Birthday Dog (kinda)

Tanger is 1.

Well,technically he shouldn't get a birthday this year...he was born on leap day. Tanger is a good dog, who has turned out much bigger than we had planned!

He plays great with the kids and puts up with a lot from Elsie, who absolutely adores this dog!

He travels great. He makes a great vacuum. He doesn't run away. He is a little scaredy cat...especially of cats! Silly dog!

We are glad we added Tanger to our family last May. Happy Birthday, Dumb Dog!!!

pbskids.org

Cassi asks every day..."Can I go to pbskids.org?"

It cracks me up because she says the whole thing.

Anyway, she and Elsie have been having a lot of fun there lately!!!

It is great when your kids get along!

And Elsie feels like such a big girl, and Cassi is such a big helper!

Of course a bowl of treats is always involved!

Guess Who???

Does anyone know who this is a picture of???

Benjamin Franklin of course!!!

For Madi's class they had to pick a famous person to do a report on and then make a poster at home.

So here is Madi's poster...complete with her amazing artwork!

We think you are pretty amazing, Madi Bell!!!

3 Months Old

Can this really be happening???

Why does my baby have to grow so fast!?!!

Porter is now 3 months old and we are so in love with him.

I can't even express my feelings for this little guy!

All I can say I feel sorry for any girl who tries to take him away from me in the future!!!

Porter is such a perfect little baby.

I finally moved him from his bassinet to his crib...(but that was only because he had about 1/2 inch before his head would hit the top of the bassinet!)

He is such a big boy. All I have to do at nap time is take him up...give him his blankie, and its lights out.

He is so good that way!

I do wish his naps were a little longer, but I think he is learning...

Porter has found his tongue.

Dad taught that to him. You stick your tongue out at him, and he does it right back. The girls get a kick out of it!

We can always get this little guy to smile, even when he is mad...I think he knows how much he is loved!!!

My little guy is a pretty big boy!

He weighs about 16 lbs.! I love his chunky thighs and those squishy cheeks!!!

Oh, there's just nothing better!!!

He isn't sleeping through the night...well, not my night.

He will go to sleep between 7 and 8 and sleep until 3...that is a full 7 to 8 hours!

Then he goes back to sleep until 6 or 7 in the morning.

So if I was just a smart little mommy, I would go to bed earlier than I do, and get more sleep. Oh well.

He still has his acid reflux pretty bad...so he is always soaking wet...

and poor kid doesn't get much tummy time cause I think that makes the stuff come out even more...so I need to be better about giving him that time to build his little neck all strong and stuff.

He isn't big on grabbing toys yet, but he loves to snuggle blankets, and he LOVES to suck his fists.

I tried for SO long to get him to suck a binky...luckily he took it the entire weekend when we went to Wyoming/Utah for his blessing...but since then...no go!!!

He hates it...and he is good with his fists, so oh well, he wins this one!

He isn't a fussy baby. He loves to lay or sit in his swing and look all around him.

He isn't big on eye contact, but once you do lock in...he won't stop staring!

Oh I just love those little eyes staring into mine!!!

So to sum it up...WE LOVE PORTER!!!

Can't wait for all the fun times ahead with him!!!

Oh, and he is still loud and stinky...I guess thats just how boys are!

(Also, we took some fun pictures tonight of Porter with his blessing outfit and with the girls and with mom and dad...I will share those later)

Daddy Daughter Date

This morning when Brent got home from work, he asked Madi if she would go on a date with him tonight.

Madi was so excited. She said that she told everyon at school that she was gonna go on a date with her Dad!

So she got home...dressed herself in more appropriate 'date' attire.

(She was wearing some cute capris with her tube socks pulled up...but I talked her out of that one!)

Then Dad went out the garage...a few minutes later we hear a knock at the door, it was Dad...here to take Madi on her date...he even had a flower.

Madi had so much fun with her Dad.

I think this is something Madi really needed.

She is such a good girl and I think we rely on her so much...and that gets hard for a little girl.

So a night of fun and play with her favorite person in the world was just the thing she needed!!!

Busy evening

Rope Climbing

Helicopter Rides

Ice Diving

Brent was at it again yesterday afternoon.

A woman drove her truck off the High Bridge at Lucky Peak.

She did not survive.

Brent was one of the guys flown down the 300 some-odd feet to the water below to get into the icy water to retreive the body of the woman. Take her into the helicopter, and then climb theirselves back up the side of the cliff in the dark.

Brent always says how he feels bad that good days for him are always bad days for everyone else.
So yesterday was a great day for Brent, but very unfortunate for the family of the woman involved.

I just think my man is pretty cool.

Triplets

It has been a while since we have attempted 'Triplet' pictures.

So this weekend, while we were up for a visit, we thought we would give it a try.
Yep...it was torture for the girls!!!
Aren't we mean Moms???

Don't worry, they did have so much fun together...the three girls get a long so well, it is fun.

So we did get some great smiling pictures...just not in the posed setting we were trying for!

Cute little bathing beauties!!!

Time-out

Guess who went to time-out for their first time today???

Can you tell how seriously she took it???

Look at that smile on her face!

You just can't get mad at this kid.

I need to learn not to baby Elsie so much.

All I saw was Cassi pushing Elsie...I got mad at Cassi and told her to go to time-out, and she said "But Elsie scratched me first!"

So I thought...well, I guess I need to put her there too...

Seriously...have you seen anyone ever look as cute as she does in time-out...(Cassi is pretty cute too.)

Porter Brent Matthews

We blessed Porter this weekend.

We went to Brent's parents house to do it. It is much easier for us to travel to family then to have everyone come to us.

We also blessed Madi and Elsie in their home. I feel bad that Cassi is the only one to be blessed in the church, but it was winter time and there was a big storm right before...she will forgive me, right?

Brent offered a beautiful blessing for his baby Boy.

I am so thankful to have a husband worthy to give these beautiful blessings to his little babies.

I am so thankful for my beautiful family, and that I get to keep them forever!

Elsie and Grandma 'Ene'

Porter and Grandma 'Na'

Elsie and Bumpa

The grandmas oogaling the baby boy!

Me with my sweet baby boy

We're HOME!!!

Just a couple shots to hold you over until I can get unpacked and laundry finished...

then I will post about our weekend!!!
Needless to say, we are very happy to be home!

(Just so you know...these shots are from the 'triplets' shoot we did)

Porter was blessed this weekend.

More pictures to come.

Happy Valentines Day

Hope your day is filled with LOVE!

(Madis Valentines collection box from school)

i {love} you

Our little Elsie has been working on her 'I love you' sign for a very long time now.

Every time we would say "I love you", she would stick her hand up...thumb and pointer out...and with her other hand hold up her pinky....so cute. Then one night we noticed as she was pointing to the fridge for more milk that she was pointing with her left hand in the 'i love you' sign.

Well, it was very exciting!

We of course made a big deal out of it...those little muscles in her hand are hard for her to manipulate...so we are very proud.
She can only do it with her left hand so far...but is working on the right hand too.

She continues to walk back and forth between furniture, without her walker. She is doing great things and always with a smile. We love you Elsie!!!

Enjoying the good weather!

The girls had so much fun playing outside in the nice weather!

Elsie had the time of her life.

She really loves her sisters (and brother) and they take such good care of her.

We are supposed to get snow by Sunday, I think...

I am not excited about that.

We are all so ready for Spring!!!

Little Buddies

Our girls are such great helpers!!!

Madi and Elsie have a great little friendship.

I think Cassi has felt a little left out at times.

Well, now she has her 'little buddy', that is what she calls Porter.

If boys really are as crazy as people have been telling me, then these two are gonna be two peas in a pod!!!

New Physique

Photo by Brent

This post is for me.

I thought if I made it known to the world that I was gonna get back into shape, then I would really do it.

Woman of my word.

So here we go....bye, bye baby fat!