Time Flies

I can't believe it's been so long since we last updated our blog. I really wish I was better at managing my time and prioritizing. Maybe then, you would hear from me more than once every few months. Anyway, I'm hoping (not committing) to be better at blogging in 2010. We have so much to be thankful for and so many fun things to share about our lives. Isaiah is growing up so fast and I want to be able to document it, but for now I will just post a few pictures....

For Halloween, Isaiah was dead set on being Sonic the Hedgehog. I couldn't find a costume anywhere that didn't cost a small fortune, so my mom lovingly made one for him. I think it turned out pretty cute. What made it the best was the look on his face when he was wearing it!

Isaiah is learning to read and write like a little champion! Here's a picture of something his teacher posted in the hallway of his writing. He's getting so smart and growing so fast! It actually makes me cry a little every time I listen to him read.

Isaiah can't hardly wait for Christmas. He's more excited this year than he's ever been before. He was asking back at the beginning of November when we could put the Christmas tree up and I kept telling him "not until after Thanksgiving." So, of course, the moment he swallowed his last bite of Thanksgiving dinner, he was ready! Now he can hardly wait until Christmas Eve when we track Santa online.

Granda Jack.....the end of an era

Grandpa Jack (David's Grandpa) passed away two nights ago and with that has come the end of an era. Grandpa Jack is the first of our grandparents to pass away in our lifetime. (David's dad's parents died before he was born.) The passing of Grandpa Jack has made me reflect on the amazing legacy each of our grandparents will leave with us. Let me tell you a little about Grandpa Jack's legacy....

Grandpa Jack's legacy will definitely be one of love. He loved everyone and was not shy about showing it. Grandpa Jack truly embodied what a grandpa was supposed to be. He gave THE WORLD'S BEST HUGS!! He was probably one of the most kind and gentle men I've known. Grandpa Jack was a spiritual giant. In the Sotutu family, he was the Patriarchal Priesthood holder. There was no doubt that he loved the Lord and lived His gospel the best way he knew how. He was the kind of man that you couldn't help but love and the kind of person you hoped to become. I loved Grandpa Jack like he was my own grandpa. He never treated me any differently just because I was a granddaughter by marriage. He was always sure to give me a long hug and tell me how special I was. I loved him for the way he made me feel when I was around him and for the grandpa he was to both David and Isaiah. He will be truly missed and I look forward to the day when he welcomes me to Heaven with one of his famous hugs.

My Blahs!

So, I just sat down at the computer and read 3 superb confessions - one from my sis-in-law, one from a cousin and one from a dear friend - and now I don't feel so bad. Not that their confessions were anything to feel bad about, but I just feel so much more normal after reading them and I just have to say I couldn't have said it better myself. To sum it up, I have a serious case of the blahs! and I don't think I'm alone. I feel so blah that I don't want to clean, I don't want to blog, I don't want to watch TV, I don't want to cook or eat -- I just want to SIT (and maybe read a good book, but that might even take too much effort). I think I must have a bad case of the summer's-coming-to-an-end blues. As we speak, David is doing his daily one to two hour exercising and Isaiah's at flag football practice (which by the way is adorable), so you'd think I'd be excited to have an hour + to do whatever I want but instead I sit here blogging about my blahs.......

Oh Baby, Baby!!

One of the most exciting things that happened this summer was Jodi giving birth to her beautiful twin girls on July 21st! I could have included them in the post below, but thought they deserved their own spotlight!

Here's proud mommy and daddy feeding the girls. They are both doing so good. Berklee is able to take a bottle every time and Bailee is getting stronger every day. She'll be taking a bottle every time soon too.

Beautiful Bailee

Beautiful Berklee

I think this one is so cute! I love that Bailee's eyes are wide open. She's always wide awake when I visit.

I love these little ladies too much and cannot wait until they get to come home so I can see them more often!!

Our Summer in Pictures!

So, it's been way too long since I updated our blog, so to spare you all the details, I'll just sum up our summer in pictures cause that's what everyone likes to see anyway!

We started of the summer with Isaiah playing T-Ball. David was the coach, but because of work wasn't able to coach as much as planned, so guess who got to be the fill-in?? You guessed it - ME! As if I know the first thing about coaching any kind of sport! Luckily, five year olds are clueless too!

This is Isaiah at his first game. Wasn't he so cute!?

Isaiah took swimming lessons this summer and LOVED it! He's a little fish, so anything water related, he's in! I didn't get pictures of swimming lessons, but here he is at Grandma's house playing in the water.

David and Isaiah got to take a quick surprise trip to The Lake to see David's family. This is a picture with Isaiah and all of his cousins on David's side. As you can see, getting them to all sit still long enough for a picture is quite a challenge!

A rare picture of David and his parents. I love this picture (minus the grotesque 'stache he's sporting!)

David already blogged about our family reunion, but I had to share a few more photos from our Family Challenge. In this one, I had to chew ten pieces of bubble gum and blow a bubble.

In this event, Brandi had to eat a whole jar of baby food. (Jyl and Mandy, I LOVE your mom's face in this one!!) Brandi did gag a few times towards the bottom of the jar.

Brandi balancing an egg on a spoon. She was the first to cross the finish line!

The Caribou County Fair was a few weeks ago and we had a blast! David's family was also able to visit during that time. It was a super busy week, filled with parades, rodeos, and, best of all, PIG WRESTLING!

Brandi and I were on a team sponsored by Ireland Bank, my mom was on a team sponsored by Sam's Market, and my dad was on a team consisting of 4 business owners in town. We had to dress up for the event and they gave out a trophy to the best dressed team. Brandi and I were Big Bad Wolves chasing the little piggy, my mom's team dressed as pigs and their shirts said "These little piggies work at the market." (Very clever!) My dad's team dressed in suits with top hats. They, of course, won the trophy for Best Dressed! None of us were able to actually catch the pig and get it in the barrel, but we had a blast trying!

This is me as I'm coming out of the pen. It was waaaayyy harder than it looked!

This is a picture of my mom, Brandi, dad and me after we all wrestled! Nasty!

Staying true to the "Piggies at the Market" theme, Isaiah, Taelor and Colson dressed as pigs and pushed grocery carts in the Kid's Day Parade. They were too cute!

David dressed as Smoky Bear in the Saturday night parade. I had no idea he was doing it, but quickly figured it out when the bear was throwing kisses at me!

Needless to say, we had an amazing summer! It went way too fast, but we had a blast!

Last week, David and Isaiah started school! David is teaching 2nd grade again and Isaiah started Kindergarten!! He was so excited! We was pretty nervous until we went school shopping and he got a superhero backpack, then he could wait to get to wear it to school and show it off! I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad to let my "baby" go to school, but I was excited for him! I did cry when I dropped him off, but not until he was in the classroom and he couldn't see me.

Here he is getting ready to leave the house. Isn't he so handsome!?

David and Isaiah walking up to the school. I LOVE this picture!! I'm so happy that David is a teacher and will be able to be with Isaiah every day. He's a good daddy!

We got there a little early so we just hung out in David's classroom until it was time to go to Kindergarten!

Isaiah was so anxious to go inside, but I made him stand in front of the door for one more picture!

I still can't believe he's old enough to go to school!!!

It has been a while

Well, Aubri hasn't posted anything for a while. She would probably want you to think that it is because she is so busy. But in truth, the real reason is that she wastes, I mean, spends most of her time of the computer playing Farm Town on facebook.

We have done some different things in the last month and a half, since our last post. I am still working for the forest service and will be for about three more weeks. Then I will head back to the school. Isaiah will be going with me, too. That is exciting. Aubri is still working at the bank here in Grace.

Isaiah and I made a quick trip to Washington over the 4th of July weekend. All of us went to a family reunion for Aubri's family near Garden Valley, ID. It was a week after the Washington trip.

Isaiah took swimming lessons and TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY. (I am still waiting for him to wake up.)

Aubri's sister, Jodi, also had twin girls a couple of days ago. I'm sure she will post more about that later.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the last month and a half.

On the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton.

Isaiah doing flips into Benson Lake in WA.

Isaiah and I went on a hike at the family reunion. It got steep in some parts.

Definitely my favorite photo of the bunch. At the family reunion, there was a "Family Challenge" competition with different rounds involving different challenges. In this round, the competitors had to drink a two-liter bottle of pop as fast as they could. Aubri and Brandi were eliminated during this round since they did not complete the challenge, although they made a valiant attempt.

Here Aubri is near one of the several relatives who threw up after the two-liters-of-pop round. She didn't throw up, but she did expel one of the loudest burps I have ever heard. It sounded like a mixture of a roar of a lion, the mating call of a Nile crocodile, and the motor of a speedboat starting up. The bystanders and I were in awe. She was pretty shocked, as well.