Homemade Chili Cook off

So it was our wards Chili Cook off and Haylee wanted to help with the Chili. So we put our aprons on and started the process. She was such a good helper. Hopefully she will be a better cook than I am. ( Although I am not to shabby.) I like to cook but really I love to bake junk food and bread. Not good for a girls figure. Maybe that's why I look the way I do:). We got three different awards for our Chili.

1- Best Taditional Chili Award

2- Mildest Chili Award

3- Peoples Choice "Best Chili" 3rd place

Thanks Dad for being such a good cook!!

A Day at the Zoo!!

On President's Day, we wanted to do something fun with the kids so we decided to use our Zoo pass and go to the Zoo. Plus it was free and we are a little poor right now.

We had so much fun though. There were not a lot of people there and we did not see everything, but what we did see was so much fun. We stayed for 2 hours and started at the Elephants. We spent a lot of time in the Giraffe 's, watching them being feed by a Zoo keeper. Next place we spent a lot of time was the Gorillas/Orangutan's. They were being so funny and very entertaining. The kids watched as the Gorilla proceeded to poop in it's hand and eat it. It was very disturbing:) Then the Orangutan' s were Body slamming into the glass and fighting with one another. It was very funny. I think it was the most fun we have had at the Zoo together. The kids were also able to ride the new carousel there. What a fun Day!!

Dodge Ball

David and the other 9 students in the R-DEP program have become really good friends. They played basktetball together earlier this year and are now doing Dodge ball. I guess it is a good stress reliever. The kids and I will go and watch when we can. Tyler wishes he could get in there and play with his dad. And the girls and I are good Cheerleaders!

Emory's 5th Birthday

Today, February 8th would have been Emory's Birthday. She would have been 5 this year. All in all it was a pretty gloomy day. It was rainy and cold outside and my heart still aches to be with her. I'm not to sure the longing will ever go away, but it does get easier as the years go by. We talk about her all the time with the kids and are thankful for the knowledge of "Forever Families". Happy Birthday Emory!!

Haylee wanted to put the flowers on Emory's headstone.

Every year many people come to visit and wonder what life with Emory would be like.

This is me and my sister Tami. We named Emory Jo after her. She was her other mother!!

Snow Angels

Haylee has been wanting to go outside and make some snow angels for quite some time now. With the recent snow storm we had she finally got to go out and lay in the snow and make her snow angels. Before she went to school today we dressed her up in all her snow gear to lay in the snow. I didn't have to fight her about a dress today though. I just told her we couldn't put snow pants over a dress. (Maybe I should make her wear snow pants everyday! ) What I wouldn't give to be a kid again! The simple things in life can make them so happy.

Haylee's 4th Birthday

Haylee is growing up so fast! I can't believe she is four already! She is also our little princess in every way. Haylee loves to wear dresses everyday. It is a fight to get her to wear pants and a shirt. Haylee got a lot of Snap-n-style dolls for her birthday and some barbies. She also got the cutest dress from Grandma Crabtree. When she saw the dress, she said "Mom, it is so beautiful!" She really does look like a princess in it.

New years Eve

So this is the one and only picture we took while we were in Kansas. It is New year's eve and we were getting ready to get in the hot tub. Of course we had to toast in the new year (sparkling cider, all though the picture would suggest otherwise). David wanted to show off his hottness. Ladies wouldn't you agree!!:) Any way we had a great time while we were there. And nothing short of a few laughs.