Even More Snow

We are now on to our second official snow day of the year and well, to be honest, I'm really kind of over it. The kids and I were stuck inside all day because I am just not a fan or as brave as Brett when it comes to the snow...maybe someday?! Nah!!! 

The next day Brett did most of the driveway shoveling, but I decided to take a stab at it and man that's a workout. However, the plus side is that Raylee and Bradock spent  hours sledding by themselves...once again great entertainment. I love that they totally gear up (snowsuits, gloves, hats, boots, etc,) by themselves and find ways to have fun outside. They are much better than me. 

Hearts Galore

Love this little crafty girl of mine.

Cousin Time

On Sunday, Kiley and her kids and Kasen and Avery came up to hang out with us. We now have a new motto at our house "Guaranteed to have a good time!" We just can't have visitors and not show them a little of our outdoor fun. We took the kids back to Ellison Creek Waterfall, that was completely frozen just a month or so ago, for some fun hiking and exploring. We actually saw a set of bear tracks...thank goodness we didn't run into any bears! The next day Brett got to see the whole Gonzalez and Hall crew for cleanings and checkups. The kids also had a blast with our chickens. They spent several hours chasing them around and herding them in and out of their chicken run...love how simple things can entertain kids for a long time. We can't wait until they come back to visit.

Goof Troop at it Again

Brett got a javelina tag, so the past two weekends he has been out trying to shoot one of those gross varmints. I had an appointment last weekend, so the kids got to join dad on some of the pig hunting fun. They got to do a lot of hiking and saw some pigs, but I guess it's kind of hard to sneak up on animals with two crazy kids with you:)

Happy Valentine's Day

Brett and I actually had a really fun Valentine's date/party at the Rim Country club with a bunch of friends on the 12th to celebrate V-day, so we decided we would just make the actually day all about the fam. The kids woke up to find their fun V-day gifts. Bradock was stoked to finally get his batman belt and Raylee got a huge princess coloring book and little Cinderella toys. I knew the kids would be getting tons of candy and treats at school and I like to keep junk food to a minimum in the house, so I always prefer presents over treats...I think the kids do too:) The last 14 days Brett has been getting fun little treats/presents from me celebrating the 14 days of Feb and then celebrating Valentine's day. It was a little cheesy, but I think Brett liked waking up to a new surprise everyday. Brett got me a gift card to get a massage at one of the salons here in Payson...I'm super excited to use it. 

 That night, the Clarksons, came up to visit. Chance had reserved a room at the Magestic Mountain Inn here in Payson for him and Sarah, but plans fell through and they had to bring their girls with them. We decided to watch McKai and Vada while they got to go have a nice Valentine's dinner alone. We had a fun little night ourselves with all the little munchkins.

 Vada is definitely on the move now and I just love this little booty shot of her. 

Brrrrr...It's Cold Up Here!

Just when I thought we might have dodged the dreaded snow days we got plastered. School was canceled and most of Brett's patients called in to cancel for that day. So, we made it a family fun day in the snow. Normally I don't want anything to do with cold weather and would rather just stay inside and keep warm, but how could I miss out on all the fun? I wore some of Brett's old snowboarding gear and WOW what a difference that makes. Not only did I stay fairly warm, but pretty dry too:) I guess I just haven't been very well prepared in the past. Of course, after sledding on the hill behind our house for awhile Brett wanted to take it up a notch and attached a sled to the back of the quad. The kids sat on the sled while Brett and I drove them around...it was a blast and the kids couldn't get enough. As we were driving down the road our little dog, Maggie, came running after us in the snow...so funny! It ended up being an awesome day and it was cool to actually have fun in the snow.

Hashknife Pony Express

Living in a small town sure has its benefits and very cool traditions. The kids and I rushed from gymnastics to the post office, so we could see the Hashknife Pony Express ride into town . Neither rain, sleet, nor dark of night can stop the Hashknife Pony Express. Each February for the last 53 years, the old west is brought to life as an elite group of riders thunder through Arizona. This exciting event is the oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express in the world. Each rider is sworn in as an honorary mail messenger braving weather, terrain, and modern-day obstacles to deliver the United States mail. Beginning in historic Holbrook, the horseback mail route covers over 200 miles from the majestic Mogollon Rim through Payson and the wilderness of the Mazatzal range to the desert city of Scottsdale where it kicks off the Scottsdale Jaycees' Parada del Sol celebration. 

The kids had a blast seeing all the horses and riders. In fact, one of the horseman was my cousin, Nathan. It was fun to see him and chat for a little bit. 

Cavalia Odysseo

A couple weeks ago I decided to buy Brett and I tickets to the Cavalia Odysseo show after hearing great things about it. I was trying to find decent priced tickets and I lucked out when Groupon posted tickets as one of their many deals. I thought it would be a fun early Valentine's date for me and my horse-loving man. The show was awesome and the horses were amazing. We are still in awe of the things those horses are trained to do. The acrobatics were pretty cool too. I am such a sucker for circus/cirque de soleil type shows. I just find the talent of those acrobats so amazing.

After the show we headed back to the Flaherty house to hang out with everyone for awhile and pick up our kids. Of course, there is never a dull moment with Grandpa Bob and we came home to find these little monkeys hanging out on top of the house. This is probably why the grandkids love hanging out with Bob. He sure makes for a fun babysitter:)

Adventure Time

Brett and the kids on one of their many adventures. They sure do love hanging out with dad. I also love that Raylee doesn't seem to mind standing in freezing cold water...my crazy little girl.  

A Little Bit About Me

On instagram I was tagged to tell 5 interesting facts about myself, so I decided to post this hideous pic of me and start  number one by explaining this picture. 1. Instead of going with a very popular type of plastic surgery for my high school graduation present I got otoplasty. Simple terms: I had surgery so my ears wouldn't stick out anymore. I was extremely self conscience about them and it was one of the happiest days of my life when my Q-tip bandages were removed and I saw myself for the first time...tears and all. Oh and the overalls were cool back in the day I swear:) 2. I won a commercial contest for a local news station when I lived in Missouri. I got to film 4 different commercials that were shown during Saturday morning cartoons. This was the beginning of my dream to become a television broadcaster that lasted until college. I guess these commercials were my only way of fulfilling that dream. 3. I have absolutely no self control when it comes to popcorn or chips and salsa. Once I start eating either of those things I don't stop til they are gone. I have been known to eat two large buckets of theatre popcorn all by myself...oh and I don't like to share them either so you will have to get your own. 4. I am OCD about 2 things and 2 things only. My closet and everything from my shoes to my clothes are organized by color and it just can't be any other way and the utensils in the dishwasher have to be organized by type...spoons, knives, forks, etc have to be together in their own slot...they cannot be mixed together because that just doesn't make any sense 5. I have had no broken bones but I have had to have stitches 4 different times. Two of those times involved kitchen utensils and yet I still love to cook. I guess I just need to learn how to use knives and can openers:)

I NEED HELP!

To say that being a mom is the hardest job I have ever had is a huge understatement! Oftentimes I feel frustrated, frazzled, exhausted and well the list could go on and on. It definitely has its rewarding moments, but what to do with all the in between? A few years back Brett and I took a Love and Logic class and loved it. I have applied a lot of those principles into my parenting, but lets be honest I could use a parenting class everyday of my life. I heard about this book "Duct Tape Parenting" and decided to read it. Like I said, I can use all the help I can get. It really reiterated a lot of the same idea as Love and Logic and well I just really liked that it wasn't a quick fix to our parenting problems. Parenting is a journey and it takes time to make and see changes. I want to raise responsible, respectful and independent children that at age 18 can leave my home and live and function as a well-rounded adult. I am realizing that my children are capable of a lot more than I give them credit for and by allowing them to make more choices regarding their life not only makes them happier, but me too. The kids are now doing more things around the house like unloading and loading the dishwasher, sorting and putting away their laundry, picking out their own clothes, making their own breakfast and lunches, vacuuming, cleaning their bathroom, and many more things. I appreciate the insight this book gave and hopefully I can continue to apply some of its ideas to help me be the mother I want to be and raise the kind of kids that all parents hope for.

I just love this quote and feel like this almost everyday, but as much as I sometimes feel like a failure as a mom I have some pretty awesome kids!

Fun Winter Weekend

A couple weeks ago, our friends Cameron and Mele Larson and their two kiddos, came up to visit and get a little dentistry done. That night we got a sitter and went to dinner at Fargo's. It was so fun to hang out and eat some yummy food. Mele is due with their third baby at the end of February and I swear she is the tiniest, cutest pregnant lady I have ever seen. I can't wait to meet him or her (they decided to be surprised this time) and maybe get them back up here to hang out again.

On Saturday, Brett decided he wanted to get a few projects done, which included painting the chicken coop. I had run some errands and came home to find my half dressed little girl helping her dad out. She didn't seem to mind the chilly weather and was just hanging out in shorts and flip-flops...that's all. Man, I love this girly girl tomboy. She really is the best of both:)

That night the kids had their gymnastic exhibition to show off their current gymnastic skils. Bradock has been at the Triangle Academy for about 6 months and Raylee just started about a month ago. The kids love it and I love how much it teaches them strength, coordination, flexibility and discipline...it's perfect! 

On Sunday we had some old friends, the Eaglestons, that were visiting Payson and wanted to know some fun spots to play and visit. So, after church Brett, the kids and I drove them to one of our favorite summer stomping grounds. It's just down Houston Mesa Drive on the East Verde near Wagon Wheel. Little did we know that the water was all frozen and one of the coolest things I have ever seen. It was solid ice and totally safe to walk on...well I don't know how safe, but enough to not be too scared. The usual flowing waterfall was just a frozen icecapade...seriously amazing! 

Munchkin Time

I was cleaning out some boxes and came across my old kindergarten pic and just had to do a comparison with Bradock. I love how school pics haven't changed much, but boy how people and styles have. I have to thank my mom for the awesome mushroom hair! When I showed the kids this picture they didn't know it was me and said my face looked weird. I guess I'm just old now, but I think I finally grew into my lips:) 

Brett had another hunting adventure down in the Tucson area with Chance and my dad, so I decided to surprise the kids with a fun little date. We went to Disney on Ice in Phoenix and the kids loved it...so did I! I remember going as a kid and having so much fun. Mr. B and Ray were the perfect age and said it was the best surprise ever:) 

Bradock had 100 day at school the other day, so he got to decorate his "100 jar" with 100 things. It is the pic on the left and it turned out pretty cute. I also had to take some pics of Miss Ray's artistic talent. That girl loves to paint, color and craft it up all day long. She amazes me at how good she is at creating things...maybe because I completely lack that talent. 

Miss Ray warming up with a nice bubble bath. This pic reminded me of living in Utah and being too cheap to turn on the heat, so Camille and I would put on our swimsuits and make our own "hot tub" in the bathtub just to warm up. Super silly, but at the time it was the best idea ever!

We have had such chilly weather that when it finally hit 50 degrees outside we celeberated by easy rolling it. I never thought in a million years that I would say 50* is warm...guess my blood is thickening up here in Payson. I'm sure the warmer weather won't last for long, but we will enjoy it while we can.