Happy Father's Day

For Father's Day, we went down to the Amy's parents back yard for a big Father's day party.  It was also a goodbye party for Chelsea.  She and Austin are moving to Ohio for a job promotion for Austin.  For Father's day we gave Matt some steak knives because we're big meat eaters now.  And a Labrador shirt from Eddie Bauer.  Matt was able to take a nap after church so that made him happy. Then we went down for dinner and had a great night celebrating the wonderful father's in our lives. Matt is a wonderful dad to our boys.  He teaches them to work hard, to serve, to love one another and to have fun.  Ardell does so much for our family.  He and Charlene are constantly doing things for us.  I feel bad because we didn't do anything for dad.  We saw him the day before at Miranda's shower and I wished him a happy father's day then.  Hopefully we'll celebrate at the cabin when we're all together.  

Bridger's Spring Baseball Season

Bridger is on the back row of boys, first from the left.  

Bridger had a great spring baseball season with the Braves.  It's his second year with the team.  He's really gotten to know the kids better.  They've become his good friends.  His coaches, Corey, Mike, Jody, and Wes are wonderful with the boys!  We're so lucky to have them.  Bridger really improved this season.  At the beginning he struggled to find his swing.  But then he found it and turned into a powerful hitter!  

Coach Corey put Bridger in to pitch sometimes.  He's been working on his accuracy but then it slows him down a little.  Coach really liked putting Bridger in during our tournaments because the kids aren't used to a slower pitcher so it would throw them off.  Once they figured it out, he would pull Bridger.  He was always so complimentary with Bridger.  Bridger would get down on himself when they would score but coach said that Bridger was just doing his job.  

We stayed super busy with baseball. It seemed like most Saturdays, Bridger had a double header.  He practiced at least twice a week.  We went to Idaho Falls and Pocatello for baseball tournaments.  I actually really loved it because we were able to focus on just Bridger and baseball.  The kids loved swimming at the hotels.

I was so grateful that they chose gray pants for the uniform.  They have been so much easier to keep clean.  Now I don't mind when Bridger slides into base.  The team had some money left over from the cook shack last season.  They used the money to buy every boy their own helmet and matching back packs with their number on it.  They looked so snazzy.

Boys' Professional Summer Pictures

ys.

I took the boys to get their pictures taken at CS.  I've been taking the boys to CS since Tanner was a newborn.  I was trying to save on time so I took them to the Gardner Village CS.  They did a great job with the boys.  They had lots of back drops to choose from.  Originally I was going to have the boys wear a causal summer outfit but I couldn't find anything that would coordinate.  Anything I did find, Bridger and Chase said they would never wear it again.  So I decided to save my money and have the boys wear their church clothes.  Back in March, Grandma went shopping with us and bought Chase and Bridger some church clothes (for Chase's birthday).  I found Tanner's outfit at Costco and I just couldn't resist it.  They look so handsome in their church outfits.  

I was worried about how Tanner would be for the pictures.  So we've been "practicing" smiling at home for the past week.  Something sunk in because he was so good during the pictures.  He likes to smile and squint his eyes.  So I'll say to him "let me see your eyes."  Then he'll open up his mouth.  Silly kid!  He was full of smiles and loved all of the attention.  He would walk into a room and see thing and say "Take my picture with this."  I could tell Chase was totally annoyed but he was a good sport to put up with all the of the pictures.  Bridger was a little more tense so we were trying to get him to relax.

I was so happy with how the pictures turned out.  I have so many great pictures to choose from.  

Seeing these pictures of Chase and Bridger standing up, makes me realize how tall they're getting.

Chase is busy with football.  He goes to football four days a week for lifting weights in the morning from 7-9:00.  He enjoys his friends at football.  He is quite the pianist.  He is getting so good!  We love our piano teacher, JoLynn!!!  In Chase's free time, he loves to play on his phone.  He and Bridger play a battle game that can be all consuming until I yell at them to get off their phones.  Chase has been such a big help to us at the new house.  He goes out with Matt all the time and helps him.  Chase is good to do his chores around the house too.  He's learning how to do laundry too.

Bridger is a happy boy!  This year in school has been so much better.  He's had a great teacher.  He's made more friends which has helped so much!  He was selected to be on the school council next year.  He's so kind to everyone around him.  His favorite sports right now are baseball, and basketball.  Like Chase, Bridger has really improved on the piano.  They're to the point that I love listening to them play.  Bridger is working on playing simplified hymns.  Bridger is our animal lover.  He has such a soft heart.

Tanner is full of life!!!  He loves discovering new things.  He's missed having our trampoline to jump on at the new rental house.  He loves to watch tv so I have to put limits on it.  He's learning to color.  He likes to play with anything that is miniature.  He loves Sophie.  I find him all the time laying on her or in her face.  

Tanner loved this furry rug!!!

I love this picture of Tanner.  I go back and forth between which picture is my favorite.

I think this silly picture is fun of the boys.  At first they thought the photographer was joking when she said "lay on the floor and put your heads together in a circle."  There were lots of giggles.

I love our three boys.  I feel so blessed to be their mother.  It's the hardest job I've ever done but the most rewarding!!!  Tanner will say to me throughout the day "I love you mom."  It melts my heart every time.  I love how well the boys get along.  Chase and Bridger are wonderful with Tanner.  Tanner idolizes his older brothers.  Chase and Bridger are so patient with him.  I love to see them playing together.

We have rock!!!

Our rock crew finally came and started the rock.  This spring we drove around for hours looking at different rock.  We found a rock on a home show last summer that we really liked called "Grey Pearl by Creative Mines."  Originally we were trying to pick a rock brand that our contractor wanted us to.  But we couldn't find anything that we loved.  The rock seemed to have so much red and orange undertones.  So we told our contractor about our dilemma and he checked with his rock supplier.  Chris came back with great news telling us that his rock supplier would match the price of the other rock.  We were so happy!  It took us a little bit of time to finalize which color of the rock we should do but in the end we went with the same rock that we saw in the home show.

We were so excited when they showed up to put on the rock.  I went over later that night to see the rock and I had a little breakdown.  There were orange spots all over the rock.  It looked like our rock was painted with orange polka dots.  So I texted Chris and told him my concerns.  He arranged a meeting with the rock supplier the following morning at 7:30.  I came over right after I had dropped Chase off at school.  When I came over and looked at the rock it looked 100% better.  I couldn't see the orange spots!  I showed the rock guy the home show pictures and said "this is not my rock!" The rock guy said that they use a paint to cover up the orange spots.  He showed me the paint and actually painted some on the orange spots.  It blends in with the rock so you can't even tell.  Everyone sighed a big sigh of relief!!!!!

Finish work

Originally Matt and Mike were going to do the finish work.  But then things started to fall into place and we realized that it would be the week we were scheduled to move out of our rental house and Matt had high adventure Thursday through Saturday.  So Chris scrambled and found a finish crew to come.  They were so quick!! It would have taken Mike and Matt a month and this crew was done in a week.  I'm so happy with how the entry turned out.  It's beautiful!  I love all of my closets!  We did crown molding in the formal sitting room and our master bedroom ceiling.

This is the office window.  I love how they tied all the arches together.

This is our master bedroom.  At first we picked out a pretty standard molding.  But I kept going back to a molding that we had seen in the home show last summer.  Matt looked through the molding catalog and finally figured it out which molding they had.  At the last minute, we changed it and I'm so glad we did.  It's more unique.  I love the header above the doors and windows.