Home at last

Our week long vacation has come to an end. It was full of a lot of fun, but it is always nice to return home. To sleep in our own beds and recover.

It all began last week when we hit the road for M-town on Wednesday. We were fortunate to have good roads despite the fact that the snow was falling. The next morning we made our way to Cody to spend Turkey Day with Colin's fam. There was a full house. His whole family was there to enjoy the good food. Jason had a blast running around with his cousin Johnathon. I swear they ran for about 3 hours straight. We had to pretty much strap the kids to the table just to get them to eat a few bites. It was a lot of fun and a lovely day.

Jason chasing Johnathon. (the only pic that turned out)

The long break offered one last opportunity for Colin to go hunting too. But, the elk had a different idea. So, Colin, his dad and Dave got a lot of exercise in without seeing much of anything. Meanwhile I was able to go to visit the Coales with Jason............ to watch the UW game (things have to get better for UW soon). Jason also had the chance to play with the Franks boys. Mom and dad's house was a wild place with those three boys running all over. Saturday, Mom and I brought the three boys down to the Chocolatier's grand opening. It was Yummy!!!!!!!!!! The kids loved the chocolate and mom and I were oh so impressed as well.

That night Colin and I went up to the Coales to visit and let the boys play. They treated us to a very good dinner of burgers and some fun board games. The excitement really took off when their son, Wild Bill, got into the laundry detergent and drank some (most of it ended up on the floor). Yes, with 4 adults in the house the little man was able to drink detergent. After running around trying to find the number for poison control, we finally found it on the internet. To our suprise it was not in the phone book or on the backs of any of the cleaning products. But, when Sheena finally got through to get assistance, she found out that drinking a little All detergent can give a kid a belly ache, but besides that they will be good. It was a fun and wild evening for all of us.



The next day we went back to Cody to visit with Colin's parents some more. It was a relaxing day and the dogs had a blast running rabbits all over the country. That night we went down to baby Scott Coale's baptism. It was pretty cool and the food after was very very good.

By Sunday night, Colin, Jason and I were all pretty well worn down and coming down with colds. Poor Jason was so stuffy that he couldn't even sleep. It was time to go home. So, Monday morning we headed home. Jason got worse throughout the trip so we ended up bringing him to the doc when we got to town. He has a heck of a cold and even had a rash in his ears. So, our wild man is pretty well layed up for now. Colin and I have a smaller version of what Jason has, but it isn't very bad. I think we just had too much fun over the long vaca. Jason played non-stop and by the end he could hardly stand up because his legs were so tired. It was such a good time, but now it is time to recover. Our pictures didn't turn out (I have no idea what happend) so I don't have any of those. I will write some more and post some new pics when we start to feel better. For now we are going to rest up and try to get well fast. I hope all of you had a great Turkey weekend. Take care, stay healthy, and we will have more stories soon...........

Thanksgiving

When we think Thanksgiving......... we usually think good food and family. Plus as you all know it is a day to give thanks. Today I want to share what I am thankful for.

I give thanks to - my 2 1/4 Moody men. It is such a gift to be able to wake up every morning to someone you love sooooo much and to a smile that can melt a person's heart. The I love you Mommy's and the big squeezes are more than I could have ever asked for. To top it off we are so lucky to have another healthy little man on the way............... I have so much to be thankful for just in my house.

I give thanks to - my family. They have put up with me from the beginning. To have parents that can make me feel better even when I don't think it is possible and to teach me how things really work and who will always take time out of their busy schedules to visit and to lend a helping hand. To a sister that always remembers to call even when things get crazy for her. For nieces and nephews that are constantly learning new things and love to share the excitement. And for grandparents that never fail to bring a smile to my face.

I give thanks to - my friends. Those of you that have been around through thick and thin as well as the new friends. We have grown up, but not apart, just closer. When I need to talk you are always around. Friends that are so close they are like family. My life wouldn't feel whole without such friends.

I think that hits my main points. Everything else is material. Life would be very good even if it meant we were living in a shack, as long as I still has all of the people that I mentioned. So, thank you everyone for being there in the past and for everything that will come in the future. I am so very lucky to have so much. Wishing all of you safe travels and a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! Take care and I will have many stories to share next week.

Is it ok?

Today while watching the UW/BYU game............ some questions came up in our house. Is is ok for game announcers to discuss religion during the game..... in reference to the teams and not in a general manner? For instance, at the beginning of the game they were discussing each coaches strategy.............. Instead of using football terms one of the guys said that BYU's coach would have to be patient, like Job. This was just the beginning. The "church" was constantly discussed and the marriages of mormon members of the BYU team was a main topic. Then the topper came when the discussion of BYU's coming match up with Utah came up. They refer to that game as a "Holy War". WOW!!!!! Isn't that a little much. Really, isn't football a game that should be enjoyed by both sides? Does it matter who is righteous? Can that even be determined my the average mortal man? What do you think? Is it appropriate to integrate religion with sports in this manner?

It is a...................

It has been a few months........ there has been speculation and guesses made on what the new Moody will be. In fact this morning Jason told us it was going to be a girl... girl... girl...... Then he said.... no, it not, it baby, it mommy daddy baby. So the one we counted on making the accurate prediction, decided it was up in the air. Well, today it was the moment of truth............... The baby is healthy and everything is growing well. Each and every piece and part is there and perfect.

The profile

The hand print................

The money shot!!!!

Yes that is right...... IT IS A BOY!!!!!!! Jason is going to have a little brother to pick on. We couldn't ask for more than two healthy kids. WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying your fall. Have a great day everyone and we look forward to sharing many more stories of the Wild Children in the future. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Rock on

Every day is a party with the littlest Moody man. Over the weekend he put a small concert on for Colin and I. Using our bed as a stage.................... he rocked on............

The rest of the weekend was a lot of the same, just playing. Sure there was our normal football watching......... Colin wouldn't miss a game. I have to say he was quite excited to see the Broncos play well, to see the Colts lose, but the UW game isn't discussed in our house. There is nothing like quality time with those you love........... Have a great week everyone!!!!

Finger licking good

From the title, you might be thinking chicken, but it isn't. Our little man just continues to amaze us with how much he learns every day. Some of it is from observation, but night before last he did something that shocked both Colin and I. We were eating chicken breasts with fresh broccoli (always have to have a green veggie) and some noodles when Jason asked to pour some dressing on his plate. He has really gotten into the pouring thing. If it is pouring pepper, water into another glass or even the dreaded ranch dressing. Colin and I don't eat much dressing, in fact it has a tendency to get outdated before it is half way gone. That is why we were surprised to see what Jason did with it. He poured the ranch on his plate and then decided that he would just dip his broccoli in it and lick off. But that wasn't enough. He spit out what little broccoli he got into his mouth and began to use his finger as a utensil. He was dipping his finger in the ranch and licking it off. This is very gross for me since ranch and I don't get along the best now that I am pregnant. I have to say that this is something he picked up on his own. He has never seen his dad or I do anything like that................... So, here is a video of the little man doing something that grosses me out so very much.

All is going very well here. The weather has been mild and my foot is finally getting well enough that Jason and I can venture out on short walks...... I think I will be able to take the dogs with us by next week. He and I were both quite excited over this improvement.

As I mentioned earlier he has a growing vocabulary. He has gotten into this super learning stage. One of his new favorite activities is pointing to things and telling me what they are. He can even tell stories that kind of make sense now. Instead of just puting random words that he knows together, he actually makes a point (some of the time). My favorite stories are jokes. He will go on and on and then laugh at the end of his sentence. We still can't understand most of these stories, but it is obvious that we are supposed to laugh with him. He also sings the song, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes.............. I will get that on video over the weekend. It is one video I will be watching over and over again.

Well, I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. We wish all of you that are traveling (Maggie and Gary) a safe trip. Take care and I look forward to sharing more stories with you next week. So, Go Pokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kids are the best

There have been shows made about things that kids say, such as kids say the darndest things, and it is soooooo true. When a sad face walks into this house, it isn't long before Jason has them rolling. He may not have a huge vocabulary, but he has a way with words. He also acts a lot of things out. Just to give you a taste of what he has said in the last couple of days (sorry if some of them aren't as funny if you weren't there) here goes.

We have this indoor bbq thing that goes on a stove top. It has two parts a pan and a bottom part that elevates it and catches the fat. Jason took this out of the cupboard and put the ring that acts as the base and put it on his head. Sorry I didn't have the camera ready, because that would have been a keeper. He called it a hat and was oh so proud of it. Colin told him that he looked like Don Quijote. This made Jason very angry and he glared before saying...... "It not Don Coat, it hat!!!!!!" So to torture the poor kid I kept on calling him Don Quijote and finally he got so angry he looked at me, put the "hat" on the table, pointed his finger at me and said "It hat!!!! You be bad!!!! Not cool ma ma!!!!" Then he walked away. He hasn't touched the bbq pieces since. What a funny little man.

Also the Moe/Jason saga continues. Our beagle has decided that Jason's bed is her's. So, when we are all fast asleep, she goes into his room, pulls all of the blankets off of Jason and even takes his prized blankies before going to sleep at the bottom of the bed. Then we hear this loud cry. When we go in there we have to take the blankets back and kick Moe out of his bed. For a kid that doesn't sleep well anyway............this is not a good thing. I think that is why he always goes up to Moe and tells her, "Moe, no, bad, you not nice!!!"

Another crazy bed story involves and ongoing problem with Jason peeing through his diaper in the middle of the night. For a couple of weeks he was doing just that a few times a week. So, I would get up and clean up the mess and put him back to bed. Then one night he walks into our bedroom and smacks me on the cheek to wake me up. When I opened my eyes, I saw him holding his stuffed gorilla out to the side by the tip of its little hand with two fingers. As soon as he knew I was awake, he said......"HE PEED!!!!!" before he turned around and walked back to his room. He had peed through his diaper again and blamed it on the stuffed gorilla. I can see him blaming a lot of things on his younger sibling in the future.

The final thing I can think of off the top of my head is Jason's ideas about the new baby. Now that my belly is larger, he knows that something is there. We have told him it is the baby and he knows what a baby is so now he rationalizes it in his own way. He has a belly, but I have a baby. He also talks to it through what he calls the baby button. And with all of this baby talk, he has a new saying. When he doesn't want to do something and throws a big temper tantrum he looks at me and says..... "I not big boy... I baby." And so it begins.

I wish I could remember all of the little things Jason does, but there are just so many that I can't think of them all. I hope this has brought a smile to your faces...... it sure does mine. Once again, I apologize for not having any pics this time, but I am sure I will have more soon.......

Take care everyone and keep on smiling..............

Halloween Weekend

Our extra long weekend had many parts. I will try to recap for all of you that weren't there, but I apologize if I miss anything.


On Wednesday we made our way up to Meeteetse for some trick-or-treating and some chili. Jason had a blast playing with the other kids while we ate and then it was on to the streets for some candy. William and Jason were both dressed for the occasion....... the jungle creatures, elephant and monkey.

monkey man.

mmmmmmmm........... candy!!!! Please open it Grandma.

William as an elephant.

After a quick stop at the Warner house, Jason began to realize that every house we went to had candy. Candy was his new favorite word for the weekend. Him and William ran between houses and knocked on doors and rang doorbells. Both boys brought in quite a haul. I think Jason had enough candy to make it through to next year. There is nothing like a near 2 year old hopped up on sugar.

The next day was my dads b-day........... he turned the big 50. Lucky for Jason and I he had the day off. So, he took care of us for the day, while Colin when elk hunting with his dad. I have to start out by telling all of you how awesome my dad is. He spent his b-day watching Jason and taking me to the doc.................. for a sore foot. I won't go into details on the foot, but after going through a week of pain and not being able to walk very well I had to go in. The good news is that it isn't broken and that the ugly shoe I am now wearing seems to be helping. How man people could make a trip to the doc so much fun. We had a great day of visiting and catching up. I couldn't have asked for more. Thank you dad!!!!

As I mentioned before, Colin went hunting with his dad. For all of you that happen to be looking for a bull, ask Colin's dad to go with you. They walked over 20 miles and came up on so many bulls............... too bad for Colin, he only had a cow tag. Colin may not have gotten a shot off, but they both had a blast. Even though they were tired when they got back to town, they were still smiling from ear to ear.

Looking down at what they had just hiked up.

The next day Colin went out with my brother in law, Dave. Both him and Colin had high hopes. Unlike the previous day, they came up on a ton of cows. Colin didn't get one, but he did get a close up with the camera. It is a great story that Colin will have to tell, but in summary, the elk were coming right at him and Dave and turned right before they got to them. When they returned to town, they were still excited from what they had saw. It was another good day out at the 91 for Colin. I do believe Colin will be going up to hunt over Thanksgiving break, so hopefully he will get a cow then.

Click on the pics and you can see better.... they were so close they stopped because they heared the camera click.

Another close up.

While Colin and Dave were hunting......... Mom and I were getting the house ready for the surprise 50th birthday party. The second dad left the house for work in the morning, mom had cakes in the oven. Then it was time to clean, decorate, cook some more, and set up. It was a good time. Mom is so organized that it didn't even take us all that long. Her house is always clean, which made it very easy. Colin and Dave showed up just in enough time to help unload the tables and chairs. Then it was time for the party to begin.


People began to show up around 6 and dad showed up around 6:30. The look on his face was priceless. He was so shocked that all of his friends (the ones that could make it) had come to celebrate him turning one year older and even more shocked that we had all kept it a secret. There were times that we thought that he should have caught on, but he didn't have a clue. My grandparents came from Deadwood, SD and my aunt and uncle came all of the way from Sioux Falls, SD. It was a good time had by all. The kids played so hard too.

Jason and Lane playing with balloons.

Dad opening presents, with mom.

Guests............

And more guests.......

There was a wonderful turn out and we all had a great time. The tiger below had too good of a time.

If you are wondering where the tiger pics came from...................... my aunt and uncle have great sense of humor. They picked up a random camera sitting on a table and began to take the pictures............. to their surprise, the camera was mine.

The party was a good time for all but left everyone quite tired. But, it was everything we could have hoped for.

The next morning we woke up to some sad news. A friend had passed away in a car wreck in the early morning hours of Saturday. For those of you that don't know how small Meeteetse is, everyone knows everyone. It is a sad loss for each and every person. Just another reminder that life is short and that we all need to live every day to the fullest. Give your loved ones a hug and tell them how you feel..... and please remember to always wear your seatbelts.

It is amazing how so many different emotions can be felt in such a short period of time. I usually don't like to write about anything sad or down, but this was too huge.

We spent Saturday talking with mom and dad and the Coale family. It was a day to reflect and be there for each other.

Sunday we made our way home. Jason was so happy to see his own toys and his bed. It was nice to see everyone over the weekend, but so wonderful to come home. Now we are trying to get back into the swing of things. I hope all of you had a nice Halloween and look forward to your stories. Good luck with the doc Maggie.............. Take care everyone and I will post more as the week passes...............