Happy Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving started with The Annual Turkey Trot....
and boy was it cold!!!
Like always, we still had fun and
it helps with the guilt of eating all of that food.

A couple of weeks ago my mom and me went to a
cooking class taught by the owner of the "Chefs Table".
It was all about making the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.
So this year me and my mom did the whole dinner completely from scratch.
I am going to put all of the recipes on theskilletsisters.blogspot.com My favorite part was the mashed potatoes and stuffing. The Cranberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding was also super good, and not too terribly difficult.

The boys ended the day with a football game,
leaving Scott claiming that he had a dislocated RIB!!!

Putting up the Tree

Our Thanksgiving Weekend ended with putting up our Tree....
which at our house, I have to admit is a huge ordeal.
I am pretty crazy about how my tree looks and children wanting to help
is a little bit difficult for me....
but Dakota was so cute and ended up being a big help.
Bridger so far is content with turning the lights on and off and leaving the ornaments alone.

I have decided to put off getting out our downstairs tree...
I am just not sure that I can trust all the little hands that will tear it apart.
We will give it another week or so....

Out of the Crib

Last Sunday Bridger climbed out of his crib 3 times....

so we decided that it was time to take the front off

and make it into a toddler bed.

I was a little worried how bed time and nap time would go,

but so far.... so good!

5 Years Old!!!

Today is Dakota's 5th Birthday!!!!
Hard to believe that I have a 5 year old.... no longer a toddler in any way.

He was born the day before Thanksgiving, 3 weeks early.
He was 7lbs. 6 oz. and 20 inches long.... descent size for being early.
I remember that I hadn't felt very good and hadn't felt him move very much, so I stopped by the doctor's office on my way to school. My blood pressure ended up being too high so my doctor sent me over to the hospital to be induced.
After hearing his heart beat and knowing he was just fine, I remember being mad that I had even gone in because I really needed to take a test.
Dr. Lameroux told me that it was probably going to be a 48 hour induction.
That seemed crazy to me, but 2 days later,
almost 48 hours on the dot..... Dakota was born.

2 days after that, Scott and I left with a new baby, and I really was scared to death. I had no idea what to expect. Lucky for me Dakota was the best baby in the world. He seriously slept the whole 1st year of his life away. Even now, he would sleep in until 10 every morning if I let him.

Dakota has always been very independent and super stubborn. I think that is just part of being the oldest child. At the same time, he is also very loving and extremely sweet. He is always quick to say "thank you" and "I love you"!!!

Dakota is 110% all BOY!!!!
He loves hunting, camping, bugs, reptiles, sharks and pretty much all toys. Right now his big thing is Legos!!!I love it when he builds random things and then proudly shows me.
He is also really into letters!!! He is even starting to read and doing really well!!!

I could go on forever about Dakota.....
but really I just want to say that I am so glad that 5 years ago today, Dakota started our family!!!

Happy Birthday Dakota!!!!

Birthday Weekend: Part 2

I don't think that any child on earth has ever been
so happy to have his Birthday!!!
Sunday we had my family and Scott's parents over
for another Birthday Celebration.
Dakota had the hardest time waiting until 4:00
and then having to eat dinner before opening presents.
He loved everything that he got and has basically been held up in his room playing ever since!!!

Dakota's Birthday Weekend: Part 1

Dakota had his "Friend Party" on Saturday.
He wanted a Lego Birthday, but they don't sell any Lego party favors...
so we had to settle on a Army/ Lego Birthday.
We decided to go super simple with the party.
We started with all the kids building Lego's,
followed by popcorn and a Lego Movie,
ending with the breaking of the Pinata, Cupcakes.....
and most important, Presents!!!
I thought that the party was a success, at least as far as Dakota was concerned!

The very strange "army guy" Pinata

watching "Clutch Powers"... a Lego movie

I loved that the girls automatically made a "girl table"

That night Dakota watched a movie with all of his new toys,
which he tucked under the blanket with him.

Hair Cut Drama....

After seeing our family pictures,
I came to the realization that Bridger's huge head
does not need 10 lbs of hair on it.
So today I took the boys to Cookie Cutters for the big cut!
Bridger has always been fine with getting his hair cut, but not today.....
I felt so bad for the poor guy that had to do it,

getting started.......

during.....

in the car after.....

finally calming down........

Dakota seemed more than pleased that he was not the "bad one" for once!

Collin Raye

Last night Scott and I went and saw Collin Raye at the Dessert Star Theater.
It was my perfect way to see a concert because
I hate standing and I love eating!!!!
I am a huge sucker for sappy love songs and I am pretty sure that is all Collin Raye does.....
so it was awesome!!!!!

Primary Program

Today was our ward's Primary Program.
Last year I remember being so stressed about how Dakota would do and if he would even be able to sit on the stand long enough to do his part.
This year he ran up to the stand when it was time and did awesome!!!
It didn't matter that all you could hear him say was "I obey Jesus". I knew that he really said "I obey Jesus by being nice" and just didn't stick around long enough to be heard!

he always looks so handsome in his church clothes....

Family Pictures

more hunting...

Big Game hunting is finally over for the year....
Hip, Hip Hurray!!!
Wednesday night Scott returned home with this "Beauty" (as he refers to it),
I refer to it as "don't even bother getting that mounted"!!!! :)
Scott has been wanting to get a bigger deer since I have known him and he finally got one!
I really was excited for him, well at least as excited as I get about hunting....
and I think that it will look just amazing hanging on the wall in our garage!