Change

I've moved our blog to fouramazinggifts.blogspot.com. I'll be posting there from now on.

Say Cheese!

It's tough to get a family picture where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling.

Luckily we got just a few.

Growing up too fast

Kate cannot see a pair of shoes that she doesn't want to try on. She clomps around the house daily in shoes that are too big for her. Seeing her like this makes us smile. Hopefully it will be something that we always remember about her toddler-hood.

First Day of School

This is the first and only time the boys have dressed alike. They're kind of cute aren't they?



Han started 7th grade this year. Looks excited doesn't she?

Catch up!

So, it's been awhile! Here's a quick run down of our summer fun:

Hannah ran a Ragnar with some friends from school. They got together earlier in the week and created their own costumes. Not to be a bragging mom or anything ;) but Hannah had the fastest mile time on her team. Go Han!

What the boys (and Matt is included) do with chum from an optometry conference before bed.

This is Kate's good friend Alissa! She is the daughter of my good friend Jenn. We took the kids for famous and delicious Aggie Ice Cream. It's become a tradition to get there at least once each summer. This was the only picture of the two girls holding still and looking at the camera and kind of smiling. Aren't they cute?!


Jenn, Jared and the girls. Matt was unable to come. Thanks, Jared, for helping Kate eat her messy cone!




Ryan and Nate Bohman and Cole and Han. And, of course, that delicious Aggie ice cream!








Han has never played softball before this summer. She is a natural. Here she is stealing third base!

Han scored the winning run for this game. Here she is with her biggest supporters after the win!

Wish they could stay this young and sweet forever!

Matt took the boys to Father and Son's outing. They came back dirty and exhausted, but otherwise had a great time!

Matt's parents (old folks on the right :) left this summer to serve a mission on a church ranch in Nebraska. This picture was taken the morning they left. The people on the right are Dennis and Linda Brown, good friends for Chuck and Diane's ward. They are serving with them. Chuck and Diane were able to take their dog Woody and their four-wheeler! How great of a mission is that?!

Kate turned two the end of May and this is the best picture we took that day. I guess the rest is on video. Oh, well. She loves to look like a "pah-RIN-cess" when she gets dressed for church on Sundays so...we had a "pah-RIN-cess" party. Kate is two and acts like she's two, but a very sweet two :)!

In May my mother retired from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Choir had a retirement ceremony after the broadcast. It was very nice. We heard a bit about each person retiring then were able to hear from the prophet. It was a great, beautiful day. Temple Square is always beautiful!

I don't know why I don't have a picture of my mom, the prophet and Mr. Mac, but I'm sure a noisy kid had something to do with it. :) Guess this will have to do.

The grandkids.

At the visitor's center at Temple Square.

On the grounds of temple square.

Spring Break

Can you guess what we did for spring break?

We went to the zoo!

I bet all of you Utahn's have a childhood picture like this!

...And Tom's got a lot of childhood pictures like this! We love this kid.

It's Easter time!

Some cute little bunnies visited us for Easter.

And a not so cute bunny.

Brace Face

My brother James is an orthodontist and put braces on Hannah a couple of weeks ago. She was nervous and excited. My Aunt Janna asked her if they really hurt as bad as everyone says they do and Hannah said, "worse!"

Check out Thomas Orthodontics on the web: www.drthomasortho.com

New patients who get braces get an ipad!

Young Women Here I Come

Hannah couldn't wait to turn 12 and start attending Young Women at our church. She fits in well and has already had many wonderful experiences.

Hannah turned twelve in February. She had a fun party with friends. They went sledding, made s'mores and ate pizza and cupcakes. They are a fun bunch of girls.

I thought homemade coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting would go well with the snow theme. Turns out nobody really liked coconut and that's okay - Matt and I polished them off nicely! Good thing I made a few chocolate ones, too!

Oh Happy Day?!

I came across this picture of Tom on his first day of Kindergarten. I think his face says it all!

Ski Day

Sometimes Hannah will trip over her own shadow, but get her on a mountain and it's like she's lived there her whole life. A couple of years ago when she went skiing for the first time she pointed her skis down the mountain and flew (and I mean flew!) down. Matt and I were concerned that she would hurt herself or someone else so we told her to weave back and forth instead of going straight down. So the next trip down the mountain she weaved back and forth just like we told her to and guess what? She crashed right into some kid! We backed off and let her do it her way.

Cole is still getting the hang of it!

Kate is learning to speak, and very quickly I might add. Seldom a day goes by that she does not say a new word. Her most recent words include Honey, apple, juice and grandma. She still loves to cuddle. Hope she always will!

We Miss You Grandma Bess

Bessie Mae Little Lee

December 18, 1915 - November 10, 2010

Matt's Grandma Bessie Lee passed away early last Wednesday morning. She was 94 years old. Even at 94 years old she still tried to take care of us all. I remember our very first conversation. "Any friend of Matt's is a friend of mine," she said and gave me a big bear hug. I also remember our last conversation. She couldn't get in and out of bed by herself so I helped her. As I lifted her legs back into her bed she said she was sorry that I had to help her. I told her that's what we are here for, to help each other. I love you Grandma Bess and I miss you very, very dearly.

Cole's First Hunt

Matt took Cole along on his deer hunt this year. Cole was so excited and I was so surprised. Cole is a very sensitive boy and I didn't think he would get excited about killing an animal. They only saw one doe, but had a great time anyway. I love when we make the time to spend one on one with our kids.

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Back online!

So it's been a while, but we had a great and busy summer! Earlier this summer the kids put three slip and slides together for the Super Slide! We invited some cousins over and the kids had a ball.






The kids also broke out the homemade "go-carts". When I first saw the go-carts I was a little worried the day might end with a broken arm or leg. The brake is just a piece of wood with rubber on the end. The rider pulls on one end and the other end uses friction against the ground to bring the cart to a stop. The kids figured it out the first trip down the hill and had a blast.

The big One

What better way to kick off the blog than to post a video from Kate's first birthday party. We sure do love this girl. She has brought even more happiness to our family.