Yeah She Looks Like Me!!

So since Peyton was born I feel she looks like Tyrel's sister Tranell and so does everyone else. But recently she has changed a little and even had a couple people say she looks like me. Over my reunion my mom gave me some baby pictures and yeah Peyton looks like me!! Trip and Cooper even saw the pictures and said "Peyton". I think the only difference is the nose. I tried to recreate the shot of me as a baby the best I could ( I think I am almost 4mo in the picture and Peyton is 6mo) so take a look, what do you think?

He Makes Me Melt Like a Popcicle on the 4th of July

This weekend is going to be crazy with a craft fair and my family reunion next week so I thought I would get pictures caught up before I head out. The 4th of July as always was a lot of fun. We went to Pagosa Springs as always and did breakfast at the church, the parade, the rodeo, carnival, and fireworks at Tyrel's aunt and uncles. The kids loved it all. Trip was so excited all weekend that he completely forgot he was potty trained and wouldn't take a nap. And since we got back he has asked daily to go to papa and grandma's house. The boys were fearless on all the rides (even Trip, cooper hated them at 2yrs, but I guess it helps to have a big brother to copy) and all in all we were exhausted oh and in between these events we rode horses around the house and four wheelers. Those boys could go non stop on those four wheelers if we'd let them. The fireworks were okay this year. The girl holding Peyton is Tyrel's best friend from high school's wife. She was awesome and didn't want to give Peyton back. Her and her husband are leaving for Korea to teach English for a year, cool uh? Anyways hope you all had a great 4th!

Peyton's 1st Foods

I guess now they recommend starting babies on solids at 4mo. Well I don't really like feeding solids so I just started this week and even then I don't know how much I will do. I mean she has been sleeping through the night for a long time and is chubby so really how much more does she need? So for journaling purposes here are pictures of her first solids. It's a nightmare. She just sticks her tongue out or literally spits it all over me!! Also she started rolling over a week ago. So at just over 5mo. That fact is also for my sake since I do scrap books I can come look at these dates when I get to it.

My Big Guy is 4!!

Cooper turned 4 on June 28th!! I can't believe I am old enough to have a 4 year old. Cooper is such a neat kids. He is an amazing big brother. He is always so caring with Trip and Peyton and when they are sad he is always trying to cheer them up. For his birthday Cooper got to take his pony Trigger up in the mountains with Daddy, Papa, Spur, Sackett, and Trip. I was supposed to go, but Peyton was running a fever with either a bladder or kidney infection. They had a blast. The only bummer was the horses were having a hard time crossing a creek so Tyrel threw Cooper on his horse while he led the horse across and the horse threw Cooper off. He was more scared than hurt so on the way back he rode with Tyrel, because he was afraid to ride alone. But Tyrel was very caring and patient this weekend getting him back on his pony and by the end Cooper had a smile again. Anyways after they got back we had roasted hot dogs over the campfire, had cake, and opened presents.

Joys of Parenthood!!

K so I thought I would never read a parenting book. I had a friend tell me about one so I thought sure I'll read it why not. So I starting reading it last Sunday and starting trying out what it said on Monday and since then I have not yelled at my kids once (amazing right?) and Trip had fewer tantrums all week then he usually has in one day!! Cooper and I don't yell at each other!! There are some things in it that I don't agree with or don't quite understand, but for the most part a lot of it just makes sense!! I am not ready to tell you the book yet, because it's only been a week and we'll see over time if it really works or if I can continue to follow it's guidelines. But if anything I am a lot happier and Tyrel said he definitely noticed a difference in the kids behavior during the weekend!! All I know is all week I did not feel stressed or overwhelmed or frustrated with my kids. They still have their fits and are still kids, but everything is done in a lot more calming and rational way!! The book also came to me at a perfect time when I was feeling really frustrated with myself and how I react to my children when they disobey, so thank you thank you!!

Recent Endeavors

Well Memorial weekend our family spent the weekend putting in a garden. The garden spot left here is 36x50 feet. It's huge. We just decided to do about 14 rows. It was a lot of fun to do even though we have no idea what we are doing. So lets cross our fingers and see what happens.

We have been needing to dig a pit for our trampoline but Tyrel's time is so limited. Plus I am too cheap to rent equipment when I can do it myself for free. So I spent some long hours digging the hole with a good old fashion shovel. I got about 10feet wide and the 2'6" down pretty much by myself and the center needs to be 3' deep. I did have a kid come for one day for about 2 1/2hr and dig with me but then he had to go. So here are pictures of what I did, about 6-8" down is what I had help with. It was fun, but I am sore!! I will get more pictures later of what Tyrel and two other boys did on Saturday for about 3 hours. I didn't tell Tyrel I was doing this, when he got home he was way impressed and thought I was nuts, but then at the same time felt bad that I had done it myself. Of course I felt bad that when the boys were all digging on Saturday it was 92 degrees. It was in the 80's when I did it!

THE BIG 2!!

Trip turned 2 last Sunday. We didn't do too much. We just had dinner outside and had cake. I didn't really plan anything, but Tyrel's mom was so sweet and drove all the way over to eat dinner, have cake, and open up presents with us. I am glad his cake turned out. I knew the true test would be if he saw the cake and said "Mater" than Iknew I did a good enough job and lucky enough he did!! As you can see too from some of the pictures the boys got into the cake before cake time!! Happy Birthday Trip you are great kid!!

Projects

My recent endeavor! I am making car seat covers and burp rags for friends and for a craft fair in July. I love making them. The car seat covers are awesome. Mine is always on my car seat and helps block out wind and sun and when Peyton is sleeping I can keep her covered up. It's was also nice when she was a newborn and we went places I could just hide her so strangers wouldn't come up to her. It has also helped make my car seat girly. The burp rags I have been using since I had Cooper. They are cloth diapers that I started sewing fabric on to make them cute, but cloth diapers are made to absorb a lot of liquid and since my kids spit up a lot they have worked great.

Emotional Morning!!

Well I have been in tears all morning!! Tyrel called me this morning to tell me that my sister-in-law Kristin's new baby she just had two days ago is having some heart problems and a specialist is coming in today to check and he may have to have surgery. Then he proceeds to tell me that his cousin's wife was just killed in a car crash. She was traveling to Idaho with all three kids and rolled the car. The children survived, but she was killed. I have been crying over it all morning. Kyler and Lyndi were married the same time as Tyrel and I and have three kids the same age as us. I didn't know them that well, but it just crushes me that Kyler now has three kids 4 and under to take care of and I just look at my three and can't imagine them not having me to raise them.It just hits so close to home that it just hit me so hard and plus I can't list all the times I travel alone with my three kids long distances.I don't know the details of the wreck, but I know when I am driving with three kids I glance back to help them a hundred times. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge they have, but still what a rough road they have in front of them and my many prayers are out to them.

Poor Peyton!!

So I have been blessed with an amazing baby. She is so happy and content doing whatever wherever. Saturday we worked outside all day. I only had to stop and quickly feed Peyton a couple times. Other than that she just hung out inside all day long alone. She just slept or hung out in her swing. By that evening though I think she had had it and just wanted us to hold her and play with her. Then today she did the same thing. I spent all day, raking the yard, mowing the yard, spraying weeds, pulling weeds, rotating water, giving the boys haircuts, and all of the above and we didn't come into the house until 7pm and once again she just hung out inside perfectly content to sit in her swing or crib unless she was hungry!! And now she had been in bed since about 7:45. I am so blessed to have her, even though I do not give her enough attention at all. And after all this neglect, when I do give her attention she just grins and laughs at me like I have done nothing wrong!! How did I get so lucky?

Peyton's Blessing

Today was a very wonderful Sunday. We got to bless Peyton this morning. All of Tyrel's family came over. Tyrel gave a beautiful blessing and also an amazing testimony. I even got up and bore mine, but note to all women out there. Don't excpect not to cry when your husband just gave a blessing and cried in his testimony. Yeah I thought I would be a wreck, but I only cried in the middle for a little bit. Peyton's dress was made by Tyrel's mom. It was supposed to be a project for me and she was going to help, but the two nights we tackled it my sewing machine would not work so she ended up doing it. All I did was pick out the fabrics and help cut some pieces. It turned out beautiful. The picture of Peyton on the really colorful blanket is a tradition in our family. Peyton is the 52nd baby to be blessed on that blanket. All my siblings and all my nieces and nephews have been blessed on it. After the blessing we call came over for a yummy lunch and had fun together as a family!! I am so blessed to have family all around me!!

Turkey Hunting

Last night Tyrel and Cooper got to go roosting. Which is where you scout out the turkeys before you hunt them that way you know where to sit and wait for them when you are actually hunting. It was so cute to see Cooper get all decked out in his camo. He was so excited to go with Tyrel. I was afraid that they wouldn't see or hear nothing because they left kind of late and Tyrel has never hunted in this area. But luckily just as they were getting ready to leave they heard a turkey gobble. Cooper came home so excited and had a blast. Tyrel said Cooper was so good about hiking all over the woods and didn't complain. I am so glad that Cooper has something to do with just his dad.

Patience !!

So this past week and a few days last week Cooper has been having a really rough time. It has been probably at least 3 months or so since he has cried for Tyrel. Crying for Tyrel always comes with extreme acting out. (Funny how this happens just as I am making a goal to not yell with anger at my children!) The first couple days he was behaving normal just crying for Tyrel a lot at night and crying pretty much off and on all afternoon after Tyrel left on Sunday. Also starting Sunday until today (thursday) no respect for all the rules. I stayed patient, but firm and exercised all forms of discipline. Time-out, spanking, shut in his room, tv off, grounding from gum. I was exhausted with options, but knew I had to stay firm, even though I know he is having a hard time. I knew I couldn't let him get away with his behavior, but at the same time wish I could cheer him up or making him feel better or help him express what is wrong to get his frustrations out. I mean I know how he feels, I have down days where I can't take Tyrel's traveling anymore, but know it will be over soon. Anyways this morning I was at the end of my ropes with options and even Cooper kept saying "I don't know why I am being so mean mom". Then it hit me I told Cooper if he wanted help to be good he should say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help him be good and feel better. So Cooper thought that sounded good and did so. The rest of the day so far has been amazing. We have been having fun and if he starts to get in trouble he stops immediately and says sorry and even at lunch he says to me "mom, my prayer worked I am happy!" I am so grateful for prayers and having a moment to teach Cooper how prayers work. I am grateful also for working on staying patient because I know that idea would have not come to me if I would have been mean to Cooper during all this. I have been so grateful for seeing the Lords hand in my life the past two weeks. Without listening to the still small voice I know these last two weeks would have been very hard on me and hard on Tyrel because I would have been complaining to him, but instead I was able to stay calm and report to Tyrel that things have been hard for Cooper, but under control.

My Family!!

I have been thinking a lot about my family lately and how grateful I am for them. As hard as things seem sometimes caring for my kids with Tyrel gone all the time, I still really enjoy my kids. I think since Cooper was born very few days have gone by where I didn't look at each kid for at least a split second and think wow what an amazing child I have and how lucky I am to have them in my life. It is interesting how the Lord works. This last week I lost all my motivation to do any of my projects around the house it kind of bugged me. At the same time I lost this motivation Cooper had a really hard time with Tyrel being gone (which has been months since he has). He cried 3 of the 5 nights Tyrel was gone for him and today has been crying off and on since Tyrel left. It breaks my heart when he gets like this, but luckily the Lord knew this and helped me lose my motivation for projects so I did fun things with my kids all week and just sat and held them when they wanted it. Even Trip had a rough night crying and felt alseep in my arms and periodically cried for him. I know the Lord hears our prayers and we are supposed to be in Cortez and I know soon Tyrel will be home more. I really feel like it's coming closer to that time.

Tyrel as I posted not too long ago is an amazing husband and person. I won't say much more than that since I did that really long post about him not to long ago.


Cooper is turning into such an amazing boy. He surprises me every day with how much he observes, knows, and cares for things. He gave his first talk in primary today and he was so proud and excited. He did a wonderful job and several people told me so and couldn't believe how well he presented his talk. He was so cute a week ago he woke up from his nap and told me he had a wonderful dream where Jesus was there and he was so happy!! And then today he told me he had a bad dream where some bad people took the brass plates and Jesus couldn't find them. He is so caring and takes good care of all us. He tries so hard to be good. When he says or does something mean or wrong he feels so bad and says sorry and that he didn't know why he did it and that he didn't want to. He brings such a wonderful spirit into our home and is perfect in the big brother role.



Trip is such a fun kid. He is always off in his own world. Unlike Cooper he likes to do his own thing and just be. He is somewhat of a mamma's boy, but still loves his dad. He likes to be held. He has been my hardest child so far in the fact that he can throw a mean tantrum. It can go on for a long time. He is happy as can be until something doesn't go his way. He has the best smile and can easily make you laugh.



Peyton is an amazing baby. I have to remind myself she is here she is so quiet. She sleeps all the time and is she will smile at anyone that talks to her!! I am so blessed to have such an amazing daughter.