Headin' Home

After a week and a half of fun in California, it was time to head home. However, before we made the long trek home we had to visit a few parks and see Faith, the kids and big grandma one more time.

Hoyt and Landon....ready to roll


Picnic at the park!


Ava is so cute


Saying goodbye to Isaiah - Hoyt cried when we left (He said he wanted to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house!)


At the park with Grandma and big Grandma


Hoyt loved the water and loved playing with cousin Riley


Landon giving Paiton a ride in the ladybug


The whole gang right before we left for home

Family Time

While we were in California we got to spend lots of time with family. Hoyt loved playing with Isaiah and the rest of his cousins, and Jett enjoyed being "loved on" by everyone. One evening all the adults went out to dinner, while the older cousins watched the little kids. After dinner we went back to Seth and Cathryn's house and visited.

The adults (and babies) out to dinner


Some of the cousins back at Seth and Cathryn's


Jett loved all the attention!


Austin, Seth and "little" Seth. Seth is off to BYU and while we were in California, Austin signed a four-year scholarship with BYU to play football. He will graduate from high school next year and be off to BYU too!


Cute kids!!


Hoyt missed wrestling with his dad, so Seth was willing to step in and tackle him! Hoyt also loves wrestling with Uncle Kyle (Holly's Kyle).


Again....Jett loved the attention from the big boys!

Road Trip!

Noelle and I decided to take a "little" road trip to California with our children. Some might call us crazy to drive 12 hours with children ages 5 months, 9 months, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 but we made it. (Although Noelle swears she is never making the drive again until her children are at least 5!)

Even though the drive was difficult at times....once we made it to California we had a great time. We were able to attend graduations, and graduation parties, play with cousins, and visit Grandma Gilbert. We had lots of fun!

Some of the family after church - Seth and Caleb were ordained as Elders


Graduation party!


The three graduates; Caleb, Spencer and Seth


Jett enjoyed the party


Jett and Ava - hard to believe that Ava is 9 months and Jett is 5 months


Cousins!!

Father and Son Campout

I cannot begin to tell you how excited Hoyt was to go on the father and son campout. (In fact, we didn't tell him about the campout until the day of because we knew he wouldn't be able to handle himself!) He was so excited to sleep in a tent, use a big boy sleeping bag, carry a flashlight and lantern, roast marshmallows (he decided he is not a fan of roasted marshmallows)....I could go on and on.

Ryon and Hoyt called me before they went to bed at 10:00 and Hoyt couldn't stop talking about all the fun he was having; he sounded like he could have stayed up all night. Ryon said he "crashed" about 10:30, but he was up at 6:00 ready to play! I think we have a little camper on our hands!!

Ready to go

Outside the tent in his own special chair

Hoyt was so excited sleep in a TENT!

Ryon said that Hoyt spent most of his time at the creek with the boys in the ward.

Ryon was a good dad and carved Hoyt about 8 little boats to float down the creek. (Why 8?....they kept floating away!)

And this is Hoyt after he took a little spill in the creek - oh what fun

I'm not sure he could have been much happier!

Happy Boy

I know I must sound like a broken record, but Jett continues to be the happiest and most content little guy around. In four short days he will be five months old and we can't believe how lucky we are to have him.

As you can clearly see, Jett loves to eat big boy food. He is definitely my "little bird", because he never has to be coaxed to open his mouth for a bite of food. Jett sleeps 10 to 12 hours a night and when he wakes up in the morning he still loves to lay in his bed and talk, and he gets so excited when I come in to pick him up.


Jett is definitely ticklish. He will giggle whenever I change his clothes and loves for me to tickle him under his arms, on his belly, his chest and back, and even his feet. Hoyt loves to hear him laugh and will ask me to "tickle Jett" numerous times a day!

Bedtime with Dad

I think a picture is worth a thousand words - and I'll leave it at that!!

Lions...TIGERS...and Bears

One of Hoyt's favorite "gurls" brought him a tiger mask when she came to babysit about a month ago. Since then he has loved running around the house, making a sound which he says is a ROAR, trying to scare me. However, I'm not sure I could ever be scared of such a cute little tiger!

Tiger....with a huge grin


Jett wasn't phased by the tiger either

Spring Fling

On Saturday the little town of Filer held a Spring Fling day at the fairgrounds. Hoyt enjoyed going down the big blow-up slide, riding on the "train", and getting on a real train car with Ryon. While there wasn't a lot to do, it was a nice family outing and afterwards we made a stop at Dairy Queen and went to the park for a picnic. We were hopeful that spring would actually make an appearance, but this week it has been cold, rainy and a little bit like winter. We're definitely ready for 70 degree weather!!


Enjoying the slide...



and the little train.



Hoyt and Ryon up on the train car






We had a pretty great day...



Jett would agree!

Brotherly Love

This is a common scene in our house these days. Here's to "brotherly love" lasting well into their teens!!

B...I...G

Jett started eating oatmeal last week and I think it's safe to say that he loves it. He is now 4 1/2 months and as big as ever. At his four month appointment he weighed 16 pounds and was 26 1/2 inches long, which puts him in the 95th percentile for his age (he is the average size of a 6-month-old). He continues to be mellow, sweet and as my mother would say, "the best baby in the whole world!"


Eating oatmeal for the first time (You have to love the deer bib!)


He loves to sit in his Bumbo seat, and just like Hoyt he looks like he has to be stuffed in there!


Feeding time....I don't know if his face can get any chubbier!