enjoying our second ammendment rights...

So right after election day Elbert got a new fire arm and today we went as a family to go shooting with some friends.
Spencer kept saying shoot the bad guy and cried every time his turn was over. Max said he is ready for a boys trip to go shooting.

Spencer was all business-very focused! What a stud!

Palin 2012! I want to be just like her... God fearing and a gun toting' WOMAN!Confirming their kills :) They were all saying this was my hole and Spencer said that's the bad guy!

The drama setting up the christmas tree...how many people and tools does it take to get a tree to stand straight???

Well in the fish house it takes three adults, a kitchen knife, drill, and a skill saw!! No joke! Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment. The tree was so thick it wouldn't fit in the stand...Elbert and Chris were going to lean the tree in the corner-BUT there was no way I was going to let that happen! The only thing I know how to use was the kitchen knife-Miracle blade said it can cut anything...

Next Elbert had the idea of the skill saw to take off a branch...I needed a rest from cutting and hacking the tree with the knife...the skill saw worked :)Then as I started to use the knife again Elbert had a great idea to use the drill...at this point the little boys were rolling around on the floor wondering if the tree would ever be up. Max said I am still cheering for you mom! They wanted to decorate it so bad.This is a close up of our poor tree...we had to shave off like three knots...but The tree fit and it is straight!! AND it is not just leaning up in the corner!!! yahoo! Now we have to hope the tree doesn't die in a few days due to torture...The quote of the night was "where did I leave that sharp knife laying around?"

Fun memories!

Decorating the Christmas tree!

The only thing I wanted for my birthday was a Christmas tree...The boys were so excited we got our tree early! We drove my the Christmas tree lot counting down the days to my birthday so we could get a tree.If you have seen the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks you know why Spencer is looking in the tree. He kept calling out chipmunk where are you and would look through the branches. Both boys at the tree lot kept looking for chipmunks.It was so enjoyable to watch how happy and playful the kids were decorating the tree. SO much fun!

After decorating the boys danced around being silly and singing Oh Christmas Tree...we got a new tree top this year and I am way excited over it!

Happy Birthday to me... and Thanksgiving on the same day!!

Me and my friends :) Do I look 30??? I think the girls in the child center at the gym think I am older...
All the kids keeping the tradition of olives on the fingers alive...Every year we put olives on fingers I remember the Thanksgiving all the kids crammed olives on Great Grandpa Lybbert's fingers...wasn't that the year Tracy switched every one's dentures around when they went to bed?

Mandy's Turkey turned out so yummy :) good job!

This year my birthday was on Thanksgiving! I had a great day turning 30...The kids were so cute and nice all day, I got to hang out with great friends...and the whole world, well America was feasting on my special day :)

What do the boys do when I kick them off the TV so I can watch a girly movie???

They go hide in my room and watch cartoons together :) I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2...yes i was a girl about it all and cried-I thought it was good! But now I have to watch the first one again, It has been too long...The boys can hide another night while I watch another girl movie!!

Oh how they grow!

So Max never said anything about his shoes being too small...well trying to get his church shoes on the other week we discovered he has grown. We went to go get shoes and they measured his feet and they went up 3 sizes!! I thought she measured wrong-but he really went from a size 10 to 13 and I have no idea how long his shoes were to small!! This is Max with his before and after shoes...

His poor feet! Look at his church shoes! The difference is AMAZING huge! I died laughing Sunday when he put his shoes on he was truly shocked and excited and said, "Mom I can get my shoes on with out stomping! It just slides right on!" Silly Max!

kids favorites...

So my kids never had a favorite blanket or stuffed animal that they had to carry around. Until max was 2 -my sister gave him this black pillow. He has to have it to sleep, he always carries it around, and he has named it. When it got a pin prick hole in it the tears were so huge in his eyes and the devastation even broke Elbert's heart...so we sewed it up and the poor pillow has been so worn and stretched. I think it is funny he has kept this pillow so long. He wanted me to take a picture of his pillow so this is Max's moment to show his treasured pillow :)

too cute...

Spencer fell asleep watching his Daddy play xbox.

Day with Daddy...

Saturday Max went to work with Daddy and had a great time. The boys spent the day together doing boy stuff and hanging out!

There day started by going to the gun store-Max was in awe over all the guns and swords-he's already asking for one, or at least a bb gun- now I get to quote the christmas story "no you will shoot your eye out!" Elbert bought a new fire arm...so happy! Then they went to Max's base ball game where he was the home run hitter! Then they went out for lunch, and off to work...they went to the office and max had slushies and popcorn while Elbert worked. Max was playing with the head set on and was pulling the mouth piece on his mouth to talk, so cute!

I remember as a little girl my Dad taking my sister and Me to his office while he worked down town Portland. We would play with everyone's office supplies :) Great memories!

Pile up!

I love our weather-I can't say it enough!! Play group at the park was a lot of fun today. It was nice out and the kids ran and played all over- I was going to get a picture of the entire group together but the kids were all too fast :) so this is a small group of the kids.

And he slides!!

Max is so cute when he playes. He is hitting from pitches now and is doing great! My favorite part of his games are when he slides... He slides into every base no matter where the ball is... then he stands up, gives me a thumbs up, and yells "look mom my pants are dirty!" SAFE! He slides into home! After slidding into 1, 2 and third base :) GOOD JOB MAX!

oops...left the water running!

Did the kids let me know what I forgot...NO! The tub was filled to the rim before I realized I never turned the water off!! The boys just laughed when I asked them why they didn't hollar for me or turn it off them selves.

BUSTED!!

I have always said that Spencer enjoys on coloring on anything BUT paper- well this day it was the wall, his body...he even colored the bottom of his foot!! Luckily it was with a dry erase marker- This is another time Spencer was getting in troble, I don't know why I took the picture it just looked so funny to me :) He had his little lip stuck way out. In all fairness to Spencer, he doesn't get in trouble all the time...just most :) he can sure be cute and snuggly.

Our country is our duty-

Ether 2: 9-12

9: And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land,that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.
10: For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
11: And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.
12: Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shallpossess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

God Bless America!

Thanks for your service! My Dad served in the Army and Elbert in the Marine Corps. Everyone should have the patriotism these men have!!

Looking back...

I came across the pictures of our family sealing from July of 2007. This day means so much to our family! We were so excited and happy, I just had to post the pictures to share.Max knew this was a special day for him and he still talks about the temple and the time we spent there that day.With the elections and the prop on the family, it was a great chance to study the family proclamation and to tell others the importance of family and what we believe. It made me reflect on my family and the gratitude, and love I have for them. I am so glad that we know our families can be together forever-I don't think there is any thing else you could ask for...

Each member in our family is so unique and full of personality :)