Happy Birthday Arlo!

On July 17th Arlo turned 5!! Crazy, that I have a 5 year old. We got to celebrate his birthday at a family reunion this year and it made it nice having an instant, large birthday party. 20-30 kids surrounded him as he blew out his candles and opened his presents. His new favorite cartoon is Special Agent Oso, and that's what he wanted for a cake. I've enjoyed making fun cakes for my kids on their birthdays. It's a lot of work, and they usually don't taste very good, but they get excited about them.

I love this kid to death!! He's so full of life and never gets bored.
Here's to you Arlo
Happy Birthday

4 months old

On the Farm in Oregon
Arlo inherited his Mother's Behind!

Arlo's 2nd Halloween

Arlo's #5 Birthday.He got a razor scooter, a new helmet,

and his very own camelpack for hiking with dad.
Oso Cake

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today I went to my final doctor's appointment before giving birth to Cam. My appointment was at 1:00 and at this appointment the doctor checked my cervix and to our surprise I was dilated to a 6! I wasn't even having any contractions. It had been a very frustrating couple of weeks because I had many false contraction and even went to the hospital once to only be sent home. I was shocked to hear that I was dilated to a six because with my other 2 boys when I was ditated to a 3 my contractions were a minute apart and very intense. The doctor decided to send me over to the hospital and put me on pitocin to get things going. Now, I'm a believer that the baby will come when he's ready and wasn't sure I wanted to do potocin but the doc was worried that with my history of fast labors that if I was to go into hard labor at home I wouldn't make it to the hospital. This I truly believed and didn't want to risk it. So, at 2:00 I checked into the hospital at 2:45 was put on pitocin. At 4:00 asked AJ to get the nurse because I felt the urge to push. She came and checked my cervix and I was only at a 7! I ordered the epidual and while the nurse was away getting the paperwork the next contraction my waterbroke. I again sent AJ out and in came running the nurse. She checked me again and I was a 10! In ran the doctor. He only had time to put one glove on and caught Cam at 4:15. Very fast and very intense. This was the second birth I had natural, and there are no words to describe it. I was like the lady in the movies who was screamin loud enough for everyone in the hospital to hear.

I'm so grateful that Cam came into our lives. He is such a loving and good little guy. And I might say, very handsome. We love him very much and want to wish him a Happy 1st Birthday!

Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons

AJ's mom, aka Nanny Lyly, came to visit for a couple days and we decided to head to Jackson Hole, WY and The Grand Tetons National Forest. It was a very fun and eventful 3 days.

We started out bummin Jackson and checking out all the shops.

We're so glad Jamie, AJ's sister, could join us




Cam chillin while we waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for our food at the worst ever restaurant. Take my advice and never go to the Calico Restaurant in Jackson. The worst customer service ever!!!

You can't go to Jackson without getting an old tyme photo.

The kids were so cute dressed up like cowboys

After we checked out Jackson we headed into the Grand Teton

National Forest. We took our Kayak and paddled around Jenny's Lake

AJ and Nanny Lyly (Debbie)

Then we decided to take a bigger boat across the lake and take a

hike up to Hidden Falls

Cache and Nanny on the bridge

It was so green and beautiful

Hidden Falls

Cache checkin out the huge trees near the Falls

We saw a Moose!!!

The Teton Mountain range is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

These pictures don't do it justice. It was so majestic and awe inspiring!

One of the nights we were there we hit up the Bar J Wranglers for a Chuckwagon dinner and good ole western comedy and music.





On our way home we stopped to eat in Soda Springs, ID and pulled right up to the only man-made geyser in the world. It was kind of corny but cool to see.

Thanks Nanny Lyly for a wonderful, memorable vacation!