The Hunt 5

Mom's Turning 50! Sneak Peek...

2012-01-25T22:18:00.003-07:00

Captive Shot Birthday

Cards for all occasions: Valentine's Day, Easter & Mother's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

Here are the invitations you all should receive in the mail in the next week or two. Start getting your outfits together and keep checking back for outfit ideas!

New things...

2012-01-23T15:19:00.004-07:00

It's always exciting to get new things! Moose got a new piece of art, which for now is located above our bed. Our newly decorated bed! Take a look...

I also finished my first Pinterest project...a Valentines wreath. So pretty! For those who don't know, Pinterest is a very addiciting website where you can get ideas. Anything from decorating, organizing, hair and makeup. Like I said, it is very addicting! Just a warning...

Who's That???

2012-01-16T19:06:00.005-07:00

Could you figure it out? It's Jackson! Yes, I finally did it. Logan said, "That's the three year old hair cut." Payton said, "I'm gonna call him Payton cause now he looks like me." You can hear Jackson's own comments about it in the video below.

Here is a before pic...

Here's what Jax had to say...

Scooter Time!

2011-12-31T17:27:00.004-07:00

We took a walk...or a scoot around the complex today. Wear the boys out so Moose and I can enjoy an early-to-bed night :0)

Getting the hang of it...

I think Jax walked his 95% of the time! I take that back, he rode it 5%, walked it 40% and I carried it the other 55%!

Found a grassy area with trees and lots of fallen leaves. So pretty!

Mountain climber Logan!

Jax says, "I think I'm good right here guys."

"I did it!"

Being silly.

"Come get me!"

Handsome boy.

On our way back home...

Part 3: Christmas Day/Night

2011-12-26T10:57:00.008-07:00

Went to the Rice's after the movie, as usual. We ate a ton of fantastic food. Here are some pictures!

Here I am shaking homemade butter. It was pretty good!

Sitting around in a circle opening gifts. Moose and kids are acting as Santa, delivering them to everyone!

We did a gift exchange game with the adults. Each person who wants to participate brings a $20 gift and you never know what is going to show up! Jason got this very handsome sweater and 2,000 pennies!

Jackson missed his nap and took a snooze after gifts. Each of the kids got animal blankets, and they came in handy! Thanks Fennemas!

And last but not least...Hallway Spoons! You may be familiar with traditional Spoons. Spoons are placed in the middle of the table enough for every player minus one. Everyone gets four cards and then continues passing around cards until someone gets 4 of a kind. That person starts the frantic grabbing of spoons and if you're not quick enough, you will be the last person without a spoon. Your out! Now picture playing with the spoons down either sids of a hallway! Take a look...

Part 3: Christmas at the Hunt's

2011-12-26T10:27:00.006-07:00

We were at Moose's parent's house about 8:30am. We had breakfast and Grandpa Square Pants (Moose's Dad...and we're not too sure where that nickname came from!) did a short puppet show/skit for the kids. For some reason, I didn't take too many pictures. But here is a cute one of Mylie and Jackson! They look pretty excited for presents!

Here is the video of Jackson getting his man kitchen, complete with stainless steel appliances!

After all the gift opening, we went to see the newest Chipmunk movie, Chipwrecked.

Thanks, Hunt Family, for a great Christmas morning!

Part 2: Christmas Morning

2011-12-26T10:11:00.004-07:00

We got in pretty late Christmas Eve, so we set our alarm for 6:45am to make sure we didn't over sleep. We thought it may be hard to get the boys out of bed, but they popped up out of bed before they had even fully woken up! Here are some pictures...

Part 1: Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T09:34:00.009-07:00

We spend Christmas Eve at my parent's house with my grandparents, Uncle Dave, Kelly and Robert. After dinner, Logan scared the grandparents with his acrobatics. The kids were so excited they openned their gifts is about 30 seconds!

Logan's acrobatics

Jackson and Uncle Dave weren't too impressed with the singing hat!

The boys all got new scooters from Uncle Robert and Aunt Kelly. They even wore their helmets even if they weren't riding!

Payton helping pass out gifts...

Logan's rockin' his shirt!

Then...the 3rd annual gingerbread house contest. You can pretty much tell which belongs to the girls and which is the boys. If you so fancy, you can vote for your favorite on the right side of this blog.

Secret Santa Day 12!

2011-12-26T09:30:00.002-07:00

Well, Christmas Eve was our last Secret Santa present. We received chocolate covered fruits, a cupcake ornament, and a vanilla candle.

Thank you to our Secret Santa Family! Thank you for making our Christmas extra special and I hope you traveled safe and had a Merry Christmas!

Secret Santa Day 9, 10, & 11

2011-12-23T11:04:00.005-07:00

I'm behind a few days, but here it is!

Day 9 we received cross ornament activities, Cherry Pie Taffy, and a Gingerbread nightlight.

Day 10 we got a ton of fruit smacks, stamps, and a wise man for the manger.

Day 11 we received a Veggie Tales movie, "It's a Meaningful Life", popcorn with red bowls, activitiy books, and another piece to the manger.

Only 1 day left!! Then it's Santa Day, as Jackson calls it!

Today I Prayed...

2011-12-22T20:47:00.003-07:00

I'll start off by saying I pray more often than just today, but today's prayer was special...

Today I took my RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) exam. I don't need to be registered for my job at the hospital, but I thought it would be a good backup if for some reason I should lose my job and I thought it would look better on my resume for the sonography program. I graduated over a year ago, and I wouldn't say I was nervous, but knew it might be a challege to remember all those little details. So I prayed. I prayed that God would give me the knowledge. I prayed I would pass (it is a $95 test!). I prayed that He would show me I was headed in the right direction. That working full time, going to school, applying to sonography school...that I was where He wanted me to be. That I was doing His will, not just mine. Afterwards, I felt calm and ready to take my test.

Upon checking in, I was given a page full of rules to read. Then the lady behind the desk took my acceptance letter (that I qualified to take the exam) and my ID. I put my palm in a device which apparently maps the veins in your hand for identity. Crazy! Then she took my picture and told me to put all my things in a locker. I was guided back to another room where a man was watching a U-shaped room of cubicles. I was then given more rules to read, my ID was checked again, and double checked against my hand veins, which brought up the picture they other lady had taken of me. He assigned me a computer and a white board for scratch paper and told me if I needed anything to raise my hand.

The first couple of questions were doozies! I thought I'd be lucky to get much above passing. I started to get more questions that I didn't have to think about which raised my confidence. I needed a 70 to pass. There were over 200 questions and I could score 0-99. By the end, I felt like I had passed, but there were questions that I know I just did my best guess. I submitted my test, and waited for the results screen.

I got a 97! A 97 out of 99? That was completely God working! He had not only answered my prayer to pass but gave me a score as to say, "Yes, you are on the path I have chose for you." In the car, I called Moose and gave him the good news. After we hung up, I just cried. I knew only God could have done that. Being out of MA school for over a year and with Physics and Christmas and the kids...I had very little time to study. I have no doubt God spoke to me today through my test. He tells us, "Ask and you shall receive." Well, I am glad I asked!

Secret Santa Day 7 & 8

2011-12-21T14:02:00.003-07:00

Day 7 we received a Veggie Tales movie "The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's", christmas silly bands, an ornament, and sheep for the manger.

Day 8 we received 3 Belly Washers drinks, more pieces to the manger, penguin finger puppets (that we had fun in the tub with!), and a box with Jesus's story in it. It also had little vials of frankincense and myrhh. The gold was a Rolo, but the frankincense and myrhh maybe real...I gotta do more research on that!

Secret Santa Day 6

2011-12-18T18:40:00.003-07:00

We received a loaf of bread, red ceramic dish, a chocolate orange, Jesus bracelets, and a cute package of holiday napkins! The boys scarfed down the bread right before dinner. We had just come from helping Kelly and Robert move, and they were starving! As you can see Payton had it unwrapped as soon as it was taken out of the bag. I barely got a picture!

Secret Santa Day 4 & 5

2011-12-17T19:07:00.002-07:00

Day 4 we received a snowman figurine with M&M's inside, a Rubio's gift card, candle, candy canes, tatoos, and Joseph for the manger.

Day 5 we received sidewalk chalk, cuties (they must know us!), and a Veggie Tales character dressed up like a cow and palm tree for the manger.

Secret Santa

2011-12-16T15:46:00.007-07:00

In my last post I told you we were receiving gifts on our doorstep for the 12 days of Christmas. Each day, the gift comes with more of the Christmas Story. So, I've missed a day, but this is what has shown up!

This was Wednesday. We got a Veggie Tales manger, Christmas cups, candy canes, puzzles, and peanut brittle.

On Thursday, we got Mary for the Veggie Tales manger, Veggie Tales Christmas movie, a snowman towel and pot holder, and carmel corn.

So, to whoever you are who is leaving these gifts, thank you!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-14T17:38:00.003-07:00

Last night, Moose started us a fire and all the boys cooked marshmellows. They had a blast and were bouncing off the walls! While waiting for the fire to really start going, we heard singing outside our door. We opened the door and found a singing Christmas Tree singing "Rocking around the Christmas Tree." It had a note attached to it that said we would be receiving a gift on our door step each night for the 12 nights before Christmas. Pretty cool! Included each night is a part of the Christmas Story of Jesus' birth. It is a neat way of telling the story to our kids. Stay tuned to see what we get tonight!

Payton looses a Tooth!

2011-12-13T20:31:00.003-07:00

Payton lost his first tooth the other day. Bottom center. He not only lost it, but ate it! Moose had taken the kids to McDonalds for dinner and while eating, Payton said his tooth hurt and that he didn't want to eat anymore. We knew it was loose and Moose asked to see. The tooth was gone. Don't worry, the tooth fairy still came and left a piece of candy for him!

Pima air museum.

2011-12-05T08:17:00.003-07:00

We went to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson this weekend and had a great time! Santa flew in on a helicopter! They did art projects and saw some awesome planes. There is a military base nearby and we even saw a few military plane fly overhead. We got to visit Santa as you can see, but the kids were more impressed with the candy canes. Overall, it was a short but great trip. Here are the pics...

A few pics and a video...

2011-11-21T19:56:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for Scottsdale PD

2011-11-16T16:25:00.002-07:00

Jackson decided to have a little adventure on Sunday night. All three of the boys were outside playing and I was inside cleaning up the desk when Payton ran in and told me Jackson had run away. I wasn't too worried. He'd only been out there for 4-5 minutes, so he couldn't have gone far. I put my shoes on and went outside. Payton told me which direction he had gone, and I started out that way. After a couple minutes, I still couldn't find him. I was starting to get nervous and went straight to the pool that was closest to us. Both pools are gated, but it's not uncommon for the gates to be propped open. Luckily, he wasn't there and all the gates were shut. But still no Jackson. So I put Payton and Logan in the car and drove around the complex. It felt like at least 15 minutes had gone by. When I came back around to our apartment, I knew I needed to call for help. The 911 operator asked me when I had seen him last and that was around 5:30pm. "So that was about 7 minutes ago?" she asked. It had only been 7 minutes?! She started asking me whether I had family who might "pick him up" and she asked where dad was. I didn't realize at the time that she was trying to pick out someone who may have taken him! She told me police were beginning to arrive and block off all the exits to the complex. They would search any vehicle leaving the complex. Then she had more officers checking the pools. By this point, I wasn't doing so hot. I had asked several neighbors who were coming home whether or not they had seen him, and no one had. Two officers who finally walked up to our apartment asked me a few questions and began to search our apartment for him. Another officer took the picture I had gotten out for them and used his phone to take a picture of it. 30 minutes had passed and I finally had a minute to call Moose. When he answered, all I could say was, "You need to come home." I no sooner got that out of my mouth when two men were walking up with Jackson in their arms. I hung up on Moose and ran to him. He was crying and I was crying. One of the guys said he had made it to the other side of the complex and a couple of girls had found him. I thanked them and went into the apartment to tell the officers who where still searching for him inside that he was found. The officers asked who found him and I told them about the two men who had brought him to me. By the time we got back outside, both men were gone. I could think the worst about why it was two men who returned him and why the officers hadn't seen him, but I choose to think they were my neighbors who were pitching in to help me find my little boy. So thank you to them and to all the Scottsdale police officers who responded so quickly.

2011-11-02T17:00:00.002-07:00

We helped out at a Halloween Block Party event with our small group from Praxis and it was a success! There were a ton of kids and we had games, bounce houses, and hot dogs. Here are some of the highlights...

Kelly and I racing to eat a donut off a string with no hands. I won :0)

Logan in the bounce house...

Moose helping me set up.

Here is Jax taking a crack at the donut game...

Hope everyone else had a Happy Halloween!

Scottsdale Healthcare's Fall Festival

2011-10-29T19:53:00.003-07:00

Two weekends ago we attend the Fall Festival at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea. It's the first time we've been and we had a great time! We will be inviting friends and family to go next year!

They had a fire truck, ambulance, and police car that the kids could climb into.

They also had a teddy bear clinic. Each child got a "sick" teddy bear that they took to the Pediatric Emergency Department. The bears got check ups, medicine, and bandages! So cute! Notice they even have hospital bracelets on! They decorated cookies...

and Logan's bear even needed to get an echo cardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) by our fabulous echo tech Mike, who works on our NICU preemies.

We had lots of fun!

Moose-athon

2011-10-03T10:10:00.009-07:00

Moose did his first full triathlon last weekend...and boy did he pick a doosy! It was a 1500 meter swim in Bartlett Lake, 24.8 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run. Both the bike and run were uphill all the way up with no reprieve! These "hills" were actually being called mountains they were so steep! Bartlett Lake Triathlon is called, "the toughest most beautiful triathlon in AZ!" And Moose chose this one to be his first! Mom and Dad brought up their camper and we were able to spend the night up at Bartlett Lake. Kelly and Robert came up too to help us cheer Moose on! I even made us shirts :0) The back says "Team Moose".

He did fantastic in the swim! He was one of the last ones to start but quickly passed many of the swimmers. He finished with 20-25 swimmers still in the water. Look at that stud!

This is after the swim, headed back to transition where his bike was. And changing out of his wetsuit...

Then, off on the bike! We saw him off at the transition station and then hiked up to the spot where they do a turn around. Here are some pictures...Check out that hill!

Unfortunately, Moose's bike wouldn't switch into the lower gears needed to make it up those steep "mountains". He went as far as his bike and body (and the race director!) would let him before they drove him back to the transition area. He pushed himself so hard he didn't even realize he had pulled his left hamstring. Because of his injury he couldn't start the run.

We are all so incredibly proud of Moose! He made it through the swim and 20 miles of the grueling bike! Butch, a friend we made and a fellow competitor who does about 6-7 triathlons a year, said he would never do this race again because it was so difficult!

Moose is already scouting for his next race...and I don't doubt he will finish it. And who knows...maybe he will attempt this one again sometime in the future. And just for kicks, here is a picture of Moose just 11 months before this race. What a difference!

Shrine Circus

2011-09-18T17:42:00.011-07:00

Amazing balancing acts...

Trapeze artists and elephants...

Snow cones at intermission...

A bear pushing a stroller and lots of tigers

And even more amazing balancing acts...this was by far the best! It's hard to see, but the man in the last picture is jumping rope!

And I love Caillou for keeping my kids intertained while I posted these!

Is it Fall yet?

2011-09-17T11:57:00.002-07:00

I guess I should ask is it winter yet since we typically get about a week of fall in AZ! We are about done with the heat. The rain last week was great but I was ready for it to bring cooler weather for 2 reasons mainly. One, I can put the kids outside to play and two, we all get new wardrobes! Not brand new, but at least not the same stuff we've been wearing for the last 6 months. Although with the cooler weather comes the holiday season, which I cannot believe we are 3 months from! Anyone thinking of Christmas shopping yet? It won't be long before you will start seeing it on retailer's shelves. Michael's already had theirs out!

I am taking the boys to the circus tomorrow with my parents, Kelly and Robert. I will post pictures later...

2011-09-01T13:03:00.004-07:00

Here's what we've been up to the last couple weeks...

"How to Train Your Dragon" watching in our fort

"First day of school, first day of school!"

And just being...well. silly :0)

Here is Jax dancing to his favorite song "Monster" by Skillet
And I must say he has the cutest air guitar ever!

Has it been a month...

2011-08-06T15:41:00.002-07:00

Really? Almost a whole month since I last posted? Wow! We've been as usual. Work, A&P, work, and work some more. The kids met their teachers this week in preparation of school next week. Yeah! Logan has his same teacher, same class this year. Payton will be attending a new school for full day kindergarden. His class has 11 kids and 2 aids and he will be attending specials, like art, music, and PE. He is growing up so fast!

In case you were wondering, Jax has no interest in the potty we bought a month ago. We're just letting him tell us when he's ready.

Moose is doing well at work. He still enjoying providing (aka purchasing) merchandise for the store. Unfortunately, the store is moving again. Don't have details yet as to where they are going but that just means more work.

I am due to finish my 29th (and final) week of my Anatomy & Physiology class this thursday! Yeah! I'm debating whether to take my last prerequisite class this semester, which would start Aug 22nd. It's a physics class which sounds difficult. I don't know...we'll see.

Hope all is well with the rest of ya all! See you guys soon for Moose's Birthday!

The New Potty

2011-07-10T18:22:00.002-07:00

Yep, potty training for the last time! Jackson got a new potty yesterday and when we got home, we unwrapped it and sat him on it. We read a couple books but no luck. So I started putting the letter stickers on it and meanwhile, he peed on the bathroom cabinet. Did I mention that I hate potty training?

Moose's Half Triathalon

2011-07-07T14:41:00.012-07:00

Well, he did it! And did awesome! Here are some highlights...

Woke up at 4am...set up by 5:15am

Getting chipped and numbered...

First the swim

Then the bike...

Then the run...

And done!

He finished 7th overall in his weight class of 190lbs+ and 2nd in the run in his weight class! So proud of you honey!

Blood, Sweat, and No Fear!

2011-06-14T16:30:00.002-07:00

Did a 16 mile Bike followed by a 3 mile run into work today. Sweated more than I think I ever have. Here is a disgusting picture of my shirt. The shirt was light blue, all the darker areas are sweat and the dark brownish colored area on the right side of the picture...thats blood. I felt it burning but around the 2nd mile running i blocked it out and hit "the zone" got to work to find my nipple bleeding. Guess i can block out about anyhing if i can put that outta my mind. :o) keep rockin!

God's Timing

2011-06-03T18:49:00.003-07:00

Have you ever known that God has put you in the right place at the right time? On May 31st, on my 27th birthday, God knew exactly where he wanted Moose and I to be. This day was the first time we'd gone hiking since we were dating. I wanted to get way from life for a little bit for my birthday and this 4-6 hour hike into a canyon to see Fossil Creek waterfalls was what I wanted to do. We started the day with massages, Jason's Deli for lunch and by the time we arrived to the trail head in Strawberry it was 2pm. We knew it would be about dark when we got back to the car, but started out anyways. About 20 minutes into the hike, we saw a woman walking up the trail towards us. She asked if we had a phone because her dad needed help. He couldn't make it out of the canyon. Moose ran ahead to find the guy and I stayed with her until she got off the phone with 911. She went back up to the parking lot to meet parametics and I started down again to see if I could help. Moose had found the guy passed out under a tree about 15-20 more minutes down the trail. After splashing him down with water, the guy regained consciousness and was able to continue up the trail, resting every 20-30 feet or so. Finally a rescuer came down and brought him the rest of the way out on an ATV. His daughter called us a few hours later to say he was doing okay and was being treated at the hospital. She wanted to thank us for being there and helping them. That was definitely God's work. That my sister was able to babysit for us and that we chose to hike, and that we had started out late! By the time we weren't needed anymore, it was too late to make it down to the falls. But we were able to drive down closer to the water and swim in the river. And judging by the drive down, it would have been a very long and hard hike, so it's probably best we didn't do it!

The rest of the trip went beautifully. We both got the time we needed to reconnect to each other and God. But He wasn't done working yet. Robert (my brother-in-law for those who don't know) used our other car while we were gone and noticed that the tires were in pretty bad shape. So Moose took the car up to Discount Tires and they said the metal wires were poking out of them! I guess they were in really bad shape! When they replaced them, they said to have the brake fluid checked, so Moose took the car right across the street to Brake Masters. They told us there was a leak and we had almost no brake fluid and were 2 weeks away from complete brake failure! WOW! To know the tires and brakes were that bad, it was only God who saved us from a really bad accident. The weekend prior, I had driven it to Westgate, then my parent's house, and home! Definite praise to God and thanks to Robert! The unfortunate news is that the repairs to the brake system along with a few other problems with the car that Brake Masters found, it is not worth saving the car. So...we will be a single car family again for a while until we decide how to move forward. Prayers for that, please!

My favorite verse seems appropriate for these last few days...
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalms 32:8

Keep your ear out and watch for God's instruction. What may seem an unusual direction to take may be God teaching you in the way you should go. He may have someone down that path that will be important in your life.

Trip to Strawberry.

2011-06-02T08:51:00.003-07:00

For Kristy's birthday we went to Strawberry, AZ just north of Payson. It was so great getting out of the city, hiking, swiming in the falls, being a couple again. We both miss just being us so we'll definatly do this again soon. Thanks Kelly and Robert for the help. I love you Kristy, Happy 27th Birthday.

we found a random axel at the river side and looked up to see a 60's-70's car that took a rolling tumble down the cliff side we drove in on. Heres Kristy with the car parked upside down in the middle of a tree.

Prayer

2011-05-20T16:36:00.003-07:00

I am sending out a request for prayers for baby Kenzie. She is the daughter of some close friends who is hospitalized and may be close to joining Jesus in heaven. Please pray for healing for her family and friends who dearly love her.

Hunt Family Update

2011-05-18T16:32:00.004-07:00

Hello all! Can you believe the random rain we got today? Very nice, very nice. Thankfully it waited til this afternoon because we had a lovely time at the Phoenix Zoo this morning. Thanks Sarah and Lila for coming with us! Well, the boys have 3 days of school left and then begins a busy summer. We'll be doing lots of swimming (Payton and Logan are in swim lessons for the month of June) and we plan to go to Harkins Kids Summer Movie Program. They show already released to DVD kid movies at 9:45am through summer (10 weeks) for $7 per person, for all 10 movies. I thought that was pretty reasonable even if I have to walk out of a few. Hopefully Jackson will sit still!

I had a wonderful, exhausting Mother's Day. I worked the previous night, slept a few hours and headed to my mom's for lunch, followed by the Hunt's for dinner. I slept well that night :0)

Here a couple of our zoo pics! Logan and Lila being spiders and Jackson and Lila driving the tractor.

2011 warrior dash

2011-05-02T08:45:00.004-07:00

it was awesome. three and a half miles with obstacles and mud filled shoes. its one thing to train for a run it's a whole new experience to do it in 6 pound shoes cause shoes and socks are filled with mud. James Hunt #71679 AGE:31 MALE TIME: 38:58.85 here are some pics

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-04-20T13:04:00.003-07:00

So I guess it's not technically summer yet, but we don't ever get much of a spring anyway. Here's what we've been up to...

Lots of outside time...

Daddy makes fun pancakes including monkeys, dinosaurs, tanks and F22 Raptors (sorry no pics of the army vehicles :0(

Eating watermelon after some pool time

And yes...a dog. It came to visit us for about an hour and before I could find it's owner, the kids let it out and it ran away again. The kids were bummed.

Holy S#*! ...Wheres the rest of ya'?

2011-04-17T07:48:00.002-07:00

In January 16 i had a doctors apointment and the nurse asked me "do you know how much you weigh?" 256-260 i replied. well lets weigh you to make sure.... 292 pounds! holy crap. well the next day i jumped on a tread mill only to find how bad the situation had gotten by not being able to complete a 12 minute mile. So I worked... my ass off. Set a goal to complete Pat's Run which was april 16th 3 months after that dr.'s apointment. It's a 4.2 mile run to honor Pat Tillman and i wanted to do it in 42 minutes, 10 minute miles. I set monthly weight loss goals...that i destroyed. As of this morning i weigh 226 pounds. Yes thats right 65 pounds in 3 months. Prompting a buddy who i hadent seen since December to say Holy S#*! ...Wheres the rest of ya'? Well Pats run was yesterday and it was great. Inspirational, religeous experience, humbling, appreciative, motivating, victory, you name it I felt it. The start, the race, the finish, the prayer at the 34 yard line. The end result:

Name: James Hunt #5482
Lives: Scottsdale, AZ
Age: 31 Gender: M
Distance 4.2M
Clock Time 37:17
Pace 8:53 a mile

Rock on boys and girls. start small and you will do big things. bigger than you ever imagined.

Luke Air Force Show

2011-04-06T15:04:00.004-07:00

Here we are at the Air Show at Luke Air Force Base. The kids had a blast! It's really cute to hear your four year old say, "Look! A F22 Raptor!" They enjoyed snow cones that were the size of their heads and got to climb into a SWAT vehicle.

2011-03-13T16:21:00.003-07:00

I know, I know...I haven't posted in a while. Not much to report on here. I worked the last couple of nights and now I am recovering, enjoying a nice day of rest. Went to church (heard some awesome music), ate at Dickies BBQ for lunch with Mama, Pops, and Jin-jie (that's what the kids called Aunt Jennifer), and we stopped by Toys R Us on the way home and the boys spent their birthday money on new Nerf guns. These guns are awesome! They are easy to load and shoot so I don't have to cock them anymore! Yeah! The big boys (Moose, Payton, and Logan) even braved the pool today, which is still way too cold for my tastes. Hope all is well for everyone else...I am working on the kids' birthday party so be looking out of the evite! It will be around lunchtime on March 27th, so save the date!

Here we are playing with the new guns...Jackson got creative when he realized it was too heavy for him to hold up.

Where has all the food gone?

2011-03-03T19:12:00.002-07:00

My kids have eaten 7 oranges today, assuming Moose only gave them one this morning. And I am not talking about Cuties here. They are full sized oranges. Thanks to great grandma, we've gotten them free from her tree. Otherwise I would be spending a small fortune! I thought I'd have a few more years before I would be able to say, "they are eating me out of house and home". We've gotten to the point that we'd have to order 2 pizza's to satisfy them all, and Moose is dieting! Moose helped some friends move this past weekend and took the older boys with. They ordered pizza and Payton ate 4 slices! Four! I usually eat 2! All of them can easily polish off entire Happy Meals. I can't fathom having to order off the adult menu to feed my (almost) 5 year old! Here is your answer to "How are you so thin, Kristy?" Because don't have time to eat and because I can't keep food in my house! By the time I finish making 3 kids' plates and start making my own, they have finished and want a snack. UGG! It's exhausting! Will they ever slow down again? I see in my future ordering 4 pizzas for family dinner night! OMG! I have to start making more money! :0)

OH BOY February! Army men and poop. yup poop.

2011-02-28T08:56:00.005-07:00

The month of February can be summed up by 2 words- army & poop. The boys, especially Logan have been on an army kick. building army bases with all their toys, dressing up, even requesting the army channel instead of cartoons. Logan wakes up ine morning and when asked if he wants breakfast he says no army men dont have breakfast just apple juice. 20 minutes later..."Daddy i think army men have eggos." Here are some pics. The second pic is of a paper i made for Logan with his favorite army pics and 2 of him being an army man for halloween. the 1st is him holding my (unloaded so please no need to call cps) pellet gun.

Then theres the stomach bug. All the kids got it at random times throughout the month. They all took their turns throwing up filling diapers and underware. Then one morning Jax exploded. Bed sheets were thrown out, the crib had a deep clean, clothes were trashed. Here are some pics and no thats not paint or chocolate.

Just a little late ;0)

2011-02-21T14:49:00.004-07:00

So, my baby turned 2 last week! Some of our family were able to make it to dinner on Thursday to celebrate...Here are some of the pictures...

I could only get one to load for now. Either Blogger is slow or it's my computer...I will try again later.

Jackson has also fully embraced being 2 years old. He is moody, tantrumy, and wants things done his way, in his time, without help. (My spell check says tantrumy is not a word, but it totally is in my house!) Anyways, I will post some Jackson baby pictures later, when I can upload them.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T07:31:00.004-07:00

To My unbelievably awesome wife. Thank you so much for loving me and taking care of me and the boys in every way imaginable. We have come through so much in the last 2 years and now know we are indestructable. Brad Paisley's new song says it perfectly "i thought I loved you then." Here are the lyrics along with some of my favorite moments with Kristy. I love you.

I remember trying not to stare the night
That I first met you, you had me mesmerized
And three weeks later in the front porch light
Taking 45 minutes just to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet but I thought I loved you then

But now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world
And I just can't believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been
We've come so far since that day and I thought I loved you then

And I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around but I didn't care
I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

But now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world
And I just can't believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been
We've come so far since that day and I thought I loved you then

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

And now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you girl
We'll look back someday at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say, "And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then"

Kiddie P90X

2011-02-12T20:03:00.005-07:00

If you don't know, P90X (which I think stands for Pain 90 Times over) is a series of workout DVD's. They are very intense, but definitely work. Here are a few videos of the boys trying it out...

About half way through, don't miss Jackson in the background dancing...

What My Kids Taught Me Today

2011-02-06T16:57:00.002-07:00

1. That we still own a Sharpie. A red one. On a keychain??
2. A Lysol wipe worked the best to remove said Sharpie from their bathroom mirror.

Pictures

2011-01-31T13:36:00.004-07:00

They are always where they shouldn't be :0)

Went to a Military Vehicle Show at the McDowell Army Base

Played hard at school that day!

I'm wearing big boy underwear like my brothers!

GI Joe is a farmer???

Crazy

2011-01-23T13:26:00.003-07:00

Do you ever feel like you should be doing something, but don't know what? I'm not talking about that feeling when you walk into the kitchen knowing you came in for something but can't remember what until an hour later. This is different. I have this feeling that God is trying to direct me somewhere, but I feel a little lost as to where He wants me. Our struggles over the past 2 years (2 years in Feb, wow time flies!) have brought me closer to God than I have ever been. Moose and I both feel we have a more God centered life and I know God has something BIG in our future. He's told me. I just wish I knew what it was or what I am supposed to do. I'd settle for just a little hint! :0) The Planner in me is going crazy!

We are reading this book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan in our small group. It really is an eye opening book if you get a chance to read it. But he wrote something that has really stuck with me..."Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."

What are you doing in your life that doesn't make sense?

The news and stuff...

2011-01-08T12:45:00.004-07:00

This blank blog has been open since before lunch... We've been busy cleaning, playing, and watching the news. I had planned to write about how I've survived my 2nd boxing lesson, but that seems trite and a little inappropriate after watching that a 22 year old took the life of 6 people, and critically injured 19 more today in Tucson at a meet and greet with Arizona US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. And then, a few days ago, another man shot at police outside of Chandler Fashion Center and then took 3 hostages in a nearby restaurant. It makes me really sad that another person could do something like that.

All I really have to say is God help those who were injured or killed today. I pray for them and their families in this horrible time.

Post Holidays

2011-01-05T17:22:00.003-07:00

Well, things have pretty much settled down here. The new toys have found their spots in the house. Three trash bags full of toys and clothing made it's way out to make room (actually, not quite...they are still in the back of my car, but they are out of the house!) Now that things have settled, I enrolled in two online classes this semester which start Jan 15th. Yikes! Why did I do that? The short answer is to continue moving forward in my education. But it still scares me a little since I've never completed an online class (the only other one I signed up for a while back was a computer class. And you really shouldn't learn about computers through a computer!) Anyways, I am taking Racial and Ethnic Minorities to fill my cultural requirement and Anatomy & Physiology, which terrifies me because I know it is going to be A LOT of memorization! I think I will be going through many flash cards! I've also started boxing classes! My first time was Tuesday and my personal trainer Harrison (a professional boxer, I might add) kicked my butt! Today, it hurts to do anything! Lifting Jackson, laying down, breathing...okay so I may have exaggerated a little. My next appointment is tomorrow. I asked Moose today, "Will I feel better tomorrow? Because if I don't I think my limbs just might fall off." He thinks I am a wimp. He didn't say that, but I am thinking that, so he must be too :0) Wish me luck for tomorrow and if I don't blog within a week, you know I must have died during my workout!

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-29T15:52:00.004-07:00

My parents' house on Christmas Eve

In Kunkle Stefen's twuck at Grandma Shorty & Grandpa Square Pant's house

We love Grandma Shorty!! (Jackson and Mylie)

The boy's gingerbread house

The girl's gingerbread house (make sure to watch the "Destruction" video below

Christmas Videos

2010-12-28T14:46:00.015-07:00

Christmas Eve at my parent's house...

Jackson is not sure about Tickle Me Elmo

Christmas morning - Batcave!!

Gingerbread House Destruction

Anticipation

2010-12-24T09:38:00.002-07:00

That is probably the best word for Christmas Eve. Anticipation. A kid waiting for presents. A mom or dad waiting for their child to arrive to town. Preparing to make a large meal. Anticipation. My kids have been up for hours in anticipation for grandma's tonight, which includes opening presents. At 8:45am, I was being persuaded by a 4 and 3 year old to make Jesus cupcakes for Santa and they are now cooling on the counter to be decorated later. Jackson cried until I put his shoes on and he's walking around saying, "Bye, bye? Bye, bye?" As for me? I am in my pajamas writing this blog :0) Much to my kids dismay! I'm not sure what sounds worse. Staying home with three kids or leaving the house with three kids! Boy I wish Moose were home! I guess I better get ready to go. It will be easier to keep them out of the cupcakes if I take them out :0)

2010-12-18T13:12:00.007-07:00

Here are some highlights of Jackson in the past few months...

Do you think he knew he did something wrong???

Gittin jiggy wit it...

ABCDEFGHIJK Elmo P....

Kitchen Picnic

2010-12-17T16:51:00.003-07:00

Here is what I did with my kiddos while my carpets were drying! We had a kitchen picnic! Not really that exciting, but the kids thought it was cool and it kept macaroni out of my freshly shampooed carpet!

Where did the time go...

2010-12-13T15:29:00.002-07:00

Wow! It seems like just yesterday I wrote about Logan's prayer! Now it is 11 days until Christmas, Moose is working almost everyday, with extended hours. The kids are out of school this friday for break and the early start I thought I got on Christmas shopping is looking kinda puny. Thankfully I have the next 4 nights off and I plan to get most...if not all of my Christmas shopping done as well as clean my carpets. I'm still not sure how to shampoo the carpets in my 1,000 square foot apartment with the kids home, but I will find a way. It has become desperate! Other than that...not much going on in the Hunt household. Happy Christmas shopping!

Logan's Prayer

2010-12-04T17:30:00.002-07:00

"Dear God, fank you today. Fank you a Baby Wiwa's birfday. And my fire twuck. And ambawance. And my chicken. And my chetchup. And my wanch. Amen."

Interpretation: "Dear God. Thank you for today. Thank you for Baby Lila's birthday. And for my fire truck, ambulance, chicken (nuggets), ketchup and ranch. Amen."

Where Did My Kids Go??

2010-11-27T19:45:00.005-07:00

I took Payton, Logan, and Jackson to McDonald's today after running some errands. I ordered them each a Happy Meal and when I got the food, they came right over to the table. They all got the same toy and the older boys wanted to exchange them so I let them go up to the counter by themselves. I stood nearby to make sure they didn't cut in line or forget to say "thank you", but they did beautifully! I was so proud of them! They came back to the table and continued to eat. Logan was about half way done eating when he realized he wanted ranch. I felt confident enough that he could go by himself, so I sent him off after reminding him to say thank you. He was taking a little longer than I thought he should have so I got up and looked in his direction just in time to see the lady behind the counter giving him cookies! I started walking towards him when I heard him say, "I need 3.", gesturing with 3 fingers held up. At the time I thought he was asking for 3 ranch dressings, but later realized he was asking for a third cookie for Jackson. The woman at the counter had seen Logan with Payton while they were exchanging their toys so she had given him 2 cookies. And he was trying to get a third for Jackson! Such a sweet little moocher! I thanked the woman at the counter and she just kept saying "He is so CUTE!" (refer to my previous post "This One's Gonna Be Trouble..."). I have no idea if he asked for the cookies or if she just gave them to him, but either way we got 2 free cookies! For the rest of the meal, all three of them stayed seated and ate their entire meal, fries and all, without me having to coax, feed, or bribe them. Amazing! Payton will usually eat half a burger and ask to play. Logan will do his best to eat only the fries and Jackson plays musical chairs eating everyone else's food but his own. But not this magical meal! What great kids! I have no idea where my real kids went while we were at McDonald's but don't worry! They came back full force once we got home...and I hope those other kids come back more often!

(While writing this, Payton has been in time out for kicking Logan who took his McDonald's toy, Logan was running around saying he is a girl, Jackson was crying because I wouldn't let him help me type this post, Payton asked for a cup twice in the span of 1 1/2 hours even though he had one at McDonald's and another when we got home, Jackson let himself out the front door and was throwing dirt from the planter, then proceeded to run when he saw me coming, I had 3 requests for food and 3 requests for TV/movie, and after I put Jackson to sleep (and thought I could finally finish this post), Logan went back in his room and turned the light on. My real kids are back...)

Family Pictures (Preview)

2010-11-16T07:51:00.003-07:00

I am really excited about how our family photos turned out so Kristy is letting me share some of them. (just kids pics not all of em). We had gone to the parade that mornin and the kids had their flags with them and the colors turned out amazing.

Veterans Day Parade

2010-11-11T19:39:00.004-07:00

I took the older boys to the parade today while kristy slept off an all night shift. Boy did they have a blast. Not sure who was more excited to see the big army vehicles and guns them or me. ;0)
Here are some of the pictures. God Bless. - Moose

Halloween

2010-10-31T20:03:00.003-07:00

The boys had multiple costumes this year! We went to the kids' school for a Halloween Hi-Jinx event. Jax was supposed to be this...

But it was way to warm. So instead we was this...

This was a hand-me-down from the older kids. Here was Payton...

He was Batman then and on Halloween night. And here was Logan...

A "Power Wanger"!!! And Logan on Halloween night...

And Jackson...

A fire fighter (calendar style!) That kid would not keep any costume on! Once he got the hint as to how trick or treating works, he left it on. Sorry ladies!

ER

2010-10-25T13:07:00.002-07:00

I never thought I'd be blogging about my ER visit! On Saturday I was having such horrible stomach pain that I headed to the ER about 8pm. I was supposed to work graveyard in the NICU but they sent me home. Luckily, my parents were helping with the kiddos so they were able to stay with them. The pain felt like my insides were twisting around each other and ibuprofen and Pepto didn't do anything. They did an ultrasound to rule out problems with my pancreas and gallbladder and it came back normal. So they ruled severe reflux or gastritis. I have my doubts on this theory, but for now I am taking the prescribed reflux medication and have an appt next week to follow up on it. For now, I am eating mostly just white rice. I am afraid the pain will come back! I am slowly venturing out to other foods in moderation so wish me luck!

This One's Gonna Be Trouble...

2010-10-25T13:00:00.003-07:00

Here's the scene...Payton and Logan are eating lunch at the dining room table. I am in the kitchen trying to figure out what I am going to eat and Moose is with me getting ready to go to work.

Me: "It is hot in here!" (We had cooked a pizza for the kids for lunch). I took off my sweater leaving just my cami on.

Logan, with huge eyes says, "Wow!"

Moose and I crack up laughing.

Moose, to Logan: "You are going to be trouble!"

Logan: "No I not! I'm awesome!"

Like I said, this one's gonna be trouble!

God forgive me for wasting trees...

2010-10-16T15:04:00.004-07:00

Have you ever seen what happens to a regular diaper when your child goes swimming in it? It will get so heavy that it will tear and soggy crystals pour out. I must have put a defective diaper on Jackson because when he wet in it, he began tracking pee soaked crystals all over the house! There was a trail from my bedroom, through the hallway, dining area and living room. It looked like small piles of yellow snow! It took about 20 minutes of crouching to pick up these piles, which seemed to repel the paper towels. Then I vacuumed up the rest of what I couldn't see. I washed my hands and sat on the couch with a fresh diaper in hand. "Come here Jackson. Let's put a diaper on you." Jackson gave me that playful, come and get me smile, squatted and peed. OMG! That did not just happen! So I got the paper towels and carpet cleaner. Just as I had finished and was washing my hands, Logan ran in, "Mommy! I pee peed in your bed!" Sure enough, there was a large wet spot in the middle of my sheets. Back to the paper towels and Spot Shot...

2010-10-14T21:04:00.003-07:00

Getting my shoes on to go to my first full shift at the hospital after 3 days of orientation...

Logan: "Where you goin Mommy?"
Me: "I have to go to the hospital to take care of the little babies."
Logan pondered then said, "But we have Jackson Bee-bi (Levi). He's a big baby."
Me: "I know, hunny. Daddy's gonna take care of you and Jackson today."

I met Jesus today

2010-10-06T19:34:00.002-07:00

I went to Discount Tire today (twice actually) to have one of my tires checked out. My TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) registered low pressure in the front driver's side tire. The first Discount I stopped at had a 2 hour wait, so I had them put air in it to make it last til I could go to the Discount near where we live. I got home and called them and made an appt. Anyways, later at Discount as I was waiting for them to do their thing, Payton and Logan were looking through their "Jesus book" aka a kid's bible. They got up and started playing David and Goliath. But of course neither one wanted to be Goliath, because if you know the full story (not the kid version), Goliath doesn't just get "hit on the forehead" with a rock, isn't that right Mama! :0). They went back and forth arguing who was going to get to be David when Logan says, "Well, I'm Jesus." He said it several times, "I'm Jesus. I'm Jesus!" I can't even begin to imagine what the rest of the people in the waiting room where thinking! After 1/2 a bag of mini Chips Ahoy cookies, they pulled the car around. We'd picked up a nail somewhere and they were able to fix it for free. Thank you Discount! We've had too many car repairs in the last 2 months!

On another note, Payton had another appointment with his neurologist today. Some of the "tics" were were seeing 4-5 months ago when we had his first appt have subsided, like his obsession with the word "applesause" and making funny noises with his tongue which is good. However, this was the first he'd heard about Payt's fainting/seizure episode which he got stitches in his chin from. He said fainting/seizures are rare for a kid his age and ordered an EEG. I don't know much about them other than it is a non-invasive procedure similar to an EKG and monitors brain activity. That should go well (hint: that was supposed to be sarcastic). I guess it is better safe than sorry and it won't hurt him, so we should be able to talk him through it. Hopefully the person who performs the test is familiar with the challenges of kids like Payton.

A final note, we finally got our computer back from Staples. Would not recommend them, at least not the one near us. It took a full month to get it working again! I called them at one point for an update and they said it was done. So I asked if they had put the operating system back on and if they were able to retreive any of the data. She had to put me on hold, then she came back on to tell me nothing was done in the week they had the disc I brought to them because the person who took it in didn't say anything to the tech department. Then I got a call with an apology saying it would only be another day and that the data retrieval was going well and that they'd put it all on a disc for me. Later that same day, he called back to say there was a "complication" and that all the data was gone. I don't know much about computers, but taht doesn't seem right. He said there was nothing they could do and it was expected to be done the next day. Ugg! Three days later and no call. So I called them, and it was done. Apparantly their phone only takes incoming calls. Maybe I should pray. Apparenly I have some bitterness against Staples :0)

Hope all is well with all your families...

New Job!!!

2010-09-27T14:43:00.005-07:00

I was officially offered the Patient Care Tech position at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea campus today! Yeah!! I will be working in the NICU where Jackson stayed after he was born. It is perfect timing! I have 4 shifts left in my externship which ends on Oct 5th. On the 4th, I go to human resources to fill out paperwork and my first day is Oct 12th. This is where I hoped to be after my externship, but was afraid to hope for it. Even better, we have full medical benefits as of November 1st and the job is part time, (3) 12 hour shifts every 2 weeks. So we won't need much childcare. Yeah! God is so great! He answers prayer and provides for our needs!

"You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it." Matthew 21:22

Ugg! Electronics...

2010-09-12T16:07:00.002-07:00

Well, I guess my family is hard on electronics, which is unfortunate since they tend to be expensive. We are without a computer (at least our own computer..thanks John and Sarah for lending us your laptop! You guys are lifesavers!). Staples has had it for 6 days now, since last Monday. I was told when I dropped it off that they would call in 24 to 48 hours, so when I hadn't heard from them in 4 days I called them. "It is still going through diagnostics" I was told. Doesn't sound good. Can we pray for electronics? I'm sure He thinks we will be okay without. It sure feels like I'm being deprived :0) We are so spoiled! I just hope we can save our pictures and documents. My budget spreadsheets for the year are in there! That's a lot of work not worth trying to re-create, but would be missed. Hope everyone is doing great...Later

2010-08-21T13:54:00.003-07:00

Payton and Logan have started school and really like it. Their teacher, Wendy is really good with them. We were really lucky to get them both into a class with only 2 other kids, so they get lots of attention. And Logan is liking the bus just as much as Payton did last year. Here are some pictures of them being silly.

Jackson has aquired a new nickname, Monster (said in love of course!). He is into everything and doesn't understand hitting, pinching, grabbing, taking toys, etc... And his other name should be Garbage Disposal, because this kid eats SOOOO much! He frequently eats his portion then finishes off his brothers's. Here is a cute video of him making elephant noises...

This one is only 24 seconds but explains all those complaints I've been posting about my camera!!!

One down, one to go...

2010-07-30T22:49:00.002-07:00

So I finished my phlebotomy extership today and it feels great to have finished that! I really enjoyed St. Joseph's and meeting new people and patients. I have so much respect for those patients! Most were there for brain surgery and they were all in such great spirits despite the gravity of their diagnosis and nature of their surgery. I felt bad I had to poke them, but I know that was the least of their worries. I get a week off before starting my next extership at North Valley Internal Medicine. I should be done at the end of September...Yeah!!

Nothing too new at home. Jax is just getting over some sort of stomach bug that gave him diahrrea for 6 days, and now Moose is feeling it. Wonderful. I told him to make sure and wash his hands so Payton and Logan don't get it! It's miserable when they are sick!

I'm working a graveyard at Gainey tonight because I can't say no. But that's okay...it's always nice to have a little extra money.

I think that's all I have to say...Bye for now

D-backs vs. Giants

2010-07-23T08:47:00.003-07:00

It was a lot of fun last night. I took Logan to his first d-backs game. I shoulda got some pictures of him with his cherry snow cone cause he was going to town. No spoon just face to cone. He did really well and loved it when the balls would "go real real real high to the woof."

Stitches

2010-07-20T21:26:00.003-07:00

So this was our Friday...

Payton was the first of the boys to get stitches. I guess that is fitting since he is the oldest... Anyways,on Friday Payton either had a seizure or fainted or something. We and the ER doctor aren't sure, but either way his chin met pavement and he ended up with 4 stitches in his chin. He had a CT and bloodwork and everything came back normal so we will follow up with his doctor and see what else is recommended. He has been the same little boy, so we are not too worried about it. Let you all know if we get any new info...

July 4th Camping

2010-07-18T19:03:00.006-07:00

As usual, I am behind posting...You'd think I'd do it more often since I've been out of classes the last 2 weeks. Anyway, here are the highlights...

I took Logan a little longer to be comfortable with the Rhino, but once he got going he was all smiles!

We taught the boys to "water" the trees. Payton refused, but Logan fully embraced the idea...although he had no modesty and often chose the trees in the middle of camp! At least he hasn't peed on any of the trees here at the apartment!

Payton LOVED to cook marshmellows on the fire...although maybe burn is a more appropriate word. He just wanted to catch them on fire, then blow it out. And then repeat that until the marshmellow was no longer recognizable. Then get a new marshmellow...

Here's my Dad and one of my parents' three dogs, Shelby.

These last two pictures sum up the before and after of the trip...By the end, we were all exhausted and very, very dirty!

I Love This Car

2010-06-27T17:07:00.004-07:00

Not to be confused with "I Love This Bar"... Anyways, I went on an adventure today. I bought an armoire for our bedroom TV. Yesterday, Payton somehow caused our bedroom TV to fall. Payton is okay, but it scraped his foot a bit. I wanted to make sure that it didn't happen again. Hence the new armoire. Here are a few pics...

The lady I bought it from is moving to Pennsylvania tomorrow morning and gave me a small dresser for free! But you can see how packed my car was! It was me, the 3 kids, the armoire in the back and a dresser in the passenger seat! I love this car!

Funny Side Note: I had to delete 42 pictures off the camera from Payton and Logan playing with it this morning (they woke up before me and Moose) !

Okay...now back to studying...

Catching Up

2010-06-25T19:08:00.005-07:00

Finally! We have our camera back and are able to post some pictures for you...here goes!

Jackson found the fireplace. I wish I would have gotten a pic of him in it, but here are the bath pictures! Gray water came out of his hair when I rinsed!

I made a cake for Father's Day and the kids decorated cupcakes.

Enjoying the pool!

Playing in the pantry

A Chapter Closing

2010-06-21T15:41:00.005-07:00

February 2009 began a new chapter of our life. A time of learning and growing closer to God and to each other. Many of you know the story. Moose's store closed leaving him unemployed and we had the unexpected early arrival of Jackson, our third child. Well, that chapter has closed. Our house was auctioned off to the highest bidder today. It's hard to believe the journey we've made over the last year and a half. There is no way we could have done it without our family and friends. Thank you to all of you for the counseling, advice, prayer, help with the kids, moving, finances, and transportation. There is so much that all of you have done to get us through all this even stronger than we were before. We are excited for what's ahead of us! I will be getting back into the workforce in a few short months and the kids will be back to school soon. We look forward to saving for a vacation and in the long run, a down payment for a house. God has blessed us and given us new pathways to bring glory to Him. Praise be to Him, our Lord and Savior! He knows every thought we think and every action we do, and loves us more that we can imagine. Nothing on earth comes close in comparison.

We've Moved!!

2010-06-12T15:15:00.002-07:00

So we've been in the new apartment 1 week now. As I predicted, the boys have been in the pool everyday if not more! So far so good on the noice level (coming from us, I mean!). No neighborly complains yet. Lily's found a good home....with Bert and Stephanie. They got attached to her since moving in with them last weekend and lucky for us that means she is staying within the family! Still slowly changing our address with everyone...I'm sure I will miss someone. We upgraded our phones a few days ago to new touch screens, which I am still trying to figure out (so sorry if I miss your call or hang up on you!). Our other phones were over 2 years only and were barely functional anymore. So many changes!! I should have pictures up next time I post. The camera is ready at Best Buy, but since it is at the location near our old house, I haven't made the time to get over there to pick it up. I will post pics of our new living room furniture! I was lucky to get a new (to us) couch, chair and 2 ottomans for only $15 more than what I sold the red sectional couch we had! And I love my new living room! More to come...

K

Moving...and some random thoughts

2010-05-28T13:45:00.003-07:00

Well, it is 7 days away...We will be packing up our stuff and moving across town. Moving to a larger place was much easier, but having to consolidate and sell stuff so we can fit into a 3 bedroom apartment has been interesting. But we are excited about our new place! We will meet new people and I know the boys are going to live at the pool all summer! Especially Moose! :0)

Well, it was brought to my attention that I never gave a follow up to Ironman. Payton "earned" enough money after about a week and we took him to Target and bought an Ironman riding a motorcycle. It was difficult trying to explain that he couldn't afford the big Ironman. He only had enough money for the little Ironman. It was still cute when he handed his bag of money to the cashier! (We didn't make her count all the coins!) :0)

School for me is going well. Just finished my EKG and Clinical Procedures classes and all I have left are Medication Administration, Phlebotomy, then my Externship! It is going so fast and I am not sure if I am emotionally ready to begin searching for a real job in September. I've got a few more months to think about it.

Moose is moving his store this week...again. Hopefully the new spot will still have as much traffic as the last one and that they get to stay there a while longer.

Payton and Logan are out of school for the summer. Poor kids...their routine is going to be so off this next week with no school then the move. We've already started to prep them...but I am sure they don't realize what "move houses" really entails. We are just going to prep and pray!

On a side note, we are still trying to find new homes for Lily and Winston (the turtle). We'd like to find someone by word of mouth versus posting an ad. We want to be sure they go to safe, happy homes.

Well I guess that all folks. Sorry there are no pics...Jax got hold of the digital camera and now Best Buy has to fix it! :0) See ya all soon...

Savings

2010-05-08T12:58:00.005-07:00

I had a great shopping day today! Our house was bone dry. We had almost nothing to eat and I filled the house for $150. I don't think that was too bad, since that will last us 2 weeks or so. Here are some of the deals I got using Coupon Sense...

Albertsons

6 - 4 roll packages of Marcal toilet paper --free
2 bags of Chex mix -- free
3 bags of Bugles -- free (Moose was excited!)
2 boxes of instant pasta salad mix-- free (but I had to buy 2 boxes of pasta @ $1.49 each)
4 bags of Steamfresh microwavable frozen veggies -- free
3 Nivea body washes -- free
1 Physicians Formula Bronzer/highligher/eyeshadow --clearanced at $3.99 (originally $15.99)
1 vanilla -- $2.39 because I needed it

Total with tax: $11.39
Savings: $72.60!!

Safeway

2 brownie mixes -- free
4 cake mixes -- free
4 frostings -- free (they had them buy 2 get 3 free! Then I added coupons, and since they will take coupons on the free items, I got them all FREE!)
1 box Ziploc storage bags -- $.49 (in ad coupon making it $1.49, limit 1. Then added my coupon from the newpaper)
3 Del Monte 4 pack fruit cups -- $.49 (again, in ad coupon made them $1.49, then add my newspaper coupons)
3 boxes of Capri Sun pouches and 2 Welches Grape juice --$2.00 (had coupons for each product and Safeway has a juice promo buy 5 save $5.00)

Total: should have been around $5.00 but I wasn't paying attention and they didn't take off the $5.00 for the juice promo. Even still I paid $10.50 including tax which was a savings of 82%!

I finished up my grocries at Fry's. There I got...

1 bag Kroger baby carrots -- $.33
1 Bag Lay's potato chips--free
4 boxes Raisin Bran cereal--$1.22 each
2 watermelons--$2.77 each
3 milks--$1.68 each
3 Sunny Delights --Free
1 Frenches mustard 20 oz--$1.00
5pk Kraft MacNCheese $3.49 (box had coupon on outside for free Capri Sun)
2 Capri Sun--Free (lady in front of me at check out gave me the coupon off her MacNCheese too! Score!)
Plus $5.50 off my frozen food purchase (Fry's mailed me this coupon, probably because we spend too much of frozen foods!)

There was much more to this list, a lot of the stuff was not on sale but I needed it (like those frozen meals!). Another reason I shop mostly at Fry's is to get $.10 off per gallon (when you spend $100 in groceries) at their gas stations. I filled up the other day at only $2.61 a gallon!

Total: $125.15

Saved: $80.08 (39%)

I love Coupon Sense! There is nothing better than getting stuff you can use for free!!

Jackson Videos

2010-05-03T19:32:00.002-07:00

He was being especially cute today...and kinda a turkey at the same time. I'm not sure if being a turkey was just a phrase my family used, but for those who don't know what being a turkey is, it means he was pushing my buttons :0)

Ironman and the Diaper Disaster

2010-05-02T16:49:00.006-07:00

I took the kids to Scottsdale Fashion Square 2 days ago to play. When we go there, we always have to visit the Disney Store which is only a few doors down from Moose's store. While there, Payton discovered Ironman. And he is in love! It's funny because he has never seen or heard of Ironman before! Well, I didn't want to just buy him the toy so now he is earning money to buy his beloved Ironman. He is adorable! He gets giddy when he talks about buying it and Moose and I have been using this to our advantage! Moose made a chart of 16 squares and everytime he does something around the house, he gets paid and a square colored in on the chart. He won't raise all the money by himself because I want him to see a light at the end of the tunnel but we also wanted to show him that we have to work for what we want. So he has helped unload the dishwasher, put soap in the laundry and switch the loads, and it is amazing how quickly he cleans up his toys. I know why so many kids get spoiled because I want to go out and buy him that toy now! Maybe next weekend would be enough time...

So on to the diaper disaster...I am at the mall, with no diapers. Jax had pooped and it was coming out the side. Wonderful. What would you do? Well, I went to the bathroom and grabbed a stack of paper towels (the pull out one at a time kind) about a half inch thick. There were also the rolled kind, so I waved my hand over the sensor several times to get a long piece. I thought about changing him there, but I could imagine myself walking through Scottsdale Fashion Square with a half naked baby...or one all rolled up in paper towels. So I stuffed my loot into my purse and headed out to the car. In the cargo space, I cleaned him up the best I could with dry paper towels, put the remaining stack over his "area", and wrapped the long piece around his waist to keep it all in place. I laid a blanket on his seat and buckled him in hoping that he wouldn't pee. Or at least that I had done enough so I didn't have to take apart his carseat to wash it. Well, no such luck...I ended up doing just that. So, I'm not sure what I could have done different, but that is how not to make a diaper.

P.S. I now have a hefty stash of extra diapers in my car!!

Playing in the Fort

2010-04-29T18:54:00.002-07:00

Aunt Jennifer made the boys a fort in the living room and they boys had a blast!

Jackson Clicking

2010-04-27T14:09:00.001-07:00

Jax has learned how to click his tongue...very cute! Then he gets mad at me for not letting him have the camera...not so cute :0)

Garage Sale

2010-04-25T13:26:00.007-07:00

We had a garage sale 2 saturdays ago...it was HUGE! It was mostly our stuff, but my mom and sister had brought over some of their stuff too (along with some other random donations). Here are some pictures...

Yes, a few of the toys ended up back in the house. Payton told me (with an arm full of toys) that he wanted all the people to go away :0)

As you can see, there were tables all over our driveway and yard. Overall it was a success, although we had a truck and car full of stuff for Goodwill...

Bibles

2010-04-09T17:03:00.002-07:00

What do you do with your old bibles? I can't imagine anyone wanting the ones I've highlighed in and marked up. But I don't think I can throw them away either. And it doesn't seem practical to have 5 or more copies. Any ideas???

Kristy

Easter Pictures

2010-04-09T15:28:00.013-07:00

Here are the kids opening their Easter baskets. Jax got a couple balls and the big boys got sunglasses. Such cool kids!!

Then we went to the Hunt's after church. I didn't take any pictures, but Stephanie did and they are on her blog at http://www.grandmastimeat5.blogspot.com/

Then off to the Rice's! Here are pics of the egg hunt...

Jax was getting a little overwhelmed :0) So cute!

Jackson walking

2010-04-01T20:23:00.003-07:00

He's been up on his feet for almost 2 weeks now, but here is the first real walking

Payton & Logan's Birthday Party

2010-04-01T19:21:00.004-07:00

Here are some of the highlights...

Here's Moose measuring the cake to make the building for Spider Man. Did I mention we are doing this at 11:30 at night!!

The final product!

Logan loving his ballons! He made Mickey Mouse :0)

Our building is starting to sag but it was really yummy!! And the boys loved it!

And thanks Mom for the bounce house! The boys were exhausted from 5 hours of jumping!

Happy 4th Birthday Payton!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Logan!!

Kids Lie

2010-03-29T16:29:00.002-07:00

So this is the conversation Payton and I just had...
(FYI: Moose is at work)

Payton: "Fruit snacks Mom? I want fruit snacks."
I was busy thinking about what he had eaten that day and dressing Jax after a bath, so I didn't answer him right away.
Payton: "Daddy says okay."
Me: "Oh, Daddy says it's okay?"
Payton: "Yeah, Daddy says okay."
Me: "Did you call him?"
Payton: "No."
Me: "Then how do you know Daddy said okay?"
Payton after a moment of thought: "I talk to him."
Me: "How? Where is daddy?"
Payton: "Daddy at work."
Me: "And you talked to him? Did you call him on the phone?"
Payton: "Yeah!"

Happy Anniversary to my Hubby...

2010-03-15T19:04:00.002-07:00

You are my best friend. You are always there when times are tough to be my STRENGTH when I just can't anymore. You are a man of HONOR and integrity. You care about not only your family, but for all people. You are a man of GOD and I am proud to be your wife. Happy 7th Anniversary!

Love you always!

P.S. Thanks for the roses :0)

Who's Charging...NOT ME!!

2010-03-15T17:44:00.004-07:00

So this came in the mail today...Can you believe it! I've heard on the news this was coming but seeing it on paper has solidified my thankfulness to not own a credit card!!

Oh, and for your convienence, the first year annual fee ($75) will be billed to the credit card (so you instantly have a balance in which the 59.9% interest rate accrues daily). Unbelievable! And if you close your account, there is an account maintenance fee of $3.00 per month that there is a balance over $20! Wow! I hope everyone is reading their credit card disclosures!

Playing catch up!

2010-03-15T17:29:00.002-07:00

Here are some of the funny faces we've caught over the last couple weeks...

And the infamous Lolo Bosh! (aka Logan Squash)

How do you teach a child to dress himself?

2010-03-15T17:18:00.003-07:00

Jax Birthday Pics

2010-03-02T08:53:00.002-07:00

Thank You!

2010-02-22T13:37:00.002-07:00

Thank you everyone who came to Jackson's first birthday yesterday! It was so great to have everyone over! I will get some pics up soon, but some of the better ones ended up on other peoples cameras! So as soon as I get them, I will post again.

K

What's new...

2010-01-29T19:39:00.006-07:00

I have officially been in school for 2 weeks and I am loving it! It is so much different going back when you are older. I don't stress about things as much and I want to be there, which makes class and homework fun!

Moose will be moving his store next week to a new location in the mall. That makes some late nights since the mall does not allow stores to move during mall hours. As a trade off though, he will be off for the Super Bowl for the first time in 6 years. Yeah! Funny thing happened the other day. I was making salsa and had blended together the onion, garlic, and jalapenos. I jokingly bet him to eat a spoonful for a box of baseball cards...and he did it! It was so foul smelling and he almost puked! I can't believe I didn't get it on tape! Here is a pic of what the mixture looked like before I mixed it in with the tomatoes...Yuck!

Payton is completely potty trained. It took a little over a week and he had it down. He is enjoying school with his new teacher, Jhenessa with a class full of 17 kids! Poor Jhenessa! She said at our parent/teacher conference a few days ago that he does really well in class participating in story time and other activities. He still has occasional bad days, but all in all, he has made massive improvements from last year.

Logan is in the middle of potty training. He does really well with #1 during the day, but #2 is still a struggle. And he still needs to be diapered for nap and overnight. He will get it. He was really cute tonight. He went running to the bathroom so I followed to make sure he got there in time. He did not want my help getting his pants and underwear down and when he finally managed to do it himself, he turned around and pointed to the door and said, "Out, now!" I don't know where he gets that stubbornness (Moose). :0)

So I am trying to grow my hair out and am struggling to find a style to my "trying to grow it out" look. I have been toying with straightening it for years, but never had the guts. Well, my friend Sarah who is a fantastic hair dresser suggested a product that will just loosen my curls and I think I am going to try it. I picture it looked more tousled that curly when I want a quick do but I can still straighted it easily without it taking over an hour. Now if I can only find 4 hours to myself to get it done...

Well, I feel like I just wrote the Christmas letter that never went out! Hope everyone is doing well and don't forget to read your bible today!

Kristy

P.S. Speaking of Christmas...here is a picture of the gift the Fennema's got us. The boys were fighting over it and I needed to take it away from them. I wasn't sure what else to do with it! And then there is a short video of Logan. Enjoy:0)

Since I am always behind...

2010-01-08T19:21:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentines Day! Hey...it's only 5 weeks away! And Jackson will be one Feb 17th! Wow! Time flies! Not too much going on at the Hunt house. Just working about 8 hours a week, volunteering 4 and waiting for school to start in just 11 days! Wa Hoo! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Gotta go and get Logan cheese and apples...kids are so demanding :0)

K

Christmas

2009-12-28T22:10:00.005-07:00

The boys absolutely loved Christmas this year! They finally understood what the season stands for. Well, kinda. Logan would go around singing "Happy Birthday Jesus" and they knew Santa was bringing them presents. Even today, Payton saw me uploading the pictures from Christmas and asked for more presents :0) I think we'd all like more presents...and for Santa to bring them! So, Christmas started Christmas Eve with my parents and my Dad's side...til 11pm! Then Christmas morning at the Hunt's (at 8am!) and to see Alvin & The Chimpmunks. Then to the Rice's to finish off our busy holiday. Here are some of the pics...

Logans song.

2009-12-16T14:28:00.002-07:00

Logan has been working on his alphabet as well as some other jams. Enjoy daddy cam as i chase him on his bike..

In this mix is tha a,b,c's, jingle bells (or as he says jingle balls), boom boom boom, and skillet's it's not me its you.

Jackson waves a quick hello!

2009-12-06T13:41:00.002-07:00

Hospital Visit

2009-12-04T12:40:00.004-07:00

We haven't posted in a while because we haven't had much going on...until yesterday afternoon. I went to get Jackson up from his nap, and he had broken his mobile. He had pulled on the plastic hook shaped bar that went from the crib railing to the mobile and it broke off leaving several jagged plastic parts. I wasn't too worried about it since the mobile didn't really mean much to me. So I picked him up out of the crib and put him on the changing table. And that's when I saw something in his mouth. Here is a picture of what I found...

So, you are looking a the part that attaches to the crib railing. The piece that I am holding is the piece that I pulled out of Jackson's mouth. The part that is missing, is what I was looking for. I tore apart his crib and room trying to locate that missing piece and it was no where to be found. So, I made the assumption that he had swallowed it. It was pretty jagged and the piece I found was pretty sharp. So off to ER I went (which was a feat in itself since Moose was at work). So he had the car and the car seats and I had all three kids with no way to transport them. So my mom came over and I used her hugh truck (which I didn't park straight) and the infant car seat which was too small for him to get us to John C. Lincoln Deer Valley ER. Here are absolutely adorable pictures of him in his hospital gown!

They told me that plastic usually doesn't show up on x-rays, but that is the only non-invasive way to see if he had swallowed it. So we took x-rays, but it didn't show. Because of the shape of the object, the doctor wanted to get the object out, so he recommended an endoscopy. For those who don't know what that is, they put a scope down his throat and into his stomach looking for the object (after the anethesiologist puts him under of course). After all that, they didn't find it!! So, A) he never swallowed it or B) it had already made it's way into the intestines. The doctor who did the scope said that he'd probably just poop it out but there is a small chance (about 1%) that it would get stuck where the small and large intestines meet. So, I am screening his poop and watching for blood in his stool and a distended abdomen (signs that it is stuck). At this point I have to assume he will poop it out, but what if he never ate it? So I may never find that little piece of plastic...I will have to post if I ever find it

Lesson Learned: Remove the mobile from the crib when you child startes to stand on his/her own.