Bako Pray Family

A New Valentine Flower

2012-02-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

No, it is not a bouquet of Stargazer Lilies or a dozen Red Roses. The new Valentine flowers are two sweet, simple dandelions picked by two little boys running through the yard to their mom. Although it is definitely not as extravagant, it is absolutely just as special. :) Happy Valentine's Day!

Maybe This Spring...

2012-02-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

...we will finally put in our backyard. We do something to it once a year it seems. Last year we planted one tree. ;) We are a little on the slow side with yard work. How embarrassing! We just like playing and hanging out with our friends on the weekends more than digging in ROCK HARD dirt. I think the time has finally come though. Jeff is going to start to build the wall and then we will start planting this Spring. He got a truck load of dirt and the boys helped him shovel it.

Helmets must be worn at all times in case you might need to spontaneously jump on your bike

...or go on a Safari or do a little construction.

We hung out and gave some moral support. Go team!

Brothers

2012-02-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

It was one of those moments when I thought to myself, "Why is the house so quiet? Where are the boys?" I was sure they were probably looking for candy or trying to open a box of cookies because this house is NEVER quiet. When I came around the corner though, there they were on the couch in the toy room. Both of their tiny buns fitting in one seat. Their cute little heads poking just over the couch.

Please also note how many stick horses and stick cows we have. They live in our toy room couch...that is their corral. Miss Kennedy has a pink one.

They were sitting quietly, playing Legos! That never happens...the quiet part. Oh sweet brothers.

Hockey Game

2012-01-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

For my nephew's birthday we went to a hockey game! We have a professional team in town that is actually really good. It was so fun. I had not been to a game in years. Even though we didn't get home until well past Kennedy's "normal" bedtime, she hung in there like a trooper. :)

We played musical kid. I had Kennedy and Cody thought the hockey game was most fun to watch from Jeff's seat.

Brady loved hitting those sticks to cheer for our team. He LOVED all the action.

We Start Them Early

2012-01-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

We really want to make sure that our children turn into math geeks and engineers. In order to secure their future in this, we have started a strict preparation program teaching them auto-cad when they are 4 months old. Kennedy picked up on it quickly and was giving her dad design ideas. ;)

One of the Best Presents I Was Ever Given.

2012-01-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Some of my best friends from college gave me the gift of professional pictures for Kennedy when she was born. What an amazing gift! I was so excited. A few weeks ago I was able to schedule a time with the photographer, Davi Erickson, and it was a blast. These pictures capture this moment in time so perfectly...her chubby little body, her sweet disposition. I love how they turned out. Thank you girls for the thoughtful present. Thank you Davi for the pictures. Here are a few of my favorites...just a few because I could post them all if I did not contain myself.

I just wanted to snuggle her with those little tummy rolls.

Oh wait, here I am snuggling her. :) I couldn't resist.

Cowgirls.

Those cute little ears.

Sassy sister.

Smiling eyes.

Snuggling in to sleep.

These pictures are such treasures. I will cherish them. Love you girls! Thank you!

More Christmas 2011 Pictures

2012-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at the Ranch.

Opening presents.

Riding Harley.

My sister with her little one.

Oldest and youngest grandchild.

Then we did our Christmas at home on Christmas Day.

Santa got the boys toothbrushes. Oh Santa could you be anymore practical. :)

The trampoline that I actually got for inside the house. I wanted them to have something to play on that got their energy out on cold and hot days.

Her perch. So she does not get smashed by her brothers.

Then Jeff's family came the day after Christmas and we had so much fun celebrating with EVERYONE in our little house. It was crazy fun.

Cousin fun.

Kennedy and Papa

Cody fell asleep standing and leaning on my leg while we were opening presents. He was so tired from three days of festivities. :)

Family Picture taken in the morning when half of us had not brushed our teeth or our hair yet. Still it is so sweet to me. Merry Christmas!

Continuing the Tradition

2011-12-31T15:56:00.000-08:00

Jeff rides motorcycles. It looks like it is in our blood. The boys received a motorcycle for Christmas. Brady road for the first time by himself a month ago, but here is his first try on his very own bike.

Jeff running along with Brady and teaching him how to break.

Getting a little more comfortable. Cody on his bike too. :) They both thought they were pretty big time.

Ready to go! He thinks he has it and is ready to ride on the ranch.

Heading out.

Getting some instructions from Dad.

Tuning up the little bike. :) Cody rode with Jeff on another bike out on the ranch.

Brady is so determined. I also cannot get over Cody's little body in this picture riding along with Jeff.

The cow adds a nice touch.

Oh Kennedy, you are not forgotten. You were there too, just too tiny to ride a motorcycle.

Not Quite Christmas Card Material

2011-12-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

I tried, I really did. I really wanted just ONE family Christmas picture in front of our tree...but the lighting was ridiculous AND we were posting our camera on the arm of a chair and using the timing feature which makes no sense to a two year old AND Cody really wanted to wear the sunglasses AND Brady was saying "Cheese" with such zeal that every time we took the picture his eyes were shut. Instead we went with an "everybody make a silly face" picture. Although it did turn out silly, I could not see myself actually placing this inside a card and sending it to people. So here is our not quite Christmas card material Family Christmas picture.

The Cowboy Hat

2011-12-06T11:53:00.001-08:00

We have obsessions with everything cowboy in this family. When you spend a lot of time on Grandpa's ranch, cowboy gear is often out, in all its glory, all over the house. This means the cowboy hat must be available to throw on at any time as you are running by. It does not matter which direction it actually ends up on your head...just that it is there.

A Weekend of Firsts

2011-12-01T06:16:00.001-08:00

It is no secret that I married into a family that loves to ride motorcycles. Oh the JOY it brought to Jeff's heart when Brady road this little PW50 for the first time a few weekends ago. The bike was borrowed from a friend and I am pretty sure it had spent time out in the rain. It makes no difference to a little boy though...it had two wheels and the engine ran. Brady had the time of his life!

A little coaching from dad before he started.

Running with him while he goes. It was so neat to watch Brady learn and have fun. He had SO much fun. More practice ahead, I am sure of it. :)

Cody's first was driving the jeep alone. He did enjoy running into things and almost got the concept of steering out of the way of other objects. He was rather independent with his new found freedom.

Last but not least and not to be left out, Kennedy went on her first trip to the Desert. She enjoyed snuggling with her mom on one walk and sleeping in the trailer the rest of the day.

Sweet Moments

2011-11-20T20:23:00.001-08:00

Oh man! It is these little moments that make all the sleepless nights more bearable. Please disregard the laundry in the background. :)

4 Years Old and Still Running!

2011-11-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, Brady still runs every where he goes. EVERYWHERE...to get his shoes from his closet, to the dinner table, to the car, to his Sunday school classroom, to play with his brother, to play with his cousins, to play with his friends! Brady has been a bundle of energy since the moment we saw his face. With all of that energy, Brady also has the sweetest heart. He is kind, most of the time to his little brother, and sugar sweet to his baby sister. He loves life. He loves to play and is somewhat competitive we are now starting to see. Where did he get that from Jeff??? His voice volume is always on high. He laughs a ton and likes to tease. This year in particular he has embraced his inner cowboy. He wears his boots ALL the time no matter what else he has on, "Shorts with boots?" No problem. That is why we chose to give him a cowboy birthday party this year. All of his friends drove up to my parents ranch and celebrated Brady turning 4 with us. Brady has some amazing friends!

First we ate lunch.

Sweet Kennedy with Jeff. She had boots on, but they came off rather soon into the party.

Next we walked out to the corrals to do some ranchin'.

We were bull riders on the bucking barrel.

We branded planks of wood.

We roped a cow head and rode the quad.

We rode the horse...Harley. :)

After all that ranch work we were hungry. We went back up to the house for some cake, ice cream and presents. (He really wanted a football cake even though it was a cowboy party).

It was a really fun cowboy day! Happy 4th Birthday Brady! We love you.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the riff-raff we took trick or treating Halloween night. There were three cowboys, a lady bug, a cow and a delta force agent. Per tradition we ate dinner with my family and then headed out to our AWESOME neighborhood to see if we were going to be tricked or bring home some treats. There was a lot of treats and a few tricks along the way.

Sister cousins. The only girls of the whole bunch have to stick together to survive their crazy brothers.

Pumped up and ready to get some chocolate! I was hoping they would score a few tootsie rolls. Yum!

Heading to the door to say "trick or treat." Our little lady bug was too little for candy, but she thought she was a big girl and was not going to miss out on the fun of visiting our neighbors. We received enough candy to last us a year.

First Smiles

2011-10-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Kennedy is starting to smile. She melts my heart.

Birthday Beach Day

2011-10-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach for my birthday. The beach with a 2 year old and 3 year old is awesome! The beach with a 4 week old is a little more difficult, but still fun...especially when the weather is as beautiful as it was that day.

Kennedy hanging out with me in the beach tent. This is where she was confined most of the day so she would not get too much sun.

The boys playing in the water while I relaxed on the sand with Kennedy.

Playing on the toys at the beach...of course we found the horses. Grandpa J. would be so proud.

It was a great birthday beach day!

The Fair 2011

2011-09-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

We took the whole family to the fair. Yes, Kennedy came too. Kennedy was confined to her stroller and it was was completely closed to the outside world. She slept the whole time and did not even know she had her first short trip to the fair. I took Kennedy and Cody home after dinner because they were too little to ride the rides. Also because Kennedy is really too little to even be at the fair, what were we thinking!? Cody was not disappointed to go home because he got cotton candy on the way out and that made it all worth it. :) Brady on the other hand stayed with Jeff and the rest of the family and rode rides. Grandma bought all the grandchildren wristbands so they could ride all the rides to their hearts' content. Needless to say they did ride every ride many times and Jeff and Brady did not get home until very late at night. Brady had the time of his life. Before Cody, Kennedy and I left we all ate dinner with my mom, dad, sister, brother and all the cousins. It was really fun. I LOVE the baked potatoes at the fair. I also make it a rule that I get cotton candy and a caramel apple every year. Oh yummy!

Brady and Cody posing for a picture at the firemen's booth.

Brady riding the dinosaur ride.

One of the favorites for the night was the motorcycle ride. Look at that smile, he is over the top.

Speaking of over the top, when Jeff text me this picture I almost died. Is that my tiny little boy way up their on that ride? Uncle Curtis and cousin Toby are right up there having fun with him. Fun night. I look forward to the Fair every year.

The Kids God Gave Us.

2011-09-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

I always laugh when I look back at my children's infant pictures or my pictures from the first few weeks after my kids were born. When I am taking these baby pictures, I cannot imagine that my babies will look like anything else than what they look in that moment. Then I look back at the pictures a few months later and it is hard for me to tell which kid is actually in the picture because the child has changed so much. If I look hard I can pick out certain features of that child and say, "Those are Brady's eyes or ears." It is even more striking to me because I think my kids look very different from each other now that they are older. I can tell they are related, but they have different features and coloring. In taking picture of miss Kennedy though I have been looking at all of my kids infant pictures trying to see who I think she "looks more like" as a baby. Here are some pictures taken at about the same point in their lives. It is fun to compare them. One thing is for sure, their hair gets progressively darker and fuller.

Brady

Cody

Kennedy

Brady

Cody

Kennedy

Brady

Cody

Kennedy

Looking at these I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. Fun life!

Introducing...Kennedy!

2011-09-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it! Our little bundle of joy is here and she is absolutely all of the joy we ever thought we could handle. She has stolen all of our hearts. She loves to fall asleep and snuggle with her dad.

After her first bath (she was not happy about the bath and cried the whole time).

In her little pink chair that she often falls asleep in. She is a little peanut and look at that full head of curly dark hair. Wow!

Our whole family while we were still in the hospital (oh the water retention). The boys are super excited about their new little sister. They give her kisses all the time. God gave me boys first so I could experience the joy of non-stop energy and chaos. Now I get to try out darling little outfits, bows and more shades of pink than I knew existed. I love having a little girl. Welcome to the family Kennedy!

Cody is Two!

2011-08-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

They do grow up fast! I am so excited to say that our little Cody turned two! Great kid with tons of spunk! We went to ice cream with my family for his birthday party. He was so cute. It is in these moments, as a mommy, that I reflect on what God his given us. Blessed beyond words with this little tike!

Our little family. Hopefully we will be blessed with a new baby very soon!

We gave Cody his own bike for his birthday. No more watching his brother ride while he just tags along. He was pretty good at peddling it around. He still has a long way to go if he wants to beat his brother in a race though. :)

Oh that boy! Full of life and mischief. What a guy! Happy 2nd Birthday Cody!

Who Needs a Pool or Running Water?

2011-08-25T21:45:00.001-07:00

Do you ever fill like taking a refreshing dip in the water because it is so hot outside? Don't spend thousands of dollars on a pool, instead invest in two metal buckets. They will provide fun for hours. What happens when the kids need a bath? Again, fill up the buckets and have the little ones jump in. I am sure there are many more perks to filling up two metal buckets in your backyard, but the boys seems to prefer swimming and bathing in ours.

Cowboy Nights

2011-08-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

I bet you did not know that we have views like this where
I live. So pretty. Well this is a little bit out of town at my parent's ranch, but it was a amazing sunset.

A few generations of cowboy boots.

Grandpa J showing off his skills roping the post from far away. He is the cowboy we all want to become when we grow up for so many reasons...love you dad.

Cody riding Harley. This horse is the best.

Brady stopping to say Howdy while he takes his turn around the ranch.

Family picture. In a few more weeks we will be adding another baby to this crew. I could not be more excited!

Camping in Morro Bay with Wonderful Friends

2011-08-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

We went camping in Morro Bay with some of my most favorite people in the world a few weekends ago. All the moms on this trip have been dear friends for many years, but this was a time for all of our families to get together. This is a picture of some of the kids that ran around and played the whole weekend. I love the smile on Brady's face as he jumps with his cousin Cameron. Brady was overjoyed the whole trip and barely stopped running and riding bikes to eat.

Riding bikes with Uncle Jon, cousins, Dad and brother.

Sweet little Cody had his own fun climbing and running around when he was not on the back of the bike with Jeff. I was not able to get a close up picture of Brady the whole weekend because he was in continuous motion. The weekend was so fun. I hope we continue the tradition for a long time.

Helping out with the Yard Work

2011-08-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Brady was outside with Jeff helping him with the yard work. I looked out the back window to see this is how Brady was helping Jeff get the work done. I think we might have stumbled upon Brady's future job. When Brady grows up he looks like he would be good at being an inspector...you know the person who stands around inspecting everyone's work. :) Just the sight of this picture makes me itch. I put him in the bath right after he came inside. The idea of having all of those grass clippings all over me makes my skin crawl.

Extreme Room Makeover

2011-07-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

I have some pretty great friends. Did I say great? I meant to say amazing, outstanding, fantastic, unbelievable! I knew they were awesome, but I still never expected this. To give a little background to this story my sweet friends, who are so talented at decorating, found out that I was not going to redecorate my little one's room. I guess this is where my practical side and non-decorating skills collide. I mean it will be only a year and she will be out of the crib and then I will be redecorating again, right? I had decided that when she moved out of a crib, that is when I would put my decorating challenged brain to work and change her room from a boy's bedroom to a girl's. Upon realizing I actually had full intentions of going through with this plan, my sweet friends Vali and Annie contacted my husband and convinced him that they needed to help me out by surprising me with a decorated room. This perfect time came when I was out of town for 3 days at a conference for work. I was unaware that while I was lazily resting in my hotel enjoying my time alone to read and sleep without being interrupted by children, Vali, Curtis and Jeff were corralling 5 boys, theirs and ours, at the same time they were doing extreme room makeover in my house until late hours of the night.

When I got home Jeff led me to the back of the house and told me he had a surprise for me. I had NO idea what he was going to show me behind that door. When he opened the door to show me the room, I did not say anything because I was in such COMPLETE SHOCK! It was so beautiful. They had put up bead board and a chair rail and had painted it a beautiful blue (Vali, Curtis and Jeff). They also sewed me new curtains (Annie) and bought all new decorations in the 72 hours I was gone. Unbelievable. Now I know that some of you would think this is your worst nightmare...not being able to do the decorating yourself. BUT that is what makes this even sweeter to me. My friends know me so well that they know that decorating stresses me out. The idea of waking up one day and walking into a fully decorated room is one of the sweetest gifts I could receive; not to mention the hours of work Annie, Vali, Curtis and Jeff put in physically to make it happen in such a short time. What sweet friends! They blow me away. Every time I walk past the new room I pause and thank Jesus for my wonderful friends and how they used their talents to surprise and bless me. Thank you! Thank you! Much love to you guys!

Homemade Wrapping Paper

2011-07-13T15:10:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I don't give my husband enough creativity credit. I mean he is an engineer which is very mathematical, but I forget that much of his work is designing or "creating" structures and other amazing things. He has a creativity streak in him that is often unknown to the outside world. When he gave me my present for our anniversary, I was as impressed with his wrapping paper as I was the present in the box. Here was his predicament...he was not at home, but in an office and needed to have the present wrapped by the time he got home to pick me up for dinner. What to do? His first thought was to use plain white printer paper, but quickly decided this was not good enough for his wife of 8 years. :) Next option was to take a picture of himself in a hilarious pose, print it out on his color printer and use that as his wrapping paper. Perfect. I laughed so hard when I saw it my eyes watered. By the way, he gave me a new camera. Yeah! Now I don't have to use my phone all of the time!

Fruit Picking at the Farm

2011-07-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

The boys and I went a on a little trip to go fruit picking at our local family farm. A few of our friends met us out there. Off we ventured together into the rows and orchards of AMAZING fruit. We picked blueberries, blackberries, apricots, pluots and a few nectarines. Here are the boys and their dear friend Emery eating the fruits of their labor...apricots. I could not believe the different types of fruit Brady adventurously ate all because he picked them himself!

We put these kids to work. They pushed the wagon that we carried our fruit in all over that farm. Needless to say nap time was awesome that afternoon. We had another little friend with us named Will who did not make these pictures because he was off with his mommy picking 10 POUNDS of blackberries!! Can you believe it? Will's family is having a contest on who can make the best cobbler with all those berries! Yummy!

Make Up Mayhem

2011-06-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

When I was young I remember watching America's Funniest Home Videos (during the Bob Saget years) and having the mom walk into the pantry videoing her child who had opened the flour jar/bag and poured it all over themselves and the floor and their baby sister and the dog...well you get my drift. I always thought to myself, "How did that happen? How could she not have known where her kids were for that long?" Then the Lord humbled me this afternoon. I was talking to my neighbor outside for just a few minutes when Brady went inside the house. In my heart I new that something was up when he did not come back, yet I still continued my conversation. This is what I came upon when I finally walked in the house. In those few minutes Brady had rummaged through my make up drawer and found some concealer. He managed to use ALL of it. I think he looks a little tribal. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. WHY?????

Anniversary 2011 Las Vegas

2011-06-19T21:49:00.001-07:00

For the first time in two years Jeff and I went away together. The last time we did this I was 7 months pregnant with Cody. This time I am 7 months pregnant with our next little one. It was an amazing trip, but crazy walking around Vegas with a huge belly in the summer. Hot! Hot! Hot! Again we did not have a camera so we used our phones. This is us in the theatre at the MGM waiting for a Cirque de Soleil show to start. It was unbelievable!

We visited the Hoover Dam and went on the tour. It was of course Jeff's favorite site, but I was also completely taken back by this engineering and construction accomplishment. We are standing on the dam in this picture overlooking the canyon with the brand new bridge in the background. After this picture was taken Jeff made me go with him and walk across the bridge. I kept reminding him that he better take me to a nice dinner because walking out on that bridge as pregnant as I am now was no small deal.

Here we are in the New York New York Casino eating ice cream like kids probably because we had no kids with us. :) I guess what I mean by "like kids" is that we each actually got to eat our own food and did not have to share it with tiny little hands that always seem to steal much wanted treats. Speaking of acting like kids...after this picture Jeff went on the NY roller coaster. I did not get to go on account of my belly. He said it was really fun! We had a great trip and marveled at the fact that every time we went somewhere it only took us 5 minutes to get ready and out the door instead of the usual 30 that is takes with babies in tow. We ate a Father's Day breakfast this morning, Happy Father's Day Jeff, then left to get home and get back to our boys. Fun times!

Swim Lessons

2011-06-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

These pictures are poor quality because they are off my phone, but they are still fun memories. We started swim lessons this week. It was very cold outside the first few days and the water was frigid. I don't think I would have easily gotten in the pool, but Brady was a champ. He did not complain, but shivered a lot. Then the temperature warmed up outside so it was a lot easier on the him to get into the water. He is becoming such a coordinated kid. Watching him progress so fast has been a blast. His favorite part is jumping off the diving board at the end of the lesson to his instructor.

Here are the boys trying on their goggles. Cody's goggles still have stickers on the lenses in this picture. Awesome. The box in the background of the picture is from a piece of furniture. You would be amazed at how many hours the boys have played with that piece of cardboard. First it was a boat, then it was a slide and now it is simply a platform for them to jump off of. Swim lessons and furniture boxes...this summer is starting out great!

Our First Tree

2011-06-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

So we finally realized that we were not knowledgeable enough to plan out the landscaping in our backyard. It took us some time to come to this conclusion. After looking out the back window multiple times and seeing the dirt edges around our backyard accompanied with the sensation of being totally overwhelmed we realized we needed help. We are all about digging and doing the labor, we just did not know where to start. After we had the plans drawn up it felt much more approachable and easy to do in phases because we had the big picture and knew where to start. Also, while making the plans I decided to become Farmer Kelly and had our landscaper place fruit trees in the drawing. I went to a nursery and bought the tree and here the boys are planting it for me.

The first step was to dig a big hole, which is fine unless the dirt in your backyard is close to concrete. Jeff had to dig and then fill the hole with water to soften the ground. This process happened a few times. In the midst of it the boys decided the hole functioned better as a dirt bath and took full advantage of it.

Cody decided he would bath with his clothes and diaper on. Brady decided that he would dig while he was in the water to "help" dad.

Here is the finished product, our first little tree. It is actually 3 trees in the same hole. It is a little like the hybrid trees that have different branches of fruit. This one is not grafted though and simply will grow towards itself. Each tree harvests at a different time peaches and nectarines.

Saturday Morning Haircuts

2011-05-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

We usually take the boys to the Salon where I get my hair done to get their haircuts. We have used clippers on Brady one time and it was great, but we were not overly confident in our hair cutting skills. The other day we went for it again though. It was Saturday morning and we helped the boys sits still by bribing them with Otter Pops for breakfast! Right on! Here is Brady before his haircut.

Cody before his haircut. His hair was what really sent me over the top. It was in his eyes in the front and a mullet in the back. Awesome.

This is the first swipe of the clippers. He was not sure what to expect.

Here are their cute little faces afterwards. It was so easy and so free that I think we will try it again.

Waking Up Next to this Face

2011-05-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

After multiple nights of waking up because of teething, Cody finally convinced us that in order to get any sleep we were going to have to let him have a spot between us in the bed. This seems to do the trick for him most of the time when he is not feeling well and the way that we get to sleep too...well that is when his foot is not in one of our faces or his little body is not plastered up next to us so that the temp goes from comfortable to 150 degrees because he is so warm. In the morning though when I crept out of bed to get ready there Cody was in all his sweetness drooling on his pillow and snuggled up next to Jeff. It is such a precious sight after such a long night of him tossing because his mouth hurt so much. This quiet moment almost made up for how tired I was the whole next day...almost.

Another Great Desert Trip

2011-05-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

We recently went on another family camping trip to the desert where we camped and rode dirt bikes. This trip happens mulitple times a year and is a highlight for all the boys of the house. I love it too because I get to hang out with my friends and family...while I am not chasing Cody to make sure he does not wander out into the hills. I forgot my camera this trip, but luckily had my phone. This was one of the only pictures I took. It is so sweet to me. The boys had recently woke up, rather early of course, and were looking out the trailer window to watch Papa (Grandpa) as he roamed around the campsite in the morning getting stuff ready for the day. I love their pj's and their little heads in the sillouette of the window. These are the sweet little moments when they are still before they start running around crazy for the day.

Branding 2011

2011-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

We help brand my parents' cattle a few times each year. These pictures are from our 2011 Spring Branding. It was such a beautiful day and we all had a lot of fun. Everyone was safe and there were many memorable moments. Here is my handsome, rugged cowboy after he roped a cow. Sometimes I cannot believe Jeff did not grow up ranching because he is so good at it.

Our littlest cowboy roaming the range and making sure everyone was doing their job. My job, of course, was chasing him around all day and making sure he did not get branded himself.

The boys watching the cows while sitting like cowboys on the fence.

This is where we found Brady most of the day. He rarely sits still so it must have really been awesome to him to watch the cowboys work. I think he is counting down the minutes until he gets his turn to get in that pen with the rest of the crew.

Raised Garden in the Works

2011-04-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have been begging Jeff to build me a raised garden. I do not have much of a green thumb, but the idea intrigues me and I would love to see if it is as easy as people say. I love the idea of fresh tomatoes and the idea of growing my own cucumbers...if I can. So this Saturday it took him one hour to quickly put the boards together for me. The best part of this picture is that the boys had to be all over the Jeff the entire time he was building it. It probably would have taken him half the time, but the boys really wanted to "help" him. It still makes me laugh the way you have to budget your time differently when kids are "helping." This is the finished product with the boys and our cousin in it. We moved it to the correct place in the yard, stained it and put down some wire to stop rodents from digging up beneath the plants and eating them. I am so excited to get started. My next step is to fill it with good soil, but for now we are calling it the sand box because for the last week it has been the only place the boys want to play in the backyard. So funny that placing wood boards in a rectangle suddenly creates the most fun place in the yard to drive trucks, dirt bikes and build sand structures.

Brady's First Round Up

2011-04-08T16:16:00.001-07:00

Now Brady and Cody have both ridden their share of horses, but always when the work starts they have to get down and let the big boys ride off without them. This time Grandpa J decided Brady was big enough to come along and round up the cattle on the ranch that he and Jeff had to sort. Brady was so excited. I think I heard him say, "Giddy up horse!" fifteen times in the short minute that I could still hear their voices as they rode away. It was precious. When he returned he could not stop talking about how much fun he had. What a cowboy!

Cody getting his turn to ride with Jeff after the boys got back from their round up.

Cody climbing every fence that he could get to the top of while he waited for the big boys to return.

Cody's Surgery

2011-03-06T16:39:00.005-08:00

Recently Cody took us on a wonderful journey of parenthood. The great path of waiting and praying while one of our most precious possessions was put in the hands of a trusted surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurse, etc,... to get put under while his body was being operated on.

Here he is getting his miniature gown on.

Almost pushing the button to cause a code red. That blur in the bottom left corner is Jeff's hand suddenely realizing he should stop taking pictures and get Cody before he had the entire hospital staff at our beside. :)

Cody was not as into taking this picture, but the lady in the bed next to us offered to take a family shot of us while we were taking pictures of Cody. It was a funny time for a family portrait, but a memory none the less.

Here Cody is incredibly groggy after surgery. They gave him some sugar water in a bottle. He powered down 5 of those in 45 minutes. The sugar water was so good to Cody the doctor's never even suspected that he had tasted soda before that moment. :)

Tuesday with the Cousins

2011-02-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Last week my sister took care of the boys for the morning. Our nephew is SUPER fun and is just a little younger than Brady. We call them "brother cousins" because they love each other and spend so much time together that they seem to be a little more than simply cousins. Here the boys are inside the fort that they made with chairs and blankets. Aunt Becky's house is AWESOME!

Look at those eyes! I could melt into them. But does anybody brush either of my kids hair? Jeff was the one to drop them off that morning. I have no complaints though. They were dressed with their teeth brushed.

Serious cousin love here, but even more serious...the hair!

Wrestling Match Turned Hug

2010-12-21T15:12:00.001-08:00

How many times does this happen as a parent...you are in another room and you hear something going on or even better you sense it. You hear giggles and the frequent sound of "ugh" and "womp" and you know the kids are doing something that is probably not going to end well. I walked into my living room to see these two boys wrestling on the couch. My mind immediately went to the coffee table inches from their heads. I quickly told them, "Boys stop! No wrestling." They did in fact stop...right in the middle of a take down move by my youngest. Then they tried to play it off like they were hugging. It was hilarious. They even hugged long enough for me to take a picture. Oh my goodness, I have my hands full!

Brady Turned 3!

2010-12-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well this is one of those better late than never posts. I know that it is the end of the year and he turned 3 over a month ago, but I found this cute picture that I had taken and had to share it! What a cutie! I have heard over and over that 3 is a fun age. It is true! Brady delights us with his spunky attitude and his continuous energy. He is always up for adventure and wants to be involved in anything that means he gets to get dirty. He runs EVERYWHERE he goes. He is the best brother. What a cool kiddo! I think I say this everytime I write, but I truly am blessed to have him as my son.

I can't believe it, Cody is one!

2010-09-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

One year! What a big boy!

It took all of Brady's self-control to not eat the cake before Cody got his first bite. Of course Brady moved in right away once Cody had one nibble (notice Cody's finger). Don't worry we stopped him quickly and Cody got his time to shine stuffing the cake into his face once he realized it was pure sugar!

Birthday kisses from Jeff.

What an amazing year we have had with him! He is just simply one of the cutest guys...just like his brother and Dad of course. :) He has the happiest little heart and is full of life!

7 Year Anniversary

2010-07-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from our 7 year anniversary trip. This year we decided to make it a family adventure. We trecked all over California making stops along the way. We got to spend time with some very wonderful friends. We went to two different beaches and then ended the trip with our extended family at the Lake Tulloch for a little wakeboarding and tubing. I had a blast watching my kiddos play in the sand and laugh on the boat. It is mind-blowing to see the blessings that the Lord has poured over Jeff and me during our 7 year marriage.

The Branding this Year

2010-06-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

My family runs a ranch and we brand cattle every year. These are two pictures from the day. So sweet! It was a beautiful day.

Easter 2010

2010-05-03T14:13:00.001-07:00

It is a tradition from my childhood that we take Easter pictures every year in our Easter outfits. Jeff and I have continued this tradition and it is neat to see how our sweet little family is growing and changing.

We Rock the 80's

2010-02-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Brady and Cody put their hats on sideways. Brady then starts using words like "Homies" and "Rad"and Cody starts saying "Sike" and "Not."

Early Morning Movies

2010-02-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

What does dad do with the kiddos when they decide to wake up at inappropriately early hours? He sets them up infront of the TV and lets them watch Veggietales over and over. What if your youngest is too small to even comprehend TV? You prop them up on the boppy anyways so they can enjoy the colors and lights as they flash across the screen. Dad then lays on the couch while keeping one eye open to make sure everyone is okay and sleeps with the rest of his body. Mom comes out later and decides to be completely fine with the many hours of television they have already watched in the morning because Dad let her sleep in. :)

Cody's First Desert Trip

2010-01-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

I guess I have finally realized that having two boys means my future is going to be full of dirtbike riding and winter camping. We had a lot of fun. We could barely get Brady off the bikes and quad to eat. Cody was his sweet self smiling and giggling the whole time. I felt like a champion mom for making it through camping with a 2 year old and 4 month old. Overall the trip was a blast.

Working with Dad on the Yard

2009-12-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Brady got a new lawn mower for his birthday and he is very helpful. Whenever Jeff goes outside to do any work Brady brings along his tools and is right there with Jeff ready to go! He is so full of energy and is always laughing! How great that I get to hang out with him everyday.

Cute little sugar man Cody!! We love him to pieces! His little disposition is so sweet right now. He and his big brother are the best kids. I love being their mommy. They make my life even more fun everyday.

All My Handsome Boys!

2009-09-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

I cannot help but sing praises to God as I look at this picture. What a blessing! This picture was taken our first night home when he was only one day old. Cody is so sweet already, just like his big brother. He nestled his way into my heart the minute I saw his sweet face. God is so good.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

2009-08-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am no Martha Stewart, but I must brag because I made Jeff and Brady homemade chocolate ice cream tonight and it was a hit! We recently bought a vita-mix blender and it is AWESOME! You could probably make roasted chicken in it if you were creative enough. I say that because all I had to do was dump a bunch of ingredients into this machine and 30 seconds later we had chocolate ice cream. I did very little work. I also had to post this picture because when I went to take it Brady actually said, "Cheese!" and then gave me that great fake smile. It was really funny and also left me contemplating if I have ever told him to say "Cheese!" when he took a picture. Where did he get that?

Brady's First Dirt Bike

2009-07-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Wow! Brady got his first dirt bike this weekend. Although he will not be able to ride it for a few years, I am sure that he and Jeff will find many reasons to work on it in the garage until then. This is Jeff and Brady washing it for the first time. Brady says, "Woooow!" everytime he sees it in the garage.

Trip to San Francisco

2009-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Jeff and I went to San Francisco to for an early 6 year anniversary trip. This picture is not the best quality (unfocused, the lighting is bad), but I love that you can see a little bit of Giants Stadium and the ocean in the background. We were laughing pretty hard while this picture was being taken because the person who took it was a little tipsy and she kept asking us to pose...for example, "Now look at each other and laugh" or "Make a heart on her stomach with your hands." It was hilarious. We also went to see the musical Wicked. What a fun show and the performers were so talented. We had a blast! I am 30 weeks pregnant here and as round as a blueberry. But I was still able, well almost able, to keep up with Jeff while we walked all over the city. What a fun trip!

Santa Barbara Adventure

2009-06-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

On June 4th my sister Becky and I took our 4 boys to Santa Barbara and Carpentaria. It was a blast! The kids had such a good time. It was quite an adventure. Little brave Toby, 11 months, crawled straight into the water and Brady played chase with the waves. The two older boys dug holes and made sand fortresses. What a fun day! Here is a quick picture I got of Brady. He was barely still long enough for me to take a snap shot because he was having such a blast running around.

Old School, but so cool!

2009-06-03T21:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, this picture is a little old; it was taken more than 2 years ago. I just could not get over it when I was looking through my pictures and found it. Look how sweet those little babies were! They have grown so much since this was taken! It also made me praise the Lord for the fun friends that I have and how much He has blessed me with these girls. So fun! I love it!

BACKYARD TRACTOR

2009-05-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

So we're finally putting in our backyard. No more throwing the toast out the back door when we accidently burn it. No more BMX jumps built out of tires and plywood. Grandpa J let us borrow his cool tractor to move some dirt around. It was really fun - even though I kinda did more damage than good. I rode around with Brady in my lap. It looked like he was really having fun. Then, after a little tractoring, I looked down and he had stopped playing with the levers and was just jamming both of his fingers deep into his ears. Oops. I guess the desiel was too loud for him. He got to go back to mommy after that. I still think he had fun though.

Oh yeah, and I may have crashed into the house once with the tractor. oops.

Posting Practice

2009-05-31T22:12:00.001-07:00

Okay, I dont' really know how to post. So this one is practice. I'll try to put in a picture...

That's me in the black hat. I'm getting ready to go to a branding. I roped off the horse for the first time at a real branding and didn't do too bad. Well, I missed a lot, but at least I didn't cause any wrecks. The person in the cowboy hat is Brady. He's my son.

Brady is a Male Model

2009-01-07T19:21:00.000-08:00