This is one of my favorites of him.

The Preventive Pest Control Wives of the summer
From the Left:
Kelsie Hawkes (cousin-in-law), Kallee Cook and her kids Kinlee and Jared, Me and Brax, Sara Lee and her daughter Clara, Erin Hawkes (sister-in-law)
Kallee and Sara are also pregnant

The Kids had so much fun bouncing and running around

Two very impatient children


This picture has such a funny story, braxton would stand on one side of the circle then run as fast as he could and ram his whole body into the other side and fly backwards. He did it over and over.

I know this picture is fuzzy but with them moving so much it was hard to get a clear picture with my camera. But I thought this picture was funny, he was actually stuck.

(Imported from Braxton's Blog)

Swimming, Broccoli and a Very Messy Boy...aka COOKIE MONSTER!

This boy LOVES broccoli!

Racing Mom to the Pool!

Waiting at the gate..."hurry up mom!"

Chilling down by the pool with some snacks before jumping in.

His first time wearing arm floaties and floating by himself...he was pretty scared but started to get the hang of it after a few minutes.

He loves to look at his scrapbooks, if I tell him to get a book to read he usually grabs one of these.

Cookie Monster!!!!!!

He had so much fun eating his oreo's and he got to learn how to dip them in milk. As you can see he thought it was pretty darn yummy!

I Love this smirk on his face...it's like "ya, I'm a mess and I'm too darn adorable for you to get a tiny bit mad."

He did wash himself up afterwards though, haha.

Fathers Day and Birthday's

Well first off Happy Fathers Day!! to all who qualify.

Fathers Day went quite well, Braxton and I woke up at 9am and made Brandon peanut butter pancakes, eggs sunny side up, orange juice, and home made maple syrup. At breakfast we gave him our gifts, he has been hinting for a new belt so I got him one, along with the card below. Braxton even colored a picture for him and was so excited to give it to him it was so cute. Well after that, Brandon took a nap (whats new?) and a few hours later started to get ready for church. We went to church and brandon let brax take his own bread during sacrament well that didn't work out to well he was still holding brax's hand back and brax still accomplished to grap 4 peices. I guess it could of been worse. Our Ward even gave out Large Snickers Bars to all of the fathers in priesthood.

That evening we gathered together with our family and friends down here and had a BBQ. I splurged a little and got some lean New York Strip Steaks! Then I marinated them in a little olive oil, vinegar, water, and montreal steak seasoning pack. They were so tender and yummy! There were three steaks in the pack so Erin and I Split one and Brandon and Tyler each got a whole one.

This is Brandon's fathers day card that I got him.

This is the picture Braxton colored for Daddy

Well since my birthday is today and all the guys work till 9pm or later we have celebrated differently this year. Saturday, Brandon and I got to go to the Temple and then grabbed a few pizza's on the way home. And on Sunday is when we cut the cake up it was just too much cake to keep at our house so I took it to the BBQ and shared it with everyone. All the other wives want to get together tomorrow and do something for me, so that should be fun. They're all so sweet and I love hanging out with all of them.

Our little family

Of Course I made my own cake, it was so RICH!

It is a Triple Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Cake!

This is my present from Brandon's Mom, Thanks Heidi!

This was Brandons present to me, I've have always wanted one! And I didn't even tell him about it. It even turns upside down into a punch bowl. So Pretty!

Flowers from my mom and sisters, they smell so good. Thanks Guys!

Not much to say! just an update

Okay, Brandon is feeling a ton better thank heavens and is back to work and making at least two sales a day he is slowing working back up to his three to four. We don't know for sure if we will being staying a little longer or not I'm for it and it's kinda exciting but then again I'm starting to miss my house, yard and camping. Okay little of my family too.

Braxton has got a attitude from he**! I don't know what is going on his little head but he is almost 18 mos. and he is a boy. But still if he doesn't get exactly what he wants exactly when he wants it, it is a ginormous crying, running, tantrum until I grab him and make him calm down and use his words to get what he wants. Seriously I don't know how long the tantrum will go on, the longest I've let it go is 30 mins. It's driving me absolutely crazy. But the majority of the time he is still his sweet crazy little goofy self, what can I do. I love the little fart.

A couple days ago he was walking around the house punching his arms in the air saying HY YA! So I taught him how to kick one leg up and say it along with his arms. It's so funny, he walks around the house doing it all the time.

Well I got back on my metformin and lost eight pounds immediately. I need to go get a new rx, the pills im taking are some that I found in one of my suit case and I'm almost out.
But at least that gives me some glimmer of hope.

Feeling Better

Well Brandon had his molar pulled out yesterday and the doc said that the root was so big and almost completely decayed and that it would eventualy have to be pulled anyway so it was good we got it out before it got anymore painful. He is feeling much better and his headaches are gone, but we won't know for sure until he is off the codeine and back to work.

Little Update

Braxton splashing in the fountain on the edge of the pool.

Okay, so its been pretty nice weather here and has been below average, lucky us. There is a new update post on Brax on his blog for those of you who keep track of the little monster.

Last week Brandon did amazing in his sales he made 18 in just 6 days!!! On Friday he made 7 sales in one day, that put him in this special club the company has and he gets a scorpion belt buckle. I've been told its ugly but cool. Brandon has a tooth that is killing him with headaches and nausea. It has prevented him from working the past two days. So in about an hour he has an appt to get it pulled out. OUCH!

I've been hating myself phyically, I can't loose the weight that i've gained since braxton and it just spirals me down into depression mode. So I have an appt to go get my insulin resistance checked to see if it has progressed into diabetes, lets hope not. But if it has, at least I'll know the reason why my dieting and exercising aren't doing anything.

(Imported from Braxton's Blog)

OUR LITTLE TRICKSTER

What a cutie pie!

Silly Face! hehe

 Stylin' in mama's flip flops

YAY!

 Messy Messy

 Goofy Grin

This braxtons interpretation of peek-a-boo

Last Sunday, It was reported that in nursery braxton was going up behind the other kids and right as they went to sit down he would pull their chair out from under them and then giggle and walk away! Where does he get this from? (well his dad, duh)

Braxton also said "I Love You" perfectly! for the first time, it was so cute and I even got it on video.

SLEEP!!

YEA!! Braxton slept through the night!! Oh, it was so nice to be able to sleep all night without a little person in bed kicking all night.
His little feet are healing and the blister are really visible now. Here are some pictures of his little feet.
He is back too his silly little self and we are so happy to have our little goofball back!

ONE MORE TODAY! Ha Ha

We did go to church today but kept braxton away from other children. Well I found out that he did get it from the nursery, one of his nursery leaders was in the hall while we were walking around the church and said he could come in. I told here why and showed her his feet and hands and she looked at me and said "Oh my gosh he got it here." Then she said thatlast week there was a little kid that the same little blisters all over his hands and feet but they didn't know what it was. So I told her about it and she said that they would inform the other moms and sanitize everything today. Ugh, parents who send there kids to nursery sick or not acting normal really make me mad!

Company Dinner!!

Well we ended up going to Texas Roadhouse. Yum!! We had $40 to spend between the three of us, so brandon got 8oz. steak, ribs, and loaded fries and a Sprite. I got pulled pork, ribs, and loaded fries. Braxton ate between ours and the free rolls. Ugh! we were so full and we barely touched anything so tonight we are having leftovers. Yummy, oh but it was all so good, we haven't got to go out like that in years. We ate well, and it was so fun!
Lets just say we didn't eat the healthiest.
(Loaded Fries: Steak fries covered in cheese and bacon.)

Answers for the comments

For Allison, He eats lots of popcicles and I found this frozen sugar free, dairy free, juice slush stuff, and he loves it, and they are in individual cups which is perfect! And yea he is up to date on his immunizations. I just don't understand, but the doc said that it is a virus. And if you ever want to talk too, give me a call. Hope all is going well with the pregnancy, I so bummed I won't be there when she is born. don't forget to send pics.
For Jarae, It is crazy, the doc said that they can get from touching anything that another kid has had in his mouth, drooled on, or touched after they have had their hands in their mouth and then putting his hands in his mouth. I sure he got it from nursery, because i am always watching him. I never let him suck on any other kids toys, i always have little wipes to wipe down shopping carts and his hands, and he always has his binky in when we go to the playground and we always wash hands when we get home. So the nursery is the only place that I can't watch him.
And I don't think adults can get. It's just like the flu kind of in the way that you can get it, its good it only lasts a week though. But you can't always protect them from everything.
For Stacey, thanks for commenting I love it when I can know who is checking it out.

Bad News for Brax!

Well bad news for all of us. I took him to the doctor this afternoon, and now i wish it was an ear infection but its not. He has "foot, hand, and mouth"!! WHAT THE!!!!!! Well for those you don't know (I didn't) He has small inner blisters on his hands, feet, and down his throat. Plus to make it worse there is nothing for it! just pain reliever! Uuuhhhhggg. Miserable.
So obviously the infants pain reliever isn't working so I went and bought childrens Tylenol, what a difference. But the past hour he woke up from his nap screaming with his feet in the air, He hasn't been able to walk but the tylenol that I forced down him is kicking in. He just let me put some heavy cushion socks on his feet. The doctor said that it lasts 5-7 days and is very very contagious.
So hopefully nobody else gets it. The Doc said u can get it from anywhere. For us it had to be the nursery on sunday. So we won't be going to church on sunday.
And yes, he is getting pampered. Since he can't eat, he gets whatever he wants. Luckily he loves ice cold "V8 Tropical Orange Juice"
Thanks for the comments u guys!

HELP!

Okay this isn't on braxtons blog it's on the family blog because it involves all of us.
The past two nights braxton has been waking up every one to two hours screaming his head off, I get up and get him it takes a few minutes to calm him down we usually have to go sit outside on the balcony and talk about the stars or moon to get his mind in a different mode. Once he has calmed down his willing goes right back to sleep! And then we repeat and repeat all night long till it starts to get light out then he has to eat breakfast and watch TV. This morning he past out in the high chair he is so tired. Yesterday he fell back asleep in my arms around eight and slept till noon.
Night before last he did have a fever of 102 degrees, but last night he didn't. All I can figure is that he is having nightmares, but about what? Nothing tragic has happened, or exciting.
So if anyone has any suggestions, please post and let me know.

Thank You everyone who has posted on previous posts, I love hearing from you and who has visited our site.

Hey Everyone, We are doing well and enjoying our spring/summer so far. We miss all of ya there at home. Braxton and I spend most of our days down at the pool with the other wives whose husbands are selling this summer. We have to walk early in the morning to go play at the playground or when the sun goes down, or we melt before we get there. Every day is in the 100s and high 90s lately. Now are tans are getting darker and darker, Brandon has the worse farmers tan ever, braxton has a diaper tan, and im just trying to keep mine even by switching suits around.

Brandon is doing well his first week he had 8 sales and is continuing to excel. Currently his total is 27. He is doing awesome for his first year. The sales office here beat the overall average for sales this past week for the company last year, So next Saturday we are all going to dinner to the Cheesecake Factory I am so excited I haven't been there in so long and each individual gets $20 to spend on their dinner (wives too!) So we are way excited to actually get to go do something together other than eat at home and go to bed.

(Imported from Braxton's Blog)

SUMMER FUN

Braxton is 16 months old and growing up so fast, he is so funny and full of trouble!!! He loves to get into the dogs food, spill the water on the ground and lick it up. UGGHHH! So we constantly have to watch him. He has learned from the other kids here to throw rocks, wood chips from the playground, and all other little boy things! OOOoo can he throw a tantrum. just watch the video, they get worse.

We have been working on folding his arms for the prayer and he would never do it. Well only one day in the nursery at church and he came home folding his arms for prayers, meals, and whenever we ask him too!! It's awesome! He always reminds us to say the prayer at dinner, when we give him his food he folds his arms looks at us and smiles until we say the prayer.

He is talking very well, for his age and as long as your patient with him he will say the words you ask like more, eat, water, bye, please, thank you, no, yes, car, out, down, up, and Hi is his favorite word; we are working on many others. He is picking up on things so quickly now we have to watch everything we do around him. He learned how to open all the doors but the front door is too heavy for him thank heavens, so he comes and goes as he pleases around the apartment.