Over due!

I know a post is long overdue! Now that we have a camera, I will be more likely to post as there will be pictures to go along with everything! I will start with Thanksgiving. It was a stressful time. We had just moved into our a house a week and a half before and everyone decided we should do it here. So we had to shove stuff away, and it's still shoved! The night before, our sink started leaking and it had been backing up a bit anyway- so no sink on Thanksgiving made things hard! Mom and Bob, Dad, Cam and Ryan and her kids and Kade and Rose and Maddox came, as well as Grandma Fran. Dinner was good, and it was nice to be here since we have been in Utah for the last 2 or 3.
Next come Black Friday! Rose talked me into going to Bozeman with her, and it was a great choice! We spoiled ourselves and got a new TV as we have been using a tiny 12-inch for quite some time. We got a great deal, and it's a super nice TV. We got a new camera, and then a bunch of things for the kids. They have such great deals, but I was upset, as Walmart decided to do things differently. In the past, they do not allow people to get anything until 5:00 AM. This year, all but the big stuff was free game, which meant anyone standing in line for big stuff didn't get any of the little stuff except the scant few items left over. I had planned on getting McKie a bunch of PJ's and track suits as they were all $3 and he is wearing PJ's that go half-way up his shins. But, alas, I was unable to get as many as I wanted. So Walmart was crazy, then we went to Target, Old Navy, the mall (JOANNS) and then went back to grab 1 hour of sleep before returning to Byron. It was so much fun and we had a good talk and listened to a great audiobook on the way.


The day after that, Saturday, was not a good day! Jaran and I had started a movie the night before on our new TV and decided to try and finish it while the kids watched a movie downstairs. BAD IDEA! Why? Because McKie comes upstairs and says: "Oh you are going to be so mad at Ansleigh!" She walks in and looks like this:

Turns out McKie had done it because "Sissy wanted me to cut her hair." I cried for about an hour and decided I needed to fix it quick since family pictures were supposed to be later that day. I called up Lacey and got Madison's number so I could go get some bows and things. She saved the day! And Ans looks close to normal with the headbands on!

We have loved our new house. It has so much more room and the kids are a lot happier here. It's amazing the difference I see in McKie since moving in here. He doesn't get into as much trouble at school and he goes to sleep at night. It might have to do with the fact that they can literally run around and burn energy.... where with the last place they could barely walk!
We had a great vacation, just Jaran and I.

We haven't been on a vacation since our honeymoon 6 1/2 years ago, and he had a good month at work, so he decided since we have been telling ourselves for 3 years that we would take a vacation- we did! We booked a 4-day cruise out of LA. Calli stayed here with the kids, and we left on Friday, the 4th of Dec. to Utah so we could go to Jaran's friend Justin's wedding on Saturday. It was weird waking up without kids bugging you for juice or a cartoon... although Jaran got up at his usual time and insisted that everyone else should also be awake. We went to Kendra and Joseph's for a bit, and I got my nails done. I only do this when in Utah, because it's only $20! I love it! So we got to the wedding, and since we were there so early, I offered to help set up.

It's amazing that we were there early, as we're usually late, but kids tend to delay you, so we had a bunch of time without them there. I helped put flower petals down the isle and then helped make the centerpieces a little more snazzy.

The ceremony was nice, and it was awesome to be there with Justin and Amy on their special day. She looked beautiful, and you could tell they were both so happy!

Jeremy and Camary came and we had a nice time chatting.

Then we went back to the Baker castle and watched 300 with Jeremy and Camary, since she had never seen it before. We watched Loyal's edited version, so the bums and boobs were out!
Sunday we went over to Jaran's brother Justins and visited with him and his wife, Liann. It was a nice visit, and we watched a little bit of "Hoarders" while we were there. It was sad to see all these people who feel like they have to keep everything. One dude wouldn't get rid of his dog's hair that he had brushed off of him cause he said it made him feel like he didn't love the dog if he threw it away... weird.
So Monday morning, bright and early, Loyal took us to the airport so we could start our journey. While sitting on the airplane, a man dressed with a hat and many rings came and asked if he was in the right row... and low and behold- it was.... wait for it.... Joe Pantoliano! He sat next to Jaran on the ride to LA, and he was a very nice man. A genuinely cool dude and talked to us for quite a while. He was great and let us take some pictures with him at the Baggage area.


He was recently over in Iraq doing a documentary about how it's okay to talk about your problems. He suffers from Depression and wanted to make others feel like it's okay to share their feelings, as it has helped him quite a lot. So go check out his website:
www.NKM2.org

Okay folks... I'm going to have to do another post about the vacation cause I need to go get in the shower before I have to go get Kies and run to drop some papers off in Powell! Take Care!

Happy Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! So I got nominated to have Thanksgiving at my house. Yes, we just moved in last week, yes we have a ton still to do, but we put it all in our storage room in the basement and cleaned up. While finishing the cleaning process last night, our sink started leaking in the kitchen. Since we moved in it has been draining very slowly... well it was a big mess, and Jaran tried to fix it, but we're going to have to hire a professional to fix it. So we're doing dinner here at 1 and we are going to have to wash in the bathtub... awesome... yeah...
On a brighter note- we're having a sale at Who's Got the Button! It's a BLACK FRIDAY SALE only going on tomorrow- so go check it out! Love to all, and have a great day!

http://whosgotthebutton.shopping.officelive.com/default.aspx

Take Care!

Website!

There is so much to update about, but I'm going to start with some pics.






So Ranee` is awesome, and she put together a website for us to sell our crafty-crafts on! It's still under construction, but it is coming together quite nicely! Please go over and check it out! You know you can always let us know if you want special orders too... but still- go check it out NOW!
http://whosgotthebutton.shopping.officelive.com/
Go- seriously, go now... now.... NOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!
Take Care!

So many things!

So I feel bad that I'm such a blogging slacker. I used to get mad when people would wait more than a couple days... now I wait a couple weeks or more before I update. SORRY! So much has happened since I last posted. I got accepted to college! Wasn't hard- just turned in my transcripts and applied, but was still cool to get the acceptance letter in the mail this morning.

I'm going to start school in January and get my nursing degree. Wish me luck there! I also took a trip to Utah and got... wait for it... a BRAND NEW CAR!!! Okay, so it's not brand new. It's almost 10 years old, but it's in super great shape for the mileage. Jaran's bro, Jeremy, hooked us up, as he has a car dealership in Utah. So for anyone that needs a great car, let me know and I will hook you up! We've been needing a new car since the end of June, so it was fantastic to get a van again. Hmm... after we got home, a few days were spent at home before Brens, Ans, Calli and I took off to Gardiner to watch Kalee on her Senior night. Not a good subject to get me on. Why? one might ask. Let me tell you. Kalee is 5'11", and has a killer spike. She played 1/2 of the first game, then the coach sent in a JV player in her place. She did nothing wrong, in fact didn't even miss ONE hit, so this was confusing to me. Come to find out, the coach has been doing this all season long. On SENIOR NIGHT she put in a SOPHOMORE in her place, and Kalee sat on the bench and cried. She has NO IDEA why the coach keeps doing this, because the coach doesn't tell her if she's doing something wrong, or if she just wants to stay in the good graces of the higher-ups of the school by playing their Sophomore daughter. Needless to say, I had to be restrained from giving the coach a piece of my mind before leaving for the night. I was steamed to say the least. We were the coolest people there that night, and all of Kalee's friends told us so. And it's all because of this:

It says: Kalee rocks my (small socks pinned on in place of the word socks) off!
We also did bandana's... let me see if I can find a pic of that...

I've been busy crafting as well. While at Steph's in Gardiner, she showed me the picture frames she's been making and I decided that, I too, should be making these. So here are my first 5:


I also decided to make my Mom a calendar for her birthday. This way she never has to put birthdays and anniversaries on her calendar, it's permanently on her wall... of course I'll write them all in for her, and I will post a pic of when it's all done.

I'm sure there are many other things that I have failed to talk about, such as how dance is going, and things of that nature, but those will have to wait until another post. Take Care!

I love great deals!

So I got $64.93 worth of clothes for Ansleigh for next year for $16.49... a total of $48.43 savings! 5 shirts and 6 pairs of shorts! I love when I get a great deal... so if anyone needs to get summer clothes for their little ones for next year, hurry to Kmart! Take Care!

Accident Prone?

So in a six day span, Kies sprayed himself in the face with Pepper Spray, Kies hit Brensyn with a car flag and gave him a bloody nose, and Brensyn pushed his sister off the bed and gave her a black eye. Is it a chain of retaliation or is it just that we are a very accident prone family? I don't know!
Dance started last week, and I am very excited. I think the girls are excited too. I am working on making a blog for the team so that I don't have to send letters out if I need to tell the parents anything. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to find some choreography, cause I'm not having any inspiration right now. I think I will try youtube... even though last time I did it wasn't a pretty thing!
Sorry it's not a very interesting post- just wanted to update something! Take Care!

Gratitude

Today I watched my step-brother and his wife lay to rest their little boy, and my heart is truly broken. At the same time, it makes me so grateful for the little souls who have been given to me to guard, protect, teach and love. Our Heavenly Father truly has a hand in all things! When you stop and think about all the things that could go wrong in a pregnancy and take away such a precious little life, it's obvious that He is watching over you and blessing you every step of the way. It is amazing to watch all of the different things that go on during a trial such as this. It brings people together and reminds you of all the blessings you have. It also shows how much people can care for you and want to help, even if they don't know you. Calli and I have decided that we have more people pass away in our family than anyone else! I know that's not true, but maybe it is just the closeness that we have in our family. In the last 2 years, we have lost Grandma Jean, Amee, Aunt Vi, Uncle Ron, and now little Kayson Robert. It's great to know, however, that those that have passed are waiting to welcome home those we lose. It's different to lose someone that you have known forever, and then to lose someone that you haven't gotten the chance to love, and yet loving them anyway. Marie told me what a comfort my Mom has been during this time, having gone through the same thing herself so many years ago. It seems that blessing can sometimes come in strange ways, and I am thankful to Heavenly Father for knowing all that we need. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. And thank you all for being great friends! I have realized how much I complain these days, and I'm trying to start changing for the better! I love you all- Take Care!

Birthday party, painting and pepper spray

Happy birthday do my wonderful husband! We had a nice day, and seeing how it was Stake conference, and our children can't even make it through Sacrament without causing major problems, we skipped church- I know, don't judge;)! So I woke up and made Jaran breakfast of french toast and eggs with homemade cherry syrup. After that, I tried cleaning the house while the kids went behind me and messed it up again. I tore open my toe while moving the dishwasher to the sink to hook it up(it's portable) and while making some pasta salad, I was stirring the pasta with a fork and stuck the tip of my finger in the boiling water! GRRR I hate steam! Anyway- last night before I went to bed I made Jaran a huge b-day card and put up Happy Birthday signs all over the house. You see, if there is a movie on, it lulls him to sleep so I had ample time to do all of this. The kids made him cards this morning and it was so darn cute!


Daddy gave them big hugs, even though they didn't have pants on!
Then he pretty much watched football all day. While I got into the shower(finally) Kies decided to climb up on top of the fridge and get my pepper spray from Dallas. What did he do? Spray it right in his eyes. So Jaran brought him into the shower and we tried to spray him off, but he was spazzing out.

So Jaran tried to hold him down while I dripped saline into his eyes. Even after doing it to myself to show him it wouldn't hurt, he didn't think it was a good idea. We told him his eyes would die and fall out if he didn't let us wash them. So after fighting and yelling and trying to restrain him against his will, I filled up the tub and let him just lay in my lap and calm down and try talking to him rationally.

It sort of worked and I got some saline in his eyes. He has super sensitive skin and I hope that people don't think we beat him, cause he might have a few bruises show up from where we were trying to hold his hands away from his eyes.

He's fine now and super proud of his battle wounds on his face- such a weird little boy;)! After the ordeal was over I finished showering quickly and we headed to Mom and Bob's where they BBQ'd some pork and HUUUUUUGE King Crab legs for Jaran.

We had some guests in the form of family to share in with the festivities. It was super good, and we topped it off with chocolate cake from Costco- if you have never tried it- you must go do so at your earliest convenience. It will truly change your life! Jaran has been busy with the house he's building and this is what he looked like after painting all day!




Well I know that was hit and miss, but I'm super tired and it's time for sleepy time!

Super Sad News- Need Prayers!

Most of you know my step-brother, Dustin (Bob's son), and his wife Marie. They were expecting their 4th child and the baby was due in the middle of October. While visiting at Mom and Bob's house, they were having fun and feeling the baby's little bum moving around. Marie started feeling some sharp pains and decided to go home and rest. A little while later, the pains got much worse and they headed to the Emergency Room. They found out that her placenta had torn, and that they needed to do an emergency C-section, which she has to have to deliver her babies. Little Kayson Robert Acton was 7lbs 11oz, even being almost a month early. He was a perfect little boy with a perfect little face, but didn't get to take even one little breath. My Mom said that he looks just like their little boy, Kail, and that he was so beautiful. She said it was a hard thing to see Dustin and Marie go through, as she went through something very similar. Bob also lost a son, Rob, when we was young from Spinal Meningitis, so they both struggled more than most probably would to hold it together for them. Marie is now home, and her sister and mom are helping with their kids and trying to keep their spirits up. They need everyones prayers, as this is understandably a hard time for all. I hope and pray that they can make it through this trial and that we can all help them do so. Take Care!

Go Pokes!

That's right- I'm off to the great big open. Kade called a few weeks ago and asked if I would go with him and Rose to Laramie to sell his WYOGEAR for the big game. So we are headed out today, and as long as the trip is, I'm super excited! I haven't been to Laramie since 2001, and it's going to be a fun time with all the crazy Pokes! Can't wait! Take Care!

Till you drop

Well, I have decided to do dance again this year. Now that I know what more to expect I think things will be a lot more organized, and that's something we definitely need! Although, yesterday was a bit of a mess. I called Vana at the rec to go and get my uniform magazine and she said she would be there all day. So I left and stopped there first, and she wasn't there. So I went over to the school to drop off the sign-up sheets and put up signs, and then I went back... still wasn't there. We got out of the car and Brens and Ans played on the playground for a while. We were even there when the siren went of that they test and the kids were so scared cause it was right there and we had to plug our ears in order to remain hearing. So we were there for over an hour, and no Vana. So I left and called to give her a message. She called later saying she had some errands to run. That's why I had called before I left, so I would know if she was going to be gone. GRRR!!! Then Cam was going to pick it up on her way to volleyball, but she was running later, so she didn't get there. So I am going to have to go back today to get it so I can have the uniforms picked out by next Wednesday- our first get together. Wish me luck, and if anyone would be willing to help, I need a helper! Take Care!

Hmm... Beware- graphic sickness language involved!

I think I might do what Lauren did to her blog and just block the pictures from being copied... Lauren, will you let me know how you do it?
So, yesterday, Jaran took a break from work(yes he was working on Labor day, is anyone surprised?) so I could go to Cody to get the shopping done at Walmart, kid-free. It was a miserable trip! Somewhere between Byron and Powell I got a large object in my tire, and when I stopped at Maverik for a drink, a man told me it was completely flat. So I went to O'Reilly's and got some green slime to fill it till I could get it repaired in Cody. That took some time and when I finally got there, the chic said they couldn't repair it with the slime so wet still... so I asked for an oil change while I shopped... while she was getting my info, a guy came over and she asked if they could repair it with the slime and he said yes... but that the tire was too bald to repair. So I asked them to replace it. The chic took my information down, took down the tire size, and I signed the thing and went in to shop. I got everything I needed and headed to the check out. I asked the man to do two separate tickets since I was getting things for primary, but he didn't... then I requested $20 cash back, and didn't realize until I got back to the auto dept. that he hadn't given it to me. So I told them about it while they were ringing me up. The total was only $40 so I asked if they repaired the tire instead of replacing it. NO- they didn't do anything to it... even though on the slip it said- tire too damaged to repair. So they said that I had to go to customer service to get my cash back, so I went up there and they said they'd take care of the tire. When I got back, they said I had to replace 2 tires, and I said that was fine, but how long would it take? 20 minutes, she said. So I told her to go ahead. She said it would be $140 for the tires. So I sat and waited... and waited... and waited. An hour and a half later, they said it was done. Half the time I watched out the window and nobody was even working on my car- I was so angry, cause by this time, Jaran had told me Ansleigh was throwing up. So I knew I needed to get home, plus I had a bunch of groceries just sitting there that needed to be in the fridge. So I went to check out and they said the total was $160, so after them watching me pace back and forth for 4 times the amount of time they said- and me saying- I thought it was only $140- they took some charges off and it was only $135. So I finally got home to find that McKie was also throwing up. Not long after that, Brensyn also started in on it all. McKie seemed to have the worst of it, but after Dad and Jaran gave him a blessing, there was no more vomiting from any of them! It was a long night, as Kies was in bed with me, Brensyn and Jaran were in the living room, and Ans in her own bed, as she seemed to be done with it. So I woke up every time Kies moved, and needless to say, I am exhausted this morning. The pukes happened about every 10 minutes per kid... and I estimated I emptied puke buckets 27 times! YUCK! But they are all on the mend and we are off to Powell to get some carpet cleaning liquid so we can borrow Cam's carpet cleaner so we don't smell like vomit! Sorry for the nastiness of this post! Take Care!

Private?

I just read about people taking kids' pictures and putting them on child pornography sites, and that is definitely not something that I want to take a chance of happening. I need to know if you would like to still be able to look at my blog. If only a few of you read it, it will be easy for me! So please, if you are interested in viewing my blog, please let me know by giving me your email. You can comment or email me at: jsmbbaker@yahoo.com thanks- Take Care!

PS- I posted 5 posts and I only got 3 comments, so I'm assuming nobody even reads my blog anymore!

Kies is in Kindergarten!!!

There are about 5 other posts below... maybe only 4, but be sure to check them out!

Can you all believe my little man is going to school ALL DAY LONG? It's been only 2 days, and it's been a weird couple at that, but I think that it's all going to be awesome! The first day he had an accident at recess, and I think it was cause everything was so new and he was a bit out of his element. He didn't seem to be bothered when he got home, so I'm not too worried about it being a problem. After school, he had soccer, and he was supposed to be done around 4:15. Jaran went to get him and Taylin and they weren't there.

He went to the coaches house and found out that he had let them out early cause nobody wanted to practice (which was SO not okay with me, you can't just let K and 1st graders out on their own if their parents don't know about it!) and that he thought they went home with Lana Brimhall... so he tracked her down and she had tried taking them to Mom's, but she wasn't home so they just hung out with her and her kids at home. Thanks Lana for helping out! So then today he had everything he needed, and I sent a note explaining he tends to hold going to the bathroom until he can't hardly hold it, and that they might want to remind him every now and then. Also, I told them that he needed to go ahead and stay after school for Soccer. They didn't get the note, however, so Kies got on the bus and came home. Mom called and told me he wasn't at practice and that he had probably gotten on the bus... so I called Jaran as the kids were still napping. He got there just as dear Mick Esquivel was about to call us and tell us he was there. So wires have been crossed and hopefully from now on things will go more smoothly! His first soccer game is tomorrow and I think he is super excited! Wish us luck! Take care!

Accident Prone

My dear husband seems to be a little bit accident prone. I think I will try and list all of his injuries since I've known him.

1) His ACL injury during church ball a week after we met
2) He has had numerous cuts on his head and right between his eyes from running into beams at work.... you would think if it's right between your eyes you wouldn't run into it, but I guess not.
3) He broke his knee cap at work when he was cleaning up after a snow. He had forgotten they put a sheet of wood down to cover and hole and he was picking it up and moving forward and fell right into it.
4) He sliced his finger open on a piece of broken bowl and had to get stitches.
5) At a house he was building, he walked off of a drop off thinking it was the side the stairs was on and cut his arm farely bad
6) He sliced his arm open twice while moving sheets into a house
7) He sliced his leg open falling off of a deck he was building
8) He sliced his leg open while carrying in doors on a piece of discarded metal to go on the corner where the sheet rock meets together... that is what the picture is of... he had to go get it glued and almost stitched
9) Tonight he got the biggest paper cut ever on his thumb... which will most likely cause some issues because of where it is at.
10) He shocked himself trying to get a power cord that was live out from under my mom's lawn mower
11) He tore his ACL again, after he got it fixed
12) These are not in chronological order... and I'm kind of tired of thinking of them all... I could probably add 80 more, but I don't have time!

Maddox is 5!

We took a trip to Bozeman for Maddox's birthday, and we had so much fun. I took a bunch of pics with Kade and Rose's camera, but I didn't get many on my phone, so this is what you get!
We also met with the people who are going to rent our home in Three Forks! I think it's all going to be great for us all, and we are so thankful to them! Wish us luck!

Feeling Left Out

Poor little Brensyn has been feeling left out lately. When we went to Billings a few weeks ago to do McKie's school shopping, I also got Ans some clothes for next year cause Sears was having and incredibly crazy sale. Poor little man looks at me and says, "Mommy, what did you get for me?" I felt like the biggest loser in the world and said that maybe I could get him a special treat for being so good. That worked for a while, but after we kept going into stores and getting things for Kies, his little face got more and more sad each time we returned with only things for Kies. So we went back to Sears to grab a couple more things, cause it had the best prices, and I got a shirt for him for $2. I also got him a Lightning McQueen backpack that he can pull on wheels, and that appeased him for a while. Then I was at Walmart and Mom was there and needed help picking things out so I went to the kids section to help her. She was buying things for birthdays, of which she said she has 9 in August to buy for, and she was also getting some things for Kies and some other kiddos for school. So again, he was saddened and she kindly picked him out an outfit and showed him that she wasn't leaving him out. When we got home he was sad we didn't have his special outfit, but since hadn't said anything. This morning I got the bag of clothes mom got for Kies and was going through it and found his outfit. I pulled it out to show him and his face lit up like it was Christmas morning. The picture above is the jersey she got... Jaran isn't very pleased, but Brensyn LOVES it! He's so excited to wear it to a football game... I hope he doesn't think he can ONLY wear it to the football games!

Happy Birthday Ansleigh! (a few days late)

To my sweet baby girl:
I can't believe that it's been 2 years since you came to join our family! I can't imagine life without you and your beautiful smile. You are such a joy to be around, even though you're starting to show the terrible twos are not a myth, but a condition that hits all children at the age of 2. Those gorgeous eyes of your seem to suck everyone in and make them love you instantly, and when they fill up with tears, it breaks my heart... even if you're being naughty and I am irritated with you, my heart melts at the sight of you.

You had such a nice birthday with family and friends there to share it with. Dollies are your new favorite thing, so Mommy, Daddy, Kies and Brens got you a little playset with a stroller, port-a-crib, bouncy seat, diaper bag and belly mat. Gma Barb got you a new dolly, and you don't go anywhere without her unless Mommy says no.

You got books, toys and clothes and you loved them as soon as we got home, but after opening a couple presents you were bored with it and Mommy had to hold you on her lap and MAKE you open the rest :)

Thank you for picking us to be your family, and me to be your Mommy!
I love you so much!

Hmm...

So I got called to be the Secretary in the Primary and it's going pretty well. I like to be involved and have a purpose, but not have as much responsibility as our wonderful President does. I have been pretty busy re-making lists and doing all sorts of things to try to help and improve the old system... although I'm not sure if that's happening!
Judd and Janessa came to visit for a few days, and it was so great seeing them again! As always, Janessa and I had some good laughs and Jaran delivered some nice and unforgettable pics for our memories! We did a BBQ on Saturday, and then went to Mom's and played some games. All I have to say is "SNAKE!" We went to eat with them at Chinese as well, which is always a good time.
I am really looking forward to school starting, and I think McKie is about at the same point. It's hard to keep him occupied when he is on such a different level than the other kids. Especially with the short attention span he has! Poor kid gets so bored that he tries doing things that he knows he shouldn't do so that I'll pay more attention to him cause he thinks he needs it all;)! He has been going to Cowley Monday- Wednesday from 8-12 and that has helped. The only problem is he gets a bit of an attitude when he gets back and tells me he "will NOT do that!" I really hope that he is good for his teacher, as he will probably push his limits. He is really a sweet boy when he wants to be, and I think he's just testing what he can get away with.
Brensyn has really started to be a sweet little boy. When McKie is at his activities in Cowley, Brens and Ans seem to be them most mellow kids ever. I think Kies has so much energy they feel they have to compete and it turns into a free-for-all and I go a little nuts. When it's just the two of them they will sit and color and help me with chores and watch a WHOLE Dora without causing any bodily harm- ha ha ha!!! He loves to sing and tell me- "Mom, I was being SO so SOOOO good!" Even if he was being a little Sheisty! He is, however, the MOST stubborn kid you will ever meet, and can test my patience with his refusal to answer questions when he gets mad. I have learned that rather than yell and scream to get an answer, I remove myself from his presence and wait until he's ready to talk again so we can move on.
Ansleigh is starting to prove she's almost 2! She is still a sweet little girl, but is picking up from her brothers how to throw fits. I think that we just need to teach her that throwing fits will not get you what you want and she may stop. With Brens and Kies, they play off of each other and she sees that they usually end up using each other to get things... so we're working on it! They really do play well together when it's something they can all agree on doing. They can be the sweetest to each other and the meanest, but they are great kids, and we love them!
Jaran is busy building Caleb and Lexi Sanders' house, and is getting a lot of praise for the work he's doing. I think he really enjoys being the general contractor and seeing things from beginning to end. He works so hard and does such a great job. The boys love going to work with him, and he is great enough to let them come and "help" which usually lasts for a couple-few hours cause they get bored, or they stop listening and get into trouble. The boys have loved Daddy catching them frogs, which are plentiful over there by the corn fields.
The Bakers and are happy and healthy and hoping to stay that way! Take Care!

Back to school

I just wanted to let you all know how pumped I am at the sales I hit up for Kies today. 1st of all- I can't believe how much it cost for school supplies! They were $31.29! We went to Billings to hit some garage sales, and ended up mostly empty handed... so we decided to try and find some good sales to get Kies some back to school clothes. Poor boy is growing so fast that his 5T pants are highwaters on him, and he just turned 5 in May! And he only has a handful of 5T shirts, most of the ones he has are 4T and they are just about to be belly shirts... in fact his favorites are already started to bare some drift! So I had heard that JC Penny's was having a back to school sale and that door busters were from 7-1 Saturday... so we were about to head that way, but decided to stop by Sears first at the West Park Plaza. Not sure why I did this, but thank goodness I did! We got a TON of clothing there for not very much at all... in fact I bought some stuff for Ansleigh for next summer too(poor Brensyn was feeling left out today). I ended up buying 1 pair of pants, 4 pairs of good shorts, 7 shirts and 1 full B-ball outfit(shirt and shorts) for $38.29. That's 14 items at an average of $2.74 per item!!!! YAY!!! At full price I would have paid $165.97! Then I went to Old Navy where the deals were not so bueno... spent $39.00 and only saved $29.00 but still saved a bunch! So all together We spent $108.58 and saved $156.68. I am pretty happy about the day... and we also saved on a pair of gym shoes for him, but I'm not going to pull those out and look how much they used to be... so just imagine the savings you could get going to Sears!!! I'm crazy and have been up since 5:30 so I need to go to bed now! Take Care!

tag

I've done this tag with McKie before, but Brensyns answers were hilarious!

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you and I draw a pretty picture

2. What makes mom happy? When you get cookies and put them in the milk and eat them

3. What makes mom sad? When you be naughty

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Do funny fings

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child? Play and go at the huntin place

6. How old is your mom? 5

7. How tall is your mom? All the way on the forehead

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV? Star Wars(so not true)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? I can't Member

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Because I will be mad at you

11. What is your mom really good at? Letting us go at Daddy's work

12. What is your mom not very good at? Monsters

13. What does your mom do for her job? When you let us at the park and that's work

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Umm........... Hot dog?

15. What makes you proud of your mom? Be happy

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Um I don't know I can' fink

17. What do you and your mom do together? sit in chairs and eat

18. How are you and your mom the same? You are the same

19. How are you and your mom different? I am white and you are brown(HA HA HA HAHA)

20. How do you know your mom loves you? when I be nice you love me

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? because you love him so much

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? At the parade and the parade and the parade

So much, so little time (and patience)

I have so much to blog about! I'm not really sure where to start... so I'll just go back to Dallas and start there. I apologize if it gets long and boring!

I left at the end of April and traveled the lonely road solo in the Grand Am. Here are some illustrations!

Super flat and boring most of the way!

Windmill Alley- this was for miles... kind of freaky to think what might happen if one fell onto the road!

It was too dark when I got to Colorado to take a pic, so here's the Oklahoma sign!

And Texas... was only in OK for about 45 minutes!

And the new scenery in Texas... not much better, eh?

Amarillo by morning... or afternoon!

We supposedly got the AC fixed before we left, but that was a lie. Shown above: the window open and me being hot and sad!


The scary sky!

The view off of the back of the apartment- the golf course right behind the apartment.

Sonic is everywhere in Texas!
So things in Texas were hard, but good. I met some really cool people and learned how hard missionaries must have to work... except I didn't have to do it all day. When the kids finally got down to Texas, Jaran and I took them to the zoo before he went home. It was a fun time! I will do more later... but it's time to get stuff done around here! Take Care!