oz.
Sept. 28-Oct. 3: personal supplies, diapers, feminine supplies
Oct. 5-10: $10--placed in a safe location
Oct. 12-17: onions dried
Oct. 19-24: toothbrush and paste
Oct. 26-31: raisins
Nov. 2-7: $10--placed in a safe location
Nov. 9-14: popcorn
Nov. 16-21: paper cups
Nov. 23-28: chocolate chips
Dec. 1-5: aluminum foil
Dec. 7-12: cereal 5-6 boxes
Dec. 14-19: cooking oil
Dec. 21-26: paper towels

**I printed off this list and added a couple of things to better fit the needs of my family, but this is a GREAT starting point.

"The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."--Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

D&C 38:30: "If you are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Sunday Afternoon..........

2009-01-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday January 4th

It is 4:20 in the afternoon and my house is quiet. I don't know if I should be afraid or grateful? I don't want to interupt this silence so I decided to come to the computer and blog.
Our church time changed this week to 9:00am. I am very happy with this new time! We can go to church and still have the rest of the day to come home and take naps....who am I kidding, like that is really going to happen? Here's hoping!!
While we were sitting in sacrament meeting it started snowing outside. At first I was bummed! I am getting tired of cold temperatures. The weather has been PERFECT the last couple of days (low 50's). We have been able to play outside and not have to wear gloves and beanies. I was hoping spring was coming early this year! I guess not!
Then I felt excited. If the snow would continue all day then school would be cancelled! I wouldn't have to wake up at 7:00am to get kids ready for school! Well, the snow ended up stopping a couple hours later but it left just enough to cover the cars in the parking lot. There was enough for the kids to run outside and throw snowballs at eachother.
So, another school week starts. I am looking forward to having only 2 children home with me and maybe getting a few more things done throughout the day.

Here are a few random pics of our "party" we had New Year's Eve. I didn't get any good pics of the adults....oh well! The kids were so cute playing!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T15:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday December 23rd

After many hours of laboring in the kitchen making Christmas goodies....I got a call from a friend inviting us to go Christmas caroling with them. It is really embarassing to say but I have never been caroling before, or if I have I don't remember it. I jumped all over the idea of taking the kids! I really wanted for my kids to experience bringing happiness and holiday spirit into people's homes. We had 5 families all together. It was such a fun night even though it was snowing and a freezing 30 degrees outside. We caroled and then went back to my friend's house for cookies and hot chocolate.

Wednesday December 24th

On Christmas Eve we got up early and headed off to Sandia Peak to do some sledding. I love that we only have to drive 40 minutes and we are in the mountains. We had never taken the kids up to the snow before. They loved it and hated it at the same time. It was frustrating for Cody and Eli to walk in it. We had a HUGE snow the night before so the snow was like powder. The kids kept sinking in it. After about an hour, Eli and Cody were starting to get cold and uncomfortable. We made them hold out for a while longer because the other kids were having such a good time. Cooper and his friends could have stayed forever! We had such a good time I think we will make sledding a Christmas Eve tradition. I am so glad that we live somewhere that we can count on snow every winter!
Taylor and Cody heading up the hill

Harrison and Cooper

Some of the Thomas family. Doug, Haley, and Harrison

After our sledding adventure we went out to lunch and then headed home to relax. We had a great evening with our children. We read Luke 2 and talked about the true meaning of Christmas. I love watching my children learn about Christ. They always shock me with their knowledge of the gospel.
We put the kids down to bed and Santa got to work wrapping presents. At about 12:30am Taylor and I finally made it to bed.

Thursday December 25th

At 6:30am I woke up and I couldn't stand the excitement! I wanted to rip my kids out of bed but we decided to let them sleep as long as possible. An hour later we hear Cooper and Cody wake up. We made them wake up Natalie and then we all went down the stairs together. The kids faces were so precious as they turned the corner and saw the Christmas tree. We had a wonderful time opening presents, at one point I thought Cody would explode from the anticipation.
Natalie's roller skates

Cooper roller blades

Cody new bike!

Yes, that is right, Taylor bought me a Dyson vacuum! Ha ha! He wanted to make sure that I knew it was not my Christmas present so he gave it to me a few days before. I guess he didn't want to be "that husband" that bought his wife a vacuum for Christmas! I LOVE HIM! Good job Taylor, you escaped the Dog House this time......

So my "real" Christmas present is a day at a luxury spa up in Santa Fe. It is called Ten Thousand Waves. Is Taylor kidding me? How did he come up with this gift? I feel so lucky to have a husband that would want me to get away from life and enjoy a day at a spa! I am not even going to know what to do with myself afterwards. I am soooooo excited! Taylor talked one of our friends into getting the same thing for his wife so I get to go with my friend!! YAY!
Taylor and his meat smoker! He has a lot of deer and elk meat to cook!

Every Christmas season I find myself thinking about the past year. I try to look back on things I have done that I may or may not have liked and things that I may need to change for the upcoming year. I feel that I need much improvement, but I have to say that after reflecting for the past couple of weeks I also can't help but feel extremely grateful for my life. I really feel like the Lord is aware of me and my family and knows what we need. Taylor and I feel so blessed. We are grateful for wonderful friends that are such great examples to us. We are grateful for the gospel and the relationship we have with our Saviour. I love this time of year and I look forward to what the upcoming year has in store for us.

Here you go Molly............

2008-12-19T13:16:00.001-08:00

This is boring for most people, but upon request I must post some pics of our new car. Enjoy!

Latest Happenings at the Haught house.......

2008-12-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

With the onset of colder weather I guess I need to be prepared for flu season. I just had no idea that it was going to come into our home with such force. I started getting sick about 2 weeks ago and it has taken until yesterday for me to start feeling normal again. I ended up getting a sinus infection along with an ear infection. Probably the worst pain I have ever felt in my life! I now have sympathy for my children when they get ear infections, which is close to never, but anyways I now know how they feel. The antibiotics have kicked in and I am on the mend. Cody has been on and off sick for seriously a month now. I finally took him into the doctor. The first time I took him in was last Thursday. I did not see my normal doc it was the nurse practitioner. She told me it was just a cold and just to treat the symptoms, there was nothing she could do for him. Not even a day later his symptoms got a lot worse and he was complaining A LOT. On Sunday afternoon his ear drum burst and he had fluid coming from his right ear. I took him in to my normal doc on Monday. Cody had a fever of 104.2 and was very lethargic. They rushed us straight back. They doped him up with Tylenol and the doctor confirmed that his ear drum had burst and started him on antibiotic and ear drops. If the stupid nurse would have checked him more thoroughly on Thursday my sweet boy would not have had to go through all of this! Anyways, he is on the mend now and I am grateful for that. Nobody else in the family has been stricken with this illness yet so keep your fingers crossed for us. I want us all to be well for Christmas!!
On a funner note, Eli has started the fit-throwing phase of his life. I think it is hilarious! I actually busted out the camera and started taking pics of him on the floor kicking his legs. I know it seems mean that we took pictures but I wanted to document his fit so that I can show him when he gets older. I have learned to ignore the fit and eventually he will stop. I hate that he knows how to throw fits but I am grateful that he is so persistent about what he wants. I guess I should expect very stubborn children....they have Taylor and I to blame for this attribute!!

Our new addition, Oliver, is doing wonderful. He is a huge cuddler and very patient. The kids love him to death. When he is done playing (or being picked on) he will just find a place to hide out for a while. He has never scratched or bitten any of the kids....knock on wood!! We love him a lot. Even Taylor has taken a liking to Oliver!!
That is about all the news from us for now. I need to finish Christmas shopping and get all my goodies made so I can deliver them to friends. I feel really behind this year since I have been sick. I have a lot of work to do to catch up!

A Lost Tooth

2008-12-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks Natalie has been complaining about her tooth being loose. Taylor and I had made several attempts at pulling the tooth but it was never quite ready. Finally, on Monday night after the special delivery, Taylor had heard enough of Natalie's complaining and he convinced her to let him rip and tear on her tooth. I hate seeing my little girl uncomfortable! I could tell that it hurt while Taylor was pulling and I just wanted to scream at him to stop. Before I knew it I heard Taylor say, "I got it!!" I don't know who was more thrilled Natalie or me!! We held strong and endured to the end! YAY! Now she can eat and talk without worrying about her tooth hurting!

Natalie had to hold a paper towel on it for a while....it was a real bleeder!!

An Early Visit From Santa

2008-12-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

Our family, or should I say Natalie, had a very eventful week. It started like this......

On Monday night as we were cleaning up dinner and getting ready for Family Home Evening our doorbell rang. Of course the kids run to the door first and fling it open expecting to see someone standing there. Well, there was no person there at all!! Guess what the kids found sitting on our "Welcome" mat. It was a small pet carrier with a KITTEN inside!! The carrier was wrapped in a big red Christmas ribbon and it had a note attached to it. The note read,

To: Natalie

I had heard you wanted a kitten for Christmas.

This little kitty was getting cold at the North Pole

and couldn't wait to meet you, so I am making

an early delivery. Merry Christmas!!

From: Santa

Natalie immediately started crying and laughing. She didn't know what to think! Natalie hurried and grabbed the carrier and brought it inside. With tears in her eyes she reached in and grabbed the cat. I have NEVER seen her smile so big! She was so excited! Santa did a great job being sneaky while he was dropping off the kitty. The kids never even knew he was outside. Thanks Santa for bringing us a new addition to our family......sweet Oliver!

Heidi tagged me................

2008-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here it goes......

8 TV shows I like:
1. General Hospital
2. Dr. Phil
3. Law and Order
4. What not to Wear
5. Jon and Kate Plus 8
6. Designed to Sell
7. Dancing with the Stars
8. Peoples Court

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Took kids to ABQ Jump
2. Washed Dishes and folded laundry....a never ending job around here
3. Changed diapers
4. Went to Sports Authority to Christmas shop
5. Read many books to Cody.
6. Got Taylor ready for his hunting trip
7. Talked to my mom
8. Baked cookies

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1. My kids faces on Christmas morning. I love watching the excitement!!
2. Having our Christmas decorations up.....hurry home hubby so we can do it together!
3. Being pregnant again....I am sooooo baby hungry!
4. Warmer weather
5. Having my kids home for Christmas break
6. Baseball season to start again
7. My kids being able to drive themselves around
8. My 10 year wedding anniversary and a cruise with Taylor

8 of my favorite places to eat:
1. Pappadeaux
2. Mattas
3. Zios
4. Dions (love their subs and salads)
5. Chilis (but only for their desserts)
6. Bostons
7. Panda Express
8. Cold Stone Creamery

8 Things I wish for:
1. My hair to grow longer faster
2. More time with my hubby
3. My kids to grow up happy and have a love for the gospel
4. Someday live closer to our families
5. Be financially secure so that Taylor can retire early
6. To live on more land so my kids can roam freely outside
7. Eli to stop crying all the time. Supposedly, he is fine when I am nowhere around. Go figure!
8. A glimpse into the future to see how my kids turn out

8 People I tag:
1. Mom
2. Kelly
3. Laura
4. Mindy C.
5. Rachael
6. Tasha
7. Karen
8. Marlene

Thanksgiving Day

2008-12-04T16:57:00.001-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving day! We spent the morning with my family and then headed over to eat with Taylor's family in the afternoon. Unlike in years past, this year was very relaxing and we did not feel rushed or pressured between families.
We got to take some family pictures. We got all the grandkids together, which was a huge task in and of itself!! There are 14 of them under the age of 9. CRAZY! The pics aren't perfect but at least it is something.
All the Grandkids After looking at this pic I noticed that my boys are VERY outnumbered. Taylor and I have the only 3 boys in the whole family. Fortunately, they hold their own!!
From left to right: Cody (ours), Natalie (ours), Riley (Brian and Courtney's) holding Eli (ours), Ashley (Alex and Wendy's) holding Jenna (Alex and Wendy's), Megan (Alex and Wendy's), Breanne (Alex and Wendy's) holding Reagan (Marlene and Ben's), Cooper (ours), Amber (Karen's), Hannah (Brian and Courtney's), Olivia (Tracy's) holding Campbell (Brian and Courtney's)

My Family Thanksgiving Day

Marlene, Ben, and Reagan

Cooper, Amber, and Cody watching movie

Cody and Tylie playing (Thanks Laura for the pic)

Then on Saturday night we went to the Mesa Temple lights. I forgot how pretty the Christmas lights are at the temple. I really stunk it up at picture taking this trip. All these pics are courtesy of my sister....thanks Marlene.
Cathy, Eli and I at the temple

We had a really good time in AZ. It was so nice spending time with our families. It makes us miss them but we are really happy in NM. Our frequent visits home are definitely bitter sweet. I miss my brothers and sisters a lot!!
From left to right: Me, Marlene, Tracy, Brian, Alex
In front: Karen and Glen (twins)

Being Thankful Cont'd

2008-12-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

My family!

We got back to AZ late Tuesday night. I missed Cody and Eli so much so I was happy to be back. I think Cathy was relieved too! Cody and Eli can be a real handful!
I am so thankful to her for watching the kids. Houston and Rachael were there too helping out and I know that made all the difference.
Wednesday night my whole family (minus the children under age 3) went ice skating. I was hesitant at first because I have never been on ice skates but it ended up to be a lot of fun. It was hilarious watching all my brother's and sister's struggle with their spouses to stay standing. It was a great time and I am grateful to my mom for setting it all up. It was a blast. Definitely something we will do again in the future. Cooper and Natalie enjoyed themselves. We were all tired by the night's end. Taylor is not in the group pic but he was there. Cody ended up going skating with us. He was not about to stay back with the other kids, he had already been left earlier that week.
Some of the kids

My sister, Tracy, and I

My sister, Marlene, and I

Cooper and I

Taylor helping Natalie ice skate

So Much to be Thankful For..............

2008-12-04T12:44:00.001-08:00

Our whole group!

The first thing I am thankful for is family vacation!
On the Thursday before Thanksgiving we headed to AZ to start our ten day vacation. For months we have been planning on taking the kids to Disneyland. Cody and Eli are just too young to enjoy it so we opted to leave them with Taylor's mother for the 3 days we were gone. My brother (Brian) and his wife (Courtney) and their two older girls (Riley and Hannah) flew in from Tennessee to go with us as well. THey have a third little girl Campbell but she stayed in AZ with Marlene. So altogher we had 4 adults and 4 children. Perfect size group! We had such a blast!!! It was a nice trip with no strollers, no diapers, and no crying babies. I don't think our younger children would have had fun and it definitely would not have been worth the money if we took them. Did I say we had a great time?! It was awesome! The kids were so giddy and excited and they loved every ride....well, The Tower of Terror scared them just a bit, but afterwards they were glad they went on it. I loved watching their reactions on all the rides. Thanks Brian and Courtney for coming along with us.
Kids in their very own bedroom at the hotel!

Christmas tree at California Adventure. The decorations were so pretty this time of year.

Kids being goofy waiting in line

Natalie was so happy to see Minnie. It made her trip!!

Cute girls!

Funny Conversations

2008-12-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Don't worry this post is not making an announcement.
Taylor and I always have funny conversations while we are in the car driving somewhere. We drove home from AZ really late last night so I was trying to come up with interesting topics to discuss in order to keep Taylor awake and alert.
Last night the topic came up of future baby names for our children.
The name we have agreed on is Katherine for the next girl (if we ever get one). I love the name Katherine and I think we would call her Kate. Taylor's mother's name is Cathy or Kathleen, so we would like to name a child after her.
The name Taylor came up with for a boy is Tred. I am still in shock and a little afraid that Tred may become my next boy's name!!! HELP!
I have a ton of posting to do to catch up on our last couple of weeks but I have other things to take care of today....namely laundry and homework!!

Taylor, Taylor.......Look, there's a bear!!!!!!

2008-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened. Taylor finally took me hunting! Taylor has wanted me to actually experience shooting something. He invited me to go bear hunting about a week ago but seeing as if we have 4 children I thought for sure we could never make it work. I really wanted to go so I was determined to find someone to watch the kids. Our awesome and irreplaceable friends stepped up to the plate and offered to watch our kids for the weekend. All I needed now was a bear tag. We went to Walmart and got me a tag, so I was ready...nothing else holding me back! I was so excited!!!
We headed out Friday afternoon up to the Gila (Southwestern NM). After a long 3 hour drive of mostly bumpy dirt roads we arrived at our destination. We put our camo clothes on and hiked up a hill and started calling the bears in. The rabbit call that he was using was the most unnerving sound I have ever heard in my life. We sat for about 15 minutes and then the sun started to go down so we headed back to camp.
We arose at 6:30 the next morning to a freezing 12 degrees outside. We had the heater running in the trailer all night so we had no idea that it was that cold outside. We waited until about 7:30 and headed out to a water hole where Taylor had seen bears during prior deer hunting trips. It was about 3/4 of a mile hike through a canyon to the water hole. We came around a small hill and were walking towards the water hole when I turn to my left and out of the corner of my eye I spot a bear coming out of the ridge of pine trees. It took me a second to really grasp what I was seeing. Taylor was a head of me but hadn't seen the bear yet so I slap him across his arm and say, "Taylor, Taylor.....Look, there's a bear!!!!!" A couple other not so appropriate words came out but I don't have to repeat them! Taylor looks up and was completely shocked. The bear was straight across the little pond from us maybe about 200 yards. Well, what seemed like an eternity later, I raise my gun and fire a shot. Hoping that in some small chance I would hit the bear. Of course I don't hit the bear because my eyes are clinched shut and not even looking through the scope. Taylor had his gun raised and ready to shoot just in case I missed. He fired immediately after I did and hit the bear. It rolled into the water and splashed around a bit then started running back up the mountain. Taylor fired again and we watch the bear tumble around a bit and then take off. We waited a couple minutes and then hiked over to the side of the pond where the bear was. There was blood all over the ground but no bear!! We thought for sure he would have died immediately. We start tracking the blood and quickly we realize the he made it quite a ways up the mountain. We tracked his trail of blood about a mile up a very steep mountain. We went extremely slow hoping that he would have time to bleed out and die before we found him. I did not even know what to think at this point. I was sick to my stomach (probably nerves), shaking all over, and repeatedly stating, "Taylor, I am not very comfortable with this". I was scared out of my mind tracking this bear not knowing whether he was dead or injured or worse, just ticked off at us and ready to attack us at any moment! I was terrified to say the least! After 2 hours of following his blood we loose the trail. We looked around the same spot for a good 10 minutes but couldn't find the direction that the bear traveled. All of a sudden Taylor says in a calm voice, "Bear down!" The bear was lying on the ground, about 10 yards from where we were standing, under a pinon tree struggling to stay alive. His head was moving side to side and he was rolling around. Taylor raised his gun and shot him again. We waited a few minutes until we knew he was dead and then we approached him. Seeing the bear still alive and so close to us was very scary for me. I was an emotional wreck! I was shaking like crazy and SOOOOOOOOO ready to just get the heck out of there! Taylor wanted to gut it out right there but I convinced him to drag it back to the truck. I don't like the feeling of being in bear country with a dead bear. I was very uncomfortable and Taylor knew that. Taylor was such a stud! He drug that 180 pound bear down the mountain and all the way to the truck.
So, that is my bear hunting story. It was a great experience and I am glad that I got to share it with my best friend in the whole world. I will never forget the image of that bear walking towards the water. It is embedded in my mind forever!! I will leave the bear hunting to those who have a higher level of testosterone!

I absolutely love this boy!!!

2008-11-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is all about my love affair for Eli. Pathetic, I know! Even as difficult as he has been the ENTIRE 12 months of his life, I totally adore this boy. I am completely smitten by him! Everything he does makes me smile. And every new milestone he passes is such a big deal to me. You would think he was my first child. I really can't imagine our family without him. He is growing up way too fast and although he is still extremely attached to me, I feel like I am slowly losing him to his toddler years. It makes me sad!

I love each and every one of my kids. I am so grateful for their unique personalities. Sometimes their energy level is unbearable but I am grateful that they are healthy. If I could keep them as young kids forever, I would, but at the same time I can't wait to watch them grow up.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Trunk-or-treat night

Our halloween festivities started on Tuesday night. It was our ward's annual Trunk-or-treat/dance. I took the kids alone because Taylor was still out of town hunting. We had a really great night.
Cody, Morgan and Eli, April, Michael, Sydney, Natalie and Cooper
Then on Halloween Taylor and I took our kids and 4 other kids trick or treating with us. The kids had such a fun time with their friends and came home buckets over-flowing with candy. I love celebrating holidays with my kids, it is so much fun!

Cooper's First Deer Hunt

2008-11-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Cooper decked out in camo

Taylor and his friend Jay had a deer hunt this last weekend. They decided that it would be really fun to take Cooper and April (Jay's daughter) along with them. They woke up early Friday morning and headed out. I was hoping that Taylor would shoot something while Cooper was with him. Well, they arrived back home Saturday night with a deer! I was so excited that Cooper got to experience a hunting trip with Taylor. They hiked about 10 miles on Saturday and Taylor said Cooper never complained once!!
When they got home I asked Cooper what his favorite part was and he said watching the deer fall to the ground. He also said that he was about to puke while Taylor was cutting out the deer's guts. I am so proud of both Taylor and Cooper and I can't wait for some homemade deer jerky!
April (Jay's daughter) Taylor and Cooper

Taylor's deer!!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to take the kids to a pumpkin patch but have debated whether or not is was worth the long drive. A few weeks ago the kids and I noticed a cute little pumpkin patch right down the street from where we live. YAY!
Last Saturday we took the kids to pick out their pumpkins. We scored big time because they had all sorts of fun activities for the kids to do and it was all FREE! I love FREE!
Natalie and Eli loved playing in the HUGE bucket of corn.

Cody and Natalie got to ride a horse too. Cody thought it was so awesome. He kept saying things to the guy walking the horse and every time I looked over at them the guy was cracking up laughing. They were far away from me so I could not hear what Cody was saying but I can only imagine!!
I have no pics of Cooper riding the horse because he said he was too cool to ride the horse and he "didn't want to wear a stupid helmet". Silly kid! He has such an attitude sometimes, I swear he is already entering his teenage years.

Eli Birthday Party

2008-10-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't think I would really call it a party but we celebrated Eli's birthday on Sunday. He was not so sure about the cupcake at first but once he tasted it he dug right in. He also has started walking really well in the last week. He is really stubborn though because he will only walk if he is coming towards me. Ha, go figure! The kids loved spoiling Eli all weekend. I love the relationship they have with eachother.
Walking to mommy

Opening presents

Blowing out his candle

Shoving the cupcake in as fast as he can

Cupcake face

More steps!!

Happy Birthday Eli

2008-10-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

My baby, Eli, turned 1 on Saturday the 18th. Every mom says this but I am serious when I say, "Where has the time gone"? I can't believe he is 1 already. I feel like it was just yesterday when Taylor and I were rushing to the hospital to deliver him. Once he decided it was time to join our family he came quickly. He has always been a bit cranky and high maintenance and a lot of times I complain about it but deep down I love that he loves me and prefers his mom! He is a true mama's boy, he hates to leave my side. I wouldn't have it any other way though. He is growing up way too fast so I really cherish every moment I have with him. I am so grateful to have him as my son and I am anxious to see what kind of young man he grows up to be.
Eli 1 week old

Eli in the jumper at 3 months

Eli 6 months

Eli 9 months

Eli 11 months

Zoo Trip

2008-10-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful the last few days so I decided to take the kids to the zoo on Friday with some friends. We had a really fun time!
All the kids (minus Eli): From left to right. Cody, Bryson, Cooper, Harrison, Natalie, Parker, Abbey, and Hayley.

Cabin Trip

2008-10-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love that my kids don't have school on Fridays. It really opens up a lot of opportunities for us to travel. Taylor and I are go, go, go, type of people so if we don't have a trip to look forward to then our day to day life get very boring...even with 4 children!
We decided to go to the cabin this last weekend. We usually go with Taylor's family but this time we were with my sister, her husband, baby Reagan, my mom, and my mom's mom, Grandma Poole. It was really fun to get to spend time with them. The guys got to do some fishing and us girls got to sit around talking and laughing with each other. I had a great time!

On Saturday it rained and stormed all day but the kids had to get out of the cabin so we ventured down to Show Low Lake and let them throw rocks in the lake. They could have stayed there for hours just throwing rocks but after a while the wind got really cold and the babies started getting cranky.

We took the kids fishing. Cooper caught the biggest fish! He was so proud of himself!

My kids had so much fun playing with baby Reagan. I love that Marlene and I are having our kids at the same time and they can grow up together. I just wish we lived closer to them!
We tried to get a picture of all the kids sitting together. It was a complete joke! They were all over the place, those little stinkers!

Eli has been trying to walk the last couple of weeks but he doesn't have very much confidence in himself. But this weekend, he started walking really well so I had to take some pics of his first steps. His facial expressions were so funny as he was trying to gain his balance.

Happy Birthday Natalie!!

2008-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Natalie 1 day old

Natalie 6 months old

Natalie 18 months old with Uncle Ben and Cooper

Natalie 2 1/2 years old

Natalie 3 years old

Natalie 4 years old

Natalie 5 years old

My little girl turned 6 years old on October 5th. I can't believe she is 6 already. I really wish I could keep her small forever. We had a birthday party for her with a few of her close friends. They played games and frosted cupcakes, it was simple but a lot of fun!

Cody and Tumbling.....

2008-09-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Cody started a tumbling class a couple of weeks ago. He goes once a week. They do fun stretching, dancing, and singing. I wasn't sure if he was going to like it but turns out really enjoys himself. He has one of his best friends, Will, in there with him which I think helps a lot. He is so cute and does a really great job playing with the other kids.

Something to Think About

2008-09-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

My mother-in-law sent this to me. I thought it was really helpful. I definitely need to be reminded of this. Hopefully this will help you too.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi'?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift... Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Pitty Party for ME!!

2008-09-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

We, or should I say I, have had an extremely crazy week. Our schedules are getting busier but I keep telling myself that it will slow down. I think I am fooling myself. We did find time to go out on a date with each other to celebrate our 8th year wedding anniversary. That was really fun! I always enjoy having a nice warm dinner served to me! It got me geared up for a challenging weekend that was about to start..............
On Friday morning Taylor left town for a fishing trip in Colorado. Good timing considering I had 2 extra kids here all weekend. One of my friends went out of town so I had her 2 boys. One is 7 years old (Cooper's best friend) and one is 10 years old. It wasn't that bad though. The worst part was taking all of them to Target with me. I got a lot of stares from people, as if they were asking themselves, "Are those really all of her kids? Bless her heart!" Ha ha! You all know the look I am talking about! I wouldn't have taken all of them but I needed some things that I could not do without until Monday.
Then on Saturday we had baseball for Cooper. That would not have been bad either except the coach decided to play extra innings. Could he have chosen to play extra innings when I have more help with my kids? And when it is not a scorching 90 degrees outside?! Ok, I am overreacting I don't think it was 90 degrees....maybe 85 but the sun was really hot! We were all exhausted by the time we got home. Cooper played a great game though. He went 2 for 3 and 1 RBI. He is turning into quite the baseball player!

Saturday night Natalie had a birthday party to go to so I took advantage of having one less child and headed to Walmart for much needed groceries. Cody threw the biggest fit of his life. It lasted the whole 40 minutes that we were in the store. Kicking, screaming, hitting me, throwing stuff on the ground, I mean the worst fit you have ever seen in public. Again, everyone in the store was staring but this time the look was, "Oh my gosh, that woman CAN NOT handle her children." I remained calm, grabbed the things I HAD to have and got the heck out of there. They had 2 lanes open and about a million people in line. Keep in mind, Cody is still screaming. Oh well, nobody got out of my way and offered me to check out ahead of them. I guess they enjoyed the screaming! I walked out of Walmart in tears. I called my mother-in-law and got a pep-talk from her. She made me realize that this difficult stage I am in with my kids is only temporary and will pass over soon enough. I think the hardest part is my own expectations. I want my kids to have extra-curricular activities but it is hard to do when I am alone. I want to be a good parent, I want my kids to be happy, and I want to still be SANE once this stage is over. I know I can handle my kids day to day but can I do it and still have a smile on my face when I am done?
I was exhausted by the end of Saturday night. I was ready to throw in the towel and be done being a parent. Then I got a call from Taylor saying he was coming home that evening instead of staying until Sunday. He must have felt my frustrations. YAY! There is light at the end of the tunnel! Being a parent is so much easier when I have my best friend and companion to do it with. I appreciate his opinions and insights on child-rearing. They still shock me even 8 years later!!

Porter Jackson Haught

2008-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Taylor woke me Sunday September 7th, to news that Blue and Kelly (Taylor's brother and wife) had their baby. Kelly had gone in to the hospital Saturday night because she was having contractions. Taylor followed by saying that the baby didn't make it. Porter Jackson had passed away a day or so before Kelly went into labor. My heart immediately sunk. I wanted to get in the car and rush to Arizona to give Kelly a big hug. We left for AZ on Tuesday to be with Blue and Kelly and to support them in any way we could. I can't even imagine the pain/sorrow they have enured this past week.
Jackson will be missed! He has made an impression on so many lives. I know that our family can see him again and I look forward to that blessed reunion. This experience has made me realize that giving birth and having a healthy baby is not as easy as we expect. Life is precious and we need to be grateful for every day that we have been given.

"The Lord takes many away even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on this earth. Therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil and we shall have them again. The only difference between the old and the young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable world." -Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Preceeds the Miracle. p. 103

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am behind on posting so I need to do a little bit of catch-up! We had Taylor's family come visit us for Labor Day weekend. We had his parents and 3 of his siblings and spouses. We had a full house to say the least, but we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We miss you already. Hurry and come back!
Best In-Laws Ever!

Cute Jenn

Cathy giving Tash tips on how to bowl!

Taylor being sad because I was beating him at bowling!

One of the nights we all played Twister. I actually got Taylor to play so I had to get a picture.

Way to Go Mom!!!!

2008-09-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

My mom got nominated for Nurse of the Year in the category of "Rising Star". There were over 300 nominees in all the categories combined so this was a huge honor for her. When I heard that my mom was one of the 3 finalists I just had to fly to AZ to support her. It would be amazing if she actually won this award. Taylor is such an amazing husband, he willingly took all the kids so that I could travel with just Eli.
The March of Dimes sponsored a dinner to present the awards to the winners. My dad, Marlene, Ben, and I all went to the Awards Dinner. We waited in anticipation throughout the whole dinner to see if she won. Her category finally came and believe it or not, she won!! We were all so proud of her. She has worked so hard and I am glad that I have her as an example to me. Not only has she successfully raised 7 wonderful children but then she still had the energy to go back to school and become a nurse. She is amazing and I am so proud to have her as my mom! I hope I can be that ambitious after my kids are all grown up and gone!

Amber was such a big help with Eli. I wish my kids lived closer to their cousins.

The rest of the weekend was a blast as well. All of us sisters (Marlene, Karen, Tracy and I) took Reagan (Marlene's daughter) and Amber (Karen's daughter) to get their ear's pierced. I hated seeing my little babies crying in pain but they got over it rather quickly and now they proudly sport jewelry.

New Addition to our Family

2008-08-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

We have finally acquired the label "pet people". I never thought the day would come that our kids would want a pet. We had some fish a few years ago but due to an unfortunate accident they are not with us anymore! Natalie has been begging Taylor and I for a cat for at least a couple of years now but I have not been ready to add another thing to my life that I have to take care of. Taylor and I figured that fish were an easy way to give the kids a pet and add some responsibility for them. Last Saturday we went to Petsmart and bought some fish. We got Beta Fish. One is male and one is female. They can't live in the same tank or they will fight each other (huh, sounds like marriage!!) so we bought a tank that has a divider. Natalie named the girl fish Valerie (don't ask where that came from because I have no idea). Cooper and Cody got to name the boy fish. After many disagreements they FINALLY decided on the name Killer. So far the kids have done a great job taking care of them, maybe soon they will be ready for a cat!

Cody's 3rd Birthday

2008-08-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

All about Cody:
Favorite food-Macaroni and cheese, dried mangoes (which he calls Mingos)
Favorite toy-Geo Trax
Favorite book-Children's Dictionary, I know, CRAZY! This kid loves to learn
Favorite thing to do-pick on Eli, play outside, ride his scooter
He is so sweet and so cuddly even though he has a very "rough" personality.
He gets shy in large crowds.
He thinks he is one of the big kids.
He loves to bully kids that allow themselves to be bullied.
He enjoys the reaction he gets from Natalie when he chases her around the house.
He never denies me a hug and kiss even when he is mad at me.

Monday, August 11th, was Cody's 3rd birthday. It worked out really good because the kids went off to school so Cody and I could have all day together and do whatever he wanted. As soon as he woke up I asked him what he wanted to do on his birthday and he said go to the store to get a donut. That sounds easy enough! So after we dropped the kids at school we headed off to Walmart to get a donut. He and I had a great day together. I had finished all my work the day before so that I could really focus on him and he took full advantage of it! We read hundreds of books and played whatever he wanted.

Later that night we had some friends over to have cake and ice cream with us. I think he had an awesome 3rd birthday! I really can't believe that he is that old! I love my Cody!

First Day of School

2008-08-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of school for Cooper and Natalie. Cooper started 2nd grade and Natalie started Kindergarten. Cooper immediately ran off with some friends to play on the playground and hardly even said good bye! He is growing up and becoming very independent....I feel that I will soon be replaced by video games and girlfriends, YUCK!

When Cooper started Kindergarten I was sad to see him go but I was also very excited and wanted him to experience a new phase of life. My feelings towards Natalie starting are completely different. I do not want her to go to school AT ALL! She is such a sweet, innocent, caring little girl and I do not want the world corrupting her! At least she gets to attend a Charter school where the environment is a bit more controlled.

I was nervous to drop her off this morning. I am sad to see her grow up and I really wish I could keep her home with me forever, but alas every child must experience school. She was so excited when we pulled up to her school and even more excited when she found a friend to play with. I was sad as we drove away and it took everything in me to fight back the tears.

It helped that I had Taylor with me to keep me distracted. He was so nice and took off work this morning so that he could go with me to take the kids to school. Cooper and Natalie really enjoyed having their dad be a part of such a memorable day! I feel very blessed that his work schedule is so flexible! I am anxious and a tad bit nervous to spend every day at home with just 2 kids.....what am I going to do with myself?

NACC Charter School

2008-08-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

I received wonderful news yesterday that my kids got into NACC Charter School. I put their names down on a list back in May but the list of kids waiting was so long that I thought they would not make it in by the beginning of this school year. We have been praying long and hard for them to get in and finally they made it, YAY!! Although I have had to commit to driving them about 25 minutes each way, it is huge blessing that they are going to this school. Every time I have been in there I am greeted with a smile and all the staff have been so nice. They even remembered my name! You don't get that too often at Public Schools. Ventana Elementary, which is where Cooper has been going the last couple of years, is so over crowded. I have not been very impressed with Ventana for many reasons but mainly I do not feel the students get the individual attention they deserve.
I am anxious to watch Cooper and Natalie progress academically. I know that this Charter School will be a lot better learning environment for them. I am so excited! They start school on Monday so stay tuned for some pics!

My Sweet Natalie

2008-08-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Natalie had to go to the dentist again today. I have never known another 5 year old that has such horrible teeth. We brush and floss like crazy but despite our hard work she still gets cavities. In her short lifetime she has already had 4 crowns, 3 fillings, and a tooth pulled! Poor thing! She is such a brave little girl, she always comes walking up to the front of the office with a huge smile on her face. You would think that after all these horrible appt's she would be tramatized, but not my Natalie, she is so strong and has such a good attitude! Let's hope it continues through the teenage years!

The dentist has a prize box that the kids get to pick through when they are done with their appointment. I thought it was pretty funny that she picked Patrick out of all the other toys she could have chosen. In this picture her smile looks a little crooked, her face was still numb.

Taylor's Bear Hunt

2008-08-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

I am happy to report that Taylor made it home from his bear hunt in one piece. I wish I could say that same thing for the bear he shot. Tay left Thursday night so that he would be ready to hunt early Friday. He had to go by himself but his buddy was coming to meet him Friday afternoon. So he just had to stay alive and safe until then. I was so nervous and worried about him. Well, early Friday morning I got a call from him saying that he had already shot a bear! I was so shocked!
Here is the story....
He got up in his tree stand at 3:30am and started calling (making rabbit noises) about 5:45 when the sun was just barely rising. Only 15 minutes into it a bear came strolling around the corner. As the bear got a little closer Taylor took a shot. It was only 10 yards away! The bear went tumbling down a hill and into a small water hole. Taylor waited about 30 minutes to make sure the bear was dead and then went down to check it out. He shot it again at close range just to make sure it was safe to approach it. The bear was about 350 lbs. so now he had to figure out how he was going to get it back to his truck. A fellow hunter had heard the shot and saw what was going on and offered to come help Taylor skin it out so he could carry it back. He arrived at our house with the bear a few hours later. It looked pretty nasty and bloody but it was a really cool cinnamon color. The kids would not go anywhere near it!
The bear is now at a taxidermist being turned into a rug for our house......ummm, Taylor and I will have to hash that out later!!

Taylor also brought home a rattle snake that he had killed. This thing was huge! It has been passed around the neighborhood being used as a prank to scare people!