Finally a Great Snow Year

We have had a lot of snow with year and Dean has been loving it. He went to Alice Lake with his friends again, always a highlight of his year. This winter alone he has killed over 30 coyotes, another highlight. He killed the biggest one he has ever seen so naturally he sent it off to get tanned. The kids and I have enjoyed a few rides with Dean too. 

January

 This guy is really getting into lego building. I love to hear him explain what each creation does.

Dean has been trying to get Josie to ride her sled down to the bus. Today she finally decided she would try it out. If the trial worked out she would commit to sledding down in the morning. So in true Josie fashion she got her backpack, gloves, and earmuffs just like she would be heading to school. It was a success and she agreed it was the best way to get to the bus.

 I love when this lady snuggles with me in the morning.

 Quincy has loved the farm set more than any of us. She only lets the animals go through the gates even if it takes five minutes a piece for her to figure it out. I love to watch her play.

 Josie and Brystol had a great time today playing in all the dress ups Josie and Quincy got for Christmas. I love watching them imagine and change and make up a new story.

 I told Quincy to stop biting her nails and she plainly said, "okay just after I get this one, okay mom"? little stinker. all three of my kids bite their nails. Karma is the worst.

 Quincy: Mom me Chinese. She must have learned that from someone older. Trig wanted me to send his picture to grandma Sharon, I'm sure she was impressed.

These three really do get a long pretty well, well as long as everyone is listening to Josie and giving Quincy her way which is most of the time so I won't complain. I love that they are friends. 

Dean is the greatest thing that ever happened to me and by babies are so lucky to have him. 

Bowling

We took the kids bowling in Logan and Quincy was just delightful, she was so excited about the entire experience. Dean scored higher than me and was so pleased with himself. I love this little family of mine. 

Josie has been taking piano lesson for a while now and is doing so good. She enjoys playing and is really learning a lot. She is growing up so fast and is such a good helper. She is kind and respectful to adults and sometimes I feel like she is raising me. 

Birthday Party

Emilee planned a fun swim party at Layton Surf and Swim for the January birthdays. It's a fun pool and wasn't even crowded. The waves wore this pregnant lady out but we had a great time. 

A night at Grandpa Fox's Cabin

We took the kids up the hill to stay the night in Grandpa Fox's cabin. It was just a last minute idea and so fun and simple. I made them wear their jammies under their snow clothes and we took a picnic dinner and a few blankets. We played a few games and went to bed. We came home for breakfast just in time for the neighbor to call and tell Dean to bring the kids to see the mountain lions on their porch. Dean harassed the baby lions and the kids were thrilled.  

Winter Roping

Dean is starting another winter series roping with his buddies. He is so good to let us tag along with him. Well technically he took us over early so we could ride in an empty arena. This was the first time the kids got to try out their new Christmas saddles. Dean put them on the wrong horses so they kept switching. Quincy was delighted to ride Sara and I was white knuckled the whole time because Sara was feeling alive and trying to trot around with my baby.

Fox hotel swim party

Kason got baptized and Kolt was getting blessed so we stayed the night in Idaho Falls. We had lots of the Fox family come to the hotel and swim with us. It was such a fun weekend, we love seeing everybody. Plus look at my baby sleeping in the tub, she is the cutest!

Christmas

Usually December fills packed with parties and trips to Utah but this year we didn't have a lot going which I guess was nice and a little sad. The kids got to see Santa at the ward party. We had the Jerusalem dinner along with our Christmas Eve party on the 23rd. It was fun to see everyone, it has been too long since we have all been together, missing my parents of course. 

 I gave the Ballards this awesome inversion table for Christmas and the grandkids where waiting in line for a turn. They thought it was just as cool as I hoped they would.

 Christmas Eve was low key and we went to bed early but not early enough for Quincy she wasn't interested in waking up for Christmas.

Tirg wasn't sure why santa gave him books, 'he can't even read'. But he was pretty happy with the rest. 

 Josie immediately gave Quincy the Zoobles Santa brought her and gave Trig the gun santa brought her. Then started asking why she got things she didn't ask for like socks and a jacket. So that was a learning experience but she sure loved her clothes for Amelia, earmuffs, and fashion design stencil.

 Quincy was over the moon about her Reese's Peanut Butter cups and her tent and thats pretty much it but the second Josie and I stared playing with her new baby she got very protective of ALL her things.

 Dean bought me this farm set. Ive been wanting it for a long time. I think Trig still thinks Santa brought it to him but it was 100% for me. I can't help it I love realistic downscaled things, and its spot on. I just adore the working, roping,  and rodeo shoots. Dean also bought me some snow boots so that was awesome.

We didn't have anywhere to go so they kids played all day. It was fun to just let them make a mess. 

 Grandma Sharon got the kids dress ups and Josie has been loving all her princess things. Trig has been a ninja turtle everyday since Christmas.

 We headed down to see Dean's family later Christmas night and had a fun time with cousins. The girls got to sleep in Quincy's new tent and Dean set his up for Trig to sleep in. See how Josie had all her things organized there by her bed? Quincy is lucky she even got to enter her own tent.

The day after Christmas Laurel planned a cousin sledding party sledding down the driveway like they always used to do, it was fun to watch!

Josie loves sledding and anything fast or dangerous but HATES walking back up the hill. Trig loved showing Kolt his snow tricks. 

baby boy in May

We have been waiting for this little boy for a long time, god was teaching me patience I think. Josie has been talking a lot about having a new bay so I knew she would be really excited. I waited a while to tell the kids, Dean and the kids came to the dr with me for the first time ever. On our way there Dean told the kids I was pregnant. Josie didn't believe him and asked me if it was really true, when I said yes, she asked if I had peed on a stick (I do not know where she learned that but it made my face red). Trig asked, what kind of baby it was and Dean told him a baby cat. Trig dry heaved and didn't ask anymore questions. Josie told him that wasn't true she started talking about boy names but said she hoped it was a girl. When the Dr. told us it was a boy Josie groaned and Trig said 'yes' with a fist pump. That's pretty much been the extent of them caring, I thought they would be really excited but they don't seem to think about it much. Josie argues with me every few days about names but thats about it. We are excited for this little guy to join our family. 

Wyatt

Dean and I have learned a lot about employees over the last 9 years. We have been really blessed to have some great ones, we have had our fair share of terrible ones. After KC died it was a tender mercy to find the immediate help we needed and in those few guys Wyatt called from Oklahoma saying he couldn't come til summer so Dean wrote him off. I made Dean call him back again and still nothing came of it. We lost him number so I did a little Facebook stocking, Dean called his last girlfriends dad, got his number again and I made Dean call him for the third time. This time the stars aligned and Wyatt agreed to quit his job in Oklahoma and come to work for Dean. Wyatt was good help and a mature kid for his age. The boys he lived with in rental house (aka the boars nest. Jed, Parker, Dennis) had Wyatt reading the scriptures and interested in doing some soul searching. It was so fun watching his testimony grow. After seven months here he decided a mission is where he should be and put in his papers. He got his call only 9 days later and left for the MTC 5 weeks later December 15, 2015. We had the chance to go through the temple with him it was such a nice day. Im excited for his new experiences, it has been a blessing for me to see him grow.

Christmas Tree Hunting

The kids played in the firewood while we waited for Dean to come pick us up to get a tree. Yes Josie did bring a purse on our Christmas tree hunt. 

Dean is adamant about this family tradition and this is the first year that I think it went well. Our kids are finally old enough to enjoy it and they are really proud of the tree they found. 

SLC trip

Dean had some business in Nevada to take care of so the kids drove down to meet him on his way home for a few days vacation in SLC. We stayed the first night at my moms, I peaked in at the girls before I went to bed, I'm so glad my they are sisters, they don't know yet how lucky they are. My parents told us about a new church history museum in SLC that was neat and really kid friendly. We took the kids to the visitors center and the lights. We did a lot of swimming at the hotel and went to the children's' museum. It was nice to have Dean to ourselves for a few days.