Schmidt Family

Parenting thought...

2011-10-17T19:43:00.001-06:00

I am sure that everyone feels like a bad parent, and I do often ;) But I came across this reminder today and i liked it...

"To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it His way. We are to employ His attributes of “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] meekness......Parents are to be living examples of “kindness, and pure knowledge, which … greatly enlarge the soul.” Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force, or evil speaking. Parents soon learn that each child has an inborn yearning to be free. Each individual wants to make his or her own way. No one wants to be restrained, even by a well-intentioned parent. But all of us can cling to the Lord."

Russell M. Nelson

Love it!

Hadley stats

2011-09-12T19:38:00.002-06:00

I thought that I better put Hadley's stats on here before I lose all the papers that they are written on!

2 weeks: 11/3/2010: 21" 8 pounds 7 ounces
2 months: 12/20/2010: 22.5" 10 pounds 11.5 ounces
4 months: 2/14/2011: 25" 12 pounds 14.5 ounces
6 months: 4/20/2011: 26" 15 pounds 10.5 ounces
9 months: 7/20/2011: 28" 17 pounds 4 ounces

I might get to updating the rest of our lives....

hadley pics ...again

2011-05-14T21:34:00.003-06:00

Christopher has a brother who is getting married in the fall. His fiance Ashley is just starting her photo classes in order to be a photo major. She wanted practice and what better way than to practice on Hadley!!! The pics turned out awesome!!! Oh..and those or my bows that I sell on etsy. Hadley looks good in bows ;)

Life.....

2011-04-21T13:52:00.003-06:00

Has it really been four months since I posted? Has life passed that quickly? It seems to me that every time I turn around another month has passed and I have no clue where it went.

We around here have been doing the normal things... school, work, preschool, dr appointments, grocery shopping, everything that you do on a normal basis. You know, the boring stuff. I guess we have tried to throw in a few fun things too...

In February we went to boise. We saw the newest schmidt get blessed and had a ton of fun with cousins. I think Aiden would move away from us just to live with his cousins. Plus they have more boys in their house :0). Aiden also spent much of the month in Feb with strep throat.

March sent us Aiden's birthday and a couple of acceptance letters to law school. I still can not believe that Aiden is six and that we are going to law school in the fall. I think that most of march is kind of a blur.... and no, we still don't know for sure which school we are going to. I think that we really won't know until august.

April has sent us april showers and april snow and april wind... I am not sure if it has been warmer than 55 degrees all month. I have been working a bunch and we just seem to be wishing april away for warmer months. Oh, and Aiden got his tonsils and adenoids out. He is doing really well with it. I kind of feel bad for the kid with three surgeries in his life. The kid is a smarty pants though. He is reading really well and today read the word stroganoff. Who knows how to read that?!?!?

Hadley is growing like a weed too. She can sit up by herself for a bit now, she growls a ton and really never cries. At her six month check up she was 15 lbs and 10 ounces. Pretty good!

Hunter is Hunter. She is super smart and really gets things. And because of that she really know how to work the system. I think we might either have a really great teenager on our hands or a really great teenager that we don't know is getting into trouble on our hands. ;) Either way--she spices up our lives!

Oh--and here is some pics of the last couple of months...

Christmas

2011-01-04T21:47:00.006-07:00

Christmas was a little different this year but a ton of fun. All of Christopher's brothers and their families came to his parents house. In total there were 16 people in the house including a two week old baby ( Baby Stella!) It was a ton of fun.

On Christmas morning I woke up early to get ready for work, yes I had to work but only for two hours, woke all the kids up and then opened presents. It was a whirlwind of opening! The kids loved it!!! I think my favorite was Aiden opening his Nintendo DS and being extremely excited! Hunter was so excited about what everyone else was getting that she forgot to open her presents. Hadley just chilled.

Life in the last month...

2010-11-21T18:24:00.004-07:00

It seems that the last month has just flown by. I can not believe that Hadley has been around for a month!

Halloween was a weekend long event around here in east idaho. On Friday we went to a trick or treat street. The only problem with that is that everyone in idaho went to it. We waited in line to get in for one and a half hours only to wait in lines to get candy. Overall...it was a bit disappointing. We went to Aiden's school carnival that night and had a blast. We did bring the kids in to the Spook Alley. Aiden was so scared at one point that he jumped, got his foot caught on some fake spider webs and knocked down an entire spooky scene. It was hilarious. Needless to say, we left the spook alley after that! On Saturday we did some good old fashion trick or treating and enjoyed the night! Sunday was just a lazy day after that!

The hardest adjustment to Hadley is getting back on schedule. It is hard to get Aiden off to school and Hunter off to preschool in the mornings! We are so slow now!

Hadley is now a month old and growing like a weed. She is almost out of her newborn clothes and starting to smile. At her two week check she was 8 lbs 7 oz. I bet now she is over 9 lbs! She is a good sleeper at night as long as she is sleeping by someone. We are slowly working on that ;)

That is life for us now! Slow to get going but getting faster!

Four days old...

One month old...

hadley's pics

2010-11-05T20:33:00.003-06:00

These pics are from Hadleys photo shoot! Love it!

Some Pics...

2010-10-27T13:32:00.003-06:00

We got hadley's picutres done yesterday and today the photographer gave us a teaser....

I love it!

And of course one taken at home!

Stats and other stuff I forgot!

2010-10-26T20:41:00.002-06:00

My friends, Kirsta and Kelly, pointed out that I left out a bit of detail! I did write that post in the hospital after I had been up for 14 hours and been through labor!

This time, again, I went without an epidural. I can honestly say that I really am not in too much pain until I hit transition. By the time I think that I want an epidural it is way too late. My mother in law likes to point out that this time I did yell out once ;).

The Big miss Hadley Girl was 8 pounds 5 ounces. I think most of it is in her cheeks! She was 20 inches long.

Aiden and Hunter adore her. The love to kiss her, freak out when she cries and like to hold her. Hunter was sicker than a dog throwing up this weekend and was really upset that she had to stay away from her.

Life as we know it has changed again. She is a beautiful addition to our family. So far the only complaint I have had is that she is a reluctant nurser. We are pushing through it and I hope to be victorious!!

Any other questions??? I am still running on my preggo brain....

BTW- I gained 28 pounds and I am down 21 already!! I just don't quite look the same ;)

And the name is....

2010-10-22T21:42:00.002-06:00

Hadley Bristol Dawn Schmidt

We both liked the name Hadley and Bristol. I wanted to throw in the name Dawn because Christopher's middle name is Don. It was also his grandpa's name that shares a birthday with little Hadley.

Plus she started out as a big girl so she has to have a big name! ;)

The birth of Baby Girl Schmidt

2010-10-20T17:14:00.003-06:00

So even as I blog this we still have not had time to talk about a name. She is still baby girl!

Last week on Thursday I came in for a routine exam. the doctor checked her position and found that she was breech!! I am very much so against c-sections and decided to let the doctor turn her from the outside. The procedure is called a external cephalic version...if you want to see it done you tube it! It was sucessful and they were able to turn the baby to a head down position. I was stoked becuase I no longer had to have a c-section. BUT there was a chance that she could turn back so I was nervous too.

On monday we had another appointment to make sure she ws still head down and that we could do a "normal birth." My doctor asked if I wanted to be inducted and I was like Heck yeah!! I wasn't going to wait for her to turn back around!

That brings us to today. We arrived here at 5 am! we meet with the nurse and I was hooked up to pitocin at 6. I was already dialated to a 5 so my nurse did not turn up the pitocin very high so she would not have to delivery, LOL. Her shift was over at 7. Over the next 3 hours they had a hard time getting me to contract consistently and strongly. Finally at 9 the contractions where hard enough for me to feel. By 10 I was in bed and at 11 then doctor walked in just in time to deliver the baby. I was able to deliver her in one contraction! A total of 3 minutes. Her face is a little bruised from being born so quickly though!

She has been sweet so far but she is a schmidt so we will see how long that lasts....

More pics to come!

Hunter the Cheerleader

2010-09-16T07:31:00.003-06:00

Johnie, Christophers sister is a Rigby High school cheerleader. Hunter thinks it is the coolest thing in the world. This last week they did a clinic for the little girls and Hunter participated. She loved it! They learned a dance in two days then performed it at the foot ball game. I think Hunter just liked being in front of the crowd!

This is Hunter doing the dance. She really had a hard time remembering it and kept looking at Johnie for help!

Kindergarten!

2010-09-05T21:25:00.003-06:00

Aiden started kindergaerden this past wednesday. For over a week before school started he was asking if it was his first day yet. I hope that the excitement lasts all year ;)

More Camping!!!

2010-07-20T21:26:00.005-06:00

When we went to Yellowstone last month we bought the pass that you can go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. We decided to take an overnight camping trip to Teton yesterday.

It was Gorgeous ! I could not believe how green it was or how huge the mountains were! This doesn't show the mountains that well but it really shows the green. We were on a four wheel trail for this pic...

We went to Jackson Lake the first day just to let the kids swim. It was really hot out but I do not know who those kids played in the water. The water was COLD!

On tuesday we went to Jenny Lake to see the Hidden waterfalls. The hike to the falls was 2.5 miles one way. We decided that taking the ferry across the lake would be worth it to save us about 4 miles. The kids thought it was pretty cool, and it was A LOT less whining! The Falls were awesome but there were way too many people!

New Projects

2010-07-15T16:58:00.004-06:00

So I forgot to take before pictures but at least I took after pics! These are two projects that I have needed to do for the last year but since they were in Colorado I really couldn't get to them.

The first is a dresser that I got from my mom. It was in the worst shape. I think it was made in the 1920s or 1930s and needed a ton of repairs. The drawers were warped and water damaged and the bottom drawer was missing some pieces. We decided that we would keep the outer shell of the dresser and the drawer fronts and replace the actual drawers and back. We also decided to turn the top drawer into a shelf for baskets. I haven't decided what to do with it for sure. I think I will use it as a changing table/dresser for the new baby but I am not sure on the color. I think it will stay in its primer form until we are settled to where ever the next place we go!

The second was a black 80s looking chair we got from our friends. I just stripped and sanded the paint of and applied primer. I think it will be used in the new baby's room too so I haven't decided what color to paint it yet either!

Summer 2010

2010-06-28T19:55:00.006-06:00

This summer has been busy. We enrolled Aiden in T-ball which he liked. We also went camping in Yellowstone National Park.

T-Ball: Aiden liked this much better than playing soccer. You don't have to be as aggressive ;)

Aiden playing the field

Hitting the Ball

Camping-- Yellowstone is the coolest place to camp. We spent two nights in the North loop of the park. The first day that we were there the high was 40 degrees and it snowed that night. This was good though because it brought all the animals out. Overall, we saw three black bears, a momma grizzly and her cubs, and uncountable elk, deer and buffalo.

I had a furry little friend that came and stayed by us in the evenings. I liked him but Aiden wasn't so sure about him when he laid down about 20 feet from our tent

Our family--Ignore the random people in the background

The tent :)

New Baby!

2010-06-15T17:01:00.002-06:00

So two weeks ago we had an ultrasound to see how the baby was and if it was a boy or girl. We we lucky to see that it was a girl but measuring small so we really could not see anything else. We went in again today to get the complete ultrasound done. Everything looks great! Its a girl! She is measuring small but they decided to keep the same due date of October 24th.

The only thing that they did say is that she looks like she has clubfoot, on both feet. They couldn't really see it too well but even before the ultrasound tech said anything Christopher and I both thought that she looked like she had clubfoot. Thank goodness it is an easy fix and well, we have done it before!

PS After I scan so pictures I will add them!

Bunk Beds!

2010-05-25T17:06:00.003-06:00

Our children have been bugging us for bunk beds since the beginning of the year. I saw a plans for bunk beds on a website called knock off wood( knockoffwood.blogspot.com) and I thought that it would be cool to make some. Thus began our 3 month journey with our bunks beds.

We did make them from scratch and they turned out really nice. I still see a ton of flaws and the color isn't exactly what I was thinking. But I do really like them! And I think they are the sturdiest bunk beds I have ever been on :)

It's offical!

2010-04-08T14:07:00.003-06:00

We are pregnant! Or I guess that I am! I am about 11 weeks along and felling good. It was fun to tell the kids because they have really wanted a baby in our family, and they actually get it! I have been felling pretty good but a little tired :)

Here are the official pics of the little one. If you are ultrasound tech you might be able to tell what they show!

How Aiden spells Hunter....

2010-02-28T09:48:00.002-07:00

Aiden has really started to understand the concept of words and spelling. He only has a few words memorized like his name, last name and his favorite....Avatar. Yesterday he was playing around and made up a new way to spell Hunter....A-S-#. Yes, you spell Hunter just like a donkey. It was the funniest thing! We could not stop laughing ;)

on a side note...we did explain that A-S-# spells a naughty word and we should not spell it.

THAT kind of chair...

2010-01-22T18:30:00.002-07:00

I went out to lunch yesterday with Christopher's mom and Nana. I asked Hunter what kind of chair she wanted, meaning a high chair or a regular chair. She points to the table next to us and told me that she wanted that chair. I thought that she wanted the high chair, but she corrected me. She pointed again to the table next to us and said she wanted THAT kind of chair. I looked closer and there was an older women in a wheelchair. She thought it was the coolest thing to have a chair with wheels!

I love that girl.

This is Me....

2009-12-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

this week. What about you?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:58:00.002-07:00

Cutting down the Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T14:38:00.005-07:00

Christopher and I braved the cold weather and the daunting task of taking FOUR children 4 and under out to cut down a christmas tree. BUT we were in luck! We were not looking for the perfect christmas tree or even a great tree so picking one was out was easy! The kids did great playing in the snow and didn't really care about the tree. We have cut down our christmas tree before but this was the easiest year yet!

New Pictures of Aiden

2009-11-20T09:33:00.003-07:00

So Aiden has been healing quite well and looking pretty good! He took a bath in the sink last night and I think that it really helped him feel better. He is finally up and moving too!

Trauma Drama Part Dos

2009-11-18T17:06:00.002-07:00

Yesterday while at the ER Aiden has said that his hand was cold. We didn't think anything about it so we didn't say anything to the doctors. Fast forward 4 hours and Aiden is saying that his wrist really hurts and it is a little swollen. By the morning, he wasn't using it. It was a little swollen and a little hot, and slightly bruised. We debated taking him in to the doctor again but decided it wouldn't hurt. Lo and behold, hairline fracture of the right wrist. poor guy. Luckily it is a small fracture and he should only have to have the cast on for 2 weeks, maybe a bit longer.

We love Aiden! Thank you for all your prayers and loves!

Our first trip to the ER

2009-11-17T21:04:00.002-07:00

Aiden had a quite exciting day today. When he got home from school Christopher was out riding one of the horse. Aiden decided that he wanted to ride and so Christopher got off the horse and put Aiden on it. Christopher then dropped the reins and went to grab something. The horse started walking, Christopher lunged at it and the lunge spoked the horse. She took off at a run wad promptly deposited Aiden on the ground. Unfortunately, He hit face first on the ground and then slid about 4 feet. He was bleeding pretty bad when Christopher brought him in the house. We quickly rushed him to the doctors. On the way he became really sleepy and a little lethargic. At the doctors they decided to send him to the ER. At the ER they did a head CT and a couple of x-rays on his ribs. they were worried that they would miss a skull fracture or brain bled because of the force of the trauma. When all was said and done he was fine. He needed a couple of stitches in his forehead and was sent home with a prescription of Tylenol with codine. We think he will be sore for a couple of days! We are really grateful that he didn't get stepped on or break any bones!

The top cut required two stitches and the bottom three. The bruise is even darker!

The doctors were really worried that there was some broken ribs under this scrape. it is actually bigger in real life!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T19:00:00.003-07:00

This year followed the tradition of superheroes! One true superhero and one princess superhero! We went to Boise for Halloween because Aiden has been dying to visit Landon so we finally went!

These are all four of the cousins together...Landon and Aiden both wanted to be Wolverine, and Cole just wanted to be a monster so they made him Frankenstein. It looked really cool until it started to rub of on EVERYTHING.

Aiden and Landon meet two Supermans that were brothers. They we like "We are Supermans" and Aiden and Landon were like "We are Wolverines." Then they started playing together.

The post candy let down after the trick or treating

The stash!

Halloween tradition

2009-10-27T22:05:00.006-06:00

It has always been a family tradition to carve pumpkins for Halloween. my guess is that it is probably the same for almost all families. How ever I bet that many families don't do it topless..Exhibit A....
Aren't you glad that it is only a tradition for those under 4? :)

I think that Hunter had the best time with the pumpkin because she would not stop rubbing it all over my arm! Aiden would hardly touch the inside and we had to tell hunter to stop chewing on the seeds. I love the differences in my kids.

I love the thumbs up

The kids were really cold, but still excited about the pumpkins...

2009-10-20T11:37:00.001-06:00

I took a couple of pictures of the kids and thought that I would update my blog with them!

Summer in a Nut Shell

2009-09-09T14:36:00.007-06:00

When you hit a creativity funk I think that one of the first things to go is the blog... So to catch up a little for my own sake, I am capturing the summer in pictures...and maybe a couple of dates....

July...A visit to CO (minus a million pictures I wish I would have taken)

August--Christopher's brother Chase got married in Logan, UT. We stayed in a hotel there and our kids kept telling us that we were in Las Vegas. I guess that two visits in one summer makes any hotel stay

After that was a pony birthday party for Hunter's third b-day and Cole's second. Because a bunch of family was still in town they made out like bandits!

We also decided to visit some of the places in and around the great state of Idaho and went to Yellowstone and Craters of the moon. The kids LOVED yellowstone! They were a little disappointed that the lava wasn't still hot and flowing at the craters of the moon...

Nannie and Grandpa at Craters of the moon

Bear's Hair Cut

2009-08-24T22:31:00.004-06:00

Hunter recently decided that she wanted to cut something. Unfortunately, the most convenient thing for her to cut was her HAIR! I was pretty upset and from the pictures you can see that she was pretty upset too....

I loved her hair long and was really sad to see any of the length taken off. This is the before length....

The after length....

I must admit that I do like it. It removed the blonde baby hair from the bottom and really made it look healthy.

On another note, I made the halter dress that Hunter is wearing. I have never made any clothes before and really like the way it turned out. Too bad she doesn't like it!

Ice Caves

2009-08-12T22:27:00.004-06:00

When we lived in Rexburg we never knew where the ice caves were. Now that we are "locals" Christopher's brother from Boise showed us where they were. The ice caves are really just an underground tunnel that was once a lava tube. They kids were a little nervous about entering into the pitch black cave but warmed up to it really quickly. After a while we even had to remind Landon and Aiden to slow down and wait for us! The kids were really tired on the way back but I was the slowest! About 1/3 of a mile from the end I stepped wrong on uneven ground and totally screwed up my foot (it is pretty purple and green right now). However, we loved it!

We had to lift the kids over some boulders in the cave, Cole was a little nervous

Aiden bouldering in the cave

What we have been doing....

2009-07-06T15:21:00.006-06:00

I know that we have been MIA lately but we have been BUSY....

Spiderman has joined our family on and off..

We went to a fourth of July parade and Christopher's little sister was in the parade...

Aiden and Landon were looking at the airplanes that passed over the parade

Christopher and I at the fireworks...

A cute random picture of Hunter...

We took some pictures in a field of wild flowers next to Nannies house, this is what happens when you get two Schmidt brothers together

Our kids weren't much more obliging

But we did get a cute picture of Hunters backside...

Hunter likes the smell of weeds...

I love this picture of Aiden, he was happy to be going back to the house

Oh, and by the way, we bought Aiden a little Honda 50 motorcycle, for cheap. It is running but needs a little bit of work. He is so excited to have one! and yes he is spoiled :)

Spiderman

2009-06-22T23:28:00.002-06:00

Today Aiden got the long awaited spiderman costume. He has been asking for it for a couple of weeks so we made him work for it. On the way home from buying it he told us to hurry.

"Why" was our reply

His reply? "I need to go climb a wall"

More oldies but goodies...

2009-06-18T16:01:00.002-06:00

These are of our wedding. I think I would change some things like our photographer but overall I loved the whole day. That's all that matters right?

Some Oldies but Goodies...

2009-06-18T15:42:00.003-06:00

I decided that we needed to post some old skool pics of Christopher and I just so we could do some reminiscing...BTW these pics were taken in 2001 and 2002...

Traveling to Heaven to Play with Papa

2009-06-04T22:17:00.003-06:00

So tonight we went over to my Nana's house to get some flowers and to visit, and today the kids have been interested in what color everybody's eyes are and where they got their eye color from. While we were at Nana's house we started talking about eye colors and my mom mentioned something about my Papa's eyes and what color they were. Aiden proceeded to ask where Papa was and the conversation went something like this:

Aiden: Where is Papa?

My Mom: He is living in Heaven with Heavenly Father

Aiden: Why? (wondering why he would be there and not here)

My Mom: He past away awhile ago and so we will get to see him again someday

Aiden: Oh well I will just take all of the kids and fly my spaceship up to heaven and we can all play with him.

Nana: I bet he would enjoy that, we will all have fun together someday

My Mom: Could we all fly in your spaceship Aiden?

Aiden: No ... but you could fly the other spaceship up to Heaven

I just thought that this was a cute story that we needed to remember. Wouldn't it be great if we could just fly in our spaceships up to Heaven to visit and "play" with those that have passed. I am grateful for my kids imagination and appreciate there sense of humor.

The things MY children say

2009-06-02T16:52:00.003-06:00

Aiden has been obsessed with Lamborghinis for some time now. This last week he made his uncle Logan put a Lamborghini as the screen saver to the computer. This morning he told his Nanni that she couldn't ride in his car because his girlfriend will be in it. HE then told me
me: Nice car Aiden
Aiden: Thanks. When I am older I will buy a lamborghini. and then I will have a girlfriend.
Me: oh will you
Aiden: Yup. And then I will pick her up, get gummi fish, and go to the movie theater
Me: That will be you date huh?
Aiden: It won't be a date! we will just be hanging out

Nice. I wish I had a boyfriend like that in high school.

I have always believed that Hunter has a heart of gold, but I didn't realize that it extended to earth worms. She was playing with one while we were planting flowers. She told me they were beautiful, and pretty and that the worm lovvvved her. SICK, if you ask me.

She also is becoming an expert in modesty. Yesterday she made me paint our family with water colors. She then proceeded to tell me that she was going to draw Dad's (insert your word for male parts) but then she was going to draw pants to cover it up. Why is it my girl that has to talk that way?

Shetlands!

2009-05-19T09:51:00.004-06:00

Our friend raises Shetland ponies for a business. We went over to her house the other day to ride them. At first, Aiden hated it but then he got into the ponies. There was one pony that was only a day or two old. It was the size of a large cat. It was so cute. I wish I got a picture of it!

Suckers

2009-05-17T16:54:00.005-06:00

My kids absolutly love candy. So when grandpa brought home lolipops for Christopher and I, Aiden and Hunter begged for them. So we shared :)

They knew that there were scorpions in the suckers but they didn't care. Bon Appetit!

Surprisingly they did eat some of the suckers. But after awhile they put them down and Aiden said it was gross!

Happy Birthday Christopher Don

2009-04-22T16:50:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to say happy birthday to my awesome husband. I am so glad that this is the 11th bithday celebration that we have been together. I hope that moving cows on you birthday was the best birthday ever! I am thankful that I got the kind of guy that felt comfortable moving cows, and studying for tests. LOVE YA BABE!

Viva Las Vegas

2009-04-15T22:07:00.011-06:00

This last week we spent in Las Vegas. The last time we were in Vegas it was for a job interview and we didn't do anything fun. Not this time! We had lots of fun.
We drove over on Tuesday leaving at 4 am. We got there around two and were able to swim. I think our kids were most excited just to be out of the car. I took this picture on the way to the pool...

On Wednesday we took a little trip to the outlet mall. I was in heaven. There is a billabong outlet, and a hurley outlet and a volcom outlet and a DC outlet.... I could go on and on. The kids weren't so happy about the shopping trip but Aiden did take some cute pics while he was bored...

On thursday we went to the M&M factory, looked at the lions at the MGM, and walked around a bit. The walking was mostly in the MGM because it is one huge hotel. Aiden loved the rainforest cafe store that they have there. They wanted to touch all the fake animals. I just loved that you can valet park anywhere for free and not have to worry about finding a parking spot.

That night John and Becky treated Christopher and I for our birthdays to Phantom of the Opera. It was worth it. I loved it. there was one little girl that was surprised by her mom for her birthday, It was so cute, They got her front row tickets. i think that I will do that for my kids if they keep loving it, ( This is the only picture that we got, the famous self taken portrait)

On friday we went to the hoover dam. Did you know that to even go into the visitors center it costs 8 bucks. And to go on the dam tour it is over 20! That is outrageous. So we just walked along the dam. The kids really thought that it was cool that the dam was on the movie transformers. I Later that day we went to a couple of the hotels just to window shop and of course we saw the Belligio fountains
On saturday we went to red rock canyon. It was the coolest hiking area. The rocks were formed by old sand dunes and the park allowed you just to climb all over the formations. It was awesome. I actually think it was my favorite part! The kids were really brave crawling all over the boulders.

well I will post easter another day because this post is getting long!

Aiden's Birthday Party

2009-04-06T15:32:00.004-06:00

Okay-- So it wasn't so much of a party as a get together. we had some friends and family over for some cake and ice cream. I think that Aiden just appreciates that we even celebrate his birthday. Anyway-- We he pciked out a cake and we turned it into a spiderman cake. he LOVED It. I think that he loved that he could play with the spiderman after we ate the cake the most.

Without further ado here are the pics---

Aiden and his cake

Checking out a present

the coolest pirate ship ever!!

Happy Birthday Aiden

2009-03-28T22:56:00.004-06:00

I can't believe our little boy is 4! Yikes! He is so lively and spirited at this age. He usually knows what he wants and is really starting to be able to get it by himself. I love that he is learning so quickly. He know all of his letters and most of his numbers. That is when he wants to. He is starting to learn to navigate the computer. I think that he is officially a boy. No longer a toddler, long past baby and almost a child. Thanks aiden for making us laugh and keeping us happy!

Boise, Idaho

2009-03-28T22:20:00.007-06:00

Since Christopher isn't working we have decided it is time to travel. At least to places that have free accommodations! Thanks Philipp and Amber! Anyway-- we got there and the weather was beautiful. One of the days we went to the boise zoo. i think that it is one of the coolest zoos I have ever been to. The animals are close to you and they are usually pretty active. the tigers were wrestling and the lynx was climbing all over the place! The kids really loved it too. My favorite part was at the Giraffes. There was a giraffe skeleton next to the real giraffes. Aiden says--Look mom nice giraffes (refering to the alive ones) and a scary one!

I had to laugh. And of course we had to put our kids on the statues that they aren't suppose to touch

The rest of the weekend consited of hanging out, lots of rock band, and a tire swing. I think that when we have a yard with a real big tree this will be the first thing that we do. All the kids loved it. Cole, the youngest Schmidt, had to be held back everytime it wasn't his turn. Otherwise he would run in the path of the swing trying to climb on.

Jackson, Wyoming

2009-03-08T10:57:00.002-06:00

On saturday we went to Jackson. It is a really cool town in the winter! We went on a sleigh ride on the Elk refuge. It was really pretty. The tour guide let us know that the one group that we were watching had 7500 elk and there are two more groups that are on different parts of the refuge. That is a lot of elk!

I am beginning to believe in Global Warming

2009-02-24T20:05:00.004-07:00

The last two days in Castle Rock have been around 65 degrees. 65! I really am starting to think that we are experiencing global warming. Or at least Colorado warming. My friend and I finished packing the basement today. That was great but the downside of that is the fact that we packed all the toys. So my kids had to find alternate ways to play which included Aiden climbing. He decided today to climb on top of our air conditioner step on some random metal, and stand on the wall that surrounds our porch. He then walked on the edge of it to the other side and jumped down. This kid amazes me sometimes. I can't believe the stuff he will do. Here are some pics to document the climb. And a random one of the cute girl we love.

Just Happy

2009-02-16T12:30:00.003-07:00

Have you every had the days when you feel happy for no reason? That is the kind of day that i am having today. A lot of things are happening in our family lately that we are worried about. I guess that we finally have to confess to our blog friends that Christopher got laid off three weeks ago. We had heard rumors that it would be happening but we thought that we had awhile. We have since decided to move in with his parents. FUN! We are leaving all of our friends in Castle Rock, my calling (which I love), my family and friends in Westminster/ Fort Collins, and everything that we have established in Castle Rock. No, we don't have any job perspectives that might work out and no we aren't sure what is in our future. Having said all that I am still really grateful and happy for what I do have. i know that there are still many exciting adventures that we will be embarking on in the future. Many of my friends are having some really exciting things in their lives, too. One family might be finally chosen as a adoptive family. One of my friends has been hired in a job that she is sure she will love. Another one of our friends just received a raise in this economy. There are so many blessings that the lord has given to us and to others I don't know why we can't be happy in this world! I love my life, family, children, and this life.

I think I need to watch my mouth...

2009-02-09T12:03:00.003-07:00

I don't know about anyone else but my kids pick up everything that Christopher and I say! Every little expressive word that I have in my vocabulary are starting to pop up in my children's. For example, walking out of the church on Wednesday my son exclaimed "Its Freakin' cold out here." Funny, oh yes. Appropriate for a three year old, NO. The other day they were quoting my husband. "Watch out you moron!" This was used when they were pretending to drive! I can't seem to stop myself either. And these aren't the worst of the words if you know what I mean.

I plead for your help. Share a story where your child has repeated a not so nice word, or tell me how to cut them out of my vocab! I would rather hear the stories though...

Family Pics Again....

2009-01-23T07:26:00.002-07:00

I decided to post some of the family pics that we got now that I have the CD. I look dorky in some of them but that is okay Right?

It is way too warm to blog....

2009-01-21T18:51:00.002-07:00

So we have been MIA lately. We have just been playing a lot! This last week the highs have been around 65 degrees and we have spent a lot of time at the park. My mom said that she was surprised that we weren't burned! I hope that the weather has been treating you as well as us! Anyone want to visit?

Family Pics

2009-01-08T15:05:00.002-07:00

We got our family pictures done in Idaho with Christopher's family. If you would like to view my favorites or all the pics go here: http://www.lavinda.com . Go to client access. Then enter my email address flyfisherandtrex@hotmail.com and the code 83475W59

Happy Viewing!

Is there a doctor in the house?

2009-01-02T19:07:00.004-07:00

Today Aiden woke up just crying that his neck hurt. And I do mean crying. And Whining. I guess he slept on it wrong. He begged for medicine so I gave him some tylenol. He then proceeded to whine every time he moved his neck. He yelled at us when we pressed on the brakes too hard. He couldn't even turn it to the left side. It was pretty funny. He finally felt better after taking too naps. Who knew a three year old could have such a stiff neck.

PS. He walked around the house with his head cocked to the side. I wish I got a picture of it!

Christmas Cookie Decorating

2008-12-26T15:23:00.006-07:00

The day before Christmas Eve we decorated sugar cookies. The kids loved it. I think that they licked more frosting than decorated cookies. We made sure that there were two separate plates of cookies. One that the adults decorated and could be eaten. And one that the kids could eat!

Logan and Hunter--Look at the mess!
Nannie with cousin Landon in the background

Philipp and Cousin Cole

Christmas camera play

2008-12-21T19:18:00.002-07:00

We are getting pictures done tomorrow so I thought that i would do a practice run with outfits and hair. Hunters hair is a bit big but I love it. Aiden did not want his picture taken so this is what I got!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T13:40:00.003-07:00

This is the first Christmas tree that we have had in two years. Our children were so excited to decorate it. I was pretty excited too. We bought a tree off of craigslist which I really love!
Daddy handing Bear ornaments
Aiden hanging ornaments

The finished product

Hunters ornament pile. She, of course, would not spread them out.

I am thankful......

2008-11-27T11:19:00.003-07:00

for my husband that works hard and keeps me at home

for my children that drive me crazy and help me to see life simply

for the gospel of Jesus Christ and my beliefs

for an awesome family that I was born to and the family that I added

for friends that help me laugh at life and get through each and every day

for me and my families health

for the life that I live

I love where I am in life and would not change anything. i hope that each of you are enjoying you thanksgiving and feeling the love!

Free Photobook

2008-11-22T22:33:00.003-07:00

Simple mom has a offer on her blog for a free photobook. Try it and see if it works! I am!

Watch Out For That . . . WALL!!

2008-11-21T18:20:00.003-07:00

Tara and I decided that tonight would be a GREAT night to take our kids out to the movies to watch Madagascar. We have these cards that we can get into movies that are two weeks old for only $5 each so we thought we could get them some treats while we were there. When Aiden and I went out in the middle of the movie to get a soda, it was kind of dark, and Aiden was excited to get a drink, so he began running down the ramp out of the theatre. Well before I could say anything I heard a THUMP . . . and saw him lying flat on his back. Apparently, he thought that there was some sort of door at the bottom of the ramp and continued to run (full speed mind you) into the wall. After I new he was okay I started laughing hysterically and we proceeded to go and get a soda. I am sure that I looked pretty bad laughing while my Aiden was crying, oh well. He ended up being fine and showed Tara after the movie what happened. She laughed until she had tears in her eyes. All in all it was a good night.

Happy 101 Posts to me

2008-11-20T14:59:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize that in less than two years we have shared 100 event with our friends and family. That is 100 journal entries for our kids to see as they grow old! I love Blogspot!

Also-- I am currently trying to get everything over to gmail. If you have a private blog do you mind adding tarajo.schmidt@gmail.com to your list? I will try to add comments to the private ones too!

Thanks fellow bloggers. I love you.

My Babylove

2008-11-14T14:06:00.004-07:00

1) Where did you meet? At church when we were 14. My first real memory with him is when we were driving home from an activity and he was teasing me about my child development fake baby.
2) How long til you got married? 4 years 11 months and 23 days
3) How long have you been married? 5 years 3 months
4) Your favorite feature of his? Eyes and smile
5) Your favorite quality of his? His ability to laugh at most thing
6) Does he have a nickname for you? Babylove
7) His favorite food? A good steak
8) What is his favorite sport to watch? Football
9) When was your first kiss? A small smooch the day after we started dating..we were young so we were really"going out"
10) What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Camping or hiking
11) Do you have kids? Two
12) Does he have a hidden talent? Woodworking, most people assume he knows how to construct things because of his degree but are then shocked that he built something for me
13) How old is he? 26
14) Who said I love you first? He did
15) What do you admire most about him? His ability to learn
16) What is his favorite type of music? Country, but he listens to Phantom of the Opera a lot too( He is going to kill me for telling everyone that)
17) Do you think he will read this? Yes--Love Ya Babe...
18) What is his favorite article of clothing? Chacos, you will see them all winter
19) What is his favorite hobby? Fly fishing
20) How did you decide he was the one for you? I don't think I ever decided he was the one. We just clicked and stuck with it. We were best friends and have stayed that way since we meet. I never thought that he was the one because it never entered into my mine that he wasn't

Holy Batman and Batgirl!

2008-11-05T14:53:00.007-07:00

Halloween week was crazy fun. It started off with a special Halloween story time at the library. The kids loved going to the library as batman and batgirl. They also loved seeing their friends!

Unfortunately batgirl would not wear her mask. I guess she wasn't worried about her secret identity!

On Halloween was our ward party and trick or treating. This year Aiden was really excited to be able to go door to door. He was one of the leaders of the pack. For some reason he really wanted to go to the scary houses, but always freaked out after he got the candy! Hunter bear just loved it all. I was so grateful for warm weather this year and good friends!

Half of Nico the jedi, Christian the jedi, Jackson as Bumblebee the transformer, and half of Batman

Lexie the leopard

Batman

The whole gang- all as noted before plus Hunter James as Buzz, Chloe as Ariel, Clair as Briar Rose and Hunter bear as Batgirl

The trick or treat rush!

PS- If you have any cute pics of Bear email them to me. She wouldn't stand still for me!

Happy Birthday Tara!!

2008-10-30T07:01:00.002-06:00

Apparantly when it is your wifes birthday you are supposed to make a post telling her HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Well I wasn't able to yesterday (or I didn't think of it until I got home and was reminded), so Happy Birthday Tara. Your are such an awesome mother to our kids and an excelent wife. I hope that you had a wonderful birthday yesterday. Don't worry 26 isn't that old you still have a few good years left in you. j/k. Aiden, Hunter and I love you and appreciate all that you do and sacrafice. Thanks for being a part of our life.

Love,
Christopher

Carved Pumpkins

2008-10-28T19:54:00.003-06:00

So we carved said pumpkins tonight! This is how they turned out. Please ignore our mostly naked child. She didn't want to get dirty. Like that ever happens. the littlest one is one of the 5 for a dollar ones!

Pumpkin Patch(s)

2008-10-28T16:10:00.002-06:00

This weekend while I went out with the girls Christopher took the kids to a pumpkin patch. They had tons of fun riding on the rain barrel train, at the petting zoo, eating cotton candy for the first time. I am sad that I missed out on that fun but had fun of my own!

Today we went to the local pumpkin patch. Really it is just a staged pumpkin patch. It did have a kid appropriate haunted house. And a tinny tiny hay maze. But the kids had fun and they picked out really little pumpkins. 5 for a dollar how can you beat that!

I got a New calling

2008-10-27T08:16:00.001-06:00

I was called to serve as the Relief Society Second counslor. What am I going to do?

Eleven years has flown by....

2008-10-24T08:27:00.002-06:00

I was fourteen when my best friend was killed in a car accident. Her funeral was held on my 15th birthday. Every year I still mourn the death of a person that knew my very soul. I think that we should have been sisters. It is funny to me that someone I knew for only a year an a half would touch my life so completely that I would still be thinking about her on a daily basis. I wonder what her life would be like. I think about her family and visit them as often as i can, Usually twice a year.

This picture is taken when we went to girls camp in 1997. The Summer before she died. I think that is one of my favorite memories of her. The last night that we were there we snuck out into the trees between camp and the bathrooms. Then when people passed in the dark we would jump out and scare the living day lights out of them. SO FUNNY! We also snuck out that night and raided the fridge, stole underwear and made a general nuisance of ourselves! The best thing about our friendship is that we didn't have to have a lot to do. Most of our hanging out consisted of us walking around the block in circles for hours just talking. We had notebook after notebook of notes. The July before she died her family moved to Idaho. We wrote 20 letters back and forth in the space of 3 months. Plus weekly phone calls(The days before long distance was free on everyone's cell phones!). I really do miss her.

I am so thankful for a gospel that tells me that I knew her before I came to this earth and I will know her later. Love ya Chelsea.

One Word

2008-10-15T20:12:00.003-06:00

One of my friends, Erin, tagged me with the "I love your blog" award which means I get to try to answer these questions in one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Where is your significant other? couch
3. Your hair color? Brownish
4. Your mother? Nutty
5. Your father? Gone
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Nonexistent
8. Your dream/goal? Happy
9. The room you're in? Basement
10. Your hobby? Running
11. Your fear? Death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? practitioner-- So I stole Erins but I want the same:)
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Emotional
15. One of your wish-list items? debtfree
16. Where you grew up? Colorado
17. The last thing you ate? Mashedsweetpotatoes
18. What are you wearing? Jeans
19. Your TV? Debate
20. Your pet? Mice;)- Thirteen and counting....
21. Your computer? Slow
22. Your mood? Content
23. Missing someone? Family
24. Your car? Big
25. Something you're not wearing? Rings
26. Favorite store? SuperTarget
27. Your summer? Awesome
28. Love someone? Forever
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today( Read Ambers blog)
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

I Tag anyone who wants to but I would really love for everyone to do it!

My Cute kids-- Not for the Faint of Heart

2008-10-08T14:32:00.005-06:00

Amber-- you are going to LOVE this.
She is so cute right. NOT SO.. Read on...

We are at the park today. I look over by the stairs and Hunter has her pants around her ankles. Great! I walk over there to help her get her pants up but her tells me that she pooped. AWESOME. So I am expecting there to be a huge mess in her pants but there is nothing...oh wait... what is that on the wood chips? You guessed it. She pulled down her pants and pooped on the ground. I was mortified. I was on the phone when it happened, That is my excuse for not knowing exactly what was going on. I did pick it up though. Luckily I had a plastic bag for wet accidents that I could use. That is how my day at the park went. How was your day?

Handbag Planet

2008-10-07T22:02:00.003-06:00

So if you haven't read in everyones blog that Handbag planet is giving away 24 hand bags in 24 hours. Sign Up on handbagplanet.com!

Potty Trained!

2008-10-01T15:55:00.002-06:00

Hunter is offically potty trained! Yea! We have been putting her in underware ever once in a ahile just to see how she would do and if finally stuck! She has an accident a day it seems like but all is going great. Aren't girls easy!

Quirks

2008-10-01T13:42:00.005-06:00

Definition of quirk:n. 1. A peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy: "Every man had his own quirks and twists" Harriet Beecher Stowe. 2. An unpredictable or unaccountable act or event; a vagary: a quirk of fate.

Rules: Link the Person who Tagged you. Mention rules on your blog. Tell about 6 quirks of yours. Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same. Leave a comment to let them know.

1- I have to shower as soon as I get up. It bugs me not too.
2- I am obsessed with time. I always have to know what time it is and it bugs me when I don't know what time it is.
3- I always lock the door when I am home. Even when people come over. They are locked in my house.
4-I have to have a plan. I hate it when I don't know what I am doing or what the plan is. I am starting to accept that life doesn't go to my plan for it. Ever.
5- I can be guilted into any job. I just can't say no.
6-I put the toliet paper so that it folds on top and not from the bottom. I never noticed this until my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law were talking about it.

I tag-- Nycole, Amber, Emily, Carrie, Kelly and Amy

Not for those who don't like the word Wiener----

2008-09-22T14:11:00.002-06:00

So in the car today Hunter announces that she is a girl and Aiden is a boy. I agree then she says that she is a boy. Aiden gets mad so I step in.

Hunter, you are not a boy, You are a girl.

I am a boy was her reply.

Boys have wieners hunny and you have girl parts ( we still have not decided on a name for that. I just can see her announcing it in church-- I have a....)

I want a wiener!

At this point I was about to crack up so I asked her where her wiener was. She then told me-- You cut it off.

I wanted to roll on the floor. Too bad I was driving. The next three minutes of the car ride and the walk to the house consisted of Hunter crying that she wanted a wiener. Where do they learn this stuff????? How do you teach a girl that she is a girl?

Where's ME?

2008-09-21T08:50:00.002-06:00

Hunter is getting to that age that she really understands a ton. This morning CHristopher was reading Aiden and Hunter a story called My Father and Me. He was reading it with Aiden's name and Hunter kept asking Where's me. She was pretty upset that the book was about a boy and his dad with no Hunter! She is so stinkin' cute!

Aiden's First Soccer game

2008-09-08T13:32:00.006-06:00

We had Aiden's very first soccer game this weekend. Nannie and Grandpa came to visit and we all hung out on the soccer fields. I know, I know soccer isn't cool but it is the only sport around here that 3 year olds can play. He absolutely loved it! He didn't really get that you had to take the ball from the other team but he was the only kid that wanted to play the whole time! I think that Aiden is better suited for track but at least he can run. Even if in soccer he doesn't get that you have to kick the ball.....

Aiden going after the ball

Aiden's Kick off-- the WRONG Way

The Correct Direction!!

Our Soccer Star

More Camping Pics

2008-09-05T18:04:00.007-06:00

Here are more pics as promised. I will try to explain each one.

This is at Lake Estes. Christopher is helping hunter fly fish. Notice the Stanley Hotel in the background.

Some of the kids at the lake. The girl in the front has bandages all over because she fell in the fire the night before. She was doing ballet by it and tripped. She had second degree burns!

This is such a cute picture. The twins, Claire and Chloe, Hunter James, Aiden and Hunter-bear all sat down on this step to eat Cheez-its. A total commerical pic for cheez-its. The first 4 are all with in a couple of months of each other in age!

Christopher, Bear and I one night.

This was in Rocky Mountain National Park. Christopher could hand feed the chipmunks. Our Friend Stacie absolutely hated the chipmunks and would freak out every time one came near.

James, Hunter James, and Aiden on a log by a really pretty river!

Us at the top of the Mountain. Aiden and Bear were sleeping , as was Hunter James. One family had gone home by this time too. With that all said we were still a large group. we definitely got some funny looks!

Christopher fishing

All of us walking through the grass. Breathtaking views!

Labor Day Camping

2008-09-04T15:39:00.005-06:00

What is labor day with out a little camping. We decided to head out to Estes Park with some friends from our ward. The girls and the kids left Friday at 4:00 am to get a site. Good thing we did too, because when we got there at 5 am there were only 4 sites left and we took three of them! In total there were 4 families-- 8 adults, and 11 children. Talk about crazy!!! It was so beautiful up there though. Definitely worth the early morning drive!

On Friday the girls set up camp by ourselves. The boys didn't get up there until 5 that night. we hung out, played with the kids, took a nature walk, you know the normal camping stuff.

Saturday we went to Lake Estes. It is a lake in the Middle of the town of Estes park. Right nest to our picnic table was this monster of an elk. it just laid there for about an hour. We fished at the lake and waded in it. It was freezing cold so we didn't really get that wet. We did get to see the hotel that was the inspiration for the book by Stephan King, The Shining.

The Stanley Hotel

Our Monster Elk

On Sunday we went to Rocky Mountain National Park which was breathtaking. We followed a road that went up to 11,000 feet and had a overlook. The next two pictures our of Christopher and I on the overlook and the view. They are a little dark. Sorry about that.

On Monday we just packed up and came home. We were so tired. I will post more pics of the kids as soon as my friend emails them me!

Sermons We See by Edgar Guest

2008-08-28T13:24:00.001-06:00

So I heard this poem at Insitute the other day and I thought it was great. We should always teach by example and not by lecture or words. A lesson I need to learn.

Sermons We See by Edgar Guest

I'd rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example's always clear;

And the best of all the preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it
if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.

When I see a deed of kindness,
I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles
and a strong man stays behind

Just to see if he can help him,
then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful
as I know that friend to be.

And all travelers can witness
that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them,
but the one who shows the way.

One good man teaches many,
men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed
is worth forty that are told.

Who stands with men of honor
learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language
which to every one is clear.

Though an able speaker charms me
with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon
than to hear one, any day.

Seriously So Blessed

2008-08-27T13:52:00.001-06:00

If you want a good laugh you should check out this blog. It is a girl that satirically writes about her perfect Mormon life. It is seriously so funny.

We survived our first Tornado

2008-08-25T13:50:00.005-06:00

9news picture of the tornado, I believe that the houses in front of the tornado are in the subdivision that we live in. It wasn't really that close to them

We had our first experience with a tornato this weekend. It was raining really hard around our house and all of a sudden a cop was driving around the neighborhood on his loud speaker. There is a tornado in the area, he was saying. I couldn't understand him but I knew something was up. Just then our friend Sam called our phone and said that there was a tornado by our house and he was coming to our house. We never really saw the tornado because it was raining and hailing too hard for us to see. Nothing major was damaged and we only got strong winds, tons of rain, and lots of hail. Our cars have some small dents but nothing to severe. We kind of wished out black avalon got hit so we could get a new paint job but sign, no luck. I think that I can offically check off living through a tornado off my life experience list. Next, maybe an earthquake......

This is the edge of the storm

Hail after one minute

5 years married, 10 years together.....

2008-08-21T14:49:00.003-06:00

August 23rd marked our 5 years of marriage and the 31st we will be together for 10 years. I love you, babylove.

I love you!

Happy Birthday Hunter Bear

2008-08-08T14:00:00.002-06:00

So this slide show has a lot of pics but it doesn't take too long, okay so it does! but she is cute. It is walk with Hunter from Birth to Two!

I love that I am a Mother

2008-08-08T12:47:00.004-06:00

Today I was looking at my friend Erin's blog. Erin and her husband are in the process of looking for a child to adopt. I was looking at their profile and others profiles who want to add children to their home. I am so choked up about those that can't have children on their own. I can't believe the amazing couples that are on the LDS website. I am just so grateful that I am able to have children and to experience pregnancy. I can't imagine what life would be like waiting for that child that you know would make you life complete. I am amazed by the selflessness of those who give their children up for adoption. I don't think they realize what a dream they are fulfilling for many families. What a sacrifice it most be to grow a child and to love it but to know you can't take care of it. HOLY COW! I wish that their would be enough children around the world with selfless parents like these to help those who would be awesome parents. Does anyone know if the church is against Surrogate mothers?

Hunter on Day One

Aiden: Day 3. he really wasn't that small but before the casts he would always pull his legs up!

Quasimodo

2008-08-05T21:13:00.002-06:00

Hunter Bear woke up this morning looking totally like Quasimodo. We think that she got bit by a bug while camping and is having an allergic reaction. We gave her some benedryl and that helped bring a lot of the swelling down. Pretty funny though!

Two year old pics

2008-07-30T20:47:00.004-06:00

Since Hunter will be two in 11 days we needed to get pics of her done. A girl who is in photography school shot some pics for us for free! She did great! The link for the pictures is http://www.kimsidwell.com/PROOFS/PROOFS/Pages/Hunter_%26_Aiden.html#0 .

She didn't edit most of them so you can see the studio background but most of them can be cropped out. Feel free to browse and give your opinion as to which ones you like. I really like this one---

or these ones in which she edited--

Not too shabby for a free studio session!

Not so much of a hike hike and A Baby Shower

2008-07-29T18:03:00.004-06:00

This weekend we decided that we would go scout out a place to camp in a couple of weeks and hike a little. But since it was so hot on Saturday we really didn't Hike much. We drove to a reservoir thinking that we could hike around and play in the water. The reservior that we choose sucked! You weren't allowed to have body contact with the water. Really???? a lake that you weren't allowed to touch? So weird. That is why we had a not so much of a hike hike. It was really just too hot without the water fun. Truth be told, I has walked/run a 5K that morning and was not really in the mood to hike. So we ended up in this tiny little mountain town called Deckers with an ice cream cone!

On a side note I made my first diaper cake for a baby shower. I was kind of excited. It turned out cute but I think that next time I could do a lot better. But get this--Aiden asked me if we got Naked at a baby shower. So funny. I guess when you say shower it means only one thing to him. I hope that it isn't THAT kind of shower....

Cute pics and Lazy days

2008-07-20T17:37:00.003-06:00

We haven't really been doing anything exciting this week. Just the normal swimming, playgroup and storytime! I did take some really cute pictures of the kids this morning!

Fourth of July

2008-07-12T20:12:00.008-06:00

The three amigos. Hunter followed those two boys everywhere. Aiden will really miss his cousins. He came home asking for a brother.

It has been a crazy last couple of weeks. It is becoming a tradition to go visit Christopher's parents house for the fourth of July. This year we went up two days before and hung out with the family. Christopher then flew home on Monday and I drove home with the kids on Friday.

On the third the boys went fishing and Amber and I went to Rigby Lake to swim. Swimming at Rigby Lake is not for the faint of Heart. You really can't think about what could be in the water while your children drink it. We think took our kids home to scrub them clean, and sent them off to take a nap. We ended the day with the rigby fireworks which are pretty good.

Hunters cute hair on the third

On the fourth we woke up early and went to the ward fourth of July breakfast. The food wasn't too bad then off to set up the chairs to get the perfect spot. It amazes me that you can go down to Idaho Falls at 9 o'clock in the morning and still have to fight for your spot. I think that trailers are set up on the road two days before! We then went to a parade in rexburg, a BBQ in Rigby and then back down to IF for the fireworks! Since it doesn't get get dark til ten we didn't get home until midnight! It was a long but fun day.
The next day was the infamous rafting trip. It definitely was a wake up call to the dangers of white water rafting. Overall, it was really exciting though. After the trip we went to another BBQ. Thanks Stephanie!

A picture of the rapids. It doesn't do the wave justice

Hunter-Bear attacking a cat at the BBQ. She loved it!

Christopher left on a plane on Monday and I stayed til Friday with the kids in Rigby. It was really fun. Amber, my sister in law and I just hung out. We went to the free movie in IF, the splash park , visited friends and practically family. It was really nice just to spend time with my in laws. They really are great. I can't believe how much I feel that my brother and sister in laws are just brothers and sisters. One night we all just stayed up til 2 talking. I am very grateful for the family I married in to.

Baby Cole, the youngest nephew

The drive home was fine. I am currently trying to erase it from my memory so I will be able to do it again!

Rafting

2008-07-06T20:07:00.002-06:00

This weekend we made our third annual rafting trip as a Schmidt family. Eight of us made the trek to Jackson this year. As usual we decided to double or pleasure by going down the stretch twice. The first trip was uneventful. Christopher fell out once and so did his sister Johnie, but neither one really cared. The second trip was a little scarier.

There is only one big rapid on the section of the snake this year, but that rapid was huge. The waves on the rapid were about ten feet tall. Since we made it through fine the first time we decided that it would be fine for Johnie and I to ride on the front and every one else would paddle. As we hit biggest and the first wave we were in trouble. Christopher's brother Philipp who was our guide, his brother Logan and Christopher were knocked out of the boat. At the top of that rapid we lost the only other guy, John, Christoper's dad. That left an unguided boat full of girls, two of which didn't have paddles. We twisted at the top of the rapid, went sideways hit the next rapid and flipped. We were all tossed about but no one was hurt luckily. We were pretty lucky to get all of our stuff back too. We almost lost our dry pack which had the car keys in it.
Go here if you want an idea of how I am sure we looked. This is a different boat on the same day. http://snakeriver.elevationimaging.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=566396&type=store&category=566392&ps=60&start=3&template=fullsize

I know that there were a ton of boats that flipped that day. It was the first time that Philipp had flipped a boat in all of his years of guiding. He was actually disappointed that he wasn't IN the boat when it flipped. I remember looking back at the boat when it started to twist thinking "we are going to flip." Then boom in the water.

200 Have and Have Nots

2008-06-27T21:24:00.006-06:00

So, I saw this on a random blog and thought it was pretty fun. The bolded ones I have done. It made me think s lot sbout what I have and haven't done in life!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a professional sports game
17. Been to the top of the Sears Tower
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse (of the moon)
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone snorkling52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Sung on a CD
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Seen the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper( the school newspaper)
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to see someone you love in hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play on Broadway
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon--does half count
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo's David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight (what female hasn't?)
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone's life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to sew
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had chicken pox
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter's Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik's cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Gotten a professional massage

Swimming

2008-06-27T14:49:00.002-06:00

This summer is the first summer that I am brave enough to take my kids swimming by myself. It helps that Aiden can totally swim with a life jacket on. They love it and I love it. I always forget to take pictures though so these are the only ones I have! We will get one with all of our tan selves next week!

3 Tag

2008-06-26T10:02:00.002-06:00

Joys--
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Life

Fears--
1. Moving for the 8th time
2. Not teaching my kids the things they need to know
3. Being old and out of shape

Goals--
1. Continue running or other exercise
2. Raise great kids
3. find happiness in everything I do

Current obsessions--
1. Blogging and reading blogs
2. Reading
3. Swimming with my kids ( about 4 times a week!!)

Random facts about me--
1. I am fiercely loyal to my friends
2. I love playing sports even though i suck at them
3. I want to sky dive someday

Tag--
1. Amber-- Come on!!!
2. Rebecca Aycock-- I know you were excited about you last one
3. Amy-- Just to learn more about you!!

Is Halloween far away?

2008-06-16T20:12:00.002-06:00

Aiden has been obsessed with what everyone in our family is going to be for Halloween. As assigned we are going to be-- Christopher--The Hulk, Me---Wonder Woman, Hunter----Catwoman, and Aiden--- Batman! Tonight Aiden had a conversation with Christopher that went something like this---

Aiden--"I want Halloween so I can get some treats!"

Christopher-" Halloween is still far away."

Aiden--" Can we drive there?"

I think that we tell Aiden that we have to drive places that are far way too much! I love his reasoning!

Rockies!

2008-06-11T14:31:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we got free Rockies tickets. We sat Right at the first base line and were only six rows up. It was pretty awesome. I think that it was the first rockies game that I sat all the way through! I am a little late posting the event because I couldn't find the cord to the camera that I used!

I survived Run the Rockies

2008-06-08T09:20:00.004-06:00

My running group: Brady, Erika, Tiffany, me and Erin

I almost didn't do the half marathon. You have to understand that I had a choice to make. I had ran almost 6 miles with the 10K crowd and they were about to branch off and be done with their race. I, on the other hand, had 7 more miles to go. If I only knew that the course was about to go up a two mile hill, followed by a mile and a half down hill, and a flat I am not sure that I would have continued. And if I had known that I had turn around and climb that really steep mile and a half downhill, I am almost positive that I would have turned around. But I continued on because I had something to prove.

When Erin, one of the girls I was racing with, passed me on her way back and said " HOLY COW!!!!" I knew that I was in trouble on the way back. I was on mile 7, and still feeling good but the 2 mile uphill climb was really starting to get to me. When the hill climb was over the course stated twisting sharply downhill which was awesome until I realized that I would have to climb this ridiculous hill I was running down. At mile 9 we turned around only to face the monster of a hill that Erin deemed HOLY COW. I walked up most of it. I was glad to get that hill over with but I was done. Physically, and mentally. I still had almost three miles to go. I walked most of the way back, alternating 30 seconds of jogging with a minute of walking. I did jog the last half mile but that was because it was on the Frisco Main Street. I had somewhat of an image to keep. ( This picture shows me in the distance with the mountains behind me)

What I taught was a three hour race turned out to be a 2 hour 33 minute race. Not too bad I think. Overall I finished 22 in my division and 83 in the women's overall. Granted, there were only 99 women. But I did beat some.

2008-06-04T17:33:00.005-06:00

This week we finally cut Aiden's hair. No, we didn't cut it into the traditional summer mohawk but into a faded cut. No worries though, I am sure the mohawk will make a comeback.

Hunter sported her first full ponytail to church this past sunday. It was pretty cute!

And we can't forget to meantion the new additions to our family. No, it is not two babies, or even two dogs but a new to us kids bike and a bike trailer! We are so excited to be able to go on family bike rides. Now if we could only get a bike for me!

A Crime Scene!

2008-06-01T09:49:00.003-06:00

Okay So not really. Aiden decided that he wanted me to outline him in blocks. Then he stood up and it totally looked like one of those chalk outlines. We tried to do Hunter too but she wouldn't sit still long enough to even do her legs.

2 hours 25 minutes and 39 songs later

2008-05-28T17:05:00.002-06:00

This week was my last long run before the BIG RACE. I was so nervous that I almost backed out of the race and the long run. Christopher told me that I wasn't allowed to back out and that I was going to do the long run. So being the obedent wife that I am, or the one whose pride was hurt when he called me a wimp, ran the thirteen miles. Okay, so i ran most of it and walked a bit too. I couldn't even run the last mile. I walked it. BUT it only took me 2 hours and 25 minutes. I was so exstatic! That is 11 minute miles which is great for me! So off to the big race. Wish me luck. I hope that the hill at the end doesn't kill me.

Go, Diego, Go

2008-05-27T11:26:00.004-06:00

When asking our kids what they wanted to do this weekend Aiden said he wanted to walk and climb rocks. Aiden has always been into hikes and walks and so we decided to go hike in boulder. We went to a place right outside of eldorado canyon. Aiden having decided that we needed to hike also decided that he needed to carry a backpack up the mountain that we were going to climb. By the way, he didn't think that we should hike just a little way but to the top of one of the flat iron mountains ( If you have ever been to boulder you know what I am talking about!). So we start hiking, Aiden carrying 5 cars in a backpack, I was carrying Hunter in a backpack, and Christopher carrying the extra backpack carrier in case Aidens determination gave out. Well, after Aiden ran the first quarter mile, the trail got steeper. It was like going up a set of stairs. Did this deter our Diego want-a-be. Of course not! We had to make him stop every ten minutes to drink water and pour it on his bright red cheeks. We continued to climb for about a mile and a quarter before he finally started slowing down. We decided to start back down hill before he completely died. Halfway back down he said that we wanted his back pack to turn into a snowboard to slide down the mountain! Overall, our three year old lazy boy walked 2 and a half miles! 2 and a half! The last measured distance that we walked together was 1 mile! The rest of the night he was bushed. I think that he would hike everyday if we let him.