Ruxton The Mighty Hunter!

About a month ago Ruxton came and asked me if he could go hunting? I told him that he could and then he came back and asked if he could hunt Rabbits! I said sure anything to get him out of the house and not be board, I told him that it was a great idea. Well a few moments later I hear this hooping and yelling, I looked out the window and I see Ruxton jumping around in the back yard excitement very evident. I told Addler I think Ruxton has shot something. Addler hurries out and this is what shows up at my door a few moments later. He was so happy. But of course this is not the end of the story this is Ruxton there is always "his" side of the story, that is always worthy of writing down to be left in history forever! He says he went out saw the rabbit and shot it, it went down and he said it started making a really loud noise, he was scared for a minute especially when our cat come out of no where and finished off the rabbit. He was really grateful for the cat, and calmed down after he realized that it was just the cat. So then he did his celebration dance that I was witness to. Then Addler shows and the two of them have a conversation about what to do with the rabbit, how to pick it up. Addler made the suggestion that he lift it up by the hind legs, so in Ruxton's words, "I was kind of scared but I just grabbed it by the back legs." He took it to his Gandpa Tubbs and showed him telling him that he was a little worried because he wasn't sure if it was dead, Grandpa grabbed it smacked against a log and said, "now go skin it!" Ruxton was so excited he came in talking about mounting the head on the wall and I explained that you really just can't do that, his comment after a moment of thought was, "Ya I guess you don't see rabbit heads on people's wall." It was a lot of fun and didn't end there, he went out and shot another rabbit. Needless to say his brothers were way impressed with Ruxton and he is now considered the best hunter. And Old, I believe her name is, Martha the gun is way better than old Bess the other gun. (Ruxton named them if you hadn't yet guessed.)

I have a bit of disclaimer, we are not a gory family with no respect for animals, this was the story from a five year old perspective, and I love it and love this kid.

Just a couple of pictures of Holdan to go along with the hunting story. The bottom one is of something that stunk if you can't guess, he can be cute!

Christmas 2010

My kids love to look through old photo albums and look at picutres, of all of the pictures their most favorite is to look at Christmas pictures. I think that it brings back the magic a little bit. I know I am the same way about looking back at Christmas pictures when I was a girl. So this the reason for the many pictures that I am posting. We had a great Christmas. I loved having the kids in a realm where Christmas wasn't all about Santa and presents. We got to study a lot about Christ and his birth and life. I decided to read a series of books that Gerald Lund wrote on Christ, and I loved it. It brought a huge understanding of the culture and life that Christ could have lead. It reflected a lot through what I was sharing with the boys. It was a Christmas full of the spirit of Christ and it was a blessing to have the children "around" me to share the feelings that I was having with no interference from the worlds view of Christmas.

The Monday before Christmas we took Family home evening and dinner over to Bull Canyon grandma and grandpas. We also took our nativity puppet show for them. It was a very special start to a special Christmas. We love these two individuals very much, they hold a very special place in all of our hearts. They shared some of their childhood Christmas stories with us. It was a wonderful evening.

There were still plenty of gifts from Santa and we had fun Christmas morning. Holdan as you can see got a hat from Addler and a new rope from Santa, the new boots are from Grandma and Grandpa Tubbs. He was a "Cowboy" He loves his new shirt too.

After Grandma and Grandpa Price came over for Christmas dinner, Shane and Wendy and what Holdan called "baby Santa" or Jemia came over. She is so cute I had to have a picture. A little bit after that Matt and Deneice and their family showed up it was so fun having lots of family to share Christmas with. The next day the Tubbs all got together again so we could all see Kyle and Jessica it was so fun! We talked and played games, not real normal occurance for the Tubbs' brothers, but they shared funny stories about their life as children. A fun memory not to forget. Austin enjoyed it more than he could express he loves his brothers.

Maestin got a piggn' sting for Christmas, and Austin fixed up an old calf tieing dummy of my brothers. It wasn't a big hit until half way through the day. Then it is all they wanted to do! Maestin and Ruxton got matching shirts, and Addler and Holdan had matching shirts. Oh! how cute! What is it with moms and matching cloths!

Austin showing Maestin how to tie the calf. Maestin had a few frustrating moments but mom got around to timing him, it got serious and fun!

Ruxton our mighty hunter received his own B-B gun (I don't believe it has been named yet) and a pocket knife. I was a little unsure if he really was ready to have a knife when in his excitement kept opening it and waving it around for everyone to see that it was "Chinese pointy" What does that mean?

Austin is so fun on Christmas, he patiently gets all the toys out of packages, and learns how to use each of them as the others are begging for their toy.

There is a funny story to this picture. Maestin received this race car track, and he got it out and attempted to put it together himself. After what you see there he asked for help. So I went over and started to help him. One part of the track requires the use of these little clear rubber bands. I had one and I asked Maestin were the other one was and he said, "Oh, I shot it over there, I just thought it was for fun!" He was upset but I had to smile because it is so typical of a boy to just flip it! We managed to make it work. Maestin also received a remote control helicopter.

Me and Holdan playing with his cool Diego play house. He loved it.

Holdan just waking up and checking out his gifts from Santa

Addler is playing with his new trailer chute and corrals, as well as a new leatherman thing.

The best story is saved for last. To sum up our Christmas we spent Christmas Eve with my Grandma Price and many cousins, which was a lot of fun. Then we left and came home and spent the rest of the evening with Shancy and Kade and mom and Dad. The boys did a nativity puppet show for them, that we tried to keep reverent. The boys went to bed eager for Santa. At 4:00 am Addler comes up and says that he cannot sleep. I send him back down, however he does have to pass by all the toys on the way. 3o minutes later he comes back up and says that he is board, I send him back down and tell him he can't get up until his clock says 6:00 Well right at six he was up and our morning began. I got up and noticed that Addler was excitedly telling his brothers what they need to look at in their spot of toys, and he was ready to open his presents, not super excited over what he had, like maybe he had checked it all out already. Maestin informs me later that Addler was bringing candy from the stockings down to share with Maestin and who knows or maybe I do know what else he played with for his magic exciting Christmas morning before the rest of us joined him!

P.S.

I am a little upset that I didn't get any pictures of the price family party or New Years Eve so I will write instead. My family had a fun party the Monday after Christmas. It was crazy fun. There are just some many little people everywhere, that I couldn't even think about anything! Besides that I made a note to myself not to get in Kinzies' way when she is ready to fight, she scared off all the boys with her crazy sword fighting... I mean playing! Grandma put together a fun treasure hunt for the kids for the Christmas present with fun surprises at every clue, but the final present was a hit, a fooz ball machine. It was fun to see all my family and to play games and have a good time!

New Years eve, I had sick kids so I decided to have a celebration at home I went to town and got some carne azada and invited Kade, Shancy, and Zane over. I thought it turned out good, and it was a very enjoyable evening of just visiting, we had games but didn't get around to them. It was so nice when Kade decide he was tired at 10:00, hey we were too. They headed home and we had a very uneventful bringing in of the new year. Zane and Holdan had a blast with only one minor clash that Zane has still not forgotten. Thanks for coming over and celebrating with us you two Arbon folk it was fun!

Merry Christmas

I wanted to put a Merry Christmas to all of you. I didn't get as many Christmas cards out this year as I normally do, SO I thought I would send out a blogger Merry Christmas! Last year Austin and I enjoyed so much putting down thoughts of each of our children for the Christmas card, I have have really missed thinking about each child very individually and coming up with a word or two to describe them. I want to do something similar and do our family as a whole.

Teaching: Ours has become a home of children teaching parents as parents teaching them-life changing

Unique-our family is very unique in lots of ways and we love it

Boisterous-with a house full of boys! Driving each other Bonkers! (Maestin's word)

Blessing, we have been a truly blessed family in all aspects of life.

Simple, we are trying to make life as simple as it can be.

Family History-we are trying to involve everyone in this.

All about having fun together as a family.

Making a difference in our own lives and the lives of others.

Interested in cow, roping, camping, sports, guns, books, and being a happy family

Love working together on the ranch

Yearning to do what the Lord needs us to be doing.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you all, and I hope that the light of Christ is bright in your homes this year. Our family has a strong testimony of the importance of Christ's light in our lives and home.

Uncle Elder Bowdrie!

Uncle Elder Bowdrie sent the boys some sour heads. This has been a long lasting fun with them and Bowdrie. I think that they forgot how sour they are! Holdan had never tried and probably won't ever again. It was funny! Thanks for the intertainment Bowdrie.

Basketball

Throughout October Maestin and Addler played basketball. They loved it!
We did too. While Grandma and Grandpa Price were there watching one of their games I said now isn't this so much more fun than watching them wrestle! I can't even tell you how much more enjoyable it was to just relax and watch them have fun, instead of working there guts out just to win, and being so nervous before they wrestled they get sick. It is like Maestin said coming home after playing a fun game. He said, "Mom, why did Kade and Bowdrie even like Wrestling?" I said good questions I am not even sure they liked it that much. There is so much good they can get out of wrestling, but no fun for mom!

This was Addler's first year to play and he did so good! He actually surprised us a bit. He would play all the quarters they could sneak him into without getting in trouble. He was aggressive and would just dribble straight into the basket and not care who was in his way. He would score numerous points each game. He was an awesome defender, as well, they would always put him on the other teams top scorer. He was on a fun team of just 1st and 2nd graders, however, they got the game a bit and would pass it under the basket. He was a lot of fun to watch and he had a ball. He would be all over the court getting loose balls!

These are all pictures of Addler during the game.

Addler heading down the Court!

I was the mom of the year and forgot to grab my camera for Maestin's game. We would start with Addler's game at 9 or 9:30 come home for a bit and back in for Maestin's game so I forgot. But here is a picture of him with his medal. His coach got his whole team a medal and on ice cream from the drive in because they went undefeated. He played with 3rd and 4th graders. Maestin had so much fun this year, he was on a team with a boy that would fast brake with him. So Maestin and Cameron would steal the ball and run down the court and score. Maestin is a scrapper and gets lots of rebounds and loose balls, if there is a loose ball Maestin is there. In each game each kid has to sit out a quarter, during the last game his coach sat out him and Cameron together in the third quarter. Their team fell behind I think ten or more points and you could just see and anxiousness in their eyes. As soon as they were back in, they took control won the game by ten or more. He was so much fun to watch, and Maestin and Cameron brought back of few memories of watching my high school sweet heart and Bry play! It was fun! Maestin is now on a traveling basketball team and will be playing in January, so the end of basketball posts is not over!

I can brag about my kids like this right?

Thanks Gradpartents Tubbs and Price for coming to all of their games they loved having you there!

Maestin and Addler piano recital

Maestin and Addler had a piano recital in October. They both played a couple of songs one of which was a hymn. They memorized and practiced really hard. Maestin was super nervous. I am so glad that he had to do this now so when he really does have to play a hymn for the whole priesthood he wont be as nervous. Addler didn't seem nervous but almost just didn't do one of his songs after he had practiced it, I said ya you are. They did great! They can't wait to be able to play any hymn because that is when mom will let them be done with piano lessons...they think.

Before we left

Addler, Maestin, and Holdan

Trudy Ward their amazing mentor

Maestin, Addler, and Enoch Ward (Maestin's friend and amazing piano player)

Addler playing

Maestin playing

You are wondering what this is a picture of... this is Ruxton being Ruxton while I was trying to take a picture of the boys!

Boys will be Boys-Spring please come fast!

This is what boys will do if they have been in the house too long! This was just before Christmas, Ruxton started to yell one evening we all looked and this is what he had accomplished. Maestin of course couldn't be shown up by a little brother, and he attempted it and got it figured out after a couple of tries. Honestly there is never a dual moment in our house. All of us are just counting the days to when we can all go outside and play all day!

Look mom no hands! His feet are flat on the wall weird!

Holdan dressed up like a cowboy.

Ruxton wrapping Christmas presents, it was fun this year I just put the presents that they were wrapping for each other in a box and then let them at it. It was interesting to see the end product...but I didn't have to do it. They loved it, and it just adds to the magic and spirit of Christmas. We stated a new tradition last year, we all went out of town to shop for each other for Christmas, the boys love to get presents for each other. They are so close, that they know just what to get each other. Then we all go out to eat in a nice restaurant, the boys learn how to eat out in a nicer environment. It is a lot of fun and look forward to it each year. Ok, maybe they don't all love to shop, they all hate it, but mom loves to have everyone together learning how to be more than just ranchers out in the sticks!

The NFR!

Austin tried to surprise me with a trip to the NFR the first of December. It is pretty hard to put something like this together with four kids and still leave it a surprise. However, I was so excited. We had some friends from Blackfoot, Jason and Kelley Mouton invited us to go with them and stay in a condo they had there and they also had access to awesome tickets, eight rows up form the roping chutes! We both had a great time and loved it. I have always wanted to go, I watched the finals every year of my life since I can remember, I have memories of going to the church and using their VCR and TV to watch Roy Cooper win the world, because we didn't have one at home! This is a dorky picture of us at the rodeo, we went to two performances, and then went to all three of the cowboy Christmas's they were fun but I was tired by the end of the day! The boys were very jealous that we got to go, and I hope to take them someday. They stayed with a very wonderful Grandma and Grandpa Price again, and had fun staying up and watching the action. Thanks Mom and Dad for being willing to do this so we could go!

I had to get a picture of Tuff Cooper after he ties a fast calf. He is talking to his dad Roy Cooper a world champion. The Boys loved watching Tuff and loved that I go this picture!