The Mitchell Days

Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T16:58:00.012-07:00

Thanksgiving this year was spent in St George with the Mitchell Family.

We did a little of this

and this

and a lot of this!

It really was perfect.....well other then we all got sick afterwards.....at least we didn't catch the flu until the end of our trip.. Right?

2011-12-03T16:58:00.001-07:00

Family Pictures

2011-12-03T16:28:00.009-07:00

We went to St. George of Thanksgiving with Anthonys family and had the best time. It was so great to leave the snow for warmer temps. Becca took our family pics while we were there and I was so excited about how they turned out!

A few more

2011-11-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

I just can't get enough of this little face!

Fall

2011-11-05T14:24:00.004-06:00

3 Months Old!!

2011-11-05T14:17:00.003-06:00

Kaitlen

2011-10-05T12:34:00.002-06:00

Sure love this little 4 yr old. She is at such a fun age makes me laugh, and my days much more enjoyable!

Homecoming Week

2011-09-24T16:32:00.003-06:00

This last week was homecoming week for RHS and everyday has "theme" for the students and in this case teachers to dress up. For "H" day Anthony went as a hippie and I think he made a pretty good one. Isabelle wasn't so sure about it.

Harvest

2011-09-19T17:57:00.006-06:00

I love this time of year! I grew up on an apple orchard and this was the time of year we would see the apple trees transform from the seemingly mundane jobs my dad would make us do all summer long to beautiful apples growing on the very trees we took care of all year. We would gather every night of the harvest out in the old shed with our uncles, cousins and grandpa to sort, box and then ship the apples to California. The trees have since been torn out and the Fields now sit empty. But each fall I am reminded of those memories I have from my childhood and the joys of the harvest.

The harvest also meant a lot of work for my mom, which I appreciate much more now, not only did she help us in the packaging of the apples, organizing the pickers, feeding the crew, paying the crew and a thousand other unseen tasks but it was her job to preserve and teach her daughters the importance of preserving the fruit so we could enjoy it during the cold winter months. Many hours were spent in the kitchen with my mom making applesauce, chili sauce, bottling peaches, pears, grapes, making jams and drying fruit.

I spent the day today bottling peaches and I am grateful that I know how to and was taught the importance of preserving. I am also grateful to have married into a family who do the same. My mother in law understands how hard it is to have 5 little ones at home and still try to get all your bottling done so she is helping me out this year and I so appreciate it!!

Thanks mom and dad for giving me a deep appreciation for "The Harvest"

Family

2011-09-14T21:21:00.004-06:00

We were able to spend Labor day at Bear Lake with all of my siblings and their families. We all get along so good and always have the best time together. All of our kids are really close in age so they love when we all get together. Thanks guys for coming up to visit!!

A perfect way to end the summer

2011-09-10T15:42:00.011-06:00

We blessed Kelsie over labor day weekend and had the best weekend with our families. All of my siblings stayed the whole weekend and we loved having them here.

Grandma Stewart, Mom, Me and Kelsie

Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell

Anthonys Grandpa and sister

Yankee

2011-09-08T10:37:00.004-06:00

During the summer we got to stay at grandma and grandpa Mitchell's house for a few weeks. The kids learned to love and ride horses, especially Yankee. Now that summer has come to an end we are really missing our lazy Santaquin days out with the horses.......

11 Days

2011-08-20T12:06:00.008-06:00

Kelsie is just 10 days old for her first photo shoot, my cousin Jill does such an incredible job and I was so excited with the pictures we got. Anthony was a good sport to come along and be apart of the moment. I was hoping for some sleeping shots but little Kelsie was wide awake for the entire session.

Kelsie Mae

2011-08-10T20:53:00.006-06:00

She is finally here!! I was beginning to think I would be pregnant forever! I haven't ever carried a baby that long she came just 2 days before her due date or 2 days after depending which date you were going by. As for me she was about 2 weeks late.....since my last two babies came so early I was quite certain she would too, so I set myself up for 2 long weeks. Which actually turned out to be filled with tons of summer fun with our families. Here is the crew, all 5 of them! They were all so excited to see her.

I was lucky enough to have my sister in law Patty as my nurse and my favorite OB Dr. Anderson there to deliver Kelsie and it was the perfect! We are so happy to have her here healthy and well. And I am so grateful I didn't have to have a c-section again....now if I could just get some sleep????

We love summer!!

2011-06-27T19:43:00.009-06:00

Although our summer is a little slower paced this year since I am month away from my due date we are still enjoying every moment. I feel really good and we are all so excited to see our new little sister.

We started our the summer with a first for us. Kaitlen fell and broke her arm....

:( She has been so good about it and we are all hoping it is a first and last for our family.

No summer is complete without a visit from my sister and her cute little family. This year they were able to come up to our house for a little while and the kids had so much fun riding bikes and four wheelers around the neighborhood. The best part of our summers is spending so much time with our family. The kids love all their cousins and have the best time playing together.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!!

Photos

2011-05-16T21:22:00.008-06:00

I finally got the girls pictures done.... a little behind but I was so excited about the way they turned out. Each of them show their own little personalities.

Savannah almost 7

Kaitlen 4 years Isabelle 2 years

A Spring Break

2011-05-11T18:32:00.000-06:00

Anthony's golf team had their state tournament in Moab this past week so we decided to spend a few extra days down there with the kids. It was so much fun to spend some time hiking, swimming, and just enjoying some warmer weather.

I love watching my kids hike around and enjoy being outdoors as much as I do.

Sun & Sand

2011-04-26T14:24:00.012-06:00

Anthony and I were able to go on a childless getaway to Hawaii! It was so much fun and a much needed break before #5 gets here. My mom and Anthony's Parents were good enough to watch our kids for us and they had a great time while we were away. It was such a relief to not be worried about them while we were gone.

Here are a few pictures of our trip. We went on a hike through the jungle to a huge waterfall, snorkeling with dolphins and sea turtles, Spent a day at the Polynesian culture center, saw pearl harbor, and best of all relaxed on the beaches of Waikiki! I am so grateful we were able to go.

Fuzzy

2011-03-17T09:29:00.001-06:00

This what our little Isabelle's hair looks like every morning and after every nap! It is a little tricky to do this little ones hair it is a cross between Velcro and fuzz.

Spring?

2011-03-15T11:35:00.004-06:00

Maybe by June we will see our first sign of grass since November!!!!.......

This is the view from my front porch this morning.......March 15 ugh!

Flying

2011-02-24T16:25:00.006-07:00

I was able to teach my little Savannah how to ski this year. We took the kids to Snowbird for a few days and I taught her on the same bunny hill my grandma taught me on when I was her age. I was so excited to share this moment with her.

Much to my surprise she loved it!! On our way back from the hill she said, "Mom I love skiing! It is like I am flying but my skies are my wings and the snow is the air, isn't it just the best mom?" She is so right it is like you are flying maybe that is why I love it so much. What a perfect weekend!!

These are some pictures of our first few times down the hill. By the time we left I was following her! :)

Alive

2011-02-08T16:45:00.010-07:00

Well I finally feel like I am back to the land of the living. For those of you who haven't heard we are expecting our 5th and final child sometime towards the end of July. We are very excited to have this last addition to the family, however I have been terribly sick....my worst so far (don't worry we already checked to make sure it isn't twins) I am now past all of the throwing up, (I hope) and once again on top of life........as much as I can be anyway.

Funny how not being able to take care of your family makes you really appreciate the simple things you do as a mother such as laundry, making dinner, or just playing barbies with my girls. I am so glad to be back and have good health!

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to.

Isabelle loves to hide.

Lazy Saturday Mornings. They all love climbing all over there dad, and he is always so patient.

Sledding with the cousins.

Our winters consists of A LOT of basketball here are the kids in there Jr Rebel league.

Best Buds part 2

2010-12-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

A Perfect Day in Woodruff

2010-12-03T18:56:00.007-07:00

It was above freezing today which is rare in Woodruff and we had the greatest time! I finally figured out that it isn't the winter that I hate, it is the negative temps that about kill me!

So while Isabelle was doing this....

Anthony and I and the kids were out enjoying the warmer winter weather. He pulled us on sleds behind the four wheeler then we made his and her snowmen. It really was the perfect day!!

Picture overload

2010-11-12T18:42:00.013-07:00

As the days get shorter and colder I find myself having more "free" time, that is I am not able to enjoy being outside as much and as a result I get VERY restless so I finally decided to download my camera which I was surprised to see had almost 200 pictures on it in just two months! Here are a few my favorite pics over the last two months. I really try to make an effort to capture our daily activities and moments I know I will miss when these little tykes are grown and gone.

Kaitlen as Cinderella, I couln't get this to move down with other halloween pics......

My kids just playing together, and having fun. Best moments of being a mom! :)

Road trip with the kids to see Lisa out in Elko

A visit to temple square to see my grandma who is a missionary there.

Riding horses and 4 wheelers with my dad

Picking apples with the kids.

My brother and his wife as "Red Necks"

Anthony as Sherlock Samuel as Luke Skywalker, Isabelle as Ariel (not shown)

Savannah as Snow White

When Anthony gets home from work the kids smoother him to death! They love their daddy.....Whats not to love? He is the funnest guy I know, and they agree.

Samuel and his great grandpa

Samuel's Baptism Day

Best Buds

2010-10-25T20:18:00.005-06:00

Kaitlen and Isabelle are so fun to have home together, they make me laugh and keep me on my toes. Kaitlen is such a great big sister (not the best at being a little sister, she gives Savannah a lot of grief!) she is so sweet with Isabelle and the two of them have a special bond, which I hope they keep. As you can see Kaitlen puts up with a lot and rarely gets upset with her. As for me I am enjoying having time alone with my two babies while the "big" kids are gone to school all day.

Eight

2010-10-04T13:57:00.001-06:00

Samuel turned 8 last months and was baptized just a few days latter. (I don't' feel old enough to have an eight year old!) We had a such a great day and we are so grateful to all our family and friends who helped make it so. I realized how much better days such as those are when you have everyone you love around you. Thanks!

First Race

2010-09-28T13:47:00.007-06:00

My brother, his wife, and kids have been racing mt. bikes for several years and are actually very good at it. I have always wanted to try it out so Samuel and I had our first races up at Solider Hollow this summer. Samuel did Awesome and loved it! It is so funny to watch the kids out on a little single track coarse. They did so good.

My race was a biathlon. Ride one loop and then take 5 shots at a target. I crashed pretty hard on my practise loop at a technical part of the trail. (I latter found out that I had fractured my ribs.) Anyway I continued the race and finished.......not very fast but I did finish. It was actually really fun and super hard. I definitely need more practise on single track before I try racing it.:) As for now I will stick to the road.

Highlights

2010-09-16T17:28:00.012-06:00

I have been putting off posting on our blog because I wasn't sure where to begin. So I have decided that rather then doing one huge post about our summer of fun I will relive the summer over a period of time and then in the dreary winter months I will be able to recall the glorious days of summer.

After 9 years of being away from one of mine and Anthonys favorite place on earth we finally returned to Lake Powell. We were able to go with my sister and her in laws and had the BEST time! I have the best mother in law in the world and she kept our little 1 year old home with her, which really made the trip so much more enjoyable for everyone. I loved the freedom of playing with the kids and sharing with them the place I love so much.

Kaitlen loved the freedom of this trip, and being able to go on hiking and swimming adventures.

Me and Lisa and our boys enjoying the warm water.

Savannah really surprised us on this trip she was full of adventure and was up for anything. If a group was swimming across the bay she was right there with them swimming with a noddle and her little pink life jacket.....priceless!

Samuel caught his dads fishing bug and loved to fish off of the top of the houseboat. He caught a ton of different fish. Him and his cousins were often found rummaging threw the garbage after dinner for bait (meat scrapes) to catch a big catfish

a few summer firsts

2010-06-10T17:20:00.009-06:00

First trip around lazy river

Finally walking

building a "fort" of which the kids were to scared of the bears to use

first mt. bike ride

first fish

Kirtland

2010-06-10T17:08:00.008-06:00

Anthony's parents took all of their children and spouse to Kirtland this spring. We had such a great time and saw a lot of really neat church sites and also went to Niagara Falls. So many things happened to the early saints in Kirtland and it was awesome to feel the spirit that was there. It was such a great trip and fun to have a few days of just adults. My mom was good enough to tend all of the kids for us.

New Picks of Isabelle

2010-05-06T10:45:00.002-06:00

Check out these new pictures of Isabelle.

www.jtbphoto.blogspot.com

Thanks Jill they are darling!!

Isabelle turns 1!!

2010-04-12T08:41:00.004-06:00

Isabelle turned 1 on the 10th. I can't believe it this year went by so fast. It seems like the more kids we have in our family the faster the years go by. I'm constantly reminded to enjoy every moment cause they pass by to quickly.

Wheres the BEEF?

2010-04-12T08:33:00.004-06:00

Grandma Liza thought it would be great to let little Isabelle have steak for her Birthday. She loved it and chewed that bone down to the nubbins!

April Windchimes

2010-04-09T19:53:00.002-06:00

One Spring Day

2010-04-06T14:36:00.010-06:00

A few weeks ago it was actually spring for a brief moment and Lisa was in town, Kaitlen turned 3 and we got to spend one beautiful day at the park. I miss GREEN!!!

I made Kaitlen a Barbie Princess cake, I was so proud of myself! She loved it!! She was so excited to have a big birthday party with ALL of her cousins it was chaotic but so fun.

My gorgeous sister and her cute little one year old Scotty

I love this little baby she really is the happiest, friendliest and cutest little thing. I just can't get enough of her!! She turns one this week and it makes me so sad to see her growing up.

Samuel is the best big brother to his sisters, he really wanted a baby brother but he has loved having this little "twiner" around.

Snowbird

2010-02-09T20:37:00.005-07:00

We went to Snowbird a few weeks ago and had a great time with the exception of a small case of food posioning.......(not fun) anyway I've been going to the Iron blossom with my grandma and grandpa Stewart ever since I was little and now we are able to continue this tradition with our own little family. I love the idea of my kids playing in the same pool that I did when I was there age. Learning to ski on the same bunny hill that my grandma taught me to ski. Sitting on the edge of the "adult" only hot tub begging me to get in the same way I used to beg grandma. I love that I am able to now share my love for snowbird with my little tots!

Alive and Well

2010-01-15T16:38:00.006-07:00

Most of my friends who have 4 kids pretty much have stopped blogging and I now know why. Life with a family of 6 is absolutely crazy!! I rarely have time for myself let alone trying to maintain a blog I do still occasionally have time to see what you all are up to but the moments are few. We are all doing really good and had a great holiday season. I can't believe it is already the middle of January!! With tax season looming around the corner I'm trying to get things caught up around my house. So a little blog maintenance is long over due.

Isabelle is 9 months old and into everything!! She loves to eat garbage, Polly pocket shoes, Lego's, or pretty much anything one of the kids leave on the floor. We are loving this baby to death I love to just sit and snuggle her, I now realize how quickly they grow up.

Kaitlen is still "in training" this includes potty, sleeping (she is a terrible sleeper and up at least 1 or 2 times a night screaming), good manors, and over all mischievousness. She is such a funny little girl and loves to make us laugh. Her favorite thing to do is play "dudes" (she pretends everything is a mom and dad and plays with them) with anyone.

Samuel is learning to snowboard and is loving it! He is also playing on a little league b-ball team and gets so excited about practising. He is in the first grade and turning out to be a little math wizard he does very well with all the math programs at our school and is the top of the class

Savannah is in preschool and loves going. She is such a good big sister and puts up with a lot from her two younger sisters. She is so good to play with Kaitlen and they have such a fun time together.

Whoa this sounds little bit like a Christmas card.......sorry. I'm not making any promises as to when the next post will be but if nothing else tune in to hear a few good songs! :)

2 new loves

2009-11-01T14:55:00.002-07:00

I have found 2 new loves:

First is this cookbook. I have always liked to cook when I was in jr. high I used to try all sorts of different recipes (rubber cookies were a fav. I made up a fat free cookie), I was even the sterling scholar in Home Ec. and worked my way up to Advanced food in high school; however after almost 10 years of marriage and 4 kids I had lost my enjoyment of cooking. Between the moaning about cheese, green things, and spicy things it sort of lost it lustre. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who is willing to eat pretty much anything I make which makes trying new things a lot easier. Well my friend go me a copy of this cookbook and I love it!! I am trying all sorts of new things and making the BEST breads ever!! Dinner planning has become much more enjoyable and I highly recommend getting yourself a copy.

Secondly I hate to admit it I have become a "Savy Shopper" I used to make fun of these ladies, you know the ones with a hundred coupons and a binder at the grocery store....... yugh! Don't get behind them in the check out line well I'm now that lady. I used to dread going to the grocery store; I absolutely hated spending money on food, weird I know. The larger my family has gotten the larger my grocery bill has gotten especially with 2 in diapers, I needed to find a way to cut my grocery bill. Long story short I'm a "savy shopper" I now love going to the store and the finding sweet deals on food. This week was like Christmas for me at Smiths. Here is a list of a few good deals I got.

Playtex rubber gloves (they paid me .50 a pair)

Uncle Bens Rice (Free)

Bumble Bee Albacore tuna (they paid me .06 per pouch)

Halls cough drops (.15)

Dannon 6 pack yogurt (.49)

Danimals 6 pack drinks (.49)

All Laundry soap (1.99)

Snuggle fabric softener (1.99)

Carnations evaporated milk (.24)

Hormel Chili (.12)

Grasshopper cookies (.49)

Tylenol 24 count (.50)

These are just a few of my sweat deals this week. My total savings at smiths with coupons was 256.00, I spent 109.00 this is kind of high because I was able to buy tons of items for my food storage.

So as a stay at home mother of 4 these have become sort of my hobbies...:)

Savannah

2009-10-31T20:20:00.003-06:00

I love this picture of Savannah with Grandma's horse Yankee.

Halloween!

2009-10-28T21:24:00.006-06:00

We had a fun party with the Mitchell Fam this year. Anthony's brother dressed up as a witch and it was quite frightening the poor kids didn't know what to think. His sister and her husband were 80's punk rockers.....so funny I've got to get a picture of them.

All of us Mitchell "deer hunting widows" got to take a trip of our own this year. We all went to Salt Lake for a few days kid free. We had the best time and went out on the town as witches to Gardiner Village!

Samuel

2009-10-08T13:27:00.002-06:00

Samuel turned 7 a few weeks ago and had a really great day. His 1st grade teacher is awesome and she makes a big deal out of their birthdays. Samuel was "king" for the day I brought treats to his class and they all stood up and sang to him. Each of them made him a card too, nothing cuter then a bunch of 1st graders cards..:)

Bath Time

2009-10-04T16:47:00.002-06:00

These little girls LOVE bath time. I remember Lisa and I spending hours in the tub making potions, swimming, using the tub as a slide and now my little girls love to do the same thing. They say they are mermaids Savannah is the big mermaid and Kaitlen is the baby mermaid. I love listening to them play.....Pretty cute girls.

Neighborhood Animals

2009-09-29T10:55:00.002-06:00

Samuel came home from school on Monday with this "brainstorming" paper he did. Theme "Neighborhood Animals" I love the animals he used, I think most kids would put cat, dog, maybe a rabbit but in our neighborhood you get things like antelope, deer, coyote, jack rabbits and bats. Funny thing is it's true we see all of these things in our neighborhood......except coyotes, we hear them howling at night. :) Anyway it made me laugh.

I can't get the picture to scan!!! Does anyone know how to do this?? It is so cute.

New Pics

2009-09-23T22:22:00.010-06:00

I've wanted to have our family pictures taken at Bear Lake forever and we finally did it. Talk about a circus getting everyone ready and over to the Lake. Trying to get 4 kids to look at the camera at the same time was a trick our poor photographer had her work cut out for her. I loved how the pictures captured every ones personalities. The baby loved the rocks and water and we couldn't get her to look up.......but she's there and cute all the same. Thanks Emily for the great pictures!

We're in Training

2009-08-19T20:51:00.003-06:00

I've always said that potty training is the all time hardest thing, thus far, for me to do as a parent. Kaitlen is 2 years and 5 months and talking quite well. She is dry when she wakes up in the morning, tells me shes wet, and when she is stinky. So now that the summer of fun is drawing to a close I feel like it is time I taught her how to put all that "junk" in the potty. If only it were an easy thing. I try to compare it to teaching them how to walk it is a totally new concept and takes time to master; walking however does not involve the "junk"

Today was our first real solid effort at it and it did not go well at all... I am pleased to report however that I kept my cool and patience with her and tried to stay positive and up beat about the whole learning processes. I am however asking you, all my friends for any advice that might help this process happen smoother and quickly.......anyone???

Kaitlen loves candy and I cut her supply off unless she goes on the potty which happened a total of 1 time today with 5 accidents (all of which were outside and on kitchen floor yeah for the carpet:). Yikes!! I'm not ready for this.

Whew!

2009-08-16T17:35:00.005-06:00

Whoa! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only blogger who is to busy during the summer months to post very often, isn't that how it should be?? I've had a vinyl in my closet forever that says "Live every Moment" we finally got around to putting it up on our kitchen wall and it has kind of been our motto for the summer. One week left of summer and I am utterly exhausted!! Anthony spent the summer working a few days a week in Orem so that meant alot of days away from home for us, fortunetly for us however my mom has an appartment in her basement and was gracious enough to let us crash at her place. Here are a few pictures of the summer highlights.

Kaitlen riding "Captain" up at the cabin

The kids took swimming lessons with their cousins and had a great time.

Savannah turned 5 and had a fun party at the pool with all her cousins.

We visited Mesa Verde, really amazing place.

We spent a week in New Mexico visiting my sister. Here we are "down by the river" Rio Grande.

I love this picture of Savannah and Samuel playing in the water.

We stayed at Bear Lake for a few days with Anthonys family and had a great time, they are such a fun family to hang out with and we always have a lot of fun laughing whenever we are together.

I also was able to spend a lot of time on my bike this summer, which I was grateful for. It gave me time away from the kids to just have time to think.................silence. As a mother of 4 sometimes there is nothing better then just that.

Kaitlen

2009-06-09T15:55:00.005-06:00

I have finally got to Kaitlens 2 year old pictures, we took these at my moms strawberry patch and I love how they turned out. We were able to completely capture her spunky little personality.

Grandma Liza has 10 new little kittens at her house and Kaitlen loves them to pieces!

Summer Fun, Lisa and Blessings

2009-06-09T14:54:00.008-06:00

We started off the summer with my sister in town which means two weeks of FUN! Camping up the Caynon

My mom has the perfect slip and slide hill behind her house so we tried it out, it was a blast! I havn't laughed that hard forever the kids did it until their little chests were bruised and burned.

We blessed Isabelle this last Sunday my mom made her gorgeous dress. I was so glad that lisa was in town for the blessing. Our babies are only 2 weeks apart and it was so fun to have the two of them together.

More of Isabelle

2009-05-18T09:03:00.003-06:00

Here are Isabelles one month pictures that Jill took I am so excited about how they turned out.

2 Weeks

2009-04-27T19:38:00.002-06:00

Update

2009-04-26T17:11:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to give everyone an update on Isabelle and I, we both went to the doctor on Friday. My doctor gave me the ok to pick up kaitlen, funny how excited that made me. Two weeks of not being able to take care of my 2 year old has been really hard for me. I don't like to be dependant on other people to take care of me and my family. So besides the lack of sleep that I get I am feeling really good. Isabelle is also doing good she now weights 7 lbs 1 oz she's still a little peanut but is gaining. The doctor wants her on O2 at night for two more weeks just to be safe which also gives me peace of mind. Anyway I'm starting to feel like each day my life is getting to be a little more back to normal.

Here she is Isabelle Ann

2009-04-19T14:50:00.008-06:00

Here she is the day after her birth

This is the day we got to take her home, Good Day.

Kaitlen loves "baby belle" she always says,"I see belle"

After five long days Isabelle's brother and sisters finally got to hold her they could hardly wait to get her home from the "stinky" hospital. (Samuel hated the smell of that place)

Thank you for everyones love, prayers and well wishes we appreciate it.

We've had a hard time

2009-04-17T19:40:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure where to begin, this has been the hardest and longest week of my life. Last Friday, April 10th I went to my 37 week appointment and found out that my baby was breech I had a few options first try to turn her, wait and see if she turned on her own, or just schedule a c-section. The only problem was that I had already been in labor for four days and was dilated all of this made things a little more tricky. My contractions were coming to fast to just send me home and wait so we decided to try and turn her. If any of you have had this done you feel my pain rather then call it a "version" they should just tell you that it is worst possible pain and feels like your in some sort of torture chamber. Well the turning didn't work and they were hoping that the drug they gave me would slow my contractions down so we could wait to take the baby later. Unfortunately they didn't stop and got even closer so the next thing I knew we were on our way to the operating room.

Isabelle Ann was delivered at 8:30 on Friday night she weighted 6 lbs 8 oz and is 19 inches long. She was still to early and her lungs weren't quite developed so she spent 5 days in the NICU and since I had a c-section I was able to stay with her for 4 of those days. As you can imagine this week has been an emotional roller coaster I went from a 37 week mom going to have a drug free delivery to a baby in NICU. I've shed a lot of tears and said a lot prayers. Funny how an experience like this makes you really appreciate the small things that I'd taken for granted before like breathing, eating, and just being able to be in the same room as your baby. After a week little Isabelle is doing really good she is eating and gaining weight. We are hoping that she will only be on oxygen for one more week. I am so grateful to have her here and can't even begin to express my thanks to our family who have helped us through this trial. I know that the Lord does hear our prayers and gives us strength when we think we have none left. We are going to make the long trip home tomorrow and I will post pictures then.

April 15th!!

2009-04-06T14:21:00.003-06:00

Can April 15th really be just around the corner??? Each tax season begins with mixed emotions on my part. I hate to admit it but I do actually like to work I get a certain sense of accomplishment to see a few paychecks with my name on them, however I typically let it consume me, if there is a tax return waiting to be done on my computer I drop everything to get it done. This year with a six year old, four year old, two year old, and being 8 months pregnant I knew that I could not go about tax season the way I used to. So work waited until 1:00 everyday; kaitlen took a nap and Savannah I went to work I set her up a little desk next to mine and she "worked" ie: art time. Work ended at 3:00 when Kaitlen woke up and I wouldn't work again until 8:00 when the kiddos were in bed. Despite the basketball that I have in my stomach it really has been my best tax season in 10 years! I loved having Savannah sitting next to me working on her projects and I must say she has gotten very good at drawing pictures. While I will much miss my tax season money and sense of accomplishment I am very very very happy that I won't be sitting at my computer for hours each day this babe gets more uncomfortable by the minute...... So until next year no more taxes.... except for any extensions that were filed..... :)

Kaitlens 2!

2009-03-24T08:36:00.004-06:00

Kaitlen loved her "Birdy Party"(Birthday Party) and especially her "ba-yoons" (balloons) She even got excited about unwrapping clothes. She is such fun spunky little girl!

Hibernation

2009-03-18T18:20:00.003-06:00

Up here in the Northern part of the state I have found that we hibernate for the long winter months. We see each other at church each Sunday and occasionally at a basketball game but for the most part we stay in our houses to keep warm, take care of sick kids, and.........well I haven't exactly figured out what else it is we do all winter? This weeks warm weather has finally melted the snow, brought the birds in from the south and chased away the bitter chill of the north. The streets and yards are once again filled with children's laughter, bike races, sidewalk chalk, and most importantly mothers on their front lawns visiting with friends picking up where they left off the previous Fall. It always amazing me how much the Spring weather and day light savings lift my spirits it seems to give me new life. I find myself cooking, cleaning and even changing diapers with a smile. I try to tell myself that I wouldn't enjoy the spring nearly as much if I hadn't gone through the long and dreary winter months, but to my friends who live in warm sunny places do you appreciate your weather all the time?? or does it just become something you are used to?? As for us up in the North we are happy as can be to be coming out of our long winter Hibernation!

Disappearing toes

2009-03-09T08:27:00.003-06:00

7 weeks left to go and the toes are basically gone. Someone asked how the belly is going, well it is growing. I feel pretty good but boy I forgot how miserable sleeping is when you hit your last trimester. When I first got pregnant I thought wow 4 kids this pregnancy can take as long a possible cause 4 sounds a bit overwhelming but now I really am ready to be done being pregnant, I'm up at night anyway with numb ribs, hips, and an occasional Charley horse so why not be up feeding a baby.....

Limbs

2009-03-03T10:19:00.004-07:00

This weather reminds me of one of my least favorite childhood jobs, raking limbs. Every year when the snow melted Lisa, Jesse and I knew that the winter rest from our orchard labors was over and we'd be back in the orchards starting off the season with one of our least favorite jobs, raking limbs. My dad would hire people to prune the trees and we were the crew that would go behind them and rake all the limbs out to the middle of the row so the tractor could scoop them up into a big pile to burn.

After we walked home from school we would grab a snack and head out to the big old orchard behind our house and begin. Lisa and I hated this job and tried everything we could to get out of it; it was cold, muddy and often times wet. We found all kinds of things left in the orchards from the long winter; dead mice, rotten apples from the prior years harvest, and sometimes even an old dead orchard cat. My least favorite part was getting whipped in the face or arms by the limbs. Now that I look back at it I feel bad that Jesse always had to be our Foreman keeping us motivated and working.....maybe that is why he is such a great dad now, he had lots of practise with me and Lisa. Funny that at the time I dreaded this job and now more then 15 years latter I look back on those times and smile and would love to be out in our orchard with my brother and sister raking limbs.

Number 9

2009-02-25T13:58:00.006-07:00

Today is our 9 year wedding anniversary, really 9 years? I don't feel that old that is until I look at the two kids in this wedding picture and think about all the things we've done over the last 9 years.

We've done a lot of really great things the last 9 years and a few not so great. Over the last 9 years we have lived in 4 different cities, 5 different homes, 1 very very hot apartment, visited 3 different countries, threw up on a Brazilian bus, got lost in Mexico, traveled 11 different states, driven thousands of miles together some joyfully and some not so much, bought 2 new cars, sold one piece of junk truck, finally got a new couch, finished a basement with a few not so pleasant words, painted our kitchen 4 different times, landscaped a yard using my sister and I as the weights on the grader pulled behind the 4 wheeler, watched a lot of basketball games, played 100's of games some of which are now no longer aloud to be played due to our competitive nature, eaten a lot of really great meals and some that end up straight in the garbage, tried tons of new recipes only to find out grilled cheese and tomato soup are still a favorite, and most importantly brought 3 soon to be 4 really great kids into the world.

The best part of all is I still miss Anthony while he is at work and call him at least twice a day not really with anything to say but just to hear his voice. I get excited every time he walks through the door after work. Love falling asleep on his chest while he watches the news. Can have a disagreement and be over it shortly after. I am free to rant and rave while he patiently listens to me. He always eats my sometimes not so great food without complaint. At 3:00am when I give him a nudge to go see why Kaitlen is crying he goes. I love that even though we have 3 very small kids we still make time to be together. I love that he goes to work everyday making a difference in the lives of high school kids and I never hear him talk badly or complain about one of them.....not even the trouble makers. I love that he holds my hand while we are at church or just walking around town. I ask myself everyday how in the world did I find someone so great at the age of 16??

Taste of Spring

2009-02-24T19:56:00.005-07:00

We've spent the last week down in southern/central Utah watching Anthony's basketball team play in the state tournament it was so great to get a taste of warm spring weather and watch his team take state for the second year in a row! We had a great time swimming, going to parks, out to dinner, watching games and just spending time with each other.

We went to visit where the Fremont Indians use to live it was pretty cool to see the art on the rocks, the kids loved it, and I just loved being outside!!!

We decided to take a hike to the cave of 100 hands, lets just say it got a little muddy and the farther we went the more we were all sinking in mud. Savannah went to take a step and lost one of her shoes back in the mud, it was so funny all we could do is laugh and head back to the car.

Winter Fun

2009-01-30T14:53:00.006-07:00

I definitely think that summer is much more fun than the long winter months but we have been trying to make the most of the snow. Trying to find outdoor activities you can do with a 7 month pregnant wife a 6 year old, 4 year old and an almost 2 year old has its challenges but we have had a lot of fun the last couple of weekends. We are all just so happy to be outside enjoying the sunshine.

Ice Fishing

Four-Wheeler Sleding (our new favorite)

Blueberries

2009-01-26T20:24:00.003-07:00

I found a sale on Blueberries this weekend at Reams they were 50 cents a pint so I bought a whole case of them for $6! They taste so good and the kids love them.......maybe a little to much, lets just say everyones systems have been cleaned out :) I found the best recipe for Blueberry french toast, it is so good and could easily pass for a dessert.

1 loaf of french bread, 4 eggs, 1/2 c. milk, 1/4 t. baking powder, 1 t. vanilla extract, 41/2 c. fresh or partially thawed blueberries, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 T. (heaping) cornstarch, 1 t. cinnamon, 2 T. melted butter

Slice the bread diagonally into 10 - 14 (I only did 8 slices) 3/4 inch thick. Arrange in a single layer in a 9x13 dish.

Whisk the eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour gradually over the bread, turning to coat completely. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for 8 hours or longer.

Combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Spread evenly in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Place the bread wettest side down over the blueberries. Brush with the melted butter.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown garnish with confectioners' sugar.

( I got this from the "Always in Season" cookbook)

Dancers

2009-01-13T20:37:00.003-07:00

These are my cute little dancers. Lately our afternoon routine includes a lovely little dance and rock concert by Savannah and Kaitlen while we anxiously await Samuel's return from Kindergarten.

Kaitlen loves to wear sunglasses and talking on the phone, she makes me laugh :)

Back

2009-01-13T19:58:00.004-07:00

Two weeks after christmas and I'm finally back in the swing of things. I'm afraid blogging is the last on my list of things to get done so here we are. Like so many of you we really had a great holiday season I love going to stay with family for the long break we always have the best time.

Its a Girl!!

2008-12-16T13:26:00.002-07:00

We were so excited to find out yesterday that we are having a healthy baby girl. I think that Samuel is warming up to the fact the he will be the big brother to three sisters! Savannah can hardly wait to have another "gul" (she can't say her R's) I was just so grateful to see that everything is developing great.

DestructO

2008-12-09T20:52:00.006-07:00

Is it because she is the third child and my parenting has become somewhat less attentive, or is it because she has two older siblings who have more interesting toys to get into, or is it just the way Kaitlen is? Whatever the reason I always have to keep one eye on her. The funny thing is if she knows she is doing something naughty....(like unraveling all of the dental floss) she will shut herself in a room so she won't be discovered. If things are quite for even 5 minutes I know she is up to something. I really hope she grows out of this before the baby comes or our house is in for trouble.

You might be asking yourself, "why doesn't she just hide the markers and crayons?" Oh I do! the markers that did the artwork on her face were up on my craft table, she slide a box over to the table, got them down, undid the zip lock bag and began creating the masterpiece on her face.

The kids found her one evening licking the bathroom door when I went in to see what was going on sure enough the kids had gotten some toothpaste on the door days before and she'd found it and thought it was a great little treat.

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-06T19:19:00.003-07:00

I decided making gingerbread houses would be a fun tradition to start with my family and since you can buy a kit for $8 why not? Nothing to spectacular but we had a good time doing it. Does any one make their own gingerbread anymore?? Does anyone know how to make good soft gingerbread cookies?? I really want to make some this season but want a good recipe.

Road Trip

2008-12-03T19:27:00.006-07:00

We spent our Thanksgiving holidays on a road trip to visit my sister in New Mexico, What a hoot! My family and my brothers family loaded up in his15 passenger van (I wish I took a picture of us all) then my grandma, mom and little brother followed behind in another car. It was so much fun to have the whole fam together. The kids had tons of fun together, thanks Lisa and Jared for letting us all stay with you!!

Old Town

Our little Indians.

Samuel, Darren, Kaitlen, Garrison

Are we home yet???

PLEASE don't go!!

2008-11-20T13:47:00.005-07:00

Anthony had to take a group of students to the "city" for a competition over night so me and kids decided to take a day off and go with him. I don't know what it is about hotels but the kids always think it is the greatest. It was a gorgeous day so the kids and I spent hours at the Park just enjoying every last minute of the warm weather. I know that winter will come, that the snow is necessary, but warm weather PLEASE DON'T GO!!!

Number 4

2008-11-17T12:30:00.002-07:00

Well most of you already know that we are expecting number 4!! But for those of you who havn't heard my sister and I are both due in April and are so excited to have two more cousins that will be so close together. My ultra sound is scheduled for the 15 of December so I'll keep you all posted on what we are having.

Much Needed Break

2008-11-13T12:48:00.009-07:00

This past weekend my sister and I went to New York to stay with one of our best friends from grade school, Cassie, thanks for letting us stay! We had the best time and tried so many new things. Here are a few pictures from our trip. I have to say thanks a million to my husband who wasn't worried in the least about taking care of our 3 kids for 4 days......and his mom cause I'm sure she helped a ton too. :)

We went over to Brooklyn and ate at Grimaldis (greatest pizza!) then walk back across the Bridge.

This is the Manhattan Temple, we did a session Saturday morning, amazing to be inside so peaceful while the city is so crazy just outside.

I'm sure you've all heard of the play Wicked, well to see it on Broadway you have to plan months in advance and tickets are pricey, however they have a "lottery" where you put you name in for a drawing 2 hours before the show and hope that out of 200 people your name gets drawn I am still in shock but they pulled my name out I got two tickets, $25 each, and we sat front row. It was amazing we were so close the actors actually made eye contact with us.

Mani Pedis, this is how out in the dark I am I never even knew it is called a "mani pedi" so fun we also got our eye brows threaded, like waxing but with a piece of thread.....weird but it works great.

Food Food Food!! I thought i might be rolling off the plane after all the good food we ate.
We ate the best New York steak, Italian, cupcakes, ice cream, pizza, I tried Falaflas (vegetarian food), and much more.

Now I'm back to my town of 300, mopping floors, changing diapers, reading stories, making tents, doing laundry.........and I wouldn't trade for anything! Thanks Cassie and Anthony for a great escape!!

Happy Haunting!!

2008-10-30T13:06:00.004-06:00

Love - The Mitchells

Day 5

2008-10-28T20:54:00.003-06:00

I'm sure all of you have a favorite pair of flip flops, these are mine (they are Tevas that mold to your feet) I am dreading the snow that is just around the corner. I hate putting them away and pulling out the snow boots. They are getting a little worn out and I hope I can find some just like them next spring. (do I put chalk on my feet??? yugh dry skin!)

Fav Things Day 4

2008-10-27T13:00:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why but it has recently occured to me that my MP3 player can be used for much more then just running. It makes doing my dishes, mopping the floor, or straightening the house much more enjoyable. It is my way of checking out for 20 minutes, no more of Kaitlens chatter, or Savannahs whinning. I'm not saying I wear it all day, but one or two songs can make all the difference in the world from happy mom to grumpy mom.

Favorites Day #3

2008-10-22T18:48:00.002-06:00

You may be wondering what this little piece of brown plastic is..? This is my life saver on dishes, kitchen floors, and counters. It is a pampered chef rubber scrapper. They make it to clean their stoneware but I have found it to be my favorite kitchen cleaning tool. If you are like me and tend to put of the dishes to once a day food tends to get stuck and turns into cement this is the best to get the crusted oatmeal off of the breakfast bowls! :)

Favorite Things Day 2

2008-10-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

When I was 18 my mom and I went to France for a few weeks. My cousin, who grew up there was good enough show us all the sights. While we were there we ate numerous croissants. Her mom loved to have one with a cup of hot cocoa every night before bed, I guess that is were I picked it up. Ever since I love this little treat. While Wyoming's croissants pale in comparison I still enjoy them with a cup of Stevens hot cocoa.

Picnics and Sisters

2008-10-20T13:01:00.004-06:00

My Favorite Things Day 1:

A while back my cousin did a post of her favorite things, I loved checking in on what she posted and I guess I must be bored because I am going to attempt this project. So Day one is picnics on our front lawn with my girls. Also included is sisters, I hope that these two little cuties turn out to be best friends like my sister and I are!

Crazy 8 Tag

2008-10-19T15:48:00.002-06:00

Well I'm not sure if I've ever been tagged before, but I'd much rather do this then tend to the pile of dishes in my sink....maybe I'll get lucky and Anthony will do them while I'm gone to Relief Society.

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1. One Tree Hill (this is similar to Dawsons Creek, total high school teenager show but I like it)
2. The office (always makes me laugh)
3. Biggest Loser
4. Survivor Man (the kids and I love watching this, they get a real kick out of watching him make a shelter)
5. Wow I'm changing this to 4 8 is way to many

Favorite Restaurants
1. Mimis Cafe
2. Cafe Rio
3. Fat Jacks
4. Los Hermanos

Things I did Yesterday:
1. Played football with samuel and Anthony
2. Went grocery shopping
3. Moved all the toys from kids room to toy room, Best Idea I've ever had!
4. Wrote my talk for enrichment night

8 Things I love about Fall:
1. The smell of an Apple orchard, cold storage, and tractor exhaust. I sure miss the orchards
2. Going up the canyon
3. Cool Crisp days and warm sunshine
4. Pumpkin Cookies

8 Things I look forward to:
1. Summer
2. My Birthday
3. Visits from Lisa
4. Trips back home

8 Things on my wish list:
1. A guilt free (ie: not worry about the kids ) cruise with Anthony, maybe in 20 years
2. Last year I had a huge wish list (couch, tread mill, camera)
3. Patience
4. Energy.......(do these count)

8 people I tag:
1. Lisa
2. Jennifer
3. Becca
4. Teresa

More Pics From Jill

2008-10-16T08:30:00.005-06:00

Sneak Peak

2008-10-09T12:20:00.002-06:00

I had Jill take the kids pictures last week and she has a few posted on her blog so if you get a minute check them out. http://jtbphoto.blogspot.com/ they turned out pretty cute. Picture day with three kids is always stressfull but going to Jill always makes it so much easier. Thanks Jill!!!

Mopping day

2008-10-03T13:26:00.003-06:00

Mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors is one of my least favorite things to do as the mom/housekeeper. I sweet talk Anthony into doing it whenever I can. I've decided that one of the reasons I hate it so much is the kids always want a tent in the living room, so while I am scrubbing the kitchen they are having a camp out, which means you need pillows, toys, blankets, usually food..... sigh one room clean.....another a mess. It is a pain but I think I will miss the days when four kitchen chairs and a sheet can hold their attention for so many hours. Its great to be a kid!!

Two Cameras

2008-09-30T10:53:00.005-06:00

Anthony got me a small camera to fit in my purse so I can always have a camera with me well I love having it but somehow always forget I have it and forget to put the pictures on the computer. I can't beleive I forgot about this trip but it was a hoot. We went on a four wheelin trip up at the cabin we had a 1 year old all the way up to two 82 year olds. It was one of the rockiest roughest rides I've been on and Granna Beth and our friend Tom did awesome. I hope I'm still doing this kind of stuff when I'm in my 80's!!

On top of the world!!

Anthonys mom, grandma, and three kids

New Modbe Line

2008-09-20T11:02:00.003-06:00

Modbe new Fall line is out and super cute. Check it out on my website www.modbeclothing.com/amitchell You can order directly online or contact me to host a part and receive tons of free clothes.

To Cute

2008-09-18T10:09:00.004-06:00

Samuels birthday is coming up and he wanted to make the invitations for his party which I thought was a great Idea, it saved me a ton of time trying to stamp them, I thought they were so cute! These are transformers for his "transformer" party. He was so proud that he made his own cards and couldn't wait to deliver them.

I guess Kaitlen wanted in on the action too......why does she think crayola markers taste good???

Soccer

2008-09-14T15:36:00.006-06:00

What a hoot! We've been playing soccer for a few weeks now and talk about your entertainment!! Savannah and Samuel play on the same team, "Blue Sharks" Samuel usually has the ball racing down to score a goal.......Savannah on the other hand is usually dancing around the field oblivious to the fact that she is in the middle of a game.

Notice the ball right behind her....she is more concerned with dancing for the camera.....at least I think she is dancing, she must get her moves from her dad.! :)

Yes the game is still going on right now. Her and her friend are practising the human chair.

Kindergarten Blues

2008-08-28T13:18:00.002-06:00

Today was Samuel's first day of ALL DAY kindergarten! :( It was pretty tough, I've been dreading this all summer, He was super excited and ready to go but the thought of sending him off into the world made me a little sad. His school starts at 8:00 and gets out at 3:21, four days a week. Since we live a distance from the school he gets on the bus at 7:40 and gets home at 3:45. It is weird to just be home with the two girls and surprisingly so much easier to just have 2 kids at home. I think it will be so good for Savannah to be the big sister and the one in charge.... although she does miss her "samole" I will be anxiously waiting at the bus today for him to get home!

The fleeting days of summer

2008-08-24T20:18:00.011-06:00

Can summer really be over?? I am always filled with mixed emotions at the end of summer; exhaustion, sadness, excitement for the next season, relief to get back to a routine and a little anxiety to think that negative temps are just around the corner. I love summer we always jam pack each day and try to "live every moment" to the max. Here are a few of my favorite summer pass times. I love to ride the air chair and could for hours. This is Jesse at sunset on Utah Lake, which is actually really nice now days, nothing like when we were kids.

What's a summer without a couple of SMORES

I love going fishing with the kids this year we went with the cousins and had a great time. I mostly chase Kaitlen but I love being at the Lake and watching their excitement as they real a "fighter" in.

Nothing like a summer watermelon, Kaitlen sure is enjoying it. I can't seem to get enough of all the fresh produce.........not excited about winter produce...yugh!

I've really enjoyed riding my bike this year and have gone on some sweet trails, snowbird, Payson canyon, and the dirt roads by my house some morning's I ride with a herd of antelope......and no this is not a picture of me, but no one is ever really around to take a pic of me riding. :)

Jeff, Anthony and I hiked Loafer this year, it was awesome and something I've wanted to do for long time, I finally wasn't pregnant or nursing so I got to do it this year.

A summer wouldn't be summer without a few weekends at the Cabin we love spending time with Anthonys grandparents.

The last and one of best parts of summer is Lisa and her boys come and stay for a week or more we have a great time together I love spending time with her and her boys.

More Wedding Pictures....Finally

2008-08-21T12:35:00.005-06:00

Here are some more pictures from the wedding, they finally are working.Anthonys brothers and sister.

All the mitchell cousins

Wedding

2008-08-17T17:35:00.003-06:00

Anthony's little brother, Thomas got married the first part of August, it was such a fun wedding. Savannah has had a crush on Thomas and was so excited to get to dress up in her white "princess" dress. Here are a few pictures from the busy day.
Well after several attempts to put my pictures on looks like this is the only one for now.....I've lost my Patience

New Porch

2008-07-29T11:31:00.005-06:00

This last weekend we went up to the cabin and Anthony, his dad, and cousin built a new porch/deck on the cabin. The weight of the snow this last winter pulled the old one down. The best part of the weekend was to watch the kids and how excited they were to help out. Samuel and Savannah love to work with their dad. The worst part of the weekend was some retarded mother (me) giving her kids some hot chocolate which turned out to be boiling hot .....have you seen the episode of Seinfeld were Crammer spills coffee all over himself? well that happened to Samuel. It was so sad it completely burned the upper portion of his thigh. I feel terrible and we are tending to his wounds day and night.....our hot chocolate days are over! Sorry no picture....I'm not sure how much I want to remember my stupidity!

Soccer

2008-07-16T15:16:00.002-06:00

Samuel has wanted to play soccer the last two years but it isn't available here unless I want to drive him a 1/2 hour away to play. So I got the crazy idea to start a Randolph soccer league. I really have no idea what I'm doing and am looking for suggestions from any of you that might have experience with youth soccer, any pros or cons???

Bear Lake

2008-07-12T11:26:00.003-06:00

We live about 30 minutes away from the prettiest lake I've ever been to. It is such a pretty turquoise blue. I try to make it there once a week and let the kids play in the sand and water. Anthony got to go with us this week and we had so much fun making sand castles, burying the kids, relaxing and just enjoying the day.

Samuel loves to try and row around using his shovel as his paddle.

Savannah's favorite thing to do is make a sea shell collection.

Kaitlen loves to play in the sand and watch the waves come on shore. She even let us bury her half way.......it was a great way to keep her in one place. :)

Storage???

2008-07-11T10:10:00.000-06:00

Is is possible to store up all the fun times you have in the summer to carry you through the very long winter?? Well I must believe it is possible because I completely wear myself out during the summer trying to get all the fun activities in that I can. Sometimes I feel like a Bear taking in all that I can until the snow returns. Which is why I don't have a lot of time to blog. We went to Bear Lake a few days ago and I'm really going to try to get those pictures on today. Maybe I need to find some winter activities I can do in 4 feet of snow, negative 20 degrees and three kids???? Until then my body is completely exhausted but only 6 more weeks of the SUMMER of FUN

Savannah turned 4!

2008-07-11T09:51:00.005-06:00

Wow I am behind! Savannah turned 4 on the 2nd of July. We had a Tinkerbell party with some of her friends. She has been looking forward to this for about......10 months :) She wouldn't even open her present from us until she was in her Tinkerbell outfit. She finally got a big girl bike and loves it! Whats not to love it is a purple princess bike with sparkly streamers, a backpack to put toys in and a water bottle, I want a bike like that! :) She still needs a little practise though. All her friends came dressed as princesses and fairies, they looked so cute, we had a great time!

The Cabin

2008-07-01T11:16:00.004-06:00

Anthonys family has two cabins up near Kamas and every summer we try to spend as much time as we can up there spending time with family and enjoying that beautiful place. We had a such a wet cold early summer that last weekend was the first time we've been able to go. We had a great time! Each year gets more fun with the kids as they are able to explore more, play in the little streams and have a little more freedom.

Savannah and Samuel on our Hike to Yellow Lake.

Kaitlen loved being in the Back pack and also walking around a bit.

Savannah, Samuel and cousin Loren painting rocks.

I had so much fun with my camera, I think I took about 100 pictures just trying new things out.

Summer

2008-06-23T08:08:00.006-06:00

I love summer! I love hanging out with family enjoying the sunshine. We've been gone the last 10 days to Payson and New Mexico. But here are a few things we've been up to.....

Samuel has been playing T-ball/coach pitch, his first year, and loves it! In a moment of weakness I said I'd be his coach... which has acutally been alot of fun. It is so funny to watch all the first time baseball players, what a HOOT!! Samuel is so proud that he can hit the ball clear out to second base even when I Pitch it to him.

Anytime we go to Payson we get together with all the cousin and have a water day in someones backyard, here are all the Mitchell Cousins at Beccas. They have so much fun together and us moms have a great time visiting.

My dad, me and the kids drove to Albuquerque to see Lisa last week. The ride wasn't to bad the kids did really good. We had the best time with lisa and the kids. We miss seeing Garrison and Darren more often. We went to the zoo, swimming, shopping, and rode on the worlds longest tram to the top of a mountain. It has been a very busy last ten days but we've loved every minute of it. Now I need to stay home a few days and get all our laundry done:)

Ditch

2008-06-07T12:32:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure why but I love this shot I took of this old irrigation ditch and thought I'd share.

Warm Shadows

2008-06-04T20:29:00.005-06:00

Last month I decided to paint my kitchen. I painted my previously white cabinets black, which took forever, but I love them, they look so much better. I have the hardest time picking out paint how are you supposed to in vision what a 1 inch square of paint is going to look like on every wall in your kitchen?? Well Anthony's brother just painted his house in "warm shadow" and we both loved the color so after we left his house we went strait to the paint store to get "warm shadows".....oooops did I say warm shadows??? well huge mistake a 2 hour drive latter we had our paint home and we're ready to go. Well my first swipe on the walls was followed by a panicked call to my sister in law Elise, "Did your paint kind of look purplish when you first put it on?" :) Of course she said no but our walls were green before so I figured it was just the green showing through, anyway after 4 hours of painting, and two coats latter Anthony and I successfully painted our kitchen Mauve, that's right mauve, white trim and black cabinets. It was quite the sight. You might be asking yourself "why did you keep painting once you saw it was the wrong color?" I've asked myself the same question a hundred times. The funny thing is that the entire time we were painting we keep saying, "this doesn't look pink does it?? No, it looks more grayish brown right?? " Well kids always can be depended upon to tell the truth and sure enough when Samuel saw it in the morning he said, "Why did you paint the kitchen pink??" Anthony and I just looked at each other and laughed guess it isn't grayish brown. Anyway long story but a month latter we made it back to Provo and looked at Scott and Elises "Warm Shadows" again and find out it is in fact "Warm Shadow" no "S" the paint store was really good about exchanging the paint. Who would've thought a "S" could make the difference between a mossy brown and mauve! What a hoot, needless to say our kitchen looks MUCH better!

Old Friends and Graduations

2008-06-01T17:05:00.004-06:00

I'm going backwards but Samuel graduated from Preschool and is so excited about Kindergarten, Mom not so much he will get on the bus at 7:40 am and get home at 3:45 pm....:( I'm going to miss the little guy!

We have been able to hang out with friends from High school which has been so much fun and so cute to watch all of our kids hit it off so quickly, they love to play with each other and have a great time. Mel and Brad came up for a weekend, it was great to have visitors!