Hogle Zoo

We have visited several zoos around the country throughout our summer travels but in all my 7 years of living in Utah, this was our first time hitting up the Hogle Zoo. And although we've seen every single one of these animals before, it still amazes me to see them up close and personal again.

Not only was there an adorable new baby elephant but there was also a baby giraffe and 3 new baby tigers. So cute!

And may I add how fun it is to be home in Utah again being able to do all these things with Mindy and kids. It just makes everything doubly fun! (Now if we could only get Misty to move down here...)

Pumpkin Land

I just love the end of the year; how each month culminates with its own exciting holiday. It gives us a myriad of new things to experience and it seems to send the year out with a bang.

This October we headed out to Pumpkin Land which housed a corn maze, bounce house, and of course a pumpkin patch. I got some great pictures of Mindy and her kids but when it came turn for my kids, I think they were all smiled out. Oh well, there’s always Thanksgiving!

And this picture will go in my book of all time favorite pictures of these two. What a pair!

When Emma gets a hold of the camera...

http://dahmerfam.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-emma-gets-hold-of-camera.html

Go to this link to view the video.

I've been meaning to post and say thank you for the awesome BBQ. Also thank you for picking me up from the airport Kathleen! I really enjoy being around you guys. You make everything a little more fun. Beckham had a great time eating barbecued ribs for the first time! Thanks again!

Oh and just today Broc and I got callings in our new ward. Broc is in the activities planning group and I am the Mia Maid advisor. :) We are really excited.

Aspen Grove

Poor frogs...

Why I love being a mom...

Liam is now three months old and getting cuter by the day. My favorite thing is his adorable, endearing smile. No matter how my day is going, he can turn it around in a second or just make it that much better with his great smile. He talks a ton and is rolling over...can you believe it? So, why do I love being a mom...doesn't this picture say it all?:)

Fertile

Round of Applause

One of Carter's favorite things is for us to clap for him. You also get a little peak at one of his classic faces, the wrinkle nose.

Step, Step, Hop, Shake

Coop started doing this on the couch one day and I couldn't figure out where he got it from until I saw this on Mickey Mouse.



I love how it takes him a second to get his little booty going!

Mini guy, mini golf

Coop's first time mini golfing and he was lovin' life! He did have a hard time leaving the ball where it was after hitting it though. He kept wanting to pick it up and take it back to the start to hit it again. :-)

Baby Tarter even got a few shots in.

Phone number change

Broc and I just wanted to inform everyone about our upcoming phone number change. Our number will change to 602-509-0075 (still verizon) on the 19th of this month.

Cute Sadness

This kid has the cutest sad face I think I've ever seen.

When he gets mad he wrinkles up his nose and gives a little cry.

But don't you worry, he gets over it pretty quick!

A Stern Talking To

So Coop's eating dinner last night and he starts rubbing his ketchup all over his sippy cup making a huge ole mess. I get a little perturbed and give him a stern talking to about not making messes and telling me when he's all done, blah, blah, blah. Right in the middle of my tirade on messes, he has the nerve to ask if he can watch a movie. That catapults me into another talk about how when we don't listen to Mommy then we don't get to do the fun things. Instead of going into a full on fit, he lightly takes my chin in the palm of his hand, looks me straight in the eyes and says, "Mommy, look at me. Look at me. (pause, head tilt) I'll make good choices. I'll be a good boy."

He got to watch a movie.

Sisters

Some people ask if it's hard having my kids so close in age. But I just tell them, I wouldn't want it any other way.

A day of firsts...

Ashlyn's first day of Kindergarten...and boy was she excited! She's been talking about this day for months. There were a couple of prerequisites that she thought she needed to have before she started Kindergarten: 1. To write her name and 2. To whistle. For some reason, she had it in her head that every kid in Kindergarten knew how to whistle. I'm happy to report, she met both requirements.:) I can't believe my baby's starting school, but I know she'll do great.

Another first for us...Ethan broke his leg and his foot. What was he doing to incur such a horrific injury, you ask? Jumping off the stairs with his cousin. I was not at the scene when it happened and Josh was feeding Liam, but Ashlyn states that he was at least seven stairs up when he took the leap. But let me tell you, this boy is tough. He cried for a good 20 minutes after it happened (which was how we knew something was seriously wrong - he never cries that much), but then once we got to the InstaCare, he didn't make another peep the entire time. Even when the X-ray technician was moving his leg all around, he didn't wince or cry out. In fact, she was quite surprised when she saw the break in his tibia (larger bone in the shin) because he didn't complain at all. Later on we found out that he also broke two bones in his foot. So it will be an interesting next 6 weeks. Thankfully, they are planning on putting a walking cast on in just two weeks. Until then, he has to learn to scoot around or be toted around by Mom and Dad. Through it all, he's been a real trooper.

First Day of School

Truman is in the 4th grade, Eve is in the 1st. Oops, guess I should have waited to blog until this Thursday when Dexter starts K. Don't hold your breath waiting for that post from me.

Boulder Family Reunion

What a fun family reunion this was! Here are just a few of the pics taken...and there's alot more where these came from :-)

Where's yours?

Our fun "Plan B" hike ;-)

Water World

No family reunion would be complete without the Gundy Olympics

Babies, babies, and more babies

The coolest reception ever...

...complete with Dunk Tank (which I dare say was a big hit for everyone!)

And of course, the happy couple!

Thanks to Jason & Alexa for getting married so we would have an excuse to get everyone together. We wish you all the happiness in the world!

6 Months Old

Wish I could tell you all the specs but we haven't hit up the doctors office yet so for now these will have to do:

Height: Long, take into consideration his dad.

Head: Big, its like an orange on a toothpick.

Weight: Very Big, he has more rolls than a baker. (HA, that was cheesy!)

That just Bites!

What is it with Caleb and dogs, pit bulls to be precise? It seems they have banded together to make life difficult for him while knocking doors, or at least make sitting down difficult. Yes, that's right, Caleb got bit by a dog...again! Last summer it was on the arm, this summer it was right smack dab on the bum. As for a story, Caleb was just doing his job knocking doors when he heard the menacing growl. He immediately turned tail and sprinted for the gate but just as he reached it he got a sharp bite in the rear. Luckily he managed to slam the dog back into its fenced area before it could manage anymore damage (possibly to the other cheek). His right buttocks received some cuts and bruises and his shorts have a pretty good tear but he's recovering well.*

I'll spare you all the picture of the actual bite and just make do with the shorts.

*Recovery gifts are welcomed...especially the chocolate kind ;-)