A Day with Bridger and Dakota

Before I talk about my day with Bridger and Dakota
I have to mention something funny that Noah said this morning before he went to school.
At school today they were having a day where the dad's got to go and eat breakfast with the kids and then go back to the classrooms and read stories that the kids have been writing in class.
Noah asked me if James could just go to Hunters class and not his.
He was pretty insistent that James not go to his class.
I thought it was so weird. Finally he said,
"Mom, Dad is really old and it will be embarrassing. All my friends will laugh at me!"
I started to laugh but at the same time was horrified that he felt his dad was so old.
He isn't even the oldest dad in Noah's class.
I always teased that when Noah graduated we would be like the oldest parents there
being pushed in in our wheel chairs.
Little did I know he would be embarrassed so soon! Well, not by me... but by James!!!!
He relented and let James come to his class,
and he was happy that nobody laughed at his old dad!!
Now, on to my day with Bridger and Dakota.
Summer and Autumn decided to go snowboarding yesterday,
(according to Scott Summer really needed a break)
so I watched the boys. Dakota had a bad cough so he didn't go to school.
I decided before they came that I was not going to stress out
about the mess they make of the house.
After having already decided that, the day was a lot easier seeing how they manage to take out every toy we own and spread them from one end of the house to the other.
I just didn't worry about it, and they had a lot of fun.
Dakota and I made cookies and Bridger just walked around exploring everything!

This is when things are still pretty clean and most of the toys are still in the cupboard,
except the books that Bridger already pulled out.

Just beginning............

This is more like it...........toys everywhere,
but they are not really playing with them. They just like to pull them out!

Bridger thought he was so funny rolling down the steps!

Dakota loves making cookies. Today he made them in the shape of a moose,
fish, bear, duck, butterflies, and a tree. He loved these because he likes hunting,
and these were things that he wants to hunt.

When we built our house James got the Genius idea to put our microwave down in our island
because we have a double oven, and he didn't want to take up wall space.
I was concerned that our little kids would always play with it.
Well, none of our kids even seemed to notice it when they were younger.
So it was never a problem until now........
Bridger won't leave it alone and yesterday learned how to open the door.
It seems he can be anywhere in the house and as soon as I turn the microwave on
he is right there. I can hardly wait until he starts microwaving toys!

(don't you just love that face?)
After he got bored with the microwave he moved on to the fridge!
I seriously don't know how Summer gets anything done!
Good thing I had decided to not do anything and just have fun with them!
Hope Summer and Autumn had as much fun as
Dakota, Bridger and I did!

A Fun Filled Week...

McKenzie and James at her Recital


Last week was a busy week for us. My dad and Leah came on Tuesday and it seemed we just went from one event to the other. Which was fun for me because my dad doesn't get a chance to see my kids do anything. While he was here he got to experience a big snow storm first hand.
And after walking up and down my slick driveway a few times they began to understand why I hate the snow so much. (I only want it to snow at Christmas)
He got to see McKenzie Dance in her Recital, and at two Basketball half times.
She did not disappoint! Grandpa and Leah were so impressed!
He got to see Daniel and Hunter both in Basketball games. (Daniel's team lost, Hunters Won) He was able to celebrate McKenzies Birthday with her, as well as see Hunter Perform in his school musical. He had never seen Bridger before, so he was able to play with his 2 great grandsons. While he was here he took Noah to Cabela's and bought him a Camo Coat which he only takes off when he goes to bed, but he takes it to bed and sleeps with it!
I just really enjoyed having my dad here, and watching him have so much fun with my kids.
I hope they enjoyed their trip here as much as we enjoyed having them. Especially Noah, he followed his Grandpa every where and hated it when they left on Sunday.

McKenzie talking at the recital and giving a gift to her coach.

McKenzie and Grandpa

with the boys,

and with Chase!

All of the Trophies that the Drill team won this year!

They did a great job at their Recital Dancing all 6 dances that they competed through the year!
Other than the trip to New York, drill is over.
Watching them dance their last dance brought tears to my eyes.
Especially when all the girls walked off the floor in tears and began hugging each other!
I will miss watching McKenzie Dance. Maybe even more than she will miss dancing!

Grandpa building puzzles with his great grandsons!
Dakota was so excited to have someone play with him
and help him with his new puzzles.
He was waiting on the porch as we drove up with his new Pirate puzzle
that he couldn't wait to show us, and he couldn't wait to put together!
Grandpa was happy to help him!

Hunter after his play. He played Sam Smooth Globe Trotting Reporter.
He had a speaking part and did a great job!
He performed 3 nights.
He was not crazy about having to wear the stage make up. It was pretty much a fight putting it on him, but he looked really good up on stage!
It was a really fun play. The kids all did a really good job! I will post more pictures as soon as I get the picture disk that they are giving us. They did not allow us to take pictures during the performances. Instead, they had a professional photographer taking pictures and we all will get a disk. I am sure their pictures will turn out better than any I could have taken anyway, so I am happy they did it for us!

Noah with the Flat Stanley that Grandpa made him.
Flat Stanley was a hunter,
so they took him to Cabellas to see all of the animals and hunting stuff!

In Noah's First grade class they send out two Flat Stanleys.
Noah sent 1 to Grandpa and then 1 to my Aunt Jackie in South Dakota.
Aunt Jackie sent hers back to the school so I will get some pictures of it when Noah brings it home.
She dressed hers up as an Indian and sent pictures of flat Stanley doing things there.
Noah's favorite was when they put an Apron on it and had it making Pizza's at the
Papa Murphey's that they own there.
Thanks Grandpa and Aunt Jackie for helping Noah out!

Thanks Grandpa for coming to visit! We had a really fun week with you!

Pictures from McKenzies Birthday!!

McKenzie chose to go to the China Light Cafe for her Birthday dinner.
It is a favorite restaurant of our family, but it is such a "Dive".
But the kids love it!! And it is cheap!!
For her cake she wanted this Chocolate/Lemon Pudding stuff that I make
which she loves, and it is easy........
The whole family was there
as well as Grandpa Stoneberg and Leah who are visiting from Oregon.
Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
I think McKenzie had a great 18th Birthday!

McKenzie and Chase

Bobby even brought a date! Her name is Megan! Everyone seemed to like her,
which is quite an accomplishment in our family!
Apparently the girls in our family, including mom,
tend to judge Bobby's dates to harshley.
I can't imagine why he thinks that! :)
Summer actually said she thinks she is the one.....
Just a feeling she got.
She has never had that feeling with any other girl he has dated!
I guess we shall see............

Noah with Grandpa and Grandma Leah!
He has been loving having Grandpa here!

Hunter loves Autumn!

The Boys!!! What a good looking bunch!!

Dakota just liked hanging out with the presents.
He was o.k. that none were for him.
He just really likes presents!!

Noah got a big piggy bank for McKenzie so she can save her money to pay for
her little car accident with the gate last week!

This was an Ah Ha moment when McKenzie opened her new cell phone!
It explained why her old phone had not been working all day!
I had changed the service over to her new phone, but she didn't know she was getting
a new phone, so she just thought her stupid phone
just wasn't working, AGAIN.................

Before McKenzies dinner the whole family went to cheer Daniel on at his basketball game.
Which of course they lost! Shocker!!!

This is how Dakota and the boys watch basketball games!!!

The big surprise for the day was all of the snow we got!
It dumped at least 10 inches!
This is Grandpas van snowed in......
Funny thing is that if you drive 5 minutes down the road
there is no snow! None! You can see the grass in the yards and everything!
You gotta love where we live!

View from our porch!
The blue sky showing through the clouds is a welcome sight!
It has been a fun day with the family!

Happy 18th Birthday McKenzie

18 years ago today at 2:18 p.m.
McKenzie Spring Patterson
was born at American Fork Hospital.
She was born exactly 2 weeks early and
weighed a whopping 9lbs. and was 21" long!
It was a very good thing she was 2 weeks early.
The thing I remember most about her birth is that the Doctor
could not remember what we were having (we knew it was a girl)
but he didn't have it written down so he did not want us to tell him.
He said he was really good at just looking at their face
when only the head is out and being able to tell if it was a boy or girl.
He explained that girls had an angelic look about them,
and boys well, they just looked like boys.
So with only her head out he announced that it was a BOY!
My thought was "oh my gosh! We have an ugly girl"
When she was born I absolutely thought she was beautiful.
But James informed me that she was not!
Her whole life James has told her the story of the
Ugly Duckling that turned into the beautiful swan!!!!
What kind of dad says that about his child!
To this day I still think she was a beautiful baby!
And she has grown more beautiful through the years!
About her name....... James wanted to name her Spring.
So then we would have Summer, Autumn and Spring.
Normally, I just let James have his way, but with this I put my foot down.
Reading through the obituaries one day, (yes I am one of those people who read the obit's everyday) anyway there was a little girl who had died with the name McKenzie!
I had never heard of it before, and it reminded me of where I had grown up in Oregon.
They have a lot of things with the name McKenzie.
So I talked James into it.
As she got older and started school it became apparent that,
that was a popular name in 1992!!!!
I think she probably wishes her name was Spring!
I can't believe that she is turning 18, will be graduating this year and moving away to college!
It nearly breaks my heart!!!!
Some things about McKenzie.............
She is very tenderhearted and compassionate,
she is quick to say she is sorry...
yet she has a strong will and not a lot of patience!
(especially when it comes to her little brothers and her dad)
She is kind of a perfectionist
She expects a lot from herself, which is good and bad!
She is a very good student. Her GPA is a 3.9 something......
She has always wanted to go into medicine,
that is until this year when she did an internship at the hospital and
realized the sight of blood makes her feel faint.
Not even the sight of blood, just looking for a vein............
Instead she has decided to go into nutrition and exercise science.
McKenzie has danced since she was 3 years old.
Basically Dance is her life! When she isn't dancing,
she is thinking about dancing!
Even though she is graceful and all in the dance world,
in the real world she can be a klutz!
I can't tell you how many times she has fallen down the stairs!
McKenzie is really blond. Most people who did not know her when she was younger,
don't know that. I can't even remember when she started going dark.
Around 9th grade I think. I love her with dark hair!
It would be weird if she went back to blond.
McKenzie loves to talk!
I never have to worry about what is going on in her life.
I get a daily report about her, her friends, her friends friends,
and anything else she can think of to tell me...
Whether I want to hear it or not.......but actually, I love it!
And I love McKenzie and just can't imagine our home or our lives without her!!!

I don't know what James was talking about! She was the cutest baby ever!
(it is surprising how much this picture and especially the top picture look like Aspen)

McKenzie with Grandpa the Fireman!
That is what they all use to call him.
It was easier to say and easier to remember than Grandpa "Stoneberg"

This is my all time favorite Halloween Costume!
I still have it. Now all I need is a granddaughter to wear it!

I love this picture of McKenzie even though she wasn't smiling.
There is just something thoughtful and soft about it.
I think she looks a little like Noah in it.
It is her 1st grade School Picture.

"THEN"
Some things never change!!!!!
"NOW"

She did Cheerleading in 6th and 7th grade.
She stopped because she just really wanted to Dance!!!!

The other day McKenzie said that we had no pictures of her and I together!
Well, SURPRISE! I found one!! I am not sure she will like this one though!

This was taken at Summers wedding!

McKenzie with Steven Welch at Sadie Hawkins.
They have been friends since they were 5.
For some reason they thought it would be funny to dress up like pioneers.
They even carried around a doll like it was their baby!
This is their first "Welch" family photo!!!

McKenzie and Bridger! She loves being Aunt McKenzie!

Prom last year with Chase!

They dressed like Zombies for the Drill Teams Thriller dance.
(My personal favorite dance that they do!)

These are some of the pictures that we had taken last week!
I love how they turned out. Especially the ballet ones.
Can't wait to see the rest!

McKenzie has been accepted to Utah State University!
Go Aggies!!!!!!!

Happy 18th Birthday
McKenzie!!!!!!!