Disney Halloween Cruise

This year for our little family trip we went on a....

SO FUN!!!

We were welcomed by non other than GOOFY himself!

Jaden quite LITERALLY ran into Mickey Mouse!  He was SO excited that we was blinded by the big enormous Mouse!

And we're ON the ship!!  "WELCOME RICH family"!!

The boys wasted NO time getting on their swim suits and hitting the water slides.

They were LOVING every second of it!

Even this guy couldn't wait to get his turn on the slide!

Jaden and Coby having a little water/tickle time!

I took this picture for Joanne because it's a line of music from the movie Pete's Dragon that's she's often sung to the boys as she rocked them as babies.   GREAT movie!

Upon entering our room we were greeted with a little surprise for coming back!  Thank you very much DISNEY CRUISE Lines!

After we checked out our room, we went on to explore the ship!  First stop: Kid's Club where Corb ran into Iron Man!

Here's Jaden doing HIS impression of the Iron Man pose.

Then Jadesy babe found the slide.  It was pretty neat!

Jaden found a Hula Hoop and worked his "hip" magic!

Here we are about to leave for sea.

The boys got in a little basketball before we hit the open sea.  Check out Corb's mad shooting skills!

He gets it from his dad!

Look at that Sunset!  BEAUTIFUL!  

Being at sea is very tiring....

as you can clearly see!

Our first show:  The Golden Mickey's.

Jaden was excited!

And Cobe and I were starting to really enjoy ourselves!  It didn't take us too long to get into the swing of VACATION Tif and Cobe!

Love that Sunset!  It was so pretty but as usual, really really WINDY!

And then it was on to dinner and desserts...as many as you want!  This could be a problem!!  Good thing I wore my tightest clothes the first day of the cruise...because after tonight, there is NO way I'm fitting into them for a while!

The next day we made our way to Cozumel,  where we did a little excursion with the Sting Rays.  It was pretty awesome!  Corb and Cobe did a little snorkeling...(Jaden quickly learned that he did NOT like it...so we hung out together on the beach playing with crabs).  Jaden and Corb won 3 place for their racing crabs and won a bag of chips!  We were starving, so cheetos seemed like a GREAT prize!

It was a FANTASTIC day!  I certainly LOVE this family of mine!  But oh how I was missing my little Colie!

Tonight was Pirates night! I couldn't believe just how some people REALLY got into it!  I am talking crazy elaborate costumes!!  There was a party on deck and lots and lots of fireworks!  I love that Disney does fireworks.  (they are the only cruise line to do it...feeling pretty spoiled already!)

There was lots and lots of fun music and dancing...and I totally danced like no one was watching!  Hey...vacation Tif is FUN.....ask Coby!  I think that's why he likes to go on so many trips so "she'll" come out!  "mom" Tif...isn't so fun!

We had SO much fun...and some children had so much fun they didn't make it to the end before finding a comfy or maybe not so comfy place to crash!  :)  I sure love that sleeping little pirate!

The next day was Halloween!  And if Disney knows one thing...it's how to celebrate over a Holiday...especially a fun one like HALLOWEEN!  Here's Jaden and I dancing!  He's still too young to know when he should be embarrassed by his mom!  ****DON'T grow up little boy...PLEASE****

Even Minnie Mouse was making the rounds and came to join us!

Later that night we all dressed up like a family of Super Heros.  One of our Supers was not being so SUPER and refused to even smile!  

I tried my best to get him to dance with me again...but he would have NOTHING to do with it! (maybe someone gave him the heads up about my dancing skills....)

The next day we landed on Castaway Cay.  Our favorite island!  The boys wasted NO time playing in the sand, water and finding all kinds of things!

Jaden built a sweet sand castle!

And then about 3 seconds later...he destroyed it!

Here's Jaden showing me his "shell" mustache. 

Then we buried Coby in the sand.

We tried to make him a girl....notice his amazing rack?!!  

After that...Coby decided he was done being our victim...and took the boys and rinsed off in the water. The boys always love when he throws them around....but poor little Jaden's pants just didn't hold up too well....oooops!  Looks like everyone on the island got a full moon!!!

Here's Corbin doing a flip...he ROCKED it...and also kept his pants on...so it was a good day!

Then we checked the kids into the kids club at the beach and had a little R & R ourselves.

We LOVE Castaway Cay!

We had a blast riding bikes together in the midst of a little rain!  It was seriously SO fun!  I wish we could have stayed there even longer!

This was our last night on the ship and even though we tried countless times to take a picture with that lovely little girl in the background....well, there she is!  

After the show, the boys wanted to hit the slides.  They must have gone on them 30 times each in a short period of time.  There was NO line at all!  They were in heaven I'm sure!

After we left the ship, we rented a car and headed down Miami where we went on a swamp tour.  Pretty awesome!  Wish we could have seen a few more alligators though!

The boat ride was fun...LOUD...but super fun!

I was LOVING the swamp....brings me back to my roots!

Hello mister Aligator!!

And Mister Scorpian!

As I was looking at that scorpion, the man holding  it tried to scare me by putting it close to my face.  Did he succeed?  Well, as you can see...HE TOTALLY DID!!

Then he wrestled this friendly, sharp toothed guy!

And just like that....it was over!  

Such a fun trip!  Thanks Mom for watching our little lamb baby!  I certainly missed him SO much!  I couldn't wait to get home and scoop that little chunk-a-munk up in my arms and smother him with as many kisses as he'd let me...and even a few more that he probably didn't appreciate!  :)  Always so much fun!  Coby is the BEST trip planner ever.  Thank you baby for always taking the time to spend quality time with us and show us how much you love us!  We love you SO much!  Can't wait for the next one!

Are you ready for some football?!!!

This year Corb was adamant about playing football.  So, we signed him up for Flag Football at the local Rec Center.

As you can see...he's a natural!

All those Sundays watching Football with his dad (who has a crazy and insane obsession with the sport)...have paid off!

And it probably helped that Coby was their Coach!  :)

Parents from both sides showed their support each game.  And sometimes...we got in a little fun on the side!  Here's the Pooch and "'Lil Wayne"!

Such a poser!

And Cole refused to sit idly by and watch from the side lines while Jaden and Corb had fun...He he is tackling the Pooch!

And then Nana swooped in a saved him with lots of tickles, hugs and kisses!

And here's our Honey and Rosie congratulating the winner team!  :)

Corb's done really well in Football this year.  I think it may just be his sport.  It really comes so naturally to him and he LOVES playing it!

This is the Place Field Trip with CorbiMac

Today I had the opportunity to go on a field trip with Corbin.  This class was headed to "This is the Place Monument" (The site that Brigham Young decreed home after crossing the plains with the pioneers 200 years ago)

Here's a shot of me and my Corbi-Mac 

 

We hopped on the bus (which I remember being way bigger...) and headed north...or east...or I don't know which direction...good thing I wasn't in charge!!

This is what the sky looked like...and it was COLD!   FREEZING cold!  I wished I worn more layers!

They showed us how the pioneers actually pushed the handcarts.  Here is Corb and his buddy Trey.  SUCH cute boys!

Later we got to see what school was like.  This teacher was NO NONSENSE!  She reminded me of the mean teacher in Pete's Dragon!  In the picture Mrs. Glade (Corb's AMAZING 3rd Grade teacher)  is being punished for speaking without permission. The teacher is making her face the wall while extending her arms and hold books....YIKES!  I think I would have had the most shapely of arms back then....(I was always getting into trouble for talking in class!).  

Today was a great day...cold...but great non the less!  I had such a ball getting to spend the day with Corbin learning about our pioneer heritage.  It was VERY enlightening and so interesting!  I've said it before and I'll say it again...The good Lord knew what He was doing when he put me here at this time...because there is NO way I would have made it.  Coby jokes and tells me that he would have had to leave me on the plains because his "ears" just couldn't take any more of my whining!  :) I think he is probably right! 

Getting into the Halloween spirit

Halloween is just around the corner....

 And since everyone has been sick here for what feels like an ETERNITY...

 I decided it was time to bust out all of the Halloween/Fall decorations.

I decided to go with a Raven Theme this year. 

 
I used all my birdcages and put black Ravens inside.  Even my angle table got a little hint of Halloween/Fall.

And since I didn't want to have to take EVERYTHING down...I decided to try to do things a little more "fall" inside.  Here is the banister.  It was so fun...I've never had a banister to decorate!!

I've really loved having a baker's rack and a little side table to decorate my porch.  It may look cluttered...but it's sure is fun being able to use all the decorations I've accumulated over the years and haven't had the room to put them out.  Most of them are DIY by me or picked up at a local thrift store because I'm too cheap to buy them all brand new.  I really look forward to each season/holiday and feel like I can now really get into the "spirit" of each.  This next year is going to be a HOOT!  ;)

Jack's 5th Angelversary

5 years...

...that's how long it's been since we last held you, kissed your sweet chubby cheeks and heard you laugh.  I hate this day!  I don't think I'll ever get used to you being gone.  I want you to be here so bad and it kills me to know that Jaden and Cole will never actually know you here on this Earth.  Corb has already forgotten so much.  But what hurts the most is that no matter how how I try, I'm forgetting too.  But the pain is always there.  It's not the searing pain it once was, but it's always there lingering in the background.  I try to stay busy and not think about it, but sometimes the grief sneaks in.  And I have to let it in.  It's not that I like to be sad, but sometimes the sadness means that I can still feel you.  That you WERE infact here and that you aren't just a dream.  I'm grateful for your occasional visit.  I pray that they will always remain.

Today has been hard for two reason:  Obviously...it's Jack's Angelversary...but having the stomach flu or food poisoning on top of it....is just adding insult to injury!  We have NEVER been so sick in our whole marriage.  And we ALL have it!  Last night we ALL had our puke buckets and made beds on our bedroom floor and spent the night together....throwing up!  Jealous??!! Coby made the comment that the night we lost Jack was probably the last night we all spent the night huddled together feeling so low.  I think he was right!  Today I got a bouquet of flowers from a dear friend (Melissa).  She has always gone over and beyond to let us know that Jack is NEVER forgotten.  So many people have been so wonderful in this area.  And we appreciate it more than we could every express.  I save EVERYTHING...every card, every note, every tender mercy I can fit in a hope chest in our room.  How blessed we have been through this tragedy!  The Lord is good.  So, so good!  He has never left us alone and know He never will.  I am so grateful for all the Earth Angels in our lives that have continued to lift us daily and especially on days like this and show us that Jack mattered...that he still matters.  I am weak, on all levels today...but maybe that's a good thing because I swear I can feel Jack closer today.  So, I'm going to close my eyes and try to remember what it felt like to hold him.  To kiss his soft chubby cheeks.  To hold him and have my chin rest on his soft whispy white hair.  Someday....someday Coby and I will hold him again. Someday all will be made right.  And until "someday" comes....I'll just have to cling to that hope and the memories I refuse to let fade.

Bear Lake with our Michigan Crew

It's that time again...time for the old annual Bear Lake weekend with our Michigan friends!

This is an old picture, because for some reason...we never did get a shot of everyone!

 As soon as we were all awake...which was early since the sun and kids are usually on the exact schedule...we were playing in the water.

 The boys worked together and put in the jetski.

 Colie Poke sat on the beach blanket and contemplated eating the sand...and then gave in and had a few bites!  YUCK!

Bettie sat there enjoying the scenery, the best company and the Bear Lake rays...all the while looking GORGEOUS as usual!

It's never dull that's for sure!  I love our poker games!

Here's some of the "chips" for the poker game.

I love these people so much!  Lance always has some sort of crazy story to tell us about crazy people breaking the law (He's the prosecuting attorney for Rupert, ID).  Bettie is so chill, always beautiful and kind and quick to tell her kids what little shits they are!  :)  Wes and Mandy usually come for the day and grace us with Wes' dry and completely ridiculously FUNNY sense of humor!  Mandy is usually snapping pictures and telling us of their family's adventures in the hoppin' town of Tremonton, Utah.  Natalie and Ian and little Tatam finally made it this year and we couldn't have been happier!  Oh how we've missed them!  Natalie is one of the most kind and genuine people you'll ever meet and we feel so blessed still have her in our lives.  But even better than that is her FUNNY...no, CRAZY HILARIOUS sense of humor that can have you doubled over, unable to breathe, sides sore from laughing charm!

It's so nice to get together each year with them and pick up right where we left off!  I love them and always look forward to our annual little Bear Lake Reunions!

***NOTE***Next year I hope the flu bug's invitation gets lost in the mail!!  WORST stomach flu of our lives!

Have you seen my fork?

"Have you seen my fork?"

My dad used to always ask me this while pulling his neck out!  Quite hilarious!

First day of Preschool for Jaden

I can't believe that Jaden is old enough to go to preschool!  Yikes!!  Where has the time gone??

He is 4 years old and going to a cute little preschool called, "Little Wonders"  His teacher is Mrs. Jennifer.  He goes to school two days a week (Monday and Wednesdays).  She's AWESOME and came highly recommended.  Plus at only $50 a month and literally 5 minutes away...it's GREAT for everyone!  :)  I'm excited to see how he'll do.  But I'm sure he'll love it.  He LOVES to read and learn.  He's constantly asking if he can work in his preschool workbook.  I am sometimes really surprised at the amount of things he already knows without telling him.  What can I say...he's a SCHOLAR!!!

Death by tickling???

Apparently, you CAN die by getting tickled too much!!  Who would have thought?!!  Jadesy is seriously a RIOT and a half!!!  It's definitely NEVER dull...that's for sure!