CAMP DIRECTOR WHAT!?!?

Okay, So I have been hounded about my lack of blogging by those I know, I am sorry and I will post some of the things that we have been up to very soon. Let me tell you my current dilemma, I am the Nursery Leader and now I am also the YW Camp Director. I know, I know, I can hear you all laughing now. Brian could hardly keep his composure when they asked me. How in the world do you get these two callings!! Have I done somthing wrong? Just tell me and I will change my ways, I'll stop yelling at my kids, I'll stop drinking soda, anything just tell me how I got stuck with changing nature and then going out in it!! I think the last time I went camping it was for Girls Camp!!! What in the world do I know about tying knots and lashing, starting fires with out matches and solar cooking! This is way out of my league. For havens sake, I flat iron my hair everyday and never go out without my makeup on. Camp is SIX days and we are only allowed ONE shower, even as a leader! WHAT!!! I have in the past told Brian, "We should going camping, Dax would really like it." His response, "He would! But my kind of camping is a hotel with a pool and 18 holes out the window." So now I am the camp director and have no idea how to camp! Then they told me that I have until April 1st to have the cheer, chant, skit, decorations and banner ready for Stake Psych Night. I am hoping that is when they say "SYCH - did you really think that you are going to be the director?" Brian told me not to get my hopes up. But there is a loophole I learned.......If you are pregnant in any way shape or form, you are not allowed to be at camp!! Tempting!??!? Brian told me to get my butt up to camp. If if you have any great ideas or any consoling words let me know I am begging for some inspiration from those that I lean on. Wish me luck!!!!

Why, To the North Pole of Course!!

This year with the help of Hailey and my wonderful mother were able to go on the Polar Express this Christmas Season. If you don't know The Polar Express has to be Dax's favorite book, movie and soundtrack EVER! We watch the movie all year round, read the book at night and sing the hot chocolate song all of the time! We know everything and every word to this movie. So when Hailey asked if we wanted some of the extra tickets that her mother-in-law had I had I just had to say yes. So Brian booked the afternoon off and we headed north to the North Pole. What Bran and I didn't realize that we really were headed to the North Pole conditions. We googled how to get there and it told us that it would take 3.5 hours and Brian of course said that we could beat that time. So left our nice warm, sunny weather at about 3:00 and went on our way. The train left at 8:00 so we thought sure we had plenty of time. As we hit 6000 feet it became as Avery said Christmas outside. She loved it until she realized that Christmas is cold! We were in a terrible snow storm and very icy roads! We were passing everyone and we were only going 35 miles and hour. In Flagstaff Avery said that she had to go to the bathroom, Brian looked at me and said if we stop we will miss the train, so we talked her into holding it. I had the kids all a present to open when we got there with some new Pj's for the train ride and it did not happen at I envisioned it. It was more Brian and i ripping open the boxes and the children's clothes off and change them and RUNNING in a blizzard to the train station as they were loading the train. We were soaking wet and out of breath. But it was snowing and made it even more real for the kids. As we rode the train and they started passing out the hot chocolate and cookies, Dax looked at me and said " Why are the chairs not turning around and tables coming up? And why they are not dancing and shooting the hot chocolate from cup to cup? " See we have seen it way to many times! But it was a great time and fun to see the kids have a shine in their eyes and smile on their faces. This is the conductor of the Polar Express.
Dax with his special ticket!

A picture of the family...we are the ones behind the snow storm!

Of course, a snow ball fight!!

Santa on the train giving all of the good boys and girls a bell from the North Pole.

Trace's 2nd Birthday!

Trace is 2!?!?!?! Wow how time flies! It seems like every time I turn around its another birthday and everyone is one year older. I remember when he was born and I thought I wouldn't ever be leaving the house again and now I can hardly keep up with the little cutie! He is truly a joy in my life! I love his little smile and his mischievous grin and even when he wants to be invisible so he puts his eyes in his arm. I love that when I pick him up from Crystal's house he runs to the door and is so excited to see me. He does a little jig and I always get a big hug before he is off again. We decided to go bowling for the party and had a great time. It was the first time that I had to bowl with out the bumpers. Very Scary! Trace, Avery, Dax, Colton, Gabi and Cambri had one lane with the bumpers and the grown ups and Cole had to actually bowl. But we had a great time and the kids had a lot of fun. Trace just thought that it was fun to roll the ball, he didn't really care about the end result.

Look I beat Brian!!! It did help that Bret bowled a frame for me and got a strike! I was taking Avery to the bathroom. I deserved a strike for that!!

Who's the baby now?

Just Some Random Good Times

Conner, Avery, Dax and Max just chillin'. They played together so well it was like they see each other all of the time. It's fun to see them with their Indy friends.

Brandon & Crhistina McKee came into town so we went up to thier hotel to swim and then we all went to Red Robin for dinner. Good times with the scary bird in yellow tights! It was great to see the Mckee's! We love it when they get sick of the cold in Park City, UT.

Dax and Avery outside in the backyard playing in the tree. Avery seemed to be a little braver than Dax but then she does have long pants on, so not as much scraping the legs. Whatever Dax!

Avery just sittin' outside in the tree.

Here is a Preview

We finally had family pictures taken of our family, it is about time since in our last picture Trace was 3 months old. So I have a really good friend that takes pictures from our ward. Her husband just finished dental school so we have a lot in common. We were also on Enrichment together so that was a blast. Anyways, she took our pictures and if you go to the link www.imcallingtheshots.blogspot.com you can check them out. I can't wait to get the disk to see the rest of them. Have fun looking!

Avery and Trace

Have you ever been this tired? I don't know how he didn't fall off the chair!
There he is my little man!

These faces look like the are in trouble and I haven't found what they have done yet! Too cute! Who could ever get mad at them!?!

Just another day at the mall for Avery! This is really all the shopping that we ever get done. It is too nice outside to actually go inside the stores!

We Lost a tooth!!

Dax finally lost his first tooth! It has been loose for a while but I told him to stop wiggling it until after family pictures. So we do have one last family picture with all of our teeth for a while I am sure. His tooth was barely hanging there by some tissue and would not let Brian or I hardly touch it. I told him that everyone else wants his dad to pull their teeth and to just let him do it, but he wanted to do it. So Brian put some topical anesthetic on it and told Dax to really wiggle it. I saw the tooth bounce on the counter and knew that he had no idea the it was out. When he looked in the mirror he said "HOLY CRAP IT'S GONE!!"

Dax's Halloween Party

Opps, I did it again! This is the class picture.
Dax loves where he sits right now. By Natalie and Caroline.

Dax's teacher is Mrs. Potato Head!

Notice the flap in the back for the extra parts! Too funny!

Here are a few pictures of Dax's Halloween party this year. I was able to sneak away from work and be there just like a real stay at home mom can do. Thanks Brian!! The morning of the party I had told Dax that I didn't think that I would be there and he said OK. But when I got to the school his teacher said "Oh good your here, Dax said that he was waiting to put his costume on until I got there. So I told him you would be here!" What!!! I told him I wasn't coming! So then I was really glad that I came. He had a great time but he mostly wanted to make sure I was paying attention to him the entire time.

Halloween Catch-up

Here is Trace being a Super Clue Pooh. Do you think it makes him look fat?
Sorry this is sideways, it doesn't look much better the right way!

All dressed up for the big night!

They are so cute when they want candy!!

What can I say......she's better than the real thing!

I have finally have a few minutes to myself so I thought that I might catch up on a few things. For Halloween this year Brian and I were invited to a Halloween party by some our friends but the rule is if you are not dressed up you can't get in. Easy decision for Brian....we were not going! I finally talked him into it and he was even a good sport about it. The theme for the party was TV for movie couples. So I thought about McDreamy but Brian got rid of all of his scrubs so that was out. So as a last resort we went at Popeye and Olive Oyl. The party was unreal!! There were probably 65 people there and they played the game Let's Make A Deal. So each couple was called up and was asked a question, and then could either take $30 in American Express gift cards for pick the curtain! If Brian would have had some lint on him I would have taken the curtain but he would not take off his shoes so we took the cards. But behind the curtain they were giving away IPhones, Cameras, Apple TV, more gift cards and on and on. It was too fun. The grand prize for the game was a free trip to Disneyland! What this is better than the real show!!! We didn't win but had a great night out with out the children and walked away with $30 bucks!! We are so lucky to have Bret and Shuree here, they watched the kids so that we could go and even took them Trunk or Treating with their ward. We love you guys!! Then on Halloween the kids had a great time getting into their costumes and walking around the neighborhood. We live in an awesome area! Dax wanted to be a Red Power Ranger, Avery went as Minnie Mouse and I wanted Trace to be Micky but Brian wasn't so sure Trace would like the black tights, so he went as Pooh Bear.