The Passeys

Random Photos

2011-04-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Avery's class got to put on a play for the parents. It was The Three Billy Goats Gruff. First graders are so fun to watch and to see them learning to read. It was really cute!

Gabe's class had to make compound machines for a science project. Gabe made a mousetrap car. He did a great job and he had a lot of fun making it with his dad. It was exciting to go see all of the students and their fun projects.
Best buddies these days. Callin reads bedtime stories to Kai every night in bed. Kai loves it and Callin is happy to have some one-one-one time with his Kaibo. It melts me to see them together.
Kai snuck into Gabe's gigantic jaw breaker. He thought he would take a few licks and then put it back before anyone noticed. He left no trace of any evidence. Haha!

Crazy boys!

Boise Trip

2011-04-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

We took a fun trip to Boise to visit the Royce family, my little sis Nat, and my Dad. We took the kids to a bounce house with the Royces and we had a great time. Gabe and Blake were in heaven playing together. Kai had fun with Jersey and Kase. We already have arranged for Kai and Jersey to be married when they grow up. Hehe!

It was so fun to see the Royces! Thanks for letting us crash your place for an entire day. We can't wait to see you again.
Nat took us to feed the geese. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot I had flashbacks of going there with my mom as a kid. I had forgotten all about that park so it was so fun to go there and remember all the fun times I had feeding the geese there so very long ago.

Crazy kids!

Nat took us to eat at a fun restaurant that had been on the show Diners Drive-ins and Dives. It was a great place. The food was awesome and the atmosphere was so fun. We got to eat inside this old car. It was great.
We got to have a tour of the Capital building and we got to see Senator Tippets office and Natalie's office. We got to watch my dad present a bill on the floor of the Senate. That was exciting. Gabe and Kai got to sit in the Governor's chair. They thought it was pretty neat. We could not get over how nice and friendly everyone was up there and they made us feel so welcomed. It was a trip I will never forget. We really had a great time. Thanks everyone for the good memories!

Vegas Trip

2011-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Gabe we got to enjoy a fun weekend in Vegas and St. George. He had a baseball tournament down there and we were all anxious to get down into some warm weather.
It was so much fun seeing Callin's parents in St. George. They spent the winter down there and we have been missing them. They showed us the fun places to visit while we were there.
We loved visiting Jenn and Dave in Vegas. They always treat us so well and make us feel like we are getting the royal treatment when we go there. Thanks guys for the fun time!
We did have a little mishap. Avery fell off of the merry-go-round at a park and cracked his head open. We went to the Emergency Room the first night we were there. It was so sad to see little Avery like that and I cried watching him get stitched up but he was so brave and didn't cry even one time the whole night. He ended up getting three layers of six stitches. After it was all said and done and we were walking out of the hospital he said, "Dad I really thought I was going to die". It was so sad I almost cried again. We are so glad it is all over with and his head is healing nicely.
We got a little crazy with the entertainment on the car ride. It was a trip to remember. We all had a great time.

Big Sky Vacation

2011-04-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed an amazing ski trip to Big Sky with our Ohio friends. We have made it an annual trip for the last few years and we LOVE it! I of course didn't ski because I am very large with child so I enjoyed a little R & R at the cabin while everyone else skied the days away.
Callin had his birthday while on the trip. We had dinner with everyone at an amazing Tai Restaurant. The food was great! The company was amazing! I don't think it could have been any better.

After dinner we sang happy birthday with birthday cake and the only candles we could find. Haha it was a decoration that we lit up and let him blow out. Kind of funny but it was better than sticking matches in the cake. Happy Birthday Sweetie!
We ran into this friendly beast on the ride home. We watched him for several minutes before he walked across the road and right next to our car. I honestly thought he was going to hit the side of our car. Thankfully we left unharmed and got some amazing photos of him instead.

This was a fun night of playing the kinnect. Wow was it a fun time. Sorry Brian and Jamie but your pictures turned out to be the funniest. I could't resist posting them. I owe you both.

I think Callin is throwing a shot-put. Not sure but it was funny!
All the girls. I wish I would have taken more pictures but I guess I was having too much fun. I look forward to this trip every year and I am already looking forward to next year. By the way I hope all of you fellow Optometry students and wives who haven't come yet will come next year. We would love to see you!

Celebrating Birthdays

2011-04-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

We have been celebrating birthdays around here. I had mine in April and it was perfect. I enjoyed a day of phone calls, breakfast in bed, Sushi for lunch, visiting with family, beautiful flowers from my sweetie and ice cream cake from coldstone. It could not have been any better. Thanks everyone for making me feel so special.

David and Katie went out for Sushi with us. They are our Sushi buddies. Thanks guys!

Gabe turned nine at the end of March. He is such a great kid! Callin and I surprised him and took him out for lunch to where ever he chose. He chose The Olive Garden. Then we took him to buy some new shoes. He thought it was a great surprise and we enjoyed spending a little time with just him. He made us laugh the whole time. Love you Gabe, hope you had a wonderful day!
Every year I let my kids choose what kind of cake they want me to make. I am definitely not a pro and don't care to be but it is always fun to see what they come up with. Gabe chose a sky view cake for the High School team here. He thought it turned out great so that's all that matters right?

Callin's birthday is at the beginning of March. We had a little surprise party for him a few days early because he and I were going to be gone on his birthday. The boys had fun giving him gifts and he was shocked because he never expected to have a party before his birthday. Love you cutie! Happy Birthday!

The Newest Idaho State Senator

2011-02-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

There was recently an open seat in District 31 of the Idaho State Senate. My dad was nominated and chosen by Governor Butch Otter to fill the seat. He is very happy to be back up in Boise and enjoying this session with my little sister Natalie who is an intern to the Governor this year. I am so proud of both of them and can't wait to come visit. Congrats dad!

Baby #4

2011-02-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I guess I haven't officially announced that we are expecting baby number four in May. We are very excited and we will be welcoming another baby boy into our family. Yes that's right, we are going to have four boys!!! I am a little intimidated and nervous but I guess that's all we know so we are very excited. This will be the first time that we have a nursery for one of our babes so I am having a fabulous time designing the baby room. More pics to come on that when it's finished.

A Few of my Favorite Things

2011-01-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad gave me this beautiful Amaryllis plant to put in a pot and grow myself. Well I planted it less than one month ago and look at what has happened! I just love it! I can't wait to grow paper whites this spring for Easter.
Nothing is more precious than watching your children sleep. My boys love sleeping next to each other. Yes they each have their own room but do you think they like sleeping in their own beds? At what age do your children stop loving being together all the time?
Avery and Kai were so excited to go exploring in the back yard with the newly fallen snow. Yep they're in there somewhere. Haha!
These little mountain men had a fabulous time playing together in the snow. It's too bad that it's too muddy now and I won't let them go out until we have our yard put in. Sorry kids!
Kai fell asleep like this at Grandma's house the other day. Gabe told me he had gotten his feelings hurt and he was pouting. His pout must have quickly turned into a nap. How cute!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

Showing off the new Christmas p.j.'s. We were all a little excited for Santa to come.
Avery felt bad that no one brought Santa gifts so he decided to write him this beautiful note and leave cookies and milk. This note took him about an hour to create. Didn't it turn out lovely. Santa was sure grateful for the thoughtfulness and he enjoyed the cookies and milk.

Christmas morning was great! I love seeing the excitement on the kids faces when they open up their gifts. I think that children make Christmas magical again just like when we were young.

Happy Winter

2011-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

So we have finally purchased a home. We are soooooo happy about it and we absolutely love it, but when we bought it we didn't realize how steep the driveway was until we tried to drive up it in the snow. If there is more than half an inch of snow we can't make it up at all. So this is where you will see us almost every day this winter. Don't worry we will also have the strongest muscles in town. Haha!
This is our little Thanksgiving chef. He created a beautiful and delicious feast for all. Thanks Kai!
Thanksgiving night we had a pie baking contest. Callin baked pecan pie. I baked pumpkin turtle cream pie. David baked apple crisp pie and Katie baked chocolate chip banana cream pie. We strolled down to the neighbors house after they were done baking so we could get a fair judgement and let them choose a designated winner. David won hands down. Congrats David! It was so much fun and I think it might become a new tradition. Don't the pies look scrumptious?

Random Pictures to get caught up

2011-01-29T12:31:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Passeys! Oops we didn't get any cards sent out this year. Next year I will do better.
Happy Halloween from the Passeys! Don't they look so happy and excited to go trick-or-treating?
The enthusiasm is overwhelming!!!

Smithfield Health Days

2010-05-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Boy do I NOT love being in parades, but boy do I LOVE my husband and want to do whatever I can to help his business. So we all hauled up in the pickup in freezing cold weather and chucked bouncy ball eye balls down the streets of Smithfield like nobody's business.
We had to pay big bucks for these drivers.

And while we were out playing and sliding on the fun stuff around the park......
This man was all business. It turned out to be a great day and we had a lot of fun. Can't wait until next year. haha

Musical Recital

2010-05-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

Katie teaches Avery violin lessons and I teach Gabe piano. Katie thought it would be a good idea to give these two boys a recital. So when we all went to Bear Lake one weekend, we put on a little recital for these little guys. They worked so hard to get ready for it and they were so proud of themselves when they were done.

They both did a great job and it is so fun to see them learn to play a musical instrument.

2010 Pine Wood Derby

2010-05-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Gabe's first Pine Wood Derby car.....
what a proud boy and father....
and the winner of the 2010 North Cache Stake Pine Wood Derby goes to......
Gabriel Passey! Callin prepared him for the worst. He told Gabe, "If this car doesn't make it to the end of the race track you can't cry." Turns out those two can make a pretty good derby car after all. Good job boys!

Gabe got Baptized!

2010-05-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Gabe is already old enough to be baptized! What a good kid he is. I am so proud of him and the example he is to his brothers. His baptism was perfect and we got to enjoy the entire day with so many family members and friends.

Later that night we all went for a really fun bike ride around town and then we got a little bored and decided to do yoga hand stands. It was a perfect day.

Easter

2010-05-12T20:28:00.001-07:00

While the husbands went to the priesthood session of conference, the girls and the kids had an Easter Egg hunt at Grandma's house. It was lots of fun even though the hunt was inside due to bad weather.
We also enjoyed ourselves coloring Easter eggs. I don't think Kai could see a thing through that hat but he wasn't about to take it off.
We also had our own passover dinner. Grandma told the story and talked about what all of the food represented and we all had a wonderful time eating it. I think we started a new Easter tradition.
I think this bucket is bottomless. He can't believe that the Easter Bunny would bring so much candy just for him. What a happy boy!

Silly Boy

2010-03-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

As all the little boys were running out the door to go play, this little guy couldn't find his shoes. So he frantically looked for whatever he could find so he wouldn't get left out. You would not believe how fast he slipped into these puppies and ran out the door like he was barefoot. They didn't even phase him. We were all sitting on the couch laughing so hard we couldn't help him.
When he came back in from outside he sported them around for a little longer because he got such a big reaction from everyone. Isn't he so stylish? It doesn't help that he has his toe nails painted right now. His daddy didn't LOVE that.

Visit from the Hadfields

2010-03-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

My sister and her darling family came for a short visit this weekend. She loves Firehouse Pizzaria so we all decided to go there for lunch.
What a great idea to have kids at one table and adults at the other.
Lunch was delicious. Great idea Jenn!
Look at this cutie! Don't you just want to eat him up? We couldn't get enough of him. Thanks for the fun visit guys. We miss you already!

Happy Birthday Gabe

2010-03-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that my oldest child has turned eight years old!!!!! Time sure flies! He is growing up so fast and he is such a fun kid. We love how fun and entertaining he continues to be. There is never a dull moment when Gabe is around. He is getting so excited to be baptized in a few days. The requested cake this year was, as you can tell, a buckeye cake. He was happy with the results.
And what birthday would be complete without a spanking machine from the family?
We surprised Gabe and went to his class with doughnuts, ring pops and balloons. He was sure surprised! He said that his favorite part of the whole day.
He was pretty happy with his new ride. He invited the entire neighborhood over after school for a bike birthday party. It would have been nice if his mother would have known about it. Oh well we all had fun.
Make a wish Gabe. Thanks for being a part of our family! We sure love you buddy!

Our Winter Happenings

2010-03-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

These are just a few photos of what we have been doing all winter. We got to enjoy the afternoon with my sister's kids which we absolutely loved because we hardly ever get to see them. We soaked it all up because we all new it would be a while before we got to see them again. We sure miss you guys!!!
We have loved watching little Gabe playing on a Jr. Jazz basketball team. He is number 26 if you couldn't tell. He takes after his dad and just loves sports. He was so proud of this picture so I had to post it.
We got to go to Vegas and visit Jenn and be there for my nephews blessing. He is so darn cute! We had such a fun little getaway from the cold inverted winter in Logan. This was just perfect.
Can you tell that we all LOVED the dessert? We gobbled up the best dessert ever. It was my dad's birthday so we went out to celebrate. This dessert was chosen as the nations best chocolate cake for the last few years. I must say, it deserves the award. It was AWESOME!
We love going ice skating. This cute little ice skating rink is the perfect place to go. The view of the temple behind us is just breathtaking. We LOVE living here!
Spending good quality time at grandma and grandpa's house to enjoy all the fresh snow is a must every year. The snow angels turned out great boys!
We love sledding behind the four-wheeler. It can get pretty crazy at times and there are always a few biffs to a snowbank and a few kids might go flying but as long as we make it home alive, it is a success. Haha!
This is the best of the Christmas photos in front of the Christmas tree. a little goofy but oh well. Gotta love em!

Callin's Birthday

2010-03-18T14:29:00.001-07:00

Can you tell these boys love their daddy? He is loved and adored by all of us. We can't get enough of this man. He is the kindest, sweetest, most hard working man and we love every minute we get with him. He just makes life so great for everyone. Hope you had a very happy birthday love.
And of course his birthday won't be complete without the love of HIS life, his precious Mountain Dew. Haha!
And his favorite cake, vanilla with colored chip frosting. He is so predictable.

Oops!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

I accidentally just erased all of my friends and family list. I am so frustrated with this darn blog right now. I hope I can find everyone to put back on but in if your name is not back up shortly please forgive me. I had a very long list and I'm sure I won't remember them all right away.

One Memorable Night

2009-12-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

The other night we went to Gabe and Avery's Christmas concert at school. They did an excellent job and we were such proud parents. Then we decided to go see the Christmas lights around town.
The lights were beautiful and we found some really interesting scenes like an entire mountainside filled with glowing palm trees. Here is just one in the nativity. We had a really fun night together and when we came home we were all exhausted. Gabe had fallen asleep on the way home so we just put him in bed. We told the Avery and Kai to get ready for bed and we would come tuck them in shortly. Well they went upstairs and we didn't hear anything for a really long time, so we just assumed that they were into some kind of mischief. When I came upstairs ready to scold them this is what I found........
Ahhhhh what sweet little children! My heart melted as I watched those precious little boys sleeping so peacefully. I can't think of anything that brings me more joy than to be a mother. And it's moment's like this that make it all worth it.

More Weekend Fun!

2009-12-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

We all fought over beautiful baby Isla all weekend long. She is the cutest darn thing! Kai absolutely loved her.
Whenever my family gets together, the girls enjoy doing crafts together. This time we decided to make these delicious smelling pomanders. They are oranges with cloves stuck in them in beautiful designs.
The little kids got tangerines and boy did they have just as much fun as the ladies. What a great project for all ages.
And here is the finished project. Not only are they a fun decoration for the table but they smell oh so good!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T17:50:00.001-08:00

We were lucky enough this year to have two Thanksgiving dinners in one day. We first had this delicious meal at my parent's house. For dinner we got to go to Callin's parent's house. Both meals were amazing and I only feel bad that I forgot to take my camera into Callin's house for some photos.
We all worked together to prepare the food. I think the best part about Thanksgiving is that we get to just hang out with family all day long. The food is awesome too but I absolutely love our families and they melt my little heart when we get to enjoy an entire day together.

Random Pictures

2009-11-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

We made spiders one day for a Halloween craft project. We hung them from the dining room chandelier. We made a spider for each member of the family.
This is just how Kai fell asleep the other night. He looks like he is praying really hard. Maybe he is. Haha!
My little Ave is the master of poses. He is always pretending to be someone or something and always talking us into playing his silly games or being a part of his creative play. One time he begged me to be in his marching band and parade around the yard while we played our imaginary musical instruments. I wanted to make my little guy happy so I happily agreed. It wasn't until I was halfway around the back yard when I realized I had half of the neighbors looking out their windows wondering what in the world this crazy lady was doing with her son. I sped the parade up as fast as I could and darted back into the house. Oh well I guess being a mom can sometimes take you out of your comfort zone.
Silly Boys!

He looks like he's up to something. Little stinker thinks he's going to take the car for a little spin.

My baby is so big!

2009-11-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

I know I already posted about Kai's birthday but I didn't post any pictures of that day. He loves being a two year old. I just know it.

We had a birthday party with aunts and uncles at night even though some of us were sick with swine flu. I guess it turned into a swine flu party. Oops sorry fam!

Baseball Season

2009-11-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Gabe had such a great time playing on a competitive baseball team this fall. His little team was so fun to watch and they did a really good job.
Callin works Saturdays and that is the day Gabe had his games, so Callin only got to go to a couple of them. We called and texted Callin as much as we could throughout the games so we could keep him posted. It was almost as if he were there himself.

A Hike in the Hills

2009-11-20T13:57:00.001-08:00

Our family loves hiking all summer long. We went exploring on some back roads one day and had a really fun hike. This picture of Gabe and Kai was so cute because Gabe is always taking such good care of Kai. He is such a good big brother and it melts my heart to watch my boys play together and take such good care of each other.
Aren't these boys precious! I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Pizza Night

2009-11-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

We had a make-it-yourself pizza night. The kids had a great time. Rolling the dough was a bit of a challenge but we did it.
Putting the toppings on was really fun. They are concentrating really hard on where those pepperoni should go. They didn't want to mess up.
And eating it was by far the best part. Look at those happy kiddos.

Fun Family Run

2009-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I love to run. This summer I talked Callin and our boys into running in a family race with me. Callin ran with Gabe and Avery and I pushed Kai in the jogger stroller. Gabe and Avery loved it, and I think Callin did too but he won't admit it. It was too early for him. Haha! They all said that they wanted to do it again next year and I already can't wait. Sorry about the blurry pictures.
Gosh it sure is early. Look it is still dark outside. Crazy people!

Poor Kids

2009-10-22T18:17:00.001-07:00

Look what swine flu did to us. Poor little children.

Catch of the Day

2009-10-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Callin went fishing on Bear Lake with his dad and came home with this huge thing. You should have seen Callin's face when he got home. He was grinning from ear to ear. He loves fishing and he could not have been happier to come home with such a prize. I guess it's not the best tasting fish but Gabe and Avery begged Callin to cook some up. Looks gross to me!

Guess who turned Two?

2009-10-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my baby turned two years old! It seems like we just brought him home from the hospital. He has grown up way too fast just like Gabe and Avery. Kai has been nothing but sweet and happy and fun since the day he was born. He is so pleasant and such a polite little boy. I have never seen a baby this young have such good manners. One small example of his politeness was one morning when he was eating his breakfast at the table. I was sitting next to him tapping my fingers on the table waiting for him to finish when he put his spoon down and looked up at me and said, "please don't mommy." Then he picked up his spoon and went on eating. What a fun little boy he is. I am such a proud mama and I just love all my boys. Thanks sweet Kaibo for being a part of our family and happy birthday!

First day of School

2009-10-21T13:24:00.001-07:00

I know the first day of school was a couple of months ago but I have some catching up to do. Gabe has gone to a different school every year since he has started attending school. I thinks he thinks it's normal that when the school year is over you are done with that school forever. It's a good thing that my kids adjust well or I don't know what we would do. Gabe started second grade and Avery started Kindergarten. They both love their teachers and have made lots of friends. They even tell me they have girlfriends. I told them I can be their only girlfriend until they are twenty, and they agreed. We'll see how long that lasts.

We are finally open!!!!

2009-09-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is Callin's new Optometry practice. It is called Healthy Eyes of Cache Valley and it is located in Smithfield. This is the waiting area and the optical center.

This is the exam room. We had a friend who is an amazing artist paint these pictures on the wall. Didn't she do a fabulous job?
Here is the front of the building. Doesn't it look nice? We are so excited to be here and love all the good people that we have met here. If you live close to the area and haven't had your yearly eye exam, come by. Callin would love to see you. The phone number is 435-563-2020.

What a fun Summer!!!!

2009-09-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun and exciting summer this year! I have been too busy to post anything so here are some of the memories we have made:
- Moving to Logan and starting up Callin's Optometry practice
- Having Kim's family and Michael's family here all summer
- David's wedding
- Bear Lake
- Bloomington Lake
- Wind Caves
- Tony Grove
- Half Marathon
- Family Run
- Fishing
- Huckleberry Picking
I am sad that summer is over and it is starting to cool down, but I love the changing of seasons. I can't wait to get my fall candle out and starting making hot wintry foods like chicken pot pie and peach cobbler. I love that there is always something to look forward to.

My little brother's wedding day

2009-06-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my little brother, David, married Katie. We are so excited for them! Love you guys!!!

Pictures by my awesome sister in-law Cordie!
P.S. Sorry about the sides of the pictures getting cut off, the pictures are too big for my layout.

My Sweetie Turned 30!

2009-03-08T15:32:00.001-07:00

Callin turned thirty this week! I told him that I get to call him old but only for one more month because then I will turn thirty. I can't believe we are that old. Callin's dad called him that day and said, "you think your old, well my baby just turned thirty. That makes me feel really old." I guess that made Callin feel a little better.

The only thing he asked for was Mountain Dew and Sour Patch Kids. He's not picky.

Love ya hun, I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Trip to Big Sky Montana

2009-03-08T15:14:00.001-07:00

I know she is going to KILL me for posting this but I had to show what a sweet heart my sister is. She came all the way from Las Vegas to watch my kids for a whole weekend while Callin and I went and played in Montana. As you can see my kids wore her out, and now she needs a long vacation. Don't worry Jenn, I'll make it up to you. Thanks a million times for letting us go and have so much fun. You're the best!
See don't we look so happy to be skiing. Well, we were. We had sooooo much fun!
The views from the ski lift were amazing!
This is the view right beside our hotel. Gorgeous I know!
These are some of our friends that came with us. When Callin told me that he had the chance to do some continuing education in Montana with some of our Ohio friends, I said we had to go no matter what. Things just fell into place so well I thought it was too good to be true. I had been so homesick for Ohio lately and this was just what I needed. It was so good to see everyone and it didn't seem like two years since we last saw everyone. We just picked up right where we left off.
Here was the lobby of our hotel. We hung out there ALOT while our husbands were in class. It was great to just chit chat and relax. Thanks girls for the fun weekend and I can't wait to see you all again next year!

My Date with Gabe

2009-03-08T15:02:00.001-07:00

Gabe has been begging me to take him skiing for a long time and I finally had the chance to take him this year. He was a little nervous at first but he caught the hang of things really quick. By the end of the day he was a pro. It was so fun to have a whole day with Gabe. He is a fun kid and he makes me laugh all the time. Thanks buddy for the date. I hope we get to do it again soon.
Gabe with his cousin Tyler and Grandma Nancy. This was Tyler's first time skiing too and he did awesome too. They both had so much fun. They are already asking when they can go again.
Gabe had been so cautious all day and taken his time coming down the mountain. So when I was at the top of this hill with him, I told him to wait until I could get to the bottom of the hill so I could take his picture. When I got down the hill and got my camera out he started plowing down the hill so fast I thought for sure he was out of control and going to kill himself. I guess he was just showing off for the camera because when he got to the bottom he just stopped and said, "did you get that on camera?" I should have taken a video instead.

Will the Snow Ever End?

2009-03-08T14:40:00.001-07:00

We had a huge snowstorm not too long ago. I got all the kids outside to help shovel us out of our driveway. Callin got home when we were about halfway done and we didn't think we were going to make it. Our nice neighbor Trevor also came and helped Callin with the rest of it. Thanks guys for your hard work! I hope the snowstorms are done for the year.

Kai was in heaven with all the snow.
It was dark by the time we finished but I was happy when it was done.
As we anxiously await for spring to arrive, this is a very typical scene in our home. I think we all hope that the weather warms up real soon.

Frosty the Snowman

2009-02-01T19:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday while Kai was down for his nap, I went outside with Gabe and Avery and played for a little while. We built this cute little snowman with prune eyes, a pretzel nose, a peapod mouth and serving spoons for arms. Ya we got a little creative but we had so much fun. After the snowman we had a snowball fight. I love playing with my kids. They are such good boys and I know they are growing up way too fast. I am trying to cherish each little moment with them because I'm sure soon enough they will be way too cool for their MOM. For now, I am proud to be the only girl in their life. I sure love my boys!

Hill Aerospace Museum

2009-02-01T19:03:00.001-08:00

I don't know why but since moving back west I feel like we stay at home a lot more. We hardly go anywhere anymore. My poor kids are just sooooo very thankful every time we get out of the house and do something. Gabe has been begging to go to this Airplane museum lately and I finally decided we should check it out. It was so much fun for the kids. They loved seeing all of the big fighter jets and there was even a wright brothers display with some really old airplanes which reminded us of Ohio for a minute. After the museum we went to the gift shop and Gabe and Avery got to get their own personalized dog tags. They thought that was pretty cool. Maybe we should get out more often.

Our new hobbie

2009-02-01T18:57:00.001-08:00

My parents live at the foothills of some beautiful mountains and they recently purchased some cross country skis. We have had so much fun with them this winter. It is so gorgeous being out in the middle of fields full of beautiful white snow and the clear blue sky. I feel like I'm in heaven when I'm out there. Thanks mom and dad for the fun skis. Winters here are so much fun!

The Most Amazing Shirt!

2009-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Kai 15 Months.............
Avery 4 Years.................
Ada 8 Years....................
Emma 10 Years...................

Callin 29 Years.......................... They weren't kidding when they said, "One size fits all"!

New Haircuts

2009-02-01T18:34:00.001-08:00

BEFORE..........
After!

BEFORE........
After! After some much needed grooming, my boys are very happy with the results.

Annual Family Ski Trip

2009-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

Every year some of my brothers and sisters get together for a day and go skiing. We take no kids and unfortunately no spouses (only because we can't get them to come with us). It is so fun and we spend most of the day laughing our heads off at each other. This year was a perfect day because the weather was clear and sunny but there was also fresh new powder from the day before. We were all in heaven. I can't wait until next year's family trip already. Thanks fam!

Me and Nat enjoying our squished P.B. and J. for lunch.

Em thinking she is so hot in her new ski outfit.

Nat, David, and Em just before we took one of the last runs for the day. It got freezing cold.

Avery's little spill

2009-01-11T17:58:00.001-08:00

We were in the middle of taking family pictures up at a park. We had just arrived on our new location and we were trying to get everyone out of the car. Avery was the first one out, and with his hands in his pockets, pretends that the ice on the road is a treadmill and starts to run in place. He found out very quickly that that wasn't a great idea. We immediately loaded back in the car and headed down the road to the E.R. instead of finishing taking family pictures obviously. He is doing great now and we did manage to get some pretty cute pictures before the tragic incident.

We did call him Jay Leno for a few days.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Kai was a happy little cowboy on his mechanical zebra. He played on that thing all day long.

Gabe and Avery have been begging for a Wii for two years. Looks like Santa finally pulled through for them this year!

Our family has a tradition of gettin up at 6:00 in the morning. We like to be done opening presents just as the sun starts to come up. It seems that one of us wasn't quite ready for that early morning.

Here is the whole crew of us on Christmas morning. As you can tell some of us aren't quite down with the six a.m. thing (Cordie).

All of those fun parties with cousins sure wore everyone out.

Gabe's in Jr. Jazz

2009-01-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

Gabe had so much fun playing basketball this fall. He origionally had five kids on the team but the two girls ended up quitting. The rest of the games were played with only three kids on Gabes whole team. They won every game by quite a bit even though the other team always had five players. He had a lot of fun and can't wait until next year already. Good job Gabe!

Family Pictures

2009-01-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

My sister in-law, Cordie, took our family pictures. We were lucky to get the good ones when we did, because soon after we got started Avery fell on the ice and cut his chin open. We ended up taking him to the ER where he got stitches. We love the pictures we got, thanks Cordie!

Happy Birthday Josh and Jenn!

2008-11-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am the worst at keeping updated on my blog. I wanted to tell my little brother and sister happy birthday on the ninth. The best birthday gift for Josh was that he got to go home from the hospital the morning of his birthday!!!!!!!!!!!! He is doing so well and it is so nice for him to finally be home. We had a really fun day with Jennifer in St. George. We got to bring her back home with us so she and Josh could celebrate their birthday together. I hope you guys had a great day! Love ya!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

These pictures all got downloaded in the wrong order so sorry. I don't have Cordie to help me fix it.

This is the best photo I could get with three excited little boys. They were ready to get some candy.

Gabe had his Halloween party at School and I got to go help in his class. It was fun to see all the little first graders and their cute costumes. He had a great day!

We had a family night at the Cache Valley Pumpkin Walk. We love going every year to this. They have a different theme every year and this year was heroes. They make the displays all out of pumpkins. Some of them are very impressive. After we looked at all the displays we enjoyed some doughnuts and hot chocolate by the fire. It was so much fun and we all had a great night together.

We had a fun Halloween this year in our new place. We made our traditional pumpkin stew and had orange milk. Callin took the boys out trick-or-treating and I stayed home and passed out candy. Callin is a trooper, he lugged that little or shall I say big baby Kai all through the neighborhood. By the end of the night Kai was fast asleep and Callins arms were ready to fall off.

WOW!

2008-10-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this?! Every time we go visit Josh, we can't believe the progress he has made from the previous visit. It really is amazing. However, one set back occurred...his spleen had a small lesion that continued to bleed. It continued to enlarge and was causing significant abdominal pain which necessitated a spleenectomy. Josh was OK with that, he is actually very proud of this soon-to-be abdominal scar. His feeding tube has since been removed. The IV in his right arm has also been removed. He is getting better mobility of his jaw, so understanding him speak is not an issue anymore. His doctor informed us that he will be discharged from the hospital on or around his birthday, November 9th (what a present that would be!) He will then be able to continue his rehab from home. We can't thank everyone enough for the love and concern you have showed Josh and our family. Your faith and prayers will continue to aid in his recovery. We will keep you posted.

Happy 1st Birthday Kai

2008-10-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

My baby is one year old! I can't believe he is already so grown up. It seems like only yesterday that I was on my way to the hospital to have him. He is the sweetest most precious baby. He is always smiling and he just brightens up our life so much. His two big brothers just love him to pieces and they would do anything for him. Thanks for being such a big part of our family little buddy. We hope you have a wonderful day.

I Feel So Bad

2008-10-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

In my worries about my dear brother I have forgotten to realize that someone else was involved in his accident. I had heard that the driver of the semi was fine, and although he may not have been in the same condition as Josh, I know that this tragedy has left him with much physical and emotional pain. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and that we hope someday this will all make sense. I hope that he is able to recover from this accident and heal as he needs to. In praying for Josh, I hope that everyone also remembers this dear man who was so tragically affected by this accident.

Have Miracles Ceased?

2008-10-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago yesterday I heard that my brother Joshua had been in a severe car accident hitting head on with a Semi, both of them traveling 65 miles an hour. I was told that he probably wouldn't make it. He had suffered so much bleeding to his brain that the only function he had left was pupil constriction in his eyes. We watched him lay there for hours and wondered if he was in there. We would hold his hand and it felt cold and swollen like his body had no life left in it. The doctor was reluctant in telling us about his condition. She said, "I never say a patient has zero percent chance"....but she let us know a recovery was not likely, however her gut feeling was to just wait. We thanked her for her honesty. Well we waited and waited and waited. Slowly we started noticing little things happening. First we noticed that he wiggled one of his fingers. We didn't know if it was a reflex or if it was him. The next day we heard that he wiggled fingers on both hands and toes on command. The news that day was fabulous. We started to have hope. We received so many phone calls and e-mails of people concerned and praying for Josh. The outpour of love was overwhelming. Each day we hear of something more he has done to improve. Now he can talk, write his name, wheel himself down the hall in a wheelchair, and he even stood up with help. He was planning on getting out of the hospital sometime this week and being transfered to the Nursing home in Montpelier until he was well enough to live in a treatment facility. We heard today that he is progressing so quickly that he doesn't need to go to the nursing home. He will stay in the rehab treatment center located in the hospital for a few more weeks and possibly go home after that if he is well enough. Our family has truely witnessed a miracle. I have no doubt in my mind that our Heavenly Father spared my brother's life for a reason. Medically speaking Josh had little to no chance of pulling thru this injury. Faith, prayers, fasting, and the will of a stubborn young man have aided in the Lords work of perfoming another miracle. He has two beautiful little boys who love and need him so much. Although this has been a very sad and difficult tragedy for our family to deal with, we can't help but recognize the tender mercies of the Lord each and every day. He has a long way to go, but it would be foolish to ignore the miracle that is taking place before our eyes. Please continue to pray for Josh as he progresses daily.

It's a Girl!!!!!!!

2008-10-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Royce family. My friend Mindy had a new baby girl today. She is the proud little sister of four big brothers. I am so glad that everything went well and that she is FINALLY here! I can't wait to meet her.

Update on Joshua

2008-10-06T20:35:00.001-07:00

We went and visited Joshua yesterday(Sunday). He seems to be doing much better than the last time we saw him. He has started to talk a little. He actually talks quite a bit but we can only understand about ten percent of it. Callin told him that we have been taking care of his boys at our house the last few days and Josh looked at Callin and said, "Are they being good"? Other times when you ask him something he just repeats what you say. He also is much more mobile than he was a few days ago. He moves his legs all around. He also is very good at moving his hands when you tell him to. I told him to wave good-bye to me and he did it first with his left and than his right as though it were so easy for him. A couple of days ago you could hardly get him to wiggle his fingers. He got moved out of intensive care today. He will stay in the hospital for a short while and than will be transfered to a rehab facility where he can get the therapy he needs. He still sleeps most of the day which is normal for head injury patients, but when he is awake for a short period, we enjoy seeing his progression, even if it is only a tiny bit each day. He still has a long ways to go but I am confident that if anyone can fight through something like this, it's Josh. He is the hardest worker I know and he will work until he is back to his old self.

Update

2008-09-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I saw Josh open his eyes for the first time yesterday. The doctors took him off of his ventelator also. He seems to be much more comfortable now and it is comforting to know that he is breathing on his own. They say it will be a long road ahead but we are hopeful that he will continue to progress a little each day. Keep praying for him please. He needs all the help he can get.

Another good day for Josh

2008-09-26T17:52:00.001-07:00

Joshua had another good day today. He was able to open his eyes and give thumbs up when asked. He had his hip surgery today and everything seemed to go well. That is all we have heard about that. He has been resting for most of the day but so far he is progressing more and more each day. We are so hopeful that he will have a slow but good recovery. My dad and brothers were able to give Josh a really nice blessing last night and our family has faith that he will continue to progress. I don't know what we would do without the blessings of the gospel. We all feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost carrying us through this hard time. We also feel the prayers of so many people helping us get through this trial.

Joshua Update

2008-09-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

Joshua is showing some progress, but still has a long recovery ahead of him. He is suffering from extensive brain trauma, and had severe bleeding on his brain that is slowly being drained. The doctors are trying to keep his brain pressure down and stable before they can focus on his other injuries. Besides head injuries, Joshua has a broken jaw, ribs, clavicle, femur, two punctured lungs, and he shattered his left knee. He also has lesions on his liver and spleen. He has been unconscious the entire time, but today they are reducing his sedatives in an attempt to bring him back to some level of consciousness and to get him to open his eyes and respond more positively to requests to move his extremities. Since yesterday, he is able to move both of his arms and his toes on both feet. We talk to him whenever we are in his room and we think he can hear us. It is such a miracle he is still with us, and it gives us so much hope seeing him able to move. We know that so many people are praying for him and our family and I am sure that he can feel the love of so many.

Several people have asked how they can donate to Joshua because he does not have insurance and will not be working for a long time. Yesterday an account was set up at Zions bank and anyone who wishes can go into any Zions bank and donate to Joshua Tippets' donation account.

My Brother

2008-09-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

My brother, Josh, was in a car accident Sunday. He was life-flighted to the University of Utah hospital. He is unconscious but is doing as well as he can right now. Today he has been able to move his fingers when asked to which is amazing news. We are able to visit with him and we know he can hear us, which is very comforting. Please keep Josh and our family in your prayers. I will keep you updated with any news or progress.

Thank you to everyone who has called or e-mailed us with your concern. It really helps to know that so many people care and are praying for him.

Our Girls Trip to Chicago

2008-09-19T11:08:00.004-07:00

We got to go to Oprah on the second day in Chicago. We met up with three of my good friends from Ohio. It was so good to see them and to share our Oprah experience together. It was such a fun surprise to find out that they would be coming to Chicago the same time we were. We had such a good time with them and it was so fun to have my mom and sisters meet them too. Thanks girls for the fun memories. I miss you guys so much. I'm glad you didn't go into labor Mindy.

We also got to go to Tiffany's and pick out some jewels for when we're loaded, right? We felt a little out of place but it was fun to say we went. This really was the trip of a lifetime and I decided I want to live in a big city. Chicago was a great city to visit and it had so many fun things to see and experience. The best part about the trip was being with my cute mom, my sweet sisters (minus Kim) and three great friends. Thanks for the memories. Until next year right?

Yellowstone with Grandma and Grandpa Passey

2008-09-19T11:08:00.003-07:00

We were able to go to Yellowstone with Callin's parents this summer. We had a great time. The last time we went was when Callin and I were engaged to be married. It was fun to go back and see how much our kids loved it.
We stopped in Jackson Hole on our way there and Avery got to meet a "real" cowboy.
The floosies picked Callin (the cutest guy from the crowd) to come up and dance with them. You can imagine how embarassed he was. He was a great sport and secretly I think he loved it. I just couldn't stop laughing and Gabe and Avery thought it was pretty funny too.
He even got a souvenier!

Our Favorite Spot!

2008-09-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

We are so lucky to live so close to so many beautiful places. Our family took a hike up to Bloomington Lake this summer. It is one of our favorite places on Earth. We love to go cliff jumping up there. Aren't the cliffs amazing? On this day we just enjoyed the hike and watched Grandpa fish. We were extra lucky to see a moose on our hike back from the lake. It was a little bonus to the already perfect day.

Fun with Grandma, Grandpa and Cousins

2008-09-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

We got to go fishing at the Tetons with grandma and grandpa. It was so peaceful and beautiful and we had such a fun time that we weren't upset about not catching any fish.

My Avery turned four!

2008-09-15T21:21:00.001-07:00

Avery turned four while we were in Las Vegas. We had a little party for him at my sister's house.

We didn't have a real cake for him, so I had to get creative. Since the birthday party was in the morning before we left, I decided to do a doughnut cake for breakfast. He loved it.

What a fun summer!

2008-09-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

We took a little trip to Las Vegas and San Diego this summer. We went with my sisters Natalie and Emily, my brother Michael and his family, and we picked up my sister Jennifer and her little girl in Vegas. We had a great time! These are just some of the highlights.

Two little Graduates

2008-09-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have two graduates in our family this year. Gabe graduated from Kindergarten and Callin from Optometry School. Gabe was just as proud as his daddy. Gabe thought it was pretty neat to be graduating with his dad. Little does he know how many years of schooling are still to come.

Callin is Finally Done with School!

2008-09-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Callin for finishing Optometry school. He has worked so hard for eight long years and he is finally done!!!!! We had a great week with his parents and mine both out to support him and to help us pack up and move away. We were so sad to leave but Callin is loving his work and we are happy in our new place. Good job honey for all your hard work!

Finally a new post!

2008-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for not posting any pictures for so long. We have had a very busy, fun, crazy summer. We have been to San Diego, Yellowstone, Bear Lake, Bloomington Lake, and we are just feeling settled in our new home. I have so many pictures to post but can't now because I am headed to Chicago to go see...................Oprah! Ahhhhhhhhhh! I am so excited! I get to go with my mom, sisters, sister in law, and three great friends from Ohio. How much better can it get? I promise pictures as soon as I return. Yes we are still alive and doing well. Although we miss Ohio and all of our friends so much, we are glad to be back here closer to family. I didn't think it would be such a hard adjustment though. It has been a very emotional last couple of months. I think this place is slowly starting to feel like home. Well we are off to the windy city. Can't wait to tell all about it.

Amber Jacobson Memorial

2008-08-27T08:12:00.001-07:00

We lost a dear friend and are so sad and will miss her. Amber left behind our long time friend Trevor trying to finish medical school and two beautiful children. He is starting his fourth year of Med school at the University of Utah. There family is in need of some help. There has been an account set up in her name at Wells Fargo for anyone who wants to help. Even a dollar could help this family in their time of need. Even if we can get enough money to cover the funeral, that would help so much. If you or anyone you know can help, please drop by any Wells Fargo bank and make a check out to the Amber Jacobson Memorial Account. (#8888362459) Thanks.

My Baby Blue Eyes

2008-05-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

Baseball Season is Officially Here!

2008-05-07T17:58:00.001-07:00

Every year our family has so much fun going to the Columbus Clippers baseball games. We are so excited that baseball season is now in full force. We are going to miss going so much. We are trying to soak it all in.

Kai is almost crawling!

2008-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.......
I love cuddly sleeping babies!

Pirates and Phillies

2008-05-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Callin went to a Pirates game with some of his friends and took Gabe along. They all had a great time.

What Avery has been up to Lately

2008-05-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Best Birthday Ever!!!!!

2008-05-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

Callin surprised me with Michael Buble tickets this year for my birthday. It was unbelievable!
We got great seats thanks to the Clingers. I felt like we were so spoiled the whole night. As you can tell, Callin thinks he's pretty darn cool.
See, we are so happy just to be there.
Michael Buble was a great entertainer. Besides being an amazing singer, he was hilarious and he put on a great show. Even if you aren't a huge Buble fan, you would love the concert. I would recommend anyone to go see him if they ever get the chance. LOVED IT!!! Thanks baby for the fabulous birthday!

Kai at 5 1/2 months

2008-04-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Gabe Turned Six!

2008-04-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little Gabe turned six years old. He is growing up way too fast. He has been nothing but pure joy since the day he was born. We just love him to pieces. He is such a smart and funny little kid. His personality is just so fun. These are some of the memories we have had of our Gabe this year.

Our Condo is for Sale

2008-03-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we will be moving soon and must sell our Condo. We are sad to be leaving but excited about moving on. If anyone knows of anyone coming out here for school or anything else and is looking for a home, we would love it if you told them about our place. Leave me a comment if anyone would like more information. Thanks!

How to make those cute magnets!

2008-03-31T11:45:00.001-07:00

It's about time I updated my blog. I got so many people asking how to make those cute magnets, so here goes. We went to Home Depot and bought a sheet of small tile. They cost about $5 for almost twenty of them. Then we went to Michaels and bought a Stazon ink pad. It is like all ink pads except it stays on permanently. Then we used all of our cutest stamps from stampin up and stamped them on the tile. When we were finished stamping, we hot glued magnets to the back. It was so easy and so fun. We got the cute idea from Kandice Allen. She is so creative. Thanks Kandice.

Me being Crafty

2008-03-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't done anything really crafty for quite sometime. I was so excited when me and some girls got together and made these darling little magnets. I thought they turned out great! Thanks girls for the fun crafty night.

Our New Ride!

2008-03-07T19:33:00.001-08:00

We finally got a car big enough to fit all of us. We have become such a large family that we can't all fit in our car anymore. Callin's work car died the other day so darn we had to go buy a brand new Honda Pilot. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Cock-a-doodle!!!!!

2008-02-17T16:33:00.003-08:00

We wanted to wish you a very happy birthday and let you know that we are thinking of you. We miss you and love you so much. Love, Callin, Tricia, Gabe, Avery, and Kai

To my Sweet Husband!

2008-02-14T10:31:00.001-08:00

I've been tagged so many times and haven't done anything about it yet. So I thought today would be the perfect day tell a little bit about Callin since today is Valentine's Day. He truely is the most amazing man I know. He is such a great father to our three wonderful boys. I just sit and watch him play with them and it makes me feel so lucky that those boys are blessed with such a great father. Callin truely is the greatest undeserved blessing in my life. He treats me so well, and is the kindest, most genuine and caring guy I know. He can be a little crazy sometimes, but he always keeps life interesting and exciting. Thanks Call for just being you, Happy Love Day!

WHAT IS HIS NAME: Callin Passey
HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN MARRIED: 7 years
HOW LONG DID WE DATE: We dated for 5 and 1/2 years including highschool, college and mission. If that doesn't count then we dated for two months after his mission and then got married two and a half months later.
WHO SAID I LOVE YOU FIRST: He did, I think. Sorry I can't really remember.
WHO IS TALLER: Callin by several inches.
WHO SINGS BETTER: He thinks he does. He has a secret dream of being on American Idol. He really does have a great voice. He just has a hard time sharing it with other people.
WHO'S SMARTER: He is. End of subject.
WHO PAYS THE BILLS: I pay the bills and do the budget. I'm not sure Callin would know how. Just Kidding.
WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED: We switch depending on who needs to use the alarm clock in the morning.
WHO MOWS THE LAWN: The condo association does- but when we have our own house I get first dibs. I know it's crazy but we may fight over it.
WHO COOKS DINNER: I do most of the time but Callin is a very good cook. He loves it more than I do.
WHO DRIVES: Callin always drives! I don't enjoy driving when I don't have to and I make him too nervous.
WHO'S MORE STUBBORN: He would say me. I would say him. We both are pretty stubborn.
WHO KISSED WHO FIRST: He kissed me first after three months of dating. He likes to take things nice and slow.
WHO ASKED WHO OUT FIRST: Callin asked me out first to Homecoming dance junior year of high school.
WHO PROPOSED: Callin did of course. It was up at Cottonwood Lake -one of the prettiest places ever.
WHO HAS MORE SIBLINGS: I do. I have eight siblings and he has two.
WHO WEARS THE PANTS IN THE FAMILY: He lets me think that I do but we know that really he does.
I TAG: Kimberly, Melinda, Jennifer, and Julie

Twins?

2008-02-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

Callin's mother sent this picture of Callin to us. I think Kai looks a lot like his daddy. What do you think?

Grandmas and Grandpa

2008-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Gabe and Avery love going to Idaho to see their Grandmas and Grandpas. Here they are with Grandma Cock-a-doodle and Grandpa Popcorn. They always have such a good time seeing family that it makes it hard to leave.
Here is Callins son, mother and Grandmother, so four generations. Someday my kids will think that's pretty neat.

My darling little Niece

2008-02-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

We got to go home for a week in January and had so much fun with family.
This is one of my adorable nieces that I have. Olivia is the sweetest little thing.
Her and Kai got very aquainted. Olivia loved trying to play with him the whole time. She is way too cute!

My masculine hubby

2008-01-21T21:59:00.000-08:00

Everyone must check out my brother's blog. Click on Cordie and Michael on my friends and family. Callin made headlines this week. I hope he doesn't kill me.

Hi from Kai

2008-01-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to get to come to Idaho this week and have Kai meet his grandma and grandpa's for the first time. He is getting so big so fast that we are happy he gets to meet everyone before he is all grown up. See you in two days!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-01-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

This is the Passey rendition of the Nativity. Only we would use baseball bats for canes.

This was one of their favorite gifts. Being able to dress up and shoot each other in the velcrow(sp) vest was "totally awesome" as Gabe and Avery say.

A few Christmas Pictures

2008-01-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

we got a little bit of snow right before Christmas and Gabe, Avery and their friend Blake had a blast on the hill behind our house. Well Gabe was having fun for a while.

Me and my friend Mindy made TONS of candy this year. It was so fun and exhausting at the same time. It took us all day but it was well worth it.

We went to see the Christmas lights at the zoo with our friends Jeremy and Erin and their kids. We had fun but our kids were kind of bumbed that they couldn't see any animals. It was so cold that they had the animals put away. The lights were amazing though. We had a great time.

Cozy baby!

2008-01-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

I went to Old Navy last week when they were having their huge sale and I found this warm cozy snow suit for Kai. I thought it would be perfect for this freezing cold winter we are having and I thought Kai looked so snuggly and warm in it. Well Callin hates it! He thinks it looks so funny. The only thing he said when he saw it on Kai was, " Don't worry buddy, this too shall pass". I think Kai likes his new winter attire. Don't you?

Kai's twin

2008-01-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

You will probably have to enlarge this picture to really see it. The baby in the photo album is Gabe. I was amazed with how much Kai and Gabe look alike. They really look almost identical to me. So for everyone who can't tell who Kai looks like, check out this picture.

Dress up

2008-01-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Gabe and Avery are always dressing up and being whatever their little minds can create. Sometimes they are ninja panishes, other times they are Mr. Binky Bon Snowsers. They have so much fun playing together. I am always very entertained watching them create new superheroes, and as you can see, almost every character is missing their pants. Here are just a few of their creations.

2008-01-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

Do they look like their mom or their dad? Vote now!

Gabe's funny

2008-01-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

Gabe is a smart boy and always likes to learn what new words mean. He is always asking me the meaning of words he has heard and then he always tries to use his new words in his every day conversations. So the other day we were going somewhere in the car and it was sunny outside, so Gabe and Avery both had to wear their sunglasses (having the sun shine out here is a rare occasion). So while we were driving Gabe and Avery were talking back and forth when Gabe all of a sudden got quite annoyed. "Mom, Avery thinks he's porky with his sunglasses on", Gabe said.
"What? Who's porky" I asked.
"You know mom you taught me that word".
"What are you talking about Gabe, I don't know what you mean".
"You know when someone thinks they are so cool, they are porky".
"Oh Gabe do you mean cocky?"
"Oh ya, Avery always thinks he is so cocky when he wears his sunglasses".
He usually gets the words right but this time he was a little confused. Once Gabe realized that the word was cocky and not porky he then asked what porky meant. I said that sometimes it can mean that you are chubby. Avery thought that was so funny and told Gabe that he was the porky one. Gabe didn't think it was too funny but Avery sure did. We sure had a fun car ride that day.