Loving my new ride!

So we figured out that a car wreck is a blessing in disguise..Who would have thought? Well, we were able to find a newer, nicer, much larger SUV the very next weekend!

Our payments are lower, it's cheaper to insure, and believe it or not, we get better gas mileage! It's a LOADED 03 Yukon XL (and when I say loaded, I mean it!) Steve loves the 20 inch rims! I have to admit they do make a huge difference! We just put clear tailights on it last weekend! They look great, too! (sorry, they're not in the pic)

Just thought I'd share our great news!

what a BLAST!

Last Thursday we went to Blast off with Brecca, Brooklynn, Bryce and Makenna!

The kids had lots of fun in the ball pit... Dressing up...

Swinging on the zip line...

Jumping...

and just being together! It was lots of fun!

They all play together so well!

more accident photos

So Steve went over to the towing place and was able to get a few more closer shots of our car (and one of the other ones involved). So I thought I'd share them...

In this one, you can see how far back the bumper is pushed (as well as the tire).

On a 99 4Runner, the front bumpers usually stick out quite far. This is the car that hit me. I have no idea how fast they were going...
The front tire shoved back into the tire well


This is what the other side looks like (normal-behind the wheel) The front bumper is definately shoved way back

Front view

Both air bags went off

We haven't hear from the adjuster about the total damages, but we were told from another adjuster that it's most likely totalled. We're going to go with something a little bigger next time :)

car accidents are NOT fun!

This is my 4Runner... Thumbs up to Toyota! The strong frame is evident here! Not too bad, you think?

You should have seen the other 2 cars! Here's one! This is the one that hit me practically head on. This damage was from the 4Runner.

This was taken the night of the accident.

This was the next day. You see the pole that I ended up at is fine.

There are some nice big tire marks on the sidewalk

WoW! Last night was a memorable one! My kids and I were following Steve home after an evening at a friends house. Steve drove seperately because he came later than I, after he got off work. To make a long story short, another car hit my 4Runner, and something in my car triggered the throttle to stick and I COULD not stop! I rammed ANOTHER car and a light pole. My tires were still going full speed, even after I was stopped. Steve was in front of us and watched it happen in his rear-view mirror. So I am so glad that he was there to help get the kids out and help me calm down. It all happened so fast! It is amazing how things can change in an instant. I really believe that everything happens for a reason. The reason for this? Not sure. But it may become evident sometime. I am just so thankful that no one was seriously hurt! My kids and I are fine (I have a few large bruises), the driver of the first car was okay as well as 2 kids in the back (so I heard), and the one driver of the second car was not hurt. It could have been so much worse!

busy day!

We left the house today for the first time in a few days!
Too bad I almost FROZE! Why is it so cold out!?!?
I thought it was spring!

We had a fun time with an old friend and her kids, and then we met Brecca at Blast Off and the kids played together! My camera was dead, so Brecca took some extra ones for me. I will post the pictures when I get them from her! 'Til then....

SMILE!!! I usually try to :)

kids will be kids

Nicole wanted her nails done a little while ago. I made them extra long and she enjoyed them for the day, but the next morning she pulled them off.

My sister Jordyn with Nathan! She is very photogeninc and likes to take pictures!

Nathan likes to play with Nicole and her friends, but they always like to play dress-up and he just wants to join them! Poor boy....

Finally...some cousins!

On March 3rd, we had 2 little cuties born into our family!

Steve's brother Levi and his wife, Lori, had twin boys.

Grant Levi and Luke Brent were born weighing in at 6 pounds

(one a little more).

There are SO SO SO ADOREABLE as you can see! Nicole and Nathan holding Baby Grant

Nicole is the oldest cousin, but she is loving it! She was so good playing with Xander and making him laugh!

Picture with all the cousins together for the first time

Xander came up (with Jarom and Nina) to visit last weekend from Utah.

Proud Grandparents

Back to...NORMAL...whatever that is

So Steve had 5 days away from us and spent it with friends up 8 hours North fishing. Fun for him, and we are happy that he caught his biggest fish ever! 39 inches long, 18 inches around. He brought home 5 Steehead and that was the biggest one! It's bigger than Nathan, and almost as big as Nicole! Good thing we have a big freezer.

now that he's home and back to his normal work schedule, we are home doing the same ol' things...cleaning house and doing laundry...woo hoo!

Funny story from this weekend:
We stayed with Steve's parents since Jarom and Nina and Xander were up visiting. Nicole was exhausted from lack of sleep and was in desperate need of a nap on Sunday. I was laying with her trying to get her to relax, and she was stubbornly trying to get out of taking a nap. She'd come up with all the excuses to get up. (go potty, give grandma a hug, she was hungry, needed a drink...etc...) One time she wanted to see grandma and I said, "No, she is busy."
"What is she doing?" Nicole asked.
"She's helping Fabiola (this is their exchange student from Venezuela) crochet." I responded.
And Nicole, being the smartie pants she is, said, "Crochet? What's that? Spanish homework?"
I don't know where this came from, but it was so funny. I tried not to laugh and quickly explained it to her.

The things they come up with.....

Birthday week

The beginning of Nicole's first slumber party!

Watching Homeward Bound in the basement on the big screen The second Party of the week was with friends!

Nicole and her first Barbie cake! That was fun to make...

The first Birthday Party was with family (and a few friends)

The big crowd at our house

What a fun week! Nicole had her first slumber party, as well as another party with family! It was fun to have so many people over. Sorry to anyone who felt a little cramped in our house!

My baby girl is 5 years old!

Mom: "Nicole, how does it feel to be 5?"

Nicole: "Um... Pretty normal..."

brrrrr!!!

This week we have spent INDOORS! With record low temperatures for this time of the season (-29 degrees on Tues.), it has been MIGHTY cold outside! We did leave the house yesterday to go shopping, and I took the kids out to lunch. It felt nice to be out and about! I appreciate them being pretty well-behaved.

We all laughed earlier this week when we were watching the news and the weather man had the week's forcast chart up. The temperatures were in the teens and twenties. But on the weekend it reached above the thirties and there was the word WARMER across those days.... Who in the heck thinks that 30 degress is WARMER??? Anybody? Anybody? I bet if people from the south could see that, they'd be laughing, too. Steve talked to his brother Jarom last weekend, and he's in Arizona temporarily...he said it was in the 80's...? WHY DO I LIVE IN IDAHO???

BRRRRR!!!!

Well, my mom is headed out tomorrow on her 7-day cruise...While she's gone, I will be staying at her house with my little bros and sis. I really hope she brings back some warmer weather with her! Til then...I will be wearing socks and sweaters and slippers!

hot dog cake...?

My day yesterday...So it was my little brother's 8th birthday! I ussually make his cake and last year I made him a hamburger cake as he wanted.

This year his request was "A HOT DOG CAKE".

Odd as it sounds, I thought, hey, this may be possible. After contemplating it for some time, I knew how I was going to put it together, but I was still weary of how I was going to make a hot dog color with frosting. I got up and got the cake out of the freezer and cut it into thirds lengthwise. I turned each side and the middle upward and then squiched them together. Not hard AT all! Then was the fun part of frosting it... I made the hot dog color frosting with lots of red, some yellow, a drop of blue and a drop of green. Weird as it may seem, it worked. And I was quite excited with the finished product. So excited that I took a picture and will happily post it for everyone to see!

Jack with his cake

They love aunt Jordyn!

momma's boy

yep, he is! and that's okay.

Sometimes I do have to share him with Dad, but that's okay, too

many faces of Nicole

Here's a page I put together yesterday! YAY it's so much fun!