The toy box

For the first year of a childs life I don't believe they really need a lot of toys, but with Lexie's birthday and Christmas being just 2 days apart, I knew that would quickly change. So for the past month and a half, one section of her room looked like this...

While we waited patiently for this to be built...

Her room is still very crowded, but at least now we have someplace to put all the toys. I asked my dad to build it for her birthday. He's so talented when it comes to building and creating something, but along with that talent comes pickyness. (nice word, I know) It's true. He's the pickiest man I know when it comes to certain things. And especially things he makes for other people. Which is why we just barely got it.

Thanks Dad!! I love it! And so does Lexie.

Meet Blake

Blake Charles Heath

was born January 20, 2010

at 7:43 in the morning

Weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce

and measuring 19 inches

We of course have been sick and with the hospital rules haven't even been able to hold him yet. Aaaggh! I'm dying. There's something about a brand new baby...I just love it. He's adorable, and like I said, I cannot wait to hold him, smell him, and love on him.

Congrats Dave & Mel 

What a way to spend a Saturday!

If I was smart, I would have started a book 3 years ago when Cutler was born. By now I could probably be on Volume 3 because of all the crazy, unbelievable things he does. One minute the boy has my blood just boiling and in a split second he can have me laughing. I guess at least he has a personality. It might not be a good thing it's the same as my dad's though.

*If you want the extremely short version...scroll to the bottom.*

Here's the scoop. We have an R.V. cleanout on the side of our house. I'm thinking that one time either when Colby moved the trailer, or just parking there he drove over the cleanout cap and broke it. Well, that opened up this great opportunity for Cutler to 'explore' as my neighbors like to call it. You can see in the back of the picture a big pile of rocks. They're the neighbors, but Cutler loves to play with them. He took the cap off the cleanout and dropped some rocks down. I'm not sure how many. At one point I know they were to the top. Colby got as many as he could out, and we hoped it was good enough that it wouldn't make our sewer back up into our house...WRONG!!

On Saturday morning I was in the shower and noticed the water draining slowly and bubbling. I knew it wasn't suppose to do that, so when I got out I told Colby. I kind of thought maybe it was just clogged from my hair (too much information? maybe.) Gross, I know. A little bit later Cutler came in to potty and when we flushed it didn't flush. That got me thinking to when Colby made the comment..."I hope that doesn't back up into our house one day." So being the curious one that I am, I went and flushed the other toilet. TaDa...the same thing. I immediately went outside to let Colby know that all the water was staying in the house.

Ok, long story. We made a few phone calls, the one I like was to my dad who immediately came to our rescue. They had to dig this hole, which ended up being bigger than they thought, to get to the bottom of the pipe so they could get to all the rocks. What a mess!

4 Jimmy John's sandwiches, $40 in supplies, 6 hours, and a wet/dry vac full of poop later...We have pipes that drain!!! Yeah!

Thanks to my dad who seriously is the best handyman ever, and Colby who is learning...not really by choice, but I think he knows he's going to have to fix a lot of things with Cutler around.

Happy Birthday...

to my mom!

We hope you had a very. happy. birthday!

Christmas 2009

WoW! I was really bad at taking pictures this year. I think I was just so crazy scatter brained that I didn't really think about it. Sad. Now I'm kicking myself in the butt.

We started off our holiday with our annual Christmas Eve lunch at Pizza Factory with the Danjanovich's. Yummy as ever, and boy did we get full. About 3 hours later we went to my parents' for a super yummy prime rib dinner, games, a movie, and the kids all got to open their Christmas jammies.

Then it was off to our house to set out the cookies and milk, and the key to the front door. We don't have a chimney you know, so he has to have some way to get inside.

*Christmas morning*

Noah driving his r/c truck

Cutler wanted a rhino, but Santa didn't have any left. I don't think it really matters because he loves this jeep.

Between Christmas & a birthday this girl doesn't need anything. I think she pretty much got it all.

Noah made this calendar for me at school.

Lexie got to play the baby Jesus in the Labrum nativity. She was sick, which is why she looks so cute. I guess at least she kind of looks like a boy.

We actually did things a little different this year, and let me just say we loved it. I'm going to be brutally honest here, so if you don't think you can handle this, then skip it. We (Colby & I) very much dislike Christmas day. It's alwasy so 'wake up...Santa came...hurry up...open your presents...it's time to go...no time to play with your brand new toys...maybe later'...ugh! Our kids are getting old enough that we want them to really enjoy Christmas and actually get to see what they got that morning. And not have to wait until the day after to really get to check things out and play with their stuff. With 3 families to see in one day, it doesn't leave much time to enjoy what is actually going on. So this year, we let the boys come in to us, we opened presents, played as we opened, talked about the presents, and actually enjoyed ourselves. After we were done at our house we went to my parents, on the way over there, Noah said something that meant more to me than anything else the entire day, he said "that was the first year ever that we got to play with our toys before we had to leave." The simple fact that he realized that every year we hurry up and rush out the door just to get to the next person's house made me sad. So after this year, we like Christmas again!

December recap

December came and went, and seriously...where did it go? Besides it already being the busiest month of the year, we had family in town to see, a party to plan, and Christmas to be had. We survived and are finally going to tell about it. And in no particular order.

The leaves all finally fell off the neighbors tree. Hey, who needs a rake when you can use the blower?!

My brother Shan's family was in the live nativity out at Tuacahn so the boys and I braved the freezing cold and went to watch. I love doing that every year, it's one of the things that helps us remember the important part of Christmas.

Ok, so I didn't get any pictures of them in the show with my camera, but the boys thought this part was super cool.

Noah was a wise man in our ward Christmas party Nativity. For about 10 seconds Cutler was a sheep.

We celebrated my Grandma Carter's 80th birthday for our family Christmas party. It's always so much fun to see all of our family.

Lexie figured out she could crawl under the tree to the back corner where nobody could get to her. It was one of her favorite places to go.

Another attempt at kids' pictures. We actually did get a pretty cute one. Just imagine...10 kids...7 years old and younger...10:00 in the morning...40 degrees...outside. It took coming back in the afternoon to finally get something.

And we had a baby shower for Melanie. Here are all the little girls together. Hallie 15 months, Reese 13 months, Lexie 11 months.

one year old

Our little sweetheart is ONE year old. Man, time flies. Prepare yourself for a picture overload...I just thought she was so cute.

First, we took her pictures in Sherie's dress. She wore it, her girls all wore it, and now the granddaughters have all worn it when they turned one. Lexie is very lucky gramma Sherie shared this with her.

Second...the birthday party!!

We transformed the house into a Winter One-derland. It was oh so cute, and wintery.

We got her this chair and she just climbed right up into it and thought it was the greatest thing ever. She still loves it so that's a good thing!

Opening presents

The Cake. Thank you gramma Sherie and aunt Stefanie.

This is about as much as she 'dove' into it.

the yummy cupcakes. Thanks again to aunt Stef.

Stats:

Weight: 17 lbs. 1 oz.  2%

Height: 29 inches  43%

*She is getting 2 more teeth right now. The next top ones.

*Loving the bink more and more.

*Not sleeping so well right now, but I'm convinced it's the teeth.

*Started throwing up in the night on Christmas Eve. Continued one or two times a day for the next 2 days.

*Will only walk if she's holding your fingers with both hands.

*Has to be rocked to sleep.

*Says mama, dada, and be (for bear)

*She absolutely loves a soft bear, dog, or baby. And has to have one to love as soon as she gets out of bed.

*Still very serious.

*And starting to throw tantrums if she gets mad enough.

*She's a total momma's girl. But loves her dad so much she gets shy when he comes around her.

*Loves to play with a phone.
*She's the cuddliest little girl ever...and we all love to take advantage of it.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Sunday

Video from Santa

My friend Jessica had this on her blog, so I went to it and it was so awesome!! Go here to make a video for your child from Santa. It's so cute. I haven't shown my kids yet(they're already in bed) but I'm sure they will totally love it.

Underwear and no shoes!

Typical Santa picture. I love it!

Sorry, but ya get the stories too. #1 - For weeks now the kids have been telling us what they want for Christmas, and it's always the same things. Well for some reason we finally get to tell Santa what's on 'the list' and Cutler goes from a rhino clown car(4-wheeler rhino. the clowns drive them in the rodeo...whatever), to a green t-rex and underwear. I have NO idea where the underwear came from...but it's funny. Noah wants a r/c truck & r/c helicopter, and battleship. Lexie wants all things 'girly'. We only have boy toys at our house.

#2 - I decided to take the kids to get their picture during the day right after Noah got home from school, thinking the line wouldn't be very long. Lexie wouldn't keep one of her shoes on, she's figured out the velcro and loves to play with it. Anyway, I took the shoe off to make sure I didn't lose it. So we walk all the way through the dang forever long festival and get to Santa. They tell me I have to have a number and the wait is 30-40 minutes. I didn't know how I was going to entertain the kids for that long, so I debated just coming back later. As I'm debating, I realize Lexie has lost her other shoe. Holy crap!(as Cutler would say - which I'm pretty sure he did) So Janet takes Cutler and walks all the way back through to try and find it. While they're gone, the photographer tells me I can get my pictures because nobody else was waiting. Wull...Now I don't have all my kids!! Twice, they tell me. Finally, they come back, no shoe. Sad. So Lexie got her picture with no shoes . On our way back out, I just had to keep looking for it. That was the first time she had even worn them. I kept looking under the tables, and behind into the booths thinking someone had kicked it, not knowing. It finally hit me to look up on things, and as we came around a corner, it was sitting on a table. HALLELUJAH! 

This happened at the Jubilee of Trees, too. We looked and looked and finally found it on an easel. Someone had put it up there for us to find, thankfully!