Cottrell Sibling Picture Time, Winter 2012

For two days Nathan had all his siblings in the same state, so we planned a family photo shoot at our house to try to make a surprise Christmas gift for his parents.

 All the Grand kids:  Clayton holding Roman, Shayna, Jordan, Ever, Justin and Hayden

 Act Crazy shot...Not too hard for Hayden to comply!

 Everyone all together in our Crazy Shot, although it looks like Nate didn't get the memo.

 I am sure my couch was crying mercy by the end of it all.  Ha Ha. We had to keep stacking everyone up to get us all in the same photo frame.  We were all sitting on toes and trying to find a spot that wouldn't crowd anyone else's head!

 Oldest to youngest: Nathan, Kristy, Kacie, and Benjamin

Couples: Nathan & Lacey, Kristy & Scott, Kacie & Chris, Ben & Edlin

 Couldn't stop the laughing at this one!

My One and Only and our little men!

Here a Little, There a Little : 11-2012

It's one big party after the next in Idaho. Here are a few:

FACE PAINTING
Aunt Jessa was a hit with all the kids and did fave painting for them.  She has been asked by multiple businesses to be their face painter, so getting it for free from your Aunt is just cool!  Justin did not want any paint on his face, but he was completely OK with getting Spider man on his arm!

Hayden loves Sonic, so naturally he requested a Sonic face.  Jessa nailed.  Clay went with a classic Batman!

 BOWLING

SANTA VISIT

DINNER PARTIES
Love these two  two Ladies!  My Grandma Barbra and her sister Aunt Harriet.  Grandma made a delicious meal and we just enjoyed  eating, sitting, chatting, and catching up with how friends and family are doing.

IDAHO FALLS TEMPLE

 I laugh at myself becuase my eyes are totally closed in this picture.


GOOD TIMES

Working Hard

"Pumpkins for Horses?"

 I bet you didn't know, but horses love pumpkins!!  Hayden wanted a job to do and it was no small task for him to lift and carry all those pumpkins to give to the horses. But he did it all by himself and had a great time doing it!  He came back inside and said,

"Whew, that was A LOT of Pumpkins! Good thing I had that cart, but it did go a little fast on the hill."

He is lucky he didn't have a run away cart on his hands!

Hayden is such a great worker, and doesn't quit until the job is all done.

Tons of Energy? Go Swimming

 We decided to put some of the energy bouncing off of these kids to some good use by taking them swimming!

This is a video of Hayden taking on the High dive!!  He was so confident going up the stairs for the first time, got to the top looked out and turned right back down the stairs!!  It freaked him out.  I didn't think he would be going up again and I didn't try to coax him at all about trying again, but he decided on his own, went up got to the top and did a full on run and jumped off!  This was his strategy for each time he went off the high dive after that!  Clay was quite different.  He would climb up, walk slowly to the very edge of the board and carefully allow himself to slip off the board to the water.  So funny to watch the two different approaches!

Here is Justin who found a love for fast slides!

Just look at the gorgeous Double Rainbow that greeted us when we left the swimming pool.  It was a full arc, so big I couldn't even capture it all with my camera!  

Round them Up!

 Love a good Cattle Drive!  This time I had my very own cowboy on top a black beauty! Nate had fun helping drive the cattle from a grazing area of the farm to the corrals at Seven Springs.  He did admit to being a bit sore a few days after his hard days work but would definitely go riding again.

 Clayton on Blue and Brooklyn on Ernie

 Brooklyn and Hayden                                    Clayton and Grandpa Ron

 Got to love a good pair of overalls!!  The red even matches his coat.

 Howdy Partner

 Grandma Mindy, Clay, Bailey, Boston, Landon, and Hayden

Justin enjoyed mowing at the cows from inside the van.  He couldn't stop giggling, he thought it was so funny.

Declare my love shirt!

Roman and Juliet say 

"I Love My AUNT SOPHIE"

These were the cutest shirts Sophie bought for them!  They fit so nicely that I have put Roman in his tons of times!  Thanks Aunt Sophie!

Sophie is hilarious, has great style and is a phenomenal artist. With all my sisters I wish I could spend so more time with each of them!





Jessa and Trent is on my boys super cool list right now because they gave each of my boys (and Nate) a new automatic flying disc NERF GUN for their birthdays!  Since they all have winter birthdays, two in December and two in January, getting a birthday present early was even that much more fun.   I couldn't fit all the guns in my suitcases even with them all taken apart so Trent being the great guy he is, shipped them for us!  We have had some serious shooting wars at my house lately and I love it! Thanks again Petersons

Watch out!  Ryder is going to get ya!  That kid has aim too!

Clay and his cousin Eli gearing up for some major shooting time!  So much fun with all these kids around!

Turkey Shoot

 Thanksgiving is not complete without the annual Turkey Shoot!

 We don't shoot an actual turkey, but we have giving out a frozen one for a prize once or twice!  It is Skeet shooting.  Targeting clay disks flying in the air that you have to line up with a shoot gun and fire before it hits the ground.  I am a bit rusty for sure but Nate showed off some skills with the rifles he used.  My Dad, Brother Max, and Brothers-in-law Trent and Joe sure have some fun guns to play with!     This stuff is super exciting for all the boys around.  They each got to take a turn and man, we have some sharp shooters!!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2012

I love being surrounded by family and friends on Thanksgiving!  It is a time to enjoy each other, eat scrumptious food, and be grateful for the all the many blessing we each have in our lives.  Although it is not possible to be with all our family on both sides at the same time, we are so thankful for the special time with get to celebrate with each of our parents and siblings during different holidays.  All the kids had so much fun together!  I couldn't help but smile every time I heard them planning their next adventure; exploring the farm grounds, the barns, and tree houses. 

The kids table!  And half the kids aren't even seated yet!  Here is my gorgeous older sister Emily, holding Roman!  We talk usually weekly on the phone and I am grateful to talk about kids, life, a new recipe, or just bounce ideas off each other.  It's not the same as being there together but it makes it easier living away to still connect.

 This is my mom's dining/gathering room.  Two additional tables aren't even being shown in this picture, either is my MOM!!  She is so busy making melt in your mouth dishes, and thinking about everyone else I hardly can get her to stop and snap her picture!  I will have to talk to her about that one ;)  My Mom is always making sure everyone is having a good time.  There is always a game, contest, or new learning skill being done to keep people entertained and enjoying time well spent.  I am thankful for a loving Mom that leads by example of serving others with love, and does what our prophet has counseled and

Enjoys the Little Things. 

It is such a satisfying feeling being in the house I grew up in.  Time has passed and I have my own home and family now, but my parents house is still a home for me.  There is love in this home.   I feel refreshed every time I stand on the porch and look out across the horse pasture towards the river bottoms that hold the Snake River behind them.  Memories always come back to me on visits, and having few and far between each visit I savory these moments.

Pies, Cakes, and Deserts... Oh My!








Here is my Dad and cute Bailey, my Brother Max's daughter.  Love her, she has a lot of spunk!

 Little Sis Jessa and her hubby Trent!  They look like they have twins hold my Roman and their sweet little Juliet!  Juliet is 5 days older than Roman.  It's fun to have cousins close in age and I know these two will be best buds growing up!  Maybe even help each other out and set up dates from the friends they know Ha ha ha I certainly can wait for all that!

All the grand kids flock to my Dad!  He's the tough cowboy who can teach you new exciting tricks and has a horse to throw you up on.  He makes sure each one feels special and plays kidding games with all of them.  Laughter and full on giggles are what you are in for when you start to mess with my Dad!

My Mom planned family pictures for everyone to be taken at Hymas Studio in Idaho Falls.  Here is Roman looking all dapper in his outfit she bought for him!!  Happy Thanskgiving!