Airsoft .....

For Christmas this year the boys [Jaxon and Kaden] got air soft guns. Zeke got an awesome new Nerf gun [as if we really needed a new one....]. The boys love them! Jaxon surprisingly didn't want to use his very often. Later to find out because he only had 500 bb's and didn't want to waste them. You know I was going to say such a weird thing for Jaxon but you know it isn't really. He IS my saver. He saves money where Kaden likes to spend it before it hits his pocket. Much like how he spent/used his bb's. Very funny how that works eh? Now we have green bb's all over the back yard since the snow has melted. I wonder how they will go with the lawn mowers? I will let Gregg deal with that one. For now we have green bb's all over our backyard as well as all over the front walk and the carpet in the house?! Such little annoying things to step on you know. The price we pay for fun with guns. It seems as though there are things you just can't keep away from boys. There are things they are just innately attracted to......guns are one of them.
Funny little side note...look at Kaden....see his tongue? Gregg has told me that was something he did all the time when he was little. Kaden runs and plays sports with his tongue out. Basically when he is concentrating on anything out goes his tongue. So funny! What a funny thing he got from his Dad!

Christmas

This Christmas just flew by..... If I didn't know any better I would almost say it missed us. So much has changed....so much! So much to get used to....so much. So much adjusting....still trying to adjust.

This Christmas was just totally different. With our new little one here things went different. I didn't do the day after Christmas shopping like I usually do. I did get a list. When 4'oclock rolled around (and I was up feeding Ella) the thought rolled around in my head of 'oh I should just go and meet them'. Then the momma in me kicked in and when I looked over at the thermometer that read 10 degrees outside I shivered bundled Ella back up and went back to bed.....Gregg did pretty good actually. He intended on going in the morning (not 4am) and get the stuff on the Christmas list. However, he in his true form didn't really get going until around 3 in the afternoon. At which time he tidied up the house then got ready and went. I think it was an eye opener for him. When he first called me at the store and said 'Carrie this is stupid they don't have anything on the list' I replied, 'well people have been shopping for over 12 hours and they are probably all gone, (which is part of the reason we go at 4am--the other part to be with sisters!). He scored and got almost everything on the list anyway. He spent more than he should have (as usual) but I think he had a little bit of fun, and was pretty proud too! :)
Isn't this just was Christmas is all about? I just love sweet brother hugs....this came right after Zeke opened his pillow pet dolphin he wanted so bad. Jaxon gave it to him.
It is so funny how much they look alike...with the exception of eye color (for now). They are both little brownies and have so many of the same looks.
Jaxon could be found in this position if I let him all day everyday! Seriously! He loved the awesome rocker video game chairs they got and had to try it out playing his new game.
Kaden's favorite of the year was his Bandit. Oh how he loves it. He thinks he rocks at it. In fact, a couple of days after Christmas he told me he had a dream he was in a professional RC race and he won! He jumped over the snow all day with his bandit.
dun, dun dun dun da dun dun da dun....(if you don't get it it is supposed to be the star wars theme music for Darth Vader) Zeke sings this over and over and over and over and over and...well you get the idea. He LOVED his Anakin Starfighter this year. He is zooming it as we speak! :)
Sweet little Ella, didn't make a peep this year... She loved her little pink hippo Zeke gave her. And she will one day appreciate all the effort her daddy put into her room too!
Nana and Papa have been coming over for years for breakfast...since the Nordfelts have decided it is too much for them to pack up right after opening presents in the morning and trekking for 5 hours to get here for Christmas day! ( I can't say as I blame them) But sadly to me, I started doing Christmas morning in place of it and Smarts and Drapers came. Then Smarts decided they didn't want to. My other sisters didn't want to participate either....this really hurt my feelings so I decided I just couldn't do it any more. I can't keep getting my feelings hurt on Christmas because my sisters don't want to spend time together......so I don't do Christmas breakfast with anyone other than my family. It is still a great time. In fact, this year Gregg cooked it for us. He pulled out the Camp Chef and put on his shorts and boots and went out and braved the chilly air and made us pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs and hash browns. yummy! Love you hunny!

Jaxon -- Tackle Football!

Where do I start??? Well first of all I really hate to blame my absence on anyone thing....but honestly if I had to it would be Bingham Ute Football of 2010!!! I was asked to be the team mom. Being the team mom along with 2 other very active boys, being pregnant and starting a new school year.....it was all I could do to stay afloat with that aside from blogging. But it is so important to me as one day when I get all caught up on my scrapbooking.....this will become so very important to me as it will become my handwritten (computer typed rather) memories!

So yes, this year Jaxon played tackle football. This was his second year playing. He is so aggressive this is HIS sport! Last year he made the weight class and avoided getting an X on his helmet (which indicates he is only to play on the line and not run the ball or run down field. This helps to avoid injuries to smaller players!). However since he is so aggressive and strong he still played the line. This year he wanted to play tight end or line backer so we Y'd him up to the next age/weight class. He played with the PeeWees! He had a lot of fun. However, he only got to play line backer during a couple of games. He still did really well. At 9 he was playing with 10 and 11 year old boys and was bigger and stronger than many of them! He played mostly left tackle for offense and defense. He did get to play center and middle line backer sometimes.

Jaxon's blocked punt!!!

I can't believe how much he played better than last year. I guess that is just Jaxon though. He needs to get a complete understanding of the game before he plays his best. That is how it was with soccer too! His coaches were so impressed with him! Jaxon has a bit of a soft heart (when he wants to that is). His defensive Coach Peterson told all the boys he would be sitting at the end of each practice for 1/2 hour with his white board waiting for the boys to ask him questions! Well when the Coach told him that he got in the car and was just about in tears because he felt bad that his Coach was sitting there waiting for someone to ask him questions and no one came to ask him questions. He was really upset at that! So I suggested a question he could ask him. Jaxon ran over to him and sat with him for almost the full half an hour talking to him asking him questions! He felt so much better when he got back into the car. That question asking session went for nearly every practice after that. Knowing Jaxon, he just asked him questions to ask them too. I am sure he learned a lot by asking them, but did so mostly so Coach Peterson wouldn't be sitting there by himself! That is my boy! :)

TACKLE!!!

FUMBLE RECOVERY!!!

I could go on and on about football as it took over my life for all of August, September and October!!! But I will stop there! I was busy doing a blog for the team though again part of the reason for my blogging absence. I can only read one book at a time...as well as only blog one at a time! It is over....will I ever be a team mom again...? Well let me tell you begrudgingly I will. I do have 3 boys you know, I don't anticipate getting out of roughly 10 years of football only being team mom once! :) Besides it is not about me being team mom it is about the boys having fun and learning to play hard and work together as a team! Mission accomplished!

Kaden - Flag Football

This year Kaden got to play flag football. We have not ever done this sport so it was a new thing for us. (yes, I can't believe we have not done this one before) Kaden and a group of his friends were all on the same team. Kaden's friend Tanner's dad coached and Gregg assisted. What a blast. I was so impressed with Kaden at the clinic. They were teaching them the rules and telling them things they were not allowed to do. Kaden was spinning out of tackles and jumping over kids....what a hoot! However, disappointing he was not allowed to do either of those in this league! The rules are actually quite boring as they are only allowed to keep their hands up to their chests. Boring to me but safer for the smaller kids. Yes, Kaden is nearly a full head taller than most of the boys he played with. Which actually is not saying much since he probably still weighs less than most of them! :) He did quite well and is super excited to play spring flag football (of course in preparation for tackle football in the fall!) I guess this means there will be no baseball this year!? That will be a weird thing.

Kaden's in the red shorts at QB

Setting up the play.....

Ready to pass......

The pass....

Grab that flag.....

GOT IT!!! :)

Sports, Sports sports...that is all my boys think of! I guess it is okay as they have so much energy it is a great outlet for them....heavy on the word out! Sometimes I get so tired of them running and jumping around the house it is GREAT for them to be outside!!

Kaden is and has really enjoyed the sports he has played this year. He played baseball, flag football, swimming and is now playing basketball. However you ask him which is his favorite and it will be flag football. I have some serious apprehension to him playing tackle football this next fall but we will see how he fairs. He may do well! Kaden is my softie of the bunch! How I love his tender heart. He is so sweet to his little brother. He is so annoying to his older brother! :) There are so many times (like this morning) I find that he has helped me and Gregg to sleep in by playing quietly with Zeke! (hence my prior post that Zeke has a hard time leaving Kaden sometimes!) He still wants to believe in Santa and acts (I can't tell if he really believes) like he is so excited when he finds Elfie (our elf from the North Pole) every morning. He drives me crazy he is so lackadaisical when it comes to money. He spends it as fast as he gets it. But when I call him on it, whatever he buys he is so willing to share or to give to someone....(like Gregg's special Christmas present he bought the other day!) Kaden my little softie of the bunch....sssshhh don't tell him I said that he likes to keep that soft side to himself! :)

Zeke Preschool!!!

Yes it has been 3 1/2 months since my last post!! What the heck is going on? I tell you major life changing events!

But first things first!

My baby Zeke started preschool! Yes! He is so darn cute! He was so excited and ready to start school. He is going to Sunshine Square. His teacher is Miss Jill. He loves her! Some days it is so hard for him to go to school because he has such a nice big brother Kaden who loves him so much and plays with him all the time that he doesn't want to leave his brother. But when Kaden is not around school is so much more fun than hanging out with Mom! :)

The first day I got to go in with Zeke to make sure it was all okay. I was a little bit worried as he didn't have any friends in his class. But he takes after his Dad and it was just fine for him to make friends! Although he was a little bit apprehensive at first. But as soon as Miss Jill said to get in a train to walk to the other room....train, did someone say train....yes! Anything to do with trains Zeke is all over! So he thought it was just so cool that he got to BE the train! He was off and didn't even look back.....honestly it brought a tear to my eye! He is so big and growing up so fast. Before I know it he will be in kindergarten then 6th grade. Hopefully somewhere between there he will miss the smart mouth stage some of his brothers are already exhibiting!:) For now he is just a little doll and my little buddy!

Loss of a Friend....

Whenever there is life there is death.
I am so so sad at the thought.
I have ALWAYS been a HUGE
animal lover!
I still remember my 2 cats that died
when I was 13.
My heart still aches for them.
I was lucky to have a dog in the first place.
Gregg swore we wouldn't have one.
Then as a birthday present the first year
we were married [15 years ago] he relented....
I got my pet!
Not a cat [Gregg would not be able to live in the house]
but the best compromise he could make.
A chihuahua.
YODA!!!
He was the best dog ANYONE could have ever
wanted. He LOVED EVERYONE.
He would lick you to death [if you wanted],
if you didn't like that he would just sit with you.
He would follow me around the house all day long.
He would be at my heals.
He would gently lick my babies on the head
when they came home from the hospital.
He would lay by me when I was sad.
He would play with the kids.
He loved to jump in the snow.
He watched out for us.
He cleaned my kitchen floor....daily! :)
But life is so bittersweet.
He was old.
He was sick.
He passed away 4 days after Ella came.
I will never forget Yoda.
I love you!

Pinewood Derby

Cub Scouts this year had the pinewood derby....WOW how intense. Actually I had to refrain A LOT!! I mean I am SO SO anal and I really had to stand back and remember it is Jaxon's derby NOT MINE! I mean I would have totally done things different....but he was proud and it was fun! He did okay....he didn't win or anything but he didn't loose every race he had either. I was pretty bummed I couldn't go as I stayed with our little sweetheart who was only 7 days old.
Nana and Papa came with Jaxon and the rest of the boys. Papa played a big role in Jaxon's derby car. I had envisioned Jaxon taking hours to meticulously draw out and plan, paint, polish and prepare his derby. Didn't quite happen that way. He did however spend a great deal of time planning and designing the look of the car. He drew it out at papas house. Papa was quite impressed as Jaxon even went to the detail as to draw out the extra parts papa would be cutting off the car block and how Jaxon would like those cut pieces re-used to make cool effects on his car.
I am pretty proud of him myself. He had a lot of fun. Kaden actually built and prepared a pinewood derby car too. He designed his own and got to 'race' it at the end of the real races.

Sweet Baby Girl

Seriously....do they get any sweeter than this?
1 Week old! I forget how small babies are. I forget how much they sleep. I forget how much I could just hold them forever. I forget how much they need you. I forget so much.....maybe that is why we keep having them? :) I think that is God's way of making sure we have more! :)
She is just so sweet. The boys love her. She hardly makes a peep only to be fed. She sleeps so sweet. She is so skinny. She hardly stays awake to be fed and is back to sleep. I think she is only awake maybe 1 hour out of the day right now. Oh how I love tiny babies.

She's Here

She is finally here!
5 lbs 8 oz. 18 1/2 inches

Ella MeKell Petersen

Gregg decided...(okay not really decided it was decided for him) to go out of town for a whole week roughly 2 weeks before I usually go into labor. At the time he booked the business trip we both thought it was totally fine. However, when things got closer we were both a little nervous. I was down right mad! I didn't want him to go, I was so nervous for him to leave. I thought for sure I would go into labor. With me having cesarean sections if I have the slightest bit of labor they usually take the baby. This would be my 4th c-section and I was certain I would go into labor when he was gone.
It was a Monday to Friday trip. By Thursday night I was sure I was having labor pains. I was so scared. I called Gregg at 1am on Friday morning telling him I was in labor and I was scared I didn't know what to do. I was 35 1/2 weeks along (usually have my babies at 37 weeks). Gregg was nervous as well. He asked if I wanted him to try to come home. I didn't want to force the issue as I was nervous it was a false alarm.....what to do. I waited until he got home on Friday night.
We went to labor and delivery and were sent home after monitoring us for roughly 3 hours. They hydrated me and said take it easy. Then on the following Monday I was in labor again. Off to Labor and delivery again. This time they had to give me two shots to stop the labor. They felt I needed to stay pregnant as long as I could. I was a little embarrassed and frankly ticked off. You would think after 4 babies I would know when I was in labor and when I was in labor the baby was going to come....why not let it happen? So Gregg sent me to bed and I was to take it easy.
The labor stopped with the shots and I was not going to do much that week. By Thursday night Gregg had worked his little toosh off and finished the baby's room. We were ready to move in the furniture. I was not going to help...much. But by 11pm I wanted to go to bed and decided I would help him put the crib together. Then when we got the layette in (ohh I love my layette) I just had to get the dresser in and call it good. But it was 12am and we didn't have anyone to help Gregg move in the dresser. So what the heck I helped. It wasn't that heavy, or so I thought.

We moved it in and sat and looked at all the hard work (and ridiculous amount of money) we put into the room and just smiled. It was done. She could come now any time and I would be okay. I wouldn't be as stressed and I could get some sleep knowing my little baby would have somewhere to go. I could get my house back in order......um yeah!
Well we went to be around 1am by 3am I was in LABOR!!! It came on so hard and strong I don't remember being in labor that strong since Jaxon 10 years ago....my only regular delivery. I got in the tub to relax and try to make it stop. It relaxed a bit. By 5am I could no longer sleep I was in so much pain. I got in the shower to try to make it stop. No luck there.
I started to do my hair and get a bag together because for sure this was the one. I started timing the contractions.....5 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes....OH MY GOSH! I have to get the kids to school before we go to the hospital, what am I going to do with Zeke. I know this is for sure the one. So much pain. Such hard contractions. I lay on the bed as Gregg frantically gets the boys ready (ready used loosely in this sentence) for school. HURRY GREGG HURRY.....
We dropped off the boys and took Zeke with us. Gregg's sweet parents were kind enough to come and pick him up from the hospital.
By the time we got to the hospital I was back to 6 minutes apart....what the heck is going on here? I questioned Gregg should I go in or not. After being sent home 2 times you start to question whether you are crazy or not. Gregg said I can drop you off. I said no I will walk. Park far away and I will see when we get to the doors what is going on. By the time we got to the doors they were back hard and strong.
We walked in at 8:30am. I was in my room and on monitors at 9am. By 9:30 they had bumped two other surgeries and moved me in....wwwheew! I do know what labor is. This is the last labor I will know and the last labor I will have to worry about. But for goodness sake could you please NOT try to put in an IV when I am having a contraction???? PLEASE!
Then I walked back to the OR. Walk? yes, I had to walk. Come on I am in serious pain here. No pain relief given yet!
They gave me the spinal and AAAHHHHH! relief!
Gregg in his true form........I had been complaining of being cold. As soon as they gave me the spinal it was as if a warm blanket was inserted into my veins. All comfy and kosy warm. Yet I was buck naked! Laying on the operating table. Wide open for both of the doctors to see and the three nurses and anesthesiologist who just happened to be staring at my nakedness.....along with Gregg. when Gregg bursts out, 'Carrie are you still cold now?' 'No' I replied. 'Well your buck naked for everyone'.....um, Thanks Gregg.....

She came and oh how small she was. So sweet. She must have been pushed up against my pelvis for some time because her little mouth was just as blue and bruised as can be. Looked like she wasn't breathing.

Gregg bathed her and she was ours! So glad she came to us!

She's Here!

Anxiously waiting!!

So I finally did it! I wanted some maternity shots taken as this is our last baby! I was nervous to do it but my friend Rhonda was kind enough to take some! She did a great job and I am so glad I have them! As we all know things are forgotten, it is nice to have a photo to remember and hopefully remind us of memorable moments.

Being pregnant is an absolutely amazing thing only us women are fortunate to experience. What a trip to think that there is a living being inside us. How can someone question God and be pregnant. What an amazing thing to experience! While this pregnancy was certainly not my most relaxing and enjoyable time of my life, being my last made me think of things differently. Instead of waiting and waiting for it to be over I lived in the moment.

I/we had a really hard time even deciding whether we were going to have another baby as it was. It was only after months of anxiety over the whole question of whether to try again or not that it hit me like a ton of bricks. We were supposed to try. So since I/we were so begrudgingly going to try again I gave it 'one more month'. If it was going to happen it would happen that month if not I was done. My deal was done! It happened. It happened with Gregg gone 3 weeks out of the month....it happened because it was supposed to!

I was sick for the majority of the 9 months. Not throwing up, but sicker like the flu. I usually never throw up anyway. In fact, the last time I threw up I was 12 years old!? But I got the most intense pain and headaches ever! In fact, the only thing that would make my headaches go away was to take a nap. Gregg thankfully let me do that and took the kids. One time I had a headache so bad that I laid down. When I got up, I had popped a blood vessel in my eye!? OUCH! My 'morning sickness' was usually every 'afternoon' until 'evening'. I was so sick to my stomach and sometimes in pain in my stomach. But by morning it was gone and all was well!

Sleep...or lack of sleep! I think for the entire 9 months I would wake up at 1:00 or 2:00 on the dot! I would be awake for roughly 2-3 hours and not be able to go back to sleep. I remember thinking there is NO POSSIBLE way the baby could keep me up once she is born.

Girl or boy! Having 3 boys every girl can understand a desire to share girliness....right? Well I remember thinking before we had Zeke that there was a girl for us. After we had Zeke and then a miscarriage I questioned my feelings. I mean come on 3 boys?! That is SO MUCH! I didn't know for sure if I would be able to handle another boy.....I love my boys but sometimes I feel totally left out! :) Gregg knew from the beginning of the pregnancy that it was a girl. Was he relying on my 'feelings'? I don't know. I was trying really hard not to be 'let down' and refused to think of it being a girl. When we had the 20 week ultrasound I asked the technician roughly 10 times to check and recheck....I think she thought we were crazy. It was a girl!
There really are times when I am so fortunate to be a woman and to be able to experience this amazing thing of life! :)

LISTEN

Pineview

I am so so proud of my boys! Can I just tell you? Maybe it is the aggressive side of me? I didn't know I really had, maybe it is just the side of me sharing something I LOVE LOVE LOVE with my boys? I don't know. But for this trip to Pineview, I was the proudest mama around! The trip started out fantastic! So fantastic in fact, that my sister Mandy and her girls came with us on our first trip after setting up camp out to the lake. Can I just tell you ALL THREE OF MY BOYS SKIED!! And yes, can you believe I forgot to bring my camera and left it back at camp? I mean honestly, why would I think a miraculous event like this would happen on the FIRST DAY? I honestly thought the coaxing and talking into would have to happen first. NOPE and I missed it.....so needless to say I did have to talk Kaden into trying again, and alas the stubbornness kicked in and he just didn't want to do it when I had my camera? Zeke on the other hand did try but failed and would only try one time. He was so tired and it was the last day of a very long week! But bless his heart for trying again!
Jaxon was a pro. Once he tried it and had success, he was so proud and has not been too scared since! [Unless we are at Deer Creek in the windy white capped mess!--and trying to show mom and dad he was ticked off at us--another story]
Zeke is so darn cute! He is a tall boy, but those skis are taller than him and probably weigh as much as him! So so brave! He was so tired and when my mom tried to pull him [so I could get the pictures]....the planets were out of alignment and it didn't happen this time! It will again! I have faith it will! :)
Other than that....I thought the fact my three boys skied would be THE most memorable and eventful thing that happened on this trip. NOPE. Not when Mandy is around....you know she has always had a talent for making the biggest show of whatever we do! Just kidding Mandy! I know I say that only because I know she NEVER reads my blog! :) Anyway, I know she didn't want to make this show either.
So it was a typical morning Mom and Dad waking up at the butt crack of dawn to get skiing first thing in the morning and Mandy more than happy to go along! They had been out roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours. None of them had had breakfast and knowing how they all ski they were so so tired! Next thing I know I see Aspen come running up saying Mandy needs Chris. I look over and see my mom assisting Mandy up the shore to camp. Knowing Mandy I thought and said to Aspen 'oh I am sure she is fine'. [you know how you say things and so regret them later?--that is one of those times] Next thing I know my mom is saying grab her a chair. I help get the chair over and she gingerly sits down. Then she proceeds to remove the red towel from her face revealing the almost 1 inch gap of skin missing from her nose! 'oh my!' I said. Instantly regretting the 'oh she will be fine comment'. I ran to make an ice bag for her and grab the first aid kit....what was I thinking? I was going to put a band aid on it? I have no idea. I helped to remove the wet suit and help her get dressed so she could go to the hospital. Gregg, Chris and Jeremy gave her a blessing and the three of them were off! Oh my gosh! I am shaking thinking about it right now! Jeremy being the intuitive one thought she had for sure broken her nose. Me trying to be the optimist said no I think it just split her skin?! Was I ever wrong. She not only broke her nose, she SHATTERED IT!
To make a very long story short she came back up camping after they put stitches in? 24 total for her nose and 3 in her eye lid. She has always [as are most of us Draper girls] been so tough and try to make do with what is given to us. I think she didn't want to ruin her family trip for her kids and to let them know she was okay. Anyway, that was a bad idea. After a bit more drama thankfully they decided to head back to Mom and Dads for the night! They left their kids up there with us and tried to get some much needed sleep, then left the next day back to Idaho!

Can I just tell you how beautiful she is? Honestly, she didn't hardly bruise and was slightly swollen even with a major accident like that. Leave it to her! She was always so beautiful and able to pull any look off....even a shattered nose? She even went home and had her nose put back together a week later and didn't bruise at all! She came back down just before she had her surgery for her daughters baptism and even still looked amazingly beautiful with out stitches! She is such a woman!

But we tried to have a great time and let her kids know everything was alright....I went a bit crazy on the beach with the camera and couldn't just choose a few shots to take! And I know this is a HUGE POST so I decided to put all of my fun and adorable nieces and nephews on the slide show! What great memories despite horrific accidents!

I Just love the beach and boating and most of all spending time together as a FAMILY!

YUBA

Last year our trip to Yuba was canceled. Yes, there were a couple of things that kept us from going. This year I was so dead set against it, I don't think there was anything that was going to keep us from going!
My boys, how they love camping, and boating.....me I could take it the other way. Boating first then camping! But at any rate they had so much fun. It was COLD!!! In fact, it rained on us like crazy one morning. So instead of boating that morning we went on a little hike/walk. It was so fun though. I could tell the trail hadn't been walked on for quite a while! The boys found animal bones on the trail. The trail came and went, meaning you could tell we were on a trail sometimes and others we couldn't tell where we were supposed to go! So being the mom I got a little nervous at times that we were going to get lost. It was getting warmer too. And with Gregg bad back, I had to hike Zeke on my hip/shoulders/back etc. [not very much fun 4 months pregnant!]. But the boys honestly had so much fun, and really it was only about 1/2 hour - 45 minutes [which makes my complaining seem so stupid]. So it was back on to the lake!
Can I just tell you how adorable he is! I especially love the food that is always on his mouth [in every picture almost!]
Typical of Kaden...always pulling a face!
Again, typical of Jaxon too....he is just too cool and has to pose that way!?

So we did not fair so well last year when it came to boating with the boys....I mean they did awesome at first. They loved the tube and even tried to ski. But that was short lived when they all of the sudden decided they didn't like it anymore. So they weren't going to do anything on the boat except to swim or something like that.
That is NOT how I was raised! And I didn't want that to happen. Especially this year when I was not the one that was going to everything! So I went and got them a little tube....hoping it would make a difference....oh boy did it!
They had a blast! Zeke at 3 was so cute! He didn't want to get off! He would have been happy to just ride it all day long, even if he was by himself. I was a little nervous to be honest. I mean come on he is only 3! But he did not have any fear and thoroughly enjoyed himself!

Which is more fun? Camping, boating or smores?
Maybe they just all kind of blend together....but honestly, the faces that get pulled when just the right smore is made is just priceless......
But even better when said face maker tries to eat the perfectly toasted smore.....and shortly after the picture cries to have it taken out because he just can't do anything to move his mouth and actually eat the smore. Is again priceless!
But to actually see all my boys [in their clean camping glory] having a blast making family memories is just the best.
Seriously it has been like 2 months since we went...[yes, I am right on top of blogging] and Zeke is still talking about the animal bones we found on the walk. I love it!

And really the only pictures I get of me are the lovely ones I take by myself! [Or of ones I find flipping through when we get home of my big butt! :(]