Back Seat Billy

So...blogging has clearly taken a back seat to life!  Sorry 'bout that.  There have been a PLETHORA of things that have happened!  My baby sissy left on her mission- for one!  There's lots going on...just don't have the time, patience or gusto to blog about it.  Here are a few cute pictures to suffice though!

Those darn cats....

They just keep on gettin out of the bag!

Baby #4 is scheduled to arrive at the end of March!  We couldn't be more thrilled- I am sure I would be more thrilled actually if I felt a little bit better, but I guess the sicker I am, the better off the baby is- right?!  Bring on the craziness!

If you are wondering, I think it is a girl (same pregnancy as Morgan) Cole thinks it is a girl, Lincoln thinks it is a girl, and Payton thinks it is a BOY!  Don't tell Morgan that I am having a baby though...she'd be crushed!  She is now considered my right arm!  She is ALWAYS attached to my hip!  Total mama's girl stage right now.  I am alright with it though!  She loves me...at least someone does!

Not to be shown up....

Payton started PRESCHOOL!!!  I seriously can't believe that this little dude is old enough to start school, but he ensures me that he is!  EVERYDAY for the past month or so he has asked if his "school is open yet so that he can go play!"  He has been over the MOON excited to start.  So Lincoln started school on Thursday, but Payton didn't start until Friday, so Payton requested his breakfast to be boiled eggs.  He LOVES boiled eggs!  So it was a great choice!  He looked so cute all dressed up for school.  He picked a Star Wars (Darth Vader) backpack, and was SO excited to be able to wear it to school!  There's nothing in it, but he sure has a great time wearing it- just in case!  He goes around singing the Imperial March- intimidating everyone that is in his path. :)
    He was a little bit nervous on the way to school, and I thought we were going to have an issue saying goodbye.  He kept saying..."Mom, I don't think my school is open.  I think we should just go back home and play."  He was a tad nervous, but I was sure that he would do great when he got to school.  I was right!  We got there, he found his little name on the hook outside the classroom and hung his backpack up and marched right into the classroom- washed his hands, and plopped himself down in front of a magnetic puzzle that he thought was AWESOME!  We- of course- took some pictures, and it was time for us to leave, and we couldn't even get the little dude to look up at us to say goodbye!  Again...don't let the door hit ya on the way out!  At least our kids have confidence right?!  Payton goes FIVE DAYS A WEEK!  Doesn't that seem like a little much for a 3/4 year old?!    I don't know what Morgan and I are going to do with ourselves! 

Link was just as excited for Payton to start as he was to start himself. 

Morgs wanted in on the picture action until she realized that she needed to stand by Payton!  He torments her just a tad.  He just loves her ALOT!

BIG PRESCHOOLER!

Handsome devil!

"Mom...look at this face!"

He did NOT want to take off his backpack in the car, so he looked a bit like a hunchback.

Walking down the hallway to Paytons classroom. 

Hanging up the old backpack! 

Ready for the day!

Getting ready to walk into the classroom!

The puzzle that he would NOT look up for anything for!

Morgan and I didn't know quite what to do with ourselves for 2 1/2 hours by ourselves, so we went to the Cherry Creek mall and played at the play place!  Morgan had so much fun, and was really enjoying being all by herself with Mom!   She didn't want to stay for too long though, because she got hungry, so we packed up and headed out the door.  They strategically placed a Cinnabon RIGHT next to the exit.  We walked past it as Morgan was reaching and "uhh, uhhh" ing for some, and headed out the door.  We walked out the door and Morgan full on SCREAMED!  She really wanted that cinnamon roll!  So- what else could I do?!  I gave in!  We got some cinnisticks, and quite enjoyed them there at the mall!  Nothin' like a girls morning.  We can't make a habit out of this though baby girl...not good for my girlish figure! 

She was in heaven, and I thought it was so cute.  What a babe!

Congrats Payton on starting school!  You are such a sweetheart, and we know that you will do a wonderful job!  Soak it all in- and learn lots and lots!  So fun!  We love you!

First day of KINDERGARTEN! WHAT?!?!?!?!?

My baby boy started KINDERGARTEN!  What in the world!  When the heck did he get that old!  I remember moving here to Denver and thinking that was a lifetime away- but the time has come, and he is LOVING it!  His school starts really early (8:10 a.m!) so he's a bit put out that he has to be woken up so early, but I think he will get used to it.  He got up, put all of his little clothes on with NO extra coaxing from mom and dad (that's a big deal folks!  It usually takes us a good 20 minutes to get dressed in the morning!) and he was ready for breakfast!  We had chocolate chip pancakes which give us LOTS of energy :) and they were delicious.  Cole was able to give Lincoln a Fathers Blessing which was so awesome.  I just can't believe that he is old enough to go to kindergarten all day long!  He has the cutest teacher ever.  Her name is Mrs. Lister, and I am SO excited about her!  I think that she is going to be awesome, and we have heard great things about her.  He really enjoys taking a lunch to school.  I pack him his little lunch the night before because things are so crazy in the morning and he gets to take snacks to school too.  They get to eat them at the beginning of each of their recesses so they aren't so hungry.  I packed (the first day) him a granola bar and about 10 chocolate covered almonds- thinking I was the nicest mom to give him those on the first day of school. I asked him after school how his snacks were, and he said he ate the granola bar, but had to throw the chocolate covered almonds away.  He didn't eat them all.  I asked him why he did that, and he said "Mom...those aren't healthy.  I have to have a healthy snack at school!'  Woah...he told me!  So I was very careful to pack him a healthier snack for the next day. 
   The first day we got to school just about 30 seconds late, so he wasn't able to line up with his friends at the door, but when we got to the door, he didn't even TURN AROUND to say goodbye!  He just walked in to the classroom like he owned the joint!  Cole and I called for him to come back, and he turned around and said "Oh...Bye!"  Sheesh...don't let the door hit ya on the way out guys... I guess!  No, I'm so glad that he is so excited to go to school.  He is a very eager learner and loves school.  He thrives in school and has a great time.  Cute little dude!  Here's to the first day of the rest of my life as a mother of school aged children!

Frantically getting his shoes on!

Payton was SO jealous that Lincoln was going to school.  Lincoln kept reassuring him that he got to go "tomorrow!" These guys are the best of buds, but the worst of enemy's.  Oh boy...

Morgan was pretty excited that her bro was going to school!

Big Kingergartener!

Me looking RAVISHING!  I just got back from a bike ride that morning...cut me some slack! :)

Do I have the cutest family or WHAT?!

Link in front of his classroom door- no eyes...the sun was too bright!

There he is sitting on the rug reading books.  He's SMACK dab in the middle of the picture in the black shirt.  That is Mrs. Lister walking around.

  Congrats Link on your first day of school.  We are so proud of you and can't wait to watch you grow even more!  We love you!

Go Rockies!

We were able to take the kids to another Rockies game and we had SO much fun!  We really enjoy going to the Rockies games.  They are really fun to watch.  We scored some free tickets from someone that Cole works with- so that makes it even better for us! Because then we can get a "Squishy"!  (Only the best drink ever made!!  It's a frozen slushie lemonade that is to die for!  WE love them!)  Everyone around us was quite entertained by all of our children.  Lincoln is really into taking pictures with my camera lately, so I think there were about 94 pictures taken during the game!  I'm putting them all on here- so enjoy!  J/K Rowling...wouldn't do that to ya!

We have alot of pictures of these 3 lovely gentlemen in front of us.

Cole's signature score board shot...I don't know what it is with that guy!  Or maybe this was Lincoln- and Cole is trying to teach him bad habits! ;)

Lincoln was SO proud of this shot...so I had to share it!

he actually did a good job with this one!  Cute little Morgs was charmin everyone around us!  The lady behind us kept on giving her popcorn because she thought Morgan was so cute.  I don't blame her!  Look at those big old teeth!

I'm alright with the fact that Paytons eyes are WAY bigger than mine...it's cool.

Fabulous shot...we have 30 of them.

Also a fabulous shot.  His Grandma B always taught him to take pictures with people in them, so this advice he has taken!

BEAR LAKE 2011

Every year, we head to Bear Lake with the Smith family, and this year was no different- except for that usually, we split the week with my family as well and go to Jackson Lake.  BUT...seeing as how my family is OUT OF THE COUNTRY, we were able to- for the first time ever!- stay the entire week at Bear Lake! We had SOOOO much fun!  It seriously was such a blast, and we are so glad that we were able to partake in the goodness that is Bear Lake.  We hung out at the beach most of the time, but we did slip in quite a few swims at the pools there at Sweet-water Resort.  The boys were seriously in HEAVEN!  We have really been preparing them for all the swimming that they would be doing this summer with their swim lessons, and they REALLY paid off!  They were little fish!  Lincoln hardly came up for air- cute little guy!  It was so much fun to be with all of our family.  We don't get to see alot of them except for at Bear Lake each year, so it was super fun to be together and get to catch up on all the good times that we've had.  We certainly missed a few of Cole's cousins, and can't wait to see them next year, but we had a great time with all the ones that were there.  We went on some great bike rides (with my LOVELY new bike) and played some fun tennis too!  I am happy to say that we beat Tara and Erica in a mad set of tennis, but we did get beat by Blake and Kade in the near darkness after being pelted with the ball a few times!  Good times were had by all.  We always consume WAY too much food- and I am certain that I gained about 4 or 5 pounds on the trip, but it is all worth it!  We have so much fun playing cards, games, watching a few movies, etc.  It's just so much fun!  We took a plethora of pictures as well, so enjoy!

Maxine made the CUTEST EVER beehive pinatas that they kids absolutely LOVED smashing apart!  Thanks Maxine for taking SO much time to make those- the kids loved them!

My little sugar baby patiently (or maybe NOT so patiently) waiting for her candy to be smashed open!

Payton taking a whack at it. 

Cleve, Jeff, Erica, Kenzie, Nicole and Tiffany (Seth is donning the pinata as a hat!

Cutest ever Ryan and Rita.  Congrats on the new Baby btw!

Tara and Cody

Lincoln ownin up on the pinata!  He's the one that finally smacked 'er down!

Rylie, Morgan and Payton enjoying the beach!  They all dug and played to their little hearts' content!

Cole and Link reinforcing the canopy.  We sure lost a few this year due to the wind!  Darn wind...

One of the many tube rides!  Payton did NOT enjoy them this year!  In fact, he cried the WHOLE time he was on this ride!  It sure didn't help that they got TOTALLY submerged in the water- but still managed to hold on- the little champs!  Lincoln was in HOG HEAVEN the whole time at Bear Lake this year.  He went on numerous tube rides oftentimes only getting off when asked very nicely so that someone else could have a turn!  He has had quite the change in character this year.  His confidence level is through the roof, and it is so fun to see him try new things.

THIS little peanut LOVED the tube as well!  She laughed her head off the entire time, and had the greatest time ever.  She's my little daredevil.  I also took her on the jetski, and she would NOT get off!  She had so much fun and loved getting splashed.

Payton and Austin (Cole's cousin Kelly's son) were quite the duo.  They even had the same outfit and Payton would insist on wearing it if he saw Austin in the same one.  Made it quite hard to tell who was who and to check and make sure they were both still around!

This is what this little snatcher could be found doing MOST of the trip.  She consumed SO much food- and the amount of diapers we changed proved it!

We got the kids some little chairs for camping and they LOVE them!  Morgan loves to sit in hers and just soak up the sun- and some more crackers, of course!

Did I mention that I love having a girl! (I also love my boys, but it's really fun to have a baby girl as well!)

This is what Payton liked to wear down at the beach.  He liked to have his goggles on all the time.

The Bishop taking some very well deserved R&R.

Kelsey was nice enough to play with Payton for a while.  He LOVED it and was in heaven!

Grandma and Grandpa!  Thanks for letting us be with you Cleve and Maxine!

Payton was SO proud of all of these shells that he found on the beach.

The one and ONLY picture I got of Laura on the trip.  She is a scallywag and won't ever let her picture be taken!  Stinker!  But she was helping the boys in from the boat and I though it was so cute that Payton had his goggles on still!

Sibling love! :)

Link thought it was pretty sweet that he could wear his Superman shirt at the beach.  He is so dang cute!  So handsome!

Cheese anyone???

Payton was eating a sucker and dropped it in the sand.  I wouldn't' let him eat it, and he was a bit mad, but then realized that chomping on sand is NOT the funnest thing in the land.

We went miniature golfing there at Sweet-water, and the kids had  BLAST!  Morgs loved to take everyone's balls and throw them as fast as she could.  She thought this tunnel was pretty sweet and spent quite a bit of time crawling through it so that no one could hit their balls through.

We found a tube in the middle of the lake and brought it back so that someone could claim it- no one ever did, so we put it to some great use.  Lincoln dug up a rope in the sand, and we hooked it to the tube so that they wouldn't float away and they spent lots of time in their trying to row themselves out to the floating raft that the Becksteads brought.

Can you spot Lincoln in the front smiling?!  In heaven I tell ya!

Payton loved swimming with Jaiden, and Jaiden was such a great sport for taking care of him!  I LOVE having all of these accommodating nieces that want to take care of my kids!  Thanks girls!

Family shot right before we left to come back to Denver!  Payton was NOT in a great mood.

All 15 of the grandkids!  Everyone's getting SO big! 

Payton got into the coals that are in the sand right by our little condo and drew on his eyes pretending to have a black eye.  Keep in mind this was right before we were supposed to take pictures of all the grandkids!  Such a little stinker.  This is why he was so mad in all the pictures. 

It was SOOOOO much fun to be with everyone!  We can't wait for next year!  Bring it on!