Gingerbread Houses

Frei Family Gingerbread making was a success once again! I am all about traditions and this is one of my favorites.  I know Christmas just wouldn't be the same unless we made Gingerbread's at Grandpa Dennis'. It is a huge mess, and a lot of work but we are getting smarter when it comes to construction. This year we hot glued all the houses together and Bradi found this little village which turned out to be the perfect size for each child to decorate. Even Addie made her very own. She was into it a lot more than I thought she would be, she gave her house a wreath, bushes, a gumball roof and even added a deer for effect! It was fun to watch her create it all on her own. (I just placed frosting where I was told!) The boys did great too! It was a fun night spent with family!

Gingerbread Train with Dad and a Concert...

Carlee had her 2 month check up on the morning that Preston was making a Gingerbread Train at school. Thank goodness Gavin was happy to go in my place and help him make this really cute train! Preston was so happy he went, he came home and told me all about it. He said "Dad even read us a story, and he was the only Dad there!" I am so thankful Gavin is so involved in our kids lives, I don't know what I would do without him. Great job boys!

The PTA had a Santa Breakfast and the 2nd Grader's were invited to sing. We all went to the school had a fun breakfast, and watched Landon sign.  He did great! Gotta love that hat! ;o)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same with out a Turkey Bowl to start out the morning. This year it was unusually cold on Thanksgiving, it was FREEZING when they left at 8:00 am to go play. They still had fun though. Gavin was pretty sore when he got to Thanksgiving dinner. Next year he might want to start training for the Turkey Bowl a few weeks before!

We had dinner at Grandma's house this year and it was nice. It was great to be with both of them especially because of all Grandpa has been through this year. We played our annual card game after dinner. Gavin took all the kids home and took a nap... I think he needed it more than the kids did! Then we went to Ken and Katie's for the evening. It was a great Thanksgiving.  I think it just might be my favorite holiday! Well, it comes in a close second to Christmas. Which is only a couple days away! Yea!!

2 Months

Carlee was 2 months old on November 22nd. (She will be 3 months tomorrow...think I'm a little behind!) Her second month of life was so fun! She is a darling little thing. Her first smile was for Gavin at about 5 1/2 weeks. Now she smiles and coo's all the time. She loves mornings and is so happy when she wakes up. She likes her swing and loves to ride in the car. If she is crying or fussy all I have to do is get in the car and before we even leave the driveway she has quit. Her hardest time is still in the evening. She gets a pretty fussy right about the time I need to fix dinner, clean up dinner and get all the kids ready for bed. Isn't that typical? My busiest time of day, is when she is sad. She started sleeping through the night at about 2 1/2 months. Hallelujah! 

At her 2 month appointment she weighted 11 lbs 31 oz and was 23 inches long. She is growing like a weed, she gained 5 lbs. She also received her shots, she cried for a little while but was okay after. She had a lump on her leg, but didn't get a fever. 

We love our little Carlee Jane!

Dancing Addie

It was such a joy to go and watch Addie dance on her showoff day! She was so excited we were there to watch. She danced her little heart out! Her favorite dance was when she danced with her baby, it was so cute. Heaven is where I was during the whole class, I loved every minute!

Wrestling

Roll him over... Lay him flat...

Pin his shoulders to the mat!!

Preston wrestled this fall and had a great time. He is a scrappy little guy and won a lot of matches and even pinned a few opponents. It was fun to watch! The first tournament of the season he won, so we let him pick what to eat for dinner. This motivated him to win for the rest of the season! I didn't know picking dinner was such a coveted job... in fact I dread picking what to eat! So, on the nights he won it was a win for me too! :) 

Way to go Press, your a great little wrestler. Those 43 lbs must be solid steel! :)

Carlee's Blessing

 November 7th was such a wonderful day. Blessing day is always stressful, but I guess by the fourth one I kind of have the hang of it! Gavin did an amazing job giving Carlee her name and a blessing. He blessed her with health and wisdom, along with the strength to choose the right. It was such a powerful blessing, words can't even express how grateful I am that Carlee received it. 

 

And what is Blessing without a luncheon??  There was lots of yummy food to share with family and friends. Roast, Cheesy potatoes, lots of salads and great desserts. The typical LDS dinner... thinking about it right now makes me hungry! Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special. I find great strength from the support my family has received.  This day will be treasured forever.

Warrior Pride!

The Warrior Football Season has come to an end. They played stellar football all season long. It amazes me how much they learned in those few short months. These boys made it to the Championship Game held at Hansen Stadium. Although they came up just short of bringing home the trophy, I consider them all Champions. Good job on a great season boys!

Here are a few pictures taken along the way...

Bears Flag Football

The Bears had a bit of a rough season. They didn't pull of the W much, but ended up winning one when it counted! With a record of 1 - 8 (or so) they made it to the playoffs, and won their first playoff game. The championship game wasn't as glamorous and they got beat dang it! It is ok though, because it was a fun season! Good Job Bears!

Halloween!

We had a fun filled Halloween week! Addie was invited to a Halloween party at Kate's. She was so excited to finally get to wear her costume. She had been dying to put it on ever since it arrived at our door. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so Minnie made the perfect costume.  The boys were in the school parade, and had fun parties in their classes.

Saturday was a big day. There were tackle football games and flag football games along with two baseball games! It was a beautiful busy day! While Landon was playing in his last baseball game (The Fall Extravaganza Championship) I took Addie, Preston and Carlee home to get ready to trick or treat.

Then we headed back to the ball fields just in time to watch Landon pitch awesome! They ended up losing the game, but it was a good experience for him. It was kind of different to play with another team and not have his dad in the dugout. I think it might have made him appreciate his dad and his Sliderzz team a little bit more!

 Then it was finally time to trick or treat!! I was feeling a little bit bad that they were only going to be out for about an hour, but they got plenty of loot in that much time.  Best of all, their candy was gone by Sunday night.. and that made Halloween even Happier (at least for the mom anyway!) :)

Pumpkin Carve

The Annual Pumpkin Carve at Grandpa Dennis' was a success! The kids even helped cleaned out their own pumpkins. Halloween just wouldn't be the same if we didn't stick our hands in pumpkins and pull out the slimy seeds! ;)

Witches Night Out

Who knew that dressing up like a witch could be so much fun?! I was so excited when Gretchen decided to have a Witches Night Out for Bunko in October. It was so nice to get out of the house and see friends. I have the hardest time staying home with a newborn. It is great for about the first two weeks and then it seems like the walls are caving in on me! This night was perfect. I got to dress up (thanks mom for your help) get out for a bit, have fun, and eat lots of yummy food! My kids thought I looked pretty funny when I was leaving the house. Addie loved my eyelashes and Preston thought my stripped tights were dang funny! I decided it was good for my kids to see that even mom's have fun dressing up once in awhile! 

Thanks Gretch for a spooktacular night!

One Month

My baby is growing right before my eyes. Sometimes I think will she ever see me and smile, then the next minute I think oh my heck, she is a month old! She has her fussy time in the evenings from about 8:00 pm - 11:30ish, but other than that she is a great baby. She eats great, poops great and snuggles really great! I don't know what we would do with out this little bundle of joy. She is so sweet.

Deer Camp

Deer Camp this year was a complete success! Lots of fun, food, camping and no deer! ;) Grandpa Randy, Uncle Ryon and Uncle Lex took good care of Landon and Preston, while Gavin and the rest of the camp went hiking in the rain. From what I heard, there were lots of bb's shot, many sticks were carved, and a bag of Butterfinger's were consumed. Preston also informed me that Uncle Ryon has everything anyone would ever need while camping. If you need it Ryon has it! (I guess that is a true Eagle Scout for you, right?!)

Gavin brought me back a bouquet of red leaves, it was beautiful. Who needs a dozen roses when you can have red leaves? My favorite. Addie, Carlee and I had a great weekend of shopping with Grandma! I am starting to think that missing Deer Camp might not have been such a bad thing after all.

Fall FHE

A few weeks back I was feeling sorry for myself because I wasn't going to get to go on the Deer Hunt and see the fall leaves. I love bright yellow and red fall leaves! I decided that for FHE we needed to ride to Pine Valley and check them out. Then the boys could go deer hunting and I wouldn't care that I was being left. (I have big issues with being left at home... You know me, can't miss anything!)

The kids didn't have school on that Monday it was their fall break, so we went to town and got Halloween costumes. We also had to get Addie some shoes for her costume, on the way to the shoe store, someone hit us while we were stopped at the stop light. It wasn't very hard and no one was hurt, it just felt like a little bump. Needless to say, we waited for the cop, then waited while he wrote the girl and ticket, then waited while he wrote the report. Waiting, waiting, waiting.  I had all 4 of my kids, and I have to say they were champs. They all sat very still and never really took their eyes off the cop! Good lesson in wearing our seat belt ALL the time. The only problem we had was this delayed our trip to Pine Valley, we didn't get up there until it was almost dark. It turned out okay though, because we got there right about dusk and there were deer everywhere! It was fun to see them, and watch the kids get so excited when they saw them. Pine Valley is a beautiful place. I loved the smell in the air, and beautiful colors all around. Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he created the changing seasons.

Warrior Fans

Landon is such a lucky boy. This was his cheering section at the football game. He had quite a crew there cheering him on! It is so nice to have a family that supports my kids in all they do.  Thanks everyone, it means a lot! We hope to see you all tomorrow at the big Playoff Game against Dixie! It should be a fun one! :)

Lotion, Lotion, Lotion

Remember when I posted about Sunscreen? Now here is a post about lotion.  Addie decided that her rocking horse was feeling a little dried out, so she applied about 1/2 of a jar of Cetaphil Cream to his fur to keep him moist. It was also all over her too, but I bathed her before I remembered to take a picture.

You are probably wondering where her Mother was during all of this, right? Well, I was out thanking a neighbor for bringing me a much needed dinner, because I had just had a baby 2 weeks earlier. Not to mention that I was already on the verge of having a metal breakdown, because I couldn't get everything done, and my house looked like a tornado had gone through it! Yep, that is when I found my sweet Addie, right after I shut the front door. She was covered in lotion, and I wanted to cry. Instead, I took a picture and now today I can almost laugh about it. I know, give me a few more months or even years and this will be hilarious. Maybe even someday I will want this day back, it will probably be when Addie is gone having little lotion problems of her own.

Swiss Days

 Swiss Days

September 25, 2010

The Reber Family had really been looking forward to Swiss Days this year.  My brother's restored my Grandpa's 10 Wheeler and everyone got to ride on it in the Swiss Days Parade. Such a fun time!

The  best part of this story really isn't the parade. It is the countless hours Lex put into restoring this truck. He was at the shed I can't even imagine how many hours, all I know is almost every time I passed Quail Street (and I pass Quail Street A LOT!) This project gave my Grandpa something good to look forward to, in what has probably been the hardest year of his life. You see, he had knee replacement surgery back in January and then 5 or 6 weeks after the surgery he got infection. After many many months of pain, and agony they finally amputated his leg just above the knee a month before Swiss Days. Thankfully Grandpa made it home before Swiss Days and even rode in the parade, we were all so happy he got to be there.

I am so thankful that my brothers took on this very large project and restored this old truck. I think it made everyone's year better, because it brought our family closer. If it was by visiting at the Shed, or getting texts about the progress, having this common interest drew us together. It also took my Grandpa's mind off of his knee, which was a huge blessing.

After the parade everyone met at Grandma's and had a BBQ. It was a good day and I was so glad I was able to be there even if it was for just a little while.  I had Carlee there and she was just 2 1/2 days old, so we left a little early, but not before we had a few pictures taken in front of that beautiful truck!

Well done Bowler Boys, well done.

Blogging Made Easier

I know lots have asked me how I make the collages for my blog. The bottom line was I use Photoshop and it was to hard to explain to everyone how to create them. Well, now there is an easier way. I still use Photoshop, but I have added the Signature Scrapbooks Plugin and it makes the job so much easier. If you would like to have collages on your blog and don't know where to start, click here and watch this tutorial. Yesterday's post took me a fraction of the time I used to spend! Now isn't that exciting!?

There is also this free collage right below the video, so be sure and download it! I hope this will make everyone's posts a lot easier. I know it has mine.

Happy Blogging!

Carlee Jane

I can't get enough of this little bundle of joy. Here are a few more pictures of us at the hospital.
I stayed an extra night, and by the time Friday morning came I was dressed and packed up by 7:30 am waiting for Gavin to come and get me! It took them a while to get me discharged, but we were home by 11:00 am and I was so glad. There is just something about coming home that is really nice.

 When we got home, I cut off all her tags and gave her a bath. Man, they have a lot of tags on babies these days. She even had her name taped to her leg. I guess I am thankful, because I made it home with the right (and the cutest!) baby! ;)

On Saturday (Sept. 25th) her "billi" (is it with one L or two?) count was high so she had to go under the lights. I had never had a baby under the lights before, so I was traumatized. I cried and cried, but it worked out fine. She had to be in the "suitcase" for two days, but was done after that. We kept getting her blood tested, but finished that up last Friday the 1st. I am happy that is over with, I felt bad getting her blood drawn so many times.

And last but not least, here is a sneak peak of the pictures Bradi took of my sweet baby. Isn't she cute!?

I had to share! 

Isn't it amazing how love grows, I never could of imagined that I had enough love in my heart for more babies after I had Landon and now Carlee is number 4 and my love has grown and grown and I love her just as much as my first. I am so grateful for the blessing of Motherhood and for these sweet little spirits I get the chance to take care of. My life is blessed.

A Baby Story...

It all begins on September 22nd at 11:30 am.  We finally got the call that there was room in the "Inn!" I had been waiting, and hoping they would call since 5:30 am. I was nervous and those hours felt eternal. We dropped off Addie to Bradi's and there we were in the hospital to deliver our 4th. 

Here I am getting ready to be induced.

(**Note this is the long version of my delivery.. just skip down to the pictures of cute Carlee if I am boring you with all the details. :))

I was planning on a quick delivery since all my babies have come relatively fast. I thought we would have a baby by early afternoon, all the kids could come and see her, and life would be blissful. Well, I guess good things take time, and this little girl must have been really good, cause she took her sweet time! I got my epidural at about 3:00 pm and that made my blood pressure go up. I kind of freak out when they put needles in my back, I told the Doctor that my feet already numb and he hadn't even done anything! They got my blood pressure back under control and then Dr. Thompson broke my water at 5:30 or 6:00. (I thought once he did that Carlee would be here within the hour. Nope, I was wrong again!) At 9:00 pm my epidurial started wearing off, and I was in pain. Then my blood pressure went up and up and up. They put an oxegyn mask on me and I freaked out. At this point my blood pressure was about 210+ over 117. I had never seen so many nurses in my room before. I was at a high risk for a stroke, so they gave me magnesium. The medicine wasn't as bad as I had though I just had major hot flashes. Finally they rolled me over on my side to see if they could get my epidural to work (it didn't help) and she was finally ready to come. I pushed a couple times and Carlee Jane was finally here at 10:10 pm.  As soon as I delivered my blood pressure went down to a manageable number and everyone took a big deep breath.

Carlee Jane
6 lbs 4 oz

19 inches long

Here she is! I can't even explain the relief I had when she finally made it to earth, and I knew she was healthy. She is so sweet. I think she took her time that day, because she knew we needed to figure out her name, so she gave us a few extra hours to decide. Gavin thought of her name while we were waiting for the phone call from the hospital to go in. I love it and think it fits her just perfect.

She was sucking her fingers right after she was born, it was so cute.

She loved her First Bath. Doesn't that look like if feels good?

Now we are complete. I love each person in this picture so much, there are no words to describe it. This is what my life is all about.  

Thank you all for you support, and concern it means a lot!

Great Weekend

The Dixie Roundup was fun again this year. The Military Helicopter was probably everyone's favorite part of the show. It is always fun to see family and friends at the Rodeo!

Preston had the First Grade Rodeo at school and they asked us to help. Since Gavin had to be in Las Vegas, Dad got the job! We showed the kids how to rope the Dummy and then let them all try it themselves. It was funny to watch how difficult it is to swing a rope when you have never done it before! Thanks Dad for your help. You are the best!

 On Friday night we skipped the Rodeo and went to the Warrior game instead. Addie was in the Cheer Clinic this year and was so excited to perform at half time. I made her some bows to wear, and before we even got in the game she had lost one.. I was sick. We looked and looked but couldn't find it. Oh well, she still looked cute! (Come to find out it was in the backseat of the car, bummer.) When we got down on the track she was so excited to find Sadie and be with all the other girls.  She was totally in her element the whole time, she even did a little of the dance, a few counts late, but she did it! I love my little cheerleader!

We went over to the end of the rodeo to show my mom and dad her outfit, they were glad we came and  the boys got to see their favorite part of the rodeo, the Bull Riding! I just can't miss that rodeo, even if I am two hours late!

Saturday Landon had a football game in Cedar, they lost by a touchdown. It was a good game and the boys played really hard, just came up short. I liked what Landon said in the car after the game. "If we see them in the playoffs, they are going DOWN!" Now that is the kind of attitude I like! How does that saying go? "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the saddle!"

We made it home just in time for the last night of the Rodeo.  It was a fun, crazy weekend, the kind I love. Good Times, Good Times!!

Thinking.

I woke up at 4:00 am this morning thinking. I couldn't stop thinking either. I started thinking about Wednesday. How my life will change forever and how my family will change forever. I started thinking about not sleeping, nursing, changing diapers, nursing, not sleeping and changing diapers... I also thought about the how the other three kids are going to handle it. Preston this morning in his prayer said, "Thank you we can be a family with four." I think he is going to be fine or at least I hope. I know Landon has been through this a lot, but I worry I am putting to much responsibility on him. I worry about the oldest child syndrome. Then there is Addie. She is so excited, helping me wash the clothes, get out the car seat, sitting in the car seat, rocking the car seat, etc. She already loves this baby, I just worry she won't love it quite so much after I leave her for a day or two and then come home with someone new. Then the one I am thinking about the most, this one in my belly, I hope she knows how much I love her. Even though she doesn't have a name yet, she is so important to me. I hope the delivery goes well and she comes out healthy and happy, with ten little fingers and ten little toes. I hope her lungs are strong and she has enough cute little baby fat to stay nice and warm. Thinking, thinking, thinking...

Being a mom, means there is a lot to think about or cry about or laugh about. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I feel so lucky to be a mom that stays at home, and that I have a husband who supports and appreciates what I do.

Wish me luck! Wednesday is the big day! Hopefully I can get my posts caught up before then, we had a great weekend and I want to blog about it before I head to the hospital. But, right now there is a pedicure calling my name. I told Gavin, cute toes are important in the delivery room! ;)

Bowler Reunion

The Bowler Reunion was yesterday in Gunlock. It was great. Good food, great company and crawdads at the river. The boys were in heaven. Addie had fun in the bounce house and on the swings. We won a few things in the silent auction, next year we will have to monitor the sheets better if we want to win the good stuff! The play guitar we brought home (Thank You Grandma!) plays Old McDonald so loud you almost can't think straight. Addie loves it! The sad news is, we have somehow miss placed it already... we ALL feel really bad about it. ;) It was another successful reunion, thanks to all who put it together. We can't for next year!

Are you Ready?

 Are you ready for some Football? 

The Frei's are!

 The first Football Game was a success!

The 30+ hours of practice paid off, they beat Desert Hills Gold

34-0! 

Way to play Warriors!

Lake on Labor Day

I can't believe we hadn't been to the lake with Grandpa and Grandma Hale all summer. Luckily they called and we went on the last "official" day of summer, Labor Day! We had a ball.

Thank goodness Grandpa Ken is a good sport and rides the tube with all the kids. The pictures are classic! Enjoy! 

Boys of Fall

Doesn't this make you so excited for Fall?! These little Warriors are dang cute, in full pads. Landon is loving it.  Football means discipline and I am loving that! This was at a scrimmage in Mesquite a few weeks back. Their first "Official" game was this morning. They won! More pictures to come.

If you haven't seen this video, watch it. It gave me goose bumps, I loves those Boys of Fall.

Junior Rodeo

The Washington County Fair Junior Rodeo came and went. Mom was in charge and I helped her with the entries. This year, Addie decided to get sick and throw up all night, so we (me and Addie) had to stay home. I was so upset that I couldn't go watch the boys, but they did just fine without me. They came home with lots of fun prizes and were excited to give me the play by play of all the events they competed in. Landon won 1st in the All Around and Preston placed 4th (I think) in the All Around. Good job boys!

Preston even brought home a Hermit Crab. Lovely. I guess that is what happens when Mom's don't go to the Fair with their kids... He was really excited about the creepy crawly thing. So, what do I do? Feed it, water it and let it live in his room. It is still alive (amazing, I know!), his name is SC. I guess I better get a picture of it, anything that can make it a month in my two little boys room, deserves a picture!

We also went to the Demolition Derby during the Fair, Mom watched Addie and we took the boys. It was really fun. They crashed cars together, tipped trucks over, and pelted us with dirt. Who would have thought I would have liked such a thing? I will be back next year, and I will have my camera in hand. I guess I must be a redneck after all! :)

Cousin Fun

Candice came to town, so we went to Town Square to play. The kids always have a great time at Town Square. It was nice to visit with Candice, Mel and Mom, they are always good company. 

We had to take one group shot, all the kids are getting so big! 

After looking through all my takes of this one shot in iPhoto, I realized why my computer memory is depleting! To get four kids six and under to look forward at the same time, takes nothing short of a miracle! 

Then there is this girl, who asked me to take this picture and posed all by herself.

 Do you think I have taken to many pictures of her over the course of the last two years?

  Know what? Don't answer that, I don't think I want to know! 

"Two" Much Fun!

Addie started Dance! She had "Two much fun," just like the name of the class. The little girls were so cute, and the costumes they dress up in are darling. I love having a little mini dancer.

I am so glad Sadie is in her class, I can tell they are going to have a great time together. When it was time to go we were walking to the car and Addie asked  "Can I go again?" with a big smile on her face. It was the cutest thing, I am so glad she had fun. Girls are great! 

School Days

{August 11, 2010}

A new year is here! I love the fresh start and schedule. It seems all of us do a lot better with more on our agenda than cartoons and lunch! With both boys in school all day, Addie is having a hard time adjusting. The first day all she said was "Lets pick the boys up," or "Time to pick up the boys?" or "Pick up the boys." She loves her brothers so much.

{2nd Grade}

Landon was excited to start 2nd Grade. His teacher is Mrs. Thomas, she is new to the school, and seems super nice. When he got to class and saw his number was 9, it made his day.  I think he is going to have a great year! 

{1st Grade}

Preston was a little nervous to go to school all day.  I have to admit I was a little nervous myself.  Mrs. Woodbury is his teacher, I am so grateful she is with him, I know she will take good care of my little boy and he will learn a lot this year. I still had a hard time leaving him, and thought about him all day. When he jumped in the car after school and told me "It was the BEST day ever!" I knew he was going to have a super year. Yea! 

Here is to a great year, with lots of learning and fun!