One Excited Boy!

Grant was thrilled to know that his daddy was coming to preschool with him to talk to his friends about building roads.  He loved going out to daddy's work and taking pictures with all the cool equipment!

Had to get a picture in front of the Hot Plant.

Grant's going to make a great Boss one day!

My hope is that is gets to do whatever he wants in life!

If that involves CKC I guess I can live with that, but I definitely don't want to put that expectation on my boys.  I actually don't think family businesses are good for the personal relationships in families!

So I am hoping my boys do something else which provides a good living for them and makes them HAPPY!!!

For now, all Grant dreams of is working at daddy's work!  And that is a perfect dream for a 4 year old!

Grant LOVES the huge tractors at the plant.

He was so excited to take a picture in the tractor tire!  He was happy to be able to show his friends what big tires his daddy has.

Grant loved getting to climb up on the tractor with Justin.

Grant requested taking a picture in front of a cement truck.

He was even more happy when his daddy put him inside to "drive" it!

Of course Grant expected to get to ride in some piece of equipment when we were taking the pictures.  So when that didn't happen he let us know he did not approve!!!

What a handsome little guy Grant is!

Looks like a great Boss with his worker boots, belt and hardhat!

Justin is such a great dad to always participate in things at Brighter Day Preschool!

Just What I Needed to Hear!

I LOVE this quote from our prophet, President Hinckley.

I often find myself thinking of things I have failed at or things that just didn't work out for me.  This quote really brings me back to where I know Heavenly Father wants me to be………..focusing on the good and trying my best.  I know when we entertain the negative thoughts that come into our minds that we are allowing Satan to influence us.

I am going to strive to live more by this quote!  Doing my best is all I can do and that is all that is expected of me or YOU!  We don't need to compare what our failures are to someones else's because they'll be different and that's the way it's meant to be.  We are meant to have different strengths and weaknesses.  

I am so grateful for President Hinckey and his inspiring words of comfort!

May we all do the best we can and then be happy with ourselves!

Pinewood Derby

This is something I dread every year I am not going to lie.  It always seems like Hunter has the slowest car and looses all his races.  In the years past he has designed his car to look "cool" instead of being aerodynamic.  So this year he decided to make a "fast" car.

This would be Hunter's last year racing and Logan's first year.  We always enlist the help of Grandpa Boswell when it comes to the Pinewood Derby.

The boys had a fun time finding the designs they wanted for their cars online.  And it's always fun to go use grandpa's tools!

As it turned out Hunter again had one of the slowest cars.  I guess he beat one of two other boys.  They had a weigh in the night before so he got to race a few times then.  He came home very disappointed.  We even thought about not letting Hunter participate in the actual Derby the following night.  But we decided it should be up to him.

We did tell him that if he chose to compete that he needed to have a good attitude……..win or lose!

I was unable to attend because I had just had Ella.  But I was extremely proud when the boys got home and I heard how Hunter was indeed the slowest car, or close to it, and that he just had a fun time with it.  He laughed at the chances of him having a loosing car every year.

Way to go Hunter!

In my book having a good attitude when you're loosing makes you more of a winner then anything!

Logan's first year doing Pinewood Derby was MUCH, MUCH different!

Logan took 3rd place!

He could move on and go compete at the Tri-stake derby if he wanted.

He was super happy!

Just so ironic that Logan does so well and it's just his first year, but Hunter has a loosing car once again.  It's very apparent to me that we each have our own lessons to learn while on this earth, even as children!

Great job to both Logan and Hunter!

Logan was very sweet to Hunter and told him he would share his metal with him!

Love These Kids

The kids were dying to have their own photo shoot with Ella Jane!

Ella was pretty down with her second photo shoot.

She better get use to these because I predict many, many more in her future!

Grant was wanting to kiss her the whole time!

It was pretty cute!

I sure love my girls!

It feels good to be able to say "girls".

Ella is just 2 weeks old in these pictures!

It's hard to believe it's already been 2 weeks!

Kiersten is one extremely happy girl!

She is going to be the best big sister ever!  Ella is for sure one lucky girl!  Kiersten even promises me that she'll play house with Ella when she gets bigger.  I am going to hold her to that!  I see our play house getting lots and lots of use from this little girl!

These 5 people hold my heart!

They are my everything!

I am so blessed to be their mom!

Don't get me wrong they push my buttons, test my patiences, drive me crazy and in the same breath bring me the greatest joy I could ever imagine!

Watch out……I don't think anyone is going to get away with messing with Little Miss Ella with these three older brothers to protect her!  She is set!

They look like they could take you out in a heartbeat if you even looked cross at Ella!

I can't help myself with all these pictures………I just love them all!

What handsome young men we have here!

Ella decided this photo shoot was just too much work and that she needed a little nap in the middle of it.

You can tell from the expression on these boys faces that they absolutely adore their baby sister!

It feels wonderful to have our family complete!

We have richly been blessed!

Doesn't joy just radiate from this picture!

I just can't get over how much I love getting to buy, or receive, pink girly clothes!!!

I am really going to need to set some limits on my shopping habits for this little girl!

Sweet little baby hammock picture!

I love looking at Ella's tiny little toes and hands.

She is perfect from head to toe!

We Sure Love You Little Miss Ella Jane!

"Mom, I changed my mind."

Grant came up to me today and this was our conversation…..

"Mom you know what I want to be when I grow up?" asked Grant.

"No what?" I replied.

"I want to be a dad!" he says.

"That's a great thing to be!" I tell him

About 2 minutes later he comes back….

"Mom, I changed my mind.  I don't want to be a dad, I want to be SUPERMAN!"

It just made my day!

This little 4 year old sure knows how to make me laugh!

I sure love you Grant!

Ella's First Photo Shoot

Ella Jane was just a week old when she had her first photo shoot.

She was a pro at it!

She was my biggest baby!

Isn't she just precious!

I love her little expression in this one!

Justin is just in love with her too!  He actually took a week off of work after I had Ella.  It was a miracle ……never has he taken any time off besides the actual days I am in the hospital in Gilbert.  Usually as soon as we are home he goes back to work.  But I told him, like I have every other time, that I really wanted him to take a week off.  This time he actually did it……….I guess I was a little more insistent on it this time since it would be our last time having a baby.

It was sure nice to have that time together!  

Justin said how much he loved it.  And how he really didn't want to have to go back to work.

Justin is a great daddy!

He loves babies!

It's so nice because he isn't afraid to help in any way with newborns.

My sister in law, Gloria, said she really wished she had a Justin at home with her babies.  

I agree he is really helpful with babies……….the trick is that he works a lot more than 40 hours a week so he isn't home a ton to help.  But on the weekends it's great!

Oh how I love this baby girl!

I could just kiss on her all day long and be perfectly happy!

It's amazing how much your heart can grow to love a new baby in an instant!

I knew I'd be excited to get to buy pink again, but really it's even funner that I had imagined!

The smile on Justin's face says it all!

Daddy has another princess in the house and he couldn't be happier!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

She has a little smile on her face and it looks like she's striking a pose!

Meeting Her Siblings

We had the kids skip their dance classes and scouts so that they could be home when we got home from Gilbert with Miss Ella Jane!  They were just dying to finally meet her!

I'd say from the look on Logan's face that he's pretty darn excited about holding Ella Jane!

He has been such a good helper!  He loves holding her, rocking her, and insists on kissing her before he leaves for school.

Grant is my little helper all day long!

He sure loves his baby sister.  He tells me several times a day that he is so glad I had a baby girl!  He tells me all the time…."Mom yo baby is pretty and cute!"

Now Hunter looks pretty happy too wouldn't you say!

He even offered to do a night shift with her :)

He is a GREAT help!

Kiersten's dream just came true!  She is on cloud nine!  She told us for about the first week that she still couldn't believe she has a sister!  It's been a great blessing to have Kiersten helping with Ella.  Man is it different having older kids to help with a newborn!!!  Kiersten LOVES taking care of Ella!  She doesn't want to leave Ella's side on her three day weekend.  She even got sad because Ella slept for too long and so she didn't have to hold her for like 3 hours.  

Kiersten loves picking out the clothes Ella's going to wear.

All I can say Ella is that you are one LOVED little girl!

Thank you for completing our family!

It's only been a couple of weeks but you have already brought so much joy into our lives!

We love you Ella Jane!