Football camp!

We joined a group called Hope Kids a couple of months ago.  It is such an amazing group,

it is for kids and their families who have had or having life altering medical issues.

On Saturday we went to a Hope Kids activity.  Weber State's football team put on a football camp.

I know we are true blue AGGIE fans, but this was so much fun.

We even let them know right at the beginning we were the "Biggest Aggie Fans!"

When we got there, they teamed each family up with a player.  I think we got the nicest player on the team.  Tyler is their wide receiver #18.  When we are at the Utah State vs. Weber game, we will definitely be cheering for our Aggies and for Tyler!  They took us on a tour of the locker room and the one room with all the medical equipment and therapy stuff.  My mind is drawing a blank right now, I can't think of the word but hopefully you all know what I am talking about.

While we were waiting for all the families to arrive, Tayton and Tyler were playing catch.

 Head Coach Sears talking to all the families about the game plan for the day.  He is such a nice guy!

Then we split up into different football teams, we were the San Diego Chargers.  We went around to different stations.  At this station you get to dive and catch the football.  It was so fun, they even had the moms and dads do this station.

This was a tackling station, I loved how all the football players were cheering the kids on the entire time.  

 Tanna had absolutely no desire to participate.  What is it with my kids, whenever there is something fun going on, one of them is always grumpy in the stroller.   This time I was prepared with my double stroller.  Didn't break this one!

 Getting in some team cheers before we head over to other stations!

 This is the Offensive Lineman drills!

 Tayton waiting his turn, he had to take a lot of breaks to catch his breath, but I was amazed about how good he did.  He said he had a blast and it was so fun!

 This drill they are running through the ladder, learning quick feet.

 At the end they had all the kids come together and do a big obstacle course.  It was so fun, everyone was cheering all the kids on.  The Weber State Football players even took the kids in wheelchairs through the course.  It was so sweet to see them cheering on all these special kids.

Then at the end they had us go up into those fancy rooms above the stadium and we had a barbecue.  Then the kids could go around and get autographs from the players.  Tayton had them sign the shirt they gave him. He even slept in it that night because he didn't want to take it off.  

So even though we are still the Biggest Aggie Fans, I think we will be cheering on Weber State as well.  Thanks for making all the kids feel so special.  It was such a fun day and so great to see our little boy giving it all he had!

Happy Birthday Tanna!

Friday Tanna turned 5!  I can't believe she is all ready 5 years old.  We had a busy day but it was so much fun.  Every year our dentist has a big carnival where he donates all the money raised to Primary Childrens.  This year it happened to fall right on her birthday.  So Tanna thought that all this was for her birthday.  There were ponies, bouncy houses, face painting, carnival games, and so much other fun stuff.  The kids ate pizza, cotton candy, snow cones, cookies.  They were on a sugar high.  It was really fun but super crowded.  I didn't take a lot of pictures, but it was fun.

 Tayton didn't have very much fun at the carnival.  I think it was a little too hot for him so he rode in the stroller and held Blakeli most of the time.  I ended up breaking the stroller trying to lift it on the curb.  I don't think it was designed for an 8 year old.  He did love the snow cones and cotton candy.  I asked him why he wasn't having any fun and he said "I'm just not the same kid as I was last year, I just like video games more." It kind of broke my heart because last year he loved this, he wanted to do all the games and  activities and this year he wouldn't do any of it.  He got a slight cold and had to go back on steroids so maybe that is why, but I do miss my little active boy.  It is so weird to see him so tired just to even walk.  I think Tayton was the most active little boy in the world before, I mean the kid started running at 8 months old.  I wonder if we get him breathing good again if that side of him will return.

I let her open some presents before the carnival, she was to excited that she just couldn't wait!

Then after the carnival, we headed back to our house for a luau party with some family!

 I think Tanna is the most beautiful little girl in the world, but about 80% of her pictures, her eyes are either closed or look like this.  She is not the most photogenic girl, but she is beautiful.

 Both Grandmas having fun at the party.  Now looking at this picture of Grandma Winward I can see where Tanna might have inherited closing her eyes in pictures from.  (And the beauty too because Tanna is all Winward.)

 My beautiful niece Carli, I can't believe how grown up she is. 

 My amazing sister and dad.  Love them!

 Tanna and her cousin Azlyn are only 20 days apart.  They are so cute together.  They got twiner outfits from my mom and they were so excited to wear them.  Azzie slept over that night and all the two girls did all night long was giggle.  It was pretty cute at first, but around 12:30 a.m. it wasn't as cute.

 Thanks mom, she loves them!

 Pretty new princess p.j.'s.

My sister got her a dog with a purse that she has been wanting so bad.

 Tayton finally got a little happier at the party! 

 Here is my nephew Rylan, he is so much fun and only a couple of months younger then Tanna.  They gave her a princess beach towel that she is so in love with.  Thanks Aunt Andria!  Tanna got very spoiled.

Here is Tanna opening her Barbie swim racing pups, she was so excited and has been wanting this for months.  I told her she had to wait for her birthday.  Every time we went to Walmart, she would beg me to go by the toy isle so she could see her swim racing pups.

 This is her when she realized that the swim racing pups don't actually work like how it is shown on t.v.  She cried for about an hour.  I think mostly it was exhaustion from such a fun day, but pretty sad for her that the swimming pups don't swim.  They just kind of float, it's always a sad day when you realize that things on t.v. aren't always as good as what they show.  Overall I think she had a really fun day and her favorite part about her birthday was "EVERYTHING!!!!!!!"  

Also my little Tanna graduated from pre-school at the Peak!  She loves everything about pre-school and wasn't too happy for it to be over.  Here she is singing her songs.

 Her feet are off the ground in this photo, she was really getting into the song.  She loved it.  They gave every child an award, and her award was the Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice award.  They said she was always very sweet at school.  (I just hope she would be that way at home all the time.)

Congrats my beautiful little princess!  I am so proud of you.  She was crying when we left her graduation because she would miss pre-school so much, but don't worry.  Camp Kid starts on Tuesday at the Peak so she is excited.  

And just had to throw in this last picture of my three precious kiddos!  I love them all so much!

Blakeli's photo shoot

My extremely talented sister in law came to my house and did a little photo shoot of Miss Blakeli!  I loved them and I thought they turned out so cute.

 I love her eyes in this one.

 This one looks likes she is really thinking about something.

 I think she has the cutest little lips.

 Seriously, isn't she the cutest baby!

 Starting to get a little tired.

I love her little yawn.

 Tanna giving her sister some kisses.  Tanna loves to give her kisses all day long and that is about the face Blakeli gives every time.

 Pretty in purple.

 Levi came home for his lunch break so I made him jump on in.  I love these photos, but Blakeli was done.

I think Levi looks so good in his uniform!

So everyone has been asking who she looks like.  So here are all three of my cute babies as newborns.  You can decide for yourself who you think she looks like.  I just think they are all so darn cute!

 Blakeli Rose 

Tanna Brooke

Tayton Levi

I did get professional pictures taken when Tanna was little, but I don't feel like digging through boxes to try to find them, and then scan them onto the computer.  So this is what you get.  And poor Tayton never got any professional pictures as a newborn because we were poor struggling college students at the time.  Thanks again Andria, I love these pictures.  You did a really great job!

Waterfall Canyon

For two or three years I have been wanting to hike up waterfall canyon in Ogden.  Last time I hiked it I was in high school and I thought it was such a beautiful waterfall that I have wanted to go back, we just never have done it.  We have done a lot of other  hikes but finally we decided to go.  Normally the hike is about three miles round trip.  I thought that's not too bad we have all day.  I knew we were going to have to take a few breaks for the baby and Tayton, (and me, I haven't exercised since Tayton's accident) but what I wasn't planning on was how long it took us to find the beginning of the trail.  Levi thought it started in a different canyon, so we ended up hiking the Bonneville Shoreline trail maybe 1 1/2- 2 miles just to get on the trail.  So overall I think we hiked about 7 miles.  A lot further then I planned with three kids, but we did it!

 Tayton did such a good job, he did need some help every now and then when he needed to catch his breath.

 I think the backpack isn't made for an eight year old.  I love his little legs sticking out.  Kelty makes some pretty durable backpack carriers.

 I carried Blakeli the entire way and it made me feel like I was pregnant again because of all the weight in my lower belly.  I do not miss being pregnant at all!

 Tanna did pretty good most of the way, but whenever Tayton was hiking, she wanted in the backpack.

 Tayton made it to the top!  I cried when I saw him, he was so excited and it meant so much to him (and me) to reach our goal!

Here we are, all together.  It seriously is such a pretty waterfall, these pictures are only at the very bottom.  It is so beautiful.  For the first time since the accident I felt like we are getting back to normal and doing the things we love to do as a family!  We still got a lot of stares, (I think because it was so funny to see Tayton is that little backpack), but most of the comments this time were about me and how I was crazy to bring such a small baby up there.  We had such a nice time!


When we got home I was thinking to myself about how this hike represents my life.  I had a plan in mind of where I was going in life.  I thought it was going to be a nice easy hike.  Suddenly we realized the path we thought we were on, wasn't our path.  It was a detour but eventually it would get us to our goal.  I realized it was going to be much harder then I planned.  I almost wanted to give up.  Then I remembered how beautiful our goal was.  I thought I can still do this, even though it's going to be a lot harder then expected.  We had to take quite a few stops and catch our breath along the way.  We literally had to carry each other at times to reach our goal.  Some parts were steep and challenging, while at other times it was a nice easy trail.  But in the end we made it to our goal with help from each other.

I know life may throw us some more challenges that I won't be prepared for, and it is still going to be a hard climb, but I will make it through this.  I am so thankful for the support our family and friends have given us through this detour of ours.  I would seriously be crying and loosing it all the time if we didn't have our amazing friends and family helping us through it.