Winter Festivities and Family Fun

We actually made it to Utah for Christmas! It was no easy task but we did it and it was so worth it. We hadn't been back in two years, so it was nice to see family and friends around Christmas time. I took so many pictures, it was really hard deciding which ones to put on here because let's face it, pictures say a thousand words. Let's just say we did a lot of laughing and a lot of partying. We really needed a vacation from our vacation when we got home. Which brings me to this picture...

Need I say more... We went to the cabin for New Years and we were having so much fun, she fell asleep on the 4-wheeler in the freezing cold! Yep, she's cross eyed! Talk about KOed. It was a lot of fun. A lot of the Stowers were up at there cabin, so it was a little mini family reunion.

Sitting in my favorite spot... Right next to the fire with child in hand. They help keep me warm.

This is our kids getting to know there Dad all over again. Gotta love Christmas break. Wish we had more time to do things like this... Just hanging out together. It was fun to see family, but this was my favorite part.

THE COMMANDER... Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. We needed something bigger and were fortunate enough to stumble upon this. Let me just say, HEAVEN! And Corey and I got each other the roof carrier for our Christmas present. Talk about a dream come true. None of our kids touch each other! It's a beautiful thing.

What kid of Hogge would they be if they didn't have some sort of project to do. And a Jeep one, no less. We start 'em young.

WE LOVE GRAMMY! She's amazing. She's a machine. I haven't found anything that woman cannot do!

Christmas morning. Doing the present dance. And I'm here to tell you, she doesn't get cuter than this! Christmas morning was awesome. Santa came to Nanny and Grandpa John's house, and happened to leave a few presents for the kids at Grammy and Grandpa Larry's house too! He spread out the day of surprises.

I don't think Ethan can pull a normal face anymore. This is infact his personality. I LOVE IT! This is sledding down Nanny's drive way. The wind was trying to blow us off the mountain, so we used it to our advantage and let it blow us down the drive way. It was so much fun! My Mom spear headed to operations, and talk about one adventure after another. I think she slept for the next 3 days after everyone left. We did Sledding, Temple Square, acted out the nativity, had a family Christmas Program, an AWESOME dinner, and gift exchange. It was a busy week. Not to mention the endless movie parties. It was a blast.

Aisia and Autumn sledding down the drive way. Autumn was the hitch hiker. She was catching a ride with anybody goin' down. She LOVED it!

Okay. I had to put this picture on here, because it is by far one of my favorites! I see it and it just makes me laugh. What a dork! He makes me laugh everyday.

Christmas morning. I must say, we've had better looking moments, but I'll have you know, I MADE THAT BACK PACK! I made one for Ethan, Autumn, Carter, Jayda, and Tyson. Never to be made again. Maybe someday I'll fall in love with sewing, but it just hasn't hit me yet.

Notice the nose. She, Ethan, Tyson, and Addie were playing Rudolph and Santa. Addie was Santa, and Ethan, Autumn, and Tyson were the reindeer. They colored their noses with chalk. It was really cute, and they played for HOURS!!

The wisemen. Quite pretty, I must say.

Just a picture to prove that he does have hair! He's getting quite the personality on him, and the hair is quite fitting. Spiked, like Ethan.

SO MUCH FUN is what it was. We were also able to get together with some friends that we haven't seen for years, and talk about a laugh a minute! Why we didn't take pictures is beyond me! I even got a new camera for Christmas! (Thanks for moving up in the world, Nat) Next time.

Thanks for the memories and all the fun!

Halloween 2009

Halloween brought so many different adventures this year! Too many to be honest. We're going to try and keep it a lot simpler next year, for sure. But it was fun.This was at the Children's Museum. They made the cutest Haunted House for little kids that I have EVER seen. I thought this picture was rather fitting. Autumn can be quite the witch sometimes, but look at how cute she is.
And so it begins... Each day he is getting braver and braver. I give it no more than a week. Again, don't mind the date on the picture. Our camera is SO out dated, but it still manages to capture the moment and only costs in batteries, so I guess we'll keep it around. (At the top of my wish list) but moving on...

This is at the Ward Trunk or Treat. It was like, 40 degrees outside, so they moved it indoors. Thank heavens. Ethan was Iron man, Autumn was a "Pink Tink," and Carter was a dragon. It was so cute to watch him crawl around in that costume. And for some reason, I managed to not get a picture of all three of them in there costumes. Hum.

This was my pleasant Autumn at the Cherubs Choir Halloween Party. She likes to stand out in the crowd. Literally.

Children's Museum Haunted House.

So October was BUSY to say the least. Carter turned ONE! We had a little party and some cake. I had my first official Parent Teacher Conference. It went well. For the Halloween Festivities, we went overboard! Our neighborhood does the ghost thing, so we made treats and left them at there door. We went to the Children's Museum Haunted House, The Cherubs Choir Halloween Party, Ethan's Halloween Parade and Party at School, the ward Trunk or Treat, and then went Trick or Treating. It was a bit much and I am sick to death of CANDY!

We've had a lot of projects to keep us busy and few girls nights/ guys nights to break up the monotony. Looking forward to the next Holiday, because all we really HAVE to do is EAT! One of my favorite things to do.

Summer Fun in the Hot Hot Sun 2009

Four Generations! Going to and coming back from Lake Powell is a lot easier when you know you're going to Grandma Joy's house.

This picture has a story behind it. When we were out in Utah we went and visited my Grandma Runia while she was in the hospital. While we were waiting for the valet to bring our car around, an older Downs Syndrome gentleman walked by, and Ethan could not stop starring. I tried what I could to get his focus elsewhere, but it wasn't working. After this man walked passed, Ethan stuck his tongue out, and we weren't the only ones in the room who watched him do it. He just had this look of confusion on his face with his tongue sticking out. Kids just don't know. It was HILARIOUS!

All of us together again. Next to never happens with us all spread out. Can't wait to do it again!

For old times sake. Forever Powell!

Check out that diaper action! It couldn't be attached to a cuter kid! Although, she wasn't really all that cute there. She was Satan wrapped up in a cute little Autumn shell.

Can't wait to do this again! Little Sahara, here we come! Thanks Kye and Nat for the memories, and the wheelers.

Ethan couldn't stay off! He drove this four wheeler all day long, all by himself! I can't believe that's my baby!

Lovin' it!

Autumn and Jayda at the Children's Museum in Salt Lake.

Ethan couldn't get enough of the helicopter on the roof to play in. He kept butting in line.

Oh the times they have in Nanny's bath tub. She LOVES to play with them, and they LOVE to go to Nanny's house. I've never seen such proony kids.

Thanksgiving Point at the Children's Gardens. Those of you with Children know how difficult this can be to get every kid in the picture, and then to have them smile... Yeah, right. But we had a blast! Can't wait to do that again.

Playing the tree drums.

Ethan and Skylynn Harmon at the Trail Center. He's quite the lady's man... Already! At least he has good taste. She is SO CUTE!

Our garden 2009. It started out beautifully, and then got a disease, and it pretty much killed everything except for the bell peppers and jalapenos. Fun while it lasted.

The party was at our house all summer long. My neighbors Mom let us barrow her blow up slide and we put it right out in front of our door. It was quite the event and tons of fun. Yes, I went on it, are you kidding me! I was not letting that pass me by.

Autumn turned 2! She got to pick out her cake at Sam's Club, and she chose the princess cupcakes. She got a baby doll and stroller, and all the accessories. Car seat, swing, etc. She thought she had died and gone to heaven. She loved it!

He LOVES his car! He's very protective of it. Such a happy kid. Always has a smile on his face.

So that does it for our summer fun. I miss the warm already, but am really looking forward to some Utah snow. It's so different than Nebraska snow. Trust me, there's a difference.

Yeah, I know...

It's been a while. We will just start with the now, and work backwards. I'll do a summer vacation post later. I made a promise that I would do this before the week was out, so here it goes. I must fulfill it. This will be random and pretty much in picture form. Why? Because pictures say a thousand words. It saves me a lot in explanations and journaling.

First things first, don't mind the dates on the pictures. Our camera has been bothered by three sets of little hands and fingers. Not to mention it's old. But it works, so here we go. And so it begins. She "wants to go pooh on the potty like Dora does." Then when she flushes it she says "Bye bye pooh!" Then she grabs the stool and washes her hand. She's got the routine down, she's just been misfiring on a few signals. I'm just excited that she WANTS to do it!

This was another Fall Break Project. It made a huge difference! We love it! Didn't think doors would make such a huge difference, but clearly, they do! I'll post another picture later of all the doors. They're all in now, I jus need to touch up a couple of spots that I missed, and of course, think of taking the picture. But I promise, it looks awesome!

It was sitting by the garbage, so we sanded it, stained it, and sprayed it! Can't beat the price. We already had all the stuff, so it went pretty quick. Can't beat the price!

Our Fall Break Projects. So awesome. This is what we like to call our "Callie" moment, when you find something you can use and it was FREE!

Family Photo Opp. Wenninghoff's 2009. They had port-a-potty outhouses for the bathrooms, and Ethan was so excited! He wanted to go in the gray one. He brought me along to show me what it looked like. He thought it was so cool. One of Corey's classmates was taking his boys to the bathroom and was asking where they were. Ethan was so excited he wanted to show him. He lead them over there and said, "See, isn't it beautiful!" He's so awesome. He can find the beauty in a port-a- potty.

Have we mentioned how much we love our commander? We can go anywhere now and not hear a word from the back seat! We just plug 'em in. Notice my dead flowers in the back? It snowed fall break and killed 'em. They looked SO GOOD! I'm not ready for cold yet, but at the same time, it means the holidays are coming, and that I am looking forward to.

Yep, we've had a lot of these kinds of days. Need I say more?

Wenninghoff's Hay Ride 2009. It was supposed to be in the 60's that day, but not even close. It was 46 degrees. We didn't let it stop us though. We had a bon fire and roasted hot dogs and had smores and had a lot of fun! It was a CWDA activity, so we weren't alone. We were out there with a bunch of other crazy Dental students and there families.

He is so easy going. He always has a smile on his face no matter what silly thing you're doing with him. He has started throwing fits. They are hilarious! He sits on his butt and kicks his legs, and spins in a circle, all while screaming and crying at the same time. It's a must see.

I love these pictures. She has done this more than a few times. She can't decide what she needs more, food or sleep. She will never say die, so this is what it comes down to. Sleeping at the table. She has grown up so much. No more kicking the door. She loves watching Mulan. I was doing haircuts on the boys the other night, and she snuck out of the room with the scissors and tried to pull a Mulan on her own hair. She almost cut off the whale spout on top of her head. She also LOVES bowes. She is ALL girl, and quite the artist. She is just, awesome. So cute, and so much fun. There is never a dull moment with any of my kids. It is so fun to watch them and try and figure out what in the world they were thinking. How lucky am I!

Ethan's first day of KINDERGARTEN!! I almost cried, but held back. Why, you ask? Good question. Actually, I was wishing they took 2 year olds instead. It seems like once you get your kid to the stage where they kind of listen to you and help you out, they take 'em away. He is loving school though and is doing so good! He's so smart. He's still a little bit stubborn, but it's not his fault. He gets it from his Father. He is also so much fun and still says some of the funniest things. He likes to say, "When I turn into 8, we are going to move today." And then every few days he asks if he is going to turn into 8 so we can see Nanny today. He loves playing Autobots and still has more energy than any other kid I've ever seen and then some.

It is what it is people. Every day is another adventure, and a welcomed one. I love being a Mom. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have a rollercoaster ride of emotions for my children. I do have a favorite though... It's the one that's behaving.

Our two week break in photo form...

Happy Memorial Day! We decided that it would be fun to have a BBQ with some friends for Memorial Day, and guess what... It was! Ethan wasn't feeling very well so I took him to the doctor today, and he has strep again, for the 4th time in less than a year. Poor kid.

I BEGGED my parents to come out and visit, so they did! We had so much fun. Grandpa John had a blast entertaining Carter while the rest of us played at The Amazing Pizza Machine. It's a must do for kids. It wears them out. Parents too. We all had a little snooze in the car on the way home. Except for Grandpa, of course. He was our designated driver.

Ethan and Corey took first place at the indoor race track at the Amazing Pizza Machine. It was so much fun!

We also went to Mahoney State Park while my parents were here, and we had a BLAST! They have this huge indoor hamster cage and the kids just went nuts! It's big enough for adults, so Corey and I got to chase kids through the maze. I felt like a kid again. My knees didn't, but my heart did. It was a lot of fun.

It also has a couple of slides, and Autumn was queen of hunting them down. She loved the slides. They were a little scary in my opinion, but a lot of fun.

We also went to the Pedestrian Bridge. It's the first Pedestrian Bridge in the United States to connect two states. It crosses the Missouri River, and connects Nebraska and Iowa. It sways in the wind though. It's a really neat place to visit, and isn't that far from our house. Corey and some of his school buddies rode there bikes from Village Green down to the Pedestrian Bridge and then all over tarnation after that. It's also not too far from the Old Market. It was a lot of fun.

After Church on Sunday, we grabbed the kids kites and went down to Ethan's school to play on the play ground and fly kites. They had a blast.

I just had to put this picture in here because, let's face it, HE'S CUTE! And I love the outfit.

I don't know what kind of Super Hero he is trying to be here, but whoever he is, I thought it was very unique. Notice the princess shoes on the hand AND feet. Underwear over the pants, sunglasses, and a chain saw to boot. AWESOME!

She was deceived. They were playing chef outside and there was a kitchen bowl outside that had "mud cookies" in it, and she couldn't resist. Poor kid.

While my parents were here, for Mother's Day, my Mom and I got to go and see WICKED!!! I forgot the camera to take some pictures of us to prove it, but you believe me, right? IT WAS AWESOME, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT AGAIN! It was so nice to have an evening with just me and my Mom. It was certainly comedic, and we barely made it, but that is a hole other story in and of itself.

And then amongst it all, we celebrated our 9 year anniversary. We did get to sneak out on a little date while my parents were here, and we went and walked by the Missouri River and went to Panera Bread for lunch. It was fun. I can't believe it's been 9 years already! Time flies when you're having fun. I LOVE YOU, SWEET!

Now we're back to our good ole chaotic life. We wouldn't recognize it if it wasn't.