December fun!!

Its been awhile hu!? Lets rewind a little and start with Austyns 4th birthday. He is OBSESSED with Toy Story. Especially Buzz. He wanted a Toy Story party so that's what we did! Winter birthdays are HARD! The activities are limited! We just had a small party with some family and friends! ALL he wanted was the Buzz Lightyear wing pack!! Guess what, he has only put it on 3 times since!! I cant believe my baby is 4! He is such a sweet little man, but don't kid yourself, he has a temper when he gets fired up!  He is in preschool this year and I cant believe all he has learned! He is one smart cookie!! He loves Ayden and follows him around everywhere! They are best buds and two peas in a pod!

My attempt at his cake!! His reaction was "Mom...why did you put purple on it! It looks like a girl cake!"

Now on to Christmas! It was a busy month to say the least! Both of the kids were sick, Ayden with a double ear infection and Austyn with pink eye! I swear we are at Urgent care right before Christmas every year!  

Austyn was more interested in the candy...imagine that!!;)

They were still so tired that morning! I think they weren't in bed until 11:45pm!

Santa brought Ayden every John Deere tractor and accessory they make and Austyn now has almost every Toy Story toy that is available!! They must have been very good boys this year!!

On to the new year! I am so excited for this year. Its going to be a great one, I can feel it! There are many changes coming our way and I am excited about every one of them! I don't make new years resolutions anymore, but what I can say is that we are taking on our HEALTH at the Stratz house! If that means I drop some of this "baby weight";) than that's just an extra bonus!! Can you still call it baby weight when your kids are 4 and 5???haha

May all of you be blessed with health and happiness this year!!

Pre-School...bitter-sweet!!

The boys are BOTH in pre-school together this year and I am jumping for joy! I have a few free hours every week to do what I want do, and its is SO nice! I was a little worried putting them in the same class together but they did great! I think Austyn wouldn't have been so comfortable with the idea of me leaving him if Ayden wasn't there with him! He is for sure a mommas boy! I cant believe how fast they grow up though, I am a little sick to my stomach thinking that I will have one in kindergarten next year! Time sure does fly. I say that a lot, but I just cant believe how fast kids grow. It is so bitter sweet! I was just visiting with a mom the other day that was an emotional wreck. Her son was leaving for college and she had been crying for days watching him pack and get ready to face the big world! I instantly got a sick feeling inside to think that I will be facing that one day, and that day isn't really that far off. She kept telling me "just blink, and their childhood will be over and YOU will be sending your boys to school!" Well, I am going to try to keep them little as long as I possibly can! I sure do love those few free hours while they are in school, but I am not looking forward to them growing up and leaving their momma for good, not to mention future daughter in laws....YIKES!!!!! I might just keep them home FOREVER!!!:)

Iron Springs 2010

Our annual Iron Springs/ bow shoot camping trip went off without a hitch...well almost!! Besides me getting the stomach flu and the near freezing temperatures, it was a blast as usual!! The boys love camping. It is their favorite thing to do! We have gone a whole one time this summer!haha As for me, that one time was plenty;) We rode four wheelers, ate good food, shot what seemed like a million arrows at targets, ate good food, got sick, watched the Lightening Thief on our big screen aka enclosed trailer, froze our buns off, ate more good food(no wonder I was sick) and had lots of good conversation!! We look forward to this trip all year long, cant wait till next year!

Most of the crew, minus Lacy and Randy

We camp in style!! Look at that awesome outfit;)

I think Ayden spent the whole weekend on the four wheelers!

Is summer really half over??

Wow! Where did the first half of summer go? Its just now starting to get warm!! Although fall is by far my favorite season, I am just a little sad that summer is going so fast! The boys have been extra busy and so have I. I have been doing hair almost everyday. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but I feel like my poor boys are getting neglected. I am cutting down on the amount of appointments that I will be taking each week. So, if you need an appt. call in advanced:) Here are just some of the happenings at the Stratz house this summer!!

We had a great 4th of July! It was a 3 day celebration with BBQ's, fireworks and the parade!!

Ayden had his 5th birthday!! Where does time go??

We went on the dam tour at Flaming Gorge. The boys LOVED it and still talks about it. Me...I discovered that I am a little afraid of heights. Especially when my babies are hanging off a fence looking over a 450' dam!! Yikes!!

The boys are getting so big! Although they are a handful at times, they make me laugh every single day!! They are at such fun ages and I am loving the stage that they are both in! They are goofy, full of imagination and they are like sponges, they soak up EVERY little thing they learn!  Hope all of you are having a fun and eventful summer season! Enjoy every moment because kids grow up WAY too fast!!

Ayden turns 5!!

My Ayden turned 5 on July 2nd. I can hardly believe it! Where does time go? He is such a joy and I am so glad that he is a part of our lives. He is one smart little boy, just ask him! He will tell you that he knows EVERYTHING!! He also tells us everyday that he is the BOSS! Thanks to my dad for that one! He is really into John Deere tractors, always has been, so we threw him a John Deere party. He was in heaven! We just had a little party for him at my mom and dads. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us!! I just cant believe that I have a 5 year old! seems just like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital at a tiny 6 pounds! Happy Birthday Ayden!
Love you to the moon and back and the stars and back!(this is what he tells us daily! Just love that little guy)


(His cake turned out cute, even if I was up until 2am decorating it!haha)

Our little Graduate!

Ayden's pre-school graduation was last week and it was so stinkin cute! Even though he will go again next year, it was so fun to see him hit this milestone in his life! Miss Kami(our amazing next door neighbor) was his teacher this year and she did such an amazing job with the kids! Ayden and Austyn will both go next year and they couldn't be more excited! Ayden made some great friends and is looking forward to many play dates this summer!

"B" Strong 5k Fun Run

On January 30th 2010, Bronson Staker was life flighted to Primary Childrens Hospital after being found dead in the bath tub and rushed to UVRMC where they revived his heart. At 16 months old Bronson was given a second chance at life when the odds were not in his favor. Besides being a medical Miracle, he has touched the lives of many who have been following his story around the Globe.

Come celebrate the gift of life with us and Bronson, in celebration of Bronson’s 2nd Chance.

There will be a 5k, and children’s 1 mile Fun Run. Both Starting at 9am. Following there will be Games, Food, prizes, Bounce houses for the kids.
Register online@:
https://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1839825

Pre-registration: adults: $10, Children $6.
Same Day Registration: Adults $12, children $8.
Same Day Family of 5 or more discount @ $25.

We look forward to seeing you all!

Links to this story:
www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfAKoFzYwzE
(Bronsons Miracle Video)
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9654005
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9664118

**If you cannot make the run, Donations are also set up at Wells Fargo. You may visit any Branch and tell them you wish to donate to“The Bronson Staker Donation account”. Thank you!!

**ALL donations go to benefit Bronson and the Children at Primary Childrens Hospital.

Questions, Concerns or for donation of goods or services please Contact:
MindyJohanson@hotmail.com
Jordan.Welch@gmail.com (Jordan Welch)
OR VIA FACEBOOK

Faith

I had a little lesson in faith this last week. I wish it wasn't from someone else's tragedy, but it was. My good friend Mindy's nephew had a drowning accident in the bath tub on Saturday. He was life flighted to Primary Children's with grim hope. For some reason this story really touched me. I will spare the details and let you read for yourself. Sara, little Bronsons mother has the story on her blog. This family simply amazes me! www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com Be prepared with a BOX of tissues. Their STRENGTH, their FAITH, their LOVE, their HONESTY, their TESTIMONY, it is just amazing! If you didn't believe in the power of prayer, the power of priesthood and Gods tender mercies...you will now! I am asking for all of you, my friends, to keep this amazing family in your thoughts and prayers. Bronson is doing really well as of now. Lets keep the power of prayer going. I know that they are heard by our Heavenly Father and felt by Bronson and his family! Squeeze your little ones a little tighter today and thank the Lord for all of your blessings in your life!!


***My friend Mindy(Bronson's amazing aunt) has set up an account at Wells Fargo for the family. It is under the Bronson Staker Donation account. I am sure any amount of a donation would be greatly appreciated! Thanks friends!***

Christmas fun!

We had a great Christmas here at the Stratz house! The whole family came over Christmas day and it was nice to have a full house! Actually, about 8:00pm on Christmas eve Ayden suddenly wanted to call grandpa and grandma and see if they would come spend the night. So they did. The kids LOVED that! The boys had a great day and got everything they wanted from Santa and more!! Their favorite presents were their voom vooms...aka, four-wheelers!! Santa went with the powerwheel ones instead of the real gas powered ones which they were slightly disappointed about, but they soon got over it once they realized they could ride these ones in the basement!! They also got snuggies from grandma Kathy. They both wanted one so bad everytime the commercial came on!haha

*We had our annual Christmas party at grandpa Georges house the Monday before Christmas and Santa showed up!*



*Ayden had to wake up Austyn that morning!*

10 things....I dare you to name them!!

I am feeling absolutely overwhelmed today! I just cant seem to get it together. Three days till Christmas and I am way behind with no time to catch up. Family parties, work parties and still a TON of wrapping that needs done! I sit here looking around my ever SO messy house wondering how other moms and wives do it! I only have 2 kids and lots of women have many more! I was reading through some blogs a few nights ago and my friend Meryntha had a fabulous post about these same feelings. Why do we all feel the need to be so perfect at EVERYTHING!! Or so we all pretend to be! How can you keep your house spotless, have quality time for the kids, have time for your husband, cook 3 square healthy meals everyday, get up and get hair done and make-up on, work part time, keep the car semi-clean, have clean toilets all the time, not have a sticky kitchen floor with crumbs stuck to it...let alone "ME" time?? If anyone knows the answer...please share! Now that my rant is over I am going to admit 10 things that make me NOT so perfect

1-I am in my pj's all day, EVERYDAY(so are my kids) unless I am running to wal-mart. I might get dressed for that! If you come to get your hair done, there is no guarantee that I wont be in my pjs for your appointment!

2-I sometimes don't get the kids breakfast before 11. And when I get around to breakfast sometimes it is just a cookie!

3-Sometimes dinner consists of leftovers that probably should have been thrown away DAYS ago!!

4-I once found a pair of the kids swim trunks in the back of my jeep that were still in the hotel dirty laundry bag, you know, the plastic bags. That was a good 6 months after our trip...YUCK:)

5-Sometimes I don't even get my teeth brushed for a day...maybe two! Who knows, maybe that is the secret to no cavities. I still have never had a cavity...knock on wood;)

6-Sometimes I forget to pay the power bill and it gets shut off!!

7-I sometimes totally ignore my kids all day while I am surfing the web, on facebook or looking(or stalking) blogs!!

8-I use the Disney Channel for a babysitter more often than I should!

9-I pull the "Santa is watching you" all year long

10-Sometimes the clothes sit in the washer until they completely reek like mildew. Then I have to wash them a good 3 or 4 times to try to make them smell a little better!!

11-I will throw a number 11 in there. Sometimes I totally fake a headache so I don't have to do you know what!!!! Sorry Dave:)

There, I told you a few secrets of mine. I dare you to do the same! Lets all stop pretending that we are all perfect moms, house keepers and wives! It gives me a complex! Lets get real. I could use a maid to keep up on my house, a nanny to play with the kids and a personal chef and trainer to kick my butt back into shape. But lets face the facts, I am not a famous person who can afford such luxuries. And at the end of the day what is more important...a clean house, or quality play time with the kids?? I choose play time!:)

My baby boy is 3!

Today is Austyns 3rd birthday and I can hardly believe it! Where does time go? It just seems like yesterday I was headed to the hospital on a very snowy day to be induced. He was stubborn from the get go. He was a week and a half late and had a rough entrance into the world weighing 8pounds 8oz. I was induced at 7am on the 8th and he was born at 12:31am December 9th. The doc was apologetic on how long the labor was and I told him it was a breeze compared to the 42 hour labor with Ayden!! Austyn, your are such a special spirit! You are so kind and soft hearted. You love your brother more than anything. Although you are stubborn, I think that is special trait to hold. It will make you strong and you will always stand for what you believe in. Me and your dad feel so blessed that you chose us to be your parents! We love you little man!!

The Polar Express

My Dad bought tickets for all of us to go on the Polar Express this year. If you haven't taken your kids yet, I highly recommend it! My kids LOVE the movie. They watch it all year long!! They had a blast. Santa and Mrs. Clause comes around and visits each kids. Ayden is usually pretty shy when it comes to Santa...well, not so much this year! He gave Santa his WHOLE wish list. Santa kept trying to walk away and Ayden grabbed his sleeve and said "Oh, and one more thing.."haha It was so funny! Austyn had a hard time remembering what he wanted when Santa talked to him. But he managed to squeak out that he wanted a four-wheeler! We saw Santa 3 different times that trip. Park City, Polar Express, and our hotel! Yes, Santa stays at the La Quinta in Provo, just in case you were wondering! My kids want EvErYtHiNg they see for Christmas this year!! It must be the age. They are starting to pay attention to commercials and after every one that comes on they say "I want that for Christmas!!" I mean every commercial, even the Barbie ones!! And no...they aren't getting everything on their 'list'!! Thanks mom and dad for such a fun weekend!!

Halloween 2009

The boys had a blast this year! This was the first year that they BOTH wanted to wear their costume and they even kept them on all night! They got the hang of trick or treating rather fast! Ring door bell, hold out bucket, and get candy. We missed the whole "say trick or treat" step. They were to shy to speak to the people!!haha We only went to a few houses, mostly family. After they had been in and out of their car seat 7 or so times, they called it quits! That was fine with me though, they had enough candy by then!
This is Austyns scawry piwate face