Soccer Rocks!

The fall season of soccer is over. Isaac's rec season ended on Oct.30 and Maddy's last comp game was Nov. 5th. Isaac went up to U8 where he now has goalies, and Maddy had her first season of competition soccer. They both learned and grew as players by the end. The goals were slow coming at first, but by the end of the season I think Maddy ended up with 6 and a couple assists. We had a blast and I'm so proud of them. We love soccer!

October happenings

We had fun with the anticipation of Halloween this year. We went to the Gardner Village to see the witches, and to Cornbelly's for my neice Rachel's birthday over UEA weekend. I only have pics from Gardner Village. We met up with my mom there and the Johnsons came along too. I always love to go to the store that I think is called the White shop. It's the one with all of the cute projects for sewing, not that I'm that good of a sewer, but I'd like to be. I tried to get a picture of each child by some pumpkins, but one with Kaiden didn't work out. He ended up grabbing the hay once and crying because I took it out of his hand and the other attempt tried to have him look at the pumpkin next to him to where he fell over and bonked his head on it. So a cute pic with him smiling by the pumpkins failed.




We went to a local pumpkin patch in Tooele that we've gone to the last 2 years before to pick pumpkins. It's always fun, but are a little over priced especially for what seemed to be the last pickin's. I think next year we'll try Macey's. Despite the weeds making your legs itch it is still fun to walk around trying to find your pumpkin, then getting a ride back on a trailer pulled by a tractor.




So when it comes to Halloween, it seems lately that there always has to be a costume that is made. Maddy wanted to be a dead punk rocker with her friends Parker and Mia. Sarah was brain washed by me to be a cat and wear the warm cat suit we already had. Kaiden was a dragon, wearing the suit that everyone except Sarah has worn on their first Halloween. Then comes Isaac, he likes Super Mario Bros, but did he want to be Mario? No. He wanted to be Toad. Luckily I found a relatively easy way to make a toadstool hat and made some white pants(first ones ever sewn by me) and vest to go over a tan shirt since really the character Toad has a bare chest with the vest, but I don't think that would work too well. I tried to see if I could find white sweat pants, but apparently no one wants to wear white sweat pants because they don't exist at least at Walmart. All in all the kids looked great and the work is always worth it. I dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and I actually got John to dress up a little as a WWII pilot. Another fun thing is we were in on a secret plot for Cassi's boyfriend Devin to propose to her. At the beginning of our trick or treating we had Devin at one of the neighbors houses dressed up and had the ring box in the treats and told her there was a special treat for her and he quickly took off the mask and robe and got down on one knee and proposed.(We have it on video) Then the kids took off and enjoyed getting as much candy as possible.

Sarah's 4th birthday

Sarah is my girlie girl so when she was going to turn 4 she had many requests since May of what she wanted for a party. So I decided to give her a fairy tea party. It was her first real party with games and friends. We had a fun time. It was a lot easier than parties in the past. I realized that the kids don't care a whole lot about some of the details that I think matter. The girls colored a picture of a fairy until we were ready to start. There was little PB & J sandwiches, strawberries, string cheese, and pink marshmellows with tiny cups with juice. We played flower ring toss, musical flowers, freeze dance game to "free the fairies" and were rewarded with tresure. I made felt wings, and flower crowns for each of the girls. It was lots of fun. Sarah really wanted a new bike so that was her big present from us although I think she had a bigger reaction to her new fashion fairytale barbie.

Halloween fun

I haven't posted in a long time, but I actually took the time to make a Halloween jib jab. It's really funny since Kaiden is the main part. Sarah loves the Monster Mash song and has already wanted to see the video over and over. Enjoy and remember to pause my playlist before playing it.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Kaiden's update

Kaiden is growing so fast. He is soon to be 3 months old already. It's so hard to slow down and enjoy every moment when he is the 4th child, but I'm trying to at least make sure I keep taking pictures to catch some of the moments. The first pic is when he was 1 month old. The next is one of my many attempts to catch one of his smiles, and the last is on his blessing day. Yet again without fail another separate personality in our family. Kaiden is sure a curious little boy. Even when weeks old he seemed to want to look at everything. He loves to be talked to and loves to coo and smile back. He loves music and seems to love it when I sing to him. The kids still fight over who gets to hold him first, and he is a joy in our house.

Happy Birthday to Kaiden Russell Graber

Kaiden was born April 14th, 2010.
Well it sure has been crazy lately with the new member of our family. I was expecting things to go as planned like the other kids births, but Kaiden wanted to make his entrance memorable I guess. I got in to be induced and we were finally there ready for pushing, but like the others he was stuck and needed to be turned a little so my doctor got the vaccuum. Well to get to the point, once his head butted against my pelvis his head swelled and even with the vaccuum he wasn't coming out. My doctor let me try 2 more times after that and said that I needed to have an emergency c-section.

I have to say that a c-section is a wierd experience. Being numb from the chest down made me sleepy. You can feel the pulling and tugging when they take the baby out. The unfortunate part is even 5 1/2 weeks later I'm still healing.
As for Kaiden after they weighed him and stuff, they realized that he had broken blood vessels causing blood to swell under his scalp from the fractures. As you can see from his pictures, his poor little head is swollen.



So because of his bleeding and needing to get it under control, he was transferred to IMC in murray in the NICU. I was still back at Alta View with no baby. The first night was a little scary since because of the loss of blood Kaiden had a blood transfusion. After multiple tries they couldn't get an IV started in his hands so they ended up doing it through his ambillical stump. Luckily I did well enough that I was able to be discharged after the 2nd day and went straight to the other hospital to see him. Although I over did it on walking too much instead of resting. My feet and ankles were so swollen. I joked that they looked like frodo feet without the hair. His swelling stopped mainly by then and was then there to be under the phototherapy lights from all the dead blood that turns into billirubin. Once his numbers of the billirubin decreased under the lights they let him go home. He was born on a Wed. and came home the following Monday.



He is doing great now and doesn't show any ill effects from the birth he had. We are so glad he is here in our family. The kids love him to death and Kaiden will never have a lack of love with his siblings around. Here are the pics of the day he came home which was the first time the kids saw him. The rules at the NICU is no one under 14 can come in there during RSV season.

Happy Easter

Well of course again lovely Utah weather made for an interesting Easter holiday. There shouldn't be snow storms in the valley this late but there is. Luckily it's supposed to warm back up to 60's this week. I don't have pics yet of the kids in their Easter outfits since I forgot to take their pictures on the Sunday before Easter before they changed. I let them wear them the week before since General Conference was on Easter Sunday this year. I will have to make sure that I do this coming Sun. They look so cute all matching. Maddy at least likes to match Sarah right now. She thinks it's fun since Sarah thinks it's fun to look like big sis. Isaac even has a new suit with a yellow tie to match the girls since their dresses are yellow too. We had a little party with the kids and cousins at my moms house on the Sat before Easter. They had fun coloring the eggs and going on a egg hunt for the eggs with candy in them. I got to hang out and chat with my sisters while the kids did whatever with the cousins. Which was fun since Colleen is prego too and her little belly is starting to show since she's 4 months. The kids were pretty worn out by the end of the night since they jumped on my moms trampoline constantly. On Easter Sunday we enjoyed having Johns mom and sister Cassy over for the 2nd session of conference and had a good dinner. My kids were so excited to have gotten the Chipmunks:the Squeakquel and watch it that night together. All in all it was a good holiday. Even Maddy said that it was the best Easter ever. I guess until next year when that will be the best.






Isaac, Maddy, and Sarah checking their goods

Keenie and her tiny little bump

Not the most flattering of pics, but here's me and my BIG bump

my sisters Keenie and Steph

Happy St. Patricks Day

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

To watch make sure to pause on my playlist music

So much for spring

I know what 2 posts in a day, but today is a bummer. We have been hoping for spring so badly with warmer weather and what do we get? SNOW! We promised the kids that we would put up the trampoline we got at Christmas today and right while we were getting the enclosure out to put up it started raining. First as a sprinkle then more heavily which turned to snow, and now a few hours later this is what I see when I look out the window.


Maddy went to play with Alyssa in the snow and here is Sarah sad on the floor wanting to go play in the snow too. Normally I would just send her outside with Isaac but he is at a birthday party. My guess is she'll fall asleep since she stayed up late last night. When she is mad she lets you know. She didn't want to move from her spot. Hopefully it will become consistently warm soon, I'm so tired of cold weather.

I Know, A Long Time Coming

It has been so long since I posted on here. I think it's the whole thing of missing so long what's a little longer going to hurt, which also continues on and on. I can't believe it's been practically 9 months since my last post. Our family has been good during the passage of time. During the summer we went camping with friends and to Jackson Hole again. A new school year started where Isaac started Kidnergarten. The kids have loved the teachers they have had this year. We had the big news of the coming of our 4th (and probably last) child in our family. That is probably the saddest part since all who don't live by us and know these things have it as a big surprise since I'm due in about 6 weeks on Apr. 22nd. I thought it would be worse to just start with that later and wonder where the extra person came from. Sarah turned 3 and Isaac had his birthday turning 6. Isaac had a Mario party if you can't tell from the picture. Both John and my birthday passed and recently this week was our 10th wedding anniverary. So to update just a little bit more are a few pictures from the last 9 months missed.

John and Jared racing on the kids sleds

picking pumpkins

Christmas time at temple square

Maddy and Isaac's first fish caught

Jackson Hole

4th of July at Jackson Hole

Princess Leia, Yoda, and Darth Vader at Halloween (I made Yoda and Leia's costume)

The family at San Rafael Swell

Sarah on her 3rd birthday with friends

Isaac's Mario Bros. party