Are you a cowboy or a horsey-girl?

We went driving around, looking at houses the other day and happened to come up to people riding on horses. Calista says, "Look a cowboy...oh wait that's not a cowboy, that's a horsey-girl!" Here are some pictures of our cowboy/horsey-girls in the past. I couldn't find a picture of Calista with a "horsey-girl" hat on, so she and I aren't included in these pictures. I thought they were cute pictures though. Enjoy!


Ellen wore this hat when we walked Jacque to school. We were halfway there before I'd noticed that she had it on. She stole it off of Samuel's dresser. She loves this hat. Aaron used it when he worked on the Sexton ranch, but now Samuel claims it. As you can tell from these pictures it's gotten a lot of use.

Sewing for Samuel

I made these shorts and the pillowcase for Samuel on Wednesday. It was so nice to be able to start them and finish them in one day! He was so excited. I was going to try to make a shirt to go with his shorts, but I didn't have the right pattern, so I made a pillowcase instead. After I finished the pillowcase, I put it on his pillow and then showed it to him. He was so cute. He was watching a movie, and I figured that he probably wouldn't even look at it, but he turns his head and his face lights up as he says, "Wow, mom!! Thank you!" Talk about make me feel good! I'll have to make more things for him :) Its so fun to sew, especially when the kids show they like it. He was pretty excited to show Aaron his new things last night before bed.

Here's a side note for Samuel. He is learning to whistle. Several months ago he wanted to learn, but I couldn't give him any tips because I can't whistle. Aaron and mom have been helping him, and with practice he is getting pretty good. He went to bed last night and started whistling in bed. Aaron asked him to be quiet, and Samuel said, "Okay, but its really hard to stop something when you just learned it." It was a cute answer. Now I just have to see how my nerves do listening to the whistling all the time :)

We have a calling now!

We actually made it 20 minutes early to church on Sunday, rather than just a couple of minutes. We were looking forward to getting to sit somewhere other than the very front center row, but as we walked through the door, a bishopric member was waiting for us. He pulled us into the Nursery room and extended a calling for both Aaron and I to serve as Nursery leaders! We accepted the call and still made it out early enough to choose a row farther back in the chapel. They called us that morning and set us apart after church, so we official now. I'm excited to do this calling with Aaron. We don't have many kids in it right now, but come June we are supposed to be getting several, including twin boys! We actually told the twins' mother that she could start bringing them in early since she's been going home with them after Sacrament meeting. Her husband is the Gospel Doctrine teacher so he can't help her much then, and she didn't like wrestling with them. We figure that we can handle them. The Primary President said to go ahead and bring our guitar and sing with the kids, so we should have lots of fun.


Total new topic now...the girls and I just finished watching "Bedknobs and Broomsticks." I remember watching it when I was young, and the library let us check it out for free, so I decided to see if the kids would like it. We finished it about 20 minutes ago, and for the first 15 minutes they were running around turning each other into rabbits! Fun times! I guess they liked that part of the movie. I think this movie is for older kids because only part of it is cartoon, but they really enjoyed the cartoon part.

Finally updated family pictures!!

We finally have updated family pictures...almost!! I some how lost Aaron's picture, but I'm sure I can get another one. Here they are...don't we look like a cute family?!

Samuel drew these pictures one week when Aaron was in Ontario. They are his first attempts at drawing noses and bubble hands (vs. stick figure hands). I think he did a good job. He tried to put a lot of detail into the pictures, he even got my mole on the right side! About Ellen's picture he said, "I didn't give Ellen any hair because she doesn't have much hair in front." Ellen's hair is finally growing in, but its mainly in the back and slowly creeping forward. One day I know she'll have beautiful hair in front too!

If you'd like to order your own family picture or personal portrait, I'm sure Samuel would be willing to sit down and give it a try. If you actually want it to look like you, you might want to send a picture so he knows what you look like for sure!! On the other hand it might be fun to see what he remembers you looking like :) Todd and Jaylyn, you could be his first wedding couple!

I made dresses again!

I got the itch to sew again, and here's the final, or almost final, result. I should add a ruffle on the end of Jacque and Calista's dresses because if they grow a couple of inches, they will be too short, but they are ready to be worn on Sunday! I made the flowers myself, without a pattern! Jacque had a dress with a flower on it and I figured I could do the same thing. I was proud of how they turned out.

I'm going to make a pair of pajamas for Samuel next. About a month ago, I took one of Aaron's old ties and shortened it for Samuel (sorry no picture, maybe later). The tie had a big stain on the end and Aaron was wondering if he should just throw it away, but I looked at it and wanted to see if I could make it fit Samuel. I cut off the bottom four to six inches and then sewed it back together. I figured I would err on the too long side than the short side. It turned out really well. I was amazed at how easy it was once I started. Samuel hasn't had a tie for a long time because the little boy ties always hurt his chest with that metal clip, and I can't find real ties for him. I was excited to see the tie turn out so well, and have a hard time not snagging another one of Aaron's ties to make Samuel another one!

Poor Samuel

Last night Samuel came into my room saying he needed a drink and his tummy hurt. I got him a drink and then put a bowl by his bed. I layed back down and within a minute I heard this groan..."Mom" and then he threw up. I helped him into the bathroom and he finished off there. He slept the rest of the night on the couch and I never heard from him again. This morning he came and said, "I don't like the taste of throw up...but at least it was my favorite color!" Way to be positive bud! He must take after Grandpa Baxter and try to see the good in everything!!

Jacque had a birthday!!

Jacque turned 6 years old yesterday!! She was so excited to finally have her birthday. We figure that Samuel has his birthday first, even though its at the end of the year. Once Samuel's birthday comes, then everyone else follows shortly there after, but Jacque thinks it takes way to long to get to her birthday. It probably doesn't help that her birthday is also one of the last in the school year too. But her birthday finally came!!

For her birthday, we opened presents in the morning and then she went over to a friend's house in the morning with Calista and Ellen so I could go to my doctor's appointment. She really liked this notebook with "Skitts" on it. For those of you who don't know, Skitts is my parent's cat. Then she had afternoon kindergarten. She got three books, a bday pencil, and a birthday certificate from school. When we got home, we watched a movie to help the time go faster until Grandma and Grandpa Baxter and daddy got home. Grandma and Grandpa Baxter were on their way to Canada for Uncle Todd and Jaylyn's open house. We got to eat dinner at Denny's, which is one of the kids' favorite places to eat! Since it was her birthday, Jacque got her meal for free (up to $5.99, so I'm not sure what would happen for an adult meal). Then we came home and ate cake. Aaron and I were too full, so we passed, but I think everyone liked it. Jacque was excited for her cake. I was going to buy a castle cake decorating kit at Walmart, but they wanted $18 for it. It would probably pay for itself eventually, but I figured I could make one for cheaper now.

We didnt' get to put candles in the cake because we left our matches at a friend's house and I forgot to get more. We told Jacque to blow out the "candles" (hugs) and she tried but she didn't do it right, so I had to show her how it was done. I leaned over and bit the hug off of the stick (oreo sticks). Of course, then everyone wanted to blow out the "candle" too. Luckily we had just enough "candles."
Another note on Jacque. A few weeks ago, she lost her first tooth! She let Aaron pull it out. I get a little grossed out at such things, so I left the room before hand. She was disappointed because the tooth fairy didn't come that night, but I figured it was because she didn't put the tooth in her tooth pillow that Grandma Baxter had made her :) We found her pillow, and sure enough, the next day she found some money where her tooth had been!!

Do you want a kiss or a hug?

A couple of weeks ago, Aaron had to go to Ontario to help finish training the new manager. He left Monday morning and came back Friday evening. Since he was gone so long, I went to the store and bought some Hershey's hugs and kisses for the kids and told them they would be Dad's hugs and kisses. (Any excuse to buy candy right?!)

The kids of course loved the idea, except Ellen. I asked her once,

M: "Ellen do you want a kiss or a hug?"

E: She shakes her head and says, "NO! Candy!!"

M: "This is candy (holding the hugs and kisses in front of her), do you want a candy kiss, or hug?"

E: "Candy!!"

I think by the end of the week she knew that the hugs and kisses were candy, and she started to ask for a kiss/hug and go into the kitchen. I actually gave Jacque a real kiss and hug once to see what she would do. She smiled and said, "No mom, the candy kind!"

It's A GIRL!

We had our ultrasound today, and its a GIRL! The girls are very excited. Samuel was pretty bummed. I think he's still in denial. He keeps saying, "But it could still be a boy?!" I tell him there is a small chance that they could be wrong, but the pictures were pretty obvious that it will be another sister. Heavenly Father just knows that Samuel is such a good brother to his sisters, that he's sending him another one. Hopefully he will be excited by the time July comes around. The ultrasound also showed that I was measuring a little big, and gave me the date of July 12, so that's what I'm betting around. We're thinking of the name Sarah.