Santa Found Us!!

Tay had a rough Christmas. We were debating whether or not to take him to the ER on Christmas Eve because he had been to the doctor the day before and his test results showed a severe iron deficiency. He was pretty weak and lethargic and notice how pale he was. We were worried sick and some of the doctors felt he might need a blood transfusion. We took the advice of our pediatrician and decided to wait it out and try to get him to eat more, while giving him some iron drops. He seemed to enjoy Christmas despite not feeling well and loved his new toys.

Cade had a great Christmas. The highlights for him include: Wii and PlayStation 2 games, motorized scooter and a football jersey.

Ellie was happy with her skateboard, Nintendo DS games, art supplies and a motorized scooter.

Josie was so happy on Christmas morning to find a princess vanity. She was all about princesses, make up, barbies, and Dora. She was so fun to watch open her presents. She truly believes in the magic of Christmas.

During this Christmas season we are all so happy for our health and the time we get to spend together. I hope all our friends and family have a great holiday season and get the chance to hug the ones they love!!

Daddy's Pride and Joy

This is the little girl that every Dad dreams of. Not the kind of girl that likes to apply make-up or primp in front of the mirror.

No-Sir-ee. This little girl is all sports with a little sass. She plays hard and loves to win. She would much rather play ball than play princesses. Makes her Dad soooo proud. Makes her Mom miss the little girl who wore matching bows in her hair.....sigh.

Disney on Ice....Princess Style!!

Josie is such a little princess, and I admit, I love every minute of it. When I heard Disney Princesses on Ice was coming to town, I knew we needed to go. Josie was so excited and talked about what she should wear for days. She picked out the perfect outfit and applied just the right amount of glitter:)
The set was gorgeous and Josie was transported to a magical world where prince charming and white horses reside. I don't think she ever took her eyes off the ice.
It was so nice to spend some time alone with Josie. A mommy daughter date complete with a McDonald's happy meal. Just look at that face. It was worth every dime!! Thanks for the fun night Jos, and just for the record....my favorite princess is you!

We are Blessed!

Thanks to the Zinger's for hosting Thanksgiving this year. We had a fun time hanging out with the family in the great city of Idaho Falls.

The kids had a sleepover and had so much fun making a mess at Aunt Erin's new house.
Cache and Erin were great hosts. Eric is still talking about the yummy turkey. Thanks so much guys. We feel so blessed to have family like you!!

Lil' Punkin

Oh my little Tay man.... you are so stinkin cute! I can't get enough of your cute little curls. You had a great time watching all the kids play at the pumpkin patch. No matter how big you get....you will always be my Lil' Punkin!!!

Jos at the pumpkin patch!

Yep....it's official. I am the worst blogger ever!! How do people keep up with all this craziness?? I am going to try to do better with this blog stuff. I'm way behind, but I am going to try to include some of my favorite pictures from this Fall. The first being this cute pic of Josie at her fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch. The highlight of her day was picking out her own pumpkin and one for her baby brother. Gotta love that grin:)

Things are Getting Spooky Around Here

Yep. I tried to tell ya. I live with a bunch of Maughan-sters. Not the creepy, gory, scary kind. Nope. Just the sassy, spunky, tantrum throwin, tattle telling, mess makin' kind. But I love em all and think they are the cutest boys and "ghouls" I've ever seen. Happy Halloween!

Baby Blues

Yep. It's true. I've got a case of the BABY BLUES. Every time I look into Tay's blue eyes I am reminded that he is growing up. He just celebrated his first birthday. Where does time go, I ask. It was just yesterday that he was tiny and new and bundled safe in my arms. Now his eyes are bright and filled with wonder. My baby's growing up, and I've got the BABY BLUES!!

Coco's Wedding

We had the opportunity to go to Southern California for Coco's wedding. We had a great time playing at the beach, going to Disneyland, cruising on a yacht, visiting the San Diego Temple, and hanging out with family. Co was a beautiful bride and we made great memories that week. Thanks Co and Brandon for getting married so we had a reason to vacation. We love Cali!!!!!

One of my favorite pics!

Soccer Star

See this girl right here. See the joy on her face? That is the face of a girl doing what she loves!! Ellie is passionate about one thing and that is SOCCER!! The girl loves the game. She eats, sleeps, and breathes soccer. It's all she wants to do and it's what she does best. She is a natural. She is joy to watch on the soccer field. She is determined, competitive, aggressive, and hard core. She makes her daddy proud and her mama cringe as she runs full steam down the soccer field. She shoots.....she scores.....she throws her hands in the air......all is well in Ellie's world today, for she got to do what she loves best....she got to play SOCCER!

American Pride

We started the 4th of July off at Grandma and Grandpa Maughan's for an outdoor breakfast. Then it was off to the parade, followed by carnival games at Cherry Days. We all had a great time, but no one quite like Josie. She loved every minute of it!! Proud to be American and Proud to be a mom to 4 great kids on the 4th of July!!

Sammy the Swan

While at the cabin for Memorial Day, Erin and I decided to go for a run. On our way home we passed this swan walking down the road. When he saw us he turned around and followed us. When we tried to run past him he started crying and flapping his wings trying to keep up with us. It broke our hearts to leave him, so Erin and I walked the rest of the way home so he could follow us. When we got back to the cabin we had lots of fun letting the kids play with the swan and taking fun pictures. When Sammy (the kids named him) was tired, the boys loaded him into the back of the truck and took him back to the river to live in Swan land forever more......the end.

Somethin's Fishy

Memorial Day 2009 fishing at Island Park Resivoir. The kids had so much fun fishing with their cousins. The weather was warm for a change and Cade caught a 6 pound fish, making the trip a success!! We caught more fish than we could possibly eat! Thanks guys for the fun memories.

Thank Heaven Cade is 11

Yes I know....we have a lot of birthdays close together. Cade turned 11 while we were in St. George over spring break. His birthday was one big party all weekend long. He went swimming every day, played basketball, played wii, and played with his new air soft gun. We even had a barbeque and invited grandma and grandpa over. Thanks for being such a great kid Caders. Love Ya.

Skate to Eight

For Ellie's 8th birthday she wanted to go ice-skating. On her birthday I checked her and Caden out of school early and we went to lunch and then ice skating at the Ice Sheet. We had a great time. It's not very often that I get to spend time with the older kids without the little ones needing my attention. I was surprised at how grown up the kids were and how much fun I had just hanging out with them. Happy Birthday Ells thanks for the fun skate party!!

Happy Birthday Josie

Josie you are growing up so fast. I can't believe that you are 4 years old already. This birthday you wanted more princess stuff. Grandma Willoughby gave you a "wedding girl dress" that you wore every day for weeks. The smile says it all. You had a great day. We love you Jo-Jo happy number 4!

Winter Fun!

I love this picture of Josie and Eric. This was taken in the hills behind our house. We had a lot of snow this winter and one of the funnest days for the kids was spent snowmobiling in our own back yard. One thing is for certain. Josie loves her Daddy!!! Thanks for the fun day Dad.

Little Girl Seeking Bad Boy

Josie is a character to say the least! She is always coming up with the funniest things. I love this picture because it captures the mischief in her eyes. A few weeks ago she came to me and said, "Mom, my boyfriend can't come to the party tonight." You have a boyfriend I asked? "Yep, his name is Jenx." Well how come Jenx can't make it to the party I asked?? "Because he is in jail." How come Jenx is in jail I asked," laughing. "Cuz he did't wear his beltseat and the cops got him and took him to jail." Well thats too bad I said. " Jenx is really a nice guy mom. He lives in the mountains and wears rubber pants." Well what is Jenx going to do when he gets out of jail, I questioned. "He is going to live with us and build houses!" Every few days Josie will bring up Jenx. Apparently the cops take seatbelt violations quite seriously because he is still in jail.

So I ask you......should I be worried?? My little girl seems to have a thing for the bad boys. Bad boys wearing rubber pants nonetheless. Well that's my Josie. I have a feeling that the next few years are going to be an adventure with this one. But she keeps me laughing. And a word of warning to you all. Wear your "beltseats" so the cops don't get ya!!

Tay Turns 5 Months

Today is Tayson's 5 Month Birthday. He is growing bigger by the minute and is sooo much fun to have around. Somebody told me the other day that they have never seen a family love a baby so much. He is definitely spoiled. We all love holding him, kissing him and making him laugh. I'm not sure anyone loves him more than his sister, Josie. She would smother him with kisses all day if allowed. We love you Tay-man!! With a face like that it's hard not to!!!! Happy 5 month birthday!!

Ellie's Baptism

I can't believe this beautiful little girl belongs to me. She is growing up too fast, and seeing her all dressed in white makes my heart skip a beat. Yesterday Ellie was baptized. It was a day she has been looking forward to for a long time. She says it was the best day of her whole life!! I was so proud of her for her decision to be baptized and thought that she was the most beautiful little girl!! She couldn't stop smiling the whole night. I want time to stand still and freeze her at age 8 forever. I know it won't happen, but hopefully these pictures will help to keep this memory close to my heart always. I love you Ellie girl!!

Ellie's Baptism