The Dog's a boy, too!: June 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013

My {amazing} Family

I have a family that I love!

I have been blessed to have grown up in a family with some amazing people. Some people know... some don't. I am from a blended family. I grew up with my dad and my sister. My dad met a woman with 5 kids and soon they were married. I was 8 at the time. From that time when my parents married we were a family. I have been so blessed to have so many siblings. I have never know them as step-this or step-that. They are my brothers and sisters.

What started as 9 of us has grown to many!! We have spouses and kids of our own now.

Along with all these amazing people that I grew up with I have an amazing cousin. This girl is something else!! She spends her winters in Antarctica, and now her summers in Alaska. She's pretty much a sister too.

I look around and feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people! And the fact that I get to call these people my family is even better!!

My siblings {minus one} and my cousin {b: Eliza, Hyrum, Rodney f: Erika, Me, Jessica, Carolyn {Sariah couldn't make it for this picture} }

Yeah.... this is how we roll. And I haven't ever seen my brothers with facial hair... so I helped the out.

And I have to shout out my awesome Aunt too!!! Aunt Connie {Jessica's mom} is the family photographer... so most of the time she is behind the camera but she is such a part of our family too and we all look forward to seeing her.

We added spouses and kids

And everyone could barely hold it together.... Let the crazy begin!

My parents I mentioned are amazing too!! I was 8 years old when they got married, and they worked hard to keep our family together and strong. They worked hard to see that we were a family and not a "step" family. We went on vacations together, we played together, served together and worked together. Now with all us kids grown and raising our families they have more time for things that they would like to do. What did they choose as a hobby for empty nesters?? What else.... Riding Harleys! They each have them and when us kids can't get a hold of them they are usually out on the bikes.

{Mom and Dad.... with some extras}

Ok.... here's a quick run down of my family.... do you think you can keep up??? I'll go in order of age....

First: Grandma Mary and Grandpa Dave.... Between their 5 kids... they have over 20 grand kids, and lots of great-grand kids.... {to many to count}
Then there is Mom and Dad.... Diane and Tom
Me and Steve and our 5 crazies
Carolyn and Brant and their 3 - Cierra, Breein, Brock
Sariah and Jake and 2 - Merric and Camden
Erika and Nick and 3.5 - Rozzlyn, Boon, Haliegh and baby boy
Hyrum and Christa and 4 - Bianca, Annabell, Aaron, and Max
Eliza the number one aunt in the family
Rodney and Laralynn and 3 more - Kaylee, Briell, and Myles

The crazy is never far away, and we always have a great time together! I am so lucky to have such great in-laws too!!

It was hard being away for so long watching the families grow up from far away. It took all of 2 weeks after we moved from North Carolina to Utah before the whole family go together for pictures and play!

We got some family pictures too. That is always an adventure. Sometimes good.... and sometimes just plain crazy. They didn't turn out to bad..... {I think Benji might disagree with that}

A long with the family I was born into/given I have an amazing family that I helped to create. I have a wonderful husband and with his ambitious nature we have been on many adventures and have had many experiences. I am surrounded by all my boys and I love them all. I have learned so much from them. Even with how small they are they teach me so much.

What do you think??

It was work to keep Benji around after the first few pictures he was done and ready to play with the cousins {and if you look real close.... not one boy is looking at the camera}

I love my boys!! {and 3 of 5 looking at the camera is a good thing}

Family is a good thing. I am so happy to be surrounded by so many wonderful, amazing people. They have taught me so much. I love that all these people are a part of my life.

Family is so important and to be a part of one that is like mine is awesome.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Family and Dirt

We had a chance to play with family. There were 4-wheelers... RV's... food... dirt... and lots of kids. We had a good time, and the boys had a blast! {lots of pictures.... be forewarned}

We were able to get everyone out of the car... barely when Benji put a helmet on and sat on a 4-wheeler waiting for someone to take him for a ride.

James found a hole.... and it became a base for all the games that were played that day.

It was hard to nap with so much going on.... {Terri and Emma}

Taking Tommy out for a ride. I had a 4-wheeler that wasn't a clutch but it was geared.... oh... it was well... harder than what I thought. I couldn't ever remember what gear I was in. We didn't make it up one of the hills, and gently rolled back down. I am all for automatics!!

Here is Benji when he is still mostly clean.... oh, that didn't last long.

Want to take a guess at who this is????

Read this POST if you need help.... crazy huh!

My how time flies!

Grandpa came through in an awesome way.... he brought up his snow cone machine and all the kids were happy.

A crazy wind burst came up and grabbed the awning on the RV.

What's a family gathering without Captain?? Years ago he would come and run along with us while we were riding the 4-wheeler. He tried this time... and then he slept for 2 days!

Cousins are so fun!

Remember when Benji was clean?? It really didn't last long. but he was happy to have all sorts of messy things to eat. He started getting tired, but there was no way he was going to nap.. he might miss something.

Instead.... he put people in timeout.

Swim has at least another year before he's big enough to ride... instead he was snuggled by everybody.

Look at Benji's shirt at the collar... it's still dirty, but he got a little water on that spot.... there was dirt in places I didn't know he had!

This is a good picture of Tommy. He and Max had a really good time together.

and James with that orange hat will never get lost. {I love it when I can get him to actually look at the camera}

I had James take some pictures of the other kids and I. Benji's hair is light... but not this light! When we showered him, it was more mud than anything else.

James and I

Tim and I.

Steve and I {and Swim} after a long fun day of riding.

And what better way to end the day than to get pulled over. Our back lights were out so we only got a warning {thankfully}. Fortunately the boys were so tired that the lights didn't wake up the boys.

It was a fun day!!! I hope that we are able, at some time, to get some 4-wheelers and go out more than just once or twice.

{help me move on up!!}

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Teach them young

We are a gun family. We are careful that we teach the boys while they are young to respect guns and the power that comes from them.

We were out with my sister and her family and brought out all the guns and had a blast shooting out in the desert. {that's what I love about living outside of the city.... you can find places to go and shoot and not have to go to a range}

James is getting ready to shoot at his target.

It was a little more of a kick than he was expecting and got a "scope kiss". He was pretty proud of it.

Tommy had a turn too. Being a lefty is was a bit backwards for him. But he did well.

This is what I love!!! The sunset that is obstructive by buildings and freeways and trees! Oh, how I have missed the sunsets.

It other news.... leave it to my boys to find the bugs that are around. This poor bug was actually pretty safe in Tommy's hand. As soon as he put it down, Benji stepped on it.