Half way grown. . . .

Reality set in on this little boys birthday back in July that he is already half way to being grown up and out on his own. After I sucked up my tears I had to get to work. Joe and I were asked to help with the 24th of July Pioneer Days Rodeo and both rodeos just happened to fall on the same weekend as his birthday. So he got to celebrate his birthday playin in dirt piles and helpin run chutes at the rodeo grounds for two days straight. He seemed to have a fun time though. Darrell and Tad both rode calves this year and only lasted a whole 2 seconds but they were little tuffies about it. All in all it was a great weekend. I am so glad we have been blessed with this child in our lives. He just amazes me everyday with something new. It makes me sad he is growing so fast but happy to see what a wonderful young man he is becoming! I am excited to see what the future brings!!! Here's a run down of the last year of fun with Big D!

MAMMA AND DAD LOVE YOU SWEET PEA!!!

A Day on The Mountain

For my birthday this year, Joe asked me what I wanted to do. After much thought I told him all I wanted to do was to go up to the Black River up by Big Lake and fish. We left a little late and got distracted by a few animals along the way so we didn't get much fishing time in but it still made for a much enjoyable afternoon.

 

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

 

I was able to get within 40 yards of these beauties. It was pretty fun to get to stalk them.

 

I even ended up with a gift from Tad :0)

All American Studs

 There's something about seeing my hubs playin a little bit of backyard baseball with his sons that just gets to me. It is so nice to see him slow down, set aside the yard work and the welding projects and the ditch work and the tractor work in the field that needs to be done to just spend the evening hours playin' some catch and hittin' some balls. I love it when Joe takes a minute to spend a little bit of quality time just doing little boy stuff, because that time is slipping away so much faster than I ever dreamed it could.

Good game Slick!

I like to look for rainbows . . . .

This weekend my little nephew is going to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am so proud of him. Listening to his excitement as he tells me about being baptized takes me back to August 10th of last year when my own first born son decided that he also wanted to become a member of the church. What a proud day that was for me and his father. I know these small children lean on our testimonies to make this decision and to take upon themselves the responsibility that goes with being baptized but I strongly believe their little bodies come with a much stronger and more receptive spirit than I could have ever imagined! Darrell bore to me a testimony that shocked me and I felt the spirit throughout my entire body confirming to me that this little boy truly KNOWS that his Heavenly Father loves him and knows him and is happy with his decisions. I love watching him and Tad and my nieces and nephews grow and develop physically and spiritually. It was a day filled with love and support from family and friends and we appreciate them! Darrell's dad baptized him and his grandpa Rogers confirmed him. It was exciting to have two of my most favorite men blessing my little boy with such a special gift. I am grateful I am surrounded by the priesthood. I truly am blessed! It will be a memory I will treasure forever!

LOVE YOU TO PIECES SWEETIE PEETIE!!!!

Springtime!!!

I am so grateful for Easter. I know I am late with this post but this morning before Joe left for work we walked around our front yard admiring all of our trees and flowers and grass that are coming back to life and how beautiful and amazing the things that surround us are, especially during a beautiful sunrise! I love Easter and springtime because it gives me a chance to remember my savior and the sacrifice he made for us but not only that he suffered and died for me so that I can repent but that my family and I can and will live again! As I watch my yard come back to life after such a dark and dreadfully cold winter, it reminds me to have faith and hope in my savior, and that his sacrifice was the greatest gift I will ever receive in my life!

Never fails . . .

It seems like once I get the hang of keeping up with this blog and updating, something comes up and I forget about it for months. I couldn't sleep so I was cleaning out my photo library on the computer and I realized there has been so much happen since the last time I posted. A lot that really needs to be documented. We have made a few home improvements, Darrell was baptized, Christmas, Thanksgiving, trips to visit family, and just our crazy fun everyday lives. I have a lot of catching up to do! Just some random pictures of things that have happened because every post deserves photos!

 What handsome little men they are! 

Darrells baptism day.

 Many Saturdays were spent enjoying irrigation in the yard!

 1st Day of School!

 Joe and I went on a hunt here, amazing views, amazing country to hunt. It was crazy rough hard hiking country but a ton of fun, all but rolling the 4 wheeler, that is a story for another day!

 Crazy Taxi Driver for Halloween.

 The Lone Ranger.

 Christmas found our house.

I got a remodeled laundry room for my present. Best present EVER!!!

 Before

 After

 We had the awesome opportunity to go to the Gilbert Temple open house. The boys LOVED it. We LOVED it. What a beautiful place!!!

These, plus some, are all the things I will be catching up on and writing more about soon. Hopefully I can stick with it!!!

Hey ya boo boo. . .

The boys and I got to go to Duncan this past weekend to visit family and just take a mini break and relax and we had a blast. The lightning and thunderstorms were amazing. I miss Duncan for their monsoon season. You have never seen a lightning storm like the ones that little area produces, they are beautiful. We enjoyed the rain and the smell of it and just the feeling that comes with it, you know the one where you just wanna bundle up on a porch swing and just watch and listen and swing, it is quite relaxing. On our way home, I saw what looked like a calf on the side of a hill and I have learned from previous experience, a bear looks a lot like a small baby cow from a distance so I slowed down a bit and low and behold, it was a bear! This is the 3rd bear I have seen in the wild but the first I have been able to capture pictures of. It was only about 100 yards off the highway and had no care that I was stopped taking its picture. It just walked along and ate. It was a pretty awesome experience to be so close and just willingly sit there and watch it. The adrenaline and excitement was very much present!