Skinner

Miss me?

2012-08-12T00:28:00.000-06:00

Hello?! Have you missed us? There is too much to catch up on so another day I will retrace my steps but for now, here is a little update!

Seth: Working and playing with his dog! Sometimes he makes time for us! Just kidding. He is liking his job and has tons of time to play with his family (and his dog). Build our chicken coop this spring/summer (it will probably go into fall as well) and is enjoying 'projects' with Logan and his dad.

Courtney: Helped put on Stake Girl's Camp in June (the hardest thing I've ever done). Did a sprint triathlon, ran a half marathon and is busy busy busy with 3 growing kiddos! Loving life and just trying to keep my head above water! ;)

Logan: Just entered 1st grade!! Holy moly where has the time gone? He is getting so big and loves to play with friends, drive his monster truck and ride horses with dad and grandpa. Kindergarten got better after that last meeting (see the post before this). He is so much fun! Lovin' this boy!

Chloe: So so sweet and loves to sing!!! She is the little mother hen of the hens and her little brother! She pulls the only girl card every once in a while but can melt you with her simple smile and dimple :-) and her long blonde hair! She is 4 and ready for 'dance or gymnastics'. Depends on the day which one she wants!

Mason: Growing up so fast. Talks like he's 5, bosses us all like he's 30 and melts my heart. He is now a 'big boy' and has seemed to grow up over night! He is so much fun and keeps us all in stitches!

Seth had a class in San Diego this year that allowed us to go as a family a few times. While daddy went to school/work we went to Legoland, Sea World, the beach, aquarium, museum, water parks and whatever else we wanted to do. It was so much fun! We also had the chance this summer to spend some time in the mountains (Alpine and Graham). It was so nice to escape this blasted heat in Arizona!

That is us in a nutshell this year! ;) No promises on blogging more but I'll try! Here are some pictures of our adventures!

Sand castles in January in San Diego. A little chilly there that time of year but totally fun!

Chloe was in LOVE with the guy at Legoland! She kept giving him hugs. It was so funny!

Our boat ride with our hotel. Again, a little chilly in January but it was so much fun! Kids love being on the ocean!

And what can I say about that face! Even with his bean burro all over it, still so stinkin' cute!

Naughty or Nice?

2011-10-25T22:48:00.003-06:00

Logan's class had a 50's themed "sock hop" to celebrate the 50th day of school. It was so cute to see all of these little kindergarteners in their poodle skirts and white shirts and jeans. The party was complete with root beer floats, a conga line and a super cute class picture by the super cute car! Families were invited to celebrate and it was actually fun!

Now, can you imagine this boy being naughty?! Well, after the party we had parent teacher conferences. When I walked in and sat down his teacher said with a smile, "Well, Logan. He's a little bit naughty!" I think the look on my face made her quick on her feet because she quickly said, "I mean, he's a really good boy but he just likes to tease." I busted up laughing and said, "Well, he comes by it naturally. He comes from a family of teasers and our friends in dental school (I was really thinking Matt Petersen and Colton Flake) liked to tease him." So, now we are working on when its okay and when it isn't to tease. Not what my first experience at a parent-teacher conference would be but makes me smile none the less. I love this boy! I love that he does tease and enjoys life. He brings smiles and fun to our house and can come up with some pretty funny things! He is always wanting to be a helper and brings a smile to my face and fills my heart!

101 Update

2011-10-17T23:44:00.002-06:00

This has been so much fun to do! I'm doing some of it without even knowing it! What a journey! 21 down!

1. Have a weekend get-away with Seth

2. Share the gospel with 1 person (not just casually but really share it)

3. Make a dress for Chloe

4. Host a holiday party

5. Try a new recipe twice a month for 4 months

6. Have one Shelf-Reliance party once a week for 2 months (Feb & March 2011)

7. Attend General Conference

8. Call all siblings once a month for 3 months, then continue

9. Make breakfast every work morning for Seth for 1 month, then continue (July, Aug, etc)

10. Finish Vital Records binder (sweet, just did this last week 10/2011)

11. Visit a temple I have never been to (Gila Valley in Jan 2011)

12. Post to family blog once a week for 6 months

13. Take an institute class

14. Go to a professional play

15. Read standard works: Old, New, BOM, D&C, PGP

16. Go on an overnight backpacking trip with Seth

17. Plan 5 romantic surprise dates

18. Cook dinner every night for 30 days

19. Run half marathon

20. Do a random “special party” day for kids just because I love them (coming soon!)

21. Join a team (city league volleyball March 2011)

22. Go to education week or women's conference

23. Weekly outing with kids for 2 months, then continue

24. Memorize The Family Proclamation

25. Memorize The Living Christ

26. Hold Family Home Evening for 2 consecutive months (with lesson and all, not just family activity)

27. Kiss Seth every day for 15 seconds for 1 month whenever he comes home and leaves

28. Read 5 classics

29. Plan and carry out a FAMILY service project

30. Take a concealed weapons course

31. Read entire conference issue for November and May

32. One night a week no TV from 6pm to bed 2 months

33. Morning scripture study before kids get up for 2 months

34. Write in my journal weekly for 3 months

35. Acknowledge and celebrate every holiday with kids (not in a consecutive year)

36. Invite a new family for dinner every other week for 2 months

37. Pitch a tent in the backyard and sleep in it as a family

38. Have family scripture study daily, 1 month then continue

39. Go camping as a family 5 times

40. Host a game night

41. Get involved in a community event (PTO Aug 2011)

42. No eating out for a month

43. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day with Seth

44. Learn to play 10 primary songs

45. Encourage someone else to start a 101 list (Thank you Rachel Scott)

46. Do the 12 days of Christmas as a family

47. Start and finish P90X

48. Go to Shelf Reliance convention

49. Finish Colorado blog book

50. Friday night date night for 2 months

51. Kiss in the rain

53. Go golfing with Seth

54. Organize food storage and inventory

55. Use kids job charts for 1 month, then continue (July 2011 - ...)

56. Take Logan on a 'date'

57. Catch a fish

58. Go snow skiing without crying ;)

59. Try yoga (Oct 2011 - I still don't like it)

60. Do an ‘arts and crafts’ day with kids once a week for 2 months

61. Go on a family bike ride (Logan rides now, woohoo! Summer 2011)

62. One week, do not go grocery shopping for food and live off food storage

63. Start riding my bike with kids (Summer 2011)

64. Get at least 2 water barrels for year supply

65. Identify 100 things that make me happy

66. Plan a 6-month dinner calendar

67. Plant a big garden and can it and share it

68. Teach someone how to bottle meats (Thanks Michele - Chicken Sept 2011)

69. Get a couple’s massage

70. Get a pedicure

71. Go on a picnic with my family

72. Do 50 consecutive push-ups (hundredpushups.com)

73. Go on a girl’s weekend trip (TOFW 2010, 2011)

74. Make a theme cake for someone

75. Start a new family tradition

76. Set up a Thrive booth at a county fair (Oct 2011)

77. Do a ‘themed’ dinner night once a month for 5 months

78. Do a 1000 piece puzzle with Seth

79. Try every day for 2 weeks to do 1 thing each day to make me a “holy woman” (this is from a talk at Time Out for Women)

80. Help someone start a meal plan for food storage (Thanks Aunt Vicki! Sept 2011)

81. Gut a fish and cook it

82. Visit 3 National Parks

83. Do the 200 sit-up challenge (twohundredsitups.com)

84. Visit 3 states I’ve never been to before

85. Spend a week total (not consecutive days) with Aunt Joyce and gather genealogy information

86. Go to bed every weeknight at 10 for a month

87. Potty train Mason

88. Do an emergency preparedness show (Mar 2011)

89. Learn the Family History website and how to research and submit names

90. Research and submit at least 3 names for the temple

91. Do all ordinances for those 3 names

92. Go wake boarding and get up

93. Submit a food storage recipe to Thrive

94. Organize closets (Summer 2011)

95. Write 101 love notes for Seth

96. Pay for someone's meal behind me

97. Serve 8 people in a month, random acts of kindness

98. Read 15 minutes with kids daily, 1 month then continue

99. Do “Oh Remember, Remember” challenge from stake for 1 year (just completed Oct 2011-amazing)

100. Move back to Arizona! (this is more of a dream than a wish and won't happen for a few years but it sounded good) ;) January 2011

101. Write a letter to self on 1st day of challenge to be read on last day of challenge. Letter should include how I am feeling about self, goals, and where I am spiritually and relationship with family/spouse. (10/22/10)

Holy Blogging SLACKER Batman!

2011-10-17T22:48:00.006-06:00

Good grief, I sure wish whoever was supposed to keep up this blog would do it! If I want anything done around this place I have to do it myself! What a summer and fall it has been! Busy busy busy and still livin' and lovin' it! We have done so many cool/fun things but in no particular order (does this sound familiar?) here are a few pictures now that I have a place to put pictures on my computer again!

Summer time with new friends! These people have a huge blow up water slide! It was such a blast to play on! We loved it! The friends are awesome as well! ;) By the way, isn't he so dang cute?!

Labor Day weekend on Mt. Graham. We hiked with all of these kids (don't worry, their parents were there too) up Soldier Rock. What a blast. It made me a little nervous to have my kids climbing on this HUGE rock but we all made it down slowly and safely! We also have picture somewhere of President Kimball's tree! For those of you that don't know, President Spencer W. Kimball grew up in this little valley and carved his name in a tree. Its about a 2 mile straight up hike! No kidding but the kids made it and it was a blast! You can totally still make out his name. Rumor has it Seth's great grandpa's name is in there too!

This boy and Q tips! He loves them. No, really. Love is not too strong of a word here. If I ever can't find him, he is more than likely in my bathroom doing this. I have never gone through so many Q tips! Phone home? ;)

Scary moment here. Chloe was playing at Grandma's one Sunday evening and was stung by a scorpion. She couldn't walk, was salivating like crazy, hot and then cold, eyes darting back and forth and was totally restless. We finally called my EMT brother and he said get her to the ER quick (this was after about 5 hours or 1 am). We hesistated because we 1) didn't know about a trial anti-venom that our hospital happened to have and 2) we are self pay (ER's aren't cheap to be told there was nothing they could do and to let it run its course). She didn't even cry when they put in the IV. She was such a trooper! After 2 doses she was sound asleep and the next morning, NOTHING! What a blessing!

Labor Day on the mountain again. Ahh, we loved this weekend! 5 days of no phones, TV, movies, hardly electricity (except at night to play games or put kids to bed with the generator). Pure dirty mountain bliss! The bike belongs to Seth's uncle and they brought it up to our cabin so we could take the kiddos for a ride. A blast!

Climbing Soldier Rock. He is getting so dang big!

Mud holes with cousins. Isn't this the cutest picture? And no, the shirt was not originally white! Whew! :0)

Dance Class!! I've waited 3 LONG years ;) for this day! She REALLY does LOVE it! She didn't want to text this picture to dad but isn't she cute!? You should see these 7 little girls that are 3 and 4! Monday's are one of my favorite days now!

Ahhh, the BIG finish to the BIG HUGE race! I trained for and did my first (yes there will be more) triathlon! Can I just tell you this was the hardest yet one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life?! I learned how to swim strokes just this summer and did awesome on my swim time. Complete the entire race in 1 hour 57 minutes and my goal was under 2! It was a 625 meter swim (25 laps) 15.5 mile bike and 3 mile run. The run stunk. It was brutally hot! Like late August in Arizona hot! I was totally beat. I felt drained and amazing at the same time! Gave me the courage to train for my half marathon in January. I've discovered a whole new world of athletes and I love it! One word... amazing!

I went with Seth's mom and sisters and all of the nieces to see Cinderella at a dinner theatre. The dinner was gross but the play was a blast!

Skinner family reunion 2011. It has been more than 6 years since this bunch was ALL together. Probably closer to 9 when we got married. It was so much fun to be with everyone. The company, activities and of course the food was awesome!

Ha! Love this picture! T-ball in June (again, AZ heat...ahhh)! He was so nervous but had super awesome coaches and LOVED it after the first at-bat! We got one of these after every inning!

Another one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know, you are probably totally laughing right now and I am sitting here with tears in my eyes! This day was one that I totally looked forward to but dreaded at the same time. He walked on in and didn't look back. He runs off the bus and then slows it down to a cool guy walk. We were totally bored the first two weeks without him. Would sit by the window for 10 minutes waiting for the bus to drop him off. The other kids would beg for him to come home. We are mostly adjusted now and he is learning and growing so much. He's lost that little boy charm and has gained a "kid" adventurers outlook on life. He is so much fun and it is a blast to see how much he is changing. I still yearn for my baby boy, the one we like to watch in family videos sometimes. But, he still comes and cuddles me and now reads to me before I read to him.

Life is busy but good. The two biggest kids are in soccer and dad is the assistant coach. It is so fun. They have lots of little friends and are loving being close to cousins and grandparents. Mason is also growing like a week. He is asking to be potty trained and I am psyching myself up to doing it! ;) He talks a ton and has us all wrapped around his little chubby fingers!

Seth is enjoying work and life back "home". He always has tons of little projects going on and takes the time to take kids with him and teach them. I fall in love with him all over again when I see him on a horse and back to his old tricks and his old self that I remember from when we dated in high school.

I keep busy with the usual house and home and projects and training. We are enjoying being by family and loving the life we are making here.

Ahh, that feels good! Maybe I will stay a little more caught up now on blogging. No promises though! Love to you all!

The NEW House!

2011-05-31T09:22:00.006-06:00

So I'm finally getting around to blogging about this (or blogging anything for that matter). I've tried so hard to get the pictures in order and with only a little frustration, I did it! So here is your tour!

The front of the house. Like my project in the driveway? Hand me down dresser that will be refinished black and put in our bedroom. This picture was taken last week and it still looks like this out front. I'm waiting for Seth to fix a side that was broken. We live in a small cul-de-sac. There are only 5 houses in it! LOVE IT! Its so quiet and the kids can play out front without me having a panic attack when I see my 18 month old half way down the street! ;)

This is the living/dinning area. It is one big great room. Pros and cons about that but overall we are really loving it.

A small kitchen but very functional! I am really liking it. Lots of cabinet space and they are deep which is working out nice! It is usually a little cleaner than this but oh well.

My first pantry! I've always had cabinet space for a pantry and now that I have one I don't think I'll ever go back! I am in love with this little room! My cansolidators just came in so I am currently working on making it functional and cute of course!

The office. This is right off of the dining room table. This door is closed for a reason. It has been since we put all of those boxes in there. Seth wanted to do this room. This door might remain closed for a while.

Seth's other room (not the laundry, are you kidding?)! The laundry is mine, unfortunately and the garage belongs to Seth. There are lots of cabinets and a counter top behind the laundry room door that is great storage as well. That basket, has been there for a while. I'll have you know I did fold it before blogging this post.

Kids/guest bathroom. LOVE the calming colors in here. We need some calm. Again, lots of cabinet behind the bathroom door that gives tons more storage!

The boys room. All things airplanes. The quote is my favorite! It says...
Brother will you...
build forts,
skip rocks,
shoot hoops,
tell me stories,
Always be my best friend?

LOVE IT!

Chloe girl's room. Slowly coming. I'm going to make a headboard eventually for her bed out of bead board so this will change a little.

Our room. The project on the driveway will one day makes its appearance in here. Until then...
I am really loving our room. The Forever, Promise saying has some meaning. We always used to write that to each other. Great reminder some days!! Just kidding honey!

We are still unpacking and reorganizing but we are loving it. The back yard is huge and we share a wall with the stake center which makes getting to church on time convenient! More post to come soon about our quick Vegas trip and our night in the ER with Chloe!

Homeless No More!

2011-04-06T08:53:00.002-06:00

I know pictures are always the best part of a blog but my computer died and I haven't uploaded anything to the laptop. That being said, I will get on with this post.

We have been busy busy here in Arizona. The kids are loving being around all of the family and so are we! Logan just turned 5 on Sunday (that deserves its own post later) and we just signed him up for Kindergarten (sniff, sniff) yesterday. Mason is walking and can open the door to sneak outside! Chloe is as sweet as ever and provides much entertainment for the rest of us! Seth is loving his job. They keep him really busy and he comes home exhausted but only having to work 3 days a week, he can handle that! I'm still selling Shelf Reliance and it is paying for my loans until something opens up. I'm loving teaching and getting our own stuff prepared as well.

Now, on to the BIG news! We have finally found a house! It is smaller than what we wanted but we are really happy with it and we close May 5th! We are so excited! We are looking forward to finally being settled and feeling like we can start life here.

Until next time.... Cheers to you!

Feelin' the LOVE!

2011-02-09T13:52:00.004-07:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't blogged in so long! I can say to my defense that life has not been exactly normal around here though! As I'm sure most of you know by now, we have moved back to Arizona. Just before Thanksgiving Seth got a call from the office he had been driving the 7 hours from Farmington to work in every three weeks and an offer of a full-time position. We always knew we wanted to come "home" but planned on being in New Mexico for at least 4 or 5 years. I mean come on, we bought a house!!!! But, that is not what was to be for us and we packed up and moved right after Christmas.

Now, some have said that buying our house in New Mexico was a mistake but let me share a miracle with you. When we went to look at the home it felt so good. We knew it was special and as often (which was often) as we tried to talk ourselves out of buying it (even the day before we signed I went and looked at 2 rentals) it just felt so right. So, we did it. Then, when we decided to take the job in Arizona we knew that somehow, it would all work out. We had 2 families in one day come and look at the home but never heard back from them. Kind of scary but we had faith. We didn't want to get a Realtor because of their 7% commission so we gave our key to a neighbor and the office manager at Seth's office there. Through a round about way, a woman tracked down the office manager, went and saw the home, made an offer and we are set to close in two weeks. We haven't lost any money on the home and only about 1/4 of the money we put into the carpet and laminate that we installed. I still cry to think about it.

Now we are in Arizona, staying at my parents until our home in New Mexico is officially sold and we can get into something here. My parents are gems. They are so easy going and it has been nice. Some days are rougher because the kids feel like they are on permanent vacation but we are making it through. Seth loves his new job. We miss New Mexico and the friends we made the short time we were there. The office there was great and we miss them too. But, we know this was the right choice for us and we are so glad to be "home". The Lord has something in store. We are slowly learning not to question why or when but to answer, "I will go, I will do" and then doing it was complete, total faith. For those of you that know me best, not having a plan has been rather challenging but receiving the blessings of being obedient and faithful has been so rewarding.

I've been a slacker at taking pictures of our adventures here but will get better. We've already had a ball with life and I'll try and stay updated a little better. Thanks for helping me to feel the love and telling me we are missed! Love and miss you all as well!

Mason helping with the laminate install in the New Mexico house.
Seth and the kids (yes, the dog is like a kid) taking a break. We really miss this house. We loved it there!

my right hand man

2010-12-14T13:29:00.002-07:00

Logan has become my right hand in the kitchen lately. He is always wanting to help with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is starting to become a lot of fun. I will admit that my patience is sometimes tried during these times but I try to keep in mind these moments won't last forever.
On this particular night we were making tortillas. He got pretty good at flipping them over. I love this kid. While it isn't always easy being the mom, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is moments like this that make it all worth it.

2010-12-14T13:26:00.002-07:00

The Problem.

The Culprit.

This happened twice in a 12 hour time span. You can't tell by the picture but the floor was SOAKING wet. Its a good thing he is so cute!

Another LONG catch up post

2010-11-30T12:46:00.006-07:00

Here I am playing catch up again. Oh well, I guess that's life these days. Where has November gone? It has been such a whirlwind month and December isn't looking to slow down any. But, we are still pushing through, smiling and enjoying the journey together. The weather has officially turned cold and Christmas is in the air! I LOVE this time of year! Love the holidays and the spirit that comes with them. But, before I get to Thanksgiving (no pictures, sorry) I better fill you in on what we've been doing. And, in true to myself fashion, I'm way too lazy to go back and put the pictures back in in the right order so I'll just tell you how it went!

While in Arizona, we did a little combined birthday party for my mom, my little brother Collin, Chloe and Mason. Chloe loved her cupcakes.
I tried to make Mason a huge cupcake but since I had very limited time and I was too cheap to buy the $30 giant cupcake pan at Wal-Mart this is my attempt. I LOVE this picture. Look at his eyes!
Apparently my brothers Pork and Collin thought it was taking him way to long to dig in so they decided to help him out.

Ummm, Pork........

Collin?

I don't think so! Mason has gotten super shy around crowds and my brothers were slightly too much for him to handle. Daddy tried to step in and help but....
It was over. No cake, no ice cream. Just huge tears! I thought this was the funniest thing ever. Pork and Collin kind of felt bad but it was too funny to see Mason react to them.

Presents however, were another story. Tons of kids helping out but it was fine. In fact, for this kid, the paper and bags were fine.

Logan and Mason got Chloe a microphone. For those of you that know her, she is our little singer girl. This has been perfect.

Some dolls from mom and dad along with a sit and spin, a doll from granny, puzzles from Chandler, Emily and Jared and way cute hats from Aisley and Rigdon. Don't forget the jammas that saved us on the way home from the Hawkins crew!

So here is the snow we got about two weeks before Thanksgiving. There was a little more but not much.

The kids still played in and ate it.

Before all of that jazz our Maser Racer boy got his first haircut. This kid is a champ! He just sat so still, never cried. It was awesome!
I know this doesn't look like much but there was tons more on the floor. I just wanted a picture of how long it was.

Is this not the cutest thing ever?! LoVe this kid!

The weekend before Thanksgiving Seth had to work in Arizona so the week before the kids and I headed down with my mom and the girls that had spent the previous weekend at my house (I know, totally confusing right?). It was such a blast to have most of my sisters here as well as my mom. Seth was gone to Utah for a conference and we just hung out, shopped, late night run to Dairy Queen and just spent time together. Love my family.

So for Thanksgiving we stayed in Pima and had our big meal with Seth's family. It was so fun to get together with everyone that was there. We played games, the guys went shooting, and just got to spend some much needed time together. Our families are getting so big and busy that it is rare that we get to just be together. It was such a nice weekend. Friday we did family pictures with my family and Sas and Kolby blessed baby Carter Grace on Sunday. We headed home in the ice and snow and are now trying to get back into somewhat of a routine.

We are so excited about Christmas time and the spirit that comes with this season. We are looking forward to time with extended family as well as with our own little family. Love to you all!

What Fun!

2010-11-07T19:40:00.007-07:00

So, I guess I should start off the weekend with Friday. It was my birthday. The kids sang to me all day, I got a few phone calls and Seth surprised me with a real date....dinner AND a movie! The girls at the office told him he had to and one volunteer to babysit for us. It was so fun! I got to sit next to him in the truck and everything! Woohoo! The show was over about 9:15 and we were beat! Are we really that old now?! It was a great day overall. I am so blessed with such wonderful family and friends. If this is what getting older is like, then its not so bad!

Seth's office has a lab guy that has a lake and he told Seth to bring the family out whenever and come fishing. He guaranteed us a catch! So, Saturday we headed out to fish. It was so much fun! This is totally our style. We loved it!

This picture is by far my favorite! Is this boy not his father's child?!
Chloe and I caught a fish (these things were huge) and when it started flopping around she kept saying, "Mom, its getting me! Its getting me!" It was so funny!
Seth and Logan caught one too! These things were huge! It was such a blast!
Mason mostly played in the dirt. This is his first happy place, to be outside.
When he started to crawl away, we strapped him in his car seat and gave him some rocks to play with. Don't worry, they weren't choking size! Great parenting techniques huh! Hey, he was happy! So sad I didn't get a final picture of him. He would get the dirt by the fist fulls, put it on his head, then pat his cheeks! So cute! Man I love this kid!
This is the orphan looking Chloe. She fished for about 5 seconds and after holding the fish realized that Mason's dirt was so much better! That's my girl! Love her!
And this boy couldn't get enough! He was all about this! LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid!
And the final catch of the day! This was our dinner that night and was a TON of meat! The kids ate about half of it themselves! They loved it!
However, there is a sad ending to this story. I didn't get to actually cast, hook and reel in my own fish and I didn't get to gut it either so I can't mark those off my list! I did get my own fish but it got away before we could grab it with our hands out of the water. Seth said it doesn't count! Oh well, guess we'll have to go again! What a great day. I am so in love with this little family of mine and so grateful we got to spend this time together. Much much needed. The next few months are going to be so crazy, it was nice to just slow down and enjoy what God has given us!

101 update

2010-11-03T21:55:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update......

I really am working on this! I am on track for my standard works reading and have started my Oh Remember Remember journal. We are going fishing on Saturday so here's hoping I'll catch one and have enough guts to gut the thing! ;)

Really quick though, the few things I'm working on has already taught me so much. I feel so humbled. I am so richly blessed and am embarrassed at how long it has taken me to see the little miracles in my life. And now, more than ever, I feel not only motivated to complete my 101 list but that it is achievable! The only thing left to say is that I am so grateful. Is it easy, no, not always. But is it worth it...yes.

Busy busy busy

2010-11-03T21:41:00.003-06:00

As always, things are moving at record speed around here! It seems like everyday something is going on and sometimes more than one something! We are keeping afloat though and still livin' the dream. Between a tax prep class I'm taking and taking care of kiddos I had the chance the other day to do pictures for this awesome family! Seth works with the mom and she is great, as well as her family!

I had a nice little get away in October and went to Time Out for Women in Phoenix with my mom, grandma and some of my sisters. I flew in ALONE (that's right, no kids) Friday and spent that night and all day Saturday at TOFW. It was AWESOME! Granny and Papa wanted to see Logan's primary program so I drove home with them on Saturday night. I had never left the kids and while it was great, I was really ready to get home to them! Papa took a nap Sunday afternoon and Chloe thought her sunglasses would help him out!
Two weeks later we were getting ready to head to AZ for Seth to work that weekend (he works down there every 3 weeks) and this time we all got to go. But, before that, he couldn't sneak out of the office Halloween dress up contest! The girls (I LOVE the girls) decided they'd do a Toy Story theme and the docs got to be Buzz and Woody. It was so funny! Seth even tucked his pants into his boots! This picture doesn't do it justice!
AZ was super busy as well (surprise surprise). We got in late Thursday night. Seth went to work Friday and I went to the Fort to see my new little niece Miss Carter Grace! So cute! I had a Shelf Reliance show that night and on Saturday (after Seth got home from work again) we went out and took Jonathan's senior pictures. I cannot believe this kid is a senior!? He's a young senior but none the less! Cutie huh!
Then (are you exhausted yet) we rushed home, dressed up our "yittle talking witch", our grumpy skunk (he was grumpy and didn't want the hat) and Zorro (what a stud huh) and headed out to the trunk-or-treat. We were wiped by the end of the night but LOVED every minute of it!
Now we are home, trying to keep ahead and making plans to do it all again in a few weeks! What can I say, just another day in paradise!

101 in 1001

2010-10-21T15:28:00.008-06:00

So, I have a cousin that came up with this idea and I thought it was great. Those of you that know me know I tend to go above and beyond (aka overachiever) but after reading her list I realized that some goals that are set are for the mere joy of the opportunity to do something (like a pedicure or a couple's massage). Anyway, here is my list of 101 goals in 1001 days. That calculates to almost 3 years. I have to admit, some of these we already do and I am aiming more for consistency. Others are things that I would love to do but have always been afraid. I realize some of these are huge but maybe the overachiever in me will help me to be motivated to accomplish this. Besides, its always good to be striving for something, right? Check back often to see my progress (and give me some motivation)!

1. Have a weekend get-away with Seth

2. Share the gospel with 1 person (not just casually but really share it)

3. Make a dress for Chloe

4. Host a holiday party

5. Try a new recipe twice a month for 4 months

6. Have one Shelf-Reliance party once a week for 2 months

7. Attend General Conference

8. Call all siblings once a month for 3 months, then continue

9. Make breakfast every work morning for Seth for 1 month, then continue

10. Finish Vital Records binder

11. Visit a temple I have never been to

12. Post to family blog once a week for 6 months

13. Take an institute class

14. Go to a professional play

15. Read standard works: Old, New, BOM, D&C, PGP

16. Go on an overnight backpacking trip with Seth

17. Plan 5 romantic surprise dates

18. Cook dinner every night for 30 days

19. Run half marathon

20. Do a random “special party” day for kids just because I love them

21. Join a team

22. Go to education week or women's conference

23. Weekly outing with kids for 2 months, then continue

24. Memorize The Family Proclamation

25. Memorize The Living Christ

26. Hold Family Home Evening for 2 consecutive months (with lesson and all, not just family activity)

27. Kiss Seth every day for 15 seconds for 1 month whenever he comes home and leaves

28. Read 5 classics

29. Plan and carry out a FAMILY service project

30. Take a concealed weapons course

31. Read entire conference issue for November and May

32. One night a week no TV from 6pm to bed 2 months

33. Morning scripture study before kids get up for 2 months

34. Write in my journal weekly for 3 months

35. Acknowledge and celebrate every holiday with kids (not in a consecutive year)

36. Invite a new family for dinner every other week for 2 months

37. Pitch a tent in the backyard and sleep in it as a family

38. Have family scripture study daily, 1 month then continue

39. Go camping as a family 5 times
40. Host a game night

41. Get involved in a community event

42. No eating out for a month

43. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day with Seth

44. Learn to play 10 primary songs

45. Encourage someone else to start a 101 list

46. Do the 12 days of Christmas as a family

47. Start and finish P90X

48. Go to Shelf Reliance convention

49. Finish Colorado blog book

50. Friday night date night for 2 months

51. Kiss in the rain

53. Go golfing with Seth

54. Organize food storage and inventory

55. Use kids job charts for 1 month, then continue

56. Take Logan on a 'date'

57. Catch a fish

58. Go snow skiing without crying ;)

59. Try yoga

60. Do an ‘arts and crafts’ day with kids once a week for 2 months

61. Go on a family bike ride

62. One week, do not go grocery shopping for food and live off food storage

63. Start riding my bike with kids

64. Get at least 2 water barrels for year supply

65. Identify 100 things that make me happy

66. Plan a 6-month dinner calendar

67. Plant a big garden and can it and share it

68. Teach someone how to bottle meats

69. Get a couple’s massage

70. Get a pedicure

71. Go on a picnic with my family

72. Do 50 consecutive push-ups (hundredpushups.com)

73. Go on a girl’s weekend trip

74. Make a theme cake for someone

75. Start a new family tradition

76. Set up a Thrive booth at a county fair

77. Do a ‘themed’ dinner night once a month for 5 months

78. Do a 1000 piece puzzle with Seth

79. Try every day for 2 weeks to do 1 thing each day to make me a “holy woman” (this is from a talk at Time Out for Women)

80. Help someone start a meal plan for food storage

81. Gut a fish and cook it

82. Visit 3 National Parks

83. Do the 200 sit-up challenge (twohundredsitups.com)

84. Visit 3 states I’ve never been to before

85. Spend a week total (not consecutive days) with Aunt Joyce and gather genealogy information

86. Go to bed every weeknight at 10 for a month

87. Potty train Mason

88. Do an emergency preparedness show

89. Learn the Family History website and how to research and submit names

90. Research and submit at least 3 names for the temple

91. Do all ordinances for those 3 names

92. Go wake boarding and get up

93. Submit a food storage recipe to Thrive

94. Organize closets

95. Write 101 love notes for Seth

96. Pay for someone's meal behind me

97. Serve 8 people in a month, random acts of kindness

98. Read 15 minutes with kids daily, 1 month then continue

99. Do “Oh Remember, Remember” challenge from stake for 1 year

100. Move back to Arizona! (this is more of a dream than a wish and won't happen for a few years but it sounded good) ;)

We have the cutest kids, hands down!

2010-10-09T18:31:00.003-06:00

How could you not love these faces! Here are some super quick updates on our lively crew!

Logan S. - Age 4 1/2

1.LOVING pre-school and starting to read!
2. Has turned into a HUGE helper!
3. Uses words like "fantastic, actually, are you serious?, and holy moses" on a regular basis!
4. Loves to wrestle Mason!
5. Wants a power-wheels 4-wheeler for Christmas!

Chloe - Age almost 3

1. Starting to talk back (sometimes its cute and hard to discipline)
2. Loves Tinkerbell
3. Loves to sit on the counter and 'help' (aka snack while we cook)
4. A great snuggler
5. Wants mac-n-cheese for EVERY meal!

Mason C. - Age 10 months

1. Is finally crawling!
2. Loves the dog and "yells" at her
3. Loves to wrestle Logan
4. Only wants to snuggle Mom at night
5. Now has 6 teeth!

Our love of lunch and jello

2010-09-21T15:55:00.006-06:00

So, at school the other day Logan made his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He was so proud of himself. So, when I asked him what he wanted for lunch he shouted, "Peanut butter and jelly!" I asked him if he'd make all of our sandwiches and like he's been cooking for years, said, "Sure mom. That'll be fine." Cracks me up. Chloe needed a job so she was put in charge of chips and sugar snap peas on plate (this is our attempt at a well balanced meal).
Doesn't this look so yummy? FYI... there was peanut butter on his shorts, shirt, arms, hands of course and between each piece of bread he licked the knife.
He asked for a little help to get the peanut butter to the corners but did most of it by himself. I think the funniest part of this entire lunch making session was when Seth walked in the door and saw the process. The look is beyond words but I assured him it would be fine (aka he'd be blessed for eating this mess). Ahh, I'm laughing just thinking about that look!
The final products. Mmmmmmmmm!
And even though he didn't get to enjoy the peanut butter and jelly feast, he was just happy to be here. See his forehead, he tried to pull up to the rough bricks on the fireplace and crashed.
After lunch I thought it would be fun to let the kids made jigglers. Another first for the Skinner household. Logan checked the fridge like every 10 minutes just waiting. When it was finally time, well, these looks say it all!
Chloe really did enjoy the entire process. This is her wiping her sticky hands on a kleenex. That equals another mess for mom but it was pretty cute.
And litter Maser Racer got to enjoy the spoils. This kid inhaled his jello (like all other meals) and couldn't get enough! Sticky was an understatement with him!
So, if anybody is hungry for a fabulous lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, sugar snap peas and some jigglers, we offer a mighty fine meal!

Labor Day on Mt. Graham

2010-09-14T12:17:00.014-06:00

*Warning...this is a REALLY long post*

It has been years since we were able to go to the mountains for Labor Day. We used to go all of the time but the drive from Denver for 3 days was too much. So, 7 hours seemed a little more doable.

We started up Friday afternoon and had some time to get settled in before the party animals arrived (you know who you are). The kids did some digging for worms and we just relaxed and enjoyed the cool weather.

(isn't this the cutest face ever? Mason not the dog.)

Jess even loved the mountains. Aside from falling out of the back of the truck and being lost for like 30 minutes, she had a blast. Seth said when he found her she was SOOOO excited to see him. Poor little puppy!

Awesome find huh.

Seriously, Mason wanted to grab this thing so bad. If he wasn't going to put it straight into his mouth I might have thought about letting him get it. Logan was so cute. He really took care of Mason and made sure he was having a good time. Saturday night we had some special visitors. Grandma and Grandpa Skinner joined us at the cabin for dinner and church on Sunday. Grandma played with kids, took some walks and helped pick raspberries. She wasn't worried about any bears. Logan made it very clear to everybody that his cap gun was very dangerous (exact words) and no bears would get us 'cause he would shoot them. Oh, and our dog would get the bears too. Made me feel better.
Grandpa made sure the ground was soft enough for anybody looking for a place to sleep.
On Saturday morning we took pictures (the Jacobs) and headed up the road to Webb tower. Our fearless leader (Seth) said it was only like a mile and the road would be easier for the little kiddos that were walking (Logan and Madison age 4).
We'd stop to rest and Curtis would play a little pine cone baseball with Logan. Almost everybody was carrying a kid and between the 3 families we had 6 ages 4-9 months. Crazy, yes but it was fun. See, doesn't Seth look like he is having a blast? Can I just tell you the only thing that made him carrying Chloe heavier than me carrying Mason was the water and snacks he had in his pack! Mason is heavy!
Anyway, after our 2 mile hike up the road (yes, Logan and Madi did the entire thing, with only a few tears from Logan) we snacked, rested and much to the kids delight found ladybugs! Chloe had them in her hair, pants, you name it. So fun.

Aren't we beautiful? Two days without a shower and hiking up a mountain carrying a sleeping baby and you can look this good too!
When we got back and Grandma and Grandpa got there we left Grandpa to his post and went to pick raspberries. I had never done this before and it was so fun! Mason had the best seat in the house!
And Logan and Chloe ate more than they picked. This was after the hike with no naps and picking on a pretty steep slope. Can you say exhausted?

After the traditional potluck dinner, getting kids to bed and breakout the snacks (yes, we had more treats than food) we stayed up late playing cards (another tradition) by lamp light. Great for the already going blind! We went to church on Sunday at the flat and felt the warmth of the Spirit in all senses. Great meeting and everyone was fried from sitting in the sun. Who does umbrellas and sunscreen? Apparently most there but us!

We rounded off the trip with some yummy French dipped subs (another mountain tradition) and some horse shoes. After the guy's round, the kids got in on the action. Really in this picture, Chloe is crying because he won't let her have a turn as he is saying, "Chloe, let me show you how okay, you can have a turn in a minute." Ironically, this is after he begged her to play with him.

As always, we had an awesome trip. The food, the company, the games, the hiking... the mountains are always awesome. And, as always, the time spent there was way too short.

Thanks for joining us Jacobs family and here's to another 3 years! Just kidding!

The time has come...

2010-08-17T14:53:00.004-06:00

for this handsome dude to start preschool. We really debated it for a while, not ready to let him go but knowing that his shy, timid (initially anyway) personality would get some good use out of going to school. I was pretty particular. I wanted someone who did it out of there home, a few days a week, just for a few hours. I know even more-so know that we are supposed to be here.

This is Miss Sue. She is in our ward here. She had been teaching preschool for like 25 years and made room in her small class for Logan. He loves her and loves school! Seth says I'm going to really start loving, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings! ;) So far so good. Chloe and I weren't sure what to do with ourselves for 2 1/2 hours and really missed him but I'm sure we'll figure something out!

The New Place

2010-07-20T14:23:00.003-06:00

Someday I'll get it. I'll figure out how to put pictures up on here in the right order. Until then...
The back porch. If you look beyond the cement wall way in the back that is the apple orchard. I guess there was a late freeze last year so we have only found ONE apple! Sad day huh. Next season I guess.

The super cool, super huge back yard. We LOVE being out here!

My favorite part. The multi-colored carpet. The light is new, the blue was in the entire house except for the brown, indoor/outdoor that is in the kitchen. The brown and blue are going when we can put wood floors in. Nice huh. I bet you all want carpet like this now! :0)

Chloe's room. The colors will match the pictures on the wall, teal, pink brown, etc. The bedspread fits so it is on there for now. I also have some super cute fabric I'm going to make drapes out of. It will be way cute when it is done.

The boy's room. We are going to do a vintage airplane/ Wright brothers theme. Again, everything is a work in progess.

The front. The house is like 30 years old. We are excited for some eventual updates.

My super cute entry way. I found this birdcage at Hobby Lobby for $8.50! Love it!

The family room. Nice, comfy, casual. I didn't want this to be another formal living and it has so far worked out great. Again, I found some super cute fabric to make curtains and we are going to put bookcases on the wall where the chair is someday.

Kitchen and part of the great room. I'm loving having this one huge room!

Another view of the kitchen/great room.

We have lots of dreaming with this home. All of it is going to take a long while to accomplish but we are loving being able to dream. I'll add updated pictures as rooms get done.

Newest Addition

2010-07-20T14:06:00.003-06:00

Meet the newest member of our family. This is Jessi (we call her Jess). She is a Vizsla that joined our family the same day our stuff joined our new house. It was a pretty crazy weekend. Seth wasn't sure if his flight out of Durango was going to leave, the dog was already on a plane from Chicago and we had a garage full of our stuff that we needed to get. It all worked out and we are all totally in love with her. She is smart, cute and loads of fun (already so much like the other 3).

I told Seth that he was going to have to get up with HIS baby in the night since I got up with the other 3. Much to my dismay, she has only whined twice at the most, goes potty and right back to sleep.

The kiddos are really loving her and love to show her off!

And, when she isn't in her kennel, the kids have found a new use for it for me! Shhh, but sometimes I'd rather it be this way than the dog in here! ;)
She knows she is the baby around here. I found her outside asleep in the stroller the other day.

4th of July

2010-07-20T13:58:00.003-06:00

So, our 4th of July festivities weren't too exciting this year. Del and Lina came up and painted and we played some serious Catan (which, we can no longer do we will all end up hating each other, pretty intense stuff). We did the traditional cookout with homemade ice cream. We had sparklers for the kids and then met some people from the ward down the road to watch the fireworks. What can I say, when everything you own except for the kitchen stuff is in boxes, its hard to want to celebrate much. We did have fun though and even though we didn't celebrate, we are so thankful for this country, our freedoms and those men and women that have and are serving to help keep it that way. God bless America!

Best Kids Ever

2010-06-02T19:07:00.002-06:00

I need to write this. Not only for me to remember but for them to someday when they are all teenagers, to look back and see how much they really love each other!

Before Seth left today he loved on each of the kids and told Logan that he was going to have to take daddy's place for a few weeks. He needed to be mom's big helper and best listener.

Tonight after making a quick cheese crisp for dinner for the kids, I needed to run upstairs and do something on the computer for Seth who was driving to New Mexico. Chloe didn't have a nap and was quite upset that she was being handed a cheese crisp with white cheese and not yellow (it was all I had). Anyway, I left her in tears and ran upstairs. On my way I heard Logan say, "Chloe, I know you don't want that cheese but it is really yummy. Do you want to race a bite? Look, I'm eating it too." Again tonight after scriptures and prayers I sent the kids to bed. I started to give Mason a bath and once again heard this sweet boy say to his sister, "Chloe, good night. Did you get your teeth brushed? Love you." For the millionth time today, I cried.

Now, just because we have these sweet moments of peace and love doesn't mean our entire day works out this way. However, among the crying and begging for daddy, my relief comes in a 6 month old 18 pound bundle of slobber, smiles, spit and giggles. Sweet, sweet Mason boy knows when to laugh and when to grin and it is always when his mommy needs it most.

Heavenly Father has blessed us with these three awesome kids. They are rowdy, funny, smart, busy, crazy and sometimes more than I can handle but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Commencement

2010-06-02T14:30:00.003-06:00

Funny how such beginnings can seem like huge endings. We celebrated graduation on Friday the 28th of May. Well, it actually started on Thursday with a nice dinner put on by the school and a fabulous paper weight given to the graduates by the alumni association. This was also the awards ceremony where Seth was honored with the Pig Jaw Suturing Award. I was so proud!

That night continued for me with heading down to the church to decorate for the luncheon that we were doing. In bed at 1am and up at 6am (with LITTLE) sleep in between and up and out the door for the big day. Before going into that however, HUGE shout out to our parents that made mad dash trips up just to be here. Moms and dads, we hope you know how grateful we are for all of your love and support and your willingness to come. We are so blessed with such awesome parents. Tyrell, it wouldn't have been the same without as well. We are glad we could help you get your xbox fix while you were here ;)!

Anyway, I must say that the school did a great job with the Dental School graduation. Short, sweet, and really nice. The coolest part I think was that Seth's dad was able to "hood" him (the purple thing around his neck). Since his dad is a doctor, he got to do it. That was the first cap and gown (and the last now that I think about it) that his dad has ever worn. Funny huh. He didn't even go to his own graduation.

Now our house echos, the walls are empty and the garage is full of boxes (way too many boxes). Seth left today for New Mexico and the kids and I will follow in about two weeks. We all have so many emotions right now. This change is good but very bitter-sweet. We are excited to start this new adventure but sad to leave our family in Colorado behind. That being said, I will not make this my final Colorado post. I'm sure these next two weeks will bring some excitement that will be blogging worthy!

Family Pictures

2010-06-02T14:05:00.002-06:00

I only have 3 words to say about these: LOVE SHELLEY DEAN!

The BIG 4

2010-04-13T10:46:00.008-06:00

Holy Moly! I cannot believe that this boy is 4! We had a camping themed birthday party with his friends on Saturday and it was so much fun! Here are some pictures of the event, again in no particular order!

We let the kids go "fishing" in the "lake". Really, we put gold fish in the pool and they all got to take their fish home as a party favor ;)! This was a huge hit and everybody loved it!

We did lots of running around outside like a bunch of little crazies!

And of course, a camping cake! This was actually pretty fun to make!

And he made out like a bandit!

Don't forget the hot dog roast over the fire pit!

It was so much fun! EVERYONE (even Seth and I) had an absolute blast! So worth it! Here are some landmarks for Logan at 4!

4 Favorites:
Food: Hot dogs
Color: green
Thing to do: Play with his guns (surprise surprise)
Song: Tears on the face (I Know that My Savior Loves Me)

4 Reasons We Love Him:
1. He's funny
2. He's smart
3. He's such a good helper
4. Loves to hang out with us!

Sweet sweet Logan boy. We love you so much!