Halloween Hee-yaw!

It has become our ward's tradition to have trunk-or-treat inside our gym every halloween. WE LOVE IT!!!! It's warm, the kids can play together, the adults can socialize, we get to see all the kids in costume without snowsuits, and no dragging little ones in and out of the car to go door to door. The costume parade was lead by the scariest guy there...
Jared, the dracula.

Brandt loves playing cowboy, riding his stick horse, and using his toy gun, so he was quite comfortable in his costume. (I know, not very creative on my part, but he loved it)

Notice the bull in the top left corner. Brandt spent the majority of the evening chasing him (Brayden) around hollering "hee-yaw" at the top of his lungs. It was hilarious! Bryce had a hard time getting him to stop long enough to go around and get his treats.

What a fun night!

Busy day, but worth it

Last Friday marked the day to sell calves. I was actually able to take the day off and go this year. My mom, Brandt, and I drove in early so we could pick up my grandparents at the manor and then meet the guys at the stockyards. It was good to have them there. I think my grandpa enjoyed being able to get out and BS with the other guys there just like he used to.

My sis and Kevin came over and helped haul a load, so Rylie and Brandt got to hang out and watch everything.

I know it's hard to tell in this picture, but they both really did have fun; Rylie just didn't want his picture taken. My camera batt. died before I got pictures of my grandparents and everyone, but I was happy that I at least got a couple.

After we were done at the stockyards and dropped my granparents back off, we were off to run our errands and then get Brandt's H1N1 shot. Let me just tell you how excited he was! Thank goodness the line was mostly gone when we got there cause he was fighting me and screaming the second we got in the door.

We were able to spend the afternoon at my mom's, and Brandt and Rylie got to play (and fight.) Rylie doubled up his fist and popped Brandt in the nose twice; well-deserved I might add. Then we (Brandt and I) were off to Bev's wedding. Everything was beautiful and I was glad we were able to make it. Afterward's we went and visited my grandparents so they could see Brandt in his cute new suit. He had fun playing with all their toys, getting into their candy stashes, and giving them "rides" in their recliners. It was an exhausting day, but a fun one, too!

Brandt's Secret

Brandt has loved telling his "secret" for the past few months. He constantly tells all who will listen that he's having a baby. He then will usually say that it's a baby sister. This is something he's stuck to despite his dad's diligent efforts in teaching him to say it's a brother since that's what our ultrasound 3 wks looked like (not %100 for sure keep in mind). He will argue that it is a sister no matter how many times we tell him it may be a brother. Well, he's right for today at least. We had another U/S this afternoon, and while it was mostly wiggling and crossing it's legs again, the few good glimpses we did get looked like a girl. Either way, it's VERY active and so darn cute. It was even sucking it's thumb today (I really need to get one of our pics of it on here). Guess we'll see if we can see a gender for sure when we have our next one in a couple weeks. But for now, we'll just have to be ok with Brandt saying that he's having a baby sister.

Pizza for Breakfast

Since I've been pregnant and sick, Brandt and Bryce have been neglected to say the least. Thankfully my mom often takes care of meals for us, and while Bryce isn't always the most resourceful, Brandt is. For example, this morning when I was just finishing getting ready for work, I heard his bedroom door open, pitter-patter footsteps to the fridge, and then the sound of him getting out his sippy of milk. Or so I thought. A few minutes later when I finally peaked out to check on him this is what I found.
He found some leftover pizza in the fridge and was helping himself. He got the lid off the dip by himself (he has to have dip for everything) and was going to town on the cold pizza (yuck!)

He spilled some sauce on the floor, but by the time I got my car started and back in the house to clean it up he'd already taken care of it. He looked up at me and said "licked it, mom!" Such a good little helper!!

Family Reunions 2009 continued (Pugmire version)

As mentioned in the previous post, the Pugmire campout is always my favorite event of the summer. This year I wasn't so sure that I was going to have much fun since I was pregnant and sick and Bryce wasn't going with us so I wouldn't have his help with my little wild man. Thankfully I also knew that I have the best family ever and that I really wouldn't be on my own. I was right. My parents were a lot of help, and Jared, Lisa and family went above and beyond, from helping me set up my tent next door to theirs (and by next door I mean about 2 feet away) to helping me chase Brandt numerous times. Kelli and Rylie got to camp out the whole weekend and Jana and Amanda were able to stay part of the time as well. Curtis was there,too, although I don't think he did much "camping" since I think he spent most of the night playing cards and such. My cousin Amy and her daughter got to spend one night with us and a lot of my Aunt Jan's family was able to come for one day. My grandparent's even made it for a day, and I think they enjoyed visiting with everyone even if it did completely wear them out. Overall, the William Pugmire part of the family was pretty well represented. My biggest regret of the weekend was that I forgot my camera and was unable to take any pictures. Thankfully I was able to "borrow" a few from a very kind cousin (Thanks Jesi!). Brandt is very social and had a great time playing with the other cousins. One of his favorite things was dancing with Kylie who so cute to take time out from her own fun to dance with him. The following pictures were all taken during the testimony meeting while he was playing with the farm animals and tractors that my mom so wisely packed. It was so nice to have something capture his attention enough that I could listen to what has always been my favorite part of the reunion.

I can't figure out how to rotate this one, but maybe one day I'll figure it out.

Don't my parents look thrilled? Maybe they're just really intently listening...

I love that Brandt got to play with some of his 3rd (or whatever generation :) cousins as well as had the chance to play with Rylie. In the background are the Hillier's with poor Gabe who met some bees/wasps.

Brandt was so into playing that he never did look up for any of the pictures, little booger.

Cute shot of the other cousins, though. Overall it ended up being a great weekend and I'm glad we were able to go. It always makes me stop and think about how rich my heritage is and how very blessed I am. Thanks to all who help make it a huge success every year. NO EMPTY CHAIRS!!

Family Reunions 2009

The focal point of my every summer since childhood is the Pugmire family reunion/campout. The past 2 yrs I have been blessed to also have a Thompson family reunion/campout as well. Brandt especially had so much fun at both of them. Our Thompson reunion was the first weekend in August and was attended by almost everyone this year, minus Lisa's family. I was able to get some pictures of a few of Brandt's favorite activities. Riley Wells' roping steer was a hit.

Look at that concentration...

Getting a little help untangling himself from the rope from Adam.

Brandt's wagon was very popular again this year. Here he is with Emmett and Tommy, Adam and Erin's boys.

Whitney spent a lot of time pulling them around, as did some of the other older cousins- yay for me!

Most of Brandt's time was spent following the big boys around. He thought he was just as big as they were and they were good to humor him.

"Stick 'em up!"

He also had fun playing in the dirt with his trucks. In this one he's with Adrie. He also had his big Tonka trucks with him and before long the kids were pushing them (and riding them) down the hill. There were only a few crashes, but no broken bones or stitches, so it was all good.

Doug, Shellie, Kaylen, Tara, and Kevin kicken' back in the shade.

Bryce, Angela, Matt, and Tiffany. Thanks, love you, too, Brycie! And now for my very favorite pictures...

Brandt discovered that it was lots of fun to hang out under the picnic table and play in the dirt.

I finally talked him into coming out so I could try to get a couple good pictures to show off just how dirty he was.

They still don't do the filth justice- he was covered from head to toe, inside and out!!
And loved every minute of it!!!!

To be continued...

Christmas in August and The Naked Cowboy Rides Again

Last weekend Brandt's cousin Riley (Wells) handed down some of his toys, including a big red barn that Santa made for him a few years ago, horses, tools and tool belt, lego dumptruck and loader, and a basketball game. Brandt was so excited and told my parents to come see his "Christmas."
He wanted his picture taken with his new stuff. In this one he really is excited and saying cheese, not constipated...

The horse also had to have his picture taken and even said cheese.

Posing with his tool belt. And now for the really fun poses...

Brandt doesn't always feel there's a need for clothes and tends to strip down whenever I'm not paying attention for a minute.

He was bucking in circles on his bucking bull, and then it got a little wild and he bucked off...

No worries, he got up and right back on again...
And off he rides into the sunset...

Every now and again Brandt will bring my camera to me and want his picture taken. I thought these ones were pretty cute.

Don't you agree???

BRANDT HAVE BABY, TOO!

For about the past month or so Brandt's been saying "Brandt have baby, too." Everyone laughed and chalked it up to some of his aunts having babies in the next few months and thinking he was just copying his cousins. Guess everyone should have payed a little better attention to him cause he was right! Don't ask me how he knew cause it was a shock to us! It took us 4 yrs and fertility drugs to get Brandt and this one wasn't even close to planned. Bryce says it's maybe a good thing since otherwise it may not have happened again anytime soon since I was so miserable with the last pregnancy. I still don't know how I'm going to survive this time and try to chase my little wild man and work, but I'm trying to remember that it must be meant to be. Thankfully my parents are close by and so supportive and helpful! I know for sure I couldn't do it without them. I'm due in March and will be just a few weeks behind my sister, so it should be fun to have babies so close together, as long as we can both survive being sick up until then. As for now, we'll see how many people believe Brandt buddy when he tells them "Brandt have baby, too!"

24th of July Jr. Rodeo

My sister Kelli lives in Cokeville and they always have a huge 24th of July celebration. Rylie was finally old enough this year to ride a sheep in the Jr. rodeo, so Brandt and I went over with my parents to watch. It was the funnest little rodeo I've ever been to! Brandt even sat still to watch a lot of it. I signed him up to do the stick horse race and while he was excited for that, he really wanted to ride a sheep like Rylie.

Anxiously awaiting their events with grandma, grandpa, and Kelli.

Braydee was also in the stick horse race and was nice enough to let Brandt borrow her stick horse in order to "warm up" in the stands. :)

Rylie was the youngest (and best if I might add) little sheep rider there, and rode his sheep to the other end of the arena where he finally went off and then did about 4 back flips! He landed on his behind and was holding his head crying. Of course we all thought he was hurt, but come to find out he was just upset cause his cowboy had fell off and he didn't know where it was!
Soon it was Brandt's turn to shine. He was so excited that he left the starting line before they even told him to and headed for the first barrel.

He got a little confused in which way he should go after the first barrel, so Ashley's husband Cody was nice enough to help him through it. He had so much fun that when he crossed the finish line and I was trying to give him a high five, he turned around and ran for the first barrel again. I had to go after him and carry him back kicking and screaming so the next little kid could go. After both boys were done "competing" bampa gave them each a 5$ bill. Brandt has been pretending to ride sheep and buck off as well as riding his stick horse around the barrels ever since.

Splish-Splash

I obviously still have the same problem with uploading pictures from my phone, so these are way small pictures. Sure wish they were bigger so you could get the full effect of the cute faces Brandt pulls. He loves water and especially loves the bubbles that grandma Thompson gave him. He says they're bampa's bubbles cause she told him that grandpa likes bubble baths, too.

Isn't he so cute???

It's hard to believe it, but when he lies down in our tub now he almost goes from one end to the other! He's grown so much!

This particular day he decided to give his cows and horses a bath in a bucket in the kitchen sink. I swear I only turned around for a few seconds and next thing I knew he had his diaper off and was in the bucket. He said he was taking a bath with his "manimals." What a silly kid!

Family, Fun, and Freedom

I failed to take any pictures on the 4th this year; not sure what I was thinking. So, I guess I can just tell about the highlights. The day started with our traditional not-so-early-in -the-morning family breakfast at my house. We thought about not having it this year since my grandparents weren't going to be able to be there now that they are at the manor and my sisters couldn't come either. Since I have always been a lover of tradition, my mom and I decided to carry on no matter how few in number we were. We ended up having a nice, quiet time with my parents and Van and Cindy. Well, sorta quiet I guess; Brandt was still there and there isn't much quietness about him! After that we were off to the Paris Parade. It was pretty good this year with quite a few interesting entries. I especially liked the old tractors and truck entered by the Glenn Rich family. Brandt like the fire engine with Smokey Bear. He was actually more interested in playing with the black lab next to us than he was watching the parade or trying to catch candy. Later in the afternoon we headed to Georgetown to have dinner with Bryce's family. Brandt had a great time playing in the little swimming pool with Jolie and the other cousins. After dinner we went to Montpelier to watch the fireworks; unfortunately Brandt fell asleep on the way there and wouldn't wake up for them. I'm not so sure he would have liked them much anyway since he doesn't like any type of loud noises.

Bryce's family tradition used to be to either go to the east side of the lake with the Hemmerts for a picnic and swimming or go to their house in Liberty to celebrate, but they haven't really done that since Bryce's grandpa passed away. The 4th of July was Don's favorite holiday I think and he loved making a big deal out of it with all of his family. He always made sure that we had a memorable day, especially with all the big fireworks that were set off at the ball diamond at the end of the evening. He was a very patriotic man, and there is even a flag painted on the roof of the mill by their house courtesy of Bryce's uncle Jeff. We all are reminded of him and miss him even more around holidays like this.

My growing up memories of the fourth include doing fireworks at our house prior to the 4th for Kelli's b-day, which is on the 3rd. The celebration on the 4th would start with the Lewiston parade, which was beyond huge! The day continued with vendors and free entertainment at the park, softball games across the street, and the rodeo. It was always the funnest day hanging out with my Bodily cousins. The finale was the Lewiston fireworks which were always amazing, and then the long drive (at least for my dad) back to Bear Lake. It's really not a long drive, but since the rest of us slept I bet it was a long drive for my dad who had to be exhausted from the day's events. Amazing the sacrifices our parents make that we never think about til later. I sure do miss the time spent in Lewiston with my family and am thankful for the memories I have. I hope that Brandt will be able to enjoy our little holiday traditions that we've started, especially on the 4th when we celebrate our gift of freedom, so that one day he can appreciate his memories of our family as well.

Rope 'n Run

The Wells cousins participate in Rope 'n Run at the fairgrounds all summer and Brandt has decided that he loves going to watch. Mostly because uncle Kevin spoils him and lets him ride their horses with them in between events.
Kaylen is the oldest cousin and also the most patient with him. She has such a calm, mothering way about her and Brandt adores her. Of course it didn't hurt that she let him ride with her all over...

Adrie also let him hang out on Skip with her a couple different times. He loves her, too, and is constantly asking to go play with her.

He didn't have a chance to ride with Riley this time, but maybe one day. I'm sure we'll be going to more of their rodeos this summer since they have them on Monday nights and it's a cheap and fun family home evening. Besides, I love being an aunt and being able to stay involved with their lives and watching them grow and develop their skills. I couldn't ask to be related to better kids!