the rest of June...

Holy cow how time flies! I am getting worse and worse at posting...so sorry! I am trying to be better :) So here are some of the things we did during June...and we are going back a little ways because I discovered I haven't posted some pics from awhile ago...
this is actually when we announced to Mark's family that we are pregnant...Easter Sunday. Hunter was 4 months old

here he is 5 months old (in May)...looking like a greek god! hanging out with dad


At the beginning of June Tanner and I finished soccer :) YEAH

here Hunter is almost 6 months old...

he is a very happy baby!!

And in between all of this we were able to go down to my parents...on a very quick trip...when my mom called on a Saturday afternoon to inform us that my dad was being put in as the 1st counselor of the new Stake Presidency! We hurried and packed and headed down! We went to their Stake conference that was combined with another Stake because they were splitting the two and making a third Stake. So they put in two new Stake Presidencies that day. And Elder Holland was the General Authority presiding!!

I can't describe in words the feelings I had that day listening to him and just being in his presence! The one word that comes to mind is "Home"...I felt at home with him in the room. Very peaceful and content. He gave and amazing talk to the youth that day and spoke of giving yourself to the Lord for at least 10 years of your life...especially during their time of very important decisions. He said if they would do that then the Lord will bless them for the rest of their lives. Some funny quotes he said were "We (parents) have been in your shoes, you haven't been in ours!" He was referring to when teenagers think their parents don't know what they are going through. And he said, "DON'T BE STUPID!" and "Don't EVER leave the Church!" At the end of the talk he gave everyone in the room a blessing. And being pregnant and having a 6 month old one of the things he said has really stuck out to me. He said, "I bless the little children, toddlers, infants, and babies coming into the world that they will be strong and be able to live in this very difficult world." After the conference we went to see my dad get set apart...I was five feet away from an apostle of God! Wow! He talked to Tanner and Parker and said that he had mission papers in his briefcase that he would love to fill out right now! And he even said hi to Hunter too. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget! I just thought I would share that with you all. :)

(on Monday is Hunter's 6 month appointment...so I will post more pictures and an update soon!)

pre-school graduation...

Tanner graduated from pre-school and will be moving on to kindergarten after the summer! Wow he has grown up fast!

receiving his diploma


grandma and grandpa Nichols, tanner and hunter (who slept thru the whole thing)

Miss Janet and Tanner

SHOCKING NEWS!!

Okay, so if you are eating something right now while you are looking at blogs then I would suggest swallowing before you read any further! I don't want to be the cause of you choking and possibly needing the heimlich...especially if no one is around to administer to you! If you are not eating then you are welcome to proceed.

Right before Easter we received some news that still has us in shock, but yesterday the shock became a reality!
I am pregnant!!!
Yes, you read that right and yes, I just had a baby 4 and a half months ago! Was this planned you ask? NO! Are we excited? YES of course, it is a baby! Are we still in shock? YES, more Mark than me at this point...I think I have passed that stage and am on the "overwhelmed" stage! How far along are you? about 10 weeks (2 1/2 months)! When is this baby due? the beginning of December! Yes Hunter was born December 20th so that puts them less than 12 months apart!!
I went to my first appointment yesterday and we got to see the baby...that was the reality that we needed! They asked if we even wanted to see it or be in denial a little longer, ha ha, but NO I wanted to see that everything is okay and that the baby is for real, I guess. Some people that we have told don't know how to respond with this news because usually I am holding Hunter when I tell them. They aren't sure what we want to hear! Congrats? or Sorry? But just so we get this straight, I am really excited! I didn't think I would be able to have any more kids and oddly enough I am already attached to the baby...even though I still hold one! :) Yes it is going to be hard and Yes I am going through a lot of emotions that I can't begin to describe but that the Lord has faith in me as a wife and mother to take on this challenge is truly a compliment! I know that this baby is coming into our home for a reason...for what? I don't know...but I am grateful!


So there you have it! Our shocking news!! We will keep you posted...of course!

the rest of April...

WOW! how time flies...so i am going to catch you up on what happened the rest of April in our lives! first...
Mark and I went to "WICKED"
at dinner before...

we were lucky and got to go with some people from our ward!! THANKS RIVER'S FAM!!

next my sister Erika and her husband Cody came to Salt Lake and spent Saturday with us just hanging out. It was a blast!! Mark and Cody went and looked at guns together and Erika and I went shopping at the Gateway!...

Mark

Cody

headed home from an AWESOME weekend!!

Hunter turns 4 months!!
At his appointment he weighed 14 lbs and 9.5 oz! and is 23 inches long! He is growing great and doing awesome with everything!

trying cereal for the first time...:)


he is the happiest baby!!

Tanner and I started soccer!! I am his coach and there are 6 kids on the team including Tanner. What and adventure! ha ha

he wanted to be #5 because that is how old he is! ha ha


and ending on a sad note...we got rid of Wes! :( Believe it or not I was sad to see him go..he was having a hard time with not getting enough attention and was making messes ALL over the house! So we decided to send him to a home that could love and pay attention to him more than I could. We miss him and will always remember him!!

him and Tanner were best buds!! They loved chasing each other around! Tanner misses him!


There you go!!...that was the rest of April for us and sadly we are getting closer to the middle of May and I don't have many pics! So I will get going and let you catch up before I post again :)

Easter Sunday...

This year for easter we went up to the Nichols. We had lunch and then the easter bunny came and left some eggs! The kids were so excited!!
Tanner going in search...

Ashlee and Tanner almost done...

They found all the goodies!! Painter, Ashlee, and Tanner


Grandma and Grandpa Nichols with Ashlee, Emma, Painter, Hunter, and Tanner. We love getting together as a family!

conference weekend...

The Sunday of General Conference my grandma has a get together of all her kids and their kids at her house. We go there after the first session and have lunch and then watch the second session together. I LOVE this tradition because since we don't live in Utah this is sometimes the only time I get to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins!
me and Erika (my sister)

me and my Grandma Hubbard

me and my uncle Bart...aka "my big brother"

cute sister Sid...I caught her at a most important moment!...filling that tummy of hers ha ha

and my adorable husband that just LOVES taking pictures!

p.s. i know that i am a weekend behind...sorry I am trying to catch up from being a slacker! :)

my 5 year old boy!!

Our little boy is not so little anymore! He turned 5 on the 5th of April, kind of weird huh? ha He is such a joy to have in our home! A challenge but a joy! He is just too smart sometimes...he likes to spell out words and he loves numbers! He is such a huge help at home with Hunter and just loves to sit and talk to him. We love him very much and are grateful to have him in our home!

he is kinda spoiled...hee hee

he wanted a soccer ball of his cake this year...so this is my attempt! :)

Grandpa and Grandma Nichols and Amber with my two boys!

We went down to my parents for Conference weekend and Mark's parents stopped by to have some cake and ice-cream on their way home from visiting Mark's brother. It was fun to have our families together for his birthday!

turned 27 on the 27th of March

Well, I am now 27 years old! I got sick the night before my birthday so I spent it in bed :( So when Mark got home from work he took care of me and the boys and did a pretty good job!
this is what I had for my "birthday cake" cream of wheat! They put the candle in it and actually sang to me ha ha and Tanner was mad because he wanted to make me a cake but they did that on Sunday.

flowers Mark sent me

my sick self and my family...



Since I was sick I was able to stretch my birthday celebrations thru the weekend! And I loved it...Mark's parents took me shopping on Saturday for new clothes and then out to dinner and Sunday Mark made me a cake. It was a great weekend!