Zekey in autumn

Autumn is my favorite time of the year! I love when it's sunny and blue sky, but cold enough to see your breath in the morning. I also love seeing the leaves on the trees change color and fall down. When I drive over a pile of leaves and they shoot out behind my car it makes me think me smile. I love letting the kids play in the leaves because Rosalee gets just as excited as I do.
One day we went for a walk and I took a few pictures of Zeke. I love how blue his eyes look against the background colors. I just love that kid period.


This picture should have the caption "SQUIRREL!!!!" with it. I was just about to take this cute smiling picture of Zeke and then he turned to watch a squirrel run up a tree. Notice his finger pointing to the tree?

Peek-a-boo!

Trip to Gram Terry's Farm

In the middle of October the kids and I had the chance to go to Washington with some friends. I thought the kids would hate the long drive but they did AMAZING! Nothing that fruit snacks and apple juice can't fix. :)
While in Washington we had fun playing on the farm. Zeke learned about the bull. He now says, "da bull da bull da bull" whenever he looks out the back window. It's funny because he'd say it and then if we'd take him out back to see the bull he'd laugh hysterically. Rosalee was really excited to help do the farm chores every morning. As soon as she'd see someone get boots and a jacket she'd run over and start putting her own boots on. Her job became feeding the birds. I'm not sure how, or why, but the white peacocks are all known as "eekeys" now. It was really cute watching her spread the bird food out and talk to the birds about whatever was on her mind.
The boys kept themselves busy with psychotic things like riding untrained, green horses and going skydiving. Part of me would like to skydive one day and the sane, normal part says NO WAY!


The reason we go to head to Washington was Shawn was taking his horse to be boarded there. He was nice enough to take everyone and anyone who asked for a ride around the pasture. The kids LOVED it! My extended family even came out and got to ride Mayzee. The best was when David was trying to get her to move and she backed all the way up the hill. David wants to be a cowboy SO bad! There's potential... we've got it in the works.

The kids were so so so happy!! Alyssa kept asking for more turns and Rosalee just laughed like she always does.
One morning Rosalee informed me that it was her turn to take the pictures. The following are some of her best. Most of the ones she took cut off half of the person's face so I was happy that there were a few that look nice.

One sunny (but cold) day we went for a trail ride down in the Orting valley. I got the ride the pony Junebug who stands A LOT shorter than the other horses. Surprisingly though she can really move and keep up with the rest when she feels she's being left behind. I wouldn't have minded except that her trot is SO bouncy and my feet weren't in the stir-ups properly. (Oh yes, I am that short!) By the end of the ride I would have promised you that I had a bruise on my bum.

Later that day we had an early birthday party for Rosalee. Even though it was 3 weeks before she birthday I thought this would be the only time my parents would get to be with her near her birthday. Rosalee told me that she wanted a pink kitty cake so I did my best to fulfill her wish.

As you can see by the HUGE smile on her face she LOVED it!!! I used Hostess cake snowballs for the cheeks. They only had green ones (being close to Halloween) so the cat got to be very colorful. The whiskers are black licorice strips and the ears are broken graham crackers.

She's pointing to the eyes and ears on the cat.

I used some candy hearts for the nose and mouth and milk duds for the eyes. I am NOT artistic in the least so I was really shocked and pleased with how the cake turned out.

Then I decided it would be funny to put cake on people... as you can see, I lost. The poor cake, it never saw it comin'.
But everyone, especially Zeke, loved the cake. I thought Rosalee would object to eating her kitty cake but she had no problems with digging right in!

Nothing beats eating sugar on sugar in your underwear!
Rosalee was SO tired from a busy day that she passed out asleep. My mom put her in bed and then I realized that she was still in her underwear. So I sent my mom with pajamas to put her in. Then AFTER she came back downstairs she asked me, "Is she suppose to sleep in underwear or a pull-up?" I told her a pull-up and she said, "Oh..." She stirred when my mom put the pajamas on her so I was nervous to try and take them off and put her pull-up on. My mom told she to "not worry" because she "would handle it". The next morning this is what I saw-

Superhero Rosalee!
My mom just slipped the pull-up on over her pajamas so if she did have an accident it would at least keep the bed dry. I had to try SO hard to keep from laughing out loud! As soon as Rosalee woke up enough she asked me, "Mom!? Why is my panties on weird?" and I fixed the issue.
We spent the rest of the time hanging out and having fun on the farm. My mom got out her camera and took some pictures of the kids. I love Zeke's outfit! It fits right at home on the farm.

"CHEEEEEESSSSSSSSSE!"

I will never get enough of those eyes! Rosalee and I call them his "lady killer blues".

Attempting to get caught up...

Sadly I'm at home from work today sick with bronchitis. I'm lying in bed wishing the nasty cough will stop with little to no energy to get out of bed. So I've decided to bust out the computer and wireless Internet so I can get all of my 2010 pictures up on the blog.
One day I was playing with Zeke and I realized how long is hair was getting. In the 14 months of his life he's NEVER had a haircut so I thought it was about time.

He's so cute but the hair needed to be trimmed.

Rosalee has SUCH a great smile! I couldn't leave her out.
So I got out the scissors and clippers and started working on Zeke's head. At first he just sat there and didn't care. I'd stop every now and then and give him a snack so he'd stay still. (I know food rewards are bad but I was desperate to get him to not move!) Once the treats stopped working I decided to give him a break so he could get his wiggles out.

After the first round of cutting. Notice the shaggy hair around his ears? I was scared to DEATH of cutting him so I left that part for last.

Cute Rosalee said that Zeke's puppy needed to have her picture taken.
After twenty or so minutes I went back to cutting Zeke's hair... this time he was less than enthused.

After many tears and wiggles his hair was FINALLY cut! As soon as he was let go he was just fine. I think he was more upset about having to stay still than having the razor on his head.

This is 14 months worth of hair.
I'm oddly shocked by how little hair came off of his head.

Before I could be done with the camera Rosalee said that Marie the kitty needed her picture taken too. I think my addiction is photography is rubbing off on her...

Annie's wedding

The day after Jenny and Hayden's wedding Jesse's cousin Annie got married. Annie and Chris were kind enough to ask Rosalee to be their flower girl in the wedding. She was really excited to wear a princess dress and get to play with all the other princesses. (Every time we see someone in a wedding dress she calls them a princess, I think it is SO cute!)
My sweet Rosalee in curlers, getting ready for the wedding

I couldn't leave cute Zekey out. He decided to wave at me while grunting.

Here's beautiful Annie with our dear Rosalee. I can't believe how much these two look alike. Rosalee could easily be Annie's younger sister. I'm so happy with how cute Rosalee's hair turned out with using the curlers.

Showing off her princess dress

Saying "cheese" while waiting to walk down the aisle

Happy sweet angel baby!!!

Zeke's motto- party hard, crash hard
Good thing Gram Terry has a comfy shoulder

Rosalee with the bride and groom, Chris and Annie

Rosalee sitting with GG

Allie our niece

It was a LoNg drive back to John's house with an odd amount of traffic and road work. While driving 15 on the freeway Zeke made a smell and scream that lead us to getting off the road. As we stopped I noticed that the car had gone over 100,000 miles. We bought it just shy of 3 years ago (from the time the photo was taken) and in that time we've doubled the miles. Oh well, at least we can say we lived!

Catch up

I've had pictures on my camera and computer from the end of September that I need to put on the blog. Life has gotten crazy, weird, sad, and every other thing in the last little while so the blog has been put on the back burner. I'm hoping that within a few days I'll have everything caught up and explained so we're all on the same page.
In the end of September Jesse's sister Jenny got married to Hayden. It was a chilly, sunny wonderful day in Logan, Utah. The kids behaved well and everyone was in a great mood. We're so happy for Jenny and Hayden and are glad that they've found each other.

A family shot in front of the Logan temple
(The hill is SUPER steep! 4" heels in soft ground = less fun)

Tia in her bridesmaid dress

Rosalee posing... I love that kid!

Zeke with Aunt Tia

Rosalee and Mommy

The happy couple just minutes after being married for all time and eternity

Aunt Jenny with her niece and nephews on the James side

Jenny's side of the family that came to the wedding.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Gavin and Rosalee are holding hands. It is SO cute! They love each other and it makes me really happy.

Another attempt at a family shot... notice how Rosalee decided to dance around? Ah kids...

Last attempt... children stay still and look at the camera when held by their parents

The couple with Jenny's parents and grandparents on the James side

Hayden and Jenny with her siblings

Jenny and Hayden with her siblings and their spouses

How we really feel... :)

Jenny with all of nieces and nephews. I love how Hudson decided to run and dance around.

Zeke with Allie and Sydney

Jesse with his two younger sisters

My mom and me

This picture is ADORABLE!

Like her reception shoes? You should because they are the EXACT shoes I wore for my own wedding! It's nice to know they can be brought out of the closet and used from time to time.
I would love to show pictures from the reception but I hate the pictures that my camera takes with low lighting. Rosalee and Gavin spent the entire night together dancing and playing. When Rosalee would go to the bathroom Gavin would worry about where she went. It makes my heart burst seeing them together.