The Roche Family

Moab marathon

2011-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

I never imagined I would run a 1/2 marathon- let alone pay to run one!- However- last month on March 19th- My sisters, Mom, Dad & I drove down to Moab to run 13.1 miles- My dad was our cheering section and my mom did the 5 mile!-

On our backs we all had "Runnin for Kutt"- it made be proud to be running for him- I'm sure he was looking down on us cracking up and thinking we were crazy!
It was a huge accomplishment for me- if you know me- I am not and never will be an avid runner- It definetly does not come easy for me, but I love how I feel after I am done!- I am so glad Jody inspired me and so thankful that Courtney likes to go my pace! I was so proud of my Mom, it was a huge thing for her, she had gone to the doctor the day before and has bone spurs in her neck- it would have been so easy for her to give up and say I can't do it- She did a great job!- My dad was quite a trooper himself- He drove us all the way down and all the way back- it was a quick trip, but very memorable!

Winter fun!

2011-04-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

We have so much fun every winter- my kids love the outdoors and love to be on the go! Easton learned to ski this year- I was going put him in lessons, I decided to take him up to the hill the night before and see if he liked it or not!- Luckily, his Aunt Courtney was their and he loved it!- He was flying down the hill after the first couple runs- it terrified me to see him going so fast- I kept yelling for him to slow down- he would just smile and say- "It's to much fun."

Cat hunting (Mountain lion) is the other thing that keeps the boys busy in the winter- Jay has 8 hound dogs and loves to take them out anytime he has fresh snow or gets called on a track- Hunter loves to go with him, he usually gets to invite a friend along- Hannah & Tyler are usually the lucky ones!- They always have a blast!

Sledding is the other thing my family loves to do- the best part is, we have a sledding hill in our back yard! My dog Ki-Ki even joins in the fun- she loves to chase the kids down the hill!

Every year Jay & I usually take a trip to Mexico- however- we didn't get to go this year, we figured the next best thing was to take the kids on a little mini vacation to a super fun hotel in SLC that has a water park inside the pool!- The kids loved it- it definetly wasn't my pick but we had a great time!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

We get together with Jays family every Christmas Eve- We always have a wonderful dinner- Sherry usually has us down and she goes above and beyond for the meal!- We open gifts from all his family and the kids play all day- I love getting together with them- We have such a great time every year!

When we get home we let the kids open 1 gift- Surprise-Surprise- Yes it Pajamas!-

We always read the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and lay out each of their stockings- They love getting in their new PJ's and cuddling up on the floor to read the book! We then put them to bed and the waiting begins-
Then the sled tips over and its a mad house for the next few days!

After we do all the gift opening at our house, we head down to my parents house for an amazing breakfast and you guessed it- more gifts!

My parents are the most amazing people in the world- They did so much for us this year- The special part about all they did for us- It was all homemade- My dad made Hunter & Easton a barn and a shed that goes with it- My dad and Josh made Mackie a doll house- He got pictures of all our families and made the neatest puzzles out of them- My kids love it! My mom made quilts for each family- My dad tied every one of them- She also made PJ's for the boys and aprons for all the girls- they even filled our freezers with meat for the winter- WOW words can't express how wonderful they are! I truly have the most amazing parents and I love them so much-

It was a wonderful Christmas and I am so thankful for my amazing family!

Christmas pics!

2010-12-20T15:57:00.001-08:00

This year has been so busy- I didn't get around to sending any Christmas cards. After church I decided I should at least get a couple pictures of the kids in their church clothes!-

I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

School Christmas program

2010-12-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Every year Inkom Elementary has a Christmas program- They do such a great job on it!-Hunter's class sang a couple songs and then they danced with their partner- He was a little afraid to dance in front of everybody, but he did a great job!- I was so proud of him!

He has so much fun going to school with his cousin's- I don't know what it is, but everytime we take pictures, we have to have a funny face one! Hunter's teacher, Mrs. B, is amazing!- He doesn't love school but he does love his teacher!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving this year at my Mom & Dad's house- I'm sure they get sick of us but, we keep going back!- We always have way more food than we can eat but, we sure try!- I'm so thankful for the many things I have in my life!- I have a wonderful Husband, three beautiful children that I love so much- an amazing family on both sides and so many other things that I can't start to name!- I have been so blessed and I am truly thankful for everything in my life!

Basketball Season

2010-12-20T15:23:00.001-08:00

Hunter played Basketball for his 1st time this year- He loves it!- Once again I am thankful that he takes after his Dad- He is such a good little player- He made 6 baskets in his 2nd game- He is so fun to watch!- I keep telling him in High School he will have to choose between Basketball and Wrestling- He loves them both- He's hoping by then they will let him do both!

Mackie's dancing debut!

2010-12-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

Mackie had her 1st dance recital in November- She looked absolutely adorable- however, she would not dance at all!- She was so excited to dance- she loves to take lessons and loved looking in the mirror- She was terrified when she walked(was carried) out onto the floor!- I felt so bad for her.

After she stood and cried for a minute, she looked up and spotted me in the stands- She didn't last even a second after that- she was heading off the floor!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Yes- I know I'm a little late- I figured I needed to catch up before the new year or it will never get done!- My kids are growing up so fast- I no longer get to decide what they are going to be- They tell me!

Every year we go to my Grandma Green's house on Halloween- This year she had a surprise for us- She was all dressed up and looked adorable!- What an amazing Grandma she is- I love her so much!

Antelope Hunting

2010-11-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

Jay took our boys and his cousin Justin and his boys Antelope hunting. They had a blast- My boys had so much fun playing with there cousins that they don't get to see very often!

Later in the afternoon they met up with my dad- They loved getting to shoot Grandpa Stewart's pistol-

Bear Hunting

2010-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Jay takes clients bear hunting every year- this year my Uncle Richard and his son Daniel came out to Idaho to go!- They had a great time. Hunter loves going with his dad- I still can't believe how he can go through the mountains- he is amazing for a little boy- when they got to one of the baits, they found a little cub bear that had been dead for a couple hours- Jay called the F&G and they checked it out and let him keep it!

In September, Jay, Hunter, Hannah and I went with my Uncle Rob and Preston and Jay's brother, Travis and his wife Crystal to Cascade to go hunting for a few days. Jay forgot to mention that we were staying out in the wilderness in tents with no toilets or running water- nothing!- It was definetly and adventure- We had a great time and I will never take for granted campgrounds again!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

This year the kids all thought they had to have their own pumpkin- Luckily, Jay was home to help!- I don't love carving pumpkins! After we were finished carving, the boys wanted to carry there pumpkins out to the front porch, and of course, Mackie had to carry hers!-

Dancing Diva!

2010-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

I put Mackie in dance about a month ago- I wasn't sure if she would do it or not. SHE LOVES IT- She dances all day and I love watching- At first Jay thought I should wait (I don't think he is very excited about going to dance recital's)- Now- every chance he gets, he tells Mackie to do her dance for him!- it is so cute!

Fall Soccer 2010

2010-11-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hunter and Easton both played Soccer again last season, they are both improving so much. It's so fun to watch them from year to year!- I never thought I would be one of those crazy soccer mom's, but I love cheering them on from the side lines!-

Next year will probably be really crazy- Mackie can't stand watching, she wants to get right in their and join her brothers!- I love this picture, you can see how intent they are watching Easton play!

Back to school

2010-09-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hunter was not that excited to start school- he would much rather play all day than sit in a class and learn to read and write!- He has a wonderful teacher this year- Mrs.B- She will be so good for him!

Easton started pre-k this year- He is going to Mrs. Jen and so far he loves it!- He thinks he is so big- Mackie is not sure what to do with the boys both gone- She sure misses her brothers!

Summer fun!

2010-09-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the summer has come and gone and I'm so far behind!- We had a very fun and busy summer!- We went camping a few times- went to lagoon- entered some rodeos, went boating and just enjoyed the outdoors! In June we went up to Mackay and camped with Jay's parents and sister and her kids!- We rode in to a high mountain lake and fished for the afternoon, I was so proud of my kids, Hunter & Easton rode all the way by themselves and Mackie rode with me and Jay. Grandma Jo decided she wanted some pics with her and Mackie, they turned out so cute!

The next weekend, we went to Island Park camping with our good friends- Matt & Stephanie and their kids!- Once again, the kids had a blast-
Mackie fell into the Buffalo River while watching her dad fish- Needless to say, it ended the fishing trip a little early! We went to West Yellowstone the next day and watched Old Faithful- I think my boys were a little disappointed- they thought it would last longer and be more exciting- the good thing is, we won't need to go back for awhile!-

We took the boat out and had so much fun- My kids all loved the tube and Jay loves to knee board- He is looking a little wore out in the one pic! Madison knee boarded and did such a good job- I even got a pose for the picture. We went to twin lakes and had a little bbq- It's amazing how fast we can plan a party!

Jay and my dad took the boys fishing all the time- they love it!- I'm never sure who has more fun, Jay or the boys- He loves taking them and they love going! It looks like they catch more than just fish- I'm not sure however what that animal is!

Easton and Boedy played in the creek at the Grays lake rodeo- they came back soaked from head to toe- some days I have to remind myself- just think of the memories and take pictures- It does no good to yell at them for having fun! Luckily, I thought ahead and brought extra clothes-

4th of July

2010-07-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July this year!- We were in the Inkom parade on the 3rd and then we went to Lewiston and were in the rodeo down their! On Sunday, we went to Casey's house and had a bbq and the guys team roped! The kids love going out and roping the steers! We also got suckered into buying a new pony, his name was Chance but Hunter changed it to Lucky!

We all had a great time and were exhausted at the end of the weekend!

Mackie's 2

2010-07-19T13:08:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my little princess is already 2!- She has grown up so fast!- She thinks she is 18! Mackie has been such a joy in our life's. She has such a fun personality and loves her brothers so much! She is constantly following them around wanting to play everything they are doing! She is such a little tomboy!- but she also likes to play with her dolls and always has a purse on her shoulder! She is definetely a momma's girl, unless her dad is going outside then she wants nothing to do with me!

Hunter's 7th Birthday!

2010-06-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe my baby boy is already 7!- Hunter is such a great little boy!- He is growing up so fast, I'm sure he will be taller than me very soon! Hunter is such a little helper when he's not playing!- He loves life to the fullest!- If he is not riding his dirt bike, he's riding his four wheeler or his regular bike! He loves the summer time weather, he sets up the slip and slide daily. Their is never a dull moment when he is around! He is the best brother and he loves Easton and Mackie so much! He is an amazing athlete already and I know he didn't get that talent from me!

Hunter love's going hunting & fishing with his Dad!- Jay calls him his little Mountain Goat- It's amazing how good he can walk up & down mountains all day long and never wear down!

I am so proud of Hunter and all that he does and love him so much!-

Moving cows!

2010-05-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

We go to Mackay every spring and move cows for Jay's parents. It is so good for the kids to go and ride. It's a really easy ride and they have so much fun! Hunter and Easton both rode their own horses and were the cutest little cowboys!

Kindergarten Graduation!

2010-05-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hunter graduated from Kindergarten today! I can't believe the school year has already come and gone! Hunter's teacher this year was Mrs. Stevens! He loves her, he had tears in his eyes when he left today! She is such an amazing teacher and loves the kids so much! Hunter is so excited to be out of school for the summer!

Easton's 4

2010-05-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Easton!- Easton is such a sweet little boy!- He is such a good brother and always willing to help! He loves to go exploring around are house with Ki-Ki and always wants to dress like a cowboy! He is such a little charmer with his big blue eyes! I love that he loves to give hugs still and always tells me he loves me!- I can't believe he is already 4!- He tells me that he is big enough to go bear hunting with his dad all the time now!

Grandma Cindy made Easton a new quilt with Bucking Bulls on it and some new chaps for his birthday!- He was so excited!

Dodge rodeo!

2010-05-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Every year my whole family goes to the Dodge rodeo!- It's fun to go and watch and the kids love it! The boys thought it was so cool when they got to meet the bullfighters! Boedy and Kammi both rode sheep and they did such a good job!

New Addition!

2010-05-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ki-Ki is the newest addition to our family! I went to the pet store and fell in love!- It's a little ironic for a person that can't stand dogs to fall in love, but I did! My kids love her and so far she has been such a good dog!- She never barks and loves to play with the kids!

Grandma Cindy even made her a special pillow with her name on it!

Wrestling & Soccer

2010-05-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy spring already, we started out with wrestling, Hunter is such a good little wrestler, he makes me so proud! His season ended early however, when he broke his arm in the match at Firth!- I would be okay is he didn't wrestle anymore, however someone asked him the other day if he was going to keep wrestling and he responded,"Of course I'm going to keep wrestling, I'm like a professional you know!" It was so cute, so it sounds like we will be at it once again next season!

The soccer season has also come to an end!- My boys love to play soccer and they are both pretty good players! Easton scored a few goals and Hunter scored 2 or 3 every game! Once again, they made me proud!

Ice Fishing

2010-05-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

We went Ice Fishing with the kids in January, they had so much fun! It was very cold, but it didn't seem to bother them! We caught a ton of fish and made great memories!

It wouldn't have been a fishing trip without Grandma & Grandpa, Boedy and of course Jack!

Easter Fun!

2010-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

My kids were so much fun this year for Easter. The fun started on Friday when we decided to make and decorate Easter cookies!- I let them all decorate a few cookies, after watching them, I decided to do the rest and let them enjoy their own!

The Easter egg hunt got snowed out on Saturday, they ended up moving it into Inkom Elementary and the kids still had a blast!
Gotta love an Idaho Easter egg hunt!

Later that day we decorated Easter eggs, the kids loved it. Mackie kept throwing the eggs in the dye and dumped blue dye all over, she is such a little angel!

Easter morning, I couldn't figure out why Hunter was up so early, he later informed me that he had set his alarm clock for 5:00. Luckily, he looked at what the Easter bunny brought him and I was able to convince him to go back to bed. I called my dad at 8:00 to see if they wanted any company for breakfast!- You can't beat my dad's biscuits!

After we watched conference, made more cookies, and gave the kids a bubble bath!

We went to my parents house for dinner, we stuffed our selfs with my mom's wonderful cooking and once again the easter egg hunt was moved into the house.

Mexico 2010

2010-02-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Last month, we went on a wonderful vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We had so much fun, it was so nice to get away from the cold for a week! We had great weather the whole time and loved the sunshine!

One day we took the ferry to Cozumel and rented scooters for the day. It was so much fun, we went around the whole island and stopped every little bit to snorkel or eat or just sight see!

Another day we went on an adventure tour. We had so much fun, it took us right out of our comfort zone but we had a blast!

We went rapalling, zip lining and snorkeling under a cave, I would love to go again, even though I was terrified!

Our resort had a tennis court and we played a couple different times. It was so much fun, I'm not the best player but still had fun! It was an all inclusive resort so the rest of the time we laid on the beach, or by the pool,and ate non-stop!

New Year's Day

2010-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

On New Year's day, I decided what a better way to start out the New Year then with a PARTY!- So I called everyone and told them to bring their snow clothes and some food and put together a little sledding party!- The kids and adults had a blast, I had not went sledding forever and it was so much fun!

The next day the boys decided they wanted to go sledding again. Boedy had stayed the night, so they got all their snow clothes on and went out to sled. When I looked out the window, they had all the sleds tied to a rope and they were trying to get them up the hill!- It was so cute, they got them all the way to to the top and had so much fun!

When I went in the kitchen, Mackie was standing on the chair watching them sled, it was so cute!

Christmas Fun!

2010-01-06T15:07:00.001-08:00

It seems Christmas came way to fast this year and left equally as fast!- I can't believe it's already over! We had a great holiday season, it started down in Utah with Jay's family. Brittany & Lyle got married and they had a family dinner, Lola had Santa come and my kids loved it.

It was so nice to see all of Jay's family and get to visit with them.
We then had our Armstrong Christmas party at my mom's house. The kids had a blast sledding and riding on the four wheelers.

After sledding, we had dinner and acted out the nativity, every year for as long as I can remember we have done this!- It is so fun and a great family tradition!

After singing songs, Santa showed up, once again the kids were so excited!- Easton loved Santa this year, everytime he saw him, he would run up and give him a big hug!-At the mall he snuck around to the Santa Claus exit and crawled right up on his lap! Santa was wondering were this little boy came from!

Mackie was not real excited to sit on Santa's lap!

For Christmas Eve we had all of Jay's family come to our house and had dinner and opened gifts. I'm not the best at cooking for a large group but, I think it turned our pretty good!

After Jay's family left, I always do the tradional PJ's on Christmas Eve!

Christmas morning was so much fun!- It was great watching the excitement on their faces!- I loved watching each of them show each other what they got from Santa!

We then went down to my parents house and had a wonderful breakfast and opened more gifts!- The elders were able to join us and it was so nice having them there. Hunter thinks Elder Matheney is wonderful and would not leave his side!- It was so nice to have both sets of my grandparents their and my aunt louise.

We had such a wonderful holiday season and we have so much to be grateful for. I can't express how thankful I am for everything I have and for my amazing family!-

Hunter's Big Catch!

2009-12-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Jay & my Dad take Hunter & Easton fishing a lot in the summer time. The boys absolutely love it and I enjoy the time to myself. Hunter loves to fish and always tells them that he's a better fisherman then they are. This time, it proved to be true. After he casted, hooked and reeled the fish in, the first thing out of his mouth was, "Dad, it looks like I got a keeper!" He was so excited, needless to say, he kept him and he is getting it mounted. When they took him to the taxidermist, the fish weighed 11.5 lbs. and was 30 1/2 inches long. Lucky for me, one more dead animal to hang on the wall!

I love this picture!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

This year we were able to spend the weekend before Thanksgiving at Jay's parents house. The kids had a blast but missed Reno and Hailey. Jay's mom cooked a wonderful dinner and it was nice to go and relax for a couple days. I'm so thankful for such a wonderful family on both sides. We have the most amazing parents and grandparents. I'm so thankful for my Husband and my little family. My kids are such a wonderful blessing in my life.

Hunter was showing off his lack of teeth!- I call him the toothless wonder and he's loving the song "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."
For Thanksgiving day, we went to my parents house and I ate until I rolled to the car! My mom always make enough for an army and I usually take it upon myself to try and finish everything!

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

This Halloween was quite eventful!- First, we went to the EPA gym in Pocatello, we were able to rent it for a couple hours and the kids had a blast!

We were then off to the Trunk or Treat at the church!-

We then, went to my Grandma & Grandpa's house! Every year we go and take pics with them- My kids get so excited to show them their costumes!

After we left my grandparents house, Jay decided since it was the last day of my sister's deer tag, we should take a detour and see if we could see any deer of the side of the road. So not even an hour later, we were taking these pictures!- Luckily, she made a good shot and it was not off the road to far. Casey was so excited, it was the first deer she had ever shot and was quite proud of herself! We were still able to go trick-or-treating it was just a little later then planned!

Soccer Game = COLD

2009-10-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

We went to 3 Soccer games on Saturday!- It was so cold! I love to watch my boys play so I had a hard time sitting in the car with Mackie. I decided to bundle her up and brave the weather. She did okay at the start but, it didn't last very long! Even in the cold, Hunter and Easton played so good!- Hunter made 6 goals and Easton had 2!- It is so much fun to watch them learn and improve at each game!

Mesa Falls!

2009-10-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Jay was out of town last weekend and Courtney and her family were going to Ashton for the weekend to stay at Nate's moms cabin/barn. She invited us and I was a little worried about going, I decided to go take my kids and they did great! I invited my brother Jake and his little boy, Tristan to go along. On the way home we decided, since I had never been to Mesa Falls to take a little detour and go.

The kids loved it, Jake thought we should go on to Yellowstone and make a day of it. I opted out, with 4 kids it didn't sound like that much fun!

Next best thing to Lagoon!

2009-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

We told are kids all year that we would take them to Lagoon!- When September came, we figured it probably wasn't going to happen. So, we took them to the Blackfoot fair instead! I'm sure Lagoon would have been a lot more fun and probably less expensive, but they had fun and that's all that matters, right??

I was so sick by the end of the day, it's a true sign that I am definetly getting old!!

Mighty deer hunter!

2009-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I drew on a "coveted (by men) deer tag, a really, really good deer hunt!" Jay says. So we hunted a few different days and passed up several big bucks. One morning we went out hunting and Jay said,"get off your horse." So I got off, he then told me to look at the deer, I said, "I can't see them." He told me to get my scope up, so I did as he said and got my scope up. I then shot and was then he asked what I was shooting at. I said,"the deer that you told me to put my scope on!" Come to find out, it was a really big 2 point!- oops!! He was not real impressed. I felt bad because Tyson and Brett had spent alot of time helping us. Luckily, the hunt was over and we made it back in time for breakfast!!

You can tell in the picture that Jay was not real thrilled!- He didn't even want to take pictures but Tyson convinced him, it would be a good laugh in the future! You can see he was alot happier with his mule then his wife!!

Camping Fun!

2009-08-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Island Park camping this last week. It was so nice to get away from everything and enjoy the outdoors. My kids loved having both sets of grandparents there. Jay's parents came down and stayed a couple nights and we all had a great time. Grandma Jo even got in the Tube! She lost her sunglasses but had a blast.

The kids loved tubing, they all have so much fun together- we are so lucky to have family and friends so close! Mackie loves being on the boat- however it's a little harder now that she's walking and wants to get down the whole time!

We stayed at Buffalo campground and the kids loved it. They rode their bikes all over and could fish right off the bridge. I used it more for a photo shoot!

We all enjoyed sitting around the campfire and roasting marshmellows in the evening. Jay helped Mackie roast her first marshmellow and it was the cutest thing, she loved it!

We had so much fun, but the kids were exhausted by the time we were ready to come home!

Back to School

2009-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have two kids in school already- one in Kindergarten and one in Preschool! They have both been so excited to start school. Hunter's favorite thing is to ride the bus and recess-(real shocker!)

Easton thinks he's as big as his brother and doesn't quite understand why he can't ride the bus with bubba.

It is so much fun being a mother and watching my kids through all the stages of their lives. I can't belive how fast time goes by, some days I want to freeze time and other days I wonder if I will ever have a single moment to myself again. Before I know it, they will be graduated and I won't know what to do with my time!

10 years!

2009-08-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to belive it has been 10 years since I last saw my little brother Kutter! Time has certainly flown by- I miss him so much. I think the hardest part is knowing how much my kids would love their Uncle Kutter! He was such an amazing little boy and loved kids so much! Not a day goes by that I don't think of him in some way- It's fun watching my boys grow up and I can see little things in them that remind me so much of him! I miss you Kutt!!

Mackie's Party!!

2009-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

For Mackie's party, we went to Casey's house(my sister) We rode horses, roped, bbq'd, and watched fireworks- It was alot of fun and Mackie loved being outside! I usually buy cakes for b-days, but I decided this year to get creative! It didn't turn out to bad! The pink one is sunglasses, I probably won't attempt them again, they weren't very cute! Mackie loved sitting in the weeds watching her dad Rope. He hasn't roped in 3 years and decided to give it a shot on my barrel horse, he actually didn't do to bad! He caught a few and my horse did great! Mackie wasn't quite sure how to open her presents but she loved what she found at the end! Her Uncle Josh helped her blow out the candles! You can tell in the picture she wasn't quite sure what to do! She loved her cake, she was so cute! She kept sharing with her dad- it was adorable!! Mackie is such a sweet little girl, she loves to give kisses to almost everyone! She is such a joy in our home- we love her so much!

Mackie's 1st Birthday!!

2009-07-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

I can't believe a year has already gone by! Wow!! Mackie is such a fun little girl- she is such a joy in our family! Her brothers think she is the best thing ever and her Mom and Dad think she is one of three best things ever!!
Mackie is already spoiled rotten- if she wants something, she will definetly let you know- she is still not walking but, she has her way of getting into everything!

I took her to Utah to get her pics taken- on the way down she was not real happy so being a nice Mom, I let her have a piece of red licorice (I normally don't do this because it's so messy) Well, here are the results of giving in!!

Luckily, after a little bath in the Kiddie Kandids sink, she looked as cute as ever for her pictures!!

Bear Hunting!

2009-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Jay has taken my boys bear hunting a few times in the last month! It makes me a little nervous but, they love it.

Last time they went, they decided to make it a family affair! Jay, Hunter, Easton, My Dad, Warner, Boedy, Jake, Travis and Brett all went. They had so much fun! Jay loves to go and take his boys. He is such a good dad and has so much fun with them! I love when my dad goes, he is very cautious so it makes me worry a little less.
We got a new camper and so they were able to camp down below where they hunted! Jay has 7 dogs and him and Hunter love to go, Easton is still a little young and gets tired easy, but I'm sure in no time, he will want to go as much as Hunter! ! As soon as Mackie gets a little older I'm sure we will be out with them!

Horse Riding!

2009-06-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hunter's been riding his horse alot lately- So I took him with me to one of my barrel racing's. He had alot of fun- He loves to go riding with Hannah, they have so much fun together!

Mackie has decided her little horse is her new favorite toy!- She is so cute- she bounces up and down and loves it!

Hunter's 6th Birthday!

2009-06-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little boy is already 6! Hunter is such a great kid!- He loves life to the fullest- he goes none stop everyday! If he's not out riding his dirt bike he's on his four wheeler or just playing with all of his friends! He loves his brother and sister so much. He is always willing to help out with them and play with them when I need him! He does have alot of his dad's personality which is not always the best thing- he has quite an attitude when things don't go his way!!

He really is a good kid and still hasn't forgotten how much I love when he gives me big hugs and kisses! He loves going hunting with his dad and loves his 7 dogs!! He always comes back and tells me he goes like a mountain goat! Jay says he goes better than most of the guys he goes with!! Happy Birthday Hunter- I LOVE YOU!!

Cooper Cole

2009-06-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Travis & Crystal, (Jay's brother and sister in law) had a beautiful baby boy on May 15th. He weighed 7lbs. 9 oz. and was 20 inches long. He is such a little cutie. They are such cute little parents. Travis has been wonderful. He has read the baby books front to back and knows everything there is to know! Hunter and Easton are so excited to have, "a new little buddy!" Hunter said.

Preschool Fun!

2009-06-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

Easton was able to go to a few days of preschool, just to get him ready for next year, he was so excited! Now everytime we drive past Inkom Elementary, he let's me know that it's his school!

Hunter graduated from preschool and is so excited to start Kindergarten. He learned so much in preschool this year, I'm a little afraid he will get bored- Hopefully the teacher is prepared, She gets him 2 full days! I was so proud of him at his graduation, he did such a great job!
I am so proud to be the mother of my 3 beautiful children!!

Memorial Day!

2009-05-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

On Memorial day we were going to the horse races and they ended up cancelling them because of the rain. We ended up going to the Ross park Zoo. The kids had alot of fun.

We then went to my two brothers headstone's. A little depressing, but it's always nice to tell my kids about their uncles. Hunter is at the age that he is interested in everything. Jay took the boys out in the field behind the cemetery. The boys were so excited, they caught a lizard for their uncles!- They put the first one on SJ's (Stewart Jr.)grave.

The next one wasn't so lucky- It escaped out of the plastic bag in my car on the way to Inkom- I'm hoping it found its way out of my car because I have yet to find it!!

Easton's Birthday!

2009-05-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Easton's birthday was on May 1st- I can't believe he is already 3 years old!!- He was so cute- He kept singing Happy Birthday to himself all day. I would ask him if he was the birthday boy and he would say, "No mom, I'm Easton." We celebrated Easton's birthday 2 times this year, once at Jay's parents house.

For his birthday we went swimming and out to pizza. Easton is the type of kid that it doesn't matter what we do, he will have fun! He is such a fun little boy to have around. He is such a little sweetheart. He loves his brother and sister so much and is so nice to his little sister! Not a day goes by that he doesn't say, "I want to go to Grandpa's house." I don't think he cares which one, he loves all his Grandpa's so much!

Roche Branding Day!!

2009-05-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Every year we get together in Mackay with all of Jay's family and brand his parents cows. The kids have so much fun and think they are such great helpers. It's so fun to watch them learn new things and learn things that they probably shouldn't. Jay's parents are wonderful and my kids absolutely love them. They have so much fun playing with their cousins and can't wait for Crystal to have her baby so they one more cousin to play with!!

Rodeo Fun!

2009-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

We went to the Dodge rodeo with my whole family. We ended up getting 30 tickets all together. It has become a family tradition to go on Thursday night with everyone!- The kids love it! We lucked out this year and only had to pay for the kids tickets- It made the rodeo even better!!

Easter 2009!

2009-05-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I'm a little behind with all my blogging- I'm trying to catch up the last month in a day! Easter was alot of fun, we decorated eggs the night before and the boys loved it, Mackie wasn't quite sure what to think! Easton thought the dye for the eggs was Candy and popped the Green one in his mouth- Needless to say, we had green every where. Luckily, it came out of everything!!

Easter morning, I forgot to take pics until it was time to go to church- Yes, I know I'm not a very good mom! It may have been because I was a little frazzled, I went to finish my cake for the Easter party after church and found this!!

Hunter's first jazz game!

2009-05-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last month Jana, Jody, Lacey and I all took our boys to the Jazz game- We had so much fun! We went to dinner at Red Robin were the boys tried out some lemons. We then did a quick run through the mall- The boys joined the Easter Bunny- they were all a little disappointed when they couldn't get him to talk!! Thanks for the invite Jana, we had a blast!!

9 Months old!

2009-04-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Mackie is already 9 months old. She is such a joy in our family. She has grown up way to fast, she says,"Da Da" and "Ma Ma", she can clap her hands, she does up to the sky, she stands at the side of the couch, and many other fun things. My favorite thing is when I pick her up and she starts patting my back, SO CUTE!! She hasn't quite mastered crawling, however she does scoot herself backwards and gets up on all fours. I'm sure in no time she will be all over the place!

Maysi the Gymnast!

2009-04-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

My cute little niece, Maysi, was in the Idaho State Gymnastics Competetion last Saturday. She did really awesome in all of her events, especially on the floor. She competed in vault, uneven bars, floor and balance beam. It was so fun to watch her. Maysi is only 8 years old and extremely athetic, she excels at everything she does!
She had gone skiing the day before and got a horrible sunburn- Her face was all red and looked like a big blister. She still did a wonderful job and we are so proud of her! Good Job Maysi!!

Wrestling Champ!!

2009-04-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hunter is done with his wrestling season- It was a busy month. He did awesome! He is such a good little wrestler. He's so fast and strong, most of the boys aren't sure what hit them! He ended the season undefeated. At every match he had quite an audience. My parents didn't miss a match and Jays parents and Grandma Coates drove all the way from Mackay to go to 3 matches, that's dedication! We really appreciate them coming all that way for a few seconds!! At a couple of the matches their were about 15 people their to watch him- I have such a wonderful family and I'm so glad that we are so close and support each other in everything!!

Love Spring!

2009-03-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

Today has been such a beautiful day!- I love Spring time! I especially love that my kids can go OUTSIDE and play- They love the outdoors and we have all been patiently waiting for nice weather! The only downside is they also love the mud, I've changed Easton clothes 3 times already today. Boedy came to play and when he comes over Hunter and Easton both think they need to change into cowboy clothes. Kids are so fun, I am so thankful for mine and that we have cousins so close that can come and play!

Wrestling!

2009-03-19T13:45:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to a wrestling match in Grace, it was alot of fun! Hunter is still undefeated and he loves to wrestle. He got done with his matches last night and asked if he could go again. It's so fun to go and watch but, also very nerve wreaking!

Happy 60th Birthday!!

2009-03-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jay's dad's 60th birthday on Saturday. Joanne, Jay's mom, had a surprise party for him at Sizzler. He had a great turnout and we all had a great time! Happy Birthday VerNon!!

8 months old!

2009-03-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Mackie is already 8 months old (she was actually 8 months on the 3rd but, Wow! How time flies!) We are so blessed to have her, she definetly runs the house hold!- Her brothers adore her, she loves to sit and watch them and they love to entertain, not a morning goes by that the first thing they do is walk in and give her a big kiss- she loves to eat, and play with her toys, and she is finally only waking up once or twice a night!! She is such a fun baby and is getting quite the personality.

Wrestling Month!

2009-03-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hunter started wrestling again last week- He has matches every Wednesday & Friday until April. He is so excited and loves to wrestle, he thinks he's pretty hot stuff!! So far he is undefeated, however he's only wrestled a handful of boys.

Luckily, my parents have gone to the last couple matches and it's very helpful with Easton & Mackie and Hunter loves that he has an audience!!

Little Angel??

2009-03-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

I thought Easton looked like such an angel in these pictures- He has however turned into a holly terror!!- Don't get me wrong, he can be so sweet, and he still loves to give kisses and hugs, however, he has very much so hit the terrible two's- I'm hoping they go away when he turns 3 in a couple of months!!

Little Helpers!!

2009-03-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

I was making cookies the other day and left the kitchen to check on Mackie- And thanks to my little helpers, Hunter was taking the cookies off the pan and putting them onto the cooling rack, It was so cute to watch him. After he got done, Easton & Hunter both helped themselves to a handful!

Cat hunting!

2009-02-19T16:52:00.000-08:00

Jay and Hunter went Mountain Lion hunting the other day- they had a great time. Jay says Hunter is like a Mountain Goat, they went most of the day and he hiked right along with him- If you have ever been with Jay hunting, you know it's not an easy task to stay close!

It's a little scary to think that my baby boy is out hunting and that close to Mountain Lions- Jay keeps telling me that he's safe!!

Two Teeth

2009-02-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Mackie has been sick constantly the last two weeks- she had back to back ear infections, Croup, and today we went and she had double ear infections and pink eye! I feel so bad for her- I swear she gets over one thing and the next day she has something else- She also got her first two teeth last week, no wonder she never sleeps at night!!

It's hard to believe she is still a pretty happy baby, she likes to feel her new teeth with her tongue- So cute!!

More Cabo Fun!

2009-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

If you ever go to Cabo, you have got to try Gardenia's! They have the best Shrimp Taco's in Mexico!- We went there just about everyday- Six of us went one day and 26 Tacos later, we waddled back to our hotel room!

The other must go dine place is Villa Serano!- We were going there one night and while waiting for our taxi, we decided to have a photo shoot!

Villa Serano is right off the main HWY headed towards San Jose- They have the best Coconut Shrimp in all of Mexico- Yiks- No wonder I gained 5lbs. in 7 days.

When we got back from dinner one night, we were all lounging by the pool- Jay dared my sisters to throw my mom in the pool for 20 bucks- Courtney and Casey tried to no avail- however, Jody showed up a minute later and heard about the deal- She couldn't pass it up, she almost had her in and to my mother's rescue came her loving Hubby- He proceeded to throw Jody in the pool and unfortunetly got soaked himself!

Jody then got out and made a deal with my mom- If she got in on her own- she would split the $20-so needless to say- They both got in and Jay lost $20!

After they were all soaked- we all decided a swim didn't sound so bad- we all went and changed in to our swim suits and started our first night of water games! Jody and Billy took the Gold in Chicken Fights between couples- Jody & I took the Gold in the sister's competition- Casey took the gold in Special Olympics, 1-Handed hand stand competition(she could only use one hand because she had to plug her nose with the other- Jody took the gold in the 2-handed hand stand and Casey took the gold in staying under the water the longest- I'm pretty sure the people at the resort thought we were all a litte crazy- Unfortunately, I have no photos, we were all in the water! Luckily, the Mexico hospital was right next door in case any injuries were sustained!!

Our Whale Watching Tour was probably the highlight of the trip- How many people do you know that have actually touched a Hump Back Whale?? Well- now you know at least a few- Jay, Jamie, Nate and My dad all touched the whale- It was unbelievable- we were out on the water a couple hours and they were literally playing with us 95% of the time-

Usually a whale will come out of water and then go back down for 5-8 minutes- I'm not sure why, but these whales acted like they really wanted us to touch them- We were literally on a raft with an engine and they would go from one to the other, right underneath us and then up to the the other boat- It was incredible, once again, if you ever go to Cabo- Go on a whale watching tour with Cabo Expeditions-Ask for Jose #3- I'm sure it won't be quite as good as ours was, but definetely a good time!!

We had so much fun- It was so nice relaxing on the beach and having no worries for a few days- however, I missed my kids tremendously. I want to thank my parents for all they do for us, they really are the best parents in the world!!- They are such a good example to all of us and truly are one of a kind- Thanks again Dad & Mom- We had a great time!!

Viva Los Cabos!

2009-01-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm not sure were to begin!! We had such a blast- My wonderful parents took me and all my siblings and our spouses to the beautiful & SUNNY Cabo San Lucas. We were their a week and had so much fun!- It was extremely hard to leave my 3 wonderful children and I almost bowed out early a few times- I was sure they couldn't live without me and I needed to get home- but I endured, and they survived- Thanks to my wonderful and very patient babysitter Melissa. She had my 3 and Casey's 3- If you know our kids you are probably wondering, Why would someone sign up for that!!

We patiently waited while they checked out our plane in the Hangar- There were a few problems and we were slighly delayed (2 hours). Needless to say we were all a little nervous getting on.

Once we finally arrived, we had so much fun- My Dad, Jay, Josh, Jake & Billy(Jody)all went fishing- they said it was the best fishing they have ever had. They all caught a Marlin, they kept Josh's and we cooked it the next night. I'm not a huge fish fan but it was so good- They blackened it on the grill and it was quite tasty!

One day we went to Lover's beach, on the way we spotted a whale-so our little skipper took us on a small detour and we were able to see a couple whales, in the meantime Casey(my sister) got a little sick, she wasn't really enjoying the detour so we decided it was time to head back to lover's beach- She had fed enough whales for the day!!

To be continued....

Happy 90th Grandpa

2009-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated my Grandpa Green's 90th birthday- All of his daughters and my Grandma threw him a wonderful party- There were at least 200 people there. He is obviously very loved- He is such a wonderful man and a great inspiration to all of us. It's hard to believe he is 90- he gets around great and never slows down- We love you Grandpa!!

Who says fat isn't cute?

2008-12-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

Mackie was so cute last night, she had sweet potatoes all over, so I stripped her and when I was cleaning up, she just kept laughing- I had to take some picures. This is her new look- we try to get her to smile and she just sucks her lip in-

Christmas Memories!

2008-12-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well christmas has come and gone and I can't believe in a few days it will be 2009- We had a wonderful christmas this year- we were able to spend time with Jays family on Christmas Eve and had a great time-Luckily we made it home before the storm hit!

Christmas morning was quite eventful- My parents ended up coming to our house to open gifts- I told them they would have no problem- they were close enough to home- a few minutes later- my mom entered my house looking like a snow bunny- they had got stuck in a huge drift outside my house and she had to literally kick her door open and crawl to flat ground because she kept sinking- when the time came to go home- they had to take Jay's snow machine down to their house to get the backhoe- luckily they don't live to far away.

It was a wonderful christmas and we are so blessed to have our family's so close- It's hard to believe not so long ago, I thought I would never have any kids- and know look at them- three!!

After my dad plowed us out we were able to go to my parents house the rest of the day- we had a huge breakfast and then the gifts- my parents got us copies of all the videos they had ever taken of us growing up- needless to say, we spent the rest of the day watching family home videos-We had so much fun looking back over the years- what a wonderful gift- We then had a huge dinner and all of us left for home with a belly ache-

2008-12-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

This week has not been the best- Jay went Hunting last Monday and one of his really good dogs was killed- His other dog got hurt really bad and was in and out of the Vet. Jay had to check him 3 or 4 times a night- Luckily he still has 5 others- it was pretty tough on Jay losing his dog-If you know Jay, you know his dogs are almost as important as one of his kids. They were still able to get a mountain lion later that day.

On Tuesday, Mackie started getting a cough- I didn't think much of it, but it gradually started to get worse. By 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, she had a 104.2 temp. and could hardly breath. I gave her some meds, we bundled her up and took out to breath cool air, her temp went down and she started to breath a little better. By 7:00 a.m.- she once again couldn't hardly breath- we took her to the ER- They gave her a couple breathing treatments and steroids, and then informed us they were going to admit her because she still wasn't breathing quite right. Needless to say, it was a long night, she is however feeling much better and I am so happy to have her home. It makes you see how fast something can happen and how truly blessed we are.

Christmas Fun!!

2008-12-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Armstrong Christmas Party on Saturday night- It was alot of fun- we all had a great time and the kids (most of them) loved SANTA!!

Mackie was so adorable at church on Sunday- Every little girl needs a new Christmas dress, right?? Olivia walked out of Sacrament and said, "Mackie looks so cute today, she looks like she should be in Hollywood." It was so cute coming from a little 3 year old-

Busy baby week

2008-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Mackie hasn't been sleeping at all, so I thought I would try some rice cereal- with the help of her sweet BIG brothers!

That didn't work so when I went to the doctor for her 4 month shots, I asked if it might be reflux??? Usually they spit up often and don't gain weight very fast- By the looks of it she doesn't have a problem in the weight category- she's was a whopping 16lbs 2 oz. Luckily, my wonderful Dr. said we could try the medicine and see if it helped-
I am happy to say, the medicine worked and our little girl is only waking up once at night and actually taking more than a 20 minute nap in the day- she is so much more content and so much happier all the time- thanks Doc!

Soccer Champ

2008-11-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

Hunter is done with yet another season of soccer- He loves to play and can't wait until the next season- He loves all sports and will soon be skiing and wresting in March. He is famous for his 2 thumbs up-

Time Flies

2008-11-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

Some days I can't believe a week has already gone by- or 4 months- Mackie is growing up way to fast. She loves her Bumbo chair and especially her brothers-

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-03T09:49:00.001-08:00

Decorating pumpkins is so much fun with little helpers!--Hunter thought for sure he could do it all by himself- Eventually it got carved and they had so much fun- I had bought donuts for desert and you can see Easton was enjoying them- Halloween was also a little more trying with 3 little ones- They were all exhausted by the end of the night- we had alot of fun at the Inkom Trunk or Treat and then went to town to visit grandparents and run thru some houses.

Dang their cute!

2008-10-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Just got some new pictures of my precious little angels(I can say that right now, the boys went with their dad and Mackie's asleep on my shoulder) It seems that they are all growing so fast- I can only say, enjoy everyday, they grow up to dang fast!

Ghouls night out!

2008-10-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, my cousin Trisha had a Halloween party for all the Ghouls in the family and a few friends. We had so much fun, it was so nice to visit without 50 kids running around. Everyone's costumes were so cute! Can't wait till next year!

Summer Fun!

2008-10-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Mountain WoMan at it again!

2008-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

September 12th, me and my hubby went on yet another fun adventure!! I drew on a goat hunt in Mackay. There were only two tags in the area, and I was one of the lucky winners!! Luckily, we were successful and I was back at the truck by 2:30, to a crying baby that decided she wasn't interested in a bottle!- Sorry Joanne- All in All it was a lot of fun and I really appreciated Jay's buddy Brett for going with us and helping! I thought for sure I would die before I made it back home- Those things don't live in the low country!! I hiked my butt off for about 5-6 hours before I finally got it- And then there was the walk out- WOW!! Anyways- here some pics- It's not huge by any means, but I'm done with the hunt!!

NEWEST ADDITION!!!!

2008-10-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

July 3,2008 was such a special day for us, Our little ANGEL Mackie Kae Roche joined our family! She has been such a joy in our home! Even the constant screaming! Her big brothers love her so much. Every time anyone looks at her, Easton is quick to let them know she is HIS baby! Hunter is also very protective of her. He is so proud that he can hold her! His latest accomplishment is standing and holding her at the same time. He loves it when it's time to change her outfits. He thinks she is by far the cutest thing in this world, and I tend to agree!!!!

Life is definitely harder with a 3rd child, but I wouldn't change it for the world!!