the hills

{Two}

2012-01-13T11:23:00.006-07:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy LiTtLe MaN!!! Tate turned two on Wednesday, January 11th. Why do they keep doing this to me?!?!

The big kids each picked him out a gift of their own and he opened their presents before the kids left for school. Hayden picked out a Sesame Street puzzle celebrating Cookie Monster's birthday!

Hunter picked out a couple Toy Story 3 figures.

Gage gave him a Sesame Street counting DVD.

Gage also gave him his big orange tractor with the ripper and his road grader. This was very special (to me) because I know how much Gage loves his farm stuff.

We had family come over that evening to help celebrate and they were so kind to bring (and make) gifts!

It took him a couple tries (and some help) to get all those candles blown out!

Tate's stats:
   Weight: 26 lbs
   Height: 32 1/2"

Favorites:
   Shows: Sesame Street, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Signing Time, basketball and football!
   Color: blue (according to Gage)
   Food: Microwave popcorn
   Toys: basketball and hoop, tractors and trucks, pretend vacuum, wooden puzzles and books

Dislikes:
   *The drive to Driggs (another BIG dislike by the rest of the family) CaRsIcK!! :P
   *Having messy hands and/or clothes
   *Washing his hair in the bath tub
   *Nursery

Happy Birthday Baby! I love you so much!!!!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-12T20:36:00.005-07:00

We had a great Christmas and I'm sad that it came and went so fast! Weeks of preparation and then,"Bam!" it's done within a few hours.

Hayden decorated most of the tree by herself. Steve spent 4 hours checking each light bulb on the 6 strands of lights that weren't working and had as much fun as he could stand before the decorating part even began, Hunter found other things to do, Gage's attention span was that of a 6 year old, and Tate was not as much help as you might think. :) Great job Hayd!!!

Tate was fascinated that he could see himself in the glass balls. (Although in this picture, he just looks fascinated with Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.)

We got this year's gingerbread house done.

We made Christmas cookies...a few times throughout the month.

We got spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Hayden is Team Edward and Madi is Team Jacob! Yikes!

Gage and Jace added some much needed equipment to their farms!

And Hunter was pleased with a Derek Jeter Fathead.

But still made time to be silly. (I always knew he was hard headed. Now I have proof!)

And Christmas morning...

He got the jersey to match the Fathead

and a picture collage of the hunting club they go to in Utah. (I "borrowed" his iPod while he was at school and created it. He had taken these himself when they went hunting in September of 2011.)

Hayden got the Bieb doll from her dad! So cool!

Gage got the Lego Train Station. (Santa thought it would be fun if Mom and Dad got the actual Lego train set for his birthday in May until he checked the price of them...YiKeS!!)

And Tate would have been completely content with the first gift he opened no matter what it was. It took him a good part of the day to take it all in!

Each of the boys got a mini hoop of their own. When it was time to leave for church, Tate "hid" and was not about to leave that ball and hoop!

It was a great holiday season and I was very happy to have the kids home for a week!

{eleven}

2011-11-18T13:21:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday Miss Hayden!

This year, I sent Hayden on a scavenger hunt to find her birthday gifts. I wrapped them all up and hid them around the house a week early, took close-up pictures that would really make her think, printed those babies out, hid the gifts again that morning and then sent her on her way with her first picture clue.

Hunter had basketball games in Idaho Falls that day, so later that evening, we surprised her with family coming over.

But this was my favorite gift she was given. Gage had made her this card the night before her birthday. So sweet!
...front...

...back...

BOO!

2011-11-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Scared ya, didn't I? It's been that long since I've posted that you never saw it coming...

We carved pumpkins at Grandma's house. (Keep the mess somewhere else...hee-hee-hee)

Gage got to actually carve his own this year. (Mainly because the pumpkins were a bit on the soft side and could be carved easily with a butter knife.)

His finished product. (This kid can pull some scarey faces himself!)

Hayden, carving away.

Aahhh. She decided on a cute kitty cat - for that side. Rotate her masterpiece and she also has a face and lightening bolt.

Grandma bought a brand new tool for cleaning out the insides. (Pretty sure she didn't think that one through!) Hunter was eager to put the 12" metal thingy onto the power drill and give it a go. And as you can see, it went - everywhere!

His finished pumpkin.

And this is definitely an idea that Grandma thought through completely! How perfect for Tate (and mom) to have an un-carved Elmo pumpkin! Gage stuck the pieces in and Tate couldn't help but give him a love.

And then came costume time!

"Tate"-man

Hayden as Clawdeen Wolf from the Monster High book series, Batman, Cowboy Gage and well, Hunter.

Not too often do I get a picture of Steve not holding some dead animal, so I decided this was perfect!

The kids all had a great time trick-or-treating and running wild with cousins!

Frightening!

The candy-givers!

And the big kids. So glad that Hunter had Katie there so that he could cause trouble with someone his own age. ;)

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN!

School!

2011-09-06T14:31:00.004-06:00

Gotta have those first day of school pictures!

Gage, the big first grader!

Hayden, the fifth grader (Oldest class in her school now)

Hunter the teenager. (I just hope the eighth grade is ready for him!)

No, seriously! I hope they're ready! ;)

Here's to another great school year!

(Whether I'm ready for it or not...)
...and I'm now just noticing the date on my camera is behind a day. Oops!...

Summertime Sports

2011-09-03T21:35:00.001-06:00

We went from baseball...

...to soccer...

...to more soccer...

...and now, flag football!

Lovin' it!

The Fourth...of July Activities

2011-08-17T14:29:00.003-06:00

For the 4th of July weekend, we got the chance to see the hot air balloons in Driggs. They do this every year but it starts at 6 a.m. and let's be honest, none of us has ever volunteered to get up and leave by 5 a.m. to go see big balloons. So, this year when we had to be in Driggs for an All-Star Baseball Tournament by 7:00 a.m., we got to see the hot air balloons ~~as we drove by.~~ That totally counts!

After we watched Hunter play his baseball in Driggs, Steve and I raced back and participated in the annual 4th of July Softball Tournament in Ashton. So much fun!! I learned just how out of shape I am and my body kept reminding me of this for the entire following week.

Hunter was bummed that he couldn't play in the softball tourney. Instead, he would try to time it right and catch the foul balls on my aunt's bike. No luck, but it was fun watching him try. (Picked up on some girls though ;)

We went to the Ashton parade and got our share of things thrown at us.

The kids found a great way to stay cool! (And they were sure to keep everyone within a 20 foot radius cool as well!)

I swear he was clean when we left the house!

Horsin' Around

2011-07-25T09:55:00.001-06:00

Gage and his cousin Jace got to go on a trip with Grandma and Grandpa to Cody, WY where the cowboy spark in him was ignited! He got a new pair of boots and now wears them as often as possible! (And I've learned that a cowboy doesn't care how hot it is outside in mid July...he will still sport the boots and long pants!) So when we were roasting hot dogs at Grandma and Grandpa's, Gage talked my dad into saddlin' up ol' Toby for a ride.

Miss Allie took a turn.

And Hunter was so helpful with Tate while I snapped pics.

Tate still prefers the four-wheeler.

Hayden had fun playing Frisbee with the boys. This catch brought out the dancer in her!

End of the Year Field Day

2011-06-23T10:57:00.002-06:00

Hayden and Gage had field day at the elementary school on June 2nd and I made a day of it! Gage's class participated in the morning and Hayden's class went after lunch.Because we were being blessed with more moisture than anyone seriously wants at one time that day, the games were moved indoors and made classroom friendly.

Gage, ready for the potato sack relay.

Tag...you're it!

And then the partner race. These two are crazy together! What clowns!

Poor Deacon. Gage was going to win that race no matter what...

...and this race as well...

Tate was so good through the morning, but I was not going to chance it for the afternoon and no nap. Grandma to the rescue!

ZuMbA time!!!

Hayden's teacher is on her left. She looks like one of the students! She is awesome!

Ball Between the Knees relay.

Ooops!

Leap Frog! Not hard 'leaping' over Hayden!

More potato sack races with Jacob

Arm wrestling Peyton. Hayden is winning!!! She has the most awesome boys in her class! ;)

Nap time. Aaahhh, what a day!

The Graduate

2011-06-23T08:40:00.006-06:00

Gage had Kindergarten Graduation the 2nd of June. He was NoT a willing participant. He wanted nothing to do with the cap, the gown or the program itself. This is one kid that dOeS nOt like to be the center - or even within the vicinity - of any type of attention! But with a patient teacher that has dealt with him all year, he pulled it off...with the same expressionless face throughout the entire thing! She put him in the middle of the group so that no one could see him. ;}

Gage is in front of his good friend, Deacon, who was NOT going to wear that robe no matter what! These two are one in the same! Yikes!

Deacon, Daxton, Angel and Gage. Oh wait, no, Gage isn't there. He was not in the picture takin' mood, either. These are his best buddies from class.

What a nut! When he got done, he said it really wasn't that bad. He just doesn't like new things. One graduation down and 11 years to prepare for the next one...

{UtAh}

2011-06-08T15:56:00.000-06:00

We were able to attend a Hill family baptism and missionary farewell a couple weeks ago and of course, had a great time playing in between!

We went to a very fun activity place called Toads where we got in a little mini golf,

fashion know-how,

batting cages,

go carts,

and super cool arcade games!

(The kids couldn't reach the gas and the steering wheel at the same time. They pulled themselves up and just held on.)

They also played a couple rounds of black light laser tag. Tate and I sat out of that one, but when they all came out, I could tell they had had a blast!

And Aunt Rindi worked her magic on [not so] little Tate. Crazy how nap times can get so messed up!

A Girl of Many Talents!

2011-05-12T08:29:00.000-06:00

Miss Hayden had her year-end dance recital [a few weeks ago] and did a fantastic job!

And I always love the pics with Miss Allie!

On a side note, after the performances, I caught up with a few of my friends that I used to dance with. Two of them I have not seen for about 20 years. (My gosh that makes me feel old!) They both have nieces that dance on the same team as Hayden and they were able to travel to see them. I danced on a team of about 70 girls (very much like Hayden) where we competed in various competitions. Our teacher also had 5 of us compete as a smaller group, just for fun. Four out of the five of us were there! So fun!

And just for fun...This was all 5 of us back in the day! (Don't be fooled by the date on the picture. It's a pic of a pic. I guess I've made it to the point where my childhood pictures just look like old pictures. Ugh!)

And then Miss Hayden had her piano recital. She did great! Her teacher had all of the students write their own song and perform it. They got to dress up according to their song. Her song was titled "Snow."

Her teacher also recognized 4 of the students for working super hard, being prepared at each lesson and practicing during the week. Hayden was one of them!!!

So very proud of her!!!

And a Birthday on the 4th...

2011-05-05T08:43:00.002-06:00

Hunter turned thiiirr...thirt....thiirrte...a year older yesterday, and man was it a day!

Gifts before his french toast breakfast. (He wasn't going to be home all day so he didn't get to choose a favorite supper, just a favorite breakfast)

And then after school, he had baseball practice in St. Anthony, but while he was there, Gage had a game of his own just outside of St. Anthony.

And after Hunter's practice, he had his game. He pitched...

...and pitched some more...

...and had three AwEsOme hits!

"Hey Hunter, now that you're thir...thirte...older, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Hayden's piano recital!"

So, after school, practice, games and recital, he made it back home to open the remainder of his gifts.

This was one of his favorites! A party pack of tacos from Taco Bell from Grandma Susan! That is one genuine [and a bit dirty] smile! (And one great gift after such a big day! 3 down, 9 to go!)

Happy Birthday to my TeEnaGeR!!!

A Birthday on the 3rd...

2011-05-04T12:54:00.002-06:00

Gage turned six yesterday and I love hearing all of the things that he can do now that he's six! It's amazing what a birthday can do for a kid. ;)

He opened a few gifts when he first woke up and was not happy that I had put ribbon on them. "Geez, I can't even open it!"

He was so excited about his skateboard! Tate felt it was a good time for a hug!

And then came the Star Wars birthday party with his buddies!

Star Wars Bingo and Yoda Soda along with Pizza the Hut.

Serious excitement! A friend gave him the Lego Star Wars set that he didn't have!

He either talks a lot about the things he likes, his friends know him VeRy well or he's a typical 6 year old and not too tough to shop for! It appeared that he received a small toy department from everyone!

He then opened the rest of his gifts when Steve and the older kids got home, followed by his choice of supper, hot dogs. (This was because I only had one box of macaroni and cheese and that wouldn't feed us all. Lesson learned!)

And we finished off with birthday brownies, ice cream and lots of Hershey's chocolate syrup!

What a big day!
Happy Birthday to my sweet six year old!

Easter

2011-05-03T08:17:00.000-06:00

Easter Eggs: Check

Easter Egg Hunt: Check

(Hayden was my only willing participant this year)

Pics with the Bunny: Check

Love this!

Easter Baskets: Check

All Around Happy Easter: Check

1 + 2 + 3 = OuCh!

2011-04-29T15:20:00.000-06:00

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

And now the math:
Third step + pogo stick + wet concrete floor = OuCh!!!
He did reluctantly try it once more, just because "...I have to get back on the horse..."

Crazy kid! Glad it's his tale bone, not mine!

10 Year Old Entrepreneur

2011-04-29T15:10:00.001-06:00

Hayden wanted, I mean ReAlLy wanted to earn some money. Trying to turn it into a learning thing for her, we decided to make bracelets and sell them at my Aunt Patti's craft fair. (So kind of her!)

This was her inventory:

Her display:

Her traced and cut out hand:

She made a total of $34! I was impressed and proud! Just want to give a big "thank you" to aunts, cousins and friends who helped sell and purchase them from her! ;)

The Lovely Weather

2011-04-08T06:00:00.002-06:00

We went from this...

...to this, within two days! Ugh! :P

And then we teased ourselves, and went to this a couple days later...

It was a great trip to Utah to see family and "borrow" their weather for a couple days. It was Tate's first time actually walking on grass and sadly, he wasn't too fond of it!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2011-04-05T16:18:00.001-06:00

On a daily basis!

Here, he's on a mission...

...to get his ball!

Mission: Accomplished!

Round two!

Gage the Wrestler!?!?!

2011-03-30T09:34:00.004-06:00

Back in February, Gage decided he was going to participate in the Little League Wrestling Tournament put on by the High School wrestling team. This is a tradition that I remember from when I was in elementary school. (I know....long time, huh?!?!) Honestly, I thought it would be absolutely wonderful for him because frankly, he is built like a wrestler, has the will of a wrestler, lOvEs wrestling with his Grandpa Gary, takes down Hunter any chance that he gets and so on. BuT...he also has the heart of the sweetest, most sensitive little guy you'll ever meet! This posed a big, big problem!

They practiced twice a week for a month, preparing for a one day tournament. I learned -the hard way- after the first 2 practices, that he needed to be the first one there. It was much easier for him to have the other 60+ boys come to him rather than throw him into a group of craziness! And I think there may have been one practice that he didn't tear up just a little about one thing or another. I knew right away that "that kid" in the group was mine!

So, after a lot of encouragement and preparing throughout an entire day, we headed in to the high school for the tournament. I knew it was going to take a lot of planning on my part, so we left 45 minutes early and when we got to the school, it was not early enough. Panic set in when we walked in to straight ChAoS!!! He cried for the first 10 minutes. It's so hard as a mom seeing your child so nervous and frightened of something that you know will be a great experience for them. So, after some careful thought, I had no choice. It came down to..."Positive Reinforcement." Yep, straight up bribery! Whatever works, right? And boy did it work!!!

He pinned his first opponent in 1 minute 29 seconds flat!

His second match took a little more out of him.

I'm not sure but I think it was about 2 minutes for the pin this time.

He had his own little cheerleaders, with signs and everything! How fun is that?!?!

And here is Gage, getting his award and being named...

...ChAmPiOn of his weight division! Yep, FiRsT place!

I knew he had it in him!!!

Oh, what a box of Star Wars Legos can do!

Patience . . .

2011-03-06T10:19:00.002-07:00

Little brothers teach big brothers . . .

. . .a lot of patience.

The big brothers teach the little brothers . . .

. . . to clean up after themselves!

This is a favorite thing (of Tate's) to do. Poor Hunter hasn't had his own bowl of cereal for quite sometime!

. : DaNcE : .

2011-02-24T11:27:00.003-07:00

Hayden is now in her sixth year of dance! Where has the time gone? Her dance group performs at a few local high school basketball games during the season and this year, our home town was one of them! She just bEaMeD, knowing she was performing for so many people that she knew!

(Hayden is on the center court line)

After the performance, she ran over to me and just squealed, "I LOVE DANCING!" Talk about melting this mom's heart!!!

Cousin Allie and Miss Hayden

And I just had to pull up this fun picture from one year ago. Again . . .where has the time gone?

Hoops!

2011-02-08T10:59:00.002-07:00

Junior High basketball is in full swing and Hunter is loving it! They may not have the best record but I love watching them play! It's great to see how far Hunter has come since he started so many years ago!

Hunter is hard to find in this picture, but if you look at the hoop, yea, that's the ball going in after his shot! Whoosh!

Had to zoom in on the picture above to find him. He's the blurry one in the middle.

Another gReAt picture! Can't find Hunter again but I caught the ball going in after another shot!

Zooming in again and ta-da! Here he is. Look under #14's left armpit. That blurr going down to the ground is him.

I'm thinking he needs to learn to slam it so that I can actually get him in the picture while making it! (Or I need to time my picture taking better...)

1.11.11

2011-01-14T11:34:00.002-07:00

My baby turned one! I tried talking him out of it but there was no stopping him...

A little about Tate:

Weight: 21 lb 15 oz

Height: 29"

Sat up: 5 months

Crawled: 7 months

Walked: 11 months

Teeth: 8 (Yes, EiGhT!)

Words: "Na, na" (No, no) "Uh oh," "Ht" (Hot, and it has to be whispered while pointing at something) "Ma, ma, ma" & "Da, da, da"

Toys that he loves: Trucks, balls, books, shape blocks, Hayden's keyboard, the pretend kitchen & not so pretend dishes from the not so pretend dishwasher

Favorite food: ALL but green beans and peas!

First slept through the night: LOL!!! Still waiting for this one. He went from 10 pm to 5 am a couple times just last week, but has since decided that it wasn't worth it

Little Tate quirks: Loves copying Steve whenever he clears his throat; randomly makes strange "Wookie" noises & clicks his tongue often; ScReAmS just for kicks; self-appointed outlet inspector; loves throwing himself into the clothes hanging up on the bottom bar in my closet and bouncing off again; lays on the floor in front of the closed bathroom door waiting for someone to come out

We had family over a couple days before his actual birthday to help us celebrate

On his actual birthday, he wasn't sure what all the big colorful bags were for

But loved what came out of them!

"This is Tate. He is one."

Happy first birthday little buddy!!

Christmas Passed :)

2011-01-13T20:59:00.004-07:00

We peeked at Christmas...

We had Christmas...

...with a new iPod touch,

BSU Snuggie,

a new Liv doll (named Hayden of course),

e-reader,

Trio Batcave, Batmobile and totally awesome Optimus Prime,

Club Penguin membership,

and a new truck with a sweet smile!

And then we were done with Christmas...

My Budding Artist

2010-11-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

Gage has really found the true artist within. I taught him how to draw pictures on the computer and turned him loose. After a short time, this is what I walked past and saw:

At least the poor victims are still smiling, right?

Typical boy!

T-I-R-E-D

2010-11-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Usually, when he's quiet it means he's into something...

The Big 1-0!

2010-11-15T12:08:00.003-07:00

Double digits, baby! Hayden had her 10th birthday just over a week ago although she celebrated it the entire month before!

The wallet that she had been asking for from Hunter, Gage and Tate

A 6 month membership to Club Penguin! Woo-hoo!

She had a birthday party at Twizl Berry Frozen Yogurt shop in Rexburg with some of her friends where she was loving the fun gifts from everyone! And of course - treats, treats and more treats!

The new Taylor Swift CD from Annie, Allie & London!

She was ~~surprisingly~~ very patient waiting until her Dad got home that night to open her remaining gifts.

Happy Birthday Babe! I love you so much!

hAlLoWeEn!

2010-11-03T12:13:00.006-06:00

The gang!
My sweet ladybug, my happy little skeleton, my blood sucking Dracula and my ever-so-serious baseball player. (What color coordination!)

Gage was ready for a full-on, action packed, real life photo shoot, showing me how Dracula creates new vampires and then turns into a bat and flies away.

This little guy was ready for a nap before we even left the house. (Really made it nice while I was trying to get the other kiddos ready!)

So sweet!

Cousins Kole and Tate.

Notice Tate's second costume, the hunter. We'll blame this incident to side effects of teething...

Creative Carvings

2010-11-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

The kids were able to take a minute out of our crazy schedules and carve their pumpkins. I'm trying to put this the nicest way possible, but they are all pretty wussy when it comes to cleaning out the pumpkin slime. Okay, one of them doesn't surprise me a bit, but the other 2? Seriously?

What the...?

2010-11-03T10:58:00.000-06:00

Hunter had an assignment in one of his classes to make a cake look like _______________. I want to know if anyone can figure out what this is and then let me know if it's just me in thinking that this was a rather strange assignment.

A Long Time Ago...

2010-09-10T21:49:00.002-06:00

In a galaxy far, far away...

Okay, it was kind of a long time ago, July 24th to be exact, and it was kind of far away, in Idaho Falls...

I took the boys to the Blue Angels air show. These two Star Wars characters were there and they were awesome, but a little bit too "real" for Gage. He was not going to have a picture with them or even close to them.

"Clear the runway for take-off"

"Runway clear. All engines a go!"

"Psss. Any idea how to fly this thing?"

This would be the plane they were "flying"

There was so much more than just planes. Gage found a tank looking thing.

And thought it was hilarious that it had toilet paper inside. Hey, when ya gotta go...

We saw so many different types of planes while waiting for the actual show.

And then came the entertainment. Look closely, there is a woman standing on top of this plane as it flew. CrAZy!

And then came the Blue Angels! They were impressive!

A very memorable afternoon!

Back to School...Back to School...

2010-08-23T13:59:00.001-06:00

Well, after a water break at the elementary school and a computer system failure at the Jr. High/High School which both lead to an extra week of summer vacation, we finally had the highly anticipated FiRsT dAy oF ScHoOl!!

Starting with this guy...

I'm not sure if it's because it has been just he and I during the school year for the past 4 years, or because he's the first one of the kids not to attend pre-school before hand or something else, [like I'm getting older] but it was a bit of a tear jerker for this old mom to send him to the big kindergarten! He did great and was so excited, but still...

And now this 9 year old going on 19...

She was so excited to get back to the routine of school. Her teacher is new to the school and has a daughter of her own in Hayden's class. (A friend from last year) Hayden thinks this is too cool!

And now, the big kid...

Whoa! He's officially in Jr. High now and has been very ready for it. I'm not sure if he's ready to give up on his summer activities, but I'm not worried about him finding new ones. He's got good friends and it's fun to see him grow. (And pose for pictures...what the heck's he got going on here?)

Such good kids! I'm not sure what I'm going to do without them at home. They're always so good to help with Tate and I just enjoy having them around.

BeAr LaKe!

2010-08-05T00:41:00.002-06:00

Hunter had his last All-Star baseball tournament in Montpelier a few weeks ago. I loved watching him play but I loved that we made a fun family mini vacay out of it as well. We had quite a bit of time to fill in between games so headed to Bear Lake! It was great!

Steve and Hunter digging in the sand. What for?

A little bit of "Friends" humor of course!

I loved the big boys all gathered around watching Tate.

Watching Tate eat hand fulls of sand that is. Ugh!

My princess, hangin' out collecting shells.

Showing off her collection.

An awesome sand castle! (Built by the people that were there before us...)

Same puddle as above, but Gage just couldn't help himself...the poor castle didn't make it.

Tuckered out!

Oh yea, the baseball part of it. They took 3rd place in the bracket that they played in! Woo-hoo!

Hunter and Dawson. The two Ashton boys playing on the St. Anthony team. They did awesome and made a lot of new friends along the way!

We also went to a car show that was in town. Gage got a picture by "Bumblebee." (Every yellow car he sees is Bumblebee, the car from the Transformer movies.)

I can't believe how long this baseball season went and I can't believe I'm already missing it.

Gage the Goalie!!

2010-07-21T22:36:00.002-06:00

Gage has started his first year of soccer and so far...has really enjoyed it!

His absolute favorite is goalie! He's so dramatic about it and takes his job very seriously! I know I'm biased (hey, I'm the mom) but I think he does a pretty darn good job.

And when he's not defending that net...

He and Allie are on the same team and it's fun to watch them both in action, both on and off the field.

The Cutest Lil Tater

2010-07-19T22:41:00.001-06:00

4th oF JuLy CeLebRatiOn...on the 3rd...along with the 2nd

2010-07-19T22:33:00.000-06:00

To celebrate the 4th of July, I took Hayden, Gage and Tate to the Ashton parade.

Hayden was asked to be on a float. She loved it and had so much fun throwing candy. (And word had it that she taste-tested quite a few, just to make sure they were of good quality for the cute little kids running out into the streets. Hey, when duty calls...)

Allie and Gage, taking a minute for a picture while waiting for the parade to come back.

Hunter and Steve on the other hand celebrated the 4th with the all-American past time...

Hunter had a baseball tournament on Friday the 2nd and Saturday the 3rd. We all went over to cheer for him on Friday.

Taking a well deserved break between games

Tate is such a happy baby! He would just go with the flow, from one field to the next, game after game.

And these two were great sports as well. They finally crashed on the ride home. So sweet!

What Flies But Has No Wings?

2010-07-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

The month of June!

Yes, it came and went and these are a few pictures to prove that we were somewhat around for it.

The radishes came up beautifully (and we realized that we don't care for radishes.)

A little brother bonding time

Gage got some supervised drive time in

Hunter is such a big help around the house!

We spent a little bit of time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows

We got to spend time with cousins

And of course, watched a lot of baseball!

A Little Sport Called Baseball

2010-06-22T10:01:00.000-06:00

I would say that the beginning of baseball marks the beginning of summer for us, but this year has definitely proved me wrong. Baseball did begin, but I'm not sure summer got the message. This was one cold baseball season!

Hunter's position this year was catcher. He loved it and played it every inning, every game.

His team took second place...again. Third year in a row now. They all played great together as a team!

And apparently he decided that this regular season was too short and too cold. He tried out for the All Star traveling team last week and made it! I'm very excited for him! He has tournaments every weekend through July.

Just For Fun

2010-05-12T23:09:00.003-06:00

4 1/2 years later, this set of cousins are now the big brothers to...

...this set of cousins.

The first picture is Gage (5 months) and Jace (one week) and the second picture is Kole (6 months) and Tate (3 months).

HaPpY BiRtHdAyS!!

2010-05-12T22:39:00.002-06:00

What happens when a computer crashes?

Blogging does not get done!

And so while we were patiently waiting...

Guess who had a birthday and turned 5?

This cutie!

Grandpa Gary pulled some strings and got a new Case tractor exactly like their real one. I asked Gage later if he was surprised when he opened it and he replied, "No, because when it was wrapped, I knew it was the same big as what the tractor in the box at the store was." So he wasn't surprised when he opened it, nor was I too surprised when he was awake at 6:15 a.m. the next morning, farming the living room carpet.

And he is now completely qualified to be the next Iron Man should Robert Downey Jr. ever need some assistance.

We celebrated at McDonald's with cousins Jace, Allie and London.

And then the next day, we celebrated this guy's 12th birthday.

He asked for a can of olives...

...and a box of Honey Bunches of Oats with cinnamon clusters. (So easy to please! ;)

Among a few other gifts, he also got a new BMX bike, fully equipped with...

"...Shocks. Pegs. Lucky!"

He was also "lucky" enough to get this...

...and this...

...and this pretty little reminder of what happens when someone throws the baseball to the wrong person during warm ups. Hunter had no clue the ball was even coming at him. He was standing there talking with the coach when BAM. (Anyone else thinking of the Brady Bunch here?) I thought for sure the swolen nose would be followed with two black eyes, but he really did get "lucky" there.

It was pretty special last Sunday because my dad was just put in as Bishop of our ward and Hunter was the first to receive the priesthood under him. So memorable for both of them.

I'm lovin' my birthday boys!

A Girly-Girl Recital & Eyjafjallajokull

2010-04-26T13:42:00.000-06:00

Hayden had her year-end recital for dance this past week and I can't believe that another year has gone by.

She loves the girly-girl flowers that she gets at her recital and between her own family, Annie, Jordan, Allie and London along with Grandma and Grandpa, she was very excited!

Her dance teacher gave each girl a girly-girl treat.

She had so many friends and family come to watch. (Some of whom were girly-girls)

And it's extra special having a girly-girl cousin dancing with her this year!

Two proud moms with their girly-girls!

But before we made it down for the GirLy-GirL dance recital, we stopped for the Science Fair at Hayden's school. Her class participated and each child made a Eyjafjallajokull Volcano of their own.

Painting her volcano at home

No, there is nothing wrong with your computer. Her volcano is PiNk! (And it wasn't just the lava and magma) How else would it be girly-girl?

With her girly-girl volcano (polka dots and all) in her classroom along with the story she wrote about it. That's my girl! ;)

Easter Was When???

2010-04-18T22:52:00.004-06:00

I've tried posting these pictures a number of times and for one reason or another get pulled away from the computer. Hmmm....

We headed to Utah for the Easter weekend and had so much fun with family! We started out on Saturday morning with a unique type of Easter Egg Hunt...

We waited

in line and clowned around until it started...

We met the furry guy...(which didn't fool Gage a bit because "rabbits just really don't grow that big")

And then we "hunted" around the grocery store with Easter baskets and "found" people handing out treats.

A lot like Trick-or-Treating...in a grocery store...in April

And then came the ducks that wander around about 50 yards from that grocery store. The grocery store bakery hands out the old bread that doesn't sell so that rugrats like these guys can torment those ducks. The kids loved it. The ducks...not quite sure.

We then had a family Easter Egg Hunt with all the cousins.

Lovin' this cutie and his obsession with blue!

Too old for pictures? Too old for Egg Hunts? Too bad! You want the goods? You're gonna have to earn them just like the little ones...

...ALL the "little" ones.

Tate's new buddy.

Coop waited so patiently to hold him.

His first Easter and first vacation all rolled into one fun weekend!

What's Not to Love?

2010-03-23T10:54:00.001-06:00

His other side...

Who knew my sweet little Gage could have such an attitude look? ;) He was going through drawers and found the hair color and wanted to use it so bad! The look he's sporting here is just that...a look. He was showing me how cool colored hair could be. But then comes my favorite part...

A one-of-a-kind Gagerism through and through:

As he was getting out of the tub from washing this masterpiece of a hairstyle out, I asked him if he remembered to get underwear because I had only grabbed his pajamas for him. He thought a bit as he scrunched those eyebrows and pursed those lips and replied, "Ooooo, guess I'll be goin' comando tonight." (No worries, we got it covered before bedtime.)

It's things like this that make me ask him, "Why do I love you so much?" And he always answers, "What's not to love?"

Who's Who?

2010-03-19T22:52:00.000-06:00

In no particular order...

Baby #1

Baby #2

Baby #3

Baby #4

I just love going through and comparing all of my boys' pictures. (And of course, I love looking at Hayden Sue's, but she definitely doesn't look like the boys. :) I tried getting pictures of them all at about the same age and in the same positions, but this was the best I could do. I have always said that I wanted to have "cookie cutter" kids that people would just look at them and know what family they belong to. As babies, yea they can pull it off, but as they grow, they're all very different. The only thing that let's everyone know that they are "Steve Hill's boy" is that they share the same sense of humor. Good/bad...I'm still deciding ;)

Dancing

2010-03-18T16:01:00.000-06:00

Hayden and her cousin Allie both take dance from the same teacher this year and it's so fun to go to each performance and watch them both.

The dancers, Hayden and Allie

Joined by Allie's little sis, London...

...and of course, the Gagenator.

Tate the Great turns Eight...

2010-03-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

...weeks and 3 days old. (aka: 2 months) So hard to believe that it's been that long already! I don't remember what it was like without him.

We blessed him this past weekend in church. He wore the same blessing outfit that both Hunter and Gage wore. (He went shoeless though because apparently his little piggies are not as little as his brothers' little piggies were.)

Getting to know his twin cousins, Fisher and Marley, who turned one on the same day he turned 2 months.

.:sledding:.

2010-03-09T21:40:00.003-07:00

We finally got out the sleds and headed up to the "BIG" snow hill. We drug Steve out this time to show him what great fun it is! (Although I really should have known better than to think it wouldn't completely freak him out watching the kids FLY down that hill.)

So proud of this little guy for making it through the day in one piece! Only one crash...that involved tears.

This is what caused Gage's crash. Hayden felt she needed a snack after each trip down.

It was great watching [and listening] to Steve fly down the hill. Don't know how he stayed put in that little saucer.

This one has LoVe written all over it.

Hunter, catching air.

And of course, trying out the snowboard.

He's in there somewhere.

And then there's Tate the Great.

No, no, no. He didn't sleep the entire time. This was the only time he slept and it was only for about 10 minutes. Notice the bags under his eyes?

The Comeback Kid

2010-02-15T21:45:00.003-07:00

The kids got Valentine suckers from their cousin Michael. Gage was so excited that his was a green John Deere tractor and began doing what he does best with suckers...

...he bit right into it. As I started lecturing, he thought I was upset at the fact that he bit the top of it off and explained to me that it's okay to bite the top of the tractor off because now it's just a Johnny Popper. (An old fashioned John Deere tractor without a cab.)

Such a problem solver! I explained right back that they are called "suckers" because you're supposed to SUCK on them, not simply "turn them into Johnny Poppers!"

Let's ear it for the boys!

2010-02-13T15:59:00.002-07:00

Ah, the cuteness of Tate's little "folded" left ear...

...is just as cute as Hunter's "folded" left ear...

...coming from the genes of their dad's "folded" left ear.

Let's "ear" it for these good sports!

The Tate

2010-02-02T15:36:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting so patiently for Mr. Tate to stay awake long enough to get pictures. Here we go...

And just to clarify things, I meant I've waited patiently for him to be awake during daylight hours for pictures. That would be one bright flash at 3 in the morning!

And One More Makes Four

2010-01-18T16:46:00.003-07:00

In the hospital:

Dad and Tate

Hayden and Tate

Hunter, Hayden and Tate

First day home:

Hayden and Tate

Gage and Tate

Hayden, Gage and Tate

One week later:

Finally...Hunter, Gage, Hayden and Tate

On 01.11.10 at 10:11 am...

2010-01-13T13:08:00.004-07:00

Tate S. Hill

8 lbs. 1 oz.

19 1/2 inches

Hoops

2010-01-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hunter had his first basketball game of the season and we'll just say that it started the entire team off with the biggest boost of confidence that any basketball team could ever ask for. They won by quite a margin!

What would we do without the Leap Frog system to keep the audience entertained?

'Twas a Week After Christmas...

2010-01-03T15:15:00.006-07:00

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, especially the 26 pound 37 inch baby that has decided to take full residency inside the womb. But, it's been long enough and I need to post, so here goes Christmas, 2009!

The Annual Marotz Christmas Party:

The kids' table. I'm not sure how much eating took place, but they were entertained by one another none the less.

Waiting so patiently for their turn with Santa.
And clean-up was so much fun! Too bad I don't get this kind of participation at home.

We ended the night with a few [hundred] games of lightning. As much as I wanted to participate, I decided to be the designated picture-taker instead. This was when the finals came down to Steve and Hunter. Hunter took his Dad down!

Christmas Eve:

Every year, Steve gets each of the kids something that he's picked out on his own. (One of my favorite parts of Christmas by-the-way) He can wait about as long as the kids when it comes to giving the Christmas gifts, so he let them open their present from him on Christmas Eve.

Gage opened the gift meant for Hayden. (She felt the larger gift was better...) He immediately said, "Oh Hayden, you really should have taken this one!" She quickly agreed and switched when she saw that it was Club Penguin for her Nintendo DS. (Hopefully a valuable lesson learned.)

So Gage got to open a second gift as well. A much more fitting tractor set for him.

And ACDC Live for the Rock Band for Hunter. (And his dad...)

Christmas Morning:

Zhu Zhu Pet

The John Deere ripper that was the one and only thing he asked for.

A brotherly high-five for the farting goop that Gage picked out for Hunter.

The 2009 Hill Family book that features the exciting things that happened during the year.

And the discovery of the Wii Fitness Plus that was so cleverly hidden by that tricky Santa.

At Grandma Mabel and Grandpa Vic's:

I love the surprise reactions on their faces. He got the Transformers 2 movie,

and Hayden got a boxed set of some of her favorite Fairy books.

More farming stuff. It doesn't get any better!

It was a very fun Christmas and I appreciate all of the thoughtfulness from everyone. It truly is a wonderful time of year!

A Little Help

2009-12-12T18:14:00.006-07:00

We had our annual Ward Christmas Party last week and it was such a "helpful" evening.

Hayden's primary activity days group were the helpers at the party, serving appetizers to people as they came in and making sure they had full water pitchers throughout the evening.

The primary helped out with the entertainment, singing fun Christmas songs.

It was a little sad for me to think this was Hunter's last primary "sing-a-long." He's the taller one in stripes, Hayden to the left of him with her elf hat on, and Gage to the right of her with his festive green John Deere shirt.

Gage and cousin Jace helping each other gain the courage to tell the big guy just what they wanted. Gage asked for a John Deere ripper to pull behind his tractor. He was such a help to let Santa know that he could only find it at Cal Ranch. :)

I was really hoping that Hayden would give Santa some much needed help by telling him what she wanted that didn't involve breathing on it's own (a puppy) or taking out a small loan. (A cell phone, DSi & backstage pass to Hannah Montana) When I asked her what she told him, her reply was, "I told him he could bring whatever. He'll know what will be good."

And Hunter, good ol' Hunter, just needs serious help. He asked for a driver's license for Christmas. Oh wait, that would be Steve & I that would need the serious help!

Trippin'

2009-12-01T10:01:00.017-07:00

On Sunday, November 22, my grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They are such a great example to everyone around them and I admire them very much. Which brings me to this question:

What were they thinking?!?!?

They were definitely "trippin'" this time. To help them celebrate, they took almost every member in the extended family on a trip to Las Vegas! There were 45 out of 51 family members there. How great is that! I love that they think so much of their family and want to have us together. Watch out Vegas...here we come!

Starting out with a little Duck, Duck, Goose while waiting at the Idaho Falls airport

On with the flight and a warm, friendly smile from Hunter...
... and Hayden...

...and Gage's very first time on an airplane!

Nothing like relaxing with a tractor magazine and some zzzz's. (Just kidding. Like this kid was going to sleep - ever)

After the plane came the shuttle ride to the hotel. I love this picture of these best friends...

...because it led to this about 2 minutes later!

Our first full day there was Thanksgiving Day. I have to say, in my few years of living, I can't ever remember getting the chance to swim on the morning of Thanksgiving. Swimming was one of the kids' favorite parts of the trip.

Hayden and Madi playing around

Hunter doing what he does best. Which in this case is what he's not supposed to be doing. (Jumping off the lifeguard's chair when not occupied)

Gage, anticipating Hunter's attack

Jace and Gage, plugging the decorative fountain. (The water spraying up under them could explain the cheesy grins on their faces...)

And of course Steve, dreaming about what he wants for Christmas. (I would almost dare say that he spent as much time in the hot tub as he did in the casino. I said "almost.")

And nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like a big Thanksgiving BuFfeT! Once in a lifetime I tell ya.

Yes, that's pizza on their plates. It's a Thanksgiving pizza that they carved themselves!

Hayden did throw a couple pieces of ham on her plate along with her pizza, trying to get into the spirit of things.

And the ice cream for dessert.

And don't forget one of the BeSt parts of the trip for them all...The escalator!!! (Or as Gage called it, the "ex-ca-waiter" because you have to stand & "wait" on it.) This was what they asked to do the most.

Going up...

...and down
The next day was the bus ride to The Strip. We discussed why they call it "The Strip" and decided a good answer was because it was "a strip" of famous road, but in sad actuality, I think there could be many other reasons for the name. (Such as "strip" any innocence out of a small child or the most popular "activity" done there, etc. You get the idea.) Nice place to visit and teach young ones how to "just keep walking."

Gage, sitting on the top level of the double decker bus to get there from our hotel

A picture of Madi and Hayden in front of the Statue of Liberty at New York, New York.

So Hunter gets that warm, friendly smile from his Dad

The M&M factory (aka: Hayden's heaven!)

The Las Vegas Eifel Tower at the Paris Casino

The Bellagio (No, we did not go there, but what comes to mind when I see it? Pitt, Clooney, Damon...)

People who act like statues...

...statues that look like people...

...people who stand by statues...

...and statues that move like people to entertain these people (this was at Caesar's Palace)

We also had a bowling alley in our hotel and took full advantage of it.

Hunter bowling his turn

Gage bowling his turn

Gage pouting during his turn

Hayden bowling her turn

And Gage still pouting during everyone's turn

A happy ending though

We hit the arcade.

Gage racing his car

Biker Babes

And Hunter jumping lights around, and around, and around....

It was such a fun trip but always good to be back home!

One Week Ago Today...

2009-11-12T11:42:00.007-07:00

...Hayden Sue turned 9! This is one child who counts down for almost an entire year, anticipating the event with such enthusiasm and letting eVerYoNe around her know that it's her day!

We woke up extra early that morning to open a few of her gifts before the bus came.

Which included a new hoola hoop... ...that everyone tested out...

...yes, everyone...
...like I was actually going to include a picture of me, almost 8 months pregnant, hoola hooping! Come on, seriously.

When she got home from school, she opened the rest of her things.

A PiNk child-sized Snuggie with matching slipper socks. Does life get any better? That evening, Uncle Jordan & Aunt Annie brought Jace, Allie and London to help celebrate with cake and ice cream. (They were also "celebrating" their 5-year anniversary that day. How romantic...6 kids, in-laws, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream. Who could ask for more on this milestone of an anniversary? But on a serious note, thanks so much!)

And then the next day after school, we invited every single girl in her class (all 7 of them) to 511 Main Pizza for chocolate milk shakes and chocolate cupcakes. (I promise, the "chocolate theme" was Hayden's idea. I just do what I'm told and don't complain. ;)

Happy Birthday Miss Hayden! Love you so much!

Happy, Happy Halloween

2009-11-03T10:15:00.004-07:00

Halloween has come and gone and I won't say that I'm happy about that...okay, maybe just a little. ;) We had our very traditional Halloween night including family dinner, playing with cousins, trick-or-treating up and down the streets in the big city of Ashton and then of course trying to keep the sugar intake to a minimum. (Which the kids did very well with this year)

Gage

(aka: Batman)

Hayden

(aka: Gabriella from High School Musical 2)
and Hunter
(aka: Star Child from Kiss...in which he broke down & decided on 45 mins. before heading out the door)

I joked about which concerned me more...the fact that my 11-year old boy could fit into my boots or just the fact that he is wearing my boots.

Halloween Festivities

2009-10-27T11:44:00.008-06:00

I would like to know who decided to have Halloween on THE last day of October? This makes for one long, spooky, activity packed month of Halloween fun! And trust me, we crammed it all in!

The Halloween cookies...The taste test...And the decorating.
Then came the pumpkins...

The cleaning...The planning...The carving...Or painting (of course)...The results.
And the gingerbread haunted house...

Build-a-Buddy

2009-10-04T15:06:00.007-06:00

Hayden had another appointment at Primary Children's last week and we made it into a "Girl's Only" trip. (Steve had work meetings and I wasn't going to drag Hunter and Gage on a 4-hour drive for two days if I didn't have to!) After her tests at the hospital, we made our way to BuIld-A-BeAr WoRksHop where she built a...

DOG!

She gave him a bath to get all the extra stuffing off. She picked out some underwear for him that proved to be a bit of a challenge for me to put on him. Seriously took me 3 times to get it right.

(FYI: The hole in the underwear goes in the back for the tail.)

And she named him Ollie O. Hill.

Gage Goes to School...Inside!

2009-09-11T10:55:00.004-06:00

Gage had his first day of preschool on Wednesday. He was so excited to go to Hayden's big school because he got to go to class "inside!" (Versus that outside school he was going to before...?) It didn't bother him that I was leaving him there, but he did want to make sure that I was going to go out and sit in the car and wait. And I know he's got a personality all his own, but it was quite interesting to hear about his first day:

*His favorite part was playing with a school bus there. (Which he probably farmed with)
*He loved having Allie there with him!
*The one little boy with brown hair threw up on the floor and in the garbage can. (Ummm...)
*The teacher read a book to them about a little boy who ran down the sidewalk naked because he was so excited about school. (Anyone heard about that book because I'm dying to know the rest of the story?)
*And he doesn't want to go back because "it was hot" and "it made his head feel like it was going break." Plus, he "needs to get cutting grain." Oh my!

Flippin' Crazy!

2009-09-08T18:20:00.003-06:00

Actually, it's Gage that is crazy for flippin'. Hunter taught him how to do flips "IN THE AIR" on the trampline and now he just can't stop.

The Hunt

2009-09-08T18:03:00.006-06:00

Hunter was able to participate in his first Sandhill Crane hunt last week. Uncle Scott and cousin Cole came up from Utah to join in the fun. The fun of waking up at 5:30 a.m. The fun of sitting out in a cold field until the birds flew in. The fun of having the poor wounded thing come after you to attack. The fun of cleaning and cooking them. :P And of course the fun of missing the first class of the school day. Who could ask for more? They were each able to get their bird and punch those tags. Whoo-hoo!!

Back to School, Back to School...

2009-08-24T13:40:00.004-06:00

Well, this year was pretty much the same as last year. Hayden was ecstatic to get back to school again, Hunter was ready to socialize - in the big Jr. High this year, Gage doesn't really know what to do and I could still use another month or more.

Just Hangin' Around

2009-08-24T13:36:00.002-06:00

This is how I found them. Who knows how long they had been like that? Could explain a lot...

It's a .......

2009-08-20T08:59:00.005-06:00

We gathered the family into the little ultrasound room at the Dr.'s office yesterday and found that we are adding an already wiggly, bouncing, rolly-polly, ready to defend itself baby

......BOY......

to our family. We're so excited and Hayden Sue is holding up stronger than ever! (Way better than I gave her credit for...) I believe the thought of just having a baby around is enough for her and in 2-3 years when the little guy moves down to the "boys' domain" in the basement, Hayden will be more than ready to have her own room again!

What Do You Do in the Summer Time...

2009-08-06T15:28:00.006-06:00

...do you float on the water...

...or just your big brother...

...and give a big hug when you're done...

...do you find that the slide,

is a really fun ride...

...or cannon ball off the board...

...do you jump rope the noodle...

...and fly in the pool...

...and make a big splash in the end...

...or put rocks in your ear,

so that you cannot hear...

...and then find some shade,

out of the heat...

...is that what you do?

So do we.

4 Going On 2

2009-07-15T18:55:00.004-06:00

Don't get me wrong, Gage is still my 4-year old going on 17, but as of 5 days ago, he's going on 2...wheels that is. I seriously held on to him for 3 steps and that was all it took. He was gone without looking back.

Don't let the scene fool you. He didn't crash, it's just that his attention span allows for about one trip around the driveway and he's done.

Arts and Crafts Time

2009-07-11T10:30:00.003-06:00

I enrolled Hayden in an art class as part of a summer rec. program in Rexburg this summer. She got to learn different things about shape and texture, angles and positioning, the color wheel, perspective, warm and cool colors and whatever else she could use that imagination of hers for. Trust me, the possibilities are endless with her...

On the last day of class, they were able to present their creations in the art gallery for family to come and see before taking things home.

This is her picture of the Tetons done in watercolors and a platypus put together with different shapes of scrap paper
And as I was helping her take down her pictures, Gage was getting that artistic bug and came up with his own art work...we call it "The Smiley Face."

CeLebRaTioN

2009-07-06T15:00:00.005-06:00

We celebrate the 4th of July pretty much the same way every year and still, every year is full of fun and excitement! It started with Steve playing in the annual softball tournament. They won their first and then lost the next two.

Steve pitching to Jordan. Yea, they played each other. Yea, hiney was kicked. Yea, it was Steve's team's hiney...

We attended the parade on Main Street that goes up one way and then comes back, just in case you missed something the first time 'round.

Hunter's favorite part of the parade is always the planes that fly over head

I told the kids that if they wave to the people in the parade, then the people would throw more candy. So they waved...

...and waved...

...and waved some more!

We then went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for tacos and fireworks.

Notice Gage, front and center, ready for the action.

And now Gage, not so front and center.

Hayden even braved holding a firework that shot up into the air

And Hunter, my sweet, sweet pyro-maniac, loved the bottle rockets. He was mainly excited because it was the first year he got to light them on his own.

Trying to decide what's next can be such a mind-boggling decision

Splish, splash!

2009-06-30T16:26:00.007-06:00

My aunt was so kind to rent the Ashton City Pool for the whole family Saturday evening and it was so worth every minute! Great weather and great fun!

It didn't take Hunter long to start diving right into the action

Followed closely by Steve. Just look at that form! Toes pointed and everything. I give him a perfect 10!

Quite the form for Hunter as well... Hayden had so much fun with my cousin and his wife throwing her up and into the pool

Gage and Jace having fun

And the great-grandkids were so very cooperative when they were asked to get out of the nice warm water and line up against the fence for a picture. Seriously, they all just stood there patiently waiting. What more could you ask for from 22 young kids?

Summer + Family = Reunion

2009-06-30T15:36:00.005-06:00

The annual Marsden Family Reunion was held this past weekend and it was great to see [almost] all of my aunts, uncles, cousins and those I'm not sure how I'm related to once again. Just kidding. It really was a fun time though!

We started with a smaller, more immediate family gathering involving around 60 people, young and old. We had supper and the chance to celebrate Miss Allie's 3rd birthday! Now that is what you call a birhtday party!

It was a Dora the Explorer party, complete with Dora cake, matching cupcakes and a pinata

Gage was such the helper

We then had the b-i-g Marsden reunion the next day and it was full of entertainment for all ages!

Hunter (up to bat) played baseball with the other kids the entire time (this term "kids" used quite loosely because of the wide range of ages of those involved)

Hayden took her turn on the slip-n-slide

Gage was a little hesitant at first. Wierd, I know

But figured what the heck

Little Lila and Allie body painted themselves...and anyone else that came within reach

Steve stayed busy with the horse shoes

And the 3 Musketeers (Gage, Jace and Allie) all loved exploring

Here Fishy, Fishy

2009-06-20T17:09:00.006-06:00

We took the kids up to Tear Drop Lake and had a mosquito fest. Ahhh, good times, good times. Despite the blood suckers, we still had tons of fun and the kids were able to catch 2-3 fish each. They were cute little ones that made it nice and easy for the kids to reel in.

Gage reeling...

...and Gage posing

Hayden reeling...

...and Hayden posing

Hunter reeling...

...and Hunter posing...

...and Hunter "taking the bait," which was actually what was left of the fish after being pulled off the hook...eeewww!

Steve and Hayden waiting patiently

Gage keeping himself busy with his shovel and the biggest rocks he could find

Cooper and Gage, just hangin' out

Cousins, Rides and Bears...Oh My!

2009-06-20T15:59:00.007-06:00

We took a trip to Bear World with cousins Cooper and Cannon (chaperoned by their parents of course) a few days ago and had a great time with very cooperative weather!

We hadn't been there for more than 5 minutes when Gage, Cooper and Cannon caught sight of some stray ducks....poor things never stood a chance

A picture in front of the big grizzly is a must!

And Hunter had his own "must" picture

We moved on to the rides

Gage took such good care of Cannon in the bouncing cars...or maybe practiced his one-armed driving for the girls...hard to tell really

Even Hunter squashed himself in for a ride

One of these things is not like the others...

One of these things is different...

Uncle Casey supervised the free-fall tree ride

And then came the petting zoo What a fitting picutre for three little boys :)Gage did a whole lot more chasing than he did petting and this little rooster was the one that finally put him in his place. It jumped up and smacked into the side of his waist and put Gage right in his place! There was no more chasing anything after that. I wonder if they would let me take that little fella home for a while, just to get a few points across...

And these little cubs kept wrestling around, entertaining the kids quite nicely. It was all fun and games until one of them got hurt. The top one eventually fell off and lost his "king of the log" status.

Take Me Out to the Ball Games...

2009-06-15T17:46:00.004-06:00

Hunter had baseball tournament this last week and they did very well! They had their shares of struggles through the season and had to go "the long way around" through the tournament but made it to the championship game and ended up taking 2nd place!!! I really think that every single boy had his own moment to shine at least once during the tournament. They played hard and it was so fun to watch...through rain, wind, rotten coaches from the opposing team, not-so professional umps who weren't even sure of the rules-and wouldn't bother to check, 8:00 a.m. games that the boys had to be to at 7:30 a.m., double headers that lasted until 9:30 p.m. and all of the other good times! Seriously though, I do love watching them play and am a bit sad that it's over. A big thanks to all of the family that made the trek down to support Hunter throughout the season!

Thought about swinging but decided against it. (Good thing, it wasn't a very good pitch)

A big smile after beating the "not-so undefeated" team - again - and making it to the championship game

Receiving knuckles and his trophy from the coaches

The team (Hunter on the front row, 5th from left)

Clowning around

Where For Art Thou...

2009-06-09T16:47:00.013-06:00

We're still here, just not quite with things.

We've had so much going on and so little time (and energy) to post.

The kids ended the school year with their annual field day. I enjoy going and watching them participate in the fun and games with their classmates. Gage had just as much or more fun than Hunter and Hayden each did. The two older kids have such awesome friends that are so good to Gage and include him in everything they do.

Hayden & Gage playing with the parachute

Hunter playing lightning (he took second place)
The hit of the day
Hunter up front...you know, where the main soak was taking place

The volunteer fire fighter was one of Hunter's baseball coaches and was kind enough to take Gage on his own personal tour of the truck and let him spray the hose himself. Who could ask for more?

They also had an awards assembly where Hunter made Honor Roll again and Hayden was honored with a medal for perfect attendance...ALL YEAR!! Ahhh, what a proud Mom! I must say it was a bitter sweet moment because of Hunter going into the big middle school next year. Ugh! So hard to believe! He's very excited and the only concern that he has is being able to find the restrooms over in the new school. To have the worries of an 11 year old...

And Hunter has had a blast with baseball this season! Due to a dead battery in my camera that is beyond the point of charging and the only access to a new one was online, I have been way behind in picture taking.

They started tournament yesterday and because of an awesome win in their first game, they got the privelage of turning around and playing again immediately after. (Oh yea, there's sarcasm there.) And on top of it, they got to play the first place, undefeated team. Undefeated until last night that is. That's right. Our boys played their best game ever and beat that team 6-5.

This was Hunter running across home plate. He made the "play of the season" just previous to this run. He was on second base when the hitter got a great hit out into right field. Hunter started running to third and half way there, turned around and started going back to second. Of course we were all screaming at him to go to third and as he turned around, the other team threw the ball toward third to make the out. As Hunter approached, he hit the dirt to slide, hitting the third baseman, causing him to drop the ball. (It was not a force and so he had to make the tag) As they were both on the ground and the third baseman was trying to find the ball, Hunter litterally crawled the last 2 feet to third base and was...safe!

He aparently thought that the original hit was caught out in right field and was therefore running back to second base to tag up.

And this is Gage and Allie finding their own way to keep busy during the ball game.

But the above activies are not where my energy has gone to. This little "gummy bear" gets ALL the credit for that! I'm also giving him/her credit for a whole lot of other things such as the 4 pounds that I've lost in the past 6 weeks. Nothing sounds good and nothing stays down anyway. I'm at 10 weeks now and praying that the 12 week mark will turn things around! My middle area is still making it's debut quite nicely! Very exciting times!