Change!

Well, I have been putting off posting about this because I was really hoping that it wouldn't happen. Tyrel is changing jobs. He has decided to go work up in North Dakota in the oil fields as a truck driver hauling water for a while. He just hasn't been completely happy with his current job. He likes the people he works with, but not the pay. He feels as though he can't really progress like he wants to or it's just not happening fast enough for him. It will definitely be a sacrifice for both of us. He will leave to go up there on Feb. 9th, he will be gone for about 3 weeks at a time and then come home for a week, but he has to spend 2 of those days driving because it's a 14 hour drive there and back. We think it will be worth it in the end because the pay is really good and we can pay off our debts way faster than we are now. I know it will be a really hard adjustment on me and the kids. I have a good support system up here. There is actually another guy in our ward who is also going up there, so I feel better knowing someone we know is up there and I can call his wife and talk to her when I feel like I'm having a hard day! The biggest thing I'm worried about is the long drive, especially cuz it's winter right now, and the roads can really get messy. The guy that is in our ward has already been up there once and is not working for the same guy, so they won't really be able to carpool together which would be so awesome if they could take turns driving such a long drive. We did get a diesel Jetta car that gets like 50 MPG. So we won't have to spend so much on gas. I know this experience will be very hard, but I know it will also be a rewarding and learning experience, especially for me. I don't really see myself as a very independent person, and I think this will make me a more strong and confident person if I can get through this. I know it will not be easy at all and I will have a lot of days that I will probably lose it and just have a meltdown, but that's what family is for right? So I am trying to stay positive and just tell myself that I am going to do this and get through it. I will have to rely on the Lord a lot and pray for help to be as patient as I can with 3 crazy boys. So that's the latest thing that's happening in our lives. I hope all goes well!

Nesquik!!

Well, he kept telling me he wanted some and I kept saying, " okay, hold on just a minute," and I would continue doing what I was doing. So he decided to get it himself! Luckily it wasn't very much. He could've dumped out the whole thing cuz it was full. Note to self: keep the nesquik on a higher shelf. (Not that he won't figure out a way to get it down from there either!)

Puppies new sleeping quarters

So now that the puppies are a week old, we decided they are old enough to go out to the dog house. They are starting to get pretty loud when they whine and even though they were downstairs, they were keeping us up at night. They are doing fine outside. It is so warm in there and there is a wall in there so Zoey can get a break when she wants. When they get old enough to climb over the wall, we will make some sort of fenced area outside the dog house so they don't run off and get lost or hit by a car! So this is what it is for now atleast!

The stork has come!

After staying up all night last night with Zoey, she finally has given birth to 9, so far, cute, little, black pups. She was pacing the floor and panting all night long. I thought she was going to have them last night. So I stayed with her all night and got hardly any sleep. When I got too tired I just went to bed and decided I would get up and check on her in a little bit. Later that morning she was acting more & more strange. She kept going down to the basement and walking around just looking for a place to give birth. So I got the kiddie pool all ready. She jumped right in and stayed there. About 30 min. later, her first pup was born. We had to go to Tyrel's Grandma's funeral, so when we left she had 3 pups. When we came home about 4 hours later, she had 8. About 2 hours later, she gave birth to a 9th. They are so cute and black as black! Good job Zoey....... but I hope you're done!:)

Zoey's birthing chamber!:) The vet told me that for big dogs, it's a good idea to get a kiddie pool, and fill it with blankets and towels for her "nesting" period!

Zoey's all tuckered out. It's been a long 2 months!

Such a good mommy!

This is before she gave birth to her 9th pup. I let her out to go toidy, and she dropped another pup right there on the lawn! She might have more. So far 6 girls and 3 boys. They are so cute and little. They just whimper and whine all the time. Zoey does such a good job taking care of them. We'll keep you posted!

Puppies on the way!

The day after we got back from Jackson, I noticed that our dog Zoey was looking a little more plump than usual. And upon further inspection, I realized that she was indeed expecting. She was in heat a couple of months ago, and did take off a couple of nights, and even though we would call for her, she wouldn't come. I was just hoping that nothing got too seriuos cuz it happened the last time she was in heat and no puppies came from that. Well, we weren't so lucky this time. I am only guessing that the daddy is a chocolate lab cuz that's the only dog that would hang around here, and it was a male. The last litter of pups she had a couple of years ago were black lab mix and they were so stinkin' cute. So I'm hoping that the daddy is the chocolate lab and they should be cute. We are keeping our fingers crossed. She is almost due, so I've been keeping an eye on her and letting her in to just be more comfortable and sprawl out on the floor. When it gets really close to her due date, which I'm assuming is the end of this week, I will let her sleep downstairs, so she doesn't have to have her pups outside in the frigid cold. Tyrel did build a very luxurious dog house with a heat lamp in it that can fit our whole family inside. Once the puppies are a little bit older they can be nice and snug out there and I don't have to worry about cleaning up their little messes!:) I feel so bad for her right now. You can tell she is just miserable and getting more and more uncomfortable. It totally reminds me of being pregnant in the last trimester. Sometimes she will come over to me and just rest her head on my lap or snuggle her head into my stomach, as if to say, "make this go away." Poor Zoey, "it will all be over soon", is what I say to her. I hope it's not in the middle of the night, which it probably will be. So I will definitely post pics of the little ones when they finally decide to arrive!

Logan's little mishap

Just before we left for Jackson. Logan was helping me with a can of spaghettio's. He wanted to take the lid off. As I reached for the can to stop him, he was already pulling up on the lid that was still attached to the can. He cut his finger pretty deep, and it just kept bleeding and bleeding. I had paper towels wrapped on it, and I could barely get a good look at it, cuz there was so much blood. We taped it up real good and headed to the ER. They had to numb it with a needle, which hurt really bad, but after that was over he didn't even seem to act like it bothered him at all. He got 5 stitches. He was a real trooper and now he has a battle scar to show to everyone!

Happy Birthday Easton!

Easton turned 7 on January 3rd. We had a little surprise party for him at the bowling alley. He thought we were going to the store and he was all bummed cuz he wanted to get home and open his presents. When we walked in he said,"what are we even doing here", he smiled once he realized it was a bday party for him! We invited his grandma & grandpa Brower, his uncle Kade, and Tyrel's sister Gina and her family. It was a blast. We ate pizza while we bowled, which was some dang good pizza, the best I've had here! After we bowled we went into the party room and opened his presents. He was most excited to see that he got the Lego Prince of Persia lego set that he wanted. He also got the Prince of Persia movie. He was even lucky enough to get some "green" from his uncle and Grandma & Grandpa. I'd say he made out pretty good! I forgot to take pictures while bowling. I need to do better at taking pics I guess!

New Years

For New Years we went to visit my brother Shane and his family in Jackson, WY. It was cold as cold up there. They had so much snow. It looked like a winter wonderland. One night it got as cold as -15 degrees I think. We didn't let the cold weather stop us from having some fun though. We went sledding on New Years day at a park really close to where they live. It was a perfect size hill for little kids. It even had a little jump. We watched movies, and the kids played nintendo. It was lots of fun, and the kids were so sad to leave eachother and go back to boring school!:)

Easton & Sam

Logan & Luke

Katie

Luke only lasted about a half hour sledding and then got too cold. I don't blame him since the high that day was only 4 degrees. It was sunny though! As soon as we got back to my brother's house he zonked out so fast. He was all tuckered out.

After we got back from sledding, we got some fresh snow from the courtyard and made our own snow cones with kool aid. It was very yummy!

After Easton & Logan have been out in the cold for too long, their cheeks start to get swollen, and puffy. It goes away after they are inside for awhile. It looks so funny. He looked like he was stung by a bee on both cheeks!

Christmas 2010

So I am lame and didn't take hardly any pics of xmas. I did take a lot of video though. The kids all had a good xmas. Easton got Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, which is an awesome game by the way, Logan got a remote control four-wheeler, and Luke got a Tonka pickup and trailer with a four-wheeler on it. They got lots of fun stuff from grandparents and cousins to. They got plenty of candy also. Tyrel & I made out pretty good this year. We have been wanting a new TV for a while now, but we would need a bigger entertainment center. So we drew up a picture of what we would want it to look like and Tyrel built one and we spray painted it in just one weekend. Just in time for xmas too. The only thing we have left to do is put on two small doors on the bottom/center of it. We figured this was good enough for now. I am so proud of Tyrel and what a good job he did. It looks so nice, and I love it. I am so grateful to have a husband who can do just about anything I ask him to. It's just getting him to do it when I ask that's the tricky part!:)

After we got done spray painting it and sanding the edges.

Finished product with new TV.

Side view. These shelves go all the way down the side.