Miss Me?

Well hello there blog-o-sphere! Long time no talk! I'm back. I reread some previous posts the other day and realized I wasn't so bad at this and that I loved looking back at the memories! So, while there is so much to catch up on, I will give you the quick and dirty run down. I lost my camera in the move so alot of these pictures were taken on the iphone with sub-par quality. I knew I would find it when I moved again (which I did the other day) so I didn't buy a new one but I still wanted to keep documenting.

September:

-Sold our house and moved into my parents to house sit while they are in Africa

-Austin began his first season of baseball

October:

-Got a new puppy name Bella

- Eric and I went on a trip to Southern California for work.

- Chrisie Grandma came to watch kids while we were gone.

- Halloween: We had a Harry Potter (Austin), a Nerd (Mya) and a Ballerina (Aliyah) I just realized I never got any pictures of that but Grandma did so I will have to get them from her.

November:

- Aliyah was admitted to the hospital for asthma, croup and pneumonia

-Sadie was attacked by another dog and only wanted Grandma to hold her. She bit everyone else that touched her.

-Eric had his tooth knocked out in a rough game of church ball which had to be replaced within an hour to save it. With braces being the only way to hold it in place. Oh how he hated that! The ladies here were sweating when they were done because they had to work so fast to save that tooth!

-We celebrated Eric's birthday, him with a stitched together mouth and braced teeth.

-Thanksgiving was celebrated with just our little family complete with a meal that we ordered in! I didn't feel nearly as guilty as I thought I would. It was wonderful. Instead I spent the time letting the kids decorate the table.

-Aliyah made another trip to the ER for asthma the night before Austin had surgery to have his 8th set of tubes put in his ears.

December:

-Mya finished up her 4th season of gym and decided to take a break to start piano.

-Aliyah finished her first season of gym.

- Aliyah slipped in the tub 2 days before Christmas and had two stitches put in her chin.

-We went to a nursing home with my brothers and their families. We spread a little cheer through song, presents and kids running and giggling through the halls.

- Christmas eve we ate a dinner at my brother Shane's new home and exchanged cousin and sibling gifts.

- Surprised the kids with a go-cart Christmas morning. Eric surprised me with a new wedding ring.

- Eric hosted the first ever Baton Rouge Stake Camp Helaman, which is a missionary training camp for boys ages 16-18, at our cabin in Mississippi. This was done in an effort to increase the number of missionaries leaving from our stake.

January:

- We celebrated a wet and rainy New Year's Eve with an nontraditional family gathering of my brothers who live around here and my brother from Dallas. I say nontraditional because we usually have a crowd of over 100 people gather at my parents for a bonfire, jambalaya and fireworks. This year it was just too wet and rainy. We hosted that because we are living at my parents.

-Austin and Mya began piano lessons

-Austin started basketball

Coach Lance Peytavin

- We learned Aliyah was allergic to dogs and cockroaches. We said a tearful goodbye to Sadie (our inside dog) and we gave her away to a very nice lady we know through business.

-We learned Austin was allergic to dogs and that his PREVNAR vaccine did not take as a baby and therefore had no strep immunity. We was given a booster shot and 6 weeks later he had increased immunity 18 fold

- I accidentally amputated Aliyah's finger by rolling it up in the car window. It was extremely traumatic for the whole family. It miraculously grew back in a matter of about 6 weeks.

February:

- More figuring out how to control Aliyah's asthma

- I flew out to St. George to attend the wedding of some friends I set up.

-Eric and I were the King and Queen at the annual Rotary Club's Mardi Gras Ball.

March:

-The Legacy group was awarded "Agents of the Year" for the Baton Rouge area for production.

Eric, Cristin (their right hand assistant), and Seth

-Eric and I took Austin down to New Orleans with my brothers' families to watch the BYU March Madness finals.

BYU cheerleaders, Annabelle, Merrick and Mya

- We closed on our house and FINALLY started construction!!!!

April:

-Progress on the house

- Eric and Austin attended the Father Son Campout

-We celebrated a very low key Easter here at home

May:

- Aliyah turned 4 and had her first birthday party complete with swimming and a water slide!

- Austin and Mya participated in their first piano recital and both made honor roll

Mrs. Gwen

- Austin learned he scored super high on the iLeap test with an Advance (highest) score in all core courses.

- Aliyah came down with pneumonia

-Austin and Mya started competitive swimming

- School got out and I no longer had to drive back and forth between Gonzales and Prairieville several times a day!!!

June:

-Austin turned 9 and took some friends to play lazer tag after some cake and ice cream at home

Chase Masten, Austin, Merrick, Dillon Harden

- Eric and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!

- Our new niece Reece was born. Her big brothers stayed here while she was coming!

Mya, Jack, Rush and Aliyah

- Kids swam and Austin had a great season. Mya learned to compete and got a 1st place in one of her backstroke heats.

- Kids swam in the Baton Rouge city meet. Mya took 5th place in back stroke when she was seeded 30th! She shaved 11 seconds off of her time!!!

- Austin was seeded 1st in breaststroke and took second. He was seeded 4th in backstroke and took 5th. His relay team took first in both the freestyle and medley relays.

- Aliyah got pneumonia. Dr. West suggested we get a bronchoscopy done to get some answers as to what was going on.

- Went to Girls Camp as a chaperon

- Eric hosted the second Camp Helaman at the cabin.

July:

- We anticipate moving in about 1 1/2 weeks into our new home.

- We will have about 10 youth stay overnight approximately the same day we move in for youth Conference.

- Walt and Chrisie will come to visit on the 19th to help us unpack ?! I am sure that's what they bargained for!

It has been a wild few months for us. Things I did not include field trips, cub scout events, field days etc. Here are a few more picture of such to wet your appetite :)

Mya and Mom at the New Orleans Zoo

Austin and Buddies at the State Capital

Aliyah sitting on the overly patient Bella

Told ya- overly patient!!

Mya and Cousin Merrick- not a front tooth between the two of 'em!

YEs that was Austin's first ever Pine Wood Derby car. 100% his idea!

Austin and his Wolf leader, Bro. Jimmy

So cute!!

That was one pricey nap!

Ready for church

Cristin (again, the one who keeps them organized), Seth and Eric

I am sure I was the only one wearing hoop earrings that worked on my house that day :)

Spending her birthday money

Stake Day of Service- fixing up some schools in West Baton Rouge- Mya, Jack, Austin, Merrick and Cameron Hughes literally replaced the border around this playground all on their own. When the adults came back to check on the progress they were almost done. Amazing what the Lord can work with!