WORLD FINALS XII, LAS VEGAS, NV

Our trip to the world finals this year was plain and simply AMAZING ... we had such a great time from start to finish!! It was a little different this year not having Mom & Norm in Vegas to stay with so we stayed at the Excalibur. It was pretty funny because although our kids have been going to Vegas since they were born, they had never seen the strip ... so when we pulled into town they were in awwwe of all the big hotels and lights and were pretty stoked that we were staying in a "castle"!!! Hahahaaa!! Before we even left Phoenix Clay & I discussed (or should I say, I begged and pleaded) wether we were going to drive over the new Hoover Dam bridge .. which of course Clay said ABSOLUTELY we are driving over the bridge!! So even though I was not at all thrilled (to say the least) about it we made our 1st trip over the bridge succesfully!! It ended up being no big deal and you hardly even realize you are on it before you are already across!! I was even brave enough to snap a quick picture as we crossed it! THE PITS . . . The fam posing with Cam McQueen, driver of the Nitro Circus truck!!

Rhett got an autograph & picture with his favorite driver, Pablo Huffaker and Rilyn thought she was tuff tuff stuff sittin in a Grave Digger truck driving!!

TAILGAITING . . .

In between the pits and waiting for the show to start we tailgaited and bbq'd! The boys got to drive their RC cars and all the kids had a blast playing in the dirt, I know shocking!!!

SHOW TIME . . .

The show this year was OFF THE HOOK ... and being front row was $$!! Hahaaa!! All the trucks were catching insane air and 2 pulled off back flips!!

The Skagg's Family!

The driver's always come up into the stands after their freestyle runs and give something to a fan and this year Madusa came up and gave Rilyn a piece of her truck signed .... this was the most awesome thing ever!! Girl Power Baby!! I cant wait to hang it up in her room! Her bro's were just a tad bit jealous, as they have been going to the World Finals for 4 & 5 years now and havent ever got anything, but they were still stoked that we got something!!!

Trey cheered for Nitro Circus who pulled off a back flip and held onto 1st place the entire night and then was beat in a tie breaker by Avenger at the end of the night!!

We decided to stay an extra day so that we could spend a little bit of time at my cousins house and let the kids hang out ... although it was a short visit it was a really good time and we definitely got in some quality time well spent!! Colton & Rilyn are only 5 weeks apart and its so much fun watching them interact, although Rilyn is a little on the mean and bossy side, another big shocker I know!!

FISH FRY

The boys had soooo much fun on their fishin' trip with Daddy & Uncle Bradley to Lake Alamo and came home dirty as dirty gets!!! They both say their favorite part was fishing but from the sounds of it everything about the whole weekend was a BLAST!! Trey (Mr. Informative), reported that they caught 7 fish: 4 Bass and 3 Crappie.

Trey had been talking about how he cant wait to try crappie weeks before they even left on their trip ... so one night Uncle Bradley cooked him some to taste ... he says he liked it, but by the look on his face I don't know if I am believing that story!!!

After a long weekend of camping, fishing, hiking, shooting and just simply being boy's, Trey & Rhett didn't make it too long on the trip home before they crashed out and left daddy to drive solo!!!

It was pretty strange for Rilyn & I to be without our boys all weekend and I don't think I have ever seen her more excited to see her brothers ... she gave them the BIGGEST squeezes in the world when they got home!! I am so glad they had a fun trip and although they say they missed momma, I'm not buying it!!! So proud of Clay for taking pictures (I only made him promise me he would about a thousand times, literally, before he left)!!!

JUST BECAUSE

There too cute not to share . . . . . .

ANIMALS ...

It's kinda funny ... I have a very similar video of both Trey & Rhett around this same age, doing this exact thing, in the same tub, with the same animals! This is such a fun age when they are learning so so much and absorbing everything you teach them!

SHAPES ......

OMGosh I totally just did the happy dance times 20 as I FINALLY figured out how to post video's to my blog (my friend Candis posted the last 2 for me)all by myself ... hahahahaaaa ... look out now because I have definitely been putting our new video camera to great use over the last month and have many to share!!!

Here is Rilyn doing one of her most favorite things, her shape box!! Cant believe she wont show me any love at the end!!! LOL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMY!!

Last night we went to Uncle Sam's for dinner to celebrate Grammy's birthday and had an awesome meal ... everyone ate and ate and ate and we walked out of there stuffed out of our minds even the kiddos pretty much cleared their plates!!! Afterwards we went back to Grammy's house for cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream!! Happy Birthday Grammy, We Love You So Much!!!

A LITTLE SHOOT ....

Yesterday I got to watch Miss Aubree for a few hours so I thought what better chance to get some more practice in with my camera that I am oh so addicted to!! Here is a little sneak peek at the results!! What a sweet sweet baby she is!!

THE PREPARATIONS . . . . .

This weekend the Boys along with Uncle Bradley and Corey are going on their 1st of what we hope will become an annual "boys only" Crappie Fishin' Trip and I don't know who is more excited Daddy, Trey or Rhett!!! This has been the main topic of discussion around our house for about 2 weeks now! Yesterday the boys spent the day preparing for their trip .... getting the boat and tent trailer ready, riggin up all the poles, makin lists of everything they need to remember to take, etc ...!!

I think it is so awesome that Clayton & Bradley are planning this trip and takin all the boys ... these will be memories that the kids will keep forever and hopefully this will become an annual trip for years and years to come!!


I'm still workin on a "girls" plan for the weekend ... but with Rilyn being so young the options are slim pickens!! Definitely plan on doing some scrapbooking and shopping with my sista's and momma and have even considered a pedi but am pretty positive Rilyn wont be sittin thru that ... atleast not without a fight, hahaaaa!!!

NO PEEKING!!!

Rilyn tries so so so hard to keep her eyes closed and to not peek at prayer time!!!

RIDIN'

TATTOO - PART 1

Here is the beginning stages of my long awaited and dreamed about tattoo .... I am way way way excited!! For a while now I have been wanting a tattoo that a. represents my kiddos b. is pretty good size and c. is all black & grey so I talked to my brother in law about it and we came up with doing the vine down my side/back with each of the kids birth month flower as well as Clay & I's wedding flower! Darin did an amazing job drawing it up and now the time is here to put it into ink! Haahaa! After about 6 hrs of torture we have the vine and 2 out of 5 of the flowers done and I have to say it looks pretty bitchin (excuse my language) if you ask me!!! Cant wait to get the rest done, be healed and show it off this summer ... woot woot!!! Thanks D, you're awesome!!

COMPETITION TIME ..

Rhett had his 1st karate tournament last Sunday and participated in two events, Strongest Punch and Strongest Kick!! It was pretty awesome and he was sooooooo stoked that everyone came to watch and that he got a trophy and two medals!! When we got in the truck to leave he said "did you see that, I kicked the cwap outta that thing"!!!! Hahahaaaaa!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE . . . . .

With the beautiful weather we had last weekend we couldn't help but ride both Saturday & Sunday after Trey's basketball and Rhett's karate!!

SATURDAY: we headed out into the Tonto from the house with the Ford's. We got about 30 min. to an hour into our ride when all of the sudden ...... SNAP ...... the left back tire snapped! So me & the kiddos jumped in with the Ford's and Anthony brought us all home, grabbed some tools & headed back out to help Clay .... FINALLY at about 10:45 that night they made it back with the Ranger fixed, Clay was a sight to see freezing his butt off with shorts, a short sleeved shirt, beanie and one glove ... I wish so bad I would have taken a pic!! The joys of having toys!!!

SUNDAY: we trailered out to Table Mesa Rd and met up with the Skaggs Family. We found some awesome new trails and best of all had no tire problems ... it was a great day!!!

Our Family .. you can barely see Rilyn's little head peeking out around daddy!!

The Skaggs family and their new Rhino ... sweet ride!!!

I'm beginning to wonder what we did with our time before we got the Ranger!!!

MOMMY'S LITTLE HELPER!!

The other night after I got Rilyn's pajamas on, I asked her to take her clothes to the hampers (which I keep in the laundry room so that when its time to do laundry I don't have to go gather it all up from each room) and she scooped them all up and headed for the laundry room!! So the next morning I went to start some laundry and this is what I found ..... all her clothes from the night before neatly placed right inside the washing machine!!! I couldn't help but take a picture ..... I love these little mommy moments when you just cant help but smile!!! I was very impressed, she at least got the gist of what I said and we have since been learning where the hampers are and what goes in each hamper!!!

RILYN ..... THESE DAYS!!!

Rilyn at 1 & 1/2 years old is all of these things and more ......

• a bundle of blonde curls & the personality to go along with
• a total daddy girl ... in fact when daddy is home from work she considers him to be 100% hers and shadow's his every move, litterally!!
• a singer of songs that only she can sing
• total motorhead (as if she really has a choice!) one of her favorite things to do is sit on the quads in the garage and say baaaa baaaaa baaaaaaa!!!!
• running around the house naked, a total escape artist at bath and diaper changing time
• obsessed with shoes (and daddy thinks its bad at 1 and 1/2!!!) hahahaaaa
• still gives the best open mouth kisses and squeezies in the whole world!!
• cant get enough of the park (especially the slides), the trampoline & playing ball
• loves painting her toe nails like mommy's (even though we have to do a few toes at a time, sitting still thru the whole 10 would be waaayyyyy too much to ask)
• a little mommy always playing with her baby's
• has the absolute best "bed head" in the morning and after her nap
• doing any and everything her brothers do!!
• being the BOSS!!!

And just think we are only 6 months away from the "terrific & terrible" 2's, I can only imagine what that will bring us!!!

JAMMIN ...

Last weekend we had a little get together and my brother brought his guitar .... later in the evening Rhett & Uncle Bradley started jammin together ... but not too long after they got started Rhett jumped up and went running into his room ... and returned with his rock star glasses ... now that he had his complete ensemble he was ready to continue the jam session!!! It was way too cute and he loved having someone to play his guitar with and he reminded me a few days later "momma remebewr when I pwayed my guitawr with uncle bwadley"!!!