Anti Picture Holidays! Opps!

So, here is a view from the November collection. Haha. I didn't take any Christmas pictures! Or at least I haven't found any yet! Being so large and pregnant, we definitely only did one Christmas tree! We did minimal gifts (yes, even the big man in red) and didn't travel anywhere. I know I've got pictures somewhere...but no on this computer! So maybe I'll come back later and add pictures :) 

Things I remember about November/December: 

#1) Ryun, Daddy and Nick all grew facial hair, and while trying to take a picture of them all together Ryun was smiling from ear to ear, and then Nick said, "men with beards don't smile." and then they all cracked up. 

#2) it was so nice for Kimber and Lindsay's families to drive over here for Thanksgiving. Corey and Katey stopped at our house for a day while she was signing paperwork to work at ERMC! Yay! 

#3) Kimber is pregnant!!! Due in June. SOOOO excited about that. 

#4) Kyle and Courtney are loving Texas, and she's planning to come for the baby's arrival. Just so sad that we miss them during the holidays. :( 

#5) We had Thanksgiving at my parents house, and then saved the big meal with Jacob's family for when Nathan was here over Christmas break. 

#6) The holidays were pretty laid back, riiiiggght. Mommy did the Ward Christmas Party, it was fun. It was hard since the kids had been invited to go to a friends house for the night, but we wanted to be together. So, we tried to get the best of both worlds by letting Kelton and Taelin do half and half. Trying this compromise thing out. Wew. It's tiring. 

#7) Daddy's work party wasn't as big this year. Each kid got to see Santa and get a gift, but the stations weren't huge, just a movie and a take home craft. I think Chase and Taelin did Kelton's and Evan's crafts too...I think its an age group thing. 

#8) We took the kids to make their wish lists this year, and once they realized it was what THEY wanted, a few of them got over board (hhhmmm...namely Taelin, which kinda works out cause then its a christmas/birthday list too). We talk to the kids about not getting greedy and making sure they are asking for things that are age appropriate....because Santa won't bring things that mommy's and daddy's say no to :) 

#9) Nathan comes every Christmas, and brought the kids more Wii U games, and played Legos with the kids a ton. It was nice to have a mini babysitter here. And he's great company. He always stays with us, and I feel bad that Lois and Doug don't get the boys there often. So a few nights, I hung out with the kids and let the guys play games till the weee hours with their parents. I think they enjoyed spending time with just their boys. At least I hope so. Bed time is not easy 38 weeks pregnant and with 4 kids! :) 

#10) Last but not least, we officially got Christmas picked up and ready BEFORE the baby came! Taelin helped me get everything ready and I think I was seriously more prepared for #5 than I was for #1. 

Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas to you! 

Maddi babysat for us one night, then stayed to hang out. She's awesome. We LOVE her to pieces!!!!

October/Fall 2013

On November 1st, uncle Tommy passed away. It was a very hard time for our family. The month of October was filled with him being in our lives. We enjoyed everyday we had with him. 

 Then it was picture time for our family! I've always dreamt of perfect Fall pictures...and I think when we did these, everyone cried at least once! Augh! oh well...the perfect life or the real life, right?! 

By the way, doesn't Jacob look amazing? Lost 41 lbs!!!

AND THEN...FOOTBALL SEASON!!! Wew what a few months of our first tackle experience and Chase's first year of flag! The boys played great and did awesome. Kelton has seevers disease where his achilis tendon gets very swollen and inflamed, but he's a trooper and does his best. Chase played so well and their team dominated! Daddy was an awesome coach! 

  

Sweet September

 

The kids are starting a new Charter School this year, we are kind of excited and kind of nervous since Kelton only knows 2 kids in the class, Chase doesn't know anyone and Taelin knows 2 also. We are excited for the kindness we have found, and the love of patriotism in this school. Its called American Heritage Charter School, and mommy is already planning the Halloween Carnival! Evan cried the first 3 days the kids went to school, he would watch them as we dropped them off, and he would beg me to let him go to school. There were a few months where mommy and Evan got to just hang out together in the mornings while Taelin was at school. Oh how sweet those mornings were with just us, snuggling and watching our favorite shows, eating treats downstairs or doing puzzles on mommy's bed. Mommy wasn't sick from 20-30 weeks during the pregnancy (we're expecting baby #5 in January), so we got a few 10 weeks where we got to hang out. Evan quickly became a mommy's boy.

 

These precious months with Evan will be something I (mommy) treasure greatly. I loved those quiet mornings of legos, puzzles, sesame street and Oso. I am grateful that he was so sweet to let me sleep in on those icky feeling mornings, and then give me snuggles.

 

Taelin's teacher- K is Mrs. Croft

Chase's teacher, 2nd grade is Mrs. Singleton

Kelton's teacher- 4th grade is Ms. Gohr

 

They have quickly found friends and have enjoyed this year. Chase's teacher has struggled this year, so we have worked hard to support her and the class by bringing in Center-Activity type work and go in and help weekly. Kelton's class has quiet a few children wtih behavioral issues, but we have never heard her complain or felt that her classroom didn't function at top notch. She's amazing. Taelin's teacher has taught for over 17 years, and she is quite the sergant. She moves those little kindergartners in tight schedules and gets a lot done. Taelin was sick for a week in November and I was shocked at how much paperwork came home! They're all rock stars.

We're gonna miss this boy soon! He leaves for his mission in Santa Rosa, CA. on Sept. 4th, 2014. We're so proud of him serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He's an amazing example....and we love his picture taking skills and poses! Love you Beau Tyler Choffin!

 

 



Awesome August 2013

August is Football Season, our first season with Kelton in tackle and Chase playing his first year of flag football. Both were in heaven. Mommy is way out of her comfort zone, but Daddy coached Chase and loved it. They won every game except for one. :) Go Titans! Kelton has seevers disease, which means he has excess fluid and inflamation in his heel. After several doctor visits, we are working on still getting him a solution via Chiropractic and inserts 6 months later. :( It's been a rough go, but Kelton was the Center or "Hiker" as he called it for the first half of the season. He loved having such an important job. After his heels were killing, he only played the minimum allowance, which was disappointing but he worked hard and had a good time. Daddy is going to help next year so that all players get equal playing time. Frustrations that come with each season and new coaches. But he loved every minute.

 

 

Happy Birthday to Evan!! He's 3 now! He LOVES Skylanders and so we planned a few fun days of park fun, bowling with Beau and family before he left on his mission the next week. Evan isn't into anything specific, so mommy took a gamble on getting him a hulk mask and fists...but he LOVED them! And he wore his skylanders shirt for 3 days straight. :) Happy Birthday sweet Evan! He is imaginative, silly, snuggly and LOVES chocolate.

 Every once in a while, I will get my camera out and find these kind of pictures on there. These kids crack me up. They are trying to be creative on these last days before school starts! What sillies!

 

Beau got his endowments out the begining of August, and so Kyle came and stayed with us for a few days, and it just turned out to also be the weekend that Grma and Grpa Choffin put a new roof on their house. Kimber and Lindsay and their families came up for the temple endowment. It was amazing to be together with my sibling in the temple. What a sweet experience. 

Best of July 2013

The end of July brought fun times. We headed to Lagoon and Utah for an extended weekend. It was a little rough at first, since we drove down on a Thursday Night, and when we got there realized we had forgotten our Lagoon tickets AND our Excursion had been leaking oil (of some kind eek!). So, a very stressed mommy and daddy tried to recover by letting the kids chill and deciding (and making a TON of phone calls about what we could do) what to do. In the end, it was a very fun time. We got to spend two days at Lagoon, we got to attend a few arcades, mini golf, lazer tag, and go to Seven Peaks water park. Well...daddy and the kids got to while a sick and pregnant mommy got to sit in a Diesel Auto Body shop for 5 hours, after getting towed (thanks mapquest)! 

I think we're learning how to relax a midst pressure and frustrations. Something that both of us struggle to do. And I think the kids are learning to entertain themselves...thank goodness. They are great workers, and it melts my heart when I see daddy and all of the kids working together to do camping dishes. Its kind of daddy's thing. Doing dishes with the kids is something all of the kids treasure. They all chime into help as soon as he asks. Its my favorite thing to do. Since usually that's when I'm eating. :) 

After our Utah adventures, it was swimming lesson time at Green Canyon! We stayed in Rexburg with Grandma, and invited Talea to come too. It was such a fun time, and although Evan wished he could do swim lessons, he was a trooper and found fun things to do with mommy (ie. play on the phone). haha. 

2013 2nd Annual Family Reunion

Our second annual CHOFFIN FAMILY REUNION! This one was our turn! Booya! It worked out so well, we went and kinda met in the middle in Park City, Utah at our Vacation Resort. We purchased a few extra rooms and used up our saved weeks so everyone had at least a bed to sleep on (or pull out couch). 

We went to a parade, went swimming, played basketball, did some shopping, more swimming, ping pong, more basketball, hung out and had meals together.  Everyone had a great day on the 4th to celebrate, and play games at an awesome park in town. We played basketball, volleyball and soccer as a family. It was a great day, even though poor Corey got scalped on the mini basketball hoop. It was terrible. Dad (driver), Jacob (phone navigator) and Katey (real nurse) rushed Corey to the ER where he got a ton of stitches. We ate yummy food and hung out while Corey got some TLC and then some good drugs to help him sleep and feel better. It's always rough for him. :( 

The best part was being able to relax and hang out with our family. We did family pictures (since beau's leaving on his mission soon) and our whole family is getting big! We are expecting baby #5 in January, so this picture won't be outdated for about 6 months. Beau and this baby will miss each other by 4 months, so until he gets home...this picture (and my chubby baby belly) will have to do. :) 

Love, Vanessa