Yes we are alive! My blog has been severely neglected!

I feel like summer is flying by! We have camped a lot so far. Last weekend we were camping with my whole family, which was great because we hadn't all been together in a long time! But we had to leave a camp ground in Payson canyon (right by Payson, UT where I grew up) because of a bear that wouldn't go away and wasn't afraid of people at all. It came into the camp site next to ours about 4-6 times. The forest service tried to catch it several times but it kept getting away so they kicked us out for our own safety. We never actually saw it because of the trees between the camp sites, but Bryant heard it and the forest service got a picture of it. My oldest daughter was really upset by the idea of a bear so close to her, but she calmed down after a while.
Ashelynn 7, is growing up really fast and comes up to the base of my neck when she stands next to me. She will be taller than me in a couple years for sure. She did a basketball camp this summer and did really well. She can't wait for her birthday in August and wants to start planning a big party now!
Bryson is 4 and just learned how to ride a 2 wheel bike. We were at a friends house yesterday and he climbed on their little boy's bike. My friend held the seat because I was holding Caringtyn, and he just took off. He was a natural and never fell. I was amazed! I took the training wheels off his bike today and he did the same thing. I just held the seat for a second so he could get on, and then he took off again. Last summer he was jumping on our tramp and starting flipping all on his own, at 3! No one even showed him what to do. He is a ball of energy and makes us laugh all the time.
Caringtyn is 1 and is miss personality. She wants to do everything on her own because that is what the big kids do. She can give a really good mean face when she isn't happy and a very crinkled nose smile when she is. She is constantly climbing on anything she can and makes me very nervous when we go to the park. She loves to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" and does all the actions. She is really learning words quickly and can say: hi, mama, dada, dog, go, up, shoe, bye bye, baby, key, no no (complete with a finger shake), papa, jazz (our dog's name), down, all done, . . . and well you get the idea. She understands everything going on around her and babbles a lot too.
I will post pictures later! (i hope :{ )

Update Nov. to Jan.

It seems that life is constantly speeding up! I can't keep up with anything anymore. November brought more sickness to the kids, mostly Caringtyn. She can't shake the ear infections. She may need tubes. We'll find out next week. She has had an ear infection everymonth since October. Poor little gal! She is a strong baby though because she stays happy, mostly, despite the ear trouble!

Anyway, in Nov. we had Thanksgiving with Bryant's family. It was a fun time with lots of family and LOTS of food!

December went by so very fast I didn't get a Christmas letter out! I've been really good about it the last couple years, but not this one! Oh well! Hopefully I'll get one out soon. We did a ton of Christmas decorations like always; but its the last year we do all those lights on our house. Bryant slipped and fell off the roof right above the garage. He was ok, but pretty bruised. So enjoy the picture. The house won't ever look like that again!

Bryson turned 4 and had a fun bowling party. He gets very serious about his game. Over thanksgiving we went bowling with Bryant's family and Bryson beat all the kids 13 and under. Ever since then he takes it very seriously!

Santa stopped by our house too! Ashelynn and Bryson were amazed and Caringtyn cried when she looked at him. Something about that man makes little babies cry! :)

Ashelynn also had a piano recital and played very well. I was lucky enough to play a duet with her on "Joy To The World" It was really fun.

After Bryson's birthday we went to UT to spend Christmas with my family. They had a birthday party for Bryson also.

On Christmas eve Caringtyn started to walk a little. What a way to start her first Christmas! She can take about 10 steps on her own! Christmas was very fun and the kids got a Wii from Santa which we have all enjoyed! Bryant took Ashelynn skiing again and she did well. It was fun to be able to stay with my family for a week. We missed having my sister and her family there.

January has been a whirl wind too! Stake standards night practices have started and I am in charge of it all. I've been working on it since Oct. I finished the script just in time and got all the music in order. Just before we started practices, I was also called to be the primary president in my ward. I'm so blessed to have good councilors and secretary who are keeping the primary together right now! I feel overwhelmed to say the least! Standards Night is March 17th, so I hope to be sane by then! Caringtyn is sick again right now. Bryson got a bad cold and in her it turned into a respiratory infection. She was much sicker than I realized, so I feel bad! Ashelynn is just starting to cough now, so it continues!

I got to visit my sister and her family in Houston this month too. It was so fun to see her and her family. It was nice to get a little warmer weather too. She lives in a great area and has so much shopping I am jealous! We got to go to NASA too. It was awesome. I wish Ashelynn and Bryson could have seen it. They would have loved it. It was such a nice visit and nice to get away. I also got to see Cameron and Michelle because they live in Houston right now too!