Hunting

Right now because of all the freaking out about guns and whether or not the gun laws are going to change, people are stocking up on ammo.  Whenever you go to the store, the shelves are practically empty.  Brady had been looking for .22 LR ammo for a while. While we were at Dick's one night he asked the worker when they get their trucks in.  He said that on Friday morning they come and there is usually a line of people waiting to come in and buy ammo before they even open.  So, I went on Friday morning to try and get some.  When I got to the gun counter the guy said they didn't have any.  One man was standing there and yelled after me that he had just bought some at Academy and would sell me a box if I wanted.  He was nice enough to wait for me to go to Brady's work and get some cash and then I came back and bought a box.  It was a lot of work for a $3 box of ammo but I'm glad I was able to get it. 

The next day, the 19th, Kolton had a basketball game.  Brady didn't have to work so he was able to come watch him again.  The Beans came to watch Kade play and were surprised to see that Kolton and Andrew were on the team as well.  Kolton thought it was cool that they were there.  Every member of their family (including Shauna's parents) pulled us aside at some point or another and told us how amazing Kolton was and that he had incredible form. 

After the basketball game we ate lunch really quickly and then Brady and Kolton left to go shooting with Brady's dad, brother, and London and Pierson.  Originally Brady was just supposed to go squirrel hunting with his dad, but then he called Saturday morning and asked if Kolton wanted to come because London and Pierson were coming.  They didn't get to really shoot at very many animals because with the boys there it was too loud, but they shot the guns a few times at trees. Kolton even shot it once.  Brady said the gun was a little too big for him and so he had a hard time holding it and aiming and shooting.  Haha.  Brady's dad got a rabbit so Brady and Kolton helped him skin it and clean it and then Kolton got to shoot Grandpa's crossbow.   

Sunday all three of us took a family nap together.  Kolton ended up sleeping for like 3 hours again.  I left and went to Brittney's at like 4:00 to get a brownie mix.  Lizzie put on facebook something about brownies and after I read it I just had to have some.  Luckily Brittney had a box for me.  Haha.  When I got back from her house Kolton had just woken up.  

We ate dinner and then we headed over to the Himes' house.  Brady and I were going to go hunting together the next day and Jill said she'd watch Kolton for us.  We were planning on leaving at about 5:30 in the morning and so we were going to have to wake him up and take him over there super early Monday morning but Jill texted me on Sunday afternoon and asked if we'd just like Kolton to stay the night there instead.  Kolton was pretty excited! Two sleepovers for him in less than a week! :) 

They stayed up pretty late but Kolton did pretty good and wasn't upset about not being at home, so that was good.  I'm so glad he was able to stay the night there! It made the next morning a lot easier!

We borrowed Mark's waders and I had to wear them.  It was pretty funny.  

We ended up leaving at about 4:00 in the morning. Brady really wanted to be able to use a certain blind that was already built there so we thought we'd try and get there as early as we could.  We got to Ft. Cobb at about 6:00 and people were already there! They told us they had been there since 3:00 in the morning! Crazy! So, we drove around to the other side of the lake and picked a spot.  We sat there for a bit and I shot the gun once, just to see what it was like.  It totally knocked me backwards and I almost fell flat on my back.  Haha.  Nothing really seemed to be flying in where we were at so we drove down the beach and picked a different spot.  There were tons of ducks! Brady ended up shooting 3 ducks in just a short amount of time but I could not get them.  The water got deep fast and I couldn't go out far enough to reach them.  So, we decided to move to another spot where hopefully we'd be able to reach the ducks after he shot them.  We built a blind from scratch which took us about 30 minutes or so.  We sat down and literally a minute later, a white truck came pulling up to us.  A "ranger" came out and asked us if we'd had any luck.  Brady told him we had just sat down and hadn't seen anything yet.  He then told us that were were in a state wildlife park and were in trouble.  He checked Brady's gone to make sure he only had 3 bullets in it and then took the gun and Brady's license and went to his truck.  He was in there for a while and then came out and gave Brady a ticket.  He told Brady that he was being nice and not seizing his gun because he could tell we weren't trying to break the law and honestly didn't know we had crossed the line from where you could hunt to where you couldn't.  He said we could go to court if we wanted or just pay the ticket because it was "small." Yeah right! It is a $221 ticket.  I've never had a ticket that big! We were pretty mad.  It kind of put a damper on the day.  He told us that we were "far" into the park otherwise he'd let us go.  When we looked at the map, we were between a 1/4 and 1/2 a mile into the park.  AND, there weren't any signs where we had driven in telling us you couldn't hunt there.  Originally Brady wasn't going to fight it just because it is an hour and half away and would cost $40 in gas, but after talking to a guy at his work that used to do that for a living, he's decided he's going to fight it.  So annoying!

After that we drove around a bit and went back to the place we had gone to in the morning that was already taken.  We thought maybe the people would have left.  They were leaving, so we got all our stuff and walked down there.  It was sticky, muddy, marshy mess and I ended up falling in it and got my whole side all wet.  Then, Brady walked in water that was too deep and it went over his boot and down into it so then his leg and foot were all wet.  We sat down and then someone told us that you can't hunt after 1:00 there.  It was like 12:45.  So, to save ourselves from getting another ticket, we packed up and left.  I had a fun time spending the whole day with Brady.  It sucked that we didn't have much success and left with a huge ticket, but it was nice spending time with each other. 

On the way there and back there are TONS of windmills.  Its so cool! 

Sunday night while we were dropping Kolton off at the Himes, they were all running around and Kolton tripped and hit his head on the arm of their recliner.  He laid on the floor for several minutes but he wasn't crying so I let him be.  He finally stood up and started playing again and I noticed he had blood all smeared on his face so I had him come over to me.  He had a cut on his eyelid that looked pretty gross.  I couldn't believe he hadn't cried and was proud that he was so brave.  Luckily we were at a doctor's house haha, so he looked at it and said it should be fine.  It bruised up and swelled a little bit but nothing too bad.  Now, a little over a week later, you can't even see it.  

My parents sent Kolton money to go buy some clothes.  Kolton was so excited! I took him shopping on Wednesday night while Brady worked on homework.  When we got to the first store he picked out a shirt.  Then he asked "I can get another one?" with every thing we picked out! Haha.  It was funny.  I've taken him shopping one other time and we still haven't spent all the money.  So far he has 9 new shirts, one pair of shorts, one pair of church pants, and a tie. I need to take him again to get some more shorts.  Since he has bought his new clothes, he hasn't wanted to wear any old ones.  :) 

He's so spoiled! Every morning he gets to sit on the couch, watch a show, and eat his breakfast.  :) 

Here he is trying on more clothes from our second shopping trip.  I LOVE this shirt on him!! So adorable! 

Saturday morning, the 26th, Kolton had another game.  It was at 10:00.  Kasia Hoyt and Sis. Hoyt came to watch Kade this week and so when Kolton saw them he got pretty excited.  Kasia has babysat Kolton a few times and he just loves her.  They too couldn't believe how good Kolton was.  He had a few steals and seriously awesome shots.  He would steal the ball, run down the court dribbling the ball, then take a shot without even stopping fading to the side.  It was pretty amazing.  Now, too, he does his follow through and it cracks me up.  He does not look 5 out there.  One lady from the other team told Brady on Saturday that we need to make sure and video tape him so that when he becomes famous he can show people.  Haha. 

After the game Brady, Sterling, and Mark left to go to Lexington to go duck hunting.  It was the last day of the season and they wanted to go out one more time.  While they were gone, us girls met up at the church and let the kids play.  We got there at 3:00 and played there until about 5:30 or 6:00.  The kids rode their scooters, played frisbee, played basketball, and did races.  We also got pizza and ate it up there at the church as well.  After that we came to our house so that the guys could meet us there and then go home with their wives.  Kolton was pretty excited that everyone was coming to his house.  :) 

While we were eating pizza Kolton and Renee would chew their food in each other's faces and got pretty close to touching lips a few times.  It was hilarious.  

All the kids on the stage eating. 

(L to R: Lilly, Renee, Kolton, Kade, Emery, Andrew)

We made the boys let us take their picture when they got back.  They literally only saw 2 ducks and didn't have any luck.  They ended up throwing stuff up in the air and shooting at it before they left so that they could do something fun while they were there.  Haha.  

Sunday Brady was not feeling well so he stayed home and Kolton and I went to church.  I had to lead the music in sacrament meeting.  I told Kolton on our way to church that he could sit with Brittney until after the sacrament when I could come sit with him so that he wasn't alone.  When we got there Brittney wasn't there yet, so a lady behind me asked if I wanted her to keep an eye on him.  I said sure and went up on to the stand as church was starting.  A few minutes later Brittney walked in and so Kolton got up to go sit with her.  The lady that was watching him didn't know that I had told him that so she made him sit back down.  When I saw that I thought for sure Kolton was going to start crying or something out of embarrassment but he didn't.  He just sat back down.  He was AMAZING while I was up there and just sat and watched.  I got teary eyed a few times while I was up on the stand watching him.  He is just such a great kid.  When I came back down to my seat the lady that was watching him said to me that he was GREAT and so well behaved she couldn't believe it.  She was shocked that she didn't have to really do anything and that he sat so still.  Another lady, after sacrament meeting was over, came up to me and said she too couldn't believe just how well behaved he is and that he sat there so reverently while I was up there.  We are so blessed to have him as our son. 

Sunday was also ward conference.  I happened to be the only member of the Primary presidency at church on Sunday so I had to run the show by myself.  It actually wasn't too bad and the kids behaved really well, so that was nice.  I only had to find one last minute sub for our Valiant 9 class, so that was good! :) After church I went and did visits with a member of the stake Primary presidency.  It was fun and I had a good time!

That evening we went to Brady's parents for dinner but didn't stay long.  Brady wasn't feeling to good and so we went home at about 7:00 or 7:30.  Before we left, though, Brady got a blessing from his dad for his school.  He is taking an 8 week accounting 1 and accounting 2 class online in order to do the adult program that starts on April 2.  It takes him about 10 or so hours a week to do the work for it so it has been a little stressful for him but he has done well.  Its just exciting that he is back in school and will have his degree in a year and a half.  I'm proud of him for going back to school and taking the time to get his degree to help our family.  I know it will be a blessing for us. 
And here are some pictures really quickly from when Kolton and Andrew stayed the night at Kade's house when I went to the temple with Brady a couple weeks ago. 

Obsessed

Proof of his obsession. :) 

 And I love his little beanie sticking up off his head.  :) 

Can't wait for spring time! 

Last Week

On Monday, the 7th, Kolton and I met up with the Foys and Himes at the Little River Park to ride scooters and play.  They rode their scooters to the park and played for a minute and then just rode their scooters right around the pond by us.  They had a lot of fun! Kolton biffed it twice, but he'd just roll when he'd fall and so he never really got hurt and would just get back up and go some more.  

Funny story...I was trying to zip up Kolton's jacket and he said to me "I want to be cool Mom!" Haha.  It was funny to me.  

That night I had a presidency meeting and when I came home Brady and Kolton were playing a game...Trouble! Haha.  He really does LOVE that game.  

On Wednesday we went and looked at some cars.  Brady absolutely LOVES his Mustang but we've reached a point where it just isn't practical anymore.  Kolton has a hard time getting back there and with us trying to have another baby we knew at some point we'd need to get a different car that could fit a carseat in the back.  And as of January 1st, we have insurance and that is NOT cheap and we really needed to find a way to cut down on our bills and so we went looking for something bigger and cheaper than the mustang.  :) At first Brady really wanted a truck. He had looked at trucks a few months ago but decided he'd stick with the Mustang.  He tried looking again but they just weren't any cheaper than the mustang--more expensive in fact.  So then we started looking at Xterras.  We owned an Xterra once before and actually really liked it.  I really can't remember why we got rid of it...I think it was because gas got to be too expensive but I can't really remember. Anyway, we spent a few days looking at Xterras...going to dealerships and driving them as well as spending tons of time looking online.  We found one on Wednesday night that we really liked but we decided to go home and think about it and make sure that that was really what we wanted to do.  

Friday, the 11th, I watched the Himes kids while they went hunting.  They came over at like 6:30 and were there until about 1.  The kids had so much fun playing and surprisingly it was really easy! You'd think going from one kid to five kids under 5 would be a shock, but the kids were really well behaved so it was fine! Now, I wasn't showered and the house was a mess but other than that...Haha.  That night we decided to go back and get the Xterra.  It is a 2009 almost black Xterra.  It saves us about $170 a month from what we used to pay on the loan for the Mustang and our insurance on the Mustang.  Surprisingly, the insurance on the Xterra is cheaper.  It also gets a little bit better gas mileage so that will be nice too! Anyway, it will make the burden of health insurance a little lighter and we'll be able to fit a baby in there when the time comes! It was REALLY hard for Brady to leave his mustang.  That was like his baby.  Even though this is pretty embarrassing, we both cried as we left the car lot.  It still makes me sad that Brady had to leave his mustang there.  But, if this means we can have a baby, then it is worth it! And really, it is a good car for us to have.  

Saturday morning Kolton had a basketball game.  Brady had to work so I video taped it for him.  Brady's mom came and watched Kolton too.  Kolton played really well! He made lots of shots, even some fade away shots, stole the ball a few times etc.  I'd hear parents and grandparents that were sitting around me say "here he goes again" and "wow! he's a shooter!" or "he has really good form!" After his game Kolton went to Brady's parents house for a little bit and I went home and cleaned.  After that we went up to the Cox Convention Center for a volleyball tournament of Madison's.  It was fun to watch! Kolton played on either my phone, Brady's phone, or Madison's friend, Colton's, phone the entire time.  

    After the tournament we went to Ihop to get some food and didn't end up getting home until 11:30.  It was a late night! For Kolton, especially! 

We woke up late for church the next day and didn't get there until 9:40 and so we just sat in the foyer.  Oops! That afternoon we all took a 3 hour nap in our bed! 3 hours! Haha.  We were tired!

The next day I had to take the Xterra back to the dealership.  The heater in it wasn't working on Saturday and so I called them and they said I could bring it in on Monday and they'd take a look at it (after I argued with them for a few minutes explaining why they should).  When I got there the sales manager talked to me for about 15 minutes pretty much telling me that he couldn't do anything for me because we didn't buy a warranty and so we were pretty much s.o.l.  I ended up calling Brady and he talked to him for about 10 minutes over the phone while I just sat and listened.  They finally decided that we would come up that evening and get the Mustang back.  As I was about to leave I asked the guy if their shop just couldn't look at it and see what was wrong with it.  He said sure and so I drove it back there.  When I walked in he was whispering to their guy which was weird.  Finally the guy told me that he couldn't look at it for hours. Brady didn't want me to leave the Xterra there because we wanted to figure out a way to keep the car and get them to fix it.  I decided to leave and take it to my own repair shop.  I tried to take it in to a guy that is in our ward but he was booked for the day so I took it to another repair shop that had really good reviews.  They charged $45 for diagnostic services but if they did any repairs then they wouldn't charge you that fee.  I decided it would be worth the $45 to figure out what was wrong.  Turns out the dealership had put in new radiator hoses and they hadn't bled them through which is why the heater wasn't working.  Once they fixed that the heater started blowing out air that was 160 degrees.  They said everything else looks fine.  It cost us $57 to fix it.  If the dealership would have just looked at it right then while I was there it wouldn't have cost them or I anything because they didn't need any materials.  Anyway, we decided to keep the Xterra since it really is better for our family.  When Brady got home from work he called up the sales manager and explained to him what happened and was on the phone with him for a good 30 minutes.  The sales manager was never rude to us which was nice, but he just kept telling us that we needed to have bought a warranty and that he didn't have any money to put in to the car because we had talked them down below their internet price (which is usually their bottom dollar) and Brady kept saying he shouldn't have to use a warranty the day after he buys a car.  The manager finally apologized and said that he should have handled it differently and taken a look at it just to see if they could have fixed it for little to no cost to them. Easy for him to say after the fact, but I hope he really did realize that it would have been super easy for them to fix and then we would have been a "happy customer" instead of an angry one.  :) I really just hate buying cars.  I feel like they are only nice to you until you sign for it and then you're on your own.  Anyway, that was a long story! :) 

That afternoon Kolton and I did a crossword puzzle in this month's Friend.  It was fun to work on it with him.  As we were doing it, though, I just couldn't help but see just how much he looks like my brother, Tyler! It is just crazy to me sometimes!    

 On Tuesday morning I watched the Foys kids for a few hours while Brittney went to physical therapy and then ran some errands.  That evening Brady and I went to the temple with the youth to do baptisms and Kolton went over to the Foys.  He ended up spending the night there and didn't even ask to come home when it was time to go to bed! He said it was because he's 5 now.  :) The next morning, I went to Jill's house and Brittney brought Kolton over there for me.  For Christmas Jill got a lamp and some polish to do gel polish so we did that.  I did my nails red.  I really like it! It is super smooth and it has been 5 days now and hasn't chipped at all! 

On Thursday we got Kolton a big basketball goal.  I had been looking on Craigslist since before Christmas and we finally got him one on Thursday evening.  On Friday, Kolton played for 3 hours before school and then over 2 hours after school.  This kid is obsessed with basketball right now! I'm so glad we were able to get it for him. It was a cheap one, but it is just perfect for him.  We were able to set it at 7.5', which is what he plays on at his basketball games.  We put it in our backyard right next to our patio thing.  He just loves it! 

New Years

New Year's Eve we went to the mall to do some exchanging of Christmas presents and stuff.  Brady had this WHOLE week off so we were excited to enjoy it!! 

While we were at the mall Kolton said he was going to throw up.  We were in a store about to check out and so Brady said I should take him and he'd stay and check out. I started to walk away with him and he started throwing up.  It was all over the floor.  It was super embarrassing and I felt so bad for him! Thankfully the workers were super nice and helped clean up and weren't rude to us at all.  Kolton was so sad.  He hates being sick (as does anyone!).  We ended up just laying around all day.  Brady did go run some errands but for the most part we just watched tv and relaxed.  We pulled his mattress into our room and he slept on there at the foot of our bed.  

We were supposed to go to the Foys and have a little party for New Years but since Kolton was sick we weren't able to do that.  

This is him at midnight! Happy New Year! ;)   

 The next day Brady went duck hunting.  His friend, Mark, was able to get off work early (he is a resident at OU) and so they went together.  They went to Lexington, which is about 45 minutes away.  Brady was able to hit a duck and was pretty excited.  He said it is super fun to call in the ducks and that his adrenaline just gets going.  

 On Thursday, the 3rd, I had a work meeting I needed to go to so I went up to Tinker.  The meeting ended up being cancelled, but I stayed up there for a couple hours anyway and got some stuff done.  Then that night Brady went and played basketball and Kolton and I stayed at home and watched Thunderstruck and played Trouble.  :) 

On Friday, Mark and Brady went hunting again. This time they went to Ft. Cobb which is about an hour and a half away.  They left at 5:30 in the morning and got home at about 4 or 5 that evening.  Brady didn't end up getting anything but Mark got a couple.  He still said he had a really good time.   

This is a picture of the snow my parents got at their house! Crazy!!! That is a TON of snow! 

 And just one more picture of Kolton and I playing Trouble again! Haha.  And you can see his scooter in the background.  Proof that he rides it around the house.  Haha. He said it was perfect because he could go from the kitchen, in to the living room, and down the hall to the bathroom and that that was perfect practice for him.  :)