HOALDRIDGE HAPPENINGS

Brayden the Bee

2010-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Brayden surprised me one day and asked me if I could come to his Spelling Bee on January 13. First of all, I didn't even know the school was having a spelling bee let alone my own son qualified to represent the 5th grade for the contest. They had preliminary rounds in their classrooms and then had a school wide spelling bee contest in which Brayden competed. The winner of his school would then go on to represent the whole school at the Collin County spelling bee. I was so proud when I walked into the school gym and saw Brayden sitting on the stage. I could tell he was really nervous. That morning he was wishing he wasn't such a good speller because he was so nervous. His first word was "surround". He only said one "r" and was eliminated in the first round but I was so proud of him and could tell he was relieved to have it over. He blamed it on his nerves and I can't blame him...that is scary to stand in front off all your peers. Way to go Brayden!!!

(I forgot my camera, so the picture is from my phone)

Baylee's Birthday!!!

2010-01-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe my baby girl is the big 10! I now I have two kids in the double digits...I'm getting old. Baylee had an exciting Birthday this year because she got to celebrate it twice. Her Papa Wayne's birthday is just 3 day's after hers and he is here for a visit. She had cupcakes on her actual birthday and a shared birthday cake with her Papa later. Baylee constantly makes us laugh and is a huge help with her brothers. Currently she is ruling the courts playing basketball. She is a great little baller. I keep forgetting my camera at her games but I will get a shot of her playing up here soon. Happy Birthday Baylee Boo!!!

Ten Candles!

Sharing the cake with Papa Wayne

The kids enjoying the cake and ice cream!

Cowboys vs Eagles

2010-01-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

BJ and I had the opportunity to go to a Cowboys home game. It was my first time to "Jerryland". We went with our good friends Brent and Nikki. With it being a playoff of game we had to settle for a Party Pass which means no seats. We didn't care! Just to be there in the atmosphere and watch the Cowboys dominate the Eagles was enough for us! We are such fans and love our Cowboys!

Texas Christmas

2009-12-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

This was the first year (and hopefully the last) we have celebrated Christmas in Texas. When we first decided not to head North for the Holidays it was a pretty sad time for us. Thanks to great friends and the love of family, we had a great Christmas. While we missed being in Utah like CRAZY, we depended on each other and had a great Holiday. We spent Christmas Eve at the Rottweiler's with a delicious meal and gift exchange and on the way home we drove in a BLIZZARD...yes it snowed in Texas. I think it fell just for us! On Christmas morning we opened our presents and went back to our friends house for brunch...yum! I then took the 3 older kids to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. When we got home BJ and I assembled Ozzy's kitchen...3 hours later he was cookin' up a storm! We then had a nice dinner and after we bathed the kids we went back to our friends for a serious game of Guesstures. All in all, it was a very Merry Christmas!
Christmas Eve

Chef Ozzy! (aka: chef cheesy)
He was so excited over his miniature McDonald's food!
One of the many gifts he already knew he was getting due to his snooping...
Ozzy baking up some doughnuts.

Matching jammies with her American Girl doll.
MY favorite gift!

Austin Texas

2009-12-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

After living in Texas for 4 1/2 years we decided it was time to take a trip to Austin to visit the Capital and of course the Land of the Longhorns! With it being winter break it was the perfect time to visit. We had no traffic and no crowds. The kids had fun touring the Capital and then it was off to Longhorn Stadium. When we drove by we noticed the gates open so we thought we'd try to get in for some pictures. As we approached the gates a guy told us to turn around but we pleaded to take just a few pictures and he gave in. He told us just to not run all over the field. We were awed by the size of the stadium and the fact we were standing right where many Championship teams have played.

This is why I had kids...

2009-12-14T19:26:00.001-08:00

And the best thing is they beg me to LET them do it!

Glasses

2009-12-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

When Baylee was 4 years old we took her to the eye doctor because she had a "lazy" eye. The doctor put her in glasses and she wore them for about a year and we went to a different doctor who said she did not need glasses. We were so excited that we didn't even opt to get a 3rd opinion. Recently, she has been complaining about not being able to see very well and we have noticed her "lazy" eye had returned more frequently. Turns out she should of been in glasses this whole time. She has really bad eyesight due to the "lazy" eye and it has gotten worse because she works so hard to focus her right eye that when she is relaxed her eye wonders off. She is excited to be able to see clearly and right now she doesn't even want to talk about contacts. I think she looks pretty cute. As her Grandpa Dave would say, "She looks Foxy."

Snow!!!

2009-12-02T06:01:00.000-08:00

One of the many things we miss not living in Utah is the Snow. We woke up to big fat snowflakes coming down. The kids were so excited. I felt bad sending them to school since I'm sure it will be gone before they get home from school. Snow is rare here in Texas. Bryson is scared of the snow so he doesn't want to outside. He loves to watch it out the window though.

What's Up Homies???

2009-11-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

Bryson does this alot but when I get the camera out he stops...this time he cooperated.

Back to Back to Back (3-Peat) Superbowl Champions!!!

2009-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Jaguars won their 3rd straight Superbowl championship! What a fun season it's been. They played a team that specifically moved into our league so they could play us. When we played them during the regular season they beat us in overtime 6-0. Naturally, our boys were out for revenge and to defend our Title. Jaguars beat the Broncos 13-0 and became the Superbowl Champs for the 3rd year in a row. The Broncos coaches actually went out a recruited some athletes and put together an incredible team of boys. They outweighed us about 20-30 pounds per kid but what they didn't have was the heart and determination of the Jags. They have been coached by an amazing man by the name of Doug Pfaff. Doug has an amazing influence on the boys and teaches them so much more than football. We have been blessed to be a part of this team that implements such good sportsmanship. Brayden had a great game! He had 3 catches for 45 yards with one TD and also played extremely well on Defense.

One of his many catches of the season

One proud Mom!

Ozzy's Football Season

2009-11-28T19:12:00.000-08:00

Ozzy played his first season of football this Fall. He played on a team with Kindergartners and First Graders and though he was a lot smaller he could sure hold his own with all those bigger boys. He had a lot of fun and can't wait to play again. He is taking a break this Winter since he missed being able to play basketball by a few months. He will play Baseball in the Spring.
He can still take time to pose for the camera
He's a small fry~
Game face
Nice stiff arm!

Baylee's Softball Season

2009-11-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Sadly, Baylee's softball season came to an end. We lost in the first round of the playoffs. Baylee had a really good season. She pitched the first 3 innings of every game and played 1st base when she wasn't pitching. We will not be doing a fall season of softball again. We lost a few key players from our spring season and didn't do to well without them. BJ did a great job coaching. We will be back in the spring with our original team. We are proud of Baylee and the time and focus she put into the game. We really think softball is her "sport" and she has a blast. When she strikes someone out she does this fist pump and has all the parents just laughing. She is now moving onto basketball and had her first practice last night. We opted not to coach this year and she got put on a team with an excellent coach and after watching the practice last night I think she is in good hands.

Ozzy's Birthday

2009-11-02T08:41:00.001-08:00

Wow! Ozzy is 5 years old! While I am excited he is getting older and more independent it makes me sad he is growing up so fast. He had a lot of expectations this year and I'm sure we didn't live up to them but I think he had a pretty good birthday. He brought doughnuts to his preschool class, shopped for presents, opened presents, ate cake and ice cream in between his Halloween candy,was spoiled by Grandmas and milked his Birthday for all the privileges he could possibly get. I told him he could chose anywhere to eat for his birthday and of all the places he chose "CiCi's Pizza". I was bummed. I was trying to talk him into Red Lobster but the all you can eat pizza buffet won. He finished his day off by taking a 45 minute bubble bath...his favorite thing to do. Happy Birthday OZZY!

Ozzy and Bryson picking up the doughnuts for his class.
The Bat Cave
Presents in the morning
Bakugons!

RC and Woody...RC is not a "remote control". RC is his name...shoot me now!
The Cake!
Make a wish!!

Relaxing in the bubbles.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Blake, Oz, Bryson, Brayden, Baylee, Karlee, Cannen, and Brenden...good times!

Batman pumpkin with my Batmans!

Love these hugs...they are the best!

Ozzy and the Bills

2009-10-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

This is Ozzy's first year of Football. He is four years old and on a team with Kindergartners and 1st graders. He looks so small out there but he gives so much effort and loves to play. He got to follow in his dad's footsteps and be quarterback at his last game and had so much fun. We can see him talking trash to the other team when he is on the line. He gets so mad when people call him "Shorty" and goes out fighting. He just makes everyone crack up. Here are few shots of him in action. I also got a video of one of his plays as quarterback. Sorry for bad quality. It was really windy.
Ready for his first game
When he played center, he was ready before everyone else

All lined up before team pictures.
He must of said something to upset that kid! :)

Crazy Fall Sports Season

2009-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have been way behind on updating for a couple reasons, mainly because I've been too lazy but this Fall season of sports have been crazy. We have had so many cancellations due to rain that we are now having to play two games a weekend. This weekend alone, we had 2 tackle football games, 3 softball games, (including BJ's league),and a flag football game. It will be over in a couple of weeks and then it's on to 3 basketball teams! Ozzy gets to play this year!
Brayden's football team is having another great year. The Jaguars have been back to back Super bowl champs and we had a team move into our league this year just to play us. We had our first meet up with them and we lost 6-0. Our first loss in 32 games. I hate to say it but it was good for them to lose. I think they needed to be humbled a bit. I predict an awesome Super bowl since the boys will be out for revenge. Go Jags!
BJ is once again coaching Baylee's softball team. We are not having the best season. We lost a few key players since it's Fall ball and the new ones we picked up are a bit flaky. Baylee is doing awesome with her pitching and she can really kill the ball when she actually tries. I think next Fall we will put her in Volleyball since she wants to try that and keep her in Spring Softball. Anyway, here are a few pictures of Brayden and Baylee in action. I also included a couple of pictures of their #1 fan Bryson. Ozzy will have his own post since this is his first year in Football.

More Dancing...

2009-09-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

I think they get their moves from their dad...

Brayden Turns Eleven

2009-09-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Brayden! He turned eleven years old today. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. Just the other day we had a race and he is officially faster than me. He is so proud. He has started babysitting for us now and it has been a very nice. He is always willing to help. He is very busy right now shuffling school, football, and basketball.
This morning he woke up to his presents which were Cutters (football receiving gloves) and the new John Madden 10 Wii game. He was very excited. I think the highlight of his day came after school when he got a phone call from a bunch of girls who sang Happy Birthday to him. When they finished singing all he said was "Thanks, Bye." I can't believe he is getting phone calls from girls already! We had softball and football practice tonight so we will be going out to Buffalo Wild Wings this weekend to celebrate but we did manage to squeeze in some time for cake and ice cream with the Rottweilers. There is always time for dessert! Here are some pics from his special day. Happy Birthday Braydo!

Now he can catch the ball...
Excuse to play the Wii more...
Eleven Candles!!!
Cake and ice cream with the Rottweilers! Good times!

Back to (Pre) School

2009-09-01T11:45:00.001-07:00

Ozzy started preschool today. He was so excited! This year he gets to go on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for 3 hours. I was a bit worried about Bryson because Ozzy is his best friend but he was really good. I think he enjoyed having me all to himself. Ozzy loves his teachers Ms. Kaity and Ms. Stephanie. They are really good teachers and I'm thankful for their patience and willing to teach. I had to post the picture of Bryson because he thinks he has to do everything Ozzy does. Their hair is even combed the same! It drives Ozzy crazy. I think it's cute!

He loves his folder
He wanted to make sure everyone could see his shirt
Goober!

Back to School

2009-08-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

Isn't it funny how all summer listening to the kids fight you wish school would start and then when it really does you wish it didn't? That is how I felt today watching the kids go off to school. I didn't realize how much help they are to me with the little ones. Bryson and Oz are driving me crazy! They constantly need entertained and Brayden and Baylee did that for me.

Brayden started 5th grade and Baylee started 4th. Brayden is excited because the 5th graders "rule the school" and Baylee is excited because she got the teacher she wanted. I am so not excited for homework but it will be nice to get back on a routine. Here are some pics of them on their first day.

Bryson's big fall

2009-08-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Bryson had a big tumble a few days ago. He thinks he can do anything Oz can do. We have a steep driveway and the kids use it to take off fast on their bikes for jumps and what not. He got on his tricycle and thought he could do it too. Well, he soon found out he can't. He went head first over the handle bars and took a tumble. The picture is about an hour after the accident but he was proud of the scrapes and kept wanting to look in the mirror.

Happy Birthday Bryson!

2009-08-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today our Caboose turned 2. We took down the crib yesterday and moved him into a "big boy" bed. He did so good! He didn't even try to get out. I can't believe how time flies. After 10 years we no longer have a crib in the house, no high chair, no baby swing, etc...we are definitely heading into a different phase in our lives and it's a little bittersweet. While it's exciting I'm a little sad to leave the "baby" stage behind. Bryson has been such a good baby and has been such a trooper to tag along on all of our different adventures. (i.e. sports) Before we know it he will have to be at his own practices and games...then life will be very adventurous. For his birthday he got his very own tee ball set that is just his size. He is always trying to hit off Ozzy's tee and he just not quite tall enough. He can already smack the ball. We had a fun day celebrating his birthday. Happy Birthday BP!

He was a little scared of the candles...

Everyone enjoying Birthday cake and ice cream

His dad did this to me just before I took this picture...great example BJ!!!

Presents

Remote control car

Surprise!

He loves his presents!

Yuba Lake

2009-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sis and her family took us out to Yuba Lake for some fun on the boat. For those of you that don't know me, I don't do boats and I don't do lakes. The kids were just way too excited so I didn't have the heart to say no. Well, I ended up having a blast! Bryson was a little nervous at first but really warmed up to it. While the girls were on the tube, we flipped and fell in and lets just say it's a good thing I had on a life jacket because Baylee wrapped both her arms and her legs around me and was just screaming for her life. We all had a really good time and thank you to the Welburns for taking us on "The Memory Maker".

Hook 'em Horns
Deb, Bay, Me
BJ jumping in on the fun Brayden and Trevor
Having a blast!
My buddy!
Hot stuff!
Best Friends!

Hoaldridge Family Picnic

2009-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we went up Provo canyon for a nice picnic with all the Hoaldridge clan. It was nice to have everyone together. Annette worked really hard preparing fried chicken with all the fixings. The food was amazing! We had a fun game of tennis ball baseball and had a great time visiting. We were able to capture a rare photo of all the cousins together. All in all, it was a great day and one we will remember for a long time.

All 14 grandkids...(it'll be outdated in November)
Enjoying the wonderful food...
Yum!
The Fans!
Strike 2!!!
The big game...
Bryson and Zachers
The two lovebirds :)

Sandlot...Brayden and Baylee style

2009-08-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Baylee hit the wiffle ball over the fence and was so scared to go get the ball. The video of her is so funny because at the beginning you can hear say how scared she is and by the end she is screaming for help. All I could do was laugh...then Brayden comes to the rescue acting tough and ends up doing the same thing. You would think this dog was Hercules or something. Finally, BJ had to go get the ball and the dog just looked at him...too funny!

Mona City Pioneer Day 5K

2009-07-31T11:59:00.001-07:00

The day of the Mona City 5K I woke up with my ankle throbbing just a bit from the injury in the big wiffle ball game the night before. I could still walk and felt pretty good. I started the race but when we crossed a small dirt road I stepped on a rock and it was enough to make me stop. It was disappointing as I had ran everyday for two weeks training to do this course. My dad and sister came in around 33 minutes which is excellent since 2 weeks before we came in at just over 36 minutes. My dad and sis both won first place in their age groups. I was so disappointed and vowed to rerun the course when my ankle felt up to it. This morning I drove down to the park and a Mona city employee saw me stretching and offered to time me, even though I had my own stop watch. According to my watch I came in at 33:31 and according to the Mona guy his time said my time was 32:46. I will go with the Mona guy! :) Anyway, he brought out the official paperwork and put my time in it's slot and said I took 2nd in my age group. He told me he would change it and I asked him to please leave things as they are because I just want to do this run for me personally to say that I did it and not to take anyone's ribbon away. I have been filled with disappointment all week and now I feel like I accomplished something and it was a lot of fun!

I also have to add that Brayden ran the 5K in 26:45 and Baylee ran the mile in 9:38. They both placed 3rd in their age groups and did an awesome job!

Brayden crossing the finish line
Me, Dad, and Deb
Me, Dad, Deb, Justin, and Brayden
Dad with his 1st place ribbon
Brayden and Baylee with their ribbons

Pioneer Day Fireworks

2009-07-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Mona City did some awesome fireworks for the Pioneer Day celebration. Luckily we had a great view from my parents back yard. Bryson is a little scared of the fireworks and that's why he has some pretty funny faces in the pictures. I was holding him by my dad and he reached accross to my dad and said "Pa Pa" and grandpa got a rare moment of cuddling with Bryson.
Cutest picture ever!
Notice Bryson's face

Waiting for it to get dark

Smith Field Wiffle Ball and Fun Tricks....

2009-07-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

My dad has the perfect yard and BJ had the idea of having a family Wiffle Ball tournament. We had lots of fun. As with any family gathering that involves sports there were a few heated moments and some plays were filled with drama but overall it was so fun. The night before our big 5K race in Mona that we had been training for I stepped in a hole in the grass and twisted my ankle. I could still walk on it and it felt good for the most part that night. I had a little problem the next day but that will wait for the next post. Anyway, our friends, the Gomez Family, posted a fun trick on their facebook and we had to try them ourselves. The kids had no problem whatsoever but it took me a few tries and I finally got it down...once. Here are some photos of the festivities....

Grandpa getting ready to hit a homer... Trevor Start of another inning.. Right before my grand slam!!!! It's amazing!! I finally did it!
Bryson in on the action too!

Seven Peaks

2009-07-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today we had the chance to go to Seven Peaks with the Hoaldridge Family along with Casper Family. It was a hot day and the kids had a lot of fun. The pictures below tell all.....

Odds and Ends of our Utah trip so far...

2009-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ozzy likes to sit in this same stool and eat with my dad's reading glasses every morning
Ozzy the poser with his cousin JJ
We traveled to Richfield to see my nephew Tyler in his All Star game...way to go Ty!
Bryson ran right up to Tyler and gave him a big hug.
Trevor, JJ, Oz, and Brayden exhausted after a day at the ballpark.
Baylee "adopted" my parents neighbors dog. When the owner came calling for her, Baylee tried to hide her.

A Visit to the Dairy Farm

2009-07-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I grew up on a dairy farm. It was a lot of fun to take my kids back and give them the opportunity to see the life on a farm. It was a fun day and Bryson keeps talking about the moo moo's. It makes me a little sad that my kids don't get to spend time working with their Grandpa out on the farm but I'm glad they weren't scared of the cows and really seemed to enjoy themselves.

Driving through the corrals...
The calf is about a week old
Ozzy and Bryson...Bryson still trying figure out what it is. The milking parlor
Bryson and Ozzy wanted a ride on the "tractor"...

Ute Stampede Fun Run...Nephi, UT

2009-07-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

I ran my first 5K with my sister and my dad. I am soooo not a runner but it was a ton of fun and hopefully a start to a new tradition. We ran 3.1 miles in just a little over 36 minutes. I don't think that's too bad since we didn't really train. Brayden entered a kids 1/2 mile race and took 3rd place (2nd in his age division). He ran really hard and we are proud of him. He wanted to run the 5K but I didn't want him to show me up. We all had a really good time.
Before the big race
Almost there....
Racing to the finish line
After the race...so glad to be done
Brayden with his medal
Brayden racing to the finish line

4th of July and more...

2009-07-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July because it makes us think back and truly be grateful for all of our freedom's and those who fought and are fighting for it. What a blessing to live here in the good ol' USA! I always get emotional when I hear this song whether it be Independence Day or not. Next to the National Anthem, I don't think there is a more Patriotic song...

Artist: Lee Greenwood
Title: Proud To Be An American

If tomorrow all the things were gone, I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again, with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars, to be livin here today.
‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.
From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas, From sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston, and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart, and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.

We had a great Fourth of July weekend. We went to a water park with good friends, had some good wings and ended the night with Sonic ice cream. The temperatures here are above 100 degrees and we are doing anything and everything to keep cool. Today, we took it easy this morning and went and did a little shopping at the mall. We finished off the day with a BBQ and went to watch some fireworks! Happy Fourth of July!!!

P.S. I noticed going through some of my latest posts there wasn't many pics of Bryson. He just goes from one event to the next. He's a trooper. I put a few extra pictures of him on this post along with a little video of him dancing in the car.

Waiting for the fireworks...
The kids love to pose for the camera

Me and my "baby"

Happy Fourth!
Here he comes....

Sonice after BWW
Most nights he looks like this

Don't know if he's crying, pooping, or cheesing it up for the camera...you never know!

He loves to play Wii

Ozzy learns to ride a bike...

2009-07-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

The other day out of no where Ozzy asked BJ to take his training wheels off his bike. He hasn't been riding his bike forever since he keeps up with everyone on his Razor Scooter. BJ took the training wheels off and gave him one little push and he was off. He taught himself how to start and stop. I guess when you are the 3rd kid and want to do everything the older kids do, you can learn pretty fast. Go Ozzy!

P.S. Notice Baylee in the video...she wiped out on the Ripstik. Too bad I didn't get that all on video..next time!!

Another Championship!

2009-06-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

What a fun week this has been for our family. Brayden played for the Division Championship tonight and won! It was an intense game that had all the parents standing. In the end we won, Rivercats 7 - Plano Phillies 6. I need to get a trophy case for all the kids' trophies we have around this house. Brayden had an awesome season. He played shortstop for the Rivercats. Not counting the playoff games, he had a .489 batting average, 21 hits, 12 walks, 6 strike outs, and the best on base percentage of .620. I hope y'all know what these numbers mean because I didn't until this season. I had to learn since they were talked about so often! Wow! No more baseball, softball, or T-ball. Now maybe we can be serious about planning our trip to Utah. Let's hope nothing else comes up for a while...I'm tired!

The trophies are HUGE!
Dog Pile!!! BJ threatened to jump on top and I've never heard boys scream like that!
Brayden and Coach Bobby

Another Crazy Saturday...

2009-06-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one crazy day!!! I already mentioned it was BJ's birthday. We started out having to have Baylee at her All Stars game at 8:00 a.m. along with Brayden at his game at 8:00 a.m. Brayden had a play off game that if he won, he'd be going to the Championship game on Tuesday night. BJ had to be at Baylee's All Star game because he was coaching the girls and I was torn on which game to go to. They were both big games! Luckily they were pretty close in location. Baylee was set to pitch in the second inning of her game so I decided to watch the first half of her game and the second half of Brayden's. Baylee hit a triple and pitched a good inning. Her team won the game 7-1. Brayden helped lead his team to a win. He went 2 for 2 and a walk. They won 9-3. Now, he is off to a Championship game on Tuesday night. Go Rivercats! We then jetted to a park where Ozzy was presented his Trophy for Tball. He now has 4 trophies and is so proud! Right after we grabbed the trophy we sprinted home to change our clothes for the Heartbreaker's (Baylee's softball team party. We swam for a couple hours and ordered pizza. The parents showed their gratitude to BJ for coaching so well and a couple of girls parents told BJ whatever sport he is coaching, they want their daughter on his team. He was excited because he sometimes thought he was too hard on the girls. We then ended our crazy day by going to PF Chang's for BJ's birthday. What a day! Below are some pics of the kids in their activities....

12 Years!

2009-06-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

This post is a couple weeks late but better late than never! I want to make my blog into a book someday and if I don't don't have an entry for our anniversary it will not look too good! This year, BJ and I celebrated our 12th anniversary on June 13. I can't believe it has been that long. We have been in Texas now for 4 of those years and I would have to say those 4 years have been the best because not living by my family, I have learned to depend on BJ and he has never let me down! When he asked me to marry him 12 years ago he said he would always make me laugh. Any of you that know him, know that he has followed through on that promise. Also, our family has a thing with the number "13". (don't ask) Instead of doing the traditional big "10" year celebration, we decided that on our 13th anniversary we will go away for a nice trip. We haven't really done something like this and I'm excited to hit this big mark in our lives. Love you babe!

Happy Birthday BJ!

2009-06-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a day late and I wish there was some way to change the date it was entered to June 27th, but with the crazy day we had yesterday, there was no time to get it done. (more on why in the next post) BJ turned 34 years old! Wow, he is closer to 35 now than 30. We are getting so old! We had a good day and celebrated last night by going to PF Chang's with Brent and Nikki. I hope he had a good day! I wasn't able to make him his puffy pancake because we had to be out the door at 7:30a.m. so I need to make it up to him. Happy Birthday Babe!

P.S. My friend Julie told me how to change the date on your blog entry...check my comments and you can learn too. Thanks Julie!

We are the Champions...

2009-06-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Baylee helped lead her softball team to a division Championship. The Heartbreakers won the championship game 5-2. Baylee pitched the first 3 innings and finished on 1st base. She went 2 for 2 with 2 singles. I've attached 3 videos. One is of her striking the batter out. Another, fielding the ball and throwing the runner out at first. Last, is Baylee getting one of her singles. Turn your speaker up so you can hear her dad yell at her when she is trying to go to second...good stuff! BJ and I, along with our good friend Nikki, had a good time coaching this team. We hope to defend our championship in the fall!

Youth Ball Park...Plano, TX

2009-06-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

Plano City and the Plano Baseball Association that Brayden plays in has a ballpark, called Youth Ballpark. It is absolutely beautiful. The city and the PBA keep this field in mint condition. The league tries to make it feel like a Major League experience with a play by play announcer, music between innings, lining up for the National Anthem before the game and announcing each batter as they come up to bat. Even though it's a Little League baseball park, it's groomed like a Major League baseball field. They try to give each team at least one opportunity to play on it each season. Brayden and his team had the opportunity to play on it last night. What a neat experience!

The field before game time
Brayden standing on the field just before the game
Lined up for introductions and National Anthem
Brayden's first at bat...hit a line drive into right center
Brayden running home
Brayden plays shortstop
Oz being a trouble maker...notice the squirt bottle

Bryson trying to stay cool...it was really hot!

Ozzy's Preschool Pre-graduation

2009-05-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Ozzy had his end of the year preschool program. It's not quite graduation for him yet. He has one more year. They had a really cute program lined up for us. He sang a song, had some awards, honored the graduates, and ended with some yummy cake. He loved his teacher, Ms. Kaity. He had so much fun and can't wait for it to start again in the fall. He loves to learn and has shown a lot of progress in the last year. Below are few fun moments from the program.

He was excited to see us there...
Singing a song
Giving Ms. Kaity a rose
Ms. Kaity and Ozzy
His award for "Bob the Builder" because he likes to build things

Let Summer begin!

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day, we went over to the Rottweilers and swam and had some pizza. Bryson got a new little swim thing that keeps him safe in the water. The learning curve is a bit hard for him but he is catching on and once he does, my summer will be more enjoyable. He kinda looks like a pansy in it but that's ok. It has an actual intertube in it and he has to learn to balance. He came a long way in just his first day. His friend Cannen was on his 3rd day and he was already a pro, so I have hope. Bryson's face ends up in the water alot but he loves learning and is a little fish in the water so I think in just a couple more days, he'll be a pro. What a fun weekend! Now I need a nap...:)

Good Times...Good Friends

2009-05-26T15:11:00.001-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend was full of fun. We have some of the best friends in the world. Most of these girls have a daughter Baylee's age and it's always fun when we get together. As you can see in the pictures, we can get a little crazy. Most of these pictures were taken just before we watched some fireworks out by Anne's house. They had music playing and a few booths with games but for the most part we just let the kids play and enjoyed each others company. The fireworks were great too!

Kenny Chesney

2009-05-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

On May 2 Kenny Chesney came to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. Nikki, Heather,her sister in law, and myself joined a ton of other crazy people and went to this OUTDOOR event that took place during a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning. I have never seen so much rain. Heather, the only smart one, brought ponchos for everyone and while they helped, we were still soaked. Finally, Kenny came out to play and about 5 songs into the concert, they realized it was too dangerous and sent everyone home. Kenny legally filled his obligation and did not have to return but he came back through town on May 17 and did a 3 and 1/2 hour concert for the fans for no extra charge. He suffered thousands of dollars worth of damage to his equipment but he was amazed that his fans would sit through all that rain and thunder and felt he owed it to us to come play. Normally, his show is an hour and ten minutes...but on that sunny afternoon on May 17 he just kept on playin'....Yay Kenny!

Baseball/Softball Season

2009-05-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

It is definitely a busy time of the year for us. We have Baseball and Softball games or practices almost every day of the week. As you can see Bryson likes it too! We coach Baylee's team and BJ helps coach Brayden. Unfortunately, we had to opt out on coaching Tball this year as there is not enough hours in the day. Ozzy loves his coach though. Just a sample of our schedule; tomorrow Ozzy has a game at 10 and Brayden and Baylee both have 11:00 games. Crazy fun times!

What I Know About My Mom...

2009-05-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to go to Preschool with Ozzy for a few minutes. They had the cutest program planned for us. They all had on cute little white aprons and when I walked in Ozzy showed me to my seat that had a flower with a picture of him in it. He then served me ice water with fresh fruit, chocolate, cheese, and crackers. Ms. Kaity asked the kids some questions and then she read them out loud and the moms had to guess which one was about them. Ozzy did really good!

What I Know About My Mom...

My mom is "33" years old.
One of my Mom's favorite things to do is "play sports".
My Mom likes it when I "play golf".
My Mom's favorite color is "pink".
My Mom's job is to "go to the store".
My Mom's favorite food is "cheeseburgers; I like them too".
My Mom's favorite show is "Bedtime Stories".
My Mom likes to cook or bake "eggs and cook me nachos".
My Mom's favorite pizza topping is "pepperoni".
My Mom wears a size "8" shoe.
My Mom has "4" brothers and "1" sister.
I love my Mom because "she gets me candy".

The kids then sang a couple of cute songs. What a fun day!

Bryson DWTS continued....

2009-04-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry to keep posting these videos of Bryson Dancing With the Stars but it is one of our favorite things. He wants everyone to dance with him now. We finally talked him to being satisfied with just Baylee dancing because we were tired of dancing the entire show. In this video we were able to capture him dancing to a "slow" song. He gets pretty serious.

Happy Homecoming

2009-04-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

Waiting...
Happy Day!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day! BJ was finally able to leave Brazil and is on his way home. We are so thankful that he is safe and that he will be home in just a few short hours. We, as a family, have had an experience that makes us realize the important things in life. I know I, for one, will never be the same. I know the Lord works in mysterious ways. What happened to BJ in Brazil is a terrible thing but I know good will come of it. It has already helped me to realize how very blessed I am and to help me focus on what is really important. Today being Easter and being able to celebrate life and the Atonement could not have come at a better time. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that He made for me. I know He died for me. I know He loves me. I have felt His love for me and my family during this recent trial and I have so much to be thankful for. I have the best kids in the whole world! This morning the weather was horrible. Baylee said, "I guess the Easter Bunny is not coming today...oh well." I asked her if that was OK with her and she said that Easter is not about candy, it's about celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. I was so proud! Needless, to say, the Easter Bunny came through. He did a little scavenger hunt in the house that lead to baskets full of candy. I've never been more happy to see them have so much candy! Happy Easter!

Thank You Grandma Mary & Papa Dave!!!

2009-04-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

The kids got a special package today from their Grandma Mary and Papa Dave. They each got a little bag chalk full of plastic eggs filled with dollars and candy. They were so excited! It was greatly appreciated. Happy Easter!

Bye Bye Weeds!

2009-04-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Last year our neighbor got some terrible crabgrass like weed in his yard and it spread into ours. We tried like heck to kill it but it never went away and it came back with a vengeance this Spring. Before BJ left for Brazil he put some weed killer out on the lawn but it didn't even touch this stuff. Well, with all the stress we have had this week with BJ being stuck in Brazil, I needed a project to tackle to take my frustration out on. After 3 afternoons of hard work we were able to conquer this stubborn weed grass. I saw a neighbor of Ozzy's preschool digging up weeds in his yard so I asked him what was the benefit and he said the only way to get rid of this weed for good was to dig it up. He said the Bermuda grass takes over and it will grow back over the bald spots. So, I got the shovel out and got to work. There are some pretty good bald spots but I have hope the Bermuda will do it job! As you can see below, I had some pretty good help.

Before
After
Ozzy helping
Brayden and Baylee
Trying to look good
Not sure what Baylee is doing???
Bryson HAD help too!

Spring Leadoff Classic

2009-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend Brayden had his first tournament of the season. The Spring Leadoff Classic is a tournament that teams from all over the metroplex compete. This is the first year that Brayden's team has played in this league. Considering this was all new to us we did very well. We won all our games the first day only to be knocked out the first game of the next day. Brayden was sad that his dad missed his first tournament, (BJ helps coach), so we wanted to get some pictures posted so that BJ could have a look see. We miss you Babe and hope you make it back to us fast!

Playing Shortstop
On Deck
Can't help but love him!

Bryson Dancing with the Stars???

2009-03-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Bryson LOVES to watch Dancing with the Stars. He gets so excited every time it's on. He is funny because he dances to them all and matches his tempo to whatever song is on. I can only capture it in bits and pieces because once he sees the camera, he stops to pose.

I came across this clip taken during the last season of DWTS back in October. He has always been a fan!

Baylee the "Parent"

2009-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've recently decided to let the kids use the Internet with the condition of me knowing all of their usernames and passwords. Baylee likes this website called clubpenguin.com. I found out she was chatting online with someone and it freaked me out a bit and I told her she can't do that because it is unsafe and explained the dangers of chatting online.
A couple of days later I checked over her emails and she had a response from Club Penguin Support Team so I wondered why they would email her. When she signed up for the website it asked for your parents email and she put her own email in. This is what she emailed the support team:

My daughter has been on club penguin.com and I don't think it is safe that
the kids can chat you need too do something about that because my daughter
loves club penguin and my husband does not think it is safe. Please make my
daughter happy. Or else I will tell my daughter not too go on there and that
will ruin her life and many other kids life. Please do something about it
because it is not safe

From,
Parent

I was shocked! She pretended to be me! I had a really hard time keeping a straight face telling her this was wrong. The support team did respond with a huge email letting us (well, her) know of all the safety measures their team takes to ensure the safety of the kids using their website. It did make me feel better about the kids going to this site. One of things they said that made me laugh was, "Of course, there is no replacement for the teachings a parent can bring when it comes to online safety." This is so true. Needless to say, I will be keeping a close eye on her!

Baylee's Basketball Season

2009-03-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

This winter BJ and I had the opportunity to coach Baylee's basketball team. We had a really good season. We ended up being 7-1 in the regular season and took 2nd place in the playoffs. It was a lot of fun and now we are moving on to coaching Softball. (Well, BJ is...)Stay tuned!

Brycee Poo...

2009-02-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

Bryson hit the ripe old age of 18 months and had his first day of Nursery yesterday. He didn't even cry! I have mixed emotions about this because while I really want him to go so I can actually sit in a class for more than 15 minutes, he is my baby and I wanted him to be just a little bit sad. He also had his 18 month check up today. I can't believe how fast he is growing up.

Just before the mean nurse came in to poke him

The Ripstik

2009-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have been spending way too much time lately with my new obsession...the Ripstik. I've had a few falls...(not as bad as BJ though) but it's a blast. Both Baylee and Brayden have one and I think I might have to get my own because they are tired of sharing with me.

Happy Birthday Sissy!

2009-01-25T17:08:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to say Happy 39th Birthday to my sister Debbie. Hope you had a great day and we'll see you next month...YAY!

Strikz Birthday Party

2009-01-21T06:02:00.001-08:00

On Saturday Baylee had her Birthday Party at Strikz. The kids bowled, had pizza and cake, then they got game cards to play in the arcade. She came away with some awesome presents and we all had a great time.

Happy Birthday Baylee!

2009-01-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

Baylee is 9 years old today! I can't believe my baby girl is growing up. While I was putting this picture collage together I was reminded how much fun a little girl can be with all the pretty dresses and cute little hair bows...(she doesn't get into that anymore). Baylee has been a great sister to all 3 of her brothers. She is way out numbered but she can sure hold her own! Baylee is always making us laugh and is so much fun. Love you, Girl! Happy Birthday!

The Three Amigos!

2009-01-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

It's always so fun to get together with my family because two of my brothers have little boys that are Bryson's age. On the left is Bennett and his birthday is September 10. In the middle is Seth and his birthday is August 12. Then there is Bryson who was born on August 9. They were so much fun to watch. It's times like this that I'm sad we all don't live closer so they could see each other more. We have to take lots of pictures every time we are together!

Christmas...

2009-01-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

This year we made the drive to Utah to spend the Holidays with our families. We were there for 18 days. While the drive was long, it was so worth it to spend time with our loved ones. The kids traveled well and while I was worried about Bryson, he was actually the most layed back of the bunch. Below are a few pictures I took on Christmas Day...
JJ and Ozzy tracking Santa
The Loot!
Brayden's (and BJ's) "dream" bike...Diamondback!
I didn't get a picture of her opening her rollerblades, (her favorite), but she's happy!
This was really nice for the trip home!

This is the view from my parents back door...Mount Nebo

The Snow Blower Christmas...

2009-01-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

My dad bought a snow blower off the internet and after just a few uses the engine blew up. With the amount of snow Utah is receiving this year, my dad was just a little depressed about having to get the snow shovels back out. Well, on Christmas Eve, he went to Salt Lake to visit his sister and while he was gone, my mom, Debbie, John, BJ, and myself headed to Provo to find a new snow blower. We went to Home Depot and they had sold out of them that morning and they called several stores trying to find one in stock. They finally located one in Sandy which is about 45 minutes away from Provo. We were on our way when we decided to call Lowes...they had one in stalk and they matched Home Depot's price plus beat it by 10%. Needless, to say we only had to go about 10 minutes and my mom saved alot of money utilizing Lowes lowest price guarantee. We were able to load the thing in the van and covered it with a blanket. Job done!
A couple hours later my dad gets home from visiting his sister and tells us he stops in Provo at Home Depot and Sears hoping to find a snow blower and he couldn't even find any snow shovels as the weather was calling for lots of snow. He was so discouraged thinking he would have to use his old snow shovels with all the snow expected that night. It made the surprise even more exciting.
My parents have been receiving a secret elf every night between 9:00-10:00 so we decided we'd put it on the doorstep and ring the doorbell and he would think it was the secret elf...imagine his surprise when he opened it up to his "dream" snow blower. He was so excited! My pictures just don't do it justice but it is a Christmas we will all remember...(especially my dad).

So Thankful!!!

BJ Went Snowmobiling...

2009-01-06T13:59:00.001-08:00

One of BJ's favorite things to do is to snowmobile. We have been married 11 1/2 years and he has never had the opportunity to go until this last visit to Utah when his friend invited him to go along. He had so much fun and was a little sore but had a great time. I've even caught him looking at sled machines online...nice try! Good thing we live in Texas! But man, he sure makes the sport look good, dont' you think?

Update!!

2009-01-02T10:56:00.001-08:00

It has been a really long time since our last post. We have been in Utah since December 18th and have been going every direction since. We leave for Texas tomorrow morning and should arrive home in Plano on the 4th. We have driven many miles and still have many to drive but it has been a blast spending time with our families. I have many pictures and stories to tell but will have to wait until I get home so I can get the pictures off my camera. The picture here is of BJ getting mauled by the kids at my nephew JJ's birthday party...they were relentless...he just wanted to take a nap!

The Holiday Season is Upon Us!

2008-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

Today we went with the Rottweiler family to Historic Downtown McKinney to a Christmas festival. The kids had a blast tubing down a "snow hill", riding ponies, visiting Santa, and even riding in a horse carriage. It was a great way to bring in the Holidays. We have never been to that part of McKinney and it was fun to see the old buildings and restored houses. Sorry for all the pictures but I had a hard time choosing which ones to post...

Trisha and Trey's visit to Texas

2008-11-19T06:05:00.001-08:00

The past couple of days have been so fun. We had the opportunity to have Trisha and Trey Casper stay with us. While we missed having Trevor with them, we enjoyed getting to know his cute little family. Living in Texas, we never had the opportunity to meet Trisha and their cute little boy Trey. Trisha was in Dallas for business reasons and we had the opportunity to babysit Trey. I'm sure they hear it over and over but he is truly an Angel Baby. The kids absolutely loved having him here. He just went with the flow. I was a litte nervous about Bryson since he is used to ruling the house but he was so sweet with Trey. He gave him lots of hugs and kisses and even shared his toys. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of Trisha but I was able to catch some of the things Trey did on his visit to his cousins house. Come back soon!

Defending Superbowl Champions...Jaguars!!

2008-11-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Brayden and his teammates defended their title today as Superbowl Champions. It was an exciting game against our rivals, Texas Attack. We won 19-0. Brayden had an awesome game and we are extremely proud of him!

We have a couple of weeks before Basketball starts so we won't know what to do without practices and games to run to and from...maybe we can sit down and have dinner together??? Baylee finished her softball season in 4th place and lost the first game in the playoffs. She had a great season and can't wait until basketball. Ozzy finished soccer today and will take the winter off since he misses the deadline for basketball by just a few days. He, along with Bryson, will cheer on Brayden and Baylee.

Soccer Finale!

2008-11-08T11:16:00.001-08:00

Ozzy had his last soccer game today. He hustled really good and has come a long way this season. We had a party at Chuck's Hamburgers afterward and Ozzy recieved his trophy and cupcake. This picture is of him with his coach, Jason. Now, we wait for Spring for Tee Ball...can't wait!

Belated Halloween Post

2008-11-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Okay...I've made some people mad for not posting any Halloween pictures. Bryson had a really bad night and would not cooperate for anything much less pictures so I didn't feel like any of them turned out so I just picked the best of the bad. Brayden was a prison mate, Baylee was a 50's girl, Oz was a Rhino, (he was going to be a ghost) and Bryson was Superman. Notice Ozzy's pumpkin...yeah, I did that! I never said I was an artist...

Happy Birthday Oz!

2008-11-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today Ozzy turned 4 years old! We had a really fun day. We had to juggle the regular Saturday sports stuff but we managed to get in a little celebration too. After all the games we took him to Toys R Us and let him pick out his presents. Then we met up with our good friends, the Rottweilers, at Dave & Busters for a night of food and fun.

P.S. Brayden's team won the playoff game today and will be playing in the Superbowl next Saturday...we'll keep you posted!

Jaguars 8-0

2008-10-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Brayden's football team went undefeated this season, 8-0. The playoffs start Saturday and we are looking forward to defending our Superbowl title. It has been a lot of fun cheering this team on. Below are pictures of a couple of touchdown catches Brayden had this season...Go Jags!!!

Pumpkin Patch Time!

2008-10-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

This year we went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch with the older kids too. Brayden so did not want to go but once we got there he had a blast. Grandma and Grandpa Hoaldridge are in town so Grandma Net got to check out the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch too. Bryson loved to just play in the dirt and throw the little pumpkins around. They fed the animals and rode the hayride and then picked out a pumpkin to take home. It was a fun afternoon and the weather was just right. Good times!

Crazy Kids!
He thinks he is so cool...
She picked Bryson a pumpkin too...
Ya like the boots and Wranglers? He does!
Throwing the pumkins
Grandma Net and the monsters...

My Favorite Time of the Year...

2008-09-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of the year. The nights are getting a little cooler and it was time to break out the "Feetsie Jammies". Bryson doesn't keep a blanket on him and just loves these jammies. We all fought over getting to snuggle up with him after his bath. Love them!!!

Crazy Saturday...

2008-09-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

We left the house this morning at 10:30 and got home at 4:00. We had a crazy sports schedule today. Ozzy had a soccer game at 11:45, Brayden had a football game at 12:00 and Baylee had a softball game at 1:45. We asked Ozzy's coach if he could play the first half of the game and then we jetted over to Brayden's game. We had taken Baylee to her friends/teammates house this morning so she could get to her game on time. Then after Brayden's game was over we jetted over to Baylee's game. It was alot of driving, sweating, and hurrying from one thing to the next, but we wouldn't have wanted to spend our Saturday any other day.

Ozzy won 5-0. He had one goal!
Brayden won 49-0. He had an interception return for a touchdown!
Baylee won 16-0.
And Bryson was their #1 fan!

Happy Birthday Brayden!!!

2008-09-09T17:31:00.001-07:00

Today is Brayden's 10th birthday. I can't believe he is that old already. (I can't believe I'M that old!) This year his birthday was bitter-sweet. While BJ was in surgery, I took him and the kids out for Brayden's birthday dinner. He chose to eat at Snuffers...Yum! Afterward, we went to Academy Sports and he picked out his "dream" air soft gun with all the accessories. We ended his birthday on a happy note by having his dad home to enjoy his store bought cake. I promise, next year it will be homemade! Love you Bud!

Preschool!!!

2008-09-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

It was Ozzy's turn to have a first day of school today. He was so excited. Ms. Kaity is his teacher and he really likes her. He must of had a lot of fun because he wants to go back tomorrow. He's excited to have homework...(let's hope that lasts)!

Brayden and the Cowboys

2008-08-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

Brayden had an opportunity of a lifetime last night. He was able to play at Texas Stadium during the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings football game! Unfortunately, with our crazy sports schedule this fall, only one of us was able to attend. Any guesses of who? Yep...BJ. Brayden's teammates and parents started it off by having a big tailgate party and then they all headed into Texas Stadium. They had great seats as you can see from the pictures. We don't have too many pictures because when Brayden went to the lockeroom to get ready he took the bag with the camera and left it there for the rest of the game...but you can see how close they were to the action. One of the dad's was able to get some shots of their actual scrimmage during halftime so I will post those later when he passes them on to us. Brayden was extremely excited and had the time of his life.

Happy Day!

2008-08-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Today Brayden starts 4th grade and Baylee starts 3rd grade. No more "What can I do?"..."Can I have something to eat?"..."Can we go somewhere?"..."I'm bored!" With the exception of having to wake up early, it is truly a Happy Day!...Now the countdown to preschool begins!

Bryson's Birthday

2008-08-09T17:31:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Bryson is already one! This year has really flown by. It seems not too long ago our families were here helping us adjust to being a family of six. Bryson has been such a blessing to us and is such a good baby! With having 3 kids in 5 different sports we do a lot of running to and fro. Luckily, Bryson likes to go, go, go. It won't be long before he is one of those kids I'm running to practice or to a game...oh the joy! Anyway, Bryson is now taking a few steps and trying to keep up with the older kids. He does a pretty good job of it too! Happy Birthday, Baby!

Ozzy's obsession with Tiger Woods...

2008-07-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

From the video below, not only has his swing improved, so has his attire.

Ozzy (our three year old) has an obsession with Tiger Woods. He loves to watch him, talk about him, and now he even likes to dress like him. We took him to the Range to take a few shots of him in action. He had an audience while he hit range balls and while he did a few putts. They even applauded for him. He was in his element. We finished the night by dropping by 7-Eleven to drink some Tiger Gatorades.

If you look close, you can see the ball in the air...what great ball flight!

Ozzy at the Range

2008-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I came across this video that was taken about 10 months ago. He has been working on his swing and we will get an updated video of his progress posted soon. His favorite thing to do is go the Range...

Baylee leaves for Utah

2008-07-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! Baylee woke up excited to start her 3 week trip away from mom and dad. A couple months ago we found out that Miley Cyrus was coming to the Stadium of Fire on July 4th. We thought it would be neat for her to go but we didn't plan on going to Utah until the end of July for a Hoaldridge family reunion, but BJ's mom was able to get tickets and we thought it was too good of an opportunity to miss so we booked Baylee's flight 3 weeks ahead of ours. She has been really excited and not nervous to fly alone until she woke up this morning. She was really quiet and I had to reassure her a few times everything would be fine. The airlines really take good care of unaccompanied minors so I feel really good about it. I'm sure she'll have lots of fun and I'm sure she'll be checking this blog so..."I miss you tons already, Baylee! Have fun and we'll see you on July 23rd! Love ya!"

Happy Birthday BJ!!!

2008-06-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today is BJ's Birthday! He is 33 years old. I just wanted to give him a shout out on this special day. We started the day off with his favorite breakfast, Puffy Pancake. I've only made it twice this year with the other time being Fathers Day. I guess I need to make it more often, but those of you who know me...I hate to cook so I think he's lucky he got it that many times. We will be heading to the mall in a few minutes to get his present and then we will finish the day by having a yummy meal at III Forks with some good friends. Anyway, BJ, thanks for being my best friend and always being there for me. I hope you have a wonderful Birthday and may your next year be as rewarding as this year. I love you!!!

Baylee the Padre

2008-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Softball player. Baylee plays first base and can really hit the ball. We love watching Baylee play sports. She really seems to enjoy playing and has a lot of fun. She is hilarious! She does all kinds of corky things that are not related to the sport she plays and she makes us all laugh. She also makes those around her have fun too because she enjoys it so much!

This was an AWESOME catch!

Ozzy the Yankee

2008-05-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going to write a post for each of the kids and what sport they are involved in. I'll start with Ozzy since he's the only one I have pictures of right now. I'll get Brayden and Baylee at there next games. You'll have to excuse Ozzy's blue mouth. He just had a ring pop and it would not come off! He plays Jr. T-ball for the Yankees and his dad is his coach. He loves to play pitcher and first base but loves to hit the ball the best! Here a few moments in his intense Jr. T-Ball game!

Brayden's Day at the AAC

2008-05-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

Brayden had a great opportunity to play Arena Football at the American Airlines Center, (where our own Dallas Mavericks play), before the professional game of the Dallas Desperados. Along with his teammates and families, he was able to stay for the Desperados game and enjoy a great game! We left Bryson with a babysitter and enjoyed a full day in Downtown Dallas. Brayden's team won but Dallas lost 55-54. In the pictures below Brayden is #37.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Little Longhorn!

2008-04-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

I had to post this after my last post...he really is ALL boy!

Pretty Bryson!!!

2008-04-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

I know he will kill me when he is older but Baylee and I really wanted another girl so we played dress up. Hey, at least I didn't put a dress on him!

Weekend full of Sports

2008-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just a taste of what our weekends are full of and while baseball PRACTICES have started the games have not. We start Arena Football this weekend too...should be fun!

This is exactly how BJ sleeps!

2008-04-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ozzy's new obsession

2008-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ozzy thinks he needs to take a bubble bath everyday. He will sit and soak in the tub forever!

Braces off!

2008-04-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Brayden and Baylee got there braces off! They are now done with phase ONE. Baylee just got hers off yesterday and her gums are bit swollen due to the pressure when they took the expander off. She loves her smile and that alone is worth all the money spent and all the money yet to come when they will have to have full braces in a few years. Brayden tells me all the girls want him. Baylee got a special note from the orthodontist to give to her teacher stating that she has to chew gum due to orthodontic treatment and she loves to rub that in Brayden's face. Brayden has to wear a tongue suppressor to keep his tongue from pushing his teeth back out the way they were before. He's had that on for about 6 weeks and at his checkup yesterday the orthodontist had to bring it even lower because he somehow managed to get that tongue around it and was pushing his teeth back out. He has a bad habit he needs to break but all in all I'm very pleased with the results and best of all it has helped give them a boost of confidence. I did have to force Brayden to smile. Can you tell?

We need a pitcher...not a window breaker!!!

2008-03-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Yep...Brayden thinks he's a pitcher. We have a loveseat directly in front of the window and he was practicing pitching by throwing it at the couch...obviously he needs to practice a bit more!

OOOPS!

Easter Sunday March 23, 2008

2008-03-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Somehow Oz got ALL the eggs with the money!?!

That sneaky bunny!

Princess Baylee

Brayden

The Oz

Bryson

Smile!

What a day! Ozzy was up in the night with with an awful cough. He wanted his daddy so I gladly gave up my spot in the bed and went to sleep in the bed in the baby's room. Needless, to say BJ was up with Ozzy until 3:00 a.m. That's what he gets for being the favorite! No, he really stepped up and even steamed up the bathroom to clear Oz up and make it easier for him to breathe. I was really impressed!
We had the Easter egg hunt this morning and I arranged for Ozzy to find all the eggs with money in them and Brayden and Baylee didn't find any. It was hilarious because it's the money the older kids want and no so much the candy. Needless to say, as you can see by the picture, they were not happy. Fortunately, Oz was nice enough to split it evenly. Then it was time to get ready for church. Ozzy didn't make it to church obviously, but he still wanted to wear his shirt and tie. Baylee absolutely loves her dress. We went shopping last week and she didn't like anything I liked and I didn't like anything she liked. Luckily, we finally agreed. If this is a taste of what is to come...please help me!! Luckily, I only have one girl.
Brayden gave a talk in Primary today on Jesus Christ being our Saviour. It was nice to be able to teach them and have them learn about our amazing Brother and be able to share it with the other kids in Primary on a day when we are celebrating Him. The candy and eggs are always fun but I'm thankful for this time of year when we can reflect on the Atonement and what a blessing it is to have it in our lives. Happy Easter everyone!

Baylee's Baptism February 2, 2008

2008-03-22T20:42:00.001-07:00

Baylee was baptized on February 2nd. She was able to share her special day with her good friend Karlee. Her dad baptized her and both sets of Grandparents and her Aunt Debbie came all the way from Utah to be with her on her special day. BJ's Uncle Ben and Uncle Hank were able to attend as were a few of our friends. We had a great time with all our family in town. We are so proud of Baylee and her decision and we hope she continues to make good decisions in her life.

What are we up to lately?

2008-03-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Brayden is in the 3rd grade and loves anything to do with sports. He is currently in basketball, baseball, and arena football. Baylee is in 2nd grade and is finally turning into my girly girl. She still loves sports and is currently playing softball and as her dad always said, she does have a natural talent for the sport. Ozzy is 3 and loves preschool. He is also a sports nut and is currently playing soccer and T-ball. As you can see, I pretty much live in the van every evening driving the kids from one practice to another and our weekends are full of games. We love it! Luckily the baby likes the car. That brings is to Bryson aka "Brycee Pooh". He is already 8 months old and is a very happy easy going baby. Thank goodness! He gets plenty of kisses and loves from us all. BJ is enjoying working from home...I wish I could say the same...(just kidding, hon!) I really do like having him home. It's nice to run an errand or two and not have to load up the troops. Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy our blog and check back often. I'll try to keep it updated with new pictures to let you all know how we are doing. Hope to see you all soon!