It's only been 16 months since an update.....

Well, it's been a while. A LONG while. I was looking through my pictures this morning looking at all of the fun things we have been up to and decided it was time! It's almost Christmas but here is our back to school picture and a few others from our great summer!

Carson (thinks he is starting school this day....super unhappy when he finds out that Joy School doesn't start for a few weeks. Brooklyn 1st grade and Andrew 2nd.

We had the chance to be with both sides of our family this summer and see everyone- it was awesome but reminded me of how much we miss everyone and love being together.

This is the whole Sommer Family- we were all together for 1 day for baby Lola's baby blessing.

These are a few of the cousins in my family...minus the ones under 5. We didn't get a good picture of everyone together.

My beautiful friend Tiff (Yost) Roundy took our family pictures this summer- I was so thrilled with the way they turned out, she is truly talented. Carson threw up during the first family shoot so she came back 2 weeks later when he was up to it. I want to frame this picture because this captures the true reality of life. Perfect.

He is still not so happy.....but he was a trooper.

2 weeks later.....happy Carson, 3yrs old.

Brooklyn 6yrs....there were so many amazing pictures of this Angel!

My handsome Andrew 7yrs, what a little stud.

My three little amigos......

Us.....LOVE him.

Well.....who knows, maybe by next June you will have an update on Christmas!

Back to reality....

Well, this summer has been a great one! We will miss it.... I will miss the sleeping in probably most of all. Today was the first day of school, I have so many emotions. Sad....excited.....and everything in between. I love my kids so much- Andrew to be gone the whole day is a bit much. He is just too good of a kid to wish him away. Brooke will do great she does love school and 3 hours is enough to get her fix yet I still get her most of the day. After everyone left this morning Carson went down stairs and was yelling "Dada, dada... where go?" Next I heard him yelling for "An-do, An-do (Andrew)" He came upstairs and said "Mom- where go?" I told him Dad was at Work and Andrew was at school. Then I asked "Where's Brookie" and he responded "Wok (work)"! It's going to take some getting used to just Carson and I alone...maybe we will get a new hobby, like jogging or folding the clothes they same day I wash them :).

First day of school! Brooklyn started Kindergarten and Andrew is in 1st grade. Yes- those are coats on August 30th.

Kevin had an amazing opportunity to go to Alaska fishing for 3 days, he just got back. He loved it. This is him with his 45lb Halibut.

The Melaleuca crew with just ONE day of their catches.

Carson......

Playing at Rigby Lake

At Warm River feeding the fish, it never gets old.

Boating with friends while we stayed at their cabin in Island Park.

Carson has newly discovered the art of 'Pluggy Walking' (pacifier=pluggy). He is one of a kind, I know it's kindof gross.

Hope you all had a wonderful summer!

The Sommer Summer Update....

So far this summer has been fun and is going by too fast! We just ended our Tee-ball season- which turned out to be really fun! Andrew is a great hitter and Brooklyn...really improved from the beginning of the season (mainly she is just really cute out in the field).

Andrew caught his first snake in our back yard (usually dad catches them), he asked over and over "Mom, are you the proudest you have ever been of me?" He was super cute- not so much the snake. (can't turn this pict for some reason).
We just had a great visit with our cousins from AZ, The Madders (my sisters kids). We loved having them and we already miss them so much! This is my mom with the grandkids. 4th of July (well...actually 3rd of July)- Down at the River....

Carson eating Corn on a Stick and loving it!

Brooklyn with cousins Ally and Analiese- so cute! They are all with-in about 8 months of each other.More Cousins.....Halle and Jagger.

Right when the big fireworks started...this is what Carson did. Sparklers......
Happy Summer to you all!

Birthday Week 2010

Well, birthday week is over and all 3 of my babies are another year older! Yes, they are still my babies and we love them so much. We celebrated their birthdays separately this year. We had Dino, Curious George and Butterfly parties! We had a lot of fun but now I am de-toxing from all cake and good food.

Andrew on his 6th birthday, April 14th.

He's pretty excited about his gifts.... Happy 2nd Birthday Carson, April 16. Loved blowing out candles on his rice-krispie 'cake'.

Talking to Grandma and Grandpa Boise on Skype while Carson opens their gift.

Brooklyn the morning of her 5th birthday, April 18th.

Brookie and friends at her Butterfly Tea Party.
Grandma Tamara didn't even know and bought her a butterfly dress,
matched the party perfectly.
All said and done...even if I had planned when I was going to have my babies I would probably have their birthdays close together....maybe. There isn't any pouting because they have to wait forever for their birthday...because it's not more than 2 days away! Thanks for all the birthday wishes and gifts. We love you all!

A Leap of Faith

Hey! It's been a while since I've update.... I had a particular event that happened a few months ago that I have been wanted to blog about. Meet Mason...my little brother, he is nine years younger but at least nine inches taller than me. He is truly and awesome person. We have never lived in the same house, we share the same dad but different mom's. He is a Senior at Hillcrest (Go Knights!) and over the past few years we have really gained a great friendship.

Mase with my kids...Anyway, to make a long story short Mason started taking the missionary lessons a few months ago. We were privileged to have them in our home. The first night of the lessons I sat down expecting to hear a simplified version of our church history. I expected to hear much of what I have heard the past 2o-some years. Wow- was I wrong. The spirit was so strong and he was in a teaching mood! Yes- the material I had heard before. However, the difference was the perspective I had of someone I dearly love learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time. Mason has been in wonderful friends homes and has attended church, however this was different. He was wanting to know for him self if this was the church for him. Well the result: my testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been deeply strengthened. I am so blessed to be a member and to have the amazing support system that this Gospel provides me. And Mason......well it seems that he got that too!
Mason, with his friend Tanner (who baptized him) and the great Missionary's.
Mase, with just some of his friends that attended the baptism. So, on February 20th, 2010- Mason got baptized. It was an amazing day. I can't even express how much this experience has done for me. I have a deep admiration for Mason and his decision, at 18, to follow this path and follow his promptings to learn more about the church. Thanks for your great example Mason, We love you!!!

END OF THE YEAR UPDATE!!!

Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!!! We have had a great 2009. I'm sure you all know but time flies! I sit here with a new year at hand and can't help but be extremely thankful for all I am blessed with, the good and the average. :)

For the first time in almost 3 years we had family pictures taken. Here are a few...it was freezing so we had to use bribery for them to get out of the car one more time for this one of all of us. We offered "the biggest, fattest Ice Cream they have ever seen", and gum for Carson. If you look close you can see the green between his teeth.
Merry Christmas from our bright house to yours. And Kev said he wasn't going to do lights this year!
The Sommer family sent an amazing woman home to heaven this holiday season. Grandma Sommer (Kevin's Grandma) passed away Dec. 30th. We had the opportunity to share Christmas Eve with the whole Sommer gang- this was the last picture taken with her. There are over 50 people with only a few missing. Almost everyone got to say goodbye and be here for the funeral. It was a bitter- sweet experience. We will miss her and I have truly realized now what type of impact being a good, loving, and hard working mom can make. It really does carry on through generations. This picture is proof!

Decorating the Christmas tree....and Carson continually un-decorating the tree, everyday!
We left Santa Grasshopper cookies and Mt. Dew this year!
Carson got a broom, he loves it! We decided he needed to start pulling his weight around here.

Sick baby....

Happy Halloween?!? This is the first year we haven't had a specific "theme", sad for me but fun for them. Yes, Kevin wore that (inflatable pumpkin)to work all day. ;)
We hope everyone's holidays were great, thanks for being a part of our lives!

Disneyland and such: Family Vacation '09

We just got back from a great trip, so much fun! We went to Disneyland for 3 days, Sea World, Laguna Beach, and took a day at the beginning to recover from the stomach flu! Yes...the flu hit me right as our plane was leaving IF...I spent the whole flight in the bathroom. It hit Andrew the last 20 min of the flight and Shawn (my brother) and his daughter right as we were landing! Kev and Brookie got it the next night. However, it went away fast and we were up and running the rest of the week. While we were in CA we got to spend time with my brother and sister's families which made it all the more fun! Kevin and I seemed to enjoy Disneyland and Sea World more this time, I think as our kids amazement grows so does ours!

The whole family at Bugs Life show, 3D. Brooke and Carson hated it, it was intense. :)

We waited in line for over an hour to meet the princesses but it was worth it. Andrew was a little hesitant at first but it didn't take him long to warm up to the pretty girls.

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e!

Kev, Brooke, my niece Ally and Andrew on Alice in Wonderland ride.
We loved riding the train around Disneyland, except when Carson was trying to jump off :)
The fam with Shamu- that was an amazing show, we loved it!
Kev and I with my sister Heather, my bro-in-law David (Todd), my brother Shawn and sis-in-law Leah at an awesome taco place near the beach.Kev, Carson and I at Laguna Beach....

My kids with my sister's kids, cousins are so much fun! Sad we didn't get all of the cousins in one picture!Time to start planning the next vacation!!! Who wants to come?