The Hackmans

Time Out

2011-12-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

I finally made it to Time Our For Women! I have wanted to go for years. It was worth the wait. A group from the ward, plus a few other friends from here and there drove up to St. George and made it an overnight get away. We enjoyed each others company, yummy food, a little shopping and getting our spiritual buckets filled. If I can impliment even one of the many wonderful things that inspired me this weekend, my life will be blessed. I came home ready to be a better mom, wife and daughter of God.

I even got to spend the Friday night session with my mom who happened to also be in town for her birthday. I am so sad I forgot to get our picture together.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin carving. They did a really good job!

Braxton's approach this Halloween was to trick-or-treat hard enough and fast enough to make up for last year. Since Halloween fell on Sunday last year, the kids didn't go trick-or-treating so he wanted to make up for that loss of candy. I think he actually did. This was his first year to go off with a couple of his friends.

Sledding

2011-04-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, Whit! This one's for you.....

We went on our annual President's Day sledding trip a few days early this year since Braxton and Dad had an airsoft war to attend on President's Day. It was a PERFECT day for sledding. Not too hot, not too cold and lots of beautiful snow....and surprisingly very few people. This was the first year we have ever paid to go in to the actually "sledding hill" on Mt. Charleston. It was worth it. The slope was just right.

Braxton didn't spend a whole lot of time sledding. He kept getting frustrated that the sled wouldn't go the direction he intended it too. So he busied himself doing other things.

Unfortunately, Kobee sled even less than Braxton. He was just beginning to get a little bug, and his energy level fell really fast. Poor kid. He mostly just laid around in the snow saying he was tired.

Dylan, on the other hand, got our money's worth out of that hill. Initially he had to have either mom or dad go down with him, but then mom kinda made him go down once by himself by letting go of the sled before she climbed in and that was all it took. He sled down the hill NONE STOP. I couldn't resist taking picture after picture because he just kept flying past, laughing and loving life.

Mom took several turns too, once Dylan set off on his own.

And dad had the same problem Braxton had. He couldn't control the direction of his sled very well and whiffed it a few times. The last one landed his face in the snow. :)

McKoy hesitantly enjoyed a few short rides down with mom and dad. He wasn't terribly sure of the snow yet. He could hardly move with all the snow clothes and it made his face look super chubby!

High-Fives from the Prophet!!

2010-07-02T23:29:00.000-07:00

So our little family vacation started of with a BANG! We met up with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to have dinner at Little America in downtown Salt Lake. As we were waiting for our food to come, who should happen to walk by our table but President Monson!!

He stopped and spoke briefly with the table across the isle from us and then turned around and came over to our table to say hi. Braxton and Kobee got up to meet him (Dylan was too scared) and they both received a high-five from the prophet! He spoke with each of them briefly. He was impressed with Kobee's hair-do. He asked Braxton how old he was and when his birthday is. After Braxton told him his birthday is October 7th, President Monson turned around to Sister Monson and asked, "What is on October 7th...something is on October 7th? Oh, that's the day we got married!"

Luckily Grandma and Aunt Britt grabbed their cameras and got a couple of photos before the excitement was all over. (Notice one of his bodyguards peeking over the wall to make sure we don't do anything questionable.)

Meeting the prophet of the Lord will definitely be the highlight of this vacation. :)

Cute Little Squirt

2010-06-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

This pic has to be one of my very favorites so far. I could just take a bit out of him!

Delicious Toes

2010-06-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

McKoy has been putting his toes in his mouth the last few days....usually when he is getting his diaper changed. I don't remember any of the other boys eating their toes. Probably because they were so chubby they couldn't reach them up to their mouths. But this little small fry sure can. So cute!

Marshmellow Pyramid

2010-06-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, the boys got the mini marshmellows and toothpicks out to create with. They made several little creations and then Braxton decided he wanted to make a giant structure. He set himself to work making this pyramid.

It took him an entire Saturday. He would have to take breaks because his back would start hurting from hunching over it. We calculated that it has over 1,000 toothpicks!! Nice job bud!
.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day dad. We all love you so much! Thanks for all you do to take such good care of our family.

Insanity!

2010-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

James and I were challenged by another couple in our ward to try the workout program Insanity. We were apprehensive but wanted to lose some weight so we went for it. There were three couples that started together. The challengers, Emily and Casey Thornton, lasted a day or two! We made it three and a half weeks. Chuggs made it together about as far as we did, but then Jared quit too. Geneva was the only awesome one to make it all the way through to the end. The program is INSANE.

James and I did our workouts together in the evenings after the boys were in bed. One Friday night they came down curious about what we were doing. They asked if they could do it with us. To our surprise Braxton and Kobee did the entire workout. It was funny to watch them try and figure out the coordination to do some of the moves. Although we were kinda on top of each other, it was a great time working out as a family. :)

Brandy's Birthday

2010-06-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

On my birthday, a bunch of friends and I went to dinner to say good-bye to one of our dear friends who is moving away, Danae Cuff. She has been the best neighbor and we are going to miss their family a lot. We went to Maggiano’s Little Italy in the Fashion Show Mall. Yuuuummy!! I had an Alfredo pasta with mushrooms. It was so delicious.

*Notice Heather making an appearance in BOTH pics!

Later, my friends asked our waiter to bring a treat out for my birthday. They all started singing as soon as he came out. When they were finished, he asked if he could have a turn. Then in sang happy birthday to me in the most amazing operatic voice. It was the highlight of the evening.

Little McKoy was a long for the evening since he is still nursing and won't take a bottle.

After dinner, we drove over to Luv's for ice cream. Another friend, Ashley Gunson, said it was a popular hot spot. Oddly, it is located in a ghetto part of the strip. We didn't stay long. It sure was a fun evening though and a great way to spend my birthday!

Police Station

2010-06-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

The bear scouts got to go on a tour of the North Las Vegas Police Station. A few of the highlights were being put in real handcuffs, pushing the siren in the cop cars, and having a CSI dust their fingerprints. We missed seeing the SWAT team deploy on a call by about 5 minutes.

Memorial Day Swimming

2010-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our kind friends, the Hathaways, offered for us to use their pool over Memorial Day since they were going to be out of town. We couldn't pass up the generous offer. It isn't just any ol' pool either. It comes complete with a diving board, waterfall and slide. AWESOME!

Of course, Kobee and Braxton went non-stop the entire four hours we were there. They barely came out long enough for a quick snack and drink.

Dylan, on the other hand, could only be dragged in kicking and screaming. Mean ol' mom made him go down the slide a couple of times to try and convince him how fun it is. As you can see, he couldn't be convinced.

He preferred the safety of the splash deck and the trampoline.

McKoy had his first swim. Such a cute little small fry.

We had a really fun afternoon.

New Family Photo

2010-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Origami

2010-05-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Braxton has discovered a love for origami. He spends HOURS and hours lately folding paper. He has even started a little Origami Club at school recess. Apparently he is the president. He has a book that grandma gave him, he's checked out videos from the library, and spends lots of time watching how-to videos on youtube. He is really good at it.

He has a box full of all different creations...probably at least a hundred. Here are a few Star Wars droids.

Soccer

2010-05-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is the first of two soccer seasons that Braxton and Kobee are in the same age bracket. It has been so wonderful. Only one practice and one game each week.

Originally, the plan was to get the Walker boys on the same team with us, but unfortunately things didn't quite work out. Ethan ended up on another team and Conner didn't play. But, a least they got to play Ethan's red team. That was a fun game.

Father & Sons

2010-05-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite weekends of the year is the father and sons camp out! Although it is a lot of work to help get them packed up and then help unload when they get back, I do it happily. It is a rare evening that I get to listen to a quiet house and do whatever I want. I can never decide what I want to do in my few carefree hours...read, watch a chick flick, blog. Decisions, decisions.

Pinewood Derby 2

2010-05-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

We attended our second pinewood derby. The other day I counted out how many pinewood derby's we will be attending over the course of the next 10 years. Three per boy times four boys...TWELVE of these fun-filled evenings!

Kobee decided to make a car this year too.

Sunhat

2010-05-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

McKoy is starting to get out in the sun a little bit and I love dressing babies in sunhats!

Visit to Indiana

2010-05-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was so grateful for the opportunity to go out and help my mom this month. We had a great visit as we packed, organized and staged the house for the market. She is anxiously awaiting the sale of their house in Indiana so she can join my dad in Salt Lake where he started his new job in January. While I was there she showed the house more in a few days than she has in 7 months and there may even be an offer soon. Yay!!!

We participated in the community garage sale while I was there. That was a first for me. I have never done a garage sale, but it was fun. Grandma made a couple hundred dollars!

Zach also came for a few days to help do some heavy labor and computer stuff for mom.

While I was there, I also got to see Sarah Martin again! They moved from our ward in Vegas out there last year and are just a few miles from my parents. It was fun to see her.

Anderson Dairy

2010-04-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of years since we have been down to Anderson Dairy. This is actually a first for Dylan (that he remembers anyway). It is always such a fun outing. We went for a ward playgroup activity. Can't pass up free icecream!

Foam Snow

2010-04-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am not sure where this foam came from, but the boys cut it up into little squares for one of their many "projects." One evening, Dylan gathered as many as he could into his hands, walked up a few steps on the stairs and through them into the air as he jumped as high as he could. A self-made snow storm indoors, I guess. He did it over and over and we were all thoroughly entertained by him.

Dad's Righthand

2010-04-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

McKoy was serving as Dad's right hand while he was trying to get some "homework" done. It was a nice break for mom to get her right hand back for a few minutes. :)

Dog Pile Dad

2010-04-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone needed to give dad goodnight hugs at the same time tonight and ended up in a heap on the couch.

Work Day w/ Dad

2010-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

James' schedule allowed for him to be able to take the boys to work with him today for "Take Your Child to Work Day". They were so excited to go. They didn't even complain about having a dress code. Handsome boys.

Bumbo

2010-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

We have started using our Bumbo just a little bit. McKoy doesn't tolerate it for very long periods yet, about 5 minutes and he is so slumped down that he is ready to get out. I am gonna love having this thing though.

Stake Champions

2010-04-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Waterfall Ward Men's Basketball Team won the Highland Hills Stake Championship this year! It was fun to go and watch some of their games, when they weren't too late. They had a great team. Nice job guys!

Loving our baby

2010-04-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Swing Time

2010-04-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

McKoy...hanging out in his swing...making some ADORABLE faces.

Cute Baby Pics

2010-04-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

I couldn't pick just one, so here are NINE cute ones. I love these early months with my babies and I want to just freeze time....so I get "snap-happy" trying to capture as many of these little expressions/moments as I can....cause they are going to be gone all too soon. *tear*

Coloring Easter Eggs

2010-04-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

We had a fun afternoon coloring easter eggs today.

Kobee insisted I take a picture of him sucking in his nostrils. Lovely. He has since been bugging me to take one of him holding his eyelids open really wide and rolling his eyes back in his head. What?!

Dylan could hardly wait to start eating his eggs. He wanted to crack one open before we even got any colored.

McKoy and Dad spent the time snoozing on the couch.

Wii Morning

2010-04-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I woke up and went to peek in on McKoy and he was missing from his crib!! I totally panicked. When I got downstairs this is what I found.

All the boys had gotten up to play the Wii and I guess they didn't want McKoy to be left out of the fun.

Children's Museum

2010-03-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

So I ventured out for the first time by myself with all four boys. We went to the Children's Museum. It went really well.

Braxton spent a ton of time with these building blocks. He is always wanting to be creative. His structures got more impressive each time he began a new one. This is grande finale:

Kobee and Dylan had a lot of fun in this little aircraft.

They also enjoyed working on this car.

These bubble makers were awesome.

Fun way to spend the day while out on track break.

Fun with Britt & Jake

2010-03-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Our kids are lucky to have such fun aunts and uncles. They always get right in and play with our boys....probably because they are always begging them too. Jake and Britt spent time jumping on the tramp with the boys and then took them on a walk to the park before they had to go home.

McKoy's Blessing Day

2010-03-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I love opportunities for family get-togethers. And what better reason than to bless a new member of the family.

James gave McKoy a wonderful blessing. I am so grateful for the priesthood that he holds and that he is able to bless our family with it.

We were so happy that most of our family was able to make it for this special day. We were just missing two uncles, Zach and Vern, and Grandpa Hackman. Thank you for coming to support us and our new little man!

Of course we had to take pictures of every possible grouping. Here are a few:

Grandma made it!!!

2010-03-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

Grandma had something of an awful experience trying to get to Vegas for McKoy's blessing. A word to the wise, be cautious when flying stand-by...it is not for the faint of heart. Her flight was suppose to arrive early Saturday morning. But after waiting for multiple over-booked flights, accepting a rerouted flight to east coast (she needed to come west), waiting some more and hoping to not get stuck in North Carolina for the night, then another couple transfers...she made it to Vegas about 12 hours later than expected...but at least she made it!! We had all been praying all day that she would. We had to make welcome posters and bring balloons because it was such a miracle. It made her visit, super short, but we will take what we can get.

Sadly, trying to get back home to Indiana a couple days later was no better. She spent as much time in airports getting here and back as she did actually visiting us!

Waterfall Ward Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

Some highlights from the ward easter egg hunt:

Dylan was scared and intimidated by the hoards of kids running around like crazy...he almost didn't get any eggs. Thankfully he managed to get a few before it was too late.

Kobee was nowhere to be found the whole morning. He continued looking for eggs and other treasures long after the hunt had ended.

Braxton and his best little buddy, Ethan, both managed to find prize eggs and got to turn them in for prize baskets. Cool.

Baby Bath

2010-03-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

I finally took a few photos of bath time. He loves the bath...just like all his brothers.

Waking up with smiles

2010-03-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

At six weeks, this is how McKoy has started waking up in the mornings. Such a good baby. :)

Los Prados friends

2010-03-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

We LOVE our Los Prados friends, Rawsons and Hutchasons! We had our usual play day rotations during track break...5 hours at each house. It is crazy, but good times.

I really wanted to get a cute picture of them all together, but rounding up 8 boys (plus sweet little Kaycee) is no easy task. It took ten minutes and I only got this ONE photo...without our grumpy Dylan...before Cooper fell and ended up with a nasty black eye. Poor little guy. The previous time they were over, Dalton managed to sprain his ankle on the trampoline, in a serious way. Hopefully, they will still want to come to our house and play in the future. Needless to say, they play hard.....and LOUD! ....ooooh so loud.

Sringtime at the park

2010-03-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

We took McKoy on his first little outing to the park one afternoon while the boys were on track break. We went to the little one closest to our house on the walking path.

Braxton brought along a bean bag toss that our friendly neighborhood Walmart manager gave to us...thanks, Trevor! :) It is so fun to watch Braxton start to gain independence. He pulled all of the pieces out of the box, found the instructions, got it almost put together, realized he had it backwards, took it back apart but finally got it done. Love it.

We had a great time playing. Braxton beat Mom twice and Dylan just loved following his big brother's lead. He quickly learned from watching Braxton how to scream a dramatic "YEEAAHHHH!" when he got the bags in the hole....even though they were standing only 6 inches away. :)

And of course the boys love it when they find trees that they can climb.

My four babies

2010-03-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

I dug out all the "photos in white" that I have with myself and each of my babies when they were all about a month old. It is fun to see them all side by side. While James and I were looking and comparing, we both could see in my face which baby was my most difficult. Exhaustion can be seen. Can you guess?

Baby Braxton:

Baby Kobee:

Baby Dylan:

Baby McKoy:

Grins, Stick'em ups & Playtime

2010-03-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

At five weeks old, McKoy...
....is starting to grin
....is occasionally found sleeping in the "stick 'em up" position and
....is already being recruited by Dylan to play swords and cars. :)

I wanna take it...

2010-03-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Dylan: I wanna take it.
Mom: You wanna take what?
Dylan: I wanna TAKE it!
Mom: I don't understand what you want.
Dylan: I WANNA TAKE IT!!

Mom: Ohhhh......You want to hold baby McKoy??
Dylan: Yeah.

Everyone around here always wants a turn to "take it!" He is so yummy.

A few photos...

2010-02-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken over several days. McKoy was 7-12 days old.

How blessed we are!

2010-02-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

Count your many blessings, name them one by one...Kobee, Braxton, McKoy, Dylan. I love having a newborn in the house. It make home feel like a little piece of heaven and the blessings from our Heavenly Father are so much more vivid.

McKoy's big brothers love him to pieces. He probably gets close to a hundred kisses and love strokes on his head everyday. The boys are always asking to hold him. And as soon as one is holding him, the others are begging for their turn.

The opening act and grand finale...

2010-02-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

It was fun to have an overlapping pregnancy with my little sister...her first and my last. It is crazy to think that even though we are only 4 years apart in age, she is just starting her family and I am finishing mine. And I still wonder how she managed to get a girl on the first try!!

McKoy's Grandparents

2010-02-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

McKoy has such a wonderful Grandma and Papa. And he is so lucky that they won't be living half way across the country anymore! Just a few hours north now! We are so grateful they could come and spend the first few days of his life with us.

I LOVE this photo with Grandma! It is so expressive.

Family Time R&R

2010-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Just hanging out enjoying each others company.

Dylan was playing his little hand held game and apparently accomplished something exciting. So funny!

Flowers for Mom

2010-02-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

James helped the boys pick out some flowers for me. They decided this arrangement was good because their was a flower from each of them and it was blue. They looked beautiful and perfect for a solid week. I loved them.

McKoy's First Hour

2010-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Getting warmed and cleaned up a bit:

Getting the first of many, many, many mommy kisses:

Amazingly, my last baby gave me my longest labor! 16 hours! Although, the first 12 hours were pretty unproductive. I was having contractions, but they were very mild and didn't help me make much progress. Once his head was finally low enough to break my water, things started moving.

Grandma loaded up the boys and brought them over to the hospital even though they should have been crawling into bed. We decided it was worth a few hours of lost sleep for them to come meet their new little brother.

Our first family photo with our newest member:

Braxton and McKoy:

Kobee and McKoy:

We love our curious Kobee. He wasn't afraid of asking the nurse lots of questions. He wanted to know what she was doing to McKoy with the stethoscope so she let him listen to the heartbeat.

Dylan and McKoy:

McKoy and Grandma:

McKoy Chase Hackman

2010-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Our little McKoy is here! And we all love him to pieces. Here is a little glimpse of him at two days old.

February 8, 2010 * 8:33 pm * 7 lbs, 11 oz * 21 inches

Bitter Sweet

2010-02-06T23:58:00.001-08:00

Although I am totally ready to be done with this pregnancy, it is a little bitter sweet for me to think that this is most likely the last time I will be pregnant. As difficult and uncomfortable as pregnancy can be, it is a miracle and a joy to feel a little life grow and move around inside of me. With only one day left of this pregnancy, I hope to just relax and enjoy these last little moments.

McKoy's Nursery

2010-02-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

We are all very anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little McKoy. Just a few more days. Here are a few photos of his cute little nursery, all ready and waiting to welcome him home! We can hardly wait!

This room has been a labor of love for the last several months. I painted, hung the wainscotting and trim, and sewed all the bedding (bumper, bed skirt, quilt, changing pad covers, liners and the window valence). I really enjoyed the project, but am also glad it is all done!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

The boys were so excited to comb their hair into mohawks for crazy hair day at school. We forgot to spray it blue, so I guess we'll do that next time. Cute though.

Dylan is Three!

2010-01-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? Our baby is not a baby anymore. This first photo of Dyl is kinda crappy photography, but I couldn't resist the moment that was captured.

We tried something a little different with the cake this go-around. I baked it in a pot so it had a different shape to it. We all had fun "throwing" the sprinkles onto the cake so they would stick on the sides. It turned out to be a fun little cake.

Enjoying Christmas

2009-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Braxton has always had the BEST reactions! I can still remember his reaction to his birthday present when he turned two. It was this exact same face...only younger.

Our krazy little Kobee has made a reputation for himself when making his Christmas wish list. He always asks for things that are a little...um...unorthodox. He usually fixates on a single item, that you could never imagine many little boy in this world would ask for. This year his big request from Santa was a mini nutcracker. (Last year, he wanted the Space Chimps DVD, the year before, he wanted a green sparkly ring and one year he asked for a hot air balloon! Santa didn't come through very well with that one.)

Mr. Dylan was happy with whatever he got.

All three of the boys got marshmallow guns. Dad probably needed to get one too, but he just helped Dylan instead. Needless to say...there were mini marshmallows EVERYWHERE!

Braxton has been asking/hoping for a Nintendo DS for a couple of years, either for his birthday or Christmas. Mom and Dad have been VERY reluctant. Santa finally brought them each one this year. OH, help!

And of course, what Christmas would be complete without some quality Wii time. This year the exciting new game was the New Super Mario Bros.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T23:33:00.000-08:00

Opening the traditional Christmas eve jammies....

Braxton made the coolest lego santa. He wanted Santa to see it, but wanted to be very clear it was only for him to look at...not take. The note he left next to the cookies said: "Santa, I just wanted to show you the lego santa I made, so I want you to not take the lego santa."

Lego Creations

2009-12-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

During December, Braxton spent much of his track break time building Legos. He is so creative with them. We are always amazed. Here are a couple of his favorites: a tiered birthday cake for his dad and a McDonald's happy meal box.

Waterfall Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

For our ward Christmas party this year, James was asked to join a group of guys to perform a synchronized swimming routine. It was so much fun! They did an awesome job.

The performers: James, Jason Taylor, Trip Dibble, Kirk Walker, Casey Thornton, Jared Chugg. What a fun bunch of guys!

I am still trying to figure out how to upload the video. Hopefully that will be coming soon!

Gingerbread House

2009-12-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

We were given a gingerbread house kit from James' boss, Ken. The boys begged everyday to put it together. They were so excited when we finally had a day to work on it. Unfortunately, when we got it out, it said it need to be assembled and allowed to dry for 2-3 days before decorating or it would not stay together. They were sad to wait a couple more days.

The completed masterpiece! They were very proud of it.

SHG Christmas Dinner

2009-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

This year for James' company Christmas dinner we went to the Cadillac Ranch. We were asked to dress for the occasion rather than formal this year. We had a really yummy dinner and then a several in our group took turns riding the mechanical bull. James was one of the longest riders in the bunch! I was a little bummed I had to miss out on the fun this year. Next time. This little baby is worth sacrificing a little fun.

Bellagio Conservatory

2009-12-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

With the boys on track break, we went down with a ward playgroup to visit the flower conservatory at the Bellagio. It was nice to get them out of the house and walk around a bit. Kobee kept being drawn out of the conservatory by the all the sparkle in the nearby jewelry store window displays. (We think he should be a jeweler when he grows up.)

The flower displays were beautiful!

Laundry Helper

2009-12-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

This is Dylan "helping" mom work on all the laundry once we were back home from our Thanksgiving trip. It is always so "helpful" to not have any laundry baskets to use while doing lots of laundry. He needed all three of them.

Thanksgiving in Idaho

2009-11-30T23:28:00.000-08:00

We all had the fantastic opportunity to get together for Thanksgiving this year...complete with everyone! Some of us stayed at Auntie Woo's house and some of us (with lots of roudy little boys) stayed in a hotel. We had such a nice time hanging out together, crowding out Mis and Vern. They were such great hosts. Just a few snapshots...

Brandy & Eeva:

Braxton & Eeva:

Bridger:

Grandma & Eeva:

Grandpa Hackman & Dylan:

Zach & Eeva:

Papa & Bridger:

Vernon & Eeva:

The boys spent a lot of time being entertained by internet games on Papa or Grandma's laptops.

Baby Eeva's blessing was planned for Thanksgiving weekend while all of the family was gathered together. She is such a sweet, beautiful little girl. Brandy held her as often as possible, soaking up all her girlyness. Misty is such a cute little mom!

Grandma started a tradition a few years ago of giving a Christmas story to the kids to read together. Last year, she read it to them over Skype since we didn't get to see them during the holidays, but this year she got to read it to them in person. They all snuggled up on the hotel bed with their chocolate chip cookies and enjoyed each others company. Such a fun grandma.

Kobee had a hard time settling down at first. That cookie was just too distracting.

Dylan hitched a ride on the luggage carrier as we left the hotel. Doesn't looking at all that luggage and the loading/unloading required, just make you exhausted? We always fill those things to the max and still have to carry stuff in our arms, plus make an extra trip or two for forgotten items.

Reader's Theatre

2009-11-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

Kobee's class held a Thanksgiving Reader's Theatre. He did a great job.

Such a cute little pilgrim.

They served pie afterwards and had every flavor you can imagine, but Kobee couldn't bring himself to try even one piece. No pie for him, thank you!

TWILIGHT Girls Night

2009-11-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

I love having such a diverse group of friends to have a fun girls night with. "New Moon" was on the agenda this night. And of course, we had to go out for ice cream afterwards. What a fun evening. Thanks Whit, for setting it all up!

Fall Soccer

2009-11-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

The fall soccer season is coming to a close. It is a bitter/sweet thing. Bitter, because the boys enjoy playing and it is good to be able to get them out of the house and running off some energy. Sweet, because I grow tired of loading everyone/everything up and hiking down to the soccer fields three, sometimes four, times per week....and it we no longer will use up half of our Saturdays standing out in the heat!

Braxton enjoyed his team and coach this year, although he didn't know any of them at the start of the season. They did pretty well with a couple of tied-games, a loss and mostly wins. Braxton had about 3-4 goals during the season and was one of the most valuable players on the team.

Kobee had the priviledge of having his dad help coach his team. He was on a team with his little friends, Jack and Dallin, and their dad was the other coach. Corbin and his dad also joined the team a few weeks into the season. It was a fun little team and Kobee had an awesome season. He had countless goals and was also one of the most valuable players on his team this year. Who would have ever thought! We can still remember his first season that he just chased other kids around the field barking at them like a dog.

The Grand Costume Finale

2009-11-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

I only seem to remember dressing up once per year when I was a kid, but these days, there are lots of occasions for the kids to get their costumes on, with Halloween evening being the grand finale. There was the ward trunk-or-treat, the school carnival, playgroup, classroom parties and the costume-parade day, a birthday party and trick-or-treating, plus an adult party too. I am so ready to put costumes away by the end of October! They surely look cute though.

Crazy Ax Man:

Captain Black Beard:

Bug-eyed Dragon:

AND the doctor and knocked-up nurse (nice decorum for a RS Pres, right!):

This was the first costume party James and I have ever gone to together...after 12 years! Crazy. But we had such a great time. We joined about 15 other couples in our ward at our host's house and had lots of laughs and fun. James and I won the prize for the funniest costume. We all had to "act" out our costumes so James and I had a quick little make-out episode and then, wha-la...Pregnant Nurse!!

Thanks for a fun party, Allreds!

Snuggling

2009-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

This moment was definitely snapshot worthy. When I walked downstairs to find Dylan snuggled into Braxton's lap watching a movie, I couldn't get to my camera fast enough. Thankfully these rambunctious boys have their sweet moments. :)

Best Buddies

2009-10-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dylan's favorite little friend is our neighbor two houses down, Kayson Cuff. Every time he sees him he yells out "KAYSON!!" They were playing "guns" today...a favorite activity of all the boys.

It is funny how parenting strategies change over time. Braxton wasn't even allowed to have weapon toys at this age. Now, our house is full of them and there still doesn't seem to be enough to go around when friends come over. They usually all need one for each hand and have one tucked in somewhere. Gotta luv boys.

Potty-trained!

2009-10-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

Dylan is officially potty-trained! He has been our first child to be excited about "themed" underwear. Cars are his favorite which he is sporting in this photo. But he also enjoys his Scooby-Doo and Sponge Bob underwear. Spiderman is always the last left in the drawer. Although he has had his fare share of messes and accidents, he was the easiest and most-willing of all three of them to get through this gruelling task. It only took him a few days to understand it and about three weeks before the accidents really tapered off. Poor guy wasn't really in the mood to have his picture taken at this moment...

After a couple of weeks of running around in a bare tummy and legs, we are finally back to dressing in all of his clothes again, and he can even do that all of the by himself too. It is so wonderful!

Although, he seems to have a need to wear three or four different sets of clothes a day and since he can change by himself, he digs through is drawers and the dirty clothes basket to find his favorite items to put on. His clothes are always all over the floor.

Scrap Girls Convention

2009-10-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

I was so excited for the opportunity to drive up to Salt Lake for this year's Scrap Girls Convention. I have been a designer for ScrapGirls.com for three years now and had never had the opportunity to meet any of my co-workers until now. It was a lot of fun to meet all the people behind the screen names and email addresses. It felt like a reunion, although I had never actually met any of them before. I was able to meet about half of my fellow designers, many customers and my employer and art directors.

This is me with the founder/CEO of ScrapGirls.com, Rozanne Paxman...more affectionately known as Ro.

And this is me with the two other LDS designers on the team, Cherise Olsen and Shalae Tippets.

While I was there, Jake and Britt were kind enough to help me save a few bucks on hotel rooms and let me stay with them. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them in the evenings. I really enjoyed getting to hold and love little Bridger...who is growing up fast! We stayed up late talking and enjoying each other's company and even squeezed in a Red Box movie night.

Braxton is Nine!

2009-10-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

We decided to forgo parties this year (although a sleepover with a couple of friends will make up for it.) However, we managed to include all the other b-day traditions. Braxton requested monkey bread for breakfast. Yummy!

Later, mom took a McDonald's happy meal to the school to eat lunch together and we then shared popcorn balls with his class.

We went to Sonic for his birthday dinner which was a fun change. We ate outside and enjoyed the beautiful fall air. Then we went home and opened birthday presents. He was most excited about getting his Bakugan Dragonoid.

No School Day

2009-10-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

After breakfast on a recent "No School" day, all of the boys disappeared. When I walked into the spare bedroom, I found supplies from one of the craft drawers spread all over the floor and each of them engrossed in their own little creation. I really do love their creative little brains. I'd rather have them make this mess than be in front of a video game!

Later, we rode bikes to the park for lunch.

Marathon Master!

2009-10-05T22:15:00.001-07:00

James did it! He finished his first marathon! 3 hours, 43 minutes, 50 seconds. WOW! That is a REALLY long time to run. We are so very proud of him!!

He trained for his first marathon seven years ago and then didn't get to go run it because Brandy was having early labor pains with Kobee and the race location was 9 hours away so he didn't want to risk it. After all of the work it takes to train, it was a little deflating to try and train for another one any time soon. Although, he did run the Indy half marathon a couple of years ago.

This year, he has been very disciplined about getting fit and healthy and then launched himself into training for the St. George Marathon. Unfortunately, he caught a virus that lasted a LONG time giving him head congestion and weakness for almost a month which messed up his training schedule A LOT. But, he still managed to catch back up and be ready in time for the race.

Here he is in the home stretch. He said the last six miles were brutal and it took a ton of energy just to give us a thumbs up as he passed by.

The boys spent hours working on their signs to surprise Daddy with.

We all enjoyed the fruits of dad's labor. They were giving out tons of free ice cream bars to the runners after they came through the finish line, so James grabbed half a dozen to share with the fam. Does it get any better than free JUMBO ice cream and popsicles!

Dylan needed a little help finishing his last few bites. It had gotten a little melty...'er messy.

What a fun way to spend a Saturday. After the race, we all lounged on a blanket under the shade of a giant tree, ate lunch and enjoyed the beautiful weather with a perfect view of the St. George Temple across the street. What a good day!

Kobee is SEVEN

2009-10-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

We started the annual tradition with Kobee this year of mom bringing a McDonald's happy meal to school and eating together in the lunchroom.

Kobee's "girlfriend" (Alexandra) sat with us and shared some of Kobee's fries and a chicken nugget. He loves to share.

At the end of the day, Mom and Dylan brought in cupcakes to share with Kobee's class. He specifically requested chocolate cake with red frosting on one side, yellow on the other side and a gummy worm down the middle. So that's what we did!

Kobee received a $5 bill from Uncle Jake & Aunt Britt, books from Papa & Grandma, cupcakes from his primary teachers and clothes and a spider necklace from mom & dad. Kobee picked out the spider necklace online and it is on its way...although not fast enough. (I am sure a photo will be posted when it gets here.)

Right before cake, we had something of a meltdown with Kobee throwing a tantrum and then mom losing her temper, so cake-time was a little strained. :( We had several pouty-faces and a few smiling-through-the-tears photos. The cake is suppose to be an Ironman face. The boys helped frost it. It's kinda interesting...but Kobee LOVED it so it was successful!

2009-10 School Teachers

2009-09-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Braxton and Kobee love their new teachers for the school year. They have been wonderful so far and we look forward to the rest of the year with them!

Braxton and Mrs. Fuller:

Kobee and Mrs. Mott:

Labor Day Hike

2009-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Who could resist running up to enjoy an afternoon of cool mountain air for our holiday activity?

The boys all carried their "Indiana Jones nap-sacks" to collect any discovered treasures along the way.

We have these fun water backpacks with bite straws. The boys really enjoy using them. I suppose they are much funner to suck water out of than traditional old water bottles.

By the end of the hike, Dylan had obviously had enough of the camera. He kept saying "NO!"

Mom! I have a Girlfriend

2009-09-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

At the end of Kobee's sixth day in first grade, he jumps in the car and very excitedly exclaims, "Mom, guess what?! I have a girlfriend." He rambled all the way home about how excited he was to have a girlfriend for the first time and that he has never had one before. When I asked what her name is, he replied, "I don't know but she has a pink shirt."

Apparently, she chose him to be her boyfriend because her other boyfriend moved away and she thought Kobee had the coolest drawing. He drew a pizza.

James and I have been waiting for this day to come. We knew years ago that he was going to be our little ladies man. Girls will be drawn to him. Meanwhile, Braxton just rolls his eyes and thinks it is all non-sense.

Self Entertaining

2009-09-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Dylan has been learning how to do a little self entertaining the last couple of weeks. With both of his brothers gone all day, he no longer has playmates. He has actually done pretty well.

Fun times with a sleeping bag sack and 3D movie glasses...

Raingutter Regatta & Wolf Badge

2009-08-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Braxton was so excited to win both his races with his regatta boat. He shared his boat with Ethan Martin. Ethan was staying with us for the weekend, and had forgotten his boat. So they called it the Braxton/Ethan boat.

Braxton also earned his Wolf badge...and a few arrow heads, a belt loop and I forget what else. The wolf badge also earns mom an award. I had no idea going into this, just how much work has to be done at home. One year done....many more years and many more boys to go!

New School Year

2009-08-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about this school year...probably more than I should be. I have no kindergarten schedule to slice my day into a half a dozen pieces and now they both go ALL day. Wow! It seems so weird.

(Side note: Kobee likes to comb his front spike as high as he can get it...and since I didn't get haircuts done yet...it is getting just a little bit high! At least he combs it himself though, right?)

Braxton: Mrs. Fuller's 3rd Grade.

Kobee: Mrs. Mott's 1st Grade.

Dylan: Mommy's errand companion

Father's Blessings

2009-08-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful we have a daddy that can give our kids blessings. Back-to-school blessings were always a tradition in my home as a child and it has been a wonderful new tradition for James to have with his own children.

James....thank you so much for being such an honorable husband and father for our family. We recognize and appreciate all your sacrifice and love in our behalf and we all love you a whole bunch!

Back-To-School Camp Trip

2009-08-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

We had our first annual back-to-school camp trip with a bunch a friends from our ward. We all had such a great time, we decided to make it an annual tradition. This is most of the kids...there were still at least a half a dozen that weren't interested in having their picture taken. We had 8 families for dinner and 6 families stayed the night.

All the girls: Melinda, Emily, Whitney, Jen, Geneva and Brandy.
And our fun hubbies: Casey, Jared, Kirk, Jason, Darin and James.
(Brian & Heather and Lance & Sarah went home the night before.)

It started to rain in the early afternoon the following day. We tuffed it out with the Chuggs long enough to roast hotdogs for lunch. By the time we left, the boys were soaking wet and very dirty from roaming through the hills in the rain. The rain didn't slow them down a beat.

We weren't on the road for five minutes and they were all sacked out. I wish they could burn enough energy every day to fall asleep this easily every night.

To walk or to SLIDE?

2009-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hands down, they prefer to slide. This activity is a favorite in our house. The laughter this generates could power Monster City for years. It makes a mess of the stairs for a few hours, but I remember loving this activity when I was a kid...so how can I say no?

Drum Roll Please! IT'S A....

2009-08-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

BOY, oh boy! Anyone surprised? I am not. I knew. You may all be wondering how I know so soon, after all, I am only 14 weeks. I had an ultrasound screening a few days ago and the tech asked if I wanted to know the sex. Of course! She said it was still too early to be certain, but she could probably give me a good idea. You can see for yourself below on the butt shot. Right between the two femur bones there is a little arrow pointing it out. The tech said she gives it an 85% chance it's a boy and that she doesn't think "that is going to fall off." Nice.

Braxton is so excited it's a boy, Kobee is devastated (he has been wanting a baby sister for over a year), Dylan doesn't quite understand it and James is a little heart-broken (still no Ashlee). And I, am just not that surprised. But we are all so VERY EXCITED to be having another little baby come to our house! I guess the big question now, is if he will fit into the little clone mold or if he will come out looking any different.

Smashing Pennies on the Train Tracks

2009-07-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

One of my fondest childhood memories, of time spent with my siblings, is down at the railroad tracks. As often as we could, we would ride our bikes down there to ride on the bike trails and explore and let our imaginations run free. And we would ALWAYS leave a penny on the track and look for it when we would return. On occasion, a train would come by while we were down there, but usually we had to come back in search of our smashed treasure.

My sister's new little house in Idaho is backed up to a set of railroad tracks that is still occasionally used. One afternoon while we were there, were fortunate enough to have one pass by and then return back.

On its return pass, the boys each left a few pennies to be smashed and were also able to pull their arms in the air to get the conductor to blow his whistle. They loved it....and I loved it just as much!

Grandpa Lowe's NON-Salvage Yard

2009-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

While we were in Idaho, we went out to visit my Grandpa Lowe one afternoon. He lives in a little house tucked away behind a car junk yard, containing hundreds of junked cars from about the 60's. When I was little, we were never allowed to go out and explore since it wasn't my grandpa's property (although that wouldn't have helped)...but we would sure try anyway. I totally forgot to snap a photo of the cars. :(

Anyway, over the years my Grandpa has had a problem with people trying to dump junk in his yard...thinking it was the salvage yard. So, I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the sign he has put up in front of his own stuff to help people understand it isn't a salvage yard...notice BEHIND the sign. :) I think it is so funny. Gotta luv it.

Although, my Grandpa is still very concerned about things being moved out of their place, Braxton couldn't resist digging through all the old junk to keep himself entertained. And entertained he was.

Kobee found his own mischief to get into. There is an irrigation ditch running through my Grandpa's yard which almost always has water in it. Of course, Kobee needed to hunker down close to the water's edge for some reason, despite a repeated warning from Mom to stay back. Obviously, he quickly slipped off the rock and literally summer-salted into the ditch, soaking him self from head to toe. He is seen in this photo wearing one of Grandpa Lowe's shirts, his baby brother's extra sandals and going commando. He was a little distraught by his appearance and didn't want to have his picture taken.

When he was explaining to Grandpa what happened, this is what he said, and I quote: "I needed to wash my hands off and I got down by the water and mom told me not to and I didn't listen to her and I fell in."

Poor kid...a life of hard knocks.

And this little monkey pot....Dylan Trey....don't let this adorable little face fool you. He looks cute and happy at the moment, but a storm was coming.

That storm was brewing....

Unfortunately, the day ended on a very sour note with one of Dylan's epic meltdowns. Now, he is our most mild-mannered, even-tempered, go-with-the flow child, 98% of the time, but when he melts down, he gets it ALL out. This one started over ice cream in a Wendy's restaurant and ended, of course, with him crying so hard that he gagged and puked all over himself. Ahhhh, parenthood is such a blessing!

And yes...I definitely had some dirty laundry at the end of this day! :) Puke, ditch water, dust and rust. Mmmm.

Bear World - Idaho

2009-07-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

While we were in Idaho visiting Auntie Woo, she was able to get us a free pass into bear world. We were all excited about this adventure.

Part of our carload of people... Everyone in these photos plus Papa and I....hmmm, I don't know why Papa isn't in the photos...but I, of course, am behind the camera. We had to kinda squish into our van, we technically were short a seat, but we made it work.

We saw LOTS of bears: black, brown, grizzly...most of the photos weren't good because they were taken from inside the car with the windows UP! We had one bear come right up and touch the van. Papa was most impressed with this HUGE elk. He said its rack was the largest it can get.

All my cute boys....

There was a little petting zoo by the visitors center with a very opinionated pig, a bunch of roosters, the cutest little white billy goat and Bambi.

Kobee became intrigued with the roosters and before long was in the middle of a game of "chicken" with one of them. It was hilarious. Kobee would chase the rooster until the rooster decided to turn around and chase Kobee. Kobee tripped over himself at one point, falling on his butt, and almost got pecked.

They even had a couple of little kiddie rides that they could ride for free as many times as we could tolerate.

And of course, what park attraction would be complete without a picture in the infamous face-in-a-hole-painting.

Who would have guessed...so many boys?

2009-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

My best friend growing up, Katie Anderson, is still living in the Idaho Falls area, so we got together at the park one afternoon while we were there. It was a fun visit.

Who would have guessed that we would both end up with all boys...and she is expecting her fourth boy soon. The count down is on to see if I can break the mold!

Grandpa Hackman's namesakes

2009-07-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Since James is his dad's only child, it was up to him to pass on the Lou Hackman name....

I think it has been accomplished! Three very cute little namesakes.

Kitten Play

2009-07-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

While visiting Grandpa Hackman's house this summer, the boys found some of the neighbors stray kittens playing out in some tall grass. They eventually coaxed them out into the yard and spent hours trying to catch and play with them. Dylan was the least shy because he didn't understand how to be scared of getting scratched.

In an effort to warn the boys about getting scratched if they were not careful, James caught one and showed them how sharp the claws are. Braxton and Kobee were MUCH more cautious after that!

Kobee didn't even want to pick them up after seeing dad poke one of the claws out. He just held them on the ground.

Little Handyman

2009-07-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Dylan has turned into a little handyman helper. If he sees tools of any kind brought in from the garage, he wants apart of whatever is happening. And he will wiggle his way right in and pry the tool from your hand.

He obviously worked himself to the bone today....he didn't even make it to his bed before he tipped over. That is a rare. Mom doesn't let children hang around 'til they fall asleep where they are sitting.

Braxton's 2nd Grade Award Ceremony

2009-07-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Although Braxton had big ambitions to have perfect attendance this year, it just didn't happen. Type 1 Diabetes messed that plan up, big time. But, despite his many absent days and lots of time spent in the health office, he still managed to keep his grades up and make the "A" Honor Roll. We are so proud of him. He is such an excellent student!....

...excellent student....regardless of the fact that he is proudly displaying his awards upside-down!

Braxton also had a fantastic teacher this year. Mrs. Valdivia was so patient and accommodating with all of the changes that Braxton's new lifestyle inflicted on her classroom environment. Braxton enjoyed every minute of his time with her this year.

Kobee's Kindergarten Program

2009-07-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

For Kobee's end-of-the-year program, he chose the be a wrestler when he grows up. He even memorized his part perfectly. You may notice a few wet areas on his tank top. He insisted that a wrestler needed to be sweaty, so we sprayed him with a squirt bottle under his arms and on his tummy. He loved it. (We added the boxing gloves to help out his costume effect...boxing...wrestling...is there a difference?)

Mrs. Evans was a perfect teacher for Kobee. Although he tried her patience nearly everyday, she did an amazing job helping him progress. We are so grateful for all she did for him.

Return Trip for Free!

2009-06-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

When we went to Legoland a couple of months ago, we opted for the three-month passes since they were only a couple bucks more than the two-day pass. So, we made a return trip to get our value out of the tickets.

James was insistant that we be in the parking lot before it opened this time, rather than be waiting in the long line of traffic to get in the parking lot and then be late getting into the park. Needless to say....we overshot it a bit.

We somehow ended up there over an hour early.

About half way through the day, Braxton found a couple of snails in the dirt. He put them in a cup holder in the stroller and checked on them in between every ride. Unforunately, a distracted mom forgot about them and drop a full water bottle in the cupholder and crushed them. Sad. Braxton was then on a mission to find more and before long, we were seeing snails everywhere. He was the center of attention in all the lines as he would find one and show all the other kids before we made him put it back so it wouldn't die too. On the last ride of the day, the boys also found a purple potato bug. They were in heaven playing with their little critters. Mom and dad made them leave the bugs behind so they could live.

The next day we went to Carlsbad Beach. It was cold. Mom was wrapped up in a jacket and blanket the whole time...but the chill didn't stop the boys from having a good time. They spent some time in the water, but mostly scavenged for shells. They found tons.

Night Swimming

2009-06-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Just as fun as swimming in the day...but there isn't the threat of sunburns. Not that these little white bodies couldn't use a little sun. :)

Watching Cupcakes Rise

2009-06-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, while I had cupcakes cooking in the oven, Kobee walked over and turned the oven light on to watch them cook (he often likes to watch whatever is cooking in the oven). He became very excited as he could see little bubbles form and pop while they cooked and before long, he had peeked both his brothers' interest too. Who knew it could be so entertaining to watch cupcakes rise? Curious kiddos.

Birthday Heart

2009-06-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

Braxton gave me the sweetest homemade gift for my birthday. He is so clever with legos and he created this adorable little lego heart that has a built in kick-stand so it can sit upright on my desk. I love it.

It has been a fun item to practice on with my new bounce flash....which I am LOVING!

I put my jammies on upside-down...ha, ha!

2009-05-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

Kobee is forever being goofy and creative. The other night after bath, he thought it would be funny to put his jammies on backward. Meaning, his shirt on his legs and his shorts on his head. Notice that even his underware is on peeking out from under his shorts on top of his head! Life is never dull....

Mr. Dylan insisted on being in the picture too.