This post consists of totally random things, I don't even know what to title it, so I'll just leave it at that.
The Paulson's came for a short, but fun visit. I can't say enough how much I love having them live fairly close by. We had a great weekend going to the beach, pool, out to dinner and hanging out.

Sam really does love Natalie. After his nap today he lied down next to her and asked her if she wanted to rub the tag on his kiki. That is true love coming from Sam, only those he loves the most are welcome to rub his tag.

Look what Natalie found! About two and a half weeks ago I went into her room to wake her up and she was sucking away on her thumb. This girl sleeps from about 9:00 at night until I wake her up to feed her at 6:15. then she goes back to sleep until 9:30 or 10:00. It is a dream, I have never had a baby sleep like this before. I have also never had a thumb sucker. Jacob and Carter both took a binky, but a binky gets lost in the middle of the night and I have to stagger in their room and find it in the dark. A binky is hard to get into a babies mouth while driving, though I have attempted it many times, much more dangerous than talking on phone. I won't ever admit that I have tried talking on the phone AND putting a binky in a babies mouth while driving. A thumb is always there, easily accessible at all times day and night, while sleeping, riding in the car seat or playing at home. Let's face it, it's also extremely cute, until they are six and still sucking. I know I may hate it some day when we are trying to get her to quit, but for now I LOVE IT!

Three months old. It really does go by too fast. I love this baby!

Girl Language

I am learning to speak a new language. For the first several weeks (or longer) of Natalie's life I constantly referred to her as "he." In my mind I always thought, I wonder if he needs his diaper changed, maybe he is hungry, I thing he needs to go to bed. I called her names like "buddy" instead of "sweetheart". To me a baby is a boy, I am slowly but surely learning that this baby of mine is a girl. I must admit I am still a little taken back when I change her diaper, and I maintain that changing girls is much harder than changing boys.

All that said, I am LOVING having a baby girl. I love it even more than I knew I would. I am learning to call her a she, I am learning to say sweetheart, princess, sweet baby girl etc..I am learning to speak baby girl language instead of baby boy.

I love getting her dressed every day, just the other day when I was getting her ready Sam said, "mom the princess needs a bow, which bow should we put on her today?" What a good boy, he is learning well. I love when Sam will look over at her and say in his sweetest voice, "hello princess!" I love that my boys all call her princess, even though that is not a name I planned on calling her, it has become a common name for her in our house. When she was less than a week old my mom was getting her dressed and saying, "hello pretty princess," Natalie started screaming and Sam said, "Nana don't call her that she doesn't like it!" After that we started calling her princess, my friend Sunshine got us a book called Princess Baby that we read to her often, and the name has stuck. I hope they always treat her like their princess, and she will teach them how to treat girls. I love the balance she will bring to our house. We are a crazy house of boys, I am sure she will be crazy too, but will add a certain sweetness to the mix. I love knowing that I will have a daughter who will hopefully forever be my friend. A girl always wants her mom, I hope that will be true for Natalie. I love this baby girl!

Utah....The Ranch.....The Blessing....The Fourth

Ahhh, lazy Utah summer days. There really are no rules in Utah, apparently you can ride in the street without a helmut, have couches in the front yard, ride out of your car seat, eat whatever you want etc.....I know it's not really true, but I am convinced my kids think it is. Whenever we are in Utah it's pretty much anything goes!

THE RANCH

We spent four days and five night this year at the ranch. Oh what an amazing place! I am so grateful that we get to go here every summer, I just hope it will contintue for many years to come. My kids are finally reaching ages where they will have memories and I want one of the strong ones to be going to the ranch every summer. It's every kids dream, we are the only ones there so they really can run wild. There is no end to the activities and they take full advantage of everything. I can't imagine a better vacation spot for our loud and large family. The lodge is settled at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains contatining a large gathering area, 17 motel like rooms, a comercial kitchen and two large bonus rooms. Where else would we fit 16 adults, two couples of married grandchildren, and 30 kids? They have a pool, tennis court, golf put, lake, stream, river, endless hiking, volleyball net, the fun truly never ends. The kids wake up early to go fishing and drop dead in bed around 11:00 at night. It is truly the most amazing vacation!


These four were never seen apart the whole time we were at the ranch. They fished, caught frogs and snakes, did the paddle boats, swam, went shooting, rock jumping, they even slept together. If you saw one you saw them all.

Natalie's first time in the pool!

Everyone loves jumping into the river from this jumping rock. The water is freezing but I think I need to try it next year!

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Brett took the boys fishing every morning and sometimes again in the afternoon. They loved fishing this year, along with playing in the boats and catching snakes at the lake.

The Cousin Olympics! My brothers split the cousins into three equal teams, each led by an older cousin. They had to make up a skit, eat fear factor food (ex. chip with mustard, marshmallow cream and an olive), do a team building activity where the whole team must cross the stream holding onto each other, build and hold a human pyramid, run relays, and a swim/run relay at the lake. It went pretty well and all the kids were having fun until the human pyramid. The poor younger kids on top were scared to fall because there older cousins and parents were yelling the whole time to hold the pyramid. I don't think we are a competitive bunch until we hold cousin Olympics. We all laughed at ourselves at one point because we were all screaming at our kids to hold it at all costs!

Sammy and his Nana

Paddle boats on the lake

Natalie had plenty of little babysitters


Dinner is the one time during the day that everyone gets together in the same place. There is so much to do everyone is running in ten directions at once all day long, but at night we all sit down and eat together.

Jacob and Carter shooting

Natalie and my sister's baby Mason were born exactly one month apart. We know they will be best friends for life!

We were able to bless Natalie at my mom's house while in Utah. It was nice to be able to have so much of our family there for this special occasion.

Sam was a stinker the whole evening, not much of a surprise. He even tried to squeeze his way into the circle during the blessing with his cousins Luke and Adam. It was hilarious to watch Eric kick them away with his legs while standing in the circle.

My sisters minus Stephanie who had to head back to California before the blessing day.

Nana showing Natalie's shoes that were given to Brett's mom for her baby girl who never was. Brett's mom had five boys, I am glad someone got to use these shoes!

My mom's husband Wayne is the king of overindulgence. If my mom asks him to buy candy for the kids, he'll buy out the store, she put him in charge of getting fireworks for the kids and he went crazy. I am glad he did because the kids had a blast doing fireworks. I forget how late it stays light on Utah summer night, the fireworks didn't start until 10:00. In North Salt Lake where my mom lives they do fireworks on July 3rd, so we got to do the blessing and fireworks all on the same night. I have never seen a better fireworks show in my life. My mom lives right on the golf course and they were shooting the fireworks off right below her back yard, it was amazing!

Fourth of July

Sam's latest obsession

Each time I have a new baby the next oldest child has displayed some type of interesting behavior. I have never had problems with them trying to harm the baby or act out towards the baby, they have always loved the new baby. I have simply noticed a strange change in behavior not necessarily directed toward the baby. Jacob needed to be held everytime he drank his milk after Carter was born, Carter started pooping his pants after being potty trained for three month once Sam was born. Sam's new obsession has been the most intersting of all, but what else would I expect from Sam. He has his own baby, his baby Lola. He calls her his baby, carries her around everywhere with him, and cuddles and kisses her. When Brett is holding Natalie he says, "oh Daddy you are holding your baby and I am holding my baby." When I was giving Natalie a bath the other day he went and got Lola and gave her a bath too. He told me, "Mommy you gave your baby a bath and I gave my baby a bath." Poor Lola, she is so patient with him when he sqeezes her a little too tight or lies on top of her while snuggling her a little too much. I just hope she makes it through the summer.

It has been declared....

Today was declared as the best day of summer so far. I am not sure that is saying much since school just got out on Thursday, but I do believe this will stay as one of their favorite days of summer. What could be better than Disneyland with Ashley and Eli, their best buddy Adam, and the Mendenhalls? Nothing I say.

Natalie was such a trooper, she spent her day split between the stroller and Baby Bjorn. I think her first trip to Disneyland was a success!

Sam and Eli can cause some serious trouble together!

Abby is going to marry Carson.....or Dallin......maybe she can at least save a date for Sam.