The Rich Family

Final trips into NYC highlights

2011-11-17T00:05:00.001-08:00

Dinner with our great friends - the Bench's

We love the Letterman - got tix to the show with Ryan Reynolds as the guest

One last Yankee Game

Floating the Boise River

2011-11-16T17:18:00.001-08:00

Biking - The Green Belt and Eagle BMX Track

2011-11-16T16:55:00.001-08:00

This summer we rediscovered how much fun biking can be. We have taken several family bike trips on the green belt, which is a path that runs through Boise along the Boise River in addition to discovering a real fun BMX track in Eagle.

2011 Summer Fun

2011-11-16T15:11:00.001-08:00

Our New Home

2011-11-16T13:54:00.001-08:00

After waiting an extra week for our truck to arrive(thanks to Jack and Cheryl for letting us stay at their place for that additional time), we were ready to move in to our new home. Here are some pics:

4th of July Festivities

2011-11-16T13:40:00.001-08:00

The boys were in charge of the first Annual Wilson Family firework show held in Grandpa and Grandma's backyard. They had it all scripted and organized and did not disappoint.

Hudson was worn out from all the fireworks, so he took a break on the diving board and pounded some more pizza.

After the daytime activities - fireworks, swimming, pizza and family fun, we headed to Ann Morrison Park in Boise for the Firework show. It was OK, but certainly nothing like the show by the Rich boys:)

Moving

2011-11-16T10:25:00.001-08:00

We decided to make the big move from New Jersey to Idaho. It was really hard to leave our good friends in Madison behind, but we look forward to our new home, neighborhood and being closer to family in Boise. We decided that this was our chance to see the countryside without having to do a return trip, so once our house was packed up by the moving company and on its way, we jumped in our car for an adventure of a lifetime. After 3,000 miles, 45 hours of driving time and many sights along the way, we made it to Boise. Here are some of the highlights along our path.First stop - Pittsburgh

Kirtland, OH

Notre Dame - South Bend, Indiana

Chicago (waterfront and aquarium)

Nauvoo

Carthage Jail

All-nighter, 21 hour driving session - Nebraska is not an easy State to conquer.

One last stop in Utah with Rich's before finishing drive to Boise (Only 4 more hours to go:)

Goodbye Madison

2011-11-16T09:24:00.001-08:00

6 Pine Avenue

Central Avenue School carnival - Hudson in the velcro suite

Canfield & Rich kids (Ryan, Kate, Braxton, Porter and Hudson) - Friends Forever!

Goodbye Party at the Dent's

Nayana & Braxton

Sean & Porter

Ryan & Porter

We had a final goodbye party for the boys and their friends. It was a lot of fun with manhunt, basketball, movies, and pizza.

The kids at the Neighbor goodbye party @ Canfields

Madison Borough Parade

Porter's class field trip with his good friend Alvin

Last Day of Kindergarten

2011-11-16T00:24:00.000-08:00

Hudson with Mrs. Corea. All of our boys had her for Kindergarten - she is great!

New Jersey Shore

2011-11-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

We love going to the Jersey Shore. Our favorite spot is Spring Lake. We had excellent weather this trip and had a great time.

Madison Baseball 2011

2011-11-15T23:28:00.001-08:00

Mother's Day Weekend in DC with Friends

2011-11-15T23:09:00.001-08:00

Hershey Park

2011-11-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

In May 2011, we took a long weekend and went to Hershey Park, PA. We went to Chocolate World, the amusement park and the water park. It was a lot of fun.

Hudson Turns 6

2011-11-15T22:34:00.001-08:00

WELCOME! To my greatest B-day party yet.

Mom, thanks for setting up the best of parties.

When are my friends going to get here? Seriously, let's get this started already.

Dinosaur Dig

Fun and Games, including pin the tail on the Dinosaur, pinaata, balloon game and much more

My Dinosaur cake

Mom made me my favorite breakfast, with extra bacon

And, best of all....B-day GIFTS!

Hudson Learns to Ride a Bike

2011-11-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

Mom was very patient with me

Easy...don't lean....

Stay Straight.... must focus....

I think I am getting this down!

I did it! Now I am ready to venture off of Pine Avenue.

Yankees Game

2011-11-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

Porter's Pinewood Derby

2011-11-15T21:51:00.001-08:00

How can you go wrong with the name "Fusion Claw"?

Hudson is gearing up for his Pinewood Derby

Spring Break - Cancun, Mexico

2011-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to take a trip for spring break to Cancun Mexico. It was a lot of fun. We stayed at the Riviera Maya Palace Resort.

Easter 2011

2011-11-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

The famous Pine Avenue egg hunt is the highlight of the day. Hudson decided that a shirt would only get in the way.

Porter and his best bud Ryan Canfield are

Utah - Skiing, Golf and Basketball - Huh?

2011-11-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

What other State can you go skiing at a premier ski resort with 12 inches of new powder and then the very next day play 18 holes of golf in 70 degree weather. Only in Utah. Mike went on his annual guys trip, which included skiing at SnowBird, golfing in St. George and then heading to Las Vegas to watch the Mountain West and WAC basketball tournaments. Mike's dream trip including all of his favorites (Skiing, Golf and Basketball).

Mike and his brother Brad at Snowbird

Beau, Brad and Mike in St. George

In-n-Out Burger and Go-Karting in Las Vegas with friends (Jordan, Beau and Craig)

Bring Your Kids to Work Day - Toys R Us

2011-11-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

This day each year is like Christmas for our boys and Toys R Us makes it just that. They love it and enjoy building models out of legos and helping the Marketing team at TRU come up with new and innovative ideas.

Mom Can Do Everything (a post by Braxton, Porter & Hudson)

2011-11-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Our Mom is the best. She does just about everything. Aside from running us from ballgame to ballgame, keeping the house spotless, and putting up with us, here are a few highlights:

Haircuts - when called upon

Gourmet Meals

Building Forts

Baking cakes and making Dad look good for Scouts

Finding us cool hats for our magic shows

Making us heart-shaped pancakes on Valentines Day

Always on the sideline cheering us on

What a Princess - We love our Mom!

Happy New Year - 2011

2011-11-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

New Years party was hosted by the Dents. Poor Dents had to put up with all of us... they did a great job as always and we all had a lot of fun.

Jungle Book - CAS style

2011-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

The 5th Graders at Central Avenue put on the play Jungle Book. We were very impressed with the show, certainly some Broadway material. The kids had a lot of fun preparing for this and then performing.

In the end.... he gets the girl and they live happily ever after... The End:)

Benington, VT Family Tradition

2011-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Each year for the past several, we have spent a few days in beautiful Benington, VT for some skiing and family fun. We love it there and always look forward to that trip.

Snow Time - First Storm of 2011

2011-11-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

The long walk back up the hill - going down is much better:)

War among friends

Snow Forts

Sweet Innocent Hudsy!?

Fun with Uncle Chad, visiting from DC

Hudson built a little buddy and named him "Fred"

Not a fun sight when you are just starting shoveling duties....

AHHHH, much better - work is complete.. at least until the next 18 inches come.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-30T14:00:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve with the Bench Family 2010

2011-01-30T12:44:00.001-08:00

One of our favorite traditions of the Christmas season is Christmas Eve with the Bench Family. It starts with a delicious dinner then moves onto a short program which includes the kids acting out the nativity and some caroling, then ends with the traditional pyramid picture and dessert!

AJ putting the finishing touches on her beautiful table

The delicious dinner

Porter and J getting into costume for the big nativity

I don't know what these two little shepherds are up to but I am pretty sure it is no good :)

L getting the baby Jesus ready

The Pyramid

The aftermath which I think is the boys (big and small) favorite part!

Shake Shack, The Intrepid, & Rockefeller @ Christmas OH MY!

2011-01-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

It has become a tradition in our family to go into NYC during the month of December to see Santa @ Santa's Wonderland in MACY's. This year we didn't make it until December 23rd. We pulled the boys out of school for the day and headed into the City. We opted to not see Santa because we were not able to get in until about 11:30 and would have to wait about 2 hrs to see him at that point. So we headed straight to the Shake Shack for lunch. It was fabulous as always. Then we decided to go to the Intrepid. It was not in our orignal plan but ended up being the best part of the day. Even though it was a little cold the boys loved seeing all the planes and learning the history of the Intrepid. Next we headed over to the Rockefeller Center to see the TREE. Then we rounded the day off at our favorite Pizza place Tottono's. It was a great day and we already look forward to next year!

The Shake Shack, always a crowd pleaser!

This was Hudson's favorite he called it "the Sharkcopter"

A random pic with Elmo

The tree at Rockefeller

Hudson's Kindergarten holiday program

2011-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

A few pictures from Hudson's Holiday sing along. The room was packed with parents, family, etc. So I didn't get any good pics of them actually performing. It was so cute. Hudson was right on the front row singing and doing all the actions. Then after the performance we had all brought some Holiday treats so everyone visited and ate.

Hudson's best friend Andy he asked to have his picture taken with him. So cute!

This is Hudson's "friend" Tabitha he also asked to have his picture taken with her :)

A trip to DC

2010-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

We headed to DC for a weekend. We went down to watch the Aggies play Georgetown in basketball. Fortunately, that is not the only reason we went, because the Aggies took a beating from the Hoyas. It was still fun to watch them play out here on the East Coast.

It was very cold, but we managed to make our way around some of the DC sites and visit our favorites - Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Space Museum. We met my brother Chad, who lives in DC and he came with us to some of the sites.

Relaxing poolside at the hotel. It is amazing, but really all the boys need on a vacation is a pool at the hotel. It doesn't matter what amazing sites there are... as long as there is a pool at the hotel.

We also visited friends of ours, the Lintons, who live just West of DC. They were kind enough to have us over for dinner. It was great to catch up and enjoy some time with them.

Saying Goodbye to an Antique

2010-12-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is true that our home is over 80 years old. There have only been 4 owners of this home, but none of them have had the heart to get rid of the old "snowman" coal boiler system even though it has been decommissioned forever and was simply taking up space in the furnace room. With our use of the furnace room for extra storage, including our year's worth of food storage, it was time to part ways with the snowman. I must admit, it was somewhat sad to see such an antique go, but it sure has given us the needed space.

Madison Parade & Lighting of the tree

2010-12-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

Each year on the day after Thanksgiving, Madison brings in the Christmas season with a parade, ending with the great lighting of the tree. It is always a very well attended event and the kids enjoy seeing Santa at the end of the parade.

Thanksgiving Festivities

2010-12-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this Thanksgiving. The boys went and played in their annual "turkey bowl" in Chatham in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to some friends of ours (the Dents) to enjoy a great Thanksgiving dinner, fun and games. This time of year always makes us realize how blessed we are to have such a great family and friends.

Hiking @ Pyramid Mountain

2010-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Mike took the boys on a scout activity - hiking 5 miles at Pyramid Mountain in Boonton, NJ. They all had a great time. Having just started in Cub Scouts, Porter was thrilled to be able to tag along with Braxton's Scout Troop.

Soccer x 3 = a lot of Soccer

2010-11-21T20:27:00.001-08:00

It sure is great to watch the boys have fun playing soccer. This year was the first year that we had all 3 of them going at the same time. Needless to say, Saturdays became a logistical challenge, especially since Mike was coaching two of the teams. Somehow we were able to make it work. The older the boys get, the more exciting the games are becoming - it is a lot of fun!

Braxton

Porter

Hudson

Family Fun Night - Rock Climbing

2010-11-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

This has become a fun little family event for us as of late. The kids love to go rock climbing. They really can climb those walls so fast now - we, parents, stand no chance in beating them to the top.

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

So what your telling me is all I have to do is ring the door bell, say the simple words "trick-or-treat", and I get candy? What a concept, a concept that my boys have come to love. It was another successful Halloween with lots of fun eating the traditional white bean chili before heading out, school parades, parties, trick-or-treating and of course counting the candy after the big night. Good times were had by all. Costumes this year: Braxton- "Scream", Porter- Captain Rex, Hudson- a bat. I even brought out a couple costumes - the "hippie chick" and the "witch".

Central Ave School Halloween parade- I am one of the Room Mom's of Hudson's Kindergarten class so I got to dress up and join the parade this year.

Our ward Trunk-or-Treat

Halloween Night-

The search for the "Great Pumpkin"

2010-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it! And why not these three fine young men. The boys love this Holiday. What's not to love - pumpkin patch, apple picking, Halloween parties and lots of treats. We headed out to Alstede Farms in Chester for the great search.

The animals have to eat, right? Well, maybe not quite as much as what Hudson wanted to feed them.

Braxton found his. Hudson was holding out for the best.

Hudson taking a little break, but would not leave denied.

Alas' we conquered the Patch and are happy with our picks.

The local squirrels agreed that the boys picked some great pumpkins.

Porter's Baptism

2010-11-07T15:26:00.001-08:00

Hard to believe that our little Portini is 8. He was so excited for his "baptism" birthday to come. It was a very special day and he appreciated everyone that came.

Porter made sure that his baptism went off without a hitch by requesting that Mike and he practice several times before entering the water.

Good support from the Primary.

Stake President Pettitt congratulating Porter after his baptism.

Porter's special refreshment request of white frosted Dunkin Donuts and milk - a fan favorite!

Porter was thrilled to have Grandpa and Grandma Rich and Chad make a special trip.

Forts & Monopoly - New fav's @ Rich house

2010-10-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right Hudson has a new favorite game - Monopoly - and he is actually pretty dang good at it. This photo is a picture of a game that lasted 4 days. He loves buying properties and then houses and hotels to go on them. If you think that he lets you get by without paying - you are wrong! He has an eagle eye for that. He also knows that it is great to have all the Railroads and utilities!

These are just a few shots of the boys playing and sleeping in one of their many forts they built this summer. They are getting more and more creative. As much as I hate the mess I love it too. I have such fond memories of building forts with my siblings as a child. I only wish we would have taken pics of the outside - next time.....

First day of school

2010-10-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

This was a big first day of school for us at the Rich household. This year is the first and the last year that all of our boys will be at the same school. Braxton is in 5th grade, Porter 3rd, and Hudson is in kindergarten! The boys were all very excited about it. Hudson especially since he is finally at the "Big" school. Braxton was excited for this year because he is the "Top Dog". Hudson was a little upset when we dropped Braxton and Porter off at 8:30am and didn't get to go to his class. He is in the PM class so had to wait until 12:30 for his turn. Then to find out on top of all of that that he didn't get to have lunch at school just about put him over the edge. He has since adjusted and actually quite likes his quiet mornings with mom (well mostly quiet:). The kids love their teachers and are off to a great start.

Hudson with his friends from Preschool Jared and Evan

Hudson getting ready to start his first day in Mrs. Corea's class

One last day at the beach

2010-10-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

These are just some shots form our last day at the beach this summer. It just never gets old. I love the Jersey Shore!

Porter turn's 8

2010-10-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

This year Porter wanted to have a sports(game) themed bday party. So he thought of all the games and organized the whole thing. He decided he wanted to have two teams so when all the boys arrived they divided into teams and decorated their team shirts. Then they competed in some of Porter's favorite games & sports. There was knock out, capture the flag, a balloon toss, pinata, and soccer. He had a great group of boys and they all fun! Happy Birthday Porter!

Alaska - Part 1

2010-10-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

This Summer we went on a cruise to Alaska! Bill and Carol were celebrating their 50th (yes I said it - 50) wedding anniversary and were nice enough to have us along for the ride. There were 18 of us in all with Bill and Carol and their 8 children + spouses. Yes, that is right no kids allowed! What a great vacation it was. Braxton, Porter and Hudson also thought it was a pretty good deal because they got to stay with G&G Wilson in Boise for a week, which was a lot of fun. Here are a few pics and memories of our trip.

Mike was all ready to go waiting on the waterfront in Seattle to board the cruise ship.

The famous Pike's Place fish market in Seattle

Formal night on the cruise ship

Can you spot the Bald Eagles?

Salmon fishing in Ketchikan

"Look out Malcolm - here comes the catch of the day!"

Creek Street in Ketchikan - Notice the fish jumping in the background and also my little caramel popcorn craving (it just smelled so good).

Alaska-Part 2

2010-10-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

I know. Just when you think no more pics, we have more. Since this is serving as my scrapbook I figured why not...

This is Mike and a couple of his brothers on top of the ship. Todd, the one in the middle, actually served his mission in Alaska.

This is us getting up early in the morning to see the amazing scenery as we went up the Misty Fjords to the Juneau Icefield and glaciers. The pictures don't do it justice.

The Championship Ping Pong Tournament on the cruise ship

Mendenhall Glacier

All the ladies of the family

True Fishermen

We saw a lot of Bald Eagles. This one was just sitting on top of a building near the fish hatchery in Juneau.

This was a seriously fast 2 mile hike to the top of this Mt. Roberts trail in Juneau. We were in a hurry because we were running late to board the ship. Needless to say, we were happy to take the tram down:)

This was a black bear that we saw on the side of the road just outside of Skagway.

Emerald Lake. We rented vans and went on a tour around Skagway and then on up into Canada. There were beautiful mountains, waterfalls and several emerald looking lakes all along the way.

When you have to pack 18 into 2 vans, things can get a little cozy:)

Reid Falls in Skagway just above the famous little gold mining town and cemetery.

This is the family on the ship after the "50th Wedding Anniversary" tribute to Bill and Carol. What a great couple - 50 years and a lot of great memories!

Relaxing poolside on the ship

Our last stop on the way home was in Victoria, BC. We went to Butchart Gardens to see the awesome displays of flowers/plants and then took in the firework show.

Mike and I weren't the only ones having fun. While we were gone on the cruise, the boys were having the time of their lives with G&G Wilson - fishing, going to the park, going to Po Jo's, the Discovery Center, the Boise Zoo and just having fun with their cousins.

Porter's Home Town

2010-10-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

We all love Portland! This year, we had the Wilson Family reunion on the Oregon Coast. Porter was especially excited about our trip to Oregon as he could not wait to see where he was born and the city he was named after. It was so cute to see how excited he and the other boys were to see all the sites.

We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory

Cannon Beach and the famous Haystack Rock

The Portland Temple in Lake Oswego, OR

The Oregon Zoo

The Portland waterfront - Willamette River

Our first home in Vancouver, Washington

Hudson's battle wound after falling off the trampoline at G&G Wilson's house

Oregon Coast Wilson Family Reunion- Part 1

2010-10-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

This past August my family had our first "Wilson Family Reunion". It was awesome because, #1- all of my siblings, their kids, and my parents were there, #2- We did it on the Oregon Coast, and #3- It was filled with great quality family time and activities. We flew to Boise Friday and then got up Sat morning and drove 10 hours to the Coast. Having lived in Portland, Oregon for 5 years prior to moving to NJ, we enjoyed visiting our old stomping grounds and rekindling great memories. We visited Multnomah Falls, the Temple in Lake Osweego, Wilsonville, Tualatin, our home in Vancouver, WA, downtown Portland and many other favorites. Most of all, we enjoyed our time with the extended Wilson Family on the Oregon Coast for 5 days. It was excellent. Thanks Mom and Dad for making it possible!

A stop at Multnomah Falls on the way through the Columbia River Gorge toward the Oregon Coast. What a beautiful place!

All dressed up ready to go to church in Lincoln City.

Cute little Hudson and Ella hanging out on the deck overlooking the beach. They had a great time together.

Braxton and Grandma Wilson

Ben, Jessica and me - just like old times!

Check out our muscles! Boom, Bang, Firepower!

Hudson and I taking in the sunset

Nothing better than cousin time! They had so much fun playing on the beach, building forts with the drift wood and even going into the freezing cold Pacific.

We stayed in little "A" frame homes called the Alpine Chalets in Otter Rock, OR. Our little Rich Family stayed in #4. These are the same "A" frames that we stayed in when I was a kid. We used to go to the Coast almost every year when I was growing up.

We visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR. The kids had a lot of fun checking out all the marine life.

Yes, we did get a large group discount:)

Oregon Coast Wilson Family Reunion -Part 2

2010-10-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

We flew kites on the Otter Rock Beach.

We put together a treasure hunt for all the kids, which led them from clue to clue adding to their pirate outfits as they went. Once they were full pirates, they got their final clue, which led them to the treasure buried on the beach. They were all excited to find $10 worth of quarters for each of them from Grandma & Grandpa.

A vacation wouldn't be complete without a little golf. My Dad, Greg, Porter and Mike all hit the links for a fun round of golf.

What a great Family Reunion! Thanks Mom and Dad for making it all happen!

Tennis Camp for Hudson

2010-10-03T14:12:00.001-07:00

Hudson and his buddies J and D played a little tennis this summer. They signed up for a tennis camp and had a lot of fun.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy to Mike!

2010-10-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

The boys were so excited this year to throw a surprise birthday party for Mike. They had it all planned out. They got balloons, set the table for Mike's favorite dinner, helped me bake the cake. They set up a whole evening of fun, including a game selected by each of them - Porter chose basketball (10 on the line), Braxton chose ping pong and Hudson chose MarioKart on the Wii. It was so cute - they hid in the family room. When Mike came home from work, they turned on the music to his favorite song and jumped out to surprise him. What a great day!

Plummer's Visit NYC

2010-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

We were pleasantly surprised this July 4th with a visit from the Plummers. It is always so much fun to be with them and it was especially fun to be with Hayden right before he was going on his mission to Mexico.

The cousins (Logan and Braxton) size one another up.

It started out as some innocent bowling, but a wager for Cruise ship massages turned up the competition between Burke, Lori and Mike and I. It was a close match, but Burke and Lori edged us out by a couple pins.

Four!

2010-10-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Porter went to a Golf Camp this summer and had a great time.

Parent Appreciation Day @ Apex Tigers

2010-10-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

In South Korea, they don't have a "Mother's Day", instead they have a day set apart for "Parent's Appreciation". In celebration of such and on Mother's Day, the Apex Tiger Taekwondo center had all the parents in and had a nice little program for the parents, including a little work-out, roses for the Mothers and cake/ice cream afterward.

Mike got pretty serious about his kicks, pushups and situps as shown below. Look out Karade Kid!

Taekwondo Belt Ceremony #3

2010-10-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

G&G Rich come to visit

2010-10-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

It is always fun when G&G Rich come to visit! Although Grandpa came primarily for the Four Aces (one of his favorite bands) concert in Somerset, NJ, we like to think they had even more fun with the following activities of going to Spring Lake on the Jersey Shore, Braxton's B-day party and the CAS carnival.

Braxton's 11th B-day party celebration. For dinner, he requested his favorite - Steak, fries and salad.

Now for the gifts. Braxton's favorite gift was his Flip video from "Aunt Heather":) Mike got Braxton a flip video off of Craig's List and we had to meet a lady on the NJ Turnpike to get it. When Braxton asked who it was, we told him it was Aunt Heather to hide he fact that we were getting him a Flip.

B's bday party @ Mountain Creek Water Park!

2010-10-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Braxton chose to have his B-day party up at Mountain Creek Water Park this year. It was fun for all.

Love that smile.

Porter on the lazy river

Lunch Time!

The green slide called H2 Oh No! was a slide that goes straight down. Only Braxton, Lucas and Mike (Dad) were brave enough to try it out.

Central Ave School - "end of the year" Carnival

2010-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

If you look close, you can see airborn Hudson.

Braxton and his buddies. As you can see, they are very sad about the school year ending:)

Even G&G Rich made the trip out for the big day.

Little Hudson and his "big" buddy Jared (not Porter's buddy - although he is tall enough)

Porter and one his 2nd grade teacher - one of his favorites - Mrs. Marsiczyn

Hudson was ready for this train ride, just not sure about the little boy sitting next to him

Memorial Day Parade & Bike ride

2010-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

This Memorial day, we decided to stick around town. We went to the Loantaka trail and enjoyed a family bike ride. As you can see, our boys love doing the "what's up" pose.

Madison has a parade every Memorial Day. It was a perfect day for a parade.

Hudson is 5!

2010-10-02T18:43:00.001-07:00

Hudson's specially requested breakfast of bacon, eggs and a muffin.

He couldn't wait to get to this part of the day. The opening of the gifts. Aren't B-days great!

Can you solve the Mystery?

2010-10-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

For Hudson's 5th birthday party, he had a Scooby-Doo mystery party. They were asked to solve the mystery of where the "presents" disappeared to. This took them through several little games and clues to find out where those presents were. They pinned the tail on Scooby's nose, made mummys of each other, broke a pinata and finally found out that "evil Braxton" had taken the presents and was hiding them in the garage:) It was a fun party.

Back by Popular demand!

2010-10-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

For the second year straight, the great Braxtini, Portini and Hudsini were crowd pleasers at the Ward Talent Show. They did some of their standard tricks and jokes, but added some exciting new ones, including the disappearing act with Charlie - their pet hamster.

Braxton's 1st Orchestra concert

2010-10-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Taekwondo Belt Ceremony #2

2010-10-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Braxton and Hudson continue to pass their belt tests in Taekwondo and as you can see were excited to show off their skills.

Little League Opening Day in Madison

2010-10-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is a big event in the little town of Madison, with over 1,000 kids signed up to play baseball. The day starts out with a parade, with each team walking together down main street to Hartley Dodge Memorial Field. The first pitch is thrown, the prayer is given and then it is off to McCool's for some free ice cream.

Easter 2010

2010-10-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Coloring Easter Eggs in preparation for the big day.

Look what the Easter Bunny left! It's the clues for each of the boys to search for their hidden Easter baskets.

Hudson's Clue = "Freeze" = hidden down on top of the chest freezer

Porter's Clue = "Round n Round" = hidden on the ceiling fan in Hudson's room

Braxton's Clue = "Homebase" = hidden out on the front porch where the neighborhood "capture the flag" homebase is

As the wind picked up that day, we all took our kites that G&G Rich sent us and flew kites. It was a lot of fun.

The annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt

During the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, this dog charged Porter and body slammed him into a parked car. I know it sounds awful, but it was actually one of the funnier things that happened that day. You can see in this picture that Porter found it amusing also but is not about to turn his back on the dog.

Hershey & Gettysburg

2010-10-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break this year, we headed down to Hershey, PA, home of Hershey's chocolate world and Gettysburg, PA, for a little bit of civil war education.

The boys got to join the factory line and make some Hershey kisses. They have a great museum set up at the Hershey World, showing how chocolate is made and processed and also the history of The Hershey Company. The boys had a great time.

After Hershey, it was off to Gettysburg. Abe Lincoln was a good man/leader and my kids enjoyed learning about the Civil War, what happened and why it happened.

They each chose their weapons. We watched a reenactment video in the museum, which was put together very well. We then headed out on the Gettysburg self-guided tour, which is the best way to see the sites of Gettysburg with kids.

Strike a pose.

This is the site of the famous Pickett's charge.

This is the place where the battle of Devil's Den took place. Hudson and Porter found a great hideout in the rocks and you can see why the North won having the higher ground and these large boulders for protection.

Hudson, showing some artillery of his own:)

Gettysburg cemetery, the site of where Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

The little town of Gettysburg

Our little Confederate army from New Jersey.

Pinewood Derby Action

2010-10-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Where is Grandpa Wilson when you need him. This "Maverick" car placed third, but getting a top car is probably not in Braxton's future with his Dad's shop skills. Maybe next year we will send Braxton out to Boise to build his car with Grandpa:)

VEGAS

2010-10-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Mike and the guys took a trip to watch some basketball in Vegas. Mike loves to take pictures, so the old adage of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas probably doesn't apply (at least I like to think so:).

Mike visited his sister Julie and her family at the beginning of the trip as she lives in St. George, which is just 1.5 hour drive from Vegas. As always Julie and fam gave a great welcoming and Connor provided a stunt show on his bike.

Little Addy

Flying Connor!

A little golf to start them off right.

Must have been a late night for Jordan.

The great zip line activity organized by Beau. I am told that some guy named Rodriquez forgot to do "star fish" as instructed to stop and about went through the emergency breaks and off the zip line - apparently it was really funny and you had to be there.

They did attend some basketball games - so I am told.

Mike tells me this was the highlight meal of the trip at the "Wynne Buffet". Where he was emphatically told by someone who looked like a celebrity when he asked if he knew her - "Believe me, you don't know me!"

Snow Day!

2010-10-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Nothing quite like a snow day! Even when it rains, the kids ask if school is going to be cancelled:) They always make the most of their snow days - building snow forts, snowmen, igloos and of course setting up the big neighborhood snowball fights.

Mike's Utah Ski Trip

2010-10-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Nothing like skiing in Utah! Living on the East Coast make ski trips back home that much better. Mike got a great couple days of skiing at Snowbird this past winter with his brothers (Rob and Brad).

Tunnel to other side of the mountain at Snowbird.

Hudson's Taekwondo class and 1st Belt Ceremony

2010-10-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Both Braxton and Hudson have loved taking Taekwondo and it has been a lot of fun for them. Here is Hudson promising to obey his parents and eat his vegetables. Whenever Hudson refuses to eat or misbehaves, we simply tell him that we will have to let Master Kwon know - Hudson immediately corrects his ways:)

Master Lee

Master Kwon

New Year's Eve 2009!!!!

2010-10-01T20:10:00.001-07:00

To start 2010 out right, we decided we needed to add Charlie, our hamster, to the family. He has been a great addition and fits right in. Porter thinks he looks most like Hudson.

There were lots of good eats - including some fondue-fun!

Party like it's 2010!

Skiing in Vermont

2010-10-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our annual family ski trip to Vermont - We love staying in the little town of Bennington, VT. I treat the family to my rendition of "Snow, Snow, Snow..." from one of my favorite shows - White Christmas. The boys humor me and sing along every once in awhile.

Porter is wondering how many more pictures have to be taken. He is ready to get on to the black diamonds.

"How hard could it be" Hudson wondered as he cruised passed Dad on the slopes.

Christmas 2009

2010-10-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Ward Christmas Pageant

Our little sheep Hudson(argyle sweater) was thinking about straying, but held strong and played his part well.

Braxton was a shepherd

Porter was a very "Wise man"

Hudson's Preschool Christmas Program

One of my favorite traditions and the kids - "Graham Cracker" gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, and Santa Claus cupcakes.

Christmas Eve with the Benches - Turkey/Ham Dinner, Pageant and good times - A truly great tradition!

The girls

The Traditional Pyramids of course!

Christmas morning line-up waiting for Dad to check and make sure Santa Claus came.

The Favorite Lego Sets From Santa!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

This is "Tom", the T-day Treat.

The boys loved helping me decorate the turkey cupcakes and came up with some of their own creations that were pretty cool.

UMMMM! Delicious!

Drum roll please! Presenting.... the fruition of a long day's work in the kitchen - is it worth it? Of course.

Loved having Chad with us this Thanksgiving.

The start of a new tradition - our 2009 "thankful lists".

The boys went to play the annual football Turkey Bowl, but it got ugly so no pictures were taken. The next day we headed to the church gym for some indoor soccer, b-ball, & rocket balloons.

Bundled up, trying to stay warm for the annual Madison Christmas Parade and lighting of the town tree.

Mini Golf? On Thanksgiving? In November? Needless to say, we had the course to ourselves.

Hudson's hole in one!

The Carlson's come to visit

2009-12-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

It was so fun to have the Carlsons in town. Beau came to run the NYC marathon, which he did great on. With all of their activities in the city, we were happy that they came out to visit and went to dinner with us.

Jude Law

2009-12-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Need I say more? I probably don't, but I will. My good friend Amanda and I went into the city for dinner and the broadway show, Hamlet, staring Jude Law. The show was fantastic and meeting Jude (first name basis now) after the show was the perfect end to a perfect night. Thanks Amanda!

Fall photo shoot in the yard

2009-12-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my good friend Eliza, we got some great shots of the boys!

Braxton's new love- SOCCER

2009-12-13T13:47:00.001-08:00

Braxton had an great and exciting soccer season this Fall. He loved having his Dad as the coach. They made it to the championship game where it came down to overtime penalty kicks. Each team got 5 free kicks. It was 2-2 and Braxton was the last one to kick. He put it off the left side upright bar and it bounced into the goal - they won 3-2. What a fun and exciting season!

Halloween 2009

2009-12-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year. We carved pumpkins, enjoyed the school costume parades and of course trick-or-treating. Braxton was a soccer player, Porter was a Ninja and Hudson was a ghost, batman or power ranger, depending on the time of day you caught him:)

Porter's big football game under the lights

2009-12-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

Porter had a great and fun flag football season this year. He loved that Mike was his coach. They played their final game on the turf field at Madison High School under the lights. He was especially excited when his 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Marciszyn came to watch.

Apple Picking

2009-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

First Day of School!

2009-12-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

Always fun to get back to school with friends!

Hudson and his good friend Millie on the playground at school.