IKE IS BACK!

Mark's little brother Ike got home from his mission on Monday. It was so fun to spend the day hearing about his mission. We have missed Ike so much and glad he is back. We are so proud of him for serving a mission and touching the lives of so many other people.

BABY'S 1ST CHRISTMAS

Christmas was so much fun with Zac this year. He did really well considering we drug him all around with little regard to his schedule. He loved playing with the paper and ribbons from the gifts. Santa dropped his sleigh at our house once again this year. It was so much fun to watch Zac throughout the day. Thanks to our families for helping to make it a memorable year.

THE CONE OF SHAME

Poor Bronco went to the vet today to get his routine dental cleaning and a check-up. He has had a really red neck and a large red spot on his belly for a few weeks now. The dental cleaning went well but the vet said the red spots are an allergic reaction to something. As a result Bronco will be on medication for a month and has to wear the cone of shame until the spot on his belly clears up. We love him and feel really bad for him. Merry Christmas Everyone!

BLESSINGS

As I drove to and from work today in the snow I had a lot of time to think about how many times I have been blessed in my life. Today the slick roads made me remember back to this March 4 weeks before Zac was born when I hit black ice and hit a fire hydrant on CA Ave. As I was stuck in stop and go traffic this morning I thought a lot about how blessed I am to have such great family and friends in my life. I remembered how my sweet husband came down took care of everything to clean up my mess. My dad taking time off work to take me to the Dr. Office to make sure Zac was ok. My wonderful mother in law bringing me lunch that day and taking my coat to get dry cleaned. These were just a few of the many people that came to help us that day. I am so thankful for great family and that our baby boy wasn't hurt in that accident. Hope you get a laugh out of the pictures from the accident, we do now. In our house we know that all things can be replaced but people can't. Just wanted to tell my family and friends I love them today!

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Sadly the Utes lost in Saturdays game giving my dad bragging rights for the next 365 days. He made sure that his grandchildren each had a shirt to show the winning colors. Thanks mom and dad for making such fun memories with the kids. We love you guys.

GO UTES!

As today is the big Utah vs. BYU game I had to post something showing Mark's school pride! Go Utes it should be a good game today! Hopefully they win so we have bragging rights in my family for a year!

PUPPY LOVE

Nothing cuter than a boy and his dog. They do everything together.... Naptime...

Playtime...

Belly Rubs...

Even Wrestling...

Love them both! So lucky they are in my life!

HALLOWEEN

Today was quite the adventure. My mom took the kids to get pictures done in their Halloween costumes. I am amazed we ended up with some great pictures having 3 kids on 3 different schedules. Poor Ashton aka Frankenstein is teething and had a rough night last night. He was definatley a trooper thru pictures today. The kids did a great job and the pictures are so fun. Thanks mom for capturing the memories, we love you!

Fall Family Pictures

This weekend we we up above Mark's parents house and took some family pictures. You would think the 6 month old baby would have been the difficult one to get a good picture out of. Our dog Bronco actually saw a deer right as got out of the truck. Needless to say his attention was elsewhere for most of our pictures. We did end up with some great family pictures though despite the deer. A huge thanks to Mark's dad for taking such beautiful pictures.

SIX MONTHS

I can't believe Zac is 6 months old. Where does the time go? He has changed so much since the day we brought him home. He is almost always happy and has brought so much joy into our home. We are so lucky to be his parents. Right now Zac is rolling around like crazy. The only time he sits still is when he is asleep. He loves to hear his own voice. We realize just how loud he really is when we are in church and he starts screeching at the top of his lungs. He loves to chew and bang on his toys. The more noise he can make the better. A few weeks ago his first two teeth poked thru on the bottom. Other than the excessive drooling we had no idea he was teething. This kid is definately a champ. This week was his 6 month check up. He got 3 shots and didn't even shed a tear. Definately tougher than his mom! Below are a few pictures of Zac over the last 6 months. We love him and are so glad he came to live with us.

6 MONTH STATS:

Weight: 16 lbs 14 oz (45%)

Height: 28 inches (92%)

Head: 16.75 inches (15%)

TIMBER

This weekend was a sad weekend. My family dog of 13+ years was put down. It seems like we have had Timber forever. He was the best dog and friend anyone could ask for. Always there to love you no matter what. He will be missed. Its funny how your pets truly do become a huge part of your family. We love Timber and will never forget what a great dog he was.

LATELY.....

Below are a few pictures of what Zac has been up to lately.... We finally pulled out the Highchair about a week and a half ago and are slowly but surely introducing rice cereal into Zac's diet. I love this face!

Zac is really into grabbing his toes right now. Everytime I turn around her has them.

Also Zac has been absolutely fasinated with Bronco lately. The other day I was sitting on the floor by Zac and Bronco of course was laying on me (gotta love the 60 lb. "lap" dog) I looked down and Zac was feeling Bronco's face. It was the cutest thing ever to see these 2 are destined to be best friends for life.

Those 2 faces definately look like they are up to something. I know in the years to come these 2 will keep me on my toes. If only I could train Bronco to be the "Nanny" like in Peter Pan.