Sledding

Haha......still haven't figured out how to layout the pics the way I want.

We took the nuggets sledding.  Since two of the bugs have pretty short legs we opted for the hills at the park by the college instead of the golf course.



It's the Marshall Love Train!  Choo Choo......

Riles on her snowboard.  She bought this little puppy herself.  She's getting pretty good and is a lot of fun to watch.

It snowed really hard while we were there.  It was so beautiful.....I wanted to stay there all day.

Da BOYEEES

                                      My beauty Ri.......ugh she is so gorgeous!

My itty bitty Piglet.  Mmm I could squish her.

The kids also had a snowball fight. Jason tricked Ri into going under a big pine tree.  Then he knocked all of the snow on her.  She was furious.  Mads thought it was the funniest thing and kept trying to get her dad under some tree branches.  Finally she told him she saw some money under a tree and he should come and dig in the snow for it.  Then she shook out the branches on him.  She said next time she will have a better trap laid with a loop of rope that she will snag him with.

I Shake My Head........

Mads:  Mom sometimes I say I love you when I don't want to.
Me: What?! (my usual response to most things Maddy says.)
Mads: Well I love you, I just don't want to say it.
Me: Why not?
Mads: Because.  I just have to force myself.  I have to force myself by thinking in my head 'Do it. Do it.'
Me:  Why don't you want to tell me you love me if you do love me?
Mads:  Because I just don't want to.  Sometimes I don't want to say it in front of my friends.
    I thought that wasn't supposed to happen until later:( 
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Mads:  Mom, I think I know what drama means.
Me: What Piglet?
Mads:  Poison.
(funny that she is sort of right...)

Jack meets a cougar

Cat in the tree behind Jack

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 Disclaimer Written by Jason

Ever since our bear hunting, hound tracking expedition this spring Jack has been looking forward to winter and the chance to track a cougar. He got his chance over Christmas break. It started with a 3:30 wakeup. It is amazing that a kid can't wake up for school at 7:30 but is awake and dressed in under 45 seconds at 3:30. I remember being his age and how excited I would get prior to hunting so it does not suprise me too much

We met up with "VOTE FOR GREG" in Emery county and drove up to Joes Valley. There we unloaded the snowmobiles and loaded the dogs up and away we went. Jack remembered his favorite dogs "Tank and "Nacho" from the spring bear hunt and he was excited to see them again.

It was dark and very cold and Jack was riding with someone he did not know. 30 minutes later with the rough trails, cold temperatures and holding onto the back of a stranger was just too much for the shy little guy and he started crying. But with a little pep talk and a hug my Superman in training pulled his little 7 year old self together and we went huntiing. It helped that "VOTE FOR GREG" felt bad and let me drive a snowmobile with Jack riding with me.

Nacho climbing and Tank hiding in the braches

 After cutting a cat track in the snow we turned the dogs loose. In a matter of minutes they had a cat treed. Jack was scared at first being so close to the cat. The cat was too small to shoot so we got to take a bunch of pictures. The cat would get bored and jump down from the tree and run a short distance with the dogs nipping at its tail and it would find another tree to climb. In no time Jack got more comfortable being around such a woderful wild animal

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He had a great time. I think his favorite part was when we pulled the dogs off of the tree and had to hold the dogs so they would not run off after the cat. He got some 1 on 1 time with "Nacho the tree climbing dog" My favorite part was the time that I got to spend with Jack together in the mountains. We got to do, see, smell, and hear new things. It's experiences like this that you will never forget

  

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JACK AND NACHO

THE VIEW

Christmas 2009

Lots of snow made a beautiful Christmas.  Jack, Ri, and Mads are sledding with their new friends/family Bobbie and Maggie.

Max, cold and disheartened.  His famous words for the year 2009 are "Gee" (yes), "Mo" (no), "Cock this." (cock this) and finally his triumphant screech of "Red dot! Red Dot!" .  Max has learned to fire a wide range of weapons, from Nerf Star Wars rifles to Nerf machine guns.  His only problem is that he can't cock them.  So he spends ALL day running after me screaming 'Cock this!'.  Even the shower does not afford me a break.  It is just very very cold when the door flies open after every shot.

Mads and Max on Christmas morning.

After 10 years of harboring thoughts of never giving in to technology......I caved.....er Santa caved.

Gotta keep that handsome cropped head nice and toasty.

Maddy wrapped gifts for me and her brothers and sister and made us cards.  All of our gifts were things she just knew we loved.....hand picked from her own valuables.  This is my gift.  It is a box STUFFED with Carebears and a blanket for them.

How can you love anything more than that? 

Mads and Santa

Mads spent the day with Superman when he helped with Spencer's Wishes.

She was able to ride in the Rhino with Santa and see the Jazz Bear.

Mads caught a blanket from the bear and was showered with Jazz confetti.

While Mads had Santa all to herself, she was able to talk his ear off.  When she was telling us about it, Ri said, "Madi can make friends anywhere."  Mads found out that there are in fact 9 reindeer because Rudolph is real.  She also wore Santa's magic glasses.........guess what she saw?  "I saw how much my dad loves me."  I asked her if I put them on what I would see.  She said, "You would see how much I love you."  What a baby doll.      Merry Christmas!

Maddy's 5th Birthday

Well, like anything else you don't want to happen.........it happened anyway.  Piglet turned 5 even when I threatened to ground her.  She wanted to have a princess tea party with a few of the neighborhood princesses. 

Mads had finger foods, cupcakes, and Sprite on her real tea set.

Su[per Max and Princess Madison pre party.

Snuggin' for pics.

The Princess and her court.......and all of her princess loot.

My personally favored gift that she received was the Hannah Montana hair glitter.  I can never thank that mother enough for the joy brought into our home with that fantastic gift.

Who Would You Like To Meet?

The other night we were going home after picking the kids up from Goose's........it was datenight.  We were asking the kids, "If you could meet anyone, who would you like to meet?".    Jack immediately piped up and hollered "Old MacDonald!"   We laughed our heads off.  Ri wants to meet Tony Hawk (skate boarder) and Mads wants to meet the Jonas Brothers (this makes me cringe).  Max just said yeah to everyone elses choices.
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Today Mads asked me, "Mom what if you were a 21 year old midget?"   I guess that is something to ponder :)