And........18 months later.

Once upon a time I believed that I was going to be a blogger.  And so I was...and I did....until my laptop got a 2nd (2nd!!!) virus leaving me and all of my pictures in a huge mess.  Add building a house and having a baby and you have 18 months of no posting.  So here I am, attempting to briefly summarize before flexing my blogging muscles again because to leave out 18 months of our amazingly crazy life would be down right shameful!  Ready, set, GO:

         Porter turned 6!!  He is our kiddo that kind of keeps quiet and to himself.  He doesn't ask for much and is generally happy with everything that comes his way, what a delightful kid!  We just love our "dark meat" baby!!

We sold our house!  We had it on the market all throughout the summer and fall of 2010 without a single bite.  Then we got a big bite on the last weekend of Feb. 2011 and we had to be out in three weeks---YIKES!  And so, back to my mom and dad's we went as we began building our new home.

 One dark day in April, little Porter broke both bones in his right forearm while jumping on the tramp with his dad.  It was definitely a quirky break, there wasn't a major accident or anything he just landed wrong and had to pay for it for the next 6-8 weeks.  But, Porter man is a toughy and he handled it like a man.  Plus, it was a great way to get out of those last few intense weeks of Kindergarten!

 Easter was low key and small.  Grandma and grandpa were enjoying some time in Ohio so we had the house and yard to ourselves.  The boys hunted for eggs and enjoyed some sugar filled happiness.

 Tommy and I celebrated our 10th wedding Anniversary!  We planned a fantastic trip to Alaska which included a 7 day cruise.  It was so nice to finally see the wonderful place Tommy has been telling me about for years.  Although times were tough at home because of the passing of our sweet grandma, it was still nice to get away from everything and celebrate our love and life together.  I love you Tommy boy!

Bens-a-roo was baptized!  This is not an easy day for a mom!  I'm not talking about the big family meal or baptism invites and preparation---it is a day of reflection and emotion as you see your child take a big step towards growing up.  Benson has always been a very sensitive boy when it comes to the Spirit.  He was absolutely glowing on his baptism day, a true example of the light of Christ.

 This isn't the best pic but we moved into our new home mid July 2011.  We were thrilled!  We slept on the floor in sleeping bags the night before we actually moved in and it was the best slumber party ever!!  We felt so blessed to be moving into such a beautiful home.

 Now the yard.... not such a blessing!  We have rocks,  A LOT of rocks.  We spent day after day, week after week removing rock and trying to get ready for sprinklers and grass.  Oh, and I mopped my floor endlessly trying to keep up with four little boys and the dirt they tracked in.  Tommy borrowed  this ancient tractor from an old neighbor thinking it would cut down on our muscle labor but after repairing the darn thing six times, we took it back to our neighbor in complete defeat.  And so, we slowly worked the soil with the wonderful help of friends and family.  The yard was completed in September.

 Also in Sept. we participated in our third Walk to Cure Diabetes with little Tanner-man.  This is becoming a favorite family tradition.  We are just so proud of Tanner and his brave battle against this monstrous disease.  We lovingly have proclaimed that Tanner is pure DIABETELICIOUSNESS!! 

 Fall wouldn't be complete with out some rugged dirty time at Uncle Paul's cabin!  We usually go with several other families but this year it was just us and we had such a great time.  I just love my tribe of boys.

The two "big" boys started at a new School, Heber Valley Elementary.  They got to ride the bus with the other neighbor kids and the whole experience turned out to be fantastic.  They had great teachers, made great friends and can't wait to return next year!

Tanner-man went to pre-school at Miss Karen's.  I knew these two would be a match made in heaven and indeed they were.  He adored her and she adored him.  He learned so much and loved being a big boy.  Aside from a really scary "low" at pre-school in Oct., his entire year was a joy and he loved it!

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  We loved living in a neighborhood where trick-or-treating is alive and well.  The boys quickly filled their pumpkins with candy and had so much fun walking through the streets of our new area.

 Wait, does this look familiar?  Yep, it does because it's a repeat!  Porter broke his same arm--again--on the same cursed tramp! It was Nov. 5th, a brisk saturday morning and the first snow had just fallen.  He was all geared up to play outside and decided to start his snow adventures by jumping off the tramp into the snow.  Problem--the tramp bar was icy and he slipped right off and broke his arm again when he landed on the ground.   Such a bummer--this poor boy.  Another 8 weeks in a cast.

 We LOVED hunting down our Christmas tree this year because we could get a 14 ft. tall tree with our new vaulted ceilings!  SO much fun for everyone but Tommy who had to drag the heavy thing down the mountain--what a man!!

                                                      Turned out lovely don't ya think!!

Awe, Christmas.  How can it not be filled with magic when kiddos are around.  We just love sharing the holidays with our boys, they bring excitement and joy to everything....along with the trimmings of a little bit of crazy!  A merry one it was.

2012 started off with a little birthday action for Carson!  He turned 3, and he was very good at it.  Still is.  We love our Carsonator--he is full of life and brings a whole new level of excitement to our home!!

 Porter turned the big 7!  He is barely shorter than Bens and seems to be right on his tail with everything else.  He is cruising in school and picks up everything they teach him with ease.  He started reading Harry Potter shortly after Christmas and is still going strong, what a little smarty pants!

Spring has sprung!  Tommy planted over 150 bulbs in the fall to give me hope that Spring would actually come and so would our 5th little boy!  And so we are to the story of Hunter, but that will need an entire posting all to itself.