Newest Info and House!!!

So we are moving to Blackfoot in 2 weeks. Mark got a job there last year but we didn't think that we could stay because we thought they couldn't pay Mark as much as we wanted, so we got a job in Elko, NV and went there to buy a house. We get there, find one, buy it and the next day after we get home Mark's employers give him the raise we wanted so we decided to stay with his company in Blackfoot. Everything worked out too because they hadn't deposited our earnest money check so we were able to get out of buying the Elko house and weren't even out any money. It was VERY stressfull but Mark felt good about being wanted so much. So yep, we are in Idaho for a long time! I am excited to be living close to Mark's work and hopefully have him home a little more (he spends about 1hr/day commuting now. It's not bad but it is still an hour we could have him home for).

With the move coming up we are excited, but there will be a lot of work to do before we move in. We are going to paint the WHOLE house from top to bottom. And paint the cabinets! I can't wait to get started but it will be one heck of a job. The house is on 1 acre and has a great yard with a garden, basketball court, porch outside. Inside it has 5 bd, an office, Living Rm, Family Rm, 3 bath and they all need to be painted! It will be a great house when we move in.

Other than that we've been having a great time celebrating my birthday, Mark's birthday, Valentine's day and having a new niece born. We've been staying busy and the next few weeks won't be any different.

Jan. 2011

This is our birthday season so Daniel had his birthday on the 9th of Jan. and he is now 4 yrs old!!! This is Jake and Daniel with frosting mustaches, the morning after his party.

We had some family from the area that joined us in the birthday celebration. My dad's cousin Jen and her son Payton came, then my cousin Cameron, Daniel, Jake, and my niece Lexi!!!

. Someone got a little spoiled for his b-day. Cars and trucks gallor, scooter, picture fram of Daniel and Lexi (sooo cute), football, soccer, hover craft, hamster that rolls around (hilarious!) and more!

This is Jake and Soliel (Courtney's brother's daughter) at an elk ranch cabin we stayed at for New Years... so fun!

And her are the babcock cousins! Daniel, Maelle, Will, Jake and Lily! We went to go see them for the day in SLC but the roads were sooo bad I thought we were going to die on the way down. It was just me and the boys and I thought that if the weather is too bad we'll turn around and go back home. But... the exits were all snowed over with like a foot of snow and there was no way my honda accord was going to be able to turn on them, so we just kept going. In the end we stayed the night with Mark's parents who are so wonderful and I got to go to Gardner Villiage with my Babcock mom and sisters! AH HA so fun!!! But after lunch at Archibalds I had to pick the boys up and head home. The roads were great and we survived!

I had to include this picture of my dad helping Daniel put together a Home Depot tool set that you can build a car with. They stayed busy for quite a while and Daniel had a blast!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Laptop!

So now that we have a new computer I will be able to update our blog more than 2 times a year! I am so excited!.... But to catch up on our going ons....

1- We had a great time having Mark's family come visit us in Rigby for a few day in August! They took us to Bear World and we took them to the Sand Dunes and Fishing! We also went to Blackfoot Fair where the kids just ooohed and aahhhed all day then on the way home they crashed after only 2 min of being in the car!

2- Jake turned 1 in September!!! Wow, my baby isn't a baby anymore (don't worry that isn't code for "I want another one")

3- October was fun to see the kids old enough to be excited about Halloween. Daniel and Jake were both cowboys! So cute! This is a picture of the kids at a trunk r treat at World's gym, my niece Lexi was Ariel the Little Mermaid!

4- November we sold our house! We had been trying to sell it for 6 months and it was officially on the market for only 2 months when we sold it. The only catch was that they wanted us to move out 2 weeks after we agreed on a price! Ahhhh! Thank goodness for all the help our families were! We had lots of help and were able to move into my Grandpa Robertson's house in Pocatello, ID until we catch up with stuff and find something more permanant. This is a video of Jake eating oatmeal by himself!

*We also went to Bear Lake for Thanksgiving with Mark's family. I had a great time relaxing, watching football, shopping and eating great food! I think I might overwhealm people sometimes with the stories I tell but Mark is good to tactfully say "enough!" So I appologize to anyone at the condo who got a full account of my life when you weren't expecting it.

5- December has brought a lot of crazy bussiness! We have been out of town every weekend and we will be gone the rest of the weekends till New Years! So much for getting to know our ward! No we feel bad but we have tons of family stuff going on and it is Christmas time!!! We will spend Christmas with my family this year in Rigby and Then New Years we will spend snowmobiling with them at a Cabin we are all going to for a few days! And somewhere in there we will go on a quick trip to SLC to see Mark's family and our new niece Maelle!!! We are so excited!

I think that about takes care of any major things going on right now other that the boys just getting older and more activing and I am getting older and less active! uhhh. I will stop coaching at the gym starting after today so I am sad but it will be nice not to drive up to Rigby twice a week.

We are so blessed to be here in my grandpa's house. He is so generous and it has helped us a ton! We are now debt free where a few months ago we were really worried about finances. I have a testimony of tithing and the blessings paying it can bring. It isn't always financial, but it is always what we need. I love the Lord and I love this time of year that is dedicated to him let us remember our blessings and family at this time of year. And let us remember that it is because of Him that we have all that we have.

New Pictures and Update

I finally got these pictures lodaded!!! I have been trying for months!

Daniel's favorite song is "We will Rock You" so this is him listening to to Mark's MP3 player not stop. Not even when he needs to go to the bathroom did he stop!

Just as an update.... Mark is now working for Tanner & Sons in Blackfoot doing drafting and a little engineering. They design and manufacture potato harvesting equipment. He is enjoying it except for the drive. I am still working at the gym. I have been in charge of the preschool program there and now I get to do the Cheerleading program too! I am excited. We start our first practice on Monday. The boys are doing great too. Jake is getting around by doing a form a crawling (he is 7.5 months old already!) . Daniel is a busy boy just playing and helping with Jake. He will be taking 2 classes per week at the gym this summer so hopefully he will get all the energy release he needs.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*UPDATE*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Yes, I know, I know, I know... I haven't blogged in a really long time but we left our camera in SLC over Christmas and recently just got it back. So, here is our update on life and pictures!

Christmas was really fun because we were able to see all of Mark's siblings (except Drew who is on a mission in New Zealand). We got a lot of things we needed and a few things that we just "wanted". It was so nice! We also went to the children's museum in SLC at the gateway. That was totally cool. Daniel had a blast and got to go in a helicopter they have there on the roof. We also spent a few days with my family before we left and then spent New Years sledding and playing in the snow with them as well. I have a totally fun grandpa who still goes sledding with us and I had to include one of those pictures. He just turned 75! I don't think he acts like it though.

Mark has a few promising leads when it comes to employment so we are hoping that he'll soon be able to have a new job. He also recently had his 27th birthday! We celebrated on Sunday in SLC with his family, in Rigby with my family, and at his aunt and uncle house on the 17th (his birthday). So fun! Mark loved everything he got. He went skiing with my brother Justin in January and enjoyed himself. And last but not least...he got his snowmobile running! He and my brother have been working on it since last year!

I had a birthday on th 31st of January (the big 24!!!). I don't feel that old. I had tons of fun because Mark and I went out to dinner on Saturday and they he took me shopping to get some new pants that I desperately needed after having a 2nd kid. Then on Sunday we had a big dinner at my parents house and just played and had fun. I am really excited that I am teaching the lesson in RS on Sunday, I have taught in our Married Student ward many times but never in a Family ward so I am a little nervous but excited. I love teaching! Oh... and LOST started again!!!

Daniel also had a birthday! 3 years old...can you believe it?!!! He is growing up fast. He loves to go to gymnastics, visit aunts, uncles and of course Grandmas and Grandpas. Daniel is also really into anything that crashes! Example: Cars, planes, snowboarders, skiiers, dirtbikes, etc. The Olympics is really fun for him to watch but he is a little dissapointed when people cross the finish line instead of biffing it.

Jake did not celebrate a birthday. He is growing well and takes a bottle a little too well. Our little boy is getting very chunky. You can't tell from the pictures but it is true. His favorite thing to do right now is to talk to the ceiling lights, play with mommy and make faces at daddy. Jake's life is in peril every time we leave Daniel in the same room with him so we are trying to teach Daniel that people are fragile.

Bear Lake Pics and Recent Events

So here are some pictures from Bear Lake. Mark's family has a time share there so we went and enjoyed Conference weekend there. Too bad Mark hit a deer there the first morning and our 4 Runner would drive. We had to have it towed to a repair shop in Logan. Thank goodness Mark wasn't hurt and that we have insurance. It also gave me a good excuse to go see my friend Emily who moved to Logan a few months ago.
While at he condo we spent time with Mark's family and had a great time just relaxing. I had never been to Bear Lake before so I was amazed at how pretty it was. It also snowed for the first time while we were there.

This weekend we are excited because we are blessing Jake and we have a ton of family coming into town. We would love to see any of you friends there if you are able to make it. Our church is at 11 and we are eating at 2 at our house.

How Could our Lives get this Complicated?

So to add to the stress of our lives right now... Daniel has the Swine Flu. Yep, the day Mark was going to go hunting we took Daniel to the Dr. expecting like an ear infection or something. No he has the flu. So Jake and I (ash) are staying with my parents for the next week while Mark and Daniel are quarantined in our house. They said not to take him anywhere for the next 8-10 days! Other than the fever he really isn't too miserable though so it could be a lot worse. We have to be ultra above and beyond careful though so that Jake doesn't get sick. Any friends in the Idaho area be careful!!! Wash wash wash! This is not fun!