Easton's first birthday!

I know I’m super behind on my blog but I need to back track to talk about my sweet baby Eastons birthday! His birthday landed right on the first day of the cache country fair and Tyson was showing his sheep so we spent a good part of the day at the fair.  Good thing he was too little to care! I got him a cute little yellow chair that you can push buttons and it reads and sings to him.  We didn’t need to talk him into smashing his cake at all. He loved it! We were lucky to have my parents in town so they got to celebrate with us as well.  

Easton at one year-

He LOVES his dad.  He would rather be with dad then mom.  If he is crying just turn on the song “take it easy, theres no need to hurry” and he will start dancing.  He doesn’t walk yet but he does crawl everywhere.  He knows what he wants and makes sure he gets what he wants! He doesn’t like his brothers getting into his face and swats at them if they get too close.  He loves ice cream and juice. He also loves spaghetti and can feed himself. He loves animals especially our sheep.  One of his first words was Baa! Easton loves little cars and drives them around the house.  He has the sweetest little smile and personality.  He still doesn't really like to nap but we are working on it.  He does sleep really good at night though thank goodness. He has 5 teeth and likes to bite mom! East loves the sand box and dumps the sand on his head and eats it. He also loves to swing on our swing set.  It's REALLY hard to get pictures of him because he is always on the move! Dad had to help me take his one year old pictures that's why they were in our backyard because he didn't want to drive anywhere! I had balloons but your brothers popped them. 

 I love my little buddy.  I'm so lucky to be your mom Easton!

I love you Grandma Pack

Some things always seem to be constant in your life.  Something that will always be there.  Then all the sudden you realize that rock is gone. My sweet Grandma was that for me. When I was in college she called to tell me that her apartment in her basement just opened up.  It was from moving there I met my husband and had many wonderful memories.  One summer it was my birthday and my roommates and I were going to have a party.  The ones that were going to help me set up were both at work until it started and my other roommate was busy getting herself ready in the shower all afternoon and wouldn't help me.  I was trying to set up tables in our backyard and my Grandma came out from the upstairs.  She would have been in her early 80ies at the time.  She helped me pull chairs out and move tables so I could have my party. She always did things so I knew she loved me. 

 When she was first married and had one child my Grandpa was shipped off to WW2. Here she was a young mother with another baby on the way not knowing if her husband was going to come back alive.  She told me they would listen to the radio at night to hear the names of those killed in the war.  That's how they found out. She moved in with her parents while Grandpa was in war for some help with her children. Lucky for all of us Grandpa came home. I can't imagine the fear she must have felt every day.  She ended up having 9 children, 68 grandchildren, 175 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.  You read that right. Each of those are her direct blood relation. From her posterity comes around 12 doctorate degrees, at least that many masters degrees and 117 (including spouse) bachelors degrees and many more people who are currently in college.  I honestly know all of my cousins by name.  I can also tell you a little about each one.  Family and God were, by far, the most important things in Grandma's life.  If it were possible for her to be at every milestone in her children's/grandchildren's/great grandchildren life she would be there.  She was a huge support to us.  Whenever I would see her she would hug me and look me in the eye and tell me she loved me.  And I knew she did.  She would tell my kids she loved them and every other family member she would see.  

Now that my cousins are older and most are married they have moved all over the country.  When they found out Grandma passed away 60 of the 68 grandkids were able to make it.  If that isn't a testament of the kind of lady she was I'm not sure what is.  She would have LOVED to be around to see that many of my family all in one place! The day of her funeral it rained- all day.  It never stopped! That made taking pictures very hard but I did the best I could.  My wish is that I can be a strong lady like my grandma was.  Someone who loved her family and her God more then anything else.  I love you Grandma and I already miss you sweet smile! 

 This was the last time I saw her alive.  It was just days before she passed but she was alert enough to tease my little brett to quit "hitting her boy" when he was play fighting with my dad.

 The oldest son of each family carried her casket. 

 I loved how they had flowers for the girls and grandkids to put on her casket.  It was so beautiful! That is my Tyson faded in the background.

 All my living aunts and uncles. 

All my cousins that could be there for the picture.  Plus two spouses who didn't get the memo it was a cousins picture.
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Bear Lake 2016

Every summer for the last few years we get to use my parents friends cabin in bear lake.  My kids look forward to it all year.  My brother and his family came again and as a extra special treat my wonderful Grandma Jenkins came with us too! I had violin lessons on Tuesday so I sent my younger two boys with my parents a day early.  It helped me remember how much easier three kids was! Especially when two of them are my older boys! By far the high light of bear lake was my dads new tube. I even rode it- and if you know me you would know that doesn’t happen very often.  Like ever.  My older boys all rode the tube a ton.  Blake wanted to ride the jet ski with me- which I don’t drive very often because I feel bad ditching off all my younger kids on my family to watch alone.  I saw this huge wave and we went for it.  Blake freaked out a little so I slowed down at the wrong time and this huge tidal wave of water came over top of us! Blake and I were freezing but we laughed and laughed! Our third day my brother left and so we took my boys to go ride go carts.  Of course they loved that.  We went to the beach for a little bit that afternoon then drove home that evening.  We are already looking forward to going next summer. 

 If Easton was done he was crawling everywhere.  In the sand, water, eating the sand, splashing in the water. He was a mad man.

 Lots of Pack grandkids! 

 This is his "why are you taking my picture again Aunt Heather? face" 

 My 87 year old grandma on the jet ski- and she loved it!

 Reading books in their hiding place

 We tried to get a photo of Jett and Easton but Jett kept trying to eat Easton

 The group

 Go carts