Happy Halloween

I love the month of October. I also love Halloween. Not the scary gory nasty parts of it but all the fun and cute things that represent Halloween. This year Brantley went as a little skeleton that glows in the dark(courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Kroeger. This was part of his birthday present)

We had a usual pumpkin carving with friends this year and David made his homemade chili. I was going to do something a little bit more fun but I wasn't feeling good and Halloween was almost here and so we just had to do it. Next year I will plan better and we will go pick our pumpkin out at a pumpkin patch just for fun.

Christyn and Curtis comparing arm hairs. Sometimes Christyn can be a little random and ask some crazy things.

Macey is one amazing artist. David wanted to carve and elk but couldn't find a good pumpkin picture so Macey looked at a bunch of different pictures and drew him one that he could carve. Thanks Macey!!

The end product!!

I can't wait until we are done with school and can just plan to be with family. This year we decided last minute that I would skip class and drive up north to be part of the family party. Well we left in enough time but thanks to construction we made it just in time for the very end. Oh well better luck next year

All the Smedley grand kids that live in Utah...except Aubrey.

Cute little Aubrey

My cute little skeleton!!!

Funny Boy

We ofter talk to Davids sister Kali. The other day we were talking to her and Kali was playing peek-a-boo and Brantley was playing back...

One of my favorite things to do with Brantley is make him say ba-ba

A Fond Farewell

We just had some of our most favorite neighbors move away! The Ramirez's! Joseph and Seliena are what brought this complex closer together and made us all really good friends. We spent their last night here having fun and acting like we teenagers.

A group photo: from left to right: Cindi and hubby Braxton, Christyn and hubby Cameron, Selina and hubby Joseph, and of course Me and David

A majority of the night was spent in the Ramirez's empty apartment it started off by hitting the pinatas that were given to David and Cameron for their birthdays.

David's pinata hat

This was after Braxton took his turn with the pinata. He hit it so hard the starburst candy hit the wall the candy fell out but the wrapper stuck. We then spent the reminder of the night doing cartwheels and headstands. We all had a great time that we still all talk about now!

Camerons pinata

David hitting his pinata....sorry I wasn't thinking when I started taking this video so it is stuck sideways.

Happy Birthday to David

David just turned 26 years old. Poor David didn't have much of a birthday. He told me he was leaving at 4:30am for work. I didn't really want to get up to make him breakfast that early (I know...not very nice) but it turns out that I could have got up and made it because he didn't end up leaving until 8 which means that he didn't get home until 10 to late for a dinner. (ALTHOUGH, I did make him his birthday breakfast a few days later) He also wanted peach cobbler for his cake. Dutch oven peach cobbler. This is something that is not in my territory so he made it when he got home.

It didn't quite turn out the way he wanted

Our neighbors Joseph and Seliena brought David a pinata and some sparklers for his birthday

He also got a camo hammock from Cambodia courtesy of his wonderful parents, Camo bibs that was split 3 ways between my parents, Davids parents, and us. And Brantley and I got him a new shirt and some snacks. He is the best father and husband in the world. We love you!!!

12 Months

Over one year old. I still can't believe it. I have pictures coming of his one year that we just had taken. So I will get one up here as soon as I get them. But in the mean time here are some things that have been going on with Brantley

Weighs 22 pounds 6 ounces

30.2 inches long

Wears size 4 diapers

Mostly only eats table food.

Drinks everything but formula from a sippy cup (I am just finishing up my open can of formula before we are finished with drinking formula forever with Brantley)

Eats every 4 hours

Still sleeps like a champ. Just about 12 hours at night with two naps during the day.

Has the temper of a two year old. He knows what he wants and will do everything in his power to get it.

Doesn't like being restrained. Hates the car seat, changing table, high chair....

Loves people

Very cuddly

Wears 12 month cloths both in pants and tops

has 2 teeth on top and bottom

took 2 steps on his own, but hasn't done it since.

He is still the joy of our life and we are so glad that he is part of our family. We love you Brantley

Brantleys 1 year Birthday

Brantley had a great birthday. I can't belive that my baby is already 1. This past year so much has happened. He shocked us all by coming early, spent his first month and a half in the hospital, spent the next 3 months on monitors and suprised us all by sticking right on track with development. He has been a joy in our home and I can't imagine life without him.

I am big into themes so for his birthday I did a 'ball' theme. So from David and I he got a couple of different types of balls, and some clothes. From Grandma and Grandma Kroeger a ball toy and some pj's, and from Grandma and Grandpa Smedley a cute toy from Cambodia, clothes and some new "rolling" bath toys. He was spoiled rotten.

Pancake balls for breakfast

Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner

And cake balls for his birthday cake. If you can't tell I frosted them to look like different kinds of balls. (Football, basketball, baseball)

He wasn't a huge fan of the cake...he has never had so much sugar. He does like banana creamies though!!!

Brantley thinking about blowing out his brithday candle

Brantley eatting his birthday cake....which didn't go over to well.

Happy Birthday Brantley we love you!!!

Dear Hunt and the first of Brantley's birthday celebrations

This year was a great success with the deer hunt. I got one about an hour after my two brothers pretty close to them which worked out great!

My deer was pretty small this year but I told everyone that I was only going for the meat and size didn't matter...I got what I asked for. My brother Byron got a nice 3x4. He was so pleased that he actually got a bigger deer this year.

Cameron got a nice 4-point. Carrying all 3 deer out started out to be good idea but as we got going the weight was starting to bend and so I had to drag my deer. I was sure glad that I got a small deer. Cameron drug it across until we hit the down trail as I took the frount of the cart.

When Cameron and Byron went down to get the cart they brought back one of Cameron's sons Emerson. He was so great. He loved dragging my dear around it was so funny.

This shows how bad the ticks can be....it was nasty and gave me the heeby geeby's. Birthday morning....Grandma and Grandpa Kroeger gave Brantley a fun ball and cute pj's/halloween costume.

We were going to celebrate his birthday up camping but we decided to do it later

Bath and Bed Time

Brantley LOVES bath time. He will walk with us around our apartment and will lead us into the bathroom, pull back the curtain and look inside and back at us. Expecting us to start the water.

Brantley also does so good with his bed time routine. We still do a prayer, scripture, song, and a story and 9 times out a ten he goes to bed without a peep.Do you think his hair is getting a little long?

Happy as can be...

We just loved the way he was sleeping with his arm....I had to take a picture