Half the year has come and gone......

Yes.....I have fallen off the face of the earth with our blog.....completely fell into a non-blogging pit. I honestly don't know where or how the time disappears so quickly. It seems its going by faster and faster every day. So this post will involve a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, my brothers wedding, our spring break in Mexico, a Happy Easter, and the beginning of our kitchen cabinet remodel with family visitors from Utah. I feel like we've been so busy with tons of house projects and just being a mom. We seem to always be working on something around here. I guess that's what happens when you own a home......we are learning this. We will have the outside of our home freshly painted this week. We are so excited for this!! Parker keeps me busy and is growing so dang fast. He has done everything so mush faster and earlier than the other kids. He must want to catch up. He is the sweetest little boy and we love him like crazy. He turns 1 in a few weeks and has already been walking for two months! Ashlynn turns 7 in a week and Tyler turns 10 a few days after that. They have both been busy with choir and started piano lessons from my mom! Tyler is also busy with scouts and in the middle of little league. School is almost out and then our summer adventures will begin at Lake Powell and continue in Utah. Everyone is healthy and happy and doing well......no complaints here! So here we go with some pictures and serious back tracking to catch up. Thank you Nicky for giving me the loving push to get going again!

We had Christmas at the cabin in Utah with Dave's entire family. It was a lot of fun! Parker was sure happy about his first Christmas:)

 We always turn into big goofballs when the family gets together.......I'm hoping this is normal??

 My sister and I took my mom to get a pedicure for the very first time ever in her entire life for her birthday in February!! We had so much fun watching her get pampered and taken care of. By this time Parker was all over the place trying to walk but still holding on to everything. He loves to play the piano and he gets his groove on when music plays. It's awesome!

 In March my brother Matt married his sweetie Arianna and they are blissfully happy and off on their own planet now. I guess they are just enjoying being on their own and answering only to themselves. We remember how that was right?!

 Then we were off to our little paradise, Rocky Point, Mexico.....a 3 1/2 hour drive from our house. We have such a blast ever time we go. Its a perfect getaway! 

  Parker LOVED the water......he's a water bug just like the rest of us!!

 We always go over by Dave's moms house to the Easter Egg Hunt. Here the kids are waiting for the Easter Bunny to come in on the boat. Ashlynn is with her cousin Kylee and Tyler is with his cousins Brock and Brandon. 

 All Parker cared about was these two eggs....as long as he had those he was happy.

 Here are my beautiful children on Easter morning. I'm so lucky to have these kids!! 

I think I need to start a different post about our kitchen project. There are so many pictures and craziness to go along with it. But at least I'm somewhat caught up with the past 6 months. Until we meet again........:)

Fall Festivities

Well I think this has to be the longest post I have ever done!! But because it is so large that means I am all caught up!! Woohoo!! Oct and Nov were full of lots of fun stuff.....so I'll start from the beginning. For the kids fall break in Oct we take our annual trip down to Rocky Point, Mexico. It's only a 4 hour drive until reach absolute bliss! Our families always freak each time we go and think we are crazy for crossing the border. But it is a great place and has always been safe and we just love it! We never have any problems and its become a great place for families to escape to and play. Plus it's a pretty dirt cheap vacation so you gotta love that. We set up a canopy on the beach and play from sun up till sun down. We love it:)

We go down with the Bybee family every year and stuff our faces full of mango's.....mmmmmm:)

Parker's first time on the beach....he did great!




On to Halloween.......I've decided that I'm not a fan of carving pumpkins! It really is gross. We might do something different next year that isn't so messy and slimy.....we'll see.

Ashlynn was a bride this year.....Tyler was Harry Potter....and Parker was a little monster....a tired one at that.

We went trick or treating with cousins and the kids had a blast.

Next up was Vertuccio Farms.....I got this cheap groupon for a fall festival there so we went. It turned out to be lots of fun! They had a 10 acre corn maze....we haven't seen that much corn since Iowa!

Tyler and Ashlynn had school things they participated in. Tyler sang in the 4Th grade choir on Veteran's Day. It was really a neat program and something he was proud to be a part of! Ashlynn had her Thanksgiving day play with her class. I got to go watch her and then eat pie and soup!

Last but not least....THANKSGIVING.......we had one day with my family and another day with Dave's side. Unfortunately I have no pictures to show of Dave's side....I brought my camera but left my battery charging at home. Oops!

It was a great weekend full of family and good food. Dave was also crazy enough to go out shopping with the madness on black Friday. We got ourselves a new fire pit for the backyard. He even found a guy that sold firewood. Well....it wasn't actual fire wood....it was cut up tree stumps that you go pick up and chop yourself. I had no idea that Dave had so much mountain man in him. He got himself an ax and now we have a nice wood pile out back. Now it's time to have SMORES!!! We also celebrated Dave's 37Th birthday over Thanksgiving weekend! I'm so grateful for ALL of our families and everything we've been blessed with this year. We've been able to have a lot of fun and make a lot of great memories. All because of Dave's hard work and determination with his office. I'm a pretty lucky girl:) Next stop......Christmas.......Utah here we come!!

Iowa

Oh my gosh I am so far behind again!! I tell ya things just sneak up on you and before you know it.......weeks have gone by! I have to do some serious catching up. I'm taking you back to a trip we had in August.....IOWA. Dave had a weekend chiropractic seminar full of classes and old collegues. I said there is no way you are going without me! So we packed up with baby Parker and left the other two with a friend. It was a treat to getaway and spend time with dear friends and remember good old times! We stayed at the Kook's B&B....aka Tom and Sara.....the farm was beautiful and full of adventure. Dave even managed to revive himself by touching a electric fence that kept the horses in. If he wasn't sure before....he's grateful to still be alive and kickin'.....thank goodness! Didn't you know I married a curious George? Mental note for next trip.....next time you decide to get up in the early morning for a stroll along the farm in the morning dew barefoot....don't grab the white rope. Awwwww Dave....you gotta love him and just laugh:)

This is Ed....Dave's best bud during school. They are a great family and due to have twins soon!

Beautiful farm.....

This was our church building that we went to....we watched this thing be built from the ground up. So neat to go back and visit everyone!

Awwwww Sara......I can laugh like crazy with this girl:)

Natalie met us at the Machine Shed....a must stop on places to eat!

It was so great to be back and remember our times back in Iowa. I had a lot of emotions come out that I didn't know I would feel going back there for the first time since we moved 4 years ago. That time in our life was one of the hardest things we've been through in our marriage. School for Dave was a hard thing to get through. But we wouldn't change it for the world. Can't wait to go back for another visit. Great people in Iowa and even better memories!