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I LOVE trouble!!!

...or, I mean Porter...

Oh my goodness.

This boy has become non-stop!!!

He is so full of spunk and energy...he keeps me on my toes!

He has been doing a lot of walking the last couple of days, which is exciting!

But it has motivated him to try other things...other things which include CLIMBING!!!

Little turkey!

He has learned how to climb onto the couch...which also means that Elsie no longer has a safe from Porter zone!

But today when he crawled onto the ottoman with her, she didn't like that and gave a him a small push and down he went (good thing we have that awesomely soft new carpet, right!!!).

Then he climbed into his dump truck...thought it was funny, until he didn't know how to get out safely.

THEN he crawled up on the oven...this one I don't like...that is just scary!

No more of that, Porter!

Then he was climbing in and out of the bathtub...

After I had him out of the tub, he got away and started climbing up onto Cassi's 'desk' chair and up onto her table!

Oh man...we have been pretty good about not getting many bumps and bruises the last few weeks...I have a feeling they are gonna start popping up all over again!

Oh, and I was thinking today...why in the world is this kid always in his diapers!

Well, to tell you the truth, it takes so long to wrestle a diaper onto him...I am too worn out to put the pants back on...just know that when I go somewhere he is fully clothed.

Oh, he keeps us busy, but he is so much fun, and he is so funny.

I can already tell what he will be like when he grows up...I guess probably cause I see so much of his Daddy in him...and I think his Daddy turned out pretty dang good!

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We LOVE what the future holds for our Elsie!!!

Over Thanksgiving Elsie did an amazing thing!!!
And we missed it the first time!

We were sitting in the kitchen talking about how amazed we all were at the progress Elsie is making and Gramps chimes in and says "Ya, I didn't even know she could get up by herself in the middle of the room."

And all of us look at him like "WHAT!" And he says that he watched her get up off the kitchen floor, without help, to go in the other room with the big girls.

Well, we couldn't get her to do it again until later in our vacation, this time while in Springville...She showed off for Aunt Em and Uncle Andy, and STOOD UP!!!

I have never been so excited and more proud!

Later on she did it another time for our family out in the Coop! AmAzInG!!!

Then we came home and she has been sick ever since...when Elsie gets sick, I am not sure why, but her whole body gets really stiff, stiffer than normal, and she has real trouble walking. So we haven't gotten her to do it again...until tonight!

I can't even explain the joy this gives me to see her able to do something that we have been working so hard for. This little angel is such a hard worker and is so amazing to me and all her family!

I can't even imagine what the world holds for such an amazing little girl. The lives she will, and has already touched. We are so blessed to be her parents and to learn so many things from her.

I hope you enjoy these small clips. Sorry, I forget that you can't turn video cameras sideways...oops...oh well, you can still see how amazing she is!

Oh, and the picture up at the top is Elsie going up...not down. Can you imagine what different muscle strength it would take to bring your body up like that...I dare you to try it. Elsie has a great way of compensating. We tried to get her to learn by leaning forward and pushing off her knee, but her body wouldn't work that way, and she knew it, and came up with a way to do it on her own. Elsie you are so wonderful...

I also wanted to share this with you that my sister, Emily, shared with me. Take a look if you have a chance. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5913842n&tag=contentMain

Please excuse our Christmas decoration boxes in the background!

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We LOVE putting up the Christmas Tree!!!

It was Porters turn this year to put the star up...but he was sleeping...so we will come to him another year.

Madi took his spot, and she did a very good job!

The tree always takes longer than we plan...but always fun times.

Each year I do new frame ornaments with that years pictures.

So hanging them up, we have a lot of fun remembering the times we have had together!

Cassi was a little sad because Madi was in more than she was and we had to remind her that we have had Madi longer than her!!!

It is always lots of fun putting up the tree

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After school Cassi and Ayden got all bundled up, snow pans and all, to play out in the new snow we got today.

A little while later they came in for some hot cocoa and to play inside for a bit.

Later on they decided to go outside again, I said that was fine...

Fast forward about 30 min I thought they should come inside and clean up so Aydo could go home.

I yell outside to them and this is how I find them dressed.

Ayden, all nice and cozy...

Cassi...not so much covered!

I asked why in the world Cassi hadn't gotten bundled up....

And she said she was, she had her coat on, but then Ayden got cold, so she gave her the coat.

Then I asked why she had her legs tied together with her scarf?

And she simply said...""cause my legs were cold."

Like, DUH mom!!!

Oh man...what are we gonna do with this kid!?!

Such a sweet, loving, and CrAzY girl!!!

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We LOVE a good movie!!!

Friday night is dubbed movie night according to Cassi.
But this last Friday, I had a quilt night with some R.S. ladies at my house to finish a quilt for Relief Society.
They it was an early to bed night.
And last night we had a our friends over, which by the way, is better than movie night...
So this afternoon, after church, we watched a movie we have been wanting to watch for awhile.
It was an awesome movie.
FOREVER STRONG
Everyone should see this movie!
It was so good.
What movies have you seen lately???

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We LOVE arts and crafts!

Ever wonder what to do with that skinny space under your stairs???

Well, ours is an art room.

The kids love it...although, it is very often quite messy...that is what doors are for, right???

All day today Madi has been making these 'chicken eyes'.

She made a ton.

Then when our friends, the Young's, came over for dinner, Madi held a class demonstration for the girls to make their very own.

She called the space,

Madi's magic craft workshop

How fun.

Keeps them busy, and pretty quiet!

This is only a handful of what Madi made today.
And she made a bunch to look like snowflakes to hang above our kitchen table!
Very festive.

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I LOVE when they feel better!!!

Last night Porter had a fever of 104.3.

All he did was lay there.

So I just held him...I held him until 1:00 a.m.

My poor sweet boy.

Then he was up again at 5:00 a.m. this morning with a 103 temp.
Poor boy...and poor me...I was tired!

But today after his nap he was doing a lot better...

I know, they are in their diapers...but that makes me a good Mom, right, when they have fevers anyway.

Like I said, he felt good after his nap...

good enough to terrorize Elsie!!!

But he still wants to be held ALL-THE-TIME!

If I put him down, this is what I get.......

Stinker!

But at least we are on the mend here!

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I LOVE School Christmas programs!

Madi has been very excited for her upcoming Christmas program.

She has been practicing her songs and working really hard at it.

Today I packed up my two little ones 30 minutes early, cause the school is always packed for these programs...and I show up to a fully packed, only standing room gym.

Luckily I found a spot by some friends in the ward where I could squeeze my buns and park my train of a stroller.

Next time I will show up an hour early!

Seriously!

It was a cute little program put on by the 1st and 3rd graders.

Madi is such a sweet girl.

I video taped parts of the program so we could show Brent, who was working, so this was the only picture I got.

But I think it is pretty dang sweet, right?

That 'I LOVE YOU' sign has become a big part of our little family!

Thanks Madi for all your hard work.

You looked beautiful and you made those songs sound beautiful too!

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And I just had to include a picture of the lunch Cassi made for herself this afternoon.

Mmm, mmm, mmmm......

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They LOVE to put the lights up with Dad!!!

I think this is the earliest we have ever put our lights up!

The big girls have always had so much fun helping their Dad put the Christmas lights on the house.

The older Madi gets, the more afraid she gets.

Cassi is almost TOO MUCH not afraid!

Funny how different the two of them are!

Elsie watched from a far. She is not feeling good again...man why can't we kick this crud?

I love this one of their different faces.....(Madi was totally faking, but she was pretty nervous!)

Brent, on the hardest part, but still not too hard for my man.

My hard workers

And the final product...now bring on the holidays!!!

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I LOVE my clean-cut boys!!!

My baby boy had his first hair-cut tonight!

It was a must...he was growing wings!!!

A baby's version of the mullet!

Brent was ready for a new cut too.

So we had a little hair-cut night.

Don't my boys look sharp!

Porter did very good...with a sucker of course.
I think he would have been good anyway, 'cause he is just a good boy!

Nothing we can't do with team work!

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We LOVE a good work-out!

We love to exercise!

It just makes us feel good.

I have about 6 weeks to whip myself into swim-suit shape...

Our 10 year anniversary is in January...and although we aren't sure where we are going yet, we know we are going, and I know it's gonna be warm!

So Brent is helping me come up with a good routine, some weight lifting, get myself running again...and I have got to start eating better!!!

Brent got home from swimming today and did some pull-ups on his bar outside, and of course the little ones have to join in.

Elsie was sleeping, but she loves to exercise along with the rest of us!

Porter did pretty good holding himself up for a few seconds!

Oh, what fun stuff...