Louisiana 2012

Louisiana Trip

 June 2012 

 Oh, the fun we have in the pool when we visit Grandma and Grandpa Cottrell's!!  First thing we do when we arrive is jump in the pool.  We play lots of different water games, lunches on the patio, dinner grilling, and fun movie nights once it gets dark.   

 Playing catch was a huge hit with Clayton and Hayden.  They would jump off the diving board to try and catch the football in the air before hitting the water.  This picture of Hayden looks so cool because it looks like he is walking on the water!!

Grandpa Cottrell has fun playing diving games with Clayton and Hayden.  He does the tossing of gold dollar coins and they do the diving.  Each coin has to be dived after at least five times to earn it, which is good for both Grandpa's enjoyment and the boys.

 Clayton toss

Hayden Toss

 Justin and I soaking up some sun!

We also played spraying wars.  Nathan and Grandpa Cottrell against anyone else!  The kids had a good spot using the hot tub as their base and filling all the water guns for their attack!

Water Fun

Water Fun!!

June 2012

The boys always have a good time on hot sunny days with Nathan.  With all boys there is tons of competition to be had!  Clayton and Hayden thought the funnest game was a running game.  With this game the boys could push Nathan into the pool if they ran around the house once and touched the side of the pool before Nathan could catch them.  I loved hearing the laughter and patting breaths from everyone!

Cub Mobile

May 5, 2012

 Clay had a great time at the Cub Mobile.  He like being around all the scouts from the different packs around the area.

 Justin Really wanted to ride on one of the carts!  He said "Oh, Cool!" when Clay went down the track.

 Being all cool, steering one handed!

 Ready....Set....GO!!

 Round two:  Yellow Cart.  Clay really liked this one better.  He said the stearing was better for him!

Go Clay,  Go!! 

Easter 2012

Easter 2012

 The Gated community that The Thompson Arizona Retreat is located in had a HUGE Easter Carnival for kids to come and enjoy.  Grandpa Ron got tickets for all the kids to go enjoy the  Easter Egg Scramble, Bounce Houses, face painting, games, live music with bubble machine, and much more!!  Perfect day to be out with family and have some fun!  Especially since it was right in the park behind the Arizona house!!

 Gr. Grandpa Delwyn made a deal with all the kids.  He told them he would pay a quarter for every egg that they got.  He is always making things fun and exciting for everyone!!  Each kid ended up getting $5 from Gr. Grandpa Delwyn!

 Justin loved the bouncy houses!!  He was funny when he met the Easter Bunny.  He just smiled turned, said cheese and ran to the next bounce house!!

 Bubble Fun

Spring Break Fun 2012

OUT OF AFRICA

Wildlife Park

April 2012

What a fun place we visited!  We saw tons of exotic animals like:  Lions, Tigers, Giraffe, Black Bear, Camel, Ostrich, Cobras, Zebra, Exotic Birds, Tortoise, Wildebeest, Jaguar, Leopards, Wolves, Hyenas and more!

Attractions were:  The Wild life Preserve, Giant Snake Show, Serengeti Safari, Tiger Splash, and Predator Feed

 On the Serengeti Safari tour we were given carrot sticks to feed the giraffes.  It was really fun to watched all the animals come up close to the tour bus when our tour guide threw out animal treats for them.  All of the kids were in heaven!!  Justin waved at all the animals that we saw!

 Predator Feed:  We followed the caretakers as they made their rounds throwing over 800 pounds of raw meat (beef and chicken) to all the carnivores.  The Hyenas made their crazy laughing sounds as the meat was being thrown over. The caretakers would throw the meat in different places over the fence so each animal would get their fair share and also so the dominate animal in the pen wouldn't eat all food.

 TIGERS!!  They were awesome!  At the Tiger Splash Show we watched a rare White Tiger interact in a predator/prey relationship of romping and splashing in a a 35 ft by 50 ft pool as they played with their caretakers.  The trainers used blown up water toys attached to poles and would get the tiger to use their natural spontaneous behaviour to go after the toys, which to them was like going after prey

 That tiger can seriously jump!!

We all had such a great time here!  A great place!

Turf Paradise

Spring Break April 2012

We can't visit Arizona without cheering on our Grandpa Delwyn's race horses at
Turf Paradise Race Track!!

The boys always have a blast here, but this year Clay could understand what was happening with the races and figured out how to read the race programs.  He wanted to pick his own favorite horses.  He would say to Grandpa, "No look this one raced 12 races total, 7 last year, and has placed 9 times.  And look at how much more money he won from his races, this is the better horse!"  It was so fun  to watch him go over all the stats of each horse and pick his top three and have ice cream bets with Grandpa Delwyn!!

 Not only did we watch the horse races, but they had a special event for people to come watch The Camel and Ostrich Races!!  So funny, the ostriches went everywhere and people laughed and the track crew trying to round them up again!

Its always fun to spend time with sisters!!


Sophie and Emily.

Justin knows what a horse is good for, he wanted to ride each one that he saw!! Good times

Baby Boy #4!!

Next Baby Boy ....Come on down!!

You've been chosen to be part of an elite All Cottrell Boy Club!!!

We are excited to announce that we will be having a forth little man to join our family, due August 21, 2012!!! With my previous three I delivered earlier than the expected due date so it will be excited to see which day will be the big one, so we can welcome our little one!

Our whole family went to the ultrasound on March 28th.  Nate answered questions the boy had, wrestled an excited Justin, and we helped them understand what they were looking at on the screen.   When we found out we were going to have another boy, Hayden cracked us all up by saying "Yes!  No tea parties!!"  What a character!  We had a nice technician and said she had alot of fun monitoring the baby ,"He is very strong and lively...Oh did you see that he just flipped around completely!!  His head was here and now over on this side!!"  I laughed at this comment.  I guess I have been used to wiggly energetic boys both in the belly during the pregnancies and after when they have more room to roam! 

There have been many disappointed sighs, worried expressions, and questions in my behalf on how I felt on another boy verdict.  Honestly, I am ecstatic!!!  I get to have another baby to love.  We are getting the baby we are supposed to have.  I hold myself extremely lucky to be a mother of such fine little boys and will have the opportunity to help mold them into the men they are meant to be.  Such Miracles these little ones are to begin with that I am grateful for every good check-up, every strong heartbeat and even the steady kicks in the ribs I have been getting.  He's a strong one for sure!  To have a girl would no doubt be fun and something new to this clan, but having a boy is just as exciting and welcomed in this household!! 

My Aunt Becky (who is the mother of 5 boys herself) arranged for me to have these while on vacation in Arizona with my family!   Inside the eggs were little saying written in my moms hand writing (which is always beautiful) and a snickers treat. Here are what the notes said:

* Boys never leave bobby pins by the tub

* Boys take less time in the bathroom (usually) :)

* The 6th will be just like Gr. Ron

(Gr Ron is my dad and he is the 6th boy of his family.  My grandma Thompson had 9 children.  6 boys, a girl, a boy, and then her last was another girl.)

* Boys know the best person alive is Mama!

* You will never have to look for energy...your Boys will have it!!

So fun!  Made my day! We are counting down the time till we get to meet our next Cottrell Boy!!

And just to give you a glimpse, here is me, strutting my pregnant self, while playing tennis in Arizona with a big group of boys!!

Spring Break fun 2012

The First of Many!

Blue and Gold Banquet

February 24th, 2012

"The Year of the Dragon"

Our whole family had a great time at Clayton's first Blue and Gold Banquet as a Cub Scout!  The theme for the night was to celebrate "The year of the Dragon".  The whole room had Chinese decorations everywhere, chopsticks and fortune cookies to go with dinner, and activities like origami, a dragon pinata, and a craft table to make a Chinese poster.  Everyone enjoyed the menu of Sweet and Sour Chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and egg drop soup.  The dessert for the night was made by the cub scouts and their families.  Each one was challenged to make a cake to go along with the nights theme.  Clay was set in his mind to make a dragon cake so that's what we tried to achieve.  I positioned the cake pieces and Clay helped to apply the icing.  He had alot of fun decorating his dragon and putting the wings and gold coins in place.  Everyone loved it for the night.  Other cakes were: a fortune cookie cake, Chinese checkers board cake, yin and yang made with red velvet, and decorated sheet cakes!  So fun to see all the different varieties!

Clayton was the newest member of Pack #274 and was asked to make a poster about himself.   Things he put on it were: 
Birthday-December 19th                            Is really good at- Legos
Favorite Food- Tacos                                 Favorite thing to do with family - Movie Night
Favorite Color - Blue                                                

Loves to:
-spend time with grandparents in Idaho and Louisiana
-drive go carts
-ride horses
-Collect things like legos, hot wheels, and other boy toys
-spend time with his brothers

Clay was given lots of patches that he has earned since joining his cub scout group.  The big award Clay received for the night was his Bobcat Badge.  He worked hard to finish all the Bobcat trail assignments before the Blue and Gold Banquet and was even able to give me, the Mom Bobcat Pin!!

Ice Sculpture Trip

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

February 4, 2012

 For a Personal Progress goal we (The Young Women Presidency) challenged our girls to fill up a small jar with glass rocks.  Each time they completed a personal progress requirement they were able to put one in and get a small treat for their effort.  The value projects that were completed were allowed five rocks.  The goal was to go see the ice sculptures in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  As you can tell we made it!  I brought Clay along as well and we all enjoyed a fun car ride together, hot cocoa and cookies when we arrived, and ohhhhhh and ahhhhhhed later at all the beautiful pieces of art sculpted out of snow and ice.  Some artist had been at it all night long, and were worrying about all the bright sunshine for the day, but had good attitudes since all the sculptures would have to melt sometime, right!

 Apple with a worm eating his way out,  Captain at the wheel, Pavilion with creature coming out of it, and a bald eagle.

 You were able to vote on all the sculptures on which one was your favorite.  Clay loved the dinosaur sculpture that had a Dino behind a fossil of another T Rex by a pair of snowman archeologist's!!"
Clay said "Too bad that $100 dollar bill is just made of snow!!"   I replied "Even if it wasn't, where could you use a $100 bill that big?"  We both had a good laugh at that!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN!!!!

January 26, 2012

 Justin is such a fun energetic boy!!  He has such a sense of humor, that is silly, adorable, and too advanced for this three year old!!  Justin is one smart boy!  Letters, colors, shapes, numbers, animals sounds he has them down pat!.  He especially loves letters.   He knows his upper case and lower case alphabet, and you would just melt if you heard him sing the ABC song!!  He is often calling out letters on stores and various signs as we  pass them on while driving around town.  Justin loves to play with his two older brothers, Clayton and Hayden.  We have a square leather ottoman in my family room and it quickly becomes the game "King of the Rock" between all three of my boys!  The older two understand that Justin is smaller than them so they are not as rough, but Justin definitely can hold his own in having fun with his brothers!!

Justin is easy going and constantly happy!!  Even on a sick day he still is polite and says thank you after being given some medicine.....Melts my Heart!!  Love our JUSTIN RON!!!  Happy 3rd Birthday!!