CRAZY DIXONS

August

2012-01-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Trip to Missouri

Uncle Seth(my brother) and I drove with the kids to G'ma and G'pa's house in Missouri before school started. Uncle Nathan, Aunt Tegan, a house full of cousins, Uncle Brett and Uncle Adam were going to be there and we couldn't pass up seeing everyone. Uncle Adam was getting ready to leave on his mission to Argentina and Uncle Seth was preparing to go to London for his graduate studies and so it was the perfect time to go.

The boy cousins played video games, the girls played with Grandma's special horde of dolls,

and the adults visited. With a family so large it is not often that many of us are able to be together and it always results in a chaotically good time.

One of the highlights, for my kids at least, was being able to go shooting. It was their first time and Tracen had been praying about it for months. Uncle Nathan was happy to help his prayers get answered.

Uncle Nathan talked to the kids about gun safety and rules for when we go shooting.

keyan and tracen with their protective eye wear

*cousins*

brynna-kate-makenzie

tracen

cousin sam

-story about sam-

he was standing off to the side while someone else took their turn shooting and one of the hot shells popped into his shoe. he started screaming and dancing around. it took us a second to figure out what had happened. by the time we got his shoe off he had a couple big blisters where the shell had burned him. with tears in his eyes and his little voice shaking he asked, "Am I going to die?" It was the sweetest and most heart wrenching moment and we all just wanted to squeeze the poor kid. His dad gave him a big hug and reassured him that he was going to be fine, and then it was his time to shoot. Needless to say he was a little less enthusiastic about the outing after that.

brynna

cousin kenzie

-you do not want to meet this girl in a dark alley somewhere with a gun-

keyan

cousin kate

cousin brennan

checking out one of uncle adam's unfinished sculptures that we were using as a target.

the poor guy didn't make it through in one piece.

uncle adam

target

tracen carrying a piece of the sculpture after the dust settled

so grown up and shooting guns

*so proud*

the girls were pretending to be spies...spies with cheers!

"GOOOO SECRET AGENTS!"

We were also able to spend a little more time with Brook,

the little girl my parents are adopting.

She turned three in October and was good buds with cousin creighton by the time the visit was over. Since then she has referred to cute little creighton as "my boy" because apparently they were two peas in a pod.

It was a short trip, but a nice one and was perfect as our last hurrah before school started. It may be a while until we see all those fun cousins again,

but we'll happily look forward to the next time, whenever it may be.

Messes

2011-11-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Maddox from July.

-no this was not self inflicted or due to his love of food-

I tried to smear food all over him to help him work on his sensory issues and

loved the many messy faces that followed!!

*love him*

JULY

2011-11-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

July 13th Brynna turned the ripe old age of 6!!

We had friends come for lunch and treats the day of and

then had a little party a few weeks later.

I received an American Girls Doll when I was 6 and had kept it all these years.

It needed a new head due to the fact that I had brushed and braided it's hair until it was bald and one of the legs had been detached by a little boy who will remain nameless.

So we sent if off to the doll hospital and happily it arrived just in time, all fixed and wearing a hospital gown and an ID bracelet, and complete with a certificate of health.

It is an antique, but Brynna was thrilled.

We've read the books together and poured over

the American Girls Magazines.

It's so fun for me to pass it on to my own daughter.

Happy Birthday to my darling girl, loose tooth and all!

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TEA PARTY

Brynna and I had planned and been excited about having a few friends over for a little birthday tea party for months. Of course, in typical Dixon fashion, Maddox got walking pneumonia, and was quickly followed by Keyan, Tracen, and myself. We were SICK. I haven't been so ill in a long time and wasn't sure what to do about the party. We had already delivered the invitations and had other things going on in the upcoming weeks and then school starting, so I felt reluctant to reschedule it. Fortunately we had been on very strong antibiotics and so even though we still felt sick we were not supposed to be contagious. So, the party went on. We quarantined the sick boys in a back room and I made sure not to breathe on anyone and use hand sanitizer like a

crazy person.

Pics from the party:

Invitation

we made beaded flower rings for each girl as a place marker and party favor.

petit fours

fruit and chicken salad croissants

(thank you to my good friend Meryn who came to the rescue while I was sick and helped with the food)

yummy chocolate cake

making beaded bracelets - it proved to be much more challenging

than I had anticipated and ended in some frustrated little girls...oops.

see the stress on poor anneka's face

heehee!

On to the food!

Eliza and Addyson

Brynna

Anna

Pinkies up!

Natalie

Old fashioned games:

Musical chairs complete with accompaniment from Eliza who is already

an accomplished pianist.

Blind Man's Bluff

lots of giggling with this one!

opening presents

time for cake and singing

and a lovely time(hopefully) was had by all.

I saved one petit four for myself

and it was delicious,

worth all the cutting, and layering, and drizzling.

Yum!

June

2011-11-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

In June we drove to California and Utah and spent two weeks with friends and family.

We had a blast!!

First up: Wundovixon Trip in Southern Cal

running around on the beach

boogie boarding

trying to keep tracen from drowning himself.

digging with friends

Addison - Kelsey - Brynna

the guys-mission buddies

Colby - Jeff - Dan

warming up and getting some lunch

outside the children's museum-11 kids ages 7 and under

sunflower seeds at the splash pad

Denise and baby Brinley

Abigail

Landon

Brinley - Angela - Taylor

My Tracen

Austin

(I think I got a picture of everybody)

It was kind of a last minute addition to our trip to Utah, but thankfully the Wunderli and O'Very families were good sports about making it happen. It was definitely one of the highlights of our summer!

Love you guys!!

On to Utah

spacey trace at the bowling alley

this girl beat half the adults with a score of 96(with bumpers)

keyan and tracen had 95 and 94.

their mama got whooped!!

keyan working on his dance moves.

this summer keyan and I tried to perfect our moon walking.

bowling shoes and slick floors are ideal for moon walking...just so you know.

trip to the zoo - tracen, brynna, keyan, jefferson, ada, and chase

so fun to hang out with cousins.

cousin chase

hilarious little spit fire

cousin mycole

cousin dyamond

cousin jefferson

maddox apparently not impressed with animals

cousin ada about to get munched

Then we had the Harmon Family Reunion.

Tons of fun games and great food! Everyone had a blast!

Hunter getting all wrapped up

Pinata

grabbing candy

Planning a water balloon attack

those balloons were gone in a flash

Jeff and I played a game too and for once I won!!

this was my reward

*blush*

The Harmon Siblings

The Dixon family

June 2011

We had a wonderful time and are so grateful to have such awesome friends and family!

Tracen's helpful hobby

2011-09-08T18:57:00.001-07:00

Trace is really into folding laundry right now. Don't ask me where this comes from because it is a chore I struggle with-that and emptying the dishwasher. BLAH!

Tracen has had the knack of folding since before he was three when he started with hand towels and wash clothes. He has since graduated to all things that make their way through the rinse and fluff cycles -except socks which are intensely complicated little buggers- and now he asks me if he can help fold the mounds of clean clothes that reside on my bed. He is seriously gifted!! He removes them from the dryer, folds them neatly, puts them in piles and then carries them up the stairs to their drawers. It is a beautiful sight and one that near brings me to tears!!

I know it's too much to ask that this phase/hobby never ends, but I'm sure going to enjoy it while it lasts! Thank you Tracen. Your mother loves you! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-08-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Brynna finished kindergarten!! We went to her awards assembly on the last day of school.

They had a slide show with pictures from the year

and a cute music program.

Brynna also received a special award from the music teacher.

Brynna loved her teacher(she was Keyan's teacher too) as well as the substitute that she had for a few months while her teacher was on maternity leave. I was surprised and impressed with how smooth the transition was from teacher to teacher.

-Brynna and Mrs. Kettler-

Congrats Brynna on a great first year of school!

Gymnastics

2011-08-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Tracen took gymnastics for the last four weeks of the semester at the Little Gym because I bought a Groupon deal for really cheap. I figured if he liked it I would just sign him up for the full class the next semester.

Tracen lucked out and was the only one who showed up for class one week. He loved getting some one on one attention from Mr. Will. Mr. Will does MMA(mixed martial arts) and has been a cage fighter. He also teaches Karate at the Little Gym and gives private lessons in mixed martial arts. During Tracen's class as the only student, Mr. Will worked with him on their normal gymnastics stuff and then, since they had a good amount of time left, they worked on some karate stuff as well. Tracen was loving it and Mr. Will was excited to see how naturally Trace kicked and moved. Little did Mr. Will know that Tracen has been using those moves since he could walk and has spent a whole lot of time sitting in the corner for being so proficient at them. After the lesson Mr. Will asked me if he could teach Tracen privately. He was excited and said how much natural ability Tracen had. After looking over the prices of the private lessons versus a semester worth of karate classes with other kids, we decided to go with the public classes so we can still afford to eat. Anyway, Tracen will spend this next school year learning Karate and how to better intimidate his siblings. Should be fun for all!!

Tracen was so excited to go to his little graduation ceremony and I took Keyan and Brynna out of school early on the last day of school so they could come watch him.

They announced each child's name and then the child would run through their little routine and then get a little medal at the end. Super cute.

- balance beam -

- floor -

love this kid!!

- uneven bars -

medal ceremony

cute kiddos

I love that he is resting his arms on his head...

they had been up there for a while.

Way to go Tracen!!

Baseball Season #1

2011-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

THE ROCKIES

Keyan finished his first season of baseball this spring and overall enjoyed it very much.

Jeff was one of the assistant coaches and he and Keyan spent A LOT of time at practices and games. I had no idea it was going to be so time consuming at this age, but apparently there is a lot to learn and baseball is a very technical game.

Mad and Uncle Seth watching Keyan's last game

It was so hot!

Mad was hot too.

"Is this game over yet?"

Keyan did a great job batting the whole season!

Way to go Keyan!!

...good game, good game...

Jeff played baseball when he was young and really

enjoyed being part of Keyan's experience too.

Dance

2011-06-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Brynna started taking a ballet/tap class in February and had her first dance recital the last week of school. It was such a treat to watch. All the girls were adorable. Brynna had a certain grace about her which was lovely, despite her occasionally terrified expression.

All the girls were watching their teacher in the wings for the next step.

Their heads were turned to the side the whole time.

It made us chuckle.

Her teacher, Miss Amber, had certificates, flowers, and a cupcake for each girl. Brynna just loved it and can't wait for dance to start back up.

Easter Weekend

2011-05-28T20:45:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter Weekend and we filled it with lots of fun and meaningful family time.

We made and decorated easter cookies.

We had a family camp-out in the back yard, complete with hot dogs, smores, and sleeping in a tent. The kids thought it was AWESOME!! Sadly I didn't take many pictures.

maddox pretending to eat a strawberry

Saturday the kids got their easter baskets, complete with a tin bank, a tie for the boys and a skirt for Brynna, some candy, and a new toothbrush. We also had an easter egg hunt with our friends and a yummy dinner.

Sunday morning we had a yummy breakfast of baked pumpkin french toast. Recipe found here .

Brynna and Tracen weren't impressed, but the rest of us ate our weight in it.

We went to church and the kids wore the ties and skirt I had made them.

We finished the day with a lovely dinner of Grilled Salmon, salad, and rice pilaf.

For fhe on Monday we had another lesson on the atonement and the resurrection and

then made resurrection rolls.

We partied hard but more importantly we talked a lot about our Savior. The power and meaning of Christ's resurrection has been more personal and real to me since Maddox has joined our family. I am so grateful for the peace the atonement brings to my life and thankful I get to share that knowledge with my children. Hopefully they all got a bit more than candy out of our

Easter celebration.

One year older and wiser too...

2011-05-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Tracen!!

Tracen turned 4 in April. We had a simple family party with:

Party Hats

Pizza

Presents

and Dessert.

We sure love our Tracen. It is so hard to believe that he is already 4. The past two years have just flown by and suddenly the adorable two year old who just melted my heart has been replaced by a strong, intelligent, independent boy. Tracen loves all things star wars, legos, computer games, sports, and has a very active imagination. He is doing a great job learning to read and write, and is a wonderful big brother. Maddox just adores him and so do the rest of us.

Happy Birthday Tracen-Buddy!!

IT'S US!!!!

2011-04-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

We had a little something special delivered

today from our friends in Boston.

What a treat to be part of something so amazing!

We are thankful everyday for the heroic doctors and nurses who

push the boundaries of what can be done in medicine.

Thank you to Children's Hospital Boston and

the Advanced Fetal Care Center for your

part in our miracle!

E - I - E - I - O!

2011-03-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

A face only a mother could love...

2011-03-07T12:16:00.001-08:00

...and I do.

Projects

2011-02-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

We've been working on this wall off and on for months. Honestly it was more off than on, which is why it took months. Lately Jeff lit the fire under my lazy bum and we got 'er done!!

Eventually there will be some sort of entry table, a basket for shoes maybe, and a picture or two, which will help hide some of the imperfections. So don't look too close. We do have a few touch ups to do, but overall are very happy with how it turned out. I found the tutorial here and copied her almost exactly . There are tons of examples and similar tutorials online if you want to do it too. We just added white paint to the base color, both of which we already had, traced the stencil we printed off of the website and went to town. I love free projects!!

Next up: Jeff's awesome paintings to help our boys embrace their star wars fanaticism. I think we have the dark side covered. We are still debating what, if any, other characters to have Jeff paint. So nice to have a talented husband.

We have lived in our house almost 3 years and have very little decorated, but we are slowly and very cheaply attempting to fix that this year. Hopefully we will be able to spend a little bit more on the house as opposed to the hospital this year. Crossing our fingers!

Girls' Weekend

2011-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last week my wonderful husband put me on a plane to Portland for a much needed weekend with some of my closest friends. He took a few days off work to stay home and be on kid duty. Thanks Jeffrey! I know that certain little people really gave you a hard time, but you did a fabulous job, so much so that I will have no qualms about making this a yearly tradition.

Probably not what you were hoping for, right?!

Thanks Love!!

Seven of us gals were able to be there, but we sincerely missed Erin and Kristy who had to skip this trip. Next time girls!!

We went to the temple together, stayed at a beautiful beach house on the coast(awesome job Kristen), we ate, talked, laughed, cried, shopped, dyed hair, and generally had a wonderful and relaxing few days.

(thanks tara for bringing your camera and taking pictures)

I love the fact that even though I hadn't seen most of these girls for a couple years, we picked up where we had left off. We had meaningful conversations and I was uplifted and ready to go back home and be a better mom, a better wife, and a better me by the end of our time together.

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful women as friends. You girls are amazing!!

I love you all!!

Head injuries and hobbies

2011-02-08T13:01:00.001-08:00

Tracen has a problem with running without looking where he is going. He is magnetically attracted to solid surfaces. Here is the trophy he won during his fight with a hinge on the ottoman.

It wasn't more than a day before he ran into the wooden banister and got a nice bump on the other side of his head.

Tracen continues to spend HOURS - not exaggerating- doing puzzles.

It is hilarious. He'll finish a complete puzzle and then will spend some time taking sections of it apart and putting it back together again. I think he has put this particular puzzle together start to finish 3 times in the past few days.

We often push his unfinished puzzle of the day, to one side of the table when we have meals. He is a tad obsessed, but it is fun to watch him work.

Funny 3 year old.

Watching the world go by...

2011-02-07T13:28:00.001-08:00

excited for spring

Welcome to Dragon Training

2011-02-06T13:36:00.001-08:00

We FINALLY had a b-day party for Keyan.

There were 12 kids in all. It was busy.

Keyan wanted a "How to Train a Dragon" party, so we did our best to comply.

We painted shields, had to follow clues to the dragons' nest-aka the dragon piñata, opened presents, had pizza and root beer, dragon cake and icecream, and then put our dried shields to the test as Jeff shot nerf darts at the kids.

I hope it was fun, but regardless it's done, and that is a good thing.

viking hats and shields ready to be painted

my sad attempt at a dragon

blue dragon cake

Jeff and I made the shields out of card board, duck tape, and spray paint.

They have handles on the back made with the duck tape.

There were some masterfully painted shields, and some real

creative juices flowing.

Happy Birthday to my 7 year old!!

We love you Keyan!

Prayers Please

2011-02-02T22:00:00.001-08:00

I'm asking for prayers for my brother Brandon, who is in Egypt working at the embassy. His wife, Ashley and their three young children were evacuated a couple of days ago, but due to his status as essential staff at the embassy, he has not been able to leave. He is busy trying to get other Americans out of the country. The situation in Cairo is very scary and has deteriorated so quickly. We are praying hard for him to be able to leave soon and join his family back in the states.

Here is a little bit of his past email that sheds a little light on the reality of the situation.

"..... But, I am glad that I am alive and that I have been able to get terrified families and individuals out of Egypt. If had told me two weeks ago that things would have ended this way I would never have believed you...though there were signs that the veneer on things was starting to wear off.

Gunfire, tanks driving through the neighborhood, gangs of looters and protesters, ravaged buildings and vehicles, the makeshift checkpoints manned by youth with machetes, the sound of thousands of voices chanting only a street away have become a new and surreal reality where before there were only crowds of friendly but pushy Cairenes.

Fortunately, the violence has not gotten out of control yet. With luck things will calm down. But from where I stand things will never be the same and the Egypt of tomorrow that gestates in the womb of today will be malformed or even stillborn.

Well, I'm still have food and a place to lay down so I shouldn' complain and I'm not afraid like I was when Ashley and the kids were still here. They are safe and sound and that is all that matters.

I write to give you a view of the future. This is what happens as civilization breaks down. The fetters and chains of civilization take great effort to forge and it needs even more strength to harness the beast that is the natural man. These restraints, so carefully crafted, are shattered irretrievably in days. Beware."

Brandon and Ashley, we love you and are praying for you.

Family Pictures

2011-01-07T08:02:00.001-08:00

please forgive my narcissistic moment.

Keyan's shoes were untied the whole time and his jeans suddenly became high-waters. -sigh-

Thanks Mary Jane for the wonderful way you captured our family!!

7 years

2011-01-04T06:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my first born!!

Keyan is 7 years old today, and I am marveling at the young man he is becoming.

He has been excitedly anticipating his birthday for weeks, and has been heard to say, more than once,

"I'm almost 7 and then I just have one more year 'til I get baptized!"

Keyan has a strict moral code that he tries to live by and regularly starts conversations with:

"Mom, I know you aren't going to be happy about this..."

"I know I shouldn't have done it, Mom..."

and then proceeds to confess to some minor offense.

It is so sweet and endearing, and vaguely reminds me of someone who also tattled on herself upon occasion.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

We sure love our Mr. Keyan and are blessed to be part of his family!

Wishing you a...

2010-12-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Florida

2010-12-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting about our trip to Florida. We have been home for 1.5 weeks, and are still trying to get better and get back in the swing of things.

The drive was not bad, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the scenery was. Lots of changing leaves, lovely colors, and lush surroundings. If you are going to spend two full days in a car, it sure helps if you can enjoy the view. We also listened to the 7th Harry Potty book, in preparation for seeing the movie in the upcoming week. Love those books!!

The older kids were great, and Maddox, with the help of Benedryl, did fairly well too. Our first night in a hotel however, was pure torture. Maddox spent the night screaming, and there was very little sleeping going on. I think lack of sleep, and the stress of traveling led all six of us to succumb to the bad cold we were dealing with by Sunday. We got to my sister Aimee's house on Saturday night. We celebrated my brother Nick's birthday that night, and went to bed.

Sunday was a lazy day. Uncle Peter, Uncle Nick, Jeff and Keyan were the only ones to attend any church. Aunt Ashlie flew in that morning, and joined the sick ones at home. Sunday we hung out, ate food, and laughed too much. Aimee had to work that night. She's a nurse and was in the middle of training since she has gone back to work part time after having kids.

Monday we were all feeling lousy. Aimee got home that morning and went to bed. After sleeping a couple hours and after the rest of us tried to medicate everyone who was feeling sick, we headed to the beach. We were not about to skip out on all of the fun things we had planned, though it was so disappointing to all be feeling so bad on our first trip away from home since Maddox was born. We had been planning and anticipating our trip to Florida for almost a whole year. I admit to being pretty upset at the situation. Jeff, being the optimist he is, reminded me that everything was going to be okay, we could still have a good time, and we would not leave until we had gone to Disney World, even if we had to stay a day or two longer. I have a tendency to freak out when things don't go the way I have them planned in my head. Jeff knows this about me after 8+ years of marriage, and is always the calm to my crazy. Thank you husband. Maddox was tired and didn't really enjoy the beach. He took a nap in the stroller, which was helpful. The kids played in the sand, transformed into mer-people, and got in the water some too. It was beautiful weather. My sister Ashlie, my sister Aimee and her beautiful red heads, Megan and Madie, came with us.

That night the siblings: Me, Aimee, Nicholas, and Ashlie, went to a famous steak house in Tampa named Bern's, for a special dessert. Bern's is old and swanky, and just a great place to experience. They have a completely separate part of the restaurant just for dessert. It was fancy. We got the most amazing chocolate macadamia nut ice cream. It was fabulous. A definite must if you are in the area.

The next day we went to the Magic Kingdom. It was magical!! We got to the park when it opened and left around 11pm. Maddox stayed with my sister Aimee (thanks so much for watching him, Aim). We all felt pretty sick, and Brynna had a fever, but happily we went to the first aid station after lunch and got Motrin for some of us. It got us through the rest of the day. Tracen had a perma-stash from drinking red Gatorade. It took a day or two to come off all the way. The lights were BEAUTIFUL!! The buildings and grounds are amazing. There is such attention to detail. All Brynna wanted to do was see the princesses. She was glassy eyed and flushed from her fever, but was determined to wait in line to see them. She was in awe and quite shy. They do such a great job staying in character and talking to each individual who comes through. I was impressed. I apologize to all those who may have gotten sick due to Brynna leaving her germs with the princesses. Those royal ladies hug a lot of people. We may have started an epidemic. So sorry.

My favorite was Cinderella. She held Brynna's hand while they visited. So sweet.

We went on quite a few rides and were thrilled that everyone was tall enough for all the rides we tried. The Pirates of the Caribbean was a favorite and prompted the kids to each pick out a pirate toy to take home. Brynna surprised me by preferring a little pirate kit to all the dolls in the park. Funny girl. It's a small world was newly renovated and just darling. Again so much attention to detail. Keyan grumbled and complained about it being for little kids and just a boring ride, but he was smiling and wide-eyed the whole time.

The fireworks show at the end was AMAZING and worth staying for. It was just really such a treat and overall a wonderful time. We got back to Aimee's house around 1am, completely exhausted, but so glad we got to go, even if we were sick. Thanks Ash, for coming with us. It was such a help to have three adults. Definitely a plus that you are such a fun gal to have around!

The next day we all recovered from Disney World and started getting ready for Thanksgiving. There was lots of baking and prep going on. That night the adults(and Maddox who slept the whole time) went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. So Fun!! Thursday was full of cooking and getting ready for our Thanksgiving feast. I was feeling pretty bad that day, as were several others, but all the food was delicious. After we ate and sat visiting for a while we went to the beach one last time to enjoy the beautiful sunset. We left for home the next day and had an uneventful trip home. Thankfully. One of the good things about leaving is I am just about always happy to come back home.

Thanks to Aimee, Peter, Nick, and Ashlie for all your help. We are so glad we got to see everyone. Sorry we got you sick. love you all.

Soccer

2010-11-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

Keyan finished his first season of soccer and overall had a wonderful time. He played well, was aggressive, and cheered on his team mates when it was his turn to sit out. Team Trouble started off well, and won the first half of their games, but the second half of the season they just fell apart. Keyan is competitive(not sure where that comes from) and hated losing. Keyan's last game was such a disappointment. A mom from the other team told her son to brake a boy on our team's ankle because he was slide-tackling. Granted slide-tackling can be dangerous, but he was doing so legally and was just touching the ball. Anyway, the next time the little boy from the other team was on the field he just walked up to our player and hit him. Things started to get crazy. Moms were screaming and threatening each other, little boys were crying, the ref, who was just a teenage girl, was unsure of what to do and ended up in tears. It was awful. The game was called early and we all left with a bad taste in our mouths. It was so sad.

Keyan says he wants to try baseball in the spring, so we'll see if he plays soccer again in the fall.

Thankful

2010-11-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Our little family has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have spent the month talking about what we are grateful for, and have only scratched the surface of the myriad ways in which we have been blessed.

I have been thinking a lot about what was happening this time last year. What a difference a year makes. I am so grateful for the passage of time and that with time we have seen so much good happen in our lives. I am very grateful.

We are on our way to Florida tomorrow as a family, to celebrate Thanksgiving with my sister's family and a couple of siblings, and spend a day at the happiest place on earth. Even though Tracen has croup and we have spent the past few nights up way too much, and even though we have just barely started packing and still have laundry to do, and even though Jeff is getting home from work late and playing a double header tonight with his softball league, and even though I have no clue what we are having for dinner, we are leaving tomorrow, and we are EXCITED!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

After School Play

2010-11-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

The after-school routine is starting to get old. I am tired of jumping right into homework as soon as brynna and keyan walk through the door, while simultaneously making dinner, asking about school, getting snacks, dealing with crabby one and three year olds, straightening up the house before jeff comes home, etc... I feel like we rush from one thing to another and then we have dinner, and go to bed. I wish there were more hours in the day for us to just play together and decompress from school, and work before starting all over again.

I will admit to being done with this whole school thing. So far this year we've had bully trouble, calls from the nurse and a teacher, tears, homework, and so many requests for money. I do pay taxes ya know. Seriously...I'm annoyed. I think completing kindergarten and first grade is more than enough to ensure a successful future. I wish. I hate that my kids are already stressed and frustrated and that they don't get more than 30 minutes a day for recess, and regularly don't have time to finish their lunches. IT IS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR PETE'S SAKE!

So, today amidst the hustle of after school activities we stopped our homework, dinner prep, and chores, and went outside to enjoy a beautiful Texas fall afternoon. Sidewalk chalk, races and tag, bouncing on the tramp, impromptu vocal concerts, are all definitely worth procrastinating a little homework for.

Why is it no big deal for him to eat chalk, but peach sorbet, crackers, Cheetos, and yogurt are all not to his liking? Does he have pica? Crazy kid.

Typical Tracen expression. He kills me.

I tried playing tag, but these kids are fast. They were making me work.

I'm so grateful for moments like these.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T20:01:00.003-07:00

I made halloween shirts for the three older kids last year while I was in Boston waiting for Maddox to be born. I over-sized them so they would work for more than one year. I'm thrifty(read:cheap) like that. This year I made Mad one too.

Keyan was apparently not feeling affectionate towards his sister in this one.

We had our ward trunk or treat last night, but maddox and I stayed home. After Keyan's soccer game I started feeling sick and by the time evening rolled around I had the chills, body aches, a serious sore throat and pounding head. So sad I missed the fun.

The kids reused last year's costumes, and brought three filled trick or treating pumpkins home with them. Thank you to whomever gave out toothbrushes. My kids have been in dire need of new ones, in fact Keyan commented after using it last night, that it worked so much better than his old one. I hope so, especially after the sugar we've all gorged ourselves on in the last 24 hours.

And so we move on to November. Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. I am so far from organized for the holidays. We are headed to Florida for Thanksgiving to visit with my sister and her family, my younger brother who recently moved in with her, and my younger sister who is flying out to be one of the party. We are also taking one day to take the older kids to Disney World. We've been talking about it for a year and we are all so excited. Here's hoping that everyone gets/stays healthy and survives the 18 hour drive out there. Only three more weeks to go.

Birthday Boy

2010-10-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Maddox

We had a little party with some friends, neighbors, and ward members, to celebrate this special day. We didn't take as many pictures of everything and everyone as I had wanted to, but we were pretty busy visiting and just enjoying the day.

Thanks so much to all those who came and for the gifts that you were told not to bring!! Maddox is thoroughly enjoying them... much more than the gift we got him anyway. We love you all and are so appreciative of the role you have each played in supporting our family this past year!

We are lame parents and got Maddox a good vacuum. It is one approved by the American lung association, and we bought it in an effort to provide a healthier home for Maddox, and the rest of our family too. So, it might not be super fun, but will hopefully help him to be healthier.

Anyway, here are some pictures of his party, in no particular order.

We love you Maddox!!

Too soon

2010-09-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

I think fall has come too soon, and no I don't mean the cooler weather or changing leaves. I'm talking about those ornery germs that start to plague our lives around the time it is perfect bike riding, evening walk taking, and star gazing conditions outdoors. Dang the bad luck.

Keyan has been sick for a week with a fever as high as 104*, strep throat, and a cold virus. He has even lost a couple pounds, which at the age of 6 3/4 years old and 41 pounds, he cannot afford to lose. He actually looks thinner. He has missed four days of school so far, been to the dr three times and required switching antibiotics several times as well. The doctors even started throwing out the words influenza and mono, which got me all excited(not in a good way) and had my mom and sister talking about coming down to get Maddox to get him away from the germs. Fortunately the docs changed their tune and now are pretty sure it is just a cold/strep combo with a crazy high fever that has lasted over five days, on the side. Do you want a drink with that? How about pedialyte!!

Last Wednesday keyan and brynn walked in off the bus and the first words out of Keyan's mouth was that he had a fever. Sure enough, he was right. I told him if he wasn't feeling good at school he could always go to the nurse and I would come get him and bring him home. He looked at me and said,

"Mom, I couldn't leave Brynna there all by herself. I had to make sure she got home okay on the bus.".

As you can imagine I was touched. The next morning as I was busy packing a lunch for brynna to take to school I overheard those two talking.

" Brynna, do you think you can find your class okay? If you don't know where to go ask a teacher to help. Remember to get off the bus at our stop. You'll be okay, just make sure you get off when Anna(neighbor) gets off."

He went on for a few minutes and brynna reassured him that she would manage and he patted her on the back like a concerned parent. It was hilarious and just so darn cute!! Love those two. We have had to cancel our usual doctor appointments and therapy sessions for Maddox, which always makes me feel further behind. Oh well. Such is life. On a happy note, it isn't Maddox who's sick!!! Yet. Love these crazies!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Back to School...

2010-08-23T19:24:00.001-07:00

aka...best way to make this mama crazy.

Today was the first day of school. Brynna started kindergarten and Keyan first grade. The kids were excited and we wanted to try and make it special and did a little "Back to School Feast." It was simple. We made one of their favorite meals, decorated the table with what we had on hand, and made a yummy peach pie with the peaches that my mom brought out to us when she came for Maddox's surgery. The kids got father's blessings and then we laid out some clothes, read stories, and went to bed. We woke up early, packed lunches, ate breakfast, and were ready to send Brynn and Keyan out into the world to seek their fortunes, complete with enormous backpacks and sweet smiles. It was going to be a good day. Or so we thought.

DUN, DUN, DUN.

At 3 pm I left to go and pick the kids up from school. I pulled out of our garage and went a few blocks, but the car felt weird. I pulled over, got out of the car, and I had a flat tire. We're talking a FLAT TO THE GROUND, flat tire. I turned around and went back home. I called the school and told the secretary to make sure my kids got on the bus. I was irritated and felt bad because I had specified several times to Brynna and Keyan that I would be picking them up. Nothing worse than feeling like your parents forgot about you. We put some cookies in the oven for an after school snack to try and make their homecoming nice, and then Tracen and I went out in the 105* heat to wait for the bus to come. Finally the bus pulled up to the corner and kids started to trickle out. Keyan came running out to greet us, gave Trace a big hug, as I watched for Brynn to get off the bus. We waited. The bus closed its doors and started to pull away. I started to freak out.

"Keyan, where is Brynna? Was she on the bus? Did you see her? Where is she? Did she get off before you? Did you see her on the bus?"

We hurried inside as my mind raced through all the possible things that could have happened, places where she could be, states of panic she could be in, tears streaming down her face. I called the school and told them she didn't get off the bus with her brother and he didn't see her on the bus. Her teacher assured me that she had gotten on the bus and that she would call the bus driver and then call me back. I went back outside to watch and wait and imagined Brynna wandering around some unknown part of our neighborhood, and I lost it. I called Jeff crying. Of all things to happen on her very first day of school. Where was she?! I saw the bus heading back to our street and then there was Brynna, smiling, as she got off the bus, completely unaware that anything was wrong and I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes and asked her how her first day of school was.

I'm hoping the second day goes a little smoother, at least for this crazy mama.

Puzzle

2010-08-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Since we haven't done a whole lot of going places and doing fun things this summer we have had to find new things to do at home. Brynna got a big box of 8 different sized Disney puzzles for her birthday and we have now done 5 of them, four 150 piece puzzles and one 500 piece puzzle. The 150 piece ones only took an afternoon for the kids and I to do, but the 500 piece took over a week to finish. Tracen and I were the puzzle enthusiasts, and Keyan and Brynna humored us for a little while everyday, but quickly found other interests. Tracen would beg for us to work on it and honestly he was surprisingly skilled at fitting the small pieces together and seeing where each piece worked. We started calling him "THE GREAT PUZZLE DO-ER!"

We had to take a picture of our masterpiece! We have two 250 piece puzzles and one 500 piece puzzle left to do. I know what Trace and I are going to be doing now that school is back in session.

FHE at the Dixon's

2010-08-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

And the lesson will be taught by... Darth.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Five

2010-07-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Brynna!! What a lucky family we are to have you! You are spunky, fun, smart, not afraid to be silly, a good helper, and super creative. I love that you notice everything beautiful around you. You comment all the time about the lovely things you see and you are noticeably appreciative of the beautiful world you live in. It is a joy to watch you learn and grow. We love you!

Darling Birthday Girl

Brynna wanted to go swimming, but since it is way too hot to take Maddox out during the day, she happily made do with the slip'n'slide.

FACE PLANT! OUCH!

Just getting a drink

Siblings

5 Years old

Birthday Dinner-pizza and rootbeer, eaten on the pizza blanket(used as pizza blanket during my childhood), while watching Castaways(old disney-Brynna's choice)

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Cake thank you Cold Stone

All in all, I'd say it was a good day.

You and Me

2010-07-12T06:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my honey!!

I'm so glad I get to go through life with you.

Love,

The Wife

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Party at our house!

2010-06-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

There has been a whole lot of this:

and this:

and this:

at our house this week. Fevers, vomit, rashes, chills, aches, and pains, have led us to spend our time doing this:

We spent all winter and spring under house arrest and want to get out and enjoy summer before the changing seasons require us to go into hibernation again. Here's hoping that those pesky germs decide to vacation elsewhere. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

World Cup...

2010-06-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

...bringing families together.

Jeff giving Mad a breathing treatment while watching the US beat Algeria. GO USA!!!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Father's Day

2010-06-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the dad in our home.

We are so grateful for the man you are. We love you! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fly on the Wall

2010-06-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you had been a fly on the wall at the Dixon home today you would have seen how we really operate.

Let me set the stage:

-Three hungry kids sitting at the table, anxiously awaiting their lunch and whining about what is on the menu-

-Grumpy baby sitting in high chair, trying to avoid touching thegerber's sweet potatoes his mama had smeared all over his tray, and put his toys and beloved pacifier into in an attempt to work on overcoming his oral aversion and follow the advice of the paid therapists who stopped by this morning-

-Crazy mama dancing and singing in the kitchen while slapping honey and bananas on a piece of bread to feed aforementioned hungry children, and entertain a certain grumpy and oral averse infant crying in the highchair-

-during a nearly perfect musical run and it's coordinating dance move, the eldest hungry child exclaimed, "mom, your dancing disturbs me."-

-music and dancing stop. Mom's head droops pathetically. Hungry children snigger and taunt. Grumpy baby starts to cry and turn an all too common shade of purple. Mom wipes up smeared sweet potatoes and crying baby, picks him up, and silently continues to make the rest of lunch one handed, sans amazing dance moves-

And that my friends is how lunch is done here at the Dixon's.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Grade- Here We Come!!

2010-06-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Keyan and his teacher, Mrs. Kettler (We just found out Brynna will have her too!)

Last August, less than two weeks before school started we found out about Maddox's heart. I really had no idea how things were going to turn out. I was concerned about things being so out of control at home, and Keyan, my sensitive child, starting his first year of school, being gone all day, and me not being in a position to be really focus on him. I felt helpless and so heartbroken that all my plans for volunteering at school, surprising him at lunch, and just being present, were not going to happen. Mercifully, there have been many wonderful and loving people who have done what I have not been able to do.

Despite all the craziness of the past year, our kids for the most part have adjusted well and thrived. Keyan did very well in school, and loved it. He has grown up so much and matured in ways that most six year old's don't have opportunities to experience. It is nice to look back and see where we started and how far we have come. It gives me some peace about the future.

Congratulations Keyan on a job well done! We sure love you Mr. Keyan. (he signed his papers at school as Mr. Keyan)

The Artist

2010-06-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

Brynna LOVES to draw. At the age of 4-almost 5 I am often impressed by what she comes up with on her own. The most I help her is by getting the scissors or crayons down from the shelf or tell her how to spell something.

This from How to Train your Dragon. Notice how the boy can actually ride the dragon. Lots of attention to detail.

She cuts out different things and then glues them on for added texture. (see the butterfly)

The flag was her idea. I helped cut out some of the stars.

I can't wait to see what this kid does with art. She will be starting kindergarten in August, and I know that she is going to just LOVE it!! Especially all the coloring, glueing and cutting she'll get to do.

Popsicles

2010-06-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

We made our own popsicles a few weeks ago. Mint chocolate Popsicles.

We were so excited to try them

Unfortunately the only ones who like them were me and Trace.

Love these cute chocolaty faces!!

Newest Addition

2010-06-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

• 50+ years old

• $150 off Craigslist

• Took 6 guys to move

• LOVE having music played in our home

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Saturday

2010-06-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

...it's a special day...

It's the day we cut hair, go swimming, wash cars, and try to catch up a little. Love Saturdays!!

It was time to tame the beast.

Here's the Mad-man with hair buzzed, and now he will hopefully be cooler and more comfy while wearing his helmet.

Brynn's all ready to go help wash the car and then go to the pool.

Trace and Mad getting a little snuggle time before Trace heads with Dad, Keyan and Brynna to go swimming.

See, sometimes they get along.

All in all, a fairly productive Saturday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brothers

2010-05-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

The joys of having siblings!!

I've gotta say I wouldn't have it any other way.

Love these crazy boys.

He's THREE!!!

2010-04-23T13:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Tracen!!

April 17th

the goodie table

Keyan, Tracen wearing the Darth Vader shirt I made him, and Brynna

Vintage Star Wars characters

Jedi Snacks

Princess Leia

Nate, Keyan, Brynna and Anneka(LOVE HER FACE!)

Tracen, Addyson, and Olivia

Cupcakes, Artichoke dip(thanks Amy), veggies, and pizza YUM!!

Playing: You Ate "LUKE"

Jedi Initiation: Wishy-Washy Game

Friends Meryn and Ed Haro looking on as Tracen opens presents

Singing Happy Birthday

Ice cream on a fork! YODA(next to his plate) has been a constant companion the past week!!

Well, a happy birthday to our favorite three year old!! We just love you to pieces and are so grateful for the joy and laughter you bring to our home!! We love you Trace!!

Good Helpers

2010-04-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

I am loving the fact that I can sit and rock my sick little Mad(sick as a dog, hacking his little lungs out, poor baby) and have the laundry being folded at the same time!!

Tracen is celebrating his birthday today by folding towels. Every just-turned-three year old's dream. Now if only I could get them to make dinner. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easter Stuff

2010-04-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went on a walk a couple weeks ago to gather sticks for an Easter tree. I spray painted the branches, wrapped fun paper around an empty formula can, hung eggs that I had found at a thrift store, and wallah... Easter decoration.

Here is the result of our dying eggs by wrapping them in pieces of silk neckties, also found at a thrift store, then wrapping them again in muslin, securing with a twist tie and then boiling them in water and a little vinegar. Pretty cool, huh!

The State of Things...

2010-03-23T21:42:00.001-07:00

This about sums up life at the Dixon home right now.

Things are busy, but I HOPE to be able to update here soon and give a detailed account of what is new with the Mad-man on his blog.

Until then, this cute little backside will have to do!!

Heard...

2010-02-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

In the three months I was away in Boston, Tracen learned how to talk. He was saying lots before I left and then I came home to an extremely verbal little boy who just talks all day long and surprises me regularly by what he says.

Pointing to a scratch on his leg:

Tracen: Keyan caused this.

After showing me his hurt finger:

Me: I'm sorry your finger hurts.

Tracen: It's not your fault.

Trying to find shoes:

Me: Trace, where are your green and blue shoes?

Tracen: Mom, I have no idea.

Prayers:

Tracen: please bless Maddox to be healthy and strong...

Showing off his new undies:

Tracen: Do you like my boxer-briefs?

Tracen: My birthday is April 17th. I'm going to be three. I want a Yoda birthday and Dark Waiter(darth vader) and Darth Maul, and Han Solo and Brynna can be Princess Leia.

He keeps us interested, that's for sure.

Simple

2010-02-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hot chocolate and scripture study by candlelight.

A simple favorite at our house.

Mess-Maker

2010-02-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

TRACEN... what am I going to do with you?! play dough in my bedroom on a vacuum attachment play dough embedded in the bristles of his toothbrush play dough is his new obsession- I find it EVERYWHERE! popcorn as decoration

I think he is having a hard time adjusting to not being the baby in the house. He has been...somethin' else! all tuckered out after a day of destruction

Valentine's Day at school

2010-02-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

Keyan probably should have been the one to make this, but I needed to make a mess. One of my friends came and held Maddox for a few hours one day last week while I played with glue and scissors. Good therapy!

I have seen these on several other blogs and since I have zero creativity, copied it. Loving Keyan's crazy face!

Tracen is already talking about the box and treats he'll take to school for Valentine's Day. Poor kid is only two.

Many Faces of Tracen

2010-02-03T21:00:00.001-08:00

I love this ornery little sucker!!

can't you see why?!

Christmas Miracle

2010-01-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am finally documenting Christmas. We had a wonderful time together as a family. Aside from the three trips to the ER in a two week span, one near death experience, and a four day stay in the hospital, we had a marvelous reunion and Christmas together as a family. In many ways it was a Christmas miracle, one of those ways was completely unexpected.

Keyan had been troubled about the fact that it was almost Christmas and there was no snow. Several times while talking to him on the phone when I was still in Boston he asked when it was going to snow. Jeff and I both told him that snow wasn't an absolute necessity for Christmas to happen, but he seemed pretty convinced that it was an absolute must for the the Christmas festivities to take place. Well, Christmas Eve came and Jeff was out getting some last minute food items for our Christmas feast, made completely by himself, when he called me to let me know that it was snowing at the store and that he had heard on the news that we were supposed to get up to an inch of the cold white stuff. We decided not to mention it to the kids just in case the weather changed it's mind. It wasn't too long however until it was snowing in earnest and we were watching white fluffy flakes stick to the ground.

The kids were ecstatic and gathering coats, hats, and gloves so as not to miss a moment of play time outside. It was Tracen's first real experience with snow and I figured it would quickly lose it's charm when he was wet and cold. Happily, I was wrong and all three of the kids played outside for at least 45 minutes. Maddox and I sat by the lit tree inside and watched the others run, jump, and literally frolic. It was beautiful.

Once everyone came in to warm by the fire Keyan snuggled up by me and said, "Mom, it snowed! It's a Christmas miracle!" I responded that it was pretty neat that there was actually snow for Christmas, not wanting to really count the snow as miraculous. Keyan was convinced however and said, "No Mom, it really is a miracle. Dad told me that it doesn't snow in Texas and that if there was snow for Christmas it would take a miracle! It's really a Christmas miracle." We sat there together as a family of six, reunited after months apart, with our very own living miracle with us and I knew that he was right. It truly was a Christmas miracle.

jumping on the trampoline

cold but oh, so happy

what a crazy little man, that trace

trying to have a snow ball fight

Christmas Eve pj's (Tracen is trying to play the part of Darth Vader to honor his Star Wars pajamas. For some reason he always sympathizes with the bad guy.)

Keyan

2010-01-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to my sweet six year old

Keyan, you are such a delightful little boy!!

You are learning and growing so much and are developing a testimony of our Savior.

It is such a pleasure to be your mother and I am so happy to see the wonderful young man you are becoming.

I am often touched by your faith and example and your desire to do what is right.

You light up our home with your love of life and sweet personality.

We love you Keyan and are so blessed to be part of your family!

Toothless

2009-11-20T20:48:00.001-08:00

My good friend and neighbor Cynthia, has been taking care of Keyan a lot while I have been gone. Keyan goes to their house after school until Jeff gets home from work and he has also stayed there when Jeff has been kickin' it here with me in Boston. Cynthia has three kids at the elementary school and her youngest is also in Kindergarten, so she is often at the school. She and other moms in our neighborhood, who are also in our ward, have sent pictures of Keyan to help me feel a part of things back home. Thanks for everything girls!

This is Keyan and his friend Samuel from their Thanksgiving party today at school. I just can't get over that toothless grin!!! LOVE IT!! Keyan has been a hoot to talk to lately and has really surprised me by how much he has grown up. He told me about some girls in his class who "like" him and were writing notes to him and calling him handsome. I have to agree with those little five year olds. He is pretty darn cute. He also started telling me about the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana. Seriously, that kills me. They know about that stuff in kindergarten?! I am a little weird and have never really been up to date with popular bands/ musical groups, but seriously, the Jonas brothers? Oh dear. Tonight he told me that when his dad turned 44, that he would need a cane or a wheelchair because he would be old. I laughed out loud. 27 is feeling pretty old right now, but hopefully I can hold off on the cane or wheelchair at least until I'm 30. Can't wait to see that crazy Keyan and his silly siblings!! Tracen asks to talk to Keyan everytime I call him. I hope Keyan, Brynna and Trace have a great reunion in a few days. I'm so excited to see them for the first time in over two months. I hope they recognize me!! Ha!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Boston

2009-10-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

My good friend Amy Huling came out from Texas to visit me for a few days this week. It was such a treat to have her and her 7 month old son Clayton here.

We went to the Museum of Fine Arts,

rode the subway to Boston Common where the Freedom Trail begins,

and did a little shopping at Downtown Crossing. We did quite a bit of people watching which is always fun in a big city.

It was so much fun to just hang out and talk and really made the week speed by. Thanks Amy for coming, Ken for holding down the fort so she could come and Meryn and Tiffany for babysitting while Ken was at work! It was a great gift from all of you! Only one more week until Jeff comes!! Hopefully my body can hold everything together and not go into labor until he gets here. We are counting down the days! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I got Alissa an Iphone

2009-09-23T12:16:00.001-07:00

So Alissa is stuck up in Boston with a broken phone and so as a surprise I got her a new Iphone 3Gs. This will help her get through the lonely months up there and allow her to update the blog remotely. I am usually the one to get the new technology, so I thought I would surprise her with this when I went up for the birth of our son. Her phone is broken up there, she can take calls but really can't phone out or see messages. Her screen went blank. I saw that it would be the same cost to replace her phone with an iPhone as it would be with any other phone even with the cost of the service plan so I thought this would be extra good for her at no additional cost. I am writing this right now on a blogger app to test that she can update her blog. It looks like it will work. Maddox is improving and they will try to make him last until 36 weeks and so I will be up there a few days before probably in the first week or two of October. We are so thankful for all your emails, phone calls, prayers and love and continue to keep them in your prayers. Here is to test the picture feature of the app.

Jeff - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ready to Pop!

2009-09-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of the belly one more time before Maddox is born. I'm leaving for Boston on Saturday all by my little lonesome self. I definitely wish Jeff was coming with me, but I guess we need to fund this adventure somehow, so he'll stay at work until we have a date for the c-section. It could be a couple weeks until Maddox is born, and until then I'll be crashing at strangers' homes and hitchin' rides on trains and taxis. A little stressful, but we are sure Heavenly Father will make it all work. Here's to taking a few steps into the dark! Keep those prayers coming. We are definitely being blessed by them.

First Day

2009-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Keyan is officially a kindergartner.

He went to his first day of school yesterday, and I might add that it is all day, 8am-3:15pm. Brynna, Tracen and I all walked him into class, gave him a hug and watched him go forth into the educational world. The first thing he did was give his teacher a hug. That did my heart good. And then we were off. Tracen was pretty upset that he didn't get to stay, and I was just hoping to keep it together until we made it outside. I made it through the day without crying, which I am proud to say, but maybe that's because I'm all cried out for a little while.

The worst part of the day was that I was LATE to pick him up due to falling asleep on the floor while playing a game with Brynna. AHHHH!! How could I do that?!! I felt just sick about it! So much for starting the school year off right. Luckily, Keyan didn't seem to notice or care, and got into the car with a smile on his face, excited to report on his day.

As exciting as tying shoes,

losing teeth(about to lose his 3rd one) and starting school are, I sure wish that my kids weren't growing up quite so fast. It's starting to make me feel old.

Just to let you know...

2009-08-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

There have been some difficult things going on at our home lately. I hate to publicly ask for prayers and faith, but I know what strength there is in numbers and what a difference prayer can make, so I'm asking for all of you to remember us when you are on your knees. So as not to be redundant, I'll direct you to the top right side of our blog where it says "Maddox" to fill you in on what's going on.

Oh, the joys of mortality.

She must have super powers

2009-08-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

What possesses children to put things in power outlets -and metal things at that?

The kids found some keys and some big pad locks in a drawer the other day and have been playing with them a lot. I didn't have a problem with it until Brynna sat on the floor with the three completely metal keys on a metal ring and stuck them in the outlet. Immediately the power went out and Brynna yelled, "I'm sorry!" I saw the key in her hand and almost passed out. How in the world was this child not electrocuted? She could be fried crispy, or should have at least felt something, but after questioning her she said that she hadn't felt ANYTHING! We have since talked at great length about the dangers of power outlets and have banned them from the children. Sheesh!! I guess we need a few more outlet covers.

30

2009-08-09T07:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my honey!!!

Yesterday Jeff turned 30!!

He celebrated by weed-wacking, building shelves, weeding some flower beds, cleaning out the garage, and getting a pretty nice sunburn on his head and neck!!

I got him tickets to the BYU versus Oklahoma Sooners game that will be at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in September!!

I love you Jeff!! Thanks for all you do, even on your birthday!!

My Country

2009-08-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

My sister's sister-in-law posted this on her blog and I really appreciated her position on the things that are going on in our country. This may not represent your political opinions, but I think we all need to be aware of the ramifications of our leaders' actions and the role we should be playing in the future of our country.

Harry Potter Fanatics!!!

2009-08-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

My kids are slightly obsessed with the boy wizard!!

They love the movies, have listened to some of the books on cd, and pretend to live in the wizarding world daily. Pencils are their wands and spells are cast at each other for hours on end. "Expelliarmus" is heard frequently as they run around trying to disarm one another.

Here they are getting ready to play "Quidditch" on their brooms. I would have joined them except we only have three brooms. It must be a family obsession!

Last Hurrah!

2009-07-27T07:01:00.001-07:00

The kids and I are in Missouri at my parents' enjoying lots of fresh produce for the week. We have left home one last time before we are tied forever more to the schedule designated by the school district. Can I tell you just how excited(read: dreading it) I am for Keyan to start kindergarten. Should be a fun adjustment.

Poor Jeff is at home alone working and trying to finish re-staining our kitchen cabinets...a fun job that I'm glad I'm missing out on. Thanks honey!

Well, here's to a week of great food and a ton of Wii playing!!

YUM!

2009-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a moist carrot cake and some cream cheese frosting to start the day off right!! My friendship with cream cheese should end, but I'm not sure if I have the strength to make that happen. It's just too good!

The Progression of Pregnancy

2009-07-23T09:00:00.001-07:00

6 weeks 18 weeks

24 weeks
These pictures were all taken in the morning, which is important because I look about 5 days from delivering this child after I've eaten dinner. Gotta love the belly!

Trip to Utah

2009-07-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Finally.

Due to the fact that I am at home with kids with fevers and scratchy throats instead of at church, I can finally blog about our trip.

We drove two days to visit with the Dixon side of the family, and overall the drive was good. Tracen and I were the crankiest, but Jeff did a great job driving for 20 hours and Keyan and Brynna were pro travelers.

We took the kids to see Temple Square and the Joseph Smith movie that is showing. Tracen and I got to see about 40 minutes of it before he needed to be taken out. I heard the rest was good.

Keyan taking pic of Brynna at Temple Square

We went to Provo to visit with my three siblings at BYU. We went to eat at Cafe Rio and walked around BYU campus. Keyan was a little disappointed with BYU because in his mind BYU consisted of a football team. Sorry little man, it's a school.

We went swimming.

Brynna cooling off

Cousins Mycole and Dyamond

Look at my hot boys!!

We visited friends in Provo that Jeff's family has known for almost 20 years. It was great to see them!

We went to the Oqurrih Mountain Temple open house. Although it was a hot and long wait, it was a wonderful experience. The kids really like it too. The temple was just beautiful.

We went on a little hike to show Dyamond and Mycole, who live in Kentucky, a close up of the mountains.

dixon grandkids: (back row) Mycole(red shirt) holding Jefferson, Dyamond holding baby Chase (front) Ada, Brynna, Keyan and Tracen

the whole family, minus Jeff(taking picture) and Becca(Dyamond and Mycole's Mom who had to stay home in Kentucky to work)

We had a little science experiment. Thanks Karl.

coke and mentos

Jeff, Keyan, Grandpa, Aunt Kelli and Uncle Karl went golfing and had a great time. Unfortunately there were no pictures taken, but Jeff and Grandpa Dixon had their best golf game ever. Keyan got to drive the golf cart and was the clutch putter for everyone. He made 7 out of 8 putts that were within 3 feet of the hole. He even out drove Uncle Karl on one hole. Karl was a great sport about it. The whole group came home smiling!

The kids spent a lot of time jumping on the trampoline, playing golf outside, digging in the dirt, crawling under the deck, playing the wii, and just playing with their cousins.

We celebrated Brynna and Ada's 4th birthdays.

they were born less than 24 hours apart

yummy cake!

Had water balloon fights

Dyamond soaking Beth with the leftover water

Jeff enjoyed the water fight too

Had a pinata.

Hit it Keyan!

and some fire works.

Tracen got a nice burn from the sparklers, but it didn't stop him

Brynna with her sparkler

We had a great time in Utah and were just so happy to spend some fun times with our family! We can't wait to do it again next July!!

4 Years Old

2009-07-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Brynna!

The day was filled with swimming, friends, pizza, cupcakes and all things pink!!

We sure love our sassy little girl.

Here's to 7 years of LOVIN'

2009-07-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my darling husband!

What a blessing it is to be your wife! I love you!

Milestone

2009-07-08T12:50:00.001-07:00

Before I post anything about our trip I'll post the big news of the day:

Keyan is officially a big kid!!

He pulled his first tooth out on our way home from the pool! The second one isn't far behind and I assume he'll be nearly toothless in another week. Gotta love that grin!

It's good to be home

2009-07-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

After driving for two days we are finally back from our trip to Utah to visit family. We had a great time seeing everyone!! As soon as my house gets back to normal I'll post some pictures from our week away from Texas.

Dixon Family Projects

2009-06-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things we've been working on:

homemade t-shirts

to go with something else homemade.

Baby Dixon #4 is a...BOY!!! We are crazy excited(okay maybe just crazy) about adding to our family!!

Simple Pleasures

2009-06-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

SACK RACES...does it get any better than that?!

love those big grins!

nice air keyan!

WIPE OUT! brynn spent a lot of time on the floor

takin' a break

love that face!

good old-fashioned fun!

Adventures of Tracen Continued...

2009-06-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Standing on office chairs + 2 year old boy

= Bloody face

Late night trip to the ER + About 3 hours of waiting

= Two stitches and a tired boy(and mom)

jingle jingle...

2009-06-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Money is taking over our house!!! That sounds like a good thing, right? Well, as of late, there can be found on almost any flat surface in our home, a pile of change...pennies, nickles, quarters, half dollars, and even dollar coins, but not dimes, they're too small. One would think that the Dixon family was saving for a trip to Disney World. No, unfortunately. Maybe taken up "pick-pocketing"...again no, unfortunately. kidding. Well, how about getting prepared for those Salvation Army Santas outside of Walmart that will be showing up in a few short months? Sorry, I'm not that charitable.

The answer...magic.

That's right folks. My hubby has taken on a new and unexpected interest. He has learned and practiced many tricks over the last few weeks and is getting pretty good and that sleight of hand stuff. The kids are eating it up too and carry their own change around practicing.

Tracen is often asking for "coins" and even comes up with his fist clenched and says, "Blow it." meaning for me to blow on it, after which he opens his hand, showing his coin and says proudly, "There it is!" It is hysterical!

Jeff has been doing tricks where he pulls coins out of the kids' shirts and out of his arm. Brynna has been trying to recreate it and so hides the coins in her shirt. The first time I saw her reaching to pull something out of the front of her shirt I was appalled...what kind of shows has this girl been watching? Apparently I'm thinking of women putting money in their...pardon me...cleavage, and I can't come up with where she's seen that, but believe me, if you have seen some of this girl's dance moves you would be wondering too. Anyway, I finally realized that it was part of her magic trick. She is learning pretty fast.

Unfortunately for Jeff, I am a pretty tough critic. I have been shown too many techniques to miss what is usually going on when he is trying out one of his new tricks on us. Several times however I have been genuinely impressed and mystified about how he did it. I love it when he amazes me!! I love walking past the bathroom and seeing him practice for a minute in the mirror. I love the wonder and surprise in the kids' eyes when he pulls a coin out of his mouth or makes one disappear. I love that my cute hubby is so interested in so many things and has such a thirst for knowledge of all kinds and a desire to learn everything!! I hope that gets passed on to our kids.

So, now you know why the Dixon clan's a little extra jingly lately!

Heard Recently

2009-06-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have started working on the Articles of Faith and last night Keyan gave me his rendition of the 2nd one. "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's graduation(supposed to be transgression). We recently went to my brother Adam's graduation, and apparently that was pretty meaningful to Keyan. It was pretty cute. He also now talks about graduating from his swimming class, and kindergarten which he hasn't even started yet. Maybe he just likes using the word "graduation."

Brynna's birthday is coming up and several times when discussing what she wants to do to celebrate she has said that she wants to go to "Chuck E Jesus" aka "Chuck E Cheese's" We couldn't help but laugh at that one, but have had to correct her on the name more than a few times.

Nature's Fireworks

2009-05-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

The other night Jeff caught some shots of a thunderstorm that had just missed us. Keyan and Brynna, joined us outside to enjoy the show. Tracen was already in bed, poor chap. The kids kept saying, with awed little voices, "How beautiful." And it was.

Never Too Young

2009-05-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Don't call CPS on us. He wanted to mow the lawn.

Seriously, this kid is ridiculously strong! He was really pushing it.

Self-Reliance

2009-05-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

No, this is not one of those "I love working on my food storage" posts. I just wanted to document the resourcefulness of my two oldest kiddos!!

Yesterday we had preschool at our house, where we had a Cinco de Mayo party, complete with a pinata of sorts, homemade salsa and guacamole, dancing, singing, and trying to keep seven little children occupied. After this little fiesta, I was kind of worn out, and fell asleep on the floor in the playroom while talking to Keyan and Brynna about...can't remember, but I'm sure Star Wars was in there somewhere. Anyway, I woke up to the sound of a movie playing, and popcorn popping in the microwave. I stayed on the floor for a while just listening to my still-little-kids talk and carry out the plans for their "date" aka: movie and popcorn. They had two BIG bowls which they split the entire bag of popcorn between so they could each have their own bowl. It was adorable. I couldn't help but grin!! I guess that means I can take a nap more often.

Doing Well

2009-04-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who called and or commented. I am doing a lot better. I am still having some tingling in my hands, but I've decided that it could be due to a pinched nerve somewhere. I'm going to go to a chiropractor and see what he can do. Other than that I cannot complain.

911

2009-04-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting day yesterday. It was my first time calling 911...and for myself no less. I was having terrible chest pain and then my arm went all tingly and I started to get nervous. I didn't think I should drive myself to the ER, not knowing what could be happening, and then with my three kids in the car, so I just decided to use the trained professionals that my tax dollars were paying for. The kids were calm, I was starting to freak out a little, which didn't help the pain, and by the time the police, EMT's and fire truck was at our house, I was in tears. They hooked me up to a machine with little sticky receptors all over the top half of my body, to see if there was something going on with my heart. During this time the kids were given a private tour of the fire truck in our driveway and were having one on one chats with firemen and police officers. They were in heaven.

From what the EMT's could see, there was nothing life threatening going on with my heart, but they recommended that I go to the hospital to see what else could be happening. I wasn't about to be transported in an ambulance to the hospital for something that apparently wasn't life threatening, so I told them I would wait and see what happened for a while, get a hold of my doctor, and get my husband to come home from work, and take our kids to our friends' home first. After hearing back from my doctor, who for liability reasons didn't want to miss something serious that could be going on, Jeff and I made our way to the ER. We were there for a few hours having an IV line put in so they could draw blood and for possible future use to administer meds(I blacked out), and having an ultrasound on my legs to check for blood clots. Anyway, to make a long story short, we basically told them we were done being there and ready to go home, and that if the pain got worse or didn't subside, then we would follow up with my doctor or just come back in to the ER. Last night after we got back from the hospital and picked up our kids, our wonderful Bishop came by to help Jeff give me a Priesthood blessing. We also made sure to have a quick family home evening lesson and teach the kids how to call 911 and when it was appropriate to do so.

Today I am still in pain, but not as much as yesterday, and Jeff stayed home all day to take care of me and be close by should anything more happen. The kids have been playing with friends and neighbors, dinner is being brought to us tonight, and I am resting. I'm still not sure what is going on, but it feels more like my ribs are stuck and are being pulled really tight together or something. It doesn't feel like muscle pain however. I can't quite explain it, but it's weird and not pleasant. Anyway, we'll see what happens. For now, we are all well and so grateful for great friends, neighbors and ward members who have been calling and dropping by and offering to help.

TWO

2009-04-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Day to my Baby Boy!!

How are you 2 already?

We sure love you Spacey-Trace!!

You bring light, life and laughter to our home.

We are so grateful that we get to be your family. Happy Birthday to our crazy little man!

Heard

2009-04-07T18:51:00.001-07:00

Keyan: Mom, you are grounded from silly talk.

Sorry to be so lacking in posts. My sister and her family are visiting for a week from Florida. Her husband drove her and her two little girls out so that she could see us and then be close enough to drive to our parents' for the next month while he deploys to the "big sandbox" as they call it. He is flying back to Florida tomorrow so he can deploy at the end of the week. We're having fun and as relaxing a time as you can have with 5 kids ages 4months -5 years. We'll update again soon.

Heard today...

2009-03-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Brynna: Mom, I like your husband!

34 Years

2009-03-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my parents!!!

Growing up with a mom and dad who love each other, support one another and serve the other has been such a blessing. Now that I am married I look to your example and the things you both have done to make your marriage successful and happy.

I love that after a tiring day you'll sit and rub each others' feet, that Mom you wake up early to see Dad off for work with his lunch in hand, and that Dad you get excited with Mom when she finds a new doll to add to the pile for grand-daughters who come to visit. I love that you help each other in your callings and try to make the other's burdens light. I love that you have gospel, political, historical, etc... discussions together and continue to develop your minds and spirits together. I love that you still dance together in the kitchen, that you still "goose" each other, and that smooching is an activity you still enjoy!

Thanks for being wonderful parents and for sharing your love for each other with your children!

We love you!! Happy Anniversary!! May there be MANY more!!

The Adventures of Tracen

2009-03-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

One thing I absolutely adore about my darling little Trace is his zest for life!! This zest is also known as complete unawareness of danger, total disregard for his mother's nerves and causing a future heart condition, absolute apathy to threats to life and limb, and an all consuming desire to experience EVERY aspect of living. If he makes it to adulthood I will be extremely proud of my mothering abilities and immensely impressed with his immune system!

Some of his most recent adventures include getting his head stuck between two doors in our very poorly designed bathroom. The door to the bathroom and the door to the...ahem...water closet, hit into each other on a regular basis, but this is the first time anyone has gotten stuck. My poor little man. Here are some different angles of the tight spot he found his head in. I was inside the bathroom and all but Tracen's head was on the outside of the bathroom. Both doors were open as far as they could go and Tracen was trying so hard to pull his head out, that I literally thought he was going to lose an ear. I was yelling at him to calm down and try to twist his body so he could come back through the doors, but he was fighting as hard as he could to get out and screaming as he attempted to pull a "Van Gogh" on me. I was about to yell for one of the other kids to bring me a phone so I could have the fire department come rescue us, when Tracen made one more heave and was free, scraping his head, behind his ear and the skin off the side of one ear in the process.

The next adventure came while playing outside one morning. We have an empty sand table that filled with water due to some rainy weather we had last week out on our patio. Tracen decided he was thirsty, went inside, got himself a cup, and came back out to quenched his thirst! Hmmm. Delicious. Everyone loves the taste dirt and hepatitis in the morning. And next, which really isn't dangerous, but demonstrates his independent spirit: Tracen apparently wasn't happy with his cup of milk, he thought it needed some watering down. He took care of it and watered himself and my kitchen floor down in the process!!

OH!!! I just want to smooch that dirty little face!!! And that my friends, is why I love this little man!!

Daddy's "DO"

2009-03-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love my kids!!! LOVE THEM!!!! After my two hours of fun in nursery was done for the week, I went to find Keyan and Brynna who, unknown to me, were wandering around the chapel looking for their parents while the rest of the ward was getting ready to start Sacrament Meeting(we have it as the last meeting of the block, which is totally lame). Usually Jeff is already in there saving a pew by the time the last kid has been picked up from nursery and I get to leave, but today Jeff was at home with Tracen who was stinkin the house up with a bought of diarrhea. I went to the primary room to find the kiddos, but instead was stopped by two of the ladies who work in the primary who were just giggling and had to share what my two little crazies has said during sharing time.

They were coloring a picture of a Mom and a Dad and Brynna looked at the cartoony dad, raised and eyebrow and said condescendingly, "My Dad doesn't even have any hair." the dad in the picture had a full head and Brynna disapproved. Keyan said for all to hear in a mighty proud voice, "Yeah, he lost his hair on his mission!" -like it was the coolest thing ever! They are pretty big fans of their Dad and his hair style and I'm right there with them! I have to say they're pretty cute about it! Especially when Keyan says, "When I grow up, I'll go on a mission and lose my hair on my head and get it on my back just like Daddy." Wow. That's something special!!

Oh what a night!

2009-03-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to sleep on the floor between my two boys,

scrub vomit off of sheets, clothes, pillows, floors, and faces,

hold bowls under little mouths,

flush nastiness down the toilet and rinse out bowls for the next go round,

rub backs, hum songs, talk softly,

and comfort my little loves while lightning and thunder accompanied

the rain pounding on the windows.

I think we'll all be taking naps today!

Creative Juices-Borrowed

2009-03-04T13:32:00.001-08:00

Here are some creative things I have done lately. Albeit, I have done nothing that boasts of being originally creative, but instead copy what other's have already thought up. To give myself credit, I did draw and cut out all the letters free hand using a razor blade and glued the paper and tied the ribbons, so the work is mine. It's fun to have a little something pretty to work on.

Valentine's Day Banner

I made this for a baby shower I threw for my friend Amy, but kept for myself and future showers. How selfish is that?!

I found some GREAT paper at Michael's that is funky, yet lovely and also reversible!!! I need to go back and stock up for any future projects that I decide to copy!

WE CAME, WE ATE, WE GAINED FIVE POUNDS!

2009-03-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

We've been back from the cruise for a week now. The kids have been home since Wednesday and life is starting to go on as before, except with some new great memories. Jeff and I had a wonderful time together and really enjoyed getting to be with our friends without any of our adorable little children running about. THANK YOU Mom and Dad for making that possible!!!!!!!! How about we plan to do it again...say in seven more years?!!! We'll just pencil that in now!

We ate on average of six meals/snacks a day and even though I am seeing the effects of that now, it was worth it. Seriously, can you have too much soft serve ice cream? I don't think so. We rode scooters/mopeds through Merida Mexico, which we found out later the cruise line advised against due to danger and past accidents...oops. Luckily we came through unscathed, but I must admit there were a few hair raising moments of squeezing through lanes of cars, going maybe a little too fast on the freeway, and being attacked by a gravel truck(don't worry, nothing serious, just a little painful). We went snorkeling, for the first time for Jeff and I, and had a blast!!! We played and ate, went to the shows, and ate, got some sun, and ate, took a nap, and ate. It was heavenly, except for a little sea sickness, which wasn't a problem as long as we were outside. And here are some pics in no particular order:

Jeff blowing in the wind. It was pretty darn windy.

Ready to ride From left to right: Jeff, Dan, Denise

Denise, Me and Angela trying to stay warm

Gambling Mormon Style!!!

awwww!

Gate of Cathedral in Merida Mexico

right outside of the Cathedral

Inside Cathedral

Inside Who are these guys? And who says you need to be drunk to act crazy, get funny looks from people and be followed by security guards?

First meal on board

Eating again

The whole clan, with the addition of two boys we didn't know.

Oh, he takes my breath away!!!

Hold on...here we go!!

On the tour boat after snorkeling in Cozumel. The water was so clear!!

Cozumel Mexico

So...handsome

Here's our tough pose!! Wow. Scary.

Yet another posed shot of my honey and I

Other than helmets, we were completely exposed to the open road going 50 mph in Mexico. I am glad I lived.

Off on an adventure

CRUISE TRIP!!

2009-02-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

My kids are at Grammy and Grandpa's house for the next week and a half while Jeff and I go on a cruise with some of our best and oldest friends! We picked up our friends yesterday at the airport and will be leaving tomorrow on the cruise. Being without kids for the first time has been a little strange, but since it probably won't happen often, I'm going to take advantage of it and enjoy it all I can. A week of sun and great food...could it get any better?! See you in a week!!

Dancing Queen

2009-01-31T19:53:00.001-08:00

First it started out a little scary,

(don't you love all the food in her mouth...gross!)

then a little crazy,

next it was pretty silly,

and then just down right cute!!

"dancing queen, young and sweet, only...three."

Don't Ask

2009-01-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

Heard tonight:

Keyan: "My bum was growling. That's 'cause I was a little nervous."

Oh Keyan...I really don't even know what to say.

New Sleeping Arrangements

2009-01-30T23:10:00.000-08:00

Tracen figured out how to climb out of his crib this week. Unfortunately, he couldn't get himself all the way to the ground, but would just hang by his ribs and scream at increasing levels of pain, fear, and panic until someone would come to help him. After doing this a few times, we decided to retire the crib until the next baby comes, and no this is not an announcement. For now this is the sleeping arrangement: The first day was a little rough for nap time and so this was my solution. Please don't call CPS on me. I promise I took the chair away as soon as I thought he was asleep, and have only used it once since. The first night it took us about 45 minutes of him running out of his room as soon as we put him on his bed, over and over. It was quite comical for a few minutes. I'm here to say though that Super Nanny knows a few things because we just calmly took him back to bed without saying anything as soon as he came out of his room each time, and since that first night he has gone to bed without any problems, just as well as he did in his crib. Way to go Tracen! May it last forever.

Should I Be Worried?

2009-01-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

These are from the past several months. Our tough guy apparently has a sensitive side.

Sister Photoshoot

2009-01-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas I got to take pictures of my little sister Ashlie. We did it for fun, for practice and because two years ago(if my math is correct) Ashlie graduated early from high school and skipped off to BYU without getting senior pictures taken. My mom wanted some of course and so out we went to obey. Ashlie was so willing to try anything I wanted to do and even though some of the things we tried didn't work out so well, it was good practice and great fun!!

Keyan's B-day

2009-01-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from the celebration of Keyan's 5th birthday.

Keyan admiring his cake

Our friend Ken decorated the cake!! Thanks Ken and Amy(his wife made it)!!

Swords to fight Tracen with instead of the vacuum attachments.

It was time for a big boy bike. The tricycle can now be passed down to Tracen, like everything else.

He also got a movie from Sherwood G'parents, a space action figure and learning clock from Dixon G'parents, and a helmet to go with his bike. I think it was a pretty good day!