Taking up the trade...

We have been wanting to buy a swing set for the kids for a while now, but we keep looking at the price and we decide maybe next year we will have Jeremy just build us one. Well, I love craigslist I check it at least once a day to make sure there isn't a screaming deal I can't pass up, when I saw this swing set I was so excited, it wasn't exactly what we wanted but we couldn't even buy the wood to start a set like this for the amount it was so we bought it. We have had it setting outside for a few weeks now because Jeremy hasn't had a chance to put it back together, but last week he was able to help the boys put it up. Braiden needed to wear his tool belt just like his dad and because Braiden had one Trevor felt he needed one too, a big problem because we only have one and it is Braidens (can you guess what Trev might be getting for his birthday?). They were so cute measuring, hammering, tightening bolts, Braiden would measure something with his tape and then he would blurt out "Dad you need to cut me a 4,5 7,6, OK". I love having little builders!!

AUTO MECHANICS 101...

(You might want to turn the music off at the bottom of the page)

Trevor, LOVES helping his dad! Jeremy has been working on his work truck, but he has been a little frustrated because all of his trucks have been a little temperamental lately and he just wants one that runs good. Trevor wants to be right in the middle of auto repair 101 class, to learn everything there is to know about mechanic stuff (soon we are going to have to do something drastic like remove the spark plugs out of all our vehicles and hide them, because he will figure this stuff out and we will be in trouble. So, if you see a small child driving a big truck, RUN, and call us).

Anyways, Jer is in a hurry to get this motor out, but with Trevor you can't hurry you have to watch every little move this kid makes because you turn your back and he could; unhook something, drop the jack that the engine is on, eat oil, or take a hammer to your fenders, DO NOT PUT ANYTHING PAST THIS KID!!!

Family Reunion 2008

We just got back from a family reunion for Jeremy's mom side of the family just outside Helena Montana. The trip started out by us leaving at 4:00 in the mourning on Friday and we came back on Sunday. There was a lot of driving that I can't say I want to do again, but we got to see a lot and hang out together so what more could you ask for, right!

We pulled into Helena at about 2:00 Mountain Time. We walked around downtown Helena and sight saw for awhile, then we went to camp. It was a little overwhelming to pull into a camp full of people that are related to Jeremy, because I didn't know he had this much (I have learned more about Jeremy's family in this last year than I had in 10 years). Jeremy's sister's and brother were all there . His sister Missy and 3 of her boys came, and Tammy's kids Jake and Josie, so all of the kids got to play together, which doesn't a happen a lot. They had a lot of activities for the kids which was nice, they got to play on the playground, they had Carrot Okie (Karaoke) which I am pretty sure that Tammy and I had the loudest kids there, I think they come by it vary naturally! The kids also got to make homemade Ice cream, swim in a beautiful but cold creek, and roast marshmallows. And for the adults we got a authentic chuck wagon dinner, it was some good food (Okay I didn't really care about the food it was good, but the cobbler was awesome, can you tell I LOVE desert)!

All in all we had a good weekend, we only had a few near death experiences, but surprisingly they weren't from the kids. One included Jamie and a tree and and the other came from me getting bucked of a teeter totter, but that was about it.

We packed up Sunday right after breakfast and slowly made our way home, and after 2 cups of coffee and 6 shots of espresso we made it. We stopped a few times along the way to take in the scenery and let the kids get out of the car for awhile, but we made it home at about 10:30 p.m. Braiden stayed awake the whole ride home right until we pulled off the Kittitas exit, silly kid.

The kids had a lot of fun, and it would be fun for the kids to do something like this again, but maybe just a little bit closer.

Braiden's Gi

So as I promised pictures of Braiden's Gi. He, can you tell is so proud of it. When his professor Christiano gave it to him today Briaden's eyes got huge and he screamed to me "Mom look what he gave me, and I get to take it home". He was a little distracted by it during practice because he loves it so much, it was hard for him to focus on anything but his new Gi. We had to stop by the grocery store after and it was all I could do to get him to take at least the coat off (I had to run it by his teacher because I am new to this Jiu Jitsu thing and I didn't want to be breaking the rules by letting him wear it outside of class, but he said it was fine). So off the store were Braiden had to show every stranger we saw his Jitsu pants, it was pretty cute!

The Rare Animal Trevor....

I have looked at my last few posts and realized I don't have hardly any pictures of or with Trevor. Trevor is at the age of not sitting still for his picture to be taken. I know it is the age because Braiden went through this same thing (I tell myself a lot that it must be the age, in fact I do this with any undesirable behavior, it makes me feel better), in fact I remember an emotional incident were we had family pictures at the church when Braiden was about this age and the final outcome was a picture of Jeremy, Myself and Trevor. When I do finally get a good picture of Trevor I feel like I have just gone on a safari and caught the elusive wild animal in his natural habitat! I have a ton of pictures of backs of heads, arms, a nose, lots of parts of Trevor but hardly any with all of him, because he doesn't sit still, but he actually was being cooperative Friday.

Driving Miss Audrey....

Now that Audrey is mobile she thinks that she can do all the things that have frustrated her in the past. She has always wanted to drive this car, in fact I think this car is one of the main sources of my headaches. Trevor got it for Christmas and loves it, as do all the other kids. It has to stay in the office a lot of he time because we can't share it and my house may be big but it isn't large enough to accommodate multiple cars. O.k. so I digressed, back to Audrey. We had it out and she was so excited that she a.) could walk to it and b.) was able to get into it. She loves it, and it is SO funny to watch because she can only go backwards.