Inspired.....

My sister-in-law has inspired me to do better at blogging. She is very creative,talented and organized and has her blogs printed into books at the end of the year. They were so neat to look at, and since I haven't written in a journal lately (does maybe twice my whole married life of 16 years count?) what a great way to document our family!!! So another sister-in-law and I were talking and decided as a new years resolution to be better bloggers, and to blog something at least once a week. Umm, I'll try, that's pushing it based on my past history. I'll try to be better about getting pictures off the camera. I guess I don't necessarily have to have a pictures with a post, but it sure is nicer!!

So I've been really behind with my posts. I've tried to catch up, but while I play catch up life is not holding still and now we've had Christmas and today is Adam's 2nd birthday!! Happy Birthday my little two year old!! Hopefully there will be pictures to follow of his cake etc, soon.

But let me reminisce for a minute about our little Adam. We felt we were done having kids after Allison, but Heavenly Father had different plans. The pregnancy with him was hard and uncomfortable. I felt sick most of the time and had contractions throughout the pregnancy. He was actually due on January 20th, 2009, but because of prior c-sections and we wanted to hit our deductable by the end of the year (Dennis's plan) we scheduled it for the 30th of December.
I was scheduled to go check into the hospital early afternoon so I thought I would take it easy in the morning. Well Dennis comes rushing in the door from work around 9 in the morning saying that the hospital had been trying to call me to come in earlier, because of some scheduling problems and if we didn't come in asap we would have to wait another couple of days. So I grabbed my bag and we were out the door. The actual c-section went ok, but it was about an hour after that I started to feel sick....nauseous, dizzy, and just plain horrible. I thought I was going to die. It takes awhile for all of that stuff to get out of my system. Poor Adam had some problems with his lungs, breathing and fluid and some other things so he was put right into the sick baby nursery. I actually didn't get to see him for the first day and a half. He was sick and couldn't leave, and I wasn't up to getting out of bed for awhile. Then when I could get myself to the nursery, I couldn't hold him because it would get him to worked up and he would have problems. They said he had pnemonia and needed antibiotics. When I was able to leave the hospital, he had to stay for the remainder of the week so he could have the antibiotics which were administed through IV. It was really hard going home with no baby, I felt like I had just had surgery or something. I felt guilty and a bad mom for not staying with him, but there wasn't anything I could do.

We went and saw him everyday, and he got better every day. He was finally able to come home exactly one week from his birthdate. We were all excited! He's been quite the little character from the first. He would spit up like crazy and we had to try different formula's on him, as he's gotten older his little personality has come out more and more. He has been talking and learning more and more every day! We are so glad to have him in our family!!

Go Westwood!!

This is from one of Daniel's first freshman games. He's number 51. I think Dennis got better pictures on his phone I'll have to put on here.

And one thing led to another.....

The month's of August and September were a little stressful for me. This is a horrible picture, but it kind of gives you and idea. Dennis needed to run some phone cable into our bedroom to hook up a new phone system for work. He tries to work from home a couple of times a week. He said this project would be easy and wouldn't take very long..............wrong!! What project is that easy? Well, it would have been easy if.................Daniel hadn't fallen through the ceiling because he did not step on the beams like he was supposed to, we didn't decide to scrape off popcorn from ceiling, we hadn't seen a part of the ceiling that looked rotten, we didn't remove the drywall from said area, we hadn't seen part of our wood and framing in the wall that had water damage and dry rot and we could see light coming through the area, and we hadn't had to pay people to help us fix big problems in the wall and re-do the ceiling. Yes, it would have been an easy fast project and wouldn't have taken two months to finish, and I wouldn't have all this dust coating all over.

Note to self..........next time you want to scrape off popcorn from a ceiling, do it with everthing out!

Ward Campout

Yummy!!
In September was our ward campout. We had things going on Friday evening and didn't want to set up a campsite in the dark, so we decided to go up early Saturday morning in time for breakfast. Let me tell you, I loved doing that! It was nice to sit and chat and not have to worry about taking down a tent or packing up the car!! And the kids got just as dirty as they would have if we had camped overnight too.

Oh yeah, and the night before, I ended up taking Allison to urgent care for stitches! We went to the Tempe library the evening before and she smacked her forehead on a little tunnel downstairs in the childrens area. It was this gaping hole in her forehead. I knew right away she needed help, so I took her right there. Dennis asked me on the way home when I called him, if I had taken pictures, but it honestly never crossed my mind. She ended up needing three stitches inside and 4 outside. Funny thing is, we had just been there with Adam a couple of weeks before for stitches in his chin, and the same nurse was there and recognized us! Earlier, we had been swimming and had gotten out of the pool. I wrapped Adam up in a towel because it was a little chilly. Well, he tripped on the towel and since his arms were wrapped up he couldn't catch himself and fell chin first on the pool deck! Poor guy! They had to wrap him up in a papoose to do the stitches, it wasn't fun.

This is why we call it birthday season....

Daniel turned15! He's talking about driving more! I don't think I can handle it. How can I stop him from growing up, but do I want to? He is a great kid, who is turning into a great young man! He loves to be outside, hunting, fishing, playing sports of all kinds. I asked him not to long ago what made him happy, and he told me that just being outside in nature made him happy. He loves hiking and camping, and plainly not sitting idle. He loves to be doing something all the time, I can't get him to sit and read a book! Love ya and Happy Birthday Peanut!!

My birthday is the last of July. We always seem to be out of town for it too. Cade's and Allison's birthday's are within 6 days of each other in August and Daniel's is less than 10 days after Allison's. Along with Daniel's birthday is the opening of dove season. Both of these events are celebrated in the Farar household!

Birthday Season

Allison and Cade have their birthday's 6 days apart in August. It's a lot to have huge parties with lots of friends etc especially when they are so close and right at the start of a new school year. I can never seem to think ahead, get organized or have the money for big birthday parties. So this year again, we had a little family party for them. Cade turned 13. I can't believe how old he is getting. His voice is deeper, he's bigger than me, and he needs to shave every one in awhile!! I love this kid, he has a sarcastic sense of humor. He, Daniel, and I were in Sports Authority before school started looking for backpacks for Daniel. Cade said "Mom, look at those guns over there", while he pointed and was flexing his arms and bi-ceps. It was funny, and totally Cade like. Ever since he was little he has always made us laugh with the funny things he comes up with!

Allison turned 6. It is so fun to have a girl! I am so blessed that Heavenly Father blessed our family with her. She brings a fun softer side to this house full of boys! She likes to go to the mall with me (especially the food court!) . We have fun painting our nails and doing "girly things". But on the flip side she also likes to be with her brothers and do things with them too. She loves to be outside and run and play! I'm so thankful I have a daughter!!!

You've Got to be kidding me!!!

We had this crazy neighbor who moved out in August (thank goodness!!!!) who hit our carport with a U-Haul truck (I wonder if she was sober at the time, it didn't seem like she was the entire time she lived next door). I had just gotten home not to long before with the kids and we were inside and all of a sudden I thought I heard thunder, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I ran outside and this is what I found. Now for the 9 months or so this neighbor had been living across from us I had avoided any contact with her (not very missionary like I know, but I feared for my life and that of my children). The thought of having to go and talk to this lady about what she had done made me physically sick. I'm not a confrontational person at all. I did go over and try to talk to her, but was shaking in my shoes the whole time!! Luckily the HOA dealt with it. We were blessed to have only a little scratch on the car. It could have been so much worse or someone could have gotten hurt.

Family Pics

We took these family pictures after Anden's blessing. All of the Farar's were there except one brother and his family.

Linus and his ever present blankie
Aren't they handsome?

Me and the kids!!

Fun with family

After we got home from Utah, I went on a fun girls retreat with the sisters-in-law up in Julian. Then we went back to Yuma for Anden's blessing!!

Waterfalls!!!

I love waterfalls!!! On the way to a dental appt with my brother, Dennis and I drove up Provo Canyon. I think this is called Bridal Veil Falls. My summer trip was now complete!

After being at the farm, we drove down to Salt Lake and Daniel and Cade flew down to Phx so they could go to scout camp. Having them do this gave us more time up in Utah to see family. This was the first plane trip (that they would remember) that they would go on and plus the first by themselves. I think they were nervous, but excited too.

After they left, we stayed with my brother Jeff and his family. Allison loves playing with her cousin McKayla!!
While we were there, Ethan ended up needing to go to urgent care for a really bad migraine. Funny thing is, he's never had one before and he's never had one since. Wierd.

My kids in their true character

You'll see in the next three video's my kids in their true form!! Ethan has quite the moves, especially for his family, not very many people get to see him dance!! This is just a taste of it...

I should add that everyone, but Allison had a great time. She saw a big beetle and started freaking out. I had to send her inside and told her she needed to take a nap, which she did and had a nice one!

The Farm

As I mentioned before, we went on a fun family trip this past summer in late July. With Daniel having football practice all summer, our window of time to take a trip was the last two weeks of July. We went to Emmett first, and we had a great time, as we always do.




Dennis actually had to fly out and be gone on a work trip for a day or two, but that didn't stop me and the kids from having fun! One of the days we were there, the lawn was irrigated. The kids had so much fun playing in it!

Arboretum?

In May we went with some friends to Thomas Boyd Arboretum (I'm not sure how it's spelled). We took the little hike around, it was pretty interesting. There are some cool plants and trees. I usually don't have allergies that bad, but oh boy, not that day. We had fun, but I was glad to leave so my nose and watering eyes could have a break!!





Dennis had the camera and took some pretty good pictures!

Trying to catch up....

I am so behind in updating this blog, but I thought I would give it a try. This pictures was taken back in May. I thought it was so cute, Adam was pointing out an airplane to Cade. I love to watch each of the older boys interact with their younger brother.
This was also taken back in May.
This was taken at Easter. In the picture below, Adam was so tired and did not understand why I was trying to get him to go outside and carry a basket. When he finally figured out there was candy in the eggs, he was ok with it all!!

I just think Allison is so stinkin cute in this picture but I'm biased!!